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| The Hour of Code welcomed students at Pāhala Elementary to the world of computer science today. See more below. Photo by Katie Graham |
Sen. Brian Schatz tweeted "LOL. Republicans are angry about working on Friday." The vote could be delayed until Monday, with more debate expected to follow party lines on Friday. Trump is the fourth U.S. President to face articles of impeachment. Should the House vote to impeach him, the measure would go to the U.S. Senate for a trial.
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HOUR OF CODE ENGAGED all Pāhala Elementary students in pre-K through sixth grade today in computer science. Hour of Code is part of a worldwide effort to expand computer science education. Students in Pre-K through second grade tried their hands at programming through using the ScratchJr app. In the app, students develop characters and stories through coding.
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| Creating a dance party and game and developing characters and stories introduced Pāhala Elementary student to coding today. Photo by Katie Graham |
HELPING RURAL BUSINESSES WITH ENERGY EFFICIENCY is the goal of a new program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald "DJ" LaVoy announced this week that the USDA is investing $165.4 million to help farmers, agriculture producers, and rural-based businesses lower energy costs. USDA will provide 621 awards to applicants in all 50 states, the
Said LaVoy,
"Businesses grow and create more jobs when their energy costs are
lower. Reduced power costs also make American businesses more competitive
in world markets. Pres. Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue are committed to
making it possible for rural businesses to thrive because when rural America
prospers, all of America
prospers."
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| Brenda Iokepa-Moses. Photo from USDA |
Reducing
energy costs can significantly improve a business' bottom line, according to the
statement from USDA. Solar equipment was used by 90,000 farms in 2017, three
times the number using solar panels in 2012, states the agency.
In
April 2017, Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and
Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory, and policy changes that
could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January
2018, Perdue presented the Task Force's findings to Trump. These findings
included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local,
and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America .
Supporting the rural workforce was a cornerstone recommendation of the task
force.
View
the report in its entirety at Report
to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and
Rural Prosperity. View the categories of the recommendations at Rural
Prosperity infographic. For more information on the REAP, or to
request application materials, contact USDS Business Programs Specialist Jeffrey
Wardell, (808) 933-8316 or Jeffrey.wardell@usda.gov.
USDA
Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities
and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure
improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as
schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural
areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
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A FORK IN THE ROAD DECISION is ahead for Hawaiʻi Electric Industries
– parent company of Hawaiʻi Electric Light Co., Maui Electric, and
Oʻahu's Hawaiʻi Electric Company – according to Mangelsdorf, President of ProVision Solar, warned that Hawaiʻi people and Hawaiʻi Electric Industries are at a "proverbial fork in the road" to choose between "status quo execs" or look outside the company for "new game-changer leaders."
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| Marco Mangelsdorf |
Mangelsdorf
wrote, "Are we doing enough to adequately move the needle of our clean
energy transformation? And is Hawaiian Electric up to the task?
"Sadly, I
have to conclude we are not moving fast enough, and that, despite the
difficulty in calling out those people I've come to like and respect, the
Hawaiian Electric companies have not been up to the challenges of what needs to
be done.
"The
fundamental question: Have HEI and its utilities led the way in stabilizing
electric costs and bringing online cost-effective renewable energies, or have
they been pushed, prodded and pulled to do so? I believe that a stronger case
can be made for the latter.
"Going back
to at least the early 2000s, successive Public Utilities Commissions under the
leadership of Carl Caliboso, Mina Morita, Randy Iwase and now Jay Griffin have
expressed concerns over HECO and its subsidiaries' relative inability to
adequately control costs.
"In fact,
HECO's August filing for another rate increase prompted the ordering of an
unprecedented management audit of the company. And last month, the commission,
in another unusual move, declined to provide any interim increase in response
to HELCO's December 2018 application for a base rate rise.
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One of over 30 kūpuna arrested on Tuesday, July 16.
Photo from Puʻu Honua o Puʻu Huluhulu Maunakea Facebook |
NO CONFLICT OF INTEREST, concluded the county Board of Ethics on Wednesday. The question was whether county Prosecuting Attorney Mitch Roth is in conflict regarding cases
involving the standoff over construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope at Maunakea, where protesters have been arrested.
Roth is on the board of The Success Factory's NexTech STEM Programs, which received a grant from TMT's THINK fund. Roth's wife Noriko is employed at Subaru Telescope, operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. Roth's 22-year-old son is employed at Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NAOJ and JPL are two of six partners of the TMT project. Roth's wife is also employed by the Research Corporation ofUniversity of Hawaiʻi
Roth is on the board of The Success Factory's NexTech STEM Programs, which received a grant from TMT's THINK fund. Roth's wife Noriko is employed at Subaru Telescope, operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. Roth's 22-year-old son is employed at Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NAOJ and JPL are two of six partners of the TMT project. Roth's wife is also employed by the Research Corporation of
The county ethics code states, "No officer or employee shall take any official action directly affecting… a business or undertaking in which the employee knows or has reason to know that a brother, a sister, a parent, an emancipated child, or a household member has a substantial financial interest."
Ross brought the question of conflict to the Board of Ethics, which asked him yesterday to
step
back from any involvement in the cases "in the interest of prudence and
maintaining the public's confidence in the system of government."Ross brought the question of conflict to the Board of Ethics, which asked him yesterday to
Before the
board's decision, Roth turned over to the state Attorney General 30 cases of those arrested at Maunakea for
obstructing a government operation. The charges
are misdemeanors. Protectors of Maunakea have blocked the access road to the summit
since July 15, intent on stopping construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope
project. The objection to TMT is made, for most, on environmental, cultural, and religious grounds.
Roth suggested yesterday that Maunakea cases could be handled by his chief deputy. "I wouldn't have any influence on the deputy. It was never the intent that I would go in court and prosecute these cases," said Roth. "I give my deputies a lot of discretion." He said his office handles 17,000 cases a year, and that flying in prosecutors fromHonolulu costs the county a lot of money.
Roth suggested yesterday that Maunakea cases could be handled by his chief deputy. "I wouldn't have any influence on the deputy. It was never the intent that I would go in court and prosecute these cases," said Roth. "I give my deputies a lot of discretion." He said his office handles 17,000 cases a year, and that flying in prosecutors from
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| Kiaʻi, Protectors, of Maunakea gathered above the encampment of those who protest the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope. Photo from Puʻu Honua o Puʻu Huluhulu Maunakea Facebook |
JUDGE MELVIN FUJINO will take on four
interim positions in the Third Circuit. The positions cover all of Hawaiʻi
Island. Fujino already fields cases from criminal, civil, drug, and veterans
courts. The new positions add chief judge, administrative judge, senior Family
Court judge, and senior Environmental Court
judge to his roles. He was assigned the additional positions by Hawaiʻi Supreme
Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald after retirement of Chief Judge Greg
Nakamura. Fujino served as first deputy chief judge under Nakamura.
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| Judge Melvin Fujino. Photo from courts.state.hawaii.us |
Fujino was a
prosecuting attorney for 15 years. He was a supervisor and community-oriented
prosecutor for the West Hawaiʻi county Prosecuting Attorney's Office. He also
served as a state deputy attorney general in the Criminal Justice Division, and
a team leader and supervisor for the Asset Forfeiture and Wire Tap Review
units.
Fujino was appointed
in December 2008 as a Family Court judge for the North and South
Kohala and Hamakua districts. He was appointed to the Third Circuit
on Dec. 18, 2015 .
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See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.
Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes
throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on
stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com
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2019-2020 Kaʻū Winter Sports Schedule
Girls Basketball
Fri., Dec. 13 @Keaʻau
Mon., Dec. 16 host Pāhoa JV/Christian Liberty
Tue., Jan. 7 @Kohala
Boys Basketball
Wed., Dec. 18 host Keaʻau
Sat., Dec. 21 @St. Joseph
Sat., Dec. 28 host Kohala
Fri., Jan. 3 host HPA
Sat., Jan. 4 host Pāhoa
Wrestling
Sat., Dec. 14 @Hilo
Sat., Jan. 4 @Waiakea
Soccer
Sat., Dec. 14 Boys @Makualani
Mon., Dec. 16 Girls host HPA, 3pm
Wed., Dec. 18, @Keaʻau
Sat., Dec. 21 Boys host Christian Liberty, 3pm
Mon., Dec. 23 Boys host Kohala, 3pm
Mon., Jan. 6 @HPA
Swimming
Sat., Dec. 14 @Kona Community Aquatic Center
Sat., Jan. 4 @Kamehameha
UPCOMING
FRIDAY, DEC. 13
Hawai‘i Disability Legal Services, Friday, Dec. 13, 9a.m. -noon , Ocean View Community Center
SATURDAY, DEC. 14
Nā Mamo o Kāwā Community Access Day, Saturday, Dec. 14, gates open 6a.m.-6p.m. , Kāwā. All cars must park at end of road fronting Kāwā Flats. Dogs mus
Guided Hike On A 60 Year Old Lava Lake , Saturday, Dec. 14, 10a.m.-2p.m. , Kīlauea Iki Overlook, HVNP. Organized by Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park
Holidays at Kahuku: Hawaiian-Made Craft Fair, Saturday, Dec. 14, 10a.m.-3p.m. , Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free entry. Entertainment, food, shave ice. nps.gov/havo
Ocean View Keiki Christmas with St. Jude's Christmas Celebration, Saturday, Dec. 14, 10a.m-2p.m., Kahuku Park and lower parking lot of St. Jude's
Hula Kahiko - Kumu Kapuaikapoliopele Ka‘au‘a with Unuokeahi and Unuiti, Saturday, Dec. 14, 10:30-11:30a.m. , hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery. Hula performance. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org
Nā Mea Hula with Kumu Hula Moses Kaho‘okele Crabbe, Saturday, Dec. 14, 11a.m.-1p.m. , Volcano Art Center Gallery porch. Hands-on cultural demonstration. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967
Volcano Chorus: 25th Annual Holiday Concert, Saturday, Dec. 14, 7:30 p.m. , Kīlauea Military Camp's Theater, in HVNP. Free; donations accepted. Park entrance fees may apply. 982-7344, kden73@aol.com
SUNDAY, DEC. 15
3rd Annual Hawai‘i Bird Conservation Marathon, Sunday, Dec. 15, Volcano Golf and Country Club to Boy Scouts' Kīlauea Camp. Funds raised support endemic birds of Hawai‘i through the Hawai‘i Forest Institute for the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center Discovery Forest in Volcano. Race registration closed. Donations welcome; donors of over $100 invited to behind the scene tour of Keauhou Bird Conservation Center Discovery Forest, 10a.m.-noon, Saturday, Dec. 14. hawaiiforestinstitute.kindful.com
‘Ōhi‘a Lehua, Sunday, Dec. 15, 9:30-11a.m. , Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Fr
TUESDAY, DEC. 17
Hawai‘i County Council Mtgs., Tuesday, Dec. 17 (Committees), Wednesday, Dec. 18, (Council), Kona. Ka‘ū residents can participate via videoconferencing at
Cultural Understanding Through Art & the Environment: Ti Leaf Lei Making with Jelena Clay, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 11a.m.-1p.m. , Volcano Art Center
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 18
Ocean View Community Association Board of Directors Mtg., Wednesday, Dec. 18, 12:30-1:30p.m. , Ocean View Community Center
THURSDAY, DEC. 19
Volcano Friends Feeding Friends, Thursday, Dec. 19, 4-6p.m. , Cooper Center Volcano Village
ONGOING
Holiday Ornament Registration, through Dec. 16, Kahuku Park. Program takes place Wednesday, Dec. 18, 3-4p.m. Ages 6-14. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation
Christmas in the Country featuring 20th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit, daily, through Dec. 31, Volcano Art Center Gallery. Free; park entrance fees app
T-Ball and Coach Pitch Baseball League: Ocean View Team - Mondays and Wednesdays, Kahuku Park. Nā‘ālehu Team - Tuesdays and Thursdays, Nā‘ālehu Park. Pāhala Team (seeking coaches) - attend Nā‘ālehu practice. T-Ball, 3:30-4:30pm, ages 5-6. Coach Pitch, 4:30-6p.m., ages 7-8. Programs take place through April 16. Wear cleats or tennis shoes, bring a glove if possible. Extras gloves available for use. All skills and genders welcome. $35 per teammate. See Ka‘ū Youth Baseball on Facebook. Josh or Elizabeth Crook, 345-0511Tūtū & Me Home Visiting Program is a free service to Pāhala families with keiki, birth to five years old. This caregiver support program offers those taking care of young keiki "a compassionate listening ear, helpful parenting tips and strategies, fun and exciting activities, and wonderful educational resources" from Tūtū & Me Traveling Preschool. Home visits are one hour in length, two to four times per month, for 12 to 15 visits. Snacks are provided. See pidfoundation.org or call 808-938-1088.
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