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Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016

Wind and rain associated with Hurricane Madeline have reached East Hawai`i and parts of Ka`u.
See more below. Map from University of Hawai`i
OCEAN VIEW RANCHOS RESIDENTS Peter and Ann Bosted have filed a formal complaint with Hawai`i Public Utilities Commission. According to the Bosteds’ complaint, Hawaiian Electric Co. and Hawai`i Electric Light Co. are not holding SPI Solar, developers of a proposed 6.5-megawatt solar project in Ocean View, in compliance with the companies’ feed-in-tariff program. Through the program, utilities make payments to customers who generate renewable electricity and send it into the grid. SPI plans to build solar installations on more than two dozen lots in Ranchos neighborhood and send the power onto HELCO’s grid via a proposed overhead transmission line that would cross Hwy 11.
      “The FIT program, launched in 2008, had noble goals of moving Hawai‘i toward being independent of fossil fuels for electric power,” the complaint states. “However, the FIT project intended for Ocean View has completely confounded and disrupted the good intentions of the program. Further, this project embodies everything that has gone wrong with the FIT program.”
      The Bosteds say FIT permits should not have been issued to the solar developers for several reasons. “These FIT permits are proceeding through zoning laws that do not address non-conforming residential subdivisions, the misrepresentation of facts, and various changes of ownership of the FIT permits. In addition, there has been a concerted effort to circumvent the competitive bid process while failing to be ‘shovel ready.’ This project has deprived the people of Hawai`i of early benefits of the FIT program and renewable energy that could have been provided if the projects had been timely completed in 2012, per the developers’ stated project completion date. …
Ocean View Ranchos residents fear that their neighborhood could end up
looking like this area on Kaua`i. Photo from Peter & Ann Bosted
      “The people and ratepayers of Hawai`i have not benefitted from the FIT program. If the permits had been given to a geographically diverse group of bone fide individual landowners, the installations would have been built in six to 12 months, and the island could have been enjoying eight megawatts of renewable energy since September 2012 (the project completion date according to the FIT program). If these projects had been, in fact, shovel-ready, it could have saved the consumers money, it would have reduced pollution, and it would have upheld the goals of the FIT program. On top of factoring the opportunity costs, the aggregation of these projects have caused a need for a complicated interconnection requirements study, requiring payments that were beyond the ability of the developer to make timely payments, and now the construction of a substation and transmission line, all of which demonstrate that the projects in Ocean View were not shovel-ready. Hawai`i’s ratepayers are paying for a rush job and will get very late delivery instead. 
      “We respectfully request that the Public Utilities Commission not perpetuate these ill-conceived FIT projects, which do not have any evidence of benefit to the public of Hawai`i. If this utility-scale solar project is allowed to move forward and be developed in Ocean View, it will adversely affect the value of homes and land; ruin the ocean views and ranch-like ambiance; present a severe fire hazard for which Hawai`i County is not prepared; necessitate herbicide spraying of about 60 acres that can contaminate groundwater; industrialize a residential neighborhood; produce unneeded power; qualify the developers to apply for federal tax credits (30 percent) and state tax credits (35 percent), which amounts to a subsidy by taxpayers; and give control over this project to off-shore companies and shell companies.
      “We respectfully urge the commission to conclude that the goals of 2008 Energy Agreement are now out of date and that these FIT projects should be extinguished. We also respectfully request that the commission revoke the FIT permits, as they were issued under false pretenses and are of no public benefit at this time. …”
      “We trust that this complaint will be taken seriously, as the future of a thriving town must be weighed against the quick profits for a few,” the complaint states.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

MADELINE IS VISITING KA`U. Although Central Pacific Hurricane Center has downgraded its Hurricane Warning to a Tropical Storm Warning and steading weakening is forecast over the next 48 hours, damaging winds and heavy rains are still a possibility.
GOES-West Satellite image of Madeline at 4 p.m,
      At 5 p.m., the eye of Madeline was 75 miles south-southeast of South Point and moving west-southwest at 12 miles per hour. Maximum sustained winds around the eye were near 65 mph, reducing Madeline to a Tropical Storm. However, there are higher gusts. The strongest tropical storm -force winds extend outward up to 10 miles from the center, and lighter tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles.
      Tropical storm conditions could develop over portions of Hawai`i County today and continue into early Thursday.
    This afternoon, Ka`u saw bands of wind and rain and some fallen branches. In Volcano, an electrical transformer exploded and caused a fire.
      Madeline could produce total rain accumulations of five to 10 inches, with isolated maximum amounts near 15 inches across Hawai`i County.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Grace Tabios
GRAHAM MILLDRUM, of West Hawai`i Today, spoke to Ka`u residents yesterday about their thoughts on Madeline.
      Milldrum spoke with Harry Evangelista, of Pahala, who was closing up Na`alehu Theater.
      “If it rains, it rains; if it blows, it blows,” he said. Evangelista told Milldrum about a storm in 2000, when he helped secure vehicles to trees in Wood Valley as a gulch became a 100-yard river. He said residents made sure everyone had what they needed.
      “It is the way it is,” he said.
      He said Ka`u residents are more self-reliant because of the lack of stores here.
      Milldrum also spoke with Grace Tabios at her store in Na`alehu. Tabios said her major concern is losing electricity, which occurred in 2014 with Tropical Storm Iselle.
      “We just pray,” Tabios told Milldrum. “We want to be open so people can buy food.”
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

TO ENSURE THE SAFETY of visitors and employees, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park will close at noon today until it is determined safe to reopen. Rangers will assess impacts from Hurricane Madeline at 8 a.m. tomorrow.
Photo shows the calm before the storm this morning
at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Photo from NPS
      Park staff and volunteers not directly involved in storm efforts were directed to stay home. Guests at Kilauea Military Camp and Volcano House will shelter in place, or, if necessary, be directed to the nearest shelter.
      “The closure will continue until we have a chance to assess the impact to the park and mitigate any damage. With Hurricane Lester right on the heels of Madeline, and still a Category IV hurricane, we could end up continuing the closure for a few days until it’s safe to reopen,” said Chief Ranger John Broward.
      Rangers will determine by Friday if the Kahuku Unit, open only on Saturdays and Sundays, will remain closed over the weekend.
      Updates will be posted at www.nps.gov/havo and ​its official social media sites.
​      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Ka`u High Band Room is now open as an emergency shelter.
Photo by Julia Neal
KA`U HIGH SCHOOL BAND ROOM is serving as a shelter during Madeline’s approach.
      Ka`u High and all other public schools on Hawai`i Island are closed. County and state facilities, offices and services are closed today including Hele-On Bus service, solid waste transfer stations and landfills. Residents are asked not to leave trash at the gates and wait until transfer stations reopen to dispose of trash and recycling.​
      All state and county park facilities including lava viewing areas are closed.
      Hawai`i County Civil Defense urges residents and visitors to stay off roads if at all possible.
      CU Hawai`i Credit Union's office in Na`alehu is closed. Manager Mako Okazaki said it is scheduled to reopen tomorrow, subject to weather conditions and damage assessments.
      Bank of Hawai`i's branch in Pahala is also closed.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

KA`U’S U.S. REP. Tulsi Gabbard listened to challenges of the coffee industry Monday at a meeting at Ka`u Coffee Mill.
Ka`u Coffee growers Ann Fontes, Miles Mayne and Trini Marques
at U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's talk story. Photo by Ron Johnson
      Researcher Dr. Nick Manukas said that while coffee berry borer is a worldwide pest, Hawai`i’s variable conditions and different practices and coffee culture necessitate study of the pest here. On six managed Ka`u Coffee farms, he is studying when, where and how much CBB affects crops, hoping to be able to predict infestations in order to help growers control CBB.
      While many people think unmanaged coffee fields are habitats for CBB, Manukas said they are not, mainly because such areas produce fewer berries. “No coffee; no CBB,” he said.
      Andrea Kawabata, extension agent at University of Hawai`i, said more farms are using methods of treating and preventing CBB. More growers are practicing field sanitation and stripping trees of berries to eliminate CBB habitat.
      Ka`u Coffee grower Miles Mayne said a lot of CBB work is done reactively. He suggested that more funding is needed for educating field workers from other countries who could bring CBB with them when coming to Hawai`i farms.
      Kawabata also expressed concern about coffee rust, which she said “is world’s worst coffee pathogen.
      One speaker compared Colombia’s CBB infestation rate of two percent with Kona’s. Figures for Ka`u were not available, but Kona had a 40 percent infestation rate in 2011. In 2015, it dropped to 13.5, then to 8.79 percent in 2016. “Lots of work to do,” he said.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

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

Click on document to enlarge.

See kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.html
and kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.pdf.
See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_August_2016.pdf.



Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016

Ka`u Coffee growers John AhSan, Gloria Camba, Efren Abelleras and Kili Matsui met with U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard
at Ka`u Coffee Mill yesterday. Photo by Ron Johnson
“INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT is a non-partisan, bipartisan issue,” U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard told her constituents yesterday at Ka`u Coffee Mill. Discussions about agriculture on Hawai`i Island included control of coffee berry borer and macadamia felted coccid. Gabbard said she has supported funding to help control such pests, pointing to the federal Coffee Plant Health Initiative that helped researchers combat the invasive pests that threaten local farmers.
      Representatives from Hawai`i Farmers Union United, Ka`u Farm Bureau, Ka`u Coffee Growers Cooperative, Palehua `Ohana Coffee Cooperative, Hawai`i Coffee Association, Hawai`i University of Hawai`i and many farmers and ranchers attended.
U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard responds to a question from Wood Valley
resident Miles Mayne, in back. Photo by Ron Johnson
      Ka`u Coffee Mill owner Ed Olson asked for more federal money to go directly to farmers to purchase the fungus application that fights the borer in coffee fields.
      Greg Smith, president of Ka`u’s chapter of Hawai`i Farmers Union United, asked Gabbard about removing hemp from the federal Class I category so that Hawai`i can take advantage of its potential. He said Hawai`i farmers are afraid of the U.S. government curtailing any growing of the plant, which he said has many benefits. Several people talked about its use in making fabric.
      Gabbard said there are “a lot of misinformed people” who put hemp in the same category as marijuana. “It speaks to the challenges and opportunities to educate people,” she said. She said she has co-sponsored legislation to allow hemp cultivation and declassify it and that each time the issue comes up, more legislators come on board. An Ocean View resident also mentioned Arundo donats rex, or King Cane, as an alternative to hemp.
      When a resident asked what to do about money in politics, Gabbard said people need to keep their elected officials accountable. She also expressed concern about “the revolving door,” whereby former elected officials take jobs with donors and become lobbyists for their employers’ interests. She said she supports campaign spending regulations.
      Another resident asked about the logic behind the county planning to build a wastewater treatment plant that he said would inject waste into the freshwater aquifer and ocean. Gabbard said she would look into the plan that, as described, “would violate federal laws.”
      Regarding limited funding for agricultural inspections and programs to help Ka`u become more stable, Gabbard said that funds going to military actions overseas that she doesn’t support “limits funds for use here.” She has spoken out against using the military in regime change operations overseas. “There are a lot of decisions that have been made where people are using (weapons) against us that are supplied by us,” she said.
      See more on Gabbard’s visit to Ka`u in tomorrow’s Ka`u Calendar News Briefs.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Prepare now for Madeline's arrival in Ka`u.
Map from NOAA
A HURRICANE WARNING is in effect as Major Hurricane Madeline closes in on Ka`u. At 5 p.m., the hurricane was 350 miles east of Hilo, moving west at 10 mph, with sustained winds at 110 mph. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center stated, "This track will take the center of Madeline dangerously close to the Big Island of Hawai`i late Wednesday into Thursday," and urged, "Your preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion."  
      Madeline reached peak intensity Monday evening as a Category 4 Hurricane but assumed what is expected to be a gradual weakening. However, Central Pacific Hurricane Center keeps the system at hurricane strength as it passes just south of the Big Island.
      The chance for tropical storm conditions at South Point is almost 90 percent, hurricane conditions under 20 percent. Tropical storm force winds of 39 mph or higher are expected from Wednesday afternoon through late Thursday morning based on the latest forecast track, with hurricane force winds possible as early as Wednesday evening. Depending on the exact track of Madeline, there is the possibility of winds as high as 60 to 80 mph and significant wind damage, including downed trees and power lines, and damage to roofs and weak structures.
      A flash flood watch is in effect. Deep tropical moisture associated with Madeline will begin to impact the Big Island by tomorrow morning, bringing the threat of heavy rainfall and flooding through late Thursday. Total rain accumulations of five to 10 inches are possible, with isolated maximum amounts near 15 inches. This rainfall may lead to dangerous flash floods and mudslides.
      CPHC reminded the public to not focus too closely on the forecast track and that hazards associated with hurricanes can extend well away from the center.
      In preparation for Hurricane Madeline, Hawai`i County Civil Defense advised the public to be StormReady:
      Build or restock your emergency preparedness kit. Include a flashlight with fresh batteries, cash, first aid supplies and any medication or supplies specific to you or your family members.
     Plan how to communicate with family members. Create an evacuation plan for your household. Bring in or secure outdoor furniture and other items that could blow away. Keep vehicles fueled and cell phones charged.
      To help preserve water availability through the storm, the Department of Water Supply asks customers to minimize non-essential use of water, such as irrigation, at this time.
      Find more StormReady tips and sign up for notifications at hawaiicounty.gov. Civil Defense will maintain close communications with the National Weather Service. Continue to monitor your local radio broadcasts for up-to-date information.
NASA captured this image of Hurricanes Madeline and Lester yesterday.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

CLOSURES AT HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK have been scheduled, starting today, to ensure the safety of visitors and employees,  as hurricanes Madeline and Lester approach Hawai‘i Island. By 5 p.m.,  Kulanaokuaiki Campground and Hilina Pali Road, as well as all backcountry sites and Mauna Loa Road from Kīpukapuaulu to the overlook, will be off limits.
     Wednesday, Nāmakanipaio Campground and A-Frame Cabins will close by 9 a.m. The coastal lava viewing area and Chain of Craters Road will close by 9 a.m. Jaggar Museum & Kīlauea Visitor Center, and the entrance station will close, as determined.
     Guests staying at Kīlauea Military Camp and Volcano House may shelter in place, or be directed by employees to the nearest shelter (if necessary). In addition, the Kahuku Unit will remain closed over the weekend, but may reopen if Hurricane Lester is not a threat. “Although we don’t intend at this time to close the entire park, visitors are advised to stay off the roads and plan to visit the park once the storms pass and damage is assessed,” said Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando. Hurricane-force winds, dangerous surf, and very heavy rainfall are expected.
     Closures will remain in effect until the storms have passed and conditions are safe. Additional closures may be warranted as the storm gets closer, and any damage is assessed. Updates will be posted to the park’s website www.nps.gov/havo, its official social media sites, and recorded to (808) 985-6000.
     Popular visitor areas at the summit of Kīlauea will remain open at this time, including Nāhuku (Thurston Lava Tube), Kīlauea Visitor Center and the Jaggar Museum and observation deck. To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.
Nonie Soares responded to reports of a herd of goats
roaming land between Makanau and Kawa.
Photo by Julia Neal
NONIE SOARES, OF PUNALU`U Livestock Ranch, responded to reports of a goat herd roaming between Makanau and Kawa.
      “The goats are a carefully bred and managed herd that have helped manage invasive plants and used as food by a large number of local clients for over 15 years,” Soares said. “Ranches all over the state value a well-bred goat herd as weed eaters. The alahe`e is in bloom; you can clearly see it proliferating all over the lava area, as well as other areas on the ranch. Simple observation shows that the goats clearly do not care for it. I have noticed after three years of unusually wet weather that the Christmas berry is growing very fast and is really competing with the alahe`e. The good news is my goats love Christmas berry. Unfortunately, the herd cannot begin to keep up with the rapid regrowth that happens in the lowlands of Ka`u.
      “As for water pockets (reported to be mosquito breeding grounds), not sure about that. The Hilea river ran several times this year, and the standing water creates mosquitoes by the billions. l know l live there. Overall, my husband and l try our utmost to benefit the `aina, our community and pass our knowledge on to generations of kids.”
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Ananda Chang, of Ka`u, was reported missing.
HAWAI`I ISLAND POLICE ARE SEARCHING for a 42-year-old Ka`u woman who was reported missing. Ananda S. Chang was last seen in Ocean View on Thursday, Aug. 25 in a red Chevrolet Cavalier four-door sedan.
      She is described as Caucasian, 5-foot-5, 150 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair.
      Police ask anyone with information on her whereabouts to call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311 or Officer Henry Ivy at 939-2520.
      Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the islandwide Crime Stoppers number at 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

A 61-YEAR-OLD NA`ALEHU MAN died when the tractor-trailer truck he was driving crashed early Monday morning in South Kona near the 85-mile marker Hwy 11 north of Ocean View. He has been identified as Brysson Lorenzo, Sr.
      Officers responding to a 2:57 a.m. call determined Lorenzo ran off the right shoulder of the road in a northbound 1994 Kenworth tractor-trailer and collided with a rock embankment. The collision caused the tractor-trailer to overturn onto its left side and catch fire. Lorenzo was taken to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:40 a.m.
      Police don’t believe speed was a factor in this crash, and it’s not immediately known if alcohol was a factor.
      An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.
      Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to call Officer Kimo Keliipaakaua at 326-4646, ext. 229 or Crime Stoppers at 961-8300.
Hawai`i Ant Lab reports on little fire ants
this evening in Na`alehu.
      This is the 17th traffic fatality this year compared with 15 at this time last year.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

LEARN ABOUT HAWAI`I ANT LAB’S and partners’ efforts to control LFA in Ka`u today at 6 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. The meeting will focus past and current local treatments and on the project’s next steps, including follow-up baiting treatments and surveys. 

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

Click on document to enlarge.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_August_2016.pdf.
See kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.html
and kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.pdf.




Monday, August 29, 2016

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Monday, Aug. 29, 2016

Ka`u and Hawai`i County are under a Hurricane Watch as Madeline heads west, with arrival expected
late Wednesday. Map from University of Hawai`i
A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT for Ka`u and Hawai`i County. Madeline has become a major hurricane as it tracks toward Ka`u. Strength is expected to lessen but still be hurricane-force upon its arrival Wednesday afternoon or evening. At 11 a.m., Madeline was 665 miles east of South Point.
      Madeline is moving toward the west-northwest near 10 miles per hour, and this motion is expected to become westerly later today through early Wednesday. Maximum sustained winds are above 100 mph with higher gusts. 
Madeline is a major hurricane headed toward Ka`u.
Map from NOAA
      Central Pacific Hurricane Center reported at 12 p.m. that a flash flood watch is also in effect. Heavy rain associated with Madeline could begin Wednesday morning. Depending on the exact track of Madeline, there is the possibility of significant wind damage, including downed trees and power lines, and damage to roofs and weak structures.
     According to Central Pacific Hurricane Center, “this would be a good time to remind users to consider the error cone associated with each forecast and not just the black line depicting the forecast track of the system center. Also, tropical systems can be quite large and may affect areas far from the system center.” To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

HAWAI`I POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTED that Hwy 11 at the 85-mile marker north of Ocean View is now open. It had been closed since about 5:30 a.m. due to a traffic accident.
      Ocean View Community Association president Sandi Alexander said many people were stranded, including kids trying to get to school and people going to work, doctors’ appointments, etc.
      According to Ranchos resident Ann Bosted, traffic was diverted through the mac nut orchard dirt roads, so cars were able to get through. However, county Hele-On buses were not able to make it through. She said the accident involved a vehicle fire.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Researchers exit their dome on Mauna Loa after 365 days
in isolation. Photos from University of Hawai`i
HI-SEAS MARS SIMULATION IN KA`U has finished its fourth and longest mission. After 365 days, six crew members exited from their habitat on the slopes of Mauna Loa in Ka`u.
      The crew lived in isolation in a geodesic dome set in a Mars-like environment at approximately 8,200 feet above sea level as part of the University of Hawai`i at Manoa’s fourth Hawai`i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation, or HI-SEAS, project.
      “HI-SEAS is an example of international collaborative research hosted and run by the University of Hawai`i,” said UH Manoa Professor Kim Binsted, HI-SEAS’ principal investigator. “Its really exciting to be able to welcome the crew back to Earth and back to Hawai`i after a year on Mars.”
      Like previous missions, research over the past year focused on crewmember cohesion and performance.
      “The UH research going on up here is just super vital when it comes to picking crews, figuring out how people are going to actually work on different kinds of missions, and sort of the human factors element of space travel, colonization, whatever it is you are actually looking at,” said Tristan Bassingthwaighte, a doctor of architecture candidate at UH Manoa. Bassingthwaighte served as the crew’s architect.
      “We’re proud to be helping NASA reduce or remove the barriers to long-duration space exploration,” said Binsted.
Smiles on researchers faces express accomplishment and joy. 
      Much of the media interest was generated by the foreign HI-SEAS crew members. “I can give you my personal impression which is that a mission to Mars in the close future is realistic. I think the technological and psychological obstacles can be overcome,” said Cyprien Verseux, a French HI-SEAS crewmember.
      “Showing that it works, you can actually get water from the ground that is seemingly dry. It would work on Mars, and the implication is that you would be able to get water on Mars from this little greenhouse construct,” said Christiane Heinicke, a German HI-SEAS crewmember.
      In 2015, NASA awarded HI-SEAS a third grant to keep the research project and its missions funded though 2019. These types of studies are essential for NASA to understand how teams of astronauts will perform on long-duration space exploration missions, such as those required for human travel to Mars. The studies will also allow researchers to recommend strategies for crew composition for such missions, and to determine how best to support such crews while they are working in space.
      Binsted is already recruiting for the next two missions scheduled to begin in 2017 and 2018 respectively.
      See hi-seas.org.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Kristen J. Sarri
ADDITIONAL FEDERAL FUNDING to combat rapid `ohi`a death is coming from the federal government. In response to a request from Sen. Brian Schatz, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced today that $497,000 will be appropriated to combat the disease that threatens the state’s tropical forests and delicate ecosystems, which could jeopardize local water supplies and Hawai`i’s economic vitality. The funding comes on the eve of the World Conservation Congress that is convening for the first time in the United States this week in Honolulu.
      Today’s funding announcement immediately activates an Early Detection Rapid Response Team and leverages another $673,000 of in-kind federal contributions to suppress or contain a disease that potentially could have enormous biological, economic, social and cultural repercussions for the Aloha State. The EDRR Team comprised of federal and state agencies and a consortium of scientists will immediately begin to conduct field surveys for the disease, support critical research to pioneer adaptive treatment protocols and complete assessments of those treatments.
      “Rapid `ohi`a death is a biosecurity issue that warrants urgent action. Agencies must work together to generate the science needed to support decisive decisions,” said U.S. Department of the Interior Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Kristen J. Sarri. “Our funding will enable this to happen. What we learn from this interagency approach will be applicable to addressing other invasive species of priority concern, in Hawai`i and across the United States.”
      “This is an ecological emergency, and it requires everyone working together to save Hawai`i Island’s native forests. I’m pleased to see our federal partners step up to help. The additional funding will make a big difference, and it will give us the tools to understand the disease, develop better management responses and protect our `ohi`a,” Schatz said.
Meet U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard this afternoon.
      The fungus causing ROD, first identified in 2014, already claimed 38,000 acres of trees on Hawai`i Island, where nearly two-thirds of the tree species lives.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD meets with her Ka`u constituents today. Gabbard hosts a Tulsi in Your Town meeting at Ka`u Coffee Mill from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. She will meet talk story, assist with federal casework and discuss legislative updates and priorities related to supporting local agriculture and farmers.
      Gabbard also plans to discuss legislation to help control invasive species and her work to secure green bean pricing valuation for Hawai`i-grown coffee, fight for transparent GMO-labeling, support viability and success of local coffee farmers and producers, and more.

KA`U FOOD PANTRY DISTRIBUTES food tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Ocean View. Volunteers are always needed and welcomed, beginning at 9 a.m.
Little fire ants are small even under magnification.
Photo from Hawai`i Department of Agriculture
      The program is designed to provide one to three days worth of nutritious food to help people who run short of money, benefits and/or food by month’s end.

LEARN ABOUT HAWAI`I ANT LAB’S and partners’ efforts to control LFA in Ka`u tomorrow at 6 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. The meeting will focus past and current local treatments and on the project’s next steps, including follow-up baiting treatments and surveys.
      See littlefireants.com.

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

Click on document to enlarge.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_August_2016.pdf.
See kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.html
and kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.pdf.




Sunday, August 28, 2016

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016

Punalu`u Livestock Ranch between Makanau and Kawa raises ponies and horses for youth education.
It also raises domestic goats for meat and animal husbandry programs.
See more below. Photo by Julia Neal
HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, with about half its 323,421 acres located in Ka`u, marked 100 years of history in August in tandem with the centennial of the National Park Service on Aug. 25. 
      Superintendent Cindy Orlando spoke on the National Public Radio program Here and Now in a feature entitled Flowing Lava at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. She said the park was established in 1916 to protect and conserve the volcanic landscapes and the natural and cultural resources and historic sites. Orlando described Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park as encompassing two of the world’s most active volcanoes, Kilauea and Mauna Loa. “It’s the only park in the system that continuously creates new land,” she said.
Visitors survey for insects during BioBlitz. Photo from NPS
      She pointed to the two eruptions ongoing on Kilauea, with one at 4,000 feet within Halema`uma`u Crater, with the dramatic glow at night, seen since 2008, and the lava lake, vibrant and visible from the overlook at Jaggar Museum. Kilauea has been continually erupting since 1983.
      The newest eruption has sent lava, which can be seen 4,000 away, down on the coast. When traveling to the shore, she said, the view is inspired by dramatic lava fields that represent the birth of new land. On the way, the human story is evident at Pu`uloa Petroglyph Field where 23,000 carvings date back to between the 13th and 15th centuries.
      Orlando provided some caution to visitors and urged them to be prepared and to check in with rangers before heading out on more than 150 miles of trails to hike. “Walking on hardened lava is not easy,” she said. She explained vog and the SO2 gases that sometimes require shutting down sections of the park. She noted that lava “is glass” carried in small particles in the air extending away from the volcano.
Two species of native carnivorous caterpillars that make their
home at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Photo from NPS
      Orlando reminded listeners that “the lava represents the birth of Pele. This is her sacred cultural landscape, and Pele is mesmerizing and beautiful, but she is also an active volcano, and there are associated hazards. You not only have seismic events. You have eruptions, the lava and volcanic gases. We can also have explosions.” She also talked about lava forming new land benches that can fall into the sea. Orlando said one of the challenges is visitor safety. “We are a model worldwide for providing safe access to lava viewing. Volcanoes are a natural wonder and many are drawn to them.”
      Concerning plants and animal life, Orlando described the park as having an ecosystem that has evolved, adapted and flourishes on a volcanic landscape and that the park offers many educational and volunteer programs. “But let’s not forget that we also have a Hawaiian culture linked to Kilauea and Mauna Loa not only historically but today. Remember, this is the home of the volcano goddess Pele.”
      Orlando said that three elements describe Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park: culture, biology and geology. Listen to the interview at http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2016/08/16/national-parks-hawaii.
Rick San Nicolas displays his featherwork through Aug. 31.

THE  100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE saw celebration by locals and visitors at the 36th annual Hawaiian Cultural Festival & BioBlitz. Held at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, the festival featured Hawaiian performers, including musician Kenneth Makuakane, the band Ho`onanea, and Aunty Diana Aki. Halau o Akaunu, Halau Ulumamo o Hilo Paliku and Haunani’s Hula Expressions danced hula, and more than a dozen cultural practitioners shared traditional Hawaiian culture, games and food. 
      A dozen firefighters from the National Park of American Samoa, on their way home from fighting fires on the mainland, delighted the crowd with a spontaneous haka and other traditional dances.
      Artist-in-residence Rick San Nicolas, a master Hawaiian feather worker, hosted an open house at the park’s `Ohi`a Wing and presented the park with a beautiful lei kamoe in honor of its own centennial, which was Aug. 1. He will display his work through Aug. 31, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
      For the second year in a row, scientists and cultural experts, or alaka`i, conducted field inventories at locations around the summit of Kilauea, from rainforest to old lava flows. Families and individuals, intent on discovering the biodiversity in the park, documented 91 different species that included native creatures like the endemic carnivorous caterpillar, and non-native species like the Japanese white-eye, or mejiro, a small bird.
      Families and visitors discovered how science and culture combine and visited the BioBlitz science and cultural booths at the festival. Representatives at the forefront of Rapid `Ohi`a Death, the `Alala Project, Mokupapapa Discovery Center and others shared conservation efforts to protect Hawai`i’s native species.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

A tropical storm and a hurricane could impact Ka`u later this week.
Map from University of Hawai`i
TROPICAL STORM MADELINE is heading toward Ka`u. At 11a.m., the storm was 915 miles east of South Point. Central Pacific Hurricane Center’s latest forecast shows it reaching Ka`u Thursday evening. Madeline should curve toward the west, then slightly south of west with a slight increase in forward speed. Low vertical wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures are creating a small window for continued intensification into a hurricane during the next 24 to 36 hours. After than, guidance indicates that west to southwest vertical wind shear will increase, causing a return to tropical storm status.
      “It is too early to determine what impacts Madeline could have on the Hawaiian Islands late in the forecast period,” according to CPHC. It is important to remind users that the average day four and five track forecast errors for central Pacific tropical cyclones is around 185 and 250 miles, respectively.” Not far behind Madeline is Hurricane Lester, also heading toward Hawai`i. According to National Hurricane Center, “given the well established steering flow, the track guidance continues to be tightly packed, and this increases the confidence in the future motion of the hurricane.”
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Nani Soares and helper groom a horse at Punalu`u Livestock Ranch.
Photo by Julia Neal
Youngsters make friends with a baby goat
at the ranch. Photo by Julia Neal
 THE HERD OF GOATS above Hwy 11, below Makanau, photographed recently with concern from conservationists, belong to Punalu`u Livestock Ranch, according to its operators. Nani Soares and Kyle Soares have run the livestock operation for decades, and goats are part of their meat-producing business and also their youth programs. Children come to their ranch to interact with farm animals and take care of them. They also learn to ride ponies and horses.
       Kyle Soares said this morning that the goats are managed, go out during the day and come home at night. He said they are like family and many have been bottle-fed. He said they are domestic, far from being wild goats that would run off into the rainforest and damage native habitat. “They are tame. We take care of them,” he said. “When it rains, they even take shelter in our garage.”
      Soares said he has moved his cattle operation, to another location outside Ka`u, away from the ranch above Kawa, where he leases some 600 acres from Olson Trust and another 400 from the state. He said the lands just mauka of Kawa are a low-producing area for cattle, with lots of lava and often drought. It is appropriate land for goats, he said. “With several hundred, there is plenty of feed for them on the thousand acres.” Soares said that Ka`u is one of the top goat meat-producing areas on the island, with the biggest operator at Kapapala Ranch.
      He said Punalu`u Livestock raises Boer goats, which are bred for meat. He said they originate in Africa and “are the most consumed red meat in the history of mankind.” He said goat meat is increasingly popular with chefs and is being sought by more people than ever before.
      Conservationists stated that a wild herd of goats could make its way into native habitat, destroying endangered plants and habitat for endangered animals.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

MEET KA`U’S U.S. REP. Tulsi Gabbard tomorrow. Gabbard hosts a Tulsi in Your Town meeting at Ka`u Coffee Mill from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. She will meet Hawai`i Island constituents there to talk story, assist with federal casework and discuss legislative updates and priorities related to supporting local agriculture and farmers.
      Gabbard will also discuss legislation she’s introduced to help control invasive species in Hawai`i and across the United States and her work to help secure green bean pricing valuation for Hawai`i-grown coffee, fight for truly transparent GMO-labeling, support the viability and success of local coffee farmers and producers, and more.

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

Click on document to enlarge.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_August_2016.pdf.
See kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.html
and kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.pdf.




Saturday, August 27, 2016

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Saturday, Aug. 27, 2016

Conservationists worry that a herd of goats near Makanau cold damage native plant and animal habitat.
Photo by Nohea Ka`awa
A HERD OF GOATS NEAR MAKANAU has drawn the attention of conservationists concerned about preserving native plants and animals. Megan Lamson, who works with the Hawai`i Wildlife Fund, said,  “Our wildlife organizations are very concerned they will degrade native plants in the area, like alahe`e, which is now in bloom. It  makes us both very sad and ultimately rather frustrated with this rash decision," she said, referring to the possibility that the goats may have been recently released in the area. "Goats have the potential to ravage local farms, native vegetation and the entire watershed," said Lamson.
     The Nature Conservancy, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, ranchers and other organizations have spent millions of dollars in Ka`u building fences to keep ungulates out of areas to maintain native landscapes and create habitat for native species. Ungulates also spread avian malaria by creating pockets of water where mosquitoes breed.     
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER is reporting on two storms in the East Pacific.
      Tropical Storm Madeline is moving northwestward and expected to reach the Central Pacific basin tonight.
Tropical Storm Madeline is forecast to reach Hawai`i by the middle
of next week. Map from NOAA
      Madeline is moving toward the northwest near nine miles per hour, and this general motion is expected to continue for the next couple of days, NHC reported. Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Madeline is expected to become a hurricane by tomorrow night.
      According to NHC, it is too early to determine what impacts Madeline could have on the Hawaiian Islands late in the forecast period. The average four- and five-day track forecast errors for eastern Pacific tropical cyclones are around 145 and 170 miles, respectively.
      Hurricane Lester is behind Madeline and heading west.
      NHC’s intensity forecast calls for only modest intensification the next day or two, during a time when environmental conditions appear most optimal. After that time, extremely dry conditions are expected to cause slow weakening.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

HAWAI`I IS LEADING THE WAY in preparing highway systems for a future without fossil fuels.
      The Federal Highway Administration awarded nearly $4 million in competitive grant funding to Hawai`i Department of Transportation as part of the Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives program. The grant will allow the HDOT Highways Division to study and explore alternative methods of funding state and county transportation systems in the future.
Ford Fuchigami
      “Trends toward more fuel-efficient, hybrid and electric cars have a significant impact on transportation funding in Hawai`i because of our current reliance on the gas tax as a transportation funding mechanism,” Gov. David Ige said. “While I encourage the move away from fossil fuels as part of our commitment to a clean energy future, the resulting lower consumption reduces the funds available for highways projects. Moving forward, we need to explore new ways to fund our state highway system. We are thankful for FHWA’s commitment to help Hawai`i confront this challenge.”
      HDOT Highways Division plans to use the grant to study alternatives to the gas tax by working with county and state officials and stakeholders to design new systems to obtain highways funding. These systems will then be tested with Hawai`i residents and visitors. One example of an alternative funding mechanism is road maintenance fees based on the number of miles driven, similar to how electric or water utilities are metered.
      “Our goal is to design a system for highways funding that is fair, transparent and easy to use for the public,” said Ford Fuchigami, HDOT director. “We will continue to work toward creating a sustainable funding source for the many projects we have, to address the care and maintenance of Hawai`i roads.”
      Dwindling gas tax revenues is a national problem. Congress created the grant program so that states can study alternatives that will help the federal government restore solvency to the Federal Highway Trust Fund. For federal fiscal year 2016, a total of $15 million in STSFA funds were granted to states on a competitive basis.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

VOLCANO FESTIVAL CHORUS begins rehearsals. On Tuesday, Sept. 6, the Volcano Festival Chorus will have its annual organizational meeting at Keakealani Middle School Campus of Volcano School of Arts & Sciences on Haunani Road. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. Everyone who enjoys singing is invited to join the choir under the direction of Roch Jones.
      Rehearsals of holiday music are every Tuesday at 7 p.m. The final performance, which is the group’s Winter Holiday gift to the community, will be presented on Dec. 3 at Kilauea Military Camp Theater in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
      “Come join our musical family and enjoy the fun of singing with like minded adults,” said Suzi Bond, of Kilauea Drama & Entertainment Network. “All you need to bring is your love of music; everything else is provided.”
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Casey Baker-Fien
HAWAI`I ISLAND POLICE are searching for a 16-year-old Volcano girl who was reported missing.
      Casey Baker-Fien was last seen in Volcano on Aug. 4. She is described as Caucasian, 5-foot-3, 140 pounds with blue eyes and dark brown shoulder-length hair.
Police ask anyone with information on her whereabouts to call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311.
      Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the islandwide Crime Stoppers number at 961-8300. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

ENTRY FEES ARE WAIVED at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park today and tomorrow to celebrate National Park Services 100th birthday.

TODAY AND TOMORROW are the final days to see Kilauea 1916. In honor of Kilauea Military Camp’s and Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s centennial, Kilauea Dram a & Entertainment Network presents a look back at the people who were a part of the beginnings of both entities.
      Performances take place at Kilauea Theater at 7:30 p.m. and tomorrow at 2:30 p.m.
      For reservations or more information, call 982-7344 or email kden73@aol.com. Tickets are also available at the door.

PARTICIPANTS ON A MODERATE, one-mile walk discover Hawaiian goddesses Hi`iaka and Pele and the natural phenomena they represent. The program takes place tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard comes to Ka`u Monday.
MEET KA`U’S U.S. REP. Tulsi Gabbard Monday. Gabbard will host a Tulsi in Your Town meeting at Ka`u Coffee Mill from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. She will meet Hawai`i Island constituents there to talk story, assist with federal casework and discuss legislative updates and priorities related to supporting local agriculture and farmers.
      Gabbard will also discuss legislation she’s introduced to help control invasive species in Hawai`i and across the United States and her work to help secure green bean pricing valuation for Hawai`i-grown coffee, fight for truly transparent GMO-labeling, support the viability and success of local coffee farmers and producers, and more.

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

Click on document to enlarge.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_August_2016.pdf.
See kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.html
and kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.pdf.