Wednesday, December 09, 2015

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015

Halema`uma`u's lava lake deposited lava, visible at bottom left, on a shelf near the top of the Overlook Crater before dropping last night.
Thermal image from USGS
THE SURFACE OF HALEMA`UMA`U’S lava lake rose high enough around 3 a.m. to place a small pad of lava on the shelf within the Overlook Crater before returning to a lower level, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported. 
      The lava remains active and circulating within the crater. Seismicity is at normal, background rates, with episodes of higher amplitude tremor associated with lava spattering within the Overlook vent. Tiltmeters recorded no changes.
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Abandoned tires holding water create mosquito
breeding grounds.
TIRES CAN BE DROPPED OFF at Ocean View at the Kahuku Park mobile transfer station only on Saturdays, and the county is picking them up right away. John Medeiros, deputy director of the county Department of Environmental Management, said this morning that the program is designed to help prevent the spread of dengue fever, as mosquitoes lay eggs in wet tires. He also encouraged anyone disposing of tires to dump all water and dirt out of them before hauling them to the mobile transfer station. 
      Residents of Ocean View should drop them off only on Saturdays to prevent the pile of tires from becoming a mosquito attractant and dengue site. The tires have to be picked up right away, and Saturday is the day when the county can retrieve them, he emphasized. Tires collect water where mosquitoes lay eggs, and getting rid of mosquitoes is key to ending the dengue outbreak.
      Islandwide, the county has so far collected 25 tons of tires. Leo’s Rubbish in Hilo cuts up the tires and ships them out of state for recycling, most likely to China, Medeiros said.
      Tires are also being accepted at Wai`ohinu, Pahala and Volcano transfer stations during normal operating hours.
      Regarding the planned permanent Ocean View Transfer station, Medeiros said he hopes construction will be underway next year.
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EXTENSION OF FREE TIRE DROP-OFF at county trash transfer stations was set to end on Dec. 31, but Mayor Billy Kenoi “is adamant that it continue until the dengue outbreak is over,” said John Medeiros, deputy director of the county Office of Environmental Management. Medeiros said this morning that residents can take tires to the transfer station throughout December and January.
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“THE BIG ISLAND AND THE REST of Hawai`i remain safe destinations for visitors and residents” during the current outbreak of dengue fever, Hawai`i Department of Health emphasizes at health.hawaii.gov/docd/dengue-outbreak-2015.
      As of yesterday, DOH had confirmed 139 cases. Residents accounted for 122 cases, and visitors, 17.
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Alan Dush
A 31-YEAR-OLD MAN HAS BEEN CHARGED with eight offenses in connection with an armed break-in at a home in Ocean View on Sunday, Dec, 6. 
      At 4 p.m. Sunday, Ka`u District officers responded to a report of a man with a knife at a home on the 92-1600 block of Aloha Boulevard.
      Officers learned that a man had reportedly broken into the house, threatened a 73-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man with a knife and a rock, removed car keys, injured the male victim during a struggle for the keys and attempted to steal their car. He fled from the area on foot just as police were arriving. Officers followed him and arrested the man, identified as Alan J. Dush, who has no permanent address.
      Dush was taken to the Kona police cellblock while detectives from Area II Criminal Investigations Section continued the investigation.
      At 10:45 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, Dush was charged with burglary, robbery, terroristic threatening, assault, criminal property damage, unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle, attempted theft and attempted unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle. His bail was set at $25,500.
      He remains at the cellblock pending his initial court appearance scheduled for today.
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Corey Rosenlee
HAWAI`I STATE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION wants an increase in general excise tax to fund school improvement and teachers’ salary increases, Nanea Kalani reported in Honolulu Star-Advertiser. HSTA President Corey Rosenlee proposes a one-percent increase for more competitive teacher salaries, caps on class sizes, an end to certain testing, more public preschool, improved facilities, increased time spent teaching the arts and increased supports for special-education teachers. 
      “These are basic things, things people in Hawai`i have been saying we need for a very long time,” Rosenlee told Kalani. “We always talk in Hawai`i about needing to improve education, and we don’t do anything about it. It’s time we say education must be a priority. So what HSTA is doing is we are providing a solution. We’re taking the best research from across the world and across the country and, after talking to our teachers, saying, ‘Listen, these are the things we know are good for children. These are good for education. Are we willing to invest in our children?’”
      See staradvertiser.com.
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U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD SAID on national TV on Tuesday that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who called for banning all Muslims from coming into the country, is trying to capitalize on people’s fears for his political gains. Trump’s remarks follow an act of terror in San Bernardino, CA where 14 people died. 
      Gabbard said it is important to differentiate between the Islamic religion and “radical, totalitarian Islamist ideology” bent on taking over territory to establish a totalitarian government that fuels terrorists.
      She said that understanding how this works is needed to create a successful strategy to solve the problem. She said it is important to separate terrorists from the spiritual path of most followers of Islam.
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SEN. MAZIE HIRONO TODAY VOTED for the Every Student Succeeds Act, the first comprehensive legislation aimed at improving elementary and secondary education to pass Congress since the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act. The act passed the Senate 85-12 and is headed to the President’s desk for his signature. 
       “Our schools should be places where students’ curiosity about the world can grow into a lifelong passion for learning,” Hirono said. “The Every Students Succeeds Act makes the one size fits all mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act a thing of the past, and Hawai`i students will benefit from this legislation that supports early education, services to military-connected children, improvements to the Native Hawaiian Education Act and many other commonsense reforms.
       “However, I am disappointed that a provision I offered to provide more accurate data on Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students was not included in the final legislation. I appreciate the work that Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Bobby Scott did to make progress to provide federal support for states who take initiative to help AANHPI students succeed, but there is still work that needs to be done to ensure that educators have insight on how to help all students.”
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IN SPORTS, KA`U HIGH GIRLS basketball teams began regular season play yesterday. Both teams lost to Kohala, with JV score of 58-14 and varsity, 58-33. Analei Emmsley was varsity’s high scorer with 10 points. Alyssa Buvings and Zaylee Pascubillo each contributed four points to JV’s score. 
      Trojan boys soccer team hosted Wai`akea yesterday. Final score: Wai`akea 7, Ka`u 0.
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New venue is Pahala Plantation House.
SANTA ARRIVES AT 5 P.M. today for Hana Hou Restaurant’s annual Keiki Christmas Party. Santa will pose for photos with the keiki, who will also receive gifts. Police will offer families photo IDs for keiki. Everyone can enjoy a free meal.

VOLCANO SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES presents three one-act performances to celebrate the winter holiday season tomorrow at Kilauea Military Camp Theater in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. 
      Curtain is promptly at 6 p.m. Admission is free; park entrance fees apply.

BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE plan to attend I Ola Na `Aina Momona’s Holiday Open House on Friday, the venue has been moved to Pahala Plantation House. Hours are 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
      The nonprofit works to help Ka`u Coffee growers achieve land security. For more information, call Malian at 503-575-9098.

THE KA`U CALENDAR’S ANNOUNCEMENT of this month’s Advocats Spay and Neuter Clinic is in error. The clinic is next scheduled to take place in February at Ocean View Community Center. See the February issue for more information.

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