Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, May 22, 2014

Youth Ranger trainees for Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park graduated yesterday in a ceremony held at Volcano Art Center's Niaulani Campus. The spring program prepares high school students for summer and future employment. Photo by Jesse Tunison

FORTY-THREE GRADUATED FROM the Youth Ranger Internship training at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park yesterday. The ceremony took place at Volcano Art Center's Niaulani Campus. 

      The program began five years ago with Ka`u High School students and expanded to Kea`au, Pahoa, and Hawai`i Academy of Arts & Sciences high schools, as well as home-schoolers.

      Twenty-two students this year came from Ka`u, all juniors and seniors. Fourteen from Ka`u will work at the park this summer in jobs ranging from administration, interpretation and assets management to law enforcement. Kupono McDaniel, Youth and Programs Volunteer Coordinator for the park, said, “It is so wonderful to see our local kids learning that they can do anything. They are not limited by their minds or their geography.” Almost all of the interns go on to college or trade schools, and a number of them have said they would like to seek careers in conservation, possibly lending their skills to communities in Ka`u.

Twenty-two Ka`u High students passed the rangers training program this spring.
Photo by Elizabeth Fien

     Conservation careers are growing in numbers in Hawai`i, McDaniel said. “This program has brought a lot of meaning to my career. The program encourages students to seek careers they are passionate about,” McDaniel said.

      Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando encouraged the youth to seek their dreams. The program is co-sponsored by Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, Hawai`i Pacific Park Association, the Victoria S. and Bradley L. Geist Foundation, Kamehameha Schools, KTA, Nui Pohaku Adventure Tours, Edmund C. Olson Trust, Safeway, Target and Volcano Art Center.

      Creating the program began six years ago when Joan Rubin, Julia Neal and Ka`u High School Principal Sharon Beck joined together to write the first grant. To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL “saw more guests than ever before, and the event ran smoother than any of our previous five festivals,” said Ka`u Coffee Festival Chair Chris Manfredi, reporting yesterday on the success of the ten days of celebrating the Ka`u Coffee industry, May 2 – 11. “We wish to thank all of our farmers, volunteers, sponsors, speakers, entertainers and guests. They combine to make this event special and prove every year that Ka`u is a special place,” said Manfredi.

Ka`u Coffee farmers Kili Matsui, Trini Marques, Merle Becker and Berta Miranda
receive a commendation and declaration of Ka`u Coffee Week from Gov. Neil
Abercrombie through Ka`u Coffee Festival Chair Chris Manfredi and Abercrombie's
East Hawai`i liaison Wendy Cortez-Botelho, on stage. Photo by Julia Neal

      During the Ho`olaule`a on May 10, a proclamation declaring Ka`u Coffee Week, May 5 – 10, was read on behalf of Gov. Neil Abercrombie by his East Hawai`i liaison Wendy Cortez-Botelho. It says: “The Ka`u Coffee Festival acknowledges the beginning strifes that occurred to succeed in the coffee industries but became renowned with the introduction of Ka`u Farm and Ranch Co. manager Chris Manfredi, who presented Ka`u coffee for the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s Annual competition.”
      It states, “The Ka`u Coffee Festival showcases internationally recognized Thomas ‘Bull’ Kailiawa and Jamie Kailiawa’s coffee, which has been judged Number One in the United States and Top Ten in the World at the 2011 International Coffees of the Year Competition at the Specialty Coffee Association of America Competition.”

      It notes many of the events leading up to the Ho`olaule`a: the Pa`ina kick-off sponsored by The Ka`u Calendar newspaper, Ka`u Chamber of Commerce and Pahala Plantation House; the Kalaekilohana Ka`u Farmers’ Table Event; Triple C recipe contest at Ka`u Coffee Mill; the Ka`u Mountain Water Systems Hike, sponsored by Olson Trst; and Coffee & Cattle Day at Aikane Plantation Coffee farm. It also recognizes the Ho`olaule`a and Ka`u Coffee College.
     The proclamation recognizes “the introduction of coffee in Hawai`i in 1893 by Spanish physician and royal interpreter, Don Francisco de Paula y Marin and cultivated locally by J.C. Seare in 1894,” who planted the first Ka`u Coffee. Descendants now operate Aikane Plantation.

Ka`u Coffee Growers Cooperative President Gloria Camba and farmer Maile Abellera
work the Buy Local It Matters tagle at Ka`u Coffee Festival. Photo by Julia Neal

     Gloria Camba, President of Ka`u Coffee Growers Cooperative, also weighed in for mahalos. She said that she wanted to thank all of the Ka`u Coffee farmers who have worked hard for nearly two decades to build their industry and for their work in putting on the festival, including the Miss Ka`u Coffee and Miss Peaberry pageants, participation in the Merrie Monarch Parade, setting up the Ho`olaule`a and putting their coffee on display for all to see and taste. She thanked pageant directors and many more for scholarships for winners. See those who helped with the Miss Ka`u Coffee pageant at kaucalendar.com/Coffee-Pageant_Program_2014_WEB.pdf. 

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NA`ALEHU ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TIED FOR FIRST PLACE in the elementary division of the seventh annual E Ola Pono Campaign. The campaign promotes youth groups to make a positive difference for people and place. An upper elementary enrichment group at Na`alehu School led a Kindness Campaign featuring Kindness Bug Jars and schoolwide field days. As a result of the program, “our whole school benefits from a kinder and more positive campus,” said teacher Maury Shimizu.
      Na`alehu School shares first place with Kahului Elementary on Maui, where first-graders helped create a school garden and learned about science, sustainability and character.
      The E Ola Pono Campaign is coordinated by UH Manoa’s Growing Pono Schools Project in partnership with the Hawai`i Civil Rights Commission. For more information, see www.growingponoschools.com.

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Image from NOAA shows Hawai`i in relation to tropical storms tracked
from 2005 to 2010.

2014 HURRICANE SEASON, which begins June 1, will be the last in Ka`u without a certified public shelter. The new gym and shelter adjacent to Ka`u High and Pahala Elementary School is expected to be completed this year. Yesterday, the Pacific Hurricane Center predicted more tropical disturbance possibilities than average for this season and noted that a growing El Nino could pump up hurricane possibilities. El Nino decreases vertical wind shear over the tropical central Pacific, favoring the development of more and stronger cyclones. The agency expects four to seven storms to develop this season, compared to an average of four to five.
      “I encourage the public to become weather-ready by signing up for weather alerts, developing a family emergency plan and building an emergency kit before hurricane season begins,” said Tom Evans, acting director of the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. “Now is the time to make sure that you and your family are ready and prepared for the 2014 hurricane season,” which runs through Nov. 30.

      National Hurricane Center is already looking at the first tropical depression of the season that just formed off Mexico and is moving west-northwest in the eastern North Pacific region.

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VILLAGE COMMERCIAL ZONING IN OCEAN VIEW is the request before the Windward Planning Commission. The commission will consider the rezoning from agriculture on 4.142 acres on the mauka side of Hwy 11, west of Lehua Lane, during its meeting on Thursday, June 5 at 9 a.m. at Aupuni Center Conference Room in Hilo. Statements from the public will be taken. The applicant is Dr. William Foulk.

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KA`U RUBBISH DISPOSAL is asking for a Special Permit to allow a business office and baseyard for household rubbish pick-up on approximately 460 square feet of agriculturally classified land. The property in Hawaiian Ocean View Estates is 3.5 miles from Hwy 11 and 120 feet south of the intersection of Tradewind and Kailua Blvd. The request will be taken up as first item on the agenda of the Windward Planning Commission at 9 a.m., Thursday, June 5 at the Aupuni Center Conference Room in Hilo. Public testimony will be taken. The applicant is Dominique Maus.

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An exhibit of Joe Laceby's cyantype prints
opens Saturday. Photo from VAC

KA`U HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION is tomorrow, Friday, May 23. Keynote speaker is Kupono McDaniel, of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Co-valedictorians are Kamrie Koi and Toni Beck. Attendance is by invitation for families and special guests at 4:30 p.m. Forty-seven Trojans will graduate in the Class of 2014, receiving their diplomas from Principal Sharon Beck.
      The last day of school is May 29. For returning students, the first day of the 2014-2015 session is Tuesday, Aug. 5.

OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE meets tomorrow at 5 p.m. at Hawaiian Ranchos office. Usually held on the last Friday of each month, OVCDC changed this month’s date to accommodate schedules of those wanting to attend.

AN EXHIBIT OF CYANOTYPE PRINTS by Joe Laceby opens at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Saturday. The technique is an old form of photography using the sun’s UV rays to create imagery. “The relationship of the sun prints to early western contact is a way to capture certain images from those earlier times with what I do now,” Laceby said. “The sun print itself creates that historical connection.”
      Opening reception is on Saturday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
      VAC Gallery is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Park entrance fees apply.

MEGA SPORTS CAMP IS COMING UP Monday through Wednesday, June 23 – 25 at Na`alehu Assembly of God Church. Children in grades one through six participate in sports, songs, stories and object lessons. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday and 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Wednesday. Registration fee is $15 before June 6 and $25 after. Lunch is provided each day.
      For more information, call 929-7278.

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

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Tiare-Lee Shibuya not only won Miss Ka`u Coffee last year, she won the 2014 Ka`u Chamber of Commerce Scholarship yesterday. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

TIARE-LEE SHIBUYA, OF NA`ALEHU, WON the 2014 Ka‘ū Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Essay Contest with her Smile in the Face of Fear, it was announced  yesterday. The 2013 Miss Ka‘ū Coffee plans to become a registered nurse. Shibuya attends Hawai‘i Community College and is a Kamehameha Schools at Kea‘au 2012 graduate. Her parents are Terry and Dane Shibuya. She is a returning scholar, studying nursing.
      Funding for the Chamber’s scholarship program comes from advertisers in The Directory, the annual business and community publication, as well as other donations. See kauchamber.org and kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.swf. Click on bottom right to turn pages.

            Several contenders received scholarships for college through the program this year.

Benjamin Houghton with Chamber
President Dallas Decker

Kamrie Koi

      Tyler Amaral, of Na`alehu, attends Hawai`i Community College in Hilo. He is a Ka`u High School graduate of 2013. His parents are Peter and Kelly Amaral, and he is a returning scholar, studying computer science.

      Kayla Andrade, of Na`alehu, attends University of Hawai`i at Manoa, where she studies business. She is a Kamehameha Schools Hawai`i graduate of 2012. Her parents are Zenaida and Leslie Andrade, and she is a returning scholar.

      Chazlyn Fuerte Castaneda, of Na`alehu, is a Ka`u High School graduating senior. Her parent is Aurea Fuerte Castaneda, and she plans to attend University of Hawai`i at Hilo;

      Benjamin Houghton, from Ocean View, is advancing his musical education and is a returning scholar.

      Kamrie Koi, of Na`alehu, is a Ka`u High School graduating senior. Her parents are Rorie Koi and Michelle Ortega. She plans to attend University of Hawai`i at Hilo. She announced last night that she plans to go to law school.

Anjulie Larson with Scholarship
Chair Lee McIntosh

Chazlyn Fuerte
Castaneda

      Anjulie Larson of Ocean View, attends University of Hawai`i at Hilo. She is a Ka`u High School graduate of 2011.

      Jennifer Kau`i Losalio, of Ocean View, is a student at University of Hawai`i at Manoa. She is a Konawaena High School graduate, 2005.

      Marley Strand-Nicolaisen, of Na`alehu, is a University of Hawai`i at Hilo student and Ka`u High School graduate, 2013. Her parents are Laurie Strand and Robert Nicolaisen, and she is a returning scholar.

      Maria Miranda, of Na`alehu, is a University of Hawai`i at Hilo and Hawai`i Community College student. She is a Safe Haven Christian Coop graduate, 2012.

      Siena Okimoto, of Na`alehu, is a Ka`u High School graduating senior. Her parents are Malcom and Sheilah Okimoto, and she plans to attend University of Hawai`i at Manoa.

      The scholarships were presented by Chamber Scholarship Chair Lee McIntosh and Chamber President Dallas Decker at a gathering at Pahala Plantation House last night.
     Decker said that the Chamber encourages students to submit essays year after year to earn continued support until their higher education goals are met.

Siena Okimoto

     The following is the essay by Shibuya:

Smile in The Face of Fear 

      I could smell hand sanitizer and a minced smell of coffee. The air was very still with a musty fringe. This was definitely in a hospital, and I was in the waiting room. As I look around, I see many faces of despair, sorrow and wariness. I sit patiently awaiting the news of my grandfather with a serious, concerned face. I have contemplated over and over in my mind of what the different scenarios could be, but I didn’t see this one coming. My grandfather Clarence Abraham Andrade has just been diagnosed with lung cancer said to be the size of an orange. I was completely speechless, and my tear ducts filled.

      Cautiously, we make sure to smile and show no concern of death in our faces as I greet my grandfather in the hospital bed. My family and I sat listening to his minimal options he had and watch as he decides what he wants to do. He decides that life is not over for him yet and he wants to fight this cancer away. So in a span of two years, he fought his hardest with all his might and never complained of any pain. We all right there standing next to him every step of the way. We would take him to his radiation chemotherapy and he would be the guy making jokes about the chemo not affecting his hair because he was already bald. This is the exact moment where I knew exactly what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it and where I wanted to do it.

Jennifer Losalio read Tiare-Lee Shibuya's winning essay at Pahala Plantation
House last night.

      Consequently, my goal was to always be a Registered Nurse and graduate with my BSN degree. Now, I can say I want to be an Oncology RN and eventually expand the Ka`u Hospital branch to have its own oncology department. Just take a second and think of all the possibilities and the many lives that can be saved. According to the Cancer Journal for Clinicians in 2014 there have been 1,340,400 deaths from cancer this year, and we are only in April. I could help so many families in the district I love called Ka`u. It would be the only way I feel accomplished by having and supporting the district’s needs health wise.
      Similarly, I would be able to relate to the patients on a deeper level because I have been there. I have not personally experienced cancer, but I have been a family member to experience it four times. My grandfather had lung cancer, and his wife had a tumor in her breast. My other grandparents, my grandfather had kidney cancer, and my grandmother had colon cancer. I know that the family would want the best available help, and I would be right there by their side coaching them on what to expect but also keeping that hope alive because a cancer patient wants their family and to be loved during this tragic time.
      Finally, I would like to be a registered nurse and help my community have the strongest oncology system it could have. There are many lives to be saved, and I feel that I was set here to help cancer patients. I will provide the best service and a caring support system. I would like to bring smiles in the face of fear for all those people. It would be such an honor to devote myself to my community and to keep everyone healthy.

      Shibuya’s winning essay was read by Jennifer Losalio, who also won a scholarship for her studies toward a master’s degree in library and information science. She works at Na`alehu Library and said she hopes to serve some day as librarian in Pahala.

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

Hawai`i County Council District Six candidate Jim Wilson

“I WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE,” said Volcano resident Jim Wilson regarding his candidacy for County Council District Six. “I believe it is time for the County Council to start using more ‘common sense’ and a practical business approach in some of its decisions and plans for the future. 

      “I feel I can contribute to that common sense attitude if elected. I have no pre-conceived agenda, no political alliances and am an independent thinker.”
      After working in the private sector and serving on volunteer boards for over six decades, Wilson said he has learned what works and what doesn’t. “My approach is to listen to all the facts and then make good solid business decisions.”
      Wilson retired after 39 years as publisher of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald. He has lived in Hawai`i for 47 years and in Volcano for 21 years.
      His current community service includes Pacific Tsunami Museum Board President since 1994, Volcano Art Center Board of Directors, Hawai`i Island Chamber of Commerce member, Big Island Press Club member, Hospice of Hilo Community Relations Committee and Rotary Club of South Hilo Secretary.
      He has a bachelor of science degree in Business and Journalism from Oklahoma State University.
      Wilson plans to hold a series of coffee hours to meet District Six voters. The first is scheduled for June 22 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus Great Room. More events will be announced on his Facebook page, Friends of Jim Wilson.
      Wilson can be contacted at jimwilsoncouncil@gmail.com.

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Kamana`opono Crabbe

EFFORTS TO BUILD A HAWAIIAN NATION WILL CONTINUE, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs announced after meeting Monday. OHA trustees met to reconcile and move forward following disagreement over a letter CEO Kamana`opono Crabbe sent to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, asking if pursuing a Native Hawaiian governing entity could be a violation of international law. The trustees rescinded the letter and said it did not reflect board policy. 

      Timothy Hurley, of Honolulu Star-Advertiser, reports Crabbe saying after the meeting, “We are a stronger people today. We are a stronger organization, a stronger OHA. We will continue to rebuild a beloved nation. We look forward to that task. We’ve agreed to move forward together with one voice, in one path, not just for the betterment of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, but for the future of our haumana (students), the next generation, so that we can be responsive to our community and bring dignity to the process.” 

      OHA recently held 18 meetings throughout the state urging Hawaiians to sign up for the Official Roll, with the first one held April 5 in Pahala.
      At the Pahala meeting, Dr. Kehaunani Abad, whose OHA title is Ka Poukihi, Director of Ka Paia Lono, Community Engagement, said the move toward self-governance “is about the seizure of 1.8 million acres from our queen.” She was referring to the lands absorbed by the U.S. government when Hawai`i became a territory in 1898. Almost two million of the 4.1 million acres that make up the Hawaiian Islands were under the stewardship of Queen Lili`uokalani when she was overthrown. The queen’s image is depicted on the Official Roll poster with her words, “Never cease to act because you fear you may fail.”
      OHA, which is governed by a board chosen through state of Hawai`i general elections, plans to serve as a facilitator for the process for Native Hawaiians to form a governing entity, according to Kawika Riley, whose OHA title is Ka Pou Kihi Ko, Chief Advocate. A third party would oversee elections.
      See staradvertiser.com.
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KA`U COFFEE FARMERS are invited to Ka`u Coffee Mill tomorrow, May 22 at 8 a.m. to learn more about BotaniGard, the pesticide made of a live fungus, considered to be the best hope in the fight against the coffee berry borer that threatens the Ka`u Coffee industry. Crop Production Services representatives will talk about the effective use of BotaniGard, offering latest research and best practices. Ka`u Coffee Growers Cooperative President Gloria Camba said she encourages all farmers, whether or not they are members of the cooperative, to take advantage of the free education to protect their coffee farms.

Michael Holl

FARMING & TAXES is the subject of a Risk Management Workshop tomorrow, Thursday, May 22 at Pahala Community Center from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Michael Holl, EA, is an enrolled agent who is a federally authorized tax practitioner licensed by the U.S. Department of Treasury to negotiate with the IRS on behalf of taxpayers. He plans to update farmers and ranchers on business taxes and to help Hawai`i farmers lower tax liabilities through increased understanding of deductions, tax preparation and record keeping; business entities related to farming; employment laws; and income averaging. The workshop aims to help manage labor, financial and legals risks. Holl is experienced in resolving issues between taxpayers and the IRS including “appealing unfair or prohibitive penalties; halting and lifting garnishments, liens and levies; preparing and filing late returns; and negotiating installment plans and offers in compromise. He is President of Tax Services of Hawai`i. He has advised the members of many organizations including the SBA Woment' Business Center, National Association of Tax Preparers, University of Hawai`i, Kapiolani Community College and other nonprofits and foundations. The workshop is sponsored by Risk Management Hawai`i, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and University of Hawai`i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.

OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE meets Friday at 5 p.m. at Hawaiian Ranchos office. Usually held on the last Friday of each month, OVDCDC changed this month's date to accommodate schedules of those wanting to attend.

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

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.swf.

Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Jacie Umemoto, Nicoli Makuakane and Jaestin Karasuda receive their awards at MLB's Pitch, Hit and Run earlier this month.
Photo from Nona Makuakane

KA`U COFFEE FARMERS were educated in pesticide use last night to train them for war against the coffee berry borer using several chemicals, one that kills on contact and one that distributes a fungus that kills the tiny beetle over time. At a meeting organized by Ka`u Farm Bureau at Pahala Community Center, Andrea Kawabata, of the University of Hawai`i Agricultural Extension Service, gave a class on Proper Pesticide Use and Safety. She reminded farmers to protect themselves from the spray by wearing long-sleeve shirts, pants, socks and shoes, hats and goggles, protective glasses and/or face shields. She said it is also important to advise workers and surrounding farmers of the schedule of spraying and to plan spraying to avoid the pesticide drifting onto neighboring areas.

Those working with BotaniGard should wear a
properly fitting respirator.

      With BotaniGard, no one is supposed to enter the sprayed area without Personal Protective Equipment within four hours of spraying. Picking of coffee is allowed after the four hours. She also talked about the importance of keeping records of pesticide application quantities and times in order to avoid problems if neighbors have a question. Education and notification of workers of safety and emergency procedures are also required, she said.
      Kawabata explained that pesticides can include funguses and bacteria that are used to kill pests. Even sprays and applications to organic farms can include pesticides, she said.
      The warning label says that BotaniGard ES is a micoinsecticide. It causes moderate eye irritation and is harmful if absorbed through the skin, inhaled or swallowed. “Avoid breathing spray mist. Wash thoroughly with soap and water after handling and before eating, drinking, chewing gum, using tobacco or using the toilet. Remove contaminated clothing and wash clothing before reuse,” say the directions. Kawabata also recommended washing exposed clothing separately from other clothing.
      She said that farmers should use chemical-resistant gloves made of such materials as nirile rubber or butyl rubber. She also said that those applying, mixing and loading the chemicals should wear a dust mist filtering respirator with a cartridge (not a dust mask), meeting NIOSH standards of at least R-95 or P-95. She suggested that those applying the BotaniGard be fitted for a respirator at such places as Gaspro, so there would be no leaks around their faces. Her handout says that “repeated exposure to high concentrations of microbial proteins can cause allergic sensitization.”
      The handout says that BotaniGard is potentially hazardous to honeybees. “Avoid applying to areas where honeybees are actively foraging or around beehives.” Keep the pesticide away from gulches where it could make its way into fresh water and eventually into the ocean. BotaniGard could harm fish, the warning says. Kawabata said that while BotaniGard is less toxic to bees than some other chemicals, it is best to refrain from spraying when coffee flowers are blooming. It is a federal violation to use BotaniGard in a way inconsistent with the labeling. BotaniGard also kills whiteflies, aphids, thrips, mealybugs, leafhoppers and other beetles. It is legal to use on fruits, berries, nuts, spices, vegetables and such crops as cane, potatoes, tea and rice. It is commonly used on ornamentals.

      Kawabata also cautioned the use of highly clorinated water to mix with the BotaniGard, as the chlorine can damage or kill the fungus. Water testing kits are avaiable through the Agricultural Extension Service for $5 each.

Kaimana Kaupu-Manini swings at the ball
during MLB's Pitch, Hit and Run.
Photo from Nona Makuakane

Jaisen Garcia gets ready to pitch the
ball at MLB's Pitch, Hit and Run.
Photo from Nona Makuakane

      Kawabata said that the pesticide must remain in the container with its label and warnings, rather than pouring it into various containers. She suggested that farmers have a first aid station on the farmland and coordinate with one another regarding warning signs for spraying times. Support for using BotaniGard to fight the coffee berry borer is coming from the County of Hawai`i through Ka`u Farm Bureau. Farmers are required to take the pesticide-use training course to qualify for subsidies to help them pay for BotaniGard. BotaniGard is considered the best tool to fight the coffee berry borer, which has devastated Kona Coffee farms and has moved into Ka`u.

      Anyone with questions about pesticide and safety can contact Derek Shigematsu, Environmental Health Specialist Hawai`i Department of Agriculture at derek.m.shigematsu@hawaii.gov or call 974-4143.

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

INSTALLATION OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS in Na`alehu and Pahala may get help from a federal program. In advance of the release of the bipartisan, bicameral agreement on the Water Resources Reform and Development Act, Sen. Brian Schatz, Chair of the Senate’s Subcommittee on Water and Power, announced key provisions included in the bill that would provide resources for wastewater infrastructure, flood control and water supply projects as well as improve Hawai`i harbors. “As an island state, our harbors and waterways are gateways to communities and are essential to connecting people and goods across our state,” Schatz said. “This agreement dedicates funds for Hawai`i and authorizes funding for our harbors and water projects, which are important to jobs here and will help protect our precious water resources.” 

      WRRDA makes several important changes to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund program. The bill allows more flexible loan terms, including lower interest rates and principle forgiveness, in communities that have difficulty raising revenue for projects.
      Since 1988, Hawai`i Department of Health has used funding from the program to issue over $675 million in low interest loans to Hawai`i’s four counties to construct high priority drinking water, wastewater and storm water systems.
      These loans are expected to help Hawai`i County save millions of dollars in interest costs for construction of sewers to allow closure of cesspools.

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Ceandra Silva-Kamei runs the bases during MLB's Pitch,
Hit and Run. Photo from Nona Makuakane

KA`U YOUTH WHO QUALIFIED at Major League Baseball’s Pitch, Hit, and Run Regionals held at Pahala ball field on March 20 were invited to attend the Sectionals held in Hilo at Walter Victor Stadium on May 10. Organized by Damien Silva of Hilo, the Sectionals also included qualifiers from Kona, Kohala, Honoka`a, Hilo, Pahoa and Mountain View. 

     MLB’s Pitch, Hit, and Run is a program where participants pitch six balls at a target, hit three balls off of a baseball tee and are timed in a run. Qualifiers in the Sectionals may advance to the Nationals in California, which will be held this summer.
     Winning in her age division and qualifying to the next round is eight-year-old Jacie Umemoto, of Pahala. Nicoli Makuakane placed second, and Jaestin Karasuda placed third in the 7/8-year-old boys division. Ceandra Silva Kamei placed third in the girls 11/12 division.  Also competing were 9/10 division boys Kaimana Kaupu-Manini and Jaisen Garcia.

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Molly Amai Stebbins

MOLLY AMAI STEBBINS IS HAWAI`I ISLAND’S new corporation counsel, the county’s top civil lawyer, announced Mayor Billy Kenoi. Stebbins has served as deputy corporation counsel since 2007 and is currently assigned to represent the county police and fire departments. 

      She is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and the University of Hawai`i’s William S. Richardson School of Law.
      “Molly is a highly skilled attorney who has the talent and experience to lead the Office of the Corporation Counsel,” Kenoi said. “We are proud to have her leading our legal team, and she will do an outstanding job serving our community.”
      Kenoi also announced the appointment of Laureen Martin as assistant corporation counsel.
      Martin has served as the county’s deputy corporation counsel since 2009 and is currently litigation section supervisor for the office. She also worked as Maui County deputy corporation counsel from 2002 to 2009.
      Stebbins replaces Lincoln Ashida, who resigned as corporation counsel April 30 to take a position as senior counsel for Torkildson Katz Moore Hetherington & Harris.
      Martin replaces Katherine Garson as assistant corporation counsel. Garson will remain with the county as deputy corporation counsel.
      The appointments are are subject to confirmation by the County Council.

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MARK YAMANAKA PERFORMS TOMORROW at 6:30 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The four-time Na Hoku Hanohano award-winning singer and songwriter shares original songs from his debut CD, Lei Pua Kenikeni. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Merridee Smith shares her knowledge of fused
fiber felting and botanical printing this weekend.
Photo from Volcano Art Center

A FUSED FIBER FELTING & BOTANICAL PRINTING workshop will be held at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus on Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 4 p.m. Fiber artists Merridee and Keith Smith present a fun and intensive introduction to fused fiber (nuno) felting and botanical printing using natural materials.
      Participants make a shawl from fine white wool and silk. They test to determine which plants might produce prints and practice the use of simple mordants. Students then print scarves and their felted pieces using plants found growing in forests and backyards. “Stunning botanical prints with beautiful color subtleties and patterns are the goal,” said Merridee Smith.
      Currently, she is working with wool, silk and other fibers to create works that represent earth forms, images of the sea and lava. Her studio is in the historic Carnegie Library in Auburn, California.
      A slide show and potluck reception takes place Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at VAC’s Niaulani Campus. Examples of their work will also be on display. The slide show will cover their work and processes used in creating it.
      Workshop fee is $215 for VAC members and $245 for non-members, plus a $45 supply fee. Pre-registration is required. Call 967-8222 or see volcanoartcenter.org.

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

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.swf.