Kaʻū News Briefs, Wednesday, May 10, 2023

New plans for Punalu`u may be presented by its owners in June, according to a report at
the Kaʻū Community Development Plan Action Committee meeting on Monday. Photo from KCDP

KAʻŪ COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ACTION COMMITTEE focused on a variety of community issues on Monday evening at Ocean View Community Center. Subcommittees gave reports.

Kaʻū Community Development Plan Action Committee meeting in Ocean
View on Monday. Photo by Peter Bosted

    Punalu'u Coastline Access & Resources Investigatory Committee said that Eva Liu's group, which owns the old resort property, was contacted and that representatives said there will be a community meeting to explain the state of current plans sometime in June. Plans for expanding accommodations and restoring and adding onto old facilities that were abandoned, including the Golf Clubhouse, tennis court and Aspen Center area, could require application for a Special Management Area for lands below Hwy 11 in the Punalu'u area.          

    Ideas entertained over the last few years are adding on condominiums, restoring the old restaurant by the pond at Black Sand beach, building a small hotel and other housing and commercial enterprises.  Some coastal land may also be sold to the county for preservation.

    Subcommittee on Kupuna Housing reported on renewed interest to establish senior citizen housing on the current location of O Kaʻū Kakou's weekly outdoor market.
    Subcommittee on Nā'ālehu Theatre reported on the building being torn down and there was suggestion of dissolving the committee but the committee was retained to look into the future use of the building site.      

    Word in the community is that a grocery store will soon come to the shopping center adjacent to the old theater site and that the theater site could also be included in the planning.
    Subcommittee on Mahana Bay - Green Sands Beach reported on outreach to Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, asking for better stewardship of the trail and 4WD track, parking and Green Sands Beach itself.
    Subcommittee on Pohue Bay reported on efforts to work with Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on its plan for public access to the coast. The Park recently acquired thousands of acres along the coast there.
    Several people from Wood Valley approached the Committee on the satellite dishes recently approved
by the Planning Commission for land along Wood Valley Road. The scientific project by a Taiwanese University deep space research group involves efforts to detect signals from deep space.      The scientists claim the dishes will be passive, without emitting any radio or other signals from the satellite dishes. Opponents have said they feared it would usher in a campus of satellite dishes that would be incompatible with the farm community. Some questioned whether there would be no emissions from the dishes and whether it would be used to spy. With the project approved by the planning commission, the opponents would have to file for a contested case, a legal proceeding to have their point of view reconsidered.

    Subcommittee on Solar Farms, Large & Small mall reported on projects planned in Kaʻū. Arion Energy and Pivot Energy, the developers of South Point Shared Solar, Ka Lae 1 and Ka Lae 2 were contacted. The two solar farms planned near Nā'ālehu are designed to provide power for more than 200 households, plus businesses and nonprofits, which would receive discounts on their electric bills if they sign up. 

      Included among many questions was the future of the orange trees presently growing on one of the sites that will be destroyed to make way for the solar panels. The committee also asked for guarantees that the sites would be cleaned up when the 20-year contract is over. It was noted that these solar projects are not designed to provide backup power to residents during a power outage.

    A community meeting sponsored by South Point Shared Solar developers will be held on Wednesday, May 31 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Nā'ālehu Community Center.

     Concerning solar in Ocean View, resident Annie Bosted asked the committee to support efforts to end a project that would result in 26 solar installations being built among homes makai of the highway. She circulated a map showing the proposed locations of the solar installations, and the locations of homes. She also passed around a petition signed by nearly 700 residents who are opposed to the project. She stated detrimental results of this proposed project on the community, and said it would negatively impact the local economy.
    Bosted said that after the meeting, Kaʻū Community Development Plan Action Committee member Ka'ohi Mokuhali'i emailed, saying, "Be Assured your voice and concern was clearly heard. We will be forwarding this information to the CDP office to place on file. I truly hope, even though we are only an advisory council, that we as a group can help to find solutions, and or pathways to assist your concerns and move forward with a positive outcome. We must always strive to protect our precious environment!"

    Read about Kaʻū Community Development Plan and comment at https://www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov/general-plan-community-planning/cdp/kau

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Community input on the County's Integrated Climate Action Plan is due June 1. Photo from County of Hawai'i

COUNTY OF HAWAI'I SEEKS FEEDBACK ON ITS INTEGRATED CLIMATE ACTION PLAN through June 1. A statement from the County says, "The ICAP is a cross-departmental effort that charts the County's responsibility to reduce its contribution to global climate change and make its services and facilities resilient to the effects of a changing climate. The ICAP identifies actions the County can take and will be used as a tool to hold the County accountable for climate action. The County of Hawaiʻi encourages all residents to review the ICAP and provide feedback through Konveio, an interactive online platform." The link to the Konveio site is cohplanning.konveio.com.

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MANU MINUTE WITH SOUNDS OF HAWAI'I'S NATIVE BIRDS has been launched on Hawai'i Public Radio's HPR 1 and 2, available in Kaʻū. HPR's FM stations here are HPR 1 KANO at 89.1 and HPR 2 KAHU at 91.3. 

    A statement from HPR says, "Manu Minute brings you the rich sounds from Hawai'i's native forests and shorelines. Each Wednesday, Patrick Hart, principal investigator at the University of Hawaiʻi-Hilo LOHE Bioacoustics Lab, features a different Hawai'i bird and its unique song, and talks about its environment and conservation.

    Learn about endemic species such as the critically endangered kiwikiu — one of the rarest birds in the world — and native honeycreeper ʻākohekohe. A statement from HPR says, "Manu Minute and LOHE lab's research bring to light recent efforts to help the plight of our feathered friends." Their conservation work helped push forward the recent Board of Land and Natural Resources-approved landscape-scale mosquito control program to save native birds.

Patrick Hart holds a juvenile 'i'iwi. Archival photo from LOHE Lab

    Hart, who is Principal Investigator, LOHE Bioacoutics Lab, said, "Landscape-scale mosquito control to save our Hawaiian forest birds has long been a dream for bird ecologists and all of those who live our manu. We are very excited about the upcoming release of sterile male mosquitoes." The first release will be on Maui later this year to help reverse decline of ʻĀkohekohe, Kiwikiu, and ʻIʻiwi. Hart and his team are also exploring cultural connections to native birds through chants on Hawaiʻi Island in an effort to spread awareness of mo'olelo (stories) about Hawaiʻi's native birds. He recently shared their work on HPR's The Conversation.
    The LOHE Lab also shares what to expect in the bird world for the next month or two:

     Most kōlea have made it safely to their nesting grounds in Alaska and have started building nests. Seabirds, including ʻuaʻu (Hawaiian Petrel), ʻaʻo (Newell Shearwater), and ʻakēʻakē (Band-rumped Storm petrel) have mostly returned to their high elevation nest sites on most of the main Hawaiian islands and are likely sitting on eggs.
    Most of manu nahele (forest birds), including ʻiʻiwi, ʻapapane, and ʻamakihi have fledged their keiki from the nest. Most manu that feed on insects (insectivores), including ʻākepa, ʻalawi, and ʻelepaio are still incubating eggs or feeding hatchlings.
    Catch Manu Minute Wednesdays during The Conversation 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. on HPR-1 and during Classical Pacific 3 - 6 p.m. on HPR-2. Subscribe to Manu Minute as a podcast on Apple, Spotify, and Google.

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Kaʻū News Briefs, Tuesday, May 9, 2023

EXPANDING THE PACIFIC REMOTE ISLANDS MARINE NATIONAL MONUMENT AROUND PALMYRA ATOL, KINGMAN REEF AND BAKER AND HOWLAND ISLANDS goes to a public meeting this Thursday, May 11 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Mokupapapa Discovery Center, 76 Kamehameha Ave in Hilo.

    The plan is to expand Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument from its current size of 50

nautical square miles to 200 nautical square miles miles. The plan is to expand Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument from its current size of 50 nautical square miles to 200 nautical square miles miles.
    A statement from Conservation Council for Hawai'i says, "This expansion will enable more reefs to regenerate and flourish, protect the ocean floor from mining, and give native wildlife a chance to survive. To the native communities, these islands hold much cultural and historical significance." According to  Conservation Council, the expansion would also honor the memory of the 130 men who occupied the islands during World War II from 1935 - 1942 and "perpetuate the indigenous seafaring knowledge between Pacific Islanders.
    In conjunction with the expansion, in Conservation Council for Hawai'i's statement, the monument would be renamed. and a co-management team knowledgable in traditional and scientific practices would steward the place. NOAA has begun a scoping process for the Pacific Remote Islands with in-person public meetings, including the option of joining virtually for the meeting on Wednesday, May 10 in Honolulu and the meeting May 11 in Hilo.
    The public comment period ends on June 2. Voice opinions at https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/NOAA-NOS-2023-0052-0001 or by mail to PRI-Proposed Sanctuary, NOAA, c/o Hoku Kaaekuahiwi Pousima, 76 Kamehameha Ave Hilo, HI 96720. See https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/pacific-remote-islands/.

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A hole in one was accomplished at 4,000 ft elevation, announced Volcano Golf Course. Photo from Volcano Golf Course

Janelle Akuna, after her Hole in One at Volcano
 Golf Course. Photo from Volcano Golf Course

A HOLE IN ONE AT VOLCANO GOLF COURSE was scored by Janelle Akuna, reports Volcano Golf Course General Manager Dawn Crozier. She said Akuna accomplished the feat on Hole #3 on April 23, using a hybrid club from the forward tees approximately 105 yards to the hole. This was Akuna's first HIO.
    Volcano Golf Course is owned by Kamehameha Schools and operated by Toon, which manages nine courses in the Hawaiian Islands, including Mauna Lani. Toon operates more than 665 courses worldwide.

     Volcanogc.com gives the description: "For over 100 years at Volcano Golf Course, guests have been treated to panoramic views of both Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea while playing alongside endemic ‘ōhi‘a trees that bloom vibrant red, and the nēnē, Hawai‘i’s state bird that nest throughout the property. This 18-hole golf course is set at the rim of the active Kīlauea volcanic crater, 4000 feet above sea, making it a truly unique golfing experience."

     In regard to Kamehameha Schools stewardship, the website says, "KS holds a great kuleana, or responsibility, to sustainably care for, nurture and enhance our lands for communities of today and tomorrow."

    Volcano Golf Course offers an All You Can Play Yearly Membership for $329 per month. Pay $3,290 in advance to receive a $658 discount. A 30-day All You Can Play Pass costs $349. A Ten Round Punch Card costs $359. A Twilight 30-day pass for unlimited play with tee time starting at 1:30 p.m. is $150.00. Driving Range passes are $10 per month. See more at volcanogc.com and on https://www.facebook.com/VolcanoGolfCourse/, with a link to Volcano Golf Courses's new online store.

Volcano Golf Course is owned by Kamehameha Schools and operated by Toon. See volcanogc.com and https://www.facebook.com/VolcanoGolfCourse/, with a link to its new online store. Photo from Volcano Golf Course

Miloli'i- Kaʻū 16s took first in their category at the tournament on Saturday that brought 16 teams to Robert Herkes Kaʻū 
District Gym  from around the island and O'ahu. Photo from Miloli'i-Kaʻū Volleyball Club

Mauloa Girls took first in 4s category. Photo from Miloli'i-Kaʻū

MILOLI'I KAʻŪ VOLLEYBALL GIRLS WON THE 16s CATEGORY in the tournament held last Saturday at Robert Herkes Kaʻū District Gym. Second went to Keaukaka Boys. In the 14s category. Mauloa Girls won, with second going to AMP. 

     Sixteen teams from eight clubs from as far away as O'ahu came to Kaʻū for the tournament organized by Kaimi Kaupiko and crew. 

    The clubs were Miloli'i-Kaʻū, Keaukaha, Pu'uki, AMP, Maunalani from O'ahu, Ho'opa, Mauloa and Hi Intensity.

     Maunalani's coach, who hosts the club at Kamehameha School gym on Oa'hu with team members from Kapolei and other parts of Honolulu, said she looks forward to the event becoming an annual tournament with students traveling to Kaʻū.   

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This Maunalani Club came from O'ahu with two teams. Photo from Miloli'i-Kaʻū Volleyball

Miloli'i- Kaʻū 14s at the tournament held last Saturday, with teams from as far away as O'ahu.  Photo from Miloli'i-Kaʻū 

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Kaʻū News Briefs, Monday, May 8, 2023

Volcano Art Center Offers Liko A'e Keiki Summer Day Camp Program

A weeklong summer camp will be held at at VAC’s Niaulani Campus from June 12- June 16 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The camp is open to Keiki 7-13 years of age. It includes ceramics. Hawaiian rhythms and dance will be an introduction to hula and Hawaiian instruments. There will be drawing, painting, and It’s A Honu World Puppetry with original music and puppetry celebrating life stories of the sea turtles of Hawai'i. Early registration deadline is May 19. Deadline is June 2. Financial scholarships available. See https://volcanoartcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/VAC-LIKO-A%CA%BBE-SCHOLARSHIP-FORM.pdf. Call Volcano Art Center for more info at (808) 967- 8222.

A MAGNITUDE 3.8 EARTHQUAKE 20 miles below sea level, 7 miles east-northeast of Pāhala, was felt

See explanation of Pāhala swarm at https://phys.org/news/2022-12-
hawaii-earthquake-swarm-magma-sills.html. Image from phys.org

islandwide with light shaking just before midnight Sunday, but many people in Pāhala didn't feel it. The quake at 11:58 p.m. followed an M3.3 Sunday morning at 7:35 a.m. Another M2.7 occurred Monday morning at 3:19 a.m.
    USGS reported that the quakes had no apparent impact on either Mauna Loa or Kīlauea volcanoes.
    The M3.8 was described by USGS as "part of the swarm of earthquakes that has been occurring beneath the Pāhala region since 2019. These quakes may be related to deep transport of magma in the hotspot beneath the Island of Hawaiʻi, but pose no volcanic threat to residents." 

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THE MASS MURDER AT A TEXAS SHOPPING MALL on Saturday led to Gov. Josh Green and Pres. Joe Biden on Monday to order U.S. and Hawai'i state flags to be flown at half mast through sunset on Thursday, May 11 at U.S. post offices, the State Capitol and all state offices and agencies as well as the Hawai'i National Guard facilities. 

    The eight deceased victims included children and adults. They were multinational, their roots in India, Korea, Latin America and the U.S. The assailant, of Latin descent, who was shot and killed by a police officer, was described as a loaner, a man wearing racist badges and swastika tattoos, having posted messages of hate.
    Hawai'i's Governor said, "We lower the flags in solemn remembrance of the victims of gun violence in Allen, Texas and with healing wishes for all the families and loved ones who are hurting."
    The U.S. President said, "an assailant in tactical gear armed with an AR-15 style assault weapon gunned down innocent people in a shopping mall, and not for the first time. Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar. And yet, American communities have suffered roughly 200 mass shootings already this year, according to leading counts. More than 14,000 of our fellow citizens have lost their lives, credible estimates show. The leading cause of death for American kids is gun violence.
    "Since I signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law and took two dozen executive actions to stem the tide of gun violence, we have made some progress. States are banning assault weapons, expanding red flag laws and more — but it’s not enough. We need more action, faster to save lives.
    "Too many families have empty chairs at their dinner tables. Republican Members of Congress cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug. Tweeted thoughts and prayers are not enough.
    "Once again I ask Congress to send me a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Enacting universal background checks. Requiring safe storage. Ending immunity for gun manufacturers. I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe."

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HAWAII'I POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ASKING FOR THE PUBLIC TO HELP FIGHT FENTANYL. HPD issued a statement on Monday, saying it is committed to fighting drugs on island and apprehending those who distribute and sell illegal narcotics. "In recent years, the use of illicit fentanyl has reached

epidemic proportions on the mainland and Hawai‘i. Criminal drug networks are mixing this dangerous synthetic opioid into illegal counterfeit pills and selling them as legitimate prescription pills, often with deadly consequences."
    HPD launched a monthly public release of fentanyl stats documenting the amount of fentanyl related arrests for possession and distribution in Hawai‘i County and the quantity of fentanyl recovered for the preceding month. The monthly reports are similar to HPD’s weekly DUI stats.
    “By proactively issuing monthly statistics on fentanyl arrests and the amount of fentanyl recovered, Big Island residents can monitor the department’s commitment to eradicating this drug from our communities,” says Chief of Police Benjamin Moszkowicz. “What’s more, people can keep track of accurate data themselves, rather than relying on rumors or potentially misleading claims.”

Area I (East Hawai‘i)					Area II (West Hawai‘i)
Month/2023	Fentanyl Arrests	Fentanyl Recovered: Grams	Fentanyl Recovered: Pills		Month/2023	Fentanyl Arrests	Fentanyl Recovered: Grams	Fentanyl Recovered: Pills
January	2	0	0		January	6	148.45	422
February	0	57.79	0		February	4	91.9	79
March	2	34.61	2		March	4	29.13	15
April	2	1.24	50		April	2	19.9	30
Total	6	93.64	52		Total	16	289.38	546

 For fentanyl safety tips, how to recognize fentanyl poisoning, and more, see HPD’s website: https://www.hawaiipolice.com/services/crime-tips#fentanyl.
     HPD asks for info from the public relating to illicit drug use and distribution, as well as vice issues such as prostitution, gambling, and other related crimes. "Hawai‘i Police Department encourages you to call our East Hawaiʻi and West Hawaiʻi Vice Sections 24-hour anonymous vice/drug tip hotline."
    To share info pertaining to districts of Kaʻū, Kona, South Kohala, and North Kohala, call

(808) 329-ZERO-ICE, (808) 329-0423. To share information pertaining to districts of Puna, South Hilo, North Hilo, and Hāmākua, call (808) 934-VICE, (808) 934-8423
    HPD advises, "When you call, you will be asked to provide information. You do not have to provide your name, address or telephone number. All information is kept confidential and within the Criminal Investigation Division. Information is cross-referenced, allowing detectives to determine if additional information related to the criminal activity about which you are calling has been reported in the past. Even “small” bits of information can at times provide detectives with the missing link that allows them to take action."

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IT IS ILLEGAL TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM RECIPIENTS IN HAWAI'I.  "When voucher holders are denied an opportunity to rent, it is a barrier to securing housing assistance," says Michael Yee, who heads the county Office of Housing & Community Development Existing Housing Division. 

    Yee's statement follows the Hawai'i Legislature passing and Gov. Josh Green signing Act 310, which became law on May 1. It prohibits discrimination in advertisements for available real property. It prohibits discrimination against prospective or current tenants based on participation in a Permanent Supportive Housing programs or any Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program. The law applies mainly to landlords who own more than four rental properties with some exemptions allowed.

    Yee said, "This law is a needed step in the right direction and will help provide individuals and families greater access to affordable housing."

     The law aims to reduce source-of-income discrimination against people who use these types of rental assistance. It provides Section 8 participants with the same protections afforded to other classes under state and federal Fair Housing laws.

    Nicholas Severson, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii's Housing Managing Attorney, said, "This law is important because it prohibits landlords from turning away prospective tenants because they rely on housing subsidies. Ideally, it should make it easier for low-income individuals to secure housing. It also provides an enforcement mechanism that punishes landlords for advertising that they do not rent to folks with housing subsidies, hopefully curtailing that very common practice."

     Discrimination that is prohibited under the law includes: Advertising a rental property as not accepting vouchers; refusing to engage in a rental transaction with someone based on their participation in a housing assistance program; and requiring rental conditions that are different from those required for a person not participating in a housing assistance program
    The county announced that a  fine up to $2,000 will be issued for initial violations. Each subsequent violation will net a landlord a $2,500 fine.
    Hawai'i County Office of Housing & Community Development is responsible for planning, administration, and operation of all County of Hawai'i housing programs. "Our Mission is to provide for the development of viable communities through decent housing, suitable living environments and expanded economic opportunities," says the County statement. See https://www.housing.hawaiicounty.gov/housing-assistance

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