Ka`u News Briefs Monday, Oct. 28, 2013

Engineer Sadiq Zarrouk believes Hawai`i County's ban on fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, may obstruct the path
to energy independence. Geothermal resources map from Geothermex

SADIQ ZARROUK, A GEOTHERMAL RESERVOIR ENGINEER and member of the board of directors of the International Geothermal Association, shared his views about fracking and Hawai`i County’s ban on the practice in today’s Civil Beat.” Bill 129 was approved by Hawai`i County Council on Wednesday, Oct. 16. 

      “There is no shortage of information, misinformation and fears raised about hydraulic fracturing (fracking).
      “Some of the bad press around ‘fracking’ has been well-earned. But the negatives surrounding its use by the oil and gas industries to improve the production of wells is threatening progress in places where there should be no anxiety about fracking.

      “Hawai`i is one such place, judging by recent legislation attempting to preemptively exclude fracking from the urgent conversation about geothermal that is currently underway. As a scientist who works and lectures on geothermal issues and projects, I offer the following observations to help correct serious misconceptions and facilitate a more informed conversation about how to move Hawai`i forward with regard to tapping its incredible geothermal resources.

Sadiq Zarrouk 

      “Fracking is normally carried out after the completion of drilling. Fracking is not normally used/applied in conventional geothermal, which is the case for geothermal power development in New Zealand, Hawai`i and another 22 countries around the world.
      “I can say with confidence that there is not going to be any fracking in future geothermal development in Hawai`i,” Zarrouk said.

      According to a story in Hawai`i Tribune Herald earlier this month, Puna Geothermal’s parent company, Ormat Industries, Ltd., used fracking for an enhanced geothermal project in Nevada this year. Company spokesperson Heide Bethel wrote to the newspaper, saying “it was the first to be attached to the electrical grid in the United States,” the Tom Callis story reported.

      Zarrouk continues, “Legislation such as Bill 129 that purport to be inspired by what other regions have done to protect against fracking should be based on facts. The U.K., New Zealand and Canada cited in Bill 129 have not banned fracking. The U.K. did have a moratorium which was lifted in December 2012. 

      “Water is used in great quantities while drilling new wells. But it is a temporary phase of two to three months, and limiting its use will only inhibit efficient start-up operations.
      “Some limited use of chemicals for cleaning, improvement of permeability and prevention of mineral deposits inside the well may be necessary. This does not constitute fracking and may be necessary for the operation of the plant.
      “It is not prudent to give an administrator without the appropriate science and geothermal engineering expertise the power to shut down operations as this bill does. In New Zealand, the drilling inspector is someone trained to perform that function and has the necessary qualifications for it. Having an administrator without the relevant experience wielding that kind of power is not conducive to good decision-making or good business. It is therefore also not good for the community.
      “It is true that some drilling equipment can be used for fracking. However, an administrator who does not have a full understanding of geothermal operations may be empowered by this bill to shut down the site because he or she sees equipment that can be used for fracking even if there is no fracking taking place or being planned.
      “All the Hawai`i islands are volcanic, so there are no likely hydrocarbons (oil, gas, coal, etc.) to be accessed using fracking. These are the industries that use fracking; not geothermal.
      “In my opinion, legislation like Bill 129, while well-intentioned, has been guided by bad information and an inadequate understanding of the industry. It will not serve Hawai`i well and may seriously retard the development of a renewable energy source that could replace imported oil as the firm power base for the state’s energy portfolio. That need is urgent, and it would be a shame to see Hawai`i’s path to energy independence obstructed by this kind of ill-conceived legislation,” Zarrouk concludes.
      See civilbeat.com.
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UHERO's report shows an extreme drop in consumer confidence
caused by the federal government shutdown.

ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN are discussed in a recent report by the Economic Research Organization at University of Hawai`i. 

      Of the roughly 34,000 civilian federal employees in Hawai`i, only a fraction were deemed essential and were not furloughed, according to the report. Many of the 18,000 Department of Defense employees were ordered back on the job after the first week of the shutdown. Still, there were a significant number of federal employees who saw a multi-week delay in pay. “But the effect of the shutdown went beyond that. Among other things, it cut into the income of government contractors, hampered the investigation of the molasses spill in Honolulu Harbor and left all seven national parks in the state closed, souring the mood of many visitors and choking off a revenue stream for hundreds of tourism-dependent businesses,” the report states.
      “In fact, consumer confidence nationally has taken a nosedive since the first day of the shutdown. The current temporary fix still lacks a credible plan for the long-term resolution of the perennial impasse in Washington and will not fully restore confidence. If the decline in sentiment persists, it may have a greater effect than lost/delayed income during the shutdown.
      “In times of uncertainty, people tend to cut back on discretionary spending such as leisure travel. Even if many would-be visitors end up eventually booking their trip to Hawai`i, it may take a while before they do so. People also tend to put on hold the purchase of big-ticket items and homes during unpredictable times. In addition, the prospect of a government debt default has rattled global financial markets, leading to higher short-term borrowing costs.
      “The impact of uncertainty gets magnified as the reluctance to spend filters through the economy. Unfortunately, given the appetite of this Congress for spawning artificial crises, we may have to wait for calmer times, at least until the next elections,” the report concludes.

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Winter sports, including boys and girls basketball, begin at Ka`u High
School next month.

WINTER SPORTS COACHES are set for Ka`u High School. Girls basketball starts Nov. 4, with coach Cy Lopez and assistant coaches Jennifer Makuakane, April Jara and Kyle Ren. Boys basketball launches tryouts on Nov. 18 with coach Ravel Kaupu, Jr. The jayvee coach is Darrel Shibuya. 

      Boys and girls wrestling begins in November under coaches Greg and Hetty Rush.
      Boys and girls soccer teams hold tryouts on Nov. 4, under coach Crystalee Mandaquit.
      Swimming also starts in November for boys and girls under coach Otis Salmo and assistant coach Deisha Davis.
      All high school athletes are required to take physical examinations, which are offered free in Ocean View and on the Ka`u High School Campus.
      The schedule for Ocean View at the HMSA medical van to be stationed at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. is Monday, Nov. 4; Wednesday, Nov. 5; Thursday, Nov. 7; Monday, Nov. 11; Tuesday, Nov. 12; Thursday, Nov. 14; Monday, Nov. 18; Tuesday, Nov. 19 and Thursday, Nov. 21.
      The schedule for Ka`u High School at the HMSA medical van to be stationed next to the band room from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. is Monday, Nov. 25 and Tuesday, Nov. 26.

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Dick Hershberger is back in costume as Thomas Jaggar
following the re-opening of Hawai`i Volcanoes
National Park.

KAUAHA`AO CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH holds its annual bazaar and laulau sale on Saturday, Nov. 16 in Wai`ohinu from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Various groups will entertain throughout the event. Members of Kauaha`ao Church will sell laulau plate, barbeque plate, hotdogs and kulolo. The event is famous for its laulau sale. Anyone interested in hosting a vendor booth can call Walter Wong Yuen after 7 p.m. at 928-8039. The cost for a booth is $10 for a 10x10 space. Vendors must provide their own tables, chairs, tent and generator if needing electric. For more information, call Kahu Debbie Wong Yuen at 928-8039. 

DICK HERSHBERGER PRESENTS A WALK INTO THE PAST tomorrow and every other Tuesday. The Ka`u resident portrays Hawaiian Volcano Observatory founder Thomas Jaggar during programs beginning at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. or 2 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

KA`U HIGH & PAHALA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL holds an open house tomorrow from 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Highlights include work displays, K-12 entertainment, STARLAB, a presentation by Kamehameha Schools, banking with CU Hawai`i, door prizes and free food and refreshments.
      For more information, call 313-4100.

Dieter Mueller-Dombois

`OHI`A LEHUA ECOSYSTEM IS THE TOPIC at After Dark in the Park tomorrow at 7 p.m. when University of Hawai`i at Manoa professor Dieter Mueller-Dombois discusses his new book, Rainforest: Born Among Hawaiian Volcanoes, Evolved in Isolation: The Story of a Dynamic Ecosystem with Relevance to Forests Worldwide. He will also be available to sign copies of his book. 

      The program takes place at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. $2 donations support park programs, and park entrance fees apply.

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 Sunday, Oct. 27, 2013

Volunteers and Habitat crew worked together on Veterans Helping Veterans Day to build Jim Helfenbein's
Ocean View home.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY WEST HAWAI`I is building a new house for veteran Jim Helfenbein, of Ocean View. The project is a part of the Veteran’s Build program, which provides housing solutions and volunteer and employment opportunities to U.S. veterans, military service members and their families.

      Other veterans recently volunteered to help out on Helfenbein’s house when Habitat hosted a veterans helping veterans day.

Habitat for Humanity is building a new house for veteran Jim Helfenbein.

      “We plan to continue building new homes and repairing existing ones for some time in Ocean View and are always looking for families to apply,” said Isobel Donavan, Habitat for Humanity West Hawai`i’s Resource Development coordinator and also an Ocean View resident. “We are also continuing our outreach to veterans and are hopeful that more veterans will apply.”
      Applications can be obtained by contacting the Habitat for Humanity West Hawai`i office at 331-8010, emailing info@habitatwesthawaii.org or visiting their website at habitatwesthawaii.org.

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KA`U COUNCIL MEMBER BRENDA FORD’S case against county Environmental Management director Bobby Jean Leithead Todd has been dismissed by Third Circuit Court Judge Ronald Ibarra. “The service was not proper, and therefore the court does not have jurisdiction over it,” Ibarra said, according to a story in Hawai`i Tribune Herald. “Since the respondent is being sued as an individual, not in her official capacity, serving an agent” is not allowed, unless Leithead Todd had appointed that person to accept papers on her behalf, Ibarra said. 

      In the story, Erin Miller reports that the sheriff who served the papers took them to Leithead Todd’s county office and left them with her secretary. Ford’s attorney, Michael Matsukawa, said he will re-file the petition.
      In a petition filed against Leithead Todd in August, Ford asked the court to compel Leithead Todd to justify her qualifications for the position.
      When Mayor Billy Kenoi’s nomination of Leithead Todd came before the County Council, Ford and two other council members voted against it based on a charter amendment that requires the Environmental Management director to be an engineer or hold an equivalent degree. According to Ford, Leithead Todd’s law degree does not meet those qualifications.
      Leithead Todd’s attorney Robert Kim said she was “properly nominated by the mayor, properly presented to the County Council and approved by a proper majority of the council.”
      Leithead Todd told Miller she is waiting to see what comes next.
      See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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Coffee berry borers are on the move again, with an infestation reported
in the Amauulu area of Hilo.

COFFEE BERRY BORERS HAVE FOUND their way to at least one Hilo farm, according to a story in West Hawai`i Today. The story reports that the farm is located in the Amauulu area. Andrea Kawabata, coffee and orchard crops Extention agent for University of Hawai`i, said discovery of the new infestation was confirmed by the state Department of Agriculture. 

      The insect was first found on Hawai`i Island in Kona in Sept. 2010. In May 2011, Ka`u farms began to show infestations. So far, they have not been confirmed on O`au, Maui, Kaua`i or Moloka`i, which have their own coffee growing orchards.
      Coffee tree owners are encouraged to adopt an Integrated Pest Management Program that involves counting any affected coffee cherries and keeping good records that can be used to analyze progress in fighting the borers.
      Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed a bill in late June to provide $250,000 a year over two years to the state Department of Agriculture for research and another $300,000 to control and mitigate the coffee berry borer.
      See westhawaiitoday.com.
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Volcano Art Center is raising funds after the federal shutdown and is open
 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.  Photo by Julia Neal

VOLCANO ART CENTER held its annual meeting last week and elected new board members, including more artists. The 14 board members for 2013-2014 are Jelena Clay, Kehaulani Costa, Desiree Cruz, Mary Miho Finley, Emily Herb, Hugh Jenkins, Karen Kaufman, Karen Masaki, Mike Mortara, Julia Neal, Vicky Penney-Rohner, Linda Pratt, Julie Williams and Jim Wilson. New officers are president of the board Hugh Jenkins, vice president Vicky Penny-Rohner, treasurer Karen Masaki and secretary Julie Williams. 

      Volcano Art Center Gallery, next to the Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and is preparing for Christmas in the Country and other events. In January, a solo show for Christina Skaggs original paintings will open. It is called The Color of Sacred.
       The organization is also fundraising, following loss of income during the federal government shutdown. Call 967-7565.

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Drop, cover and hold on was the message of the first Great Hawai`i
Shake-out on Oct. 17 at 10:17 a.m.

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY THANKS the thousands of Hawai`i residents who took part in the state’s first Great Hawai`i ShakeOut on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 10:17 a.m. They joined over 19.5 million people worldwide who also took part in the annual earthquake drill. 

      HVO said participation in the earthquake awareness and preparedness drill far exceeded its expectations and underscores the desire of Hawai`i residents to be prepared for natural disasters.
      Hawai`i is subject to many kinds of natural hazards, with earthquakes being among them. Large earthquakes typically occur on and around island Hawai`i Island, but historically, they have also occurred around Maui, Moloka`i and Lana`i, with damage extending as far as O`ahu. The probability of a destructive magnitude-6.5 or higher earthquake striking the Hawaiian Islands in the next 10 years is 50 percent.

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See clearthesmoke.org for coaching help to quit smoking.

HAWAI`I TOBACCO QUITLINE HAS A NEW online coaching service, providing experienced web-based Quit Coaches and free nicotine patches and gum to help curb cravings. In addition, the coordinators provide interactive lessons, exercises and tracking tools, online discussion forums with Quit Coaches and others trying to quit, plus encouraging and educational emails and texts. 

      The Quitline’s new web-based program allows tobacco users to create an easy-to-follow quitting plan plus exclusive access to the online program without calls from a Quit Coach. Enrollment is confidential via the website. Each plan is personalized to every user’s specific needs. Nicotine patches and gum are mailed directly to each tobacco user’s home.
      The Quitline continues to provide free phone services, which include a personalized quit plan with a trained phone-based Quit Coach and free nicotine patches or gum. All Quitline programs are free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, whether using the toll free phone number or the web-based program.
      For more information or to register for the web services, see clearthesmoke.org or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

KA`U RESIDENT DICK HERSHBERGER returns to present A Walk into the Past Tuesday when he portrays Hawaiian Volcano Observatory founder Thomas Jaggar. Programs scheduled earlier this month were cancelled due to the federal government shutdown. Participants meet at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. or 2 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

AFTER DARK IN THE PARK HOSTS A PROGRAM about the `ohi`a lehua ecosystem Tuesday at 7 p.m. In the early 1970s, a multidisciplinary team of forest biologists began a study of the intact native ecosystems in and around Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, in particular the `ohi`a lehua rainforest. Patches of dead `ohi`a stands were reported from the windward slopes of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. Aerial photo analyses by a team of federal and state foresters revealed rapidly spreading `ohi`a dieback. A killer disease was suspected to destroy the Hawaiian rain forest in the next 15 to 25 years, yet that never happened. 

      In his new book, Rainforest: Born Among Hawaiian Volcanoes, Evolved in Isolation: The Story of a Dynamic Ecosystem with Relevance to Forests Worldwide, University of Hawai`i at Manoa professor Dieter Mueller-Dombois explains what really happened and why the `ohi`a lehua rainforest survived intact as witnessed today.
      Mueller-Dombois will be available to sign copies of his book.
      The program takes place at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. $2 donations support park programs, and park entrance fees apply.

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 Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013

A false killer whale that recently washed ashore near South Point has been identified through a Cascadia Research Collective photo ID catalog as HIPc162. The whale has been seen swimming off of Kona and O`ahu since 2003.
These whales can live to 60 years of age. Photo by Damien Flores

THE WHALE THAT  RECENTLY WASHED UP ON THE SHORE or was stranded and died along the Ka`u Coast was found by Na`alehu school teacher Heidi Flores, wife of rancher Damien Flores, of Ka Lae. She reported the whale to scientists, who were able to identify the false killer whale as HIPc162.
      A necropsy found five fish hooks in the stomach of the false killer whale.Scientists said it wasn't clear whether the hooks came from longline fishing or other fishing activities.

HIpc162 found dead two weeks ago on the Ka`u Coast.
Photo by Heidi Flores

     According to Dr. Robin Baird, of the Cascadia Research Collective, which keeps photos to identify endangered marine life, this false killer whale is one of 162 false killer whales identified in Hawai`i. HIPc162 was first documented off O`ahu in 2003 and again in 2007 and 2009. The same false killer whale was seen twice off Kona in 2004 and during its last known sighting off Kona on Oct. 26, 2011 when he was seen with 13 other false killer whales. HIPc162 was a member of a rarely seen social group that spends a lot of time on the windward sides of the islands, particularly north of Moloka`i and Maui, Baird said.
     False killer whales can live to 60 years of age. They are endangered, with only about 200 of the distinct Hawaiian family of false killer whales left in the wild, Heidi Flores said.
     False killer whales can be caught by longline fishing boats that are going for swordfish and other commercial catches. False killer whales are on the Endangered Species List and received extra protection when longline fishing was banned in Hawaiian waters. Longline fishing operations are being warned to use circular hooks to avoid catching false killer whales and other marine mammals.
     To report a floating whale or any marine mammal incident, call the U.S. Cioast Guard channel 16 or the NOAA marine mammal hotline at 1-888-2456-9840.
     A member of the dolphin family, a false killer whale has mated with a bottlenose dolphin in captivity and created a fertile calf that has been called a wholphin.

A PROPOSED SUBDIVISION OF COASTAL LAND zoned agriculture and conservation makai of Na`alehu has led to a call for information from descendents of Native Hawaiians and others who may have lived there or used the land for burials, fishing and other purposes. Kawala, Aemalo`o and Kaunamano are ahupua`a names in the area of the more than 1,000 acres reached by a ranch road between Hana Hou Restaurant and Na`alehu Shopping Center. 

      According to a subdivision plan at the county Planning Department, the smallest lots would be long and narrow and side by side with two of them just over six acres. The land in the state Agriculture classification is zoned Ag 20 by the county.

      The subdivision is being proposed by Waimea realtor Leslie Agorastos, of Clark Realty, who owns the property as Kawala, LLC, along with partner Ralph Rollin Olson and others. The proposal is called a consolidation and re-subdivision. In this case, it involves taking existing lots within the larger parcel, some of them former family homesteads of Hawaiians, and moving them toward the coast to maximize property values. The largest lot, more than 500 acres, would be the most mauka.

Subdivision is proposed for coastal land makai of Na`alehu on land classified and zoned agriculture, with smallest lots closest to the
 ocean. Map from Hawai`i County planning department

     In addition to the two six-acre lots near the sea cliff, four more lots would be just over 20 acres. A 162.459-acre lot would wrap around the smaller ones and include the land classified Conservation. The conservation zone would include the existing coastal trail, with a ten-foot-wide public access, totaling 1.54 acres. The conservation designation by the state would keep construction back more than 400 feet from the sea cliffs.
     According to a letter from Aric Arakaki, superintendent of the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail, which traverses along the coast of the property, “My community contacts in Ka`u confirmed the presence of an excellent shoreline trail in excellent condition within subject parcels as well as numerous archaeological and cultural sites.” Arakaki also asked the owners to consider a discussion about lateral trails to the coast, the Na Ala Hele.

Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail crosses
the proposed subdivision.

     Discussions with the county planning department included proposed public vehicular access down the 20-foot-wide gravel road from Na`alehu to a microwave antenna site, where a gravel parking lot for two cars would be provided. Pedestrians would walk from the parking lot to the shore along a path next to the gravel road where the owners in the new subdivision would drive to their properties.
      According to documents filed with the county Planning Department years ago, the subdivision was planned more than six years ago and saw little progress. In November 2009, former Planning director Bobby Jean Leithead Todd asked the owners to respond to issues by Dec. 9, 2009, or the subdivision would become null and void. Since then the group has contracted additional archaeological surveying, and the archaeologist has asked for more public input on burial and other historic sites on the property. Sites include lava tubes with burial sites and Kahiwapapa Heiau.
     A letter from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources to the applicants several years ago stated, “We believe that the applicant should identify significant historic properties that warrant preservation; and that these sites be designated with preservation easements as part of the subdivision process. Consultation with persons familiar with the history” and places within the subdivision area “should also occur at this stage of the subdivision review,” said the state Historic Preservation officer.
      David Kimo Frankel, of Native Hawaiian Legal Corp, wrote in 2008 that lava tubes and other sites may contain burials. “We believe historic properties will be affected.”
      Anyone with information about the history or burial sites in the area can contact archaeologist Dr. Robert Rechtman, Rechtman Consulting, LLC at 969-6086 in Hilo.
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Stuart Donachie

KILAUEA CALDERA IS HOME TO A NEWLY DISCOVERED, purple species of cyanobacterium. Stuart Donachie, associate professor at University of Hawai`i – Manoa’s Department of Microbiology, and his team reported their finding in the scientific journal PLOS ONE. Gloeobacter kilaueensis is one of only two known species in the genus Gloeobacter. 

      Researchers were investigating microbial diversity in lava caves and found the species in an almost 100-year-old cave less than one-half mile from the volcanically active Halema`uma`u pit crater.
      “It’s a great find because both species represent an entire taxonomic order distinct from the other 7,500 known cyanobacteria species,” said Donachie. “They lack the photosynthetic membranes that are found in all those 7,500 species, which means they are also the most primitive known cyanobacteria.”
      Researchers said, “We are indebted to Rhonda Loh, Tim Tunison, Jadelyn Moniz-Nakamura and Deb Sheppard of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, National Parks Service, whose support and cooperation at all times assured our safety in the field and the scientific success of the project.”
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Melanie Bondera

THE KOHALA CENTER, INC. IS TO RECEIVE a $151,913 Small Socially Disadvantaged Producer Grant. The grant will allow The Kohala Center to assist approximately 215 socially disadvantaged producers within five cooperative groups including Ka`u Agricultural Water Cooperative District. The program will provide technical assistance training in equipment use, maintenance training, advanced Korean natural farming techniques, cooperative business skills, local direct marketing training and consultation and conflict resolution. 

      Chris J. Kanazawa, state director for USDA Rural Development, said, “Hawai`i’s small businesses play a key role in job growth and innovation in our rural communities. The SSDPG funding will jump-start small socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers by funding the tools they need to be successful producers. This effort is an example of President Obama’s vision of strengthening the middle class in rural communities. The award to The Kohala Center will broaden the outreach into Hawai`i’s rural communities to ensure that small socially disadvantaged producers have access to this resource.”
       “The Kohala Center is pleased to again be able to offer five Hawai`i agricultural cooperatives trainings through this grant. The trainings this year will include natural farming, organic composting, aquaponics, business skills, conflict resolution, taro farming, poi processing, and co-op membership,” said Melanie Bondera, Rural Cooperative Development specialist for The Kohala Center.
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Bird hunting areas in Ka`u open next Saturday. Map from DLNR

BIRD HUNTING SEASON ON THE BIG ISLAND opens a week from today on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013. The season runs through Monday, Jan. 20, 2014, with legal hunting days on Saturday, Sunday, and state holidays. In Ka`u, Kapapala Ranch Cooperative Game Management Area, Kapapala Forest Reserve and Ka`u Forest Reserve are bird hunting areas.  

      Department of Land & Natural Resources wildlife biologists are predicting an “average” season of bird hunting, with the easing of drought conditions in many parts of the state.
      A valid hunting license is required for all game bird hunting on public and private lands. All game bird hunting is regulated by Hawai`i Administrative Rules Title 13, Chapter 122. See hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw “Administrative Rules.”
      Hunters are required to check in and out at established hunter check stations and obtain permission from landowners when seeking to hunt on private land. DLNR asks hunters to help prevent wildfires by not parking or driving in tall grass or brush and to report fires to 911.
      Hunters can support wildlife conservation by reporting game law violators to the Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement at 643-DLNR (3567).
      For further information, call 974-4221.

Ka`u Trojans finish their inaugural eight-man football season Nov. 8.

KA`U TROJANS RACKED UP 28 POINTS in their game against Kealakehe JV last night but could not get past the Waveriders, who won by one point. 

      The Trojan’s next and final game for the inaugural eight-man football season is homecoming on Friday, Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. when they once again play the Moloka`i Farmers.

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.