Ka‘ū News Brief Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Billy Kenoi, who is known in Kaʻū for bringing department heads out to the country to meet the people when he served two
 terms as mayor, is receiving many messages from those wishing him well with his cancer challenge. Photo by Julia Neal

A GET WELL CARD TO BILLY KENOI came from performers and many others who gathered at the opening of the Merrie Monarch Festival on Sunday in Hilo. The former mayor, who left office after serving the maximum two terms ending December of 2016, is 49 years old. Kenoi is battling a rare leukemia, myelofibrosis. Until recent days, Kenoi kept his challenge private, having fought the disease since 2015, while still serving as mayor. Kenoi is receiving treatment at City of Hope in Duarte, Southern California.

Well-wishers send encouraging notes on a giant card to former Mayor 
Billy Kenoi who battles cancer. Photo from Big Island Video News

Billy Kenoi
Photo by Julia Neal

     On Easter Sunday, participants at Merrie Monarch opening festivities signed a giant card to send to Kenoi, who is Hawaiian and has long supported the festival.
     Kenoi is known in Kaʻū for bringing the heads of county departments - from water to police and planning - out to the country to meet the people. He is known for taking up the cause against building a biofuel refinery in Wood Valley. A beachboy in his youth, who grew up surfing, Kenoi supported the transition of Kāwā and other strands of Kaʻū Coast from private ownership to county and local stewardship.

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BRING IN MEDICATIONS FOR THE NATIONAL PRESCRIPTION DRUG TAKE-BACK DAY, Saturday, April 28, urges the Hawaiʻi Police Department, Hawaiʻi Attorney General, County Dept. of Environmental Management, and U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. The event legally accepts controlled substances like opioid pain medications. However, no illicit drugs nor needles will be accepted. "With the rise of prescription drug abuse, this is one effort to combat that problem. Spring Clean your Medicine Cabinet," says a statement from Chris Chin-Chance, Recycling Specialist, with the county.

     The Take-Back locations to receive the drugs will be in Kona at Hawaiʻi Police Department, 74-0611 Hale Makai Place, and in Hilo at Ka Waena Lapaʻau Medical Complex, upper parrking lot at the corner of Ponahawai and Komohana Streets, 670 Ponahawai St.

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POLICE CHIEF PAUL FERREIRA WANTS MORE POLICE OFFICERS FOR KAʻŪ. While Mayor Harry Kim's budget doesn't call for more officers, Ferreira plans to appeal to the County Council as it goes through the proposed 2018-2019 budget. Kaʻū, for many years, has been asking for more and more police officers, due to the long distances between Pāhala, Nāʻālehu, and Ocean View communities, and the growing population.

Ocean View residents want more than a Mini-Station and
the police chief asked for it. Photo by Ann Bosted

     Ferreira told Hawaiʻi Tribune Herald reporter John Burnett that one of HPD's most pressing priorities and toughest challenges is acquiring those additional officer positions and recruiting to fill existing officer vacancies. The budget proposal submitted by the mayor to the council would increase by $2 million over the 2017-18 budget of $65,529.60. In contrast, the 2017-18 budget rose by about $3.3 million over the 2016-2017 budget.

     The Police Chief told the Tribune Herald, "We've been operating for years with a status quo budget. People can promise us, 'Oh, we're going to give you 60 more officers,' but sPhoto by Ann Bostedomebody's gotta pay for it." Ferreira pointed out that 450 sworn officers serve in the HPD. At the end of 2017 there were 34 vacancies. They will be filled mostly by 30 new recruits and another eight to 10 officers to be hired in April, said the chief, noting the nine month training time before they can "hit the streets."

Police Chief Paul Ferreira joined police officers in Ka`u
 last October to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the police
 station on the edge of Na`alehu. Photo by Patti Mlarkar

     The police chief also told the Tribune Herald that the improving economy is providing jobs that pay as well as policing. "As the economy gets better, nobody wants to be a police officer. They'd rather be in construction or other jobs that pay just as much and don't have the challenges that being an officer does. So when the economy gets good, recruitment falls. When the private sector economy is good, the public sector suffers."

     The KPD budget proposed to the mayor asked for seven new supervisory positions and five additional officers for each of the growing Puna and Ka‘ū districts. It also asked for a new police station in Ocean View, but the mayor's budget was unable to accommodate the requests, leaving Ocean View its "mini station" that is used only for its bathroom, said the chief.

     The mayor wrote to the County Council, saying he asked every department in county to cut their budgets and "we're still $7 million short." Kim said the budge cuts are motivated largely by forces beyond his control.

     Salaries and benefits to employees are adding $12.7 million. County contributions to the employee pension plan total $4.4 million, with other post-retirement benefits adding an additional $5.9 million. An additional $1.5 million in raises recently were awarded to top officials by the Salary Commission. Debt payments by the county will total $49 million.

Mayor Harry Kim talks to Ocean View residents about the need for more police officers. 
Photo by Ann Bosted

  Kim said he is sympathetic to the plight of rural district residents: "Ka‘ū is one of the fastest growing districts on the island; the fastest is Puna," Kim said. "Ka‘ū is growing because of Hawaiian Ocean View Estates and that area becoming the bedroom community of Kona, which is very surprising to people."
      The mayor emphasized that the budget cuts were done by department heads, under his orders. "When you tell them 'no' and you tell them why - and the responsibility is mine - you're the one that's saying 'no,' not the chief of police. Because I made a policy (of) no increase in personnel. And it's not easy. But that's the blanket that went to every district, not just Ka‘ū."

     The County Council scheduled reviews of the Kim budget, department by department, April 17 through 19. Department heads, including the police chief, will present their priorities to the County Council.

     Ferreira told the Tribune Herald that in smaller districts - Ka‘ū, North Hilo, Hamakua, North Kohala - adding on supervisors is important: "by adding another sergeant, we're adding another body on the watch. It's a supervisory position but it's another officer on the road."

     Kim's final proposed budget will be released by May 5, to go into effect July 1, once amended and passed by the council.

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SPRING FUND DRIVE FOR HAWAIʻI PUBLIC RADIO, with stations 89.1 FM and 91.3 FM serving Kaʻū, begins its ten-day run this Wednesday, April 4. The goal of $865,000 marks the station's seventh consecutive semi-annual campaign of raising less money than the preceding year, despite steadily rising costs. The downward trending goals are offset by a growing number of Sustaining Members whose monthly contributions provide the station a steady income stream. Nearly half of HPR's 14,200 donor-members are Sustainers, says an HPR statement.
     HPR's mission is to serve the entire population of Hawaiʻi with FM radio. HPR-1, found in Kaʻū at 89.1 FM KANO radio, features news, talk, entertainment, jazz, blues, and world music. HPR-2, heard in Kaʻū at 91.3 FM KAHU radio, broadcasts classical music.

     HPR's President and General Manager José A. Fajardo describes the station's on-air fund drives as "a time for us to celebrate our Sustainers and those who gave early, but primarily an opportunity to reach listeners who are ready to become new members with our message that 'you are HPR.'"
     HPR is a private, nonprofit organization which broadcasts classical, jazz, and international music; and in-depth news and informational programming from National Public Radio, American Public Media, Public Radio International, and other local, national, and international program sources, as well as programs produced by Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

HPR pledge drive scene, President &
General Manager José A. Fajardo (foreground on phone), with 
Executive Producer, Talk Programs Beth-Ann Kozlovich
and News Director Bill Dorman. Photo from HPR

     In August 2017, Charity Navigator, the premier charity evaluator, awarded HPR its sixth consecutive four-star rating for exceptional fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency. HPR was named one of the 2015 Best Places to Work in Hawaiʻi by Hawaiʻi Business magazine and Best Places Group. In the same year, it was awarded the Cades Schutte - The Cades Foundation Nonprofit Leadership Award, administered by Pacific Business News. The station won two National Edward R. Murrow Awards for its news coverage of the 2014 Pāhoa lava flow, and most recently won a third National Murrow Award for its series on the Thirty Meter Telescope.
     During the fundraiser, the live pledge-table conversations are enriched by visits from community guests representing groups such as Sustainable Coastlines, the Hawaiʻi State Public Library, and Planned Parenthood Young Leaders, as well as numerous local businesses and arts organizations. Many of these community partners also contribute unique thank you gifts for those donating or grand prizes for one-day sweepstakes. HPR's classical music stream, HPR-2, also features a day-by-day countdown of the Top Ten Magical Maestros, favorite conductors who were selected in a listener poll.

     Contributions to HPR may be made online at hawaiipublicradio.org or through the HPR mobile app. Volunteers will staff phones starting at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning, when the fund drive goes on the air. Call in the day to (808) 944-8800, toll-free (888) 970-8800; after 8 p.m. at (808) 941-3689, toll-free (877) 941-3689. HPR is online and streaming at hawaiipublicradio.org; as well as on Facebook (FB/hawaiipublicradio), Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms (@WeAreHPR™). Free iOS and Android™ apps for Hawaii Public Radio are available from the App Store or Google Play™. HPR-1 and HPR-2 may also be heard via cable broadcasts from Spectrum (channels 864 and 865) or Hawaiian Telcom TV (channels 661 and 662). Recently, Hawaiʻi Public Radio became an Amazon Echo skill.

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Photo from St. Jude's

MONDAY AFTERNOON HANDBELL CHOIR performs at St Jude's Episcopal Church, Thursday, April 12, 1:30 p.m. "We are looking forward to entertaining with a variety of music that will include selections written specifically for handbells, as well as familiar tunes. We are also pleased to welcome a quartet of guest musicians, who will entertain with selections of Baroque music. Come and help us celebrate as we end our handbell season!" states the announcement. Free.

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See Dirty Cello in Concert on Tuesday, 
April 10. Photo from volcanoartcenter.org

DIRTY CELLO IN CONCERT takes place on Tuesday, April 10, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., announces Volcano Art Center. Tickets are $20 per Volcano Art Center Member, $25 per non-member.

     From China to Italy, and all over the U.S., Dirty Cello brings the world a high energy and unique spin on blues and bluegrass. "Led by vivacious cross-over cellist, Rebecca Roudman, Dirty Cello is cello like you've never heard before. From down home blues with a wailing cello to virtuosic stompin' bluegrass, Dirty Cello is a band that gets your heart thumping and your toes tapping!" states the event description.

     Lou Fancher, Oakland Magazine, says, "Dirty Cello's music is all over the map: funky, carnival, romantic, sexy, tangled, electric, fiercely rhythmic, and textured, and only occasionally classical."

     Good Times Santa Cruz writes, "The band plays every style imaginable, and does some fantastic covers. (Their rendition of "Purple Haze" is incredible.) But what is most spectacular about them is hearing the depth of soul in Roudman's playing - it goes beyond what most people would expect from the instrument. She plays it with so much heart, you’ll wonder why more bands don’t have a cellist."

Dirty Cello comes to Volcano. Photo from volcanoartcenter.org

     LA Times adds, "The group seamlessly careens from blues to bluegrass and rock in a way that really shouldn’t make sense but somehow does."

     See video examples of their work on YouTube: Devil Went Down to Georgia; House is a Rockin'; and Don't Call Me Honey.

     For more about the concert or to buy tickets, visit volcanoartcenter.org or call 967-8222.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Ka‘ū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Ka‘ū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Ka‘ū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes 

throughout Ka‘ū, from Miloli‘i through Volcano, and free on 

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com.

KA‘Ū TROJANS SPORTS SCHEDULE

Girls Softball: Saturday, Apr 7, Hawai‘i Prep @ Ka‘ū

   Monday, Apr 9, @ Pāhoa

   Wednesday, Apr 11 @ KSH

   Saturday, Apr 14, Kea‘au @ Ka‘ū

Boys Volleyball: Wednesday, Apr 11, Kea‘au @ Ka‘ū

   Friday, Apr 13, Honoka‘a @ Ka‘ū

   Monday, Apr 16, @ Hilo

   Friday, Apr 20, Parker @ Ka‘ū

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4
ADVOCATS, Wed, Apr 4, 7 a.m. - 5 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Free Cat Spay & Neuter Clinic. 895-9283

OPEN MIC NIGHT, Wed, Apr 4, 6 - 10 p.m., Kīlauea Military Camp's Lava Lounge in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Singers, Bands, Comedians, etc. Call 967-8365 after 4 p.m. to sign up. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests 21 years and older. Park entrance fees apply. kilaueamilitarycamp.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 5
VETERAN'S CENTER & VA MEDICAL SERVICES, Apr 5 & 19, Thu, 8:30 - noon, Ocean View Community Center. No appointment needed to visit w/ VA counselor & benefit specialist. Matthew, 329-0574, ovcahi.org

OCEAN VIEW NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH MEETING, Thu, Apr 5, 6 - 7 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

FRIDAY, APRIL 6
FROM SAND TO SNOW - PATCH class, Fri, Apr 6, 8 - 11 am, P.A.R.E.N.T.S., Inc., office in Nā‘ālehu. Learn about sensory activities for toddlers and preschoolers. Class for adults only. No childcare provided. $5 refundable registration deposit fee. Sign-up in advance with PATCH, Rochelle Hall 238-3472. patchhawaii.org

CREATING SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENTS II - PATCH class, Fri, Apr 6, noon - 3 pm, P.A.R.E.N.T.S., Inc., office in Nā‘ālehu. Learn about developing strategies that support children’s positive social behavior. Class for adults only. No childcare provided. $5 refundable registration deposit fee. Sign-up in advance with PATCH, Rochelle Hall 238-3472. patchhawaii.org

SATURDAY, APRIL 7
OCEAN VIEW C.E.R.T. TRAINING, Sat, Apr 7, 14, 21 & 28, 8:15 - 5 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Hawai’i County Civil Defense Agency Community Emergency Response Team training. Free, limited seating, open to public. Bill Hanson, 937-2181. Pre-register online, certkau.eventbrite.com

STEWARDSHIP AT THE SUMMIT, Apr 7, 13, 21 (fee-free day), & 27, 8:45 a.m., meet Paul and Jane Field at Kīlauea Visitor Center in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Volunteers help remove invasive, non-native, plant species. Free; park entrance fees apply. nps.gov/HAVO

HI‘IAKA & PELE, Sat, Apr 7, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Discover the Hawaiian goddesses and the natural phenomena they represent on this free, moderate, one-mile walk. nps.gov/HAVO

HAWAI‘I DEMOCRATIC PRE-CONVENTION MEETING, Sat, Apr 7, 11 - 3 p.m., Waimea Elementary School cafeteria. hawaiidemocrats.org

SUNDAY, APRIL 8
PALM TRAIL, Sun, Apr 8, 9:30 - 12:30 p.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Moderately difficult, 2.6-mile loop traverses scenic pastures along an ancient cinder cone, with some of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. nps.gov/HAVO

HAM RADIO POTLUCK PICNIC, Sun, Apr 8, noon - 2 p.m., Manukā State Park. Anyone interested in learning about ham radio is welcome to attend. View sites.google.com/site/southpointartc or sites.google.com/view/southhawaiiares/home. Rick Ward, 938-3058

MASS TRANSIT MASTER PLAN PUBLIC HEARING, Sun, Apr 8, 3 - 5 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Meeting regarding public transit and paratransit system on the Big Island. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

TUESDAY, APRIL 10
HAWAI‘I COUNTY COUNCIL Meetings, Tue/Wed, Apr 10 (Committees)/11 (Council), & Tue/Wed, Apr 24 (Committees)/25 (Council), Kona. Ka‘ū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nā‘ālehu State Office Building. Agendas at hawaiicounty.gov

C.E.R.T. Discovery Harbour/Nā‘ālehu, Tue, Apr 10, 4 - 6 p.m., Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Public invited to see what Community Emergency Response Team is about, and participate in training scenarios. Dina Shisler, dinashisler24@yahoo.com, 410-935-8087

PROPOSED NĀ‘ĀLEHU WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT TALK STORY, Tue, Wed, Thu, Apr 10, 11 & 12, 6 - 7:30 p.m., Nā‘ālehu Community Center. County asks those planning to attend contact Berna Cabacungan of Earthplan, eplan1@aol.com, Mary Fujio at Department of Environmental Management, 961-8083, or Iris Cober at Brown and Caldwell, Maui office, (808) 442-3300.

DIRTY CELLO IN CONCERT, Tue, Apr 10, 7 - 9 p.m., Volcano Art Center. Unique spin on blues and bluegrass. $20/VAC member, $25/non-member. Tickets: volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

PU‘UWA‘AWA‘A AHUPUA‘A: Successes & Challenges of Restoring Endangered Dry Forests of Kona, Tue, Apr 10, 7 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. Elliott Parsons, Division of Forestry and Wildlife, discusses ongoing conservation efforts and lessons learned. Free; park entrance fees apply. nps.gov/HAVO

ONGOING

ONE COMMUNITY AND ONE PARENT REPRESENTATIVE are sought by Nāʻālehu Elementary School Community Council. Nominations will be accepted from April 2 through April 16 at 3 p.m. The community representative will serve a two-year term for school year 2018-2019 and 2019-2020. The parent representative will serve a one-year term for school year 2018-19. The parent rep cannot be a Nāʻālehu Elementary School employee.

     The campaign for the positions starts April 16. Voting is April 30 through May 11. Those interested, contact Leilani Rodrigues at 313-4020 or pcnc@naalehu.org, or name and number at the main office line, by calling 313-4000.

TŪTŪ AND ME OFFERS HOME VISITS to those with keiki zero to five years old: home visits to aid with helpful parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate listening ear. Home visits are free, last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, for a total of 12 visits, and snacks are provided. For info and to register, call Linda Bong 646-9634.

VOLCANO ART CENTER GALLERY PRESENTS HO’OKU’I I NĀ KIKO, Connecting the Dots, by Natalie Mahina Jensen and Lucia Tarall. "A curated collection of photographs, paintings, sculptures, and feather work items deliver a sublime message, connecting the viewer artistically with the provenance of the design." Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., from Saturday, Mar. 31, to Sunday, May 6. volcanoartcenter.org or 967-8222

KAʻŪ COFFEE RECIPE CONTEST registration open through Friday, April 20, limit one entry per category, per contestant. Recipes will be judged Sunday, April 29, 11 a.m., at Ka‘ū Coffee Mill. Youth and adult submissions judged separately. Categories are pūpū, entrée, and dessert; all recipes must be made with (any) Ka‘ū Coffee. Entry info at kaucoffeemill.com or kaucoffeefestival.com, or call 808-928-0550. Entry forms can also be found at Ka‘ū Coffee Mill or Mizuno Market; forms below. Email for info/questions sales@kaucoffeemill.com

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