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Two primary elections could be held if the federal court doesn't rule soon on the legality of new voting districts, which give the Big Island a new state Senator who would sever a section of Ka`u. |
The dispute is over the Big Island receiving a new state Senate seat because of its population growth. A group of O`ahu residents who lost a senator during reapportionment oppose the redistricting. Planning to be on the ballot for the new Big Isalnd Senate seat, which is partially in Ka`u, are state House Rep. Bob Herkes, Steven Hirakami, Wendell Ka`ehu`ae`a, Russell Ruderman and Gary Safarik.
THE COUNTY IS ORGANIZING A GEOTHERMAL evacuation drill ahead of new plans to explore for geothermal resources on the island. According to a story in this morning’s West Hawai`i Today, the mock evacuation is planned by county Civil Defense director Ben Fuata for three days in July. It is the first evacuation drill for geothermal ever held on the island. The story by Tom Callis says the evacuation drill will be held in Puna, where geothermal went online in 1993 and has grown to provide 38 megawatts of power.
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| Geothermal resource map shows Ka`u possibilities. |
Recent enthusiasm for geothermal as an energy that could power not only the Big island, but neighboring islands, too, has led to a Hawaiian Electric Light Co. proposal to increase electricity from geothermal sources by up to 50 megawatts. Some residents, however, are reminding the county and state about the 1991 incident when Puna residents had to leave their homes as odiferous steam escaped the geothermal well during a blowout. According to the story, Mayor Billy Kenoi has asked Fuata to create an evacuation plan and hold a drill for the 87 to 140 homes within a mile of the geothermal plant.
Geothermal possibilities have been discussed for lands on Mauna Loa’s Southwest Rift Zone and in the Ka`u Desert near the Great Crack, and more frequently for Hualalai in Kona, where there is greater need for more electricity with its larger population.
RETIRED MAYOR HARRY KIM went to Honolulu last week to testify before the state Environmental Council to support careful environmental and health department oversight for new geothermal exploration. Kim opposed a request from the state Department of Land and National Resources to reduce environmental oversight for geothermal drilling. Kim, a Puna resident, gave impassioned testimony before the Environmental Council, which reports to the state Department of Health.
The Environmental Council voted to allow non-invasive exploration for geothermal without Environmental Impact Statements and Environmental Assessments, but not drilling.
A story yesterday in Pacific Business News called the vote to allow surface exploration without an EIS or EA “an important decision that allows the state Department of Land and Natural Resources to do away with one part of expensive and time-consuming exploration ventures for geothermal projects.” The story quotes Andrea Gill, a renewable energy analyst for the State Energy Office, as estimating the cost of each exploratory well as $5 million to $10 million. “A lot of these wells don’t pan out,” she told PBN. Gary Hooser, the director of the state Office of Environmental Quality Control, told PBN, “They could go onto the property and do temperature readings, sonar readings or surface measurements, but not drilling.”
A story yesterday in Pacific Business News called the vote to allow surface exploration without an EIS or EA “an important decision that allows the state Department of Land and Natural Resources to do away with one part of expensive and time-consuming exploration ventures for geothermal projects.” The story quotes Andrea Gill, a renewable energy analyst for the State Energy Office, as estimating the cost of each exploratory well as $5 million to $10 million. “A lot of these wells don’t pan out,” she told PBN. Gary Hooser, the director of the state Office of Environmental Quality Control, told PBN, “They could go onto the property and do temperature readings, sonar readings or surface measurements, but not drilling.”
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| Welcoming sign at Ka` Hospital Photo by Julia Neal |
KA`U HOSPITAL is thanking community members and reporting on progress. In a column in Hawai`i 24/7 this morning, director of Nursing Nona Wilson wrote that when she and administrator Merilyn Harris were hired, they “were faced with a facility that was in awful shape and looked the part.”
She wrote that the hospital was lacking in needed equipment. “Our job was to accomplish ‘our dream’ of being the best Critical Access Hospital with little in the way of new financial support.” She noted that the “availability of state monies has not improved much since that day seven years ago. However, what we have accomplished with the assistance and support of our community is nothing short of a miracle.”
She gave many examples of change: finished painting the whole inside; new cabinets in the staff lounge, at the nurses’ station and for X-ray storage; new designed wooden signs for the inside of the facility; a safety fence around the yard outside the front patio that overlooks the ocean with a pergola complete with outside furniture and plants.
In the Emergency Department are four beds, new surgical lights, piped-in oxygen and three physio monitors with capnography capacity, a ventilator and an ultrasound, a new OB stretcher and a nursing and MD office.
All nurses are certified in ACLS, PALS, and TNCC, matching the skill set of Emergency Department nurses in a large hospital. Three Emergency physicians are credentialed in the use of Ultra Sound.
She wrote that the hospital was lacking in needed equipment. “Our job was to accomplish ‘our dream’ of being the best Critical Access Hospital with little in the way of new financial support.” She noted that the “availability of state monies has not improved much since that day seven years ago. However, what we have accomplished with the assistance and support of our community is nothing short of a miracle.”
She gave many examples of change: finished painting the whole inside; new cabinets in the staff lounge, at the nurses’ station and for X-ray storage; new designed wooden signs for the inside of the facility; a safety fence around the yard outside the front patio that overlooks the ocean with a pergola complete with outside furniture and plants.
In the Emergency Department are four beds, new surgical lights, piped-in oxygen and three physio monitors with capnography capacity, a ventilator and an ultrasound, a new OB stretcher and a nursing and MD office.
All nurses are certified in ACLS, PALS, and TNCC, matching the skill set of Emergency Department nurses in a large hospital. Three Emergency physicians are credentialed in the use of Ultra Sound.
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| Nona Wilson |
Wilson pointed out that most critical patients are sent directly to Queens Medical Center, Straub Clinic & Hospital and Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children for advanced care.
“Upgrading, renovations and the opportunity for adding additional services needed by our community continue,” wrote Wilson. “We pay tribute to those who have so willingly given to us to make all of this possible: Volcano Rotary, Ka Papale ulaula o Ka`u, Ka Lae Quilters and the Golf group, `O Ka`u Kakou, our Foundation, The Robert Iwamoto family and the numerous individual contributors who bought our residents a beautiful new bus and the many others who have contributed labor, supplies, their talent. So many. We are grateful beyond words for their generosity and aloha. We can truly attest to the fact that aloha lives and breathes in Ka`u,” Wilson wrote.
DISCOVERY HARBOUR COMMUNITY HALL hosts programs by Ka`u School of the Arts tomorrow and each Monday. The Circulo for Speaking Spanish takes place from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., and the Ka`u Community Chorus rehearses from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Call 929-7544 for more information.
“Upgrading, renovations and the opportunity for adding additional services needed by our community continue,” wrote Wilson. “We pay tribute to those who have so willingly given to us to make all of this possible: Volcano Rotary, Ka Papale ulaula o Ka`u, Ka Lae Quilters and the Golf group, `O Ka`u Kakou, our Foundation, The Robert Iwamoto family and the numerous individual contributors who bought our residents a beautiful new bus and the many others who have contributed labor, supplies, their talent. So many. We are grateful beyond words for their generosity and aloha. We can truly attest to the fact that aloha lives and breathes in Ka`u,” Wilson wrote.
DISCOVERY HARBOUR COMMUNITY HALL hosts programs by Ka`u School of the Arts tomorrow and each Monday. The Circulo for Speaking Spanish takes place from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., and the Ka`u Community Chorus rehearses from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Call 929-7544 for more information.
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| Participants create kapa implements at a workshop this Saturday. |
KAPA BEATING & TOOL CREATION are topics Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the lanai of Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Joni Mae Makuakane-Jarrell teaches participants to create one-foot pieces of Kapa. $20 covers materials. Kauhane Heloca helps participants design and create four kapa implements. $300 covers materials. Park entrance fees apply. Pre-register at 985-6020.
