Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, April 10, 2014

District 6 is the largest in the county. Prospective County Council candidates can file papers through June 3 to run for the seat being
 vacated by Brenda Ford, who is unable to run again because of term limitations. 

MAILE DAVID PLANS TO RUN FOR COUNTY COUNCIL to assume the seat of Brenda Ford, who is prevented from running again due to the council’s four-term limit. David is Deputy County Clerk and received a ruling yesterday from the county Board of Ethics that she could remain employed in her position while running for council. During the last election, she ran against Ford in a general election runoff.

Maile David at a talk story in Pahala, during the 2012  election campaign
 when she came in second in a runoff with Brenda Ford.
Photo by William Neal

      David said this morning that she expects to file her papers to run in this August’s Democratic primary before the end of next week, after she wraps up collecting the required signatures.

       During yesterday's Board of Ethics meeting, Bernard Balsis, deputy chair of the ethics board, and former CEO of Ka`u Community Federal Credit Union, weighed in. According to a report in this morning’s Hawai`i Tribune Herald, Balsis told David, “Technically, I can see that you’ve taken appropriate steps….to avoid a conflict of interest. The percenption in the community may be different and I don’t know if there are any shields you can put up in terms of community perception.” The vote was 4-1.

     To avoid conflict, County Clerk Stewart Maeda said that  David will not be involved with any aspect of the elections, and will stand down as council clerk for commission and council meetings in West Hawai`i, the story by Nancy Cook Lauer reported. It also reported that David said she sought advice on the matter from the county Board of Ethics, the county corporate counsel and the state Office of Elections.

    Deadline to file papers to run for public office is Tuesday, June 3. The primary election will be held on Saturday, Aug. 9 and the general election will be Tuesday, Nov. 4.

    Others who have pulled papers to run for County Council for District 6 include Richard Gene Abbet, of Ocean View, and Fred Fogel, of Volcano.

     District Six covers part of Puna and all of Ka`u into Kona. It runs from Kauhaualea Road in Volcano through Pahala, Na`alehu, Ocean View and Miloli`i, up the Kona coast to the border between Kealakekaua and Honolo on the mauka side of Hwy 11.

To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

THE PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT received more ayes than nays In the U.S. Senate yesterday but failed by six votes by six votes, since it needed 60 to move forward. Hawai`i's U.S. Senators Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz voted for the measure. The Paycheck Fairness Act was aimed at ending the gender wage gap. According to a story in The Washington Post, at the last minute Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, switched his vote to "No," so he could reintroduce the bill an try again. 

Shatta made a video on equal pay for women.
Image from Schatz campaign

   In addition to requiring paycheck fairness between men and women, the bill would also make it illegal for employers to punish workers who ask about or share the amount of their pay with other employees. According to the Washington Post, the push for Paycheck Fairness "has been a major plank of the 'give America a raise' and 'fair shot for everyone' messaging that Democrats hope will mobilize their voter base in this year's midterm elections and help them retain control of the Senate."

       Schatz has released a campaign video, referring to equal pay legislation he introduced during his eight years in the Hawai`i legislature. "Sen. Schatz believes that our children should grow up in a world in which pay discrimination is only found in history books," the text accompanying the video says. Schatz says, "Growing up in Hawai`i, I was taught fairness because we expect our sons and daughters will have equal opportunities in life. ....Because it's outrageous. Women still aren't paid the same as men for doing the same job....Equal pay for equal work  - it's just the right thing to do. It's how we build an opportunity economy that works...."

     Republicans contend that the Pay Check Fairness Act is unnecessary since gender bias related to pay scale is already illegal, the Washington Post reports. To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

HAWAI'I GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY RATINGS went up last year, according to a national study. The improvement from grade F to grade C came after the state launched a website at transparency.hawaii.gov. U.S. Public Interest Research Group, which grades all the states, pointed to "check-level" information on spending that allows the public to view state expenditures. Gov. Neil Abercrombie released a statement saying that "An open government promotes citizen engagement in their government that bolsters government accountability and transparency. The PIRG report demonstrates Hawai`i's clear progress in this regard as well as this administration's commitment to transparency. Hawai`i was one of the most improved last year and we are on track to improving further." He said that state agencies have released more than 300 datasets through the open data site. The site lists categories, including state contracts, expenditures, economic development tax credits, grants and tax collections. To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Sea lice spreading to salmon in the wild is a risk of salmon farming,
according to wild salmon supporters. Photo from Wikipedia

ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE FRESH FOODS is the lowest across the 50 states in Alaska, Arizona and Hawai`i, according to a recent Gallup Poll that gathered the statistics from major Metropolitan Standard Statistical Areas, including Honolulu, Anchorage and Prescott. Honolulu ranked third from the bottom of 189 metropolitan areas identified by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget and surveyed in the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. Honolulu has ranked in the bottom top ten since 2008. See http://www.gallup.com/poll/145913/City-Wellbeing-Tracking.aspx

To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Ka`u Farm Bureau President
Chris Manfredi.
Photo by Julia Neal

SALMON FOR LOMI LOMI could come from inland fish farms in the U.S., particularly if Alaskan fishermen drop their opposition. A recent National Public Radio report quotes a NOAA official saying that "The entire Norwegian production of salmon, a million tons a year, can be grown in an area about the size of the runways at JFK Airpot in New York." The story reports that growing salmon on farms inland and away from the wild populations would reduce the environmental risk. Wild salmon proponents point to densely populated salmon farms within salmon migrating waterways in Canada where disease and pests, like sea lice, spread and damage the wild populations. The other risk, according to wild salmon enthusiasts, is the possibility that GMO salmon will soon be approved by the FDA. To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

HAWAI`I FARM BUREAU initiatives are still alive at the legislature, according to the organization's statewide President Chris Manfredi. They include:

   SB 2294, which would authorize the state Director of Finance to issue general obligation bonds for capital improvements to irrigation systems;

     HB 1514, which  would provide a grant to the Coffee Berry Borer Task Force to control of the pest and containment of damage it causes;

     HB 2178, which would appropriate funding to reimburse qualified producers for a percentage of each farm's food expense. It would also fund administrative costs for a livestock revitalization program.   

    HB 1931, which would provide money to the state Department of Agriculture and University of Hawai`i to develop prevention and treatment methods for a macadamia nut pest, the felted coccid.

    HB1932, which would provide money to biosecurity programs.

    SB 2913, which would penalize false labeling of Hawai`i grown coffee to include grade standards and all stages of production.

     Manfredi was Government Affairs chair of Ka`u Farm Bureau for four years and state chair for three and continues to chair the statewide Hawai`i Farm Bureau Government Affairs program as the new Hawai`i Farm Bureau President.

Vincent Mina, president of Hawai`i Farmers
Union United will speak in Pahala, Saturday,
April 19. Photo from TEDxMaui

     Ka`u Farm Bureau held its first board meeting under its new president Ralph Gaston last night. Gaston said he will soon announce when the first meeting open to the public and general membership will be held.

To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

HAWAI`I FARMERS UNION United holds its first organizing meeting in Ka`u on Saturday, April 19 at Pahala Community Center at 5 p.m. The public is invited. Keynote speaker is Vincent Mina, the statewide president of the organization and co owner of his family farm Kahanu `Aina Greens on Maui. The organization is a member of the National Farmers Union United, established in 1902. The Kona chapter includes Ka`u until a district chapter is established. Members from Kona will attend the meeting in Pahala to explain how their organization has benefited them and their family farms.

     Malian Lahey, who is helping to organize the Ka`u chapter, said that one important aspect of the Farmers Union is that "farmers set the policy. At the meeting on the 19th, there will be an opportunity for farmers to get into small groups and discuss with each other their ideas for policy that the Farmers Union should support in the Hawai`i legislature."

     Hawai`i Farmers Union supported measures at the 2014 state legislature that include:

a $3 million coffee berry borer eradication fund; taro task force legislation to protect in perpetuity lo`i and former taro lands owned by the state. 

     According to its Legislative Chair Simon Russell, the the Farmers Union asked for funding for on-farm mentoring in cooperation with University of Hawai`i to teach natural farming methods that don't require off-island inputs. The Farmers Union supports the Good Agricultural Practices Task Force and advocates for statewide food safety standards that would allow more affordable certification of home and farm operations. The organization advocates for GMO labeling. It opposes legislation that would leave all labeling decisions for commodity crops like coffee, tea, taro, avocado and cacao with the state Department of Agriculture, without appropriate funding to carry out the mission.

   "Next session the organization will introduce legislation to protect Hawai`i origin products," said Russell.  "We believe that if coffee is only 25 percent local, 50 percent Mexican and 25 percent Ethiopian, it should be labeled with all of the origins. This will give the local coffee producers selling pure Hawaiian coffee a leg up," he said. 

     Russell said that Hawai`i Farmers Union was founded to support small family farms. He said he is currently growing pineapple, lilikoi, dragon fruit, papaya, avocados and cattle.

    "Seventy-five percent of the food grown on Earth is on farms of two acres or less," said Russell.

To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KA`U RURUAL HEALTH COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC. HOSTS its 17th annual rural health conference tomorrow,  Friday, April 9 at Pahala Community Center from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is called Better Choices, Better Health - A Family Affair.  It will offer health, education and prevention booths, nutrition and healthy food demonstrations, games and door prizes. Tutu & Me Traveling Preschool, Bay Clinic, Med Assist School of Hawai`i, United Healthcare, `Ohana Health Care and Hawai`i County Office of Aging will be on hand. The organization will present its annual report to members and elect its board. Call 928-0101.

To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar

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

For an online, page-turning version, see
www,kaucalenar.com/Directory2014swf.

     

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Teach for America instructors gather at the Pahala campus cafeteria to learn about rural schools. Photo by Julia Neal

TEACH FOR AMERICA could lose so much funding that it may have to shut down its Big Island office. The funding cut could threaten the number of teachers the nonprofit organization supplies to Ka`u. Teach for America recruited, trained and supports nine of the 47 teachers this year at Ka`u High & Pahala Elementary. It also provides one of the 35 teachers at Na`alehu School. 

      Teach for America depends on partial state funding. However, as the state budget nears completion, with negotiations in the Legislature this and next week, the state Senate has dropped the $870,000 that Teach for America has received from the state in each of the last two years. The state House of Representatives has cut the appropriation in half even though Teach for America raises four dollars for every dollar provided by the state.
      The majority of donors are locally based. Others include those with local ties, such as the Charles & Helen Schwab Foundation. The Schwabs have a home on the Big Island.

Teach for America executive director
Jill Baldemor grew up in Hawai`i.

      According to Teach for America Director of Development and External Partnerships Alex Teece, about $51,000 is invested in each teacher over the two years. About a third of the Teach for America instructors in Hawai`i this year are Native Hawaiian or kama`aina, and the organization is partnering with UH-Hilo to recruit more teachers who grew up here, said Teece.
      Teach for America brought more than 60 teachers to Ka`u last year to explore the community and Ka`u High & Pahala Elementary School campus in its effort to place young teachers into the hardest posts to fill in public school systems for two-year stints.
      Marshallese students at Ka`u Intermediate guided the visiting teachers through the campus, along with principal Sharon Beck, and talked about their dreams for higher education.
      The young teachers learned about local culture. The Ka`u Calendar newspaper editor Julia Neal talked about the rich environmental, cultural and family lives of students fortunate enough to live in Ka`u.
      One Teach for America instructor stationed at Na`alehu talked about the glow in the faces of her young students when they come back to the classroom after a weekend with their families, ranching, fishing and enjoying the other outdoor and cultural activities of Ka`u.
      The teachers also took a walk to the Boys & Girls Club in Pahala and visited Pahala Plantation House and Ka`u Coffee Mill.
      Teach for America’s Hawai`i executive director Jill Baldemor accompanied the group. She grew up in Hawai`i, lived outside the state for a number of years for education and work, and came back to help Hawai`i’s youth.
      The Teach for America website at teachforamerica.org/where-we-work/Hawaii says: “Now, more than ever, there is energy and urgency around transforming the educational landscape of our state. With tremendous community support, new leadership in the Board of Education and Department of Education, and Race to the Top reform efforts, momentum is building in Hawai`i. ... At this critical moment we are excited to be partnering with our communities to give all of Hawai`i’s children the opportunity to receive the education they deserve.”
       Letters of support can be sent to lissette.roman@teachforamerica.org. Mail to 500 Ala Moana Blvd, Suite 3-400, Honolulu HI 96813.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Ka`u Hospital is in HHSC's East Hawai`i Region. Photo by Julia Neal

HAWAI`I HEALTH SYSTEMS CORP.’S East Hawai`i Region, which includes Ka`u Hospital & Rural Health Clinic, expects to come up short this year by just under $5 million unless the state provides additional funding, according to a story in Hawai`i Tribune-Herald. 

      HHSC is seeking emergency appropriations from the state Legislature. Senate Bill 2866, which requests funding for facilities across Hawai`i, has passed the Senate and House and is expected to be heard by a conference committee.
      Colin M. Stewart reports HHSC Acting President and CEO Alice M. Hall saying a large part of the shortfall is a result of the most recent collective bargaining decision approving raises for hospital workers.
      Declining Medicare reimbursements and federal sequestration cuts have also taken their toll, Stewart said. In testimony to the Legislature, Gary Yoshiyama, chair of HHSC’s East Hawai`i Regional Board, said, “Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement reductions have significantly impacted our region as Medicare and Medicaid patients make up approximately 76 percent of our patients.”
      He also said, “We continue to review and reduce operational expenditures, delay major initiatives where possible and delay payments to vendors. Patient service volumes are up, reimbursements are down, expense cutting measures are implemented, expenses continue to raise, and payables are delayed. The emergency appropriation is a short-term measure to continue provision of accessible quality health care within our regions.”
     Progress of this and other bills can be tracked at capitol.hawaii.gov.

     To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.  

STATE HOUSE LAWMAKERS PASSED AN AMENDED Senate bill Tuesday that would raise the current minimum wage of $7.25 per hour by 50 cents beginning next year, followed by annual 75-cent raises until reaching $10 per hour in 2018.
      SB2609 SD1 HD2 also raises the existing tip credit, the amount an employer can withhold from wages of those who also earn tips, to 50 cents next year and 75 cents in 2016, provided that the combined amount the employee receives in wages and tips is at least $7 more than the applicable minimum wage.

      Progress of this and other bills can be tracked at capitol.hawaii.gov.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

David Louie

THE STATE OF HAWAI`I WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE health benefits to Ka`u’s Marshallese community and other state Compact of Free Association residents until a full and final resolution of the issues in a lawsuit is reached, announced Attorney General David M. Louie. “The state will make sure that COFA residents continue to have uninterrupted access to their health benefits while this lawsuit is pending,” Louie said. 

      Earlier this month, the Ninth Circuit ruled that when Congress enacted the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 and eliminated all federal funding for health benefits for COFA residents, the state of Hawai`i could not be mandated to fund the federal government’s portion of the benefits. “The Ninth Circuit’s decision confirms that the federal government cannot impose a duty on states to perform a function for which it does not provide funds,” Louie said.
      The ruling was a preliminary finding by the appellate court; there are still other proceedings that may occur.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

CANDIDATES ARE SIGNING UP FOR ELECTION TO KA`U public offices.

      State Senate District Three and Representative District Five cover Na`alehu, Wai`ohinu, Ocean View and north into Kona. Current Sen. Josh Green, of Kailua-Kona, and Michael Last, of Na`alehu, have pulled papers for the Senate. Gubernatorial appointee and current Rep. Richard Creagan, of Na`alehu; Gene Leslie, of Holualoa; and Steve Sakala, of Kealakekua, are signed up for the House race.

Maile David

Fred Fogel

      The office for Senate District Two, which covers Honu`apo, Punalu`u, Pahala, Volcano and into Hilo, is not on the ballot this year, with Sen. Russell Ruderman in office into 2016.

      State Rep. District Three covers this area. Fred Fogel, of Volcano, is considering running against current Rep. Richard Onishi. Fogel ran for the House of Representatives in the previous two elections, losing to Robert Herkes in 2010 and Richard Onishi in 2012. Fogel has also pulled papers for the Hawai`i County Council District Six race.

      Other potential contenders to replace Brenda Ford, who has reached her term limit, are Richard Eugene Abbett, of Ocean View, and Maile David, of Captain Cook.

      This would be the third time David runs for Council. She was one of four candidates who ran when Brittany Smart won in 2010 and was in a run off when Brenda Ford won in 2012. According to Hawai`i Tribune-Herald, David, who is currently deputy county clerk, has sought an opinion from the Board of Ethics, which meets today, on whether it would be a conflict for her to keep her position while she runs for office. 

      The primary election is on Saturday, Aug 9.

      Deadline for candidates to file papers is Tuesday, June 3 for the primary election.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Lessons in lei making are available Friday.

JULIE EVANS AND LOIS AND EARL STOKES teach an introduction to the meditative drawing practice of Zentangle Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village. Participants get a solid foundation in the philosophy, ceremony and benefits of tangling. No previous art education or experience is needed. Call 967-8222. 

RANDY LEE OFFERS FREE INSTRUCTION on lei making Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Volcano Art Center Gallery’s porch in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Park entrance fees apply.

KA`U HIGH SCHOOL BOYS VOLLEYBALL fell to the Kamehameha Warriors last night, Tuesday, April 8 at Ka`u High School Gym. Junior Varsity scores were 13-25, 17-25. Varsity Scores were 12-25, 23-25, 20-25. Next match is in Kohala Saturday at 10 a.m.

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

Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Former state Rep. Bob Herkes, who Gov. Neil Abercrombie has nominated to the board of directors at Hawai`i Tourism Authority, supports preservation of the Ka`u Coast. Photo by Peter Anderson 

TODAY IS EQUAL PAY DAY, 51 years since President John F. Kennedy signed the Lilly Ledbetter Equal Pay Act. However, the average woman in Hawai`i still earns 76 percent of income brought in by men, each woman losing out on $433,000 over her career. “That’s unacceptable,” says a statement for The Democratic Party.

Lilly Ledbetter

      Equal Pay Day represents how far into this year a woman must work to earn a salary equal to what a man earned last year. “This pay gap has harmed the families of roughly 278,000 women in the Hawai`i workforce, especially as the workforce participation rate of women has risen,” states the Democratic Policy & Communications Center.
    A statement from the Center says, “Many women in Hawai`i are their families’ primary wage earners. Today, women make up 48 percent of the state workforce, and 41 percent of married employed mothers in Hawai`i are their families’ primary wage earners. The burden of wage discrimination weighs heavily on the 192,347 Hawai`i children in households dependent on their mothers’ earnings. As the main breadwinners, women are asked to carry a greater economic load while making less than they deserve.”
     The organization notes that “Hawai`i families depend on working women’s wages for support. On average, mothers in Hawai`i contribute to 42 percent of their family’s earnings. Closing the gender pay gap would strengthen the finances of these families, and the state economy.”
    According to the statement, “Women in Hawai`i earn less across all occupations and educational levels. Research clearly demonstrates that regardless of occupation, education, industry, marital status, and other factors, pay for women lags behind their male counterparts. Women’s median earnings are less than men’s median earnings in 264 of 265 major occupation categories, including the following occupations in Hawai`i:

• Management, business and financial, earning 77 percent of their male counterparts’ salaries; 
• Computer, engineering, and science, earning 90 percent of their male counterparts’ salaries; 
• Sales, earning 58 percent of their male counterparts’ salaries.”

Members of the American Association of University Women joined
Pres. John F. Kennedy as he signed the Equal Pay Act of 1963.

      The Center contends that “eliminating the pay gap will make Hawai`i families more secure. The wage gap can prohibit working women from fully providing for their families. If the wage gap were eliminated, working women in Hawai`i would have additional earnings to purchase: 

• 70 more weeks of food; 
• four more months of mortgage payments; or 
• 1,994 additional gallons of gas.”

      The U.S. Senate is set to vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act, and the Democratic Party is asking men and women sign a petition to “help make sure that women receive equal pay for equal work.” See signforgood.com/passpaycheckfairness.
      “Pay discrimination doesn’t just impact women,” said Ka`u’s U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. “In 40 percent of American households with children, women are the sole or primary providers. That means every day that goes by without ensuring paycheck fairness is another day when we’re keeping families from thriving.
      “Equal pay isn’t a goal; it should be a guarantee,” Gabbard said.
      Sen. Brian Schatz said, “Women earning less for the same work is unfair, and it’s plain wrong. And holding back women as well as their families also hurts our economy.”
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

TO RECOGNIZE EQUAL PAY DAY, President Barack Obama has signed two executive orders. One prohibits federal contractors from retaliating against employees who discuss their compensation. While the executive order does not compel workers to discuss pay or require employers to publish or otherwise disseminate pay data, “it does provide a critical tool to encourage pay transparency,” said a statement from the office of Sen. Brian Schatz, so workers have a potential way of discovering violations of equal pay laws and are able to seek appropriate remedies.
      The second executive order instructs the Secretary of Labor to establish new regulations requiring federal contractors to submit to the Department of Labor data on compensation paid to their employees, including data by race and sex.
      “America deserves equal pay for equal work,” President Obama said.

       To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Robert Herkes
Photo by Julia Neal

HAWAI`I STATE SENATE IS CONSIDERING KA`U’S former state Rep. Robert Herkes for the board of directors at Hawai`i Tourism Authority. Before his political career, Herkes was in the hospitality industry, working at Edgewater Hotel and later as an executive at Interisland Resorts. He is currently chair of the Hawai`i Hospitality Hall of Fame Board of Trustees. 

      During his political career, Herkes support of preservation of the Ka`u Coast preceded preservation of Honu`apo, Kawa and other locations including South Kona Wilderness Area. Recognition of the Ka`u Coast as the longest uninhabited coastline in Hawai`i has led to support throughout the state and Congressional efforts to its further preservation.
      Other tourism-related efforts by Herkes include support of risk evaluation along the coast and improved health services in Ka`u. He also championed the new Ka`u Gym & Disaster Shelter, which is expected to be the site of tournaments that would draw visiting athletic teams to stay overnight in Ka`u and boost the local economy.
      In his testimony to the Senate Committee on Tourism, which yesterday unanimously approved the gubernatorial nomination, Rep. Clift Tsuji said Herkes “has accumulated a considerable amount of leadership experience and has facilitated beneficial changes for the people of Hawai`i. Some examples include serving on the Hawai`i County Police Commission, Hawai`i County Council, state Senate and the state House of Representatives for over 10 years, chairing various committees. He also has in-depth knowledge of the tourism industry as a retired hotel executive.”
      Other testimony cited Herkes’ “in-depth knowledge of issues that directly affect the tourism industry such as the transient accommodation tax, time-share regulations and hotel-to-condominium conversions, making him an excellent choice to help guide the policy decisions of the authority.”
      One testifier called Herkes “a true visionary,” citing his support in making Kona a venue for the Ironman Triathlon.

       To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.  

HAWAI`I POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THAT, so far this year, there have been 352 DUI arrests in Hawai`i County compared with 362 during the same period last year, a decrease of 2.8 percent. Six of those arrests were in Ka`u.
      There have been 431 major accidents so far this year compared with 356 during the same period last year, an increase of 21.1 percent.
      There have been four traffic fatalities on Hawai`i Island compared with 11 during the same period last year, a decrease of 63.6 percent.
      To date, two fatalities were related to drugs, alcohol, or a combination of both.
      Hawai`i Police Department continues DUI roadblocks and patrols islandwide.

       To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Plants of hula adorn Marsha Hee and Diana Kelley.
Photo by Jay Robinson

AT AFTER DARK IN THE PARK this evening, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Ranger Adrian Boone shares his visit to the Philippines last November when Typhoon Haiyan bore down on the island nation. 

      The free program begins at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium. $2 donations support future programs, and park entrance fees apply.

BLAISE DE LIMA, A STAFF MEMBER from U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s office, meets with constituents and assists with casework and other issues tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. For more information, call 808-541-1986.

TO CELEBRATE MERRIE MONARCH, Hawai`i Volcanoes Institute, a program of the Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, presents Plants of Hula: Na Mea Kanu o Ka Hula Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. In this field seminar, a kumu hula Ab Valencia and botanist Tim Tunison team up for a cultural and scientific exploration of the plants used in hula.
      Program cost is $45 for Friends members and $65 for non-members. Students (K-12 and college with valid student ID) are $25. Non-members are welcome to join the Friends in order to get the member discount.
      To register, call 985-7373 or see fhvnp.org.

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

For an online, page-turning version, see
kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.swf.