Sunday, April 27, 2014

Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, April 27, 2014

Ka`u High boys volleyball team won the Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division II title Friday. Photo by Pamela Fernandez Taylor
KA`U HIGH BOYS VOLLEYBALL TEAM has won the school’s first ever Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division II boys volleyball title. The team defeated Honoka`a Friday afternoon in five sets to get the title. Cameron Enriques contributed 29 kills, Larry-Dan Al-Navarro had 14 kills, and Brian Gascon served five aces. 
      Scores were 26-28, 25-17, 25-20, 16-25 and 15-13.
      Ka`u Athletic Department is receiving congratulatory messages from other schools. “Congratulations on this awesome accomplishment,” says a message from Konawaena High School. “Represent our island with pride in the state tourney.”
      A message from Kamehameha Schools athletic department in Kea`au says congratulations in Hawaiian: “Ho`omaika`i `Ana!”
      Hawai`i High School Athletic Association Division II volleyball championship begins Thursday, May 8.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Tiani Castaneda-Naboa goes to the state judo tournament in May.
Photo from KHPES
KA`U HIGH STUDENT TIANI CASTANEDA-NABOA is runner-up in Big Island Interscholastic Federation Judo. She will participate in the state tournament Saturday, May 10 at Stan Sheriff Center on O`ahu.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

LATE VOTER REGISTRATION HAS GOTTEN APPROVAL of state House and Senate conferees. HB2590 would allow voter registration at absentee polling places beginning in 2016 and late voter registration, including on election day, beginning in 2018. It also would allow voter registration at absentee polling places beginning in 2016.
      “Eleven states have already adopted Election Day voter registration, and we are excited with the optimistic possibility that Hawai`i could be next,” Carmille Lim, executive director of Common Cause Hawai`i, told Civil Beat. “With Hawai`i’s consistent low voter turnout, coupled with several mishaps that occurred in the 2012 election cycle, more people have recognized the need to continue to streamline our election registration system and proactively modernize our voting systems.”
      The bill would appropriate $100,000 to the Office of Elections for implementation of the program.
      Rep. Kaniela Ing, the bill’s sponsor, told Civil Beat, “We’ve spent years working toward a win-win piece of legislation. Our final revision takes into account the burden on poll workers by providing adequate resources and updated technology.”
      He said the program “will initiate simultaneous with online voter registration in 2016 and is estimated to increase voter turnout by five to eight percent.”
      See civilbeat.com.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

A story in today's Hawai`i Tribune-Herald includes this photo of possible Japanese
tsunami debris that washed onto the Ka`u Coast in Oct. 2012.
IDENTIFYING DEBRIS FROM THE TSUNAMI that followed an earthquake in Japan on March 11, 2011 may become more difficult soon, according to University of Hawai`i researchers. “It’s becoming difficult to tell with time because the marine debris deteriorates,” Jan Hafner told Colin M. Stewart, of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald. The researchers used a variety of methods to confirm whether items were from the tsunami, including part numbers, writing and identifying the species of wood that were used to build them. 
       “We’re approaching that time that we won’t be able to tell if its just general debris or tsunami debris, unless we can find a specific registration number, like on boats, or license plates.”
      Stewart reports that, on Hawai`i Island, most of the tsunami debris ended up on windward facing shores — mainly in areas commonly known to be magnets for marine debris, including Ka`u’s Kamilo Beach, “which earned a reputation for debris and is often the focal point of community clean-up projects.”
Computer-generated image shows projected path of Japanese tsunami debris.
Image from IPRC
      The International Pacific Research Center website, iprc.soest.hawaii.edu, lists tsunami debris sightings, including the 12-foot-tall, 20-foot-diameter yellow metal object found on the Ka`u Coast below Na`alehu. Hafner told Stewart that there have probably been many more items that have washed ashore on Hawai`i Island, “but the list is limited mainly by how many people reported their findings.”
      “On the Big Island, the first items we started seeing were made of wood, construction lumber. We have confidence it was from Japan because of the species of the tree, the tsuji, a type of Japanese cedar using in home construction in Japan and grown in Southeast Asia. It’s only found in a few places,” Hafner said.
      See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

GOV. NEIL ABERCROMBIE HAS ISSUED a statement applauding state legislators for advancing minimum wage bill. “I commend our legislators for advancing the proposal to raise Hawai`i’s minimum wage to $10.10 an hour,” Abercrombie said. “It is imperative to provide our lowest paid workers with the economic stability and security they deserve. Hawai`i’s minimum wage earners have not had a raise from $7.25 an hour since 2007. I look forward to working with the Legislature to bring fairness to the people of Hawai`i.” 
      The final version of Senate Bill 2609 would increase the state’s minimum wage to $10.10 over the next four years. For workers who earn at least $7 more than the minimum wage, businesses can deduct a 75 cents tip credit. The current tip credit is 50 cents.
      If passed during a final floor vote before the Legislature adjourns on Thursday, the bill would go to Abercrombie for his approval.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Hoku Subiono introduced Miloli`i Hipu`u Virtual Academy on PBS' Hiki No.
Image from PBS
LAST THURSDAY’S HIKI NO PROGRAM ON PBS is available online at pbshawaii.org/hikino. The program features segments produced by students at Kua O Ka La Public Charter School’s Hipu`u Virtual Academy at Miloli`i, Ka`u High School and Volcano School of Arts & Sciences. 
      Miloli`i students who produced the segment there include Lanakila Caldwell, Dazza Kuahuia, Hoku Subiono and David Watai-Simeona. Subiono said the goal of the academy is to provide “a rigorous, online-blended curriculum for students on the Big Island from grades three to 12.” Caldwell highlighted Kaimi Kaupiko and Leivallyn Kaupu, who started the academy. Watai-Simeona discussed Miloli`i’s history as a fishing village.
      Students at Ka`u High & Pahala Elementary School who participated were Glaiza Biason, Kamrie Koi, Siena Okimoto, Jeazelle Sebastian, Lomon Silk and Travis Taylor. Taylor gave a history of Ka`u High & Pahala Elementary School, saying workers at one of the largest sugar plantations in the state “wanted their children to have a high school education, making our school the oldest school on the Big Island, and one of the third oldest school in the state of Hawai`i.” Okimoto talked about how, because of the size of Ka`u, “a large percentage of our students have to travel long distances to get to school every day.”
Travis Taylor is before the camera for Hiki No's segment at Ka`u High &
Pahala Elementary School. Image from PBS
      Nowell Matabishop and Emma Reed were anchors for the Volcano School of Arts & Sciences segment. Other students who produced it were Lenaia Andrade, Keanu Beddow, Keahi Coakley, Emma-Jade Reyes Dawson, Joah Gacayan, Jakob Garcia, Amaya Hirata, Echo Hirata, Annie Judd, Laakea Judd, Cherish Kailiawa, Malakai Lurker, Daniel Savage and Kalani Scheffler. Matabishop gave a tour of Volcano Village, which he says is “made up of artists, scientists and other creative people who find inspiration on our unique `ohi`a forest.”
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.    

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK has announced the following upcoming flight plans:
  • April 28, May 12 and May 26, between 8 a.m. and noon, to transport fencing material from the summit of Kilauea to an area near the top of Mauna Loa Road. 
  • April 29, morning flight to Kahuku for wildlife management. 
  • May 16: flying camp supplies and equipment from end of Chain of Craters Road to `Apua Point, Keauhou, and Halape campsites for annual monitoring of hawksbill turtle nesting season.
Nowell Matabishop started his Hiki No tour at VSAS' Keakealani campus.
Image from PBS
      “The park regrets any noise impact to residents and park visitors. Dates and times are subject to change based on aircraft availability and weather,” according to a park statement.
      “Management of the park requires the use of aircraft to monitor and research volcanic activity, conduct search-and-rescue missions and law enforcement operations, support management of natural and cultural resources and to maintain backcountry facilities.”
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.  

KA`U RESIDENTS CAN PARTICIPATE in this week’s Hawai`i County government meetings via videoconferencing at Ocean View Community Center. County Council committees meet Wednesday. Human Services & Social Services Committee meets at 9 a.m.; Public Works & Parks & Recreation, 9:30 a.m.; Planning; 9:45 a.m.; and Finance, 10:45 a.m.
      The Finance Committee reconvenes on Thursday at 9 a.m., followed by the full Council meeting Thursday at 9:15 a.m.
      All meetings take place at West Hawai`i Civic Center in Kona.
      Agendas are available at hawaiicounty.gov.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.








See kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.swf.