Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016

`Alalā, are back in captivity after their recent reintroduction into the wild with two of the five surviving after
a short time in the forest near Volcano. Photo from National Park Service

TWO YOUNG ENDANGERED HAWAIIAN CROWS, the `Alalā, were moved back into an aviary at the State of Hawai‘i’s Pu‘u Maka‘ala Natural Area Reserve last week, as conservationists work to overcome challenges faced by the birds during their reintroduction. A joint news release issued today from San Diego Zoo Global, the state Department of Land & Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service states: "A group of five birds were released into the protected reserve on Dec. 14. Although the birds had been observed doing well and eating from feeders placed in the area, three birds were found dead over the last week. The confirmed cause of the deaths is currently unknown but conservationists hope to gather information about what happened to the birds through necropsy examinations."

Condolences have come from around the world since three of five ‘Alalā perished

after their recent release into the forest. The surviving two have been placed back

 into an aviary.  Photo from San Diego Zoo

    John Vetter, a wildlife biologist with the DLNR's Division of Forestry & Wildlife, said, “Some level of mortality is to be expected when reintroducing a species back into the wild and we were prepared for that possibility. The initial days of release are always the most difficult stage of any release program, and the level of uncertainty is also highest with the first release cohort. We decided to recapture the remaining birds to ensure their safety while we await the results of the necropsies, so that we can learn, respond, and continue to strive for the long-term success of the ‘Alalā.”
      Pu‘u Maka‘ala Natural Area Reserve is an area that conservationists have worked to preserve, protecting native plants and species, and it represents the type of habitat where ‘Alalā originally lived before their numbers began to decline. The ‘Alalā, or Hawaiian crow, has been extinct in the wild since 2002, preserved only at the Keauhou and Maui Bird Conservation Centers managed by San Diego Zoo Global's Hawai‘i Endangered Bird Conservation Program.
      Bryce Masuda, conservation program manager of the Hawai‘i Endangered Bird Conservation Program, remarked, “The loss of these three birds is difficult for the entire community, including the many people who have cared for these birds since their hatch and have worked steadfastly to prepare for their release. Condolences for this loss have come from around the world.”

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RENEWABLE ENERGY TAX CREDITS provided by the State of Hawai`i to taxpayers totaled $112.1 million in in 2014, slightly down from the 2013, according to the tax credits report released by the state Department of Taxation earlier this month. 2014 is the last year for which there’s data available. The Renewable Energy Technologies Tax Credit offers taxpayers who install rooftop solar systems a tax credit for 35 percent of the cost and a 20 percent credit for wind-powered systems. For single-family homes, the amount of the credit was capped at $5,000 for solar energy systems and $1,500 for wind-powered systems. For commercial operators, the credit was capped at $500,000 for wind or solar systems.
     The report said that close to 15,000 tax filers made claims totaling $112.1 million in 2014, which amounted to 35 percent of all tax credit dollars claimed for that year. This is lower than 2013 when the state gave out $118.3 million in renewable energy tax credits. In 2012, a still record-setting $164 million in credit dollars were claimed, at the height of the solar photovoltaic industry.

Pakini Nui wind farm. Photo by Ann Bosted     

     For the three-year period from 2012 to 2014, more than $394 million was claimed, by far the largest sum of any of the state’s tax credits.     This tax credit provides an incentive for Hawaiian families to install rooftop solar systems, as they are able to claim refunds of 35 percent of the cost from the state of Hawai’i as well as 30 percent on federal taxes. According to HELCO, there are nearly 11,000 customer-owned rooftop solar systems on the Big Island. 

     The very popular Net Energy Metering program, whereby an owner of a solar system could earn a credits for electricity after the sun went down in return for surplus daytime power, ended in October 2015. Under the NEM program, most household electricity bills could be as low as $25 per month, depending on how the project was financed. The end of the NEM program also ended the “boom and bust” cycle which ran from 2011 to 2015, during which time local solar installation companies’ revenues were up.
     State and Federal Energy credits are also a huge incentive for overseas companies to install utility-sized solar farms, such as the one planned for Ocean View by SPI Solar, an international corporation which is based in Shanghai. SPI Solar wants to build a 6.75 megawatt utility-scale solar installation in a rural town under the Feed In Tariff Program. 

    This project is now on hold following a Formal Complaint filed with the Public Utilities Commission by Ocean View residents. If the PUC allows the project to proceed, as HELCO argues is should, then SPI Solar will sell power to HELCO for 23.8c per kWh, which is roughly ten cents higher than four recently permitted solar farms, according to a story in the Honolulu Star Advertiser on Sept. 14.
 

Industrial solar farms incentivized by federal and state
tax credits. Photo by Ann Bosted

   In a February 2013 study, the University of Hawai`i Economic Research Organization revealed that the state renewable energy tax credit could cost $1.4 billion in lost revenue based on 1,100 megawatts of installed systems. The Renewable Energy Technologies Tax Credit was 35.2 percent of the total tax credits claimed in tax year 2014. Some 14,902 claims were filed for the renewable energy systems credits. The majority of the credits were for solar systems with 14,144 solar claims filed. Roughly $55 million in tax credits went to individuals who installed solar systems. Corporations received $42 million in tax credits for solar systems. Claims totaling about $39,000 were filed by individuals for wind systems.
     The solar industry has been struggling since the state ended the NEM solar incentive program in October 2015. Net energy metering paid residents the full retail rate for excess electricity sent into the grid.
     The state PUC replaced NEM with two programs called “grid-supply” and “self-supply.” Grid-supply credits customers roughly 8 cents less than those who enrolled in NEM. Self-supply encourages the use of batteries as it prohibits customers from sending excess energy into the electric grid. The only program currently available is self-supply because the Big Island reached the limit the PUC placed on the amount of solar systems that could enroll in grid-supply earlier this year.

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CHRISTMAS IN THE COUNTRY is ongoing through the holidays at Volcano Art Center in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Free; park entrance fees apply.

VOTE FOR THE BEST DECORATED Kilauea Military Camp cottage through the holidays.

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www.kaucalendar.com

 

Ka`u News Briefs Monday, Dec. 26, 2016

Visitors enjoy a guided hike to Pu‘ū o Lokuana cindercone. See story on next year's Kahuku hikes below.
NPS Photo/Janice Wei

2017  PRESIDENT FOR OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION will be  Ron Gall, currently serving as Vice President. Gall takes over as President Sandi Alexander retires.

Ron Gall, new President of Ocean View
Community Association.
Photo by Ann Bosted

     Gall was born and raised in Oregon where he was educated and worked until he retired in 2003. He moved to the Big Island, living first in Miloli`i, then Captain Cook. He and his wife Karen moved to Ocean View five-and-half years ago. After a year on the board, he became Vice President in February 2015.

    Asked what he considered to be the biggest challenge of the new job, Gall replied, “Meeting the expectations of the community and being consistent.”

    Gall summed it up: “We, who volunteer to work for the community, are often asked by prospective members ‘What do I get for my dues’ to which I have to reply that paying dues is a commitment to the community. I feel like JFK – telling them to not ask what the community can do for them, but what they can do for the community.

    “I believe the association should bring people together – not just Ocean View, but all of Ka`u. We need to build community spirit. We rely on volunteers to man the office every weekday morning, to provide the annual Thanksgiving dinner, and other meals like the pancake breakfast.

    “Dues are necessary just to cover our overhead. Insurance at $7,000 a year is a big expense towards keeping the Community Center open. Renting out the building is our biggest source of income, followed by dues, donations and advertising in the newsletter.  This is not a country club. We need community support.

   “I would like to see the community adopt new programs, such as cleaning up the neighborhood. But we also need to take care of necessities – like maintaining the building that dates back to 1979.  It needs a new roof, so we need more members to join and help.”
    Anyone wanting to volunteer, donate or otherwise help Ocean View Community Association can call Gall at 939-7033.
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Friendraiser hosted games for keiki.
Photos from Na`alehu School

THE FIRST FRIENDRAISER AT NA`ALEHU ELEMENTARY SCHOOL drew about 150 people  recently. ʻOhana and students gathered for fun, games, prizes, and, most importantly, to make new friends and strengthen existing bonds.  

Fun on the field at the Na`alehu Schoo
Friendraiser event.

     School staff and helpers volunteered their time to run booths and man the event. The community also supported the sixth graders in holding a successful bake sale during the day. Future fundraisers are planned to support the upcoming sixth grade graduation and banquet.
     Student council advisors and sixth grade teachers, Amberly Keohuloa and Nellie Davis,  thanked Punalu’u Bake Shop, KTA, Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, Flyin’ Hawaiian Coffee Truck, McDonalds, Hana Hou, Edmund C. Olson, Fitzner Custom Welding, Thomas King Custom Wood Work and Wong Yuen Store for their donations. They also thanked teachers, staff, and the planning committee for all of their hard work in making sure this day happened for all and principal Darlene Javar, "for letting it all happen," they said in a statement.

Nellie Davis and Amberly Keohuloa,
student council advisors and sixth
grade teachers at Na`alehu School.

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KA`U FOOD PANTRY holds its next distribution tomorrow, Tuesday, Dec. 27 at St. Jude's Episcopal Church on Paradise Circle-mauka from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers are welcomed, beginning at 9 a.m. Ka`u Food Pantry, Inc. is staffed  by volunteers, the non-profit agency's mission to feed the hungry of Ocean View. About 150 families are served by Ka`u Food Pantry, providing one to three days of nutritious food to help people who run short of money, benefits or food by the end of each month.

   Donations of non-perishible foods and funding are welcomed. Ka`u Food Pantry is able to purchase food from the Hawai`i Food Basket for 18 cents a pound. One dollar can buy a half a case of food to help the community. Cash donations may be deductible under IRS Code 501. 

     Write checks to St,. Jude's with Food Pantry on the memo line. One hundred percent of any donation goes to the Food Pantry. Send to St. Jude's Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 6026, Ocean view, HI 96737.
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FREE GUIDED HIKES AT KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK are scheduled for January through March, 2017. Visitors can also explore Kahuku on their own on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Enter the Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park on the mauka side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5, and meet near the parking area. Sturdy footwear, water, raingear, sun protection and a snack are recommended. Entrance and all programs are free.

Visitors enjoy a guided hike to Pu‘ū o Lokuana cindercone.
NPS Photo/Janice Wei    

     Mauna Loa Southwest Rift Zone  - Take a short, guided hike to an overlook located on the Upper Palm Trail. From the overlook, park rangers point out the prominent geologic features that define the Southwest Rift Zone of Mauna Loa. Learn about the eruptions that created these features and the cultural traditions associated with them. The Mauna Loa Southwest Rift Zone program is offered Jan. 7 and March 25; from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
     Pu‘u o Lokuana is a short, moderately difficult 0.4-mile hike to the top of the grassy cinder cone, Pu‘u o Lokuana. Learn about the formation and various uses of this hill over time and enjoy an expansive view of lower Ka‘ū. This hike is offered Jan. 8, Feb. 5 and March 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
     Birth of Kahuku. Explore the rich geologic history of Kahuku. Traverse the vast 1868 lava flow, see different volcano features and formations, and identify many parts of the Southwest Rift Zone of Mauna Loa. Learn about the Hawaiian hotspot and the creation of Kahuku. This guided easy-to-moderate hike is offered Jan. 14 and March 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
     People and Land of Kahuku is a moderate two-mile, three-hour guided hike that loops through varied landscapes to explore the human history of Kahuku. Emerging native forests, pastures, lava fields, and other sites hold clues about ways people have lived and worked on the vast Kahuku lands – from the earliest Hawaiians, through generations of ranching families, to the current staff and volunteers of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Learn about the powerful natural forces at work here and how people have adapted to, shaped, and restored this land. The guided hike is offered Jan. 15, Feb. 19 and March 19 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
     Palm Trail is a moderately difficult 2.6-mile loop traversing scenic pastures along an ancient cinder cone, with some of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. Highlights include relics of the ranching era, sections of remnant native forest and amazing volcanic features from the 1868 eruptive fissures. A guided hike of Palm Trail is offered Jan. 21, Jan. 29, Feb. 26, and March 26 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Palm Trail in the Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
NPS Photo/Sami Steinkamp

    

      ‘Ōhi‘a Lehua - Learn about the vital role of ‘ōhi‘a lehua in native Hawaiian forests, the many forms of the ‘ōhi‘a tree, and the lehua flower. Visitors will be able to identify the many differences of the most prominent native tree in Kahuku on this program, which is an easy, one-mile (or less) walk. The ‘Ōhi‘a Lehua program is offered Jan. 22, Feb. 12, and March 12, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
     Pele & Hi‘iaka. - Discover two fascinating Hawaiian goddesses, sisters Pelehonuamea (Pele) and Hi‘iaka, and the natural phenomena they represent. Visitors will experience the sisters coming alive through the epic stories depicted in the natural landscape of Kahuku on this easy 1.7-mile walk on the main road in Kahuku. The Hi‘iaka and Pele program is offered Jan. 28 and Feb. 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
     Realms and Divisions of Kahuku - Experience the sense of place that evolves at the intersection of nature and culture on this moderately difficult two-mile, two-hour guided hike on the Kahuku Unit’s newest trail, Pu‘u Kahuku. Explore the realms and divisions of the traditional Hawaiian classification system at Kahuku. This hike is offered Feb. 11 and March 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
     Keep up with Kahuku events and visit the calendar on the park website, https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/kahuku-hikes.htm, and download the Kahuku Site Bulletin https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/upload/2013_11_05-Kahuku-Site-Bulletin.pdf. 

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CHRISTMAS IN THE COUNTRY is ongoing through the holidays at Volcano Art Center in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Free; park entrance fees apply.

VOTE FOR THE BEST DECORATED Kilauea Military Camp cottage through the holidays.

www.kaucalendar.com

Ka`u News Brief Sunday, Dec. 25, 2016

Churches around Ka`u held services for Christmas last night and today, this one at Na`alehu Methodist.
Photo by Julia Neal

KA`U FOOD PANTRY holds its next distribution this Tuesday, Dec. 27 at St. Jude's Episcopal Church on Paradise Circle-mauka. The new hours are 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers are always needed and welcomed, beginning at 9 a.m. Ka`u Food Pantry, Inc. is staffed entirely with volunteers and is a non-profit agency with the mission to feed the hungry of Ocean View.  About 150 families are served by Ka`u Food Pantry. The program is designed to provide one to three days of nutritious food to help people who run short of money, benefits or food by the end of the month.
     Donations of non-perishible food items and funding are welcomed. Ka`u Food Pantry is able to purchase food from the Hawai`i Food Basket for 18 cents a pound. One dollar can buy a half a case of food to help the community. Cash donations may be deductible under IRS Code 501. Write checks to St,. Jude's with Food Pantry on the memo line. One hundred percent of any donation goes to the Food Pantry. Send to St. Jude's Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 6026, Ocean view, HI 96737.
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Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and husband Abraham Williams

AS FAMILIES JOINED TOGETHER FOR THE JOY OF CHRISTMAS and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard spent holidays in Hawai`i surfing with her husband, Abraham Williams, Gabbard pointed out today that many U.S. military people are shipping out to war zones.
    Among them are 1,700 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team leaving for Iraq. One of their large packages this Christmas season is comprised of 232 pounds of gear. "We must not forget those who are currently deployed overseas, unable to spend time with their families and loved ones," wrote Gabbard.
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PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA and family are spending the holidays in Hawai`i. In their Christmas Message, Michelle Obama pointed to the "ideas that we are our brother's keeper and our sister's keeper. That we should treat others as we would want to be treated. And that we care for the sick, feed the hungry and welcome the stranger no matter where they come from, or how they practice their faith."
     Barack Obama said these values "help guide not just my family's Christian faith, but that of Jewish Americans, and Muslim Americans; nonbelievers and Americans of all backgrounds. And no one better embodies that spirit of service than the men and women who wear our country''s uniform and their families."

Pres. Barack and Michelle Obama issue Christmas message,
while staying in Hawai`i for the holidays.
Photo from the White House

     The President said that "the greatest gift that Michelle and I have received over the last eight years has been the honor of serving as your President and First Lady. Together, we fought our way back from the worst recession in 80 years, and got unemployment to a nine-year low. We secured health insurance for another twenty million Americans, and new protections for folks who already had insurance. We made America more respected around the world, took on the mantle of leadership in the fight to protect this planet for our kids, and much, much more.

Gov. David Ige whose former liaison Wil Okabe is now Mayor
Harry Kim's Managing Director for Hawai`i County. Okabe
was also head of the Hawai`i teachers union.
Photo from HSTA

    ''By so many measures, our country is stronger and more prosperous than it was when we first got here. And I’m hopeful we’ll build on the progress we’ve made in the years to come," said Obama in his last Christmas Message as President.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.                                                                                                   THE NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR OF HAWAI`I COUNTY is Wil Okabe, the former East Hawai`i liaison for Gov. David Ige and a former president of the Hawai'i State Teachers Association - the teachers' union. 

     Okabe is Mayor Harry Kim's first appointment to his administration, confirmed by the Hawai`i County Council last Wednesday. Okabe spoke to the council members, saying he wants closer cooperation between the legislative body and the administration.  

     Okabe said that when Kim called him, it took him awhile to see the importance of the County managing director's job. "Harry's mission is to make sure that trust, honesty and integrity is at the utmost importance to this administration," he said. Okabe said these three word are an important aspect of Kim's administration. "What people want in this community is that we are fair, and to ensure that the services provided by this county is something we can be proud of."  

    Okabe said he can also his bring his knowledge of working with the state as the HSTA union leader and as the governor's liaison to his new county position and promote a good state and county relationship.
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HOVE ROAD MAINTENANCE  BOARD MEETING, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 10:30 a..m. is at St. Jude's Church.  929-9910.

Kilauea Military Camp with its cottages decorated in lights and an
opportunity to choose the best. Photo from KMC

CHRISTMAS IN THE COUNTRY is ongoing through the holidays at Volcano Art Center in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Free; park entrance fees apply.

VOTE FOR THE BEST DECORATED Kilauea Military Camp cottage through the holidays.

NEW YEARS DAY BRUNCH, Sunday, Jan. 1 from 7 a.m. to noon at Kilauea Military Camp's Crater Rim Cafe in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Roast pork, chicken picata, omelet station, pancakes, breakfast potatoes, patties, bacon, fresh fruit and beverags. Adults $16.95, children 6-11 for $9.50. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356.

www.kaucalendar.com