Ka`u News Briefs Monday, July 13, 2015

Participants in Science Camps of America's Land and Sea session studied Hawai`i Island's geology earlier this month.
Photo from Michael Richards

A PROPOSED SOLAR PROJECT in Ocean View is on the agenda of a meeting Thursday at 6 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. Ka`u’s state Rep. Richard Creagan and County Council member Maile Medeiros David plan to attend.

      In March 2013, Ka`u News Briefs reported that photovoltaic installations were planned for Hawaiian Ocean View Ranchos, according to Jeremy Staat, of Ohana Solar Power, LLC. Staat said at the time that his company had invested $10 to $12 million in fee-simple properties in Hawai`i, technology and proposals to the electric utilities. He said he was waiting for approvals from the state Public Utilities Commission and Hawai`i Electric Light Co. for the Ranchos project.
 Staat said his company planned solar on three islands and owned 20 lots in Ranchos. Filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission under Solar Hub Utilities showed that building permits were issued for all 20 lots in early 2012.

Jeremy Staat, of Ohana Solar Power, LLC

     Company names currently involved in the project include Solar Power Holdings, Solar Power, Inc., Solar Hub and Solar PV Projects.

      According to Sandi Alexander, of Ocean View Community Association, Hawaiian Electric Light Co. announced at a community meeting a month ago that it plans to build a 10-megawatt substation across Hwy 11 from Ocean View Market to handle power coming from the two-acre solar arrays to be built on three-acre lots.
    During the meeting, residents expressed concerns about having solar arrays spread throughout the residential area, possible bulldozing of old-growth `ohi`a on the lots, heat generated by solar panels and possibility of theft, since developers have no plans for monitoring of their equipment. Residents also asked if the development would limit the amount of net-energy metering, where surplus energy goes back to HELCO to lower electricity bills, available to residents.
      Alexander said the purpose of the meeting is to try to come to some consensus about what residents want regarding the project.

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LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL on Mauna Kea yesterday arrested an individual for criminal property damage after she allegedly struck the vehicle of an Office of Mauna Kea Management ranger with her own car. The individual allegedly drove up to a ranger and two sheriffs at 2:30 a.m. and argued with them for not allowing her to ascend the mountain. She then advanced her car into the OMKM rangers vehicle, causing minor damage. No one was injured.
      The incident follows the state Board of Land & Natural Resources’ implementation of emergency rules restricting access on Mauna Kea from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.
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Science Campers visit Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
Photo by Michael Richards

THE SECOND SESSION of this year’s Science Camps of America based at Pahala Plantation Cottages continues through July 18. According to founder Michael Richards, the Big Island of Hawai`i is the ideal location for experiencing the air and space sciences and the world’s greatest laboratory for Earth science. 

      Air and Space Camp gives students the chance to learn about Earth’s atmosphere and climate and about space. Participants visit observatories and the centers where astronomers work. They also learn how scientists study concentrations of substances in the atmosphere, see alternate energy development in action and gain a better understanding of climate change and how to be better prepared to participate in solutions to challenges they will face.
      During Land and Sea Camp, the focus was on volcanoes (geology) and the ocean (oceanography). Students visited Kilauea, the world's most active (and easily studied) volcano. They saw footprints in hardened ash that are over 200 years old, along with one of the world’s greatest mineral collections and beaches made entirely of minerals. They learned not just about the events that take place in the natural world but experienced first-hand how they affect plants, animals and humans. 

      For next year, Science Camps of America offers scholarships to local students. For more information, see sciencecampsamerica.com.
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Crews make repairs to Solar Impulse II on O`ahu.
Photo from solarimpulse.com

SOLAR IMPULSE TWO IS GROUNDED on O`ahu. During the record-breaking oceanic flight of five days and five nights (117 hours and 52 minutes) from Japan, the solar-powered airplane suffered battery damage due to overheating. The damage to certain parts of the batteries is irreversible and will require repairs and replacements that will take several weeks to work through. 

      Solar Impulse’s crew does not see the possibility for any flights before two or three weeks at the earliest. The next leg of its around-the-world journey will take it to Phoenix, AZ. Regular updates will follow at solarimpulse.com.

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SEN. MAZIE K. HIRONO WILL PARTICIPATE in the National Defense Authorization Act Conference Committee. NDAA is an annual bill that lays out the Department of Defense’s budget and strategic plan for the military in the next year.
      Both the House and Senate have passed different versions of NDAA. Under the Constitution, Congress has to agree on the same text of a bill in order to send it to the President for signature. Conference Committees serve as a way for the House and Senate to reach agreement on legislation which must then be passed again by both the House and Senate. As an NDAA conferee, Hirono will collaborate with members of the Senate and House to come to a bipartisan and bicameral compromise on the nation’s military spending.
      “The NDAA should reflect the United States’ national security priorities by supporting our men and women in uniform, sustaining a 21st century fighting force and investing in long-term initiatives like the Rebalance to the Asia-Pacific,” Hirono said. “As a conferee, I will work to see that Hawai`i continues to play a vital role in these efforts. I continue to be concerned about the impact of the sequester, which harms our economy and our national security. I look forward to working with my House and Senate colleagues to address these issues and find bipartisan solutions that will keep our military strong.”
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Pele and Hi`iaka by Avi Kiriaty

AVI KIRIATY EXHIBITS KUMU PELE at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Saturday, July 18 through Aug. 23. This exhibition of original paintings and prints will be on display daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The exhibit is free and open to the public; park entrance fees apply. A special opening reception with the artist is on Saturday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the gallery. 

      Kiriaty was born in Israel, the son of a dabbling artist, and spent his youth as a keen observer of nature and people. He met his wife on a kibbutz and soon after moved to New Hampshire where they had their first child. Soon after, the budding family moved to the South Pacific in search of a warm, peaceful place amid nature. The original plan was that Hawai‘i would be one of the stops along the way, but upon arrival they couldn’t resist the beauty they experienced and decided to stay. They spent the first year on Kaua`i, where Kiriaty experimented for a time with oil painting. From there he moved to the Hamakua. His son was born on an old Hawaiian homestead there. Kiriaty then moved to the Puna rainforest and began to live the life of an artist. His first works were sold at Hilo Farmers Market, where his wife had been selling tie-dyed T-shirts. Kiriaty included a few works for sale and to no one’s surprise, they were an immediate success.
      Since that time, Kiriaty has continued to capture the Hawai‘i landscape and his observations of its people in joyful paintings and prints. For a deeper study into Polynesian culture, Kiriaty and his family traveled to 19 different islands in French Polynesia and the Cook Islands, and his work has been profoundly influenced by the journey. One example is Kiriaty’s unique collection of Storyboards. Throughout the South Pacific many cultures create Storyboards as a form of art that documents their oral tradition and their cultural history. They have been made in many different forms, including woodcarvings and tapa cloth designs. Kiriaty has developed his own style of Polynesian storyboard using oil paint on linen canvas. The texture, and partially the style, of these works is similar to that of his lino-block prints. His daughter works with him in the studio on these pieces in an apprentice fashion, filling in the layers at his direction. This working relationship has developed a line of paintings that have a unique style while still being clearly Avi Kiriaty originals.
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Philip K. Wilson

OBON SEASON SERVICES take place today at Pahala Hongwanji at 3 p.m. (928-8254) and Na`alehu Hongwanji at 6 p.m. (966-9981). 

THE TOPIC AT AFTER DARK IN THE PARK tomorrow is How Do We View Kilauea? Kumu Hula Manaiakalani Kalua and historian Philip K. Wilson discuss Kilauea’s place in Hawaiian culture and scientific history, and where the two perspectives intersect and encounter one another. The program begins at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
      $2 donations support park programs; park entrance fees apply.

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

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf
and kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_July2015.pdf.

Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, July 12, 2015

How do we view Kilauea? is the topic at After Dark in the Park Tuesday. Photo from NPS

KA'U HIGH GRAD PETER CABREROS became the new warden at Hawai`i Community Correctional Center on Wednesday after serving the state Department of Public Safety for more than 40 years. A son of plantation workers, he talked to Hawai`i Tribune-Herald reporter John Burnett about his teen years in Ka`u influencing his decision to become a corrections officer.

      In a story in this morning’s Tribune-Herald, Cabreros said he hung out at the local gas station. “All the police officers used to come there and service their cars. I got to know all of them,” Cabreros told Burnett. “And I used to raise hell with my Camaro and my dirt bike. And they told me, ‘Peter, before you get into trouble, there’s an opening at the jail. I’ll write a letter for you.' So I applied and did the interview. … They showed me a copy of the letter later on. The whole Ka`u police department signed off on the letter.”

Ka`u High grad Peter Cabreros is warden at HCCC.
Photo from Hawa`i Department of Public Safety

      Before being named warden, Cabreros was Chief of Security at HCCC. He took over as acting warden in January of upon retirement of the previous warden. Cabreros has been with the Department of Public Safety since February 1975. He started as a corrections officer and worked his way up through the ranks to Chief of Security in 2002.
      As Chief of Security, Cabreros was responsible for planning, directing and administering overall security operations. He also served as a member of the institutional management staff and participated in the creation of institutional security policies and procedures. Chief of Security also acts in the capacity of warden in their absence.
      “Peter is a valuable asset to the department and is a committed corrections professional,” said Public Safety Director Nolan Espinda. “He brings many years of corrections experience with him to this new position, and I have no doubt HCCC will benefit by his leadership.”
      Cabreros oversees a staff of 180. He told Burnett there are currently about a dozen corrections officer openings, and he’s hopes to hire about five or six from the guard recruit class.
      “I tell each recruit on the first day I meet them, being a corrections officer takes a special person,” Cabreros told Burnett. “It’s about commitment, about dedication, about integrity, about sacrifice. With our line of work, we work 24/7, holidays, weekends. I tell them all, ‘When your family’s out there celebrating these holidays and special occasions, somebody’s gotta work.’”
      See hawaiitribune-herald.com.

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KULANI CORRECTIONAL FACILITY HELD a special Makahiki celebration and graduation ceremony Friday for 45 inmates who received completion certificates from Hawai`i Community College.

      HCC offered three educational programs for inmates at Kulani from March through June 29. The programs offered were facilities maintenance, Hale Mua o Kulani and sustainable horticulture. Through these programs, inmates learn real-world job skills that they can use once they leave. The completion certificate is also a document they can show to HCC if they chose to continue their education with the college.

Kulani inmates who participated in educational programs graduated Friday.
Photo from Hawai`i Department of Public Safety

      The facilities maintenance program included 270 hours of carpentry and masonry. Participants ihad to demonstrate their understanding of rough construction techniques and principles, identify and recognize green construction practices, use appropriate industry methods and techniques to safely operate hand and power tools to measure and cut materials. They also had to apply the relevant use of materials, tools, equipment and procedures to perform basic building repairs.
      In the masonry class, they learned about concrete materials and techniques, demonstrated the use of equipment and tools for placing concrete, identified tools and equipment used in performing masonry work and incorporated leadership skills including communication, motivation, team building, problem solving and decision-making skills.
      The Hale Mua o Kulani Program emphasized Hawaiian culture. The class included conversational Hawaiian language, Hawaiian values in the workplace, imu cooking, paniolo (livestock ranching), Hawaiian `ukulele and Pahu drum carving. Participants cooked a pig in an imu at Kulani for their Makahiki lunch.
      The sustainable horticulture production program included classes on identification of native Hawaiian plants and a series of introductory classes on agriculture, soil science, plant nutrition and composting.
      There are currently 195 inmates housed at Kulani. Inmates housed there are within a year of release.
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CUTBACKS IN MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES in Hawai`i, including Ka`u, lead to increased risk to communities and unfair treatment of those with mental problems.
     State psychologists contend the problem may grow “as a result of staffing shortages and an overall breakdown in Hawai`i’s mental health system," according to an investigative story by Kristen Consillio in this morning’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
      “The psychologists and clerical staff in the Health Department’s Courts and Corrections Branch have filed an internal complaint about shortages they say are resulting in serious consequences for mentally ill defendants and the community," the story reported.
      Daryl Matthews, a forensic psychiatrist who has worked by contract with the state, filed his own complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice concerning civil rights violations of defendants awaiting mental health evaluations. He told the reporter, “It’s outrageous what’s going on. It’s horrible.”

Reneau Kennedy

      According to Matthews, defendants are being kept in jail for “grossly inappropriate, unconstitutional lengths of time," leading directly to their “egregious harm,” Consillio reported.
      The story gave an example of a man killed by police on O`ahu. He was drunk and refused to get out of his vehicle when ordered by police, after they perceived he was attempting to run into the police car. He was without care, waiting for mental health evaluation.
      “It’s an essential component of government that is not getting attention,” Reneau Kennedy, a private-practice psychologist who was the Health Department’s forensic chief, told Consillio. “You've got competent professionals who are crying for help asking for more staffing, and it’s not being addressed.”
      Mark Fridovich, administrator of the department’s Adult Mental Health Division, told Consillio, “It’s a very serious situation, but I don’t think it’s a public safety concern. There’s been a backlog. We’ve been monitoring the backlog and are very concerned about it.”
      According to the story, the Health Department is using psychologists from other branches to help with the backlog while working to fill four vacant positions.
      See staradvertiser.com.
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KA`U FARM BUREAU MEMBERS can contact Chris Manfredi, of Na`alehu, with their concerns to relate to congressional leaders. As president of Hawai`i Farm Bureau, Manfredi is headed to Washington, D.C. this week for American Farm Bureau Federation’s Council of Presidents meetings. “I’ve scheduled several meetings with our Congressional delegation while I’m there,” he writes on Hawai`i Farm Bureau’s blog. “The Government Affairs Committee collaborated with ag industry stakeholders on an issue paper. If you want a copy, or have a particular issue you want me to emphasize, please email me at chris@hfbf.org.”
      Another contact for input is Ka`u Farm Bureau President Brenda Iokepa Moses at biokepamoses@gmail.com. See more at hfbf.org.
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KA`U CELEBRATES OBON SEASON with services tomorrow at Pahala Hongwanji at 3 p.m. (928-8254) and Na`alehu Hongwanji at 6 p.m. (966-9981).

Kumu Hula Manaiakalani Kalua Photo from Kalua's facebook page

AT AFTER DARK IN THE PARK TUESDAY, Manaiakalani Kalua and historian Philip K. Wilson present a deliberative discussion on Klauea’s place in Hawaiian culture and the history of science, and where the two perspectives intersect and encounter one another.
      Kalua is a kumu hula and faculty member of I Ola Haloa, Center for Hawai`i Life Styles, at Hawai`i Community College. Wilson is professor of History at East Tennessee State University and has been a visiting professor at University of Hawai`i at Manoa. One of his interests is Hawaiian history, comparing the significance of the volcano Kilauea during the nineteenth century from the perspectives of naturalists, missionaries and native Hawaiians.
      The program begins at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
      Sponsored by Hawai`i Council for the Humanities and University of Hawai`i-Hilo. $2 donations support After Dark programs; park entrance fees apply.

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

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf
and kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_July2015.pdf.

Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, July 11, 2015

Expansive vistas abound on tomorrow's Palm Trail hike at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park's Kahuku Unit.
NPS Photo by Mark Wasser

AFTER MORE THAN EIGHT HOURS of public testimony, Hawai`i Board of Land and Natural Resources voted 5-2 last night to approve a 120-day emergency rule pertaining to access to Mauna Kea.

BLNR member Chris Yuen

      “We need the tools to keep order on the mountain,” said at-large board member Chris Yuen, former Hawai`i County Planning Department chief. “It’s sad that it has come to this point.”
      Hawai`i Island board member Stanley Roehrig also voted in favor of the rule, saying it was for the safety of everyone, including rangers. O`ahu member Ulalia Woodside and Maui member James A. Gomes voted a`ole.
      The action follows blockades on the summit access road by people and rocks placed to restrict access by crews attempting to begin construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope.
      According to the rule, no person shall at any time possess or control in the restricted area any of the following items: sleeping bag, tent, camping stove or propane burner.
      The rule also limits times access is available to the hours of 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., unless the person is transiting through the restricted area on the Mauna Kea Observatory Access Road or is lawfully within or entering or exiting an existing observatory or a facility operated by the University of Hawai
      The restricted area is defined as any lands in the public hunting area that includes the Mauna Kea Observatory Access Road and one mile on either side of the road.
      As used in this rule, the term transiting means operating, or being a passenger in, a motor vehicle travelling at a reasonable and prudent speed and having regard to the actual and potential hazards and conditions then existing.
      The board declared that there was “imminent peril to the public health or natural resources.”
      Roehrig pointed out that persons wanting to access the area can apply for special permits. He also said DLNR Chair Suzanne Case is open to setting up an area to be used for protests.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

GMOS, ZEALOTRY AND LEGISLATIVE OVERREACH is the title of a recent blog post by Hawai`i Farm Bureau Federation President Chris Manfredi, a Ka`u resident, at hfbf.org.
      “This is my first HFBF blog post, one that is overdue,” Manfredi wrote. “I hope to be doing more of these.

HFBF President Chris Manfredi
Photo by Julia Neal

      “What better occasion than the turning back of the GMO ban on Maui, the last of three? Like on Kaua`i and Hawai`i Island, a federal judge invalidated the de-facto GMO crop ban on the grounds that growing these crops is already governed at state and federal levels. County attempts to regulate in this area are thereby preempted.
      “Never mind that the ballot initiative was flawed from the get-go. Never mind that the counties have no resources nor expertise to enforce these ordinances. Thankfully, our system of government with its three branches and built-in checks and balances protects us from zealots – or is at least designed to. The proponents of these measures never let the facts nor scientific evidence get in the way of their ideology. Lawmakers that supported these measures were wrong to pass flawed bills that overreached their authority – and that’s a shame.
      “When elected representatives follow, rather than lead it hurts the citizenry. I hope they realize that by supporting measures so extreme they essentially punted their legislative roles to the judiciary, eroding their own power and influence. Such a waste of time and resources, chasing paper tigers and strawmen. Imagine if this time and energy was applied to actual problems.
      “We saw what happens at the state house too, when two Big Island senators were relieved of their committee chairmanships by proposing and supporting measures so extreme that they were shown the door by their colleagues. They diminished their own influence, and thereby did a disservice to the citizens that employ them. Question: When is it OK for an Ag committee chair to oppose farmers? Answer: Never. And so it goes. Smart politicians understand the difference between campaigning and governing. Once elected they ought to remember they need to represent all of their constituents.
      “Well, this is a big win for farmers, not just in Hawai`i, but across the globe. We’re sick of the uncertainty placed on our businesses by zealots. We’re tired of being demonized by demagogues armed with propaganda and driven by political and financial agendas that create nothing but hot air, wasted time and wasted opportunities.
    "Maybe now we can put distractions aside and focus more on what’s really important: raising and caring for the plants and animals that nourish a society,"Manfredi wrote.
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HAWAI`I ISLAND POLICE WARN THE PUBLIC about a telephone scam from persons claiming to be from the Department of Water Supply.
      The individuals call Water Supply customers and threaten to shut off their water service because of what they claim are past-due water bills.
      According to the DWS, the calls are fraudulent and an attempt to gain access to credit card or other financial information.
      Residents are advised that if they receive such a call, they should report it to the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311.
      Members of the community also may call DWS at 961-8050 to file an additional report.
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Frances Kai`Hwa Wang

THE COLLEGE OF CONTINUING EDUCATION and Community Service at the University of Hawai`i-Hilo will conduct a one-day workshop entitled Jumpstart Your College Application Essay next Saturday, July 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in UCB 113. The cost is $50. 

      Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, a writer, speaker, activist and multicultural educator at the University of Michigan, and author of Where Lava Meets the Sea – Asian Pacific American Postcards from Hawai`i, will conduct the course described as “a college application essay boot camp.” Students will employ timed writings and discussion to inventory their high school experiences, analyze various college application and scholarship essay questions, write a good first draft and discuss editing techniques. Participants should bring a laptop, notebook, pen and application questions of the colleges/scholarships to which they want to apply.
      For more at (808) 974-7664 or email ccecs@hawaii.edu.
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AS A MARK OF RESPECT for the late former Lieutenant Governor and state Senator Nelson Doi, Gov. David Ige has ordered that the flags of the United States and State of Hawai`i shall be flown at half-staff at all state offices and agencies, as well as the Hawai`i National Guard, from sunrise to sunset tomorrow.
      “Nelson Doi was a pillar of his community on Hawai`i Island and a dedicated public servant who laid the foundation for and helped to improve the entire state. He was a trailblazer and committed leader who left behind a lasting legacy. On behalf of the people of Hawai`i, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the Doi ‘Ohana and their many friends,” Ige said.
      Born in Pahoa on News Years Day in 1922, Doi served in the Hawai`i Territorial Senate for 14 years. He then entered the judicial branch in 1969, serving as judge of the Third Circuit Court for five years. In 1974, Doi began a four-year term serving as the Lieutenant Governor. Doi died on May 16.
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FNVNP members explore Mauna Loa Trail tomorrow.
NPS Photo by Gerad Dean

BOTANIST TIM TUNISON GUIDES tomorrow’s Sunday Walk in the Park from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This four-mile round-trip hike explores Mauna Loa Trail. Free for Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park; others may become members in order to attend. Email admin@fhvnp.org or call 985-7373 for more information.

KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES National Park offers a guided hike of Palm Trail tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The hike is a moderately difficult 2.6-mile loop traversing scenic pastures along an ancient cinder cone, with some of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. Highlights include relics of the ranching era, sections of remnant native forest and volcanic features from the 1868 eruptive fissures.
      Call 985-6011 for more information.

KA`U CELEBRATES OBON SEASON with services Monday at Pahala Hongwanji at 3 p.m. (928-8254) and Na`alehu Hongwanji at 6 p.m. (966-9981).

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

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf
and kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_July2015.pdf.