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| Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant participants gather on stage after receiving scholarships, crowns, lei, flowers balloons and gifts. Photo by Pamela Taylor |
MISS KA`U COFFEE 2016 is Rochelle Koi, 22, daughter of Rory Koi, of Na`alehu, and Michelle Ortega, of Pahala. She was crowned by Miss Ka`u Coffee 2015 Maria Miranda at the pageant held last night at Ka`u Coffee Mill. Koi won the Interview and Evening Gown titles and tied for the Career Outfit title at yesterday’s pageant directed by Ka`u Coffee farmer Trini Marques and held at Ka`u Coffee Mill.
Koi, whose talent is singing, is a University of Hawai`i student and works at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park as a ranger. Koi takes home scholarships totaling $2750 from the Edmund C. Olson Trust, Pacific Quest and Ka`u Chamber of Commerce. For all scholarships, sponsors and the pageant program, see http://www.kaucalendar.com/MissKauCoffeeFest_Program2016.pdf
Koi, whose talent is singing, is a University of Hawai`i student and works at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park as a ranger. Koi takes home scholarships totaling $2750 from the Edmund C. Olson Trust, Pacific Quest and Ka`u Chamber of Commerce. For all scholarships, sponsors and the pageant program, see http://www.kaucalendar.com/MissKauCoffeeFest_Program2016.pdf
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| Miss Ka`u Coffee 2016 Rochelle Koi receives her crown from Miss Ka`u Coffee 2015 Maria Miranda. Photo by Michael Worthington |
First Miss Ka`u Coffee Princess is Casey Koi, 21, daughter of Corey and Connie Koi, of Pahala. She tied in Career Outfit and Miss Photogenic categories. She is a student at University of Hawai`i-Hilo.
Jami Beck, 17, is Second Miss Ka`u Coffee Princess and daughter of James and Sharon Beck, of Na`alehu. She won the Swimsuit competition and tied in the Talent competition. Beck is a student at Ka`u High School.Third Miss Ka`u Coffee Princess is Shaira Panganiban Badua, 18, daughter of Mario and Lucia Badua, of Pahala. The senior at Ka`u High School tied in the Talent competition.
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JUNIOR MISS KA`U COFFEE 2016 is Karlee Fukunaga-Camba, 15, daughter of Keala and Justine Camba, of Pahala. She won Talent and Evening Gown categories. She attends Ka`u High School.
First Junior Miss Ka`u Coffee Princess is Calaysa Koi, 11, daughter of Corey and Connie Koi, of Pahala. She is a student at Ka`u Middle School.
Lyric Oliveiros, 15, is Second Miss Ka`u Coffee Princess. She is the daughter of Junior and Saydi Llanes. Oliveiros won the Hobby Outfit Competition and attends Ka`u Middle School.
Third Junior Miss Ka`u Coffee Princess is Helena Nihipali-Sesson, 14, daughter of Guy Sesson and Sherraine Nihipali-Sesson, of Pahala, and Bradford and Jadelyn Moses, of Pahala. She is a student at Ka`u High School. For scholarships, sponsors and the pageant program,
see http://www.kaucalendar.com/MissKauCoffeeFest_Program2016.pdf
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Lyric Oliveiros, 15, is Second Miss Ka`u Coffee Princess. She is the daughter of Junior and Saydi Llanes. Oliveiros won the Hobby Outfit Competition and attends Ka`u Middle School.
Third Junior Miss Ka`u Coffee Princess is Helena Nihipali-Sesson, 14, daughter of Guy Sesson and Sherraine Nihipali-Sesson, of Pahala, and Bradford and Jadelyn Moses, of Pahala. She is a student at Ka`u High School. For scholarships, sponsors and the pageant program,
see http://www.kaucalendar.com/MissKauCoffeeFest_Program2016.pdf
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| Junior Miss Ka`u Coffee, Miss Ka`u Coffee and Miss Ka`u Peaberry candidates gather on stage in their evening gowns with Pageant Chair Trinidad Marques, at center. Photo by Michael Worthington |
MISS KA`U PEABERRY 2016 is nine-year-old Chazlynn Pua-Queja, daughter of Chad and Queja and Jerilyn Pua, of Pahala. She won the Character Outfit category and attends Pahala Elementary School.
For sponsors, scholarships and the pageant program, see http://www.kaucalendar.com/MissKauCoffeeFest_Program2016.pdf
For sponsors, scholarships and the pageant program, see http://www.kaucalendar.com/MissKauCoffeeFest_Program2016.pdf
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| Rochelle Koi tied for the Career Outfit category. Photo by Pamela Taylor |
First Miss Ka`u Peaberry Princess is eight-year-old Jazmyn Navarro, daughter of Jonathan and Jennifer Navarro, of Pahala. Navarro won the Talent competition. She is a student at Pahala Elementary School.
Second Miss Ka`u Coffee Princess is six-year-old Khloe Moses, daughter of Jack and Brenda Moses, of Pahala. She won the Evening Gown competition. Moses attends Pahala Elementary School.
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MISS KA`U COFFEE PAGEANT COMMITTEE thanks the following sponsors: Ka`u Coffee Mill, Edmund C. Olson Trust II, Hawai`i Coffee Co., Crop Rx, Ka`u Mahi, Pacific Quest, Ka`u Royal Hawaiian Coffee & Tea Co., Punalu`u Bake Shop, CU Hawai`i Federal Credit Union, Ka`u Local Products, Crop Production Services, Paradise Helicopters, Ka`u Chamber of Commerce, Science Camps of America, Ka`u Specialty Coffee, Hawai`i Forest & Trail, OK Farms, Genny Aiona, Sen. Russell Ruderman, Sen. Josh Green, Rep. Richard Onishi, Rep. Richard Creagan, County Council Member Maile David, Aunty Ba Fund, Donna Butler, Masako Sakata and donors at the Pahala Plantation House Pa`ina Kick-off for Ka`u Coffee Festival Week.
See more on the pageant in Monday's Ka`u News Briefs.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.
See more on the pageant in Monday's Ka`u News Briefs.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.
SCIENCE CAMPS OF AMERICA and Edmund C. Olson Trust II presented a full scholarship at the Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant. It will be made available to a Miss Ka`u Coffee candidate between ages 13 and 17.
Science Camps, founded by Executive Director Michael Richards, are based at Pahala Plantation Cottages. Participants have the opportunity to interact with scientists at remote research stations. Disciplines range from field biology, marine biology and geology to astronomy. Land & Sea Camp is from June 29 to July 8, and Air & Space Camp is July 9-18.
See sciencecampsamerica.com for more information.
See sciencecampsamerica.com for more information.
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HAWAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL COMMITTEES meet tomorrow. Public Works and Parks & Recreation Committee meets at 10 a.m.; Finance, 10:15 a.m.; Planning, 11 a.m.; Environmental Management, 1:30 p.m.
Environmental Management continues its discussion of a proposed ban on Styrofoam food containers. Statements from the public were concluded during a May 3 meeting and are closed.
Ka`u residents can participate via videoconferencing at Na`alehu State Office Building. Meeting are streamed live, and agendas are available, at hawaiicounty.gov.
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Ka`u residents can participate via videoconferencing at Na`alehu State Office Building. Meeting are streamed live, and agendas are available, at hawaiicounty.gov.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.
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| Mina Morita |
FORMER HAWAI`I PUBLIC UTILITIES CHAIR Mina Morita shared her thoughts on the proposed merger of Hawaiian Electric Co. and NextEra Energy. Closing briefs have been filed in the application.
“Hawai`i’s clean energy transformation cannot be achieved without a financially strong, technology savvy, analytical and data-driven electric utility,” Morita said on her blog at minamoritaenergydynamics.com. “To be successful, it will have to be an electric utility whose focus is on its customers and its responsibility to provide a public good under the supervision of a capable and independent regulator to monitor its performance and serve as a buffer from the antics of politics. …
“For more than fifteen years, as a legislator and later as the Public Utilities Commission Chair, I worked with key legislators (including the governor) to give the Hawai`i PUC its independence and the resources it needed to reform and revitalize the agency to tackle the policy, economic and technical challenges to oversee the transformation of the electricity sector by Hawai`i’s electric utilities. Recently, this effort has finally come to fruition, but, unfortunately, all will be for naught if the biggest decision before the PUC, the merger application, becomes a decision of just doing the governor’s bidding rather than the decision of a capable and independent regulator.
“NextEra is recognized as a top performing utility and company nationally. There is little doubt about NextEra being financially and technically fit, willing and able, the typical standard in judging the capabilities of an entity to acquire a public utility. Other than this question of ‘fitness,’ the larger issue is whether the approval can be conditioned to satisfy a broader concern of the PUC to address public interest as defined by the PUC. It has been a failure on the part of the state parties, that the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, Office of State Planning and the Consumer Advocate, have not made an attempt to negotiate a settlement to condition an approval.
“We need to put into perspective the state of Hawai`i’s responsibilities in this very important transaction between two private businesses subject to regulation. The aforementioned State agencies are responsible for our state’s business climate. The state has the ability and duty to regulate and govern the environment NextEra functions in; to align a public utility providing a public good with the public interest. However, it appears that this isn’t a question of ‘fitness’ anymore. It has become an issue of an intransigent administration refusing to negotiate in an attempt to stymie a business transaction between private companies at any cost, including the already damaged business climate in Hawai`i. Unfortunately, this appears more indicative of the Ige administration lacking confidence in its ability to regulate when the state of Hawai`i has the authority and power to do so.
“Whether it’s a go or no go, a timely PUC decision before the June 3 walk-away date allows all parties to move on rather than being held captive to further political drama.”
“For more than fifteen years, as a legislator and later as the Public Utilities Commission Chair, I worked with key legislators (including the governor) to give the Hawai`i PUC its independence and the resources it needed to reform and revitalize the agency to tackle the policy, economic and technical challenges to oversee the transformation of the electricity sector by Hawai`i’s electric utilities. Recently, this effort has finally come to fruition, but, unfortunately, all will be for naught if the biggest decision before the PUC, the merger application, becomes a decision of just doing the governor’s bidding rather than the decision of a capable and independent regulator.
“NextEra is recognized as a top performing utility and company nationally. There is little doubt about NextEra being financially and technically fit, willing and able, the typical standard in judging the capabilities of an entity to acquire a public utility. Other than this question of ‘fitness,’ the larger issue is whether the approval can be conditioned to satisfy a broader concern of the PUC to address public interest as defined by the PUC. It has been a failure on the part of the state parties, that the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, Office of State Planning and the Consumer Advocate, have not made an attempt to negotiate a settlement to condition an approval.
“We need to put into perspective the state of Hawai`i’s responsibilities in this very important transaction between two private businesses subject to regulation. The aforementioned State agencies are responsible for our state’s business climate. The state has the ability and duty to regulate and govern the environment NextEra functions in; to align a public utility providing a public good with the public interest. However, it appears that this isn’t a question of ‘fitness’ anymore. It has become an issue of an intransigent administration refusing to negotiate in an attempt to stymie a business transaction between private companies at any cost, including the already damaged business climate in Hawai`i. Unfortunately, this appears more indicative of the Ige administration lacking confidence in its ability to regulate when the state of Hawai`i has the authority and power to do so.
“Whether it’s a go or no go, a timely PUC decision before the June 3 walk-away date allows all parties to move on rather than being held captive to further political drama.”
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| Auditions for The Music Man are tomorrow and Tuesday. Image from wikipedia |
KILAUEA DRAMA & ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK holds auditions for its summer production of The Music Man tomorrow and Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Kilauea Military Camp Theater in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. All ages, singers and dancers must be prepared to sing, read scenes and move on stage. Presentation dates are July 8 – 24.
Call 982-7344 for more information.
I OLA NA `AINA MOMONA raises funds to work toward Ka`u farmer land security with a Locavore Benefit Dinner Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. $48 includes food and drink by `Ohelo Café, Café Pesto and Big Island Brewhaus, with entertainment by Hawane Rios & Band. Call 808-206-9983 for more information.
HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK’S artist-in-residence Emma Stibbon, noted for her dramatic and extreme monochrome landscape drawings, displays and discusses her work Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium.
$2 donations support After Dark in the Park programs; park entrance fees apply.
$2 donations support After Dark in the Park programs; park entrance fees apply.
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COMAND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
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| See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_May2016.pdf. |
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| See kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.html and kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.pdf. |