Ka`u News Briefs March 12, 2011

Bluegrass Meets Pili Grass tonight at Pahala Plantation House, with a free concert
following an overflow crowd last night at Hana Hou Restaurant.

KA`U’S JAPANESE COMMUNITY has been making contact with relatives and friends following the great earthquake that devastated the eastern coast of Japan and paralyzed Tokyo.
     Minako and Kayo Yamazaki, who own a home in Pahala, reported from Tokyo that Minako was in downtown when the 8.9 quake struck. It took five hours for Kayo to reach her by car – a drive that normally takes 20 minutes. Minako said that Mega-Tokyo, a metropolitan city with 30 million residents “has kept its lifeline. Electricity, water and gas are all in order.” She said the public transportation system was stalled for nine to ten hours, which made it difficult for workers to return home on Friday night, and many of them stayed at offices and evacuation centers. She said she is very proud of the infrastructure and community response that made the earthquake less devastating in downtown Tokyo.

Aftershocks continue this morning in Japan.

     She reported, for example, that 30,000 visitors stayed overnight at Tokyo Disneyland. 

     Nobuko Humphries, of Ocean View, whose mother and two sisters live in Tokyo, said that, fortunately, her mother was in Tokyo and not at her beach home on the coast when the earthquake struck. “All my family are good. My brother-in-law was working in an office and had to walk home five hours. My niece was waiting in a train station and was stuck there, but they are all OK, she said.”
     Keiichi Nishimura, of Na`alehu, said that his son Keith, who grew up in Ka`u and teaches English in Tokyo, is also fine. Brother Ned said that Keith called him to say he and his wife and children experienced a wild ride with dishes, books and other items falling in their house.
     Masako Sakata also has relatives in Japan and was able to locate her family – no injuries.
     George Yokota, whose wife Michiko has two brothers in Japan, said they are all fine. He said the bay where they live faces south, away from the brunt of the tidal wave that destroyed the eastern coast.
     Yumi Suenobu, daughter-in-law of Kazu and Joyce Suenobu, of Pahala, said she also heard that her brother is fine.

Hawaiian monks seals, like this one at Honu`apo, likely
headed to open ocean when the tsunami approached.

THE HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL remains the only official state mammal. Another contender, the Hawaiian hoary bat, won’t become the official Hawaiian land mammal until at least next year. The bill for the bat missed the deadline for bills to cross over from one chamber to the other at the state Legislature. Sen. Sam Slom promised to renew the effort to honor the hoary bat in the 2112 Legislature. The Hawaiian bat is the only land subspecies mammal found exclusively in Hawai`i. The marine-going Hawaiian monk seal will remain the official state mammal even if the bat earns the state land mammal title. 

     According to scientists, marine mammals are very sensitive to changes in the ocean and probably headed for deep waters when the recent tsunami was approaching.

Sen. Gil Kahele

SEN. GIL KAHELE AND REP. ROBERT HERKES will host a talk story session today from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Ocean View. The two have been working on the Ocean View water well system, emergency shelters, and many more CIP projects for the Ka`u. They are expected to give a report to the state Legislature, which has passed its bills between the Senate and House and will continue to negotiate agreements on various measures. 

BLUEGRASS MEETS PILI GRASS tonight at Pahala Plantation House on Maile Street with a free concert of singing, mandolin, fiddle, guitar, banjo and bass. The musicians, who live in Appalachia, Alaska and other far away places, are renowned for their bluegrass. Keoki Kahumoku with his students and friends will bring the Pili Grass Hawaiian music to the stage. The concert starts at 7 p.m.

THE SPRING WIND QUINTET performs tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Kilauea Military Camp Theater. Sponsored by Volcano Art Center, the concert features new works composed for the quintet, which is recognized as one of the country’s leading woodwind ensembles. The Spring Wind Quintet is a major force in chamber music in Hawai`i. Call 967- 8222 for tickets.

Kau News Briefs March 11, 2011

The tsunami sent waves onto Punalu`u Beach, filling the pond, leaving stands of water and debris, but sparing the buildings.

A yard at Punalu'u filled with water .

The tsunami generated from the 8.9 great earthquake in Japan ran up onto shore at Punalu‘u before dawn, filling the black sand beach pond with seawater. The waves sucked out, leaving the Punalu‘u shoreline covered in debris. Punalu‘u resident Guy Enriques said that the small shops next to the ocean were spared as was the pole house owned by the Dahlbergs, though the yards are full of rubbish.

Campers at Punalu‘u Beach Park were cleared last night and the 76 Punalu‘u condominiums were evacuated by 2 a.m. Manager Dianne Naski said the resort was 75 percent occupied with about 100 guests who gave their full cooperation. She thanked the Hawai‘i Police Department, Hawai‘i Fire Department and Civil Defense for calling repeatedly and arriving on the scene to offer help. Evacuees stayed overnight at Civil Defense shelters at Pahala and Na‘alehu Community Centers. They returned to the condos around 10 a.m. this morning. As the tsunami waves failed to reach the resort, inland from the beach, there was no damage.

Campers, condo evacuees and motorists along Hwy 11 who were stopped at inundation zones, added up to some 55 people staying in Na‘alehu and 20 in Pahala shelters overnight, said county spokesman Hunter Bishop.

All beach parks are closed today due to the tsunami that hit early this morning. Dangerous areas were taped off.

Park managers were inspecting Punalu‘u and Honu‘apo today. At Honu‘apo, rocks were thrown about and tsunami waves nearly reached pavilions but, like Punalu‘u, there was no major damage. Seven groups of campers were evacuated from Honu‘apo, said Ka‘u county parks maintenance manager Dennis Reardon.

Last night Ka‘u Hospital went into its disaster mode with the health care association’s emergency management network. Hospital administrator Merilyn Harris said the hospital, civil defense and other hospitals across the state were in constant communication. The clinic was closed for the morning but set to open this afternoon. Overnight, some hospital staff living at Punalu‘u took shelter at Pahala Plantation Cottages. The Bay Clinic in Na‘alehu remained closed today.

Paramedics were seen along Hwy 11 this morning talking to Kawa resident Abel Lui, but there is no word of injuries or damage at Kawa. The ambulance was used in helping to warn people along the shoreline to evacuate before the tsunami waves hit.

Mayor Billy Kenoi said the island is fortunate in that major infrastructure at ports and airports were spared and that damage was limited. However, water did wash into the grounds of Hilo hotels and through the lobby of the King Kamehameha Hotel in Kona. Along Ali‘i Drive in Kona, Hulihee Palace, just repaired from major earthquake damage, was hit this time by water from the tsunami filling its basement. Pavement on Ali‘i Drive along the seawall is buckled and broken and likely undermined. There were reports of restaurant furniture from establishments along Ali‘i Drive floating out to sea. Also reported was at least one structure sucked into the bay at Napo‘opo‘o.

Police blocked traffic above the Punalu'u condos and Ka`u's beach parks through mid-morning today.Visitors and residents stayed in shelters overnight. 

Ka‘u’s Japanese community was trying to contact relatives in Japan where the biggest earthquake in Japan’s history, and the tsunami destroyed towns, airports, harbors, farmland and put a nuclear plant in jeopardy of releasing radiation.

The Big Island mayor said he is concentrating on helping Japanese visitors to be comfortable while they are here. His said his wife has just returned from Japan. Flights to Hawai‘i from Japan were cancelled this morning by Continental Airlines, simply because people couldn’t make it to the airport from Tokyo.

Hilo Airport reopened at 8:15 this morning for Neighbor Island flights. Musicians coming to Ka‘u for the Bluegrass Meets Pili Grass workshop and concert were stranded on Maui, hoping to make there way here for classes and a concert tomorrow at Pahala Plantation House.

A 4.5 EARTHQUAKE hit the east rim of Kilauea this morning, followed by a series of small quakes, but none of them related to the tsunami and Japan quake, scientists said.

KAHU RADIO, 91.7 received its upgrade yesterday, with new emergency radio capabilities, before the Japan quake sent a tsunami our way. Messages from Civil Defense were broadcast during the tsunami warning consistently throughout the night on KAHU, the Shepherd, Ka‘u’s only public radio station. Founder and General Manager Wendell Ka‘ehu‘a‘ea said the radio team is excited the equipment is in place to broadcast the Civil Defense messages, “but we never imagined that it would be put to use so quickly.”

Ka'u News Briefs March 10, 2011

Herb Kane's Punalu`u Bay Painting was stolen from the ruins of the museum but recreated by the artist.

HERB KAWAINUI KANE who painted the famous mural of Punalu‘u Bay, the Madame Pele portrait at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, and so many more depictions of Hawaiian culture, died March 8 at the age of 82.

Along with Volcano architect Boone Morrison, Kane designed the old museum and restaurant at Sea Mountain Resort at Punalu‘u. The museum was home to his nine foot tall by 22 feet wide Punalu‘u Bay mural that depicted ancient days at the black sand beach and pond; a chief sailing into shore on a double-hulled canoe; the village people at work; and the Kane‘ele‘ele Heiau. Though the museum closed after a tidal wave in 1975 and it fell into disrepair, the painting was often visited by locals and their guests and remained in tact in the rubble.

In 2005, however, someone sawed the mural into pieces and carried it away. Though detectives were hired and awards offered, no one has come forward to reveal the location of the Punalu‘u Bay mural.

Herb Kane

     
As a result, in May of 2007 Herb Kane revealed a new original painting of the same Punalu‘u Bay mural – this time on canvas. Prints of Punalu‘u Bay have been made and are on display in homes and in public places.

During his long career, Herb Kane created illustrations for National Geographic Magazine, and for postage stamps in the U.S., the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and French Polynesia. His paintings hang in the Four Seasons Resort at Hualalai and many other locations throughout the Pacific.

Kane also helped design the Hokule‘a sailing canoe and was deeply involved with the Polynesian Voyaging Society.

Herb Kane grew up in Waipio Valley and Hilo, served in the Navy, and received a Masters Degree from Chicago Art Institute. A skilled illustrator, he worked for advertising agencies on the mainland before moving back to Hawai‘i. He lived in Kona until his very last day, which was the birthday of the first launching of his beloved Hokule‘a sailing canoe.

Dignitaries from Mayor Billy Kenoi to Sen. Dan Akaka and Sen. Dan Inouye praised Kane for a lifetime of public service through the arts.

A SMALL INCREASE IN ELECTRIC RATES IN Hawai‘i, O‘ahu and Maui counties to help pay for the ‘Aina Koa Pono’s proposed biodiesel refinery near Pahala has been rejected by the state Public Utilities Commission. In its ruling, the PUC said that it could not approve Hawaiian Electric Company charging customers in O‘ahu and Maui counties for the biofuels used only here, even though the plan is to expand to other islands. ‘Aina Koa Pono partner Kenton Eldridge said yesterday that his team is moving ahead with their plans to gain approvals for the project. The PUC will consider other aspects of the contract between HECO and ‘Aina Koa Pono. ‘Aina Koa Pono President Melvin Chiogioji told Pacific Business News that his hui could renegotiate the HECO contract so that Hawai’i county residents would not suffer from large electric bill hikes to help pay for the proposed biofuels farm and refinery.

Non-union members have been  

responding to trouble calls during the

strike on the Big Island.

HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC LIGHT CO. unionized workers are voting on a new agreement to end their strike. The International Brotherhood of Electric Workers went on strike late last week in O‘ahu, Maui and Hawai'i counties. Details of the agreement are undisclosed but the workers could be back on the job by this weekend if they agree to the settlement.

A STATE BUDGET OF $10.9 BILLION a year was passed by the state House of Representatives Finance Committee yesterday and some tax increases are riding along with the measure to help makeup for a shortfall. The legislature and governor declined to increase the 4 percent excise tax but would make the state’s hefty liquor tax even higher. Taxes on soda and other sugary drinks were turned down. For the first time, pension income would be taxed for the wealthy. Liquor taxes would go up 20 percent and tax exemptions would end for airlines and some other businesses. Negotiations are also underway for a 5 percent reduction in the cost of state labor. However, the Gov. Neil Abercrombie is ending all state furlough days for government workers. The budget goes to the full House next week and then on to the state Senate.

Thermal image of a channelized lava flow yesterday at Kilauea
Volcano, courtesy of Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory.

HELICOPTER TRAFFIC to see the new activity at Kilauea Volcano was up sharply yesterday for viewing the 1.4 mile Kamoamoa fissure between Pu`u `O`o and Napau Crater. Lava spatters reached as high as 160 feet. Scientists installed webcams to record the Kamoamoa eruption. The images can be accessed at volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/activity/kilaueastatus.php. Activity along the fissure paused late last night. The lava lake remained deep inside the Halema‘uma‘u Crater vent, some 720 ft below the rim.

SEN. GIL KAHELE AND REP. BOB HERKES are coming to Ocean View Community Center this Saturday at 4 p.m. for a talk story session. Everyone is invited to attend to find out how their initiatives have fared during the current legislative session.

Rion Schmidt

Katy Rexford

BLUE GRASS MEETS PILI GRASS this Saturday night at 7 p.m. during a free concert at Pahala Plantation House. Bluegrass musicians from Alaska to Appalachia will teach classes to local students all day Saturday and open up for a public concert in the evening. These musicians are noted for their crystal harmonies as well as their skills on mandolin, guitar, base fiddle, banjo, ukulele and slack key. They mix original and traditional songs while bringing in a fresh approach to this traditional music. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. this Saturday. Free concert. Pahala Plantation House.

Alyssa Bivings

YOUNG MISS KA`U COFFEE candidate Alyssa Bivings has been learning how to pick coffee, paying particular attention to selecting only the ripest red coffee cherry for the milling and roasting. She will compete in the MIss Ka`u Coffee pageant in her age category on Saturday, April 23 at Ka`u High School gym. Tickets and sponsorships are available from the candidates.