Ka`u News Briefs May 29, 2011

The new concrete tank to hold water from the Ocean View well is nearly complete.  Photo by Al Sherman

FORESTRY CONSERVATION will be more likely on private and government properties in Ka`u with a new agreement between the state, U.S. government and local Water & Soil Conservation districts. A recently signed agreement stems from the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 and focuses on the need to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s private working lands. This will help “build a partnership of trust and collaboration critical in sustaining the health of our unique forest lands and watersheds,” said state Department of Land and Natural Resources chairperson William Aila, Jr. 

     “This is a renewed commitment for collaboration among natural resource agencies in Hawai`i,” said Randy Moore, U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Regional Forester. “This strengthens our ability to address issues across boundaries in an all-lands approach.”
     Wesley Nohara, president of the Hawai`i Association of Conservation Districts, said, “We are excited about the opportunity to work with our partners at the local level to promote forestry and watershed protection. Each of our partners will provide unique expertise and resources. HACD will provide locally based knowledge and community support to enhance this statewide program.” Gov. Neil Abercrombie said he welcomes the cooperation and hosted a signing of the agreement.

Richard Ha with his family at
Hamakua Springs Country Farms.

STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE MEMBER Richard Ha is taking on the Hawaiian Electric - `Aina Koa Pono proposal to build a refinery up Wood Valley Road and biofuel farm between Pahala and Na`alehu. In his independent Hamakua Springs Country Farms blog called Ha Ha Ha, he objects to Hawaiian Electric’s attempt to block the county’s participation in the discussion before the Public Utilities Commission regarding the biofuel issue. Ha claims that HECO wanted to keep the details of their plan to raise customer rates to pay for the `Aina Koa Pono project secret. When the county wanted to participate, HECO said the county was too late. “What about the County’s responsibility to look after the best interests of the people?” asks Ha. He also points to HECO’s contention that the county has not stated the specific type of expertise, knowledge or experience it holds, nor how it relates to the issues. “How about common sense?” asks Ha. Ha claims that HECO is allowing `Aina Koa Pono to pass on its costs to the ratepayer, over and above the oil cost it replaces. 

     Ha also contends that other experts in energy view that the biofuel plant won’t work and gives the example of Sun Fuels, which operated successfully in Europe but calculated that growing crops and cutting trees to make liquid fuels to run electric plants would be uneconomical in Hawai`i.
     `Aina Koa Pono disagrees, contending it has new technology and that its refinery will bring 300 construction jobs and a hundred permanent jobs to Pahala. The PUC has asked `Aina Koa Pono to provide more proof of its viability and of its cutting edge microwave processing technology to the PUC by the end of this month.

THE OCEAN VIEW WATER PROJECT is nearing completion. The walls of the 300,000- gallon water tank, just above Kahuku County Park on Paradise Circle, were poured in four sections, and Bolton Construction is working on the roof. Construction is also nearly complete at the fill station on Hwy 11, reports Loren Heck, of Ocean View. 

NOT ONLY ARE THERE NURSING assistant training programs in Pahala and a nursing school in Hilo, the University of Hawai`i will offer a doctoral program in nursing beginning in the fall of 2012. The degree is called a Doctorate of Nursing Practice. The graduates will be trained to handle many of the same responsibilities as physicians in diagnosis and the planning of patient treatment. The inaugural class will accept only 10 students, who will spend three years earning their doctorate, and a shorter time if they already have a master’s degree in nursing. The average pay of a nurse is $84,000 a year.

Lt. Col. Rolland Niles will give the keynote address at KMC's
  Memorial Day ceremony. Photo by Howard Sugai

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP HOSTS A TRIBUTE to those who made the ultimate Sacrifice for Freedom’s Sake in a Memorial Day ceremony tomorrow from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the KMC front lawn. Lt. Col. Rolland Niles, Commander of Pohakuloa Training Area, will deliver the keynote address. 

A MEMORIAL DAY BUFFET at the Crater Rim Café follows the ceremony from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
For more information, call 967-8371.

A DINNER AT KAHUKU PARK on Paradise Circle in Ocean View on Saturday, June 4 will raise funds to support the Summer Fun program. Dinner is served at 5 p.m. and includes Chef John Repogle’s BBQ pork, along with rice, corn and watermelon all for just $5. Beverages are $1, with desserts and other baked good also on sale. Activities before dinner include a slip and slide, face painting and games. Karaoke is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Pre-sale dinner tickets are available. Call Robin at 939-8491 or Genny at 217-5593.

Ka`u News Briefs May 28, 2011

Axis deer hunted on Lana`i by Darrel Colburn, an active duty U.S. military soldier.

AXIS DEER, seen as a major threat to the native environment and to farmers, have been seen in Ka`u, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry and Wildlife. Working with a coalition of resource managers on Hawai`i Island, the staff has confirmed recent sightings of what it calls “an introduced, damaging large mammal.” They have also been seen in areas from Kohala to Kona and Mauna Kea. “We consider this a serious problem with far-reaching economic and environmental impacts to the agriculture industry and native ecosystems on the island,” said DLNR chief William Aila, Jr. He said the search is being expanded and a removal plan developed by DLNR, the state Department of Agriculture, the Big Island Invasive Species Committee, federal natural resource management agencies, ranchers, farmers, private landowners and concerned citizens. “Strong, swift action is needed to protect this island from newly introduced damaging ungulates that threaten the environmental character of the Big Island, he said.

DLNR chief William Aila, Jr.

     Jan Schipper, BIISC program manager, said that “ranchers and farmers have already expressed their concerns to me that deer and other species that are suspected to have been illicitly introduced on the Big Island would destroy their crops and possibly introduce new diseases to our island, as has happened on other islands.”
     Besides agriculture and public safety concerns, conservation agencies are particularly concerned about the impact to forest and native ecosystems and threatened and endangered species. There are no fences on Hawai`i Island that are tall enough to keep deer out. If deer become established, conservation and deer exclosure fences on the island will have to be raised to eight feet. Retrofitting the more than 300 miles of fences could cost tens of millions of dollars. Farmers, ranchers and public safety officials would also need to install fences to protect crops and to reduce deer-vehicle collisions.
     “DLNR’s mission is to preserve and protect our natural resources, paramount of which are our watersheds and native ecosystems. We will need to take quick and effective action to prevent costly and destructive impacts on the Big Island that will last for generations, perhaps forever,” said Aila.
     DLNR asks the Big Island residents to report any sightings of deer or any other unusual new or introduced mammal anywhere to call the BIISC Hotline at 808-961-3299 or email Jan Schipper at gjs@hawaii.edu. Provide your name, contact information, an estimate of how many deer, and the location where you saw the deer. Anyone with information relating to the unauthorized introduction of these or any other restricted or prohibitive animals is urged to also contact BIISC.

Hurricane Jimena brushed against Ka`u in 2003.
Doppler image courtesy of NOAA

CIVIL DEFENSE AGENCIES around the state have been working on a mock hurricane exercise during the last week, just days before the beginning of hurricane season, which starts June 1. The exercise, called Makani Paihi, has come up with all the statistics of the fake hurricane happening, with appropriate notification of the public and coordination of emergency services. The Civil Defense exercise orchestrated Makani brushing Ka`u and described it as “an extremely dangerous category four storm packing winds of 150 miles per hour, with higher gusts when the center makes landfall on O`ahu. The mock message described many gauges no longer reporting across “the extreme southern portion of the Big Island. While a spotter in Na`alehu reports he could make out the South Point radar during breaks in the heavy rain, we are no longer receiving data,” the make-believe hurricane discussion stated. 

     In 2003, Hurricane Jimena brushed up against the Big Island and sat just offshore of Ka`u until it dissipated. The eye passed some 110 miles below South Point. The Ka`u Doppler radar was able to record its wind and rainfall. It was the closest that a hurricane or tropical storm had come to the Doppler radar system, which was installed across the state in the 1990s.

THE KA`U GONZO MUSIC SOCIETY is sponsoring a music festival on Memorial Day at Punalu`u from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The group members are Bill Filbey on piano, guitar, and harmonica; Tom Pasquale on drums; Tom Favarra on bass; and Rich Zazzi and Dan Corippo on guitar. The group covers rock ‘n’ roll, R & B and reggae, and also plays original songs. Other entertainers include Foggy (aka Gary Cole), the Mile 25 Band and an Elvis impersonator. 

Kara Adanalian           Photos by Geneveve Fyvie

Adanalian's winning
Ka`u Coffee & Spice
Shortbread Cookies

KARA ADANALIAN WON FIRST in the Amateur Dessert I category at the Ka`u Coffee Festival Recipe Contest with her Ka`u Coffee & Spice Shortbread Cookies. Adanalian said she has competed in recipe contests for about 20 years now. In 2004, she was named America’s Best Home Cook by Fine Cooking magazine. Adanalian revamped a shortbread cookie recipe to use Ka`u Coffee and other Ka`u ingredients, including ginger and honey from the Ka`u Farmers Market in Na`alehu. Contact Adanalian at kara@acmegraphics.net. 

Ka`u News Briefs May 27, 2011

A temporary transfer station in Ocean View accepts trash, and the county is trying to decide where Ka`u's trash will go in the future, as much of it, from Na`alehu through Volcano, is trucked to a landfill in Hilo. Photo by Al Sherman

A SPECIAL SESSION of the state Legislature to change the budget will not be necessary, according to Gov. Neil Abercrombie. It was feared that the Council on Revenues update might predict less income, leading to more cutbacks. The Council released its estimates yesterday, however, with no change predicted. The governor said the state is also being helped by private foundations, such as Conservation International, which is providing $2 million for the state to enforce fisheries laws, and the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation, which is giving $10 million toward education. The Council predicts a negative 1.6 percent growth this year and an 11.6 percent growth next year. The Japanese tourism market is starting to reverse its decline that followed the tsunami, and oil prices are dropping, leading to a better economic forecast. 

DURING FISCAL YEAR 2010, state departments reduced their total electric consumption by 2.8 percent from 2009 and saved more than $20 million in energy costs statewide, according to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.
     The 2010 decline in the state’s energy consumption is the third consecutive year agencies have managed to cut energy use. 2010 also marked the first time state agencies were able to decrease costs from the previous year. Director Richard Lim said that “this promising turnaround reflects the state’s ongoing commitment to implement energy efficiency and renewable energy development to protect against escalating energy costs, expedite energy security and mitigate negative impacts on our economy due to volatile world oil markets.”

Moi is also being grown in aquaculture
farms.  Photo courtesy of NOAA

Two moi, for which the state has placed
a kapu on fishing. Photo courtesy of
U.S. Department of Agriculture

NO FISHING FOR MOI THIS SUMMER, says the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, which has closed the season through June, July and August. The DLNR ban makes it unlawful to take, possess or sell any moi during this time. DLNR chair William Aila, Jr. said that moi was carefully managed during Hawaiian kingdom days. As there was only a small population of the fish, it was reserved for the ali`i. Hawaiians placed kapu on many kinds of fish during the seasons to protect them from overfishing and to allow reproduction. From September through May, moi may be taken only if they are at least 11 inches long, and the limit is a total of 15. Commercial fish dealers are allowed to sell more than 15, but only by showing receipts verifying that fishermen take no more than the 15-moi limit. 

THE COUNTY MAY use a 20,000 square foot facility built for the failed waste to energy station near Hilo as a place to take out paper and organic garbage from trash going into the Hilo landfill. The process would lengthen the life of the landfill, where much of Ka`u’s garbage is taken from transfer stations. The county is also studying whether to expand the landfill or carry Hilo’s garbage to Pu`uanahulu on the other side of the island. 

The Southside Volleyball Club raised funds at a car wash
last Saturday.  Photo by Katherine Okamura

THE SOUTHSIDE VOLLEYBALL CLUB is looking for any jobs they could do to earn money for a trip to the mainland to participate in the nationals. They have been busy, selling Easter goodies, flower arrangements for Mother’s Day and snacks and drinks at a booth at the Ka`u Coffee Festival. They also held a car wash at Ka`u Federal Credit Union in Na`alehu last weekend. Contact Brenda at 928-8007. 

THE KA`U GONZO MUSIC SOCIETY is sponsoring a music festival on Memorial Day at Punalu`u from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Along with rock ‘n’ roll by the Ka`u Gonzo Music Society, other entertainers include Foggy, the Mile 25 Band and an Elvis impersonator. 

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP HOSTS A TRIBUTE to those who made the ultimate Sacrifice for Freedom’s Sake in a Memorial Day ceremony on Monday from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the KMC front lawn. Lt. Col. Rolland Niles, Commander of Pohakuloa Training Area, will deliver the keynote address.

A MEMORIAL DAY BUFFET at the Crater Rim Café follows the ceremony from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. It features beef pot roast, mahi mahi, clam chowder, salads, and more. The cost is $13.75 for adults and $7.75 for children 6 to 11 years old.
     KMC invites the public to attend. For more information, call 967-8371. Park entrance fees apply.

Mark Joseph Libunao
Photos by Geneveve Fyvie

Libunao's winning Chicken Breast
with Ka`u Coffee Rub

MARK JOSEPH LIBUNAO, OF PAHALA, won first in the Professional Entrée category at the Ka`u Coffee Festival Recipe Contest for his Chicken Breast with Ka`u Coffee Rub. He also took second in the Dessert I category for his Ka`u Coffee Lava Flow. He said he wanted a simple recipe that would allow the strong flavors of Ka`u Coffee to flourish. Libunao praised the help of others and said, “My family, friends and mentors inspired me to do this recipe. ” 

     Although it is only Libunao’s first year as a Culinary Arts Student at Hawai`i Community College, he took Culinary I at Ka`u High School and was hired as a chef at Hilo Hawaiian Hotel. Libunao said he pursued a culinary career because of his love for cooking and learning and because “it allows me to utilize my skills and senses of smell and taste.” He dreams of traveling around the world and learning about the great recipes that other cultures have to offer. Contact Libunao at mjil@hawaii.edu.