Ka'u News Briefs Jan. 14, 2012

Ka`u Coffee farmers will study coffee berry borer prevention this Thursday in an attempt to keep the Ka`u Coffee
fields clean of the pest that has devastated Kona. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

FARMERS AND SCIENTISTS will focus next week on keeping the coffee berry borer out of Ka`u and introduce a visiting intern, Karla Casco, from Honduras, who will be living and working on the problem in Ka`u for 15 weeks. Dr. Elsie Burbano will provide an update on the CBB management strategies and experiments installed in Ka`u. She will also share with the farmers risk mitigation practices to minimize crop loss. Andrea Kawabata, the new coffee and fruit orchard extension agent for the Big Island, will also be introduced. 

Coffee berry borer traps can be made by
farmers.  Photo from CTAHR

     This Risk Management workshop is open to everyone at the Old Pahala Clubhouse on Maile Street next Thursday, Jan. 19, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. For more information contact Didi Diaz-Lyke at 887-6183 or mddiaz@hawaii.edu. The workshop is sponsored by the University of Hawai`i and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

HAWAI`I ISLAND ECONOMIC SUMMIT 2012 was held yesterday, and conferees talked about “a better-educated work force, more incentives for increasing renewable energy and lessening Hawai`i Island’s dependence on fossil fuels and getting health care providers to collaborate” as a few ways Hawai`i Island business owners and government officials could improve the county’s economic situation, reports Erin Miller for West Hawai`i Today this morning.
     The session was sponsored by Hawai`i County and the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce. According to the story, some employers said that many job applicants are unable to fill out the application form, look up a number the phone book and show customer service etiquette. Nick Craig of Ocean Sports said parents might not be pushing for instruction in those skill sets and that business owners could create “an employer’s manifesto” to guarantee youth will have baseline skills, the West Hawai`i Today story reports. 

     According to the story David Bateman, co-owner of a coffee farm, suggested relief from regulations and tax incentives to encourage news business. John DeFries, of Hokulia, said the public should get more involved in pushing for alternative energy, the West Hawai`i Today story states.
     Conferees came up with five priorities at the economic summit, the story reports. They are education, health care, sustainability, job creation and employment and energy and recycling.
     The event cost $75 to attend. It was held at Hapuna Prince Hotel, and the keynote speaker was film producer Eric Saperston. Mayor Billy Kenoi also addressed the attendees.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. visited Hawai`i in 1959 and
spoke at the House of Representatives.

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY will be a holiday Monday. All 397 national parks in the U.S. states and territories are waiving entrance fees, beginning today. On the Big Island Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park is offering free entry through Monday. In Hilo, a Martin Luther King Day celebration will be held at Mo`oheau Park Bandstand. Music, potluck lunch and speakers are on the program with a peace march at 11 a.m. It is sponsored by the Hawai`i American Veterans Enterprise Network. Call Charles Brooks at 557-8376.

     In Kona, the 31st annual event celebrating King’s birthday will be held Sunday beginning at noon in the Old Kona Airport Park.

HILO HIGH CAME TO KA`U last night for boys basketball. In the JV game Ka`u scored 57 points but come up short to Hilo’s 66. However, Ka`u’s Larry Al-Navarro was high point scorer for both teams with 20 points, and Ka`u’s Franklin Orcino came up with 14 points. In the varsity game, Nathaniel Kaui made nine points and Holden Galigo nine. Hilo pulled far ahead, however, and took the game 70 to 46, according to a report from athletic director Kalei Namohala.

Ka'u News Briefs Jan. 12, 2012

Jason Scott Lee, of Volcano, films in the rainforest to promote protection of watersheds. Photo from DLNR

JASON SCOTT LEE, of Volcano, is promoting clean water for Hawai`i. He has a new program sponsored by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources called The Rain Follows the Forest. It will air for the first time on television next Thursday, Jan. 19 at 6:30 p.m. on KGMB. 

     Lee, who is famous for leading roles in Dragon, The Bruce Lee Story, as Mowqli in The Jungle Book and the young chief in the film Rapanui, chose Volcano as his home years ago and is married and raising a child there. He grows taro and other food on his farm and fishes the Ka`u coast. He is known for living a simple, sustainable lifestyle. 

The DLNR has enlisted Jason Scott Lee for a film that airs
next week, The Rain Follows the Forest. Photo from DLNR

     In the half-hour special, The Rain Follows the Forest, Lee sets out on a journey to learn about sustainable life in his island home. He learns about the fragile fresh water supply, discovering connections to the upland forest. He talks with DLNR chair William Aila, Jr. who says, “I think about my grandchildren all the time and all the challenges that they are going to face. The worst-case scenario is that our watersheds are depleted and the source of fresh water diminishes,” says Aila. “Fresh water is really important for us; it’s important to every ecosystem from the top of the mountain even into the ocean,” Aila says in the film.
     Says Lee: “It’s so easy to get caught up in our modern world. Easy to forget where you came from. And then you look at the world and realize that things are kinda out of control. I left Hollywood 15 years ago. I came home to Hawai`i to remember what life is about. My name is Jason Scott Lee, and I live in the rainforest.” 

Rainbow and Sunred papaya from Volcano Isle Fruit
Company, www.papaya.net.

PAPAYAS from Hawai`i drew $15 million in sales to Japan before the ringspot virus devastated the orchards here on the Big Island in the 1990s. Now local papayas may return to the Japan market, as the Japanese government approved the Rainbow Genetically Modified papayas for import. The GMO papayas have been sold in Hawai`i since 1998 and exported to Canada since 2003. Now that Japan has accepted them, Hawai`i has to re-establish a market that has dropped to under $1 million a year with the Rainbow papaya. 

     Opponents of GMO fruit say they are afraid the Rainbow papayas will cross with organic papayas and could lead to resistant diseases. Scientists working with the local papaya industry said that the Rainbow papaya is safe and the most thoroughly analyzed fruit in the world.
     “The market opening in Japan is great news for Hawai`i’s papaya producers and even better news for American agricultural exports,” said Michael Scuse, acting under secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services. “Under the Obama Administration, USDA has continued to expand markets for American goods abroad, worked aggressively to break down barriers to trade, and assisted U.S. businesses with the resources needed to reach consumers around the world,” Scuse said. “This announcement will ensure that Hawai`i’s papaya producers help to drive our agricultural economy by expanding exports, creating jobs, and strengthening our nation’s competitiveness.” 

Derek S.K. Fontes

HAWAI`I’S MOST WANTED television show is featuring someone who police said could be in the Pahala area. The show, which will air beginning Jan. 13 on KHON, focuses on Derek S. K. Fontes, who is wanted on two arrest warrants for probation and three bench warrants. According to the Hawai`i Police Department, he is five-feet six-inches tall, 180 pounds with brown eyes and black hair. He has been wanted since last November. Police ask that anyone with information call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311 or Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential. Crime Stoppers does not record phone calls or subscribe to caller ID. 

THE BIG ISLAND is the only free destination offered up to promote the new Microsoft Flight Simulator game. Microsoft Studios has announced that Microsoft Flight will give “players the freedom to fly the skies over the beautiful Big Island of Hawai`i, complete a variety of exciting challenges, or find hidden aerocaches on the island.” Mircrosoft Flight players “view the world from above in a visually stunning and realistic representation of earth, complete with terrain and landmarks. Players can choose to take the helm using highly rendered, accurate cockpits and authentic piloting procedures or simply use their mouse and keyboard to control the plane in an exterior view. Experienced players can tailor the flight controls to match their skill level,” says a statement from Microsoft studios. Once enthusiasts fly free over the Big Island, they are welcome to purchase the other destinations in the new Flight Simulator game.

WAIAKEA CAME TO KA`U LAST NIGHT for boys high school basketball. In the JV game Ka`u came up short with 36 points to Waiakea’s 53. Larry Navarro was Ka`u’s high point scorer with ten baskets. In the varsity game, Ka`u scored 37 and Waiakea won with 47. Holden Galigo and Royden Esperon each picked up seven points, reports Ka`u High School athletic director Kalei Namohala.

BINGO FOR SENIOR CITIZENS originally scheduled for Feb. 4 at Na`alehu Clubhouse, has been rescheduled for March 2 at Na`alehu Clubhouse, 10 a.m., with free lunch, sponsored by `O Ka`u Kakou.

The March 6, 2011 fissure eruption between Pu`u `O`o
and Napau Crater. Photo by Tim Orr/USGS

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK is offering free entry this Friday through Monday. Numerous ranger-led hikes and programs are available during the fee-free dates as part of Volcano Awareness Month. Visitors can find information at http://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit and check the ranger activities bulletin board at the Kilauea Visitor Center each morning after 9 a.m.

THIS WEEKEND `O KA`U KAKOU’S Keiki Fishing Tournament comes to Punalu`u. Early registration for the event on Saturday morning is advised, and forms are available in Pahala at Mizuno Superette and Pahala Gas Station, in Na`alehu at B&E Union 76 gas station and Ace Hardware, and in Ocean View at Kahuku Mini-Mart and Ace Hardware.
     The event is a benefit for the Ka`u Family Center, and organizers ask that participants bring at least one canned food item. Call 937-4990 or 217-2253 for more information.

KA`U FARMERS MARKET celebrates its 10th anniversary this Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. in front of Na`alehu Ace Hardware with entertainment, lucky number drawings and free root beer floats while they last.

Ka'u News Briefs Jan. 11, 2011

NASA's G-III aircraft is a modified Gulf Stream jet with radar sensors on its belly. Photo from NASA

A NASA RESEARCH AIRCRAFT is flying over Ka`u this week, studying Kilauea Volcano with radar that looks beneath the surface, much like a CT scan on a person. The G-III research aircraft carries a pod on its belly with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar. Using interferometry, it sends out pulses to the ground to measure very subtle deformations in Earth’s surface. 

Radar imaging of Kilauea Volcano from some 40,000 ft in altitude

 takes place this week from a NASA aircraft. Image from NASA

      The radar is collecting data over Kilauea Volcano from an altitude of about 41,000 feet. UAVSAR gathered its first data from this area in January 2010. Assisted by a Platform Precision Autopilot designed by engineers at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center, the flights were repeated in May 2011. The two sets of observations successfully imaged the surface deformation caused by the March 2011 fissure eruption in Kilauea’s east rift zone.
      Flights this month trace the same path to measure deformation of the volcano since the March 2011 eruption and as part of future studies of the volcano’s changing deformation patterns due to volcanic activity.
      The aircraft is scheduled to return home to NASA’s Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, CA on Jan. 15.

ELECTRIC RATES ROSE ON THE BIG ISLAND last month and remain the highest in the state, rising from 41.3 cents per kilowatt-hour to 42.7 cents. Hawai`i County was followed by Kaua`i, with 40.6 cents and Maui at 37.6 cents. On O`ahu, the rates just dropped from 35.1 cents to 32.6 cents per kilowatt-hour. Hawaiian Electric Co. spokesman Peter Rosegg said, “Overall, rates remain high, creating a difficult burden for families and businesses.” He said that “the long-term solution is to continue to pursue local renewable electricity and fuel sources that can be purchased with long-term fixed-price contracts.” Hawai`i overall has some of the highest electric rates in the country, more than four times the cost of some places on the mainland. 

Oil tanker anchored offshore of a Tesoro refinery on O'ahu.
Photo from Berkley Engineering and Research, Inc.

OIL REFINERIES IN HAWAI`I could face financial problems and some could shut down, according to government and industry officials quoted in a Civil Beat story this morning. “Potential disruptions in the global oil supply have left Hawai`i vulnerable to major price fluctuations and the ability to ensure adequate fuel supplies,” the story reports. Writer Sophie Cocke notes that “unlike other states that have abundant coal, natural gas and nuclear energy sources, Hawai`i is nearly 90 percent dependent on oil to power its overall energy needs. The predicament has spurred a major state policy push to switch to renewable energy sources.”
      The change to renewables, however, could make electricity, gas and other energy from petroleum more vulnerable, Fereidun Fesharaki, an international oil consultant and a senior fellow at the East-West Center, told Civil Beat. As homeowners and businesses reduce their consumption from the grid by going to solar, wind and geothermal, the oil companies lose income.
      Tesoro announced yesterday it will sell its refineries in Hawai`i, and Chevron could also be impacted. Should all the refineries shut down, Hawai`i would have to import refined oil, which would make it even more vulnerable, the story says.
      Gov. Neil Abercrombie said his administration would work to ensure fuel production and distribution are not disrupted in Hawai`i. “However, we must remind ourselves that the move toward alternative or renewable energies is essential to Hawai`i’s survival,” he said.
      Both Chevron and Tesoro are looking at biofuels to replace some of their traditional oil sources.

More than 60% of coral reefs in U.S. waters are found in the
chain of Hawaiian Islands. Photo from USGS

FUNDING TO RESTORE REEFS will come from a fine levied in federal court yesterday for a ship from Korea dumping oily waste in Hawaiian waters. Keoje Marine, which owns the South Korean tanker ship, was fined $1.15 million, and $250,000 will go into the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation. The money will be spent in Hawai`i.
      Federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Environment and Natural Resources Division prosecuted the felony case. Company representatives pled guilty to violating the Clean Water Act for dumping oily, bilgy waste in waters off Hawai`i; covering up the dumping by falsifying the vessel’s oil record book; and for obstruction of justice during a U.S. Coast Guard inspection in October 2011, according to a story in this morning’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser story by Gordon Pang.

THE FOURTH ANNUAL Keiki Fishing Tournament and Canned Food Drive at Punalu`u is coming up this Saturday. Early registration is advised, with forms available in Pahala at Mizuno Superette and Pahala Gas Station, in Na`alehu at B&E Union 76 gas station and Ace Hardware, and in Ocean View at Kahuku Mini-Mart and Ace Hardware. Sponsored by `O Ka`u Kakou, the event is a benefit for the Ka`u Family Center. Call 937-4990 or 217-2253 for more information.

KA`U FARMERS MARKET celebrates its 10th anniversary this Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. in front of Na`alehu Ace Hardware. There will be entertainment, lucky number drawings and free root beer floats while they last.