Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016

Pali, the earliest hurricane on record in the Central Pacific, is far southwest of Hawai`i but could send swells toward Ka`u.
Map from NOAA

KA`U SHOULD BE THE FIRST PLACE to receive the south swell from the earliest hurricane on record in the Central Pacific. The last January hurricane on record since 1949 was in 1992 when Tropical Storm Ekaka strengthened on Jan. 29, Craig Gima reported in Honolulu Star-Advertiser. 

      Pali became a category one hurricane yesterday and is expected to gradually weaken this evening as it heads south and west. The storm was 1,370 miles southwest South Point this morning.
      See staradvertiser.com.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

UBS, A FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPANY, said the merger of Hawaiian Electric Co. with NextEra Energy won’t occur. Duane Shimogawa, of Pacific Business News, quoted from a report by UBS, which continues to “bias towards the deal breaking up given persistent consternations from an array of constituencies in Hawai`i.” 

      According to Shimogawa, the report states, “Following the chairman of Hawai`i’s Public Utilities Commission’s order to (HECO parent, Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. and NextEra Energy) to release documents which were part of the company’s filings in response to questions around the transaction, an email has emerged where HEI CEO Connie Lau wrote to HEI’s general counsel, Chet Richardson on Nov. 24, 2014, claiming Moray Dewhurst, NextEra Energy’s CFO, ‘made it clear that we are the snack (as HECO CEO Alan Oshima) calls it, on the way to their desired buffet luncheon to acquire other regulated utilities.’ NextEra Energy has since denied this was ever said, and maintains that the deal is a merger, and that far from being unimportant, HEI would become its third principal subsidiary after (Florida Power & Light Co.) and NextEra Energy Resources. The debate around (NextEra Energy’s) commitments to Hawai`i’s renewables-goals have been an area of concern for quite some time now, and we think the debate will intensify.”

      See bizjournals.com/pacific.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

HAWAI`I STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH Medical Marijuana Dispensary License application is now available online at mmjdisp.ehawaii.gov. Applications must be submitted online by Friday, Jan. 29 at 4:30 p.m. 

      “Applicants should be careful to follow the online application instructions completely," said Keith Ridley, Chief of the DOH Office of Health Care Assurance. “The online process is straight forward and follows Chapter 329D of the Hawai`i Revised Statutes (HRS) and Chapter 11-850 of the Hawai`i Administrative Rules.”
      All information on dispensary license requirements is posted at http://health.hawaii.gov/medicalmarijuana/.
      Application fee is $5,000.The medical marijuana dispensary law allows DOH to award a total of eight licenses initially, with two on Hawai`i Island. Each dispensary licensee will be allowed to operate up to two production centers and two retail-dispensing locations.
      DOH expects to select and announce licensees by April 15. A licensed dispensary may begin dispensing medical marijuana not sooner than July 15, with the approval of the Department.
      For more information about the Medical Marijuana Dispensary Licensing Program, see http://health.hawaii.gov/medicalmarijuana/.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

THE SECOND EDITION OF HAWAI`I’S Fraud Prevention & Resource Guide has been released. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, the Department of the Attorney General and the Department of Health partnered to publish the first edition in August 2008. The guide is intended to help raise awareness of various types of fraud and scams occurring here in Hawai`i and also includes a comprehensive resource section providing up-to-date contact information for state, federal, county and nonprofit organizations.
      “We are honored to work with such a dedicated group on addressing fraud schemes that are occurring here in our islands,” DCCA Director Catherine Awakuni Colon said. “We want residents to not only be aware of what is going on so that they can protect themselves and those they care about, but also who they can contact if they need help.”
      “Identity theft and financial fraud are fast growing crimes, which especially target seniors. This guide provides good advice to keep people safe,” Attorney General Douglas Chin said.
      DOH Director Virgina Pressler, M.D. said, “The biggest benefit of this guide is to directly assist our seniors, family members and caregivers on how to protect themselves from financial and healthcare scams, fraud and abuses. It gives examples, scenarios and red flags of what to be aware of and resources on whom to contact for questions or concerns.”
      To view or print the guide online, see http://cca.hawaii.gov/sec/files/2015/10/Fraud-Guide-2.pdf.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD WELCOMES Kemba Smith, a national advocate for criminal justice reform and founder of the Kemba Smith Foundation, as her guest at tonight’s State of the Union address.

Kemba Smith is Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's
guest for the State of the Union.

      In 1994, Smith was sentenced to 24.5-years in prison with no possibility of parole for a first-time nonviolent drug offense. After serving 6.5 years of her sentence, Smith was granted clemency by President Bill Clinton. 2016 marks the year that Smith would have been released from prison had she not been granted clemency in 2000. Since her release, she has dedicated herself to the cause of reforming the criminal justice system and creating opportunities to empower youth and guide them on pathways to positive choices while encouraging mentorship. “Kemba’s story is unfortunately all too common across the country,” Gabbard said. “Our criminal justice system today is unsustainable and ineffective – the United States incarcerates more of our citizens than any other country in the world, with staggeringly high recidivism rates, costing American taxpayers billions of dollars.”
       Gabbard has long advocated for criminal justice reform legislation and has encouraged adoption of successful state reforms at the federal level, like Drug Courts, Veterans Courts, the Hawai`i Opportunity Probation with Enforcement and the State Juvenile Justice Ho`opono Mamo Civil Citation Initiative.

      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

SIERRA SCHMITZ, A HAWAI`I NATIVE and current American University student, will accompany Sen. Mazie Hirono to President Obama’s final State of the Union address.
      “While a quality education is an important key to success in today’s economy, college costs continue to skyrocket. Sierra, who is paying her own way through American University with the help of federal programs such as Pell Grants, and students like her are why I will continue to fight to ensure that everyone can afford a quality education,” Hirono said. “Students like Sierra are emblematic of the American ideal that with hard work, initiative and ingenuity, one can achieve success. Inviting Sierra to participate in the State of the Union will help to show the American people the face of our future.”
      Schmitz grew up on Hawai`i Island and O`ahu and is a graduate of La Pietra Hawai`i School for Girls. She is currently a sophomore at American University studying International Studies with a focus on global environmental sustainability and communications. After graduation, Schmitz hopes to pursue a career in environmental protection and preservation.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION is hiring a Coordination Assistant, who will work closely with PFX Project Leads and the PFX Steering Committee to complete the project deliverables outlined in the PFX Plan of Work. The primary function of the PFX Coordination Assistant will be to assist with (1) science education/communication product development, layout and design, (2) logistical planning and note taking for field trips, meetings and webinars, (3) dissemination and organization of program evaluation information and (4) maintenance of the Pacific Fire Exchange website and electronic communications. 

Position is part-time, 15-20 hours per week at $15-22 per hour, commensurate with experience. 

      Application deadline is Jan. 21.
      Contact Clay Trauernicht at trauerni@hawaii.edu with any questions.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

Kukui nut top demonstrations take place tomorrow. Photo from NPS 

HU, OR KUKUI NUT TOP, demonstrations take place tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Kilauea Visitor Center’s lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Park rangers and staff from Hawai`i Pacific Parks Association share their knowledge and love of this popular traditional art and pastime. 

      Free; park entrance fees apply.

SEN. RUSSELL RUDERMAN PLANS to attend I Ola Na `Aina Momona’s strategy and informational meeting, according to founder Malian Lahey. The nonprofit, which works to help Ka`u farmers achieve land security, meets Sunday, Jan. 17 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House.
      Topics at the meeting include legal structures for holding property, partnerships, donor recruitment and funding strategies.
      Attorney Steven Strauss, of Hilo, will offer advice and answer questions.
      Everyone is welcome to attend. Pupus will be served.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_January2016.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf
and kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Monday, Jan. 11, 2016

Keiki return to Punalu`u this month for `O Ka`u Kakou's eighth annual Keiki Fishing Tournament. See more below. Photo by Nalani Parlin

HAWAI`I STATE LEGISLATURE gets off to a fast start next week. Opening Day is Wednesday, Jan. 20. Hawai`i’s constitution mandates that the regular legislative session starts at 10 a.m. on the third Wednesday of January. 

      Friday, Jan. 22 is the last day to introduce all non-administration bill packages, consisting of bills bundled together by common interest groups and accepted and labeled as packages by the clerks. Various packages of legislation are available at capitol.hawaii.gov on Reports and Lists.
      Jan. 22 is also the deadline for organizations to submit Grant-in-Aid applications. Grants may be appropriated to nonprofit and other organizations for various public purposes that are recognized as priorities and are seen as complimentary to state government functions. Applications, information and more specifics regarding the deadline appear under Legislative Information on the Legislature’s website.

Gov. David Ige presents his State-
of-the-State address two weeks
from today.

      Gov. David Ige presents his state-of-the-state address on Monday, Jan. 25. The governor’s annual address to the assembled joint Legislature presents an opportunity for him to report on affairs of state and to put forth recommendations and initiatives. Many visitors come to the Capitol to hear the governor’s speech and witness the proceedings from the gallery, accessible on the ground floor/atrium level.
      Monday, Jan. 25 is also the last day to introduce what is known as the Governor’s Package. The bills are prepared by executive branch agencies for consideration by the Legislature and are introduced on behalf of the executive branch by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
      Wednesday, Jan. 27 is the last day for legislators to introduce bills. A bill is introduced when it has been filed with the House or Senate Clerk, who gives it a number with an HB or SB prefix and then puts it on the calendar for First Reading by the chamber. After First Reading, it is given its committee referrals, which specify the committees that must hear and pass the measure for it to succeed. Only legislators may introduce bills. At introduction, each bill is given a Bill Status webpage that can be accessed via the Legislature’s website and used to track all the measure’s activity.
      Hawai`i Legislature's Public Access Room offers a wealth of information about the upcoming session at lrbhawaii.org/par.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

HAWAI`I DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION offers a 2015 Year in Review at hawaiipublicschools.org.
      A high point listed in the review was the latest U.S. Department of Education monitoring report confirming that Hawai`i has made significant progress as a result of its systemic reforms. HIDOE’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act Flexibility Monitoring Report scored across the board ratings of “meets expectations.”
      Beginning School Year 2013-14, the HIDOE was granted its ESEA flexibility waiver, which resulted in Hawai`i’s new school accountability and improvement system, the Strive HI Performance System. Strive HI replaced many requirements of the No Child Left Behind law with benchmarks aligned with goals of the department and Hawai`i State Board of Education Strategic Plan.
      “Hawai`i’s public high school students have shown that the transformative, systemwide changes undertaken by HIDOE in the implementation of its 2011-18 Strategic Plan are paying off,” the review stated.

      The College & Career Readiness Indicators report released by Hawai`i P-20 Partnerships for Education showed Hawai`i’s students have made steady, and in some cases, significant improvements in key indicators of college and career readiness, including Hawai`i State Assessment reading and mathematics scores, college enrollment and early credit attainment. The CCRI report provides a detailed look at accomplishments of Class of 2014 students in high schools statewide and provides a measurement of their readiness for college and career.

      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

Tropical Storm Pali is forecast to stay far from Hawai`i. Map from NOAA

CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE CENTER is tracking Tropical Storm Pali, which was 1,370 miles southwest of South Point this morning. Forecasters previously said that, because of El Nino conditions, tropical storms could continue to form in the Pacific beyond hurricane season, which ended Nov. 30. 

      Pali is expected to move south and west through the week, remaining far away from Hawai`i.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

LAST SUMMER AND FALL made up “the wettest dry season in 30 years” on Hawai`i Island, National Weather Service hydrologist Kevin Kodama told John Burnett, of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald. “Part of it is because of the wet summer. It really helped to boost the rainfall,” Kodama, said.
      Burnett said NWS is predicting a dry wet season for Hawai`i Island because of El Niño, which creates warm ocean temperatures. “We’re definitely in it right now …,” Kodama said. “While we may see light bits of rain hit the Big Island here and there, overall, considering it’s in the wet time of year, the pattern looks very dry, overall. There’s not a whole lot of significant rain events on the horizon, at least for the next one to two weeks, so it’s following the playbook.”
       Drought “could be pretty substantial,” Kodama told Burnett. “So it could take a pretty good rainfall to make up for that, considering we’re not likely to get very much rain in what should be a pretty wet time of year.” 

      See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

Ka`u's Hawai`i County Council member Maile David provided funds to support
`O Ka`u Kakou's Keiki Fishing Tournament. Photo by Julia Neal

EARLY REGISTRATION IS RECOMMENDED for the eighth annual Keiki Fishing Tournament and Food Drive. Sponsored by `O Ka`u Kakou, the event takes place Saturday, Jan. 23 at Punalu`u Beach Park from 8 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. 

      Children select their prize in the order they registered, no later than Wednesday, Jan. 20 at 12 p.m.
      Registration form pick-up and drop-off is available at schools and gas stations in Pahala and Na`alehu, Mizuno Superette in Pahala, Na`alehu Ace Hardware, Wong Yuen Store in Wai`ohinu, Ocean View Auto Parts and Kahuku Country Market in Ocean View. Entry is at least one canned or non-perishable food item per fisher.
       Keiki use barbless hooks on hand-poles in the catch-and-release tournament. Every participant takes home a prize.

KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS ONE-STOP-SHOP services are available tomorrow from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Pahala Community Center.
      Help is available in completing applications for admissions, financial aid, Ho`olulu Hawaiian Data Center, summer school, summer enrichment and distance learning.

A Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists collects data at the summit
of Mauna Loa. Photo from USGS/HVO

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY scientist Asta Miklius discusses recent activity at Mauna Loa and its current status tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. 

       $2 donations support park programs; park entrance fees apply.

HU, OR KUKUI NUT TOP, demonstrations take place Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Kilauea Visitor Center’s lanai in Hawai`i
Volcanoes National Park. Park rangers and staff from Hawai`i Pacific Parks Association share their knowledge and love of this popular traditional art and pastime.
      Free; park entrance fees apply.

INTRODUCTION TO MOKUHANGA BEGINS Thursday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Sensei Glenn Yamanoha teaches Traditional Japanese Woodblock Printmaking, a relief printing technique using Japanese tools and natural materials. The series of five workshops will be offered on Thursday afternoons. Well-known painter/printmaker Glenn Yamanoha will introduce the fundamental techniques of Mokuhanga such as cutting with chisels, preparing blocks and paper, registration and printing with a baren.
      Yamanoha studied Mokuhanga in Kyoto, Japan on a Monbusho (Japan Government) scholarship between 1988 and 1990.
      No experience is necessary for this introductory workshop. Call 967-8222 or see volcanoartcenter.org to register.

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

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf
and kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_January2015.pdf.

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016

Mauna Loa and its current status are topics at After Dark in the Park this Tuesday. See more below. Photo from NPS

UH COLLEGE OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURE & Human Resources encourages Ka`u Coffee growers to battle the coffee berry borer.

      “It is important to clean up your field by removing or strip-picking any cherry and raisins that would have otherwise been left on the trees at the end of the harvest season,” Andrea Kawabata said. “Do this prior to pruning so that coffee is not left in the field. In addition, note down the date of your first coffee flowering. This would mean that the flowering was large enough to warrant a future harvest.

UH-CTAHR encourages Ka`u Coffee growers to continue
battling coffee berry borers.

      “Sampling and monitoring for CBB activity should start between 60 and 90 days after flowering (your noted date). However, in Hawai`i and with such high CBB pressure and population, monitoring can start as early as 30 days after flowering. Remember that rain tends to trigger CBB to begin actively looking for new cherry to infest and that the goal is to kill CBB before they damage the coffee bean.
      “Dissecting the bean and looking for bean damage will help you to determine if you’ve been successful.”
      If stump pruning, growers may consider keeping a nurse vertical, particularly in higher elevations and on older or less vigorous trees.
      Kawabata also asks growers to participate in an ongoing survey. The survey is a CBB and coffee informational exchange approach from CTAHR extension.
      “Please help us to better understand coffee berry borer and to coordinate areawide CBB control activities in Hawai`i by telling us what is going on at your farm on a weekly basis,” Kawabata said. “We will summarize results and post them and possible CBB management strategies in that area on the hawaiicoffee.weebly.com website. We need TMK information so that CBB can be tracked by area, but only aggregate information will be released.”
      The survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete once each week. Each time participants submit information, they will be entered into a monthly drawing for a $10 gift card to KTA, Choicemart, Foodland or Island Naturals.
      This project begins with information from the week of Jan. 3, 2016. See surveymonkey.com/r/PWBB8Z5.
      CBB management information can be found at http://hawaiicoffee.weebly.com/cbb-management.html.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

Map from Hawai`i County Civil Defense shows confirmed, suspect
and negative cases of dengue fever.

CONFIRMED CASES OF DENGUE FEVER on Hawai`i Island reached 210 last week. According to Hawai`i Department of Health, five of the individuals are potentially infectious, with onset of illness as recent as Jan. 1. Of the confirmed cases, 190 are Hawai`i Island residents, and 20 are visitors. Adults number 170, and 40 have been under 18 years of age.

      A total of 838 reported potential cases have been found negative for the disease.

      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

RICHARD HA IS CLOSING HIS FARM. Ha, owner of Hamakua Springs Country Farms, is known in Ka`u for promoting an energy cooperative as an alternative to privately owned Hawai`i Electric Light Co. He is a founding member of Hawai`i Island Energy Cooperative. 

      Ha’s major crop is bananas. He had also grown tomatoes but stopped that venture several months ago. Leading up to the farm closing down, Ha had to stop funding a profit-sharing plan, then had to cut some medical benefits for his employees and most recently cut wages.

The Ha family is closing operations at Hamakua Springs Country Farms.
Photo from Richard Ha

      “It’s all related to the price of oil,” Ha said. “As the oil price has risen, folks that could pass on the cost did, but farmers cannot. When the oil price dropped recently, the cost of fertilizer, plastic, all sorts of things that have oil petroleum costs embedded in their prices, didn’t come down with it. Those costs stayed up.
      “The oil price will go back up again, and anticipating that, we had to make a decision. It’s not that we’re going bankrupt – we’re not. We just need to do what we need to do before it gets to that point.”
      Ha said a group applying for a license to grow and distribute medical marijuana is interested in leasing land. He said the group agreed to offer his employees jobs and provide security “so I can ensure that the community feels safe.”
      He compared his decision to Alexander & Baldwin’s recent announcement that it is transitioning out of sugar on Maui. “‘Transition’ is the right word for what we’re doing, too” Ha said. “We don’t know exactly what the transition will look like, but we’ll still be around. The land that was in bananas is going to go into corn. A dairy that already leases land from us to grow corn is going to take the rest of that land and plant more.”
      See hamakuasprings.com.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

BASKETBALL SEASON IS IN FULL SWING for Ka`u High Trojans.
      Girls started the New Year hosting Honoka`a on Monday, Jan. 4 with a loss of 20-52.
      On Thursday, Jan. 7 at Kealakehe, JV won 35-27, but varsity lost 17-62.
      Yesterday, JV won again at HPA 27-24, and varsity rebounded from previous losses to win 36-33.
      Following their busy first week of 2016, the Trojan Wahine travel to Hilo on Friday Jan. 15.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

KA`U RESIDENTS CAN REGISTER for upcoming classes sponsored by the College of Continuing Education and Community Service at University of Hawai`i-Hilo.

      During Aquaponics for Beginners
 on Saturday, Jan. 23, students learn to build their own highly productive, sustainable backyard aquaponics system.
      Solar Power Basics
 is the topic on Saturday, Jan. 30. 
Learn to build renewable power and explore the future of energy. In this hands-on class, learn how solar photovoltaic systems work, how they are designed, how to predict output of a system and how systems are installed.
      Vermicomposting for Beginners
 is scheduled on Saturday, Feb. 6. 
This is a family-friendly activity that will be fun for adults and kids alike (10 years and older). Learn how to take produce waste and turn it into rich fertile soil using worms – a perfect amendment to any garden bed, fruit tree orchard or house plant.
      All classes are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at UH-Hilo CAB 102.
      For more information and to register, see hilo.hawaii.edu/academics/ccecs/courses.php.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

SENIOR IDS ARE AVAILABLE TOMORROW from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Pahala Housing Center and from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. For ages 60 and over. Call 928-3100 for more information.

KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS ONE-STOP-SHOP services are coming to Ka`u. Help is available in completing applications for admissions, financial aid, Ho`olulu Hawaiian Data Center, summer school, summer enrichment and distance learning.
      In collaboration with Tutu & Me Traveling Preschool, services are available from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday at Pahala Community Center.

VOLCANO AWARENESS MONTH CONTINUES at After Dark in the Park on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientist Asta Miklius discusses recent activity at Mauna Loa and its current status. Since 1843, Mauna Loa has erupted 33 times, most recently in 1984, when lava flows reached to within four miles of Hilo. In September 2015, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory raised the Volcano Alert Level of Mauna Loa from NORMAL to ADVISORY due to increased seismicity and deformation.

       $2 donations support park programs; park entrance fees apply.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_January2016.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf
and kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.