Ka`u News Briefs Feb. 26, 2012

State reapportionment that created a fourth state Senate seat on the Big Island could face federal challenge.

WILL THE NEW STATE SENATE SEAT for the Big Island stand up to federal scrutiny? Not so sure, says retired judge and state Reapportionment Commission chair Victoria Marks. Only two states, Hawai`i and Kansas, exclude military personnel and out-of-state college students from the population base of voting districts. According to an editorial in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the Kansas Constitution drops nonresident military personnel and nonresident college students before apportioning districts for state representatives and senators. “Out of a population of 2.8 million, those total less than 120,000, of which fewer than 14,000 were subtracted from the Kansas census in determining district boundaries. Nonresident military in Hawai`i number about 120,000, in a population of 1.3 million.” Dropping them led to the creation of a new Senate seat on the Big Island for which state Rep. Bob Herkes has announced his campaign.

State reapportionment also divided Ka`u into two
state House districts.

      Marks, however, told the Star-Advertiser that a federal challenge could quote the 14th Amendment, stating that “representatives shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each state.” Said Marks, “I think if there’s a federal lawsuit that’s brought, there is some potential that the state constitutional position may not withstand federal constitutional scrutiny.”
      The exclusion of the military led to a new state Senate seat from Punalu`u through Pahala and Volcano and Puna. It also changes boundaries for the state House of Representative, leaving two newly drawn House districts representing Ka`u – from South Kona to Honu`apo and Punalu`u into Puna, with no announced candidates to date.

A COFFEE BERRY BORER VIDEO will soon be distributed to Ka`u coffee farmers by the Kohala Center and Kamehameha Schools. The film is in English and Spanish and covers methods of farm management to push back the pest that has devastated many farms in Kona. The farmer-to-farmer video explains that the beetle has spread at an alarming rate through Kona, threatening the survival of Hawai`i’s premier specialty crop. With farmers still discovering the beetle infestation and others reporting a total crop loss in Kona, “information is needed to saturate the community immediately,” said Suzanne Shriner, member of the Kona Coffee Farmers Association.

Coffee berry borer management is the topic of a new film.
Video images from youtube.com

      It has been shown in Kona that when 700 farms are in close proximity, the beetle crosses farm boundaries with ease. “Cooperation within the community is imperative to reduce everyone’s losses,” Shriner said.
      Directed by Gary Sprinkle and featuring Shriner and Andrea Kawabata, UH-CTAHR extension agent, the video demonstrates three main aspects of CBB management: Sanitation — removing cherries from the orchard in a timely manner; spraying the Beauveria bassiana fungus — the only legal, effective pesticide for CBB; and trapping — to help identify trouble spots.
      The Kohala Center connected a small group of Kona coffee farmers who researched and condensed the basics of Integrated Beetle Management from other coffee growing regions, with Kamehameha Schools, which had the capacity to magnify the quality of this project and access difficult to reach segments of the farming community.
      Kamehameha Schools, which happens to be landowner of 70 percent of Kona coffee farms, was the primary funder of the video. Kona Coffee Farmers Association, also a funder, had worked with the state Department of Agriculture to approve the commercial Beauveria bassiana fungus in Hawai`i.
      UH-CTAHR joined the project, adding to and verifying the scientific veracity of the instructional material.
      The video is online at www.youtube.com/KamehamehaSchools in both English and Spanish.

RESIDENTS CAN COMMENT on the Ka`u District Gym & Shelter Environmental Assessment through March 23. The report calls for buildings at the site to be made of cement to harden them against “low Category 3 hurricanes.” Category 3 hurricanes have gusts at a maximum of 155 mph. At least one 2,000-square-foot room, which could shelter 120 people during a short-term hurricane or air quality emergency, would be equipped to clean the air from vog. However, the main gym, with the ability to shelter 1,500 people for a short-term disaster and 560 people for temporary housing after a disaster, would be without air cleaning equipment, according to the proposal. The EA states that Civil Defense is comfortable with providing clean air for 120 people.
      The EA is available at hawaii.gov/health/environmental/oeqc/index.html and at Pahala and Na`alehu Public Libraries.
      Comments can be sent or faxed to Tammy Kapali, Planner, PBR Hawai`i & Associates, Inc., 1001 Bishop Street, Suite 650 Honolulu, HI 96813, Fax 808-523-1402; or County of Hawai`i Department of Public Works Attn: David Yamamoto, Aupuni Center, 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 7, Hilo, HI 96720, Fax 808-961-8630.

THE EARTHQUAKE SWARM at the Ka`oiki fault line near Namakanipaio Park diminished during the last 24 hours. Closest buildings were at Volcano Golf Course subdivision and Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Some items were reported falling off shelves, along with a rock fall in Halema`uma`u Crater. There were more than 100 quakes during the swarm, the strongest registering 4.3, 4.1, 3.9 and 3.0. The same fault line where the plates of Kilauea and Mauna Loa meet created swarms in 2006, 1997, 1993 and 1990, following a 6.6 magnitude quake in 1983 that caused more than $7 million in damage between Ka`u and Hilo, and leaving fissures in roads and crumbling trails in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. See tux.wr.usgs.gov for maps and information on quakes here.

NA MEA HAWAI`I takes place today at Honu`apo Park, with Hawaiian crafts, games, and hula from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Ka `Ohana O Honu`apo will sell T-shirts, water and juice, the Hawaiian Civic Club will sell hand-made Hawaiian items, and `O Ka`u Kakou will sell shave ice and hot dogs.

CHRISTINE THOMAS READS AND SIGNS her new anthology of modern mo`olelo, Don’t Look Back: Hawaiian Myths Made New, at After Dark in the Park on Tuesday at 7 p.m., at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. A $2 donation supports park programs, and park entrance fees apply. 

A VOG TASK FORCE MEETING will be held on Wednesday at Pahala Community Center at 5 p.m. The task force was proposed by Rep. Bob Herkes to tackle the problems with air quality events and volcanic emissions in connection with agriculture, human health and the effects of vog on infrastructure, like metal buildings, fencing and vehicles. Herkes said he wants people to come to the meeting and share their experiences with vog so that the state government and Legislature will understand its effects on Ka`u residents and the environment.

VISIT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM.

Ka`u News Briefs Feb. 25, 2012

The second of three 2012 whale counts takes place today at Kalae, Punalu`u and locations in Hawai`i Volcanoes
National Park. Photo from NOAA

RED LIGHT CAMERAS that could detect drivers passing through stop lights and cameras that could detect speeding vehicles could be in the future for Hawai`i. Bills in the state Legislature are getting some traction for the photo red light detector systems that have already been adopted in such places as Los Angeles. Proponents note that such cameras could help do the work of police officers who otherwise have to sit by the side of the road and wait for the violators. It could free them up for investigating other crimes, said testimony submitted to the Legislature. Other testimony noted that knowing cameras are on the highway could deter people from speeding and going through red lights. The legislation would leave it up to each county to decide whether to adopt the program, and each county would keep fines it collects. Opposition has included a statement that a police officer can chase down a speeding car and get it off the highway and check the driver for alcohol and drugs, while a camera has no such ability. A police officer can also respond to medical emergencies on the roads. Another limitation is that the camera would have to capture a clear photo of the driver to prove who is breaking the law. 

Bills in the state Legislature call for installation of red
light cameras. Photo from autoblog.com

      Opposition testimony says that there is collection of too much personal information by filming everyone driving along the highway, and the American Civil Liberties Union has posted concerns. The legislation is House Bill 2790 and can be read, along with pro and con testimony, at www.capitol.hawaii.gov.

THE BABY BOY WHO DIED when a van flipped on Highway 11 at 5 p.m. on Thursday was breast-feeding at the time of the accident. The family was driving from Volcano toward Pahala and on to accommodations at Waikoloa, according to reports from Hawai`i News Now. While there was an infant car seat in the van, the mother had taken the baby into her lap for feeding. The father was driving when the van veered off the road and turned over. He told police he was tired after a long day of touring and may have dozed off. The family, all visitors from Japan, suffered injuries, with three women remaining in serious condition. 

      The Pahala Community Center was used as a staging area for lifting victims by helicopter to Hilo Medical Center where the infant died. “From this tragic incident you can see what happens when you take the child out of the car seat. The child probably would have survived if he was in the car seat,” said Sgt. Christopher Gali, of Hawai`i Police Department. Police are investigating the crash as a negligent homicide, but since drugs or alcohol are unlikely, they will probably refrain from filing charges against the father, even though it is law that children three years and under be in a car seat, with four to seven-year-olds strapped into a booster seat. There are many incentives for using infant and booster seats, including tax deductions and the grim statistics of injuries and deaths during accidents when they are not used.

Invasive mongoose may be targeted with irradication.
Photo from Wildcare, akyinthedoor.com

MONGOOSE ERADICATION is the aim of the state Board of Land & Natural Resources. The land board, which met this week, discussed working with the state and federal government, along with the counties, to come up with a program to rid the islands of these invasive species. Along with feral cats, mongoose are considered one of the main reasons that ground nesting birds are in decline in Hawai`i. Some concern has come from the Humane Society on whether poison would be used and whether that could kill pets and wildlife. Another concern is whether wild chickens will replace mongoose and compete with wildlife as happened on Kaua`i where there are no mongoose. 

HUMPBACK WHALE COUNT is on the agenda for today at Kalae, Punalu`u and sites within Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The annual 2012 Sanctuary Ocean Count is held until noon, as volunteers record the behavior of the whales over the four-hour period. More than 60 sites along the shores of the Big Island, O`ahu and Kaua`i have been selected for the count. To learn more, visit http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov. The final 2012 whale count is scheduled for Saturday, March 31. Register online or call 1-888-55-WHALE, ext. 253.

DONATIONS FOR A RUMMAGE SALE to benefit Ka`u Hospital Charitable Foundation’s scholarship fund are being accepted today. The scholarship fund assists any Ka`u student enrolled in any medical training program. Items can be dropped off at Kama`aina Kuts behind Na`alehu Ace Hardware through Saturday. The rummage sale takes place next Saturday, March 3. Call Ursula at 896-2624. 

A SPAGHETTI DINNER to benefit Ka`u Hospital is from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. today at Na`alehu Community Center. The dinner is sponsored by the Ka`u Red Hat Ladies and Kalae Quilters. Tickets are $9.99 and can be purchased at the door.

KIPUKA`AKIHI HIKE, a ranger-guided hike into the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, takes place tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants explore an isolated refuge of rare plants in a remnant old-growth forest. Pre-registration is required. Call 985-6011.

HAWAIIAN CRAFTS, GAMES, AND HULA are are on the schedule at Honu`apo Park tomorrow from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. `O Ka`u Kakou will sell shave ice and hot dogs, the Hawaiian Civic Club will sell their hand-made Hawaiian items, and Ka `Ohana O Honu`apo will sell T-shirts, water and juice.

SEE OUR SPONSORS ONLINE AT KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM AND PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM.

Ka`u News Briefs Feb. 24, 2012

Picking opihi could have further restrictions according to Senate Bill 2923. Photo from aceuhmanoa.wordpress.com

OPIHI PICKING MAY BE RESTRICTED, putting moratoriums on some popular places for gathering the limpets along rocky shorelines around the Hawaiian Islands.

Photo from hawaiianforest.com

Senate Bill 2923 “Establishes a ban on taking or harvesting opihi statewide, subject to open and closed seasons and traditional gathering rights and practices.” It would prohibit the taking or harvesting of opihi, even for non-commercial purposes, in an amount greater than one quart with shells attached or one half pint without shells per day. The new law would require the Department of Land & Natural Resources to submit an annual report regarding effectiveness and enforcement. It could start with a five-year opihi picking ban on O`ahu, which has drawn concern that a rush to pick opihi on the Big Island would be driven by a ban in Honolulu.
      The DLNR testified that native gathering rights for opihi would need to be defined and pointed out that all marine conservation districts already ban opihi picking.
      The state Department of Hawaiian Homelands testified to the legislature that it supports the bill but suggested a resource study on opihi. University of Hawai`i marine scientists also gave supportive testimony, saying “Opihi is a delicacy that is part of Hawai`i’s culture, and, as such, there is universal agreement that the resource must be preserved for future generations to enjoy.” Some testimony calls for different recreational and home use bag limits. Opihi sell for large amounts of money and are popular at lu`au’s and other Hawaiian celebrations. Ophihi picking is often referred to as the most dangerous job in Hawai`i.

AN INFANT NOT IN A CAR SEAT died yesterday following an accident on Hwy 11 about five miles toward Volcano from Pahala. Members of the public attempted CPR on the infant but the baby died. All seven people were from Japan and were traveling in a van when the driver veered off the highway and the van flipped. One woman was lifted by helicopter from Pahala Community Center in critical condition. All of those injured were taken to Hilo Medical Center. The baby was six months old and police have opened a negligent homicide investigation, as the baby was unsecured in the van.

LINDA LINGLE, THE FORMER HAWAI`I GOVERNOR, now candidate for U.S. Senate has announced she will establish advisory boards on the Big Island and the other Neighbor Islands to give people a voice at the federal level, if she is elected.

Lingle with Ebesugawa sisters in Hilo.  
Photo from lingle2012.com

     She established similar county boards during her eight years as governor, comprised of volunteer community leaders. On this island there were East and West Hawai`i members. “Having worked and lived on both Moloka`i and Maui, I know how important it is for residents on every island to know their concerns are being heard by their U.S. Senator and that their opinions are important at a national level,” Lingle said. “While other candidates have pledged to be available via a toll free number or through their websites, I believe it is critical for constituents to be able to interact face-to-face with a member of my team when I am in D.C.,” Lingle said.

EARTHQUAKES and swarms of small temblors continued yesterday into today with a 4.3 registering at 3:52 this morning and a 4.1 on Thursday at 9:02  p.m. By mid-morning today there were 75 recent earthquakes on the U.S.G.S. map of the Big Island. Many of them are near Kilauea Crater where Mauna Loa and Kilauea plates meet. Such swarms at the same location have been recorded in the past. The biggest earthquake near the same site was a 6.6 in 1983, leaving more than $7 million in damages between Ka`u and Hilo and cracking roads and destroying trails in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. See tux.wr.usgs.gov for the latest maps and information on earthquakes.

KIPUKA`AKIHI HIKE, a ranger guided hike into the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, takes place, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday. The entrance to Kahuku Unit is between mile markers 70 and 71 on Hwy 11. Participants explore an isolated refuge of rare plants in a remnant old-growth forest. Pre-registration required. 985-6011

LA `ELIMA CELEBRATION, hosted by Hauoli Kamana`o Church, will be held tomorrow, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Miloli`i Village Park Pavilion. The church invites the public to talk story, enjoy live music, fire dancing and lu`au style food. Walter Kahiwa, Jr. will give a detailed history of La `Elima, which translates to February 5th the day the event occurred.

MIloli`i residents have been gathering to remember
the tsunami and taking care of victims for generations.
Photo by Julia Neal

      Long ago, the little yellow church was lifted up and deposited inland by a massive earth shift and subsequent kaiko`o, or big seas, said Angie Bowman, one of the event's key coordinators. The original location is now submerged 300 yards out to sea. Villagers used palm trunks to move the church to its current location. She summarized the story saying that the school children were thought to be lost to sea. However, five days later they were rescued from caves above the fishing village. "Although many died along the coast, no lives were lost in Miloli`i."

THE KA`U RED HAT LADIES and Kalae Quilters sponsor a spaghetti dinner to benefit Ka`u Hospital tomorrow from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. Tickets are $9.99 and can be purchased at the door.

 KA `OHANA O HONU`APO and Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka`u showcase Hawaiian crafts, games, and hula, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday at Honu`apo Park. `O Ka`u Kakou will sell shave ice and hot dogs, the Civic Club will sell their hand-made Hawaiian items, and Ka `Ohana O Honu`apo will sell T-shirts, water and juice.

KA`U FARMERS, along with those from Kona and Kohala, are invited to attend a new forum, West Hawai`i Sustainable Agriculture Skills Panel – created by the Workforce Development Council, to voice their concerns and solutions to help develop agriculture. The forum, hosted by Hawai`i Department of Ag and Department of Labor, is set to meet on Tuesday, March 6, in Kailua-Kona at King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Participation is free. The forum has five focus areas: ag innovation and sustainability, education, infrastructure, recruiting, and food system. Guests are asked to RSVP to standford.j.fichtman@hawaii.gov. Call 808-586-8672 for more.