The Kaʻū Calendar News Briefs, Hawaiʻi Island

Jr. Volcano Choy, singer Betsy Curtis, drummer Bruce David and acoustic bass player Brian McCree perform at a jazz fundraiser for a new music program at Ka`u Intermediate School. Photo by Julia Neal

CATASTROPHIC FOR HAWAI`I is how Stanford-educated attorney and energy expert William Pentlandite describes the possible outcome of the proposed NextEra merger with Hawaiian Electric Co., the parent company of Hawaiian Electric Light Co. and Maui Electric Co. The Forbes magazine contributor wrote last week that “Hawaiians should think long and hard about NextEra’s track record in the Sunshine State (Florida) before approving any merger.”

Pentlandite writes about NextEra’s subsidiary Florida Power & Light’s “notorious reputation for self-dealing in Florida.” He quotes David Cruthirds, a regulatory lawyer who writes for RTO Insider and publishes The Cruthirds Report:
“FPL designs RFPs (Requests for Proposals) that could only be won by one entity – FPL. ... To the best of my knowledge, FPL has won every major power supply RFP it has issued in the past 15 years.”

Writes the Forbes contributor: “FLP’s self-dealing on power supply projects has been systemically ignored by utility regulators in Florida. The Florida Public Service Commission is supposed to balance the interests of customers and utility shareholders. Last year, Nancy Argenziano, who served as a Commissioner from 2007 to 2010, described the current PSC as “a wholly-owned subsidiary of the state’s biggest power companies.”
The Forbes article states that “Argenziano, a Republican state legislator from 1997 to 2007, was not reappointed for a second term as a commissioner after she rejected a requested rate increase from FPL. She has remained an outspoken critic of the PSC’s treatment of utilities.”
The article quotes her saying, “It’s up to the Commission to regulate (utilities) so they don’t gouge customers. In the last several years, it’s been like an episode of Utilities Gone Wild – getting everything they want from the commissioners – extra-favorable rate increases, gutting of efficiency efforts and walking away from their own incompetence unscathed. That means the heaping of unnecessarily high costs onto customers, to the benefit of power company shareholders.”
The author writes that one watchdog group reported that “Florida’s state Legislature is nearly as compromised by the influence of utilities as the PSC. Florida’s four largest utility companies hired one lobbyist for every two state legislators and contributed more than $18 million to state political candidates between 2004 and 2012.”
Pentlandite concludes: “It is by no means certain that NextEra Energy would behave in Hawai`i in the future as it has behaved in Florida in the past. On the other hand, if it did, the consequences could be catastrophic for Hawai`i.”
The author also writes about utilities having little federal oversight in Hawai`i and about the proposed cable that would carry electricity along the seabed between the islands. See more at http://www.forbes.com/sites/williampentland/2015/01/30/what-is-at-stake-for-hawaii-in-nextera-energy-heco-merger/2/.

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See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.

THE DIRECTORY 2015, KA`U’S BUSINESS and community guide, is online through kauchamber.org. It can be reached directly at

kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf and also at kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.
Printed versions of the 80-page digest will be circulated throughout the district at post offices, financial institutions and stores, as well as government and commercial offices. The annual publication, a partnership between Ka`u Chamber of Commerce and The Ka`u Calendar, raises money for scholarships for Ka`u residents seeking higher education. Ka`u Chamber president Dallas Decker said that annual scholarships follow students year after year as they complete college and technical courses. The idea is to help keep them funded and for them to return to work in Ka`u with their new skills.
The Directory features a “yellow pages” style section of ads and listings for local businesses. It has a calendar section for daily and weekly activities in Ka`u and a listing of regional events for the year. It features maps of Ka`u communities, contact information on government officials, community organizations, parks and churches.
There is a section on Emergency Preparedness and others on schools, libraries, hospitals, clinics, animal shelters and county and volunteer fire departments.
Features include the winning 2015 Ka`u Chamber of Commerce Ken Wicks Scholarship essay and the annual Ka`u Chamber Art Contest that decides the cover image for The Directory. Ka`u Coffee contest winners, the winning Ka`u Eight-Man Football Team, the French honoring Ka`u WWII 442nd veterans and Chamber Endorsements are other stories in The Directory.
The entire book is illustrated in color photos about the people and places of Ka`u by such artists as Peter Anderson and photographers for The Ka`u Calendar newspaper and www.kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com.
To make The Directory even more accessible than being online and in print, said editor Julia Neal, is the plan to put all of the information and illustrations on an app, accessible through many electronic devices. That project, headed by Chamber board member Lee McIntosh, is expected to go live early this year.
To add a business or community listing or advertising and scholarship support, call 928-6471.

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Hawai`i County Civil Defense map shows paths lava has taken toward Hwy 130.

A MORATORIUM THAT LED SOME PUNA residents to look for housing in Ka`u will be lifted tomorrow. Section Eight housing assistance vouchers will once again be useable in Puna, where they have been restricted since October, when lava threatened to cover Hwy 130 and cut off access to the area.

According to Bret Yager, of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald, Mayor Billy Kenoi said the moratorium will be lifted “since it remains unclear when lava could sever the main road and because plans have been put into place to maintain services to the region if it does.”
Kenoi told Yager another moratorium could go into effect in the future, depending on lava activity. While lava from the June 27 flow has approached the highway several times, it has stalled each time before reaching it and began flowing in other areas.
The federal Housing and Urban Development program provides the vouchers.
See hawaiitribune-herald.com.

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Keoki Kahumoku and Moses Espaniola, along with Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder, join in the concert to raise money for after-school band for junior high students. Photo by Julia Neal

KA`U INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL STUDENTS can take free music lessons on Mondays at 4 p.m. and Fridays at 3:30 p.m. on the Pahala public school campus. The program, sponsored by Volcano Art Center, is taught by Jr. Volcano Choy, a pianist, vocalist and player of numerous brass and other instruments. After a long jazz career on the mainland, the Hawai`i native now lives in Volcano and has agreed to visit the public school campus twice a week to give classes and build potential for a school band.

Choy said he is inspired by the enthusiasm of the boys and girls attending the classes, their musical talents that are encouraged by their families and their willingness to learn.
The project also involves restoration of band instruments that have been stored in the school’s band room for about a decade.
Yesterday, Choy, jazz singer Betsy Curtis, stand-up bass player Brian McCree and drummer Bruce David gave a fundraising jazz concert on the grounds of Pahala Plantation House. Also joining in were Keoki Kahumoku and Moses Espaniola, Jr., both of them Hawaiian music teachers for youth in Ka`u, and Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder. The event raised more than $700 in donations. A separate grant raised $4,500 to restore the band instruments through the state Foundation on Culture & the Arts.

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Sign-up deadline is tomorrow for a Kahuku forest restoration project.
Photo by Carol Johnson

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP’S LAVA LOUNGE in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park hosts a Super Bowl XLIX party today, with door prizes every quarter. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. Call 967-8365 for more information.

KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK is the site of Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s next Forest Restoration Project on Friday, Feb. 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants will be planting native seedling trees in a fenced enclosure where plants will be protected from grazing animals.

“We will learn about the park’s native forest restoration program at Kahuku and be able to see the start of natural recovery of the forest,” said Executive Director Elizabeth Fien.
Friends’ goal is a crew of 12 people, and pre-registration is required. To sign up, contact Patty Kupchak at forest@fhvnp.org or 352-1402 by tomorow evening, Feb. 2. Include first and last name, email address and a phone number.

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

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.

This year's Miss Ka`u Coffee pageant is set for Saturday, April 25, one of many events that are part of the 10-day Ka`u Coffee Festival. Photo by Julia Neal

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY HAS WELCOMED a new staff scientist, Ingrid Johanson, an expert in using GPS as well as satellite radar data (InSAR) to measure motion of the ground surface in response to geologic events such as earthquakes and magma movement.

Growing up in California’s central valley just east of San Francisco, Johanson was no stranger to earthquakes, but it was a summer internship in geophysics that inspired her to study them. At the time, she was a UCLA undergraduate pursuing a degree in physics. Through the internship, Johanson discovered geophysics could combine her love of math and physics with an appreciation for nature to help understand the processes that shape and move Earth. Geophysics also gives her the added bonus of working outdoors.

Dr. Ingrid Johanson joins HVO as a geophysics expert studying earthquakes
and lava flow. Photo from HVO

As part of graduate research at the University of California at Berkeley, Johanson helped develop a technique using InSAR to map surface motion. Her work led to new insights into how stress accumulates along faults, including the San Andreas Fault, and how that relates to the potential for future damaging earthquakes.
After earning her Ph.D., Johanson completed a postdoctoral fellowship with the U.S. Geological Survey and worked at HVO, where she studied Kilauea Volcano for several months before accepting a position at UC Berkeley as a research scientist and manager of the Bay Area Regional Deformation network. BARD is an array of continuously operating GPS stations that monitor surface motion across the faults that make up the Pacific-North America plate boundary around the San Francisco Bay area.
Johanson was responsible for processing GPS data, including high-rate and real-time GPS. Her results are incorporated in California’s earthquake early warning system.

Real-time deformation data are not only useful in earthquake early warning (the feasibility of which is currently being studied in Hawai`i), but also invaluable in assessing volcanic hazards, reports HVO in its Volcano Watch publication.
During quickly emerging events, such as intrusions of magma into rift zones or shallow levels beneath the summits of Kilauea and Mauna Loa, real-time tilt and GPS positioning allow tracking magma beneath the surface as it moves. “Johanson’s experience in this field will bring valuable improvements to our real-time GPS capabilities,” HVO reports.
“The combination of GPS and InSAR expertise Johanson brings to HVO has great potential to further our understanding of volcanic and earthquake processes on Hawaiian volcanoes. With the ongoing lava flow on Kilauea and the ever-present threat of renewed activity at Mauna Loa, Johanson’s expertise is needed now more than ever.”

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Exploring Ka`u's mountain water system is another highlight of the 10-day
Ka`u Coffee Festival. Photo by Jesse Tunison

THE KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL COMMITTEE has announced 10 days of education and celebration of the Ka`u Coffee industry, from Friday, April 24 through Sunday, May 3. The Ho`olaule`a with farm tours, music, coffee tasting, food and coffee sales takes place on Saturday, May 2 at Pahala Community Center, where a new Miss Ka`u Coffee will reign following the pageant on April 25. Buy Local, It Matters is also a feature of the festival, drawing people to local businesses ahead of the Ho`olaule`a, where prizes are given to those who support regional enterprise.

The ten days of events are sponsored by Hawai`i Tourism Authority, County of Hawai`i, Ka`u Coffee Growers Cooperative, Olson Trust, Ka`u Farm & Ranch, Pahala Plantation Cottages and many coffee farmers and businesses throughout the region. To volunteer, sponsor or donate, contact 2015 Festival Chair Chris Manfredi at 929-9550 or cmanfredi@kaufarmandranch.com. To donate to the Miss Ka`u Coffee scholarship fund, contact Scholarship Chair Julia Neal at 928-9811 or mahalo@aloha.net. To sign up for a booth to sell Ka`u Coffee, food, arts, crafts or for educational purposes, contact Brenda Moses at brenda@kaucoffeemill.com.

Triple C recipe contest invites participants to showcase Ka`u Coffee
in original recipes. Photo by Julia Neal

Here are the dates for Ka`u Coffee Festival 2015:

Pa`ina Open House Kickoff Celebration – Friday, April 24, 5:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House, Co-sponsored by Ka`u Chamber of Commerce.
Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant – Saturday, April 25. Call Pageant Chair Gloria Camba at 928-8558.
Triple C Recipe Contest – Sunday, April 26, 2 p.m. at Ka`u Coffee Mill. Enjoy culinary treats using Ka`u Coffee as an ingredient. Free entry and tasting for the public. Live entertainment. See kaucoffeemill.com or call 928-0550.
Ka`u Mountain Water System Hike – Wednesday, April 29, 9 a.m., starting at Ka`u Coffee Mill. Reservations required. See kaucoffemill.com or call 928-0550.
Coffee & Cattle Day – Friday, May 1, 10 a.m. at `Aikane Plantation Coffee Farm. Call 808-927- 2252 for reservations.
Ka`u Star Gazing at Makanau Mountain – Friday, May 1, 5:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. See kaucoffeemill.com or call 928-0550.
Ka`u Coffee Festival Ho`olaule`a – Saturday, May 2, 9 a.m – 5 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. Enjoy a free, full day of music, hula, Ka`u Coffee Tasting, educational displays and demonstrations, food, arts, crafts, vendors and a keiki corner. Enjoy live entertainment. For more information, call Chris Manfredi at 929-9550.
Ka`u Coffee Experience – Saturday, May 2, 9:30 a.m. – noon, 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Sample Ka`u Coffees prepared using a wide variety of techniques, served by expert baristas.
Farm & Mill Tours – Saturday, May 2, Various times, $20. See kaucoffeefest.com for more information.
Ka`u Coffee College – Sunday May 3, 9 a.m. at Pahala Community Center. Educational series featuring researchers and industry professionals. Free for farmers. Call Chris Manfredi at 929-9550.

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Videoconferencing of Hawai`i County Council meetings continues at Ocean View
Community Center. Meetings are also live-streamed at hawaiicounty.gov.

KA`U RESIDENTS CAN PARTICIPATE in this week’s Hawai`i County government meetings. Council committees meet tomorrow, and the full Council meets Wednesday at 9 a.m. All meetings take place at Council Chambers in Hilo.

The meetings will be live-streamed online at hawaiicounty.gov. Click on the Council Meetings like at left. Videoconferencing is available at Ocean View Community Center, where residents can provide testimony during the meetings.
Governmental Relations & Economic Development Committee meets at 9 a.m., Public Works and Parks & Recreation at 10 a.m., Planning at 11 a.m., Finance at 1:30 p.m. and Environmental Management at 2:30 p.m.
The Planning Committee considers a bill that would amend Hawai`i County’s Zoning Code relating to zoning district regulations within industrial-commercial mixed county districts.
The Windward and Leeward Planning Commissions forwarded favorable recommendations to this amendment, which would allow double-family and multiple-family residential units within the districts.
Hawai`i County Council on Wednesday considers a Resolution that would amend Rules of Procedure and Organization of the
Council. The resolution proposes the following rule changes: 1) Council members would not be excused from meeting attendance except “due to illness, emergency matter or court directive;” 2) Deletes the requirement that the Council Chair approve waivers of items to the Council agenda that have been approved in writing by the Committee Chairperson 3) Deletes the option of presenting public testimony in the form of prerecorded video testimony; 4) Mandates that before any Council Member can cut off debate by calling for the question, each Council Member has had the opportunity to speak at least once; 5) Provides that expenses of NACo steering committee members be drawn from the general account and expenses for attendance at Council meetings by Council members and the reasonable expense for attendance of district staff approved by the Council Clerk not also require approval of the Council Chairperson; and 6) Clarifies that the mayor’s approval is not required to transfer contingency funds to County agencies.

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Ka`u resident Dick Hershberger takes participants on A Walk into the Past
tomorrow and every other Tuesday. Photo by Ron Johnson

KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK is the site of Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s next Forest Restoration Project on Friday, Feb. 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants will be planting native seedling trees in a fenced enclosure where plants will be protected from grazing animals.

To sign up, contact Patty Kupchak at forest@fhvnp.org or 352-1402. Include first and last name, email address and a phone number.

KA`U RESIDENTS CAN TAKE A WALK INTO THE PAST tomorrow at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., when Ka`u resident Dick Hershberger brings Hawaiian Volcano Observatory founder Thomas Jaggar to life. Participants meet at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and walk to the Whitney Vault near Volcano House, where Jaggar housed equipment to research the volcano.

LOVE THE ARTS: ABRACADABRA: THE MAGIC OF ART is coming up Saturday, Feb. 7 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. VAC’s annual fundraiser features silent and live auctions, entertainment, gourmet food, handmade confections, fine wine and champagne. Proceeds help develop future community art education and enrichment programs. $55 members; $65 nonmembers. Tickets are available at Niaulani Campus, VAC Gallery, Banyan Gallery and The Most Irresistible Shop in Hilo. 967-8222 or volcanoartcenter.org.

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

Ka`u residents may be able to see the International Space Station as it passes over Hawai`i tonight. NASA photo from Wikipedia

HAWAI`I FARMERS UNION UNITED has announced bills it supports in the current state legislative session. Vice President and Legislative Committee Chairman Simon Russell asks the public to testify on the bills.

HB 509 would create a classification of agricultural public lands entitled “taro lands.” It would appropriate funds to the Board of Land and Natural Resources to create an inventory of lands classified as such.
HB 627 would establish the Hawai`i farm-to-school program and appropriate funds for two farm-to-school coordinator positions.
HB 850 would appropriate moneys for critical positions in University of Hawai`i’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Cooperative Extension Service.
HFUU opposes HB 849, which would amend Hawai`i’s Right to Farm Act to ensure that counties cannot enact laws, ordinances or resolutions to limit rights of farmers and ranchers to engage in agricultural practices.
More information about the legislation and how to testify is available at capitol.hawaii.gov.

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Interim DLNR Chair Carty Chang

IT COSTS A LOT OF MONEY AND RISKS LIVES to rescue people, and state Department of Land & Natural Resources is sending out a warning. The agency has cited two hikers who were lost in the state Kahauale`a Natural Area Reserve overnight while returning from a hike to Pu`u `O`o Crater. Division of Conservation & Resources Enforcement officers said the hikers were rescued by Hawai`i County Fire Department after spending the night in the NAR.

A 23-year-old man from Maryland and a 24-year-old man from Pahoa received citations from DLNR officers for entering into a closed area. They must now appear in Hilo District Court. The violations are misdemeanor offenses punishable by a fine and/or one year in prison.
DLNR closed Kahauale`a Natural Area July 2007 due to hazardous and unsafe conditions caused by volcanic activity. The closure was extended to July 2015 and may be continued as long as unsafe conditions persist.
“Entering into closed areas is a serious offense that unnecessarily risks lives and places rescuers in jeopardy,” said Carty S. Chang, Interim DLNR Chairperson. “DLNR will enforce these closures and take enforcement action on violators,” Chang added. After receiving citations, the two hikers were released.

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Bobby Jean Leithead Todd

HAWAI`I COUNTY’S DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT is stepping up efforts toward recycling of green waste. Revenue from a new tipping fee for businesses will help finance expansion of green waste recycling services across the island.

The county will begin charging the new fee on March 1 to businesses that deposit green waste at recycling facilities in Pu`uanahulu and Hilo. The fee will not affect individual residents or homeowners, who will continue to be allowed to drop off residential green waste free of charge at seven locations around the island.
The county currently pays more than $1.6 million a year to recycle green waste into mulch that is distributed free to the community, and consumers across the island are asking for more recycling opportunities closer to home.
The new tipping fee is expected to raise more than $500,000 a year to help finance an expansion of organics recycling services islandwide, including establishing new green waste recycling locations at additional transfer stations.
“Adding new green waste drop-off and recycling locations at additional transfer stations will help us to divert more organics from our waste stream and will extend the life of our landfills,” said Bobby Jean Leithead Todd, director of the Department of Environmental Management. “Our residents have been asking for more recycling opportunities, and we feel the timing is right to launch this initiative.”

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Pres. Obama's budget includes increased funding for Mauna Loa Observatory.
Photo by Mary Miller from NOAA

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA’S RECENTLY announced Fiscal Year 2016 budget contains funding for important initiatives for Hawai`i.

$444 million for military construction projects in Hawai`i.
$70.2 billion in funding for the Veterans Administration, a $5.1 billion increase from last year.
$33 million for Native Hawaiian Education Program, a $1 million increase from last year.
$12.8 million for Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions of Higher Education.
$3.1 million for Asian-American and Native American-Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions.
$12 million for Native Hawaiian Health Care.
$1.5 billion in funding for community health centers, including 14 in Hawai`i.
$14.7 million to support operations at two Tsunami Warning Centers including the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, targeted research and development and international coordination activities.
$10.2 million, an increase of $3 million from last year, to support and maintain 50-plus years of sustained observations and research at NOAA’s six Atmospheric Baseline Observatories, including Mauna Loa Observatory.
$286 million to protect plant health, including an increase of $2 million for the Agricultural Quarantine Inspection program to provide the necessary staffing, canine teams and equipment replacement needed to adequately inspect baggage bound for the continental U.S. from Hawai`i and Puerto Rico.
$2.5 million for Hawai`i energy programs including the State Energy Program, Weatherization Assistance and energy research programs.
$42 million to support the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, which includes the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center at the University of Hawai`i.
$4.5 million to support an inventory of life-saving and life-sustaining commodities and equipment such as cots, blankets, emergency meals, bottled water and other items for disaster response purposes at the nine distribution centers across the U.S., including one in Hawai`i.
$2 million for Small Business Administration outreach to Native American communities, including Native Hawaiian Organizations.

“Many of the priorities laid out in the President’s budget reflect a commitment to stand on the side of middle class families, with key investments in research and innovation, early and higher education, national security, military construction, veterans and infrastructure,” Sen. Mazie Hirono said. “These will help create jobs and accelerate economic growth while the reforms to our broken tax system will make sure everyone pays their fair share.

Sen. Mazie Hirono

Sen. Brian Schatz

“As a member of armed services and intelligence, I continue to advocate for Hawai`i’s major role in the rebalance to the Asia-Pacific. The budget also includes projects and priorities to support a sustainable future in Hawai`i and across the country, like Hawai`i’s ‘Islands Forests at Risk’ Collaborative Landscape, which will provide crucial protection of native species and their habitats and is the first time Hawai`i’s application has ranked in the top three proposals to receive current and permanent funding. I look forward to working with the delegation to ensure these priorities are funded.”
Sen. Brian Schatz said, “The President’s budget proposal lays out a clear path forward to ensure that our economy continues its recovery and that our economic priorities are focused on strengthening and expanding the middle class. I am pleased that the President has made clear that we should put an end to the automatic across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration and invest in research and development, a strong national defense, education and our nation’s infrastructure.

“The budget proposal creates a fairer tax system by ending some tax breaks for the wealthiest one percent in order to provide more resources for middle-class workers and their families, clean energy programs, and investments in education programs like universal pre-K and affordable community college. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the appropriations committee to protect Hawai`i’s priorities and build a stronger economy for our middle class.”

Ka`u residents can sign up for Saturday's Ka`u Coast Cleanup.
Photo from HWF

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A KA`U COAST CLEANUP TAKES PLACE Saturday. Volunteers meet Hawai`i Wildlife Fund staff members at 7:45 a.m. at Wai`ohinu Park to carpool/caravan to Pa`ula/Lepana on the Kalaemano property. Sign up with coordinator Megan Lamson at kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com or 769-7629.

THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION passes over Hawai`i this evening, rising in the southwest at 6:54 p.m. and moving to the right. It will pass above Venus and Mars at 6:56 p.m.

The theme of Volcano Art Center's annual fundraiser is
Abracadabra: The Magic of Art.

VOLCANO ART CENTER’S ANNUAL FUNDRAISER Saturday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at its Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village features silent and live auctions, entertainment, gourmet food, handmade confections, fine wine and champagne. Proceeds help develop future community art education and enrichment programs. $55 members; $65 nonmembers. Tickets are available at Niaulani Campus, VAC Gallery, Banyan Gallery and The Most Irresistible Shop in Hilo. 967-8222 or volcanoartcenter.org.

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

A vogbow stretches across the Ka`u landscape. Claire Horwell, a researcher from the United Kingdom, asks Ka`u residents to share their experiences dealing with vog. Photo from Vog Talk on facebook

WHETHER OR NOT HAWAI`I COUNTY should accept an attorney’s offer of free representation to defend its law restricting genetically modified crops is on the County Council’s agenda today.

Earthjustice Attorney Paul Achitoff

An Associated Press story in Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported that, according to West Hawai`i Today, Paul Achitoff, managing attorney for Earthjustice’s mid-Pacific regional office, made the offer.
Attorneys representing groups challenging the law are urging Council members not to accept Achitoff’s offer. Margery Bronster and Rex Fujichaku say Achitoff has a conflict of interest because groups opposing genetically modified organisms have a different agenda from the county.
The county ordinance bans growing GMO crops in open-air conditions, with some exceptions.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Kurren in November ruled the county's law was invalid because state law pre-empts county law on the issue.
The County Council in December voted 5-4 to appeal Kurren’s ruling.

See staradvertiser.com.

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Ka`u's Hawai`i County Council member Maile Medeiros David
Image from Hawai`i County

HAVING PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT applications be reviewed and acted on by either the Leeward or Windward Planning Commission, depending on properties’ locations, got unanimous approval of Hawai`i County Council’s Planning Committee yesterday. Currently, only the Planning director has to approve PUDs, and public notice follows the decisions. Decisions can be overturned by the Board of Appeals and the Third Circuit Court.

While the initial intent of the PUD was to make for better planning by avoiding simple cookie cutter developments, PUDs are sometimes used by developers to obtain smaller, more desirable lots for estates and houses.
“The director-approved process may have worked 30 years ago, but as we grow, I see this as an evolvement, and this is an appropriate time to bring forth a change like this,” said Ka`u’s County Council member Maile Medeiros David.
Planning Director Duane Kanuha pointed out that in the earlier 1970s the Planning Commission reviewed PUDs, and the Charter Commission moved that responsibly to the Planning Department in the late 1970s or early 1980s. He said the process has gone “full circle.”

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Sen. Josh Green, M.D.

KA`U’S STATE SEN. JOSH GREEN, M.D., Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, has scheduled a hearing on SB 791, relating to autism spectrum disorders, which would require health insurers to provide coverage for autism diagnosis and treatment.
The hearing will be held on Friday at 1:15 p.m. in Room 414 of the State Capitol.
“The autism rate has soared to as high as one in 68 children,” Green said, “and families across Hawai`i are struggling with the enormous costs of the treatment they need to give their kids the best chance to lead healthy, productive lives.”
Green fought to pass similar legislation during the 2014 legislative session and introduced SB 791 for the 2015 session on Jan. 23. Experts on autism and affected families from Hawai`i and across the country are expected to offer testimony during the hearing.
“Over 38 states have passed legislation to ensure that treatment for autism is covered by health insurance,” Green said, “because they know the huge financial costs of leaving autism left untreated, both to families and to the state.
“It’s time for us to do the right thing for Hawai`i’s kids and families struggling with autism.”
Green is an Emergency Room doctor with 15 years of experience caring for Hawai`i’s families on Big Island, including at Ka`u Hospital.
For more information, contact Green at (808) 937-0991 or sengreen@capitol.hawaii.gov.

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Sen. Russell Ruderman

COFFEE LABELING IS THE TOPIC OF ONE of several bills introduced by Ka`u’s state Sen. Russell Ruderman. SB594 would require a specific listing of the geographic origins of various Hawai`i-grown coffees and the geographic or regional origins of the various coffees not grown in Hawai`i that are included in a coffee blend to be listed on the front panel of a label. The bill also would increase the minimum percentage requirement for coffee blends to use geographic origin in labeling or advertising to 80 percent coffee by weight from that geographic origin. It would be effective Jan. 1, 2016.

Other bill introduced by Ruderman include SB322, which would criminalize the sale of aquatic life for aquarium use and establish penalties for first and subsequent violations. It amends existing aquarium fish permit law to conform to the ban.
SB578 would enable the Office of Elections to implement elections by mail in any interested county, beginning with the 2016 primary election. By 2018, all federal, state and county primary, special primary, general, special general and special elections would be conducted by mail. The bill would enable absentee walk-in voting to continue prior to Election Day. The bill ensures that limited polling sites in each county would remain open on Election Day for absentee walk-in voting and to receive mail-in ballots. It appropriates funds for the implementation and administration of the election-by-mail program.
SB586 would appropriate funds to the University of Hawai`i at Hilo for programs and studies related to rat lungworm disease.
SB591 would make an appropriation to the Hawai`i Invasive Species Council for coordinated management of albizia trees on Hawai`i Island and throughout the state.
See capitol.hawaii.gov for more information at to provide testimony on the bills.

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Claire Horwell, at right, during a vog focus group in Volcano Monday.
Photo by Sher Glass

KA`U RESIDENTS CAN HELP a researcher from the United Kingdom in her study of effects of vog. Claire Horwell, a senior lecturer at Durham University, runs the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network, an umbrella organization for all research and information on volcanic health hazards. IVHHN currently involves 31 expert members from 25 international institutions. Members work in diverse scientific disciplines such as volcanology, epidemiology, toxicology, public health and physical chemistry with a common aim of trying to determine the health effects of volcanic emissions, in particular the health hazard of inhaling volcanic ash and gas.

Horwell is living on the Big Island for three months and conducting a study on ways people protect themselves from vog and how those methods relate to official advice.
“I am working with communities and advice-giving agencies,” Horwell said. She has set up a facebook page to let the vog-affected residents tell her how they deal with vog on a daily basis.
See Vog Talk at https://www.facebook.com/groups/421925067973152/. “Please tell me your stories! Mahalo!” Horwell said.
Also see www.ivhhn.org.

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Chris Eldridge

CHRIS ELDRIDGE, MANAGING PARTNER of biofuels company `Aina Koa Pono, which planned to grow crops in Ka`u to produce biofuel at a refinery above Pahala, and his business partner Dustin Sellers have invested in their first Hawai`i-based company, DR Fortress.
The two last year founded the investment firm Koa Capital Partners “to invest and to provide operational expertise to small- to medium-sized businesses with Hawai`i ties,” according to a report by Jason Ubay in Pacific Business News.
“(Koa Capital Partners) have strong local ties, and we wanted a partner that would help us reach into the local community,” DR Fortress president Fred Rodi told Ubay. “They have good relationships with some of the top companies in Hawai`i, and they can help us.” The company operates a data center in Honolulu and provides cloud services.

See bizjournals.com/pacific.

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A new book summarizes USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's century of researching Hawaiian volcanoes. Image of 1894 painting by D. Howard Hitchcock from National Park Service

A NEW BOOK SUMMARIZING 100 YEARS of observing Hawaiian volcanoes is now available online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1801/, with printed copies to follow soon. The U.S. Geological Survey monograph describes the current scientific understanding of Hawaiian volcanoes – built on the work done since USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory was established in 1912 – and highlights research and monitoring still conducted today.

With an eye to the past, Characteristics of Hawaiian Volcanoes highlights the scientific state of knowledge of the mechanisms, processes and hazards of Hawaiian volcanoes. “The seminal work and current scientific awareness summarized in the book ultimately contribute to safer and more resilient communities near active volcanoes, whether on Hawai`i or an ocean away,” said Janet Babb, of HVO.

The work described in the book builds upon the pioneering work of HVO founder, Thomas A. Jaggar, Jr., and the many scientists who followed in his footsteps. Ten chapters synthesize the lessons learned about specific aspects of volcanism in Hawai`i, based largely on continuous observation of eruptive activity like that occurring now at Kilauea Volcano and on systematic research into volcanic and earthquake processes during HVO’s more than 100 years of investigation.
“Researchers and students interested in basaltic volcanism should find the volume to be a valuable starting point for future investigations of Hawaiian volcanoes and an important reference for decades to come, as well as an informative and entertaining read,” said USGS Director Suzette Kimball in the volume’s forward.
In 2012, HVO celebrated the centennial of its founding. In the more than 100 years since Jaggar began making systematic observations of Hawaiian volcanism, HVO has been responsible for numerous innovations and scientific insights into natural hazards and Earth processes. For example, the development of modern seismic networks was started, in large part, by work of the observatory, and HVO scientists made the first forecasts of tsunami arrival times from distant earthquakes. HVO has also served as a training ground for volcanologists from the United States and around the world.
“These contributions update the foundation of understanding for Hawaiian volcanism and serve as a springboard for researchers by providing ideas and stimuli for new avenues of scientific investigation,” said USGS HVO geologist and lead editor Michael Poland.
The Hawaiian Islands have long been recognized as an exceptional natural laboratory for volcanology. The chapters that make up this volume treat in detail various aspects of Hawaiian volcanism, from the evolution of volcanoes that make up the island chain to dynamics of effusive and explosive eruptions.

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Paul Achitoff

EARTHJUSTICE ATTORNEY PAUL ACHITOFF and others from Center for Food Safety will help Hawai`i County defend its law limiting genetically modified crops, reported Nancy Cook Lauer in West Hawai`i Today. Hawai`i County Council voted 6-3 to accept the attorney’s offer to represent the county for free in its appeal of a decision by U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Kurren that invalidated the measure.

Attorney Margery Bronster, representing Hawai`i Floriculture and Nursery Association and other agriculture and biotechnology groups, testified before the Council that Achitoff has a conflict of interest because groups opposing GMOs have a different agenda from the county.
“I would submit to you that the law does not allow it,” Bronster said.
One testifier responded, “If the other side says, ‘don’t hire that attorney,’ I’m going to be the first to hire them.”
See westhawaiitoday.com.
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HAWAI`I STATE LEGISLATURE INTRODUCED 2,894 bills during its current session. The Senate introduced 1,379 bills on this first year of the 28th Legislative biennium. The House introduced 1,515 bills.
Thursday, Jan. 29 was the deadline for bill introductions. The measures were sent to their respective committees for consideration. The measures that are passed out of the committee(s) are sent to the Senate Floor to be voted on by the entire Senate body.
First Crossover deadline is on Thursday, March 12. This is the last day for a final vote on a bill to occur in its originating chamber before it is passed on to the other chamber for further consideration. During First Crossover, all Senate bills that pass Third Reading must go to the House, and all House bills that pass Third Reading must go to the Senate.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

Lists of current legislation are available by going to the Legislature’s website, capitol.hawaii.gov, clicking on the “Reports and Lists” button on the home page and selecting one of the many lists and reports available. The reports are easily downloadable. On these reports, specific bills can be accessed by entering (Ctrl-F) and typing in keywords to search through the titles, descriptions and report titles in the list.

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AT THE NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN HOUSING COUNCIL CONFERENCE, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard spoke to attendees from Hawai`i and across the country about reauthorizing the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act of 1996. Gabbard urged interested parties to testify in support of reauthorization.
“I want to highlight how strong and powerful your voices are in this, Gabbard said. “Your phone calls, your emails, your meetings, your voice on social media bring such a strong and beautiful face to this piece of legislation and the kind of historic impact that it has made and that it will continue to make. As with so many other issues that we deal with, the more grassroots support there is from broad cross-sections of our community across the country, the greater chance of support that it gets from Members who may not be as directly connected to these communities as some who you’re hearing ffrom today.”
In the 18 years since its enactment, NAHASDA has strengthened indigenous self-determination by empowering low-income families and households by assisting with their housing needs. This legislation has been twice reauthorized, both times with broad congressional support.   Over 1,400 low-income families in Hawai`i have benefited from NAHASDA. Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is the sole recipient of the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant as provided for by the law. DHHL administers 203,000 acres of trust land; 99 percent of those lands are located in Hawai`i’s Second Congressional District, from Ka Lae to Kaua`i and Ni`ihau. It includes every Hawaiian Island, but excludes urban Honolulu.

A tour and talk Saturday explores John Dawson's
exhibit at Volcano Art Center Gallery.
Image from VAC

Last year, Gabbard co-sponsored H.R. 4329, the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Reauthorization Act of 2014. That legislation passed unanimously out of the House of Representatives but did pass the Senate.   Congressman Mark Takai has joined Gabbard this year in co-sponsoring H.R. 360, the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Reauthorization Act of 2015.
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A KA`U COAST CLEANUP TAKES PLACE Saturday. Volunteers gather at Wai`ohinu Park at 7:45 to carpool/caravan to the site. Sign up at kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com or 769-7629.

VOLUNTEERS MEET AT KILAUEA VISITOR CENTER in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Saturday at 9 a.m. to help remove invasive Himalayan ginger from park trails. Free; park entrance fees apply.

DURING AN EXHIBITION TOUR & TALK on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, John Dawson and Ranger Jay Robinson discuss the artist’s current exhibit of paintings featuring his observations of the park. Over & Under: More of His Nature continues through Sunday, Feb. 15, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free; park entrance fees apply.

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

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf or
kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf.

A guided hike Sunday at Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park explores the area's human history. Photo from NPS

DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS intends to initiate a planning process for its South Point holdings sometime this year, according to DHHL Chair Jobie Masagatani.

DHHL Chair Jobie Masagatani

In its Hawai`i Island plan, DHHL has designated the area as a Special District “requiring special attention and additional study due to unique features and resources including natural and cultural,” Masagatani wrote in a letter addressed to Ka`u Community Development Plan Steering Committee Chair Leina`ala Enos.
Masagatani also told Enos that, per the department’s Ka`u Regional Plan, DHHL has initiated a Ka`u Water Assessment Study to assess potential options to develop and deliver potable water to its Ka`u lands.
“DHHL is very supportive by the suggested County action included in CDP Policy 91 that states: ‘Support DHHL efforts to increase the availability of water to existing lots in the South Point area. (South Point Road Water Infrastructure Expansion Project, Ordinance 12- 87).’”
Masagatani also suggested amending a section of the CDP because “it is inconsistent with the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act.” The section encourages DHHL to “maintain the Ka Lae (South Point) coastal areas and related infrastructure for recreational, cultural, education and/or scientific uses in a manner that is protective of resources and is of the maximum benefit to the general public.”
Masagatani suggested revising the end of the section to read: “… in a manner that is protective of resources and is consistent with the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act and all applicable laws related to Native Hawaiian rights and public shoreline access.”

The letter is available at kaucdp.info.
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KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN Steering Committee meets Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 5:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. According to county planner Ron Whitmore, this is a “simple business meeting focused on preparations for community review of the draft CDP. The draft CDP and its content are not on the agenda and will not be discussed. Later this spring, the community will have many opportunities to learn about, discuss and provide feedback on the draft CDP.”
On the agenda are plans for community review of the draft CDP and ways to help committee members prepare for upcoming community engagement and decision-making that will follow. Public feedback is welcome on these agenda items.
The agenda, draft CDP and other information is available at kaucdp.info.

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A visitor who apparently had a heart attack died after visiting Thurston lava tube
in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park yesterday. Photo from NPS

A 71-YEAR-OLD MALE VISITOR FROM JAPAN died yesterday after suffering an apparent heart attack at Thurston Lava Tube in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

Acting Chief Ranger John Broward reported that the man was hiking out of the lava tube with a tour group at approximately 1 p.m. After walking up the steepest section of the trail, the visitor felt fatigued, was short of breath and sat down to rest. Shortly after sitting down, he collapsed, lost consciousness and stopped breathing. Several visiting nurses and a tour operator performed CPR until park rangers arrived with an automated external defibrillator. Rangers went through three cycles of CPR and AED analysis, but the man’s heart was not in a rhythm the machine could detect.
County of Hawai`i Medic 19 arrived and assumed care. After county medics completed their protocols, a doctor from Hilo Medical Center pronounced the visitor dead through online medical control.
The name of the victim is being withheld pending further notification of his family.

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HAWAI`I ISLAND POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING a theft that was discovered on Jan. 7 in Ka`u. Sometime between 10 p.m. Jan. 5 and 8 a.m. Jan. 6, unknown persons removed approximately 4,000 feet of No. 4 copper wire from the Wood Valley area. The copper was valued at $39,360.
Police ask anyone with information about this case or the identity of the thieves to call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311 or Officer James Lorenzo at 939-2520.
Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the islandwide Crime Stoppers number at 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.
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Leonard Hoshijo

LEONARD HOSHIJO IS GOV. DAVID IGE’S choice to become Deputy Director in the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
To take on this responsibility, Hoshijo will be leaving his position as the Education and Political Director for the Hawai`i Regional Council of Carpenters, where he has run member-education programs, participated in the successful negotiation of contracts and Project Labor Agreements and administered contracts. Prior to this, he carried out various responsibilities for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, including Housing Representative, Organizer, International Representative and International Vice President. He is an active nonprofit board member for a number of organizations including Hawai`i Housing Development Corp., the Labor Education Advisory Board, University of Hawai`i Center for Labor Education and Research and Hawai`i Labor Heritage Council, among others.
“Leonard Hoshijo understands the history of labor in Hawai`i and the current needs of working people and employers,” Ige said. “He is well respected by both those within labor and the businesses that grow our economy, create jobs and hire local employees.”
Hoshijo earned a bachelor’s degree from Antioch College and a P.Ed. from University of Hawai`i.
“I’m looking forward to applying the experience I’ve gained to the purposes of the department and to contributing to the success of Hawai`i’s 21st Century workplace within the balanced parameters set out by the Legislature,” Hoshijo said.
Hoshijo’s nomination is subject to approval by the Senate.
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VOLUNTEERS MEET AT KILAUEA VISITOR CENTER in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park tomorrow at 9 a.m. to help remove invasive Himalayan ginger from park trails. Free; park entrance fees apply.

ARTIST JOHN DAWSON AND RANGER JAY ROBINSON discuss Dawson’s current exhibit of paintings featuring his observations of the park tomorrow from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Over & Under: More of His Nature continues through Sunday, Feb. 15, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Volcano Art Center's annual Love the Arts fundraiser is tomorrow.

ABRACADABRA: THE MAGIC OF ART is Volcano Art Center’s annual fundraiser tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at its Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. The event features silent and live auctions, entertainment, gourmet food, handmade confections, fine wine and champagne.

Tickets are available at Niaulani Campus, VAC Gallery, Banyan Gallery and The Most Irresistible Shop in Hilo, 967-8222 or volcanoartcenter.org. $55 members; $65 nonmembers.

FRIENDS OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK explore the Mauna Ulu area Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Highlights include hardened lava rivers, forested kipuka, lava trees, cinder cones, lava shields, pioneer plants and panoramic vistas. On a clear day, Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, Pu`u `O`o and the Pacific Ocean are visible. Due to the cultural sensitivity of Mauna Ulu, group size is limited to 12 people.
Non-members may become members in order to attend. Preregistration required at 985-7373.

A GUIDED, 2.5-MILE, MODERATELY DIFFICULT HIKE over rugged terrain at Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park focuses on the area’s human history. The hike takes place Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Call 985-6011 for more information.

CHEFS WOK UP AN ARRAY OF VEGGIES and proteins during Mongolian BBQ Sunday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. for 85 cents per ounce. The event at Kilauea Military Camp’s Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park is open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356

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

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf and
kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf

Federal acquisition of the Great Crack has an unprecedented high ranking in Pres. Obama's 2016 budget. Photo by Jody Kaulukukui

ADDING THE GREAT CRACK to Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park has an unprecedented high ranking in Pres. Barack Obama’s recently released fiscal year 2016 budget.

Called Island Forests at Risk, the proposal includes funds for adding acreage to Maui’s Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge. It is an effort through the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service to strategically conserve and protect endangered species’ habitats, culturally significant areas and threatened lands.

The Great Crack Photo from NASA

Including the parcels that make up the Island Forests at Risk proposal is an effort that has taken several years to achieve. For the 2013, 2014 and 2015 budgets, proposals were submitted that included land acquisitions for Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, but these were unsuccessful in receiving a high ranking for permanent and current funding.
This year, Hawai`i’s proposal again includes land acquisitions for Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge and Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, and both are ranked first in their respective agencies’ discretionary funding priority lists.
“These important parcels will protect volcanic features, numerous archaeological sites, pockets of endangered plant communities and over two miles of coastline and marine resources. Features representing the earliest arrivals of Polynesians and the prehistoric and historic lava flows and related geologic features, including major lava tube features, are of significant biological and cultural value and will be protected,” said Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando. “It is these resource values that contribute to the outstanding universal values under which Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park was designated a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve. In addition, this acquisition will enhance wilderness and recreational values adjacent to the existing park boundary."
Sen. Mazie Hirono said, “It is great news for Hawai`i that the Island Forests at Risk Collaborative Landscape Proposal is included in the President’s budget this year. This proposal will provide crucial protection of native species and their habitats. ... After several years of hard work, this is the highest ranking the Departments of Interior and Agriculture have given Hawai`i’s application, which increases the likelihood of federal support for this vital project.”

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Rep. Richard Creagan

KA`U’S STATE REP. RICHARD CREAGAN has introduced a bill related to coffee labeling. HB 387 follows Hawai`i County Council’s unanimous approval of a resolution, introduced by Ka`u’s former Council member Brenda Ford, requesting that the Hawai`i Legislature adopt provisions for truth-in-labeling for Hawai`i-grown coffee.

The purpose of the bill is to:

Require the label of coffee blends to disclose the regional origins and percent by weight of the blended coffees; and
Make it a violation of the coffee labeling law to use a geographic origin in labeling or advertising, when the roasted or instant coffee contains less than fifty-one per cent coffee by weight from that geographic origin.

According to the bill, “it is inherently deceptive and misleading to label coffee as a geographically identified blend, such as ‘Hamakua Blend,’ ‘Ka`u Blend’ and ‘Kona Blend’ unless at least a majority of the coffee is from that region.”

The bill states that blending of various roasts and origins to create unique flavor profiles “is an acceptable practice, as opposed to deceptive labeling of blends by using misleading geographic origin names, which violates basic principles of consumer protection and fair marketing.
“Immediate legislative action is necessary to protect the reputation of Hawai`i-grown coffees as premier, specialty coffees from further degradation.”
See capitol.hawaii.gov to track progress of this and other proposed legislation.
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Hawai`i Farm Bureau Pres. Chris Manfredi

A BILL THAT WOULD KEEP COUNTIES from enacting laws, ordinances or resolutions to limit rights of farmers and ranchers to engage in certain agricultural practices has passed the state House Agriculture Committee. HB 849 would amend Hawai`i’s Right to Farm Act to say, “No law, ordinance or resolution of any unit of local government shall be enacted that abridges the right of farmers and ranchers to employ agricultural practices not prohibited by federal or state law, rules or regulations.”

The bill is in response to laws passed in Hawai`i and Kaua`i Counties limiting use of pesticides and genetically modified crops. The counties are currently appealing court decisions that invalidated the laws.
In testimony to the state Agriculture Committee, County Council member Margaret Wille, who wrote Hawai`i County’s measure, said HB 849 “is designed to gut the counties’ home rule over matters affecting agriculture. … There is no state legislation governing the cultivation of GMO crops and plants. Hence in effect this legislation is clearly designed to put these multinational biotech corporations above the law.”

Chris Manfredi, president of Hawai`i Farm Bureau, testified that “state and federal government agencies typically have the resources, knowledge and expertise to oversee all aspects of Hawai`i’s agricultural industries. Counties have no demonstrated capacity to regulate in these areas. Moreover, the idea that counties could create redundant and unnecessary regulatory regimes speaks volumes to inefficiencies and not a desire to promote and support farmers, ranchers and local crop production; rather a desire shut down such operations - while simultaneously expounding on the benefits of food security and sustainability.”
Simon Russell, Hawai`i Farmers Union United Vice President and Legislative Committee Chairman, wrote that the amendment “directly contradicts the concept of Home Rule, which on the neighbor islands is a must. For those who value Home Rule, this bill is a terrible precedent for any future conflicts between state and county jurisdictional legal arguments. Counties should always be allowed to look after their best interests and be more restrictive than state governments, and this is one of the principles that our democratic republic is founded on. As far as farming freedoms are concerned, as we all know, there is a balance between freedom and security. Once the freedom of one entity takes freedom from another entity, governments are supposed to protect the entity losing freedoms. This bill is limiting the freedom of counties to self-determine what is in their own interest.”
The vast majority of testifiers opposed the amendment. See capitol.hawaii.gov.
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Tonight is Volcano Art Center's annual Love the Arts fundraiser.

ABRACADABRA: THE MAGIC OF ART is Volcano Art Center’s annual fundraiser today from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at its Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. The event features silent and live auctions, entertainment, gourmet food, handmade confections, fine wine and champagne.

Tickets are available at Niaulani Campus, VAC Gallery, Banyan Gallery and The Most Irresistible Shop in Hilo, 967-8222 or volcanoartcenter.org. $55 members; $65 nonmembers.

A guided hike tomorrow explores Kahuku's human history.
NPS photo by Julia Espaniola

A GUIDED, 2.5-MILE, MODERATELY DIFFICULT HIKE over rugged terrain at Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park focuses on the area’s human history. The hike takes place tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Call 985-6011 for more information.

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP’S CRATER RIM CAFÉ offers its Mongolian BBQ tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. An array of veggies and proteins is available for 85 cents per ounce. The event in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park is open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356

SENIOR ID CARDS, for residents ages 60 and over, are available Monday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Ocean View. Call 928-3100 for more information.

KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN Steering Committee meets Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. The committee will discuss plans for community review of the draft CDP and ways to help members prepare for it and decision-making that will follow. Public feedback is welcome on these agenda items.
The agenda, draft CDP and other information is available at kaucdp.info.

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

See kaucalendaar.com/Directory2015.pdf or
kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf.

Heavy rainfall events are occurring more frequently on Hawai`i Island, according to University of Hawai`i researchers.
Photo by Julia Neal

HAWAI`I FARMERS UNION UNITED has issued a list of bills being considered by state Senate committees this week that it supports. The bills, related to agriculture, could be of interest to Ka`u residents who may want to testify. Testimony is due 24 hours before scheduled hearings.

Ka`u residents can testify on ag bills being considered by Hawai`i state Senate
committees this week.

SB 314 appropriates funds for critical positions at University of Hawai`i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Cooperative Extension Service. Testimony is due tomorrow by 1:30 p.m.
SB 375 authorizes growing of industrial hemp for certain purposes under specified conditions. Appropriates funds for department of agriculture staff to assist in registration of industrial hemp growers and seed testing. Testimony is due tomorrow by 2:45.
SB 969 allows one or more employee dwellings to be built on agricultural lots of at least five acres, with restrictions. Testimony is due tomorrow by 3 p.m.
SB 797 establishes notice, reporting and use requirements for any entity or person that uses pesticides under certain circumstances. Testimony due Wednesday by 3 p.m.
SB 379 expands and creates new categories for homemade food processing for sale to the public. Testimony is due Wednesday by 3:40 p.m.
SB 588 permits the acquisition of raw milk and raw milk products by consumers if certain conditions are met. Testimony is due Wednesday 3:40 by 3:40 p.m.

Testimony on these and other bills can be submitted at capitol.hawaii.gov.
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HEAVY RAINFALL EVENTS HAVE BECOME more frequent over the last 50 years on Hawai`i Island, according to a recent study by University of Hawai`i at Manoa researchers. A rare storm with daily precipitation of nearly 12 inches, occurring once every 20 years by 1960, has become a rather common event – occurring every three to five years by 2009.

Dr. Pao-Shin Chu

In a paper published in the International Journal of Climatology, Ying Chen, a UH-Manoa graduate student at the time of the study, and Dr. Pao-Shin Chu, professor of atmospheric sciences at UH-Manoa and head of the Hawai`i State Climate Office, analyzed extreme precipitation events and the frequency with which they occur on Hawai`i Island, Oʻahu and Maui.
While they found that heavy rainfall events have become more frequent over the last 50 years on easternmost Hawai`i Island, the opposite behavior was observed for O`ahu and Maui, to the west. There, rainfall extremes have become less frequent in the last five decades. This study reveals a regional, east to west, difference in how precipitation patterns are responding to a changing climate.
“In the past, the frequency of heavy rainfall events was assumed to be fairly constant,” Chu said. “However, because climate is changing, the assumption of stable precipitation climatology is questionable and needs to be reconsidered.
“Changes in the frequency of heavy rain events have repercussions on ecological systems, property, transportation, flood hazards and engineering design, including sewage systems, reservoirs and buildings.”
This study also provided clues about why and how the frequency of precipitation extremes has changed. Chu and Chen found a greater number of extreme rain events during La Nina years and the opposite during El Nino years.
In this study, the number of rain gauges used was limited. The researchers used information from 24 weather stations on the three islands. For future work, Chu hopes analyzing data from additional stations will provide a more detailed assessment of changing rain patterns across the Hawaiian Islands.
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HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY scientists discuss upslope portions of the June 27th lava flow that continues to be active in Puna in the current issue of Volcano Watch.

Daily reports on the June 27th lava flow posted by Hawai`i County Civil Defense and USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory always include an update on the position of the leading tip of the flow. The flow front position is the simplest indicator of the activity and its potential threat. But the June 27th flow, like other pahoehoe lava flow fields, is expansive and dynamic, and the flow front location is only part of the story.

For the broader picture, let’s look at the June 27th lava flow as a whole. The flow covers an area of about 3,100 acres, but only a tiny fraction of this area consists of active, flowing lava on the surface. Based on measurements taken on Jan. 29, for example, the area of active lava was about 10 acres. In other words, only about 0.3 percent of the June 27th flow field surface consists of active, flowing lava. The rest of the surface is warm, but solidified.

In this thermal map from HVO, temperature is displayed as gray-scale values, with
brightest pixels indicating hottest areas and white showing active breakouts.

Much of the active lava on the surface, what we call breakouts, is focused around the farthest portion of the flow – near, but not always at, the flow front. The lava gets from the vent to this distal part of the flow via a subsurface lava tube. For much of the length of the flow field, this lava tube is a single ‘master’ tube, perhaps a few yards wide. The June 27th lava flow is about 14 miles long, but this master tube appears to reach no farther than about 12 miles. Over the final two miles of the flow length, the lava moves beneath the surface via a complicated network of minor lava tubes. The master tube can be thought of as an artery that branches out into small capillaries. This network of minor tubes is what supplies lava to the surface breakouts near the flow front.
When the rate of lava supply from the vent is high, lava moves efficiently through the network of minor tubes, feeding vigorous surface breakouts that reach the flow front. In this case, the flow front advances downslope. But when the lava supply rate is low, the lava on the surface and within the system of minor tubes may cool to the point of solidifying and stalling, and active lava may not be able to reach the flow front. In this scenario, the flow front stalls, but weak breakouts can nevertheless persist a short distance upslope, closer to the end of the master tube.
It is this second scenario – a lower lava supply and stalling flow front – that appears to have been in play over much of January. If people only hear that the flow front has stalled, they might get the false impression that the flow as a whole is inactive. But scattered breakouts have persisted upslope of the stalled flow front for weeks now.
HVO and Hawai`i County Civil Defense keep a close watch on these upslope breakouts because they can help determine the future path of activity. The network of minor lava tubes supplying the breakouts is unstable and can change through time, shifting the location of breakouts on the flow field. Once the breakouts have shifted, an increase in the lava supply rate can re-energize the breakouts and feed a new lobe of lava traveling in a new direction.
HVO's daily eruption updates at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/activity/kilaueastatus.php describe these upslope breakouts, but to better show their locations and extent, we have also recently begun posting thermal maps of the flow field at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/maps/. These thermal maps are made with images collected by a handheld thermal camera during our helicopter overflights. HVO also posts satellite images, when available, that show hotspots (red pixels) indicating the areas of active breakouts.
Keeping an eye on the flow front position is an important part of staying abreast of current activity and the ongoing lava flow hazard. But for sure, it is important to be mindful of what’s going on upslope as well.

See hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.
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The public is invited to Ka`u CDP Steering Committee's meeting Tuesday.

SENIOR ID CARDS, for residents ages 60 and over, are available tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Ocean View. Call 928-3100 for more information.

KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN Steering Committee meets Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. The committee will discuss plans for community review of the draft CDP and ways to help members prepare for it and decision-making that will follow. Public feedback is welcome on these agenda items.
The agenda, draft CDP and other information is available at kaucdp.info.

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

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Invasive albizia trees share the Ka`u landscape with newly planted Ka`u Coffee trees. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

A 4.3-MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE OCCURRED at 8:16 a.m. eight miles west southwest of Volcano Village this morning. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory received reports of it being felt around the island, with most reports coming from Volcano, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and the Hilo area.

Reports of feeling the 4.3-magnitude earthquake
this morning came from several areas.
Map from HVO

Originally reported as 4.0-magnitude, HVO first increased it to 4.2, then 4.3.

The word from the rim of Ha`ema`uma`u Crater comes from the front desk staff at Volcano House, reporting that the earthquake was barely felt and didn’t even take artwork on the walls out of position. Several guests asked if there was an earthquake and were shown the USGS map at hvo.wr.usgs.gov.

Volcano Art Center also reported no damage, no cleanup required.
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CONTROLLING INVASIVE ALBIZIA TREES is the topic of nine bills being considered by the state Legislature this year. Ka`u’s Sen. Russell Ruderman introduced one of the bills, SB 591, following devastation in Puna during Tropical Storm Iselle last year. Albizias fell on homes and across roads and power lines, cutting off electricity and access to many residents there. While not as numerous as in Puna, the fast-growing, brittle trees grow in Ka`u, present the same dangers and caused damage during the storm.

An albizia tree in Wood Valley split during
Tropical Storm Iselle. Photo by Julia Neal

“The Legislature finds that albizia, Falcataria moluccana, is an invasive species that presents an increasingly costly threat to the economy, critical infrastructure and public safety on Hawai`i Island,” according to the bill. “The pre-planned removal of each albizia tree costs significantly less than the combined direct and indirect costs of removal if and when it falls into a road, power line or building. The likelihood of albizia trees falling and the long distances between residential areas and emergency services add significantly to the uncertainty of emergency response capability, resulting in the potential loss of property and human life following a hurricane.”

Springer Kaye, manager of the Big Island Invasive Species Committee, told Hawai`i Tribune-Herald reporter Colin M. Stewart that albizia “is the only invasive species we have in Hawai`i that can kill people. When you think about it, it’s a miracle no one died during the storm.”
More on this and other bills related to albizia is available at capitol.hawai.gov.
See hawaiitribune-herald.com.

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Daniel Ho collaborated with others on the Grammy-
nominated album Our World in Song.

A HAWAIIAN MUSICIAN receiving a Grammy nominations this year has a Ka`u connection. Daniel Ho, along with Ka`u community musicians, wrote a song for the mountain Kaiholena during a Ka`u Coffee Festival Music Workshop at Pahala Plantation House. Ho recorded the song on one of his albums previously nominated for a Grammy. Ho’s composition Our World in Song was nominated for best world music album for the 2015 Grammy Awards which were revealed over the weekend and televised last night.
The music of Ka`u music teacher Keoki Kahumoku has been featured on five Grammy-winning Hawaiian albums.
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U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD HAS CO-AUTHORED a bipartisan letter warning congressional colleagues of sequestration’s potential devastating impact to military readiness in Fiscal Year 2016.
The letter highlights a recent U.S. Army study illustrating effects of sequestration on 30 Army installations across the country, including Schofield Barracks in Hawai`i. Under the Budget Control Act of 2011, 50 percent of the across-the-board sequestration cuts must come from military accounts.
“Inaction will put us further down the path of undermining our national security, local economies and the livelihoods of military families who have sacrificed so much over the last thirteen years,” the letter states.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

While Congress has mitigated the effect of sequester cuts by delaying implementation and allowing inter-branch spending flexibility, sequestration will go into full effect at the end of FY2016 absent an agreement to remedy the cuts.
“Considering the national security threats that we face today and the uncertain threats we will likely face tomorrow, Congress should not allow a dramatic reduction in the Army’s end strength or a similar reduction in the capabilities of the other service branches,” the letter continues. “We believe alleviating the impact of sequestration on the military must be a top priority of the 114th Congress, and that there is the will within the Congress to do so.”
The growing terrorist threat from the self-declared Islamic State is just one reason why the United States must fully fund the military, Gabbard argues.
“The world we face today is very different from the one we faced two years ago. We did not anticipate the requirement to send soldiers to Europe to face a resurgent Russia, or back to Iraq to face the rising threat from Islamic State of Iraq and Levant, or to Africa to support the international effort to battle Ebola. The Army must maintain rotational presence in Korea and Europe to meet our security obligations and to surge around the world if needed. We must have a security debate in this country and decide what we want the Army to do in the next ten years before we consider further Army reductions.”
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FOLLOWING REPORTS THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA plans to send to Congress a proposed Authorization for the Use of Military Force specific to the war against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Sen. Brian Schatz said:

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz

“While I have not seen the President’s proposal for an Authorization of the Use of Military Force to destroy the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, sending an AUMF to Congress is a critical first step. Congress must exercise its constitutional role in authorizing the use of force. Under the 2001 and 2002 AUMFs, the President does not have the authority to conduct an open-ended war against ISIL.  
“ISIL is a group of barbaric terrorists, and their extreme tactics display a shocking brutality that must be confronted. But the United States needs a clear strategy for defeating this threat. Congress should revoke the existing AUMFs and debate a strategy for a new authorization tailored specifically for ISIL. A new time-limited and geographically targeted authorization will help sharpen our policy and align appropriations for the mission. And it must make clear that the United States cannot commit U.S. ground forces to combat ISIL.”  
Last December, Schatz sent a letter to President Obama urging him to submit for Congressional consideration a proposed AUMF specific to ISIL.
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KA`U LITTLE LEAGUE STARTS PRACTICE today at 4 p.m. at Pahala Park. Interested players can register up until Feb. 20. Participants must be five years old by May 1, 2015 for t-ball and seven years old by that date for coach pitch. Registration fee is $30, and a copy of player’s birth certificate as well as proof of residence with a physical address is needed. For more information, call Jolisa at 640-2135 or Tammy at 896-7373.

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK will conduct flight operations several days this month. Management of the park requires use of aircraft to monitor and research volcanic activity, conduct search-and-rescue missions and law enforcement operations, support management of natural and cultural resources and to maintain backcountry facilities.
Feb. 10, 13, 23 and 27, 8 a.m. to noon, to transport fencing material from near the top of Mauna Loa Road to approximately 9,000-ft. elevation.
Feb. 11, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., to survey and control invasive fountain grass in the Ka`u Desert.
Feb. 17 and 19, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., to transport crew and equipment to field camp for fountain grass control in Kamo`oali`i.
Feb. 17, 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., for ungulate surveys and control work in Kahuku between 3,000- and 7,000-ft. elevation.
Feb. 23, 9 a.m. to noon, to survey and control invasive faya tree in Kahuku above 5,000-ft. elevation.
Feb. 27, 9 a.m. to noon, to survey and control mullein above Mauna Loa Road.
According to a statement from the park, management regrets any noise impact to residents and park visitors. Dates and times are subject to change based on aircraft availability and weather.
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KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN Steering Committee meets tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. The committee will discuss plans for community review of the draft CDP and ways to help members prepare for it and decision-making that will follow. Public feedback on these agenda items is welcome.

The agenda, draft CDP and other information is available at kaucdp.info.

Demonstrations of `ohe kapala, Hawaiian bamboo stamping, take place
Wednesday. Photo from NPS

PARK RANGER NOAH GOMES PRESENTS `ohe kapala, traditional Hawaiian bamboo stamping, Wednesday, Feb. 11 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center’s lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

Gomes is a graduate student in Hawaiian Language and Literature at University of Hawai`i at Hilo, with an undergraduate degree in Hawaiian Language. Originally from Wahiawa, O`ahu, he now resides in Hilo. Gomes has been a lifelong student of Hawaiian natural history and is currently researching the ancient bird hunters of the Hawaiian archipelago.
`Ohe kapala is a traditional skill he has learned from his university education and through his own pursuit.
Part of Hawai`i Volcanoes’ ongoing `Ike Hana No`eau: Experience the Skillful Work workshops. Free. Park entrance fees apply.

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

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Efforts continue to try to reverse annual declines in population of monk seals in the Hawaiian archipelago. Photo by Julia Neal

SAVING MONK SEALS FROM EXTINCTION requires more money, according to a report by the Marine Conservation Institute. The environmental group called for National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration to increase its funding request from the current $4 million annually to $7 million by 2017.

“If NOAA wants to reverse the long decline of this iconic species, it is going to have to be more aggressive,” said Lance Morgan, the institute’s president.
According to an Associated Press story in Hawai`i Tribune-Herald by Audrey McAvoy, increased funding would go toward protecting seals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands from hazards including sharks and male seals that attack young females. Only one in five seals born there survives until its first birthday.
Funding would also be used to hire community liasons who would raise awareness and education Hawai`i residents about the seals’ endangered status. McAvoy said seals on the main Hawaiian Islands, where there population is growing by five percent annually, encounter “hostility from people who mistakenly think they are an introduced species not native to Hawai`i or that they are taking away food from fishermen.”
If the current loss of four percent per year continues, the group estimates that there will be only 450 to 550 monk seals left in 20 years.
See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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Seismic Network Manager Wes Thelen Photo from HVO

YESTERDAY’S 4.3-MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE near Volcano Village caused no detectable changes on Kilauea or other active volcanoes on Hawai`i Island, according to a report from Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. The quake could lie on the fault that marks the boundary between Mauna Loa and Kilauea, or it could have occurred on a reactivated fault within the old oceanic crust upon which the island is built.

Wes Thelen, HVO’s Seismic Network Manager, said the earthquake was centered about five miles west-southwest of the summit of Kilauea at a depth of approximately eight miles. A map showing its location is posted on HVO’s website.

During the past 25 years, there have been two earthquakes in this same general area with magnitudes greater than 3.0 and depths of six to 12 miles.
The USGS “Did you feel it?” website (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/dyfi/) received more than 80 felt reports within two hours of the earthquake. It was felt across the island, but most of the felt reports were from Volcano Village. Residents experienced only weak shaking during the earthquake. At these shaking intensities, damage to buildings or structures is not expected.
As of 10 a.m. yesterday morning, five aftershocks had been recorded. The strongest was magnitude-one.
For information on recent earthquakes in Hawai`i and eruption updates, see http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov.
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HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC CO. AND NEXTERA ENERGY oppose Life of the Land’s motion to intervene in the docket considering NextEra’s purchase of the utility. In their letter to the Public Utilities Commission, the utilities claimed that the community action group’s motion to intervene must “be denied as a matter of law.” According to the utilities, LOL failed to satisfy the requirements and meet the standard to establish intervention as set forth in Hawai`i Administrative Rule 6-61-55.

Life of the Land Executive
Director Henry Curtis

One section of the rule requires applicants to explain their statutory or other right to participate. The utilities argued that LOL failed to do so. “The only ‘right’ LOL alleges for intervention is as a ratepayer,” the utilities claim. “Specifically, LOL contends that it ‘may have a statutory right to intervene as . . . a ratepayer that will be directly impacted by short-term rate hikes.’ Ratepayers, however, are statutorily represented by the Consumer Advocate. Being a ratepayer does not provide a statutory or other basis for intervention.”
Another requirement of the rule is that applicants adequately set forth the nature and extent of their property, financial and other interest in the pending matter. According to the utilities, “LOL fails to describe its particular interest in this docket. … Instead, LOL explains that because its ‘members live, work and recreate in Hawai`i,’ LOL ‘is concerned with the impacts, externalities and unintended side-effects of energy projects and programs.’”
To the rule’s requirement of addressing the effect of the pending order as to the applicant’s interest, LOL Executive Director Henry Curtis wrote, “Life of the Land has major concerns and interest including Externalities, Smart Grids, Inter-Island Cables and Liquefied Natural Gas. We have filed motions to intervene listing these specific interests and been admitted as a party in several dockets.” The utilities considered this to be unresponsive. “Participation in other dockets (each with their own differing subject matters and issues) is irrelevant to whether LOL’s intervention and participation in this transfer of control docket is warranted,” they wrote.
LOL’s motion claims that there are no other means available to protect its interests. “There is no other avenue for LOL to impact the decisions made in this docket,” Curtis wrote. The utilities responded, “LOL’s interests are represented and statutorily protected by the Consumer Advocate. Additionally, the governor has indicated that he will have special counsel appointed to this docket as an additional means of seeing that the interests of the public as it pertains to the subject transfer of control are addressed and protected.”
The utilities concluded, “We find that LOL failed to, among other things, satisfactorily demonstrate that its interests are reasonably pertinent to the matters presented. Moreover, LOL failed to substantiate how it will assist in the development of a sound record and refrain from unreasonably broadening the issues already presented.”
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Applications for Kamehameha Schools summer programs are due Saturday.

APPLICATIONS FOR KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS Hawai`i campus summer school programs are due this Saturday, Feb. 14. There are several new courses. The K-8 program is hands-on, experiential learning both inside and outside of the classroom. The High School program offers both dual credit courses where students can earn college credit and blended online courses where students can build valuable distance learning skills.
Applications and additional information can be downloaded at ksbe.edu/admissions. They are also available at and can be turned in to KS Resource Centers. See http://apps.ksbe.edu/resourcecenters/ to find the nearest location.
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THE 2015 TASTE AWARDS PRESENTED by Hawai`i Food Manufacturers Association is now accepting nominations, HFMA President Byron Goo announced. Each award, except the Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award, is based on performance in the previous calendar year. Finalists and winners will be determined by member voting. Winners will be announced at the TASTE Awards gala on June 6.

HFMA President Byron Goo

The categories are Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Manufacturer of the Year - Large company (50 or more employees), Manufacturer of the Year - Small company (49 or fewer employees), Start-up Manufacturer of the Year, Product of the Year, Advocate of the Year, Supplier of the Year, Community Service Award and Innovative Marketing Award.
Deadline to submit nominations is Feb. 27. 2015. See foodsofhawaii.com.
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THE PUBLIC IS INVITED to Ka`u Community Development Plan Steering Committee’s meeting today at 5:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. The committee will discuss plans for community review of the draft CDP and ways to help members prepare for it and decision-making that will follow. Public feedback on these agenda items is welcome.

The agenda, draft CDP and other information is available at kaucdp.info.

PARK RANGER NOAH GOMES DEMONSTRATES `ohe kapala, traditional Hawaiian bamboo stamping, tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center’s lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
Free. Park entrance fees apply.

KA`U SCENIC BYWAY COMMITTEE meets Thursday at 5 p.m. at Na`alehu Methodist Church. Public is invited. Email richmorrow@alohabroadband.net for more information.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_February2015.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf and
kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.

Volunteers with Hawai`i Wildlife Fund cleaned a portion of Kaunamano coastline below Na`alehu last Saturday.
HWF photo by Megan Lamson

PA`ULA, AKA LEPANA, AT KAUNAMANO was the site of Hawai`i Wildlife Funds most recent Ka`u Coast Cleanup on Saturday, Feb. 7. HWF partnered up with Kuahiwi Ranch to clean up the area below Na`alehu. In total, 48 participants removed over 2,034 pounds of debris, including at least 500 pounds of derelict fishing nets, 50 pounds of broken glass and over 158 pounds of recyclables. Interesting finds included six tires, a bicycle, an unidentifiable white cone with holes and a hot water dispenser.

Groups that participated included Surfrider Foundation’s Kona and Hilo chapter members, Hawai`i Community College Service Learning Project students, Buckley’s Bounty and HI Kombucha.
Since began marine debris removal efforts in southeast Hawai`i in 2003, HWF and volunteers have pulled over 179 tons (358,264 pounds) from the shores of Hawai`i Island. “Continued mahalos go to the NOAA Marine Debris Program for funding the bulk of our marine debris removal efforts since 2005,” said coordinator Megan Lamson. In-kind support this past year also came from Coconut Auto (vehicle donation), JD Services LLC (donations of time and skidsteer to load derelict fishing nets), Moa`ula Cloud Rest Ka`u Coffee (used coffee bags), Ka`u Auto Repair (acceptance of marine debris tires free of charge), HI Kombucha (donations of their Kombucha tea for cleanup volunteers since 2014) and The Ka`u Calendar (promotion volunteer events).

Rep. Richard Creagan

HWF will be hosting another two consecutive anchialine pool restoration workdays this tomorrow and Friday. Volunteers help remove invasive plant species and sediment from these fragile native ecosystems. “Come learn more about these special environments and this wahi pana along the Wai`ohinu coastal strand,” Lamson said. RSVP and more information is available from meg.HWF@gmail.com.
HWF also sponsors an estuary restoration workday on Thursday, Feb 19, that is also in Ka`u.

For more information about how to support HWF cleanup efforts, email kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.

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TWO KA`U LAWMAKERS HAVE INTRODUCED bills that would allow terminally ill patients to use drugs and get medical treatments that have not received final approval from the federal Food and Drug Administration.
Rep. Richard Creagan introduced House Bill 882, and Sen. Russell Ruderman introduced Senate Bill 585.
Creagan told West Hawai`i Today reporter Carolyn Lucas-Zenk that the effort is being led by the Goldwater Institute, a Phoenix-based think tank that provides model Right to Try bills that lawmakers can modify as needed.
Creagan said he likes the idea of offering alternatives to terminally ill patients who can’t get into a clinical study and have no other way to access potentially life-saving experimental drugs or treatments.
Creagan told Lucas-Zenk, “Our medical care should be patient-centered, not profit-centered” and spoke about the importance of preserving “our personal freedom to decide.”

Sen. Russell Ruderman

Sen. Ruderman’s bill allows manufacturers to make available investigational drugs, biological products or devices to terminally ill patients under certain conditions beginning Jan. 1, 2016.
The bills states, “Terminally ill patients have a fundamental right to pursue the preservation of their own lives by accessing available investigational drugs, biological products and devices. The use of available investigational drugs, biological products and devices is a decision that should be made by the patient with a terminal illness in consultation with the patient's health care provider and the patient's health care team, if applicable. The decision to use an investigational drug, biological product or device should be made with full awareness of the potential risks, benefits and consequences to the patient and the patient's family.”

Creagan said processes for patients to obtain investigational drugs are complicated and take a long time. He also said only three percent of patients are eligible for clinical trials and that certain populations can be excluded depending on medications being tested.

The bills would allow terminally ill patients to try treatments that have successfully completed phase one of FDA’s approval process and are available to patients in clinical trials.
Creagan recommended that supporters contact House and Senate Health committees to help move the proposed measures forward or to continue the dialogue. More information on the bills and how to testify is available at capitol.hawaii.gov.
See westhawaiitoday.com.
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A member of International Volcanic Health Hazards
Network is conducting a study of vog in Ka`u.

A NEW STUDY TO EXAMINE HOW PEOPLE who live downwind of Kilauea Volcano cope with vog is currently underway, with one of several upcoming focus groups scheduled at Pahala Public & School Library on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 5:30 p.m.

Dr. Claire Horwell, Director of the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network and a researcher at Durham University in the United Kingdom, is conducting the study in cooperation with U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. It will reach across multiple agencies, organizations and communities in the state to help ensure that official advice about living with vog incorporates a wide range of experiences and knowledge.
Horwell said she is investigating how Hawai`i communities use published advice and if they have developed their own strategies for protecting themselves from vog. “We’re working with state and county agencies with the end goal of providing consistent online advice, an informative pamphlet on vog exposure and protection and updated guidance on how to access resources about vog,” she said.
Knowledge gained from the study funded by the British Council will also be relevant internationally, not only in volcanically active regions but also farther afield, as volcanic gases can travel downwind for many miles. For example, UK government agencies can draw on the Hawai`i study as they prepare for the potential effects of future Icelandic eruptions.
Ka`u residents are encouraged to record how they cope with vog on Horwell’s Vog Talk Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/421925067973152/. They can also sign up to participate in next week's focus group or others to be held in Ka`u communities on the page or at 808-967-8809.

Horwell will also be conducting surveys at Volcano Farmers Market this Sunday from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.
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Dennis "Bumpy" Kanahele

DUE TO HIGH DEMAND AND A DELAY in dates originally set for election of delegates from the Roll to serve at the governance convention, the Kana`iolowalu Native Hawaiian Roll is now reopened. Online registration is available and will remain open until a few weeks prior to the election.
Last March, Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ Board of Trustees made public the agency’s commitment to helping smooth the way for Native Hawaiians to build a government.
OHA strongly encouraged Native Hawaiians who have not signed up for the Roll to consider doing so. “The Roll will be used as the basis for verifying eligibility to vote or run in the delegate elections and to vote in any referendum on the Native Hawaiian governing entity’s form, scope and principles,” according to OHA.
Efforts are moving forward with the intent that elections and the `Aha be held this year.
A Ninau a Pane, Question-and-Answer Session, with longtime nation-building activist Dennis “Bumpy” Kanahele is available at kanaiolowalu.org.
With more than 122,000 Native Hawaiians already enrolled, the Kana`iolowalu Native Hawaiian Roll is the largest official list of verified Native Hawaiians ready to move forward toward political recognition. Commission Vice-Chair Na`alehu Anthony said, “This may be the first time in more than a century this many Native Hawaiians will come together with a plan for self-governance.”
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KA`U SCENIC BYWAY COMMITTEE meets tomorrow at 5 p.m. at Na`alehu Methodist Church. Public is invited. Email richmorrow@alohabroadband.net for more information.

CHARLENE ASATO PRESENTS Bookbinding Basics: Taking a Pamphlet Stitchon a Romp Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. $42 members; $45 nonmembers. 967-8222 or volcanoartcenter.org

U.S. SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ will be in Hilo Wednesday, Feb. 18, with a community meeting scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Hilo High School.

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

The rim of Kilauea Volcano's summit caldera, normally clear on trade-wind days, becomes nearly obscured by vog on some non-trade-wind days. Ka`u residents can participate in a vog study by International Volcanic Health Hazards Network in association with Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Photos from USGS

HAWAIIAN TELCOM RESTORED SERVICE to customers from Pahala to Waikoloa who could not make phone calls or access the Internet for nearly 6.5 hours yesterday. At about 1 p.m., alarms triggered in Hawaiian Telcom’s 24/7 Network Operations Center, indicating a service issue in Kona. Upon further investigation, a fiber break was discovered on Mamalahoa Highway near the intersection to Daniel K. Inouye Hwy. A contractor transporting a grader snagged and severed a 36-strand fiber cable.

The outage affected approximately 20,000 phone and 5,500 Internet customers, Corporate Communications Executive Director Su Shin reported. Some wireless carriers were also impacted.
Hawaiian Telcom teams from both Hilo and Kona engaged in a restoration plan that required placing more than 500 feet of cable and 72 individual splices.
Technicians completed splicing cable and restored all services to impacted customers just before 7:30 p.m.
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Sen. Josh Green, M.D.

HAWAI`I’S SENATE HEALTH COMMITTEE has advanced a bill that would help Ka`u’s Marshallese community pay for health care. Ka`u’s Sens. Josh Green and Russell Ruderman were two introducers of SB 1327 in response to new state rules that eliminate Medicaid coverage for low-income people who aren’t citizens.

Due to federal welfare reform in 1996, certain noncitizens, though lawfully present in the United States, were made ineligible for Medicaid. This ineligibility standard covers Hawai`i residents who are present in the state under respective Compacts of Free Association that the United States has with the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands and Republic of Palau.
The state recently decided to end Medicaid coverage for most of these migrants and to enroll them in health insurance through Hawai`i Health Connector. This switch means that the federal government, and not the state, will primarily cover the costs of health insurance, saving the state an estimated $27,000,000 per year.
SB 1327 requires the state to pay costs, including premiums, copays and deductibles, assessed on low-income Compacts of Free Association residents and other lawfully present legal permanent residents who receive health care through Hawai`i Health Connector and would otherwise be eligible for Medicaid except for their citizenship status. It also requires the Department of Human Services to engage in community outreach.
According to an Associated Press story in West Hawai`i Today by Cathy Bussewitz, Ka`u’s Sen. Josh Green, M.D., chair of the Senate Health Committee, said, “I’ve known for a long time how important it is to provide this care. This is an important piece of legislation because we already have a commitment to those individuals from the compact free states to take care of them. Period.”
Under current emergency rules, noncitizens who are not aged, blind or disabled and who are currently receiving state-funded medical assistance will continue to receive this assistance through Feb. 28.
To avoid a gap in coverage and obtain health insurance beginning March 1, those people are required to choose a health plan through Hawai`i Health Connector by Feb. 15. 
For more information and to provide testimony, see capitol.hawaii.gov.

See westhawaiitoday.com.
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Ashton Carter

SEN. MAZIE HIRONO, RANKING MEMBER of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Seapower and member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, has voted to confirm Ashton Carter to be next Secretary of Defense. She questioned Carter during an Armed Services Committee hearing and previous meeting with the nominee.

“Ashton Carter’s wealth of experience and institutional knowledge will serve him well as he steps into his new role,” Hirono said.
“As the nation rebalances to the Asia-Pacific, I will continue to remind our leaders, including Dr. Carter, that Hawai`i holds strategic importance for our force structure in the Pacific. Additionally, I will continue to stress to Dr. Carter and my colleagues in the Senate that we should eliminate the sequester, which has negatively impacted our military’s readiness and therefore impacted the overall effectiveness of our military.”
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HAWAI`I COUNTY POLICE reported that no one was injured when a car ran off the highway and broke a utility pole near Ka`u Police Station Tuesday. The road remained open while crews replaced the pole.

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INTERESTED KA`U FARMERS AND RANCHERS can attend an energy workshop next week hosted by USDA Rural Development in partnership with Hawai`i County. The primary focus is to notify rural small businesses and agricultural producers of renewable energy loan and grant opportunities and to review new application requirements. Topics to be covered include eligibility requirements, application information and tips for submitting a better proposal. This program does not allow residential use.
The workshop will be held in the Liquor Conference Room at West Hawai`i Civic Center Wednesday, Feb. 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
For an accurate count on handouts, RSVP to Denise Oda, Business Programs Specialist, at 808-933-8323 or denise.oda@hi.usda.gov.
More information on the Rural Energy for America Program can be found at http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/rural-energy-america-program-renewable-energy-systems-energy-efficiency.

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Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park offers more than 150 miles of trails,
including Sulphur Banks. Photo from NPS

KA`U RESIDENTS CAN CELEBRATE Presidents Day Weekend with free admission to  Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. All fee-charging national parks will offer free admission from Saturday through Monday. The National Park Service will also waive admission fees on five additional days in 2015 – Apr. 18 and 19 (the first weekend of National Park Week), Aug. 25 (the National Park Service’s 99th birthday), Sept. 26 (National Public Lands Day), and Nov. 11 (Veterans Day).

An additional fee-free weekend will be offered at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park May 15-16 for the BioBlitz and Biodiversity & Cultural Festival. During this two-day event hosted by National Geographic and the National Park Service, teams of scientists, Hawaiian cultural practitioners, students and the public will join forces to discover, document and celebrate the biodiversity and culture of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
Hawai`i Volcanoes is one of five national park units on the island of Hawai`i. Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park is also free of charge on fee-free 2015 dates. Pu`ukohola Heiau National Historic Site, Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park and Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail do not charge entrance fees.

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Charlene Asato

KA`U HIGH BOYS BASKETBALL TEAMS hosted Honoka`a yesterday. Varsity led at halftime, but Honoka`a rallied in the second half to beat the Trojans by eight points. Final score was 56-64.  Brian Gascon scored half of Ka`u’s points.
Junior varsity also lost, 37-46. Kaliikupapalani Aipia-Dolan scored 17 points.
The Trojans play more games at home tomorrow against St. Joseph’s.

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KA`U SCENIC BYWAY COMMITTEE meets today at 5 p.m. at Na`alehu Methodist Church. Public is invited. Email richmorrow@alohabroadband.net for more information.

BOOKBINDING BASICS IS THE TOPIC of a workshop Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. $42 members; $45 nonmembers. Register at 967-8222 or volcanoartcenter.org

KA`U RESIDENTS ARE INVITED to participate in a vog focus group Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Pahala Library. Host Claire Horwell, director of the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network, is studying how people cope with volcanic emissions. To sign up, see https://www.facebook.com/groups/421925067973152/ or call 808-967-8809.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_February2015.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf or
kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf.

King Tyren Fukunaga-Camba and Queen Tristah Amps Nurial-Dacalio at last night's Trojan homecoming coronation with members of their court, Freshman Princess Alexia Tudela and her escort Isaiah Naboa, Sophmore Princess Arjhell Salmo-Grace and her escort Jacob Flores, Junior Princess Staeci Breithaupt-Castaneda and her escort Treison Pascubillo, and Senior Princess Sky Kanakaole-Esperon and her escort Kaweni Ibarra. Photo by Tanya Ibarra

HAWAI`I ELECTRIC LIGHT CO. AND OTHER Hawaiian Electric Companies customers’ bills are at a four-year low due to lower fuel prices, the companies report.

“We are happy to pass these savings straight through to our customers,” said Jim Alberts, Hawaiian Electric senior vice president of customer service. “At the same time, we’ve seen oil prices drop before, only to rise again. Today’s lower oil prices must not distract us from reducing our dependency on imported oil.

“We remain committed to reaching our goal of getting 65 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2030,” he said.

HECO said it also continues working to reduce costs to customers through efficiency improvements and by pursuing cleaner, low-cost natural gas to replace oil while continuing to increase use of renewable energy.
Hawai`i Island’s residential effective rate is 33.8 cents per kilowatt-hour, and a 600 kWh bill is $214.71. That is $12.49 lower than last month and the lowest since Oct. 2010.
On O`ahu, the residential effective rate is 27.9 cents per kWh. A typical 600 kWh bill is $177.45, a decrease of $9.77 since last month, and the lowest since March 2011.
Maui’s effective rate is 31.5 cents per kWh and a typical 600 kWh bill is $198.78, $21.46 lower than last month and the lowest since February 2011.

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Senior Princess Sky Kanakaole-Esperon and escort
Kaweni Ibarra Photo from Carla Andrade

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND coastal cleanup manager for Ka`u recommends that people listen up regarding a new study on the amount of plastic being dumped in the ocean. Megan Lamson shares an Associated Press report entitled World Dumps 8.8 Million Tons of Plastics into Oceans.

“That’s the equivalent of five grocery bags full of plastic debris dotting each foot of coastline around the world,” lead author Jenna Jambeck, an environment engineering professor at the University of Georgia, told AP science writer Seth Borenstein.
According to Jambeck, the largest polluters are developing Asian countries that aren’t managing their waste streams properly. Jambeck projected that by 2025 the total accumulated plastic trash in the oceans will reach around 170 million tons based on population trends and continued waste management disposal problems.

Five countries – China, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Sri Lanka – create more than half of the world’s marine debris. The U.S. is number 20 on a list of industrialized western countries that are plastic polluters.

Junior princess and esort are Staedi Breithaupt-Cantaneda
and Treison Pascubillo. Photo from Carla Andrade

Borenstein said that, according to researchers, the U.S. and Europe are not mismanaging their collected waste, and their plastic trash is due to litter.
While China is responsible for 2.4 million tons of plastic marine debris, the U.S. contributes 77,000 tons, according to the study published in the journal Science.
This is mostly because developed countries have systems to trap and collect plastic waste, Jambeck said.
“The amount of plastics estimated going into the water is equal to how much tuna is fished each year, so “we are taking out tuna and putting in plastic,” said study co-author Kara Lavendar Law.
Nancy Wallace, who is head of the marine debris program for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said plastic waste in the water is a crucial worldwide issue because it is eaten by sea life, and it collects ocean toxins. There’s also a clean-up cost, and it affects tourism, she said.
Previous estimates of plastic marine debris, based on samples, were less than one million tons.

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HAWAI`I ISLAND POLICE ARE SEARCHING for a 38-year-old Ka`u man who is wanted for abuse.

Benjamin Acasio, of Na`alehu, is described as six-foot-two-inches tall, about 180 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen driving a red Acura two-door sedan with white rims.
Police ask anyone with information on his whereabouts to call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311.
Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the islandwide Crime Stoppers number at 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn't record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.

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Sophomore Princess Arjhell Salmo Grace and her escort
Jacob Flores. Photo from Carla Andrade

SEN. MAZIE HIRONO HAS BEEN NAMED Ranking Member on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hirono will also serve on Energy and Public Lands Subcommittees.

“Hardworking middle class families, farmers and small business deserve affordable energy and abundant clean water supplies,” Hirono said. “I look forward to working with Sen. Mike Lee, the subcommittee’s new Chairman, to find bipartisan solutions to meet the needs of a growing sustainable economy in Hawai`i and across the country. In addition to my new leadership role on the Water and Power Subcommittee, I look forward to working with all of my committee colleagues to work on many issues important to Hawai`i, including transitioning to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future and building on the tradition of conservation that has gone hand in hand with our economic growth for generations.”

The Subcommittee on Water and Power is responsible for overseeing programs related to irrigation and reclamation projects, including related flood control purposes; power marketing administrations; energy development impacts on water resources; groundwater resources and management; hydroelectric power; low head hydro; and energy-related aspects of deepwater ports.
Earlier this year, Hirono was also named the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Seapower, placing her in a position to oversee matters directly relating to the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps.

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THE ANNUAL HOMECOMING CELEBRATION this year at Ka`u High School is centered around tonight’s home basketball game against the St. Joseph Cardinals at 6 p.m. The homecoming coronation filled the school gym last night. This year’s king and queen are Tyren Fukunaga-Camba and Trystah Amps Nurial-Dacalio. Senior princess and escort are Sky Kanakaole-Esperon and Kaweni Ibarra. Junior princess and escort are Staeci Breithaupt-Castaneda and Treison Pascubillo. Sophomore princess and escort are Arjhell Salmo-Grace and Jacob Flores. Freshman princess and escort are Alexia Tudela and Isaiah Naboa.

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Isaiah Naboa escorts Freshman Princess Alexia Tudela.
Photo from Carla Andrade

VALENTINE’S DAY IS ON THE MENU at local venues.

Kilauea Military Camp’s Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park offers a buffet tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. featuring prime rib, chicken piccata, shrimp and mushroom alfredo. Price is $27.95 adults and $14.50 for children 6 – 11. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Call 967-8356 for more information.
Hana Hou Restaurant in Na`alehu invites diners for prime rib, seafood platter, fresh fish or Cupid’s Combo tomorrow. Uncle Earnest Kalani entertains from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Cupid’s Combo and fresh fish are also available tonight, with music by Keoki Kahumoku. Call 929-9717 for reservations.
South Side Shaka’s, also in Na`alehu, features prime rib and snow crab tomorrow evening. Call 929-7404 for reservations.
Open tonight and tomorrow night from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Gilligan’s Café in Discovery Harbour offers its regular menu. Tiger and Bob provide entertainment tonight, and the Lucky Lizardz play tomorrow night.

TO CELEBRATE PRESIDENTS DAY WEEKEND, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park waives entry fees tomorrow through Monday. Some of the many activities Ka`u residents can enjoy are exploring more than 150 miles of trails, taking part in ranger-led programs and dining at Volcano House.

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park invites the public to see how it supports America’s troops by utilizing any of its facilities and services tomorrow through Monday.

OVER & UNDER: MORE OF HIS NATURE closes Sunday. The exhibit at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park features original paintings by John Dawson. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

KA`U RESIDENTS ARE INVITED to participate in a vog focus group Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Pahala Library. Host Claire Horwell, director of the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network, is studying how people cope with volcanic emissions. To sign up, see https://www.facebook.com/groups/421925067973152/ or call 808-967-8809.

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

After 18 years serving the Ka`u community, Island Market is closing at the end of February. A closeout sale begins Monday.
Photo from Island Market Facebook page

ISLAND MARKET, KNOWN IN THE KA`U COMMUNITY as Na`alehu Market, is shutting down on Feb. 28. A closeout sale will begin Monday, Feb. 16, according to Carl Okuyama, president of the parent company Sure Save Super Market, Ltd.

Fresh fruits and vegetables fill the shelves at Island Market.
Photo from Island Market Facebook page

Okuyama said he is concerned that the closing of Island Market will create a hardship for the community, especially in providing meat, poultry, fish and produce items to those without transportation. However, according to Okuyama, several food businesses are considering opening at the Island Market location. The property is owned by the 300 Corp., which is associated with the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, based in Honolulu.
The dozen employees were informed of the closing earlier this week. “I wanted them to be the first to know,” he said. He said employees are being given the opportunity to transfer to either the Hilo or Na`alehu Wiki-Wiki Mart and that jobs will be secured according to seniority and merit. Vernon Takaki, for example, has been working at Island Market in Na`alehu for 18 years, Okuyama said. “He is very dependable, and we hope to keep him with our company.”

Tutu & Me director Betty Clark eyes free cookies and recipes given out by Santa
and Mrs. Claus, Carl and Amy Okuyama, at Wiki-Wiki Mart in Na`alehu
during the Christmas season. The Wiki-Wiki will remain open after
closure of the Okuyama's Island Market at the end of February.
Photo by Julia Neal

Okuyama said one reason for the Island Market closing is that in recent years, buying trends for groceries and other home goods have changed, particularly with the advent of box stores like Walmart, Target and Costco. Longs and Walgreens are also selling food, he said.
Okuyama, now 64, said he has used much of his retirement savings to keep Island Market going but can no longer continue. He called the situation “sad” and said, “In our hearts,” he and his wife Amy “wanted to continue.”
Hours for the closeout sale beginning Monday will be 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily except on Sundays, when Island Market hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The last day of sales will be Saturday, Feb. 28.
Two Wiki-Wiki Marts will remain open, Okuyama said, one in Na`alehu, associated with the 76 gas station and known for its bulk food and home supplies purchasing options, and the other next door to Ken’s House of Pancakes in Hilo.

Island Market has been open for 18 years. Okuyama recalled the many community activities sponsored by the market, including Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter recipe and food events. He and his wife Amy were Mr. and Mrs. Claus during Christmas seasons, complete with their costumes, cookies, recipes and ingredients at the Na`alehu stores.

Carl Okuyama judging the Triple C Recipe Contest, now known
as the Ka`u Coffee Recipe Contesst, coming up on Saturday,
April 25 as part of the Ka`u Coffee Festival.
Photo by Rachael Sauerman

Okuyama has been a judge at the annual Ka`u Coffee Recipe Contest during the Ka`u Coffee Festival. He is a member of the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce, supporting its scholarship fund for local students. “I have enjoyed being part of this community. There are many wonderful people in this rural place. Over the years I have been invited to people’s homes and many family and church events.”
Sure Save has a long history on the Big Island, founded in 1953 by Okuyama’s grandfather, Tomohide Okuyama.
Carl Okuyama started working with this grandfather’s and father’s company in 1975 and took Sure Save from three stores, in Hilo, Kona and Waimea, to 12 stores, with at least one in every district, including Kailua-Kona, Waimea, Hilo, Na`alehu and Kea`au. The company’s brands were Sure Save, Island Market and Wiki-Wiki Mart.
After financial struggles in the 1990s, Carl Okuyama became chairman and president of the family company in 1999 and has reorganized and managed the Sure Save entities through several steps in downsizing. All along, and particularly in the small community of Na`alehu, Okuyama said, he saw his responsibility as “servicing the community.”

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HAWAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL’S COMMITTEE on Agriculture, Water and Energy Sustainability Tuesday will consider bills related to aquarium fish collecting.

Bill 318 would establishe provisions for protection of marine life that is harvested with intent to sell for aquarium use. Protections would include prohibiting withholding food from aquarium life for more than 24 hours, requiring ample water supply when transporting aquarium life and prohibiting transport of aquarium life in a manner likely to cause injury or death.

Any person violating these provisions would be subject to a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment of up to 30 days, or both.

Yellow tang is a popular species for aquariums. Photo from wikipedia

Bill 24 would regulate aquarium life operations by setting forth procedures, terms and conditions for issuance of licenses. Conditions include a $100 application fee, annual renewals, an annual fee of $2,000 for operations with an additional $1,000 for certain species and a report every 180 days to the Finance Director.

Any person operating without a license would be subject to a fine of $1,000, each violation of one or more conditions of the license would result in a fine of not more than $500 per incident and failure to file a report would result in license suspension.
According to a report in Hawai`i Tribune-Herald by Nancy Cook-Lauer, Kohala Council member Nancy Cook Lauer introduced the licensing bill “because licensing business is one of the county’s core authorities.”
See hawaiitribune-herald.com.

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GOV. DAVID IGE HAS NOMINATED two deputy directors to his cabinet. Both are subject to confirmation by the Senate.

Brigadier General Joseph Kim is Ige’s choice to be Deputy Director at the Department of Taxation. Kim has served as Deputy Adjutant General, Deputy Commander, Hawai`i National Guard since 2011, where he ran the day-to-day operations for the State Department of Defense. Prior to that, he commanded Air National Guard’s largest Wing, a combat-ready, 1,900-person flying organization consisting of three major flying systems and associated support organizations supporting over 2,500 personnel. He has trained military pilots and aircrews in various locations throughout the United States.

Keith Yamamoto has been appointed to remain in his current position as First Deputy Director of the Department of Health, a post he has held since March 2011. He is primarily responsible for overseeing general administration of the department, which includes budget, fiscal, facilities management, human resources, information technology, planning and vital records as well as District Health Offices on the neighbor islands.
Prior to his appointment as First Deputy Director, Yamamoto was Chief of the Department of Health-Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division. He worked for the Department of Human Services – Office of Youth Services as the Program Development Administrator and has also managed various school-based vocational education and career development programs for at-risk youth while employed with the State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
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TO CELEBRATE PRESIDENTS DAY WEEKEND, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park waives entry fees today through Monday. Some of the many activities Ka`u residents can enjoy are exploring more than 150 miles of trails, taking part in ranger-led programs and dining at Volcano House.

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park invites the public to see how it supports America’s troops by utilizing any of its facilities and services today through Monday.

VALENTINE’S DAY CELEBRATIONS are available at local restaurants today.
Kilauea Military Camp’s Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s buffet from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. is open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Call 967-8356 for more information.
Hana Hou Restaurant’s menu includes prime rib, seafood platter, fresh fish or Cupid’s Combo. Uncle Earnest Kalani entertains from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
South Side Shaka’s features prime rib and snow crab. Call 929-7404 for reservations.
Tonight from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Gilligan’s Café in Discovery Harbour offers its regular menu. Lucky Lizardz provide entertainment.

Yellow `ohi`a lehua NPS Photo by David Boyle

PARTICIPANTS BRING LUNCH AND LEARN about the vital role of `ohi`a lehua in native Hawaiian forests, the many forms of the `ohi`a lehua tree and its flower during a free program tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. at Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. 985-6011

HAWAIIAN RANCHOS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION’S Annual Membership Meeting, is Monday, Feb. 16 at 4 p.m. at Ranchos Road Maintenance Bldg on Kohala. Lehua Lopez-Mau speaks about Ka`u Heritage Center. All are welcome to hear about these 15 acres of Ka`u Dryland Forest acquired in Kona Gardens for preservation and display.
Email HRCA96737@hotmail.com for more information.

KA`U RESIDENTS ARE INVITED to participate in a vog focus group Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Pahala Library. Host Claire Horwell, director of the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network, is studying how people cope with volcanic emissions. To sign up, see https://www.facebook.com/groups/421925067973152/ or call 808-967-8809.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_February2015.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf and
kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.

The glow from Halema`uma`u is one of many highlights Ka`u residents can enjoy at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park during fee-free days today and tomorrow. Photo by Peter Anderson

WOOD VALLEY RESIDENTS LOST POWER once again during yesterday’s windstorm that felled trees onto utility lines and homes throughout the island and other parts of the state. Telephones continue to work.
Hawai`i Electric Light Co. crews continue to respond to the outages.

According to HELCO, as of 5:30 p.m., an estimated 5,000 customers were without power in portions of Volcano Village, Volcano Village, Hawi, Hawaiian Paradise Park, Orchidland, Ainaloa, Hawaiian Beaches, Hawaiian Shores, Kapoho, Nanawale, Leilani Estates, Fern Forest, Fern Acres, Hawaiian Acres, Eden Roc, Aloha Estates, Hilo, and Waimea.

Wood Valley residents are once again dealing with downed trees and utility lines
as they did following Tropical Storm Iselle. Photo by Julia Neal

Customers in Hawaiian Beaches, Hawaiian Shores, Kapoho, Nanawale, and Leilani Estates were advised to prepare for extended outages which could last until later this week and in some areas, much longer.
HELCO reminds residents to be safe and treat downed power lines as energized and dangerous. Do not handle or move any fallen or damaged utility equipment. If someone is injured by a downed power line, do not approach them. Call 9-1-1 for assistance. For more safety information, see the Handbook for Emergency Preparedness at www.hawaiielectriclight.com, at HELCO business offices, or by phone at 969-0137.
HELCO asks customers who have not yet reported their power outage to call its trouble line at 969-6666. Due to the high call volume, customers may experience a longer wait time before speaking with a representative. The company sincerely apologizes for this inconvenience and thanks customers for their patience and understanding.

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HAWAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL WEDNESDAY will consider a bill that would require Planned Unit Development applications to be reviewed and acted on by either the Leeward or Windward Planning Commission, depending on properties’ locations. Currently, only the Planning director has to approve PUDs, and public notice follows the decisions. Decisions can be overturned by the Board of Appeals and the Third Circuit Court. The Council Planning Committee unanimously approved the measure earlier this month.

While the initial intent of the PUD was to make for better planning by avoiding simple cookie cutter developments, PUDs are sometimes used by developers to obtain smaller, more desirable lots for estates and houses.
Council committees meet Tuesday. All meetings, held at West Hawai`i Civic Center in Kona, are live-streamed at hawaiicounty.gov. Click on Council Meetings on left side of page. Ka`u residents can also participate via videoconferencing at Ocean View Community Center.
Agendas for all meetings are available at hawaiicounty.gov.
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Sen. Brian Schatz

Sen. Mazie Hirono

HAWAI`I PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY will receive a $9,036,788 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of its Capital Fund Program for Public Housing Agencies.

“Safe, affordable housing is a basic necessity that every person deserves,” said Sen. Brian Schatz. “This important investment by HUD will make sure the Hawai`i Public Housing Authority has the resources to help build and maintain public housing units in our most vulnerable communities. As a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, I am committed to ensuring that Hawai`i receives its fair share so that those individuals and families most in need have a safe place to call home.”
Sen. Mazie Hirono said, “Having a safe and stable home is a basic necessity. However, 28,000 Hawai`i residents are on wait lists for affordable housing. Every family in Hawai`i deserves a place to call home, and investing in families striving to enter the middle class is one of the best investments we can make. This much needed grant will allow the Hawai`i Public Housing Authority to modernize and develop affordable housing across the state.
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THE CURRENT ISSUE OF VOLCANO WATCH discusses Mike Poland’s 10 years at USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Poland is returning to Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington later this month.

Poland “has accomplished a tremendous amount of research, mentored a vast number of students and young researchers, forged close friendships and warm collegial relationships at HVO and spent considerable time trying to instill in us an appreciation for hockey,” the article states.
“Mike came to HVO to focus on deformation – changes in the shape of a volcano resulting from magma movement and earthquakes - particularly in how those changes can be measured with satellite radar (InSAR). He quickly realized, however, that volcano monitoring requires cross-disciplinary teamwork and innovation – skills that he has proven to have in abundance.

Mike Poland programs a GPS receiver near Pu`u `O`o on Kilauea's East Rift Zone.
Photo from USGS/HVO

“As an example of teamwork leading to great insights, Mike collaborated with HVO colleagues on a study that combined deformation measurements with gas emissions, lava eruption rates, lava chemistry and seismicity to reveal a dramatic increase in magma supply rate to Kilauea. This study – the first of its kind – showed how information about supply rate changes on a short timescale can help forecast the eruptive behavior of the volcano. The surge in supply started in late 2003 and led to the start of a new, long-lived volcanic vent on the East Rift Zone in 2007 and probably contributed to the opening of Kilauea’s summit vent in 2008.

“Through Mike’s work, we also know that the opening of the summit vent was actually the result of a process that began decades ago. Analyzing data from microgravity measurements on Kilauea, he helped identify an accumulation of magma in the area beneath the current summit vent that had not been detected by any other means.
“This insight inspired Mike to establish instruments to continuously record subtle changes in the gravity field on Kilauea. One revelation from these data is that the density of the upper part of the summit lava lake is much lower than expected – less than the density of water, implying that the lava is extremely gas-rich, similar to the foam on beer.
“Mike put his InSAR skills to good use as well, authoring many studies that range from widespread deformation, like that associated with intrusions into Kilauea’s rift zones to localized deformation in hazardous areas such as the unstable new land formed where lava enters the sea and the rim of the Kilauea's summit vent. He also used InSAR in innovative ways, for example, in mapping lava flow coverage over time to estimate Kilauea’s lava effusion rate. ...
“HVO staff may still not have learned to fully appreciate hockey, but we have certainly learned much about volcanic processes through Mike's work. While this Volcano Watch article mentions just a few of his accomplishments at HVO, we thank him for his countless contributions and wish him well in his future endeavors.”
See the full article at hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.

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Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's wedding will be a
Hindu ceremony.

REP. TULSI GABBARD’S WEDDING DETAILS are coming out. The 33-year-old’s marriage to 28-year-old Abraham Williams will be a Hindu ceremony in April on a Hawaiian beach.

Gabbard accepted the marriage proposal from the cinematographer, surfer and campaign worker during a Thanksgiving surfing outing last year, according to a story in this morning’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser by Nadine Kam. The couple has been dating since last April.
The Washington Post has called Gabbard the most eligible in Congress, and The Hill called her “the Hawaiian Heartbreaker” and number six on its list of 50 most beautiful people on Capitol Hill, the Advertiser story points out.
Invitations go out this week. Fellow kama`aina President Barack Obama is on the guest list, but “she doesn’t know whether he will be able to attend,” the Advertiser reports.

See staradvertiser.com.

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ENTRY FEES ARE WAIVED today and tomorrow at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park for Presidents Day Weekend.
Kilauea Military Camp inside the park invites the public to see how it supports America’s troops by utilizing any of its facilities and services today and tomorrow.

LEHUA LOPEZ-MAU SPEAKS ABOUT Ka`u Heritage Center at Hawaiian Ranchos Community Association’s Annual Membership Meeting tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Ranchos Road Maintenance Building on Kohala. All are welcome to hear about these 15 acres of Ka`u Dryland Forest acquired in Kona Gardens for preservation and display.
Email ranchos96737@gmail.com for more information.

KA`U RESIDENTS ARE INVITED to participate in a vog focus group Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Pahala Library. Host Claire Horwell, director of the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network, is studying how people cope with volcanic emissions. To sign up, see https://www.facebook.com/groups/421925067973152/ or call 808-967-8809.

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

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf and
kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_February2015.pdf.

Devastation Trail is one of several that Ka`u residents can enjoy today when Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park waives entry fees for Presidents Day. Photo by Janice Wei

A BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF COFFEE BERRY BORERS looks promising, according to Andrea Kawabata, coffee and orchard crop assistant extension agent for University of Hawai`i’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.

Cathartus quadricollis
Photo from Bug Guide

The agency is working with Hawai`i Island coffee farmers to increase the numbers of Flat Bark Beetles, which include square-necked grain beetles, Cathartus quadricollis, and Leptophloeus. The insects have been in Hawai`i for years and are widely distributed. Kawabata stressed that “an augmentation of natural insect predators already occurring in Hawai`i” is occurring instead of an introduction.
Flat Bark Beetles attack other beetle species, including Tropical Nut Borers, H. obscurus, in macadamia nuts.
Island coffee farmers are helping with propagation and introduction of the species, according to Carolyn Lucas-Zenk, of West Hawai`i Today. Coffee farmers interested in rearing Flat Bark Beetles at a recent workshop received kits to grow the insects.
After a few months, farmers can release the bugs, or choose to scoop some of them out and place them near and on coffee trees. They rest can be retained to begin the rearing process again.
The program is a result of the Cathartus Project. In June 2014, Hawai`i Department of Agriculture approved and funded the project with approximately $55,000 in grant funds. The project involves CTAHR, UH’s Department of Tropical Plant and Social Sciences, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, and Daniel K. Inouye Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center.
In tests Cathartus readily consumed CBB eggs, larvae and pupae and mangled adults, Kawabata told Lucas-Zenk. Researchers sampling coffee cherry at various farms also found Flat Bark Beetles are widely distributed and seen often in coffee trees, mainly overripe cherries and raisins. These insects have been found in samples of cherry from mills but not in green and ripe cherry samples. Also, most of Flat Bark Beetles placed in parchment and green beans in a laboratory study died within two weeks and caused no damage, she added.
For more information, see hawaiicoffee.weebly.com/predators-of-cbb or email cathartusproject@gmail.com.
See westhawaiitoday.com.
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KA`U SEN. RUSSELL RUDERMAN’S proposed legislation regarding coffee labeling gets a public hearing tomorrow. SB 594 would require a specific listing of geographic origins of various Hawai`i-grown coffees and the geographic or regional origins of the various coffees not grown in Hawai`i that are included in a coffee blend to be listed on the front panel of a label. It would also increase the minimum percentage requirement for coffee blends to use geographic origin in labeling or advertising to 80 percent coffee by weight from that geographic origin.
Public testimony is due by 3:45 p.m. today. Testimony can be submitted online at capitol.hawaii.gov.

Sen. Josh Green, M.D.

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HAWAI`I STATE SENATE HEALTH COMMITTEE, chaired by Ka`u’s Sen. John Green, and the Senate Committee on Energy & Environment have advanced a bill that would establish notice and reporting requirements for any entity or person that uses restricted-use pesticides under certain conditions.

SB 801 would mandate public posting of warning signs in the area in which restricted-use pesticides are to be applied a minimum of twenty-four hours prior to the outdoor application of any restricted-use pesticide. The warning signs must remain posted during the outdoor application of any restricted-use pesticide and until expiration of the applicable restricted-entry interval established by the Environmental Protection Agency for the particular restricted-use pesticide.
The bill also would require pre‑application written notification to any entity or person within a yet to be determined number of feet of the property line where the restricted-use pesticide is anticipated to be applied outdoors a minimum of twenty-four hours prior to outdoor application of any restricted-use pesticide.
No later than sixty days following the end of each calendar year, any entity or person subject to this section shall provide annual public reports of all restricted-use pesticides used in outdoor applications during the prior calendar year to the Departments of Health and Agriculture. The annual public reports shall be posted online on each of the departments’ websites.
More information on SB 801 and other bills is available at capitol.hawaii.gov.
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EAST KA`U IS IN ONE OF HMSA’s Blue Zones. The purpose of the program by the state’s largest health insurer is to improve heath by encourage local leaders, businesses and other organizations to adopt and promote healthy choices and lifestyles. East Hawai`i and North Hawai`i were selected “based on the level of interest and engagement during the application process last year,” according to a story by Tom Callis in Hawai`i Tribune-Herald.

The communities “will now be working with experts from Blue Zones to create and implement a blueprint for creating permanent environmental, social and policy changes that transition people into healthier lives, healthier behavior and longer, happier lives,” said Blue Zones Project Hawai`i vice president Heidi Kim.
Michael Stollar, HMSA’s chief transformation officer, noted problems with obesity and diabetes in the state and said it takes everyone’s effort to improve health, and the purpose of the blue zones project is to increase community involvement.
“We want to help transform communities into blue zones where we, our children, our children’s children can grow up, have happy, healthy lives, fruitful lives and lessen the incident of chronic disease and increase the level of happiness and well being,” he said.
At the announcement, Mayor Billy Kenoi said the county plans to support the project in the zones as well as around the island.
“If you create bikeways, pathways and healthy recreation then your community will be healthier,” he said. “If we promote healthier homegrown local produce … everybody’s going to be healthier.”

See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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Kilauea Military Camp continues its open house today.

ENTRY FEES ARE WAIVED today and tomorrow at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park for Presidents Day Weekend.
Kilauea Military Camp inside the park invites the public to see how it supports America’s troops by utilizing any of its facilities and services today and tomorrow.

LEHUA LOPEZ-MAU SPEAKS ABOUT Ka`u Heritage Center at Hawaiian Ranchos Community Association’s Annual Membership Meeting tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Ranchos Road Maintenance Building on Kohala. All are welcome to hear about these 15 acres of Ka`u Dryland Forest acquired in Kona Gardens for preservation and display.
Email ranchos96737@gmail.com for more information.

KA`U RESIDENTS CAN PARTICIPATE in this week’s Hawai`i County government meetings.
Tomorrow, County Council’s Finance Committee meets at 9 a.m.; Planning, 9:45 a.m.; and Public Safety & Mass Transit, 10:30 a.m.

Dr. Claire Horwell holds a vog focus group in Pahala tomorrow.

The full Council meets Wednesday at 9 a.m. All meetings take place at West Hawai`i Civic Center in Kona.
All meetings are live-streamed online at hawaiicounty.gov. Click on Council meetings at left of page.
Videoconferencing is available at Ocean View Community Center, where residents can provide live testimony.

KA`U RESIDENTS ARE INVITED to participate in a vog focus group tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. at Pahala Library. Host Claire Horwell, director of the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network, is studying how people cope with volcanic emissions. To sign up, see https://www.facebook.com/groups/421925067973152/ or call 808-967-8809.

BERT NAIHE SHARES HIS LOVE OF HAWAIIAN music on stage Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Born and raised in Hilo, Naihe is a musician for Halau O Ka Ua Kanilehua with Kumu Hula Johnny Lum Ho. His first CD Bert Naihe: You’re the One was released in March 2014 and features his version of Na Makani Eha and Noho Paipai among other mele.

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

Kaena Point in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park is one of 60 locations statewide where volunteers participate in the Sanctuary Ocean Count of humpback whales on the last Saturdays of this and next month. Photo by Adrian Boone

KA`U’S HAWAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER Maile David leaves for Washington, D.C. this week to attend the eight-day National Association of Counties convention. She said she feels well grounded in community, land use and cultural issues and that the trip to D.C. will help her integrate her knowledge of county government with federal government. This is her first out-of-state trip. She will meet with Hawai`i’s congressional delegation Sen. Mazie Hirono, Sen. Brian Schatz, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Rep. Mark Takai.

Maile Medeiros David

NACo Legislative Conference, held on an annual basis in Washington, D.C., brings over 2,000 elected and appointed county officials from across the country to focus on legislative issues facing county government. Attendees hear from key Administration officials and members of Congress and are offered a myriad of additional educational opportunities addressing current and hot topic issues. A day of lobbying on Capitol Hill the last day rounds out an information-packed conference.
Topics covered in meetings include Legislative Update on Federal Legislative and Policy Issues Impacting Counties; NACo Technology Innovation Summit; County and Tribal Government Relations; Community Engagement and Outreach: Strategically Improving County Resilience; Federal Legislative Policies Affecting County Justice Systems; All Health is Local: Capitol Hill Briefing on Medicaid and the Role of Counties in  Local Health Systems; and Rural-specific Strategies for Resiliency.

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THE STATUS OF ROOFTOP SOLAR IN HAWAI`I is the topic of a story in The Guardian, reporter Sophie Cocke announced in Civil Beat. Writer Eria Gies examined the booming industry that “nearly went bust” in 2013.
“Because rooftop solar penetration has moved so rapidly, Hawai`i’s utilities are now grappling with both technical and economic challenges that mainland utilities have yet to fully face,” Gies said. “How Hawai`i surmounts these hurdles could help other utilities sidestep barriers as they ramp up capacity.”
Darren Pai, senior communications consultant for Hawaii Electric Companies, told Gies, “We can’t look to any other state for solutions because we’re encountering issues before most other places.”
According to Gies, Hawai`i’s solar boom ran into trouble “when HECO began dragging its feet on approving new rooftop solar systems for connections to the grid, citing both technical and economic limitations. A major technical hurdle, Hawaiian Electric Co. said, is the intermittency of solar power at night and during cloudy weather. Maintaining power quality and reliability is already difficult on isolated grids such as those on each of Hawai`i’s islands, and high levels of intermittent solar power add to the challenge.

Rooftop solar in Hawai`i is the topic of a story in The Guardian.
Photo by Julia Neal

“The economic obstacles also have been formidable. After a century of receiving power from utilities, customers are now generating their own power and helping the grid to balance supply and demand via smart appliances that can curtail electricity demand when required. To manage this more complex relationship, utilities must invest in new infrastructure. Buying surplus power at retail rates via credits to homeowners with solar panels also creates a revenue drain.”
Clean energy consultant Bentham Paulos told Gies, “Essentially, the utility is now competing with its own customers.”
The challenge for utilities here and worldwide is to figure out how to make it work for them, Gies said. That’s why HECO has proposed eliminating net metering, in which customers sell power back to the utilities.
Marco Mangelsdorf, president of Hilo-based solar installation company ProVision Solar, told Gies solar can keep growing without net metering because of recent plunges in costs of photovoltaic panels and continuing state and federal tax credits.
Isaac Moriwake, Honolulu-based attorney for Earthjustice, told Gies, “This move (by HECO to stop net metering) removes any doubt that HECO’s motivation for slowing down solar for over a year was to protect their bottom line.”
Gies also examines NextEra Energy’s purchase of HECO. It is unclear “how the buyout would affect Hawai`i’s renewable energy expansion,” she said.
Moriwake told her, “There’s been a lot of heart and soul poured into envisioning Hawai`i’s energy future, and we need to finish that work before we can decide which company can meet those needs. Everything is in play in Hawai`i. That’s why it’s so key to get things right.”

See civilbeat.com.

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Russell Ruderman is chair of state
Senate Ag Committee.

HAWAI`I STATE LEGISLATURE CONSIDERS labeling of genetically modified foods this week. Senate Health and Agriculture Committees hold a hearing Thursday. Ka`u’s Sen. Russell Ruderman, chair of the Ag Committee, introduced the bill. Ka`u’s Sen. Josh Green is chair of the Health Committee.
SB 131 would establish labeling requirements for any food or raw agricultural commodity sold in the state that contains a genetically engineered material or was produced with a genetically engineered material. It also establishes exceptions and violations and requires the director of health to adopt rules.
According to the bill, “No food or raw agricultural commodity shall be sold in the state if it contains a genetically engineered material, or was produced with a genetically engineered material, unless it bears a label that provides the following disclosure notice in bold-face print and not less than ten-point type: This product contains a genetically engineered material, or was produced with a genetically engineered material.”
Residents can read the entire bill and provide testimony, due tomorrow at 2:45 p.m., at capitol.hawaii.gov.

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CLOSEOUT SALE AT ISLAND MARKET began yesterday and continues through Saturday, Feb. 28. Hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily except Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The store is closing after 18 years of serving the Ka`u community.

KA`U RESIDENTS ARE INVITED to participate in a vog focus group today at 5:30 p.m. at Pahala Library. Host Claire Horwell, director of the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network, is studying how people cope with volcanic emissions. To sign up, see https://www.facebook.com/groups/421925067973152/ or call 808-967-8809.

BERT NAIHE PERFORMS on-stage tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Born and raised in Hilo, Naihe is a musician for Halau O Ka Ua Kanilehua with Kumu Hula Johnny Lum Ho. His first CD Bert Naihe: You’re the One was released in March 2014 and features his versions of Na Makani Eha and Noho Paipai among other mele.

Ka`u residents can learn how to control Little Fire Ants Thursday.

HAWAI`I ANT LAB STAFF MEMBERS DISCUSS how to eliminate Little Fire Ant colonies Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center.

The county Department of Parks & Recreation is treating Na`alehu Community Park. “In order to get rid of this invasive ant species, the community needs to treat on their private properties also,” the lab staff members said. “In order for the community-based eradication to be a success, it is vital that everyone in the community participate in treatment efforts. If you are not within the treatment area, we still encourage your participation at the Public Informational Meeting and vigilance for new introductions of Little Fire Ants.”
Call 315-5656 for more information.

FRIENDS OF HAWAI’I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK host a volunteer forest restoration project on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Participants plant native seedling trees in a fenced enclosure where they will be protected from grazing animals. “We will learn about the park’s native forest restoration program at Kahuku and be able to see the start of natural recovery of the forest,” said organizer Patty Kupchak.
To sign up, contact Kupchak at forest@fhvnp.org or 808-352-1402.

KA`U WHALE WATCHERS CAN STILL sign up for Sanctuary Whale Counts coming up Saturdays, Feb. 28 and March 28. Now in its 20th year, this project uses volunteers to count whales and record their behaviors from over 60 shore sites on O`ahu, Kaua`i and Hawai`i. The project allows the public to learn more about humpback whale population, distribution and behavioral trends while being involved in a volunteer monitoring effort. Hours are 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Interested volunteers may register online at http://sanctuaryoceancount.org.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_February2015.swf.

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf or
kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf.

Hawai`i Ant Lab encourages Ka`u residents to learn how to eradicate Little Fire Ants during a meeting at Na`alehu Community Center today at 5:30 p.m. Photo from Hawai`i Department of Agriculture

VOG, HOW PEOPLE HANDLE IT was the topic at the meeting yesterday evening at Pahala Library. Residents from Pahala, Wood Valley and Volcano attended, invited by Dr. Claire Horwell, who runs the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network. She is conducting a study on ways people protect themselves from vog and how those methods relate to official advice.

Dr. Claire Horwell held a vog focus
group in Pahala yesterday.

The coping methods reported for vog events were diverse. Most said they close windows, one saying she puts towels across the seam where the double-hung windows lock. Another said her slight asthma became full-blown after 2008 when heavy vog started covering the Ka`u landscape. Now she lives in a sealed house with windows rarely open and air conditioning and air filtering systems going 24/7. She and several others noted the very high cost of electricity being a barrier to sensitive people buying air cleaners that filter out SO2 and also purchasing air conditioning. A public school teacher talked about wet cloths in front of fans acting as a cooler and filter, a less expensive alternative but not scientifically proven.
There was discussion about louver windows and whether wooden and glass ones can close tightly enough to keep out vog.
There was also discussion on the value of closing windows even if they are not completely tight. With fewer pukas, less vog enters the room. A person should not give up on reducing the amount of vog coming into the room just because a house is leaky.
Several people talked about vog giving them raspy voices and chronic coughs over time. They talked about using lozenges, and some said they drank tea and lots of water. Another said she wears an oil diffuser around her neck that emits peppermint for her to breathe. She said her mother uses many supplements and vapors to reduce symptoms of asthma, which started developing after the family moved to Wood Valley. She said at the public school campus in Pahala students have headaches, can taste the vog and become nauseous. She said they grew up with it, so are used to it.
One resident talked about individual communities dealing with vog differently. Some houses in Ocean View have only screens. In some places more people work outdoors so they have more exposure.
There was discussion about the new gym and possibly installing air conditioning and air cleaners to make it a safe place for recess and athletics during heavy vog. Air cleaners and air conditioning for all classrooms was also discussed as a possible proposal.
There was agreement that health advisory information should be distributed in print form. It was acknowledged that there is much information on the Internet.
Regarding emissions from the volcano other than SO2, a study on the edge of Halema`uma`u crater took in the emissions and checked for metals. Mercury recovered was not the kind that humans and other mammals can absorb. Other metals were recorded, but below health warning levels. Another survey session is expected soon in Na`alehu. Contact Horwell at claire.horwell@durham.ac.uk.
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Sen. Russell Ruderman

HAWAI`I SENATE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE yesterday advanced Ka`u Sen. Russell Ruderman’s proposed legislation regarding coffee labeling.

SB 594 would require a specific listing of geographic origins of various Hawai`i-grown coffees and the geographic or regional origins of the various coffees not grown in Hawai`i that are included in a coffee blend to be listed on the front panel of a label. It would also increase the minimum percentage requirement for coffee blends to use geographic origin in labeling or advertising to 80 percent coffee by weight from that geographic origin.
In his testimony, state Department of Agriculture Chair Scott Enright expressed concern about the required listing of individual non-Hawai`i-grown coffee origins, saying it would place an extreme hardship on the blending industry because individual blend components may not be available at all times due to logistics, crop size and pricing. “If any one of the blend components were not available, it would make the packaging materials obsolete, which would be very costly to business,” he said.
Volcano resident and tea grower Eva Lee testified, “We need the support of Hawai`i government to make right the misdirected and confusing labeling that has gone on for way too long regarding Kona Coffee. Raising public awareness and supporting that authenticity means a majority percent. It will change the tainted reputation regarding Hawai`i-grown products and give voice to the Hawai`i farmer contributing to our local economy and pave the way for other specialty crops of Hawai`i facing similar challenges. Please consider SB594 a turning point in Hawai`i history.”

For more information and to testify, see capitol.hawaii.gov.
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State Rep. Nicole Lowen

HAWAI`I HOUSE COMMITTEE on Legislative Management has passed HB1054, which would establish a pilot program to enable the House to receive live oral testimony from Hawai`i County through audio or audiovisual technology. The trial program would run through June 30, 2017.

“This pilot program would remove one of the biggest hurdles facing Hawai`i Island residents in voicing their opinions on issues that matter to them, without having to buy a plane ticket to O`ahu to do so,” said Hawai`i Island Rep. Nicole Lowen, who introduced the bill.
“I am also working with House staff and leadership on other ways we might be able to extend remote access to the Capitol to neighbor islands that might not require legislation. The technology to be able to do this has been around for a while, and government is running out of excuses for not using it,” she said.
The proposal calls for the House to coordinate with Hawai`i County to identify sites or facilities that have existing audio and audiovisual capabilities that could be used to allow residents to present live oral testimony. The bill also requires the House to consult with the county, the chief information officer and the Disability and Communication Access Board, and appropriates monies to establish audio or audiovisual systems.
The bill now moves on to the House Judiciary Committee and, if passed, proceeds to Finance.
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ATHLINE CLARK IS THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, announced by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. Clark has worked for the past five years for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and previously served as Hawai`i’s co-manager for Papahanaumokuakea.

Athline Clark

“Athline has more than 20 years of experience working with the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, first in the Florida Keys, then as a sanctuary advisory council member for Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary,” said Allen Tom, Pacific Islands regional director for NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. “She has always been a part of the sanctuary universe in the Pacific Islands region, and we are excited to welcome her to NOAA's marine protected area family.”
“The advisory council is happy to have Athline on board, as she brings a wealth of knowledge about the history and management of this special place,” said Tim Johns, NOAA’s Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve Advisory Council chair. The council is a community-based advisory group that provides advice and recommendations to the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries about the management of Papahanaumokuakea.
“I am encouraged by Athline’s wealth of experience from two decades of involvement working from all sides of conservation and resource management,” said Dan Basta, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries director. “For many of those years she has been working directly with us to manage the monument resources.”  
Clark is a graduate of Kailua High School on O`ahu and received a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in urban and regional planning from University of Hawai`i at Manoa.  
Papahanaumokuakea is cooperatively managed to ensure ecological integrity and achieve strong, long-term protection and perpetuation of Northwestern Hawaiian Island ecosystems, Native Hawaiian culture and heritage resources for current and future generations. Three co-trustees – the Department of Commerce, Department of the Interior, and State of Hawai`i – joined by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, protect it.
For more information, see www.papahanaumokuakea.gov.
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BERT NAIHE PERFORMS on-stage today at 6:30 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Free; park entrance fees apply.

HAWAI`I ANT LAB STAFF MEMBERS encourage the public to learn how to eliminate Little Fire Ant colonies tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center.
Call 315-5656 for more information.

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

Today is Chinese New Year. Chinese traditions are celebrated at many Ka`u events, including Fourth of July festivities and Ka`u Plantation Days.
Photo by Julia Neal

LUNAR NEW YEAR GREETINGS come from Sen. Brian Schatz and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

“The contributions of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community to our nation continue to grow and have been passed down through generations, from creating jobs and opening small business to contributing to the melting pot of American culture. I wish everyone celebrating the Lunar New Year good health, progress, and prosperity. Aloha!” Schatz said.
Gabbard said, “As we celebrate the Lunar New Year around the world, let us recognize the vibrant traditions of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities that mark this very special time. In Hawai`i, where celebrating diverse cultures is part of our daily lives, the Year of the Sheep inspires community-building and strengthens relationships. Best wishes to all for a happy and prosperous new year.”
CAPAC is comprised of members of Congress of Asian and Pacific Islander descent and members who have a strong dedication to promoting the well-being of the Asian American and AAPI community.

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A whale attached to a buoy is swimming around Hawai`i Island.
Photo from Julie Steelman of NOAA

ALL EYES ON THE WHALE is the call for help from Hawaiian Islands Humpback National Marine Sanctuary. A 45-foot-long humpback, towing a buoy and entangled in its lines, has traveled at least once through Ka`u waters and is sought by state and federal wildlife officials in order to free it. It was first seen on Sunday south of Kailua-Kona and last on Monday off of Hamakua.

“It appears to be going counterclockwise around the Big Island,” Ed Lyman, whale entanglement response coordinator for the sanctuary, told Leila Fujimori, of Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “By now it’s made a complete circumnavigation of the Big Island.”
Lyman hopes the whale will be off the Kona Coast today, where calmer seas and “more people, more eyes, more tour boats” will help find it. “It’s 45 feet long, but they’re like a big needle in a big haystack,” he told Fujimori.
The National Marine Fisheries Service and the sanctuary have crews ready to free the 45-ton gray mammal.
Well-meaning mariners are advised not to attempt to disentangle the whale themselves. Doing so could put them in danger from lines snagging outboard motors and could leave line that could endanger other marine animals.
Crews also use the line to pull themselves closer to the whale. Although entangled, the whale seems to be in good shape and not in immediate danger of drowning.
Anyone who spots the whale is asked to call NOAA's Marine Mammal Hotline at 888-256-9840.
See staradvertiser.com.
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Atlas Recycling has picked up many junk cars in Ocean View. Photo from
Ocean View Recycling Point & Convenience Center EIS

ATLAS RECYCLING, WHICH OPERATES RECYCLING stations twice monthly in Ka`u and has picked up many junk cars in Ocean View and throughout Ka`u in past years at no cost to landowners, is suing Hawai`i County, according to a story in Hawai`i Tribune-Herald by John Burnett.

Atlas’ parent company Big Island Scrap Metal, LLC is seeking nearly 5.5 million in unpaid fees, Burnett reported. The company claims breach of contract based on a Feb. 16, 2010 cap placed on the amount of metal it removes from county landfills and the county’s failure to pay for metal already removed.
The suit claims that the company was first notified of the county’s intent to not pay on Jan. 25, 2012 and that it wasn’t paid for 36,010 tons of scrap.
Director of Environmental Management Department Bobby Jean Leithead Todd told Burnett the county believes placing the cap was not a breach of contract. “We’re basically taking the position that we’ve had ongoing communication and that (the company) acknowledged we had a processing cap and affirmed their intent to follow the cap, and that even beyond that, payments due are limited to the amount of certified funds, pursuant to the contract,” she said.
See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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Interim DLNR Chair Carty Chang

THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAS KILLED A BILL that would create a statewide game management advisory commission. Although the bill passed the House Water & Land Committee, House Judiciary Committee Chair Karl Rhoads failed to hear the bill prior to the deadline.

Mayor Billy Kenoi supported the bill. “We feel that a statewide commission will offer to the thousands of hunters who live in Hawai`i a proper venue to share ideas and formulate priorities that are in the best interest of the entire state,” he testified. Hawai`i County Council passed a resolution in favor of the bill yesterday.
Carty Chang, interim Chair of the Department of Land & Natural Resources, testified that the proposed commission “conflicts with the department’s existing legal mandates, rules and operating capacity” and goes “beyond the advisory capacity of a typical advisory commission.”
Tony Sylvester, a member of Hawai`i County’s Game Management Advisory Commission, told Tom Callis, of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald, that he was disappointed about the bill’s demise after it received support from hundreds of testifiers. “For me, that’s the saddest part,” he said. “We try to empower people.”
See hawaiitribune-herald.com.

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HAWAI`I COUNTY WANTS MORE of the transient accommodations taxes that it and other counties collect. Yesterday, the County Council passed two nonbinding resolutions asking the state Legislature to increase allocations. The county wants the state to remove the cap placed on TAT allocations during the recession and to return to previous allocations of 44.8 percent of the total collected.
Nancy Cook Lauer, of West Hawai`i Today, reported that Kohala Councilwoman Margaret Wille said, “The original tax was meant for the counties, with only a small administration amount for the state. The people that wanted this bill … stood and said this cap would be removed when the economy improved … explicitly.”
See westhawaiitoday.com.

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HILO HATTIE HAS LEFT HAWAI`I ISLAND. Following closure of the Kona store last month after nearly 30 years, employees packed up and removed unsold items at the Hilo store at Prince Kuhio Plaza last Wednesday, Feb. 11, according to Hollyn Johnson, of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald.

The company, one of the largest retailers of Hawai`i fashion and other goods, still has stores open on O`ahu, Maui and Kaua`i.

See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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Spring bearded turkey hunting season
is March 1 - 31.

SPRING BEARDED TURKEY HUNTING SEASON opens Sunday, March 1 and runs 31 consecutive days through Tuesday, March 31.

Daily bag limit is two bearded turkeys per hunter with a season bag limit of two. All hunters are required to have a current unused turkey tag in their possession while hunting. Tags are currently free of charge. Turkey tags are nontransferable and must be fastened with snaps and secured tightly around the neck or tarsus of any bird taken immediately after the kill. Tags may be obtained from any Hawai`i Island Division of Forestry and Wildlife office and a number of commercial vendors. Hunters must present current State of Hawaii Hunting License when obtaining tags. Turkey tags are also required on private land.
Information may be obtained at Division of Forestry & Wildlife offices in Hilo at 974-4221 and Kamuela at 887-6063.
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HAWAI`I ANT LAB STAFF MEMBERS encourage the public to learn how to eliminate Little Fire Ant colonies today at 5:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. The insect is considered one of the worst invasive species in the world. It can cause blindness in animals that it attacks and welts that can last for weeks.
Call 315-5656 for more information.

FROM THE SUMMONS OF ART opens Saturday at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Patti Pease Johnson’s exhibit opens with a reception at 5 p.m. The gallery is open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free; park entrance fees apply. Call 967-8222 for more information.

KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK offers a free program Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Participants discover the Hawaiian goddesses, sisters Pele and Hi`iaka, and the natural phenomena they represent through epic stories depicted in the natural landscape of Kahuku on an easy 1.7-mile walk on the main road in the park.

KA`U SCHOOL OF THE ARTS holds a meeting Sunday at 1 p.m. and a celebration from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Old Pahala Clubhouse.

Lunch is at 12 p.m., with kanikapila and heavy pupus at 6:30 p.m. Workshops, music and hula presentations take place throughout the day. See kauarts.org.

AN EVENING OF HAWAIIAN MUSIC AND STORY featuring Keoki Kahumoku with the Aloha Bluegrass Band takes place Sunday, March 22 at Na`alehu Methodist Church. Pupus are served at 5 p.m., with the program from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $20, with all proceeds being donated to the Center for Hawaiian Music Studies. One lucky ticket holder will win a brand new `ukulele Seating is Limited.
RSVP to woodley@easystreet.net or call 854-9483. Make checks payable to Center for Hawaiian Music Studies and mail to Woodley White, PO Box 44, Na`alehu 96772.

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

A free program tomorrow at Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park introduces participants to Hawaiian goddesses Hi`iaka and Pele and the natural phenomena they represent. Photo from NPS

HAWAI`I LOST 400 SOLAR JOBS IN 2014, according to a report released by an independent nonprofit, the Solar Foundation. The report compares the loss with Hawaiian Electric, which some refer to as Hawai`i’s largest private employer. HECO had 2,764 employees in 2013. The solar job loss is equivalent to a loss of 15 percent of the largest private employer’s workforce.

Robert Harris, spokesperson for the Alliance for Solar Choice, said, “It’s outrageous that Hawai`i – with all of its abundant sunshine – is losing the economic and environmental benefits of a vibrant solar industry. The blame for this loss rests on Hawaiian Electric. For almost two years now, Hawaiian Electric held up the solar industry on a false premise. The solar industry consistently maintained, and now Hawaiian Electric finally admits, that vastly higher amounts of rooftop solar can be installed on the grid.
“But there’s ‘more of the same’ on the horizon. Instead of simply working to allow more of their customers to install cleaner and cheaper sources of electricity, HECO followed the national utility playbook of trying to eliminate net energy metering. It is our hope that the Public Utilities Commission will see HECO’s plan for what it truly is: an effort to stop competition and to eliminate rooftop solar in Hawai`i. We need to prevent even larger job losses in 2015.”

HECO recently announced plans to increase the number of customers it will allow to connect solar systems to its electric grid.

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Henruy Curtis

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HAWAI`I Public Utilities Commission’s history, more than 30 entities have sought party status in a single regulatory proceeding, according to Life of the Land Executive Director Henry Curtis. PUC Docket Number 2015-0022, considering the purchase of Hawaiian Electric Co. by NextEra Energy, has 32 potential parties: four applicants, 27 interveners and the Consumer Advocate.

Potential interveners include Hawai`i County, Hawai`i Island Energy Cooperative, Ulupono Initiative, Blue Planet Foundation, Tawhiri Power, Hawai`i Gas, state Office of Planning and state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism.
According to LOL Executive Director Henry Curtis, the organization “asserts that all interests should be at the table, should be able to present their positions and should be able to ask questions to NextEra.”
The utilities recently sent a letter to the PUC asking commissioners to reject LOL’s motion to intervene.
Randy Iwase, Gov. David Ige’s nominee to chair the PUC, told a state Senate committee that if confirmed, he plans to hold public meetings regarding the merger, according to a report in Civil Beat by Nathan Eagle.
See ililanimedia.blogspot.com and civilbeat.com.
See puc.hawaii.gov for more information about and documents in the docket.

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Ka`u Learning Academy's founder is seeking county approval to open the charter
school in Discovery Harbour at the current site of Gilligan's Cafe.

KA`U LEARNING ACADEMY is on the Windward Planning Commission’s next meeting agenda. KLA founder Kathryn Tydlacka applied for a Special Permit to allow establishment of the charter school and related uses for 65 students. The site is currently Gilligan’s Café, where founders are raising funds for the school by serving meals Friday and Saturday evenings on a nonprofit basis. The facility is on 3.69 acres of land within the state Land Use Agricultural District at 94-1572 Kaulua Circle in Discovery Harbour.

The meeting takes place Thursday, March 5 at Aupuni Center Conference Room in Hilo. Public statements are welcome.
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Gov. David Ige

GOV. DAVID IGE IS IN WASHINGTON, DC for the winter meeting of the National Governors Association.

Governors at the meeting are expected to focus on collaboration to solve national issues. Ige serves on the Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee and will be participating in a panel discussion on Sunday. The governors will also meet with President Obama at the White House.
In addition to the NGA meetings, Ige will be meeting with federal transportation, health and housing administration officials to maximize Hawai`i’s share of federal dollars. Elizabeth Kim, Ige’s appointment to serve as a Special Advisor, will attend these meetings with him. Ige will also meet with Army officials to reiterate his commitment to strengthening the state’s relationship with the military.

Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui is Acting Governor until Ige’s return the evening of Wednesday, Feb. 25.

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Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve is seeking advisory
council members. Photo from Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument

NOAA’s NORTHWESTERN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, part of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, is seeking applicants for two seats on its advisory council. The council ensures public participation in reserve management and provides advice and recommendations to the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries regarding the reserve.

“Community representatives on our advisory council are an extremely important part of our team,” said David Swatland, acting superintendent for the monument. “Their input is an integral part of managing this special place.”
The reserve is accepting applications for alternate Native Hawaiian elder and alternate Native Hawaiian.
Candidates are selected based on their expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying, community and professional affiliations and views regarding protection and management of marine resources. Applicants who are chosen as members or alternates should expect to serve a two-year term or until a different advisory body is created pursuant to the monument’s management plan.
The advisory council consists of 15 primary and alternate members representing a variety of public interest groups, including conservation, education, research and ocean-related commercial and recreational activities, as well as the Native Hawaiian community.
Applications are due March 31. To receive an application kit, or for further information, contact Hoku Johnson, acting deputy superintendent, at hoku.johnson@noaa.gov or 808-725-5800. Application kits can also be downloaded at http://www.papahanaumokuakea.gov/council/.
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A Hawai`i Island high school student
learns about farming as an intern.
Photo from The Kohala Center

KA`U HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS interested in learning more about farming, ranching, food production and sustainability can apply for The Kohala Center’s spring cohort of its High School Agriculture Internship Program. Internships offer paid stipends for participants to take field trips to island farms, gain hands-on experience in organic and natural farming methods and learn more about career opportunities in agriculture. The program runs March 16–20, during spring intersession, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with each day beginning and ending in Honoka`a.

For more information and to apply, visit koha.la/farminterns. Application deadline is Wednesday, March 11.

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KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK offers a free program tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Participants discover the Hawaiian goddesses, sisters Pele and Hi`iaka, and the natural phenomena they represent through epic stories depicted in the natural landscape of Kahuku on an easy 1.7-mile walk on the main road in the park.

`Ohi`a Forest Path
by Patti Pease Johnson

FROM THE SUMMONS OF ART opens tomorrow at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Patti Pease Johnson’s exhibit of silk, clay, pastel and watercolor creations explores colors and shapes of Hawai`i's splendor. A reception takes place at 5 p.m. The gallery is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Free; park entrance fees apply. Call 967-8222 for more information.

KA`U SCHOOL OF THE ARTS holds a meeting Sunday at 1 p.m. and a celebration from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Old Pahala Clubhouse.
Lunch is at 12 p.m., with kanikapila and heavy pupus at 6:30 p.m. Workshops, music and hula presentations take place throughout the day. See kauarts.org.

KA`U RESIDENTS CAN HELP Dr. Claire Horwell with her study on how people cope with vog during a survey at Ka`u Farmers Market in Na`alehu next Wednesday. See https://www.facebook.com/groups/421925067973152/ for more information about her research.

FREE VISION SCREENINGS are available for Ka`u residents when Project Vision’s mobile unit comes to Pahala and Na`alehu next month. Along with screenings, keiki receive free UV protection sunglasses. Adults receive retina screenings for glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetes, cataracts and more. Adults can also get free reading glasses.
Health insurance information and education and guidance to follow up eye-care are also provided.
Events are scheduled for Wednesday, March 4 at Na`alehu Community Center and Thursday, March 5 at Pahala Community Center. Sponsored by Tutu & Me, Project Vision Hawai`i and Hawai`i Health Connector.
For more information, call Jessica Steele at 808-464-2676 or Betty Clark at 929-8571.

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

Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Monday, Feb. 2, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Friday, Feb. 6, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Monday, Feb. 9, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Friday, Feb. 13, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Monday, Feb. 16, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, Feb. 19, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Friday, Feb. 20, 2015