Ka'u News Briefs Dec. 19, 2011

Three red Radio Flyer wagons, put together by contractor Mike Munnerlyn and Mona Chow, were the grand prizes
for children at Christmas in Pahala, where businesses and community members donated for families needing help
with affording Christmas gifts. Photo by Julia Neal

THE NEW SCHOOL GYM & DISASTER SHELTER for Ka`u is the subject of public meetings today and tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Pahala School Cafeteria. This is a meeting in which the community can personally meet the planners from the county, state and engineering and architecture firm. The governor has already released more than $16 million for the county to use to build the regional disaster shelter and community center to be operated by the county Department of Parks & Recreation. Community comments to date have included making the building fit in with the historic village and equipping the main building with the ability to clean the air during bad vog days and during a disaster and fresh air at other times. Other suggestions include building a stage for community events and a fitness room for school athletics and the community, designing parking lot lighting that will not affect the night skies in Ka`u, and limiting the pavement for parking on the open field where the community has been parking on the grass for big events at the school.
     Another question is whether there will be a commission for public art on the site. The state’s Art in Public Places program usually sets aside one percent of the cost of a public building for a sculpture or other work of art. However, the money being given to the county may put the decision on whether to commission the art in the hands of the county. 

A sculpture by Randy Shiroma, who
will create a work of art for the
Pahala school grounds.

A SCULPTURE BY VOLCANO ARTIST Randy Shiroma was recently commissioned by the state Foundation of Culture and the Arts unconnected with the shelter and gym project. The $100,000 commission includes an artist in the schools program in which Shiroma will be teaching at the public schools in Pahala and getting to know the community before coming up with a design for the sculpture on the school grounds. Other public works of art at the school include two paintings that were provided from the state’s collection for the school office and a sculpture outside of the Pahala library that was put there in the 1970s but removed when it deteriorated. There are apparently no other Art in Public Places commissions in Ka`u outside of the school office. 

INTERISLAND SHIPPING COSTS will go up again. The Hawai`i Public Utilities Commission has approved an increase of 16.58 percent. Young Brothers wanted more, stating that cargo volume has fallen short of its forecasts. PUC chair Mina Morita said “the Commission strives to balance a utility’s financial health with adequate service at reasonable rates. We recognize that rate increases are difficult for customers, especially in today’s economic climate, but regular cargo service is critical in maintaining economic activity throughout Hawai`i.” The Commission’s decision approved rate increases in the container, flatracks/platforms, automobile, roll-on/roll-off cargo, G-Vans, and other less than container-load cargo categories, at various percentages; allowed other changes to Young Brothers’ tariff; and granted use, subject to conditions, of a new internal financial closing schedule. The PUC re-stated its authority to examine Young Brothers’ actual earnings to ensure that earnings do not result in a windfall in an improved economy where actual cargo volume surpasses the forecasted cargo demand relied upon to determine the approved rate increase. More detail about Young Brothers’ application can be found on the PUC’s website, puc.hawaii.gov, on the Select Dockets page. (See Docket No. 2010-0171.) 

MORE AUSTRALIANS are expected to visit this Big Island from their big island south of here. New flights from Australia to Hawai`i were just announced by Air Australia. As with Alaskans who seem to like the Big Island for its open space and mountains, Australians are expected to enjoy the Big Island for its grand landscape. The new flights will come from Melbourne and Brisbane. Current flights from Australia come from Sydney. 

MONEY COLLECTED THROUGH THE COUNTY’S HI-5 recycling program is being distributed to 10 Big Island nonprofits. The funds were accumulated from recyclers who turned away the cash when they took their cans and bottles to redemption centers.
     O Ka`u Kakou is one of the recipients of the funds. President Wayne Kawachi, a long-time recycler, said the donation, designated by Wai`ohinu workers, will be useful for a number of the organization’s projects. “We take care of cemeteries,” he said. “We are doing rock walls around the cemeteries. The money could go for that.” Or, he said, they could cover the cost of a couple of months’ rental of portable toilets at Punalu`u Black Sand Beach or South Point, another of the organization’s costs. Another alternative, he said, would be to use the money for the projects the group undertakes helping senior citizens complete maintenance and safety projects around their homes. 

The band Keaiwa offered music at Christmas in Pahala.

CHRISTMAS IN PAHALA drew hundreds of residents to Kamani Street last night. Organized by Keala Kailiawa, the celebration included the music of Demetrius Oliveira and the band Keaiwa. The Holy Rosary Church’s Harmonies choir arrived on a float and sang Christmas carols. Keiki sat on Santa’s lap. Local businesses and residents provided gifts for needy families, including red Radio Flyer wagons, a tricycle, grill, Ka`u Coffee Mill coffee, Punalu`u cookies, Oven Treats, lunch bags, children’s books, volleyballs, toys and Hawaiian CDs. O Ka`u Kakou provided popcorn and shave ice. KAHU Radio donated many presents. The Kailiawa family donated stew. Residents donated turkeys, hams, bags of rice and other gifts. Olson Trust donated gift certificates from KTA and the community Christmas tree that will light up Kamani Street at Pahala Plantation Cottages through New Year’s Eve.

Santa had a helper at Christmas in Pahala last
night by the lighted tree on Kamani Street.

A PROPOSAL TO REVISE MONK SEAL critical habitat designations is open for public comment until Jan. 6, 2012. Except for areas excluded for national security reasons, the proposal extends critical habitat from the 200-meter depth contours to the 500-meter depth contours surrounding the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and the main Hawaiian Islands. It also includes previously excluded Sand Island at Midway. 

     The National Marine Fisheries Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which submitted the proposal, is responsible for ensuring the survival and recovery of the endangered monk seal. NOAA Fisheries, in partnership with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, has worked for more than 20 years to address the monk seal’s decline. However, 40 percent of its population has been lost in the last ten years, and it is facing the threat of extinction, according to NOAA. The agency reports that only about 1,100 seals remain, and an additional four percent of the population is lost each year.
     The proposal, identified as 0648-BA81, can be read at www.regulations.gov. Comments can be submitted at the website or sent to Regulatory Branch Chief, Protected Resources Division, National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Regional Office, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI, 96814. 

THE DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS on the Kawa Drainage Project is this Friday, Dec. 23. 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.
     Comments can be sent to the state Department of Transportation’s Hawai`i District Office, 50 Maka`ala Street, Hilo, HI 96720.
     The draft EA is available at Pahala and Na`alehu public libraries, and online at http://hawaii.gov/ health/environmental/oeqc/index.html.

Harmonies Choir from Holy Rosary Church arrived at Christmas in Pahala
on a float and sang carols.

JOHN AND HOPE KEAWE ring in the holidays with their music, hula and aloha spirit at After Dark in the Park tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Donations of two dollars support park programs. Park entrance fees apply. 

THE LIGHTS AND COTTAGE DECORATIONS at Kilauea Military Camp cottages are up, and the public is invited to vote on the best. The effort was made by the staff of KMC. Those who enjoy the stroll along the cottage row can receive a Holiday Dollar redeemable at various KMC venues.

Ka'u News Briefs Dec. 18, 2011

Ka`u Coffee Growers Cooperative president Gloria Camba (l) and coffee grower Lorie Obra dance for the co-op's
Christmas party last night. Photo by Julia Neal

NO GERRYMANDERING OCCURRED, members of the County Council Redistricting Commission stated on Friday, according to a story in the Hawai`i Tribune Herald. County Clerk Jamae Kawauchi had asked the Commission to convene to explain its process. This followed perceptions that the Commission may have moved boundaries of a draft redistricting map to make sure that incumbents and political allies J Yoshimoto and Dennis Onishi would not have to run against each other in the election next year. The change in the draft plan came after Onishi sent out 40 to 50 emails noting that the draft map could pit them against one another in the next election. After the emails were sent, the Commission changed the map to separate their districts. According to the Jason Armstrong story, commissioner Mike Middlesworth stated that the purpose was to move lines “a little bit to eliminate that tail” forming the area mauka of the Kupulau Road-Ainaola Drive intersection in Hilo.
     The final map does leave incumbent council members Brittany Smart and Brenda Ford in a position where they would have to face each other should they both decide to run again for the District 6 Council seat which includes all of Ka`u.

Sen. Dan Inouye and Gov. Neil Abercrombie work on
federal recognition for Hawaiian. Photo by Julia Neal

A LAST-DITCH EFFORT FOR FEDERAL RECOGNITION OF NATIVE HAWAIIANS was rejected by the U.S. Senate last week. The House had earlier jettisoned the Akaka Bill, which is widely known as the proposal to recognize Hawaiians. After the rejection, Inouye put his own version into a Department of Interior funding measure, but the House added on “a variety of devastating anti-environmental riders, which, if the Senate accepted, would have set back our nation’s air and water protections for many years to come,” Inouye said.
     “The Hawaiian recognition provision embraced the excellent work of the state Legislature in beginning the process of Native Hawaiian self-determination and recognition,” Inouye said in his statement.
     “I will continue to fight for federal recognition for Native Hawaiians, and I will work with the other members of the Hawai`i delegation to plan our next move,” Inouye said.

SCHOOL BUS PROVIDERS may be changing in Ka`u as new companies have been bidding against each other for contracts around the state, according to a report in Civil Beat this weekend. Hawaiian Discovery, which is based on the Big Island, and Wasatch Transportation, Inc., which is based in Utah, won some of the routes traditionally held by Roberts and other local companies. Akita Enterprises beat out Roberts on some East Hawai`i routes, and Hawaiian Discovery won some West Hawai`i routes, according to Civil Beat, which has been investigating lack of competition and the runaway cost of school bus services.

Dennis Kamakahi's music is featured on the soundtrack of The Descendants,
which is up for five Golden Globe awards. Photo by Julia Neal

THE DESCENDANTS, a film set in Hawai`i with a soundtrack featuring Hawaiian singers and slack key players very familiar to Ka`u residents, has won five Golden Globe nominations. It features music by Dennis Kamakahi, who teaches at workshops in Pahala and plans to move to Na`alehu within a year. Also on the soundtrack are Cyril Pahinui and the late Gabby Pahinui. The Descendants is nominated for Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Actor for George Clooney, Best Supporting Actress for Shalene Woodley and Best Screenplay and Best Director for Alexander Payne. The film has also won numerous critics awards. 

      The Descendants is about a land baron faced with the decision on whether to sell off some of the last undeveloped coastal land in Hawai`i that was handed down within his family from the early missionaries. 

One Journey, the Brown Bags to Stardom winner, played for the Ka`u Coffee
co-op with singer Eunice Longakit, who plans to major in music in college
and Moses Espaniola III, who teaches `ukulele free each Sunday at the
Old Pahala Clubhouse. Photo by Julia Neal 

THE KA`U COFFEE GROWERS COOPERATIVE celebrated a year of success yesterday at its annual Christmas Party. Co-op president Gloria Camba encouraged farmers to keep up the good quality that has given them top awards in the state and the nation and such markets as high-end gourmet buyers and Starbucks. Chris Manfredi, who manages the land where many of the farmers grow their coffee, reviewed the marketing success. The award-winning One Journey band performed, courtesy of Ka`u Coffee Mill, kupuna offered up hula and keiki sang and danced. Many local businesses donated gifts for the event. 

THE COUNTY OF HAWAI`I is currently in the process of soliciting grant applications from qualified nonprofit organizations for fiscal year 2012-2013, which begins July 1, 2012. Each year Hawai`i County designates a minimum of $900,00 to be allocated to qualified organizations. Applications and all supporting documentation must be received by the Department of Finance’s administration by January 31, 2012. 

     For more information on qualifications and how to apply, visit the Nonprofit Grant Form page at www.hawaiicounty.gov/fn-nonprofit-grant-forms or contact Karen Eoff at 323-4280 or 323-4264.


     Additionally, the County of Hawai`i is able to offer free access to its Grants Network subscription to community groups that are located and serve within Hawai`i County. This educational service helps nonprofits find grants and offers other educational support on tracking and reporting grants. For more information, contact the county Department of Research and Development at 961-8366. 

Christmas in Pahala will be held
tonight at 5:30 p.m. on Kamani
St. around the lighted Christmas
tree. Photo by Julia Neal

CHRISTMAS IN PAHALA is this evening at 5:30 p.m. on Kamani Street next to the lighted tree with caroling, gifts and refreshments. Gifts for families who would not otherwise be able to afford a Merry Christmas are being accepted to be distributed this evening through lucky number drawings. Gifts include some bikes, wagons, a grill, Ka`u Coffee and many locally made products as well as gift certificates for food. Everyone is invited.

THE NEW REGIONAL DISASTER SHELTER and gymnasium for the community and schools in Pahala is open for design questions and suggestions from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the school cafeteria tomorrow and Tuesday. More than $16 million has been approved for the county to develop the project on the school campus. Questions include whether the gym will be set up to clean the air from vog, and whether there will be amenities such as a stage, workout room, and disaster communications center. Will the project pave then entire green field around the proposed gym site, and will any parking lot lighting protect the night skies and stargazing in Ka`u? A wooden floor for the gym and a design that fits in with the historic nature of the village have also been suggested by community members.

JOHN AND HOPE KEAWE ring in the holidays with their music, hula and aloha spirit at After Dark in the Park this Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Donations of two dollars support park programs. Park entrance fees apply.

Ka'u News Briefs Dec. 17, 2011

NANI KAHUKU `AINA RESORT’S Draft Environmental Impact Statement for hotels, condominiums, golf course, estates and commercial centers on 16,000 acres between South Point and Ocean View, makai of  Hwy 11 and extending to the Ka`u Coast, has drawn comment from the county planning director. 

Bobby Jean Leithead-Todd

     Bobby Jean Leithead-Todd asks the developers to discuss how the resort would fulfill the county General Plan’s objectives and policies, which include the following: discourage intensive development in areas of high volcanic hazard; encourage urban development within existing zoned areas already served by basic infrastructure, or close to such areas instead of scattered development; and that lands currently designated Resort should be utilized before new resorts are allowed in undeveloped coastal areas.
     To proceed at Nani Kahuku `Aina, developers would need land use classification changes, including taking land out of Conservation near the coast.
     The planning director wrote that the Draft EIS “lacks sufficient detail to assess impacts” regarding its proposed Hawaiian Heritage Center, its Mauka Community Facilities Reserve, its Mixed-Use Village and related infrastructure and ancillary improvements.
     The Planning Department asks the developer to address a number of issues before submitting its Final EIS. 

Nani Kahuku `Aina developer Katherine Peroff
with Heritage Center planner Herb Lee

     A PROMISE TO OPERATE A NONPROFIT organization for cultural and environmental purposes needs more detail, the county says.
     Writes the planning director, “While we appreciate the applicant’s offer to donate a portion of sales and operations revenues to the Kahuku Hawaiian Heritage Center, because the KHHC is so central to the project’s marketability, success, and management of natural and cultural resources, much more detail about building the KHHC’s long-term capacity and viability is needed.”
     County planners also ask about a proposed Integrated Natural and Cultural Resources Management Plan, saying it is “referenced multiple times in the Draft EIS as a measure to protect natural and cultural resources and to mitigate impacts of development and public use on coastal and marine resources, ponds, flora and fauna.” The planning director asks for specific protection and mitigation measures to be included in the Final EIS.
     PROTECTING THE SHORELINE CONSERVATION ZONE is another subject that needs more explanation from the developer, the planning director says.
     She also calls for a more detailed survey of the Ka`u and Hawai`i Island communities to determine the cultural significance of the site, “including sacred associations with open space and the physical landscape as well as contemporary cultural activities at the site, including Native Hawaiian spiritual, cultural and recreational practices.”
     The planning director asks for an analysis of impacts on public facilities and services and how they will be mitigated “above and beyond simply donating land.”
     She also asks for written documentation from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs describing the facility that the developers promise will be built for vets.

Nani Kahuku `Aina project
manager Aaron Eberhardt

     EVACUATION DURING DISASTERS is another concern of the Planning Department, particularly should there be lava inundation. County planners note that communities in Florida establish population density caps based on evacuation clearance rates in high hazard areas. If development is proposed resulting in density greater than the caps, mitigation is required, either in improving evacuation routes and/or keeping the population below the cap. The planning director asks the developer to define the evacuation clearance rate for the area, propose an appropriate density limit for the proposed Nani Kahuku resort site and identify related mitigation strategies.
     She also asks about traffic impacts of the proposed resort, plans to generate power, and analysis of hazards related to the adjacent Pakini bombing range and possible unexploded ordnance.
     HAWAIIAN TRAILS need analysis, the planning department says, asking for a legal and ownership analysis, mapping of the existing and proposed trail system, and a timeline for developing a shoreline access plan, parking, and proposed hours the access would be open to the public.
     Numerous public comments have been submitted concerning the draft EIS, which can be read on the state Department of Health’s website under the Office of Environmental Quality Control. 

     THE DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS on the Kawa Drainage Project is Friday, Dec. 23. 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.
     Comments can be sent to the state Department of Transportation’s Hawai`i District Office, 50 Makaala Street, Hilo, HI 96720.
     The draft EA is available at Pahala and Na`alehu public libraries, and online at http://hawaii.gov/ health/environmental/oeqc/index.html.

THE KEIKI CHRISTMAS PARTY at Ocean View Community Center begins at 11 a.m. this morning. Everyone is invited to this free event, which includes food, music, gifts for every child under 12 and a visit from Santa.

A CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR and swap meet takes place tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ka`u Castle between mile markers 67 and 68 on Hwy 11.

THE LIGHTED CHRISTMAS TREE on Kamani Street is the site of Christmas in Pahala tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. 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.

Proposed location for the disaster shelter and gym is the open field at the entrance to Ka`u High. Photo by Julia Neal

DESIGN OF THE SHELTER AND GYM at Ka`u High School is the topic of the charrette this Monday and Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the school cafeteria. The public is invited to see current plans and offer input for this multi-million dollar project to be built next year.