Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Lava flows that broke out from the flanks of Pu`u O`o on Monday had not extended beyond the existing flow field
as of yesterday morning. Photo from Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

TWO LAVA FLOWS BROKE OUT from the flanks of Pu`u `O`o yesterday at around 6:50 a.m., in concert with sharp deflationary tilt, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported. One is on the northeast flank, approximately 0.15 mile from the rim of the cone, heading toward the northwest. The other flow is on the east flank of the cone, approximately 0.3 mile from the rim of the cone, heading toward the southeast. At around 8:30 a.m., during an HVO overflight, the vigorous, channelized flow on the northeast flank was roughly 0.6 mile long, and the flow on the east flank was around 0.4 mile long. This second breakout was smaller than the one on the northeast flank, but was still feeding an impressive lava channel. Neither had extended beyond the existing flow field.

Two lava flows at Pu`u O`o are heading in opposite directions.
Map from HVO

      Typical of new breakouts, initial flow activity has been vigorous, but neither flow is currently threatening any nearby communities, according to HVO. The floor of Pu`u `O`o crater has subsided slightly with the new flow activity. Persistent glow from spatter cones within the crater continues. No change in seismic activity has been noted and remains low and steady.

      The current activity does not pose an immediate threat to nearby communities. However, a glow may be seen at night.
      Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and Hawai‘i County Civil Defense are monitoring the lava flow breakout closely. Residents and businesses downslope will be kept informed of its progress and any changes. Smoke conditions are currently very light with light variable winds.
      Additional updates will be broadcast as conditions change.
      Find more information at hvo.wr.usgs.gov.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

THE LAVA LAKE WITHIN HALEMA`UMA`U Overlook crater remains active, with the lake level measured at around 75 feet below Halema`uma`u crater floor yesterday, high enough to view intermittent spattering from the Jaggar Museum overlook. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported that tremor fluctuations associated with lava lake spattering continue. Data from GPS networks and interferometric satellite radar show continued long-term inflation of the summit and upper Southwest Rift Zone magma reservoirs.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Moi season is closed from June through August.
NPS photo by Bryan Harry

A FISH WITH A LOT OF “FINGERS” will be hands-off starting June 1. The season for moi, or Pacific threadfin, will be closed from June through August in Hawai`i waters.

      Moi is the only fish in Hawai`i belonging to the genus Polydactylus, which is Greek for “many fingers.” The “fingers” are actually six filaments extending from the base of each pectoral fin. It is also one of the relatively few Hawaiian fishes to undergo sex reversal, changing from male to female by the time it reaches about 10 inches in length.
      “Moi is one of Hawai`i’s most significant fish species from a cultural perspective,” said Suzanne Case, chair of the Department of Land and Natural Resources. “In ancient times, it was reserved only for chiefs; commoners were forbidden to eat it. But if moi suddenly appeared in large numbers, chiefs considered it an omen of disaster.
      “Today, we still value it as one of our most sought-after reef fishes. The closed season helps sustain moi populations by protecting them during their critical summer spawning period. We ask for the fishing public’s kokua in complying with the closed season and protecting our ocean resources.”
      Early Hawaiians also placed a kapu or prohibition on certain fish during their spawning season as a conservation measure.
      During the open season – September through May – the minimum size for moi is 11 inches, and the bag limit for possession and/or sale is 15. However, a commercial marine dealer may possess and sell more than 15 moi during the open season with receipts issued for the purchase.
      Copies of Hawai`i’s fishing regulations are available at DLNR’s Aquatic Resources offices, most fishing supply stores, and online at http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dar/fishing/fishing-regulations/.
      To report fishing violations, call 643-DLNR (3567).
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Capt. Samuel Jelsma 

HAWAI`I ISLAND POLICE REMIND motorists that right turns are to be made from the roadway and not from the right shoulder.

      Puna District Captain Samuel Jelsma said some motorists wrongly believe it is safer to travel onto the right shoulder before turning, to allow traffic to pass on the left. That practice, Jelsma said, presents several hazards: reduced visibility of what is around the corner, reduced visibility for other vehicles attempting to enter the highway from an intersection, the potential for a vehicle properly traveling in the traffic lane to execute a right turn and collide with the vehicle traveling on the shoulder, and increased risk of collisions with pedestrians and bicyclists.
      Jelsma noted that Hawai`i Revised Statues 291C-81, which applies to turning, says, “Both the approach for a right turn and a right turn shall be made as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway.” Jelsma clarified that the “edge of the roadway” means the solid white line.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

THE PAUAHI FOUNDATION has extended the deadline from May 15 to June 15 for Hawai`i Island students of Hawaiian ancestry between the ages of 13 and 17 to apply for full scholarships to Science Camps of America. Science Camps are ten-day overnight experiences that start June 29.

      In support of its mission to support the educational needs of people of Hawaiian descent, and through funds provided by the TMT International Observatory, the Pauahi Foundation will sponsor twelve students to attend Science Camp in 2016 – six for Land & Sea camp and six for Air & Space camp.

Scholarships for Science Camps of America are available
through the Pauahi Foundation.

      “We at the Foundation are so proud to be able to offer this funding in support of STEM programs on Hawai`i Island,” said Mavis Shiraishi-Nagao, Scholarship Services Manager for Pauahi Foundation.

      At Science Camp, students go outside to learn about the volcanoes, mountains, ocean, forests, plants and animals of Hawai`i. “Science Camp is a unique experience for teens to learn and do science while having fun. Each day, we head out on field trips from our base camp in Ka`u to science destinations across Hawai`i Island, where we explore new environments, help collect scientific data for research, meet working scientists, and experience and study Hawai`i’s unique natural environment.” said founder and Executive Director Michael Richards. “We are very excited by this opportunity that Pauahi Foundation is providing to Native Hawaiian students interested in science. We are proud to be part of the greater effort to encourage young people in Hawai`i to embark on science careers that will help them have a long-term positive impact on our local environment.”
      Interested students can learn more at http://ScienceCampsAmerica.com. Additional information and application forms for the scholarships offered by Pauahi Foundation may be found at http://www.pauahi.org/science-camps-of-america/.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Ocean View Community Center is raising funds for a new roof.

DONATIONS FOR DOLLARAMA can be dropped off at Ocean View Community Center through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. At the event on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., everything is $1 or less, including food and beverages. Funds raised go toward a new roof for the facility.
      Call 939-7033 for more information.

LEGAL AID IS AVAILABLE tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center.
      Call 800-499-4302 for more information.

KEIKI LEARN TO SWIM at Pahala Pool this summer. Sessions begin on June 6 and continue through July 29. Fee is $15 for each two-week session.
      Registration takes place on Thursday and Friday, June 2 and 3. For more information, call Rina Martineau at 928-8177.

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

See kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.html
and kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_May2016.pdf.

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Learn about critically endangered hono`ea Hawksbill sea turtles, at After Dark in the Park this evening.
See more below. Photo from NPS

HALEMA`UMA`U’S LAVA LAKE LEVEL was 95 feet below the crater floor yesterday afternoon, Hawai`i Volcano Observatory reported. The lava level has risen several meters since that time in concert with the continuing summit inflationary tilt.

The active lava lake at Kilauea's summit is rising. Photo from NPS

      Big Island Video News reported that lava and spattering were visible last night from Jaggar Museum overlook, where visitors have flocked to view volcanic activity since the vent opened in 2008.

      Data from GPS networks and interferometric satellite radar show continued long-term inflation of the summit and upper Southwest Rift Zone magma reservoirs, according to HVO.
      See bigislandvideonews.com.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

KEEPING UP THE QUALITY of Ka`u Coffee was stressed by coffee broker and Ka`u Coffee Festival organizer Chris Manfredi during Ka`u Coffee College on Sunday. He said that farmers can help each other when they notice growers having a hard time with coffee berry borer and other challenges. He said the reputation of Ka`u Coffee is fantastic but always at risk. Quality needs to be in the front of the minds of everyone in the coffee business, he said.

      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Chris Manfredi stressed quality at Ka`u Coffee College on Sunday.
Photo by Julia Neal

PRESENTERS AT KA`U Coffee College on Sunday focused on quality.

      Andrea Kawabata discussed the reality of farming with coffee berry borer for six years and the need to adapt to the change of growing coffee in Hawai`i. She and other staff of University of Hawai`i CTAHR identified some of the strengths, weaknesses, real threats and opportunities for Ka`u farmers.

      “Ka`u has world-class coffee, but farmers still must uphold their quality by implementing CBB control and while acknowledging highly rated specialty coffees grown in regions under the stressor of coffee rust, a disease not yet occurring in Hawai`i,” Kawabata said.

      Other presenters who discussed coffee quality included award-winning roast master Mike Perry, of Klatch Coffee; Robert G. Hollingsworth, research entomologist of Hilo’s USDA-ARS-Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center; and Miguel Meza, owner and director of Paradise Coffee Roasters in Hawai`i and Minnesota, with Lee Paterson, owner of Hula Daddy Kona Coffee.

      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

The late Lopaka Ryder, a Kona musician,
 was murdered, allegedly for being a
police informant for a drug bust.

DEBBIE RYDER, OF PAHALA, and two sons Buddy and Wailau, are suing Hawai`i County over the death of Debbie Ryder’s son Robert Keawe Lopaka.  Lopaka Ryder, 37, went missing around Thanksgiving in 2013 and was found buried in a shallow grave north of Kona between Hwy 11 and the ocean near Puako on March 12, 2014. Lopaka Ryder was a talented and well known musician, a beach boy and friend to everyone. While living in Kona, he was allegedly asked by police to become an informant in a drug bust.
      According to a story by Graham Milldrum in West Hawai`i Today, the suit alleges that “Lopaka was murdered because (Martin Frank) Booth learned that he was acting as an informant against him. This action is premised upon the Kona Police Department’s failure to protect Lopaka’s identity, which led to his murder.”
      Milldrum reported that Lopaka Ryder agreed to be an informant in Oct. 2013 after being sentenced to a year in prison for violating probation.
      According to the story, the county prosecutor’s office denied county responsibility. A county court filing from the office stated that “Booth told numerous people that he killed Ryder because Ryder had sexually assaulted a young woman living on Booth’s property,” Milldrum wrote.
      See westhawaiitoday.com.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Maenette K.P. Ah Nee-Benham

KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS TRUSTEE selection is open to comment by the public. The public can weigh in by Tuesday, June 14 at 4 p.m. regarding three court-approved candidates. Testimony can be sent to jobs@inkinen.com.

      The state Probate Court named the finalists last week for the trusteeship for Kamehameha Schools and the Bernice Pauahi Bishop estate. Kamehameha Schools, with its $11 billion endowment and its financial strength as largest non-government landowner in the state, provides education to native Hawaiian youth. The trust also leases land for agriculture, forestry and housing.

Kamanamaikalani Beamer

      In Ka`u, Kamehameha lands include parcels located adjacent to Punalu`u Beach Park, at Ka Lae, above Pahala where eucalyptus was planted and koa reforestation has begun, at Volcano and across thousands of acres of pasture and open land in the district.

      The three finalists are Kamanamaikalani Beamer, executive director of The Kohala Center; Maenette K.P. Ah Nee-Benham, dean of the Hawaiinuiakea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, University of Hawai`i at Manoa; and C. Kanoelani Naone, CEO of the Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture, or INPEACE.

      The pay for trustees is $165,000 annually, with the chairman receiving $207,000 a year.

C. Kanoelani Naone

      Inkinen & Associates conducted the candidate search. Screening was accomplished by a committee comprised of volunteers Wendy Crabb, George “Keoki” Freeland, Joanne Lo Grimes, Michelle Ho, Cheryl Kauhane Lupenui, Michael Rawlins and Kaiulani Sodaro.
      The Probate Court can appoint a trustee for a term through June 30, 2022, with a possible extension by the court for another five-years. The position opened up when extension of a trusteeship of a sitting trustee was turned down by the court.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

HAWAI`I ISLAND POLICE ARE INFORMING the public that the enforcement period for the National “Click It or Ticket” campaign that runs through June 5. During this period, police are increasing islandwide enforcement of seat belt and child restraint laws.

      Under a law signed on May 20, 2013, the driver now is responsible for all other occupants of the vehicle. If the driver is stopped and any passenger is not using a seat belt, car seat or booster seat – whether in the front seat or back seat – the driver will be the one cited.

      Police will enforce child passenger restraint laws and ticket drivers if children under the age of four are not properly restrained in a child safety seat, or in a booster seat until age seven. Child restraint and booster seat violators must go to court. They face a fine of $100-$500 depending upon the number of offenses and must attend a mandatory four-hour class.
      National statistics have shown that use of seat belts is the single most effective step drivers and passengers can take to protect themselves in a traffic crash. In 2014, use of seat belts in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 12,802 lives. From 2010 to 2014, seat belts saved an estimated 63,000 lives.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Sen. Brian Schatz called for immediate action to stop the spread
of Rapid `Ohi`a Death. Map from Hawai`i DLNR

U.S. SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ CALLED for immediate action from the Department of the Interior to stop the spread of Rapid `Ohi`a Death. In a letter to Interior Department Secretary Sally Jewell, Schatz called for additional personnel and resources to protect `ohi`a on Hawai`i Island and prevent spread of the tree disease.

      “If this was a forest fire, there would be no question about an all-hands-on-deck, no-holds-barred response. Rapid `Ohi`a Death is bigger than a forest fire in size and scope, and we need to treat it as such,” Schatz said. “Researchers have given us clear guidance on how we can stay ahead of this tree disease and prevent its spread to the rest of the state. That is why I have requested Secretary Jewell to direct the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service to provide the additional personnel and resources that will be necessary to protect our `ohi`a.”
      In addition to the Department of the Interior, Schatz is rallying support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. On Thursday, the Senate passed the agriculture appropriations bill for fiscal year 2017, which included a provision introduced by Schatz that would direct the USDA to study reported recent outbreaks of Rapid `Ohi`a Death in Hawai`i and report recommended action for response and management within 90 days.

      The disease was first reported in 2010 and has become a major threat to Hawai`i Island’s native forests and the watersheds that depend on them. More than 35,000 acres have been infected by the fungus that causes Rapid `Ohi`a Death.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Support Tutu & Me by buying their Big Island Candies chocolate bars.

ONO CHOCOLATE BARS from Big Island Candies are still available during Tutu & Me’s current fundraiser. Cost per bar is $3.50. 

      “These bars are available only through fundraisers, and I’ve been told on good authority that they freeze well, so this is your chance to stock up!” site manager Betty Clark said.
      To purchase, call 929-8571 or 430-1802.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

LEARN ABOUT HAWAI`I ISLAND Hawksbill Turtle Recovery Project, the differences between hawksbill and green sea turtles (honu), threats to hawksbills and the latest conservation efforts to protect the species from extinction this evening at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
      $2 donations support park programs; park entrance fees apply.

Learn the craft of plaiting lau hala tomorrow. Photo from NPS

LEARN TO PLAIT Lau Hala tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Many Pacific cultures weave leaves of pandanus (called lau hala in Hawai`i) into useful and decorative items.

      Free; park entrance fees apply.

LEGAL AID IS AVAILABLE Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center.

      Call 800-499-4302 for more information.

DONATIONS FOR DOLLARAMA can be dropped off at Ocean View Community Center this week from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. At the event on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., everything is $1 or less, including food and beverages. Funds raised go toward a new roof for the facility.

      Call 939-7033 for more information.

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

See kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.html
and kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_May2016.pdf.

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Monday, May 23, 2016

Taking off, with birds set to wing to celebrate graduation at Ka`u High School last Friday. Photo by Pam Taylor

FORTY-EIGHT STUDENTS GRADUATED from Ka`u High School Friday. Deisha Gascon, who graduated with academic honors, is valedictorian for the Class of 2016.

      Students heard a commencement address by Big Island Honda Hilo Assistant Manager Kiko Martinez. The keynote speaker graduated from Ka`u High 19 years ago, in the Class of 1997. Martinez discussed “Things that Helped Me Get to Where I Am Today.”

      “This is a world right here, this gym,” Martinez told graduates. “Any type of career you guys want to get into, it’s a world. …

      “I’m trying to share my vision with the world. When you try to share your vision with the world, people are going to feel that you’re crazy. … What you find out is that slowly, people are going to start enjoying it a little bit, and the world starts to see your vision, and the world starts to feel what you feel. And once you get the world to do what you feel, then you can influence.

      “Bring your energy to the table; bring it into the world.

      “Learn the art of influence because that’s the skill set that’s the most important thing in the world, to me, is learning how to influence people.

Kiko Martinez was keynote speaker at Ka`u High School
graduation ceremonies. Photo by Pam Taylor

      “When you go out in the world, you have certain roles. My role, when I wake up, is I’m a husband. I get out the door, I see my kids, drive them to school, I go to work. Each area of my life, I’m influencing people, always trying to do so in a positive way. 

      “Wisdom is one of the most important things that I had to learn. … Don’t chase the money; chase wisdom, because everything follows wisdom. Success follows wisdom; money follows wisdom; the great marriage follows wisdom; great kids follow wisdom. Be wise in everything that you do. … Watch who you hang around with; make sure they are as wise as you, even more. …
      “My only goal in life is to be better than yesterday. … If you continue to grow every day, don’t compare yourself to other people. What you compare yourself to is your potential. If you’re not fulfilling your potential, you better get up, you better work harder. Life is a journey, not a destination. That’s why I feel like I’m not successful. I’ll keep going until it’s my time.

      “Understand that the hardest thing in life is, understand yesterday is yesterday. You guys have a new opportunity every day to change your life. What you were yesterday is not going to dictate what you are in the future. …
      “Eliminate your bad habits, and replace them with good ones. Tell yourself what am I good at, what am I bad at, and what should I change. Change what you need to change. I promise that if you do that, you will be successful in whatever you do.

Ka`u High School Trojans Class of 2016 graduated 48 students. Photo by Pam Taylor

      “Learn to turn all negatives into positives. Make negatives your best friends; make failures your best friends. Keep them close. Failure is the way to get better; failure will test your character. The bigger the challenge, the bigger the blessing.
      “I view negatives as a video game. … Just like one video game, if you don’t pass all the levels, what are you going to do? Stay up all night. Practice. Figure it out. … If you are struggling, do whatever you can to get past it, because there’s another level waiting for you, a bigger and better level.
      “Do not make any excuses. … By blaming others, you lose the chance of learning or building your character. Do not cheat yourself out of that.

      “Find your passion. When we have passion, we have sacrifice.” Martinez said that when he found his passion, he devoted himself to it, even when it meant missing family gathers year after year.
      “The world is right out this door. … As soon as you walk at that door, make wise choices. …  Succeed, make Ka`u proud. …”
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Hawai`i County Council member Maile
David honored Keola Awong.
Photo from Hawai`i County Council

HAWAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL last week commended Volcano resident Keola Awong for being selected as manager of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit.

      Awong graduated from Konawaena High School in 1981. She holds a master’s degree in American Studies and graduate certificates in museum studies and historic preservation from University of Hawai`i at Manoa. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from University of Hawai`i at Hilo, minoring in Hawaiian Studies.
      Awong began her career with Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park in 1999 as a fee collector and moved to Volcano in 1984. From 2005, she served as the national park’s cultural anthropologist and continues to serve as the national park’s liason to the Native Hawaiian community.
      “On behalf of the Hawai`i County Council, please accept this certificate of recognition with our sincere aloha and heartfelt appreciation for your personal achievements, hard work and extraordinary contributions to our visitors and the citizens of Hawai`i Nei,” Council member Maile David said.
      “This is my small way for me to be able to take care of the `aina I love,” Awong said. “It wouldn’t have been possible without the support and love from my family.”
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

HAWAI`I CONSUMER ADVOCATE’S questions to Hawai`i Electric Light Co. regarding a proposed substation and transmission line, while eliciting responses to many issues, did not address several concerns of Ocean View-area residents, according to Ranchos resident Ann Bosted.
      One of those concerns is fire danger, Bosted said. Ocean View is prone to fierce winds and dry brush that can be a fatal combination. “Solar installation fires have been caused by electrical faults. Defective solar panels can also cause problems, and with 30,000 panels to be installed, the risk of even a small percentage being bad is significant,” Bosted said.

      At the Public Utilities Commission’s public hearing in February, an Ocean View firefighter said, “You are going to get someone killed if you put all that (photovoltaic equipment) down there.” He said that each year the firefighting budget gets smaller, yet the amount of work gets larger. In letters to the docket, residents have called for an independent fire hazard study of the area.

Friends and family congratulate Ka`u High School seniors
on Graduation Day. Photo from KHPES

      Also left off the CA’s list of questions was the cost of reimbursing property owners who may leave their homes because of the project. Many chose Ranchos for its rural, ranch-like atmosphere, low crime rate, wide-open vistas and ambiance. “From published comments by Ranchos residents, it is clear that many will move if the project is built,” Bosted said. “Added to the fire risk is the eyesore problem. Each PV site will be leveled edge-to-edge and surrounded by a six-foot chain link security fence. Herbicides will be used to control over 60 acres of weeds, so groundwater contamination is a risk for the whole town. The unwanted project will be a magnet for crime and vandalism. Some handgun owners have talked of using the solar panels for target practice. This is not what residents signed up for.”

      According to Bosted, the CA asked questions about the 26 owners of the project, but allowed the answers to be filed electronically, “thus keeping the tangle of related and associated corporations a mystery,” she said. “It is assumed that 17 of the 26 owners are shell companies incorporated in Delaware, owned by another shell company, Calwaii, that is owned by SPI Solar, headquartered in Shanghai. The eight Kona South lots are supposedly leased from the Doolittle Trust, but county records do not indicate that. They appear to be under the control of Hawai`i FIT Twelve LLC, which appears to be a shell company of Green Island FIT LLC. The 26th site is supposedly under the control of South Point FIT LLC, also owned by Green Island, but county records show it belongs to Jasmine Drive Aina LLC. Does SPI Solar also own Green Island? The spokesman for the 26 owners, Ian Craig, of Roseville, California, refused to speak at the PUC’s public meeting, failed to show up at a community meeting he called in September and has declined to answer questions from West Hawai`i Today.”
      The CA did not ask how the developer intended to access the eight sites in Kona South, for which FIT permits have been issued. Each subdivision in Ocean View is a “stand alone,” and it is not legal to access one from another, Bosted said. “Craig has asked the Hawaiian Ranchos Road Maintenance Corporation for permission to access this subdivision from Ranchos and has been refused. Mats Fogelvik, President of HRRMC, was walking his dog when he encountered a surveyor staking out a route to be bulldozed from Ranchos to Kona South. Mr. Fogelvik ‘ran him off.’ Craig later claimed that the surveyor had ‘lost his way,’” Bosted said.
      HELCO has until June 1 to answer the CA’s questions. The reply will be filed in the docket.
      See puc.hawaii.gov for more on docket 2015-0229.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Learn about the Hawai`i Island Hawksbill Turtle Recovery Project
tomorrow at After Dark in the Park. Image from NPS

LAUREN KURPITA, COORDINATOR of the Hawai`i Island Hawksbill Turtle Recovery Project, reveals the differences between hawksbill and green sea turtles (honu), threats to hawksbills and the latest conservation efforts to protect the species from extinction tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

      $2 donations support park programs; park entrance fees apply.

LEARN TO PLAIT Lau Hala Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Many Pacific cultures weave leaves of pandanus (called lau hala in Hawai`i) into useful and decorative items.

      Free; 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/TheDirectory2016.html
and kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_May2016.pdf.