Ka`u News Briefs July 9, 2012

The 34th annual Fourth of July Rodeo saw action all day Saturday and Sunday. Photo by William Neal

A PETITION TO SAVE THE FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES branch in Na`alehu is circulating throughout the community. Losing her job is Teresa Alderdyce, the staff person covering Ka`u for more than 20 years who helps with such programs as the Emergency Food Pantry, prenatal counseling, youth development, parent education, family counseling, the Fatherhood Initiative and home visits to families with children from birth to age five. The facility has been scheduled for closing this Friday, July 13, according to Kepi Davis, who is helping to organize the petition drive. A petition with signatures collected to date is being sent to the governor and mayor today. For more, contact Davis at kepimilton52@gmail.com or 929-8215 or Anthony Rendon, the islandwide director, at 323-228-2188.    

Hurricane Daniel is one of two hurricanes that could bring rain, wind
and surf. Image from NOAA

TWO HURRICANES ARE EAST of the Big Island, and both are expected to pass south of Ka`u as tropical storms, depressions or remnant lows, perhaps bringing much needed rain to the drought-stricken region. Daniel is a Category One hurricane with maximum winds of 85 mph and is expected to weaken and pass some 250 miles south of South Point Friday or Saturday, spinning off some heavy rains, winds and waves to the Big Island. Emilia, following behind Daniel, strengthened to a Category Two this morning with maximum winds at 100 mph and is expected to become a Category Four before weakening. See more at National Hurricane Center’s website at www.nhc.noaa.gov. 

NO MORE THAN $10 PER PERSON is being taken for his mayoral campaign, said candidate and former Hawai`i County mayor Harry Kim, who is running in the Aug. 11 primary.  Kim reported to the campaign spending commission that he raised $1,420 through June. 30. Kim

Harry Kim, riding a bike as he campaigns
for Mayor. Photo by David Howard Donald

Kim also reported that he loaned himself $5,000 for the campaign and spent under $5,000. Opponents Mayor Billy Kenoi and Council chairman Dominic Yagong are expected to file campaign spending reports by July 12.

BIGISLANDRADAR.COM takes complaints about dangerous drivers and poor road conditions. Its crew uses radar to document speeding, makes videos of speeding cars and trucks and posts them online. The organization calls up offenders and employers to complain, works with police officers and state and county highway officials to solve problems, and posts issues and lists of offenders online. Its slogan is Safe Driving, Community Awareness.

      A story in West Hawai`i Today this morning by Carolyn Lucas-Zenk quotes deputy prosecuting attorney Dale Ross praising the work of two brothers, Jon and Wilson Pepper, who founded BigIslandRadar.com. It “helps the community in remaining vigilant in communicating and reporting concerns,” said Ross. 

      A recent example of a BigIslandRadar.com community concern focused on commercial trucking:
      “Wow, just read your worst offenders list for the Kawaihae Road, and you have confirmed my suspicions – those logging trucks are out of control, and we must take our road back for the safety of all. There is no excuse for professional drivers to exceed the speed limit by such a large margin. We are not supposed to be in a rush living in Hawai`i. These drivers are going to get somebody killed.

   “We live just up from the Anna Ranch, and we are sick and tired of the engine braking noise! Our kids walk up to the Waimea Park, and every day I fear for their safety because of these speeding trucks. One of our neighbors is a policeman, and I am directing him to your website tonight. If my family can help your organization in any way, please let us know. We must do something about these truck drivers.”
      The website notes that drivers are disqualified from operating commercial motor vehicles for not less than 60 days if they commit two serious traffic violations in three years or for not less than 120 days if they commit three serious traffic violations in three years. Serious includes exceeding the speed limit by 15 mph and reckless driving.
      BigIslandRadar.com also issues praise. Jon Pepper posted: “Our hat’s off to some really good drivers at Kona Trans! They do ‘set the standard’ of ‘driving safety excellence’ on the Big Island, by a commercial operator.” 

      See more at www.westhawaiitoday.com and at www.BigIslandRadar.com.

Teams rope ahnd tackle steers at Na`alehu Rodeo Arena. Photo by William Neal

WINNERS FOR THE INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE have been announced by organizer Lee McIntosh and his family. Ka`u Auto Repair won the category for most unique, earning a $100 gift certificate from Wiki-Wiki Mart #7 in Na`alehu and an Avon gift basket of bug spray from Crystal McIntosh. Robert Williams won the category for most patriotic. He earned a $100 gift certificate from Island Market in Na`alehu, two $5 gift certificates from Coffee Grinds in Ocean View and an Avon gift basket of bug spray from Crystal McIntosh.

RODEO RESULTS ARE IN for the two-day event held at Na`alehu Rodeo Arena over the weekend. 

Cloe Velez, Rodeo Queen for Ka`u.
Photo by Julia Neal

· Open Dally - Kevin Aguiar and Braiden Malicki
· Team 90s - Chad Serion and Hugh Hill
· Double Mugging - Kevin Aguiar and Bronson Branco
· Ranch Mugging - Greg Menino and Bronson Branco and Kevin Aguiar
· Wahine Mugging - Chelsea Branco and Shannon Carmichael
· Rescue Race - Braiden and Jyrus Malicki
· Wahine Breakaway - Chelsea Branco
· Chute Dogging - Kevin Hill
· Po`o Wai U - Keola Loando
· Tie Down Roping - Kevin Hill
· Dummy Roping - (four years of age and under) Darsen Nobriga
· Dummy Roping (five to eight) Kale Onaka
· Goat Undecorating (four years of age and under) Nainoa Kahele
· Goat Undecorating (five to eight) Blayk Hanoa
· Mutton Busting - Nainoa Kahele
· Junior Bulls - Westin Joseph
· Bulls - Kaukane Waiwaiole
      The rodeo queen was Cloe Velez.

Professor Jonathan Price
Photo from UH-Hilo

UH-HILO PROFESSOR Jonathan Price discusses the connection between Hawai`i’s native endemic birds and the ancient flowers they pollinate 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. 

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND sponsors cleanup events in Ka`u throughout this month. Anchialine pool workdays take place this Wednesday and again on July 25. A beach cleanup is scheduled this Saturday, July 14. Volunteers for the events meet at 7:45 a.m. at Wai`ohinu Park to carpool to the remote sites. Sign up with Megan Lamson at meghwf@gmail.com or 769-7629.

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

Ka`u News Briefs July 8, 2012

Cables carrying geothermal energy could connect the source on Hawai`i Island with the rest of Hawai`i in channels where telecommunications cables already rest on the ocean floor.

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY expansion received an explanation from Hawaiian Volcano Observatory in a recent Volcano Watch. The summary acknowledges that the “state of Hawai`i has been trying to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Energy from Hawai`i geothermal resources is but one of several alternate energy sources that have been explored.” It explains that “geothermal resources depend on volcanic heat. Magma, stored in rift zones, heats groundwater which can be tapped by drilling. It is then pumped to the surface where its heat is extracted to drive electrical generators.” The report analyzes the issue:
      “It makes sense that the most attractive geothermal target in the state of Hawai`i is also the most active volcano — Kilauea. The nearly continuous supply of magma to Kilauea pumps heat into the geothermal resource, but it also fuels eruptions that could threaten structures on the volcano.

HVO notes that one potential risk to geothermal cable is lava that could
destroy the geothermal source and the cable itself, should new geothermal
be placed in active lava zones. Photo from USGS

      “To make clear where future lava flows are most likely, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists published Lava-Flow Hazard Zone Maps as early as 1974, designating the summits and rift zones of Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes as the most hazardous. For Kilauea, the summit and rift zones of the volcano also have the highest geothermal potential, so the Lava-Flow Hazard Map closely resembles the geothermal resource map.
      “Geothermal resources definitely exist on Kilauea, as established by the HGP-A pilot project in the 1970s. The Puna Geothermal Venture commercial power facility has produced 30 megawatts from Kilauea’s heat, 20 percent of the annual electrical usage of the Island of Hawai`i, since 1993.
      “The most recent study in 2005 suggests that the potential of the Kilauea resource, excluding areas within national parks and state reserves, could be between 250 and 600 megawatts. Development of geothermal resources may also be possible on volcanoes with less frequent eruptions than Kilauea, such as Hualalai, Haleakala or Mauna Kea.
      “If a resource of this size exists and is fully developed, the power generated from it would far exceed the need for electricity on the Island of Hawai`i. Therefore, the state of Hawai`i is proposing the use of an undersea cable to link the islands between Hawai`i, the potential major energy producer and O`ahu, the major energy consumer.

Puna Geothermal Venture's plant is the only operating
geothermal in the state. Photo from Ormat

      “But what about the risk posed by volcanic eruptions? In a 1994 USGS publication (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1994/0553/report.pdf), HVO scientists estimated a high probability of eruptions from Kilauea’s lower east rift zone within any 50-year period. The publication also found a significant likelihood of lava inundation along the cable pathways linking the proposed Kilauea geothermal developments to the Honolulu energy grid, because the cable would have to pass across the northeast flank of Mauna Loa, Hawai`i’s other very active volcano.
      “These threats are real. In the last 200 years, eruptions have occurred three times in the lower east rift zone of Kilauea and six times on the northeast flank of Mauna Loa. The possibility of an eruption in the geothermal resource or statewide cable path within any 50-year period is between 60 and 90 percent.
      “The effect of an eruption within a geothermal power development could be severe, and the site could be deeply buried by lava. The power generated by the geothermal facility would be lost—possibly for weeks, months, or even years. The 1840, 1955, and 1960 eruptions in lower Puna continued for weeks to months. Power generation and transmission could not resume until after the eruption ceased and it was safe to re-enter the area and re-establish the facilities and the cables carrying electricity away from the site.
      “With enough lead time before the eruption, however, much of the power-generation equipment might be moved offsite and saved for future use. The effects of an eruption would be more profound as the geothermal power development increased in size. If a 500 megawatt power generation facility were developed within the lower east rift zone of Kilauea and power exported to O`ahu and Maui, a volcanic disruption would have statewide effects.
      “As a community, we should explore all options in our quest for inexpensive, reliable electricity. There are down sides to the utilization of any energy source, and we must balance the negatives with the positives when making choices. This includes balancing the considerable benefits of geothermal resource development with the inherent volcanic risk of such development on active volcanoes,” the report says. See more at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.

IMPRISONED NATIVE HAWAIIANS need community programs, education and training to help them stay out of jail when they are released, several Big Island residents told members of the Native Hawaiian Justice Task Force yesterday. A story by Chelsea Jensen in this morning’s Hawai`i Tribune-Herald reports that the Fatherhood Initiative, a program of Family Support Hawai`i, was named during the meeting as an example of a valuable project to help Hawaiians. The story quotes a father coach who participates in the program. Kauila Ho said that the Fatherhood Initiative can help make stable families. “A lot of times we forget about the father, but the father is the other half of the formula…. If they understand their role as fathers, even when incarcerated, they will come out and support themselves and their families.” 

      The Tribune-Herald story also reports on the comments of Gus Costa, who said that sitting in jail without training in reading, writing and other skills, like gardening and carpentry, does nothing to help inmates succeed when they return to society. He suggested that improving education, assisting with increased property ownership and helping families with their dynamics would help prevent the disparate number of Native Hawaiians from entering the judicial system.

      The Tribune-Herald story quoted Costa: “Here’s an opportunity for people with nothing to do that could learn how to read, write, add — whatever. These kids need something to do so that they come out with a skill and given a job.” Costa, who is a carpenter, said the justice system gave him a trade. “The only reason that I am here today is because I learned skills in jail.”
      Yesterday’s public meeting and another one coming up next Saturday at 10 a.m. at the state Department of Education Annex, 450 Waianuenue Avenue in Hilo follow a report by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs entitled The Disparate Treatment of Native Hawaiians in the Criminal Justice System.
      According to the Tribune-Herald story, testimony at yesterday’s meeting also “touched on education, sovereignty, bringing inmates back to the islands, creating a sanctuary, mandatory sentencing and creating a forgiveness system. Some attendees just listened, and some provided personal stories.”
      See more at hawaiitribune-herald.com.

I`iwi is one of Hawai`i's native endemic pollinators.
Photo from NPS

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN Hawai`i’s native endemic birds and the ancient flowers they pollinate 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. Two-dollar donations support park programs, and park entrance fees apply. 

HO`ONOUA ANCHIALINE POOLS workdays sponsored by Hawai`i Wildlife Fund are scheduled this Wednesday and again on July 25. Sign up with Megan Lamson at meghwf@gmail.com.

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

Ka`u News Briefs July 7, 2012

Fourth of July Rodeo this weekend flies Hawaiian and American flags. Photo by Julia Neal

Anton C. Krucky

KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS, the $7.5 billion trust with a mission to educate Hawaiian youth, has named three finalists — Anton C. Krucky, Robert Kaleo`okalani Witt Nobriga and T. Aulani Wilhelm — for its vacant trustee position formerly held by J. Douglas Ing. Candidates were revealed in a Pacific Business News story yesterday after PBN researched court documents regarding the Kamehameha Schools trust. 

Robert Kaleo`okalani
Witt Nobriga

      Krucky is president and CEO of Tissue Genesis Inc., the tissue engineering and cell therapy solutions company in Honolulu.

      Nobriga, a gradutate of Kamehameha, is chief financial officer and vice president of Hawai`i National Bank.

      Wilhelm, a Kamehameha graduate, is superintendent of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument for the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. 

      The screening committee is looking for a new trustee to complete its five-member board who is a community leader with expertise in business administration, finance and investment, strategic planning and policy setting, education and law or governance, according to a Kamehameha Schools statement. 

T. Aulani Wilhelm

      The screening committee is comprised of Richard Coons, Wendy B. Crabb, George “Keoki” Freeland, Cheryl L. Kauhane Lupenui, Benjamin M. Matsubara, Wesley Park and Michael E. Rawlins.

HEALTH RECORDS are on there way to being completely electronic not only at Ka`u Hospital and Bay Clinic in Na`alehu but also at doctors’ offices and medical facilities throughout the state. According to Hawai`i Health Information Exchange, which the state of Hawai`i helped to create in 2009, a recent summit of Hawai`i physicians revealed progress in electronic health records that can lead to faster diagnoses and better care when the information is shared between health care providers. The electronic records can also lead to fewer errors, lower costs and better provider and patient communication and satisfaction. Health care providers are receiving technical support from Hawai`i Pacific Regional Extension centers, according to Ira Zunin, medical director of Manakai o Malama Integrative Healthcare Group and Rehabilitation Center, which is helping with the transition into electronic records.

Monk seals hunt in areas as large as 500 square
miles. Photo courtesy of NOAA

DO MONK SEALS HURT recreational and commercial fishing? These and other questions are answered in a new paper called Hawaiian Monk Seal Myths vs. Facts. It says one myth is that seals eat too much fish targeted by fishermen and that this could become worse if the seal population grows or if more seals are relocated from the Northwest Hawaiian Islands to the main Hawaiian islands. The article counters that seals hunt in areas as large as 500 square miles and acknowledges that there could be a misperception that seals interfere with human fishing when seals swim to and from resting places on the shore.

      Writers also contend: “Considering what science tells us about monk seal foraging, the overall impact of seals on fishing in Hawai`i is small.” The number of seals is small – about 200 in the main Hawaiian Islands – and seals consume a wide variety of organisms including many species not targeted by fishermen, such as small wrasse, flatfishes and small shrimp. Seals not only forage over a wide area, including many places where there is no fishing by humans, they also hunt in waters as deep as 1,600 feet.

There are about 200 monk seals in the main
Hawaiian Island. Photo courtesy of NOAA

Sometimes seals interact with fishing gear and fish already caught by fishermen, particularly in nearshore waters as they travel to and from shore. To help with this problem, NOAA has developed guidelines to minimize impacts. NOAA is also working with fishermen to identify and count the interactions between seals and recreational and commercial fishing interests.

Monk seals eat two to five percent of their
body weight per day. Photo courtesy of
Lesley Macpearson/NOAA

      Another myth, says the article, is that monk seals can eat 400 or 500 pounds of fish a day. The writers contend that no mammal eats its body weight, and the seals in captivity only eat two to five percent of their body weight. See more on monk seal myths at http://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/hawaiian_monk_seal/

myths_vs_facts.php.

GAS PRICES IN HAWAI`I are averaging $4.24 a gallon for regular today, compared with $3.42 nationwide. In Ka`u, prices are both above and below this statewide average. At Ka`u Gas in Pahala and at the 76 station in Na`alehu, regular is $4.30. At Wong Yuen Gas in Wai`ohinu, it’s $4.33. In Ocean View, it’s $4.20 at Spirit Gas, $4.19 at Ocean View Market and $4.14 at Kahuku Country Market.

Po`o Wai U is the contest that winds up with a steer held by a forked post that a paniolo might find out in the wilds.
Photo by Julia Neal

NA`ALEHU RODEO ARENA is the site of the 34th annual Fourth of July Rodeo sponsored by the Ka`u Roping & Riding Association today and tomorrow. Slack roping starts at 8 a.m., with the show starting at noon. New events to this year’s rodeo include Chute Dogging and Rescue Race. Other events include Open Dally, Team 90’s, Double Mugging, Ranch Mugging and Wahine Mugging. Entry to the rodeo is $6 before the event and $7 at the gate. 

AUDITIONS FOR WOMEN IN COMEDY are held tomorrow from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. This audition is to fill an all-woman comedy show being held over Labor Day weekend. For more information, call 967-8222.

BUDDHIST HEALING MEDITATION is the topic tomorrow from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Kilauea Military Camp Chapel in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. For more information, call 985-7470 or email joyfulpath@aol.com.

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