Ka`u News Briefs Jan. 1, 2013

Protection of natural resources will be a top story in 2013. Photo from The Ka`u Calendar.

HERE ARE THE TOP TEN STORIES
 THAT THE KA`U CALENDAR STAFF WILL COVER DURING THE NEW YEAR:

No. 1: `AINA KOA PONO. Hawaiian Electric Co. and `Aina Koa Pono are required to answer detailed questions by this Friday, Jan. 4 concerning the pricing of the diesel they plan to produce at a refinery in Ka`u to provide fuel for a power plant in Kona. The contract between HELCO and `Aina Koa Pono would raise electric bills throughout the Big Island and O`ahu. The questions were submitted through a legal process before the state Public Utilities Commission by attorneys for Hawai`i County, the state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, the state Consumer Advocate and the environmental and consumer group Life of the Land.

     Questions involve proof that the new refinery, comprised of giant microwave reactors, will work and be safe for the environment, community and workers; the clearing and use of pasturelands for biofuel crops instead of food crops and more land for the growing coffee industry; whether an Environmental Assessment is required and will be done; the wisdom of a 20-year contract that locks in a rate; estimates of economic impact, including job and tax creation assessments and incremental costs of the contract; possibility of additional displacement or curtailment of other renewable projects in the future; whether it is prudent to rely on the AKP contract to provide essentially 100 percent of the fuel needs for Keahole; what would happen to the refinery and land should the project fail and more.
      Due dates for Information Requests and Responses between the companies, parties and participants continue until August 2. A decision from the PUC will follow that date.

Fencing is up around the new gym and shelter construction site in, but an
underground human burial site has delayed permitting. Photo by Julia Neal

No. 2: EIGHTEEN MILLION DOLLAR CONSTRUCTION PROJECT. The most expensive buildings to ever be constructed in Ka`u are expected to rise out of the green field between Pahala School cafeteria and the tennis courts in 2013. While ground was broken on Oct. 3, 2012 and contractor Summit Construction came to town prepared to work, the discovery of burials in lava tubes near the site has stopped the project until the Burial Council, state and county can agree to a plan to protect the site. A meeting of the council is set for Jan.17.
      Once completed, the complex will include a large gymnasium where invitational tournaments and school and community sports can be held, a community activities center and regional disaster shelter.

Ka `Ohana O Honu`apo has nominated Kaunamano Ranch below
 Honu`apo lookout for preservation. Photo from Hawai`i Pacific Brokers

No. 3: KA`U COAST ACQUISITION in 2013 is expected to add more than three times the acreage conserved in the last decade along Hawai`i’s longest uninhabited shoreline. More than 3,000 acres is set for acquisition by the county around Road to the Sea, which ends at a green sand beach on the western side of Ka`u. In addition, Ka Ohana O Honu`apo is seeking to conserve more than 1,300 acres from lands below Honu`apo to Ka Lae. Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park is interested in possibly purchasing lands makai of its Kahuku Unit that were previously planned for a Nani Kahuku `Aina resort development along the shore. The park also has the Great Crack area along the ocean between Pahala and Volcano on its acquisition list.

No. 4: IMPROVED HEALTH FACILITIES. Bay Clinic’s new Ka`u Family Health & Dental Center will have the capacity to see 3,400 new patients with 8,500 new appointments. It is being constructed in front of the current Bay Clinic, an old two-story building from plantation days.

Sen. Josh Green

      Ka`u Hospital received funding for air treatment and air conditioning to protect patients and long-term residents from the affects of vog from Kilauea volcano. New windows, doors, ceilings and other upgrades were funded by the state for this Critical Access Care hospital.

Sen. Russell Ruderman

      State Sen. Josh Green said he will request $15 million for needed improvements to community hospitals in Ka`u, Kona, Kohala. “As chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, my legislative priorities for 2013 will include renewal of the Hospital Sustainability Act of 2012 which brought over $40 million in federal funds to strengthen our hospitals, building the Hawai`i Health Corps which will bring needed doctors to under-served areas of the state, fighting the epidemic of childhood obesity in Hawai`i, and doing everything possible to make sure we preserve a safe and healthy environment, including our air, water, and food,” Green said.

No. 5: NEW FACE OF PUBLIC REPRESENTATION in government is the biggest change since statehood. Ka`u will have two state senators, Josh Green and Russell Ruderman; two members of the state House of Representatives, Richard Onishi and Denny Coffman; and a County Council member, Brenda Ford, whose district runs from Volcano into South Kona.

Ka`u Coffee grower are seeking more land and land security in 2013.
Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

      How much time will they be able to spend here, given the long travel distances? None of them live here and seats of government are in Hilo, Kona and Honolulu. Will social media keep them in better communication with Ka`u residents? 

No. 6: KA`U COFFEE. Growers are enjoying incredible success but where will they get more land and land security to expand their businesses? As perhaps creating the best examples in Hawai`i of post-plantation economic success for small, independently owned enterprises run by people who work and live here, Ka`u Coffee growers are seeking long-term leases for lands where they can continue to expand orchards and grow more coffee for their award-winning brew. Without land security, investment beyond their hard work and sweat is unlikely from farm banks and other lenders.

Hunting in embraced as a component of feeding the family in Ka`u.
Photo by Julia Neal

No. 7: HUNTING & PROTECTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES will be major stories of 2013 as conservation groups, hunters, on land and sea, and the state work out plans for managing forest and ocean resources. Fishing is a subsistence lifestyle dating back to the first Hawaiians, while hunting grew with the introduction of pigs by the Polynesians and goats, sheep, wild cattle, turkeys and other game by subsequent human arrivals. Over the last two centuries, Hawaiians and immigrant families have embraced hunting as a component of feeding the family. However, some areas of the forest are being set aside for fencing out the game in order reintroduce native birds to the wild and to allow native plants to thrive. Nearshore waters are targets of bans on spearfishing with SCUBA, taking tropical fish for aquarium sales and limits and prohibitions on taking numerous marine species.

The yellow object that washed onto the shore at Waikapuna still is not
confirmed as Japanese tsunami debris.

No. 8: TSUNAMI & MORE DEBRIS. All eyes will be on the Ka`u Coast this year to see how much tsunami debris from the March 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami actually washes up on the Ka`u shore. A big, yellow object, made of metal, some 20 feet wide and 12 feet tall, washed up at Waikapuna in Oct. 2012, but is yet to be confirmed as tsunami debris. More recently, a one-inch-thick piece of foam with Japanese writing was found near the yellow object. The federal government and Japan have chipped in money for tsunami debris cleanup in western coastal states, and the Hawai`i 2013 Legislature is expected to come up with more funding. In addition to tsunami debris, tons of fishing nets, consumer plastics and other rubbish washes onto the Ka`u Coast all the time, and a report on NBC calls Kamilo the dirtiest beach in the world. With little relief from the planet's garbage making its way to Ka`u, debris will continue to be a top story.

Ka`u CDP Steering Committee's next meeting is on
Tuesday, Apr. 9.

No. 9: KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN. After years of community and steering committee public meetings, consultant and county planning department effort, the first drafts of the CDP are expected to roll out in 2013. The CDP is designed to become an overall guide for the future of economic and land use choices in the near future, particularly when it comes to zoning decisions. As the drafts for components of the plans are released, public input and review will be through educational workshops, Speak Outs and events to be held in Pahala, Na`alehu, and Ocean View on weekday evenings and weekends. For more information, see kaucdp.info or contact planner Ron Whitmore at    rwhitmore@co.hawaii.hi.us or 961-8137.

No. 10: THE VOLCANOES are a standing story every year with Mauna Loa, Kilauea and Lo`ihi some of the most active in the world. Kilauea spews ash and vog to blanket the communities.

Kilauea Volcano continues to affect life in Ka`u. Photo from USGS/HVO

        Mauna Loa rocks Ka`u with earthquakes. It will someday pour lava down its slopes to cover land and steam into the nearshore waters. Lo`ihi, the 10,000-foot-tall seamount just 18 miles offshore, rumbles and spits into the ocean depths, someday to rise above the Pacific. Volcanoes in Ka`u also nourish the economy, bringing visitors to the state’s top destination, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and providing the rich volcanic soils for famous Ka`u Coffee.

STAYING CONNECTED WITH HAWAI`I CITIZENS is one of the promises of newly appointed U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz. In his New Year’s message, he said, “I assure you, as the New Year rolls in, I will fully dedicate myself to this trust. It is an extraordinary opportunity given to me by the Democratic Party and Governor Abercrombie that I will fulfill for the people of this state. I hope you will follow along on Facebook or Twitter as I strive to keep you informed about our progress in the Senate.”

A fireworks show is set for 8 p.m. tonight in Pahala, with food plates to
raise funds for the show available at 6 p.m. Photo by Kris Bakken

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP’S Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park offers New Year’s Day buffet until 6 p.m. Menu items include roast turkey, braised beef, ono picatta, mushroom and leek pot pie, soup, salad bar, desserts and beverages. The price is $24.95 and $12 for children 6 to 11.
      KMC is open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply.

FIREWORKS LIGHT THE SKY in Pahala this evening, thanks to Rodney Freitas and his Big Island Klimate Kontrol team. The show begins at 8 p.m. at the corner of Pikake and Huapala Streets. Sales of food plates to raise funds for the show begin at 6 p.m. To donate, call 987-8917.

Wreaths are on exhibit at Volcano Art Center
through Sunday.

VOLCANO ART CENTER’S 13th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit continues through Sunday at the gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Gallery artists, working in a wide variety of media, materials, and techniques, present their concepts of “wreath,” from the whimsical to the traditional. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and park entrance fees apply. 

TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY is the deadline for young women to enter this spring’s Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant. Categories are Miss Ka`u Coffee and Miss Ka`u Peaberry. By May 13, Miss Ka`u Coffee candidates must be ages 17 to 24, and Miss Ka`u Peaberry candidates must be ages 7 to 9. The winners reign over the annual Ka`u Coffee Festival on Saturday, May 4.
      Applications are available at R&G Store in Pahala, Pahala Community Center, Grandma’s Closet in Na`alehu and Kahuku Gift & Garden Shop in Ocean View. For more information, call Gloria Camba at 928-8558 or Pahala Plantation Cottages at 928-9811. Organizers also welcome volunteers to help produce the pageant.

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

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

Ka`u News Briefs Dec. 31, 2012

Big city fireworks are coming back to Pahala tomorrow night, like the ones seen here from 2009 when more than
1000 people attended. Photo by Kris Bakken

A FIREWORKS SHOW ON JAN. 1 WILL GO ON this year on the grounds of the old hospital in Pahala. This New Year’s Day evening event was dark in 2011 and 2012 because of funding cuts, but Rodney Freitas and his Big Island Klimate Kontrol team will blast off the New Year by selling dinner plates beginning at 6 p.m. tomorrow evening to raise money for the event. The fireworks show will fill up the sky at 8 p.m. The location is between Maile and Huapala along Pikake Street. Freitas is a professional fireworks man who has been responsible for shows on O`ahu and in Kona, as well as the resorts along the Kohala Coast. To donate, call 987-8917. Freitas said the show in Pahala costs more than $7,500.

Ka`u's Jamae Kawauchi with her parents, retired police officer David
Kawauchi and mother Jamie, who retired from OHA. Photo by Julia Neal

JAMAE KAWAUCHI, who grew up in Ka`u, is the new westside Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, reporting to newly elected County Prosecuting Attorney Mitch Roth. Kawauchi is assigned to the Kona office. Roth said this morning that he has admired Kawauchi’s experience as a private attorney and her willingness to help community organizations and kupuna. “When I have worked with community groups the past, she has been one of the attorneys who has always helped. She never turned us down.”
      Roth said that “the appointment has nothing to do with politics. Jamae has been there helping people in the community, including pro bono work.”
      Roth himself is known as a prosecutor who attempts to prevent crime through working with community organizations on Neighborhood Watch, education and other community-based initiatives.
      Kawauchi most recently served as County Clerk after being nominated by former County Council chair Dominic Yagong and confirmed by the Council and Mayor Billy Kenoi.
      She is the daughter of David Kawauchi, a retired police officer, and Jamie Kawauchi, who is retired from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
     Jamae Kawauchi is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools and University of Hawai`i Richardson School of Law. She is a former Harvard University fellow and served as assistant director of Harvard Medical School’s Center of Excellence in Minority Health and Health Disparities. She is a former president of the County of Hawai`i Bar Association. She also served on the County Charter Commission.
      In private practice, she was a business and civil attorney who worked with Carlsmith Ball and Tsukazaki, Yeh and Moore before establishing her own law practice.

New, official Brian Schatz photo on
the U.S. Senate's website

HAWAI`I’S DELEGATION TO CONGRESS will meet soon to strategize for the upcoming 2013 U.S. Congress for which Hawai`i has junior senators and House of Representatives members, following a half century of clout built up by the late Sen. Daniel Inouye, retiring Sen. Dan Akaka and former Rep. Neil Abercrombie who quit to become governor.  Newly appointed Senator Brian Schatz spoke with Senator-elect Mazie Hirono over the weekend and announced that the Hawai`i delegation will meet as soon as all members are in Washington, D.C.
      Schatz is already on the job, having flown on Air Force One with Pres. Barack Obama to Washington on Dec. 26, the day he was appointed to fill Inouye’s post.
      “These are difficult times, and it is incredibly important that we unify around what is best for Hawai`i, and every indication so far is that we are going to be able to do that,” Schatz said.  The new U.S. Senators official websiet is up at www.senate.gov/senators/112/Schatz_Brian.htm.

STAFFING POSITIONS FOR U.S. SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ are open for applicants. Schatz announced in a statement yesterday that “getting my office operational and building our team is essential, and we’ve made good progress in a very short period of time.”
      “We will be receiving resumes of people interested in serving in either our Washington, D.C. or Hawai`i offices. We’re looking for talented, energetic and public-minded people who want to serve their state and their country,” he said.
      Resumes should be sent to: senatorschatz.jobs@gmail.com.
      The deadline for receipt of resumes is Friday, Jan. 4, 2013. Applicants should indicate whether they are applying for positions in Hawai`i, D.C. or both.

Athletic trainers help prevent and treat injuries.
Photo from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

A NEW ATHLETIC TRAINER LAW passed by the state Legislature goes into effect tomorrow, Jan. 1. The legislation states that Hawai`i was one of three states in the country that did not regulate the practice of athletic training. It contended that lack of regulation created a risk to the population as trainers losing or unable to become licensed elsewhere were attracted to moving here. The bill said that it was particularly important to establish regulations since many trainers work with school children. 

      Under the new law, unlicensed people are prohibited to attach the words athletic trainer to their names. Licensing is through the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and the license costs $388. It is valid through Dec. 31, 2015. Certification is required from the National Athletic Trainers Association Board of Certification, Inc. Classes are available online. For more, see http://hawaii.gov/dcca/pvl/programs/athletictrainer.

PEOPLE SETTING OFF FIREWORKS TONIGHT are subject to many laws and restrictions promoting safety. Fireworks are permitted from 9 p.m. this evening to 1 a.m. tomorrow morning. Consumer fireworks include certain firecrackers, snakes, sparklers, fountains, cylindrical or cone fountains, illuminating torches, bamboo cannons, whistles, toy smoke devices, wheels, ground spinners, and novelty items. 

      It is illegal to offer for sale, sell, or give away any consumer fireworks or display fireworks to a minor. It is illegal for any minor to possess, purchase, set off, ignite, or explode any consumer fireworks or display fireworks, except that minors may use consumer fireworks while under the immediate supervision and control of an adult.
      It is unlawful for any person without a permit issued by a county fire department to throw any ignited fireworks from, at, or into a vehicle; at a person or an animal; and from above the first floor of any building. It is also unlawful to set off, ignite, discharge, or otherwise cause to explode any fireworks above the first floor of any building; in any vehicle; at any time not within the periods for use; within one thousand feet of any operating hospital, licensed convalescent home, licensed home for the elderly, zoo, licensed animal shelter, or licensed animal hospital; in any school building, or on any school grounds and yards without first obtaining authorization from appropriate school officials; on any highway, alley, street, sidewalk, or other public way; in any park; on any public beach; in any officially designated forest or wildlife preserve; within fifty feet of a canefield; or within one thousand feet of any building used for public worship during the periods when services are held; and within five hundred feet of any hotel.

HAWAI`I ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANY urges the public to use caution when using fireworks. Carefully set up and use fireworks in an area clear of overhead power lines. Do not string fireworks on utility poles. If using a ladder, pole, or tie lines to set up fireworks, keep a 10-foot clearance from power lines. Power lines are energized and not insulated and could cause a serious electrical shock, burn, or electrocution. If an object should become entangled in an overhead power line, don’t try to free it. HELCO’s trouble line can be reached at 969-6666. 

HAWAI`I POLICE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES DUI roadblocks and patrols islandwide. Almost twice as many traffic fatalities occurred in 2012 as in 2011.

Kilauea Volcano is the subject of many programs in January.
Photo from USGS/HVO

VOLCANO AWARENESS MONTH begins tomorrow, with Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory offering programs throughout January that focus on the importance of understanding and respecting the volcanoes on which we live. Each Tuesday except tomorrow, the park offers After Dark in the Park programs at 7 p.m. 

      Other programs are scheduled at UH-Hilo as well as in Ka`u, South Kona and Puna. Visit hvo.wr.usgs.gov for more information.

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

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

FIND MORE OF OUR DECEMBER 2012 EVENT PHOTOS ON OUR FLICKR ACCOUNT. 

Ka`u News Briefs Dec. 30, 2012

Gun laws are strong in Hawai`i, and most hunters, like these participants in the recent Mauka Legend Hunting Tournament, are very respectful of gun regulations, says the county prosecutor. Photo by Julia Neal

`AINA KOA PONO’S partner, Sustainable Biofuels Solutions, has received a patent for an aspect of its microwave depolymerization process that would use microwaves to turn biomass into diesel. The process would be housed in a refinery proposed for land near the corner of Meyer Camp and Wood Valley Roads above Pahala.

      A news item on the website run by Sustainable Biofuels Solutions, which owns the patent, is headlined A Patent Issued For Micro Dee System and Method. The announcement says that “SBS is happy to announce the issuance of a patent for the process and method of using a microwave-transparent reaction chamber for production of fuel from carbon based feedstock. This is a great milestone in the advancement of our licensed Micro Dee technology.”

      In August, the company posted another headline: SBS Completes Third Party Micro Dee Process Validation Testing, with the announcement: “While conducting third party testing of its Micro Dee system, SBS confirmed its ability to produce 120 gallons of oil per ton of pine wood based feedstock.”

      `Aina Koa Pono has announced that Micro Dee can do what Nature takes 50 million years to do – use microwave to convert biomass into carbon, which can be used for fuel. The SBS website states that “Micro Dee creates renewable, drop-in diesel fuel from various forms of biomass and municipal solid waste (MSW) using a technique called Continuous Microwave Thermo Catalytic Depolymerization.”
      The SBS website says that the company’s “projects under development will convert not only woodchip and woody biomass feedstock, but also other forms of carbon-based feedstock, including municipal solid waste, construction debris, animal waste, tires, carpet, sugar cane, grasses and more.”

This depiction is on the current `Aina Koa Pono website,
ainakoapono.com, under refinery.

      The biomass for the proposed refinery off Wood Valley Road would come from existing brush, trees and grasses on some 11,000 acres between Pahala and Na`alehu. Once cleared, areas, some of them now in pasture, would be planted with grasses that would be harvested for biomass. The biomass would be formed into pellets that would be dried and put into the Micro Dee refinery. The refinery would have large storage tanks, a cooling stack and some 27 Micro Dee refinery units, as well as a mill yard to store the biomass and tons of additives used daily to manufacture the diesel. `Aina Koa Pono partners say they plan to bring a test plant to the site to show that it will work and fit in with the community.
      The proposal, which would increase electric bills on O`ahu and the Big Island, is before the state Public Utilities Commission with questioning from the county, state Department of Business & Economic Development, the state Consumer Advocate and the Life of the Land community group,
      SBS was formed by Mele Associates, Inc, with its chair, Melvin Chiogioji, a founding partner in `Aina Koa Pono. SBS also involves partner TekGar, LLC, the originator of the forerunner to the Micro Dee process.
      See the Micro Dee You Tube film by Leon Udwin at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4cfQGeW2mM. See more at www.sustainablebiofuels-solutions.com and www.ainakoapono.com, and on the PUC website at puc.hawaii.gov.

HAWAI`I HAS THE LOWEST RATE OF GUN DEATHS and the fifth-strictest gun laws in the country, according to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The organization, based in San Francisco, reports that California has the strongest gun controls and ninth-lowest rate of gun deaths.

Young people in Ka`u grow up hunting, learning skills
 and respect for gun use. Photo by Julia Neal

      Another gun control organization, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, rates Hawai`i as  sixth in best gun laws. Brady, which lobbies for stricter gun control, rates Arizona, Alaska and Utah as scoring lowest in gun law strength and claims weak gun law states export crime guns at a rate nine times higher than states with strongest gun laws.
      Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence reports Alaska, Louisiana and Montana, all with weak gun control laws, posting highest rates of death caused by gunfire.
      In addition to strict laws, Hawai`i gun crime prevention is bolstered by most people coming and going on planes, which severely restricts transferring guns island to island and between Hawai`i and other states and countries.

      A story in this morning’s West Hawai`i Today quotes Hawai`i county Prosecuting Attorney Mitch Roth saying hunting culture in Hawai`i is “pretty respectful” when it comes to owning guns. He also notes that Hawai`i gun crime levels are relatively low compared to other states.
        “When you compare our gun laws to federal gun laws, they’re very similar,” Roth told reporter Erin Miller. Local law requires those seeking to own guns to pass an educational and hunter safety course. Permits to own guns and applications go through the Hawai`i Police Department, where staff searches for applicants on national and local databases. Rejections are for commission of violent crimes, including misdemeanor domestic violence and assault convictions. Drug and alcohol addiction and mental illness are other reasons that applications can be rejected, the West Hawai`i Today story reports. Once a permit is approved, handguns must be purchased and brought to the police station within ten days, or the applicant must reapply.
      A single permit per year is required to buy multiple rifles, while each hand gun purchased requires its own permit. The police department maintains the database, providing access for officers who can check on a person quickly, even from a police car, when planning to interact with a suspect, the newspaper reports.

Hawai`i has the lowest gun death rate in the U.S.
Photo by Julia Neal

      Once a gun is registered, there are more rules. Roth explained them to West Hawai`i Today, which reports: “Gun owners may transport their firearms from home to a shooting range or hunting area, and not many other places, Roth said. Guns cannot be in a vehicle without being secured inside a box, and the gun may not be loaded while it is in a vehicle. Roth said state law allows law enforcement officers to seize any vehicle in which a loaded gun is located, and that’s the only instance he could think of in which a vehicle could be immediately forfeited for a crime. Ammunition must also be secured during transport, Roth said."
      West Hawaii`i Today also lists a host of prohibited firearms and explosives: “Prohibited guns, according to state law, are assault pistols, fully automatic firearms, rifles with barrel lengths less than 16 inches; shotguns with barrel lengths less than 18 inches; cannons; mufflers, silencers or devices for deadening or muffling the sound of discharged firearms; hand grenades, dynamite, blasting caps, bombs or bombshells, or other explosives; or any type of ammunition or any projectile component coated with Teflon or any other similar coating designed primarily to enhance its capability to penetrate metal or pierce protective armor; and any type of ammunition or any projectile component thereof designed or intended to explode or segment upon impact with its target. Converting a firearm to an automatic firearm is a crime,” West Hawai`i Today reports.
      See more at www.westhawaiitoday.com, www.bradycampaign.org and http://smartgunlaws.org.

KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN’S Steering Committee met in December and received a report on the plan’s progress. The plan lists objectives that fall under three goal areas:

• Manage and conserve natural resources 
• Preserve and strengthen community character 
• Build a resilient, sustainable local economy. 

      The committee was told that the public review draft for Natural and Cultural Resources is complete and under final review. The preliminary draft of strategies will be revised according to suggestions during the final review. The preliminary draft of the analysis for the section on Community is complete and awaiting agency information. The preliminary draft of the section on the Economy is 60 percent complete.

Ka`u CDP Steering Committee's next meeting is Tuesday, Apr. 9, 2013.
Photo from kaucdp.info

      The Preferred CDP will include an Appendix with all supporting detail and analysis. It will be divided into sections on CDP purpose and scope, planning process, community profile, background analysis on strategies and implementation tools. The preliminary draft on CDP purpose and scope is complete, while the preliminary draft of the planning process is 40 percent complete. Preliminary draft of the Community Profile is 80 percent complete, and Land Use policies and Map section is 70 percent complete.
      The next steps, reported cpimtu planner Ron Whitmore, who is in charge of the project, will be to publish the preliminary natural and cultural resource management analysis and to complete preliminary drafts of the community and economic strategies.
      Committee member Eldridge Naboa asked Whitmore if more specific target dates for completion could be provided. Whitmore replied that, because of the scope of the analysis and the number of agencies involved, “it was very difficult to specify target completion dates.”
      Once the first draft of the CDP is ready for review, a number of strategies will be implemented for community feedback and Steering Committee discussion. These include educational workshops, Speak Outs and events to be held in Pahala, Na`alehu, and Ocean View on weekday evenings and weekends.
      Ka`u CDP Steering Committee members were confirmed by the County Council on April 8, 2009. The next committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Apr. 9, 2013. For more information, see kaucdp.info.

TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY for visitors to vote for their favorite decorated cottage at Kilauea Military Camp in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Ballots for the Holiday Challenge are available at the front desk, café, general store and recreation lodge.
      KMC brings in the New Year with a party from 8 p.m. to midnight tomorrow at the Lava Lounge. Call 967-8365.
      Crater Rim Café offers New Year’s Day buffet from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The price is $24.95 and $12 for children 6 to 11.
      KMC is open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply.

HAWAI`I POLICE DEPARTMENT is continuing DUI roadblocks and patrols islandwide. So far this year, there have been almost twice as many traffic fatalities as during the same period last year. During the week of Dec. 17 through Dec. 23, Hawai`i Island police arrested 33 motorists for drunk driving.

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

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

FIND MORE OF OUR DECEMBER 2012 EVENT PHOTOS ON OUR FLICKR ACCOUNT.