Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Andres Magana Ortiz raised a family, bought a coffee farm, built a house and and is facing
deportation to Mexico. Image from www.hawaiinewsnow.com

"EVEN THE GOOD HOMBRES ARE NOT SAFE," blared a headline in the Los Angeles Times. The Ka`u and Kona Coffee communities are a brew about a farmer on this island being deported.  "A federal judge called the Trump administration deportation order of a coffee farmer  'inhumane," stated an NBC News headline.
      On Tuesday, the Ninth U.S. Court of Appeals denied an emergency appeal to overturn a deportation order for Big Island coffee farmer Andres Magana Ortiz. Judge Stephen Reinhart described the man as being treated unfairly. "President Trump has claimed that his immigration policies would target 'the bad hombres.' The government's decision to remove Magana Ortiz shows that even the 'good hombres' are not safe," wrote the judge, noting that the court did not have the legal means to grant a stay in the deportation matter, since the Trump administration recently changed the deportation guidelines. "We are unable to prevent Magana Ortiz's removal, yet it is contrary to the values of this nation and its legal system," wrote Reinhardt.

Magana Ortiz is known for opening his farm to help research pest
control and coffee plant health.
Photo from Kona Coffee Farmers Association

    Magana Ortiz is a Kona Coffee farmer in Holualoa who moved to Kona to pick coffee nearly three decades ago. He entered the U.S. illegally when he was smuggled across the Mexican border by human traffickers in 1989 at age 15 to join his mother who found a job in California. After moving to Kona to pick coffee, he began to farm and saved money. He married and raised his children who were born here - his wife and three children all citizens. He said he has applied for legal status and has never hidden his illegal status as he works, pays taxes, bought and developed his own El Molinito Farm and mill and manages numerous other coffee orchards.
     Kona Coffee Farmers Association President Suzie Shriner said he is a good citizen and has provided his farm to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conduct pest control studies for the coffee industry.

Kona Coffee Farmers Association stands up for Magana Ortiz
as a good citizen who has contributed to the coffee industry.

   The eldest Magana daughter will soon turn 21, and as a citizen, she could apply for an immigrant visa for her father to return, if he is in fact deported, or stay if the federal government gives him more time. The deportation order comes with a ten year ban on his returning to the U.S. Magana Ortiz is 43 year of age.
     His business partner Brian Lindau told Hawai`i News Now, "When you get a guy like Andres who's a model citizen, been in business for years, pays taxes and is one of the heavy hitters in the coffee industry here, you're shooting yourself in the foot and you're shooting down the Kona coffee business."
     The federal judge concluded, “Magana Ortiz is by all accounts a pillar of his community and a devoted husband and father. It is difficult to see how the government’s decision to expel him is consistent with the President’s promise of an immigration system with ‘a lot of heart.' I concur as a judge, but as a citizen I do not.”

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THE U.S SHOT DOWN ITS OWN MISSILE NORTH OF HAWAI`I after launching it from Kwatjalein Atol in the Marshall Islands on Tuesday. The mock Intercontinental Ballistic Missile test was aimed to fortify U.S. defenses against the threat of a nuclear North Korean missile, which could reach Guam, Hawai`i and possibly the mainland.

        Rep. Tulsi Gabbard released the following statement: “There are a wide range of threats posed by North Korea that we must be prepared to defend against, including those raised by Admiral Harris about the threat posed to Hawaiʻi, and the need to ensure our missile defense infrastructure includes layers of protection for Hawaiʻi.  Our successful tests against an ICBM threat are a positive development, which further reinforces the need for continued strengthening of our ballistic missile

A U.S. missile launched from Kawjalein Atol  (1) in the Marshall Islands
yesterday was intercepted and destroyed (3) by a U.S, Missle launched
from California (2) in  order to test defense against a possible nuclear
 missile launch from North Korea in the future.
Image from U.S. Department of Defense

defense infrastructure. I'm continuing to look at all options available to us and pursuing those which will ensure Hawaiʻi is defended from simple and complex attacks now, and into the future.”

     Gabbard stated that missile defense and the protection of Hawaiʻi have been among her top priorities throughout her time in Congress. Last year, she passed two amendments in the National Defense Authorization Act —one to provide funding to begin the process of bringing an MRDR (Mid-Range Discriminating Radar) to Hawaiʻi, and the other to require the Missile Defense Agency to brief Congress on their short-term plan to enhance missile defense capabilities in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.  She also questioned then Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff about the need to increase Hawaiʻi’s missile defense. She has had ongoing conversations and meetings with the Missile Defense Agency Director, Vice Admiral James Syring, to discuss possible options for the defense of Hawaiʻi, to deal with short term and long term needs. This includes quickly deployable options that may be available to further strengthen the defense of Hawaiʻi within the state.

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MORE LIMITS ON AQUARIUM FISH COLLECTING in nearshore waters are on Gov. David Ige's desk and the Humane Society of the United States is asking him to sign the bill. A new poll shows that 90 of citizens favor the sustainability measures and the caps on the permits contained in SB 1240 which just passed the Hawai`i Legisllature. Some 83 percent favor ending the fish collecting trade in Hawai`i altogether, according the poll conducted by QMark Research.

     A statement today from the Humane Society says that "The Department of Land and Natural

Collecting in Hawaiian waters to sell fish, crabs and other sealife to
aquarium shops and collectors would face more regulations if
Gov. David Ige signs the bill. Photo from Earth Justice

Resources is tasked with protecting Hawaii’s reefs from activities, especially those of a commercial nature, that may 'disturb, degrade, or alter the marine environment.' DLNR has long held the position that no take or permit limits are necessary to protect reefs. That position is in sharp contrast to the growing concerns of the vast majority of Hawai`i residents who cited environmental impacts as the most important issue related to the aquarium trade. Compared to a similar poll conducted five years ago, which showed 66 percent supported ending the trade, results from this poll show a 17-point surge of public awareness and support for ending the trade to 83 percent.

     "Catch reports filed with DLNR document that at least 700,000 fish, hermit crabs and other reef creatures are captured and sold for personal aquariums outside Hawai`i each year."

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Worldwide Voyage: Hawai‘i Shares its Culture with the World, daily through July 2, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Artwork inspired by Hōkūleʻa’s Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage and curated by Gary Eoff. Reception Friday, June 30, 3 – 5 p.m.

Ka‘ū Community Development Plan Meeting & Hearing, Thu, June 1, 9 a.m., Aupuni Center Conference Room in Hilo. Public is invited to Windward Planning Commission’s review of the plan.

Keiki Learn to Swim Registration, Thu/Fri, June 1/2, 1 – 4 p.m, Pāhala Pool. $15 per student, per nine-class session. 928-8177

Ocean View Neighborhood Watch meeting, Thu, June 1, 7 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-2442 & 928-2015

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Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Ka`u ranches and farms will be visited in June by surveyors for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, attempting
to include every farm and ranch in the U.S. Agricultural Census. Photo by Julia Neal

KA`U FARMERS AND STATE AND U.S. LEGISLATORS, supporting the future of hemp growing in Hawai`i, are headed to the inaugural Hawai`i Hemp Conference at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel on Saturday, June 10.
    A panel discussion, After Sugar: Making a Living from the Soil with hemp, microgreens, sugar cane, canoe plants and regenerative farming, will be moderated by Hawaii Farmers Union president Vincent Mina. The panel features "Ginger" John Caverly, Bobby Pahia, and Greg Smith, of Earth Matters Farm on South Point Road in Ka`u.
     Keynote speaker, hemp farmer Doug Fine, will host #LetsTalkHempHawaii with presentations and panels covering a broad range of topics for farmers, processors, manufacturers, legislators, entrepreneurs, and investors interested in participating in the emerging Hawai`i hemp industry.

Industrial hemp is the subject of the inaugural Hawai`i Hemp Conference
which will feature two of Ka`u's state legislators and its U.S. Rep. Tulsi 
Gabbard. Image from HERB

     Along with speakers, panels and practical demonstrations in hemp construction, health and wellness, and local soil regeneration, the weekend activities include farm field visits on Sunday June 11, where common to complicated questions will be answered by local farmers.
     U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who co-sponsored HB525- the Industrial Hemp Farming Act, will talk via recorded video about the federal legislation. The Future of Hemp Legislation in Hawai'i panel will include Ka`u state legislators Rep. Richard Creagan and Sen. Russell Ruderman, who have supported hemp cultivation and production in Hawai`i, joined by Sen. Mike Gabbard. They will discuss the current hemp legislation and a Hawai`i Department of Agriculture Pilot Program.
     State Rep. Cynthia Thielen, who has advocated a local hemp program since the 1990's, will also make an appearance via recorded video.
    "The time is now to get into hemp," says event coordinator Morris Beegle. "Sales continue to grow by 25-30 percent annually on the mainland, over 30 states have passed pro-hemp legislation, and Hawai`i is about to come online in a big way." The conference features the #LetsTalkHemp Speaker Series and is produced by Colorado Hemp Company and presented by Functional Remedies.

Ka`u legislators Sen. Russell Ruderman (l) and Rep. Richard Creagan
(third from right) attended the blessing of an industrial hemp trial
project in 2015 on O`ahu. Photo from state Dept. Agriculture

      Support and sponsorship for the education, economic and regulatory development segment of the conference programming comes from Hawai`i Department of Agriculture, which is working closely with local stakeholders and state and federal agencies to ensure a well-defined hemp program.
     A mini-expo and marketplace, free and open to the public on June 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. will offer such hemp products as bodycare, clothing, food and supplements, animal treats, nutraceuticals, paper, building materials, bioplastics, chemical replacement ingredients, nano-fiber technologies, and more.
     Hawai`i Hemp Conference includes additional networking and entertainment activities including a welcoming E Komo Mai Happy Hour, Dinner and Concert on Friday June 9 with music from Off the Grid, Lava and Green Flash, Saturday night June 10 offers up another networking, dinner and after conference party with musical artist Damon Williams. On Sunday, June 11 there will be A Hui Hou (Farewell) Brunch with live jazz followed by a Hawai`i Farm Tour to conclude the inaugural Hawai`i Hemp Conference.
     For complete details, ticket information and registration, please visit: HawaiiHempConference.com

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PRODUCTION OF INDUSTRIAL HEMP SEED, to be made available to licensees in an upcoming industrial hemp pilot program, is a project of the state Department of Agriculture. The DOA project includes: Awarding seed development contracts to contractor/(s) selected at the end of an RFP process; obtaining a controlled substance registration from Hawai`i state Department of Safety; importing seeds to be further developed into a line of industrial hemp for Hawai`i by the contractor/(s) selected upon receipt of all necessary licenses.

Ka`u's pastures will be documented and ranchers visited druing the
Census of Agriculture surveys in June. Photo by Julia Neal

     Proposals are being reviewed through May and a program coordinator is expected to be selected this summer, with a program inspector this winter. Growers will be able to apply for licenses from Jan. 1-April 1, 2018. See http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/hemp/

FEDERAL CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE representatives will visit local ranches and farms through June. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will survey for crop acreages and livestock in an attempt to ensure all farms and ranches are recorded for the nationwide Census of Agriculture. The survey covers demographics, crop diversity and value of production. For more information, contact the NASS Pacific Region-Hawaii Field Office at 808-522-8080. See surveys at http://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications.

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ERUPTIONS ARE NOT THE ONLY HAZARDS  created by volcanoes, notes the latest Volcano Watch column from Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Scientists:

Portion of a landslide map of the western Columbia River Gorge
centered on the previously known Cascade landslide complex.
Gray areas are presumed stable terrain. Landslides presumed
now to be inactive are shown in orange or brown (submerged parts).
Active landslides are shown in buff color.

     They can create havoc millions of years after their fires have grown cold, because with time, their deposits can weaken to produce landslides. This happens because volcanic deposits are commonly rich in volcanic glass, a non-crystalline form of silica. In wet climates, this glass can readily transform into soft, weak minerals (primarily clay) through chemical weathering.
     Both volcanoes and landslides are important for landscape evolution in Hawai`i and worldwide. In Washington State, an old legend makes the connection between them.
    In one version of a legend of the Klickitat people, the chief of all gods (Tyhee Saghalie) and his sons (Pahto and Wy'east) came to the land along the Columbia River and decided to stay, but the sons quarreled over which area each would get. To settle the dispute, the chief sent Pahto to the north side of the river and Wy'east to the south. He then built a great bridge across the river, the Bridge of the Gods, so that the family could continue to meet. 

     But the brothers renewed their quarrel, this time over a beautiful maiden, Loowit. The quarrel escalated. Massive rocks were hurled; the ground shook. Villages were buried, forests were destroyed, and the great bridge collapsed into the river. As punishment, the father turned the angry sons and the maiden into volcanoes—Pahto became Mount Adams, Wy'east became Mount Hood, and Loowit became Mount St. Helens.
     Geology tells the same story. Northwest Indians really could walk across the Columbia River atop the massive Bonneville landslide, which slid across and dammed the river almost 600 years ago. When the landslide-dammed lake overtopped the blockage, the bridge "collapsed" to form a great rapids—the Cascades of the Columbia. This landslide is part of a legacy left by ancient Cascade volcanoes. Until recently, the extent of this legacy had not been fully appreciated.

A recently completed USGS study (https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sim3358) mapped and
dated many landslides not previously recognized in a rainy corner of the Pacific Northwest—the Columbia River Gorge in Skamania County, Washington. These landslides, formerly hidden by dense forest, occurred over at least tens of thousands of years, and about a dozen are still moving. Their slip planes (sliding surfaces) occur entirely within volcanic deposits laid down by eruptions that occurred about 25 million years ago in the ancestral Cascade Range—deposits from volcanoes that have long since eroded away.
     Tectonic forces operating over

View of headscarp of Red Bluffs landslide adjacent to the Bonneville 

landslide, looking northwest and showing the bedded volcaniclastic

sediments (gray layers) that are dipping about 7 degrees toward the 

viewer and in which sliding has occurred. The slightly darker gray and

orange-brown unit in the top quarter of the scarp face is Columbia River 

Basalt. The slowly creeping Crescent Lake landslide, on which the 

photographer is standing, is a reactivated part of the Red Bluffs landslide.

USGS photo by T. Pierson

the last few million years have tilted the beds of volcanic deposits southward toward the downcutting Columbia River, which facilitates sliding along weak zones within the weathered, clay-rich sediment beds. The discovery of so many previously unknown landslides was made possible by the availability of three new technologies—LiDAR, GPS, and InSAR, which were essential for this project.
     The discovery of these landslides has implications for hazards today. The Bonneville landslide has a volume of about 1 cubic kilometer (think of a box a half a mile wide, long, and high) and runout distance of about 6 km (3.7 mi). Another such large landslide rapidly sliding into the Columbia River today could have a catastrophic impact on downstream communities and on the transportation and energy-distribution infrastructure of the Pacific Northwest.
     Hawaiian volcanoes have their own landslide stories. In fact, over the last several million years, 17 distinct landslides have occurred throughout Hawaiian Islands. These landslides were the subject of a Volcano Watch article on January 23, 2014 https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/hvo_volcano_watch.html?vwid=212.

http://kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory_2017

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KA`U LIBRARIES are offering their annual Summer Reading Program beginning on june 4 at both the Pahala and Naalehu branches. Weekly movies, crafts, and activities illustrate this year's theme, Build a Better World.
     Children, teens, and adults are invited to participate, and can sign up at one of our branches. This year participants will be able to earn badges for rewards and lucky prize drawing entries. They will earn a badge for every 100 minutes of reading.
     For more information or to sign up for the program, everyone is invited to call us 939-2442 or 928-2015, or visit http://www.librarieshawaii.org.

Ka`u News Briefs Monday, May 29, 2017

Hawai`i National Guard Youth Challenge Academy cadets travled to KMC today to participate
in Memorial Day Ceremonies, including presentation of the colors. Photo from Youth Challenge

MAYOR HARRY KIM GAVE THE KEYNOTE ADDRESS this Memorial Day at Kilauea Military Camp today.  The theme was Celebrate-Honor-Remember. Children of Mountain View Elementary School sang patriotic songs. Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park waived entrance fees for 30 minutes before the 3 p.m. ceremony. A special buffet was served after the Memorial Day event.
      Members of the Hawai`i National Guard Youth Challenge Academy at Kulani presented the colors during the ceremony.

Mayor Harry Kim arrived to Kilauea Military Camp to
give the Memoral Day Address, greeted by manager
of the recreation and hotel facility manager Randy
Hart. Photo from KMC

      Hawai`i National Guard Youth Challenge on the Big Island is one of two in the state. A 17.5 month quasi-military training program consists of a 22-week Residential Phase and 52-week Post-Residential Phase.  A statement from the Kulani administration says that "Kulani, like the other 34 Challenge programs throughout the United Statesa and Puerto Rico, continues the tradition of carrying out the mission to provide participants with the values, skills, education and self-discipline necessary to become successful, productive and responsible adults." Kulani holds two classes a year and offers a CBASE Curriculum to provide opportunity to earn a high school diploma.
      Providing the Color Guard for the Memorial Day Service is one of many public activities that also included help with a recent high school graduation.

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GOV. DAVID IGE SENT OUT THIS MEMORIAL DAY MESSAGE: "As friends and neighbors prepare to lay flowers and wreaths, and float lanterns across the waters of Hawai’i this Memorial Day, Dawn’s and my thoughts are invariably with the military families who strengthen our community by their example. They are the embodiment of Hawai'i's long history of proud military service.
     "Both Dawn's father and my own served in the distinguished 100th infantry battalion during the Second World War, along with so many others. We know the pride of loved ones in military service. We also grieve with the families whose brave sons and daughters, as well as mothers and fathers, leave home to serve, never to return.
     "On this day, let us all reflect on the sacrifices made by those who serve in uniform, protecting us near and far. And let us strive, together, for a world in which need for those sacrifices may be diminished.

Sen. Mazie Hirono less then five days after her kidney was removed
for cancer. She sent out a Memorial Day message today.
Photo from Office of Sen. Mazie Hirono

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SEN. MAZIE HIRONO SENT OUT THIS MEMORIAL DAY MESSAGE: "Memorial Day is an opportunity for us as a nation to honor our service members, remember those who gave their life in service to our country, and reflect on the legacy they left behind. Please join me and take a moment to honor the sacrifices made by our fallen service members, and reaffirm our commitment to support them and their families."
     Hirono returned to the U.S. Senate last Monday after undergoing the removal of a kidney for cancer treatment the previous Thursday. She said cancer was also found in her seventh rib. "I still have a way to go in my journey to recovery, but I expect to be back in fighting form." She said she will continue to work "with all of you on the same page of common cause. Aloha."

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HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK ENTRANCE FEES INCREASE this Thursday, June 1. A statement from HVNP says the hike is the last phase of a three-year incremental plan to meet national standards for parks with similar visitor amenities.

      The 2017 per-vehicle fee will change from $20 to $25 and the pass is valid for seven days. The per-person fee (the rate bicyclists and pedestrians pay) will increase from $10 to $12, and the motorcycle fee will increase to $20.

Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park entry fees increase this Thursday. Photo from HVNP

     The popular annual Tri-Park Pass will increase from $25 to $30 in 2017. The annual Tri-Park Pass is available to all visitors and allows unlimited entry for one year to three national parks: Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, and Haleakalā National Park.

      Recreational entrance fees are not charged to holders of the Tri-Park Pass, America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Lands (“Interagency”) Pass, Senior, Access, Every Kid in  Park, 

Volunteer, or Military passes. These passes may be obtained at the park, or online. In addition, visitors less than 16 years old are not charged entrance fees.

Entrance fees at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park support ongoing

 trail maintenance, road and parking lot striping, cabin repairs, hike

 guides, restrooms, picnic tables, and much more.

Photo from HVNP

    Fee increases for the park’s backcountry and front-country campsites were implemented in October 2016. There is a $10 per night charge for the front-country campground at Kulanaokuaiki, up to seven consecutive nights; and a $10 per permit charge for backcountry campgrounds like Nāpau, ‘Āpua Point, and Halapē, up to three consecutive nights. Availability is on a first-come basis, not a reservation system. The camping permit fees are similar to other public camping fees statewide.

      In addition, entrance fees will increase for commercial tour companies on June 1. Road-based tour vans carrying one to six passengers pay a $25 base fee and starting June 1, will pay a $12 per-person rate to enter the park. The commercial tour per-person rate will remain at $12 through 2021. The base fee will not change. Non-road-based tour companies, i.e. hiking tour companies that are on trails more than touring the park by vehicle, don’t pay a base rate but their per-person entrance fees will increase under the schedule.

     An NPS report shows that 1,887,580 visitors to Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park in 2016 spent $159,195,500 in communities near the park. That spending supported 1,917 jobs on island, and had a cumulative benefit to the local community of $199,923,400.

Dick Hershberger, of Ocean View, portrays
Thomas Jaggar, founder of Hawaiian
Volcano Observatory. Photo from HVNP

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A WALK IN THE PAST, tomorrow, May 30, features living history presenter Dick Hershberger, dressed in period costume and bringing back to life Thomas A. Jaggar, founder of Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and a prominent figure in the history of volcanology, the study of volcanoes. The program takes place in the Whitney Vault, a 16-by-12-foot underground laboratory that still has original seismograph equipment, and is located under a mound in front of the Volcano House.

    Performances of A Walk into the Past are on select Tuesdays at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Meet at the Kīlauea Visitor Center. There is no charge for the performance, but park entrance fees do apply

A SINGLE VEHICLE ROLL-OVER ACCIDENT left one man dead and two others seriously injured on Sunday at 8:58 p.m. near the 33-mile marker on Hwy. 11 in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
     The vehicle, a white Toyota Tacoma truck, was traveling in the Ka‘ū-bound lane when it rolled over and ejected all three occupants. A 48-year-old male passenger was found pinned beneath the truck and pronounced dead on the scene by Hawai‘i County Fire Department medics.
    The 43-year-old male driver, a Pāhoa resident, was placed under arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. He was transported by ambulance to Hilo Medical Center for further evaluation, and escorted by National Park law enforcement personnel. The third occupant, a 53-year-old male, was also transported to Hilo Medical Center for treatment.
     One lane of Highway 11 remained open during the accident scene investigation, and both lanes were open and flowing freely early Monday morning. Names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin, and further investigation.
     This is the second fatal traffic accident in the park this year.
     Anyone with information regarding this accident can call Park Dispatch at (808) 985-6170.

Monument at Midway marking the battle that changed WWII.
Photo from HVNP

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KA`U FOOD PANTRY,  Tuesday, May 30 from 11:30 am.. to 1 p.m. at St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Ocean View.

AFTER DARK IN THE PARK on
Tuesday marks the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Midway, the turning point in World War II in the Pacific. Midway is now within a National Marine Monument and is an historical site.
     The talk takes place at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. A $2 donation helps support programs.

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http://kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory_2017

Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, May 28, 2017

Big Island Video News released its coverage of the ninth annual Ka`u Coffee Festival this evening,
highlighting volunteers Gail Kalani and Anne Fontes with the coffee cherry picking contest.
See www.bigislandvideonews.com. Photo by Dave Corrigan

KA`U COFFEE COLLEGE presented war plans to fight the coffee berry borer and studied the science of fermentation during the final event of the Ka`u Coffee Festival on Sunday. At Pahala Community Center, Ka`u Coffee farmers and coffee enthusiasts learned about the effort to reduce the coffee berry borer infestation by using predator insects, species of flat bark beetles that dine on the borer.

Hawai`i Forest & Trail guide (l) and Ka`u Coffee farmer Leo
 Norberte (r) teach a Ka`u Coffee Festivalenthusiast about the art
 and science of growing great coffee druing farm tours Saturday .
Photo by Jesse Tunison

     Andrea Kawabata, an Associate Extension Agent, and Jen Burt who works on the coffee berry borers challenge, both with University of Hawai`i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, talked about the history and positive outlook and hard work of Ka`u Coffee farmers in combating the coffee berry borer.

During Ka`u Coffee College on Sunday, Dr. Peter Follett

shared research on using predator insects to kill coffee 

berry borers. Photo by Julia Neal

     Dr. Peter Follett, a research entomologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, talked about ways to attract the flat bark beetle to coffee orchards. He displayed packets of pheromones- odiferous attractants that can be placed in an orchard to draw the flat bark beetle to populate the coffee farms and eat the borer. The bark beetle shows no interest and does not damage the coffee crop itself, he said. There are two flat bark beetle species already living in Hawai`i, which are particularly useful in fields where there are raisins or coffee cherry that has fallen to the ground, said Follett.
     Rather than depending on research institutions breeding the beetles and releasing them to farmers, he said it could be more efficient to attract those that are already living on farms and in the wild to the coffee orchards.

Many award winning Ka`u Coffees, such as Rusty's Hawaiian,
 are processed with water from the well in Pahala.
Photo by Julia Neal

     Dr. Shawm Steinman, owner of Daylight Mind Coffee Co. and Coffea Consulting, talked about the importance of fermentation process in determining coffee quality and coffee taste. Fermentation allows "critters" to remove the mucilage (the cherry) off the coffee bean. Yeast, bacteria and fungi all love devouring the coffee cherry, which is comprised of a lot of sugar and water.
     The level of yeast and the chemical changes that come along with the bacteria and fungi all help determine taste. Fermentation is faster in warmer temperatures with the "critters" moving around and multiplying much faster.
      Steinman said that fermentation can be achieved with adding water to the process or without adding water. He said that it is very important to only use clean water for the fermentation process to make sure it is clean.

Grace and the Rising Sun Coffee that she and Willie Tabios produce, earn
many awards, with specific tastes that may have some attributes from
fermentation when processing. Photo by Julia Neal

     He noted that coffee taste is subjective and coffee farmers and drinkers have particular tastes they prefer. However, using dirty water or over fermenting can lead to mould. While desired coffee tastes vary widely, coffee that tastes like spoiled milk - or other foulness - are obviously recognized as coffee gone bad.
      Whether the chlorine in the water at Pahala, where many people use fermenation to procdess coffee in backyard operations, may or may not make a difference in taste, suggested Steinman. Since Pahala farmers have produced so many award winning coffees, he pointed out, chlorine in drinking water at the level used here doesn't seem to have hurt Ka`u Coffee when processing with county water.

      The coffee farmers also visited Miles Mayne's coffee farm in Wood Valley for a demonstration of using the Penagos wet mill for processing coffee.
     On the last day of the Ka`u Coffee Festival, farmers discussed the Saturday Ho`olaulea as being the most successful to date in the number of people who attended and coffee sales by the farmers.

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Raina Whiting and Kalika Kastein, teachers at Na`alehu Elementary
School, received Masters Degrees in Education from The
Johns Hopkins University last week.

MASTERS DEGREES IN EDUCATION are earned by Raina Whiting and KAlika Kastein, both teachers at Na`alehu Elementary School. They graduated last week in Baltimore, each with a Master s of Science in Education degree from the Johns Hopkins University. Johns Hopkins is rated sixth in the country for graduate degrees in education by U.S. News and World Report. Whiting, who ran for County Council last year and worked on the presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders, will teach for her third year at Na`alehu Elementary School. Kastein will head for Japan.

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Rep. Tulsi remebered Hawai`i veterans today, including the first
Green Beret and Hawaiian killed in Vietnam, and the late
Native Hawaiian Pearl Harbor Survivor Herb Weatherwax.
Photo from Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

IN A MEMORIAL DAY MESSAGE,  REP. TUSLI GABBARD talked about the true cost of war,  pointing to  “The cost that exists in the names on these grave stones. It exists in our hearts, and with the memories of our friends who never came home. It exists in the unbreakable bond between veterans of different generations, that we can come together knowing that we have each experienced in one way or another the same pain and broken heart of losing a comrade in arms, while simultaneously appreciating the special courage and selflessness of our friends who paid the ultimate price in service to our country.

      “Today, we honor them. We remember the many heroes who have roots here in Hawai`i and the Pacific who gave all.  People like First Lieutenant Nainoa Hoe, or SP5 Kimo Gabriel, the first Green Beret and the first Hawaiian killed in Vietnam.

     Many of us here knew “Uncle Herb” Weatherwax, a Native Hawaiian Pearl Harbor survivor, and we’d often see him at military events like today’s. He would have been one hundred years old this year, but Uncle Herb passed last December one week after the National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day 75th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony. It was his dying wish to be there, and being of the Greatest Generation, of course he made it happen. I also remember some of my friends who served in the 29th Brigade Combat Team—Sergeant Deyson Cariaga and Staff Sergeant Frank Tiai, who did not come home with us.  As we reflect here today on the specialness of this place and the courage of these heroes, this day, and every day, let us honor our friends, fight for them as they sacrificed for us, and make the most of the life and time we have been blessed with.”

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The Directory is online for Ka`u

Ka`u News Briefs, Saturday May 27, 2017

Jamie Kailiawa (center right) danced at the Ka`u Coffee Festival Ho`olaulea for her late husband
Bull Kailiawa, one of the famous Ka`u Coffee farmers who helped build the industry. Kailiawa belongs
to Debbie Ryder's Halau Hula Leionalani. Photos by Julia Neal

THE NINTH ANNUAL KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL drew more people to its all day Ho`olaulea and more sales of coffee on Saturday to make 2017 its best year, according to farmers and community members who put on the event. The Ho`olaulea, on the grounds of Pahala Community Center, featured four halau hula, ten musical groups and a karate dojo. It was emceed by Makana Kamahele, with the all-day entertainment sponsored by the Edmund C. Olson Trust II, with the sound by Ka`u Productions Sound & Lighting.  Ka`u Coffee Growers Cooperative, O Ka`u Kakou and many other volunteers supported the festival. 

Dayday Hopkins of Farm Credit Services Hawai`i said she plans
to continue to help the Ka`u Coffee farmers with land security.

      Expert baristas prepared and presented  Ka`u Coffee inside Pahala Community Center as part of the annual Coffee Experience. Miss Ka`u Coffee Jami Beck and her court met the public, their pageant having opened the festival season at Ka`u Coffee Mill with the competition for Miss Ka`u Coffee, Jr. Miss Ka`u Coffee, Miss Ka`u Peaberry and Miss Ka`u Coffee Flower.
      Tours to coffee farms carried visitors onto the fertile slopes of Mauna Loa where Ka`u Coffee grows.
      Ka`u Coffee Growers Cooperative presented its own and individual booths of its many farmers. The Palehua Cooperative and independent Ka`u Coffee farmers were well represented at the outdoor venue in Pahala.

Ka`u Coffee Mill sponsored the venue for Miss Ka`u Coffee. Its founder's trust
funded the entertainment for the Ho`olaulea. 

     Diversified ag was also on display, from Ka`u Valley Farms' new tea plantings to the Bee Boyz, who showed off a glassed in bee hive and bottled honey with honeycomb.
     Educational displays ranged from the Alakaha Kai Trail Association, showing its efforts to preserve the Ka`u Coast and public trails, to health organizations like Ka`u Rural Health Community Association, which has its own telemedicine kiosk in Pahala.
     Farm Credit Services of Hawai`i was represented by Dayday Hopkins who has worked with Ka`u Coffee farmers for decades. She said she will attempt to help Ka`u Coffee farmers finance the purchase of their farms, should the landowners subdivide them and put them up for sale. Hawai`i Farm Bureau, University of Hawai`i, the USDA and other providers of assistance and supplies and services to the farmers were on hand.
     Tours to coffee farms carried visitors onto the fertile slopes of Mauna Loa where Ka`u Coffee grows. 

Ka`u Valley Farms introduced its tea, which is growing
above Na`alehu. 

     Diversified agriculture was also on display, from Ka`u Valley Farms' new tea plantings to the Bee Boyz, who showed off a glassed in bee hive and bottled honey with honeycomb.
    Ka`u Coffee Festival, with thousands of people attending, also provided an opportunity for non-profit organizations to raise funds by selling food and refreshments. It was a place where artists and crafters cold extend their reach.

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WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT locations for Pahala and Na`alehu are up for public comment by this Tuesday.
       The Na`alehu project is budgeted at approximately $14 million and the Pahala project at $7.2 million in addition to various consulting fees.

     Some money was provided by C. Brewer, the parent company of the sugar plantations that operated in both towns. Most of the funding will come from the federal EPA and the state, according to county proposals.
     The county plans to purchase acreage in Pahala next to the intersection of Maile Street and Hwy 11 where the Norfolk Pine Lane is the gateway to the village. The Na`alehu location is between Na`alehu School and the police station.

      Bill Kurcharski, the county's Environmental Management Director, presented the proposal to the Environmental Management Commission last week and explained that the county is up against deadlines to shut down old gang cesspools left over from the plantation days. The EPA has the authority to sue the county for keeping the old cesspools. Finding the right location in both Na`alehu and Pahala has been challenging, he said.
     The new sewage treatment plants will serve 109 single-family homes in Pahala plus the elderly housing units, and 163 single-family homes in Na`alehu.
     The county is contracting with Brown and Caldwell to conduct environmental assessments. Archaeological surveys will also be conducted.
      To provide comments, contact shareem.jelani@epa.gov.

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http://kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory_2017

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Friday, May 26, 2017

Farm and mill tours will leave from Pahala Community Center on Saturday as  part of the all day
Ka`u Coffee Festival, which features foor, coffee tasing and a chance to meet the farmers and Miss
Ka`u Coffee Jami Beck and her court. Photo from Ka`u Coffee Mill

THE KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN is moving forward with a public hearing in Hilo on Thursday, June 1. The County Planning Department issued a statement today with history and an update:

     "In October 2015, the CDP Steering Committee made final recommendations for CDP revisions and adoption. These revisions were based on the March-June 2015 public review and comment on the Draft CDP. In early 2016, a wide range of public agencies were invited to review and comment on the CDP. After reviewing agency comment, the Planning Director is recommending non-substantive revisions to the CDP. The April 2017 Kaʻū Community Development Plan reflects those recommendations. Links to the CDP and the Planning Director's recommendations are available at the project web site: www.kaucdp.info. "

Land Use Policy is one of the many maps, along with history, descriptions and zoning described in the
Ka`u Community Development Plan. See www.kaucdp.info

     Kaʻū CDP Steering Committee met on April 25 to review agency comment and the Planning Director's recommendations. Within 60 days of receiving the Planning Director's recommendation, the Windward Planning Commission will transmit the CDP with its recommendation to the County Council. On May 10, the Windward Planning Commission held the first Public Hearing regarding the Kaʻū CDP at Nāʻālehu Community Center. The second Public Hearing is scheduled for Thursday, June 1, 2017, 9 a.m. at the County of Hawai'i Aupuni Center Conference Room, 101 Pauahi Street, Hilo.

Discovery Harbour residents have been attending CDP meetings,
asking about the kind of development planned for the future.
See www.kaucdp.info

    "The purpose of these public hearings," says the county statement, is "to afford all interested persons reasonable opportunity to comment on the Kaʻū CDP and for the Commission to review the CDP and consider its recommendation to the County Council. All Planning Commission meetings and public hearings are open to the public, and public comment is welcome. A link to the June 1 Planning Commission meeting and hearing is available at the project web site: www.kaucdp.info.
     After the Windward Planning Commission makes its recommendations, final steps in the adoption process include: County Council public hearings and action; Mayor Harry Kim's signature, and an Action Committee appointed to guide CDP implementation."
     Discovery Harbour has been the community most represented at recent CDP meetings.

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EXTREME HIGH TIDES are flooding coastal areas as the King Tide event continues over the weekend. Hawai`i County Civil Defense is warning beachgoers to watch for unexpected inland flooding from extreme high tides, with high beach run-up, flooding and erosion.

     A statement from Civil Defense says there may be ”dangerous flooding conditions along all shores of Hawai`i Island from today through the Memorial Day weekend before gradually subsiding next week.

      "This extreme high tide, or king tide, will be in combination with dangerous high surf caused by large southerly swells. Be aware, due to the king tides and high surf, coastal areas, beaches, low-lying roads, boat ramps and harbors may be dangerously impacted especially during the high tide periods of the afternoon and late evening hours.

     "Because of these dangerous conditions, the following precautions should be taken: oceanfront residents, beachgoers and boat owners are advised to be on the alert for possible high and dangerous surf, strong currents, and beach flooding. As a precaution, you should consider canceling or suspending coastal water activities until potential dangerous hazards are over. As always, precautionary actions should be taken before nightfall."

      The County stated that road and beach closures may occur with out notice.

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PRESERVING ESSENTIAL AIR SERVICE, particularly to rural Hawai`i and Alaska, is the aim of a new bill introduced into the U.S. Senate following the release of Pres. Donald Trump’s budget request. Senators Mazie Hirono, of Hawai`i, and Republican Dan Sullivan, of Alaska, introduced the Keeping Our Commitment to Essential Air Service Act to prevent proposed budget cuts to air service for over 170 small community airports nationwide by reauthorizing program funding through 2022.

      “Serving approximately 20,000 people in Hawai`i last year alone, EAS provides reliable and affordable air transportation that is vital to the communities like Kalaupapa and Waimea. President Trump’s deep cuts to EAS would critically impact individuals in these communities who depend on air travel to get the health care they need and support local commerce and jobs," said Hirono. 

     “This is why I introduced this bill with Senator Sullivan-- helping to ensure our rural residents and their families continue to have access to air service which is their lifeline.”

Essential Air Service helps Molulele and other airlines reach
remote places in Hawai`i. Photo from Mokulele

    For Alaska, said Sullivan, “Aviation is absolutely essential to reaching the many remote communities across Alaska’s vast, geographically diverse territory. Essential Air Service provides the only means of transportation for residents in more than 60 Alaska communities—more than one-third of the communities served nationwide. There are no roads or highways connecting these Americans to the rest of the country—just an airstrip. We must work to maintain this strong and safe aviation network which supports jobs and economic opportunities for Americans living in rural areas.”

      Congress established EAS to ensure that small communities that were served by air carriers before deregulation of the industry in the 1970s would continue to receive scheduled passenger service, with subsidies if necessary. However, the Trump’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget proposal would eliminate this funding for the program which could force rural airports to suspend service and residents to drive hundreds of miles, where there are roads, to reach the nearest major airport reducing access to medical care, hurting tourism and local commerce.

Small runways, such as the one in Waimea, can help with delivery
of fresh grown produce from the Big Island. 

     The EAS Act was introduced with the following original cosponsors: Senators Brian Schatz, of Hawai`i, and Republican Lisa Murkowski  of Alaska.

     “As an island state, air travel is critical to our economy and our daily lives,”  said Schatz.

     Under the Trump budget, EAS would lose $175 million of funding currently appropriated by Congress in addition to amounts funded through overflight fees. This cut represent over half of EAS total funding. The EAS Act reauthorizes the Congressional appropriation of $175 million annually through FY 2022. EAS funding is set to expire on September 30, 2017.

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NAHUKU, THE THURSTON LAVA TUBE will be closed from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, June 1 for semi-annual maintenance.      

     Thurston Lava Tube (Nāhuku), and its verdant rainforest trail, are popular features in the park located near the summit of Kīlauea volcano. The lava tube is a tunnel formed by a robust river of molten rock that erupted from Kīlauea volcano about 550 years ago. The native rainforest surrounding Nāhuku is managed as a Special Ecological Area, and is home to numerous endemic plant, bird and insect species. Visitation is heaviest between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

      Flooding on the floor of the lava tube is common during times of heavy rain, and park management will shut off its electrical source for safety reasons. Visitors are advised to bring their own light source (cell phone lights are adequate) as a backup. 

     On June 1, workers will pump the septic system for the comfort station starting at 6 a.m., and should be complete by 10 a.m. or sooner, according to a statement from Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The public will be notified of any delays. Date and time are subject to change.

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