Ka`u News Briefs May 21, 2011

Senior Class President Daryn Galigo.  Photos by Julia Neal

SIXTY-TWO STUDENTS make up the 2011 graduating class of Ka`u High School, and most of them made the walk to receive their diplomas last night at Ka`u High School Gym. Principal Sharon Beck bragged that graduates received $250,000 in scholarships, and 47 of them are going on to higher education, a growing percentage over years past. She noted that girls volleyball and wrestling went to state finals, and the musical group One Journey won the statewide Brown Bags to Stardom competition, a David over Goliath achievement from one of the smallest schools in the state.
     Beck said the class of 2011 has brought “leadership, energy, a great deal of laughter and yes - some stress, to the school. Parents, you have much to be proud of,” she proclaimed. 

     Senior Class President Daryn Galigo said, “We have learned to endure and overcome whatever tribulations come our way. It is time to show the world what we are capable of and give back to those who sacrificed to get us here.” 

Valedictorian Dakota Walker
and his grandmother.

Salutatorian Jaeneise Cuison.

     Salutatorian Jaeneise Cuison thanked teachers, coaches and family members for helping her overcome the fear of being a freshman and to become an adult. She said all the seniors contributed “blood, sweat and energy.”
     Sen. Daniel Akaka sent a letter saying “graduation is a milestone that allows us to reflect on past achievement and contemplate the future.” He urged students to “take an active part to make this a better Hawai`i.” 

     Valedictorian Dakota Walker won a full scholarship to Johns Hopkins University. He gave credit to his family and to teachers and coaches who, despite pay cuts and poor access to resources, “managed to make four years at Ka`u High School anything but a waste of time.” He said that no expensive private school provides the kind of love, understanding “and sheer effectiveness that you find at our school.”

Keynote speaker Kurt Dela Cruz.

     Keynote speaker Kurt Dela Cruz talked about his kid days in Ka`u when he was known as “Swingy,” living behind Matsumoto store in Na`alehu. He now works as a freshman counselor at University of Hawai`i in Hilo but still thinks of Ka`u as home. He urged the graduates not to “be shame” of their accomplishments. “Shame is when you steal,” he said, “not when you achieve. Shame is when you get your name in the paper – abuse of household member,” he joked. He urged students to always be proud of being from Ka`u and said that there is a glow, something special about everyone from this place. It can be seen in everyone from Navy commanders to attorneys and others who graduate from Ka`u High. He encouraged everyone to always remember where they come from.

THE SOUTHSIDE VOLLEYBALL CLUB is having a car wash today until noon at Ka`u Federal Credit Union in Na`alehu to raise funds to go the Nationals in Minnesota this summer. Baked good and desktop plants such as anthuriums rooted on lava rocks are also available for purchase.

Bo Lozoff performs
tonight in Volcano.

BO LOZOFF CELEBRATES the 70th birthday of Bob Dylan tonight at 7 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. Long hair and peace signs are encouraged. Tickets are $15 for this evening of great music and fun. 

FREE ART DEMONSTRATIONS and hands-on activities are featured at the annual Artists in Action event at Volcano Garden Arts in Volcano Village today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Activities include book making, jewelry making, relief printmaking, glass blowing, pottery making and metal tooling.

A GATHERING HONORING THE LIFE of legendary Hawaiian composer, musician and entertainer Buddy Fo will be held today at 4 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. He lived in Ocean View with his wife, Sammi. They were very active in the Hawaiian music scene in Ka`u, and Sammi plans to continue to teach hula.

Ka`u News Briefs May 20, 2011

`Aina Koa Pono's depiction of its project to produce biofuel in Ka`u.

`AINA KOA PONO’S PROPOSAL to install giant microwave ovens to vaporize Christmas Berry, eucalyptus and crops to feed a proposed biodiesel refinery between Pahala and Wood Valley is being questioned by the Public Utilities Commission. PUC attorney Michael Azama wrote to Hawaiian Electric Company noting that the electric company characterizes the microwave depolymerizaton process “as an emerging, next generation technology that has not yet been proven on a commercial scale.” The PUC asks that the electric company “provide in detail all of the evidence and reasons to support the position” that the microwave technology “is technically feasible on a commercial scale for the proposed biofuels project, which promises sixteen million net United States gallons annually of locally produced biodiesel.” 

     The PUC also asks the electric company to explain the contractual risks to HELCO and its ratepayers, as well as Maui Electric and Hawaiian Electric Co on O`ahu and their respective ratepayers “in the event that the MWDP technology is proven not to be technically feasible on a commercial scale for the proposed project.” The PUC also asks whether the proposed price that the electric company would pay `Aina Koa Pono would include any risk to the utility and its customers. The PUC is giving Hawaiian Electric until May 31 to answer the questions.
     The refinery would be on Meyer Camp Road on the edge of the macadamia orchard between Pahala and Wood Valley. `Aina Koa Pono plans more than 300 jobs to build the $350 million refinery and more than 100 permanent jobs once it is up and running.

U.S. CONGRESSWOMAN MAZIE HIRONO has announced her bid for U.S. Senate to replace Sen. Dan Akaka, who plans to retire. She made the announcement on a two-minute You Tube presentation yesterday. She said she wants to “continue our fight for more and better Hawai`i jobs in tourism, construction, transportation; our fight for energy independence and the farmers and scientists who are building Hawai`i’s renewable economy; our fight for stronger public schools and early childhood education. I am running for the Senate because now, more that ever, we have to protect commitments like Medicare and Social Security from any attempt to dismantle them.” See MazieforHawaii.com. 

Charlene Cowan won in the Amateur Entree
category.  Photos by Geneveve Fyvie

Charlene Cowan's winning
entry in the Amateur
Entree category. 

THE KA`U COFFEE RECIPE & Taste of Ka`u Contest last weekend saw Charlene Cowan of Macadamia Meadows Farm Bed & Breakfast on Kamaoa Road winning first place in the Amateur Entrée Category. She offered up a Ka’u Coffee Portuguese Sausage Biscuit Topper. Cowan also won at the contest last year. She compared coming up with the topper to being an artist: “You have to think ahead about what you want to do and just work it through in your head.” Cowan used guava, mango and macadamia nuts from her own backyard and used tangerines and grapefruits from a neighborhood friend. Her garnishes – nasturtiums – were also picked on her farm. Cowan professed her passion for Ka`u and the local movement and said, “We also offer orchard tours on our farm, especially to those who stay with us. I’m all about ag and mac nuts, and education is a key part.” Anyone interested in contacting Charlene Cowan about her recipe, farm or bed & breakfast can email her through her website www.macadamiameadows.com or at innkeeper@macadamiameadows.com. 

A COUNTY COUNCIL TIP LINE has been set up to provide county employees and the general public the opportunity to report concerns or suggestions on how to improve county operations. The phone number is 932-2999. Callers can be anonymous or leave their name and number if they want a return call. 

Ka`u Rodeo Queen contender
Lorilee Lorenzo is selling
tickets.  Photo by Julia Neal

THE JULY 2ND AND 3RD KA`U RODEO is looking for a queen, and contenders are selling tickets to the event throughout the community. This annual rodeo to celebrate the Fourth of July follows the Fourth of July Parade in Na`alehu. Lorilee Lorenzo, of Pahala, daughter of Mahina and Frank Lorenzo is one of the contestants selling tickets throughout Ka`u. 

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY for public comments on the Wetlands Habitat Restoration Plan for Honu`apo Estuary. The goal is to improve local and migratory bird habitat. The effort would be to restore more open mudflats for foraging birds and deepwater pools for birds, fish and turtles. Call Ka `Ohana O Honu`apo executive director Lehua Lopez-Mau to see the complete plan and with questions at 929-9891. 

GRADUATION CEREMONIES will be held this evening at 5 p.m. at the Ka`u High School Gym. Keynote speaker is Kurt Dela Cruz, of the University of Hawai`i. Valedictorian Dakota Walker and salutatorian Jaeneise Cuison will also give speeches.

THE SOUTHSIDE VOLLEYBALL CLUB is having a car wash tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Ka`u Federal Credit Union in Na`alehu. The club is raising funds to go the Nationals in Minnesota this summer. Baked good and desktop plants such as anthuriums rooted on lava rocks will also be available for purchase. 

Zachary Street emcees at tonight's
Poetry Slam in Volcano.

ZACHARY STREET EMCEES tonight’s Poetry Slam at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. Beginning at 7 p.m., poets of all ages compete as they read their original works, combining spoken word with dramatic presentation. Tickets are $8 and are available at volcanoartcenter.org and at the door. 

ALSO AT THE NIAULANI CAMPUS, Bo Lozoff celebrates the 70th birthday of Bob Dylan on Saturday at 7 p.m. Long hair and peace signs are encouraged. Tickets are $15 for this evening of great music and fun.

HALAU NA KIPU`UPU`U performs hula and chant tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. on the hula platform overlooking Kilauea Crater in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Park entrance fees apply.

FREE ART DEMONSTRATIONS and hands-on activities are featured at the annual Artists in Action event happening tomorrow at Volcano Garden Arts in Volcano Village from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Activities include book making, jewelry making, relief printmaking, glass blowing, pottery making and metal tooling.

A GATHERING HONORING THE LIFE of legendary Hawaiian composer, musician and entertainer Buddy Fo will be held tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. He lived in Ocean View with his wife, Sammi. They were very active in the Hawaiian music scene in Ka`u, and Sammi plans to continue to teach hula.

Ka`u News Briefs May 19, 2011

The Class of 2011 paraded through Pahala this morning in their cars and trucks, honking their horns
on the last day of school for seniors.  Photo by Julia Neal

`AINA KOA PONO principals, who plan to build a refinery and a biofuels farm just outside Pahala, were quoted in Pacific Business News this week. They supported electric rate hikes across O`ahu, Maui and Hawai`i counties to help pay for their $350 million project. Co-founder Melvin Chiogioji told PBN: “The fact of the matter is that all of us are going to require some sort of premium in order to finance the [biofuel] projects.” He said, however, that higher prices may not last. Once biofuel operations are scaled-up the price point is expected to fall for certain projects. PBN writer Sophie Cocke reports that, “with the expectation that oil prices will rise, executives of biofuel companies are betting on their fuel to become cost-competitive. While in the short term biofuels could cost ratepayers more, Hawaiian Electric officials have been strongly supporting their development.

     As with traditional petroleum sources, biofuel can be used in the utility’s existing generators and provide a constant source of energy, unlike solar and wind energy, which are intermittent due to cloud cover and variable wind speeds.”

     `Aina Koa Pono went to the legislature to pass a new law that would allow the price increase across the islands. That law is awaiting Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s signature. PBN reported `Aina Koa Pono co-founder Kenton Eldridge saying that if the law had not passed, “we would have worked closely with Hawaiian Electric to assess the situation and explore options.”

COUNCIL MEMBER BRITTANY SMART has moved for the council to reconsider Mayor Billy Kenoi’s proposal to start charging $1 for each Hele-On Bus ride with seniors, the disabled and students still enjoying free passage. Smart made the move after voting against the bill to stop free bus service. She said she didn’t realize that voting against the $1 fee would mean that the bus fares would go back to rates in place when free bus service was instated. Without kokua zones passengers would pay approximately $5 for a one-way trip from Ka`u to Hilo or Kona. Said Smart, “While there was mention of the Kokua Zones expiring at the end of this fiscal year – the end of June – at no point in any discussions, including council chambers, the media and community meetings was it stated that the bus fares revert to fares existing prior to the kokua zones.” Council rules allow for any council member voting with the majority to move to reconsider the vote at the same meeting or next regular meeting, if notification is given to the county clerk within five days after the vote.
     Smart gave the notification and plans to change her vote to prevent the rates to ride the Hele-On from soaring.

RIDING THE BUS FROM KA`U to Hawai`i Community College and University of Hawai`i is popular for getting homework done – a way to manage time rather than drive the hour to hour and a half distance to school. The American Association of University Women is encouraging women to go back to school and to take up training for work. It is offering a Women in Transition free seminar on Saturday, June 4 from 8 a.m. to noon at the University of Hawai`i Center in Kealakekua. Keynote speaker Jeanne Hartney will talk about going back to college after a long absence of working and raising a family. Training on resume writing, and offerings at West Hawai`i, will be offered. Those attending can apply for a $1,000 scholarship. Registration is required for this free seminar. Call 322-4858.

The last day before becoming
alumni of the Class of 2011.
Photos by Julia Neal

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL for seniors at Ka`u High School, and graduation ceremonies will be held tomorrow evening at 5 p.m. at the Ka`u High School Gym. Keynote speaker is Kurt Dela Cruz, of the University of Hawai`i. A musician, comic, and youth counselor, he will talk about his days at Ka`u High and give an inspiring talk to the Class of 2011. 

Seniors take the helm of the familiar
mode of transportation by security
and the principal.

     Valedictorian is Dakota Walker, and salutatorian is Jaeneise Cuison, who will also give speeches. The last day of school for underclassmen is tomorrow. This morning the seniors took a traditional spin around Pahala, blasting the horns on their cars and trucks with signs celebrating the Class of 2011. 

NANI KAHUKU `AINA presents plans for its Kahuku Village resort development along the coast near Ocean View today at 5:30 p.m. at Yano Hall in Captain Cook. The development is on 16,000 acres between Ocean View and South Point and would include hotels, condominiums, golf courses and a nature park around Pohue Bay. For more information, call project manager Aaron Eberhardt at 808-224-5308.

Honu`apo in the early days of development into a sugar
transportation hub that lasted for many decades,
degrading the wetlands.

TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY for public comments on the Wetlands Habitat Restoration Plan for Honu`apo Estuary. The goal is to improve local and migratory bird habitat, and the proposal calls for controlling predators like cats, dogs and mongoose with active predator control, predator-proof fencing around the Honu`apo estuary, and removing kiawe trees and other alien vegetation to restore freshwater input. Alien vegetation in the mudflats would also be removed to improve bird forage habitat. Endemic and native plants would be planted to provide habitat. The effort would be to restore more open mudflats for foraging birds and deepwater pools for birds, fish and turtles. Call Ka `Ohana O Honu`apo executive director Lehua Lopez Mau to see the complete plan and with questions at 929-9891. 

THE SOUTHSIDE VOLLEYBALL CLUB is having a car wash on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Ka`u Federal Credit Union in Na`alehu. The club is raising funds to go the Nationals in Minnesota this summer. Baked good and desktop plants such as anthuriums rooted on lava rocks will also be available for purchase.

FREE ART DEMONSTRATIONS and hands-on activities are featured at the annual Artists in Action event happening on Saturday at Volcano Garden Arts in Volcano Village from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. One of the artists participating is Dina Kageler, who was a judge at last month’s Miss Ka`u Coffee pageant.

Buddy and Sammi Fo at Hana Hou.  Photo by Nalani Parlin

A GATHERING HONORING the life of legendary Hawaiian composer, musician and entertainer Buddy Fo will be held this Saturday at 4 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. Fo and his wife, dancer Sammi Fo, made their home in Ocean View after a career spanning from New York to Las Vegas, Honolulu and Maui to the Big Island. Fo was a member of the Invitations. He and Sammi performed in recent years at area restaurants, house concerts, festivals and music workshops. Sammi said she will continue teaching hula in Ka`u.