Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016

It's time for Ka`u High Alumni & Friends to start preparing their potluck contributions to the group's
15th annual reunion and luncheon coming up on Sunday. See more below. Photo by Julia Neal

AT THE DIRECTION OF GOV. David Ige, the United States flag and the Hawai`i state flag are at half-staff at the State Capitol and at all state offices, agencies and the Hawai`i National Guard in the state of Hawai`i from today until sunset on Monday, Aug. 22 in honor of the late Hawai`i Congressman and former Hawai`i state Rep. K. Mark Takai.

Flags are at half-staff to honor the late
state and U.S. Rep. K. Mark Takai.

      Takai will lie in state in the Hawai`i State Capitol Rotunda today. A memorial service is scheduled for tomorrow, and a private interment is scheduled for Aug. 22.

      Takai dedicated his life to public service with 18 years in the Hawai`i National Guard and a 20-year tenure in the Hawai`i House of Representatives before serving in the U.S. House of Representatives.
      “Mark humbly and effectively served the people of Hawai`i, Gov. David Ige said. “In the often tumultuous world of politics, he was a shining example of what it means to be a public servant.”
      Takai died on July 20 after battling pancreatic cancer. He was 49 years old.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

HAWAI`I ISLAND POLICE WILL INCREASE enforcement of drunk driving as part of a national campaign called Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, which starts tomorrow and runs through the Labor Day (Sept. 5). During the campaign, police will conduct sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols islandwide using federal grant funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
      Impaired driving while intoxicated on alcohol, drugs or both continues to be a concern in Hawai`i County. So far this year, there have been 482 DUI arrests for alcohol impairment, 43 related to drugs and 13 related to a combination of both alcohol and drugs.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

KA`U’S U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD and Sen. Mazie Hirono joined a coalition of federal and state officials in recognizing the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Radiological Security with the first-ever Homeland Security Award. The ceremony recognized Maegan Barlow, the Director of the Office of Radiological Services at DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration, for OSR’s work to enhance the security of high-risk radioactive materials in Hawai`i over the past decade. Gabbard also presented a certificate recognizing Sen. Daniel K. Akaka for his leadership in highlighting the vulnerability of radiological materials in Hawai`i and across the United States.

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard joined Sen. Daniel Akaka
and others to recognize the first-ever Homeland Security Award.
Photo from Office of Rep. Gabbard

      At Akaka’s request, the U.S. Government Accountability Office published a report revealing the high vulnerability of radiological materials across the United States. As a result, Akaka worked with ORS to initiate a pilot counterterrorism exercise program in Hawai`i focused on giving federal, state and local officials and first responders critical, hands-on experience in prioritized alarm assessment and response, crisis management, threat assessment, emergency response, consequence management and post-contingency procedures to prepare them in the event of a terrorist incident involving radiological materials.

      “Sen. Akaka was instrumental in shedding light on the vulnerabilities of domestic radiological materials, and his work with NNSA and partners at every level of government to initiate the first counterterrorism exercise pilot program in Hawai`i has made our state a model for similar programs across the country,” Gabbard said. “The threat of radiological terrorism is a constantly evolving and ever-growing threat, and we must continue to build off the progress we’ve made over the past decade to keep our radiological materials secure. Mahalo nui loa to Sen. Akaka, to Director Barlow and the NNSA, and our federal, state and local partners who are continuously working to enhance the security of Hawai`i’s radiological materials, improve our ability to respond to radiological security threats, and strengthen the safety and security of the people of Hawai`i.”
      U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono said, “By enhancing the security of Hawai`i’s radiological materials, we not only keep our state safe, but also ensure these materials support the needs of our healthcare system and our agriculture industry. I was proud to present U.S. Department of Energy Office of Radiological Security Director Maegon Barlow with the Homeland Security Excellence Award with City & County of Honolulu Managing Director Roy Amemiya, and hope that the collaboration between the Office of Radiological Security and City and County of Honolulu will continue to serve as a successful example for other states and communities across the United States.”
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Kupuna Jeannette Howard at last year's
reunion. Photo by Julia Neal

IT’S TIME TO PREPARE YOUR POTLUCK dish for Ka`u High Alumni & Friends’ 15th annual community luncheon on Sunday at Pahala Community Center from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. All alumni and interested people are invited to attend and enjoy a day of fun, good food and live music.

      The purpose of the reunion is to bring alumni and residents back to Ka`u to reconnect with their roots and meet classmates and other Ka`u alumni, neighbors and friends.
      The reunion is held annually on the Sunday of Statehood holiday weekend in August. The set day on Sunday allows individual classes to make plans for their own reunions to coincide with the all-alumni potluck. Class of 1966 alumni, who hosted the all-alumni reunion held in Las Vegas in June, celebrate their 50th reunion on Saturday evening at Kilauea Lodge. Class of 1973 is hosting a get-together for all classes graduating in the 1970s on Saturday at Pahala Community Center. Also on Saturday, Class of 1959 meets at Old Sasaki Store (Market House vacation rental).

      For more information on Sunday’s event, call Margaret Ann Cabudol at 928-8164 or James Yamaki at 969-6828.

      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

KILAUEA 1916: A CENTENNIAL Celebration of KMC & HVNP opens tomorrow. The show explores the unique partnership between Kilauea Military Camp and the Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park that began in 1916.
      Performances take place at Kilauea Theater Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. over the next two weekends. Tickets are $10 and available at the door.
      For reservations or more information, call 982-7344 or email kden73@aol.com.

Keiki join in the action at Volcano Rain Forest Runs.
Photo from Sharron Faff

VOLCANO RAIN FOREST RUNS are Saturday in Volcano Village. The Half Marathon begins at 7 a.m.; 10K, 7:45 a.m.; 5K, 8 a.m.; and Keiki Runs, 10 a.m.

      A Zero-Mile Instant Gratification event benefiting Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park begins at 11 a.m. Every participant who steps, rolls or crawls across the finish line receives a commemorative medal.

      All events start and finish at Cooper Center on Wright Road. Food and entertainment follows.

      Late registration and packet pick-up is tomorrow from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village and race day from 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. at Cooper Center.
      For more information and to register, see volcanorainforestruns.com.

TAKE A WALK INTO THE PAST, Saturday at 10 a.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Participants on the easy walk with a ranger to Volcano House learn about its role in shaping early park history.
      Free; park entrance fees apply.

NA KUMU HULA KEIKILANI CURNAN and Liana Aveiro with Halau Waiau perform hula kahiko Saturday at 10:30 a.m. on the hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
      Loke Kamanu and `ohana present Na Mea Hula at 11 a.m.
      Free; park entrance fees apply.

      For more information, call 967-8222.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS ATPAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM ANDKAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

Click on document to enlarge.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_August_2016.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.html
and kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.pdf.

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016

As it enters the ocean, lava cascading over cliffs at Kamokuna is creating an unstable lava delta
that could collapse at any time. Photo by Peter Anderson

DURING A SPECIAL MEDIA briefing yesterday, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park rangers talked about hazards associated with Kilauea Volcano’s active lava flow and ocean entries, the exciting scientific opportunities posed by flow 61G, and how visitors can safely hike to and view the beauty of lava flowing on land and into the sea.

Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
personnel briefed media on hazards, scientific opportunities
and safety procedures at lava view sites.
Photo from USGS/HVO

      People who venture too close to Kilauea’s Kamokuna ocean entry – by land or by sea – are at risk from multiple hazards associated with lava flowing into the sea. According to HVO geologists, the white plume formed by interaction of lava and seawater is a corrosive mixture of super-heated steam, hydrochloric acid and tiny particles of volcanic glass, all of which should be avoided. Lava deltas (new land formed at the ocean entry) can collapse without warning. When such events occur, fragments of molten lava and blocks of hot rock could be thrown both inland and seaward, potentially impacting people on the cliff above the ocean entry and in boats in front of the delta.

      The eastern entry site has created a lava delta that HVO said is now about five acres in size, and as it grows larger, so does the risk of a sudden collapse. The beauty of Kilauea Volcano’s eastern Kamokuna ocean entry can be enjoyed from a safe distance.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Luis P. Salaveria

WITH 686,856 ACRES OF LAND in farms, Hawai`i Island in 2015 far exceeded acres in other counties in the state, according to the 2015 State of Hawai`i Data Book. The county had nearly three times more than Maui, nearly five times more than Kaua`i and nearly 10 times more than Honolulu.

      The market value of Hawai`i Island agricultural products sold was $247,245,000, compared to $188,100,000 for Maui, $64,514,000 for Kaua`i and $161,488,000 for Honolulu.
      The state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism released the the Data Book today. It is the most comprehensive statistical book about Hawai`i in a single compilation. With more than 800 data tables, it covers a broad range of statistical information in areas such as population, education, labor, energy, business enterprises, government, tourism and transportation.
      “The state’s Data Book provides comprehensive information from all sources, both public and private,” said DBEDT Director Luis P. Salaveria. “It’s the most popular product on the DBEDT website and has been consistently produced for 47 years.”
      “We try to add more data series to the Data Book to accommodate a wide range of data needs,” said Chief State Economist Dr. Eugene Tian. “Among the new data series in this Data Book are the Hawai`i homes purchased by origin of buyers.”
      The resource is available at dbedt.hawaii.gov/economic/databook/ and may be downloaded in whole or in part as either PDF or Excel files.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

He Lono Moku: The State of the Environment, 

Hawai`i 2016 was released today.

A REPORT RELEASED TODAY seeks to track progress of critical resource protection work underway in Hawai`i, as well as identify opportunities to make game-changing impacts. Hawai`i Environmental Funders Group’s 2016 report is the first of annual reports that the group plans to publish.

      According to He Lono Moku: The State of the Environment, Hawai`i 2016, the Department of Land & Natural Resources stewards about 30 percent of the state’s land and water resources, yet is allocated only 1.1 percent of the state’s fiscal year 2017 budget. Resources include 1.3 million acres of land, forests that are 11th in acreage in the nation, 750 miles of coastline, and 85 percent of the county’s coral reefs.
      The state Department of Agriculture will receive 0.4 percent of the budget. “As climate change gains momentum, increasing the risk of the spread of disease through avenues such as mosquitoes, HDOA’s role is more important than ever,” the report states.
      State Board of Agriculture Chair Scott Enright told Timothy Hurley, of Honolulu Star-Advertiser, that many people don’t understand the importance of the role his department plays in the environment.
      “We need to grow that (budget), certainly if the state of Hawai`i is going to be proactive toward greater food sustainability, invasive species, bio-security, animal diseases and plant diseases,” Enright said.
      Hawai`i’s environment is “out of balance and faces challenges illustrated by many symptoms,” according to the report. One of those symptoms is that more than 60 percent of area that provided native habitats has been destroyed. Another is that Hawai`i is the most oil-dependent state in the county. Nine percent of beaches have been lost to erosion over the past century. Hawai`i has the highest number of threatened and endangered species in the nation, and more than half of Hawai`i’s native birds are extinct. Also, some sites have lost 85 to 100 percent of corals due to bleaching caused by record high temperatures.

      See the report at helonomoku.com.

      See staradvertiser.com.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Students can apply now for U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz's
Senior High School Internship Program.
Photo from Office of Sen. Schatz.

THE OFFICE OF U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz is looking for enthusiastic, self-motivated and involved high school seniors for the Schatz Seniors High School Internship Program. The internship provides a hands-on learning opportunity about the U.S. Senate, creates a forum for students to share issues and information with the senator and his staff, and encourages students to be leaders and advocates in their schools and communities. Activities involve working with outreach staff, identifying issues of interest in their school and community, and attending and staffing special events.

      This is not an office position, and students should miss little or no class time in performing the tasks or assignments related to the program. The internship generally runs from October through April, and interns must commit for the full term.
      Public, private, charter and homeschool seniors may apply. Students must have a GPA of 2.5 or better and have personal access to email throughout the internship. Schatz Seniors will be selected based on their involvement in their community (jobs, activities and responsibilities), diversity of interests and life experiences, and demonstrated leadership involvement.
      The office is currently accepting applications for the 2016 – 2017 program. Applications are due by 5:59 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 16, but interested students are strongly encouraged to apply early. Applications are available at schatz.senate.gov/services/internships.
      Staff is available to provide more information or speak at high schools or school associations about the program. Contact the Honolulu office at 808-523-2061.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Ka`u resident Dick Hershberger wrote Kilauea 1916: A Centennial
Celebration of KMC & HVNP that opens Friday.
Photo from KDEN

KILAUEA 1916: A CENTENNIAL Celebration of KMC & HVNP opens Friday. The show explores the unique partnership between Kilauea Military Camp and the Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park that began in 1916. In honor of KMC’s and the park’s centennial, Ka`u resident Dick Hershberger, who portrays Dr. Thomas Jaggar in KDEN’s Living History program, A Walk Into the Past, wrote the look at some of the characters who were a part of the Volcano community as the camp and park became a reality. The show is a series of vignettes where characters tell their story, narrated by a reporter having a conversation with Mrs. Isabel Jaggar as she prepares to board a ship in Honolulu to take her back to Hilo and her Volcano home. 

      Performances take place at Kilauea Theater Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. over the next two weekends. Tickets are $10 and available at the door.
      For reservations or more information, call 982-7344 or email kden73@aol.com.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS ATPAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM ANDKAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_August_2016.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.html
and kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.pdf.

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016

National Geographic videos are available at Hawai`i Department of Land & Natural Resources'
new webpage, DLNR & YOU. See more below. Image from DLNR

PRIVATIZATION OF MAUI’S medical facilities could be a precursor for Hawai`i Island. Gov. David Ige told George Lee, of Honolulu Star-Advertiser, that “similar arrangements” could result in public-private partnerships at Hawai`i Health Systems Corp.’s East and West Hawai`i regions. Ka`u Hospital is part of its East Hawai`i Region.

Gov. Ige suggested that public-private partnerships could work
at Hawai`i Island medical facilities, including Ka`u Hospital.
Photo by Julia Neal

      Maui Region facilities are currently moving from state to private operation by Kaiser Permanente.

      Ige told Lee there are no immediate plans for Hawai`i Island’s health care facilities to make such a transition.
      “We need to focus on making sure that this transaction with the Maui region is successful,” Ige said. “I’m optimistic that we’ll be able to successfully transfer the operations and management for the Maui regions, and then we’ll look at other regions.”
      Ige told Lee that Hawai`i Island regions’ managers “have expressed interest in considering partnerships” but that he has not met with any private companies.
      HHSC East Hawai`i Region had previously discussed partnering with Adventist Health. Lee quoted a statement from Hilo Medical Center saying, “In East Hawai`i, we continue to believe that we need choice when it comes to determining the best means for delivering health care to our community.”
      See staradvertiser.com.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals includes Hawai`i.

THE NINTH CIRCUIT COURT of Appeals has upheld Hawai`i’s practice of holding open primary elections. The Democratic Party of Hawai`i had sued the state office of elections in 2013 and sought to limit participation in the Democratic primary election to registered Democrats only.

      In a published opinion issued yesterday, the Ninth Circuit ruled that the Democratic Party did not show that the open primary system burdens its associational rights. The party offered no evidence that the open primary impacted its candidates or messages. The Ninth Circuit noted that Hawai`i’s voters may vote in only one party’s primary election.
      “The Democratic Party’s preference for limiting primary participants to registered party members, coupled with the fact that more people vote in Democratic primaries than are formally registered with the Party, is not sufficient to show that Hawai`i’s open primary system severely burdens the party’s associational rights,” the opinion states.
      The case, Democratic Party of Hawai`i v. Nago, was originally filed in the federal district court of Hawai`i. In November 2013, Judge J. Michael Seabright ruled in the state’s favor, upholding the open primary. The Democratic Party appealed. The Ninth Circuit heard oral arguments in May 2016.
      “The open primary is part of Hawai`i’s commitment to make voting easier and to include more persons in the democratic process,” Attorney General Doug Chin said. “This ruling keeps Hawai`i’s primary elections open to all registered voters, regardless of their formal party affiliation.”
      The ruling has no effect on the 2016 primary or general elections.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

HAWAI`I DEPARTMENT OF LAND and Natural Resources has established a special website for information on the upcoming International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress Hawai`i 2016, being held in Honolulu, Sept. 1-10.

      “With the IUCN World Conservation Congress, we have an unprecedented opportunity to show and tell the world about the tremendous variety of efforts underway in Hawai`i to protect our natural, historical and cultural resources,” DLNR Chair Suzanne Case said. “The DLNR & YOU webpage will show the world some of what the state and its many partners are doing in the way of cutting-edge conservation work.”
      The page is available to anyone, as the new DLNR & YOU brand seeks to extend the notion that everyone is responsible for helping protect Hawai`i’s precious natural resources. It will include DLNR news releases, feature videos, photo albums and links to partner pages and websites.
      “We are producing 19 different DLNR & YOU media packages for release prior to and during the IUCN World Conservation Congress,” Case said. “We hope these efforts will give IUCN delegates and some 200 visiting journalists a peek into the broad range of work underway in our island state, directed at addressing a whole host of challenging conservation issues. Additionally, it’s one way to celebrate what’s happening here in Hawai`i; the work of DLNR staff across its 11 different divisions as well as the partnerships with dozens of different organizations and groups.”

      Already featured on the site are several videos produced by National Geographic in its partnership with IUCN.

      See dlnr.hawaii.gov/iucn.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Provide input on Hawai`i County's General Plan at forums
next week.

HAWAI`I COUNTY PLANNING Department encourages Ka`u residents to participate in next week’s General Plan Public Input Forums. The General Plan guides the island’s long-range physical development. As part of the comprehensive review of the General Plan, participants will give feedback on alternatives for future growth. The two forums are identical, so residents can participate in the most convenient one.

      While the forums are held in Hilo and Kona, Na`alehu Community Center will be a live remote site.
      On Tuesday, Aug. 23, the first forum takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at County Council Chambers in Hilo. Then on Thursday, Aug. 25 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., another takes place in Council Chambers at West Hawai`i Civic Center.
      More information about the General Plan comprehensive review is available at http://www.cohplanningdept.com/general-plan/.

      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Trojans' girls volleyball season begins today.

KA`U HIGH GIRLS VOLLEYBALL teams start their season today at home, hosting Waiakea at 6 p.m. Varsity follows up with another home match Thursday against Hawai`i Preparatory Academy, also at 6 p.m. Both teams then travel to Ehunui in Kona on Saturday for competition beginning at 10 a.m.

      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN Home Lands holds a public meeting today from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Elementary School Cafeteria. The topic is its South Point Resource Management Plan.
      The plan is available at https://dhhl.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/South-Point-Public-Review-Draft-Plan-to-DHHL_052616.pdf.
      For more information, contact DHHL Planner Andrew Choy at Andrew.H.Choy@hawaii.gov or 808-620-9279.

JADELYN MONIZ-NAKAMURA discusses the development of Hawai`i National Park today at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
      $2 donations support park programs. Park entrance fees apply.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS ATPAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM ANDKAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

Click on document to enlarge.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_August_2016.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.html
and kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.pdf.