Ka'u News Briefs Dec. 9, 2011

Full moon before, during and after total lunar eclipse. Composite by Akira Fujii, Sky & Telescope

KA`U’S CLEAR NIGHT SKIES are expected to be one of the best places on the planet to view the total lunar eclipse before dawn tomorrow morning. Hawai`i is the center of the area where the entire lunar eclipse will be seen, from eastern Asia to Australia, Alaska, the Canadian Yukon and the western U.S. The complete eclipse will be from 4:05 a.m. to 4:57 a.m. Saturday morning, Hawai`i time. 

Abel Simeona Lui talks to an engineer about plans for Kawa,
where a bridge will raise Hwy 11 above flood level.
Photo by Julia Neal

BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION AT KAWA was explained last night at a public meeting on the Environmental Assessment for the project to elevate Hwy 11 above the flood zone. The highway will be raised about 45 feet above sea level and culverts that will take water from the intermittent stream makai. A temporary road will be built makai of Hwy 11 while the bridge is being constructed. The bypass will start about 100 yards Na`alehu side of the most popular entry to the surfing and fishing beach at Kawa. The secondary entrance to Kawa will also remain during and after construction. 

     The $3.8 million project is 80 percent funded by the Federal Highway Administration and 20 percent by the State of Hawai`i. The improvements will be along approximately 3,700 feet of Hwy 11.
     Public questions included issues of Hawaiian sovereignty and the ongoing claim of Abel Simeona Lui and his supporters regarding ownership of the land at Kawa, where he has lived for more than 20 years. He said he will continue his efforts to prove ownership in court and has no plans to leave Kawa. Liko Martin talked to representatives of the project team about his view of sovereignty and stewardship of the land. One woman said she wanted to make sure that construction of the bridge and its long-term impacts will not disturb the springs, estuaries and ponds at Kawa. 

A dead owl was presented with claims that poisons used
to kill rats and control weeds are also killing pueo.
Photo by Julia Neal

     Some members of the public also brought up the question of the kind of poisons being used to keep down weeds along the highway and claimed that Roundup is killing pueo, the Hawaiian owls, and brought a dead owl and photos of other dead and injured wildlife to the meeting. They claimed that rodents eat the poison and owls eat the rodents and die.

OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS is hosting a community meeting to discuss the state-proposed settlement regarding ceded lands. The meeting is 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. this evening, Dec. 9 at Kaniohale Community Center, 74-5100 Haleolono Street in Kona. Share concerns and learn about the state’s proposed land settlement relating to past due ceded land revenue, which is subject to legislative approval. Email comments to kakaako.comments@oha.org or visit www.OHA.org. 

AN ANCHIALINE POND RESTORATION WORKDAY will be held tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers for the Hawai`i Wildlife Fund will help remove the last of invasive Christmas berry from around the fragile coastal ecosystem. Wear long-sleeved shirts and gardening gloves, sun and wind protection and sturdy footwear. Bring lunch and re-usable water bottle. Pau hana will be at Kamilo, so bring a swimsuit. Call 769-7629 for more details. See www.wildhawaii.org. After this weekend, the next beach cleanup is scheduled for Jan. 14.

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND, which sponsors this event and other Ka`u beach cleanups, is one of five nonprofit organizations receiving donations from Subaru car dealerships in Hawai`i this month. For each new car sold, Subaru donates $250 to the nonprofits.
     Subaru will also donate $5,000 to the nonprofit that receives the most votes on its facebook poll this month. To support the Hawai`i Wildlife Fund effort in Ka`u one needs to click on “like” to take the Share the Love poll. That’s at https://www.facebook.com/SubaruHI?sk=app_126231547426086. 

A giant Norfolk Pine, donated by Olson Trust, went up next to Pahala Gas
yesterday to light up the village and become the central point for the
Christmas in Pahala caroling and gift-giving celebration on
Saturday, Dec. 18. Photo by Tamryn Fyvie

DONATIONS ARE BEING TAKEN for the Christmas in Pahala celebration on Sunday, Dec. 18, around a lighted Christmas tree on Kamani Street, which was put up yesterday. Donations are for needy families who might otherwise not be able to afford a happy Christmas. Canned foods, turkeys, toys, gift certificates and beverages can be donated. Coordinate your donation by calling Keala Kailiawa at 928-0500 or Pahala Plantation Cottages at 928-9811, or drop donations by KAHU community radio station on Maile Street.

THE HANA HOU CHRISTMAS PARTY for keiki is coming up next Wednesday at Hana Hou Restaurant in Na`alehu from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Santa will be there for photos with the keiki. Free goodie bags and keiki IDs will be offered, along with a free buffet-style dinner. Lucky numbers will be drawn for 30 bicycles, games, books, toys and more.

CHRISTMAS IN KA`U takes place tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sponsored by Thy Word Ministries-Ka`u at Na`alehu Hongwanji, the event includes song, hula, dance and free Hawaiian plate lunches. Pastor Bob Tominaga invites everyone for “for some great fun and fellowship.”

VOLCANO ART CENTER’S free Holiday Lights Community Celebration also happens tomorrow from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at its Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. The Christmas tree and light display features a children’s tree ornament contest. There will also be an `ohi`a yule log hunt, holiday music, caroling, marshmallow roasting, light refreshments and a visit by Santa Claus. 

AFTER THE HOLIDAY LIGHTS Celebration, Junior “Volcano” Choy presents A Night of Hot Jazz at the Niaulani Campus from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Guests include Pauline Wilson, Elena Welch, Lou Ann Gourney, Slyde Hyde, Kenny Griffin, Brian McCree and Gary Washburn. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at 967-8222 or volcanoartcenter.org.

FLOATS, TRUCKS, CARS and Christmas characters will wind through Pahala for the annual Christmas Parade on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. Sponsored by Eddie Andrade and friends, the parade, which is more than 40 years old, stops at Ka`u Hospital and is followed by refreshments at the Catholic church.

Ka'u News Briefs Dec. 8, 2011

The Agricultural Development Corp., which oversees restoration of the old plantation water system for agriculture
in Ka`u, has a new executive director. Photo from Edmund C. Olson Trust II

A PROPOSAL TO MOVE MONEY to repair parks and community centers, from funding to replace a sewer line and extending a road in Hilo, will stay with the Hilo projects, following a vote yesterday by the County Council. Council chair Dominic Yagong and County Council member Brenda Ford championed a measure that would have moved $6.2 million from Hilo infrastructure to 16 other county facility repair projects around the island. Yagong said the deferred maintenance and repair projects were specified in a county audit and need to be done. The vote, however, went to Hilo, with Fred Blas joining Dennis Onishi, J Yoshimoto and Donald Ikeda in supporting the extension of Kapi`olani Street and putting a new sewer line along Kalanianaole Ave., according to a story by Stephens Media reporter Jason Armstrong this morning.

Jimmy Nakatani (l) with Leslie Campaniano, Gayle
Nakamura and Russell Kokubun.

THE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORP. has a new executive director. ADC is the organization that, along with the state Department of Agriculture and Department of Land & Natural Resources, has oversight over restoration of the old plantation water system for agriculture in Ka`u. 

     The new executive director, selected yesterday by the ADC board, is Jimmy Nakatani, whose current post is deputy director of the state Department of Agriculture, under director Russell Kokubun. Nakatani, himself, is the former director of the Department of Agriculture. He grew up on his family’s watercress farm on O`ahu and became its CEO. He is also the former president of the Hawai`i Farm Bureau.
     Nakatani replaces Alfredo Lee, who led the ADC for the past dozen years. The chair of the ADC board, Scott Enright, visited Ka`u recently and attended the Ka`u Water Cooperative District meeting. Enright said that he expects the ADC to help farmers and ranchers with the release of funding to work on the old tunnels and flumes to provide better distribution of water for irrigation and ranching in Ka`u. Anyone involved in farming and ranching between Kapapala and Ha`ao Springs above Wai`ohinu who is interested in helping with restoration of agricultural water for their farms and ranches can call Jeff McCall at 928-6456.
     The next water meeting is Thursday, Dec. 15 at 4 p.m. at the ML Macadamia conference room in Pahala.

Kawa Flats floods, cutting Na`alehu off from Pahala
and its hospital and school.

THE MEETING TONIGHT on Kawa Flats flood improvements will be held at the Na`alehu School Cafeteria at 6 p.m. The plan is to raise Hwy 11 some ten feet above grade to 46 feet above sea level. An 84-foot-wide culvert, eight feet high, would be placed beneath the highway.
     The low-lying area floods during very heavy rains, cutting off highway traffic around the islands and emergency vehicles in Na`alehu and Ocean View from Pahala, where the regional hospital and high school campus are located.
     The public meeting is sponsored by the state Department of Transportation and federal Department of Highways.
     The draft Environmental Assessment is available at Pahala and Na`alehu public libraries, and online at hawaii.gov/health/environmental/oeqc/index.html.

STEPHENS MEDIA has come out with a roundup of County Council members’ authorship of bills and resolutions during the current term. Ka`u’s council member Brittany Smart, a rookie on the Council, authored no legislation and five resolutions. The resolutions include a moratorium on rezoning and general plan amendments in Ka`u until Dec. 31, 2012 or earlier if the Ka`u Community Development Plan becomes law. Her resolution passed the Council unanimously.
     The most prolific of the council members was Brenda Ford, who authored 19 bills and 31 resolutions, the Nancy Cook Lauer story reports.

CORAL REEF ALLIANCE is looking for photos of underwater creatures from Hawai`i to put on 2012 Bag Tags. Bag tags are being used as part of the Big Island Reef Fund donation system and are displayed in shops, on boats and other locations to increase public awareness and knowledge on how to take care of our marine environment. 

     Over the last three years since this project began, more than 2,000 bag tags have been distributed at fairs, schools and shops and raised more than $3,500 though donations from tourists. Tags are displayed in shops and on boats with a suggested donation of $5 to the BIRF to take a tag. Money collected through the BIRF will stay on the Big Island for flip charts, bag tags, education and other projects.
     Each person can submit up to five images. The deadline for entries is Friday, Dec. 16. For more information, email kara@coral.org.

A FREE WORKSHOP to demystify the state legislative lawmaking process and introduce services available will be held Thursday, Dec. 15 at Na`alehu School Cafeteria at 6 p.m. Everyone is welcome, with no registration or prior experience required. Topics include an overview of the recently redesigned website, how to deliver effective testimony, and making sense of the calendar and deadlines. The workshop is sponsored by the Public Access Room, a division of the state’s non-partisan legislative Reference Bureau. For more information or to arrange individual tutorials or group workshops, call 974-4000, ext. 70478, or email par@capitol.hawaii.gov. 

Pastor Bob Tominaga

THE KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN’S Steering Committee meets next Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 5:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. According to the agenda, discussion will be limited to the roles of the Steering Committee and the community in the CDP production process. For more information, contact planner Ron Whitmore at 961-8137 or rwhitmore@co.hawaii.hi.us.

CHRISTMAS IN KA`U will be sponsored by Thy Word Ministries-Ka`u at Na`alehu Hongwanji on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The event includes song, hula, dance and free Hawaiian plate lunches. Pastor Bob Tominaga invites everyone "for some great fun and fellowship." Vendor spaces are available by calling Pamela Taylor at 937-3386.

VOLCANO ART CENTER’S free Holiday Lights Community Celebration is set for Saturday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at its Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. The Christmas tree and light display features a children’s tree ornament contest. Other activities include an `ohi`a yule log hunt, holiday music, caroling, marshmallow roasting, light refreshments and a visit by Santa Claus.

THIS SUNDAY, floats, trucks, cars and Christmas characters will wind through Pahala for the annual Christmas Parade sponsored by Eddie Andrade and friends. The parade, more than 40 years old, stops at Ka`u Hospital and is followed by refreshments at the Catholic church. It begins at 1 p.m.

JUNIOR “VOLCANO” CHOY presents A Night of Hot Jazz after the Holiday Lights Celebration at the Niaulani Campus from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Guests include Pauline Wilson, Elena Welch, Lou Ann Gourney, Slyde Hyde, Kenny Griffin, Brian McCree and Gary Washburn. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at 967-8222 or volcanoartcenter.org.

THE HANA HOU CHRISTMAS PARTY for keiki is coming up next Wednesday at Hana Hou Restaurant in Na`alehu from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Santa will be there for photos with the keiki. Free goodie bags and keiki IDs will be offered, along with a free buffet-style dinner. Lucky numbers will be drawn for 30 bicycles, games, books, toys and more.

Ka'u News Briefs Dec. 7, 2011

A 3,700-foot-long, flood-prone section of Hwy 11 at Kawa Flats is the topic of a public meeting tomorrow at 6 p.m.
at Na`alehu School cafeteria.  Photo from Hawai`i State DOT

CHARGING STUDENTS MORE FOR SCHOOL BUS RIDES is one of the options being considered by the state Board of Education and its newly appointed services chief Randy Moore, according to a report in this morning’s Civil Beat. According to the story by Katherine Poythress, during its meeting last night in Honolulu, board chair Don Horner talked about encouraging competition among private companies bidding on school bus transportation for students around the state. Some of the ideas include giving one company the contract for the entire state, allowing some of the older school buses to be placed back in service, raising fares and going to a four-day school week. 

Raising rates, again, to ride the public school bus is an
option being considered by the state Board of Education.

     A report to the Legislature, which is expected to work on the issue next session, is due this Friday. Civil Beat has been running a series of stories on school bus contracts in Hawai`i, showing that there has been a lack of competitive bidding on the service since 2007. The governor is asking for $54 million for the 2013 school bus budget. The Department of Education is asking for $71 million, and the Legislature appropriated $29 million. The DOE also receives tens of millions in federal funding to run the school transportation system. See more at civilbeat.org. 

AN INTERNAL AUDIT of the Department of Education was also approved at yesterday’s school board meeting, according to a report in today’s Hawai`i Tribune Herald. Big Island board member Brian DeLima told reporter Colin M. Stuart that the audit will be the first time that the BOE has charged an outside auditing firm with performing a prior risk assessment “of what departmental functions are at risk for creating problems for us on an ongoing basis.”

Everyone was invited to leave a comment at the public
meeting.  Photos by Julia Neal

CONSERVATIONISTS, HUNTERS AND RANCHERS turned up last night at Na`alehu Community Center to visit the public displays and give input into the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for managing goats, pigs, sheep, wild cattle and other ungulates in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Many of the comments from the public included allowing local families to hunt the animals and bring them home for food. One suggestion was to have a lottery for local hunters to determine who would be allowed to take out the animals. Another comment verbalized at the meeting was to allow hunters from outside Ka`u, including professional hunters, work on bringing down the number of ungulates one month, and local residents hunt the next month. One rancher talked about placing a bounty on the animals and letting the locals hunt them.

Ranchers, hunters and conservationists discussed
methods of saving the native forest.

     There was much discussion on keeping the area pristine, as Ka`u has the largest stands of native forests in all of Hawai`i, and there is concern that invasive plants and insects could be carried into the forest and cause damage. The removal of the pigs, sheep, goats and wild cattle is aimed at allowing the understory of the forest to flourish, which is important to native birds. Reducing pigs in the forest would lessen the number of standing puddles where insects breed and infect native birds with avian malaria. The park protects 50 endangered, threatened or candidate species. Not all of them are birds. The Ka`u silversword is one of the plant species being protected and damaged by ungulates.
     Comments are being accepted by email and written letters until Jan. 20. Written comments can be submitted at http://www.parkplanning.nps.gov/havo_ecosystem_deis or by mailing correspondence to Cindy Orlando, Superintendent, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, PO Box 52, Hawaii National Park, HI 96718.
     Another meeting on the plan and EIS takes place this evening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Outdoor Circle Educational Center at 76-6280 Kuakini Hwy in Kona.

THE KA`U FOREST RESERVE is the subject of another management plan that involves controlling pigs, goats, sheep and wild cattle. This plan is being written by the state, and a draft Environmental Impact Statement is being written. Ron Terry, of Geometrician Associates, is meeting with individuals and groups in Ka`u. He can be reached at 969-7090 or geometricianassociates.com.

KAWA FLATS improvements to eliminate flooding across Hwy 11 is the subject of a meeting tomorrow at Na`alehu School Cafeteria at 6 p.m. sponsored by the state Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration. Comments are being taken on the Environmental Assessment to raise Hwy 11 some ten feet above grade to 46 feet above sea level. An 84-foot-wide culvert, eight feet high, would be placed beneath the highway along a 3,700-foot section of the highway.
     “Flood waters from an intermittent stream frequently overtop the highway and completely close this round-the-island highway – the only route connecting the two main towns of Ka`u,” the EA states.
     The draft EA is available at Pahala and Na`alehu public libraries, and online at hawaii.gov/ health/environmental/oeqc/index.html.

BOTH STATE OF HAWAI`I AND U.S. FLAGS are flying at half-staff today to commemorate the enduring legacy of the events at Pearl Harbor 70 years ago. Japan’s surprise attack on Hawai`i led many Ka`u residents to sign up to fight in World War II. The military moved in, setting up shop at such places as the Pahala Hongwanji and Kilauea Military Camp. Ka`u residents were told to keep their lights off at night, fearing another attack. Military Jeeps and SPAM rations arrived and are among the cultural impacts that remain. 

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND sponsors an anchialine pond restoration workday this Saturday. Volunteers meet at 7:45 a.m. at Wai`ohinu Park and carpool to Ho`onoua Pool North. To sign up, contact Megan at 769-7629 or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.

CHRISTMAS IN KA`U will be sponsored by Thy Word Ministries-Ka`u at the Na`alehu Hongwanji Building on Hwy 11. The event on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with song, hula, dance and free Hawaiian plate lunches is open to everyone. Vendor spaces are available by calling Pamela Taylor at 937-3386. 

 

VOLCANO ART CENTER’S free Holiday Lights Community Celebration takes place Saturday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at its Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. The Christmas tree and light display features a children’s tree ornament contest. Other activities include an `ohi`a yule log hunt, holiday music, caroling, marshmallow roasting, light refreshments and a visit by Santa Claus.

JUNIOR “VOLCANO” CHOY presents A Night of Hot Jazz after the Holiday Lights Celebration at the Niaulani Campus from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at 967-8222 or volcanoartcenter.org. 

THE ANNUAL PAHALA CHRISTMAS PARADE is getting organized, with churches, community groups and other groups building their floats. Organizer Eddie Andrade, who has sponsored the parade for more than 40 years, can be contacted at 928-0808. Participants meet this Sunday at 11:30 a.m. at Pahala Armory for the parade that begins at 1 p.m. and winds through Pahala, with refreshments at the Catholic Church following the procession.