Ka`u News Briefs, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016

Sen. Russell Ruderman won the vote yesterday to return to his state Senate seat, after a hard fought victory over
 County Council member Greggor Ilagan in the primary. Above, Ruderman campaigns with his baby at Volcano this summer.
 Photo by Ron Johnson

Rep. Richard Creagan (l) won last night and will return for west Kaʻū to the
state Legislature. Kealiʻi Kahele won his late father's state Senate seat and
 Maile David represents Kaʻū again on the County Council.

INCUMBENTS WON all the races for state and county seats representing Kaʻū in yesterday's General Election.
      Sen. Russell Ruderman, representing east Kaʻū  returns to his post winning 76.5 percent of the vote. The Democrat defeated Libertarian Fredrick Fogel in the General Election after defeating County Council member Greggor Ilagan in the primary. Sen. Josh Green, state Senator for west Kaʻū,  a Democrat, was not on the ballot. He serves two more years until his term is up,
     Rep. Richard Creagan goes back to his state House of Representatives seat for west Kaʻū,  the Democrat defeating Libertarian Michael Last with 68.2 percent of the vote.
       Rep. Richard Onishi goes back to his state House of Representatives seat for east Kaʻū  winning 68 percent of the vote, beating Green Party candidate Kealoha Pisciotta.    
      County Council member Maile David, representing all of Kaʻū, won the primary election over Bernnie Sanders supporter Raina Whiting by a large enough margin to avoid a General Election runoff.

State Rep. Richard Onishi was reelected last night. Photo by Ron Johnson

      Kaiʻaliʻi Kahele, son of the Gil Kahele who was a Kaʻū senator until redistricting, won his late father’s state Senate seat in Hilo and promised to continue to help Kaʻū and particularly Miloliʻi where he does community work and has a second family home.
     County Prosecutor Mitch Roth won his post again in the primary. He has worked with Kaʻū farmers and extensively on community Neighborhood Watch and drug and crime prevention programs.  Mayor Harry Kim also won in the primary, taking back leadership of the county after serving two terms and resting for two terms. He replaces Mayor Billy Kenoi who has reached term limits.

OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS TRUSTEE for Hawaiʻi Island will be Robert Lindsey, returning to his post with 44.4 percent of the vote, defeating Mililani Trask with 32.5 percent of the vote. The winner of the OHA at-larrge trustee race is Keliʻi Akina with 37 percent of the vote over Haunani Apiliona with 36 percent of the vote.

Mayor Harry Kim says “Thank You” to Kaʻū. Photo by Julia Neal

FOR CONGRESS, REPRESENTING KAʻŪ and rural Hawaiʻi, Sen. Brian Schatz returns to Washington, winning more than 70 percent of the vote and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard returns to Washington with more than 75 percent of the vote.

THE NEW U.S. PRESIDENT, announced this morning after General Election voting yesterday, will be Republican Donald Trump. He lost Hawaiʻi, earning about half the number of votes here as the Democrat, Hillary Clinton. However, nationwide the close race ended in a Clinton concession with Trump winning the electoral votes and Clinton winning the popular vote. The electoral college vote prevails.
      In his acceptance speech, Trump, the New York developer and hotelier, said, “Now it’s time for America to bind together as one united people.” He also said the nation owes Clinton “a major debt of gratitude for her service to our country.” Trump promised to rebuild the country’s infrastructure, create more jobs and allow fewer jobs to be shipped offshore. He has also promised a better health care system than Obamacare.
     In speeches this morning, outgoing President Barack Obama and Clinton both urged a peaceful transition to the Trump presidency. They and Trump urged everyone to work together as citizens of the United States to better the country.
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HAWAIʻI COUNTY'S GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT to take the public's health into consideration when planning for the island was approved yesterday with a yes vote with 65.4 percent of the vote.

Reelected last night, U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard visited leaders of
two Kaʻū Coffee cooperatives this Summer. She will give the
 Kilauea Military  address this Friday at 3 p.m. Photo by Julia Neal

THE STATE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT setting a  higher value in civil cases to qualify them for jury trials, was passed yesterday by the Hawaiʻi electorate with 46.3 percent of the vote. Another amendment which directs the state to use excess funds to pay debt and other costs also passed with 50.4 percent of the vote.
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A GATHERING WILL BE HELD TO HONOR the life of Ocean View Community leader Don Nitsche this Saturday, Nov. 12 at 3 p.m. at Bougainvillea Bed and Breakfast in Ranchos. A military funeral will be at noon today at the West Hawaiʻi Veterans’ Cemetery.

Don Nitsche

     Nitsche, a well-known Kaʻū personality, died peacefully on Oct. 27 in his Ocean View home at age 86, bringing a full and active life to a sudden and unexpected end.
     Nitsche was a builder, paver, fisherman, pilot, skier, sailor, war vet, host, water hauler and entrepreneur. His legacy is advocating for many Ocean View community services and facilities including the new well for potable water for the community, which, without his perseverance, may never have been built. He was born in Seattle, WA and graduated from Garfield High School. He served in the Navy for two years and was a Korean war veteran. After marrying his wife, Martie, in 1952, he joined an Alaskan fishing fleet to earn capital for land and to build a home on Mercer Island. Entrepreneurship came early to Don – he was able to build a mountain cabin while simultaneously managing a ski chalet and selling commercial ski equipment and also building his home.
     In 1976 he and Martie moved to Maui with their two children to run an Orange Julius concession and sell Buck Alum steel-frame home kits to home builders who wanted strong, durable, termite-proof materials. In 1989 the family moved to Ocean View and Don took over the gas station. Today it is Spirit gas, but at the time it was Texaco. It was a full-service facility, that offered repairs, tires and batteries. Don also built the Bougainvillea Bed and Breakfast in Hawaiian Ranchos, which he and Martie ran for 25 years.

Seeking funding for drilling an Ocean View well was one of
 Don Nitsche’s long-term community projects.

     At one time, the roads in Ranchos were inadequately maintained. Exeter Equity Inc. held about $400,000 in trust, as required by the county, for road maintenance, but were not doing the work. In 1991, Nitsche, as President of the Hawaiian Ranchos Community Association, threatened to sue Exeter for non-performance, unless that company gave the funds to the community. They finally agreed, and in 1992 the Hawaiian Ranchos Road Maintenance Corp. was formed with Nitsche as its first President. Nitsche acquired equipment, and the cindered roads were chipsealed over time – about six miles per year.
     Long time Ocean View resident Richard Rogers affectionately described Nitsche as the “Crusty Old Buzzard who gets things done.” He recalled a time, circa 1996, when the Legislature voted to give Ocean View a water well and storage tank, but, according to Rogers, the Governor refused to release the funds as retribution for Ocean View residents refusing to allow the development of both a prison and a rocket launching site in Kaʻū.
     “Gov. Ben Cayetano told us straight,” recalled Rogers. He said: ‘You are not getting any money while I’m in office.’
     “We in Ocean View, led by Don and Martie, were not taking ‘no’ for an answer,” recalled Rogers. “Martie arranged flights to Oʻahu for about 20 of us, and a bus to take us to the capitol. We called ourselves ‘The Well-Wishers.’ We picketed all day, shouting ‘Give us our money!’ Cayetano arranged to be absent that day, so we flew back a second time. That time we picketed a huge hotel where they were holding the Pacific Business Economic Summit – Bill Gates was there – and we hoped that picketing Cayetano in front of these VIPs would embarrass him into releasing the funds, but it only made him madder.
     “I still remember Don standing on a median picketing, when a hotel guard ordered him to move, which Don refused to do. The big, beefy guard asked, threateningly, ‘You want trouble?’ to which Don replied, ‘Yes, what do you think we came here for?’ The guard stomped off. We later heard that Cayetano had a paddy wagon around the corner, ready to haul us off if we got out of hand.”

The Nitsche home in Ranchos was the site of many community
planning and strategy meetings. 

    Unfortunately for Nitsche and Ocean View, said Rogers, the oft-criticized Cayetano was elected to a second term by a single percentage point, so they had to wait until 2002 for Linda Lingle to take office. “We had to start all over again, getting the Legislature to again approve the project,” explained Rogers.

     “Even then we had to wait for her second term. She wanted to give us a smaller well, with a single pump and a smaller tank. Don argued vehemently that it was not adequate. Gov. Lingle got frustrated and said ‘What’s the matter with you – won’t you accept what we are giving you?’ to which Don replied, ‘No, we are not accepting it.’ The Crusty Old Buzzard got his way and now Ocean View has two pumps, a deeper well and a larger storage tank.”
     Martie recalled that it was State Rep. Bob Herkes who pushed the proposal through the Legislature, winning $6.4 million for the project. “It took Don 14 years, but Ocean View now has a well, so it was worth it,” added Martie. “I think of it as Don’s legacy to our town.”
     While the saga of the water well played out, Nitsche was hauling water from Waiohinu in his truck with a 2,000-gallon water tank. On Easter eve in 2008, he turned into Ranchos at the Kohala gate and was driving makai when the truck’s brakes failed. He turned the rig towards a ditch to slow it down, but the truck jack-knifed and then somersaulted and rolled before coming to rest on the lava as a mangled wreck. Luckily Nitsche was not wearing a seat belt. He was thrown out and landed on the lava, where he lay, concussed, until a police officer stopped, expecting to find a fatality. Miraculously, the Crusty Old Buzzard survived with a brain concussion, a broken rib and a punctured lung.
      When not working hard, which was most of the time, Don enjoyed skiing, flying small aircraft and sailing. He is survived by Martie, his son Karl, daughter Jahna Brown, five grandchildren and one great grandson.

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A RED CROSS VOLUNTEERS MEETING will be held tomorrow, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. at the HOVE Road Maintenance Corp. office for those interested in becoming volunteers. Call Hannah Uribes at 929-9953.

 OPEN HOUSE IS THIS FRIDAY AT KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK. The Welina Mai Nei Kaikou I Kahuku celebrates Kahuku being open on Fridays, in addition to Saturdays and Sundays. Hawaiian music, informational displays, children't activities. Free entry. Sign up for a guided hike at 929-8075.

Free admission, hike, music and displays this Friday in
Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
Photo from NPS

FREE ENTRANCE TO HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK will be this Friday, Nov. 11, National parks across the country will waive entrance fees for Veterans Day in honor of the men and women who have served the nation. The park has dozens of veterans among its employees and volunteers. Active duty U.S. military can obtain a free annual Military Pass at the park’s entrance station all year. For more information on the free Military Pass, visit the park website http://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/fees.htm.

KĪLAUEA MILITARY CAMP VETERAN'S DAY CEREMONY will be this Friday, Nov. 11. KMC celebrates a century of service with keynote speaker, U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. The ceremony is on the front lawn at 3 p.m.

VETERANS DAY BUFFET is offered by Kilauea Military Camp's Crater Rim Cafe this Friday, Nov. 11 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. following Veterans Day ceremonies. Adults $27.95. Children 6-11 years old $14.50

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

See www.kaucalendar.com

Ka`u News Briefs, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016

Ka‘ū Learning Academy fourth grade students learn about Kīlauea volcano and the lava lake within
Halema‘uma‘u Crater. NPS Photo by Janice Wei

FOURTH GRADERS ON A FIELD TRIP TO THE ERUPTING SUMMIT of Kīlauea received their free Every Kid in a Park pass yesterday from Sen. Mazie K. Hirono. The Senator, Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando, and park rangers greeted Kaʻū Learning Academy students at Kīlauea Overlook. The students traveled 41 miles from their charter school campus in Discovery Harbour to hike with the Senator along Crater Rim Trail to the observation deck at Jaggar Museum. Each student learned about the volcano and earned an Every Kid in a Park pass.

Every Kid in a Park Pass is good for entry to 2,000

public lands and waters nationwide.

NPS Photo by Janice Wei

     The Every in Kid in a Park program is part of President Barack Obama’s program to protect iconic outdoor spaces and ensure that every American has the opportunity to visit them. In its second year, it gives fourth graders and those accompanying them, a free pass for a year to visit 2,000 public lands and waters nationwide – including Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
     “Senator Hirono is a dedicated advocate of education for Hawai'i youth, and fully embraces Every Kid in a Park,” said Orlando. “The Kaʻū students who hiked with her today not only met one of Hawai‘i’s senators, but were able to spend quality time outdoors with someone who truly advocates for our keiki and national parks,” Orlando said.
      The students took photos with Hirono, and witnessed surges of lava spattering from a vent within Halemaʻumaʻu Crater, one mile away. “My favorite thing was seeing the volcano,” said nine-year-old T'rael Pesnell, who took photos of his classmate posing with the eruption behind him.

Fourth graders from Ka‘ū Learning Academy display 

their free Every Kid in a Park pass at Jaggar Museum. 

NPS Photo by Janice Wei

   Hirono also presented the national park with Senate Resolution 541, proclaiming Aug. 1, 2016 as Hawaiʻi Volcanoes and Haleakalā National Parks Day, to honor the parks’ centennial anniversaries.
     “As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, the Every Kid in a Park program promotes a lifelong appreciation for our environment and natural resources,” said Hirono.
     Educators for all grades can learn more about the park's educational opportunities and curriculum on the park website: https://www.nps.gov/havo/learn/education/index.htm, and by calling the Education Center at 985-6019.

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Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. all day today.
Photo by Julia Neal

IT’S ELECTION DAY, and a holiday to make time to vote for U.S. President, members of the U.S. Congress and Hawaiʻi State Legislature, Office of Hawaiian Affairs and amendments to law.

     Election Day voting locations, open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. include: Cooper Center in Volcano at 19-4030 Wright Rd; Ka‘ū High School Cafeteria at 96-3150 Pikake St. - turn into the school grounds; Nā‘ālehu Elementary School Cafeteria at 95-5545 Hwy 11; Ocean View Community Center at 92-5545 Māmalahoa Hwy; and Miloli‘i Halāu. See ballots below.

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CANDIDATES IN TODAY'S ELECTIONS include those for U.S. Senator. Candidates: Constitution Party member Joy Allison; Republican John Carroll; American Shopping Party member John M. Giuffre; Libertarian Michael A. Kokoski; and incumbent Democrat Brian Schatz.
     Ka‘ū's member in congress is also up for reelection. Democrat Tulsi Gabbard is challenged by Republican Angela Kaaihue.

     On the East Ka‘ū ballots, Sen. Russell Ruderman is challenged by Libertarian Fredrick Fogel. East Ka‘ū state Rep. Richard Onishi is challenged by Libertarian Gregory Arianoff and Green Party Candidate Kealoha Pisciotta. On the West Ka‘ū ballots, West Ka‘ū state Rep. Richard Creagan, a Democrat, is challenged by Libertarian Michael Last. West Ka‘ū state Sen. Josh Green is not up for reelection this year.

     Office of Hawaiian Affairs voting is open to people of all races and cultural backgrounds. On the ballot, incumbent Robert Lindsey is challenged by Millilani Trask. The At-Large Trustee contest is between Keli‘i Akina and Haunani Apoliona. 

      Listed in alphabetical order, for United States Presidency, are the following candidates: Constitution Party member Daniel L. Castle (who withdrew but still on ballot) with vice presidential running mate Scott Bradley; Democrat Hillary Clinton with Tim Kaine; Libertarian Gary Johnson with Bill Weld; Green Party candidate Jill Stein with Ajamu Baraka; and Republican Donald Trump, with Michael Pence.

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THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS on the ballot for today’s General Election include one for the Hawaiʻi County General Plan, which would add considerations for health into its language.  A state Constitution Amendment would hike up the minimum value of an expected outcome in each civil case from $5,000 to $10,000 in order for the case to be heard by a jury.  

     Another proposed state Constitutional Amendment would allow the state to distribute excess funds in its coffers when they reach more than 5 percent of revenues for two consecutive years – to be used for debt service for state bonds or pensions and other post-employment benefit liabilities for state employees.

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KAʻŪ HOSPITAL REPORTS that its newly upgraded electronic medical record system has produced some errors. “During a recent upgrade of our system some bills for services received at our hospital may have gone out with incorrect information,” reports Kaʻū Hospital Administrator Merilyn Harris. She asks that anyone receiving any bills in question, please contact the hospital. “Please let us know if you have received one of these. Our staff members are working hard to fix the problem and we apologize for the inconvenience,” she said.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard will be keynote speaker
at KMC Veteran's Day ceremony.
Photo from Office of Tulsi Gabbard

CIVIL DEFENSE REPORTED YESTERDAY at 12:30 p.m. that Hawaiian Telcom was experiencing technical problems affecting telephone, internet, and cell phone services, including 911. Problems were reported from Pahala though Hawaiian Ocean View Estates. Bank of Hawaiʻi, Longs Drugs and other businesses were unable to make transactions. The outage was as far north as Kailua-Kona and lasted until approximately 4:30 p.m. Civil Defense advises that anyone affected by these problems requiring immediate medical attention, go to the nearest fire station, police station, or medical facility.

LEARN THE SKILL OF WEAVING lau hala with practitioners from ʻAha Pūhala o Puna this Wednesday, Nov. 9 from 10 a.m. to noon at Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai. For centuries, Hawaiians have used the hala (pandanus) tree to create many useful and beautiful items.

FREE ENTRANCE TO HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK will be this Friday, Nov. 11, National parks across the country will waive entrance fees for Veterans Day in honor of the men and women who have served the nation. The park has dozens of veterans among its employees and volunteers. Active duty U.S. military can obtain a free annual Military Pass at the park’s entrance station all year. For more information on the free Military Pass, visit the park website http://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/fees.htm.

KĪLAUEA MILITARY CAMP VETERAN'S DAY CEREMONY will be this Friday, Nov. 11. KMC celebrates a century of service with keynote speaker, U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. The ceremony is on the front lawn at 3 p.m.

VETERANS DAY BUFFET is offered by Kilauea Military Camp's Crater Rim Cafe this Friday, Nov. 11 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. following Veterans Day ceremonies. Adults $27.95. Children 6-11 years old $14.50

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

See www.kaucalendar.com

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Kaʻu News Briefs, Monday, Nov. 7, 2016

Preserving historic sites and responsible stewardship of Ka Pae ‘Āina O Hawaiʻi are “rooted in Hawaiian traditions
that make caring for the land a cultural value,” states OHA which asks everyone to vote for its trustees on Nov. 8.
Photo from OHA

OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS CANDIDATES are vying for everyone’s vote on Tuesday. Any registered voter, no mater the race or cultural background, can vote for the OHA Board of Trustee members. OHA, a state agency created at the 1978 Hawaiʻi Constitutional Convention, controls many thousands of acres entrusted for the benefit of Hawaiians. Income from real estate, investments and funding goes to grants and loans for health care, charter schools, scholarships, agriculture, economic development, historic preservation, culture, arts, environmental advocacy and many other programs. OHA’s  annual budget is about $40 million and its portfolio value is about $630 million in cash, real estate and investments.

Wao Kele O Puna is a 25,856 acre forest preserve owned by OHA.
Photo from Big Island Video News

    Writing in Civil Beat recently, OHA trustee Peter Apo encourages all citizens to learn about OHA and to consider voting for OHA trustees, stating they “routinely make decisions that affect everyone in Hawaiʻi.” OHA recently supported the successful expansion of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands to make it the largest marine protected conservation district on the planet. Apo noted that OHA financially supported  the recent global convention of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, held in Hawaiʻi.    
      Regarding OHA’s land use mission, OHA’s website states: “Our  focus on protecting the ‘āina is part of a larger effort to honor the past while preparing for the future. This particular emphasis for us is rooted in Hawaiian traditions that make caring for the land a cultural value. As a result, a top priority for us is to ensure that Native Hawaiians participate in and benefit from responsible stewardship of Ka Pae ‘Āina O Hawai’i.”
      Near Kaʻu, OHA has title to the 25,856-acre Wao Kele O Puna forest makai of Volcano. It is one of the few remaining tracts of lowland rainforest in the State of Hawaiʻi, a watershed, native plant seed bank for Kīlauea Volcano, endangered species habitat and provides forest resources for native Hawaiian cultural practices.

Teaching the use of native plants for landscaping is a program
 of OHA. Photo from OHA

     OHA points to its advocacy for “laws that provide transparency safeguards in the sale, gift or exchange of public lands as well as ensure that at least one member of the (state) Board of Land and Natural Resources has expertise in Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices.” OHA's protection of water resources includes becoming a “co-petitioner in the historic Nā Wai ʻEhā stream flow contested case, which helped to reaffirm the state’s responsibility to ensure that water benefits everyone and not just corporate interests.”
     On this island, OHA is attempting to work closely with the U.S. Army at Pōhakuloa Training Area to address community concerns about “destruction of land with significant cultural site and exposure to health hazards caused by residue from depleted uranium used during military exercises.” It is also involved in the analysis and community response to the Thirty Meter Telescope planned for Mauna Kea.
     OHA pledges on its website to support sustainability by “Increasing the percent of Ka Pae ‘Āina O Hawai‘i managed to create economic value, preserve cultural and natural resources and historic properties, and/or provide cultural and social opportunities for Native Hawaiians in a sustainable and balanced manner. One OHA goal is “increasing from 12% to 15%  - the percent of ahupuaʻa that are managed sustainably,” states OHA at www.oha.org
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ROBERT LINDSEY is running to keep his position as an OHA trustee. The Kamuela resident served as a trustee for 14 years and chairs the OHA board. He has also represented other organizations, sitting on the boards for Habitat for Humanity in West Hawaiʻi and West Hawaiʻi Mediation Center. In his professional life, Lindsey is retired from Kamehameha Schools, where he was the director of the Land Assets Division on Hawaiʻi Island. He also worked as a National Park Service ranger and served one term in the Hawaiʻi Legislature.
     Lindsey is endorsed by United Public Workers, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, Hawaiʻi Construction Alliance, Laborers International Union, and Operative Plasterers and Cement Masons.

Robert Lindsey is running to hold his seat as the OHA trustee for Hawai`i Island
Photo from bob4oha.com

     Lindsey said he lives by the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.”  He expressed other core principles and values: “I do things always with Aloha and live by the teachings of Pilahi Paki, but always with the caution of Queen Liliʻuokalani. I will always choose being kind, thoughtful and considerate of others and their views. I prefer listening to talking. I believe in ethics, transparency and accountability. I mean what I say and say what I mean.”
     Lindsey is a writer,  authoring three books of fiction: Latitude 20.4 N Longitude 151.71; The 5th of July, God is Aloha.  His most recent work is Sonny Kaniho, A Profile in Hawaiian Courage.
     Former four-time trustee Oswald Stender described Lindsey in a recent Civil Beat editorial as “commiteed to the mission of OHA, hard working, and a servant to the Hawaiian people as well as the broader Hawaiʻi community.” Stender wrote: “It is important to Bob that the community works together to resolve disagreements and come up with solutions that will help the Hawaiian people and the communities in which they live to growand prosper while finding ways to live and work together harmoniousely. As a servant leader, Bob searches out common ground for projects, programs and funding.”
    Lindsey’s community positions include: Chair of Mellon-Hawaiʻi Scholars Committee; President of Kohala Ditch Foundation; Trustee of North Hawaiʻi Community Hospital; Director of Kahua Paʻa Mua; Director of Akaka Foundation for Tropical Forests; Director, Kanu O Ka ‘Aina Learning Ohana, a Charter School; Lifetime Member of Kamehameha Schools Alumni Association; Founder & Director of the Kohala Center; member of Waimea Outdoor Circle; member of Waimea Hawaiian Homesteader’s Association; and member of Hawai`i Island Legislative Delegation. See more at bob4oha.com.
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MILILANI TRASK challenges Bob Lindsey for his OHA position. The Kurtistown resident is an attorney with a law degree from Santa Clara University. She graduated with a degree in political science from University of California at San Jose and she is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools.
     Trask  is an international expert on indigenous rights and a grassroots organizer in Hawaiʻi. Her campaign website says, “Mililani Trask is driven by the abiding conviction that in defending native peoples one should be mindful to do right by the entire community at large as well. One cannot prosper at the expense of the other.”
     Concerning land use, Trask said, I think OHA is uniquely placed to ensure that we don’t just pay lip service to our Hawaiian sense of place. But we must recognize the realities of our times and be open to change to ensure that Hawaiians do not remain on the periphery, but instead have a meaningful stake in the main economy and access to all the opportunities from which they are now too often excluded. That includes being proactive and engaged in addressing the homelessness that afflicts too many Native Hawaiians.”

Mililani Trask is running for the Hawai`i Island tustee post for OHA
Photo from trask4oha.com

     Trask has been appointed to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. She is a founding member of the Indigenous Women’s Network, a collation of Native American Women whose work includes community-based economic development, social justice, human rights, housing and health. She has provided expert testimony to the U.S. Senate on Hawaiian Homelands. In recent years, she has advocated for the development of sustainable energy, working with the Maori of New Zealand and Native Hawaiians. She states that OHA should be involved in Hawaiʻi becoming independent from oil and other imported sources of energy.
     Her website says that she has worked with many prominient figures in international communities on human rights, including spending six years with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, India.
     Trask’s endorsements include Hawaiʻi Government Employee’s Union, Local 368 Laborers’ International Union, Hawaiʻi Building Construction Trades Council, Hawaiʻi Carpenters Union, Hawaiian Mason’s Union and Iron Workers Union. Personal endorsements include those form Colleen Hanabusa,who is running to go back to the U.S. Congress, Princess Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawananakoa, Robert Uluwehi Cazimero, Brother Noland, the late Kumu Leinaʻala Kalama Heini, and more. See www.trask4oha.com.
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THE GRAND RALLY, when Democratic candidates from around the state gather in Hilo on election night eve begins at 5 p.m. at Aunty Sally’s Luʻau Hale. Everyone is invited to hear the speeches. 

ELECTION DAY IS TOMORROW, TUESDAY, NOV. 8, and the last chance for registered voters to make a choice for U.S. President, members of the U.S. Congress and Hawaiʻi State Legislature, Office of Hawaiian Affairs and amendments to law.

     Election Day voting locations, open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. include: Cooper Center in Volcano at 19-4030 Wright Rd; Ka‘ū High School Cafeteria at 96-3150 Pikake St. - turn into the school grounds; Nā‘ālehu Elementary School Cafeteria at 95-5545 Hwy 11; Ocean View Community Center at 92-5545 Māmalahoa Hwy; and Miloli‘i Halāu. See ballots below.

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VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT MEETING will be held today, Monday, Nov. 7 at Ocean View Community Center, 4 p.m. 939-7033.

EARTHQUAKE: DID YOU FEEL THAT?  is the topic on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at After Dark in the Park at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Seismic Network Manager Brian Shiro makes the presentation. Free; park fees apply.

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

See www.kaucalendar.com