Ka`u News Briefs July 3, 2012

Pacific Biofuels co-founder Bob King (r) explains the process to Hawaiian musician and alternative energy advocate Keoki Kahumoku.
Photo by William Neal

FARMERS ARE NEEDED to help feed the new Pacific Biodiesel facility that held its grand opening in Kea`au yesterday at Shipman Industrial Park. Gov. Neil Abercrombie, state Department of Agriculture chief Russell Kokubun, legislators and other government officials were on hand with investors and many enthusiasts. The event was called “A Celebration of Energy Independence.” The Big Island facility was established after the company proved its technology by constructing and operating biodiesel processing plants and selling biofuels for more than a decade on the mainland and Maui. It touts such backers and public supporters as famed singer and alternative energy advocate Willie Nelson. 

       According to co-founder Bob King, the water-free processing technology capitalizes on leadership in production flexibility. “We build scalable plants designed to serve the demands of a local community using a variety of feedstocks produced by local suppliers,” says the company website.

Bob King, cofounder of Pacific Biodiesel at the new Kea`au facility.
Photo by William Neal

      When asked if small farms in Ka`u would be an appropriate place to grow feedstock for the Kea`au plant, King said he envisions many models, including small growers organized in a cooperative to share machinery for harvest and other farm functions. What plants could grow in Ka`u and provide feedstock for energy production?
      King said safflower, grown on dry and even windy land, is one of the crops highly productive for biodiesel> He said it also provides a significant byproduct – feed for cattle, which could bring in half the income to support the alternative fuel production. The challenge in Ka`u, however, is to find the deep soil, he said.
      Others attending the meeting included specialists in emerging biofuel crops such as Dr. Bill Steiner, the recently retired Dean of the University of Hawai`i College of Agriculture, Forestry & Natural Resources. Steiner works on oil palms and said their clusters of fruits are high in oil content and could possibly produce two harvests a year on irrigated lands with a lot of sun. They would likely have lower production and one harvest, but could still be viable in rainy areas at higher elevations in Ka`u.
      Pacific Biodiesel explains fuel as created from vegetable oils, animal fats and greases through a chemical reaction of natural oils with an alcohol. The mixture is refined to create molecules that easily burn in diesel engines. Biodiesel can be used in any diesel engine in pure form or blended with petroleum diesel at any level.
      Pacific Biodiesel claims its alternative fuel helps the environment. “Even a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel will significantly reduce carcinogenic emissions and gases that may contribute to global warming,” says its website. It also touts the byproduct for personal care products or a variety of chemical applications.
      “Per a recent market study, the production and use of biodiesel fuel promises to bring $24 billion to the U.S. economy between 2005 and 2015, assuming biodiesel growth reaches 650 million gallons of annual production per year by 2015.1” says the website. See more at www.biodiesel.com.

BLESSING OF THE OCEAN VIEW WELL is scheduled for Thursday at 9 a.m. at the site on the corner of Lehua Lane and Hwy 11. Operations work crews are still preparing the system for imminent service to the public, and if they finish early, the site may be opened for use before Thursday. 

New tank stores water from the new Ocean View well, to be blessed Thursday.
Photo from Department of Water Supply

     Water from the site is available for anyone, with the limit based on each individual’s maximum load capacity. Along with spigots for individual use, there are two-inch standpipe meters where water-trucking companies can fill up.
     Bolton, Inc. was the contractor on the approximately 2,100-foot-deep well. The pump is set to produce up to 120,000 gallons per day.

KA`U REPORTED 12 BURGLARIES from March to June, according to John Burnett's story in this morning's Hawai`i Tribune-Herald. Islandwide, more than 80 burglaries were reported each month, with the most being in South Hilo and Puna. The story quotes Police Lt. John Briski saying the increase in burglaries is due to “growing pains” in the community. He suggests keeping doors and windows locked and taking such measures as recording serial numbers of electronic equipment and photographing valuables so that they can be identified if stolen.

VOLCANO VILLAGE celebrates Fourth of July with a parade & celebration tomorrow at 9 a.m. Starting from the post office, the parade makes its way down Old Volcano Road to Wright Road then turns left to Cooper Center, where there will be craft fair, entertainment, food, games and a silent auction sponsored by Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The auction supports volunteer and educational projects in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Auction 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 and more. For more information about the auction, call 985-7272 or email admin@fhvnp.org.

Lorna Jeyte of Kilauea Lodge with a celebratory shout during
 last year's Volcano Parade on July 4.
Photo by Julia Neal

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP plans to celebrate Fourth of July with a Country Hoedown & Western Dance Party at Lava Lounge in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., there will be food served including BBQ pork on a hoagie bun, corn, baked beans, and warm buttermilk biscuits, all for $10. A Dance Party will be featured from 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.

NA`ALEHU PARK will feature a Fun on the Fourth in Ka`u tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. `O Ka`u Kakou will provide seniors with bingo & free luncheon, while keiki can enjoy free games, hot dogs & shaved ice.

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

Ka`u News Briefs July 2, 2012

Burned out Pa`au`au Gulch makai of Ka`u Hospital and Pahala Village, where firefighting has come to an end.
Photo by Julia Neal

PAHALA FIRES ARE PAU, in terms of firefighting operations, according to Hawai`i County Fire Department who made the announcement Sunday evening. The Fire Department said the fires are 95 percent contained in the coffee lands and eucalyptus farms and pasture where 400 acres burned and 60 percent contained in the wildlands and pastures around the makai macadamia orchards where some 5,200 acres burned, including 150 acres of mac nut trees. On-duty personnel will continue to monitor hot spots within the fire breaks, fire officials said. 

CANDIDATES CARRIED their political messages down Hwy 11 in Na`alehu Saturday, walking, riding and shaking hands during the Independence Day Parade. The march followed the Friday night forum sponsored by Ocean View Community Association. Here is more from that forum:

Lincoln Ashida came to the candidate forum Friday and
the parade Saturday. Photo by William Neal

LINCOLN ASHIDA was the sole candidate for county Prosecuting Attorney to attend the forum. He talked about growing up in Hilo, going off to college at University of Michigan and law school at Creighton. He said experience qualifying him for Prosecuting Attorney began with summer internships in the Hawai`i County prosecutor’s office for three years, followed by a job offer that he accepted after law school. He named another asset as the administrative role of his current job as corporate counsel for the county. Ashida said he is up at 4 a.m. every morning and likes to be the first one in and the last one to leave the office and says he likes to lead by example. He called himself a “servant leader” and said he would seek to encourage attorneys to make a career in the prosecutor’s office by encouraging them with the question, “How can I serve you to help you to do your jobs better?” He noted that the average tenure nationwide for prosecuting attorneys is just three years. Most attorneys use the job to get started and leave for private practice. Career attorneys and electing Ashida would help give the prosecutor’s office continuity, the candidate said. 

      Ashida said he originally planned to be a tax attorney but ended up as a “gunslinger” in court and as a Hawai`i county prosecutor stayed for 13 years. He prosecuted the famous case involving the murder of Dana Ireland, leading to the conviction of the murderer, and said that he is honored that her family supports his run for Prosecuting Attorney.

Supporters walked in the parade for Lincoln Ashida for Prosecuting
Attorney. Photo by William Neal.

      Regarding crime in rural areas, Ashida recommended getting the detectives out of their offices in Kona and Hilo and into the field. He said detectives stationed in communities get to know the area, the people, “and who the snitches are.” Regarding burglaries and robberies, he noted that 80 percent of the crimes are committed by 20 percent of the criminal population. When inmates get out of jail, crime commonly goes up in their home neighborhoods. He said the most important element in catching thieves is having leads. People calling in right away when crimes occur and expanding neighborhood watch programs could help, he said. 

      Ashida also mentioned several initiatives for state laws to curb crime. One would making it illegal to drive under the influence of kava. Another would tackle the problem of people stealing identities online and pretending they are the victim when contacting people on social media.

THE NEW WATER WELL AND SPIGOTS at Ocean View will be blessed at 9 a.m. on Thursday, but may open sooner for public use. The Ocean View well is the deepest well on the island that is managed by the DWS. The powerful three-phase submersible pump must push 100 gallons of water per minute up a 12-inch pipe nearly a half-mile to the 300,000-gallon reservoir. 

      The blessing will be on site at the fill station at the corner of Lehua Lane and Hwy 11. 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.

New tools to study information recorded by seismographs
is available online. Photo from NPS/HVO

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

NA`ALEHU PARK is the site of Fun on the Fourth in Ka`u Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. `O Ka`u Kakou provides seniors with bingo & free luncheon, while keiki enjoy free games, hot dogs & shaved ice.

Hawai`i Wildlife Fund in last year's Volcano Parade on July 4.
Photo by Julia Neal

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. 

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP celebrates Fourth of July with a Country Hoedown & Western Dance
Party at Lava Lounge in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. with BBQ pork on a hoagie bun, corn, baked beans and warm buttermilk biscuits for $10. 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.

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

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.