Ka`u News Briefs March 26, 2011

History of the Napua Fire, ignited by lava on March 5, was 50 percent contained by March 26,. Mainland firefighters help out.

THE NAPAU FIRE is more than 50 percent contained, following heavy rains over two days and an aggressive mop-up and fire suppression. The fire is confined to the perimeter with 50 firefighters, fire management staff and park resource advisors working to protect the Special Ecological Areas at Kealakomo and Naula. Firefighters from other national parks, national forests and recreational areas on the mainland have been helping and Chain of Craters Road is open again. The fire was sparked March 5 by the Kamoamoa Fissure Eruption. There are currently no active lava flows in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

BUILDING A NEW COMMUNITY-BASED re-entry program between Hilo and Ka`u to help bring inmates from the mainland back home to Hawai`i is the subject of resolutions introduced by Sen. Gill Kahele and Rep. Bob Herkes at the 2011 Legislature. A public hearing will be held Thursday, March 31 at the Capitol. One proposal is to build the facility on Hawaiian Homes Land and a committee to study the issue would included the chair of the Hawaiian Homes Commission as well as representatives from the Pana`ewa Community and Farmers Associations. A bill introduced by Herkes would establish a prison for 1,000 to 1,200 inmates on unoccupied Hawaiian Home Lands.

The home of the PUC in the Territorial Building in Honolulu.

THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION is expected to be revamped through legislation. A proposal would add commissioners and require more public notice and public input before decisions are made. The Keahole Defense Fund supports amendments to the PUC law, saying that current regulations do not require the PUC to hold open meetings or vote in public. The consumer advocate and utility are allowed to negotiate without much public participation, testified Keahole Defense attorney Michael Matsuaka. The PUC would receive more funding to cover its wide berth of responsibilities, from regulating interisland ocean transportation to dealing with electrical rates and the emergence of the renewable energy industry.

The Ka`u water system is over 100 years old.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE  CHAIR Russell Kokubun has been battling for money to repair water systems around the state that fell into disrepair after the sugar industry shut down. He testified to the 2011 Legislature that “irrigation systems provide an essential resource to farms. Most of the systems are over 100 years old and are in need of significant improvements to reduce water losses and maintenance costs,” he said . Kokubun said repairs are needed to move Hawai‘i toward a more sustainable future. The measure is supported by the Hawai`i Farm Bureau and other pro ag organizations. The bill, which is also being promoted by Sen. Gil Kahele and Rep. Bob Herkes would allow the state to issue bonds to fund the Ka`u Irrigation System between Pahala and Na`alehu with $500,000 in 2011 and 2012, and another $2 million in 2012 – 2013, along with other irrigation projects around the state. It passed the Senate and has gone to House Finance.

ANOTHER AG BILL that lost traction in the legislature would have allowed agricultural inspectors to be trained and hired by contract in such remote areas as Ka`u. The bill was supported by a number of Ka`u coffee farmers who say they are experiencing problems with getting their coffee inspected before shipping out. The inspectors are in Kona where Ka`u farmers do not want to take their clean coffee and vehicles since Kona is the hotbead of the coffee cherry borers, Hypothenemus hampei, which could ride back to Ka`u on vehicles. Megan Collins of Paradise Orchard and bee Farm testified for the measure as a director of the Ka`u Farm Bureau. Coffee farmer Effran Abellera testified that he doesn't want his coffee going to Kona. Coffee farmer Lorie Obra also supported the measure along with Ka`u Farm Bureau President and statewide Farm Bureau vice president Chris Manfredi who also testified on behalf of Ka`u Farm & Ranch, which manages land where many of the Ka`u farmers have their coffee.

         The Department of Agriculture and Hawai`i Government Employees union opposed the measure, saying that it would be difficult to ensure quality and consistency of an independent agent’s work performance and that the measure would privatize the inspection function of the Department of Ag. The HGEA testified that  higher costs, lower quality of services and loss of accountability are some of the common results of the privatization of government services and recommended restoring inspector jobs that were cut from the department under Gov. Linda Lingle’s administration. Coffee farmers said they are documenting added costs of transportation and time going to Kona and added risks taken that could bring coffee borers to their farms. They said they hope inspectors will come here.

DENGUE FEVER is in Pearl City on O`ahu and even though that seems far away, the state Department of Health encourages everyone to disperse standing water that hosts mosquitoes to prevent the spread of the disease across the island. Dengue is more common in more tropical places. Dengue fever is a virus and causes a sudden high fever and a flat red rash, headache, aching joints and muscles. Hydration is important during the illness. Anyone thinking they have the virus should contact a physician for treatment and so the health department can track the outbreak.

Ka`u News Briefs March 25, 2011

Plastics from around the world float onto the remote beaches of Ka`u, and young people help to clean it up
in honor of Marine Debris Awareness Week.  Photo by Megan Lamson

THE PROPOSED CIP BUDGET for Ka`u is being hashed out between the County Council and Mayor Billy Kenoi. Projects with money attached are the Na`alehu and Pahala large capacity cesspools for which $6,215,000 is listed, Ocean View recycling and transfer station with $500,000 listed and Na`alehu Police Station repairs with $75,000.
     The biggest CIP projects are with the state, including $20 million proposed for a gymnasium at the old tennis courts in Pahala on county land. The building would also serve as a disaster shelter and would be funded through bonds issued by the state through Gov. Neil Abercrombie. Both former County Council member Guy Enriques and current council member Brittany Smart worked on the proposal. The county Department of Public Works, Planning, the mayor’s office and Department of Parks and Recreation are coming up with a design-build plan for the governor. Another project in Ka`u is the long-awaited elevation of Hwy 11 near Kawa, which frequently floods, cutting off traffic and blocking access to the hospital in Pahala from Na`alehu.

NEW TRANSFER AND RECYCLING CENTERS for Volcano and Wai`ohinu are on the back burner for now. Council member Brittany Smart set up a meeting between residents and representatives of the county solid waste division in Volcano last night and Ocean View residents on Wednesday night to review plans for the area. These District 6 Matters meetings were specifically on solid waste, and Smart plans a series of such meetings on specific concerns, which she will take to each community.

Ocean View has a serious illegal dumping problem, and building a
permanent transfer and recycling station is high on the county's list.
Photo from EIS, Ocean View Recycling Point & Convenience Center

     Volcano residents talked about a big need for getting rid of green waste, and Ocean View residents were anxious to see a more permanent transfer and recycling station. County representatives said that the Ocean View station is a top priority and that plans for a brand new Wai`ohinu transfer station have been set aside.
    Terin Gloor, who has been working for the county on the Ocean View solid waste, reviewed the plans for which environmental impact statements and design have been in progress for more than five years. Residents currently have a temporary container that is hauled in and out each week. They formerly had to drive toward Kona or to Wai`ohinu to get rid of rubbish, and dumping has long been a serious problem in Ocean View. Wai`ohinu has a wall in need of repair for which the county will try to find money.

THIS IS MARINE DEBRIS AWARENESS WEEK, and the fifth annual International Marine Debris Conference is being held in Hawai`i. Conferees are developing a commitment from international representatives to reduce ocean dumping that would cut back on trash that reaches some of the most remote places in the world, including the Ka`u Coast, where volunteers routinely clean up. According to conference proceedings, marine debris results in major consequences for marine habitats, biodiversity, human health and the global economy. 

Beach debris hauled in from the Ka`u Coast includes many plastics.
Photo from Hawai`i Wildlife Fund

     At least 267 marine species are affected by entanglement in or ingestion of marine debris, including 86 percent of all sea turtles species, 44 percent of all seabird species and 43 percent of all marine mammal species.
     There is growing concern over the potential impact on human health of toxic substances released by plastic waste in the ocean. The culprits are microplastics comprised of disintegrating plastic items or lost plastic pellets used by industry, which can accumulate contaminants linked to cancer, reproductive problems and other health risks. Scientists are studying whether these contaminants can enter the food chain when microplastics are ingested by marine animals.
     Marine debris may house communities of invasive species which can disrupt marine habitats and ecosystems. Heavy items of marine debris can damage habitats such as coral reefs and affect the foraging and feeding habits of marine animals.
     The commitment that came from the conference is called the Honolulu Strategy, and one of its main goals is to reduce both land and ocean sources of marine debris, and to educate people and governments to see waste as a resource to be managed. It calls for public awareness campaigns on the negative impacts of improper waste disposal – targeting street litter, illegal dumping of rubbish and poorly managed waste dumps.
     The Republic of Korea is being held up as an example. It has a policy of Extended Producer Responsibility, enforced since 2003, targeting paper, glass, iron, aluminum and plastic as well as batteries, tires and lubricating oil. This initiative has resulted in the recycling of six million metric tons of waste in five years, increasing Korea’s recycling rate by 14 percent and creating economic benefits equivalent to $1.6 billion. Marine resources expert Megan Lamson, of Ka`u, is attending the conference, which has the theme Global Lessons to Inspire Local Action.

New concerns out of Japan for
more serious radiation leaks.

A GREATER CONCERN FOR RADIATION from the broken nuclear plant in Fukushima, Japan is emerging, with the Japanese government worried that a breached reactor may be releasing radiation longer lasting and more dangerous than Iodine-131. The reactor uses MOX fuel, a combination of plutonium and uranium, which releases radiation that can make towns and agricultural areas wastelands. The Japanese government is hoping to contain the radiation but is considering expanding the restrictive zone around the nuclear plant and may ask tens of thousands of people to leave their homes. Hawai`i health officials say there is small risk of the radiation reaching Hawai`i in any dangerous doses.

Ka`u News Briefs March 24, 2011

Aesthetician Ursula D'Angelo, of Beauty Calls, visited Ka`u Coffee Pageant candidates to teach them about skin care,
including the application of masks with natural ingredients such as seaweed.  Photo by Nalani Parlin

THE HAWAI`I TOURISM AUTHORITY decided yesterday to spend $3 million to shore up the visitor industry following a drop in Japanese arrivals after the devastation of the tsunami on Honshu Island. HTA expects continued cancellation of reservations, with losses statewide through June mounting to $200 million. HTA plans to target China, Korea, Australia and the West Coast in an attempt to make up for the loss. With the state dependent on Japanese tourism tax income, the governor has asked the Council on Revenues to make a new projection for tourism, in order to project the income side of the state budget before it is finalized. More state budget cuts may be on the horizon.

This mobile weather station is designed to gather data
for fighting fires.  Photo from Napau Fire Crew

CHAIN OF CRATERS ROAD and Napau Trail were closed yesterday, about six miles from Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Visitor Center. Helicopters dropped water to cool hot spots and slowed the progress of the wildfire that has now burned more than 2,000 acres. Fire crews were able to fight both flanks of the fire, but there is still no containment. The Napau Fire is about seven miles southeast of Kilauea Visitor Center. Fire Incident Commander Robin Wills said that yesterday was the first day they were able to work successfully with their planning strategy - with all the firefighters’ parts and pieces. 

     The crews are particularly bent on saving the Special Ecological Area, an intact lowland rainforest which has been managed to exclude invasive species and restore native plants and animals. They include ama trees and sandalwood, the Hawaiian bat, Hawaiian hawk,  `apapane and `amakihi honeycreepers, carnivorous caterpillars, as well as the happyface spider.
     The crew numbers more than 40 and is comprised of firefighters from Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, Whiskeytown National Recreation area, and other parks and national forests.
      Infrared mapping reveals that most of the fire burned single logs, standing dead trees, stumps and large areas of dead vegetation, mostly on the southeast perimeter. Remote automated weather stations are predicting weather factors related to fire. About 2,000 of these weather stations are placed around the U.S., and fire managers can bring them in from Boise, Idaho, where the National Fire Agency Office is located.

The community reefer at the old S&S Dairy for families
who raise and slaughter for home use.

SAVING THE REEFER at the old S&S Dairy just outside Na`alehu is an ongoing fundraising effort for Kaohi Mokuhali`i, the volunteer reefer keeper who keeps the cold storage locker open for local families who raise cattle, pigs and other livestock. In recent weeks she has been selling cinnamon bread from Punalu`u Bakeshop, just to help pay the electric bill, which can be almost $1,000 a month. The reefer is on land leased by Alfred Galimba and Kuahiwi Ranch, and Mokuhali‘i takes care of it, keeping the key to manage access, keeping it clean, and paying the bills. 

Reefer keeper
Kaohi Mokuhali`i

     Mokuhali‘i said that raising livestock and slaughtering for the family is a long tradition in Ka`u, and the community reefer is necessary to keep meat affordable. To buy tickets for the cinnamon bread, call 938-9040 by tomorrow. 

ONE JOURNEY, the high school band with a new CD and music video, is still raising money to fund its trip to the statewide Brown Bags to Stardom talent contest on O`ahu in April. At a recent fundraiser at this radio station, produced by Ka`u Productions, Inc., the band raised money and sold out its CDs but is still short about $500. Donations can be dropped by the radio station or Ka`u High School. One Journey, led by high school music teacher Laura Saijo, has received a lot of attention for its music video shown on OC16 television. The top song is Lovers Dream, written by singer Eunice Longakit and James Tyson. 

AESTHETICIAN Ursula D'Angelo, of Beauty Calls, has been working with Kaʻū Coffee Pageant candidates to help them care for their skin. "It's never too early to start taking care of your skin," advised D'Angelo. She brought fresh ingredients that can be found in the home - such as honey, avocado, oatmeal, green tea and yogurt - and let the girls concoct their own facial masks. The girls topped off their faces with seaweed, which is used in spa treatments to smooth and tone skin. The pageant is Saturday, April 23, and tickets can be purchased from the contenders.

YESTERDAY THE KA`U TROJAN Varsity baseball team took down Pahoa in Pahala, defeating them 7-6. Ka`u got off to a great start, scoring all of twice in the first inning, four in the second and once in the third. They held the Daggers to one run until the fourth inning. The Daggers picked up speed in the sixth and seventh innings, scoring four runs and keeping Ka`u scoreless. However, it was not enough to defeat the mighty Trojans. Callen Koi hit a triple and went three for four, and Dillin Ballo hit a double and went two for four. The big hitter of the day was James Dacalio, coming up with a home run in the third inning.