THURSDAY, NOV. 4, 2010 - NEWS BRIEFS

GOVERNOR ELECT NEIL ABERCOMBIE is promising to meet soon with education leaders to stop furlough days and to set up the new school board, which he will appoint. One of the big issues involving school campuses in Ka`u is whether an $18 million gym and shelter for Pahala will receive funding already passed by the legislature. The project was championed by current Council member Guy Enriques. He leaves office in early December.

THE AKAKA BILL TO GIVE FEDERAL RECOGNITION TO NATIVE HAWAIIANS is in trouble of passing congress since the Republicans have taken a majority of the seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Senator Dan Akaka said he is hoping it passes while the Democrats still hold the majority, but once the Republicans take over, he said, the chances become slim.

THE FINAL VOTES - CAST PRECINCT BY PRECINCT - IN THE COUNTY COUNCIL RACE HAVE BEEN POSTED, In some communities it was close. Incumbent Guy Enriques won his home town of Pahala with 181 votes over Brittany Smart's 84. He also won the walk in absentee vote in Ka`u with 308 over 279. However, Smart won the election and took the most votes in every other case. She won the mail-in votes in Ka`u with 336 over Enriques 320 and the election day votes in Ocean View with 512 over 171. In Na`alehu Smart took 257 votes over Enrique's 238. In Volcano, Smart took 484 votes over Enriques' 274. In Milolii it was 133 for Smart to 60 for Enriques. In Ho'okena Smart took 119 and Enriques 71. At St. Benedict's Catholic Church it was 252 to 130.

The Walk in absentee vote on the Kona side of the district was 75 for Smart and 30 for Enriques. The Kona side Mail-in was 129 to 59 in favor of Smart. On Puna Side Smart won Mountain View with 342 to 217. In Kurtistown she won with 492 to 188. The walk-in voting on Puna side drew 102 votes for Smart and 47 for Enriques. The Mail in gave her 93 and Enriques 42.

ENRIQUES has promised to keep working for Ka`u until he leaves office in early December. He said he spent yesterday picking up signs along the roads and highways and thanking his supporters. He said he will be happy to spend more time with his family once his term is pau. He also promised to stay involved in community service.

COUNCIL MEMBER ELECT BRITTANY SMART said she is pleased with the passing of the County Charter Amendment to make sure that 1 percent of property tax income goes towards the purchase of important lands for parks, Hawaiian sites and protection of drinking water. She said she looks forward to working on the County Council where five of the nine council members have pledged to increase the fund to 2 percent of property taxes going to the land fund.

MORE THAN 8,000 ACRES in Ka`u are being placed in a trust for agriculture and Nature by the Edmund C. Olson Trust to prevent the land from being subdivided into residential tracts in the future. Olson worked with The Nature Conservancy and Hawaii Island Land Trust on this project.

THE NEXT STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING for the Ka`u Community Development Plan has been changed from November 9 to Tuesday, December 14. It was changed to make way for the site visit by the County Council and the public to a strip of Kamaoa Road that the county may sell off to private landowners. The site visit is at 3 p.m. on November 9. A public hearing on the road issued follows at Na`alehu Community Center.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 3, 2010 - NEWS BRIEFS

Council member Elect Brittany Smart and Governor Elect Neil Abercrombie

CHALLENGER BRITTANY SMART WON OUR LOCAL COUNTY COUNCIL SEAT yesterday in the general election. The 27 year old Democrat beat independent Guy Enriques with 59.5 percent of the vote. Enriques received 39.6 percent of the vote. Smart promised transparent, open government, to listen to everyone and represent all the voices of Ka`u and not just her own views.

NEIL ABERCROMBIE WON THE RACE FOR GOVERNOR OF HAWAI`I. The long-time congressman and Democrat said the Democratic party will never turn its back on poor people and the homeless. He also pledged to end all furlough days at schools.

TALKING ABOUT EDUCTION, voters decided that the school board will now be appointed by Governor Abercrombie. Lieutenant Governor Duke Aiona, the Republican who lost to Abercrombie, and has always championed children’s programs, said he will continue working in community service.

DEMOCRAT MAZIE HIRONO won re-election as our official in the U.S. House of Representatives. Hirono has helped preserve the Ka`u Coast with funding from congress and works on rural health care and early education for the keiki.

Rep. Bob Herkes won his re-election bid to the state House of Representatives.

Sen. Russell Kokubun won his re-election bid to the State Senate.

 STATE SENATOR RUSSELL KOKUBUN won his re-election bid. The Volcano resident is a leading candidate to become President of the Hawai`i State Senate now that Colleen Hanabusa is leaving the state senate to take Neil Abercrombie's place in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Democrats made a clean sweep of sending members of its party from Hawai`i to Washington, D.C.

ALL COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENTS ON THE GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT have won the approval by voters. Among them is the Open Space fund that uses one percent of property taxes to buy land for parks, nature and conserve drinking water sources. These funds were used to preserve such places as Kawa and Honu`apo in Ka`u.

VOTERS ALSO PASSED A MEASURE that makes it easier to recall elected county officials not doing their job. It lowers the number of signatures required to 25 percent of the number of votes that elected the official.

VOTERS ALSO ADOPTED A MISSION FOR THE COUNTY: "To conserve and protect Hawai`i's Natural Beauty and all Natural and Cultural Resources."

WHETHER TO SELL OFF A PIECE OF KAMAOA ROAD to private landowners was a big election issue. Now the public will visit the site at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 9 along with the County Council and newly elected Ka`u council member Brittany Smart. The visit will be followed by a public hearing in Na`alehu.

THE KA`U COMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN will have its next steering committee meeting set for next Tuesday, November 9th at 5:30 p.m. at Na`alehu School Cafeteria. It is open to the public and this CDP plans the future or our district.

NOVEMBER 15 IS THE NEW DEADLINE TO GET ALL YOUR INFORMATION IN TO THE KA`U DIRECTORY. It includes Ka`u business listings, information about non-profit organizations and all the contact information. It is sponsored by the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce. Call 928-6471.

MANTRACKER - the hit reality TV show with local paniolo Leon Chow - shows off Ka`u next Tuesday, November 9th as Chow and Canadian tracker Terry Grant chase down human prey. The Ka`u episode premiers on the Discovery Science Channel at 4 p.m. local time and will be repeated throughout the week. Check Discovery TV listings for time.

WANT TO HELP KEIKI WITH THEIR GARDEN? Help Na`alehu School Garden this Saturday, Nov. 6 at 8 a.m. The keiki will be preparing the ground for planting.

SCHOLARSHIPS ARE STILL AVAILABLE for Ka`u students for the annual music workshop organized by Keoki Kahumoku and his Ohana. Some of the masters of `ukulele, guitar and music composition will be in Pahala for a week starting this Saturday, Nov. 6. For scholarships, call Kahumoku at 960-8385.

SHARING PLANTATION DAYS is the name of a celebration planned for fifteenth anniversary of Ka`u Sugar shutting down in 1996. If you have old photos, stories or interested in volunteering call Dorothy Kalua at 928-8486.

KA`U FAMILY HEALTH CENTER has received millions of dollars in funding to build a new Bay Clinic in front of the two story building along Hwy 11. The house will be retained for community services, while the new clinic will have six medial exam room, two dental offices, counseling rooms and labs.

THE NEXT CLEAN UP AT KAALUALU BAY has been set by the Hawaii Wildlife fund for Saturday, Nov. 13. The last cleanup hauled in 1,000 nets and more than 3,000 pounds of rubbish that washed up on our southern shoreline. To help out, meet at Wai`ohinu Park at 8:45 a.m. or call Megan Lamson at 769-7629.

TUESDAY, NOV. 2, 2010 - NEWS BRIEFS

Brittany Smart was the only County Council candidate to give a speech at the traditional statewide Democratic Party rally in Hilo the night before the election.

IT’S A HOLIDAY AND ELECTION DAY IN KA`U - NEI: The polls opened at 7 a.m. all over Ka`u and will close at 6 p.m. Candidates urge everyone to vote at Ka`u High and Na`alehu Community Center, Ocean View Community Center and Cooper Center in Volcano. Hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

CANDIDATES ARE CAMPAIGNING UP AND DOWN THE HIGHWAYS AND along streets leading to polling places. Na`alehu resident Brittany Smart, who is endorsed by the Democratic Party, is taking on incumbent County Councilman Guy Enriques, of Punalu`u mauka, who is running on his record of bringing government spending to the district and is endorsed by a number of unions.
 

MOST OF THE LOCAL CANDIDATES traveled to Mo`ohea Band Stand in Hilo last night to join Democrats who flew in for the traditional last day rally before the statewide election. Ka`u's representatives - state Senator Russell Kokubun, state Representative Bob Herkes, Congresswoman Mazie Hirono, and council candidate Brittany Smart gave fiery speeches, along with Senator Dan Inouye and Senator Dan Akaka, leading up to candidate for governor - Neil Abercrombie and his running mate Brian Schatz. Mufi Hanneman, who campaigned hard in Ka`u when he was running governor, urged everyone to vote for Abercrombie.

Senator Inouye pointed out that the bandstand was flush with secret service agents as Inouye is now the third person in line for the U.S. presidency and is provided with heavy security. If the President and Vice President were to go down - yes - Senator Daniel Inouye from Hawai`i would become the President of the United States. 

REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR DUKE AIONA, who recently visited Ka`u, campaigned yesterday on O`ahu, while his running mate Lynn Finnegan, led a sign waving campaign along the bay front in Hilo. Aiona has promised to help small businesses, farmers and revamp education. 

COUNTY COUNCIL INCUMBENT Guy Enriques has been working not only on his campaign but also on bringing the Air National Guard to help build infrastructure to Ocean View. He said they could help build a new community center and shelter and help with roads and possible the water system.
 

CHARTER AMMENDMENTS are also on the ballot. If you haven't read them, see the November Ka`u Calendar newspaper for a description and YOU decide whether to vote yes or no.
 

THE KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN is fired up again with the next steering committee meeting set for next Tuesday, November 9th at 5:30 p.m. at the Na`alehu School Cafeteria. It is open to the public and plans the future or our district.
 

NOVEMBER 15 IS THE NEW DEADLINE TO GET ALL YOUR INFORMATION IN TO THE KA`U DIRECTORY. It includes Ka`u business listings, information about non-profit organizations and all the contact information. It is sponsored by the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce. Call 928-6471.
 

MANTRACKER - the hit reality TV show with local paniolo Leon Chow shows off Ka`u next Tuesday, November 9th as Chow and Canadian tracker Terry Grant chase down human prey. The Ka`u episode premiers on the Discovery Science Channel at 4 p.m. local time and will be repeated throughout the week. Check Discovery TV listings for time.
 

WANT TO HELP KEIKI WITH THEIR GARDEN? The community is invited to help with Na`alehu School Garden this Saturday, Nov. 6 at 8 a.m. The keiki will be preparing the ground for planting. Luck the rains came back to nourish the healthy food growing.
 

SCHOLARSHIPS ARE STILL AVAILABLE for Ka`u students for the annual music workshop organized by Keoki Kahumoku and his Ohana. Some of the masters of `ukulele, guitar and music composition will be in Pahala for a week of classes and concerts, starting Nov. 6. For scholarships, call Kahumoku at 960-8385.
 

SHARING PLANTATION DAYS is the name of a celebration planned for fifteenth anniversary of Ka`u Sugar shutting down in 1996. If you have old photos, stories or interested in volunteering call Dorothy Kalua at 928-8486.
 

KA`U FAMILY HEALTH CENTER has received millions of dollars in funding to build a new Bay Clinic in front of the two story building along Hwy 11. The house will be retained for community services, while the new clinic will have six medial exam room, two dental offices, counseling rooms and labs.
 

THE NEXT CLEAN UP AT KAALUALU BAY has been set by the Hawaii Wildlife fund for Saturday, Nov. 13. The last cleanup hauled in 1,000 nets and more than 3,000 pounds of rubbish that washed up on our southern shoreline. To help out, meet at Wai`ohinu Park at 8:45 a.m. or call Megan Lamson at 769-7629.