Ka`u News Briefs Feb. 17, 2012

A fire at the old sugar mill warehouse in Pahala was quickly extinguished yesterday by firefighters. Photo by Julia Neal

REP. BOB HERKES will run for the new District Two state Senate seat that will cover Ka`u - from Punalu`u through Pahala, then into Volcano and all of Puna. The new District Two is the only new seat being added to the entire state Senate. It was established by the state Reapportionment Commission after the state Supreme Court ruled that the one-person, one-vote rule be followed after the 2010 census showed a 24.5 percent population growth on the Big Island. The first reapportionment scheme adopted by the commission was shot down by the court because it unfairly weighted the O`ahu population by including non-resident military, non-resident students and non-resident people incarcerated there.

Proposed state Senate districts

      Under the new apportionment scheme, in addition to Senate District Two, Ka`u will be served by Senate District Three, which will run from the uninhabited west side of Punalu`u through Na`alehu, Ocean View and up the coast to Kona International Airport. Sen. Josh Green, who now serves Kona but formerly lived in Ka`u and practiced medicine at Ka`u Hospital, said he will run again. Sen. Gil Kahele, who has been serving the Ka`u District since his appointment by Gov. Neil Abercrombie after Sen. Russell Kokubun stepped down to lead the state Department of Agriculture, will be eligible to run for the District One Senate seat in Hilo. Kahele said this morning he is “leaning that way,” to run for the Hilo seat. He said, however, “I won’t forget Ka`u. I enjoy working with the people of Volcano, Pahala and all the way to MiIoli`i. I will still push for restoring the irrigation system for the farmers and with helping the coffee industry and completing the new Ocean View potable water system.” 

Proposed state House districts

      In the House of Representatives, with Herkes leaving his post to run for Senate, an opportunity will open for House District Three, serving Punalu`u, through Pahala, Volcano, Mountain View, Kurtistown and Kea`au, but excluding much of Puna and its coastal communities. Another open seat will be House District Five, from west of Punalu`u into North Kona.
      A public hearing on this new reapportionment regime will be held this coming Tuesday at 6 p.m. in County Council chambers in Hilo with videoconferencing to the Council offices in Kona.

A FIRE AT THE OLD SUGAR MILL WAREHOUSE in Pahala was quickly extinguished yesterday by firefighters. The huge orange-colored building that was used for storing mill equipment parts has been abandoned and the scene of homeless camping and other fires since the mill shut down almost 16 years ago. According to the fire department, there was no damage to anything of any value. Some old abandoned papers were burned, said firefighters.

DONATIONS FOR A RUMMAGE SALE to benefit Ka`u Hospital Charitable Foundation’s scholarship fund, which assists any Ka`u student enrolled in any medical training program, are being accepted. Items can be dropped off at Kama`aina Kuts behind Na`alehu Ace Hardware through Saturday, Feb. 25. Call Ursula at 896-2624. 

ST. JUDE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH in Ocean View celebrates Mardi Gras today at 6 p.m. with Cajun food and music. Tickets are $12 per person or $20 per couple. Call 939-7000.

RIVER OF LIFE Assembly of God in Pahala hosts a free mini carnival tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with games, music, prizes and food, while supplies last.

A HULA KAHIKO PERFORMANCE BY Halau Na Pua Ha`aheo O Kona, under the direction of kumu hula Roy Palacat, takes place at the hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. Hands-on cultural demonstrations take place from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at VAC Gallery. Donations are welcome, and park entrance fees apply.

VISIT OUR SPONSORS: WWW.KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM AND WWW.PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM

Ka`u News Briefs Feb. 16, 2012

Ash- and SO2-laden plume at Halema`uma`u crater in 2008. Photo by David Boyle/Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park

AIR POLLUTION could elevate risk for stroke and heart attack, and to a decline in attention span and cognitive abilities, according to several new studies. “At levels that the Environmental Protection Agency says are safe, we’re seeing real health effects,” Gregory Wellenius, of Brown University, told the New York Times. His study was in an urban environment. According to the story, “a link between pollutants in the air and declines in cardiovascular health has been suspected since at least the 1990s, when epidemiological research suggested that breathing in tainted air drives up rates of heart disease." Regarding stroke, the study showed a 34 percent higher risk when pollution climbs from “good” to “moderate” on the air quality index. 

            A separate study found that pollutants such as sulfur dioxide raise the immediate risk of a heart attack. Pollutants may cause inflammation, increase in heart rate and thickness of blood. The tiniest particles in the air could infiltrate the body, even getting to the brain through the nasal passage, according to a third study. Decline in memory and such abilities as planning and carrying out strategies occurred when exposed to air pollution. See www.well.blogs.nytimes.com.

MORTGAGE FORECLOSURES can be reviewed through July, under a state program that calls for negotiating with mortgage holders. More than 80,000 mortgage holders facing foreclosure signed up for the program since it was put in place last year. Several million more may qualify for the help. Foreclosures are on the rise as lenders begin to comply with Act 48, which was passed last year and requires lenders to negotiate with borrowers or take the foreclosure to the courts. Hawai`i Island had the worst foreclosure rate in the state in January with one foreclosure filing for every 414 households. This is far better than places like Las Vegas. Nevada had the worst foreclosure rate with one for every 198 households. 

            A federal, state and lender settlement recently tagged $71 million for Hawai`i, which should help those with mortgage problems and provide education to homeowners and prospective homeowners on managing and acquiring mortgages.

A SURCHARGE ON ALL sugar-sweetened beverages sold in Hawai`i could be assessed if Senate Bill 3019 is passed. Last year, in an effort to balance the state budget and fight obesity, Gov. Neil Abercrombie proposed a soda tax. However this year, it was proposed by senators.
      According to state Department of Health director Loretta Fuddy, a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages is one of many public health policies suggested by leading national organizations to battle obesity and sugar over-consumption.
      Health professionals also offered their support. The proposal has drawn opposition from soft drink companies such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi, as well as beverage and retail industry groups.

Food Basket volunteers help the hungry, and some County Council members want to give the organization
$500,000 in funding. Photo from Hawai`i Island Food Basket. See www.foodbaskethi.org.

THERE IS A FOOD EMERGENCY on the island, according to County Council member Pete Hoffmann, who wants the county to kick a half million dollars into the Food Basket. The money would come from the county disaster and emergency funds. 

      The idea to declare an emergency came after Hoffmann’s attempt to put the funds into the county budget failed, with the county attorney’s office saying the Council could not amend the budget. According to a story by Nancy Cook Lauer in West Hawai`i Today this morning, Council member Brenda Ford, who supports the funding, called the back and forth “horsefeathers” and accused Mayor Billy Kenoi of not wanting to feed the homeless. Kenoi later told West Hawai`i Today her statement was “political grandstanding.” 

INFORMATION ON A STABBING is being collected by the Hawai`i Police Department following an incident Monday night at Ocean View Town Center. Biti Biti Jr., 35, is being held on $6,500 bail and was charged yesterday with driving under the influence and without a license, as well as second-degree assault. He allegedly fled in a white pickup truck following the stabbing of a 44-year-old acquaintance and was later arrested at an Ocean View home. Anyone with information can call detective Sean Smith at 326-4646, ext. 262. Those wanting to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 329-8181 in Kona or 961-8300 in Hilo.

THE ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT to benefit Ka`u Hospital tees off tomorrow at Volcano Golf and Country Club. Sign up with Ron Young at 987-2761 or youngron19582@yahoo.com.

ST. JUDE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH in Ocean View celebrates Mardi Gras tomorrow at 6 p.m. with Cajun food and music. Tickets are $12 per person or $20 per couple. Call 939-7000.

Halau Na Pua Ha`aheo O Kona performs Saturday in Hawai`i Volcanoes
National Park. Photo by Ken Kuroshima from hula-hawaii.net

HALAU NA PUA HA`AHEO O KONA, under the direction of kumu hula Roy Palacat, performs at the hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Hands-on cultural demonstrations take place from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at VAC Gallery. Donations are welcome, and park entrance fees apply. 

A FREE MINI CARNIVAL takes place Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at River of Life Assembly of God in Pahala, with games, music, prizes and food, while supplies last. 

SEE OUR SPONSORS AT WWW.PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND WWW.KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM.

Ka`u News Briefs Feb. 15, 2012

The state Reapportionment Commission's new map splits the district now represented by Sen. Gil Kahele while
adding a fourth Senate seat to the Big Island. Senate districts are outlined in orange, and House districts
are in different colors.

A NEW SENATE SEAT would be created for the Big Island, splitting the district now represented by Sen. Gil Kahele, if new maps from the state Reapportionment Commission are approved. Like the new House of Representative District, the boundary would split Ka`u near Punalu`u. Punalu`u and Pahala residents would vote for state senator with residents in Volcano and Puna in Senate District 2, while Na`alehu, Kalae and Ocean View residents would vote with residents all the way through Kona to the Kohala Coast.
      The House District would put incumbent Rep. Bob Herkes in a district that includes Punalu`u, Pahala, Volcano, Mountain View and the communities along Hwy 11 to Hilo. The maps will be unveiled today by the state Reapportionment Commission in Honolulu. One public hearing is planned for the Big Island to go over the redistricting. It will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 6 p.m. in the Hawai`i County Council Chambers. The Reapportionment Commission created the new maps after the Hawai`i Supreme Court ordered it to deduct the non-resident military, student and incarcerated population from the census which had led to less representation per resident on the Big Island.

Farmers like Gloria Camba and Bong Aquino, of the Ka`u Coffee Growers
Cooperative, are urged to help their organization join in the national
ag census. Photo by Julia Neal

KA`U FARMERS can illustrate the importance of the farm economy in the district by filling out and returning the agricultural census forms being distributed in the mail by the federal government. The National Agricultural Classification Survey asks landowners whether they are farming and for basic farm information. It is one of the steps to determine who receives the Census of Agriculture report form. 

      The Census of Agriculture is a complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. 

      “We are asking everyone who receives the NACS to respond even if they are not farming so that we build the most accurate and comprehensive mailing list to account for all of U.S. agriculture in the Census,” said survey director Renee Picanso. “The Census is the leading source of facts about American agriculture and the only source of agricultural statistics that is comparable for each county in the nation. Farm organizations, businesses, government decision-makers, commodity market analysts, news media, researchers and others use Census data to inform their work,” she said.
      All information reported by individuals is kept confidential. The 2012 Census of Agriculture will be conducted later this year, and data will be collected into early 2013. For more information about NACS, the Census of Agriculture, or to add your name to the Census mail list, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov.

THE PHYSICIAN RESIDENCY PROGRAM for this island was passed unanimously out of the state House of Representatives Committees on Health and Education yesterday. University of Hawai`i – Hilo Chancellor Donald Straney testified that he supports funding for the Rural Medical Residency Program. He said it “has an established and operating program to alleviate the severe physician shortage on Hawai`i Island. Funding will greatly increase and improve the quality of health care for people on the Island of Hawai`i. This program is a solution to attract, train and retrain doctors to be comfortable living in a rural setting, be more cognizant as well as understand the challenges that our island faces in terms of accessing and delivering quality health care.” The residency program is located at Hilo Medical Center, a sister organization of Ka`u Hospital & Rural Health Clinic.
      Rep. Bob Herkes was a co-author of the bill. The amount of funding is yet to be determined as the bill moves into Finance and other committees at the 2012 Legislature.

The Volcano Project hopes to make Volcano House a nonprofit hospitality educational center and culinary institute.
Photo from volcanoproject.org.

THE VOLCANO PROJECT celebrates three years this Sunday of presenting its mission at the weekly Volcano Farmers Market. The organization has been promoting its vision of Volcano House becoming a nonprofit hospitality educational center and culinary institute and has applied for the concession contract for the hotel and restaurant. Founder David Howard Donald said this Sunday will mark the 156th week of meeting with the public at the Volcano Market. He and co-founder Anne Lee said they hope to hear soon from the National Park Service on the selection of the new concessionaire for Volcano House. See more at http.//volcanoproject.org.

Keiki are invited to submit whale artwork.
Drawing from hellokids.com

KEIKI, GRADES K-8, are invited to submit ocean artwork, poems and short stories to Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary by noon on March 15. February is Humpback Whale Awareness Month in Hawai`i. “The humpback whale represents the diversity of ocean life that surrounds the Hawaiian Islands and reflects the deep connection the people of Hawai`i share with the ocean,” said Gov. Neil Abercrombie. 

      For the month of February, the sanctuary offers daily trivia for the public to test their knowledge. In light of Valentine’s Day, yesterday’s trivia question was, “who has the final say in choosing a mate… the male or the female humpback whale?” The answer is “scientists believe it is the female who makes the final decision. As you know, the warm shallow waters of the Hawaiian Islands are the only place in the U.S. where humpback whales mate, calf and nurse their young.” For more visit http://hawaiianhumpbackwhale.noaa.gov.

FEMALE KA`U HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS are eligible to apply for the two American Association of University Women’s $2,000 scholarships this spring. Applications are open to students who will attend two- or four-year colleges or universities this fall. Criteria includes academic achievement; involvement in extracurricular high school activities, community organizations, and/or employment experience; educational and career goals; and financial need. Applications must be postmarked by April 18 and are available from high school counselors or online at www.aauwkona.org. Founded in 1881, AAUW is the oldest and largest women’s organization in the country. It promotes equity, education and self- development over the life span of women, and positive societal change. 

      AAUW stages the Girls Exploring Math and Science program for fifth-grade girls and the Women In Transition program to assist those wanting to re-enter the workforce or upgrade their skills for better career opportunities. For more, contact Toni Rimer, AAUW Kona Branch Scholarship chair at tonirimer@yahoo.com.

NA HOKU HANOHANO Award-winner Mark Yamanaka shares songs from his debut album, Lei Pua Kenikeni, tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Donations support future `Ike Hana No`eau programs, and park entrance fees apply.

GOLFERS CAN STILL SIGN UP for the annual golf tournament to benefit Ka`u Hospital on Friday at Volcano Golf and Country Club. Contact Ron Young at 987-2761 or youngron19582@yahoo.com.

ST. JUDE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH in Ocean View celebrates Mardi Gras this Friday at 6 p.m. with Cajun food and music. Tickets are $12 per person or $20 per couple. Call 939-7000.

SEE OUR SPONSORS AT WWW.PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND WWW.KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM.