Ka`u News Briefs April 28, 2012

At center of table, Crystal McIntosh serves her Strawberry Mocha Trifle, which won Best Taste of Ka`u at last year's
Ka`u Coffee Recipe Contest. The deadline to enter this year's contest, which takes place Sunday, May 6, has been
extended to Thursday, May 3. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

THE STATE LEGISLATURE’S stalemate over the budget has ended. Rep. Marcus Oshiro and Sen. David Ige have agreed on an $11.2 billion budget and a capital improvement project outlay.
      The budget includes $428 million in new bond-financed state construction, including $250 million for repair and maintenance projects, more money than the House and Gov. Neil Abercrombie had proposed but less than the Senate had wanted to spur economic recovery, according to the Honolulu Star Advertiser.
      The cutoff time for other finance-related bills is now Monday morning, and the 2012 Hawai`i Legislature adjourns Thursday. Check progress of bills at www.capitol.hawaii.gov.

Manele, or Soapberry Wingleaf, is accessible off
Mauna Loa Road in Hawai`i Volcanoes N.P.

A NATIVE TREE FOUND IN KA`U and another in South Kona are two of three trees named National Champions this year on the National Register of Big Trees, a program championed in Hawai`i by the state Department of Land & Natural Resources. The manele – soapberry wingleaf – is accessible to the public on the Bird Park/Kipuka Puaulu Trail, off Mauna Loa Road inside Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. It is 73 feet tall, and its crown spreads outward 57.2 feet. It was nominated by the DLNR. 

      The koa is inaccessible and located in the Kona Hema Preserve. It is 115 feet high, and its circumference is 343.3 inches. Its crown spreads 93.3 feet. It was nominated by The Nature Conservancy.
      The third tree on the Big Island is the hau at Hulihe`e Palace in Kona. An ancient tree, its circumference is 110 inches. It was nominated by Sally Inkster.
      The National Register of Big Trees is kept by American Forests, a nonprofit for protection and expansion of forests in the U.S. that advocates the iconic stature of trees. The organization teaches the key role trees and forests play in sustaining a healthy environment.

Koa tree in South Kona makes it onto National
Tree Registry with its huge circumference.

      Each tree is described and shown in the annual publication National Register of Big Trees. To make a nomination, provide measurements of the trunk circumference in inches, height in feet and average crown spread in feet. Send the information, along with GPS coordinates or specific directions to a candidate big tree, to Sheri Mann, CRMF, 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 325, Honolulu, HI 96813, or by email to Sheri.S.Mann@hawaii.gov. Visit www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw/forestry/big-trees.

BRITTNI PAIVA, who has taught and performed numerous times in Ka`u, is among the `ukulele masters trying to break the world `ukulele record today on O`ahu, hoping for more than 1,600 players to show up and strum. The current world record was broken in Sweden last year when 1,547 showed up in one place to play their tunes. The event is sponsored by Music for Life Foundation. See www.goforarecord.org. It takes place from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Blaisdell Auditorium in Honolulu.

THE TRIPLE C RECIPE CONTEST with a $500 grand prize has extended its entry deadline to this Thursday, May 3. Recipes for cookies, candies and crackers made with Ka`u Coffee can be turned in to Pahala Plantation Cottages at the Olson Trust Building in Pahala, Ka`u Coffee Mill on Wood Valley Road, or R&G Store in Pahala. Entries can also be mailed. Download at www.kaucoffeemill.com or www.kaucoffeefest.com. The contest takes place Sunday, May 6 at Ka`u Coffee Mill.

KA`U HIGH GRADUATE Carlotta Leina`ala Kailiawa returns to Ka`u with her band, Lava Moon, offering a free concert tonight at 6 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. Kailiawa plays four- and six-string tenor `ukulele. Other band members are Jonathan Siebrandt on guitars, Ed Sisino on upright and electric bass, Dave Thomas on drums and Josh Mann on lapsteel and guitar. The band has played at venues from California to the Carolinas, and their schedule this summer includes performances in San Francisco, Mammoth Lakes and Mariposa, CA. Keoki Kahumoku also performs tonight. 

A MULTI-IMAGE SLIDESHOW, set to music, takes place tonight at 6 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The slideshow and finalists ceremony features photos submitted during Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s first annual photo contest called Images from the Edge. The event is free, and in honor of National Park Week, park entrance fees are waived. For more information, call 985-7373 or visit www.fhvnp.org.

TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY that entrance fees are waived at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

KA`U SCHOOL OF THE ARTS’ Spring Fling Arts & Crafts Fair happens a week from today, next Saturday, May 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Punalu`u Bakeshop Pavilion & Gardens. The event features all local art and entertainment, with Ka`u `Ohana Band starting the festivities at 9 a.m. See kauarts.org.

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

Ka`u News Briefs April 27, 2012

Last year's Ka`u Coffee Recipe Contest. Entries are still being accepted for this year's contest to be held at
Ka`u Coffee Mill's grand opening Sunday, May 6. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

UPGRADES TO HAWAI`I’S Doppler radar system begin next month, according to a Stephens Media report today. South Point’s system will be upgraded next year as part of the nationwide drive to convert all radars to the new standard, the story said.
      Dual-polarization technology that adds new information about the size and shape of an object will allow forecasters to distinguish rain from hail, snow and ice pellets. “It’s going to give us more information for the meteorologists to differentiate what’s going on inside clouds,” said Derek Wroe, lead forecaster for the National Weather Service Honolulu forecast office.

Dual-polarization radars send out signals both horizontally and vertically.
Strength of returning signals helps scientists to infer type of precipitation.
Image from Atmospheric Radar Research Center

      The new radars will help generate more accurate forecasts of flash floods and other hazardous weather events. “We’ll be making more informed decisions,” Wroe said.

TONIGHT IS THE DEADLINE to have bills prepared for final votes before the state Legislature adjourns Thursday. A stalemate on the budget has left dozens of bills in limbo, said a story in Honolulu Star Advertiser. Bills with a financial component are unable to move forward unless there is agreement on the budget. The House and Senate disagree on how much should be spent on state capital improvement projects. Other points of contention are permitting and procurement exemptions.
      Bills still being negotiated include creation of regulatory framework for an interisland electric transmission cable, a tax on private hospitals and nursing homes that could attract millions of dollars in federal matching funds to help cover health care costs for the poor; a solar tax credit and a film tax credit.

HAWAI`I COUNTY OFFICE OF AGING is asking elderly persons to be aware of a person calling as an agent of the office and asking for Social Security numbers. The caller has said that the phone number was obtained from AARP and has offered certain benefits in return for the elderly person’s Social Security number. 

      Hawai`i County Office of Aging does not call and request Social Security numbers. The office advises people to not give out any personal information such as Social Security numbers, credit card numbers or financial institution account numbers. Those who receive any call from a stranger seeking personal information should notify the police at 935-3311.

GAS PRICES IN KA`U have been stable the last couple of weeks. Ka`u Gas in Pahala and the 76 station in Na`alehu each are selling regular at $4.80 per gallon. In Ocean View, Kahala Gas is $4.72, Ocean View Market is $4.67 and Kahuku Country Market is $4.66.

THE KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL Recipe Contest is still accepting entries through Tuesday, May 1. Applications for the Triple C Recipe Contest - for cookies, candies and crackers - can be found online at kaucoffeefest.com or kaucoffeemill.com or at the Olson Trust office building on the corner of Maile and Pikake Streets in Pahala. The contest takes place at Ka`u Coffee Mill’s grand opening on Sunday, May 6. Call 928-9811 or 928-0550 for more information.

FRIENDS OF THE KA`U LIBRARIES’ fundraising book sale continues today at Pahala Public & School Library from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

John Keawe, seen here at Punalu`u Beach, performs
at Ka`u's libraries today.

JOHN KEAWE PRESENTS a Tribute to Slack Key today at 12:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Public Library and again at 2:30 p.m. at Pahala Public & School Library. Call 939-2442 or 928-2015 for more information. 

LAVA MOON, featuring Ka`u High graduate Carlotta Leina`ala Kailiawa playing four- and six-string tenor `ukulele, presents a free house concert at Pahala Plantation House tomorrow. Other members are Jonathan Siebrandt on guitars, Ed Sisino on upright and electric bass, Dave Thomas on drums and Josh Mann on lapsteel and guitar. The group’s schedule this summer includes performances in San Francisco, Mammoth Lakes and Mariposa, CA. Keoki Kahumoku also performs, with the potluck event beginning at 6 p.m.

IMAGES FROM THE EDGE Slideshow & Finalists Ceremony takes place tomorrow at 6 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. This multi-image slideshow, set to music, features photos submitted during Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s first annual photo contest. The event is free, and in honor of National Park Week, park entrance fees are waived. For more information, call 985-7373 or visit www.fhvnp.org.

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

Ka`u News Briefs April 26, 2012

Na`alehu Elementary sixth-graders worked together to build this kalo garden and rock wall on their own as an addition to the existing school garden. Front: (L-R) Zachary Ishii, Zachary Kai, Junel Candaroma, Tobee Lee, Daryl Moreira Jr., Kilion Laji, Junior Wajar. Back: (L-R) James Kuahiwinui, Jin Esquida, Daniel Chang, Sumuo Engichy, Po`ai Emmsley, Emily Gouveia, Nainoa Ke. Photo by Nalani Parlin

MONK SEAL KILLINGS can bring a $50,000 fine and up to fives years jail time, wildlife officials are warning, following four suspected killings of the endangered mammals since last November. A three-year-old male monk seal named Noho was found dead on the northeast coast of Kaua`i on Sunday. State Department of Land & Natural Resources chair William Aila, Jr. announced yesterday that an award fund for information leading to the arrest of culprits killing seals has grown to $40,000 with a $10,000 donation from the U.S. Humane Society. Two of the recent suspected killings were on Moloka`i.

Monk seal killings can bring up to $50,000 in fines and
five years in jail. Photo by Judy Sweatland

      Monk seals steal fish from fishermen, become playful with divers and beachgoers and often bask along the Ka`u shoreline. Aila warned fishermen that monk seals “are here to stay.” There are only about a hundred monk seals living along the shores of the inhabited Hawaiian Islands. Another 1,100 live in the uninhabited islands, but their population is declining about four percent a year.

A WAVE OF CHINESE VISITORS could be the next increase in tourists to the islands as several Chinese airlines are looking to establish regular routes between mainland China and Hawai`i following several sold-out charter flights. Visas are easier to obtain, and tour operators are gearing up to serve the Chinese tourists, according to Hawai`i Tourism Authority officials who gave a report to the visitor industry yesterday.

MORE AGRICULTURAL INSPECTORS could be funded by the Hawai`i Legislature this year. The money would be used to fight invasive species. State House Agriculture chair Clift Tsuji, who represents the Big Island, said that he is pleased the House Finance and Senate Ways and Means conferees “recognized the urgency to support agriculture inspection and fight invasive species in a reliable and responsible manner. This is good news for the protection of Hawai`i’s precious natural resources.” The budget bill, HB2012, must clear the conference committee, pass a final floor vote in both House and Senate, and if passed, will be sent to the governor for his signature.

Volunteers help restore Opukahaia Memorial Chapel
above Punalu`u. Photo by Fred Ramsdell

`O KA`U KAKOU AND VOLUNTEERS logged 230 hours restoring the Opukahaia Memorial Chapel on the hill above Punalu`u Black Sand Beach. Suffering from dry rot, the frame was scraped, sanded and repainted. A large group of members from the Na`alehu Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints assisted on painting day. 

      In addition to volunteer care for the chapel grounds and graveyard, `O Ka`u Kakou maintains four other cemeteries in Ka`u. In Pahala, the group takes care of a Chinese graveyard and the Methodist church graveyard along the highway. In Na`alehu, they care for a small graveyard surrounded by pasture, and in Wai`ohinu, `O Ka`u Kakou, with assistance from Pacific Quest, looks after the Catholic cemetery.
      Renovating the Pahala Hongwanji Judo Hall is also a project taken on by the organization. With funding donated by Edmund C. Olson Trust II, `O Ka`u Kakou president Wayne Kawachi said a new roof should be added in mid-May. After a new coat of paint and more work completed on the inside, Kawachi said the hall could be used for community activities, such as Karate, Judo or boxing.
      The group will be volunteering logistical help at upcoming local events, such as Ka`u Coffee Festival, Na`alehu School Health Fair, and Ka`u School of the Arts Spring Fling. `O Ka`u Kakou also installs safety railings at senior citizens’ homes.

IPADS FOR KA`U SCHOOLS are provided by Hawai`i Business Roundtable to incentivize schools to adopt its teacher evaluation pilot program. Ka`u schools have signed on, and each will receive three iPads. A total of 63 schools throughout the state have joined the program. “Outside of family factors, effective teaching has the single most significant impact on students’ learning; this is true across socio-economic levels,” said Gov. Neil Abercrombie. Administrators participating in the pilot program have been using iPads to collect evidence of teacher practice during observations in classrooms.

 Jessie Ke, left, and Arroyah Rivas.
Photo by Nalani Parlin

SOWING SEEDS garden educator Arroyah Rivas hosted a composting workshop to celebrate Earth Day at Na`alehu Elementary garden, where the Sowing Seeds program is based. Rivas shared that composting is “a great way to recycle and give nutrients back to the soil. Plants take up the nutrients and give them back to us when we eat fruits and vegetables.” Rivas and garden volunteer Tom King have created a composting area on the school grounds. 

      During the day, Na`alehu Elementary sixth-graders worked to create a kalo garden entirely on their own. Jessie Ke, who works as kupuna and Hawaiian culture educator in the schools, brought the plants and shared with the students a method of planting above ground.
      “It was so beautiful. They were totally self-directed,” said Rivas. The students collected rocks to build a circular rock wall and used math skills to measure the circumference. Then they filled the area with compost and soil before planting. Sixth-graders worked with kindergartners collecting mowed grass for the compost pile, said Rivas.
      For more information or to volunteer in the garden, call Rivas at 939-2413. 

THE FOURTH ANNUAL MISS KA`U COFFEE PAGEANT is seeking contestants for the Saturday, Aug. 18 event. The committee is planning to make it a Miss Hawai`i qualifying event. Candidates will be judged on talent, beauty, poise, and speaking skills. The event will also include a pageant for younger girls. Miss Ka`u Coffee and her court will reign over the 2013 Ka`u Coffee Festival and participate in the Merrie Monarch Parade and other events. For more information, call Nalani Parlin at 217-6893 or Gloria Camba at 928-8558.

Ka`u High players exuberant after winning the BIIF Division II first round versus Christian Liberty Academy.
Photos by Nalani Parlin

FRESH OFF A WIN over Christian Liberty Academy in the first round of the BIIF Division II Varsity boys volleyball playoffs, Ka`u High looks forward to competing in the BIIF semi-finals tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. at Konawaena. Teams will fight for third place on Saturday at 4 p.m., while the championship match kicks off at 5:30 p.m., also at Konawaena.

Franklin Orcino goes for the shot.

      Going into the game, the Trojans and CLA had tying season records, however the Trojans received the higher seat, having earned just two more points than their opponent. Even so, Ka`u proved to have superior skill, dominating the first two games 25-16 and 25-16. The Trojans continued to lead in the third set, but allowed CLA to catch up, tying at 18 points. After a series of serving error for both teams, the Trojans finally moved ahead to win 25-21.

MAY 1 IS THE DEADLINE to apply for the annual Ken Wicks Ka`u Chamber of Commerce Scholarship. The program has expanded to include not only high school juniors and seniors, but also adults seeking to re-enter the educational system. Preference is given to those who intend to remain in or return to Ka`u and live here. Scholarship money, ranging from $250 to $1,000, can be used for all college and vocational training. Need is also considered. Scholarship renewal is also possible.
      Visit http://kauchamber.org/scholarship.html to download the application form or call 929-9872 for more information.

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS HUMPBACK WHALE National Marine Sanctuary holds a public meeting this evening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center to discuss its management plan. The Sanctuary is evaluating gaps in existing marine conservation efforts in Hawai`i and identifying potential roles for the Sanctuary in the future. For more, see hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov.

Lava Moon performs at Pahala Plantation House Saturday.
Photo from Lava Moon

FRIENDS OF THE KA`U LIBRARIES’ fundraising book sale continues today and tomorrow at Pahala Public & School Library. The hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

JOHN KEAWE PRESENTS a Tribute to Slack Key tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Public Library and again at 2:30 p.m. at Pahala Public & School Library. Call 939-2442 or 928-2015 for more information.

LAVA MOON, featuring Ka`u High graduate Carlotta Leina`ala Kailiawa, presents a free house concert at Pahala Plantation House Saturday. Keoki Kahumoku also performs. The potluck event begins at 6 p.m.