The Kaʻū Calendar News Briefs, Hawaiʻi Island

Kahuku's Pu`u o Lokuana is the site of an informative, guided hike tomorrow. Photo from NPS by Michael Szoenyi

HAWAI`I DEPARTMENT OF LAND & Natural Resources is considering banning the taking of sea cucumbers. While taking them from the ocean is not against the law, any commercial harvesting does require a license.

Sea cucumbers are being overharvested in Hawaiian waters, reports DLNR.
Photo from wikipedia

DLNR Chair Suzanne Case said, “We are aware of the near depletion of this marine resource in other U.S. coastal states and other Pacific islands. This has prompted complete closure of cucumber fisheries in numerous locations. This is an entirely new situation here in Hawai`i, and we’re taking immediate steps to try to stop this egregious, mass, commercial exploitation of sea cucumber in Hawai`i.”
Staff from the DLNR Divisions of Aquatic Resources and Conservation & Resources Enforcement are working on emergency actions to stop destruction of sea cucumber species. Acting DOCARE chief Jason Redulla said Maui Community Fisheries Enforcement Unit has confirmed the start of a new commercial fishery for loli and other cucumber species. “In some countries, they are highly prized as a food source and for medicinal purposes,” Redulla said, “so there is a commercial market for certain individuals to harvest as many sea cucumbers, as quickly as they can.”
“This activity threatens to deplete a key species on our reefs in areas of mass harvest,” explained Alton Miyasaka, DAR acting administrator. He said sea cucumbers are important for the ecosystem because they clean up organic matter and recycle nutrients.
Currently, Hawai`i has no specific rules governing the take of sea cucumbers. Case said the emergency rule that will ban any taking of sea cucumbers for the next 120 days. The state Board of Land and Natural Resources will consider the rule at its next meeting on June 26.
DLNR is asking any individuals engaged in taking of mass quantities of sea cucumbers to stop immediately. “It shows tremendous disrespect for one of the many valuable resources of Hawai`i,” Case said.
Anyone who observes mass taking of sea cucumbers can report can call 643-DLNR to report the action.
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FIREWORKS SALES BEGIN ON JUNE 29 and end at 8 p.m. on July 4. Hawai`i County Fire Chief Darren Rosario announced that there are no retail locations selling firecrackers that require a permit to purchase. However, permits will be required to set off firecrackers purchased previously. Permits are not required for other consumer fireworks and paper less firecrackers. Call the Fire Department Prevention Bureau at 932-2915 or 932-2912 regarding purchase of a permit.

The ban of consumer fireworks on O`ahu does not affect Hawai`i County. Firecrackers (with a valid permit), and consumer fireworks are allowed to be set off from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on July 4 only.

Fire chief Darren Rosario

It is unlawful to buy, sell, possess or set off any Aerial Luminary Device such as Sky Lanterns and Hawai`i Lanterns. Any person in possession of any Aerial Luminary Device who would like to dispose of it with amnesty can contact the Fire Department at 932-2912.
Rosario reminds the public that it is illegal for anyone to remove the powder or pyrotechnic contents from any fireworks; throw fireworks from a vehicle, set off any fireworks at any time not within the time period allowed; within 1,000 feet of any operating hospital, nursing home, home for the elderly or animal hospital; in or on any school building or property; on any highway, alley, street, sidewalk or other public way; in any park or within 1,000 feet of a church during periods when services are held.

It is also illegal for any person to offer for sale, sell or give any fireworks to minors, and for any minor to possess, sell, set off, ignite or otherwise cause to explode any fireworks except under the immediate supervision of an adult.
Hawai`i Fire Department asks everyone to do their part to prevent fires and injuries caused by fireworks by having a water hose connected to a water source or a fire extinguisher readily available and wetting down surrounding brush prior to setting off fireworks if need be.

Children playing with fireworks must be under adult supervision at all times. According to Rosario, even the smallest of fireworks can cause serious and sometimes fatal injuries.

Fireworks should be set off in a safe area away from dry grass, buildings, vehicles and flammable materials. Dispose of used fireworks properly by soaking in water prior to disposal.
The Fire Department will be conducting a collection of unused and unwanted fireworks following the Fourth of July holiday on July 10. Anyone interested in disposing of fireworks should call the Fire Prevention Bureau at 932-2912 for further information regarding pick-up and drop-off locations.
There will be public fireworks displays at 8 p.m. at Hilo Bay, on a barge offshore of Ali`i Drive in Kailua-Kona and at Queen’s Marketplace in Waikoloa.
For more information on purchasing fireworks permits or tips on the safe use of fireworks, call the Fire Prevention Bureau at 932-2912.

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Hawai`i Island Palm Society members tour
a garden. Photo from HIPS

HAWAI`I ISLAND PALM SOCIETY INVITES Ka`u enthusiasts to join. According to a statement from the organization, this island is likely home to more exotic palms than any other place on the planet, with about 1,000 species, many threatened with extinction but now living in gardens and commercial nurseries.

Hawai`i Island Palm Society launches a summer membership drive and garden tours to some gardens usually closed to the public.
The tours in June, August and September include a garden on the Hamakua coast, a city-style garden in Hilo and a garden/nursery in Hawaiian Acres.
HIPS member and internationally recognized palm expert Bo-Goran Lundkvist, of Pahoa, said the palm-growing power of the Big Island is “a major reason why the International Palm Society ... has held its weeklong biennial event here three times in the past.”
Annual membership is $10. For more information about membership and the tours, call 333-5626 or see hawaiiislandpalmsociety.com.
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VOLCANO HOUSE GENERAL MANAGER David MacIlwraith is moving to Maui to head Travaasa Hana, reported Pacific Business News. MacIlwraith came to Hawai`i from California, where he was general manager at Death Valley National Park and ran business development for the National Park concession companies.
“Along with his extensive hospitality and business experience, his track record of success in Hawai`i makes him uniquely qualified to be the steward of Travaasa Hana as we invest in developing the physical property to meet the high standards already being set by the team,” said Travaasa Experiential Resorts president Adam Hawthorne.

See bizjournals.com/pacific.
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Sen. Brian Schatz calls for debt-free college at a press conference.
Photo from Office of Sen. Schatz

SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ LAST WEDNESDAY led a press conference with students and Senate leaders to call for student access to debt-free higher education. According to Schatz, the cost of college has increased by 300 percent over the last 30 years, forcing some students to take on crushing student loan debt or putting a college degree entirely out of reach for others.

“A higher education is the best way for people to move up the economic ladder, but the rising cost of college in Hawai`i and across the country has made it harder for students to earn a degree and get ahead,” Schatz said. “Our message is clear: we need to do more to make college more affordable for all students so that they can graduate without debt holding them back.”
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KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES National Park offers guided hikes this weekend. Tomorrow, hikers learn about formation and various uses of the grassy cinder cone Pu`u o Lokuana and enjoy a breathtaking view of lower Ka`u. The moderately difficult 0.4-mile hike to the top takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Volcano Art Center presents hula performances tomorrow.

Participants discover the Hawaiian goddesses Hi`iaka and Pele and the natural phenomena they represent on a moderate one-mile walk Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

VOLCANO ART CENTER GALLERY in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park features hula performances tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., featuring Na Mea Hula with Kumu Ab Valencia and Halau Hula Kalehuaki`eki`eika`iu.

From 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Kumu hula Iwalani Kalima and Hula Halau O Kou Lima Nani E perform on the hula platform.

For more information, call 967-8222.

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_June2015.pdf.

Ka`u Junior Lifeguard Program participants cleaned up the beach at Kawa yesterday. Photo from Lui Sales

KA`U JUNIOR LIFEGUARD PROGRAM participants cleaned up the beach at Kawa yesterday. The junior lifeguard program, which takes place for two weeks each summer, teaches kids ages 12 to 17 about ocean safety and beach rescue skills. Topics include an introduction to water safety, first aid, CPR and surf rescue techniques with an emphasis on ocean swimming and paddle boarding.

Helping out with the program were lifeguards Kevin Ohara, Kaleo Huddy, Rob Patterson and Ryan Kuamo`o and firefighters Lui Sales, Ash Kanahele and Ryan Brown.
“This program is so great, and I really enjoy working with the kids and giving back to the community in two ways,” Sales said. “First is teaching the kids ocean safety and beach rescues such as first aid and CPR, and second is maybe one day when someone is in need of rescue or first aid, one of these kids may implement what they’ve learned and save someone's life. It’s so awesome how the kids respond to our instruction and how much fun we have.”

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PacIOOS updates currents at Hilo Bay hourly online.

A NEW DATA SET OF DIRECTION and speed of ocean surface currents in Hilo Bay is now available online. Hourly updates are free and accessible to the public on Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System’ interactive mapping platform Voyager.

Mapping ocean surface currents in near real-time provides valuable data for search and rescue operations by narrowing down the possible location of the missing person or vessel. The new data set also helps forecast distribution of oil or hazardous material spills, making it crucial to plan an adequate response. Marine navigation can benefit from near real-time surface currents for safe navigation. Other examples of surface currents data usage include water quality monitoring and forecast modeling.
“We are excited about the new ocean surface current data for Hilo,” said Jason Adolf, Associate Professor and Chair of the Marine Science Department at the University of Hawai`i-Hilo. “It complements the PacIOOS wave buoy and water quality buoy off Hilo Harbor.”
Adolf said the new data set also contributes to educational activities for the university’s marine science curriculum and helps raise public awareness in partnership with Mokupapapa Discovery Center.”
See http://goo.gl/jc04t7.

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Junji Takasago and Megan Lamson Photo from HWF

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND’S Marine Debris Project has received a crowd-funded donation of $4,000 from 255 donors across Japan. Project coordinator and marine biologist Megan Lamson met up with nature photographer and ocean advocate Junji Takasago to accept the funds last month.

Lamson said the donation will be used to continue beach cleanups and outreach work related to marine debris on Hawai`i Island. HWF and volunteers have removed over 177 U.S. tons of marine debris in Hawai`i since beginning cleanup efforts in 2003.
HWF estimates that at least 15 to 20 tons of marine debris wash ashore annually along a 10-mile stretch of shoreline in Ka`u and South Kona and will continue to do so until reduction of single-use plastic consumption occurs around the globe.
“Marine debris is a people problem, and because of that it gives us hope, as people can also fix this problem,” said marine scientist Stacey Breining, HWF’s Marine Debris Mentor and Outreach Specialist.
“Our team with Hawai`i Wildlife Fund is most honored to accept this generous donation for marine debris removal efforts and communication related to the Great East Japan Earthquake and resulting Japanese tsunami,” Lamson said. “We are humbled by the generosity of this crowd-funded project and hope to maintain contact with the organizers and the 255 contributors into the future.”

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Chief of Staff Mike McCartney
accompanied Gov. Ige in Japan.

GOV. DAVID IGE RETURNED from Japan yesterday after his first international trip as governor.

In 3.5 days, Ige attended 19 meetings and events, including a 30-minute meeting with Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The governor and Chief of Staff Mike McCartney also met with various travel industry partners and leaders and a range of corporations and businesses to discuss tourism to Hawai`i, easing access to the Hawaiian Islands through the pre-clearance program and a variety of ways to boost economic and business development in the Hawaiian Islands.
“It was a positive, insightful and successful trip,” Ige said. “We were welcomed with aloha and reminded that Japan and Hawai`i’s businesses and communities share similar values. Our relationship with Japan is extremely important, and these face-to-face meetings were essential. Japan and Hawai`i already have strong economic, cultural and education ties, and we intend to build upon those ties and relationships as we look toward the future.”
First Lady Dawn Ige joined the governor on the trip, visiting a sister-city school in Chigasaki as a representative of the state of Hawai`i. Students from the school are planning to visit Hawai`i next year.
Japan is the state’s number one international market with up to 19 flights a day from six cities to the Hawaiian Islands, bringing in an annual 1.5 million visitors who spend about $2.5 billion a year. That results in $260 million in state tax revenue.

UPON HIS RETURN FROM JAPAN, Gov. David Ige signed into law Act 124, which grants high school diplomas to veterans of the armed forces who were not able to complete their education because of compulsory service in the armed services of the United States during World War II, the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War.

Act 124 continues the Hawai`i State Department of Education’s Honorary Kupono Diploma program that was established in 2007 with Act 101, which is set to expire on June 30.

Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi and other Department of Education
personnel join Gov. David Ige for his signing of Act 124.
Photo from Office of the Governor

The statute establishes a program within DOE that not only grants high school diplomas to veterans of the armed forces, but also recognizes Japanese-Americans who were not able to complete high school because they were relocated to internment camps during World War II.
Since 2008, DOE has awarded 26 high school diplomas, with 25 going to military veterans and one to an internment honoree.
SB 181/Act 124 continues this program for an additional five years, until 2020.

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NO SMOKING IN HAWAI`I IF UNDER 21 YEARS OF AGE. Gov. David Ige signed the historic tobacco legislation into law yesterday. When enacted on Jan. 1, 2016, Act 122 will make Hawai`i the first state to prohibit the sale, purchase, possession or consumption of cigarettes, other tobacco products and electronic smoking devices to anyone under age 21.
“Raising the minimum age as part of our comprehensive tobacco control efforts will help reduce tobacco use among our youth and increase the likelihood that our keiki will grow up to be tobacco-free,” Ige said.
Hawai`i County is one of a handful of cities and counties to have already raised the MLA to 21, having passed the bill last year.
Ige also signed a bill that makes Hawai`i state parks and beaches smoke-free. Currently, all city and county parks in Hawai`i are smoke-free with the exception of Kaua`i County. The state law will apply to all facilities within the state Park System administered by the Department of Land and Natural Resources as of July 1, 20`5.

To assist Hawai`i residents comply with the new legislation, tobacco and e-cigarette users are encouraged to contact the Hawai`i Tobacco Quitline for support and free resources, including approved nicotine delivery devices. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or see www.hawaiiquitline.org to learn more.
For more information about Hawai`i’s Tobacco Prevention and Education Program, see www.health.hawaii.gov/tobacco.

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MEMBERS OF KA`U AGRICULTURAL WATER Cooperative District are invited to a conflict resolution workshop a week from today on Saturday, June 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ka`u Coffee Mill. The workshop, sponsored by The Kohala Center, presents skills that current and future board members need in conflict prevention, management and resolution in order for co-ops to be effective.

Scott Enright, Chair of Hawai`i Department of Agriculture, will present an update on water access through state agencies.

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KA`U RURAL HEALTH COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, Inc. provides information about its pilot Community Health Worker Program at a meeting this Thursday, June 25 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Ka`u Resource & Distance Learning Center in Pahala.

Ka`u residents can learn about a Community Health Worker Program Thursday.

Registration is required. Call 928-0101 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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PARTICIPANTS DISCOVER HAWAIIAN goddesses Hi`iaka and Pele and natural phenomena they represent on a moderate one-mile walk tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP’S Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park offers Father’s Day Buffet tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Main entrees are prime rib, shrimp Alfredo with mushrooms and Asian-infused Hawaiian ono. Adult price is $27; child, $14.50.
Call 967-8356 for more details. 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 and
kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_June2015.pdf.

Volcano Village holds its Fourth of July celebration, with a parade to and festivities at Cooper Center, on Saturday, July 4.
Photo from Sher Glass

Henry Yang, of TMT

THIRTY METER TELESCOPE construction will restart Wednesday after more than two months of consultation, education and dialogue with many stakeholders. “Our period of inactivity has made us a better organization in the long run,” said Henry Yang, Chair of TMT’s International Observatory Board. “We are now comfortable that we can be better stewards and better neighbors during our temporary and limited use of this precious land, which will allow us to explore the heavens and broaden the boundaries of science in the interest of humanity.

“We look forward to a positive relationship with all Hawaiians, while we understand that the majority of Hawai`i’s people are supporting the TMT project. We deeply respect and are mindful of those who have concerns, and yet, we hope they will permit us to proceed with this important task while reserving their right to peaceful protest.
According to Yang, TMT plans to assess any possible oil leakage and ensure it can provide proper maintenance of machines and equipment so they operate safely and correctly in order to protect Maunakea and preserve the sensitive environment. The organization will then begin to repair and install fencing for public safety.
Yang said TMT will allow cultural practitioners in the area of the construction site to continue customary and traditional practices. “Allowing this practice to continue to occur will require further dialogue and mutual agreement to work out the details in order to establish a cooperative and harmonious environment for all parties,” he said.
“In an effort to be sensitive to and observant of the Native Hawaiian host culture, we will deepen our knowledge of the cultural, ecological and spiritual aspects of the mountain and continue to learn how to better respect and appreciate Maunakea’s important cultural areas,” Yang said. “On behalf of TMT, I want to express our sincere appreciation to the people in Hawaii for their understanding and support.”
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Ua Galimba and her steer Kaimana took first in show. Galimba also took first in
in showman category in both the steer and hog divisions. At her left is livestock judge
An Peischel. Photo by Rebecca Settlage

UA GALIMBA WON GRAND CHAMPION Steer competition at this weekend’s annual Hawai`i County 4-H Livestock Show & Sale. In addition to the title with a steer named Kaimana, Galimba took first in the Junior Showman Category for steer and the Junior Showman category for hogs. Also participating from Ka`u
were Grant and Kealia Galimba and Kailee Aickin.
The Ka`u contingent traveled with their livestock to Mealani Research Station in Kamuela for the event, which included auctioning off the animals they raised and cared for in preparation for the competition.

The competition included categories for poultry and rabbits on Friday afternoon and hogs, lambs, steers and breeding heifers on Saturday morning, followed by the auction.
Local supporters of the show and auction include Aikane Plantation, Malama Market, Kuahiwi Ranch and Chris Manfredi.
The 4-H program encourages and mentors youth from five to 18 years of age to learn animal husbandry, humane handling skills, record-keeping and financial planning, as well as the discipline of daily responsibility in raising livestock. The first livestock club program formed in 1918.
“Supporting young people in agriculture is one of the most effective ways, besides buying local, to contribute toward sustainability of our island home,” said a 4-H press release.
For more information about 4-H, contact CTAHR extension agent Becky Settlage at settlage@hawaii.edu.
For more on the 2015 4-H Livestock Show and Sale and joining 4-H in Ka`u, contact Ka`u rancher and state Board of Agriculture member Michelle Galimba at mgalimba@kuahiwiranch.com.
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HOMELESSNESS IS THE FOCUS of John Burnett’s two stories in Hawai`i Tribune Herald this morning. While homeless people may be widely scattered in Ka`u near beach parks and some abandoned buildings and lots in Ka`u, the islandwide picture is much more apparent in the urban areas.

According to Burnett, the number of homeless people on the island has risen 43 percent since last year, with 1,241 compared to last year’s 869. HOPE Services Hawai`i, Inc. came up with the statistics during a survey conducted early this year. Brandee Menino, chief executive officer, told Burnett the numbers are probably on the low side.
Kaui Alexander, HOPE Services’ care coordinator, said the homeless population will likely continue to rise. “A lot of families are just one setback away from becoming homeless,” Alexander said. “A job ending or a health problem that arises can quickly lead to the inability … to pay rent or utility bills, afford child care, put gas in the car, and families are left having to make tough decisions.”
See hawaiitribuneherald.com.
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The current issue of Volcano Watch discusses Kilauea's historic lava lakes.
Photo by Thomas Jaggar, Jr. from USGS/HVO

KILAUEA’S HISTORIC LAVA LAKES are the topic of the current issue of Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s Volcano Watch.
“Although relatively new to most of us, churning lava lakes are certainly not new to Halema`uma`u Crater,” the article states. “Indeed, from 1823 through 1924, a lava lake (or lakes) was nearly always present in the caldera, generally inside Halema`uma`u. Short-lived lava lakes played in Halema`uma`u several times between 1924 and 1968. Much of the time, however, visitors witnessed a scene quite different from today.
“As one example, this nearly century-old print shows Halema`uma`u when much more of its floor was covered by a lava lake compared to today. Towering bodies of solidified lava called crags rise above the lake surface like battleships on the sea. At times these crags were so high that they could be seen by spectators at the old Volcano House nearly three kilometers (two miles) away. Visitors could sometimes view lava fountaining and hear noises of splashing lava from the hotel. Today, the clatter of breaking and falling rocks is, with favorable wind, audible outside Jaggar Museum, and the overflows in April and May were visible from many caldera vantage points.
“In the early 1900s, the lava lake inside Halema`uma`u resembled a dynamic body of water in many ways. Thomas A. Jaggar, founder of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, used terms such as cove, bay and inlet to describe lava pools and other features in the lake. The lava lake was typically impounded by levees made by overflows of lava from the lake, just as overflows of silt-laden water create levees along the Mississippi River.

The article includes a photograph that shows what was known as the Southeast Crag, an 11-m- (36-ft-) high peak of solidified lava that had been twisted and tilted upward. Similar features have not developed in the current lava lake. The article states that this may be “because the present lake is impounded by the walls of Overlook crater, not by its own natural levees, which can change configuration and location with time. If such self-impoundment should develop in the Overlook lava lake, we may once again see crags, bays and inlets.”
HVO will share more of the rich photographic record of Halema`uma`u lava lakes from the last century in future Volcano Watch columns. “Although they lack the vivid and mesmerizing colors of modern photographs, there is a stark beauty in these crisp, black-and-white scenes of lava in its myriad forms that we find equally compelling,” the article states.

See hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.
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Silversword Photo by Dr. Robert Robichaux

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP’S Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park offers Father’s Day Buffet today from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Main entrees are prime rib, shrimp Alfredo with mushrooms and Asian-infused Hawaiian ono. Adult price is $27; child, $14.50.

Call 967-8356 for more details. Park entrance fees apply.

DR. ROBERT ROBICHAUX, PROFESSOR of ecology and evolutionary biology at University of Arizona and founder and president of the Board of Trustees of the Hawaiian Silversword Foundation, discusses highly collaborative, large-scale endangered plant reintroduction efforts on Hawai`i Island Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

According to Robichaux, the native silversword and lobeliad lineages of Hawai`i are the world’s most spectacular examples of plant adaptive radiation, in which single colonizing ancestors have given rise to a stunning diversity of descendant species. Yet, the two lineages now include some of the world’s most critically imperiled plants.
This presentation illustrates the value of integrating reintroduction efforts with ongoing ecosystem restoration efforts across large landscapes.

VOLCANO VILLAGE HOLDS ITS annual Fourth of July celebration Saturday, July 4. This free event is sponsored by Volcano Community Association, Cooper Center Council and Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Festivities start at 9 a.m. at the Volcano Post Office with a good, old-fashioned patriotic parade going down Old Volcano Road and ending at Cooper Center. Free entertainment, keiki games for 50 cents, a craft fair, silent auction and food for the whole family continue to 1 p.m.

A MEN’S BASKETBALL LEAGUE is forming for the summer, starting in July with play at the Ka`u High School Gym. Men, high school age and older are invited to form teams and join the competition which will take place Mondays and Thursdays, starting at 6 p.m. Anyone interested, call Elijah Navarro at Pahala Community Center at 928-3102 or 430-9461.

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_June2015.pdf.

Large-scale re-introduction of native plants such as lobeliad is the topic at After Dark in the Park tomorrow.
Photo by Dr. Robert Robichaux

HAWAI`I COFFEE CO., which supports the Miss Ka`u Coffee pageant scholarship fund and markets a Chef Alan Wong blend of Ka`u Coffee, has a new president. Daniel Dinell replaces Jim Wayman, who founded the company and stepped down earlier this year. The company owns Royal Kona Coffee, which it purchased from C. Brewer years ago, and also owns the largest roasting facility in the islands, located on O`ahu. Its other brands include Lion Coffee, Royal Hawaiian Coffee and Hawaiian Islands Tea.
Dinell comes from Hilton Grand Vacations and has two decades experience in hospitality. He also worked in state government for the Hawai`i Community Development Authority.
See more at hawaiicoffeecompany.com.
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Hawai`i County encourages residents to seek primary health care.

GOT DOC? THAT’S THE QUESTION Hawai`i County asking residents to encourage them to find a primary health care provider.
“Imagine a Hawai`i Island where emergency rooms are nearly empty because preventive care services have been integrated into everyone’s health routine for years. Early mornings before sunrise, a group of kupuna does tai chi at the park,” the website gotdoc.org states. “Come lunchtime, kids gather with fellow classmates to play and eat nutritious meals. At pau hana, surfers paddle out for a quick session, and weight loss groups meet up for support and a brisk, evening walk.”
In Hawai`i, one in every 10 visits to the emergency room is preventable. Easy, common sense measures like routine checkups could save the state $325 million every year.
On Hawai`i Island, nearly 40,000 adults — about one in every five — don’t have a regular doctor. “That’s a lot of aunties, coworkers, cousins and kupuna at risk for serious health problems,” according to the website. “When members of our community neglect themselves, we all suffer the consequences.
“Take responsibility for your health and well-being. The first step is having a primary care physician.”
The website shows how to find a primary care doctor, gives tips on living well and tells stories of individuals who suffer because they don’t have primary care physicians who could have caught symptoms before they turned into major health issues.
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AmeriCorps volunteers helped clean up and organize Pahala Hongwanji
schoolhouse. Photo by Julia Neal

AMERICORPS, WITH TEACHERS IN KA`U, is facing cuts, and yesterday the New York Times came to its defense. The editorial board wrote, “It would be hardhearted and counterproductive to squeeze any more money from the already meager federal funding for public service programs that help struggling schoolchildren, veterans, the elderly and communities stricken by natural disasters. Yet a House subcommittee this week approved a spending bill that cuts federal financing for the already beleaguered Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees many programs, the most well known of which is AmeriCorps.”
According to the story, the proposed cuts would reduce federal investment in the community service corporation by about a third, would gut some programs and shut others down. The board wrote, “Beyond that, thousands of teachers, tutors and mentors would be withdrawn from low-performing schools across the country. That’s too big a price to pay for a savings so small that it doesn’t even rate as a rounding error in the national budget. It’s up to President Obama to fight for the national service program and make sure it remains intact.”
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Sacred Mauna Kea Hui members protest TMT. Photo by Kai Markell

SACRED MAUNA KEA HUI and its head facilitator Kamahana Kealoha responded to Thirty Meter Telescope organization’s announcement that it would restart construction on Wednesday.

Construction stopped about three months ago when protesters, who call themselves protectors, blocked crews from reaching the TMT site. Following arrests of 31 people, Gov. David Ige asked TMT to halt proceedings while he discussed the issue with involved parties. Last month, Ige announced his support of TMT’s right to continue with the project and protesters right to protest peacefully.
“SMKH reaffirms strongly, proudly and with all aloha our commitment to reinforce the blockade and continue to pursue legal routes while being forced to protect the Mauna with our bodies,” according to a statement from the hui.
“SMKH strongly feels that many laws have been circumvented that make University of Hawai`i, Department of Land & Natural Resources, the state of Hawai`i and the TMT project disparagingly liable for breach of law and legal processes and with the Supreme Court case confirmed that it would be illegal, immoral and unethical for the TMT project and its supports to disallow the full and entire process of law to run its course regardless of the governor’s relinquishing of responsibility in giving the OK for the TMT project to move forward.
“We implore the governor, UH, DLNR, the state of Hawai`i and the TMT project to rescind its intention to continue desecration and violation of the mandate to steward the endangered species environment that is our Mountain’s summit and reaffirm that all these entities are subject to all responsibility for the well-being of the Mauna and protectors being forced by the governor, UH, DLNR, the state of Hawai`i and the TMT project to put body, freedom and life in jeopardy in order to facilitate the just process of law that is still in motion and should be respected.
“SMKH reaffirms its commitment to continue to call on its worldwide and local support for all protection efforts of the Mauna including continuing to put our bodies between the desecration of construction and our sacred Mauna and endangered species environment so poorly managed and neglected in regards to legal mandates set in place currently meant to protect the conservation district and cultural resources that are the Piko, or sacred summit, of our first-born elder Mauna Kea.”
See sacredmaunakea.com.
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Sen. Mazie Hirono

Sen. Brian Schatz

U.S. SENS. MAZIE HIRONO AND BRIAN SCHATZ are divided regarding the Fiscal Year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act that the Senate passed last week. Schatz voted for the bill, and Hirono opposed it.
“Every defense bill has challenges and tradeoffs,” Hirono said, “but this year’s NDAA raised serious questions about our national values.
“In NDAA, Republicans resorted to a budget gimmick to provide sequester relief just for the Department of Defense while leaving the full burden of sequester for domestic programs such as the FBI, State Department, Treasury, Coast Guard, Homeland Security, education, transportation and other important priorities that contribute to our national security.
“This approach divides our country into two Americas — defense on one side and everything and everyone else on the other. I call this un-American.”
Schatz said, “The defense authorization bill includes many provisions that strengthen our national defense, reinforce the need to rebalance to the Asia Pacific — through which Hawai`i is central — and provide our service members with the equipment and training they need to protect America. The bill specifically states that any withdrawal of U.S. forces from U.S. Pacific Command would undermine the rebalance to the Asia Pacific, and that U.S. forces under the operational control of U.S. Pacific Command — like those of U.S. Army Pacific based in Hawai`i — should be increased, consistent with our commitment to the region.”
While Schatz objects to the budget using Overseas Contingency Operations to circumvent the 2011 Budget Control Act’s spending caps to fund the military’s core operations, he said he will address those concerns in appropriations bills on the Senate floor.
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Dick Hershberger, as Thomas Jaggar, explains volcano activity to A Walk
into the Past participants. Photo by Ron Johnson

VISITORS TO HAWAI`I VOLCANOES National Park tomorrow can enjoy two programs.
Ka`u resident Dick Hershberger brings Hawaiian Volcano Observatory founder Thomas Jaggar to life tomorrow every other Tuesday at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Participants meet at Kilauea Visitor Center for a short walk to Whitney Vault near Volcano House.
The topic at After Dark in the Park at 7 p.m. is Silverswords & Lobeliads. Dr. Robert Robichaux discusses highly collaborative, large-scale endangered plant re-introduction efforts on Hawai`i Island at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium.
$2 donations support After Dark programs. Park entrance fees apply.

FAMED, AWARD-WINNING GUITARIST John Keawe brings A Tribute to Slack Key to Na`alehu Public Library tomorrow at 3 p.m. Originally planned for last Thursday, the program was rescheduled due to a miscommunication, according to library manager Sara Kamibayashi.

For more information, call 939-2442.

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`Ohi`a forests rising above Ka'u ranch lands between Pahala and Na'alehu are threatened, but apparently not stricken by Rapid Ohia Death fungus, which can kill a tree in a week, an `Ohi`a stand in three years.
Photo from The Nature Conservancy by Rob Schallenberger

HAWAI`I’S `OHI`A FORESTS AND WATERSHEDS face a dire disease threat. The native forest, watersheds and plants and animals that depend on the canopy of `ohi`a lehua trees are at risk as a fungus spreads from Puna, where it already killed half the `ohi`a on 6,000 acres. Called `ohi`a wilt, the aggressive fungus clogs the tree’s vascular system. The `ohi`a dies of thirst in weeks. A stand of `ohi`a dies in three years.
John Replogle, of The Nature Conservancy in Ka`u, attended a meeting in Honolulu last week where he said the pest was called Rapid `Ohi`a Death fungus. He said his team is very concerned and is taking many precautions. Contractors working on new Kaiholena fencing are using brand new equipment, from tools to boots, to “start clean.” Replogle said summer youth working for The Nature Conservancy under the Works Projects Administration program are taught to protect the forest. He said he “personally sprayed all their shoes to impress on them that this is serious.” He said The Nature Conservancy cleans all tools, shoes and vehicles with Lysol spray when moving from one forest to another.

Sam Ohu Gon III
Photo from The Nature Conservamcy

Scientists are trying to figure out how to keep Rapid `Ohi`a Death fungus in Puna, away from adjacent Ka`u, location of some of the largest and most pristine native forests in Hawai`i. Sam Ohu Gon III, senior scientist for The Nature Conservancy, which manages some of the most intact native forests in Ka`u, also urges anyone entering infected forests to clean vehicles, tires, boots and clothing before bringing them back to Ka`u.
As with the coffee berry borer that threatens the Ka`u Coffee industry and the macadamia felted coccid that threatens Ka`u’s macadamia production, there is little agreement on how the `ohi`a tree killer reached the Big Island. Just like the coffee berry borer and macadamia pests, the `ohi`a fungus may have arrived to Hawai`i only a few years ago but could quickly take away what nature created eons ago.
Flint Hughes, a research ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service, told Honolulu Star-Advertiser reporter Gary T. Kubota that `ohi`a make up 40 percent of native forest biomass. “A loss of `ohi`a would result in an utter transformation of our forests, not to mention the cultural importance of the trees,” Hughes said. “`Ohi`a really forms the foundation of our native forests. It’s the keystone species in terms of forest development.”
The story explained that “unlike some alien trees that discourage ground cover by blocking sunlight or changing the chemistry of the soil, `ohi`a provides cover for many native plant species that in turn capture rain for Hawai`i’s watersheds.”
“It’s our ultimate nurse tree for our native species,” Hughes told reporter Kubota.
The fungus, Ceratocystis fimbriata, was identified as the cause of `ohi`a wilt late last year by Hawai`i-based Lisa Keith, a research plant pathologist with U.S. Department of Agriculture. She and her colleagues have determined that the fungus can spread in `ohi`a wood carried from one place to another to use for fires, fencing and other purposes. It can be carried from the soil around infected trees, and in insect excrement. There is a possibility that beetles and pigs are carriers, as well as humans walking and driving through an infected forest.
See more at staradvertiser.com, civilbeat.com and environment-hawaii.org.
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Renee Dufault

THE FOOD INGREDIENT AND HEALTH Research Institute is seeking twenty parents of learning-disabled children to participate in a web-based tutorial as part of a study to determine whether the curriculum can help families facilitate healthy dietary changes. Parents selected to participate in the tutorial will be randomly assigned to a test or control group. Those assigned to the test group will be required to participate in the first six-week tutorial session. Parents serving in the control group will be offered the opportunity to participate in the tutorial during the second session. Test and control group participants will be required to take an online diet survey at the same time before and after the first tutorial session. As each parent finishes participating in the tutorial, he or she will receive a stipend of $200 to offset any increased grocery costs that may occur as a result of dietary changes.
Instruction for the tutorial is provided by Renee Dufault, a retired Food and Drug Administration Public Health Service officer and prominent researcher, who lives in Ka`u. Participants will receive a copy of Dufault’s book and instruction during the tutorial at no charge, she said.
Prior to being selected to participate in the study, parents will be screened to determine their eligibility. Parents found eligible to participate in the study will be required to sign an informed consent form before starting the tutorial. Results of the study may be reported in a journal article, at a scientific meeting or through media. All participants will be assigned unique user identification numbers for logging on to the tutorial, and their identities will remain confidential.
Interested parents may contact Dufault at rdufault@foodingredient.info for their eligibility screening appointment or visit foodingredient.info/parentnutritioncourse.html and fill out the interest form.
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A beach cleanup station like this one
will be installed at Punalu`u.
Photo from All One Ocean

PUNALU`U BEACH CLEANUP STATION stewards are needed. All One Ocean has been granted permission from Hawai`i County to install a Beach Cleanup Station at Punalu`u. To date, the organization has installed 17 stations in the San Francisco Bay Area and one on Hawai`i Island at Hapuna Beach State Park. The stations are simple wooden boxes containing repurposed bags that provide a simple way for beach goers to pick up trash that threatens marine life while enjoying the beach.
Each station has one or more dedicated stewards, community volunteers who care for, manage and help evaluate the station’s impact. Stewards commit to visiting the station approximately once every couple of weeks to maintain it and replenish the stock of reusable bags. Stewards also estimate usage of the station on each of their visits.
Ka`u residents interested in becoming a steward and joining the All One Ocean team can contact Katie Strong at 415-933-9589 or katie@alloneocean.org.
For more information, see alloneocean.org.
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GOV. DAVID IGE IS IN WASHINGTON, D.C., for The Washington Post’s Powering Cities forum today.

The Washington Post invited Ige to speak about Hawai`i’s commitment to clean energy and generating 100 percent of its electricity sales from renewable energy resources by 2045. Ige recently signed Act 097 into law, making Hawai`i the first state in the nation to set a 100 percent renewable portfolio standard for the electricity sector.
Ige joins other elected officials, government innovators and business leaders at the one-day forum. Currently, the U.S. consumes the equivalent of 18 percent of the world’s total primary energy usage. Speakers discuss and debate policies and programs across the country related to clean energy, battery and energy storage, the grid, energy efficiency, innovations in oil and gas and more.

Gov. David Ige is participating in a forum sponsored by The Washington Post
today. Photo from Office of the Governor

The event is live-streamed through the governor’s website at governor.hawaii.gov. Video will also be available after the event.
While in Washington, Ige will also meet with Hawai`i’s congressional delegation and various federal officials to discuss issues that include easing air access for international travelers to Hawai`i, renewable energy, affordable housing and the International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress to be held in Hawai`i in next year.
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KA`U BOYS VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS succeeded on a national stage last weekend at the Southern California Volleyball Association annual tournament at Anaheim Convention Center. Emmett Enriques, of Punalu`u, joined top 18-year-old players from Hawai`i to take third in competition among more than 50 teams from around the country. Ka`u athletes Cameron Moses, Naia Makuakane and Adison and Avery Enriques played for their team that tied for ninth in the competition among 82 teams from around the U.S.
The Ka`u volleyball standouts scrimmage this week with teams in San Diego and travel Thursday to Columbus, Ohio for the U.S.A. Boys Junior National Championships.
Both events provide venues for college scouts, who talk to players, their coach Guy Enriques and parents. Ka`u’s outstanding players over the years have received numerous scholarship offers following participation on the national stage.
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John Keawe

JOHN KEAWE PRESENTS A TRIBUTE TO SLACK KEY at Na`alehu Public Library today at 3 p.m. Originally planned for last Thursday, the program was rescheduled due to a miscommunication, library manager Sara Kamibayashi said.

For more information, call 939-2442.

THE TOPIC AT AFTER DARK IN THE PARK this evening is highly collaborative, large-scale endangered plant re-introduction efforts on Hawai`i Island. The program begins at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

$2 donations support After Dark programs. Park entrance fees apply.

A MEN’S BASKETBALL LEAGUE is forming for the summer, starting in July with play at Ka`u High School Gym. Men of high-school age and older are invited to form teams and join the competition that take place Mondays and Thursdays starting at 6 p.m.
Call Elijah Navarro at Pahala Community Center at 928-3102 or 430-9461. Sponsor is county Parks & Recreation.

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

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See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_June2015.pdf.

Keiki can take swimming classes at Pahala Pool this summer. Photo by Tanya Ibarra

THE WIKI WIKI MART IN NA`ALEHU will soon be the last Sure Save store on the island after the Wiki Wiki near Ken’s House of Pancakes in Hilo shuts down following a closing sale. Sure Save shuttered its Island Market in Na`alehu earlier this year. The Wiki Wiki in Na`alehu, with its front end at the 76 station and a box store behind, is doing well and will remain open, according to Carl Okuyama, president of Sure Save.

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WATER RATES ARE GOING UP. Hawai`i County Water Board yesterday approved rate increases of three percent in Fiscal Year 2016, which begins July 1, four percent in FY 2017 and five percent for each of the next three fiscal years.

Public hearings on these proposed rate increases were held in Kona on May 26 and in Hilo on May 27.
The consulting firm of Brown & Caldwell was contracted to propose water rates that would adequately fund operations and capital improvements. “Nobody likes to see rate increases. It’s sort of a fact of life … that costs increase, and especially as revenues decrease, due to reduced water sales,” consultant Ann Hajnosz told Nancy Cook Lauer, of West Hawai`i Today. “The Department of Water Supply has an obligation to be financially self-sufficient, to plan for not only current operations, but future operations.”
Waterworks Controller Rick Sumada told Cook Lauer that “expenses projected for five years are greater than revenues we project for five years.”
See westhawaiitoday.com.
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COUNTY AND STATE OFFICERS made 10 arrests this morning on Mauna Kea, according to Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Those arrested refused to move out of the road when crews made their way toward the mountain's summit to restart construction at the site of the Thirty Meter Telescope. TMT announced a few days ago that construction would restart today.
In a statement yesterday, Gov. David Ige said, “It is our belief that there will be mutual respect and aloha on Wednesday and in the days ahead as TMT restarts construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope.
“TMT has the approvals needed to proceed with construction. We respect those who oppose the project and their right to peaceably assemble and to protest in an orderly and civil manner.
“The state of Hawai`i’s primary concern is the health and safety of its people. The state and Hawai`i County are working together to uphold the law and ensure safety on roadways and on Mauna Kea, while allowing the people their right to peacefully and lawfully protest.”

See staradvertiser.com.

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Gov. David Ige spoke yesterday about Hawai`i's
100 percent renewable energy goal.

GOV. DAVID IGE WAS A KEY SPEAKER yesterday for The Washington Post’s Powering Cities forum. Ige discussed Hawai`i’s commitment to clean energy, having signed Act 097 into law this month, making Hawai`i the first state in the nation to set a 100 percent renewable energy standard – generating 100 percent of its electricity sales from renewable energy resources – by 2045.

“Our energy costs are the highest in the country. We pay 37 cents per kilowatt hour, a lot more than anyone else (in the nation),” Ige said. “The challenge is storage. It’s about how we will be able to generate the power from the renewables when it’s available, store it and be able to deliver it to the customer when they want to use it in a reliable and safe fashion.
“The technology we need (for 100 percent renewable power) exists today, but it hasn’t been produced at utility scale.”
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RED CROSS DISASTER-TRAINING CLASSES for new volunteers are coming up on July 11 and 18 at Pahala Hongwanji Mission. Interested persons can call or email Yukie Ohashi at 990-4777 or yohashi@hawaiiantel.net for online application instructions. Use of computers at Pahala Public Library can be arranged for individuals needing computer and Internet access.
The need for local volunteers became apparent after a fire at Green Sand subdivision, when volunteers from Hilo, Kea`au, Volcano and Kona traveled to Ka`u to provide community outreach and individual assistance to affected families.

THERE’S STILL TIME FOR PARENTS to register their teens for Pahala-based Science Camps of America, returning to Hawai`i Island for its third summer. Camps offer teens entering grades eight through 12 the opportunity to take an active approach to learning about science outdoors. The first camp session, Land and Sea, starts this Monday, June 29 and runs through July 8. It focuses on volcanology, geology and oceanography. The second session, Air and Space, runs July 9 through 18 and covers astronomy, climatology and alternative energy.

Science Campers use field kits on there adventures. Photo from Science
Camps of America

“The Big Island is such an amazing place geographically, climatically and culturally that I knew I wanted to create a camp that encompasses what makes this place so unique,” said founder Michael Richards.
Campers will get the chance to explore the environmental diversity that the Big Island has to offer from beaches and rainforests to snow-covered mountains. Destinations include Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, Mauna Lani Sea Turtle Restoration Project, Mauna Kea Visitor Center, USGS Mauna Loa Climate Observatory and Punalu`u Black Sand Beach.
Registration fee for each session is $2,395 and includes transportation to and from Hilo International Airport. Each 10-day session features six or seven travel days, and meals are included. To extend this experience to more local teens, Science Camps of America, a 501c3 nonprofit corporation, offers a limited amount of financial aid and also welcomes contributions from the public to the Science Camps of America Scholarship Fund.
To register, call 678-619-0974 or visit ScienceCampsAmerica.com.

CAREERS IN HEALTH is the focus of a meeting at Ka`u Resource & Distance Learning Center at 96-3126 Puahala St. in Pahala, tomorrow at 9 a.m. Ka`u Rural Health Academy plans to offer a pilot Community Health Worker Program for those in need of employment, 18 or older, who who enjoy helping others, are trustworthy, have transportation, reading, writing, math and computer skills and can commit to weekly classes. Call Jessie Marques at 938-0101.

KA`U AGRICULTURAL WATER Cooperative District meets Saturday at 8 a.m. at Ka`u Coffee Mill. For more information, call Jeff McCall at 928-6456

KA`U AGRICULTURAL WATER Cooperative District members are invited to a conflict resolution workshop Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ka`u Coffee Mill. The workshop, sponsored by The Kohala Center, presents skills that current and future board members need in conflict prevention, management and resolution in order for co-ops to be effective.
Scott Enright, Chair of Hawai`i Department of Agriculture, will present an update on water access through state agencies.

KA`U COMMUNITY ASTHMA PROGRAM welcomes participants. Led by Luzviminda B. Miguel, MSed, the project sponsored by Ka`u Rural Health Community Association, Inc., American Lung Association and University of Hawai`i Doctor of Nursing Practice Program is conducting a Demographic Survey and Asthma Control Test Survey. “Your participation will help nurses, doctors and other health care professionals help you to manage your asthma and form a Ka`u Community Asthma Support Group,” say fliers on bulletin boards in the community.
Those with asthma or family members with asthma can call Miguel at 934-2654 or KRHCAI at 928-0101.

KA`U CLASSIC CRUISERS WILL CRUISE to Volcano and down to Pahala and up Wood Valley Road to Ka`u Coffee Mill on Thursday, July 2. The annual event draws classic cars from afar and takes place from June 25 with registration at Orchid Isle Ford in Hilo to July 5. Call Herbert Leite at 964-1235 or Russell Pacheco at 960-2016. See www.classiccruisers.com.

Ka`u keiki can sign up now for Pop Warner football. Photo by Nalani Parlin

KA`U LIONS POP WARNER FOOTBALL play begins in August. Open registration is ongoing for boys and girls from seven to 12 years of age. Parents need to supply a birth certificate, medical clearance for sports and a fourth-quarter report card.

Call organizers Kai Manini at 640-8409 or Bully Breithaupt at 339-1097. Practices will be a couple of days a week at Na`alehu Ball Field. Games will be islandwide. More coaches are needed, Manini said.

AMERICAN RED CROSS LEARN TO SWIM PROGRAM continues with sessions each week through July 28 at Pahala Pool. Call 928-8177. Head lifeguard Rina Martineau said there is room for more students in ongoing and upcoming summer sessions.
Classes start with pre-school aquatics for two- and three-year-olds through July 2 and include Level One, Two, Three and Four Classes for everyone, with lower age limit set at five years of age. Each series of classes in Session C costs $15 from July 6 – 17. Session D is from July 20 – 28, and each series of classes costs $10. Call 928-8177.

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_June2015.pdf.

Hawai`i Tourism Authority reported that the number of visitors to Hawai`i Island continues to increase.
Photo of South Point Blowhole by Peter Anderson

EAST KA`U’S STATE SENATOR may run for mayor, West Hawai`i Today reported this morning. According to reporter Bret Yager, Sen. Russell Ruderman confirmed that he is considering running for the office being vacated by Mayor Billy Kenoi. Ruderman was elected as state senator in 2012, and his four-year term in the Senate ends next year.

Sen. Russell Ruderman is considering a run for Hawai`i County Mayor.
Photo by Julia Neal

Yager said former Hawai`i County Council member Pete Hoffmann is also considering running for mayor. Hoffmann told Yager his decision won’t be based other candidates entering the race because he doesn’t see himself as running against other candidates or the current administration.
“I want to run for effective solutions going into the future,” Hoffmann said.
Both candidates told Yager it could be months before they make final decisions.
Candidate can file for the August 2016 primary election from Feb. 1 through June 7.
See westhawaiitoday.com.
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HAWAI`I DIVISION OF CONSERVATION and Resources Enforcement yesterday arrested eleven adults during a protest to stop construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope atop Mauna Kea. Hawai`i County Police made one arrest.
“The arrests are unfortunate,” said Gov. David Ige, “but the state’s number one priority is the safety of the people on Mauna Kea – from TMT workers to protestors who are exercising their first amendment rights to peaceably assemble and protest in a civil manner.

Human blockades prevented the restart of Thirty Meter Telescope
construction yesterday. Photo from Big Island Video News

“We are disappointed and concerned that large boulders were found in the roadway leading to the summit of Mauna Kea. This action is a serious and significant safety hazard and could put people at risk.
“Because of this, we are making an assessment to determine how to proceed. We will be working to clear the roadway tomorrow. Therefore, construction is on hold until further notice.”
“This is a difficult day for Hawai`i and TMT,” said Henry Yang, Chair of TMT’s International Observatory Board. “As we attempted to begin our work today, we were met by protests that regrettably resulted in some arrests. Boulders blocked our access to the construction site, and the Department of Land and Natural Resources deemed it unsafe for us to proceed. For the safety of our team, we made the decision to bring them off the mountain, and we are planning to resume when the issue is resolved.
“We want to thank the state and county police officers for protecting the safety of our team and the protesters and extend our gratitude to them, as well as to all of our supporters in Hawai`i.
“We want to acknowledge and reach out to those who disagree with our project. We respect their views and, looking toward the future, we hope we can work together to find common ground.”
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U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act in a decision today.
Photo from wikipedia

THE U.S. SUPREME COURT SHOWED its support for the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, in a decision today. At question was whether or not subsidies for the program apply to health insurance in states that do not operate exchanges that allow people to compare and purchase insurance plans. In those states, people use a federal exchange to buy insurance.

In its six-to-three ruling, the court affirmed that subsidies are available for insurance purchased through any exchange, whether state or federal. “The Act indicates that state and federal exchanges should be the same,” according to the decision. “But state and federal exchanges would differ in a fundamental way if tax credits were available only on state exchanges — one type of exchange would help make insurance more affordable by providing billions of dollars to the states’ citizens; the other type of exchange would not. Several other provisions in the Act … would make little sense if tax credits were not available on federal exchanges.”
“After two Supreme Court victories, we can confidently declare that the Affordable Care Act is no longer just a law to be debated – it is woven into the fabric of our society and how we care for each other,” said Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Chair of the Democratic National Committee. “As a breast cancer survivor, I know what it means to have the peace of mind that you can afford needed treatment and won't be turned away down the road for having a pre-existing condition. As a mother, I know I can rest assured that my children will have a safety net in place as they go out into the world, starting their own careers and families without having to worry about whether they will be able to get the care they need.”
Sen. Brian Schatz said, “This decision is a victory for all Americans across the country. Because of the Affordable Care Act, more people have access to quality health care, the number of uninsured is falling, and health care costs are growing at the slowest rate in a generation. It is clear that the ACA is a success, and today’s Supreme Court ruling will ensure every American will continue to have access to the quality, affordable health care they deserve. The debate is over. It’s time for Congress to come together and work to build on the successes of the ACA.”
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TWO WEEKS REMAIN TO APPLY for Section 8 housing. Citing a waiting list of more than 7,000 applicants and a waiting period of more than five years, Hawai`i County will put a freeze on applications for the federally subsidized rental assistance program as of Friday, July 10, according to a story by Nancy Cook Lauer in West Hawai`i Today.

Hawai`i Island currently has 715 units in 20 public housing projects. The county receives approximately $2.5 million annually for Community Development Block Grant projects. This year, funds are allocated for housing rehabilitation, renovation of rental units for seniors and rental assistance similar to Section 8, Cook Lauer reported.
See westhawaiitoday.com.
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STEADY GROWTH IN EXPENDITURES is a positive sign that this year will be another successful one for tourism, Hawai`i Tourism Authority President and CEO George Szigeti announced. Year-to-date, visitor spending has contributed $121 million more into the state’s economy compared to last year, and state tax revenue reached $660 million, up two percent year-over-year.

George Szigeti

For the first five months of 2015, visitor arrivals are up across the Hawaiian Islands compared to the same period last year. “We continue to focus on distributing visitors statewide through increased direct air access and highlighting the unique attributes of each of the islands as visitors look for authentic experiences,” Szigeti said.
The depreciating Japanese yen and drop in outbound travel from Japan has been affecting the state’s largest international market. However, Szigeti expects that pre-clearance at Narita Airport and Gov. David Ige’s recent trip to Japan will help to boost travel from the market to neighbor islands. Ige met with Japan’s Prime Minister and key tourism stakeholders on his trip last week.
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HAWAI`I’S ANNUAL SEAT BELT SURVEY begins tomorrow. Sponsored by the state Department of Transportation, the survey is conducted by the University of Hawai`i’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning.
Hawai`i County Police advise motorists to be on the lookout for survey teams standing along major streets and highways tomorrow through Tuesday, June 30.
The survey involves stationing trained observation team members to monitor seat belt use at various sites around the island. Team members will park and situate on the side of the road to ensure continual traffic flow and safety. They will be wearing safety vests and helmets.
In conjunction with the survey, police remind motorists that the driver is responsible for all other vehicle occupants. If the driver is stopped and any passenger is not using a seat belt, car seat or booster seat — whether in the front seat or back seat — the driver will be the one cited.
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KA`U AGRICULTURAL WATER Cooperative District meets Saturday at 8 a.m. at Ka`u Coffee Mill. For more information, call Jeff McCall at 928-6456

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_June2015.pdf

Maunakea Visitor Information Station is closed due to safety issues on roads leading to the summit. Photo from MKVIS

BOULDERS AND ROCK STRUCTURES have been removed from the gravel road leading to the summit of Mauna Kea. The obstructions caused workers trying to restart construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope to turn around Wednesday. The Office of Mauna Kea Management worked collaboratively with volunteers to ensure the rocks were safely and properly cleared from the roadway.

The road has been temporarily closed until further notice. The Mauna Kea Comprehensive Management Plan authorizes the University of Hawai`i to close the road in the event of hazardous conditions and emergencies.
The Maunakea Visitor Information Station is also closed until further notice.
Gov. David Ige said he plans to ensure lawful access on Mauna Kea. “We are a patient people in Hawai`i,” Ige said. “We listen to and understand differing points of view, and we respect the many cultures of this land, especially that of the host culture. I have done my very best to follow this process in the case of Mauna Kea and set forth a way forward that I believe is reasonable.
“We expected there to be a protest when construction resumed, and there was. We hoped we would not have to arrest people but were prepared to do so, and we did when they blocked the roadway. We also saw, in what amounts to an act of vandalism, the roadway blocked with rocks and boulders. We deployed to remove the rocks and boulders, but the protesters wisely chose to remove them themselves.
“And then we saw more attempts to control the road. That is not lawful or acceptable to the people of Hawai`i. So let me be very direct: The roads belong to all the people of Hawai`i, and they will remain open. We will do whatever is necessary to ensure lawful access. We expect there to be more types of challenges, good and bad days, and we are in this for the long run. We value TMT and the contributions of science and technology to our society, and we continue our support of the project’s right to proceed.
“We are currently working to find ways to enable the TMT project to proceed safely without putting workers, protestors and the general public at risk.”
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Dr. Sarah Park

HAWAI`I DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH’S Epidemiologist Sarah Park asked physicians to be on alert for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. In a letter sent to health care providers, Park said, “The risk of MERS-CoV (Coronavirus) infection for Hawai`i residents is low; however, given the speed and frequency of global travel, we must continue to monitor for any potential cases and be prepared to manage them.”
Large numbers of military personnel travel between Hawai`i and South Korea. Hawai`i is seeing increasing numbers of visitors from Korea, which is currently experience a major outbreak of MERS. In a story in Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Kristen Consillio reported that South Korea had 100 cases last week and quarantined more than 5,000 people.

Toby Clairmont, director of emergency services at the Healthcare Association of Hawai`i, told Consillio the disease can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes directly on someone. “That’s why people that have been affected largely have been health care workers,” he said.
“It doesn’t pose a great threat to Hawai`i, but we want to make sure if a suspect case does get here we work closely with DOH and the military to manage the case safely and effectively,” he added.
Park told physicians that to date, there has been no evidence for sustained human-to-human transmission in the community. “Stringent adherence to basic infection control principles is critical to preventing disease transmission,” she said.

See staradvertiser.com.
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MARRIAGE EQUALITY IS THE LAW of the land. Today, the U.S. Supreme Court made it legal for same-sex couples to wed across the country. Until today, such marriages were still illegal in 14 states.

In its 5-4 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the 14th Amendment requires all states to allow marriage between same-sex couples and to recognize marriage between same-sex couples when their marriages were lawfully performed out-of-state.  Obergefell combined four cases with same-sex plaintiffs seeking to marry in Michigan and Kentucky, as well as same-sex plaintiffs seeking to have their out-of-state marriages recognized in Ohio, Tennessee and Kentucky.

The U.S. Supreme Court today made same-sex marriage legal across the country.
Photo from Office of Sen. Brian Schatz

“In 1993, Hawai`i galvanized the national conversation on the right of same-sex couples to marry,” Gov. David Ige said. “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said that ‘the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.’ I was proud to be part of that arc when I voted for marriage equality in Hawai`i in 2013 as a state Senator. Hawai`i has truly led the way. Now more Americans than ever support marriage equality, and our nation’s highest court has affirmed that it is a fundamental right for all Americans. This is a great day for Hawai`i and for our country. I echo President Obama’s words this morning when he said that ‘we have made our union a little more perfect.’”
Sen. Mazie Hirono said, “Today’s ruling is a moment for celebration, an opportunity to thank everyone who fought tirelessly to make today a reality, and a chance to reflect on the great strides that have been made.
“Fighting for equality and tolerance has been central to my work as a public servant. In 1998, I was the only statewide elected official in Hawai`i to stand up and oppose an anti-same sex marriage amendment that would deny rights to gay and lesbian couples.
“It is an honor and privilege to represent the state of Hawai`i, where we welcome all. In 2013, we were one of the first states to sign marriage equality into law.
I hope you join me in standing up for equality and celebrating this historic day.”

Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote the Supreme
Court's majority decision approving
same-sex marriage.

Sen. Brian Schatz said, “Today’s Supreme Court decision is a big win for gay rights, for civil rights and for human rights. Every committed couple, whether they are gay or straight, deserves to be treated equally under the law. With this historic ruling, the Supreme Court has reaffirmed what most Americans already know – the Constitution protects the rights of every American, regardless of who they love.”
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said, “I applaud the Supreme Court’s ruling today. Some countries in the world are theocracies. Fortunately, the United States of America is not one of them. Therefore, as long as the government is involved in marriage, it must do so with fairness — treating all Americans equally. Today’s ruling by the Supreme Court is an important victory to this end.”

On his Facebook page, Ka`u state Sen. Russell Ruderman quoted from Justice Anthony M. Kennedy’s decision: “No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right. The judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is reversed.

“It is so ordered.”

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KA`U AGRICULTURAL WATER Cooperative District meets tomorrow at 8 a.m. at Ka`u Coffee Mill. For more information, call Jeff McCall at 928-6456. Following tomorrow’s meeting, KAWCD members are invited to a conflict resolution workshop from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ka`u Coffee Mill.

Scott Enright, Chair of Hawai`i Department of Agriculture, will present an update on water access through state agencies.

VISITORS TO THE KAHUKU UNIT of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park can join free guided walks this weekend.
Participants 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 on an easy one-mile walk tomorrow at 9:30 a.m.. Free. Call 985-6011 for more information.
The Birth of Kahuku on Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. explores Kahuku’s rich geologic history, traversing the vast 1868 lava flow. Participants see different volcano features and formations and identify many parts of the Southwest Rift Zone of Mauna Loa on this guided, easy-to-moderate hike.

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

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Ka`u families can register now to be included in the free lunch count at next month's Kahuku `Ohana Day that features poi pounding. Photo from NPS

TAKING ANY SPECIES OF SEA CUCUMBER from Hawai`i waters is illegal for the next 120 days. Hawai`i Board of Land and Natural Resources approved the rule yesterday, and Gov. David Ige is expected to quickly sign the emergency administrative rules.

DLNR Chair Suzanne Case said, “Based on a briefing from DOCARE about their ongoing investigation and recent findings and input from the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources, we took the unusual step of fast-tracking this rule to immediately stop the continued depletion of this natural resource. This decision was further confirmed to be prudent when people across the state expressed outrage after seeing photographs and learning about the mass commercial harvesting of sea cucumbers in near shore waters … .”

Harvested sea cucumbers in a cooler. Photo from Hawai`i DLNR

“We will use the next four months to work with our staff and researchers to better determine the overall impact of large-scale removal of sea cucumbers,” said Alton Miyasaka, DAR acting administrator. “Since we’ve never seen this extent of exploitation in Hawai`i, we need to develop a clear understanding of the impacts on the fishery and aquatic environment.”
Results of DAR’s inquiry are expected to lead to development of permanent rules regarding harvesting of sea cucumbers. Permanent regulations will also require BLNR’s and the governor’s approval. During this process, DAR staff will work with interested stakeholders, including native Hawaiian traditional and customary practitioners, to come up with proposed rules for sustainable harvest of sea cucumbers.
Today’s emergency rule making was applauded by officers from the DOCARE North Maui Community Fisheries Enforcement Unit, which took the lead in looking into the commercial harvesting of sea cucumbers. CFEU Office Nathan Hillan said, “As a conservation officer, it makes me very happy that we were able to get ahead of this in a proactive way. To see the emergency rule enacted and signed is very satisfying as an officer. It lifts up, why we do what we do.”
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BIG ISLAND COMMUNITY COALITION, which works toward reduced electrical energy costs on the Hawai`i Island, issued a statement on geothermal energy, genetically modified organisms and the Thirty Meter Telescope. Among those who signed the statement is Ka`u rancher Michelle Galimba, who is on the group’s steering committee. Others joining Galimba in signing are the hui’s President Richard Ha and members David DeLuz, Jr., Rockne Freitas, Wallace Ishibashi, Noe Kalipi, H.R. “Monty” Richards, and William Walter.

There are occasions when events are so alarming that groups such as ours feel compelled to move beyond our primary task, the hui stated. This is such a time.

We have observed with increasing alarm as our community has taken steps that inexorably blunt the forward movement of our economy and even move us backwards. These include:

Anti-Geothermal activists encouraged county government to ban nighttime drilling, effectively stopping expansion of a major source of renewable and inexpensive electric power beyond already-existing permits. This action was taken despite the existing plant meeting all applicable noise standards. It appears that government officials took this action without first going to the site to verify that the noise was disruptive. Once they did go to the site, some years later, government found that the noise was less than other environmental sounds (i.e., coqui frogs) and essentially no more than typical background noise.
Anti-GMO activists lobbied to stop any new GMO products from being grown on the island – despite the fact that the vast majority of scientific, peer-reviewed studies found such products to be as safe, and in some cases more nutritious, as their non-GMO counterparts. Legislation even prohibited GMO flowers – not consumed by anyone – from being grown on the island. Thus, family farmers lost the most effective new tools needed to reduce pesticide and herbicide usage while increasing productivity needed to keep their farms competitive.
Now we have anti-Thirty Meter Telescope activists taking steps to stop construction of the most advanced telescope in the world. If successful in stopping TMT, despite its sponsors following every legal requirement over a seven-year period, we will lose our world leading advantage in understanding the universe.

All of these actions share similar characteristics:

The arguments used to justify such actions are consistently anti-scientific.
“Anti” groups often obscure the lack of scientific evidence to support their position by using emotional pleas intended to incite fear.
The only “win” for many of these groups is to completely stop, thereby making them completely unwilling to consider any facts that refute their position or to make any reasonable compromise.
Long-term consequences are significant both culturally and economically.

Cultures that survive and thrive embrace new technologies carefully, thoughtfully and steadily. Cultures and economies that thrive are innovative because they generate ideas and solutions, solve problems and take calculated but careful risks.
Cultures that fall backwards are those that fear advancement, fear change and cling to a mythicized view of yesteryear. The net result is loss of their brightest and most hard working youth. Those youth that remain find fewer and fewer jobs – those jobs having greatly diminished economic value and lower wages. The downward spiral becomes inexorable.
As we look to tomorrow, we need to ask ourselves whether we wish to give our children the exciting and invigorating job market typified by Silicon Valley or a job market that is much closer to the poorer regions of third world countries. It is up to us to point one way or another. Driving TMT out will be one more major step to cultural and economic poverty.
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Hawai`i Island Obon season events begin today. Pahala Hongwanji and Na`alehu Hongwanji offer services only on Monday, July 13. Some other locations include bon dances with their celebrations.

HAWAI`I ISLAND OBON SEASON EVENTS begin today and continue through August. Ka`u celebrates with services on Monday, July 13. Pahala Hongwanji holds its service at 3 p.m., and Na`alehu Hongwanji’s service begins at 6 p.m. Some other Buddhist temples include Bon dances with their celebrations, and Bon dancers from Ka`u are traveling around the Big Island for the annual celebration of music, dance and services in honor of ancestors. Here is the schedule through the end of July:

Bon Dance at Na`alehu Hongwanji in 2009.

June 27 (Sat.): Honomu Hongwanji, 7 p.m., following 6 p.m. service (963-6032)
July 3-4 (Fri./Sat.) Puna Hongwanji, 7 p.m., following 6 p.m. service (966-9981)
July 4 (Sat.): Kohala Hongwanji, 7 p.m., graveside service at 5 p.m.; bon service at 6 p.m. service (775-7232)
July 11 (Sat.): Kona Daifukuji Soto Mission, 7 p.m., following 6:30 p.m. service; Obon/Hatsubon service on Sunday, June 28, at 9:30 a.m. (322-3524)
July 11 (Sat.): Pa`auilo Hongwanji, 7:30 p.m., graveside service at 6 p.m. service, bon service at 6:30 p.m. (776-1369)
July 11 (Sat.): Kohala Jodo Mission, following 6 p.m. service (775-0965)
July 11 (Sat.): Hilo Meisho-in, 8 p.m., following 7 p.m. service. Obon service on Sunday, July 12, at 10 a.m. (935-6996)
July 13 (Mon.): Pahala Hongwanji Mission, obon service only at 3 p.m. (928-8254)
July 13 (Mon.): Na`alehu Hongwanji, obon service only at 6 p.m. (966-9981)
July 17-18 (Fri./Sat.): Honpa Hongwanji Hilo Betsuin, 7 p.m., following 6 p.m. service, food booths available (961-6677)
July 18 (Sat.): Honoka`a Hongwanji, 7 p.m., following 6 p.m. community memorial service; 4 p.m. graveside service at Kukuihaele Cemetery; 4:30 p.m. graveside service at Honoka`a Cemetery (775-7232)
July 18 (Sat.): Ke‘ei Buddhist Church (Kona Hongwanji), 7 p.m., following 6 p.m. service; cemetery service at 5 p.m. (323-2993)
July 25 (Sat.): Kona Hongwanji, 6:30 p.m., following lantern parade at 6 p.m.; Hatsubon service on Sunday, July 26, at 9 a.m. (323-2993)
July 25 (Sat.): Papa`aloa Hongwanji, 7 p.m., following 6 p.m. service (962-6340)
July 25 (Sat.): Hilo Hongwanji Mission, 7:30 p.m., following 6 p.m. service Obon service on Sunday, July 26, at 9:30 a.m.; Toro Nagashi at Wailoa Harbor on Sunday, July 26, at 7 p.m. (935-8331).

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INTERESTED KA`U RESIDENTS should sign up for Kahuku `Ohana Day by next Thursday, July 2 to be included in the free lunch count. The event takes place Saturday, July 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Manuel Rego, of Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden, teaches how to ku`i, or pound, kalo.
Register at 985-6019.

A paniolo wrangles a cow during a KRRA rodeo in Na`alehu.
Photo by Julia Neal

KA`U ROPING & RIDING ASSOCIATION'S 38th annual Fourth of July Rodeo is next weekend. The paniolo tradition of ranchers and other rodeo riders gathering together with families will fill the Na`alehu Arena grounds with events designed for keiki, wahine and kane on Saturday, July 4 and Sunday, July 5.
Slack Roping begins Saturday at 8 a.m. Cowboy Church is on Sunday at 10 a.m. with Thy Word Ministries-Ka`u Pastor Bob Tominaga. Rodeo Shows start at 12 p.m. both days.
Rodeo Queen contestants are Ku`ukamali`i Bishop of Na`alehu, Arena Jospeh of Kea`au and Chrissy Perez of Honoka`a. Residents can support the young ladies by buying rodeo tickets for $6. Tickets are $7 at the gate.
All spectators, guests and contestants can buy $1 raffle tickets and win prizes. Prizes will be advertised at the rodeo. All proceeds from the raffle drawing will be donated to American Cancer Society’s Hilo Relay for Life by KRRA.
Special guests are Miss Rodeo Hawai`i 2015 and Nebraska Queen, who will be signing autographs.
Events scheduled at the rodeo include Open Team Roping, Kane/Wahine Dally Team Roping, Team 90s, Double Mugging, Kane/Wahine Ribbon Mugging, Wahine Mugging, Tie Down Roping, Wahine Break Away, Po`o Wai U and Bull Riding.
Dummy Roping, Goat Undecorating, Calf Riding and Youth Barrel Racing events are set for youngsters.
For more information, call Tammy Kaapana at 929-8079.

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A magnitude-5.2 earthquake, indicated by the large red circle, occurred in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park last night.
Map from USGS/HVO

A MAGNITUDE-5.2 EARTHQUAKE ROCKED Hawai`i Island at 10:10 p.m. yesterday. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center determined that the earthquake generated no damaging tsunami.

According to Wes Thelen, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s Seismic Network Manager, the earthquake was centered about 11.4 kilometers (7.1 miles) south-southeast of the summit of Kilauea and at a depth of approximately 8.5 km (5.3 mi). A map showing its location is posted on the HVO website at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/seismic/volcweb/earthquakes/.

Wes Thelen

The USGS "Did you feel it?" website (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/dyfi/) received more than 740 felt reports within an hour of the earthquake. It was felt across Hawai`i Island as well as on parts of Maui, Lana`i and O`ahu. Reports indicate that residents experienced light shaking (Intensity IV) during the earthquake. At these shaking intensities, damage to buildings or structures is not expected, though items not properly secured could have fallen over.
Five aftershocks were recorded within the first hour of the earthquake, including a magnitude-3.1 earthquake at 10:54 p.m. More aftershocks can be expected, including some that might be felt, Thelen said.
Eight earthquakes with magnitudes of four or greater, including three with magnitudes of five or greater, have occurred in this same area, the central part of Kilauea’s south flank, and at nearly the same depth (eight to 10 km or five to six mi), in the last 20 years. These quakes are thought to be caused by southward movement of the volcano’s south flank in response to magmatic pressure within Kilauea’s East Rift Zone.
HVO Scientist-in-Charge Tina Neal said the earthquakes had no apparent effect on Kilauea’s ongoing eruptions. “HVO monitoring networks have not detected any significant changes in activity at the summits or rift zones of Kilauea or other Hawaiian volcanoes,” she said.
For more information on recent earthquakes in Hawai`i and eruption updates, see hvo.wr.usgs.gov.
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KA`U FARMERS, RANCHERS, land managers and other interested persons took a class in conflict management yesterday, sponsored by the Kohala Center and led by mediation trainer Teresa Young. The class, held at Ka`u Coffee Mill, focused on mediation skills likely needed for Ka`u Agricultural Water District Cooperative’s mission to manage agricultural water under license from the state. The state owns all water resources and much of the land where old plantation water tunnels and springs are located in Ka`u.

Before the workshop, state Department of Agriculture chief Scott Enright said the license could be issued sometime this year. He talked about the need for various entities overseen by the co-op, completing their organizing around ag water sources. The group has worked on the project to restore the old sugar plantation system for current ranching and farming for about a decade. Funding is coming from the state and private resources.

State Ag Department Chief Scott Enright spoke
in Ka`u yesterday.

When asked about more funding for ag water, Enright said that funding already approved will need to show growth in agriculture here and that farmers and ranchers can approach state legislators to consider more money.
Enright also mentioned that Jeff Melrose, who has identified and mapped the agricultural operations on the Big Island and elsewhere in Hawai`i, is also mapping water resources, which will be available to the public online.
Suggestions during the workshop included studying and anticipating all needs of possible stakeholders who could want water in the future; understanding how each of the Ka`u ag water systems would work and who pays for distribution lines; understanding that those who provide distribution can charge for water; and limitations of the sources during rainy and drought times. Planning of equitable distribution of water during droughts was also discussed. The need for a fire plan, concerning use of ag water during forest and range fires, also came up.
Interests that could become involved with the Ka` u water system that were mentioned included Office of Hawaiian Affairs, which asks the state for a percentage of income from water sold. Enright said that the state does not plan to charge farmers and ranchers for the water though there is a possibility of a watershed protection fee. Also mentioned was an Earth Justice lawsuit concerning equitable distribution of water in another abandoned former sugar plantation at Kekaha on Kaua`i. Another interested party is Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, which sent a representative to the meeting and has plans to bring water to Hawaiian ranchers at Ka Lae and possibly other ag lots owned by DHHL in Ka`u.
Concerning the cooperative’s efforts, Eright said, “We live in a water-scarce world, and this is important work.”
See a workbook on conflict resolution and planning to prevent conflict at www.kohalacenter.org/laulima/kauwater.html.
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MAP AND NEWSPAPER ARCHIVES HELP USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists unravel the eruptive histories of Hawaiian volcanoes. HVO scientists extract as much insight as possible from historic accounts of eruptions and then combine that information with current observations of activity to improve their understanding of how Hawaiian volcanoes work. Recent Volcano Watch articles have compared past records for topics such as the Halema`uma`u lava lakes over time, the Mauna Loa lava flow that threatened Hilo in 1881, and the Kilauea lava flow that threatened Pahoa in 2014–2015.
In the current issue, HVO scientists discuss research on the Mauna Loa eruption that started on Nov. 5, 1880. The detective work “reveals that witnesses saw three separate lava flows advance from the volcano’s Northeast Rift Zone in the first few days of the eruption,” the article states. “The first flow (the Mauna Kea branch) advanced north into the Saddle area and stalled a few days later. The second flow (the Ka`u branch) moved toward Kilauea caldera and also stalled several days later. The third and last lava flow from this eruption (the Hilo branch) advanced toward the northeast and, by summer of 1881, threatened Hilo (this flow was the subject of our March 26, 2015, Volcano Watch).

Archival map shows lava flows in the saddle between Mauna Loa
and Mauna Kea (at top). Hawai`i State Archives map from HVO

“Until recently, all three branches of the 1880–1881 lava flows were represented on geologic maps of the Island of Hawai`i. But an ongoing remapping effort for Mauna Loa has produced some surprises — one of which is that the flow mapped as the first and northernmost 1880 lava (the Mauna Kea branch) was actually erupted a few years later — in 1899.
“The true identity of this flow was determined by matching its chemistry with other lavas that are known with certainty to have been erupted in 1899. It would be hard to challenge such definitive geochemical evidence, but we still don’t know what happened to the reported Mauna Kea branch of the 1880–1881 eruption.
“Going back to newspapers of the time, one can find clear descriptions of the three flow branches, with the first branch advancing north into the saddle just north of the Mauna Loa 1855 lava flow (right where it was formerly mapped). One of these accounts described a trip by a pair of explorers who traveled from the vent high on the rift zone down into the Saddle along the Mauna Kea branch of the flow.
“Of course, GPS didn’t exist in the 1880s, so these travelers, at best, might have had a barometer that estimated elevation using variations in air pressure. Some travelers recorded approximate elevations of landmarks that we can recognize today. A few others published sketch maps in the newspaper along with their harrowing accounts of the eruption.
“In addition, government surveyors of that era were working hard on mapping the Hawaiian Kingdom using triangulation and chaining distances (literally using a chain of known length and counting how many ‘chains’ it took to replicate the distance). Toward the end of the nineteenth century, many areas were mapped, including the Saddle between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. There was a lot of sketching ‘by eye’ that went into mapping the Mauna Loa side of the Saddle, but it was still useful.
“Some of these wonderful old maps can be found online at the Hawai`i State Archives (http://ags.hawaii.gov/survey/map-search/). For this particular quest, registered map number 1718 (from the year1891) shows the first branch of the 1880–1881 lava flows (a dark, thumb-shaped lobe peeking up from the bottom of the map) lying on 1855–1856 lava.
“These maps confirm that there was a Mauna Kea branch of the 1880–1881 eruption, but that, in fact, it may have only been about 13 km (eight mi) long instead of 20 km (12 mi) long, as the map showed it until recently.
“With further mapping, the Mauna Kea branch may have been found again — under the later 1899 flows or to the side of the 1855–1856 flow. The challenge now is to see whether we can identify the Mauna Kea branch in remaining kipuka within the 1899 flow or nearby areas.
“Boots-on-the-ground field work is still the best way to ascertain the geologic record of a volcano. However, geologic questions can sometimes be answered by good old archival research, so we are fortunate that so many archives are now available online.”
See hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.
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Fourth of July fireworks sales begin today.

FIREWORKS SALES BEGIN TODAY and end at 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 4. There are no retail locations selling firecrackers that require a permit to purchase. However, permits will be required to set off firecrackers purchased previously. Permits are not required for other consumer fireworks and paperless firecrackers.

Call the Fire Department Prevention Bureau at 932-2915 or 932-2912 regarding purchase of permits.

COWBOY CHURCH IS A WEEK from today at 10 a.m. with Thy Word Ministries-Ka`u Pastor Bob Tominaga. Next Sunday is the second day of Ka`u Roping and Riding Association’s 38th annual Fourth of July Rodeo. Shows start at 12 p.m. both days. On Saturday, slack roping begins at 8 a.m.

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_June2015.pdf.

Southside 16's Boys Volleyball team defeated all three adversaries yesterday during their first day of play at the U.S. Association of Volleyball Boys National Championships in Columbus, Ohio. Photos from Julie Enriques

SOUTHSIDE 16’S BOYS VOLLEYBALL TEAM won all three matches Sunday on their first day of play at U.S. Association of Volleyball Boys Junior National Championships being held in Columbus, Ohio. The team consists of nine players from the Big Island and one from O`ahu. Coached by Guy Enriques, Sam Thomas and Kainoa Downing, the team defeated others from California (Ventura County), Maryland (MCVC) and Wisconsin (Milwaukee Sting).

Southside 16's Players and coaches
in Columbus, Ohio

The team was led by the hitting of Avery Enriques, blocking of Sam “Nalu” Kahapea and setting of Jai “Nai`a” Makuakane.
The championships continue through Sunday, July 5, with some matches streamed live at teamusa.org/usa-volleyball/events/indoor/boys/2015-bjnc.
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A REWARD IS OFFERED for information leading to the return of more than $25,000 in equipment from the Kaiholena workshop operated by The Nature Conservancy. It is believed that the theft took place this morning around dawn. Stolen were a Troy Flatbed trailer 2009 with wooden bed and black wheel rails, no railings; a 2009 Honda ATV called Big Red, painted in green and tan camouflage: a Briggs & Stratton compressor; and a green ATV 500.
Also stolen were a standing gun safe with a .22 calibre
rifle and a handgun, three Stihl chain saws, a Honda 1000 generator and a Shindaiwa weedwacker, hand tools and landscaping tools. The thieves were seen driving a black 1996 - 2000 Toyota pickup headed through roads from macadamia orchards toward Pahala. Thieves broke hinges off gates to access the property. Any information can be provided to Ka`u Police Station at 939-2520.

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THE DEATH PENALTY UNCONSTITUTIONAL? For the first time in Supreme Court history, two justices wrote that this is probably so in their opinions issued today concerning a case over legality of a drug used in executions. While the court upheld use of midazolam, saying that its alleged problems in delivering a humane death are speculative, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor said, “Under the court’s new rule, it would not matter whether the state intended to use midazolam, or instead to have petitioners drawn and quartered, slowly tortured to death, or actually burned at the stake.”
Justice Sanuel Alito, who wrote the majority opinion that allows the drug to be used, said. “The dissent’s resort to this outlandish rhetoric reveals the weakness of its legal arguments."
Associated Press writer Mark Shwerman reported: “In a separate dissent, Justice Stephen Breyer said the time has come for the court to debate whether the death penalty itself is constitutional. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined Breyer’s opinion.”
The AP reported conservative justice Alito saying that “death penalty opponents are waging a ‘guerrilla war’ against executions by working to limit the supply of more effective drugs. On the other side, liberal Justice Elena Kagan contended that the way states carry out most executions amounts to having prisoners ‘burned alive from the inside.’”
The death penalty became illegal in Hawai`i before statehood. On June 4, 1957, the territorial Legislature passed HB 706, and the death penalty was abolished the next day when Gov. Sam King signed it. However, in 2014, the first death penalty case was heard in the state of Hawai`i. It was in
federal court in Honolulu, where a soldier was convicted of murder and could have received the death penalty. The jury rejected the death penalty.
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A solar-powered plane is on its way to Hawai`i from Japan.
Photo from Solar Impulse

SOLAR PLANE IS ON ITS WAY TO HAWAI`I, attempting to be the first to fly around the world without using liquid fuel. Powered by 17,000 solar cells, Solar Impulse Two left Japan at 3 a.m. on the longest flight of its journey. The estimated time is 120 hours
for pilot Andre Borschberg. His team issued a statement this morning saying that Solar Impulse has passed the “point of no return” in its flight to Hawai`i.

The flight can be followed at solarimpulse.com.
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U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD VOTED in favor of H.R. 1295, the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015, which includes Trade Adjustment Assistance. TAA supports American workers who lose their jobs or experience wage reductions as a result of foreign trade and includes worker support services such as job retraining and income assistance. The House of Representatives passed H.R. 1295 by a vote of 266-138.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

Thursday was the second time the House of Representatives voted on TAA in the 114th Congress. It was originally voted down by a bipartisan majority, including Gabbard, after it was attached to a bill granting the Administration Trade Promotion Authority, also known as fast-track.
“In the past weeks, we have seen fast-track authority packaged with widely supported bills like worker displacement programs and public servant pensions in order to bully legislators into passing the Administration’s trade agenda,” Gabbard said. “I am disappointed that Congress has passed fast-track authority and given away the ability to voice the opinions of the American people in trade negotiations like the Trans-Pacific Partnership.  
“NAFTA and other trade agreements have thrown millions of Americans out of work. This is why I voted in favor of H.R. 1295, which authorizes funding for job training services and other support for displaced workers.  
“Although fast-track has passed, this does not mean that those of us who are concerned about protecting American jobs and our nation’s sovereignty should throw up our hands and surrender. The monstrosity known as Trade Pacific Authority still needs to come back to Congress for an up or down vote. If that bill contains the same noxious elements that appear in it at this time, we must do everything we can to defeat it.”  
Under TAA, Hawai`i workers who are adversely affected by trade may receive training for another job or career, weekly cash payments after regular unemployment benefits are exhausted and half the difference between lower, new wages and old wages for two years if they are 50 years or older. Also, the Health Coverage Tax Credit, which helps pay for health care for workers displaced by trade, would be retroactively renewed for six years through December 31, 2019. The bill also extends trade preference programs to developing countries to help them grow their economies.
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An Ocean View resident asks neighbors
to be on the lookout for Hercules.

OCEAN VIEW RESIDENT ROSALYN (last name not provided) asked community members to be on the lookout for Hercules, her two-year-old male Siamese cat. Hercules went missing May 31 from Tiki Lane and could have traveled further than this area. He has marbled markings and blue eyes and is timid. He does not have a collar but is chipped. Rosalyn is offering a reward. Call 896-2000.

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HENRY CURTIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of Life of the Land, discusses what he calls LNG: The Hawai`i Bridge Fuel Myth, at ililanimedia.blogspot.com. “Many people have asked whether it is worth spending upwards of a billion dollars to build the importation and distribution infrastructure necessary for liquefied natural gas to serve as a bridge fuel to a future world without fossil fuel,” Curtis said. “However, the plan is for that infrastructure not to go to waste.
“The Hawaii Natural Energy Institute at the University of Hawai`i, Manoa contracted with Facts Inc. to write a report on Liquified Natural Gas which was then submitted to the U.S. Department of Energy.
“The 2013 report, Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) for Hawai`i: Policy, Economic, and Technical Questions, discussed the role of LNG: ‘A notable point in this analysis is the increasing LNG demand for transportation … which would provide an opportunity to shift LNG demand from the power sector to the transportation sector over time.’
“Hawai`i has already established state policies that mirror federal policies on transportation that could aid in this transition. Hawai`i defines alternative fuel to include a bunch of non-gasoline alternatives such as natural gas, coal-derived liquid fuels, liquefied petroleum gas, hydrogen, ethanol, and biodiesel.
“Hawaii` has established a non-gasoline procurement standard where the ‘priority for selecting vehicles’ includes electric vehicles, hydrogen vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles.
“The terminology for alternative fuel vehicles varies. The category includes natural gas vehicles, natural gas light-duty vehicles, and compressed natural gas buses and trucks.

Face-painting and furry friends are some
of the ho`olaule`a fun.

“The HNEI analysis states, ‘If LNG comes to Hawai`i it could make sense to convert transit buses, waste collection and transfer vehicles, airport shuttles and vehicles, and city and state vehicles to run on natural gas instead of petroleum products.’
“Hawai`i currently imports large amounts of petroleum and coal. The dream of the fossil fuel industry is to add natural gas to the mix, first in the electricity sector and then in the transportation sector. The hook is that it will be a temporary import, at least in the electric sector.”

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OCEAN VIEW EVANGELICAL CHURCH gifts the community with a ho`olaule`a and lu`au and on Saturday, Aug. 8. This will be the church’s third year holding the event.
Churches from the Ka`u area will present entertainment, and a variety of services will be present such as The Food Bank, The Pregnancy Center, Keiki ID, Operation Christmas Child, CERT and a Prayer Booth.
Many local business have donated door prizes. Free Hawaiian food including lomi lomi salmon, chicken long rice and kalua pork will be served while supplies last. There will be a bounce house, tie-dying, children’s games and face-painting for keiki.
Registration opens at 9 a.m. Festivities begin at 10 a.m. and continue until 2 p.m.
This is an alcohol- and drug-free event. Everything is free, “like God’s salvation and is given for God in Jesus’ name as a gift to the community,” said organizer Daneille Scheiern. “Come and join the fun!”

PAHALA POOL CLOSES in observance of Independence Day on Friday and Saturday, July 3 and 4. This week, public recreational swimming is available today through Thursday from 1 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Thursday. Adult lap swim takes place Monday through Thursday from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. The pool reopens on Sunday.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_June2015.pdf.

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

Ka`u Roping & Riding Association's 38th annual Fourth of July Rodeo is this Saturday and Sunday. Photo by Julia Neal

A PROPOSAL FOR STEWARDSHIP of Kawa, which Hawai`i County purchased for preservation, comes before Hawai`i County Council's Finance Committee tomorrow. Uhane Pohaku Na Moku O Hawai`i is requesting $9,500 to purchase supplies, plants and power tools toward a project that it estimates to cost $131,088.
Kawehi Ryder, of Pahala, is organizing the stewardship program. He and his family, including kumu hula Debbie Ryder, who is from the Big Island, moved here from Lana`i almost two years ago. According to the application, Ryder’s hui proposes to restore the area’s cultural sites, including Kawa Fishpond, grave sites and Ke`eku Heiau, while also removing invasive species. These activities would be in conjunction with developing a community work plan involving youth, with a special focus on at-risk keiki, who would be taught traditional farming and other cultural practices.

Stewardship of Ka`u is on tomorrow's Finance Committee agenda.
Photo by Julia Neal

The hui's application listed other projects it has worked on, including Mauanlei Stream restoration and Fisherman’s Alanui Trail stewardship maintenance on Lana`i. It also lists organizations the hui has worked with, such as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Queen Lili`uokalani Children’s Center. In Ka`u, the Ryders work on programs with the Salvation Army and organize the annual Ho`okupu Hula No Ka`u Cultural Festival.
Other nonprofits are asking the county to help steward places around the island. Kohala Kahakai has a plan for Pa'o'o and Kaiholena in North Kohala. Pohaha I Ka Lani and Friends of the Future have plans for Waipi'o Valley.
Finance Committee meets at 1 p.m. at County Council Chambers in Hilo. Also meeting tomorrow are the full council at 9 a.m. and Planning Committee at 10:30 a.m. Ka`u residents can participate via videoconferencing at Na`alehu State Office Building. Meetings are also streamed live at hawaiicounty.gov. Click on Council Meetings.

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ORGANIC FARMING IS MORE PROFITABLE that conventional agriculture, according to researchers at Washington State University. Professors David Crowder and John Reganold examined the financial performance of organic and conventional agriculture among 55 crops grown on five continents. They found that organic agriculture was significantly more profitable (22–35 percent) and had higher benefit/cost ratios (20–24 percent) than conventional agriculture.

The researchers pointed out that although organic agriculture is rapidly growing, it currently occupies only one percent of global cropland and has room to expand. “Moreover, with its environmental benefits, organic agriculture can contribute a larger share in sustainably feeding the world,” according to the report.

See pnas.org/content/112/24/7611.abstract.

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New tipping fees at Kona and Hilo will help finance expansion of greenwaste recycling
at facilities such as Pahala Transfer Station. Commercial dumping is not allowed at
local transfer stations. Photo from Hawai`i Zero Waste

NEW TIPPING FEES ON COMMERCIAL greenwaste recycling go into effect tomorrow and the county reminds residents that commercial disposal of waste at local transfer stations is not allowed.
Hawai`i County Department of Environmental Management will charge $21.25 per ton for businesses that drop off greenwaste at recycling facilities in West Hawai`i and East Hawai`i. Revenue will help finance an expansion of greenwaste recycling services across the island.
The new fees do not affect residential customers with self-hauled greenwaste from their private residential properties.
For more information, see HawaiiZeroWaste.org.
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Mufi Hannemann

MUFI HANNEMANN HAS RETURNED to Hawai`i Lodging & Tourism Association as president and CEO, according to a story in Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Hannemann previously held the posts in 2011 and 2012.

In recent years, Hannemann has toured Ka`u during his campaigns for higher office. Decades ago, he lived in Ka`u when he worked for C. Brewer and lived in what is now Punalu`u Bake Shop, which was established under Hannemann management and Brewer ownership originally at the SeaMountain at Punalu`u resort development location.
“We had excellent candidates come forward wanting to lead HLTA, but the search committee felt that Mufi was the best choice considering his superb record of leadership, experience and drive in supporting tourism’s best interests,” said Kelly Hoen, chair of HLTA’s board of directors. “Mufi did a stellar job in leading HLTA previously, and we are thrilled to welcome him back to advance initiatives that build on our success for Hawai`i’s lodging industry and its thousands of employees statewide.”
Hannemann replaces George Szigeti, who became president and CEO of Hawai`i Tourism Authority.
See staradvertiser.com.
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GOV. DAVID IGE HAS INFORMED the state Legislature of his intent to veto eight bills passed by the 28th legislative session before it adjourned on May 7.
HB540 would extend authority of University of Hawai`i to maintain separate accounting and financial management system. “The University of Hawai`i believes, and I agree, that this measure contains provisions that violate the Hawai`i state constitution regarding autonomy for University System management over university finances,” Ige said.
HB553 would allow UH graduate student assistants employed by UH to collectively bargain their wages, hours and other terms. Ige said these concerns can and should be addressed internally.

Gov. David Ige

SB105 would require estimated future debt service for proposed capital improvement projects to be included in budget documents submitted to the Legislature. Ige’s rationale for vetoing this bill is that it would be difficult to implement given the uncertainty of capital finance markets.
SB218 calls for clarification in the order of succession to the lieutenant governor’s office. Ige said the existing order of succession is adequate and appropriate and that these changes might leave a gap in succession that would be difficult to address in a state of emergency or disaster.
SB265 changes wording in statute from “promoting prostitution in the first degree” to “sex trafficking.” The state Attorney General and three of four county prosecutors advised Ige that this bill may result in fewer prosecutions for these types of crimes. Ige asked the state attorney general and county prosecutors to propose a bill that would allow for prosecution of the full range of prostitution and sex trafficking offenses.
SB349 would repeal ethanol facility tax credit and establish a five-year renewable fuels production tax credit. The state attorney general advised Ige that the definition of qualified taxpayers doesn’t allow for companies outside of Hawai`i to be qualified. “This potentially violates the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution and could subject our state to potential litigation,” Ige said.
SB569 would increase the dollar threshold with respect to property or services, for theft in the second degree, from the current $300 to $750. County prosecutors advised Ige that increasing the threshold for felony theft would eliminate the deterrent effect within retail markets.
SB1324 provides authority for Employees’ Retirement System to make direct payments of benefits to a non-member former spouse of a member on order of court judgment, order or divorce decree. Ige said this can be accomplished without state law by working with the Employee Retirement System Board and administration.
This Intent to Veto list gives the governor the option to veto any, but not necessarily all, of the bills on the list by July 14.
Bills that are not on this list will become law with or without the governor’s signature no later than July 14.

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Ka`u residents are invited to join an Interfaith devotional meeting
today and every Tuesday.

INTERFAITH DEVOTIONAL MEETINGS are held each Tuesday at 6 p.m. at 96-1164 Holei Street at the corner of Ohia Street in Pahala. “We pray to praise God and to seek understanding. We pray for our loved ones. We pray for assistance in hard times and gratitude for good times,” says a flyer in the community. The gathering is also for music and fellowship for healing and elimination of racial prejudice. It is sponsored by the Bahai community and open to all.

KA`U IS GEARING UP FOR A CELEBRATORY Fourth of July. Na`alehu’s patriotic parade begins at 12 p.m. Saturday, with participants walking and riding in classic cars. Pa`u riders and lei-bedecked horses join decorated trucks and floats. `O Ka`u Kakou sponsors the parade and festivities at Na`alehu Park that begin at 12:30 p.m. Participants enjoy shave ice, hot dogs, watermelon water slides and bounce houses. Senior bingo and luncheon takes place in the community center.
For more information, call 929-9872.

KA`U ROPING & RIDING ASSOCIATION’S 38th annual Fourth of July Rodeo begins Saturday with slack roping at 8 a.m. Shows start at 12 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday, Thy Word Ministries-Ka`u Pastor Bob Tominaga presents Cowboy Church at 10 a.m.

Paniolo events scheduled include Open Team Roping, Kane/Wahine Dally Team Roping, Team 90s, Double Mugging, Kane/Wahine Ribbon Mugging, Wahine Mugging, Tie Down Roping, Wahine Break Away, Po`o Wai U and Bull Riding.
Dummy Roping, Goat Undecorating, Calf Riding and Youth Barrel Racing events are set for youngsters.
For more rodeo information, call Tammy Kaapana at 929-8079.

VOLCANO VILLAGE’S FOURTH OF JULY PARADE begins at 9 a.m. Saturday at the post office and travels to Cooper Center, where festivities continue. Volcano Rotary will be selling pulled pork and other goodies. Volcano Friends Feeding Friends sponsors the Great American Bake Sale. Volcano Community Association offers keiki face painting, games and toy giveaways. Friends of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park raises funds through its popular silent auction.

See thecoopercenter.org 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_June2015.pdf.

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

Na`alehu Fourth of July Parade begins at 12 p.m. Saturday at Na`alehu Elementary School and ends at Na`alehu Hongwanji.
Photo by William Neal

WHILE HAWAIIAN AIRLINES has been one of the fastest growing airlines in the county, other major airlines have slowed growth and cut back on flights, a strategy that has drawn the attention of antitrust officials in the federal government. The Associated Press is reporting today that the “U.S. government is investigating possible collusion between major airlines to limit available seats, which keeps airfares high.” The story by reporters David Koenig, Scott Mayerowitz and Eric Tucker says that a document obtained by The Associated Press says, “The civil antitrust investigation by the Justice Department appears to focus on whether airlines illegally signaled to each other how quickly they would add new flights, routes and extra seats.”

The Justice Department, in a letter sent yesterday, demands “copies of all communications the airlines had with each other, Wall Street analysts and major shareholders about their plans for passenger-carrying capacity,” reports AP.
AP explains that “American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United now control more than 80 percent of the seats in the domestic travel market. Since the trend began in 2008 when more mergers were allowed, “they have eliminated unprofitable flights, filled a higher percentage of seats on planes and made a very public effort to slow growth in order to command higher airfares... . The average domestic airfare rose 13 percent from 2009 to 2014, when adjusted for inflation, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. And that doesn’t include the billions of dollars airlines collect from new fees: $25 each way to check a bag and $200 to change a domestic reservation.
“During the past 12 months, the airlines took in $3.6 billion in bag fees and another $3 billion in reservation change fees,” reports AP. “All of that has led to record profits for the industry. In the past two years, U.S. airlines earned a combined $19.7 billion.” These airlines could be more profitable this year with a huge drop in fuel prices, “their single highest expense,” the reporters write.
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Solar Impulse is two-thirds of the way to Hawai`i this morning.

ENTHUSIASTS CAN FOLLOW THE SOLAR IMPULSE 120-hour flight from Japan to Hawai`i at http://www.solarimpulse.com/leg-8-from-Nagoya-to-Hawaii. Endeavoring to reach Hawai`i from Japan to encourage the use of clean technologies the solar-powered aircraft of Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg attempts the longest exploration leg of Solar Impulse’s round-the-World mission.

The website explains that the plane “flies within very tight margins – the batteries must be full at peak altitude in order to make it through the night, and the pilot cannot start climbing again until the sun provides enough power in the mornings.   Efficient sun is the term used to describe the time in which the energy generated from the solar cells is sufficient to fully power the motors. This period begins around two hours after sunrise and ends around two hours before sunset. At all other times, the batteries must at least supplement the power going to the motors. If the pilot begins climbing too early in the morning, then he could run the batteries below their minimum level (around 10 percent), which causes permanent damage.”

Ka`u residents can join Joe the Shark in tracking Solar Impulse's flight
from Japan to Hawai`i. Image from Solar Impulse

There is also discussion about fueling the future with alternative energy, including news updates such as “USA & Brazil announced a joint clean energy plan, promise 20 percent of energy from renewables by 2030: ‪goo.gl/mPUCI8 ‪@guardianeco ‪#COP21.”
A message about the pilot this morning: “André Borschberg is resting now. Let’s hope Joe the Shark won’t make too much noise to wake him up. In the meantime, the solar team monitors every minute of this flight, paying a close attention at André Borschberg’s spirit and health.”
A message about the solar batteries needing a charge: “The batteries state of charge is now 55 percent and with the current trend, they should be below 40 percent in one hour. Sunrise is close now, and in three hours and 45 minutes the solar cells should receive enough energy to charge the batteries again. Will we make it through the night this time?!”
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GOV. DAVID IGE SIGNED THREE BILLS relating to Native Hawaiian communities’ customs, cultural practices and rights into law yesterday during bill signing ceremonies at the State Capitol.

Kamana`opono Crabbe, Ka Pouhana
(CEO) of OHA

Effective today, HB 207 (Act 169) requires certain state councils, boards and commissions to attend a legal training course administered by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs on native Hawaiian customs and rights. The law ensures that state decision makers have the information necessary to carry out their constitutional responsibilities and ensure that places, practices and values are sustained for the benefit of all Hawai`i’s people. OHA will fund development and administration of the training courses.
Those to receive training include members of the state Land Use Commission, Board of Land and Natural Resources, Commission on Water Resource Management, Environmental Council, Agribusiness Development Corp., Board of Agriculture, Legacy Land Conservation Commission, Natural Area Reserve Systems Commission, Hawai`i Historic Places Review Board and Board of Health.
Also effective today, HB 209 (Act 170) provides OHA with nearly $3 million in general funds from the state in each of the next two fiscal years, matched by more than $6.4 million a year in OHA funds. More than 70 percent of the general funds will be used to support direct services for individuals, families and community groups.
SB 1166 (Act 171) helps to perpetuate the sacred Native Hawaiian traditions of preparing deceased beloved family members for burial. This law clarifies ambiguities in state law and allows these traditions to continue without the threat of criminal prosecution.
“This measure just makes it crystal clear that our laws will allow for anyone wanting to exercise the traditional burial practices of Native Hawaiians, that they would be allowed to do so,” Ige said.
“Hawai`i is a special place, and these new laws will help educate government officials on cultural protections guaranteed by the State Constitution and protect Hawaiian cultural practices. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs thanks Gov. Ige and the State Legislature for their support of Native Hawaiian traditional and customary rights,” said Kamana`opono Crabbe, Ka Pouhana (CEO) of OHA.
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THE COMMISSION ON ACCREDITATION for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. seeks public comment regarding Hawai`i Police Department’s policies and procedures, administration, operations and support services. CALEA is reviewing HPD to verify that it continues to meet National Standards that are required for the department to maintain voluntary accreditation.

Of the roughly 23,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States, Hawai`i Police Department is one of only about 1,200 that have been awarded CALEA accreditation. The department was initially awarded accreditation on Nov. 17, 2012.
The review includes a public comment session at 5 p.m. on July 14 at Hawai`i County Council chambers in Hilo. The session will be hosted by the visiting assessment team, which is seeking the community’s input as to whether accreditation should be maintained.
Individuals who cannot attend the session are encouraged to phone in their comments to 961-2270 on July 14 between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Written comments may be sent to CALEA, 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, VA, 22030-2215 or through the CALEA website at www.calea.org.
Comments are limited to the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA’s standards.
A link to CALEA Standards is available on the Accreditation page of www.hawaiipolice.com. A full copy of the Standards may be viewed at the Police Department’s main station at 349 Kapi`olani Street in Hilo.
For more information, call Lt. Kenneth Quiocho at 961-2260.
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Early registration for Kahuku `Ohana Day includes free lunch.
Photo from NPS

INTERESTED KA`U RESIDENTS should sign up for Kahuku `Ohana Day by tomorrow to be included in the free lunch count. The event takes place Saturday, July 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Register at 985-6019.

“COME CELEBRATE OUR NATION’S BIRTHDAY in Na`alehu Saturday, July Fourth,” said `O Ka`u Kakou board member Lee McIntosh. “We have a full day of festivities planned for the whole family.”

First, the Na`alehu Independence Day Parade starts at 12 p.m. “Be sure to come early to find a good spot as the road will be closing at 11:55 a.m.,” said McIntosh, who is also parade committee chair. The route begins at Na`alehu Elementary School and ends at Na`alehu Hongwanji Mission.
There are 35 parade entries this year that include elected officials, a train, a bagpipe player and horses, among others.
After the parade, there will be a giant water slide and bounce houses for the kids to enjoy, along with free hot dogs, watermelon and shave ice at Na`alehu Park. While the kids are busy playing, senior bingo will begin after a free lunch at Naalehu Community Center, with prizes for everyone to win.
Call 929-9872 for more information.

KA`U ROPING & RIDING ASSOCIATION'S 38th annual Fourth of July Rodeo is Saturday and Sunday, with shows at 12 p.m. both days. Slack roping begins at 8 a.m. Saturday.

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

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_July2015.pdf.

Lorilee Lorenzo has represented Hawaiian islands in many parades, and, in Saturday's Na`alehu Fourth of July Parade, she is Ka`u's first-ever Pa`u Queen. Photo by Julia Neal

SUBDIVIDING AG LOTS INTO SMALLER PARCELS, with opposition from the Planning Department, Community Development Plan and General Plan, received a no vote from Ka`u County Council member Maile David yesterday. The issue involves the Puna CDP and Mountain View and could be precedent-setting for Ka`u.

Maile David

The Planning Department said the property owner’s application doesn’t meet minimum water concurrency requirements and is not in step with either Puna Community Development Plan policies that discourage further subdivisions of ag or county General Plan policies requiring adequate water utilities to support an increase in density. It also has substandard road conditions, county planners said.
Nancy Cook Lauer, of West Hawai`i Today, reported that the County Council plans to “fast-track changes to concurrency laws to accommodate a Hilo District Court judge’s application.” She said Dennis “Fresh” Onishi is drafting an amendment to the county’s 2011 concurrency law to change water requirements for areas that meet certain rainfall levels, such as East Hawai`i. Planning Committee Chair Greggor Ilagan said he’d waive the bill through his committee to move it along more quickly.
When a lawyer representing the applicant suggested approving the application as an example of a necessary change in policy, David argued, “I see we as policy makers as setting a precedent that it’s OK to … disregard the letter of the law because we’re going to fix it later.”
Regarding concurrency, David said, “This is a perfect example of one-size-fits-all does not work” and that the council should keep this in mind when creating policy. She said concurrency was adapted with Kona in mind, where dry conditions make catchment unsuitable, not wetter areas where residents can usually count on rain for their water needs.
The Planning Committee forwarded the application to the County Council with a negative recommendation on a 4-4 vote.

See westhawaiitoday.com.
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SOLAR VOLTAIC FINANCING is available from the state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, which is accepting loan applications. Green Energy Market Securitization is the name of the state program for consumers unable to afford upfront costs or traditional financing for solar. The aim is to save money on power bills from the first day of operating the home PV system, no money down.

The GEMS 20-year, fixed-rate loans on this island are for PV systems at single-family residences hooked up to Hawaiian Electric Light Co.
This new Residential Financing Program follows a GEMS program that began in March for nonprofit organizations. See more, including application instructions, at gems.hawaii.gov.
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Progress of Solar Impulse shows weather obstacles to overcome
on its flight from Japan to Hawai`i

AFTER FOUR DAYS OF NON-STOP SOLAR FLIGHT, André Borschberg is well on his way to Hawai`i aboard Solar Impulse, a plane using no liquid fuel. One record Borschberg has broken is Steve Fossett’s 2006 record of the longest solo endurance flight: 76 hours and 45 minutes.

After what he called the longest and most tiring night of this flight and bringing the pilot and aircraft to their limits, Borschberg is now back under the oceanic sunlight and has reached energy neutral, where the batteries' states of charge are now going up again. After several days with very short naps, Borschberg said he is tired but also enjoys living this incredible and intense day-and-night experience at the controls.
Now Solar Impulse is crossing a weather front that blocks the way to Hawai`i. Borschberg is climbing above the clouds, referred to as “jumping over the wall.” The flight team now is finding final solutions to reach Hawai`i.

Black Coral Photo by Chris Kelly/NOAA

Borschberg said he is quite happy about the flight so far and about the reliability and endurance of the clean technologies used on the airplane.
First possible estimated time of arrival is 16:00 UTC – tomorrow at sunrise at Kalaleo`a Airport on O`ahu.
See solarimpulse.com.
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A NEWLY NAMED BLACK CORAL SPECIES LIVES AS LONG AS 4,000 years. Widely dispersed in deep Hawaiian waters, it is the longest living known marine species, according to scientists who conducted studies that led to its new designation. The species is reported in an article in Zootaxa by Daniel Wagner and Dennis Opresko of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument and the Museum of National History at the Smithsonian.

This Iiving black coral, now named Leiopathes annosa, is bright orange on the outside. It lives at depth of up to 1,600 feet and was collected by the Hawai`i Undersea Research Lab’s Pisces submersible. See more at http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2015/f/zt03974p289.pdf.

HAWAI`I ATTORNEY GENERAL DOUG CHIN said he is working with the Gov. David Ige, the University of Hawai`i and Departments of Land and Natural Resources and Public Safety to see the road to Mauna Kea’s summit re-opens with safe access to all. UH closed the road following blockages or rock walls and boulders that were placed in the road to keep construction crews from reaching the construction site of the Thirty Meter Telescope.
“We respect those who choose to exercise their First Amendment rights within the boundaries of the law,” Chin said. “What the state cannot allow is for people to take the law into their own hands. Our courts are the proper place for people to seek legal remedies.

Mehe's Ka`u Bar & Grill is now open in Ocean View. Photo by Charles Tobias

“Mauna Kea is a protected conservation district, forest reserve and hunting area. While we appreciate the effort of volunteers who helped clean up the summit road, the actions of certain individuals in the past week led to the University of Hawai`i’s closure of the road. Deliberately building a rock wall in the middle of a road without warning threatens public safety. Purposely placing boulders in a road could get someone killed. Commercial activities and camping in this protected area without a permit are against state regulations. This is not a statement against the content of the protest, but the conduct.”
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MEHE’S KA`U BAR & GRILL opened today at the former site of Lava Tube Restaurant in Ocean View. Dale and Shannon Meheula, of Ocean View, are the owners. They are former manager and bartender at Drysdale’s restaurants at Kona Inn Shopping Village and Keauhou Shopping Center.

Opening menu items include pupus, salads, burgers, main dishes and, on Saturday only, prime rib. Beverages include beer and wine.

Current hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Call 929-7200 for more information.

Southside Boys 16's are champions of the Silver Bracket.
Photo from Julie Enriques

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CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE SILVER BRACKET went to Southside Boys 16’s, who completed play at the United States Association of Volleyball Boys Junior National Championships being held in Columbus, Ohio. Sam Thomas reported that the team was led by timely blocking of Nalu Kahapea and Kamahao Kawelu in the semifinal match against Ocean Bay Volleyball Club of California, and the SS boys were able to sweep the match by scores of 25-15 and 26-24.
In the championship match, they played the hard-hitting Gigantes from Puerto Rico. It was a match Thomas deemed to be highly entertaining due to long rallies on both sides of the net and which drew an increasing crowd as the match went on. The SS boys eventually won as they rode the hitting of Addie and Avery Enriques to a three-set victory with scores of 25-16, 22-25 and 15-12.
Members of the team are Addie Enriques, Avery Enriques, Nai`a Makuakane, Kameron Moses, Daylan Kalai, Logan Thomas, Nalu Kahapea, Jarvis Benito, Kamahao Kawelu and Kainoa Downing II.

VOLCANO VILLAGE’S FOURTH OF JULY PARADE begins Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Post Office. It continues to Cooper Center on Wright Road, where the celebration continues until 1 p.m.

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`Ohi`a lehua is the topic of a program Saturday. Photo from NPS

PARTICIPANTS LEARN ABOUT THE VITAL ROLE of `ohi`a lehua in native Hawaiian forests, the many forms of the `ohi`a tree and the lehua flower Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Visitors will be able to identify the many differences of the most prominent native tree in Kahuku on this easy, one-mile (or less) walk. 985-6011

KA`U HORSE RIDERS’ SKILLS are on display and put to the test this weekend. Pa`u riders participate in Na`alehu Fourth of July Parade Saturday at 12 p.m.
Lorilee Lokenani Lorenzo will be the 2015 Ka`u Pa`u Queen, becoming the first Pa`u Queen ever in Ka`u history, said her parents, Frank and Mahina Lorenzo. Their 13-year-old daughter earned the title by being the first person ever to have represented all eight Hawaiian Islands in Ka`u parades. She rode her first island, Maui, in Pahala in October 2008 when she was seven years old. Lorenzo will be escorted by her parents, brothers and sisters-in-laws.
Ka`u paniolo test their skills at Ka`u Roping & Riding Association 38th annual Fourth of July Rodeo. Slack roping starts Saturday at 8 a.m., and shows begin at 12 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

FOURTH OF JULY FESTIVITIES sponsored by `O Ka`u Kakou begin at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Na`alehu Park, with food and fun for keiki and kupuna.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_July2015.

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf

and kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.

A solar-powered airplane completed its flight from Japan at dawn this morning when it landed on O`ahu. Photo from Solar Impulse

RISING LAVA EQUALS RISING REVENUE for Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Park Public Information Officer Jessica Ferracane told Chris D’Angelo, of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald, that the park collected entrance fees totaling $294,592 between April 21 and May 14, the time period when a lava lake dominated activity at Kilauea caldera. That’s compared to $287,727 for the entire month of April and $337,395 for May.

Visitor counts increased when a lava lake was visible at Kilauea. NPS Photo

According to Ferracane, the number of visitors increased in April by 10.36 percent more than April 2014 and by 37.01 percent in May over the previous May.
Hawai`i Tourism Authority connected a 12.6 percent increase in one-day visitors to Hawai`i Island to volcanic activity at the park.
See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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HAWAI`I BECAME THE SITE OF AVIATION HISTORY this morning. A record-breaking solar flight from Japan reached O`ahu this morning, when Solar Impulse II completed the longest leg of its around-the-world mission. The flight’s mission is to demonstrate the potential of clean technologies.

At the controls, André Borschberg landed safely in Kalaeloa, O`ahu at 5:55 a.m. after a perilous non-stop flight of five days and nights with speeds no greater than 50 miles per hour.

Borschberg credited yoga and meditation for helping him during his record-breaking flight. “When I am stressed, it helps me to change my reaction,” he said. Regarding the Solar Impulse project, he said, “One side is aviation, but it is also discovery of a personal nature. It was like a retreat.”

Borschberg said he could have gone longer and was kind of disappointed when the flight was over.

Andrea Borschberg is greeted with lei by the other Solar Impulse pilot
Bertrand Piccard and Kalaeloa Airport manager Mike Navares
at dawn in Honolulu. Photo from Solar Impulse

“What André has achieved is extraordinary from the perspective of a pilot,” said fellow pilot Bertrand Piccard. “But furthermore, he has also led the technical team during the construction of this revolutionary prototype.
“This oceanic flight to Hawai`i demonstrates that if technological solutions exist to fly a plane day and night without fuel, then there is potential for these same efficient technologies to be used in our daily lives and to achieve energy savings to reduce CO2 emissions.
“We want to inspire our supporters to add their voice to the message on futureisclean.org: a website serving as a petition to convince governments around the globe to implement the necessary clean technology solutions and help ensure that the United Nations’ upcoming Conference on Climate Change is successful in renewing the Kyoto protocol this December in Paris.”
See solarimpulse.com.
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HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK has announced flight plans for July. 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 maintain backcountry facilities.

July 6 between 6:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. for petrel monitoring from the summit of Kilauea to Mauna Loa at about 9,000-ft. elevation;
July 7 and 13 between 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. for petrel monitoring from the summit of Kilauea to Mauna Loa at about 9,000-ft. elevation;
July 14 and 16 between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. to transport camp supplies and equipment between Hilina Pali and Kamo`oali`i for control of invasive fountain grass;
July 20-22 for ungulate surveys and control work in the Kamo`oali`i area near Hilina Pali, times to be determined;
July 24 between 6:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. for petrel monitoring from the summit of Kilauea to Mauna Loa at about 9,000-ft. elevation.

In a statement, the park said it 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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The Venusian volcano Ozza Mons is near the center of this map. Elongated
flows, many hundreds of miles long, radiate away from the volcano.
Map courtesy of HVO & Dr. Jim Head of Brown University

INSPIRATION FOR THE CURRENT ISSUE of Volcano Watch comes from the skies over Ka`u. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists discuss volcanic activity on Venus in the article.

“The planet Venus has been especially prominent in the evening sky these past few weeks, joining Jupiter and a waxing moon in a sparkling, slow-motion dance of celestial bodies,” the article states. “On clear nights at the summit of Kilauea, this spectacle has complemented the other-worldly glow reflected by clouds above the lava lake in Halema`uma`u Crater.
“Scientists who study Venus have demonstrated convincingly that the planet’s surface has been shaped by active tectonics and volcanic activity for much of its history. Using radar to penetrate the dense Venusian atmosphere, spacecraft flown since the 1980s have revealed an array of volcanic landforms such as lava flows, cones, massive shields, steep-sided lava domes and large rift zones. But no strong evidence of ongoing volcanic activity was found — until recently.

“In May 2015, a team of scientists from Germany, Russia, Ukraine and the United States published evidence that Venus may, in fact, be a location of modern volcanism. If true, Venus would join Earth and two of Jupiter’s moons, Io and Europa, in the growing club of celestial bodies in our Solar System known to host active volcanism.
“The evidence comes from data acquired by the European Space Agency's Venus Express mission. Examining new imagery, the team detected regions of unusually high temperatures—some reaching more than 400 degrees Celsius (752 degrees Fahrenheit) above the planet’s already toasty average surface temperature of about 800 degrees Celsius (1,472 degrees Fahrenheit). The high temperature areas extended over regions ranging from one square kilometer (250 acres) to more than 200 square kilometers (77 square miles).
“Remarkably, these high temperatures, recorded over several days of repeated observations, mysteriously disappeared in subsequent satellite passes. Based on a careful analysis of the data, mission scientists concluded that the spikes in temperature are best explained as transient heat from active lava flows. We see similar behavior at Kilauea Volcano, where active lava flows are seen as ‘hot spots’ in images from orbiting satellites. Days later, when lava flows have cooled, these spots fade away.
“The areas of unusually high temperature on Venus occurred in a large rift zone structure – similar to a gigantic Kilauea East Rift Zone. The Venusian rift, called Ganiki Chasma, is located near two prominent volcanoes with the delightful names of Ozza Mons and Maat Mons. This striking geologic feature was identified as a young volcanic landform in data collected by the Soviet Venera missions of the 1980s and the U.S. Magellan mission in the 1990s.
“Despite the excitement of this new evidence, there were already earlier hints of modern volcanism on Venus. In 2010, studies of the radar properties of one lava flow complex suggested increased subsurface temperatures consistent with cooling lavas. Also, in the late 1980s, and again in 2012, scientists reported temporary increases in sulfur dioxide in Venus’ upper atmosphere (Venusian vog!), another clue that volcanoes may have been recently active.

“Venus has long been considered an analog for Earth. So, confirming ongoing volcanism there could have exciting implications for better understanding the evolution of our own planet.
“Imagining actively erupting volcanoes on Earth’s neighbor is exciting to many volcanologists who began their professional careers looking at volcanic features on the moon and Mars. The challenge to confirm or deny the case for active volcanism on Venus and other planetary bodies will certainly inspire a whole new generation of planetary volcanologists.”

See hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.

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Will dragons return to Na`alehu Park tomorrow to celebrate the Fourth of July?
Photo by Julia Neal

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK reminds the public that fireworks are prohibited in national parks, including the Fourth of July, according to federal law. Visitors will notice Fireworks Prohibited signs posted near the entrance to the park.

KA`U PANIOLO START THEIR FOURTH OF JULY festivities tomorrow at 8 a.m. with slack roping at Na`alehu Rodeo Grounds. Ka`u Roping & Riding Association’s show begins at 12 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday.

VOLCANO VILLAGE’S FOURTH OF JULY PARADE begins tomorrow at 9 a.m. at the Post Office and travels to Cooper Center on Wright Road, where the celebration continues until 1 p.m.

FOURTH OF JULY in Na`alehu begins with a parade at 12 p.m. that travels from Na`alehu School to Na`alehu Hongwanji. At Na`alehu Park, festivities with food and fun for keiki, kupuna and `ohana begin at 12:30 p.m.

PARTICIPANTS DISCOVER HAWAIIAN GODDESSES Pele and Hi`iaka and the natural phenomena the sisters represent during a program Sunday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit. Visitors experience the sisters coming alive through epic stories depicted in the natural landscape of Kahuku on this moderate one-mile walk.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_July2015.pdf.

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

Classic Cars are a regular in the Volcano Fourth of July Parade held this morning. Photo by Ron Johnson

Hare Krishna followers pull their wagon at Volcano Parade.
Photo by Ron Johnson

FOURTH OF JULY KICKED OFF this morning with the annual Volcano Parade, with may community groups, businesses and government representatives participating, followed by a morning of music, theater, food, games and arts and crafts sales at Cooper Center on Wright Road. Fourth of July events include a ceremony at Kilauea Military Camp, a parade in Na`alehu and two days of rodeo at Na`alehu rodeo grounds. See more in tomorrow's Ka`u News Briefs.
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NO STEWARDSHIP GRANTS were approved by the County Council’s Finance Committee this week, although more than $1.1 million funded by .25 percent of property taxes sits in a county fund. It is earmarked for nonprofits that help the county care for lands bought with open space funds generated from two percent of property taxes.

Management of Kawa could involve a county and community
partnership in the future. Photo by Julia Neal

In Ka`u, a partnership with the county exists with the nonprofit group Ka `Ohana O Honu`apo. However, the Honu`apo land around Whittington Beach Park was purchased before two percent funding became available, making the organization ineligible to use the .25 percent stewardship funds at Honu`apo. The Ka `Ohana organization has a crew of volunteers and raises money on its own, receiving grants and donations from other sources.
At Kawa, Ka `Ohana has a project to cut back invasive plants. Another organization, Na Mamo O Kawa, led by Kai McGuire and Kaui Felder, has been helping to clean the access and other areas used by surfers and other community members and is still working on its formal organization as a 501C3.
Uhane Pohaku Na Moku O Hawai`i, which is a registered nonprofit with its founders living in Pahala, applied to help steward Kawa. However, the finance committee declined to recommend funding for any project around the island including two in Waipi’o and two in Kohala.
According to a story in this morning’s Hawai`i Tribune Herald, some members of the County Council this week “quizzed the administration on why grants haven’t been awarded” for the stewardship programs. Reporter Nancy Cook Lauer quoted Puna council member Greggor Ilagan saying, “There’s plenty of money, and the longer we wait, the longer there’s money just sitting there. That’s not what I want to see government become.”

Kawa is a popular fishing and beach-going place for Ka`u residents, now under county stewardship with community members helping. Photo by Julia Neal

During the meeting, Department of Parks and Recreation Director Clayton Honma presented an analysis of five applications for stewardships around the island, including the one for Kawa. However, “because no council member has sponsored a resolution awarding any money, no action was taken,” the story said. Hawai`i Tribune-Herald reported Honma saying, “We’re Parks and Recreation. We don’t give out grants to begin with. This is our first go-round. When this program fell into our laps, as far as the funding goes and overseeing the funding, there was no person in a position then to review the grants or administer and oversee the applications.”
Council member Maile David said this morning that a process is needed to better handle the proposals and that perhaps the groups applying for stewardship will be able to reapply.
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UHANE POHAKU NA MOKU O HAWAI`I, Inc. has received a $2,300 grant from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for its annual Ho`okupu Hula No Ka`u Cultural Festival in Pahala. The free event will be held on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 2 and 3, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the grounds of Pahala Plantation House.

Intercultural exchange with dancers from Lana`i, Japan and Pahala with
music from South Side Serenaders. Photo by Julia Neal

For opening ceremonies, Uhane invites Ho`okupu from halau, Hawaiian organizations, practitioners and the Hawaiian community in the district of Ka'u.
Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder, who organizes the event, said, “To follow we have a lineup of great musicians featuring Keaiwa with Demetrius Oliveira, Darlene Ahuna, Wailau Ryder and friends, South Side Serenaders and many more. Halau from O`ahu, Hawai`i Island, Lana`i, Japan and Okinawa will share their styles of hula. Our mistress of ceremonies for the two day event will be Skylark Rossetti.
“Cultural practitioners will demonstrate skills in lauhala weaving, coconut weaving, poi pounding, la`au lapa`au, lomi lomi and more, interacting with the community and with our visitors from the island and afar,” she said.
Workshops will be scheduled on Saturday, Oct. 3 at Old Pahala Clubhouse to begin at 8 a.m. with hula, lauhala weaving, `ukulele, slack key and kalo demonstrations.
“This cultural event will bring the Ka`u community closer and help share their mana`o with others, furthering a sense of place and pride for Pahala,” Ryder said.
For further information, contact Debbie Ryder, founder and festival coordinator, at 808-649-9334. Festival website is hookupukau.com.
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IT'S ABOUT SAVING ENERGY, NOT ABOUT THE AVIATION, Solar Impulse pilot Andre Borschberg told state officials yesterday in Hawai`i after landing the ultra-light plane that broke records flying from Nagoya, Japan only on solar power. He said that engineers working on designing the plane came up with the lightest materials possible to save fuel. He also talked about going beyond the idea of renewable energy to perpetuating clean energy. The body of the plane carries the message #futureisclean.


Bertrand Piccard will fly Solar Impulse to Phoenix after Andre Borschberg's successful flight to Hawai`i. Photo from solarimpulse.com.

Gov. David Ige told the Solar Impulse crew from Switzerland when he met them yesterday that Hawai`i plans for 100 percent renewable energy. The next flight of Solar Impulse is from Hawai`i to Phoenix. The plane flies a maximum of 50 miles an hour and must plan to go around or jump over weather fronts. It flies high during the day to take in the most energy for its solar panels and flies lower near the surface at night as its solar batteries are depleted. Should the solar panels be unable to recharge from the sun the next day, the plane would have to land and be recovered, making ocean crossings the most risky.
The flight to Phoenix will begin when the weather outlook is suitable. Pilot will be Bertrand Piccard. The two pilots - only one flies at a time - call Solar Impulse, "the first airplane of perpetual endurance, able to fly day and night without a drop of fuel." Its around-the-world flight began in Abu Dhabi on March 9. From Hawai`i it will fly across the U.S., over the Atlantic and Europe and back to Abu Dhabi. See more at solarimpulse.com.
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PARTICIPANTS DISCOVER HAWAIIAN GODDESSES Pele and Hi`iaka and the natural phenomena the sisters represent during a program tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit. Visitors experience the sisters coming alive through epic stories depicted in the natural landscape of Kahuku on this moderate one-mile walk. To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

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

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_July2015.pdf.

South Side Shaka Restaurant & Bar wins Most Creative in Na`alehu's Fourth of July Parade yesterday, with Hawaiian Idol winner
Victor Sonma, who will soon go to American Idol tryouts in Las Vegas. Photo by Peter Anderson

KA`U FAMILIES ENJOYED A FUN-FILLED Fourth of July in Na`alehu yesterday. The parade, sponsored by O Ka`u Kakou, drew pa`u riders, community groups walking and riding in floats and others, with participants competing to win in Most Creative and Most Patriotic categories. Thy Word Ministries-Ka`u won Most Patriotic, and South Side Shaka was Most Imaginative. Grand Marshall was Kaohi Mokuhali`i.

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Th Word Ministry took the Most Patriotice Trophy at Na`alehu July 4 parade yesterday. Photo by Peter Anderson

EAST KA`U’S STATE SEN. RUSSELL RUDERMAN, who owns Island Naturals grocery stores, has made a public statement that he has implemented a $10 per hour minimum wage for his employees as of July 2015. While most staff are already above $10 per hour, some entry-level employees received an unexpected raise in their paycheck this month as the company adopted the voluntary higher minimum wage standard, he said.

Grand Marshall of the Na`alehu Fourth of July parade was Kaohi Mokuhali`i.
Photo by Peter Anderson

Ruderman, who recently received the state Small Business Administration’s Businessperson of the Year Award, said he believes strongly in investing in his staff for motivational and retention purposes. “In recent months, we have seen some national companies raise their minimum wage voluntarily, and we want to be in the forefront of this movement locally,” Ruderman said. “But it’s also the right thing to do. Treating employees well, and paying them well, is good business. Island Naturals values our staff and strives to provide a good work environment, higher wages than local standards, and treats staff with respect.

“While $10/hour is not a true living wage in Hawai`i, this is a step in the right direction, as raising our minimum also results in higher wages for mid-level staff. Doing so approaches a living wage for more and more workers. We are happy to share our success with our staff, and we all work together to make our company successful.”
Island Naturals operated three naturals food stores on the Big Island, in Hilo, Pahoa and Kailua-Kona, with more than 200 employees.

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Na`alehu July 4th parade's first ever Pa`u Queen is Lorilee Lorenzo.
Photo by Peter Anderson

MARTI TOWNSEND IS SIERRA CLUB Hawai`i Chapter’s new director. Sierra Club’s volunteer leaders voted unanimously to name her as director.

Townsend comes to the Sierra Club with over ten years of experience in community organizing, public interest advocacy and environmental law.
“She has an impressive record,” said David Kimo Frankel, Chair of the Sierra Club’s Hawai`i Chapter. “She knows how to empower people so that they can effectively engage policymakers to protect Hawai`i’s resources.”
Townsend received a certificate in Environmental Law from the University of Hawai`i’s William S. Richardson School of Law in 2005. She is a graduate of Boston University.
“The Sierra Club is a force for good in the world,” Townsend said. “Club volunteers are fighting to uphold our right to clean energy and protect our special places throughout the islands, and I am honored to help support their efforts.”

Miss Ka`u Coffee Maria Miranda represents the thriving Ka`u Coffee industry,
which includes her own family. Photo by Peter Anderson

Before joining the Sierra Club of Hawai`i, Townsend served as Executive Director of The Outdoor Circle, a century-old, local, environmental organization working to keep Hawai`i clean, green and beautiful. In this role, she helped advocate for the establishment of Hawai’`’s Environmental Court, which is only the second of its kind in the United States. Her advocacy also supported the broad opposition to the appointment of Carleton Ching as Director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Her work at The Outdoor Circle established a program to digitally map all trees in Hawai`i that are protected on the Exceptional Tree list, as well as improve and expand public greenspaces and prevent efforts to weaken Hawai`i’s prohibition against billboards.
Prior to The Outdoor Circle, Townsend served as Program Director and then interim-Executive Director for KAHEA: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance. KAHEA works to protect Hawai`i’s imperiled natural resources and perpetuate the unique Native Hawaiian cultural traditions that rely on them. While at KAHEA, she advocated to establish and enforce protections for Papahanaumokuakea in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, improve public health
protections in the predominately Native Hawaiian community, expand critical habitat for Hawaiian monk seals and uphold protections for the conservation district on Mauna Kea.

Summer Fun checks out the Poke at July 4 Parade. Photo by Teri Martindale

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CO2 EMISSIONS THREATEN OCEAN CRISES, concludes the BBC’s Environment analyst Roger Harrabin. He points to the journal Science, where “experts say the oceans are heating, losing oxygen and becoming more acidic because of CO2. They warn that the 2C maximum temperature rise for climate change agreed by governments will not prevent dramatic impacts on ocean systems. And they say the range of options is dwindling as the cost of those options is skyrocketing,” writes Harrabin.

The BBC story reports that “twenty-two world-leading marine scientists have collaborated in the synthesis report in a special section of Science journal. They say the oceans are at perilous risk from the combination of threats related to CO2. They believe politicians trying to solve climate change have paid far too little attention to the impacts of climate change on the oceans.”

Ka`u Auto Repair brings a shocking reminder to drive safely each July 4 weekend.
Photo by Julia Neal

Professor Manuel Barange, director of science at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, said, “Climate change will continue to affect ocean ecosystems in very significant ways, and society needs to take notice and respond.

“Some ecosystems and their services will benefit from climate change, especially in the short term, but overall the impacts are predominately negative.
“Negative impacts are particularly expected in tropical and developing regions, thus potentially increasing existing challenges in terms of food and livelihood security.
“We are allowing ourselves to travel a uniquely dangerous path, and we are doing so without an appreciation for the consequences that lie ahead."
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Ka`u Multicultural Society celebrates diversity in Ka`u.
Photo by Crystal McIntosh

“THE VISITOR INFORMATION STATION is closed indefinitely,” reads a notice on Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station’s website. “No services, including phone, restrooms or guides, are available. University of Hawai`i closed the facility and the road to the summit on June 24 after protests caused crews to turn around when they were attempting to start construction for the second time.

“No services, including phone, restrooms or guides, are available,” the website explains. “Please check this website (ifa.hawaii.edu/info/vis) for updates before planning to visit.

“Mahalo for your understanding and we apologize for the inconvenience.”

MKVIS is a popular destination for individuals and groups visiting the summit and participating in stargazing organized by the station and tour companies.

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Po`o Wai U, the most traditional Hawaiian rodeo event, wrapped up
yesterday at Na`alehu. Other events continue today. Photo by Julia Neal

FOURTH OF JULY RODEO continues today at Na`alehu Rodeo Grounds. Entry is $7 a person. Yesterday wrapped up the first round of many events, and a Po`o Wai U Champion was named, Kahiau Onaka, with a time of 21.24 seconds. Po`o Wai U is the most traditional event, and Hawai`i is the only place where competition takes place. It stems from a tradition of chasing stray cattle in the forest and tying each one onto a forked tree branch pounded into the ground until there is time to move the animal back to the herd.

OBJECTS VISIBLE IN KA`U’S DARK SKIES this month include planets, two full moons and nebulae. Lew Cook described them in this month’s edition of Stars Over Ka`u for The Ka`u Calendar.

“Saturn continues his battle with the claws of Scorpius while Jupiter and dancing partner Venus have set,” Cook said. “Venus is at its brightest this month, all the while growing larger. By the end of the month, it has become larger but has slimmed down into a thin crescent.

Bikers patriotic to the U.S. and Hawai`i during the
Fourth of July Parade in Na`alehu.
Photo by Crystal McIntosh

“The full moon graces us with two appearances this month: the first and 31st of July. The full moon on July 31 is a blue moon. The term blue moon refers to a season that has four full moons rather than three. The fourth full moon was termed blue. Since there are only 12 months in a year, if you have 13 full moons, one month has to have two full moons. The moon appears to go around the Earth in 29.53 days, so one month must have two full moons. But you can bet it won’t be February!
“There are some rare atmospheric conditions that cause the moon to have a bluish tint. Volcanic eruptions that put huge amounts of dust in the air or major forest fires can do this. After Krakatoa erupted, the moon had a bluish tint, although the sky had a lot of dust. Dust particles need to be larger than typical, lest the moon, sun and stars will be reddened.

“Pluto, once deemed a planet but now demoted to a dwarf planet, is back in the news. The New Horizons spacecraft has been traveling for ten years to get to Pluto and this month will pass close enough to get pictures and data. Don’t expect to see many pictures, because it requires the radio signal to travel four-plus hours and three billion miles to get to the Earth. The data transmission rate will be only one kilobit per second, about as slow as dial-up was in 1972 here on earth. Pluto is in Sagittarius, and its position is marked on the chart, but please don’t waste your time looking for it, because it is very faint (14th magnitude) and in an area packed with stars.

“Those of you who have telescopes or large binoculars can enjoy several nebulae in Sagittarius. Perhaps the best of these is M8, but M7 was also catalogued by Charles Messier. The stars in M7 have had time to blow away the gas and dust that they were created from, but the gas and dust are still in the area of M8. That is what makes the Lagoon nebula, M8, so pretty!”

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

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and kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_July2015.pdf.

Paniolo of all ages competed in the Fourth of July Rodeo over two days, sponsored by Ka`u Roping & Riding Association.
Photo by Julia Neal

FOURTH OF JULY ALL-AROUND RODEO WINNER earned the champion cowboy belt buckle
yesterday at Na`alehu Rodeo Grounds and proclaimed, “I am not a cowboy!” She is cowgirl Jaymie Loando and wound up with the most points overall competing with kane and wahine. Here is a list of winners during the two-day Fourth of July Rodeo, sponsored by Ka`u Roping & Riding Association:

Roping calves is a required skill on Ka`u ranches. Photo by Julia Neal

Kelly Medeiros and Jaymie Loando won the Kane-Wahine Dally. Boots Kaapana and Jaymie Loando won Kane-Wahine Ribbon. Lexis Andrade and Evan Manoa won Open Dally. Cienna Joseph won Wahine Breakaway. Leenaia Andrade took the Youth Barrels title. Brian DeMattos and Mike Smith won Team 90s, the competition where the age of team members must add up to 90 years or more. Rigan Kaapana and Kepa Awai won Bull Riding. Christine Beck and Denicia Deresin won Wahine Mugging. Kahiau Onaka won Po`o Wai U. Boots Kaapana and Ina Ynigues won Double Mugging. Ethan Awa won Tie Down Roping. Chance Miranda won Calf Riding. Aiden Benavides won Goat Undecorating and Dummy Roping, five to eight years of age. Jaycee Amaral won Dummy Roping, four and under.

Jaymie Loando took the All-Around title for the most points
at the July 4 rodeo in Na`alehu. Among her winning events
was Kane-Wahine Dally with Kelly Medeiros.
Photo by Julia Neal

Rodeo Queens from Hawai`i, Florida and Nebraska attended the rodeo. Miss Rodeo Hawai`i Cheyanne Keli`iho`omalu, Miss Rodeo Florida Sheila Shirah and Miss Rodeo Nebraska Joni Qualm said they are looking forward to the national Miss Rodeo Competition.

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HAWAI`I FARM & FOOD is Hawai`i Farm Bureau Federation’s new four-color, glossy magazine. The print and online publication is a media partnership between the statewide Farm Bureau and Pacific Basin Communications, publisher of Hawai`i’s largest magazine group.

“Hawai`i Farm & Food will delve into issues facing Hawai`i’s agricultural industries, unique specialty crops and commodity groups,” said HFBF president Chris Manfredi, of Ka`u Farm and Ranch. “This new magazine will bring the challenges of Hawai`i’s farmers, ranchers and aquaculturists to the forefront to help people better understand how food is produced and brought to store shelves. Think of it as a farm tour you can hold in your hand. We’re particularly excited that the publication’s app will be available for free on iTunes.”

Hawai`i Farm and Food will feature farmers and their stories from across the state, updates on legislative issues, chef highlights of Hawai`i-grown products, recipes and events supporting local agriculture.

First-place winners took home Ka`u Roping & Riding
buckles, all the way down to the winner of Dummy
Roping for those four years old and under.
Jaycee Amaral won it. She is accompanied by
paniolo Ralph Kaapana. Photo by Julia Neal

The inaugural issue will premiere with a circulation of 5,000 printed copies and unlimited digital access. The magazine will be direct-mailed to all HFBF members, available for free pick-up at Farm Bureau Farmers Markets and various other outlets, and digital download on iTunes.
See hfbf.org for a current listing. For advertising and sponsorship opportunities, contact Sharon Spear at 808-534-7528 or sharons@pacificbasin.net. To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

GOV. DAVID IGE SIGNED FIVE BILLS into law Thursday during bill signing ceremonies at the State Capitol.

HB 1343 (Act 210) appropriates funds to establish a Business Recovery Center within the Department of Defense. The bill appropriates $328,000 in state funding, with a federal match of $1,159,000 for this initiative. The recovery center is an online website where businesses and government agencies collaborate and coordinate information and resources before, during and after a natural disaster.
HB 589 (Act 211) establishes a state stroke data registry and requires hospitals to report stroke patient data. Through this registry, the state’s acute stroke hospitals will collect a uniform data set based on their stroke patients and will submit the date to the state Department of Health. The data will help identify weaknesses in the state’s stroke care system and work to improve the system’s response to and quality care of stroke patients.
HB 467 (Act 212) requires birthing facilities to screen newborns for critical congenital heart defects using pulse oximetry prior to discharging infants from the hospital or birthing center. Pulse oximetry or pulse ox is a simple, non-invasive, inexpensive test in which sensors are placed on the infant’s hand or foot to check blood oxygen levels. The test takes a few minutes, costs under $5 and can identify infants with this defect before symptoms develop. Hawai`i is the 42nd state to require this testing.

Rodeo Queens Cheyanne Keli`iho`omalu of Hawai`i, Sheila Shirah
of Florida and Joni Qualm of Nebraska attended Ka`u Roping
& Riding Association's rodeo in Na`alehu over the weekend.
They said they are looking forward to the national
Miss Rodeo Competition. Photo by Julia Neal

HB 174 (Act 213) requires insurance coverage of orthodontic treatment for orofacial anomalies (cleft palate surgeries). Also known as Anya’s Law, the Medical insurance benefits of up to $5,500 will be required for orthodontic services for individuals under age 26 who are born with orofacial anomalies, most commonly a cleft lip and palate.
HB 10 (Act 214) authorizes state Department of Education employees to volunteer to be trained to administer and oversee administration of insulin, glucagon or other medication and assist with blood glucose testing if needed. This will improve the ability of diabetic students to manage their diabetes in school and at school-related activities.
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WHAT HAPPENS WHEN EVERYONE has rooftop solar? Life of the Land executive director Henry Curtis asks that question at ililanimedia.blogspot.com.

Laenaia Andrade took the Youth Barrels
buckle. Photo by Julia Neal

“Ten years ago, virtually no one in Hawai`i had rooftop solar,” Curtis writes. “Today, one is eight electric ratepayers have rooftop solar. Solar prices are dropping. The installation of rooftop solar is escalating.
“Worldwide, solar installations have grown at more than 40 percent per year for more than a decade.
“Three interesting questions arise. One deals with grid parity, the point at which unsubsidized solar is as cheap as electricity from a utility grid.” Grid parity occurs when the cost of solar equals the cost of conventional electricity alternatives without subsidies like feed-in-tariffs, net metering and tax credits.

Ayden Benevides won both Goat
Undecorating and Dummy Roping
in the five-to-eight age group.
Photo by Julia Neal

“This grid parity issue is relevant for Hawai`i,” Curtis writes. “There are many places where grid parity was reached and surpassed. The relative cost of solar depends upon which island one is on, since Neighbor islands have higher utility rates. It depends on whether one is on the windward or leeward side of the island, and how close one is to the mountains. It also depends upon how close the rooftop is to the applicable utility substation.
“A second issue deals with installation costs. The cost of rooftop solar can be broken down into two components: panels and installation. The price of panels has dropped dramatically. The price of installation has remained high. Therefore, installation costs are becoming a larger and larger portion of the total cost.
“Deep Chakraborty wrote a recent blog titled, Why are U.S. Residential Solar Soft Costs So High?
Historically, a person who installs a solar system in Germany filled out a very simply form and received generous rates from the utilities for producing solar electricity.
By contrast, historically, a person who installs a solar system in the United States has to sign a complex net energy metering contract. In addition, ‘unlike Germany, the U.S. needed a whole new cadre of solar integrators with specialized sales teams that can convey complex financing benefits to consumers.’ Governments required complex permits, and sometimes, unnecessary inspections.

“The third interesting issue deals with penetration levels.

Chance Miranda took the rodeo's Calf
Riding title. Photo by Julia Neal

“What happens if everyone has rooftop solar? During the sunny hours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., all of the solar systems produce five times as much energy as is needed. Who would buy this excess? Should the utility be forced to pay for electricity it has no use for? Then from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. no solar is being produced, yet the demand for electricity reaches a daily peak. Where will this electricity come from?

“During the 1880s, electric trolleys were built throughout the U.S. to absorb excess daytime electricity. But even if we founded new industries that could absorb all of this excessive daytime electricity, where would evening and nighttime electricity come from?
“Most batteries being installed on the electric grid are designed to eliminate fluctuations in solar and wind output. They are designed to flatten the generation output of variable wind and solar generators over a period of seconds to minutes. They do not shift energy from daytime production to evening loads.
“There are a few pumped storage systems which do shift energy between time blocks. They use excess energy to pump water from a lower reservoir to a higher reservoir and then drop the water through hydroelectric generators when the power is needed. There are few such systems in the U.S. and none in Hawai`i.”

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HAWAI`I PACIFIC PARKS ASSOCIATION staff share the traditional art of bamboo stamping Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. 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.swf
and kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_July2015.pdf.

Three storms are circulatiing in south and east of Hawai`i Island, with the furthest one expected to soon become a cyclone that could impact Hawai`i. Map from The Weather Channel

CLASSIC CARS RAN ALL OVER KA`U during July 4 week, with the annual islandwide classic car rally visiting Ka`u Coffee Mill plus numerous entries into both Fourth of July parades in Volcano and Na`alehu. Vehicles cruised to Volcano and down to Pahala and up Wood Valley Road to Ka`u Coffee Mill on Thursday, July 2. The annual event draws classic cars from afar.

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Classic car drivers tour and snack at Ka`u Coffee Mill. Photo by Lisa Wright

HAWAI`I’S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION and the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today the release of another $1 million to fight the coffee berry borer, which has been ravaging coffee farms on Hawai`i Island and recently, O`ahu. This Areawide Mitigation and Management for Coffee Berry Borer Control funding, which will be allocated to Hawai`i and Puerto Rico, is in addition to $1.8 million previously allocated to Hawai`i for the 2015 fiscal year.

“As a longtime advocate for Hawai`i’s coffee farmers, I understand the unique challenges they face growing their crops in the only state in the country that produces coffee commercially,” said Sen. Mazie Hirono. “Island farmers have shared how the coffee berry borer has already destroyed millions of dollars worth of coffee, concerns we’ve effectively conveyed to top U.S. Department of Agriculture administrators in Washington, D.C. This funding will now allow Hawai`i researchers to continue to develop effective techniques and provide the necessary tools to help our farmers fight off and contain this invasive species.”

Sen. Brian Schatz said, “In the past few years, we have seen the devastating impact the coffee berry borer has had on Hawai`i coffee and the farmers that grow it. This federal investment will go a long way in helping local farmers protect their farms and limit the spread of this invasive species.”

A classic Ka`u Volunteer Fire Department truck rolls through Na`alehu on July 4..
Photo by Peter Anderson

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said, “Hawai`i’s $40 million coffee industry is vital to our economy. It sustains jobs across the state and contributes significant annual revenues each year for family farms. I continue to be fully engaged with Hawai`i’s coffee farmers as we work to fend off this invasive species, which is why I passed an amendment in the 2014 Farm Bill to establish an area-wide pest management plan and authorize research and funding to combat the Coffee Berry Borer. I am pleased to see the USDA’s continued support in eradicating this noxious species.” In May of this year, the Hawai`i Delegation and Rep. Pedro Pierluisi, of Puerto Rico, wrote to Secretary Vilsack to urge USDA to continue funding the Areawide Mitigation and Management for Coffee Berry Borer Control. To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

A red Ferrari precedes pa`u riders at the Fourth of July parade in Na`alehu.
Photo by Crystal McIntosh

A CYCLONE FORMING IN THE PACIFIC could impact Hawai`i by this weekend. At noon the National Hurricane Center reported that showers and thunderstorms associated with a large area of low pressure about 1,050 miles east-southeast of the Big Island have continued to become better organized. Satellite wind data indicate that surface circulation are better defined. Environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for further development, and a tropical cyclone will likely form later today or tonight while the system moves west-northwest at 14 miles per hour. If it forms in the Eastern Pacific, it will be called Dolores. If the cyclone forms in the Central Pacific, it will be called Ele. According to Central Pacific Hurricane Center, formation chance is 90 percent.
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Classic in its own right, the barrel train carries keiki through Na`alehu.
Photo by Peter Anderson

STATE AND HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS are being considered for geothermal sites, and the Board of Land & Natural Resources takes up permitting for research this Friday. The new study sites are all on Hualalai Volcano. South Point and the Great Crack area have also been identified as geothermal-rich but are not up for discussion.

University of Hawai`i researchers will use antennae and electrodes to measure electromagnetic waves on one million square meters of land at depths up to 20,000 feet below the surface.
According to Chris D’Angelo, of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald, researcher Nicole Lautze, with the Hawai`i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, said in her original application, “The vast majority of developed geothermal systems in the world are located in regions where water can flow naturally through the heated rock formations. Being able to identify the subsurface heat source and fractured zones allows us to begin to address some of the problems of geothermal exploration and development.”
See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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This classic Jeep puts the Thirty Meter Telescope issue on parade in Na`alehu.
Photo by Crystal McIntosh

ACCESS TO MAUNA KEA SUMMIT is the subject of an emergency rule proposed by Hawai`i's Department of Land & Natural Resources. DLNR said in a statement issued today that the purpose of the rule is to promote safe access to the summit. The proposed rule schedules nighttime hours during which individuals may not remain within a designated restricted area and also prohibits the presence of camping-related supplies within restricted areas at all hours. The Board of Land & Natural Resources will consider the rule at at its regularly scheduled meeting this Friday.

Attorney General Doug Chin explained, “In recent weeks dozens of people have camped on the grounds or remained parked in cars for prolonged periods, either on or near the access road to Mauna Kea. Boulders and rock walls have been placed on the road. Invasive species have been introduced. Unauthorized toilets have been placed on the grounds. Individuals remaining in the area have reportedly caused visitors and workers to feel harassed. Consumption of water, which must be trucked up the mountain, is at record high usage. All of this has occurred in a partially graveled, steeply graded area without markings or guardrails.”
DLNR chair Suzanne Case said, “The Department of Land and Natural Resources has been delegated the power and duty to manage and regulate all lands which may be set apart as game management areas, public hunting areas and wildlife sanctuaries. The Department is authorized to promulgate rules to carry out these duties. These rules concern the preservation, protection, regulation, extension and utilization of, and conditions for entry into wildlife sanctuaries, game management areas and public hunting areas.”

The proposed rule can be reviewed online at: http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dofaw/files/2015/07/13-123-21.2-draft.pdf.

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UH-Hilo is decomissioning its Hoku Ke`a telescope on Mauna Kea.
Photo from University of Hawai`i

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI`I AT HILO will begin the process of decommissioning Hoku Ke`a, the UH-Hilo Educational Telescope on Mauna Kea, in early 2016. According to a statement from the university, it will follow the decommissioning process outlined in the Office of Mauna Kea Management’s Comprehensive Management Plan.
The process is expected to be completed in 2018 after Caltech Submillimeter Observatory’s scheduled decommissioning. Once the area is restored to its natural state, no new observatory will be built on the Hoku Ke`a site, the university stated.
Caltech Observatory announced in May that it is ending operations and will also begin the decommissioning process in 2016. As with the UH-Hilo telescope, no new observatory will be built on the site.
“It’s the only telescope that UH-Hilo manages, and it’s not currently operational,” UH-Hilo Chancellor Donald Straney told Tom Callis, of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald. Straney said he considers the move to be one step toward resolving the conflict over construction the Thirty Meter Telescope, which is currently on hold after crews were twice blocked from gaining access to the site.
“It’s a complex set of issues and will take a complex set of steps from all of us moving forward,” Straney told Callis.
See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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American flag to the sky on this blue Corvette convertible.
Photo by Crystal McIntosh

AN NEW ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM used on a Big Island ranch for about two years will be available to consumers next month, reported Duane Shimogawa, of Pacific Business News. Henk Rogers, founder of Blue Planet Foundation, and his partners have developed Blue Ion, a self-contained energy storage package that combines Sony Electronic, Inc.’s lithium ion battery technology with Blue Planet Energy’s proprietary architecture and software. The system is designed to be quickly and easily installed and have a low, simple payback, according to Shimogawa.
Rogers told Shimogawa that about one dozen Hawai`i residents, mostly on Hawai`i Island, currently have the system.
“These are for people who are not near the grid and need to be off the grid,” Rogers told Shimogawa. “It’s completely flexible. We can tailor each system to a homeowner’s needs. We send people out to measure your electricity usage. People have crazy ways of using electricity. Maybe before you go off the grid, have someone check out the efficiency of your home.”

See bizjournals.com/pacific.
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HAWAI`I PACIFIC PARKS ASSOCIATION staff share the traditional art of bamboo stamping Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. 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.swf
and kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_July2015.pdf.

National Park Service lead Na`alehu's Fourth of July Parade Saturday. Photo by Peter Anderson

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS came to Ka`u last weekend for the Fourth of July Parade sponsored by `O Ka`u Kakou. The National Park Service, which has a large presence in Ka`u with its 117,000-acre Kahuku section rising from Ocean View above Na`alehu and Pahala to join the Volcano section, carried the flags to lead the march down Hwy 11 in Na`alehu. County Council member Maile David, East Ka`u Rep. Richard Onishi East Ka`u Sen. Russell Ruderman and West Ka`u Rep. Richard Creagan participated, along with many community groups, churches and businesses.

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Joe Demourelle and Walter Wong Yuen display artifacts at Pahala Public
& School Library. Photo from Joe Demourelle

“LET’S START WITH YOUR NAME, age and how long you’ve been in Ka`u.” That’s how the interview begins for the Ka`u History Collection oral video project. The project is assisted by the video apprentice program of the Center for Hawaiian Music Studies. Kyle Pitcher and Eugene Watson are apprenticing under Joe Demoruelle, a volunteer of Friend’s of the Ka`u Libraries.

Historical news articles and photographs will also be saved in a digital format and available for viewing and copying. The collection, available to the public, is housed at Pahala Public and School Library.
“By sharing their Ka`u lifestyle and history, kupuna in our community will leave a legacy for our communities that will carry on for generations and will be cherished by their loved ones,” Demoruelle said. A digital CD of donated photos from a person or group will be made and given to the donor at no charge.
Walter Wong Yuen, the History Collection director, has set up displays in the library featuring donated objects from Ka`u. These include bottles, Pahala sugar mill articles, lava tools, etc. Memorabilia can be donated or given on loan.
For more information, contact Walter Wong Yuen at Pahala Library.
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Forecasts show a tropical depression tracking
to the north of Hawai`i.

CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE CENTER has revised its forecast regarding a tropical depression that it expected to become a cyclone. “The depression has failed to organize over the past several hours, most likely due to persistent southwesterly shear,” the most recent report states. “While the forecast continues to indicate some intensification in the short term, confidence in this solution is waning due to the cyclone’s inability to consolidate overnight.”

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ORGANIZERS OF TMT PROTESTS consider rules proposed by state agencies to be directed toward their, what they consider to be protective, actions on Mauna Kea. The rules call for prohibiting “obvious camping paraphernalia” and limiting hours available to the public within one mile of the Mauna Kea Access Road.
“They’re fishing for something to do, some way to get us off (the mountain) and allow TMT up,” Lanakila Mangauil, one of the organizers, told Chris D’Angelo, of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald. “It’s so obvious that the state is catering to a private project.”

Mangauil also said he finds it ironic that the state is focusing on “alleged impacts of a small group of protesters when TMT is planning to construct a $1.4 billion 18-story telescope on the mountain’s summit.”

Kaho`okahi Kanuha, another organizer, said, “It surely seems like something that is a direct response to what we . . . have been doing on the mountain for the past 104 days,” “They are trying to make the protection efforts . . . more difficult.”
See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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Ka`u's state Sen. Russell Ruderman and Rep. Richard Creagan, carrying flag,
marched in Na`alehu's Fourth of July parade. Photo by Peter Anderson

ALLIANCE FOR SOLAR CHOICE has launched a statewide radio and TV campaign focused on raising awareness of the significant tax impacts of Hawaiian Electric Company's solar proposal. “HECO’s proposal, if adopted by the Public Utilities Commission, would cripple the growth of solar and put a costly tax burden on customers,” said Robert Harris, TASC spokesperson.

HECO recently proposed changes for new solar customers and issued press statements that TASC found misleading. Three separate tax opinions from local and national law firms establish that HECO’s proposal would expose customers to additional federal and state income taxes, potentially subject customers to the Hawai`i general excise tax and prevent customers from obtaining the 30 percent federal residential tax credit for new solar systems.
“HECO is suggesting taxes that no other state has imposed,” Harris said. “If Hawai`i is serious about achieving 100 percent renewable energy, we can’t start by punishing people with high taxes simply because they’re doing the right thing for Hawai`i’s environment and economy. The cumulative impact of these proposals would take thousands of dollars out of solar customer’s pockets annually.
“Moreover, Hawai`i customers shouldn’t be denied access to a generous federal tax credit. That’s leaving federal money for our clean energy future on the table.”
The ads can be found at the HecoSunTax.com.
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Ka`u's County Council member Maile David celebrated in red, white and blue.
Photo by Peter Anderson

STRENGTHENING THE GOOD SAMARITAN LAW and establishing Farm to School programs are subjects of bills Gov. David Ige has signed into law.

SB 982 (Act 217) allows limited immunity for individuals who call 911 to prevent an alcohol or drug overdose from becoming fatal. It allows individuals to come to the assistance of another without fear that calling 911 would result in their subsequent arrest.
“This will law will encourage bystanders who may otherwise hesitate to act. Overdose deaths are preventable, and this law will save lives,” Ige said.
SB 376 (Act 218) establishes the Hawai`i farm to school program and funds a farm to school coordinator position. Farm to school programs introduce students to healthier eating habits and help them become familiar with new vegetables and fruits that they and their families will then be more willing to incorporate into their own diets. The farm to school coordinator will negotiate the complicated process of procuring local agricultural for schools.
Ige said he has asked Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui to spearhead this initiative.
“For a number of years, we’ve talked about the importance of Farm to School programs, and this bill signing takes the process a giant step forward,” Tsutsui said. “This program will ensure that our kids have nutritious meals as they learn about locally grown produce and cattle. This is a tremendous opportunity, and I look forward to working with the program coordinator, various state departments and agencies and the community to make sure we continue to move forward.”
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Ka`u's state Rep. Richard Onishi waves to supporters along Hwy 11.
Photo by Peter Anderson

SEN. MAZIE K. HIRONO WELCOMED Obama Cabinet members to Hawai`i on Monday. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald and Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez met with her at a Disabled Veterans Employment Roundtable at to discuss issues key to Hawai`i veterans. The two Obama administration cabinet members are visiting Hawai`i as part of their respective nationwide listening tours.

“VA Secretary McDonald and Labor Secretary Perez are sending a strong message throughout their visit in Hawai`i that the concerns and priorities of island veterans are important. Hawai`i’s veterans face unique challenges in accessing VA health care and other services on each island, and particularly in our rural areas,” Hirono said. “I appreciate Secretary McDonald and Secretary Perez taking the time to reach out and discuss pressing issues with veterans including homelessness, the transition to civilian life and creating a continuity of care for our veterans.
“One in ten Hawai`i residents has served our country in the Armed Forces, and we owe it to them to provide the best resources possible when they complete their service."
McDonald also met with Hirono, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and Sen. Brian Schatz to discuss improving access to VA health care benefits and putting an end to veteran homelessness.
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Services for Nelson Doi are Sunday.

SERVICES FOR NELSON DOI, a pioneer among Japanese Americans serving in government, are set for Sunday at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel’s Oceanside Lu`au Grounds at 4 p.m., with visitation at 3 p.m. He passes away May 6 at home in Kamuela at age 93.

A Big Island native, Doi was one of the authors of the State of Hawai`i Constitution. He served as lieutenant governor, a territorial and state senator and judge, a deputy county attorney for the County of Hawai`i and magistrate of the High Court of Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Doi grew up in a family that founded T.W. Doi Store in Kawaihae. Doi advocated for statehood, education and prison reform. He retired to Kamuela and helped establish North Hawai`i Community Hospital.
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THE PUBLIC IS INVITED to Ka`u Scenic Byway Committee’s meeting tomorrow at 5 p.m. at Na`alehu Methodist Church.
For more information, email richmorrow@alohabroadband.net.

KDEN PRESENTS THE KING AND I beginning Friday. Performances of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. through July 26. Tickets are $14 general admission, $12 for seniors and students and $10 for children 12 and under. Available at Kilauea General Store, Kea`au Natural Foods, The Most Irresistible Shop in Hilo and at the door.
Call 982-7344 or email kden73@aol.com.

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