Ka`u News Briefs June 18, 2012

Pahala Volunteer Fire Department chief Ron Ebert has been hoping for the shelter for his equipment for years. The
garage is out to bid for construction. Photo by Julia Neal

KA`U VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS will soon be able to enjoy new garages for their fire trucks in Pahala and Na`alehu. The county Department of Public Works posted a description of the $75,000 project was to bring in estimates from qualified contractors. The bids close on June 21, and changes in the project were announced today.
      The new Pahala Disaster Shelter & Gym also went out for bidding, which closed on June 12. The estimate for the construction budget for the facility next to Ka`u High & Pahala Elementary School is listed by the Department of Public Works as $16.5 million. The engineering, design, planning and permitting studies cost more than $1 million and were conducted by Matsunaga & Associates Architects, Inc. of Honolulu.
      Another recent public works project in Ka`u was repairing and re-roofing Pahala Community Center. That construction contract went to Certified Construction, Inc., of Honolulu, and the cost was $106,436.

Strong winds and waves are expected to create high surf and perhaps some
action at this South Point blow hole. Photo by Peter Anderson from 2007

CIVIL DEFENSE OFFICIALS are warning drivers to use extreme caution when traveling today. A gale warning is issued for seas, and high wind warnings and advisories on land are the outlook. The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for Pahala and South Point to Miloli`i, where winds are gusting up to 50 mph and more. Upslope on Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea for elevations above 8,000 feet, a high wind warning with gusts up to 80 mph is issued through 6 p.m. 

      These strong winds can bring down tree branches and make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles, the National Weather Service warns. Drivers should use extra caution on roadways.
      When a power pole snapped in two yesterday evening in North Kohala, more than 5,900 people lost power.
      The winds are being caused by a high-pressure system Northeast of the islands and should reduce to moderate strength on Tuesday and Wednesday.
      There is also a gale warning through 6 p.m. today for the Alenuihaha and Pailolo Channels along with waters south of the Big Island. A small craft advisory is in effect until 6 a.m. Tuesday for all other Hawaiian waters and channels.

Tulsi Gabbard

Mufi Hannemann

TULSI GABBARD and MUFI HANNEMANN are in a dead heat to win a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to a poll by Civil Beat released this morning. The office, currently held by Rep. Mazie Hirono, who is running for the U.S. Senate seat of Dan Akaka, who is retiring, serves Ka`u, Volcano and all rural Hawai`i. 

      Civil Beat surveyed voters twice in the past two weeks and reported that Gabbard has “overcome a 45-point deficit with the former Honolulu mayor two months before the Democratic primary likely to determine Hawai`i’s new representative in Congress.” The latest poll showed Hannemann with 34 percent and Gabbard with 33 percent. Bob Marx and Esther Kia`aina were at 10 percent. Twelve percent of voters were undecided. 

      Civil Beat found the following:

Esther Kia`aina

Bob Marx

      Of those who picked jobs and the economy as their top priority, 39 percent backed Gabbard and 38 percent Hannemann;      

      Of those who said debt was the number one issue, Gabbard scored 37 percent and Hannemann 36 percent;
      Of those who identified the environment and energy as most important, Hannemann got 25 percent to Gabbard’s 24 percent. This last issue was a strong area for both Marx, with 20 percent, and Kia`aina, with 16 percent.

GAS PRICES DROPPED LAST WEEK. Statewide, retail prices fell 8.7 cents per gallon, averaging $4.36/gallon yesterday. The national average dropped to $3.53 per gallon, according to gasoline price website HawaiiGasPrices.com.

      Prices yesterday in Hawai`i were still 33.9 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago, but 12.7 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. The national average has decreased 17.6 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 12.6 cents per gallon lower than this day one year ago. 

Na`alehu Fourth of July parade is on June 30.
Photo by Julia Neal

      GasBuddy.com senior petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan said that gas prices could go up “as markets feel more upbeat about the economic situation.”
      Here are the current prices for regular gasoline in Ka`u: at Ka`u Gas in Pahala, $4.60 per gallon; at Wiki-Wiki 76 in Na`alehu, $4.56 per gallon; at Ocean View Market, $4.56 per gallon; at Kahuku Country Market in Ocean View, $4.62 per gallon; and at Spirit Gas in Ocean View, $4.68 per gallon.

THERE IS STILL TIME to sign up to participate in Fourth of July parades. Na`alehu’s parade rolls down Hwy 11 on Saturday, June 30 at 11 a.m. from the Hongwanji to Na`alehu Elementary school. Community groups, local businesses, elected officials and candidates are invited to show their patriotism. Call Debra McIntosh at 929-9872.
      Volcano Village’s parade takes place Wednesday, July 4 at 9 a.m., starting at the post office and following Old Volcano Road to Wright Road, where it turns left to Cooper Center. The celebration continues with an arts and crafts fair, silent auction, live music and entertainment. Parade registration deadline is June 27. For more, see volcanocommunity.org or coopercenter.org.

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Ka`u News Briefs June 17, 2012

Farmers are frustrated by lack of federally required state rules for pesticide use around water. Photo by Julia Neal

HAWAI`I IS THE ONLY STATE failing to comply with new federal regulations to control pesticides sprayed in and around waterways, according to a story in Civil Beat, quoting Environmental Protection Agency officials. “The delay is angering local farmers and state agriculture officials who for months haven’t been able to spray pesticides to control invasive species that are threatening native habitats or fight weeds that are choking out irrigation ditches,” the story by Sophie Cocke reports. 

      All states were mandated to come up with new permitting procedures under the federal Clean Water Act by last Oct. 31. However, Hawai`i health officials are delayed in their review of rules and process, and may not finish for another two months, the story reports.
     Gary Gill, deputy director for Environmental Health for the state Department of Health, told Civil Beat that the Health Department was hoping that Congress would eliminate the requirement altogether. “Pesticide spraying had been regulated under different federal laws, and those permits are still required. But spraying is blocked until the new Clean Water Act permit is also in place,” the Civil Beat story notes, leaving farmers, state and road crews and other users of pesticides vulnerable to legal action if they spray without the permit.

Weeds choke streams and irrigation ways in Ka`u, compromising water
for agriculture and conservation efforts. Photo by Julia Neal

      Civil Beat was told by EPA environmental scientist Elizabeth Sablad that pesticide users could face suits by environmental groups for spraying without permits. Russell Kokubun, chief of the state Department of Agriculture, told Civil Beat that the delay could hurt farmers and ranchers who depend on water from open ditches and flumes that require spraying to prevent them from clogging. Also affected are conservation groups attempting to spray for invasive weeds in areas where they are attempting to plant and protect native plant species.
      The Department of Health is currently working on responding to public comments on its proposed pesticide rules. The Hawai`i Farm Bureau opposed the new oversight nationally, contending that it places a burden on farmers with another layer of bureaucratic tape, the Civil Beat story says. However, according to Civil Beat, Kokubun, who is also a former farmer and was a leading champion of local agriculture as a state senator, said that he thought regulating pesticides under the Clean Water Act was a good thing, and noted that the state has known for years about the requirements.
       “I don’t think this caught anybody by surprise,” said Kokubun. “Obviously, if the EPA is saying we were the only state not to comply, the others were well aware of the situation and took the necessary steps to address it.” See more at civilbeat.com.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie

GOV. NEIL ABERCROMBIE signed more bills into law on Friday. In addition to the agriculture bills reported on yesterday, Abercrombie signed the following bills: 

      House Bill 1764 allows state and county officials to waive residency requirements for department heads, deputies and assistants when a candidate with highly specialized or scientific knowledge is unavailable locally; 

      House Bill 2476 makes appropriations for claims against the state or its officers or employees;
      House Bill 2848 requires the Department of Public Safety to plan for a model wellness center that employs native Hawaiian cultural practices on state land;
      Senate Bill 2228 establishes an electronic tracking system for the sale of products containing pseudoephedrine, an ingredient in the street drug ice;
      Senate Bill 2508 amends filing deadlines for preliminary disclosure reports to the Campaign Spending Commission;
      Senate Bill 2632 relieves all timeshare sales from having to be recorded in the land court. The recording goes instead into the general system;
      Senate Bill 2797 makes permanent changes to the psychotropic medication statute that ensures access to medically necessary psychotropic medications while allowing cost-effective strategies.
      The governor has signed 128 bills passed by the 2012 state Legislature. The deadline is June 25 for him to notify the Legislature of any bills he may veto. July 10 is the deadline for Abercrombie to enact measures with his signature. For a complete list of measures enacted by the governor, visit www.capitol.hawaii.gov/report.aspx?type=acts.

REQUIRING EMERGENCY PLANS for possible geothermal accidents goes to a final vote at the County Council on Tuesday. However, Hawai`i County’s new Civil Defense chief Ben Fuata says that the county’s existing incident command system already provides sufficient evacuation procedures, according to a Tom Callis story in this morning’s West Hawai`i Today.
      The story notes that Fuata said last month he would come up with a plan for the existing Puna Geothermal plant and conduct a drill, but later reviewed the existing plan and found it acceptable and a drill unnecessary. He said that, should other geothermal plants be built on the island, he will study them to see if additional emergency planning is necessary. According to the West Hawai`i Today story, the Civil Defense director described a geothermal incident: “It’s the same protocol we would follow as if one of the fuel tankers (exploded),” he said.
      The bill, proposed by County Council chair Dominic Yagong, would require a site-specific plan for any geothermal within 90 days of it starting operations.

Midway Island, a sanctuary for albatross that can live and reproduce for
more than 60 years, has so far escaped arrival of debris from the Japan
tsunami. Hawai`i Wildlife Fund is also on the lookout for debris coming
to Ka`u. Photo by Andy Collins/NOAA 

MIDWAY ATOLL, with its wildlife sanctuary, may have dodged tsunami debris from the Japan tsunami. U.S. Fish & Wildlife officials report they are prepared but have not seen the kind of debris that is washing up, like several fishing boats that landed on Washington and Oregon beaches and the large ship that drifted offshore of Alaska. 

HAWAI`I HEALTH CARE CONNECTOR will be the name of the new Hawai`i state-based insurance exchange. Gov. Neil Abercrombie announced last week that Hawai`i will be the first state to sign up for this component of the Obama health care reform law, which requires states to set up such exchanges by 2014. He said he recently notified the U.S. Health and Human Services Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight about the formation of the private, nonprofit corporation to establish the exchange as a quasi-government entity.

Kenneth Makuakane

KENNETH MAKUAKANE shares original songs from his latest albums, The Dash, White Bath Tub, Makuakane and other award-winning composition Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The concert is free, and park entrance fees apply.

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Ka`u News Briefs June 16, 2012

Crittercams, developed by National Geographic, will be placed on some monk seals in the inhabited Hawaiian Islands to study their behavior. Photo by Greg Marshall/National Geographic

AGRICULTURAL-BASED BUSINESSES received a push from the 2012 state Legislature yesterday when Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed two bills into law. Senate Bill 2375, which became law immediately, authorizes farm and ranch commercial operations in agricultural districts to increase farmers’ ability to sell products and promote food sustainability for the islands.

Ka`u Coffee Mill has a new retail store selling
coffee and macadamia nuts grown on
surrounding property. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

      Senate Bill 2646, effective July 1, promotes and supports diversified agriculture by exempting certain nonresidential agricultural buildings on commercial farms from county building permit requirements.

      “To truly support our local farmers we must empower them,” Abercrombie said. The governor also signed into law the following measures concerning agriculture:
      House Bill 1524 makes theft of agricultural commodities an offense of theft in the second degree and requires restitution to the victim;
      House Bill 1942 appropriates $200,000 for Electronic Importer Manifest Program to support agricultural inspectors in the prevention of invasive species;
      House Bill 1943 appropriates $162,540 to reinstate the plant quarantine detector-dog program to help prevent introduction of invasive species;
      House Bill 2244 authorizes state Department of Agriculture to establish compliance agreements with the federal government and other states regarding inspections for import and export of plant commodities;
      House Bill 2429 allows ex-officio members of Board of Agriculture to designate a representative to attend Board meetings;
      Senate Bill 2695 appropriates $250,000 for a livestock feed feasibility project and another $250,000 to reimburse livestock producers for feed costs.
       For a list of measures enacted by the governor, visit: www.capitol.hawaii.gov.

Monk seal cruises with a crittercam in the Northern Hawaiian Islands.
Photo from National Marine Fisheries Service

CRITTERCAMS, cameras for monk seals, will soon be attached to some of the marine mammals living in the inhabited Hawaiian Islands. National Geographic developed the crittercams, which have been used in the uninhabited Northwest Hawaiian Islands. Charles Littman, of the Hawaiian Monk Seals Research Program, is working on the effort which will allow the public to see, online, the monk seals as they dive to depths of 1,800 feet, dine on fish and haul out onto beaches. 

THE $6 MILLION OCEAN VIEW WATER WELL is still idle, as far as providing potable water to residents and businesses which have been lobbying for the new wells and spigots for decades. The county Department of Water Supply, the contractor and manufacturer of the pump have been working together to solve issues surrounding the pump for the water well, which tripped during testing and was described as possibly too small. A response from the pump manufacturer, who is currently reviewing test results, is expected early next week.

      A recent press release from the Water Department says that the state Department of Health’s “new source approvals for drinking water are in order, and the official approval will be given in accordance with the final acceptance of the project by the Department of Water Supply.

Ocean View well is still idle, awaiting review of pump tests.
Photo by Andrea Peace

      Acceptance of the project is delayed pending ongoing pump tests. In preparation of the facility being put into service, the pump tripped off while attempting to re-fill the reservoir.” The statement said that the ongoing tests will “determine any deficiencies in the system and the effects, if any, on the equipment.” 

      The statement explained that the publicly funded project establishes a basic drinking water system complete with a well, storage tank, transmission pipeline, and fill station for the Ocean View community. To ensure encumbrance of state funds within a very short legislative timeline of two years, this project was procured as design-build that was executed in two phases: Exploratory Well Development and Production Well Development.
      Exploratory Well Development included acquisition of land and easement for the well site, water line and fill station; completion of an Environmental Assessment; exploratory well design; installation of required equipment and ancillary facilities to complete the exploratory well; completion of a conceptual design of the well and testing well location and plan.
      Production Well Development included completing design of the well and hiring a contractor to obtain approvals and permits for the final design and to construct facilities.
      The Water Department is semi-autonomous and operates from its revenues, managing 24 water systems and 67 sources scattered throughout the island.

AIR NATIONAL GUARD’S Innovative Readiness Training Program could provide labor to help renovate irrigation systems in Ka`u, announced County Council member Brittany Smart at Ka`u Agricultural Water Cooperative's meeting on Thursday. The program trains Guard members to repair infrastructure after natural disasters. Training includes drilling wells, laying pipe and building roads. 

While the program provides equipment and labor, the community is responsible for supplying materials.
      The cooperative’s next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 19 at ML Macadamia offices in Pahala. Interested parties can contact Jeff McCall at 928-6456 or mccalljeffreyw@gmail.com.

Lui Sales, county firefighter with the Pahala unit, hoses down an area
formerly used for dumping near Scotty White Bridge. Photo by Julia Neal

PAHALA FIRE CREW has been hosing down the makai gulch at Scotty White Bridge over the last few days. Throwing household and construction trash into gulches is a crime and can lead to fires during drought times, firefighters said, appealing to the public to take recyclables and trash to appropriate places. They are also looking for any firebugs who may start fires. 

OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION’S monthly barbecue, usually held at 2 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month, which is today, will be held next Saturday, June 23, to accommodate a graduation party scheduled for today.

Naohulelua Historical Church is the site of a garden talk
story and plant and seed exchange tomorrow.

GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING slack key guitarist Jeff Peterson performs this evening at 7 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. Tickets are $27 and can be purchased at 967-8222. 

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP’S Crater Rim Cafe in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park celebrates Father’s Day with brunch tomorrow from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Beef pot roast, baked chicken, omelet station, breakfast meats and more are on the menu priced at $18.50 for adults and $9.75 for children 6 to 11. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. Call 967-8356 or 967-8371.

A GARDEN TALK STORY and plant and seed exchange takes place at Na`ohulelua Historical Church on Kama`oa Road tomorrow from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Call 929-8164 for more information.

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