Ka`u News Briefs Oct. 18, 2012

Vog plume from Halemaumau Crater in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Photo by Alan Cressler 

FEW PEOPLE ARE PROVIDING INPUT to the Interagency Task Force on Vog which was created last year by the state legislature through the effort of Rep. Bob Herkes to bring in testimony on the impact of vog on people who live in the path of Kilauea volcano emissions. 

Click to enlarge. Chart from hiso2index.info

      A Tom Calis story in this morning’s Hawai`i Tribune Herald quoted Herkes saying: “Absent public participation, it made no sense.” The 15-member committee owes a report to the 2013 State Legislature when it convenes in January. According to the story, the Pahala meeting last March drew about a dozen people. A Hilo meeting drew a few. A meeting in Pahoa in June drew no one. “When we went there, we entertained ourselves,” Hawai`i County Civil Defense Director and chair of the committee Ben Fuata told the Tribune Herald.
      The next public input meeting is being organized for November but no date has been set. “Even without the public input, the committee has collected data on volcano pollution,” Fuata told the Tribune Herald. “I think it’s been successful in that we kind of have an idea … a better grasp on what the concerns of the public are.” See more at hawaiitribune-herald.com.

`AINA KOA PONO’S PROPOSAL, which promises to help solve energy dependency problems by using biofuel produced from trees, brush and grasses that would be harvested in Ka`u, is compared to the costs of geothermal in a statement this week by Big Island Coalition and state Department of Agriculture board member Richard Ha.

Puna Geothermal Venture. Photo from Ormat

      “What if we substituted geothermal electricity for `Aina Koa Pono's biofuels proposal, in order to replace the 80MW that the Keahole liquid fuel-fired plant produces?” Ha estimates that “`Aina Koa Pono’s proposed plan would cost rate payers the equivalent of $200/barrel of oil. The ‘barrel of oil equivalent’ for geothermal-produced electricity is $57/barrel, and this price will be stable for 500,000 to a million years,” claims Ha. He writes that “geothermal is competitive with – though cheaper than – natural gas, which is $5.16 per million BTUs and breaks even with oil at $57/barrel; and nuclear power, which breaks even at $6.26 and $69.”
      Ha concludes: “At today’s oil prices, there is an 11 cent difference between oil- and geothermal-produced electricity. Geothermal is cheaper by far.” He does some arithmetic: “The Keahole plant’s capacity (where the `Aina Koa Pono fuel would be trucked from Wood Valley up Hwy 11) is 80MW, which is 80,000 kilowatts per hour. Using geothermal would save $8,800/hour, $211,200/day, and $6,336,000/month. In a year, the savings would be $76 million,” Ha states.
      Ha suggests saving money by using geothermal to lower ratepayers bills, and the other half to retire debt. “The electric utility should not be punished for trying to achieve its renewable energy goals. But we have to realize there may be alternatives that better prepare us for the future. Let's not lock ourselves out of these opportunities by signing a 20-year contract just because of an arbitrary time schedule.

Image from biofuels-solutions.com

      “In the end, with geothermal we would pay the oil equivalent of $57/barrel on our electric bills. If we go `Aina Koa Pono’s route, we pay the equivalent of $200/barrel. Am I missing something?” Ha asks.
      Ha and the Big Island Community Coalition are urging citizens to testify at the Public Utilities Commission hearings on the contract for `Aina Koa Pono to sell biofuel to Hawai`i Electric Light Co. with a fixed-price, 20-year contract.
      Big Island hearings, which also include an additional 4.2 percent rate hike for HELCO separate from the `Aina Koa Pono proposal, are Monday, Oct. 29 at 6 p.m., Hilo High School cafeteria and Tuesday, Oct. 30 at 6 p.m., Kealakehe High School cafeteria in Kona. Another hearing will be scheduled for O`ahu.
      For the `Aina Koa Pono hearing, HELCO asks the PUC to allow increases through a surcharge for all electric ratepayers on the Big Island and O`ahu – to average $1 per 500 to 600 kilowatt-hours used.

One of 27 microwave depolymerization units, called
Micro Dee, that `Aina Koa Pono intends to bring to Ka`u.
Photo from biofuels-solutions.com

      The `Aina Koa Pono proposal involves clearing and growing crops on land between Pahala and Na`alehu and a refinery near Wood Valley Road that would provide 16 million gallons of biodiesel a year to sell to HELCO for use at the power plant near Kona Airport. Another eight million gallons would be sold to a Georgia-based fuel distributor, to be sold preferably in Hawai`i, according to `Aina Koa Pono.
      `Aina Koa Pono says its project would create 200 permanent jobs and 400 construction jobs, The complex would be comprised of 27 microwave depolymerization units to create the refinery. There would be a cooling tower, a processor to turn biomass into pellets before putting them through the microwave process, parking lots for worker vehicles, trucks, loaders and other machinery, a mill yard to store the biomass brought to the property along with additives such as xeolite to be imported from off island, and diesel storage tanks to hold the biodiesel before trucking it out of Ka`u.
      At recent meetings held in small groups of invited people in Ka`u and Hilo, `Aina Koa Pono representatives said that they would start with one microwave unit before adding on the others, to make sure the operation is acceptable to the community before proceeding. Representatives also said that one truck of biofuel per week would be sent to Hilo to be used as transportation fuel.
      See ainakoapono.com, biofuels-solutions.com and puc.hawaii.gov where the proposals and testimony can be found.

Ag tourism regulations for the Big Island are being
discussed by the County Council. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

AG TOURISM REGULATIONS are making their way through the County Council with several amendments added yesterday. Most amendments on yesterday’s agenda were offered by council member Brenda Ford. Among them was a proposal to require a site visit and approval by the county Planning Department before ag tourism would be allowed. The measure passed. Another, which was turned down by the council, would have limited the size of structures where ag products would be sold and would have set a minimum for sales of ag products to prevent such places from becoming tourist trinket and tee shirt shops rather than predominantly ag product sales locations. She also unsuccessfully proposed limiting the number of visitors to such ag tourism operations to no more than 80 a day, which is nearly 30,000 visitors a year.
      Another amendment, which did pass on first reading came from Dominic Yagong, which would ban ag tourism in places served only by four-wheel drive roads. The amendment was designed specifically for Waipio Valley, where taro farmers are bothered by an overabundance of tourists. The amendments will go back to the full County Council for another vote.

SOUTH KONA POLICE STATION, another initiative of Brenda Ford, passed, authorizing $30 million in general obligation bonds, which includes $16.8 million for the station.

Lani Weigert. Photo from tedxmaui.com

THOSE INTERESTED IN FREE AGRITOURISM WORKSHOPS through the Hawai`i AgriTourism Association are urged to attend an organizational meeting this Saturday from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Pahala Community Center. Information will be provided on scope and timing. Those with agritourism potential in Ka`u can sign up for the workshops, which are funded by a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant.
      “The intention of the trainings is to help build economic development for the Ka`u agricultural community and it’s partners,” says Hawai`i Agritourism Association Executive Director Lani Weigert. For more, visit hiagtourism.org. Those interested in attending can reserve a seat by emailing lani@hiagtourism.org or calling (808) 283-3777.

KICK ICE SIGN WAIVING takes place tomorrow in front of Na`alehu School gym from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

PIANO HINGE, UNHINGED, where Charlene Asato dispels the mysteries of the piano hinge structure as used in bookbinding, is Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Volcano Art Center. Cost is $35 per person for general public and $31.50 for VAC members, plus $10 for supplies. Call 967-8222 to reserve space.

KIPUKA`AKIHI HIKE, within the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, is Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants explore an isolated refuge of rare plants in a remnant old-growth forest. Pr-registration required. Call 985-6011.

AUDITIONS FOR THE AWAKENING OF EVERYONE will be held this Saturday, Oct. 20 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 21, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. The play is a modern revival of the 15th century Greek morality play The Summons of Everyman by Anonymous. It will be performed locally in early December. 

      The cast requires about 15 characters. Rehearsals will be held for about two hours, three times a week until production. Not all cast members will be required to attend all rehearsals. Call 928-0007 for more information.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANATATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS NOW OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

Ka`u News Briefs Oct. 17, 2012

Input for Hawai`i's Ocean Resources Management Plan is being taken by the state to prepare to better steward the coast.
 Here, the Ka`u Coast includesThe Nature Conservancy's Kamehame Preserve.  Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

INPUT ON HAWAI`I’S OCEAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PLAN is being taken by the state. A public meeting on a draft plan will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 23 at Hilo High School Cafeteria and Wednesday, Oct. 24 at Kealakehe High School at 5:30 p.m. with displays. A presentation begins at 6:30 p.m. The draft plan is available at hawaii.gov.
      The draft points out that the recent surge in visitors to the island could lead to several more million tourist per year by 2014 and that the population of the islands could increase by 17.5 percent in the next 20 years. This could impact marine resources, including beaches, reefs and fisheries.

      The introduction to the plan says: “When people talk about water, they are talking about a life source. With water, there is life. This includes the water coming down as rainfall at the top of the mountains, the waterfalls, the streams and rivers, and the ocean that surrounds Hawai‘i. The plan “discusses management of the ocean and coastal resources, including the water that feeds the ocean surrounding the islands.” It “examines the pressures on Hawai`i’s fragile ocean and coastal ecosystems, discusses conflicts on uses of ocean resources and ways to resolve them, incorporates sustainability into this planning document to preserve the ocean and coastal resources for future generations,” aligning with other statewide planning efforts as well as the National Ocean Policy.
      The Ocean Resources Management Plan “acknowledges that just as economic growth is vital to Hawai`i, so too must its impacts be properly managed to preserve our natural resources and reduce conflicts among resource users. Protecting ocean resources requires taking a look at new directions and new integrated management approaches. The ocean’s carrying capacity is unclear, yet exceedingly important. Reliance on outside sources for food, energy, and economic activity erode the once sustainable lifestyle on the islands.”

Jesse Souki

      A statement from Jesse Souki, who is an attorney and state Office of Planning Director, says “the collective vision guiding the Ocean Resources Management Plan is connecting land and sea; preserving our ocean heritage; and promoting collaboration and stewardship.” He says the five –year update of the plan is “much more than a legal requirement. The update is the culmination of feedback from several meetings, where coastal and marine resource management priorities for the next five years were discussed among county, state and federal agencies; non-governmental organizations; and several communities across the state. It is a living document that articulates and addresses the needs and concerns of Hawa`i’s people, as it relates to coastal and marine resource management.”
      Souki says the plan will “help the State of Hawai`i to be effective managers and stewards of coastal and marine resources. The plan is not intended to identify every possible coastal and marine management concern or foreclose management options.”

KA`U CHAMBER OF COMMERCE sponsors a Police and Fire Department Child Safety presentation Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. Policemen and firemen will teach children how to stay safe during Halloween. Keiki ID will also be handed out, along with refreshments. For more information, call 939-8449.

THOSE INTERESTED IN FREE AGRITOURISM WORKSHOPS through the Hawai`i Agri-Tourism Association are urged to attend an organizational meeting this Saturday from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Pahala Community Center. Information will be provided on scope and timing. Those with agri-tourism potential in Ka`u can sign up for the workshops, which are funded by a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant.
      “The intention of the trainings is to help build economic development for the Ka`u agricultural community and it’s partners,” says Hawai`i Agritourism Association Executive Director Lani Weigert. For more, visit hiagtourism.org. Those interested in attending can reserve a seat by emailing lani@hiagtourism.org or calling (808) 283-3777.

TWO KA`U RESIDENTS are featured in the new book Aloha `Aina: Big Island Memories, to be released at a Premier Reception this Sunday, Oct. 21 from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at East Hawai`i Cultural Center in Hilo. The story of the late Ka`u paniolo and sugar worker Edwin Garcia “Gus” Villanueva describes life of the Puerto Rican sugar worker families. The story of Elleanora Jerusalem “Ella” Louis tells of her experience growing up in a Filipino and Portuguese family in Pahala. “These works are rich soil, gentle rain, dashing waves, skittering clouds, pulsing sunshine, cool cave darkness and tumbling earth – all told in the voices of people who have lived Hawai`i’s abundant natural drama,” said Randal McEndree of Hawai`i Community College.
      Illustrators of Aloha `Aina: Big Island Memories include Kathleen Kam, known for murals in Ka`u at Punalu`u Bake Shop and Ka`u Coffee Mill, in Volcano at Kilauea General Store and in downtown Hilo at KTA.
      To reserve a copy of the book, call East Hawai`i Cultural Center at 961-5711 or contact arts@chcc.org. It is also available on amazon.com. All proceeds support arts at East Hawai`i Cultural Center.

AUDITIONS FOR THE AWAKENING OF EVERYONE will be held this Saturday, Oct. 20 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 21, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. The play is a modern revival of the 15th century Greek morality play The Summons of Everyman by Anonymous. It will be performed locally in early December.
      The play is a University of Hawai`i Drama Department Production by writer and director Juliana Dobbs, of Wood Valley. No experience is necessary to perform in this play. The original play had strong Catholic intonation while the rewrite by Dobbs is non-denominational “designed to appeal to all faiths and faithless folk. The message is about the fear of death, how transitory life is and finding spiritual truth at the hands of death. Upon death’s calling, everyone is abandoned by everything they held important in life,” said Dobbs.
      The cast requires about 15 characters. Rehearsals will be held for about two hours, three times a week until production. Not all cast members will be required to attend all rehearsals. Call 928-0007 for more information.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANATATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS NOW OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

Ka`u News Briefs Oct. 16, 2012

Ka`u Farm Bureau members listen to statewide chief operating officer Brian Miyamoto during the annual meeting in Pahala.
Photo by Julia Neal

THE KA`U FARM BUREAU held its annual meeting last night with state House of Representatives agriculture committee chair Clift Tsuji as keynote speaker. Tsuji talked about the famous saying “Keep Ka`u Ka`u” and said that to him it means “You are proud of your community.” Tsuji, a retired banker now 71, said he used to come out to Ka`u on weekends in at Datsun pickup to camp overnight and fish at South Point. “I love Ka`u,” he proclaimed.

Rep. Clift Tsuji chairs the state
House Ag Committee.
Photo from Clift Tsuji

      Tsuji said, as a freshman in the state Legislature he wanted to serve on the health committee but was assigned to agriculture because “nobody else wanted it.” He said he now treasures the position as chair of the committee. He is known as champion of anti-invasive species campaigns and for biosecurity.
      When asked whether the new state Public Land Development Corp. (which allows the state to partner with private entities for economic development on public lands) is good or bad for farmers and ranchers who lease state land, he called it “very contentious.” He contended that PLDC stymied one of the most important initiatives for biosecurity, setting up stations at Honolulu and Kona airports. Tsuji explained that Gov. Neil Abercrombie wanted to fast-track new biosecurity stations through the PLDC, but the controversy over the agency has held them up.
      Tsuji said that many agricultural initiatives are pushed at the Legislature, but few make it through. He called ag such a small slice of the state budget that it is hard to see its piece of the pie. He called for farmers and ranchers to cooperate, from those in organic farming to crop engineering. “Don’t give up,” he urged.
      Brian Miyamoto, chief operating officer of the statewide Hawai`i Farm Bureau Federation, thanked Tsuji for helping to shepherd a farm building exemption act that waives “low-risk” farm structures from county building permits. “Clift pushed it. The governor signed it.”

Aloha Air Cargo gives discounts to Hawai`i Farm Bureau
Federation members.

     Miyamoto reviewed benefits to joining the Hawai`i Farm Bureau Federation, including a 35 percent discount on shipping on Aloha Air Cargo to other islands and a 20 percent discount on bringing air cargo to this island. HMSA health plans and dental insurance, discounts on hotels and rental cars as well as discounts at Grainger Industrial Supply (www.grainger.com) also come with Farm Bureau membership, he said.

      Miyamoto said Hawai`i Farm Bureau Federation works closely with state government, University of Hawai`i ag school and agricultural producers. He called the relationship “a three-legged stool.”

Chris Manfredi was re-elected
president of Ka`u Farm Bureau.
Photo by Julia Neal

      Chris Manfredi, of Ka`u Farm & Ranch, land manager for the coffee farms at Moa`ula and Pear Tree, was re-elected president of Ka`u Farm Bureau. Brenda Iokepa-Moses, of Ka`u Coffee Mill, took over from rancher Michelle Galimba as secretary. Coffee Farmer Lorie Obra remains treasurer and coffee farmer and rancher Phil Becker, of Aikane Plantation, remains vice president.
      Manfredi noted that state legislation passed this year makes it a felony to sell Ka`u Coffee as Kona Coffee. New laws put more teeth into fighting agricultural theft. From coffee to cattle, processors and sellers are required to have “certificates” showing where they bought their agricultural product, he said. A collaboration of the papaya, coffee and floriculture-nursery industries, through a nonprofit called SHAC (Synergistic Hawai`i Agriculture Council) has received $330,000 in funding to fight the coffee berry borer, Manfredi reported. While a lot of the money will go to Kona, “a good chunk will come to Ka`u,” he said. He urged farmers to turn in receipts for purchasing the fungus that kills the borer, saying they could be reimbursed. He said he hopes Ka`u farmers will keep up the coffee berry borer war, noting that “Kona is having serious problems, with 20 to 40 percent loss” on some coffee farms. He said there is not enough high-grade coffee available in Kona for the market, and again warned that selling Ka`u coffee to Kona buyers who could label it Kona only hurts the Ka`u Coffee industry.
      Memberships are available to join the Farm Bureau online at www.hfbf.org.

Water tunnels and water rights between Kapapala and Wai`ohinu. Illustration from Ka`u Agricultural
Water Cooperative District

RICHARD ONISHI, CANDIDATE FOR state House of Representatives, told the Ka`u Agricultural Water Cooperative District meeting attendees that he supports the new Public Land Development Corp., “that PLDC needs to be fixed but not abolished,” according to the organization’s minutes from its Oct. 11 meeting. 

Richard Onishi said he supports PLDC.
Photo from Richard Onishi

      The minutes say that rancher Kyle Soares said the PLDC and separate quasi-government entity, the Agricultural Development Corp., should both be abolished.

      The water meeting minutes say that the majority of the steering committee of the water cooperative “expressed strong support for the Agricultural Development Corp.” The ADC is helping to redevelop agricultural water sources from tunnels dug, some of them over a century ago, for the old sugar industry in Ka`u.
      The separate and new PLDC, however, is in its rulemaking phase. Numerous citizens testified at public hearings around the state this summer that the PLDC would give too much power to developers who may want to use state-owned lands for their projects without sufficient environmental and county zoning and building code review.
      The water meeting minutes also report on subgroups looking to redevelop water for irrigation and livestock between Wai`ohinu and Kapapala. They are setting up cooperatives and other entities. Ha`ao area agriculturalists have approved bylaws. In the meantime, volunteers are hand-clearing for relocation and replacement of a main water line from domestic supply tunnels. Bulldozing and pipeline installation will follow. Ali`i members are working on articles and bylaws, the minutes report.
      Hilea members are working on structure of their organization and may create a water association. Hilea is also working with The Nature Conservancy on access to Plantation Spring water sources, the minutes say.
      The next meeting is Thursday, Nov. 15 at 4 p.m. at the Royal Hawaiian Orchards (formerly ML Macadamia) Field Office at Maile and Pikake Streets in Pahala.

New HOVE water tank when it was under construction.

COMMERCIAL WATER HAULING permits for Hawai`i Ocean View Estates will be revamped by the county Department of Water Supply, which issued a statement yesterday: 

      “In response to community concerns regarding the ‘first-come, first-served’ standpipe application process, and in consideration of the limited capacity and capabilities of the HOVE water system, the Department of Water Supply intends to revise the application process and reallocate existing accounts for HOVE standpipe water service. It is sincerely recognized that the HOVE water system, built with public funds, is of prime importance to a community that has never had a public potable water system.

HOVE water spigot. Photo from Big Island Video News

       “In consideration of the above, the DWS proposes a lottery system for the HOVE standpipe meters. DWS proposes to establish four meters for PUC-licensed water haulers, four meters for general use (agriculture, residential, industrial, etc.), one meter for community association purposes, and one meter for the County for emergency and other uses. “
      DWS and Water Board will listen to comments on the proposal at the monthly Water Board meeting Oct. 23 at 10 a.m. at Hilo Baseyard Conference Room, 889 Leilani Street.
      Oral or written testimony and comments will be received at 345 Kekuanaoa Street, Hilo, HI 96720, and through calling 961-8050. A community meeting will be held, date and time to be determined.

Ka`u Hospital will be one of the subjects at the East Hawai`i Regional
Board community meeting open to the public tonight in Hilo.
Photo by Julia Neal

THE KA`U HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT ENTITY, Hawai`i Health Systems Corp., puts on its East Hawai`i Regional Board annual community meeting this evening at Hilo Medical Center at 5:30 p.m. The public is invited. 

       “The open meeting provides an opportunity for the board to present an overview of the enhancements to the Region’s health services, as well as to discuss issues raised by the community,” says a press release on the meeting. The statement describes Ka`u Hospital:
      “Located in Pahala, 21-bed Ka`u Hospital is a Critical Access Hospital. Its Emergency Room serves the community for 50 miles in either direction, a geographic area the size of O`ahu.”

LITO ARKANGEL shares his own compositions and Hawaiian favorites tomorrow, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. in Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The event is free. Park entrance fees apply.

THE NEW PAHALA OPEN AIR FARMERS MARKET hosts vegetable and coffee farmers with sales to the public from 7 a.m. to noon tomorrow. In its second week, the market is located on Maile Street next to KAHU community radio station. Also on Wednesdays and Saturdays are Na`alehu Farmers Market from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Ka`u Farmers Market in Na`alehu from 8 a.m. to noon.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT WWW.PAHALAPLANATATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND WWW.KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS NOW OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

ALSO SEE WWW.KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.