Ka`u News Briefs July 1, 2013

John Masters of Ka`u Auto Repair won Most Patriotic in the parade competition for Independence Day last weekend.
Photo by Julia Neal

KA`U AUTO REPAIR won the Most Patriotic category at Na`alehu Fourth of July Parade on Saturday. They won a $20 gift certificate to Punalu`u Bake Shop, a $25 gift certificate from Kahala Gas Ocean View, a bag of coffee from Ka`u Coffee Mill, a bag of Paradise Meadows Macadamia Nuts, a bag of Miranda Coffee from Lee McIntosh and two Bug Gard sprays from Crystal McIntosh of Avon. See more results in tomorrow’s Ka`u News Briefs.

Girl Scouts rode in the Kama`aina Choo-Coo during Na`alehu's
Independence Day Parade. Photo by Julia Neal

TEAMS FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT are being implemented by Hawai`i Department of Education as a new approach to raise performance levels of students. Instead of spending money on management consultants, the DOE is moving toward using teams of specialists with specific knowledge of local schools. 

      During the upcoming school year, the program will begin its pre-implementation phase, DOE deputy superintendent Ronn Nozoe told Alia Wong, of Civil Beat. During this phase, consultants will still be used, as they have been since 2005.
      The change is part of DOE’s application for partial exemption from No Child Left Behind law.
      To comply with NCLB and receive federal funding, DOE has been contracting with consultants “with a demonstrated record of effectiveness to operate the school,” but Hawai`i student performance has continued to trail behind the national average, the Civil Beat story says. “The key to our success is internal capacity,” Nozoe told Wong.
      See more at civilbeat.com.

Robert Williams shared his patriotism during the
parade in Na`alehu. Photo by Peter Anderson

SEVERAL NEW LAWS GO INTO EFFECT TODAY. A car safety law prohibits use of hand-held cell phones and other electronic devices while driving. Hands-free devices can still be used, except by drivers under 18 years of age. 

      With updates to Hula Mae Single Family Mortgage Loan Program, more homebuyers can now qualify for below-market interest rates. They also add down payment, closing cost and other assistance as program features and make various housekeeping and conforming amendments.
      Another law raises film tax credits from 20 percent to 25 percent on Hawai`i Island and other Neighbor Islands. It also extends the credits to 2019 in order to broaden the state’s economy from tourism and the military.

BUS FARES IN HAWAI`I COUNTY increase today. General fare is $2 per ride. Students through college with current I.D., senior citizens 60 years and above with a valid I.D. and disabled persons with disability pass I.D. or pass issued by County Mass Transit Department pay $1 per ride. Children under age 5 ride for free.
      Discounts are available to general riders by buying a sheet of 10 tickets for $15 or a monthly pass for $60. Qualifying students, seniors and disabled individuals pay $7.50 for 10 tickets or $45 for monthly passes.
      For more information, call 961-8744 or see heleon.org/bus-fare-information.

A SPECIAL MEETING ABOUT PROHIBITING GMOs is scheduled by Hawai`i County Public Safety and Mass Transit Committee tomorrow at 9 a.m. at West Hawai`i Civic Center in Kona. The committee considers a bill prohibiting the propagation, cultivation, raising, growing, sale or distribution of transgenic organisms.
      The bill grants exemptions to GMO crops already growing in Hawai`i County, including papaya and corn, while setting up a system of registration, signage, and buffer zones for all GMO crops given the exemption.
      The bill also specifies penalties for those who knowingly violate the article. Fines would be $1,000 for each location in violation and $500 per day for those who do not timely obey any order of violation, such as confiscation or removal. Administrative and abatement costs would also be the responsibility of the violator.
      The entire text of the bill is available at hawaiicounty.gov.
      Ka`u residents can participate and offer testimony at Ocean View Community Center’s videoconferencing facility.

Southside Volleyball teams are competing in Reno, Nevada. Photo by Katherine Okamura

SOUTHSIDE VOLLEYBALL 14-year-old boys won 14 straight games and today earned the gold medal in the 2013 Boys Junior National Championship in Reno, Nevada. Southside defeated Pennsylvania in the championship match. Southside beat teams from places like Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Outrigger from Honolulu with names like the Panthers, AZ Fear and Team Rockstar. 

      The tournament runs through July 3. Southside is a Ka`u-based volleyball training and competition group. Members of the team of 14-year-olds are Addie Enriques, Avery Enriques, Nai`ia Makuakane and Kameron Moses. Members of the 16s team are Brian Gascon, Emmett Enriques and Kai Enriques. Head coach is Guy Enriques. The 16-year-olds were also undefeated as of this morning and are still aiming for the championship.

Ken Charon offers drawing classes this month. Photo by Marsha Hee

ARTIST KEN CHARON TEACHES how to gain inspiration from the natural environment of Kilauea in a series of free instructional outings this month. The offerings are scheduled on Wednesdays, July 3, 10, 17 and 24. The 1.5-hour classes meet on the porch of Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. They are open to park visitors and island residents over eight years of age. 

      Charon covers basic drawing techniques and other helpful tips before leading participants to a scenic location around the caldera to witness the creative forces of Kilauea and develop the ability to capture its unique natural beauty. Charon invites those who have attended this popular offering in the past to return for a new and enriching experience. He likes to switch locations to keep things exciting and inspiring.
      Charon is one of the founding members East Hawai`i’s artist cooperative, Stairway to ART, above Reuben’s Mexican Restaurant in downtown Hilo. The venue displays work of their cooperating members promoting freedom of artistic expression as well as private art lessons and mentoring for art students of all ages.
      Sign-up is on a first-come, first-served basis the day of the class; arrival prior to the 10:30 a.m. start time is suggested. Participants bring a sketchpad, pencils, eraser, sharpener and a folding chair or mat for sitting, if necessary, and dress for both warm sun and chilly rain, as the weather is unpredictable. This offering is free; park entrance fees apply.
      For more information, call 967-8222 or see volcanoartcenter.org.

A silent auction hosted by Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park
Thursday benefits three organizations. Photo from FHVNP

VOLCANO VILLAGE’S FOURTH OF JULY PARADE starts at 9 a.m. Thursday at the post office and continues down Old Volcano Road, where it turns left on Wright Road and heads to Cooper Center. To join the parade, contact Jim Mitchell at 253-441-0863 or Sher Glass at 967-8553. 

      Festivities continue at Cooper Center with craft and food booths, entertainment, a silent auction and games for children.
      For craft or food booths, contact Barbara Toles at 769-3903 or Donna Stickel at 985-7140.
      To sign up to perform during the festivities, call Kathy Baybayan at 982-7387.
      Volunteers who would like to help with the keiki games can contact Mary Brewer at 985-9595.

A SILENT AUCTION TAKES PLACE THURSDAY, July 4 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. after Volcano Village’s Fourth of July parade. Held at Cooper Center on Wright Road, the auction benefits Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, Volcano Community Association and Cooper Center.
      This year, the auction has over 200 items up for bid including fine art, vacation packages, jewelry, helicopter tours and much more.

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 30, 2013

Hawaiian Civic Club members celebrate Independence Day and hand out lei as they walk through Na`alehu village. Photo by Julia Neal

Mayor Billy Kenoi and daughter at yesterday's
parade in Na`alehu. Photo by Julia Neal

INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS started early in Ka`u yesterday with the annual Fourth of July Parade. Mayor Billy Kenoi, Rep. Richard Onishi and County Council member Brenda Ford joined in, along with the Hawai`i County Band.
     Miss Ka`u Coffee Tiare Lee Shibuya, along with representatives of community organizations, businesses, agencies and churches, traveled under the shade of the monkeypod trees through the village along Hwy 11. Led by the flags and honor guards from Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, participants included the Hawaiian Civic Club, Summer Fun, county fire departments, emergency medical services, HMSA, a line of classic cars, and horses and riders bedecked with lei. Also represented were local businesses, from South Side Shaka’s to Ka`u Auto Repair, Pacific Quest and Punalu`u Bake Shop.   
     The parade was organized by the Lee, Crystal, Debra and Harry McIntosh family, who rescued the parade several years ago when volunteering for the event waned. 

      A press release sent out the day before the event by  `O Ka`u Kakou announced that the organization was hosting the event. The `O Ka`u Kakou statement also described Ka`u:  “This region, with its tribal origins and sugar plantation history, has a rich background in commercial fishing and cattle

State Rep. Richard Onishi walks in Na`alehu Parade.
Photo by Julia Neal

ranching, then in the early 1970s started the production of Ka`u Coffee. Its newest achievements of recent are in solar and wind power residential integrations, as well as vegetable and fish hydroponic systems. As communities change, `O Ka`u Kakou still holds strong to the values of old and strives to work with all people of Ka`u through partnerships with individuals, families and businesses.”    
     After the parade, `O Ka`u Kakou president Wayne Kawachi and his crew handed out shave ice and hotdogs. The organization sponsored bingo for seniors and a bouncy house and other games for keiki.
    The `O Ka`u Kakou statement listed sponsors as “County Hawai`i, Hawai`i Federal Credit Union, Punalu`u Bakery, Island Market, Wiki Wiki Mart/76 Gas Station, Ocean View Kohala Gas, Ocean View Coffee Grind, Ocean View Auto Parts, Lee McIntosh, Crystal McIntosh, the Ka`u Multi-Cultural Society, `O Ka`u Kakou, Inc., Keoki Kahumoku and many more.” See more photos of parade participants and their community stories in this week's Ka`u News Briefs.

County Council member Brenda Ford comes to Ka`u.
Photo by Julia Neal

A FOURTH AXIS DEER HAS BEEN KILLED IN KA`U. After three deer were illegally introduced to a Ka`u ranch in 2009, Big Island Invasive Species Committee has been hiring hunters to eradicate them. A fourth deer indicates that the deer are creating offspring. According to a story in Hawai`i Tribune-Herald, BIISC believes the most recently killed deer was too young to have been flown over four years ago. 

      “Right now we’re not trying to give out a firm number on how many deer are on the island,” Springer Kaye, BIISC manager, told report Tom Callis. “We expect there are more deer.”
      Helicopter flights to search for deer are being provided free by Thomas Hauptman, who illegally flew the deer from Maui to Ka`u, as part of a court order. See more at hawaiitribune-herald.com.

TWO ALALA, ALSO KNOWN AS HAWAIIAN CROWS, at Keauhou Bird Conservation Center represent the first chicks of this critically endangered species to be successfully raised by a parent in more than 25 years. Hatched April 30 and May 1 on the Big Island, the chicks have passed an important survival marker – fledging. Newly feathered and beginning to fly, the birds represent a species that is extinct in the wild and is being managed through a collaborative effort as the Hawai`i Endangered Bird Conservation Program.

Alala, or Hawaiian crow. Photo from David Ledig/FWS

      For just over six weeks, the chicks were cared for by their mother, enabling them to rapidly develop from small, naked and blind nestlings into fully feathered youngsters, almost the size of an adult.
      On June 13, both chicks took the bold step of jumping out of their nest.
      “It has been nerve-racking watching these chicks on camera. We had no idea whether Po Mahina would be a good mother. Fortunately her maternal instincts kicked in straight away, and we are absolutely delighted that the chicks have successfully fledged,” said Rosanna Leighton, research coordinator at KBCC. “We also have another female raising a chick a few weeks younger, still in the nest.”
      The last alala were recorded in their Hawaiian forest natural habitat in 2002, where they were threatened by habitat destruction, introduced predators and avian disease.
      HEBCP has been working with the species in captivity since 1993, bringing the population from a low of only 20 individuals to more than 110.
      Until this year, artificial incubation and hand-rearing were used as a strategy to maximize breeding success. “In the early days of the program, we needed to artificially incubate and hand-rear each chick to try to ensure that every one survived,” said Richard Switzer, associate director of applied animal ecology at San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research. “With the population over 100 individuals, we are able to take the risk of letting these birds do everything on their own.”

Ten day old Alala chicks of Po Mahina, who became a good mother.

      In addition to the successful rearing of the two youngsters, researchers are celebrating the fact that they have been able to learn more about this rare bird’s natural parenting behavior.
      “By recording the behavior on camera, we have learned a great deal about a process that has never been documented before,” said Lisa Komarczyk, senior research associate at KBCC. “The valuable data collected will help us to monitor and manage wild nests, perhaps even rescuing compromised chicks, which will play a vital role in the recovery of the wild population.”
      HEBCP is a field program of San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, in partnership with the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
      Planning and preparation efforts are currently underway to restore alala back into its vital niche within the forest ecosystem on the Big Island. It is hoped that the first re-introduction activities will begin in fall 2014.

      San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy is dedicated to bringing endangered species back from the brink of extinction. The Conservancy makes possible the wildlife conservation efforts, representing both plants and animals, of the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research and international field programs in more than 35 countries.
      Find out more at 
www.fws.gov
 or www.sandiegozoo.org.

TOMORROW IS THE REGISTRATION DEADLINE for the Mahi`ai Match-up, a statewide agricultural business plan contest for farmers and entrepreneurs looking to establish an agricultural business in Hawai‘i. Ninety acres of land at Punalu`u make up one of several parcels in the contest.
      Winners receive an agricultural lease from Kamehameha Schools with rent waived for up to five years and a cash prize from Ke Ali`i Pauahi Foundation to help make their winning agricultural business plan a reality.
      After year five, contingent on the winners successfully implementing their plans per milestones to be mutually agreed upon by the lessee and KS, the land will be leased for a longer term at normal KS agricultural lease rates. See more at pauahi.org/mahiaimatchup.

The dinosaur mummy is the subject of a program
tomorrow at PahalaPublic & School Library.
Photo by Joe Iacuzzo

JOE IACUZZO PRESENTS A PROGRAM about the dinosaur mummy, a fossil with intact body and preserved skin, at Pahala Public & School Library tomorrow. Secrets of the Dinosaur Mummy screens at noon. In the documentary film co-produced by Iacuzzo, scientists Dr. Bob Bakker, Dave Trexler and Art Andersen uncover secrets of the most complete dinosaur fossil ever discovered. The team travels from Montana to NASA, while the story journeys to the earliest days of dinosaur hunting and 75 million years into the past with computer-generated dinosaurs.
      After the film, Iacuzzo discusses his latest book, The Last Day of the Dinosaur Mummy, at 1 p.m.
      Iacuzzo also presents the program at Na`alehu Public Library on Wednesday, June 10.  More information is available at dinosaurmummy.org.

KA`U SCENIC BYWAY COMMITTEE encourages public participation at its meeting tomorrow at 5 p.m. at Na`alehu Methodist Church. Topics on the agenda including installation of informational signage at Ocean View overlook, the long-term corridor management plan and Na`alehu Theater.
      For more information, contact Elwell at 929-7236 or delwell@hawaii.rr.com.

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 29, 2013

A virtual visit to Hawai`i's famous volcanoes will soon be available online thanks to Google's Street View. Above,
Chris Fiock, of Street View Operations, shows Rob Pacheco, of Hawai`i Forest & Trail, and Jaci Matsuo, of HVCB,
how to use the Trekker in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Photo from google-latlong.blogspot.com

A VIRTUAL VISIT TO HAWAI`I’S FAMOUS VOLCANOES will soon be available online, thanks to Google’s Street View. A local trail guide company will be borrowing the Internet company’s backpack cameras in order to capture panoramic images of Hawai`i Island hiking trails.

      The photos taken of Hawai`i Island will be loaded onto Google Maps as well as the Hawai`i Visitors and Convention Bureau website, gohawaii.com.

      Hawai`i Forest & Trail hikers will walk along more than 20 state and national park trails by September, loading the images online by the end of the year or early 2014.

      Hawai`i Visitors and Convention Bureau has already planned to expand the project to other Hawai`i islands.

      Google has an open petition for explorers worldwide aiming at expanding its Street View service of unexplored areas of the Earth.

      The company announced that third-party organizations can borrow its Street View Trekker backpack in an effort to contribute imagery to help Google “build the very best map of the world.”

      See more at google-latlong.blogspot.com.

HELE-ON BUS FARES GO UP MONDAY. General fare is $2 per ride. Students through college with current I.D., senior citizens 60 years and above with a valid I.D. and disabled persons with disability pass I.D. or pass issued by County Mass Transit Department pay $1 per ride. Children under age 5 ride for free. 

      Discounts are available to general riders by buying a sheet of 10 tickets for $15 or a monthly pass for $60. Qualifying students, seniors and disabled individuals pay $7.50 for 10 tickets or $45 for monthly passes.
      For more information, call 961-8744 or see heleon.org/bus-fare-information.

DUE DATE FOR COUNTY PROPERTY TAX exemption applications is Monday, July 1. Homeowners, totally disabled veterans, persons affected by Hansen’s Disease and persons who are blind, deaf and/or totally disabled are eligible.

      Applications must be submitted by the deadline for the homeowner exemption to be effective Jan. 1, 2014. All other program exemptions are effective immediately.

      Those already enrolled in the programs do need to re-apply. However, changes of address, personal status or other qualifying circumstances must be reported to the county’s Real Property Tax Office within 30 days after the change.

      For more information, call Real Property Tax Offices in Hilo at 961-8201 or Kona at 323-4880 or see www.hawaiipropertytax.com.

Spearfishing with SCUBA has been banned in West Hawai`i Fisheries
Management Area that extends from South Point to Upolu Point.

SCUBA SPEARFISHING HAS BEEN BANNED in the West Hawai`i Fisheries Management Area by Hawai`i Board of Land & Natural Resources. The area extends from South Point to Upolu Point in North Kohala. 

      The new rule states that no person shall “engage in or attempt to engage in SCUBA spearfishing, possess both SCUBA gear and a spear at the same time, or possess SCUBA gear and any specimen of speared aquatic life at the same time.”
      West Hawai`i is the only area in the state to ban the practice. Other areas where it is also banned include Australia and Palau.
      The rule, along with others in the package, now goes to the state attorney general for final review, then to the governor for signature. It then go to the lieutenant governor’s office for filing and will take effect 10 days after filing.
      DLNR Chairman William Aila, Jr. opposed the rule. “This has been a long process which has involved many community members,” he said. “We thank everyone who testified today and shared their opinions and positions. I was disappointed with the outcome because I believe we need more scientific data before taking a step that will affect fishers’ lives, increase fishing pressure in nearshore waters, and which may have unintended consequences.”

      The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands banned SCUBA-spear fishing in 2002. Its Division of Fish & Wildlife researcher Michael Trianni said that that scuba spear fishing “has probably been the single most important cause of the decline of the Napoleon wrasse worldwide.” The Mariana fishery has come back, and it is a famous place for using SCUBA to see underwater marine life, without spearguns.

Federal law may pre-empt Hawai`i's law forbidding possession, sale, trade
and distribution of shark fins. Photo from hokulea.org

A FEDERAL LAW PROHIBITING CUTTING the fins of a shark at sea may conflict with a Hawai`i state law. Hawai`i banned the possession, sale, trade and distribution of shark fins three years ago, but federal allows finning of sharks as long it is done on land. 

      The federal law also prohibits people from possessing, transferring and landing shark fins, including the tail, that are not “naturally attached to the corresponding carcass.” In addition, it prohibits any person from landing a shark carcass without its corresponding fins being “naturally attached.”
      “We must preserve the strong position the Hawai`i State Legislature took in May 2010 when Hawai`i became the first state in the nation to make it illegal to possess, sell or distribute shark fins in the state,” said Gov. Neil Abercrombie. “This model legislation symbolizes Hawai`i’s concern for the welfare of all creatures.
      We oppose federal pre-emption of the Hawai`i law. Our law is working as intended. We have educated fishers and restaurants, and they are complying.”
      William Aila, Jr., chair of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, also opposed federal pre-emption of the state law.

Joe Iacuzzo, here with a tyrannosaurus rex fossil, brings Jurassic Park to
Pahala Library Monday. Photo from Joe Iacuzzo

JURASSIC PARK COMES TO PAHALA Public & School Library Monday when Joe Iacuzzo presents a program about the dinosaur mummy, a fossil with intact body and preserved skin. 

      Secrets of the Dinosaur Mummy screens at noon. In the documentary film co-produced by Iacuzzo, scientists Dr. Bob Bakker, Dave Trexler and Art Andersen uncover secrets of the most complete dinosaur fossil ever discovered. The team travels from Montana to NASA, while the story journeys to the earliest days of dinosaur hunting and 75 million years into the past with computer-generated dinosaurs.
      After the film, Iacuzzo discusses his latest book, The Last Day of the Dinosaur Mummy, at 1 p.m.
      Iacuzzo also presents the program at Na`alehu Public Library on Wednesday, June 10.

      More information is available at dinosaurmummy.org.

KA`U SCENIC BYWAY COMMITTEE meets Monday at 5 p.m. at Na`alehu Methodist Church. The public is invited to hear about topics on the agenda including installation of informational signage at Ocean View overlook, the long-term corridor management plan and Na`alehu Theater.
      The committee is looking for ideas on what to do about the theater, which continues to deteriorate. According to organizer Dennis Elwell, the committee has asked elected officials for help, and Sen. Russell Ruderman is trying to contact owners and lessees of the theater to see what can be done.
      For more information, contact Elwell at 929-7236 or delwell@hawaii.rr.com.

Rodeo comes to Na`alehu July 6 and 7 with wahine, kane and keiki roping and riding events. Photo by Richard Taylor

KA`U ROPING & RIDING ASSOCIATION holds its annual Fourth of July Rodeo next Saturday and Sunday, July 6 and 7. Tickets are $6 and are being sold by rodeo queens. The location is the rodeo arena and grounds in Na`alehu. Many traditional events popular at Hawaiian rodeos will be held, including Po Wai U.

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.