The Kaʻū Calendar News Briefs, Hawaiʻi Island

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.

A lava flow on Kilauea's East Rift Zone continues to advance southeast toward the ocean
and was 2.1 miles long yesterday. Photo from USGS/HVO

A LAVA FLOW IS HEADING toward the ocean once again. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist Tim Orr told Tom Callis, of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald, that if a flow from Pu`u `O`o continues its southeasterly path, “It likely will reach the ocean eventually.” Orr said lava from the flow that began on May 24 is moving toward Puna’s Royal Gardens Subdivision, which is already covered in lava from the decades-long, continuing eruption.

The June 27 lava flow remains inactive, as well as a recent flow that was
heading northeast. Shown in red is the active flow moving toward
the ocean. Map from USGS/HVO

Lava has stalled in the June 27 flow that threatened Pahoa. Another recent flow that was heading northwest is also inactive, HVO reported.

See hawaiitribune-herald.com and hvo.wr.usgs.gov.
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NEW FINDINGS SHOW PROMISING trends in Hawai`i student health behaviors. Hawai`i Department of Health, Department of Education and University of Hawai`i released high school data from the 2015 Hawai`i Youth Risk Behavior Survey for the state and each of the four counties. The YRBS is a bi-annual voluntary survey that regularly monitors the health risk behaviors of public, non-charter school students statewide. Over 12,000 Hawai`i students in grades six through 12 participated in the 2015 survey.
Topics covered in the survey include unintentional injuries and violence; tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use; sexual behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection; unhealthy dietary behaviors; and physical inactivity. The survey also monitors the percentages of students affected by obesity and asthma.
The 2015 YRBS results show trends toward less-risky behaviors in many important areas and highlight needed improvements in others.
Physical fighting continues to decline, with 15 percent of high school students reporting that they were in a fight at least once during the 12 months before the survey. Bullying has stayed relatively steady, with one in five high school students reporting that they were bullied on school property during the same time period.

Kathryn Matayoshi

Consistent with objectives outlined in the state’s Physical Activity and Nutrition Plan, many YRBS indicators suggest an increase in youth behaviors that support healthy lifestyles. Only 13 percent of high school students report drinking at least one can, bottle or glass of soda at least once per day, compared to 23 percent in 2007. The survey does not cover drinking other types of beverages with added sugar such as sports drinks, energy drinks, fruit drinks (other than 100 percent fruit juice) or sweetened tea and coffee. The proportion of high school students meeting physical activity recommendations remains steady, with 20 percent achieving the national recommendation of at least 60 minutes per day on each of the seven days before the survey. However, sedentary time continues to increase, with two in five high school students spending three hours or more per day playing video games or using a computer for non-school purposes.
Alcohol use has declined among Hawai`i’s youth, with one in four high school students reporting that they drank alcohol within the 30 days before the survey. Smoking continues a steady declines; 90 percent of Hawai`i’s high school students do not smoke cigarettes. However, many have tried using electronic smoking devices, with one in four reporting that they currently use electronic smoking devices.
One area that remains a concern is adolescent mental health. In 2015, 29.5 percent of high school students reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for two or more weeks in a row at least once in their lifetime. Rates of attempted suicide over the past 12 months has steadily decreased since 1993, but remain unacceptably high at 11 percent.
“The results reflect our recent initiatives to raise the bar at all levels in education,” said Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi. “The downward trend of students engaging in risky behaviors and an increase in healthy choices is testament to the work done by our schools and the commitment of our students to strive higher.”
For a comparison of Hawai`i’s data to national rates, see http://nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline/App/Default.aspx.
For more information on the Hawai`i YRBS, see http://apps.hidoe.k12.hi.us/research/Pages/YRBS.aspx.
The full survey report, including more detailed data reports by county, gender, grade and race/ethnicity, and the survey questionnaires are available at the www.hawaiihealthmatters.org.

Sen. Mazie Hirono joined Filipino WWII veterans, other senators
and advocates of a program to reunite the vets with family
members. Photo from Office of Sen. Hirono

A LONG-AWAITED PROGRAM to reunite aging Filipino World War II veterans with their children and families is being implemented. Under the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Filipino World War II Veterans Parole program, Filipino veterans whose service has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense, or their surviving spouses, may apply to bring children and certain other family members to the United States.

“Today is a victory for the thousands of Filipino World War II veterans and their families who will finally be able to be reunited in the United States,” Sen. Mazie Hirono said. “This announcement is only possible because of the hard work of so many, and we are only beginning our work to reunite these families. I will continue to plan outreach events and coordinate with USCIS and advocates to ensure that as many veterans and families take advantage of this program as possible.”
Filipino World War II veteran Rudy Panaglima shared his family’s experience of waiting 20 years to be reunited with his sons and his hope that they will finally be able to come to the United States under the FWVP program.
Filipino veterans were granted citizenship in recognition of their service to the United States during World War II. Many of their children, however, were not. Due to backlogs in the U.S. immigration system, it can take more than 20 years for immigration applications to be reviewed. Under the FWVP program, families, some of whom have been waiting decades, can finally be together in the United States while their applications are processed.

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Bioblitz participants inventory park biodiversity,
including endemic koa bug juveniles.
NPS Photo by Sierra McDaniel

MARK YOUR CALENDARS for the free Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Cultural Festival & BioBlitz, Saturday, Aug. 27.

This year’s festival honors the park’s centennial anniversary and connects visitors and the community to the culture, biology and geology of the park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve.
Themed E Ho`omau (to perpetuate; to continue in a way that causes good to be long-lasting), the 36th annual cultural festival invites people of all ages to engage in authentic Hawaiian cultural practices and learn how native Hawaiians lived closely to the land as its stewards. Enjoy hula and music, watch skilled practitioners demonstrate their art, and try Hawaiian crafts. Performers include Halau o Akaunu with Manaiakalani Kalua, Kenneth Makuakane, Kai Ho`‘opi`i and Diana Aki, plus many more.
This year’s festival will again include a BioBlitz, a hands-on opportunity for families and individuals to observe and document the biodiversity that thrives in the lava flows and native rainforests of Kilauea volcano. In mid-July, participants will be able to sign up for any of the BioBlitz field inventories, which include Hiding in Plain Sight: the Insects and Spiders of the Park, a birding excursion called Feathers in the Forest, and Na Mea o Kanu o Ka Hula (The Plants of Hula), on the Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park website. The field inventories are led by experts at the forefront of conservation, science and traditional Hawaiian culture.
The BioBlitz runs from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the cultural festival is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Entrance and all events are free.

Participants explore the Realms and Divisions of Kahuku
tomorrow. Photo from NPS

2016 is the 100th anniversary for Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. To find out what’s happening throughout 2016, see nps.gov/havo. It’s also the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, and to learn about centennial events at other national parks, see FindYourPark.com.
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HIKERS ON PU`U KAHUKU TRAIL explore realms and divisions of the traditional Hawaiian classification system tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Kahuku Unit Of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

THE EIGHTH ANNUAL VOLCANO Pottery Sale continues today until 3 p.m. at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village.

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.

A rapidly moving `a`a lava flow was one of several that advanced down the west flank of Mauna Loa during the
volcano's 1950 eruption. The massive flow traveled from the Southwest Rift Zone vent to the ocean, a distance
of about 11 miles, in around 18 hours. Incandescently hot areas on the flow appear white. See more below.
Photo from Air National Guard's 199th Fighter Squadron & USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

EARLY HEAD START is available in Ka`u. The program offers parenting and health education that is developmentally appropriate and culturally sensitive, and family development that empowers families’ abilities to support and nurture their children by meeting social and economic goals. It encourages leadership through participation and community building.

Early Head Start can help participants answer questions about pregnancy, labor and delivery, discover the latest ideas in baby care and development, learn about playing with infants and toddlers, and plan a healthy future for themselves, their baby and their families.

Early Head Start is available in Ka`u. Image from Family Support Services

Participants can take advantage of supportive home visits that provide a “Parent Partner” to share early childhood health and development information and include fun, educational activities for the whole family to do together.

Participants can be part of parent/child socialization groups, parent support and education activities, community events, policy council and parent committees and family literacy projects. They connect with community resources like prenatal care, well-child care, food through WIC and other nutrition services, support services, education and job training, family planning services and child development programs, child care and family literacy training
To be eligible for Early Head Start participants are pregnant or have a child under three years of age, a teen parent or a foster parent, living below the poverty level, receiving TANF benefits or S.S.I. benefits and homeless or hidden homeless (couch-surfing).
For more information, call 939-7028.
See more at http://familysupporthawaii.org/early-head-start.

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KA`U LEARNING ACADEMY is accepting applications for the next school year that begins on Aug. 1. The tuition-free public charter school is now enrolling grades three through seven. The school provides free transportation and free meals.

Applications and more information are available at kaulearning.com and 808-498-0761.

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KRRA's Fourth of July Rodeo is on July 2 and 3 this year.
Photo by Julia Neal

WANT TO BE RODEO QUEEN? Ka`u Roping & Riding Association is looking for contestants between the ages of eight and 18 to run for queen for its Fourth of July Rodeo coming up on July 2 and 3 in Na`alehu.

Call Tammy Ka`apana at 929-8079 for details.

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THE CURRENT ISSUE OF VOLCANO WATCH continues Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists’ discussion of lava flows from Mauna Loa’s Southwest Rift Zone that crossed Highway 11.
“During the past 148 years, Mauna Loa Southwest Rift Zone eruptions have sent massive lava flows across Hawai`i Island’s main road six times: in 1868, 1887, 1907, 1919, 1926, and 1950,” the article states. “These flows destroyed villages, displacing residents; burned forests and ranch land, trapping cattle on isolated knolls; blocked roads, disrupting traffic; and torched telephone poles, severing communication.
“Last week’s Volcano Watch article focused on the 1868, 1887, and 1907 eruptions. This week, we describe the 1919, 1926, and 1950 lava flows, which were unlike any of the flows observed during the ongoing Kilauea eruption.
“On Sept. 26, 1919, a vent high on Mauna Loa’s Southwest Rift Zone erupted for just a few hours. Three days later, a breakout lower on the rift zone erupted fountains of lava up to120 meters (400 feet) high and sent a river of lava down the volcano’s forested slopes. Within about 20 hours, an `a`a flow several hundred meters (yards) wide crossed the circle-island Government Road (predecessor of Highway 11), burying the small village of `Alika. This flow can be seen today at Highway 11 mile markers 90-91.

“The 1919 lava flow advanced 18 kilometers (11 miles) in about 24 hours, reaching the sea north of Ho`opuloa, where it poured into the ocean for 10 days. The eruption then slowly waned until Nov. 5, when all activity ceased.

Lava flows have crossed Highway 11 six times in the past
148 years. Map from USGS/HVO

“The 1926 eruption began on April 10 at the summit of Mauna Loa, but fissures soon migrated down the volcano’s Southwest Rift Zone. By April 14, three main vents were sending huge `a`a flows downslope. Two days later, the main flow – 4-6-m (15–20-ft) high, 150-m (500-ft) wide, advancing at two m (seven ft) per minute – crossed the road. This flow is visible today along Highway 11 at mile markers 87-88.

“The 1926 flow thickened and widened as it rapidly advanced beyond the road toward the sea. On April 18, a 9-12-m (30-40-ft) high and 455-610-m (1,500-2,000-ft) wide `a`a flow plowed through the Ho`opuloa village and harbor. The destruction was gradual but complete. The eruption ended on April 26. Today you can see the extent of this flow from the coastal village of Miloli`i.
“After the 1926 eruption, Mauna Loa’s Southwest Rift Zone was quiet for 24 years. That ended in 1950 with one of the volcano’s largest historical eruptions.
“On June 1, 1950, a 2.4-km- (1.5-mi-) long fissure began erupting high on Mauna Loa’s Southwest Rift Zone around 9 p.m. Minutes later, the roar of lava fountains could be heard from Highway 11, up to 24 km (15 mi) away. Floods of lava streamed downslope from the rift zone.
“As the fissure extended farther down the rift zone, several flows raced down the west flank of the volcano. Within about two hours, the first of these flows crossed the highway and inundated the village of Pahoehoe. All villagers reached safety, but for some, who escaped with only the clothes on their backs, it was a close call.
“Thirty-five minutes later, the flow entered the ocean, creating a steam cloud that rose 3,000 m (10,000 ft) into the air. It’s noteworthy that, from vent to sea, this massive `a`a flow traveled a distance of 21 km (13 mi) in only about three hours. Two additional flows south of the first one reached the ocean in about 14 and 18 hours.
“Before ending on June 23, the 1950 eruption destroyed nearly two dozen structures and cut Highway 11 in three places (visible today between mile markers 92 and 98), burying more than 1.6 km (one mi) of the road.
“If a Mauna Loa Southwest Rift Zone lava flow crossed Highway 11 today, the lives of thousands of residents would be significantly impacted – even if they do not live in the immediate path of the flow. At the very least, travel to homes, schools, and workplaces would be disrupted.
“A Mauna Loa eruption is not imminent at this time, but the volcano will erupt again – and chances are that it will occur in your lifetime. So, now is the time to consider how you would cope with the disruptions caused by lava crossing the highway.
“Questions about Mauna Loa are answered on the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/maunaloa/FAQ_Maunaloa/.”
See hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.
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SENIOR IDS ARE AVAILABLE tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at St. Jude’s Church in Ocean View. For ages 60 and over.
Call 928-3100 for more information.

MR. KIKO SEARCHES FOR ALOHA Tuesday at 12 p.m. at Pahala Public & School Library. Former Pahala resident Marion Kittelson-Villanueva reads her recently published book at this free event.

Written under the pen name Marion Louise, Mr. Kiko Searches for Aloha is a children’s picture book, for ages four to eight, which the author described as having “cultural implications and highlighting the values of individual differences. In the story, the coqui, a singing tree frog of Puerto Rican fame, finds himself as a misfit in Hawai`i. Not by choice, Kiko faces the other species in the rainforest and comes to know true rejection. Will there ever be any aloha for this new arrival?”
After the program, there will be a simple craft for children.
For more information, call Library Manager Debbie Wong Yuen at 928-2015.

NATIVE DRYLAND PLANTS are discussed at a free, one-hour workshop Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Pahala Public & School Library. Among topics, Lehua Lopez-Mau discusses `ohi`a lehua’s environmental and cultural values, and Edward Rau presents information on rapid `ohi`a death.
Call 928-2015 for more information.

AFTER DARK IN THE PARK presents Lili`uokalani at Washington Place Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`I Volcanoes National Park. Jackie Pualani Johnson performs a one-woman show taken directly from the writings of Queen Lili`uokalani, the queen’s family and other historical sources.
$2 donations support park programs; park entrance fees apply.

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.html.

Halau Na Pua O Uluhaimalama presents Hula Kahiko Wednesday. See more below. Photo from NPS

FOLLOWING THE WORST SHOOTING incident in U.S. history, which left 49 victims and the gunman dead Sunday morning at the Orlando, FL Pulse nightclub more than 4,500 miles away, Hawai`i state Sen. Josh Green shared his thoughts:

Sen. Josh Green, also a physician, weighed in
on the national tragedy in Orlando.

“Another impossible tragedy to contemplate – dozens dead at the hands of a madman,” said Green, who represents west Ka`u and Kona. “Our Congress needs to set its partisanship aside and pass meaningful, impactful gun legislation right now.
“Translation: WTF are you waiting for?
“Once again we see tragedy strike our citizens because a maniacal person was able to run amok.
Green, who is also a practicing medical doctor, said, “My personal opinion is that: 1) there is absolutely no need for assault weapons in society, and; 2) we can do a much better job helping people with mental illness. Make this our national policy. Stop the sale of these weapons, and fund mental health services everywhere.
“I hope that we can start here. This doesn’t have to be a political impasse or a new moment to demonize those on one side of the issue or the other.
“Just close your eyes and imagine for a second that it was your beautiful son or daughter, husband or wife, lover or best friend who was senselessly gunned down last night. If that isn’t enough for us in America to act, then I don’t know what is.”
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Flags are at half-staff until Thursday evening.

FLAGS ARE FLYING AT HALF-STAFF to honor victims of the attack in Orlando, FL. By order of Gov. David Ige, the United States flag and the Hawai`i state flag will be flown at half-staff at the State Capitol and upon all state offices and agencies as well as the Hawai`i National Guard until sunset on Thursday, June 16.
“We see on the news today yet another horrific instance of man’s inhumanity to man, triggered by the fear of differences,” Gov. Ige said. “Let us reject fear and hostility. Let us embrace diversity. Let us affirm life.
“Hawai`i has some of the toughest laws regulating gun ownership in the nation. This presumed act of terror is a reminder that we cannot become complacent. We must do all that we can to ensure the public’s safety.”
President Obama also ordered flags at half-staff on all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions. He also directed that flags to be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all U.S. embassies, legations, consular offices and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.
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U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD, who represents Ka`u and the rest of the state that is rurual, joined others in decrying the Orlando hate crime and terrorist attack.
“I’m heartbroken over the tragic terrorist attack in Orlando that was specifically targeted at our friends in the LGBTQ+ community,” Gabbard said. “This was an attack on all of us. We must choose to reject the politics of hate and instead embrace a culture of love, strength, peace, and tolerance in this difficult time.
“I am a very firm believer in the Aloha spirit — respect and love for everyone, irrespective of their religion, race, sex, gender identity or sexual orientation.

“It can be difficult after a tragic event like this to stay true to those virtues. Like many, I am angry, but we cannot be a part of the cycle of violence and bigotry that breeds these mass shootings and terror attacks. We must break the cycle and choose love. That is how we make a difference in the world around us.

“Today, take a moment to tell the people you care about that you love them. Yesterday was a reminder that life is short and we should never leave those things unsaid.

“Please, if you can, consider making a contribution to the GoFundMe that has been setup to help the victims of the shooting in Orlando. You can make a donation here: https://www.gofundme.com/pulsevictimsfund.

“Rather than pour fuel on the fire of darkness, divisiveness and hatred, let us come together as a country to help the people of Orlando. We will not forget. We will stand with you.”

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THE LGBT CAUCUS OF THE DEMOCRATIC Party of Hawai`i responded to Orlando’s hate crime and the largest gun shooting in America’s history.

“We stand united with our LGBT `ohana members and their family and friends in Orlando that are the victims and survivors of this horrific hate crime,” said Michael Golojuch, Jr., chair of the caucus.

“We will not let this hate crime stop us from living our lives as out and proud members of society. These acts of violence seek to silence us, but they will not deter us from fighting for justice and equality for the LGBTQ community, for immigrants, for women, for the poor or any other minority – for we are not equal until all are equal.”
The caucus, along with Rainbow Family 808 and MoveOn.org and Honolulu Council with the support of the Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s Office, sponsored a vigil at Honolulu Hale to honor and remember the victims and the survivors of Orlando’s hate crime.
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A CANDLELIGHT VIGIL to remember the victims of the attack in Orlando, FL also took place at the Gandhi Statue in Kapi`olani Park on O`ahu yesterday evening. LGBT Hawai`i organized the event.

LGBT Hawai`i organized a candlelight vigil
following a mass shooting in Orlando, FL.
Photo from LGBT Hawai`i

“LGBT Hawai`i sends our heartfelt condolences and aloha to our many friends in Orlando and to all those who have been somehow touched by this latest violent attack on our community and on our nation. Terror has no borders,” organizers said in a statement. “Such attacks of terrorism have happened in Paris, in Brussels, in Bali, Tunisia, Kenya, in Boston and New York and now in Orlando.”

LGBT Hawai`i co-founder Scott Foster said, “With LGBT Pride events now taking place around the world, this is a heartbreaking day for us, the LGBT community in Hawai`i and worldwide. We call on LGBTs everywhere to once again stand together to help fight this latest evil and to urge authorities worldwide to implement appropriate security measures.”
Co-founder Juergen T. Steinmetz said, “Implementing appropriate security cannot wait. We must realize this here at home – in Hawai`i and nationally – we must begin to implement security measures everywhere that should include protecting our hotels, our shopping malls and our entertainment facilities; anywhere crowds routinely gather. As one of the world centers of international tourism, Hawai`i is particularly vulnerable. Orlando and Hawai`i are both major travel and tourism destinations. We must tell those who want to harm us to not underestimate the power of freedom and solidarity and the power of the United States of America. The entire civilized world is fighting you.”
LGBT Hawai`i serves the LGBT Community in Hawai`i with a special focus on global outreach for the travel and tourism industry. More information can be found at www.lgbthawaii.com.
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A Hawai`i Island student helps develop a test for Zika.
Image from Collins Lab

A HAWAI`I ISLAND STUDENT is a member of a team that is working to control spread of the Zika virus. Gary Kubota, of Honolulu Star-Advertiser, reported that Melissa Takahashi, a Waiakea High School Class of 2000 graduate, worked with Termeer Professor James Collins to develop a “rapid, low-cost, paper-based test” to detect the virus.

Kubota said Takahashi had been interested in chemistry and engineering in high school and biochemical and biomolecular engineering in college. She is currently a postdoctoral associate in Collins’ laboratory.
“It’s pretty incredible,” Takahashi told Kubota. “I never imagined that I would be working on a technology that would get worldwide attention.”
See staradvertiser.com.
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Learn about native dryland plants
tomorrow.

FORMER PAHALA RESIDENT Marion Kittelson-Villanueva reads her recently published book Mr. Kiko Searches For Aloha tomorrow at 12 p.m. at Pahala Public & School Library.
The library offers a simple craft for children after the program.

For more information, call Library Manager Debbie Wong Yuen at 928-2015.

HO`OMALU KA`U PRESENTS a Native Dryland Plants Workshop tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. at Pahala Public & School Library.

Call 928-2015 for more information.

TOMORROW’S AFTER DARK IN THE PARK presentation of Lili`uokalani at Washington Place has been rescheduled due to unforeseen circumstances. Jackie Pualani Johnson will perform the one-woman show taken directly from the writings of Queen Lili`uokalani, the queen’s family and other historical sources on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m.

HALAU NA PUA O ULUHAIMALAMA presents a hula performance Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Kilauea
Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Led by kumu hula Emery Aceret, a student of Ray Fonseca, the halau has participated in many notable hula competitions, including the Merrie Monarch Festival.
Free; park entrance fees apply.

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.

Kurt Kawamoto, third from left, and other members of the Barbless Circle Hook Project regularly attend fishing
tournaments statewide to encourage use of the hooks. Photo from DLNR

KURT KAWAMOTO, A FISHERIES biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, promotes use of barbless hooks when fishing. Kawamoto earned the moniker Mr. Barbless Hook as the driving force behind NOAA’s and Hawai`i Department of Land & Natural Resources’ Barbless Circle Hook Project, which is having an impact on the annual Ulua Challenge fishing contest, which landed record fish last weekend along Ka`u Coast and other shorelines around the island.

Barbless Circle Hook Project promotes use of the hooks that turtles,
monk seals and other sea creatures can shed. Photo from DLNR

According to Kawamoto, making a barbless hook is really simple; use a pair of pliers to smash down the barb. “Once you smash down the barbs on these hooks, they become self-shedding, so that was the main idea behind it,” he said. “It’s easy for a fish or a seal or a turtle to get rid of the hook themselves.” Researchers have witnessed a monk seal actually shed a barbless circle hook, and anglers have relayed stories about sea turtles also easily expelling barbless hooks. Although it’s easier for animals to rid themselves of the hooks, research, angler reports and actual catches with barbless circle hooks have proved their efficacy when it comes to catching target fish. During a shoreline research project, fishers used two poles; one with a barbed hook, the other with a barbless one. “We caught over 300 shoreline fish of many different kinds,” Kawamoto said. “We looked at the catches, losses and misses, and statistically we couldn’t tell the difference. Essentially you could catch just as many fish with a barbless circle hook.”

The Ulua Challenge, sponsored by S. Tokunaga Store,
brought in big fish over the weekend.
Photo from S. Tokunaga Store

Michael Tokunaga, organizer of the Tokunaga Ulua Challenge Fishing Tournament sponsored by his store S. Tokunaga, regularly hosts DLNR outreach representatives from the Barbless Circle Hook Project. He would like to see acceptance of the barbless hooks for his tournament to grow to 75 percent or better. “This is for conservation and releasing unwanted catches,” he said. “It’s just a way of fishing smart. When you catch a fish, the hook is normally in the side of the mouth. The barb has nothing to do with it in my opinion.”

After observing the Ulua Challenge last year, and entering this year, Carlo Russo, of Pahoa, fishes from the shoreline using barbless circle hooks exclusively. He said he feels there’s absolutely no downside to using them. A few hours before the tournament weigh-in, fishing with a friend on the edge of Hilo Bay, he said, “My experience with them has been 100 percent positive. I caught three papios, nice size papios, on them and didn’t lose any fish. Popped them right out; all perfectly caught in the corner of their mouths.” He also likes the fact that the barbless hooks keep bait fish alive longer because they make a smaller hole. “That’s a really big plus,” he said.
The outreach team from the project regularly attends fishing tournaments around the state to provide information, encouragement and free barbless circle hooks. “Since starting the project, I only use barbless hooks in my personal shoreline fishing, and I’ve caught all the same species,” Kawamoto said. “I couldn’t in good conscience ask fishermen to try something that I don’t use or believe in myself. I have guys on every island who are only using barbless hooks, and they’ve seen it doesn’t make a difference … and allows the big one that got away … to reproduce, to grow and possibly to be caught another day. This helps enhance the reputation of fishermen and women as practicing conservationists.”

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MAYOR BILLY KENOI’S TRIAL will begin in October, John Burnett reported in Hawai`i Tribune-Herald. Kenoi was previously ordered to report for trial on July 18. Jury selection is scheduled to begin during the week of Oct. 10. According to Burnett, an O`ahu judge will preside over the trial since Hawai`i Island judges have recused themselves.

Kenoi was indicted on eight charges related use of his county-issued purchasing card. He used the card to purchase personal items and drinks at a Honolulu hostess bar.
Two of the eight charges are for second-degree theft, which is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Kenoi entered a plea of not guilty on March 30.
The mayor is ineligible to run again due to term limits.
See hawaiitribune-herald.com.

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PLANT TREES TO COOL Ka`u’s and other schools. That’s the advice of the Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program and the state Department Division of Forestry and Wildlife, which are offering an opportunity for Hawai`i schools to help cool campuses and improve student’s health and wellbeing as well as learning and behavior outcomes. The newly launched Cool Your School cost-share grant program offers funding for schools to plant trees on campus, with technical support on their care and maintenance.

Classroom air temperatures have become a point of concern for teachers in Hawai`i, with some classroom temperatures reaching the high 90s. With proper planning, schools can make use of nature’s own air conditioner – trees.
Studies have shown that trees can cool a classroom by up to 10 degrees, according to Kaulunani. Trees block penetrating direct sunlight, reducing ambient temperatures, and the process of transpiration uses up solar energy that would otherwise heat the air. The calming effect of trees also promotes additional learning, behavioral and health benefits such as higher scores on standardized testing, fewer disciplinary problems, lower levels of stress, better concentration and fewer sick days.

Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis. The Kaulunani Council will review pre-proposals, and selected schools will be asked to submit a full proposal. Kaulunani staff will work with the selected schools to assist with tree selection, locations for planting trees, cost estimates and preparation of the grant application.

For pre-proposal form and additional application information, see http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/forestry/lap/kaulunani/grants/.
For more information, contact Jolie Wanger at jwanger@smarttreespacific.com or 808-395-7765.
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HALAU NA PUA O ULUHAIMALAMA, under the leadership of kumu hula Emery Aceret, presents a hula performance tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

Free; park entrance fees apply.

Learn to work with stained glass in a six-session
workshop. Photo from VAC

CLAUDIA MCCALL’S SIX-SESSION Stained Glass Workshop begins Thursday at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Sessions for beginning and experienced students continue each Thursday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and each Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through July 2.

Before spending a fortune on tools, students can try their hands at making stained glass art in this workshop. All of the basic techniques will be covered, including glass cutting, foiling, soldering, and completing with patina and polishing compound. McCall will share her expertise and knowledge, teaching students the skills involved in working safely with stained glass and creating a beautiful, sturdy piece of art.
Class fee is $150, $135 for VAC members. Attendees are asked to wear long pants, covered shoes and safety glasses. Attendees are also asked to bring fitted Atlas Cool Touchgloves, which can be purchased at Ace Hardware or online at Amazon.com. Advance registration is required, and the workshop is limited to six adults.
To register, call Volcano art Center at 808-967-8222.

PAHALA HOLY ROSARY CHURCH is accepting donations of silent auction items. The church holds a thrift sale and silent auction this Saturday, June 18 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

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.

Hawai`i Island fishers participated in the annual Ulua Challenge last weekend. See more below.
Photo from S. Tokunaga Store

THE WORLD’S LARGEST WAR GAMES are coming to Hawaiian waters. Sailing to RIMPAC, the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, the first ships arrived from South Korea yesterday and will be joined by military from the U.S. and many other countries. RIMPAC takes place every other year and is scheduled for June 30 - Aug. 4.

Navy diver operations are exercised during RIMPAC.
Photo from U.S. Pacific Fleet

The U.S. Pacific Fleet hosts RIMPAC. The 2016 exercises are led by U.S. Vice Adm. Nora Tyson, commander of the U.S. Third Fleet (C3F). Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine and Coast Guard services perform.

Participants in this twenty-fifth RIMPAC - the first was in 1971 - are: Australia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, China, Peru, South Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, the United Kingdom and the U.S. This is year one for Brazil, Denmark, Germany and Italy.

The 27 countries are sending 25,000 personnel, planes, helicopters, war ships, aircraft carriers, boats and submarines, fully loaded with weapons, including missiles for war games in both Hawaiian and Californian waters. According to the military Stars and Stripes newspaper, among the exercises will be “amphibious operations, gunnery, counter-piracy, mine clearance, explosive ordnance disposal and diving and salvage operations. Defensive training against missiles, submarines and aircraft will also take place.”

According to a statement from the U.S. Pacific Fleet, “RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans.”
The 2016 theme is, “Capable, Adaptive, Partners. The participating nations and forces will exercise a wide range of capabilities and demonstrate the inherent flexibility of maritime forces. These capabilities range from disaster relief and maritime security operations to sea control and complex warfighting. The relevant, realistic training program includes amphibious operations, gunnery, missile, anti-submarine and air defense exercises, as well as counter-piracy, mine clearance operations, explosive ordnance disposal and diving and salvage operations,” says the Pacific Fleet statement.

This exercise torpedoed a decommissioned ship during

an earlier RIMPAC. Photo from U.S. Pacific Fleet

The statement also points to the Department of the Navy’s Great Green Fleet initiative. It “highlights global operations using energy conservation measures and alternative fuel blends to demonstrate how optimizing energy use increases resiliency and operational readiness. During RIMPAC, almost all participating units will operate using an approved alternate-fuel blend.”

Environmental groups in Hawai`i and elsewhere have watchdogged RIMPAC for decades, pointing to possible damage to marine life caught up in the noise of the war games, the electronic signaling between the participants and the sinking of ships. Rules of the game call for lookouts for whales and other marine species.
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Sen. Mazie Hirono

THE U.S. SENATE PASSED the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act 85-13, which includes more than $600 billion in funding for service members and national security, and several measures championed by Sen. Mazie Hirono, a member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services and ranking member of the Seapower Subcommittee.

“I voted to approve the National Defense Authorization Act because, on balance, this legislation invests in our service members and strengthens our national security,” Hirono said. “I was particularly proud to secure nearly $200 million of investments in Hawai`i’s military infrastructure. I remain concerned about changes the bill makes to the Department of Defense that would impact our force structure and locally based service commands. These and other changes should follow adequate study and evaluation of their impact. But we are not at the finish line yet. I will continue to work with Chairman McCain, Ranking Member Reed, and our House counterparts to ensure that our forces in Hawai`i receive the necessary resources to continue their pivotal role in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Rebalance in the final bill.”

Hirono secured provisions to provide nearly $200 million to improve military installations in Hawai`i, prevent cuts to Hawai`i’s Impact Aid program and direct the DoD to examine how to bolster Hawai`i’s missile defense systems. Hirono also included Talia’s Law, named after five-year-old Talia Williams, who died after months of abuse by her father and stepmother, that would require Department of Defense employees who interact with children to report suspected abuse to civilian authorities like the Hawai`i Child Welfare Services.
Hirono also included language reinforcing the national security importance of the United States’ Compact Agreement with Palau and its obligations to Palau under the agreement.
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RESULTS ARE IN FOR THE ULUA CHALLENGE. S. Tokunaga Store in Hilo sponsors the annual event held last weekend. Fishers line Hawai`i Island’s coast to see who can catch the largest fish. South Point is one popular location for Ka`u fishers to test their skills.

In the Ulua Challenge, Auston Marsteller’s 117.2-pound catch took first place. Second through 10th places went to John Branco at 105.9 pounds; Ryan Chow, 103.9; Bruce Tsubamoto, 99.1; Richard Kaiawe, 90.0; Jason Vierra, 77.3; Mitchell Izuno, 76.8; Brandon Uchida, 73.3; Chad Kosinski, 71.6; and Scott Yamamoto, 62.4.

In the Omilu Division, first- and third-place winners used barbless hooks. First- through 10th place winners are Brienn Kirihara at 20 pounds; Dane Ramey, 19.7; Toni Salboro, 19.4; Brandon Lopes, 17.4; Waylen Towata, 17; Holi Correa, 16.9; David Llanes, 16.4; Louis Carreira, 16.1; Kiko Napeahi, 14.6; and Kemole Belanio, 14.6.

Hawai`i Department of Agriculture's CBB Subsidy
Program begins soon.

SAVE YOUR RECEIPTS! The Hawai`i Department of Agriculture’s Coffee Berry Borer Subsidy Program, beginning soon, will reimburse a percentage of the cost for Botanigard and Mycotrol products, once the application process is completed. The program is in effect through June 30, 2019. Farm TMK and other relevant information is required. Costs are reimbursed up to $600 per acre per year and up to $9,000 per farm per year.

Email gwendolyn.m.hicks@hawaii.gov for sign-up information.
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POHAKU CLAY SCULPTURE class will be offered by Olivia Ling at Ocean View Community Center on Tuesday, July 12 from 10 a.m. to noon. Participants will each make a clay mask, which will be pit fired at the community center on Tuesday, July 26 at 10 a.m. Cost is $25 per person and includes instruction and all materials and firing.
To ensure enough clay for the class, RSVP as soon as possible by calling 929-8174, said Ling.

Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park is the subject
of Find Your Park on the Big Screen Friday.
Photo from NPS

FIND YOUR PARK on the Big Screen Friday at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. View John Grabowska’s 16-minute film Pu`uhonua o Honaunau: Place of Refuge and Brad Watanabe’s 12-minute documentary HiStory: Hawai`i Island’s National Parks.

Free; park entrance fees apply.

SOUTHSIDE VOLLEYBALL CLUB raises funds with a Krispy Kreme donut sale this Saturday, June 18 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Pahala Shopping Center.
The club is raising money to participate in the Boys Junior National Championships, this year in Dallas, Texas. Members fly out on June 30 and begin play on July 3. This will be Southside’s eighth trip to the competition. In the last five years, they have once become National Champs and finished twice at fourth, once as a Silver Division champ and once tied for thirteenth.
Ka`u players coached by Guy Enriques are Kameron Moses, of Pahala; Nai`a Makuakane, of Na`alehu; and Addie and Avery Enriques, of Punalu`u. All attend Kamehameha Schools on this island.

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 Roping & Riding Association is preparing for its annual Fourth of July Rodeo. See more below.
Photo by Julia Neal

PUNALU`U BAKE SHOP OWNER DUANE KURISU is reaching out to homeless people through his foundation and will partner to create affordable housing with gardens on O`ahu.

Duane Kurisu, at right, owner of Punalu`u Bake Shop, is building
affordable housing for homeless families on O`ahu. Here he celebrates
the new cookie factory he opened last year in Na`alehu.
Photo by Pamela Taylor

Duane Shimogawa reported in Pacific Business News that Kurisu is partnering with Honolulu and the state to build more than 200 affordable, plantation-style homes on reclaimed land in Honolulu. Rent would be $500 per month. The city is purchasing 13.1 acres from the state and leasing it to Kurisu’s Aio Foundation for one dollar per year.

“The mayor stepped in to help facilitate the property and the project to be part of the governor’s emergency proclamation (addressing homelessness issues),” Kurisu told Shimogawa. “It is the culmination of the state and the city coming together to seek and work out solutions to one of the most acute problems facing us today.”
See bizjournals.com/pacific.
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A backpack drive for children in need continues
through August. Photo from Airport Bags

HAWAI`I POLICE DEPARTMENT is again participating in a backpack drive for children who cannot afford to buy them. As in previous years, all police stations around the island will double as drop-off points for persons interested in helping children in need. Backpacks may be dropped off between now and Aug. 30.

Backpacks have been identified as the most requested non-food item for charities in Hawai`i. The donated backpacks will be distributed to children at women’s shelters, homeless shelters and transitional housing facilities around the Big Island.
This is the eighth consecutive year the Police Department has worked in partnership with HOPE Services Hawai`i (formerly known as the Office of Social Ministry). The organization provides a continuum of homeless and transitional programs from outreach to emergency shelters, including permanent supportive housing placements.
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THE CHAIR OF THE STATE House of Representatives Energy Committee has a lot to say about the backpedaling of Hawai`i Electric Co. alternative energy projects. Rep. Chris Lee, whose legislation makes Hawai`i the first state with a 100 percent renewable energy standard, writes in Civil Beat this morning, saying that NextEra, which seeks to buy the utility, has been controlling the company’s decision making:

Rep. Chris Lee Photo from University of Hawai`i

“Before NextEra, Hawaiian Electric Company had been busy asking investors to bring their money to Hawai`i and construct over 150 megawatts of solar, geothermal and biofuels projects to reduce our dependence on costly fossil fuels, create local jobs and attract investment to our island economy.

“Most people don’t know that since NextEra arrived, it has contractually controlled HECO’s actions, exercising power over final decisions. Unfortunately, those decisions reversed course and canceled more than $350 million dollars in solar projects already under construction, putting over 100 local people out of work and eliminating over 400 jobs that were to be created.
“Investors lost $42 million they had already poured into these renewable energy projects. The PUC issued a strong statement calling it ‘a step backward.’

“Three months after NextEra arrived, the utility unilaterally ceased allowing local residents installing solar panels to connect to the electric grid, killing competition from the solar industry and threatening thousands of local jobs. Fortunately, the PUC intervened and forced the utility to backpedal, though hundreds of jobs were lost because of the slowdown with many residents now waiting years to be interconnected.

“About the same time, the utility appeared to reverse itself on a 25-megawatt geothermal project on the Big Island that it initiated. Hawai`i Electric Light Company pushed the business partner it had selected to build the project out of negotiations, killing jobs and millions that investors already poured into the project.

“Most recently, the utility terminated a PUC-approved power purchase agreement with developers of a biomass project already under construction and halfway complete; $137 million was already invested, and another $125 million was committed to finish the work. HELCO has resisted attempts to restore the agreement. Hundreds more local jobs and all that investment have been put at risk.
“If the utility is allowed to continue to act in this manner, Hawai`i will continue to suffer.
“Every project has its challenges and delays, but in Hawai`i we work through them in good faith. To suddenly cancel contracts, change the rules mid-stream and treat investors and local workers so poorly is not how we should act here in Hawai`i. So why would the utility take actions that hurt so many people, businesses and investors in our community?

“The answer may have materialized two weeks ago. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the utility disclosed that it planned to charge ratepayers $458 million to convert existing power plants to liquefied natural gas. It would also buy a 60-megawatt Big Island power plant and convert it to LNG.

“The utility earns a profit off every dollar of ratepayer money it spends on LNG plant conversions, which means bigger utility profits than switching to renewable power from competing geothermal or biofuels plants.
“Nearly everyone thinks it would be easier for the utility to win approval for its LNG plan and purchase of the additional fossil fuel plant if it cancelled or delayed geothermal and biofuels plants competing to provide the same power. In fact, HELCO offered to buy the additional fossil fuel plant six months ago, which could mean the utility strung renewable project developers and investors along for months without ever intending to finish negotiations.
“I know the people at Hawaiian Electric. They are from here and would not sacrifice the jobs of hundreds of local workers, undermine renewables and critically damage Hawai`i’s reputation as a place to invest money. But I have no doubt that’s exactly what NextEra would do to squeeze every last dollar out of Hawai`i for its shareholders.
“If the utility is allowed to continue to act in this manner, Hawai`i will continue to suffer. The Legislature must empower the PUC to review this kind of utility behavior next legislative session. There are too many jobs and too much more at risk to stand idly by as investors are chased out of our economy.”
See civilbeat.com.
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Rodeo action returns to Ka`u on July 2 and 3. Photo by Julia Neal

KA`U ROPING & RIDING ASSOCIATION hosts its annual Fourth of July Rodeo on Saturday and Sunday, July 2 and 3, with a slew of gold buckles for the winners sponsored by local businesses and community groups. The rodeo draws competitors to Ka`u from all over the island and afar.

Ty Correa, Andrew Yanagi and Mario DeRago will be the bullfighters (formerly known as rodeo clowns). Emcee is Al Cabral. Food, T-shirts and other items will be sold to raise money to maintain the rodeo grounds. Cost to enter is $7 presale and $8 at the gate.
Gate opens at 6 a.m. each morning. Slack roping starts at 8 a.m., and the rodeo starts at noon both days. To be announced is the rodeo queen. Kalia Andrade and Jamieann Losalio, both eight years of age, of Na`alehu, are finalists.
President of Ka`u Roping & Riding Association is Ralph Ka`apana. Secretary is Jennifer Shibuya. Treasurer is Tammy Ka`apana. Barney Malicki is vice president.
Here are the events and their gold buckle sponsors:
The two winners of the Open Dally will each receive buckles sponsored by Miranda Country Store. Kane-Wahine Dally buckle is sponsored by Robert Kawamoto and his Umi Ranch. Team 90s header buckle is sponsored by Ka`u Andrade Contracting Inc. Healer buckle is sponsored by Steven and Phina Wroblewski.

Ayden Benevides won two buckles
last year. Photo by Julia Neal

Double Mugging buckles for the roper and mugger are sponsored by Edwin DeLuz Trucking. Kane-Wahine Ribbon Mugging buckles are sponsored by West Hawai`i Towing.

Wahine Mugging roper buckle is sponsored by Waimea Hill Country & Tack, Inc. Wahine Mugging mugger buckle is sponsored by Kenneth and Jonette Gaston of Slack Enterprises.
Po`o Wai U buckle is sponsored by Justie Mona Wroblewski. Tie Down Roping buckle is sponsored by Wally and M.J. Andrade with M.J. Ranch. Wahine Breakaway buckle is sponsored by Robert Kawamoto and his Umi Ranch.
Youth Barrels buckle is sponsored by Hana Hou Restaurant. The buckle for the Dummy Roping for contestants four years of age and under is sponsored by Sherlene Rosario, of Pahala Pops. Dummy roping buckle for contestants five to eight is sponsored by Patti Barry, of the Land Office real estate company.
The buckle for Goat Undecorating, four years and under, is sponsored by Wayne Kawachi and `O Ka`u Kakou. For the five to eight years of age category, the sponsors are Carl and Amy Okuyama of Na`alehu 76. The Bull Riding buckle is sponsored by Tammy and Ralph Ka`apana, of Four K Ranch. The All Around Buckle is sponsored by Ka`u Roping and Riding Association.
To donate and for more information, call Tammy Ka`apana at 929-8079.

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ALTOGETHER: WE ARE ONE, presented by the Sisterhood of All Women on Earth and the Brave Brothers, meets for the second of a four-part series at Hawai`i Nature Retreat in Wood Valley. The organization's website describes the event as “a journey of exploration, expansion and focus of the energy that flows through us all, creating a golden grid of love and light across the island of Hawai`i to usher in a new age of civilization.”

Registration and set-up is at 1 p.m. this Saturday, June 18, and the event begins at 2 p.m. Fee is $20. Participants are asked to bring one topping for the salad bar. Soup, bread and butter are provided.
See altogetherweareone.com.

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.

Keiki swimming lessons at Pahala Pool continue in July. See more below. Photo by Tanya Ibarra

KA`U LEARNING ACADEMY plans to upgrade its administrative functions, now that it heads toward its second year with the proposed addition of seventh-grade classes. The public charter school invites third- through seventh-graders to enroll. The addition of seventh grade is on the agenda of the Windward Planning Commission meeting to be held on Thursday, July 7 at Aupuni Center in Hilo.
The application asks for a special permit to increase enrollment from 65 students to 100 students with facility improvements. Location of the school is the former Discovery Harbour Golf Course clubhouse on 3.69 acres of land within the state Agricultural District.
Joe Iacuzzo, managing director of the school, said this morning that the school “had a very successful first year.” He noted that Roy, of Wong Yuen Store, said the other day, “I am seeing these same kids that I have been seeing, and they look like they have life back in their eyes” since starting to attend Ka`u Learning Academy.
“Parents are telling us that children are not only learning more. They enjoy going to school,” said Iacuzzo.

Ka`u Learning Academy hopes to add seventh grade
for the upcoming school year. Photo from KLA

Iacuzzo said that the first year was focused on acquiring the teaching staff, refining the curriculum, the permitting and licensing and setting up the campus.

A story in this morning’s Hawai`i Tribune-Herald reported on administrative issues reviewed during yesterday’s statewide Charter School Commission meeting in Honolulu.
Regarding statements that school payroll had been late on some occasions, Iacuzzo said this morning that the school uses a payroll service and is never late in submitting its payroll information to the company. However, on one occasion when a teacher was ill, the payroll was sent to the payroll company on time but delayed in reaching the Charter School administration, he said. “The staff was always paid on time the exact day they were supposed to be paid,” said Iacuzzo.
Regarding concerns on whether any employees lost health insurance for a time, Iacuzzo said that the situation involved a new teacher who was to pay her own insurance for the first month of work until the school health insurance kicked in. The late payment that cancelled the insurance did not involve the school, he said, stating that KLA always submitted its payments for the health insurance on time.

KLA's Joe Iacuzzo, with founding director Kathryn Tydlacka
and state Rep. Richard Creagan. Photo from KLA

According to the Tribune-Herald story, union dues payments were delayed. About halfway through the school year, Iacuzzo said, KLA learned that union dues were the only deductions not taken out by the Charter School Commission administration and corrected the procedure as soon as it was known.
Also regarding administration, KLA missed a May 27 deadline to submit a plan to correct issues, the story reported. “As a result, the commission will issue a ‘notice of deficiency’ to Ka`u Learning Academy and continue monitoring its finances,” the Tribune-Herald reported. Iacuzzo said a preliminary report with a request for clarifying information needed was sent on time, followed by the final report.
According to the story, Iacuzzo yesterday told the commission by phone, “As you all know, this was our first foray into administration of a school, and we had a really steep learning curve despite experience we have had in the past.”
For more about the school, see kaulearning.com.
See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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CHINESE INVESTORS IN HAWAI`I are spending nearly a billion dollars in buying real estate throughout the islands. With a middle class of some 300 million people, about the population of the U.S., China is home to many who want to travel, and a number of them would like to invest in Hawai`i’s economy, an article in Pacific Business News points out this morning.

Ka`u Royal Coffee & Tea representatives are at the World
Tea Expo in Las Vegas.

The purchase of 1,200 acres above Na`alehu is planned for a tea farm with coffee and other diversified agriculture and may include an agricultural visitor center. A tea plant nursery is being constructed between the Na`alehu cemetery and the pig farm. Representatives of Ka`u Royal Coffee & Tea, LLC and its Ka`u Valley Ranch are attending a World Tea Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center this week. Their investment group and management includes both residents of China and the U.S. Some of the Chinese nationals are investing through the federal EB5 immigration program that helps them obtain green cards through investing in economically depressed communities.

Ko Olina Resort is the site of many Chinese investment properties.
Image from wikipedia

According to PBN, Chinese investments on O`ahu alone range from “an office building in Honolulu to several development sites at Ko Olina Resort to more than 500 acres that connect Ko Olina with Kapolei. But it’s unknown whether this first wave of Chinese investment will resemble the tsunami of Japanese investment in the late 1980s and early 1990s that was more commonly known as the Japanese bubble.”

“Similar to the Japanese investors of 25 years ago, the Chinese investors entering the Hawai`i market are targeting hotels, golf courses and, now, development sites that may include residential subdivisions,” PBN reported.
The story by Duane Shimogawa says, “There are three main reasons why Hawai`i should expect to see more real estate investments by the Chinese, including the loosening of visa restrictions, increased airlift and the emergence of the middle and upper classes in China.”
Manny Mendez, who works in China, specializing in Hawai`i-China business, told Shimogawa, “You can get a 10-year tourist visa with no problem, and you can get a five-year student visa. You have airlift now. There are three airlines that offer nonstop flights from Hawai`i to China – China Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. Then there’s that robust middle-class society, and those people are traveling to Hawai`i and the rest of the United States. These are three big game-changers.”
PBN points out that Chinese investment in U.S. businesses over the past three years has “created more than 35,000 jobs, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. It is considered another reason for the influx of Chinese investments. China accounts for 85 percent of the EB-5 visas issued.”
See more at bizjournals.com/pacific.
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HAWAI`I COUNTY IS SEEKING Election Day workers. Polling places at Ka`u High School, Na`alehu School and Ocean View Community Center are extremely short of workers for the primary election on Aug. 13 and the general election on Nov. 8.

Applicants must be 16 years of age on or before June 30, registered or pre-registered voters in Hawai`i and able to read and write English.
For more information, call 933-1591.
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PAHALA POOL OFFERS NEW Keiki Red Cross swim classes Mondays through Fridays and on weekends in July. Most classes are full, but interested persons can call to be on a waiting list.

A Level One class from 8:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. begins July 5 and wraps up July 15. A Preschool Aquatics class from 9:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. will also be offered July 5-15. From July 18-29, a Level Three class will be held from 8:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and a Level Two class from 9:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Additional classes are held Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. One is a Level Four Class from 9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m., July 3-16 and a Level Five class July 17-30, 9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
Instructors are Rina Martineau and Cassandra Beccia.
Classes cost $15 per child per two-week session.
Novice swim team sign-up and tryouts start Aug. 8 for ages 5-7. Interested youth and their parents can call Pahala Pool at 928-8177.
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Pahala Holy Rosary Church holds a thrift sale
and silent auction tomorrow.

PAHALA HOLY ROSARY CHURCH holds a thrift sale and silent auction tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

PARTICIPANTS LEARN ABOUT the formation and various uses of Pu`u o Lokuana over time and enjoy a breathtaking view of lower Ka`u at the Kahuku unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The moderately difficult, 0.4-mile hike to the top of the grassy cinder cone and back begins tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. and lasts one hour.

SOUTHSIDE VOLLEYBALL CLUB raises funds with a Krispy Kreme donut sale tomorrow from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Pahala Shopping Center.

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.

Summer is nesting season for green and Hawksbill sea turtles. The Ka`u Coast is one of Hawai`i's primary
nesting grounds. See more below. Photo from NPS

CAN HAWAI`I COUNTIES REGULATE GMO’S? That’s the question a federal appeals court is considering, reported Anthony Quintano, of Civil Beat. He attended a hearing on Wednesday in Honolulu where three California-based judges heard arguments on cases from Hawai`i, Maui and Kaua`i Counties. All three passed laws limiting genetically modified crops.

Andrew Kimbrell Photo from Center for Food Safety

Hawai`i County Council passed Bill 113 in November 2013 that prohibits introduction of new GMO crops and requires GMO papaya growers to register their crops.

Hawai`i Papaya Industry Association appealed, calling for a summary judgment and permanent injunction against enforcement of the law.
During this week’s hearing, Earthjustice Attorney Paul Achitoff said that state law governing agriculture is not comprehensive and doesn’t prevent counties from passing their own laws. Quintano reported Achitoff saying the state didn’t object when Hawai`i County passed a law eight years ago prohibiting genetically engineered coffee and taro.

Attorney Margery Bronster, representing GMO producer Monsanto, countered that the state has an “incredibly centralized government” that includes school, hospital and community college systems.
“The argument seems to be if the Legislature did not say the counties couldn’t do it, they can,” Bronster said. “That simply disregards the manner in which our state government is set up. Counties are only allowed to do what is specifically delegated to the counties.”
“It was historic, not just for Hawai`i and its future,” Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of the Center for Food Safety, said to Quintano of Wednesday’s hearings. “This is also a historic moment for states across the country who want the right to know about what pesticides are being used and want the right to say yes or no to GMOs.” He told Quintano that the center counted 137 state and county laws that could potentially be affected by the rulings.

When a decision will be reached is unknown.
See civilbeat.com.
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A pre-hearing conference on the Thirty Meter Telescope
took place yesterday. Image from TMT

ALL PARTIES WHO APPLIED will participate in a contested case hearing on the Thirty Meter Telescope’s land use permit, Tom Callis reported in Hawai`i Tribune-Herald.

At a pre-hearing conference yesterday, Judge Riki May Amano accepted additional parties, including 12 Native Hawaiians opposed to the project. They join six others and University of Hawai`i at Hilo, the permit applicant.
“I have a lot of aloha for everyone here,” Callis reported Amano saying. Project opponents had previously called for Amano to be replaced because of conflicts of interest, but Department of Land & Natural Resources kept her on as hearing officer.
All parties are required to attend the hearing that Amano said could last three to four weeks. Pre-hearing motions are scheduled for Aug. 5.
See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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SENATE DEMOCRATS UNVEILED an amendment to provide an additional $41 million to Department of Justice programs that prevent discrimination and hate crimes.

Introduced in response to the targeted attacks against the LGBT and Latino communities in Orlando, the amendment would ensure the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and Office of Community Relations Service have the necessary resources to reduce conflict and prevent, investigate and prosecute hate crimes throughout the country.

Sen. Mazie Hirono called for legistion to prevent
discrimination and hate crimes.
Photo from Office of Sen. Hirono

“Last weekend’s tragedy in Orlando should be a sobering moment for our country. It’s time to move beyond thoughts, prayer and reflection. It’s time for action,” Sen. Mazie Hirono said. “This massacre was not just an act of terror; it was a hate crime that took the lives of 49 innocent people far too soon. Our amendment provides emergency funding to prevent and mitigate future hate crimes that target vulnerable communities across the country. I … call on the Senate to adopt this amendment without delay.”

The amendment would help the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division hire additional staff to enforce federal civil rights and hate crime laws. Additional funding would help the Office of Community Relations Service work with communities to reduce conflict after hate-related violence, bullying, and discrimination. Hirono and Senate Democrats have also pushed for Congress to pass legislation to prevent suspected terrorists from purchasing firearms and explosives and fully fund the FBI to prevent domestic terror attacks.

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SUMMER IS HERE, AND WITH IT comes sea turtle nesting season in Ka`u. As a result, beachgoers may witness increased sea turtle activity, including mating in nearshore waters as well as more basking on beaches. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries and Hawai`i Department of Land and Natural Resources reminds everyone — locals and visitors alike — to respect the sea turtles at all times of the year.

The two species that nest in the islands are the green sea turtle (honu in Hawaiian) and the hawksbill sea turtle (`ea). The majority of Hawai`i’s honu migrate to French Frigate Shoals — located in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands — to reproduce. However, an increasing number of honu are now nesting on beaches of the main Hawaiian Islands.

Honu is one of two species of sea turtles that nest in Hawai`i.
Photo from DLNR

Primary `ea nesting beaches occur along the south Ka`u Coast, south Maui and eastern Moloka`i. Both species are protected under state and federal laws.
If a honu or `ea is seen on the beach or in the water, remember:
View sea turtles from a distance of 10 feet. Give turtles space, and don’t feed, chase or touch them. Hawaiian honu bask on the beach. This is normal behavior. Don’t try to push them back into the water.
“It’s OK to help!” Fishermen should check gear often, use barbless circle hooks and adhere to state gillnet rules. If safe for both the fisher and the turtle, release accidentally caught turtles by reeling in the turtle carefully, holding by its shell or flippers, cutting line as close to the hook as possible and releasing with no (or little) gear or line attached. Barbed hooks may cause more damage by trying to remove them rather than leaving them in place.
“No white light at night.” Use wildlife friendly lighting near the coast (yellow/amber and shielded lights). Don’t use flash photography, and keep lights and beach fires to a minimum from May to December, when turtles are nesting and hatchlings are emerging.
Avoid beach driving. Off-road vehicles crush nests, create tire ruts that trap hatchlings and degrade habitats. Driving on the beach is also illegal in most areas.
Prevent debris and rubbish from entering the ocean. Participate in beach and reef cleanup activities.
Report all hawksbill sea turtle sightings, any nesting activity (turtle tracks or nest digging), and injured or dead turtles to NOAA’s Sea Turtle Stranding Hotline at 286-4359 in Hilo or 327-6226 in South Kona.
Report illegal or suspicious activity that may result in turtle injury or death to Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement at 808-587-0077 or 643-DLNR.
An animal that appears to be sleeping on the beach may be a basking turtle and should be allowed to rest undisturbed. However, if an animal in distress — with visible signs of injury, bleeding or entanglement in debris — or one that has not moved for more than two days, it may need assistance. Call the hotline numbers listed above to report an animal in distress.
For more tips to prevent or reduce the potential for interactions, search online for Fishing Around Sea Turtles.
For more, see http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/.
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The People & Lands of Kahuku are topics of a hike tomorrow.
NPS Photo by Julia Espaniola

LEARN ABOUT THE PEOPLE & LANDS of Kahuku tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit. This free, guided, 2.5-mile, moderately difficult hike over rugged terrain focuses on the area’s human history.

See nps.gov/havo.

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP’S Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park offers Father’s Day Buffet tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Entrees are prime rib, shrimp Alfredo with spinach and mushrooms and Asian-infused Hawaiian ono. Adults $28; children $14.50; 967-8356. KMC is open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests.
Park entrance fees apply.

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.

Volcano Community Association is accepting applications for the Volcano Fourth of July Parade. See more below.
Photo from Sher Glass

SHOULD WE TALK ABOUT MORE than just a transmission line? That’s the question Ocean View residents are asking regarding a question-and-answer exchange about the controversial solar project that proposes to put 27 installations in three makai residential subdivisions in Ocean View – many of them among homes. Hawai`i Consumer Advocate is asking pertinent questions which Hawai`i Electric Light Company must answer.

HELCO has applied to the state Public Utilities Commission for permission to build a new overhead high-voltage transmission line that would connect the project to the grid.
Over 640 Ocean View residents, fearing industrialization of their town, have signed a petition against the proposed 6.75-megawatt project.

The battle to investigate the implications of this application began when the CA, Jeffrey Ono, put 14 pages of questions to HELCO on Jan. 27, to which HELCO responded with 97 pages on Feb. 10, just four days before a public hearing in Ocean View.

HELCO has applied for approval of a transmission line across Hwy 11
to connect to a substation to be built by the highway.
Map from HELCO's application to PUC

Ono flew to the meeting conducted by PUC Chair Randy Iwase and attended by about 80 Ocean View residents. With one exception, all speakers were against the overhead transmission line, the new substation and the solar project. Iwase told the meeting that their objections “have not fallen on deaf ears.”

“It would appear that Mr. Ono was all ears,” said Ocean View resident Sandra Mayville, who was at the hearing. “Mr. Ono quickly caught on to the fact that a huge overseas corporation is exploiting a rural Hawaiian town for a quick profit and lucrative federal and state solar tax credits. The Big Island already has a surplus of daytime energy.”
On May 18, Mr. Ono filed 24 pages of questions to HELCO. These were more investigative than the first set and more tailored to the Ocean View situation. The CA wanted answers to a range of questions, including the cost of undergrounding the transmission line, maintaining an underground line for 20 years and its removal. He also wanted to know the costs of operating and maintaining the substation for 20 years and its removal, as well as the cost of restoring the neighborhood’s homesites that the developers intend to use for PV installations.

HELCO's application includes this rendering of what the substation
would look like.

HELCO has repeatedly stated that the three solar developers involved will bear the cost of building the substation and transmission line. The reported cost of the overhead transmission line is $168,000, and the cost of the substation is $1.75 million.

“Mr. Ono delved deeper than HELCO’s superficial assurances, and is looking out for our interests,” Mayville added. “Judging by HELCO’s answers, they don’t like this.
“HELCO’s answers clearly show that in this conflict of interest, HELCO prefers to favor the developers as customers and not the ratepayers. For example, HELCO was originally going to locate the substation, which is being built to service the developers, on developer-owned land. Then they switched to land owned by the Ranchos community that is being used for an office.
“The HRRMC refused to allow HELCO to subdivide their land, but HELCO ignored them.
“The Consumer Advocate is now asking HELCO to answer questions about the original site and the cost of removing the substation after 20 years, and HELCO is baulking, saying, essentially, that the substation is not a part of their transmission line application and should not be discussed. Excuse me. We have to live with this. Of course it should be discussed.
“Why should HELCO decide that the ugly substation must be in the most conspicuous site? Why not use the developer’s land, where it can be hidden in the middle of three acres of trees? Whose side is HELCO on?”

Hawai`i Consumer Advocate Jeffrey Ono

Mats Fogelvik, President of the Hawai`i Ranchos Road Maintenance Corporation, also commented on HELCO’s replies.

“Why, when the CA asks questions about the cost of undergrounding the transmission line and maintaining the undergrounded transmission line, does ELCO fatuously answer that they don’t know? Why can’t they look it up? There must be lots of technical information on the Internet on this subject. Why not ask a consultant? It seems like they are not willing to lift a finger if it means their customers, the solar developers, may have to pay more.”
Linda Raquinio said, “I applaud Mr. Ono for asking about the cost of removing the solar installations and restoring the housing lots to where they could be used for homes – which is what the subdivision was created for.
“Look at the South Point windmills fiasco. How long were tourists forced to tolerate that rusty, decrepit eyesore? Is this what we want for our neighborhood?”
Raquinio referred to the now defunct Kama`oa Wind Farm off South Point Road. Thirty-seven windmills were installed in about 1987, then slowly deteriorated and by 2006 were completely defunct. They were not taken down until 2012 and are now stored on the site, awaiting removal.
“Too often in Hawai`i, a project with a limited life is installed with no thought as to who will remove it when its useful life is over,” Raquinio said. “I support Mr. Ono’s forward thinking. If HELCO is not going to restore the sites, who will?
“We know the developers plan to flip the project as soon as it is built – they have said so in a press release – and who knows how many times it will be sold and to whom. Going in, the developer needs to set aside the cost of disposing of 30,000 solar panels and restoring the sites.
“If it costs $6 to dispose of a tire – and all they do is cut it up – what will it cost to responsibly dispose of a solar panel? The CA is absolutely correct to ask these questions. HELCO is shirking its kuleana. I really hope the PUC does not let them get away with it.”
The CA’s Statement of Position is due to be filed on June 29.
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Three years ago today, Jackie Kailiawa, with boogie
board, rescued Jacob Selman, sitting on rocks
at South Point. Photo by U`i Makuakane

THREE YEARS AGO TODAY, local resident Jackie Kailiawa helped a newcomer in distress who fell off a cliff at South Point near the lighthouse. The newcomer hit his head and wasn’t able to climb on shore. Kailiawa jumped off the point with this boogie board, fins and other gear and paddled to the man, Jacob Selman, from Montana. At the time, Selman was the father of one, with another baby on the way. Kailiawa, a noted waterman who grew up in Pahala and now lives in Volcano, brought the man back to shore. It was his third save in recent years.

“I remember every second of all of it, especially the incredible relief I felt when Jackie got to me,” Selman posted on The Ka`u Calendar’s Facebook page. “My children have a father because of Jackie, and we are expecting our first daughter in late July! There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of the incident and the man that saved my life.”
Happy Father’s Day to Mr. Selman and all dads living in and visiting Ka`u.

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U.S. SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ sent his proposal to expand Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument to President Barack Obama following the tenth anniversary of President George W. Bush’s executive order that established the original boundaries for PMNM. At 582,578 square miles, the proposal would create the world’s largest marine protected area, while preserving access for local fishermen on Kaua`i and Ni`ihau.

Sen. Brian Schatz supports expansion of Papahanaumokuakea
Marine National Monument. Map from Office of Sen. Schatz

The proposal would also secure an increased role for managing PMNM for Native Hawaiians. Schatz, a member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard, and his staff met with Gov. David Ige, Sen. Ron Kouchi, Mayor Bernard Carvalho and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to discuss their concerns. With their feedback, Schatz developed the proposal sent to the president.

“The best available science indicates that expanding PMNM will strengthen an ecosystem that sustains tuna, swordfish, sharks, seabirds, sea turtles and Hawaiian monk seals,” Schatz wrote to the President. “The expanded region contains significant bio-cultural resources and archaeological sites that further justify use of the Antiquities Act.

“A thoughtful expansion of PMNM will continue Hawai`i’s long history of sustainable use of the land and oceans into the future and help ensure that we can give our children the legacy of a healthy, vibrant Pacific Ocean.
“If you agree that [this proposal] has merit. I respectfully request that you pursue a course of engagement, especially on Kaua`i and on O`ahu, which would allow the public an appropriate opportunity to provide written comments, oral testimony, or both before you determine whether to exercise your authority under the Antiquities Act.”
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Improvements at Ka`u Resource & Distance Learning
Center are discussed at a public meeting tomorrow.
Photo from KRHCAI

KA`U RURAL HEALTH COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION holds a public meeting tomorrow at the Ka`u Resource & Distance Learning Center on Puahala Street. The meeting “is to inform the residents of Pahala that it is the intent of KRHCAI to request funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development Community Facilities Grant Program,” a public notice states. “The funds are to be used for infrastructure repairs, security fencing, purchase of computers and technology equipment, to support KRHCAI programs, services and activities.

“This … is to give the citizenry an opportunity to become acquainted with the proposed project, to comment on such items as economic and environmental impact, service area and alternatives to the project or any other issues identified by the citizens of Pahala.”
For meeting time, not listed on the notice, and more information, call 928-0101.

VOLCANO FOURTH OF JULY PARADE is still accepting entries. The parade on the holiday Monday starts at 9 a.m. at the post office and travels down Old Volcano Road, turning onto Wright Road and ending at Cooper Center, where festivities continue until 1 p.m.

Entry forms are available at volcanocommunity.org.

For more information, contact Nancy Lakin at 985-9438 or flutterby2tu@gmail.com.

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

Sign up now for a Pohaku Clay Sculpture class next month. See more below.
Photo from Na`alehu Public Library & Olivia Ling

DR. CLIFFORD KOPP COMPLETES another 300-mile walk around Hawai`i Island tomorrow in Kailua-Kona.

Kopp's trek included an outreach
event with The Food Basket.

Kopp traveled through Ka`u last week during his efforts to raise awareness of homelessness on the island. The walk included an outreach event with The Food Basket and a Native Hawaiian spiritual walk in Pololu Valley.

This is his fourth journey around the island. The purpose of his Walk the Talk journey has been to raise awareness of the estimated 1,800 unsheltered homeless that have, in many cases, been ignored, unidentified and uncounted.
The first trip began on Christmas Eve 2015.

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KA`U RESIDENTS CAN TAKE an online Bowhunter Education course beginning on July 1. Hawai`i Hunter Education Program within the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement is offering the course in order to expand bowhunter Education certification options in Hawai`i.

The course is approved by the National Bowhunter Education Foundation and meets the requirements to purchase a bowhunting license where required. In addition, it does not require completion of a field day.

Although Hawai`i does not require a Bowhunter Education certification to bowhunt, many states are increasingly requiring this additional certification to purchase a bowhunting license.

Currently, the Hawai`i Hunter Education Program offers a three-day in-person Bowhunter Education course with field day once a year. Over the past three years, classes have been held on Maui, O`ahu and Hawai`i Island.

Royden Okinishi is a Ka`u bowhunter.

This online course is offered through the NBEF-approved Bowhunter-ed.com. The cost for this is $30, which is assessed directly from Bowhunter-ed.com after course completion. Students must have completed Basic Hunter Education prior to completing the online Bowhunter Education course. In addition, students must be at least 10 years old to take this course. The course is limited to Hawai`i residents.

After passing and paying for the course, students will be able to immediately print their Temporary Bowhunter Education Certificate, which is valid to purchase a bowhunting license (where required) as long as it is purchased within the expiration date. Students will be mailed their permanent Hawai`i Bowhunter Education Certificate from the Hawai`i Hunter Education Program within three to four weeks. If they complete the course but do not meet the requirements above, they will not be issued a Bowhunter Education certificate from the program.
To take the online course after July 1, see https://www.bowhunter-ed.com/#select-your-state. Select “Hawaii,” register, and begin the course. The course includes chapter quizzes and a final exam.

The Hawai`i Hunter Education Program will also continue to schedule one three-day, in-person bowhunter course per year for those individuals wishing to attend an in-person course.

See http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/huntered/classes/ for a list of current classes.
For more information, call 808-587-0200.
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HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY scientists discuss Kilauea’s new lava flows at Pu`u O`o in the current issue of Volcano Watch.

“Early on the morning of May 24, 2016, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists were alerted by text message that a tiltmeter on the Pu`u `O`o cone on Kilauea Volcano’s East Rift Zone had detected rapid change,” the article states. “Soon after, an HVO field crew reported that lava had broken out from the flanks of Pu`u `O`o. Tiltmeter data showed that the breakout likely began at 6:50 a.m. HST, resulting in a rapid deflation of the cone as magma burst forth from new vents.
“HVO geologists were soon in the air to investigate the sudden – although not entirely surprising – change in activity at this long-lived eruption site.

“Once on scene, the geologists mapped and sampled two vigorous lobes of lava advancing from new vents on the north and east sides of Pu`u `O`o. Both lobes traveled atop older Pu`u `O`o lava flows, forming shimmering deltas of pahoehoe channels, fingers and toes. At the time, the two flows were about 1 kilometer (3,300 yards) in length, too short to reach the forest on the north, but active enough to thrill tourists flying above the area.

Lava flowing from Pu`u `O`o is heading to a pali and the coast.
Photo from NPS

“Over the following days, activity continued from these breakouts – now called episodes 61f and 61g in the lexicon of HVO eruptive activity tracking. Each was developing nascent lava tubes and distributary channels that carried lava downslope, slowly extending their lengths and widths.

“During this time, the June 27th lava flow field remained active in scattered areas within about 5–6 km (3–4 mi) northeast of the vent, a continuation of the activity observed in the same general area for the past year. Apparently, the supply of lava from Pu`u `O`o to the lava tube feeding the June 27th flow was not immediately starved by the new breakouts.
“Now, however, only the eastern breakout is active—no lava has been sighted in the northern breakout or on the June 27 flow field since June 6. Clearly, the eastern breakout — informally called the “61g flow” — has captured most, or all, of the outflow from Pu`u `O`o. This is most likely because the 61g vent is at a lower elevation on the flank of Pu`u `O`o compared to the 61f vent and the older June 27th lava flow tube.

“As of June 16, the 61g flow is moving steadily southeast along, and just outside of, the Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park boundary. The flow is contained within topography of older Pu`u `O`o lava flows and is headed for the northwestern corner of the long-abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision.
“At its present advance rate, the flow could reach the Pulama pali (a steep, lava mantled fault scarp on Kilauea’s south flank) in days to weeks. If and when it reaches the coastal plain and then the ocean depends on the evolution of a tube system and constancy of lava supplied from the vent – variables that are difficult to forecast at this time.
“This turn of events at Pu`u `O`o was not entirely unexpected. For weeks, an HVO tiltmeter on the north rim had shown steady outward tilting as magma accumulated in the subsurface reservoir system, pushing on the sides of the cone and the floor of the crater. Indeed, thermal webcam imagery showed the floor of Pu`u `O`o slowly lifting as the pressure increased from below and numerous small lava flows repeatedly erupted from vents within the crater.
“The cone was clearly filling with magma, the crater floor responding like a piston and the flanks bulging outward. A new outbreak of lava was certainly possible, and, on May 24, it happened: flows 61f and 61g erupted from the flanks of Pu`u `O`o.
“Meanwhile, Kilauea’s summit magma reservoirs have also been on a long run of inflation, punctuated by occasional DI (deflation-inflation) events. For some months now, we have considered the magmatic plumbing system of Kilauea’s summit and upper rift zones to be pressurized and full, a condition ripe for change as stresses increase on the walls of engorged magma reservoirs.
“Time will tell if and how other parts of Kilauea respond to this pressurization.
“For now, the recent activity at Pu`u `O`o is just the latest chapter in what long-time volcano watchers have observed for decades: Kilauea’s complex and long-lived East Rift Zone eruption site is dynamic and always changing.”
See hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.
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Weave a ti leaf lei Wednesday. Photo from NPS

WEAVE A TI LEAF LEI Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Free; park entrance fees apply.

POHAKU CLAY SCULPTURE class still has openings. Offered by Olivia Ling, the class takes place at Ocean View Community Center on Tuesday, July 12 from 10 a.m. to noon. Participants each make a clay mask, which will be pit fired at the community center on Tuesday, July 26 at 10 a.m. Cost is $25 per person and includes instruction and all materials and firing.
Space is limited, and to ensure enough clay for the class, RSVP as soon as possible by calling 929-8174.

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

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and kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_June2016.pdf.

Ka`u is the focus of this week's TV show Wahi Pana: Hawai`i's Special Places. See more below.
Photo by Peter Anderson

GOV. DAVID Y. IGE YESTERDAY signed a fifth supplemental proclamation on homelessness, which will remain in effect until August. The supplemental proclamation provides an additional 60 days in which to continue the state’s cross-sector collaboration and coordinated efforts with the counties.

Gov. David Ige signed a fifth supplemental proclamation on
homelessness yesterday. Photo from Office of Gov. Ige

“The state has taken strides forward in creating a truly client-centered system among federal, state, county and community organizations,” said Scott Morishige, the Governor’s Coordinator on Homelessness. “We are seeing unprecedented alignment of services and a commitment to the common goal of connecting people to permanent, stable housing as quickly as possible.” Morishige made the statement from the Maui Landlord Summit, where he outlined progress in the state’s unified response to homelessness.

The Maui Landlord Summit is the fourth in a series of state-supported events aimed at increasing government-assisted housing inventory. It serves to introduce potential landlords to homeless service providers and government agencies providing landlord support. The summit dispels misperceptions about Section 8 and the Housing First program.
Hawai`i Public Housing Authority’s board has approved emergency rules to establish a special rental subsidy program, which will make available approximately $600,000 to quickly move at least 100 homeless families statewide into housing. HPHA Executive Director Hakim Ouansafi said, “With partnership with local nonprofits, this program is specifically focused on homeless families, where we expect to have an immediate, noticeable and lasting impact across generations.”
Morishige underscored the importance of the developments. “These are two examples of community partnerships the state is forging to effectively and quickly address homelessness,” he said. “We are looking at new and creative ways for the community to pool funds, leverage resources and work in alignment across all sectors to house and stabilize people experiencing homelessness.”
Over the past week, representatives from the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and the National Governors Association have been in Hawai`i as the governor’s office has convened cross-sector meetings with stakeholders from every county and every sector.
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This is Mosquito Control Awareness Week. Photo from AMCA

THIS IS MOSQUITO CONTROL Awareness Week. The American Mosquito Control Association promotes the three Ds: Drain, Dress and Defend as methods to enhance public health and quality of life through suppression of mosquitoes.

Drain. Many mosquito problems in neighborhoods likely come from water-filled containers that residents can help to eliminate, according to AMCA. All mosquitoes require water in which to breed. Be sure to drain any standing water around homes. Dispose of any tires; tires can breed thousands of mosquitoes. Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers. Clear roof gutters of debris. Clean pet water dishes regularly. Check and empty children’s toys. Repair leaky outdoor faucets. Change water in birdbaths at least once a week. Canoes and other boats should be turned over. Avoid water collecting on pool covers. Empty water collected in tarps around the yard or on woodpiles. Plug tree holes. Even the smallest of containers (bottles, barrels, buckets, overturned garbage can lids, etc.) that can collect water can breed hundreds to thousands of mosquitoes. They don’t need much water to lay their eggs.
Dress. Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. Studies have shown that some of the 174 mosquito species in the United States are more attracted to dark clothing and most can readily bite through tight-fitting clothing of loose weave. When practical, wear long sleeves and pants.
Defend. Choose a mosquito repellent that has been registered by the Environmental Protection Agency. Registered products have been reviewed, approved and pose minimal risk for human safety when used according to label directions. Four repellents that are approved and recommended are DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide), Picaridin (KBR 3023), Oil of lemon eucalyptus (p-methane 3,8- diol, or PMD) and IR3535.
See mosquito.org.
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Sen. Mazie Hirono speaking on gun control.
Image from Sen. Hirono's Office

HAWAI`I’S U.S. SENATORS YESTERDAY voted to support measures to curb gun violence, following the worst shooting incident in U.S. history, which left 49 victims and the gunman dead at the Orlando, FL Pulse nightclub on Sunday morning, June 12. The measures failed.
The first would have strengthened background checks for gun buyers by requiring that each one, with exceptions, pass an instant background check. It also would have required states and the federal government to send all necessary records on felons, drug abusers, the seriously mentally ill and other dangerous people to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

The second, cosponsored by senators including Sen. Brian Schatz and Sen. Mazie Hirono, would have closed the “terror gap” by giving the attorney general the discretion to keep suspected terrorists from buying guns and explosives if the attorney general has a reasonable belief that the weapons would be used in connection with terrorism.

Sen. Brian Schatz joined last week's
filibuster. Image from YouTube

“More than 90 percent of Americans demand we take action on gun violence, but again Senate Republicans refuse to act. It’s unacceptable,” Schatz said. “Right now, known terrorists are banned from getting on an airplane, but they are still allowed to buy military-style weapons. It is absolutely insane. After one of the most horrific mass shootings in our history, we saw people across the country courageously stand up against gun violence and hatred. When will Republicans in Congress finally do the same?”

“Last week on the Senate floor, I joined Sen Christopher Murphy in calling for action on commonsense measures to curb gun violence in honor of the more than 6,000 people killed by guns so far in 2016,” Hirono said. “Since that speech last Wednesday, nearly 200 more Americans have been killed by guns. Enough is enough. These victims and their loved ones deserve more than empty promises, thoughts and prayers. Today, Senate Republicans sent a clear message that they are more interested in pandering to special interests such as the National Rifle Association than taking steps to prevent tragedies like Orlando, like Newtown, like Charleston, from happening again. I will continue to fight alongside the millions of Americans demanding action.”
Last week, Hirono and Schatz joined Sen. Murphy’s 15-hour filibuster to demand votes on the amendments. Click here to watch Hirono’s remarks and here for Schatz’s.
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PARTICIPANTS WEAVE THEIR OWN ti leaf lei tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
Free; park entrance fees apply.

WAHI PANA: HAWAI`I’S SPECIAL PLACES focuses on Ka`u in its upcoming program, airing on KGMB Channel 7 Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

Learn about the Business of Art from Ira Ono
Photo from VAC

AN UPCOMING WORKSHOP at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village focuses on the Business of Art. Volcano artist Ira Ono’ topics include Pricing your Product for Profit, Focus on Galleries/Gift Shops, Trade Show Visual Merchandising, Affordable Display Techniques, Fool Proof Presentations, Internet Marketing and Getting Free Publicity.

Ono is an internationally known artist. His works are found in the Hawai`i State Art Museum and private collections in the U.S., Europe and Japan. He is owner/director of Volcano Garden Arts in Volcano Village. He founded the Trash Art Shows throughout the state and is well versed in every aspect of marketing fine arts and crafts in Hawai`i and beyond.
During the workshop, Ono will help artists navigate basic business principles in this one-day intensive workshop. From the initial pros and cons of being your own boss to copyright basics to branding your product, artists discover what’s right for them and their art.
The workshop is held on Saturday, June 25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost is $40 for VAC members and $50 for non-members.
Participants are encouraged to bring samples of their own artwork for Ira to review.
To register, call 967-8222 or see volcanoartcenter.org.

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

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

Volcano Art Center's exhibit Ka`u & Kilauea Reflections opens Saturday, featuring works including Ka`u Hospital.
Artist Douglas Davenport was a doctor at the hospital, and proceeds benefit its Charitable Foundation.
See more below. Image from Volcano Art Center

HAWAI`I HAS RECEIVED $2.7 MILLION in AmeriCorps funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency for volunteering and service programs.

“This new funding is great news for Hawai`i,” said Sen. Brian Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “AmeriCorps members supported by these grants will serve across the state, teaching in high-need schools, improving public parks and providing legal resources and other services to veterans and their families.”

“For more than 20 years, AmeriCorps members have had a positive and lasting impact on the toughest challenges facing our nation,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service.

“Building on Hawai`i’s strong tradition of neighbor helping neighbor, AmeriCorps members will improve lives and strengthen communities across Hawai`i. While they serve others, AmeriCorps members will also expand opportunity for themselves – gaining skills and experience to jumpstart their careers. I salute every AmeriCorps member for his or her dedication and determination to ‘get things done’ and respond to the needs in their communities.”

AmeriCorps volunteers helped clean up and organize Pahala
Hongwanji schoolhouse. Photo by Julia Neal

The federal investment includes three grants totaling $2,084,391 that will support 531 AmeriCorps members. AmeriCorps members will tackle some of the toughest problems in Hawai`i including teaching in high-need schools, improving public parks, providing legal aid and other services to veterans and their family members, and more.

CNCS will also provide up to $1.7 million in education scholarships for the AmeriCorps members funded by these grants to help pay for college, vocational training, or pay back student loans. The federal investment is projected to generate an additional $6.8 million in local support to increase community impact and return on federal investment.
The federal investment announced today also includes more than $654,000 for the Hawai`i Commission on National and Community Service, the governor-appointed state service commission. Later this summer, the Hawai`i Commission on National and Community Service will make additional grants to support AmeriCorps programs in the state.
The current year’s AmeriCorps grant cycle was highly competitive due to strong demand by organizations seeking AmeriCorps resources. The 2016 competition prioritized investments in economic opportunity, education, veterans and military families, disaster services and continued a new initiative for governors and mayors.
AmeriCorps members with Kupu will assist in improving Hawai`i’s public parks and lands using their knowledge of environmental stewardship and environmentally conscious practices.
Teach for America AmeriCorps members will serve as full-time teachers in 38 high-need schools on Hawai`i Island and O`ahu, reaching more than 5,400 students.
With Legal Aid Society of Hawai`i, AmeriCorps members will help more than 1,545 residents, including 145 veterans or veterans’ family members, find legal information and resources they need in Legal Aid offices and courthouse-based self-help centers across Hawai`i.
For more information about AmeriCorps, see www.NationalService.gov.
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HAWAI`I HAS BEEN AWARDED a $763,856 grant by the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment to complete a Supply Chain Map for Hawai`i’s defense contracting community. This grant starts on July 1 and will be administered by the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

The defense industry is Hawai`i’s Number Two economic sector. Past analyses of the impact of the military in Hawai`i have been completed at the macro-economic level. The average annual direct defense expenditures in Hawai‘i are about $8.8 billion, resulting in a total output of $12.2 billion into the economy. This sector supports approximately 100,000 jobs, or 16.5 percent of Hawai`i’s total jobs, across all islands.
“This grant will enable the state of Hawai‘i to identify the prime contractors, sub-contractors and suppliers to the military. This will enable us to plan ahead to better support this critical component of our economy by ensuring that Hawai`i businesses are prepared to adapt to changing defense requirements,” said Gov. David Ige.
The Military Affairs Council of the Chamber of Commerce Hawai`i is a strategic partner for this grant. “We look forward to partnering with the state to inventory and study Hawai`i’s DoD supply chain which includes all of our MAC members. This project will reveal how the defense sector impacts every island and aspect of our economy,” said David Carey, Chairman of the Military Affairs Council.
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Sen. Mazie Hirono

TODAY, THE SUPREME COURT released a deadlocked ruling on U.S. v. Texas, which halts President Obama’s Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents and expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programs.

“In 2014, President Obama gave hope to millions of workers and families by expanding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which has helped over 700,000 people come out of the shadows since its creation in 2012, and establishing the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents program,” Sen. Mazie Hirono said. “Last year, a federal court challenge led by Texas halted these programs, and today, the lives of up to five million people remain on hold as the Supreme Court deadlocked and was unable to resolve the situation.
“Deadlock at the Court, and deadlock in Congress, are denying hope and opportunity to millions of people. This is not how our government is supposed to work. I will continue speaking out and fighting as hard as I can to give those people in the shadows hope, and to see that the Supreme Court be returned to full strength, and that Congress finally pass real, comprehensive immigration reform legislation.”
As the only immigrant currently serving in the U.S. Senate, Hirono has been a leading advocate for fixing our broken immigration system. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee in the 113th Congress, she was one of the authors of the Senate’s 2013 comprehensive immigration reform legislation.

Pahala resident Lane Ueda accepts applications for LIHEAP

through next Thursday. Photo by Julia Neal

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KA`U RESIDENT HAVE ONE MORE WEEK to apply for Hawai`i County Economic Opportunity Council’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program 2016. The deadline is Thursday, June 30. LIHEAP assists households with their utility bill (electric or gas).

Ka`u residents can apply at Na`alehu HCEOC Office on Monday and Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., Ocean View Community Center on Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Edmund C. Olson Trust Office Building in Pahala today and next Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Dr. David Davenport Photo from VAC

KA`U AND KILAUEA REFLECTIONS opens Saturday at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Featuring works by former Ka`u Hospital Dr. Douglas Davenport, the exhibit benefits Ka`u Hospital Charitable Foundation. All funds raised by the foundation go directly to enhance the quality of care provided at Ka`u Hospital and its rural health clinic by enabling the purchase of advanced medical equipment, resources to improve patient and resident care as well as staff training and scholarships.

From June 25 through July 10, Davenport’s paintings and ceramics by will be available for viewing Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The works display his appreciation for the unique district of Ka`u through a multitude of landscapes.
“I feel fortunate to have been able to work in Pahala and, in my small way, give back to the community and to the island that has enriched my life immeasurably,” Davenport said.
Proceeds from artwork sold as well as donations received go directly to Ka`u Hospital Charitable Foundation.
A special opening reception takes place Saturday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the campus. For more information, see call 967-8222 or see volcanoartcenter.org.

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.

Learn about `ohi`a lehua during a free program at Kahuku on Sunday. See more below. NPS Photo by Paul Peh

KA`U COFFEE GROWERS CAN BUY Botanigard/Mycotrol before June 30 to qualify for a 75-percent reimbursement rate through Hawai`i Department of Agriculture’s Coffee Berry Borer Subsidy Program. For purchases after July 1, the reimbursement rate drops to 50 percent.
The reimbursement program runs annually through 2019 for purchases of Beauveria bassiana products made in the immediately preceding state fiscal year, July 1-June 30. Reimbursement is for up to $600 per acre and up to $9,000 per farm, per year.

Ka`u Coffee growers can apply for partial reimbursement on
Beauveria bassiana products that fight coffee berry borers.
Photo by Peggy Grebe/USDA Ag Research Service

Applicants can prepare ahead by ensuring that they have a Certificate of Vendor Compliance from www.vendors@ehawaii.gov, which provides proof of compliance with the IRS, Department of Labor, DCCA and state tax offices. A video on the website guides registrants through the process. There is a $12 annual fee, and it could take two weeks to process the application.
TMK number is required, as is IRS form W-9 if reimbursement of $600 or more is expected. The form is available at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf.
Applicants must take original receipts and a driver’s license or government-issued ID to the program office.
The application includes a survey that provides the state Legislature with information on the impact of the program on CBB control. Survey questions pertain to farming and CBB, including the number of pesticide applications, spray rate and end-of-season CBB infestation levels.
The application should be available online within two weeks, barring any unforeseen problems, according to Gwen Hicks, of the state Ag Department.
For more information, email HDOA.CBB@hawaii.gov.
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KA`U RESIDENTS CONTINUE to write letters protesting a proposed solar project which, if allowed by the PUC, will cover 27 house lots in three makai subdivisions with two-acre solar farms. Many residents see the project, which would produce 6.75 megawatts of power, about 700 percent more than the area needs, as industrialization of their neighborhoods. Excess power would be sold to HELCO for 23.8 cents per kilowatt-hour, a price set by the utility’s Feed-In Tariff Program in 2011.

“The high voltage line must be undergrounded, no matter the cost,” wrote Kerstin Meuller, a Ranchos resident, in a letter on the PUC docket that was set up in response to HELCO’s application for an overhead transmission line.

“The developer is being paid top dollar for the power. This solar project does not belong in a residential community. It is not needed and not wanted and is being put up just for an overseas company (SPI Solar) against the wishes of the community.”

In her letter to the PUC regarding a proposed solar project in Ocean
View, a Miloli`i resident discussed one in operation there.
Photo from Ann Bosted

SPI Solar is incorporated in the Cayman Islands and headquartered in Shanghai, China.

“The properties all along the highway in Ocean View will soon be zoned ‘commercial’ which means that businesses like shops, restaurants, hotels, schools, professional offices, banks, etc. could be located here one day,” Mueller said. “Nobody will want to spend money putting up a nice commercial building if it looks onto ugly poles and an unsightly substation. This will have a very negative effect on the development of our town in the short and long term.”
A Miloli`i resident, Susan Zimdas, questioned the state law allowing solar installations to be built on agricultural land without a county permit.
“I am against solar in a residential area!” she wrote. “This is ag land. Not industrial!”
Referring to a 1.25-megawatt solar installation near Miloli`i that came on line in October 2015, Zimdas wrote: “Solar City got away with building 27 acres of solar on ag land. How is this O.K.?
“I cannot build a store or restaurant, but you will let someone come in and cut down 27 acres of trees and put in solar with no notice to the residents neighboring this land.”
Others who have sent letters to the PUC this month are Ron Riggs (four letters), Nancy Bondurant, Diane Neufeld-Heck, Joan Sevey and Ross Metzger.
Anyone wanting to submit public comment to the docket can do so at puc.comments@hawaii.gov. Docket number 2015-0229 must appear on the subject line. Each letter should begin with a statement saying if the writer is in favor of the line and project or against them.
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HAWAI`I ISLAND POLICE ARE ASKING the public for help in identifying individuals or businesses who are responsible for the dumping of abandoned and derelict vehicles.

“Be on the lookout for private or business vehicles that may be dumping vehicles on the sides of our roadways,” said Sergeant Roylen Valera, of Kona Community Policing Section. Dumping a vehicle is a criminal offense punishable by up to a $1,000 fine. Additionally, offenders could face a criminal littering charge, which is a petty misdemeanor and carries a fine of up to $1,000 and community service.
“We would like to remind vehicle owners to complete the necessary paperwork if they dispose of or transfer their vehicle to another person or entity, to ensure that they will not be liable for the vehicle if it is found abandoned on the side of the road,” Valera said. “If the paperwork is not completed, you will be responsible for any fines or towing charges. Our goal is to preserve the beauty of Hawai`i Island.”
Police ask anyone who knows the identity of those who dump abandoned or derelict vehicles to call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311.
Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the islandwide Crime Stoppers number at 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID, and information is kept confidential.
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U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

YESTERDAY, PRESIDENT OBAMA SIGNED into law an update and reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976.

This is “a long overdue step forward to better protect our families, our community and our planet,” Ka`u’s U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said. “I voted for this legislation when it came before Congress last month. The law improves public health protections for current chemicals on the market, requires safety reviews for new chemicals before they enter the market, increases access to information, improves transparency for consumers and strengthens protections for vulnerable populations.

“There are over 80,000 chemicals used every single day in the U.S. These chemicals have enormous impact on the health of our communities and environment. Chemicals are so commonly used in our furniture, cosmetics, household cleaners, children’s toys, food and much more, yet face little to no regulation and review before they are released on the market.”
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HO`OMALU KA`U, THE NONPROFIT that plans to build Ka`u Heritage Center, is raising funds to hold a two-day Makahiki celebration at Wai`ohinu Park in February 2018. “We need your kokua to help make this first Makahiki Fest a huge success, President Lehua Lopez-Mau said.
The hui is selling tickets for apple and peach pies that will be ready for the Fourth of July. The cost is $16 per pie or two for $30.
Buy pie tickets at the Ho`omalu’s booth Wednesday morning at Shaka’s Farmers Market or from Lopez-Mau, Wendy Vance, Blossom DeSilva, Zachary DeBernardi, Willy Laukea, Charmaine Keanu, Babette Morrow, Leonie Caron and Karen Valentine.

Pick up frozen, ready-to-bake pies on Saturday, July 2 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the lawn of Na`alehu Methodist Church during the Na`alehu Fourth of July parade and celebration.
“Buy your apple and peach pies for the Fourth of July, and your holiday dessert will be ready to bake for everyone to enjoy!” Lopez-Mau said.
For more, call 929-9891, or email hoomalukau@gmail.com.
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Road to Pahala by Dr. Douglas Davenport
Image from VAC

KA`U AND KILAUEA REFLECTIONS opens tomorrow at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. The exhibit of works by former Ka`u Hospital Dr. Douglas Davenport raises funds for Ka`u Hospital Charitable Foundation. It continues through July 10, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. expect Mondays.

Opening reception is tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
For more information, call 967-8222 or see volcanoartcenter.org.

PARTICIPANTS LEARN ABOUT the vital role of `ohi`a lehua in native Hawaiian forests, the many forms of the `ohi`a tree and the lehua flower Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Visitors will be able to identify the many differences of the most prominent native tree in Kahuku on this easy, one-mile (or less) walk.
Enter Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park on the mauka side of Hwy 11 near mile marker 70.5, and meet near the parking area. Sturdy footwear, water, rain gear, sun protection and a snack are recommended.

OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION encourages residents to attend a meeting on status of Ocean View Transfer Station. Hawai`i County Council member Maile David and representatives from the county Department of Environmental Management’s Solid Waste Division answer questions next Tuesday, June 28 at 6 p.m. at the 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/KauCalendar_June_2016.pdf.

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

Makahiki grounds being purchased by the county are near a proposed site for Na`alehu's wastewater treatment plant.

THE NEW NA`ALEHU SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT location is of concern to the Keanu family, with their traditional Hawaiian connection to Kahua `Olohu Makahiki Grounds between Hon`uapo and Na`alehu.

Keoni Fox represents the family in its efforts to preserve the Makahiki Grounds where native Hawaiians held games and celebrations, as well as the larger shoreline area between Honu`apo and Na`alehu. Fox said he believes the county may have selected a sewage plant site that is next to the 13 acres of Makahiki Grounds being purchased by the county for preservation. Hawai`i County Council member Maile David introduced a resolution to purchase the grounds using Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Committee funds, and it passed in November 2015.

Keoni Fox Photo from Fox's Facebook Page

Fox said the Makahiki Grounds and other important Hawaiian cultural remains extend into state-owned land beyond the Weatherford property being purchased for preservation. He said there are nearby graves and other “sacred sites” and that it would be inappropriate to locate a sewage treatment plant in the area. He said that native Hawaiians were very clean and that piping sewage to the area from Na`alehu would be “disrespectful.”

He also noted that remains of the Hawaiian village of Pa`ula (Leipana) are on the shoreline below the Makahiki Grounds and should be protected from any sewage plant risk.
The Trust for Public Lands, which is working with the Fox family and others to preserve the area, described it as containing “at least 444 ancient Hawaiian cultural sites with more than 3,900 features, including enclosures, mounds, platforms, walls, salt pans, walled terraces, petroglyphs, papamu, heiau, ceremonial sites, burial sites, a refuge cave (and other lava tubes) and a portion of Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail… .”

Fox said this morning that he hopes the county will host a public meeting to gather local knowledge from the community about the cultural and environmental values associated with any proposed sewage treatment site before it is selected.
He said he understands why the county is considering the site. It is on state land, downhill from Na`alehu, and may be the least expensive option for the county. He said the county has asked the state for a perpetual easement for the site.
He said another concern about the Makahiki area location is that Na`alehu is upwind, as it is from the nearby location of the former Na`alehu Dairy, which provided an aroma to the Na`alehu village.
Fox said he understands that time is of the essence to build a much needed sewage plant for Na`alehu, as many homes from sugar plantation days are connected to a gang cesspool, now illegal under federal law. The EPA could fine the county if it does not update the system soon.
Fox can be reached at 808-351-6279.
The county is also working to acquire a site for a wastewater treatment plant in Pahala.
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Gov. David Ige signed into law bills relating to firearms.
Image from Gov. Ige's Office

HAWAI`I BECAME THE FIRST STATE in the nation to enroll firearms owners in centralized information system. Gov. David Ige signed SB 2954 (ACT 108), which authorizes county police departments to enroll firearms applicants and individuals registering their firearms in a criminal record monitoring service.

The system, also known as the “Rap Back” system, is a service of the Federal Bureau of Investigation that provides continuous criminal record monitoring for authorized government agencies such as law enforcement agencies. The service notifies the agencies when a firearm owner is arrested for a criminal offense anywhere in the country. This will allow county police departments to evaluate whether the firearm owner may continue to legally possess and own firearms. The law also authorizes the Hawai`i Criminal Justice Data Center to access firearm registration data.
“This is about our community’s safety and responsible gun ownership,” Ige said. “This system will better enable our law enforcement agencies to ensure the security of all Hawai`i residents and visitors to our islands. This bill has undergone a rigorous legal review process by our Attorney General’s office, and we have determined that it is our responsibility to approve this measure for the sake of our children and families.”

Ige also signed HB 625 (ACT 109) and HB 2632 (ACT 110) relating to firearms.
HB 625 specifies that harassment by stalking and sexual assault are among the offenses that disqualify a person from owning, possessing or controlling any firearm or ammunition.
HB 2632 requires firearms owners to surrender their firearms and ammunition to the Chief of Police if they have been disqualified from owning a firearm and ammunition for the following reasons: diagnosis of significant behavioral, emotional or mental disorder, or emergency or involuntary hospitalization to a psychiatric facility. This measure authorizes the Chief of Police to seize firearms and ammunition if a disqualified firearms owner fails to surrender the items after receiving written notice.
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Hawai`i State Legislature confirmed judiciary appointments
during a special session. Photo from wikipedia

THE HAWAI`I STATE SENATE unanimously confirmed M. Kanani Laubach to Hawai`i Island’s District Family Court of the Third Circuit.

Laubach is a Partner at Laubach & Frenz, AAL, LLLC in Hilo, where she focuses her legal practice on criminal cases heard in District, Family and Circuit Courts and family law cases involving temporary restraining orders. Prior to entering private practice, Laubach served as a Hawai`i County’s Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. She also previously served as Honolulu’s Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. In addition to her legal experience, Laubach previously worked as a family therapist and visitation specialist with Parents and Children Together, where she taught parenting skills and child development. She attained her master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Chaminade University. She earned her Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the University of Hawai`i William S. Richardson School of Law and was admitted to the Hawai`i State Bar in 2003.
Laubach will fill the vacancy created by the appointment of the Honorable Melvin H. Fujino to the Circuit Court of the Third Circuit.
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`Ohi`a Lehua is the topic of a free program tomorrow.
Photo from NPS

KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES National Park offers a free program tomorrow. Learn about the vital role of `ohi`a lehua in native Hawaiian forests, the many forms of the `ohi`a tree its flower at 9:30 a.m. Visitors will be able to identify the many differences of the most prominent native tree in Kahuku on this easy, one-mile (or less) walk.

MIHO AIDA, ACTIVIST, FILMMAKER, educator and outdoor adventurer, comes to Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village on Monday to screen her award-winning film The Sacred Place Where Life Begins: Gwich’in Women Speak at 7 p.m. She also signs copies of the book We Are the Arctic, offering books on a sliding scale donation request of $5 to $20.

Miho Aida signs copies of We are the Arctic tomorrow.
Image from VAC

We Are the Arctic takes readers into the remote, life-sustaining coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which Aida describes as a sacred place for a centuries-old culture and a symbol of enduring serenity and peace. It is the birthing ground for caribou and polar bears. Adventurers seeking a once-in-a-lifetime wilderness experience find it here.

The book showcases the vast beauty of the untouched wilderness through images from ten of the world’s best conservation photographers. A range of voices, including DJ Spooky, Terry Tempest Williams and former president Jimmy Carter share, through essays, precisely why this place is so special to them.
“Every American has a stake in what happens to this public land along the wild edge of the Arctic Ocean, and, collectively, we face a choice: preserve the Arctic as the natural life-sustaining treasure as it has been for the lifetime of this planet, or exploit it for what is estimated to be six months of American oil consumption,” Aida said.
For more information see http://www.wearethearctic.org/we-are-arctic-book.

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Add caption

Learn about the evolution of landscape restoration at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Tuesday.
See more below. NPS Images by J. Dawson

KA`U'S REP. TULSI GABBARD AND A BIPARTISAN group of Congress members introduced legislation to prevent the sale of firearms to those on the No-Fly list in an effort to keep guns out of the hands of terrorists, while providing an appeals process to protect constitutionally guaranteed civil liberties.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

“We owe it to the American people to work together to try to get sensible gun control legislation actually passed – and in order to do that, it must be a bipartisan effort,” Gabbard said. “Majorities in both parties agree with the vast majority of the American people – we need to keep guns out of the hands of terrorists. However, we must also ensure that any action we take does not compromise the rights to due process guaranteed to every citizen. There are valid constitutional concerns related to the lack of due process and transparency for those who have mistakenly been placed on the No Fly List and Terror Watch List. This legislation is a bipartisan compromise that will help to keep guns out of the hands of terrorists, while protecting our constitutionally guaranteed civil liberties.”

H.R. 5576, the House companion to the bipartisan Terrorist Firearms Prevention Act, would give the ability to prevent individuals on the “No-Fly” and Selectee lists from legally purchasing firearms and explosives, create a process for American citizens and lawful permanent residents to appeal a denial in Federal Court, protect ongoing counter-terrorism investigations by giving the Attorney General discretion to allow gun sales to go forward for individuals covered by the act, and implement a five-year “look-back” provision to immediately notify the Attorney General and federal, state and local law enforcement if anyone who is or was entered into the broader Terrorist Screening Database attempts to buy a gun from a licensed dealer.
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THE GREAT CRACK and other features of Kilauea’s Southwest Rift Zone are topics of the current issue of Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s Volcano Watch.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists investigate a portion
of the Great Crack. Photo from USGS/HVO

“In 1823, the party of English Reverend William Ellis (1794-1872), including American missionary Asa Thurston and a number of local guides, explored the wild landscape of Kilauea Volcano,” the article states. “Ellis returned with his ailing wife to a family home in London where, in 1824, he began writing up a detailed and important narrative of his journey around the Island of Hawai`i. No other Caucasian visitors had published descriptions of this landscape, and one could say that the ‘history’ of Ka`u and, more broadly, of Kilauea, in the sense of contemporary written documentation, begins with Ellis.

“The Ellis account (first published in 1825) is significant for several reasons. Not only is it pioneering, it also provides the first European descriptions of active, or recently active, eruptions at Kilauea. A lake – or several lakes – of molten lava spread across the floor of the summit caldera; an awesome spectacle that underscored Hawaiian cultural respect for Pelehonuamea, the volcano deity.

“On the western flank of Kilauea, Ellis and company also witnessed the aftermath of a recent outpouring of highly fluid lava, which geologist Harold Stearns, a hundred years later, officially designated the ‘Keaiwa Flow’ (an informal name used by residents of Ka`u at the time). The 1823 flow issued from a 10-kilometer (six-mile) long rupture now known as the Great Crack, and poured into the ocean, destroying one small coastal village at Mahuka Bay.
“Explosive eruptions occurred at Kilauea’s summit in the decades before Ellis arrived. The 1790 eruption is foremost, but at least seven others, unnoticed by Ellis, took place between then and the early 1820s. Ellis was told about the 1790 eruption but not about the later ones, evidence for which has only recently been discovered.

“On the west flank (Southwest Rift Zone) of Kilauea, the general assumption made by historians is that nothing much occurred there volcanically in the decades surrounding the unusual 1823 eruption described by Ellis. This assumption, however, is questionable given what we’ve learned in recent years about unreported summit activity.

“Ongoing studies have tackled the question of what may be missing from the late 18th to early to mid-19th-century historical record. They use both the Footprints ash, a deposit of the 1790 eruption that fell in part of the area, and the Ellis narrative, which includes important details of how the Ka`u landscape looked back then, to distinguish younger flows from older ones.

William Ellis Photo from wikipedia

“The geological interpretation of early accounts is daunting, but critical. We cannot reliably reconstruct the route of the Ellis party in terms of his reported travel distances, most of which are more than double what could possibly be true. But directions of travel – the party carried a compass – do seem to be reliable, allowing us to trace a partial route based on descriptions of features that have not changed much in two centuries.
“Another challenge is descriptive terminology. The terms Ellis and his contemporaries used often had less clear, more poetic meanings than the scientific terms we use today. Much specific terminology we now routinely use simply did not exist then, nor would it be used today by a non-scientist, such as Ellis. We have to guess what Ellis meant by his sometimes colorful terms, and at times we may be wrong in our guess.
“What has been learned so far is that Kilauea’s Southwest Rift Zone produced far more lava in the decades between 1790 and 1823 than Ellis alone suggests – and from fissures more widespread than only the Great Crack. We suspect this because there are many flows that are not covered by the Footprints ash. The flows instead overlie the ash, and, therefore, are younger than 1790.
“Care must be taken in our analyses, however, because erosion can remove thin ash quite easily, and the ash in this area was probably thin. Nonetheless, we favor the interpretation that lava flows that lack an ash cover are indeed younger than the ash.
“The Ellis narrative is a ‘snapshot’ and not a running documentary of Kilauea during his time. In a future column we’ll explore this surprising discovery further.
“Meanwhile, the engagement of written history and geology, two ordinarily separated academic disciplines, has – once more – proven unexpectedly fruitful in our understanding of Hawai`i’s natural environment.”
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TUTU & ME TRAVELING PRESCHOOL is looking for two part-time, on-call teaching assistants to assist in implementing its curriculum for caregivers and keiki during the 2016-17 school year beginning Aug. 1.

Qualified applicants must be available to report to work at 7 a.m. Monday through Thursday on short notice and on a short- or long-term basis as needed.
Minimum qualifications include a high school diploma; early childhood education or related course work and/or experience working with children preferred; access to vehicle, valid driver’s license, safe driving record, bodily collision and property damage liability insurance coverage.
For more info, see www.pidfoundation.org.
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Miho Aida Photo from VAC

VOLCANO ART CENTER in Volcano Village presents a film screening and book signing tomorrow at 7 p.m. Miho Aida screens her film The Sacred Place Where Life Begins: Gwich’in Women Speak and signs copies of the book We Are the Arctic.

See volcanoartcenter.org.

COUNTY OFFICIALS DISCUSS the planned Ocean View Transfer Station with residents Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center.
Call 939-7033 for more information.

THE EVOLUTION OF LANDSCAPE Restoration at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park is the topic at After Dark in the Park Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
Since its establishment in 1916, various attempts to conserve and protect the park’s rich biological resources have been made by the Territory of Hawai`i, the National Park Service, and citizen scientists – with varying degrees of success. Beginning in 1970, park staff adopted a systematic parkwide approach to managing species and habitats, which continues today. Join Chief of Natural Resource Management Dr. Rhonda Loh to learn more about these Special Ecological Areas, or SEAs, and decades of successful restoration in the park.

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Preservation of Kauleoli fishing village and apuhua`a in South Kona also includes Ala Kahakai National
Historic Trail, which extends from Kohala south through Ka`u and then north into Puna.
Photo from Trust for Public Land

ALA KAHAKAI NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL is adding more to its jurisdiction in South Kona. Bret Yager, of West Hawai`i Today, reported that the Trust for Public Land helped the organization attain 59 coastal acres south of Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park from willing sellers, and escrow is expected to close next month. It’s Ala Kahakai’s first land purchase.

Ka`u's section of Ala Kahakai is longer than those of other districts.
Photo by Julia Neal

The landscape envelopes the entire shoreline of Kauleoli ahupua`a, a well-preserved section of the trail and numerous ancient sites at Kauleoli fishing village, such as Hawaiian house foundations, a canoe shed, traditional agriculture areas and salt making ponds.

The purchase will connect the property to the southern border of Pu`uhonua O Honaunau at the ancient fishing village of Ki`ilea, which was added to the park in 2006, also with assistance from TPL. It will further protect the park and “support continuation of traditions and stories of this treasured South Kona cultural landscape,” according to a statement from TPL.
“The lineal descendants of the area have been caring for the trail,” Laura Kaakua, native lands project manager for the Trust For Public Land, told Yager. “Now, under ownership of Ala Kahakai, the trail but also the makai lands will have educational, cultural and stewardship opportunities not just for the descendants but anyone who is interested in volunteering.”
See westhawaiitoday.com.
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U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono

SEN. MAZIE HIRONO, WHO REPRESENTS Ka`u in the U.S. Senate, today applauded the Supreme Court’s 5-3 decision in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, which struck down a Texas law restricting access to reproductive health care. Had the Court ruled in favor of the Texas law, states across the nation could have enacted similarly restrictive laws.

Hirono joined her Senate colleagues on an amicus brief to the Supreme Court urging the justices to rule in favor of the plaintiff, Whole Woman’s Health, and to preserve access to reproductive health care services.
“Earlier this year, when the Supreme Court was hearing Whole Woman’s Health, I joined advocates on the Court steps who were holding signs that read ‘Don’t mess with access,’ and ‘Respect my fundamental human dignity,’” Hirono said. “The Court heard their plea and saw the Texas law for what it really was: an unconstitutional restriction on a woman’s right to access reproductive health care. Significantly, the Court looked at the real effect of the Texas law – which was to restrict access to critical health care services – instead of limiting its review to the state’s ostensible justification.
“Texas, however, is only one state out of many which has enacted predatory laws aimed at shutting down clinics that provide reproductive health care services and highlights how far some states will go to restrict a woman’s right to choose. We must remain vigilant against such measures going forward.”
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Amy Shoremount-Obra

MUSICIANS COMING TO PAHALA in August will present a concert to support KAHU Radio and honor Ka`u Coffee growers.

The concert, a tribute to the 20th anniversary of the post-plantation Ka`u Coffee industry, will, in part, raise funds for Hawai`i Public Radio and its efforts to bring a stronger and more reliable signal to all of Ka`u and the entire state. HPR operates KAHU radio and work is in progress on a tower toward expanding the broadcast to the entire community. The coverage is also considered critical for Civil Defense, as much of Ka`u is without any emergency radio reception.
Opera singer Amy Shoremount-Obra returns to Pahala Plantation House on Saturday, Aug. 13 at 6 p.m. The concert features the soprano, internationally acclaimed violinist Eric Silberger, cellist Daniel Lelchuk and pianist Kwan Yi. It is one in a series in the inaugural year of the Hawai`i International Music Festival, with other performances at Maui Arts & Cultural Center and on O`ahu.
Shoremount-Obra’s family includes the founders of Rusty’s Hawaiian 100% Island Coffee, including the late Rusty Obra as well as Lorie and Joan Obra, Ralph Gaston and Shoremont-Obra’s husband Rusty Obra. She brought operatic music to Pahala in 2009 as a community outreach program with a grant she received from the Sing for Hope organization in conjunction with her alma mater The Juilliard School. She was accompanied by a pianist and tenor. The trio performed operatic music for Ka`u Coffee growers and other community members at Pahala Plantation House.
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For more, see himusicfestival.com.

Maiki Cofer and John Poetzel received brown belt certification
last Friday. Photo from Cliff Field

PAHALA DOJO MEMBERS Maiki Cofer and John Poetzel successfully completed their promotion test to the rank of brown belt in the International Karate League on June 24. The promotion brings them one step closer to attaining their black belts.

Cofer organized and has been teaching a keiki karate conditioning class for ages five to 10 held every Tuesday and Friday at 5 p.m. before the regular beginners class. The class helps youngsters prepare for the beginners class.
Pahala Dojo, established in 2009, holds classes every Tuesday and Friday at Pahala Community Center. A beginners class from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. is taught by Sensei Susan Field. An advance class follows from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., taught by Sensei Cliff Field. Classes are open to anyone interested in learning a traditional martial art, and the public is welcome to watch classes.
Pahala Dojo is a member of the International Karate League. Recently, IKL obtained a 501c3 status and now has 31 dojos across the country.
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Mosquitoes in Hawai`i Project works to identify what species
live where.

KA`U RESIDENTS CAN HELP the Mosquitoes in Hawai`i Project identify where mosquito species live. The citizen science project, established in May 2015, is powered by iNaturalist, the primary social network for natural history. The iNaturalist app allows individuals to take photos of any living thing and upload them to the cloud to be identified by thousands of volunteers worldwide.

To get involved, download the iNaturalist app. Go to iNaturalist and set up an account. Capture a mosquito, or rear from larvae wrigglers, in a closed container. Place adult insects in the freezer for 20 minutes to make sure they have expired. Place them on a sheet of paper, and take several pictures, especially on the back. Open the app and import the best photos. Double-check that dates, times and locations are correct. Upload the record.
Project organizers urge participants to be cautious when around mosquitoes and wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, socks, shoes or boots and repellent.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.
See http://www.inaturalist.org/projects/mosquitoes-in-hawaii.

OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION encourages residents to meet with county officials who will discuss the planned Ocean View Transfer Station tomorrow at 6 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center.
Call 939-7033 for more information.

LEARN ABOUT THE EVOLUTION of landscape restoration at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park at After Dark in the Park tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

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.

Lava is advancing down the pali near the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision in Puna.
USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory map from NASA Earth Observing-1
satellite's Advanced Land Imager

GOV. DAVID IGE ANNOUNCED his support of a bill pertaining to water rights for farmers and ranchers. House Bill 2501 involves state licenses for Ka`u farmers and ranchers, who were afraid of losing them, as well as a state water license on Alexander & Baldwin’s former Maui sugar lands where the court has ordered the return of water to natural streams.

“We have a water permit process that has not been working,” Ige said. “While I have major reservations about HB2501, it does provide time to transition to a process that ensures water is distributed fairly in accordance with the public trust doctrine and that decisions are made in a timely manner. The issues this bill addresses affect A&B and others such as Kaua`i Island Utility Cooperative and Hawaiian Electric Co. and smaller farmers who have revocable water permits and are not able to convert them to leases in the time allowed under statute.

“I understand why taro farmers on Maui would want this bill vetoed, and to them I say that water diversions will not continue as they have in the past. The State Water Code explicitly prohibits wasting water, and I expect A&B to stop diverting any water it is not actively using. I also expect A&B to make its plans to support sustainable, diversified agriculture available to the public as quickly as possible and to act in good faith, so we can all pitch in on shaping Maui’s future.

Water will continue to run for farmers and ranchers awaiting
state licenses to replace one-month revocable permits.
Photo from Hawai`i Department of Agriculture

“My expectation is that the Board of Land and Natural Resources and the Commission on Water Resource Management will act quickly, especially in setting instream flow standards so we all have the same facts. As the Board and Commission consider any application for long-term leases, I also expect them to factor in expected climate change impacts to rainfall, in-stream protection, and forest protection.

“My administration is committed to helping the parties involved in East Maui to mediate their differences to avoid costly delays for everyone. Let us move forward together.”
The bill will require that where an application has been made to continue an old lease, a holdover may be authorized annually until the pending application for the disposition of water rights is finally resolved or for three years, whichever is sooner. It will also require that the holdover is consistent with the public trust doctrine and any applicable law.
Regarding amendments that placed a maximum of three years for applicants’ leases to be approved, Ways & Means Committee chair Sen. Jill Tokuda said, “We wanted to refocus the discussion on the farmers, ranchers and cattlemen statewide who were impacted by the broad ruling of the court. Our committee agreed to these amendments understanding that there are water permit holders throughout the state, including Wood Valley Water & Farm Coop, Kualoa Ranch, Kapapala Ranch, the Kaua`i Island Utilities Cooperative, Kapua Orchards Estate, LLC, Molowa`a Farmers Cooperative and the East Kauai Water Users Co-op, to name a few.”
Ka`u’s Sen. Russell Ruderman voted for the measure but with reservations, while Sen. Josh Green voted against it.
“Gov. Ige failed to achieve the right balance in this situation,” said Marti Townsend, Director for the Sierra Club of Hawai`i. “His decision unnecessarily favors profit-driven water diversions above the best interests of the public. Our laws are written to ensure that our water is held in trust for everyone’s benefit. The Ige Administration should follow those laws, not change them to benefit those that divert public water for private gain, while harming the people and our environment.”
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A geologist collects fresh lava samples for chemical analysis.
Photo from USGS/HVO

THE ACTIVE LAVA FLOW southeast of Pu`u `O`o continues to advance and spread on its way toward the Puna Coast near Kalapana, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported this morning. A satellite image from yesterday showed that the flow was 3.9 miles long, and the flow front was progressing down the pali along the western boundary of the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision. The advance rate over the past four days has increased to about 0.2 miles per day, likely due to the steeper slope on the pali.

At Kilauea's summit, the lava lake continues to rise. HVO reported it being 80 feet below the adjacent crater floor this morning.

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CONSERVATION COUNCIL FOR HAWAI`I asks for help in reaching a goal of raising $18,000 to produce and distribute this year’s wildlife education poster to 450 public, charter, Hawaiian language immersion and private schools in Hawai`i.

Conservation Council for Hawai`i's poster
features art by Caren Lobel-Fried.

Posters will also be distributed to community leaders and organizations, wildlife agencies, elected officials, attendees of the IUCN World Conservation Congress in September and anyone who requests them.

This year’s poster features native Hawaiian birds with a focus on forest birds and the extinct `o`o bird as an example of species extinction in the islands.
“When we talk with children at community events, we notice our keiki know more about the extinction of dinosaurs than they do about the loss of unique Hawaiian birds,” coordinator Marjorie Ziegler said. “This prompted us to collaborate with award-winning author, artist, and conservationist Caren Loebel-Fried on a book and poster project about Hawaiian birds and the `o`o.
“Caren’s amazing block print for this year’s poster portrays a local boy communicating with an `o`o bird in a modern-day dream scene.”
Poster text is written by Dr. Sheila Conant, a leading authority on Hawaiian birds and a dedicated conservationist. The text on the back of the poster includes information on the status of Hawai`i’s birds, their cultural significance, what can be done to help protect them, and the `o`o bird’s special story.
Suggested donations are $50-$200 for individuals; $200-1,000 for small organizations and businesses; $1,000-$5,000 for medium organizations, businesses and agencies; and $5,000 or more for large organizations. Any amounts are accepted.
Mail checks made out to the Conservation Council for Hawai`i to PO Box 2923 Honolulu HI 96802, or 808-593-0255 to make a credit card donation.
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Mayor Billy Kenoi comes to Ka`u tomorrow
to open two new playgrounds.

OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION encourages residents to meet with county officials who will discuss the planned Ocean View Transfer Station today at 6 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center.
Call 939-7033 for more information.

GRAND OPENING OF TWO NEW Ka`u playgrounds is set for tomorrow. Mayor Billy Kenoi and Hawai`i County Council member Maile David invite residents to Na`alehu Park at 10:30 a.m. and Pahala Community Center at 12:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

HAWAI`I POLICE DEPARTMENT will make an “active shooter” presentation in Na`alehu Community Center on Wednesday, July 6 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. It is designed to help individuals increase their survivability should they encounter an active shooter or other type of active violent incident.
Police will provide information on previous incidents of mass violence, recent events, best practices for those caught in such situations, law enforcement’s response and how to work together as a community toward prevention. They will also provide additional resources for participants so they can continue their education on this topic, followed by a question-and-answer segment.

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

See kaucalendar.com/Kau_Calendar_June_2016.pdf.

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

Lava is burning vegetation in a kipuka on its rapid advance toward the ocean below the abandoned Royal
Gardens subdivision in Puna. See more below. Photo from USGS/Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

BOBBY JEAN LEITHEAD-TODD, Hawai`i County Director of Environmental Management, told Ocean View residents that she would immediately go to work on making the promised 21-acre transfer station there a permanent reality. At a meeting last night at Ocean View Community Center, she said she would work with County Council member Maile David to get funding and the state Department of Transportation to reduce costs.

A group of cavers gather around a mountain of trash
removed from an Ocean View puka. They also
recovered "No Dumping" signs tossed into
the puka. Photos by Peter & Ann Bosted

About 60 Ocean View residents at the meeting were unanimous in their message – the temporary transfer station is temporary, and the permanent one should be completed without further delay.

Greg Goodale, the county’s Solid Waste Division Chief, joined Leithead-Todd and David in fielding questions about why plans for a permanent transfer station were abandoned and the temporary transfer station was substituted.
Leithead-Todd opened with reasons for the long delay in developing a permanent facility makai of the Hwy 11 and establishment of a temporary one on land earmarked for “recreational” use among homes and adjacent to a park. She stated that although the facility was important, other projects with greater priority had intervened. She added that priority is usually given to wastewater projects in lieu of solid waste.
She said the transfer station at Wai`ohinu has top priority because fire in rubbish containers damaged wooden beams supporting the retaining wall, risking collapse. The Ocean View transfer station should have been the next priority, she said. However, permanent transfer station plans were derailed by the state, according to Leithead-Todd.
“We did not factor in the state Department of Transportation, which will eat up $2 million,” she said, going on to explain that Department of Transportation engineers wanted the county to pay for a left-turn lane and traffic lights.

Goodale said it was at that point that he started thinking of ways the temporary site could be improved with more services, such as HI5 services, which have been installed.

Linda Shutt questioned the need for “all these turning lanes and lights” and the high cost estimate.

“Something is not right,” she said, to which another resident commented that if the usual cost of new roads is about $1 million per mile, why $2 million for a short widening?

Ranchos resident Ann Bosted urged the county officials to make it easy and convenient for all residents to responsibly dispose of their trash, including computers, TVs, refrigerators, stoves and tires.

Members of CCH, which stewards Ocean View cave properties,
guide a bag of trash being winched out of a puka. Since
opening of Ocean View's temporary transfer station,
such work days have not been necessary.

“People should have more than a single day each month to legally discard a computer,” she said.

Bosted pointed out that members of Cave Conservation of Hawai`i, a nonprofit that owns lava tube properties in Ocean View, used to have to regularly clean out pukas two or three times a year. Since the temporary transfer station had made disposing of trash a lot easier, the natural pits are no longer being used as dumping grounds.

Loren Heck, a member of the steering committee that drafted the Ka`u Community Development Plan, told the officials that the temporary transfer station could be shut down legally by anyone challenging it.

“We were not allowed to put a well there or a water tank,” he said. “Read the deed. It’s for recreation. It could be shut down any day.”
Ocean View resident Tim Ent said, “I see big trucks turning left from the highway onto Aloha; I see cars turning left onto other HOVE streets. Everything is OK. Why is the DOT making such a fuss? Does this mean nothing new can be built? This stinks!”
County Council candidate Raina Whiting asked about the interim options, to which Goodale replied that he could provide two-bin recycling in the short term and increased staffing, if approved by the next administration.
Ocean View resident Mike Du Bois suggested that a bin large appliances should be provided at least once a month.
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 land 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?”
“We need to get going on a new site, regardless,” Goodale answered.
Shutt cautioned Goodale against expanding the facilities at the temporary site. “We don’t want the temporary one to be too comfortable,” she said. “This is a residential neighborhood. It’s next to a park – a really bad location. Keep your eyes on the goal,” she concluded, referring to the permanent site, which already has an approved building plan and a completed archaeological study.

A geologist photographs the flow front. Photo from USGS/HVO

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THE ACTIVE LAVA FLOW FROM PU`U O`O has advanced almost one-half mile in one day, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported. Scientists attributed the fast pace to steep terrain as lava falls down the pali along the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision’s western boundary.

An overflight of the active flow yesterday showed the flow was 4.3 miles long. Although the majority of flow activity is pahoehoe, the fast-moving flow front is channelized `a`a. The leading tip is burning vegetation in a kipuka.
See hvo.wr.usgs.gov.
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Sherry Menor-McNamara
Photo from COC Hawai`i

SINGAPORE HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY added to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Global Entry Program. Singaporean citizens can now apply for expedited customs clearance for visiting the United States and vice versa. Sen. Mazie Hirono led a bipartisan effort to encourage the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to add Singapore to the program in time for Hawai`i’s busy summer travel season.

“Singapore’s inclusion in the Global Entry program will facilitate and expedite travel between our two countries,” Hirono said. “I appreciate the action by CBP to support Singapore’s participation in the Global Entry Program… . This decision also allows CBP to direct security resources to where they are needed most.”
Hirono is a longtime advocate of expanding Global Entry and other trusted traveler programs to expand Hawai`i’s international visitor industry. In April, she led a similar effort in support of U.S. negotiations with Taiwan for inclusion in the program. Those negotiations are underway.
“The Global Entry Program between the U.S. and Singapore is good news for Hawai`i,” said Sherry Menor-McNamara, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Hawai`i. “With Singapore as our second largest export market, this bilateral initiative will serve to enhance trade, business and tourism links between both countries, taking advantage of Hawai`i’s geographic location and further strengthening our state’s strong relationship with Asia.”

Georg D. Szigeti Photo from HTA

“We appreciate Sen. Hirono’s effort to get Singapore added to the Global Entry Program,” said George D. Szigeti, President and CEO of Hawai`i Tourism Authority. “This is welcome news for Hawai`i’s tourism industry and a decision that will improve the process and travel experience for Singapore’s citizens visiting the Hawaiian Islands on leisure and business. Singapore and Hawai`i already enjoy strong cultural connections, and their addition to this program helps strengthen those ties even more by making it more convenient for them to visit and enjoy all that Hawaii has to offer.”

Global Entry participants must be pre-approved by CBP and undergo a rigorous background check and in-person interview before enrollment. Participants may still be selected for further examination when entering the United States. The program allows participants to complete expedited customs and immigration procedures using self-service kiosks at over 50 airports in the U.S., Canada and select overseas locations.
Singapore joins Canada, Mexico, Panama, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom and South Korea in CBP’s Global Entry and other trusted traveler programs.
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VOLUNTEERS CUT INVASIVE Himalayan ginger on Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park trails Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Loppers and gloves are provided. Participants are encouraged to wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants and close-toed shoes. Meet at Kilauea Visitor Center. Stewardship at the Summit takes place weekly; days vary.
See nps.gov/havo.

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.

Keiki enjoy Pahala Community Center's new playground after yesterday's ribbon-cutting ceremony.
See more below. Photos by Ron Johnson

WITH THE ACTIVE LAVA FLOW from Pu`u `O`o making its way over Pulama Pali along the western boundary of the former Royal Gardens Subdivision in lower Puna, Hawai`i County opens the area to lava viewing today.

Lava reaches a mango tree in a kipuka
on its way toward the Puna Coast.
Photo from Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

Lava viewing along the three-mile stretch of the county’s portion of an emergency road that leads to Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park is permitted between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. daily. The emergency road was built when lava threatened to cut off lower Puna in 2014. If lava had covered Hwy 130 near Pahoa, residents’ and emergency vehicles would have exited lower Puna by driving on the emergency road that hooks up with the national park road that climbs up the pali to Hwy 11 in Volcano.

For lava viewing, viewers will walk. No vehicles will be allowed.
Security guards will be posted on the emergency road or Hwy 130 before the entrance to Kalapana Gardens to provide lava viewing information and to direct parking. As in previous lava viewing events, visitors will be asked to park in marked areas near the end of the paved portion of Hwy 130.
Visitors are reminded that the emergency road is a gravel road that traverses over older lava flows and ends at the National Park Service boundary. Visitors are also reminded to prepare for the trek with proper footwear, sunscreen, warm clothing and water.
The county has established lava flow viewing areas along Hwy 130 as far back as 2001 and most recently in Pahoa in 2014.
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HAWAI`I COUNTY OFFICIALS JOINED Ka`u keiki, kupuna and other residents to celebrate two new playgrounds yesterday. Playgrounds at Na`alehu Park and Pahala Community Center feature a variety of slides, climbing walls and ropes and twirling bars, along with park benches. Artificial turf covers the grounds’ padded surfaces.

Miss Ka`u Coffee princesses joined Mayor Billy Kenoi to open
Ka`u's new playgrounds yesterday.

Leading the blessing was Mayor Billy Kenoi. He said his vision is to provide playgrounds as a way to bring communities together. He said that such facilities can help reduce the need for more police because they create safe places for children and families to enjoy activities together.

Also attending were Hawai`i County Council members Maile David, Greggor Ilagan and Karen Eoff.

David, Ka`u's council member, said the day was such an uplifting experience, being able to see keiki enjoy new experiences the playgrounds offer. She said the county pushed to have the Na`alehu playground ready in time for the Fourth of July celebration there this Saturday.
Deputy County Parks Director James Komata, Pahala Park manager Nona Makuakane and Na`alehu Park manager Richard Karasuda were also on hand.

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HAWAI`I ISLAND POLICE INFORM the public that operating a farm vehicle, such as a tractor, on county roadways or state highways is prohibited and in violation of numerous equipment and regulatory offenses.

Keiki can climb rock walls and ropes, twirl on bars and try
a variety of slides at the playgrounds.

In addition, those vehicles are unable to maintain the minimum posted speed limit, which impedes traffic and is a danger for pedestrians and bicyclists using roadway shoulders.

Exceptions are for construction and/or maintenance tractors used at construction or cleaning sites.
The proper method of transporting farm vehicles on public roadways is with use of a properly inspected and registered vehicle and trailer.
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TOTAL VISITOR ARRIVALS TO HAWAI`I rose 1.3 percent in May, and visitor expenditures declined 2.4 percent, Hawai`i Tourism Authority reported.

“Visitor arrivals and expenditures year-to-date show that Hawai`i is still ahead of last year’s record-setting pace, with total arrivals up 3.1 percent and spending up one percent,” said George D. Szigeti, president and CEO of HTA. “Visitors from our two largest markets, the U.S. West and East, led arrivals in May and continues its positive course of year-over-year growth, despite a slight drop in arrivals last month due to travel around Easter holiday falling in March instead of April this year.

Ka`u residents greet Mayor Billy Kenoi and Hawai`i County
Council member Maile David.

“On the international side, arrivals from Korea were strong in May, seeing a double-digit increase year-over-year. However, declines in arrivals and expenditures from the Japan and Canada markets can be attributed to a weaker exchange rate and the fact that Golden Week in Japan shifted travel to late April this year versus the first week of May in 2015.
“We are also closely monitoring the situation in Europe and how that may affect travel. It’s too early to know precisely how the situation there will affect the global economy, including tourism related impacts. In 2015, 143,434 visitors from Europe came to Hawai`i, with 50,469 of that total coming from the United Kingdom. This represents less than two percent of the 8.6 million visitors who came to Hawaii last year.”
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GOV. DAVID IGE HAS APPOINTED attorney Thomas Gorak to the state Public Utilities Commission. Since 2013, Gorak has worked closely with the PUC as its chief counsel, serving as chief legal and regulatory advisor.

Gorak has practiced law since 1977, specializing in public utility regulation at both the federal and state levels for the past 37 years. He previously worked on utility regulatory matters in Maryland and practiced law in Washington, D.C., where he provided client services that included analyzing and addressing their positions in public utility matters.

Thomas Gorak Photo from Gov. Ige's office

Gorak opened his solo practice in 1995 and moved his firm to Hawai`i in 2003, where he continued to represent clients in utility matters, both on the mainland and before the PUC.

“Tom has years of national and international experience in utility regulatory matters,” Ige said. “He has been closely engaged with the PUC as its chief counsel for the past three years and will be able to step in immediately to participate in discussions and decision making on all matters pending before the commission. There will be no delay in addressing the many issues that must be resolved to meet our renewable energy goals.”
“I very much appreciate the governor’s faith in me as the state moves forward on the path to a 100 percent renewable energy future,” Gorak said. “I believe my experience and background, along with the support of the superb staff of the Public Utilities Commission, will allow me to contribute to the commission’s efforts in meeting the challenges associated with achieving this goal.”
Gorak replaces Michael Champley, whose term expires today. Gorak begins his term on tomorrow. His appointment is subject to Senate approval.
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JOIN STEWARDSHIP AT THE SUMMIT tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Volunteers cut invasive Himalayan ginger on Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park trails. Loppers and gloves are provided. Participants are encouraged to wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants and closed-toe shoes. Meet at Kilauea Visitor Center.

See nps.gov/havo.

Pa`u riders return to Na`alehu's Fourth of July Parade this Saturday.
Photo by Peter Anderson

NA`ALEHU INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE and celebration is Saturday. The parade begins at 11 a.m. at Na`alehu School and travels up Hwy 11 to Na`alehu Hongwanji. Pa`u riders will again grace the highway, along with school groups, nonprofits, motorcyclists, classic-car owners, businesses, politicians and more.

`O Ka`u Kakou sponsors the parade and activities at Na`alehu Park, including keiki treats, bounce houses and senior Bingo and lunch.
Call 929-9872 for more information.

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