Ka`u News Briefs March 13, 2012

Megan Collins, right, promotes The Local Buzz Ka`u Coffee and Macadamia Nuts in Philadelphia.

THE FIRST EVER HAWAI`I REPUBLICAN CAUCUS will be held around the state today from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Caucus locations to vote for the Republican nomination for President of the United States include Na`alehu Elementary School Cafeteria just off Hwy 11 for Pahala, Na`alehu, Discovery Harbour, Green Sands and area residents; Ocean View Community Center on Leilani Circle for Miloli`i to Ocean View residents; and New Hope Church in Volcano for Volcano, Glenwood and Mt. View residents.

      Formerly, the Republicans hosted state conventions with delegates where party nominees were selected. For the caucuses this evening, Republicans can show up at any of the locations, just so they don’t vote at more than one location. If not already registered as a Republican, participants can register but must show permanent residency in Hawai`i. 

      The candidates are Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum. The voting sites are set up for all 51 state House Districts as well as Moloka`i, Lana`i and Hana so that anyone can participate in person. These are not mass meetings. They are organized as a party-run Primary Election. See more at http://www.gophawaii.com/2012-presidential-caucus.

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY incorporated into school designs and renovations is one of the aims of a bill making its way through the state Legislature this year. SB1197, which goes to public hearing today, is written “to realize economic savings by increasing energy efficiency in state buildings, including schools by requiring the incorporation of alternative energy designs into the construction of, and major renovations to, state buildings,” says the committee report. The county is planning a new gym and community shelter in Pahala and is attempting to make the buildings as energy efficient as possible, given the budget of more than $17 million.

MAKING HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC CO. a distribution company only, in order to allow more competition in the production of power by many producers, failed to get the votes in committees at the state Legislature this year. The bill was authored by Rep. Denny Coffman. The idea is to move Hawaiian Electric out of the production of electricity over time, as Hawaiian Electric power plants are run with fossil fuel. The bill will likely come up again next year. Coffman, a Democrat, is expected to run for the expanded state House District that will span from Kona Airport to Honu`apo. The primary is in August. 

THE KA`U FARM BUREAU last night reviewed legislation involving agriculture. Among the bills discussed that are alive at the state Legislature is SB 2646, which would exempt nonresidential agricultural structures from building permits on land classified ag; SB2341, that would allow overnight stays on ag land; and another bill that would allow `ohana dwellings on ag land. Another bill would limit solar farms to the lower quality ag lands. A bill would allow beekeepers to produce honey without having potable water on site. Another bill would float bonds for loans to keep dams and reservoirs in good shape. Another would provide $147,000 in funding to help the Big Island Invasive Species Committee to eradicate wild and abandoned coffee, which is seen as a major problem in controlling the coffee berry borer. Anyone can go to capitol.hawaii.gov and look up any subject and find proposed legislation. Ka`u Farm Bureau meetings are held the second Monday of each month.

KA`U COFFEE GROWERS Megan Collins and Scott Buske, of Paradise Meadows Orchard & Bee Farm, are just pau with the Philadelphia International Flower Show, one of the largest conventions held in the U.S. with fresh-grown greenery, flowers and agricultural products. They showed off their Local Buzz coffee and macadamia nuts. Their farm is located on 75 acres just off South Point Road. Other Ka`u Coffee that went to the show included award-winning Rusty’s Hawaiian 100 Percent Ka`u Coffee, owner Lorie Obra told the Ka`u Farm Bureau last night. Collins said the show was beautiful and drew 270,000 people. The theme of this year’s show was Hawai`i, and a Big Island General Store promoting local products was sponsored by the county. The Orcino family coffee was also represented and sold out. 

THE NEW COFFEE BERRY BORER educational film was promoted by Melanie Bondera of the Kohala Center on Hawai`i News Now television this morning. The ten-minute film teaches farmers and backyard coffee growers how to fight the pest that could devastate the Ka`u Coffee industry if it gets a hold here. She talked about freezing, drying and burying infected beans. Kona coffee farmers are suffering from 80 percent of their coffee being attacked by the borers. Bondera said that Kamehameha School is mailing out DVDs of the film on fighting coffee berry borers to all its tenants. The film can be seen on the Kamehameha Schools youtube channel. Ka`u Coffee Mill is also planning to provide the DVD to all farmers who bring their coffee for processing at Ka`u Coffee Mill. The film can be viewed at  www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWNWScDGAA8.

KA`U FEDERAL CREDIT UNION will complete its merger with CU Hawai`i Federal Credit Union in the first week of April with the final data merger between the two organizations. For April all Ka`u Federal Credit Union members will begin receiving statements from CU Hawai`i. The legal merger with the larger, islandwide credit union was finalized on Feb. 1. All accounts remain insured through the National Credit Union Administration for up to $250,000. Members of KFCU need not take any action if they have certificates with the credit union. No action is needed if for paychecks, social security or any other reoccurring checks deposited in the credit union. Automatic payments from credit union accounts will also be continued by CU Hawai`i. KFCU members can log onto www.cuhawaii.com to become familiar with CU Hawai`i. 

THE KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL MEETING will be held next Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Pahala Community Center, not tonight as reported in yesterday’s news briefs. The meetings will be held every two weeks until the festival on May 12.

AKU HAUANIO, a Hawaiian kau la`au fisherman, offers a look at cliff-top fishing, or hang baiting at After Dark in the Park tonight at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Two-dollar donations support park programs. Park entrance fees apply.

Lehua Domingo demonstrates her art. Photo courtesy of NPS.

LEI HULU A ME ULANA PAPALE LAUHALA are topics tomorrow from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Kilauea Visitor Center’s lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Lehua Domingo shares the `anoni style of weaving pandanus leaves into a hat. Her son, lei maker Kilohana, demonstrates the art of feather work, and his na lei hulu, or feather lei, will be on display. The event is free, and park entrance fees apply.

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK invites the entire family to Ka`u `Ohana Day on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Kahuku Unit. Activities include `oli, mo`olelo, GPS, compass and pacing. Tomorrow is the deadline to sign up. Call 985-6019.

HAZEL BECK, of Hawai`i Small Business Development Center, discusses what it takes to get a business started at a workshop on Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon at Na`alehu Community Center. To register, contact Jane Horike at 961-8496 or jhorike@co.hawaii.hi.us.

VISIT OUR SPONSORS AT WWW.PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND WWW.KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM.

Ka`u News Briefs March 12, 2012

Feral pigs on the run in Hawai`i. Photo from yourdiscovery.com

REMOVING FERAL PIGS should be accompanied by removing invasive plants where protecting native forests is the goal. This is suggested by a University of Hawai`i study published in Biotropica: The Journal of Tropical Biology and Conservation. The study conducted at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park showed that 16 years after pig eradication from a section of the park, native plant growth increased, but so did invasive plant growth. Some hunters contend that pigs help keep the invasive plant populations down, but an author of the study told Civil Beat that the pigs carry the seeds of the invasives all over the forest.
      Civil Beat reporter Laura Berbusse writes about the research and reviews the history of pigs here. “Native plant species first came into contact with pigs when the animals were brought to Hawai`i by early Polynesian settlers more than 1,000 years ago. Then, in 1778, Captain Cook released European pigs, among other grazing animals, on the Hawaiian Islands in order to ensure a food source for crews of future voyages. Conservationists say the pigs damage the environment by eating and destroying native vegetation, by wallowing and rooting and contaminating watersheds,” the Civil Beat story says.
      During recent meetings on managing state and national park forests around the islands, hunters testifed that lifting hunting restrictions could help get rid of the pigs faster.

      Civil Beat reports the view of Mary Ikagawa, a botanist working on her University of Hawai`i masters degree, who maintains the website rarehawaii.org. Ikagawa said the “big thing is that other states are very clear with their residents about the need to control feral pigs, and even engage the public to help.” She said that Texas, Florida, Missouri and several others encourage public control of pigs through trapping and unlimited hunting. These plans are counter to those proposed for such places as Pu`u Maka`ala Natural Area on the Big Island, where hunters opposed a hunting ban for 4,800 acres at recent hearing. Civil Beat quotes Ikagawa, saying the state is “alienating hunters from conservationists when the two should be tight, working together to protect the land.” See more at www.civilbeat.com, www.tropicalbio.org and www.rarehawaii.org.

AGRICULTURAL THEFT is a felony, the Hawai`i Police Department is reminding the public. HPD is looking for someone who stole longon plants and also investigating the reported theft of Manuel Marques’ coffee cherry from Moa`ula. Local farmers and homeowners also complain that people steal their bananas and possibly sell them. Felony theft can draw jail time.

SOME HAWAI`I COINS were misprinted by the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia with extra islands shown northwest of the Big Island. Collectible coin expert Joe Au-Franze says he has seen about 85 of the misprinted quarters so far, with ten main Hawaiian Islands instead of eight. He will display the Hawai`i quarters at a coin collectors meeting on O`ahu this week. The misprinted Hawai`i quarters are expected to become very valuable.

KA`U RESIDENTS WILL HAVE an opportunity to meet and talk with county leadership about projects and issues important to their communities next Monday, March 19 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Na`alehu Elementary School. The visit by Mayor Billy Kenoi and directors of county departments is hosted by Ka`u Rural Health Community Association and Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka`u.

COMMENTS ON THE KA`U DISTRICT Gym & Shelter Draft Environmental Assessment are due by Friday, March 23.
      The draft EA discusses pertinent impacts that could change depending on design changes prompted by budget limitations and public input.
      The impact on views from nearby houses could change depending on the building’s height. The plan shows the gym higher than code allows, requiring a variance. The variance could be denied or the roof made flat in order to save money. The taller building was planned in order to allow volleyball and basketball games without the balls hitting the ceiling and also to maintain a plantation-style roofline.
      The design requires balancing school and community needs within budget, the draft EA puts forth. The determination on whether functional spaces should be designed for a recreation room, multi-purpose room, weight room, wrestling/martial arts room; and whether these rooms duplicate existing facilities at the community center or school, provide multi-purpose opportunities such as classroom space, or complement the uses of the old gym and existing room building “are questions being worked on by a multi-stakeholder user group that includes the Department of Education, County Parks & Recreation, and Civil Defense Agency,” the draft EA states.

The proposed roofline of the gym is subject to change depending on budget constraints, public input and
receiving a height variance, since it is currently higher than code allows.

      The document explains that air-conditioning and filters for vog mitigation systems are expensive and that the capacity would depend on the primary use of selected space and the relative proportion of the budget allocated to this purpose. The draft EA states that Civil Defense is comfortable with the present design capacity as a shelter from vog for 120 persons in a room separate from the gym. However, new Civil Defense director Ben Fuata said he will study the issue.
      Another issue being addressed is sustainability features, which reduce the impact in terms of energy and resource consumption and water quality impacts such as mitigation of impervious surfaces. The proposed design and current budget supports an equivalent to LEED silver certification. However, “the potential to increase impacts on energy consumption and water quality increases as compromises are made in the design to fit budget constraints,” the draft EA states.
      The Draft Environment Assessment is available at Pahala and Na`alehu Public Libraries and online at hawaii.gov/health/environmental/oeqc/index.html.
      Comments can be sent to Tammy Kapali, Planner, PBR Hawai`i & Associates, Inc., 1001 Bishop Street, Suite 650 Honolulu, HI 96813 or faxed to 808-523-1402. Comments can also be sent to County of Hawai`i Department of Public Works, Attn: David Yamamoto, Aupuni Center, 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 7, Hilo, HI 96720 or faxed to 808-961-8630.

KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL meetings take place tomorrow and every Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Pahala Community Center leading up the festival on May 12 and an education day on May 13. Members of the public who would like to help the farmers promote their award-winning coffee and put on the event to thank the community for their support can join in.

AKU HAUANIO, a Hawaiian kau la`au fisherman, offers a look at cliff-top fishing, or hang baiting at After Dark in the Park tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Two-dollar donations support park programs. Park entrance fees apply.

Kilohana Domingo displays his feather lei.
Photo from NPS

LEI HULU A ME ULANA PAPALE LAUHALA are topics Wednesday from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Kilauea Visitor Center’s lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Lei maker Kilohana Domingo demonstrates the art of feather work, and his na lei hulu, or feather lei, will be on display. Domingo’s mother, Lehua, shares the `anoni style of weaving pandanus leaves into a hat. The event is free, and park entrance fees apply. 

THE ENTIRE FAMILY is invited to Ka`u `Ohana Day on Saturday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., at the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Activities include `oli, mo`olelo, GPS, compass and pacing. Sign up by Wednesday at 985-6019.

HAZEL BECK, of Hawai`i Small Business Development Center, discusses what it takes to get a business started at a workshop on Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon at Na`alehu Community Center. To register, contact Jane Horike at 961-8496 or jhorike@co.hawaii.hi.us.

VISIT OUR SPONSORS AT WWW.PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND WWW.KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM.

Ka`u News Briefs March 11, 2012

Okoe Bay house was moved during last year's tsunami toward the ocean from its original perch. Photo by Kai`ali`i Kahele

THE JAPAN TSUNAMI on this day last year that reached South Kona and Ka`u left evidence that can still be seen, including beaches that were shifted, bones of fish thrown up into palm groves and sands and rocks along the coast. The tsunami washed a boathouse from Honomalino Bay out to sea, leaving one wall to float to Miloli`i. The tsunami severely damaged and lifted houses off their foundations in Kapua and Okoe Bays, reported Sen. Gil Kahele, who hiked along the coast from Miloli`i.
      At Punalu`u, volunteers for `O Ka`u Kakou hauled away floating plants sucked from the fishpond onto the beach. The tsunami changed the look of Punalu`u and other shorelines, leaving roots of palm trees exposed. Sand covered pools and rocky areas. Rocks and reefs were exposed at places where they were covered before the tsunami. Fish were found out of water on the rocks and in the sand.
      After the tsunami, Rep. Bob Herkes held fundraisers for victims of the tsunami, and all the funding went to those affected on the Big Island.

HAWAI`I CIVIL DEFENSE, which has been working on new tsunami inundation maps based on a 9.0-magnitude quake in the Aleutian Islands off Alaska, is considering planning for even a larger quake – one of 9.2-magnitude. The Aleutians generated the most devastating tsunami to hit Hawai`i, with a 7.8-magnitude quake in April of 1946. Kwok Fai Cheung, a University of Hawai`i Sea Grant researcher, said that a major lesson learned from the tsunami one year ago in Japan was that the Japanese were unprepared for such a big event, according to a Jim Borg report in this morning’s Honolulu Star Advertiser. 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE LAW signed by Gov. Neil Abercrombie yesterday not only prevents the rates from rising this year, it maintains a Maximum Weekly Benefit Amount at 75 percent of the Average Weekly Wage, rather than 70 percent, which would have been the payout without the new legislation. He said the law saves employers an additional $550 per year for each employee. Chamber of Commerce Hawai`i Chief Operating Officer Sherry Menor-McNamara said, “The mitigation of burdensome tax increases for Hawai`i’s businesses will directly aid in the revitalization of our state’s economy by spurring the creation of new jobs and promoting increased productivity.” 


THE KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL is holding a meeting every Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Pahala Community Center leading up the festival on May 12 and 13. Members of the public who would like to help the farmers promote their award-winning coffee and thank the community for their support can join in.

Lorie Obra with her Grand Champion
award. Photo by Ralph Gaston

HAWAI`I COFFEE ASSOCIATION is accepting entries into its Fourth Annual Cupping Competition to be held July 19 – 21 during its Annual Conference & Coffee Fest Trade Show at Maui Tropical Plantation. The deadline to enter the cupping event has been extended until March 31. The competition compares coffees from different regions of the state, teaches the process of cupping and rating cup qualities and promotes better understanding of cupping qualities of Hawaiian-grown coffee. Each entrant receives a descriptive analysis from professional and certified cuppers to use in describing and promoting their individual coffees.
      Farmers can enter three samples per TMK number in Commercial and Creative Divisions. In the Commercial Division, the farmer must have for sale a minimum of 300 pounds of coffee from which the sample is taken. In the Creative Division, less that 300 pounds from which the sample was taken can be available for sale.
      To enter a Ka`u Coffee, take three-pound green samples along with the farm’s TMK number to Chris Manfredi at Ka`u Farm & Ranch after calling 929-9550.
      Rusty’s Hawaiian 100 Percent Ka`u Coffee took the statewide grand prize at last year’s competition. For the Ka`u District, Lorie Obra took first, and Leo Norberte with his JN Coffee took second, while Trini and Frances Marques took third with their Ali`i Hawaiian Hula Hands Coffee.

Aku Hauanio

KAU LA`AU, or Traditional Hawaiian Ulua Fishing, is the topic at After Dark in the Park on Tuesday, March 13 at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Aku Hauanio, a Hawaiian kau la`au fisherman, offers a look at cliff-top fishing, or hang baiting. Two-dollar donations support park programs. Park entrance fees apply. 

KA`U `OHANA DAY takes place next Saturday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., at the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Activities include `oli, mo`olelo, GPS, compass and pacing. Sign up by Wednesday, March 14 at 985-6019.

WANT TO START A BUSINESS IN KA`U? Hazel Beck, from the Hawai`i Small Business Development Center, discusses what it takes to get a business started at a workshop on Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon at Na`alehu Community Center. To register, contact Jane Horike at 961-8496 or jhorike@co.hawaii.hi.us.

KC Groves, of Aloha
Bluegrass, plays mandolin.

AN EVENING OF GREEN, Hawaiian Style is the theme of a concert at 7 p.m. on St. Patrick’s Day, next Saturday at Kilauea Theater in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Aloha Bluegrass performs, along with Keoki Kahumoku and Brittni Paiva. Aloha Bluegrass, with fiddle, guitar and mandolin players, performed at Ka`u High School last week. Tickets are $22 and available by calling 967-8222. Park entrance fees apply.

VISIT OUR SPONSORS AT WWW.PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND WWW.KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM.