Ka`u News Briefs March 8, 2012

Opihi populations have tanked in nearshore waters and could be protected with new legislation.  
Photo from Ho`i I Ka Pilina Kai

THE BILL TO PROTECT OPIHI and set up limitations and seasons for collecting the limpets, which cling to rocks along shorelines with frequent wave action, has passed two state Senate committees and is headed for the floor of the Senate. The language of the measure states: “In the past century, the amount of opihi available in markets has declined ten-fold and in the past forty years, the average opihi amount has reduced by half.” The public, opihi harvesters, university scientists, and marine resource managers agree that the popularity of opihi as a delicacy has led to statewide over-harvesting and the decline of natural populations, the legislation states. See more by searching for opihi at www.capitol.hawaii.gov.

Ka`u Andrade Contracting began
staging for the tear down of the
old South Point windmills.
Photo by Julia Neal

THE OLD WINDMILLS AT SOUTH POINT are coming down. Wally Andrade and his Ka`u Andrade, Inc. crew began staging bulldozers and other machinery this week to take down the thirty-seven 82.5-foot tall windmill towers with higher reaching blades. They went into operation close to South Point Road in 1987. The windmills fell into disrepair in recent years, with the last of them shutting down in 2006. The old Mitsubishi turbines were capable of producing 9.3 megawatts.
       Fourteen new General Electric turbines, their towers 215 feet tall and built closer to the pali, are capable of producing 20.5 megawatts at the point of interconnection. The new blades are more than 100 feet long. The new windmills went online in April of 2007. Tawhiri Pakini Nui Wind Farms CEO Steve Pace said that these windmills with their newer efficiencies can produce enough power for all of Ka`u’s homes and he looks forward to providing more energy to the grid. The metal from the old windmills is expected to go to the scrap market and be recycled. The overall contractor is Ishimoto Contracting.

ELECTRIC RATES rose in March to 41.3 cents per kilowatt-hour for the Big Island in March. This compares to 36.3 cents per kilowatt-hour on Maui and 32.6 cents on O`ahu. Only Kaua`i has higher electric rates at 42.6 cents, according to an analysis published this morning by the Honolulu Star Advertiser. The utilities blamed the increase on higher oil prices, pointing to the continuing dependence on imported oil that is burned to make electricity across the state.

BIG ISLAND STEVEDORES called stop work meetings to discuss their union issues this afternoon, which shut down Matson locations at Kawaihae and Hilo after 11:45 a.m. Container yards and auto lots are closed today from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

KA'U COFFEE FESTIVAL is looking for sponsors. The organization is offering commissions to those who bring in sponsorships. The event is set for May 12 in Pahala. For more information about sponsorship pricing, call Chris Manfredi at 929-9550 or email info@kaucoffeefestival.com. For more on the event see kaucoffeefest.com.

Keiki ocean art submission to Ocean Guardian Kids Club.
Photo from NOAA

KEIKI, GRADES K-8, are invited to submit ocean artwork, poems, and short stories to the 2012 Humpback Whale Month Ocean Contest before March 15. The contest is sponsored by Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Participants are asked to become a member of the NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries Ocean Guardian Kids Club, a program designed to form a sense of personal connection to the ocean by encouraging students to explore their natural surroundings. For more see the sanctuary's website, http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/education/oceancontest.html.

A YOGA WORKSHOP IN PAHALA, offered by Volcano resident Jo Caron, will be held at the Old Pahala Clubhouse this Saturday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Caron is a certified yoga teacher from Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Massachusetts. "The workshop is an introduction to five simple physical exercises that help balance the energy in the body that sustains our well-being. It enhances strength, health, vitality, flexibility in the body, but also in the mental, emotional and spiritual bodies. Making us feel great at all levels. Health for the body, the mind and the spirit," says Caron.
        Participation is $25 with pre-registration, $35 at the door. No experience necessary. Caron says the workshop is "Good for all levels. Don't be intimidated, it's very gradual and adaptable." Call 443-6993 or email jocaron7@mac.com. Caron is also available for private sessions.

Photo from Kanu

A BEACH CLEANUP EVENT, hosted by Hawai`i Wildlife Fund, is this Saturday. The tentative cleanup location is from Ka'alu'alu Bay south to Mahana Bay (Green Sands). Volunteers are asked to meet at Wai`ohinu Park at 7:45 a.m. and are expected to return to the park around 3 p.m. Sturdy footwear, sun and wind protection, a bag lunch and a re-fillable beverage container are necessary. Gloves, bags, and extra water are provided. The road to the cleanup site requires 4WD. Those in need of a ride to the site are asked to notify Megan Lamson in advance. Call 767-7629 or email kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.

Bluegrass comes to Volcano

PILI GRASS MET BLUEGRASS again at Ka`u High School yesterday with a free concert sponsored by Keoki Kahumoku and Pahala Plantation Cottages. The fiddle, guitar and mandolin players will perform at Kilauea Military Camp Theater at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on Saturday, March 17 at 7 p.m. The event, sponsored by Volcano Art Center, is called an Evening of Green, Hawaiian Style with Brittni Paiva, Kahumoku and the Aloha Bluegrass Band. See volcanoartcenter.org.





Visit our sponsors at kaucoffeemill.com and pahalaplantationcottages.com.