Ka`u News Briefs Oct. 23, 2012

U.S. Senate candidates Linda Lingle and Mazie Hirono had their final pre-election debate last night.
Image from hawaiinewsnow.com

THE LAST PRE-ELECTION DEBATE between U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono and former Gov. Linda Lingle drilled into their differing outlooks for the future of Hawai`i. Last night, Hirono summed up the risk of electing Lingle as taking power away from Sen. Daniel Inouye, should Lingle win the critical senate seat that could leave the Senate with a Republican majority and Inouye out of a leadership position. Lingle retorted that she would work with Inouye and that Hawai`i would be less isolated if it had one Republican and one Democrat. The debate, broadcast by Hawai`i News Now on multiple television channels and available for view on the Internet, saw Hirono describing Lingle as “anti-family, anti-working people,” while Lingle claimed that Hirono has “no history of leadership.” The candidates are seeking to take the U.S. Senate seat that will be vacated by Sen. Dan Akaka, who is retiring. See the debate on www.hawaiinewsnow.com.

WALK-IN VOTING BEGINS TODAY through Nov. 3 for the election of Hawai`i County Mayor, all Country Council members, county Prosecuting Attorney, President of the United States, one Hawai`i U.S. Senator, U.S. Representatives for each district, all members of the state House of Representatives, state Senators representing Ka`u and Volcano, Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustees and for approval or disapproval of County Charter Amendments. Walk-in voting is available in Hilo at the Aupuni Center Conference Room, in Kona at West Hawai`i Civic Center’s Community Room, and in Waimea at Waimea Community Center on Kawaihae Road. Registered voters with photo identification can go to any of these absentee voting polling places. Absentee voting was previously held at Pahala Community Center but was eliminated due to budget cuts. The last day to request Absentee Mail Ballots for the General Election is Tuesday, Oct. 30. The General Election will be held from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Any questions can be directed to Hawai`i County Elections Office at 961-8277. Voter registration deadline was Oct. 8.

PUBLIC HEARINGS ON PLASTIC BAG BANNING rules have been set by the County of Hawai`i for West Hawai`i Civic Center at 12 p.m. on Dec. 6 and at 1 p.m. in the Aupuni Center in Hilo on Dec. 12. The county has designed regulations to phase out most one-use plastic bags. On Jan. 17, 2013 no free plastic bags will be allowed at checkout counters, though merchants will be allowed to sell them to get rid of old inventory. On Jan. 17, 2014, “business shall not provide plastic checkout bags to their customers,” the ordinance states. However, plastic bags without handles will be allowed for meat and other perishables, and tiny plastic bags will be allowed for small items like beads, buttons, nuts and bolts. 

      Reusable plastic bags at least three mils thick will be allowed for sale and for stores to give away to carry merchandise.
      Once phased out, fines will be levied according to how many violations a commercial enterprise receives. Fines start at $250 per day for second notice, $500 a day for third notice and $1,000 a day thereafter. The draft rules can be read at hawaiizerowaste.org/reuse/plastic-bag-ordinance-and-reuse/#.UIXOfoZ410Q.

Bill Gilmartin (center) with Suzanne Case, of The Nature Conservancy,
and Sam `Ohu Gon. Photo from Hawai`i Wildlife Fund

SCIENTIST BILL GILMARTIN, credited with helping save the Hawaiian monk seal from extinction, received The Nature Conservancy’s Kako`o `Aina Award last weekend during a reception at Mauna Lani Resort. The award honors individuals who provide significant and long-standing support for conservation. Kako`o `Aina means “one who supports the land.” 

       TNC’s executive director Suzanne Case said Gilmartin “has dedicated his professional life to protecting Hawai`i’s marine life and environment. His efforts to save the Hawaiian monk seal are an inspiration to us all. He is a true community treasure.”
       Gilmartin is director of research and co-founder of the Hawai`i Wildlife Fund. He has more than 30 years of conservation experience in Hawai`i as a biologist and member of National Marine Fisheries Service, the Society for Marine Mammology and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Advisory Group. He began studying Hawaiian monk seals in 1978, investigating die-offs on Laysan Island. He worked with the National Marine Fisheries Service from 1980 until his retirement in 1995, initiating and managing the Monk Seal Recovery Team, which pushed for greater measures to aid in survival of seal pups. It launched efforts to relocate newly weaned pups, allowing them to grow and fatten in captivity before returning to the wild. In 1994, he and his team relocated 21 adult males to the main Hawaiian Islands to prevent aggressive “mobbing” behavior during breeding season that sometimes injures or kills females.

Recovery of populations of critically endangered Hawaiian monk seals
is one of Bill Gilmartin's endeavors. Photo by Julia Neal

       In 2006, Gilmartin and scientist Hannah Bernard formed Hawai`i Wildlife Fund. Their desire to support the recovery of critically endangered Hawaiian monk seals—now down to about 1,000 individuals—is what drew the two together, says a statement from The Nature Conservancy.
      Under Gilmartin’s direction, Hawai`i Wildlife Fund has conducted research and monitoring on the nesting activities of the endangered hawksbill sea turtle. There are fewer than 100 adult female hawksbills known to nest in all of Hawai`i. Through conservation efforts, public awareness, beachfront lighting reductions, fence repairs, dune restoration, beach cleanups, radio and satellite telemetry, coordination of a Turtle Watch program and other activities, Hawai`i Wildlife Fund is helping to preserve hawksbills and their nesting habitats.
       Hawai`i Wildlife Fund leads efforts to remove marine debris along the Ka`u Coast. Through community cleanups that began in 2003, volunteers removed more than 120 tons of marine debris along a nine-mile stretch that is a popular nesting site for the endangered hawksbill turtle and regularly visited by Hawaiian monk seals and humpback whales. Debris includes large bundles of net, many weighing well over 1,000 pounds, which are removed and shipped to Honolulu for use in a trash-to-energy conversion plant. All other trash, including more than 2,000 bags of small plastic items collected to date, are sent to the county landfill for burial.

Miss Aloha Hawai`i Brandy Shibuya

       “Bill’s many accomplishments speak for themselves,” said Case. “We are pleased to present such a deserving individual with our Kako`o `Aina, or Supporter of the Land, award and hope that it will hold a special place in his heart.”
       Dr. Sam `Ohu Gon, the Conservancy’s senior scientist and cultural advisor, presented Gilmartin with a kako`o, or staff carved from milo wood. “In Hawaiian, one who provides unfailing support is called kako`o, which is derived from the word, ko`o—a brace or supporting structure that denotes strength,” he said.

BRANDY SHIBUYA will hand over her crown as Miss Aloha Hawai`i in the Nov. 4 Miss Kona Coffee and Miss Aloha Hawai`i pageants in Kona. Shibuya was crowned Miss Ka`u Coffee for 2011 and Miss Aloha Hawai`i for 2012. The pageant for the 2013 titles will be held on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 6:30 p .m. at Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay in the Kaleiopapa Ballroom. Since her win last year, Shibuya has represented the coffee industry at numerous events, including the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s convention in Portland, Oregon, where Ka`u Coffee took three of the top ten spots in the world. According to Miss Kona Coffee pageant organizers, all contestants in this year’s pageants are from the west side of the island.

Noni Stanford's Lighter Than Air

LIGHTER THAN AIR is the name of a Trash Art Show entry, a hanging lamp created by Volcano resident Noni Stanford from hundreds of cigarette lighters she found scouring the Ka Lae to Wai`ohinu coastline for marine debris. The work is on display at the 24th annual Trash Art Show in Hilo through tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Another marine debris sculpture by Lois Fonseca is comprised of a broken pink plastic fishing float that looks like a cracked plastic planet. The show is open to the public, and art is available for sale. The location is East Hawai`i Cultural Center, 141 Kalakaua Street in Hilo. 

RESTORATION OF THE RARELY VISITED Mauna Kea Forest that harbors the critically endangered palila is the topic at tonight’s After Dark in the Park. Jackson Bauer, Restoration Project volunteer coordinator, discusses the Hawaiian finch, whose habitats have been severely degraded by over 200 years of damage by grazing animals. The program begins at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. $2 donations support park programs, and park entrance fees apply.

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK commemorates the 25th anniversary of its World Heritage Site status and the 40th anniversary of the international World Heritage Convention with two events this week. 

Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park marks 25 years as a World Heritage
site. Photo from NPS/Michael Szoenyi

      A special World Heritage After Dark in the Park presentation takes place tomorrow at 7 p.m. in Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium. National Geographic Traveler editor Jonathan Tourtellot gives an overview of World Heritage Sites, how World Heritage grows jobs, four common myths about World Heritage and America’s position in the global quest for World Heritage sites. This event is free, and park entrance fees apply.
      World Heritage Anniversary Roundtable is Thursday. Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, Big Island Visitors Bureau and the Fairmont Orchid invite the public to a destination roundtable from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. with Tourtellot, park staff and travel industry leaders. Discussion focuses on why having a World Heritage Site is important, what it means to organizations, and how to leverage this status in outreach efforts. Admission and parking is free. RSVP online at eventbrite.com, or contact Jessica Ferracane at 985-6018 or jessica_ferracane@nps.gov.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS NOW OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. 

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

Ka`u News Briefs Oct. 22, 2012

Today is Count Day for Pahala Public & School Library, when statistics of use are gathered to determine allocation of funding. It is Count Week for all public libraries. However, Pahala Library is only open Mondays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Supporters encourage patrons to visit the library today.

HAWAI`I TOURISM AUTHORITY and the Japan Association of Travel Agents have signed a memorandum of understanding to boost the number of Japanese visitors to Hawai`i to two million by 2016. Pacific Business News reports that the two agencies plan to launch the initiative on Jan. 1. They said that two million visitors would spend an estimated $4 billion annually, and the state would receive $440 million in tax revenue.
      HTA officials expect 1.4 million Japanese visitors in 2013, up from approximately 1.35 million travelers this year.
      “This MOU represents more than a business relationship and affecting the bottom line,” HTA president and CEO Mike McCartney said in a statement. “The MOU is a natural partnership between the HTA and JATA that reflects and builds upon the historic bond, traditions, cultural heritages and long-term relationship shared between Hawai`i and Japan.” See more at bizjournals.com/pacific/.

HAWAI`I’S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE fell to its lowest level since December 2008. The Department of Labor said the unemployment rate for September was 5.7 percent, down from 6.1 percent in August. Statewide, there were 604,000 employed, while 36,650 people reported being out of work last month.

Na`alehu School, where an additional building was recently completed,
will receive electrical and telecommunication improvements.

GOV. NEIL ABERCROMBIE has announced the release of $91.9 million for various capital improvement projects across the state, with $10 million earmarked for electrical and telecommunications improvements at several Big Island schools, including Na`alehu Elementary. 

      According to a statement from the governor’s office, the projects were selected for their potential to immediately address priority work while stimulating the local economy and creating job opportunities. “Our strategy to stimulate job creation and reinvigorate our economy is working,” said Abercrombie, who noted that his administration has released almost $842 million dollars in capital improvement funds this year.

BIG ISLAND POLICE OFFICERS and Special Olympics athletes and volunteers raised more than $20,000 to support local Special Olympians during the annual Cop on Top event held Sept. 28 to 30 in Kailua-Kona.
      Special Olympics West Hawai`i area director Sandie DelaCruz told Hawai`i Tribune-Herald that all 25 athletes and 17 volunteers and coaches would be able to attend state games on O`ahu. The organization will also be able to purchase uniforms, T-shirts and equipment.
      “It is just wonderful that everyone can go,” she said. “This event is the highlight of their season.”
      For more information, to donate, volunteer or participate, visit sowh.org or contact DelaCruz at 987-5057 or sowhsandie@gmail.com.

Walter Ritte is running for the at-large seat for OHA.

WALTER RITTE, A HAWAIIAN ACTIVIST running for the at-large seat for Office of Hawaiian Affairs, believes OHA “should be a beacon for a sustainable future for all of us in Hawai`i." In Civil Beat, he says, “I truly believe that Hawaiians can and must stand to provide leadership in helping to resolve many of our problems in Hawai`i today. Our indigenous knowledge of how to survive on little dots of land in the middle of the vast Pacific for over a thousand years can provide a better future for all of us."
      He points to Kaho`olawe as an example of how “Hawaiians took leadership and followed their values and traditional knowledge to save an island that was condemned to death in the name of national defense. Just as Hawaiians brought people together to save an entire island, OHA needs to provide the Hawaiian leadership, values and knowledge to insure a sustainable future for Hawai`i. This story is being played out not only here in Hawai`i, but in many other places in the world,” he said. See more at civilbeat.com.

TODAY IS COUNT DAY AT PAHALA LIBRARY. Resource allocation, including staffing, is determined by statistics gathered today. Supporters of Ka`u Libraries encourage patrons to visit the library today from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., even if only to sit and read or to check out or return borrowed items. Each item that is looked at is also counted, so when finished, patrons should leave materials in collection boxes or areas that are placed throughout the library rather than returning them to the shelves.
      It is also Count Week at Na`alehu Library, which is open Monday through Friday.

STATE SENATE CANDIDATES Russell Ruderman and Daryl Lee Smith and County Council District 6 candidates Maile David and Brenda Ford meet the public at Cooper Center in Volcano Village today at 6 p.m. The event is sponsored by League of Women Voters. For more information, call Margaret Drake at 967-7295.

Palila, or Hawaiian Finch

JACKSON BAUER, Mauna Kea Forest Restoration Project volunteer coordinator, discusses restoration of the rarely visited forest that harbors the critically endangered palila tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Populations of the Hawaiian finch have been severely degraded by over 200 years of damage by grazing animals. $2 donations support park programs, and park entrance fees apply. 

TO COMMEMORATE THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY of its World Heritage Site status and the 40th anniversary of the international World Heritage Convention, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park is offering two events this week, one at the park and one at the Fairmont Orchid on the Kohala Coast.
      A special World Heritage After Dark in the Park presentation takes place Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium. National Geographic Traveler editor Jonathan Tourtellot gives an overview of World Heritage Sites, how World Heritage grows jobs, four common myths about World Heritage and America’s position in the global quest for World Heritage sites. This event is free, and park entrance fees apply.
      World Heritage Anniversary Roundtable is Thursday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Fairmont Orchid. Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, Big Island Visitors Bureau, and the Fairmont Orchid invite the public to a destination roundtable with Tourtellot, park staff and travel industry leaders. Discussion focuses on why having a World Heritage Site is important, what it means to organizations, and how to leverage this status in outreach efforts. Admission and parking is free. RSVP online at eventbrite.com, or contact Jessica Ferracane at 985-6018 or jessica_ferracane@nps.gov.

VISIT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

Ka`u News Briefs Oct. 21, 2012

Cultural tourism advocates met in Pahala on Friday. Left to right are Emi Aoi, of JST travel ; Heather Kanahele, of Kanahele Jewelry; `ukulele instructor BJ Soriano; quilting teacher Donna Masaniai; musician Kahea Dolan; weaver Leviette; massage therapist and yoga teacher Noa Caiserman; musician, composer and radio personality Demetrius Oliveira; singers, musicians and hula dancers Phoebe
and Bobby Gomes; Hale Nani owner Minako Yamazaki; and Ka`u Community Radio manager Christine Ka`ehu`ae`a.  
Photo by Myra Sumida

CULTURAL TOURISM AND AGRITOURISM were the focus of small-group meetings in Ka`u over the last week. A cultural tourism meeting was held at Hale Nani in Pahala where representatives of weaving, Hawaiian jewelry making, quiltmaking, `ukulele, guitar, Hawaiian singing, massage therapy and guest houses gathered to talk about the kind of tourism that is based on cultural exchange.
      Minako Yamazaki, owner of Hale Nani in Pahala, and Emi Aoi, of JST Travel Co. in Nagoya, Japan said that a niche of Japanese return visitors is looking for deeper cultural experience rather than the crowded tourist situations. Aoi reported on thousands of halau, studying hula in Japan, encouraging appreciation of the Hawaiian cultural experience. These Hawaiian enthusiasts would be a perfect fit for the small-scale Ka`u accommodations and classes, she said.
      On Saturday, an organizing meeting was held for agritourism training under a grant from U.S. Department of Agriculture. Participants talked about keeping their operations scaleable to the neighborhoods and small enough so that visitors have a rich experience connecting to the land, people and agriculture of Ka`u. Among participants are growers of Ka`u Coffee, orchids and protea. The program will last through June and is being led by the Hawai`i Agritourism Association.

NO ARCHITECT OR ENGINEERING STAMP will be needed for solar photovoltaics on homes, with a bill initiated by County Council member J Yoshimoto passing unanimously last week. Contractors have been complaining to Council members that the added time and cost for a structural engineer or architect review has been holding back the burgeoning solar industry. The bill does not eliminate the requirement for a building permit, and county Public Works says that county staff time, rather than architects and engineers reviewing and approving the plans, could make the building permit process take more time.

Lava in the Halema`uma`u vent has been rising and falling over the last week and could spill onto the crater floor. Best views are from Jaggar Museum inside Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.  Photo from USGS

KILAUEA VOLCANO is the target of study through a 2012 recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship. Geochemist Terry Plank will receive $100,000 a year for five years through what is known as the “genius grant.” Her specialty is researching activity deep inside the planet and how it contributes to the life of the world’s most explosive volcanoes. Her academic affiliation is with Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. She is also a Columbia professor.

Terry Plank studies the changing personality of Kilauea
Volcano.  Photo from Columbia University.

      Plank’s science related to Kilauea Volcano includes development of a chemical proxy to measure the heat of plates beneath volcanoes and how measuring the temperature may be able to predict explosions. She also studies the amount and water inside volcanoes before they explode.
      She researches the history of Kilauea Volcano to determine what causes its apparent shift in personalities, from angry and destructive explosions in the past to the gentle oozing of lava today. Plank and researchers have gathered cinders and ash from Kilauea to measure tiny inclusions that reveal the amount of water and carbon dioxide in the magma during the explosive eruption more than three centuries ago.
      Kilauea is currently putting on a show, with lava rising and falling in the Halema`uma`u vent, and some volcano watchers predicting it will spill onto the floor of the crater. Best views are at night at Jaggar Museum with the overlook open 24 hours a day.

Dr. Anita Ciarleglio

UNIVERITY OF HAWAI`I – HILO’S pharmacy program has earned national accreditation for its residency program in community pharmacy, giving licensed pharmacists opportunities for further training here in the Hawaiian Islands. 

       “Pharmacy residency programs are similar to training that allows medical doctors to gain postgraduate training,” noted Anita Ciarleglio, assistant professor in College of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmacy Practice.
      Accreditation by both the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the American Pharmacists Association is necessary for the program to be considered a validated educational experience.
       “Receiving a three-year accreditation was a coup for us because we’re so new,” Ciarleglio said. “It means we can continue to concentrate on patient care while giving licensed pharmacists from all over the country the experience they need to get on with their careers and gives them credentials to compete for jobs.”
      Community pharmacy training teaches pharmacists to act as liaison between the community, the hospital and the physician and provide a continuity of care.
      Hawai`i’s College of Pharmacy at UH-Hilo is the only school for pharmacists in the Pacific. In addition to its Residency Program, degree programs include the Doctor of Pharmacy, the Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, the Master’s in Clinical Psychopharmacology, and a Bachelor of Arts in Pharmacy Studies, which are available to students enrolled in the Pharmacy program. Pharmacy students have held outreach programs into Ka`u and South Kona.

AUDITIONS FOR THE AWAKENING OF EVERYONE take place today from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. The cast for the modern revival of a 15th century Greek morality play includes about 15 characters. Call 928-0007 for more information.

SEASONED AND NOVICE COMEDY TALENTS of all ages are invited to audition for Volcano Art Center’s upcoming cabaret Ho, Ho, Ho! Ha, Ha, Ha! - Comedy at Kilauea today from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Holiday themes are appreciated, but not mandatory. For more information, visit volcanoartcenter.org or contact Tanya Aynessazian or Julie Callahan at 967-8222 or info@volcanoartcenter.org. 

A FORUM FEATURING state Senate candidates Russell Ruderman and Daryl Lee Smith and County Council District 6 candidates Maile David and Brenda Ford takes place at Cooper Center in Volcano Village tomorrow at 6 p.m. The event is sponsored by League of Women Voters. For more information, call Margaret Drake at 967-7295.

Palila, or Hawaiian finch. Photo from NPS

THE PROGRAM AT TUESDAY’S After Dark in the Park is entitled The Palila’s Future: Restoring a Mamane Forest on Mauna Kea. Jackson Bauer, Mauna Kea Forest Restoration Project volunteer coordinator, discusses the restoration of this rarely visited forest that harbors the critically endangered Hawaiian finch, whose populations have been severely degraded by over 200 years of damage by grazing animals. The program begins at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. $2 donations support park programs, and park entrance fees apply.

VISIT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.