Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, Jan. 30, 2014

Snows of Mauna Loa send a cool breeze through the tall palms above a Pahala home this morning. Photo by Julia Neal

A MEASURE TO FIGHT THE COFFEE BERRY BORER that has been ravaging Ka`u and other Hawai`i Island coffee farms for almost three years is expected to be passed by Congress this week. Ka`u’s Sen. Mazie Hirono worked with Senate and House Agriculture Committees to include language that lays the groundwork for a long-term federal investment to fight the borer. Hawai`i Island coffee growers praised Hirono’s work to secure an initial $1 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture last July to help set up the program, which is being managed by the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center in Hilo.

      “The inclusion of my amendment to fight the coffee berry borer in the bipartisan Farm Bill is great news for Hawai`i and our economy,” said Hirono. “I’ve spoken with farmers concerned about how this invasive species will hurt their crops and our economy – it’s crucial we mount a concerted effort to protect our coffee plants. This amendment will help USDA, the Hawai`i Department of Agriculture and the University of Hawai`i work collectively and efficiently to help coffee farmers combat and contain the coffee berry borer.”

The war against the coffee berry borer is on, with help from federal funding.

      Dr. Marisa Wall, PBARC acting director, said, “Through ARS’ Areawide Pest Management Program, scientists at the U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center and our partners have been able to develop integrated, biologically based control measures for coffee berry borer. This program enables us to optimize biological control methods, improve pest detection and mass trapping technology, manage coffee flowering and fruiting cycles and provide outreach to growers in an areawide system for CBB control.”
      Hirono added, “I am also pleased that this bill helps promote sustainable, local agriculture – from investments that help family farmers sell locally to supporting beginning farmers with training and access to capital. This bill was a bipartisan compromise, and I am hopeful that my colleagues and I can continue to work together to help the people of Hawai`i and the nation.”
      Additionally, the bill strengthens top priorities that help famers in Hawai`i and the nation. The bill:

• reauthorizes $10 million per year through 2018 for Education Grants to Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; 
• extends authorization for rural housing and general economic assistance to parts of Hawai`i; 
• extends the Livestock Forage Program and Livestock Indemnity Program to provide a safety net to Hawai`i farmers affected by drought or other adverse weather; 
• extends loan programs for sugar cane for five years; 
• authorizes $375 million over five years for Specialty Crop Block Grants; 
• continues investments to meet growing consumer demand for fresh fruits and vegetables, local foods and organics by helping family farmers sell locally, increasing support for farmers markets and connecting farmers to schools and other community-based organizations; 
• authorizes nearly $1.4 billion over five years for bioenergy research and development programs, including the Biorefinery Assistance Program, Bioenergy Program for Advanced Fuels, Biodiesel Fuel Education Program, and Rural Energy for America Program; and 
• extends the authorization for rural water programs, including Rural Water and Wastewater Circuit Rider Program, Rural Water and Waste Disposal Infrastructure program and Household Water Well Systems program.

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Acropora gemmifera Photo from biogang.net

A CORAL SPECIES NEW TO THE MAIN Hawaiian Islands has been discovered in West Hawai`i by a research team of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources divers, under the leadership of senior biologist Dr. Bill Walsh. 

      DLNR spokesperson Deborah Ward said that not only is this the first record of Acropora gemmifera in the main Hawaiian Islands, it’s the first record of any Acropora species occurring around the island of Hawai`i. 

      “The presence of these coral colonies is a significant contribution to our understanding of local reef diversity and opens up speculation about what other rare corals may be found on the reefs of Hawai`i Island,” Walsh said.
      Several Acropora species have been identified in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands; previously, several small colonies of the table coral Acropora cytherea have been reported from Kaua`i, and a single colony was recently sighted off O`ahu.
      According to Walsh, the discovery of this rare species in the main Hawaiian Islands emphasizes the need for local marine and land-use conservation practices. Members of this genus have a low resistance and low tolerance to bleaching and disease, which can be made worse by pollution, overfishing, and climate change. They are also a coral species preferred by Acanthaster planci, the crown-of-thorns starfish, which is a coral predator.
      Acropora gemmifera is common in shallow, tropical reef environments in the Red Sea, Australia, the Indo-Pacific, and central and western Pacific, but there are few records from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It does occur at Johnston Atoll, approximately 900 miles southwest of Hawai`i.
      There have been no historical reports of any Acropora species occurring around the Island of Hawai`i, nor were any observed in more than 4,500 DAR coral reef monitoring/research dives over the past 15 years, Ward said.
      Typically, this species is found intertidally and subtidally from one to 15 meters. The colonies can vary in color from tan/brown to green, blues and even purples. The Kona population is located in waters four to 10 meters deep and consists of tan/brown colonies ranging from young encrusting forms to mature colonies estimated to be at least 80 years old. A total of 75 A. gemmifera colonies were found at the Kona site along a 50-meter stretch of reef.
      This finding was recently published online in the journal Coral Reefs.

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Team Kripps won at the last World Cup event and is
headed to the Olympics. Photo from Charlie Booker

A BOBSLED PILOT HEADING TO THE WINTER OLYMPICS in Sochi has his roots in Ka`u. Justin Kripps, the son of Libby and Robert, is a member of Team Canada. Kripps, now 27, was born in Ka`u and attended Na`alehu School from Grade 1 to Grade 7. After attending high school in Canada, he was awarded a track and field and academic scholarship to Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada.
      While competing at a track meet, he was spotted by recruiters from the Canadian bobsled team in 2007. Initially, he was recruited to be a brakeman, where speed and strength are essential. Kripps rose rapidly through the ranks and was a member of the Canadian Olympic team in Vancouver in 2010, where they placed fifth in the four-man event.
      He then decided to try driving the sled and proved a very quick learner. After only two seasons on the World Cup circuit, he has been named as a pilot for Team Canada. He will compete in both the two-man and four-man events.
      Kripps and his teammates started the current season ranked 15th in the world in both events. They have had a standout season, finishing ranked tenth in both the four-man and the two-man. They topped the season off with a gold medal in the final World Cup event before the Olympics. Team Kripps, competing as Canada 3, beat out many more experienced teams, including the current world champions from Germany.
      Honoring his home, Kripps names his bobsleds after Hawaiian goddesses. The two-man sled is Poli`ahu – the goddess of ice, and the four-man sled is Pele – the goddess of fire.
      Kripps’ parents are still in Ka`u and hope to watch their son compete in Sochi via the Internet.

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KA`U HIGH BOYS BASKETBALL TEAMS host Kealakehe today at 6 p.m. for the Trojans’ last home games of the season. They travel to Waiakea and St. Joseph’s next week.

      Ka`u’s wrestlers travel to Hilo Saturday for a match at 10 a.m.

VOLUNTEERS MEET AT KILAUEA VISITOR CENTER in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Saturday to help remove invasive Himalayan ginger from park trails between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. The Stewardships at the Summit program is ongoing, with more scheduled each Friday in February. Park entrance fees apply. 

JO CARON INVITES KA`U RESIDENTS TO ECSTATIC DANCE Saturday at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village. Participants explore the Five Rhythms – Flowing-Staccato-Chaos-Lyrical-Stillness – during a two-hour practice guided by music that ignites creativity, connection, personal awareness and healing. Fees are $25 or $10 VAC members.
      For more, call Caron at 443-6993.

KA`U HOSPITAL URGES RESIDENTS to complete its Community Health Needs Assessment at surveymonkey.com/s/93HQ5MX. The deadline is this tomorrow.

SEE THE DIRECTORY 2014 ONLINE. For a page-turning version, see kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.swf. For a pdf version, see kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.pdf.

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

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014

Ocean View community members and Habitat for Humanity representatives join Jeff Helfenbein during the blessing of his home. Photos from Habitat for Humanity

RADIATION MONITORING WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED as a pilot project by the state Department of Health if Senate Bill 3049, introduced by Ka‘u Senators Josh Green and Russell Ruderman and championed by Pahala resident Sara Witt, passes the 2014 state Legislature. The program would measure and monitor radiation levels in items such as food, dairy products, rainwater, aquifers and drainage ditches that may be susceptible to increased radiation levels due to the March 11, 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. The Department of Health would post periodic reports on its website of those radiation levels and their significance to the state. The project would begin July 1 and end June 30, 2019. The bill passed first reading on Jan. 23 and was referred to several committees. Witt said she is hoping that a hearing will be held on the measure. 

      The companion House Bill 2600 was introduced by Reps. Richard Creagan and Faye Hanohano at the request of Witt.
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President Barack Obama gave his fifth
State of the Union address yesterday.

MEMBERS OF KA`U’S U.S. CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION have responded to President Barack Obama’s call to raise the minimum wage for federal contract workers. During his State of the Union address yesterday, Obama said he wants an increase to $10.10 per hour. “The President took a positive step toward addressing the vast and growing trend of (income) inequality, and I welcome his proposals that will support job creation and encourage opportunities for growth and entrepreneurship,” said Ka`u’s U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. 

      Sen. Brian Schatz said, “Tonight, we heard a real commitment from President Obama to reversing income inequality. Helping those who are stretched thin is even more important in Hawai‘i, where so many of our families struggle with the high cost of living. People who work hard and play by the rules should be able to get ahead.
      “I’ve been working with a group of my colleagues, including Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, to urge President Obama to use his authority to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 for federal contract workers. I was glad he answered that call tonight. We need to do more on this issue and raise the minimum wage for all workers. That’s why I’m pushing legislation in the Senate to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 for all workers.”  

     Regarding wages, Schatz added, “There is a real wage gap for too many workers. And in Hawai‘i, women still make 83 cents for every dollar a man makes. That’s unacceptable. We need to strengthen our laws to ensure equal pay for equal work.”
      Sen. Mazie Hirono said, “The executive order to raise the minimum wage for federal contract workers will help families in Hawai‘i, including those who wash dishes and serve food on our military bases. However, we must not stop there. Today, the real value of the minimum wage is roughly the same as what it was in the 1950s. This is particularly tough in states like Hawai`i, where the cost of living is high.”

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“GOV. NEIL ABERCROMBIE also responded to President Obama’s call for an increase in the minimum wage: “As I stated in last week’s State of the State address, a hard-working sector in Hawai`i has gone seven years without seeing their wages rise. I applaud the President’s proposal to increase the minimum wage for all federal employees.”

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A mortgage deed through sweat equity and help from Habitat for Humanity gives
Ocean View resident Jeff Helfenbein a home of his own.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY WEST HAWAI‘I and veteran Jeff Helfenbein worked together to make home ownership for Helfenbein a reality in Ocean View. Habitat and Helfenbein recently held a blessing of his new home and completion of Habitat’s twentieth dwelling in West Hawai‘i. 

      Attending were volunteers who helped work on the house and provided food during the building, along with neighbors, family, friends and Habitat staff, including executive director Pat Hurney.
      Helfenbein has lived on the island for some 30 years and now has his own home. Deacon Sandy Honnold blessed the home, walking through each room with Helfenbein. The new homeowner worked alongside Habitat staff and volunteers on the construction of his home since May 2013. As part of the Habitat model, he fulfilled his required 500 sweat equity hours, highlighting the partnership.
      Habitat is preparing to build in Kona, Waikoloa and Na‘po‘opo‘o and completing repair work in Waimea in 2014. Many volunteers, food donations, and helping hands will be needed.
      The organization is a locally run affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing organization. Its mission is to empower families and build community and hope through home ownership opportunities for low-income families. Serving the entire west side of the Big Island, Habitat works in partnership with families in need to build and repair decent, affordable housing. The houses are sold to partner families at no profit and with no interest charged.
      Granted affiliation with Habitat for Humanity International in 2002, Habitat West Hawai‘i is a volunteer-driven organization with seven full-time staff members. The home-building projects are undertaken by a committed group of local community volunteers who are provided leadership by site managers experienced in construction. The board of directors, comprised of 12 members, provides overall leadership to the affiliate. Funding comes from individual, foundation, agency and corporate donations, as well as from ReStore profits.
       To learn more or become involved in upcoming projects, contact Erin Stephens, Community Relations coordinator, at vista@habitatwesthawaii.org or 331-8010.
      See habitatwesthawaii.org or twitter.com/habitatwestHI.

KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS EAST HAWAIʻI RESOURCE CENTER will be conducting a one-stop-shop assistance in Kaʻu for students who want to pursue education beyond high school and families who want help with summer program applications and more information about resources. Center representatives will be available on Tuesdays, Feb. 11 and March 4 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Naʻalehu United Methodist Church, directly across from Naʻalehu Post Office. 

      Services include help with admission applications for summer programs, financial aid and scholarship services, Hoʻoulu Hawaiian Data Center forms and general information about Kamehameha Schools programs and resources.
      For more information, call Nikki or Noelani at 935-0116.

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MISS KA`U COFFEE PAGEANT APPLICATIONS are due Friday, Feb. 7. All candidates must live in the district of Ka`u. As of May 4, Miss Ka`u Coffee candidates must be 16 to 24 years old, and Miss Ka`u Peaberry candidates must be 7 – 9 years old. 

      Pick up and return applications at R&G Store in Pahala, Will & Grace Store in Na`alehu or Coffee Grinds in Ocean View.
      A mandatory meeting for all candidates is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 9 at 5 p.m. at Punalu`u Bake Shop pavilion.
      For more information, call Gloria Camba at 928-8558 or Nalani Parlin at 217-6893.

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Ecstatic Dance teacher Jo Caron
Photo from VAC

VOLUNTEERS MEET AT KILAUEA VISITOR CENTER in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Saturday to help remove invasive Himalayan ginger from park trails between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. The Stewardships at the Summit program is ongoing, with more scheduled each Friday in February. Park entrance fees apply. 

JO CARON INVITES KA`U RESIDENTS TO ECSTATIC DANCE Saturday at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village. Participants explore the Five Rhythms – Flowing-Staccato-Chaos-Lyrical-Stillness – during a two-hour practice guided by music that ignites creativity, connection, personal awareness and healing. Fees are $25 or $10 VAC members. 

      For more, call Caron at 443-6993. 

KA`U HOSPITAL URGES RESIDENTS to complete its Community Health Needs Assessment at surveymonkey.com/s/93HQ5MX. The deadline is this Friday, Jan. 31.

SEE THE DIRECTORY 2014 ONLINE. For a page-turning version, see kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.swf. For a pdf version, see kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.pdf.

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

Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014

A bill being considered at the state Legislature would follow up on the GMO ban in Hawai`i County by prohibiting the planting of GMO engineered seeds or plant parts in open fields statewide. Photo by Julia Neal

GMO FOOD LABELING COULD BE THE WAY to reduce polarization in the debate over genetically modified organisms, according to west Ka`u state Rep. Richard Creagan. 

           Creagan, who studied agriculture at University of Hawai`i following a career as a physician, said yesterday that labeling could go a long way toward making peace. “Most of the people feel that labeling is important. Most of the people want to know what they eat.” He said that all foods, including milk from cows fed with GMO grains and grasses, should be labeled. “It is important to honor people’s concerns about what they want to eat.”

Rep. Richard Creagan

           Several bills have been introduced in the state Legislature that would require labeling. Senate Bill 3084 would require all GMO food retailed in Hawai`i to be labeled starting July 1, 2015. “The label shall indicate that the genetically modified food has been genetically modified or contains genetically modified organisms or ingredients,” the bill states. It would require the state to adopt standards for labeling GMOs, with misdemeanor penalties for violations. It would also establish a subsidy program to help with GMO labeling, which would be funded by fees related to using pesticides.
           A separate piece of legislation, SB2926, would require non-GMO packaged food to be labeled.
           Another GMO-related measure, Senate Bill 2955, introduced by west Ka`u Sen. Josh Green, would require mandatory disclosure of pesticides and GMOs by commercial agricultural entities that purchased or used in excess of five pounds or 15 gallons of any single restricted use pesticide. It would require all commercial entities with any GMO to submit annual reports to the state. It would create pesticide buffer zones and require an environmental and public health impact study to address concerns related to large-scale commercial ag entities using pesticides and GMOs.
           Senate Bill 2738 would follow up on the GMO ban in Hawai`i County by prohibiting the planting of GMO engineered seeds or plant parts in open fields statewide. The bill states that “growth in genetically engineered agricultural production has been swift and pervasive throughout the nation. The quick acceptance of the new technology by American farmers may, however, pose serious consequences for conventional agriculture – consequences that scientists do not yet fully understand. Those consequences have created doubt within the farming community and Congress about the wisdom of growing genetically engineered agricultural products.”
            House Bill 2187 would provide a non-GMO tax credit for qualified agricultural costs.
            To weigh in on any of these bills and to follow the Legislature, see capitol.hawaii.gov.

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THE GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES bill, introduced by east Ka`u Sen. Russell Ruderman, is up for a public hearing today at the state Capitol. Also introduced into the House of Representatives, both bills state that “Hawai`i’s farms and farmers reflect the heritage and diversity of many cultures and people. They are the cornerstones of the state’s goals for food security, sustainability and self-sufficiency and are essential for producing local food for local consumption.

Sen. Russell Ruderman

     “The number of small farms in Hawai`i has grown substantially during the last ten years, reflecting agricultural landscape and model shifting from plantations to smaller farms with diverse cropping and marketing systems that create new local food sources and increased employment. There is also a renewed interest in planting school gardens and enabling children to eat and enjoy food grown on campus. This contributes to their school cafeteria system and teaches economic, science, and cultural lessons through an agriculture-based curriculum.”
     The bills also refer to Good Agricultural Practices regulations and programs in other countries, including Thailand, Canada and Kenya and programs of the U.S. federal government.
     According to Ruderman, Good Agricultural Practices would reduce potential for on-farm food-borne illness and include considerations and methodologies for farm sizes, practices, techniques, materials and crops.
     The idea is to keep food on organic and other small farms safe without the oversight so expensive that farms are driven out of business.
      The measure would launch training for Hawai`i farmers to learn and implement Good Agricultural Practices in a cost-effective and efficient manner, the bill states.
      Included would be voluntary verification of on-farm implementation of Good Agricultural Practices, state certification and a consumer program to teach home practices for treatment and handling of fresh and processed agricultural food products.
     Those wanting to testify on the measure from Ka`u can log into capitol.hawaii.gov and click Submit Testimony. Bill number is SB2762.
      To find legislation of issue, see capitol.hawaii.gov and type in keywords to find various proposed bills in the House and Senate.

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Mayor Billy Kenoi

DIRECT INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS to Hawai`i Island from Japan and other locales may not resume soon, according to county officials who are working on federal approvals. The direct flight from Japan ended at Kona airport in 2010 when Japan Airlines cancelled its route. Since then, the customs processing facility at the airport has been largely unmanned, and tighter security requirements by the federal government are required to reopen. According to a story by Nancy Cook Lauer in this morning’s Hawai`i Tribune Herald, “state and county officials are working with the federal government to get a five-year exemption from meeting security standards at Kona International Airport in order to reopen an international inspection facility. ...” 

      “U.S. Customs and Border Protection currently has limited staff, screening general aviation and cruise ship arrivals and some cargo shipments to the area,” the Tribune-Herald story states. “At issue is the airport’s design, featuring iconic tiki-hut style outdoor passenger holding areas that convey a Hawaiian atmosphere, but do little to address Customs’ security concerns at the airport,” Cook Lauer writes. “The airport does not meet Customs’ airport technical design standards for passenger processing facilities, said Brian Humphrey, director of field operations for Customs San Francisco office in a Dec. 24 letter to Hawai`i County Mayor Billy Kenoi. ‘Unfortunately, I cannot approve the request for a five-year exemption,’ Humphrey said in the letter, adding he’s referred the matter to Customs headquarters.”
      According to the story, Mayor Bill Kenoi “remains optimistic. He told Stephens Media Hawai`i on Monday that he met briefly last week with Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, who assigned the topic to an assistant secretary. He also discussed it with U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat representing Hawai`i’s 2nd District, who sits on the Homeland Security Committee, and other members of the congressional delegation. Kenoi was in Washington for the United States Conference of Mayors winter meeting.” The mayor also gave credit to Gov. Neil Abercrombie for working on the issue.
      See more at hawaiitribune-herald.com.

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Geochemists gather gas samples at Halema`ma`u.
Photo from USGS/HVO

WATER HAULERS AND OCEAN VIEW RESIDENTS plan to meet at Ocean View Community center this Thursday at 7 p.m. to discuss proposed fees on water trucks serving the community. 

      The fees are proposed by Ocean View Road Maintenance Corp. to help take care of the Ocean View roads where the water trucks travel to service home water storage tanks. The idea is that a $1,200-per-year fee would offset wear and tear on the roads. Some Ocean View residents argue that adding the fee would make the cost of water go up and that they already pay substantial fees to take care of the roads as landowners. The Ocean View Community Association takes a neutral stand on the issue and is hosting the meeting for better understanding of the costs of maintaining the roads and the cost of water hauling, which is necessary for many Ocean View households.

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KA`U HIGH BOYS BASKETBALL TEAMS hosted Pahoa yesterday. Junior Varsity won 64 – 48, with Jovan Padrigo scoring 20 points.
      Varsity lost 56 – 66. Chance Emmsley-Ah Yee scored 15 points.
      Ka`u hosts Kealakehe Thursday for the Trojans’ last home game of the season.

JEFF SUTTON AND TAMAR ELIAS, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geochemists, offer an update about volcanic gases, especially those related to the 2008‐2013 activity at Halema`uma`u Crater, and talk about vog – how it forms and what they’ve learned about its effects on our island environment. An optional “gas-tasting” party follows the talk that begins at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

KA`U HOSPITAL URGES RESIDENTS to complete its Community Health Needs Assessment at surveymonkey.com/s/93HQ5MX. The deadline is this Friday, Jan. 31.

SEE THE DIRECTORY 2014 ONLINE. For an online, page-turning version, see kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.swf.
      For a pdf version, see kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.pdf.

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