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| Participants in Science Camps of America's Land and Sea session studied Hawai`i Island's geology earlier this month. Photo from Michael Richards |
In March 2013, Ka`u News Briefs reported that photovoltaic installations were planned for Hawaiian Ocean View Ranchos, according to Jeremy Staat, of Ohana Solar Power, LLC. Staat said at the time that his company had invested $10 to $12 million in fee-simple properties in Hawai`i, technology and proposals to the electric utilities. He said he was waiting for approvals from the state Public Utilities Commission and Hawai`i Electric Light Co. for the Ranchos project.
Staat said his company planned solar on three islands and owned 20 lots in Ranchos. Filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission under Solar Hub Utilities showed that building permits were issued for all 20 lots in early 2012.
Company names currently involved in the project include Solar Power Holdings, Solar Power, Inc., Solar Hub and Solar PV Projects.
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| Jeremy Staat, of Ohana Solar Power, LLC |
According to Sandi Alexander, of Ocean View Community Association, Hawaiian Electric Light Co. announced at a community meeting a month ago that it plans to build a 10-megawatt substation across Hwy 11 from Ocean View Market to handle power coming from the two-acre solar arrays to be built on three-acre lots.
During the meeting, residents expressed concerns about having solar arrays spread throughout the residential area, possible bulldozing of old-growth `ohi`a on the lots, heat generated by solar panels and possibility of theft, since developers have no plans for monitoring of their equipment. Residents also asked if the development would limit the amount of net-energy metering, where surplus energy goes back to HELCO to lower electricity bills, available to residents.
Alexander said the purpose of the meeting is to try to come to some consensus about what residents want regarding the project.
During the meeting, residents expressed concerns about having solar arrays spread throughout the residential area, possible bulldozing of old-growth `ohi`a on the lots, heat generated by solar panels and possibility of theft, since developers have no plans for monitoring of their equipment. Residents also asked if the development would limit the amount of net-energy metering, where surplus energy goes back to HELCO to lower electricity bills, available to residents.
Alexander said the purpose of the meeting is to try to come to some consensus about what residents want regarding the project.
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LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL on Mauna Kea yesterday arrested an individual for criminal property damage after she allegedly struck the vehicle of an Office of Mauna Kea Management ranger with her own car. The individual allegedly drove up to a ranger and two sheriffs at 2:30 a.m. and argued with them for not allowing her to ascend the mountain. She then advanced her car into the OMKM rangers vehicle, causing minor damage. No one was injured.
The incident follows the state Board of Land & Natural Resources’ implementation of emergency rules restricting access on Mauna Kea from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL on Mauna Kea yesterday arrested an individual for criminal property damage after she allegedly struck the vehicle of an Office of Mauna Kea Management ranger with her own car. The individual allegedly drove up to a ranger and two sheriffs at 2:30 a.m. and argued with them for not allowing her to ascend the mountain. She then advanced her car into the OMKM rangers vehicle, causing minor damage. No one was injured.
The incident follows the state Board of Land & Natural Resources’ implementation of emergency rules restricting access on Mauna Kea from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
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| Science Campers visit Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Photo by Michael Richards |
THE SECOND SESSION of this year’s Science Camps of America based at Pahala Plantation Cottages continues through July 18. According to founder Michael Richards, the Big Island of Hawai`i is the ideal location for experiencing the air and space sciences and the world’s greatest laboratory for Earth science.
Air and Space Camp gives students the chance to learn about Earth’s atmosphere and climate and about space. Participants visit observatories and the centers where astronomers work. They also learn how scientists study concentrations of substances in the atmosphere, see alternate energy development in action and gain a better understanding of climate change and how to be better prepared to participate in solutions to challenges they will face.
During Land and Sea Camp, the focus was on volcanoes (geology) and the ocean (oceanography). Students visited Kilauea, the world's most active (and easily studied) volcano. They saw footprints in hardened ash that are over 200 years old, along with one of the world’s greatest mineral collections and beaches made entirely of minerals. They learned not just about the events that take place in the natural world but experienced first-hand how they affect plants, animals and humans.
During Land and Sea Camp, the focus was on volcanoes (geology) and the ocean (oceanography). Students visited Kilauea, the world's most active (and easily studied) volcano. They saw footprints in hardened ash that are over 200 years old, along with one of the world’s greatest mineral collections and beaches made entirely of minerals. They learned not just about the events that take place in the natural world but experienced first-hand how they affect plants, animals and humans.
For next year, Science Camps of America offers scholarships to local students. For more information, see sciencecampsamerica.com.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
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| Crews make repairs to Solar Impulse II on O`ahu. Photo from solarimpulse.com |
SOLAR IMPULSE TWO IS GROUNDED on O`ahu. During the record-breaking oceanic flight of five days and five nights (117 hours and 52 minutes) from Japan, the solar-powered airplane suffered battery damage due to overheating. The damage to certain parts of the batteries is irreversible and will require repairs and replacements that will take several weeks to work through.
Solar Impulse’s crew does not see the possibility for any flights before two or three weeks at the earliest. The next leg of its around-the-world journey will take it to Phoenix, AZ. Regular updates will follow at solarimpulse.com.
THE TOPIC AT AFTER DARK IN THE PARK tomorrow is How Do We View Kilauea? Kumu Hula Manaiakalani Kalua and historian Philip K. Wilson discuss Kilauea’s place in Hawaiian culture and scientific history, and where the two perspectives intersect and encounter one another. The program begins at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
$2 donations support park programs; park entrance fees apply.
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
SEN. MAZIE K. HIRONO WILL PARTICIPATE in the National Defense Authorization Act Conference Committee. NDAA is an annual bill that lays out the Department of Defense’s budget and strategic plan for the military in the next year.
Both the House and Senate have passed different versions of NDAA. Under the Constitution, Congress has to agree on the same text of a bill in order to send it to the President for signature. Conference Committees serve as a way for the House and Senate to reach agreement on legislation which must then be passed again by both the House and Senate. As an NDAA conferee, Hirono will collaborate with members of the Senate and House to come to a bipartisan and bicameral compromise on the nation’s military spending.
“The NDAA should reflect the United States’ national security priorities by supporting our men and women in uniform, sustaining a 21st century fighting force and investing in long-term initiatives like the Rebalance to the Asia-Pacific,” Hirono said. “As a conferee, I will work to see that Hawai`i continues to play a vital role in these efforts. I continue to be concerned about the impact of the sequester, which harms our economy and our national security. I look forward to working with my House and Senate colleagues to address these issues and find bipartisan solutions that will keep our military strong.”
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
SEN. MAZIE K. HIRONO WILL PARTICIPATE in the National Defense Authorization Act Conference Committee. NDAA is an annual bill that lays out the Department of Defense’s budget and strategic plan for the military in the next year.
Both the House and Senate have passed different versions of NDAA. Under the Constitution, Congress has to agree on the same text of a bill in order to send it to the President for signature. Conference Committees serve as a way for the House and Senate to reach agreement on legislation which must then be passed again by both the House and Senate. As an NDAA conferee, Hirono will collaborate with members of the Senate and House to come to a bipartisan and bicameral compromise on the nation’s military spending.
“The NDAA should reflect the United States’ national security priorities by supporting our men and women in uniform, sustaining a 21st century fighting force and investing in long-term initiatives like the Rebalance to the Asia-Pacific,” Hirono said. “As a conferee, I will work to see that Hawai`i continues to play a vital role in these efforts. I continue to be concerned about the impact of the sequester, which harms our economy and our national security. I look forward to working with my House and Senate colleagues to address these issues and find bipartisan solutions that will keep our military strong.”
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
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| Pele and Hi`iaka by Avi Kiriaty |
AVI KIRIATY EXHIBITS KUMU PELE at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Saturday, July 18 through Aug. 23. This exhibition of original paintings and prints will be on display daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The exhibit is free and open to the public; park entrance fees apply. A special opening reception with the artist is on Saturday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the gallery.
Kiriaty was born in Israel, the son of a dabbling artist, and spent his youth as a keen observer of nature and people. He met his wife on a kibbutz and soon after moved to New Hampshire where they had their first child. Soon after, the budding family moved to the South Pacific in search of a warm, peaceful place amid nature. The original plan was that Hawai‘i would be one of the stops along the way, but upon arrival they couldn’t resist the beauty they experienced and decided to stay. They spent the first year on Kaua`i, where Kiriaty experimented for a time with oil painting. From there he moved to the Hamakua. His son was born on an old Hawaiian homestead there. Kiriaty then moved to the Puna rainforest and began to live the life of an artist. His first works were sold at Hilo Farmers Market, where his wife had been selling tie-dyed T-shirts. Kiriaty included a few works for sale and to no one’s surprise, they were an immediate success.
Since that time, Kiriaty has continued to capture the Hawai‘i landscape and his observations of its people in joyful paintings and prints. For a deeper study into Polynesian culture, Kiriaty and his family traveled to 19 different islands in French Polynesia and the Cook Islands, and his work has been profoundly influenced by the journey. One example is Kiriaty’s unique collection of Storyboards. Throughout the South Pacific many cultures create Storyboards as a form of art that documents their oral tradition and their cultural history. They have been made in many different forms, including woodcarvings and tapa cloth designs. Kiriaty has developed his own style of Polynesian storyboard using oil paint on linen canvas. The texture, and partially the style, of these works is similar to that of his lino-block prints. His daughter works with him in the studio on these pieces in an apprentice fashion, filling in the layers at his direction. This working relationship has developed a line of paintings that have a unique style while still being clearly Avi Kiriaty originals.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
Since that time, Kiriaty has continued to capture the Hawai‘i landscape and his observations of its people in joyful paintings and prints. For a deeper study into Polynesian culture, Kiriaty and his family traveled to 19 different islands in French Polynesia and the Cook Islands, and his work has been profoundly influenced by the journey. One example is Kiriaty’s unique collection of Storyboards. Throughout the South Pacific many cultures create Storyboards as a form of art that documents their oral tradition and their cultural history. They have been made in many different forms, including woodcarvings and tapa cloth designs. Kiriaty has developed his own style of Polynesian storyboard using oil paint on linen canvas. The texture, and partially the style, of these works is similar to that of his lino-block prints. His daughter works with him in the studio on these pieces in an apprentice fashion, filling in the layers at his direction. This working relationship has developed a line of paintings that have a unique style while still being clearly Avi Kiriaty originals.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
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| Philip K. Wilson |
OBON SEASON SERVICES take place today at Pahala Hongwanji at 3 p.m. (928-8254) and Na`alehu Hongwanji at 6 p.m. (966-9981).
THE TOPIC AT AFTER DARK IN THE PARK tomorrow is How Do We View Kilauea? Kumu Hula Manaiakalani Kalua and historian Philip K. Wilson discuss Kilauea’s place in Hawaiian culture and scientific history, and where the two perspectives intersect and encounter one another. The program begins at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
$2 donations support park programs; park entrance fees apply.
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
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| See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf and kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf. |
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| See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_July2015.pdf. |
