Ka`u News Briefs Jan. 17, 2013

Dr. Robert Robichaux received the Recovery Champions award from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. His group and its
partners re-introduced 33,000 silverswords to Mauna Loa. Photo from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

INCREASING STATE REVENUES is one goal of new state House of Representatives Speaker Joe Souki. During the opening of the 2013 Legislature in Honolulu yesterday, he urged new programs that would help make up for income lost during the recession.
      Souki, a veteran lawmaker from Maui, has suggested to lawmakers, including East Ka`u’s Representative Richard Onishi, that some form of gambling could gain money for state coffers. What would the money be used for?
      In yesterday’s speech, Souki suggested cutting personal income tax rates, particularly for middle-income and low-income families. He said an improving economy will lead to pressure on the state to increase the pay of workers who took cuts during the recession.

      “With Hawai`i’s economy on the rise, construction stable, tourism up, and unemployment down, there is reason for cautious optimism. This is the moment we have been waiting for,” said Souki.

Hawai`i House Speaker Joe Souki 

      He noted that, “over the past few years, the state budget was cut by over two billion dollars. Meanwhile, wages dropped, health benefit costs rose, many people were forced out of work. The homeless population still grows – among them, war heroes, persons needing mental health services, families unable to pay their mortgage or rent.
      “We have the chance now, to rebuild what the recession took away.
      “Investment in projects and programs throughout the state is critical. But to strengthen economic development and job growth, to restore public services, we need to proceed intelligently.
      “Members, if we want to restore the safety net, put people back to work, and provide the best education, including early childhood education; if we want to take care of people’s health, take care of our kupuna, and make sure the state’s health care system transitions into the new era of health care – smoothly and without undue delay; if we want to improve our roads, bridges, and transportation infrastructure — to reduce traffic, improve the mobility of our residents, and enhance safety — in every county; if we want clean energy that uses the best renewable energy resources, including our ocean and solar resources; if we want to be responsible stewards of Hawai`i’s natural resources and our native plants and animals; if we want to increase farming opportunities on agricultural land and the market for locally grown products; if we want to support the tourism industry and promote the Hawai`i product to the world; if we want to do all these things the people require — and yes, I know we do — we must enhance our revenue stream. We must put together a mix of strategies that will generate more state revenues — equitably.”
      The House Speaker talked about tax credits. “No, I’m not saying we should abandon all caution and fall for the marketing hype. Instead, let’s learn from our experience and do our due diligence. The film industry claims a tax credit will generate $350 million in revenues for the state. Should we turn our back on this? Let’s give it a serious and thorough look first.
      “But increasing revenue does not mean placing an unfair burden on those who can least afford it. Members, the top personal tax rate was down at 7.75 percent at one time, and now it’s up to 11 percent – the highest in the nation. It’s time to look at rolling back the personal tax burden for people with lower incomes and the middle class, at least incrementally, over the next few years,” said Souki.

Senate Minority Leader Sam Slom

      Souki took over leadership of the House after a 14-year stint by Rep. Calvin Say. Souki was supported by a coalition of Democrats and Republicans, and Republicans were given vice-chairmanships of three House committees.

REPEAL OR REVISION of laws setting up the Public Land Development Corp. gained support from state Senate leaders. Republican Senate Minority Leader Sam Slom called for its outright repeal, while Senate President Donna Mercado Kim called for either repeal or revision. The law would allow private economic development on state lands.

SILVERSWORDS ON MAUNA LOA AND MAUNA KEA could suffer similar risks from climate change as those on Haleakala where scientists are reporting a decline in the endangered native Hawaiian plant due to climate change. Published in the scientific journal Global Change Biology, the story reports on research facilitated and funded by the National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The study was also supported by the newly established U.S. Department of the Interior Pacific Islands Climate Science Center. Scientists say the silversword is an example of the many endangered species that could go extinct. Most of them would die off without notice, but the silversword can be useful in educating the public about biodiversity since it is a high profile plant photographed by visitors to Hawai`i’s national parks.

Mauna Loa Silversword Photo by
Marie Bruegmann/USFWS

      USGS director Marcia McNutt said that “the silversword is an amazing story of selective biological adaptation of this distant cousin of the daisy to the high winds and sometimes freezing temperatures on the high slopes and thin soils. Despite the successful efforts of the National Park Service to protect this very special plant from local disturbance from humans and introduced species, we now fear that these actions alone may be insufficient to secure this plant’s future. No part of our planet is immune from the impacts of climate change.”
      The principle investigator for the project is biologist Dr. Paul Krushelnycky, University of Hawai`i at Manoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. He said, “The silversword example foreshadows trouble for diversity in other biological hotspots, and it also illustrates how even well protected and relatively abundant species may succumb to climate-induced stresses.”
      Dr. Rhonda Loh, Chief of Natural Resources Management for Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, said, “Part of our recovery approach is to be smart about where we focus our planting efforts in anticipation of climate change. This includes the recent seed broadcasting experiments on the Mauna Loa strip and Kahuku,” a relatively affordable way “for us to evaluate hot spots for future planting efforts, and to expand the range extent of this species in order to maximize its chances for survival in the future.”

Mauna Loa Silversword, also called
Ka`u Silversword

THE HAWAI`I SILVERSWORD FOUNDATION of Volcano, founded by Dr. Robert Robichaux, has reintroduced 33,000 Mauna Loa silversword seedlings. His work supports research on the genetics and taxonomy of silverswords. Among recovery partners are the Volcano Rare Plant Facility, Hawai`i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, the Biological Resources Division of the U. S. Geological Survey, Hawai`i Department of Public Safety, Kamehameha Schools, The Nature Conservancy, USDA Forest Service, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, private landowners and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

      Robichaux received the Recovery Champions in the Pacific Region award from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

KA`U AG WATER COOPERATIVE DISTRICT meets today at 4 p.m. at Royal Hawaiian Orchards’ field office in Pahala. For more information, contact Jeff McCall at 928-6465 or mccalljeffreyw@gmail.com.

AUDITIONS FOR VOLCANO ART CENTER’S Valentine Variety Show are today at 4 p.m. and Saturday at 10 a.m. Open to all ages and talents. Solo and group acts encouraged. For an application or more information, email julie@volcanoartcenter.org.

Geologist Tim Orr Photo from USGS/HVO

SATURDAY IS A NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE when thousands of volunteers around the country honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ka`u residents can join volunteers at Kahalu`u Beach Park in Kona and help remove plastic trash and cigarette butts that pose hazards to marine life. For more information, call Bob Kim at 756-3828. 

      An event in Hilo to support Rediscovering Ahupua`a Life System organization’s educational activities has been rescheduled.

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY staff come to Pahala next Wednesday to present a program for Volcano Awareness Month. Tim Orr, USGS HVO geologist, reviews highlights from the past 30 years of Kilauea’s ongoing eruption and talks about recent developments on Kilauea’s East Rift Zone. The program at Pahala Plantation House begins at 6:30 p.m.

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

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

Ka`u News Briefs Jan. 16, 2013

This initial fissure opened Jan. 3, 1983 to begin Kilauea Volcano's current eruption. A program about the eruption takes place next Wednesday at Pahala Plantation House as part of Volcano Awareness Month.
Photo from USGS/HVO

THE TWENTY-SEVENTH STATE LEGISLATURE opened today in Honolulu with Senate President Donna Mercado Kim mentioning Ka`u in the first few seconds of her speech. She noted that this year begins with several newcomers to the Senate…. “From Ka`u and Puna comes Russell Ruderman,” she said. 

       Kim noted that she grew up in a rural area, “one of five kids in a poor working-class family. Like many of you, both my parents worked and struggled to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads. Given those modest beginnings, never could I have imagined that I would someday be standing before you as Senate President.”

      She said: “The Hawai`i of our childhood was a lot different than it is today. We had a smaller population, an economy still largely dependent on agriculture, no freeways, no traffic congestion, fewer of the social ills that we now see, and a smaller, and no doubt simpler, government. We were blessed with a strong spirit of community. We took care of each other. As kids, we played with tops, bean bags, and marbles, in the streets with friends from the neighborhood. We walked to school together, and we were unburdened by the concerns that we worry about these days.”

Senate President Donna Mercado Kim

      She described an old Hawai`i much like Ka`u remains today: “Then there was that special teacher, aunt, or uncle who mentored and influenced our lives. For me, it was Kumu Hula Aunty Maiki Aiu, who instilled in me the traditional Hawaiian core values of aloha, lokahi (harmony), kuleana (responsibility) and ha`a ha`a (humility).
      Through hula she taught me discipline, respect, hard work, and grace. These values are the foundation of our kupuna that has been handed down from generation to generation.”
      She thanked another Big Island senator Malama Solomon and the Beamer-Solomon halau “for perpetuating this legacy.”
      Beyond personal hopes and wishes, Kim spoke to the Legislature’s having helped improve Hawai`i in public education, in the growth of charter schools, University of Hawai`i, health insurance coverage for individuals and families and in laws that give protections to workers.
      She noted all of the work going into recovery of the visitor industry and said, “Our host culture can teach, touch, bridge, and inspire those who embrace Hawai`i and our people.” In particular, she said, “Hawaiian music and dance transcend differences in race, nationality, or language.” She said she is working with others on the establishment of a museum/center of Hawaiian music and dance atop the Hawai`i Convention Center.
      Kim, who replaced Shan Tsutsui as Senate president when Gov. Abercrombie appointed him as lieutenant governor, is Hawai`i’s first Filipino-American Senate president.
      See more in tomorrow’s Ka`u News Briefs.

NEIGHBOR ISLAND CHILDREN AND YOUTH make up 63 percent of the wards confined at Hawai`i Youth Correctional Facility, Mayor Billy Kenoi told the state Senate Ways and Means Committee yesterday. “We must do more to intervene earlier to provide better, more positive alternatives for these young people. We urgently need to divert these youths out of the criminal justice system and into services that will allow them to succeed and thrive.” 

      He noted that “this year, the Office of Youth Services in partnership with the Hawai`i County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney will launch the first juvenile intake and assessment center in East Hawai`i with $ 200,000 in grant funding from the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. This new program to assess at-risk youth who have been arrested for minor or status offenses will identify the needs of these young people and will link them and their families with appropriate services. These youths are not a threat to public safety,” said Kenoi. Diverting them out of the criminal justice system will help to free up our police officers for more important patrol duties, making better use of our public safety resources.”

Mayor Billy Kenoi
Photo by Julia Neal

      Kenoi said the state administration’s proposed budget includes $ 800,000 for each of the next two years to expand this juvenile intake and assessment effort to every island in Hawai`i, “and we strongly agree with this initiative. This appropriation would provide enough funding to open a new center in West Hawai`i, and will benefit our young people, our police and the entire community. It will save our state taxpayers money in the long run.”

PRIMARY CARE TRAINING AND RURAL RESIDENCY programs to increase the number of physicians on Hawai`i Island and around the state was another push by the mayor at the Legislature yesterday. He talked about a “severe physician shortage, with a recent study estimating that the County of Hawai`i needs 150 more doctors to provide an adequate level of access to health care for our residents.” Kenoi told legislators that projections by John A. Burns School of Medicine show the physician shortage will dramatically worsen in the next five years as many doctors retire. “An important piece of the solution for our community is the rural residency program, which is now undergoing national accreditation and will begin training residents in 2014. National research shows that 80 percent of residents practice near where they train, and we know this program will help ease the physician shortage in our county and in rural areas across the state.”

U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD asks Ka`u residents to join thousands of volunteers around the country who will honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by participating in a National Day of Service this Saturday. Events on the Big Island are being held in Hilo and Kona.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

      In Hilo, participants can help clear 15 acres of land (cutting underbrush and trees) to be used for the Rediscovering Ahupua`a Life System organization’s educational activities, which include teaching keiki about aqua and animal science. Call Blaise Delima at 987-5698 for all the details.
      In Kona, a cleanup of Kahalu`u Bay Beach is scheduled. Volunteers help remove plastic trash and cigarette butts that pose hazards to marine life at this park that is used by hundreds of thousands of visitors and residents each year. For more information, call Bob Kim at 756-3828.

KA`U AG WATER COOPERATIVE DISTRICT meets tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Royal Hawaiian Orchards’ field office in Pahala. For more information, contact Jeff McCall at 928-6465 or mccalljeffreyw@gmail.com.

THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY of Kilauea Volcano’s East Rift Eruption is the topic at Pahala Plantation House a week from today, Wednesday, Jan. 23. Tim Orr, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist, reviews highlights from the past 30 years and talk about recent developments on Kilauea’s East Rift Zone. He also shows photos and videos of the ongoing eruption. During its first three years, spectacular lava fountains spewed episodically from Pu`u `O`o vent. Since then, nearly continuous lava effusion has built a vast plain of pahoehoe lava that stretches from the volcano’s rift zone to the sea. Although the eruption has been relatively quiet during the past year, with mostly steady, but unusually weak, activity, it has produced some dramatic lava flows in past years.
      The program, which is part of Volcano Awareness Month, begins at 6:30 p.m.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION: Reframing Problems to Generate Solutions is the title of the first community workshop for 2013 sponsored by the nonprofit Ku`ikahi Mediation Center. Kimberly Dark will facilitate the session on Saturday, Jan. 26 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hawai`i Community College in Building 388, Room 103. “This half-day workshop focuses on understanding and practicing the skill of reframing contentious, position-based statements into neutral language that helps everyone think more clearly and develop possible solutions,” says a statement from the organization. Ka`u residents are invited to sign up. These skills can be used at home as well as in the workplace, schools, associations, meetings and more. 

       Tuition for the community workshop is $50. To register, contact Ku`ikahi Mediation Center executive director Julie Mitchell at 935-7844 x 116 or julie@hawaiimediation.org.

VOLCANO SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES hosts a public meeting Thursday, Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at Cooper Center in Volcano Village. The school’s board of directors and educational director will be introduced. Architectural renderings of the consolidated campus at Keakealani on Haunani Road will be on display for comment by citizens of the community. Plans for a community fundraising effort will be ready for discussion, and the contributing architects will be available to expand on their ideas. Light refreshments will be served. 

KEA`AU CAME TO KA`U last night for boys high school basketball. In the JV game, Kea`au Cougars beat Ka`u 51 to 34. In the varsity game, Kea`au took home the win with 53 points to Ka`u’s 43. High-point scorer for Ka`u’s JV team was Franklin Orcino with 13. High-point scorer for Ka`u’s varsity team was Janson Candaroma with 10, reports athletic director Kalei Namohala. The teams’ next games are tomorrow at Kamehameha.

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

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

Ka`u News Briefs Jan. 15, 2013

Sen. Dan Akaka became the first recipient of the Aloha Award of Merit yesterday and is congratulated by Gov. Neil Abercrombie.
Photo by Shane Tegarden.

A RURAL RESIDENCY PROGRAM for physicians and nurses to train and work at such hospitals as Ka`u is one of the priorities that Mayor Bill Kenoi is taking to the state Legislature when it opens its 2013 session tomorrow. The measure has been adopted by the Neighbor Islands legislative collaborative group, which is asking for $5.6 million over two years for the Hawai`i Health Systems Corp’s primary care training program. The name of the local program is Hawai`i Island Family Medicine Residency. Also on the health front is the plan to invest another $41 million through bonds during the next two years to expand the College of Pharmacy & Health Science in Hilo.

       Both measures are also supported by Sen. Josh Green. Also in the legislative package from the county is money to modernize civil defense warnings, which could lead to the replacement of three dozen sirens on the Big Island.

Rep. Cynthia Thielen

REQUIRING A REASONABLE RATE OF RETURN for electric companies is the goal of Representative Cynthia Thielen, (R-Kailua), who plans to introduce legislation at tomorrow’s opening of the state Legislature that would create a permanent Task Force to determine and periodically revise the reasonable rate of return. The bill also establishes a bipartisan joint legislative oversight committee to determine if the Public Utilities Commission is enforcing the reasonable rate of return.

      Thielen said, “The electricity costs for ratepayers in Hawai`i have increased at a constant and precipitous rate, and these increases have created serious financial hardships for Hawai`i residents. One of the most important functions of the PUC is to approve or deny rate increases proposed by HECO, but in reality, the PUC rarely denies rate increases.
      “HECO, by statute, is guaranteed a reasonable rate of return on its rate base. But what constitutes a reasonable rate of return? The statutory language that created the PUC and gives it its powers does not elaborate. This, in turn, gives the PUC vast powers to deny HECO rate increases, but more importantly gives the PUC the ability to allow HECO rate increases without any concrete standards to review the proposals for ‘reasonableness’” said Thielen.
   The bill’s purpose clause explains that “for over 100 years, Hawaiian Electric Company has had a monopoly on energy production in Hawai`i with the objective of efficiently and adequately fulfilling the energy needs of the state and its residents. In exchange for the privilege of providing non-competitive electrical services within the state, HECO is subject to supervision by the PUC and is required to abide by its regulations."
      Thielen said that requiring a reasonable rate of return for electric utilities “will keep HECO honest and provide more checks and balances, which translates into consumer rate savings for all of us.”

Sen Dan Akaka received the Aloha Award of Merit
yesterday. Photo by Shane Tegarden

WHERE I LIVE, THERE ARE RAINBOWS, sang Sen. Dan Akaka yesterday when he became the first recipient of the state Legislature’s Aloha Award of Merit. The award was established in 1993 to honor those who provide distinguished service to Hawai`i and devote their lives to the people and place of Hawai`i. Gov. Neil Abercrombie and four former governors attended. As a recipient of the award, Akaka may be called on by the governor to serve as an emissary to represent the Aloha State.
      Akaka retired from Congress after the 2012 session, after serving for 22 years in the U.S. Senate and 14 years in the U.S. House. He chaired the Senate’s Indian Affairs Committee and is well known for his Akaka Bill, which attempts to give more self-governance to Native Hawaiians.
      The Aloha Award of Merit ceremony was held in the state House of Representatives chambers. For the music, Akaka’s sons accompanied him on guitars.

MISSING AT SEA is the status of a 67-year-old Pahala man after falling off a South Point cliff while fishing Sunday night. Fire/rescue units responded to a 10:26 p.m. alarm Sunday to Ka Lae for a fisherman who fell into the ocean. Witnesses reported that the man fell about 20 feet into the ocean while fishing and was last seen about 50 yards offshore. They lost sight of the fisherman due to darkness, reports the Hawai`i Police Department. 

      County fire/rescue crews conducted a water and land search with the assistance of a Coast Guard C-130 plane and Dolphin helicopter searching up to six miles from shore. A Hawai`i National Guard Blackhawk helicopter performed an aerial ocean search up to three miles out. Searchers were not able to find the man. The area is popular for fishing but has high cliffs and strong currents.
      The search was scheduled to resume today with the fire department’s Chopper One helicopter.

The cliffs of Ka Lae at South Point are a popular fishing spot. However, another
 fisherman from Pahala fell into the water Sunday, and the search
resumed today. Photo by Julia Neal

A HILO MAN WAS FOUND DEAD in his vehicle on Hwy 11 in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Saturday, reports Jessica Ferracane, of the park’s Public Affairs office. A park ranger discovered the lifeless body of Steven L. Elliott in a white 2002 Ford pickup truck parked on the shoulder of the highway near mile marker 35 at 9:34 a.m. The cause of death is unknown, and an investigation is being conducted by the National Park Service. An autopsy by the medical examiner is scheduled for today.

HAWAI`I POLICE DEPARTMENT is hosting its next community access meeting next Friday, Jan. 25 from noon to 2 p.m. at Cooper Center on Wright Road in Volcano Village. The event allows the public to meet the Police Department’s command staff and to discuss police-related concerns with the police chief and commanders who oversee police operations in Volcano and Puna.
      The Volcano event continues district community meetings, which are rotated throughout the eight police districts on the Big Island. To aid police commanders in focusing on specific community concerns, police officers ask that participation in this meeting be limited to persons who live or work in the immediate area.
      Those interested in participating but unable to attend may e-mail their concerns or comments to copsysop@hawaiipolice.com. For more information, call Acting Captain Reed Mahuna at 965-2716.

USGS/HVO geologists Tim Orr, at left, and Matt Patrick
present programs during Volcano Awareness Month.
Photo from USGS/HVO

VOLCANO AWARENESS MONTH CONTINUES with another After Dark in the Park program tonight at 7 p.m. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist Matt Patrick presents an overview of Kilauea’s summit eruption, including a survey of the volcanic processes occurring within the vent, at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The program is free, and park entrance fees apply. 

ALSO AT KILAUEA VISITOR CENTER AUDITORIUM, Kai Ho`opi`i, an Aloha Festivals Hawaiian falsetto contest winner, shares music of his `ohana tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. as part of the park’s ongoing Na Leo Manu, Heavenly Voices, presentations. The concert is free, and park entrance fees apply.

VALENTINE VARIETY SHOW AUDITIONS are Thursday at 4 p.m. and Saturday at 10 a.m. Auditions are open to all ages and talents, and all applicants and performers must be able to make one of the scheduled auditions, one mandatory dress rehearsal on Feb. 7 and 8 and show times, which will be either Feb 9 and 16 or Feb. 10 and 17. Acts for the show to be held at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village should be no longer than five minutes. Acts can be music, dance, drama, comedy, magic, juggling, acrobatics or any other form of entertainment. Solo and group acts encouraged. $15 application fee per act waived for VAC members. For an application or more information, email julie@volcanoartcenter.org. 

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY geologist Tim Orr presents a program at Pahala Plantation House a week from tomorrow on Wednesday, Jan. 23. Orr’s talk includes photos and videos reviewing highlights and recent developments of Kilauea’s 30-year-long east rift zone eruption. The program, which is part of Volcano Awareness Month, begins at 6:30 p.m.

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

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