Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Friday, June 10, 2016

University of Hawai`i geology student Trista McKenzie works with a Hawai`i soil sample in her monitoring
of radiation levels. Photos from University of Hawai`i

CONTINUED MONITORING OF AIR, WATER AND SOIL for impacts from the March 11, 2011 nuclear power plant disaster following the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan show a level of safety, according to a recent report from University of Hawai`i, published in Nuclear News and on the University of Hawai`i website for news.

Trista McKenzie gathers a soil
sample for testing.

     On Hawai`i Island and O`ahu, geology students Hannah Azouz and Trista McKenzie assessed the extent to which soils and locally purchased fish have been impacted by radioactivity from this event.

Tests showed that Hawai`i fish have
low levels of radiation.

      All fish tested were significantly below intervention limits, and the highest cesium concentration in examined species was in ahi tuna. “These data are informative to the community, and they reassure me about the safety of the food we consume,” Azouz said. “The activities of the radionuclides were gratefully low. A person consuming the annual average amount of fish would receive the same dose of radioactivity as if they consumed one banana.”
      For soils, McKenzie found cesium inventories were not high compared to those found in forest soils found near Fukushima Power Plant, where levels were nearly 200 times higher.
      Their mentor Henrietta Dulai told Max Dible, of West Hawai`i Today, that “the conclusion is pretty much that all is safe. Tests are still ongoing, but we do not expect any significant levels at all.”
      See westhawaiitoday.com.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

King Kamehameha I
Image from Wikipedia

KAMEHAMEHA DAY IS TOMORROW. State and county government offices are closed today in observance of the state holiday.
      Established by royal decree on Dec. 22, 1871 by King Kamehameha V as a national holiday, Kamehameha Day honors the memory of Kamehameha, the king’s great grandfather, who united the Hawaiian Islands in 1810 and became Hawai`i’s first king.
      The day was first observed on June 11, 1872 and was one of the first holidays proclaimed by the state Legislature after Hawai`i became a U.S. state in 1959.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

EB-5 PROJECTS, through which foreign investors obtain Green Cards to live in the U.S., with the possibility of eventual citizenship, are coming to the Big Island in a big way. According to a story by Duane Shimogawa published by Pacific Business News this morning, a series of developments called the Villages of Aina Lea, to be built on more than 1,000 acres on the Kohala Coast, is funded through Chinese investors. It is an EB-5 project under Golden Pacific Ventures regional center, approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, PBN reports.
      According to PBN, Aina Lea, Inc. representatives “said during the next eight to 10 years it expects to work with luxury home builders to build and sell over $3 billion of homes. The Villages of Aina Lea is zoned for 1,945 luxury homes, 384 affordable townhomes, a golf course, walking trails and parks, as well as medical and commercial centers.”

      One $51 million project planned for the land is a 48-unit luxury condominium-hotel to be managed by a Hong Kong company called Mission Hills, which oversees hotels, condominiums, residential houses and golf courses worldwide.
      PBN reports that “Byron Burley, vice president of development and strategic sales for Juwai.com, an international real estate website for Chinese buyers” said, “Chinese investors will continue to invest in Hawai`i properties. ‘I think you’ve only seen a trickle of what will be coming,’ he said.”

      See bizjournals.com/pacific.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

BAY CLINIC’S TOBACCO CESSATION Program received $225,000 from Hawai`i Community Foundation’s Hawai`i Tobacco and Control Trust Fund.
      “The program is a great support system for people who want to start living a smoke-free lifestyle,” Bay Clinic CEO Harold Wallace said.
      Participants get comprehensive support through individual and group counseling sessions, pharmacotherapy options and other services to help them succeed.

      Bay Clinic urges its patients to discuss the program with their health care provider and those who are not patients to ask their provider for a referral.
      For more information, call coordinator Mealani Rahmer at 313-2765.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

BEGINNING ON JULY 1, all vessel registration transfers in the state of Hawai`i will require a notarized bill of sale to be presented to registering agency the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation. 

      Presently, DOBOR needs to match a vessel owner’s signature on record with the signature on a bill of sale in order to approve a vessel registration transfer. This method can be inaccurate since an individual’s official signature may change over time. It also puts a burden on the buyer if DOBOR staff cannot authenticate a signature on a bill of sale. If that should happen, the transfer request would be denied, and the buyer would have to go through the process of securing a notarized bill of sale.

Hawai`i boating administrator Ed Underwood
Photo from DLNR

      Often, the seller of a vessel will have changed residence or may have left the state and cannot be contacted, causing a lengthy delay in the transfer process.

      “This new requirement will help DLNR provide better customer service to boaters. It helps us promise for the vast majority of our customers that transfers won’t be declined or delayed,” DLNR Director Suzanne Case said.
      On average, between 2,200 and 2,600 transactions per year are registered annually in the state. Notarized bills of sale will not only reduce work for the vessel owners and DOBOR, but also allow for more secure vessel registration transfers.
      State boating administrator Ed Underwood said, “We are also concerned about preventing vessel theft through fraudulent bills of sale. It is rare for DOBOR to encounter forged signatures, but it has happened several times over the last few years.”
      A standardized bill of sale form is already available that includes a section for a notary’s signature. That form can be accessed at http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dobor/forms/.
      Even if a bill of sale is not executed using the official DOBOR form, it will still be accepted at the time of transfer, so long as the signature of the seller on the bill of sale is notarized.
      For further information, boaters may contact DOBOR Vessel Registration at 808-587-1970.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Emily Herb is one of several potters participating
in Volcano Pottery Sale. Photo by Fred Dean
from `Apapane Pottery

THE EIGHTH ANNUAL VOLCANO Pottery Sale takes place at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village today from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Artists include T.R. Andrews, Tim Freeman, Claire Seastone, Zoe Johnson, Marion Nipper, Peri Enkin, Shannon Hickey, Birgitta Frazier, Emily Herb, Chiu Leong, Laura Roberts, Lisa Louise Adams, Robert Troost and Suzanne Wang.

      There will be wheel-throwing demonstrations tomorrow.
      Bentos and sushi from Volcano Hanabi will be available today, and Thai food from Aunty Pon’s Café will be available tomorrow.

OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY CENTER holds a Stew Day Fundraiser tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
      Call 939-7033 for more information.

MONGOLIAN BBQ IS FEATURED tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Kilauea Military Camp’s Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
      KMC is open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply.

KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES National Park offers free programs this weekend.
      Tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., participants discover the Hawaiian goddesses Hi`iaka and Pele and the natural phenomena they represent on a moderate, one-mile walk.
      On Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., hikers on Pu`u Kahuku Trail explore realms and divisions of the traditional Hawaiian classification system.

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

See kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.html
and kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_June_2016.pdf.

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Thursday, June 9, 2016

A high school principal suggests methods rural schools such as Ka`u High and Pahala Elementary can try
to fight chronic absenteeism. Photo by Julia Neal

JOSEPH MANKO, A HIGH SCHOOL principal who serves as Principal Ambassador Fellow at the U.S. Department of Education, said inadequate housing, transportation, work schedules and improper health care are often reasons for chronic absenteeism in rural communities such as Ka`u. His conclusions were carried this morning on the U.S. Department of Education website.
     Chronic absenteeism is higher in Ka`u-Kea`au-Pahoa Complex Area schools than state and national averages. Kirsten Johnson, of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald, reported this morning that about 32 percent of the more than 7,100 students missed at least 15 days of school during the 2013-2014 school year. 

      Manko wrote that solving the problem requires “diligent, consistent and sometimes tedious work.” He suggested ways communities could combat chronic absenteeism:

Principal Joseph Manko fights chronic absenteeism.
Photo from Joseph Manko

      Make School a Desirable Place To Be. “You can’t underestimate the power of making school a positive place,” Manko said. “Schools that have strong, engaging teachers; that are connected to the community; and that offer a litany of before, after and during school activities often have higher attendance rates.”

      Create a Unified Front. “Attendance is a team sport,” he said. “It can’t just be delegated to the attendance monitor. As a principal, I need to know the daily attendance and to collaborate with teachers who are the first line of connection, to communicate with families.”
       Tend the Big Data Clean-Up. “Improving attendance depends on having good tracking systems and reviewing them at multiple points throughout the day,” he said. “Often, kids marked as absent are really in attendance – they came late and the teacher forgot to change it.”
      Do Old-Fashioned Home Visits. “Tracking data often means tracking down kids who are missing over the span of several days, Manko said. “When many phone numbers don’t work, old-fashioned home visits often provide the best strategy for contacting kids and families and building relationships to solve the problem.”
      Determine Root Causes. “There is a story behind every issue of chronic absenteeism – serious health issues, a broken car, a foreclosed home,” he said. “While schools cannot solve these problems alone, there are often agencies or support organizations that can help to mitigate them. Each situation requires lots of empathy, a Rolodex of resources, and sense of the possible to improve difficult situations.”
      Create a Community Schools Approach. “Schools that can provide some kind of wrap-around services for students and families or which partner with community organizations are simply in a better position to address the health, housing, and transportation that challenge our families.
      “Chronic absenteeism is the symptom of larger, deeper problems that can often only be addressed by addressing the larger, non-academic needs surrounding our students and their families. The fact of the matter is that if we want our schools to move students academically, we all have to commit to the hard, first-order work of getting them in the door,” Manko said. See more on Chronic Absenteeism:The First-Order Challenge Facing Our Nation's Schools at http://blog.ed.gov/2016/06/chronic-absenteeism-first-order-challenge-facing-nations-schools/
      See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz

US. SENATE LEADERS NAMED Sen. Brian Schatz to the House-Senate conference committee that will negotiate funding to fight the Zika virus. Schatz’s selection ensures that Hawai`i’s unique public health concerns will be voiced during negotiations. 

      “Zika is a public health emergency,” said Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education. “While I am glad both chambers passed critical funding to address Zika, there are real differences we need to resolve. I look forward to working with my colleagues to secure the highest possible funding to stop the spread of Zika and keep our communities safe and healthy.”
      The conference committee will work to resolve differences between House and Senate Zika funding bills. The Senate moved forward with $1.1 billion in a wide-ranging appropriations bill that funds transportation, housing, military construction and veterans affairs, while the House included its package in similar appropriations legislation and passed $622 million in emergency funding, far below the $1.9 billion requested by public health experts.
      In April, Schatz visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters and met with top officials to discuss the CDC’s response to outbreaks of dengue and Zika. During the meetings, he called for stronger vector-control programs to fight the spread of mosquito-borne viruses. He also led eight senators in calling on the Senate Appropriations Committee to increase funding for vector-control programs at the CDC.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, welcomed India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the U.S Capitol. As part of a select committee of lawmakers that welcomed and escorted the Prime Minister to the House Floor, Gabbard thanked the Prime Minister for his commitment to strengthening the U.S.-India friendship, which will help grow economies, strengthen security partnership in the fight against terrorism and pursue other areas of common ground.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard greets India Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Photo from Office of Rep. Gabbard

      “Prime Minister Modi began his visit to the United States by meeting with President Obama, where they recommitted themselves to strengthening the U.S.-India partnership,” Gabbard said. “President Obama said in 2014 that our friendship with India is the defining partnership of the 21st century. The Prime Minister’s fourth visit to the United States in just two years signifies just how important the burgeoning relationship between our countries is as we continue to address the many challenges that face our nations today – strengthening our economies, promoting renewable clean energy, protecting our planet, improving cyber security and combating terrorism.

      “As the world’s oldest and largest democracies, the United States and India have long shared many mutual goals of peace, stability and economic growth. Prime Minister Modi highlighted the progress our countries have made by partnering in business, national security and renewable energy. U.S. bilateral trade with India has grown to nearly $100 billion over 15 years – a nearly five-fold increase – and India trades more with the U.S. today than with any other country. Similarly, India remains one of our strongest partners in the region in the fight against terrorism. India conducts more security-related exercises with the U.S. than any other country.
      “As we look to the potential that lies ahead, the commitment of our countries to grow and strengthen our ties is critical as we work together towards furthering our shared values and interests."
      Yesterday, Gabbard joined members of Congress, U.S. Government Officials, members of the Indian Government and top U.S. and Indian business leaders to welcome Prime Minister Modi at the U.S. India Business Council’s 41st Annual Leadership Summit.
      In December 2014, Gabbard visited India at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi to promote U.S. and Hawai`i interests. During her visit, she traveled to seven major Indian cities and met with the Prime Minister and other government and defense officials and business leaders, among others. During her visit, she also advocated for development of a sister-state partnership between Goa and Hawai`i, which the Hawai`i State Legislature adopted in April 2016.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Activities at Volcano Art Center include a film and a pottery sale.

VOLCANO ART CENTER in Volcano Village presents the documentary Rivers & Tides today at 7 p.m. An open discussion about artist Andy Goldsworthy, moderated by Liz Miller, follows. 

      Call 967-8222 for more information.

THE EIGHTH ANNUAL VOLCANO Pottery Sale takes place tomorrow afternoon and Saturday. The sale is held at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
      There will be wheel-throwing demonstrations on Saturday.
      Bentos and sushi from Volcano Hanabi will be available on Friday, and Thai food from Aunty Pon’s Café will be available on Saturday.

OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY CENTER holds a Stew Day Fundraiser Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

      Call 939-7033 for more information.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_June_2016.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.html
and kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.pdf.

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Meet Hawai`i Island potters and view their works at the eighth annual Volcano Pottery Sale. See more below.
Photo from Volcano Art Center

MORE WATER IS ON ITS WAY to Ocean View. Gov. David Ige released $725,000 in capital improvement budget funds to finance plans and designs to develop a secondary Hawai`i County potable water source there.

Gov. David Ige

      “Projects such as these are critical components of the public infrastructure and contribute to building a better home for our kupuna, keiki and all the residents of Hawai`i,” Ige wrote in a letter to Ka`u’s state Rep. Richard Creagan announcing the action. “By working collaboratively, we can climb the mountains of challenges that face Hawai`i.”

      “The release of the money for a second source and the willingness of the Water Department to agree to use it is very important,” Creagan said. “An ample and secure source (sources really) of water for Ocean View is a health and safety issue. The mosquito, dengue and zika problem is water-related, and having another reliable and high quality source of water may help people find solutions to mosquitoes breeding in catchment tanks. The need for a public restroom at the highway intersection and restaurant area is critical and should be helped by a second source of water.”
      “Mahalo a nui loa Gov. Ige, Rep. Creagan and Sen. (Josh) Green for your support of this very important CIP funding for our Hawaiian Ocean View Community,” Hawai`i County Council member Maile David said. “I also want to aloha and mahalo Mayor Kenoi; Keith Okamoto, Manager, Chief Engineer for the Department of Water Supply; Warren Lee, Director of Public Works; and their awesome staff who worked so diligently to timely submit the necessary request for allocation to Gov. Ige and the state Finance Department.
      “I am humbled to have been a part of a very positive and successful multi-agency collaborative effort and look forward to our continuing relationship.”
      Green said he was very pleased for the community. “Good work on your part, Maile, and mahalo to the administrations.”
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

YESTERDAY WAS THE DEADLINE for potential candidates to register to run in this year’s upcoming elections. The ballot will include county, state and federal offices.

One of thirteen candidates will replace Mayor
Billy Kenoi, who has reached his term limits.

IN HAWAI`I COUNTY AND STATE RACES, 13 candidates want to take over for Hawai`i County Mayor Billy Kenoi, who cannot run again due to term limits. Those who filed papers to succeed Kenoi are Alvin Akina, of Kailua Kona; Paul Bryant, of Papa`aloa; Daniel Cunningham, of Hilo; Marlene Hapai, of Kurtistown; former Hawai`i County Council member Pete Hoffmann, of Waikoloa; KAHU 91.7 FM radio station founder Wendell Ka`ehu`ae`a, of Hilo; former Mayor Harry Kim, of Hilo; former Hawai`i County Managing Director Wally Lau, of Kailua-Kona; Helen Luta, of Kealakekua; Shannon McCandless, of Kamuela; Gene Tamashiro, of Hilo; Timothy Waugh, of Hilo; and Eric Weinert, of Papaikou.

      Hawai`i County Prosecuting Attorney Mitch Roth, of Hilo, faces a challenge from Michael Kagami, of Kea`au.
      Hawai`i County Council District Six member Maile David, of Captain Cook, faces a challenge from Raina Whiting of Ocean View. David came into office in 2014, when former council member Brenda Ford reached her term limit.
      Three candidates are running for Ka`u Democratic state Rep. Richard Onishi’s office in District Three. Challengers are Libertarian Gregory Arianoff, Democrat Ainoa Naniole and Green Party candidate Kealoha Pisciotta, a Native Hawaiian opponent to the Thirty Meter Telescope. All four candidates are from Hilo.
      Ka`u’s state District Five Rep. Richard Creagan, of Na`alehu, is opposed by Michael Last, also of Na`alehu.
      In state Senate District Two, Ka`u’s Democratic Sen. Russell Ruderman, of Kea`au, faces challenges from Hawai`i County Council member and Democrat Greggor Ilagan, of Kea`au, and Libertarian Fred Fogel, of Volcano Village.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz

U.S. SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ, following yesterday’s deadline to file papers to run for U.S. Senate, faces several challengers. He is the only U.S. senator from Hawai`i in the running this year, as Sen. Mazie Hirono is up for reelection in 2018.

      Schatz competitors in the Democratic Party are Makani Christensen, Tutz Honeychurch, Arturo Reyes and Miles Shiratori. Challengers in Republican Party are John Carroll, Karla Gottschalk, Eddie Pirkowski and John Roco. Others running against him are Libertarian Michael Kokoski, Joy Allison of the Constitution Party and John Giuffre of the American Shopping Party.
      Schatz, 43, became senator in December of 2012, appointed by Gov. Neil Abercrombie after the death of U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye. In a 2014 special election, Schatz was elected to continue.
      John Carroll, one of the Republican contenders, an 86-year-old attorney who owns a Hamakua farm, held a press conference yesterday in Honolulu.
      According to a report in this morning’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Carroll is “known for his outspoken opposition to the Jones Act, a post-World War I law that requires all shipping between U.S. ports be conducted with domestic vessels and crews. Carroll argues that the federal law has led to Hawai`i’s high shipping costs.
      “Carroll denounced Hawai`i’s high shipping costs, the soaring price tag of the Honolulu rail project, Hawai`i’s high cost of living and the state’s slow pace in moving qualified Native Hawaiians onto homesteads.”

      See staradvertiser.com.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

U.S. REP TULSI GABBARD, who serves Ka`u and rural areas of the state, faces challengers in the upcoming elections. Yesterday was the deadline to sign up to run against her.

      Challenging her in the Second Congressional District race is Democrat Shay Chan Hodges. Republicans against Gabbard are Eric Hafner and Angela Aulani Kaaihue. Nonpartisan Richard Turner is also running.
      Gabbard, 35, defeated former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann in 2012. She campaigns for the Bernie Sanders movement and frequently appears on national TV as a veteran commenting on foreign policy.
      Democratic challenger Hughes contends that Gabbard is not a true progressive, scoring an F In the Progressive Punch ratings, compared to Schatz and Hirono each earning an A, according to a story in this morning’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

      See staradvertiser.com.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

MEET STATE SEN. RUSSELL RUDERMAN at a legislative talk story at Cooper Center in Volcano Village this evening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

A SCREENING OF RIVERS AND TIDES takes place tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. The documentary directed by Thomas Riedelsheimer depicts the engaging and interactive relationship between art and nature and follows artist Andy Goldsworthy all over the world as he opens up about his unique creative process and demonstrates how he engineers and collaborates with nature, space and time.

Volcano artist Liz Miller presents Rivers and Tides
and moderates a discussion afterward.
Photo from Volcano Village Artists Hui

      Local earth-media based artist Liz Miller, who has done many earthwork installations, presents the film and moderates a discussion afterward. There will also be a book collection of Goldsworthy’s work for people to peruse that show photos of his latest works as artist-in-residence at The Presidio/Golden Gate National Park.

      The film received a number of awards, including Best Documentary of the San Diego Film Critics Society and the San Francisco Film Critics Circle. It is an Anglo-German co-production by Mediopolis Film and the British independent film company Skyline Productions.
      Call 967-8222 for more information.

JOIN 14 DIVERSE CERAMIC ARTISTS from Hawai`i Island for the eighth annual Volcano Pottery Sale on Friday afternoon and Saturday. The sale is held at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
      This is a great opportunity to see a wide range of ceramic works, all in one location, and to meet and talk story with the artists. Functional pottery and ceramic sculpture ranging from low-fired raku wares to high-fired porcelain with crystalline glazes and soda-fired stoneware will be shown.
      There will be wheel-throwing demonstrations on Saturday.
      Bentos and sushi from Volcano Hanabi will be available on Friday, and Thai food from Aunty Pon’s Café will be available on Saturday.

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

See kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.html
and kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_June2016.pdf.