Ka`u News Briefs Dec. 5, 2010

State Senator Russell Kokubun on the night before the Nov. 2 general election.

SENATOR RUSSELL KOKUBUN has been nominated chairman and director of the state Department of Agriculture. The state senator, who lives in Volcano, headed the 2050 sustainability commission, has worked on water issues statewide and is experienced as a farmer and community planner. He was most recently vice-president of the state Senate. A new senator for Ka`u and Puna will be appointed by Governor Neil Abercrombie from three names submitted by the Democratic Party. The new Senator will serve for two years, until the next General Election, when she or he could run for elected office. Kokubun said he has the highest respect for the new governor and is looking forward to working with him. Kokubun's nomination is subject to confirmation by the Senate. 

     Abercrombie also nominated more people to his cabinet: Bruce Coppa to head the Department of Accounting and General Services, Sunshine Topping for Department of Human Resources Development, Keali`i Lopez for Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and Fred Pablo for state Department of Taxation.

TOMORROW is the first day for the new County Council, with Brittany Smart taking office to represent Ka`u. Her legislative coordinator will be Nelson Ho, former Deputy Director of the Department of Environmental Management. Her staff will also include Jen Knippling, who managed her successful campaign. The swearing in will take place at the civic auditorium in Hilo at noon, and everyone is invited.

The Salter property in Volcano is one of the first two conservation easements
for the Kipuka Mosaic Project. Photo by John Henshaw/TNC

VOLCANO RESIDENT DAN TAYLOR was honored yesterday for dedicating the treetops on his property to remain as a flyway for birds and a pathway for other native species between Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, Kahauale`a Natural Area Reserve and the Ola`a Forest Reserve. Called the Kipuka Mosaic Project, it welcomes other houselot owners to do the same by donating easements that require the forest to remain on the property around the houses, even in housing subdivisions. The project began when the Salter property was bequeathed to The Nature Conservancy. The Volcano Community Association, The Nature Conservancy and Hawai`i Island Land Trust are involved. Anyone interested can call Doug Sensenig at 430-4994 or Jody Kaulukukui at 808-587-6233. 

     During a discussion about preserving the forest canopy in housing subdivisions, the possibility of county and state tax incentives for people who establish easements - even on small houselots - was suggested. Easements for forest canopy are similar to easements the electric company owns for power lines, but these conservation easements are given over to a land trust to take care of them. Nature Conservancy representative John Henshaw said that his organization goes to the legislature each year with suggestions for tax incentives. Incoming County Council member Brittany Smart said she would look into the possibilities at the county level.

PLANS ARE BEING FINALIZED for Governor Neil Abercrombie's visit to Ka`u next Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon. This extension of his inauguration ceremonies will be held at Pahala Plantation House, where the governor, his wife Nancie and Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz will arrive. Gil Kahele, of Miloli'i, will emcee. Aunty Pele Hanoa will lead the opening pule. Kilohana Domingo, of Ka Lae, will present the ole. Ana Carriaga's gifts and chant from the keiki will be presented. The governor will give a brief talk to the people of Ka`u and will meet them in a reception line. Everyone is invited.

JUNGLE EXPRESS HUNTING tournament results are in from yesterday's weigh-in at Honu`apo. Heaviest Overall was taken by Donald Mello. Heaviest Boar by Chezeray Moses, Heaviest Sow by Donald Mello, and Longest tusk by Darrel Shibuya. Larry Galban won The Nature Conservancy’s raffle of a GPS.

A FUNDRAISER FOR KAHU radio station co-manager and beloved singer and composer Demetrius Oliveira is being held today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to raise money for critical surgery to restore his health. Everyone is welcome to enjoy live entertainment and craft sales at the KAHU Radio building on Maile Street in Pahala. Drop off donations at the radio station or at the Ka`u Federal Credit Union in Pahala, Na`alehu or Ocean View. The fundraiser seeks to match a $5,000 challenge by December 7 from the Olson Trust.

THE KA`U CHAMBER OF COMMERCE will have its monthly meeting tomorrow at Ocean View Community Center at 7 p.m. The mayor’s information officer will be the keynote speaker and will discuss the temporary transfer station at the county’s Kahuku Park. Note the time has been changed from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Ka`u News Briefs Dec. 4, 2010

Ka`u Coffee is a popular item at the Ka`u Farmers Market, celebrating its ninth anniversary today. Everyone is invited to stop by the market in front of Ace Hardware in Na`alehu.

Guy Enriques

THE OUTGOING County Council will meet for the last time on Monday. On the agenda is a resolution introduced by Council member J Yoshimoto to extend a Sincere Gratitude to Council Member Guy K. Enriques for his service to the county of Hawai`i. Enriques leaves his post on Monday and has promised to remain involved in community service, including working toward the new shelter gym in Pahala.

THE NEW COUNTY COUNCIL will be sworn in on Monday at noon at the Civic Auditorium, with Brittany Smart taking her seat for Ka`u and District 6. The first council meeting will follow at 3 p.m. The new council will appoint Council Chair Dominic Yagong and the County Clerk -- Ka`u's own Jamae Kawauchi. Brittany Smart is expected to become chair of the Environmental Management Committee and vice chair of Governmental Relations. 

UPCOMING MEETINGS of the new County Council will be Wednesday, December 15 at 9 a.m. at Sheraton Keauhou, then the first committee meetings on Tuesday, January 4 and a full Council meeting on Wednesday, January 5, both in Hilo.

A NEW PROGRAM TO PROTECT THE NATIVE FOREST within neighborhoods will be dedicated this afternoon at 4 p.m. at the Volcano Art Center educational center. The idea is that home builders will nestle houses into the rainforest rather than clear cut houselots, leaving the overstory – the canopy of the forest for native birds and other wildlife. The name of the program is KIPUKA MOSAIC. Owners of houselots can donate an easement that requires retaining most of the trees on the property in perpetuity. The first easements in Volcano will be dedicated at the ceremony today. The project is co-sponsored by the Hawai`i Island Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy and the Volcano Community Association.

THE VOLCANO Festival Chorus Concert will be held tonight at 7 p.m. at the Kilauea Military Camp Theatre at 7:30 p.m. The chorus performs Season of Wonders and favorite Christmas carols. The concert is free.

Demetrius Oliveira

A FUNDRAISER FOR KAHU station co-manager Demetrius Oliveira will be held tomorrow, Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. right here on Maile Street in Pahala. The event raises money to help pay for surgery to restore Demetrius’ health. There will be live entertainment all day and some Christmas gifts for sale. Donations can be made to the Demetrius Oliveira Medical Fund.

Ka`u News Briefs Dec. 3, 2010

`Amakihi is one of the native forest birds that will benefit
from the Kipuka Mosaic Project. Photo by John DeMello/TNC

KIPUKA MOSAIC is a new program to protect the native forest canopy in neighborhoods where people build houses. The effort is designed to encourage the nestling of homes into the rainforest rather than clear-cutting houselots. A dedication for this program will be held tomorrow at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus on old Volcano Highway at 4 p.m. The program conserves the forest canopy as a flyway for native birds and a pathway for other native life. It preserves the forest within the residential community, with landowners donating an easement on their properties, insuring that the forest and its overstory are there forever. The project is co-sponsored by the Hawai`i Island Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy and the Volcano Community Association.

A coffee berry borer in relation to coffee cherry.

A PLANT QUARANTINE INTERIM RULE went into effect yesterday, establishing two quarantine zones to restrict movement of coffee plants, plant parts, unroasted coffee green beans and coffee bags to prevent and slow the spread of the Coffee Berry Borer on this island and to the rest of the state. One quarantine area extends from Kaloko in Kona to Manuka State Park to keep the borer out of Ka`u. The other quarantine covers the entire island and requires heat treatment, fumigation or other methods before shipping coffee green beans from here to other Hawaiian Islands. Coffee growers can call the Plant Quarantine Branch at 808-832-0566. 

     Farmers can also call Brenda Iokepa-Moses to receive coffee borer traps provided by the Department of Agriculture to check on coffee orchards to make sure they are clean of the coffee borer. Call 928-0500.

PUBLIC HEARINGS on whether to allow a San Diego shipping company into Neighbor Island service should have been held by the Public Utilities Commission on the Neighbor Islands, Ka`u’s state senator Russell Kokubun said yesterday during an information meeting on O`ahu. The lack of local public hearings showed that the PUC is O`ahu–centric, he said. Farmers and ranchers submitted complaints, some noting Young Brothers’ threat to cut services in face of the competition. The decision to allow the ocean freight company Pasha to service routes from Honolulu to Hilo and Kahului twice monthly has already been approved by the PUC. Young Brothers testified that Pasha is “cherry picking routes,” leaving Young Brothers to service the less profitable routes. This could become an issue in the next state legislature.
     For cargo going to and from the mainland, both Horizon Lines and Matson have already announced rate increases. Farmers and ranchers fear that interisland rates will also rise and service will be reduced.

THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB of the Big Island is searching for a new Chief Operating Officer. The club services some 200 young people in Ka`u, which has one of the biggest organizations on the island. The job description can be found at www.bgcbi.com.

SENIOR HOLIDAY BINGO will be held today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. Sponsored by `O Ka`u Kakou, it is open to everyone 55 years of age and older.

A SUICIDE PREVENTION CLINIC will be held on December 8 and 9 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Pahala at the River of Life Assembly of God Church on Pa`au`au Street. Those interested can call Teresa Alderdyce at Ka`u family Center at 929-9611, Ext. 10 or email suicide preventionhawaii@gmail.com.

Peter Anderson's Nene will grace the cover
of The Directory 2011.

THE KA`U DIRECTORY, which serves as a local phone book and guide to businesses, services and community groups in Ka`u, is nearly pau. Contributors are urged to finalize all their information in the next week. Call 928-6471 or contact the sponsor, the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce. 

THE CHAMBER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE will have its monthly meeting Monday, December 6 at Ocean View Community Center at 7 p.m. The mayor’s information officer will be the keynote speaker and will discuss the temporary transfer station at the county’s Kahuku Park. Note the time has been changed from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. That temporary bin is accepting bagged rubbish tomorrow, and every Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the county Kahuku Park. 

GOVERNOR NEIL ABERCROMBIE’S meeting with area residents has been changed from 11 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Sunday, December 12. The ceremony to welcome the governor and meet with him is open to everyone. Children from the Boys & Girls Club, representatives of the schools, hospital, coffee farmers, seniors and other groups are planning to attend. It is followed by the annual Pahala Christmas Parade at 1 p.m. 

FLOATS ARE BEING PLANNED for the Christmas Parade, and all walking groups and floats are welcome to participate. Call Eddie Andrade at 928-0808. 

KA`U MAIN STREET celebrates the ninth anniversary of the Ka`u Farmer’s Market in Na`alehu, tomorrow, Saturday, December 4th. The public is welcome to celebrate all day long.