Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013

Ka`u Rural Health Community Association will add onto its many services, such as a free blood pressure check for Kazu Suenobu,
by assisting Ka`u residents with their health insurance options. Photo by Nalani Parlin

KA`U RURAL HEALTH COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC. is partnering with the Hawai`i Health Connector to help extend health insurance to the uninsured. KRHCAI is one of 34 community organizations participating in the Connector’s Hi`i Ola Marketplace Assister program. 

      Open enrollment for the Connector begins in October, and KRHCAI has received a $125,000 grant for marketplace assister. The Kokua role for KRHCAI is to reach and educate individuals, families and small business owners. The grant also supports providing jobs in the local community and providing impartial information about health insurance plan options.
      “Partnering with Hawai`i Health Connector allows us to work directly with our community to provide critical health coverage information, said Jessie Marques, KRHCAI executive director.”
     See more at krhcai.com.
     Bonnie `Anela McAfee-Torco, Hawai`i Health Connector’ Hi`i Ola program manager, said, “With these partner organizations we are taking outreach efforts deeper into each community and connecting individuals, families and small businesses with the health insurance and financial assistance options available to them. The Kokua will provide in-person assistance to empower our families and communities to make the best health care decisions possible.” In addition to the marketplace assister program, the Connector is also building a customer support center, which will receive inquiries from
multiple communication channels, including telephone, postal mail, web chat and fax.
     The customer support center will operate from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week during the open enrollment period.
      For more information, visit hawaiihealthconnector.com.
      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Vickie Crosby
Photo from KRHCAI

THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY, the newsletter of the Ka`u Rural Health Community Association, says aloha to its board president, Vickie Crosby, “who will be moving to California to care for her ailing mother. A certified family nurse practitioner, Vickie, along with her husband Rick, owned and operated the Ocean View Family Health Clinic since 2006. This was a full service family practice where she has served as a primary care provider since 2006 for many patients in the Ocean View and surrounding areas.” Crosby holds a master’s degree as a family nurse practitioner and was awarded the Hawai`i state Nurse Practitioner of the Year award in 2012 for outstanding clinical practice. 

     See more at krhcai.com.
     Members of her staff, including nurse practitioner Cindy Cohen and several patients, told The Ka`u Calendar that they hope that a medical group will buy Crosby’s practice and continue with the 4,000 patient visits a year at the clinic in Ocean View. The clinic is for sale, with all of its permits and equipment and a three-bedroom, two-bath home. 

      See youtube.com/watch?v=pgGLZ6Vaego‎.

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.  

LIFEGUARDS, POLICE AND RESCUE PERSONNEL are asking everyone to be on the lookout for a kayak that may be along the Ka`u Coast. Police report that Richard Gomez, a 48-year-old Hilo man, may have taken off from Hilo to Kalae on Wednesday in his kayak and is now a missing person. The police report identifies Gomez as six feet tall, 175 pounds, bald, with green eyes. The U.S. Coast Guard and Hawai`i Fire Department are assisting in the search.
     Anyone with information on Gomez’s whereabouts is asked to call the police non-emergency line at 935-3311 or the Coast Guard Command Center on O`ahu at 808-842-2600. Those who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300.

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Humpback whales may scar their sides and flukes by rolling over on
the bottom of the ocean. Photo from NOAA

NEW HUMPBACK WHALE RESEARCH reveals some of the filter feeding habits of the giant mammals when they spend summers in northern waters. While humpback whales take in little nutrition during winters in Hawai`i Pacific waters and warm waters in the Atlantic, they bulk up on food in the summer in northern waters. The research, done on the East Coast of Massachusetts, documented whales rolling on their sides on the bottom of the ocean to scoop up small fish and krill. The method of rolling over to shovel in the food may account for scars on the sides of the humpbacks and their vulnerability to entanglement in fishing gear on the ocean floor. The feeding habit of humpbacks most familiar to the public is called bubble-net, when whales join together to blow a net of bubbles around small fish and other organisms to catch them. The research was done by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in cooperation with National Geographic and its Crittercam camera equipment.

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION CONTINUES TO RECEIVE public testimony regarding the `Aina Koa Pono project, which would involve constructing a refinery off Wood Valley Road and harvesting trees, brushes and grasses between Pahala and Na`alehu to burn in a microwave facility to create biofuel for Hawai`i Electric Light Co. and Hawaiian Electric to use in power plants.

      Pahala resident Lynn Hamilton asks questions about biochar, a byproduct of AKP’s microwave catalytic depolymerization process:

      “`Aina Koa Pono has stated that it expects its biofuel refinery to generate 180-270 tons of biochar byproduct per day, which would be deposited on land here in Ka`u as a soil amendment. What would be the volume of that biochar?

Biochar from agricultural waste. Photo from biochar.org

      “What would be the specific components of the biochar? Would they help or hurt farming and ranching? Would they be safe for people? Would there be any metal, metalloids, polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons and/or volatile organic compounds contained in the biochar?”
      Hamilton also has questions regarding storage at AKP’s site:
      “What is the volume and footprint on the land of inputs, byproducts and biofuel that would be stored on the proposed refinery site for AKP in Ka`u? Would there be storage for raw biomass hauled in from cutting trees, brush and grasses? Would there be the storage of dried pellets made from the biomass before the pellets are used in the AKP microwave refinery? In what quantity would the additive zeolite used for the refining process be stored at the refinery site? Would there be a need to store hydrogen for the refining process and in what quantity? What quantity of biofuel would be stored at the refinery before being trucked to the electric plant in Kona?
      “At AKP’s estimated quantities, what would be the estimated risk for air and ground water pollution in dust or chemicals through daily activities, accidents and natural disasters? What would be the risk for fire that could destroy nearby farm buildings and homes?
      “Will AKP’s biochar be studied? Will there be a study of biochar actually produced by AKP? Will the study include the actual feedstock used in APK’s project? Will a study be more than a lab-scale analysis since such a study would be inadequate?
      “As AKP plans to spread between 180 – 270 tons of biochar per day over the land or burn it, what are the emissions and the pollutants if they burn biochar for power? Has that been tested? Are there hazards from breathing biochar kicked up by the wind? Has AKP tested for aromatics, furans, and/or dioxins in air emission in wastewater? Could the water supply be compromised?
      “Hopefully, the questions surrounding biochar are addressed before commitments are made,” Hamilton concludes.
      This and other testimony is available at puc.hawaii.gov. Docket number is 2012-0185.

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY is Saturday. Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park honors the day by waiving entrance fees. The park encourages the public to volunteer by removing invasive Himalayan ginger in the park or fountain grass in Ocean View. 

      Stewardship at the Summit takes place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., when volunteers remove Himalayan ginger along park trails. Volunteers should wear closed-toe shoes and long pants and bring a hat, raingear, snacks and water. Loppers and gloves are provided. No advance registration is required. Meet at Kilauea Visitor Center.
      Fountain grass removal takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Ocean View. For more information and to register, contact David Benitez at 808-985-6085 or david_benitez@nps.gov.

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park offers an open house in conjunction with National Park Public Lands Day on Saturday. KMC invites the public to experience how the camp serves our troops by enjoying all facilities and services. Call 967-8371 for more information.

KA`U HIGH GIRLS junior varsity and varsity volleyball teams fell to the Kamehameha Warriors Wednesday, at Ka`u High School gym. Junior varsity scores were 25-7 and 25-23. Varsity scores were 25-23, 25-18 and 25-18. Toni Beck led the Trojans with 16 kills, and Kamalani Fujikawa had five kills. Ka`u High girls volleyball hosts the Kohala Cowgirls on Saturday, at 10 a.m. 

UPCOMING KA`U HIGH SPORTS: On Saturday, Ka`u bowling attends the BIIF Individual Bowl at Hilo lanes at 8 a.m., Cross Country races at HPA at 12 p.m., Air Riflery shoots at Kamehameha at 10 a.m. and Ka`u eight-man football plays Kamehameha junior varsity in Kea`au at 2 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.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES

Ksa`u News Briefs, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2013

Are ranching, coffee and food farming a better economic use of Ka`u lands targeted by AKP for biofuel crops? asks residents writing into the PUC. Photo by Julia Neal

THE `AINA KOA PONO ISSUE is receiving more public testimony from Ka`u, which is posted on the Public Utilities Commission online docket. The proposal, which would involve constructing a refinery off Wood Valley Road and harvesting trees, brushes and grasses between Pahala and Na`alehu to burn in a microwave facility, is opposed by Hawai`i County. The county has asked the PUC to hold evidentiary hearings unless it turns down the proposal for a 20-year contract for Hawai`i Electric Light Co. and Hawaiian Electric to buy biofuel from AKP to use in power plants.
      Yesterday, the PUC posted a letter from Dr. Linda-Jane Irwin, a physician living in Volcano. She said she is concerned about the proposed transportation plan for biofuel that would be made at the refinery and trucked up to a power plant in Kona. “One issue that I have not heard answers to is that of their fuel and supply trucks traveling on our two-lane roads, the only means of transportation for almost everyone on the island. I have heard of the possibility of their taking both the southern route through Kona or of course the only other route through Hilo and possibly the newer Saddle Road. I suspect the southern route makes more sense, even though it is two lanes over heavily traveled mountain roads, which will not only be a regular traffic nightmare but also very hard on the roads. I also worry that the resulting road rage could result in terrible accidents as people try to pass.” She stated that she has “heard that fuel trucks will go every two hours or so.”

Horses for cattle ranching are part of the economic and cultural
landscape of Ka`u. Photo by Julia Neal

      The physician also asked about hauling additives and other supplies to the refinery. “Will the supply trucks come from Hilo?”
      Irwin also stated that she suspects “that most people living outside of Pahala do not understand the tremendous impact this venture would have on our citizens as they try to get wherever they are going.”
     Dorothy Kalua, of Pahala, said she has “questions about using a microwave catalytic polymerization process which has never been used commercially before and ask you to find out what could be the effects on our land, our air and our water?
       “I also question why AKP keeps arguing that Ka`u needs AKP for economic development? Does AKP think these lands are not currently being used productively for agriculture? Even ranching with its lower per-acre value is thriving. Any land that is put up for lease for coffee, macadamia, vegetables, flowers or ranching is snapped up?”
      She asks the PUC to find out “if coffee, tea, macadamia and other food crops and ranching are worth more to the economy than taking over ranch and prospective lands to clear trees and brush and try to grow grass for a refinery to make fuel for another part of the island?”
     Kalua asks, “What happens to those people currently using the land productively when they are thrown out by AKP?
     “Is it wiser for people of Ka`u to continue to grow their post sugar economy slowly and surely and lead the lifestyle they value, rather than risking the possibility of becoming hired hands of AKP?” asks Kalua. Kalua grew up in Pahala, moved away and worked for Aloha Airlines in accounting for more than 40 years and returned home to retire.
      This and other testimony is available at puc.hawaii.gov. Docket number is 2012-0185.
      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

SHE GROWS FOOD, an online Hawai`i journal of women in agriculture, has published a new essay by Kuahiwi rancher Michelle Galimba, who also represents Ka`u on the state Board of Agriculture. On shegrowsfood.com, Galimba writes that what keeps her going day after day “is culture. Not the kind of culture that you go to museums and theaters to experience, nor even the kind of culture that distinguishes the way of life of an Italian, or a Thai, or an American. What interests me is the culture - the values and beliefs - that structure the relationship between us human people” and non-humans, she states, referring to the living beings that become food for people. 

Michelle and Ua Galimba represent Ka`u ranching at Plantation Days.
Photo by Julia Neal

      “What interests me is the intelligence that is embedded in the food that I produce. A lot of us are interested in knowing where our food comes from, in knowing the story of the food that we are eating: who raised it and where, and what were the methods used. And that is exactly the story of the intelligence that went into the making of that food, the culture, the values, the relationships that were cultivated and shaped between human, plant, animal, soil, air and water.”
     Galimba writes that she hopes “that in the future more people will be interested in actually be involved in, rather than just knowing about, the intelligence that makes food. Despite what we might tell ourselves about the absolute dominance of human will and technology, it takes more than human intelligence to make food, it takes partnerships with the non-human realm....
     “If we treat cows like dumb eating and meat or milk-making machines, we miss out on their capacity to restore soils that have been deleted by monoculture cropping, to eat forages that humans can't digest; we miss out on that species multi-million year relationship with the grasses. If we treat plants like dumb solar-energy-converting, calorie-making mechanisms (which is miracle enough) we miss out on their ability to process waste materials, to build soil, to create microclimates, to form the complex web of relationships that they can form with microbial, animal, and other plant species.”
      See more at shegrowsfood.com.
      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Pam Mizuno, of Wood Valley, with
her show dog.

WOOD VALLEY RESIDENT PAM MIZUNO is planning a big birthday bash for a 350-pound celebrity. His name is Namaste, and he is among the residents of Mizuno’s working place, where she is manager at Panaewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens. Ka`u residents are invited to the Bengal tiger Namaste’s fifteenth birthday to be held at the zoo this Saturday. The tiger has lived there since he was eight months old.
     Mizuno makes more than an hour drive to Panaewa several times a week from the farm she shares with her husband Ray Mizuno in Wood Valley. Coming from Wood Valley makes caring for plants and animals natural for the administrator of Panaewa Zoo. She also trains and shows canines on- and off-island, including border terriers and labradors.
      Mizuno invites the Ka`u community to join in the tiger’s birthday celebration this Saturday starting at 9:30 a.m., when Namaste receives a birthday cake made of cattle bones frozen in a block of ice. His catnip pillow will be provided to him at 10 a.m. Hawai`i County Band plays from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Those who attend can enjoy free cake and ice crème from noon to 1 p.m. while the PUKA `Ukulele Band entertains, followed by Energy & Motion Dance Company, followed by the Petting Zoo from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Carousel of Aloha will demonstrate the carving of wooden animals. There will be face painting and keiki games.The tiger’s birthday dinner comes at 3:30 p.m.

     Also on full display this month has been the giant corpse plant, called Stinky 2. The Amorphophallus titanium species is the world’s largest unbranched cluster of flowers and originates in western Sumatra. Zoo officials say the blossoming is complete, and the terrible smell is no longer wafting through the Panaewa Rain Forest Zoo. The zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, except Christmas and News Year's days. Tiger feeding is daily at 3:30 p.m. The location is 800 Stainback Highway, Hilo.
      Call 959-9233 for more information.
      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Ka`u residents are invited by Wood Valley resident Pam Mizuno to
Panaewa Zoo this Saturday for the fifteenth birthday party for
Namaste, the 350-pound Bengal tiger. Photo from Panaewa Zoo

WATER USER AGREEMENT is on the agenda when Ha`ao Springs and Mountain House Ag Water Co-op meets today at 4 p.m. at Wai`ohinu Park. For more information, email katywhite@hawaiiantel.net.

PAHALA PUBLIC & SCHOOL LIBRARY invites the public to learn more about its resources Friday at 11 a.m. Learn how to search the library’s catalog, check library accounts, request books and use  many free electronic resources Hawai`i State Public Library System has to offer. Computer basics or prior knowledge of mouse and keyboard use is required. The library has numerous computers for public and student use. To sign up, call 939-2442.

KAHUKU JUNIOR RANGER DAY IS SATURDAY from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and today is the deadline to register. Keiki of all ages join park rangers for a day of activities to take a closer look at the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Free lunch is provided. Call 985-6019.

Volunteer Marilyn Nicholson helps eliminate invasive Himalayan
ginger near Halema`uma`u Trail. Photo from NPS

NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY is Saturday. Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park honors the day by waiving entrance fees. The park encourages the public to volunteer by removing invasive Himalayan ginger in the park or fountain grass in Ocean View.

     Volunteers can join Paul and Jane Field in removing invasive Himalayan ginger during Stewardship at the Summit from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The invasive species displaces and replaces the native rainforest understory, making it impossible for many native plants to grow, including pa`iniu (a Hawaiian lily), `ama`u fern and others. Volunteers should wear closed-toe shoes and long pants and bring a hat, raingear, snacks and water. Loppers and gloves are provided. No advance registration is required. Meet at Kilauea Visitor Center.

Volunteers can help remove fountain grass, dominating this lava
landscape in Ka`u. Photo from NPS

     Fountain grass removal takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Ocean View. The grass is especially problematic in leeward areas on Hawai`i Island, such as Ocean View, because it increases the risk of wildfire. Volunteers will work with Ocean View Community Association, Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and park ecologist David Benitez. Bring lunch, water, hat and sunscreen. The first 30 volunteers get a free pass to return another day and enjoy the park at their leisure. For more information and to register, contact David Benitez at 808-985-6085 or david_benitez@nps.gov.

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park offers an open house in conjunction with National Park Public Lands Day. KMC invites the public to experience how the camp serves our troops by enjoying all facilities and services. Call 967-8371 for more information.

KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK offers free, guided hikes this weekend. On Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., participants bring lunch and learn about the vital role of `ohi`a lehua in native Hawaiian forests, the many forms of the `ohi`a lehua tree and its flower. Palm Trail Hike takes place Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This relatively easy, guided, 2.6-mile loop crosses scenic pasture along an ancient cinder cone with some of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer.

      For more information, call 985-6011 or see nps.gov/havo.

UPCOMING KA`U HIGH SPORTS this week: today Ka`u bowling team meets the Hilo Vikings at Hilo Lanes at 1 p.m. and girls volleyball hosts Kamehameha at 6 p.m. On Saturday, Sept. 28, Ka`u bowling attends the BIIF Individual Bowl at Hilo lanes at 8 a.m., Cross Country races at HPA at 12 p.m., Air Riflery shoots at Kamehameha at 10 a.m., and Ka`u girls volleyball hosts Kohala at 10 a.m. Ka`u eight-man football plays Kamehameha junior varsity in Kea`au at 2 p.m. this Saturday.

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.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES

Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2013

Keiki of all ages are invited to sign up for Kahuku Junior Ranger Day, set for this Saturday. Photo by David Boyle

THE MONSANTO PROTECTION ACT, which was folded last week into the U.S. House of Representatives continuing resolution for funding the federal government, is the subject of a mass email this morning by Ka`u’s congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. She called the inclusion of the measure to protect Monsanto’s GMO practices “sneaking,” but called it “a setback, but it isn’t a defeat. We still have a chance to stop it. In the coming days, the Senate will vote on this critical fiscal bill with its unwanted tag-along. If they act, they’ll be able to stop big agricultural and biotech corporations from putting untested and potentially unsafe engineered foods on our plates,” stated Gabbard. She also sent a mass email to a petition, writing: “Will you join me and call on the Senate to remove the Monsanto Protection Act? Click here to sign.” 

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS were the topic of another long County Council meeting yesterday, with experts on both sides of the issue putting forth their arguments. Ka`u’s County Council member Brenda Ford earlier submitted a bill that would ban all GMO crops on the island, giving farmers 30 months to switch over. She said, however, her bill is dead, leaving Council member Margaret Wille’s bill in play to exempt GMO papayas. Yesterday’s meeting lasted eight hours.
     Supporters of GMO papayas from Calavo Growers claimed that Ford has a conflict of interest in voting on the issue since she and her husband farm a quarter-acre of non-GMO papayas in South Kona. According to a story in this morning’s Hawai`i Tribune-Herald, “Ford, who had made note of her papaya trees during a previous Council meeting, disagreed. ‘I don’t see it as a conflict of interest,” she said.

Kaua`i Councilman Gary Hooser drafted
anti-GMO legislation for his county.

     “While acknowledging she has a personal stake in keeping her papaya from being cross-pollinated with modified types, Ford said that wasn’t the only reason for introducing it. ‘Nobody else wants their crops to be contaminated either,’ she said.”
      Famed Hawaiian activist Walter Ritte, from Moloka`i, and Kaua`i County Councilman Gary Hooser, who drafted anti-GMO legislation for Kaua`i, claimed that GMO seed farms and their use of chemicals on their islands lead to health problems. Hooser, who was formerly a state senator and formerly the head of the state Office of Environmental Quality Control, told the Hawai`i County Council that GMO “is out of control, quite frankly,” Tom Callis reported in the Hawai`i Tribune-Herald.
      The Tribune-Herald also reported on testimony from Dennis Gonsalves, who developed the transgenic papaya after fungus and a virus repeatedly destroyed papaya farms. Gonsalves told the Council that no one was worried about the virus, which infected papaya at a higher level than found in today’s GMO papaya.
      Anti-GMO testifier Jeffrey Smith talked via Skype from Arizona. Author of Seeds of Deception and working with the Institute for Responsible Technology, he told the Council that the federal government is failing to limit GMO impacts on food, the Tribune-Herald story reported. He called scientific claims by the GMO industry “tobacco science.”
     The topic comes up again at the County Council on Tuesday, Oct. 1.
      See more at hawaiitribune-herald.com.
      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie

THE STATE OF HAWAI`I PLANS TO PUT FORTH standards and guidelines for seed/diversified agriculture companies to voluntarily comply with certain health and safety requests of the community, according to Gov. Neil Abercrombie. He said the guidelines will include disclosure of aggregated usage of restricted use pesticides and implementation of a setback from schools and hospitals. 

      “In January, (when the state Legislature reconvenes), we can look into codifying law regarding disclosure and setback requirements in the context of protection of public health and safety,” Abercrombie said. Until then, compliance by farmers to temporary standards will be on a voluntary basis.
      The governor also stated that he would work with the Legislature to restore positions within and seek additional funding for the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health’s Environmental Health Administration, particularly for the neighbor islands, to address pesticide compliance and conduct inspections regarding pesticide contamination, and ensure that inspections are conducted in a timely manner.

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.  

PHONE AND SOME INTERNET OUTAGES in Ka`u yesterday were caused by a tree damaging a fiber optic line in a remote place off Hwy 190 in North Kohala, where a crew hiked to make repairs. The problem led to approximately 20 hours of outage for land phone lines, as well as Hawaiian Telcom Internet services. Bank of Hawai`i in Pahala was unable to connect with main computers most of Monday morning. Police officers were stationed at schools in case of emergencies. Stores needing phone lines for credit cards found them unusable. 911 was out of service, leading to people going directly to the police station and emergency room and even to police officers’ homes in Ka`u.

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Hawai`i Island had an 85 percent increase in its Mexican population from
2000 to 2011. Map from migrationpolicy.org

MEXICANS, WHO ARE PROMINENT in the local coffee industry, picking coffee from Kona into Ka`u and taking over some farms abandoned on Kamehameha Schools lands, may receive a new line of help. Juan Manuel Calderon, Mexico’s deputy director general for Counselor Affairs, said his government would like to see a consulate established for the country of Mexico in Hawai`i. 

      The suggestion comes in tandem with a new report by the Migration Policy Institute and University of Hawa`i, called Newcomers to the Aloha State: Challenges and Prospects for Mexicans in Hawai`i. It estimates 40,000 Mexicans living in Hawai`i. The report finds that Mexicans are “unfairly targeted by local police and federal agents in Hawai`i,” according to a story in Civil Beat yesterday.
      The story by Nathan Eagle reports supporters of the consulate saying: The office would help increase the visibility of Mexicans in Hawai`i, improve access to services and foster entrepreneurial ties.”
      According to the report, “The state government of Hawai`i needs to recognize that Mexicans form a steadily growing and stable community. To address the community’s sense of marginalization, the state needs to restore the trust that has been negatively impacted by the local-federal cooperation in enforcing immigration law.” 

      See more at civilbeat.com.
      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

POLICE ARE SEARCHING FOR ROSA FONSECA, a missing 17-year-old girl from Volcano. Fonseca was last seen July 21 in Volcano. She is Caucasian, four-foot-eleven-inches tall, 110 pounds with brown eyes and long, brown hair. 

      Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call the police non-emergency line at 935-3311. Those who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300.

PARTICIPANTS CAN LEARN LAUHALA WEAVING tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the lanai of Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Amy Ka`awaloa and Malia Macabio teach the art, from gathering the material to preparation and the final product. Free; park entrance fees apply.

DEVELOPMENT OF A WATER USER AGREEMENT is on the agenda when Ha`ao Springs and Mountain House Ag Water Co-op meets tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Wai`ohinu Park.
      For more information, email katywhite@hawaiiantel.net.

Pahala Public & School Library's final Computer Basics class takes
place Friday at 11 a.m.

PAHALA PUBLIC & SCHOOL LIBRARY presents an overview of available resources Friday at 11 a.m. Participants learn about searching the library’s catalog, checking their library accounts, requesting books and about some of the many other free electronic resources Hawai`i State Public Library System has to offer. Computer basics or prior knowledge of mouse and keyboard use is required. To sign up, call 939-2442 at least 48 hours before class. 

KAHUKU JUNIOR RANGER DAY IS SATURDAY from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and today is the deadline to register. Keiki of all ages join park rangers for a day of activities to take a closer look at the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Free lunch is provided. Call 985-6019.

UPCOMING KA`U HIGH SPORTS this week: tomorrow, Sept. 25, Ka`u bowling team meets the Hilo Vikings at Hilo Lanes at 1 p.m. and girls volleyball hosts Kamehameha at 6 p.m. On Saturday, Sept. 28, Ka`u bowling attends the BIIF Individual Bowl at Hilo lanes at 8 a.m., Cross Country races at HPA at 12 p.m., Air Riflery shoots at Kamehameha at 10 a.m., and Ka`u girls volleyball hosts Kohala at 10 a.m. Ka`u eight-man football plays Kamehameha junior varsity in Kea`au at 2 p.m. this Saturday.

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.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES