Kaʻū News Briefs April 14, 2024

Journey to the Summit begins this Saturday at Kīlauea Visitor Center. Photo by Janice Wei

NATIONAL PARK WEEK BEGINS THIS SATURDAY, April 20 and runs through April 29. It begins with a fee-free day and an event called Journey to the Summit. Families can go to Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai to pick up an adventure pack and directions to activity stations located within a half-mile of the visitor center. Each station features a challenge and a dice roll to guide the quest. Complete the required tasks and return to the welcome tent to claim a prize. For other NP Week and April events, visit the park calendar: https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/calendar.htm.

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The anti-chicken fighting bill failed in the 2024 Hawai'i Legislature.
Photo from Animal Wellness Association

STATE LAWS TO FUTHER CRIMINALIZE CHICKEN FIGHTING with stiff fines and arrests in Hawai'i died in the state Senate and is unlikely to be revived this year, according to state Sen. Tim Richards. He said that the bill became caught up in concerns that people selling and buying chicks, feed, vitamins and other products used to raise legal meat chickens and egglayers could be caught up in prosecutions involving the feeding of illegal game chickens used for fighting and gambling.
    The bill would have made it a felony to take a child to a cock fight, to buy and sell fighting chickens and it would be a crime to possess chicken fighting paraphernalia.

    The state Public Defender testified against the bill, pointing to the long history of chicken fighting in Hawai'i, and called it part of the culture. Those testifying against it called in animal cruelty and pointed to the illegal gambling associated with chicken fighting.

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BRIEF ROLLING OUTAGES BY HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC occurred Sunday night on Hawai'i Island, when 21,557 customers around the island experienced a 30-minute outage starting at 8:54 p.m. and ending at 9:59 p.m. "due to a generator shortfall."
    Hawaiian Electric announced ahead of the outages that the emergency outages are to impact various areas around the island. Timing is to depend on customer usage and available generation. Customers are asked to conserve electricity. The utility is asking residential and business customers on Hawai'i Island to

reduce their electricity use also on Monday to prevent the need for additional rolling outages.
Hawaiian Electric stated that "Conservation helps ensure that enough power is available for all customers. Suggestions include turning off air conditioners and unneeded lighting, shutting off water heaters and pumps, and delaying activities like cooking, showering, laundry, and dishwashing until late in the evening.
    "The request for conservation is prompted by the unavailability of several large generators. Hawaiian Electric's Hill 5 steam unit tripped offline Saturday. Its Puna steam unit and CT-1 combustion turbine unit also are under repair. Its Keahole CT-5 unit is expected to return from annual overhaul by the end of April. These units generate about 62 megawatts combined. In addition, independent power producer Hamakua Energy is offline. The island's largest generator provides up to 60 megawatts to the grid. In addition, wind and solar resources are forecast to be lower than normal.
    Last month, Hawaiian Electric urged residential and business customers to conserve energy through the end of April due to the unavailability of several large generators. "Conservation helps ensure that enough power is available for all customers, especially between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. when electricity use is highest." Tips and resources are available on the company's website hawaiianelectric.com/hawaiiislandupdate.
    Conservation and rolling outage alerts and updates are posted on the company's Facebook (HawaiianElectric) and X (@HIElectricLight accounts. Hawai'i County Civil Defense also sends emergency alerts through local radio and its Everbridge emergency notification system.

    For more information, visit hawaiianelectric.com or follow Hawaiian Electric's X account @HIElectricLight. 

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Kaʻū News Briefs April 13, 2024

Kāhuli, Hawaiian land snails, have been named official land snails for specific Hawaiian Islands.

Photo from DLNR

NINE OF THE 750 NATIVE HAWAIIAN LAND SNAIL SPECIES have become the official snails of the state with Hini Hini Kua Mauna becoming the official snail of Hawai'i Island. Called kāhuli, pupukanioe, and polole in Hawaiian language, Hawaiian land snails' "ornate shells once blanketed the trees of Hawai‘i with a presence so abundant some believe the kāhuli’s song was composed by the wind swirling through their shells," according to the ‘ōlelo no‘eau, ke kāhuli leo le‘a o ka nahele. Kāhuli are described in hula, mo‘olelo, oli, and i‘ōlelo no‘eau.
    State Department of Land & Natural Resources reports that kāhuli's "adaptive radiation of approximately 750 species across the Hawaiian islands is an ecological spectacle, elucidating theories of evolution and island biogeography. Unfortunately, scientists estimate up to 90 percent of this diversity has vanished as a result of introduced invasive predators, habitat loss, over collection and climate change. Since 2012, the Hawaii Snail Extinction Prevention Program has attempted "to reverse the extinction of this species and return healthy populations to Hawaii’s forests for future generations to enjoy," states the DLNR message at https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/ecosystems/sepp/.
    Hawai‘i Snail Extinction Prevention Program is a partnership between U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Hawai’i Department of Land & Natural Resources-Division of Forestry & Wildlife and University of Hawai‘i. The program secures rare and endangered snail species through the integration of novel captive rearing methods, on the ground management of wild populations and coordination with partner groups to align rare snail conservation objectives and management techniques across islands and entities.  

Gov. Josh Green signed legislation on Friday, naming an official land snail for each island.
Photo from DLNR

    On Friday, Gov. Josh Green signed legislation designating an official state kāhuli, or snail, for each of the main Hawaiian islands, as well as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. In a ceremony at Washington Place, he signed into law House Bill 1899, which recognizes nine native snail species as state snails.    “Land snails are among the most threatened creatures in the world, with more recorded extinctions than birds and mammals combined,” said Green. “Last year, I proclaimed the ‘Year of the Kāhuli’ to help bring attention to the plight of our native snails, which in Hawaiian culture have significant roles in mele, hula, and oli. They are symbols of romance and omens. That we have so many youth who fought hard for this legislation gives me great hope for Hawaiʻi’s future.”

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Brad Watanabe of The Green mentors Kaʻū music award winners.
Photo from Kendall Calumpit

MUSICIANS FROM KAʻŪ HIGH & PĀHALA ELEMENTARY earned a mentoring session on O'ahu from guitarist, pianist, music producer Brad Watanabe of the band The Green. On Friday, Kendall Calumpit, Kaileo Kane-Broadfoot and Emil Soriano, Jr. traveled to O'ahu and Ko Olina Four Seasons Hotel as winners in the HI Sessions, SPARX Hawai'i Music Contest.

    They performed and received recommendations from Watanabe, along with meeting other winners of the music competition from around the state and touring the Four Seasons hotel, including the Presidential Suite with its own theater, said Calumpit.

    SPARX "is a musical talent search throughout four Kaʻū-Keaʻau-Pāhoa schools to platform budding artists and encourage them to create their own path in life." See www.sparxhi.com.

     

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THE PUNALU'U DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL EXTENDED PUBLIC HEARING has been set for

Monday, May 6 at the County Building Council Chambers in Hilo. Those who were turned away at the end of day during the March hearing will be allowed to testify first. There will also be testimony allowed through zoom.
The hearing is before the Windward Planning Commission, which is tasked with whether or not to issue a Special Management Area permit to allow the proposed Black Sand, LLC development, including 225 accommodations set back a quarter mile from the shore, makai of Hwy 11 at Punalu'u, commercial enterprise near Black Sand Beach and other renovations and expansions of the old Sea Mountain resort there.
In March, 80 persons spoke in opposition and eight for the SMA approval.
Malama Punalu'u has announced protest events and is encouraging those opposed to join a caravan to Hilo and to testify against the proposal.
Center for Biological Diversity's Maxx Phillips, along with Guy Enriques, Nohealani Ka'awa, and Elsa Kalanikauleleiaiwi Dedman, have filed a petition seeking a contested case about the SMS matter before the Planning Commission.

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TROJANS VARSITY BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL this week saw Honoka'a win in baseball 7-6 over   Kaʻū on Saturday. Honoka'a also won the softball game 32-1. On Wednesday, Kaʻū beat Pahoa 3-1 in baseball and Pahoa beat Kaʻū 15-6, reports Athletic Director Jaime Guerpo.

CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION Submission Deadline is Monday, April 15 for Kaʻū's high school students. The winning artwork will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol in the Cannon tunnel, on House.gov's Congressional Art Competition page and Rep. Jill Tokuda's website and social media pages. Submit photo of completed art and student release form to Shaun Kim at Shaun.Kim@mail.house.gov. Mail or deliver physical artwork by Friday April 19 at 5 p.m. to the office of Rep. Jill Tokuda at Topa Financial Center, 700 Bishop St. Suite 1902, Honolulu, HI 96813. For more information (808) 746-6220.

      

    

IN GIRLS SOFTBALL on Saturday, 32-1 Honokaa wins

Baseball 

7-6 Honokaa wins

Kaʻū News Briefs April 12, 2024

THE THIRD HAWAI'I SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT WILL BE HELD on Thursday, Friday and Saturday May 2 - 4 at the Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa. A statement from Hawai'i County says the event is about "Community leaders called to convene in a series of events celebrating a collective commitment to building a sustainable Hawai'i." It is organized in collaboration with Hawaiʻi Green Growth Local 2030 Hub, Aloha+ Challenge, and Friends of the Future and "aims to unite like-minded organizations, individuals, and the youth of Hawaiʻi in a shared mission to achieve our  six priority Hawaiʻi sustainability goals. "These goals are Natural Resource Management, Smart Sustainable Communities, Solid Waste Reduction, Clean Energy Transformation, Local Food and Green Workforce & Education.

     Ideas for Smart, Sustainable Communities ithat came out of last year's summit include:

     Rezone to allow multi-generational housing and residential and commercial zones nearby each other;

    Create an employer working group to analyze housing needs over lifetime;

    Meaningfully engage communities throughout the State and County Request for Proposals, procurement process;
    Revise affordable housing policies;
    Set up neighborhood board systems to make sustainable communities community-driven;
    Survey major organizations to gauge investment/projects in the next 5 yrs to find synergies in sustainability;
    Develop affordable living plan (as opposed to looking only at affordable housing) and socialize it with all key stakeholders;
    Allow communities to themselves define sustainable development, align regulatory processes;
    Take advantage of HRS 46-15 to pilot an affordable housing project in a location where people work;
    Fast-track permitting to achieve smart sustainable communities.

    Mayor Mitch Roth said, "We're thrilled to reconvene for the Hawaiʻi Sustainability Summit, where leaders and community members collaborate to shape a sustainable future for our island home. This year's discussions will focus on transforming insights into actionable strategies that preserve our natural and
cultural resources while enhancing our residents' overall quality of life. Together, we're committed to securing a sustainable Hawaiʻi Island where our keiki can raise their keiki for generations to come."
    As part of the initiative, Hawai'i County will present the following events for keiki to kupuna to engage throughout the summit:
    Working Groups: Building the Foundation for Sustainable Growth. In the lead-up to the Summit,

through April, a series of pre-summit events will provide a dynamic platform for thoughtful engagement and collaboration among participants. These sessions are designed to foster dialogue and develop strategies that align with the sustainability goals that are crucial for the well-being and future of Hawaiʻi Island.
    Youth Congress: Empowering Our Keiki. A centerpiece of this year's Summit is the inaugural Youth Congress, an innovative gathering that will bring students from across Hawaiʻi together "to voice their perspectives and contribute to the collective vision for our island home." It will be held on Thursday, May 2 at Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa , 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

    The Summit: Culminating in Collective Action. "The Summit itself will serve as the culmination of these engagements, synthesizing the insights from both the Youth Congress and various working groups. In a tradition of honoring past Summits, the event will create an environment ripe for discussion, debate, and most importantly, the formation of a collective agreement on the sustainable path forward for Hawaiʻi Island." It will be held on Friday, May 3 at Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa,| 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

    Community Celebration: Showcasing Our Achievements. To cap off the Summit, a celebration presented by Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa will provide an opportunity for participants and the wider community to connect, spotlight achievements, unveil future plans, and celebrate the spirit of collective effort toward sustaining Hawaiʻi.
    The County statement says, "Hawaiʻi Sustainability Summit 2024 is a movement towards a sustainable and prosperous future for Hawaiʻi Island. The program of events is open to all who share in the vision of sustainability, community, and collective action." For more information on how to participate in the Summit or attend the pre-summit events and Celebration, visit the website or contact  directly. It will be held May 3 at Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa, 5:30 p.m – 8:30 p.m.

    Events are free to the public. For more information see https://hisustainabilitysummit.com/

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. See 7,500 copies the mail and on stands.

MAYORAL CANDIDATE SEAULA JR. TUPAI AND COUNTY COUNCIL CANDIDATE Ikaika Kailiawa-Smith came to Pāhala Thursday evening on the campaign trail. They made campaign promises like repairing the Pāhala Fire Station, county and state roads, and creating incentives to grow food. Other promises included new lights and other infrastructure for the ballfields and parks in Pāhala, Nāʻālehu and Ocean View. They promised to solve the school bus problem where there is a shortage of drivers and buses.

    They talked about the challenge of affordable housing.  One approach was making it easier for local people to build their own affordable housing for their families on land they already own. Another strategy was preventing speculation by somehow disallowing "foreigners" to buy homes here. Another was to keep property taxes low from generation to generation so that those inheriting homes here would not be driven away by neighbor's houses being sold at high prices leading to their own property taxes soaring.

Seaula Jr. Tupai, right and Ikaika Kailiawa-Smith,
center, on the campaign trail in Pāhala Thursday.
Photo by Julia Neal

    Tupai said that billionaires such as the Benioffs and Zuckerbergs are "buying up land all over Hawai'i." He said that he would sign any legislation that would advocate for locals being able to afford or buy homes. He said he would also sign legislation limiting vacation rentals that take away local housing.

     Tupai talked about "food independence, noting that if the ships didn't come in with food for Hawai'i, stores would last two to three days. Regenerative farming is the way, said Tupai, suggesting community gardens and county incentives to grow food.

     Regarding the proposed development at Punalu'u, Kailiawa-Smith and Tupai said they oppose it and mentioned the broken down sewage treatment plant and the water system. Candice Ka'awa, property manager at Punalu'u, said the water and sewage systems there continually pass Department of Health and other tests and have not experienced sewage spills or water shortages. She said, given the situation of the property owners having little income from the 100 users to fund the system built for 2,000 units, the owners are doing their best to keep it working. She urged the candidates to check the facts before

Hālau o Maunalei will perform at the hula platform
in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on Saturday at 10 a.m.

overstating the situation. Tupai said he wanted to learn more about the sewer and water systems from Ka'awa and thanked her for speaking up.
    Both Tupai and Kailiaiwa-Smith talked about having more control over public school administration locally. They talked about cutting bureaucracy, overspending in government and the value of having tradesmen and other hands on people in government leadership positions.
    See more at www.votetupai.com.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. See 7,500 copies the mail and on stands.

HULA ARTS WILL BE DEMONSTRATED at the kahua hula platform in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park this Saturday, April 13. Sponsored by Volcano Art Center, it features Kumu Lehua Brayand Hālau o Maunalei. It begins at 10:30 a.m. Free but park entrance fees apply.

TROJANS VARSITY BASEBALL plays Kamehameha. Saturday, April 13 from 1 p.m. at Pāhala Baseball Field.