Ka`u News Briefs March 29, 2012

Proposed legislation would waive environmental impact studies for development on State owned lands.
Photo of Mahana Bay by Geneveve Fyvie

WAIVING REQUIREMENTS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDIES for state projects, has the support of Neil Abercrombie as a “general idea,” Civil Beat reports today, following an interview with the governor. However, according to Civil Beat, Abercrombie said that he does not want to undermine "the essentials of the environmental law philosophy."

Hawai`i landowners map from DBED

     The governor told Civil Beat: "If I can expedite something without doing any environmental harm, obviously I would like to do that. If there is something that is in the way that's really administrative in nature as opposed to creating some circumstance where there would be some adverse environmental impact that would otherwise be ignored. So, I wouldn't do something like that. But, I'll just have to see how it (the legislation) works out in the end."
      Abercrombie was referring to a bill in the state legislature that has attracted debate since the state is also proposing to use state land for economic development by leasing it out and could potentially wave environmental study requirements for its selected projects. Senate Bill 755 would exempt state projects from the special management area permit and shoreline setback variance requirements. It would also exempts all work involving submerged lands used for state commercial harbor purposes from any permit and site plan review requirements for lands in the conservation district. It would temporarily authorizes a more streamlined process for exempting state and county projects from the environmental review process and shortens the deadline for challenging the lack of an environmental assessment for a state or county project.

      The Building Industry Association of Hawai`i, the General Contractors Association and developer landowner groups support the exemption from environmental study requirements.
      However, the state’s own Office of Planning and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs opposed it along with numerous individuals and groups, including Life of the Land, Hawai`i’s 1000 Friends and Historic Hawai`i Foundation. Kevin Butterbaugh wrote, “The Hawai`i environmental protection law should be followed regardless of economic development concerns….often times we are too easily convinced that it is in the best interest of our economic means to disregard our environment. Keep the existing policy intact.” The Marine and Coastal Advocacy Council wrote that it opposes a measure that would “promote economic development at the expense of Hawai`i’s environment. The overly broad exemptions proposed in this bill would bypass processes designed to protect coastal and marine resources.”

      Testifier Michal Stover wrote: “impacts brought to light by following public review of environmental impacts saves time and money in the long run. Having to implement mitigation later rather than earlier is more costly, and having to deal with impacts for which mitigation measures were never put in place could be doubly so, and could irrevocably harm the environment in the process. Presenting these bills as a choice between economic development and thoughtful planning/ environmental protection precludes the idea that there could be more proactive and well thought out solutions that could address the concerns of all parties.” Read more and testify on any bill at hawaii.capitol.gov.

CUTTING OFF WATER to those who fail to pay sewer bills is under consideration by the county water board. Department of Environmental Management business manager Robin Bauman told the water board this week that residents in Hawai`i County are $1.7 million behind in their sewer bills which cost $27 a month in neighborhoods with county sewer lines. In recent years, the county took over servicing sections of Na`alehu and Pahala where old sugar plantation sewer lines run to gang cesspools. The county is charging for this service and is planning to replace the cesspools with sewage systems.
      The Department of Environmental Service is hesitant to cut off sewer lines when people don’t pay their bills because of health concerns. Cutting off water instead would require legislation.

Willie Tabios is the top
Ka`u farmer in the 2012
Coffees of the Year.
 Photos by Julia Neal

KA`U COFFEE FARMERS are headed for Portland, Oregon in late April for the Specialty Coffee Association of America convention. Ka`u won three spots in the top ten among coffees entered worldwide. Awards will be presented at the annual Specialty Coffee Association of America convention, April 19-22. Among those planning to represent Ka`u during the convention are top Hawai`i finisher Willie Tabios, as well as Lorie Obra and family. This is the third time that Tabios has scored in the top 10, placing 7th in 2007 and earning a Coffee of the Year award in 2010. “I’m so glad that Ka`u won again”, extols Tabios. “It’s the farm and the processing that makes good quality coffee. All Ka`u coffee is good coffee. I’m just trying to do my best.”

Lorie Obra in the top ten at
SCAA, with barista champion
Pete Licata, her daughter
 Joan and son Rusty, Jr.

     Lorie Obra said, “This is a special day at Rusty's Hawaiian Coffee. It was my husband Rusty's vision that Ka`u would become one of the world's top coffee-producing origins. Seeing three Ka`u coffees among the Coffees of the Year continues to keep his legacy and vision alive. This victory is for Rusty, for Ka`u, for Hawai`i and the USA.”

Trini Marques in the
top ten at SCAA.

     Trinidad Marques sees it another way: “It’s the spiritual connection to the `aina (land). As Hawaiians, the `aina and nature speak to us. I knew one day we would make it. It feels great to see the results of our perseverance.” Trinidad and Frances Marques also finished in the top ten.
     Also attending the SCAA Convention will be last year’s U.S. winner Bull Kailiawa, representatives of Ka`u Coffee Mill, Ka`u Specialty Inc., and Chris Manfredi of Ka`u Farm & Ranch Co., who represents the owners of the land where the coffee is grown and brokered the deal to sell Ka`u coffee to Starbucks. Ka`u Coffee Festival Committee Chair Manfredi said, “I’m again so pleased and proud of all the Ka`u growers. Their dedication, combined passion and willingness to work together make Ka`u a very special place and Ka`u coffee exceptional.” For more about the SCAA Convention see scaa.org.

Moses and Keoki Kahumoku will perform at the
Ho`olaulea and Triple C Recipe Contest. Photo by Julia Neal

THE KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL schedule is filling up for the May 12 Ho`olaule`a at Pahala Community Center. Entertainers include Emcee Skylark, Keoki & Moses Kahumoku, Cyril Pahinui & Moses Espaniola, Bruddah Waltah & Sammi Fo, Halau Hula O Leionalani from Lana`i, Keaiwa with Demetrius Oliveira, Ka`u `Ukulele Kids.
     The festival has expanded from one to two weekends with the following events: Ka`u Farmers’ Table: A Feast for the Senses on May 5; Triple C Recipe Contest on May 6; Ka`u Coffee Festival Ho`olaule`a and Ka`u Coffee Experience on May 12; and Ka`u Coffee College on May 13. Call 929-0550 or visit kaucoffeefest.com for more details on all Ka`u Coffee Festival events.

KA`U HIGH GIRLS SOFTBALL got off to a promising start yesterday, leading Hilo by one run at the end of the first inning. Ka`u went to score two more runs in the fourth, while the Vikings scored once in the second, third and sixth innings and two in the fifth. Final score: 5-3, Hilo. The Trojans made eight hits and Hilo only six. Both teams recorded one error. Winning Hilo pitcher was Wendilyn Simmons. Shaylin Navarro pitched for the Trojans.

Photo from gohawaii.about.com

THE FINAL WHALE COUNT for 2012 takes place Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at various locations throughout Ka`u. Volunteers count humpback whales and document their behavior. Sign up at hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov.

THY WORD MINISTRIES KA`U holds its ninth annual Easter Family Fun Day on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Na`alehu Hongwanji Hall. The event includes a craft fair, free lunch, music, hula and an Easter egg hunt for all ages. For more information, call 936-9114.

PARK ARCHAEOLOGIST JADELYN MONIZ NAKAMURA leads a walk, Kealakomowaena: Life On A Lava Landscape, through time and teaches how Hawaiians living in the shadow of Pele adapted to life on a lava landscape. The walk, sponsored by Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, takes place Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friends members pay $45, non-members pay $65, with students (K-12 and college) pay half price with valid student ID. Call 985-7373 or visit www.fhvnp.org.

Ka'u News Briefs March 28, 2012

Coffee experts examined coffees from around the world. Ka`u coffee took three of the top ten spots. Photo from scaa.org

THREE KA`U COFFEES placed in the top ten in the world in the annual Specialty Coffee Association of America's Roaster Guild Coffees of the Year competition and will be showcased at the annual convention, this year in Portland, Oregon, April 19 - 22. Top among the Ka`u farmers was Willie Tabios with his Will & Grace Rising Sun, scoring 86.94. Lorie Obra followed with Rusty's Hawaiian scoring 86.47, followed by Francis and Trini Marques with their Ali`i Hawaiian Hula Hands Coffee with 86.41. Ka`u Coffee has been winning top ten in the world in the SCAA Roasters Guild awards, year after year, helping to build its reputation worldwide. Top place finisher worldwide was from Ethiopia. Other top ten finishers were from Honduras and Columbia.

Pahala School and Public Library on Ka`u High campus.  
Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

STATE SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT Kathryn Matayoshi has issued a statement in light of the federal Race to the Top overseers visiting this week. “We are excited to have the U.S. Department of Education here in Hawai`i to conduct their on-site visit. We have clear and compelling evidence to show the federal review team,” she said in a public statement. “Since the U.S. DOE’s last visit in June 2011, Hawai`i has made significant progress on all of the ongoing projects in our Race to the Top initiatives.
     We will move forward with our plans to transform Hawai`i’s public education system. We remain committed to our mission that every child graduates college and career-ready.”
      Hawai`i is attempting to hold on to $75 million in federal funding and must show the fed significant improvement. Hawai`i and Florida are on probation. According to the DOE, the federal team is expected to visit Ka`u schools while here in Hawai`i as they are part of an “improvement zone.”
      See an analysis of Hawai`i schools in the report, Race to the Top: What We Have Learned from the States So Far, which was released this week in Washington, D.C. by the Center for American Progress. The report can be found online at www.americanprogress.org/issues/2012/rtt_states.html.

Horizon Lines could discontinue
serving Hawai`i.

HORIZON LINES, the second largest shipping company serving Hawai`i, is losing money and may not be able to continue serving this state, the company reported yesterday. The firm missed a Security Exchange Commission report due earlier this week. It earlier stopped shipping to China and Guam. Horizon reported yesterday, however that its losses are declining, expecting a $6.4 million dollar operating loss last quarter, compared to a $32.6 million operating loss, same quarter last year. Horizon is attempting to restructure $228 million in debt, the company reported. Rising fuel rates are stated as one of the major challenges of shipping companies.

The first all-electric Mitsubishi car came to Hawai`i last
year with encouragement from policymakers.  
Photo from Mitsubishi

ELECTRIC VEHICLES are a good fit for Hawai`i, according to Hawai`i State Energy Office Chief Mark Glick, writing in the current issue of Pacific Business News. “Three factors have converged to make Hawai`i one of the most attractive markets for electric vehicles in the United States: the highest gasoline prices in the nation, limited driving distances, and public and private partnerships fueled by incentives for EVs and EV charging stations.” Glick writes that a key part of the state’s campaign to increase the number of energy-saving EVs on island roads is the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s recently re-energized EV Ready Rebate Program.
      “We’ve added $350,000 through Nov. 1, 2012, for a $4,500 rebate on a new electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle and up to $500 for an electric vehicle home charger.” He wrote that “the growing demand for plug-in cars in Hawai`i has led to a number of major automakers focusing on the Hawai`i market. Last year, Nissan, Chevrolet and Mitsubishi made Hawai`i one of the first locations to introduce new EV models. We also expect to see the plug-in Prius made available later this year at a number of Hawai`i’s Toyota dealerships.”

Madalyn McWhite-Lamson, of Ocean View,
 urges Ka`u senior girls to apply. Photo by Julia Neal

TWO SCHOLARSHIPS are open for high school students in Ka`u and Kona from the American Association of University Women. Each scholarship will be $2,000 for senior high school girls headed for a two- or four-year college or university. Criteria includes: academic achievement; involvement in extracurricular high school activities, community organizations or employment experience; educational and career goals; and financial need.
      Deadline is April 18. Applications are available from high school counselors or online at www.aauwkona.org.
     These scholarships may be used for anything that enables the student to achieve her academic goals. AAUW member Madalyn McWhite-Lamson urges Ka`u girls to apply. For more information, contact Toni Rimer at tonirimer@yahoo.com. AAUW is the same organization that sponsors Ka`u fifth grade girls to attend to the annual Girls Exploring Math and Science career event in Kona.

HMSA IS RAISING RATES AGAIN. The Hawai`i Medical Insurance Association is asking the state Insurance Division to raise rates on some 84,000 on small businesses by 3.8 percent. HMSA received permission for an increase of 3.7 percent last year, after asking for a hike of 4.2 percent. HMSA reported $43.8 million in profits for last year.

Project Hawai`i is looking for local sponsors for food for the keiki.  
Image from Project Hawai`i

A SUMMER CAMP FOR 45 CHILDREN living in poverty, some of them homeless, is reaching out for help in sponsoring food for keiki. Project Hawai`i Inc. is hosting its seventh annual free camp for three weeks in July with healthy meals, educational programs and a safe environment for summer break. The camp is run by volunteers and public donations. Program directors seek groups, clubs and companies to help with the food. Volunteers can sponsor a full-day menu, or just one meal. Project Hawai`i adheres to the USDA Summer Nutrition Program guidelines. For more, see www.projecthawaii.org or call 987-6018.

THE FINAL WHALE COUNT for 2012 takes place Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at various locations throughout Ka`u. Volunteers count humpback whales and document their behavior. Sign up at http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov.

THY WORD MINISTRIES KA`U holds its ninth annual Easter Family Fun Day on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Na`alehu Hongwanji Hall. The event includes a craft fair, free lunch, music, hula and an Easter egg hunt for all ages. For more information, call 936-9114.

Photo from fhvnp.org

PARK ARCHAEOLOGIST JADELYN MONIZ NAKAMURA leads a walk, Kealakomowaena: Life On A Lava Landscape, through time and teaches how Hawaiians living in the shadow of Pele adapted to life on a lava landscape. The walk, sponsored by Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, takes place Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friends members pay $45, non-members pay $65, with students (K-12 and college) pay half price with valid student ID. Call 985-7373 or visit www.fhvnp.org.

Ka`u News Briefs March 27, 2012

The contract to operate Volcano House has been awarded to Ortega National Parks and Aqua Hotels and Resorts.
Photo from Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park

VOLCANO HOUSE, its hotel, restaurant and retail operations, will be run by Ortega National Parks, LLC and Aqua Hotels and Resorts, Inc., under an agreement announced yesterday by the National Park Service. The 15-year contract also covers operations at Namakanipaio Campground. The NPS statement says Ortega National Parks, LLC has more than 45 years of hospitality experience and over 16 years’ experience operating concessions within other national parks and monuments including Death Valley, Golden Gate, Bandelier, White Sands, Muir Woods and Carlsbad Caverns.

      The contract calls for the partnership, Hawai`i Volcanoes Lodge Company, LLC, to make renovations to the hotel costing between $2.5 million and $3.5 million. It must also pay the Park Service a minimum franchise fee of six percent “to help maintain facilities and other critical visitor services,” the statement says.

Volcano House has been closed since
January 2010. Photo by Julia Neal

      NPS has spent more than $4 million on fire and safety improvements at Volcano House, including seismic upgrades. Volcano House shut down on Dec. 31, 2009 with the end of the contract held by former concessioner Ken Fujiyama.
      Applicants were evaluated on their re- sponses to questions asked, including how to engage and educate the visiting public on the native Hawaiian culture through interpretive experiences and retail services, including the sale of Native Hawaiian handicrafts and cultural demonstrations. Additional guidelines used to evaluate proposals can be found online at www.nps.gov/commercialservices.

THE VOLCANO PROJECT, an effort led by David Howard Donald and Anne Lee, of Volcano, would have taken Volcano House into operation by a nonprofit organization. Their plan was to make it a culinary and hospitality education institution while serving visitors to the park. They attracted numerous letters of support from county, state and federal elected officials as well as business and Hawaiian cultural leaders and community members. The Volcano Project has manned a table every Sunday for several years at Volcano Farmers Market. Their website says, “The Volcano Project is going forward with our plans to open a world-class hospitality school.” See more at volcanoproject.org.

FEDERAL EDUCATION OFFICIALS could come to Ka`u schools this week, as they plan to visit “zones of school innovation” under the Race to the Top program. The federal Department of Education officials are in Hawai`i to meet with administrators and policymakers, as well as teachers union leader Will Okabe.

      The teachers are yet to settle their labor dispute with the state and are working under a “last, best and final offer” from the administration. The dispute is considered one of the reasons that Hawai`i is on probation for some $75 million in Race to the Top funding.

Hawai`i welcomed Race to the Top officials this week who could visit
schools in Ka`u. Photo from www.americanprogress.org

      Hawai`i and Florida are the only two Race to the Top grant recipients that still have a lot to prove, according to a new report from the Center on American Progress. The Washington, D.C.-based think tank for education policy reports that 10 of the 12 Race to the Top winners are scheduled to continue receiving their grants, but Hawai`i and Florida are “not meeting expectations.” 
The report gives a state-by-state review of educational progress and challenges. Regarding Hawai`i, it says, “If desire is any indication, the state is headed in the right direction. But clearly there are still significant promises to keep — and challenges to address – the months and years ahead.” The entire report, called Race to the Top: What We Have Learned from the States So Far, was released yesterday for reading at www.americanprogress.org/issues/2012/rtt_states.html.
      School officials said they are planning to prove to the Race to the Top overseers that Hawai`i schools are making a lot of progress.

KALAEKILOHANA has opened up reservations to the general public for its Ka`u Coffee Festival event on Saturday, May 5. The $100 a ticket evening at the upscale B&B on South Point Road is called Ka`u Farmers’ Table: A Feast for the Senses and features with dinner by Chef Morgan Star of Mi’s Italian Bistro and an evening of music with Robert Cazimero. The gathering is one of the two new official events of the Ka`u Coffee Festival, which will hold its Ho`olaule`a on Saturday, May 12 and its educational day on Sunday, May 13. Also planned as a new Ka`u Coffee Festival event is a recipe contest, this time for cookies, candies and crackers, at Ka`u Coffee Mill on Wood Valley Road above Pahala on Sunday, May 6. See more at www.kaucoffeefestival.com.

Ranger John Stallman

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK ranger John Stallman discusses the natural history and conservation of Hawai`i’s ancient native palms at After Dark in the Park today at 7 p.m. in Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium. $2 donations support park programs, and park entrance fees apply. 

PANDANUS WEAVING is the topic tomorrow from 10 a.m. to noon on the Kilauea Visitor Center lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Participants learn how to weave bracelets from the leaves of the hala tree. The event is free, and park entrance fees apply.

THE FINAL WHALE COUNT for 2012 takes place Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at various locations throughout Ka`u. Volunteers count humpback whales and document their behavior. Sign up at http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov.

THY WORD MINISTRIES KA`U holds its ninth annual Easter Family Fun Day on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Na`alehu Hongwanji Hall. The event includes a craft fair, free lunch, music, hula and an Easter egg hunt for all ages. For more information, call 936-9114.

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