Robyn and David Baglow helped retrieve junk cars in Ocean View
by providing a staging area for pickup. A workshop on community
policing of illegal dumping will be held Dec. 15.

THE TAX FOUNDATION of Hawai`i has warned the incoming governor Neil Abercrombie and the legislature to refrain from raising taxes. Tax Foundation President Lowell Kalapa said that lawmakers must recognize that all taxpayers are struggling to make ends meet and that Hawai'i taxpapers are already some of the most heavily burdened in the nation. Kalapa said that citizens can demand less spending from government to balance the state budget. Higher taxes will drive families out of the state and companies out of business, said Kalapa.

COUNTY PROSECUTOR MItch Roth will spend a day in Ka`u teaching community members how to organize community policing and problem solving. The workshop on crime and livability will focus on Illegal Dumping. Participants will learn how to identify and solve problems through policing concepts and action. Organizer Mike Dubois said that illegal dumps are sources of pollution, possibly containing hazardous waste. Rodents, mosquitoes and flies breed in these smelly eyesores and may carry infectious diseases. These open dump disposal sites attract more dumping and criminal activity to the community, said workshop organizer Dubois. He called for representatives from Pahala, Na`alehu and Ocean View regions to take the training and act as a network to put an end to illegal dumping. Representatives from the Solid Waste Division and Community Policing will attend. Snacks and lunch will be served. The workshop is free on Wednesday, December 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Contact Mike DuBois at 640-1118 for more information.

THE COUNTY'S TEMPORARY transfer station at the county park at Kahuku will be discussed at the monthly meeting of the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce on Monday, December 6 at 7 p.m. The county bulldozed a site, poured a concrete pad and set a 30-yard container in place to collect bagged garbage every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Some residents are upset, stating that the county pushed the project without community input or involvement. County Public Information officer Hunter Bishop will explain. The time for the meeting has been changed from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center.

NEW BLEACHERS and an ADA approved walkway at Pahala Ballpark will be installed. The old bleachers, some aluminum and some wooden and metal that were built by Ka`u plantation workers years ago have been taken down to make room for new ones.

THE OUTGOING COUNTY COUNCIL plans to vote today on whether to issue a $56 million bond for capital improvements. Mayor Billy Kenoi proposed the bond issue, stating that the county’s high bond rating makes good sense to finance capital improvement projects for the Big Island. Included would be an $8.8 million dollar recycling and rubbish transfer station in Wai`ohinu. Incoming County Council Chair Dominic Yagong and incoming Ka`u council member Brittany Smart said they are not so sure the county should take on additional debt. Smart said that county tax revenues are expected to decrease. Should the issue come up before the council after she takes office, she would ask for a plan for interest payments that would fit within a balanced budget, she said.

Ka`u News Briefs Nov. 29, 2010

Brittany Smart, the night before being elected to the County Council.
This morning, she announced the staff members Nelson Ho and
Jen Knippling for her incoming County Council office.

Nelson Ho

NELSON HO, former Deputy Director of the county Department of Environmental Management, has been selected by incoming County Council member Brittany Smart to be her researcher and to write her legislation. Ho will take the job currently held by Bradley Westervelt, who works for outgoing councilman Guy Enriques. Smart said that Nelson Ho is the perfect person to work with her since she will chair the Environmental Management Committee on the County Council. She said that his background working for the county will give him insight into solving the needs for solid waste management in Ocean View and other sites throughout the district. Ho currently works for Recycle Hawai`i and chairs the Big Island Sierra Club group.
     Nelson Ho said this morning that he is looking forward to working with all the people of the district and tackling the ongoing needs of the community.

JEN KNIPPLING, who volunteered and worked her way up to become manager of Brittany Smart's successful County Council campaign, will become the council aide. Smart promised total transparency and frequent contact with the public during her term representing District 6 on the County Council.

TOMORROW, THE OUTGOING COUNTY COUNCIL is scheduled to take up the issue of floating a $56 million bond for capital improvements. Mayor Billy Kenoi contends that the county’s high bond rating makes good sense to finance capital improvement projects for the Big Island. Included would be an $8.8 million dollar recycling and rubbish transfer station in Wai`ohinu. Smart said that if the bond issue comes up before the new council, she would consider how much debt the county would shoulder given expected decreases in tax revenues. "I don't agree with putting us in further debt," she said.

INCOMING GOVERNOR Neil Abercrombie is asking everyone who comes to meet him on Sunday, December 12 to bring at least three cans of food or a cash donation to the Food Bank. Abercrombie will be meeting with residents after his inauguration at Pahala Plantation House from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the corner of Maile and Pikake Streets in Pahala as part of his round-the-state visit to meet the people.

ANYONE WHO FINDS A PEST on a Christmas tree that has been imported from the mainland should call the state Department of Agriculture's pest hotline. The ag department does not have the manpower to inspect every tree that comes onto the island but did find invasive slugs on some trees imported to O`ahu. The ag department is also worried about importing yellow jackets. People taking trees home have already found tree frogs and salamanders. If you find a pest that might have hitchhiked to Hawai`i on your Christmas tree, call the hotline at 643-PEST. That is 643-7378.

Ka`u News Briefs Nov. 28, 2010

Senator Russell Kokubun, speaking at a rally in Hilo, is being considered
for a position in Governor Neil Abercrombie's new administration.

RUSSELL KOKUBUN, our Senator for Ka`u, Volcano, Puna and beyond, is being considered for a position in Governor Neil Abercrombie’s new administration. Kokubun, a resident of Volcano, applied for a position and said this morning that the main issue is to serve the community and the public as he has been doing all his adult life. He said his experience is in land use, farming, natural resources and planning for sustainability. He said he respects Governor Abercrombie very much and would be honored to serve with him.
     Should Kokubun take a position with the state administration, his position as Senator would be filled by an appointment. Governor Abercrombie would appoint a new senator from a list of three nominees provided by the Democratic Party. The new Senator would serve for two years, until the next election.

ABERCROMBIE will be in Ka`u, meeting with everyone who wants to join him, at Pahala Plantation House, on Sunday, December 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Kokubun said he will be there to welcome Abercrombie to his new post as governor.

Josh Green practiced at the Ka`u Hospital Emergency Room
and could become the next chief of the
state Department of Health.

ANOTHER STATE SENATOR up for a position in the Abercrombie cabinet is Dr. Josh Green, who has practiced medicine in Ka`u and represents Kona in the Senate. He is being considered for the head of the state Department of Health.

DURING THESE HOLIDAYS, not only are authorities looking out for drinking and driving, they are also looking out for illegal smoking in public places. Forty percent of children and more than 30 percent of non-smoking adults breathe in cigarette smoke on a regular basis worldwide. Children’s developing lungs can be permanently damaged, and they are more likely to have asthma and other respiratory diseases. Non-smokers of all ages die from disease caused by second-hand smoke. This new concern comes from a worldwide study of 192 countries by the World Health Organization. Here on the Big Island, smoking is banned in all public places, including Punalu`u Beach and all parks, as well as stores, restaurants and community centers. Enforcing the law is another challenge. 

Lisa Louise Adams, of the Volcano
Villages Artists Hui, which wraps up
its studio tour today.

THE VOLCANO VILLAGE ARTISTS HUI Art Studio Tour and Sale wraps up today in Volcano Village from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with quilts, paintings, pottery, photos, mixed media and other art. Visit the artist studios with discounted prices for Christmas gifts. Maps to all the studios are available by stopping in at Volcano Village businesses.

SENIORS ON MEDICARE face a December 31 deadline to change their drug and health plans. According to AARP, seniors should look at the cost of premiums, deductibles and cost sharing, coverage of drugs and seeing doctors and quality ratings. Good resources to check are www.medicare.gov and www.aarp.org. 

`O Ka`u Kakou is helping repair roads at South Point, Ka Lae,
where locals fish and visitors enjoy the view from the cliffs.

`O KA`U KAKOU spent part of Thanksgiving Week repairing a section of road to the fishing area and portable toilets at Ka Lae. Seven volunteer brought cement mixers, tractors, generators and a compactor to fill large holes. The effort is to protect the vehicles of many visitors and local residents who use the roads at South Point. The community group expects to continue with their work in the future, when they receive more donations in materials and equipment, said OKK member Fred Ramsdell.