FRIDAY, NOV. 5, 2010 - NEWS BRIEFS

Ka`u coffee farmers, like Bull Kailiawa,
are guarding against invasion of
coffee borers.

KA`U COFFEE FARMERS ARE WORRIED ABOUT the Coffee Borer insect that has infested coffee farms in Kona. They worry that the borer will get into coffee bags, trucks and the clothes of coffee pickers and ride to coffee lands over here. Pahala could be quarantined along with Kona. Coffee growers Lorie Obra and Bull Kailiawa traveled to Kona for a meeting this week to find out how to protect Ka`u farms from this pest that lives inside the coffee cherry.

KAILIAWA, YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED, is planting five acres of coffee along Highway 11 between the two entrances to Pahala. This will show Ka`u coffee to visitors and beautify the roadside adjacent to the village. Kailiawa’s coffee has been named one of the top ten in the world in international competition.

OUTGOING COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER GUY ENRIQUES HAS PROMISED TO help his successor Brittany Smart make a smooth transition into office. He told the Hilo Tribune Herald newspaper that "unlike my predecessor, I'd be happy to help her with the transition and anything she needs. We'll help in any way if she has any questions or whatever her needs are," Enriques pledged. His projects include a temporary rubbish transfer station in Ocean View and working with the National Guard to bring a work crew to Ka`u for such projects as a new shelter and senior center in Ocean View.

ENRIQUES CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE IDEA OF the county selling off a segment of Kamaoa Road to private landowners. According to the Hilo paper, he said, “I am all for public access... this particular road has no public purpose.” A site visit will be held next Tuesday, November 9 and the public and county council are invited to meet at the corner of Kamao and South Point Roads at 3 p.m. followed by a public hearing at Na`alehu Community Center. Smart along with Council Member Dominic Yagong have said they worry about setting precedent that could lead to blocking off access to trails and the ocean.

BRITTANY SMART, the Democrat who will take office as the new council member for Ka`u on Dec. 6, is expected to work well with council members Yagong, Angel Pilago, Brenda Ford and Pete Hoffman. If she aligns with them, they will have a 5 to 4 majority on the council and Hoffman could become chair with Pilago its vice chair. Yagong, Pilago and Ford came to Ka`u to campaign for Smart before the election.

TODAY VOLCANO ART CENTER blesses its new educational center in Volcano Village along Old Volcano Highway today. Executive Director Tanya Aynessazian has promised more outreach by the non-profit organization to schools and community in Ka`u. More than half of Volcanoes National Park is located in Ka`u, with the Kahuku section now being open on weekends.
(Left - Pupus for all! In this photo, guests of the opening select various flavors of delicious fudge pupu's by Lavalicious! Look out for Lavalicious at your local farmers market to get a taste!)


MISS KA`U COFFEE, Ulu Makuakane, will represent Ka`u as a guest at the Miss Kona Coffee pageant this Saturday at the Sheraton Keuhou Beach Resort and Spa. Ulu is attending University of Hawaii in Hilo majoring in health and nutrition. She will wearing her crown and sash in Kona to honor Ka`u.

Big D, Demetrius Oliveira leads a prayer for
success in making the radio station available
to more people in Ka`u.

Wendel places the ti leave
at the communications
tower.

TODAY, KAHU RADIO, blesses its latest project, hoping to transmit from a tower that will allow this broadcast to reach a much greater area of Ka`u. Recent improvements have extended coverage towards Volcano and into Wai`ohinu and toward South Point. Access to a tower between Pahala and Na`alehu will send the signal toward Ocean View. KAHU FM is also available - live streaming on the Internet.

THURSDAY, NOV. 4, 2010 - NEWS BRIEFS

GOVERNOR ELECT NEIL ABERCOMBIE is promising to meet soon with education leaders to stop furlough days and to set up the new school board, which he will appoint. One of the big issues involving school campuses in Ka`u is whether an $18 million gym and shelter for Pahala will receive funding already passed by the legislature. The project was championed by current Council member Guy Enriques. He leaves office in early December.

THE AKAKA BILL TO GIVE FEDERAL RECOGNITION TO NATIVE HAWAIIANS is in trouble of passing congress since the Republicans have taken a majority of the seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Senator Dan Akaka said he is hoping it passes while the Democrats still hold the majority, but once the Republicans take over, he said, the chances become slim.

THE FINAL VOTES - CAST PRECINCT BY PRECINCT - IN THE COUNTY COUNCIL RACE HAVE BEEN POSTED, In some communities it was close. Incumbent Guy Enriques won his home town of Pahala with 181 votes over Brittany Smart's 84. He also won the walk in absentee vote in Ka`u with 308 over 279. However, Smart won the election and took the most votes in every other case. She won the mail-in votes in Ka`u with 336 over Enriques 320 and the election day votes in Ocean View with 512 over 171. In Na`alehu Smart took 257 votes over Enrique's 238. In Volcano, Smart took 484 votes over Enriques' 274. In Milolii it was 133 for Smart to 60 for Enriques. In Ho'okena Smart took 119 and Enriques 71. At St. Benedict's Catholic Church it was 252 to 130.

The Walk in absentee vote on the Kona side of the district was 75 for Smart and 30 for Enriques. The Kona side Mail-in was 129 to 59 in favor of Smart. On Puna Side Smart won Mountain View with 342 to 217. In Kurtistown she won with 492 to 188. The walk-in voting on Puna side drew 102 votes for Smart and 47 for Enriques. The Mail in gave her 93 and Enriques 42.

ENRIQUES has promised to keep working for Ka`u until he leaves office in early December. He said he spent yesterday picking up signs along the roads and highways and thanking his supporters. He said he will be happy to spend more time with his family once his term is pau. He also promised to stay involved in community service.

COUNCIL MEMBER ELECT BRITTANY SMART said she is pleased with the passing of the County Charter Amendment to make sure that 1 percent of property tax income goes towards the purchase of important lands for parks, Hawaiian sites and protection of drinking water. She said she looks forward to working on the County Council where five of the nine council members have pledged to increase the fund to 2 percent of property taxes going to the land fund.

MORE THAN 8,000 ACRES in Ka`u are being placed in a trust for agriculture and Nature by the Edmund C. Olson Trust to prevent the land from being subdivided into residential tracts in the future. Olson worked with The Nature Conservancy and Hawaii Island Land Trust on this project.

THE NEXT STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING for the Ka`u Community Development Plan has been changed from November 9 to Tuesday, December 14. It was changed to make way for the site visit by the County Council and the public to a strip of Kamaoa Road that the county may sell off to private landowners. The site visit is at 3 p.m. on November 9. A public hearing on the road issued follows at Na`alehu Community Center.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 3, 2010 - NEWS BRIEFS

Council member Elect Brittany Smart and Governor Elect Neil Abercrombie

CHALLENGER BRITTANY SMART WON OUR LOCAL COUNTY COUNCIL SEAT yesterday in the general election. The 27 year old Democrat beat independent Guy Enriques with 59.5 percent of the vote. Enriques received 39.6 percent of the vote. Smart promised transparent, open government, to listen to everyone and represent all the voices of Ka`u and not just her own views.

NEIL ABERCROMBIE WON THE RACE FOR GOVERNOR OF HAWAI`I. The long-time congressman and Democrat said the Democratic party will never turn its back on poor people and the homeless. He also pledged to end all furlough days at schools.

TALKING ABOUT EDUCTION, voters decided that the school board will now be appointed by Governor Abercrombie. Lieutenant Governor Duke Aiona, the Republican who lost to Abercrombie, and has always championed children’s programs, said he will continue working in community service.

DEMOCRAT MAZIE HIRONO won re-election as our official in the U.S. House of Representatives. Hirono has helped preserve the Ka`u Coast with funding from congress and works on rural health care and early education for the keiki.

Rep. Bob Herkes won his re-election bid to the state House of Representatives.

Sen. Russell Kokubun won his re-election bid to the State Senate.

 STATE SENATOR RUSSELL KOKUBUN won his re-election bid. The Volcano resident is a leading candidate to become President of the Hawai`i State Senate now that Colleen Hanabusa is leaving the state senate to take Neil Abercrombie's place in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Democrats made a clean sweep of sending members of its party from Hawai`i to Washington, D.C.

ALL COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENTS ON THE GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT have won the approval by voters. Among them is the Open Space fund that uses one percent of property taxes to buy land for parks, nature and conserve drinking water sources. These funds were used to preserve such places as Kawa and Honu`apo in Ka`u.

VOTERS ALSO PASSED A MEASURE that makes it easier to recall elected county officials not doing their job. It lowers the number of signatures required to 25 percent of the number of votes that elected the official.

VOTERS ALSO ADOPTED A MISSION FOR THE COUNTY: "To conserve and protect Hawai`i's Natural Beauty and all Natural and Cultural Resources."

WHETHER TO SELL OFF A PIECE OF KAMAOA ROAD to private landowners was a big election issue. Now the public will visit the site at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 9 along with the County Council and newly elected Ka`u council member Brittany Smart. The visit will be followed by a public hearing in Na`alehu.

THE KA`U COMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN will have its next steering committee meeting set for next Tuesday, November 9th at 5:30 p.m. at Na`alehu School Cafeteria. It is open to the public and this CDP plans the future or our district.

NOVEMBER 15 IS THE NEW DEADLINE TO GET ALL YOUR INFORMATION IN TO THE KA`U DIRECTORY. It includes Ka`u business listings, information about non-profit organizations and all the contact information. It is sponsored by the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce. Call 928-6471.

MANTRACKER - the hit reality TV show with local paniolo Leon Chow - shows off Ka`u next Tuesday, November 9th as Chow and Canadian tracker Terry Grant chase down human prey. The Ka`u episode premiers on the Discovery Science Channel at 4 p.m. local time and will be repeated throughout the week. Check Discovery TV listings for time.

WANT TO HELP KEIKI WITH THEIR GARDEN? Help Na`alehu School Garden this Saturday, Nov. 6 at 8 a.m. The keiki will be preparing the ground for planting.

SCHOLARSHIPS ARE STILL AVAILABLE for Ka`u students for the annual music workshop organized by Keoki Kahumoku and his Ohana. Some of the masters of `ukulele, guitar and music composition will be in Pahala for a week starting this Saturday, Nov. 6. For scholarships, call Kahumoku at 960-8385.

SHARING PLANTATION DAYS is the name of a celebration planned for fifteenth anniversary of Ka`u Sugar shutting down in 1996. If you have old photos, stories or interested in volunteering call Dorothy Kalua at 928-8486.

KA`U FAMILY HEALTH CENTER has received millions of dollars in funding to build a new Bay Clinic in front of the two story building along Hwy 11. The house will be retained for community services, while the new clinic will have six medial exam room, two dental offices, counseling rooms and labs.

THE NEXT CLEAN UP AT KAALUALU BAY has been set by the Hawaii Wildlife fund for Saturday, Nov. 13. The last cleanup hauled in 1,000 nets and more than 3,000 pounds of rubbish that washed up on our southern shoreline. To help out, meet at Wai`ohinu Park at 8:45 a.m. or call Megan Lamson at 769-7629.