Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014

Lava flows from Ka`u to North Kona are topics at a Volcano Awareness program Wednesday. Photo from USDA Forest Service

FOLLOWING ITS ACQUISITION OF KAHU-FM from Ka`u Community Radio, Inc. in August, Hawai`i Public Radio has launched a $150,000 capital campaign to raise money needed to cover costs of bringing a new transmitter to Hilo so that more Big Island residents can hear HPR-2, according to a story in Pacific Business News.

      Acquisition of KAHU-FM allowed HPR to broadcast its HPR-2 network on Hawai`i Island, said vice president and assistant general manager Valerie Yee. KAHU-FM broadcasts HPR’s news, information, jazz and blues programs from Pahala while planning for improved transmission. 

      Areas of the Big Island have had HPR-1, the fine arts and classical music stream, since 2000. HPR-2 has been available in areas of West Hawai`i since Feb. 2013.
      “We’ve been building awareness of this campaign quietly on the ground in Hilo,” Yee told PBN. “So far, we have received 73 gifts totaling $13,408.”
      HPR also announced a matching pledge from KTA Super Stores being made in memory of Koichi and Taniyo Taniguchi, founders of KTA Super Stores and K. Taniguchi Ltd. The company will match contributions when community support amounts to $20,000.
      See bizjournals.com/pacific.
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Russell Kokubun

FORMER STATE SEN. RUSSELL KOKUBUN, a Volcano resident, is Big Island campaign chair for U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa in her run for U.S. Senate, according to a story in West Hawai`i Today. 

      Kokubun served 10 years in the state Senate, ending as vice president under Hanabusa. He retired from his gubernatorial appointment as chair of the state Department of Agriculture in December.
      Hanabusa discussed her accomplishments and future role in Washington with reporter Nancy Cook Lauer after the candidate’s meeting with supporters in Hilo. Hanubusa said her accomplishments were numerous, including serving as president of the state Senate. She listed helping craft the Felix Consent Decree that required the state to provide services to special needs students, taking the first official legislative hearings to neighbor islands on a Hawaiian homestead issue and a  middle-school crystal meth prevention program. 

      “We need someone who can get things done,” Hanabusa said.
      Cook Lauer said Hanabusa has better statewide name recognition than opponent Sen. Brian Schatz “because of her tenure as state Senate president and a deathbed endorsement from the greatly respected” late Sen. Daniel Inouye.
      Regarding her three years in the U.S. House representing Hawai`i’s urban O`ahu 1st District, according to the story, Hanabusa said, “It’s difficult to gauge success in Congress by specific bills passed.” She noted her status as a ranking member on the Armed Services Committee, where she said she has worked to ensure Hawai`i’s role in a proposed rebalancing of military priorities.

Richard Ha

      See westhawaiitoday.com.

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KA`U’S STATE SEN. RUSSELL RUDERMAN should recuse himself from all discussions and votes regarding genetically modified organisms, said Richard Ha, owner of Hamakua Springs Country Farms and a supporter of GMOs in agriculture. In an opinion piece in Civil Beat, Ha said that because Ruderman owns Island Naturals, a chain of natural foods stores, “it certainly seems to be a conflict of interest for him to be supporting the Big Island’s anti-GMO movement.” 

      Ha writes, “We need to hold Sen. Ruderman to a higher standard than he’s holding himself to, because he’s our elected official and making decisions on behalf of all of us. I have asked Sen. Ruderman many times how his stance, which does not even seem to be supported by science, will help the Big Island and its food security status. How will it help the rubbah slippah folk in his district? I have never received an answer.”
      See civilbeat.com.

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Sizes of Hawai`i's volcanoes are related to their eruption rates, according to
the latest issue of Volcano Watch. Map from USGS/HVO

VOLCANO SIZE AND ERUPTION RATE ARE RELATED, according to the latest issue of Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s Volcano Watch. The issue asks whether Kilauea is a “small bump on Mauna Loa’s side” or separate volcano. This information is important, not only for understanding the evolution of Kilauea and other Hawaiian volcanoes, but also their hazard potential, the article says. 

      Kilauea has been erupting vigorously for about 100,000 years. Yet, if Kilauea is considered to be a small volcano, its eruption rate over that period must be low, since size and eruption rate are related. In this sense, the last several decades of continuous eruptive activity may be unusual (and might not continue far into the future), according to the article.
      If, on the other hand, Kilauea is considered to be a large volcano, the eruption rate over the past 100,000 years must have been high, and the current eruptive activity would be normal. 

      "The same holds true for other volcanoes of Hawai`i Island—if we know their size, we can deduce their long-term eruption rates,” the article concludes.
      See hvo.wr.usgs.gov.

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HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK WAIVES entrance fees tomorrow. Ka`u residents can celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by volunteering to remove invasive ginger along the summit of Kilauea from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Participants meet at Kilauea Visitor Center and should bring a hat, raingear, garden gloves, daypack, snacks and water and wear sturdy hiking shoes and long pants. No advance registration is required. Entrance is free all day.

After Dark in the Park explores Kilauea's
violent eruptions. Photo from NPS

VOLCANO AWARENESS MONTH CONTINUES at After Dark in the Park Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Using USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory logs, geologic field notes, National Park Service reports, newspaper accounts, photographs, and other records from 1924, Ben Gaddis, a long-time HVO volunteer, tells the story of Kilauea Volcano’s most violent eruption of the 20th century from the perspective of the people who lived through it. In April 1924, Kapoho residents were evacuated as hundreds of earthquakes shook their village. In the weeks that followed, huge explosions wracked the summit of Kilauea Volcano. Free; park entrance fees apply. 

FROM KA`U TO NORTH KONA, another Volcano Awareness Month program, examines the prominent lava flows and volcanic landscapes along Queen Ka`ahumanu and Mamalahoa Highways Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at NELHA Gateway Visitor Center in Kona. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists Jim Kauahikaua and Janet Babb take attendees on a virtual road trip from Kahuku to Kapalaoa, during which they talk about the volcanic history, stories and impacts of the Mauna Loa and Hualalai lava flows visible along the highways.
      For more information, email askHVO@usgs.gov or call 967-8844.

KA`U HIGH GIRLS VARSITY BASKETBALL team won their game at Kealakehe Friday, with a final score of 57 – 40. Denisha Navarro scored 37 points. Junior Varsity, with Deisha Gascon scoring 29 points, lost 36 – 43.
      The teams host Waiakea tomorrow at 6 p.m.

KA`U HIGH BOYS JUNIOR VARSITY basketball team won their home game against Hawai`i Preparatory Academy yesterday. The final score was 57 – 43, with 
Evan Manoha scoring 19 points. Ka`u Varsity 
lost 38 – 70. 
Larry-Dan Al-Navarro scored 16
 points.
      The teams travel to Kohala Tuesday.

KA`U HOSPITAL URGES RESIDENTS to complete its Community Health Needs Assessment at surveymonkey.com/s/93HQ5MX. The deadline is Jan. 31.

SEE THE DIRECTORY from the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce at http://snack.to/fzpfg59c.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014

Daryl "Sammy" Sampaga arrived in Pahala yesterday on the fourth day of his walk around Hawal`i Island raising awareness
of muscular dystrophy. Photo by Julia Neal

“HUNTERS ARE REALLY CONSERVATIONISTS: They’re our eyes. They’re the ones that walk the land. They’re the ones that see what’s going on, and they really are in the forefront of protecting our habitat and protecting what we have in Hawai`i.” This is how the local pig, goat, sheep and bird hunting community was described yesterday at a press conference at the state Legislature. Honolulu Star-Advertiser quoted Hawai`i Island Rep. Cindy Evans and wrote that she “hopes a package of five hunting bills being introducing at the state Capitol this session will strengthen and unite the hunting community at a time when conflicts between land conservation and hunting are growing.”

The Mauka Legend Hunting Tournament, held in late 2012 in honor of the late
Chaz Moses, drew many Ka`u hunters. Photo by Julia Neal

      One of the bills would prevent shrinking public hunting areas, requiring the state Department of Land & Natural Resources to replace hunting land restricted for other uses such as conservation of native species or ranching and farming.
      Evans, whose district includes North Kohala, where sugar shut down decades ago, the land sold off, subdivided and fenced, was described in the Star-Advertiser by writer Rob Shikina as saying that Hawai`i’s hunters “play a key role in how the state manages its forests. But several hunters have approached her about concerns that hunting grounds are being fenced off and lost to conservation efforts.”
      Evans proposes a “legislative package to help organize a hunting community that currently has no formal organization,” the Star-Advertiser story says.
      “We’re hoping this year that they come together, learn how to work with the Legislature and get their voice heard,” the story reports her saying.
      The other four hunter bills being introduced would require the Department of Land and Natural Resources to issue hunting permits to children to hunt under adult supervision; authorize the Board of Land and Natural Resources to enter into an agreement with other states for the mutual enforcement of wildlife laws and to enter into the wildlife violators compact and adopt necessary rules; establish a lifetime hunting license for veterans who are at least 60 percent disabled or who are Purple Heart recipients; and designate September as Outdoor Heritage Month to celebrate Hawai`i’s natural environment and recreational activities.
State Rep. Faye Hanohano, who attended the news conference, said she grew up hunting in Puna.
      See more at www.staradvertiser.com.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

"Never give up" is is the message of Operation Sammy Muscular
Dystrophy, Sampaga's nonprofit. Photo by Julia Neal

“WE FOCUS ON FINDING WHAT CAN MAKE us happy now,” Hilo native Daryl “Sammy” Sampaga told Stephens Media reporter Megan Moseley. Sampaga arrived in Pahala yesterday on the fourth day of his walk around Hawai`i Island to raise funds for his nonprofit Operation Sammy Muscular Dystrophy. Sampaga plans to use money raised from the walk to purchase two Hawaiian canoes that he plans to use to teach handicapped keiki how to paddle. 

      Sampaga, whose legs have been significantly affected by the disease and whose daughter also has it, told Moseley, “Sometimes, I would catch myself staring at people. I might envy their thighs and their calves. I used to grumble, ‘Why me? Why me, God?’ “But then I realized I was given this disease for a reason.”
      OSMD’s slogan is “Block out muscle disease; pursue happiness.”

      See westhawaiitoday.com.
      Follow Sampaga’s journey on Facebook by liking OSMD Hawaii.

       To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.  

HAWAI`I FARMERS UNION is promoting three bills in the 2014 Hawai`i Legislature, according to its legislative chair Simon Russell.
      Good Agricultural Practices Bill establishes food safety certification for commercial sales of food produced in Hawai`i, including fresh produce and value-added products made here. Russell said he advocates for food safety requirements to be less expensive and under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Agriculture. The bill would eliminate an expensive and cumbersome third-party certification, Russell said, noting that “Gov. Neil Abercrombie supports this.” Russell said that Hawai`i Farmers Union hopes to help set standards in Hawai`i that will also be acceptable by the FDA.
      On-Farm Mentoring, as supported by the Hawai`i Farmers Union, is part of a Food Policy Bill at the Legislature and would allocate $50,000 to an entity on each island. Recipients would be farms and schools that use 75 to 100 percent of inputs from the land on the farm. “This means composting and indigenous microorganisms to build soil health,” Russell said. The funding would be used by the farms or schools, which would be mentored by University of Hawai`i’s College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Services.
      Russell said the Farmers Union is also advocating for additional money for a program to move toward “zero reliance on the mainland. Stop buying chemicals means developing excellent soil health.”

      In the future, said Russell, Hawai`i Farmers Union plans to introduce a food origins bill requiring labeling to show where food is grown. The organization advocates for the establishment of a Hawai`i Origin Products Commission comprised of famers who would recommend producer-driven standards for food labeling. The bill was pulled this year, as some interests in the coffee industry opposed the origins labeling, Russell said.
      A separate coffee bill is proposed, mostly by Kona Coffee farmers. It would require that all origins of coffee be displayed on packaging, with countries of origin.
      Russell said that Hawai`i Farmers Union United has been working on the coffee berry borer problem. He said he attended a national Farmers Union meeting and provided pure Hawaiian coffee to a U.S. undersecretary of Agriculture with a letter to the head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Pres. Barack Obama, pleading for funding to fight the borer. He said that the Farmers Union has offices in Washington, D.C. to help farmers interact with the federal government and Congress. See more at www.hawaiifarmersunionunited.com.

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TEACHERS IN KA`U are invited to fly to Maui for a Project Learning Tree Teacher Workshop Saturday, Feb. 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The environmental education workshop is for kindergarten through eighth-grade teachers. Fee is $20, registration deadline is Friday, Feb. 14. For more information contact Kuhea Aslu at 808-572-4452 or kuhea_paracuelles@nps.gov. 

THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN EDUCATION COUNCIL is sponsoring a community listening session at Na`alehu School Room 34 today from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. to gather information that will be given directly to the U.S. Department of Education. “Your participation may directly impact federal education grant-making decisions that affect your `ohana,” said Bernie Frank, of Pacific Resources for Education and Learning.
      For more information, call 808-523-6432 or see nhec.org.

THE AHU MOKU COUNCIL OF KA`U invites the public to a community forum tomorrow at 5 p.m. at Na`alehu elementary School, Room 31, to discuss the proposed location of the wastewater treatment facility to be built by the county for Na`alehu. The forum will also include and the county nomination of 1,363 acres in Kaunamano for purchase and preservations. The proposed location of the sewer facility is near the preservation site. Both are state property makai of Hwy 11 near mile marker 63, between Honu`apo Scenic Lookout and Na`alehu School.
      For more information, contact the Aha Moku Council of Ka`u through Darlyne Vierra at 640-8740 or dpvierra@yahoo.com.

KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES National Park offers its Palm Trail Hike tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This relatively easy, guided, 2.6-mile loop crosses scenic pasture along an ancient cinder cone with some of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. For more information, call 985-6011 or see nps.gov/havo.

MONDAY IS ONE OF NINE FEE-FREE DATES at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park in 2014. The park invites Ka`u residents to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and volunteer to remove invasive ginger along the summit of Kilauea from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Participants meet at Kilauea Visitor Center and should bring a hat, raingear, garden gloves, daypack, snacks and water and wear sturdy hiking shoes and long pants. No advance registration is required. Entrance is free all day.

KA`U HOSPITAL URGES RESIDENTS to complete its Community Health Needs Assessment at surveymonkey.com/s/93HQ5MX. The deadline has been extended to Jan. 31.

SEE THE DIRECTORY from the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce at http://snack.to/fzpfg59c.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

Ka`u News Briefs Friday, Jan. 17, 2014

Palm Trail at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park's Kahuku Unit offers panoramic views. Photo by David Boyle

KA`U’S STATE SEN. JOSH GREEN is proposing a five-year moratorium on the sale and use of Roundup and other products containing glyphosate, a chemical found in common herbicides, according to a story in Hawai`i Tribune-Herald. The moratorium would begin July 1 and be in effect while a glyphosate working group studies the chemical’s impacts on health and the environment.

A bill being considered by the state Legislature would put a five-year moratorium
on Roundup and other products containing glyphosate. Image from Monsanto

      Green told reporter Tom Callis that he doesn’t think the state should wait until the working group is finished before taking action. “Task forces, when they make recommendations, are non-binding,” he said.
      The senator cited studies he said show that glyphosate is harmful to development of placenta cells. He told Callis that he also thinks it may be responsible for declines in bee populations and that he is also concerned about chemical build-up in the environment because of its widespread use.

      “We’ve asked the county and state how they are measuring” use, he said. “They didn’t know what the health impact was.
      He said the state should follow the “precautionary principle,” which urges caution when effects of a process or action are unclear or disputed.
      “If people care about using this chemical, why not make sure it is safe?” Green said.

      Callis contacted Ka`u resident and acting Hawai`i Farm Bureau Federation president Chris Manfredi for a response to Green’s proposal. Manfredi told Callis he is not opposed to a working group but thinks the moratorium is “putting the cart before the horse.”

      “He certainly hasn’t talked to the Farm Bureau,” Manfredi said. “We would have expressed concerns about it if he had.”

Ka`u's Rep. Richard Creagan

      Hawai`i Farm Bureau Federation is one of the organizations the bill names for representation in the working group. Manfredi told The Ka`u Calendar that Farm Bureau should have a seat at the table and that “it is always healthy to engage in and examine the most current science on any subject, but there is no evidence requiring a ban or moratorium.”
      Glyphosate is one of the most “popular and innocuous herbicides in usage,” Manfredi told Callis. “It’s effective, so you don’t have to use as much as you would with other products.”

      While the bill would prevent use of glyphosate, other stronger, restricted-use chemicals would still be legal, according to the story.
      See hawaiitribune-herald.com.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KA`U’S STATE REP. RICHARD CREAGAN, who was appointed as a member of the House of Representatives from the Fifth District to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of former Rep. Denny Coffman, has receive his committee assignments for this year’s state Legislature. Creagan will be a member of the following five committees: Consumer Protection & Commerce, Judiciary, Health, Housing and Human Services.

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HAWAI`I STATE SENATE AND HOUSE LEADERS have announced a joint majority package of priorities for the 2014 legislative session. The last time a joint majority package was unveiled was during the 2008 Legislative Session.

      Lawmakers will focus their combined efforts on two major areas of concern: Seniors and the Environment.

Mosquitoes that carry dengue fever are one of the invasive species Hawai`i
Senate and House members want to eradicate. Photo from ehow.com

      “We are starting off the session in the spirit of collaboration between the House and Senate,” said Senate President Donna Mercado Kim. “These shared priorities of seniors and the environment are important because they have sufficient support within both caucuses and address statewide issues of broad public concern at the forefront of the legislative session.”
      House Speaker Joseph M. Souki said, “The proposed legislation is the result of the tireless efforts of representatives from both houses, who helped pull together all the various interests and priorities to find mutual ground and commitments to serious concerns that are statewide and cross political boundaries.”
      A two-part bill relating to aging would fund healthy aging programs and services and provide resources for the implementation of a public education and awareness campaign on long-term care.

      The bill would allocate a total of $6.6 million to support community-based programs that incorporate collaborations between health care and social service agencies.

      The second part of the bill would provide $500,000 for the Department of Health’s Executive Office on Aging to implement a public education and awareness campaign to help better prepare Hawai`i residents in planning for future long-term care needs.

Hawai`i Legislature is targeting little fire ants for eradication.
Photo from Hawai`i Department of Agriculture   

      Another bill would provide $50,000 in funding for outreach initiatives of the Office of Consumer Protection to prevent financial abuse of seniors.
      With regard to the environment, majority members will address concerns on the effects of climate change and invasive species in the state.
      A bill relating to climate change would provide resources and a timeline to ensure Hawai`i adapts to protect the public from effects of climate change. It would provide positions and resources to the Office of Planning who will, within 18 months, come up with plans and policy recommendations to effectively address the worst impacts expected through 2050.
      A bill relating to invasive species would provide $5 million in funding for the Hawai`i Invasive Species Council to help eradicate threats from invasive species, including coconut rhinoceros beetles, fire ants and mosquitos carrying dengue fever.
      Information about these bills and others is available at capitol.hawaii.gov.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Namaste, Pana`ea Zoo's resident Bengal tiger, has died. Photo from Hawai`i County

AFTER DEVELOPING MULTIPLE HEALTH PROBLEMS that caused his quality of life to deteriorate over the past several weeks, Namaste, a male white  Bengal tiger that was the star attraction at Pana`ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens in Hilo for fifteen years, has been euthanized.

      Las Vegas magician Dirk Arthur donated the tiger to Pana`ewa Zoo in 1999. Namaste was eight months old when he arrived on Hawai`i Island. For 15 years, Namaste’s daily afternoon feedings drew crowds, and his birthday parties held every September attracted hundreds of attendees. 

      Namaste was buried in his enclosure, and the spot will soon be marked with a monument. The zoo also has plans to welcome another tiger after making some renovations to the tiger habitat to accommodate a younger animal.

       To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.  

TO AVOID TAX PENALTIES, CONSUMERS have until March 31 to enroll in a health insurance plan through Hawai`i Health Connector, the state’s health insurance marketplace. Individuals and families can receive tax subsidies only through Hawai`i Health Connector. Enrollment and premium payment deadlines have been established in conjunction with the participating health and dental plans for the remainder of the open enrollment period that ends March 31.
       As of Jan. 11, a total of 2,709 individuals have enrolled in a health plan, and 350 businesses have applied for a health plan through Hawai`i Health Connector.
      See hawaiihealthconnector.com. Hawai`i Health Connector Customer Support Center can be reached at 1-877-628-5076.
      In Ka`u, help with applying for health insurance is available through Ka`u Rural Health Community Association, Inc. Call 928-0101.

       To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN EDUCATION COUNCIL is sponsoring a community listening session at Na`alehu School Cafeteria tomorrow from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. to gather information that will be given directly to the U.S. Department of Education. “Your participation may directly impact federal education grant-making decisions that affect your `ohana,” said Bernie Frank, of Pacific Resources for Education and Learning. 

      For more information, call 808-523-6432 or see nhec.org.

KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES National Park offers its Palm Trail Hike Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This relatively easy, guided, 2.6-mile loop crosses scenic pasture along an ancient cinder cone with some of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. For more information, call 985-6011 or see nps.gov/havo.

MONDAY IS ONE OF NINE FEE-FREE DATES at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park in 2014. The park invites Ka`u residents to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and volunteer to remove invasive ginger along the summit of Kilauea from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Participants meet project leader Paul Field at Kilauea Visitor Center. Bring a hat, raingear, garden gloves, daypack, snacks and water. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and long pants. Walk-ins are welcome, and no advance registration is required. Entrance is free all day.

KA`U HOSPITAL URGES RESIDENTS to complete its Community Health Needs Assessment at surveymonkey.com/s/93HQ5MX. The deadline has been extended to Jan. 31.

SEE THE DIRECTORY from the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce at http://snack.to/fzpfg59c.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.