Ka`u News Briefs Aug. 27, 2012

EWM Enterprises owns the slope below Honu`apo lookout, is willing to sell the 1,363 coastal acres for preservation.
Photos from Hawai`i Pacific Brokers.

KA `OHANA `O HONU`APO has nominated for county purchase the 1,363-acre Kaunamano Ranch along the Ka`u Coast. If the Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission accepts the nomination, it will go to County Council and mayor for final approval. The land includes pasture below Honu`apo scenic lookout on Hwy 11 and extends south four miles along the Ka`u Coast toward Kalae. The property had been listed for $112 million. According to the owner's Realtor Charles Anderson, it was taken off the market pending its possible purchase for preservation.

The land targeted for preservation includes about 4 miles of Ka`u Coast.

      The community group, Ka `Ohana `O Honu`apo, which co-manages the existing Honu`apo preserve and park with the County of Hawai`i, has launched a petition drive to support purchase of Kaunamano, which is owned by EWM Enterprises, LP, which bought it from the old Ka`u sugar company after the plantation shut down. According to Ka `Ohana `O Honu`apo president Ken Sugai, EWM is cooperating with the nonprofit organization and willing to sell for an independent appraisal price. Ka `Ohana is looking to the Two Percent fund that comes from county property taxes for funding. Other federal and state sources may be approached, said Lehua Lopez-Mau, executive director of Ka `Ohana O Honu`apo.

Ka `Ohana hopes the 2% Fund will help pay for the land.

      Sugai said that representatives of the owner met with Lopez-Mau to visit the property and are interested in helping to conserve the view plane from the lookout, as well as the numerous cultural and natural resources on the land that stretchesd along the coastline toward South Point.
      Said Sugai, “We want to keep the rural flavor of Ka`u. This is for our kids and our grandkids. This is the last area in the state of Hawai`i with minimal development along the shore. It really is for everyone statewide and for visitors to enjoy the scenic drive through Ka`u and the rugged unspoiled coastline.”
       See more on Ka `Ohana O Honu`apo at www.honuapopark.org.

Coffee berry borer

KA`U COFFEE FARMERS have an opportunity to meet with Colombian coffee berry borer expert Dr. Luis Aristizabal tomorrow and ask him questions about controlling CBB in English or Spanish. Interested parties are asked to meet at Pahala Shopping Center Tuesday at 9 a.m. Aristizabal, who is currently with University of Florida, has spent his career focusing on control of pests in coffee and has done participatory research with farmers on CBB management for many years. He conducted an integrated pest management workshop in Kealakekua this past Friday and Saturday.

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND sponsors an anchialine pool cleanup on the Ka`u Coast tomorrow. Volunteers can sign up for with Megan Lamson at 769-7629 or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.

THE NEW QUARTER celebrating Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park is the topic of tomorrow’s After Dark in the Park program beginning at 7 p.m. in Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium. $2 donations support park programs, and park entrance fees apply.

CEREMONIAL RELEASE of the Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park quarter takes place Wednesday from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the park’s Kahua Hula south of Kilauea Visitor Center on Crater Rim Drive. HFS Federal Credit Union will provide $10 rolls of the commemorative quarters for exchange. The event is free, and park entrance fees apply.

Ocean view well and water distribution is the topic of a community
meeting Wednesday. Photo from DWS

THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO MEET with Department of Water Supply representatives Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center to discuss Ocean View’s well and distribution of water. According to DWS, the meeting is in response to “increased reports of incorrect information in the community.” A report with answers to frequently asked questions is available online at hawaii.dws.org. One of the questions is, “How were the funds expended?” The DWS response is: “A total of $6.415 million was spent on this project. The State of Hawai`i, Department of Accounting and General Services, managed project funds and paid all expenses for this project. Additionally, the Mayor’s Office supplemented another $400,000.00 in County funds to upsize the reservoir from 100,000 gallons of storage capacity to 300,000 gallons. Even further, the County of Hawai`i Fire Department gave approximately $15,000.00 for the installation of a fire hydrant on Lehua Lane for use in emergencies. Lastly, in lieu of the County outsourcing the project administrative services, the DWS administered the project at no additional cost. This resulted in additional savings of approximately 5-10 percent of the total cost.”

WE … A HUI FOR HEALTH brings its health-screening van to Ka`u this Saturday. It will be at Ocean View farmers market from 8 a.m. to noon and at Ka`u Resource & Distance Learning Center in Pahala from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Health screenings include retinal, lung function, glucose, blood pressure, take-home kidney function, women’s health, hepatitis and hearing. Counseling regarding learning disabilities, smoking cessation, family caregiving, organ donating and more is also available. The screenings are free and on a walk-in basis. For more, contact Annie at 808-282-2265 or annie@projectvisionhawaii.com.

LOL, LADIES OUT LOUD, is an evening of comedy Saturday at 7 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. Scheduled to perform are Ki MiChele, Kathleen Butler, shena Jungle Queen, Katie Schuerch and Karen Blue, Angie Libadisos, Jenny Chin, Jennifer Wharton, Tanya Aynessazian and Sherri Carden. Admission is $10. For more information, call 967-8222 or visit volcanoartcenter.org.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM.

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND YOUTUBE.COM/KAUNEWS.