Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017

Hōkūleʻa will soon return to Pacific waters after its around the world voyage through Indian and
Atlantic Oceans. Photo from Polynesian Voyaging Society

A HOMECOMING DATE FOR HAWAI`I'S LEGENDARY SAILING CANOE has been set. Hōkūleʻa will soon sail through the Panama Canal and return to the Pacific Ocean for the first time in nearly two years. Since May of 2014, she has visited 150 ports in 27 nations to create a symbolic “lei of hope” around the globe. Hōkūleʻa is due to make her historic arrival at Magic Island on O`ahu on Saturday, June 17. The landing will include a homecoming ceremony and celebration. Eventually, shorter sailing voyages to Hawai`i and the other Hawaiian islands will also welcome her home.

Hōkūleʻa will soon reenter the Pacific after sailing

 the Indian and Atlantic Oceans for nearly two years.

Photo from Polynesian Voyaging Society

     Hōkūleʻa stopped in Ka`u several times in her preparation for the international sailing adventure, the crew meeting with community and school children to show them the preparation and share the enthusiasm for the long adventure at sea.

     The title of her Malama Honua Worldwide voyage can be translated as “to care for our Island Earth.” A primary mission of the voyage is to grow the global movement toward a more sustainable world.   
      Hōkūleʻa sailed the Pacific from Hawai`i to Tahiti, the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga, New Zealand and Australia. In the Indian Ocean, she visited Bali, Maritius and South Africa. Rounding the southern tip of Africa, she entered the Atlantic Ocean, stopping at the island of Saint Helena, then Brazil, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Maine.     
     After spending several months sailing up and then down the East Coast, Hōkūleʻa left U.S. waters in Key West, Florida. The crew spent Christmas and New Years in the Caribbean, sailing to the west of Cuba on their way south. In Panama, the crew will engage with local communities in marine activities.

     It will take the crew about two days to make their way from Colon, through the 48-mile Panama Canal, to Balboa to re-enter the Pacific Ocean and sail to the Polynesian Triangle for the final leg of the voyage. She will make stops in the Galapagos Islands, Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and French Polynesia.

     Her sister canoe, Hikianalia, returned to the islands last year.

     Hōkūleʻa is the Polynesian name for Arcturus, the brightest star in the constellation Bootes. She is a performance-accurate full-scale replica of a waʻa kaulua, a Polynesian double-hulled voyaging canoe. She was launched on 8 March 1975 by the Polynesian Voyaging Society, and is best known for her 1976 Hawaiʻi to Tahiti voyage completed with exclusively Polynesian navigation techniques.

     See more and keep track of the voyage at www.hokulea.com
     To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter

A voyage for the worldwide sustainability movement continues on the Hōkūleʻa, the Polynesian Voyaging Canoe.
Map from Polynesian Voyaging Society

PEACEMAKING BETWEEN ISRAEL AND PALESTINE was the focus of a statement released Friday by Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who was sworn into the 115th Congress last week and serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Gabbard supported a UN resolution opposing continued Israeli settlement activity in areas claimed by Palestinians. She voted against U.S. House Resolution 11 that condemns UN opposition to the Israeli settlements.  The U.S. Congress passed its resolution supporting the settlements last week with a vote of 342 to 80.  The House resolution also condemns UN Ambassador Samantha Power's and the Obama Administration's decision to refrain from blocking the UN resolution against the settlements.

United States Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power, who declined

 to block the UN resolution condemning Israel settlements in territory

 claimed by Palestinians. Hawai`i Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard 

supported the UN resolution and voted against a

resolution in Congress that condemns it. Photo from the UN

    Gabbard explained her vote: "While the UN resolution was one-sided and problematic in many respects, it recognized that the continued expansion of Israeli settlements undermines the path to peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
     "On Jan. 5, 2017 the U.S. House of Representatives considered H.Res.11 which condemns the UN’s actions, as well as the U.S. government’s decision not to block the UN Resolution. I voted against H.Res.11 because it represents a one-sided view of the current situation, and undermines a long history of bipartisan U.S. efforts to work through bilateral and multilateral forums toward a two-state solution.
     “I know how important our enduring alliance with Israel is. My vote upholds my commitment to maintaining and strengthening this alliance, as well as my long-held position that the most viable path to peace between Israel and Palestine can be found through both sides negotiating a two-state solution.

Tulsi Gabbard sworn into the 115th Congress with
 Republican leader Paul Ryan. Photo from Tulsi Gabbard

     "While I remain concerned about aspects of the UN Resolution, I share the Obama Administration’s reservation about the harmful impact Israeli settlement activity has on the prospects for peace.
      “Ultimately, a negotiated solution must come from Israelis and Palestinians themselves, and can only happen when both parties are committed to peace, where they alone determine the terms of the settlement. I co-sponsored H.Res.23 which reaffirms the U.S. commitment to Israel, and a negotiated settlement leading to a sustainable two-state solution that re-affirms Israel’s right to exist as a democratic, Jewish state and establishes a demilitarized democratic Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and security. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to support bilateral negotiations between Israel and Palestine in order to bring an end to this enduring conflict.”

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

THE COST OF CLEARING OF ALBIZIA TREES is one of the justifications presented by Hawai`i Electric Light Co. in its proposal to raise its customers' electricity rates.
     Albizias, cousins to the monkeypod tree, were introduced to Hawai`i in 1917 from the Molucca Islands in Indonesia and have spread across the islands. Thinly rooted and top heavy, they often fall during storms, taking out power lines and poles and crashing into vehicles and homes.
     According to the rate case filed by HELCO before the Public Utilities Commission, the utility wants ratepayers to help finance the cutting and trimming of albizia. The rate hike would be 6.5 percent to accommodate albizia cutting and many other costs. The rate hike could be as high as 12.5 percent, if HELCO is able to purchase a fossil-fuel power generating plant in Hamakua.

Albizia trees that towered over Bull Kailiawa's Ka`u coffee
plantings in Moa`ula. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

    The felling of albizias could be funded by turning the harvested trees into electricity, according to the managers of several projects on the north end of the state. On Kaua`i, a Green Energy Team was founded to develop biomass-to-energy, with albizia as one of the main sources of fuel. The company is selling the electricity to the Kaua`i Island Utility Cooperative. During a blessing for the project last April, Gov. David Ige remarked,  “In addition to producing energy, we have found a use for albizia, described as an invasive species, the scourge of the islands during the last hurricane.”
     The plant was funded, in part, with a $72.9 million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service. The budget for the facility was $90 million.
     Eric Knutzen, of Green Energy Hawai`i, asserted, “It’s been about 12 years since we first talked about this. It’s been a long road, but it’s operating, now — producing on an average of 12.4 percent of Kaua`i’s energy needs being provided through Kaua`i Island Utility Cooperative.”
     Jim Kelly, of the Kaua`i Island Utility Cooperative, said, “This plant is sustainable, renewable, and independent of local and foreign oil supply.”
    Reports from The Garden Island newspaper on Kaua`i stated that more than albizia will be burned to make electricity at Green Energy Hawai`i. 

Albizia treated with herbicide.
Photo from Big Island Invasive Species Council

     “In addition to contracts to clear invasive albizia trees from several locations around the island, GET is in negotiations with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources to purchase up to 15,000 tons of eucalyptus and pine trees that were scorched in Koke`e during fires in the summer of 2012. Those trees are being cut down and removed as part of a major reforestation project on 700 acres of forest reserve land,” reported The Garden Island.

      Concerning a separate proposal that has not come to fruition by another company on Kaua`i, Life of the Land made comments on the use of albizia. Life of the Land noted that one problem with albizia is that the chopping down of the “mature plant will decrease the invasive population. However, invasive trees are difficult to cut down and chop up, so they are left standing and saplings are used instead. This does not eliminate the invasive problem.” 

      During the time when `Aina Koa Pono was proposing a biofuel plant in Wood Valley, the managers also proposed using albizia, monkeypod, Christmas berry and all other non-native trees to fuel their microwave refinery. `Aina Koa Pono also proposed to grow biofuel crops on lands between Pahala and Na`alehu to make fuel for electricity to be sold to HELCO. The proposed site of the `Aina Koa Pono plant is now being used for growing coffee.

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

MEDICINE FOR THE MIND. Buddhist healing meditation teaching for beginners through advanced, Volcano Art Center, Sunday, Jan. 8 at 4 p.m. Free. 985-7470.

SENIOR ID's available, Monday, Jan. 9 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Pahala Housing Center and 11 a.m. to noon at Na`alehu Community Center. For residents 60 and older. 928-3100.

INFRASOUND, THE ATMOSPHERIC SOUND and vibration below the threshold of human hearing, is the After Dark in the Park presentation on Tuesday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. at Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

Milton Garces presents a talk Tuesdy on sounds below threshold of
human hearing that can provide early warning of manmade and natural
disasters. Photo from infrasound Laboratory University of Hawai`i

     These low-frequency sounds are generated by large-scale fluid flow and can propagate for thousands of kilometers to provide early warning of natural or man-made hazards. Active open-vent volcanoes, such as Kīlauea, are exceptionally good sound emitters, and scientists are steadily building a continuous baseline of volcano-acoustic activity, including infrasonic tremor from Halemaʻumaʻu and Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō.  

     Milton Garces, Director of the University of Hawaiʻi Infrasound Laboratory, talks about “listening” to Kīlauea, Mauna Loa, and Hualālai volcanoes through one of the most advanced infrasound networks in the world. Entry is free but $2 donation. Park Fees apply.

www.kaucalendar.com

Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017

Coffee berry borers have gone beyond Ka`u and Kona. They were recently found on Maui and the
state Department of Agriculture is encouraging all farmers to use safe practices to prevent further
spread of the pest. See story below. Photo by Peggy Greb/USDA

THE NEW CONSUMER ADVOCATE for the state of Hawai`i is Dean Nishina. His official title is executive director for Department of Commerce and Consumer Affair’s Division of Consumer Advocacy.
     The state Consumer Advocate has been involved in such Ka`u issues as the `Aina Koa Pono biofuel plant for producing electricity that was planned for Wood Valley, the ongoing controversy over industrial scale solar installations planned for Ocean View neighborhoods, and the proposed rate hikes by Hawai`i Electric Light Co. All three were proposed to the state Public Utilities Commission where Nishina gives his testimony on behalf of the public.
     Nishina has been serving as acting executive director since Sept. 1, following the departure of Jeffrey Ono, who returned to private practice.

Dean Nishina will be working on the industrial solar installation
proposals issue in Ocean View and the proposed HELCO
rate hike. Photo from state Department of Commerce

     As the Consumer Advocate, Nishina oversees the division’s representation of consumer interests before the PUC and other local and federal agencies. Nishina previously served in the role from December 2009 to January 2011.
     “We are extremely pleased that Dean has agreed to return as the state’s Consumer Advocate,” said Catherine Awakuni Colón, director of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. “He has been with the department for nearly 25 years, and has a wealth of experience in the area of public utilities. His depth of knowledge would truly be a benefit to protect the interests of Hawai`i’s consumers. ”
     Nishina has recently served as public utilities/transportation administrator for the Division of Consumer Advocacy. He has filled various roles of increasing responsibility within the division since 1992. Earlier, Nishina worked as an audit and financial consulting senior for Arthur Andersen & Co, LLP, where he specialized in auditing and accounting of electric and gas utilities, government and telecommunications industries.
     “I look forward to continuing to advocate on behalf of the state’s consumers in this dynamic period,” said Nishina. “Hawai`i’s energy environment has seen significant changes over recent years. Going forward, we remain committed to balancing the demands of Hawai`i’s energy landscape to promote renewable energies to achieve the state’s goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2045. Nishina received his undergraduate degree in economics and psychology from Northwestern University, and his M.S. degree in professional accountancy from DePaul University.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

ELLISON ONIZUKA KONA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT KEAHOLE is Kona Airport's new name. Gov. David Ige signed the name change into law in July and it became official Jan. 1.

    Onizuka, the Hawai`i Island astronaut who lost his life on the space shuttle Challenger, was tied to Ka`u through his wife Lorna Leiko Yoshida. She was originally from Na`alehu, where her father Susumu worked for Hutchinson Sugar Co.

Ellison Onizuka is honored in the new name for the Kona Airport.

     Lorna Onizuka's mother Anna grew up in Na`alehu and later moved to Houston to be with the Onizuka family. Ellison and Lorna had two daughters, Janelle Onizuka-Gillilan and Darien Lei Shizue Onizuka-Morgan. Lorna has worked for NASA and as a liaison with Japan’s space agency.  

     Ellison Onizuka graduated from Konawaena High School in 1964. He entered Air Force ROTC and received an aerospace engineering bachelor's and master's degrees from University of Colorado at Boulder.
     For the Big Island, Ellison Onizuka was a champion of science and space, giving inspiring presentations at schools and other venues, on tour as the first Asian-American astronaut. He died, along with six other crew members, when the space shuttle Challenger exploded upon lift off on Jan. 28, 1986. 

     With the re-establishment of a U.S. customs station in the airport last month, Hawaiian Airlines launched service between Haneda and Kona International Airports, bringing flights from Japan back to the Big Island for the first time since 2010.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

COFFEE BERRY BORERS, the scourge of Ka`u and Kona coffee farms, have made their way to Maui, according to the state Department of Agriculture. Scott Enright, chair of the state Board of Agriculture, urges all Ka`u, Kona and other coffee farmers with CBB in their fields to “continue to be vigilant and learn about CBB and how infestations can be detected and managed.”
     “Despite strict quarantine rules that have been established on the interisland movement of coffee plants and plant parts from Hawai`i Island, CBB infestations have been extremely difficult to contain,” said Enright.

Coffee berry borers and ride from one farm to another
on burlap bags used in picking and storing coffee.
Photo from konacoffeefarmers.org

     The statement describes coffee berry borer as “a serious pest of coffee that was first detected in the state in Kona in 2010.”
       Speculation is that it arrived in bags of imported coffee used to mix with Kona coffee for blended brands. From Kona, the borer made its way to Ka`u, possibly on coffee bags, on the clothing of coffee pickers and on vehicles going back and forth between coffee farms in Ka`u and milling and roasting operations and farms in Kona.
     The spread to Maui was suspected when coffee berry borer was detected in December on a coffee farm in Kipahulu. A neighbor of the 13-acre farm reported possible CBB to an extension agent at the University of Hawai`i, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources on Maui. Entomologists at the Hawai`i Department of Agriculture confirmed that it was coffee berry borer.
     UH-CTAHR reports that the entire Maui farm where the borer was detected has been found to be infested with CBB, which indicates the infestation has been there for some time.
     Earlier in November, 2016, a resident in Hana contacted HDOA about CBB in two backyard coffee trees. Those backyard trees were stripped of all coffee berries and fallen cherries have been collected and frozen to kill CBB. HDOA continues to monitor CBB traps at that site. Although the Kipahulu farm and the Hana residence are about 12 miles apart; it is not known if the two infestations are related.
     The state Department of Agriculture surveys have been conducted in West Maui, Iao Valley and Waikapu, and CBB has not been detected in those areas. Its Plant Quarantine Branch is also working on expanding quarantine protocol for movement of coffee plants and plant parts from Maui to uninfested areas.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Republican Paul Cook and Democrat Tulsi Gabbard both
introduced the HIRE Vets Act this week.

THE HIRE VETS ACT OF 2017 was introduced into Congress this week by the Democrat, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and the Republican, Paul Cook. The bipartisan bill was previously introduced and passed the House with unanimous support in November 2016, but the Senate was unable to pass it before the end of the year.
      The legislation would promote private sector recruiting, hiring, and retaining of men and women who served honorably in the U.S. military through a voluntary and effective program. It would create an award program recognizing the meaningful, verifiable efforts undertaken by employers – both large and small – to hire and retain veterans. Cook and Gabbard designed the program to be self-funded.
       Through the U.S. Department of Labor, the HIRE Vets Act would allow businesses to display “HIRE Vets Medallions” on products and marketing materials. These medallions would be awarded as part of a four-tiered system – Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum – associated with specific hiring and retention goals each year.   
     The program also establishes similar tiered awards for small and mid-sized businesses with less than 500 employees. To ensure proper oversight, the Secretary of Labor would be required to provide Congress with annual reports on the success of the program with regard to veteran employment and retention results.        

     Said Gabbard, “Roughly 500 veterans return to civilian life every single day, joining the more than 2.9 million veterans that have returned home since 9/11. While we’ve taken some important steps to encourage employers to hire more veterans, more than 400,000 veterans across the country are still unemployed today. Through their service, veterans develop unique skills, experiences, and leadership training that make them especially valuable to employers. The HIRE Vets Act incentivizes employers to hire veterans, and recognizes employers that provide a supportive work environment to retain veteran employees. I encourage our colleagues to join us in passing this bill unanimously again to move this support for our veterans and employers forward.”
       Gabbard's Republican partner for introducing the bill, Paul Cook, said, “The HIRE Vets Act is an opportunity for Americans to see which companies truly live up to the employment promises they make to veterans. Veterans who serve this country honorably shouldn’t struggle to find employment, and this bill creates an innovative system to encourage and recognize employers who make veterans a priority in their hiring practices.”
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

CLAY HIGH-FIRE SERIES on Sundays beginning Jan. 8 at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Space limited. Fee. 967-8222.

MEDICINE FOR THE MIND. Buddhist healing meditation teaching for beginners through advanced, Volcano Art Center, Sunday, Jan. 8 at 4 p.m.. Free. 985-7470.

SENIOR ID's available, Monday, Jan. 9 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Pahala Housing Center and 11 a.m. to noon at Na`alehu Community Center. For residents 60 and older. 928-3100.

www.kaucalendar.com

Ka`u News Briefs Friday, Jan. 6, 2017

Sen. Mazie Hirono meets with Secretary of Defense nominee General James Mattis today in Washington, D.C.
Photo from the Office of Sen. Mazie Hirono

SEN. MAZIE HIRONO SECURED A COMMITTMENT from General James Mattis today to continue to strengthen America’s strategic interests in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region if he is confirmed to serve as the next Secretary of Defense under President-elect Donald Trump.
     “Hawai`i has a huge role to play in our strategic interests in the Indo-Asia-Pacific. General Mattis assured me that he shares my perspective that our actions and continued presence in the region are of critical importance to national security,” Hirono said.
     Hirono also pressed Secretary of Defense nominee to pledge to combat sexual assault in the military and to prevent retaliation against any soldier that lodges a complaint. “I have been very vocal in my support of making sure that we prevent and prosecute sexual assault in the military,” Hirono said. “I asked General Mattis to address allegations of sexual assault in an effective way, and to take action to prevent retaliation that occurs all too often when these crimes are reported.”
    Hirono identified a number of areas of concern in her meeting with the General, saying she will also address them directly during his confirmation hearing.
     “I continue to have serious concerns about how the incoming Trump administration will repair the damage caused by the President-elect’s comments about our Asian allies during his campaign, and his approach to conflicts in the Middle East. I look forward to asking these and other questions during General Mattis’ confirmation hearing."
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Rear Admiral Craig Faller presents Senator Hirono with the Navy Distinguished 

Public Service Award. Left to right: Lieutenant Joe Buckley, Lieutenant Kaitlyn Bower,

 Colonel Andrew Mills, Rear Admiral Craig Faller, Senator Hirono, 

Captain Sara Joyner, Ms. Sandra Latta. Photo from Office of Sen. Mazie Hirono

THE DEPTARTMENT OF THE NAVY HONORED SEN. MAZIE HIRONO today for her advocacy for Navy and Marine Corps service members. Rear Admiral Craig Faller, on behalf of Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, presented the U.S. Senator with the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest honor that the Secretary of the Navy can award to a civilian who is not employed by the Navy.
    “It is an honor to fight for Navy and Marine Corps service members in Hawai`i and around the world,” said Hirono. “We will continue to work closely together to advance Hawai`i’s key role in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Rebalance, and to support service members, Navy and Marine Corps civilian employees, and their families.”
     Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said, "This award was presented to recognize Senator Hirono's tremendous support for our Sailors and Marines and her forceful advocacy for the resources needed to maintain a strong Navy and Marine Corps. We are fortunate to have such a dedicated leader in the U.S. Senate.”
     Hirono is the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower, which oversees Navy and Marine Corps programs.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

MAYOR HARRY KIM'S APPOINTMENTS to date for department heads in his Hawai`i County administration have  almost all passed unanimously, with seven receiving County Council approval on Thursday. The department heads are:

Mike Yee

COUNTY OF HAWAI`I DIRECTOR OF FINANCE: The mayor chose a private industry professional, Collins Tomei, who had worked in banking since 1984, most recently as branch manager of Territorial Savings Bank in Hilo. Tomei holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from University of Hawaii - Manoa.

COUNTY OF HAWAI`I DIRECTOR OF PLANNING: Mike Yee, with a background in affordable housing and helping community members build assets and achieve economic security, was the mayor's choice. He recently left his post as Senior Director of Housing and Property Services for the YWCA in Seattle. Yee has over 27 years of property and asset management experience, working in public, private, non-profit and corporate sectors. In the early 1990s, Yee initiated community meetings with the Seattle Police Department in the Chinatown International District with help from Seattle Neighborhood Group. He has worked with the Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority. Yee earned his Bachelor of Arts in in Architecture and Urban Planning from the University of Washington and a Master of Business Administration from Seattle University. His wife is from Hilo.

Diane Ley, with a strong background in agriculture, is the new
Director of Research & Development for Hawai`i County.
Photo from U.S. Department of Agriculture

COUNTY OF HAWAI`I DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT: The mayor chose a person with a career in the  agricultural research and assisting farmers and ranchers in Hawai`i. Diane Ley was the U.S. Departmnet of Agriculture Executive Director for its Farm Service Agency in the Pacific Basin. She worked as deputy chair for the state Board of Agriculture and as administrative assistant for the Hawi`i Farm Bureau Federation statewide office in Honolulu. In the private sector, she has run a Volcano vegetable farm.

COUNTY OF HAWAI`I PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR: The mayor chose engineer Frank DeMarco who worked with the county for seven years, with experience in floodplain management, and as Environmental Management Director. In California, he worked more more than two-and-a-half decades for a water quality board.

COUNTY OF HAWAI`I  DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: The mayor selected civil and chemical engineer Bill Kucharski. During his career of four decades, Kucharski served in such positions as the head of the Departmnet of Environmental Quality for the state of Louisiana. He also headed a program after the 1980 Middle East War in which Kuwait made claims against Iraq for damages against its infrastructure and people.

Corporate Counsel has the tough job of serving both
the administration and County Council.
Joe Kamelmela is the nominee.
Photo from County of Hawai`i

COUNTY OF HAWAI`I DIRECTOR OF PARKS & RECREATION. The mayor brought back Charmaine Kamaka, parks director under former mayor Lorraine Inouye. With 20 years of government service, Kamaka has also been a program specialist with the county Department of Human Resources.

COUNTY OF HAWAI`I DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION & PLANNING: The mayor chose Jules Ung who worked at Research Corp. at University of Hawai`i and more recently as a contractor on such projects as a EnVision Maunakea website to promote and inspire community online discussions about Maunakea's future.

COUNTY OF HAWAI`I MANAGING DIRECTOR: The mayor chose Wil Okabe who was confirmed in December.

COUNTY OF HAWAI`I CORPORATE COUNSEL: The mayor has nominated Joe Kamelamela, who worked in the county Office of Corporate Counsel from 1987 to 2014, including a stint as Senior Deputy Corporate Counsel. Several council members talked about the difficulty of the Corporate Counsel position requiring the attorney to serve two masters, the mayor and the council. The council members voted 7-2 to keep his appointment alive and had numerous questions for Kamelamela. The questioning will continue ton Jan. 25 before deciding on the mayor's nomination.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

DIETRICH VAREZ ILLUSTRATIONS of Hawaiian folklore and customs of the islands as well as stories from Pele's heartland go on display Saturday, Jan. 7 at Volcano Art Center Gallery.

MAUNA LOA SOUTHWEST RIFT ZONE hike to the overlook on Upper Palm Trail, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, near Ocean View.

CLAY HIGH-FIRE SERIES  on Sundays beginning Jan. 8 at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Space limited. Fee. 967-8222.

www.kaucalendar.com

MEDICINE FOR THE MIND. Buddhist healing meditation teaching for beginners through advanced, Volcano Art Center, Sunday, Jan. 8 at 4 p.m.. Free. 985-7470.

SENIOR ID's available, Monday, Jan. 9 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Pahala Housing Center and 11 a.m. to noon at Na`alehu Community Center. For residents 60 and older. 928-3100.
'