Ka`u News Briefs July 1, 2012

Hawai`i County Band marched through downtown Na`alehu at yesterday's Independence Day Parade.
Photo by Peter Anderson

BIDS ARE IN FOR CONSTRUCTION of Ka`u District Gym & Shelter. All bids are higher than County of Hawai`i’s estimated cost of $16.5 million. Summit Construction, Inc. gave the lowest bid of $17,388,856. Other bids are: Jacobsen Construction Co., Inc. $18,183,000; Yamada Paint Contracting, Inc., dba GW Construction $19,972,862; Honolulu Builders, LLC $19,980,000; F&H Construction $18,573,000; Nan, Inc. $18,539,779; Isemoto Contracting Co, Ltd. $18,253,000. The final bid will be awarded after the county reviews the proposals in depth.

ALL OF THE KA`U COUNTY COUNCIL CANDIDATES marched the Independence Day Parade in Na`alehu yesterday and attended the candidates’ forum at Ocean View Community Center Friday.

Brenda Ford joined the Na`alehu Parade, campaigning for County
Council  District 6.  Photo by Charles Tobias

BRENDA FORD talked about the Ocean View trash processing station. “What’s holding it up is money.” She said it was top on the list until another transfer station collapsed and had to be replaced. She said it is next. She said she is not happy with taking on debt for the county but suggested that a bond could help pay for the Ocean View facility, which could include recycling and composting. She predicted the county “will never get to zero waste, but we can get to five percent.” She also talked about the Council receiving a lot of proposals on handling waste. “One is a Material Recovery Facility, which employs intensive reuse and recycling principals. She said one is likely to be built near Kona.

County Council District 6 candidate Maile David walked
in the parade. Photo by Charles Tobias

MAILE DAVID said the trash recycling and transfer station for Ocean View is critical for health and welfare. “Whoever gets in office needs to really bird dog and work with state representatives to resolve whatever is holding it up.” David said her proudest achievement is “coming to realization that my 30 years of community activism and community service has brought me to where I am today.” She sued and stopped dredging of shoreline at Kukui, where “they were doing it over the weekend” without permits. She said within the “beautiful reefs,” remnants of ponds they were attempting to dig can be seen. She also litigated to preserve a historic site in Kona, resulting in it being purchased for $600,000.

Lee McIntosh helped organize the parade and is running for County
Council District 6. Photo by Peter Anderson

LEE MCINTOSH said he is “a problem solver. I can identify problems and listen to problems other people have identified and look for solutions that best meet the end result that we want to accomplish.” He said, “I will work hard to represent constituents in my district and do my best to follow through. McIntosh noted the parade he and his family organized for yesterday’s Independence Day in Na`alehu. Three years ago, he and his family “were waiting for them to do the parade. I found out that they weren’t going to do it. My family scrambled to figure out the process and worked with the county and Police Department.” He said his family continues to organize the parade through `O Ka`u Kakou.

Bradley Westervelt, running for County Council District 6.
Photo by William Neal

BRADLEY WESTERVELT said he supports farm-to-table initiatives and that it is a “tragic thing we have to import so much food.” He noted that he has worked on sustainability for the island and supports building code modification to allow the use of such materials as `ohi`a and lava rock. He works with the Hawai`i Sustainable Community on modifying the building code. Westervelt also said he worked on the Ocean View temporary transfer station and called the disposal situation a tragedy with Ocean View residents driving far to get rid of their garbage. He suggested opening the transfer station north of Ocean View more hours a week so people can dispose of their trash on the way to work in Kona.

SEE TOMORROW'S NEWS BRIEFS reporting on Lincoln Ashida's participation in the candidate forum.

Antonio Rocha performs tomorrow at Ka`u's libraries.

ANTONIO ROCHA brings the sights and sounds of Brazilian and African rainforests to Ka`u in his solo shows at local libraries tomorrow. Rocha performs at Na`alehu Public Library at 9:30 a.m. and at Pahala Public & School Library at noon. All ages are welcome. 

VIRTUAL SEISMOLOGY is the topic at After Dark in the Park Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory seismologist Wes Thelen introduces new online tools available to interpret earthquakes. Two-dollar donations support park programs, and park entrance fees apply. Call 985-6011 for more information.

VOLCANO VILLAGE’S annual Fourth of July Parade & Celebration takes place Wednesday. The parade begins at 9 a.m. at the post office and follows Old Volcano Rd. to Wright Rd., turning left to Cooper Center, site of craft fair, entertainment, food, games and silent auction.
      The silent auction, sponsored by Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, starts at 9 a.m. in Cooper Center. Items include bed & breakfast stays, adventure tours, massage and acupuncture sessions, golf packages, admissions to area attractions, retail store and restaurant gift certificates, original art, photography, prints, jewelry, crafts & more. The auction supports volunteer and educational projects in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Call 985-7373 or email admin@fhvnp.org for more about the auction.

FUN ON THE FOURTH IN KA`U runs from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Wednesday at Na`alehu Park. `O Ka`u Kakou provides seniors with bingo & free luncheon, while keiki enjoy free games, hot dogs & shaved ice. 

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP celebrates Fourth of July with a Country Hoedown & Western Dance
Party at Lava Lounge in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park with BBQ pork on a hoagie bun, corn, baked beans and warm buttermilk biscuits for $10 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Dance Party is set for 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., with no cover charge. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. Call 967-8371 for more information.

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

Ka`u News Briefs June 30, 2012

Ocean View Well will provide water with a blessing on July 5th.
Photo by bigislandliving.blogspot.com

THE NEW WATER WELL AND SPIGOTS at Ocean View will be blessed on July 5 but may open sooner for public use. The Department of Water Supply announced this week that “new source approvals for drinking water are in order” with a June 26 final acceptance of the project. Several weeks ago, during testing, the pump began tripping as the reservoir re-filled. However, recent pump tests yielded performance analyses acceptable to the manufacturer, contractor, and Water Department. Water Department staff is working with the state Department of Health to finalize approval for the public water system, and operations work crews are preparing the system for imminent service to the public, the Water Department announced.

     The blessing will be on site at the fill station at the corner of Lehua Lane and Hwy 11 in Ocean View. Light refreshments will be served. The publicly funded $6 million project establishes a basic drinking water system with well, storage tank, transmission pipeline and fill station for the Ocean View community. To ensure encumbrance of state funds within the short legislative timeline of two years, the project was procured as design-build in two phases.
      Phase 1 included exploratory well development land and easement procurement an Environmental Assessment and design of the facility. Phase 2 entailed completing the design, hiring and overseeing contractors, obtaining approvals and permits for final design and building the facility.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE would have more power under a proposal by Ka`u County Council member Brittany Smart. The measure, which will be heard at the County Council meeting on Tuesday with public testimony allowed, will give more access to the commission to review proposals from the Department of Environmental Management and the County Council and make recommendations. Smart said she was surprised that the administration had launched a 90-day pilot program earlier this year to take Hilo garbage to the landfill north of Kona Airport without notifying the commission or the County Council. The program resulted in about 78.8 percent of county garbage going to the westside landfill at Pu`unahulu, and the county is coming up with a cost comparison of trucking garbage from the eastside to the westside landfill versus expanding Hilo landfill, which is reaching capacity.
     Kona Council member Angel Pilago has called for an audit of the county’s Environmental Management Agency, saying he was concerned that the county ran the pilot program without input from the County Council.

AN ELECTION FORUM yesterday evening at Ocean View Community Center drew all of the Ka`u County Council candidates and one candidate for Prosecuting Attorney.

BRADLEY WESTERVELT said the economy is a major issue. Former owner of Tex Drive-In in Pahala, which he renamed PT Café, Westervelt said he enjoyed running the restaurant but couldn’t keep it going. He worked as a legislative aide at the County Council where, he said, he “learned a lot about what it takes to get things done.” 

Bradley Westervelt (right) during the break at the Ocean View
Community Center. Photo by William Neal

Lee McIntosh (right) during last night's candidate forum in Ka`u.
Photo by William Neal

     He said pressure from his friends in Pahala and Na`alehu led him to run for Council. He said the county has taken on too much property for preservation and contended the county does not have the tax base to maintain the parks and other preserves. He suggested reaching out for private support for these activities. He said he perceives most people supporting some kind of resort development a Pohue Bay for jobs and to gain access for the public. He said a resort project could perhaps make it open to the public sooner and that if the county owned it, it could take longer and that the county may not be able to afford “to keep it nice and clean.”

LEE MCINTOSH said his vision for Ka`u “is a community where businesses and families can thrive.” He said he wants to stabilize property taxes. He said property tax should be by square footage of buildings and land rather than value. McIntosh said he wants to prevent further cuts in services, such as keeping gyms open more often to the public. McIntosh lives in Discovery Harbour and runs his own landscape business.

He noted that he and his family helped save Na`alehu’s Independence Day Parade after organizers abandoned the event. McIntosh said he is a good listener and a person who can bring solutions to problems.
     Regarding Pohue Bay, McIntosh said he supports the county purchase and management of the parcel and access to provide entry to the public.

BRENDA FORD talked about her accomplishments on the County Council after being elected three times. She said she focuses on infrastructure for health and safety and that she decided to run because she saw that anyone living outside of Hilo was not “getting a fair share.” She said she and her husband Larry have worked in the Community Emergency Response Team. They also operate a small farm from which they sell their coffee and fruit. Ford said she is very supportive of the needs of police and firefighters and worked to build water tanks for fire suppression – two in Miloli`i and one in Kona. She said, “I put my money where my mouth is.”

Brenda Ford (left) talks with an interested voter at the
Ocean View forum last night. Photo by William Neal

Maile David (left) talks with an interested citizen at the forum
sponsored by Ocean View Community Association
Photo by William Neal

     Ford said she supports the public purchase of important lands at Pohue Bay and an access road, an initiative proposed by current Ka`u Council member Brittany Smart. Ford said the island does not need another hotel built until all of the hotels are 90-percent occupied. She said it hurts resorts that are struggling for occupancy when a new hotel comes up.

MAILE DAVID said she was born and raised in Kona, her family coming from many generations in ranching and farming. “We were economically poor but rich in family and support.” She said she could not go to college but worked in the field “that interested me so much,” and has been a paralegal since 1971. She said she worked for five years on O`ahu and when she returned, “It devastated me to see the change that had happened in our home town.” She said that Ali`i Drive developed in five years. “The shoreline disappeared, and that was the start of my activism.”
      She worked with Angel Pilago as his legislative aide, and said she wrote a lot of community benefit legislation. She said her reason for running is “that given the dynamics of the potential of the people, there is a real hope that we can make Hawai`i a good place to live for everybody.”

      Regarding Pohue Bay, David said there needs to be a “balance” regarding community needs and property rights. See more on the forum in upcoming daily Ka`u News Briefs.

COMMON GROUND, a five-day workshop for ranchers, landscapers and farmers, will offer an in-depth look at the soil food web and how to use oil biology to lower costs and increase quality. Led by Dr. Elaine Ingham, of Rodale Institute, it will be held at Makapala Retreat Center in Kohala. Participants must sign up for all three sessions: Life in the Soil on July 9 – 11, Compost Class on July 12 and Microscope Class on July 13. All sessions are at 9 a.m. The fee is $400 for the five-day workshop or $500 at the door. Ka`u Specialty Inc. will be represented on Compost Day with its compost tea brewing machines. For more information, call 884-5838.

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS of Brazilian and African rainforests come to Ka`u when Antonio Rocha brings his solo shows of stories and mime to local libraries on Monday. Rocha performs at Na`alehu Public Library at 9:30 a.m., then treks to Pahala Public & School Library for his show at noon. All ages are welcome.

Ka`u News Briefs June 29, 2012

Ships from 22 countries will ply Hawaiian waters for nearly a month in RIMPAC war games.
Photo from U.S. Navy

TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND MILITARY personnel are starting to arrive in Hawai`i for the biannual Rim of the Pacific Exercise, the world’s largest maritime war games. The 2012 dates for RIMPC will be July 10 through Aug. 1 with 22 countries participating. This year, RIMPAC will also feature a special Humanitarian Aid/Disaster Response exercise July 15 – 2. Humanity Road Volunteers helped with this world’s largest crisis mapping exercise. During May, volunteers around the world created online content for a crisis map that will be used during RIMPAC. Over the course of six days, the U.S. Navy Quick-Nets Crisis Mapping team completed mapping activities and simulated incidents. Humanity Road will attend RIMPAC.

BIOFUEL PRODUCTION is expected to get a boost from RIMPAC. According to a headline in today’s BioBased Digest, the “U.S. Navy’s biofueled Green Fleet will highlight this year’s RIMPAC Wargames.” The Journal sates: “The United States Navy may be laboring under a congressional ban on biofuel purchases that cost more than bargain basement fossil fuels, but no one said the Navy can’t burn the biofuel it’s already got. And that’s important because if you look at history, Congress generally loosens its military purse strings only when it fears falling behind U.S. rivals, of which at least one and possibly more are currently known or suspected of working on naval biofuels.”

Aina Koa Pono Ka`u Energy Farm illustration.

     Biobased Digest writer Joelle Brink opines: “That’s the kind of competition that once brought the U.S. military congressional funding for jet engines, ballistic missiles, nuclear submarines, nuclear weapons, space stations, the Internet, and the countless other strategic advantages the nation’s armed forces enjoy today. Now, thanks to the upcoming war games in the Pacific, the U.S. armed forces may get funding for biofuels as well.”
     Biofuel crop plantations are a possibility in Ka`u. `Aina Koa Pono has a proposal for lands between Pahala and Na`alehu and for a refinery up Wood Valley Road.

EUCALYPTUS TREES above Pahala got more detailed inspection from Kamehameha Schools and Forest Solutions this week. Staff said that eucalyptus are hardy trees and can come back from some fire damage. Thousands of eucalyptus were planted on Kamehameha Schools land between Kapapala and Na`alehu. Yesterday water lifts by county helicopter put out flareups from the fires that burned more than 5,300 acres.

THE VISITOR INDUSTRY put $1.1 billion into the state economy in May, setting records for spending, with the number of tourists coming to Hawai`i topping 622,889. The last record set for May was in 2007 when 599,842 visitors spent $922 million. Last year, May saw 553,505 visitors spending $912.3 million. 

Allegiant to connect Hawai`i and small cities.

      Japanese visitors showed the largest increase, coming back from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami devastation. Japanese arrivals climbed 31.4 percent to 106,569, accounting for one sixth of all tourists this May. Hawai`i Tourism Authority President Mike McCartney said the additional $159 million in May contributes to job growth and positive economic recovery for all major islands. He pointed to recent increases in domestic and international airlift along with major conventions, festivals and events throughout the state.

     McCartney noted that visitor spending is up, with a 2.6 percent increase in May over the same month last year. Average daily spending reached $190, with Japanese visitors spending even more – at $307 per day. Visitors also stayed longer.

MORE AIR LIFTS, domestically and internationally, are also helping to bolster the visitor industry. Allegiant Air, which is concentrating on markets without direct flights to Hawai`i, launched its first flight to Hawai`i today, from popular destination Las Vegas. Allegiant will start service from Fresno, CA this Saturday and from Bellingham, WA; Eugene, OR; Santa Maria, CA and Stockton, CA in November. 

     Meanwhile, Hawaiian Airlines has opened two offices in China, one in Shanghai and one in Beijing, according to Pacific Business News. Hawaiian is considering a non-stop flight between Hawai`i and China.

The grand pine tree lane into Pahala was blocked
for a short time when a power pole fell.
Photo by Julia Neal

A POWER POLE fell across the pine tree lane entering Pahala this week and was replaced the same afternoon by Hawai`i Electric Light Co. 

     The crashing power pole did no damage to the signature gateway of Norfolk pines lining both sides of this road and providing a windbreak for macadamia orchards. Electricity for all residents in Pahala was preserved. 

INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE in Na`alehu will travel down Hwy 11 tomorrow beginning at 11 a.m. Last minute entries can call Debra or Lee McIntosh at 929-9872. Organizers expect more than 20 pa`u riders representing the islands in traditional costumes and colors, with leis draping both horse and rider. Classic cars, many politicians up for election Aug. 11, businesses, churches, community organizations, Summer Fun, the Kama`aina Choo Choo Train, Ka`u Hospital and the Hawai`i County Band will march under the monkeypod shaded road through Na`alehu. 

Pa`u riders with traditional dress and lei bedecked horses
will parade through Na`alehu tomorrow.
Photo by Julia Neal

     Elected officials planning to walk in the parade include: mayoral candidates Dominic Yagong and Harry Kim, state House of Representative candidates Denny Coffman and Britany Smart; and County Council candidates Maile David, Brenda Ford, Lee McIntosh and Bradley Westervelt. Other political candidates include: Fred Fogel, Charles Collins, Gary Safarik, Kawika Crowley, Marlene Hapai, Wendell Ka`ehu`ae`a, Bradley Michael Gillespie, Leolani Oyama, Jeff LaFrance, Mike Last, Daniel Cunningham, Rafael Del Castillo, Dave Bateman, Mitch Roth, Tom Baker, Paul Dolan, Richard Onishi and Lincoln Ashida.

CANDIDATE FOR PROSECUTING ATTORNEY for Hawai`i County, Paul Dolan, will host a talk story and luncheon after the 11 a.m. Na`alehu Independence Day Parade, tomorrow, June 30. It will be held at Honu`apo Beach Park. He said many members of the Hillbilly Classic Cars Club will bring their historic vehicles down to Honu`apo for the public during the Dolan event.

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