Ka'u News Briefs Feb. 10, 2012

The new Ka`u Disaster Shelter and Gymnasium is to be built in the open, grassy field makai of the school offices
and next to the Pahala tennis courts. Photo by Julia Neal

THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT notice for the new Ka`u Disaster Shelter and Gymnasium is expected to be posted on the state Office of Environmental Quality Control website soon. OEQC publishes such notices twice a month. The public is expected to be able to review the EA from Feb. 23 through March 23. More than $17 million was approved for the disaster shelter and gymnasium to be built in the open, grassy field makai of the high school offices and next to the Pahala tennis courts.
      Questions during public meetings included whether there will be equipment to clean the air in the gym during bad vog days, whether there will be photovoltaic panels for power in case the disaster shelter is cut off from the power lines coming into Ka`u, and whether it will be necessary to pave the entire field and install parking lot light posts around the shelter and gym.
      Ka`u is known for its dark, starry skies and is a place where endangered bird populations unbothered by lights are able to survive.
      The disaster shelter and gym will be managed for both the school and the community by the county Department of Parks & Recreation which has been working on the design with a Honolulu engineering and architectural firm.

REPORTING CHILD ABUSE and working with Family Support Services and the counselors to end it is a goal that needs more cooperation from the community. An Erin Miller story in West Hawai`i Today this morning quotes Heidi Koop, Child and Family Services Hawai`i Island Programs director saying that families should not be afraid to contact the agency to ask for help. The older system of punishing parents was “much more punitive,” she said, explaining that the first goal is to heal the family and end the abuse. It “has to stop. Children have to be safe in the community. A recent study by the Joyful Heart Foundation reported 20 percent of adults served on the Big Island said that they had been abused as children. The survey also found that people were afraid to report child abuse because they feared becoming involved in the case, worried that children would be taken from their parents, and would suffer from family revenge and cause problems for the family being reported, the story reports. Koop said that these fears are largely “old history” and that “family preservation is really highly ranked right now.” See more at www.westhawaiitoday.com.

A CHANCE TO LIVE LIKE AN ASTRONAUT? University of Hawai`i and Cornell University are seeking participants for their 120-day Mars exploration analogue mission, Hawai`i Space Exploration Analogue & Simulation, or HI-SEAS, which is scheduled to take place in early 2013 on Hawai`i Island. The study is designed to simulate the working and living experience of astronauts on a true planetary mission and to compare two types of food systems: pre-prepared vs. crew-cooked. Six prime and two alternate crewmembers will be selected. The study seeks participants with qualifications comparable to those required by NASA. In addition to round trip travel, food and lodging expenses, crewmembers and alternates will receive $5,000 for completed missions.
      Applications are due on Feb. 29, 2012. For requirements, applications and more information about the program visit http://manoa.hawaii.edu/hi-seas/.

SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE are from the Big Island Chapter of the Hawai`i Association of Public Accountants. Two $1,000 grants are for study at four-year institutions, and two $750 grants are for two-year colleges. Competition is open to Big Island high school seniors, graduates of local high schools, and enrollees at University of Hawai`i-Hilo or Hawai`i Community College. Applicants must be full-time students this fall. For more, see www.hawaiiassociationofpublicaccountants.com.

A hike at the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park focuses on the area's human history. Photo from HVNP

TWO GUIDED HIKES are offered at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park on Sunday.

      People & Land of Kahuku takes place at the Kahuku Unit from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The moderately difficult hike crosses 2.5 miles of rugged terrain and focuses on the area’s human history. Participants should wear appropriate walking attire and bring water. The Kahuku Unit entrance is between miles 70 and 71 on Hwy 11. Call 985-6011.

      Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park hold their Sunday Walk in the Park, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Kilauea section of the park. Nick Shema leads this three-mile round-trip walk exploring the Mauna Ulu area. Group size is limited. The hike is free to Friends members, and non-members are welcome to join in order to attend. Park entrance fees apply. Call 985-7373 or email admin@fhvnp.org.

VOLCANO ART CENTER hosts its annual Love the Arts fundraiser tomorrow from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. with gourmet Italian food and art presentations. Tickets are available at VAC Gallery, the Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village, and online at www.volcanolovethearts.org. Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door.

KA`U RED HATTERS’ annual bake and craft sale for Ka`u Hospital takes place today and tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Punalu`u Beach Park. Call Barbara Beatty at 929-9072.

See our major sponsors at www.pahalaplantationcottages.com and www.kaucoffeemill.com.