Ka`u News Briefs April 30, 2011

Community members joined staff from Ka`u Hospital and Hilo Medical Center at the blessing of the hospital's
new Electronic Medical Records system.  Photo by Elena Cabatu

STATE SENATE COMMITTEES have passed several appropriations measures to balance the budget. One of the bills caps the amount of Transient Accommodations Tax distributed to the counties at $93 million. Before yesterday’s vote, Mayor Billy Kenoi expressed his concern about the bill, saying that it “represents a deep cut into our second largest source of revenue. The Senate draft would hurt all of the counties.” Kenoi proposed that the Senate instead accept the House position, which would have capped the TAT distribution at the 2010 level of about $102 million.
     “From the time of the establishment of the TAT in 1986, the Legislature planned to make the counties beneficiaries of the hotel room tax because lawmakers recognized the importance of county facilities and services to support and enhance the visitor experience,” Kenoi said. The counties use the TAT revenues to provide the police officers, firefighters, lifeguards, water and sewer service, transportation infrastructure and other essential services for visitors.
     Another appropriations bill temporarily suspends general excise tax exemptions and tax breaks for several businesses. That measure had strong opposition from business, but support from social service agencies and government worker unions facing pay cuts.
     Also passed is a bill that moves about $60 million in increased rental car fees to the general fund for a period of one year.
     Bills raising the general excise tax and imposing a tax on pensions of high-income earners have not been approved.
     The full House and Senate vote on the budget bills next week, before adjournment of the Legislature on Thursday.

HELE-ON BUS FARES will be $1 per ride beginning July 1 if Bill 51 is approved by the County Council. Children under age five, senior citizens, individuals with disabilities and students will be exempted. A 25 percent discount will be available for bus passes or bus tickets, the bill says. Tom Brown, the head of the Mass Transit Agency, told the Hawai`i Tribune-Herald that the proposal would raise an estimated $560,000 a year. The bill is on the County Council’s agenda of its meeting on Wednesday, May 4.

Ka`u Coffee farmer Bull Kailiawa; Phillipe Villers,
of GrainPro; and Chris Manfredi, of Ka`u Farm &
Ranch, meet in Houston.  Photo by Julia Neal

GRAINPRO, INC is extending its reach into Hawai`i to provide sealed containers for coffee, seeds and other commodities that need moisture-controlled storage that is perfectly sealed. Chris Manfredi, of Ka`u Farm and Ranch, has been named as the distributor for GrainPro in the state of Hawai`i. GrainPro Organic Storage System inventor Phillipe Villers, of Concord, MA, met with Ka`u Coffee farmer Bull Kailiawa and Manfredi yesterday at the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s annual convention in Houston, where Kailiawa placed in the top ten in the world for his coffee.

WINNERS FROM THE MISS KA`U COFFEE PAGEANT held last Saturday are gracing the Merrie Monarch Parade today. Miss Ka`u Coffee Queen Brandy Shibuya and her court, first Princess Jaeneise Cuison and Second Princess Brandy Eder, are representing the Ka`u Coffee Growers Cooperative in the parade. Also representing Ka`u Coffee are Miss Ka`u Peaberry Rebecca Lynn Kailiawa-Escobar and Young Miss Ka`u Coffee Dayse Meleani Andrade.

Jessica Akana uses the new EMR
system at Ka`u Hospital.
Photo by Elena Cabatu

KA`U HOSPITAL GOES LIVE with its new Electronic Medical Records at midnight tonight. The system replaces paper charting. It also connects with Hilo Medical Center, so that when patients are transferred there, their records are available. Hospital administrator Merilyn Harris also described it as a patient safety tool that flags errors in medications and prevents duplications. The system consists of eight COWs – Computers on Wheels – and three wall-mounted units.

     A blessing for the new system was held yesterday. “The amount of work involved for our staff and the folks at Hilo Medical Center has been really unbelievable, and I am so very grateful to work with such committed staff,” said hospital administrator Merilyn Harris. Pastor Ray Glory, of New Hope Volcano, put the interruptions and inconveniences of setting up the system into perspective. Upon completion of a complex project, “you see gems that were not so bright when you first saw them,” he said. Nona Wilson, Nursing director, called it another new beginning for Ka`u Hospital.

Volcano School of Arts & Sciences is
renovating Keakealani Schoolhouse.

THE VOLCANO COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION is donating $3,000 to the Friends of the Volcano School of Arts & Sciences to help refurbish the historic Keakealani schoolhouse and bring it up to current safety and building code standards. Use of the Keakealani schoolhouse as a regular school ended in 1971 when schools were consolidated, resulting in the busing of children over long distances. The renovations will allow VSAS to move the first increment of students out of the present tent campus and into a permanent building. The target date for the move is this fall. VSAS was established a decade ago after passage of Hawai`i’s New Century Charter Schools Act of 1999. “Once again, the Volcano Community Association leads the way for our growing community, both in spirit and deed,” said Friends spokesman and VCA board member Ross Rammelmeyer.

THE SPRING FLING is happening today in Na`alehu at Punalu`u Bake Shop’s new pavilion. Ka`u artists and artisans are displaying their creations and offering them for sale, giving demonstrations and leading art activities. Entertainment throughout day includes performances by the Ka`u `Ohana Band, the Na`alehu Civic Club Singers, Hands of Time, Keoki Kahumoku and more.

VOLCANO ART CENTER hosts its second annual May Day is Lei Day Festival tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. This free family event is for residents and visitors of all ages to join in the creative and cultural tradition of making and wearing lei.
     Cultural practitioner Loke Kamanu will showcase a display of various lei and assist in hands-on lei making using ti and kui style, using flowers.
     Lei makers of all ages and levels of experience can enter a lei contest. All lei entries become part of a silent auction fundraiser to benefit VAC’s year-round educational offerings.
     Call 967-8222 or visit volcanoartcenter.org for details.

Ka`u News Briefs April 29, 2011

Miss Ka`u Coffee Brandy Shibuya (center), Young Miss Ka`u Coffee Dayse Meleani Andrade (left) and
Miss Ka`u Peaberry Rebecca Lynn Kailiawa-Escobar will join first First Miss Ka`u Coffee Princess Jaeneise Cuison
and Second Miss Ka`u Coffee Princess Brandy Eder on the Ka`u Coffee Growers Cooperative's floats
in the Merrie Monarch Parade tomorrow morning in Hilo.

THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAS PRODUCED the final draft of a two-year budget “that attempts to preserve the most basic of services – core government services – in these trying times,” said Rep. Marcus Oshiro, chair of the House Finance Committee. The budget eliminates state furlough days, including those for schools. Although cuts in Medicaid are included in the budget, there is no cut to the core benefit package of basic monthly benefits to temporary assistance for needy families, said Department of Human Services director Patricia McManaman.

Rep. Marcus Oshiro

     Still to be considered are various appropriations bills to pay for the services. On the table are suspending general excise tax exemptions for businesses, taxing pensions and removing income tax deductions of high-income earners, capping the amount of the Transient Accommodations Tax that goes to the counties and raising the general excise tax.
     The budget now goes to full House and Senate to be voted on before the Legislature adjourns on Thursday.

THE VOLCANO SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES held its third annual Keakealani Walkfest yesterday. Children in grades K – 8 got residents to sponsor them to walk for two to three hours, going distances from three to nine miles, to raise money for the building fund used to prepare the Keakealani School House for classes later this year. Sponsorships were $100 per student or $1,000 per class. More fundraising is being planned.

AT MONDAY’S MEETING of the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce, the proposal for Ka`u’s Highway 11 to be named a Scenic Byway was well received. Rita Pregana, of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit, called Ka`u “the last remaining soul of the Hawaiians.” Dennis Elwell said state approval is expected in late June, at which point the proposal would go to the federal government for approval.
     The Chamber is holding another meeting at Punalu`u Bake Shop on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Applications for new board members are being accepted. Interested parties can join the meeting, call the Chamber at 939-8449 or Marge Elwell at 929-7236, or send resumes to PO Box 6710, Ocean View 96737.

ABOUT A DOZEN KA`U COFFEE farmers and representatives are attending the Specialty Coffee Association of America convention in Houston. The are making contacts with coffee buyers from all over the world and learning about sustainability, marketing, farm practices, roasting and tasting. Paradise Meadows Orchard & Bee Farm, Rusty’s Hawaiian 100% Ka`u Coffee, Kailiawa Coffee and Ka`u Farm & Ranch are some of the participating organizations. 

KAHU 91.7 FM is looking for local residents who are interested in walking alongside the station’s turtle car and banner in the Merrie Monarch Parade tomorrow morning. Call the KAHU office at 935-8874 or Wendell Ka`ehu`ae`a at 640-1435 to sign up.

First Miss Ka`u Coffee Princess
Jaeneise Cuison in the
Gown Competition.

Second Miss Ka`u Coffee Princess
Brandy Eder in the
Gown Competition.

THE KA`U COFFEE GROWERS COOPERATIVE is also preparing for the Merrie Monarch Parade. Their two floats will showcase winners from the Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant held last Saturday. Miss Ka`u Coffee Queen Brandy Shibuya will be accompanied by her court, first Princess Jaeneise Cuison and Second Princess Brandy Eder. Also representing Ka`u Coffee will be Miss Ka`u Peaberry Rebecca Lynn Kailiawa-Escobar and Young Miss Ka`u Coffee Dayse Meleani Andrade. 

KA`U SCHOOL OF THE ARTS hosts the Spring Fling at Punalu`u Bake Shop’s new pavilion tomorrow beginning at 9 a.m. Opening the day will be the Ka`u `Ohana Band, playing patriotic and inspiring marches. The Na`alehu Civic Club Singers, Hands of Time and Keoki Kahumoku and more will perform. Ka`u artists and artisans will display their creations and offer them for sale, give demonstrations and lead art activities.

Jim "Kimo" West
Photo by Kristine Slipson

JIM “KIMO” WEST PLAYS slack key guitar at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village tonight at 7 p.m. Special guests Dennis and Christy Soares also perform. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Call 967-8222. 

     Also at VAC’s Niaulani Campus is the second annual May Day is Lei Day Festival on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cultural practitioner Loke Kamanu will showcase a display of various lei and assist in hands-on lei making using ti and kui style, using flowers. Lei makers of all ages and levels of experience can enter a lei contest. All lei entries become part of a silent auction fundraiser to benefit VAC’s year-round educational offerings.
     Call 967-8222 or visit volcanoartcenter.org for details.

Ka`u News Briefs April 28, 2011

The Ka`u `Ohana Band will open the Spring Fling at Punalu`u Bake Shop's new pavilion on Saturday.

COUNCIL MEMBER BRITTANY SMART has issued a fact sheet about her resolution to delay Council action on general plan amendments and rezoning applications in Ka`u. When she introduced the resolution, the Council rescheduled it to give the Ka`u CDP Steering Committee members and the community time to understand what it does and does not do.
     Smart’s resolution calls for the County Council to wait until the Ka`u CDP is complete, or until December 31, 2012, whichever comes first, before approving general plan amendments and rezoning applications.
     The fact sheet says the resolution does not affect subdivision proposals, special permit applications and variances, “since Planning and Public Works Department permits and approvals do not come before the Council.”
     It also says it does not affect the Ocean View transfer station project or `Aina Koa Pono’s biofuel proposal in Pahala, “which does not need any County Council approval.”
     Smart said a District 6 Matters meeting to be held in June will focus on her Resolution 60-11, and the County Council Planning Committee will consider it on Monday, July 6.
     Call Smart at 961-8536 for more information.

Daniel Elmore, a trainee from last year's Summer Youth
Employment Program, guides visitors at
Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

KUPONO MCDANIEL, Supervisor Ranger of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, says the park will be training 22 pre-selected high school juniors and seniors for summer employment. However, the park will only have enough funding and space to hire 10 of these individuals. McDaniel hopes the other 12 trainees will be hired on by other organizations or become volunteer rangers at the park. Hawai`i Community Foundation donated $25,000 to the park’s effort. Some of the young rangers will be repeats from last year’s program, which Joan Rubin helped write the grant for. Jorge Zamudio, a participant in last year’s Summer Youth Employment Program at the park and now full-time employee as an Intern through KUPU, will be a mentor once the trainees start working. Classroom training will be held this spring after school on Fridays from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. by rangers and biologists such as Adrian Boone, Dean Gallagher, and John Stallman. Once their training is complete, John Replogle, of The Nature Conservancy, will take the trainees on a camping excursion. 

INSPIRED BY REP. BOB HERKES’ April fundraiser for Hawai`i tsunami relief, Tesoro Hawai`i has donated $5,000 in gasoline cards to be administered by the Hualalai Ohana Foundation to needy families and individuals. The foundation is also contacting companies to assist in providing for basic necessities to those still recovering from the tsunami. 

KAHU 91.7 FM is looking for local residents who are interested in walking alongside the station’s turtle car and banner in the Merrie Monarch Parade. The parade is this Saturday morning. Call the KAHU office at 935-8874 or Wendell Ka`ehu`ae`a at 640-1435 to sign up.

TO MARK THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY of the local sugar mill closing down, a Ka`u Plantation Days celebration is being planned for Saturday, August 20. Under the trees at the Old Manager’s House in Pahala, there will be displays, food, demonstrations, music and dance by the people of Ka`u. Those interested in taking part and sharing stories, songs, photos, films and skills can call Ka`u Plantation Days Committee members at 928-9811, 928-0303 or 928-8478. 

Bull Kailiawa at his Ka`u Coffee farm.

KA`U COFFEE FARMER Bull Kailiawa is in Houston, Texas, representing Ka`u at the Specialty Coffee Association of America convention. His coffee was chosen as the best coffee in Hawai`i and the U.S. at the convention and placed as one of the top ten coffees in the world. 

COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER BRITTANY SMART holds a District 6 Matters meeting tonight at 7 p.m. at Cooper Center in Volcano. Fire Chief Darryl Oliveira answers questions from the public about Fire Department issues and services.

KA`U SCHOOL OF THE ARTS hosts the Spring Fling at Punalu`u Bake Shop’s new pavilion on Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. Opening the day will be the Ka`u `Ohana Band, playing patriotic and inspiring marches. Other performers include the Na`alehu Civic Club Singers, Hands of Time and Keoki Kahumoku. Ka`u artists and artisans will display their creations and offer them for sale, give demonstrations and lead art activities.

VOLCANO ART CENTER hosts its second annual May Day is Lei Day Festival this Sunday, May 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at its Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. This free family event is for residents and visitors of all ages to join in the creative and cultural tradition of making and wearing lei.
     Cultural practitioner Loke Kamanu will showcase a display of various lei and assist in hands-on lei making using ti and kui style, using flowers.
     Lei makers of all ages and levels of experience can enter a lei contest. All lei entries become part of a silent auction fundraiser to benefit VAC’s year-round educational offerings.
     Call 967-8222 or visit volcanoartcenter.org for details.

THE DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES for the Ka`u Coffee recipe contest has been extended to Saturday, May 7. Applications are available online at www.kaucoffeefest.com. Contact Michelle Galimba at 430-4927 or mgalimba@kuahiwiranch.com for more information.

Ka`u News Briefs April 27, 2011

Students from Wai`ohinu Hula Studio and Lori Lei's Hula Studio under the direction of kumu hula Lori Lei Shirakawa
performed at Volcano Art Center's May Day is Lei Day Festival 2010.  Photo courtesy of VAC

RESIDENTS OF KA`U ARE BEING SOUGHT exclusively to fill new jobs at the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Applicants must have maintained permanent residence in Ka`u for a minimum of six years. 

Guides and other workers are being sought from the Ka`u community
at Kahuku.  Photo Courtesy of Hawai`i Volcanoes Nat'l Park

     Positions available are park guides and laborers. Park guides are part-time, and laborers are both part- and full-time. All positions are temporary, not to exceed one year.
     The open period to submit applications is through May 17. First cut-off will be May 3. Applications must be received by this cut-off date to receive first consideration.
     A Certificate of Referrals will be created and forwarded to the selecting official after the cut-off date of May 3. Announcements may be obtained from HAVO_Personnel@nps.gov or the Kahuku entrance gate sign board. Information and announcements will also be available at the Kahuku Unit when it is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

The Miloli`i Lawai`a `Ohana will explore Miloli`i from
Ho`opuloa Beach to Kapu`a Bay.  Photo by Julia Neal

PA`A PONO MILOLI`I, INC. will host the 2011 Miloli`i Lawai`a `Ohana Camp from June 6 to 9 at Ho`opuloa Beach in Miloli`i. This year’s four-day, three-night camp is open to children ages 10 to 15 years old and their families. It will focus on Marine Conservation and Fish Sustainability. Camp activities include an `opelu fishing project, proper practices for fish sustainability, hiking to Kapu`a Bay, a holua slide and archaeological tour, wana and `opihi gathering and cultivation, throw-net fishing and more. The camp will incorporate the `ohana unit in which `opio, makua and kupuna will be involved in the activities. 

     The camp is free to families in the South Kona and Ka`u areas through a grant made possible from Conservation International. Participation is extremely limited. Interested families can contact Kaimi Kaupiko at 937-1310, Lei Kaupu at 217-0585 or email miloliilawaiacamp@gmail.com for more information. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, May 11.

University of Hawai`i College of Pharmacy students held a
 Health Fair at Miloli`i and offered free screenings to
everyone, including Sen. Gil Kahele. 

THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI`I at Hilo College of Pharmacy is looking toward creating a calendar of health fairs in Ka`u and around the island. Students representing Phi Delta Chi, a professional pharmacy fraternity with more than 43,000 pharmacists and student members nationwide, held a Health Screening and Fair at the Miloli`i Halau on Saturday. The event included free blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol screenings, brown bag medication reviews, diet, lifestyle and health information, food, and more. Prabu Segaran, a second-year pharmacy student from the Class of 2013, coordinated the event. “We’re honored to help people to improve their health,” Segaran said. 

LOCAL RESIDENTS can help with a vog study funded by the Centers for Disease Control with help from the University of Hawai`i Medical School. Community researchers Jodi Adams, Rochele Gacayan, Sandy Helm-Anderson and Theresa Richardson are inviting a dozen people from Ka`u and a dozen people from Volcano who have been prescribed rescue inhalers into a special study of the respiratory effects of vog. The study will help participants find out whether vog reacts with other factors to affect their breathing and lung function. They will teach study participants how to record their symptoms and measures of lung function. Participants will learn some things about their asthma or COPD that aren’t always offered even in the doctor’s office: lung volumes and flows (spirometry), exhaled carbon monoxide and nitric oxide, allergy skin tests and whether there are allergy cells in the bloodstream. Then they attach a special device called a SpiroScout to their inhaler that will record the date, time, and GPS location when the inhaler is used. Anyone interested in joining the study contact Dr. Tam at 808-586-2910 or tameliza@hawaii.edu.

RANGER JASON ZIMMER, SR. shares the art of making poi, or ku`i kalo, today from 10 a.m. to noon on the lanai of Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Park entrance fees apply.

COUNCIL MEMBER BRITTANY SMART holds a District 6 Matters meeting Thursday at 7 p.m. at Cooper Center in Volcano. Fire Chief Darryl Oliveira answers questions from the public about Fire Department issues and services.

KA`U SCHOOL OF THE ARTS hosts the Spring Fling at Punalu`u Bake Shop’s new pavilion this Saturday, April 30, beginning at 9 a.m. Performers include the Na`alehu Civic Club Singers, the Ka`u `Ohana Band, Hands of Time, Keoki Kahumoku and others. Ka`u artists and artisans will display their creations and offer them for sale, give demonstrations and lead art activities. 

A lei contest is part of Volcano Art Center's
May Day is Lei Day Festival this Sunday.

VOLCANO ART CENTER hosts the second annual May Day is Lei Day Festival this Sunday, May 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at VAC’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. This free family event is for residents and visitors of all ages to join in the creative and cultural tradition of making and wearing lei, which is deeply rooted in the Hawaiian culture. In 1928, artist and writer Don Blanding suggested that the people of the islands recapture the spirit of lei wearing and celebrate May 1 as “Lei Day.” VAC is honored to keep the unique customs and traditions surrounding lei alive. 

THE DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES for the Ka`u Coffee recipe contest has been extended to Saturday, May 7. Applications are available online at www.kaucoffeefest.com. Contact Michelle Galimba at 430-4927 or mgalimba@kuahiwiranch.com for more information.

Ka`u News Briefs April 26, 2011

The Ninole Hills, as seen from Hwy 11, include Makanau and are proposed as part of the Scenic Byway.
Photo by Julia Neal

SEVENTEEN SITES AND TURNOFFS along Hwy 11 have been nominated by a committee of community members proposing Hwy 11 as a State Scenic Byways route through Ka`u. The scenic route would run from Manuka State Park to the Volcano entrance to Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. 

Maile Street in Pahala leads to Hwy 11.

Kula Kai Caverns

     The suggested locations were presented last night at a Ka`u Chamber of Commerce meeting in Ocean View. They are: Manuka State Park; Kula Kai Caverns turnoff; Pali o Kulani lookout and Kahuku Ranch; Robert Brown Memorial near mile marker 71; Kahuku Section of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park; South Point Road turnoff; Plantation Road turnoff in Na`alehu (Ka`alaiki Road); Honu`apo Overlook; Whittington Beach turnoff; Ninole Hills, Punalu`u turnoff, Pahala turnoff at Maile Street, Coastal Overlook near mile marker 48, Kapapala Ranch, Ka`u Desert Trail turnout, Mauna Loa Road turnoff and Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park entrance. The suggested name for the scenic route is Slopes of Mauna Loa.

A NEW GYM AND COMMUNITY SHELTER for Pahala is close to being funded at the state Legislature, according to County Council member Brittany Smart. The initial planned site for the gym would be in the open area where the green campus and open fields are located, providing an ocean view and parking for school events. The building would cost around $20 million and would be funded through a state bond. 

Marc Alexander, the new state Homeless Coordinator, is
 former vicar general of the Catholic Church in Hawai`i.

A NEW HOMELESS HOTLINE has been set up for the Big Island. Those wanting to assist the homeless with shelter, food and other services can call HOPE Services at 935-3050. The program to help the homeless was announced yesterday, with contact numbers on all islands, by Gov. Neil Abercrombie and his Coordinator on Homeless, Marc Alexander. “In Hawai`i, we have a natural inclination to want to help others, but when it comes to homelessness, sometimes people are unsure of how they can contribute,” said Abercrombie. 

     Persons wishing to help someone who may be suffering from homelessness must provide the following information: location and time when the homeless individual is known to frequent the area; detailed description of the individual or group; and caller’s contact information. After a report is made, an outreach team will be assigned to visit the person. Calls can be placed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Emergency situations or illegal activity should be reported to the police.
     For more information on HOPE Services Hawai`i, visit hopeserviceshawaii.org. The organization manages an emergency drop-in night shelter, homeless and transitional shelters and emergency and affordable housing programs. It also sponsors a reintegration program for those returning to the community following incarceration.

THE VALUE OF YOUR PROPERTY may have gone down, according to county tax assessments. The county is looking at a four percent drop in the value of all real property on the island, following its recent assessments for tax purposes. The drop in value will be considered when the county budget is finalized and sometimes leads to a proposal to raise the property tax rate to make up for the shortfall.
     County Council member Pete Hoffmann said he believes that some commercial and resort properties are getting huge property tax breaks and that the entire valuation system should be reviewed and adjusted to make sure it is fair to everyone. The Associated Press recently reported that one prime commercial property in Kona pays no taxes, as the valuation went from $9.9 million to $100.
     Mayor Billy Kenoi releases his new budget on May 5.

RANGER JASON ZIMMER, SR. shares the art of making poi, or ku`i kalo, tomorrow from 10 a.m. to noon on the lanai of Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Park entrance fees apply.

The 2010 Ka`u Coffee Recipe Contest drew a large crowd.

THE DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES for the Ka`u Coffee recipe contest has been extended to Saturday, May 7. Categories include desserts, appetizers or pupus and entrees. Applications are available online at www.kaucoffeefest.com. Contact Michelle Galimba at 430-4927 or mgalimba@kuahiwiranch.com for more information.

COUNCIL MEMBER BRITTANY SMART holds a District 6 Matters meeting Thursday at 7 p.m. at Cooper Center in Volcano. Fire Chief Darryl Oliveira answers questions from the public about Fire Department issues and services.

KA`U SCHOOL OF THE ARTS hosts the Spring Fling at Punalu`u Bake Shop this Saturday, April 30. The event features over three dozen artists and a full day of entertainment beginning at 9 a.m. The Na`alehu Civic Club Singers, the Ka`u `Ohana Band, Hands of Time, Keoki Kahumoku and others will perform at the new pavilion. Surrounding the pavilion, Ka`u artists and artisans will display their creations and offer them for sale, give demonstrations and lead art activities.

Ka`u News Briefs April 25, 2011

Sen. Gil Kahele launches his social media sites tomorrow to keep in touch with his constituents. He is seen here with Miss Ka`u Coffee Brandy Shibuya (r) and First Princess Jaeneise Cuison.  Photo by Julia Neal

KA`U’S STATE SENATOR GIL KAHELE will launch a new website tomorrow to help him stay in contact with the large population of his Senate District II. Kahele can often be seen stopping in at community events as he drive from his home in Hilo to his birthplace in Miloli`i when he has time off from the Legislature. The district is so big he wants to keep in contact online, too. While preferring to meet people face to face, Kahele said that social media provides a valuable way to interact and listen to the unique communities he represents. The website will include his latest news, priorities for the district, tracking the bills he sponsors and supports, a calendar of his activities and scheduled monthly live web chats when constituents can talk story with the senator.
     See http://www.senatorkahele.com and watch the live streaming of the launch on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

ONE JOURNEY is back at school on the Ka`u High School campus after battling bands from across the state to take home the coveted Brown Bags to Stardom trophy. The band was set to perform this morning during recess at the school for an overwhelming spontaneous homecoming welcome. The eight performers traveled to Honolulu accompanied by two chaperones. One Journey competed against 20 high school finalists on O`ahu.
     Producer Johnny Kai said he plans to soon come to Ka`u to visit this district of talented young people and their `ohana.

Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant director Gloria Camba and
  her partner Rogelio Aquino.  Photo by Julia Neal

WINNERS OF THE MISS KA`U COFFEE PAGEANT are already gearing up for their first public appearance. It will be this Saturday at the Merrie Monarch Parade in Hilo. The 2011 Ka`u Coffee Queen Brandy Shibuya will be accompanied by her court, first Princess Janeise Cuison and Second Princess Brandy Eder. Also representing Ka`u Coffee in the parade will be Miss Ka`u Peaberry Rebecca Lynn-Kailiawa Escobar and Young Miss Ka`u Coffee Dayse Meleani Andrade. The two floats are sponsored by the Ka`u Coffee Growers Cooperative. The sold-out pageant drew many scholarship contributions and was emceed by Kahikina and KAHU public radio’s own Deevah. 

     Pageant director Gloria Camba said that all the work was worthwhile since so much of the community participated and enjoyed supporting the talent and education of Ka`u youth. 

Top Hawai`i winner at the SCAA Bull Kailiawa works with a volunteer volleyball
 team on new coffee fields along Hwy 11 at Pahala.  Photo by Julia Neal

IN OTHER COFFEE NEWS, Bull Kailiawa, who kept Ka`u in the top ten of coffees worldwide in the recent SCAA competition, noted that all three of the Ka`u Coffee SCAA winners in the last five years are former plantation workers who were leased land by the sugar plantation when it shut down in 1996. Kailiawa said the three have been like brothers, working in the fields and as truck and crane operators in the sugar industry, then helping each other out on their coffee farms. Kailiawa has scored in the top ten internationally two times, Willie Tabios twice, and Manuel Marques once in five straight years of Ka`u Coffee making a name for Hawai`i at the annual Coffee of the Year event. Kailiawa heads for Texas this week to serve up Ka`u Coffee at a pavilion showing off the winners at the Houston Convention Center. 

Volunteers pull weeds at the coffee farm along Hwy 11 in Pahala to raise funds to go to nationals.  Photo by Julia Neal

EIGHT YOUNG KA`U VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS are raising money for airfare to join the Southside Junior Boys Volleyball Team, which is traveling to Minneapolis, Minnesota for international competition. Southside has been extremely successful over the past two years, finishing as the highest USA Team in the national tournament. Southside Junior Boys finished seventh and eighth in the last two years, only outplayed by international teams from Puerto Rico and Brazil. The Southside Boys program is the only Junior Boys program in this county and has opened its roster to players from around the island to give boys who love volleyball a chance to compete. 

Jack and Kobe Moses help clean up the
coffee farm along Hwy 11 in Pahala.
Photo by Julia Neal

     This year Southside Volleyball Club is taking three teams to the nationals. Ka`u boys Brian Gascon, Kameron Moses, Nai`a Makuakane, Avery and Addie Enriques, Kai Enriques, Emmett Enriques and Grant Galimba are all working hard to raise funds for the trip. The team has participated in car washes, weed pulling at the new coffee farm along Hwy 11 in Pahala, hosting volleyball tournaments, a Zumba Jamboree, bake sales and BBQ plate sales. The boys are selling miniature anthurium plants through Katherine Okamura at 895-2550. 

     The team is open to anyone willing to donate or provide opportunities to work to earn money for their trip. They will participate in the Kamehameha Schools Ho`olaule`a in Kea`au on Saturday, May 7; the Ka`u Coffee Festival on Saturday, May 14; produce another fundraiser at the Ka`u Family Fun Fest in Na`alehu on Saturday, June 11; and host a BBQ Plate Fundraiser at KTA in Hilo on Sunday, June 12. To help, call Katherine at 895-2550 or Guy Enriques at 217-2253.

The famous Honu`apo lookout on Hwy 11 shows pole
fishermen camped on top of the cliffs.  Photo by Julia Neal

THE SCENIC BYWAYS PROGRAM for Ka`u is taking shape with a formal proposal sent to the federal government. A meeting sponsored by the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce will be held tonight at Ocean View Community Center at 6:30 p.m., and the public is invited. A committee studying the proposal has come up with a number of suggestions, including that all of Hwy 11 passing through Ka`u be nominated as a State Scenic Byway. The suggested theme is The Slopes of Mauna Loa. The nomination papers emphasize that Ka`u has the longest sections of untouched highway in the state. “We hope that designation will help preservation efforts,” said committee member Dennis Elwell. The nomination listed 17 sites and turnoffs between Manuka Park and the Volcano entrance to Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. 

     The committee drawing up the plan has included chair Marge Elwell, Dallas Decker, John Replogle, Dan Taylor, council member Brittany Smart, Dennis Elwell, Rell Woodward, Lora Gale, Laura Schuster, Doug Sensenig, Blossom DaSilva and Kenny Joyce. The Scenic Byways program will help provide for planning for more scenic overlooks, turnouts and signage to educate and celebrate the beauty and history of Ka`u.

MARK YOU CALENDARS FOR THE SPRING FLING at Punalu`u Bake Shop this Saturday, April 30. Ka`u School of the Arts hosts the event that features over three dozen artists and a full day of entertainment beginning at 9 a.m. The Na`alehu Civic Club Singers, the Ka`u `Ohana Band, Hands of Time, Keoki Kahumoku and others will perform at the new pavilion. Surrounding the pavilion, Ka`u artists and artisans will display and offer their creations for sale, give demonstrations and lead art activities.

DO YOU HAVE YOUR KA`U COFFEE RECIPE ready for the Ka`u Coffee Festival recipe contest on Saturday, May 14? The deadline for entries has been extended to Saturday, May 7. Applications are available online at www.kaucoffeefest.com. Contact Michelle Galimba at 430-4927 or mgalimba@kuahiwiranch.com for more information.

Ka`u News Briefs April 24, 2011

Miss Ka`u Coffee Brandy Shibuya shares the spotlight with Young Miss Ka`u Coffee Dayse Meleani Andrade and
Miss Ka`u Peaberry Rebecca Lynn Kailiawa-Escobar.  Photos by Julia Neal

LAST NIGHT WAS A WINNING NIGHT for the youth of Ka`u with the band from Ka`u High School, One Journey, winning the statewide Brown Bags to Stardom and Brandy Shibuya, Dayse Meleani Andrade and Rebecca Lynn Kailiawa-Escobar taking the Ka`u Coffee Pageant titles. 

BRANDY SHIBUYA became Miss Ka`u Coffee last night after performing a hula to Poliahu. “It has always been a dream of mine to represent Hawai`i and make a difference in the world,” she said. She described her home of Ka`u as “over 922 square miles of rich sacred land, holding the most powerful Hawaiian history.” She said she is “intrigued by its cultural diversity and natural beauty.” 

First Miss Ka`u Coffee Princess Janeise Cuison, Miss Ka`u Coffee Brandy Shibuya
and Second Miss Ka`u Coffee Princess Brandy Eder

     First Ka`u Coffee Princess, Janeise Cuison, danced Tahitian. She said she has a “passion for volleyball, baking assorted desserts and spending time at the beach with family.” She plans to become a nurse and “help the needy and the sick in our community.”
     Second Princess is Brandy Eder, who performed her own piano composition. She said she would love to be a doctor. “What I love the most about Ka`u is the aloha spirit, the way everyone is like family.” She said she wants to help solve the problem of domestic abuse, especially identifying teens with physical and verbal abuse problems through counseling in the schools. 

Miss Ka`u Peaberry,
Rebecca Lynn Kailiawa Escobar

Young Miss Ka`u Coffee,
Dayse Meleani Andrade

     The new Young Miss Ka`u Coffee is Dayse Meleani Andrade. She said she likes to dance, sing and play sports and wants to become a pediatrician. She says she loves living in Ka`u because “all of my family and friends are here, and because the beaches are beautiful.” Her talent was dance. 

     The new Miss Ka`u Peaberry is Rebecca Lynn Kailiawa-Escobar. She likes to play soccer and volleyball and make beaded jewelry. She says she wants to be a scientist because she loves nature and could “warn everyone in the world before anything happened.” She said she loves living in Ka`u because we have “fishing, farming hunting, and ranching. Ka`u is the only district with untouched beauty,” she proclaimed. Her talent was hip hop.

One Journey star Eunice Longakit and her friends sang to raise money to go to Brown Bags to Stardom,
 where they won the statewide competition in Honolulu last night.  Photos by Julia Neal

ONE JOURNEY came from one of the smallest schools in the state. “It was like David conquering Goliath,” said Brown Bags to Stardom producer Johnny Kai this morning. With lead singer Eunice Longakit and her back up band of fellow Ka`u High School students, One Journey won it all at the statewide talent competition on O`ahu last night. Kai said he became emotional with all the teamwork and sense of ‘ohana he felt from the One Journey band. He joked during the competition that the One Journey performers had known each other since “small kid time” something unheard of in bands from the big city, who are always “breaking up” instead of coming together. He said he couldn’t believe the Ka`u support for the group, having raised the funding to send One Journey to O`ahu for the competition. 

Bands came from near and far, and CDs
sold out to help One Journey.

     In addition to winning first against the big city schools, One Journey’s music video of the original song Lovers Dream, written by Longakit and James Tyson, is in the top six in the competition on OC16, and those results will soon be announced. 

THE REDISTRICTING COMMISSION for Hawai`i County will meet in Hilo Monday, and over many months of study and negotiation, is expected to re-draw the political map of the island, particularly for the County Council elections. Puna, one of the fastest growing populations in the state, may end up with two council members, perhaps making Ka`u’s council person more exclusively about Ka`u and South Kona than Puna. The area between Kea`au and Mountain View is particularly fast growing. Ka`u itself only grew by 2,624 in the last decade, according to the census, so its boundaries are not likely to contract, except perhaps slightly on the Puna side. The new process for drawing the election maps also allows the public to weigh in with their own suggested maps and gives priority to keeping towns and neighborhoods together, without political districting lines running through a community, when possible.

THE NEW SCENIC BYWAYS designation for Hwy 11 through Ka`u will be the topic of the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce meeting tomorrow at Ocean View Community Center at 6:30 p.m. Such topics as how long and where to make the scenic byway, what to name it, and what elements of Ka`u to stress in the signage will be discussed.

LOCAL ARTS, CRAFTS AND MUSIC fill the new pavilion and tropical gardens surrounding Punalu`u Bake Shop next Saturday, April 30. Ka'u School of the Arts hosts the Spring Fling event that features over three dozen artists and a full day of entertainment beginning at 9 a.m.

Ka`u News Briefs April 23, 2011

Bull Kailiawa, who won top in Hawai`i and one of the top ten in the world at SCAA this year, checks his coffee.
Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

THE BULL KAILIAWA FAMILY, of Pahala, has won the top prize for the best coffee in all of Hawai`i and the only winner from the United States at the annual Specialty Coffee Association of America Cupping Competition. Hawai`i will be honored at the annual SCAA convention in Houston next weekend as one of the top ten coffee growing places in the world. Ka`u was rated the top region in

Bull Kailiawa  Photo by Teresa Tico

Hawai`i, and Bull Kailiawa was the top scoring coffee farmer. This is the fifth straight year that Ka`u coffee has ranked in the top dozen, and all the winning coffee is grown on coffee lands above Pahala.
     Last year’s winner was Willie Tabios, of Na`alehu.
     Kailiawa’s typica coffee ranked in the top ten worldwide alongside two coffees from Colombia, two from Honduras, two from El Salvador, two from Guatemala and one from Bolivia.

THE MISS KA`U COFFEE competition has drawn donors for scholarships to be saved for higher education of the winners. Scholarships were donated by the Edmund C. Olson Trust, `Aina Koa Pono, the Ka`u Federal Credit Union, Golden Pacific Farms, Sen. Gil Kahele, Rep. Bob Herkes, Punalu`u Bakeshop, KAHU RADIO 91.7 FM, Ka`u Coffee Mill, R&G Mini Mart, Ka`u Royal Coffee, the Ka`u Calendar newspaper and hundreds of $5 donations to Friends of Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant.

Ulu Makuakane, 2010 Ka`u Coffee Queen, will  welcome
 the 2011 Miss Ka`u Coffee Queen tonight at the pageant.
Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

     The pageant is tonight at 5:30 p.m., with music and dance at Ka`u High School gym. Food will be offered for sale before the pageant and during intermission.

THE BOARD OF WATER SUPPLY agenda on Tuesday includes proposing new regulations to allow the testing of potable water for radiation. Groundwater from Waimea has already been sent to the mainland for testing by the state Department of Health’s Radiological Branch. If the Board of Water Supply approves such testing, the Department of Water would be able to include radiation in its testing protocol. The testing comes after the tsunami and ongoing release of radiation from broken power plants in Japan. The results from the health department should be back by May. The radiation would enter the groundwater as it drops from the sky in the rain.
     The water board is also planning a hearing for May 24 in Kona regarding hiking water bills to cover the increased cost of electricity. The power cost charged on each water bill could go from $1.89 per 1,000 gallons to as high as $2.25 per 1,000 gallons.

A CURRENT NATIONWIDE CAMPAIGN called Drunk Driving: Over the Limit, Under Arrest seeks to reduce the number of drunken drivers on the highways. On the Big Island, police will conduct DUI checkpoints and roving patrols through the Merrie Monarch festival. There have been eight traffic fatalities and more than 400 DUI arrests in the first four months of this year on the Big Island. No matter how far you are from Ka`u, the police urge you to take a taxi, hitch a ride with a friend, or stay where you are if you are over the limit.

Parishioners carried a cross through Pahala on Good Friday during
the Stations of the Cross ceremony.  Photo by Julia Neal

THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS CEREMONY, when parishioners walk through Pahala carrying a cross, has been traditional for generations. Members of the Holy Rosary Church set up stations in front of their homes on Good Friday, and the walkers arrived to sing and pray. It is commonly held on Good Friday and dates back to Jerusalem in the 1300s and spread to Europe. It is a Catholic tradition but also practiced by some Lutherans. Its purpose is to make a pilgrimage honoring the last hours of Jesus’ life before his crucifixion, meditating on his sufferings, death and rebirth. Pope John Paul II called it the “unceasing effort to stand beside the endless crosses on which the Son of God continues to be crucified.”

THY WORD MINISTRIES’ annual Easter Family Fun Day happens today from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Na`alehu Hongwanji. There will be food, games, prizes, an Easter egg hunt, music and hula.

Hwy 11 in Ka`u may become a State Scenic Byway.
Photo by Julia Neal

THE NEW SCENIC BYWAYS designation for Hwy 11 through Ka`u will be the topic of the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce meeting on Monday, April 25 at Ocean View Community Center at 6:30 p.m. Such topics as how long and where to make the scenic byway, what to name it, and what elements of Ka`u to stress in the signage will be discussed.

AS PART OF NATIONAL PARK WEEK, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park is waiving entrances fees to the park through Sunday. Volcano Art Center Gallery hosts a program about the Art & Traditions of Hula at Kilauea today. Hula kahiko performances and talk story sessions take place from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

     Tomorrow, Kilauea Military Camp hosts an Easter egg hunt at 9 a.m., with registration starting at 7:30 a.m. KMC’s Crater Rim Café serves an Easter brunch from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Easter dinner from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Ka`u News Briefs April 22, 2011

The Public Utilities Commission wants to know how much Hawaiian Electric will pay for biofuel from crops that
would be grown between Pahala and Na`alehu.  Photo by Julia Neal

THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION, under its new director Mina Morita, is moving to make negotiated contracts between the Hawaiian Electric Industries and energy providers available to the public. HECO’s contracted prices for purchasing electricity from such proposed projects as the `Aina Koa Pono refinery and biofuel farm in Ka`u have been withheld to date, and `Aina Koa and HECO representatives said it would not be fair to reveal their contract prices in such a competitive market.
     However, the PUC has directed HECO to disclose details of its renewable energy contracts. According to a report in Pacific Business News, “the change has affected recent applications that HECO officials have filed with the commission, and highlights potential conflicts between pricing transparency and protecting the utility’s ability to privately negotiate optimal rates for customers.”
     `Aina Koa Pono representatives said they should have an update on their Ka`u project sometime in June. 

RADIATION IN THE AIR from the broken nuclear plants in Fukushima, Japan are no longer detectable, and radiation in milk produced on the Big Island has dropped to half, remaining miniscule and of no danger to the public. This is according to an announcement from the Environmental Protection agency. The state Environmental Health Services Director Lynn Nakasone concurred, explaining that less radiation in the air means that radiation is not falling on the grasses being consumed by cows and making its way into milk. There was no iodine-131 found in the milk, as radioactive iodine only lasts about eight days. There are, however, miniscule amounts of cesium-137, which has a half-life of up to 30 years. While the amount of cesium in Hawai`i milk is higher than on the mainland, it is one fifteen-hundredth of the amount that would cause milk to be pulled off the shelves. 

A drought that decreased ag production is one factor in a
cutback of imported labor in recent years.  Photo by Julia Neal

MAC FARMS OF HAWAI`I, one of Ka`u’s largest employers, has been unavailable to answer questions regarding a federal suit that is attempting to blame farms and farmers for poor housing conditions and labor practices of Global Horizons, a workforce contractor who brought Thai laborers here. 

     Farms across the state have been named in the federal suit by the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, which claims the farm operators should have known of illegal labor practices by Global Horizons.
     Representatives of some of the farms sued by the government said they had no knowledge of any mistreatment of the Thai workers who had a reputation of being a good workforce who appreciated the wages they took back home to their families. They claim that the housing, recruitment and transportation were arranged by Global Horizons and not the farms themselves.
     The government, however, claims that Global Horizons charged the laborers outrageous recruitment, housing and transportation fees and placed them in illegal housing conditions, and the farms should have known about it.
     The workers picked macadamia nuts, coffee, pineapple and other food crops across the state. The six companies sued along with Global Horizons are: Mac Farms, Captain Cook Coffee Co., Kaua`i Coffee, Del Monte Fresh Produce, Kelena Farms and Maui Pineapple Co.
     With the high cost of housing and airline tickets to bring in foreign workers, a need for local people to find jobs in Ka`u, and a drought that decreased agricultural production, farm managers have cut back altogether on hiring imported labor in recent years.

The Big Island is in the middle of the pack when
 it comes to change in personal income.

THE U.S. BUREAU OF ECONOMIC ANALYSIS released a report yesterday showing that the Big Island suffered less of a loss of income during the recession in 2009 than Maui and Kaua`i counties, and that income stood up better here than on the mainland. Across the country income decreased 2.6 percent, while Hawai`i County showed a decrease of 1.5 percent, Maui 3.3 percent and Kaua`i 1.9 percent. Personal income had been rising higher in Hawai`i than across the nation before the recession hit and is expected to rise again next year. 

LAST NIGHT THE KA`U HIGH TROJANS took down St. Joseph’s in three quick sets at the Ka`u High gym. The scores were 25-11, 25-10 and 25-16. Donald Garo, Jr. and Tyler Villa-Navarro made eight kills.

Keakealani Schoolhouse

THE FRIENDS OF THE VOLCANO SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES are beginning their $97,000 Phase One fundraising campaign to refurbish and modernize Volcano’s historic Keakealani Volcano School House. At a recent event sponsored by Kamaaina Nissan, VSAS staff and students won the first prize of $500 for their imaginative scheme to fit 24 people into a Nissan ‘Cube’ car. The community public charter school holds a Keakealani Walkfest on April 28 to earn sponsorship for the fund.

     Gifts are welcomed through the Friends of VSAS donor program and will be recognized with commemorative tiles on the new campus and/or in community publications. Call 985-9800.

THY WORD MINISTRIES’ annual Easter Family Fun Day happens tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Na`alehu Hongwanji. There will be food, games, prizes, an Easter egg hunt, music and hula.

Kahula `O Nawahine Noho Pu`ukapu, under the direction of kumu hula
Ana Nawahine-Kahoopii, perform and talk story tomorrow at
Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

AS PART OF NATIONAL PARK WEEK, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is waiving entrances fees to the park through Sunday. Tomorrow, the park features a program about the Art & Traditions of Hula at Kilauea. Hula kahiko performances and talk story sessions take place from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
     On Sunday, Kilauea Military Camp hosts an Easter egg hunt at 9 a.m., with registration starting at 7:30 a.m. KMC’s Crater Rim Café serves an Easter brunch from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Easter dinner from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Ka`u News Briefs April 21, 2011

Olivine beach at the end of Road to the Sea, where a mile of coastline and 3,000 acres will be preserved.
Photo by Triplecee

ROAD TO THE SEA and surrounding lands, including a one-mile stretch along the Ka`u Coast, was approved for purchase by the full Hawai`i County Council, and negotiations begin between the county finance department and the landowner, a group of investors called Sands of South Kona, LLC. The 3,000 acres is makai of Ocean View and has black and green sand beaches and numerous archaeological sites and sea cliffs for pole fishing. The Road to the Sea is a rugged four-wheel-drive path that crosses lava flows. Council member Brittany Smart, who has lobbied for the purchase, said she plans to make sure that public access will be retained for traveling down the Road to the Sea. The acquisition is part of a decades-old community effort to conserve the Ka`u Coast, the longest uninhabited shoreline in Hawai`i. The conservation effort is not only considered important to the small population of Ka`u but also to the entire state, as there are few coasts without development, and this coast has served as a preserve for wildlife and archaeological sites as well as a remote recreational site for everyone.

Special permits are needed to fly over lava.
Photo courtesy of Tropical Helicopters

FLIGHTSEEING OVER HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK and tribal lands was the subject of days of public presentation by the FAA and the national park, with meetings in Puna and last night in Na`alehu. Public comments in Puna centered on air tour companies flying over residential homes, creating unwanted noise. Comments in Na`alehu included whether helicopters should be allowed to fly over wilderness areas at all, and whether a heliport between Pahala and the national park would adversely affect the park. Also discussed was trying out alternate routes planned for helicopter and fixed wing tours, to give the public a chance to try them out. 

     Calvin Dorn, owner of Paradise and Tropical Helicopter companies, suggested that telling the flightseeing operators where they shouldn’t go would be the best way to keep helicopters and planes away from sensitive areas. He said that giving them a specific route concentrates the flying, so there will always be complaints from someone. Saying they can fly over most of the landscape but not in sensitive areas gives the pilot lots of leeway to handle weather and to change flights so they are not always flying over the same places to get to the volcanoes, waterfalls and scenic coastline. 

Various height limitations are set in the alternatives in the
federal flight plan.  Photo courtesy of Paradise Helicopters

     The preliminary plan is available at the offices of this radio station on Maile Street in Pahala and the offices of The Ka`u Calendar newspaper at the corner of Maile and Pikake in Pahala. The plan is also available online. Google Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Air Tour Management Plan. Comments are due by June 6.
     Ten helicopter companies and four fixed wing tour companies currently have operating permits to fly over the national park. The plan shows alternative options, including no flying over the park, status quo and some hybrid plans. The plans also limit the number of flights per year.

THE $56 MILLION BOND FLOAT passed this week by the County Council will include $3 million for planning and construction of the permanent recycling and trash transfer station in Ocean View, according to council member Brittany Smart. Ocean View is the only community in Ka`u without one and has the largest population.

Jayme Kaneshiro

Taylor Kekoa Burgos

Shailei-Marie Penera

THE MISS KA`U COFFEE PAGEANT presents a third category of candidates this Saturday evening. In addition to Miss Ka`u Coffee and Miss Ka`u Peaberry there will be a Young Miss Ka`u Coffee crowned. The contenders for Miss Ka`u Coffee are: Jaeneise Cuison, Brandy Eder, Alina Jerilong, Kayla Nishimura, Kathline Diane Pataray and Brandy Shibuya. Miss Ka`u Peaberry contenders are Taylor Burgos, Cherrise Calumpit, Tatiana Ka`awa, Rebecca Kailiawa-Escobar, Jayme Kaneshiro, Bernadette Ladia and Johnette Llanes-Masters. Young Miss Ka`u Coffee candidates are Dayse Andrade, Alyssa Bivings, Malia Corpuz, Dacy Davis-Andrade, Aiyana Galletes-Alapai and Shailei-Marie Penera. The pageant takes place at 5:30 p.m. at the Ka`u High School Gym. Food will be available for sale before the event and during intermission. 

A MEETING OF THE NA`ALEHU Elementary School Community Council is scheduled for this afternoon from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in room P-7. For information, call 939-2413.

THY WORD MINISTRIES’ annual Easter Family Fun Day happens this Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Na`alehu Hongwanji. There will be food, games, prizes, an Easter egg hunt, music and hula.

ALSO ON SATURDAY, a program about the Art & Traditions of Hula at Kilauea takes place in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The program includes hula kahiko performances and talk story sessions from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Entrances fees to the park are waived through Sunday as part of National Park Week.