Ka‘ū News Briefs, Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Alternatives to this lagoon-style wastewater treatment system are up for discussion this Wednesday, March 16 at 6 p.m.
at Pāhala Community Center, the meeting led by representatives of county Department of Environmental Management. 

THE PUBLIC MEETING ON OPTIONS FOR PĀHALA'S LONG-DEBATED WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, March 16 at 6 p.m. at Pāhala Community Center. The county's Department of Environmental Management will host the session for public involvement and issued a statement earlier this month saying:

Alternatives to a lagoon-style wastewater
treatment system planned near Pāhala's
iconic pine tree entrance will be discussed
Wednesday, 6 p.m. at the Community Center.
Photo by Jana Kaniho

    "Hawai‘i County entered into an administrative order on consent with the United States Environmental Protection Agency to close the existing Pāhala Large Capacity Cesspools and provide secondary wastewater treatment to Pāhala residents. In January 2021, the (Mayor Mitch) Roth administration determined that the (proposed) Lagoon Wastewater Treatment system was excessively expensive, inefficient, disruptive, and ultimately unfeasible. Hawai‘i County has requested approval from EPA to take a new path, and is gathering community input on its proposal. Representatives from DEM and other departments will be present to answer questions about ongoing efforts to update the connections to the houses currently connected to the large capacity cesspools."

    In the meantime, the county remains in the process of acquiring land through condemnation in Pāhala for a sewage treatment plant, as required by the EPA, while alternatives are researched and brought before the public and EPA. The Kamehameha School land is 14.9 acres at the corner of Maile Street and Hwy 11 and is being subdivided from a larger piece.

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HAWAI'I' STATE GOVERNMENT IS THE LEAST DEPENDENT ON FEDERAL MONEY, among all 50 states, according to a WalletHub study released this week. The metric calculates federal funding as a share of state revenue. It reflects the proportion of state revenue that came from the federal government in the form of intergovernmental aid in 2019.
    WalletHub reports that Hawai'i's citizens are the eighth most dependent on federal money. The metic was calculated by dividing federal funding in U.S. dollars by IRS collections from Hawai'i taxpayers in U.S. dollars. The metric also includes the share of federal jobs in Hawai'i.
    Overall, Hawai'i is rated 26th in dependency on the federal government, according to WalletHub. Alaska is the most federally dependent, followed by Mississippi, Kentucky, West Virginia, Montana, New Mexico, Arizona and Louisiana. See the study at http://wallethub.com/edu/states-most-leastdependent-on-the-federal-government/2700.

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HOW TO START A BUSINESS IN HAWAI'I is the topic of a webinar on Wednesday, March 23, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., sponsored by Hawai'i Small Business Development Center. The organizers of the event ask the following: Have you ever thought about owning your own business? "How do you go about doing that . . .Deciding on a type of business entity? Setting up your business?Finding the money to start? Identifying your customers and marketing your product or services? Coming up with a business plan? Finding a system for keeping track of all that money you'll be making? We can help you answer those concerns and identify the resources you'll need to help you move forward."
    Register and pay the $15 fee for the webinar with Hawi'i Small Business Development Center at: https://clients.hisbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=5420007. See more at www.hisbdc.org.

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AN APOLOGY FOR PROHIBITING THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS was requested this week in the Hawai'i Legislature. Rep. Patrick Pihana Branco introduced HCR130 requesting the State to make a formal apology for prohibiting the use of ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i in public schools from 1896 to 1986.

    Branco, a member of the state House of Representatives, explained, "It's about equity; we are a State with two official languages, English and ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i. Sadly, our native language was taken to the brink of extinction after the 1893 overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai'i." Branco noted, "This legislation shows respect to Native Hawaiians negatively impacted by the banning of ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i."    

Rep. Patrick Pihana Branco

    He said that Native Hawaiians spoke ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i, the Hawaiian Language, for more than 2,000 years. In 1896, Act 57 passed, declaring only English would be taught and communicated in Hawai‘i public schools. Because of Act 57, many students were punished for speaking ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i at school, and the number of Hawaiian language speakers declined from nearly 40,000 in 1896 to only 2,000 in 1978. 

     "My great-grandfather would go to school and be beaten for speaking Hawaiian; he would then go home and get punished for speaking English," said Branco. "For a child to be disciplined for speaking his Native tongue is a travesty." He also noted, "The exclusion of ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i from Hawai‘i's public schools lasted 90 years, causing generational trauma. The time for a formal apology from the State of Hawai'i is long overdue. We need to begin the process of healing."

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Michael J. Aragon is missing.

MICHAEL J. ARAGON IS MISSING. Hawai‘i Island police are asking for the public’s assistance in locating the 29-year-old, who was reported missing on Sunday, March 13, 2022, by family members.
    Aragon Jr’s last known address was in Puna and he was last seen by a family member in June 2019. He is believed to be in the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates area in Ka‘ū.
    Aragon Jr. is described as being of Caucasian/Filipino/Hawaiian decent with a slim build, 5 feet 7 inches tall, 145 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He has a tribal design tattoo on his right arm.
    Anyone with any information on Aragon Jr.’s whereabouts is asked to call the police department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311, or Officer Rodney Kekaualua, Jr., of the Ka‘ū Patrol Division at (808) 939-2520.

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Amber Lave is wanted by police. 

AMBER LAVER OF KAʻŪ IS SOUGHT BY POLICE. The 52-year-old is wanted on an outstanding bench warrant and for questioning in connection with a criminal investigation. Laver is 5 feet 2 inches tall, 145 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. She is known to frequent the Ka‘ū and South Kona areas.

    Police remind the public that harboring or concealing a wanted person could result in criminal charges being filed against the person who harbors or conceals the wanted person.
    Those with information on Laver’s whereabouts are encouraged to contact Detective Donovan Kohara at (808) 326-4646 ext. 267; or via email at donovan.kohara@hawaiicounty.gov. They may also contact the police department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311.
    Citizens who wish to remain anonymous can make an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300 and be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers does not record any calls or subscribe to caller ID.

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                                  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