Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, June 11, 2017

The winning catch at the Ulua Challenge was 86.2 lbs. pulled in by Brandon Rainey.
Photo by Dave Corigan/Big Island Video News

Ulua Challenge photo from
Tokigawa Store.

THE RESULTS ARE IN FOR THE ULUA CHALLENGE 2017, with the winning ulua - giant trevally - weighing 86.2 lbs., caught by Brandon Rainey. 

     Fishermen camped and used their sturdy poles from the cliffs of South Point and all along the Ka`u to the Puna shore for the annual competition that ended Sunday morning.

     Tokunaga Store owner and sponsor Mike Tokunaga told Big Island Video News that this year's tournament drew the most participants with hundreds pole fishing along the rugged coastline.

     In second place was an ulua 82.5 lbs. caught by Sean Farias. Third was 82.2 lbs. by Reuben Llanes, fourth was 75.9 lbs. by Bristan Savella. Fifth was 72 lbs. by Mel Hirayama. Sixth was 69.7 lbs. by Barry Sugimoto. Seventh was 69.2 lbs .by Waymne Cypriano. Eighth was 68.9 lbs. by Tyson Martinez. Ninth was 67.6 lbs. by Kelson Kihe and tenth was 66.1 lbs. by Kahana Ituaki.

Ulua Challenge Queen Cherokee Luker at the weigh in,
following a weekend of fishing for the giant
fish along the coast, particularly along the 80 miles of remote
shoreline in Ka`u.  Photo by Big Island Video News

    In the Omilo - bluefin trevally division, first was 20.4 lbs., caught by Harry Batalona. Second was 20 lbs. by David Llanes, third was 19.8 lbs. by Chat Kasonski, fourth was 19 lbs. by Joel Baptista, fifth was 18.7 lbs. by Ransen Fernandez. Sixth was 18.4 lbs. by H. Correa. seventh was 17.2 lbs. by Adrian Medallia. Eighth was 16.4 lbs. by Zyman Barawis. Ninth was 16.1 lbs. by Chris Llanes and tenth was 16.1 lbs. by Tommy Kasoga.

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THE 48TH ANNUAL KING KAMEHAMEHA LEI DRAPING ceremony took place today in Washington, D.C. today with Ka`u's Senator Mazie Hirono and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard on Hand.

King Kamehameha's legacy was one of unity
and servant leadership, said Gabbard.

     Gabbard spoke at the Emancipation Hall celebration, which honors King Kamehameha’s legacy of uniting the islands and establishing the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi in 1810. The 48th Annual Lei Draping Ceremony, hosted by the Hawaiʻi State Society, is held each June at the U.S. Capitol to coincide with King Kamehameha Day celebrations taking place throughout Hawaiʻi.  Hundreds of people attended, including Kauaʻi Mayor Bernard Carvalho, Hawaiʻi State Senate President Ron Kouchi, Office of Hawaiian Affairs Vice-Chair Dan Ahuna, and other state and local elected officials, and included performances by hula halaus from Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. 

     Said Gabbard,  “King Kamehameha’s legacy is one of unity and servant leadership. He brought people together in the face of great division, uniting the islands of Hawaiʻi for the first time. King Kamehameha was a leader ahead of his time who understood that true unity, in the end, could not be achieved at the tips of spears or by the muzzles of guns, but through dialogue, mutual respect, and working to understand common goals between people.”

      “What we learn from leaders like King Kamehameha is that we are at our best when we confront challenges together—when we set aside differences and unite. King Kamehameha was able to unify the islands of Hawaiʻi, not by creating a system that benefited a few, but by empowering many. These values still need to be protected and upheld today so that those who work hard have opportunities to succeed; that education and health care are not just for the privileged; that we serve as caretakers of our land and water for future generations; and that we treat others with aloha, love, and respect.”

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Sen. Mazie Hirono at Emancipation Hall today.
Photo from Office of Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

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Managing Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Tue, June 13, 7 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Ecologist David Benitez shares lessons learned since ROD was first identified in 2014 and discusses management of ROD within and beyond park boundaries. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Lei Hulu (Feather Lei Making) Demo, Wed, June 14, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Kilohana Domingo demonstrates his mastery of this Hawaiian art form. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Hawai‘i Cordage Plants, Thu, June 15, 10 – 11:30 a.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Linda Pratt discussed the botanical aspects, distribution and habitat of various species. Register at 967-8222. Free; register at 967-8222.

Family Reading Night, Thu, June 15, 5 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033

Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka‘ū, Thu, June 15, 5:30 p.m. 929-9731 or 936-7262

OVCA Board Meeting, Thu, June 15, 6 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033

www.kaucalendar.com

http://kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory_2017

Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, June 10, 2017

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory broadband-seismic stations located at the summit of Kīlauea have been
significantly upgraded over the past three years. During the upgrades, HVO field engineers (inset) complete
the wiring connections of the solar power and telemetry systems at each site, which are about 10 m (33 ft) from
the seismometer. The equipment is camouflaged to minimize its visual impact on the natural environment.
See story below. USGS photos.

DEREGULATING WALL STREET BANKS is of concern to Ka`u's Representative in the U.S. Congress. Tulsi Gabbard wrote today, "As the media cameras were trained on former FBI Director Comey's hearing on Thursday, followed by hours of panel discussions about the hearings, the Republican-led House of Representatives passed a sweeping bill deregulating Wall Street big banks. This bill, which threatens the economic security of the American people, barely got a mention, if it was even noticed at all. It's almost like they completely forgot about the Wall Street crash of 2008 and the people who suffered as a result."

A promotional title and tagline from the new bill to deregulate large banks
Image from U.S. House of Representatives

     Gabbard wrote that the people who haven't forgotten are the "more than 11 million Americans who lost their homes, the millions who lost their savings and pensions, and all those who lost their jobs. In Hawai`i between 2008 and 2010, our unemployment rate more than doubled - all as a result of greedy Wall Street banks who gambled heavily on the backs of the American people, all to benefit their pockets."

     The House member said that the Financial CHOICE Act that passed on Thursday "takes away the few protections that were in place, and deregulates the 'too big to fail' banks even more. It wipes out the Volcker Rule which prevents government-insured banks from certain risky speculative investments. It lowers the amount of capital that a bank is required to maintain, placing even more of a burden on the American people who these banks rely on to bail them out. It defangs the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's ability to regulate the big banks and payday lenders. The list goes on and on."

As You Sow states that the new bill would impair shareholders' rights
to file resolutions. Image from www.asyousow.org

     Gabbard contended that the "Dodd-Frank Act regulations on Wall Street banks put in place after the 2008 crash did not go far enough. They did not prevent these banks that were 'too big to fail' in 2008 from getting even bigger and more powerful today. It did not stop these banks from gambling on the backs of the American people. And it placed undue regulatory burdens on small, community banks, who were not the bad actors that caused the financial crisis."

    Gabbard declared that "We need to lessen the regulatory burden on our community banks, and strengthen restrictions and oversight of the big Wall Street banks to protect the American people from yet another economic crisis. It's why I'm pushing for the reinstatement of a stronger, 21st Century Glass-Steagall Act to separate regular commercial banking from risky investment practices."
    She asked for those interest to sign a petition and asked the quesiton: "Do you agree we need to break up big banks and reinstate a 21st Century Glass-Steagall Act? Add your name to my petition if you agree."

     "There is no shortage of issues vying for our attention, but we have to stay focused and fight to make sure bills like this do not become the law of the land. We cannot allow our country's leaders to bring us closer to the same reckless environment that caused the economic catastrophe in 2008," Gabbard concluded.
     Among other concerns by advocacy groups is the bill's change in the rights of shareholders and obligations of the company to the stockholders, as reported by www.asyousow.org.

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ULUA FISHERMEN ARE ALL OVER THE KA`U COAST, camping and putting out lines and bait for the Ulua Challenge 2017. The annual fishing contest sponsored by S. Tokunaga Store started on Friday, June 9 and ends tomorrow with a weigh-in and awards at 11 a.m. at the CIvic Auditorium in Hilo. However, fishermen and their friends have been staking out sites and camping for the competition for many days.
      The event often draws more than 600 fishermen and many participate in a barbless category. Education about conservation of marine resources is often part of the program. Last year the winning ulua weighed 117.2 lbs.

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AN UPGRADE OF SEISMIC STATIONS AT KILAUEA SUMMIT ARE COMPLETED, according to this week's Volcano Watch, written by scientists at Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. "Field engineers at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory recently completed a multi-year effort to upgrade a subset of seismic stations at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano.

     Starting in 2014, each of the stations was progressively upgraded with a new-generation broadband seismometer, solar-power system, radio, antenna, enclosure, and cabling. The new enclosures for the seismometers were designed with better insulation properties to buffer the effects of changing temperatures throughout the day.

     The latest upgrades are an important milestone for HVO. The stations ensure that Kīlauea will remain a productive laboratory for the advancement of volcano seismicity. They will also continue to improve our understanding of the complex magma plumbing system beneath volcano's summit area.

     HVO’s original seismometers were installed in 1994 as a year-long field test of "broadband" seismometers—digital sensors that are more sensitive over a much greater frequency range than are the short-period analog seismometers that were widely used at the time. But the 1994 broadband instruments were kept past the one-year test period, because they proved crucial for recording many types of earthquake and volcanic signals that scientists were able to analyze in new ways.

     Frequency is one way of describing the number of oscillations (peaks and troughs) of a seismic signal, typically measured in cycles per second, or Hertz (Hz). In volcano seismology, the dominant frequency of a seismic signal is related to different processes within the volcano.    

Kilauea Volcano where seismic stations have been upgraded.
USGS Photo

  For example, high frequency waves (greater than 1 Hz) recorded for normal earthquakes are typically related to slip on a fault. Low frequency waves (less than 1 Hz) for some earthquakes are related to the movement of magma or other mixtures of fluids and gases through fractures. 

     Broadband seismometers provide complete recordings of both high and low frequency waves coming from the volcano. The more commonly used short-period seismometers are tuned to record only high frequency waves.

      The movement of magma under Kīlauea generates a variety of low-frequency (often called Long-Period) and Very Long Period earthquakes with peak frequencies of 0.17 Hz or 60 seconds. The latter earthquakes, which can only be detected with broadband seismometers, were virtually invisible to the existing seismic network. The value of the dense broadband network became even more apparent when the summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u began in 2008.  

     In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was enacted by Congress and signed into law by the President. This provided resources for HVO to convert the mixed analog and digital monitoring network to an all-digital network—a first for a U.S. volcano observatory.  

Seismographs are stationed all over the island, but new
field-hardened computers and seismometers have been
installed at Kilauea. USGS image

  With ARRA funding, HVO purchased new field-hardened computers (called digitizers) to record seismic signals on-site and digital radios to transmit the data in real time to HVO. The digitizers significantly expanded the useful dynamic range of the original broadband network. This added capability was important for characterizing the mechanism that generates seismic signals associated with large rockfalls into the summit lava lake. Scientists also are using the expanded seismic signals to develop models of the short-term rise and fall of the lava lake surface related to the accumulation and release of volcanic gas in the uppermost part of the lava lake.

     It became clear in about 2011 that the harsh environmental conditions in Kīlauea’s summit caldera were taking a toll on the aging seismometers. The instruments were corroding inside and outside, leading to inconsistent measurements of ground shaking. Some sensors were failing. So, starting in 2014, HVO placed a high priority on improving the summit broadband network, and the stations were upgraded in phases as resources allowed.

     This upgraded network reflects state-of-the-art earthquake monitoring, and offers volcano seismologists a more powerful tool to investigate processes that cause ground shaking at Kīlauea. This in turn supports advances in our understanding of the volcano’s magma plumbing system, eruptive activity, and hazards. 

      For additional information about HVO’s broadband seismic network, please see the 2011 Volcano Watch article: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/hvo_volcano_watch.html?vwid=81. A former HVO seismologist describes highlights of recent research on Kīlauea seismic activity in a video presentation, “Several flavors of seismogenic magma movement under Kīlauea Volcano,” posted at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD4D607C2FA317E6D.

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www.kaucalendar.com

‘Ōhi‘a Lehua, Sun, June 11, 9:30 – 11 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Learn about the vital role of ‘ōhi‘a lehua in native Hawaiian forests, the many forms of the ‘ōhi‘a tree and its flower on this free, easy, one-mile walk.

Medicine for the Mind, Sun, June 11, 4 – 5:45 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Buddhist healing meditation for beginners through advanced. Free. Patty, 985-7470

Managing Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Tue, June 13, 7 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Ecologist David Benitez shares lessons learned since ROD was first identified in 2014 and discusses management of ROD within and beyond park boundaries. Free; park entrance fees apply.

http://kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory_2017

Ka`u News Briefs Friday, June 9, 2017

Gov. David Ige today released this image and vowed to continue to align Hawai`i with the Paris Accords.
Image from Gov. David Ige

"PRESIDENT TRUMP MAY NOT THINK OUR CLIMATE IS WORTH PROTECTING, but we know better," said Gov. David Ige in a statement this evening. "We're not going to rest on our laurels when the future of our plant is at stake," he said. Ige called it "my great privilege to make Hawai`i the first U.S. state to officially align with the Paris Climate Accords. By signing into law S.B. 559 and H.B. 1578, we have made a bold statement to the world that Hawai`i will stand up[ for climate science, for our keiki and for children everywhere. On Tuesday, Ige signed SB 559 (Act 032) which expands strategies and mechanisms to reduce greenhouse gas emissions statewide. He also signed HB 1578 (Act 033) which establishes the Carbon Farming Task Force within the Office of Planning.

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FORMER FBI CHIEF JAMES COMEY'S testimony before the U.S. Senate Thursday drew a response from Ka`u's Senator, Mazie Hirono who observed the hearing along with her Special Counsel Jeremy Paris and reporter from HBO's Vice News.
      She later released a statement saying: "Yesterday, James Comey spoke a powerful truth when he called the Trump administration’s reasons for firing him 'lies, plain and simple.' We deserve leaders who believe in fundamental American values, like truth, and democracy that is free from foreign interference. Those shared values define who we are as a nation. And we have a right to know that violations of those values will be investigated fully, and without obstruction.

Hirono observed the Comey testimony with her counsel and Vice News.
Image from Vice News See www.facebook.com/senatorhirono/

     "The Trump administration has made every attempt to slow and misdirect any investigation into their improper relations with Russia. And since Election Day, it has only gotten worse:
     "In January, the FBI, NSA, and CIA concurred that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates warned the White House that Mike Flynn lied about his contacts with Russia. She was later fired.
      "In February, amid controversy, Flynn resigned.
      "In March, Trump’s Attorney General, Jeff Sessions was forced to recuse himself from the Flynn investigation after it was revealed that he too misled the American public about his own meetings with Russia.
      "In May, Trump fired FBI Director James Comey - in the middle of Comey’s investigation of Trump’s Russia ties. Trump then held a meeting in the Oval Office, where he excluded the American press and disclosed classified intel to Russian operatives.
      "In June, Donald Trump’s personal attorney tried to discredit Director Comey’s testimony by falsely accusing him of leaking classified information to the press.

Sen. Mazie Hirono speaking at the American Constitution Society for
Law and Policy today. 

       "It’s clear from Comey’s hearing," said Hirono, that this is just the tip of the iceberg and that much more is left to come. I will do everything in my power to make sure the American people know the truth, and bring this administration’s wrongdoing to light -- but I need your help."

     Hirono, who has announced she will run for reelection, said, "More than ever, we need to have representatives in the Senate who will stand up to the Trump administration's attacks on our democracy."
     She took her own story of her immigration to the U.S. and her work on Capitol Hill to a speech today before the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy.

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CHERYL KA`UHANE LUPENUI will become the president and chief executive officer of the Kohala Center, effective July 3. The Kohala Center has numerous projects around the island including education and business development for Ka`u Coffee farmers.
     "Lupenui brings strong leadership skills, depth and breadth of work experience, and impressive team-building experience to The Kohala Center," said Roberta Chu, chairperson of The Center's board of directors. "It became very clear during the selection process that The Center and its management team would continue to develop and flourish under her leadership. Her thoughtfulness, energy, and enthusiasm are inspiring and will propel our efforts to new heights."

Cheryl Kauhane Lupenui will be the new
President And CEO of Kohala Center.

       For the past five years Lupenui has been the founder and principal of The Leader Project, a business that sources from Hawaiian and Western models to develop leadership capacity throughout organizations. Spanning multiple sectors such as transportation, education, health, human services, and public safety, her practice is based on building place-based leadership where all group members share the responsibility of leading and following.
    She holds a Masters of Business Administration with a concentration in marketing, management, and finance from Tulane University, and a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. Over the course of her 30-year career, Lupenui has developed a multidisciplinary skillset that includes business and program development, systems-level policy making, capital improvement project planning and management, fund raising, community engagement, and strategy and leadership development.
    Her career started as a business development associate at one of Hawai'i's largest businesses, but her entrepreneurial spirit soon guided her to open a restaurant that promoted sustainable agriculture by serving healthy meals made with locally grown produce. Lupenui's restaurant management experience led her to the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) of O'ahu, where just four years later she became the organization's chief executive officer—the youngest in its history and the first of Native Hawaiian descent. During her 10-year tenure as CEO she helped launch a re-branding effort, a $12 million capital campaign to renovate Laniākea, the organization's historic downtown facility, and an $8 million campaign to expand transitional housing for women and fitness and meeting facilities for the community. 

     At the same time she started The Leader Project, Lupenui was appointed by the Governor to the Hawai'i Board of Education (BOE) for a four-year term. While there she helped develop a new BOE/Department of Education Strategic Plan and several policies that created the Office of Hawaiian Education, Office of Community Engagement, and Nā Hopena A'o, or HĀ (breath), a set of system-wide learning outcomes for the Hawai'i Department of Education grounded in Native Hawaiian culture.

     "My work in recent years has focused on seeing place, culture, community, and leadership as a whole ecosystem," Lupenui said. "The Kohala Center is rich with these same elements that can guide our islands in policy and practice. Following a path to Kohala continues my journey emerging from single practitioner to a community of practice. I see a team of bold leaders making a positive impact and transmitting their stories to guide and strengthen each generation that follows."

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SMOKE DETECTOR SOLICITATIONS FOR INSPECTIONS AND INSTALLATIONS may be a

Fire Chief Darren Rosario

scam, according to Hawai`i County Fire Chief Darren Rosario. He said the Fire Department has received numerous complaints of offers of free smoke detector inspections and battery replacement, with the sales people attempting to sell new systems and claiming approvals by the Fire Department.
     "The Hawai‘i County Fire Department would like to stress that the Department has not promised any individual or company with an support or approval for smoke detector inspections on behalf of the Fire Department," said the chief. He advised that anyone approach ask the solicitor for identification and to cll the Hawi`i County Fire Department at 932-2900 Mondays through Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m, and at  961-8336 after hours and on weekends.

    He also suggested reporting the solicitors drivers license number and any id information.

     The Hawai‘i County Fire Department does have a smoke detector installation program

for select population demographics. "Hawai‘i County Fire Department personnel will always be
in their Hawai‘i County Fire Department uniform and arrive in an Official Hawai‘i County Fire
Department vehicle," said Rosario.

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VETERANS ARE INVITED TO OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY CENTER on Thursdays between 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Dave Willard, Director of the Kona Veterans Center, covers West Hawai`i for military veterans from Kohala to Na`alehu. The Thursday sessions help veterans connect with services. A licensed Mental Health and Substance Abuse Counselor, along with Rick Ruchty, outreach counselor and Army Veteran regularly meet with vets at the Ocean View Community Center.

     Willard is a 22-year veteran of the Air Force, whose primary objective is to reach out to vets and their families to help provide them with health care options, assist them in filing disability claims, and connect them with possible VA home loans, Counseling and other services.
     No appointments are necessary. Anyone with questions can call 329-0575 open Monday, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Thursdays and Fridays, 7 a.m. to 4:30p.m. Calls are also taken on the secon Saturday of each month, 7a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
     The outreach comes from the VA’s Readjustment Counseling Services with a primary task of helping combat veterans re-adjust when they come home. "Since there are so few Veterans services available, we help all vets," said Willard.

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Pancake Breakfast, Sat, June 10, 8 – 11 a.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033

Atlas Recycling at South Point U-Cart, Sat, June 10, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Lampworking, Sat/Sun, June 10 and 11, 1 – 3 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. An introductory, two-session class taught by Nash Adams-Pruitt is designed for students who have never touched a torch. 967-8222

Jazz in the Forest, Sat, June 10, 4:30 & 7:30 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Two performances feature Jean Pierre Thoma & The Jazztones.

Kanikapila, Sat, June 10 & 24, 6 – 9 p.m., Nā‘ālehu Methodist Church Hall. Acoustic instruments, drums, singers & dancers welcome. Desmond, 937-6305

www.kaucalendar.com

‘Ōhi‘a Lehua, Sun, June 11, 9:30 – 11 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Learn about the vital role of ‘ōhi‘a lehua in native Hawaiian forests, the many forms of the ‘ōhi‘a tree and its flower on this free, easy, one-mile walk.

Medicine for the Mind, Sun, June 11, 4 – 5:45 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Buddhist healing meditation for beginners through advanced. Free. Patty, 985-7470

Managing Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Tue, June 13, 7 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Ecologist David Benitez shares lessons learned since ROD was first identified in 2014 and discusses management of ROD within and beyond park boundaries. Free; park entrance fees apply.

http://kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory_2017