Ka'u News Briefs Dec. 5, 2011

THE STATE COMMISSION ON WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT needs two new volunteer members, and the state is soliciting for qualified people to serve. The motto of the commission is: The trustee who oversees the rightful sharing of water - Ke Kahuwai Pono. 

     Water management in Ka`u and beyond often involves interests of those wanting to preserve clean drinking water, farmers, ranchers, hunters, native wildlife conservationists, Hawaiian cultural practitioners and developers. 

     According to a Chad Blair story this morning in Civil Beat, the state has announced vacancies for the third time this year, as the seats of outgoing commissioners are yet to be filled. The mission of the seven volunteer commissioners is “wise and responsible management” to protect and enhance water resources throughout the state. Commissioners are state Department of Land & Natural Resources William Aila, Jr., state Department of Health director Loretta Fuddy, former DOH director Lawrence Milk, former sugar industry executive William Balfour, cattle rancher Sumner Erdman and Maui District conservationist Neal Fujiwara. Donna Kiyosaki, former chief engineer with the Honolulu Board of Water Supply and vice president of a development company, left her seat vacant as her term expired this summer, and a commission member is sought with her kind of experience.
     Requirements to fill another seat being vacated next year include “substantial experience or expertise in traditional Hawaiian water resource management techniques and in traditional Hawaiian riparian usage.”
     Applications and resumes should be sent to the Nominating Committee, Commission on Water Resource Management, 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 227, Honolulu, HI 96813 and postmarked no later than December 16, 2011.

Vegetation and soils in Hawai`i Volcanoes
National Park are damaged by non-native
ungulates. Photos from NPS 

THE LOCAL KA`U AGRICULTURAL WATER COOPERATIVE DISTRICT has been meeting almost monthly for years in an attempt to help restore old sugar plantation water resources for agriculture. The cooperative brings together stakeholders from areas served by the old plantation sources. Around 1900, tunnels were dug horizontally into the Mauna Loa Volcano, and water dripping down through the porous rocks of the mountain collected in the tunnels to run downhill to old plantation distribution systems, many of them in disrepair, but with millions of gallons of water still coming out of the tunnels.
     Anyone with interest in agricultural use of water coming from Alili Tunnel, Moa`ula, Hilea, Mountain House, Ha`ao, Keaiwa, Wood Valley and Kapapala, where groups are organizing to improve water distribution, can call Jeffrey McCall at 928-6456. The next water meeting is Thursday, Dec. 15 is at 4 p.m. at the ML Macadamia conference room in Pahala.

Native plants recover from damage by
non-native ungulates in a fenced area
of Hawa`i Volcanoes National Park.

PIGS, GOATS, SHEEP AND WILD CATTLE are some of the ungulates that destroy native forest, and their control is the subject of a public hearing on Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s Environmental Impact Statement. The first public meeting is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. tonight at Kilauea Visitor Center, and the second is Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. The park service will set up small stations where the public can ask questions and have comments recorded.

     The draft plan and EIS sets up a framework to manage the non-native ungulates for long-term ecosystem protection. It promotes recovery and restoration of native vegetation and other natural resources, and protects and preserves cultural resources.

     The draft plan/EIS is available for review at Kilauea Visitor Center and state public libraries. It is also available online at http://www.parkplanning.nps.gov/havo_ecosystem_ deis.

THE COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENT PROPOSAL that would secure 0.25 percent of county property tax revenues to take care of public land purchased with property tax money goes to another reading by the County Council this Wednesday. The proposal would generate about a half million dollars a year with current property tax collections. If approved the amendment would go on the ballot in 2012.

THE FIRST ALL-ELECTRIC CAR to be marketed in Hawai`i arrives at the state Capitol today to be handed over with great ceremony to the first retail customer in the state. It is manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors North America and is called the iEV. The ceremony was scheduled for this morning in front of Father Damien’s Statue at the State Capitol Building. Mitsubishi describes the electric vehicle as “safe, reliable, sustainable and cost-efficient personal transportation.”

THE KAWA FLATS FLOOD MEETING for the public will be Thursday at 6 p.m. at Na`alehu School Cafeteria. 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.
     “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 http://hawaii.gov/ health/environmental/oeqc/index.html.

Rory Koi (l), owner of South Side Shaka's Restaurant, and Jojo Akamu play at the Makahiki.

THE ANNUAL MAKAHIKI that celebrates Hawaiian values, culture, talent and food took place last weekend at Punalu`u Beach Park with everyone invited. Local bands volunteered, and free food was served up both days. Hawaiian crafts, including coconut frond hats, were made. 

Li`i Kaluna with coconut hats
made at the Makahiki.

THE PRELIMINARY DEADLINE for public comments on the regional disaster shelter and gymnasium that will be built on the Pahala school and county campus is tomorrow, Dec. 6. More than $16 million has been released by the governor to the county for the project. Points of discussion include whether the gym will have the equipment to clean its air during bad vog days, how many people it will be able to handle during a disaster, whether it will include a certified kitchen that could be used to make food during a disaster and to make food for community fundraisers during normal times, and the attributes of the gym and community center – how many sports courts, a fitness center, stage and other amenities. Some citizens have also asked that the gym be designed to fit in with the historic nature of Pahala village.
     Comments can be made by calling 961-8321 or emailing public_works@co.hawaii.hi.us.
     A second round of public input will be Dec. 19 and 20, when the architect and engineering firm, along with county and school officials, will meet with the public from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. both days at the Pahala school cafeteria. 

DONATIONS FOR CHRISTMAS IN PAHALA are being taken at KAHU Community Radio station on Maile Street in Pahala. Canned foods, toys, gift certificates and beverages can be donated for distribution to needy families at a caroling party around a lighted Christmas tree on Pikake Street in Pahala on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 5:30 p.m. To give frozen foods, like turkey, and to arrange donation pickups, call Keala Kailiawa at 928-0500.

Ka'u News Briefs Dec. 4, 2011

Fencing is part of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park's plan to control ungulates including pigs, goats, sheep
and cattle. Yellow shows existing fences, and blue shows proposed fences. Image from HAVO

THE WAR ON THE COFFEE BERRY BORER that has devastated Kona coffee farms and damaged one farm that has recovered in Ka`u is the subject of a University of Hawai`i survey. The UH College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources is calling on all coffee growers to report the strategies farmers are using, how they are implementing these strategies, and what damage level they are experiencing. Researchers want to know the different borer fighting methods the farmers use and results throughout the pre- and post-harvest.

Coffee berry borer

     Participation provides necessary information to improve workshops, posted information and research, says a statement from U.H. The college is not asking for or collecting farmers’ identities. A summary will be provided to coffee organizations, the CBB Task Force, and farmers requesting a summary. “Our goal is to complete the analysis and report back to you before the New Year, when sanitary pruning and trapping season arrives,” said extension specialist Skip Bittenbender.
     The link to the survey is http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/B5TXJY2. For more information, contact Bittenbender at 808-956-6043.

THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION and school superintendents held their first ever retreat yesterday in Honolulu, according to Civil Beat. The Katheryn Poythress story says state superintendent Katherine Matayoshi announced a restructuring of the Department of Education. 

Don Horner

     Board of Education chair Don Horner, who is also First Hawaiian Bank CEO and one of the Honolulu Rail Authority board members, held the meeting for more than 40 participants at the long conference table at First Hawaiian.
     The story says a common theme was that “nobody feels assessment scores provide a complete perspective on whether a student is on the right path to a career or college. Sometimes a student may score well on a test but not interact well socially or give back to the community, pointed out one participant. On the other hand, a smart student who is doing well in school may simply not test well.”
     Toward the end of the retreat, the military representative of the school board, Col. Bill Morrison, said the retreat did great work on framing ways to measure success. “But I still don’t know…what does the successful student look like? Is it a career and college-ready individual? Is it a productive member of society? Is it a well-rounded citizen that can apply what he or she learned in school? We’ve created a framework around something I don’t know that we defined.” 

Col. William Morrison

     The school board chair said these questions will be tackled, the Civil Beat story said.
     The restructuring, according to Civil Beat, will give the area superintendents more input into the administration in Honolulu. The current structure has 27 Department of Education administrators, including the 15 local superintendents, reporting to one statewide DOE chief. The new structure created two deputy statewide superintendents without adding on more employees. They will be Randy Moore, who will be in charge of operations from human services to food service, and Ronn Nozoe, who will be in charge of academics, facilities and support services.
     See more at www.civilbeat.org.

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK seeks comment on its draft plan and EIS to manage non-native ungulates including pigs, goats, sheep and cattle. Public meetings are scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. tomorrow at Kilauea Visitor Center and Tuesday at Na`alehu Community Center. The meetings will include various small stations where NPS staff will be available to answer questions and record comments.

     The purpose of the draft plan and EIS is to develop a comprehensive and systematic framework for managing non-native ungulates that supports long-term ecosystem protection,  promotes recovery and restoration of native vegetation and other natural resources, and protects and preserves cultural resources.

     The draft plan/EIS is available for review at Kilauea Visitor Center and state public libraries. It is also available online at http://www.parkplanning.nps.gov/havo_ecosystem_ deis.

Mitsunaga and Associates designed the Manoa Valley District
Park Field House. Photo from mitsunagaassociates.com

PRELIMINARY PUBLIC COMMENTS on the new Pahala gym and shelter are due Tuesday at the county Department of Public Works. A charrette, where community members can talk to planners of the facility, will be held Dec. 19 and 20 at the Pahala school cafeteria from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
     The gym and shelter is being designed by Mitsunaga and Associates, of O`ahu. Examples of their other projects, including a gym in Manoa Valley, can be seen at mitsunagaassociates.com. The design is expected to be completed and the project put out to bid to construction companies by next March.
     Comments can be made by calling 961-8321 or emailing public_works@co.hawaii.hi.us.

THE KAWA MEETING on the Environmental Assessment for the road improvements is this Thursday at 6 p.m. at Na`alehu School Cafeteria. The plan is to raise Hwy 11 some ten feet above grade to 46 feet above sea level. An 84-feet wide culvert, eight feet high, would be placed beneath the highway.
     “The highway was constructed over 50 years ago with no drainage facilities for this low-lying section,” the EA states. “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 flooding is a hazard to motorists, prevents the passage of emergency vehicles, and damages the roadway structure.”
     The draft Environmental Assessment is available at Pahala and Na`alehu public libraries, and online at http://hawaii.gov/ health/environmental/oeqc/index.html.

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND sponsors an anchialine pond restoration workday next Saturday, Dec 10. Volunteers meet at 7:45 a.m. at Wai`ohinu Park and carpool to Ho`onoua Pool North. Sign up at 769-7629 or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com. 

DONATIONS ARE BEING TAKEN for the Christmas in Pahala celebration on Sunday, Dec. 18, around a lighted Christmas tree on Kamani Street. 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. Drop donations by KAHU community radio station.

Ka'u News Briefs Dec. 3, 2011

The Ka`u High Gym, built in the 1930s, will continue to serve the school for events and athletics after the new
shelter and gym is completed. Photo by Julia Neal

HAWAI`I IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC CENTURY is the latest report from University of Hawai`i Economic Research Organization, which predicts more tourism for Hawai`i as economies grow in such places as Japan, China and Korea. As Asia-Pacific economies strengthen in coming years, it could mean more visitors coming here. 

     Tourists from Asia will be older and richer, the report states. Visitors from Asia-Pacific are valuable, the report says, with more of these visitors staying in hotels rather than timeshares and spending nearly 2.5 times more while shopping compared to visitors from the mainland. Retirees from Japan, China and South Korea “are likely to remain active and possess both the time and the financial resources needed to benefit Hawai`i tourism,” the report concludes. See more at civilbeat.org.

STATE-FUNDED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS are touted by Gov. Neil Abercrombie as examples of improving the financial management in state government, and two projects are expected to get underway in Ka`u next year. One is the raising of Hwy 11 at Kawa Flats, where flooding can make the road around the island impassable. The other is the disaster shelter and gym for the Ka`u High School and Pahala Elementary School campus for which the state has released more than $16 million to the county. Public meetings are coming up for both projects.
     The Kawa meeting on the Environmental Assessment for the road improvements will be this coming Thursday, Dec. 8 at 6 p.m. at Na`alehu School Cafeteria. The plan is to raise Hwy 11 some ten feet above grade to 46 feet above sea level. An 84-feet wide culvert, eight feet high, would be placed beneath the highway.
     The draft Environmental Assessment is available at Pahala and Na`alehu public libraries, and online at http://hawaii.gov/ health/environmental/oeqc/index.html.
     Preliminary public comments on the new Pahala gym and shelter are due next Tuesday, Dec. 6 at the county Department of Public Works. A charrette, where community members can talk to planners of the facility, will be held Dec. 19 and 20 at the Pahala school cafeteria from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
     The gym and shelter is being designed by Mitsunaga and Associates, of O`ahu. Examples of their other projects can be seen at mitsunagaassociates.com. The design is expected to be completed and the project put out to bid to construction companies by next March.

The THINK LOCAL, BUY LOCAL campaign is off and running. Mayor Billy Kenoi launched the promotion this week, saying the backbone of Hawai`i County’s economy has always been local businesses. He said buying from locally owned businesses and purchasing locally owned products only helps the local economy. Local businesses can join the campaign at www.ThinkLocalBuyLocal.org. 

CONCERTS THROUGHOUT KA`U offer holiday music today and tomorrow. The Ka`u Community Chorus, the Ka`u `Ohana Band and Hannah’s Makana `Ohana perform at free concerts at 2:30 p.m. today at Ocean View Community Center and tomorrow at Discovery Harbour Community Hall.
     The Volcano Festival Chorus Concert takes place this evening at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Military Camp Chapel in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Kilauea Drama and Entertainment Network and the chorus offer this free concert as a gift to the community. Park entrance fees may apply.

Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park's Kahuku Unit

HIKERS CAN LEARN ABOUT the People and Land of Kahuku tomorrow. This two-mile, three-hour hike, which explores pastures, a quarry, an airstrip and the 1868 lava fields, begins at 9:30 a.m. Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit is between the 70- and 71-mile markers on Hwy 11. 

THE NA`ALEHU THEATRE presents free `Ukulele Classes with Moses Espaniola from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. tomorrow morning in the Old Pahala Community Clubhouse. Lessons for persons of all ages will also be on Sundays, Dec.11 and 18, and on Sundays, Jan. 1, 8, 15 and 22. Snacks will be included. The lessons are sponsored in part by the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. The venue is provided by the Edmund C. Olson Trust. To attend, please come by and bring an `ukulele. For more information, contact Espaniola at ekolu23@yahoo.com or 345-6917 or Chelle Pahinui at chelle@cyrilpahinui.com. 

Santa and his helpers parade through Pahala Sunday, Dec. 11.

THE ANNUAL PAHALA CHRISTMAS PARADE is gearing up, with Eddie Andrade organizing the decades-old event for next Sunday, Dec. 11 at 1 p.m. Among the organizations participating are the Filipino Community Association, The Boys & Girls Club, the Catholic Church, Keoki Kahumoku and his `ukulele students, Ka`u Coffee Mill and many others who are planning their floats and their marching groups. The parade, with Santa in a sleigh and candies for keiki, travels up and down the streets to Pahala homes and makes a stop at Ka`u Hospital to visit with patients before finishing with refreshments at the Catholic Church. To participate, call 928-0808. 

CHRISTMAS IN PAHALA is being planned for Sunday, Dec. 18 at 5:30 p.m. on the corner of Ohia and Kamani Streets. “Our rural community of Ka`u has many families in need this Christmas,” said organizer Keala Kailiawa. “This will be a chance to come together as a community to talk story and enjoy one another.” The event will include Christmas tree lighting, caroling, a lucky number giveaway, beverages and light snacks. Donations of food, toiletries, toys and gift certificates will be distributed. To coordinate pick up of donations for the event, contact Kailiawa at 928-0500 or Pahala Plantation Cottages at 928-9811.