Ka`u News Briefs Friday, Feb. 28, 2014

Volcano Art Center Gallery hosts an exhibit of John Mydock's wood-turning art beginning tomorrow. Photo from VAC

FOLLOWING A HAWAI`I FISHING ASSOCIATION petition filed last year, the state of Alaska has filed one to remove North Pacific humpback whales that feed off Alaska’s Arctic Coast and breed in Hawaiian waters from protections granted under the federal Endangered Species Act. Petitioners say the whales are thriving and no longer need the protection, reports Zaz Hollander in Anchorage Daily News. Hollander describes the Alaskan waters where the whales feed as “a prospective oil-rich region.”
      Hollander reports Alaska officials saying that, given the recovery of humpbacks, the law represents an unnecessary regulatory burden on industries like oil and gas and fishing.

Humpback whales feed in Alaska before migrating to Hawai`i and elsewhere to breed.
Photo from afsc.noaa.gov

      “We’re just trying to say the threat of extinction for this subpopulation is gone,” said Doug Vincent-Lang, director of the state Division of Wildlife Conservation.
      Alaska’s petition declares the whales a distinct population, which could lead to removal of protection for that population while others remain on the Endangered Species List.
      Since being listed as endangered in 1970, the whale population in the North Pacific has rebounded from an estimated 1,400 in 1996 to an estimated 20,000 today.

      If delisted, other protections, including the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which protects humpbacks from harassment and hunting, would remain in place.
      Opponents of reduced federal protection say the North Pacific’s whales still face too many threats, including fatal boat collisions, fishing gear entanglement and changing ocean chemistry.
      According to Hollander, Rebecca Noblin, Alaska director for the Center for Biological Diversity, said the numbers of whales appear to be growing, which is a sign of success from the Endangered Species Act. “But we think that National Marine Fisheries Service should really take a careful look at the threats to these species before they jump to delisting,” Noblin said.
      See adn.com.

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RATHER THAN GROWING SEED CROPS, “We want food grown,” Mayor Billy Kenoi said regarding his decision in December to sign into law the bill banning new crops containing genetically modified organisms in Hawai`i County. In a West Hawai`i Today story, Erin Miller says Kenoi told attendees at a Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce’s luncheon that he opposes having “big agribusiness” grow seed crops here, as they are on Kaua`i.  

      More important, he said, was calming down the discussion and respecting the island’s farmers and ranchers, who can continue to grow the GMO products they already are growing.
      “If I had vetoed that legislation, we’d still be shouting and yelling about GMO today,” Kenoi said. “We needed to quiet the yelling and shouting. We need to talk about how we support our farmers and ranchers.”
      See westhawaiitoday.com.
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Coffee berry borers lay eggs in cherries and destroy contents.
Image from Big Island Video News

LEGISLATION THAT WOULD BATTLE the coffee berry borer has cleared a major hurdle as it was unanimously passed out of the House Committee on Finance. HB 1514 would appropriate $3 million to create and fund a research program in the Department of Agriculture and provide funds for education and outreach to farmers through the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at University of Hawai`i. The bill now moves to the House floor, where it is expected to pass third reading and cross over to the Senate. 

      “Funding to combat the coffee berry borer infestation is clearly critical,” said Hawai`i Island Rep. Nicole Lowen, “but we need to do more than throw money at the issue. If this bill passes, we will finally be getting direct assistance through a Department of Agriculture subsidy program and dedicated full-time employees through CTAHR to reach out to farmers and educate them on what to do.”
       Scott Enright, acting chair of Hawai`i Board of Agriculture, said, “Coordinated efforts between the industry and agricultural agencies are the only way that we will turn the tide against this devastating pest.”
      In recent years the coffee berry borer beetle has become a major threat to Hawai`i’s coffee industry, which is responsible for $30 million in revenue annually. While past efforts have provided much-needed funds to help mitigate the infestation, this bill goes a step further. In the past, the responsibility for implementing a mitigation program has fallen to the CBB task force members, who have been granted funds from the state through the lengthy procurement process.
      “The coffee berry borer task force has done their best, but, as a group of volunteers, they lack the time and expertise to implement a program on the scale needed to get the infestation under control. With the help of DOA and CTAHR, we can get a lot more done. With this bill, I think we have finally hit on a possible long-term solution,” Lowen said.
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Ka`u Chamber of Commerce raises scholarship
funds through The Directory.

SCHOLARSHIPS FROM THE KA`U CHAMBER OF COMMERCE are open to students and adults through funding from the recently released Ka`u Directory 2014. The Ken Wicks Ka`u Chamber of Commerce Scholarship is available not only to high school seniors, but also to adults seeking to re-enter the educational system.
      Applicants must write an essay about Ka`u and their future plans.
      Preference will be given to those who intend to remain in or return to Ka`u and live here. Scholarship money can be used for all college and vocational training and will range from $250 to $1,000. The deadline to apply is May 1, 2014. For more information and to download the application, see kauchamber.org/?page_id=4 or call Lee McIntosh at 929-9872.
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LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE TRAINING prerequisites will be explained at a meeting sponsored by Ka`u Rural Health Community Association, Inc. and the University of Hawai`i-Hilo & Hawai`i Community College Nursing and Allied Health Division. The LPN Program Pre-requisites Informational Meeting will be on Tuesday, Mar. 18 at 1 p.m. at Ka`u Resource and Distance Learning Center, 96-3126 Puahala Street in Pahala. Those interested in applying for the training must be at least 18 years of age. Call 928-0101 to reserve a spot at the meeting.
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A FAST TRACK CAREER and student workforce support program will be sponsored by Ka`u Rural Health Community Association, Inc. in partnership with Hawai`i Community College and DLIR Workforce Development Division. They will host an informational meeting about Individualized Career Achievement Network, called ICAN, which is designed to help students improve in reading, writing, math and computer skills in preparation for a new career in the areas of agriculture, energy and healthcare. This meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 18, at 9 a.m. at Ka`u Resource and Distance Learning Center, 96-3126 Puahala Street in Pahala. Call 928-0101 to register.
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MYDOCK: VISIONARY WOOD LATHE ART opens tomorrow at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, with a reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Award-winning wood lathe artist John Mydock displays his newest body of work, which represents his creative passion for turning and embellishing Hawaiian tropical hardwoods, through Sunday, March 30.

      Mydock moved to Hawai`i Island in 1998 from Florida, where he had been known primarily as an airbrush artist on motorcycles and antique automobiles. Seven years ago, Mydock began turning wooden vessels on a lathe. Since then, he has developed two signature styles of embellishing his vessels — pearlizing and pyrography. With pearlizing, Mydock has reinvented his automotive techniques of airbrushing transparent candy color, gold-leafing and pinstriping to create a glass-like finish on wooden vessels. With pyrography, or wood-burning, Mydock embeds many images within each individual piece. 

      Mydock said, “My artistic intent for this show is to offer respect for the `aina, for the majesty of our volcanoes and the many forms that Creation takes on our islands. My morphing pyrography depicts reef and ocean creatures, birds, petroglyphs, flowers and fauna. My pearlized pieces are representative of the many moods of the volcano and the ocean.”
      Mydock also demonstrates his pyrography techniques from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 8 on the gallery porch. Volcano Art Center Gallery is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and has represented the artists of Hawai`i since 1974. Park entrance fees apply.
      For more information, call at 967-7565 or volcanoartcenter.org.

OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP. meets today at 5 p.m. at Hawaiian Ranchos office.

PANCAKE SUPPER is today at 6 p.m. at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Ocean View. Call 939-7000 for more information.

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

Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014

Miss Ka`u Coffee Peaberry candidates practice with current title holder (front) Rebecca Kailiawa at the Old Palhala Clubhouse. The
Peaberryand Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant are Sunday, May 4 at Ka`u Coffee Mill. Photo by Nalani Parlin

Anne Lee, of Volcano, chairs the county
Environmental Management Commission.

WASTE TO ENERGY is the plan of the county, the County Council and its Environmental Management Commission. Volcano resident Anne Lee, who chairs the commission and has been serving on the commission since 2011, said this morning, “We definitely need a plan and we need to solve the problem.”
      Lee said that the landfill problem on this island “is one of the most critical issues facing the County of Hawai`i. It’s one of the biggest projects the county and the council will have to take on and make a decision.”
     Mayor Billy Kenoi presented his plan to the County Council on Feb. 4, explaining that with Hilo landfill expected to fill up within five years, he wants the waste-to energy plant operating in Hilo by the end of his four-year term in 2016. He also said that he wants the contractor to be an entity with experience and technology that has been operating successfully somewhere for at least three years. The mayor said that he hopes the waste to energy plant can be privately financed.
    The process to find a contractor to build a waste-to-energy plant starts this coming Monday with the county expected to soon send out public queries in order to qualify applicants.
     “It is a very bold timeline and I am glad that we have one,” Lee said. She said the advisory commission “is here to serve the county and County Council with whatever help they need.”
     Lee said the commission has been visiting county landfills, sewage treatment operations and other sites dealing with waste. Lee’s position is to chair the commission and to represent District 6, which is the same geographical district served by County Council member Brenda Ford. Other local issues concerning the county Environmental Management department and commission are the proposed locations of two sewage treatment plants, one for Na`alehu and one for Pahala.
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EMERGENCY EVACUATION ROUTES in Volcano will be discussed this Sunday, March 2 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.. at Volcano Art Center. Interaction is planned with the Community Development Plan Subcommittee on Connectivity and Emergency Response and County Council member Brenda Ford. There will be an update on the status of community suggestions for Emergency Evacuation Routes, participating in mapping activity to provide the Volcano area community suggestions for Emergency routes. For more information, contact Ford at 961-8027.

Scott Eright is chief of the state Department of Agriculture
and will speak to the annual Ka`u Farm Bureau meeting March 14.

STATE AGRICULTURE CHIEF Scott Enright and county Prosecuting Attorney Mitch Roth will headline the annual meeting of the Ka`u Farm Bureau on Friday, March 14 at Pahala Community Center, 6 p.m. Farmers, ranchers, and the public with interest in Ka`u’s agricultural future are invited to attend. Membership in the Farm Bureau is not required. The meeting is a potluck event.
     Enright, of Hilo, was recently named by Gov. Neil Abercrombie to chair the state Board of Agriculture and administer the state Department of Agriculture after the departure of Volcano resident and former state Senator Russell Kokubun. Enright was the subject of confirmation hearings in the state Senate today.
      Enright has been one of the liaisons between Ka`u farmers and ranchers, landowners and the state in the effort to restore old sugar plantation water systems. The state Department of Agriculture is also involved in fighting the coffee berry borer and weighing in on proposed legislation at the state capitol and such issues as the distribution of agricultural water, labeling of coffee and ownership of the Ka`u Coffee name.
     As the elected Hawai`i County Prosecuting Attorney, Mitch Roth is involved with attempting to reduce agricultural theft in Ka`u, which has affected both coffee and macadamia farmers with portions of harvests being stolen from both farms and homes. He has held neighborhood watch training and met with Ka`u Coffee farmers several times to talk about  relations with the police department and prosecutors office.

County Prosecuting Attorney Mitch Roth will talk
about ag theft at the annual Farm Bureau meeting.
Photo by Chuck Green

     Chris Manfredi, Ka`u Farm Bureau President for 2012-2013, said that the meeting will also include election of officers for the rest of the 2014 term, which ends on Aug. 31. Other 2012-2013 officers are vice-president Phil Becker, Secretary Brenda Iokepa-Moses and Treasurer Lorie Obra. Manfredi said that those eligible to vote for Ka`u Farm Bureau officers and board members must have been in good standing as members of the Ka`u Farm Bureau as of Sept. 1, 2013.
     According to Manfredi, those who want to join the Ka`u Farm Bureau in March can pay prorated dues of $50 to cover membership through August. Full membership for Sept. 1, 2014 through Aug. 31, 2015 is $95. A Friend of Farmers membership is available for an annual $65 rate. For more information, call Manfredi at 929-9550.
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COFFEE THEFT IN NA`ALEHU is the target of investigation by police who are asking for the public’s help in identifying suspects. On Feb. 11 at about 4:06 p.m., police received a call from a 53-year-old Na`alehu resident reporting that unknown suspects had removed ten 80-pound brown burlap bags of coffee parchment, a 10-foot-by-10-foot instant gazebo and an electric garage door opener from the property. The bags are marked with “14-2” in black ink. The value of the stolen items is $10,000, the theft victim told police.
     Kaʻu patrol officers are continuing the investigation, which is classified as a second-degree theft. Police ask anyone with information on this incident or anyone who may know the identities of the suspects to call Officer Augustine Akiu at 939-2520.
     Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.
     Ka`u Coffee Growers Cooperative President Gloria Camba said that coffee has been stolen recently at farms and at least two homes in Na`alehu. She said that in addition to coffee, thieves have made off with equipment and building supplies from farms. She said the macadamia nut industry has also been hit with bags of mac nuts stolen from the fields.
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SUPPORT FOR THE REAPPOINTMENT of Mina Morita to the Public Utilities Commission has come from the Big Island Coalition. Her term ends this summer and various media reports state that her rejection of the `Aina Koa Pono contract for Ka`u could be one reason the governor may not reappoint her.

PUC Chair Mina Morita Photo by Julia Neal

      Writing for Big Island Coalition, which joined Hawai`i County in opposing the AKP plan to build a refinery on the edge of Wood Valley and to sign a 20-year contract with the electric company that would raise electric rates, Bill Walter wrote:
     “The Big Island Community Coalition, an organization of Big Island Business and Community leaders cooperating to bring the cost of electricity on the island down, has reached out to the Governor to re-appoint Mina to the PUC. We know that the PUC has taken steps recently, under Ms. Mina's leadership, to resist actions that would have raised our electric rates for years to come.
     “Specifically the Commission twice turned down `Aina Koa Pono's proposed contract with HELCO. This contract was presented with no small amount of political pressure to reduce dependence on foreign oils - but did so at an enormous cost to rate payers on this island and O`ahu.
     “Politicians and the State Consumer Advocate backed the contract even though the cost to consumers was well out of line with alternatives. With strong leadership provided by Ms. Mina, the Commission studied the proposal and rejected it. This tough-minded attention to the interests of rate payers is often lacking. We need to keep it when we see it.”
    During Sen. Russell Ruderman’s meeting in Pahala this week, several attendees urged the senator to garner support for Morita. Ruderman said he supports her reappointment and that she shouldn’t be punished for turning down AKP. Among those who asked Ruderman to support Morita was local police commissioner Bobby Gomes, who earlier testified against AKP at various community meetings.
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FIVE CANDIDATES are in preparations for the Miss Ka`u Peaberry Pageant to be held in tandem with the Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant on Sunday, May 4 at 6:30 p.m. at Ka`u Coffee Mill.

Christina-Nicole Kawewehi

Calaysa Koi Photos by Nalani Parlin

 Cristina-Nicole Kawewehi, age 9, is daughter of Angelica Kawewehi and Bill Lorenzo, of Pāhala. She is in third grade at Pāhala Elementary School. “When I grow up I want to be a teacher,” said Kawewehi. She enjoys dancing, singing and swimming. Her siblings are Keana and Zachary Kuluwaimaka. She plans to do a Zumba dance for her talent.
      Calaysa Koi, age 9, is daughter of Cory and Connie Koi, of Pāhala. She is sister to Callen and Casey Koi. Her pet family includes a dog, cat, bird and guinea pig. She is a fourth-grader at Pāhala Elementary. She enjoys playing and videos. “When I grow up I want to be a star in Hollywood,” said Koi. Her talent is singing.

Chazlynn Pua-Queja

Madison Okimoto

     Madison Okimoto, age 8, is daughter of Malcolm and Sheilah, of Waiʻōhinu. She has three sisters, Sydnie, Siena and Melia, a former Kaʻū Peaberry first princess, and three dogs. She is a third-grader at Nāʻālehu Elementary School. “I aspire to become a doctor or geologist,” said Okimoto. She enjoys baking with her Easy-Bake Oven, swimming, playing baseball, playing with her dog, riding her ripstick and barbecuing with her family. Her talent will be hip-hop dancing.
      Chazlynn Marie Kapualokelaniokuʻuleinani Pua-Queja, age 7, is daughter of Jerilynn Pua and Chad Queja, of Pāhala. She is in second grade at Pāhala Elementary School. She has one brother, Preston, and two sisters, Zeishalynn and Jaymelynn. She is still considering the many possibilities of what she could be when she grows up. Her talent is hula.

Shania Silva

      Shania Lee Napuamaeloʻiʻokewe Silva, age 8, is daughter of Wendylee Napoleon and Michael Silva, of Pāhala. She is in the third grade at Pāhala Elementary. She has seven brothers and sisters. “I want to apply for scholarships for becoming an E.R. doctor,” she said. She enjoys playing T-ball and Coach Pitch baseball. Her talent is hip-hop dancing.
      Each contestant is also competing for Miss Popularity. To support candidates, Kaʻū residents can buy donation tickets for one dollar and become a friend of the pageant. Donations go to support of candidates and toward scholarships and sustaining future pageants.
      Anyone wanting to support the candidates can contact them directly to provide sponsorship or donations. Anyone wanting to donate flowers for decorations, other supplies, time or help is asked to contact Pageant Director Nālani Parlin at 217-6893 or Pageant Chair Gloria Camba at 928-8558. Anyone wanting to donate scholarship money can contact Scholarship Chair Julia Neal at 928-9811.
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OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP. meets Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center.

PANCAKE SUPPER is this Friday, Feb. 28, 6 p.m. at St. Jude's Church in Ocean View. Call 939-7000 for more information.

 

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014

Candidates for Miss Ka`u Coffee and Miss Peaberry learned about growing and picking coffee at Lorie Obra's farm in Moa`ula.
Photo by Nalani Parlin

HAVING RECENTLY MET WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA and other state governors on a variety of issues including climate change, Gov. Neil Abercrombie is asking for ideas from Hawai`i residents on how the federal government can better support state and other local efforts in climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience.
      In Nov. 2013, Abercrombie was one of 26 members appointed to the President’s Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience. Members have been asked to develop recommendations in the areas of Disaster Management, Built Systems (water, transportation, energy, facilities and coastal infrastructure), Natural Resources & Agriculture, and Community Development & Health.

Gov. Abercrombie, right, in Washington as a member
of the President's climate change task force.

      The public is invited to provide input through an online form at http://governor.hawaii.gov/climate-change-task-force-survey/. Since the Task Force is on an expedited timeline, the first round of input must be received by Monday, March 10. The form is also accessible from the governor’s homepage, http://governor.hawaii.gov, by clicking on “Your Input on Climate Change” under “Useful Links.”
      “This is a tremendous opportunity to share Hawai`i’s unique needs, challenges and innovative solutions, while advising federal officials on what kind of support is needed and what would be most effective here in the islands,” Abercrombie said. “Members of the President’s task force from every part of the country agree this is the challenge of our time and we must work together to prepare for and mitigate impacts.”
    Another opportunity to share recommendations and discuss next steps for addressing climate change in Hawai`i will be the governor’s second Resilient Hawai`i Forum, a free and open session being held during the Pacific Risk Management `Ohana conference on March 12 at 6 p.m. at Hawai`i Convention Center. The governor is convening the forums this year to engage stakeholders – Native Hawaiian organizations, natural resource managers, the military, tourism officials, agricultural representatives, researchers and government at all levels – to create a climate change roadmap for Hawai`i. For more information on the PRiMO conference, see http://collaborate.csc.noaa.gov/PRiMO/

Pages/index.aspx.
      Navigating Change, Hawai`i’s Approach to Adaptation, a report presented by Abercrombie at the first meeting of the President’s Task Force for Climate Preparedness and Resilience in Dec. 2013, is available at http://governor.hawaii.gov/blog/navigating-climate-change/.
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Wiliwili tree decline and recovery will be studied by unmanned drones.
Photo from nativehawaiiangarden.org

RESEARCHERS AT UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI`I-HILO plan to use of an unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, to study wiliwili trees on Hawai`i Island.

     Hawai`i Tribune-Herald reports that the Federal Aviation Administration has granted a Certificate of Authorization for the project, allowing researchers to assist the state Department of Land and Natural Resources collect and analyze data. Ray Bédard, specialist faculty at UH-Hilo, told reporter Megan Moseley the approval is “a step forward for the university that’s looking to expand UAV-related research for the purpose of data analysis.
     Bédard said a COA is granted to a specific machine, for a specific time, airspace, and for specific people. According to the story, UH-Hilo is the first in the state to receive a COA.
      Hawai`i was recently named to participate in testing of UAVs for the purpose of creating safety regulations for their use in airspace. See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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SEN. RUSSELL RUDERMAN reviewed his efforts to pass bills this week at a Pahala meeting open to the public. The east Ka`u and Pahala state senator listed his legislative priorities for the 2014 Hawai`i Legislature involving food security and local foods.
     Ruderman sponsored a bill that would allow people to make value added agricultural products at home. He also sponsored a bill to make it easier for people to buy raw milk. Another would increase agriculture education in the schools. A bill would support more ag innovation and another would encourage on-farm mentoring. See more on his meeting in tomorrow’s Ka`u News Briefs.
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Humpback whales breed, calve and nurse in Hawai`i.
Photo from NOAA

WHALE COUNT NUMBERS are in from last week’s volunteer event when approximately 900 people gathered data from Hawai`i’s shores from Ka`u to Hanalei. The annual Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Ocean Count is a shore-based census that provides snapshot data on humpback whales. Participants tally humpback whale sightings and document the animals’ surface behavior during the survey.
      Volunteers collected data from 58 sites statewide. A total of 297 whales were seen during the 9:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. time period, the most of any time period throughout the day.
      In Ka`u, volunteers gathered at Ka Lae and Punalu`u. They also met at Ka`ena Point in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. At Ka Lae, volunteers saw 17 adults and two calves between 12 p.m. and 12:15 p.m.
      Preliminary data detailing whale sightings by site location is available at sanctuaryoceancount.org/resources.
      One more Sanctuary Ocean Count is scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 29. For information on becoming a volunteer, see hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov or sanctuaryoceancount.org, or call 808-268-3087.
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Shyann Flores-Carvalho

MISS KA`U COFFEE & MISS KA`U PEABERRY Pageant princesses and their details have been announced. The Pageant takes place Sunday, May 4 at 6:30 p.m. at Kaʻū Coffee Mill. A mahalo reception will be held at 6 p.m. for the service of reigning Miss Kaʻū Coffee Tiare-Lee Shibuya and Miss Kaʻū Peaberry Rebecca Kailiawa. The two queens will accept flowers, gifts and thanks before the show begins. Pageant candidates are selling pageant tickets for $10.
       Four candidates will compete for the title of Miss Kaʻū Coffee.

      Shyann “Makamae” Flores-Carvalho, age 16, is daughter of Helena Carvalho and Glen Hashimoto, and sister to Buddy Flores and Andre Carvalho. She lives in Pāhala and is a junior at Kaʻū High School. “I like playing basketball, riding horses and spending time with my family and friends,” said Flores-Carvalho. After she graduates from high school, she plans to study nursing. Her talent is Tahitian dance.
       Gloria Ornelas, age 16, is daughter of Osamea Ornelas and granddaughter of Memmy and Mario Ornelas. She has one brother, Carlos. She lives in Waiʻōhinu and is a sophomore at Kaʻū High. “I play volleyball for Kaʻū High. I love coaching T-ball, and I love to spend time with family," she said. Ornelas aspires to be a nurse or lawyer. Her talent is hula.

Gloria Ornelas

       Rachel Ornelas, age 20, is daughter of Osamea Ornelas and granddaughter to Memmy and Mario Ornelas and hails from Greensands in Waiʻōhinu. She works as a teacher with Tūtū & Me Traveling Preschool in Kaʻū and attends University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo in hopes of eventually becoming a registered nurse. “I want to represent my community and make a difference” by entering the pageant, she said. 

       Amery Silva, age 21, is daughter of Michael Silva and Wendylee Napoleon. She lives in Pāhala, is a member of Huala Halau ‘O Leionalani and works as retail associate at Kaʻū Coffee Mill. “I want to attend college to study business management,” Silva said. Her siblings are Kavelle, Kevey, Savannah, Cameron, Chisum, Shanialee and Wrangler. She said she is enjoying running in the pageant with her little sister Shania, who is a Miss Peaberry candidate. Her talent is hula and singing.
     Each contestant is also competing for Miss Popularity. To support candidates, Kaʻū residents can buy donation tickets for one dollar and become a friend of the pageant. Donations go to support of candidates and toward scholarships and sustaining future pageants.
       Anyone wanting to support the candidates can contact them directly to provide sponsorship or donations. Anyone wanting to donate flowers for decorations, other supplies, time or help is asked to contact Pageant Director Nālani Parlin at 217-6893 or Pageant Chair Gloria Camba at 928-8558. Anyone wanting to donate scholarship money can contact Scholarship Chair Julia Neal at 928-9811.

      The candidates recently started practice, which aims to instill confidence while learning poise and presentation skills with future application to work and school settings. The program also seeks to align itself with Hawaiʻi Department of Education Common Core speaking and listening standards and help students to become resourceful and self-directed learners.

Amery Silva

Rachel Ornelas

       The candidates also visited Lorie Obra’s coffee farm to experience picking coffee and learn more about the life cycle of the coffee tree, the life of a coffee farmer and the history of Kaʻū Coffee. 

    For descriptions and photos of the Miss Peaberry candidates, see tomorrow's Ka`u News Briefs.

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK has announced the following upcoming flight operations. 

      Thursday, Feb. 27, between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. over the Great Crack in the southwest rift zone of Kilauea to the coast near Keauhou within the national park. Park biologists will survey and control invasive fountain grass populations below the 2,000-foot elevation within a half-mile of Hilina Pali Road.
      Mondays and Fridays in March, between 8 a.m. and noon, March 3, 7, 17, 21, 24 and 28. Park staff will transport fencing material from the summit of Kilauea to an area near the top of Mauna Loa Road.
        Management of the park requires the use of aircraft to monitor and research volcanic activity, conduct search-and-rescue missions and law enforcement operations, support management of natural and cultural resources and to maintain backcountry facilities.
“The park regrets any noise impact to residents and park visitors. Dates and times are subject to change based on aircraft availability and weather,” says a statement from park officials.

OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP. meets Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center.

PANCAKE SUPPER is this Friday, Feb. 28, 6 p.m. at St. Jude's Church in Ocean View. Call 939-7000 for more information.