Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014

Ka`u's aspiring farmers, ranchers, high school students and recent graduates can apply for agricultural training programs through The Kohala Center. Photos from The Kohala Center

BIOTECH COFFEE COULD POSSIBLY SOLVE the coffee berry borer problem, statewide Hawai`i Farm Bureau Federation President Chris Manfredi said in a video posted yesterday by Big Island Video News. Manfredi, who is described by the American Farm Bureau as a coffee farmer and by Big Island Video News as “active in Ka`u coffee farming,” was speaking to Hawai`i Coffee Association at its annual meeting in July. He said that research in other parts of the world is ongoing to create biotech coffee that could stand up to the pest that is devastating the industry.

Hawai`i Farm Bureau Federation President Chris Manfredi told Hawai`i
Coffee Association that biotech coffee could "make our CBB crisis
go away." Photo from Big Island Video News

      Manfredi said HFBF is also “pretty active at the (state) Capitol.” He said the organization has a full-time lobbyist on O`ahu and works in partnership with HCA and state Department of Agriculture “on legislative issues that are important to agriculture.”
      Manfredi also talked about a Farm Bureau public relations campaign called Small Farmers, Big Stories, which he described as “a virtual farm tour in the media.” He contended that those promoting GMO restrictions and further regulating pesticides are against biotech. “Of late, non-farmers have been trying to impose their will on farmers and set food and farm policy,” he said.
      He told the audience that HFBF had gotten about $150,000 pledged for the campaign, which has an annual budget of $400,000.
      Manfredi also announced at the conference that he had recently traveled to Washington, D.C. and discussed the campaign with Hawai`i’s congressional delegation.
      See bigislandvideonews.com.

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

TWO PROGRAMS AIMED AT INTRODUCING high school students and aspiring farmers on Hawai`i Island to agricultural careers are seeking applicants for upcoming cohorts in October.
      Ku I Ka Mana, a beginning farmer and rancher training program administered by The Kohala Center, is accepting applications from prospective students for its fourth cohort. The 30-session course begins on Friday, Oct. 17 and is conducted in Honoka`a on Friday evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Ku I Ka Mana's fourth cohort begins in October. Photo from The Kohala Center

      Although no previous farming experience is required, preference is given to U.S. veterans and to applicants who have taken steps to become agricultural producers but would benefit from a comprehensive, hands-on curriculum. The course covers a wide range of critical subject areas such as soil management, irrigation, composting, cover cropping and pest management, as well as the business side of farming—marketing, accounting, budgeting, and record-keeping. Students who successfully complete the course and create viable farm and business plans will be able to work with program staff to obtain leasable farmland, should they not already have land on which to farm or ranch.
      The deadline to apply is Friday, Oct. 10.
      The second program is open to Hawai`i Island high school students and recent graduates. The fourth cohort of The Center’s weeklong High School Agriculture Internship Program runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily from Oct. 6 through Oct. 10.
      With the `aina serving as their classroom, interns are introduced to various aspects of agriculture in Hawai`i through site visits to Waipi`o, Kohala, Hamakua, Kona and Hilo. Participants gain hands-on experience in sustainable agriculture, learn about island food systems and receive a $125 stipend upon completion. The High School Agriculture Internship Program is co-sponsored by Kamehameha Schools’ `Aina Ulu Program.
      The deadline to apply is Wednesday, Oct. 1.
      “These programs were designed in an effort to move Hawai`i toward greater food self-reliance by training and motivating the next generations of local food producers,” said Derrick Kiyabu, director of The Kohala Center’s Ku I Ka Mana Beginning Farmer-Rancher Development Program. “We and our partners are dedicated to training and supporting new farming families on Hawai`i Island and inspiring island youth to consider careers in agriculture in an effort to increase local food production, decrease dependency on imports, diversify our rural economy and create meaningful jobs.”
      More information and application materials are available at kohalacenter.org or by calling 887-6411.

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

Among others, Tango is one product to battle
little fire ant colonies.

FACULTY AND STAFF AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI`I’S College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and the Hawai`i Department of Agriculture have tips for identifying and controlling little fire ants. Wasmannia auropunctata is a serious pest because this tiny ant can easily spread undetected into yards and homes, parks, landscapes, vacant properties and forests. LFA deliver very painful stings similar to electric shocks to people, pets, livestock and even marine wildlife such as sea turtles and ground-nesting birds. LFA are attracted to eye fluids and typically sting near animals’ eyes, which can lead to blindness due to clouding of the cornea, or keratopathy.
      Areas where LFA are commonly found are in trees and shrubs, especially any fork at bases of trunks, in crotches of branches and under moss growing on trees or shrubs; in stamens and pistils of flowers; near edges of building foundations and concrete slabs; in cracks in concrete; in electrical outlets; in fallen logs and piles of plant debris; under potted plants; in dumpsters, trash cans and rubbish piles; and in stockpiles of seldom-used flower pots, lumber, hollow tiles, rocks, etc.
      Ka`u residents can use peanut butter as an attractant for detection of LFA. Check for ants by smearing a thin layer of peanut butter on one end of a chopstick or any wooden or plastic stake. Place a stake on the ground every 10 to 12 paces, including in potted plants and at the base and in branch crotches of trees. The best times are in the morning or on overcast days, avoiding heavy rain or mid-day sun and heat.

      After about 40 to 45 minutes, check for LFA on the stake. LFA are red-orange, slow-moving and less than 1/16 of an inch long (thickness of a penny). If LFA are on the chopstick, place the chopstick with ants into a zip-top bag and place it in the freezer for at least 24 hours to kill the ants.
      Bring bagged ant samples to one of the following locations for confirmation: UH-CTAHR Komohana Research and Extension Center, 875 Komohana Street, Hilo or Hawai`i Department of Agriculture, 16 East Lanikaula Street, Hilo.

      If an agency positively identifies LFA, treat with ant bait insecticide. Ant food bait mixed with a slow-acting insecticide is the only effective way to kill and eliminate an LFA colony because it allows worker ants to carry poison to queens. A free publications entitled Little Fire Ant Products Available for Homeowner Use is available online at ctahr.hawaii.edu/haraa/arthropod.asp (click on first publication), at UH-CTAHR’s Extension Office in Hilo or by calling 981-5199.

      One product mentioned is Tango. Information about how to use it is available at littlefireants.com.

Ka`u High's cross county team plans to participate in and volunteer at `Ohana Day
and the Ka`u Coffee Trail Run, which crosses scenic pastures.
Photo from `O Ka`u Kakou

      “Check, treat, recheck, repeat,” is UH’s advice. It may take several reapplications of bait over a six- to 12-month period to kill an LFA colony. Recheck with peanut butter regularly and treat with insecticidal bait when necessary. It is critical that infested plants, building materials, trash, etc. be treated on-site and not moved or dumped, which will further spread the ants.
      The Nature Conservancy also offers assistance to Ka`u residents with LFA infestations. Contact John Replogle at 939-7171.

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

KA`U HIGH’S CROSS-COUNTRY ATHLETES are doing great, reports Head Coach Erin Cole. At Hawai`i Preparatory Academy on Aug. 30, the fastest Ka`u boy was Chadwick Pajimola with a time of 27:25.66, and the fastest Ka`u girl was Chloe Gan with a time of 29:36.55. The race is three miles long, “and HPA has a grueling hill the athletes have to run up twice,” Cole said. “All team members came in strong, and I am looking forward to seeing everyone’s times improve over the season, as the team is training hard.”
      Team members will be volunteering and/or running in the Ka`u Coffee Trail Run on Saturday, Sept. 20 instead of running in the meet at Waiakea. The team did not participate in the race at Kamehameha on Sept. 6 due to a schedule conflict.
      Another meet at HPA is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 27.

KA`OHU MONFORT SHARES HER KNOWLEDGE and love of the island’s native plants and their medicinal uses during a la`au lapa`au demonstration tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Free; park entrance fees apply.

THE NEXT MEETING OF THE KA`U SCENIC BYWAY Task Force will be Thursday at 5 p.m. at Na`alehu Methodist Church. The task force is about to finish design on the Na`alehu Park kiosk, and this is the last chance for input. The public is invited.
      For more information, email richmorrow@alohabroadband.net.

LIGHT REFRESHMENTS FOR CURRENT and new members will be served at Friends of Ka`u Libraries’ member meeting Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House.
      Call Doris Davis at 928- 0919 or Ann Fontes at 987-7448 for more information.

HAWAI`I FARMERS UNION UNITED’S KA`U CHAPTER holds its next potluck meeting at Na`alehu Community Center on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 5 p.m. Farmers can drop off homegrown items and pick up something that neighbors are growing at the swap table.
      HFUU state President Vincent Mina will talk about his recent trip to Washington for the National Farmer’s Union Fly-In event.
      Voter registration forms will be available. The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 6 for the Nov. 4 general election.
      For more information, email Malian Lahey at malian@kauspecialtycoffee.com.

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 Monday, Sept. 8, 2014

Members of Halau Hula O Leionalani, of Pahala, under Kumu Hula Debbir Ryder, traveled to Hilo over the
weekend to participate in the Queen Lili`uokalani Birthday celebration where halau joined to together at the
queen's park to honor her life amd the dance tradition. Photo by Demetrius Oliviera

SEN. MAZIE HIRONO IS URGING ELIGIBLE small, nonfarm businesses in Hawai`i County that suffered economic damage due to Tropical Storm Iselle to apply for federal emergency loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. This SBA support follows the announcement from U.S. Department of Agriculture that provides access to emergency loans for affected area farmers.

      “Tropical Storm Iselle caused extensive damage to Hawai`i Island companies. Numerous small businesses, not just farmers, are in the rebuilding process. Affected nonfarm business owners now have available low-interest, emergency loans from the SBA,” Hirono said. “The announcements by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Small Business Administration give businesses in Hawai`i County access to financial resources that will help them recover.”
      SBA is required by law to make low-interest Economic Injury Disaster Loans available once the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture designates an affected area an agricultural disaster. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack issued such a declaration for Hawai`i County last week.
      According to the SBA, small, nonfarm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private, nonprofit organizations of any size may qualify for EIDLs of up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have been met had the disaster not occurred.
      Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

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

KA`U VOTERS CAN CHOOSE AMONG SIX candidates, all from Honolulu, to fill three at-large Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee seats in the upcoming, general election. The candidates answered questions asked in OHA’s newspaper, Ka Wai Ola. One question was, “How will your skills and experiences enhance the policy-making role of the OHA Board of Trustees?”

Lei Ahu Isa Photos
from Ka Wai Ola

LEI AHU ISA answered, “My experiences range from being raised in public housing, living with my Hawaiian grandparents who spoke only Hawaiian, prayed in Hawaiian, but forbade their mo`opuna to speak the language. I was only allowed to speak the Queen’s English! It was forbidden to speak Hawaiian in school. That’s why I value education! Being a Professor at Hawai`i Pacific University gave me the opportunity to work with students from all over the world. I studied very hard to obtain my Ph.D. while raising my two children at Kamehameha Schools as a single parent. I was responsible for the bill which first funded our Hawaiian Immersion Schools. I also served eight years on the state Board of Education as the Vice Chair and got to visit our 285 public schools, helped set up Charter Schools and even privileged to visit Ni`ihau graduation. I bring all of this to OHA and intend to add Value for all of you.”

Rowena Akana

ROWENA AKANA has been an OHA trustee since 1990. “The institutional knowledge I bring to OHA as the longest-serving Trustee allows me to provide the board with much needed context regarding the many issues that we continue to face,” Akana said. “My decades of experience working with OHA’s many investment managers allows me to serve as a steadfast and knowledgeable steward of OHA’s Trust assets. When I was first elected in 1990, OHA was struggling just to exist. OHA had very little money in the Native Hawaiian Trust Fund, no land assets, OHA Trustees received no salaries and OHA was in the midst of contentious negotiations with the state on receiving its fair share of ceded land revenues. After OHA finally received its first settlement of $129 million, we prudently invested it in the stock market and by the year 2000, OHA’s Trust Fund had grown to $400 million.”

Keli`i Akina

KELI`I AKINA said, “A Trustee must be a statesman who can make wise, ethical decisions for the good of the public being served. I have three decades of experience as a trustee and director of local, regional and national boards in which I have helped guide the nonprofit humanitarian work of thousands of employees across the United States and several foreign countries. What has enhanced my work is the ability to understand relationships between different cultures, something which is essential for OHA to chart the course for Hawaiians. My cultural understanding comes from a Hawaiian background that includes training by Nona Beamer as chanter for her hula halau, education at Kamehameha Schools and University of Hawai`i, and several years living and working on the Wai`anae Coast ministering to Hawaiian youth. My Western education includes college at Northwestern University and advanced academic degrees, including the Ph.D. in Philosophy with an emphasis on both Western and non-Western ethics. I will bring to the OHA Board my combined experiences in board decision-making and my careers as a ministry leader, a college educator and now head of a public policy think tank that focuses on improving Hawai`i’s economy, government and society.”

Harvey McInerny

HARVEY MCINERNY responded, “I have served Lunalilo Trust as a Trustee for the last six years. In 2008 Lunalilo Trust only had a few policies to govern the organization. With a team effort, my fellow Trustees and our executive team have added numerous policies that have guided us in our efforts to turn a struggling, challenged and isolated organization into a Home for kupuna that is vibrant, at full capacity and operating in the black. We have dramatically increased the subsidies that we provide to the kupuna, grown the investment portfolio by almost 65 percent and collaborated with, and benefited from, partnerships within our community that have been initiated and strengthened over the past six years. These experiences, and my expertise in the financial field and capital markets, have prepared me well to take on this kuleana at OHA.”

Mililani Trask

MILILANI TRASK said, “OHA needs an attorney on its board acting as a Trustee. The Trustees often do not understand what their fiduciary obligations are or what they are required to do as Trustees. 

      “One example of this is the recent legal case brought by Trustee Rowena Akana against the Board of Trustees for conducting public business in ‘Executive Session.’ This questionable practice is often used at OHA to facilitate private discussions, avoid beneficiary and public disclosure of information and avoid transparency. In reality, the OHA Trustees have a fiduciary duty to keep beneficiaries informed and to provide regular accounting to beneficiaries. Hawai`i law allows for Executive Session discussions only in limited instances.
      “In some cases the BOT have been manipulated or misled by advice of their In-House Counsel, who are supposed to advise the BOT but often act to support the Chair of the OHA Committees or Board. This has also been used by Trustees, in the past, to avoid liability because ‘we were just following our attorney’s advice.’
      “My legal skills and experience will be of great use at OHA and hopefully will prevent problems like the Kaka`ako Settlement fiasco from recurring and negate the necessity of future Trustee litigation against the BOT.”

John Waihe`e

JOHN WAIHE`E has been an OHA Trustee since 2000. “I believe that the experience and contacts I’ve built up as an OHA Trustee for the past 13 years have put me in a position to effectively advocate on behalf of our beneficiaries,” Waihe`e said. “My learned knowledge of how OHA works and fits into the bigger community has allowed me to prudently manage the Native Hawaiian Trust Fund and successfully protect our beneficiaries’ equitable proprietary interest in it, while fulfilling my mandate to them. 

      “Most recently I’ve had the honor of chairing OHA’s Committee on Beneficiary Advocacy and Empowerment. Through this experience I have been able to cultivate important relationships in Hawai`i and abroad and personally advocate on behalf of our beneficiaries. More importantly, I’ve gotten to work closely with OHA’s own advocacy staff members and learn how the Board of Trustees can best empower them to advocate effectively. I believe that these relationships have helped lead to some of OHA’s most successful Legislative sessions ever in terms of bills passed.
      “Finally, I realize that I am a Trustee and not a supreme authority over a polity. My duties, first and foremost, are to defend the Native Hawaiian Trust Fund and be loyal to, and administer in the best interest of, our beneficiaries.”
      See oha.org.

MEMBERS OF HALAU HULA O LEIONALANI, of Pahala, traveled to Hilo over the weekend to participate in the Queen Lili`uokalani celebration where halau joined to together to honor the queen and the dance tradition.

KA`U ECO-ARTIST DON ELWING TOOK FIRST PLACE in Hawai`i Museum of Contemporary Art’s 25th Trash Art show with his sculpture entitled Kamilo Men in Black. Elwing made the sculpture from plastic marine debris gathered at south Big Island beaches.

Ka`u eco-artist Don Elwing with his Kamilo Men in Black.
Photo from the artist

      The exhibit continues through Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 141 Kalakaua Street in Hilo. Hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

THE NEXT MEETING OF THE KA`U SCENIC BYWAY Task Force will be this Thursday, instead of today, at 5 p.m. at Na`alehu Methodist Church. The task force is about to finish design on the Na`alehu Park kiosk, and this is the last chance for input. The public is invited.

      For more information, email richmorrow@alohabroadband.net.

A KA`U PLANTATION DAYS PLANNING MEETING takes place today at 6:30 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. Residents continue planning for the Saturday, Oct. 11 event.
      For more information, call Darlyne Vierra at 640-8740.

KA`OHU MONFORT SHARES HER KNOWLEDGE and love of the island’s native plants and their medicinal uses during a la`au lapa`au demonstration, Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Free; park entrance fees apply.

FRIENDS OF KA`U LIBRARIES HOLD a member meeting Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House with light refreshments for current and new members. Call Doris Davis at 928- 0919 or Ann Fontes at 987-7448 for more information.

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 Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014

Last year's Harvest Festival at Volcano Winery showed off wine grapes and tea. This year's festival is a week from today on Sunday, Sept. 14. Photo by Julia Neal

SCIENTISTS AT USGS HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY are keeping an eye on Mauna Loa while they also closely track the Kilauea lava flow threatening residential areas in Puna.

Earthquake activity on Mauna Loa and other areas of Hawai`i Island
is available at hvo.wr.usgs.gov/seismic.

      “Beginning in March 2013, and continuing into 2014, HVO’s networks have detected small sporadic swarms of earthquakes deep beneath the west flank and summit of Mauna Loa,” HVO reports in its latest issue of Volcano Watch. “These swarms are located in the same general area as earthquake swarms that preceded the 1975 and 1984 eruptions, but the 2013–2014 earthquakes have been significantly weaker than those recorded in 1975 and 1984. Many of the most recent swarms were followed by shallower earthquakes at the summit of Mauna Loa and can be seen on HVO’s interactive earthquake pages at hvo.wr.usgs.gov/seismic.”
      According to the article, HVO detected dozens of magnitude-three earthquakes and a few magnitude-four earthquakes 1.5 or more years prior to the 1975 and 1984 eruptions. The strongest earthquakes detected beneath the west flank of Mauna Loa in 2013–2014 have been weaker than magnitude-three. “While the current activity is smaller in magnitude, it is clear that some of the same volcanic processes may be at work,” the article states.
      The article states that since 2009, the southeast flank of Mauna Loa has been slowly moving southeastward, and there have been no signs of magma intrusion beneath the summit. Subtle changes in the deformation pattern began in the spring of 2014. HVO’s GPS network started to detect weak inflation beneath the summit, the same area that inflated during the period 2002–2009, but the amount of inflation detected so far in 2014 is very small compared to previous inflations.
      “While we can definitely detect and monitor these weak signals within Mauna Loa, they do not yet indicate that an eruption is necessarily coming,” according to the article. The recent changes are not yet equivalent to those observed before the 1975 and 1984 eruptions. … “Should they increase in intensity or start to change at a more rapid rate, HVO will elevate the Alert Level Code for Mauna Loa to indicate its relative state of unrest and whether or not it may be headed toward an eruption.” 

      Updates for Mauna Loa are posted monthly on the HVO website and can be viewed at hvo.wr.usgs.gov/activity/maunaloastatus.php. If Mauna Loa activity increases, updates will be posted more frequently.
      Information about Kilauea’s ongoing eruption is available at hvo.wr.usgs.gov and 967-8862. Daily eruption updates are posted every morning, and new maps and photos are posted after every HVO overflight of the lava flow.
      See hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Pi`ilani Ka`awaloa explained the Hawaiian perspective of lava diversion
at a community meeting. Photo from Big Island Video News

DIVERSION OF LAVA FROM ITS CURRENT PATH in Puna has been a hot topic at community meetings held there and recorded by Big Island Video News. Several residents brought up ways they thought could be used to control the lava’s direction. One asked if lava could be kept in a channel to avoid populated areas. Another suggested using smart bombs or dynamite to break up hardened lava and create a new path for molten lava. Another asked if the county could bring bulldozers in to create an opening in the shield created by the volcano so that lava could begin moving south instead of east/northeast. Creating a breach in the south flank of Pu`u `O`o, again in an attempt to route lava to the south, was another suggestion.
      Hawai`i County Civil Defense Director Darryl Oliveira said diversion tactics are not being considered. “Diversion brings its own risks,” Oliveira said. He pointed out that diverting the flow could cause it to move into other populated areas. “Historically, trying to divert or control it hasn’t been very effective,” he said. He also said respecting the Hawaiian culture is another reason why diversion is not being considered.
      Residents explained the Hawaiian viewpoint at one meeting. “Pele doesn’t work like that. Pele is our kupuna,” said one resident who gave her name as Ihilani. She said many Native Hawaiians haven’t been attending the public meetings because “we are home preparing for an important guest.” She took issue with the view of owning private property and said, “We will never own our land; this is Pele’s home. If she feels she needs to clean her house, then let her clean her house.”
      Pi`ilani Ka`awaloa said past experience shows that diversion doesn’t work. She said that during the 1959-60 flow, bulldozers made a dike to divert lava, “but it caused a bigger disaster” when the lava flowed to homes. At Kalapana, an attempt to use water in a diversion tactic caused more damage, she said. “Lava was going between homes until diversion was tried,” she said. She urged residents to work together and show aloha.
      See bigislandvideonews.com.

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

Hawai`i has dropped from number five to number nine in rankings
of states with solar electricity systems. Map from GTM Research

HAWAI`I HAS DROPPED IN RANKINGS OF STATES’ solar system installations. The U.S. Solar Market Insight report by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association ranks Hawai`i number nine in the second quarter of 2014 compared to number five in the first quarter. 

      Each quarter, the organizations collect data on the U.S. solar market from nearly 200 utilities, state agencies, installers and manufacturers.
      California was number one, accounting for more than 50 percent of installations for the fourth consecutive quarter.
      Net energy metering, which allows utility customers with solar systems to send their excess electricity to the utility and lower their bills, “remains a crucial point of contention between the solar industry and utilities in more than a dozen states,” according to the report. Hawai`i is currently experiencing this, with Hawaiian Electric Companies limiting the number of rooftop solar connections to its grid due to what they refer to as “safety and reliability” concerns.
      See greentechmedia.com.

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

THE STATE’S APPEAL OF THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY Management Agency’s decision to deny a request for a Presidential Disaster Declaration has received support from Ka`u’s U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. A declaration would have helped families and businesses on Hawai`i Island recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Iselle.


      “I support the state’s appeal to FEMA’s decision to deny assistance to residents … in the wake of such a devastating event,” Gabbard said. “It was clear to me during my recent visits to Hawai`i Island that assistance is necessary. These facts are reflected in the state’s appeal, and it therefore has my strong support.”

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

Ka`u Multicultural Society is again sponsoring Ka`u Plantation Days.
A planning meeting takes place tomorrow.
Photo by Julia Neal

THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO KA`U SCENIC BYWAY Committee’s meeting tomorrow at 5 p.m. at Na`alehu Methodist Church. 

      For more information, email richmorrow@alohabroadband.net.

A KA`U PLANTATION DAYS PLANNING MEETING takes place tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. Residents continue planning for the Saturday, Oct. 11 event.
      For more information, call Darlyne Vierra at 640-8740.

GRAPE HARVEST FESTIVAL IS ONE WEEK FROM TODAY on Sunday, Sept. 14 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Volcano Winery, 35 Pi`i Mauna Drive in Volcano Golf Course Subdivision. The event includes music by Keoki Kahumoku and Friends, pupus by Volcano House and other area businesses, wine and a souvenir wine glass.
      All proceeds benefit STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) programs at Volcano School of Arts & Sciences. Call 967-7772 to purchase $40 tickets. Last year’s event sold out.

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

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.swf.