Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, August 10, 2013

Ka`u High School is initiating eight-man football and hopes other Hawai`i Island schools follow.

MOLOKA`I ON OCT. 5 is the destination for Ka`u High School’s 18 players who are signing up to help launch an eight-man football league for the small high schools on this island. Fundraising has already started, according to Ka`u High athletic director Kalei Namohala.

      The first school to offer to host Ka`u, Moloka`i High, is already a member of an eight-man football league in Maui County. Ka`u could lead the charge to create a league here, perhaps with such schools as Pahoa, Kohala and some private institutions. Three schools can make a league, and three leagues, perhaps one on O`ahu, one on Hawai`i Island and the existing Maui County league, could create a state championship playoff. Eight-man football, Namohala noted, is particularly appropriate for fast-running athletes and shows off passing and interception skills. There are fewer tackles in the game. It is higher scoring with fewer injuries.
     Ka`u was forced to drop out of full-blown 11-man football when fewer than 30 members signed up to play this year. Thirty is the required minimum for Big Island Interscholastic Federation 11-man football play. Further complicating Ka`u continuing with 11-man play is the risk of weathering fines of $1,600 per each away game should Ka`u be unable to come up with enough players. Reductions in players usually comes from injuries, which are more likely with a small team playing both offense and defense. It can also come from players unable to meet academic standards.
      Anyone wanting to donate to the effort to continue Ka`u Trojan football can call the athletic director at 928-2012.

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AFTER RECEIVING LAST WEEK’S FINAL ROUND OF TESTIMONY, the state Public Utilities Commission has set next Thursday, Aug. 15 as the deadline for parties and participants to notify it of their next courses of action regarding the proposed 20-year contract for the electric companies to purchase biofuel that would be manufactured by `Aina Koa Pono at a refinery that would be built off Wood Valley Road. AKP plans to use feedstock from existing trees and brush it would harvest on land between Pahala and Na`alehu, plus grasses it would grow to feed the microwave units that would be installed at the $400 million refinery. 

      The Commission gives Hawai`i County, Life of the Land, the state Consumer Advocate and the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism three options. The first is to resolve substantial disagreements with the utilities by stipulation. Such an agreement is designed to simplify or shorten litigation and save costs.
      The second is to propose an evidentiary hearing schedule. “If a party or participant states its intent to propose an evidentiary hearing schedule, said party or participant shall clearly explain by supporting legal argument its right to an evidentiary hearing,” the Commission stated.
      The third choice is for the parties and participants to let the Commission know that they are ready for the Commission to make a decision.
      See hawaii.puc.gov for more. Docket number is 2012-0185.
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Presidential Medal of Freedom

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HAS NAMED the late Sen. Daniel Inouye as one of 16 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Nation’s highest civilian honor. The award is presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. 

      This year marks the 50th anniversary of the executive order signed by President John F. Kennedy establishing the Presidential Medal of Freedom, as well as the first ceremony bestowing the honor on an inaugural class of 31 recipients. Since that time, more than 500 exceptional individuals from all corners of society have received the award.
      “It is an honor for all the people of Hawai`i that President Obama has chosen to award Sen. Inouye with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his extraordinary public service, bravery and heroism,” Sen. Brian Schatz said. “There is no better way to recognize Hawai`i’s lion in the Senate than with our nation’s highest civilian honor. This is an occasion of great pride for everyone in the 50th state and across our great country.”
      Find out more at whitehouse.gov.
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HALAU HULA O LEIONALANI is reaching out to the Ka`u community to help carry the hula sisters to Lana`i’s cultural festival in October. The halau of Native Hawaiians from Ka`u practices at the Old Pahala Clubhouse and is a regular participant at the Ka`u Coffee Festival each year, hosting dancers from the other islands and Japan to celebrate Ka`u coffee.

Halau Hula O Leionalani is reaching out to the Ka`u community for help
in attending Lana`i's cultural festival in October. Photo by Julia Neal

      Kumu hula is Debbie Ryder, who became a kumu under the tutelege of the late George Naope. One of the signature hulas of the halau, which they will dance on Lana`i, is Naope’s composition Ka Nani a o Ka`u. 

     Members of Halau Hula O Leionalani are Jamie Kailiawa, Jannalynn “Nani” Kaleohano, Keisha Enitan, Justie “Mona” Wroblewski, Krystalynne Gascon, Kamalani Reyes, Teresa Souza, Kavelle Silva, Amery Silva, Tommy-Jean “TJ” George and Jerilynn Pua.
     To reach Lana`i, the hula sisters must raise money to take the direct flight from Hilo to Kahalui, Maui, the Speedy Shuttle to Lahaina and the ferry to Lana`i. Dinners and accommodations will be provided on Lana`i. The halau is on its own for breakfasts and lunches for the four days on the island. In addition to performing, the halau will walk up Mauna Lai, Lana`i’s only valley where taro is grown, and participate in a chanting ceremony in the nearshore waters, similar to the ceremony held at dawn at Punalu`u during Ka`u Coffee Festival week this year. Mona Chow has volunteered to make lei for the halau to carry to Lana`i.
     To donate, call Keisha Enitan at 339-2423 or 937-7189. The halau is having fundraisers, currently pre-selling tickets for bread from Kamuela – Vierra’s Best Sweetbread – for $7.50 a loaf and Vierra’s cinnamon bread for $8.00 a loaf. See one of the halau members.
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Surface patterns on pahoehoe. Photo from FHVNP

FRIENDS OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK presents its monthly Walk in the Park tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

      Volcanologist Cheryl Gansecki guides a four-mile, round-trip hike along Footprints Trail to Mauna Iki in the Ka`u Desert. The hike is free for Friends members, and non-members can join the organization in order to attend. Call 985-7373 or email admin@fhvnp.org.

MEDICINE FOR THE MIND, Buddhist healing meditation for beginners and advanced practitioners, takes place tomorrow from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Patty Johnson offers the free program at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village. For more information, call 985-7470.

THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO SUBMIT TESTIMONY regarding a proposed pipeline to carry water from Old Plantation Spring for ag use at a public hearing Monday at 5 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. The Conservation District Use application is available for review at Na`alehu Public Library and at hawaii.gov/dlnr/occl/meetings.

THE FOURTH ANNUAL VOLCANO RAIN FOREST RUNS are a week from today. The half marathon, 10K run and 5K run/walk are held in Volcano Village. This event traverses the native rain forest in Volcano Village and the ranches near Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. All distances are open to runners and walkers of all ages and abilities. The event is a fundraiser for Volcano Art Center and its educational programs.

      Entry fees are $85 for the half marathon, $50 for the 10K run and $35 for the 5K run/walk.

      $500 in athletic equipment can be won by the Ka`u school who sends the most competitors to the event. The equipment can be for track, cross country, volleyball, tennis, football, soccer – any sport. The school with the most students represented wins the $500 gift certificate from Sports Authority.
Competitors can enter any of the races to qualify their schools, which can be elementary, middle or high school. Registration fee is $20 per entry.       

      Registration is available at rainforestruns.com.

OCEAN VIEW EVANGELICAL CHURCH’s first community ho`olaule`a is one week from today on Saturday, Aug. 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The lu`au will include lomi lomi salmon, chicken and long rice, kalua pig and beverages.
      Organizer Mary Wheeler is asking for monetary donations and door prizes. “We will help meet community needs, while getting the opportunity to serve,” she said. For more information and to donate, call 990-3480.

Tea is the topic next Sunday at Pahala Plantation Manager's House.
Photo from teahawaii.com

THERE IS STILL ROOM IN THE EVA LEE WORKSHOP on tea cultivation and production Sunday, Aug. 18 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. The program is for prospective tea growers on Hawai`i Island interested in growing the specialty crop Camellia sinensis tea, producing white, green, oolong and black tea. The purpose is too help individuals and small family farms make greater strides in community production. The program is sponsored by The Kohala Center and funded in part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Co-op Support program. To sign up, call Julia Neal at 928-9811. See more on Eva Lee at teahawaii.com.

Cane haul truck at last year's Ka`u Plantation Days. Photo by Julia Neal 

KA`U PLANTATION DAYS will be held on Saturday, Oct. 12 at the old Pahala Plantation Managers House with a parade on Pikake Street. Organizers of the third Ka`u Plantation Days chose this year’s theme to be Together Again. The parade will feature horses and riders representing each of the Hawaiian Islands. Both horse and rider will wear lei. A sugar truck representing the last run from the plantation fields to the old mill, which was located across from the manager’s house, will be driven from Pahala Armory to the manager’s house, tooting the horn familiar to everyone who lived in Pahala during sugar days. The parade, followed by festivities, will begin at 9 a.m. There will be ethnic dance and displays from the various communities making up the multiethnic fabric of Ka`u. The sponsoring organization, Ka`u Multicultural Society, plans “a day filled with entertainment, ono food, music and most of all sharing those memorable moments back in time. Bring all of your family and friends to watch the parade, exchange stories, having laughter and establishing additional memories,” says the new flyer for the event. For more information, to donate, sign up for a display or booth, call Darlene Vierra at 640-8740. 

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.

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Ka`u News Briefs Thursday Aug. 8, 2013

Ka`u Boys & Girls Club members joined team building with adults from many mainland cultures at the Fairmont Orchid this week.
Above, nine-year old Poha Kaluna competes in a bowling game. Photo by Dolly Kailiawa

WEST KA`U’S STATE SENATOR and physician Josh Green is on Insights on PBS Hawai`i tonight (Channel 10 in Ka`u) at 8 p.m. for an hour-long program. The question of the evening is What Changes Can Hawai`i Expect from the Affordable Care Act?
     In addition to being a physician, Green chairs the health committee of the Hawai`i State Senate. Also on the panel are Coral Andrews, executive director of the Hawai`i Health Connector (where people can select a health insurance plan); Dr. Stephen Bradley, chief medical officer of Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center; and Ginny Pressler, Md., executive vice president of Hawai`i Pacific Health, which runs Straub Clinic & Hospital, Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, Pali Momi Medical Center and Wilcox Health, a medical clinic and hospital on Kaua`i. Moderator is Dan Boylan.      

     The Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) has been covered on Insights in the past but “now that Hawai`i residents are going to be able to shop for their health care starting in October, we thought it is time to revisit the subject,” Roy Kimura, Insight’s on PBS Hawai`i executive producer, told The Ka`u Calendar newspaper this morning.
      The program will live-stream on pbshawaii.org and become available online after the show is completed. Green said he urges Ka`u residents to call in during the live show. The phone number, toll free, is 800-283-4847. Comments can also be emailed during the show to insights@pbshawaii.org. To comment on or “Like” this story, go to https://www.facebook.com/kaucalendar.

TRANSFER OF THE LICENSE FOR KAHU COMMUNITY RADIO to Hawai`i Public Radio is expected to be completed by the Federal Communications Commission this week, according to Mike Titterton, CEO of Hawaii Public Radio. Titterton said he looks forward on beginning to work on broadcasting HPR2 to the south end of the Big Island in the near future. HPR purchased the KAHU license for $20,000 from Ka`u Community Radio. Its manager Christine Kaehuaea said that the money will be used to help pay off the radio station's debt.

     Local origination programming, which stopped with the shutdown of KAHU, may be in the longterm future for HPR2 in Ka`u. Titterton said that HPR plans to move the broadcasting equipment onto a communication tower between Pahala and Na`alehu and possibly in Kalae in order to cover all of the south end of Hawai`i Island for HPR2 programming and emergency broadcasts. Until that time, HPR2 will be broadcast to the Pahala area from the wooden pole behind the old Pahala Plantation Store and KAHU headquarters on Maile Street in Pahala. The programming will come from Honolulu. To comment on or “Like” this story, go to https://www.facebook.com/kaucalendar.

EIGHT KA`U SCHOOL STUDENTS, who are members of the Boys & Girls Clubs in Ka`u, were the only youth attending a team building workshop at the Fairmount Orchid Hotel on Monday, the day before school started. Boys & Girls Club Chief Operating officer Zavi Breez-Saunders said that several of the students “said it was one of the best days of their lives.” Several had never before traveled much outside of Ka`u. The session was sponsored by Hawai`i Corporate Team Builders. Accompanying the team were Boys & Girls Club s Pahala Director Dolly Kailiawa, Ocean View and Na`alehu Director Leona Medek and Director of Operations Chad Hasegawa. The group from Ka`u also went to lunch at Macaroni Grill. They spent the afternoon playing games, in friendly competition on teams with their adult mentors. Each student was given a bicycle which they built with their team members and brought home to Ka`u. Pahala club member Aloha Kaluna was on the team with the most points at the end of the day.  said that it was important that the kids were team building with people from different cultural backgounds - all of them from outside of Hawai`i."

Seven-year old Fred Kauwe, of Ka`u Boys & Girls Club, joins adult team to build a bike.
Photo by Dolly Kailiawa

     Medek said the experience gave the Boys & Girls Club members “positive feedback the entire day and bettered their social skills. One reason is that they were paired with people – adults they had never met before.” There were seven or eight adults teamed with each Ka`u youth. 

     Kailiawa said that for some of the keiki it was therer first

bicycle. "They were so happy to know they were owning it. You

could see the smile on their faces. I hope we can do this again."

For more on the Boys & Girls Club, see 

www.bgcbi.comTo comment on or “Like” this story, go to www.facebook.com/kaucalendar.

HIGH BLOOD SUGAR levels are prompting new concern among health care givers in Ka`u and elsewhere. While diabetes is a common result of eating and drinking too much sugar, Alzheimer’s and other dementia are also likely risks, according to a new study by University of Washington in Seattle. Regarding the study of more than 2,000 people, National Institute on Aging scientist Dallas Anderson said, “It’s a nice clean pattern,” with the risk of dementia rising over time with high blood sugars among those studied. Keeping blood sugar at healthy levels may be a simple way to reduce dementia risk, said the researchers who are widely quoted in media across the country today. An Associated Press story states that about 35 people worldwide have dementia, with five million in the U.S. suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC CO. AND HAWAI`I ELECTRIC LIGHT CO. have answered the final round of questions from Hawai`i County, the state Consumer Advocate and Life of the Land regarding the proposed contract for the electric companies to purchase biofuel that would be manufactured at a refinery that would be built off Wood Valley Road by `Aina Koa Pono. AKP plans to use feedstock from existing trees and brush it would harvest on land between Pahala and Na`alehu, plus grasses it would grow to feed the microwave units that would be installed at the $400 million refinery it would construct above Pahala. 

      The county asked questions about remediation - repair of possible damage during possible chemical spills or storage tank leaks. It also asked about the cost of decommissioning the refinery should the biofuel plant fail to obtain success. The utilities replied, “According to AKP, the cost of remediation after the useful life is based on 20 years of operation and is accrued quarterly into an escrow/special purpose account for remediation and decommissioning. The estimated cost that AKP used for the escrow/special purpose account is based on industry standards.
     “The total amount of the escrow/special purpose account would be $26,137,500 net of any interest accrued for the 20-year life. AKP will be entirely responsible to cover those costs.
     “According to AKP, any decommissioning/remediation process would involve the facility plant, equipment and surrounding areas that have been involved in the facility’s operations. According to AKP, the location of AKP’s project will be on land leased from the Olson Trust, and any transportation necessary to decommission the plant will be on roads that do not directly go through the town of Pahala; the town of Pahala should be minimally affected.”
     Hawai`i County asked the utilities to further explain their the statement that externalities, or possible negative or positive impacts of the project, “are often intangible and difficult to quantify.”
     The county asked the utilities:  “Are you saying that only certain externalities … should be considered by the Commission?”  The utilities replied: “Although externalities are an important consideration, the companies believe that the weight and attention given to externalities must be carefully considered, because they are often given value based on the person viewing the externality, thus making them somewhat intangible and difficult to quantify. As explained by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism … regarding the supply contract with Hawai`i BioEnergy, LLC, DBEDT does not have a model to measure advantages and/or disadvantages associated with biofuel processing and production. Further, as indicated in the Consumer Advocate’s testimony in the HBE docket …, the Consumer Advocate has also been struggling with how to develop a quantitative analysis associated with the evaluation of biofuels. 

Location of proposed AKP refinery up Wood Valley Road.

     “As such, the companies believe that the Commission should focus on possible externalities or price premium issues that are directly related to the AKP Biodiesel Supply Contract…. Important related externalities include price, the creation of new agricultural and manufacturing jobs, the generation of higher state tax revenues, a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, increased energy security and independence, and the shifting of a portion of our significant expenditures on imported fossil fuels to locally produced feedstock for biofuel (i.e., keeping expenditures within the state).
     “Potentially negative externalities include: fuel spills or leaks associated with fuel storage or transportation of the biodiesel; social issues, such as traffic congestion; and land use, such as roadway damage and noise. However, the companies have not quantified any negative extenalities, and it is difficult to determine the impact, if any, they will have,” the utilities contended.
     See more in future Ka`u News Briefs. This and other testimony is available at puc.hawaii.gov. Docket number is 2012-0185.

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

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Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2013

Ka`u Community Development Plan Steering Committee meets Tuesday to discuss new, recently released material
including a Community Building Analysis.

A MEASURE THAT WOULD HAVE BANNED NEW GMOS on Hawai`i Island has been withdrawn by Kohala Council member Margaret Wille, who introduced the controversial Bill 79. At yesterday’s meeting of the Committee on Public Safety and Mass Transit, Wille said she would work on and introduce a new, simplified measure. 

      Ka`u’s Council member Brenda Ford, who chairs the committee, supports a ban on GMOs. “We’re the only island not impacted, and we need to keep it like that,” Ford said.
      “I feel that we are all sort of coming together and that we can really make a difference here,” Wille said. “The good thing is we are all moving forward and moving forward together.”
      Kaua`i County Council is also dealing with the GMO issue. At its meeting on Monday, the Council’s Economic Development Committee deferred until Sept. 9 a proposal requiring disclosure of GMOs as well as pesticide use.

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Na`alehu Elementary started classes yesterday with 391 students and
about 80 staff members. Photo from naalehuel.k12.hi.us

THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL IN NA`ALEHU brought students to the campus with 391 attending the elementary school. The number of students in each grade varies with the most in first grade and the least in preschool. Here are the numbers: preschool 20, kindergarten 37, first 98, second 56, third 57, fourth 56, fifth 49, and sixth 55. The staff for the school, including teachers, administrators, counselors, assistants, maintenance, cafeteria and other workers totals about 80. The principal is Darlene Javar, and vice principal is Karen Pare.

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KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS’ LAND ASSETS DIVISION and Ke Ali`i Pauahi Foundation have forwarded 15 contestants to the next round in the first Mahi`ai Match-up agricultural business plan contest.

Six ag-related business plans were submitted for 90 acres at Punalu`u.

      At the close of the six-week application window, 148 agricultural-related business ideas were submitted. Six were for a parcel at Punalu`u. While none of those made it into the final round, other lease arrangements for the 90 acres may be possible for applicants. 

      “It was not easy to narrow down the list to 15, but necessary as there will only be three winners,” said Kaeo Duarte, KS’ director of strategic initiatives. “For some of those who did not advance, we will definitely be in touch to discuss other leasing options. My deepest mahalo to all contestants for taking the time to apply and for their commitment to agriculture and Hawai`i’s food security.
      “The number of Mahi`ai Match-Up agricultural business proposals we received surpassed our expectations,” Duarte said. “It reinforces our commitment to connecting farmers, communities and the lands we steward and reaffirms that initiatives like Mahi`ai Match-up are important.”
      For the next three months, contestants will finalize their agricultural business plan as they compete for the top three spots. Winning plans will be announced at an awards gala presented by Ke Ali`i Pauahi Foundation in February 2014. Winners will receive an agricultural lease with rent waived for up to five years from Kamehameha Schools and a cash prize from Ke Ali`i Pauahi Foundation.
      For more information about Kamehameha Schools’ Strategic Agricultural Plan, visit ksbe.edu/ag.

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Bidens micrantha, or ko`oko`olau

THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE is accepting public comment on a proposal to designate critical habitat for three Hawai`i Island plant species and on the draft economic analysis. Deadline for comments is Tuesday, Sept. 3. 

      A public informational meeting takes place today at 3 p.m. at West Hawai`i Civic Center in Kona. No testimony will be heard during the meeting.
      On Oct. 17, 2012, the Service made available to the public a proposed rule to list 15 species as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and to designate 18,766 acres of critical habitat for three Big Island plant species. One of the plant species – Bidens micrantha ssp. ctenophylla (ko`oko`olau) – is one of the 15 species proposed for listing; the other two – Mezoneuron kavaiense (uhiuhi) and Isodendrion pyrifolium (wahine noho kula) – are previously listed plant species that do not currently have designated critical habitat on Hawai`i Island. An accompanying draft economic analysis provides an estimate of the potential economic impacts of the proposed critical habitat designations over the next 10 years. Critical habitat is not determinable for the remaining 14 species proposed for listing, according to the Service.
      The areas proposed as critical habitat include seven units totaling 18,766 acres. The proposed critical habitat designation includes both occupied and unoccupied habitat and a mixture of state federal, county and private lands.

Mezoneuron kavaiense, or uhiuhi

      “Habitat destruction and modification caused by invasive, nonnative plants, feral pigs, sheep and goats, and agricultural and urban development is considered a threat. Other threats include consumption of rare species by nonnative feral pigs, sheep and goats, and other introduced species such as rats and nonnative invertebrates. Native habitat is also threatened by the effects of climate change, which may intensify existing natural threats such as fire, hurricanes, landslides and flooding,” a statement from the Service said.
      Loyal Mehrhoff, field supervisor for the Pacific Islands Fish & Wildlife Office, said “The Hawai`i Island listing and critical habitat designation, if finalized, will allow us to better address and manage Hawai`i’s endangered species and the unique ecosystems on which these species depend.”
      Copies of the proposed rule and the draft economic analysis may be downloaded from the Service’s website at fws.gov/pacificislands. For further information contact Mehrhoff at Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 3-122, Box 50088, Honolulu, Hawai`i 96850. Call 808-792-9400 or fax 808-792-9581.
      Comments on the critical habitat or the draft economic analysis may be submitted to Federal eRulemaking Portal at regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Docket No. FWS–R1–ES–2013–0028 (critical habitat proposal, revisions, and associated draft economic analysis).
      Comments can also be mailed to Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS–R1-ES-2013- 0028; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 2042–PDM, Arlington, VA 22203.

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Col. Gary L. Thomas

THE HAWAI`I NATIONAL GUARD YOUTH CHALLENGE ACADEMY has named retired U.S. Air Force Col. Gary L. Thomas the deputy director of its Kulani campus. 

      Thomas will oversee Academy instruction and courses and will work with students to help them get through a rigorous 22-week on-site program that prepares them to obtain high school diplomas and become productive citizens.
      Thomas served 26 years in the U.S. Air Force, both on active duty and in the reserves. He served as deputy chief of the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Pacific Regional Service Center in Hawai`i. He held a variety of other senior positions and was deployed on tours to England, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Qatar, Iraq, Djibouti and Afghanistan.
      A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Maryland, Thomas has also served as the CEO and executive director of several nonprofit organizations.
      To learn more about Youth Challenge Academy, see ngycp.org/site/state/hi.

KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE meets next Tuesday, Aug. 13, starting at 5:30 p.m. at Ocean View Community Association Center. Public comment on agenda items is welcome.

Design strategies for Ka`u's communities will be discussed at Tuesday's
Ka`u CDP Steering Committee meeting.

      The focus of the meeting will be additional draft Ka`u CDP appendices that were released for public review and feedback last week. Appendix V4B: Community Building Analysis focuses on land use, infrastructure, services, design, and redevelopment strategies for Pahala, Punalu`u, Na`alehu, Wai`ohinu, the Discovery Harbour area and Ocean View.
      The draft materials are works-in-progress. It is expected that they will be revised as conditions change and new information becomes available, said planner Ron Whitmore. Feedback, suggested additions, updates, and corrections are welcome and encouraged. Monday, Sept. 9 is the deadline for submitting feedback.
      Documents and feedback forms are available online at kaucdp.info; at libraries and community centers in Pahala, Na`alehu, Discovery Harbour, and Ocean View; and at Hilo and Kona Planning Department offices.

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STEWARDSHIP IN THE PARK takes place Friday and once per week throughout August and September. Volunteers help Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park by cutting invasive kahili ginger on park trails from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Loppers and gloves are provided. Participants are encouraged to wear long sleeve shirts, long pants and closed-toed shoes. Water, snacks, rain gear and sun protection are recommended. This project is open to the public, and no reservations are required; interested people can stop by Kilauea Visitor Center to get directions and 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.

SUPPORT YOUR KA`U BUSINESSES

PUBLIC NOTICES