Ka`u News Briefs June 7, 2013

County Council member Brenda Ford takes a shot for tetnus, diptheria and whooping cough and encourages all Ka`u residents to get free inoculations along with free medical, dental and eye care at Ka`u High School and Ocean View Community Center this weekend and Monday and Tuesday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Wednesday at noon. A cardiology clinic is also being held this weekend on he school grounds, sponsored by hawaiicardiovascular.org. Photo by Julia Neal

THE HISTORIC PAHALA HONGWANJI JAPANESE SCHOOLHOUSE and its parsonage are reroofed and being painted, the windows being repaired and bathrooms fixed up with funding from the Edmund C. Olson Trust and other donors. The building served as a Japanese language and culture school into the 1960s, a judo dojo, an art teacher’s workshop and an Earthwatch lab for visiting archaeologists studying the nearby Japanese, Chinese and Filipino cemetery. Renovations began with a group of Americorps VISTA volunteers hosted by Pahala Plantation Cottages and the Boys and Girls Club. Over the past several years, renovations have been managed by Wayne Kawachi and Pahala Hongwanji members.
      Ideas proposed for the building have been opening it up for Boys & Girls Club, particularly on those days after school when the children are unable to use their permanent home at Pahala Community Center, boxing and other sports clubs, extended learning in cooperation with Hawai`i Community College and most recently a Charter School to be headed by Na`alehu public elementary school teacher Kathryn Tydlacka.
      About a dozen people met to discuss the school plan on May 25, according to a statement from the organizers. “Discussion about the potential impact of a modest charter school at the site ranged over almost two hours. Traffic to and from the school as well as safety of those now using and playing in the streets around the school itself merited some consideration.

Historic Pahala Hongwanji Japanese Schoolhouse now has a new roof and is being repainted with the windows being repaired and bathrooms fixed up. Photo by Julia Neal

      “There were questions regarding the nature of the educational program to be embraced at the new school. These will be addressed in detail at subsequent meetings conducted by the staff of the proposed charter school during June of this year,” the statement said.
      “They will be part of an iterative process to assure that the school will meet the needs of the community and will represent rigorous academic standards as well as preparation of students for careers in fields directly relevant to enhancing the economy of Ka`u,” the statement concluded.
      Neighboring resident Mike Silva said that in addition to traffic he is concerned about learning whether a Charter School could take away funding from the public Pahala School which has small numbers of students in each grade, with elementary school having as few as 20 and upper school grades having around 55 students. Taking away $13,000 per student budgeted for Pahala School each year could result in a $260,000 a year cut should 20 students leave Pahala School to go to the Charter School, he said. He also said the Charter School could affect funding at Na`alehu School.
      The Charter School, however, could also serve home schooled children who are not funded in the public schools and children who travel long distances to schools outside Ka`u. A letter handed out to some Pahala residents that announced last month’s meeting noted that the proposed school could be under the oversight of Kua O Ka La Charter School, which started as a Hawaiian immersion school in Puna.
      According to the County Planning Department, a school on the agriculturally and residentially zoned land at the Hongwanji location on Pa`a`au Street in Pahala would require a use permit, notification to neighbors, a public hearing and approval from the county Planning Commission. Tydlacka and other organizers said additional meetings about the proposed Charter School will soon be held in Pahala.

Photo from sunetric.com

IN THE SOLAR VOLTAIC ELECTRICITY BUSINESS, “the industry’s amazing growth has started to attract companies from the Mainland, and they are bringing with them new marketing strategies that are changing the way local companies do business,” according to a Pacific Business News story published today.
      The mainland competition is leaving some local entrepreneurs in the dust while others are surviving. The story by Duane Shimogawa points out that “California’s SolarCity and Utah’s Vivint Solar, for instance, were among the first to offer no-cost-to-the-consumer installation. Vivint, a large home-security installation company, filed permits for PV projects on O`ahu in January and February with a collective value of $9.1 million, putting it at the top of the industry, according to City and County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting data collected by Marco Mangelsdorf, president of Hilo-based ProVision Solar Inc.
      “Meanwhile, SolarCity ranked sixth in the same category during that time, with new projects with a collective permitted value of $4.7 million.
      “In terms of permits pulled during the first couple of months in 2013, Vivint accounted for 230 and SolarCity another 142, good for third and fourth, respectively, on O`ahu,” reports PBN.
      “I think in some respects, [the leasing model] opened up the market to more people, where this model wasn’t prevalent to the market,” Jon Yoshimura, director of government affairs in Hawai`i for SolarCity, told PBN. “What that ends up doing is it made solar available to more people,” he told the business news journal.
       He noted that the effort by larger Mainland companies to move to Hawai`i shows how strong the local market is. “If anything, the industry just continues to grow,” Yoshimura said, according to PBN.

       Aaron Kirk, chief operating officer of Sunetric, told PBN that “when his company started nearly a decade ago there weren’t any Mainland PV companies in Hawai`i. ‘It’s become much more competitive, and I do think that time will tell whether companies are coming into this market to cash in on the hot market or whether they will be here for a while or short span of time.’” See more at www.bizjournals.com/pacific/
      In Ka`u, the first commercial solar venture has permits for 18 lots in Hawaiian Ranchos and another solar developer is planning for about ten lots mauka, in Hawaiian Ocean View Estates.
      See more in yesterday’s Ka`u News Briefs.

CULTIVATING COMMUNITY is the name of a Green Sands community park event on Saturday. The festivities run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and include a Plant, Seed & Anything Garden Exchange. People are encouraged to bring plants, seeds, old garden tools or anything garden-related to trade and share with others.
       Anyone is welcome to join a composting workshop, sponsored by Recycle Hawai`i, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the park. Workshop fee is $10, and participants receive a voucher for a free Earth Machine.
       Local horticulturists, farmers and landscapers will be on site with booths, information and activities. Participants include Ted Bennett, of Bennett Farm & Nursery; Allison Yahna, of Artemis Smiles Honey Bee Sanctuary and Education; Olivia Ling, of OKOA Pottery and Native Landscaping; Lori Dahlstedt, sharing how to air layer plants. Jendayi will run the Keiki Corner full of garden-friendly fun, activities and crafts.
       The Green Sands Community Association will have burgers and hotdogs for sale by donation. Any donations are accepted and will go toward building a park pavilion. Reach the park by taking Ka`alu`alu Road off Hwy 11 in Wai`ohinu.

KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL 2014 DATES have been announced by festival organizers. The Ho`olaule`a will be held on Saturday, May 10 with the Ka`u Coffee College to follow on Sunday, May 11, both at Pahala Community Center. Leading up to Ho`olaule`a weekend, Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant will be on Friday, May 2 at Ka`u Coffee Mill. The Farmers Table dinner at Kalaekilohana will be Saturday, May 3. The Cookies, Candies & Crackers Triple C Recipe Contest will be at Ka`u Coffee Mill on Sunday, May 4. A hike to the rainforest and old plantation water system, leaving from Ka`u Coffee Mill will be Wednesday, May 7. Coffee & Cattle Day will be on Friday, May 9 at `Aikane Coffee Plantation and the Ka`u Star Gazing trek will start from Ka`u Coffee Mill on Friday, May 9.

Last night, several members of the Hawaiian Civic Club
of Ka`u held a weaving workshop for the Tropic Care
military team at OVCA as a thank
you for their services. Photo by Nancy Stafford

AIR FORCE, ARMY & NAVY HEALTH CARE RESERVISTS have been serving people of all walks of life this week and continue free checkups with dental, eye, physical, psychiatric and spiritual care this weekend from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Ka`u High School and Ocean View Community Center.  The Tropic Care team is joined by cardiology screening in the HMSA medical van at Ka`u High School through Satruday.
       The dentistry, optometry and medical care continue from 8 a.m.m through 4 p.m. until Wednesday, the last day, which is over at noon.

THE PEOPLE, A FINE ART EXHIBITION featuring original oil paintings and pastels by Vicki Penney-Rohner and Kira Kamamalu Ventrella starts tomorrow at the Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park with an opening reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The exhibit is open to the public daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Sunday, July 21. Penney-Rohner demonstrates her painting process this Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by a talk with both artists from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more visit volcanoartcenter.org or call 967-7565.

ATLAS RECYCLING ACCEPTS RECYCLABLES at South Point U-Cart tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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, June 6, 2013

Hawai`i Health Connector, which is designed to help everyone get health insurance, joins Tropic Care free medical services in Pahala and Ocean View. Photo from www.hawaiihealthconnector.com

THE HAWAI`I HEALTH CONNECTOR will join Tropic Care, which is offering everyone free health screening and care from Air Force, Army and Navy reserve physicians, dentists, and optometrists. The screening and care takes place at Pahala High School and Ocean View Community Center daily through June 12. Hawai`i Health Connector will be onsite this weekend and early next week to assist individuals with obtaining health insurance as required by new federal law and help locate them appropriate programs. Tropic Care health care providers, who are Air Force, Army & Navy reservists, said they welcome everyone regardless of income or state of health to come to one of the two locations for free care from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily until noon next Wednesday.

HELCO CAME TO KA`U yesterday evening to go over its Integrated Resource Plan for the future which it will soon submit to the Public Utilities Commission. The meeting was poorly attended by local residents compared to the meeting late last year when residents asked numerous questions about the proposed `Aina Koa Pono refinery. The `Aina Koa Pono issue is still alive, however, with more answers from Hawai`i Electric Light Co. and Hawaiian Electric Industries to be submitted to the PUC within the next week.
      According to the plans presented to the public last night by HELCO biofuel is one of the possible future sources of energy for the electric company. HELCO officials, including the company president Jay Ignacio, talked about possibly using wood chips from existing eucalyptus plantations and other trees to feed its existing Puna electric plant that currently uses oil. Another possibility is the use of Liquid Natural Gas and HELCO is studying the cost of both along with the price to refit the power plant.

HELCO President Jay Ignacio came to Ka`u last night with plans for the future.
Photo by Julia Neal

     The utility and its sister companies across the state are making plans to lower customer bills, create a clean energy future, modernize the grid and come up with fairness policies, utility company representatives said. Fairness involves such issues as which source of electricity should be purchased when too much is coming on line for the load. For example, should all the power coming from existing windmills be purchased before taking the power produced by photovoltaic panels on homes? Under current pricing, the photovoltaic energy on homes is purchased at a higher price than alternatives, like wind, hydroelectric and geothermal. Is it fair to turn down more energy from those who have made large investments in wind, hydro, geothermal and even solar farms as more people install photovoltaics on their houses to feed back into the system?
      HELCO engineer Ken Waltjen explained that technologies are changing very fast and the utility has to make plans for the future that are flexible. Action plans will be made every three years and updated constantly, he said. The last Integrated Resource Plan for the electric companies was completed in 1998.
      Will Rolston, the county's Energy Coordinator, urged the public to weigh in on the planning and other utility issues on the PUC website by reading the documents and sending in comments to be posted in the official docket. Open dockets include `Aina Koa Pono and the planning for the utility company's future.
      Plans being made by HELCO include upgrading the hydroelectric plants on Wailuku River, decommissioning the Shipman electric plants Three and Four in Hilo, which are now on standby, and completing the review of proposals for independent energy producers to provide more geothermal for the grid. HELCO also plans to further study waste to energy projects and will confer with the county, which has also shown interest in making energy from waste that comes from households, businesses and other sources. To read HELCO and HECO planning documents, see www.irpie.com.

SOLAR HUB REPRESENTATIVES met with the Hawaiian Ranchos residents at Ocean View this week to answer questions about its planned solar installations on 18 empty houselots in the subdivision. Pat Shudak, of Solar Hub, told residents that the state and the governor of Hawai`i are committed to getting off of foreign oil. The premise is to use solar to keep the electricity cost from going higher, he said. He explained that the Public Utilities Commission and HECO started a feed in tariff program, allotting 60 megawatts for solar developers on O`ahu, 10 megawatts on Maui and 10 megawatts on the Big Island. He said the utility will buy the power for a cheaper price than the utility can produce it from oil and said the purchase price will be 23 cents per kilowatt hour. He said Solar Hub is locked into a set price for 20 years, which should help keep electric prices from going higher.

Eighteen one-acre solar panel installations are planned for Ranchos.
Photo from www.hawaiianliving.com

    Shudak said, in addition to his project, about ten other solar projects are proposed by developers mauka of the Hwy 11 in Hawai`i Ocean View Estates.
      The lots that were purchased by Solar Hub required three-phase power to accommodate the solar project.
"What are you bringing to this community?" asked one resident, contending that HELCO will not give the community cheaper electricity despite the solar project. Several talked about possible wear and tear on roads.
    One Solar Hub spokesman said the project would fund a  new substation near the highway that will stabilize power. A resident responded that there has never been a problem with black outs in Ranchos.
      “You are turning our subdivisions into an industrial complex,” said one person. Another said he preferred a responsible company – like Solar Hub - to come in and clean up lots and make nice landscaping over some uncared for lots where people raise dogs in Ranchos.
      Shudak said the solar lots would not be industrial eyesores. There would be one acre of solar panels on each 3-acre lot surrounded by a security fence and landscaping.
      One resident asked whether the Solar Hub project would preclude him from having his own feed-in tariff program in Ranchos. Shudak said he was told that the improvements to the electric grid brought in by the project should make it easier for the residents to install their own.
      HELCO is still negotiating with Solar Hub, which will be required to build a new substation for  HELCO, Shudak said.

LOW-INCOME FAMILES can sign up for assistance in paying their electric bills tomorrow at the Old Pahala Clubhouse on Maile Street from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and every Friday during the Month of June. Residents can also sign up Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Hawai`i Economic Opportunity Council office in Na`alehu office behind the community center.

OCEAN VIEW SUMMER FUN PROGRAM sponsored by Hawai`i County Parks & Recreation Department, will run from Monday, June 10 through Friday, July 19 at Kahuku Park from 8
a.m. to 2 p.m. for keiki who have completed kindergarten through sixth grade. There is still space available. Teresa Anderson (formerly

Teresa Anderson and Genny Galletes run Summer Fun in Ocean View.
Photo by Madalyn Mcwhite-Lamson

Alderdyce) was recently hired by Hawai`i County as a recreation technician at Kahuku Park and will lead the program with Genny Galletes. Both have been involved in organizing youth activities for many years in the Ka`u community.

      Registration fee is $100 per child ($20.00 payable by the parent/ family) and the remaining $80 to be subsidized by Friends of Kahuku Park, a committee of Ocean View Community Development Corp., as well as community donors. Robin Lamson , who started Friends of Kahuku Park in 2002 to improve the park, has retired as chairperson and has passed the torch to Genny Galletes.
      Summer Fun will have arts, crafts, sports, games, music and dance, nature exploration, special guests, snacks, etc. as well as five different excursions on Wednesdays to Punalu`u Beach (6/14 & 7/3), Makalapua Cinema (6/19), Kona Aquatics Center (6/26), and K.M.C. Bowling at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park (7/10). Register by or call Teresa at 929-9113 or Genny at 217-5593.

Ka`u News Briefs June 5, 2013

Military reservists in the medical professions join Ka`u residents waiting for eye tests, among the free screenings and care available through June 12 at Ka`u High School and Ocean View Community Center.
Photo by Julia Neal

A 5.2 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE struck the deep ocean off the southeast coast of Ka`u yesterday at 2:13 p.m. It was centered 12 miles east of Lo`ihi Seamount, which is just 22 miles offshore. Lo`ihi and the quake epicenter are on the flank of Mauna Loa Volcano, the largest volcano on the planet.

Yesterday's 5.2 magnitude earthquake is in red southeast
of the Ka`u Coast. Image from USGS

      Buildings rattled in Ka`u and all the way to Hilo. It was felt across the Big Island and on Maui. The location was 33 miles southeast of Pahala. 

      Neither injuries nor serious damage was reported. Civil Defense reported no tsunami threat from the quake.

THE FUTURE OF ELECTRIC UTILITIES IN HAWAI`I is taken up this evening in a public meeting begin held by Hawaiian Electric Light Co. and Hawaiian Electric Industries at 6 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. Public comment is welcome, and the electric company is tasked with planning for secure, affordable energy. Plans can be seen at www.irpie.com. The Public Utilities Commission will also review and approve the electric companies’ plans.

Jamae Kawauchi

FORMER COUNTY CLERK JAMAE KAWAUCHI AND FORMER COUNTY COUNCIL CHAIR Dominic Yagong gained support from a judge yesterday regarding a suit that charged them with investigating and firing four election workers in a “willful and wanton way.” According to a story by Erin Miller, of West Hawai`i Today, Judge Elizabeth Strance said “the admissible evidence now before this Court appears to clearly support a finding that Defendants Kawauchi and Yagong acted both with cause and within the scope of their employment within the County of Hawai`i.” The judge also wrote that the “plaintiffs have not provided this Court with ‘clear and convincing’ evidence of any animus or ‘willful or wanton;’ tortious conduct by Defendants Kawauchi and/or Yagong towards the Plaintiffs…. Similarly, there is no evidence that Defendants Kawauchi and/or Yagong personally conducted any investigation, regarding the actions of the Plaintiffs in connection with the County Elections Warehouse.”
      The four were fired for allowing outside business activity and drinking in a county warehouse.
      An email from the defendants’ attorney Francis Jung, reported this morning in West Hawai`i Today, said, “Dominic Yagong and Jamae Kawauchi are both extremely thankful and pleased with the Court’s decision. All of their actions were made with the intent of fulfilling their duties to the public to the best of their knowledge and abilities as hardworking, dedicated and honest public servants. Hopefully, the young people of Hawai`i will not be afraid to seek future careers in public service or elected office out of fear of being persecuted by frivolous lawsuits. Justice will prevail in the end.” See more at westhawaiitoday.com.
      Since leaving the County Clerk’s post, Kawauchi has been working for the Prosecuting Attorney’s office. Yagong’s term ended as Council member, and he lost his run for mayor.

Bobby Jean Leithead Todd

COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR NOMINEE Bobby Leithead Todd has gained support from a former Environmental Management director Lono Tyson, who says her experience on the job should make up for her not having an engineering or related degree required by County Charter. The statement was reported by Nancy Cook Lauer in West Hawai`i Today this morning. Leithead Todd earned a law degree and English degree, has served most recently as the Planning director and is a former County Council member. She also previously served as chief of the Department of Environmental Management, which oversees solid waste, including sewage systems and the handling of garbage and trash services of the county.
      According to West Hawai`i Today, Councilmember Brenda Ford said, “While there are pros and cons to having an engineer as the director of the Department of Environmental Management, I personally believe it should be an engineer to understand the technical aspects of the position. I support the charter as it was passed by the voters of Hawai`i County.”
      Leithead Todd’s nomination by Mayor Billy Kenoi needs approval by the County Council. See more at westhawaiitoday.com.

A PO`OKULA FOR KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS’ HAWAI`I ISLAND CAMPUS has been named for the first time. Kahealani Nae`ole-Wong is the first assistant head of school. Po`o Kula Holoua Stender, the head of the school, described her as “an exemplary educator who brings a wealth of teaching, curriculum development and instructional leadership experience to her new position.

Pierre Omidyar

Arianna Huffington

CIVIL BEAT AND HUFFINGTON POST recently forged a partnership called HuffPost Hawai`i.
      Civil Beat founder Pierre Omidyar, who also founded EBay, said the teamwork will help get Hawai`i news to the world. Civil Beat will run news feeds with Huffington Post.
      Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington was a keynote speaker at the Specialty Coffee Association Convention in Los Angeles where Bull Kailiawa placed as one of the top ten in the world. At the convention, The Ka`u Calendar publisher Julia Neal met Huffington and talked about the success of the farmers after losing their jobs when the sugar industry failed and their challenge with land security.
      The land where most of the Ka`u coffee farmers have expired leases went up in a foreclosure auction last month, and the bank owed money against the property, Lehman Brothers, made the highest bid. Whether Lehman will become the owner of the property or a higher bid will be cast will be determined at a court proceeding to finish the foreclosure, which is yet to be scheduled.

HAWAI`I ISLAND POLICE REMIND the public that the Kuleana Hotline is not a substitute for 9-1-1 calls. In an emergency, people should always call 9-1-1.
      The Kuleana Hotline is designed to prevent tragic events in public places, including schools, restaurants and other locations where members of the community gather.
      Unlike Crime Stoppers, to which citizens may report information about a specific crime, the Kuleana Hotline is an avenue for reporting something that may not be criminal yet but has the potential to turn disastrous if not prevented.
      “Many tragedies committed by individuals or organized groups have been preceded by warning signs,” a statement from the Police Department says. “We as a community are responsible for notifying the police if we see or hear anything that has the potential to turn into a malicious act.”

      The statement gives examples of what to call the Kuleana Hotline about:

• If you read a post on a social networking site about a person interested in purchasing a firearm and the person signals intent to cause harm with that weapon, call the Kuleana Hotline. 
• If you witness suspicious activity around public buildings, utility companies or bridges, call the Kuleana Hotline. 
• If you see something or someone’s behavior that may seem innocuous but gives you a “funny feeling” in your stomach that something is “just not right,” call the Kuleana Hotline. 

      Tips could help authorities intervene before those warning signs develop into a crime or tragedy.
      Kuleana is the Hawaiian word for “responsibility. “The significance of the hotline’s name is that we are all neighbors living on this island together, and we are all responsible for preventing acts of terror or mass injury,” says the statement.
      The number for the Kuleana Hotline is 961-2219. It is not manned around the clock, but it allows for callers to provide information by leaving voice mail messages.

TROPIC CARE 2013 CONTINUES THROUGH WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, with free health screenings and care at Ocean View Community Center and Ka`u High School. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. except on the last day when it ends at noon.
       Air Force, Army and Navy reserve  medical care teams are providing physical, eye and dental exams and care at no cost to anyone who goes to either location, first-come, first-served.
      In addition to medical services, residents living off the grid and using a generator for power will have access to service members specializing in mechanics, who will work on any systems that need attention.
      For more information about Tropic Care, call 701-566-1932.

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.