Kaʻū News Briefs Oct. 16, 2024

 Kaʻū Community Development Plan Action Committee voted on Wednesday to send its research to the Windward Planning Commission to consider CDP compliance by the Punalu'u development proposal for a Special Management Area permit. The package to the Planning Commission will also include the response from the developer and all public testimony.
  Photo by Michelle Chacron

PUNALU'U DEVELOPMENT WAS THE MAIN TOPIC OF KAʻŪ COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ACTION COMMITTEE on Wednesday. The group met in Nāʻālehu and voted to send a letter, testimony and other documents to the rehabilitate and expand the resort with   accommodations. The developers are seeking a Special Management Area permit designed to protect the shoreline. Its approval is in the hands of Windward Planning Commission and is needed for the project to move forward.

    Action Committee members said that most of the project proposed in the SMA permit application is in compliance with the Kaʻū CDP, which identifies Punalu'u as a resort area. Several members stated they are neither for or against the resort. However, the Action Committee said there are some policies that need work in order to align with the CDP. 

    One is a shoreline study that determines setbacks from development; the last study was in the 1980s. Another is preparing a new Environmental Impact Statement since the one on hand is also many decades old. Another is a CDP policy for developers to provide affordable housing in their project plan. The group also pointed to a policy to prevent the disruption of the view from Hwy 11 to the ocean.

Kaʻū Action Committee members, the public and testifiers
at Wednesday's meeting. Photo from Zoom

     Punalu'u Black Sand Beach, LLC consultant Daryn Arai stressed that the infrastructure at Punalu'u is 50 years old and needs some kind of economic engine to fund its repair. He noted that the proposal for some 230 units of resort development is tiny compared to more than 2,000 units in the past. He contended that the  proposed development, which also has commercial businesses, is the minimum number of units that could fund the repair and upkeep of the water and sewer systems on the property.

    Former County Council member Guy Enriques who grew up at Punalu'u and lives at Punalu'u mauka submitted testimony and urged the Action Committee recommend that the Planning Commission not only follow the CDP but also consider overwhelming opposition to the project at protests and two days of public hearings before the Windward Planning Commission.

     Later in the meeting the Action Committee Vice Chair Hanoa said he listens to the kupuna of the area for direction on Punalu'u and wouldn't be swayed by hundreds or a thousand protesters. He also called non-profits that have preserved and steward land along the coast in Kaʻū the worst thing that has happened, contending they are keeping locals from freely going to the shore except by reservation. He also pointed to jobs that would be created by the resort.

    Most testifiers at the meeting opposed the development, stating that it would change the way of life in Kaʻū, overcrowd the place and damage wildlife and natural resources. A few brought up Hawaiian Kingdom issues and said there are problems with the title to the property.

     See pro and con testimony submitted to the Action Committee in its website records at https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/Weblink/1/fol/88959/Row1.aspx Watch the meetings at the County of Hawai'i's Planning Department Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAFoRMb3rfWLQMPd6TAkEGA.

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HAWAI'I RANKS 15TH IN THE COUNTRY IN POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT, according to a WalletHub study released Wednesday. Top states with the politically engaged are Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington and Montana. The least engaged are Arkansas, Alabama, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Indiana and South Carolina. The Hawai'i study shows that about 44 percent of people 18 to 24 years of age are politically engaged. Those 65 and over are 66.6 percent engaged. By contrast in New Jersey, Wallet Hub reports that 75.3 percent of younger people are engaged politically and 82.6 percent of those over 65 are politically engaged.

Red Flag Warning for wildfires came with
high winds on Wednesday.

    One WalletHub Advisor said, "The strength of the civil society in each state also varies; some states have a variety of nonstate advocacy and interest groups devoted to civic and political engagement, while other states may only have a few."

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DON'T FORGET THE RISK TO PUBLIC DRINKING WATER SYSTEMS WHEN IT COMES TO RED FLAG WARNINGS FOR WILDFIRES. Should Hawaiian Electric shut down an electric grid because of fire risk, through its Public Safety Power Shutoff program, water pumps that depend on the electric company can stop working in some places.
    The Department of Water Supply (DWS) relies on HECO power to operate wells and booster pumps to distribute water to its customers. The understanding is that a PSPS power outage may last hours to days, depending on weather conditions, location and extent of damage.
    DWS uses backup generators at a limited number of well sites, but these emergency generators cannot fully replicate HECO’s power grid. An extended power outage could diminish or deplete portions of DWS’ water systems and leave customers with low pressure or no water. In order to prevent or delay this scenario from occurring, DWS will likely need to restrict, or ration potable water for fire protection, drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene purposes only.
    Car washing, irrigation, and non-essential uses of water should be suspended until all power and water systems have been returned to normal conditions.
DWS strongly urges its customers and those who depend on a continuous supply of DWS water to review their personal situations and prepare accordingly. Customers should have alternate sources of potable water and enough supply to meet their essential needs during a prolonged power outage that disrupts DWS service.
    Ways to safely store drinking water are listed in the Water Emergency Preparedness guide available under the “Community” drop-down menu option on the Department’s website, www.hawaiidws.org. Future water messages regarding this Red Flag Warning and its potential impact on DWS water customers will be issued by either DWS or the Hawai‘i County Civil Defense Agency.

    See more on Department of Water Supply at https://www.hawaiidws.org/  
    To reach DWS, call (808) 961-8050 during normal business hours, (808) 961-8790 for after-hour emergencies, or email: dws@hawaiidws.org.

ARBOR DAY FREE GIVEAWAYS WILL BE AT OCEAN VIEW Swap Meet on Saturday, Nov. 2 beginning at 7 a.m. The Swap Meet is on the makai side of Hwy 11 near Malama Market.

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5,000 in the mail, 2,500 on the street.

Kaʻū News Briefs Oct. 15, 2024

Nights of the Atlas Comet

Comet A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS seen over the Pacific Ocean from Chain of Craters Road in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on Monday evening with Hōkūloa (Venus) to the left. See story in Oct. 13

  Kaʻū News Briefs NPS Photo by Janice Wei 

INVASIVE SEAWEEDS ARE REPLACING LIMU IN MANY PLACES IN HAWAI'I, according to a new University of Hawai'i study, which states, "This could have an adverse effect on the seafood we eat to the health of coral reefs." Here is the story from University of Hawai'i News:
    Botanists from the University of Hawaiʻi recently uncovered key survival strategies used by invasive seaweed species in nearshore ecosystems, potentially explaining their dominance over native Hawaiian limu in certain habitats. Nearshore ecosystems extend up to 300 feet offshore, encompassing the shallow coastal waters where land and ocean environments interact and many marine species live and feed.
    An October 2024 study published in Scientific Reports found that invasive species such as “gorilla ogo” and “spiny seaweed” thrive in areas with submarine groundwater discharge, where daily tidal cycles create extreme salinity (salt level) fluctuations.

Invasive gorilla orgo has taken the place of native limu on some reefs in Hawai'i. U.H. photo

    “Understanding how invasive seaweed outcompetes native limu is crucial to furthering our knowledge about reefs and ocean environments,” said Veronica Gibson, a postdoctoral researcher at the UH Mānoa Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology and Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve, and UH Mānoa School of Life Sciences PhD graduate. “These spring-fed coastal areas are unique ecosystems that connect our land use practices directly to ocean health, and what happens to limu—which forms the base of our marine food web—affects everything from the fish we catch to the overall health of our coral reefs.”

Closeup of invasive spiny seaweed. Photo from U.H.

    The research team used advanced plant biology techniques to study how different seaweed species cope with these harsh conditions. Their key method involved measuring how seaweed cells adjust their internal chemistry when exposed to changing salt levels in the water.
    Much like a dried grape swells in water, seaweed cells react to changes in their environment. The scientists found that successful species can quickly change the concentration of dissolved substances inside their cells to match external changes. This ability to regulate internal water pressure is crucial for survival. Seaweed species that can’t adjust quickly enough suffer severe damage—their cells either burst from taking in too much water or shrivel up from losing too much water.

Closeup of native limu maneʻoneʻo. Photo from U.H.

    The invasive species showed remarkable adaptability and developed other survival tactics. Both types showed thinner cell walls in spring-affected areas, while gorilla ogo displayed peak photosynthesis near freshwater springs and developed smaller cells to better handle stress.
    Native species, including limu maneʻoneʻo, were notably absent from spring-influenced areas despite showing similar cellular characteristics to invasive species in offshore environments.
    The findings come as human activity continues to impact watershed systems and submarine groundwater discharge. Submarine groundwater discharge occurs when fresh water from underground aquifers seeps or flows directly into the ocean through the seafloor, creating areas where fresh and saltwater mix near the shore.
    Researchers emphasize the importance of understanding how native species survive in these conditions as changes in water quality and quantity affect nearshore ecosystems, potentially influencing food webs and coral cover. Further research will focus on native limu tolerance and linking findings to watershed management strategies, particularly in areas affected by nutrient pollution from groundwater springs.
    Other authors on the paper are Angelene Dedloff, who earned her bachelor’s degree from the UH Mānoa School of Life Sciences; Kapiʻolani Community College Assistant Professor Lisa Miller; and UH Mānoa School of Life Sciences Professor Celia Smith.
    The Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology is housed in the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, and the School of Life Sciences is housed in the UH Mānoa College of Natural Sciences.

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NANI O KAHUKU LIVING HISTORY PLAY will be live on Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Kahuku unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park at 11 a.m. The encore of Nani o Kahuku is a first-person living history performance, the script taken from the diary of Hannah Piilani Jones (Nani). She was the daughter of George Jones, owner of Kahuku Ranch in the 1870s. It is a lyrical account of life on the ranch, including day-to-day activities as well as historic visits from Hawaiian royalty.

NIGHT-SKY PHOTOGRAPHER STAN HO presents his work on Saturday, Oct 26 at  9:30 a.m. at the Kahuku Unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. He is the National Park Arts Foundation's Artist-in-Residence and will present a talk with a PowerPoint of his photography. His month-long residency will culminate with this program featuring his artistic interpretations of the night skies at Volcano and Kahuku.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com.

5,000 in the mail, 2,500 on the street.

Kaʻū News Briefs Oct. 14, 2024

New restriction on moving palms is the result of invasive Coconut Rhinoceros Beetles. 
Image from state Department of Agriculture

GETTING RID OF INVASIVE COCONUT RHINOCEROS BEETLES is the aim of a new state Department of Agriculture restriction. It prohibits moving the following from infested areas to non-infested areas: Palm plants, decomposing plant material, such as compost, wood or tree chips; mulch; potting soil; other landscaping products that may harbor the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle; Palm trees that are higher than 4 feet - smaller plants can be inspected.

     CRB is a major pest of palms in India, the Philippines, Palau, Fiji, Wallis and Futuna, Nukunono, American and Western Samoa and Guam. It is still not known exactly how the beetles arrived in Hawai‘i.

     All of O'ahu is designated as infested. The Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle was also found in Waikoloa on this island, on Kaua'i and in Kihei, Maui.

    The interim rule was signed last Friday by HDOA Chairperson Sharon Hurd and is effective immediately. It is valid for one year, while HDOA finalizes a permanent rule which is slated to be considered by the Hawai‘i Board of Agriculture later this month.

    Any individual, company, or organization that violates the rule will be charged with a misdemeanor and fined not less than $100 and up to $10,000. Penalties for a second offense committed within five years will require the violator to pay for the cost of clean-up and decontamination fees to remove contaminated materials, as well as the cost to fully eradicate any CRB infestations caused by the violation. Repeat violators will be fined not less than $500 and up to $25,000.
    HDOA’s Plant Quarantine Branch inspectors at all island ports are concentrating efforts on inspections of potential CRB host material transported between islands.
    Residents on all islands are asked to be vigilant when purchasing mulch, compost and soil products, and to inspect bags for evidence of entry holes. An adult beetle is about two inches long, all black and has a single horn on its head. CRB grubs live in decomposing plant and animal waste. Adult CRB prefer to feed on coconut and other larger palms and are a major threat to the health of these plants.

Damage from Rhinoceros Coconut Beetle will kill palm trees and moving plams and other plant materials from infected areas is restricted by state Department of Agriculture. Photo from DOA

    Residents may go to the CRB Response website at: https://www.crbhawaii.org/ to learn more about how to detect the signs of CRB damage and how to identify CRB life stages. Reports of possible CRB infestation may also be made to the state’s toll-free Pest Hotline at 808-643-PEST (7378).

   Surveillance for CRB has been ongoing on all neighbor islands, including pheromone traps at airports, harbors and other strategic locations. The traps are used for early detection of CRB infestations and are being monitored by HDOA, island Invasive Species Committees and the University of Hawai‘i.
    The CRB is a large scarab beetle that was first detected on O‘ahu in 2013. The beetle has since been detected in many neighborhoods on O‘ahu, In May 2023, CRB was detected on Kaua‘i and collaborative eradication efforts continue on the island. On Hawai‘i Island, CRB was detected in a palm tree stump Waikoloa in October 2023 and a single CRB was found dead in a trap last month in that same area. CRB grubs were found in Kīhei, Maui, in November 2023, but have not been detected on the island since.

    CRB is a serious pest of palm trees, primarily coconut palms, as the adult beetles bore into the crowns of the palms to feed on the trees’ sap. New unopened fronds are damaged in this way and when fully opened, may break and fall unexpectedly. .   If CRB kill or damage the growing point of the palm, the tree may die. Secondary fungal or bacterial pathogens may also attack the wounds caused by CRB, thereby killing the tree as well. Tree mortality after CRB attack has been reported to be anywhere from 10 percent to 50 percent. Dead trees then become a safety hazard as they may fall unexpectedly after the trunk rots, potentially resulting in bodily injury or property damage.

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KAʻŪ HIGH BEAT PAHOA IN GIRLS VOLLEYBALL on Monday in four sets. Pahoa took the first set 25-21. Kaʻū Trojans took the second 25-13, the third 25-15 and the fourth 25-15,

     Coach is Josh Ortega, Assistant Coach and JV Coach is Sarah Ortega, Trainer is Moses Whitcomb and Athletic Director is Jaime Guerpo.      

    The varsity team is comprised of Mckenzie Decoito, Leahi Kaupu, Jezerie Rose Nurial-Dacalio, Kiara Ortega-Oliveira, Jazmyn Navarro, Aubrey Delos Santos-Graig, Alajshae Barrios, CaLiya Silva-Kamei and Zia Rae Wroblewski.

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A MARTIAN INVASION is the theme of the radio play this weekend, Oct. 18 – 20 produced by Kilauea Drama & Entertainment Network as a special pre-Halloween treat. KDEN presents the radio play The War of the Worlds at KMC's Koa Room. 

     The War of the Worlds chronicles the events of a Martian invasion narrated by the "breaking news" style of storytelling. Based on the story by H.G. Wells and the radio script by Harold Koch, this updated, localized version of the 1938 classic was adapted by Hal Glatzer,
Under the direction of Suzi Bond, the cast of 14 will bring the excitement and the terror of this classic radio presentation to life. 

    Just like in the 30's the actors will be performing at microphones with scripts and will be creating the sound effects.
    Joel Kelley and Elizabeth Young lead the cast as Professor Pierson and Newscaster Connie DeSilva. They are joined by Arlene Araki, Stephen Bond, Deb Campbell, Lori DeMello, Dick Hershberger, James, Erin and Kendall Haddock, Roch Jones, Ariana Kelley, Alana Kirby-Corbett and Ray Ryan playing numerous roles.
    Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday at 2:30. Tickets are $15 and are available at the door, cash or check only. For more information call 808 982-7344 or email kdenhawaii@gmail.com.

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5,000 in the mail, 2,500 on the street.