Ka`u News Birefs Jan. 16, 2011

Volcano Skate Park is the subject of a meeting on Jan. 31 to discuss reopening the facility next to Cooper Center.

THE VOLCANO SKATE PARK has been shut down by the county Department of Parks and Recreation. It is located next to Cooper Center on Wright Road. According to the county, it is closed until further notice due to maintenance and safety concerns.  A meeting will be held at Cooper Center on Monday, Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. to discuss safety standards. The skate park was transported from Hilo to Volcano in 2003 and 2004 and rebuilt without building permits, as there are no standards in the building code for skate parks.

      Skateboardpark.com describes it as one of only two skate parks on the island, located in a very remote area off of Route 11 just before Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.  It describes the covered park is good as it often rains. It is made of Masonite and at times the wood is in bad shape and needs to be fixed. However, skateboardpark.com says it has a “very nice layout with lots of ramps, angles, stairs, and coping for grinding, which doesn't lay real well in the masonite so the transition isn't smooth.” The website calls it a very nice park for a remote area. 

The location of the new Ocean View well and fill station to be completed by Oct. 3.

 THE REPORT ON THE INVESTIGATION of the Ocean View water project called for by Rep. Robert Herkes has been made available to the public on the Internet and presented to the state legislature, which opens its 2011 session this Wednesday. The report says that the Investigative Committee believes that the speedy completion of the water system is in the best interest of the Ocean View community.

      In its background report, the committee describes Ocean View as having about 5,000 residents in Kahuku – a remote rural community located in one of the driest and most drought-stricken areas of the state. The community has no central distribution point for residents’ water supply. Instead, residents must rely on catchment or water delivery to their homes to meet their water needs.

Rep. Bob Herkes

      It points out that funds to develop water were approved by the legislature during the administration of Gov. Ben Cayetano, who served from 1994 – 2002, but funds were never released.  Again, funds were approved in 2005 and released in 2006 to the county. Design and management changes plagued the project, but the investigative committee reports progress in recent months, including grading and preparing the filling station site and access road; connecting the pipeline from wellhead to filling station; buying a submersible pump; submitting plans for the 300,000 gallon concrete storage tank; arranging with the electric company for power for the filling station; planning protective landscaping and fencing to preserve privacy of homes nearby; and by setting a completion date of Oct. 3.

      The investigative committee urges the county to enter into a formal agreement with the Department of Water Supply or the Ocean View Community for the ongoing operation of the water system and filling station.

KA`U MAIN STREET hosts its monthly Plant and Seed Exchange today at the historic Naohulelua Church garden on Kamaoa Road from noon to 3 p.m.

THIS IS A REMINDER TO PICK up applications for Miss Ka`u Coffee 2011, Miss Ka`u Peaberry and Little Miss Ka`u Coffee. Prospective contestants can pick them up Kahuku Gift and Garden Shop in Ocean View, Grandma's Closet in Na`alehu, Pahala Community Center and R&G Store in Pahala. Applications are being accepted through Wednesday, Jan. 26. For Miss Ka`u Coffee, girls contestants must be ages 17 to 24; for Little Miss Ka`u Coffee ages 10 to12 and Miss Ka`u Peaberry ages 7 to 9. The age category is determined by the age of the contender on May 13, 2011. Each contestant’s main residence must be in the district of Ka`u. Call Gloria Camba at 928-8558, Nalani Parlin at 217-6893 or Nona Makuakane at 928-3102. Posters about the pageant can be seen around Ka`u.

Ka`u News Briefs Jan. 15, 2011

The Pahala Ballfield project was completed with no problems, but equipment
was stolen for a similar project at Na`alehu Park.

A $500 REWARD is going out for anyone who can recover tools stolen from a Bolton Construction container in Na`alehu. The Bolton construction crew was improving the Na`alehu Community Park to make better access for the handicapped when someone broke into their container and stole the following items: a laser level and tripod, wheelbarrow, cordless drill, orange bucket full of hand tools, nail bags, tape hammer, Dewalt cordless saw, Bosch Roto Hammer, Power Washer, Bull float with four handles, skill saw with carbon blade and a four-inch grinder with blade. Some of the tools have Bolton written on them, others are tagged with blue paint. Any clues, call Skip at 756-7724. Help find the stolen goods and receive a $500 reward. Bolton recently completed the same kind of project for the Pahala Ballfield. 

Demetrius Oliveira

THE FUNDRAISING TO HELP restore the health of Demetrius Oliveira was a rousing success in Ka`u. The singer, composer and radio announcer here at KAHU Radio received more than $8,000 in small donations from the community. The Edmund C. Olson Family Foundation matched the $7,500 in local contributions, and the check did come in the mail yesterday. Big D said he thanks his `ohana, the entire community and the Olson Family Foundation for supporting his effort to live a longer life. 

NEW ELECTRIC RATES went into effect yesterday, with Hawai`i Electric Light Company being allowed to raise rates by 1.7 percent. The Public Utilities Commission is also being allowed to run a test among 300 customers offering a discount when they use more power in the off hours between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. HELCO had asked for a 6 percent rate increase, but the PUC turned them down. The PUC is also expected to consider a rate increase to help finance a proposed biofuels processing plant in Pahala that would make diesel to truck to its power plant in Kona.

AS PART OF VOLCANO AWARENESS MONTH, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park interpreters lead hikes today and tomorrow at 1 p.m. Today’s hike begins at the Kilauea Visitor Center, and tomorrow’s begins at the Kilauea Iki Overlook parking lot on Chain of Craters Drive. Each hike last about three hours.

The Honolulu Jazz Quartet performs tonight at Kilauea Military Camp Theater.

The Honolulu Jazz Quartet and Junior Choy, with special guest Moons Landing, perform tonight at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Military Camp Theater in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Call 967-8222 or visit www.volcanoartcenter.org for ticket information. 

EVERYONE IS INVITED TO JOIN in at Square Dancing tonight at 7 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

KA`U MAIN STREET’S monthly Plant and Seed Exchange takes place tomorrow at the historic Naohulelua Church garden on Kamaoa Road. The hours are noon to 3 p.m.

Ka`u News Briefs Jan. 14, 2011

`Aina Koa Pono's illustration of the process of  creating biofuel.

MAYOR BILLY KENOI IS APPEALING to the 2011 State Legislature for help in balancing the county budget. In his message to the lawmakers he said the county expects another budget shortfall that will once again force painful budget cuts. “The unavoidable truth is we now have a county government that we cannot afford. We will continue to reduce the size and to refocus our limited resources on core, critical services. Government must do more with less, and programs that are not essential to our core county mission must be set aside,” he said. 

     He pointed to declining property revenues and increasing costs forcing the county to cope with the largest budget shortfalls in county history in the last and current budget year.
     Kenoi said he hopes to help stimulate the economy with state and local government making investments into the communities. He said he wants to carry forward momentum from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which injected more than $115 million in federal money into this county’s economy. “Now it is time for local governments to step up to their responsibilities and do their part to help stimulate the economy. Our working families are counting on us,” he said.
     The mayor is proposing $56 million in capital improvement projects around the island and is hoping the legislature will help fund them.

THE `AINA KOA PONO HUI that plans to produce synthetic diesel oil with a processing plant in Pahala and from crops and trees grown on land around the community is asking the Public Utilities Commission to approve its contract with Hawaiian Electric Company to raise its rates in order to pay for the manufacturing of the diesel. In order to pay for the $320 million project, the average electric bill on O`ahu, Lana`i, Moloka`i, Maui and the Big Island would go up by an average of $1.55 to $1.86 a month for a typical residential customer. However, electric prices would stabilize over time, as the cost of synthetic fuel produced here would be stable, according to HELCO officials. The PUC will take comments from the public and consumer advocates. 

State Department of Agriculture staff members Jimmy Nakatani, Leslie Campaniano and Gayle Nakamura
with Chairman Russell Kokubun, at right.

RUSSELL KOKUBUN has taken his position as chair of the state Department of Agriculture. In his message to the people of Hawai`i, he said the Hawai`i Department of Agriculture’s 260 employees statewide work to support, enhance and promote Hawai`i’s agriculture and aquaculture industries. 

     “Hawai`i’s transition from mono-crop plantations, such as pineapple and sugarcane, to diversified agriculture, including nursery products, seed crops and other vegetable and fruit crops, is important to the state’s economy, environment and lifestyle. Agriculture not only feeds our state, but it also keeps our unique working landscape green – a feature appreciated by residents as well as the millions of visitors to our islands.
     “Hawai`i’s agricultural products are valued around the world for superior quality and the sharing of the Aloha spirit. Hawai`i is also a recognized world leader in aquaculture, producing the finest seafood products for Hawai`i consumers and export markets.
     “In addition, the Department of Agriculture protects our agricultural interests with inspection for invasive species of incoming plant material and animals, safeguarding animal and plant health, supporting farmers with affordable land and water, providing financial assistance to farmers and assuring quality of produce,” said Kokubun.
     He suggested that everyone keep in touch with him through the website at Hawaii.gov/hdoa.
     After winning re-election to the state senate, Kokubun was appointed by Governor Neil Abercrombie to head the Department of Ag.
     His Senate seat is now held by Gil Kahele, also appointed by Abercrombie.

MEET THOMAS JAGGAR, the founder of Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, this morning as he discusses his work during a living history program set in 1912. The program takes place every Friday in January at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park as part of Volcano Awareness Month. Park entrance fees apply.

A CONCERT FEATURING the Honolulu Jazz Quartet and Junior Choy, with special guest Moons Landing, takes place tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Military Camp Theater in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Call 967-8222 or visit www.volcanoartcenter.org for ticket information.

THE OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY CENTER offers square dancing tomorrow night, and every Saturday night, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. It is open to everyone, and children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.