Ka`u News Briefs Monday, Feb. 20, 2017

Most of the debris picked up off the Ka`u Coast by such volunteers as these from University of Hawai`i and Hilo Community
College, is made of plastic. Now Hawai`i Wildlife Fund is asking Ka`u residents to support a bill in the
County Council to reduce styrofoam on the island. Photo by Dr. Drew Kapp

FOR PRESIDENTS' DAY, Feb. 20, President Donald Trump released the following tweet: "Happy Presidents' Day - Make America Great Again!"
     Hawai`i Gov. David Ige released the following statement:
     "Today we celebrate the birth of some of our country's most influential leaders: Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Both men stood tall during pivotal times in American history and helped shape this country into the land of opportunity it is today.

Image courtesgy of Gov. David Ige

    "Washington and Lincoln served their country with distinction during times of incredible strife and division. They chose to walk paths fraught with peril, but which were ultimately in the best interests of our great nation.
     "It was Washington who commanded the Continental Army against the tyranny of the British and won the Revolutionary War. Lincoln freed the slaves with his signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, reinforcing the notion that all citizens deserve equal treatment under the law.

    "

     "Each of these acts took a man with strong moral character and the will to see the changes necessary to make this country great. These two pillars of American leadership are the standard to which all elected leaders should hold themselves, which is why we recognize these men today.
     "Despite the incredible freedoms and rights that\ Washington and Lincoln worked to secure, we know that many citizens still struggle to find shelter and provide for their families here in our state.
   "On President's Day, let's honor these great men in words, but also in action. As your governor, I vow to continue fighting for the citizens of Hawai'i so that we may all fulfill the freedom of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness which these men considered to be self-evident."

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THE PRESIDENT'S DAY TWEET FROM REP. TULSI GABBARD is, "I hope you have a safe and restful Presidents' Day Today," followed by: "In Hawai`i veterans have gone a year with no permanent VA Director for health services," and "I introduced legislation - leaders need to be held accountable."

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A BILL TO BAN POLYSTYRENE FOAM will be heard by the County Council's Committee on Environmental Management on Tuesday, Feb. 21. The Hawai`i Wildlife Fund is urging supportive testimony for Bill 13 to be provided before or during the meeting at 1:30 p.m. at the Kona Council Chambers at West Hawai`i Civic Center or by videoconference from Ka`u at the old courthouse in Na`alehu. Testimony can also be submitted electronically by emailing counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov.   
     The bill is the resurrection by Puna County Council member Eileen O'Hara of an old polystyrene foam measure, Bill 140,
     "Do you cringe each time you see lunch being served on a foam clamshell? We do too!" says a statement from Hawai`i Wildlife Fund, referring to what is commonly called styrofoam, the substance targeted in the legislation.
      The organization also reports that other statewide initiatives in 2017 include Senate Bill 1109 and House Bill 1545 in the Hawai`i Legislature and Agenda Item 16-204 for Maui County Council.
      Hawai`i Wildlife Fund suggests a template for testimony: "I support the initiative proposed by Councilwoman O'Hara to reduce the amount of polystyrene foam food containers and food service ware on Hawai'i Island starting on July 1st, 2018. It is important for us to make decisions that promote the health and wellness of our island communities and native wildlife. Bill 13 is one of such crucial steps in the right direction, and will lead us on a pathway towards a zero-waste and sustainability for our island home."
      Hawai`i Wildlife Fund also recommends supporting foam free businesses and has compiled a list of 135 restaurants on Hawai`i Island, including Volcano House, Cafe Ono and Tuk Tuk Thai Food Truck in Volcano and Coffee Grinds and Kalae Coffee in Ka`u. For the complete list, see goo.gl/tia7Rd

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A BOOK SIGNING AT NA`ALEU LIBRARY ON WEDNESDAY, FEB. 22 AT 2:30 p.m. will feature Emily Rodavich, author of Mystical Interludes: An Ordinary Person's Extraordinary Experiences. The event is free to the public.

Weave a Tī Leaf Lei, Wed, Feb 22, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Park rangers and staff from Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association instruct and provide materials. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Ocean View Community Development Corp. meeting, Fri, Feb 24, 5 p.m., Hawaiian Ranchos office.

Sanctuary Ocean Count, Sat, Feb 25, 8 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., various coastal locations, several in Ka`u. Participants count humpback whales and record their behaviors. Registration required. hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov or 725-5923.

SOIL AND COMPOSTING is the topic at the next Ka`u Farm School session to be held on Sunday, Feb. 26 at Earth Matters Farm on the corner of South Point Road and Kama`oa Road. Time is from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Special guests will include Rep. Richard Creagan, Chair of the Agriculture Committee of the state House of Representatives and Melanie Willich, Director of the Young Farmers Program at Kohala Center. The class is free, sponsored by Kohala Center and Hawai`i Farmers Union United. Donations accepted. RSVP to kaufarmschool@gmail.com or call 808-721-6977.

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Ka`u Hospital Community Input Meeting, Sat, Feb 25, 1:30 p.m. at the hospital. Kurt Corbin, Chair of the East Hawai`i Regional Board of the Hawai`i Hospital System Corp, which oversees the hospital and clinic operations, said that "Personal conversations and dialogue with our community stakeholders are absolutely essential in helping guide the decisions that the Regional Board must make."
     Board members and administrators will be on hand and a financial overview and future outlook will be presented. For more information, contact Terry Larson, Regional Board Secretary at 932-3103.

Love the Arts: Singin’ in the Rainforest, Sat, Feb 25, 5 – 9 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. The annual fundraiser features one-of-a-kind umbrellas painted by Hawai‘i Island artists. Fine wine, a luxurious gourmet buffet, spirited Hawaiian music and live and silent auctions. 967-8222

Palm Trail Hike, Sun, Feb 26, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit. This free, moderately difficult 2.6-mile loop trail provides one of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. nps.gov

HOVE Road Maintenance board of directors meeting, Tue, Feb 28, 10 a.m., St. Jude’s Church. 929-9910

Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tue, Feb 28, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Ocean View.

www.kaucalendar.com

Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017

THE INTERNMENT OF JAPANESE AMERICANS 75 years ago during World War II was recalled Sunday across the country on the Day of Remembrance.
    Sen. Mazie Hirono, herself a Japanese immigrant, called the special poor treatment of Japanese Americans, which started with the President's Executive Order 9066 in 1946, “a dark period in our nation’s history. Whenever our country has targeted a particular ethnicity, race, national origin, or religion for discriminatory treatment, we have been very deeply wrong."
     Hirono promised: “I will continue to fight these actions, and will reintroduce a resolution in the Senate recognizing the significance of Executive Order 9066, and affirming that we must stand up for the civil rights of all. #DayofRemembrance #EO9066,” said Hirono.
    The internment of the Japanese during WWII followed an Executive Order by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Feb. 19, 1942 when he authorized the relocation of Japanese Americans from their homes, farms and businesses to camps. One detention center was located at Kilauea Military Camp in Ka`u.
     The rationale at the time was fear, and the thinking that Japanese Americans would support Japan during WWII. While America was also at war with Hitler of Germany and Mussolini of Italy, Americans of German and Italian backgrounds were not rounded up in the manner that affected the Japanese American communities.

Dwight Eisenhower visited Kilauea
Military Camp during WWII.

     The ten mainland camps and Hawai`i camps were used mostly to house Japanese American extracted from their American communities. While WWII raged, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Executive Order by the President to round up Japanese Americans.
    The last camp closed in March 1946 and with many Japanese Americans having fought for the U.S. during WWII in Europe as part of the famed “Go for Broke” 442nd Regiment, the U.S.  government became confused about how to reconcile the tragedy of internment.
    It wasn’t until more than 40 years after the War, in 1988, that the Civil Liberties Act was signed by Pres. Ronald Reagan, stating that the internment was “a grave injustice.” Succeeding presidents, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, sent apology letters to camp survivors and their descendants. In February of 2015, Barack Obama established a national monument at the internment camp on O`ahu.

Japanese American U.S. war heroes from Ka`u,
Iwao Yonemitsu and the late Toku Nagano.
Photo by Julia Neal

     In contrast, said, Hirono, “today, we are seeing the same discriminatory treatment with President Trump’s targeting of refugees, immigrants, and the Muslim community."

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REP. CULSI GABBARD said, "The incarceration of over 120,000 individuals of Japanese ancestry during World War II and the in internment of tens of thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II is a dark and shameful mark on our nation’s past. In remembrance of the men, women, and children held captive on our free soil, we must commit to standing up against intolerance, bigotry, divisiveness, and hatred. We must honor the brave Nisei, who in spite of these atrocities, volunteered to serve, forming the Nisei-only "Go For Broke" 442nd Infantry Regiment. We must embrace the diversity found at the heart of our American spirit, and promise to never return to the darkness of our past."  
      Gabbard is an original cosponsor of H.Res.143 recognizing the ideals of the Day of Remembrance, and to remember the restrictions, exclusion, and incarceration of Americans of Japanese, German, and Italian descent during World War II.

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Weave a Tī Leaf Lei, Wed, Feb 22, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Park rangers and staff from Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association instruct and provide materials. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Ocean View Community Development Corp. meeting, Fri, Feb 24, 5 p.m., Hawaiian Ranchos office.

Sanctuary Ocean Count, Sat, Feb 25, 8 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., various coastal locations, several in Ka`u. Participants count humpback whales and record their behaviors. Registration required. hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov or 725-5923.

Count humpback whales at the Sanctuary Ocean Count on the Ka`u Coast this Saturday.
Photo from NOAA

Ka`u Hospital Community Input Meeting, Sat, Feb 25,  1:30 p.m. at the hospital. Kurt Corbin, Chair of the East Hawai`i Regional Board of the Hawai`i Hospital System Corp, which oversees the hospital and clinic operations, said that "Personal conversations and dialogue with our community stakeholders are absolutely essential in helping guide the decisions that the Regional Board must make."
Board members and administrators will be on hand and a financial overview and future outlook will be presented. For more information, contact Terry Larson, Regional Board Secretary at 932-3103.

Love the Arts: Singin’ in the Rainforest, Sat, Feb 25, 5 – 9 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. The annual fundraiser features one-of-a-kind umbrellas painted by Hawai‘i Island artists. Fine wine, a luxurious gourmet buffet, spirited Hawaiian music and live and silent auctions. 967-8222

Palm Trail Hike, Sun, Feb 26, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit. This free, moderately difficult 2.6-mile loop trail provides one of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. nps.gov

HOVE Road Maintenance board of directors meeting, Tue, Feb 28, 10 a.m., St. Jude’s Church. 929-9910

Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tue, Feb 28, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Ocean View.

www.kaucalendar.com

Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017

The late Sen. Gil Kahele, of Miloli`i, was succeeded by his son Kaiali`i Kahele in the state Senate. Kai Kahale lives in Hilo but
promises help for Miloli`i and Ka`u through his work at the Capitol. On Saturday, he released a list of bills he supports.
Photo by Kaiali`i Kahele

SEN. KAIALI`I KAHELE, whose family hails from Miloli`i and whose late father Gil Kahele served as Ka`u's state Senator, has forwarded a list of bills in the 2017 Hawai`i Legislature. He is asking the community to click on the following, read the bills , and if supportive send in testimony to support the following:
     SB1162 SD1 - RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI`I PROMISE PROGRAM. Establishes the University of Hawai`i Promise Program to provide scholarships for the unmet direct cost needs of qualified students enrolled at any campus of the University of Hawai`i System.

Sen. Kai Kahele

     SB1161 SD1 - RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI`I. Prohibits the University of Hawai`i Board of Regents from increasing tuition fees until 2027.
     SB848 SD1 - RELATING TO HIGHER EDUCATION. Establishes the Hawaiian Language University College as an autonomous entity within the University of Hawai`i System to be located at the University of Hawai`i at Hilo.
     SB1081 SD1 - RELATING TO TAXATION. Provides a state income tax deduction of up to $5,000 per year for student loan interest paid on qualified education loans.
     SB849 SD1 - RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN HOMES COMMISSION ACT. Reduces the minimum Hawaiian blood quantum requirement of certain successors to lessees of Hawaiian Home Lands from one-quarter to one thirty-second.
     SB272 SD1 - RELATING TO RAT LUNGWORM DISEASE. Appropriates funds to the University of Hawai`i at Hilo, the Department of Health, Department of Land and Natural Resources, and Department of Agriculture for programs, studies, and activities related to rat lungworm disease.
     SB1290 SD1 - RELATING TO THE TRANSIENT ACCOMMODATIONS TAX. Adjusts allocation of transient accommodations tax revenues to the tourism special fund for inflation.
     SB1293 SD1 - RELATING TO PUBLIC SAFETY. Appropriates money to the fund for deputy canines and full-time equivalent (FTE) permanent canine handler positions within the Department of Public Safety.

Slugs, like these seen on pavement in Ka`u, can carry
rat lung disease and spread it through vegetable gardens.
  Photo by Julia Neal

   Kahele asks that as each bill is scheduled for hearing, consider sending testimony to the appropriate committee(s). Email testimony to:
Ways and Means - WAMtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov; Judiciary and Labor - JDLtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov; Commerce, Consumer Protection and Health -CPHtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov

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RAT LUNG DISEASE, a devastating affliction that is carried by slugs and can be consumed by people eating unwashed vegetables, has drawn the interest of the state legislature. An informational hearing has been set for this coming Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 9 a.m. in the State Capitol, called by the House Committee on Agriculture, led by Rep. Richard Creagan, of Ka`u, and the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment, led by Sen. Mike Gabbard. The bill is supported by Creagan and Ka`u Sen., Dr. Josh Green. See more and testify at SB272 SD1.
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Astronauts James A. Lovell, Jr., and Fred W. Haise, Jr., members of NASA's third team of moon
explorers, carried cameras, communications equipment, and an Apollo Lunar Hand Tools scoop
during a simulation of a lunar traverse at Kīlauea Volcano in December 1969. Right: Astronauts
from NASA's BASALT field team explore Kīlauea's Mauna Ulu lava flow field within Hawaiʻi
Volcanoes National Park in September 2016. Their custom-made backpacks hold necessary
electronics and communications systems, including portable GPS, handheld
spectrometers, video cameras, and communication equipment, as well as
the tool of every geologist: a rock hammer. Photos courtesy of NASA

NASA PRACTICED FOR MARS EXPLORATION AT KILAUEA VOLCANO last September. Unpublicized to residents and the thousands of visitors going to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, a simulated Mars landing mission unfolded for two weeks as part of NASA's Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains program.
     This week's Volcano Watch, written by Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists, explains:    

BASALT works in the Mars simulation program outdoors on Mauna Loa and
inside the dome where a team is isolated as if they were living in
Mars conditions. Photo from NASA

BASALT consists of an international group of scientists, engineers, mission operators, and astronauts dedicated to furthering the human-robotic exploration of our neighboring planet, Mars. One of the main objectives of the BASALT research program is to examine how humans can effectively explore the surface of Mars for life and to understand the geologic history of the Red Planet.
      Kīlauea Volcano offers landscapes that are not perfect analogs for Mars, but that come quite close. Under special permit from Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, the BASALT team of 65 scientists, engineers, computer scientists, human-machine engineering experts, and astronauts targeted the Mauna Ulu region on Kīlauea Volcano's East Rift Zone as the Mars landing and exploration area.      The BASALT team also set up a Science Mission Control at Kīlauea Military Camp, a facility located in the National Park. Two-way voice, video and data streaming was established between this command center and the field team, which consisted of two crew members who conducted field sampling under simulated Mars mission conditions around Mauna Ulu. These communications were delayed by up to 15 minutes to mimic transmission latencies due to the great distance between Earth and Mars.
     In addition to simulating Mars mission conditions, the project also evaluated the use of various mobile science platforms, hand-held devices to determine temperature and composition of rocks, and cutting-edge video and data display technologies.
     The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory supported the BASALT project by hosting communication relay antennae in our observation tower. Several HVO staff members observed the operation over the course of the project and marveled at the complicated chain of decision-making that guided the astronauts' exploration, sampling, and documentation efforts.

     Hawaiian volcanoes have featured prominently in the training of American astronauts for decades. In the 1960s and 1970s, NASA used various locations on Kīlauea and the high slopes of Mauna Kea to teach Apollo astronauts volcanology and prepare them for what they might encounter on the surface of the Moon.

      From 2008 to 2012, international campaigns carried out on Mauna Kea tested methods of extracting oxygen and water from volcanic cinder. Since 2012, the Hawai'i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation, or HI-SEAS, program has conducted long-duration isolation missions in which crews spend up to a year inside a geodesic dome located at an elevation of 2,500 m (8,200 ft) on the slope of Mauna Loa.
      More than a century ago, HVO founder Thomas A. Jaggar enthusiastically promoted the active volcanoes of Hawai'i as a world-class scientific laboratory. While he may not have imagined Kīlauea as a training ground for future space explorers, he almost certainly would have approved. In fact, we expect he'd argue that the first astronaut to roam the surface of the Red Planet should be a volcanologist trained on the Island of Hawaiʻi!
      Prior to the BASALT program at Kīlauea Volcano, the NASA team conducted another simulated Mars landing in 2015 at the Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho.
     More recently, NASA, along with the University of Hawai'i and state-sponsored PISCES (Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems), has conducted experiments to advance the feasibility of long-term human habitation on Mars.
        The BASALT team hopes to return to Hawai'i in 2017 to repeat the mission in another area of Kīlauea to further refine their planning for eventual exploration of Mars, according to Volcano Watch.
     For more information on NASA's BASALT program, visit: https://spacescience.arc.nasa.gov/basalt/.
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Royden Okinishi and Dexter Lee are two of Ka`u's bow hunters who
travel the island to hunt. Photo by Alan Moores

ARCHERY 
HUNTERS FROM KA`U are expected to head over to the Pu`uanahulu Game Management in March. The hunting season opens Saturday, March 4 and continues on weekends and state holidays through Sunday, June 25.        

     The Department of Land and Natural Resources announced that the daily bag limit will be one pig of either sex, one male sheep (ram), and two goats (any sex) per hunter per day. These are also the season limits for each species. 

     Hunters will need to obtain 2017 ram and goat tags to legally hunt in this area. Tags may be obtained from any Hawai‘i island Division of Forestry and Wildlife office. Sheep and goat tag fees will be $10/ tag for residents and $25/tag for non-residents.
     Hunters must be in possession of an unused 2017 ram or goat tag to continue hunting in the area. The harvest tags will not be transferable and must be placed through the hind leg of the animal immediately after each kill. ATVs will be allowed in the area and must remain on designated roads. 

     ATVs will be allowed in the area and must remain on designated roads. 

     Report game law violations or any suspicious activity to the Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement at (808) 974-6208 in Hilo. After hours and on weekends and holidays, calls may be made toll-free to Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), enforcement at 643-DLNR (643-3567). The area may be closed to hunting and other public access at any time due to wildland fire or fire hazard.
     To accommodate other hunts, annual closure of the archery season in this GMA will be from July through February. Season length, bag limits, and hunting areas are those established in Title 13, Chapter 123, Rules Regulating Game Mammal Hunting.
     Further information may be obtained by contacting the Division of Forestry and Wildlife offices in Hilo at (808) 974-4232 or in Kamuela at (808) 887-6063.

www.kaucalendar.com

People & Land of Kahuku, Sun, Feb 19, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit. This free, guided, 2.5-mile, moderately difficult hike over rugged terrain focuses on the area’s human history. nps.gov/havo

The Art of Vocal Freedom, Sun, Feb 19, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Rebecca Folsom instructs. $50 plus $10 supply fee. 967-8222

Weave a Tī Leaf Lei, Wed, Feb 22, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Park rangers and staff from Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association instruct and provide materials. Free; park entrance fees apply.