Ka'u News Briefs March 7, 2012

Tom King, who volunteers in the garden every week, instructs Haʻaleʻa Freitas-Hashimoto, Jerzie Lopez and Laci Ah Yee.
Photo by Nalani Parlin

RUSSELL KOKUBUN, chair of the state Department of Agriculture, said that a culture relying on too much imported food and fuel hinders agriculture development in Hawai`i. He was speaking at the agricultural workforce workshop sponsored by the Green Jobs Initiative in Kona yesterday. A similar workshop was held in Hilo in January. The sessions included discussions about schools providing more hands-on curriculum in agriculture that help build self-esteem so youth will become proud of wanting to grow food. The world prospective was addressed. Conference notes summed it up by saying, “Ag is important; we need to address the two billion people who are hungry, but fewer people are involved with Ag; learn how we can better assist with sustainability.”

     Those attending advocated increased investment by the State in Ag at all levels as well as hands on education and encouragement of growing food in yards at home as well as in schools. Hawai`i County will develop mapping of important Ag land using scientific criteria and participants suggested using Ag lands for agriculture, not high end residential properties. See more at http://sesphawaii.com/agriculture.cfm

Jerzie Lopez tastes a fresh pea for
the first time. Photo by Nalani Parlin

NA `ALAHU SCHOOL is one of 17 recipients of funding from the Hawai`i Island Beacon Community. Sowing Seeds is the name of the program, which will provide hands-on projects, in gardening and other activities to teach elementary school students the skills and judgment to make healthier eating choices. All of the projects are part of Beacon’s Healthy Eating and Active Living Program aiming to effect positive changes in people’s eating, physical activity and tobacco use habits.
     Supported by approximately $300,000 of HIBC’s federal funding, the HEAL Projects will run through February 2013 and directly reach over 15,000 Hawai`i Island residents in all regions, of all ages, from diverse ethnic groups—including those most at risk.
     Susan B. Hunt, CEO of HIBC, said the projects will deliver innovative, targeted outreach into the communities where it is needed most.
     “The vision for the HEAL Projects is that they will build momentum and be impactful because they have been specifically developed by population and geography,” said Jessica Yamamoto, community engagement manager for HIBC. “They are run by organizations and staff who are themselves a part of their community and have a deep understanding of that community’s needs.”

Other projects that could involve Ka`u include:
• Building a Garden and Doing Physical Activities to Improve Healthy Eating and Physical Fitness. Hawai`i County Economic Opportunity Council will offer a six-week summer program for students in grades 3-6 and their families.

• Eat-Think-Grow: Nutritional Education for School Garden Teachers on Hawai`i Island. The Kohala Center, Inc. will offer workshops and courses for teachers, education events and food festivals.
• Marshallese Mobile Screening Clinic. College of Pharmacy at the University of Hawai`i at Hilo Health screenings, health education and access to affordable health care for Marshallese families, adults and youth.
• Mothers on the Move Family Support Hawai`i Program will promote appropriate physical activity for low-income pregnant and new mothers and their young children.
• Volunteer Counseling and Health Screenings. The National Community Pharmacists Association Student Chapter at the College of Pharmacy at the University of Hawai`i at Hilo will provide free counseling on diet/lifestyle changes and health screenings provided by student pharmacists for community members to better manage chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia.

• Environmental Tobacco Smoke: Office-Based Strategies for Prevention and Intervention. The Children’s Research Triangle Education will provide prevention campaign to reduce tobacco smoking in families.
• Get Fit Hawai`i 2012 Five Mountains Hawai`i will offer a ten-week, team-based Take It Off Hawai`i program modified for teens.
• Mahi A ‘Ai Cultivate Health and Wellness Project will offer a ten-week, hands-on course to teach at-risk teens how to grow and cook healthy food while incorporating more exercise into their lives.
• What About Tobacco. The Youth Prevention Project for a Tobacco-Free Hawai`i will offer a certified course to teach fourth grade students the risks of tobacco.

Kipuka`akihi in Kahuku, photo from HVNP

THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE has issued a newsletter with a summary of public comments on four preliminary alternatives that detail a future vision for Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park as part of an ongoing effort to develop a General Management Plan and a Wilderness Study and Environmental Impact Statement.
     The GMP/Wilderness Study will document a management vision for the entire park, including Kahuku, and serve as a guidebook for the future. NPS-managed lands within the park could be recommended for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System.
     Alternatives developed by the park planning team are based on previous public comments, federal law and NPS policy, as well as the professional knowledge of park staff. The alternatives detail a menu of topics including conservation of the park’s natural resources and cultural significance, location of visitor and operations facilities, new or connecting trails, sustainable and climate-friendly operations, education, research, and visitor access and services at the Kahuku Unit. Wilderness-eligible lands in Kahuku are also discussed.
     Each alternative, including the no-action alternative, had supporters and detractors. Many commenters expressed support for individual actions in different alternatives and suggested their own combination of those actions. No particular alternative emerged as a clear favorite.
     The newsletter describing the preliminary alternatives, wilderness study and the summary of public comments is available online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectID=24888.
NPS continues to accept public comments on preliminary alternatives through September. There are several ways to submit comments, including filling out a comment form available in the newsletter, submitting comments online through a link on the National Park Service Planning, Environment and Public Comment site, http://parkplanning.nps.gov/havo or by mailing comments to Superintendent Cindy Orlando, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, P.O. Box 52, Hawai`i National Park, HI 96718-0052. The public can also offer comments at talk story sessions to be held in late August.

Mauna Loa capped in snow, February of 2002. Photo from USGS, D. Swanson

MORE SNOW ON MAUNA LOA is expected today and roads remain closed on Mauna Kea, blocking access to the astronomy center, according to the National Weather Service.

KA`U BOYS VOLLEYBALL FOUGHT A HARD BATTLE last night with Christian Liberty Academy on home turf in five sets. It was a close game, with both teams tied at two wins until the final set, in which Liberty won 15-11.

A FREE CONCERT, A Hui Hou Bolo, is offered to the public tonight, 6:30 p.m., at Pahala Plantation House. Bolo and his friends perform, along with hula dancer Sammi Fo, during this send-off concert before he moves to Utah. For more call, 928-9811.

Ka`u News Briefs March 6, 2012

Stepped lands above Hwy 11 between Pahala and Na`alehu show the pressure of the two volcanic plates.
Photo by Julia Neal

THE EARTHQUAKE SWARMS in late February on Kaoiki Pali may be linked to changes in pressure within Kilauea’s magma system, say scientists studying it. With Kilauea’s ongoing eruption and Mauna Loa’s unrest, “many forces have been at play,” says the latest edition of Volcano Watch from Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, which says, “We can probably expect more of these earthquake swarms.”
      HVO scientists explain that the south part of this island is “subject to forces arising from the movement of magma and forces arising from gravitational breakdown of its volcanoes.”
      Kaoiki Pali extends from west of Namakanipaio Campground all the way to Honu`apo. The Kaoiki-Honu`apo fault system was likely created by subsidence of Mauna Loa’s southeast flank before Kilauea was built against or on it. The surface expression of these faults is seen in stepped terrain just mauka of Highway 11 between Kilauea’s summit and Pahala. The steps are draped by unbroken 9,000-year-old lava and their movements are too minor to result in surface rupture despite earthquakes centered there, say the scientists. The recent swarm reaffirmed this with the lack of any shift of the ground surface during the quakes, according to HVO.
      The entire southeast flank of Mauna Loa frequently hosts earthquakes as it is squeezed and stretched between two very active volcanoes. HVO records show four damaging earthquakes in this area between 1941 and 1983, but none since. Earthquakes in 1974 and 1983 are believed to have enabled Mauna Loa's eruptions in 1975 and 1984. The recent swarm included two quakes above 4.0 magnitude.

THE STATE SENATE VOTES today on whether the Office of Hawaiian Affairs can accept a $200 million urban property on O`ahu in exchange for settling ceded land claims. Ceded lands are claimed as belonging to native Hawaiians but being held by the state. Some of those lands on the Big Island are in Hilo, where hotels are located on Banyan Drive. The settlement would end the OHA suits to claim the Hilo and other lands around the state and settle for the city land in Kaka`ako. If ultimately approved, this agreement will finally resolve claims relating to OHA’s share of public land trust revenues from November 7, 1978 to June 30, 2012. 

THE COUNTY BUDGET proposed by Mayor Billy Kenoi has been analyzed by Stephens Media reporter Peter Sur. He notes that “the county Civil Defense Agency is getting its budget slashed from $1.7 million to $1.2 million, a difference of 26.4 percent. The Mass Transit Agency’s budget is shrinking 15.5 percent, from $4.0 million to $3.3 million, and the Office of Aging’s budget is falling from $2.9 million to $2.3 million, a difference of $550,073, or 19.1 percent. Departments with more funding for the fiscal year that begins July 1 include Office of Elections with an 11.6 percent increase to $888,674.The County Council, County Clerk and staff would enjoy an increase of 5.1 percent to $3.3 million. The Police Department budget goes from $53.8 million to $54 million, while the Fire Department rises 1.8 percent, to $37.3 million, reports Sur in West Hawai`i Today this morning. See www.westhawaiitoday.com.
      County Council chair Dominique Yagong, who is running against Kenoi in the August primary, said he is studying the budget and has a number of objections that he will discuss at the Council.

California growers provide most of the rice eaten in Hawai`i,
but shipping costs are soaring. Photo from calrice.org

THE NEW FUEL SURCHARGES took effect last week with steep increases that are causing a rise in the cost of imported food. According to a story in Pacific Business News, “Matson charges a base fee of $2,398 to ship a 40-foot container of rice from the West Coast to Hawai`i. Tack on that 45.5 percent fuel surcharge and the cost rises to $3,489, a $1,091 increase.” Young Brothers plans to review its fuel surcharges in May. 

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI`I-HILO has a new vice chancellor of Student Affairs. Dr. Matthew Platz joins the staff in January of 2013. Platz comes with a career as a chemistry professor and administrator at Ohio State University. He said he found UH-Hilo’s mission of encouraging students, particularly first-generation students, to reach their highest level of educational attainment “compelling,” noting that higher education had been a game-changer in his life. “I have had a wonderful life because of my dad’s decision to attend night school and become a first-generation college graduate,” Platz said. “So I know first-hand how the power of education can alter the destiny of a family.”

Dr. Matthew Platz
 Photo from UH-Hilo

      In his current position with the National Science Foundation, Platz has focused on funding the basic science that must be discovered to create sustainable food, water and energy to meet the needs of the world’s expanding population.

TONIGHT, THE TROJAN BOYS volleyball team hosts Christian Liberty Academy in the Ka`u High gym at 6 p.m. Off to a strong start, the team remains undefeated. Within a week of the season opener at home, the Trojans smashed Parker (25-10, 25-3, 25-8) and beat Hualalai in four sets (24-26, 25-22, 25-20, 25-12).

A FREE CONCERT takes place tomorrow at Pahala Plantation House from 6:30 p.m. until pau. Composer and musician Bolo, who sings and plays the `uketar, `ukulele and slack key guitar, offers original songs, including Bull Kailiawa Coffee Farmer, a song about the original Ka`u Coffee farmer back in the 1800s and a composition he co-wrote about the mountain Kaiholena. Musician and dancer Sammi Fo will join him.

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND’S Ka`u Beach Cleanup is scheduled for Saturday. Volunteers can sign up with Megan Lamson at 769-7629 or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.

THE FIVE TIBETAN RITES are the topics at a workshop on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Old Pahala Clubhouse. Certified Kripalu Yoga teacher Jo Caron explains the background of the Rites and their effects on health, as well as postures. Tea and fruit will be served after the workshop. All levels, including beginners, are welcome. Pre-registration is $25, or $35 at the door. Call 443-6993 or email jocaron7@mac.com.

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

Ka`u News Briefs March 5, 2012

Hawaiian-style table decor at Philadelphia International Flower Show this week. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

KA`U COFFEE & PROTEA FROM KA`U are some of the offerings this week at the Philadelphia International Flower Show, which is expected to draw more than 250,000 people.
      The title of the show is Hawai`i: Islands of Aloha. Displays include the inside of a volcano comprised of flowers, a 25-foot-tall waterfall, settings for tropical dining, a surfer’s hideaway on a lagoon and many more scenes of paradise.

Anthuriums with surfboard at
Philadelphia International Flower
Show. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

      The multi-ethnic diversity of Hawai`i is also gaining ground at the show. In addition to aloha wear, women are wearing orchids in their hair and Asian-inspired dresses. The Hawai`i Tourism Authority is expecting the event to help improve visitation from the East Coast. The most direct flight from Philadelphia is on U.S. Air to Phoenix and on to Hawai`i. New direct flights to the Islands are scheduled from Washington, D.C. and New York City.

HEALTH EXPERTS from around the Islands and around the country will gather at the state Capitol Auditorium this Wednesday at 8 a.m. for a public meeting. Challenges from making sure patients take or receive the right dose and type of medicine to new ways to deliver Medicaid services and care for chronic diseases are on the agenda. Gov. Neil Abercrombie will talk about his health care priorities.

FEHR & PEERS, a transportation consulting company based in Walnut Creek, CA, conducted a "focused transportation impact analysis" to evaluate the potential traffic impacts expected from building the planned Ka`u District Gym & Shelter. The report includes an analysis of existing and near-term future conditions with the project in place. It concludes that, given the low existing traffic volumes on the surrounding roadways, the anticipated future traffic conditions for the project will not warrant additional road improvements in the area.
      The study recommends that the feasibility of providing a wider pedestrian path on Kamani Street, the main entrance to town, between Puahala and Pikake Streets, be investigated. It also suggests improving pedestrian and bicycle access to the site from Hapu Street, above Hu`apala St.,  as part of an emergency access. “While increased connectivity is always desirable to distribute traffic over the entire street network, this connection is not needed” for vehicle traffic, the report states. “However, an emergency access connection should be provided via a locked gate such that emergency responders can drive onto the school campus should vehicle access be blocked at the Kamani Street entrance." 

A traffic study recommends improving pedestrian
access to the Ka`u District Gym & Shelter.

      The Draft Environment Assessment is available at Pahala and Na`alehu Public Libraries and at hawaii.gov/health/environmental/oeqc/index.html.
      Comments, due March 23, can be sent to Tammy Kapali, Planner, PBR Hawai`i & Associates, Inc., 1001 Bishop Street, Suite 650 Honolulu, HI 96813 or faxed to 808-523-1402. Comments can also be sent to County of Hawai`i Department of Public Works, Attn: David Yamamoto, Aupuni Center, 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 7, Hilo, HI 96720 or faxed to 808-961-8630.

GAS PRICES ROSE AGAIN IN KA`U. This morning Ka`u Gas was selling at $4.66 per gallon in Pahala. In Na`alehu, the 76 station was selling for $4.66. In Ocean View, Kahala Gas was selling for $4.47, at Ocean View Market for $4.45 and Kahuku Country Market for $4.40. Around the state, over the last week, gas prices rose 4.6 cents per gallon, yesterday reaching an average of $4.33 per gallon. The national average reached $3.71 a gallon. See HawaiiGasPrices.com.

VOLUNTEERS CAN STILL SIGN UP for a Ka`u Beach Cleanup taking place Saturday. Contact Megan Lamson at 769-7629 or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.

COMPOSER AND MUSICIAN BOLO, who sings and plays the `uketar, `ukulele and slack key guitar, performs at a free concert Wednesday at Pahala Plantation House from 6:30 p.m. until pau. Bolo offers original songs, including Bull Kailiawa Coffee Farmer, anoher tune about the original Ka`u Coffee farm (now `Aikane Plantation) back in the 1800s and a composition he co-wrote about the misty mountain preserve called Kaiholena. Musician and dancer Sammi Fo will join him. 

CERTIFIED KRIPALU YOGA teacher Jo Caron introduces the Five Tibetan Rites at the Old Pahala Clubhouse this Saturday at 10 a.m. The two-hour workshop explains the background of the Rites and their effects on health, as well as postures. Tea and fruit will be served after the workshop. All levels, including beginners, are welcome. Pre-registration is $25, or $35 at the door. Call 443-6993 or email jocaron7@mac.com.

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