The Kaʻū Calendar News Briefs, Hawaiʻi Island

Tuesday, September 06, 2022

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022

Hīlea Bridge was one of two remaining timber bridges in the state Department of Transportation system. With its recent
replacement, stories and history are wanted for a permanent public display, with a talk story session at the OKK
Wednesday market in Nā'ālehu Sept. 7. Photo from Hawai'i State Archives

HOW TO TELL THE STORY OF THE HISTORIC NINOLE AND HILEA BRIDGES, which were recently removed from Hwy 11 near Punalu'u, is the subject of public outreach at the O Kaʻū Kakou Nā'ālehu Market this Wednesday, Sept. 7 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The talk-story booth is sponsored by Federal Highway Administration, state Department of Transportation and state Historic Preservation Office. The plan is to create a permanent display at Nā'ālehu and Pāhala Public Libraries on the history of the bridges and surrounding lands .

Historic Nīnole Stream Bridge, recently replaced, is subject of information
gathering on its stories and its history. Photo from Honolulu Magazine

Honolulu Magazine in 2016 described Nīnole Stream Bridge as "one of the last remaining timber bridges in the Hawai'i state highway system, according to the State Historic Preservation Division’s files. Built in 1940 by engineer William R. Bartels, the 60-foot historic bridge carries Mamalahoa Highway over Ninole Stream. Though 76 years old, its wooden columns and railings remain structurally sound, but it’s not wide enough for modern transportation needs and does not match other bridges in the system."
A suggestion in the story was to build the temporary bridge that carried cars during construction, as the permanent replacement. The original bridge could have been preserved for pedestrians and bicyclists.
For Hīlea Bridge, the application before the state Department of Land & Natural Resources for it replacement called it "one of two remaining timber bridges in the Hawai'i State Highway System, representing a rare example of historic bridge type."
With both bridges now gone, the agencies will bring to the Wednesday Market their Outline of Contents Materials regarding the proposed display on the two historic bridges and the history of the surrounding area. Kristen Nishimura will be on hand at the booth to collect input from community members, including preferences for interpretive display content and any anecdotes or historical information that could help inform the contents of the display.
The Federal Highway Administration signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the state Historic Preservation Office, under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act to produce the displays "because the replacement bridges required demolition of the existing historic bridges," according to a community outreach message from FHWA.

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AN M4 QUAKE THAT SHOOK PĀHALA MONDAY, BUT DIDN'T SEEM TO RATTLE RESIDENTS, was located 7 miles northeast of the village at 2:23 p.m. The depth was 20 miles and fewer than 100 people reported to USGS that they felt it within an hour after the quake. No one reported damage. The seismic swarm, ongoing around and through Pahala since 2019, spawned the quake, said USGS.

Taking dentistry and a sealants program to the schools is a
mission planned for the 2022-2023 school year.
Photo from Hawai Keiki-HDS Dental Sealant Program

HAWAI'I CHILDREN HAVE AMONG THE HIGHEST RATES OF DENTAL DECAY in the nation, and will be assisted in public schools by a dental exam and sealants program for the 2022-2023 school year. The state Department of Health reported that 71 percent of the state’s third graders experience tooth decay and that 7 percent of keiki needed urgent dental care, compared with the national rate of 1 percent.
The Hawai'i Keiki-HDS Dental Sealant Program will provide free in-school dental screenings and dental sealants to children at high-need Title I public elementary schools, including those in Pāhala and Nā'ālehu. A $133,447 grant from Hawai'i Dental Foundation will support the effort, which screened 653 children at 28 schools in 2021. Two-thirds of them received dental sealants at no cost. The screenings also identified 31 children who required urgent dental care.
The program is part of Hawai‘i Keiki: Healthy & Ready to Learn, a partnership between University of Hawai'i at Manoa’s Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing and state Department of Education. The partnership’s mission is to keep children healthy and ready to learn by providing access to school nursing services in Hawai'i public schools.

Dentists, oral hygienists and other professionals
take their skills to schools across the state.
Photo from Hawai Keiki-HDS Dental Sealant Program

Deborah Mattheus, Hawai'i Keiki HDS Dental Sealant Program director, said, “The schools and parents just love this program because we are providing safe and effective sealants to prevent future cavities. In addition to sealing teeth, we are screening students for urgent dental conditions and making referrals to get them immediate care. It is hard to learn if you have sore teeth. We are also teaching the kids about the importance of brushing and flossing daily.”

See September issue of The Kaʻū Calendar
at www.kaucalendar.com, and in the
mail - Volcano, Kaʻū to South Kona.

Monday, September 05, 2022

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Monday, Sept. 5, 2022

An all electric seaglider could be serving Hilo, Kona and other ports in Hawai'i as early as 2025.
Image from REGENT

TIMELY INTERISLAND AND COASTAL TRAVEL VIA SEAGLIDER is planned by Mokulele Airlines, Hawaiian Electric's Pacific Current company, and REGENT, the manufacturer of an all-electric futuristic "flying boat." The new mode of transportation is described as half the cost of aircraft and traveling six time faster than ferries. The technology combines boating, gliding and low-altitude flying and could see its first launch in Hawai'i as early as 2025. A map of proposed flights shows arrival docks in Kona and Hilo.

According to REGENT, the manufacturer "is pioneering the future of sustainable maritime mobility." It describes seaglider as "a new category of electric vehicle that operates exclusively over the water that will drastically reduce the time and cost of moving people and goods between coastal cities. Seagliders will service routes up to 180 miles with existing battery technology and up to 500 miles with next-generation batteries, via existing dock infrastructure."

The seaglider manufacturer's name REGENT stands for Regional Electric Ground Effect Nautical Transport. It recently received design certification from Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, a Paris-based

global classification society that provides third-party technical assessments and approvals. The certified model is a 12-passenger, fully electric, seaglider called the Viceroy. According to REGENT, future seagliders could carry up to 50 passengers.

Billy Thalheimer, co-founder and CEO of REGENT, said certification has been the culmination of nearly a year-long process of discussions between REGENT and Bureau Veritas. “This certification milestone is an extremely important moment for the seagliders’ design and technical maturity and is a significant step forward to enabling seaglider operations in locations throughout the world, possibly starting in Hawai‘i. It is the first major outcome of our maritime certification process.”
Thalheimer said, “REGENT and Bureau Veritas engineers have reviewed every detail of the seagliders, covering the vehicle’s structure, mechanical systems, avionics, propulsion, and safety systems."
The certification milestone from Bureau Veritas — called an Approval in Principle (AiP) —establishes seaglider’s classification as a wing-in-ground effect (WIG) maritime vessel and clears the path to begin commercial seaglider operations. WIG refers to airflow created by the vehicle’s wings and surface of the ocean that allows seagliders to travel smoothly above the water.
The next step toward commercial production is design appraisal, with technical studies underway, said the statement from REGENT. The company also seeks a Design Basis Agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard, which it expects this fall. The AiP and DBA form a classification and certification basis with both Bureau Veritas and the U.S. Coast Guard, similar to the G-1 and G-2 issue paper used in FAA aircraft certification.

The electric seaglider would cost half as much as an aircraft and
travel six times faster than a ferry, says its manufacturer.
Photo from REGENT

REGENT announced that it has booked $7 billion in provisional orders for seagliders from ferry and aviation operators, worldwide, including Mokulele Airlines, which plans to launch the local network with Viceroy seagliders.
For more, visit regentcraft.com or follow REGENT on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
Bureau Veritas, based in Paris, is a world leader in laboratory testing, inspection and certification services. Created in 1828, it has more than 82,000 employees in more than 1,500 offices and laboratories around the globe. The REGENT statement said Bureau Veritas helps clients improve performance by offering services and innovative solutions "in order to ensure that their assets, products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environmental protection and social responsibility."
Bureau Veritas is listed on Euronext Paris and belongs to the Next 20 index. Compartment A, ISIN code FR 0006174348, stock symbol: BVI. For more, visit bureauveritas.com.

LABOR DAY DREW COMMENTS FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO REPRESENT KA'Ū and beyond. U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono said, “On Labor Day, we honor working people in Hawai'i and across the country who keep our communities and our economy running. Workers have helped keep us healthy, fed and safe over the past two and a half years, and as we continue to rebuild from COVID-19, they are central to our economic recovery.

"Working people play an essential role in our society, and far too many are still treated without the

dignity and respect they deserve. That’s why I will continue to fight for safe working conditions, livable wages, fair contracts and more. It’s also why I’m working to pass legislation to protect and strengthen workers’ fundamental right to organize, bills like the PRO Act and my effort to organize public sector workers. All people deserve to be able to work and live in dignity, and I’ll never stop fighting to help ensure they can.”

Hirono's Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2021 would expand labor protections related to employees’ rights to organize and collectively bargain in the workplace. In 2019, Hirono introduced legislation to strengthen rights for public employees to organize, act concertedly, and bargain collectively "in states that do not afford these basic protections," said a statement from her office.

Sugar workers in Kaʻū and around the state built the labor
movement in Hawai'i. Photo from HPR/ Hawai' State Archives

U.S. SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ reported that he attended union picnics on Saturday to celebrate Labor Day.

"It was great to meet with local union leaders yesterday at Hawaiʻi’s Labor Unity Picnic. I’m so grateful for the work they do, and I’ll always stand shoulder to shoulder with unions."

KA'Ū'S REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS, KAI KAHELE, said, "Mahalo nui loa to all the hardworking individuals here in Hawaiʻi and across the U.S.! We recognize your tireless efforts and celebrate all you do to lift our families and communities everyday. Wishing everyone a safe and healthy #LaborDay."

GOV. DAVID IGE SAID, "Hawai‘i was built by working families. This labor day I'm grateful for the many hardworking individuals of Hawai‘i, today and every day we thank you for everything you do for our state.

FORMER HAWAI'I STATE SENATE LEADER AND FOUNDER OF HAWAI'I ALLIANCE FOR PROGRESSIVE ACTION, Gary Hooser, has released commentary regarding the upcoming Hawai'i Legislature, saying "It's time to pivot to policy."
Hooser noted that "Mail-in voting for the general election begins around October 20th, with votes counted on November 8th. The 2023 legislative session opens on January 18th. Subtract out major holidays - and you can see there are not a whole lot of days left to prepare for the session."

HAPA President Gary Hooser gives recommendations
for cleaning up elections. Photo from HAPA

He wrote that "issues and proposals around ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance reform will hopefully be at the top of the 2023 legislative agenda. I'm cautiously optimistic that the recommendations due on December 2 from the Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct (CISC) will include the strong specific legislative proposals needed to help clean up our government, disempower the lobbying class, and level the playing field for candidates."
Hooser noted, "The Commission was initiated and established by the State House of Representatives in response to a federal investigation that's put two legislators in prison for accepting bribes. Its purpose is to review and assess existing state laws and rules and provide recommendations to further the goals of the Code of Ethics, lobbying laws, campaign finance laws, and other applicable laws..."
Hooser said he attended via Zoom a few of the Commission meetings and has been "impressed with the quality discussion and earnestness expressed by Chair Judge Daniel R. Foley (retired) and the various Commission members. The Commission continues to discuss and consider a long list of issues and proposals. They are actively seeking additional public input."
Hooser provided a list of proposals for consideration by the Commission that would:

Allow voters to decide whether or not to establish term limits for State legislators. Legislators in 15 other states including California are term-limited.
Establish a publicly fully funded election program providing qualified candidates sufficient means to run credible campaigns. He said that Maine and Arizona both have established "successful programs that can serve as models."

Require the legislature to comply with the state constitution Article III – Section 12 which says: "Every meeting of a committee in either house or of a committee comprised of a member or members of both houses held for the purpose of making a decision on matters referred to the committee shall be open to the public." Hooser said, "In other words ban backroom secret meetings that now occur in both the conference committee process and in regular committee meetings."
Require recorded votes by committee members for every decision impacting bills referred to their committee. "Remove the unilateral power of the Chair replacing it with rules making it clear that the Chair may make decision recommendations, but all decisions are validated and made public by a recorded vote of committee members. The current practice of allowing the Chair to kill bills, behind closed doors, without a vote, violates the core principles of our democracy and is inherently corrupt," said Hooser.

Require all elected officials holding a State or County office to disclose all outside income. "This disclosure shall include the specific source of the income, the amount of income received, and the service provided in return for that income. This should include client/consultant income from LLCs owned in whole or part by the elected official, and include income from legal clients of those elected officials who are also private attorneys," recommended Hooser. Restrict the use of campaign funds for use only in the campaign cycle they are donated in, and only for activities directly related to that campaign. "This means no hoarding of funds, and stopping the practice of using campaign funds as a general slush fund for non-campaign-related purposes," said Hooser.
Hoover offered "other important but less systemic in nature initiatives" that would:
Ban the acceptance or solicitation of campaign contributions during the legislative session. He noted that

28 other states place restrictions on giving and receiving campaign contributions during the legislative session.
Ban all campaign contributions from corporations and registered lobbyists. Hooser noted that 22 other states completely prohibit corporations from contributing to political campaigns.
Reduce the maximum campaign contribution to $500.
Hooser encouraged citizens to email the Commission at standardsofconduct@capitol.hawaii.gov. He noted that all comments and testimony are placed on their webpage and available for public review. "This is important. I truly believe the CISC Commission is taking its job seriously and will do the right thing, but strong and broad-based public input is an essential element of making this happen," wrote Hooser.

See the September Kaʻū Calendar
at www.kaucalendar.com, and in the
mail - Volcano, Kaʻū to South Kona.

Sunday, September 04, 2022

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022

Intermittent programs to remove junk cars in Kaʻū have focused on Ocean View, with Robyn and David Baglow providing a
staging area along Hwy 11 for pickup more than a decade ago, and the county program in 2021 staging an area at
Ocean View Community Center.

DERELICT VEHICLES COULD BE REMOVED FREE OF CHARGE, under a new bill proposed by County Councilman Kaneali'i-Klienfelder to get junk cars off the landscape around the island. It would also help to reduce the number of cars abandoned on roadsides - more than 1,700 islandwide in 2021. Funding would come from the vehicle registration fee that already includes a cost of disposal. The bill will be discussed Tuesday at the 9:30 a.m. meeting of the Committee on Regenerative Agriculture, Water, Energy & Environmental Management.

County of Hawai'i organized a junk car pickup in 2021
in 2021 with staging at Ocean View Community Center.

The councilman's proposal notes that disposing cars before they are abandoned on the side of the road, would save county resources. When an abandoned car is found, Hawai'i Police Department attempts to find out who owns it, the county pays for the towing, and the owner, if found, faces a small fine compared to the cost of towing and disposal. The Department of Environmental Management also spends time inspecting abandoned cars on the road and takes care them in order to ensure they don't pollute the road ways, dripping fluids, while being towed.
The measure before the Council, Bill No 200, would create a "Vehicle Disposal Assistance Program that would allow a property owner or registered vehicle owner to apply for the removal of the abandoned or derelict vehicle," says the County Council notice on the meeting. Live stream of County Council Committee Meetings can be watched at http://hawaiicounty.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view id=l.
A number of programs over the years have put a dent in junk cars scattered across Kaʻū. More than a decade ago, Robyn and David Baglow provided a staging area just off Hwy 11 for junk car pick up in Ocean View. Last year the county organized a pickup at Ocean View Community Center.

Kaʻū Girls Varsity Volleyball team members are: Back row # 8 Jazmyn Navarro; # 3 Precious Mareko-Ke; # 28 Kyia Hashimoto; # 4 Kamalyn Jara; # 5 Shaylie Martinez; Head Coach Joshua Ortega. In front row are: Assistant Coach Kamalani Fujikawa; # 2 Leahi Kaupu; # 7 Jessa Mae Tamayo; # 6 Jaydah Pilanca-Emmsley; # 1 Tehani-Mae Espejo-Navarro; and # 9 Halia Tayamen.

GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL TROJAN VOLLEYBALL TEAM is back from a three-day Labor Day Classic Invitational tournament at Kamehameha Schools in Kea'au from Thursday through Saturday. Twenty-seven teams from around the state, California and Oregon joined in.

Kaʻū Trojan girls warm up before winning their game. Photo by Julia Neal

Kaʻū Volleyball Coach Josh Ortega with is
winning team behind him. Photo by Julia Neal

In early season games, the Trojans beat Kea'au on Friday, Aug. 26. Leahi Kaupu posted 12 Kills and 3 Aces; Precious Mareko-Ke delivered 5 Kills and 5 Aces; Jaydah Pilanca-Emmsley scored 4 Kills and 1 Ace; Tehani-Mae Espejo-Navarro delivered 2 kills and 6 Aces; and Shaylie Martinez and Kya Hashimoto each recorded 1 Kill. The sets were 25-20, 25-15 and 25-20 to make the Trojans the winning team.
Last Tuesday, Aug. 30, the Trojans took down Christian Liberty academy 25-10, 25-21 and 25-17. Leahi Kaupu managed 13 Kills and 6 Aces; Tehani-Mae Espejo-Navarro nailed 6 Kills and 2 Aces; Jaydah Pilanca-Emmsley pounded 4 Kills and 4 Aces; Kyia Hashimoto provided 4 Kills; Jazmyn Navarro delivered 3 Kills and 1 Ace; Kamalyn Jara scored 1 kill and 1 Ace.
The Trojans head for Honoka'a this Tuesday, Sept. 6 with a start time of 6 p.m. for JV, followed by Varsity competition. The next girls home volleyball event is this Thursday, Sept. 8 against St. Joseph at Kaʻū District Gym, with JV play at 5 p.m. and Varsity at 6 p.m. On Friday, the Trojans stay home again to host Hilo High, with a 5 p.m. start for JV and 6 p.m for Varsity.

Kaʻū Girls Varsity Volleyball team members are: Back row Back rowAssistant Coach Kamalani Fujikawa; # 15 Aubrey-Ann Delos Santos-Graig; # 24 Taijah Beck; # 20 Kalesha Hashimoto; # 11 Alajshae Barrios; # 10 McKenzie Decoito; and Head Coach Joshua Ortega. In the Front row are: # 21 Zaela Malia Kainoa Haili-Barawis; # 18 Ha'ale'a Freitas Hashimoto; # 22 Waileia Kainoa Haili-Barawis; # 25 Cherish Gravela-Mareko and # 12 Tyra Wong Yuen.

HAWAI'I IS THE 15TH HARDEST WORKING STATE, according to a report released for Labor Day Weekend by WalletHub, which names people of North Dakota as the hardest working, followed by Alaska, Nebraska and South Dakota.

In order to determine where Americans work the hardest, WalletHub compared the 50 states across ten key metrics. The data set ranges from average workweek hours to share of workers with multiple jobs to annual volunteer hours per resident.
Hawai'i ranked 23rd in average workweek hours, 12 in average commute time, 10th in share of workers with multiple jobs and 11th in average leisure time spent per day.
WalletHub reports on a World Economic Forum's analysis showing that Americans worked an average of almost 1,800 hours last year, which is "442 hours per year more than Germans work, but 337 fewer than Mexicans do."
Americans also forfeited an average of 4.6 days of unused time off. "While leaving vacation time on the table may seem strange to some people, there are plenty of reasons why workers choose to do so. Some fear that if they take time off they will look less dedicated to the job than other employees, risking a layoff. Others worry about falling behind on their work or are concerned that the normal workflow will not be able to function without them," stated WalletHub.
See the study at https://wallethub.com/edu/hardest-wor king-states-in-america/52400