The Kaʻū Calendar News Briefs, Hawaiʻi Island

Laurence J. Capellas supporters met with Ka`u's County Council member Brenda Ford yesterday.
Photo by Julia Neal

GOV. NEIL ABERCROMBIE HAS CALLED for a special legislative session on marriage equity to convene on Oct. 28. “The decision to call a special session is based on doing what is right to create equity for all in Hawai`i,” Abercrombie said. “The merits of holding a special session include the opportunity for the Legislature to focus squarely on this important issue without having to divert attention to the hundreds of other bills introduced during a regular session. In addition, if full advantage of various tax and other financial issues is to be achieved for citizens, passage before the end of the calendar year is essential.”

Gov. Neil Abercrombie announcing his call for a special legislative
session on marriage equity. Photo from Office of the Governor

Last month, the governor shared with legislators and the news media a marriage equity bill based on Senate Bill 1369, which was introduced in the 2013 regular session.
Community input was taken into consideration while the state attorney general’s office worked closely with elected officials and a number of legislative staff to craft and further refine the bill.
“I am calling for a special legislative session because we must ensure the civil rights of every citizen are protected,” Abercrombie said. “There is no reason to deny the benefits of marriage to any individual. Marriage is a choice that is made by people who want to make a lifelong commitment. This is a right that is as sacred as our right to vote.
“This is a civil right, and it can no longer be denied. One of the lessons learned from the civil rights movement is that to achieve success in the fight for justice, we should not and cannot wait to correct a wrong. Now is the time to make this right.”

For the latest version of the Marriage Equity Bill, see governor.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Marriage_Equity_Bill_AG_9_9_13.pdf.

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THE HAWAI`I REPUBLICAN PARTY EXPRESSED DISAPPOINTMENT in the governor’s decision to call a special legislative session on marriage equity. “Although we respect the rule of law, this issue deeply divides our state and should be considered during the regular legislative session,” the party’s statement said. “Rather than welcoming an open dialogue, Gov. Abercrombie has once again resorted to strong-arm tactics to pressure members of his own party just to advance his polarizing agenda. Our high cost of living, under-funded state pension accounts, and lack of funding for school facilities and transportation are important issues to the people of Hawai`i, but the governor has never rushed to fix those issues in a special session. Ultimately, the governor is using this issue to ensure his win in the 2014 Democrat primary election and ignoring the many people of Hawai`i who feel that a special session will limit public input and lack transparency.”

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Capellas supporters listed the for school principal's
accomplishments. Photo by Julia Neal

KA`U RESIDENTS DISCUSSED ISSUES WITH THEIR COUNTY COUNCIL member Brenda Ford yesterday. Many of them expressed their for support for naming the new gym and emergency shelter, being built on the school campus in Pahala, after former school principal Laurence Capellas. They referred to Capellas’ successes in bringing the community together through sports, afterschool activities and other community efforts that “got people from Na`alehu to cross the stone wall” that kept Pahala and Na`alehu communities apart.

One of the last community-binding efforts by Capellas during his stay in Ka`u was to change the name from Pahala High to Ka`u High. He did this in a democratic way, asking the students to vote on the issue and then taking the results to management at the Department of Education and other officials. The name change came in 1959.
He also started the kindergarten in Pahala. When Kapapala School shut down near the intersection where Wood Valley Road turns into the valley, he organized volunteers and the sugar company to haul pieces of the school down to Pahala to build it.
When the meat-packing plant at Kapapala Ranch shut down, Capellas worked again with volunteers to bring the metal framing to form the framing to build Pahala’s swimming pool.
He also created a shop program, even for first grade. The teacher was Herbert Watanabe, who later became a member of the state Board of Education.
See more on other issues discussed during the meeting with Ford in tomorrow’s Ka`u News Briefs.

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Ocean View Family Health Clinic sees its last patients Friday.
Photos from Rick Crosby

OCEAN VIEW FAMILY HEALTH CLINIC will see its last patient this Friday afternoon, Sept. 13. It is the only medical clinic in Ocean View and is served by two nurse practitioners, Vickie Crosby and Cindy Cohen. They see 4,000 patient visits a year. Crosby, who owns the clinic with her husband Rick, who handles much of the administrative work, is moving to the mainland.

Practitioner Cohen and patients who contacted The Ka`u Calendar are hoping that someone will buy the facility and allow its service to continue.
The property is two acres with a building of more than 4,000 square feet. There is a clinic on one side of the building and a separate three-bedroom, two-bath home on the other side.
The clinic has two examining rooms, an office, a waiting room and two restrooms. The clinic is being sold with all of its equipment. The entire building is permitted to be a clinic, said Rick Crosby.

Vickie Crosby is moving to the mainland.

Laura Scholz, an Ocean View resident and patient of the clinic, said that “losing the Ocean View Clinic would be a big blow,” as it is difficult to get appointments at Bay Clinic in the nearest town of Na`alehu. She said that nurse practitioner Cohen is beloved by the community.
Cohen said she wants to continue to serve the community and bring in a doctor to work with her. “This is my home, and I want to stay here with my family. The Ocean View community is so dependent on us. So may people don’t have transportation” to go elsewhere, she said.
The price posted on a youtube tour of the clinic is $690,000, but offers will be considered, said Rick Cosby.
See youtube.com/watch?v=pgGLZVaego. Contact rick@oceanviewhealth.com.

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MARLEY STRAND-NICOLAISEN, KA`U’S STAR PLAYER on the University of Hawai`i-Hilo women’s volleyball team, helped the Vulcans beat Fort Hays State from Kansas last night, 25-12, 25-20, 25-14 at UHH Gym. Strand-Nicolaisen, a freshman, came up with 11 digs and 10 kills. The next challenge is at Hawai`i Pacific University on Sept. 22 on O`ahu. The Vulcans are undefeated with five wins, all at home. Nicolaisen is a resident of Mark Twain.
Kurt De La Cruz, a Ka`u High graduate and academic adviser at UH-Hilo, recently posted on the Ka`u High alumni facebook page: “I get to see many great stories in the making, from when students enter as freshmen to the day they get their diplomas, to embarking on their first careers, etc. Here is a great story in the making, and this Trojan Alum (‘13) has come out swinging – literally! Calling Ka`u alums near and far – Marley Strand-Nicolaisen is a fast-rising star amongst the NCAA D2 Freshman ranks in women’s volleyball. In her first two starts at the college ranks, let’s just say she has not played like a freshmen. By no means is she a one-person show either, as Vulcan teammates have put in equally good work.

“The team will visit O`ahu … and California this season. If you get a chance, come out and let this Ka`u grad know that we support her and her teammates.

“With hard work, humility, and her fierce competitiveness, Marley has the potential to go down as one of UH-Hilo’s great ones. And it just so happens to be that her heart bleeds maroon. Stay tuned ... hiloathletics.com/news/2013/8/31/WVB_0831135844 .aspx?path=wvball.”

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AUGIE’S SUMMER OF LOL comes to South Side Shaka’s Restaurant Friday at 8 p.m. Comedian Augie T starts a month of shows here in Ka`u, with more shows later this month in Hilo and on Maui and Kaua`i. Special guest is Lanai. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. For more information and to purchase tickets, call 990-0474.

A STAFF MEMBER FROM U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD’S office meets with Ka`u constituents tomorrow from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Pahala Public & School Library to assist with casework and other issues.

For more information, contact Blaise De Lima at  blaise.delima@mail.house.gov or  808-987-5698.

Image by Tanya Ibarra

KA`U PLANTATION DAYS ORGANIZERS hold a meeting to plan the Oct. 12 event tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. For more information, contact Darlyne Vierra at 640-8740 or dpvierra@yahoo.com.

A PAHALA POOL PARTY will be held this Saturday, Sept. 14 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event to raise money for the Pahala South Swell Swim Team will feature food, shave ice and drinks. The 21 Ka`u novice swimmers will be traveling on Saturday, Sept. 21 to Kawamoto Olympic Pool in Hilo; on Saturday, Oct. 5 to Konawaena Pool; and on Saturday, Oct. 26 for the championship at Pahoa Pool. The swim team is looking to raise about $1,500.
The public is invited, and prospective swimmers for next season are welcome to join in the fun. South Swell Swim team is comprised of youth 17 years and younger. Swim meets are sponsored by the county Department of Parks & Recreation. For more, call Pahala Pool at 928-8177.

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

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

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Patriot Day was proclaimed by Pres. Barack Obama and Gov. Neil Abercrombie and Ka`u High School honored the memory of the
9/11 attacks 12 years ago with student Ralph Landeros and campus security chief Mark Pocock raising the Hawaiian and U.S.
flags to half staff this morning. Photo by Julia Neal

THE 9/11 ATTACKS 12 YEARS AGO are remembered today by the flying of all State of Hawai`i and United States flags at half staff at all state offices and agencies as well as the Hawai`i National Guard - sunrise to sunset, says a statement from Gov. Neil Abercrombie.
Pres. Barack Obama proclaimed Sept. 11 as Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance, calling for the U.S. flag to be flown at half-staff. The presidential proclamation states:
“… On September 11, 2001, amid shattered glass, twisted steel, and clouds of dust, the spirit of America shone through. We remember the sacrifice of strangers and first responders who rushed into darkness to carry others from danger. We remember the unbreakable bonds of unity we felt in the long days that followed – how we held each other, how we came to our neighbors’ aid, how we prayed for one another. We recall how Americans of every station joined together to support the survivors in their hour of need and to heal our Nation in the years that followed.

Mazie Hirono toured the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York.
Photo from Mazie Hirono

“Today, we can honor those we lost by building a Nation worthy of their memories. Let us also live up to the selfless example of the heroes who gave of themselves in the face of such great evil. As we mark the anniversary of September 11, I invite all Americans to observe a National Day of Service and Remembrance by uniting in the same extraordinary way we came together after the attacks. Like the Americans who chose compassion when confronted with cruelty, we can show our love for one another by devoting our time and talents to those in need …”
Sen. Mazie Hirono joined her colleagues on the steps of the U.S. Capitol for a remembrance ceremony this morning and issued this statement:. “Twelve years after the Sept. 11 attacks against our nation, the memory and pain of that day is still very fresh. Like many in Hawai`i, I remember hearing about the attacks that morning and being deeply moved by stories of first responders who flooded into the burning buildings, families searching frantically for missing relatives and regular people on the street who banded together to help the search and rescue efforts. I was reminded of these brave, selfless people when I visited the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City earlier this summer. Looking at the memorial, it is impossible not to think about those who died in the brutal attacks, the firefighters, EMTs and policemen. In the wake of immense tragedy, our nation came together with unity and aloha, resolving to rebuild and bring the perpetrators to justice. Let us once again come together to remember those who were lost and the emotions that swept through our nation that day.”

KA`U’S COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER Brenda Ford met with constituents at Pahala Community Center Monday regarding issues from Ka`u’s need for a dialysis center, public restrooms and upgrades to Pahala Community Center to bus service, the status of Kawa and her opposition to GMOs and fracking.
Ford said she understands the need for a dialysis center in Ka`u and will work to convince the state of that need. She said it is harder for those living on the other, smaller islands, to understand how far it is to drive from Ka`u for such services. She plans to introduce a resolution to the County Council that can, if approved, be sent to the state Legislature. She also plans to work with west Ka`u Sen. Josh Green on the issue. Green is a physician.
Ford plans to work toward upgrades for Pahala Community Center. She noted a need for fans, new tables and termite treatment.

Image from organicconnectmag.com

Residents brought up Ka`u’s public restrooms. They discussed the need for restrooms in Pahala since the restaurant closed down and the hospital began locking the ones there. Several residents also said the restrooms at Punalu`u need improvements.
When a resident brought up being passed by when waiting for a Hele On Bus, Ford acknowledged problems with the system. Ford is chair of the Committee on Public Safety & Mass Transit. She said that since the Department of Education cut back school bus service and raised fees, many students have resorted to taking Hele-On buses, causing them to fill up and the bus drivers passing by other people who are waiting for the bus. She said it is an islandwide problem that needs to be addressed. Vanessa Guy, of Wood Valley, suggested the possibility of exterior advertising on the buses as a way to raise funds to purchase more buses.
Regarding the status of Kawa, the famous surfing and wetlands area which the county purchased, Ford said she doesn’t expect it to ever be developed as a park with its abundance of archaeological sites. S. Reha, of Wood Valley, said she would like the shoreline to once again be accessible by vehicle to surfers, who currently have to carry their boards from the highway parking area. Bobby Gomes noted that the dirt road on the Na`alehu side of Kawa is open for vehicles but does not take drivers right down to the surf spot.
Ford discussed her bill banning genetically modified organisms, saying she “does not want to be a guinea pig” and expressing concern that the “shotgun approach” of current technology is not advanced enough to prevent problems. When fellow Council member Margaret Wille withdrew an anti-GMO bill that she had introduced, Ford introduced her own version, but it was given a negative recommendation by the Committee on Public Safety & Mass Transit. It will go for a vote before the full Council, but Ford expects that she will be the only member to vote for it. Wille’s bill, which grandfathers in GMO papaya, is still alive in the council. Ford's bill would have banned all GMO grown foods here, including papayas, giving farmers 30 months to switch over to non-GMO varieties. Ka`u senators Josh Green and Russell Ruderman have both called for GMO labeling at the state level.
Ford said that more than 90 percent of the island residents she has talked to want the island to be GMO-free. She also said non-GMO crops are economically viable because markets, such as Japan, want them.
Fracking is the topic of another bill Ford is introducing. It would ban the practice of hydraulic fracturing, a process that uses pressurized liquid injected into the ground in order to extract resources, usually fossil fuels. Ford said she is concerned about the possible use of fracturing in geothermal energy development on Hawai`i Island and contamination of the island’s drinking water supply by chemicals used in the process. She said there is a 30 percent failure rate in containing chemicals. “I’m not against geothermal, and I’m not against drilling,” Ford said.

Esther Kiaaina is nominated by Pres. Barack Obama to help
oversee federal policy with Guam, the Northern Marianas, Amercian
Samoa and other island groups.

ESTHER PUAKELA KIAAINA is the chosen nominee by Pres. Barack Obama to serve as the Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas at the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie applauded the appointment: “Esther brought a tremendous amount of knowledge, experience and enthusiasm in serving as First Deputy of the Hawai`i Department of Land and Natural Resources. While she will be sorely missed here as part of the DLNR ohana, Esther’s personal and professional background on Capitol Hill, Hawai`i, and the Pacific Islands will make her the strongest possible asset to the Interior Secretary.”
When confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Kiaaina will lead the Department of Interior’s efforts to coordinate federal policy for Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. She will also have the responsibility to administer and oversee federal assistance to the Federated State of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau. For more information on the Office of Insular Affairs, visit: http://www.doi.gov/oia/
Kiaaina ran to become the congresswoman to represent Ka`u and rural Hawai`i but was defeated by Tulsi Gabbard during the last election. She also worked for Sen. Dan Inouye, Sen. Dan Akaka, and Rep Ed Case. She was a Land Asset Manager for Kamehameha Schools and worked for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
She graduated from Kamehameha School, University of Southern California and George Washington University Law School and received an MA from John Hopkins Schoolf of Advanced International Studies.

A STAFF MEMBER FROM U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD’S office meets with Ka`u constituents today until 4:30 p.m. at Pahala Public & School Library to assist with casework and other issues. For more information, contact Blaise De Lima at  blaise.delima@mail.house.gov or  808-987-5698.

PAHALA PLANTATION DAYS organizers meet this evening at 6:30 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. This third annual event is sponsored by the Ka`u Multicultural Society and celebrates all of the ethnic groups that make up Ka`u. The Oct. 12 Plantation Days features a pa`u parade with horses and riders representing Ka`u families and the islands, as well as a cane truck, and other classic vehicles. The day offers foods, a look at Ka`u family collectibles, dance and music. For more, call Darlyne Vierra at 640-8740 or dvierra@yahoo.com.

Ka`u Trojans Cross Country team ran fast at Kamehameha last weekend and is
headed for Waiakea this Saturday. Photo by Erin Cole

KA`U HIGH CROSS COUNTRY ran fast in Kamehameha Schools Hawai`i Invitational last Saturday in in Kea'au, "It was a hot and sunny day and the Kam course was relatively dry," said Coach Erin Cole. She reported the Ka`u times: The Boys Open 3 Mile Cross Country Run started at 10am. Derek McIntire was the first Ka'u team member to cross the finish with a time of 22:05. The Girls Open 3 Mile Cross Country Run started at 10:45am. Chloe Gan was the first Ka'u team member to cross the finish with a time of 30:57. "The other Ka'u athletes who ran that day. C.J. Pajimola, William Mitchel, Sheila Baila-Felipe, Charisma Felipe, Charlotte Esquida, and Romina Sembran all ran hard, represented Ka'u well, and supported each other during the hot and challenging race," said Cole. Next race is at Waiakea this Saturday.

TROJAN GIRLS VOLLEYBALL hosts East Pac this evening with jayvee starting at 6 p.m. and varsity to follow. Trojans host Konawaena this Saturday with jayvee at 10 a.m. and varsity to follow. These matches are at Ka`u High Gym. Tickets are $4 for adults, $2 for senior citizens and free with student athletic pass.

KA`U HIGH’S AIR RIFLERY TEAM travels to Waiakea this Saturday.

KA`U HIGH’S BOWLING TEAM travels to Hilo Lanes on Saturday to take on Kea`au and Waiakea.

PAHALA POOL PARTY from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Saturday will raise money for the Pahala South Swell Swim Team. The funding will help send the 21 swimmers to meets in Hilo, Kona and Pahoa. The Pool Party at Pahala swimming pool features food, shave ice and drinks. For more call the pool at 928-8177.

TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE for the first Harvest Festival at Volcano Winery this Sunday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Call 967-7772 or see www.volcanowinery.com

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

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

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Sharwil avocados can go to the mainland for sale starting in October. Photo from epicenteravocados.com

AVOCADOS COULD BE THE NEXT BIG EXPORT crop from Hawai`i,. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced yesterday that Hawaiian grown Sharwil avocados can be shipped to 32 states and Washington, D.C., starting in October. The new rule was published on the Federal Register today.
Here are the states where Sharwil avocado shipments will be allowed: Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming, as well as the District of Columbia.
Sharwils are larger and rounder than many avocados sold on the mainland and are expected to obtain a healthy market share, said Tom Benton, the Hawai`i Island resident who is president of the Hawai`i Avocado Association.

More than 1.5 billion pounds of avocados are sold in the U.S. each year.

A ban on shipping avocados to the mainland has stood since 1992. One downside for local buyers, however, is that the price could double with the competition from mainland markets until enough avocados can be grown to supply the outside world. Currently, most of the Sharwils are grown 280 farms, most of them on Hawai`i Island, followed by Maui. Production in Hawai`I totals about one million pounds a year while avocado consumption in the U.S. is 1.5 billion pounds a year. Hawai`i produces about 13 percent of the avocados grown in the U.S., with the majority being grown in Florida and California. The rest are imported from foreign countries.
The ban was established to prevent the spread of fruit flies, especially to California farms and orchards where tomato and citrus crops could be devastated. Sharwil export to the mainland was allowed, but only with fumigation or cold treatment that could affect quality.
U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye helped to lift the avocado export ban before his death. Mazie Hirono championed the cause as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and more recently as a U.S. Senator. Earlier this year she wrote a letter to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Tom Vilsa, urging the USDA to lift the Shawil export ban and pointing to scientific studies that show that avocados are a poor host for the fruit flies.

Hirono issued a statement yesterday, saying, “This USDA ruling will directly benefit Hawai`i farmers and our economy…opening up a number of new markets for these delicious Hawaiian-grown products. Advancing local food has long been a cornerstone of my push to make our state and economy more sustainable, and I’m very appreciative the USDA has made this critical ruling.”
The rule on the Federal Register at: You can read USDA’s ruling here: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/09/12/2013-22205/interstate-movement-of-sharwil-avocados-from-hawaii. 

Volunteer Marilyn Nicholson helps eliminate invasive Himalayan
or kahili ginger near Halema`uma`u Trail in Hawai`i
Volcanoes National Park. Photo from HVNP

NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY IS COMING UP on Saturday, Sept. 28, and the public is encouraged to malama `aina by volunteering to remove invasive Himalayan ginger in the park or fountain grass in Ocean View.

Volunteers at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park can help remove Himalayan ginger at the summit of Kilauea from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Himalayan, also called kahili, ginger is one of the most invasive plants in the park and on earth. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature includes it on the 100 of the World’s Worst Invasive Alien Species list.
The park strives to protect habitat of native and endemic Hawaiian rainforest plants, but Himalayan ginger displaces and replaces the native rainforest understory, making it impossible for many native plants to grow, including pa`iniu (a Hawaiian lily), `ama`u fern and others. Participants should wear closed-toe shoes and long pants and bring a hat, raingear, snacks and water. Loppers and gloves are provided. No advance registration is required.
Participants meet Paul and Jane Field, who lead the event, at Kilauea Visitor Center.

Fountain grass is an invasive species that creates a fire hazard, particularly at the
Kahuku section of the National Park. Photo from HVNP

Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park hosts its next volunteer forest restoration project on National Public Lands Day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The group joins the national park and Ocean View Community Association in controlling fountain grass along roadways in Ocean View.

Fountain grass increases fire potential, and the national park is working to prevent its spread in Ocean View and keep it from establishing in its Kahuku Unit. A member of the park’s Natural Resources Management team will discuss problems of fountain grass and its safe control during the event.
Participants will drive the roads of Ocean View looking for fountain grass along the roadside, with two to three people per vehicle. Volunteers who can drive their own vehicle will be helpful.
Pre-registration is required, and all participants need to sign a Friends release form and a park volunteer form. For those under 18, an adult will need to co-sign.
To volunteer, contact Patty Kupchak at forest@fhvnp.org or 808-352-1402 by Monday evening, Sept. 23. Include first and last name, email address and a phone number.

PLANTATION DAYS ON OCT. 12 organizers held a meeting last night and reported on the participation of 27 groups to celebrate the history of Ka`u, in ranching, small farms and sugar. The event is sponsored by the Ka`u Multicultural Society with assistance from Pahala Plantation Cottages and O Ka`u Kakou. The event will include a parade with riders on horseback and identification of historic buildings and former building sites during sugar days. The new economy of coffee and macadamia will also be celebrated. The parade route is along Maile and Huapala and the music, dance and food, along with cultural and historic displays will be at Pahala Plantation Managers House. Contact Darlyne Vierra at Darlyne Vierra at 640-8740 or dvierra@yahoo.com.

Trojan girls beat East Pac last night in varsity play.
Photo by Julia Neal

WINNING VOLLEYBALL took out East Pac last night as the Ka`u Trojan girls varsity team won in three sets 25-9, 25-21 and 25-13. The jaycee team lost in three sets 23-25, 25-20 and 10-15. The next match is this Saturday at 10 a.m. against Konawa`ena at the Ka`u High School Gym with jayvee play followed by varsity. Tickets are $4 adults, $2 seniors and students with athletic pass enter free.

KA`U HIGH’S AIR RIFLERY TEAM travels to Waiakea this Saturday.

KA`U HIGH’S BOWLING TEAM travels to Hilo Lanes on Saturday to take on Kea`au and Waiakea. In the Big Island Interscholastic Federation standings, Triojan boys, with three wins are third, after Waiakea with five wins and Konawaena with three wins. Behind Ka`u are Pahoa with two wins, Hilo and Kealakehe, each with two wins; Kea`au with one win and St. Joseph with no wins. In the girls standings, the Trojans rank eighth. The Ka`u coach is Piilani Lapera.

PAHALA POOL PARTY from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Saturday will raise money for the Pahala South Swell Swim Team. The funding will help send the 21 swimmers to meets in Hilo, Kona and Pahoa. The Pool Party at Pahala swimming pool features food, shave ice and drinks. For more call the pool at 928-8177.

A`eo by Reyn Ojiri

ISLAND INSPIRED by Reyn Ojiri is the art show opening this Saturday, Sept. 14 at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. This solo exhibition features original oil and acrylic paintings depicting Hawaii's flora and fauna.
An opening reception will be held from 5:00–7:00pm on September 14 and the exhibit will be on display 9:00am–5:00pm daily through October 27.
Featured artist Reyn Ojiri is a Hilo native, growing up surrounded by the lush, wondrous landscape unique to the Big Island. A recent graduate from UH Manoa, Ojiri chose to enrich his plant and environmental biotechnology studies by completing a Masters Certificate in science illustration from Cal State Monterey Bay in 2011.
When asked about his creative inspiration, the artist offered this personal statement:
“One of the benefits of living on Hawaii Island is the ability to travel from mountain to ocean, and rain forest to desert with ease,” stated Ojiri. “My painting subjects are the result of my explorations of these diverse environments.”
He continued, sharing that “I often find myself returning to kipukas between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa in search of native birds and plants. These pockets of lush green vegetation surrounded by rugged lava flows provide me with ample opportunities to observe and photograph my subject matter.”
Ojiri typically uses oil or acrylic paint on wood panels, building textured impasto layers with a palette knife, brush and sanding tool. The resulting foundation create a unique and unexpected canvas that echoes the rugged, volcanic ecosystem of Hawaii and delightfully contrasts the heightened detail of the subject.
Island Inspired by Reyn Ojiri is free to the public, though park entrance fees apply and donations are accepted. For more information, visit www.volcanoartcenter.org or contact the VAC Gallery at 967-7565 or gallery@volcanoartcenter.org.

TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE for the first Harvest Festival at Volcano Winery this Sunday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Call 967-7772 or see www.volcanowinery.com

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS ATPAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

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The value of the `Aina Koa Pono project, which is awaiting a decision by the Public Utilities Commission, is the topic of a letter sent by Pahala resident Bobby Gomes to the Commission. Photo by Julia Neal

HAWAI`I COUNTY HAS FILED A MOTION to intervene in Ka`u County Council member Brenda Ford’s petition challenging Mayor Billy Kenoi’s appointment of Bobby Jean Leithead Todd as director of the Department of Environmental Management based on a lack of qualifications. The county charter says the DEM director must have “an engineering degree or a degree in a related field,” as amended in 2010 by Hawai`i County voters.

Ford’s petition, filed in August, said, “Since the respondent Bobby Jean Leithead Todd does not have an engineering degree or a degree in an engineering-related field, the respondent does not have the qualification required to hold the office of director of the Department of Environmental Management for the county of Hawai`i.” It calls for Leithead Todd to be “restrained from performing the duties of that office.”
The county wants to be involved because “we have an interest in the outcome,” deputy corporation counsel Laureen Marten told Stephens Media reporter Nancy Cook Lauer.

See more at hawaiitribune-herald.com.

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YOUNG BROTHERS, LTD AND HAWAIIAN TUG & BARGE are now accepting grant applications from nonprofit community organizations on the island of Hawai`i for its Community Gift Giving Program. The program will award grants of up to $1,000 per organization.

Community organizations that meet the following criteria are invited to submit applications for grant consideration:

IRS Approved under Section 501(c)3;
Purpose of organization is related to health, education, civic and community service, youth activities, cultural enrichment, environment or special community projects.

In 2001, HTB/YB established the Community Gift Giving Program to provide recognition and support to charitable community organizations on each island. Since its inception, the community gift-giving program contributed more than $889,900 to 779 nonprofit organizations throughout the state of Hawai`i, of which $332,250 went to 352 Hawai`i Island organizations.

Officials from Young Brothers and Hawaiian Tug & Barge deliver grants
from their Community Gift Giving Program.

The Hawai`i County Community Advisory Board members are Chery Garvey, M.D., of Waimea, the board chairman; Fanny Collins Au Hoy and Dave Young of Kailua-Kona, and June Kunimoto and Derek Kurisu of Hilo.
Application forms and information are available at youngbrothershawaii.com under “Community Gift Giving” or by calling Garvey at 885-3211. Applications may be submitted now through Friday, Sept. 27. Completed applications may be faxed to 885-3311 or mailed to Hawaiian Tug & Barge/Young Brothers, Ltd. Hawai`i County Community Advisory Board, Attn: Chery Garvey, M.D., PO Box 550 Kamuela, HI 96743.

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Bobby Gomes spoke at a meeting about AKP
last October. Photo by Julia Neal

“I’M SEEING ARGUMENTS THAT THE `AINA KOA PONO project is needed to ‘invigorate’ Hawai`i Island’s agricultural industry by using land that is currently ‘underutilized.’ AKP seems to assume that nothing is happening in Ka`u regarding agriculture, and that without AKP there will be no economic development,” wrote Pahala resident Bobby Gomes in a letter to the Public Utilities Commission. The proposed 20-year contract for AKP to produce biofuel at a refinery above Pahala from feedstock harvested and grown on lands between Pahala and Na`alehu is currently awaiting a decision from the PUC.

“I want to go on record saying that this assumption is false. Sure, the Ka`u region suffered when sugar closed down decades ago, but Ka`u people are resilient,” Gomes said.

“In fact, Ka`u is doing just fine. Ka`u may look like an impoverished region by Honolulu standards, but people can afford to buy a home here, with room for horses and cattle. That makes us rich in what matters. We have rodeos, our keiki are rodeo queens and award-winning cowboys and cowgirls, sheep riders and mutton busters; our teenage girls raise 4-H prize-winning cattle; and our teenage boys are cattle herders. We have Fourth of July parades and coffee festivals; we have a vibrant community that turns out for fairs and school improvement events. We have a national champion volleyball team, and we find innovative ways to let our boys play football — even if we don’t have enough players to field a traditional team.
“Despite the impression given by supporters of AKP, Ka`u agriculture is already booming on its own – we have no need for AKP. In fact, AKP will just get in the way of exciting agricultural developments that promise to earn far more money for Ka`u’s people. Cattle ranchers and coffee farmers are worried they may lose their land and livelihood if AKP is approved, and there are already serious concerns about water availability.
“People are proudly supporting their families with cattle ranching, macadamia farming, local food production and an exploding coffee industry, and there is burgeoning interest in tea. Perhaps AKP’s supporters haven’t noticed, but Ka`u coffee is winning international competitions, its price doubled in the last year, and supply can’t keep up with domestic and international demand. Five acres can support a family, and there are many farmers eagerly waiting for land to plant coffee.”

Gomes shared statistics and comparisons to other agricultural activities in Ka`u. “What kind of economic jump-start does AKP offer? Not much compared to current crops,” Gomes said. “I looked up USDA statistics, and macadamias generate over $2,500 per acre in revenue, while Ka`u coffee (at Hawai`i County-wide yields and current Ka`u prices) can generate $12,000 - $13,000 per acre (parchment equivalent value). “If farmers hold onto their coffee through roasting and combine agro-tourism with their operations (direct sales, tours, T-shirts, mugs, B&Bs), they can probably double this value – or more.

“AKP says it will produce 24 million gallons of biofuel on 12,000 acres (2,000 gallons per acre). They say they will get 80 gallons of fuel per ton of feedstock, so that means they have to get 25 tons of feedstock per acre. Are they kidding? Don’t they know how much of those 12,000 acres is lava rock, and/or too steep to farm? What about water? Recent meetings have already almost broken out into fights over water access. Suppose AKP can produce 25 tons per acre — which they haven’t proven they can do. What is the agricultural value of that feedstock? The best comparison is to crops for livestock feed. The University of Hawai`i looked at enriching various grasses for cattle feed, and in 2003 priced the grasses at $54 per ton. Current reports are that hay and other cellulosic feedstocks sell on the mainland for about $100 per ton. At these prices, AKP will be lucky to generate biomass with agricultural value of $1,350 - $2,500 per acre, which just approaches the value of macadamias and falls well short of coffee. On a farmgate basis, AKP biomass offers no new value to the people of Ka`u.
“What about the value of end products? I calculate that Ka`u coffee growers can get $14,000 per acre if they hold onto their coffee through roasting and then sell it wholesale at $25 per pound (more if they sell direct at current prices of about $35 per pound). At AKP’s optimistic yield assumptions, they’d have to sell their biodiesel at $7 per gallon or more to provide greater value.
“There is a choice for the people of the Ka`u region,” Gomes continued. “AKP can offer them employment as hired hands, growing biomass that barely achieves the per-acre value of macadamias and falls well short of the value of coffee. Alternatively, current (and future) diversified agricultural crops can bring far greater value to the people here, enable them to live as proud entrepreneurs and provide for their families, and continue a traditional Hawaiian lifestyle that is deeply cherished. Please don’t sacrifice the Ka`u lifestyle to the misguided interests of the AKP biofuels project,” Gomes concluded.

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Volunteers clean up Kamilo Beach tomorrow.
Photo from Hawai`i Wildlife Fund.

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND SPONSORS a Ka`u Coast Cleanup tomorrow in association with the annual Get the Drift & Bag It program. Volunteers meet at Wai`ohinu Park at 7:45 a.m. to carpool to the site. Sign up with Megan Lamson at 769-7629 or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.

FOUR HAWAI`I ISLAND POTTERS SELL THEIR WARES at the Second Saturday Volcano Pottery Sale tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village. Call 985-8530 or email ryhpottery.com for more information.

A GUIDED, MODERATELY DIFFICULT HIKE over rugged terrain at the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park focuses on the area’s human history. The three-hour, 2.5-mile hike begins at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow.

PAHALA POOL PARTY from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. tomorrow will raise money for the Pahala South Swell Swim Team. The funding will help send the 21 swimmers to meets in Hilo, Kona and Pahoa. The Pool Party at Pahala swimming pool features food, shave ice and drinks. For more, call the pool at 928-8177.

Coffee farmers can learn the latest techniques to control
coffee berry borer tomorrow.

COFFEE BERRY BORER INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT is the topic tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Rusty’s Hawaiian Coffee Farm. Andrea Kawabata, University of Hawai`i’s coffee and orchard crops Extension agent, presents the most current techniques to manage CBB. Other researchers offer information on proper sampling for CBB monitoring and other topics. To sign up, call 322-4892 or email ginab@hawaii.edu today.

HALAU NA PUA O ULUHAIMALAMA under the direction of kumu hula Emery Aceret performs tomorrow from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Hands-on cultural demonstrations take place from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the gallery porch’s. Free (donations welcome); park entrance fees apply.

VOLCANO WINERY’S FIRST HARVEST FESTIVAL is Sunday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event includes wine, pupus and music. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Call 967-7772 or email volcanowinery.com.

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

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

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Hannah's Makana `Ohana performed during the Kupuna Hula Festival in Kona this week. Photo from Nancy Stafford

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SAID IT’S SEEING PROMISING SIGNS of improvement in student achievement in Race to the Top states and warning that it’s too early to draw sweeping conclusions, reports Nirvi Shah, of Politico. Some state officials also said they are finding the competition useful. The department’s statements were in response to a report criticizing the four-year program that was created in 2009.

“No one ever doubted that change this big would be hard, and while we have worked with states to make necessary adjustments, the big picture is that states’ efforts are largely in keeping with the scope and timeline of their plans,” an Education Department spokesman told Shah. “The department will continue to work with states to support what is working, to make necessary adjustments and to understand where we can learn and improve.”

Elaine Weiss Photo from aasa.org

An organization called the Broader, Bolder Approach to Education issued a report concluding that the program to reform education and raise student achievement is not reaching its goals. “States made unrealistic and impossible promises” to raise student achievement and close achievement gaps “to degrees that would be virtually or literally impossible even with much longer timelines and larger funding boosts,” the report said.
According to Elaine Weiss, national coordinator of the organization and author of the report, Race to the Top fails to address poverty-related impediments to learning. Weiss called for a more targeted focus on poverty over testing and accountability.
Weiss quoted from reports that “make starkly clear the damage inflicted by child poverty on students and the education system. One report by the Council on Foreign Relations said, “The real scourge of the U.S. education system — and its greatest competitive weakness — is the deep and growing achievement gap between socioeconomic groups that begins early and lasts through a student’s academic career.”

Graph from Broader, Bolder Approach to Education shows disparity of
school absenteeism between student economic groups.

Another report Weiss quotes said: “The manifestations of child poverty influence both the educational opportunities available to children and the educational outcomes that they will likely achieve. [These include income-based disparities in] family structure and behaviors, food security, parent employment, health insurance, exposure to toxins and child care…. Given the strong connection between educational success and economic disadvantage, we might expect education policy to focus on ways to overcome the effects of poverty on children. Yet most of today’s education policies have different foci.”
“Race to the Top addresses only a narrow range of the damage” created by poverty, Weiss claims.
Noelle Ellerson, associate executive director for advocacy and policy for the American Association of School Administrators, told Shah that “Congress should allocate resources across states and schools rather than repeatedly diverting some of that money to competitive grant programs in the midst of an ongoing recession,” “That would go further toward helping all students but especially those who are from low-income families or have disabilities — the children who are the main focus of federal education policy.”
In its own progress reports, the Education Department has noted states’ struggles to deliver on all the promises made in exchange for Race to the Top money. It had flagged some states, including Hawai`i, for not delivering on what they promised. In July, the Hawai`i State Department of Education received notification from the U.S. Department of Education that its Race to the Top grant is no longer considered “high-risk” and is in good standing.
The full report is available at boldapproach.org.
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HOUSEHOLDS IN HAWAI`I PAY FOUR TIMES MORE than the average U.S. household and nearly seven times the households in Utah, where the residential energy cost is the cheapest in the nation, according to University of Hawai`i’s Economic Research Organization. While the U.S. average for April 2013 hovered at 12 cents/kwh, Hawai`i paid 37 cents/kwh for electricity in the residential sector.
UHERO breaks down residential energy consumption by source. While electricity supplies 90 percent of households in Hawai`i with their energy needs, the two major sources in the U.S. — natural gas and electricity — each comprise 42 percent of energy consumption. “Hence, Hawai`i is not only consuming a larger share of electricity, but also at skyrocketing prices. In contrast, the U.S. is consuming a smaller portion from electricity at significantly discounted prices compared to Hawai`i,” UHERO states. “This, combined with a large share of cheap natural gas in the U.S. household consumption portfolio, explains the large disparity in the cost of energy — particularly in the residential sector — in Hawai`i and the U.S.
UHERO says the possibility of switching to natural gas in Hawai`i is not straightforward because of the logistics and infrastructure costs (liquefaction, shipping, regasification) of bringing natural gas to Hawai`i.
See more at uhero.hawaii.edu.
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Richard Ha

HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND, WE THROW AWAY at least seven megawatts of electricity per day, according to Richard Ha, owner of Hamakua Springs Country Farms. Ha referred to geothermal energy tapped at night when people are sleeping, saying it’s enough to power 4,550 homes or more.
“HELCO doesn’t say that the seven megawatts of electricity are ‘thrown away.’ They call it ‘curtailed,’ but ‘curtailed’ means it goes unused. It’s wasted. Thrown away,” Ha said in a Community Voices Contribution in Civil Beat.
Ha is a founding member of the Big Island Community Coalition, a group that wants to make Big Island electricity rates the lowest in the state. “We want to find a way to utilize this ‘thrown away’ resource, which could be used to greatly benefit the people of the Big Island.
Ha offers suggestions on uses of this resource and potential benefits:

“We could use it to generate hydrogen, and for public transportation.
“We could explore making ammonia for fertilizer, and as a potential energy carrier between the Hawaiian Islands.
“We could use it in university research, to engage the minds of our young people.
“It would remove the excess electricity from Puna, and relocate it to an appropriate location.
“It would address fear of the industrialization of Puna.
“We would make good use of a resource that is currently being wasted.

“We currently use oil here in Hawai`i to produce 70 percent of our electricity, and the price of oil (that is used to produce that electricity) has quadrupled in the last 10 years,” Ha concludes.
See more at civilbeat.com.

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Rick Stone Photo from Nancy Stafford

HANNAH’S MAKANA `OHANA PARTICIPATED in the Kupuna Hula Festival at Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay this week. They received compliments from other groups and attendees on their diversity of culture and their performance of How Great Thou Art.

Halau members had made their own lauhala bracelets, seed lei and head lei in workshops led by members of the Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka`u.

Sandy Ooka Photo from Nancy Stafford

Kumu Hannah Uribes said everyone had a great time and enjoyed performing very much.

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DURING A GUIDED HIKE AT THE KAHUKU UNIT of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park tomorrow, participants hike to an overlook on Upper Palm Trail to be oriented to numerous prominent geological features of the eruptions of the Mauna Loa’s Southwest Rift Zone. The 1.5-hour hike begins at 11:30 a.m.

VOLCANO WINERY’S FIRST HARVEST FESTIVAL is tomorrow from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event includes wine, pupus and music. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Call 967-7772 or email volcanowinery.com.

KA`U HIGH & PAHALA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Community Council meets Monday at 4 p.m. at the SCC room near the main office.

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

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES

Del Bothof, of Volcano Winery, shows Japanese visitor Ko Ueno a new crop of grapes. The winery holds its first
Harvest Festival this afternoon. Photo by Julia Neal

ERADICATION OF LITTLE FIRE ANTS on Hawai`i Island, including Ka`u, would cost about a billion dollars, according to University of Hawai`i planning student Mike Motoki.

Teresa Dawson reported in Environment Hawai`i that, at the 21st annual Hawai`i Conservation Conference, Motoki said mitigating the ants and preventing their spread would be a more economical and successful approach, costing about $70 million over 10 years.

Little fire ants live on the ground and in trees.
Photo from hawaiiinvasivespecies.org

Motoki estimated that damages from the ants could add up to $170 million per year, including interruptions in interisland trade and tourism. His model showed 23 percent of plant nurseries on the island being infested, causing businesses on other islands to stop importing plants from here.
Motoki suggests that a strategy focusing on suppression in the agricultural, nursery, and lodging sectors would likely yield more economic benefits than focusing on residential, school, and park sectors.
See more at environment-hawaii.org.
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Sen. Mazie Hirono

“I HAVE BEEN A LONG-TIME SUPPORTER OF MARRIAGE EQUALITY,” U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono said in a statement supporting Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s call for a special legislative session on the issue. “In 1998, when I was running for re-election as Hawai`i’s lieutenant governor, I bucked the conventional political wisdom of the day – which was that anyone in Hawai`i seeking office should support a constitutional amendment that would have, in effect, banned same-sex marriage – and became the only statewide official to oppose the amendment.

“We’ve come a long way in the 15-plus years since that event: a majority of Americans now believe that any loving, committed couple should have the right to marry. We have a sitting president who championed marriage equality and won a second term. The people of Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington all voted overwhelmingly in favor of equality. And just this summer, the Supreme Court overturned the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act.
“That is tremendous progress.
“Now it’s Hawai`i’s turn. We shouldn’t have to wait any longer for this fundamental civil right to be recognized in our state. Let’s get it done.”

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Ka`u fifth-grade girls are invited to sign up for GEMS.
Photo from Jamie Pardau

KA`U’S FIFTH-GRADE GIRLS CAN STILL SIGN UP for 2013 Girls Exploring Math and Science program at Sheraton Kona Resort and Spa at Keauhou on Thursday, Nov. 14. Registration deadline for forms to be postmarked is Friday, Sept. 20. Forms are available at public and private schools.

Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. The fee is $20 per girl. Scholarships are available, and no girl will be turned away for financial reasons. Sponsorship of girls from individuals or businesses will be accepted.
Some of the workshop topics this year are SCUBA diving, architecture, veterinary medicine, astronomy, dentistry, land surveying, Zumba, archaeology, robotics, chemistry and culinary science. Early registrations offers best choice of workshops.
For more information about GEMS, to sponsor a girl, or to request a registration packet, call Laurel Gregory at 969-8833 or lgregory@hawaii.edu.
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THE ANNUAL KA`U CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ART SHOW begins two weeks from tomorrow, on Monday, Sept. 30, at CU Hawai`i credit union building in Na`alehu. The theme is The Beauty of Ka`u. There are five categories for entries: graphic, sculpture, wood, photography, and craft. The fee is $5 per entry, and no more than three entries may come from one artist, with no more than one entry per category. All pieces must have been completed in the last 12 months and be for sale for the usual price. Entries are accepted Friday afternoon, Sept. 27 and Saturday morning, Sept. 28.

Aloha Honu, by Nancy Stafford, won first place in photography
at last year's Ka`u Chamber of Commerce art show.

The keiki division is for children in grades 1 through 6, one entry per keiki. Keiki categories are graphics and photos, no larger than 8.5 by 11 inches, including frames, if any. The entry fee is $1. Keiki art is not eligible for the cover of The Directory and not for sale. Only the first 60 keiki exhibits are accepted.
A reception to view the winners and greet the artists takes place from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5, with light refreshments at the CU Hawai`i credit union building in Na`alehu. Announcement of the adult winner of the popular vote takes place at 11:30 a.m. This art will be featured on the cover of The Directory 2014, with appropriate credit being given inside. The ballot, a numbered ticket, will also be entered into a drawing for door prizes to be held each hour, and the winner does not need to be present. Various Ka`u merchants are donating prizes.
A panel of local artists judges entries and awards prizes in each category, including Best in Show. Each category has first-, second-, and third-place awards and, if appropriate, as many as two honorable mentions. Ribbons will be given for each of the prizes, and all first-prize winners will appear in The Directory 2014.
Entry forms are available at local schools and merchants and at the door during art drop-off hours on Sept. 27 and 28. All entries must be picked up from the building by the artist between 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5 or between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 7.
For more information, call 939-8449.
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VOLCANO WINERY’S FIRST HARVEST FESTIVAL is today from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event includes wine, pupus and music. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Call 967-7772 or email volcanowinery.com.

KA`U HIGH & PAHALA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Community Council meets tomorrow at 4 p.m. at the SCC room near the main office.

Dick Hershberger, of Ocean View, portrays Thomas
Jaggar every other Tuesday.

KA`U RESIDENT DICK HERSHBERGER BRINGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory founder Thomas Jaggar to life every Tuesday during A Walk into the Past. Programs begin at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center then explore Jaggar’s work space, the Whitney Vault, in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

MIND, BODY, SOUL & TEA is the topic at Tea for Tuesdays this month. JoAnn Aguirre, tea educator and member of the Hawai`i Tea Society, offers an hour of tea talk, a delicious scone and a cuppa. In honor of breast and ovarian cancer awareness, Tuesday’s tea talk focuses on the health benefits of tea – the second most widely consumed beverage in the world, after water. The free program at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village begins at 2 p.m. For more information, call 967-8222 or visit teachingtea.com.

KA`U RESIDENTS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE in this week’s Hawai`i County government meetings via videoconferencing from Ocean View Community Center. Committees meet Tuesday, and the full Council meets Wednesday at 9 a.m.
All meetings take place at Council Chambers in Hilo.
Agendas for are available at hawaiicounty.gov.

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

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES

Pahala Pool Party met its goals raising money on Saturday for the South Swell swim team comprised of 21 youth
members who will compete around the island. Swim meets are sponsored by the county Department of Parks &
Recreation. Pahala Pool is open daily, free to the public. Photo by Tanya Ibarra

BLUE PLANET HAS RELEASED ITS FIRST ANNUAL Energy Report Card for Hawai`i. The progress report provides a perspective on Hawai`i’s energy transformation, taking a look at five key metrics including Transportation, Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, Smart Grid and Economics. Supporting drivers are also analyzed to identify gaps in current industry efforts, areas of success and opportunities for improvement.

Blue Planet developed the report card in response to the need for an objective examination of Hawai`i’s progress to a clean energy future and the benchmark of energy independence by 2030. 
Positive performance in energy efficiency stands out as a bright spot according to the report card, with per capita electricity generation dropping steadily below the target trend since 2008.

The report card also shows that transportation, which accounts for two-thirds of Hawai`i’s fossil fuel consumption, remains an area that demands improvement. Land transportation offers the most immediate opportunities for reducing fuel consumption, the report card stated. Greater fuel efficiency, alternative fuels, lowering mileage and electric vehicles all have roles to play. “The key challenge is identifying substitutes for aviation fuels, highlighting the need to focus on local biofuels for transportation rather than electricity generation,” said Blue Planet founder Henk Rogers.

Graph from hawaiienergyreportcard.com

Blue Planet plans to update the Energy Report Card annually to keep progress toward energy independence on track and focus solutions in areas that need it most. “We welcome your input to help make next year’s report card even better,” Rogers said.
Questions and comments can be addressed to reportcard@blueplanetfoundation.org.
See hawaiienergyreportcard.org.
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HAWAI`I’S GOAL OF GENERATING 70 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 was the topic at the fifth annual Asia-Pacific Clean Energy Conference held on O`ahu recently. Gov. Neil Abercrombie and Richard Lim, director of the state Department of Business Development & Tourism, spoke at the conference about the need for an undersea cable to transmit electricity among the islands.
In the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Alan Yonan, Jr. reported Abercrombie saying at the conference, “We are going to take full advantage and press forward relentlessly on our diverse resources such as geothermal, solar, wind, hydro, bioenergy and biomass.
“We believe that connecting the islands through an integrated, modernized grid is the best way to utilize our islands’ best resources at a scale that will reduce cost. This means lower rates on the neighbor islands as soon as they’re connected,” Abercrombie said.

DBEDT director Richard Lim

According to Duane Shimogawa, writing for Pacific Business News, Richard Lim told attendees that “the long-term vision for Hawai`i is geothermal, but that’s on the Big Island, and it’s going to require an undersea cable.” Lim said that, because the project could take one to three decades, “we need liquefied natural gas as a transitional fuel.”

As reported previously in Ka`u News Briefs, University of Hawai`i’s Economic Research Organization said the possibility of switching to natural gas in Hawai`i is not straightforward because of the logistics and infrastructure costs (liquefaction, shipping, regasification) of bringing natural gas to Hawai`i.
In the Hawai`i Reporter, Michael Hansen, of Hawai`i Shippers, listed challenges associated with an undersea cable: enormous cost, lack of existing excess wind energy capacity in Maui County; technical difficulties of crossing the very deep and wide Alenuihaha Channel between Hawai`i and Maui Islands; problems of developing excess geothermal energy on Hawai`i Island; and political opposition.
See staradvertiser.com, bizjournals.com and hawaiireporter.com.

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Sen. Josh Green

KA`U’S STATE SEN. JOSH GREEN offered his thoughts on Hawai`i’s state-mandate employer health insurance coverage and Obamacare, the national mandate for health care insurance, in a Politico story by Kyle Cheney. Green, chair of the state Senate Health Committee, said the state’s nearly 40-year-old employer mandate, formally known as the Prepaid Health Care Act, has become an accepted part of the state’s health care system and is, for the most part, taken for granted. “There is almost no mention of the Prepaid Health Care Act here among anyone,” he said.

Cheney offered a comparison of Hawai`i’s employer-mandated health care coverage to Obamacare: In Hawai`i, Cheney reported, employers of any size are required to offer coverage to anyone working more than 19 hours per week, while the federal mandate applies to businesses with more than 50 full-time employees, with full time defined as 30 hours per week.

The price of coverage in Hawai`i’s program can’t be more than 1.5 percent of a worker’s income, and the federal mandate says affordable coverage is 9.5 percent of income.

A crew removing the antenna from
KAHU radio station.
Photo byJulia Neal

Regarding Obamacare, Green told Cheney that many of the state’s 90,000 uninsured are young and healthy and unlikely to sign up for Obamacare, despite fines they would be charged. “I think that many of these individuals will not see becoming insured as a benefit that outweighs the penalties, and therefore will not engage,” he said. “As a physician, I would have preferred an approach that focused more on access to services rather than access to coverage, which will be of minimal benefit if there aren’t more doctors and nurses to care for patients.”
See politico.com.
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HAWAI`I PUBLIC RADIO IS BUYING a new antenna to go up on the pole by the KAHU radio station building on Maile Street in Pahala. Mike Titterton, president and general manager of the statewide HPR, said this morning that he expects that broadcasting from Pahala will resume with HPR2 programming in early November. He said HPR2 will initially reach Pahala and nearby communities until HPR puts equipment on communication towers in the district to cover the entire south side of the island with programming and Civil Defense alerts. Titterton said the owners of the building are donating equipment space and the pole to re-start up KAHU with HPR2 programming. KAHU shut down local programming in April. For the new programming, see hpr2.org. HPR had hoped to use the old KAHU equipment, but it was removed and put up for sale, Titterton said, delaying the startup of HPR2 in Ka`u, originally scheduled to have occurred by now.

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Tours of Volcano Winery's grounds showed off wine grapes and tea.
Photo by Julia Neal

MARIE BOTHOF, OF VOLCANO WINERY, said their first Harvest Festival held yesterday was a big success. The event sold out, with a mix of local residents and visitors. She and her husband Del hope to have another one next year. Attendees enjoyed a variety of wines, pupus, entertainment by Lito Arkangel and tours of the vineyard, tea and fig gardens, greenhouse and vat room.

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Del and Marie Bothof, of Volcano
Winery. Photo by Julia Neal

KOHALA ANIMAL RELOCATION AND EDUCATION SERVICE is coming to Ka`u in November and December. KARES offers free spay and neuter clinics for dogs Tuesday, Nov. 5 and Tuesday, Dec. 3 at St. Jude Episcopal Church on Paradise Circle in Ocean View. Contact KARES to make an appointment at 333-6299 or pets@kohalaanimal.org.

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KA`U’S JAYVEE GIRLS VOLLEYBALL team hosted Konawaena on Saturday and beat the Wildcats in two sets 25-9 and 25-20. The Wildcats overcame the Trojan varsity girls team in three sets, 25-14, 24-14 and 25-21. The Trojans travel to Hilo tomorrow and to Kealakehe Saturday.

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KA`U RESIDENT DICK HERSHBERGER BRINGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory founder Thomas Jaggar to life tomorrow during A Walk into the Past. Programs begin at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center then explore Jaggar’s work space, the Whitney Vault, in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

KA`U RESIDENTS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE in this week’s Hawai`i County government meetings via videoconferencing from Ocean View Community Center. Committees meet tomorrow, and the full Council meets Wednesday at 9 a.m.

Volcano House manager Rudy Fao and his wife take part in the first
Harvest Festival at Volcano Winery yesterday. Photo by Julia Neal

All meetings take place at Council Chambers in Hilo.
Agendas are available at hawaiicounty.gov.

HILO ONE PERFORMS WEDNESDAY AS PART of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s ongoing Na Leo Manu: Heavenly Voices presentations. The group features Likeke Teanio on lead `ukulele and slack key guitar, Aaron Agres on electric upright bass and Russell Mauga on 12-string guitar. The free program takes place from 6:30 to 8 p.m.  at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium. Park entrance fees apply.

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

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is keeping a watchful eye on Mauna Loa, where a recent swarm of earthquakes
occurred that is a possible, but not definite, precursor to the next eruption. Photo from HVO

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY characterized a recent swarm of earthquakes as a possible, but not definite, precursor to the next eruption of Mauna Loa. While the swarm was small in historical terms, it was the first cluster of earthquakes in this region of Mauna Loa since the volcano’s 1984 eruption. “Only through continued monitoring over the coming weeks to months will the true meaning of the … swarm be known,” HVO said in the current issue of Volcano Watch.

HVO seismic networks recorded a small, three-day-long earthquake swarm just west of Mauna Loa’s summit Sept. 5 through Sept. 7. The swarm consisted of more than 350 detected and tightly clustered earthquakes at a depth of about four miles, but only about 25 were strong enough to be located. The strongest was a magnitude 2.4, and none were reported as felt.

HVO has many stations on Mauna Loa and Kilauea to
track earthquakes. Image from HVO

The swarm was in the same region where earthquakes began to occur a year or more before Mauna Loa’s 1975 and 1984 eruptions. It’s an area to which HVO pays especially close attention because of this connection.
The swarm is not the only Mauna Loa activity to have occurred recently. After the eruption in 1984, Mauna Loa immediately began re-inflating as magma once again filled and pressurized storage reservoirs beneath the summit caldera. Inflation waned in 1993, then resumed in May 2002.
In the second half of 2004, there was an intense swarm of about 2,000 long-period earthquakes more than 19 miles below the summit of the volcano. This swarm was possibly part of the deep magma system that fed the ongoing inflation, HVO reported.
The rate of inflation increased in 2004, but started to slow in 2006. These data fit the pattern produced by magma intruding 2.5 to five miles beneath the summit area. After 2009, Mauna Loa inflation continued, but very slowly and sporadically, “so the volcano is poised for its next eruption,” according to HVO.

Mauna Loa is still the largest active volcano on Earth. A volcano off the east coast of Japan, recently touted as the largest volcano in the solar system, last erupted 146 million years ago, possibly around the time the Pacific Ocean Basin was first formed.
Mauna Loa, on the other hand, has erupted 33 times in the past 170 years, and future eruptions are a certainty, HVO said. With recently upgraded monitoring networks, HVO keeps a close watch on any changes beneath the volcano that might signal its next eruption.
HVO offers increased availability of real-time earthquake data to the public. Locations and the actual seismometer traces (webicorders) can be viewed at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/seismic/volcweb/earthquakes/. To view webicorder sites closest to the area in which the recent swarm occurred, click on Webicorders and choose ALEP or TOUO.
“For now, there’s no need to worry, but we should never lose sight of the fact that Mauna Loa is an active volcano, the largest on Earth, and it will erupt again,” HVO reported.

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KA`U RESIDENTS CAN NOW CONTACT Hawai`i Health Connector’s Customer Support Center for information about health care coverage. The Connector is an online health insurance marketplace created to help individuals and small businesses take advantage of health insurance choices available to them.

“The ultimate goal (of the Connector) is to improve access to affordable health care coverage,” said executive director Coral Andrews.
While the open enrollment period begins Oct. 1, information about the enrollment process, with coverage beginning in January, is available before then. Contact the Connector at 877-628-5076 or support@hawaiihealthconnector.com.
See more at hawaiihealthconnector.com.
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Sen. Brian Schatz

SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ HAS CALLED FOR RENEWED EFFORT on gun safety legislation after 12 people were killed in a shooting at the Washington, DC Navy Yard yesterday.   “I joined the rest of the country in being horrified by yesterday’s senseless shooting,” Schatz said. “My thoughts and prayers are with the victims’ families as they begin to cope with the loss of their loved ones.  

“We have to do whatever we can to prevent this type of tragedy from occurring again. I call on my colleagues to pass bipartisan gun safety reform. When the Senate debated this issue in April, we saw widespread consensus from the public on common-sense reforms, such as expanding criminal and mental health background checks.  
“While legislation can’t put an end to all violence, lawmakers must do what is right and close the gaping holes in our system in order to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the severely mentally ill. Now is the time to do the right thing.”

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KA`U RESIDENTS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE in this week’s Hawai`i County Council meeting via videoconferencing from Ocean View Community Center. The Council meets tomorrow at 9 a.m. at Council Chambers in Hilo.
Agenda is are available at hawaiicounty.gov.

Hilo One performs tomorrow in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
Photo from NPS

HILO ONE PERFORMS TOMORROW as part of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s ongoing Na Leo Manu: Heavenly Voices presentations. The group features Likeke Teanio on lead `ukulele and slack key guitar, Aaron Agres on electric upright bass and Russell Mauga on 12-string guitar. The free program takes place from 6:30 to 8 p.m.  at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium. Park entrance fees apply.

KA`U AGRICULTURAL WATER COOPERATIVE DISTRICT meets Thursday at 4 p.m. at Royal Hawaiian Orchards field office in Pahala. For more information, contact Jeff McCall at 928-6456.

PARTICIPANTS LEARN ABOUT WEB BROWSERS and how to navigate a Web page during a free class held at Pahala Public & School Library Friday from 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Call 939-2442 at least 48 hours before class to sign up.

PATTI PEASE JOHNSON OFFERS SILK PAINTING workshops Saturday at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village.

Fresh off of a win against Konawaena, Ka`u High's jayvee girls volleyball
team travels to Hilo High tonight along with the sister varsity team.
Photo by Julia Neal

A workshop for beginners takes place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and a three-hour intermediate workshop begins at 2:30 p.m. The three-hour beginning workshop includes an introduction to color theory, tips on mixing color, a lesson on stretching silk on a frame and more. In the intermediate class, Johnson covers the process of painting on silk using wax and the tjanting tool to create a resist line for dyes. Students should bring a design concept from an original photo or from plant materials or objects. Fee is $65 or $58.50 for VAC members, plus a $10 supply fee
per session. Call 967-8222 to sign up.

KA`U TROJAN UPCOMING SPORTS takes the Ka`u High girls varsity and jayvee volleyball teams to Hilo High tonight, brings an eight-man football team from Kealakehe to Ka`u this Friday evening, and takes the Trojan cross country track team and air riflery teams to Konawaena this Saturday.

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

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES

Pahala Public & School Library will be available more days and more hours beginning Monday, Sept. 30.
Photo from Hawai`i State Public Library System

PAHALA PUBLIC & SCHOOL LIBRARY INCREASES public service days and hours of operations from 15 hours a week to 34 hours a week starting Monday, Sept. 30. The daily schedule will be as follows:

Monday/Wednesday/Thursday: 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.;
Tuesday: 12 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Friday: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday/Sunday: closed, as well as all state holidays.

Pahala's library holds events open to the public, such as a July
presentation by Ka`u resident Joe Iacuzzo on dinosaur mummies.

“Come and support your public and school library by checking out materials from the collection and also using the computers,” said branch manager Debbie Wong Yuen. “A few years ago, Pahala Library was close to closing its doors due to low usage of the library. To keep these new hours of operation, the community and school needs to make use of the library.”

The library has four desktop computers and 21 laptops for the public and students to use free with a Hawai`i State Public Library card. It also offers free Wi-Fi connection during open hours, with a library card.
Pahala Library offers a large DVD collection. Patrons can check out a movie for one week for $1 per DVD. Also, CDs, audiobooks, books and magazines are available for three-week loan periods. If the library does not have it in its collection, it can be requested from other libraries free of charge.
Besides the collection at Pahala library, the Hawai`i State Public Library System offers a wide range of online databases and other free services, such as e-learning through Learn4Life and Microsoft IT Academy, which offers many free classes. Downloading of ebooks and audiobooks through OneClickDigital and OverDrive services is also available. Log onto librarieshawaii.org to see all the many free services offered.
For more information, contact Wong Yuen at 928-2015.
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Ka`u's state Sen. Russell Ruderman

KA`U’S STATE SEN. RUSSELL RUDERMAN has offered testimony in favor of a bill before the Hawai`i County Council that would ban fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, according to Colin M. Stewart, of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald. “I urge you to pass this bill to protect our water table from irreversible damage from fracking,” he said during a meeting of the Council’s Agriculture, Water and Energy Sustainability Committee. “Here in Hawai`i, we’ve been lucky to take water for granted, but it won’t be that way forever.

“This isn’t an imaginary concern. It’s of great importance – the drinkable water on our island. Protecting it is what we have to do. Otherwise, we might find ourselves up a creek without a paddle, and that creek won’t be drinkable.”
In April, the 2013 state Legislature adopted a resolution introduced by Ruderman expressing concern about the use of fracking in Hawai`i. “A proactive approach should be taken to safeguard the people of Hawai`i, the environment, and Hawai`i’s natural resources by opposing the use of hydraulic fracturing,” the resolution stated.
Ka`u Council member Brenda Ford previously said she introduced the bill because she is concerned about the possible use of hydraulic fracturing in geothermal energy development on Hawai`i Island and contamination of the island’s drinking water supply by chemicals used in the process. “I’m not against geothermal, and I’m not against drilling,” Ford said.

The process uses pressurized liquid injected into the ground in order to extract resources, usually fossil fuels.

See more at hawaiitribuneherald.com.

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Ka`u's U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

KAU`S U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD released the following statement regarding the fifth anniversary of what she called the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression: “The livelihoods of hard-working families were put at risk and, since 2008, millions of Americans have lost their homes and have seen their life savings wiped out – all because of risky banking practices and the overgrown ‘too big to fail’ banks. While our economy has slowly started to come back from this devastating hit, it remains at risk.

“After the taxpayer bailouts of Wall Street, the biggest banks are even bigger than they were before the crisis. This dysfunctional regime means Wall Street enjoys the profits in good times, and the taxpayer is on the hook when things take a turn for the worse. We must ensure that no bank is so big that its risky bets can bring down the entire U.S. economy. We must create a banking system that works for every American, not just Wall Street CEOs, and work to enact and strengthen reforms that will protect our economy from another massive collapse.”
Earlier this year, Gabbard co-sponsored H.R. 129, the Return to Prudent Banking Act, which would reinstate provisions of the Glass-Steagall Act to keep investment banking separate from commercial banking, as well as prevent the largest banks from engaging in speculative trading.

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HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK ANNOUNCES flight plans today and tomorrow for management to 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 maintain backcountry facilities.
Flights were scheduled over `Ola`a near Wright Road in Volcano Village and over Red Hill, Mauna Loa cabins and Mauna Loa summit this morning.
Tomorrow from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., work will occur at Kilauea summit.
“The park regrets any noise impact to residents and park visitors. Dates and times are subject to change based on aircraft availability and weather,” the park said in a statement.

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Shyanne Akiona and Sierra Yeager participate in the Tinikling dance
during Filipino Culture Class. Photo by Thu-Tam Doan

UPLINK ALL-STARS INVITE PARENTS AND `OHANA to their first quarter Ho`ike on Friday, Oct. 4 from 3:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. The Filipino Culture class will be performing the Tinikling dance, a traditional folk dance named after the Tikling bird. Tinikling literally means Tikling-like. The dance mimics the grace of the Tikling bird as it dodges bamboo traps set by rice framers.

“I am very excited to see that even non-Filipino students are taking an interest in this class, bringing even more cultural awareness to Ka`u’s unique community,” said coordinator Thu-Tam Doan.
Other performances at the Ho`ike will include Ka Nani a’o Ka`u and Lean on Me by the Hawaiian Culture class, Stylin’ Fashion Show by the Creative Arts class, Merenge Hip-Hop dance by the Zumba class and a Gentlemen routine by the student-led dance troupe.
UPLINK All-Stars will provide two free plate dinners to each family who attends with their UPLINK All-Stars student. To RSVP, contact Doan at 557-7414.
For more information on the UPLINK All-Stars After-School program, contact Doan or Liza Saplan at 928-2006 or 333-4903.

MATS FOGELVIK, OF OCEAN VIEW, RECEIVED an Honorable Mention award at Hawai`i’s Woodshow with his Pua Koa. The award recognizes outstanding execution and design. The show, sponsored by Hawai`i Forest Industry Association, was held Sept. 1 – 15 at Honolulu Museum of Art School at Linekona.

Mats Fogelvik's Pua Koa received Honorable
Mention at Hawai`i's Woodshow.
Photo from Mats Fogelvik

Fogelvik said the top of his table is made of five pieces of very unusual koa burl wood from a fallen tree on Maui. It had previously been displayed at Maui Arts and Cultural Center and Volcano Art Center.
For more about the show, see woodshow.hawaiiforest.org.

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HILO ONE OFFERS A FREE PERFORMANCE this evening at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The group features Likeke Teanio on lead `ukulele and slack key guitar, Aaron Agres on electric upright bass and Russell Mauga on 12-string guitar. Park entrance fees apply.

KA`U AGRICULTURAL WATER COOPERATIVE DISTRICT meets tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Royal Hawaiian Orchards field office in Pahala. For more information, contact Jeff McCall at 928-6456.

A BIPARTISAN STATES’ RIGHTS MEETING takes place Friday at 9:30 a.m. at the upper pavilion of Punalu`u Bake Shop in Na`alehu. Organizer Robert Williams calls it S.O.S. – Save Our States. For more information, contact Williams at 929-8565.

SILK PAINTING WORKSHOPS ARE SCHEDULED Saturday at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village. A workshop for beginners takes place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and a three-hour intermediate workshop begins at 2:30 p.m.

Fee is $65 or $58.50 for VAC members, plus a $10 supply fee per session. Call 967-8222 to sign up.

Kristin Aria, of Anela Strings

Irminsul, of Anela Strings

FALL EQUINOX CONCERT & GATHERING featuring Anela Strings takes place Saturday at 6 p.m. at Valentine Sanctuary in Wai`ohinu. Fee is $15, and seating is limited. RSVP at 937-8103 or info@valentinesanctuary.com.

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

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES

Red zones show hot spots where geothermal energy production would be possible from Ka`u into Puna.
Geothermal resources map from Geothermex

A BAN ON FRACKING FOR GEOTHERMAL energy is going to the full Hawai`i County Council on Oct. 2 after this week receiving a positive recommendation from council’s Committee on Agriculture, Water and Energy Sustainability. Fracking is controversial on the mainland where fluids are injected into the ground under high pressure to fracture shale rocks to release natural gas. Other geological formations are fracked for oil. Water is usually mixed with sand and chemicals and is blamed for contaminating drinking water sources. Hydraulic fracturing and hydro fracturing are other terms for fracking. Within the U.S., fracking has been banned in such places as the state of Vermont; Highland Park, New Jersey; Dryden and numerous other towns and cities in New York; Mora County, New Mexico and Marcellus, Pennsylvania. Fracking is banned or subject to a moratorium in a number of countries, including France, Luxemberg, Bulgaria and Germany.

The Nation ran a story about farms and fracking. See
www.thenation.com/article/171504/fracking-our-food-supply#axzz2fMgzMHQC

Council member Brenda Ford said she authored the bill on behalf of community members in Puna who asked for her help when their councilmember was not interested. She said she also is concerned about the possibility of drilling and fracking in Kona where geothermal is being investigated on the Hualalai volcano. After being approached by community members, Ford said, she researched fracking and consulted with a Phd in geology to come up with a bill to protect water resources.
She said she is not against geothermal, but is concerned with contaminating groundwater with chemicals used to drill and frack for geothermal resources. Geothermal uses water heated by the volcanoes on the island to run turbines to make electricity.
While fracking can also be used to find and develop potable water sources, the county Department of Water Supply does not and refuses to use fracking, Ford said.
About 35 people testified in support of the Hawai`i County anti-fracking bill at the committee level. Noone testified against the bill.
Several places in Ka`u are considered possible locations for geothermal.

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Eagle rays are one of many species protected under new West
Hawai`i Fishery Management Area Rules. Photo from Wikipedia

NEW FISHERY RULES that include a ban on SCUBA spearfishing on the west side of Ka`u from Kalae, up the coast to Upolu Point in Kohala, are in the hands of Gov. Neil Abercrombie for his signature. On Tuesday, the state Department of Land & Natural Resources passed to the governor the package of rules that were debated and refined over the last decade. The new rules would also prohibit collection of many aquarium fish in the West Hawai`i Regional Fishery Management Area. They would set aside a Fish Replenishment Area along 1,500 feet of Ka`ohe Bay between Ka`u Loa Point and `Au`au Point. The Miloli`i Fish Replenishment Area is between Makahiki Point and Kaki`o Point. In both Replenishment Areas nine shark and ray species, including eagle sting rays and two invertebrates would be protected.
The SCUBA spear fishing ban would mke it illegal to carry SCUBA-diving gear along with spears and speared fish on any boat, or otherwise in one's possession on land or sea along the western coast of Ka`u and throughout the West Hawai'i Fishery Management Area. The management area was created in 1998 and its practices have been lauded by numerous research organizations as helping to restore fish populations.

Aquarium fish that could still be collected along the west coast of Hawai`i Island, except for within Fish Replenishment Areas, would be: Yellow Tang, Zebrasoma flavescens; Chevron Tang,Ctenochaetus hawaiiensis; Goldring Surgeonfish, Ctenochaetus strigosus; Achilles Tang, Acanthurus achilles; Tinker’s Butterflyfish, Chaetodon tinkeri; Orangespine Unicornfish, Naso lituratus; Forcepsfish,Forcipiger flavissimus; Goldrim Surgeonfish, Acanthurus nigricans; Potter’sAngelfish, Centropyge potteri; Fourspot Butterflyfish, Chaetodon quadrimaculatus; Yellowtail Coris,Coris gaimard; Ornate Wrasse,Halichoeres ornatissimus; Orangeband Surgeonfish, Acanthurus olivaceus; Bird Wrasse, Gomphosus varius;

Orangeband surgeon fish on the west coast of Hawa`i Island.
Photo from National Park Service by Bryan Harry

Eyestripe Surgeonfish, Acanthurus dussumieri; Multiband Butterflyfish,Chaetodon multicinctus; Saddle Wrasse, Thalassoma duperrey; Brown Surgeonfish, Acanthurus nigrofuscus; Flame Wrasse, Cirrhilabrus jordani; Thompson’s Surgeonfish, Acanthurus thompsoni; Peacock Grouper,Cephalopholis argus; Bluestripe Snapper, Lutjanus kasmira; Redbarred Hawkfish, Cirrhitops fasciatus; Psychedelic Wrasse, Anampses chrysocephalus; Hi Whitespotted Toby, Canthigaster jactator; Fisher’s Angelfish, Centropyge fisheri; Hi Dascyllus, Dascyllus albisella; Milletseed Butterflyfish, Chaetodon miliaris; Blacklip Butterflyfish, Chaetodon kleinii; Pyramid Butterflyfish, Hemitaurichthys polylepis; Shortnose Wrasse, Macropharyngodon geoffroy; Black Durgon, Melichthys niger; Spotted Boxfish, Ostracion meleagris; Blackside Hawkfish, Paracirrhites forsteri; Hi Longfin Anthias, Pseudanthias hawaiiensis; EightlineWrasse, Pseudocheilinus octotaenia; Fourline Wrasse, Pseudocheilinus tetrataenia; Smalltail Wrasse, Pseudojuloides cerasinus; Lei Triggerfish, Sufflamen bursa; and Gilded Triggerfish, Xanthichthys auromarginatus.

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KA`U HIGH'S NEW EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL team takes on Kealakehe tomorrow at home, beginning at 6 p.m. The Trojans take on Kamehameha on Saturday, Sept. 28 and play the Farmers on Moloka`i on Saturday, Oct. 5.

KA`U HIGH SCHOOL VARSITY GIRLS VOLLEYBALL has three wins and three losses after falling to the Hilo Vikings on Tuesday in Hilo. Scores were 25-21, 25-17, 25-17. Junior Varsity girls lost in two sets against the Vikings. Scores were 25-17, 25-15. Ka`u Girls Volleyball will face the Kealakehe Waveriders on Saturday, Sept. 21 at Kealakehe School gym at 10 a.m.

HMSA medical van offers free sports physicals for students at
Pahala and Ocean View. Photo from HMSA

FREE SPORTS PHYSICALS for students are available at the HMSA Medical Mobile Van from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Jude’s Church and Ka`u High School three days a week. No appointments are necessary. During the next month the van will be at Ocean View on Mondays, Sept. 30, Oct. 7, Oct. 14; on Tuesdays, Oct. 1, Oct. 8, Oct. 15 and Thursdays, Oct. 3, Oct. 10, Oct. 17. The medical mobile van will be open at Ka`u High near the band room on Mondays, Sept. 23, Oct. 21, Oct. 28; Tuesdays, Sept. 24, Oct. 22, Oct. 29 and Thursdays, Sept. 26, Oct. 24, and Oct. 31.

PARENT AND GUARDIAN SURVEYS for Ka`u High, Pahala Elementary and Na`alehu School are being circulated. Called the On-Site School Review, they ask for such feedback as whether "My child believes he or she can do well in school," and "My child enjoys attending school." They ask for ratings on whether there are sufficient after-school sports and other activities "to allow my child to participate in those of his/her choice." They also ask for opinions on such topics as "I support school discipline policies," and "The school has clearly explained the rules for student behavior and the consequences of not following those rules." Comments are also invited for the three-page survey. The survey can be downloaded at http://tinyurl.com/KKPpartent. The survey deadline is Nov. 11 and they can be completed online or returned to the schools by mail or in person. A community meeting will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 19 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center, on Tuesday, Dec. 3 from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Pahala Elementary PSAP Room; and on Wednesday Dec. 4 from 5 p.m.m to 6 p.m at the Pahala School Cafeteria. The surveys were developed by School Synergy, LLC. See www.schoolsynergy.org.

KA`U AGRICULTURAL WATER COOPERATIVE DISTRICT meets today at 4 p.m. at Royal Hawaiian Orchards field office in Pahala. For more information, contact Jeff McCall at 928-6456.

A BIPARTISAN STATES’ RIGHTS MEETING is tomorrow, 9:30 a.m. at the upper pavilion of Punalu`u Bake Shop in Na`alehu. Organizer Robert Williams calls it S.O.S. – Save Our States. For more information, contact Williams at 929-8565.

SILK PAINTING WORKSHOPS are Saturday at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village. A workshop for beginners takes place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and a three-hour intermediate workshop begins at 2:30 p.m. Fee is $65 or $58.50 for VAC members, plus a $10 supply fee per session. Call 967-8222 to sign up.

FALL EQUINOX CONCERT & GATHERING with Anela Strings brings music on Saturday at 6 p.m. to Valentine Sanctuary in Wai`ohinu. Fee is $15, and seating is limited. RSVP at 937-8103 or info@valentinesanctuary.com.

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

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

SUPPORT KA`U BUSINESSES

Ka`u coffee farmers met at Ka`u Coffee Mill last night regarding current pricing, land security and the coffee borer.
Photos by Geneveve Fyvie

KA`U COFFEE cherries are ripening and the harvesting season is expected to start full-bore in the next month. About a dozen farmers met at Ka`u Coffee Mill last night to size up prices, to talk about securing land to grow more coffee, and to hear the latest on the efforts to stop the coffee berry borer from devastating Ka`u coffee like it damaged Kona coffee.
Mayor Billy Kenoi talked to the farmers by phone, saying that the county is fully behind helping Ka`u coffee farmers with research, development and marketing. Ka`u coffee farmer Bull Kailiawa asked about land security, regarding property at Cloud Rest and Moa`ula now being held by Lehman Brothers, which foreclosed on the former owners of the land where most of the Ka`u Coffee farmers have their fields. The coffee farmers have no leases. The mayor said he would try to help.
Kenoi described the Ka`u coffee farmer story as the best success in agriculture on this island since he became mayor. Many of the farmers are displaced sugar workers who evolved from plantation workers to owning their own successful businesses. When he asked what he could do, Kailiawa told the mayor, “Honu`apo,” referring to the community effort that succeeded in preserving the shoreline from development through private and public money that made Honu`apo a park.

Coffee drying is one of the services being offered at
Ka`u Coffee Mill.

When asked how much it would cost to establish an ag park at Moa`ula and Cloud Rest where farmers could have long-term leases, Ka`u Coffee Mill owner Ed Olson estimated, “$5.6 million.” Kenoi said that would be a bargain and that he wants to meet with the farmers on Oct. 1 to help them define a path toward land security.
The mayor also said he wants to make sure that Ka`u coffee is included in gifts from the island taken to other places when county officials travel. He gave the example of presenting mayors in Taiwan with gifts of Ka`u coffee. He said the coffee was much appreciated.
Ka`u Coffee Mill general manager John Cross presented a separate plan that makes some 350 acres – about the size of the Pear Tree and Moa`ula coffee lands - available to coffee farmers. The parcels, both mauka and makai of Wood Valley Road, are at elevations between 1600 feet and 1900 feet. They have been cleared of albesia trees, are ready to plant and will have irrigation. Leases are priced at $75 per acre for the first year, $100 for the second year and $150 for the third through fifth years. After five years, Cross said, the farms will be evaluated every five years. “We want to make sure the farms are in good, active cultivation,” he said.
Ka`u Coffee Mill representatives laid out the prices for the mill’s interest in buying coffee at $1.80 a pound for top grade cherry, saying the mill would meet or beat Kona prices throughout the harvest. The mill also promised to buy top grade parchment for $10.50 a pound. Cross urged Ka`u farmers to sell coffee only to those with Ka`u labels and to refrain from selling to Kona coffee buyers.
The mill also rolled out prices for its services, promising to work with farmers on its pricing, reducing the cost for pulping and washing from 25 cents to 20 cents a pound, with further discounts by volume. Other services include drying of wet parchment, with payment being 5 percent of the weight of finished product. Services also include dry milling, roasting and grinding, weighing and packing. Ka`u Coffee Mill also offers a program where farmers can buy fertilizer and pay back the mill in cherry.
Pepe Miranda, who helps farmers fight coffee berry borer, said it is more important than ever to prune and clean at the end of the season and to treat fields for the coffee borer that has done so much damage to Kona coffee and has found its way to Ka`u.

‘OUTRAGEOUS,’ TULSI GABBARD proclaimed this morning, responding to the inclusion of the Monsanto Protection Act in the resolution to keep the federal government funded. Ka`u's member in congress said she takes issue with a rider on the measure approved by the Republican dominated House this morning: “Slipped into this critical bill." Gabbard wrote, “the act, which biotechnology companies helped draft, allows them to ignore regulations and sell genetically engineered foods even after a court orders them to stop, or when there isn’t yet evidence the foods are healthy or environmentally safe.

“This is even bigger than our food, though," wrote the congresswoman. "Adding the ‘rider’ is a blatant effort by some in Congress to skirt judicial review, leaving Americans without recourse to air their concerns on something that could dramatically impact human health and the environment.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard talks about food self-sufficiency at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpS9G2neCj4

“We have to speak out now, before the vote on the continuing resolution to fund the government. Monsanto doesn’t belong in that bill.

“Monsanto undercuts efforts to strengthen consumer and environmental protections from genetically engineered crops. It’s simple, really: People deserve to know truthful, transparent information about their food.

“But supporters of Monsanto and their special interest benefactors disagree, which is why they’ve snuck this into an unrelated budget bill. If the other side wants to openly debate Monsanto, we can do that. But sneaking it in is wrong.

“Tell Congress: Remove the Monsanto Protection Act extension and allow judicial review to proceed,” Gabbard urged.

The Stop the Monsanto Protection Act campaign is co-sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley, Rep, Earl Blumenauer, and Rep. Krysten Sinema. The U.S. Senate is expected to reject the federal funding measure and send it back to the House. Both chambers must approve a measure by the end of the month to avoid a federal government shutdown.

OBAMA-CARE is one of the conditions of the U.S. House of Representatives measure that passed today to keep the federal government open through mid-December. Republican House member, Rep. John Culberson, of Texas, proclaimed: “ Today, the constitutional conservatives in the House are keeping their word to our constituents and our nation to stand true to our principles, to protect them from the most unpopular law ever passed in the history of the country- ObamaCare- that intrudes on their privacy and our most sacred right as Americans to be left alone,” reported Fox News.

Harry Reid, a Democrat and Senate Majority Leader, issued a statement, “I have said it before but it seems to bear repeating: the Senate will not pass any bill that defunds or delays Obamacare.”
If the Senate votes down the House bill, it will go back to the House, which would push the deliberation close to the government shutdown date of Oct. 1.

Tuna are high on the food chain and absorb mercury from coal emissions that are lifted
into the atmosphere and fall into the Pacific Ocean. Image from pewenvironment.org

COAL FIRED ELECTRICAL PLANTS will be subject to tougher Environmental Protection Agency laws nationally, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy announced yesterday during a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
The last coal fire plant on Hawai`i Island was shut down on Dec. 31, 2004 at an old sugar company that made power from the sugar byproduct, bagasse, until it switched to coal after sugar shut down. The Hilo Coast Power Co. site in Pepeekeo is now under reconstruction by Hua Honua to produce electricity from burning biomass and selling power to HELCO. The other power plant that used coal on Hawai`i Island was Puna Biomass, which burned coal intermittently before it was sold by AMFAC to HELCO, which has not used coal at the site, according to HELCO.
The environmental impact of coal on Hawai`i Island has more recently come from coal burning plants in such far off places as China and India. The emissions include mercury, which is spewed into the atmosphere and falls into the Pacific Ocean. Mercury in the ocean, as far away from coal burning sites as Hawai`i, has led to high mercury levels in such fish as tuna, prompting health department recommendations to eat tuna only once a week and for pregnant women to refrain from consuming tuna and other fish that are high on the food chain.
The EPA director’s comments focused on climate change. McCarthy said yesterday that “The president’s Climate Action Plan calls on federal agencies to take steady, sensible, and pragmatic steps to cut the harmful carbon pollution that fuels our changing climate, to prepare our communities for its unavoidable impacts, while continuing to provide affordable and reliable energy for all.” The Daily Kos wrote that the “announcement, most of it leaked two days ago, was prefaced in her speech by an extensive, straightforward discussion of the realities of the environmental and health impacts of climate change surely must have set on edge the teeth of those who deny it is actually happening. Indeed, the oppositionbegan immediately:

Quarterback and wide receiver Chance Emmsley-
Ah Yee. Photo by David Berry

“Opponents of the new E.P.A. rule quickly vowed to take measures to stop it. Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader and a senator from coal-dependent Kentucky, promised to use his legislative skills to prevent the measure.”
McConnel declared the new EPA rules as “an escalation of the war on coal and what that really means for Kentucky families is an escalation of this war on jobs and the Kentucky economy.”

EIGHT MAN FOOTBALL players suit up tonight as Ka`u High Trojans take on Kealakehe at home at 6 p.m. Tickets are $6 for the public, $2 for senior citizens and free for all those with a school athletic card.

SILK PAINTING WORKSHOPS are tomorrow at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village. A workshop for beginners takes place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and a three-hour intermediate workshop begins at 2:30 p.m. Fee is $65 or $58.50 for VAC members, plus a $10 supply fee per session. Call 967-8222 to sign up.

FALL EQUINOX CONCERT & GATHERING with Anela Strings brings music tomorrow at 6 p.m. to Valentine Sanctuary in Wai`ohinu. Cost is $15; seating limited. RSVP at 937-8103 or info@valentinesanctuary.com.

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

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Eight-Man Football team for the Ka`u Trojans celebrates its inaugural year yesterday with a win against
the Kealakehe Waveriders. Photo by David Berry

NA`ALEHU ELEMENTARY IS ONE OF FIVE Hawai`i Island Schools participating in FoodCorps Hawai`i, a program started by AmeriCorps in 2011 and brought to Hawai`i this year. The program addresses childhood obesity and food insecurity in underserved communities through the promotion of school gardens, farm-to-school programs and nutritional education.
The Kohala Center, which created the Hawai`i Island School Garden Network, maintains the program. Host site supervisor Nancy Redfeather told Carolyn Lucas-Zenk, of West Hawai`i Today, “The movement to reconnect our children and youth to the sources of their food and health, and to renew their connections to the `aina, the source of all life, is well recognized at the community level. To have the national FoodCorps select Hawai`i for additional support is a result of the work of Hawai`i’s garden and classroom teachers, principals and communities throughout the islands.”

Jolyne Oyama, who operates Na`alehu Elementary’s school garden and FoodCorp program, told Lucas-Zenk that her participation in the program stems from her love of teaching keiki about what healthy food is and where it comes from.
She spoke about how children’s enthusiasm is contagious, saying, “If we can get people to be excited about growing their own food or being conscious about their food habitats, it will make a real difference.”
Oyama told Lucas-Zenk that she wants to show families how knowledge and skills taught at the school’s garden can be applied at home by having community harvests and classes possibly in conjunction with the school’s family reading nights. She also said she wants to help rebuild Pacific Islanders’ connection to their own healthier traditional diets and connect cultures by having a native plant section in the garden and incorporating Hawaiian values.
See more at westhawaiitoday.com and kohalacenter.org.
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Hawaii` Wildlife Fund has been holding Ka`u Coast cleanups since 2003.
Photo from HWF

“MAHALO TO THE 57 PARTICIPANTS from last weekend’s ‘Get the Drift & Bag It!’ International Coastal Cleanup event at Kamilo Point,” said Hawai`i Wildlife Fund coordinator Megan Lamson. Volunteers included groups from Waiakea High School Science Club, Dr. Drew Kapp’s geography students from UH-Hilo and Hawai`i Community College and individuals from Pahala, Ocean View, Volcano, Na`alehu, Mountain View, Kurtistown and Kealakekua.

Over the course of several hours, approximately 1,873 pounds of debris were removed from one mile of coastline, including 50 bags of miscellaneous debris, eight bags of semi-sorted debris to be used for a recycling program with Recycle Hawai`i and Method cleaning products and roughly 75 pounds of derelict fishing nets. Of the 20,815 pieces of marine debris collected and documented on datasheets, approximately 91 percent was plastic, followed by rubber (three percent), metals (two percent), fabric (two percent), and other (one percent or less).
Since 2003, HWF and volunteers have removed over 165 tons of debris from along the Ka`u coastline. Another cleanup is set for Saturday, Nov. 23.
The organization holds Ho`onoua Anchialine Pool Restoration workdays this Monday and Tuesday. To sign up, contact Lamson at 769-7629 or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.

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U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and fellow congressman Aaron Schock spoke
about the newly formed Future Caucus on MSNBC.

KA`U’S U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD IS CO-CHAIR OF THE FUTURE CAUCUS, announced this week as a way to bring together members of Congress who are under 40 to work in a bipartisan way to solve problems. Illinois Republican Rep. Aaron Schock is the other co-chair.

According to a story in Civil Beat, the Future Caucus plans to address long-term issues that might be of particular concern to young people, including technology, protecting the environment, improving education, encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation, and positioning the U.S. to compete in the global marketplace.
In the story, Kery Murakami pointed out similarities between Gabbard and the late Sen. Dan Inouye, another “young Hawai`i native and military veteran who was elected to serve in the nation’s capital.” Inouye also developed constructive bipartisan political relationships, “helped to get a lot done, and stayed around for several political lifetimes,” Murakami said.
During an event announcing the caucus, Gabbard invoked Inouye and retired Sen. Daniel Akaka, saying, “The previous generation lamented the relationships that allowed them to do so much, had been lost.”
Gabbard said that what is similar for all representatives, regardless of party affiliation, is that when they are back home they all hear many of the same concerns, and to address them, there is a universal incentive to work across the aisle.
On MSNBC, Gabbard said members of the caucus share an “unwillingness to accept no for an answer. It’s our responsibility to be creative and work together.”
See more at civilbeat.com and msnbc.com.

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El Leo, with Ka`u's Sen. Russell Ruderman as a member, will perform at
Plantation Days next month.

THE PUERTO RICAN BAND EL LEO will play at Plantation Days on Saturday, Oct. 12 at Pahala Plantation Manager’s House. The band specializes in kachi-kachi, the adaptation of Puerto Rican jibaro music to Hawaiian life when Puerto Ricans became one of the many ethnic groups that migrated to Hawai`i. Kachi-kachi became a favorite dance in camps of the old sugar plantations. El Leo’s recorded favorites on its Jarican Express album are Amor, Cana Brava, Banana, Yours, La Borinque Rap, Na Pua Noni, Solina, Puerto Rico, Sounds of Silence, A Lo Oscuro and Waltzes in Puna’s Rain.

One of the longtime members of the band is Ka`u’s state Senator Russell Ruderman, who plans to join in the celebration.

Plantation Days includes a parade with horses and riders on Maile and Huapala Streets, followed by a day of music, dance, food, demonstrations and life of Ka`u’s agricultural community. It is sponsored by Ka`u Muliticulural Society. Call Darlyne Vierra at 640-8740.

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Cy Tamura made it into the end zone for a touchdown.
Photo by David Berry

EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL took the Ka`u High Trojans to a 28-12 win over the Kealakehe Waveriders on the home field last night. Touchdowns were made by Trojans Rigan Kaapana, Cy Tamura, Kupono Leffew-Palakiko and Anthony Emsley-Ah Yee.

Ka`u is the first high school on this island to establish the faster-running, higher-scoring Eight-Man Football. Coaches and team members say they hope that other smaller schools on this island will adopt the sport so the Big Island can have a league and play the winners of the Maui League and that perhaps O`ahu or Kaua`i will take up the sport. It is well established on the mainland among schools with smaller student populations. There are state, regional and national finals in Eight-Man Football. The field is narrower but the same length as 11-man football. There are fewer tackles, leading to fewer injuries and more running and passing.
The Trojans meet Kamehameha JV next Saturday at 2 p.m. at Kea`au. Then, after a huge community fundraising effort, they travel by plane and ferry to Moloka`i to play the Farmers on Saturday, Oct. 5. The Farmers will come to Ka`u for the Trojan homecoming game.

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Kahuku Junior Ranger Day is next Saturday. Photo by David Boyle

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP HOSTS ITS End of Summer Jam this evening at 7 p.m. at the Lava Lounge in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. DJ Tiki spins your favorite tunes. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8371

DEADLINE TO REGISTER FOR KAHUKU JUNIOR RANGER DAY is Tuesday, Sept. 24. The program takes place Saturday, Sept. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Keiki of all ages join park rangers for a day of activities to take a closer look at the Kahuku Unit. Free lunch is provided.
Call 985-6019 to sign up.

KA`U CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ART SHOW entry dates are coming up on Friday Sept. 27 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 28, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The show begins Monday, Sept. 30 at CU Hawai`i Credit Union in Na`alehu, with announcement of winners, including cover art for The Directory 2014, on Saturday, Oct. 5.

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

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

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A NOAA tool mapping effects of sea-level rise also displays other hazards and shows parts of Ka`u in red with high
social vulnerability, taking into consideration economic data, buildings and potential for natural disasters.
Map from NOAA

EFFECTS OF SEA LEVEL RISE can be studied with a new tool developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in partnership with University of Hawai`i Sea Grant. The web-mapping tool is aimed at visualizing potential impacts from sea-level rise in Hawai`i, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands. The new Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer is a simple and easy to use but powerful resource for planners, public officials, coastal managers, and communities engaged in climate adaptation planning and coastal inundation preparedness. “With the amount of detail and options it provides, the Sea Level Rise Viewer is at the cutting edge of planning tools,” said map development partner Chip Fletcher, School of Ocean and Earth Science Technology’s associate dean for academic affairs.

NOAA predicts that average increase of sea level should be about a meter by the year 2100.
The viewer overlays high-resolution aerial images on top of elevation data. This allows users to see what higher sea levels would do to landmarks and critical infrastructure. It also shows what populations would be vulnerable to rising sea levels.
The viewer is available at csc.noaa.gov/slr.
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Image from accord3.com shows methods of extracting geothermal energy.

“WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT THE PUBLIC SAFETY and public health is paramount,” Mayor Billy Kenoi told Tom Callis, of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald regarding plans for a study on health effects of geothermal production. “We need to determine with accuracy and specify exactly what harm if any is being caused.”

The study was called for by a group who put together a report called the Geothermal Public Health Assessment.
According to Callis, the group recommended that a health study address four hypotheses: central nervous system degradation will be higher in a sample population as a result of peak exposure to hydrogen sulfide; central nervous system degradation and other health effects from hydrogen sulfide will be greater in areas of highest exposures; contamination of heavy metals and chemicals from geothermal development may have impacted drinking water supplies; and residents who live closest to Puna Geothermal Venture may be more likely to show anxiety disorder symptoms.
The group also recommended increasing monitoring, evaluating effects on drinking water and ocean environment, ensuring there is no contamination from the closed HGP-A well, strengthening public communication and alerts and requiring that geothermal developers should conduct a health and water resource baseline study before any more drilling occurs.
See more at hawaiitribuneherald.com.
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Sen. Brian Schatz

“RIGHT-WING RADICALS IN THE HOUSE are going to the mat to throw millions of people off their health insurance – and we need to stop them,” said U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz. He was referring to the the Republican-led U.S. House passing a budget last week "that would defund Obamacare. They are threatening to shut down the federal government unless we enact their radical agenda before the Sept‌. 30 budget deadline – setting up a showdown that threatens our economy, our communities and our lives.

“This latest attempt to defund Obamacare will never pass the Senate or be signed by the President. House Republicans again voted against the interests of the American people, risking our economic stability just to prove a point. There have been times in history when both parties are equally to blame for gridlock, but this is not one of them. If Speaker Boehner would stand up to Tea Party extremism and put forward a clean Continuing Resolution, then we can avoid this self-inflicted crisis,” stated Schatz in one of his campaign press releases.
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Alan Takemoto

INDIVIDUALS WITH CONNECTIONS TO MONSANTO are defending the Farmers Assurance Provision attached to a budget bill in the U.S. Congress. Critics of the provision, including Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, call it the Monsanto Protection Act. Gabbard said the provision allows biotechnology companies ignore regulations and sell genetically engineered foods even after a court orders them to stop, or when there isn’t yet evidence the foods are healthy or environmentally safe.

Alan Takemoto, Monsanto’s community affairs manager in Hawai`i, told Civil Beat, “Basically, it provides farmers assurance that what they planted, they can harvest. I know (GMO critics) have co-opted the name, but there are a lot of other organizations that have supported the provisions, like American Farm Bureau, the American Soybean Association and the National Corn Growers Association.
Alicia Maluafiti, executive director of the Hawai`i Crop Improvement Association, a trade organization for biotech companies, said the provision “allows farmers who invested thousands of dollars into growing crops — biotech crops — to continue to harvest those crops despite the onslaught of frivolous lawsuits by environmental activists, which can take years for the courts to decide.”

Alicia Maluafiti

She disagreed with the argument that the provision circumvents courts: “The U.S. Department of Agriculture currently has the authority as part of their regulatory powers, but the problem is that the lawsuits tie the hands of the regulatory agencies, and the only people getting hurt are the farmers — not Monsanto,” she said.
“The bottom line is that farmers have a choice of crops they want to grow, and they have a choice of seeds to purchase. Sometimes they are Monsanto seeds, and sometimes they are not. So the (provision) would protect farmers across the board regardless of what they grow.”
See more at civilbeat.com.
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GMOS ARE ON THE AGENDA TOMORROW when Hawai`i County’s Committee on Public Safety & Mass Transit continues its meeting from Sept. 4.
The agenda says the committee will consider two bills at 9 a.m. at Council Chambers in Hilo. Ka`u’s Council member Brenda Ford introduced Bill 109 calling for a total ban on GMOs except for research located in a biosafety level three containment facility, and Kohala Council member Margaret Wille drafted Bill 113 after withdrawing her original one. Wille’s bill would allow GMO papaya to be grown.

Both bills call for a $100 GMO crop registration fee and penalties of up to $1,000 per day per violation. Ford’s bill includes an option of up to 30 days in jail.

Leah Cariaga was one of the many scholarship recipients in 2013 from
Ka`u Chamber of Commerce Pres. Dallas Decker, VP Lee McIntosh
and Miss Ka`u Coffee Tiare-Lee Shibuya. Photo by Julia Neal

Ka`u residents can view the meeting via videoconferencing from Ocean View Community Association Center. The agenda says statements from the public were concluded at the previous meeting and are closed for this committee meeting.
Agenda is available at hawaiicounty.gov.
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CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE KA`U CHAMBER of Commerce Scholarship Fund are being taken through Oct. 1 in connection with the publication of The Directory 2014. Donors receive a listing in the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce annual Directory and can advertise their businesses.

ULANA LAUHALA IS THE TOPIC Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the lanai of Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Amy Ka`awaloa and Malia Macabio teach the art of weaving with leaves of the pandanus tree, from gathering the material to preparation and the final product.

Lauhala weaving workshop takes place Wednesday.
Photo by Jay Robinson

The free program is part of Hawai`i Volcanoes’ ongoing `Ike Hana No`eau: Experience the Skillful Work workshops. Park entrance fees apply.

IN SPORTS, KA`U HIGH girls volleyball teams play at home this week, hosting Kamehameha Wednesday and Kohala Saturday.
Other Trojan teams travel for events this week. The bowling team goes to Hilo Lanes to meet Hilo High Wednesday and to participate in BIIF Individual Bowl Saturday. Also on Saturday, Cross Country goes to HPA, Air Riflery shoots at KSBE and the eight-man football team challenges Kamehameha JV.

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

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

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Volunteers and Habitat crew worked together on Veterans Helping Veterans Day to build Jim Helfenbein's
Ocean View home.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY WEST HAWAI`I is building a new house for veteran Jim Helfenbein, of Ocean View. The project is a part of the Veteran’s Build program, which provides housing solutions and volunteer and employment opportunities to U.S. veterans, military service members and their families.

Other veterans recently volunteered to help out on Helfenbein’s house when Habitat hosted a veterans helping veterans day.

Habitat for Humanity is building a new house for veteran Jim Helfenbein.

“We plan to continue building new homes and repairing existing ones for some time in Ocean View and are always looking for families to apply,” said Isobel Donavan, Habitat for Humanity West Hawai`i’s Resource Development coordinator and also an Ocean View resident. “We are also continuing our outreach to veterans and are hopeful that more veterans will apply.”
Applications can be obtained by contacting the Habitat for Humanity West Hawai`i office at 331-8010, emailing info@habitatwesthawaii.org or visiting their website at habitatwesthawaii.org.

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KA`U COUNCIL MEMBER BRENDA FORD’S case against county Environmental Management director Bobby Jean Leithead Todd has been dismissed by Third Circuit Court Judge Ronald Ibarra. “The service was not proper, and therefore the court does not have jurisdiction over it,” Ibarra said, according to a story in Hawai`i Tribune Herald. “Since the respondent is being sued as an individual, not in her official capacity, serving an agent” is not allowed, unless Leithead Todd had appointed that person to accept papers on her behalf, Ibarra said.

In the story, Erin Miller reports that the sheriff who served the papers took them to Leithead Todd’s county office and left them with her secretary. Ford’s attorney, Michael Matsukawa, said he will re-file the petition.
In a petition filed against Leithead Todd in August, Ford asked the court to compel Leithead Todd to justify her qualifications for the position.
When Mayor Billy Kenoi’s nomination of Leithead Todd came before the County Council, Ford and two other council members voted against it based on a charter amendment that requires the Environmental Management director to be an engineer or hold an equivalent degree. According to Ford, Leithead Todd’s law degree does not meet those qualifications.
Leithead Todd’s attorney Robert Kim said she was “properly nominated by the mayor, properly presented to the County Council and approved by a proper majority of the council.”
Leithead Todd told Miller she is waiting to see what comes next.
See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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Coffee berry borers are on the move again, with an infestation reported
in the Amauulu area of Hilo.

COFFEE BERRY BORERS HAVE FOUND their way to at least one Hilo farm, according to a story in West Hawai`i Today. The story reports that the farm is located in the Amauulu area. Andrea Kawabata, coffee and orchard crops Extention agent for University of Hawai`i, said discovery of the new infestation was confirmed by the state Department of Agriculture.

The insect was first found on Hawai`i Island in Kona in Sept. 2010. In May 2011, Ka`u farms began to show infestations. So far, they have not been confirmed on O`au, Maui, Kaua`i or Moloka`i, which have their own coffee growing orchards.
Coffee tree owners are encouraged to adopt an Integrated Pest Management Program that involves counting any affected coffee cherries and keeping good records that can be used to analyze progress in fighting the borers.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed a bill in late June to provide $250,000 a year over two years to the state Department of Agriculture for research and another $300,000 to control and mitigate the coffee berry borer.
See westhawaiitoday.com.
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Volcano Art Center is raising funds after the federal shutdown and is open
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Photo by Julia Neal

VOLCANO ART CENTER held its annual meeting last week and elected new board members, including more artists. The 14 board members for 2013-2014 are Jelena Clay, Kehaulani Costa, Desiree Cruz, Mary Miho Finley, Emily Herb, Hugh Jenkins, Karen Kaufman, Karen Masaki, Mike Mortara, Julia Neal, Vicky Penney-Rohner, Linda Pratt, Julie Williams and Jim Wilson. New officers are president of the board Hugh Jenkins, vice president Vicky Penny-Rohner, treasurer Karen Masaki and secretary Julie Williams.

Volcano Art Center Gallery, next to the Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and is preparing for Christmas in the Country and other events. In January, a solo show for Christina Skaggs original paintings will open. It is called The Color of Sacred.
The organization is also fundraising, following loss of income during the federal government shutdown. Call 967-7565.

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Drop, cover and hold on was the message of the first Great Hawai`i
Shake-out on Oct. 17 at 10:17 a.m.

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY THANKS the thousands of Hawai`i residents who took part in the state’s first Great Hawai`i ShakeOut on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 10:17 a.m. They joined over 19.5 million people worldwide who also took part in the annual earthquake drill.

HVO said participation in the earthquake awareness and preparedness drill far exceeded its expectations and underscores the desire of Hawai`i residents to be prepared for natural disasters.
Hawai`i is subject to many kinds of natural hazards, with earthquakes being among them. Large earthquakes typically occur on and around island Hawai`i Island, but historically, they have also occurred around Maui, Moloka`i and Lana`i, with damage extending as far as O`ahu. The probability of a destructive magnitude-6.5 or higher earthquake striking the Hawaiian Islands in the next 10 years is 50 percent.

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See clearthesmoke.org for coaching help to quit smoking.

HAWAI`I TOBACCO QUITLINE HAS A NEW online coaching service, providing experienced web-based Quit Coaches and free nicotine patches and gum to help curb cravings. In addition, the coordinators provide interactive lessons, exercises and tracking tools, online discussion forums with Quit Coaches and others trying to quit, plus encouraging and educational emails and texts.

The Quitline’s new web-based program allows tobacco users to create an easy-to-follow quitting plan plus exclusive access to the online program without calls from a Quit Coach. Enrollment is confidential via the website. Each plan is personalized to every user’s specific needs. Nicotine patches and gum are mailed directly to each tobacco user’s home.
The Quitline continues to provide free phone services, which include a personalized quit plan with a trained phone-based Quit Coach and free nicotine patches or gum. All Quitline programs are free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, whether using the toll free phone number or the web-based program.
For more information or to register for the web services, see clearthesmoke.org or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

KA`U RESIDENT DICK HERSHBERGER returns to present A Walk into the Past Tuesday when he portrays Hawaiian Volcano Observatory founder Thomas Jaggar. Programs scheduled earlier this month were cancelled due to the federal government shutdown. Participants meet at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. or 2 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

AFTER DARK IN THE PARK HOSTS A PROGRAM about the `ohi`a lehua ecosystem Tuesday at 7 p.m. In the early 1970s, a multidisciplinary team of forest biologists began a study of the intact native ecosystems in and around Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, in particular the `ohi`a lehua rainforest. Patches of dead `ohi`a stands were reported from the windward slopes of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. Aerial photo analyses by a team of federal and state foresters revealed rapidly spreading `ohi`a dieback. A killer disease was suspected to destroy the Hawaiian rain forest in the next 15 to 25 years, yet that never happened.

In his new book, Rainforest: Born Among Hawaiian Volcanoes, Evolved in Isolation: The Story of a Dynamic Ecosystem with Relevance to Forests Worldwide, University of Hawai`i at Manoa professor Dieter Mueller-Dombois explains what really happened and why the `ohi`a lehua rainforest survived intact as witnessed today.
Mueller-Dombois will be available to sign copies of his book.
The program takes place at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. $2 donations support park programs, and park entrance fees apply.

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

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

Engineer Sadiq Zarrouk believes Hawai`i County's ban on fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, may obstruct the path
to energy independence. Geothermal resources map from Geothermex

SADIQ ZARROUK, A GEOTHERMAL RESERVOIR ENGINEER and member of the board of directors of the International Geothermal Association, shared his views about fracking and Hawai`i County’s ban on the practice in today’s Civil Beat.” Bill 129 was approved by Hawai`i County Council on Wednesday, Oct. 16.

“There is no shortage of information, misinformation and fears raised about hydraulic fracturing (fracking).
“Some of the bad press around ‘fracking’ has been well-earned. But the negatives surrounding its use by the oil and gas industries to improve the production of wells is threatening progress in places where there should be no anxiety about fracking.

“Hawai`i is one such place, judging by recent legislation attempting to preemptively exclude fracking from the urgent conversation about geothermal that is currently underway. As a scientist who works and lectures on geothermal issues and projects, I offer the following observations to help correct serious misconceptions and facilitate a more informed conversation about how to move Hawai`i forward with regard to tapping its incredible geothermal resources.

Sadiq Zarrouk

“Fracking is normally carried out after the completion of drilling. Fracking is not normally used/applied in conventional geothermal, which is the case for geothermal power development in New Zealand, Hawai`i and another 22 countries around the world.
“I can say with confidence that there is not going to be any fracking in future geothermal development in Hawai`i,” Zarrouk said.

According to a story in Hawai`i Tribune Herald earlier this month, Puna Geothermal’s parent company, Ormat Industries, Ltd., used fracking for an enhanced geothermal project in Nevada this year. Company spokesperson Heide Bethel wrote to the newspaper, saying “it was the first to be attached to the electrical grid in the United States,” the Tom Callis story reported.

Zarrouk continues, “Legislation such as Bill 129 that purport to be inspired by what other regions have done to protect against fracking should be based on facts. The U.K., New Zealand and Canada cited in Bill 129 have not banned fracking. The U.K. did have a moratorium which was lifted in December 2012.

“Water is used in great quantities while drilling new wells. But it is a temporary phase of two to three months, and limiting its use will only inhibit efficient start-up operations.
“Some limited use of chemicals for cleaning, improvement of permeability and prevention of mineral deposits inside the well may be necessary. This does not constitute fracking and may be necessary for the operation of the plant.
“It is not prudent to give an administrator without the appropriate science and geothermal engineering expertise the power to shut down operations as this bill does. In New Zealand, the drilling inspector is someone trained to perform that function and has the necessary qualifications for it. Having an administrator without the relevant experience wielding that kind of power is not conducive to good decision-making or good business. It is therefore also not good for the community.
“It is true that some drilling equipment can be used for fracking. However, an administrator who does not have a full understanding of geothermal operations may be empowered by this bill to shut down the site because he or she sees equipment that can be used for fracking even if there is no fracking taking place or being planned.
“All the Hawai`i islands are volcanic, so there are no likely hydrocarbons (oil, gas, coal, etc.) to be accessed using fracking. These are the industries that use fracking; not geothermal.
“In my opinion, legislation like Bill 129, while well-intentioned, has been guided by bad information and an inadequate understanding of the industry. It will not serve Hawai`i well and may seriously retard the development of a renewable energy source that could replace imported oil as the firm power base for the state’s energy portfolio. That need is urgent, and it would be a shame to see Hawai`i’s path to energy independence obstructed by this kind of ill-conceived legislation,” Zarrouk concludes.
See civilbeat.com.
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UHERO's report shows an extreme drop in consumer confidence
caused by the federal government shutdown.

ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN are discussed in a recent report by the Economic Research Organization at University of Hawai`i.

Of the roughly 34,000 civilian federal employees in Hawai`i, only a fraction were deemed essential and were not furloughed, according to the report. Many of the 18,000 Department of Defense employees were ordered back on the job after the first week of the shutdown. Still, there were a significant number of federal employees who saw a multi-week delay in pay. “But the effect of the shutdown went beyond that. Among other things, it cut into the income of government contractors, hampered the investigation of the molasses spill in Honolulu Harbor and left all seven national parks in the state closed, souring the mood of many visitors and choking off a revenue stream for hundreds of tourism-dependent businesses,” the report states.
“In fact, consumer confidence nationally has taken a nosedive since the first day of the shutdown. The current temporary fix still lacks a credible plan for the long-term resolution of the perennial impasse in Washington and will not fully restore confidence. If the decline in sentiment persists, it may have a greater effect than lost/delayed income during the shutdown.
“In times of uncertainty, people tend to cut back on discretionary spending such as leisure travel. Even if many would-be visitors end up eventually booking their trip to Hawai`i, it may take a while before they do so. People also tend to put on hold the purchase of big-ticket items and homes during unpredictable times. In addition, the prospect of a government debt default has rattled global financial markets, leading to higher short-term borrowing costs.
“The impact of uncertainty gets magnified as the reluctance to spend filters through the economy. Unfortunately, given the appetite of this Congress for spawning artificial crises, we may have to wait for calmer times, at least until the next elections,” the report concludes.

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Winter sports, including boys and girls basketball, begin at Ka`u High
School next month.

WINTER SPORTS COACHES are set for Ka`u High School. Girls basketball starts Nov. 4, with coach Cy Lopez and assistant coaches Jennifer Makuakane, April Jara and Kyle Ren. Boys basketball launches tryouts on Nov. 18 with coach Ravel Kaupu, Jr. The jayvee coach is Darrel Shibuya.

Boys and girls wrestling begins in November under coaches Greg and Hetty Rush.
Boys and girls soccer teams hold tryouts on Nov. 4, under coach Crystalee Mandaquit.
Swimming also starts in November for boys and girls under coach Otis Salmo and assistant coach Deisha Davis.
All high school athletes are required to take physical examinations, which are offered free in Ocean View and on the Ka`u High School Campus.
The schedule for Ocean View at the HMSA medical van to be stationed at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. is Monday, Nov. 4; Wednesday, Nov. 5; Thursday, Nov. 7; Monday, Nov. 11; Tuesday, Nov. 12; Thursday, Nov. 14; Monday, Nov. 18; Tuesday, Nov. 19 and Thursday, Nov. 21.
The schedule for Ka`u High School at the HMSA medical van to be stationed next to the band room from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. is Monday, Nov. 25 and Tuesday, Nov. 26.

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Dick Hershberger is back in costume as Thomas Jaggar
following the re-opening of Hawai`i Volcanoes
National Park.

KAUAHA`AO CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH holds its annual bazaar and laulau sale on Saturday, Nov. 16 in Wai`ohinu from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Various groups will entertain throughout the event. Members of Kauaha`ao Church will sell laulau plate, barbeque plate, hotdogs and kulolo. The event is famous for its laulau sale. Anyone interested in hosting a vendor booth can call Walter Wong Yuen after 7 p.m. at 928-8039. The cost for a booth is $10 for a 10x10 space. Vendors must provide their own tables, chairs, tent and generator if needing electric. For more information, call Kahu Debbie Wong Yuen at 928-8039.

DICK HERSHBERGER PRESENTS A WALK INTO THE PAST tomorrow and every other Tuesday. The Ka`u resident portrays Hawaiian Volcano Observatory founder Thomas Jaggar during programs beginning at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. or 2 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

KA`U HIGH & PAHALA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL holds an open house tomorrow from 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Highlights include work displays, K-12 entertainment, STARLAB, a presentation by Kamehameha Schools, banking with CU Hawai`i, door prizes and free food and refreshments.
For more information, call 313-4100.

Dieter Mueller-Dombois

`OHI`A LEHUA ECOSYSTEM IS THE TOPIC at After Dark in the Park tomorrow at 7 p.m. when University of Hawai`i at Manoa professor Dieter Mueller-Dombois discusses his new book, Rainforest: Born Among Hawaiian Volcanoes, Evolved in Isolation: The Story of a Dynamic Ecosystem with Relevance to Forests Worldwide. He will also be available to sign copies of his book.

The program takes place at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. $2 donations support park programs, and park entrance fees apply.

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

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who gave the keynote address at Kilauea Military Camp's Memorial Day ceremony in May,
is co-sponsoring legislation to improve privacy protections. Photo by David Howard Donald

KAU’S U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD today co-sponsored a bill to improve privacy protections for Americans and limit the National Security Administration’s domestic surveillance programs. The USA FREEDOM Act primarily targets reforms to Section 215 of the 2001 USA PATRIOT Act, which has been widely blamed for the bulk collection of innocent Americans’ personal data.

The USA FREEDOM Act was introduced in the House today by Wisconsin’s Republican Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, author of the 2001 USA PATRIOT Act.

“The NSA’s blatant violations of personal privacy and freedoms – and abuse of the USA PATRIOT Act’s original intent – are absolutely unacceptable,” said Gabbard, who has repeatedly expressed concerns about the NSA’s surveillance programs and spoke in support of an Amash-Conyers proposal to strip funding from the NSA in July. “The USA FREEDOM Act is the first piece of major legislation in Congress designed to make necessary reforms to the sweeping surveillance programs which violate basic levels of personal privacy of the American people. As recent headlines continue to reveal, we still do not know how extensive and invasive these programs truly are. The American people deserve a balanced solution that focuses on keeping our country safe and ensuring the protection of our constitutionally guaranteed freedoms.”
The USA FREEDOM Act targets four key areas of surveillance reform.
First, it would end bulk collection of Americans’ communications records under Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act. The bill would strengthen prohibition on “reverse targeting” of Americans — targeting a foreigner with the goal of obtaining communications involving an American. It requires the government to more aggressively filter and discard information about Americans accidentally collected through PRISM and related programs.

Second, it would reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Court. It creates an Office of the Special Advocate tasked with promoting privacy interests before the FISA court’s closed proceedings. OSA would have the authority to appeal decisions of the FISA court.
Third, it would increase transparency by requiring the attorney general to publicly disclose all FISA Court decisions issued after July 10, 2003 that contain a significant construction or interpretation of law. Internet and telecommunications companies would be allowed to publicly report an estimate of (1) the number of FISA orders and national security letters they received, (2) the number of FISA orders and letters they complied with, and (3) the number of users or accounts on whom information was demanded by the government. The bill would require the government to make regular public reports estimating the total number of individuals and Americans that were subject to FISA orders authorizing electronic surveillance, pen/trap devices, and access to business records.
Fourth, the USA FREEDOM Act adopts a single standard for Section 215 and National Security Letters protection to ensure the Administration doesn’t use different authorities to support bulk collection. It also adds a sunset date to NSLs, requiring that Congress reauthorize the government’s authority, thereby ensuring proper congressional review.

THE KA`U COMMUNITY IS REPRESENTATIVE of the rest of the state of Hawai`i in being divided in opinion regarding the Marriage Equality Act of 2013 currently being discussed at a special session of the state Legislature. Several Ka`u residents sent testimony to the Legislature in advance of the bill being considered by the Senate Judiciary & Labor Committee, where it passed yesterday with a vote of 5 – 2.

“In Hawai`i, we don’t turn our backs on family. No member of anyone’s ohana – gay or straight – should have to face shame because of who they are and who they love, wrote Thelina O’Daniel, of Ocean View. “The government should not be in the business of telling people who they can and cannot marry. None of us would want to be told that it is illegal to marry the person we love.”

As with the rest of Hawa`i, Ka`u residents are divided
in their opinions regarding same-sex marriage.

Muriel Mililani Hughes, of Volcano Village, wrote, “Marriage by definition is the moral, physical, and social union of a man and a woman. If two people of the same gender would like to form a union, then it should be called something else other than a marriage. If individuals desire equality under the law, provide for the same legal rights, but do not call the arrangement a marriage.
“In light of how the local community has been suffering due to the federal shutdown, I am appalled by the decision to schedule a special session on taxpayers’ money to determine this issue. In a small community such as Volcano, the closing of the Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park had far outreaching effect beyond the impact on federal workers ... consider the people who had bed and breakfast units, restaurants, stores, service businesses. A travesty on the small people.”
James Long, of Na`alehu, wrote, “I believe it is the right thing to do, to pass SB1 and allow our same-sex, married island brothers and sisters federal recognition and be treated equally under federal law. It is not only the right thing to do, it is the right time to do it.”
Also from Na`alehu, James T. Oyama, Jr. wrote, “Religious freedom is one of the founding principles of our country. It is not uncommon knowledge that the Bible teaches that gay and lesbian relationships are against the laws of God. It is not a new radical philosophy but a moral principle that has been in place for thousands of years. It is a principle that even our founding forefathers believed in. Although society is changing, the bible has not changed, and many people still uphold the principles in the Bible. It is their religious right to do so.
“To require any religious leader, organization, small business or individual to provide goods or services that assist or promote the solemnization or celebration of any marriage, or provide counseling or other services that directly facilitate the perpetuation of any marriage that is against their religious beliefs, would be infringing on their religious rights.”
Julie and Thomas Pasquale, of Na`alehu, submitted testimony saying, “This is a basic civil rights issue. The freedom to marry the person you love is a basic freedom that should not be denied to anyone.
“The government should not be in the business of telling people who they can and cannot marry. None of us would want to be told that it is illegal to marry the person we love.
This issue is no different than past laws outlawing marriage between couples of different races or religions. It is the role of government to assure equal rights for all couples who want to make a marriage commitment.
“It is time to put this issue behind us and allow equal rights to marry to all couples.”
Ron Ebert, of Pahala, testified, “I am totally against legalizing same sex marriage. At the very least it should be put to a vote of the people. It might be legal to ram this into law without a vote of the people, but is it the right thing to do?”
This and other testimony from Ka`u and other Hawai`i residents is available at capital.hawaii.gov.
More testimony from Ka`u residents will be reported in upcoming Ka`u News Briefs.

Bay Clinic is one participant in
Better Choices, Better Health.

BETTER CHOICES, BETTER HEALTH: A FAMILY AFFAIR is the name of the health fair taking place Saturday, Nov. 9 at Pahala Community Center. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the fair offers health, education and prevention booths, nutrition and healthy food demonstrations, Hawai`i Health Connector enrollment, games and door prizes.

Sponsored by Ka`u Rural Health Community Association, Inc., participants include University of Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine, UH-Manoa Nutrition, EMO Dance & Fitness, Bay Clinic Family Health Center, UH-West Hawai`i Campus, Tutu & Me Traveling Preschool and UH-Hilo College of Pharmacy.

`OHI`A LEHUA ECOSYSTEM IS THE TOPIC at After Dark in the Park this evening at 7 p.m. when University of Hawai`i at Manoa professor Dieter Mueller-Dombois discusses his new book, Rainforest: Born Among Hawaiian Volcanoes, Evolved in Isolation: The Story of a Dynamic Ecosystem with Relevance to Forests Worldwide. He will also be available to sign copies of his book.
The program takes place at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. $2 donations support park programs, and park entrance fees apply.

KA`U `OHANA BAND REHEARSALS take place tomorrow and Thursday at 4 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. Instruments are provided; no experience is necessary. Contact Ka`u School of the Arts at 854-1540 or info@kauarts.org.

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

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

With Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park re-opened, Stewardship in the Park programs are back on track. Volunteers can
help Paul and Jane Field remove invasive Himalayan ginger every week in November beginning this Friday.
Photo by Jessica Ferracane/NPS

U.S. SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ INTRODUCED TWO BILLS yesterday that would create high-quality jobs in Hawai`i and promote American manufacturing as part of a collaborative “Make it in America” initiative with other Senate colleagues.

The SelectUSA Authorization Act would help businesses tap into investment needed to expand and create jobs, spur economic growth and promote American competitiveness. A companion bill in the House has been introduced by California Rep. Raul Ruiz.

The Native Small Business Conformity Act, introduced by Schatz and Sen. Mazie Hirono, would enhance opportunities for Native Hawaiian Organizations to engage in federal contracting as other Native-owned small business firms do.

Sen. Brian Schatz

In the coming weeks, Sen. Schatz will also be introducing two additional bills to promote trade and incentivize energy efficiency in manufacturing. The American Export Promotion Act, which accompanies legislation introduced in the House by Texas Rep. Pete Gallego, would boost exports of Hawai`i’s unique products and help small businesses access global markets.
Schatz will also be working with Senate colleagues to introduce the Expanding Industrial Energy and Water Efficiency Incentives Act, which would offer targeted incentives to promote energy efficiency improvements in industrial and manufacturing facilities and make American industry more competitive.
“These policies will help create good jobs in Hawai`i and help Hawai`i businesses grow,” Schatz said. “New clean energy incentives, opportunities for Native Hawaiian small businesses, increasing Hawai`i’s exports and promoting foreign investment in our businesses are all part of a dynamic economy here in Hawai`i.”
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HAWAI`I STATE SENATE IS CONSIDERING the Marriage Equality Act of 2013 during a special session of the Legislature. If it passes a final floor vote today, the bill moves to the House, where a public hearing is scheduled for tomorrow before the House Judiciary and Finance Committees. The committees are waiving the 24-hour deadline for submission of testimony, which will be accepted before and during the hearing.
According to a message from Ka`u’s state Rep. Denny Coffman, testimony submitted for the yesterday’s Senate hearing does not automatically carry over to the House and should be resubmitted for it to be on the record for tomorrow’s hearing. Testimony is accepted at capitol.hawaii.gov/submittestimony.aspx.
Several Ka`u area residents have submitted testimony to the Legislature regarding the controversial issue.
In her testimony, Jolyne Oyama, of Na`alehu, said, “This legislation will have little effect on the civil rights of the estimated five percent of Hawai`i’s residents who identify themselves as gay or lesbian, because they can travel to any one of the fourteen states or the District of Columbia, which have adopted same-sex marriage legislation, to get married. However, it will have a catastrophic effect on the First Amendment rights of the 95 percent of Hawai`i’s residents who identify themselves as religious.”
Vanessa Ott, also of Na`alehu, wrote, “Long before we were married, my husband and I registered as domestic partners as an act of solidarity with the GLBT community. If they couldn’t marry, why should we? We finally compromised our ethics and got married because of the many benefits that marriage offers, but we continued our fight for marriage equity for everyone. Much like ending Jim Crow laws that prohibited people of different races from marrying, the time has come to end this discriminatory practice.”

Hawai`i State Capitol is the site of a special session considering the
Marriage Equity Act of 2013. Photo from wikipedia.org.

Volcano Village resident Raymond Glory, Jr. wrote, “I am against SB1 for the following reasons: The convening of this special session for an issue that has such far reaching ramifications should have the full two-thirds support of both the House and the Senate. The fact that it does not, and that the governor chooses to convene the special session anyway, is of great concern to me.
“An issue of this magnitude should include as much input from the citizens as possible. This special session does not do that, as it is limited to only five or six days. To compound matters, if I want to testify in person, I have to fly to Honolulu … as there are no accommodations for in-person, neighbor island testifiers. This is discriminatory and abusive to neighbor island citizens.
“It should be the goal of the Legislature to write and pass into law the best bill possible to best serve all of the citizens of the state. The fact that the bill before the Legislature cannot be amended is baffling and leaves me with the impression that the input from the citizens, the House representatives, the senators – for that matter, everybody except the drafters of the bill – is not relevant or welcome. The bill is a “take it or leave it” document and doesn’t look at all like democracy in the United States of America.”
Emily Danford, of Volcano, testified, “The freedom to marry the person you love is a basic freedom that should not be denied to anyone. Gay and lesbian couples get married for similar reasons as everyone else – to make a lifetime promise of love, commitment and fidelity to the person they love.
“In Hawai`i, we don’t turn our backs on family. No member of anyone’s `ohana – gay or straight – should have to face shame because of who they are and who they love.
“The government should not be in the business of telling people who they can and cannot marry. None of us would want to be told that it is illegal to marry the person we love.
“Please pass this bill to allow for marriage equality for all of Hawai`i’s families.

“If you are going to base it on religion, you need to remove all the civil benefits that married couples get and make divorce illegal.”
This and all other testimony submitted is available at capitol.hawaii.gov.
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THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION’S new computer-based vehicle safety inspection system begins this Friday, Nov. 1. Fees are $19.19 for passenger vehicles and pickup trucks and $13.24 for motorcycles and trailers.
“With this program we enter the new age of wireless computerization, instant recordation and protection from fraud and theft,” said DOT director Glenn Okimoto.
The DOT said the program eliminates monthly reporting by inspection stations and provides immediate recording and proof of vehicle inspection status.
In the new system, decals are printed at the inspection station and include station ID, vehicle identification numbers and license numbers.
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TOMORROW IS THE DEADLINE FOR NOMINATION request letters from individuals in Hawai`i’s Second Congressional District for admission to U.S. Service Academies in summer of 2014. U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard issued a call for nominations earlier this month. Applications can be submitted to John Towles, Office of Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, 300 Ala Moana Blvd Room 5-104, Honolulu, HI 96850.
Nomination forms are available at gabbard.house.gov/services/military-academy-nominations.
Constituents may also call Gabbard’s Honolulu office at 808-541-1986 for additional information.
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KA`U TROJANS ARE PREPARING FOR HOMECOMING. Coronation of the court takes place Thursday, Nov. 7 in the evening at the Ka`u High School gym.

Queen is senior Chazlyn Fuerte-Castaneda, of Na`alehu. Her escort is Alexis Alejo. Senior Princess is Kamalani Fujikawa, of Wai`ohinu. Her escort is Chance Emmsley-Ah Yee. Junior Princess is Kerrilynn Domondon, of Pahala. Her escort is Anthony Emmsley-Ah Yee. Sophomore Princess is Jami Beck, of Ka Lae. Her escort is Patrick Hondonero. Freshman Princess is Sherilynn Freitas, of Pahala. Her escort is Trevor Taylor.
Advisors for the homecoming celebration are teachers Janine Balsas and Elisabeth Schlaepfer. Sound for the event is by Extreme Lighting and Sound. Ka`u High School Ensemble will perform.

Ka`u's eight-man football team meets the Moloka`i Farmers Friday, Nov. 8.
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KA`U RESIDENTS HAVE MANY OPPORTUNITIES to help remove invasive Himalayan ginger along Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park trails in November, with the month’s first Stewardship at the Park scheduled this Friday, Nov. 1. Other dates are Fridays, Nov. 8 and 22 and Saturday, Nov. 16 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. each day.

Participants are encouraged to wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants and close-toed shoes. Work is often in the shade of the forest with sounds of native honeycreepers like `apapane, `amakihi and `oma`o. Water, snacks, rain gear and sun protection are recommended.
Interested people can stop by Kilauea Visitor Center to get directions and more information. The hike is a one-mile, moderate round-trip into Kilauea caldera down Halem`auma`u Trail, leaving from Kilauea Visitor Center. The hike involves walking over rough, uneven terrain on a dirt and rock path, with up to a 400-foot elevation change.

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

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

Loulu, the native Hawaiian Palm Prichardia lanigera, which grows in the Ka`u Forest Reserve and The Nature Conservancy Preserve, was named this week to the federal Endangered Species list. Photo from University of California Davis

KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLANNERS are looking for feedback on the latest drafts of their documents. Analysis, background, charts and maps are available for public review online and at area libraries and community centers. Deadline for feedback is Monday, Dec 16. The Ka`u Community Development Plan Steering Committee will discuss the documents at its Tuesday, Nov. 12 meeting at Pāhala Community Center at 5:30 p.m.
Documents include a Local Development Analysis, with a Hawaiian subtitle "I ka moana no ka i`a, liuliu `ia na pono lawai`i," which means, "While the fish are in the sea, get your gear ready." The saying comes from `Olelo No`eau.
The Local Economic Development Analysis“summarizes the background information that informs the consideration of alternative strategies for building a resilient local economy in Ka`u,” says county long-range planner Ron Whitmore, who is in charge of crafting the Ka`u plan. “It introduces the unique nature of Ka`u’s economy, identifies opportunities in various sectors (agriculture, renewable energy, ecosystem services, the health care industry, the education field, the visitor industry, retail, and construction), introduces related plans, and details strategies for advancing community-based economic development.”
Whitmore cautions that the Development Analysis“does not specify the strategies that will make-up the heart of the CDP. Instead, it sets the context for identifying CDP policies and plans of action that best achieve community objectives.” He also suggests reading through the introductory section and then using the tables of contents, figures, and tables to find material of greatest interest. The first section is Understanding Ka‘u’s Local Economy and introduces the unique nature of Ka‘u’s economy and goals for economic development. "Greater economic opportunity is one of the community’s highest priorities, but community members have also been clear that economic development must not be at the expense of Ka‘u’s ecology, culture, rural lifestyle, or ethic of reciprocity – the sources of Ka‘u’s genuine wealth," it states.

The second section, Economic Opportunity in Ka‘u: Trends, Assets, and Challenges by Sector, identifies opportunities for Ka‘u in several industries – agriculture, renewable energy, payment for ecosystem services, health and wellness, creative/education/research, visitor, retail, and construction.
The third section, Planning for Economic Development, introduces options for integrating economic development into community planning. It explains government’s role in economic development, identifies related policies and actions in the County General Plan, and summarizes economic development strategies proposed in past plans for Ka‘u.
The fourth section, Advancing Community-Based Economic Development, compares different approaches to economic development and introduces “core strategies” for advancing the local, community-based economic development. Based on “best practices” from similar rural communities, those strategies focus on regional identity, industry clusters, anchor institutions, innovation, business and workforce capacity, democratization, investment, promotion, and network leadership. "As appropriate for each core strategy, this section highlights examples of how other communities have, applied that strategy, resources available to implement that strategy, and related tools that are specific to particular industries," the overview states.

All draft CDP materials are available at the project web site, www.kaucdp.info and at:
·Pāhala Public Library (928-2015): on the Ka`u reference table Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday 12 noon to 3 p.m. and 3:30 to 7 p.m.; and Friday 12 noon to 5 p.m.

Pāhala Community Center (928-3102): with Nona Makuakane in the office, Monday through Thursday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. & Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Nāʻālehu Public Library (939-2442): behind the front desk, Monday & Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday & Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; & Friday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Nāʻālehu Community Center (939-2510): with Richard Karasuda in the center office, Monday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. & on Friday from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Discovery Harbour Community Association Center (929-9576): Monday, Wednesday, & Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Ocean View Community Association Center (939-7033): Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Reference copies are also available in the Kona and Hilo Planning Department offices.
Whitmore describes the draft materials as “works-in-progress. It is expected that they will be revised as conditions change and new information becomes available. Feedback, suggested additions, updates, and corrections are welcome and encouraged.” Feedback forms are available with the reference copies and at the project web site.
The Nov. 12, 5:30 p.m. meeting at Pāhala Community Center is open to the public, and comment on agenda items is invited. The agenda will be distributed via email to interested parties prior to the meeting.
For more information about the Ka‘ū CDP, see www.kaucdp.info. “Steering Committee members, Community Planning Assistant Nalani Parlin and I are also happy to answer any questions you may have,” said Whitmore. Contact information is available at the project website.

Anchaline shrimp have disappeared in Hawai`i as development crept along the coast.
Photo from The Nature Conservancy

FIFTEEN ENDANGERED SPECIES on Hawai`i Island were added to the federal protection list this week. According to the Federal Register post by the U.S. Department of the Interior on Tuesday, among them are two animals, the anchialine pool shrimp for which the Hawai`i Wildife Fund regularly assists in restoring ponds along the Ka`u Coast, and the picture wing fly.
According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the two-inch long anchialine pool shrimp, Vetericarsis chaceorum, is among the most primitive shrimp on the planet. In much of Hawai`i, these shrimps have died off as the result of filling in their ponds for development or sedimentation and pollution. The Federal Register describes anchialine pools as “land-locked bodies of water that have indirect underground connections to the sea, contain varying levels of salinity, and show tidal fluctuations in water level. Anchialine pool habitats can be distinguished from similar systems (i.e., tidal pools) in that they are land-locked with no surface connections to water, sources either saline or fresh, but have subterranean hydrologic connections to both fresh and ocean water where water flows through cracks and crevices, and remain tidally influenced.

“Anchialine habitats are ecologically distinct and unique, and while widely distributed throughout the world, they only occur in the United States in the Hawaiian Islands. Over 80 percent of the State’s anchialine pools are found on the island of Hawai`i, with a total of approximately 520 to 560 pools distributed over 130 sites along all but the island’s northernmost and steeper northeastern shorelines.

“Characteristic animal species include crustaceans (e.g., shrimps, prawns, amphipods, isopods, etc.), several fish species, mollusks, and other invertebrates adapted to the pools’ surface and subterranean Generally, vegetation within the anchialine pools consists of various types of algal forms (blue-green, green, red, and golden- brown). The majority of Hawaii’s anchialine pools occur in bare or sparsely vegetated lava fields, although some pools occur in areas with various groundcover, shrub, and tree species.”

Picture wing fly was formerly seen at Hawai`i Volcanoes' Bird Park.
Photo by Karl Magnacca

The picture wing fly is the other animal designated endangered this week. It used to be seen in Ka`u at Bird Park within Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park but not recently. It is a microbivore that eats decomposing plant material and lives at altitudes of 2,000 to 4,500 feet. Drospophila digressa is found only on Hawai`i Island and is less than one-fifth of an inch long. Adults have yellow legs, shiny clear wings with brown spots, and brown-yellow bodies. .
In the plant world, the traditional Hawaiian healing tea Ko`oko`olau, used for throat and stomach ailments and cleansing the body, treating diabetes and preventing stroke, is among 13 new plants on Hawai`i Island listed as endangered. Ko`oko`olau, Bidens hillebrandiana, is a member of the sunflower family.
Another one of the endangered plants the loulu, Prichardia lanigera, a medium size palm which is found in Ka`u in The Nature Conservancy preserve and in the Ka`u Forest Reserve owned by the state. Another is haha, which has been found growing in a lava tube and has been successfully propagated at Volcano Rare Plant Facility.
Other newly designated endangered flora are: aku, haiwale, Phyllostegia floribunda, hoawa, Platydesma remyi, Schiedea diffusa ssp. macraei, Schiedea hawaiiensis, and Stenogyne cranwelliae.

Ko`oko`olau, the native Hawaiian herbal tea plant made the Endangered Species list.
Photo by C. Harrington, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

TONIGHT IS HALLOWEEN and many young children are able to travel safely through Ka`u neighborhoods with reflective bags. The County of Hawai`i's Traffic division gave out 10,000 trick-or-treat bags throughout the island for children in preschools, charter and pubic school for student through second grade.
The biodegradable bags are imprinted with safety messages from talking ghosts and a smiling orange pumpkin to remind youngsters to watch for cars, stay in well-lit areas and not to go out alone.
Also in conjunction with safety, preschool and elementary teachers received a list of developmentally appropriate activities for early learners that will raise awareness about the role “helpers” such as police and fire play in their lives and the lives of their families. The learning experience for the child – interactive and informative curriculum and booklets were produced by and organization called Baby STEPS to Stronger Big Island Families.

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

Sen. Brian Schatz helped launch the Washington, D.C. chapter of After-School All-Stars, a sister program to one in Ka`u which works in association with the local UPLINK program. In May, local All-Stars participated in
Special Olympics at UH-Manoa. Photo by Thu-Tam Doan

PUBLIC TESTIMONY CONTINUES TO BE HEARD TODAY on the Marriage Equality Act of 2013. The state House of Representatives is in its second day of a public hearing where some 5,000 people signed up to speak before the Judicial & Finance Committees.

West Ka`u’s state Rep. Denny Coffman is on the Judiciary Committee, and East Ka`u’s Rep. Richard Onishi is on the Finance Committee. Both are on record as planning to vote in favor of the bill.

Rep. Richard Onishi

Rep. Denny Coffman

Other elected officials representing Ka`u who are listed as supporting the bill are U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono, U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Gov. Neil Abercrombie and East Ka`u’s state Sen. Russell Ruderman.

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U.S. SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ HIGHLIGHTED THE IMPORTANT role after-school programs play in Hawai`i at the launch of the Washington, D.C. After-School All-Stars chapter, a sister chapter of Hawai`i’s and Ka`u’s After-School All-Stars programs.
“I have seen first-hand the difference after-school programs make for our children and their families,” Schatz said. “After-school programs help kids do better in class and give them a place to go. After-School All-Stars and the 21st Century Community Learning Centers have helped thousands of children in Hawai`i, and I’ll keep fighting to protect these programs for our kids. That’s why I was glad to ... help launch the D.C. chapter of After-School All-Stars.”
Schatz is a co-sponsor of the After School for America’s Children Act, which would extend and improve the 21st Century Community Learning Centers after-school program.

Currently, more than 5,600 children in Hawai`i participate in after-school activities through 21st Century Learning Centers, more than 1,500 of which participate in the After-School All-Stars programs.
The benefits of after-school programs are tangible, according to a statement from Schatz. Students in after-school programs not only do better in school but are 30 percent less likely to engage in criminal activity, 49 percent less likely to use drugs and 37 percent less likely to become teen parents.
For more information on the UPLINK All-Stars after-school program, contact Ka`u’s After-School All-Stars site coordinator Thu-Tam Doan at 557-7414 or UPLINK program coordinator Liza Saplan at 333-4903 or 928-2006.

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THE FOLLOWING KA`U HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS AND JUNIORS have earned a place on the first quarter honor roll:
Grade 12
Summa Cum laude (3.75-4.0): Kamrie Koi, Romina Ellaine Sembran, Toni Beck, Chazlyn Fuerte-Castaneda, Kyra Malepe, Cassidy Neece, Siena Okimoto, Deven Smithmyer, Lehre Vidal, Jennifer Tabios, Alexis Alejo, Jena Haalilio and Franklin Orcino.
Magna Cum laude (3.5-3.74): Shaenese Tailon, Randall Watson, Andrew Garcia, William Mitchell III and Micah Supnad.
Cum laude (3.0-3.49): Marileah Lalin, Kamalani Fujikawa, Jernest Breithaupt-Louis, Denisha Navarro, Bon Jhudiel Supnad, Carlos Uribe-Bounos, Joshua Zenn Cardenas and Cameron Enriques.
Grade 11
Summa Cum laude: Anjanette Jara and Kehaulani Ke.
Magna Cum laude: Lanni Ah Yee, Brian Gascon, Jeazelle Sebastian, Tia Rose Goldsmith, David Pillette, Rayncin Salmo-Grace and John Ancheta.

Cum laude: Jessica Baruelo, Mike Tamayo, Makela Moses, Steeli Bartley, Glaiza Biason, Rodalynn Kuahiwinui, Kupono Palakiko Leffew, David Phillips, Bridget Pasion, Whitney Spencer-Johansen, Larry-Dan Al-Navarro, Kerrilynn Domondon, Tyren Fukunaga-Camba, Kaweni Ibarra and Joseph Oyama.
More honor roll recipients from other grades will be announced in future Ka`u News Briefs.

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KA`U LIONS POP WARNER FOOTBALL drew community support for its second season in recent years, which wrapped up in October. Home field for the three teams, Mitey Mites (ages 7-9), Peewees (ages 9-12) and Midgets (ages 12-15), was Pahala.

Glen Hashimoto, Jr. leads the organization as president. Barry Buyuan is vice president. Emely Salmo is treasurer, and Nona Makuakane is secretary. Head coach for Mitey Mites is Glen Hashimoto, Jr., assisted by Eugene Keohuloa, Jr. and Paul Makuakane. Head coach for the Peewees is Sonny Breithaupt, assisted by Barry Buyuan and Jonathan Roddy. Head coach for the Midgets is Daniel Bivings, assisted by Aaron Kalau, Ronnie B., Steven Nogales and Bill Burke.

Also essential to the seasons success are field commissioner Kai Manini, concession coordinator Nani Fernandez, team medic Janie Gonsalves, parent coordinator Sasha Kaupu, scholastic coordinator Helena Carvalho, equipment manager Ronnie B., coaches coordinator Daniel Bivings and banquet coordinator Shellen Hashimoto.

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EFFECTIVE TODAY, KA`U PROPERTY OWNERS and tenants are able to negotiate their contracts to allow a household pet to reside on the premises. The intent of the provision is to allow more Hawai`i residents to adopt companion animals and bring them into their homes and also decrease the number of pets surrendered to shelters in the future due to housing issues.

Prior to the enactment of this legislation, property owners could not collect a pet deposit, and some landlords and building managers were reluctant to rent to tenants with pets because they were unable to add an additional deposit for any pet-related damage.
The new provision allows property managers and tenants to negotiate a deposit, not to exceed one month’s rent, to allow a pet to reside in the rental unit.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed Senate Bill 328, sponsored by Sen. Clayton Hee, on July 26, which allowed a six-month period for rental contracts to be amended to allow for a pet.
Inga Gibson, Hawai`i state director for The Humane Society of the United States, said, “We hope this new law will create access to more pet-friendly housing to keep pets and people together and to reduce the number of pets surrendered to shelters or abandoned due to housing issues. Furthermore, property managers and tenants can now agree on a single deposit, rather than charging more each month in rent to have a pet as some property managers have been doing instead.”
Dale Bordner, president of Hawai`i Association of Realtors representing more than 8,000 realtors in real estate sales and property management, said, “This bill will allow for more pet-friendly opportunities, as Hawai`i property owners may be more inclined to allow renters to have pets.”
According to The Hawai`i Humane Society, more than 60 percent of Hawai`i households have a pet, and housing issues, including lack of access to affordable pet-friendly rentals, are one of the leading reasons people surrender their pets to local shelters.

Certified assistance animals providing a reasonable accommodation to a tenant are exempt from the deposit requirement per the federal Fair Housing and Americans with Disabilities Act.
See humanesociety.org.

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A FREE SPAY AND NEUTER CLINIC FOR DOGS takes place this Tuesday, Nov. 5 at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church on Paradise Circle in Ocean View.
The clinic is sponsored by Kohala Animal Relocation and Education Service. To make an appointment, contact KARES at 328-8455 or pets@kohalaanimal.org.

FRIENDS OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK holds a volunteer project at the Kahuku unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park two weeks from today on Friday, Nov. 15 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. “This is a great opportunity for Ka`u residents to visit the park and learn about the park’s forest restoration work at Kahuku,” said coordinator Patty Kupchak. “This will be a fun day outdoors enjoying a beautiful area before the busy holiday season.”
Advance registration is required. Contact FHVNP at 985-7373 or forest@fhvnp.org.

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

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

Humpbacks come to Ka`u and the longest uninhabited coast in Hawai`i each winter to calve and mate. Photo from NOAA

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HAS APPOINTED GOV. NEIL ABERCROMBIE to serve on the President’s Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, the White House announced today. Co-chaired by Office of Intergovernmental Affairs director David Agnew and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley, the task force consists of a group of governors, mayors and other leaders who will develop recommendations on how the federal government can better support local preparedness and resilience-building efforts.  
“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve on this task force, which will allow the state of Hawai`i to have a strong voice in the national discussion on addressing the impacts of climate change,” Abercrombie said. “As the only island state in nation, Hawai`i is unquestionably vulnerable to changes in climate such as rising temperatures, droughts, flooding, sea level rise, coastal erosion and ocean acidification.”

Gov. Neil Abercrombie introduced state sustainability coordinator Jacqueline
Kozak Thiel. Photo from Office of the Governor

“The task force established by President Obama gives Hawai`i a direct line to provide recommendations on removing barriers to federal resources, identifying opportunities for collaboration and developing tools to better support our unique needs and local efforts,” Thiel said. “Gov. Abercrombie’s congressional experience, particularly on the Armed Forces Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces, as well as a senior member on the Natural Resources Committee, was cited as a factor in his selection, along with his ability to provide insight into the needs of the Asia-Pacific region.”

President Obama’s Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience will convene for the first time as early as next month in Washington, D.C., with its recommendations to the President expected within one year.

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“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve on this task force, which will allow the state of Hawai`i to have a strong voice in the national discussion on addressing the impacts of climate change,” Abercrombie said. “As the only island state in nation, Hawai`i is unquestionably vulnerable to changes in climate such as rising temperatures, droughts, flooding, sea level rise, coastal erosion and ocean acidification.”

In conjunction with the announcement, Abercrombie introduced state sustainability coordinator Jacqueline Kozak Thiel, recently appointed by the governor to the newly created position. Thiel is charged with coordinating across departments and with counties, federal agencies and community partners to support progress on Hawai`i’s sustainability goals.   
“The task force established by President Obama gives Hawai`i a direct line to provide recommendations on removing barriers to federal resources, identifying opportunities for collaboration and developing tools to better support our unique needs and local efforts,” Thiel said. “Gov. Abercrombie’s congressional experience, particularly on the Armed Forces Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces, as well as a senior member on the Natural Resources Committee, was cited as a factor in his selection, along with his ability to provide insight into the needs of the Asia-Pacific region.”

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“WHILE THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT SEEKS to help millions of uninsured Americans get quality, affordable coverage, the glitch-ridden launch of the online exchanges and other coverage-related problems have raised serious concerns,” Ka`u’s U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said regarding the troubled implementation of Obamacare. “People in Hawai`i and across the country deserve leaders who have integrity, are accountable to the people and who are ready to work together toward workable solutions. Now is the time for us to come together, identify what needs to be fixed and work to bring about those changes, such as ensuring people have a fair window of time to sign up once the website is fully functional and guaranteeing the security and privacy of personal information that is submitted online. A major piece of legislation like the ACA certainly will not be perfect from day one. Congress must work together to immediately pass targeted improvements that ensure the American people have access to good healthcare.”

According to a statement from her office, Gabbard has repeatedly voted against repeal and defunding of the Affordable Care Act and focused on targeted improvements to the law to strengthen it and ensure its affordability for all Americans. To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

HAWAI`I ISLAND LED THE STATE IN GROWTH for visitor expenditures (+17.1 percent to $1.4 billion) and per person per day spending (+12.5 percent to $179) for the first nine months of 2013. A solid increase in visitors from the U.S. East (+3.5 percent to 303,706) and Japan (5.4 percent to 157,413) offset minimal growth from the U.S. West (0.8 percent to 428,575) and a decrease in Canadian visitors (-1.4 percent to 69,451) year-to-date.

Total visitor expenditures across the state reached $11 billion (+4 percent), and total visitor arrivals surpassed six million (+4.5 percent) during the first three quarters of the year and continue to pace ahead of 2012, despite a dip in arrivals and spending in the month of September.

Year-to-date through September, Hawai`i’s tourism economy has contributed $1.15 billion in state tax revenue, $45 million more than same time last year.
In attracting visitors from new markets, the ratio of first-timers, who tend to spend more, also increased in September (+38.5 percent), in comparison to the year-to-date average of 35 percent.

   “Year-to-date results reflect our ongoing efforts to create a more sustainable tourism economy through diversification,” said Hawai`i Tourism Authority president and CEO Mike McCartney. “With an additional $2 million in legislative funding for international marketing, HTA has been able to nurture developing global markets, which are collectively up nearly 10 percent in visitor arrivals and spending.
   “Furthermore, despite a decline in total Japanese outbound travel, arrivals to Hawai`i out of this market have remained stable due to an increase in seat inventory and new routes from Japan to the Hawaiian Islands.
   “HTA also continues to focus on marketing unique visitor experiences on each of the Hawaiian Islands to enhance distribution across the state. As a result, visitor arrivals and expenditures on all neighbor islands have continued to increase through September 2013.
   “We will continue to monitor the effects of the federal government shutdown and delicate global economy to ensure the sustainability and success of our tourism industry,” McCartney said.
   For more information, see hawaiitourismauthority.org.
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IT' IS WHALE WATCHING SEASON, AND WHILE NO WHALES have been reported seen in Ka`u so far, The Ka`u Calendar encourages reports of humpback whale sightings in Ka`u, along with photos, to be sent to mahalo@aloha.net and urges anyone coming across injured or entangled marine mammals to call NOAA's Marine Mammal Hotline, 1-888-256-9840 or the U.S. Coast Guard on channel 16. To report those approaching or harassing whales and other marine mammals, call NOAA Fisheries Enforcement Hotline, 1-800-853-1964.
   Sighting of humpback whales off other areas of Hawai`i Island have been reported. Justin Viezbicke, Hawai`i Islands Humpback

Whales are often seen jumping at Ka Lae.
Photo from NOAA

Whale National Marine Sanctuary marine conservation coordinator for Hawai`i Island, said friends reported whale sightings near Waikoloa, according to Erin Miller, of West Hawai`i Today.
   Miller also reported that an anonymous boater left a message with Stephens Media on Thursday that he saw two humpback whales near Honokohau Harbor.
   In the story, Viezbicke gave guidelines on interaction with whales, saying vessels and people are asked to maintain a 100-yard distance from whales and that if a whale approaches a motorized vessel, the operator should put the engine in neutral so the propeller won’t injure the whale.
   If a whale surfaces closer than 100 yards to a non-motorized vehicle, the operator should try to move away from the whale, Viezbicke told Miller.
   “Watch your speed, keep somebody on the helm at all times, and have a lookout,” he said.
   See westhawaiitoday.com.
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THE FOLLOWING KA`U HIGH SCHOOL SOPHOMORES AND FRESHMAN have earned a place on the first quarter honor roll:

Grade 10:
   Summa Cum laude (3.75-4.0): Khairalyn Denny, Deisha Gascon, Janet Parlin, Jay-R Abalos, Ashley Amaral, Sheilla Mae Felipe, Kristy Kahookaulana-Kuanoni, Maricar Jane Manantan, Shawn Mooney, Elaina Neece and Yuting Quan.
   Magna Cum laude (3.5-3.74): Tiani Castaneda-Naboa, April Joy Miguel, Monica Lynn Covarrubio and Keana Kuluwaimaka.
   Cum laude (3.0-3.49) Leiani Camba-Penera, Gissele Corpuz, Charlotte Esquida, Trieson Pascubillo, Leanalupualii Aipia Dolan, Jami Beck, Joy Escobar, Rowland Aldwin Flores, Marciana Henry and Evan Manoha.
Grade 9:
   Summa Cum laude: Sheanale Agpaoa, Mariah Chavez, Chloe Gan, Travis Taylor, Trevor Taylor, Julia Chavez, Chadwick Pajimola, Jr, Augustina Sanchez, Magna Cum laude: Cedrick Felipe, Malika Maynard, Jamal Buyuan and Jacob Flores, Jr.

   Cum laude: Tristan Davis, Charisma Felipe, Alysha Gustafson-Savella, Jenny Mauricio Henriquez, Richard Souza III, Benjamin Gouveia, Jacob Maygra, Zaylee Pascubillo, Titan Ault, Benly Bolaoen, Pete Dacalio, Sheri Lynn Freitas, Yokko Nagel, Lomon Silk, Destiny Beck, Le Ann Galope, Nanea Medeiros and Joven Padrigo.
   More honor roll recipients from other grades will be announced in future Ka`u News Briefs.
   To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Keoki Kahumoku

BETTER CHOICES, BETTER HEALTH: A FAMILY AFFAIR is the name of the health fair taking place next Saturday, Nov. 9 at Pahala Community Center. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the fair offers health, education and prevention booths, nutrition and healthy food demonstrations, Hawai‘i Health Connector enrollment, games and door prizes.

HAWAIIAN MASTERS HEADLINE A FREE CONCERT next Saturday, NOV. 9 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. The concert is the finale of the annual, week-long music workshop held by Keoki Kahumoku and where youth win scholarships to study with the masters.

Bring folding chairs or mats for seating on the lawn.

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

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

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