Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, March 27, 2014

Aloha Bluegrass Band, with Keoki Kahumoku and friends, raised money last night for their children's education workshops with a
 concert at Pahala Plantation Manager's House. Photo by Julia Neal

AN ASPIRING KA`U CHAPTER of Hawai‘i Farmers Union United invites the public to a meeting on Saturday, April 19 at 5 p.m. at Pāhala Community Center. Speakers include Vincent Mina, President of the state board of Hawai`i Farmers Union United. Also on the agenda is Bob Shaffer, a coffee farmer and agronomist with Soil Culture Consulting. One of the organizers of the new chapter, Malian Lahey, said all farmers and others interested in the future of agriculture in Ka`u are invited to attend. Attendees are encouraged to bring potluck items made from local ingredients.

      Hawai`i Farmers Union United’s mission statement says the organization “advocates for the sovereign right of farmers to create and sustain vibrant and prosperous agricultural communities for the benefit of all Hawai`i through cooperation, education and legislation.” It says the Hawai`i division of the Farmers Union is “recognized and respected in representing a family of farmers here in Hawai`i. Hawai`i Farmers Union empowers island farmers to earn a prosperous living through regenerative stewardship of our lands, waters and communities. Hawai`i Farmers Union serves as a bridge between farmers and consumers through vibrant, local, community Farmers Union chapters in all districts on all islands.”

Vincent Mina will be a keynote speaker at the first Hawai`i Farmers Union United
meeting in Ka`u next month. Photo from Vincent Mina

      Keynote speaker Mina is co-owner/operator of a family farm Kahanu `Aina Greens on Maui with his wife Irene and two children. Making a living on 2,000 square feet producing baby greens in plant-based compost, he has been advocating for small farmers’ rights since being President of Hawai`i Organic Farmers Association in 1997, according to a statement from HFUU. Mina also served as secretary for the Maui County Farm Bureau from 2005 to 2008, President of the Maui Chapter of Hawai`i Farmers Union United from 2011 to 2013 and the state President of Hawai`i Farmers Union United from 2012 to the present. Along with Irene Mina, he co-founded in 2001 Maui Aloha `Aina Association, a nonprofit organization “that promotes life-nurturing practices for the body and the soil through education outreach services,” HFUU notes. Mina has produced 11 conferences since 2001.
      Mina said, “We are on the threshold of our islands becoming a leader in producing a majority of our food, fiber and fuel through the use of regenerative and restorative practices done with a whole systems approach in ecological agriculture. “
      According to HFUU, as state president, “Vincent has focused on the issues and needs of our small family farmers, building chapter strength and consistency of chapter meetings on each island along with surveying the membership to find out what direction our members want us to go in advocating for programs that serve the interest of our small ecological farmers.”

      The second keynote speaker, Shaffer, said that “the foundation of sustainability begins with respect for nature and feeding the soil.” He is a horticulturist, agronomist and viticulturist for Soil Culture Consulting. He has been consulting and training farmers in sustainable, science-based farming systems in subtropical and temperate environments for 35 years. He is a regular presenter at ACRES USA conferences.
      Shaffer has expertise in development and management of cover-crop systems for farms, orchards and vineyards. He “looks at cover crops from a whole-farm perspective including soil biology,” the HFUU statement says, including “soil physics and how the cover crop interrelates with food production and quality.”
      According to the HFUU statement, the organization “works closely with farmers to develop policy that will then be brought to legislators on the national and state level. At the April 19 meeting, we will hold a World Café session, where anyone who attends can talk about what their priorities are for agriculture-related policy.”
      HFUU also plans a legislative retreat on Maui June 22-23 to develop strategy for the 2015 legislative session.
      Specific help for Ka`u Farmers, according to the statement, involves supporting tax exemptions and deductions for farmers; support for small and medium family farmers and growers using regenerative techniques; and support for various food security task forces and help guide strategy on Hawai`i’s food production into the future.”
      For more information, contact Lahey at 503-575-9098 or malian@kauspecialtycoffee.com.

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Jade Tredinnick, of Volcano School of Arts and Sciences,
and Keoni Taylor, of Ka`u High School, are regulars at
Keoki Kahumoku workshops. Photo by Julia Neal

A CONCERT AND FUNDRAISER for the educational programs of the Aloha Bluegrass Band drew about 85 people to Pahala Plantation
Managers House last night. The group, which plays Bluegrass and Piligrass music, features stand-up bass, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, guitar and `ukulele with Keoki Kahumoku. The band plays at Blue Dragon Restaurant in Kawaihae tonight and at the Palace Theatre on Friday. The musicians teach music at children’s workshops on the Big Island, Maui and on the mainland with a concert each year in Pahala.

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DANIEL MORIARTY IS RECOVERING from being shot at his home in Ocean View two weeks ago, reports Chelsea Jensen in West Hawai`i Today. He is receiving treatment at the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific on O`ahu. “I am doing exceptionally well. Everybody is saying I am doing good, and I feel I’m at 150 percent,” he told Jensen. “It’s looking like I will walk again at some point — but the extent of that is impossible to say.”
      Moriarty said he expects to be back home in a couple of weeks. He said friends and family are getting the house ready to accommodate him.
      Moriarty told Jensen he attributes his recovery to a combination of “using every possible tool we can,” including modern medicine and energy prayer.
      Regarding his assailant, longtime friend Clyde Hawse “Cris” Criswell, Moriarty said he forgave him “when I was still laying on the floor. I knew in his right mind he would never do something like that and he could never see himself doing something like that.” He said Criswell had “too much alcohol, and something snapped in his brain.”
      A fundraising account to help the family with mounting bills has been set up under the name of Brooke Moriarty at HFS Federal Credit Union. Call Ray Henderson at 929-9693 for more information.

Ka`u's U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

      Donation jars have also been placed in Ka`u businesses. In Na`alehu, jars are at Hana Hou Restaurant and Island Market. In Ocean View, jars are at Rancho Ace Hardware, Ocean View Pizzeria, Kahuku Country Store, Replay, Ka`u Business Services, Coffee Grinds Restaurant, DJ’s Pizza and Bakeshop, Ocean View Auto Parts, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue and Spin Zone Wash.
      See westhawaiitoday.com.

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“I WELCOME THE NEWS OF THE PRESIDENT moving toward ending the sweeping collection of our personal data, and look forward to reviewing the President’s legislative proposal,” said Ka`u’s U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. The President’s proposal to overhaul its surveillance programs includes ending bulk collection and storage of phone records.
      Gabbard said, “For years, millions of Americans have been kept in the dark about the collection of their personal data by their own government, in the name of national security, without any evidence that such intrusive actions were effective in preventing attacks on our country. I will continue working toward bringing about reforms that strike the necessary balance of protecting our constitutional right to privacy and maintaining strong national security. The American people should not have to choose between the two.”                          To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Mother and father nene seen on O`ahu are from Hawai`i Island.
Image from Hawai`i News Now

NEW PARENTS OF THREE NENE GOSLINGS on O`ahu are from Hawai`i Island, according to a story in Honolulu Star-Advertiser. They are the first nene to be seen on O`ahu since the 1700s. Scientists suspect the birds were on their way to Kaua`i for the nesting season when they stopped in Kahuku. Originally from Kaua`i, the birds, tagged K59 and K60, were previously moved to Maui and then Hawai`i Island. 

TONIGHT IS KARAOKE NIGHT at Kilauea Military Camp’s Lava Lounge in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Beginning at 7 p.m., the activity is open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply.

VOLCANO ART CENTER GALLERY in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park presents Aloha Friday on the porch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with variable hula art offerings of hula lessons, lei making, storytelling, lauhala weaving or `ukulele lessons. Everyone is welcome to this free event. Donations are welcome, and park entrance fees apply.

KILAUEA LU`AU BUFFET TOMORROW from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. features a free hula show at 7 p.m. At Kilauea Military Camp’s Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, the menu includes kalua pork and cabbage, shoyu chicken, breaded ono, chicken long rice and more. Adults $15.25; $8 children 6-11 years old. The event is open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. For more information, call 967-8356.

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

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Legislation calling for tax relief on donations to the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan is on its way to President Barack Obama.
Map from wunderground.com

AS THE MILITARY PLANS TO EXPAND TRAINING areas and the number and sophistication of war games conducted on the Big Island, its leaders plan to meet with warriors and defense industry leaders from around the world next month in Waikiki. The conference, April 8 – 10, is called Land and Power in the Pacific.

Officials said one aim of LANPAC is "assuring security and stability in the Pacific."

     Representatives from more than thirty countries are invited to the confab. Speakers include generals from the U.S., Japan and Bangladesh. The Association of the United States Army’s Institute of Land Warfare and the U.S. Army Pacific and U.S. Pacific Command are organizing LANPAC. A statement says that one aim is “assuring security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific.”
      See a map at afcea.org/events/tnlf/east12-/documents/MathewsRevRecvd.pdf.
      “Participants will explore, in depth, the concept of strategic land power and the future of the Asia-Pacific theater with valuable perspectives from U.S. military and civilian leaders, industry leaders and service leaders from allied countries in this very important region of the world,” retired Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan, president of AUSA, said in a release.
      Seven of the 10 largest armies in the world are in the Pacific theater, and 22 of the 27 countries in the region have an army officer as chief of defense, according to John R. Deni at the Army War College’s Strategic Studies Institute. 

      However, the Army has struggled to establish its place in the Pacific in a time of downsizing and a stated Pentagon goal of avoiding the type of foreign nation occupation operations that fell to the Army in Iraq and Afghanistan.
      Featured speakers will include Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, head of U.S. Army Pacific at Fort Shafter, along with Gen. Dennis Via, commander, U.S. Army Materiel Command; Vice Adm. Robert L. Thomas Jr., commander, U.S. 7th Fleet; Gen. Kiyofumi Iwata, chief of staff, Japan Ground Self Defense Force; Gen. Iqbal Karim Bhui­yan, chief of staff, Bangladesh Army; Lt. Gen. Robert S. Ferrell, U.S. Army chief information officer; and Brig. Tim Gall, land component commander, Headquarters, Joint Forces, New Zealand.
      Last year’s inaugural LANPAC forum was advertised as a way to “leverage the strategic location of Hawai`i to bring together government and industry representatives.”
      More than 600 attended the symposium, including representatives from 17 countries, U.S. Army Pacific said.
      The event, held last year and also this year at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel, will feature industry exhibits.

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HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC CO., HAWAI`I ELECTRIC LIGHT CO. and other electric utility companies are in danger of being FedExed, “like the post office got FedExed,” as rooftop photovoltaic systems become lower-priced, said former U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. 

      Chu suggested that utilities go into the rooftop solar business. He presented his arguments for the new business model at the University of Chicago, as reported in Forbes by Jeff McMahon.

Steven Chu

      “This is not a radical model,” Chu said. “This is the old telephone system model, where the telephone companies owned the phone, they rented you the phone for so long, they maintained it.” In Chu’s model, the utility would own the panels and batteries and sell electricity to customers at a much lower rate.

      The model benefits the utilities and their customers, according to Chu.
      Utility companies could expand without needing to install new transmission lines, complete environmental impact reports, “and all of that stuff,” he said. They would also benefit from a distributed network of panels and batteries “where they need it the most, at the end of the distribution system, for grid stability.”
      Besides getting lower rates, customers would get solar power without having to pay for installation, as well as get a battery backup that works up to a week.
      Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, criticized HECO’s slowing of rooftop solar installations because of concerns about capacity and safety. “Solar installations don’t threaten grid stability until they approach 20 percent of the customer base,” Chu said. As of January, seven percent of HELCO’s customers had solar systems.
      Lynn Unemori, of HECO, told McMahon the company has adopted “a more cautious approach to applications for new PV systems on circuits with a large amount of PV already installed, solely for reasons of safety and reliability.”
      See forbes.com. To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

LEGISLATION TO OFFER TAX RELIEF on charitable donations to the Philippines is on its way to President Obama after being passed by Congress. 

      The Philippines Charitable Giving Assistance Act will allow Americans who make donations for storm relief and recovery in the Philippines to deduct them from their taxes.

      Under this bill, donations must be made after the President signs this bill into law and before April 15, 2014 in order to qualify.

      Sen. Mazie Hirono co-sponsored the legislation. “Given the great deal of help still needed, the Philippines Charitable Giving Assistance Act will help spur another round of new contributions when charitable giving has tapered off and help American families get more back from their tax returns this year,” she said.
      Ka`u’s Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who co-sponsored similar legislation in the House, said, “In the past several months, people in Hawai`i and across the country have shown a tremendous outpouring of compassion and support for so many of our friends and family who were deeply impacted by the devastating Typhoon Haiyan. I continue to pray for those who lost loved ones, and I encourage everyone to not forget that there is still so much work to be done, and to consider how we can help in their efforts.”

      Legislation to provide tax incentives for charitable giving was also enacted following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

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ALOHA BLUEGRASS BAND AND KEOKI KAHUMOKU present a free concert at Pahala Plantation House this evening at 7 p.m. Donations are welcome.
      Information about the performers is available at alohabluegrassband.com.

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND AND NATURAL AREA RESERVES teams invite volunteers to their annual Manuka Natural Area Reserve shoreline hiking cleanup in South Kona this Saturday. The region includes anchialine pools, rugged beaches and a couple of embayments.
      “Every year, we are able to cover more ground and move further north along this rocky, remote shoreline,” said HWF coordinator Megan Lamson.

      Space is limited. RSVP to Lamson at 769-7629 or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.

Whale Tale Photo from Thomas C. Stein 

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK encourages volunteers to register to help count humpback whales during the final 2014 Sanctuary Ocean Count held this Saturday, March 29 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

      Ka`ena Point, near the end of Chain of Craters Road, is one of Hawai`i Island’s 21 Sanctuary Ocean Count sites. It is the first pullout along the ocean, close to the end of the road – about a 45-minute drive from the park entrance. Bring a cushion or chair to sit on, snacks, sun and rain protection. Binoculars are optional. Check in with Sanctuary Ocean Count site leader, park ranger Adrian Boone.
      Volunteers on shore monitor humpbacks in nearshore waters for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Residents and visitors look forward to this yearly event, which provides important population and distribution information about humpback whales around the Hawaiian Islands.
      “The Sanctuary Ocean Count is an ideal opportunity for the community and the park to work together as stewards of the ocean,” said Public Affairs officer Jessica Ferracane. “These splendid creatures swim more than 2,000 miles to Hawai`i from Arctic waters every winter, and the annual count is one way to observe and record their behavior and ensure their future.”
      For more information, see hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov. To register online, see sanctuaryoceancount.org, or simply show up for all or part of the count.
      For additional questions, call the Ocean Count Hotline 808-268-3087. To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

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

 

Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, March 25, 2014

The final Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Whale Count for 2014 takes place Saturday. Photo from HIHWNMS

HILO CIRCUIT JUDGE GREG NAKAMURA heard arguments regarding Hawai`i County’s registration of genetically modified crops yesterday. Attorney Margery Bronster, representing the plaintiffs, raised concerns about the county keeping information provided by the farmers confidential. 

      “I would try to keep as much information as confidential as possible,” county Research and Development Department director Laverne Omori said in response to a question from Bronster, according to a story in Hawai`i Tribune-Herald. She also said her office “lacked clear rules and procedures for the new program.”

Ka`u's U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

      Tom Callis reports that one of the plaintiffs, Hawai`i Papaya Industry Association president Ross Sibucao, said he fears release of information about his farm could make him a target for vandalism. “It’s my livelihood,” he said.  

      “You grow these trees from babies on up. 

      “To have them vandalized, it’s fearful.”
      Kohala Councilwoman Margaret Wille, who introduced the anti-GMO bill, told Callis the registry is needed for disclosure and that “general information about where GMO crops are grown should be made public.”  

      See hawaiitribune-herald.com.

      To comment on this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES will vote Thursday on legislation that would dismantle the Antiquities Act of 1906, according to Germonique R. Ulmer, vice president of Public Affairs for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She called the Antiquities Act “our best public lands conservation tool.”
      Ulmer said HR1459, dubbed the “Preventing New Parks” bill, undermines the President’s ability to act swiftly to preserve lands of public interest through national monument designation. The Grand Canyon, Acadia, Chaco Canyon and Olympic National Parks are just a few of the places first protected under the Antiquities Act. President Obama created national monuments at Virginia’s Fort Monroe and Colorado’s Chimney Rock with strong public support.
      HR1459 has three major provisions:

• places arbitrary limits on the number of monuments a president can designate using the Antiquities Act; 
• requires Congress to approve, for the first time, monument designations; and
• creates unprecedented roadblocks to swift presidential action; 

      Ulmer asks the public to contact their respresentatives and ask them to vote no on the bill. “Together, we can stop this major threat to our public lands and our heritage,” she said.
      Ka`u’s U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard can be contacted at gabbard.house.gov or 202-225-4906. Her Hawai`i Island constituent liaison, Blaise DeLima, can be contacted at 755-5806.

Hawai`i corrections system recruits joined officials during a meeting with
Gov. Neil Abercormbie. Image from Big Island Video News

KULANI PRISON IS ON SCHEDULE to reopen in July, Gov. Neil Abercrombie announced at a meeting with correctional facility staff and recruits recorded by Big Island Video News. His plan is to return prisoners housed on the mainland as part of an initiative toward a “complete revamping and reorientation” of the state correctional system. 

      “Everybody who had return rights is going to be given the opportunity,” Abercrombie said.
      He said reopening Kulani is “a visible step that we’re reversing” the practice of sending inmates out of state.
      Abercrombie also announced plans to replace Hilo Prison and build a new prison in Kona. “The question that has to be answered right now is, ‘What’s the cost of sending people out of the state, not just in dollars and cents terms, but in lost opportunities for dealing with our own difficulties, our own way, inside our own `ohana, inside this state.”
      He said the overall plan is to bring everyone back, “making an investment and seeing to it that we come to grips with our own problems inside Hawai`i and inside our own family.”
      He said programs at the facility would include an inmate-to-farmer program with training in all phases of ag and a natural area reserve program, with the hope of reducing the rate of recitivism, “giving people the sense that they are not just in a hopeless situation.”
      See bigislandvideonews.com.

BETTER CHOICES, BETTER HEALTH: A FAMILY AFFAIR is set for Friday, April 11. From 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Pahala Community Center, Ka`u Rural Health Community Association, Inc.'s 17th Annual Rural Health Conference offers health, education and prevention booths, nutrition and healthy food demonstrations, Hawai`i Health Connector enrollment, games and door prizes.

      Participants include Tutu & Me Traveling Preschool, Bay Clinic, Med Assist School of Hawai`i, United Healthcare, `Ohana Healthcare and Hawai`i County Office of Aging.

      Registration deadline is Monday, April 7. The organization will present its annual report to members and elect its board. For more information, call 928-0101.

Vendor spaces are available at Kauaha`ao Congregational Church's bazaar next month.
Photo from Debbie Wong Yuen

KAUAHA`AO CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH IN WAI`OHINU invites individuals and groups to be vendors at the church’s fundraising bazaar on Saturday, April 12 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The church is at the corner of Hwy 11, Kama`oa Road and Pinao Street, just above the Wong Yuen Store and Gas Station. 

      The flea market is open to any club, church, school, athletic organization or individual. The charge for a 10x10-foot booth space is $10. Vendors are asked to bring their own tent, tables, chairs, and, if power is needed, a generator.
      The church will be selling laulau plate lunches, chili and rice, hot dogs, baked goods and more.
      For more information or to reserve a space, call Walter Wong Yuen after 7 p.m. at 928-8039.

THE ALOHAHAS IMPROV-COMEDY-SKETCH COMPANY returns to Ocean View Community Center for their spring show Saturday, April 19. Doors open for $15 ticket sales at 7 p.m. for adults 18 years or older, and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.

CJ Roughgarden is a member
of the Alohahas.

      The show line-up consists of members performing a series of improvisation games with audience suggestions and participation. Part of the show features original comedy sketches written and performed by the improv members.
      Advance $10 tickets may be purchased at thealohahas@gmail.com or 938-2091.
      More information on the live show, company members and show tickets is available at thealohahas.com or facebook.com/thealohahas.

NA`ALEHU STUDENTS AND STAFF SHARE their learnings and projects at the annual Math and Science Night on Thursday, April 24 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The event will be held in the main school building. Visitors are welcome to bring their families and visit grade-level displays and hands-on activities in classrooms, on the lanai and in the center courtyard. Highlights include exploding fourth-grade volcanoes, make-and-take art pieces with recycled materials, fifth-grade science projects and sixth-grade marble ramp experiments. Families will have an opportunity to take home a native tree starter, in honor of Earth Day, when engaging in the Kamehameha Schools Literacy Instruction and Support booth with their keiki.
      For more information, call the school at 939-2413.

PARTICIPANTS LEARN TO WEAVE A STAR from leaves of the pandanus tree when members of `Aha Puhala o Puna share the art of lauhala weaving as part of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s ongoing `Ike Hana No`eau: Experience the Skillful Work workshops. The free program takes place tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the lanai of Kilauea Visitor Center. Park entrance fees apply.

ALOHA BLUEGRASS BAND AND KEOKI KAHUMOKU present a free concert at Pahala Plantation House tomorrow at 7 p.m. Donations are welcome. 

      Information about the performers is available at alohabluegrassband.com.

DURING STEWARDSHIP AT THE SUMMIT in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., volunteers meet at Kilauea Visitor Center to help remove invasive Himalayan ginger from park trails. Free; park entrance fees apply.

MORE STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMS TAKE PLACE SATURDAY.
      At Manuka NARS Shoreline Hiking Cleanup, volunteers hike two or more miles to access the cleanup sites. RSVP to kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.
      Sanctuary Whale Count volunteers gather at Punalu`u Black Sand Beach, Ka Lae and also at Ka`ena Point in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park to tally humpback whale sightings and document the animals’ surface behavior during the survey. Sign up at sanctuaryoceancount.org, or call 808-268-3087.

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