Ka'u News Briefs Dec. 15, 2011

Pahala School students of Keoki Kahumoku share their Hawaiian music and `ukulele skills at yesterday's
Christmas program.  Photo by Julia Neal

ALL OF THE OCEAN VIEW WELL major components and infrastructure are complete except for the HELCO electrical power supply, the county reported at its public meeting last night. HELCO is making adjustments to several Ocean View commercial and residential transformers in an effort to “balance” the voltage regulation required to run the sensitive high-voltage pumping equipment located 2,000 feet below the surface.
     Council member Brittany Smart moderated the community meeting in Ocean View last night with representatives of the Department of Water Supply talking to the public. DWS retiring manager and chief engineer Milton Pavao and engineer Kurt Inaba explained the unforeseen delays at the HOVE well pumping station. 

New water station location is off Lehua lane just off
Hwy 11 in Ocean View.

     The Ocean View well is the deepest well on the island that is managed by the DWS. The powerful three-phase submersible pump must push 100 gallons of water per minute up a 12-inch pipe nearly a half-mile to the 300,000-gallon reservoir. The entire pumping system must be thoroughly flushed before a quality water sample is taken and sent to the Department of Health and other corresponding agencies to ensure the water is safe for consumption. The testing process takes approximately two to three months.
     DWS representatives said they expect HELCO to complete the electrical adjustments by mid-January, enabling the contractor to bring water to the surface for testing. Once the pumping system is operational, applications for the 10 commercial meters will be announced in the newspapers, on the DWS website and at a future community meeting. The residential spigots are expected to be operational by March or April and are intended to provide residents access to potable drinking water.

“LAY YOUR SPEARS DOWN and embrace with aloha,” was the message of the address as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs held its annual ceremony yesterday. Robert Lindsey, who represents this area, attended the State of Hawaiian Homes delivery of the message at St. Andrews Cathedral on O`ahu.
     The address was delivered by OHA chair Colette Machado, who said, “We must always be protective of the open space along the shoreline.” She noted that Gov. Neil Abercrombie has proposed turning over 25 acres of shoreline on O`ahu at Kaka`ako. This would be part of the settlement with Native Hawaiians over ceded lands, which were acquired by the state from the territory which took it from the Kingdom of Hawai`i.
     She said she would favor public access to the shoreline “to gather as `ohana and to use that area to fish and also to bodysurf.”
     In addition to the land settlement, Machado said that OHA plans to continue to work on its effort to create a list of native Hawaiians for its roll call for self-determination.
     Former Governor John Waihe`e, who chairs the Roll Call Commission, said the goal is to “re-unify the sovereign entity of native Hawaiians one by one, by the thousands.”

West Ka`ili`ili entry is now open for viewing by hikers from the end of
Chain of Craters Road. Photo from USGS

HIKING TO THE LAVA FLOW from the end of Chain of Craters Drive is once again allowed by Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Lava from Kilauea’s remote Pu`u `O`o vent has reached the ocean within park boundaries, and scientists have named the spot the West Ka`ili`ili ocean entry. The hike is approximately four miles one-way across an uneven flow field. 

     Several streams of lava are pouring into the ocean, providing dramatic views. Visitors who stay after dark can also see channels of lava flowing down the pali and across the flow field, but conditions can change at any time.
     Hikers need to heed all warning signs and ranger advisories, and be aware of earth cracks and crevices, sharp terrain and rain-slick pahoehoe lava and other hazards. Steam plumes produced by lava entering the sea contain fine lava fragments and acid droplets that can be harmful. Scientists also confirmed that a lava delta is being formed at the base of a sea cliff at West Ka`ili`ili, and are monitoring the area closely. Lava deltas can collapse with little warning, produce hot rock falls inland, and generate large local waves.
     “Hikers must be adequately prepared with plenty of drinking water, dressed for rain or sunshine, wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes, carry a flashlight and spare batteries, and be in good physical shape for this hike,” said park superintendent Cindy Orlando.
     Visitors who do not want to hike out to the ocean entry can observe the wispy plume of the ocean entry from the end of Chain of Craters Road, near the ranger station. After sunset, flowing lava from Pu`u `O`o has been visible from the turnout on the hairpin curve on Chain of Craters Road, weather permitting.

HAWAI`I JOURNAL OF MEDICINE & PUBLIC HEALTH carries a story this month blaming chronic vog for runny eyes and red bumps on the inside of eyelids. The diagnosis is important because it is not an infectious disease of the eyelid. This vog-induced conjunctivitis is sometimes misdiagnosed for pink eye, says opthalmologist Jorge Camera, author of the study.
     He said it is important to identify vog conjunctivitis and to treat it early and effectively. All the patients in the study complained of itchiness and feeling a foreign object in the eye. Excessive tearing and burning was also reported in more than half the study group. The eye doctor said he plans to continue his study to find out why some people are affected and others are not. Also in question is the relationship between SO2 and conjunctivitis and particulates and conjunctivitis. Hawai`i Journal of Medicine & Public Health is available online at www.hjmph.org. 

Volunteers served more than 500 people at Hana Hou's annual keiki Christmas party yesterday. Photo by Tamryn Fyvie

IT WAS MERRY CHRISTMAS and a hearty meal for more than 500 people who turned up at Hana Hou Restaurant yesterday for the annual keiki Christmas party. Owner Drake Fujimoto said that approximately 300 keiki received gifts, with 42 bikes given away along with stuffed animals and even boxes of baby wipes for infants.

Shakas from Santa and keiki at Hana Hou Restaurant's
keiki Christmas party last night. Photo by Tamryn Fyvie

     Kids had photo opportunities with Santa, the Grinch and Gingerbread Boy. Keoki Kahumoku played music, and the rain held off for the outdoor celebration. Fujimoto thanked all the volunteers who served up food, helped set up and gave donations.

A FREE WORKSHOP to demystify the state legislative lawmaking process and introduce services available takes place today at 6 p.m. at Na`alehu School Cafeteria. Everyone is welcome, with no registration or prior experience required. Topics include an overview of the recently re-designed website, how to deliver effective testimony, and making sense of the calendar and deadlines. The workshop is sponsored by the Public Access Room, a division of the state’s non-partisan legislative Reference Bureau. For more information or to arrange individual tutorials or group workshops, call 974-4000, ext. 70478, or email par@capitol.hawaii.gov. 

Ka`u High School junior Leilani Desmond (r), of Green Sands, shows
 her display about using GigaPan photography to document the trash
and the cleaning of Kamilo Beach. Photo by Julia Neal

KA`U HIGH SCHOOL held its science fair last night. Winners will go to the East Hawai`i division, and winners from there will go to the state competition. Students interacted with the public, gaining experience in putting the science into language understandable to everyone as they showcased their projects. 

NA`ALEHU SCHOOL holds its Winterfest today at 12:30 p.m. Principal Darlene Javar will perform a dance routine as a reward for students selling 1,000 bags of cookies to raise money for prizes for the kids.

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK and Queen Lili`uokalani Children’s Center are calling kids of all ages to Ka`u `Ohana Day at the park’s Kahuku Unit on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Participants will experience the medicinal values of Hawaiian plants as Ka`ohu Monfort shares her knowledge about la`au lapa`au. Other activities will include making feather kahili and playing makahiki games like `ulu maika, konane and moa pahe`e. Bring water, sunscreen and a ball cap. The entire `ohana is welcome.

ALSO AT THE KAHUKU UNIT on Saturday, hikers can explore Kipuka`akihi, an isolated refuge of rare plants in a remnant old-growth forest. To register for the hike and for more information on Ka`u `Ohana Day, call 985-6011.

THE KEIKI CHRISTMAS PARTY at Ocean View Community Center is on Saturday at 11 a.m. Everyone is invited to this free event, which includes food, music, gifts for every child under 12 and a visit from Santa.
     OVCA asks for donations of new, unwrapped gifts for the keiki. Residents can take ornaments off of Gift trees set up at merchants around Ocean View and buy gifts for children of age groups noted.
     For all donations of time, money and gifts, call 939-7033.

THE CHRISTMAS IN PAHALA celebration takes place Sunday at 5:30 p.m. around a lighted Christmas tree on Kamani Street. Donations are being taken for needy families who otherwise might not be able to afford a happy Christmas. Canned foods, turkeys, toys, gift certificates and beverages can be donated by calling Keala Kailiawa at 928-0500 or Pahala Plantation Cottages at 928-9811, or dropping donations by KAHU community radio station on Maile Street.

Ka'u News Briefs Dec. 14, 2011

Donna Pabre said she hopes the CDP  will result in concrete actions rather than a lot of words. Photo by Julia Neal

PURPOSE AND PROCESS of the Ka`u Community Development Plan was restated and emphasized last night as Steering Committee chair Leina`ala Enos reviewed the history of the planning document that is being created by the county and community to guide Ka`u’s future. The public can follow the evolution of the CDP at http://hawaiicountycdp.info/kau-cdp.
     Hot Topics in Ka`u which have inspired some members of the public to recently dominate meetings in Ocean View and supercede more methodical agendas were off the table last night. “These will not be discussed at the Steering Committee meeting,” Enos said.
     The Hot Topics in Ka`u document listed: 

     The `Aina Koa Pono Biofuels Project. The Hot Topics sheet noted that the Public Utilities Commission recently rejected the contract between the electric company and `Aina Koa Pono, and a Frequently Asked Questions memo about the project is available from the Steering Committee, the Planning Department, public libraries and online the Ka`u CDP website and www.ainakoapono.com.

     The Kawa Drainage Environmental Assessment. Comment period for the Draft EIS continues through Dec. 23. The Draft EIS is available at public libraries and online at the state Department of Health’s Office of Environmental Quality Control website. http://oeqc.doh.hawaii.gov/shared%20Documents/EA_EIS_Online_Library/Hawaii/2010s-2011-11-23-DEA-Mamalahoa-Highway-Drainage.pdf. Comments can be sent to the Department of Transportation’s Hawai`i District Office, 50 Makaala Street, Hilo, HI 96720.

Removing ungulates would
protect native plants.

     Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Draft Plan/EIS concerns managing non-native ungulates like sheep, goats, wild cattle and pigs. The comment period for the Draft Plan and EIS continues through Jan. 20. The Draft EIS is available on the national park’s website at http://www.parkplanning.nps.gov/havo_ecosystem_deis. 

     Kahuku Village – Nani Kahuku `Aina proposed resort development. When the Final EIS is published, more public comment will be invited. No development can begin until the EIS is accepted and several permits are secured, says the Hot Topics info sheet. The next step will likely be amendments to the County General Plan and to the State Land Use Commission boundaries, which require public hearings, says the Hot Topics memo.

     The Ocean View Readjustment Strategy, an idea to encourage some Ocean View residents and future growth to concentrate housing closer to amenities and public services. “The concept is not being pursued any further,” the county’s Hot Topic handout says, as does a memo from county Planning director Bobby Jean Leithead-Todd.

The DLNR is making a plan for the
Ka`u Forest Reserve.

     The Ka`u Forest Reserve Environmental Assessment contact is Ron Terry, of Geometrician Associates, who invites public comment on the Ka`u Forest Reserve Management Plan that is under development. Terry can be reached at 969-7090 or the website www.geometricianassociates.com.
     With the Hot Topics off the table, the CDP Steering Committee agreed to hold off meeting again until April to allow county planner Ron Whitmore and consultants to draft the CDP for Ka`u and bring it back to the community for numerous discussions and review. The next CDP meeting will be April 10 at Pahala Community Center at 5:30 p.m.

A COMMITTEE FROM OCEAN VIEW was introduced by Steering Committee member Loren Heck, who says he has been meeting with more than 40 people each week. He said the meetings have shown that the vision and values developed by the CDP three years ago have endured in the community.
     He said he wants to make sure that ideas from the community can continue to be presented to the county and consultants as the CDP is being written, and planners said that information will still be accepted. 

     Marie Burns presented ideas from the Ocean View group, which has launched a Nani Kahuku Forest resource management committee that plans to record a baseline of the forest at Nani Kahuku. Burns said the committee wants to publish a pamphlet identifying the native flora to raise community awareness. 

     The committee wants a reforestation program to plant 1,000 trees by April 2012 and to make a film on the native plants of Kahuku, said Burns. A committee wants to work on Ala Kahakai Trail mapping.
     A separate committee wants an orchard management program that goes to homeowners and landowners who have trees that are not harvested. The group would take the fruits and nuts to market.   

     A committee would focus on creating an Ocean View Charter School.
     Another committee is comprised of a dozen volunteers who want to help provide more public safety in Ocean View – another form of the Neighborhood Watch, said Burns.

Ocean View planning was the center of the public
presentations at last night's CDP meeting.
Image from Nani Kahuku `Aina Draft EIS

     Another committee is called Clean it Up Ka`u. One initiative is to build a sports park with BMX Race tracks for kids, and the group is looking for land for this initiative. A separate committee is looking at the military history in Kahuku and concentrating on unexploded ordnance left over from military training exercises years ago. The group is also helping to create a Ka`u Business Women’s Association. 

     Donna Pabre presented two project ideas. One is development of two community farm markets with certified kitchens like one in Kea`au and two in Honoka`a. These “will go a long way to making us independent,” she said. She suggested two sites, one in Ocean View and the other in Punalu`u, where visitors could be served.
     Pabre also talked about aquaponics as a way to farm with limited water supply. She mentioned a Kohala Food Project where “their goal is to feed their community rather than worry whether the barge is going to get here,” she said.
     Pabre pressed the Steering Committee to make sure the $400,000 Community Development Plan is not just words, but includes concrete plans.
     The Steering Committee chair said, “We are headed in that direction. Thank you for probing and egging us on.”
     Earl Louis, from Pahala, said he hopes that the history and mana`o of the community brought to the planners by kupuna during public meetings on the CDP will be included. “Don’t put it on the side and cross it off,” he said. “Should take the information and study it good,” he said. “Don’t just think about big ideas for Ka`u where people can make a lot of money.” He said Ka`u is “not a big gold mine.”
     During the meeting, it was noted that Donna Ambrose has resigned from the Steering Committee for personal reasons. Her seat will remain vacant, as the process is more than half over, and it would be difficult for a new person to catch up, said the planning director.

THE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF WATER SUPPLY holds a public meeting today at 5:30 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center to talk about the new well and water filling station. The county is working on the last details of the water supply system, troubleshooting with the electric company and contractor to provide high-voltage power to run the water pumps. The Water Department is also working with the state Department of Health to ensure water quality.

Santa will be at Hana Hou tonight and Ocean View
on Saturday.

THE KEIKI CHRISTMAS PARTY at Hana Hou Restaurant in Na`alehu is today from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Free goodie bags and keiki IDs will be offered, along with a free buffet-style dinner. Lucky numbers will be drawn for bicycles, games, books, toys and more. Santa will be there for photos with the keiki.

NA`ALEHU SCHOOL holds its Winterfest tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. Principal Darlene Javar will perform a dance routine as a reward for students selling 1,000 bags of cookies to raise money for prizes for the kids.

OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY CENTER’S Keiki Christmas Party is on Saturday at 11 a.m. Everyone is invited to this free event, which includes food, music, gifts for every child under 12 and a visit from Santa.
     OVCA asks for donations of new, unwrapped gifts for the keiki. Residents can take ornaments off of Gift trees set up at merchants around Ocean View and buy gifts for children of age groups noted.
     For all donations of time, money and gifts, call 939-7033.

THE CHRISTMAS IN PAHALA celebration takes place Sunday at 5:30 p.m. around a lighted Christmas tree on Kamani Street. Donations are being taken for needy families who otherwise might not be able to afford a happy Christmas. Canned foods, turkeys, toys, gift certificates and beverages can be donated by calling Keala Kailiawa at 928-0500 or Pahala Plantation Cottages at 928-9811, or dropping donations by KAHU community radio station on Maile Street.

Ka'u News Briefs Dec. 13, 2011

Hana Hou Restaurant's Christmas Party for keiki and their families takes place tomorrow afternoon from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Here, Hana Hou employees from past years hand out lucky numbers.

ABOUT 100 PEOPLE turned out to talk with Council member Brittany Smart at last night’s Ocean View Community Association meeting. Smart brought along with her Planning director Bobby Jean Leithead-Todd, who assured Ocean View residents that incentives to encourage people to move to a more centralized town core with amenities, utilities and other public service would not be pursued. This followed CDP meetings in which numerous people said they choose to live remotely and would not be forced down the hill to a more densely populated town core.
     Todd said that if people in Ocean View could not come up with specific plans for their community during the CDP process, broad planning principles would be adopted which could allow more specific plans later. Several small community groups are meeting in Ocean View to study the CDP and make recommendations.

Ocean View residents currently use temporary rubbish bins
until the transfer station gets built.

     Greg Goodale, the new county Solid Waste chief, updated the community on the Ocean View Transfer Station. He said the county is working on a design for the site on the newly purchased 21.65 acres just off Hwy 11 at the 79- mile marker. The county is working with the state Department of Transportation to design turn lanes and increase the width of the highway. The transfer station could open within a year and a half. A community committee will help work on the design and land use, Goodale said. He said $3.1 million has been allocated for the project through the floating of a bond.

THE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF WATER SUPPLY will hold a public meeting on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center to talk about the well and water filling station. The county is working on the last details of the water supply system, troubleshooting with the electric company and contractor to provide high-voltage power to run the water pumps. The Water Department is also working with the state Department of Health to ensure water quality. In addition to the spigots for the general public, metered water will be available at the water filling station for businesses and nonprofit organizations.

BRITTANY SMART spends a lot of her time as a County Council member working on the new building code for Hawai`i Island, she told The Ka`u Calendar yesterday. She said, during an interview, that her goal is to help make owner-built housing more affordable and to assist homeowners in bringing unpermitted housing up to code without being subject to fines or criminal charges that can make them afraid to upgrade their homes. The county is in the middle of updating the building code, following the state adopting a new building code. Debate has centered over whether the county code can be less strict than the state code. 

Brittany Smart

     Smart said that she has also worked to take suggestions from the public for farmers and ranchers to be allowed larger and additional unpermitted farm buildings on ag land. The Council has revised the new code to allow non-residential, one-story buildings no larger than 600 square feet on ag land and one-story buildings on residential properties no larger than 120 square feet. The proposed change is being reviewed by the Planning Department.
     Another building code issue is determining where houses must have safe rooms or be made hurricane-proof. She said that the new code will most likely limit this requirement to specific places close to the ocean.
     Another initiative that Smart says she is working on is using old tires to make paving materials for roads. She said she doesn’t want the county to be put in the position of having to import chipped tires, but that using tires discarded on this island would save a lot of tires from landfills and avoid the cost of shipping them off-island for disposal. Smart said she is not sure whether the initiative will be for a “mind set, public policy or legislative change.”
     Smart met with Ocean View Community Association last night.

THE REDISTRICTING COMMISSION for County Council seats will hold a meeting this Friday at 1:30 p.m. in Hilo Council chambers to address concerns of gerrymandering. A story by Jason Armstrong in this morning’s Hawai`i Tribune Herald says the claims center around Council member Dennis Onishi sending emails stating that new redistricting would put him and J Yoshimoto in the same Council district that could have them running against one another. The emails apparently drew responses to the Commission. Commissioner Rene Siracusa called such emails an ethics violation, as the Council member is not allowed to lobby to influence the redistricting lines. Onishi told Armstrong he was simply stating the facts to 40 to 50 friends, explaining how the district boundaries could change. The meeting is set to clear the air, said Siracusa.

Alapaki Nahale-a with Gov. Neil Abercrombie

HAWAIIANS ON THE HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS waiting list for more than 40 years are invited to meet with Hawaiian Homes Commission chair Alapaki Nahale-a regarding a new Kauhale project. The Kauhale project goal is to put people in housing as early as 2012. He said in old Hawai`i people lived together with large kitchens and outlying sleeping areas. He described a modern possibility to Hawai`i Tribune Herald reporter Jason Armstrong: “You might have multiple structures or a larger structure designed in an appropriate way that can house multiple families on one lot. Anywhere from three, four, even five families on one lot. And it’s still within building code. We can oversize the kitchen, oversize the laundry, make sure there’s appropriate parking, but the goal is to serve more families on one homestead award.” 

     The meetings are open to the public and will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, Dec. 14 at the Hawaiian Home Lands Kuhio Hale, 64-756 Mamalahoa Highway in Waimea, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Thursday, Dec. 15 at Keaukaha Elementary School Cafeteria, 240 Desha Ave. in Hilo from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

DISCOUNTED INTERISLAND AIRLINE TICKETS, in bulk, will soon be available from Hawaiian Airlines, the carrier states. However, the company is still considering whether to give kama`aina rates to local individuals. According to Hawaiian, its fuel cost is expected to go up by $200 million this year, and fuel costs are unpredictable. If kama`aina tickets become available, Hawaiian Air will make the announcement when they are available. 

     Sen. Malama Solomon has joined a group of people signing a petition online asking for kama`aina rates again to allow local residents to fly more to see families and help the economy. The online petition is at http://signon.org/sign/hawaiian-air-price-fixing. It says, “Interisland travel is essential for keeping Hawai`i families connected. Hawaiian Air doubled the price of interisland tickets since Aloha Airlines and the ferry was forced out of business. There are no longer discounted kama`aina, senior, or youth rates, and no more coupon books for frequent travelers, so it is prohibitive for people to visit their children, grandchildren and family. We are calling on our government to take action.”

THE KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN’S Steering Committee meets tonight at 5:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. According to the agenda, discussion will be limited to the roles of the Steering Committee and the community in the CDP production process. For more information, contact planner Ron Whitmore at 961-8137 or rwhitmore@co.hawaii.hi.us.

KA`U HIGH SCHOOL HOSTS a schoolwide Science Fair tomorrow from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Students have been putting in extra effort and hours to develop original projects, which will be judged by local science and technology experts. Winning projects will be entered into the East Hawai`i Science Fair. From there, top projects will move on to the State Science and Engineering Fair. Students’ experiments will be on display in the High School science rooms, M-101 and M-102.

Jeff Scofield

AFTER THE SCIENCE FAIR, Jeff Scofield, former president of Pacific Financial Aid Association, will present vital information on college financial aid in the Band Room at 6 p.m. 

THE KUAHIWIS PERFORM LIVE IN CONCERT at After Dark in the Park tonight at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Copies of their debut CD, Kuahiwis, Hawaiian Music, which was nominated for traditional Hawaiian music CD of the year, will be available for sale.

THE FRONT ROW OF COTTAGES at Kilauea Military Camp have been decorated for KMC’s third annual Holiday Challenge. The public can vote for their favorite display and receive a Holiday Dollar redeemable at several KMC venues. Park entrance fees may apply.

THE KEIKI CHRISTMAS PARTY at Hana Hou Restaurant in Na`alehu is tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Free goodie bags and keiki IDs will be offered, along with a free buffet-style dinner. Lucky numbers will be drawn for bicycles, games, books, toys and more. Santa will be there for photos with the keiki.

OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY CENTER’S Keiki Christmas Party is on Saturday at 11 a.m. Everyone is invited to this free event, which includes food, music, gifts for every child under 12 and a visit from Santa.
     OVCA asks for donations of new, unwrapped gifts for the keiki. Residents can take ornaments off of Gift trees set up at merchants around Ocean View and buy gifts for children of age groups noted.
     For all donations of time, money and gifts, call 939-7033.

THE CHRISTMAS IN PAHALA celebration takes place Sunday around a lighted Christmas tree on Kamani Street. Donations are being taken for needy families who otherwise might not be able to afford a happy Christmas. Canned foods, turkeys, toys, gift certificates and beverages can be donated by calling Keala Kailiawa at 928-0500 or Pahala Plantation Cottages at 928-9811, or dropping donations by KAHU community radio station on Maile Street.