Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Friday, Sept. 23, 2016

Ka`u Plantation Days at Na`alehu Park begins with a pa`u parade on Hwy 11. See more below.
Photo by Ron Johnson 

A FINAL RULE TO CREATE A PATHWAY for reestablishing a formal government-to-government relationship with the Native Hawaiian community has been published by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The final rule sets out an administrative procedure and criteria that the U.S. Secretary of the Interior would use if the Native Hawaiian community forms a unified government that then seeks such a relationship with the United States.

Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell

      “This final rule provides the Native Hawaiian community with the opportunity to exercise self-determination by reestablishing a formal government-to-government relationship with the United States,” U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell said. “Throughout this two-year rulemaking process, thousands of voices from the Native Hawaiian community and the public testified passionately about the proposal. Today is a major step forward in the reconciliation process between Native Hawaiians and the United States that began over 20 years ago. We are proud to announce this final rule that respects and supports self-governance for Native Hawaiians, one of our nation’s largest indigenous communities.”

      The rule builds on more than 150 federal statutes that Congress enacted over the last century to recognize and implement the special political and trust relationship between the United States and the Native Hawaiian community. It also considered and addressed extensive public comments during the rulemaking process, which included public meetings in Hawai`i and the mainland United States. 

      Native Hawaiians have not had a formal unified government since the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai`i in 1893. In 1993, Congress enacted the Apology Resolution, which offered an apology to Native Hawaiians on behalf of the United States for its role in the overthrow and committed the federal government to a process of reconciliation. As part of that reconciliation process, in 2000, DOI and the Department of Justice jointly issued a report identifying as its lead recommendation the need to foster self-determination for Native Hawaiians under Federal law.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz

      The decision to reorganize a Native Hawaiian government is one for the Native Hawaiian community – not the federal government – to make as an exercise of self-determination. If a formal government-to-government relationship is reestablished, it could provide the community with greater flexibility to preserve its distinct culture and traditions. It could also enhance their ability to affect its special status under federal law by exercising powers of self-government over many issues directly impacting community members.

      “This is an historic step towards doing what is right and just for Native Hawaiians,” Sen. Brian Schatz said. “For far too long, Native Hawaiians have been the only federally recognized native people without a government-to-government relationship with the United States. Generations of Hawaiians and allies have worked to restore this relationship, and this rule is one of the most significant developments in making this a real possibility. Although the rule establishes formal procedures for a Native Hawaiian government to establish its governmental relationship with the United States, it leaves the Hawaiian community with the authority and responsibility to reorganize its governing entity. President Obama’s leadership and personal commitment to Hawai`i was evident in the level of community engagement conducted by his administration and essential to ensuring this path forward for Native Hawaiians.”

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

      Ka`u’s U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said, “For decades, many in the Native Hawaiian community have fought for the same rights and treatment as indigenous groups across the United States, like Native American tribes and Alaska Natives. The Department of Interior announcement today simply places the decision-making authority solely within the hands of Native Hawaiians to determine what, if any, government-to-government relationship they choose to have with the U.S. federal government. I had the great honor of working as a legislative aide to Sen. Akaka, who dedicated so much of his life to creating this opportunity for our Native Hawaiian community. I look forward to continuing to engage and work alongside our Native Hawaiian brothers and sisters as they determine their path forward.”

      The rule, along with Frequently Asked Questions and other supporting documents, is available for review at www.doi.gov/hawaiian.
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A 3.2-magnitude quake shook Ka`u this morning.
Photo from USGS/HVO

DID YOU FEEL IT? An earthquake rattle Ka`u’s sloped of Mauna Loa at about 9:30 a.m. According to Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, the minor earthquake was centered 8.8 miles from Kilauea’s summit. Originally listed at magnitude 3.0, a seismic analyst later increased it to 3.2.

      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

TWENTY AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATORS will be donated by Big Island Toyota to Hawai`i Island nonprofits as part of the Be a Lifesaver Hawai`i campaign effort. Each recipient organization will also receive free lifesaving bystander chest compression only CPR and AED training at its facility as part of the AED donation. Deadline for submitting applications/nominations is close of business on Oct. 15.

Hawai`i Island nonprofits can apply to receive free AEDs.
Photo from American Red Cross

      Winning nonprofits will be notified no later than Oct. 20 of their selection by the Be a Lifesaver Hawai`i committee and will be invited to attend a special presentation at Big Island Toyota’s main showroom in Hilo on Oct. 27.

      Applications can be mailed or delivered in person to Big Island Toyota, Attn: Calvin Koga, 811 Kanoelehua Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720.
      Contact Lisa Rantz at 932-3636 with any questions.

       To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory founder Dr. Thomas Jaggar
is on holiday for two weeks. Photo from KDEN

“A WALK INTO THE PAST,” Kilauea Drama & Entertainment Network’s Living History program, is taking a two-week break. There will be no shows on Sept. 27 and Oct. 4. The program will resume on Oct. 11 and will repeat every Tuesday, with performances at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. At that time participants can meet Dr. Thomas Jaggar, portrayed by Ka`u resident Dick Hershberger, and find out what drew him to the edge of Kilauea to study volcanoes. Meet at Kilauea Visitor’s Center to be escorted to Whitney Vault, home of the original seismograph.

      Hershberger is a playwright-director-actor-entertainer best known for this long-running and critically acclaimed presentation.
      The performance is free; park entrance fees apply. Donations are gratefully accepted.
      For more information, call 982-7344, or email kden73@aol.com.

A FREE LEGAL CLINIC COMES TO KA`U tomorrow. The Senior Counsel Division of Hawai`i Bar Association, in coordination with Ka`u Rural Health Community Association, Inc., provides legal information at Ka`u Resource & Distance Learning Center, 96-3126 Puahala Street in Pahala, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
      Topics include law on estate/probate/trust, criminal, no-fault/insurance, environmental, immigration, employment/labor, landlord/tenant, personal injury, civil rights and Hawaiian rights.

CELEBRATE KA`U PLANTATION DAYS tomorrow at Na`alehu Park. A parade, with horses and riders representing the Hawaiian islands, begins at 9 a.m. along Hwy 11. 

      For more information, call Darlyne Vierra at 640-8740.

Mishka performs tomorrow. Photo from
Mauli Ola Festival

MAULI OLA FESTIVAL CONTINUES through tomorrow evening at Wood Valley Farm.

      Saturday workshop topics include fermented foods, soil microbes and permaculture.
      An evening concert features music by Malian, Drew Daniels, David Kai, Dread Ashanti, Love Eternal, Mishka and Youssoupha Sidibe.
      For more information and tickets, see mauliolafestival.com.

TOMORROW IS A FEE-FREE DAY at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Entry fees are waived on National Public Lands Day.
      Kīlauea Military Camp invites the public to experience how KMC supports America’s troops by utilizing any of its facilities and services.

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 Calendar News Briefs Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016

Pa`u riders and horses return to Na`alehu Saturday to celebrate Ka`u Plantation Days.
See more below. Photo by Ron Johnson

BAY CLINIC IS ONE OF 14 HAWAI`I HEALTH CENTERS that will receive a total of $753,064 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support health information technology enhancements. The clinic’s allocation of $66,682 is part of more than $87 million provided by HHS to 1,310 health centers in every U.S. state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the Pacific Basin. The funding will support health IT enhancements to accelerate health centers' transition to value-based models of care, improve efforts to share and use information to support better decisions and increase engagement in delivery system transformation. This is the first significant investment directly awarded to health centers to support the purchase of health IT since 2009.

      “Health centers across Hawai`i provide high-quality health and wellness services that our communities depend upon,” Gabbard said. “Yet, in Hawai`i and in states across the country, remote locations, lack of funding and staff shortages make it difficult to keep up with rapidly changing healthcare technology. Investing in our local health centers will increase information sharing, improve electronic healthcare record systems and expand access to comprehensive, quality care for people in every county across the state.”

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THE PROPOSED PAHALA WATER BOTTLING PLANT has drawn more discussion. Ken Sugai, who owns the house at Honu`apo, pointed to a 2014 Hawai`i Supreme Court decision regarding a Kaua`i water bottling company. The decision drew upon Hawai`i’s Public Trust Doctrine in Article 11 of the Constitution. It states, “For the benefit of present and future generations, the state and its political subdivisions shall conserve and protect Hawai`i’s natural beauty and all natural resources, including land, water, air, minerals and energy sources, and shall promote the development and utilization of these resources in a manner consistent with their conservation and in furtherance of the self-sufficiency of the state.

David Minkin

      “All public natural resources are held in trust by the state for the benefit of the people.”

      The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Kaua`i Planning Commission after a lower court ruled that the commission “exceeded its jurisdiction” when it denied Kaua`i Springs, Inc. its permit to operate.
      In a story in The Garden Island newspaper, attorney David Minkin told reporter Chris D’Angelo that the Supreme Court decision “means that, especially when water’s at issue, that every agency that has some duty or responsibility has to take a look at it from the constitutional perspective of the Public Trust Doctrine.
      “You just can’t punt it and say, ‘Not my kuleana.’ You have to look at it. You have to evaluate it. You have to get information. And if you’re left with a question in the back of your mind that you don’t have enough information, it’s not the department, in this case the Planning Commission, it’s not their duty to go out and track down and get information.
     “ Instead, the applicant — in this case, Kaua`i Springs — must present the appropriate information.”
      The court’s ruling “basically shifts the burden,” Minkin said.
      On The Ka`u Calendar Facebook page, Mariah Penelope Aguilar posted about the use of spring from Ka`u for a bottling plant. “I would be worried that if they create a company, they might close out wells that are free,” she said.
      Jimbeaux Black, of Na`alehu, posted, “To come onto the edge of a desert, tap into the watershed for bottled profit packaged in plastic is not sustainable on so many levels. Water is being bought and stolen, in all parts of the world. This is not good for Ka`u’s future. Very shortsighted. Water is life.”
      Hawai`i County Planning Department is currently reviewing the Pahala water bottling plant proposal and accepting public comments. Emails can be sent to planning@hawaiicounty.gov, susan.gagorik@hawaiicounty.gov and larry.nakayama@hawaiicounty.gov.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Help David Benitez remove fountain grass
in Ocean View. Photo from NPS

VOLUNTEERS ARE INVITED TO WORK with Ocean View Community Association and Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park staff to remove invasive fountain grass from roadsides in Ocean View on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

      Fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) is a highly flammable bunch grass native to North Africa. This fire-promoting plant spreads quickly and is one of the few invasive species that can colonize young lava flows that would otherwise serve as natural firebreaks. In August 2005, this noxious weed contributed to the spread of a 25,000-acre wildfire that forced evacuation of Waikoloa Village. Fountain grass aggressively chokes out native plants and increases fire potential in natural areas. It is a problem for all districts around the island, especially leeward areas.
      Volunteers will meet Ocean View Community Center at 9 a.m. Bring lunch, water, a hat and sunscreen.
      For more information, call Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park ecologist David Benitez at 985-6085, or email david_benitez@nps.gov.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Keiki and adults are invited to help remove invasive Himalayan ginger 

on National Public Lands Day. NPS Photo by Jessica Ferracane

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK invites everyone to lend a helping hand on National Public Lands Day this Saturday as it celebrates 100 years of protecting native ecosystems. It’s a fee-free day, and while all park visitors can enjoy the park at no charge, NPLD volunteers will receive a free pass to use on another day of their choosing.

      Join volunteers for Stewardship at the Summit from 8:45 a.m. to noon. Meet NPLD coordinator Jane Field at Kilauea Visitor Center, then head into the rainforest to remove invasive Himalayan ginger from the summit of Kilauea. Wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes and long pants. Bring a hat, sunscreen, raingear, snacks, and water. Loppers/gloves provided. No advance registration required.
      While pretty and fragrant, Himalayan ginger (also called kahili) is one of the most invasive plants in the park and on Earth. It is listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as one of the 100 World’s Worst Invasive Alien Species. The park strives to protect the rainforest habitat of native birds and plants, but Himalayan ginger takes over the native rainforest understory and makes it impossible for the next generation of forest to grow. This inedible ginger species crowds out many native plants, including pa`iniu (a Hawaiian lily), `ama`u fern, and others.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Ka`u state Sen. Russell Ruderman performs with El Leo
ate Wood Valley Farm tomorrow. Photo by Julia Neal

ACTIVITIES AT MAULI OLA FESTIVAL at Wood Valley Farm tomorrow include morning and afternoon yoga sessions, Gilberto Baraona’s introduction of a new coffee variety and a Korean Natural Farming Workshop with Drake Weinert.

      An evening concert begins with music by El Leo, featuring Ka`u’s state Sen. Russell Ruderman, followed by Kalapana Awa Band, Jeff Peterson and Liko Martin.
      See mauliolafestival.com for more information and tickets.

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND’S annual “Get the Drift & Bag it Ka`u Coast Cleanup is Saturday from 8:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Email kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com or text 808-769-7629 for more information.
      To date, HWF and volunteers have removed over 192 tons of marine debris from the shores of Hawai`i Island.

KA`U PLANTATION DAYS is Saturday at Na`alehu Park. A parade, with horses and riders representing the Hawaiian islands, begins at 9 a.m. along Hwy 11. 

      For more information, call Darlyne Vierra at 640-8740.

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 Calendar News Briefs Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016

A stone and wooden ahu on Mauna Kea. Ancestral human remains have been taken to an ahu on the mountain, which
Native Hawaiian groups have deemed sacred and inappropriate for the proposed Thirty Meter Telescope.
Photo from kahea.org

ANCESTRAL HUMAN REMAINS FROM KA`U ON TOP OF MAUNA KEA have been placed there by Palikapu Dedman, the son of the late Auntie Pele Hanoa. Dedman, whose family has ancestral ties to Ka`u and particularly the Punalu`u area, told the Hawai`i Tribune Herald that he put ancestral remains on an altar on Mauna Kea this month and last September, defending the action as a traditional Native Hawaiian practice.

Palikapu Dedman Photo from Pele Defense Fund

      Dedman has been involved in opposition against the $1.4 billion Thirty Meter Telescope project at 13,100 feet elevation on Mauna Kea. He has long been involved in preservation of Punalu`u, South Point and native forest in Puna. He has also opposed geothermal development.

      According to the Tribune-Herald, Dedman faces criminal charges for placing human remains on Mauna Kea. The story said that “he wants to show the area should be protected.”
      A story in this morning’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser says that “Dedman said he plans to seek protective status for the altar as a burial site. He declined to provide details about how he got the remains but said they belong to relatives from his ancestral home of Ka`u. State law prohibits the excavation or alteration of a burial site.”
      According to the story, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources “has investigated Dedman’s actions and forwarded its findings to the Hawai`i County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney for review.”
      The stories also state that the Office of Mauna Kea Management reports no known burials at any of the telescope sites, following archaeological surveys.
      See hawaiitribune-herald.com and staradvertiser.com.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

“I AM ADAMANTLY AGAINST THIS WATER BOTTLING PROPOSAL,” said marine biologist and South Kona resident Megan Lamson in reference to the proposed Pahala Town Square & Hawaiian Springs Facility. Plans submitted to Hawai`i County Planning Department include buildings that would cover more than three times the area of the new Ka`u gymnasium, along with parking for tour buses, vans and cars along Maile Street.
      Lamson studied the waters at Honu`apo for her master's thesis at University of Hawai`i and works on coastal cleanup and anchialine pond projects in Ka`u.

Megan Lamson, left, and CNN reporter Kyung Lah survey debris

at Ka`u's Kamilo Beach. Image from cnn.com

      “Water is life,” Lamson said. “It is part of the public trust and needs to be protected and respected as such. The recent proposal of building a water bottling facility in Pahala is a horrible idea for Ka`u or anywhere on Hawai`i Island! It would create a massive human health issues for employees and local residents, and poses numerous potential environmental and cultural threats. 

      “Not to mention, bottled water is an environmental nightmare in and of itself. It renders water more costly than gasoline and increases our dependence on fossil fuels, like petroleum, to create the single-use plastic vessels. Worldwide, the majority of plastic bottles are not recycled, and they can create serious problems for wildlife when they end up in our oceans, forests and waterways.
      “A water bottling facility would steal water from our aquifer/watershed and ship it to some off-island customer. It would rob us of a resource that deserves to be protected for future generations. It is a very bad idea and should be opposed wholeheartedly.”

     A Ka`u Coast Cleanup takes place this Saturday. To sign up, email kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.
      The Planning Department is accepting public comments on the water bottling plant proposal. Emails can be sent to planning@hawaiicounty.gov, susan.gagorik@hawaiicounty.gov and larry.nakayama@hawaiicounty.gov.

      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

“KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS” was Hawai`i County Prosecuting Attorney Mitch Roth’s advice to Ka`u residents at Ocean View Community Center yesterday. His office is helping Hawai`i Island homeowners and landowners resolve squatting situations.

Mitch Roth and Maurice Messina discuss squatters with Ka`u
residents at Ocean View Community Center.
Photo by Ron Johnson

      According to Roth, three situations make houses vulnerable to squatters: the property is going through foreclosure, it has been foreclosed, or it belongs to an absentee landlord.

      He said owners who are not living on their properties or are away for lengthy periods are required by law to have an on-island representative who can speak for them about their properties when they are absent. Such a person could be contacted to find out if people at the house have been given permission to be there. Representatives can be anyone on the island, including neighbors and realtors, who he said may be willing to offer the service for a small fee.
      Roth’s legal assistant Maurice Messina is making a list of homes with squatters and talking to lawyers for bank-owned properties, encouraging them to maintain the equity of homes by keeping them from being damaged by unwelcome people.
      Roth and Messina said an amendment to the state’s nuisance abatement laws is helping. The Legislature earlier this year passed HB1561, which makes trespassing a nuisance violation that permits authorities to remove perpetrators.
      However, “in order for police to make a case, someone has to want the people out,” Roth said. He said residents are often unwilling to file a complaint for fear of retribution. Residents at the meeting also said police are often not willing to file a report.
      Roth also said neighbors can videotape actions at suspect properties. Such evidence could be used to build a case against the squatters.
      Roth also advised residents to make sure that police reports filed are listed as “Criminal” rather than “Miscellaneous Public” to reduce the amount of time it takes for his office to receive them from the Police Department.

      For help with squatters, call 961-0466, or email maurice.messina@hawaiicounty.gov.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

HAWAI`I ELECTRIC LIGHT CO. HAS PROPOSED to increase base rates by 6.5 percent. According to the utility, this is the first such request in nearly six years. Funds would be used to help pay for operating costs, including expanded vegetation management focusing on albizia tree removal, as well as system upgrades to increase reliability, improve customer service and integrate more renewable energy.
       Life of the Land Executive Director Henry Curtis said his organization and Puna Pono Alliance filed a joint letter to the PUC saying that they would file a joint motion to intervene.

      “We are very concerned about high rates,” Curtis said. “We also favor a plan that allows for far greater levels of on-site generation and rooftop solar.”

      Rate reviews are required by the Public Utilities Commission every three years. If approved, a typical residential bill for 500 kilowatt-hours on Hawai`i Island would increase by $9.31 a month to $171.16. The proposed rate change will be reviewed by regulators and would likely not take effect until the summer of 2017 at the earliest.

      According to HELCO, bills reflecting new rates, if approved, would still be lower than a year ago.
      As part of the current review, HELCO is proposing benchmarks to measure its performance in key areas, such as customer service, reliability and communication for the rooftop solar interconnection process and to link certain revenues to that performance.
      Among increased operating costs driving the rate change is an extensive vegetation management and tree removal initiative. Since 2014, HELCO has spent $14 million on tree trimming and removal, concentrating on areas where falling albizias threaten utility equipment and highways. The tree removal program reduced impacts of recent tropical storms, resulting in fewer outages and faster power restoration than when Iselle hit the island.
      HELCO has also spent more than $14 million over the past six years improving customer service systems, developing technical solutions to integrate more private rooftop solar, replacing and upgrading equipment to improve efficiency and reliability and developing detailed plans to achieve the state’s goal of 100 percent renewable energy. The company said it “has absorbed a large portion of these increased costs in the years between rate cases without passing them on to customers.”
      HELCO has increased its use of renewable energy from 35 percent in 2010 to 49 percent today, using wind, hydroelectricity, solar and geothermal to replace imported oil. The company reduced its use of oil by 13 percent over the same period.
    

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Child car seat inspections come to Ka`u
Tuesday. Image from PID Foundation

KA`U PLANTATION DAYS is Saturday. Originally scheduled for Sept. 3, the event was postponed due to possible tropical storm conditions. The event at Na`alehu Park includes a parade along Hwy 11.

      For more information, call Darlyne Vierra at 640-8740.

KA`U PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS can make appointments for free car seat inspections.

      Pahala Community Center offers the service on Tuesday, Sept. 27 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The event is an alternative to driving to inspection sites at Hilo and Kona Target stores this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
      Call 961-9395.

      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

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

Click on document to enlarge.

See kaucalendar.com.

See kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.html
and kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.pdf.