Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, July 30, 2013

South Point waves in the wake of Tropical Storm Flossie, which veered north, sparing Ka`u but bringing some surf
and a few showers yesterday. Photo by Peter Anderson

“ULTIMATELY, OUR GOAL IS TO CHART A FUTURE PATH to provide our customers with reliable, clean electricity at the lowest possible cost,” Hawaiian Electric Co. spokesman Peter Rosegg told Civil Beat. He was responding to Carl Freedman’s decision not to certify HECO’s five-year energy plans that were released in June. Freedman was hired by state regulators as an Independent Entity to oversee the utility’s planning process.

      In his report, Freedman says, “Several aspects of the Integrated Resource Planning Report and Action Plans are not compliant with specific framework requirements and do not meaningfully address several of the principal issues.”
      He also says that “the rate and bill impacts of the Action Plans are understated and downplayed in the IRP Report but represent substantial concerns for all of the HECO Company systems. Rates and bills for all customer classes for all of the HECO Companies are projected to increase substantially over the initial five-year Action Plan period.”
      Freedman says that concerns about customers installing renewable energy systems in order to lower their electric bills in response to higher rates, which further exacerbates rate impacts on those who cannot afford such systems, “have not been sufficiently addressed or dispelled in the IRP Report.”
      Freedman also criticizes HECO for not involving an advisory group more in the planning process. Because the IRP process fell substantially behind schedule, “consideration of advisory group comments was minimal.” He said that, while “the amounts of analysis, progress and work performed by the HECO Companies in the final weeks of the IRP process were impressive, … there was very limited opportunity for clarifications regarding the new material presented.”
      Henry Curtis, executive director of Life of the Land and a member of the advisory group, told Civil Beat, “I think there’s enormous risk and opportunity in the near future about how we shape energy policy, and Hawaiian Electric Co. is no longer in the driver’s seat. There are many players out there, and we are all going to shape where energy policy goes in this state.”
      See more at civilbeat.com.

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Flossie's fleece in bands of clouds and little moisture brought to Ka`u by
the tropical storm yesterday at South Point. Photo by Peter Anderson

TROPICAL STORM FLOSSIE HELD A DIFFERENT PERSONALITY than Hurricane Flossie of 2007, who sat off South Point and ground herself into exhaustion, never coming onshore. The Flossie of yesterday made a right turn and headed away from Hawai`i Island, bringing slight moisture, little wind and a lot of humidity that remains in the air today.

      County and state offices have re-opened, and Hele-On bus service is back on schedule. Hawai`i Electric Light Co. offices are also open.

HAMAKUA MACADAMIA NUT CO. made Pacific Business News’ list of the 2013 fastest 50 growing companies. The majority owner of the company, Edmund C. Olson, and Hamakua president and founder Richard Schnitzler will attend the presentation in Honolulu at Hawai`i Convention Center on Aug. 15. Schnitzler said this marks the third time Hamakua has been ranked in the Fastest 50, previously ranked 28th and 38th in the statewide listings. Olson said this morning, “I am just happy to have another successful operation that employs Ka`u people growing and harvesting more tons of nuts for Hamakua each year.” 

THE HAWAI`I STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION has received notification from the U.S. Department of Education that its Race to the Top grant is no longer considered “high-risk” and is in good standing.
      “This is great news that validates the good work that’s been done by the teachers, educational leaders and our community partners,” superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi said. “The transformation of our public schools is in full swing. We are staying the course in our mission to ensure all students graduate from our public schools prepared for college and careers.”
      Gov. Neil Abercrombie said, “The commitment made by the Hawai`i State Department of Education to get to where it is today speaks for itself, and I congratulate all of those involved for a job well done. It is clear that transformation in our education system is taking place at all levels from the Board of Education meeting room to the classroom.”

      Key improvement areas in the DOE’s transformation efforts include:

• Aligned state, complex area and school planning and monitoring. This allows for a cohesive system at all levels focused on shared goals for students. From the strategic plan to the school’s academic plans and evaluations of educators, administrators and teachers are tracking students to ensure all graduate college and career ready. 
• Worked with union partners to formalize new evaluation systems for teachers and principals. 
• Improved communication both internally and externally. Earlier this month, the DOE launched its new website and is in the process of establishing an intranet service for staff that allows for increased exchange of information. 

      The DOE also provided clarity of roles, responsibilities, and vision both within the system and in the community.
      Find out more at 
HawaiiPublicSchools.org.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TULSI GABBARD PRAISED the decision by the U.S. Department of Education to remove Hawai`i’s “High Risk” grant designation and allow the state to continue receiving $75 million in Race to the Top grant funding. 

      “I am encouraged that the U.S. Department of Education has recognized our schools are making changes that will serve all of our keiki,” Gabbard said. “I recently visited five of Hawai`i’s Race to the Top schools in West O`ahu and Hawai`i Island and saw firsthand the hard work our local schools have done to improve our students’ education and prospects for success. As Hawai`i moves into the last year of its Race to the Top grant, I look forward to continued improvement and sustained support for improving our schools across the islands.”
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THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS has announced that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for June declined to 4.6 percent from 4.7 percent in May. The last time the unemployment rate was 4.6 percent was in September 2008.
      Statewide, there were 617,250 employed and 29,700 unemployed in June, for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 646,950. Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 7.6 percent in June, unchanged from May.
      Initial claims and weeks claims decreased by 48, or -2.5 percent, and by 1,796, or -13.0 percent, consecutively for unemployment benefits compared to one year ago.
      The unemployment rate figures for the State of Hawai`i and the U.S. in this release are seasonally adjusted, in accordance with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics methodology. The not seasonally adjusted rate for the state increased to 5.2 percent in June from 4.5 percent in May.

Sugarcane being loaded onto train cars. Photo from thetrainmuseum.com

LAUPAHOEHOE TRAIN MUSEUM is the topic at this evening’s After Dark in the Park. The program begins at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. $2 donations support park programs, and park entrance fees apply. 

VOLUNTEERS CAN HELP HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK by cutting invasive kahili ginger on park trails Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Loppers and gloves are provided. Participants are encouraged to wear long sleeve shirts, long pants and closed-toed shoes. Work is often in the shade of the forest with sounds of native honeycreepers like `apapane, `amakihi and `oma`o above. Water, snacks, rain gear and sun protection are recommended. This project is open to the public, and no reservations are required. Interested people can stop by Kilauea Visitor Center to get directions and more information. The hike is about one mile and a moderate round trip into Kilauea caldera down Halem`auma`u trail, leaving from Kilauea Visitor Center. The hike involves walking over rough, uneven terrain on a dirt and rock path with up to a 400-foot elevation change.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

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Ka`u News Briefs Monday, July 29, 2013

Tropical Storm Flossie churns toward Hawai`i Island. Wind, rain and possibly thunderstorms and flooding are
expected. Image from National Weather Service

HAWAI`I ISLAND REMAINS UNDER A TROPICAL STORM WARNING this morning. Tropical Storm Flossie’s path shifted slightly overnight, according to the National Weather Service. The storm was 150 miles northeast of South Point and 80 miles northeast of Hilo as of 8 a.m. 

      The storm had sustained wind speeds of 45 mph. The National Weather Service predicted it would bring heavy rains, high surf and flash flooding across the state.
      Flossie is expected to produce total rainfall amounts of six to 10 inches over the Big Island, with isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches possible, mainly windward.
     “This rainfall could cause life-threatening flash floods and mud slides, especially in the mountains,” the National Weather Service warned.
      Dangerously high surf may cause coastal road closures, the National Weather Service stated.
      For updates on Tropical Storm Flossie, see prh.noaa.gov/hnl/cphc.
      For Civil Defense updates for the County of Hawai`i, see hawaiicounty.gov/active-alerts.
To comment on this story, go to https://www.facebook.com/kaucalendar.

NOAA's tracking of Tropical Storm Flossie shows a path skirting to the
north of Hawai`i Island.

GOV. NEIL ABERCROMBIE HAS SIGNED an Emergency Proclamation in preparation of Tropical Storm Flossie. The proclamation provides certain authorities that will allow the state to more effectively prepare for the arrival of Flossie, expected to make landfall today on the eastern end of Hawai`i Island. Local, state and federal governmental agencies and nonprofit partners are coordinating and working together to minimize the impact of the projected high wind, waves and torrential rain.
      “All parts of our emergency response system for the entire state are working together,” Abercrombie said. “The purpose of signing this proclamation is to ensure that state agencies have full powers necessary to best protect and serve the people of Hawai`i.”
      The emergency proclamation covers such items as access to the major disaster fund to cover staff overtime and other expenses, allowing emergency procurement of needed supplies and resources, as well as activation of the National Guard, if needed.

Location of Tropical Storm Flossie as of 8 a.m.

HAWAI`I COUNTY IS ENCOURAGING PEOPLE to stay home from work today: “In an effort to insure the safety of, and reduce the risk to employees, employers are encouraged to limit staffing to essential employees only. The County of Hawai`i will be directing all non-essential employees to remain home, and county operations will be adjusted for emergency operations.”

HAWAI`I COUNTY’S HELE-ON BUS SERVICE has been suspended due to the storm. Weather conditions will be evaluated and bus service restored as soon as safely possible, according to a statement from the county.

A HAWAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETING about prohibiting GMOs that was scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed due to the impending tropical storm, reports Big Island Chronicle.

DUE TO THE ANTICIPATED IMPACTS OF TROPICAL STORM FLOSSIE, Hawai`i Electric Light Company offices are closed today. The company’s trouble line remains operational. Customers may call 969-6666 to report power outages and downed power lines.
      HELCO reminds the public to not touch fallen or low-hanging power lines or anything they may be in contact with. A seemingly harmless wire may still be energized. Stay clear of puddles where downed lines may have landed.
      “The safety of our customers and employees is our top priority,” said president Jay Ignacio. “We encourage the community to monitor local television, radio and other media broadcasts for storm updates and the locations of open emergency shelters.”
      The company will issue a news release when customer operations resume.

While Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park remains open during the storm,
Namakanipaio Campgrounds and other parts of the park are closed.
Photo from hawaiivolcanohouse.com

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK remains open during Tropical Storm Flossie, but with minimal services.
      “We encourage people to shelter in place and stay off roads. Our first priority is safety and keeping our park employees and visitors out of harm’s way,” said park superintendent Cindy Orlando.
      Park officials have closed the following areas as of Sunday evening. Closures remain in effect until the storm has passed and conditions are safe:

• Chain of Craters Road, from Devastation Trail parking lot to the coast; 
• All backcountry areas, including Mauna Loa and cabins; 
• Mauna Loa Road (known locally as “Mauna Loa Strip Road”); 
• All coastal areas, including, `Apua Point, Keauhou, Halape and Ka`aha; 
• Kulanaokuaiki campsite; 
• Napau campsite; 
• Namakanipaio Campgrounds and A-frame cabins; 
• Jaggar Museum (observation deck open but no rangers on duty). 

      Additional closures may be warranted as conditions change.
      Kilauea Visitor Center is open today until 5 p.m. with reduced staffing. Thurston Lava Tube remains open. Volcano House and Kilauea Military Camp are open.

EARLY REGISTRATION WITH LOWER ENTRY FEES is still available for Volcano Art Center’s fourth annual Rain Forest Runs set for Saturday, Aug. 17. The half marathon, 10K run and 5K run/walk are held in Volcano Village. This event traverses the native rain forest in Volcano Village and the ranches near Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. All distances are open to runners and walkers of all ages and abilities.
      Entry fees before Aug. 1 are $75 for the half marathon, $45 for the 10K run and $30 for the 5K run/walk. Fees increase Aug. 1.
       Volcano Art Center presents art awards donated by local artists to the top three male and female winners of the half marathon, to the overall winners for the 10K and 5K and to the top two male and female winners in each ten-year age division for all race events. In addition, medals are presented to half marathon finishers and to the top male and female winners of the military division for each race.
      More information and registration forms are available at volcanoartcenter.org/rain-forest-runs.

Doug Connors

LAUPAHOEHOE TRAIN MUSEUM TREASURER DOUG CONNORS discusses the history of railroads on the island of Hawai`i, the sugar plantations and the development of the Hamakua Coast at tomorrow’s After Dark in the Park. Topics include effects of the 1946 tsunami and the development of the train museum, which started in 1995.
      The program begins at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. $2 donations support park programs, and park entrance fees apply.

      Due to uncertainty as a result of Tropical Storm Flossie, call 985-6011 to verify that the program is still scheduled.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

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Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, July 28, 2013

The Weather Channel's track of Flossie shows the tropical storm's projected movement across Hawai`i Island Monday.

PLANNING FOR A CHARTER SCHOOL IN KA`U continues, following a meeting and spaghetti dinner at Pahala Hongwanji yesterday where organizers gave prospective parents of students an update. One of the backers of the effort, Ross Rammelmeyer, of Volcano, said former Na`alehu School teacher Kathryn Tydlacka is planning a hybrid of student/teacher face-to-face contact sessions and online educational programs. Various locations are being researched. He also said the program would include “guest lectures from persons well educated and experienced in various disciplines.”

      For more information, contact Tydlacka at 918-640-1267
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HAWAI`I COUNTY CIVIL DEFENSE AGENCY reports that effective this morning, the National Weather Service has issued a tropical storm warning for the island of Hawai`i. High wind, surf, surge run-up, heavy rains and flooding expected within the next 36 hours. 

      Residents in coastal areas are advised to take precautions. Boat owners are advised to secure their vessels and complete these activities before tonight. Residents in flood-prone areas are advised to expect flooding conditions and to take appropriate measures. Everyone is advised to anticipate possible power outages and interruptions in telephone communications.
      Residents can monitor local news and weather forecasts for updated information.

HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANY’S free Information Handbook for Emergency Preparedness has information to help get ready for Flossie. It includes key numbers to have on hand, checklists for emergency supplies such as a home survival kit and first aid kit, electrical safety information, power outage preparedness and recovery, household and food safety tips and references and links to related resources such as the American Red Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency and civil defense agencies. 

      The handbook can be downloaded at helcohi.com.

DUE TO EXPECTED HIGH WINDS AND HEAVY RAINS associated with Flossie, the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry and Wildlife on the Big Island has closed Ka`u’s Ainapo Trail and cabin as well as the Waimanu trail and campground and Pololu trail. The closures will stay in effect until staff can inspect the condition and safety of the trails once the storm system has passed.
      For further information, contact the DOFAW Hilo Office at 974-4221.

Ainapo Trail, which leads from Hwy 11 to the summit of Mauna Loa,
is closed due to Tropical Storm Flossie.

      DLNR also advises the public to avoid entering forest areas on all islands starting Monday as Flossie arrives in the Hawaiian islands. Storm conditions can trap recreationalists by blocking trails and roads from flash floods and falling trees. Falling rocks, falling trees and landslides pose additional threats to people in the forest reserves.
      “We advise that hikers, campers or hunters should avoid trails, streams and backcountry areas under these conditions,” said William J. Aila, Jr., DLNR chairperson.

ALL OF THE SCIENTIFIC AUTHORITIES of the Mauna Kea Thirty Meter Telescope partners have signed a Master Agreement establishing a formal agreement among the international parties defining the project goals, establishing a governance structure and defining member party rights, obligations and benefits.

      TMT is a collaboration among universities in the United States with institutions in Canada, China, India and Japan, and with major funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

Thirty Meter Telescope's Master Agreement has been signed by all the
scientific authorities of the partnership. Image from tmt.org

      “The signing of this Master Agreement marks a major milestone in the official commitment to and formalization of this global collaboration, ensuring that the TMT project is on schedule and progressing smoothly,” said Henry Yang, chair of the TMT Collaborative Board. “We have been working toward this moment for a long time, and this is a special day for astronomy’s next-generation observatory.”
      The Master Agreement brings together the TMT partners for the purpose of developing, designing, financing, constructing, commissioning, operating and decommissioning a next-generation, thirty-meter-class astronomical observatory.
      “We are pleased with this vote of confidence from the scientific authorities,” said Edward Stone, vice chair of the TMT Board. “Their signing of this Master Agreement is a key endorsement of TMT’s scientific merits as well as the project’s overall implementation plan.”
      The next step will be for financial authorities of the partners to similarly sign the document and finalize the funding plan.
      “With the scientific authorities now all on board, we welcome and look forward to the critical support of the remaining financial authorities in advancing the TMT project," said Yang.
      Construction of TMT is planned to begin in April 2014, and TMT is scheduled to begin scientific operations in 2022.

Plastic and other marine debris has been found in stomachs of
opah, or moonfish. Photo from NOAA 

LARGE, PREDATORY FISH FROM OFFSHORE WATERS around Hawai`i have been ingesting a surprisingly large amount of plastic and other marine debris, according to new research by scientists at University of Hawai`i-Manoa. 

      These observations are the first of their kind in scope and in number. Over a six-year period, researchers investigated the stomach contents of 595 fish representing 10 predatory open-ocean species, including commercially valuable tunas and billfishes. Seven of the 10 species ingested some form of debris, with varying degrees of frequency.
      “One of the species we looked at is opah, or the moonfish (Lampris guttatus), a popular fish consumed in Hawai`i and around the world,” said Anela Choy, a UH-Manoa graduate student and lead author of the study that was recently published in the scientific journal Marine Ecology Progress Series. “In the two species found in Hawaiian waters, 58 percent of the small-eye opah and 43 percent of the big-eye opah had ingested some kind of debris. This was based on looking into the stomachs of almost 140 opah.

      “Another large fish species, the longnosed lancetfish (Alepisaurus ferox), had a 30 percent debris ingestion incidence,” Choy said. “Although this is not a species consumed by humans, it is a very common fish in open ocean waters globally and is very frequently caught by fisherman around Hawai`i.”

Longnosed lancetfish have a 30 percent debris ingestion incidence,
according to a UH-Manoa study. Photo from wikipedia.com

      The study was based on observations collected during multiyear diet studies. The primary objective of the study was to describe food habits and trophic ecology of large fish species in the region, according to Choy and her co-author Jeff Drazen, an associate professor in the Oceanography Department of UH-Manoa’s School of Ocean and Earth Sciences and Technology.
      “What was most surprising was that the fish that most frequently ingested debris are all thought to be deeper-water species, generally those that live beneath the sunlit upper 500 to 600 feet of the water column,” Choy said. “Deeper water fishes may have been coming up close to the surface to ingest debris, which is an unusual and unexpected behavior.”
      Or, the debris could be coming to them, the study suggests. Buoyant plastics are known to sink into the deep ocean when waterlogged or perhaps weighted down by algae or encrusted by small sea animals. Wind-driven ocean mixing or water currents could also possibly transport debris to deeper waters.
      The effects of plastic ingestion on the health of these predatory fishes remain uncertain. Researchers don’t know how long debris stays in the stomachs of large fish or whether they are able to pass such debris.
      Many plastics are known to absorb or take up PCBs, organochlorine pesticides, metals, and petroleum hydrocarbons from sea water. However, it is not known whether the toxins are transmitted to the fish that consume the plastic, or ultimately to humans who consume the fish.

Laupahoehoe Train Museum is the topic at Tuesday's After Dark in
the Park. Photo from NPS

TUESDAY’S AFTER DARK IN THE PARK FEATURES Laupahoehoe Train Museum. Museum treasurer Doug Connors discusses the history of railroads on the island of Hawai`i, the sugar plantations and the development of Hamakua Coast. Topics include effects of the 1946 tsunami and the development of the train museum, which started in 1995. 

      The program begins at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. $2 donations support park programs, and park entrance fees apply.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

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