Ka`u News Briefs Feb. 10, 2011

Councilwoman Brittany Smart 

A COMMUNITY TALK STORY SESSION will be held tonight by County Council member Brittany Smart at Cooper Center in Volcano at 7 p.m. Her guest will be Council member Pete Hoffman, and the subject is How Impact Fees Impact Me. Impact fees on development can raise money for infrastructure but have also been blamed for higher housing costs. Hoffman says he has a new formula that will help the community, which will be softer on the owner-builder. Questions from the audience are encouraged.

BIOFUELS TAX CREDITS proposed in the state House of Representatives are scheduled for decision-making in committee today. Pacific Biodiesel owners Kelly and Bob King want the measure to incentivize small business and include used cooking oils, grease trap and waste animal fats, to encourage expanded use of recyclable materials for clean fuel production. They also want independent farmers to have the same advantage as big agricultural interests. They want tax breaks based on actual production rather than capacity. 

Kelly and Robert King of Pacific Biodiesel, with
composer Jack Johnson, support locally made
biofuel from crops, food and agricultural waste

     They said that the biodiesel industry has to be flexible and that it has struggled under recent economic conditions and fluctuating petroleum prices. Many U.S. biodiesel facilities are running at reduced capacity, have shut down entirely or gone bankrupt. Nearly all new biofuel facility construction has been stalled indefinitely.
     The way the bill reads, says Pacific Biodiesel vice president Kelly King, it appears that only large agricultural entities that own both the farm and fuel production would benefit, and that the local farmer working with a biofuel production operation is at a disadvantage.
     The Kings, the state Department of Business and Economic Development and other entities want a tax credit for biofuels with a level playing field for large and small producers.
     A presentation on biofuel production planned for Ka`u will be given on Monday, February 21 by `Aina Koa Pono at Pahala Community Center at 6 p.m., sponsored by the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce.

THE STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES voted yesterday to continue opening prayers each day. New rules, however, prevent prayers from being used to advance, to proselytize or to disparage any religion. The new rules were passed following the American Civil Liberties Union warning both the House and Senate that they should separate the activities of church and state. The prayers will no longer be considered official business of the House. The Senate recently did away with prayers altogether, becoming the first legislative body to do so in the country. Ka`u Senator Gil Kahele, however, joined eight other senators in praying before a Senate session to show that they still look for guidance from Akua.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS will have to offer a few more school days and a little more time each day in the classroom, starting this fall. Right now the children go to school for 178 days, which will increase to 180 days. Elementary schools will offer about five hours a day, while intermediate and high schools will offer 5.5 hours a day. The next school year, starting in 2013, will see another increase in school time, with a total of 1,080 hours for students of all grades.

Sen. Josh Green

THE PROPOSAL TO INCREASE TAXES ON ALCOHOL and to levy a tax on soda was the subject of a hearing at the state Senate Health Committee, chaired by Dr. Josh Green yesterday. The alcohol tax could generate about $23.4 million a year, and the soda tax could bring in $44 million to help ease the state budget crunch. About $15 million would go toward alcoholism and obesity prevention programs. 

One version of the bill would tax all sugary beverages. 

     During the hearing, representatives of the Hawai`i Restaurant Association, Hawaiian Sun, Itoen, Coca-Cola and other soda, liquor and sugary beverage companies called the measure regressive, saying it would hurt lower- and middle-income families. The Tax Foundation said that Hawai`i already has some of the highest tax rates on alcoholic beverages in the country. The tax hike would reaffirm the perception “that Hawai`i is a tax hell,” said the Tax Foundation.

     The American Heart Association; Hawai`i Primary Care Association; and the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition supported the bill. 

     To prevent diabetes and other health problems, the American Heart Association recommends that men ingest no more than nine teaspoons of sugar a day and women consume not more than six teaspoons, including all the sugar in drinks, prepackaged and homemade foods. Sen. Josh Green said the issue deserves a more complete debate before deciding whether it should pass his health committee.

Ka`u News Briefs Feb. 9, 2011

Ope`ape`a, the Hawaiian hoary bat, could become
the official Hawai`i State Land Mammal.

OPE`APE`A COULD BE HONORED as the official Land Mammal of the State of Hawai`i. The ope`ape`a is the Hawaiian hoary bat, the only land-based mammalian species found exclusively in Hawai`i. The legislation is proposed by Senator Sam Slom, a Republican, who points out that this endangered bat, setting up house in Hawai`i, has been described as one of the “most spectacular over-water colonization events in mammalian history.”
     The Hawaiian bat is small and acrobatic. It can be seen at night along Highway 11 and flying around in villages throughout Ka`u, emitting its high-pitched sound as it dines on insects. The proposal to make the bat the state land mammal passed the Hawaiian Affairs Committee and goes next to the Judiciary Committee at the state Legislature. The monk seal, another native mammal in the Islands, would be the Hawai`i State Marine Mammal.

THE CIVIL UNIONS BILL PASSED the state House Judiciary Committee last night after five hours of testimony. The committee made some changes in the bill, including changing the tax code to recognize the rights of same-sex couples and also that family matters be overseen by family court. The bill will go back to the Senate for similar adjustments.

Alison Silverstein

WITH HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC CO. headed toward renewable energy with more proposals for firm power like geothermal and biofuels, as well as intermittent power like wind and solar, the Public Utilities Commission has selected consultant Alison Silverstein to facilitate the development of oversight and regulations. Hawaiian Electric Company will pay her salary. Silverstein has an MBA from Stanford University and has worked for the Environmental Law Institute, the U.S. Department of the Interior and public utilities commissions elsewhere. 

HOME SALES ON THIS ISLAND increased last month, according to a story in Pacific Business News. One hundred and three homes sold in January, up 17 percent over the same month last year. The median price was down, at $220,000. Home sales were also up in December. 

Humpback whale counts continue in February and March.

LOCAL VOLUNTEERS can sign up to count whales on Saturday, February 26th and also on March 26th. The annual Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Ocean Count drew volunteers to Punalu`u and other sites around Ka`u. Some 900 people participated statewide. On this island, the count averaged four whales every 15 minutes. To register for the next event see sanctuaryoceancount.org. 

VOLCANO ART CENTER’S annual Love the Arts fundraiser happens this Saturday at 5:30 p.m. The gala supports VAC’s arts and educational programming. Hors d’oevres, entrees, homemade truffles, wine and champagne will be served. Tickets are $45. Call 967-8222 for more information and tickets.

Ka`u News Briefs Feb. 8, 2011

Archaeological sites could be at risk, according to opponents of a bill to streamline development permits.

A NEW MODEL that would allow some public students to study online will be tried out first on O`ahu but could be a solution for students who live in isolated places with long bus rides to school here on the Big Island. The online solution is being tried out at Kapolei Middle School. Next year up to 15 students in seventh and eighth grades will be allowed to enroll in the online academy. This year 11 eighth-graders tried the program, but only four remain since some students needed the socialization with other young people and others found it hard to discipline themselves to study alone. Such places as Miloli`i, where high-schoolers have to catch a bus before dawn, could be one of the places where online classes could be held, perhaps in a community classroom in the village with a tutor. 

THE CIVIL UNION BILL, which passed the state Senate, goes to public hearing today before the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee. It would grant some of the rights of marriage to same-sex couples without authorizing marriage itself. A similar bill passed the legislature last year but was vetoed by Governor Linda Lingle.

ARCHAEOLOGISTS, HISTORIANS AND HAWAIIAN CULTURAL PRACTITIONERS have been testifying at the state capitol cautioning legislators from being too quick in streamlining development permit processing at the cost of damage to historic and archaeological sites. Senate Bill 762 would authorize counties to contract with a third-party reviewer to streamline construction permits, licenses and other application processing. It would allow applications to be automatically approved if the state historic preservation division fails to review and comment within 60 days, and after 30 days if agencies fail to establish maximum time periods for permit and other application processing.

Historic buildings from the multi-ethnic culture of Hawai`i attract visitors, say opponents of a bill to
streamline development approvals.

     The majority of testimony presented opposed the measure, saying that the agencies should be better staffed to give them time for careful review. “If government is broken, we should fix it. We shouldn’t just turn agencies into rubber stamps for development,” wrote E. Dunbar. “Agencies shouldn’t just respond to developer applications. They should also consider the public’s concerns and natural resource needs. Automatic permit approvals tilt the balance too far in favor of development,” said Dunbar.
     Julie and Tom Pasquale, of Na`alehu, wrote opposition to the bill. “Automatic approval is bad policy and is not in the best interest of your constituents,” they testified.
     Mary Miho Hinley, Housing Coordinator for the Hawai`i County Economic Opportunity Council, testified that “having worthy old buildings and sites is good for keiki and tourism. The growth sector of tourism is not flocking to concrete megaresorts. The growing sector is looking for authenticity. That is historic, cultural stuff and interaction one-on-one with real Hawai`i residents. Wiping out records of our past for parties with the biggest pocketbook is very poor planning,” she said.
     Dr. Kehaunani Abad testified that a far better solution would be to fund the State Historical Preservation Division. “Historic sites are vital resources that provide a strong cultural foundation for the many ethnic groups living in Hawai`i and offer visitors a rich cultural experience that distinguishes Hawai`i from other scenic destinations worldwide,” testified Abad. 

     Also opposing the bill is the Hawai`i Government Employees Association, which is concerned with contracting out too many state and county union jobs.
     The Land Use Research Foundation, comprised of developers, large landowners and Hawaiian Electric, supported the bill to allow automatic approval of permits if agencies can’t meet their review deadlines. So did the Hawai`i Laborers’ Union.
     William Aila, the new chair of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, opposed the bill, as does the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, which quoted the state constitution: “For the benefit of present and future generations, the State and its political subdivisions shall conserve and protect Hawai`i’s natural beauty and all natural resources, including land, water, air minerals and energy sources, and shall promote the development and utilization of these resources in a manner consistent with their conservation and in furtherance of the self-sufficiency of the State,” wrote Aila.
     A House Committee will take up the issue again this Friday at the legislature.

SUMI-E JAPANESE BRUSH PAINTING will be taught today at 1 p.m. at Pahala Hongwanji.

     

John Keawe
      

 JOHN KEAWE performs tonight at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i  Volcanoes National Park, during After Dark in the Park. The famed slack key player,   composer and singer is accompanied by hula interpretations by his wife Hope Keawe.  Doors open at 6 p.m. Seats are limited.

A PROGRAM COVERING Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s confirmation ceremony at Pahala Plantation House in December airs tonight at 9 p.m. on Channel 54. The program is scheduled to air every Tuesday this month at 9 p.m. and every Saturday at  10:30 p.m. It was filmed by Wendell Ka`ehu`ae`a, general manager of KAHU-FM  91.7, Ka`u’s Community Radio station.