Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Ka`u News Briefs Feb. 2, 2011

Pasha starts shipping in and out of Hawai`i, including Hilo to San Diego on Feb. 15.

PASHA HAWAI`I TRANSPORT LINES starts shipping from Hilo to San Diego and from other islands to Hilo on Feb. 15.  Jean Anne is the name of the cargo ship that will sail from Honolulu to Kahului, then to Hilo every two weeks before heading back to San Diego. Pasha is taking reservations for the new service at pashahawaii.com. The Public Utilities Commission approved the interisland service in September and Young Brothers objected and plans to appeal the decision to the Intermediate Court of Appeals.

BAY CLINIC, INC. announced yesterday that it will pioneer a Patient-Centered Health Care Home at its Na`alehu and other service centers to emphasize communication and personal attention to radically improve the patient experience.  The program is set to increase access to care, promote higher quality and lower costs, reduce medical errors and improve satisfaction of both patients and their providers.
       “Putting this model into practice is both innovative and necessary,” explained Paul Strauss, Bay Clinic CEO. “Gone are the days when a patient of Bay Clinic does not know who his or her provider is. We want to go back to the days of the old style ‘family doctor’ where we have a relationship with each of our patients, and we know them and their extended families.  It’s the personal relationship that people have with their health care provider that helps in the healing and health promotion process, and more importantly, building mutual trust,” he said.
       Bay Clinic staffers have been assigned to Patient Centered Health Care Teams that are physician-led and include a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, a nurse, a care coordinator, a patient services representative and a behavioral health specialist.  Each team is collectively responsible for managing the same panel of patients, who in turn benefit from a greater continuity of care.  This structure results in comprehensive, continuous and coordinated care while strengthening the personal relationship between the patient and the team. 

HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC CO. is calling out for more biodiesel to be produced. An additional three to seven million gallons is needed for the 110-megawatt Campbell Estate Industrial Park generating station on O`ahu, according to news release yesterday. HECO’s request also calls for 250,000 gallons a year for an eight-megawatt emergency power facility at Honolulu Airport.
      HECO’s statement said the electric company prefers locally produced biodiesel, but that bidders can propose biodiesel made outside of Hawaii or a combination of locally produced biodiesel and biodiesel manufactured outside Hawaii. Prospective bidders can find out more information on HECO's website. The deadline for proposals is March 15. The only contract that HECO has for local biodiesel is with Aina Koa Pono which plans a refinery and energy farm in Ka`u, with the factory being in Pahala. A public meeting on the project will be Monday, Feb. 21 at Pahala Community Center at 6 p.m., sponsored by the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce


Keani Mello-Waiwaiole & Ciara Muller


KA`U HIGH GIRLS WRESTLING is raising money to help fund a trip to the state championships on O`ahu. Keani Mello is going to states for sure and her sister Elena will battle for a slot this weekend at the BIIF championships. The Wrestling Booster Club is promoting a kalua pig sale with $8 tickets, with a pick up on Feb. 9. Tickets are available at the B&E 76 Station in Na`alehu.


IN SPORTS, YESTERDAY, Kamehameha took down Kaʻū in boys basketball . JV lost to the Warriors 62-46. Donald Garo put up 15 points and Greg Javar followed wIth 14. Varsity lost 66-30. Callen Koi and DJ Ramones both scored a high of eight points. 

JV Softball also winded up for their first game against Keaʻau, but lost 11 to 7. Shaylin Navarro hit a homerun and was 3 for 3 and  Pili Kailiawa went 2 for three. Janessa Jara served as pitcher.

Melinda Eder won second place.
O Ka`u Kakou will meet at the old Aspen Center, tonight, February 2, at 6:30 pm.  The community group recently hosted the Keiki Fishing tournament. OKK reports that 256 keiki registered to fish and OKK fed about 550 people.  The community group has scheduled a road cleanup for Saturday, February 12, at 7:30 a.m. with volunteers meeting at the Punalu’u tennis court parking lot.  Breakfast will be served after the clean up.