Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Friday, Oct. 21, 2016

Pele's hair from the active lava lake at Halema`uma`u is covering parts of the Ka`u Desert.
See more below. Photo from USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

KAPAPALA RANCH COOPERATIVE GAME MANAGEMENT AREA and Kapapala Forest Reserve will be open for game bird hunting Saturdays, Sundays,and state holidays for the entire upcoming season. The 2016-2017 Game Bird Hunting Season opens on Saturday, Nov. 5. State biologists are predicting a below average season of bird hunting, with lingering drought impacts in many parts of the state. The fall game bird hunting season will run through Sunday, Jan. 29. A valid hunting license and a game bird stamp are required for all game bird hunting on public and private lands. All game bird hunting is regulated by Hawai`i Administrative Rules Title 13, Chapter 122. See http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw “Administrative Rules” for all legal hunting days.

Game bird hunting season begins soon.
Painting by Mike Brown from DLNR

      Other game bird hunting areas on Hawai`i Island include Mauna Kea GMA & Forest Reserve and Pu`u Mali Mitigation Site, Pohakuloa Training Area, Pu`u Wa`awa`a Forest Reserve & Pu`u Anahulu, Pu`uanahulu GMA, Kaohe GMA & Mitigation Site, Kipuka `Ainahou, Kahua/Ponoholo Ranch Special Permit Area.

      Hunters are required to check in and out at established check stations. First obtain permission from landowners when seeking to hunt on private land. Prevent wildfires by not parking or driving in tall grass or brush. Report fires to 911.
      Report game law violators to the Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement at 643-DLNR (3567).
      Further information may be obtained by contacting Division of Forestry & Wildlife in Hilo at 974-4221. 

Sen. Brian Schatz

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U.S. SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ CALLED FOR PASSAGE of a bill he co-introduced to “fix our broken college accreditation system and reduce college debt.” The bill would require the federal Department of Education to develop standards regarding rates of graduation, job placement and loan repayment.

      “A higher education is meant to help people move up the economic ladder, but too many students are being left deep in debt and without a degree,” Schatz said. “Our college accreditation system should be working to weed out bad schools, but as we’ve seen with the recent closures of fraudulent institutions that remained accredited up until the day they closed, that just isn’t happening. For the protection of students and taxpayers, our bill will put common sense standards in place to improve the quality of higher education and hold accreditors accountable for failing schools.”

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

Pahala Community Center opens Tuesday for early voting and late
registration. Photo from Hawai`i Office of Elections

EARLY VOTING AND LATE REGISTRATION for the general election begins Tuesday. Although the deadline to register to vote on Nov. 8 has passed, residents can still register and vote at several locations prior to Election Day.

      Pahala Community Center will be open to vote and register Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
      Other Hawai`i Island sites are Aupuni Center Conference Room in Hilo, West Hawai`i Civic Center Community Room and Waimea Community Center.

KTA IS RAISING FUNDS FOR BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS. Ka`u supporters can donate at any KTA checkout stand throughout the Big Island. One hundred percent of donations taken at KTA go to support the Boys & Girls Clubs. Many Ka`u children spend the afternoons after school at the Boys & Girls Clubs in Ka`u.

AMBER WAVES OF PELE’S HAIR ARE COVERING the Ka`u Desert downwind of Halema`uma`u. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists explain why in the current issue of Volcano Watch. 

      “The lava lake within Halema`uma`u Crater at the summit of Kilauea Volcano is creating a scene remindful of a messy barbershop floor, except that it’s acres and acres wide rather than a few square feet,” the article states. “The ground downwind of the crater is strewn with Pele’s hair, and it is almost impossible to avoid stepping on it.

This close-up of Pele's hair shows how individual strands of volcanic

glass can become aligned with wind direction. Photo from HVO

      “Such a scene has not been reported before at Kilauea. What’s happening? 

      “Pele’s hair consists of long glass fibers that form when gas bubbles burst in the lava lake. Pieces of the fluid bubble skin are propelled violently into the air, drawing out into long, hair-like strands that cool to a golden-colored glass. Since the lake is bubbling almost constantly, large volumes of Pele’s hair are made daily. The resulting hair blows downwind from Halema`uma`u, across the caldera and into the Ka`u Desert.
      “The Pele’s hair collects against embankments, such as gully walls or curbs in the now-closed Halema`uma`u Crater parking lot. It also is strewn across the ground surface, catching on small rocks and ultimately creating a web of interwoven hair. The web is streamlined, with most pieces of hair aligned with the wind direction.
      “When a south (kona) wind blows, Pele’s hair can easily reach the Jaggar Museum Overlook area in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, where it drapes `ohi`a like tinsel on a Christmas tree.
      “Drifts of Pele’s hair can survive for years and even decades, but, once the eruption has ended, wind will strip the hair from most surfaces. The photos included here show scenes what many will never see first-hand, because most of the Pele’s hair is blown downwind of the summit vent – an area of the national park that has been closed since 2008 due to elevated sulfur dioxide emissions and other ongoing volcanic hazards.”
      See hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch. To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Learn about bookbinding techniques Saturday.
Photo from VAC

A WILD AND UNHINGED WEEKEND IS BEING PLANNED for a week from tomorrow by Volcano Art Center.

      Hawai`i’s year-round growing
 season offers a wide array of wild food options for intrepid localvores. From seeds to leaves, stems to fruits, participants learn what is edible and what is not in the Edible Wild Plants workshop from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Interact first-hand with many of these under-appreciated edibles during an outing at Kipuka Pua`ulu (Bird Park) in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
      Class size is limited; cost is $40/$30 VAC members. Participants bring lunch.
      VAC reminds residents to never eat anything from the wild without first consulting an expert and forage responsibly. Attendees will carpool from VAC in Volcano Village to Bird Park.
      Charlene Asato dispels mysteries of the piano hinge book in a workshop from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Utilizing paper and rods, this structure can be highly sculptural and textural. Piano hinge books are nice to look at and feel in your hands because they move differently than a regular book. You’ll be entranced by the possibilities of this binding, devised by Hedi Kyle, who is well known for her unconventional book structures.
      Cost is $35/$32 VAC members plus a $10 materials fee. Prior bookbinding experience is not necessary.

Hikers on Palm Trail. NPS Photo by Sami Steinkamp

KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK offers free programs this weekend.

      Participants discover the Hawaiian goddesses Hi`iaka & Pele and the natural phenomena they represent on a moderate, one-mile walk tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
      The Palm Trail Hike on Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. follows a moderately difficult, 2.6-mile, loop-trail that provides one of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer.

A WORKSHOP TOMORROW FOCUSES ON THE LATEST coffee processing equipment, coffee berry borer control, crop nutrition, subsidy programs and legislative updates.

      The workshop takes place at Pahala Community Center from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break at 11:30 a.m.
      RSVP to Laura Diaz at laura@ldomarket.com, 928-8188 or 408-306-5596.

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

See kaucalendar.com.

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

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016

Hawai`i Board of Agriculture approved a permanent quarantine of `ohi`a on Hawai`i Island to prevent
the spread of rapid `ohi`a death to other islands. See more below. Photo from UH-CTAHR

HAWAI`I COUNTY’S CHILDREN HAVE THE HIGHEST PREVALENCE OF TOOTH DECAY in the United States, according to the state Department of Health. Also, the burden of oral disease is significantly greater in certain segments of the population. For example, tooth decay is disproportionately experienced statewide by low-income children, defined as those who are eligible for the National School Lunch Program. About 31 percent of children eligible for NSLP have untreated tooth decay compared to 13 percent for those not eligible. The disparities gap is even more pronounced when looking at urgent dental needs due to pain and/or infection. The need for urgent dental care is more than five times higher in low-income children compared to their higher-income peers (13 percent vs. two percent respectively).

Hawai`i County's children have the highest prevalence of tooth decay
in the state, as well as in the nation. Graph from Hawai`i DOH

      In its report Hawai`i Smiles, DOH takes its first in-depth look at the oral health status of a representative sample of third-grade children throughout the state. During the 2014-2015 school year, a total of 3,184 third-grade children in 67 public elementary schools on six islands received dental screenings. Third-grade children were screened because third grade is the target elementary school population for the National Oral Health Surveillance System. The findings support the need for culturally appropriate, community-based prevention programs, screening and referral services, and restorative dental care to improve the oral health of Hawai`i’s children

      According to the report, more than seven out of 10 third-graders (71 percent) statewide are affected by tooth decay; substantially higher than the national average of 52 percent. Almost one out of four third-graders (22 percent) in Hawai`i has untreated tooth decay, demonstrating that many children are not getting the dental care they need. About seven percent of Hawai`i’s third-grade children are in need of urgent dental care because of pain or infection. If applied to all children in kindergarten to sixth grade, more than 6,600 children in Hawai`i’s public elementary schools experience pain or infection due to dental disease on any given day. More than 60 percent of children in Hawai`i do not have protective dental sealants, a safe, simple, cost-effective clinical intervention to prevent tooth decay in molars.

      There are significant oral health disparities by income, as well as by race/ethnicity, among third-graders in Hawai`i. Third-graders living in Kaua`i, Hawai`i, and Maui Counties are more likely to have experienced tooth decay than children living in Honolulu County.

Hawai`i DOH offers advise on preventing tooth decay.
Photo from Hawai`i DOH

      DOH urges preventing tooth decay. Medical, dental and public health professionals must focus dental disease prevention efforts on families with children less than two years of age, because two is too late. The American Dental Association, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Association of Pediatricians all recommend preventive dental care and parent education by age one.

      Evidence-based strategies for preventing tooth decay in children include applying a fluoride varnish twice a year to the teeth of all infants and children starting when the first tooth comes into the mouth at about six months of age. Fluoride varnish can be applied at medical and dental clinics and in community settings such as preschools and WIC programs.

      Parents should brush children’s teeth with fluoride toothpaste twice a day as soon as teeth appear in the mouth.
      Community water fluoridation has been shown to prevent tooth decay in both children and adults.
      Daily fluoride supplementation starting at six months of age is recommended for children whose water supply does not contain fluoride. Limiting food and beverages with added sugars will prevent dental decay and other health issues.
      All children should be referred to a dentist as early as six months of age to establish a dental home. Following that initial visit, most children should have a dental examination at least once a year; some high risk children may need more frequent examinations.
      Dental sealants are placed to protect the chewing surface of the permanent molars soon after they come into the mouth around six and 12 years of age.
      According to DOH, decreasing dental disease among a child’s caregivers benefits the oral health of the child. It also suggests that early education regarding infant oral health can be shared with pregnant mothers and caregivers through routine oral health care.

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Rapid `ohi`a death continues to ravage Hawai`i Island's
native forests. Photo from Hawai`i DLNR

A PERMANENT QUARANTINE OF `OHI`A ON HAWAI`I ISLAND will go into effect if approved by the lieutenant governor. Ivy Ashe reported in Hawai`i Tribune-Herald that the state Board of Agriculture approved the measure on Tuesday.

      With rapid `ohi`a death ravaging the island’s native forests, an emergency quarantine went into effect last August to prevent its spread.
      “We’ve had good leadership at the DOA,” J.B. Friday, of University of Hawai`i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, told Ashe. “They said ‘No, we’re going to do this.’ It (rapid `ohi`a death) was pretty fast-moving, but there was a window to do something about it.”
      While not banning all shipments of `ohi`a, the quarantine required testing shipments for Ceratocystis fimbriata, the fungus that causes the disease.
      The permanent quarantine requires any product being transported to be tested and properly permitted.
      See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

HAWAI`I ELECTRIC LIGHT CO. IS OFFERING an optional time-of-use rate program that will charge customers less for power used during the day – when solar energy production is highest – and more at night.

      Developed under the direction of the Hawai`i Public Utilities Commission, these rates encourage customers to use electricity when solar power is abundant and enable cost-effective integration of renewable energy.

      This program will provide customers with an opportunity to save money if they shift their energy use to daytime hours. For example, customers who do laundry, cook or heat water during the day may be able to save. Customers who charge electric vehicles or energy storage systems in the day may also benefit. The amount of any savings will depend on how much a customer changes their usage. As a result, this program may not fit the needs of all customers.
      As directed by the PUC, this program will run for two years and is only for residential customers. Participation will be voluntary and limited to the first 5,000 Hawaiian Electric Co. customers throughout the state who enroll.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard sends a staff member
to Ka`u tomorrow.

      Participating customers will receive information on their bills that compares their costs under this program and the normal residential rate for electricity. Customers may opt out of the program at any time if they feel it isn’t the right fit for them.

      On Hawai`i Island, the current all-day residential rate is 29.7 cents per kilowatt-hour. With time-of-use, the rate would be 9.7 cents/kwh from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 49.2 cents/kwh from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and 34.3 cents/kwh from 10 p.m. to 9 a.m.

      To enroll or for more information, call Hawai`i Electric Light Co. at 969-6999 in Hilo or 329-3584 in Kona.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

KA`U RESIDENTS ARE INVITED TO MEET with a staff member from U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s office tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. Call 939-7033 for more information.

Learn about coffee production Saturday.

INTERESTED IN KA`U COFFEE PRODUCTION? A workshop on Saturday focuses on the latest processing equipment, coffee berry borer control, crop nutrition, subsidy programs and legislative updates.

      Topics include Latest Tendencies in the Processing of Specialty Coffee, Benefits of Using Cal-Carbonate to Correct Low pH Soils, Herding Predatory Flat Bark Beetles, Impact of Ka`u Soil Type/Qualities on Crop Nutrition Decisions, and several discussions related to coffee berry borer control.

      The workshop takes place at Pahala Community Center from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break at 11:30 a.m.
      RSVP to Laura Diaz at laura@ldomarket.com, 928-8188 or 408-306-5596.

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

See kaucalendar.com.

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

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016

At Ocean View's temporary transfer station, a concrete slab marks where, on Saturdays, two collection bins are parked
for residents to drop off their bagged garbage from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The brown shipping container is the beverage
container redemption center. On the right, playing fields stretch away to a picnic area, basketball court,
baseball field and playground at Kahuku Park. Drone Photo by John Fretz, of Ranchos

HAWAI`I COUNTY’S RECENT DECISION TO CREATE a second temporary transfer station in Ocean View is the latest of back-and-forth moves since the town was promised a “state of the art” transfer station in 2007. County officials announced the plans during a meeting at Ocean View Community Center last week.

      For decades before that promise, Ocean View had been grappling with a proliferation of illegal garbage dumps. County officials became convinced that the cause was the lack of a convenient site for waste collection. The closest facility was Wai`ohinu, a 12-mile drive each way. In 2006, a task force of 11 volunteers began looking for a suitable site.

      The county analyzed options and determined that the 21-acre parcel, currently owned by the county, was the most suitable. It is part of an undeveloped makai subdivision on the west end of town, fronting the highway near Iolani. This site was presented to the town at a public meeting on April 16, 2007 and was eventually adopted. Plans were drawn up, and an Environmental Impact Statement was completed in April 2008. At that time, the estimated cost was $4.4 million. It was estimated that construction would begin in 2008, and the facility would be operational in 2009.
      Meanwhile, a temporary transfer station was built in 2010 to curb illegal dumping. It was located on land zoned “recreational,” and bordering the town’s park. The temporary transfer station was operated each Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and accepted only bagged household garbage. Last year, HI5 recyclables were also accepted during those hours, and recently the hours were extended.
      In 2011, $3 million was appropriated by the county for a permanent transfer station in Ocean View. In 2012, the 21-acre lot was acquired from a local hui by the county.

      About a year ago, Eric Goodale, the county’s Solid Waste director, wrote to Maile David, Ka`u’s council member, stating that plans to build a permanent transfer station on the 21-acre site were to be scrapped, and the temporary transfer station would become Ocean View’s permanent transfer station at the park site.

County vehicles share space with residents' at Ocean View's
temporary transfer station. Photo by Peter & Ann Bosted

      Many residents did not welcome this news. They felt that the existing park and a trash site were incompatible uses for contiguous sites. Further, they objected to added traffic in the heart of a residential neighborhood. Heavy vehicles were causing excessive wear on the privately maintained neighborhood roads, and at times traffic was congested.

      On June 28, a community meeting was called by HOVE resident Mike du Bois to meet the county’s waste management planners. It was chaired by Maile David. At that meeting, residents were able to convince the county’s Environmental Management Director Bobby Jean Leithead-Todd and Goodale to pursue plans for a permanent transfer station on the 21-acre site, as originally planned, and to keep the “temporary” one temporary.
      Also at that meeting, Ocean View resident Maria Schenkeir pointed out that dumped appliances, tires and large items, which are difficult to dispose of under current county rules, are lining the driveway on the 21-acre parcel that was purchased for the permanent facility.
      “This is just the same as your old-fashioned dump that was open 24/7,” she said. “Why are we spending money on the temporary transfer station when we could be building a permanent one?”
      Ocean View resident Loren Heck also pointed out that the circle where the temporary site is located is zoned “recreational.”
      “Read the deed,” he advised, “It’s for recreation. The transfer station could be shut down any day.”
      At the community meeting last week, Leithead-Todd and Goodale assured residents that the permanent transfer station was again an objective, and the “temporary” transfer station would be moved from the circle and temporarily sited on one acre of the 21-acre parcel. It will be used until the long-promised “state-of-the-art” transfer station can be built on nine acres.
      If built as envisioned in 2007, the permanent transfer station will consist of trash chutes, recycling bins, a hazardous waste collection area, a container redemption center, service roads and a visual buffer. It may also include scrap metal collection bins and a reuse area.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Sen. Mazie Hirono

SEN. MAZIE HIRONO YESTERDAY CONVENED state and local leaders to examine how federal partnerships protect and sustain Hawai`i’s freshwater resources. Hirono, Gov. David Ige, state elected officials and watershed resource experts outlined what Hawai`i groups are currently doing to improve water security and how the federal government can support these efforts.

      “Hawai`i’s native forested watersheds feed our state’s water supply, and it is vital that we protect these precious resources,” Hirono said. “The federal government will continue to play a critical role in supporting innovative strategies that protect our forested watersheds. We must continue to work with all stakeholders to improve conservation and ensure that our water resources are protected for generations to come.”
      “During the World Conservation Congress in Honolulu last month, I made an ambitious commitment to the global community to protect 30 percent of Hawai`i’s priority watershed forests by 2030,” Ige said. “Only 15 percent of priority watershed forests are protected. We can only reach this goal and exceed it through public-private partnerships between landowners and managers who recognize this is the best way to protect our forested watersheds and our freshwater source.”
      Hirono voted to permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund. She also worked to get Hawai`i’s collaborative landscape proposal, “Island Forests at Risk,” in the President’s budget for fiscal years 2016 and 2017. This proposal, which includes 13 public and private partners, provides funding to purchase and protect endangered species’ habitats, culturally significant areas and ecologically important lands in the state.
      Hirono yesterday heard from a number of witnesses who shared federal, local and cultural perspectives on how to improve Hawai`i’s water security, including state Sen. Mike Gabbard, chair of the Committee on Water, Land and Agriculture; state Rep. Ryan Yamane, chair of the Committee on Water and Land; Steve Anthony, director of U.S. Geological Survey Pacific Islands Water Science Center; Randy Moore, Regional Forester for U.S. Department of Agriculture Pacific Southwest Region Forest Service; David Smith, Administrator of Hawai`i Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife; Dr. Sam Gon, Senior Scientist and Cultural Advisor for The Nature Conservancy of Hawai`i; Matthew Gonser, Extension Faculty at University of Hawai`i Sea Grant College Program; and Trae Menard, chair of Hawai`i Association of Watershed Partnerships.
     To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Emily Herb's pottery will be on display during Volcano Village
Artists Hui's Show & Sale next month.
Photo from Emily Herb

VOLCANO VILLAGE ARTISTS HUI MEMBERS are preparing for their annual Studio Tour and Sale. Thirty years ago, a small group of Volcano Village artists had an informal studio sale of their artworks on Thanksgiving weekend. What started out as a small venture has expanded into one of the most exciting art events of the year. Folks come from all over to get a head start on Christmas shopping, have lunch at local Volcano restaurants and enjoy the festive atmosphere that always accompanies this Village event.

      There are classic pieces and new works inspired by our island, all reasonably priced. If you think you can’t afford to have that new piece of art on your wall or find a beautiful pottery bowl for a special gift, think again.
      Today, the hui has 14 artists and craftspeople with six open studios and galleries. Meet the artists in their studios, and see artwork in a wide variety of media including handblown art glass, wood and metal sculpture, pottery, jewelry and fiber art as well as paintings, wood cut prints, photography and more.
      Hours for the Thanksgiving weekend Studio Tour are Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
      A special drawing for pieces contributed by each of the artists will be held on the final day of the tour.
      For more information, call 987-3472 or 985-7487. Maps to the artists’ studios will be available at local businesses and galleries in Volcano and at volcanovillageartistshui.com.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

A STAFF MEMBER FROM U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD’S office meets with Ka`u residents Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. 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.

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