Ka`u News Briefs June 1, 2013

Ka`u Hospital administrator Merilyn Harris has received recognition from the Tobacco-Free Coalition of East Hawai`i
for the hospital's tobacco-free policy and commitment to improving community health. Photo by Julia Neal

IN OBSERVANCE OF WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY yesterday, the Tobacco-Free Coalition of East Hawai`i presented recognition plaques to Ka`u Hospital administrator Merilyn Harris, Therese Glowania, personnel management specialist at Hale Ho`ola Hamakua and Howard Ainsley, East Hawai`i regional CEO of Hawai`i Health Systems Corporation and Hilo Medical Center for the hospitals’ tobacco-free policy and commitment to improving community health. The facilities adopted a tobacco-free policy effective May 1.

      According to World Health Organization, tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death globally and is currently responsible for killing one in 10 adults worldwide. “We are honored to be recognized for our tobacco-free policy and our commitment to improving population health,” said Ainsley. “As the largest employer in East Hawai`i, we are constantly looking for ways to encourage a healthy lifestyle. This policy is just one way we can make a difference in people’s lives and reduce the incidence of heart attack and stroke.” 

      “World No Tobacco Day is the perfect day to celebrate our state hospitals and clinics in East Hawai`i,” said Sally Ancheta, East Hawai`i coordinator of the Tobacco-Free Coalition. “We applaud the HHSC’s hospitals and their affiliated clinics in East Hawai`i for leading by example and going tobacco-free.”
      The East Hawai`i Region provides support to patients, staff and the community in their efforts to quit using tobacco products. Patients are currently offered tobacco cessation information and tobacco abatement products such as nicotine patches. Tobacco cessation classes are being organized for staff and community members.
      For more information, contact Elena Cabatu at 932-3160 or ecabatu@hhsc.org.

Bobby Jean Leithead Todd

MAYOR BILLY KENOI ANNOUNCED THE APPOINTMENT of former state Land Use Commission chairman Duane Kanuha as the county’s new planning director. Bobby Jean Leithead Todd, who has served as county planning director for the past four years, will assume control of the county Department of Environmental Management. 

      Kanuha served as the county’s deputy planning director from 1976 to 1984 and was planning director from 1988 to 1990 during the administration of the late Mayor Bernard Akana. He was Hawai`i Island commissioner on the state Land Use Commission from 2005 to 2011, and was chair of the commission from 2008 to 2009.
      In 2007, Kanuha was appointed executive vice president of Kohala Investment Works, LLC, a subsidiary of Surety Kohala Corporation.
      The appointment of Leithead Todd as director of Department of Environmental Management marks the second time she has led that department. Leithead Todd previously served as DEM director in 2007 and 2008.

Margaret Masunaga

      A graduate of the William S. Richardson School of Law, Leithead Todd served as Hawai`i County deputy corporation counsel for nine years, from 1987-1993 and from 2003-2007. She also served as the legislative auditor for the county, and as a member of the Hawai`i County Council from 1996 to 2003. 

      Kenoi also announced the appointment of Laverne Omori as director of the Department of Research and Development and Hilo bank manager Donn Mende as deputy director.
      Omori has served as deputy director of the Department of Research and Development since 2010. Previously she worked as an economic development specialist in Research & Development, as a planner in the county Office of Aging and as program director in the Department of Parks & Recreation.
      Mende is currently Hilo branch manager of Hawai`i National Bank. A graduate of Waiakea High School, Mende previously worked in trust and investment banking in Honolulu before returning to Hilo to take a position with American Savings Bank in 2006.

Donn Mende

      Kenoi also named Kona-based executive assistant Bobby Command as the new deputy planning director. Command will assume the position now held by attorney Margaret Masunaga, who is moving from the Planning Department to practice law in the county Office of the Corporation Counsel. 

      Command has served as executive assistant to Mayor Billy Kenoi since 2008 and worked on projects such as the Ane Keohokalole Highway and the Mamalahoa Highway Bypass. Command graduated from University of Hawai`i – Manoa with a degree in journalism and was a longtime reporter at West Hawai`i Today, specializing in land use.
      Kenoi also named former Hawai`i Community Foundation program officer Clarysse Kami Nunokawa to the position of executive assistant to the mayor.
      Nunokawa is currently a planner in the county Office of Aging and previously served as grant manager and compliance coordinator for the $2 million Strategic Prevention Framework-State Incentive Grant to prevent underage drinking. She also served as a program officer for Hawai`i Community Foundation and as a planner and program specialist for the state Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities.
      “We are excited to be making these changes to better serve our community,” Kenoi said. “These appointments add new energy and expertise to our departments and staff, and I want to thank each of our appointees for their commitment to our community.”

Ray LaHood

TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY RAY LAHOOD has praised officials in Hawai`i for passing laws to ban texting while driving. 

      LaHood has waged a vocal campaign against distracted driving during his tenure at the Department of Transportation, and noted that more than 40 states now have prohibitions against texting behind the wheel.
      The new law makes texting while driving a primary offense. As such, drivers can be pulled over for that alone.
      “I commend Gov. Abercrombie and the Hawai`i Legislature for taking an important stand against the danger of distracted driving," LaHood said in a statement.
      See more at thehill.com.

KEAMUKU MANEUVER AREA of Pohakuloa Training Area is open for bow hunting of pigs, sheep and goats only today and tomorrow from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hunters are allowed one pig, one goat and one sheep per day, in keeping with state bag limits.
      For more information, call the PTA Hunter’s Hotline at 808-969-3474, visit garrison.hawaii.army.mil/pta and click on the Hunting tab, or refer to instructions on the hunting pass.

PEOPLE & LAND OF KAHUKU, a guided, 2.5-mile, moderately difficult hike over rugged terrain, focuses on the human history of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit. The three-hour hike begins at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow. Call 985-6011 for more information.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard met with Col. Jerry Arends, organizer of Tropic
Care, during her visit to Lana`i. Photo from Office of Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

TROPIC CARE 2013 BEGINS TUESDAY, when 75 military reservists come to Ka`u to run two clinics providing health care services free of charge, including physical exams, dentistry, optometry (exams and glasses), nutrition education, medication review and provision of some medication. Patients are seen on a first-come, first-served basis and are advised that there may be long wait times. 

      Clinics are held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. except for the last day, Wednesday, June 12, when they close at noon. Locations are Pahala School Campus and Ocean View Community Center.
      In addition to medical services, residents living off the grid and using a generator for power will have access to service members specializing in mechanics, who will work on any systems that need attention.
      U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard received a briefing this week on the program from Air Force Reserves Col. Jerry Arends during her tour of Lana`i. “Access to quality health care can be a challenge for those in our rural and underserved communities,” Gabbard said. “I know everyone appreciates the extra help being offered at no cost thanks to the Army, Air Reserves, and the National Guard.”
      For more information about Tropic Care, contact Arends at 701-566-1932.

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 May 31, 2013

Members of the marine debris team from the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division of Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center display 14 metric tons of plastic debris and derelict fishing gear collected in April at Midway Atoll.
NOAA photo by Edmund Coccagna

KA`U WILL HAVE MORE POLICE OFFICERS after Hawai`i County Council passed the $394.3 million budget yesterday. Police Chief Harry Kubojiri asked for the staffing increase based on the district’s population growth. Deputy Police Chief Paul Ferreira said that would allow one additional officer per shift. Recruits would come from a class graduating in June. 

      The budget passed by a vote of 7-2. Ka`u’s Council member Brenda Ford voted against it, saying she is opposed to raising property taxes to pay for it. The budget is 7.4 percent higher than last year’s, and the Council approved property tax increases to help balance the budget.

TELECONFERENCING OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT MEETINGS will continue at Ocean View Community Center with funding approved and included in the budget. During budget negotiations yesterday, Ka`u’s Council member Brenda Ford said, “If you shoot this down, Ka‘u is not going to have anything.”

GOV. NEIL ABERCROMBIE HAS RELEASED more than $21.8 million for capital improvement projects for state airports and highways. “Our state’s economy is growing stronger, and it is important that we maintain this positive momentum by continuing to invest in priority capital improvement projects – particularly those maintaining and upgrading our transportation infrastructure, which is essential to island commerce, business, the visitor industry, and our way of life,” Abercrombie said. “As I directed upon taking office, the state Department of Transportation is restructuring its procurement process and will ensure proper training and implementation of strong, centralized controls to meet standards required by law.”
      Priority projects, identified by members of the state Legislature, include $1,150,000 for statewide planning and research activities related to the development, management and operation of transportation systems and facilities in the state. Highway planning and research is a prerequisite to continued receipt of federal highway funds. An allotment of $395,000 goes to statewide bridge inspection and appraisal to determine bridge needs and the prioritization of those needs.

Debris at Midway reflects similar findings from
Ka`u Coast cleanups sponsored by
Hawai`i Wildlife Fund.

AS WITH DEBRIS COLLECTED ALONG the Ka`u Coast during Hawai`i Wildlife Fund-sponsored cleanups, most of the marine debris collected at Midway Atoll is plastic. 

      In April, members of the marine debris team of the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division of Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center collected almost 14 metric tons of plastic debris and derelict fishing gear from the remote island in Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, a World Heritage Site.
      “The amount of plastics in the environment up here is pretty alarming,” said James Morioka, a member of the CRED marine debris team, after witnessing the amount of debris present on the shoreline of Eastern Island after only nine months of accumulation since the last marine debris mission at Midway Atoll ended in last July. “Just trying to keep up with it is kind of overwhelming.”
      Along with remove of coastal debris, the team removed derelict fishing gear from shallow reef areas to mitigate entanglement of Hawaiian monk seals and green sea turtles, which are listed as endangered and threatened, respectively, under the Endangered Species Act.
      See more at pifscblog.wordpress.com.

AN OUTBREAK OF THE NATIVE KOA MOTH and the resulting defoliation of koa forests on Hawai`i Island are continuing to be observed by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, which is closely monitoring the outbreak with aerial and ground surveys performed in collaboration with the University of Hawai`i and U.S. Geological Survey.
      “The department is closely monitoring the moth outbreak and the recovery of koa forests and will use the information gathered to determine whether future management actions are needed,” said William Aila, Jr., DLNR chairperson. “Although recovery of most koa forests is expected, the opening of the forest canopy could hasten the spread of introduced plants in our native forests.”
      The DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife has mapped the defoliated area on East Hawai`i, which spans from Laupahoehoe to Upper Waiakea and covers over 50,000 acres.
      Moths, caterpillars and initial signs of defoliation have also been reported in Ka`u, Kilauea and Keauhou and regions, and the Pu`u Wa`a Wa`a area of West Hawai`i.

Koa moth caterpillar scrapes trees' leaves.
Photo by William Haines of UH/CTAHR

      Trees defoliated earlier in the outbreak have already been observed sprouting new leaves, indicating that the forest is recovering, according to DLNR. 

      Outbreaks of this native insect are a natural phenomenon, as indicated by oral accounts by Hawaiians describing similar outbreaks before the first documented outbreak in 1892. Researchers believe these disturbances likely play an important ecological role by eliminating unhealthy trees, thinning dense young koa stands, and providing an influx of nutrients into the forest ecosystem.
      However, little is known about the causes and full natural cycle of this phenomenon. Additionally, an invasive psyllid insect that was first detected in Hawai`i in 1966 – and was not present during previous outbreaks – could damage new shoots of recovering trees, DLNR claims
      There are currently no tools for slowing or stopping the infestation. Aerial spraying of insecticides would harm other forest organisms and is not feasible on a large scale. Biological control is not possible with a native species because its natural enemies are already present in Hawai`i, and there is no outside source for predators or parasites that would be specific to the moth.
      In addition to monitoring the spread of the outbreak, DLNR is seeking funds to investigate natural controls of the moths using traps or baits and to monitor recovery of forests and the response of invasive plant populations. This information will be useful for managing future outbreaks if they are determined to harm the forest.
      Further information is available on DLNR’s website at hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw.

Hawai`i Island hunter James Fukunaga bagged this billy at KMA
in November. Photo from PTA

ARMY OFFICIALS ARE OPENING the Keamuku Maneuver Area of Pohakuloa Training Area for bow hunting tomorrow and Sunday from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. KMA will be open for bow hunting of pigs, sheep and goats only. Hunters are allowed one pig, one goat and one sheep, per day, in keeping with state bag limits. Hunting mammals with ear tags is allowed; however, hunting mammals with colored tracking collars is prohibited. 

      All hunters must check in and check out at one of the following hunter’s check-in stations: Kilohana, located on Saddle Road between mile markers 43 and 44; or Pu`u Anahulu, located on Mamalahoa Highway across from mile marker 15. Check out time is no later than 7:30 p.m. each day.
      Hunting passes will be provided at the check-in stations beginning today after 5 p.m. These passes must be signed and placed on the vehicle’s dashboard. Hunters who do not have a signed hunting pass on their dashboard will be barred from hunting for 30 days.
      Hunters must enter and exit the hunting areas through one of the following gates: gates 2, 7 or 10 on Saddle Road, or gates 11 or 14 on Mamalahoa Highway. Parking is in designated areas.
      Firearms, alcoholic beverages, all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes and/or recreational vehicles are not allowed in the training and hunting areas.
      For more information, call the PTA Hunter’s Hotline at (808) 969-3474, visit garrison.hawaii.army.mil/pta and click on the “Hunting” tab, or refer to instructions on the hunting pass.

REGISTRATION FOR KEIKI SUMMER FUN Learn To Swim classes in June and July continues today from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Pahala swimming pool. Each class is two weeks long, Monday – Friday (except for holidays) and each is $10. Payment is by cash or check.
      Call 928-8177 for more information.

Tropical Reflections by Kathy Long

KATHY LONG SHARES TECHNIQUES to bring depth and life to art Saturday in a drawing class from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and a pastel class from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Volcano Art Center Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village. Fee of $60 or $54 for VAC members per class includes supplies and a print from the artist. Register at 967-8222. 

VOLCANO ART CENTER’S Puna Chicks Comedy event originally scheduled for tomorrow at 7 p.m. has been cancelled.

A GUIDED, 2.5-MILE, MODERATELY DIFFICULT hike over rugged terrain focuses on the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s human history. The three-hour hike begins at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. Call 985-6011 for more information.

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 May 30, 2013

A monk seal pup recently born on the Ka`u Coast, shown nursing when he was less than one week old,
has since been weaned. Photo by Justin Viezbicke 

A HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL PUP BORN on the Ka`u Coast was recently weaned from his mother, a nine-year-old seal from Moloka`i. This is her second pup, according to Justin Viezbicke, of NOAA. One of less than 1,100 seals alive today, he is currently being monitored by National Oceanic & Atmospheric Service staff and volunteers. 

      “We want to alert the public of his presence in order to relay important information about the natural behavior of newly weaned seal pups,” Viezbicke said. “In the few months after his mother leaves the area, this seal may seek out human attention and attempt to interact with humans. Encouraging this behavior and these interactions may cause him to lose his wild tendencies and severely lessen his chances of surviving in the wild.

The monk seal pup is expanding his range as he and his
confidence level grow. Photo by Julie Steelman

      “We have had to move two pups off Hawai`i island due to human interaction problems, including the first pup born in the area over 10 years ago.” 

      Viezbicke expects the pup to expand his range as his confidence grows. “Most of the seals born on Hawai`i Island remain on the island, but as they get older, they expand their range to all of Hawai`i island and possibly other islands,” he said.
      Viezbicke offered guidelines to help this and other monk seals to stay “alive and wild:”

• Maintain a distance of at least 150 feet from the seal; 
• If the seal approaches, ignore it and quickly move away or exit the water; 
• Do not make eye contact with the seal or try to get its attention with loud noises; 
• Do not feed the seal. 

      Viezbicke commended Hawai`i Wildlife Fund’s volunteer efforts in cleaning up the Ka`u Coast and keeping it as clean as possible “so that it can be used not only by the people of Hawai`i but also the animals that live here as well.”      

       Please report all seal sightings to NOAA’s Monk Seal Sighting Line at 808-987-0765. “The survival of every seal is important for the survival of the entire species,” Viezbicke said. “Thank you for helping save one of Hawai`i’s endangered species!”

The large yellow object that was found on the Ka`u Coast in October
has been removed.

THE LARGE, YELLOW, METAL OBJECT, some 20 feet in diameter and 12 feet high, that washed up on the Ka`u Coast about four miles south of Na`alehu, has been removed, according to a report at bigislandnow.com. Deborah Ward, of the state Department of Land & Natural Resources, told Dave Smith that Ka`u Andrade Contracting cut it up and hauled it away. 

      Exactly what the object was, or whether or not it was debris from the 2011 Japanese tsunami, is still unknown. Hawai`i state officials think it may be have been a buoy to tie up vessels at sea.
      DNLR originally said removal could cost as much as $100,000. Smith reports that Ka`u Andrade Contracting submitted the winning bid of $28,500.
      The story says another object of the same description washed ashore on an island in British Columbia.
      See more at bigislandnow.com.

KA`U HOSPITAL IS EXPECTED TO SEE a deficit of $69,000 by the end of fiscal year 2014, according to a story in today’s Hawai`i Tribune-Herald about Hawai`i Health Systems Corporation’s overall $7.2 million shortfall. The safety net hospital system, which receives subsidies from the state, is dealing with increasing health-care costs, lower reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid and upcoming changes in reimbursements as a result of ObamaCare, or the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. 

      “Let me tell you, there’s a financial crisis with HHSC. Unquestionably. Our board, and the other HHSC region boards, are very, very, very concerned about how we’re going to be able to operate going forward,” Howard Ainsley, CEO of HHSC’s East Hawai`i Region, told reporter Colin M. Stewart. “Some hospitals are going to have difficulties making payroll unless emergency appropriations are made to these regions.”
      See more at hawaiitribune-herald.com.

A PROPOSAL BY KA`U’S COUNCIL MEMBER Brenda Ford that would have changed foreclosure procedures was postponed by the county Finance Committee yesterday. Ford proposed to reduce the number of years required for the county to wait before foreclosing on delinquency real property taxes from three to two years.
      “It isn’t that I want to foreclose on people,” Ford said. “I want them to pay their taxes.”
      In a West Hawai`i Today story, Nancy Cook Lauer reports that Council members opposing the measure said people probably don’t pay their taxes on time because they don’t have the money and that they’re also paying 12 percent interest on the balance as well as penalties.
      Kohala Council member Margaret Wille called for a task force to study the issue.
      See more at westhawaiitoday.com.

HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC AND HAWAI`I ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANIES have scheduled a two-hour meeting next Wednesday, June 5 at 6 p.m. at Pahala Community Center to seek public comment on draft Five-Year Action Plans. The Action Plans are part of the Integrated Resource Planning process, which looks at how the utilities will meet future energy needs. The Hawaiian Electric Companies intend to file an Action Plan for each company with the Hawai`i Public Utilities Commission by June 28. 

      Information about IRP, including the four energy scenarios that guided the planning analysis, is available at www.irpie.com, the website of the PUC’s independent representative facilitating and monitoring the process.
      Ongoing technical analysis of the scenarios is also available on the site. The completed analysis and Draft Action Plans will be available for public review on the site after presentation to the citizens’ Advisory Group today.
      The PUC initiated the latest round of integrated resource planning in March 2012 and named Carl Freedman of Maui-based Haiku Design & Analysis as the Commission’s independent entity to oversee the process. The PUC also named a 68-member IRP Advisory Group, composed of representatives from diverse locations and organizations in Hawai`i, to provide public input to the Hawaiian Electric utilities in the planning process.
      According to the PUC, “The goal of integrated resource planning is to develop an Action Plan that governs how the utility will meet energy objectives and customer needs consistent with state energy policies and goals while providing safe and reliable utility service at a reasonable cost through development of Resource Plans and Scenarios of possible futures that provide a broader long-term perspective.”

REGISTRATION FOR KEIKI SUMMER FUN Learn To Swim classes in June and July takes place today and tomorrow from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Pahala swimming pool. Each class is two weeks long, Monday – Friday (except for holidays) and each is $10. Payment is by cash or check.
      Call 928-8177 for more information.

Pau Hula by Kathy Long. Image from  VAC

KATHY LONG SHARES TECHNIQUES to bring depth and life to art Saturday in a drawing class from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and a pastel class from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Volcano Art Center Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village. Fee of $60 or $54 for VAC members per class includes supplies and a print from the artist. Register at 967-8222. 

VOLCANO ART CENTER PRESENTS Puna Chicks – Another Night Of Comedy Saturday at 7 p.m. at its Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village with “Puna Princess” Sherri Carden, “Puna Tita” Angie Libadisos and Tanya Anne. Tickets are $10 per person. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Call 967-8222 or see volcanoartcenter.org.

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.