Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2013

During Thanksgiving week and throughout the year, Ka`u gives thanks to its volunteer fire departments. Ron Ebert is captain of Pahala Volunteer Fire Department. Photo by Julia Neal

FAMED CHEF ALAN WONG IS PUTTING his name on a Ka`u coffee blend. Wong has been working with Jim Wayman, of Hawai`i Coffee Co., the biggest coffee roaster in the state, to produce the new Alan Wong 10 percent Ka`u Coffee under the Royal Hawaiian Coffee label. Ten percent of the blend is Ka`u Coffee, and 90 percent is from such coffee origins as Latin America. The main Hawai`i Coffee Co. roasting plant is on O`ahu.
      According to Wayman, for pure Ka`u Coffee to put into the blend, Hawai`i Coffee Co. paid $135,000 to Ka`u Coffee Mill and another $135,000 to coffee broker Chris Manfredi.

Gourmet chef Alan Wong with a Ka`u coffee blend that can be
purchased for $5.77 per seven-ounce bag when bought by
the dozen at hawaiicoffeecompany.com.

      The label says “Royal Hawaiian, Coffee for Royalty” with the endorsement and signature of Alan Wong on behalf of Alan Wong’s Honolulu restaurant business.

      Online at hawaiicoffeecompany.com, customers can choose from French Roast, Medium Roast or Vanilla Macadamia. While pure Ka`u coffee is selling retail at Ka`u Coffee Mill at $27.95 per pound for washed, $35 per pound for natural and $36 per pound for peaberry, the blend can be purchased online from Hawai`i Coffee Co., on sale, for $69.20 for a dozen seven ounce bags – a bulk price of $5.76 for each seven-ounce bag.

      The websites says: “Ka`u coffee beans are quickly becoming recognized around the globe for their intense flavor, ideal growing climate and rich coffee heritage on Hawai`i Island.

      “Royal Hawaiian Coffee features a 10 percent Ka`u coffee bean blend developed and endorsed by world-renowned Chef Alan Wong.
      “Wong has four restaurant locations presenting Hawai`i Regional Cuisine throughout the Islands including Alan Wong’s Honolulu, The Pineapple Room and Honu Kai Lani on O`ahu and Amasia on Maui. Since his restaurant doors opened in 1995, Wong has worked with local farmers to harvest the best Hawai`i-grown and raised products.
      “It’s really, really hard to describe freshness, but you know it right away when you enjoy a cup of Royal Hawaiian!” says the website.
      A comment on Hawai`i Coffee Co.’s store website says, ‘My bf Marlene brought some back to me in New Zealand, and it’s a divine blend! :)”
      Wayman said that the Ka`u coffee blend has already been shipped to major stores such as Longs, Walmart, Foodland and Safeway on this island. He said the blend will help build the Ka`u brand name and help spur more sales of pure Ka`u coffee through local brand names and his company as well. He said that he looks forward to thousands of acres being planted in coffee in Ka`u as the market expands. He said he looks forward to being a “friend of Ka`u coffee” and to supporting and participating in the Ka`u Coffee Festival, which is scheduled the week leading up to the Ho`olaule`a on May 4 of 2014. See kaucoffeefestival.com.
      Attending the unveiling of the new Ka`u coffee blend in Honolulu yesterday was Alan Wong and Edmund C. Olson, founder of Ka`u Coffee Mill, who talked about building the mill to provide jobs in the Ka`u community and to establish a local place where farmers can take their Ka`u coffee for processing. Also attending from Ka`u Coffee Mill were John Cross, Louis Daniele and Bull Kailiawa, along with JN Ka`u Coffee owner Leo Norberte.

Hawai`i  Coffee Co.'s new product is a 10 percent Ka`u Coffee blend called
Royal Hawaiian Coffee, endorsed by famed chef Alan Wong.

       While Hawai`i Coffee Co. is famous for its blends, it also sells pure coffees. Wayman said that he already sells 100 percent Ka`u coffee under his Lion Coffee brand. He said he sells a 100 percent Ka`u coffee to Alan Wong for his wedding chapel business. Wayman’s company owns Royal Kona Coffee, Lion Coffee and Hawaiian Islands Tea Co.

      A story by Stephanie Silverstein in Pacific Business News yesterday afternoon said that “Hawai`i Coffee Co. has been working with Wong for more than two years to develop the line.” Wayman said supply was an issue because the Ka`u coffee region is only 600 acres.
      The Silverstein story quotes Wayman talking about expansion of Ka`u coffee. “We’d like to see them have three or four thousand acres, and we’d like to help create the marketplace for Ka`u coffee so that those farmers can grow their product and prosper, make money and have a great future. We’re very pleased that we can introduce these new Ka`u coffee blends that allow us to bring Ka`u coffee at an affordable price point that everyone in Hawai`i can afford to buy and enjoy in their homes, thereby creating that marketplace.”
      Wayman told PBN that he “worked hard for many years to develop and promote Kona coffee as a brand, and now he sees the opportunity to do the same for Ka`u coffee in the next decade. He wants to give Ka`u region farmers and the Ka`u Coffee Mill enough business to help the Ka`u coffee region grow from a few hundred acres into thousands of acres,” the story reports.
      PBN also reports on Ka`u Coffee Mill founder Ed Olson saying that it is a great advancement to have Wong’s name attached to the coffee. “It means everything to the farmers,” Olson said, according to PBN. “The mill has been a big help to them. Now they have identity; they have a local place to get their products processed. This Alan Wong endorsement is just another leap ahead, so it’s great for the farmers.”
      See more at bizjournals.com/pacific.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard received a 2013 John F.
Kennedy New Frontier Award yesterday.

KA`U’S U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD RECEIVED a 2013 John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award yesterday. Jack Schlossberg, President John F. Kennedy’s grandson and a member of the New Frontier Award Committee, presented the award during a ceremony at the Institute of Politics at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. 

      “It is truly humbling to receive this honor, as the message and example of servant leadership set by President Kennedy is one I hold close and which continues to inspire me and an entire generation,” Gabbard said. “As we reflect on President Kennedy’s call to service, we understand his indelible mark on the American people, past, present and future, and will forever remember his dedication to public service and working for the greater good. I will continue to strive to uphold his example of servant leadership and honor his life and sacrifice in my service to the people of Hawai‘i and our nation.” 

      The John F. Kennedy New Frontier Awards were created by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and the Harvard Institute of Politics to honor Americans under the age of 40 who are changing their communities and the country with their commitment to public service. 

      Gabbard received the Fenn Award, one of the two annual New Frontier Awards. It recognizes a young elected official whose work demonstrates the importance of elective service as a way to address a public challenge or challenges. This award is presented in honor of Dan Fenn, the Kennedy Library’s first director and a former member of President Kennedy’s staff. 

      The second 2013 John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award was given to Charles Best, founder and CEO of DonorsChoose.org, an online charity that enables individuals to provide direct support to teachers and students in public schools.

Candidates' contributions and expenditures can be tracked on a new data
visualization app. This example shows Ka`u Council member Brenda Ford's
data from the last election cycle. Ford chose public funding for her campaign.

THE HAWAI`I CAMPAIGN SPENDING COMMISSION has launched its new data visualization app. The data visualizations were created in partnership with the state Office of Information Management and Technology, the state’s Information & Communication Services Division and Socrata, a Seattle-based software company that specializes in democratizing access to government data. 

      This tool allows viewers to study charts of a candidates’ campaign spending data for a particular election period. Pie charts show candidates’ contributions to see how much and what percentage of their contributions are funded by individuals, noncandidate committees, political parties, immediate family members, etc. Viewers can also see how much and what percentage of a candidates’ contributions are coming from in-state versus out-of-state, from which states and zip codes, as well as by geographical location. 

      There is also a visual chart showing how much and what percentage of candidates’ contributions are $1,000 or less and more than $1,000. 

      As for campaign expenditures, a pie chart shows how much and what percentage of a candidate’s spending was for advertising, food & beverage, printing, professional services, surveys/polls/voter lists, etc., as well as a chart showing in-state versus out-of-state spending.

      See hawaii.gov/campaign.  

WES THELEN, A SEISMOLOGIST WITH USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, presents an overview of damaging earthquakes in Hawai`i this evening at After Dark in the Park. The program begins at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. $2 donation supports park programs; park entrance fees apply. 

PATRICIA KAULA SHARES HER KNOWLEDGE of the art of lei making tomorrow at Kilauea Visitor Center lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Randy Takaki is a member of Volcano Village Artists Hui and participates in
the group's upcoming studio tour.

THE 27TH ANNUAL VOLCANO VILLAGE ART STUDIO TOUR takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Each year, the tour is sponsored by Volcano Village Artists Hui. This self-guided tour includes stops at seven artists’ studios in Volcano Village. The tour features a wide variety of items on display and available for purchase. 

      A special drawing for pieces contributed by each of the artists is held at the end of the sale. Maps are available at Volcano Village businesses and at VolcanoVillageArtistsHui.com. 

      For more information, call 987-3472 or email eherb@hawaii.rr.com. 

A CRÈCHE FESTIVAL takes place Saturday from noon until 8 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Mamalahoa Hwy in Na`alehu. The celebration includes works by local crèche artists, a gallery of nativities, a children’s room with costumes and activities for the entire family. 

      For more information, call 339-7402. 

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. 

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

Ka`u News Briefs Monday,Nov. 25, 2013

During Thanksgiving week, one of the many things to be thankful for in Ka`u is the program that provides free food for seniors at Pahala Community Center. Myra Sumida, at right, helps other volunteers with distribution. Photo by Julia Neal

MORE LENDING IS AVAILABLE FOR SOUTH POINT & OCEAN VIEW HOMES. HomeStreet Bank is offering mortgages on owner-occupied, second homes and investment properties located in Lava Zones 2 through 9. Lava Zone 2 is the second highest lava risk area on the island and has been out of reach for mortgages from banks and credit unions.

Hawai`i Island lava zones from USGS

      In Ka`u, it includes the lands west of South Point Road and all of Kahuku and Ocean View, except for two narrow strips of land in Lava Zone 1, the highest risk for lava flow. Lava Zone 1 extends from the caldera on the top of Mauna Loa down the side of the volcano through Ocean View. On the east side of Ka`u, Lava Zone 1 extends from Halema`uma`u to the coast in two directions.

      The United States Geological Survey came up with the lava hazard zones based on historic lava flows through 1974. The Island is comprised of zones ranked through 1 through 9 – the least risky, based on probability of the land being covered by lava. 

      For more information, visit homestreet.com or the bank location in Hilo.

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

 WOOD VALLEY WATER & FARM COOPERATIVE held its annual meeting recently and elected directors and officers. The new board is president Ron Neely, vice president Tuie Strong, secretary/treasurer Vanessa Guy, director Michael Schwabe, director Jeff Silva, director Tim Benko and director Jay Failing. The cooperative provides domestic water for homes and farms in Wood Valley.

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

THE BAY CLINIC, INC. will host its blessing and open house for the public on Friday, Dec. 6 starting at 10 a.m. The new facility is located along Hwy 11 on the makai side of the street in Na`alehu, on the Pahala side of the 76 station and Wiki Wiki Mart. 

      The Bay Clinic's Ka`u Family Health & Dental Center is comprised of the historic building and the new structure next to the highway. The expansion was made possible through the support of state of Hawai`i Grant in Aide, HRSA ARRA, Atherton Family Foundation, Matson Foundation, an `O Ka`u Kakou-sponsored Ka`u Family Fun Fest and individual donors.

      See bayclinic.org for information about its services.

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

RECENTLY RELEASED DRAFT DOCUMENTS for Ka`u Community Development Plan discuss various sectors of the local economy. One sector it considers is payment for ecosystem services, or benefits people obtain from ecosystems. Appendix V4C: Local Economic Development Analysis says that active efforts to receive payments for ecosystem services complement growth in the agriculture and renewable energy sectors and could attract valuable research and educational opportunities. It suggests that Ka`u could attract research and educational initiatives focused on developing models, frameworks and processes to establish ecosystem services as a viable economic option for rural communities.

      According to the analysis, Ka`u’s ecosystem services assets are tied to the richness and diversity of its natural and cultural resources, including Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, state and county conservation land, mauka forests, watersheds and riparian corridors, agricultural lands and coastline and off-shore waters.

      The appendix suggests that ecosystem services can assist in preserving the values and rural character of Ka`u while directly providing economic benefits to the community. “Tools for measuring ecosystems services are available, and distinct markets for payments for those services are coalescing quickly,” it says. “Private landowners may already receive direct payments and tax incentives through federal, state and county government programs focused on preservation of ecosystem services.

Payments for ecosystem services are tied to Ka`u's rich and diverse natural
and cultural resources. Photo from Ka`u CDP

      "Public landowners may also be able enter the market for carbon credits and other ecosystem services.”
      The document considers the possibility that community-based organizations that assist in the monitoring and management of public lands may be able to receive a portion of payments made to government agencies. 

      “A more ambitious effort would involve local community organizations, businesses, landowners and farmers seeking compensation for their efforts to preserve, restore and manage natural resources through the markets for carbon credits, water quality trading and conservation banking,” the document says. It gives an example of a local carbon credits system that could be funded through ecotourism. Payments could also be received for protection of recreational assets, such as access for hiking, fishing, hunting or birding.
      Another possibility mentioned in the analysis is a pilot study or project to explore the implications of a voluntary fee for access to specific lands. Local residents could serve as guides to assist with these recreational activities, and a fee could be charged for their services with an additional small fee to contribute to care of the land. “Part of the experience could include educational information on the threats to the natural areas and how the local community is trying to care for the area and protect it against those threats,” the document states. “As such, the community could simultaneously protect important resources, generate revenue to support those efforts and educate visitors.”
      Appendix V4C is available to read at area libraries and community centers and online at kaucdp.info. The public can submit testimony through Dec. 16 using a feedback form on the website.

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Wes Thelen

WES THELEN, A SEISMOLOGIST WITH USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, presents an overview of damaging earthquakes in Hawai`i, including current theories on why they occur and what we need to know about future large earthquakes, tomorrow at After Dark in the Park. The program begins at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. $2 donation supports park programs; park entrance fees apply. 

THE ART OF LEI MAKING is the topic Wednesday at Kilauea Visitor Center lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Patricia Kaula shares her knowledge from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Free; park entrance fees apply.

THANKSGIVING FEASTS ARE AVAILABLE throughout Ka`u this Thursday.
      Ocean View Community Association offers its annual meal, open to the entire community, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the community center.
      In Na`alehu, Hana Hou Restaurant presents a buffet from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. along with dinner from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Call 929-9717.
      Also in Na`alehu, South Side Shaka’s Restaurant begins serving its Thanksgiving dinners at 11 a.m. Call 929-7404.
      Kilauea Military Camp’s buffet is from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Crater Rim Café in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, featuring roast turkey, green bean casserole, corn chowder and more. Call 967-8356.

South Point Silhouette, by Mary Goodrich, a member of Volcano Village Artists Hui.

THE 27TH ANNUAL VOLCANO VILLAGE ART STUDIO TOUR IS COMING UP Thanksgiving weekend. Each year, the tour is sponsored by Volcano Village Artists Hui. This self-guided tour includes stops at seven artists’ studios, all within the heart of Volcano Village. Participating members include Erik Wold, Randy Takaki, Debra Serrao, Ira Ono, Elizabeth Miller, Misato and Michael Mortara, Zeke Israel, Emily Herb, Mary Goodrich, Cynee Gillette-Wenner, Pam Barton, Margaret Barnaby and Lisa Louise Adams, along with guest artists Randal Sutton, Scott Mitchell, Chiu Leong and Charlotte Forbes Perry. 

      As in past years, a wide variety of items is on display and available for purchase. The artists present their newest work, including woodblock prints, handblown art glass, photography, quilts, handmade books, high-fired functional and sculptural pottery, as well as raku pottery, metal work, handcrafted clothing, paintings, stained glass, jewelry and more. “Plus, it’s a great opportunity to meet and talk story with the artists,” said hui representative Emily Herb.
      A special drawing for pieces contributed by each of the artists is held at the end of the sale. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Maps are available at Volcano Village businesses and at VolcanoVillageArtistsHui.com.
      For more information, call 987-3472 or email eherb@hawaii.rr.com.

A CRÈCHE  FESTIVAL will be held for the entire community this Saturday from noon until 8 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Mamalahoa Hwy in Na`alehu. The church invites the community of Ka`u to “celebrate the birth of the Christ child with more than 100 nativities from around the world in an artistic setting and with live music.” The celebration includes local crèche artists, a gallery of nativities, a children’s room with costumes and fun activities “and wholesome activity for the entire family,” says a statement from the church.
      For more information, call 339-7402.

PAHALA CHRISTMAS PARADE takes to the streets of the village on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 1 p.m., starting at the old Pahala Armory at the corner of Pikake and Pakalana Streets. Organizer Eddie Andrade said it will be the 35th anniversary, and all participants and parade-goers are invited to enjoy refreshments after the parade at Holy Rosary Catholic Church on Pikake Street.
      The parade includes Santa and his sleigh and many community groups who weave through the town and stop to wish long-term residents of Ka`u Hospital Happy Holidays.
      To participate, call Andrade at 928-0808.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013

Ka`u beekeeper Eric Belcher won first place in the light, mixed floral division yesterday at the Hawai`i Honey Festival.
Photo by Julia Neal

A KA`U HONEY produced by the bees of Eric Belcher, who owns 71 acres off Ka`alaiki Road, the old sugar haul road between Pahala and Na`alehu, took a first prize in the Hawai`i Honey Festival yesterday at Nani Mau Gardens. His Ka`u honey comes from Christmas berry, ohi`a lehua, paperbark and macadamia nut blossoms next to Belcher’s land – from orchards of Edmund C. Olson. Belcher is a member of Big Island Beekeepers Association and manned the organization’s booth at the Honey Festival. His Ka`u honey took first in the light, mixed floral division. Its brand name is `Aina Mele Pure Hawaiian Raw Honey. Belcher is the brother of Wood Valley flower and coffee grower Claudia McCall.

East Ka`u state Senator Russell Ruderman, right, played rock and roll for the Hawai`i Honey
Festival yesterday at Nani Mau Gardens. Photo by Julia Neal

      The Hawai`i Honey Festival at the recently reopened Nani Mau Gardens in Kea`au drew more than 2,000 people, said organizers Carol Conner and Chelle Pahinui. One of the participants was East Ka`u Senator Russell Ruderman, who played rock and roll in his band. Displays included honey, candles, soaps and other beeswax and honey products.

    The sponsoring organization is Big Island Beekeepers Association. The group assists with the startup of apiaries. It helps with marketing honeybee products, provides community service with bee issues and supports public policy to improve conditions for persons keeping honeybees, including lobbying for the Save Apiary Program Act. It supports the activities of the State Apiculture Specialist and sponsors continuing beekeeping education. The organization recently helped to sponsor the visit of the American Honey Queen Caroline Adams, who gave talks to seniors in Pahala and classes at Na`alehu Elementary School.

Carol Connor (middle) helped organize
the Honey Festival. Photo by Julia Neal

     Gov. Neil Abercrombie proclaimed yesterday Hawa`i Honey Festival Day, honoring the organization for remaining vigilant to the education of beekeepers and “promoting the importance of the honeybees to agricultural sustainability, endorsing the vital role pollination plays in the health of our national forests and grasslands, providing forage, fish and wildlife, timber, water, mineral resources, recreational opportunities as well as enhancing economic development for our communities.” The proclamation noted that honeybees are “essential partners of farmers and ranchers in producing much of our food supply, locally,” noting they are “particularly important pollinators for our macadamia nut and coffee industries.” See more at bigislandbeekeepers.com.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

“BLESSED WITH SEVERAL SOURCES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY, Ka`u has the opportunity to benefit from Hawai`i’s transition to a more sustainable energy future,” according to a new draft document for Ka`u Community Development Plan. Appendix V4C: Local Economic Development Analysis discusses solar water and photovoltaic, wind, micro-hydroelectric and biofuel. 

      According to the analysis, while South Point features strong and consistent trade winds, making it one of the best sites in the world for generating electricity using wind turbines, “many other areas in Ka`u are well suited to wind power generation.”
      Regarding hydropower, the document states that “Ka`u’s system of irrigation tunnels is uniquely suited for additional development of hydropower systems. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is also a potential funding source for these types of ventures.”

      The Olson Trust’s micro-hydropower operation is an example discussed in the document. The system “has the potential to power about 400 homes in Pahala along with operations at the new Ka`u Coffee Mill & Visitor Center and macadamia nut husking operations. The hydropower system costs approximately $1.5 million and has an anticipated three-year payback period, ” according to the analysis.

      Regarding biofuel, the analysis cites a 2006 report on biodiesel crop implementation in Hawai`i that suggests that 25,000 acres in Ka`u could be placed into agroforestry operations and that diverse crops be considered “to capitalize on the rainfall range (30” to 80”) in the region.

Ocean View map shows parcels slated for solar energy
development in yellow.

      “Because the fuel-to-energy conversion is more efficient, biodiesel is better suited as a transportation fuel than it is for power generation,” the document states. “Therefore, biofuels are not yet competitive in the power-generation market. In contrast, biodiesel on the mainland is being developed for transportation end use, and the prices are competitive with petroleum-based diesel. The August 2013 State Energy Policy notes that ‘biofuels should be targeted primarily for jet fuel and used in electric generation only as a transitional use.’”
      Specifically regarding the `Aina Koa Pono project, which would construct and operate a biorefinery and use about 13,000 acres in Ka`u to provide the feedstock for the planned biofuel facility near Pahala, the CDP document refers to a comparative analysis of land uses for diversified agriculture and biofuel feedstock production done by a group of students in an industrial ecology course at Yale’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. The group concluded that water demand for biofuel feedstock cultivation is higher than for other agricultural activities, “possibly making biofuel feedstock cultivation a difficult endeavor in arid Ka`u, especially on unirrigated lands.”
      Solar is another renewable energy sector discussed. Several solar farms are under development in the Ocean View area, as a result of amendments to a law expediting renewable energy projects, the document states. Also, “solar farms are not addressed in the county zoning code, as such, so solar energy facilities currently only require building permits.”
      In April 2012, building permits were issued to install solar photovoltaic systems on 22 approximately 15-acre parcels makai of the highway at Hawai`i Blvd. Also, Solar Hub Utilities “is expected to begin construction soon on a series of one-acre solar arrays on three-acre parcels in Ocean View makai. An interconnectivity study for HELCO was recently completed, and Solar Hub Utilities is contracting with HELCO as part of the feed-in tariff program,” according to the analysis.

      Regarding geothermal, the document states that “continued strong opposition to further geothermal development in Puna may help to encourage interest in other areas such as Ka`u.” The document identifies possible geothermal sites near South Point and between Pahala and Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park in the Ka`u desert.

      “There is a range of opportunities for Ka`u to benefit from the strong growth in the renewable energy sector,” the document states. “To date, firms from mostly outside the community have taken advantage of these opportunities. But they have encountered a range of challenges related to technology, land use, transmission and financing.

Possible geothermal sites include ares of South Point
and the Ka`u Desert.

      “Proven decentralized, locally managed alternatives may be more appropriate for Ka`u. Smaller systems create more jobs, circulate local dollars within the community and increase local energy reliability and independence.
      “Because many renewable energy jobs are in construction, Ka`u’s relatively large workforce of tradesmen is well positioned. However, to take full advantage of these opportunities, residents will have to build the requisite skills in installation, sales, operations and maintenance specific to renewable technologies,” the document concludes. 

      The draft document is available for review at area libraries and community centers and online at kaucdp.info. Planners seek input from the public by Dec. 16. A feedback form is available on the webpage.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

“WE HAVE THE GIFT OF GEOTHERMAL ENERGY,” says Richard Ha, owner of Hamakua Springs Country Farms, in a recent Civil Beat commentary. “We are extremely fortunate here on the Big Island to have a resource that most places don’t have.” 

      According to Ha, the biggest problem we face today is at the intersection of energy and agriculture. He writes, “As petroleum prices rise, there’s a direct consequence on agriculture and everything that goes into it (fertilizer, chemicals, packing materials, etc.).”
      Ha says Hawai`i Island is far more dependent on oil than the U.S. mainland is: “We generate 78 percent of our electricity from oil, whereas on the mainland, it’s only two percent. As oil prices rise, everything that has electric costs associated with it gets more expensive. We already see this happening.
      “Geothermal costs only half as much as oil, and the resource will be stable (we will be over the ‘hot spot’ that makes it possible) for 500,000 years.

Richard Ha

      “If we increase our use of geothermal over the years as the price of oil rises, we will be more competitive with the rest of the world. This will be good for our island’s ag industry and also for our people, who will see prices go down, instead of up.
      Ha is concerned that the time to start using alternatives to oil is coming quickly. “We have to let science and technology prevail so we can move forward, not stagnate nor fall behind, and we have to get on this now,” he says.
      “Oil is a finite resource, and its cost will rise. There is no question about this. It’s a predictable consequence of what’s happening now, and this is not just my take on it.
      Ha cites Gail Tverberg, an actuary on Peak Oil, who predicts that in two years “we’ll be in really serious trouble.” 

      He also cites a recent Citibank report predicting that Saudi Arabia will no longer export oil by 2030 because they will be using all their oil within their own country. “The consequence of this would be rising oil prices, and the effects would be felt much sooner than 2030,” according to Ha. 

      “It might be two years from now, or it might be 20 years, but it will happen, and it might happen soon,” Ha says. “We need to start preparing now.
      “Charles Darwin said it’s not the strongest nor the smartest who survive, but the ones that can adapt to change. Let’s survive, and more,” Ha concludes.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

ST. JUDE’S CHURCH IN OCEAN VIEW hosts an interfaith service of thanksgiving today at 2 p.m. with speakers from the Christian Science church, the Tibetan Buddhist Mission, Wood Valley and Shepherds from Ka`u. All are welcome to share in this nondenominational service and bring some food to share.

Karen Tyler shows the annual wreath exhibit to Christmas in the Country attendees.
Photo by Julia Neal

CHRISTMAS IN THE COUNTRY CONTINUES TODAY at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park until 5 p.m.
      A campaign for membership and funding for new programs hopes to top $100,000.
      All activities and demonstrations at Christmas in the Country are free of charge; park entrance fees apply. For more information, call 967-7565.

THE TOPIC AT TUESDAY’S AFTER DARK IN THE PARK is Large Earthquakes in the Hawaiian Islands: What You Need to Know. Weston Thelen, a seismologist with USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, presents an overview of damaging earthquakes in Hawai`i, including current theories on why they occur and what we need to know about future large earthquakes. 

      The program begins at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. $2 donation supports park programs; park entrance fees apply.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.