Ka`u News Briefs Jan. 24, 2013

More than 600 people took part in `O Ka`u Kakou's annual Keiki Fishing Tournament last year. This year's event takes place Saturday. Photo by Julia Neal

TRAGEDY TOOK THE LIVES of two Ka`u residents at 10:15 a.m. yesterday, when a car with three tourists apparently crossed the center line on state Hwy 11 and slammed head-on into a pickup truck killing Trini Evangelista Ballesteros, who grew up in Pahala, and her companion Richard Taylor, both of Na`alehu. The local victims died instantly as the crash obliterated the truck, flipping it onto its side as it burst into flames. The visiting family suffered an equal loss with grandfather and son killed in the accident and the seven-year old grandson dying after being airlifted from Ka`u Hospital to Kona Community Hospital. 

      The accident took place near the spot on Mamalahoa Hwy, south of Pahala, where the highway narrows and crosses an old bridge near milepost 54. Taylor, 65, owned the F-350 Ford pickup and was headed toward Hilo with Ballesteros, 56. The 2012 Nissan Altima, headed toward Kona, apparently was a rental car for a family who had stayed overnight on the east side of the island to take a lava boat tour and was returning to a Keauhou condo in the morning.
      The accident shut down Hwy 11 for nearly six hours, and residents and visitors were sent up the old cane haul road between Pahala and Na`alehu as the detour. According to police, a witness driving behind the visitors’ Nissan said the car crossed the center line. Police also said that speeding appeared to be a factor, but were also looking at the possibility of the rental car driver having a heart attack or stroke that led to the accident.
      Hawai`i Island has the smallest population per square mile but the highest per capita in traffic fatalities in the state. Without state sheriffs or state highway patrol watching state roads, and only the federal rangers patrolling the stretch of Hwy 11 inside Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, it remains difficult for the two county police officers on duty in vast Ka`u to enforce traffic safety everywhere. The long drive by those visitors who drive back and forth from Kona and the Kohala Coast resorts to Volcano can be very tiring. In another recent tragic accident near Pahala, a Japanese visitor fell asleep, his rental van veering off Hwy 11 into the lava and killing his infant son.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is a member of Hawai`i
National Guard. Photo from votetulsi.com

WOMEN ALLOWED TO SERVE IN ACTIVE COMBAT became official U.S. military policy yesterday. Ka`u’s U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono and U.S. House of Representatives member Tulsi Gabbard applauded the change announced by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. 

      Hirono, a member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, called it “a great step toward equality. These restrictions that block women from serving in active combat roles make no sense in today’s modern military. All Americans deserve the opportunity to defend our nation regardless of gender, and I know that the women who currently serve in the military think they should be treated the same as any other service member. Women serving in combat roles will strengthen our national security, and as a member of the Armed Services Committee, I will work closely with military and administration officials to see this change through.”
      Gabbard, who remains a Military Police Captain in the Hawai`i National Guard, said, “As a twice-deployed combat veteran, I have a firsthand appreciation and understanding of the contributions women in uniform make every single day, all around the world. I have had the honor of serving with incredibly talented female soldiers who, if given the opportunity, would serve as great assets in our ground combat units. It is crucial that we shed light on the great value and opportunities that these women bring. She noted that “female service members have contributed on the battlefield as far back as the Civil War, when some disguised themselves as men just to have the opportunity to serve their nation. This decision by the Department of Defense is an overdue, yet welcome, change.”
      Gabbard is one of the first female combat veterans ever to serve in the U.S Congress. In 2004, she voluntarily deployed to Iraq with the 29th Brigade Combat Team, serving two tours in the Middle East. She was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal during Operation Iraqi Freedom, was the first female Distinguished Honor Graduate at Fort McClellan’s Officer Candidate School, and was the first woman to ever receive an award of appreciation from the Kuwaiti military on her second overseas tour.

Abel Simeona Lui plans to attend a community meeting about Kawa
next week.

ABEL SIMEONA LUI, who lived at Kawa for about 20 years, is telling the media that he plans to participate in a community meeting next week about the future of 784 of acres of coastal land next to Ka`u's best surfing beach and several estuaries with endangered wildlife. Lui, who claimed ownership of the land, lived on the property in a solar-powered house for years when it was owned by several different landowners who attempted to evict him to no avail. Lui cited Hawaiian sovereignty and his family lineage, but courts turned away his claims and the County of Hawai`i, which has purchased the land for preservation of resources and to become a park, evicted him last October. Lui recently returned and flew his flag and posted signs about his cause. In this morning’s West Hawai`i Today, Nancy Cook Lauer reported that Lui said he will fly his flag whenever he is visiting Kawa and plans to attend the meeting to which, he claims, he wasn’t invited . 

      “Now that they removed Abel from the land, now they gotta put somebody on the land and they gotta pay them, when Abel do it for free,” Lui told West Hawai`i Today. “They come and say they own Kawa and they locked it down and now they don’t know what to do with it.”
      According to the news story, the county has been meeting with Hawaiian families with ties to Kawa to come up with a plan to manage the property. Both the county and the state Department of Land & Natural Resources are scheduled to have representatives on hand for more community input at the public session Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. See more at www.westhawaiitoday.com.

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY brought the first of what could be several programs down the mountain yesterday evening. Approximately 40 people attended geologist Tim Orr’s presentation of The 30th Anniversary of Kilauea Volcano’s East Rift Eruption at Pahala Plantation House. Orr reviewed the history of the eruption from the fissure that occurred on Jan. 3, 1983 to current ocean entries with dramatic photos and videos. Several attendees gave suggestions for future programs. Another is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 6 at Pahala Community Center, when geochemists Jeff Sutton and Tamar Elias discuss volcanic gases and their environmental impact.

Ka`u public schools' calendar is a feature in The Directory 2013.

HAWAI`I POLICE DEPARTMENT holds a community meeting tomorrow from noon to 2 p.m. at Cooper Center on Wright Road in Volcano Village. To help police commanders focus on specific community concerns, participation is limited to persons who live or work in the immediate area. 

      Those interested in participating but unable to attend may e-mail their concerns or comments to copsysop@hawaiipolice.com. For more information, call Acting Captain Reed Mahuna at 965-2716.

KA`U CHAMBER OF COMMERCE’S general membership meeting takes place tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. The Chamber asks members to bring food to share at the potluck. The Directory 2013 will be distributed. See kauchamber.org.

`O KA`U KAKOU’S 5th annual Keiki Fishing Tournament and Canned Food Drive takes place Saturday, with check-in from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. at Punalu`u Beach Park. Fishing begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 11:30 a.m. Free lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., and awards and prizes are handed out at 1 p.m. 

      Registration forms are available in Pahala at Pahala Elementary School, Mizuno Superette and Pahala Gas Station; in Na`alehu at Na`alehu Elementary School, 76 Gas Station and Ace Hardware; in Wai`ohinu at Wong Yuen Gas Station; and in Ocean View at Ace Hardware and Kwik Mart.

SUPPORT 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 Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013

Ka`u photographer Peter Anderson captured this image of lava flowing into the ocean yesterday morning. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist Tim Orr presents a free program about Kilauea's ongoing 30-year eruption this evening beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House.

IN HIS THIRD STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS, Gov. Neil Abercrombie yesterday outlined plans to maximize the state’s sound fiscal footing and improving economy by focusing on business innovation, food and energy security and early childhood education. 

      “Two years ago, our administration had just taken office amidst an extremely difficult fiscal and economic outlook,” Gov. Abercrombie said. “But as a result of our collaborative efforts, shared sacrifice and judicious administrative action, we have made clear progress and are again looking at a healthy positive balance. Now, we must move from the status quo and provide for future generations of Hawai`i.”

Gov. Neil Abercrombie presented his 2013 State of the State address
yesterday. Photos from Office of the Governor

      Abercrombie has asked Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui to take a lead role in expediting investment in the state’s economy via construction, repair and maintenance projects and public/private ventures. “These long-range investments, including capital improvement projects, have already helped to stimulate the island economy and generate local jobs while improving public infrastructure and facilities,” Abercrombie said.
      The governor proposed the HI Growth Initiative, an investment program focused on building a “vibrant environment for innovation that supports entrepreneurial high-growth businesses and creates high-wage jobs.” The program would engage with the private sector to startup and grow creative and innovative companies.
      Abercrombie also proposed aggressive promotion of state agency purchases of Hawai`i agricultural products to provide a consistent and regular market for goods. He said the administration will also work to increase access to capital for local farmers and ranchers by expanding the state Department of Agriculture’s loan programs.
      The governor also highlighted the potential of minimum wage earners to provide an immediate infusion of dollars into the economy, announcing that he will propose a bill to increase the minimum wage by $1.50 to $8.75 beginning in January 2014. “Everyone is worthy of their labor,” he said. “Industry and corporations do not lack for support in these halls. Neither should those who work the hardest for the least return.”
       In the area of energy, the governor proposed embarking on a clear path toward increased use of liquefied natural gas, as well as the establishment of the Hawai`i Refinery Task Force to serve as a collaboration of government energy industries and utilities to immediately work on short-term and long-term findings and recommendations.

Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui, seated at right, has a lead role in expediting
investment in the state's economy.

      “LNG will reduce energy costs and reduce our carbon footprint because the resource is abundant, available, and the technology exists for us to use it now,” he said. “Our state, our residents, our constituents, our businesses and communities need relief. To do nothing puts everyone in the state at risk.”
      Additionally, a new financing mechanism administered by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, would be developed to help residents, businesses and organizations take advantage of energy options.
      To maintain the state’s current fiscal stability and outlook, the governor proposed recapitalizing the Hawai`i Hurricane Relief Fund and Rainy Day Fund and, as detailed in the administration’s 2013-2015 fiscal biennium budget presented last month, proposed addressing long-term liabilities by budgeting $100 million starting next fiscal year, with plans to continue to pursue payment in the coming years.
      The governor reaffirmed his commitment to giving keiki opportunity for school success and a strong early childhood education program. “Leaving our keiki unprepared for elementary school puts them at a crippling disadvantage in terms of being able to meet the demands the future will make on them,” he said. The administration has included $32.5 million for the Executive Office on Early Learning in the biennium budget for a school readiness program.
      The governor also proposed addressing Hawai`i’s aging population. “As we look to the future, we must never forget where we came from and to whom we owe our gratitude,” he added, announcing that he will be asking the Legislature to increase the Kupuna Care budget by $4.2 million and make it permanent.
      “Those who came before us sacrificed to help build our state and create the foundation upon which we stand today,” he said. “By being part of the permanent base for the Department of Health and the Executive Office on Aging, we can allow programs to properly plan and rely upon a steady stream of funding. This should be seen as an investment that will pay immediate dividends as the aging population of Hawai`i both grows in numbers and lives longer.”
      To read the entire State of the State address, see http://governor.hawaii.gov/2013-state-of-the-state.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE has elected Hawai`i Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to be vice chair of the party for the next four years. “I see this as a great opportunity to let Hawai`i’s voice be heard on a national platform and to play a leadership role in bringing people together in communities all across the country, as we work toward our common goal of serving the people and building a brighter future for our country,” said Gabbard.
      “Congresswoman Gabbard’s story is an inspiration, and her dedication to public service showcases the best of our party’s values,” said DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz. “I look forward to serving with her both in the House of Representatives and as an officer at the DNC.”

HWY 11 IS CLOSED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS due to a head-on collision near mile-marker 54. Traffic Division Sgt. Christopher Gali reports that a car crossed the center line, hit a pickup truck, and the truck caught on fire. Four people died at the scene, and a young boy was airlifted to Kona Community Hospital. The highway is expected to be closed for several hours during investigation.

Lava entering the ocean yesterday morning. Photo by Peter Anderson

THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY of Kilauea Volcano’s East Rift Eruption is the topic at Pahala Plantation House this evening. Showing photos and videos of the ongoing eruption, Tim Orr, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist, reviews highlights from the past 30 years and talks about recent developments on Kilauea’s East Rift Zone. During its first three years, spectacular lava fountains spewed episodically from Pu`u `O`o vent. Since then, nearly continuous lava effusion has built a vast plain of pahoehoe lava that stretches from the volcano’s rift zone to the sea. Although the eruption has been relatively quiet during the past year, with mostly steady, but unusually weak activity, it has produced some dramatic lava flows in past years. 

      The program is part of Volcano Awareness Month and begins at 6:30 p.m. Depending on interest, more programs may come to Ka`u in the future. Call 928-9811 for more information.

The Directory 2013 includes contact
information for Ka`u's public officials

A COMMUNITY ACCESS MEETING with Hawai`i Police Department takes place Friday from noon to 2 p.m. at Cooper Center on Wright Road in Volcano Village. The public can discuss police-related concerns with the police chief and commanders who oversee police operations in Volcano and Puna.

      The Volcano event continues district community meetings which are rotated throughout the Big Island’s police districts. To help police commanders focus on specific community concerns, participation is limited to persons who live or work in the immediate area.
      Those interested in participating but unable to attend may e-mail their concerns or comments to copsysop@hawaiipolice.com. For more information, call Acting Captain Reed Mahuna at 965-2716.

KA`U CHAMBER OF COMMERCE holds a general membership meeting Friday at 4 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. The Directory 2013 will be distributed. See kauchamber.org.

KA`U RESIDENTS CAN SIGN UP for a conflict resolution workshop sponsored by Ku`ikahi Mediation Center Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hawai`i Community College in Building 388, Room 103. Kimberly Dark facilitates the session about understanding and practicing the skill of reframing contentious, position-based statements into neutral language. The skills can be used at home as well as in the workplace, schools, associations, meetings and more.
       Tuition is $50. To register, contact Ku`ikahi Mediation Center executive director Julie Mitchell at 935-7844 x 116 or julie@hawaiimediation.org.

SUPPORT 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 Jan. 22, 2013

Current and past activity of Kilauea Volcano's ongoing 30-year eruption is the topic at a free program presented by Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist Tim Orr tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House.
Photo from USGS/HVO

PREVENTING FOOD LOSS & WASTE in Ka`u and around the world is a new campaign announced today by the United Nations, which contends that enough food is wasted each year across the planet to feed the 870 million hungry people. Worldwide, about one-third of all food produced, worth around US$1 trillion, gets lost or wasted in food production and consumption systems, according to data released by the Food Agriculture Organization. FAO reports that food loss occurs mostly at the production stages - harvesting, processing and distribution - while food waste typically takes place at the retailer and consumer end of the food-supply chain.

Jose Graziano da Silva

      FAO director José Graziano da Silva said that in developed regions alone, “around 300 million tons of food is wasted annually because producers, retailers and consumers discard food that is still fit for consumption.”
      To combat the problem, the organizations launched Think.Eat.Save.Reduce Your Foodprint campaign “to accelerate action and provide a global vision and information-sharing portal (www.thinkeatsave.org) for the many and diverse initiatives currently underway around the world.”
      UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Environmental Program executive director Achim Steiner said, “In a world of seven billion people, set to grow to nine billion by 2050, wasting food makes no sense - economically, environmentally and ethically. Aside from the cost implications, all the land, water, fertilizers and labour needed to grow that food is wasted - not to mention the generation of greenhouse gas emissions produced by food decomposing on landfill and the transport of food that is ultimately thrown away. To bring about the vision of a truly sustainable world, we need a transformation in the way we produce and consume our natural resources.”

Achim Steiner

      “If we can help food producers to reduce losses through better harvesting, processing, storage, transport and marketing methods, and combine this with profound and lasting changes in the way people consume food, then we can have a healthier and hunger-free world,” Graziano da Silva added.
      The organizations also pointed out that the global food system has profound implications for the environment, and producing more food than is consumed only exacerbates the pressures, some of which follow:

• More than 20 percent of all cultivated land, 30 percent of forests and 10 percent of grasslands are undergoing degradation;
• Globally, nine percent of the freshwater resources are withdrawn, 70 percent of this by irrigated agriculture;
• Agriculture and land use changes like deforestation contribute to more than 30 percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions;
• Globally, the agri-food system accounts for nearly 30 percent of end-user available energy;
• Overfishing and poor management contribute to declining numbers of fish, some 30 percent of marine fish stocks are now considered overexploited. 

      According to FAO (http://www.fao.org/save-food/en/), roughly 95 per cent of food loss and waste in developing countries are unintentional losses at early stages of the food supply chain due to financial, managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques; storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions; infrastructure; packaging and marketing systems.

Food Agricultural Organization wants to prevent food
loss and waste worldwide. Image from thinkeatsave.org

      However, in the developed world the end of the chain is far more significant. At the food manufacturing and retail level in the developed world, large quantities of food are wasted due to inefficient practices, quality standards that over-emphasize appearance, confusion over date labels and consumers being quick to throw away edible food due to over-buying, inappropriate storage and preparing meals that are too large.
      Per-capita waste by consumers is between 95 and 115 kg a year in Europe and North America/Oceania, while consumers in sub-Saharan Africa, south and southeastern Asia each throw away only 6 to 11 kg a year.
      According to WRAP, the average UK family could save US$1,090 and the UK hospitality sector could save US$1.2 billion per year by tackling food waste.
      The campaign website, www.thinkeatsave.org, provides tips for consumers, retailers and the hospitality industry to help reduce waste - thus reducing their environmental impact and saving money. For consumers, it suggests:

• Shop Smart: Plan meals, use shopping lists, avoid impulse buys and don’t succumb to marketing tricks that lead you to buy more food than you need. 
• Buy Funny Fruit: Many fruits and vegetables are thrown out because their size, shape, or color are deemed not “right.” Buying these perfectly good fruit, at the farmer’s market or elsewhere, utilizes food that might otherwise go to waste. 
• Understand Expiration Dates: “Best-before” dates are generally manufacturer suggestions for peak quality. Most foods can be safely consumed well after these dates. The important date is “use by” - eat food by that date or check if you can freeze it. 
• Zero Down Your Fridge: Websites such as WRAP's www.lovefoodhatewaste.com can help consumers get creative with recipes to use up anything that might go bad soon. 
• Other actions include: freezing food; following storage guidance to keep food at its best; requesting smaller portions at restaurants; eating leftovers - whether home-cooked, from restaurants or takeaway; composting food; and donating spare food to local food banks, soup kitchens, pantries, and shelters.

Hawai`i House Speaker Joe Souki

MARIJUANA COULD BE LEGALLY USED by adults in Hawai`i if House Bill 150, introduced Friday by House Speaker Joe Souki, passes the state Legislature. 

      Also referred to as the Personal Use of Marijuana Act, HB150 would allow possession and consumption of up to an ounce of marijuana for personal use by authorized persons 21 years and older. According to the Hawai`i State Legislature website, capitol.hawaii.gov, the bill also “provides for the licensing of marijuana cultivation facilities, product manufacturing facilities, safety testing facilities and retail stores.” If the bill is passed and the state fails to provide for licensing of marijuana facilities, the obligation falls to the counties, which would also be authorized to further “regulate or prohibit marijuana facilities within their boundaries,” the website says. 

      According to the measure, legalization would generate revenue for the state through taxes and licenses and save money in law enforcement costs.
      Much of the legislation is formatted on a measure passed by citizens in Colorado last November to legalize use of marijuana by adults. Washington State passed a similar bill in November to legalize marijuana and establish regulations and taxes similar to those for alcohol.
      The measure reinforces that driving while under the influence of marijuana, smoking marijuana in public and use of marijuana by those under 21 would remain illegal.
      The bill passed the first reading in the house on Friday. Today, the bill was referred to the House committees on Health, Finance and Judiciary for review.

Ka`u and South Kona residents can participate in local government at
Ocean View Community Center's remote testimony site tomorrow during
the County Council meeting held at West Hawai`i Civic Center.

HAWAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL meets tomorrow at 9 a.m. at West Hawai`i Civic Center. Ka`u and South Kona residents can participate from Ocean View Community Center’s remote testimony site. 

      Agenda is available at hawaiicounty.gov.

 
THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY of Kilauea Volcano’s East Rift Eruption is the topic at Pahala Plantation House tomorrow evening. Showing photos and videos of the ongoing eruption, Tim Orr, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist, reviews highlights from the past 30 years and talks about recent developments on Kilauea’s East Rift Zone. During its first three years, spectacular lava fountains spewed episodically from Pu`u `O`o vent. Since then, nearly continuous lava effusion has built a vast plain of pahoehoe lava that stretches from the volcano’s rift zone to the sea. Although the eruption has been relatively quiet during the past year, with mostly steady, but unusually weak activity, it has produced some dramatic lava flows in past years.
      The program, which is part of Volcano Awareness Month, begins at 6:30 p.m. Call 928-9811 for more information.

The View, by Wanda Aus, graces the cover of The Directory 2013.

HAWAI`I POLICE DEPARTMENT host a community access meeting Friday from noon to 2 p.m. at Cooper Center on Wright Road in Volcano Village. The event allows the public to meet the Police Department’s command staff and to discuss police-related concerns with the police chief and commanders who oversee police operations in Volcano and Puna.
      The Volcano event continues district community meetings, which are rotated throughout the eight police districts on the Big Island. To aid police commanders in focusing on specific community concerns, police officers ask that participation in this meeting be limited to persons who live or work in the immediate area.
      Those interested in participating but unable to attend may e-mail their concerns or comments to copsysop@hawaiipolice.com. For more information, call Acting Captain Reed Mahuna at 965-2716.

KA`U CHAMBER OF COMMERCE holds a general membership meeting Friday at 4 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. The Directory 2013, with cover art by Wanda Aus, of Ocean View, will be distributed. See kauchamber.org.

SUPPORT 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.