The Kaʻū Calendar News Briefs, Hawaiʻi Island

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.

Junior Miss Ka`u Coffee Karlee Fukunaga-Camba, First Junior Miss
Princess Calaysa Koi, Third Junior Miss Princess Helena Nihipali-Sesson
and Second Miss Peaberry Khloe Moses helped Mayor Billy Kenoi to
celebrate opening of the playgrounds.

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.
Junior Miss Ka`u Coffee Karlee Fukunaga-Camba, First Junior Miss Princess Caylasa Koi, Third Junior Miss Princess Helena Nihipali-Sesson and Second Miss Ka`u Coffee Peaberry Klohe Moses joined the celebration, representing the Ka`u Coffee industry.

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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.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_June_2016.pdf.

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

The Nature Conservancy divers assess coral bleaching in West Hawai`i to determine what can be done
to best assure reefs survive in a changing climate. See more below. TNC Photo by David Slater

HAWAI`I COUNTY MAYOR BILLY KENOI joined Gov. David Ige and other county mayors and officials to demonstrate a concerted statewide effort to “Fight the Bite” and keep Hawai`i free of diseases spread by mosquitoes. The public education campaign has been relaunched by the state Department of Health and expanded to include all mosquito-borne diseases that pose a threat to Hawai`i, such as Zika, dengue and chikungunya.

“Hawai`i is fortunate none of these diseases are endemic or native to our state, and we need to work together to make sure it stays this way,” Ige said. “We are part of a nationwide effort to combat diseases spread by mosquitoes, and with the Department of Health leading the charge to bring partners together to raise awareness about mosquito prevention, I’m confident that communities will come together, as our state and county leadership have done, to ensure the safety of our islands.”

State and county officials, including Mayor Billy Kenoi, support
a statewide effort to "Fight the Bite."
Photo from Office of Gov. Ige

“Mosquito season in Hawai`i is year-round, but with increased travel and more outdoor activities during the summer months, we need to be on our guard and keep residents and visitors well-informed about mosquito-borne diseases and how to reduce the chances of outbreaks in our state,” Health Department Director Dr. Virginia Pressler said. “Hawai`i has been identified as one of the nation’s higher risk areas for the potential spread of the Zika virus, so we hope people will keep mosquito prevention and control top-of-mind all year long.”

The revamped “Fight the Bite” campaign has two key components. As a follow-up to the response to 264 cases of dengue fever on Hawai`i Island that likely began as a result of an infected traveler, DOH coordinated with Hawai`i Emergency Management Agency and county emergency management/civil defense agencies to develop a response plan specifically for mosquito-borne diseases. It outlines ongoing preparedness activities to take place when there are no cases, as well as response measures for all imported cases and measures in the event of infected mosquitoes transmitting a disease locally.
The second component includes a research-based public education campaign that leverages numerous broadcast and social media channels to build awareness about mosquito-borne disease prevention. Starting early this month, Hawai`i residents can expect to hear “Fight the Bite” messages on local radio and television stations statewide and see graphics in malls and shopping centers. The $250,000 media campaign is being funded by the state and will include community engagement activities to spearhead and encourage grassroots efforts to reduce mosquito breeding areas across the state. All resources will be made available to the public at the redesigned campaign website at www.FightTheBiteHawaii.com.
With support of Hawai`i Tourism Authority and state Department of Transportation, people can also expect to see updated “Fight the Bite” information this year in key points-of-entry, such as airports and harbors. “We are working together with our travel industry partners to educate their workers, guests and customers,” said George D. Szigeti, Hawai`i Tourism Authority President and CEO. “We all need to do our part to protect Hawai`i from mosquito-borne illnesses.”
Educational outreach to youth is also an important piece of the campaign. “Many educators working at the Department of Education already offer information about mosquito-borne disease prevention to students,” Deputy Superintendent Stephen Schatz said. “DOH and DOE are working to identify new opportunities and to train staff so that they may better educate Hawai`i’s students.”
For more information about the education campaign, response plan and mosquito-borne diseases and how to prevent them, see www.FightTheBiteHawaii.com.
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Man-made threats add more stress to already unhealthy
coral reefs, according to researchers.
TNC Photo by David Slater

CORAL REEFS’ VARIATIONS in response to climate change can help managers develop strategies to keep the reefs alive, according to a new study conducted by The Nature Conservancy of Hawai`i in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Marine Applied Research Center.

Researchers sought to assess the condition of reefs of South Kohala and North Kona and to identify factors that lead to resilience, or the ability of a reef to recover from extreme events such as coral bleaching.
The study looked at West Hawai`i reefs after a major bleaching event last year caused significant damage. At sites surveyed, rates of partially or fully bleached coral colonies ranged from 38 percent to 92 percent, with more than 90 percent mortality in some sites.
“Ocean waters are getting hotter and more acidic, and that’s bad news for coral reefs,” said Dr. Eric Conklin, TNC’s director of Marine Science, who presented the study results at the 13th International Coral Reef Symposium. “What we have been doing is not sufficient to protect reefs into the future, so the fundamental question is: What can we do to best assure reefs survive in a changing climate?”
Researchers determined that three major factors are most important in determining resilience in West Hawai`i: which corals handle increases in water temperature best, which reefs have new corals readily settling on available surfaces, and how much of the reef has already been invaded by algae, which compete with coral.
According to Conklin, “Rising sea surface temperatures are a threat to corals globally, but man-made threats are adding more stress to reefs in West Hawai`i. To make our reefs more resilient, we need to manage the threats that we can, like reducing fishing pressure on fish that protect reef health by keeping them clean of harmful algae, or reducing runoff of sediments from coastal development and nutrients from outdated wastewater treatment systems.”
The Conservancy selected the Kona Coast in part because it has been identified by both NOAA and the state as a particularly important coral reef site, and because the area’s community groups are concerned and engaged in managing their reefs. The immediate next step is to present the survey results to government and community partners, so they can begin incorporating resilience into their management actions.
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Lava follows several courses on its way down Pulama Pali.
Photo from USGS/HVO

THE ACTIVE LAVA FLOW southeast of Pu`u `O`o continued to advance during the past day, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported this morning. Yesterday afternoon, the flow front was beyond the base of Pulama pali, a steep, lava-mantled fault scarp on Kilauea’s south flank along the western boundary of the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision. The flow is about 4.7 miles long as measured along the tube’s axis.

Hawai`i County opened a lava viewing area to the public yesterday. From 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., visitors can park near the end of Hwy 130 in Puna and walk three miles on a gravel road to the area.

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HAWAI`I COUNTY ECONOMIC Opportunity Council is requesting letters from residents, organizations and community leaders that can support its application for funding from USDA Rural Development to help purchase a mini-bus to serve Ka`u. The mini-bus would enable HCEOC to provide essential transportation services to underserved Ka`u residents. It would have seating for twelve passengers, plus room for two passengers in wheelchairs. If possible, it would be configured at higher safety standards of school buses.
HCEOC’s free transportation services would provide door-to-door service within a flexible route and schedule that strives to accommodate needs of low-income clients. Service would usually be offered Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m., adjusted for passenger convenience and scheduling necessities. Instead of clients needing to go to a designated bus stop at certain times, clients could be picked up at and returned to their residence at requested times, subject to road conditions and scheduling needs. Door-to-door convenience would also be provided at destinations, such as doctors’ offices, hospitals, government offices, financial institutions, senior centers, shops, funerals and other locations.

A public information meeting about the application will be held on Tuesday, July 5 at 1 p.m. at HCEOC’s office in back of Na`alehu Community Center.
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DR. RHONDA LOH LEADS an easy, 1.2-mile hike through Kipukapuaulu in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. The park’s inaugural Special Ecological Area is a hot spot of biological diversity, with more native tree species per acre than any other forest in the park.
Free; park entrance fees apply.
See nps.gov/havo.

NA`ALEHU INDEPENDENCE DAY parade and celebration is tomorrow. The parade begins at 11 a.m., with activities, food and senior Bingo following at Na`alehu Park.

THE FOURTH OF JULY RODEO in Na`alehu is tomorrow, Saturday, July 2 and Sunday July 3 with gold buckles for the winners of such traditional paniolo, Hawaiian cowboy events as Po`o Wai U. Youth barrels, dummy roping, and goat undecorating are on tap for keiki. For adults the contests include bull riding, tied down roping, wahine breakaway, wahine mugging, double mugging, open dally, team 90s and kane-waihine mugging. Ticket prices are $8 at the gate. Slack roping starts at 8 a.m. with the rodeo at noon both days. It is sponsored by Ka`u Roping & Riding Association.

Ka`u Roping & Riding Association hosts its annual Fourth of July Rodeo on Saturday and Sunday.
Photo by Julia Neal

LIVE & LOCAL COMEDY for all ages comes to Pahala Community Center Sunday at 7 p.m., featuring Augie T, Frank De Lima and Mel Cabang. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.

Call 990-0474, or see AugieT.com.

THE LEGACY OF MARY KAWENA PUKUI, of Her Beloved Ka`u is the topic a week from today,

on Friday, July 8 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. Pukui’s grandson La`akea Suganuma, president of Mary Kawena Pukui Cultural Preservation Society, presents the program along with Pukui’s great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.

Sponsored by Uhane Pohaku Na Moku O Hawai`i, Inc., along with Debbie & Kawehi Ryder.
Refreshments will be served.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_July_2016.pdf.

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

Ka`u Auto Repair issues drunken driving and other road risk warnings every year by parading a smashed vehicle. This
morning's offering at the Na`alehu Independence Day Parade was a sporty sedan with a crushed front end.
Photo by Ron Johnson

FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND is one of the two busiest challenging times for first responders. The other is the New Year holidays. Irresponsible firecracker and illegal fireworks use can not only lead to injury, but also to brush fires that endanger homes, ranches, macadamia orchards, coffee and vegetable farms, as well as native forests and parklands. This weekend’s forecast is for high winds that heighten the fire danger in Ka`u.

Pahala volunteer Fire Captain Ron Ebert and volunteer
firefighter Liz Polido are ready for summer fire season
and joined the Na`alehu Independence Day parade this
morning. Photo by Ron Johnson

Hawai`i County police and fire departments warn in a statement: "Fireworks can be dangerous, causing serious burns and eye injuries. Young children and fireworks do not mix. Never give fireworks, even sparklers to young children. Sparklers burn at temperatures of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Older children should only use fireworks under the direct supervision of an adult. Always read and follow all warnings and instructions listed by the manufacturer for the safe use and handling of fireworks. Make sure you have a clear, flat area to use the fireworks; away from structures, dry grass or brush, or other readily ignitable materials. Have a water hose or bucket of water readily available in case of a fire."
Increased traffic on the roads can also add fuel to the fire this weekend, particularly when cigarettes are thrown out the windows.

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OBJECTIONS TO HIGH VOLTAGE OVERHEAD ELECTRIC LINES for a proposed industrial solar project on numerous empty lots among homes in the Hawaiian Ranchos community have come from state Consumer Advocate Jeffrey Ono.
In recommendations to the state Public Utilities Commission, tasked with approving or disapproving the project, Ono recommended that developers of the solar farms in Ranchos install underground instead of overhead lines. He wrote that underground lines would minimize impact on the community and address its concerns. The cost of the underground transmission lines, however, would be $1.375 million, more than eight times the $168,000 cost of running overhead lines. It would be the first underground high voltage transmission on Hawai`i Island.

Consumer Advocate Jeffrey Ono recommends underground
lines for the Ranchos solar project, and much more.
Photo from Big Island Video News

Ono also recommended the developers shoulder additional equipment and maintenance costs, plus a promise of removal of the solar project facilities, should the endeavor fail. Ono pointed to the solar developers’ “failure to conduct an adequate and effective community outreach program.”
The solar project is permitted by Hawai`i’s Feed In Tariff, in 2009 conceived as a procurement method for cheap renewable energy. The state issued 32 permits for 32 mid-size projects on the Big Island. Twenty-six of the 32 permits were obtained by two developers who intended to combine them to create an industrial scale 6.5 megawatt project on 26 housing lots in Ocean View. When they applied for the FIT permits, the developers agreed to a project completion date of Sept. 15, 2012. No site work is done and developers still need a contract with the local utility, Hawai`i Electric Light Co.
Many Ocean view residents voiced opposition at public meetings and in testimony submitted to the PUC. Concerns included a view that forested lots cleared for a massive solar project within a neighborhood would industrialize the rural town, spoil views and ambiance, push up the cost of power, attract vandalism, increase fire danger, and force many to sell their homes at a loss and move out.

The developers, claim numerous residents, could qualify for lucrative federal and state tax credits totaling 65 percent. If they were to “flip” the projects they could create huge profit without generating any of the promised solar power.

Ranchos and other Ocean View residents testify before the PUC about
industrial solar proposed on lots in their neighborhood.
Photo from Big Island Video News

Other concerns included: the developers’ long delay in starting; ambivalent commitments to the project; accusations of opportunism; the view that such expensive power is no longer needed; locating the project in three adjacent housing subdivisions to the detriment of residents, and accusations that developers have attempted to circumvent the competitive bidding process by creating an industrial-size 6.5 megawatt project.
The Consumer Advocate routinely offers advice to the PUC. In the case of the Ocean View application, Ono wrote a 24-page Statement of Position to list concerns, many of them mirroring those of the community. He wrote: “The FIT process was deemed necessary at the time to encourage renewable energy project development, but the need for the FIT projects, at compensation rates that are no longer reasonable, may not be consistent with the public interest at this time. Ono referred to the wholesale price of 23.8 cents per kwh that HELCO would pay and the 28.5 cents per kwh that HELCO charges consumers."

Ono also suggested the substation location be reviewed to “ensure that optimal, and not convenient, placement occurs before substation construction work occurs.” Ono challenges HELCO’s decision to locate the substation at the entrance to Ranchos. Residents have objected, calling it an eyesore and urging HELCO to revert to the an original plan to locate it on the developer’s land, where ‘Ohi’a trees can screen the substation.

A ground-mounted solar array on one lot, similar to those planned for Ranchos on 26 separate lots,
this one from enspisolar.com.

Ono recommended extra equipment, “such as security cameras, fencing or walls,” and monitors to be paid for by developers. Another Ono recommendation, a large expense if the PUC agrees: “developers should also be required to provide assurances that the costs to remove, if and as necessary, the substation, transmission lines and the FIT projects themselves will be paid for by the developers.” Ono writes that the assurances must be “meaningful.”
“The removal of the proposed substation and transmission line should not fall upon the general ratepayers.” wrote Ono. “Whether by performance bonds, escrow accounting, or some other alternative, the Commission should require an acceptable means of addressing this concern . . . customers [should not be] required to fund removal because the responsible parties are no longer available or capable of meeting this obligation.”
Ono also recommended that developers be responsible for all operating and maintenance expenses associated with the substation, transmission line and supporting infrastructure.

Local vendors like Millie Akau sell at farmers markets but could also
apply to sell to schools. Photo by Julia Neal

Ono concluded: “In this instance it is apparent that the Solar Project Owners effectively 'gamed' the FIT process in order to avoid going through the more rigorous competitive bidding framework. Furthermore, the failure of the Solar Project Owners to conduct an effective community outreach program with mere promises of a community benefits package should not be condoned.”

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LOCAL FARMERS CAN HELP SCHOOLS SERVE HEALTHY FOOD and reduce dependency on imports by applying to deliver fresh fruits and vegetables. The state Department of Education is seeking qualified local farmers and vendors to submit bids by July 13. See invitation for bids at http://spo3.hawaii.gov/notices/notices/ifb-d17-005.
The initiative is spearheaded by Lt. Governor Shan Tsutsui, who said: “With Hawai`i importing about 85 percent of our food, the Farm to School Initiative is one way we are working towards becoming food sustainable in our state. While supporting local farmers and our economy, we are also feeding our students with locally-grown fresh fruit and vegetables.”

Earth Matters Farm at Kama`oa and South Point Roads.
Photo from Earth Matters

The state education and ag departments are working to address supply and demand issues surrounding purchasing local food for school cafeterias. Ka`u has two public school cafeterias, one in Na`alehu and one in Pahala. State licensed charter schools, Ka`u Learning Center in Discovery Harbour and Volcano School for the Arts & Sciences, also serve food to students. The state school system operates 256 public schools and its School Food Services Branch feeds approximately 100,000 students and staff each day.
The Initiative aims not only to increase state purchasing of local food for school menus. It attempts to connect keiki with local agriculture through using food products produced here.

“We’ve made it a priority to purchase local produce, however, our options have been limited,” said Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi. “We are hopeful that this initiative will allow for more locally based products to be used in our schools’ food services while keeping costs reasonable.”

Hawai`i Board of Agriculture Chair Scott Enright said, “We encourage local farmers to participate in this program. One of the challenges farmers face is the uncertainty of supply and demand and this program will help farmers plan and grow their crops with the knowledge that there will be a market for their produce. In addition, keiki will be able to grow up with an appreciation of locally grown fruits and vegetables.”
Across the nation, farm to school programs are reconnecting students to a better understanding of the food system and where their food comes from. Farm to school programs introduce students to healthier eating habits and help them become familiar with new vegetables and fruits that they and their families will then be more willing to incorporate into their own diets.

Rodeo finals are Sunday in Na`alehu. Photo by Julia Neal

In April, organizers of the Farm to School Initiative gathered information from farmers and ranchers. After farmers and ranchers apply to participate, vendors will be chosen. The Farm to School Initiative Pilot Project is expected to begin in 2017.

FINALS FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY RODEO in Na`alehu are tomorrow, Sunday July 3, with gold buckles sponsored by local businesses and citizens. Events include youth barrels, dummy roping and goat undecorating for keiki. Adult contests include po`o wai u, bull riding, tied down roping, wahine breakaway, wahine mugging, double mugging, open dally, team 90s and kane-wahine mugging. Ticket prices are $8 at the gate. Food and non-alcoholic drink will be available
Slack roping starts at 8 a.m. with the rodeo at noon. This annual event is sponsored by Ka`u Roping & Riding Association.

Augie T, Frank De Lima,
Mel Cabang in Pahala
on Sunday.

LIVE & LOCAL COMEDY for all ages comes to Pahala Community Center Sunday at 7 p.m., featuring Augie T, Frank De Lima and Mel Cabang. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.

Call 990-0474, or see AugieT.com.

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

See www.kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_June_2016

Thy Word Ministries-Ka`u won Most Patriotic in Na`alehu's Independence Day Parade yesterday.
Photos by Ron Johnson

KA`U FAMILIES ENJOYED A FUN-FILLED Independence Day celebration in Na`alehu yesterday. The parade, sponsored by `O Ka`u Kakou, drew pa`u riders on horseback, along with community groups and candidates for public office walking and riding on decorated vehicles and floats. Participants competed for Most Elaborate and Most Patriotic categories. Thy Word Ministries-Ka`u won Most Patriotic, and South Side Shaka was Most Elaborate.

Darlyne Vierra, of Ka`u Multicultural Society, was emcee
for Na`alehu's parade.

Miss Ka`u Coffee Rochelle Koi, Miss Peaberry Chazlynn Pua-Queja and 2016 princesses graced the parade, representing Ka`u Coffee growers. Pa`u Queen Teani Souza led horse riders representing Hawaiian islands.

Activities at Na`alehu Park followed the parade. Keiki enjoyed water slides and bounce houses, as well as the brand new playground that opened last Wednesday.
`O Ka`u Kakou also offered shave ice and other goodies at the park. Kupuna enjoyed Bingo and lunch out of the sun inside breezy Na`alehu Community Center.

The celebration continues in Na`alehu today at Ka`u Roping & Riding Association's Fourth of July Rodeo.

See more in future Ka`u Calendar News Briefs.
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Miss Ka`u Peaberry 2016 Chazlynn Pua-Queja greets parade watchers.

SEN. MAZIE HIRONO YESTERDAY HOSTED the first in a series of outreach events to assist Filipino World War II veterans in applying to reunite with family members still living in the Philippines. Hirono brought together close to 50 Filipino veterans and family members with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services District Director David Gulick and members of the Hawai`i Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association to provide information and assistance on the USCIS Filipino WWII Veterans Parole Program.

Under the program, Filipino veterans whose service has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense, or their surviving spouses, may apply to bring their children and certain other family members to the United States.

Miss Ka`u Coffee 2016, Rochelle Koi, waves to onlookers.

“Filipino World War II veterans have waited decades for the opportunity to be reunited with their family from the Philippines. I appreciate the Obama Administration’s recognition of the importance of family reunification for Filipino WWII veterans. A key part to this is the implementation of FWVP, and I will work with USCIS and nonprofit organizations to make sure these veterans receive timely information and assistance,” Hirono said. “I plan to host outreach events and share information throughout the summer with Filipino WWII veterans across the state.”

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. FWVP is an additional process for families of Filipino World War II veterans who have already received approval for their immigrant visas but continue to wait for a visa number to become available.

Miss Ka`u Coffee princesses ride a float sponsored by Ka`u Coffee
Growers Cooperative.

Hirono has been the leader in Congress of the effort to reunite Filipino World War II veterans with their families. After years of her advocacy, the Obama Administration announced last July that it would create a parole program to reunite the families of Filipino World War II veterans. Hirono then pushed the Administration to quickly implement the program and make children eligible for expedited consideration to come to the United States. To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY’S current issue of Volcano Watch focuses special attention on gravity, which scientists use to study and monitor Hawai`i’s active volcanoes.

Pa`u Queen Teani Souza and her escorts.

“We tend to think of gravity as a constant – a force that pulls on everyone equally, everywhere,” the article states. “But this is not quite true. In fact, the force of gravity depends on the mass beneath your feet, and your distance from that mass.

“If there is something very dense beneath the ground, like a solidified magma chamber, gravity is a bit stronger in that area. Conversely, the farther you are from the Earth’s center, the weaker gravity is. For example, you weigh slightly less (by a small fraction of a pound) at the 4169-meter (13,678-foot) summit of Mauna Loa than at sea level in Hilo!

Walking in the parade was one of many activities for this year's Summer Fun participants.

“Gravity can also change over time. As magma accumulates beneath the ground, it pushes the ground upward, causing gravity to decrease. This change is counterbalanced, however, by the new mass of magma beneath the ground, which causes gravity to increase.

Barrel train carries keiki along the parade route.

“By measuring gravity and surface deformation at the same time, these effects can be separated. This makes it possible to use gravity to measure just how much magma may be moving beneath the ground.

“Measurements of gravity change have been conducted at Kilauea since the 1970s, usually by surveying a network of points conducted every year or so. A noteworthy result of these studies is the recognition that there are void spaces – probably a network of interconnected cracks rather than a single large cavern –beneath the volcano’s surface. Magma accumulation in these voids causes a gravity increase due to the addition of mass, but there is little associated surface uplift.

Statuesque-lei-bedecked horse carries keiki rider in Na`alehu's
Independence Day parade.

“In the past several years, gravity changes have also been measured by continuously recording instruments installed at three locations on Kilauea. These measurements allow volcanologists to detect rapid changes in mass beneath the surface that might otherwise go undetected. They have also revealed surprising insights about Kilauea’s summit lava lake.

“Island residents might remember the eventful volcanic activity at Kilauea in 2011. In March that year, the summit lava lake within Halema`uma`u Crater drained due to the onset of the Kamoamoa fissure eruption near Pu`u `O`o on the volcano’s East Rift Zone. The dropping lava lake level was associated with a major decrease in gravity measured by an instrument on the rim of Halema`uma`u.
“A nearby thermal camera also tracked the lowering lava lake level, making it possible to calculate the volume of lava that drained from the lake. Knowing the mass and volume, we can determine an important physical property of lava: density.

Most Elaborate went to Na`alehu's South Side Shaka Restaurant.

“The density of the basaltic rocks that make up most of the Island of Hawai`i is about 2.5 times the density of water. HVO scientists expected Kilauea’s summit lava lake to be slightly less dense than the rock, given the gases contained in the lava, but not by much.

“The gravity and thermal camera data from the draining of the lava lake in March 2011, however, revealed that the upper 200 m (650 ft) or so of the lake has a density less than that of water! Apparently, the upper part of the lava lake is frothier than expected due to the large amount of gas in the lava.
“The Kilauea summit vent gravity station has recorded changes over several years since 2011, through many cycles of lava lake level rise and fall. These data clearly demonstrate that the lava lake density has remained low, roughly equal to that of water.

After the parade, keiki kept cool riding
a giant water slide.

“Abrupt changes in gravity have also occurred a few times since 2011, signaling the arrival of fresh batches of magma near the summit. These gravity data, therefore, provide important information, not just about lava lake characteristics, but also about subsurface magma movement that might otherwise be overlooked.

“Kilauea is a wonderful ‘natural laboratory’ in which we can develop advanced methods of volcano monitoring and research, like continuous gravity. In the years to come, HVO looks forward to refining our techniques for measuring gravity change and sharing them with scientists who are studying other U.S. volcanoes, such as Mount St. Helens.”
See hvo.wr.usgs.gov.
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LIVE & LOCAL COMEDY for all ages comes to Pahala Community Center today at 7 p.m., featuring Augie T, Frank De Lima and Mel Cabang. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.
Call 990-0474, or see AugieT.com.

FOURTH OF JULY BREAKFAST BUFFET is available tomorrow from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Kilauea Military Camp’s Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i

Volcanoes National Park. Menu includes Punalu`u Sweet Bread French Toast, Omelet Station, breakfast meats, breakfast potatoes and more. Adults $12; child 6-11 years old $6.
KMC is open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests; 967-8371.
Park entrance fees apply.

Keiki volunteers help their `O Ka`u Kakou kupuna counterparts
set up lunch for seniors at Na`alehu Community Center.

VOLCANO FOURTH OF JULY PARADE & Celebration is tomorrow. The parade begins at 9 a.m. at the post office and travels along Old Volcano Road to Cooper Center. Activities there continue to 1 p.m.

FOURTH OF JULY SILENT AUCTION tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Cooper Center in Volcano Village benefits Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Items include tours, hotel stays, gift baskets, gift certificates and much more.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_July_2016.pdf.

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

Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization urges everyone to take precautions to prevent fires and injuries
on this July 4 Holiday. Image by Cassandra Swagner for HWMO

A RODEO GROUNDS FUNDRAISER, to bring in some $85,000 to expand the Na`alehu facility of Ka`u Roping & Riding Association, kicked off over Independence Day weekend. The biggest crowd and most competitors in years converged on Na`alehu Rodeo Grounds for the Saturday and Sunday rodeo and paniolo fellowship. Some rodeo horses sailed in by barge from other islands, while local cowboys and cowgirls trucked their steeds from all around the Big Island.

Ka`u Roping & Riding Association officers Ralph and Tammy
Ka`apana, along with Rodeo Queen Kalia Andrade and top Bull Rider
Westin Joseph. The organization is looking for donations to purchase
more land for its rodeo grounds in Na`alehu
Photo by Julia Neal

Ka`u Roping & Riding, a 501C3 nonprofit, is looking to purchase about two acres adjacent to the rodeo grounds to handle the growing number of people coming to its events, and to expand its activities. President of the organization is Ralph Ka`apana. Vice-President is Barney Malicki. Secretary is Jennifer Shibuya. Treasurer is Tammy Ka`apana.
To make a donation, call 929-8079, or send a check and information required for tax deduction to Ka`u Roping & Riding Association, P.O. Box 423, Na`alehu, HI 96772.
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GOLD BUCKLE WINNERS OF THE INDEPENDENCE DAY RODEO on Saturday and Sunday in Na`alehu, all winners receiving prize money from Ka`u Roping & Riding Association, are:
Dummy Roping - ages four and under, Ryder Tavares, gold buckle sponsored by Sherlene Rosario of Pahala Pops.
Dummy Roping - ages 5 - 8, Mauka Balucan, buckle sponsored by Patti Barry, of The Land Office.

A bullfighter, formerly known as rodeo clown, runs to the scene as
paniolo approach the steer. Photo by Cindy Orlando

Goat Undecorating - ages four and under, Manaia Balucan, buckle sponsored by Wayne Kawachi, of O Ka`u Kakou.
Goat Undercorating - ages 5-8, Tayden Freitas, buckle sponsored by Carl and Amy Okuyama, of Na`alehu 76 and Wiki Wiki Mart.
In the adult competitions:
Po`o Wai U - Evan Manoha, buckle sponsored by Justie Mona Wroblewski.

Calf Riding in Na`alehu. Photo by Cindy Orlando

Tie Down Roping - Kahiau Onaka, buckle sponsored by Wally and M.J. Andrade with M.J. Ranch.
Wahine Breakaway - Pua Kauhaihao, buckle sponsored by Robert Kawamoto and Umi Ranch.
Calf Riding - Tervin Terlep, buckle sponsored by Ka`u Auto Repair.
Bull Riding - Westin Joseph, buckle sponsored by Tammy and Ralph Ka`apana of Four K Ranch.
Wahine Mugging - Cacy Borges and Shannon Benevides, buckles sponsored by Waimea Hill Country & Tack, Inc. and Kenneth and Jonette Gaston, of Slack Enterprises.
Kane-Wahine Ribbon Mugging - Katie Andrade and Bronson Branco, buckles sponsored by West Hawai`i Towing.
Youth Barrels - Abby Forster, buckle sponsored by Hana Hou Restaurant.

Veteran rodeo announcer Al Cabral. Photo by Julia Neal

Double Mugging - Kepa Benevides and Ryan Sanborn, buckles sponsored by Edwin DeLuz Trucking.
Team 90s -Wally Ching and Travis Gomes, buckles sponsored by Ka`u Andrade Contracting and Steven and Phina Wroblewski.
Kane-Wahine Dally - Bronson Branco and Makayla Awa, buckles sponsored by Robert Kawamoto and Umi Ranch.
Open Dally - Nolan Nobriga and Shawn Aguiar, buckles sponsored by Miranda Country Store.

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FIREWORKS AND FIRECRACKER SAFETY are on the minds of local first responders today, especially with the recent windy conditions in Ka`u that have dried out some of the rangelands and present a fire hazard.
Hawai`i Wildfire Management Organization has also issued a list of suggestions for today and all year long, to reduce risk of wildfires damaging homes, businesses, ranches, farms and parks. See www.hawaiiwildfire.org.

SOUTHSIDE VOLLEYBALL TEAM, with Coach Guy Enriques from Punalu`u and Ka`u players, topped teams from Southern California, Ohio and Puerto Rico on Sunday in Dallas at the U.S. Volleyball Association's Boys Junior National Championships.

Southside Volleyball players are looking to win
and attract college recruiters in Dallas.

Southside defeated a team called Pali 17 Nike from Southern California with scores of 25-17 and 25-15. Southside took out Southport 17s from Ohio with scores of 25-19 and 25-12. Southside won a tougher battle to defeat the Ponce Pumas from Puerto Rico with scores of 25-20, 24-26 and 15-12. Southside was to play three matches today. The tournament runs through Wednesday. Last year, Southside finished ninth overall, taking the Silver bracket.
Local team members are Addie and Avery Enriques, of Punalu`u, both students at Kamehameha School in Ke`aau; Kameron Moses, of Pahala, another Kamehameha student; and Nai`a Makuakane, of Na`alehu, also a student at Kamehameha where Guy Enriques coaches all of them. Many of the team members have been playing volleyball together since the age of ten.
The Boys Junior National Championship tournament is considered a prime event for college recruiters looking to provide scholarships for talented volleyball players. Ka`u volleyball players have become recipients of such opportunities, attending colleges and universities on the mainland, including Stanford.

Mary Pukui documented the
language and Hawaiian families
of Ka`u. Her family will give a
public presentation on Friday.

A volleyball camp at Ka`u High School Gym, with competitors flying in from Oregon, was held before the Southside team took off last week to Dallas. It was sponsored with local contributions of food and money and the donation of accommodations by Pahala Plantation Cottages. The Olson Trust also donated accommodations at the Old Pahala Clubhouse.
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THE LEGACY OF MARY KAWENA PUKUI, of Her Beloved Ka`u will be presented on Friday, July 8 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center.
Pukui’s grandson La`akea Suganuma, president of Mary Kawena Pukui Cultural Preservation Society, presents the program along with Pukui’s great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. The event is one in a series, sponsored by Uhane Pohaku Na Moku O Hawai`i, Inc., along with Debbie and Kawehi Ryder.
Refreshments will be served.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_July_2016.pdf

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

kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.html

and kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.pdf.

Hawai`i County Band, which regularly participates in Na`alehu and Volcano Independence Day parades, would
have a more permanent status if a charter amendment passes. See more below. Photos by Ron Johnson

ED OLSON IS LOOKING for a chief operating officer, reported Janis L. Magin, Managing Editor of Pacific Business News. The 85-year-old owner of Ka`u Coffee Mill, nearly 10,000 acres on Hawai`i Island, the Wainaku Center in Hilo and much more told Magin that he is looking for someone to work alongside him “and be able to just take over when I’m gone. I’d like it to happen during this current year if possible.”

Ed Olson at the 2012 blessing of his Ka`u Coffee Mill.
Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

Olson told Magin, “I’d love to find a duplicate of myself. I’m really looking for a fellow with another 15 years in him to take over this operation and run it. Just take over, and let me to stay out of the office. I’ll work with him for a year and just forget the office, so to speak.”

According to PBN, Olson’s plans call for his agricultural businesses to be sold after his death. He told Magin that he hopes new owners will continue to operate them through long-term leases with his trust, which would be renamed the Olson Family Foundation.

See bizjournals.com/pacific.
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VOLCANO VILLAGE CELEBRATED the Fourth of July yesterday with a parade down Old Volcano Road to Cooper Center on Wright Road. Floats, convertibles, contingents of animal lovers with dogs, politicians, community groups and emergency vehicles braved overcast skies with periods of light, misty rain.

Miss Ka`u Coffee 2016 Rochelle Koi rode in Fourth of July parades
in Volcano yesterday and Na`alehu Saturday.

At Cooper Center, revelers enjoyed craft and bake sales, entertainment, a silent auction and food, food, food. After a short period of rain, the sun came out to dry the dampness.

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PROVIDING THE HAWAI`I COUNTY BAND a more permanent status could become a Charter Amendment on the Nov. 8 ballot. The public can weigh in on the proposal at this Thursday’s County Council meeting, which begins at 9 a.m. in Hilo with interactive access from the old Na`alehu courtroom.
The marching band is a regular at annual Independence Day parades in Na`alehu, held this July 2, and in Volcano, held July 4.

An umbrella protected Miss Ka`u Coffee 2016
princesses from Volcano's light rain.

Although the charter currently exempts band members from civil service laws and pay classifications, the county hasn’t followed those practices for 10 years, Nancy Cook Lauer reported in West Hawai`i Today.

Hawai`i County Band provides music for special community functions and concerts for public enjoyment throughout East and West Hawai`i. It also performs during monthly concerts at Mo`oheau Park in Hilo and Hale Halawai in Kona.
Committee meetings originally scheduled for tomorrow take place following the County Council meeting. Public Works and Parks & Recreation Committee meets at 10:30 a.m.; Finance, 10:45 a.m.; and Planning, 11:15 a.m.

Agendas for and live-streaming of all meetings is available at hawaiicounty.gov.
See westhawaiitoday.com.
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GOV. DAVID IGE TODAY HOLDS bill signing ceremonies for several laws passed by Hawai`i State Legislature.

Miss Ka`u Peaberry 2016
Chazlynn Pua-Queja
in Volcano parade

HB 1902 creates the offense of sex trafficking where a person advances prostitution by the use of force, threat, fraud or intimidation or where a minor is prostituted. It classifies sex trafficking as a violent crime and a class A felony.

Junior Miss Ka`u Coffee 2016
Karlee Fukunaga-Camba

HB 1907 requires all law enforcement agencies and departments charged with maintenance, storage and preservation of sexual assault evidence collection kits to conduct an inventory of all stored kits and report to the Attorney General, who is then required to report to the Legislature.
HB 1897 ensures that all insurers in the state provide insurance coverage for sexually transmitted disease screenings, including HIV and AIDS.
SB 2319 requires health insurers in the state, including health benefits plans under the Hawai`i Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund and Medicaid managed care programs, to cover reimbursement for contraceptive supplies intended to last for up to a 12-month period for insured.
SB 2317 requires and appropriates funds for the Department of Health to conduct child death reviews, implement a program to perform maternal death reviews and submit annual reports to the Legislature.
HB 2772 adopts the preliminary recommendation of the affirmative consent task force, including requiring the University of Hawai`i to train employees and students on sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking policies.

Science Camps of America participants staying in Pahala
walked in Volcano's Fourth of July parade.

HB 2489 appropriates funds for a veterans’ services counselor IV position within the office of Veterans’ Services to address problems and needs of all veterans, with a primary focus on female veterans.

HB 1041 establishes a statewide Game Management Advisory Commission to serve in an advisory capacity to the Board of Land and Natural Resources for policies and criteria regarding public hunting.
SB 2904 authorizes the Department of Land and Natural Resources to establish and operate aquatic mitigation banks to restore, create, enhance or preserve aquatic habitats or resources as compensatory mitigation.

Hare Krisha followers pull and push their wagon along
Volcano's parade route.

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BLAS IS THE FIRST major hurricane of the Eastern Pacific season. Blas is a category-three hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Additional strengthening is possible tonight.

The National Hurricane Center reported that Blas is moving toward the west near 16 mph, and this general motion is expected to continue through tonight. A turn toward the west-northwest with some decrease in forward speed is expected tomorrow.

Blas should remain in a light wind shear environment over warm water for the next 12-24 hours or so, allowing some additional strengthening during this time. While the shear is expected to be light to moderate during the forecast period, the cyclone should move over decreasing sea surface temperatures after 24 hours, which would cause a steady weakening.
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu will take over reporting on the storm when it crosses longitude 140 west, which is forecast to occur Sunday afternoon or evening.

Kameron Moses sets the volleyball.
Photo by Brenda Iokepa-Moses

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SOUTHSIDE BOYS VOLLEYBALL team celebrated Fourth of July by winning all three of their matches yesterday. The team is participating in the USA Volleyball’s 2016 Boys Junior National Championships in Dallas, Texas. The tournament runs through tomorrow.

Southside first went up against Southport, of Kenosha, Wisconsin and won in two sets, 25-14 and 25-22. Their next opponent was Maryland’s MVP, which the boys again beat in straight sets, 25-17 and 25-15. AZ Fear tried to instill fear in Southside when the team from Phoenix, Arizona won the second set, but Southside came back in the third set, 25-20, 22-25 and 15-6.

Today, the team again battled three opponents. Southside had a rematch with Puerto Rico’s Ponce Pumas and won 25-19 and 25-20. Vaqueros, also of Puerto Rico, rode away with a victory in a close match, 28-26 and 27-25. Southside bounced back and hit the Cinci Attack, of Ohio, with scores of 25-21 and 25-19.

The Southside team completes play in Dallas tomorrow.
Photo by Katherine Okamura

Local team members are Addie and Avery Enriques, of Punalu`u; Kameron Moses, of Pahala, and Nai`a Makuakane, of Na`alehu, all students at Kamehameha in Kea`au, where Guy Enriques coaches them.

Assistant coaches at the championships are L. Kainoa Downing and Samuel Thomas.
Southside Boys advance to the gold division quarter-finals as number four seed and play MEVBC, of Maine, tomorrow at 9 a.m. Semi-finals are at 11 a.m., and the championship match begins at 2:30 p.m.
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New picnic tables brighten up Punalu`u Black Sand Beach.
Photo by Katherine Okamura

FOURTH OF JULY VISITORS to Punalu`u were able to enjoy their holiday picnics at new tables. `O Ka`u Kakou donated the tables at one of Ka`u's most popular destinations. Tony Domondon constructed them for the community service organization.

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KAPILI MANU AND HAKU HULU are topics tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Park Ranger Noah Gomes teaches about the historic art of catching beautiful and unique birds for featherwork. Participants create small pieces of featherwork for themselves.
Free; park entrance fees apply.

THE POWER OF SOUL comes to Ka`u Libraries tomorrow. Pam Uyeunten explains how and why the soul can heal and shares practices and techniques at 11 a.m. at Pahala Library and 2 p.m. at Na`alehu Library.

Call 928-2015 or 939-2442 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_July_2016.pdf.

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

Viewers watch lava from a safe distance at the end of Chain of Craters Road in Hawai`i Volcanoes
National Park. See more below. Photo by NPS Volunteer Eric Fandrick

CANDIDATES FOR COUNTY and states offices were out in force at Fourth of July parades in Na`alehu and Volcano during the holiday weekend, drumming up support in advance of the Aug. 13 primary election.

Pete Hoffmann

Paul Bryant

Mayoral candidates walking the routes included Paul Bryant, of Papa`aloa; Pete Hoffmann, of Waikoloa; Harry Kim, of Hilo; Walter Lau, of Kailua-Kona; Helen Olena Luta, of Kealakekua, and Shannon McCandless, of Kamuela. The hopeful candidates want to take over for Mayor Billy Kenoi, who has reached his term limit.

Hawai`i County Prosecutor Mitch Roth, of Hilo, and opponent Michael Kagami, of Kea`au, each had large contingents of supporters walking the routes.

Ka`u's Hawai`i County Council District VI member Maile David, of Captain Cook, greeted constituents as she rode in the back of a truck. She and opponent Raina Whiting, of Ocean View, participated in both parades.

See state office candidates in tomorrow's Ka`u Calendar News Briefs.

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Harry Kim

Walter Lau

FUNDING FOR A MINI-BUS for Hawai`i County Economic Opportunity Council programs in Ka`u received community support yesterday at a meeting in Na`alehu.

The organization is a private nonprofit whose mission for several decades has been to prevent, alleviate and eliminate poverty on the island of Hawai`i. HCEOC is applying to the federal Department of Agriculture's Rural Development agency for the funding.

The proposal says the bus will be used “to provide essential transportation services to the underserved residents of the Ka`u District in the County of Hawai`i. This mini-bus would have a capacity for 12 passengers plus two passengers in wheelchairs plus the driver, a total of 15 people. If possible, this mini-bus would be configured at the higher safety standard of a school bus.

Helen Luta

Shannon McCandless
supporter

“HCEOC’s Transportation Services will provide door-to-door service within a flexible route and flexible schedule that strives to accommodate the needs of the low-income clients of the Ka`u District. Service will usually be offered Monday thru Friday, 5 a.m. to 6 pm; adjusted for passenger convenience and scheduling necessities. Instead of clients needing to go to a designated bus stop at certain times, clients can be picked up and returned at their residence at requested times; subject to road conditions and scheduling needs. The service would be free to the clients. Wheelchair-bound passengers would be accommodated. Door-to-door convenience would also be provided at the destinations, such as at doctor’s offices, hospitals, government offices, financial institutions, senior centers, shops, funerals, and other locations.”

Those wanting to provide funding or letters of support for the mini-bus can contact Ken Okimoto, of HCEOC, at 961-2681 ext. 207.

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CONSERVATION COUNCIL OF HAWAI`I is urging concerned citizens to watch over the state Board of Land and Natural Resources’ revocable permit program in the wake of the passing of House Bill 2501, which allows Alexander & Baldwin to keep water permits, despite a court decision to return water formerly used for now-fallow sugar lands to the streams from which water was diverted.

The bill involved Ka`u ranchers, since they are also on revocable state permits for water and feared that their permits could be revoked.

Michael Kagami's contingent in Na`alehu's Fourth of July parade.
Parade Photos by Ron Johnson

An information briefing before the state Legislature is scheduled for Wednesday, July 13 at 10:30 a.m. at the state Capitol. Its purpose is to get an update on the Report and Recommendations of the Department of Land and Natural Resources Revocable Permits Task Force.

“It’s important for legislators and the public to learn more about the changes being implemented to improve the DLNR's revocable permit program,” said Sen. Mike Gabbard, chair of the Water, Land, and Agriculture Committee. “The use of public land should be handled in a fair and transparent way.”

In February, media outlets shined a light on the fact that the DLNR’s revocable permit program was fraught with inconsistencies and lacked clear, logical protocols and criteria.
In response, DLNR convened a Task Force to improve its revocable permit. On May 27, the Task Force issued its report and recommendations, which were unanimously approved by the Board of Land and Natural Resources on June 24. The Task Force report, their recommendations, and DLNR’s plans for implementation will be addressed at this briefing.

Hawai`i County Prosecutor Mitch Roth's contingent in Volcano
included a flag-carrying puppy.

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HAWAI`I NATIONAL PARK RANGERS urge park visitors to view latest flows from safe distances.
The newest lava from Kilauea volcano is drawing visitors to the park, as flows from Pu`u `O`o vent in the remote east rift zone stream down Pulama Pali, spread onto the coastal lava plain and slowly advance towards the Pacific Ocean.
Although portions of the flows are within the park, the closest viewing is from the Hawai`i County’s Kalapana Lava Viewing Area off Hwy 130, near the eastern border of Hawai`i Volcanoes. The viewing area is open daily from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Hot lava spreads out on the coastal plain after
falling down the steep pali in background.
Image from USGS/HVO

From the park side, the easiest vantage point to view the flows, dubbed “61G” by USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, is at the end of Chain of Craters Road, past Holei Sea Arch, where pavement ends and the gravel emergency access road begins. The park is open 24 hours a day.

Park rangers do not encourage visitors to hike out to the lava flows from either side, but to instead view them from a safe distance. From the park side, hikers can expect a grueling 10-mile roundtrip hike over very uneven and sharp lava rock terrain riddled with earth cracks. There is no trail, and it’s easy to get lost after dark.
“There’s definitely been an increase in injuries since the 61G lava activity amplified,” said Chief Ranger John Broward. “We responded to calls about turned ankles, lacerations, dehydration and disoriented visitors in the coastal lava plains all weekend. It’s exceedingly important to plan ahead, have proper footwear and bring plenty of water, or better yet, enjoy the show from the end of the road on either side.”

Hawai`i County Council District VI member Maile David
greets parade-goers in Na`alehu.

Volcanic gas is another hazard, particularly to people with heart or respiratory problems, and infants, young children and pregnant women. If air irritates, smells bad or makes breathing difficult, Broward said visitors should leave the area.

Although hikers are walking along the gravel road constructed as an emergency access route to access the flows, park management does not encourage its use.

This morning, HVO reported that lava was just over one mile from reaching the ocean.
For hiking tips, see https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/upload/Hiking-Tips.pdf. For the latest eruption updates, see http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/activity/kilaueastatus.php. Monitor air quality at
http://www.hawaiiso2network.com/.
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Hawai`i County Council District VI candidate Raina Whiting
waives to the crowd in Volcano.

KA`U’S U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD is calling for Bangladesh to do more to protect its religious minorities, following terrorist attacks there.

“On Friday, more than 20 people were held hostage and brutally murdered in Dhaka,” Gabbard said. “On that same day, a Hindu priest was hacked to death at his temple in Jhenaidah, a district in the southwest of Bangladesh. ISIS has taken responsibility for both attacks.

“Such horrific violence in Bangladesh is unfortunately not isolated. Since 2013, more than 40 atheist writers, publishers, members of religious minorities, social activists and foreign aid workers in Bangladesh have been murdered. It’s absolutely essential that we defeat these terrorists. We also must stand up and fight for the right of others to freely express their views.

“I’ve introduced House Resolution 396 calling on the Government of Bangladesh to protect the rights of all of its religious minorities, including Christians, Hindus, atheists and others. They have a responsibility to uphold the principles of its secular constitution – including freedom of religion and freedom of expression – and take action to defeat these terrorists.”
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USA BOYS VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS completed in Dallas today. Southside team, made up of Ka`u and other Hawai`i Island members, made it to the quarter-finals, where they lost to Maryland’s MEVBC team in two close sets, 25-23 and 25-19.

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THE MUSIC MAN OPENS FRIDAY. Kilauea Drama & Entertainment Network presents Meredith Willson’s musical to celebrate its 14th birthday. Performances take place at Kilauea Theater in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park on Friday and Saturday, July 8/9, 15/16 and 22/23 at 7:30 p.m.; and Sun, July 10, 17 and 24 at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets are $15, $12 for seniors, $10 for children 10 and under.

Park entrance fees may apply.
Call 982-7344, or email kden73@aol.com.

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND HOLDS a Ka`u Coast Cleanup this Saturday, July 9. Staff and volunteers meet at 7:45 a.m. at Wai`ohinu Park to carpool to Kamilo. Register at kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_July_2016.pdf.

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

Help Hawai`i Wildlife Fund clean up Kamilo Beach Saturday. See more below. Photo from Megan Lamson/HWF

CANDIDATES FOR STATE OFFICES participated in Independence Day parades in Na`alehu and Volcano. Deadline to register to vote in the Aug. 13 primary is a week from today, on Thursday, July 14 at 4:30 p.m. See https://olvr.hawaii.gov., or call 961-8251.

Ka`u's state Sen. Russell Ruderman and family.
Photos by Ron Johnson

Sen. Russell Ruderman, of Kea`au, who represents Senate District II that includes Volcano, Pahala and Na`alehu, brought his wife and baby along for the walks, joined by many supporters. Opponent Greggor Ilagan, of Kea`au, currently a Hawai`i County Council member, sent contingents of sign-wavers to both parades. Candidate Fred Fogel, of Volcano, rode his motorcycle through Volcano Village.

State Representative for District III, Richard Onishi, of Hilo, also joined the celebrations, along with opponent Ainoa Naniole, of Hilo. Kealoha Pisciotta, of Hilo, who is also running for the office, walked in Volcano’s parade. In Ka`u, District III includes Volcano, Pahala and Honu`apo. Candidate Gregory Arianoff, of Hilo, did not participate.
Richard Creagan, of Na`alehu, currently holds the office for state Representative District V, which includes Na`alehu and Ocean View. He and his supporters walked in Na`alehu’s parade. Candidate Michael Last, also of Na`alehu, was not present.
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Ka`u's state District III Rep. Richard Onishi

YESTERDAY, THE U.S. SENATE VOTED 65-32 to move forward on bringing a compromise GMO labeling bill to a vote. A final vote on the bill is expected in the coming days.

“Regardless of your position on GMOs, most of us agree that labeling and disclosing GMOs is important so consumers can make choices about what they eat,” Sen. Mazie Hirono said. “We need a robust debate on how to accomplish this goal, and today’s procedural vote was about having this debate. I will continue to support a mandatory federal labeling system for GMOs that eliminates the need for a state-by-state patchwork approach.”
Ka`u’s U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard opposes the Senate legislation, saying it would undermine states’ ability to mandate GMO labeling, exempt many common foods from labeling requirements and create unnecessary extra steps for consumers to access basic ingredient information. She said the bill has raised concerns by the FDA, as well as various environmental, food security and consumer interest groups.

Ka`u's state District V Rep. Richard Creagan

“Nearly 90 percent of Americans support common sense food labeling,” Gabbard said. “Yet the GMO bill voted on by the Senate yesterday is a weak attempt to placate American consumers by creating the illusion of transparency. If this bill was truly intended to expand consumers’ right to know, it would require a clear, easy to read, uniform food labeling standard. Instead, the bill creates a system of electronic codes, symbols and text that are intentionally confusing to consumers. This labeling system requires consumers to jump through hoops for information that should be very basic and straightforward. In addition, it lacks any measures to hold companies accountable if they violate these labeling requirements.

“More than 30 states across the country, including Hawai`i, have made progress on GMO labeling. Just last week, Vermont became the first state to require GMO labeling. However, if passed, this legislation would pre-empt implementation of Vermont’s law and would prohibit other states from developing their own labeling bills. In addition, this bill narrows the definition of genetic engineering and leaves foods like beef, poultry and eggs without any labeling requirements. This bill is not a good compromise for American consumers and families, and I will do all that I can to defeat it if it comes before the House.”
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State Senate candidate Greggor Ilagan's
supporters walking in Volcano's parade.

State Senate candidate Fred Fogel
rode his motorcycle in Volcano.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES HAS BEGUN selling tickets for new non-stop service between Kona International Airport and Haneda International Airport in Tokyo.

“I congratulate Hawaiian Airlines on their new route from Kona to Tokyo’s Haneda airport,” Sen. Brian Schatz said. “This new service is not just great news for Hawaiian, it’s excellent news for our visitor industry and for Hawai`i Island’s local economy. There are still five additional routes up for competition, and I plan to continue strongly advocating for Hawaiian Airlines in their effort to obtain these routes and expand Hawai`i’s reach around the world.”
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State Rep. candidate Ainoa Naniole

State Rep. candidate Kealoha Pisciotta

GOV. DAVID IGE SIGNED A BILL into law that broadens the offense of first-degree murder. Previously, the offense had been narrowly defined and limited to rare cases in which there are multiple victims, the victim is killed by a hired killer or the victim was under the specific protection of the courts or law enforcement system.

Surrounded by victim's family members, Gov. Ige signed Joel's Law.
Photo from Gov. Ige's Office

With Ige’s signature, first-degree murder now includes circumstances in which the defendant intentionally or knowingly causes the death of a person by restraining and using that person as a shield, holding that person hostage or for ransom or reward.

“This was one of the most moving bill signings that we’ve had this year,” Ige said. “HB 1726 is called Joel’s Law, in honor of Joel Botelho, who was shot and killed outside his parents’ home in 2011. Mahalo to Nonohe Botelho and Rep. John Mizuno, along with key lawmakers and supporters of Joel’s Law who worked incredibly hard on this bill.”
Ige also signed two other bills into law yesterday.
HB 2169 Act 212 clarifies supervision requirements for licensure of clinical social workers. This includes allowing the option to fulfill all or part of the face-to-face requirements through videoconference service.
SB 2811 allows parental rights to be terminated if the court determines, by clear and convincing evidence, that the child was conceived as a result of sexual assault.

Randy Lee teaches lei making tomorrow.
Photo from VAC

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RANDY LEE TEACHES LEI MAKING tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

The master lei maker uses a variety of natural materials to fashion lei from the freshest fern, leaves and flowers that he personally gathers from the rain forests of Pana`ewa. Participants enjoy the skill and stories that this well-respected practitioner has to offer.
Aloha Friday cultural demonstrations are held each week. These free cultural events are supported in part by a grant from Hawai`i County’s Department of Research and Development and the Hawai`i Tourism Authority.

Park entrance fees apply.

Mary Kawena Pukui

THE LEGACY OF MARY KAWENA PUKUI, of Her Beloved Ka`u is the topic tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. Pukui’s grandson La`akea Suganuma, president of Mary Kawena Pukui Cultural Preservation Society, presents the free program along with Pukui’s great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.

Sponsored by Uhane Pohaku Na Moku O Hawai`i, Inc., along with Debbie & Kawehi Ryder.
Refreshments will be served.
Call 649-9334 for more information.

KDEN’S SUMMER PRODUCTION, The Music Man, opens tomorrow. Performances take place at Kilauea Theater in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. through July 24.
Tickets are $15, $12 for seniors, $10 for children 10 and under.
Park entrance fees may apply.
Call 982-7344, or email kden73@aol.com.

Help clean Kamilo Beach tomorrow.
Photo by Megan Lamson/HWF

HELP HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND staff and volunteers clean up the Ka`u Coast Saturday. Participants meet at 7:45 a.m. at Wai`ohinu Park to carpool to Kamilo.

MONGOLIAN BBQ IS AVAILABLE Saturday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Kilauea Military Camp’s Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park $.85 per ounce includes rice and beverage.

KMC also invites theater-goes to enjoy a casual dinner before KDEN’s Friday and Saturday evening productions of The Music Man through July 23.

KMC is open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply.

FRIENDS OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES National Park, led by Ab Valencia, explore Pu`u Huluhulu Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free for Friends members; non-members can join in order to attend.
Registration is required at admin@fhvnp.org or 985-7373.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_July_2016.pdf.

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

Lava continues to cascade down Pulama Pali and advance toward the ocean near Kalapana.
Photo from USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

THE LAVA FLOW TO THE SOUTHEAST of Pu`u `O`o continues to advance across the coastal plain and does not pose a threat to nearby communities, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported this morning.
When mapped on Thursday afternoon, the flow front had advanced about 0.1 miles since Wednesday’s measurements and was about 0.7 miles from the ocean.
At Kilauea’s summit, tiltmeters continued to record an inflationary trend during the past day. The level of the summit lava lake at Halema`uma`u this morning stood at 82 feet below the crater floor.
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Southside Boys Volleyball team returns to Ka`u
from Dallas today. Photo from Katherine Okamura

SOUTHSIDE BOYS VOLLEYBALL TEAM members who traveled to Dallas, TX and participated in USA Volleyball Championships found themselves in the midst of danger during yesterday’s tragedy there. During a peaceful protest regarding police shootings of men in Minneapolis, MN and Baton Rouge, LA the day before, snipers shot and killed five police officers and injured more.

The team and chaperones were staying at a hotel on Commerce Street in downtown Dallas. “Our boys are OK, but we are all kind of shaken with everything that is going on,” Brenda Iokepa-Moses said. “We were all at a movie when the shootings happened. The theater was about a mile away from our hotel, and we could not get a ride back. I had to run our team through total chaos and police barricades back to the hotel while there were active snipers still on the loose. It was terrifying, and we had to maneuver through dark alleys to get back to our hotel but did it and very proud of our team that stuck together and kept their cool.”
The team returns home today.
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SEVERAL ITEMS WERE STOLEN from `O Ka`u Kakou within the last five days. Items include four 20x20 gray tarps with hardware and bungee cords (no poles) and six 10x10 pop-up tents. All are marked with OKK. The community service organization asks the public to be on the lookout for these items and to call Na`alehu Police Station at 939-2520 with any information.
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Hurricane Blas is expected to weaken considerably before
reaching the Central Pacific. Map from NHC

HURRICANE BLAS IS STILL a long way away, 1,680 miles east of South Point at 5 a.m. National Hurricane Center reported that rapid weakening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Blas is expected to weaken to a tropical storm by early Saturday and become a post-tropical cyclone on Sunday. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles.
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MORE BILLS PASSED BY THE STATE Legislature are now law, following Gov. David Ige signing them yesterday.
SB 2395 Act 226 requires the state’s Medicaid-managed care and fee-for-service programs to cover services provided through telehealth.
SB 2630 Act 227 authorizes Hawai`i Correctional Industries to sell inmate-made products and services on the open market to the general public. It also requires the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism to conduct a feasibility study on establishing a re-entry for training and entrepreneurial services

Gov. Ige used a pen made by a Kulani inmate to sign a bill
allowing sale of such products to the public.
Photo from Gov. Ige's Office

Ige used a pen crafted by an inmate in the Hawai`i Correctional Industries program at Kulani to sign SB 2630.

“It was an honor and privilege to be able to sign SB2630,” Ige said. “Not only will this bill help the program to be self-sustaining, it will also give individuals in the program a source of income to help meet their financial obligations while incarcerated.”
SB 2659 Act 228 establishes an industrial hemp pilot program through the Department of Agriculture which allows cultivation of industrial hemp and distribution of hemp seed in Hawai`i for purposes of agricultural or academic research.
HB 1997 Act 229 implements the recommendation of the Hawai`i Agriculture Workforce Advisory Board to create an agriculture workforce pipeline initiative to conduct training on all islands for teachers and school administrators in agricultural self-sufficiency.
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REDUCING FOOD WASTE is the goal of legislation co-introduced by Sen. Brian Schatz. According to Schatz, forty percent of food produced in America is never eaten – damaging the environment, costing consumers money, and wasting an opportunity to reduce hunger.
The Food Recovery Act would reduce food waste in stores and restaurants, at schools and institutions, on farms and in homes.

Sen. Brian Schatz

“Most Americans would probably be surprised to learn that as much as 40 percent of the food we produce is thrown away,” Schatz said. “While many families across the country struggle each day to put food on the table, we are tossing safe and edible food because of the way it looks or the way it’s labeled. Our bill takes commonsense steps to help end food waste, feed families and ensure our environment and food supply remain sustainable.”

The Food Recovery Act would reduce food waste at the consumer level through inclusion of the Food Date Labeling Act to standardize confusing food date labels.
It would also reduce food wasted in schools by encouraging cafeteria’s to purchase lower-priced “ugly” fruits and vegetables and by expanding grant programs that educate students about food waste and recovery.
The legislation also calls for reductions in wasted food throughout the federal government through the creation of an Office of Food Recovery to coordinate federal efforts, and by requiring companies that contract with the federal government to donate surplus food to organizations such as food banks and soup kitchens.
It will reduce wasted food going to landfills by encouraging composting as a conservation practice eligible for support under USDA’s conservation programs.
The Food Recovery Act directs the USDA to develop new technologies to increase shelf life of fresh food, and requires the USDA to establish a standard for how to estimate the amount of wasted food at the farm level.
The legislation is supported by Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic, Natural Resources Defense Council, United Technologies Corporation, World Wildlife Fund and Feeding America.
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Join Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park to explore
Pu`u Huluhulu Sunday. Photo from FHVNP

THE MUSIC MAN COMES to Kilauea Theater in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park this evening. KDEN’s performances take place on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. through July 24.
Tickets are $15, $12 for seniors, $10 for children 10 and under.
Park entrance fees may apply.
Call 982-7344, or email kden73@aol.com.

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND staff and volunteers meet at 8:45 a.m., rather than 7:45 a.m. as previously reported, at Wai`ohinu Park to carpool to Kamilo for tomorrow’s Ka`u Coast Cleanup.
Coordinator Megan Lamson said there are a still a couple of spots available. Register at kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP’S Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park offers Mongolian BBQ tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at $.85 per ounce includes rice and beverage.
KMC also invites theater-goes to enjoy a casual dinner before KDEN’s Friday and Saturday evening productions of The Music Man through July 23.
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/KauCalendar_July_2016.pdf.

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

Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park invites the public to celebrate the park's 100th birthday at a cocktail party
and silent auction fundraiser next month. See more below. Photo from FHVNP

HAWAI`I POLICE DEPARTMENT has added an Active Shooter/Violence Awareness page to its website in response to increasing requests for information about how to respond to potential active shooter incidents. An active shooter is an individual who is engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area. In most cases, active shooters use firearms, and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims.

Police Chief Harry Kubojiri

The page contains links to active shooter preparedness tips by the Department of Homeland Security, an Active Shooter Quick Reference Guide by that same agency and several training videos presented by other law enforcement agencies.

Chief Harry Kubojiri said the tips are being offered as a precaution in light of recent tragedies in other parts of the country and throughout the world. “This is important information that I sincerely hope no one on Hawai`i Island will ever have to use,” Kubojiri said. “Nevertheless, our residents and visitors should be aware of steps that could help them survive in the event that the unthinkable happens here.”

See the page at www.hawaiipolice.com under the Services tab.
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AT THE DIRECTION OF THE PRESIDENT of the United States, national and state flags will be flown at half-staff at the State Capitol and upon all state offices and agencies as well as Hawai`i’s National Guard as a mark of respect for the victims of the attack in Dallas, Texas. During a peaceful protest on Thursday regarding police shootings of men in Minneapolis, MN and Baton Rouge, LA the day before, one and perhaps more snipers shot and killed five police officers and injured more.
The flags will be flown at half-staff until sunset on Tuesday, July 12.
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As Blas, at about 135 west longitude, weakens, Celia, at far right,
strengthens. Map from University of Hawai`i

STORMS IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC continue to churn but are forecast to weaken as they move toward the Central Pacific.

Blas, currently over cool waters and embedded in a fairly stable air mass, has weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm. According to National Hurricane Center, unfavorable conditions combined with a notable increase in southwesterly wind shear during the next couple of days should allow the weakening trend to continue. Blas is forecast to degenerate into a remnant low in 24 to 36 hours and dissipate in four to five days.
On Blas’ heals is Celia, whose center is moving over warmer water west of the cool wake of Blas. In response, its central dense overcast has become much better defined. The forecast shows a faster intensification than previous forecasts, with Celia becoming a hurricane in about 24 hours. However, unfavorable conditions should then cause Celia to gradually weaken.
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Vanda Hokukea Ventura
Photo from HPD

AN OCEAN VIEW WOMAN has been charged with seven offenses in connection with two reported robberies.

On March 6, Ka`u District officers responded to a report of a robbery on the 92-1000 block of Kona Kai Boulevard in Ocean View. A 53-year-old man and a 50-year-old woman reported that an acquaintance had gone to their house, demanded money and threatened to harm them if they didn’t give it to her. She fled with the cash.
Police identified the suspect as 22-year-old Vanda Hokukea Ventura, of Ocean View. Before officers were able to locate her, police received a report on April 6 that the same woman had entered a home on the 92-8900 block of King Kamehameha Boulevard in Ocean View, demanded money from a 51-year-old woman and then grabbed the victim’s purse and fled with it.
Wednesday morning, police located Ventura in the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates subdivision and arrested her. She was taken to the Kona police cellblock while detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigations Section continued the investigation.
At 6 a.m. yesterday, detectives charged her with burglary, two counts of robbery, two counts of terroristic threatening and two counts of theft. Her bail was set at $33,500. She remains in the cellblock pending her initial court appearance scheduled for Monday.
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BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION TO ESTABLISH a mandatory federal labeling system for GMOs passed the U.S. Senate with a vote of 63-30. “Regardless of your position on GMOs, most of us agree that we all have a right to know what is in the food we eat,” Sen. Mazie Hirono said. “I support a mandatory federal system for labeling and disclosing GMOs in food so that consumers across the country have consistent access to information no matter what state they live in.

Sen. Mazie Hirono

“The bill passed by the Senate establishes a mandatory federal labeling system that covers more products than the strictest state-level labeling law. It also strengthens the National Organic Program, which is a clear, GMO-free alternative that is growing in popularity. The bill also protects the rights of states like Hawai`i to make their own decisions about the role GMO crops should play in a sustainable local food system. It also allows states to establish and enforce penalties if federal labeling requirements are not met.

“Our work does not end with the Senate passing this bill. We need to make sure that the final label options are as clear as possible and the regulatory process takes the concerns of Hawai`i farmers and consumers into account. I will work closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture as it implements the labeling standard established by this legislation and to ensure that consumers have access to information about GMO ingredients.”
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HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK this month will use aircraft to monitor and research volcanic activity, conduct search-and-rescue missions and law enforcement operations, support management of natural and cultural resources, and to maintain backcountry facilities.
Aerial observations and patrol of the 61G lava flow from Pu`u `O`o to the flow front are ongoing, with times to be determined.
Flights will shuttle crew, camp supplies, fencing material and equipment to `Ola`a Tract on July 19, 25 and 28 between 6 a.m. and noon.
Ungulate surveys and control work take place at Kahuku between 3,000- and 7,000-ft. elevation on July 19 between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. On July 21 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., crews monitor and control fountain grass from Keauhou Trail to the park’s southwest boundary below 2,500-ft. elevation.
In addition, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory may conduct flight operations over Kilauea and Mauna Loa to assess volcanic activity and maintain instrumentation.
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Cassandra Cupples

ACUPUNCTURE FOR ABUNDANT HEALTH is the topic at Ka`u libraries next week. Cassandra Cupples explains what acupuncture is and what conditions it treats. Programs are on Monday at 3 p.m. at Na`alehu Library and Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Pahala Library.

Call 939-2442 and 928-2015 for more information.

KA`U LIBRARIES HOST a Health and Fitness: Mind, Body and Soul Summer Reading Program free lecture on Tuesday, July 19 at 5:30 p.m. at Pahala Library and Wednesday, July 20 at 2 p.m. at Na`alehu Library.
Tara Compehos, Ka`u’s community doula and private birth attendant’s program, Have Healthy Pregnancy & Smooth Labor, will answer questions or concerns and share information on how to avoid complications in pregnancy and how to take control of the birth of your child.
For more information, contact Debbie Wong Yuen at 928-2015 or Sara Kamibayashi at 939-2442.

PARTY ON THE CRATER'S EDGE. Friends Of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park invite Ka`u residents to celebrate the park’s 100th birthday at a cocktail party on Saturday, Aug. 6 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Volcano House. A silent auction begins at 5 p.m. in the lobby. Enjoy entertainment, champagne and light pupus. Tickets for $50 each are available at fhvnp.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
or kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_July_2016.pdf.

Sailors and Marines manned the rails of USS America as it pulled into Pearl Harbor in preparation
for Rim of the Pacific maritime exercise. See more below. Photo from U.S. Navy

FORMER HAWAI`I COUNTY MAYOR Harry Kim, who is running for the office once again, received endorsement from Hawai`i Regional Council of Carpenters.
“Harry Kim understands the challenges faced by working families and will work hard to bring opportunities that create good paying jobs and a diversified economy for Hawai`i Island,” union Executive Secretary-Treasurer Ron Taketa said. “We strongly support Harry’s ‘application’ to serve the people of Hawai`i Island again.

Harry Kim with his wife, son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter.
Photo from Harry Kim

“During Kim’s time as mayor, he set into motion numerous infrastructure projects for roads and highways to improve transportation and traffic flow islandwide, especially for the growing community of West Hawai`i. Kim was also credited with leading Hawai`i Island through bad and good economic times. His creation of the Disaster and Emergency Fund, the Rainy Day funding reserves, and his set aside of nearly $27 million for the unpaid liability of post-retirement benefits for public workers were instrumental to the economic stability of Hawai`i Island in the years following his term as mayor.”

Kim also has received endorsements from Hawai`i Government Employees Association, Sierra Club of Hawai`i and Puna Pono Alliance.
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RIMPAC participants test new equipment. Photo from U.S. Navy

SAILORS TESTED A NEXT-GENERATION expeditionary network and communications system yesterday during Rim of the Pacific war game exercises in Hawaiian waters. The deployable joint command and control system is designed to help not only with military operations but with disaster relief and humanitarian missions. The new system is smaller, lighter and uses less power than traditional communications systems.

Through Aug. 4, RIMPAC is hosting 26 nations, with 25,000 personnel, two submarines, some 40 ships and more than 200 aircraft in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. According to the military, RIMPAC, the world’s largest international maritime exercise, provides training to foster and sustain cooperative relationships critical to ensuring safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2016 is the 25th exercise in the series that began in 1971.

Ships steam in formation at RIMPAC. Image from USS America

The amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) conducted a group sail with other countries on its way to RIMPAC. Royal Canadian Navy frigate Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship Vancouver (FFH 331), Chilean Navy frigate CNS Cochrane (FF 05), amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego (LPD 22) and guided-missile destroyer USS Howard (DDG 83) steamed in formation.
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HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY provides an update on the current lava flow from Pu`u `O`o in the current issue of Volcano Watch.
“Two years ago, Kilauea Volcano`s ‘June 27th’ flow advanced to the northeast, threatening Pahoa and creating major disruptions to thousands of residents in the lower Puna district on the Island of Hawai`i,” the article states. “Today, a new flow from Pu`u `O`o is moving to the southeast along the boundary of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and could eventually reach the ocean.
“As Hawai`i residents can appreciate, change is just part of the typical behavior of Kilauea’s ongoing East Rift Zone eruption.

“This new lava flow, informally dubbed the “61g” flow after the eruptive episode sequence the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory uses to document Pu`u `O`o flows, began on May 24, 2016. Over the past six weeks it has advanced to the southeast without interruption. The flow has remained relatively narrow and focused, and consists mostly of pahoehoe lava, which is typical of Pu`u `O`o flows in recent years.

“Around June 23, the 61g flow reached the top of the pali (cliff) above the coastal plain and the upper boundary of the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision, which is almost completely buried by earlier Pu`u `O`o lava flows. As the flow continued to advance, it picked up speed on steep sections of the pali, forming impressive `a`a lava channels on the slopes.

“Within a few days, the flow front reached the base of the pali and began its advance across the coastal plain. There, the flow front narrowed even more, perhaps because it was confined by nearby high ground created by earlier Pu`u `O`o flows. This focusing of the flow probably contributed to its high advance rate on the coastal plain.

An HVO geologist uses a handheld GPS device to map
the flow margin. Photo from USGS/HVO

“The 61g flow front initially moved across the coastal plain at a rate of up to 600 meters (about 0.4 miles) per day, which is fairly rapid compared with other Pu`u `O`o pahoehoe flows. As of mid-day on July 7, the flow front was about 1.2 km (0.7 mi) from the ocean, and still moving at a good clip. Given the flow’s current advance rate, lava could reach the ocean for the first time since August 2013 in the coming days or weeks. However, the flow’s advance could slow, spreading lava across the coastal plain rather than into the ocean, or it could stall.
“Compared to the June 27th flow, which threatened Pahoa and nearby subdivisions, the location of the 61g lava flow presents no immediate hazard to residential areas. It is currently overrunning older Pu`u `O`o lava flows a safe distance from the nearest homes.
“Although the hazard to property has diminished, the potential hazard to people is greater now that the flow is more accessible. The opportunity to see an active lava flow is already drawing hundreds of visitors hoping for a glimpse of lava to Kilauea’s south coast.
“Besides the obvious dangers of molten lava (burns, exposure to fumes), hiking to a lava flow is risky for a number of reasons, including the possibility of falling on the rough, uneven terrain, becoming dehydrated, or suffering heat exhaustion or stroke. Heat from above (the sun) and below (hot ground) can rapidly overwhelm even the strongest of hikers. Proper gear –sturdy hiking boots, long pants, gloves, sun protection – and lots of water are essential for safe hiking.
“If lava reaches the sea and forms an ocean entry, new hazards will appear. In general, ocean entries are the most dangerous part of a lava flow field due to unpredictable bench collapses, explosions, and scalding steam plumes. This danger is not theoretical – several people have died near Kilauea ocean entries in years past.
“To safely view the 61g flow, your best plan is to get up-to-date lava-viewing information from Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park (https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/lava2.htm) and the County of Hawai`i (http://www.hawaiicounty.gov/lava-viewing/). These agencies have outlined where and when safe lava viewing is available.
“The U.S. Geological Survey offers information on viewing lava safely in an online Fact Sheet (http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2000/fs152-00/fs152-00.pdf). Because it was published in 2000, the map is out of date. However, the hazard information and safety tips provided in the Fact Sheet are timeless and relevant.

“From home, you can track the progress of Kilauea’s lava flow through daily eruption updates and recent maps and photos posted on the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website (http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/).”

See hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.

Dr. David Davenport practiced at Ka`u Hospital.
Image from Volcano Art Center

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TODAY IS THE LAST DAY to view Ka`u & Kilauea Reflections. The exhibit of paintings and pottery by former Ka`u Hospital Dr. Douglas Davenport raises funds for its Charitable Foundation. Nona Wilson, the hospital’s former Director of Nursing, presents the exhibit at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village until 3 p.m.

CASSANDRA CUPPLES EXPLAINS what acupuncture is and what conditions it treats tomorrow at 3 p.m. at Na`alehu Library and Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Pahala Library.

Call 939-2442 and 928-2015 for more information.

Hokualaka`i Photo from Polynesian
Voyaging Society

KA`U RESIDENTS ARE INVITED to the beach at Hilo’s Palekai (Radio Bay) in Keaukaha for a ceremony tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. The Department of Transportation will officially give the double-hull voyaging canoe Hokualaka`i a home there. Members of the nonprofit group Perpetuating Unique Educational Opportunities are working to restore the canoe as a teaching vessel.

WHAT’S BUGGIN’ THE MOUNTAIN? That’s the question answered Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The alpine and subalpine environments on Maunakea support a diversity of native and endemic insects. Heather Stever and Jessica Kirkpatrick present their thesis research on the diversity of insects on different plant types in Maunakea’s subalpine community and the distribution of wekiu bugs on cinder cones in the alpine stone desert.
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/KauCalendar_July_2016.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.pdf.

What's Buggin' the Mountain? Researchers discuss Maunakea's flora and fauna tomorrow at After Dark in the Park.
See more below. Photos from NPS

RAINA WHITING HOSTS A TOWN meeting at Ocean View Community Center tonight at 6 p.m. She is running for Hawai`i County Council against incumbent Maile David. The Ocean View resident has a strong background in grass-root activism and a passion for education.
Whiting is a teacher at the Na`alehu Elementary School. She sees Ka`u as a rural community that is largely ignored by the county.
“I see the problem of the county’s overall lack of services to rural communities as the ‘umbrella problem’ under which we find many shortcomings – like wastewater issues, the solar project, the transfer station, ocean access, police and fire services and land security for farmers, especially the small coffee farmers,” Whiting said.

Raina Whiting

“Keiki and kupuna have to go to Hilo or Kona for services for everything from car registration to WIC stamps, legal services, health services and many other essential services that we pay for with our county taxes.

“For example, kindergarten students are required to have shots before they can start school, but the shots were not offered locally during the summer. Parents who did not know this had to go to Kona or Hilo. As a result, many students were enrolled late. This kind of thing can be avoided with planning.
“Look at waste removal. People dump items that the county makes difficult to take into the system. We need to make it easy to be neat. I would like to see a zero waste program implemented with recycling facilities for almost everything.”
A graduate of University of Hawai’i at Manoa, Whiting has spent many years in community-based activism. She was a legal advocate for the Legal Aid Society of Hawai`i and a member of AmeriCorps, a nationwide service group that offers services to communities. She was a union organizer for UNITE Here Local 5, which serves hotel workers. She is also a member of Hawai`i State Teachers Association Speakers Bureau, which does legislative advocacy work for teachers and children.
Whiting is also a member of Teach for America. This organization recruits and places teachers but accepts only 15 percent of applicants. The organization’s goal is to place teachers in rural, underserved communities with high poverty. It works to close the gap on educational inequality.
“I was fortunate to be accepted and then placed in my home community,” she said.
Whiting is heavily involved with the leadership of the Hawai`i Democratic Party. She is a member of the state’s Central Committee and a national delegate. She is also vice chair of the House District V and President of the Ocean View precinct. To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

KA`U’S STATE REP. RICHARD ONISHI and his challenger Ainoa Naniole discussed their views on genetically modified crops with Leila Fujimori, of Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

“I’m pro-farmer,” Naniole told Fujimori. “Papaya farmers have been able to make both work. One farmer does both GMO and non-GMO, organic.” He said he’s willing to work companies such as Monsanto “to grow food that stays here.”

Ainoa Naniole

Rep. Richard Onishi

“The issues of the anti-GMO movement, the anti-pesticide movement, for many of us in the Legislature is not based on scientific fact,” Onishi said. “Those movements are trying to penalize businesses in the agriculture industry by putting on these restrictions.
“The Big Island passed an ordinance against GMO. It was supposed to be a complete ban. And when they found out all the papaya growers — 95 percent — raise GMO Rainbow papaya and it would put them all out of business, they said, ‘OK, we’ll allow them to grow GMO crops.’”
According to Onishi, one of the last two dairy farms on Hawai`i Island raises GMO corn to feed their cows.
“On the mainland they do the same thing and ship milk to Hawai`i,” he said. “We’re not going to ban the shipment of milk. … Those are examples of where these (anti-GMO) efforts are not looking at us as a state and our survival, our businesses and survival, on jobs. These outside organizations are organizing people to run against us.”
See staradvertiser.com.
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U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

HELPING FAMILIES IN MENTAL HEALTH Crisis Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 422-2 last week.

“Millions of people in the U.S., including more than 32,000 adults and 12,000 children in Hawai`i, are living with serious mental health conditions, yet less than half receive the services they need,” Ka`u’s Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said. “To help bridge the gap that has long existed in mental health care, H.R. 2646 would better connect those dealing with mental illness to community-based services, promote early intervention and treatment, increase access to tele-medicine for underserved and rural communities, and remove access barriers to Medicaid and Medicare for adults and children who need treatment. In addition, the legislation will help address a nationwide shortage of nearly 100,000 inpatient beds, encourage states to provide community-based alternatives to institutionalization, and increase funding for suicide prevention research and outreach programs. Mental illness affects every community in every state across the nation. This bipartisan legislation will help to ensure that those in need of mental health care have better access to the treatment and care they need.”
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THE FIRST-EVER HAWAI`I ISLAND Festival of Birds is scheduled for the weekend of Sept. 24-25 at Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay.

Saturday’s workshops, including special programs for children, will be highlighted by talks from Brian Sullivan, project leader for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for eBird.org; Dr. Chris Farmer, Hawai`i program director for the American Bird Conservancy; and a panel discussion by the Hawai`i Forest Bird Survey crew. Noah Gomes, park ranger at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, will also speak about traditional Hawaiian featherwork.
Saturday’s program options include a hands-on Photography Workshop with Jack Jeffrey and a block-printing workshop with artist Gretchen Grove. Materials bill be provided.
Saturday night’s Gala Dinner will be headlined by Dr. Sam Gon III speaking on the cultural and biological significance of Hawai`i’s unique bird life.

`I`iwi Photo by Jack Jeffrey

A highlight of the first-ever festival is Sunday’s sneak peek of the newly created Hawai`i Island Coast to Coast Birding Trail with field-trip van departures from Hilo or Kailua-Kona. Other options are a pelagic (sea) birding trip with biologist guides Brian Sullivan, Mike Scott and Lance Tanino, or a bird photography field trip with Jack Jeffrey.

“We are very pleased with the excellent reception we’ve had so far,” said Rob Pacheco, of Hawai`i Forest & Trail. “Not only are we enrolling participants from Hawai`i, but birders from across the U.S. Mainland have expressed great interest in our program. The festival is a boon to Hawai`i tourism, and it also will give our keiki a chance to learn more about the nature of Hawai`i, with the help of experts who will be joining us to teach at the festival.”
Festival sponsors include Hawai`i Tourism Authority, County of Hawai`i, Alaska Airlines, Audubon Magazine, Hawai`i Forest and Trail, Destination Marketing and others.
For more information and registration, see hawaiibirdingtrails.com. Book before Aug. 1 to take advantage of early-bird pricing for all festival components.
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CASSANDRA CUPPLES EXPLAINS what acupuncture is and what conditions it treats today at 3 p.m. at Na`alehu Library and tomorrow at 6 p.m. at Pahala Library.
Call 939-2442 and 928-2015 for more information.

FREE MOSQUITO TRAPS will be distributed at Ocean View Community Center tomorrow at 6 p.m. during an update on Hawai`i County’s dengue fever status.

AT AFTER DARK IN THE PARK tomorrow, Heather Stever and Jessica Kirkpatrick present their thesis research on the diversity of insects on different plant types in Maunakea’s subalpine community and the distribution of wekiu bugs on cinder cones in the alpine stone desert.
The free program begins at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
$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/KauCalendar_July_2016.pdf.

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

Hawai`i Wildlife Fund regularly hosts Ka`u Coast Cleanups such as the one at Kamilo Point last Saturday.
See more below. Photos from Megan Lamson/HWF

CLOSING OCEAN VIEW’S WATER WELL for more than ten weeks constitutes a State of Emergency. That was the consensus residents at last night’s talk story hosted by Raina Whiting, a candidate for Hawai`i County Council.
Whiting, a Na`alehu teacher and President of the Democratic Party in Ocean View, is running against incumbent Maile David in the Aug. 13 primary election.
The well is the only source of water in the town of 7,000 residents, who, when the well is closed for repairs, must travel to either Na`alehu or Ho`okena for water. Last night, many residents complained that for those who walk to the well with water jugs, this is not an option.

Suggested solutions included hiring trucks to bring water from Na`alehu to the storage tank, banning water trucks from getting water from the well until repairs are complete, shortening the time for repairs, and not closing the well until all needed machinery is available and repairs are ready to begin.

Whiting said she had called and emailed Daryl Ikeda, Chief of Operations for the county Department of Water Supply, in order to get more information, but her calls were not returned. She wanted to find out about the repairs and determine what plans the department has for keeping residents supplied with water for household uses.

Hawai`i County Council candidate Raina Whiting held a talk story
at Ocean View Community Center yesterday. Photo by Peter Bosted

Unless the department comes up with an alternate solution, Ocean View’s spigots will be closed from Sunday, July 24 until approximately Sept. 30, a minimum of ten weeks. Residents at the meeting all agreed that the county needs to do whatever it takes to keep water in the storage tank that feeds the spigots, supplying essential household water.
Ocean View’s looming water crisis was one of many concerns facing the town that Whiting and residents discussed. Issues included the controversial solar farm project that threatens to industrialize the rural town and the long-awaited Community Development Plan that, according to residents at the meeting, has been languishing on the Planning Director’s desk instead of being approved by the County Council.
Ocean View resident Karen Pucci raised the issue of inadequate and ineffective policing and lack of facilities for criminals that are apprehended. “We need a holding cell with about four to six beds,” she said.
James Weisend, a former law enforcement professional in Alaska, told the meeting that the police set-up in Ocean View was abysmal, and other residents complained that “the police pick on victims.”
“There is talk of vigilantism,” another resident said. “We need real officers who won’t make us wait an hour for a response.”
Whiting agreed that the community needs to be active in holding the authorities accountable for the poor standards of police services.
“I am a grass roots organizer at heart,” she said. “If this is not working, we need to speak out. We need to be the ‘squeaky wheel.’ We need plans for our future growth, as well as the services we need already.”
State Rep. Dr. Richard Creagan, said that “a good, solid showing at the polls” is needed.
“You all have a vote,” he said. You need to vote. Communities who do not vote are ignored. State politicians care enormously where the votes are coming from and cater to communities that can, and do, deliver the votes. It’s not enough to have 7,000 residents if only a few hundred vote. You all need to register and vote and encourage your friends to register and vote on Aug. 13,” urged Creagan.

Thursday is the last day to register to vote in the August election. Wikiwiki applications are available at Na`alehu Police Station and Pahala Library and online at elections.hawaii.gov. For more information, call 961-8277.
Whiting announced that sign wavings would take place tomorrow in South Kona and outside Na`alehu Post Office from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Friday in Ocean View on Hwy 11 above Malama Market from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Also on Friday, Whiting and current Council member Maile David will hold a forum at Ocean View Community Center beginning at 6 p.m.

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Piles of trash are ready to be hauled
away from Kamilo.

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND and 41 community volunteers helped remove nearly 1,485 pounds of marine debris from the shoreline at Kamilo Point last Saturday. The litter included more than 200 pounds of derelict fishing nets, 150 pounds of large loose debris, 45 pounds of Method recyclables, 80 pounds of microplastics, 890 pounds of miscellaneous debris and dozens of toys, bottle caps, five cigarette lighters, six plastic crates, two large plastic pallets and a plastic teddy bear coin bank.

“Mahalo to Norwex, Kona Surf Film Festival, and Hoffman Leung for the financial support to host this cleanup,” said coordinator Megan Lamson. “And a special thanks goes to Hawai`i Kombucha for the delicious hibiscus kombucha tea keg to keep our volunteers happily hydrated. Our heartfelt gratitude also goes out to all the individuals and groups that joined us, including Nurdle in the Rough Jewelry, Hawai`i Outdoors Institute, Pulama Lanai, Surfrider Foundation Big Island Hawai`i Chapter - Kona Kai Ea, local artists Kathleen Crabill, Don Elwing and Laurel Schultz, and many other amazing individuals and family members!”

HWF’s next Ka`u Coast Cleanup takes place on Saturday, Sept. 24. Email kahakai.cleanup@gmail.com for more information and to register.
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Agatha, Blas, Celia and Darby are named storms in the Pacific
so far the year. Another is forming behind Darby.
Map from University of Hawai`i

STORMS ARE LINING UP IN THE PACIFIC. Tropical Storm Blas is sending squalls and swells toward Hawai`i Island. The National Hurricane Center reported that Hurricane Celia is moving northwest and weakening as it hits cooler waters. Celia’s impacts could affect the state early next week. Further east is Tropical Storm Darby, which continues to strengthen but is also expected to weaken when it reaches cooler waters.

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MAULI OLA FESTIVAL IS SET for Sept. 21-24 at Wood Valley Farm. According to founder Malian Lahey, the festival will bring together a global tribe to celebrate, learn and generate new conversations about coffee, human rights and earth-friendly practices.

Malian Lahey, wearing lei, presents Mauli Ola Festival
in September. Photo from Lahey

“Conversations like these are powerful force multipliers that can create real shifts in how the world works,” Lahey said. “When it comes to coffee, agriculture and our relationship with the earth, it’s easy to become disconnected. It’s easy to not remember the people who farm that coffee, to not worry about whether they are treated well or paid fairly. It’s easy to forget that our actions – and our inaction – have an impact on the earth and our communities.

“The Mauli Ola Festival is about reconnecting with those values. We will bring together a global tribe to celebrate, teach and start new dialogues about many aspects of the world around us.”
Sunalini Menon, of CoffeeLab; Sarah Allen, of Barista Magazine; Sarah Grant, of USC Fullerton, and more will share their work in the nuts and bolts of women’s empowerment, economic empowerment and other aspects of human rights in coffee.
Using framework developed by Monica Sharma, a senior staffer at the United Nations, to develop Leadership for Community Transformation, participants will relate the conversation at the event with their own projects and passions at home and create the seed of their own legacy.
Land-based skill workshops include permaculture, natural building, Leave No Trace ethics, fermented foods, biodiesel and more.
Musicians include Malian, Grammy-nominated Senegalese West African Kora player Youssoupha Sidibe, Hawaiian music from Jeff Peterson, a Brazilian zouk workshop and a performance by Marie Alonzo Snyder.
Food and award-winning ethical coffee will be available from local vendors.
See www.mauliolafestival.com for more information.
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Utamaro: Deeply Concealed Love
Image by Glenn Yamanoha
from Volcano Art Center

AN INTRODUCTION TO MOKUHANGA: Traditional Japanese Woodblock Printmaking takes place at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village starting on July 14. Sensei Glenn Yamanoha Five teaches five sessions on consecutive Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Traditional Japanese woodblock printmaking is a relief printing technique that uses Japanese tools and natural materials. Attendees will learn fundamental techniques of Mokuhanga such as cutting with chisels, preparing blocks and paper, registration and printing with a baren (printing pad.)
Mokuhanga differs from western woodblock in that it is water-based printing with sumi ink, watercolor and nori (rice paste), so no toxic solvents are used; it is printed with a hand-held baren rather than a press; and it employs the accurate kento registration method, cut directly into the block. By utilizing non-toxic, green materials, it readily combines traditional processes with new printing technologies.
Yamanoha studied woodblock printing in Kyoto, Japan on a Monbusho (Japan Government) scholarship between 1988-90. He lives in Volcano Village and runs Volcano Gravel.
Course fee is $80/$72 for VAC Members plus a $25 supply fee. No experience is necessary for this workshop.

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_July_2016.pdf.

Everyone is invited to attend Sunday Bon Dance practices to prepare for Aug. 21, Pahala Hongwanji's first Bon
Dance since 1999 when this photo was taken by filmmaker Cliff Watson. Watson also made a film about the last
harvest at Ka`u Sugar Co. See more below. Photo by Cliff Watson

OCEAN VIEW RESIDENTS WILL HAVE access to water during prolonged repairs to the well there, Hawai`i County Department of Water Supply announced yesterday.

Click to enlarge public notice from Hawai`i
County Department of Water Supply.

In its original public notice, DWS said the standpipe facility and spigot station would be closed from July 25 to approximately Sept. 30 but later agreed to keep the makai spigot station at the site open for residential potable water needs. The department requests that users limit their water filling to 55 gallons or less in order to meet the daily water needs of all spigot users.

Mauka standpipes for water hauling trucks will remain closed until repairs are completed.
“Following my discussions with the Department of Water Supply yesterday expressing the extreme hardship residents of Ocean View will suffer if the standpipes as well as the spigots were closed while repairs are being made, I am very pleased that the Department of Water Supply was very understanding and cooperative in compromising to find a solution,” County Council member Maile David said. “Mahalo a nui loa to everyone for their patience and understanding, and to the department for their quick response to our community's and requests.”
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PAHALA HONGWANJI HOSTS its first Bon Dance of the 21st century on Sunday, Aug. 21. The last was held in 1999. Footage of the 1999 Obon service, filmed by Cliff Watson, is available at uluulu.hawaii.edu/titles/3789. Watson, a filmmaker based in Honolulu, with family ties to Pahala, also made a film on the last harvest of Ka`u Sugar Co. in 1996, called Ka`u Sugar: A Town Remembers. See uluulu.hawaii.edu/titles/4451. Watson said he plans to visit Pahala to witness the historic return of the Bon Dance in August.

Obon includes a service at Pahala Hongwanji.

Bon Dances not only draw the Buddhists. People of all religions and ethnic groups are invited. It is a style of dancing performed during the Obon season to welcome spirits of ancestors during the harvest when food is placed at the temple altar.
The event begins with a service at Pahala Hongwanji, followed by the dance and fellowship, including food.

Obon Dances, which are held around the island each summer, involve people, often in traditional Japanese dress, moving in a circle around a high wooden scaffold called a yagura. The yagura is usually also the bandstand for musicians and singers of Obon music.

Practices are scheduled for each Sunday beginning July 24 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. Participants are asked to bring a tenugui (hand towel) and uchiwa (fan).
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GOV. DAVID IGE VETOED Senate Bill 2077 that calls for benefits to Hawai`i Health Systems Corporation employees who are facing abolishment of their positions or workforce restructuring at Maui Region facilities. The Legislature last year authorized the transition from state to private operation. HHSC also operated Ka`u Hospital and other facilities in its East Hawai`i Region.

“There are three primary reasons for this veto,” Ige said. “The Employees Retirement System believes this bill jeopardizes its tax-qualified status because it allows affected employees to choose between a lump-sum cash payment that is taxable as wages and a special employer subsidized early retirement benefit. Under the IRS code, sections governing the state’s ERS plan, this is not permitted, and therefore it threatens the plan’s tax-exempt status.

“Affected employees were given a lump-sum cash payment upon separation from state service. However, the bill does not appropriate funds for this purpose. Nor does it provide authority to Hawai`i Health Systems to make the payments.

“Finally, the bill adds an additional unfunded liability of about $17.2 million to the ERS and $18.4 million to the Employer Union Benefits Trust fund to cover Maui employees separated from state service.

Gov. Ige announcing his vetoes. Photo from Office of the Governor

“This undermines the state’s moratorium on enhanced benefits and puts the state’s long-term financial plan in jeopardy because the state’s long-term financial position is judged by bond rating agencies based upon the state’s outstanding unfunded liabilities.
“Adding to the unfunded liabilities raises concerns for these agencies about the state’s commitment to financial sustainability.
“This transition to a new system of care has never been done before. It is complex, and there are multiple stakeholders and issues at play. I have exercised my Constitutional duty to veto the bill and submit a remedy so the transition can move forward. My proposed cure remedies legal, technical and fiscal issues while respecting public employees and the collective bargaining process as the employees separate from state service. It is a path forward.”
Ige submitted a proposed amended bill to the Legislature that he said balances the needs of the various stakeholders and constituents. It calls for the state of Hawai`i and HHSC as the employer to negotiate with exclusive representatives for separation benefits for affected employees who separate from state service.
Affected employees would be authorized to purchase retirement credits for the amount of time they would have received if they had remained in state service up to June 30, 2017.
It would appropriate $25 million in general funds for allocation by the Director of Finance to HHSC for payment of the separation benefits and related fringe costs.
The state Senate has called for a special session regarding the governor’s veto. It will reconvene on Monday, July 18.
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New legislation would help with full implementation
of Title IX, the Patsy Mink Equal Opportunity in
Education Act. Photo from Patsy T. Mink Foundation.

SEN. MAZIE HIRONO LAST WEEK introduced the Patsy Mink Gender Equity in Education Act. The bill would provide more resources for schools, school districts, states and institutions of higher education to fully implement the Patsy Mink Equal Opportunity Act, commonly referred to as Title IX – which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded educational programs and activities.

“The Patsy Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act transformed the educational landscape in our country with an idea that seems redundant today, but was profound at the time: that sex-based discrimination has no place in our schools,” Hirono said. “Forty-four years later, Title IX has opened doors for girls and women from access to higher education to sports. But we have more work to do. This legislation builds on Patsy’s legacy by expanding resources to see Title IX’s mandate through.”
The act would provide resources, training and technical assistance to fully implement Title IX and reduce and prevent sex discrimination in all areas of education, including establishing an Office of Gender Equity in the U.S. Department of Education to coordinate activities within the Department and among other federal agencies; combating discrimination, harassment, bias and violence based on sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions; supporting Title IX coordinators with annual training; providing competitive grants to K-12 schools, institutions of higher education, local educational agencies, or states as the primary applicants, with the option to partner with organizations with relevant expertise; including evaluation and assessment of how applicants improve on indicators of gender equity; and disseminating resources and best practices nationwide.
More than 25 organizations, including the American Association of University Women, the Hawai`i Department of Education and the Human Rights Campaign support the bill.
“The Patsy Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, which is widely known as Title IX, protects people from discrimination and the Hawai`i State Department of Education works to ensure equal opportunities are afforded to all students,” said Hawai`i Department of Education Schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi. “Hawai`i’s Patsy Mink led the way, and now Sen. Hirono’s bill is taking it a step further because it would safeguard that gender equity is effectively carried out by providing resources, including grants for gender equity efforts and training for Title IX coordinators.”

Pele by Dietrich Varez

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RECONSTRUCTING KALUAPELE: Stories and Observations of Lava and Explosions is the topic tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Oral histories in the form of chants about Pele, her family and their works contain evocative poetry and stories of volcanic or other natural events, cloaked in metaphor and hyperbole.

Naturalist Bobby Camara and geologist Don Swanson hold an interactive discussion about Pele and how oral traditions about her can be interpreted in terms of what is known today about Kilauea. They piece together a history of eruptive and explosive activity using feet-on-the-ground exploration and observations of sometimes subtle differences in rock and ash. They also share some of their interpretations about Kilauea’s volcanic history by linking geology and cultural traditions, providing a richer appreciation of this unique place.

HAWAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL District VI candidates meet constituents during a forum at Ocean View Community Center Friday at 5:30 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_July_2016.pdf.

Quilts in the Forest/Quilts in the Park opens tomorrow at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village.
See more below. Image of Quilt by Glorianne Green from VAC

NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY Platform Committee approved language reflecting support of Native Hawaiian Self-Governance and Self-Determination during its final meeting in Orlando, Florida last weekend.

Image from Democratic National Convention

The proposal reads, “Democrats also support efforts for self-governance and self-determination of Native Hawaiians. Native Hawaiians are the indigenous, aboriginal people of Hawai`i whose values and culture are the foundation of the Hawaiian Islands. We support proactive actions by the federal government to enhance Native Hawaiian culture, health, language and education. We recognize and honor the contributions and sacrifices made in service to our country by Native Hawaiians.”

Leimomi Khan, Chair of the Hawaiian Affairs Caucus, said, “The adoption of our platform proposal by the National Democratic Party Platform Committee signifies the continuing support of the Democratic Party for Native Hawaiians since the formation of the Democratic Party of Hawai`i on April 30, 1900 by supporters of Queen Lili`uokalani. We are proud of this accomplishment. Mahalo to Colleen Hanabusa for being our champion in advocating for passage by the Democratic Party Platform Committee and the 182 members of the Platform Committee who voted unanimously in favor of it.”

The platform will be voted on by all delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, July 25-28.
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Ka`u ranchers face new water lease challenges.
Photo from Hawai`i Department of Agriculture.

KA`U RANCHERS FACE NEW water lease challenges. Sophie Cocke, of Honolulu Star-Advertiser, reported this morning that farmers and ranchers applying for long-term state water leases could be required to conduct environmental reviews and consulting with Native Hawaiians to ensure that traditional farming and other practices can remain.

State legislation passed this year requires those who have month-by-month revocable water use permits from the state Department of Land & Natural Resources to obtain long-term leases before a three-year deadline arrives. The legislation is the result of Alexander & Baldwin’s longtime use of water on Maui for irrigation during the sugar era, which resulted in diversion of streams from their natural flow and from areas traditionally used for farming such local crops as taro. Environmentalists and farmers challenged the diversion and the court ordered the water to be returned to the streams for traditional use and willdlife. Since the ruling, A&B has announced the shutdown of its sugar operations but wants to keep control of the water. The legislation gives A&B three more years.
In Ka`u, the situation affects the Edmund C. Olson Trust, Wood Valley Water and Farm Cooperative, Kuahiwi Contractors and Kapapala Ranch.
See staradvertiser.com.
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GOV. DAVID IGE VETOED SEVERAL bills as the deadline for such action set in the state Constitution loomed this week.

House Bill 1850 would have allowed transient accommodations brokers to register as tax collection agents with the state.

Gov. David Ige announcing bills he vetoed this week.
Image from Office of the Governor

“Looking at this bill from the single lens of taxes owed to the state, this measure did provide a mechanism to achieve that goal,” Ige said. “However, the use of an intermediary system, such as “’ax accommodations brokers’ as tax collection agents also provided a shield for owners who do not currently comply with county laws. This could have also encouraged owner-occupants to choose ‘transient accommodation renters’ at a time when affordable rental housing in our state is severely stressed and homelessness remains a critical concern statewide.”

HB 1739 would have prohibited employers from accessing or obtaining employees’ social media accounts and passwords by coercion or other means.
“It remains unclear the extent to which this is occurring in workplaces at a level that requires state intervention at this time,” Ige said. “While the intent of this bill is commendable, it contains no provisions for enforcement or due process. The measure states that ‘an employer found in violation … shall be subject to a fine of not less than $25 and not more than $100, to be collected by the director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.’ However, DLIR does not currently have the staff, resources or expertise to administer the measure, which would include taking complaints, determining violations, education of rights, determination and collection of fines and administrative review.
HB 1747 would have authorized police officers to request towing of motor vehicles if a driver is arrested for driving under the influence.
“This measure would have authorized police to tow vehicles only for the offense of driving under the influence,” Ige said. “This severely limits this bill, particularly for repeat offenders. The original intent of this bill was to allow police to tow for various traffic offenses, including driving without a license, habitually driving under the influence and operating a vehicle while a license has been revoked.
“This bill would have also undermined a law that permits towing of a vehicle when an operator has been driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, without a valid driver’s license or with fraudulent license plates or registration emblems.”
A complete list of vetoed and approved bills can be found at http://governor.hawaii.gov/.
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A bill authored by Sen. Mazie Hirono to award the Congressional
Medal of Honor to Filipino WWII vets unanimously passed
the Senate. Photo from Office of Sen. Hirono

THE U.S. SENATE YESTERDAY UNANIMOUSLY passed a bill authored by Sen. Mazie Hirono to award Filipino World War II veterans who fought for the United States the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award that Congress can bestow. A broad, bipartisan coalition of 71 senators co-sponsored the legislation, which recognizes Filipino soldiers who fought alongside Americans during World War II.

“The Senate provided recognition to Filipino World War II veterans for their brave and courageous service to the United States,” Hirono said. “These veterans were instrumental to an Allied victory in the Pacific theater, but their fight didn’t end with the war. For decades, they have continued to fight for the benefits they have earned and to be reunited with their families in the United States. I thank my Senate colleagues for joining me in recognizing these veterans’ service and sacrifice with the Congressional Gold Medal, one of our nation’s highest civilian honors.”
The Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015, recognizes over 260,000 Filipino and Filipino-American soldiers who responded to President Roosevelt’s call-to-duty and fought under the American flag during World War II. Last August, Senator Hirono held an informational briefing in Hawaii for Filipino World War II veterans and their families to learn more about this bill.
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Cinnie Decker, at podium, led the Ka`u `Ohana Band during
many performances. Photo from Ka`u School of the Arts

KA`U `OHANA BAND and many musicians taught, mentored and led by Cinnie Decker will hold an event in her honor on Saturday, July 30 at 10 a.m. at Ocean View Community Center. Decker was the founder of the Ka`u `Ohana Band and taught music on many instruments at her Ocean View home. She recently passed away on the mainland. Her husband Dallas Deckar will attend the gathering, and the public is invited.

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VOLCANO ART CENTER’S FIRST ANNUAL quilt show opens tomorrow with a reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Volcano Village. The free exhibit is open to the public. It will be on display from July 16 to Aug. 6, except Sundays and Mondays, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Over 20 quilters are showing 40 of their finest work, some for the first time in public. This year’s special theme, Find Your Park, highlights the centennial celebration for Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park as well as the National Park Service. A number of designs will be on display, inspired by dramatic scenery in the park. The quilts include traditional as well as contemporary Hawaiian quilts, wearable art, bed runners and some very small quilts.

Also on display will be two antique Hawaiian quilts on loan from master quilter Roberta Muller, as well as old quilting paraphernalia.
Muller shares basic quilting techniques on Saturday, July 16 during two-hour sessions from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Honu (turtle) Design Kits will be on sale for $10 and will include honu applique, fabric, batting, backing, needles and thread.

The Music Man continues on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
through July 24. Photo from KDEN

HAWAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL District VI candidates meet constituents during a forum at Ocean View Community Center tomorrow at 5:30 p.m.

KILAUEA DRAMA & ENTERTAINMENT Network’s run of Meredith Willson’s The Music Man continues through July 24 at Kilauea Theater in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

Showtimes are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets are $15 general admission, $12 for seniors and students and $10 for children 12 and under. Pre-sale tickets are available at Kilauea General Store, Kea`au Natural Foods and The Most Irresistible Shop in Hilo. Tickets are also available at the door.
For more information, call 982-7344 or email kden73@aol.com.

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Fishers of bigeye tuna in the Central and Western Pacific are close to their quota, and the fisheries
will close a week from today. Photo from NOAA

EXPANDING ACCESS TO RURAL telehealth services is the subject of legislation co-introduced by U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz. The bipartisan measure would allow non-rural hospitals and health care providers that service rural areas to make better use of the Federal Communications Commission’s Healthcare Connect Fund.

Expanding access to rural telehealth services such as planned
for Ka`u Rural Health Community Association, Inc. is
the topic of Sen. Brian Schatz's legislation.
Photo from KRHCAI

The Reaching Underserved Rural Areas to Lead on Telehealth Act would allow these non-rural providers to qualify for the 65 percent health care provider discount under the HCF as long as the majority of the locations serving patients are in rural areas.

“Telehealth is expanding access to health care in Hawai`i and across the country, and we should be doing everything we can to support it,” Schatz said. “Our bill updates current laws to expand access to federal telehealth funding and help more people get the health care they need.”
Large organizations designated as non-rural are often the lead center for telehealth, providing services to rural health care providers throughout a given state. Because the administrative responsibility and expertise required for these efforts is often challenging, larger organizations typically serve as the consortium lead.
In 1996, Congress mandated that the FCC use the Universal Service Fund to provide support for telecommunications, advanced telecommunications and information services for eligible health care providers. Providers use these services to deliver telemedicine, transmit health records and conduct other telehealth activities for improving patient care and reducing health-care costs.
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Celia's northwest movement is expected to continue.
Map from NOAA

CELIA IS IN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC and headed west. At 5 a.m., the tropical storm had crossed longitude 140 west and was 950 miles east-northeast of South Point. The forecast shows it tracking north of the state Monday, after weakening to depression status today and to a remnant low in 24 hours.

Following Celia is Hurricane Darby, which is forecast to maintain its intensity or only gradually weaken during the next day or two. After 48 hours, more marked weakening should occur. It is expected to cross into the Central Pacific on Wednesday morning.
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ABOUT A DOZEN SUPPORTERS of Raina Whiting, a Na`alehu teacher and President of the Democratic party in Ocean View, gathered in Na`alehu yesterday to wave signs and promote their candidate for the County Council primary election on Aug. 13.

Whiting is running against incumbent Maile David. They hold a forum today at 5:30 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center.

County Council candidate Raina Whiting and supporters waved signs
in Na`alehu yesterday. Photo from Friends of Raina Whiting

Whiting has stated that she considers herself to be a grassroots organizer with support from individuals and families who support a progressive platform. She said she eschews endorsements from organizations whose interests are not aligned with hers, because, if elected, she would then be beholden to them.

“I am priding myself in having this election remain at the grassroots level,” Whiting said. “This campaign is not about me. It is about individuals and families, the community and its interests. This campaign is for the people who want an elected official who will listen to their concerns and advocate for them.”
According to Whiting’s campaign manager Bob Martin, who has been studying results of the 2014 primary election, there were 10,818 registered voters in the eight precincts in County Council District Six. South Kona had the largest number of registered voters (2,900), followed by Ocean View (1,888) and Volcano (1,815).
“When it came to voting, 44 percent of Volcano voters cast their ballot, while only 29 percent of Ocean View voters actually voted,” Martin said. “This was the lowest percentage turnout of any precinct. I sincerely hope that Raina will change that by offering Ocean View a candidate that lives in the town and cares deeply about the community and the issues it faces. I hope that all District Six voters will relate to her and come to the polls and vote.
“Ocean View has been sadly neglected by the county and state. The number and quality of services provided to District Six, the largest precinct geographically, is abysmal. If Ocean View voters can reverse their poor turnout, politicians on all levels will pay more attention to the town and the district. It’s not enough to simply have lots of land or residents. Active voters are the currency that elected officials deal in.”
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BIGEYE TUNA FISHERIES in the Western and Central Pacific will close a week from today, on July 22, according to National Oceanic & Atmospheric Association Fisheries’ July 12 update of fish catches in the Pacific Islands region. As of that date, the fleet had caught at least 3,473 metric tons of bigeye in the Western and Central Pacific. Which is 98 percent of its quota of 3,554 metric tons set by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.

In April, NOAA reported that fishing industry experts speculated the Hawai`i longline fleet might reach its annual catch quota for bigeye tuna in the Western and Central Pacific as early as June. Then, as reported in July, the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, which continually revises its forecasts, estimated that the quota would probably not be hit until August but could be reached as early as July 22 in a “worst-case scenario.”
Once the quota is reached, vessels shorter than 24 meters – which make up the majority of the Hawai`i longline fleet – may continue fishing in the Eastern Pacific. “Whether they feel comfortable fishing there is another question,” said Chris Boggs, director of the science center’s Fisheries Research and Monitoring Division.
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Beginning next month, Ka`u women can receive free prenatal
wellness services. Image from U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

FREE PRENATAL WELLNESS SERVICES are coming to Ka`u. Pregnant women can receive hands-on support and learn basic prenatal self-care on Wednesdays in Pahala.

The Office on Women’s Health emphasizes the benefit of prenatal care as well as education and counseling. This is pregnancy support that the women of Ka`u otherwise would not get. Mothers have to travel an hour and a half to either Hilo or Kona in order to get their prenatal check-ups. Due to the distances involved and transportation difficulties, many women are not able to access care. Statistically, this is especially true for Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders.
“Women are intelligent, and we want what’s best for our babies. Given the tools and the opportunity, we will always prioritize our children’s health,” said Tara Compehos, who is offering these services in partnership with Uhane Pohaku Na Moku O Hawai`i, Inc. Compehos served childbearing families on O`ahu for 10 years before moving to Ka`u in 2015. She apprenticed under master midwife Medrakanoeonapua and holds a Full Midwifery Arts degree from the Matrona school of midwifery. She was educated in Lomilomi by Auntie Margaret and is a DONA-educated doula. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University.

Pregnancy wellness and self-care open houses will be held at Ohi`a Hale, 96-1186 Ohi`a Street every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting Aug. 3.

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Kumu Hula Kaho`okele Crabbe Photo from Volcano Art Center

KUMU HULA KAHO`OKELE CRABBE and Halau Ola o Ka Lani present hula kahiko tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. on the hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

After graduating in 1995 at Pu`upueokapu, Waikane, O`ahu with traditional `uniki ceremonies under his teacher kumu hula Robert Uluwehiokalanionapuaikawekiu Cazimero, Crabbe founded Halauolaokalani in 1999. He is an educator and advocate for keiki. His motto is, “Aloha trumps everything in man’s world because God is love.”
Loke Kamanu and `ohana present Na Mea Hula from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
See volcanoartcenter.org.

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Learn about the People & Lands of Kahuku tomorrow. See more below. NPS Photo by Julia Espaniola

LACK OF POLICE SERVICE to Ocean View was a major topic at a forum with candidates for Hawai`i County Council District VI yesterday. Incumbent Maile David, of Captain Cook, and challenger Raina Whiting, of Ocean View, spoke with about 45 constituents at Ocean View Community Center.

Moderator Mike DuBois asked, “How can we get police to spend more time here?”
Whiting said the issue is “at the heartbeat of Ocean View’s problems. We need that support here.”

Moderator Mike Dubois poses a question to County Council District VI

incumbent Maile David and challenger Raina Whiting, at tables.

Photo by Ron Johnson

David said she has spoken with the Police Department and that lack of secure communication equipment is part of the problem. She said that while the county-owned fire station has such equipment that safeguards personal information, Ocean View’s police substation is rented, and the county doesn’t want to install the equipment there. She said the county is looking for a facility to accommodate that need. “We need more money to fund these services,” she said.

Whiting suggested that more transient accommodations tax funds from the state would help, but David pointed out that when mayors ask for more, “the state shuts them down.”
One resident, a former police officer, said, he “couldn’t believe the absence of police” when he moved here. “The criminal mind knows that we’re in an area where they know they can get away with (crime).”
Whiting said, “The police don’t serve us. We need to keep the Police Department accountable.”
One resident cited police officers’ inaction regarding filing reports. He said burglary victims, for example, need reports when filing claims, but police hesitate to make reports.
Another said the problem is larger than the Police of Prosecutor Departments. She said meth is a major contributor to crime and that it’s the same people committing multiple burglaries. “We know who they are,” she said.
“Meth needs to be dealt with medically, not judicially,” she said. She suggested the need to bring agencies together to solve the problem. “Politicians need to learn about addiction and how to deal with it.”
David said the council “can encourage the state but can’t make the state do anything,” as far as increasing funding for more police service.
Whiting said, “I don’t believe in obstacles” and looks for ways to move forward.

See more on the forum in future Ka`u Calendar News Briefs.
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Chris Manfredi spoke on coffee quality at Ka`u Coffee College
in May. Photo by Julia Neal

CHRIS MANFREDI IS THE NEW president of Hawai`i Coffee Association. Members voted for officers Thursday during HCA’s 21st annual conference at King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel. Manfredi is a Ka`u Coffee broker and organizes the annual Ka`u Coffee Festival. At the conference, he offered a presentation on Hawai`i Quality Ag.

Manfredi and his daughter Ashley were volunteers at Hawai`i Coffee Association’s booth at April’s Specialty Coffee Association of America convention. Hawai`i was promoted as The Coffee State, and they helped to promote May’s Ka`u Coffee Festival and Ka`u Coffees.
See results of HCA’s cupping competition in tomorrow’s Ka`u Calendar News Briefs.
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HAWAI`I PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION yesterday rejected Hawaiian Electric Companies’ and NextEra Energy’s proposed merger.

Randy Iwase Photos from Hawai`i PUC

Commissioners Randy Iwase and Lorraine Akiba concluded that while the applicants demonstrated that NextEra is fit, willing and able to perform the services currently offered by HECO Companies, they failed to demonstrate that the application is reasonable and in the public interest. Thomas Gorak, who took office on July 1, abstained. The commissioners concluded that benefits offered by applicants are both inadequate and uncertain. The applicants proposed a combination of rate credits, investment funds and a rate case moratorium, but the commission concluded that each of these lacked sufficient assurances that they would translate into tangible, enforceable benefits to ratepayers. The commission concluded that applicants’ calculations were based on “assumptions and/or unrealistic expectations about the future that were vigorously challenged in the proceeding. Additionally, applicants had not offered any reliable means to track these estimated benefits to determine whether or not they actually occurred, nor did they propose an enforcement or penalty mechanism, in the event that such benefits did not result.”

The commission also concluded that applicants had not offered sufficient protection to HECO Companies and their ratepayers to offset risks presented by NextEra’s complex corporate structure. NextEra is a large corporate family, with hundreds of affiliates and subsidiaries. It expressed serious concern over risk posed by potential bankruptcy of NextEra and/or one of its many subsidiaries or affiliates.

Lorraine Akiba

With respect to the state’s clean energy goals, the commission concluded that applicants failed to put forth near-term commitments for specific action tailored to Hawai`i’s circumstances and goals. “Applicants’ commitments were in the nature of providing ‘best efforts’ and maintaining existing practices and standards,” they said. Also, the commission noted applicants’ lack of specific commitments relating to Distributed Energy Resources, “which runs contrary to Hawai`i’s status as a national leader in integrating high levels of distributed solar photovoltaic systems.”

The commission concluded that applicants’ proposed commitments the state’s clean energy goals were too broad and vague to be consistent with the public interest.
While local regulatory control would not be diminished, the commission concluded that applicants had failed to adequately demonstrate how the proposed Change of Control would affect local governance. “In particular, applicants failed to provide corporate governance documents that would allow the commission to sufficiently analyze the roles, function and limitations of NextEra’s proposed local intermediary holding companies,” the PUC stated. “Consequently, applicants did not provide any details to reassure the Commission that the local interests of Hawai`i would not suffer as a result of this change in corporate structure.”

Thomas Gorak

The commission also concluded that applicants had not adequately demonstrated that competition would be preserved if the Change of Control were approved. Given the increased complexity that would result from the HECO Companies joining a large corporate family with extensive affiliates and subsidiaries, of which many are involved in the same energy markets, the commission concluded that additional safeguards would be necessary. “In this regard, the vommission concluded that applicants had failed to meet their burden, as they did not provide for an immediate revision to the competitive rules governing solicitation of projects, nor did they sufficiently take into account the commercial appetites of many of the companies with whom the HECO Companies would now be affiliated,” commissioners said.

The PUC emphasized that it is not precluding HECO from seeking another partner or from renewing discussions with NextEra. As part of its decision, the commission included a section that provides guidance on key elements that should serve as a foundation for any future applications seeking a change of control of the HECO Companies.
The complete Decision and Order, as well as links to the docket record, may be found at http://puc.hawaii.gov/.
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PEOPLE AND LANDS OF KAHUKU is a moderate two-mile, three-hour guided hike that loops through varied landscapes to explore the human history of the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The hike begins tomorrow at 9:30 a.m.

Palila by Marian Berger

Emerging native forest, pastures, lava fields and other sites hold clues about ways people have lived and worked on the vast Kahuku lands – from the earliest Hawaiians, through generations of ranching families, to the current staff and volunteers of the park. Learn about the powerful natural forces at work here and how people have adapted to, shaped and restored this land.

Enter 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 snacks are recommended.

See nps.gov/havo.

UP CLOSE CLOSES tomorrow. Marian Berger’s exhibit at Volcano Art Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park features ten dramatic watercolor portraits of Hawai`i’s native birds in double-elephant folio size.
A significant percentage of sales of the limited edition giclées of both Up Close and Berger’s Living Endemic Birds of Hawai`i supports endangered bird recovery programs on Hawai`i. One hundred percent of sales of the originals of the Up Close collection supports San Diego Zoo Global’s roll in the re-introduction of the Hawaiian `Alala this fall, as well as the Volcano Art Center’s public programs.
See volcanoartcenter.org.

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Visitors enjoy a close-up view of slow-moving lava on the coastal flow field in Hawai`i
Volcanoes National Park. Photo from NPS

FOOD SUSTAINABILITY and tourism were on the agenda at Friday’s forum featuring Hawai`i County Council District VI member Maile David and Raina Whiting, David's challenger in the primary election on Aug. 11.

“What if a natural disaster happens” and trucks stop delivering food to markets in Ocean View?” moderator Mike DuBois asked.

David said she hopes Ocean View residents begin growing more food using technology like aquaculture. She said there in a person growing “beautiful lettuce” even though soil there is limited.

Maile David and Raina Whiting listen as Greg Smith, at right,
discusses farming in Ka`u. Photo by Ron Johnson

Whiting said it’s also possible for local farms to grow food for sale. A teacher at Na`alehu School, she wants see vocational education programs to teach how to grow food as well as train students in trades.

Greg Smith, owner of Earth Matters Farm and president of Hawai`i Farmers Union United Ka`u Chapter, said, “You can make money farming. There should be massive support for education about farming.” Smith also expressed his support for growing industrial hemp, which he said has many uses and revitalizes soil.
“A lot of our families were sustained by ag,” said David, who grew up in a family that purchased only what they could not grow. “We’ve done it; we got out of it; we need to get back in.”
Whiting said she also supports local food and hemp production.
“What can we do to attract tourist dollars?” DuBois asked. David suggested placing signs on the highway for more destinations than only Kona and Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park “to make people aware of what we have here.” She also praised information kiosks developed by Ka`u Scenic Byway Committee.
Whiting said, “We do have a lot to offer visitors.” She said it is important to create infrastructure for visitors and residents alike, citing the lack of restrooms at areas such as South Point.
Patti Barry, a member of the Ka`u Community Development Plan, said all of these ideas are in the CDP and asked about the status of it. David said the CDP is being reviewed by the Planning Department.
“It’s there; it just needs to be done,” Barry said.

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KA`U COFFEES SHINED at Hawai`i Coffee Association’s eighth annual Cupping Competition. Ka`u District’s top coffees were Will Tabios’ The Rising Sun washed, wet and fermented Bourbon, Red Caturra and Guatemalan varietals; Ed Olson’s Ka`u Coffee Mill natural Typica and Caturra peaberry; and Manuel Marques’ Hokulele Coffee Co. wet, sundried Brazilian Typica and Caturra.

In the Commercial Division, Ed Olson’s Ka`u Coffee Mill brand also tied for third place at 83.3 points. Leo Norberte’s JN Coffee Farm brand scored 82.4 points to tie for seventh with wet, demucilaged Typica varietal.

Of 16 Ka`u entries, Will Tabios' The Rising Sun
placed first. Photo by Julia Neal

In the Creative Division, 12 Ka`u Coffees received scores higher than 80 points. The Rising Sun placed fifth with 84.2 points. Hokulele tied for 12th with 83.2 points. Efren Abellera’s Hokuloa Farm wet, demucilaged Typica and Bourbon varietals scored 82.9 points to tie for 15th place. Robert and April Jung’s Big Ka`u Farms wet, fermented Typica tied for 18th with 82.7 points. Alex and Alan Calumpit’s AC Farm wet, fermented mix tied and JN Coffee Farm tied for 33rd place with 81.9 points each. Lorie Obra, with Rusty’s Hawaiian wet, fermented Typica earned 81.7 points for a tie for 39th place. Thadeus Lilly’s FL Farm wet, demucilaged mix of Caturra and Typica tied for 44th at 81.3 points. Amelia Biason’s Aroma Coffee Farm wet, fermented Guatemalan earned 46th place with 81.2 points. Lorie Obra’s Rusty’s Hawaiian wet, fermented Bourbon tied for 47th at 80.9 points. Gloria Camba’s R&G Farm wet, fermented Typica scored 80.6 points to place 51st, and Leo Norberte’s JN Farm pulped, natural yellow Typica and Bourbon tied for 53rd with 80.3 points.
There were no entries scoring 80 or more points from Hamakua, Moloka`i or O`ahu.
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HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK OFFERS route and tips for viewing lava flows.
Visitors may hike and bicycle along the gravel emergency access route at the end of Chain of Craters Road to view and access lava as it flows down the Pulama Pali and spreads out onto the coastal lava plain in the national park, and towards the ocean.
From the park, the easiest vantage point to view this current eruptive activity is from a distance at the end of Chain of Craters Road. Visitors are encouraged to stop at the Coastal Ranger Station to talk with park rangers, view eruption and hiking tip exhibits and watch a four-minute lava safety video. A public spotting scope is available to view the eruptive activity from a distance, as staffing allows. The park is open 24 hours a day.

Hiking to the lava from the park is allowed, but it’s not for everyone. From the CRS, it’s a long, hot and grueling 10- to 12-mile roundtrip hike. Hikers can walk along the gravel emergency access route for about 3.8 miles, and then turn inland at a light beacon which marks the closest point to the active flow front, currently about a half mile from the route. The flow field is a rough hike with deep earth cracks, uneven terrain and razor-sharp lava from older flows.

What not to wear: rubber slippers. Closed-toe shoes or boots
are necessary on the lava field. Photo from NPS

Rangers placed another light beacon 4.8 miles down the emergency access route, about 50 yards inland from the road, as a suggested starting point for hikers from the Kalapana side. The county Kalapana Lava Viewing Area near the park’s eastern boundary also offers a vantage point of the current eruption and is open daily from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Hikers are urged to be prepared and to head out in daylight. There is no trail or marked route to the lava, which continues to flow and change daily. It is easy to become disoriented after dark. Each person needs about a gallon of water, sturdy closed-toe hiking shoes or boots, gloves to protect hands and long pants to protect against lava rock abrasions. Wear sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. Each person needs a flashlight and/or headlight with extra batteries.

“If you’re planning an excursion to the lava flows, go during daylight hours,” advised Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando, who hiked out across the lava plain earlier this week. “It’s still a long, tough hike, but the viewing has been excellent by day,” she said.
Experienced bicyclists can also use the emergency access route, but the loose gravel makes it a challenging ride for inexperienced riders. Cyclists are urged to ride during daylight hours only. Motorized vehicles are prohibited.
Orlando also reminds hikers to respect Hawaiian culture. Many native Hawaiians believe that lava is the kinolau, or physical embodiment, of volcano goddess Pele. Poking lava with sticks and other objects is disrespectful. It’s also illegal in national parks. Federal law prohibits “possessing, destroying, injuring, defacing, removing, digging or disturbing” natural and cultural resources. Pets and unmanned aerial systems, or drones, are also prohibited on the flow field in the national park.
Volcanic gas is another hazard, particularly to people with heart or respiratory problems, and infants, young children and pregnant women. If air irritates, smells bad or makes breathing difficult, visitors should leave the area.
Volcanoes are dynamic and ever-changing natural phenomena. The information provided can change at any time.
For hiking tips, see https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/upload/Hiking-Tips.pdf. For the latest eruption updates, see http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/activity/kilaueastatus.php. Monitor air quality at http://www.hawaiiso2network.com/.
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This week's Hawai`i County Council meetings take place
in Kona. Photo from Hawai`i County

KA`U RESIDENTS CAN PARTICIPATE in Hawai`i County Council meetings at West Hawai`i Civic Center in Kona this week. Committees meet tomorrow, with Governmental Relations & Economic Development Committee at 1 p.m.; Human Services & Social Services, 1:15 p.m.; and Finance, 1:45 p.m.

The full council meets Tuesday at 9 a.m.
Videoconferencing is available for each meeting at Na`alehu State Office Building. Meetings are also streamed live, and agendas are available, at hawaiicounty.gov.

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

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A Science Camps of America participant zoomed in for a close-up shot of activity at Kilauea's summit
on the last night of camp. See more below. Photo from SCA

NEXTERA ENERGY, INC. and Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. today announced termination of their plans to merge, effective immediately. The decision was driven by the Hawai`i Public Utilities Commission’s order to dismiss the companies’ merger application. In its decision, the PUC emphasized that it is not precluding HEI from renewing discussions with NextEra.

Connie Lau and Jim Robo Photo from NextEra Energy

“As a result of the PUC’s order, we have terminated our merger agreement,” said Jim Robo, chairman and chief executive officer, NextEra Energy. “We wish Hawaiian Electric the best as it serves the current and future energy needs of Hawai`i, including helping the state meet its goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2045. Looking forward, NextEra Energy remains extremely well-positioned to execute on our strategy and deliver exceptional results for our customers and shareholders.”

“We appreciate NextEra Energy’s interest in Hawai`i and in our company,” said Connie Lau, HEI’s president and chief executive officer and chairman of the boards of Hawaiian Electric and American Savings Bank. “All of us at HEI, Hawaiian Electric and American Savings Bank remain committed to serving our customers, and we look forward to working together with communities across our state to realize the clean energy future we all want for Hawai`i and to ensure a vibrant local economy.”
Under terms of the merger agreement, NextEra Energy will pay Hawaiian Electric Industries a $90 million break-up fee and up to $5 million for reimbursement of expenses associated with the transaction.
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Storms in the Pacific include remnants of Celia, north of Hawai`i;

Hurricane Darby, heading toward Hawai`i; and Tropical Storm

Estelle, west of Mexico. Image from University of Hawai`i

HURRICANE DARBY WAS LOCATED about 1,540 miles east of South Point, the National Hurricane Center reported at 7:40 a.m. Darby is forecast to gradually weaken over the next couple of days and is expected to cross longitude 140W into the Central Pacific Hurricane Center’s area of responsibility late tomorrow night as a tropical storm. A generally westward to west-northwestward motion is expected, with a brief turn slightly to the south of west around Wednesday.

NHC forecast calls for Estelle, which is behind Darby, to become a hurricane during the next 12 to 24 hours. After 36 hours, less favorable conditions should cause weakening. A faster rate of reduction in wind speed should occur later, and Estelle is predicted to become post-tropical on Thursday.

A surface low, the remnant of ex-Tropical Cyclone Celia, was centered about 220 miles northeast of Honolulu and moving west at 10 mph. Atmospheric conditions are not conducive for tropical cyclone redevelopment.

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Land & Sea campers learned about marine debris, cleaning up the Ka`u Coast. Photos from Science Camps of America

Air & Space campers tested their skills
at rocket science.

PARTICIPANTS AT SCIENCE CAMPS of America spent their final evening at Kilauea volcano last night to see the glow from the lava lake and stargaze on a perfectly clear night. Campers stayed at Pahala Plantation Cottages while visiting many locations.

Land & Sea Campers from June 29 to July 8 explored Hawai`i Island, focusing on geology and oceanography in what founder Michael Richards considers the world’s greatest laboratory for Earth Science.
From July 9-18, Air & Space Campers learned about atmosphere, climate, weather, astronomy, space and alternative energy.

For more information, see sciencecampsamerica.com.
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RECYCLE HAWAI`I AND EARTH-FRIENDLY Schools Hawai‘i have selected Ocean View’s South Point U-Cart for one of its Keeping It Green Hawai`i Awards. South Point U-Cart participates in the Used Motor Oil program, a cooperative project by Recycle Hawai`i, County of Hawai`i Department of Environmental Management and private businesses on Hawai`i Island. Project businesses have served on a voluntary basis as permanent collection sites for resident do-it-yourself users to take their used motor oil for proper disposal.
Used motor oil picked up from collection sites by Hawai`i Petroleum is temporarily stored in a sealed container in Hilo. From there, it is recycled to produce electricity at various local businesses.
“We mahalo these businesses for their years of community service, commitment and comprehensive support for reducing significant amounts of hazardous materials into our environment through responsible waste management,” said Recycle Hawai`i executive director Paul Buklarewicz.

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A new commission seeks nominations for members to represent
interests of local hunters. Photo from Royden Okinishi

THE NEWLY FORMED STATE Game Management Advisory Commission seeks nominations for members. Individuals who would like to represent interests of local hunters and actively participating in Hawai`i’s game resource management are welcome and encouraged to apply to serve. Gov. David Ige signed House Bill 1041, Act 210, establishing the commission, on July 5.

The commission will serve in an advisory capacity to the Board of Land and Natural Resources and may recommend policies and criteria regarding the management, protection and promotion of public hunting in Hawai`i. Additionally, the commission may recommend amendments to existing department policies.
In order to be eligible to serve on the commission, one member must be a hunter licensed in the state under this chapter and with leadership experience in working directly with local hunter or shooting organizations. At least one member is also required to have knowledge, experience and expertise in the area of native Hawaiian cultural practices.

Applications may be made online at http://boards.hawaii.gov/apply/apply-for-a-board/. Select DLNR – Game Management Advisory Commission.

Dr. Claire Horwell

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DR. CLAIRE HORWELL, FROM DURHAM University, presents results and outcomes of her vog study at Pahala Library on Aug. 9 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 pm. Horwell conducted several focus groups in Ka`u in January 2015 on vog and then conducted surveys to assess how residents are protecting themselves from vog and how they would like to receive information on vog.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory personnel will provide background information at on the volcano and its current eruptive and degassing status during the presentation.

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Coffee quality grader Sunalini Menon
Photo from Ka`u Specialty Coffee

QUALITY GRADER AND LIFETIME COFFEE professional Sunalini Menon will offer a coffee quality workshop for Ka`u farmers on Sept. 26 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. She will be holding a Q&A session after the workshop for any farmers who have questions. On Sept. 27, Menon will visit farms of workshop participants in the Ka`u area.

Menon has worked with farmers all over the world who depend on coffee for a living, including in Africa, South America, Southeast Asia and India. Her particular joy is to make improving quality easy to understand and fun.
The workshop includes a presentation on interconnection between post-harvest processing and quality in the cup, followed by practical exercises, which would include visual evaluation and cupping.
This event is free to current members of Ka`u Coffee Growers Cooperative or Palehua `Ohana Cooperative. All other attendees are requested to make a $200 donation to support Menon’s travel fees. Make checks payable to Malian Lahey and send to PO Box 192, Pahala, HI 96777.
Space is limited, so reserve in advance by emailing malian@kauspecialtycoffee.com or calling 503-575-9098.

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`Alala Sketch by John Dawson Image from VAC

VOLCANO ART CENTER INVITES all ages to a mask-making event Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Held on the porch of the Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, this is a free activity, although park entrance fees apply. Keiki must be accompanied by an adult.

This hands-on activity results in a mask depicting the endangered `Alala. Supplies are provided, although participants are welcome to bring their own materials to add to the fun.
The activity is part of a series of programs and events benefiting San Diego Zoo Global’s Hawai`i’s Endangered Bird Recovery Program. Participants learn more about the `alala and its reintroduction into Hawai`i’s forests scheduled for November of this year.
For more information, call 967-7565.

KANAKA TREE PERFORMS Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Kiliona Moku Young, T.R. Ireland, Kalei Young and the Young ‘ohana blend the classic sounds of Hawaiian music with fresh rhythms and melodies.
Free; park entrance fees apply.

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.

As lava continues to flow near the ocean at Kalapana, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution honoring the 100th
anniversaries of Hawai`i Volcanoes and Haleakala National Parks. See more below. Photo from NPS

GOV DAVID IGE RESPONDED to the state Public Utilities Commission’s rejection of Hawaiian Electric Company’s and NextEra Energy’s proposed $4.3 billion merger. Ige expressed opposition to the deal early in the proceedings.

Gov. David Ige

“I want to thank the Public Utilities Commission and stakeholders for their participation in this historic process,” Ige said. “This ruling gives us a chance to reset and refocus on our goal of achieving 100 percent renewable energy by 2045. The proceeding helped define the characteristics and parameters of Hawai`i’s preferred energy future. We look forward to creating a process to find the best partner in the world.

“No matter who owns the company, the energy vision for Hawai`i remains very clear – 100 percent renewable energy with a transformation to a customer-centered utility focusing on smart meters, smart grid, distributed local solutions, and as much consumer choice as possible.”
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U.S. SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ, A MEMBER of the Senate Commerce Committee, has called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the commercial use of the rapidly expanding short-term lodging rental market. His letter urges the FTC to study the commercial manner in which individuals or firms are using online services such as Airbnb, HomeAway, VRBO and FlipKey to profit from short-term rentals.

FTC Chair Edith Ramirez

“We are concerned that short-term rentals may be exacerbating housing shortages and driving up the cost of housing in our communities,” Schatz wrote. “We have also read troubling reports of racial discrimination on some short-term rental platforms. “Furthermore, we are concerned that communities and consumers may be put at risk through violations of sensible health, safety, and zoning regulations under state and local law. In order to assess the use and impact of the short-term rental market, we need reliable data on the commercial use of online platforms. We believe the FTC is best positioned to address this data gap in an unbiased manner, and we urge the commission to conduct a review of commercial operators on short-term rental platforms.”

The letter to FTC Chair Edith Ramirez also raised concerns about recent data which revealed that commercial users in New York made up an outsized share of the revenue from short-term rentals, and a vast majority of units violated state and local laws. According to Schatz, the subpoenaed data along with recent housing disputes with these companies in cities like Honolulu and San Francisco underscore the immediate need for further study of this issue.
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THE U.S. SENATE PASSED a resolution authored by Sen. Mazie Hirono honoring the 100th anniversaries of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and Haleakala National Park. Hirono’s resolution recognizes Aug. 1 as Hawai`i Volcanoes and Haleakala National Parks Day.

“For the last century, residents of Hawai`i, the United States and the world have visited Haleakala National Park and Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and gained a greater appreciation for the natural environment, the history of Hawai`i and Native Hawaiian culture,” Hirono said. “I thank my colleagues for joining me in this effort and encourage as many people as possible from across the nation to come to Hawai`i to visit these national treasures.”
Hirono’s resolution recognizes the economic, scientific and cultural value of Hawai`i’s national parks. In 2015, visitors to Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park spent over $151 million in areas around the park and supported nearly 2,000 local jobs.
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Flags are at half-staff through sunset on Friday.

AT THE DIRECTION OF THE PRESIDENT of the United States, national and state flags are at half-staff at the State Capitol and upon all state offices and agencies as well as the Hawai`i National Guard in the State of Hawai’i as a mark of respect for victims of the attack on police officers on Sunday, July 17 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The flags will be flown at half-staff until sunset on Friday, July 22.

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VOLCANIC EFFECTS ON LICHENS are discussed in Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s current issue of Volcano Watch.

“The saying ‘Annie alga and Freddy fungus took a lichen to each other’ can invoke groans or giggles from students of environmental science,” the article states. “This mnemonic helps us remember that a lichen is formed by two (or sometimes three) organisms from different biological kingdoms living in a mutually beneficial relationship with each other.
“In the case of lichens, Annie (algae) can photosynthesize and provide nutrients for Freddy (fungi). In turn, Freddy provides shelter so that Annie can survive in harsh conditions in which algae would not otherwise thrive.
“Lichens are tough organisms adapted to life in extreme environments. They can survive heat, cold, drought, or an abundance of rain. They live on bare soil, tree bark, woody debris, and rocks, as well as on rusty metal, plastic, tombstones, and old abandoned cars.
“Lichens can create a furry appearance on rock surfaces, look similar to crusty paint chips, or masquerade as plants with leafy or shrubby forms. They frequently grow in habitats not occupied by more dominant seed plants.
“On the Island of Hawai`i, lichens are important colonists of young lava flows, particularly `a`a lava. Lichens contribute to the accumulation of soil by supplying organic matter, and nitrogen-fixing lichens may add nitrogen to the environment. This helps set the stage for future development of plant communities.
“Certain types of lichens found in Hawai`i are also important pioneers of young volcanic landscapes in other parts of the world, including the Caribbean, the Azores, La Reunion Island, the Canary Islands, and Africa.

This nitrogen-fixing lichen, Stereocaulon vulcani, is frequently abundant
on `a` lava flows, particularly in wet environments.
Photo from HVO courtesy of Tim Tunison

“Although able to tolerate environmental extremes, some lichens are quite sensitive to air pollution. Lichens retain the chemicals they absorb from air and water over periods of tens to hundreds of years. Since the mid-19th century, when the industrial revolution began producing increased levels of air pollution, observers have noted the scarcity of lichens growing in urban settings.

“Lichen species differ in their sensitivity to air pollution, and the presence or absence of different lichens in an area has been used to map concentrations of pollutants. Hundreds of studies around the world have used lichens to assess air quality.
“Lichens are particularly sensitive to sulfur dioxide gas (SO2), a pollutant produced by coal- and oil-burning power plants, industrial processes, automobiles, and volcanoes, such as those here in Hawai`i. SO2 dissolved in water is acidic, is readily absorbed by lichens, and damages Annie alga’s chlorophyll and ability to photosynthesize.
“Without sugar, which is produced through photosynthesis and fuels the lichen’s life, the organism will fail to thrive and may eventually die. For some species, SO2 also inhibits the ability of lichens to reproduce.
“When Kilauea Volcano’s summit eruption began in 2008, huge amounts of SO2 were released, and lichens in the area suffered. One might expect that the significant decline in emissions measured since 2008 could be reflected in a partial recovery of these lichens. Astute observers may be able to detect positive changes in the lichen population over time.
“Lichens can also accumulate trace elements present in volcanic emissions. Studies at Kilauea, as well as at Mount Etna and Vulcano in Italy, show that in downwind areas heavily impacted by volcanic plumes, lichens contain a higher concentration of volcanic pollutants. These include fluoride, bromide, and metals, such as copper, lead, zinc, gold, mercury, and antimony.
“Even under especially adverse conditions, lichens can grow in pockets of protected areas. For example, trees, shrubbery, and walls can provide shelter that encourages lichen growth adjacent to these areas.
“Heavily vegetated areas can intercept SO2, effectively ‘scrubbing’ the air to provide a microclimate that is more hospitable to lichens. Interestingly, some Hawai`i residents have noted that they are less irritated by volcanic pollution, or vog, in heavily forested areas than in adjacent exposed areas.
“Hardy lichens are ubiquitous in our environment. They play a critical role in populating new lava flows and help pave the way for the development of complex ecosystems. Tough as they are, lichens can be extremely sensitive to contaminants in our environment, and serve as indicators of both anthropogenic and volcanic pollution.

“For additional information, see the U.S. Forest Service National Lichens and Air Quality Database and Clearinghouse at http://gis.nacse.org/.”

See hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.

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Kanaka Tree performs tomorrow evening. Photo from NPS

KANAKA TREE PERFORMS tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Kiliona Moku Young, T.R. Ireland, Kalei Young and the Young `ohana blend the classic sounds of Hawaiian music with fresh rhythms and melodies.

Free; park entrance fees apply.

MAKE PAPER MASKS TOMORROW from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. VAC’s and the `Alala Project’s event is open to all ages; keiki must be accompanied by an adult.
Free; park entrance fees may apply.

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