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Saturday, March 12, 2022

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Saturday, March 12, 2022

The 1790 Footprints Trail where travelers were caught in ashfall, leaving permanent footprints on the ground.
This is one of the historic places in Kaʻū recognized by the state, which is seeking input on its next five-year Statewide
Historic Preservation Plan. John Dawson illustration from Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

THE STATEWIDE HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN goes to a virtual public meeting from 5 :30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 15. According to an announcement from the state Department of Land & Natural Resources, the State Historic Preservation Division is creating the next five-year strategic plan for 2022-2027. The planning aims to help create goals for historic preservation in the state and inform the activities of the State Historic Preservation Division. Completion of this plan is required for Hawaiʻi to remain eligible to receive federal funds from the National Park Service. The plan’s purpose is to bring together historic preservation professionals and interested community members to craft ways to better manage historic properties in the state. The plan assesses historic preservation needs, priorities, goals, challenges, and opportunities and will highlight recommendations for future management of historic properties in Hawaiʻi.
    Historic properties include, but are not limited to: historic buildings, archaeological sites, heiau and traditional cultural properties, fishponds, lo'i, burials, cultural landscapes, historic districts and aviation artifacts. 
Mauna Loa Road is listed on the register of Hawai'i
Historic Places. NPS photo
    Historic places in Volcano already recognized on the Hawai'i Register of Historic Palaces include: Kilauea Lodge, Hale Ohia, Crater Rim Drive, the Whitney Seismograph Vault #29 under Volcano House, and Old Volcano House. In Kaʻū they include Puna-Ka'u Historic District, Mauna Loa Road, Wilkes Campsite, 1790 Footprints, Ainapo Trail, Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary and Nāʻālehu Elementary.
    See the 2017-2021 Statewide Historic Preservation plan at 
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/shpd/files/2022/01/hawaii.state_.preservation.plan_.2012.2017.pdf
    The DLNR statement says, "Community input is essential to effective historic preservation planning and this plan will be informed by the overall comments from these meetings. All comments related to historic preservation are welcome during these meetings." The comments will be used to help develop future-focused and topical public meetings.
    The link to the March 15 meeting will be available on the SHPD website.
    Those who would like to provide public testimony, RSVP via the SHPD Preservation Plan email dlnr.hp.preservationplan@hawaii.gov by 5:30 p.m. on March 14. While SHPD staff will be unable to answer questions during the meeting, those who write to SHPD with questions ahead of time will likely receive a response. Those who do not wish to testify and wish to listen, are not required to RSVP.


SEASONALLY ADJUSTED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN HAWAI'I WAS 4.4 PERCENT for January,
compared to 4.3 percent in December. Statewide, 644,150 were employed and 29,500 unemployed in January for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 673,700. Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.0 percent in January, up from 3.9 percent in December. The state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism made the announcement Friday.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at www.kaucalendar.com.  See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/03/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html

NAOMI KUWAYE IS THE LATEST PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION NOMINEE. Gov David Ige made the announcement on Friday. If confirmed, she will fill the seat currently held by PUC chairman James (Jay) Griffin, who announced he will step down at the end of his term, which expires on June 30. Kuwaye is an attorney at Ashford & Wriston, LLP where she has practiced since 2012. She has worked in private practice since 1988. Previously, Kuwaye worked as a law clerk in Oregon and was also an intern and legislative aide for then Honolulu City Councilmember Donna Mercado Kim.
Naomi Kuwaye is nominated to serve
 on the Public Utilities Commission
    
    Kuwaye earned her juris doctorate/certificate in environmental and natural resources law from Lewis & Clark Northwestern School of Law and her BA in journalism and political science from the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa.
   Her appointment is subject to Senate confirmation. If confirmed, Kuwaye’s six-year term will run from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2028.
   The PUC oversees regulations and rates for companies charing for delivering electricity by lines and gas by pipes; companies offering interisland shipping, telcom, private water and sewer; as well as motor transportation for humans and for goods.
    It approves such contracts as windmill, geothermal, hydroelectric, biofuel and solar farm owners selling power to Hawaiian Electric. An ongoing case involves the proposed use of eucalyptus growing in Ka'u to help power a biofuel plant on the coast north of Hilo. 

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at www.kaucalendar.com.  See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/03/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html

KA LAE QUILTERS RECENTLY PRESENTED $2,000 to O Kaʻū Kakou President Wayne Kawachi during its monthly gathering at Discovery Harbour Community Association meeting hall. Funds were earned by the quilters through craft sales in the Kaʻū District and by donations. These funds are intended for the OKK scholarship fund. Ka Lae Quilters have a history of supporting community needs such as: quilts for people experiencing trauma, distributed by the Kaʻū unit of the Hawai'i Police Department; Kaʻū Hospital Emergency Room Equipment; Camp Erin Quilts; Pink Pouches to Hilo Medical Center for patients recovering from breast cancer surgery. This dedicated group of ladies continue to support the community.
Ka Lae Quilters present $2,000 to O Kaʻū Kakou President Wayne Kawachi and OKK's Nadine Ebert.
Photo from Ka Lae Quilters
SEE UPCOMING EVENTS IN KAʻŪ & VOLCANO
          at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/03/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.
See March edition of The Kaʻū Calendar newspaper at 
www.kaucalendar.com