Sunday, September 09, 2012

Ka`u News Briefs Sept. 9, 2012

Maile David, left, and Brenda Ford, second left, face a runoff in November for District 6 County Council.
Photo from Big Island Video News
KA`U’S TWO COUNTY COUNCIL CANDIDATES heading into a November runoff, each qualified for $48,893 in public funding for the primary and general elections, the most of all candidates running for council islandwide. After the primary election, both Maile David and Brenda Ford received the last installment of the funding - $7,320 each to spend until the Nov. 6 election.
      While the public funding comes from $3 donations checked off on state tax returns, the amounts for each district vary. District 6 has the most funding, which is based on the amount of private money raised for council campaigns before public funding started. In one election, Guy Enriques raised a large sum for this County Council campaign, more than any other candidate around the island, leading to the big publicly funded money pot in this election for Ka`u council district candidates.
      The public funding is a test, conducted by the state elections office, being carried out only in Hawai`i County. It ends after the 2014 elections unless the Hawai`i legislature votes to take it statewide or approve another round of testing.
Maile David and Brenda Ford both received public funding to run
for County Council. Photo by Charles Tobias
      Five of the nine Hawai`i County Council seats were decided in the primary election, some of the candidates using public funding and some using private funding. Those council seats already decided will be held by Karen Eoff and J Yoshimoto, who ran with public funding, and Dru Kanuha, Zendo Kern and Dennis Onishi who raised money on their own.
      A story in this morning’s Hawai`i Tribune Herald sums up the ongoing campaigning for County Council islandwide, noting that the state Campaign Spending Commission gave out $215,344.23 to eight County Council contenders on this island.
      According to the Tribune Herald story, in Puna, incumbent and finalist Fred Blas, who declined to apply for public funding and rejecting the idea of using tax money for campaigning, has far less money than Greggor Ilaga, who took the public funds and still has $6,554 to spend on the general election.
      According to the Peter Sur story, for the Waimea District race, attorney Margaret Wille accepted public funding and received $11,427.46 for the primary and $173 for the general, since her district had little spent on campaigning in past elections. Her opponent New Hope pastor Oliver Sonny Shimaoka chose not to accept public funding and raised $14,235.08. The newspaper reports that Wille says a political action committee may be set up to campaign for her issues, which include support of the Hawai`i Clean Elections law.
Brenda Ford holds a talk story in Ocean View tomorrow.
Photo by David Howard Donald
      In Hamakua, Valerie Poindexter and Chelsea Yagong are running on private funding. The public funding was very small there leading both candidates to opt out.
     See more at hawaiitribune-herald.com.

A TALK STORY IN OCEAN VIEW Ford and candidate for Prosecuting Attorney Mitch Roth is scheduled for tomorrow evening from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Community Center. All are welcome to bring questions and concerns. 
      Ford held a talk story at Kilauea Lodge in Volcano Village this morning.

KA`U’S KULEANA LANDOWNERS are invited to learn how the Office of Hawaiian Affairs can help them apply for property tax exemption at a meeting Tuesday, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. 
Handed down through Hawaiian families for generations, kuleana lands are usually small parcels surrounded by larger tracts of property and are sometimes landlocked. Call 808-594-1967 for more information.

THE NEXT KA`U AGRICULTURAL WATER COOPERATIVE DISTRICT meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 13, at 4 p.m. at the ML Mac Nut Field Office. Each region between Kapapala and Ha`ao Springs is expected to send a representative. The organization is restoring agricultural water from the old plantation system. Meetings are open to the public. For more information, call Jeff McCall at 928-6456.   

THE NEXT HA`AO AGRICULTURAL WATER MEETING will be hosted Thursday, Sept. 27, at Wai`ohinu Park at 2:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend. For more, call Jane at 939-9461.

AN ANCHIALINE POOL RESTORATION WORKDAY takes place tomorrow, where volunteers will help remove sediment from the pool. Sign up with Megan Lamson at 769-7629 or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com

Ali`i Keanaaina performs at Hawai`i Volcanoes
National Park on Sept. 19. Photo from HVNP
ALI`I KEANAAINA is scheduled to perform at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park on Wednesday, Sept. 19, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium. Singer, songwriter and musician Keanaaina debuts his first solo album, He Mele No, an album dedicated to those who inspired him to sing and write. Keanaaina's stories he has set to melody are brought to life by his band, He Mele No, which is comprised of his twin brother Nui, and cousins Pililani Pua-Kaipo and Bradshaw Ellis. CD’s available for purchase at the concert. The concert is part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ ongoing Na Leo Manu “Heavenly Voices” presentations. The public event is free, but entrance fees may apply.

SUMI-E JAPANESE BRUSHSTROKE PAINTING is offered at Na`alehu Hongwanji Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.



BEGINNING MACHINE QUILTING CLASSES are offered at Pahala Quilting starting this Tuesday, with additional classes on Sept. 18 and 25. For more, call Donna at 238-0505.  


REGISTERING FOR MOLD CERAMICS, for grades 4 through 8, must be completed before Thursday, Sept. 13 for those who want to attend. The classes held at Pahala Community Center from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. start Thursday, Sept. 20, and end Thursday, Oct. 25. There is a fee for supplies. For more, call Nona at 928-3102.

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND hosts a beach clean up at Kamilo on Saturday, Sept. 15, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. All volunteers will meet at Wai`ohinu Park on Hwy 11 near mile marker 65 at 7:45 a.m. and are asked to bring sturdy shoes, bag lunch, sun and wind protection, plenty of drinks and four-wheel-drive vehicles if possible. HWF will supply cleanup materials. Those interested can contact Megan Lamson at 769-7629 or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.

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

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM.