December 25, 2010

Pahala Preschool & Council Chair Dominic Yagong joined the Christmas Parade

WHILE NO TSUNAMI was expected to reach Hawai`i after a 7.3 earthquake hit Vanuatu in the South Pacific before daybreak this morning, Hawai`i Civil Defense said that some coastal areas could “experience small non-destructive sea level changes and strong and unusual currents lasting up to several hours,” beginning at 10:51 a.m. this morning. Swimmers are urged to take care. The epicenter of the quake was some 15 miles below the ocean floor, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS, GOVERNOR NEIL ABERCROMBIE has given the people of Hawai`i a team to help solve the state’s problems. This new hui will oversee policy initiatives and legislative issues:     

      Wendy Clerinx is the governor’s new Policy Director. She became Abercrombie’s Legislative Director in congress and worked on many issues, including the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act, and renewable energy. Clerinx grew up in Hilo and graduated from Waiakea High School. She holds a BS in economics, a BA in political science from Santa Clara University, and a law degree from George Washington University.

      Another new Abercrombie team member is Tammi Oyadomari-Chun, who served most recently Executive Director of Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education, which aims to strengthen the education pipeline from early childhood through higher education. She also worked for GEAR UP Hawai’i, a federal program at UH to increase access for low-income students to attend higher education. She worked for the RAND Corporation; the Consortium for Policy Research in Education at the University of Pennsylvania; and at Los Angeles Educational Alliance for Restructuring. She graduated from Moanalua High School, Pomona College, Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and University of Southern California.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie at Pahala Plantation House for inauguration ceremonies

     Another policy and legislative advisor is Michael Ng, who worked as Budget Chief for the state House of Representative. He also served as Budget Analyst for the Senate Ways and Means Committee. An Iolani High School graduate, Ng received his Bachelor's degree in Engineering & Applied Science from California Institute of Technology. 

      Also, Debbie Shimizu - she has been Executive Director of the National Association of Social Workers, Hawai’i Chapter since 1991. She graduated from Whittier College in California and earned a Master's degree in social work from University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. She worked for Easter Seal Society, Mental Health Association, Army Community Services and the UH School of Social Work.

     THE RENEWABLE ENERGY OUTLOOK FOR Hawai`i received positive news just before Christmas with renewal of a program that supports commercial alternative energy initiatives, including geothermal and solar. It was attached to a federal tax bill that passed congress last week. It covers 30 percent of costs, encouraging investment in alternative energy. The program had been set to expire on Dec. 31.

THE HAWAI`I POLICE DEPARTMENT is reminding people in Ka`u to sign up to receive HPD traffic advisories, emergency notices and police alerts by cell phone and email. Police chief Harry Kubojiri said he wants the community to receive notification as quickly as possible. Sign up by going to hawaiipolice.com.

IF YOU STILL NEED A CHRISTMAS MEAL - in Volcano – Kilauea Military Camp serves Christmas brunch until 3:30 p.m. In Na`alehu, Shaka’s is open for a Christmas buffet until 6 p.m. and Hana Hou is open until 8 p.m. with special Christmas adult and keiki menus.

December 24, 2010

Santa follows Frosty in the Pahala Christmas Parade, a tradition for more than 30 years.

IT’S CHRISTMAS EVE and financial institutions set schedules to be open in Ka`u. The Ka`u Credit Union - open until noon in Na`alehu, with its Pahala branch closed. Bank of Hawai`i in Pahala - working through the lunch hour and closing at 2 p.m.

BIG ISLAND POLICE are reminding motorists that officers will conduct DUI checkpoints throughout the island during the holiday season. The effort is part of a national and statewide campaign called Drunk Driving: Over the Limit. Under Arrest. Dieter Blattler, the Police Department's traffic safety coordinator, said officers are reminding motorists of the consequences of impaired driving. Alcohol was involved in at least 12 of the 27 traffic deaths so far this year, amounting to 45 percent of the total. By comparison 13 of the 22 fatalities recorded for all of last year, or 59 percent, involved alcohol use.

THE PUBLIC IS REMINDED to participate in an anonymous Community Satisfaction Survey for the Hawai'i Police Department through the end of the month. The internet survey, which began December 1, will be open until 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 31, at www.hawaiipolice.com. It takes about five minutes to complete and is limited to one survey per computer. Participants are able to enter detailed comments and suggestions at the end of the survey. The respondents' IP addresses are not stored in the survey results. The responses will be collected and compiled by an outside source. After the survey period, results will be posted on the Police Department's website.

SIXTY-TWO YEAR OLD Pahala man Ernest C. Oleyte, who was reported missing to police has been found located. He rides a red 2008 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and was found in Hilo.

GAME BIRD SEASON is open during the holidays and in January through the third Sunday of the month. Game birds include pheasants, quails, partridges, francolins, sandgrouse, doves, turkeys and peafowl. Licenses can be purchased online, at state offices in Hilo or at the Nature Conservancy office in Hilo.

AFTER CHIRSTMAS you can drop your trees at the Wai‘ōhinu transfer station from Dec. 26 through Jan.16. Trees should be free of all decorations, lights, tinsel and ornaments – no artificial or flocked trees allowed. The County of Department of Environmental Management and Department of Public Works are teaming up to support Treecycling. Public Works will provide on-site tree chipping at some locations around the island.
     The county also reminds everyone to recycle Kadomatsu decorations, normally a combination of bamboo, pine and flowers, a tradition that began 600 years ago in Japan as a way of offering luck in the newyear.
     By chipping the trees and making the material available for use in gardens, the County can divert thousands of trees from landfills and add valuable mulch to island soils. In addition, it reduce illegal dumping of holiday trees.
     The County’s Treecycling Program and additional recycling and solid waste programs are available on the website at www.HawaiiZeroWaste.org. For further information, contact the County Solid Waste Division at 961-8339.

Ka`u News Briefs Dec. 23, 2010

Gail Kalani and Melani Camba operate the Ka`u branch of Bank of Hawai`i.

BANK OF HAWAI`I, WHICH OPERATES the only bank in Ka`u, has been named best bank in the country by Forbes magazine for the second year straight. Chair and CEO Peter Ho said the ranking reflects positively on the community and the people. Second was East West Bancorp, out of Pasadena, California, which focuses on the Asian-American community. Forbes noted that Bank of Hawai`i was very conservative during the housing bubble, leaving few bad loans on its books. By the way, Bank of Hawai`i here in Pahala wants to let the community know that the bank will be open through lunch on Christmas Eve but close early at 2 p.m. tomorrow.

FORMER OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS trustee Dr. Malama Solomon has been appointed to the state Senate by Governor Neil Abercrombie. She takes the place of Dwight Takamine, who was named chief of the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Solomon, who is 59 years of age, spent 18 years as an OHA trustee and 16 years in the state Senate. She operates a 1,600-acre ranch in Waimea, North Kohala and Hamakua. Solomon also serves as the Kakau `Olelo (historian) to the Beamer-Solomon Halau O Po`ohalu. She holds a Ph.D. in Education from Oregon State University, a MA in Education and BA in Cultural Anthropology from UH-Manoa. She will serve as interim senator for the Hamakua side of the island until her confirmation by the state Senate.
     Abercrombie will also appoint a new senator from Ka`u within 60 days of Sen. Russell Kokubun becoming the new head of the state Department of Agriculture after Christmas. The process involves the local Democratic precinct officers interviewing more than a dozen candidates who are expected to submit their resumes. In Solomon’s case the precinct officers caucused together, each casting ballots in three rounds of voting to come up with three nominees to present to the governor. Besides Solomon, former state Rep. Kenneth Goodenow and current state Rep. Mark Nakashima were nominated.

YOUNG BROTHERS asked the Public Utilities Commission yesterday for rate hikes that could send prices for interisland shipping soaring. The cost of moving livestock, vehicles and 40-foot containers could go up by 15 percent. Building material shipment costs could rise by 35 percent. Young Brothers filed the application in response to the PUC giving permission for the San Diego-based Pasha shipping company to drop off interisland cargo on its way to and from the West Coast. Young Brothers has threatened to leave the state, saying the competition is unfair.
     Matson has already received permission to hike rates by two percent in January.

ML MACADAMIA ORCHARDS, which is one of the largest employers in Ka`u, is looking forward to a better 2011 since recent rains are likely to boost its crop next year. The company reported a net loss of $308,000 for the third quarter of this year, posting total revenues of $4.7 million dollars, $1 million less than the same quarter last year. The company explained that severe drought delayed the picking and reduced the macadamia harvest. The company also purchased the IASCO property makai of Hwy 11 in Pahala. ML says it is the world’s largest grower of premium macadamia nuts.