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Sunday, February 25, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs Feb. 24, 2024

Kaʻū Rural Health Community Association is asking for public testimony to support a three year community health worker pilot program for Kaʻū. Representatives attended a health fair at Nāʻālehu School Gym on Saturday. Photo by Ophir Danenberg

REP. JEANNE KAPELA MET WITH HEALTH AND SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS and the public at Nāʻālehu School Gym on Saturday. Among presenters was Kaʻū Rural Health Community Association and its founder Jessie Marques. The KRHCA team asked for public support of a bill before the Hawai'i
Rep. Jeanné Kapela and Miss Kona Coffee's
 Teen, Taira Aoki, at Nāʻālehu on Saturday.
Photo by Ophir Danenberg
Legislature, Senate Bill 2483, which would direct the state Department of Health to launch a three year community health worker pilot program in Kaʻū. Testimony can be submitted through the Hawai'i Legislature's website www.capitol.hawaii.gov.
    The summary of the Kaʻū pilot health care worker bills says the program would "provide outreach, education, training, and navigation to individuals residing in Kaʻū" and "address social determinants of health, by a community health worker."
    The text in the bill says that "The legislature finds that community health workers connect rural, underserved communities with health care, prevention, outreach and training. Often serving in rural underserved communities, community health workers spend a significant portion of their time doing telehealth and behavioral health, outreach such as assisting individuals to apply for medical insurance, providing health education resources, and locating work opportunities. Other community health workers may serve as translators, assisting their communities to navigate health care and social service systems."
    The language describes community health care workers as "a critical intermediary between residents and health care and social services," with "a unique understanding of their community needs and accessibility to services."
    During the pilot program, community health workers would promote health awareness, disease prevention and healthy lifestyle practices, along with info on health care services, resources and programs. "Community health care workers shall demonstrate cultural sensitivity and competence in their interactions with diverse populations within their community."
Sarah Kamibayashi, head librarian for Pāhala and Nāʻālehu, right, supports
health care education initiatives through the library system along with library staff
member Maelene Kaapana. Photo by Ophir Danenberg
    Kapela said rural communities like Kaʻū need to come together for needed funding from the legislature, particularly given the overwhelming  need among victims of last year's Lahaina fire and the COVID disasters. She said places like Kaʻū, which has its own needs, could be overshadowed by funding for disasters.
    Hawai'i Island Community Health Center and Hawai'i Public Health Institute focused on House Bill 1778, which would ban the sale of flavored tobacco products and mislabeled e-liquid products that contain nicotine. The bill is making its way through the 2024 Hawai'i Legislature. Miss Kona Coffee's Teen, Taira Aoki, talked about the challenge of reducing vaping among young people. Kapela is co-author of the bill.
    Concerning dental health, Kapela said she appreciated an organization supporting dental health distributing 500 oral health packs with toothbrushes, floss and toothpaste going to attendees and to Nāʻālehu School.
     Kaʻū Public Librarians were on hand to discuss a new initiative to support health care education through the libraries in Pāhala, Nāʻālehu and beyond. The program trains and employs high school and undergraduate students to be health and digital navigators in their local libraries to help individuals and families learn how to use computers and the internet to access information on health and health care.
     Common Cause was also represented at the health fair and promoted Bill 2381 at the legislature. Its Program Manager Camron Hurt said the legislation would establish a comprehensive system of public financing for all candidates seeking election to state and county public offices in the State of Hawaiʻi, to begin with the 2028 general election year. He said it would provide funding for election campaigns and would help to reduce the amount of "dark money" used in running for office. The bill is co-authored by Kaʻū's state Senator Dru Kanuha. For more, see https://www.commoncause.org/hawaii/.


HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE MONTH IS THE FOCUS OF VOLCANO WATCH, the weekly column from scientists and affiliates of USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is written by Research Corporation of the University of Hawai‘i geologist Katie Mulliken with HVO volunteer and naturalist Bobby Camara. This article was translated from English into ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi by Nakamakanikolonahe Obrero.
     He ʻatikala puka pule me nā nūhou ʻīnana ʻo Kiaʻi Lua Pele i kākau ʻia e nā akeakamai o U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory a me kona mau hoa kākoʻo. Kākau ʻia maila kēia pukana ʻatikala e ke kanaka hulihonua ʻo Katie Mulliken a me ke kanaka puni ao kūlohelohe ʻo Bobby Camara.
     February is ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, Hawaiian Language Month, and an opportunity to appreciate the value that the Native Hawaiian language has provided to volcanology, especially here in Hawaiʻi nei.
    ʻO Pepeluali ka Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, a he manawa kūpono ia e mahalo aku ai ka waiwai na ka ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi i hoʻolako i ke kālaipele, ʻoi loa aku ma Hawaiʻi nei.
This photo of Wahinekapu (Steaming Bluff) in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park depicts māhu (steam) draping the pali during strong trade winds after heavy rain.  While the bluff is Wahinekapu, the grass-covered flat area is Kūkamāhuākea (the broad place where steam rises). USGS photo. Hōʻike kēia kiʻi o Wahinekapu ma ka pāka aupuni ʻo Kīlauea i ka māhu e kōheoheo ana i ka pali ma ka wā e pā ikaika ana ka makani kamaʻāina ma hope o ka ua loku. ʻO Wahinekapu kahi o ka pali, a ʻo ka ʻāina mauʻu pālahalaha ʻo Kūkamāhuākea. He kiʻi na USGS. 





    The ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi alphabet consists of twelve letters, along with two diacritical marks that indicate pronunciation. The ʻokina (glottal stop) appears like a backwards apostrophe and is treated like a consonant, while kahakō (macrons) appear as a line over vowels, indicating a long vowel pronunciation. Both ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi and English are the official languages of the State of Hawaii.
    He ʻumikūmālua huapala ma ka pīʻāpā Hawaiʻi, me nā maka puana ʻelua e hōʻike ai i ka puana pololei. ʻO ka ʻokina, he kohu koma luna i huli ʻokoʻa lā me ka hoʻohana ʻia ʻana ma ke ʻano he koneka, a ʻo ke kahakō, he kohu laina pololei i luna o nā woela e hōʻike ana ka puana woela lōʻihi. ʻO ka ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi a me ka ʻŌlelo Pelekānia pū nā ʻōlelo kūhelu o ka mokuʻāina o Hawaiʻi.
    Native Hawaiians were the first observers of volcanic activity in Hawaiʻi and used words for geologic features that science communities continue to apply today. Volcanologists around the world use pāhoehoe, ʻaʻā, and kīpuka, for example. Pāhoehoe and ʻaʻā are the two main types of basaltic lava flows. Pāhoehoe has a smooth, sometimes ropy texture whereas ʻaʻā is rough and broken. Kīpuka color the lava flow landscape like patchwork. They are pockets of vegetation surrounded by younger lava flows, illustrating one definition of kīpuka as “a variation or change in form.”
    ʻO nā kanaka ʻōiwi kai kiaʻi mua loa o ka lua pele ʻā, a hoʻohana ʻia akula nā huaʻōlelo no nā hiʻohiʻona hulihonua na ke kaiaulu akeakamai e hoʻopili nei i kēia mau lā. Hoʻohana akula nā kanaka kālaipele a puni ka honua i ia mau huaʻōlelo i laʻa me ka ʻaʻā, ka pāhoehoe, a me ke kīpuka. ʻO ka pāhoehoe a me ka ʻaʻā nā ʻano ʻā pele ʻalā nui ʻelua. He hiʻonapāʻili laumania me kekahi ʻano kaula lā ka pāhoehoe, no ka mea kākala a me nāpelepele ka ʻaʻā. Palapalaulu ke kīpuka i ka hiʻonaina ʻā pele me he pāhono lā. He mau ʻāpana ʻāina nāhelehele ia e kaʻapuni ʻia e ka ʻā pele hou loa, e hōʻike ana kekahi manaʻo o ke kīpuka ma ke ʻano he loli i kona kino.
Geologist Katie Mulliken, of University of Hawai'i, writes about Hawaiian language and volcanology. Photo from U.H.

    Numerous newspapers of the 1800s written by Native speakers, and published in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, provide us valuable insight to eruptions and their effects, while ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi place names help us understand landscapes and their use. Keanakākoʻi, for example, is a small crater near the summit caldera of Kīlauea. Its name means “the cave in which azdes were made,” providing us with an understanding of the place (a crater) and how the location was used in the past (adze source).
    Manomano nā nūpepa o nā makahiki 1800 i kākau ʻia e nā mānaleo, a hoʻopuka ʻia hoʻi ma ka ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, e hoʻolako ana iā kākou i ka ʻike waiwai no ka huaʻi ʻana o ka lua pele a me kona mau hopena, ʻoiai hoʻomaopopo pū mai nā inoa wahi i nā hiʻohiʻona ʻāina a me kona mau waiwai. I laʻana, he lua liʻiliʻi ʻo Keanakākoʻi i ka nuʻu o Kīlauea. ʻO ka manaʻo o kona inoa, ʻo ia ʻo ke ana nona ke koʻi, a he hōʻike kēia i ka hoʻomaopopo ʻana mai i ia wahi a me ke ʻano ona i hoʻohana ʻia ma ka wā i hala.
    Native Hawaiian oral traditions also inform volcanologists of the range of behaviors at Hawaiʻi’s active volcanoes. For example, when a water lake appeared at the bottom of Halemaʻumaʻu following the 2018 caldera collapse, Hawaiian chants provided clues that surface water had been found at the summit in earlier times. Likewise, the saga of Pele and Hiʻiaka is thought to record extensive lava flows, as well as an earlier collapse of Kīlauea summit caldera, in about the year 1500.
    Hoʻonaʻauao pū mai nā moʻolelo kuʻuna Hawaiʻi i nā kanaka kālaipele no ka lawena laulā ma nā luapele o Hawaiʻi. I laʻana, i ka wā i huaʻi ai ka loko wai i ka piko o Halemaʻumaʻu ma hope o ka hāneʻe ʻana o Kaluapele ma 2018, aia ma nā oli Hawaiʻi he mau ʻāhuoi no ka huaʻi ʻana o ka wai i ka lua ma ka wā ma mua. E like pū me ka moʻolelo o Pele a me Hiʻiaka e hoʻopaʻa ana i ka nui ʻā pele, me kekahi hāneʻe ʻana o ka nuʻu o Kīlauea ma kahi o ka makahiki 1500.
    Native Hawaiians today continue to call the elemental force creating the ʻāina (land) Pelehonuamea (Pele of the red earth), while molten lava is pele (no longer used with English additions such as “Madame, Goddess, or Deity”). ʻŌlelo noʻeau (Hawaiian sayings and proverbs compiled and interpreted by Mary Kawena Pukui) pertaining to Pelehonuamea describe her relationship with landscapes and people living on them, particularly in the District of Puna. “Ka wahine ʻai lāʻau o Puna” translates to the “tree-eating woman of Puna.” “Pōʻele ka ʻāina o Puna,” tells us that “The land of Puna is blackened [by lava flows].” These sayings convey a sense of geologic history of destructive lava flows from Kīlauea in Puna.
This article was translated from English into ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi by Nakamakanikolonahe Obrero.
Photo from facebook
    Mau nō nā kanaka maoli e kapa aku ana i ke akua nāna ka hānau ʻāina ʻo Pelehonuamea, ʻo Pele o ka honua mea hoʻi, a ʻo ka pele hoʻoheheʻe ʻia ka pele, ʻoiai ʻaʻole hoʻohana i nā inoa kapakapa e like me Madame, Goddess, a i ʻole ʻo Deity. Wehewehe nā ʻŌlelo noʻeau, ʻo ia nā ʻōlelo akamai na Mary Kawena Pukui i hōʻuluʻulu a unuhi, no Pelehonuamea i kona pilina me nā hiʻohiʻona ʻāina a me ka poʻe e noho ana ma laila, keu hoʻi ma ka moku ʻo Puna. Unuhi ʻia ʻo Ka wahine ʻai lāʻau o Puna i ka manaʻo no ka wahine o Puna nāna e pau ana ka ululāʻau i ka ʻai ʻia.” Hōʻike ʻia ka manaʻo ʻo Pōʻele ka ʻāina o Puna i ka ʻāina o Puna i pōʻele ʻia e ka ʻā pele. Hōʻike kēia mau ʻōlelo noʻeau i ka mōʻaukala hulihonua o nā ʻā pele lauahi mai Kīlauea i Puna.
    Over the years, spellings of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi words and place names have evolved, to better reflect their pronunciation, meaning, or grammar. For example, the Hawaii Board on Geographic Names provides guidance to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (USBGN), which standardizes the spellings names of places, features, and areas within the United States. They recently corrected the spelling of lava shield features on the Southwest Rift Zone and East Rift Zone of Kīlauea. Maunaiki and Maunaulu, both of which used to be two words (Mauna Iki and Mauna Ulu), are now one to better align with ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi rules, grammar, and usage.
HVO volunteer naturalist Bobby Camara writes about Hawaiian
 language and volcanology. Photo from Ka Wai Ola
    Ma ka holo ʻana o nā makahiki, liliuewe maila ka pela ʻana o nā huaʻōlelo Hawaiʻi a me nā inoa ʻāina, i mea e hōʻike kūpono ai kona puana, kona manaʻo, a i ʻole kona ʻōlelo. I laʻana, alakaʻi mai ka ʻAha Kūkā Hawaiʻi i ka ʻAha Kūkā ʻAmelika hui pū ʻia, ʻo USBGN hoʻi, ma nā inoa hulihonua, e hoʻopaʻa kūmau ana ka pela inoa ʻana o nā ʻāina, nā hiʻohiʻona, a me nā wahi i loko o ʻAmelika hui pū ʻia. ʻAkahi nō lākou a hoʻopololei i ka pela ʻana o nā hiʻohiʻona kuahene pele ma ke kāʻei māwae komohana hema a me ke kāʻei māwae hikina o Kīlauea. Hoʻokuʻi ʻia ʻo Maunaiki a me Maunaulu, ʻoiai he ʻelua huaʻōlelo nā inoa ʻelua ma mua ʻo ia ʻo Mauna Iki a me Mauna Ulu, i mea e hahai pololei ai i nā lula, ka ʻōlelo a me kona mau ʻano i hoʻohana ʻia ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.
    The names of some locations have also changed over time. Using details found on archival maps of the early 19th century, the name of Kīlauea caldera, the site of frequent eruptions over the past 200 years, was recently updated in the USBGN database to be Kaluapele, meaning “the pit of Pele.” The seamount formerly named Lōʻihi (because of its length) was updated based on Native Hawaiian cultural knowledge, including chants, to Kamaʻehuakanaloa—“the ruddy, reddish child of Kanaloa,” the elemental force whose kuleana (responsibility) includes the ocean.
    Hoʻololi pū nā inoa o kekahi o kēia mau ʻāina ma ka holo ʻana o ka wā. Ma ka hoʻohana ʻana i nā lāliʻi i hoʻokumu ʻia ma nā palapala ʻāina kahiko o ke kenekulia ʻumikūmāiwa hiki mua, hoʻololi ʻia ka inoa o ka lua ʻo Kīlauea i Kaluapele, ʻo ia hoʻi kahi e huaʻi pinepine ana ma nā makahiki he 200 i hala aku nei, ma ka polokalamu hōkeo ʻikepili USBGN me ka manaʻo o ka lua a Pele. Ua hoʻololi ka mauna kai i kapa inoa mua ʻia ʻo Lōʻihi, no kona lōʻihi hoʻi, ma muli o ka ʻike kuʻuna ʻōiwi e like me nā oli, i ka inoa ʻo Kamaʻehuakanaloa - ʻo ia ke kama ʻehu a Kanaloa, ʻo ke akua hoʻi nona ke kuleana o ka moana.
    The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory looks forward to future opportunities to incorporate ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi vocabulary, and deeply appreciates valuable observations of volcanic activity made by Native Hawaiians.
    Hoihoi Ka Hale Kilo Lua Pele Hawaiʻi USGS i nā wā kūpono mai kēia mua aku e hoʻokomo i ka huaʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, a mahalo maoli ʻia nā kilo waiwai o nā ʻīnana ʻā pele i waiho ʻia e nā kanaka maoli.

Friday, February 23, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs Feb. 23, 2024

The view from Ocean View, celebrated by Kaʻū Radio 104.7 FM, which has announced a live broadcast from outside Malama Market on Saturday, March 9 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., or until pau. Photo from Kaʻū Radio
A MEET YOUR KAʻŪ RADIO STATION EVENT is set for Saturday, March 9 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., or until pau outside of Malama Market in Ocean View. There will be live broadcasting on 104.7 FM under the canopy with local DJs.
    Attendees are invited to meet the radio crew, ask questions, sign up to volunteer. Opportunities include hosting a show.
    Founder Tim Reed said Kaʻū Radio is Ocean View's first 100 percent legal FM radio station.


                                             Candlelight Induction for Kaʻū Honor Society
    Kaʻū High's National Honor Society held a candlelight ceremony on Friday evening to induct its members into the organization. The advisors for the society are teachers David and Chayanee Brooks. See names of the members and learn about their activities in upcoming Kaʻū News Briefs. Photo by Julia Neal


COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER MICHELLE GALIMBA FILED A LETTER SHARING COMMUNITY OPPOSITION TO CONSTRUCTION OF 18 SOLAR FARMS IN OCEAN VIEW RANCHOS. The letter went to the state Public Utilities Commission concerning the use of house lots for commercial solar farms in residential neighborhoods, among existing homes. The solar developer is SPI. The project has also drawn concern from the state Consumer Advocate.
    Galimba wrote, "As the Hawai'i County Council Member for District 6, which includes the site for SPI's proposed Feed In Tariff (FIT) project in the community of Ocean View, and specifically in the Ranchos residential subdivision of Ocean View, I would like to communicate my constituent communities' concerns about and strong opposition to the proposed SPI project.
    "I would also like to echo the concerns expressed by the Consumer Advocate in regard to adverse impacts on the cost of power for all ratepayers on the Island of Hawai'i. I understand that Hawaiian
Electric (formerly HELCO) must purchase power from the Ocean View Project at the FIT rate of 23.8c per kWh – a generous rate set in about 2010. At present, more modern projects with battery storage are coming online for less than 10c per kWh. If built, this project would have the effect of driving up already high prices, and producing revenue for SPI, which will largely flow off island. This project will have a lasting negative impact on all ratepayers in Hawai'i County for the next 20 years and add to the already difficult economic realities that working families face in our County and State.
    "I understand that a hearing officer had been appointed for the above-referenced Formal Complaint and the FIT Program. Complementary to the hearing officer's investigations, I would like to bring to the Commission's attention some local issues that may fall outside the officer's purview but are part of my responsibility to communicate issues concerning the health, welfare, and future of my constituents.
    "This project poses substantial risks that could result in fatal fires akin to the one which destroyed
Lahaina on Maui. Ocean View is in the path of the same trade-winds that drive the Pakini Nui Wind Farm at Kalae (South Point.) Electrical malfunction, whether caused by fallen poles or lines, equipment faults or accidents, arson, theft, or sabotage could generate a brush fire which could spread quickly to adjacent homes. Additionally, there is no piped water, and no fire hydrants serving the sites slated for the solar installations. Furthermore, Ocean View only has a volunteer fire department with one fire truck. As such, siting this project in a residential subdivision with substandard safety infrastructure is a poor policy decision that exposes the State to risk and liability.
    "It is my understanding that the FIT program was developed over 14 years ago to encourage agricultural producers to develop or host solar energy projects. While technically zoned Agricultural, the land that SPI proposed to locate the Ocean View project is a rural residential subdivision and thus the proposed project is not appropriately sited. Furthermore, SPI is not an agricultural producer, but rather an off-shore company. As such revenues from this project will not benefit local communities.
Houselots within neighborhoods with privacy and 'ohia trees would be
cleared to build industrial solar farms. Photo from Annie Bosted
   "Finally I would like to note that this project is extremely unpopular among local residents in the community of Ocean View, as well as against the best economic interests of residents of rate-payers in Hawai'i as a whole," concluded Galimba's letter.
   A petition for the PUC, signed by more than 700 OV residents, cited fire danger, industrialization of a rural community and other concerns as objections to the project. A formal complaint against HECO and HELCO for mismanagement of the Feed In Tariff Program was filed at the PUC by Ocean View residents in 2016. At that time the project to construct 18 solar farms on housing lots among existing homes was put on hold while the PUC investigated the complaint. That investigation is on going.
     Galimba's letter comes on the heels of a letter from SPI in an email to PUC Hearing Officer Mike Wallerstein, concerning "crippling delays" in approvals for the project. Wallerstein copied other parties to the case, including the complainants from Ocean View. Both SPI's attorneys and Wallerstein allude to the Lahina fires as the cause of the delay in advancing in the Ocean View solar case. An attorney representing the solar developer, SPI,  wrote in an email to the PUC Hearing Officer Wallerstein:
Michelle Galimba
   "As you know, when Intervenors filed their Motion to Move this Matter to a Final Decision and Order back in November of 2022, the parties had been waiting for the scheduling of the evidentiary hearing in this matter for over a year, and so your prompt action of finally holding the evidentiary hearing in June of 2023 was, and is, greatly appreciated.
    "As all parties have now completed their Post-Hearing Briefs in September 2023, respectfully, we would like to know if you are able to give a time frame for the recommended decision to be issued in this matter?
    "We certainly understand that there are pressing matters circling the Commission (especially since the events of this past August) and thus, we understand if you can't. However, any input that you can offer as to the expected timing would be greatly appreciated, as our clients are urgently seeking to plan their future course of action amidst these ongoing, crippling delays," concluded the SPI email.

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AN EXTENSION ON PUBLIC INPUT TO FINALIZE THE COUNTY GENERAL PLAN has been issued, along with a new policy rationale document for citizen review. Hawaiʻi County announces April 1 as the new deadline for the extension of the public comment period for the Hawaiʻi County General Plan Comprehensive Review & Update.
    The county announcement says, "This extension comes in response to numerous requests from community members, ensuring ample time for valuable feedback and the release of the policy rationale document now available on the General Plan website: https://cohplanning.konveio.com/gp-draft.
    "The General Plan, a vital document shaping the future of Hawaiʻi County for the next 25 years, plays a pivotal role in addressing community challenges, harnessing opportunities, and creating a shared vision. It covers a broad spectrum of crucial topics, including active living, climate change, quality jobs, housing choice and affordability, local economy, and traffic."
Submitting public comments on Hawai'i County General
 Plan have been extended until April 1.
See https://cohplanning.konveio.com/gp-draft
   Zendo Kern, Director of County of Hawai'i Planning Department, said, "We extend our gratitude to all the communities, stakeholders, County and State agencies, Community Development Plan Action Committees, and the Hawaiʻi County Council, who have actively engaged in the extensive public outreach process and provided the thousands of comments already received."
    Mayor Mitch Roth said, "The General Plan is more than just a document; it is a living roadmap for the direction of our County and our communities. This is why it is so important to give all on our island who wish to contribute their manaʻo ample opportunity to do so. We are working on forging a sustainable Hawaiʻi Island where our keiki can raise their keiki for generations, and we cannot do that without a plan that is as vibrant and diverse as the communities we serve."
    The County reports that following the conclusion of the extended public comment period, planners will evaluate and incorporate the feedback received into a final recommended draft, marking the beginning of the adoption process. The final recommended draft will be forwarded to the Windward and Leeward Planning Commissions for separate hearings. "All community members are welcome and encouraged to participate in the process, offering their valuable testimonies during the hearings. The County Council is responsible for the final review and adoption and will also provide an opportunity for public testimony."
    To stay informed about upcoming events, progress, and the overall process, interested individuals can sign up for the Department's eNews at www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov/general-plan-community-planning/gp/connect.
   For more information, contact County of Hawaiʻi Planning Department at 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3, Hilo, HI 96720; (808) 961-8288 and GeneralPlan@hawaiicounty.gov.

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs Feb. 22, 2024

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is asking for public input on developing a plan to tackle crowding at Kīlauea summit and other areas. Need for the plan was described in the 2016 Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park General Management Plan. NPS photo

CONGESTION, SAFETY, RESOURCE PROTECTION AND IMPROVEMENT OF EXPERIENCE AT BUSY KĪLAUEA SUMMIT are subjects of a call for public input on a Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park plan. Kīlauea Summit Area and Corridor Management Plan aims to identify management strategies and solutions to reduce conflicts among cars, buses, motorcyles, bicyclists (including e-bikes) and pedestrians on park roads and trails that traverse the popular and often-crowded summit of Kīlauea volcano.
    "We want to hear from those who hold a deep connection to the park, who participate in cultural protocol, and who recreate or conduct business here. Your voice matters and will help park management develop solutions to the many problems overcrowding has created," said Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Rhonda Loh.
    An online newsletter describes the desired conditions of the project, the issues the plan will address, and project goals, and is available for comment at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/kilaueasummitcmp.
    The public comment period began Thursday, Feb. 22 and ends March 22. The statement released from the Park says the "comment period is the initial phase of the plan and future opportunities to provide input will be announced as the plan develops."
     It says that since 2008, following the first significant summit eruption since 1924, park visitation has soared with most visitors drawn to areas between Uēkahuna and Devastation, including Nāhuku lava tube, Kīlauea Iki, Kīlauea Visitor Center, the entrance station and the overall summit corridor. "The high concentration of vehicles and people in a relatively small area often results in full parking lots, lines of traffic at the entrance station, crowded overlooks and frustrated visitors."
    Major damage to Crater Rim Drive and the loss of buildings and infrastructure during the 2018 Kīlauea eruption and summit collapse "has exacerbated park congestion, especially during the busy winter and summer holiday travel seasons. The park lost Jaggar Museum, a portion of Crater Rim Drive, Halema'uma'u Overlook and 'Iliahi Trail due to the eruptive events that year," says the Park statement.
    The need for, and development of, a Kīlauea summit site plan was included in the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park 2016 General Management Plan.

Punalu'u Tops Kaʻū Community Development Plan & Permit Before Windward Planning Commission
BOTH KAʻŪ COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND BLACK SAND BEACH, LLC'S plan, being considered by the county Planning Commission for a Special Management Area permit, delve into the environment, history and potential for Punalu'u. 
    Black Sand Beach, LLC plans to restore infrastructure and build some 234 units of accommodations, as well as retail and other commercial facilities at Punalu'u. See its plan and background reports at https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/weblink/1/doc/127617/Page1.aspx.
    See Kaʻū Community Development Plan at https://www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov/general-plan-community-planning/cdp/kau. 
    A public hearing for the Special Management Area permit is set for Thursday, March 7 in Hilo with testimony invited live in County Council Chambers at 9 a.m., and via Zoom. Illustration shows Punalu'u topping the front page of the online Kaʻū Community Development Plan.

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Boys & Girls Club elementary school students each transplanted an 'uala, a sweet potato, into their own pots to take home during an event organized by Center for Getting Things Started at Pāhala Elementary on Thursday. The planting was led by Marielle Hampton of CTHAR (center). It also featured whisking up mayonnaise and mashing 'uala. Photo by Julia Neal
ENJOYING HEALTHY COOKING AND GROWING FOOD came to Pāhala Boys & Girls Club on Thursday when keiki made mayonnaise from scratch and mashed it into purple 'uala, sweet potatoes, with coconut milk. The cooking was followed by getting their hands into the soil outdoors as each student transplanted a sweet potato seedling into a bigger pot to take home.
Keiki whisk up mayonnaise from scratch at a Boys & Girls Club healthy
 eating and food planting event on Thursday. Photo by Julia Neal
     The event, sponsored by Center for Getting Things Started, Boys & Girls Club, County of Hawai'i, The Food Basket, and University of Hawai'i College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources, saw more than a dozen elementary school age children take part. They gathered at the Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary School cafeteria and put a lot of energy into whisking and whipping up the food and a lot of effort into setting up their pots with good soil and careful planting of 'uala.
    Mentors were Dr. Koh Ming Wei from Center for Getting Things Started; Karen Estabilio, manager of Pahala Boys & Girls Club; Marielle Hampton of CTHAR; Robert Munoz of The Food Basket and community volunteers Mellanie Lee and John Enloe.
     A second event in Kaʻū for healthy eating and growing food, featuring the same mentors, will take place on Friday at Ocean View Community Center. 
    The keiki also learn a song with the saying that 'uala, "Sweet potatoes are good for me because they have nutrients."
    During the class, leader of Center for Getting Things Started, Ming Wei, advised the keiki on Safety First cooking skills, including using a knife with a claw hold and tip pointed down toward the cutting board. 
     She rallied the keiki with the saying, "Get ready for a workout," to mash the 'uala, purple sweet potatoes, and she oversaw the delicate cracking of the eggs to make mayonnaise. All food waste was put into a compost bucket.
     A resident of Hawai'i Island, Ming Wei has lived and taught in the Marshall Islands and said she looks forward to meeting Marshallese students on Friday in Ocean View.
Dr. Koh Ming Wei teaches cooking safety, cooking fun at a healthy eating and food planting event for Boys & Girls Club.
Photo by Julia Neal