Ka`u News Briefs May 12, 2012

Jose and Berta Miranda are two of the many Ka`u Coffee farmers offering coffee to taste and to buy at the
Ka`u Coffee Festival all day today at Pahala Community Center. Photo by Julia Neal

FISHERMAN CAN AVOID HOOKING MONK SEALS with their hooks and lines, according to the Department of Land & Natural Resources. The agency reported this week that over the last decade there were 77 incidents. Eight occurred this year. The DLNR issued a statement to “remind fishermen that monk seal deaths and injuries from fishing interactions can often be prevented, and adverse impacts to fishermen and seals can be reduced through early reporting of incidents. “Monk seals are a vital part of Hawai`i’s marine and cultural environment,” said William J. Aila, Jr., DLNR chairman. “While DLNR and NOAA seek to address all adverse impacts on Hawaiian monk seals, we want to acknowledge the cooperation of Hawai`i fishermen and emphasize that we do not consider fishing interactions in the main Hawaiian Islands to currently pose a major threat to monk seal recovery.”

DLNR is partnering with fishermen to reduce monk seal hookings.
Photo by Julia Neal

      Aila said that while two hookings have been deemed the likely cause of seal deaths, “we want to partner with the fishermen to further reduce impacts. Following the guidelines and reporting hookings can help make a relatively small impact become even smaller.” Hawaiian Monk Seals & Fishing Interactions: Guidelines for Prevention, Safety and Reporting describes actions fishermen can take to avoid seal hookings and entanglement, and to reduce fishing gear and bait loss. The guidelines also stress the importance of reporting all fishing interactions. See them at www.fpir.noaa.gov/Library/PRD. 

      The toll-free, 24/7 reporting hotline for all fishing interactions and other marine mammal incidents is 1-888-256-9840. NOAA and DLNR urge all fishermen and other ocean users to write down this hotline and/or save it in their mobile phones for timely use whenever a seal is hooked or entangled.

DEADLINE FOR BIDDING TO CONSTRUCT THE NEW GYM & COMMUNITY SHELTER in Pahala is coming up in late May and has been open to contractors and subcontractors since April 18, according to the county Department of Public Works. Details of the architectural and engineering plans are available from the Public Works Department in Hilo on a computer disc. The plans include building a gym between the school cafeteria and tennis courts. The $19 million project calls for more than 42,000 square feet. Variances have been requested for height and parking. The final Environmental Assessment can be read at hawaii.gov/health/environmental/oeqc/index.html. Click on current issue. 

      The facility will be operated by the county Department of Parks & Recreation in cooperation with Ka`u High & Pahala Elementary School.

JOBIE MASAGATANI is the new director of the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. She replaces Alapaki Nahale-a, who recently resigned. Gov. Neil Abercrombie announced the appointment yesterday. Masagatani is no stranger to Hawaiian issues. She was deputy director of DHHL from 1995 to 2000 and recently Office of Hawaiian Affairs assistant to the CEO.

THE NEW PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR for the State of Hawai`i is Ted Sakai, assuming the position he held from 1998 to 2002. Sakai was appointed yesterday by the governor, replacing Jodie Maesaka-Hirata, who moves to the position of deputy director of Corrections. Maesaka-Hirata is a social worker who has spent much of her career working in the prison system.
      The governor said his new team will help with the Justice Reinvestment Initiative aimed at returning inmates from being held on the mainland to correctional centers here. The campus at Kulani Correctional Facility between Volcano and Hilo is considered one of the locations for housing the prisoners.

Phil and Merle Becker, of Aikane Plantation Coffee, have operated the information booth at Ka`u Coffee Festival for
years. The free event goes until 4:30 p.m. today at Pahala Community Center. Photo by Julia Neal

KA`U HOSPITAL received much praise in an article by Erin Miller in today’s Hawai`i Tribune Herald newspaper. The story covers the experience of an Ocean View resident who chooses Ka`u over other hospitals on the island complimenting its friendly, clean environment and caring staff, including chief of staff Dexter Hayes and new activities coordinator Jessica Camba-Penera. “The only thing I could say is they could use more money. They are doing a wonderful job,” says Earl Laver in the Tribune Herald story. 

      The story reports that Ka`u Hospital has gross annual revenues of about $8 million. The hospital costs about $6 million a year to operate and takes in about $5 million in revenues and $1.4 million in subsidies, the story reports administrator Merilyn Harris saying. The hospital is also bolstered by community volunteerism and fundraising for such equipment as touchscreen monitors in the Emergency Room, the story points out. An Emergency Room cart with equipment and directions for use on children of different sizes and ages was also acquired with community help. Custom cabinets in the lunchroom were made by staff volunteers. The story points to nearly $5 million that will fund new doors, windows, ceiling and air conditioning, parking lot improvements and other renovations beginning in August. The administrator praised Rep. Bob Herkes and the community for supporting the funding at the state Legislature.

The Orcino Ka`u Coffee-growing family is
selling Mother's Day gifts at the Ka`u Coffee
Festival all day today. Photo by Julia Neal

THE KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL is on today, and here is the entertainment lineup: 

9:00 Emcee Skylark, Opening & Pule
9:10 Ka`u `Ukulele Band
9:45 Keoki & Moses Kahumoku
10:20 Ben Kaili
10:55 Kaneala Aukahi Pride
11:30 One Journey
12 Presentation of Awards
12:10 The Bamboo & Water Dance of the Miss Peaberry Court
12:30 Cyril Pahinui & Moses Espaniola
1:05 Halau Hula O Leionalani
1:40 Keaiwa with Demetrius Oliveira
2:15 Bruddah Waltah & Sammi Fo
2:50 Riki Masaoka
3:35 Pomai Longakit
4:00 Hands of Time
      Also on tap is the Ka`u Coffee Experience, where for five dollars attendees can sample a wide variety of brewing methods and talk with 2011 U.S. Barista Champion Pete Licata.
      Farm tours, which also go to Ka`u Coffee Mill, are available throughout the day for $15 per person, which includes the Ka`u Coffee Experience. 

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

Ka`u News Briefs May 11, 2012

The status of honu is discussed in Honolulu today. Photo from Conservation Council for Hawai`i

MAY 12 HAS BEEN PROCLAIMED KA`U COFFEE DAY by Mayor Billy Kenoi. The proclamation says Ka`u Coffee Festival “highlights the unique combination of people and place that help make Ka`u Coffee a favorite across the globe.” 

       It also mentions several awards won by Ka`u Coffees in recent years and calls attention to the 2012 Specialty Coffee Association of America’s Top 10 Coffees of the Year awards. Three of the top ten growers are from Ka`u: Will and Grace Tabios, Lorie Obra and Francis and Trinidad Marques. Within the proclamation, the Mayor encourages “all citizens to celebrate the worldwide recognition that the district of Ka`u has brought to our state and our island as a premium coffee growing region.” 

VOLCANO VILLAGE POST OFFICE won’t shut down entirely but its hours could be cut back severely, according to an announcement from the U.S. Postal Service. 

Volcano Post office hours could be cut back.
Photo from ravenmide on flickr

     The agency reported yesterday that it suffered a $3.2 billion loss on income of $16.2 billion nationwide during the first quarter of this year. The agency pointed to Congress, saying that lawmakers obstructed its cost-cutting plans and its efforts to address exploding costs in future health benefits for retirees.

      The U.S.P.S wants congress to approve elimination of Saturday mail right away, but the Senate decided to delay it for two years. The state House is debating over other changes that Post Master General Patrick Donaho says are necessary. He reported that the number of items mailed dropped 4 percent the first quarter of this year from the same quarter last year but productivity of postal workers is higher than ever. The U.S. Postal Service still carries twice the mail as FedEx and UPS. Reducing hours at rural post offices like Volcano could save the postal service $500 million a year, the postal service said. 

A PETITION FOR DELISTING HONU, a species currently listed as endangered, has been received by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and is on the agenda for a Western Pacific Fishery Management Council Sea Turtle Advisory Committee meeting in Honolulu today and May 23-24. Also on the agenda are whales, migratory birds and coral.

AHCC President Soulee Stroud signs the petition before
sending it to NOAA.  Photo from aohcc.org

      The 28-page petition, submitted by the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, asks the Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior to classify the Hawaiian green sea turtle as a separate population – formally known as a discrete population segment – and then remove it from the Endangered Species Act. This would allow the State of Hawai`i to manage the species and to determine rules of engagement. Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs President Soulee Stroud said, “this would be wonderful, to bring the management of this important cultural animal back to the people of Hawai`i.”

     Terri Shore, program director for Turtle Island Restoration Network Program – a nonprofit environmental organization based in California that carries out initiatives to protect marine ecosystems, submitted a public comment on behalf of the organizations 60,000 members. In the letter, Shore states that the organization “opposes any action to de-list or allow hunting of the honu,” for three main reasons: “the Hawaiian green sea turtle has not met recovery goals under the U.S. Endangered Species Act; threats to the survival and recovery of Hawaiian green sea turtles from human activities are increasing, not decreasing; and any action by the committee or council is premature.”
     For further information about the meetings, contact Kitty Simonds at (808) 522-8220. 

During the Ka`u Coffee Experience,
visitors are invited to chat with 2011
 top U.S. Barista Pete Licata.
Photo of Pete Licata and Lorie Obra
by Geneveve Fyvie

THE KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL HO`OLAULE`A is tomorrow with free music and entertainment at the Pahala Community Center. Visitors are encouraged to come celebrate the success of Ka`u Coffee and talk-story with the esteemed growers. Local businesses, organizations and individuals will present information and sell food, coffee, and arts and crafts at booths during the festival. Coffee tastings will be available to guests indoors at the Ka`u Coffee Experience for $5 each from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with an hour break at noon. For $15 per person, visitors can tour local coffee farms and the Ka`u Coffee Mill and receive free entry to the Ka`u Coffee Experience. Free shuttles to the festival are available from Hilo Hattie; see kaucoffeefest.com or call 929-9550 for more.

HAPA IN CONCERT is tomorrow night, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at Kilauea Theater at Kilauea Military Camp in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The concert, organized by Volcano Art Center, is a celebration of Lo`ea Hula honoring Charles Kauhi Ka`upu. Tickets are $35 per person and can be purchased at either Volcano Art Center locations or online at volcanoartcenter.org. Call 967-8222 or email concerts@volcanoartcenter.org for more. 

     Kilauea Military Camp’s Crater Rim Café hosts a special dinner before the concert, which is open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply.

Cheryl Gansecki.
Photo from fhvnp.org

SATURDAY WALK IN THE PARK, offered by Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, happens this weekend from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cheryl Gansecki leads the 4-mile hike exploring Kilauea Iki Crater. The guided hike is free to Friends members and non-members are welcome to join in order to attend. Park entrance fees apply. Call 985-7373 or email admin@fhvnp.org. 

ATLAS RECYCLING, at South Point U-Cart in Ocean View, accepts recyclables tomorrow from 9a.m. to 1 p.m.

Ka`u News Briefs May 10, 2012

Marie Burns says a brackish habitat for red opae down at Kahakahakea Beach was destroyed.
 Photo or opae from shop.alon23.com

APPARENT JACKHAMMER WORK has destroyed a brackish water pool that is home to red opae - the Hawaiian shrimp - and a place where surfers wash off after riding the waves, according to County Council candidate Marie Burns. 

Brackish pool at Kahakahakae Beach before destruction.
Photo from vagabondtreehugger.blogspot.com

      Burns, an Ocean View resident, said she surfed Kahakahakea Beach on Monday and walked over to the brackish water crack “and to my utter horror was not able to find it... I walked all over and eventually found the remnants of the crack. There was altered a`a. I found the sides had been collapsed in. I could not access the water as before. I suspect a jack hammer did the job. There was a 30 – 40 foot compressor hose lying about,” she said. Burns, who chairs a Kahuku Native Forest Resource Committee as part of a new Ocean View community group, said she is organizing a hike to Kahakahakea this Sunday to investigate and document the damage. Burns said the water crack was “an intact ecosystem with red opae. A pristine untouched piece of heaven really.” The hiking group meets on Sunday at Malama Market at 8 a.m. She recommends bringing lots of water, good walking/hiking shoes, hat, sunglasses and lunch, along with “all documentation devices, ipod, camera, video camera.” 

Council Member Brenda Ford.

OPPOSITION TO ELIMINATING STATE INSPECTION of coffee for quality and origin includes Kona County Council member Brenda Ford, a candidate for  Council District 6 in Ka`u. Ford said yesterday that she and her husband, Larry Ford, commercially farm coffee, papaya and lychee and support place of origin guarantee for all crops. The bill to eliminate state inspection, which passed the 2012 legislature, is awaiting the signature of Gov. Neil Abercrombie. The Fords and other members of the Kona Coffee Farmers Association are asking for a veto.  The councilwoman said elimination of state inspections is largely backed by the “blenders” and big buyers rather than the small farmers. She said that just because there are so few state inspectors at this time, “it doesn’t mean you change the law.”
      “Reducing inspection is not going to help us,” said Ford. “Georgia protects their peaches. You don't get 10 percent Georgia Peaches blended with 90 percent Guatemala peaches. Idaho protects its potatoes. You don’t get 10 percent Idaho Potatoes mixed with other potatoes.” She also pointed to wineries maintaining their regional integrity in California.

Kona Coffee Farmers Association, with more than
300 members, wants the governor to keep mandatory
origin and quality inspection.

      Regarding Kona, Ka`u and Hamakua coffee, Ford said, "You are dealing with a niche market, specialized coffee. You need protection and inspection to make sure that they are not blending secretly.” 

      Ford recommended funding more inspector positions, and implementing stiffer fines, $10,000, $15,000 and more to stop coffee farmers and brokers from selling Kona as Ka`u, Ka` u as Kona and from blending foreign coffee with Hawaiian coffee without obvious labeling.
    The Kona Coffee Farmers Association has more than 300 members and lobbied at the legislature for a compromise bill. More on the petition asking for a veto of legislation to end state quality and origin inspection requirements can be seen at konacoffeefarmers.org. 

Chris Manfredi.

SUPPORT FOR THE ELIMINATION OF STATE INSPECTION has come from Chris Manfredi, who lobbies on the issue as President of the Ka`u Farm Bureau with its 28 members. Manfredi, himself, manages the land where farmers grow their award winning Ka`u Coffee, and brokers Ka`u Coffee to buyers such as Starbucks. Manfredi wrote an op-ed published in the Honolulu Star Advertiser and local daily papers saying that lack of inspectors has caused delays of up to four weeks that “hurt the industry, crimping cash flows to farmers and producers alike, strangling commerce.” 

      “The certification process has become a restrictive bottleneck, damaging the industry it was intended to protect,” Manfredi wrote. He contended that the “ultimate arbiter of quality is the buyer.” He wrote that “Sophisticated buyers who pay the prices that Hawaiian coffees command typically request samples in advance. These samples are evaluated to a much higher standard than the Hawai`i Department of Agriculture’s standards.”

Hawai`i Coffee Association supports eliminating requirement
 for state quality and origin inspections. It is comprised of
growers, processors, roasters, wholesalers and retailers.

      He also pointed to associations supporting the bill to end state certification, including the Hawai`i Coffee Association, Kona Coffee Council, Hawai`i Coffee Growers Association and the Maui Coffee Association. He noted that in addition to small family farmers, “large scale production is also found on plantations located on Maui Kaua`i, Moloka`i and O`ahu. Given this diverse spectrum of producers, it’s uncommon when such a broad array of stakeholders agrees upon any issue. This is one of those landmark occasions when growers and producers, large and small, government and law enforcement agree on a solution,” he contended.
      The legislation also establishes a $10,000 fine and a felony conviction for fraudulently labeling coffee that could lead to five years in prison.

TEACHER INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS are being held around the state by the Hawai`i State Teachers Association in an effort to encourage educators to take another vote on the employment contract that they rejected earlier this year. Teachers are just two weeks away from wrapping up the school year and some are objecting to union negotiations during this time. The state is attempting to impose evaluations on teachers, tying them to student progress and testing scores. The union had negotiated an agreement that was voted down by teachers, but could be altered, according to Gov. Neil Abercrombie. Teachers can find out dates and times of their informational meetings by calling 329-5075, Extension 212.

RED CROSS VOLUNTEERS meet tonight, 7 p.m., at H.O.V.E. Road Maintenance Corp. office in Ocean View. Current volunteers and those interested in becoming volunteers are welcome. For more, call Hannah Uribes at 929-9953. 

ATLAS RECYCLING, at South Point U-Cart in Ocean View, accepts recyclables this Saturday from 9a.m. to 1 p.m.

Ka`u Coffee Festival Ho`olaule`a is this Saturday in Pahala.

THE KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL HO`OLAULE`A is Saturday with free music and entertainment at the Pahala Community Center. Visitors are encouraged to come celebrate the success of Ka`u Coffee and talk-story with the esteemed growers. Local businesses, organizations and individuals will present information and sell food, coffee, and arts and crafts at booths during the festival. Coffee tastings will be available to guests indoors at the Ka`u Coffee Experience for $5 each from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with an hour break at noon. For $15 per person, visitors can tour local coffee farms and the Ka`u Coffee Mill and receive free entry to the Ka`u Coffee Experience. Free shuttles to the festival are available from Hilo Hattie; see kaucoffeefest.com or call 929-9550 for more. 

SATURDAY WALK IN THE PARK, offered by Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, happens this weekend from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cheryl Gansecki leads the 4-mile hike exploring Kilauea Iki Crater. The guided hike is free to Friends members and non-members are welcome to join in order to attend. Park entrance fees apply. Call 985-7373 or email admin@fhvnp.org.

HAPA's Volcano Art Center concert is Saturday
night at Kilauea Military Camp's Kilauea Theater.

HAPA IN CONCERT is Saturday night, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at Kilauea Theater at Kilauea Military Camp in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The concert, organized by Volcano Art Center, is a celebration of Lo`ea Hula honoring Charles Kauhi Ka`upu. Tickets are $35 per person and can be purchased at either Volcano Art Center locations or online at volcanoartcenter.org. Call 967-8222 or email concerts@volcanoartcenter.org for more. 

      Kilauea Military Camp’s Crater Rim Café hosts a special dinner before the concert, which is open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply.