Ka`u News Briefs April 21, 2012

Trini and Francis Marques at their Ali`i Hawaiian Hula Hands Coffee farm. Their  Ka`u Coffee placed
in the top ten of Roasters Guild 2012 Coffees of the Year.

KA`U CHAMBER OF COMMERCE’S candidate forum drew the five County Council District 6 candidates and the three county Prosecuting Attorney candidates to Ocean View Community Center yesterday. They gave over 40 community members a chance to hear about their qualifications and interests in running for office.

COUNTY COUNCIL District 6 candidates are Marie Burns, Maile David, Brenda Ford, Lee McIntosh and Bradley Westervelt.

MARIE BURNS said she “would like to represent the people.” She said she would bring truth and compassion to the position. “I represent the heart of this land, and I wear the shoes of a lot of people on this island,” she said. She also characterized herself as a “social butterfly” who knows how to “bring people together in unity.”

Maile David

MAILE DAVID said she likes to solve problems and stressed her heritage and connection with “the country and the culture.” She pointed to her legal experience gained here during many years as a paralegal. “My interest and my roots run deep. I never left; I’m not going anywhere,” she said. 

BRENDA FORD said she wants to put people to work repairing infrastructure. She also wants to continue to push for a South Point Police Station. She listed her persistence and transparency – “no backdoor deals” – as qualities that would benefit the county. “I’m always prepared; I do my homework,” she said. “It’s important to have facts to make informed decisions.”

LEE MCINTOSH wants to stabilize property taxes, provide more funding to the Office of Aging, expand water infrastructure and “help people with problems they face.” He said he works well with people of different beliefs and is good at “identifying and solving problems. I care about the community,” he said.

Ocean View Community Association president Gil Robinson
introduces the candidates. Photos by Marge Elwell

BRADLEY WESTERVELT wants more standard services for the district. He hopes to accelerate the timeline for Ocean View transfer station and increase public transit in the district. He sees a “need to ease regulations on businesses and small farms” and wants to change county ordinances to “allow subdivisions to flourish.” Westervelt pointed to logic as a value he would bring to the Council. 

PROSECUTING ATTORNEY Candidates are Lincoln Ashida, Paul Dolan and Mitch Roth.

FOR LINCOLN ASHIDA, the Three P’s – Passion, Professionalism and Pono – define his work. He said he loves his work as a trial lawyer for more than 25 years. He said being responsible for deputy attorneys requires professionalism, and “you have to do what’s right.”

FOR PAUL DOLAN, being prosecuting attorney “is not about winning or losing; it’s about justice.” He wants to “stop the manini prosecutions,” referring to people arrested for possession of small amounts of marijuana in their homes.

Mitch Roth

MITCH ROTH pointed to integrity and his passion for justice as qualities he would bring to the position. “Be honest and tell the truth even when it may not make you look good,” he said.
      More on the candidate forum will follow in the next week.

TRINIDAD MARQUES is in Portland, Oregon at the Specialty Coffee Association of America convention. She and Francis produce Ali`i Hawaiian Hula Hands Ka`u 100 Percent Pure Coffee, which placed in the top ten coffees in the Roasters Guild 2012 Coffees of the Year. They sell their coffee internationally and in local farmers markets and retail outlets. Their farm will be featured on the Wall of Fame at Ka`u Coffee Mill.

 
SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS at Pahala Swimming Pool are scheduled to begin next Saturday, April 28. The pool will be closed for approximately ten days while the Department of Parks and Recreation replaces drain covers with newer, safer versions that meet mandated federal standards to address potential entrapment issues. Call 928-8177 for updates.

Ho`okupa Photo by Jay Robinson

PLANTS OF HULA, or Na Mea Kanu O Ke Hula, are the topic of a Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park program tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants learn about kino lau, manifestations of Hawaiian deities in plant form, the significance of plants used for the hula altar and adornments, and cultural protocols used when picking plants and walking among native species in their natural environment. The day ends with a hands-on lesson in native plant propagation and plant seedlings to take home. The fee is $60 for Friends members and $85 for non-members. Students in grades K-12 and college, with valid student ID, are half-price. Non-members are welcome to join the Friends to get the member discount. Contact 985-7373 or www.fhvnp.org. 

FRIENDS OF THE KA`U LIBRARIES hold a book sale next week at Pahala Public & School Library. The hours on Monday, Thursday and Friday are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND sponsors a cleanup of an anchialine pond in Ka`u this Tuesday. Volunteers can sign up with Megan Lamson at 769-7629 or meg.hwf@gmail.com.

KA`U HIGH GRADUATE Carlotta Leina`ala Kailiawa and her group Lava Moon, along with Keoki Kahumoku, offer a free house concert next Saturday, April 28 at Pahala Plantation House. The potluck event begins at 6 p.m.

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

Ka`u News Briefs April 20, 2012

Miss Aloha Hawai`i Brandy Shibuya, shown here accompanied by Keoki Kahumoku at Ka`u Coffee Mill blessing, performs at the Specialty Coffee Association of America convention in Portland, Oregon today.
Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

HAWAI`I’S SOLAR TAX CREDIT has been extremely effective at making Hawai`i a leader in both solar water heating and photovoltaic systems, according to a report from Blue Planet Foundation. It claims that the credit creates local jobs, brings about business growth and provides revenue to the state. “These renewable energy projects help plug the leak of billions of dollars that leave the state every year to import oil,” the report says. 

      It says that every dollar the state provides in a photovoltaic tax credit turns into $44 that circulates into Hawai`i’s economy, and that the returns continue to pay off for 30 years.

Graph from Blue Planet Foundation

      “Positive impact starts with the benefit of generating energy locally, rather than sending money out of the state to pay for imported oil,” the report says.
      Changes to Hawai`i’s solar tax credit are being considered at the state Legislature. The lastest version of HB2417 calls for an annual reduction of the tax credit from 35 percent to 20 percent by 2015. For more, see capitol.hawaii.gov.

MISS ALOHA HAWAI`I Brandy Shibuya landed in Portland, Oregon and is supporting a host of Big Island coffee farmers who have come here to promote some of the top-rated coffees in the world. Shibuya was named Miss Ka`u Coffee last year and is Miss Aloha Hawai`i this year. She said she is here to promote the Hawaiian culture and the hardworking farmers that have brought their coffee to the international stage. Shibuya planned to dance hula at the convention today, and tweets went out from the Specialty Coffee Association of America notifying many of the 10,000 conferees at the convention about her performance. Also attending from the Big Island are Kona Coffee farmers and Ka`u Coffee farmers whose coffee placed in the top ten in the world in the annual Roasters Choice.
      Willie Tabios, whose coffee has placed for the third time in the top ten in the world, said that he is proud to be a farmer in Ka`u. “I take pride in my work and in bringing Ka`u up to the quality that is making it famous,” he said, stressing that his win - as the highest rated in Ka`u - is a win for all of Ka`u and all of the farmers.

Next month's Big Island Film Festival includes a film
featuring Ocean View resident Dick Hershberger.
Photo from Big Island Film Festival

BIG ISLAND FILM FESTIVAL will feature Dick Hershberger, of Ocean View, in a short film entitled Dancing Freak. The organization said Hershberger, his wife Arlen and daughter Eden have “been a part of the family since day one.” 

     The seventh annual film festival is set for May 24 to 28, with free family films at The Shops at Mauna Lani, daytime movies and nightly double features at The Fairmont Orchid and more. Fifty-seven films from around the world will be showcased, including nine from Hawai`i, four of which are from the Big Island. Along with feature-length narrative and short films, the festival will spotlight two documentary films for the first time: Aunty Nona Beamer – Malama Ko Aloha (Keep Your Love) and Family of the Wa`a.
      For more, visit bigislandfilmfestival.com.

ALL OF THE CANDIDATES for County Council District 6 and Prosecuting Attorney are scheduled to meet the public today from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. Candidates for the Council seat are Marie Burns, Maile David, Brenda Ford, Lee McIntosh and Bradley Westervelt. Candidates for Prosecuting Attorney are Lincoln Ashida, Paul Dolan and Mitch Roth. For more information, call 929-7236 or email marge@hawaii.rr.com.

Ron Serrao cooking at last October's
Mongolian BBQ. Photo by Julia Neal

OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION holds the first of regular barbecues on the third Saturday of each month tomorrow from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The barbecues replace previously held monthly pancake breakfasts. This fundraising Grand Re-opening and BBQ Open House celebrates recent improvements to the building. Call 939-7033 for more information.

FOURTEEN WOK MASTERS cook up patrons’ choices of veggies, beef, pork, tofu, and fresh fish at Cooper Center’s Mongolian BBQ tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The cost is 75 cents per ounce, with funds raised going to Cooper Center. 

TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL PARK WEEK, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park waives entrance fees beginning tomorrow and continuing through Sunday, April 29. This year’s theme, Picture Yourself in a National Park, encourages visitors to share photos or videos of themselves, their families and friends exploring and enjoying the park during National Park Week on the park’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/hawaiivolcanoes.com.

KUMU HULA MICHAEL PANG’S Halau Hula Ka No`eau performs at the hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park tomorrow from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Hands-on cultural demonstrations take place from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at on the gallery’s porch. Donations are welcome.

Ab Valencia directing members of his halau. Photo by Dave Boyle

KUMU HULA Ab Kawainohoikala`i Valencia and botanist Tim Tunison team up for a cultural and scientific exploration of Plants Of Hula, or Na Mea Kanu O Ke Hula, on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants learn about kino lau, manifestations of Hawaiian deities in plant form, the significance of plants used for the hula altar and adornments, and cultural protocols used when picking plants and walking among native species in their natural environment. The day ends with a hands-on lesson in native plant propagation and plant seedlings to take home. The fee is $60 for members of Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and $85 for non-members. Students in grades K-12 and college, with valid student ID, are half-price. Non-members are welcome to join Friends to get the member discount. Contact 985-7373 or www.fhvnp.org. 

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

Ka`u News Briefs April 19, 2012

Mayor Kenoi talked story in Na`alehu last month about the county budget, which is currently being scrutinized by Hawai`i County Council. Photo by Julia Neal

MAYOR BILLY KENOI’S $365.3 million county budget is being scrutinized by Hawai`i County Council. The budget is based on a projected decrease in property taxes of $8.8 million and keeps property tax rates the same. Issues of contention include deferral of advance payments on retiree health care and the number of employee positions that need to be cut. Finance Committee reviews continue today and Friday. Updated tax revenue information is due this week, with an amended budget to follow next month before going into effect July 1. 

Sen. Gil Kahele
Photo by Julia Neal

GOV. NEIL ABERCROMBIE is releasing Capital Improvement Project funding for Ka`u. Funding includes $500,000 for plans and design for improvements to Ka`u Irrigation System, including renovation of the existing water tunnel system. Ka`u Hospital receives $284,000 for installation of solar-powered parking lot lights, replacement of hospital doors, renovation of entrance ramps and installation of a wireless repeater for advanced communications.

      Projects in the Waimea area are also receiving funding. “There are people who are under-employed and unemployed in the trades industry on Hawai`i Island, and these capital improvement projects will provide jobs that they so urgently need,” said Sen. Gil Kahele.

APRILLE ROSE CARIAGA, of Ka`u High School, has received a Citizenship Award in recognition of her service to school and community. The Citizenship Award, which marked its eighth year, is a collaboration between the Hawai`i Lodging & Tourism Association, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, and Department of Education.

Aprille Rose Cariaga (center) of Ka`u High has received
a Citizenship Award. Photo from Hawai`i
Lodging & Tourism Association

      Forty-two seniors, one from every public high school in Hawai`i, received Citizenship Awards at a luncheon on April 15 at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. Cariaga’s award was sponsored by the University of Hawai`i’s School of Travel Industry Management.
      A $1,000 scholarship was awarded to each senior. The awards honor young people “who have contributed to making Hawai`i a better place and who best exemplify the Department of Education’s vision of a model public high school graduate who, among other things, exercises the rights and responsibilities of citizenship,” according to a statement from Hawai`i Lodging & Tourism Association president Mufi Hannemann.

Lee Segawa

REPRESENTATIVES OF KA`U COFFEE have arrived in Portland, Oregon for the Specialty Coffee Association of America convention. Three Coffee of the Year awards went to Ka`u Coffees. Miller and chief roaster Lee Segawa has been at Ka`u Coffee Mill since its inception. He began with the planting and has seen the farm grow to become a lush orchard of coffee interspersed with taro, tea, bananas and other edible crops, surrounded by macadamia orchards. 

THE PUBLIC IS INVITED to meet County Council District 6 and Prosecuting Attorney candidates tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. Candidates for the Council seat are Marie Burns, Maile David, Brenda Ford, Lee McIntosh and Bradley Westervelt. Candidates for Prosecuting Attorney are Lincoln Ashida, Paul Dolan and Mitch Roth. For more information, call 929-7236 or email marge@hawaii.rr.com.

OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION holds the first of regular barbecues on the third Saturday of each month this Saturday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The barbecues replace previously held monthly pancake breakfasts. This fundraising Grand Re-opening BBQ and Open House celebrates recent improvements to the building. Call 939-7033 for more information.

THE MONGOLIAN BBQ at Cooper Center on Saturday evening promises great food, entertainment and fun. Along with veggies, beef, pork and tofu, this time the menu includes fresh fish. The cost is 75 cents per ounce, with funds raised going to Cooper Center. Visit thecoopercenter.org.

Halema`uma`u Photo by Jay Robinson, HVNP

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK waives entrance fees beginning Saturday and continuing through Sunday, April 29 in celebration of National Park Week. This year’s theme, Picture Yourself in a National Park, encourages visitors to share photos or videos of themselves, their families and friends exploring and enjoying the park during National Park Week on the park’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/hawaiivolcanoes.com.

HALAU HULA KA NOEAU, with kumu hula Michael Pang, performs at the hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park on Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Hands-on cultural demonstrations take place from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the gallery’s porch. Donations are welcome.

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