Ka`u News Briefs June 17, 2013

A pair of nene, the Hawaiian state bird, land at a reservoir near Ka`u Coffee Mill. Nene sometimes take up residence at golf course ponds and other manmade watering holes.The endangered geese were once a delicacy on the dining room table.  Photo by Louis Daniele 

HAWAI`I GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION has announced its endorsement of Brian Schatz in the senator’s campaign to keep the position to which he was appointed by Gov. Neil Abercrombie. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa is challenging Schatz. In a statement

from the Schatz Campaign, HGEA President Jackie Ferguson-Miyamoto identified Schatz’ “unwavering support for Hawai`i’s workers” and his “solid commitment to protecting Social Security and Medicare” as key reasons for the endorsement.
      “As she said so beautifully, Brian’s dedication to improving the quality of life for working families is reflected in his leadership and resides in his heart,” the statement said. “HGEA joins 23 other endorsing organizations because they know he is the right person to defend Social Security and Medicare, support working families, protect our environment, and fight for a better life for everyone in Hawai`i.”

John Kai Photo from Hawai`i Community College

NEW PRODUCT “SALES HAVE GONE VERY WELL,” Royal Hawaiian Orchards’ interim president John Kai told Hunter Bishop, of Stephens Media. “We’re picking up stores on the mainland.”
      The macadamia nut company, with offices in Pahala and elsewhere on Hawai`i Island, markets new non-GMO, gluten-free and kosher-certified nut products.
      “This is the direction we’re continuing on … to keep that production line going. That’s our primary focus, to grow our business and the industry.”
      Kai replaced Dennis Simonis, who held the position for more than eight years.
      See more at westhawaiitoday.com.

LEGACY LAND CONSERVATION PROGRAM, of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, is seeking applicants for grants to be funded by the State Land Conservation Fund. The grants are for acquisition of lands having value as a resource to the state. Lands can be for conservation, preservation or agriculture.
      The Legacy Land Conservation Program provides an annual source of funding for the “acquisition and conservation of watersheds; coastal area, beach and ocean access; habitat protection; cultural and historic sites; recreational and public hunting areas; parks; natural areas; agricultural production; and open spaces and scenic resources,” says a statement from DLNR.
      “Legacy Land provides grants to partners — nonprofits, counties, or state agencies — that protect important lands and resources by acquiring land or conservation easements,” DLNR chairman William J. Aila, Jr. said. “The Legacy Land Conservation Commission provides an open process for review and public input to ensure that state Legacy Land funds are put toward projects that protect agricultural lands, watersheds, natural areas, cultural sites, and recreational lands for the public’s benefit.”

      Proposed projects may include acquisition of fee title or conservation easements. County agencies and nonprofit project applicants must be able to provide at least 25 percent of the total project costs.
      On average, funded projects usually bring about 65 percent matching funds from federal, county, or private sources.
      The 2013-2014 application cycle may provide approximately $3 million in grants, awarded through a competitive process and subject to any budget restrictions.
      Funding is available through a portion of the state’s land conveyance tax set aside annually in the Land Conservation Fund for the purpose of protecting Hawai`i’s unique and valuable resource lands.
      Project applications will be reviewed by the Legacy Land Conservation Commission, which will nominate projects for funding.
      Projects are subject to approval of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, consultation with the state Senate president and speaker of the House of Representatives, review by the Department of the Attorney General and the approval of the governor. Final awards are subject to the availability of funds.
      This year, applicants are advised of an early deadline to allow additional time for consultation with state agencies.
      The 2013-2014 grant application and instructions are available at hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw/llcp.
      A one-page project summary must be submitted to consulting state agencies by July 19, and full applications must be received or postmarked no later than 4:30 p.m. Sept. 16.
      For more information, call 808-586-0921 or visit hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw/llcp.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie has signed a bill reducing regulations for
small-scale beekeepers. Photo from pollinator.org

THIS IS POLLINATOR WEEK. At a celebration held today at the state Capitol, Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed a bill reducing some of the regulatory requirements for small-scale beekeepers. SB482, enacted as Act 131, clarifies the maximum number of gallons of honey that can be sold by a certified honey house or food processing establishment without obtaining a permit from the state Department of Health. The measure also exempts from permit requirement sales of honey directly to retail stores that, in turn, sell the honey directly to consumers. In addition, the act provides for consumer protections by requiring honey producers to include appropriate labeling of each container of honey, take a food safety class, and make records available to DOH.
      “We must encourage beekeeping operations of all sizes to ensure that honeybee stocks thrive in both managed apiaries and the wild, especially as bee populations have declined due to disease and invasive predators,” Abercrombie said. “SB482 will make beekeeping more financially viable for beekeepers to legally extract, bottle and sell honey by minimizing unnecessary administrative and bureaucratic requirements in ways that will not affect public safety.”

      Hawai`i Board of Agriculture chairperson Russell Kokubun said, “Many small beekeepers have been unable to successfully navigate current regulatory hurdles required to operate a certified food-processing establishment on their own premises for the extraction and bottling of honey, which has resulting in many giving up beekeeping entirely. SB482 provides needed clarification to state law and greater flexibility to Hawai`i’s honeybee farmers as not only a growing facet of our local agriculture industry but also a fundamental part of the long-term sustainability of the industry and the protection of our native habitats.”

      The bill signing occurs in conjunction with Pollinator Week, which recognizes the role of honeybees in plant pollination. Pollinator Week was initiated and is managed by the Pollinator Partnership. 
Six years ago the U.S. Senate’s unanimous approval and designation of a week in June as National Pollinator Week marked a step toward addressing the issue of declining pollinator populations. Pollinator Week has now grown to be an international celebration of the valuable ecosystem services provided by bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles.
      “The growing concern for pollinators is a sign of progress, but it is vital that we continue to maximize our collective effort,” said Sunny Boyd, communications manager of Pollinator Partnership. “Pollinating animals … are vital to our delicate ecosystem, supporting terrestrial wildlife, providing healthy watershed and more. Therefore, Pollinator Week is a week to get the importance of pollinators’ message out to as many people as possible.”
      For more, see pollinator.org.

Volcano House general manager Rudy Fao, at left, reported that Anette
and Joseph Hillring were the hotel's first guests.
Photo from Volcano House

VOLCANO HOUSE OFFICIALLY REOPENED THIS MONTH, with the first guests celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary, according to a press release from Aqua Hospitality.
      Volcano House general manager Rudy Fao said that Anette and Joseph Hillring, of Tampa, Fla., “booked two nights and were also looking forward to hiking in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.”
      The statement from Aqua said that “Volcano House enjoys a unique location on the edge of Halema`uma`u Crater within Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park – designated an International Biosphere Reserve (1980) and a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1987). The restored Volcano House offers 33 historic guest rooms, The Rim restaurant, Uncle George’s Lounge and two gift shops. Ten newly refurbished camper cabins in nearby Namakanipaio Campground are also part of the property.
      “Historic Volcano House is Hawai`i’s oldest hotel, welcoming visitors since 1877. The hotel in use today was built in 1941 and expanded in 1961.”
      Volcano House is managed by Hawai`i Volcanoes Lodge Company, LLC and operates under contract with the National Park Service. “Hawai`i Volcanoes Lodge Company, LLC is an affiliate of Aqua Hospitality, a Hawai`i-based management company founded in 2001 with contemporary properties on O`ahu, Maui, Kaua`i, Moloka`i, Lana`i and Hawai`i Island,” the statement says. “Volcano House is part of Aqua’s Monogram Hotel Collection.
      “Aqua Hospitality … provides full-service management including sales, marketing, Internet distribution, individualized branding, reservations, as well as revenue management to maximize profitability.”
      For reservations, call 808-441-7750 or 1-866-536-7972.
      See hawaiivolcanohouse.com and aquahospitality.com.

Sammi Fo teaches hula `auana
every Tuesday.

SAMMI FO TEACHES HULA `AUANA tomorrow and every Tuesday at the corner of Tiki and Princess Ka`iulani in Ocean View. Students with more than one-year experience meet at 4:15 p.m.; beginning to first-year students meet at 4:15 p.m. Call 990-3292 for more information.

KA`U AGRICULTURAL WATER COOPERATIVE DISTRICT holds its next meeting at Royal Hawaiian Orchards Macadamia Field Office on Thursday at 4 p.m. Contact Jeff McCall at 928-6456 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 June 16, 2013

Blueberry, raised by Ka`u's Kealia Galimba, won Grand Champion in the Market Beef category at the 56th annual
4-H Livestock Show & Sale. Photos from Becky Settlage

RESULTS OF THE 56TH ANNUAL 4-H Livestock Show & Sale at Mealani Research Station in Waimea are in. Grand Champion in the Market Beef category was Blueberry, raised by Ka`u’s Kealia Galimba, 9. Reserve Champion Steer was Ambrose, raised by `Ua Alencastre-Galimba, 11, of Ka`u. Both are from Kuahiwi Ranch.

      KTA bought the grand champion steer for $4.70 per pound. Reserve steer brought in $4.20 per pound.
      Other results of judging by Jan Busboom, of Washington State University:

Ambrose, raised by Ka`u's `Ua Alencastre-Galimba, won Reserve
Champion Steer.

• Champion Market Hog: Cullen Andrade, 13, of Honoka`a; 
• Reserve Champion Market Hog: Micah Miranda, 12, of Waimea; 
• Grand Champion Market Lamb: Cullen Andrade; 
• Reserve Champion Market Lamb: Abigail Andrade, 10, of Honoka`a; 
• Grand Champion Market Goat: Kamuela Santa Maria, 11, of Hilo; 
• Reserve Champion Market Goat: Kawaiola Santa Maria, 13, of Hilo; 
• Grand Champion Poultry: Geronimo Enocencio, 9, of Hilo; 
• Reserve Champion Poultry: O2 Enocencio, 12, Hilo; 
• Rabbit entry first place: Mariah Byrd, 16, Pahoa. 

Showmanship:

• Junior Beef Showmanship: `Ua Galimba; 
• Junior Hog Showmanship: Micah Miranda; 
• Senior Hog Showmanship: Dylan Joaquin, 17, of Hilo; 
• Junior Lamb Showmanship: Cullen Andrade; 
• Senior Lamb Showmanship: Tony Connors, 17, of Paauilo; 
• Junior Goat Showmanship: Liana Stout, 11, of Honoka`a; 
• Senior Goat Showmanship: Dylan Joaquin; 
• Junior Poultry Showmanship: Maximus Enocencio, 10, of Hilo; 
• Senior Poultry Showmanship: Jaysha Alonzo-Estrada, 15, of Hilo.

HAWAI`I HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION’S executive board has approved of some sports tournaments being hosted by Big Island Interscholastic Federation, reported Hawai`i Tribune-Herald sports editor Bill O’Rear. State tournament regionals in girls basketball and boys volleyball will be hosted by BIIF during the 2013-14 seasons, and BIIF and Kaua`i Interscholastic Federation will be added to the rotation for the state Division II baseball tournament beginning in 2016. 

      “I think this is a start, and hopefully we can do it in other sports in the future,” BIIF executive secretary Lyle Crozier told O’Rear. “It gives our fans a chance to watch state-caliber tournaments, and it gives our schools a chance to make money with the concession as well as cut down on travel costs.”
      O'Rear said that, under the pilot program, the state would keep regional gate receipts, and BIIF would keep concession monies. Crozier said the host school of the state tournament would be allowed to keep the money raised in the concession during the event.
      “The BIIF schools will be placed in a rotation system and each get a chance at some point to host the state tournament,” Crozier said. “It’s a good situation for the BIIF.”
      See more at hawaiitribune-herald.com.

HAWAI`I STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION released tax revenue statistics Friday. During the first 11 months of the current fiscal year, general excise tax revenue rose nearly 10 percent. The state had $2.7 billion in general excise tax receipts from July 2012 through the end of May, compared to $2.5 billion for the same 11 months of the previous fiscal year.
      Transient accommodations tax revenues from hotel rooms and other short-term accommodations increased 13 percent from the previous fiscal year, totaling $339 million.
      Individual income tax receipts were up 14 percent. 

Customer Satisfaction Survey forms are available online and at public
libraries, including Pahala Public & School Library.

HAWAI`I STATE PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM Customer Satisfaction Survey will be conducted to obtain feedback from library users about collections and services from June 17 through July 31. The survey will help HSPLS identify areas where it can improve its services and better meet the needs of its communities. The customer satisfaction survey will also gather responses concerning online databases, e-Learning resources, eBooks/eAudio/eMusic collection and the Internet scheduling self-service system, which HSPLS needs for its annual Federal Library Services and Technology Act report. 

      “Your feedback is very important to us,” State Librarian Richard Burns said. “The survey takes just a few minutes to complete and will be available online at librarieshawaii.org and in paper version at all 50 libraries statewide.”

Tulsi Gabbard

U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD HAS VOTED for final House passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2014. The legislation authorizes more than $400 million for Hawai`i defense priorities and contains other measures strongly supported by Gabbard. The bill passed the House by a vote of 315-108. 

      “This bipartisan Defense authorization bill provides good jobs in Hawai`i and ensures Hawai`i’s significant role in our national security strategy and rebalance toward the Asia-Pacific region,” said Gabbard. “The legislation includes key provisions to responsibly end the war in Afghanistan and honor our commitments to those courageous Iraqi and Afghan civilians, such as essential combat interpreters, who risked their own lives and the safety of their families to serve alongside our troops. I was pleased to see that our missile defense has been allocated the resources necessary to create a strong deterrence and defensive capability to protect Hawai`i and the mainland United States.”
      Gabbard has pledged to continue working to ensure that Hawai`i’s priorities and other critical provisions are included in the final House-Senate conference bill that is expected to pass later this year.

KA `OHANA O HONU`APO’S FATHER’S DAY EVENT takes place this afternoon from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The event features musicians on stage, sales of food, beverages and shave ice, and a shady tent to enjoy Honu`apo Park on Father’s Day. The Pork in the Park barbecue contest has been postponed due to lack of participation. For more information, call Lehua Lopez-Mau at 929-9891.

VOLCANO ART CENTER’S NI`AULANI CAMPUS in Volcano Village hosts Tea for Fathers & Daughters/Mothers & Sons Tuesday at 2 p.m. The menu at this special tea to celebrate children, mothers and fathers and grandparents includes finger sandwiches, salad, scones, desserts and a special tea favor all for $15 per person. Reservations are required by tomorrow. Contact JoAnn Aguirre at teaquiero@yahoo.com or 982-7691.

Tom Peek's Writer's Retreat begins Thursday.
Photo by Julia Neal

VOLCANO ART CENTER’S 15th Annual Writer’s Retreat takes place Thursday through Sunday. Check-in begins at 5 p.m. at KIlauea Military Camp in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Tom Peek helps liberate the writer within at this workshop for all levels and genres; no writing experience is necessary. 

      Peek, author of Daughters of Fire, last month received a silver Benjamin Franklin Book Award for popular fiction for his debut novel.
      Workshop fees of $375 or $343 for VAC members include nine meals and supplies. Private and shared rooms are available for additional cost; call 967-8222 for rates.

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 June 15, 2013

High Fire Hawai`i artists participate in the annual Volcano Pottery Sale. See www.highfirehawaii.com.

A MAJORITY OF THOSE WHO RESPONDED to a 38-question, anonymous survey by the Police Department believe Hawai`i island is a safe place. Of the 608 people who responded to questions of safety, 377 agreed that the island is a safe place to live, 434 said it’s a safe place to work, and 393 said it’s a save place to visit. Those who were neutral on the issues numbered in the low 20 percentile. 

      The survey attracted a record number of participants during the month of May.

Police Chief Harry Kubojiri

      The chief and his staff are in the process of analyzing all of the individual comments collected so the Police Department can identify common concerns. The chief will then respond to the most common concerns expressed by the community members and visitors who participated in the survey. The responses to those comments and questions will be posted, along with the questions, on the Police Department’s website. In the meantime, the public may view the survey summary at hawaiipolice.com. 

      As in previous surveys, Chief Kubojiri said the survey and follow-up analysis are tools to assist him in identifying problem areas the community is experiencing with the Police Department, determining if he can rectify those issues through specific training of Police Department personnel, making changes to policies and procedures if necessary and clarifying misinformation about laws and/or police practices.
      “Your feedback in past surveys has allowed us to make changes that were beneficial to the Police Department and the public we serve, and we will continue to publish surveys in the future,” Kubojiri said. “Your input is one of the many tools that we use in our continuing efforts to improve how we provide services to the public.”
      In addition to processing comments from the survey, the Police Department will continue to hold monthly public meetings around the island to respond to concerns from the public. Kubojiri encourages community members to attend these public meetings or communicate their concerns or comments using the Feedback link on the Police Department’s website, hawaiipolice.com.

Dr. Fred Mackenzie

NEW RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT HUMAN ACTIVITY could be increasing the movement of carbon from land to rivers, estuaries and the coastal zone, indicating that large quantities of anthropogenic carbon may be hidden in regions not previously considered, according to a study recently published in Nature Geoscience.When carbon is emitted by human activities into the atmosphere, it is generally thought that about half remains in the atmosphere and the remainder is stored in the oceans and on land.  

      The study by Dr. Fred Mackenzie, emeritus professor of Oceanography at the University of Hawai`i at Manoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, and colleagues from the Université Libre de Bruxelles, the University of Exeter, Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et l’Environnement and ETH Zurich showed, for the first time, that increased leaching of carbon from soil, mainly due to deforestation, sewage inputs and increased weathering, has resulted in less carbon being stored on land and more stored in rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs, estuaries and coastal zones – environments that are together known as the land-ocean aquatic continuum.
      The study reviewed previously published data and showed that a significant amount of the carbon emitted through human activity that is taken up by the land is not actually stored there, but in the aquatic continuum.
      Pierre Regnier, from Université Libre de Bruxelles, said, “The budget of anthropogenic CO2 reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change currently does not take into account the carbon leaking from terrestrial ecosystems to rivers, estuaries and coastal regions. As a result of this leakage, the actual storage by terrestrial ecosystems is about 40 percent lower than the current estimates by the IPCC.”

Pierre Regnier

      The land-ocean aquatic continuum has not previously been considered an important carbon sink. Future assessments of carbon storage must now take into account the surface areas of the land-ocean aquatic continuum to ensure accurate estimation of carbon storage. This will also require an improved knowledge of the mechanisms controlling the degradation, preservation and emissions of carbon along the aquatic continuum to fully understand the impact of human activity on carbon transfer. 

      Professor Pierre Friedlingstein, from the University of Exeter, said, “Carbon storage in sediments in these rivers and coastal regions could present a more secure environment than carbon stored in soil on land. As soil warms up, stored carbon can be lost to the atmosphere. The chances of this occurring in wet sediments are reduced.”
      A fraction of the carbon that leaches from land to the land-ocean aquatic continuum is emitted back to the atmosphere, while another fraction is sequestered in sediments along the continuum. Only a minor part, about 10 percent, eventually reaches the open ocean.
      Philippe Ciais, from the Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et l’Environnement, said, “Our revisited global carbon budget, which includes the land-ocean aquatic continuum, is still entailed with significant uncertainties. It is, however, fully consistent with the observed growth rate of atmospheric CO2. Our downward revision of the land carbon storage is also in agreement with very recent results from forest inventories.”
      A significant part of the carbon storage thought to be offered by ecosystems on land – mainly forests – is thus negated by this leakage of carbon from soils to aquatic systems, and to the atmosphere, according to the study.
      For more information, see the article at dx.doi.org/10.1038/NGEO1830.

Richard Onishi

KA`U’S STATE REP. RICHARD ONISHI HOSTS a community meeting today at 2 p.m. at Aupuni Center Conference Room
 101 to brief the community on the 2013 legislative session and hear feedback on issues that matter to constituents. Other lawmakers joining Onishi are vice speaker John Mizuno, majority leader Scott Saiki, majority floor leader Karen Awana and state representatives Mark Nakashima, Clift Tsuji and Faye Hanohano. 

THE FIFTH ANNUAL VOLCANO POTTERY SALE continues today until 3 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village, featuring newly created work by twelve ceramic artists of East Hawai`i. Samples of Volcano-grown teas are available courtesy of Tea Hawai`i, with sushi and bentos for purchase from Volcano Hanabi. For more information, see ryhpottery.com/volcano_pottery_sale or call 985-8530.

THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO HAVE LUNCH WITH A RANGER tomorrow from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit. Participants bring a bag lunch and join Park Ranger Kiko on Father’s Day in an open discussion on park resources including significant geological events and features of Mauna Loa and the natural and cultural history of the Kahuku Unit.

JoAnn Aguirre hosts a special tea Tuesday.
Photo from Hawai`i Tea Society

KA `OHANA O HONU`APO’S FATHER’S DAY EVENT tomorrow from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., includes musicians on stage, sales of food, beverages and shave ice, and a shady tent to enjoy Honu`apo Park on Father’s Day. The Pork in the Park barbecue contest has been postponed due to lack of participation. For more information, call Lehua Lopez-Mau at 929-9891. 

TEA FOR FATHERS & DAUGHTERS/MOTHERS & SONS takes place Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village. The menu at this special tea to celebrate children, mothers and fathers and grandparents includes finger sandwiches, salad, scones, desserts and a special tea favor all for $15 per person. Reservations are required by Monday. Contact JoAnn Aguirre at teaquiero@yahoo.com or 982-7691.

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.