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Thursday, September 14, 2023

Kaʻū News Briefs Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023

See Department of Hawaiian Home Lands' Kaʻū Region Plan published in 2012 at https://dhhl.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Kau-Regional-Plan-May-2012.pdf. Image from Hawaiian Home Lands Trust

THE TOWN HALL IN PĀHALA ON TUESDAY drew Jeff Kekoa, President of Ka‘ū Hawaiian Home Lands Association. He asked representatives of Hawai‘i County how the county can cooperate with the quasi-state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to bring water to the 10,000 acres in South Point that it holds in trust for Native Hawaiians. He said that County waterlines go down South Point Road but there is much competition from people buying homes and estates along the way so there is no water left for the lands belonging to native Hawaiians below them.
    Kekoa said generations of Hawaiians have been waiting to lease lands at South Point from DHHL but are turned away because of the water shortage. A representative of county Department of Water Supply noted that the problem is the undersized waterlines. He and Kekoa also noted that Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is building water tanks to help solve the problem and will turn the tanks over to the County to operate them.
Ahupua'a in Kaʻū with Hawaiian Home Lands 
outlined in red. Map from DHHL
      Mayor Mitch Roth, who hosted the meeting in Pāhala, said he is going to meet with DHHL chief Kali Watson soon and will bring up the idea of using some of the $600 million recently appropriated to DHHL to help fund the water supply lines to Hawaiian Home Lands at South Point.
    Kekoa also noted that the Hawaiian Homes Commission will host a meeting  this Sunday, Sept. 17 at 3 p.m. at Nāʻālehu Community Center, 95-5635 Māmalahoa Hwy. The Commission will receive live verbal public testimony. Interested persons can attend or view the meeting livestream
    Watson, Chair of Hawaiian Homes Commission, is set to attend. Hawai‘i Island's commissioners are Makai Freitas for West Hawai‘i and Michael Kaleikini for East Hawai‘i.
    See more from this week's Town Hall in Pāhala, sponsored by Mayor Mitch Roth and his County Department leaders in upcoming Kaʻū News Briefs. See the entire meeting on the Mayor's facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/HIMayorMitch/videos/1515428795696531.


IMPROVING RECYCLING THROUGH REFILLABLE BOTTLES AND REUSABLE FOOD WARE is coming to this island through a federal grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Mayor Mitch Roth announced the funding on Thursday. Hawaiʻi County will receive $1,522,130 dedicated to enhancing recycling infrastructure and waste management systems. The startup program will begin in Hilo.
     The County's grant proposal says that cleaning and reusing bottles and food ware "will result in 1 million uses of reusable food ware in place of disposable food ware and reduction of disposable food ware by 50o tons annually." The project will create five management jobs and ten to 20 operations jobs. The federal grant pays for the purchase of refuse collection bins, transport vehicles and crates/totes, a dishwashing machine, a platform to support asset tracking and management, as well as funding to install or equip the infrastructure. The project management, community engagement, and technical expertise work is funded through philanthropic grants.
    "We're deeply grateful for the EPA's decision to support our proposal," said the Mayor. "This initiative is all about building the necessary infrastructure for our residents to continue forging a greener and more resilient Hawaiʻi Island, where every citizen actively contributes to the preservation of our environment and sustainability of our island home."
    The EPA's selection of Hawaiʻi County as a grant recipient is part of the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling program, totaling over $73 million distributed to 25 communities nationwide. Additionally, an allocation of approximately $32 million is available for states and territories to enhance solid waste management planning, data collection, and plan execution. These grants align with EPA's National Recycling Strategy, promoting a circular economy by extending the lifespan of materials, products, and services.


A RECOMMENDATION FOR RECEIVING THE NEW COVID VACCINES was issued on Thursday by the state Department of Health. "The Hawai‘i Department of Health recommends use of the new 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines newly approved and authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, to protect against the most common forms of COVID-19 in Hawai‘i. The new vaccines address the XBB-lineages of the Omicron variant that accounts for 99% of COVID-19 cases in Hawai‘i."
    The new 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines replace the previously approved/authorized Bivalent mRNA vaccines.
    State Health Director Dr. Kenneth S. Fink said, "The authorization of the new 2023-2024 COVID-19
COVID photo from Pfizer

vaccines comes at a good time. We are seeing increased numbers of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. By getting the new 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine, you are taking steps to help minimize the spread of disease in our communities. This is especially important as we approach the holiday season."
    U.S. Food & Drug Administration announced the approval and authorization of updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine formulations on Monday, Sept. 11. On Tuesday, U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recommended the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines for all persons 6 months of age and older.
    For persons 5 years of age and older, the new 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines are to be administered as a single dose, at least two months after a person's last dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.
    For persons under the age of 5, recommended doses and vaccination schedules will vary depending on the child's previous vaccination history and vaccine brand administered. With questions, consult with the child's physician for guidance.
    For children 6 months through 18 years of age, the new, updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines will be available through the Vaccines For Children Program, as well as health insurance coverage for zero out-of-pocket cost. The new, updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines should be available wherever children currently receive their other routine childhood immunizations.
    Unlike previous COVID-19 vaccines, the new vaccines are not being exclusively distributed by the U.S. Government to vaccination providers. The new 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines are available through
traditional pathways for purchase, distribution, and payment, including health insurance coverage.
    Initial public and private sector orders of the new 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines have begun shipping and are expected to arrive in pharmacies and provider offices this week, according to DOH. "However, not all providers will have vaccines available at the same time as shipping timeframes will vary between manufacturers, vaccine distributors, and provider locations. Please give your providers time to ensure vaccines are received in good condition, stored properly, and inventoried in their systems, in order to properly administer and document the vaccination of patients. Scheduling of vaccination appointments will be done by individual vaccine providers once they receive delivery of their 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine supply."
    Persons seeking vaccination may search for 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine providers on the Vaccines.gov - Find COVID‑19 vaccine locations near you website. For uninsured and underinsured adults, the website will be updated to include a filter feature to identify locations participating in the Bridge Access Program.
    DOH reminds the public that, "in addition to getting the new 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines, masking and physical distancing continue to be effective for protecting yourself and others against COVID-19. Additionally, good hygiene practices, such as frequent handwashing, are also highly recommended to prevent the spread of COVID-19."











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Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Kaʻū News Briefs, Wednesday Sept. 13, 2023

An excerpt from Ho‘onani: Hula Warrior by Heather Gale (2019), one of the many books banned at some places on the mainland. Sen. Mazie Hirono and American Library Association are pushing back.

THE RISE IN BANNNG BOOKS ON THE MAINLAND, including Ho‘onani: Hula Warrior, led Hawai‘i's U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono to make this comment in a Senate hearing on Tuesday: “I should think that there is more harm to a young person who thinks that he or she can be shot to death in a school than being exposed to certain kinds of subjects in books.”

    Hirono, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned a panel of experts about the rise in book banning in schools and libraries across the country. The hearing came after the American Library Association reported that requests to ban books at U.S. public schools and libraries hit a 21-year high. During her question line, Hirono emphasized concern about groups and individuals who challenge certain books and the way they select books to target.

     “Nobody’s talking about interfering with the right of a parent to determine what kind of material his or her child should have access to. The issue really is the ability of a group of people—not even parents of students in schools—but a group of people, or individuals, who are able to go into a school district—a school board—in an effort to ban certain books,” said Hirono during the hearing. “There are states that have already enacted legislation that makes it pretty easy for anybody to go in and list a book as inappropriate and, therefore, removed until it goes through some sort of a review process.”
   Hirono highlighted a book that explores gender identity in Native Hawaiian culture, Ho‘onani: Hula Warrior, which is being targeted in Iowa. Alexi Giannoulias, the Illinois Secretary of State who is also State Librarian, emphasized the importance of keeping books like Ho‘onani: Hula Warrior on the shelves because of the crucial role they play in helping children who may be struggling with similar conflicts as characters in books.
     A link to download video of Hirono’s full question line is available here at https://lfts2.senate.gov/w/MNqkqOKx0ZiGFusTmDWWlqdOk96sLP7h4txmz5LO39irH.


COUNTY MAINTAINING WATERWAYS TO PREVENT FLOODING AND LANDS TO PREVENT FIRES came up in Mayor Mitch Roth's Town Hall with cabinet members in Pāhala on Tuesday evening. 
See the entire meeting that happened Tuesday at 
https://www.facebook.com/HIMayorMitch/videos/1515428795696531.
Dennis Reardon, a retired County Parks Maintenance Manager in Kaʻū, thanked the Mayor for maintainance of drainage canals in Nā‘ālehu. The Mayor said he is not only looking to keep waterways and the adjacent lands clean to prevent flooding but also looking to manage public lands for fire prevention.
    Kaʻū Fire Chief Kazuo Todd mentioned working with the private property owners to plan a firebreak for Punalu‘u. He also talked about fire risk in areas where the old sugar companies dumped bagasse, the byproduct of processing sugar and other waste. He reminded the public that fires can keep burning underground, as they did during a prolonged firefight in Honu‘apo where volunteer firefighter Lizzie Stabo was severely burned from falling into an underground fire pit. At Honu‘apo and on the grounds of the old Pāhala sugar mill, old, flammable bagasse and sugar waste remains. 
    The fire chief said, however, the fire department now has drones with thermal imaging that can detect hot spots. He mentioned that on Maui there are fires still burning after the Aug. 8 firestorm disaster. He also said that the state could become more involved in firefighting and that the State of California, for example, owns planes with very sophisticated and powerful thermal imaging, in addition to drones.
    He also noted that the Hawai‘i County Fire Department's new uniforms are completely fire-resistant.
    See the entire Town Hall on the Mayor's facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/HIMayorMitch/videos/1515428795696531.



HOW TO MANAGE THE PUNALU‘U BLACK SAND BEACH AREA with private ownership and a public park came up at Mayor Mitch Roth's Town Hall in Pāhala on Tuesday. Candice Ka‘awa, who said she is the property manager at Punalu‘u for landowners Black Sand Beach, LLC, asked numerous questions about
A cooperative cleanup last year by Black Sand Beach, LLC
and non-profit O Kaʻū Kakou. Photo by Matt Baker
partnering with the County to come up with solutions for security, homeless issues, traffic on the private roads going to public beaches, fire prevention and the time it takes police to reach Punalu‘u when there is a problem.
     County Director of Parks & Recreation Maurice Messina said his agency wants to work in tandem with Black Sand Beach, LLC. He noted that the County Park at Punalu‘u is leased from Black Sand. "We manage the beach park but it is on private land."
    Regarding the County's plan to bring in security to Punalu‘u, he gave Spencer Park on the Kohala Coast as an example. He said that people hired for security could help manage the camping permits at Punalu‘u. At Spencer, "when we brought in security, they were able to help manage our camping permits, and that campers aren't harassed, whether they are locals our tourists." He said the people working in security also have to show aloha and respect. 
    Hawai‘i County Police Chief Benjamin Moszkowicz noted that a community policing officer can be involved at Punalu‘u. He also noted that most of the police officers in Kaʻū live here. 
    Ka‘awa said she talks with many police officers about making the private roads at Punalu‘u safer for the public. She gave examples of motorists burning rubber and taking out a fire hydrant, and a car lit on fire.
    See more on the Mayor's Town Hall in upcoming Kaʻū News Briefs. See the entire Town Hall on the Mayor's facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/HIMayorMitch/videos/1515428795696531.


A VIRTUAL ZOOM MEETING ON CESSPOOLS AND THE FUTURE OF SEWAGE DISPOSAL will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 2 p.m. by WAI, Wastewater Alternatives & Innovations.
   According to the announcement, Hawai‘i has over 83,000 cesspools that discharge over 52 million gallons a day of wastewater into Hawai‘i’s waters. "These cesspools and failing septic systems contaminate drinking water, ruin underground aquifers, and pollute marine environments.
    "We work to mitigate the Hawaiʻi cesspool crisis by helping homeowners manage the cesspool and failing septic systems conversion process to new wastewater systems that are affordable, efficient, and better for the environment."  See more at https://waicleanwater.org/



A PĀHALA WASTEWATER MEETING WILL BE HELD BY THE COUNTY at Pāhala  Community Center on Thursday, Sept. 28. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with the meeting beginning at 6 p.m. Representatives of the Department of Environmental Management will present options for replacing the old plantation gang cesspools. They will review the Pāhala Engineering Report on options ranging from Individual Wastewater Systems to sewer plants and sewer lines, and seek input for a Pāhala Environmental Information Document about the options, which will be presented to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
     Contact 808-961-8099 or email cohdem@hawaiicounty.gov.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

POLICE ARRESTED 16 FOR DUI during the week of Sept. 4, through Sept. 10. Hawai‘i Island police made the arrests for driving under the influence of an intoxicant. Three of the drivers were involved in a traffic collision. One was under the age of 21. So far this year, there have been 676 DUI arrests compared with 695 during the same period last year, a decrease of 2.7 percent.

    HPD’s Traffic Services Section reviewed all updated crashes and found 577 major collisions so far this year compared with 568 during the same period last year, an increase of 1.6 percent.
    To date, there have been 11 fatal crashes, resulting in 12 fatalities, (one with multiple deaths); compared with 23 fatal crashes, resulting in 25 fatalities (one with multiple deaths, and one reclassified to a medical condition) for the same time last year. This represents a decrease of 52.2 percent for fatal crashes and 52 percent for fatalities.
    So far this year the non-traffic fatality count (not on a public roadway) is one, compared to zero non-traffic fatalities for the same time last year.
     Police promise that DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue islandwide.


Girls Volleyball Coach Kamalani Fujikawa (center) inspires Trojan Girls Volleyball players who remain undefeated with their fourth win of the season Wednesday at home. Photo by Julia Neal

Image by Jennifer Makuakane

KAʻŪ TROJANS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL VARSITY TEAM beat Makua Lani from Kona on Wednesday at Herkes Kaʻū District Gym in Pāhala. Game scores were 25-9, 25-10 and 25-11.
    The Trojan girls are on a winning streak taking all four matches so far this season.
    The next match is in Waimea at Parker School this Saturday at 10 a.m. followed by hosting Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy from Waimea on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 3:30 p.m.
    Girls Varsity Volleyball Coach is Kamalani Fujikawa. Assistant Coach is Marley Strand Nicolaison. Volunteer Coaches are Sandy Fujikawa-Carvalho and Dave Carvalho. Manager is Karsen Polido-Tuaffaiva. Athletic Trainer is Moses Whitcomb.

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Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Kaʻū News Briefs, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023

Halema‘uma‘u crater on Tuesday night. See more below. Photo by Zach Schneider

MAYOR MITCH ROTH HELD A TOWN HALL MEETING ON TUESDAY EVENING at the Herkes Kaʻū District Gym, with numerous county department leaders. The entire meeting is available on the Mayor's facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/HIMayorMitch/videos/1515428795696531.
      The Mayor said that the County of Hawai‘i has been focusing on sustainability. "How do we create an island where our keiki can stay here and raise their keiki? And their keiki in turn can raise their keiki?" He said his own three children have left to work on the mainland.
    He noted that more Hawaiians live out of the state than in the state. "As we lose our local Hawaiians, we lose our culture and we lose who we are. So we become something different." 
    He said to keep Hawaiian kids here the County has engaged thought leaders. The County is also working on affordable housing for people with income from low-paying jobs and for such people as teachers, police officers and construction workers.
    He said under his administration, the number of affordable housing units under construction islandwide has risen from 1,200 in the pipeline to about 6,500 units. He said it was difficult to get a permit to build a house when he first took office with a waiting time of some 200 days. He said it has been reduced to about 30 days. He also posed the question, "What is affordable housing?"
     He said he also is working on jobs for local young people. He said a lot of kids are not interested in agriculture. They are interested in STEAM, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.  He went to Nā‘ālehu Elementary School on Tuesday for the introduction of new technology and science programs, including robotics and Makers Face, making things with 3D printing. He described the energy of Kaʻū kids as "amazing." 
     He also mentioned the Kaʻū Dreams program at Kaʻū High School, which is based on agriculture but also teaches business. He noted that Hawai‘i has some of the highest costs for electricity and fossil fuel in the country. "Everything that comes over here basically comes over using fossil fuel. How do we create other opportunities here that have clean energy that takes care of our environment that we can make here to be self-sustaining?"
    The Mayor also asked, "How do we make it so agriculture is something that our kids want to do?" 
    See more in upcoming Kaʻū News Briefs.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

HAWAI‘I IS THE SECOND HAPPIEST STATE, according to a WalletHub study released on Tuesday. Happiest State is Utah, followed by the rest in the top ten, Hawai‘i, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, 
Image from Hawai'i Magazine.
See https://www.hawaiimagazine.com/
Florida, Idaho and Nebraska.
    The ten least Happy States are West Virginia, Louisiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Alaska, New Mexico and Oklahoma.
    Hawai‘i ranks number one in Emotional & Physical well-being, while Utah ranked 16. Hawai‘i ranks number one in the least Adult Depression. Utah ranks number one in Work Environment while Hawai‘i ranks 25.  Utah ranks number one in Community & Environment, while Hawai‘i ranks 30.
   Hawai‘i's worst ranking is 49th in Adequate Sleep Rate. Hawai‘i ranks 45 in Volunteer Rate while Utah is number one. Both Hawai‘i and Utah have some of the lowest divorce rates, with Utah being the lowest and Hawai‘i fourth. Hawai‘i is also the fifth safest state.
    See the entire WalletHub report and all the metrics at https://wallethub.com/edu/happiest-states/6959.


A visitor enjoys the view of fountaining lava from Kīlauea Overlook. NPS Photo

HAWAI‘I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK ISSUED A STATEMENT ON THE ERUPTION, Tuesday:

    For the fifth time in almost four years, Kīlauea volcano has a dramatic new eruption in its summit crater with multiple lava fountains feeding a lake of molten rock.
    As an influx of visitors arrives to witness the eruption, everyone is urged to stay safe and be respectful of the hazards and sacredness of Kīlauea by doing the following:

  • Volcanic eruptions can be hazardous and change at any time. Stay on marked trails and overlooks. Do not enter closed areas. Avoid cliff edges and earth cracks, they are unstable.
  • Hazardous volcanic gases present a danger to everyone, especially people with heart or respiratory problems, infants, young children and pregnant women.
  • Observe the eruption quietly and respect Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners who honor the sacred legacy of this land and give them space to practice their customs.
  • Slow down and drive safely. Expect long waits for parking spaces at popular vantage points like Kīlauea Overlook.
    The Keanakākoʻi viewing area is closed due to high concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and volcanic particulates and will remain closed until it is safe to reopen. Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory measured preliminary sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rates up to 100,000 tonnes.
    Optimal viewing of the lava lake and fountains is available at Uēkahuna, Kīlauea Overlook and areas along Crater Rim Trail as of Monday afternoon. Conditions can change at any time.
    The eruption began Sunday, Sept. 10 around 3:15 p.m. and all activity is confined within the summit crater in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. There is no threat to homes or the community at this time. There is a temporary flight restriction above Kīlauea caldera of 1,500 feet AGL.
    Check the park website for eruption viewing information, hazard and closure updates, https://www.nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes.


AIR QUALITY CONTINUES TO FLUCTUATE, with the new volcanic eruption, reaching its lower quality during windless nights when the vog drifts inland. The air becomes cleaner with the wind blowing it offshore and toward Kona during the day. To see data from the monitors of particulates in the air and the SO2 see the state Department of Health's Hawai‘i Air Quality Data interactive map with links to air quality monitors in Ocean View, Nā‘ālehu and Pāhala. Also playing into air quality is dust largely caused by lack of rain.  See https://air.doh.hawaii.gov/home/map. At midnight Tuesday, the air in Pāhala was rated Unhealthy for Sensitive People with .173 ppm of S02.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

MANY OF THE MAUI FIRE VICTIMS ARE FILIPINO AND THE CONSUL GENERAL OF THE PHILIPPINES diplomatic contingency in Hawai‘i is helping out. The Philippine Consulate General’s team has scheduled outreach at the Lāhainā Civic Center Gym from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 22, 23 and 24.
Emil Fernandez, Hawai‘i Consul General for the
Philippines, notes the large number of Filipinos
who are victims of the Lāhainā firestorm and has
 offered help through the Consulate.
    The consulate announced that at least four of those who died in a firestorm were Philippines citizens Eight are tied to Filipino nationals. Another 70 who were displaced are receiving assistance from the consul.
    The Consul General told The Honolulu Star-Advertiser that about 40 percent of Lāhainā’s 12,000 residents are Filipino. People from the Philippines make up about 25 percent of the population statewide. He told the newspaper that many of them are already immigrants and U.S. citizens but “still we have quite a number who are so-called green card holders” or legal permanent residents. Many work in the visitor and healthcare industries.
    In Lāhainā, the Consulate helps citizens replace lost travel documents, Philippine passports, access other consular services and help with contacting relatives in the home country and repatriating remains.
    To help Filipino victims in Maui through contact with the Philippines Consulate, see https://www.consularcorpshawaii.org/philippines. Also see https://www.facebook.com/PHinHonolulu/

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

ANOTHER HOME GAME FOR KAʻŪ GIRLS VOLLEYBALL is Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 5 p.m. against Makua Lani Varsity at 5 p.m. in the Herkes Kaʻū District Gym in Pāhala. The Trojan girls are on a winning streak taking all three games so far this season.







 


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