The Kaʻū Calendar News Briefs, Hawaiʻi Island

Ka`u residents can join other volunteers in removing invasive Himalayan ginger along Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park trails on Saturday. The park waives entry fees on National Public Lands Day, and volunteers receive a free entry pass to use in the future.
See story below. Photo from NPS

A SAFE HOUSE FOR GIRLS, to open Oct. 1 in Pahala, was presented to residents at a meeting at Pahala Plantation House last night. The location is on `Ohi`a Street between Pikake and Kamani Streets in the former home of Alice and Goichi Furusho, now owned by retired San Jose dentist David Nye.
Nye, who studies Hawaiian music and culture and visits the Islands frequently, said he is happy to provide a place for education and well being for young people.

Kawehi Ryder

The safe house will be operated by Uhane Pohaku Na Moku O Hawai`i. Up to six girls at a time, 13 to 17 years of age, will live there for up to about six months at a time. Executive director will be Roxanne Costa, of Hilo, who will leave after more than 25 years working with the Salvation Army, 10 of them operating a safe house in Honoka`a, which the Salvation Army is no longer able to fund, she said.
Costa is assisted by Pauline Pavao, longtime islandwide executive director of the Salvation Army, who retired this year and is consulting on the project.
Staff members will include Kawehi and Debbie Ryder, of Pahala, who are founders of Uhane and have worked with challenged youth here, on O`ahu, Maui and Lana`i. President of the Uhane board is retired warden of Kulani Prison, Glen Hasashima.
Hasashima told those who attended the meeting that helping young people at the youngest age can help to keep them out of the judicial system and prison and headed for productive lives in their communities. Organizers and supporters attending the meeting said that Ka`u, with all of its cultural and community resources, is a perfect place to help these girls.
Costa said that many of the girls have had no stable home. Some are from the streets. “They need a home and direction,” she said. They will come from the Big Island, some from other islands and will be referred to the program by the courts. Some are runaways, some convicted of petty crimes. They will not be a danger to the community, the organizers promised. There will be two adults at all times with the girls. Costa said that four jobs will be created to fill these positions, a fifth to be a coordinator.
Kawehi and Debbie Ryder will operate the outdoor work-study and Hawaiian cultural components of the program, which Kawehi described as farming, and possibly the care and restoration of a fishpond at Punalu`u. Debbie Ryder is a Kumu Hula.
Funding of $500,000 a year comes from the state Office of Youth Services, and oversight is through the state Department of Human Services. The county Planning Department required a public gathering, organizers said.
According to Costa, home schooling will be provided with computers in the house, hooked up to the distance learning program of Kua O Ka La Public Charter School.
For more information, call Debbie or Kawehi Ryder at 315-7032.

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Maui Memorial Medical Center in one of several facilities
in HHSC's Maui Region.

IN A MOVE THAT COULD be a precursor of the future of health care in Ka`u and other regions of Hawai`i, Hawai`i Health Systems Corporation’s Maui Regional System Board has selected Kaiser Permanente to proceed with negotiations with the governor for the management, operation and provision of healthcare services at its facilities. HHSC’s Maui Region facilities were authorized to transfer operations to a new entity through Act 103, signed by Gov. David Ige in June. Act 103 authorized Maui Region to transfer its facilities to a new entity as a way to mitigate future budget deficits. Current budget estimates anticipate that deficits will continue to grow exponentially and potentially threaten services and jobs in Maui County.

“Kaiser Permanente provided us with its vision and strategy for improved healthcare in the Maui Region. We felt Kaiser Permanente could best serve the needs of our community,” HHSC Maui Regional System Board Chair Avery Chumbley said.
Wesley Lo, CEO of HHSC Maui Region, said, “We have a responsibility to meet the healthcare needs of our community, and we believe this transition provides us the greatest path forward to continue doing this.”
Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui said the selection raises many questions and concerns, not only with the process for the selection, but also actions to be taken going forward in negotiating an agreement.
“From all accounts, Hawai`i Pacific Health had been working with stakeholders for months and expressed interest in ensuring that the needs of the Maui Regional System and the community it serves would be met,” Tsutsui said. “Kaiser Permanente, however, only more recently expressed interest in servicing the community. It remains to be seen whether Kaiser possesses the same level of commitment to the well being of the residents of Maui County.”
Tsutsu said greater transparency should take place as negotiations continue, “and the best interest for the people of Maui and the people of Hawai`i should be held at the highest level. …
“I believe it is incumbent upon the governor to keep the people’s best interest in mind and consider halting negotiations, if necessary, and commit to providing the emergency funds needed for the state to keep the hospitals running until a proper deal can be negotiated.
“I ask that all those involved in the negotiations remain mindful of what’s important for the people of Maui.”

Kiran Ahuja

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PRESIDENT OBAMA’S ADVISORY COMMISSION on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders is in Hawai`i on a mission to better understand issues facing the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities.

“We are excited about this historic visit,” said Kiran Ahuja, executive director of the White House Initiative on AAPIs. “Our goal is really to listen to the unique stories from local AAPI communities in Hawai`i, especially Native Hawaiians and Micronesian migrants, and to highlight issues that are often not seen in the national spotlight.”
The initiative seeks to highlight both the unmet needs in the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities as well as the dynamic community assets that can be leveraged to meet many of those needs. The initiative focuses on crosscutting priority areas that may reach across all issue areas and agencies, including, for example, advancing research, data collection, analysis and dissemination for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders and ensuring access, especially linguistic access and cultural competence, for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and encouraging Asian American and Pacific Islander involvement in public service and civic engagement opportunities.
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Sen. Mazie Hirono

PRESIDENT OBAMA PLANS TO FAST-TRACK immigrant visas for the children of Filipino World War II veterans, allowing aging veterans, hundreds of whom live in Hawai`i, to be reunited and cared for by their families who can now legally immigrate.
“I have worked with our past and current Hawai`i delegation to push for this exemption, and we thank President Obama for making this compassionate decision on behalf of Filipino veterans and their families,” Sen. Mazie Hirono said. “Many of these Filipino veterans have been waiting for decades – some nearly half a century – to see this dream come true. The visa system, particularly for immigrants from the Philippines, still faces huge backlogs, forcing many of these families to wait as many as 20 years to be reunited.
“Think about that: 20 years of waiting. Our veterans and their families deserve better.
“I’m so glad that President Obama took this action to help our Filipino World War II veterans and their families. The President has shown that he is willing to do the right thing despite our broken immigration system, and together we will continue to fight for comprehensive immigration reform in Congress.”
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Proposed land uses for Ka`u communities are on today's
Ka`u CDP Steering Committee meeting agenda.
Map from CDP background info

KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN Steering Committee meets today at 5:30 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. Topics are shoreline setback policy, land use policy maps and “easy fixes” to the Draft CDP. The meeting is open to the community, and public testimony is welcome.

Background information prepared to inform and guide the meeting is available at http://www.hawaiicountycdp.info/kau-cdp/steering-committee/steering-commitee-meetings/september-22-2015-steering-committee-meeting-1.

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK invites everyone to volunteer and help protect the native Hawaiian rainforest on National Public Lands Day this Saturday. Everyone gets in for free, and volunteers receive a free pass to use on another day of their choosing.
National Public Lands Day is the largest single-day volunteer effort for public lands in the United States. HVNP is offering the Stewardship at the Summit program from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Participants meet volunteers Paul and Jane Field at Kilauea Visitor Center, then head into the forest to remove Himalayan ginger from the summit of Kilauea.

KMC holds an open house on Saturday, National Public Lands Day.
Photo from wikipedia

For more information, see nps.gov/havo or call 985-6011.

TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY on Saturday, Kilauea Military Camp in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park offers an open house. Park visitors can experience how KMC supports America’s troops by using its facilities and services.
For more information, call 967-8371.

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Hawai`i Wildlife Fund staff and volunteers load 1,068 pounds of marine debris that they gathered from Kamilo on Sunday.
Photo from HWF

KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Plan Steering Committee approved a 1/4-mile shoreline setback at its meeting yesterday. In its current version, Policy 29 states: “On lots that are partially within the Special Management Area in the Ka`u CDP Planning Area, establish shoreline setbacks at the earliest stages of the land use planning and development process at 1,320 feet (1/4 mile). However, the applicant may request that the setback be reduced by providing information, including information required for SMA review, to the department which would allow the proposed activity’s impacts and in consideration of the physical limitations of the property. For lots created prior to the date of the adoption of the CDP with an average lot depth of two hundred feet or less, the shoreline setback line shall be 40 feet.”
Ka`u residents who testified at the meeting all favored some sort of setback. One Ocean View-area resident said ¼-mile is not enough, suggesting that having development at that distance would still effect ocean life because of run-off associated with such activities. She said 1.5 miles would be more effective in creating a balance between the environment and human impacts.

Ka`u CDP Steering Committee approved a 1/4-mile shoreline setback yesterday.
Image from Ka`u CDP

Another Ocean View resident, citing South Kona Wilderness Area as a successful example, said, “We must be very vigilant” on saving coastal land.
John Replogle, of Ocean View, said he understood people wanting a 1.5-mile setback, but that 1/4-mile “meets owners halfway. Everybody will be treated equally,” he said. “People feel this 1/4-mile setback will be taking something from them. It’s to keep our coast open and take care of the things that can’t talk. Ka`u will benefit so much from having this setback.”
After changing language from previous drafts of Shoreline Setback Policy 29, people previously and currently involved in stewardship of Honu`apo supported the current language. Megan Lamson, current President of Ka `Ohana O Honu`apo, expressed concern about a clause regarding choosing methods of determining setbacks, but the committee removed that language.
Former KOOH Executive Director Lehua Lopez Mau said, “I see no conflict with any future development at Honu`apo. It would only be reasonable to limit human (development activities) within 1/4 mile of the shoreline.” She cited climate change with rising sea levels, increased hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural events as reasons to keep development further inland.
Steering Committee member Ron Ebert, of Punalu`u, argued against the setback. “The Steering Committee is charged with creating economic development,” Ebert said. “How would this proposed setback affect anyone who wanted to come in here and provide a lot of jobs?” He gave examples of possible desalination and wave energy plants. “It seems this is very restrictive to any kind of development that … would provide jobs,” Ebert said.
CDP Project Manager Ron Whitmore said such projects can apply for variances.
Michelle Galimba, who represents Ka`alaiki and Honu`apo on the committee, said, “Protecting our resources will have an economic impact.”

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Tropical Storm Niala is expected to bring heavy rain to Ka`u. Map from NOAA

NIALA IS HEADING TOWARD KA`U. The tropical storm, 455 miles southeast of South Point at 5 a.m, is expected to track south of Hawai`i Island this weekend but bring heavy rain with it.

A flash flood watch will be in effect for Hawai`i Island from this evening through Monday. According to the National Weather Service, a surge of deep tropical moisture north of Niala will approach the island by tonight and remain in place through the weekend. Heavy showers and thunderstorms will favor east through south slopes but may reach any part of the island. Individual showers may be relatively brief, but extreme accumulation will be possible if showers train over a given location.
Overall coverage of the island should start relatively small tonight and expand significantly as Niala approaches tomorrow and tomorrow night. The threat of heavy rain will diminish as the very moist air mass moves away to the west next week.

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HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND AND VOLUNTEERS removed 1,068 pounds of marine debris from Kamilo on Sunday, with 87 percent being plastic. They removed 43 bags worth of debris, nets and line and large marine debris items, of which 219 pounds was recyclable or reusable. Forty-eight people participated from around Hawai`i Island (and one from California), including student groups with Hawai`i Community College and UH-Hilo. This was HWF’s eighth annual cleanup event at Kamilo for the International Coastal Cleanup (aka Get the Drift and Bag it) event.

HWF volunteers push a large debris item
away from the coast. Photo from HWF

“Thanks to Hawai`i Kombucha for the amazing keg of pineapple booch,” coordinator Megan Lamson said. “Mahalo for your help shuttling volunteers, Hawai`i Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife. Many thanks for your attendance: Tobacco Free Coalition, Surfrider Foundation, Nurdle in the Rough, UHH, HawCC, `Aina Provide, Kona Hiking Club and many more individuals!”
To participate in a cleanup event or make a donation to support these efforts, email kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com or call HWF’s debris hotline for Hawai`i Island at 769-7629.

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TWO PROGRAMS AIMED AT TRAINING and supporting the next generation of farmers in Hawai`i are seeking applicants for sessions being offered this fall.
The Kohala Center’s Beginning Farmer-Rancher Development Program’s 14-session course begins on Friday, Nov. 7 in Honoka`a. The course meets every other Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.. University of Hawai`i researchers, extension agents and other agricultural experts cover subjects such as production planning, farm design, soil management, composting and vermicomposting, cover cropping, business planning and marketing and sales. The deadline to apply is Friday, Oct. 30.
For high school students and recent graduates interested in sustainable agriculture, The Center’s weeklong High School Agriculture Internship Program runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily from Oct. 5 through 9 in Honoka`a. With the `aina serving as their classroom, interns are introduced to various aspects of agriculture in Hawai`i – from learning about pre-contact indigenous farming systems to modern local, sustainable and organic agriculture. Interns gain hands-on farm experience from seed-to-sale and visit successful agricultural businesses. Upon completion of the program, students receive a $125 stipend. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, Oct. 1.
More information and application materials are available at kohalacenter.org by calling 887-6411.
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Laureen L. Martin

GOV. DAVID IGE RELEASED NAMES of judicial nominees that were provided by the Judicial Selection Commission to fill a vacancy on the Third Circuit Court of Hawai`i Island.

The Judicial Selection Commission reviewed and evaluated the backgrounds and qualifications of all applicants before submitting its nominees to the governor.
Ige has 30 days to submit his selections to the Hawai`i State Senate, which must confirm the nominees.
Gregory A. Ferren specializes in general litigation and business transactions, including real estate, contracts, personal injury, constitutional rights, public sector law and legal ethics. He has represented clients such as Oracle, Yahoo! and Apple. He graduated from Mid-Pacific Institute in 1987 and the William S. Richardson School of Law in 1995.
Melvin H. Fujino is a District Family Court judge. He has also served as a deputy attorney general and was a team leader responsible for the statewide Wiretap Review Unit and Asset Forfeiture program, a deputy prosecuting attorney, and was the supervisor and community oriented prosecutor for the West Hawai`i branch of Hawai``i County’s Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Robert D.S. Kim has a private practice where he concentrates on civil litigation, commercial, real estate, environmental, family and criminal law, as well as public interest litigation. He has practiced law in Hawai`i since 1990. He received a B.A. from the University of Hawai`i at Hilo and his J.D. degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law.
Laureen L. Martin is Section Chief for Hawai`i County's Litigation Division. Martin received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Massachusetts at Boston in Business Administration with a minor in Economics. She received her Juris Doctor degree from Suffolk University where she graduated cum laude and was the recipient of the American Jurisprudence Awards in Products Liability, Criminal Law and Real Estate Transactions.

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Paul and Jane Field lead Stewardship at the Summit tomorrow
for National Public Lands Day. Photo from NPs

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK invites everyone to volunteer and help protect the native Hawaiian rainforest on National Public Lands Day tomorrow. Everyone gets in for free, and volunteers receive a free pass to use on another day of their choosing.

Stewardship at the Summit takes place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Participants meet at Kilauea Visitor Center, then head into the forest to remove Himalayan ginger from park trails.
For more information, see nps.gov/havo or call 985-6011.

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park offers an open house tomorrow to celebrate National Public Lands Day. Park visitors can experience how KMC supports America’s troops by using its facilities and services.
For more information, call 967-8371.

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

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Tropical Storm Niala is expected to pass well south of Ka`u but drop heavy rain here this weekend. Map from NOAA

FLASH FLOOD AND TROPICAL STORM watches continue as Niala approaches Hawai`i Island. At 8 a.m., the storm was 275 east-southeast of South Point. Although the center of the storm is expected to pass 100 to 150 miles south of Ka`u, tropical storm conditions can extend well out from the center. According to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center, total rainfall amounts of six to 12 inches, with isolated maximum amounts to 16 inches, are expected within the watch area. These rainfall amounts could cause life-threatening flash floods as well as rockslides and mudslides.
Swells associated with Niala will produce large surf along southeast facing shores this weekend and continue into early next week.
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Concervation and recovery of Hawai`i's false killer whales is receiving
support from NOAA Fisheries. NOAA Photo by Colin Cornforth

NATIONAL OCEANIC & ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION Fisheries has awarded nearly $1.2 million dollars over three years to Hawai`i Department of Land and Natural Resources, in partnership with Cascadia Research Collective and Hawai`i Pacific University, to support conservation and recovery of the state’s endangered false killer whales.

The grant will support tagging research on movements and habitat use of false killer whales and will also examine the potential overlap of the species with state fisheries. Work in June by Cascadia Research Collective included tagging three false killer whales that are part of a rare social group that is one of the focuses of the grant.
The grant will allow DLNR to build on the successful outreach work it is already conducting with shoreline fishermen to help reduce harmful interactions with monk seals and sea turtles. “With this new funding, DLNR will now be able to partner with boat-based fishermen who may be sighting and interacting with false killer whales, in order to collect new data and develop new ways to reduce harmful interactions that may be occurring,” DLNR Chairperson Suzanne Case said.
The grant will also support stranding investigations of false killer whales, sperm whales, and humpbacks.
The award is part of NOAA Fisheries Species Recovery Grants for 2015. This year’s award also provides continued support to DLNR for monk seal and sea turtle conservation outreach efforts, including the successful Barbless Circle Hook Project that is conducted in partnership with NOAA Fisheries.
To view the latest information on false killer whales in Hawai`i, see  facebook.com/False-Killer-Whales-Hawaii-342365899233834/timeline/.
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HAWAI`I’S ECONOMIC OUTLOOK CONTINUES to look bright, according to a new report from the Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawai`i. Tourism is pushing toward new records, and the construction upswing is building in strength. The overall expansion remains solidly on track, delivering better labor market conditions and the prospect of further household income gains.

The visitor industry continues to exceed last year’s performance and expectations. Through the first seven months of the year, visitor arrivals, days and real spending are all up three to four percent, and visitor numbers will almost certainly end the year in record territory. This reflects a surge in activity on the Neighbor Islands, which has pushed hotel occupancy above 70 percent, even if this still lags pre-recession levels.
The number of visitors to Hawai`i will top 8.4 million for the first time this year, a greater than three percent rise over 2014. With statewide occupancy pushing toward 80 percent, gains will be smaller in 2016, falling to roughly one percent for the next several years. Spending will slow as well, rising at a rate below local inflation in 2016.
Construction activity is ramping up, although high variability and long delays in permit issuance continue to make it difficult to assess how far along the state is in the current upswing, according to the report. Through the first half of the year, the real (cost-adjusted) value of issued private construction permits was up more than 27 percent from the same period in 2014. Job growth has accelerated after a rather weak showing in 2014.
Going forward, the employment outlook remains positive. Incremental gains will be smaller, with job growth easing from 1.5 percent this year to one percent by 2018. But this reflects a labor market that by now has largely completed the long and painful recovery from the 2008-2009 recession. Unemployment has settled near its long-run average, and job growth will converge to a level consistent with trend growth of Hawai`i’s population and labor force.

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HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY scientists discuss the commonly used analogy for volcanic eruptions - bottled soda, when opened suddenly after shaking - in the current issue of Volcano Watch.
“Perhaps the first use of this analogy for Hawaiian volcanoes was during the 1899 Mauna Loa eruption, when Sereno Bishop, a missionary with an interest in science, suggested the idea in a letter to the Hawaiian Star newspaper on July 20,” the article states.

“The 1899 eruption started with explosions and high lava fountains visible tens of miles from the eruption site on the Northeast Rift Zone of Mauna Loa. In his letter, Reverend Bishop asked the question, ‘Whence and what is the force which ejects such enormous quantities of molten rock from the earth’s interior with such stupendous explosions?’

Soda bottles like this replica of a 19th century one played a part in creating
the analogy of how and why volcanoes erupt. Photo from USGS

“James Dwight Dana, an American volcanologist, favored steam as the propellant for all volcanic eruptions. ‘Steam is generated by the contact of the interior molten masses with surface water or sea water percolating down through the intervening rocks.’ But it was difficult to visualize how this worked for all eruptions —how surface or sea water could get under or into magma before expanding into steam to propel it out of the earth — although it has worked for some events, like the 1924 Halema`uma`u eruption.

“Bishop favored another theory: ‘The whole of the superheated magma or lava of the interior is saturated with condensed gases under pressure in liquid or solid form, but ready to expand and effervesce when the superincumbent pressure is removed. This condition is analogous to that of the water in a soda bottle. It is heavily charged with carbonic acid gas, but looks like simple water. Remove the stopper, and the liquid particles of carbon dioxide instantly fly into vapor with explosive force. Just so, the various gases included in solid or liquid form throughout the molecules of the hot magma, fly into vapor wherever an exit is opened. …’
“Bishop made one mistake in his analogy statement. He hypothesized that the carbon dioxide was pressurized into a liquid or solid before being combined with water in a carbonated drink. Another letter writer, using the pen name of Scribendi Caccoethes (Latin for ‘insatiable desire to write’), took him to task for this error and pointed out that the carbon dioxide gas was dissolved into water.
“The discussion between Sereno Bishop and Scribendi Caccoethes consisted of eight letters. Afterward, the Pacific Commercial Advertiser labeled it ‘A Painful Controversy’ and suggested that a well be drilled in Punchbowl Crater on O`ahu ‘10,000 feet to the locality of the Earth’s hot innards’ where the truth will be found. They also suggested that if the well were to allow lava to come up to the surface and fountain, it would act as ‘volcanic fly paper which will attract and catch all of the tourists of the world.’
“This controversy has been largely forgotten, but the soda bottle analogy for erupting volcanoes has endured the test of time. Other methods of simulating an eruption by mixing two ingredients can be found online — for example, Mentos® candy and diet cola or baking soda and vinegar — but carbonated soda is a better analogy because only the release of the confining pressure is needed for an ‘eruption.’
“On active volcanoes, as magma rises and pressure drops, dissolved gases come out of solution to effervesce, expand and drive lava out of the ground in fountains and flows, just as soda effervesces and sometimes foams out of an opened bottle. Both eruptions can be delightful, but both can also pose some danger.”
See hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.
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HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK waives entry fees today to celebrate National Public Lands Day. Also, Kilauea Military Camp offers an open house.

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD holds a kick-of event today from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Assembly of God. Pastor Devon Rachae, of Grenada, will be guest speaker. Operation Christmas Child collects and distributes shoeboxes full of age-appropriate toys, hygiene items and school supplies to children in need around the globe.
Free shoeboxes and supplies will be available at the event.

UNCERTAIN FUTURE: HOW MANY KA`U COFFEE FARMERS WILL KEEP THEIR FARMS? This is the subject of a public meeting tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. Called A Public Meeting for the Future of Coffee Growers, its purpose is to explain the 20-year history of the farmers who planted coffee for a new economic future when the sugar plantation shut down in 1996. The farmers said they also plan to talk about risks to their future land security, as the land is in escrow to be sold to a new owner.

E PILI KAUA PA`INA tickets are still available. The fundraiser is for Uhane Pohaku Na Moku O Hawai`i, a nonprofit that works with challenged youth though agriculture and traditional Hawaiian skill building. The evening features entertainment by Mark Yamanaka and a roast pork dinner on the grounds of Pahala Plantation House on Thursday, Oct. 1 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Donation is $25.
For tickets, call Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder at 315-7032 or 649-9334.

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

Buy a book bag for $7 and fill it with books for $3 more
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A Flash Flood Watch remains in effect as Tropical Storm Niala passes south of Ka`u. Rain in its outer bands could bring heavy rain.
Map from NOAA

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE has cancelled the Tropical Storm Watch for Hawai`i Island. As of 11 a.m., Tropical Storm Niala was approximately 215 miles south-southeast of South Point and moving in a west-southwest direction. Currently, Niala continues to move away from Hawai`i Island, and the threat of tropical storm conditions is expected to continue to decrease. Although conditions are expected to improve, the Flash Flood Watch for Hawai`i Island remains in effect through tomorrow afternoon. In addition, the High Surf Advisory for southeast-facing shores will remain in effect through 6 a.m. tomorrow. Surf heights of eight to 12 feet can be expected, with highest surf conditions occurring with peak high tides. All roads are open at this time, and motorists are advised to drive with caution, prepare for possible hazardous conditions and anticipate traffic delays.
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Sen. Brian Schatz

“THIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT GIVES US a real reason to be hopeful,” U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz said after President Barack Obama and President Xi Jinping announced significant steps to address climate change, including a pledge by China to curb carbon emissions using a cap-and-trade program.
“The momentum is palpable,” Schatz said. “People, governments, companies and institutions are beginning to take the kinds of actions that give us a legitimate chance to solve this problem. I've never been so hopeful on this issue. We’ve got a long way to go, but this was enormously important.  
“This agreement marks a historic step toward protecting our planet from the impacts of climate change. What our two countries are saying with this agreement is that climate change is real, caused by humans, and is solvable.  
“For years, naysayers and deniers said that the U.S. shouldn’t move forward to regulate carbon pollution until and unless China took action. As of today, that argument is no longer valid.
“This agreement gives momentum to the ongoing international climate negotiations and will inspire other countries to commit to action prior to the Paris talks.
“While this agreement is an incredibly important foundation and gives people around the world hope, we must not let up. We have to work toward full implementation of the Clean Power Plan, a successful Paris conference, and the eventual passage of carbon fee legislation.”
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U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, co-introduced a bipartisan resolution with California Rep. Duncan Hunter recognizing the persecution of religious and ethnic minorities by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant as genocide and calling for the United States to prioritize providing refugee status to such persecuted families and individuals. The resolution comes as Pope Francis made a historic address to the U.S. Congress, where he stated, “Our world is facing a refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since the Second World War.”

Mark Arabo with Pres. Obama

The persecution of minority populations in Iraq by ISIL and related groups has been condemned by the United Nations Secretary General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and much of the international community. The U.S. State Department recently announced plans to increase the number of refugees resettled in the U.S. to 85,000 in fiscal year 2016, and 100,000 in fiscal year 2017.
“Christians, Yezidis, and other minority groups in the Middle East are being targeted specifically because of their religious beliefs, and face forced conversions to Islam, mass abductions, sexual enslavements and executions due to this ISIL-inflicted genocide,” Gabbard said. “As the U.S. and international community consider lengthy procedures to address the rapidly growing international refugee crisis, these people continue to be targets of this genocide. These persecuted religious minority groups must be our first priority as the U.S. increases the number of refugees it will accept from that region, not only because it provides humanitarian relief to those who are most in need, but also because there are tens of thousands of them who already have proper identification and sponsors within the U.S., making them least likely to be a national security threat.”
“We commend Congresswoman Gabbard and Congressman Hunter for their efforts in bringing awareness to the tragedy of the genocide that is occurring against religious minorities of Iraq and Syria,” said human rights activist and community leader Mark Arabo, who has been a spokesperson for the Iraqi Chaldean community. “In light of the Pope’s words, and of the present situation, we as a nation must do more. Our inability to unify as one political body has only led to more death, more destruction, and brutality of some of the world’s oldest Christians. We cannot turn a blind eye to the victims of genocide. This resolution is an important step forward to reaching substantive action on the crisis we face. Our silence must not condemn those who remain displaced by Islamic fundamentalism; it must not condemn those who flee their homes as refugees. It is time that we as a people must act.”
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Sen. Josh Green discusses Breathing in Hawai`i with Kim Nguyen
and Dr. Eric Crawley. Image from Think Tech

KAU`S STATE SEN. JOSH GREEN, M.D. hosted a discussion about lung health and disease prevention in Hawai`i. He spoke with Kim Nguyen, of the American Lung Association and pulmonologist Dr. Eric Crawley. The experts discussed vog and smoking and how they effect illnesses such as asthma and COPD.
The Think Tech: Hawai`i’s Global Future program entitled Breathing in Hawai`i is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wycCUbGLvCU&feature=youtu.be.
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THE STATE INVITES TEAMS to sign up for LifeSmarts Hawai`i Competition after the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Office of the Securities Commissioner announcement of the start of the 2015-2016 competition. LifeSmarts is a fun, free, national educational program, which teaches youth critical life skills in five areas covering Personal Finance, Consumer Rights & Responsibilities, Health & Safety, Environment and Technology through online quizzes and in-person competitions.

High school teams are invited to sign up now. Teams must consist of a minimum of four students and one adult coach. LifeSmarts Hawai`i begins at the local level with an online competition, found at www.lifesmarts.org, which will be open from Oct. 26 to Dec. 4. The four highest scoring teams will be invited to compete at the state championship competition in Honolulu on Feb. 20, 2016. The winning team will represent Hawai`i at the national LifeSmarts competition, scheduled for April 9-12, 2016, in Denver.
Middle school or Junior Varsity teams with students in grades 6-8 may participate in an online-only competition through February 2016. Winners of the JV competition will be recognized online.
For more information about the LifeSmarts Hawai`i program, including up-to-date consumer educational resources for coaches, see www.lifesmartshawaii.com. For team registration, see lifesmarts.org or contact the LifeSmarts State Coordinator, Theresa Kong Kee, at 587-7400 or tkongkee@dcca.hawaii.gov.
Over 850 local students have participated in LifeSmarts in the past 11 years that DCCA has sponsored the competition. Local businesses interested in becoming a sponsor are welcome to contact the State Coordinator for more information.
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Ka`u residents can share their thoughts regarding the future of Ka`u Coffee growers today at 4 p.m. at Pahala Community Center.

A PUBLIC MEETING FOR THE FUTURE of Ka`u Coffee Growers takes place today at 4 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. Its purpose is to explain the 20-year history of the farmers who planted coffee for a new economic future when the sugar plantation shut down in 1996. The farmers said they also plan to talk about risks to their future land security, as the land is in escrow to be sold to a new owner.

RAPID `OHI`A DEATH IS THE TOPIC at After Dark in the Park on Tuesday. The disease is caused by a fungus known as Ceratocytis fimbriata. In 2012, it had killed `ohi`a trees across about 1,000 hectares (nearly 2,500 acres). By the summer of 2014, that number had swollen to over 6,000 hectares. Still isolated to Hawai`i Island, researchers have yet to determine the origin of this virulent strain.
Plant pathologist Lisa Keith, of the Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center; Flint Hughes, Research Ecologist with USDA Forest Service Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry; and J.B. Friday, University of Hawai`i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources provide an update on this new threat to Hawai`i’s native forests. Research so far has determined that within two to three years of detection, a majority of trees in some measured stands have succumbed to the disease. This means the fungus has the potential to threaten forests statewide, resembling not so much a tree disease as a house on fire.
The program begins at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
For more information, see nps.gov/havo or call 985-6011.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_September2015.pdf.

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

Buy a bag for $7; fill it with books for $3 more
at Ka`u libraries.

Trini Marques told her story of growing up in an agricultural community, working for sugar and joining her husband to help start the Ka`u Coffee industry 20 years ago. Photos by Julia Neal

KA`U COFFEE FARMERS ASKED FOR HELP from the community, government officials and current and prospective owners of land where they farm. The public meeting was held last night at Pahala Community Center.

Farmers talked about the possibility that a new owner could subdivide land where they have farmed for nearly 20 years. A Project Unit Development plan, approved by the county after investors bought the former sugar land from C. Brewer, could allow the land to be divided and sold. Under one proposal, up to a half acre could be cleared within a coffee farm to make room for a house, as in a coffee estate. The estate could be sold, leaving the coffee grower farming around the house until the farmer’s license expires.

Joan Obra talked about coffee berry borers spreading from hot
spots to farm after farm in a circular pattern, with no respect to
farm boundaries.

State Rep. Richard Onishi asked representatives of current owner Lehman Brothers, of New York, and prospective buyer Resource Land Holdings LLC, of Colorado, whether they would consider selling the land to the farmers. Lehman Brothers’ broker for the sale, Joel LaPinta, said the land is in escrow to Resource Land Holdings and that Lehman is not considering marketing it to anyone else at this time. Tom Yeh, a Hilo attorney representing Resource Land Holdings, said he would take the question back to his client.

County Council member Maile David said she grew up on a coffee farm and understands land security challenges. She applauded the open dialogue between the farmers and real estate investors. She pointed to the “human element” and the difference between the corporate bottom line of investors needing to make a profit and everyday families needing to make a living.

In addition to the possibility of the lands being subdivided, Ka`u Coffee Growers Cooperative spokesperson Joan Obra said coffee growers face a proposal of higher land rents from the prospective new corporate owner at a time when costs are climbing to fight the coffee borer and possibly other pests. Should rents go up at the same time as the cost of fighting the coffee berry borer, some farmers could quit, the land left unattended with borers spreading. The Ka`u Coffee industry could go into a tailspin, she said.

Farmers displayed their awards and stories of their journey to build
the Ka`u Coffee industry.

Another concern is a proposal that would make the new landowner the owner of the coffee trees. Obra said the farmers may not be able to have crop insurance if ownership of the trees is taken away from them. She pointed to natural events in the last 15 years, including flooding, fire and volcanic emissions.

Listening to these challenges were county and state officials who all promised to help, including state Chair of the House of Representatives Agriculture Committee, Rep. Clift Tusji, deputy chair Onishi, Ka`u state Rep. Richard Creagan and Scott Enright, Chair of the state Department of Agriculture. County economic development staff members were also on hand, as well as University of Hawai`i and state agriculture workers who all regularly help Ka`u Coffee farmers.

Ka`u Coffee Grower Cooperative President Gloria Camba said, “Ka`u Coffee is a positive influence in our community. It brings pride, economic independence and jobs. It provides unprecedented economic growth in the form of small, independent, locally owned businesses. Ka`u Coffee has also brought good publicity and esteem to our community with many of our Ka`u Coffees winning state, national and international awards. We have international markets from Europe to Japan and buyers across the U.S.

“Most importantly, Ka`u Coffee has led to a new confidence and a new entrepreneur spirit among displaced sugar workers who lost their jobs 20 years ago when the sugar industry shut down and our community faced low morale and despair. It is these displaced sugar workers who did not give up. They transferred their hard work ethic and agricultural skills to a new agricultural industry for Ka`u. They built the famous brand – Ka`u Coffee.”

Miguel Meza presented a break-even analysis based on coffee
berry borer infestation, land rent and coffee prices.

One of the original Ka`u Coffee farmers, Trini Marques, gave a history of the plantation workers setting out to create the new economy and to build a coffee co-op, develop a market and start the Ka`u Coffee Festival. She talked about assistance that first farmers gave newer farmers and how the industry helped the community come out of the sociological and financial crisis of losing the sugar industry. She referred to help provided through the late Sen. Daniel Inouye and federal, state and county programs, as well as education and agricultural consulting by numerous agencies.
She talked about the success of the Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant which raises scholarship money for young women and provides a Ka`u Coffee ambassador.
Miss Ka`u Coffee 2015 Maria Miranda spoke about her family’s journey from El Salvador to the mainland and to Hawai`i where they first worked on Kona coffee farms until they joined the Ka`u Coffee movement by establishing their own farm. She said how much it means to her family to be in the U.S. and to have the opportunity to successfully create their own business, “the American dream.”
Hawai`i Farm Bureau President Chris Manfredi committed his organization to helping coffee farmers and reviewed his own involvement in helping to market Ka`u Coffee and organize the Ka`u Coffee Festival.
Coffee broker Malian Lahey, who has her own farm in Wood Valley, said the Ka`u situation is the intersection between agriculture and the real estate business. “Real estate is famous for killing off agriculture.”

Obra and Miguel Meza, who also markets Ka`u Coffee, gave a detailed analysis of break-even scenarios for the farmers given their land cost and coffee berry borer risks.

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Rhonda Balmer at Kama`aina Kuts
Photo by Nalani Parlin

KAMA`AINA KUTS IN NA`ALEHU welcomed hair stylist Rhonda Balmer earlier this month. Balmer, of Ocean View, is a licensed cosmetologist, in business 32 years. Starting out in Los Angeles, Balmer worked several years and trained with Vidal Sassoon. In Sedona, AZ, she operated Denovo salon and spa in the Hilton. In 2001, she made the trek to Hawai`i and worked as cosmetologist at Four Seasons and for the past 12 years at Ocean View Hair Salon.

With opportunity to work with Kama`aina Kuts owner and stylist Corrine Kaupu and fellow hair stylist Elise Russell, Balmer is excited to add natural nails and facial waxing to her services. “I love making people beautiful and seeing their smiles, describing it as a powerful job to help someone beautify appearance to boost self-confidence and affect all aspects of life. Pam Spencer, Balmer’s client for a decade, said, “Rhonda has a passion for what she does, and it shows in her work.” She commented that she really liked the Kama`aina Kuts salon space as it gives a “personalized environment” providing a “one-on-one experience.”
Balmer offers hair services on Sunday, Monday and Friday. She does manicures and pedicures on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Call 929-8151.
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U.S. REP. TULSI SHARED the stage with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday in San Jose, CA as a crowd of more than 18,000 people welcomed him. Just before the Prime Minister took the stage, he met with Gabbard and other members of Congress to discuss plans to build U.S.-India relations and promote technology partnerships.   Gabbard is the only member of the U.S. Congress who practices the Hindu religion, which is prevalent in India.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a fresh
ginger lei from Hawai`i, a tradition shared by the people of India.
Photo from Rep. Gabbard's office

“There are many different areas and sectors where the United States and India’s growing friendship will cover mutually beneficial ground,” Gabbard said. “Prime Minister Modi’s second visit to the United States has allowed us to continue to strengthen those bonds and explore new opportunities for us to work together.”  
The Prime Minister’s two-day tour of Silicon Valley also included meetings with technology executives who offered their ideas and assistance in bringing India fully into the digital world. India is the world’s fastest-growing economy, and use of the Internet and smart phones is growing rapidly, providing new markets for American companies.
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Cross-secton shows dark staining of sapwood typical in rapid `ohi`a death.

RAPID `OHI`A DEATH IS THE TOPIC at After Dark in the Park tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The disease has the potential to threaten forests statewide.

For more information, call 985-6011.

E PILI KAUA PA`INA tickets are still available for Uhane Pohaku Na Moku O Hawai`i's fundraiser Thursday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Donation is $25.
The nonprofit works with challenged youth though agriculture and traditional Hawaiian skill building. The evening features entertainment by Mark Yamanaka and a roast pork dinner on the grounds of Pahala Plantation House.
For tickets, call Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder at 315-7032 or 649-9334.
The nonprofit also sponsors Ho`okupu Hula No Ka`u Cultural Festival this Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. The festival includes music, hula, crafts, food and cultural workshops. Open to the public with no fees both nights.

See images below for more information.
See www.hookupukau.com.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_September2015.pdf.

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

Buy a bag for $7 and fill with books for another $3
at Ka`u libraries.

Hawai`i's population of band-rumped storm-petrels is being considered for listing as an endangered species. See story below.
Photo from The Crossley Guide to Eastern Birds.

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR is proposing to create an administrative procedure and criteria that the Secretary of the Interior would apply if the Native Hawaiian community forms a unified government that then seeks a formal government-to-government relationship with the United States. Under the new proposal, the Native Hawaiian community — not the federal government — would decide whether to reorganize a Native Hawaiian government, what form that government would take and whether it would seek a government-to-government relationship with the United States.

“The United States has a long-standing policy of supporting self-governance for Native peoples, yet the benefits of the government-to-government relationship have long been denied to Native Hawaiians, one of our nation’s largest indigenous communities,” U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell said. “Today’s proposal is testament to the Obama Administration’s strong support for our nation’s Native peoples’ right to self-determination.”

Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell

The proposal, which takes the form of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, builds on more than 150 federal statutes that Congress has enacted over the last century to recognize and implement the special political and trust relationship between the United States and the Native Hawaiian community. The NPRM comes on the heels of a public comment period as part of an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking process that began last year and included public meetings. More than 5,000 members of the public submitted written responses to the ANPRM, and, DOI reported, they overwhelmingly favored creating a pathway for re-establishing a formal government-to-government relationship.
“We’ve listened to the feedback we received during the public meetings and in writing and worked to improve the proposal to reflect those comments,” Jewell said. “We appreciate the many voices on this topic and look forward to hearing from the public on this proposal.”
If a government-to-government relationship is re-established, it can provide the community with greater flexibility to preserve its distinct culture and traditions and special status under federal law that enables the community to exercise powers of self-government over many issues directly impacting community members, according to DOI.
The Native Hawaiian community has not had a formal government since the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai`i in 1893. In 1993, Congress enacted the Apology Resolution, which offered an apology to Native Hawaiians on behalf of the United States for its role in the overthrow and committed the federal government to a process of reconciliation. As part of that reconciliation process, in 2000 the DOI and the Department of Justice jointly issued a report identifying as its lead recommendation the need to foster self-determination for Native Hawaiians under federal law.
Today’s proposal is available for review at doi.gov/ohr, and public comments on it will be accepted for the next 90 days. Members of the public are encouraged to read the proposal and provide comments in writing by email to part50@doi.gov, on www.regulations.gov (docket no. DOI-2015-0005), or by U.S. mail to the Office of the Secretary, Department of the Interior, Room 7228, 1849 C St. NW, Washington, DC 20240. The public is also encouraged to participate in teleconferences on the proposed rule, a schedule of which is available at doi.gov.

  Sen. Mazie Hirono said, “The Native Hawaiian community’s ongoing work toward self-determination takes a significant step forward today, and I applaud the Obama administration for its commitment to this effort.”
  Sen. Brian Schatz said, “Native Hawaiians have the right to reorganize a government that they determine is best for them. ... I urge Native Hawaiians and other interested individuals to stay engaged and to contribute their comments and concerns as the process moves forward.”
  Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said, “Many indigenous groups in the U.S. have the right of self-determination, and today’s announcement acknowledges that that right also belongs to the Native Hawaiian people, one of the largest native communities in the country. ... I encourage all interested parties to submit their comments to DOI ... to ensure a collaborative final ruling.”

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Chris Minnich

HAWAI`I DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION plans to prioritize career education by adding rigor and value to programs preparing high school graduates for high-skilled, high-demand jobs.
Using economic development data and partnerships with community employers, DOE will design more rigorous career readiness pathways that span secondary and postsecondary levels, culminating in credentials for students.   The Council of Chief State School Officers is facilitating this work, which pursues recommendations made in Opportunities and Options, a report of CCSSO’s Career Readiness Task Force.   The report encourages states to make high school programs more responsive to the labor market by enlisting the employer community as a lead partner, significantly raise the threshold for quality career pathways in secondary schools and make career preparation matter to schools and students, in part by expanding accountability systems to emphasize career readiness.

“This opportunity to dig deeper in advancing career pathways will complement the great work that is being done in our high school academies across the state,” Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi said. “We want to provide the supports that will allow students to reach their full potential and expand on the successful programs that have carried them into the workforce after high school.” 

Chris Minnich, executive director of CCSSO, said, “The task force recommendations were an important start, but states now must make them a reality. In this global economy, we must prepare all kids to have an option in a career pathway as well as continued academic pursuits by the time they graduate from high school.”
For all states, CCSSO will develop an online resource center to provide strategies, case studies, self-assessment tools, communications materials and models of best practice.
Hawai`i is among a group of 17 states that announced a commitment to develop and execute a detailed plan to implement the task force recommendations. That includes making career readiness a higher priority in state accountability systems by incorporating a more robust set of career-focused indicators that measure and value successful completion of meaningful pathways, work-based learning experiences and credentials.
CCSSO launched its Career Readiness Task Force in the Spring of 2014 to increase the rigor in career education to meet expectations of the current labor market.

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Holei is found on Hawai`i Island and Maui. Photo from Native Plants Hawai`i

FACING THREATS FROM HABITAT LOSS and degradation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to add 49 species from Hawai`i to the Endangered Species Act. The Service will not be designating Critical Habitat areas for these species at this time due to insufficient information.

These plants and animals are at risk of extinction due to invasive, non-native species, recreational activities, small population size and threats from erosion, landslides and fire. “The listing of these species will not only boost ongoing conservation efforts to address these threats and prevent extinction, but will improve the ecological health of the islands,” the Service said. “This will have long-term benefits for all Hawaiians.”

The 49 species occur in 11 different habitat types, with 48 of them occurring nowhere on Earth except Hawai`i. One bird species proposed for listing – the band-rumped storm-petrel – occurs in Japan, Hawai`i, the Galapagos and subtropical areas of the Atlantic. The Service is proposing to list only the Hawai`i population.
“These species are facing tremendous challenges with shrinking habitat and the onslaught of invasive species,” said Kristi Young, the Service’s acting field supervisor for the Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office. “Implementing an ecosystem-based approach to the proposed listing allows the Service to better prioritize and focus conservation and recovery actions in Hawai`i.”
For a complete list of the species in this proposed listing, see fws.gov/pacificislands.
The proposed rule will publish in the Federal Register tomorrow. Comments and information can be submitted electronically at the eRulemaking portal www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter FWS-R1-ES-2015-0125, which is the docket number for this rule.
Written comments and information can also be submitted by U.S. mail to Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R1-ES-2015-0125; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: BPHC, 5275 Leesburg Pike; Falls Church, VA 22041–3803. The Service is accepting comments through Dec. 1.

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TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE at the door to hear Mark Yamanaka play Thursday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. Donation is $25, raising funds for Uhane Pohaku Na Moku O Hawai`i, the nonprofit that is opening safe house for girls in Pahala on Oct. 1. The evening also includes a roast pork dinner.

For tickets, call Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder at 315-7032 or 649-9334.
The nonprofit also sponsors Ho`okupu Hula No Ka`u Cultural Festival this Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. The festival includes music, hula, crafts, food and cultural workshops. Open to the public with no fees both nights.
See www.hookupukau.com.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_Sept2015.pdf.

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

Buy a bag for $7 and fill it with books for $3 more
at Ka`u libraries.

Upper Ka`u Forest Reserve could become home for `alala as early as next year. FWS Photo by David Ledig

UPPER KA`U FOREST RESERVE could become home to `alala as early as next year. The Associated Press picked up a story from Hawai`i Tribune-Herald reporting that with 114 of the endangered native Hawaiian crows now raised in captivity, reintroduction to the wild can take place. Keauhou Bird Sanctuary in Volcano has been raising `alala in conjunction with Maui Bird Sanctuary, both operated by the San Diego Zoo.

According to the story, Hawai`i Fish & Wildlife Chief Scott Fretz said additional funding is needed to provide tracking, veterinarian support and predator control.
The birds haven't been seen in the wild since 2002.
A previous attempt to reintroduce `alala in the 1990s ended when the birds became susceptible to disease and predators. According to the AP story, 21 of the 27 that were released died, and six were recaptured.

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GOV. DAVID IGE EXPRESSED SUPPORT for U.S. Department of the Interior’s proposal to create a pathway for the Native Hawaiian community to reorganize a Native Hawaiian government and re-establish a government-to-government relationship with the United States. The proposal would create an administrative procedure and criteria that would be applied if the Native Hawaiian community forms a unified government that seeks a formal government-to-government relationship with the U.S.

“This issue has been discussed for many years, and I support President Obama and the Department of the Interior’s efforts to move it forward,” Ige said. “I urge the public, particularly Native Hawaiians, to comment on this possible pathway for the United States and Native Hawaiians to establish a government-to-government relationship. The public comment period for the proposed rule is an invitation for the public to participate in the rule-making process.”

The proposal is available for review at www.doi.gov/ohr, and public comments on it will be accepted for the next 90 days. Members of the public are encouraged to read the proposal and provide comments by email to part50@doi.gov, on www.regulations.gov (docket no. DOI-2015-0005), or by U.S. mail to the Office of the Secretary, Department of the Interior, Room 7228, 1849 C St. NW, Washington, DC 20240.

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USDA FARM SERVICE ASKS Ka`u residents to report any damages to their farms or ranches due to recent heavy rains and flooding. Executive Director Lester Ueda asks for the following information: crop or crops, affected  acreage,  conservation structures , fencing damage,  farm dwelling damage,  other damages and an  estimate of the amount of damages. 
Call 933.8341  or email lester.ueda@hi.usda.gov.
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U.S. SENS. BRIAN SCHATZ AND MAZIE HIRONO are following Hawai`i legislators’ lead in raising the legal age for smoking to 21. Joined by several others, Hawai`i’s senators introduced the Tobacco to 21 Act, legislation that would prohibit the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21 across the country.
“We know that the earlier smokers begin their unhealthy addiction to nicotine, the more likely they are to suffer from tobacco-related diseases or die,” Schatz said. “This year, Hawai`i became the first state in the nation to raise the minimum smoking age to 21. It was a historic public health achievement that we should adopt nationwide. By raising the minimum tobacco age of sale to 21 across the country, we can cut the number of new smokers each year, build a healthier, tobacco free America and save lives.”
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Logan Kahele-Bishop

POLICE ARE SEARCHING for a 26-year-old Na`alehu man wanted on a bench warrant for violating terms of probation and for questioning in several open investigations.
Logan Kahele-Bishop is described as a local male, approximately 5-foot-10, 160 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair. His last known address was on Kilika Street.
Anyone who knows his whereabouts is asked to call the police non-emergency line at 935-3311. Those who want anonymity may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300.
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HAWAI`I’S VISITOR INDUSTRY CONTINUES to exceed 2014 records in spending and arrivals. Spending reached $10.3 billion for the first eight months of 2015 and contributed $1.1 billion in state tax revenue.
In addition to pacing at record-breaking levels, air seats to the Hawaiian Islands are at an all-time high, boosting arrivals from most markets. “While we are pleased with this continued growth for the lead economic driver for the state, we are monitoring various conditions that could impact our industry,” said George D. Szigeti, President and CEO, Hawai`i Tourism Authority. Fuel prices have been dropping, the international stock market continues to be in flux and economic conditions in both Europe and Asia have been unstable. All of these factors could have a potential impact on spending and arrivals to the state.
“Maintaining the level of growth we have been experiencing over the last few years will be a challenge,” Szigeti said. “However, we will continue to work with our global partners to ensure Hawai`i remains top-of-mind as both a leisure and business destination through creative and innovative strategies.”
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Distributors of Beauveria bassiana
products today.

JOHN FRANCIS AND MATT NEEDHAM, from Bioworks, will be in Kona this afternoon to discuss Botanigard and Mycotrol, the commercial Beauveria bassiana products used to control coffee berry borers and other insects. BioWorks is the distributor of these and other commercial products.

Meet at Kona Cooperative Extension Service Conference Room at 3 p.m.

SHARY CROCKER OFFERS QIGONG CLASSES tomorrow and every Thursday. Crocker, a student of Kenneth Cohen, describes the class as gentle Daoist healing postures and meditations “creating balancing of body, mind and spirit”
Classes are from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. in a private studio in Mark Twain Estates. $5 per class. Beginners are welcome. Private sessions are available.
See listings in September and October issues of The Ka`u Calendar.
Call 929-7647.

MARK YAMANAKA PERFORMS TOMORROW from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House includes a roast pork dinner. Funds raised benefit Uhane Pohaku Na Moku O Hawai`i, the nonprofit that is opening safe house for girls in Pahala tomorrow.
Donation is $25. For tickets, call Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder at 315-7032 or 649-9334. Tickets will also be available at the door.

OKTOBERFEST IS FRIDAY at St. Jude’s Church in Ocean View with 6 p.m. dinner. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Call 939-7000.

HO`OKUPU HULA NO KA`U Cultural Festival takes place Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. The festival includes music, hula, crafts, food and cultural workshops. Open to the public with no fees both nights.
Entertainment both days begins with an opening pule at 4 p.m. On Friday, Ka`imia Na`auao Kahiko/Ka`u School of Arts and Kumu Hula Marsha Bolosan take the stage at 5:45 p.m., followed by a Kukui Ceremony (Honoring our Ancestors) at 6:30 p.m., Kamehameha School with Kumu Hula Kimo Kekua at 7 p.m., Makanau at 8 p.m., Halau Hula O Leionalani with Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder at 8:45 p.m. and Keaiwa at 9:30 p.m.

White Line Printing is the topic of a workshop Saturday.

See www.hookupukau.com.

SPACE IS STILL AVAILABLE for Saturday’s introductory White Line Printing Workshop. Lisa Louise Adams and Margaret Barnaby hold the workshop at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Course fee is $70 or $63 for VAC Members and a $15 supply fee. Students need to bring a mat or x-acto knife, baren or wooden spoon, pencil and paper, two simple 5×8 inch images and wood carving tools, if available.

White Line Printing was born from traditional Japanese woodblock printing, then added the theories of Cubism and Abstract Expressionism.
Founded in the early 1900s in Provincetown, Massachusetts, white line printing was developed by artists who were interested in Japanese printmaking but wanted to eliminate cutting a block of wood for every color needed. They developed a way to make color prints from a single block of wood. With this method, a line drawing is cut into the block, which becomes white lines surrounding each shape. Each section is then hand-colored with watercolor paint and printed with a baren or wooden spoon until the print is complete. Every print will be unique because of the variations in paint application.
Register at volcanoartcenter.org or 967-8222.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_Sept2015.pdf.

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

Buy a bag for $7 and fill it with books for $3 more
at Ka`u libraries.

The summit of Kahuku's Pu`u o Lokuana offers a breathtaking view of Lower Ka`u. See details below. NPS Photo by Michael Szoenyi

HAWAI`I COUNTY WINDWARD Planning Commission yesterday heard arguments in a contested case hearing about mining and road repair in Ocean View. Two companies filed applications to begin or expand quarries, but, according to a story by Nancy Cook Lauer in West Hawai`i Today, HOVE Road Maintenance Corp. hasn’t been able to secure an agreement with the companies, Arrow of Oregon and David and Laura Rodrigues, regarding assessment fees for use of the subdivision’s private roads.

HOVE RMC recently charged Arrow $259,000 in assessments, but attorney Randy Vitousek said the amount is unfair, comparing it to a previous assessment of $3,900.
“They’ve done nothing to repair the roads,” Vitousek said. “(But) they are trying to force Arrow to pay the RMC a quarter of a million dollars to get that permit.”
HOVE RMC attorney Thomas Yeh said, “This is not about the RMC but protecting the integrity of the roads they maintain. Should they be charging individual lot owners to pay for the damage (mining vehicles) cause? I think the answer is no.”
After receiving a recommendation from the panel, the commission will vote on the recommendation.

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VSAS is accepting students.

VOLCANO SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES is accepting students for the current school year. VSAS has openings in kindergarten and grades 2, 3, 5, 6 and 8.

The public charter school offers small classes and small group and individualized academic support in a supportive, caring environment, school Counselor Kim Miller said. Its dynamic curriculum provides real-life experiences for learning through partnerships with Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, UH-Hilo, Three Mountain Alliance and others.
VSAS offers opportunities for students to develop talents and interests in art, music, theater and foreign languages.
Free breakfast and lunch is provided for all students. Meals include produce through a locally grown farm-to-table program.
After-school classes in art, music, performance, dance and sports enrich students’ learning experiences.
Application forms can be downloaded at volcanoschool.com. Click on the Prospective Student tab at the top.
For more information, call Kaye Nagamine at 985-9800.

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HAWAI`I ISLAND POLICE ARE WARNING the public about a telephone utility scam.
A Hilo business reported Wednesday that it received a phone call from someone posing as a representative of the local electric company. The caller claimed the business’ electric bill was overdue and said a utility truck was down the road and the electricity would be shut off unless the bill was paid immediately.
Police caution the public not to respond to requests for information or payment that comes by telephone or through the Internet. If you think a notification from a utility company might be legitimate, confirm it by calling the published phone number in the phone book, not any phone number you receive over the phone or Internet.

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Cory Harden testifies before the state Public Utilities Commission.
Image from Big Island Video News

AT A LISTENING SESSION IN HILO regarding the proposed merger of Hawaiian Electric Co. and NextEra Energy, most testifiers told the state Public Utilities Commission that they oppose the deal, reported Colin M. Stewart, of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald.

Stewart quoted a Hilo financial advisor opposed to the merger even though he could financially benefit from the merger. “I don’t believe that the proposed transaction is in the public interest,” Gary Kitahata said. “And I’m speaking about this as a shareholder. I voted my shares against the merger, and that’s clearly against my economic interests as a shareholder, but there were a number of things in the proxy statement that I thought were of concern. When I looked at the executive compensation, with the CEO being paid $11.5 million, with the next two executives being paid almost $8 million, those are big numbers. The even bigger number is the amount that J.P. Morgan, as the financial advisor, would get if the merger was approved, which is $30 million.”

Cory Harden, of the Sierra Club’s Moku Loa Group Big Island, told the PUC that there are better alternatives. Big Island Video News recorded her testimony. “I’m happy that NextEra came to Hawai`i, but I will be even happier when they leave,” Harden said. “I’m happy they came because they have jump-started the conversation in Hawai`i about the best model of utility ownership and about renewable energy. I hope that conversation will include thorough consideration of county-owned utilities and/or co-op utilities. These models would meet local control instead of control by strangers thousands of miles away. It would mean profits return to the people, not going to millionaire executives. And it could mean much greater focus on renewable energy.”
See hawaiitribune-herald.com and bigislandvideonews.com.

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Gov. David Ige tests the new electronic signature system.
Photo from Office of the Governor

AS PART OF THE IGE ADMINISTRATION’S effort to move state government toward a more efficient paperless environment, the Office of the Governor will begin using electronic signatures and will be processing all documents electronically, starting today.

The governor’s office has instructed departments to submit documents using an electronic  routing form template. Signed electronic documents will be returned to departments via email that is encrypted inflight, rather than the traditional, less efficient hard-copy process.
Since taking office on Dec. 1, 2014, Ige has signed roughly 1,180 departmental documents.  “To the extent possible, our goal is to eventually implement a secure electronic signature process across all departments, putting an end to what has been historically a very paper-heavy process,” Ige said. “Some of the departments have already elected to participate in the eSign program.
In his State of the State address in January, Ige committed to reducing the amount of paper the state uses and transforming the culture of government to embrace and accelerate change.
In July, the Department of Human Resources Development under the direction of James Nishimoto, authorized departments to utilize electronic signatures/electronic records in lieu of existing paper forms previously developed and authorized for human resources purposes. With departmental participation mandatory, each department has been tasked with developing their respective implementation plans.
In addition, the Office of Information Management and Technology and the Information and Communication Services Division, under the direction of the state Chief Information Officer Todd Nacapuy, partnered with DHRD to evaluate potential enterprise-wide electronic signature/record solutions.
“I applaud the leadership of Director Nishimoto, CIO Nacapuy and their teams for spearheading this collaborative effort, which will enhance the operating efficiency and transition of our state government to a more sustainable working environment,” Ige said.

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Mark Yamanaka performs in Pahala this evening.

MARK YAMANAKA PERFORMS TODAY from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. Funds raised benefit the Ka`u nonprofit Uhane Pohaku Na Moku O Hawai`i.

Donation is $25. Tickets are available at the door. The evening includes a roast pork dinner.

STEWARDSHIP AT THE SUMMIT takes place tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Volunteers meet at Kilauea Visitor Center to help remove invasive Himalayan ginger from park trails. Free; park entrance fees apply.

ST. JUDE’S CHURCH in Ocean View presents Oktoberfest tomorrow at with 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Call 939-7000.

HO`OKUPU HULA NO KA`U Cultural Festival takes place tomorrow and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. The festival includes music, hula, crafts, food and cultural workshops. Open to the public with no fees both nights.
Entertainment both days begins with an opening pule at 4 p.m. Tomorrow, Ka`imia Na`auao Kahiko/Ka`u School of Arts and Kumu Hula Marsha Bolosan take the stage at 5:45 p.m., followed by a Kukui Ceremony (Honoring our Ancestors) at 6:30 p.m., Kamehameha School with Kumu Hula Kimo Kekua at 7 p.m., Makanau at 8 p.m., Halau Hula O Leionalani with Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder at 8:45 p.m. and Keaiwa at 9:30 p.m.
On Saturday, Inoue `Ohana Band from Japan performs at 4:30 p.m. followed by Kahoku Kauahiahionalani with Kumu Hula Sammy Fo at 5:30 p.m., Kukui Ceremony (Remembering our Ancestors) at 6:15 p.m., Ho`omaika`i Hula Halau with Kumu Hula Shona LamHo at 6:30 p.m., Times 5 at 7:30 p.m., Halau Hula O Ke Anuenue with Kumu Hula Glen Vasconcellas at 8:30 p.m. and Los Borinquen’os at 9:30 p.m.
See www.hookupukau.com.

KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I Volcanoes National Park offers a one-hour guided climb to the summit of Pu`u o Lokuana on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. Participants learn about formation and various uses of this grassy cinder cone and enjoy a breathtaking view of lower Ka`u on this moderately difficult, 0.4-mile hike.
For more information, call 985-6011.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_October2015.pdf.

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

Zachary Ka`i intercepted a Dagger's pass and ran the ball 75 yards into the end zone in the second quarter last night when the Trojan's won 42-22. Photo by Taylor Sports Photography

HAWAI`I COUNTY PLANNING DIRECTOR recommended approval of two cinder mining companies’ requests to operate in Ocean View despite concerns expressed by HOVE Road Maintenance Corp., Nancy Cook Lauer reported in West Hawai`i Today.

Duane Kanuha

During the companies’ applications for special use permits, HOVE RMC tried “to get language inserted to make sure the mining companies pay their road assessments,” according to Cook Lauer. RMC also increased its assessment on Arrow, one of the companies, from $3,900 to $259,000, the company’s attorney said.
“We’re not looking to punish anyone,” Laura Foster, chief operating officer of HOVE RMC, told Cook Lauer. “We’re trying to educate people about the roads and how to use them. … We’re asking for the county’s help to help us enforce what’s right for our road system.”
Planning Director Duane Kanuha said, “The fact is, the county has no legal role to … referee or define or come to a decision where enforcement or compliance of private covenants is involved.”
See westhawaiitoday.com.
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HAWAI`I DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES encourages families to apply for its Preschool Open Doors program throughout this month. This program, which is currently serving more than 1,000 children statewide, provides subsidies to eligible low- and moderate-income families to pay preschool tuition. POD aims to provide children whose families might otherwise not be able to afford preschool the opportunity to gain essential skills to be successful in school and in life.
To qualify for the program, children must be eligible to enter kindergarten in the 2016-2017 school year. Underserved or at-risk children receive priority consideration for the POD program.
Interested families may request an application from the Department’s POD contractor, PATCH, by visiting patchhawaii.org or calling 1-800-746-5620. PATCH can also help families locate a preschool convenient for them.
Applications must be received by Oct. 31 to be considered for the Jan. 1 - June 30, 2016 program period. Send applications to
PATCH-POD,  560 N. Nimitz Hwy, Suite 218  Honolulu, HI 96817 .
Eligibility and priorities are available at humanservices.hawaii.gov/admin-rules-2/admin-rules-for-programs.
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Damage to a Hawai`i Island church exemplifies why people should not
stand in doorways or go outside during an earthquake.
Instead: "Drop! Cover! Hold on!"Photo from USGS

HAWAI`I’S LONG HISTORY OF DESTRUCTIVE earthquakes and what to when one strikes are topics of Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s current issue of Volcano Watch.

“More than 30 magnitude-6.0 or greater earthquakes have impacted the islands since 1868 (or about once every five years),” the article states, “and the chance of a damaging earthquake striking Hawai`i in the next 10 years is 50 percent.
“So, it’s a matter of when — not if — another destructive earthquake happens in Hawai`i. And, unlike tropical storms and hurricanes, which arrive with lots of advance notice, a large earthquake could strike at any time with no warning.
“Given these facts, it’s essential that you prepare now for Hawai`i’s next big earthquake. Helpful guidance on preparing your home and workplace is available online through agencies like FEMA (http://www.fema.gov/earthquake-safety-home).
“Personal safety is another issue. Knowing how to protect yourself and your family during an earthquake can prevent or minimize injuries (or worse).
“First, what you should not do when the ground shakes: run outside or stand in a doorway. Although commonly believed to be appropriate responses, extensive research shows that they are not the recommended actions to take.
“Trying to run outside during an earthquake is more dangerous than staying inside a building because, with the ground moving up-and-down or sideways, you could easily lose your balance and fall, risking serious injury. Also, exterior building walls and facades often collapse, so you’d be running toward danger rather than from it.
“Doorways in modern buildings are no stronger than other parts of the structure, so they are not necessarily the safest places to be. They also provide little, if any, protection from flying debris or falling objects, the cause of most earthquake injuries.
“So, what should you do to protect yourself during an earthquake?

HVO monitors earthquake activity for Hawai`i Island.
Map from USGS/HVO

“According to earthquake safety experts, rescue teams and researchers, the best actions you can take to reduce risk of injury or death during an earthquake is 'Drop! Cover! Hold on!'

“To keep from falling or being knocked down by the shaking, drop to the ground on your hands and knees. This position will still allow you to move if necessary.
“To protect as much of your body as possible, especially your head and neck, take cover under a sturdy table or desk. If safe cover is not nearby, drop down next to an interior wall, and cover your head and neck with your arms.
“Then, hold onto your cover (table or desk) — or onto your head and neck if not under cover — until the shaking stops. This allows you to move with your cover if it shifts during the shaking.
“If you’re at the beach, drop to your hands and knees and cover your head (if objects are falling) until the strong shaking stops. Then quickly walk to higher ground until you’re at least 30 meters (100 feet) above sea level or beyond the marked tsunami hazard zone. Avoid steep cliffs, and watch for falling rocks as you move inland.
“What if you’re driving, asleep in bed, in a wheelchair, or in a store when an earthquake hits? These scenarios are covered in Recommended Earthquake Safety Actions in Hawai`i (http://www.shakeout.org/hawaii/downloads/ShakeOut_Hawaii_Recommended_Earthquake_Safety_Actions.pdf), which describes how to protect yourself during an earthquake wherever you are.
“The key to personal safety is to practice now so that you will know exactly what to do — and can react quickly — when the next strong earthquake strikes Hawai`i.
“The perfect time to practice Drop! Cover! Hold on! is during the Great Hawai`i ShakeOut, an earthquake awareness and preparedness event that takes place at 10:15 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15. Details are posted on the ShakeOut website (http://shakeout.org/hawaii/), along with helpful resources on what you can, and should, do before, during, and after an earthquake.”

Evan Mahona scores Ka`u's first touchdown, making the score 6-14 during
the first quarter in Pahoa. Photo by Taylor Sports Photography

See hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.

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KA`U HIGH’S EIGHT-MAN football team again overcame Pahoa last night. After being tied at halftime and again in the third quarter, Ka`u was able to break away and keep the lead later in the third quarter and throughout the fourth. Ka`u kept Pahoa’s score at 22 while the Trojans continued to rack up points. With great blocking and ball running, Evan Manoha ran 50 yards for a touchdown to bring Ka`u’s score to 28.

In the fourth quarter, Janslae Badua ran an interception 49 yards for another touchdown. Later, Kalamakoa Waiwaiole went two yards into the end zone, and the two-point conversion was good.
Final score: Ka`u 42, Pahoa 22.
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Audience members broke into spontaneous hula during last night's fundraiser featuring music by Mark Yamanaka. Photo by Julia Neal

TONIGHT AND TOMORROW’S UHANE POHAKU Na Moku O Hawai`i free, public events at Pahala Plantation House follow yesterday’s evening with Mark Yamanaka to raise funds for the new Pahala girls’ safe house and other Ka`u projects. Hula dancers from Ka`u, O`ahu and Japan spontaneously broke into dance as Mark Yamanaka performed his famous songs.

The ladies gather around musician Mark Yamanaka, who performed at Pahala
Plantation House in a benefit for Uhane Pohaku Na Moku O Hawai`i.
Photo by Julia Neal

Ho`okupu Hula No Ka`u Cultural Festival takes place today and tomorrow from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. The festival includes music, hula, crafts, food and cultural workshops. It is open to the public with no fees both nights.
Among the performers backing up the talent are Wailau Ryder and Demetrius Oliviera, as well as Skylark.
Here is the schedule for both days. Each day begins with an opening pule at 4 p.m.
Today: Ka`imia Na`auao Kahiko/Ka`u School of Arts and Kumu Hula Marsha Bolosan, 5:45 p.m.; Kukui Ceremony (Honoring our Ancestors), 6:30 p.m.; Kamehameha School with Kumu Hula Kimo Kekua, 7 p.m.; Makanau, 8 p.m.; Halau Hula O Leionalani with Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder, 8:45 p.m.; and Keaiwa, 9:30 p.m.
Tomorrow: Inoue `Ohana Band from Japan, 4:30 p.m.; Kahoku Kauahiahionalani with Kumu Hula Sammy Fo, 5:30 p.m.; Kukui Ceremony (Remembering our Ancestors), 6:15 p.m.; Ho`omaika`i Hula Halau with Kumu Hula Shona LamHo, 6:30 p.m.; Times 5, 7:30 p.m.; Halau Hula O Ke Anuenue with Kumu Hula Glen Vasconcellas, 8:30 p.m.; and Los Borinquen’os, 9:30 p.m.
See www.hookupukau.com.

ST. JUDE’S CHURCH in Ocean View presents Oktoberfest this evening at with 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Call 939-7000.

KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I Volcanoes National Park offers free programs this weekend. A one-hour guided climb to the summit of Pu`u o Lokuana takes place tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. Participants learn about formation and various uses of this grassy cinder cone and enjoy a panoramic view of lower Ka`u on this moderately difficult, 0.4-mile hike. Participants discover the Hawaiian goddesses Hi`iaka & Pele and the natural phenomena they represent on a moderate one-mile walk Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
For more information, call 985-6011.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_October2015.pdf.

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

Hula sisters from Japan joined Halau Hula O Leionalani on stage last night during Ho`okupu Hula No Ka`u Cultural Festival at Pahala Plantation House. The festival continues today from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Photo by Julia Neal

DR. BRUCE ANDERSON, A WELL-KNOWN Hawai`i leader in environmental protection, has been selected as administrator of Department of Land & Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources.

Dr. Bruce Anderson

Anderson has more than 20 years of experience in managing health, environmental protection and marine resource programs, policy and issues in Hawai`i. DLNR Chair Suzanne Case said, “What particularly impresses me is Bruce’s ability to consistently find solutions to complex problems where conflicting and divergent interests are at stake. He is a hands-on leader who works collaboratively with others internally and externally. He is well known to many DLNR staff, legislators, stakeholders and others.”
Anderson began his career as state Environmental Epidemiologist at the Hawai`i Department of Health, focusing his research and interests on ciguatera fish poisoning and other aquatic marine toxins. As Deputy Director for Environmental Health for 12 years, he worked closely with the DAR staff in addressing problems associated with sewage spills and other pollution threats. When appointed by Gov. Ben Cayetano as Director of the Department of Health, he served on the state Water Commission.
As President of Oceanic Institute, he led a team of over 70 scientists, researchers and support staff in developing and transferring new aquaculture technologies to the private sector to produce shrimp, fish and other seafood in an environmentally sustainable manner. Most recently, he served as President and CEO of Hawai`i Health Systems Corporation.
“Bruce obviously loves the ocean,” Case said. “In addition to growing up here fishing, diving and surfing, he organized and led the `O`o Tagging Project, a project modeled after DAR’s Ulua Tagging Project, in his free time. Recently, he worked with John Morgan and staff at Kualoa Ranch to develop a method to successfully grow oysters in a Hawaiian fishpond. It is a thriving new business now.”
Anderson was born and raised in Hawai`i. He attended Punahou School, Colorado College and received his Master’s in Public Health from Yale University and a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the University of Hawai`i. He has a passion for saltwater flyfishing. He also enjoys hiking, riding horses and gardening with his wife, Debbie.
“I am looking forward to this opportunity and working with the Division of Aquatic Resources team, Chair Case and First Deputy Kaluhiwa, the DLNR staff and all the stakeholders to better manage our marine resources and freshwater fisheries,” Anderson said. “I have a lot to learn and expect to spend the next month or two doing a lot of listening.”
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Mina Morita

MINA MORITA, FORMER CHAIR of Hawai`i’s Public Utilities Commission, discusses business models for utilities at minamoritaenergydynamics.com. Her comments follow sessions statewide where the state Public Utilities Commission listened to residents’ ideas about the proposed merger of Hawaiian Electric Co. and NextEra Energy. At a session in Hilo, many residents told the PUC that a cooperative would be a preferable business model on Hawai`i Island. Life of the Land also last week petitioned the PUC to investigate different business models and utility structures.

“As the electric sector is evolving, an electric utility’s business model must be flexible and adaptable to address advancing technology and changing customer preferences,” Morita wrote. “It is the electric utility’s responsibility to develop its business model to meet the performance standards and expectations of the regulator. While the regulator can demand operational and financial performance and scrutinize the business model to achieve regulatory objectives, it is the responsibility of the electric utility to have an updated business plan to execute its productivity and ensure its profitability. …
“If people want to argue the merits/demerits of a publicly owned or municipal utility, do it before the state Legislature or County Councils. If the merits outweigh the negatives, then those elected officials should lay out the game plan for eminent domain and address the charter and statutory changes necessary before bringing the ownership transfer issue to the PUC. Proponents of an electric cooperative should establish their nonprofit corporation and be able to put their money on the table to begin negotiations with the Hawaiian Electric Companies for its purchase. You don’t need a PUC investigation to initiate any one of these change of ownership actions. …
“A PUC investigation should begin only when there is something concrete to be evaluated where, if the Consumer Advocate prevails, the standard of review will be an evaluation of the substantial net benefits for the consumer.”
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Ka`imia Na`auao Kahiko, of Ka`u School of the Arts, and Kumu Hula
Marsha Bolosan share the ancient style of hula.
Photo by Julia Neal

U.S. SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ CO-INTRODUCED legislation that would streamline and improve the visa application system for foreign tourists seeking to visit the United States. Current visa procedures make it difficult for tourists from many countries to visit the U.S. The bipartisan bill would reform and strengthen the Visa Waiver Program, shorten the waiting time for certain tourist visas, allow for certain tourists to stay in the U.S. for a longer period of time and more.  

“Every new visitor to Hawai`i gives us an opportunity to share our culture, strengthen our economy and support our small businesses,” said Schatz, who co-chairs the Senate Tourism Caucus. “In Congress, tourism is an area that has strong bipartisan support so we should work together to do everything we can to attract new visitors and grow the industry. By modernizing and streamlining our visa system, we can expand Hawai`i’s international tourism market, improve the visitor experience and bring a jolt to our local economy.”  
As Chair of the Tourism Subcommittee during the last Congress, Schatz held hearings on the state of the U.S. tourism and travel industry to explore ways to improve the visa system and help the government achieve its goal of attracting 100 million visitors annually by 2021. At one of those hearings last year, Roger Dow, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, which represents all sectors of America’s travel community, testified that the JOLT Act would help ensure that the United States is able to meet the rising visa demand.
This legislation reforms and strengthens the Visa Waiver Program, streamlines visa processing by requiring new standards of efficiency, encourages Canadian tourism to the U.S., creates a videoconferencing pilot program for visa processing, requires coordination of Trusted Traveler applications and improves passport security by requiring every U.S. visitor entering through the reformed VWP to have electronic passports.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

While the global travel market is expected to double over the next decade, the United States’ market share of this industry has declined by five percent since the 2000. The JOLT Act is aimed at reversing that trend and recapturing the United States’ historic share of worldwide overseas travel, which could add nearly $100 billion to the economy over the next decade and create nearly 700,000 more American jobs.
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OCTOBER IS FILIPINO AMERICAN History Month.
“For centuries, Filipino Americans have made exceptional contributions to U.S. businesses, culture and arts, government, technology, sports, health care, military and more,” U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said. “In Hawai`i, Filipino Americans have been integral to our history, from driving our plantation-based economy in the early 20th century to becoming leaders across every industry in our state. As we celebrate Filipino American History Month and the many positive contributions the Filipino community has made, we must also continue to fight for issues like family reunification and honoring our Filipino veterans.”
In June, Gabbard introduced bipartisan legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to WWII Filipino Veterans. The legislation acknowledges over 200,000 Filipino and Filipino American soldiers who responded to President Roosevelt’s call-to-duty and fought under the American flag against the Imperial Forces of Japan during World War II.
In 2009, the United States Congress passed legislation recognizing October as Filipino American History Month.
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Hula `auana, or modern style, dancers graced the stage, also.
Photo by Julia Neal

HO`OKUPU HULA NO KA`U Cultural Festival continues today with an opening pule at 4 p.m.

Entertainment schedule: `Ohana Band from Japan, 4:30 p.m.; Kahoku Kauahiahionalani with Kumu Hula Sammy Fo, 5:30 p.m.; Kukui Ceremony (Remembering our Ancestors), 6:15 p.m.; Ho`omaika`i Hula Halau with Kumu Hula Shona LamHo, 6:30 p.m.; Times 5, 7:30 p.m.; Halau Hula O Ke Anuenue with Kumu Hula Glen Vasconcellas, 8:30 p.m.; and Los Borinquen’os, 9:30 p.m.
Among the performers backing up the talent are Wailau Ryder and Demetrius Oliveira, as well as Skylark.
See www.hookupukau.com.

KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I Volcanoes National Park visitors discover the Hawaiian goddesses Hi`iaka & Pele and the natural phenomena they represent on a moderate one-mile walk tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
For more information, call 985-6011.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_October2015.pdf.

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

The Hawaiian Room at New York City's Hotel Lexington is the topic of a film screening and workshop at Volcano Art Center this month. Photos from the Hula Preservation Society via VAC

PRESERVATION OF KAHUA `OLOHU is on the agenda of Hawai`i County’s Finance Committee this week. Ka`u Council member Maile David introduces Resolution 287-15, authorizing the Director of Finance to enter into negotiations for acquisition of the 13-acre property in Na`alehu. Kahua `Olohu is listed as a key priority for purchase in the 2014 Annual Report of the Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Commission for its historical significance and cultural importance.

A resolution to be considered by Hawai`i County Council's Finance Committee
this week authorizes purchase of Kahua `Olohu. Map from PONC

The resolution states that the property “is significant to the County of Hawai`i for the following reasons:

The site is known historically as a famous wahi pana (storied, legendary place) of Ka`u formerly used as a traditional gaming field for Hawaiian sports and Makahiki (religious and agricultural celebrations);
Kahua `Olohu is a famous stone bowling (`ulu maika) and dart sliding (moa pahe`e) field;
Acquisition would fulfill the purpose of preserving historic and culturally important sites that promote preservation and perpetuation of our native Hawaiian culture, tradition and customary practices; and
The site has been listed on the State Inventory of Historic Properties and is eligible for inclusion in both the State and National Register of Historic Places.”

The Finance Committee meets Tuesday at 9:45 a.m.
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Hawai`i County Council asks Gov. Ige to redesignate a Ka`u Enterprise Zone.
Map from Hawai`i County Council

A KA`U ENTERPRISE ZONE IS THE TOPIC of a resolution on this week’s agenda of Hawai`i County Council’s Committee on Governmental Relations & Economic Development.

Resolution 283-15 nominates enterprise zones for Ka`u and three other districts for consideration and designation by Gov. David Ige.
The enterprise zones would provide tax incentives intended to foster economic development and generate employment by encouraging businesses to hire more employees, even family workers, and grow their companies.
The previous Ka`u Enterprise Zone expired on May 1, and a proposed new map has been drawn by the county to designate the new area where benefits would apply. The new map takes out some conservation areas in the mauka lands between Pahala and Na`alehu and mauka toward Volcano and adds on some territory makai of Hwy 11 between Pahala and Volcano. The Ka`u Enterprise Zone has included and would include the entire Ka`u Coast. The Enterprise Zone does not override any county zoning or state land use designations and does not supersede building regulations.
The Committee on Governmental Relations & Economic Development meets Tuesday at 1 p.m.
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OTHER HAWAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL committees meeting Tuesday are Public Works & Parks and Recreation at 9 a.m.; Public Safety & Mass Transit, 9:15 a.m.; and Planning, 10:15 a.m. Ka`u residents can participate in all meetings via videoconferencing at Na`alehu State Office Building.
The meetings are also streamed live at hawaiicounty.gov. Click on Council Meetings.

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TROPICAL STORM OHO was 370 miles south of South Point at 11 a.m. and expected to pass by to the east of Ka`u during the next several days. Although there are no watches and warnings in effect, the system could bring high winds and heavy rain to the district.

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ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS regarding the U.S. Department of Interior’s recently released notice of proposed rule making are available at doi.gov/ohr. The rule making would create a path for a reorganized Native Hawaiian government to reestablish a government-to-government relationship with the United States.

According to DOI, “the proposed rule does not attempt to reorganize a Native Hawaiian government or draft its constitution, nor does it dictate the form or structure of that government. Rather, it would establish an administrative procedure and criteria that the Secretary would use if the Native Hawaiian community forms a unified government that then seeks a formal government-to-government relationship with the United States. Consistent with the Federal policy of indigenous self-determination and Native self-governance, the Native Hawaiian community itself would determine whether and how to reorganize its government.”
One FAQ answer describes benefits associated with reestablishing a government-to-government relationship:
“The Federal government has a longstanding policy of supporting self-determination and self- governance for Native peoples throughout the United States. Such self-government provides many Native populations enhanced economic development and greater ability to preserve their distinctive cultures and traditions.

“A government-to-government relationship with the United States can significantly enhance a Native community’s ability to exercise self-government by giving a Native government special status under Federal law. For example, if the Native Hawaiian government seeks and obtains a formal relationship with the United States, federal courts would then accord greater weight to the laws enacted by that Native Hawaiian government and the decisions of the Native Hawaiian courts. That in turn will facilitate and support self-governance by enabling the community to exercise powers of self-government over many issues directly impacting community members. A government-to-government relationship also would provide a Native Hawaiian government with additional abilities to protect its members’ interests by filing suit in Federal court.
“Moreover, once a government-to-government relationship exists, federal agencies would treat the Native Hawaiian government as the legal representative of the community. Many federal agencies have procedures in place for regular communication and consultation with recognized Native governments.”
Comments on this proposed rule must be received on or before Dec. 30. Comments can be submitted at regulations.gov. The rule has been assigned Docket ID DOI-2015-0005. Comments can also be emailed to part50@doi.gov. Include the number 1090-AB05 in the subject line. The address for mail is Office of the Secretary, Department of the Interior, Room 7228, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240.
All comments will be posted at regulations.gov and will include any personal information provided.
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Skylark emceed for Ho`okupu Hula No Ka`u.

The three day Ho`okupu Hula No Ka`u wrapped up yesterday.
Photos by Julia Neal

THE HO`OKUPU HULA NO KA`U three-day event wrapped up last evening as dancers, musicians and the public saw rain showers in Pahala but enjoyed the performances of halau from O`ahu, the Big Island and Japan. The event helped to raise funds for the new safe house for girls, which opened in Pahala on Oct. 1, and for other activities of Uhana Pohaku Na Moku O Hawai`i. Emcee was Skylark. Halau included Sammy Fo’s Kahoku Kauahiahionalani, Marsha Bolosan’s Ka`imia Na`auao Kahiko, Hannah’s Makana `Ohana and Debbie Ryder’s Halau Hula O Leonalani, as well as Shona Lam Ho’s Ho`omaka`i Hula Studio, Mahealani Hula Studio, Halau Hula O Keanuenue and Waiolu’s Hula Studio.

Sponsors included Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Punalu`u Bake Shop, Big Island Candies and Mizuno Store, with help from many local extended families, Ryder said.
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The Hawaiian Room featured Hawaiian dancers, singers and musicians
for three decades in New York City.

THE HAWAIIAN ROOM is the topic of a film and workshop this month at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Between 1937 and 1966, hundreds of Hawaiian dancers, singers and musicians from the Hawaiian isles became part of the legacy of the pioneering Hawaiian Room at the Hotel Lexington in the heart of New York City.
Ann Marie Kirk’s film The Hawaiian Room, produced by the Hula Preservation Society, documents those days when the venue became an incomparable venue through which Aloha and Hawaiian culture were shared. Hear from the entertainers, dancers and patrons who made it such a special place, and be transported to a time in history when Hula, Hawaiian Music and Aloha enchanted New York. VAC screens the film on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. After the film, meet and hear from several original Hawaiian Room talents appearing in person. Sammi Fo, of Ocean View, was one of The Hawaiian Room’s entertainers. The evening is free; $5 donations are appreciated.
In honor of the era, the Hawaiian Room’s TeMoana Makolo will teach a special Hapa-Haole Hula: Hawaiian Room Style workshop on Friday, Oct. 16, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Makolo worked as a choreographer and dancer in the Hawaiian Room in the 1960s, the final years of the famed establishment. Auntie TeMoana Kauinohea Makolo was raised in Kalihi on O`ahu and reared in hula by her aunties, the legendary Hula masters Leilani and Puanani Alama. She has produced shows and worked in travel on the continental U.S. and here in Hawai`i. Makolo continues to share her love of hula with women and children through the state Department of Education’s Kupuna Program and Queen’s Hospital’s cancer survivor hula class.
Participants learn a fun hapa-haole hula routine straight from the Hawaiian Room era. Fees for the workshop are $15 for VAC members and $18 for non-members. For more information and to register, see volcanoartcenter.org, or 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.swf
and kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_October2015.pdf.

After starting at `Upolu Point, Bart Smith, a veteran hiker from Washington State, is making his way toward Ka`u along Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail as part of his dream to hike all national scenic and historic trails in the U.S. See story below. Photo by Julia Neal

LEGISLATOR OF THE YEAR was bestowed on Rep. Richard Creagan by the Hawai`i Medical Association on Saturday. Creagan received the koa bowl, engraved with “In Recognition of Advocacy for Health Care in Hawai`i,” during the annual statewide meeting of the Hawai`i chapter of the American Medical Association. The gathering was called Ola Pono Ike – Health is Knowledge – and was held at Hilton Hawaiian Village on O`ahu.

HMA named Ka`u's state Rep. Richard Creagan 2015
Legislator of the Year. Photo from Richard Creagan

Creagan is a physician who has practiced on the Big Island and on the mainland. He also served in the Peace Corps in the Marshall Islands and speaks the language. As a Hawai`i Department of Health bioterrorism preparedness epidemiologic investigator, he monitored disease outbreaks. As an educator, Creagan has assisted in teaching junior scientists at Yale and the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He taught English as a Peace Corps volunteer, seventh- and eighth-grade math and science in Pittsburgh, PA and tutored students in English at Na`alehu Elementary School.
Creagan is a graduate of Yale and University of Connecticut Medical School. He studied agriculture and psychology at University of Hawai`i-Hilo. He and his wife Marilyn live on a farm in Ka`u.
Creagan serves as vice chair of the state House of Representatives Committee on Health. The Hawai`i Medical Association commended Creagan for working toward affordable and accessible health care.

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Alan Oshima

SEVERAL FACTORS WILL KEEP Hawai`i from ever having cheap energy, according to Alan Oshima, President and CEO of Hawaiian Electric Company.
Oshima told Civil Beat reporter Eric Pape that “there are costs for living in a disconnected, 2,500 miles-to-the-nearest-neighbor state. So let’s be real!”
Along with Hawai`i’s remote geography, Oshima told Pape that a “high-cost environment” and the inability to use neighboring states’ grids as backups contribute to the high cost of energy.
Pape reported that mainland electric utility customers on the mainland currently spend two and a half times less than in Hawai`i, despite recent large drops in oil prices.
See civilbeat.com.
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HAWAI`I’S UNPRECEDENTED CORAL BLEACHING event this fall prompted dozens of new volunteers to receive training Saturday by the Eyes of the Reef Network, to spot and report coral bleaching on their local reefs. Billed as Bleachapalozza, the statewide training was intended to increase the number of trained volunteers in the water, documenting and reporting bleaching to the network.
Darla White, with the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources, is a coordinator for Eyes of the Reef. She provided training that began with a tutorial on coral biology and concluded with instructions on how to fill out EOR reporting forms. White said, “The more trained volunteers we have in the ocean, regularly documenting coral bleaching, will help aquatic biologists create a fuller data set to further develop action plans to track and address bleaching events.

Volunteers are helping DLNR track coral bleaching. Photo from DLNR

Bleachapalozza was the brainchild of Maui community organizer Liz Foote. She said, “The Eyes of the Reef Network plays an integral part in the state’s coral bleaching responses by reaching out to and training ocean users to observe and report coral damage.”
Coral bleaching is a response to stress caused by high ocean temperatures. Corals turn white, and while this doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve died, they do become much more susceptible to disease and other stresses that can ultimately kill them. After last year’s bleaching event, many corals did show signs of recovery, but with predictions of continued annual bleaching, the impacts on reef ecosystems around the world continues to be of great concern to scientists and environmental policy makers.
EOR volunteers submit their observation reports through an online system. As of mid-afternoon Saturday, 15 new reports of bleaching had been received at www.eorhawai.org.
Once ocean conditions improve, additional reports are expected from the newly trained volunteers. Additional training sessions are held around the state on a regular basis, and the EOR website has announcements about these.
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Tropical Storm Oho was 310 miles away from South Point at 11 a.m.
Map from NOAA

TROPICAL STORM OHO CONTINUES its slow trek north-northeast off the Ka`u Coast. At 11 a.m., Oho was 310 miles south-southeast of South Point. There is still enough time for a bit of strengthening before mounting shear and cooler water take their toll on the system, according to forecasters.

While there are no coastal watches or warnings in effect, Central Pacific Hurricane Center personnel advise all interests in the main Hawaiian Islands to continue monitoring the storm’s progress during the next couple of days.

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VETERAN HIKER AND PHOTOGRAPHER Bart Smith, 56, is hiking his way toward Ka`u via Hawai`i’s only national trail, Ala Kahakai. For the past 22 years, Smith has hiked all of America’s National Scenic Trails and nearly half of the National Historic Trails.
Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail is a system of trails found within a 175-mile shoreline corridor from `Upolu Point on the north end of Hawai`i Island, along the western coast through Kohala and Kona and Ka`u, then east along the southern coast in Puna to the eastern boundary of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, the site of the Wahaula Heiau near Kalapana. Smith will take photos of the route that will likely be published in a photo book. He has had six books featuring his photos published to date. The most recent is America’s Great Hiking Trails, a lavish, award-winning book that retails for about $30.

“In ancient times, and even into the early Twentieth Century, Ala Kahakai was used for many things,” said story contributor Ann Bosted. “It was a way to get from one place to another, for canoe landings, for fishing including gathering shoreline resources, for access to beaches and recreation and to sacred sites and special features. Ala Kahakai is based on a Hawaiian understanding of trails as a network of routes that connected, and often still connect, places of importance to Hawaiian people. It is a perpetuation of the ancestral connection that families have with trails and the places that the trails connect.

Hiker/photographer Bart Smith is currently hiking Ala Kahakai National
Historic Trail on his way to Ka`u. Photo from Bart Smith

“For Smith, Hawai`i and the Ala Kahakai Trail will be a very different experience. It is the first time he has had to fly to hike a trail. Usually, he drives from his home in Tacoma, Washington to one of the many mainland states. He is counting on Hawaiian hikers to help him with the logistics of hiking 175 miles, solo, using poorly defined routes, along long stretches of uninhabited coastline. He has allowed himself three weeks for the effort and plans to hike it in sections, camping out when he is unable to reach a trail head before dark. His load of camera gear is considerable, so he tends to cut back on food and water to make his pack manageable. This means he has to re-supply regularly, which could be a challenge in rural Ka`u. He does not have a GPS, but his phone has Google Earth, an invaluable tool while his batteries last.

“Interested people can support Smith by either meeting him at a trailhead with food and water or making him an overnight houseguest with a bed, shower and meals, and an early ride back to the trail. If you would like to help, email bosted@earthlink.net.

“Smith also welcomes hikers accompanying him for stretches. He is expected to reach Ho`okena about Wednesday, Oct. 7. After that, he can be met at Kona Paradise, Miloli`i, Manuka Bay Road, Road to the Sea, Pohue Bay, South Point and other places. Dates and times depend on his progress.

“One date that is burnt into Bart’s future is Oct. 2, 2018. That will be the 50th anniversary of the signing of the National Trails Act by Pres. Lyndon Johnson. Bart is hoping to have hiked all national trails by then. So far, he has hiked 26,000 miles in 22 years, covering all 11 National Scenic Trails and nine of the 19 National Historic Trails. Among the 10 still on his bucket list are the Iditarod Trail in Alaska and the John Smith Water Trail in Chesapeake Bay. Perhaps this veteran hiker will have to take to a sled and a kayak to finish his dream.”

See Smith’s website at http://www.walkingdownadream.com/home.html.

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Tirino Balik

HAWAI`I ISLAND POLICE ARE SEARCHING for a 45-year-old man whose last known address was in Ocean View. Tirino Balik is wanted on a bench warrant for contempt of court. He is also wanted for questioning in connection with a violation of court order investigation.
Balik is described as five-foot-five inches tall, 180 pounds with brown eyes and graying black hair. He is known to frequent Ho`okena Beach Park.
Police ask anyone with information on his whereabouts to call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the islandwide Crime Stoppers number at 961-8300. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.

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NA`ALEHU PUBLIC LIBRARY OFFERS Family Movie Matinee tomorrow and every Tuesday at 3 p.m. with free popcorn.

For more information, call 939-2442.

EVERYONE IS INVITED TO GAME NIGHT and Potluck on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Potluck begins at 5:30 p.m.; bring a favorite dish for six. Fun games and great conversation are from 6:30 – 9 p.m.
Call Sheri at 929-9258 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_October2015.pdf.

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

Mealani's Taste of the Hawaiian Range on Friday features goat from Ka`u's Kapapala Ranch. See story below.
Photo by Jody Ferguson

SEARCH-AND-RESCUE RANGERS in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park safely extracted a pet dog from a 20-foot-deep earth crack on Sunday, Oct. 4 around noon.

Park Ranger Arnold and rescued dog, Romeo.
Photo from NPS

On Saturday evening, the owner of the dog was walking her two pet dogs off leash near Volcano Golf Course and the park boundary when the dogs ran off into a heavily vegetated area. One dog came back, but Romeo, a 4.5-year-old chocolate brown Labrador retriever, did not return. The owner searched into the night but could not locate him. When she returned to the area in the morning, she heard a faint whining coming from deep within an earth crack and called for help.
Park rangers responded to the call, assessed the situation and determined that a safe extraction could be accomplished by the experienced team. Using high-angle technical rope rescue techniques, Ranger Arnold Nakata was lowered 20 feet into the narrow crack where he found Romeo in good condition. Nakata rigged Romeo with a harness, and the topside rescue team slowly pulled them out of the ground. A grateful Romeo bestowed his rescuers with lots of dog kisses.
Typically, the national park would not use technical rescue for animals. Dogs and other pets are not allowed in many areas of the national park for safety reasons and for the protection of threatened and endangered species. Authorized service animals are permitted but may be prohibited from certain areas if their presence is detrimental to park management programs, like nene recovery.
All pets and service dogs must be leashed in the park at all times. Hikers have reported being bitten by dogs off leash on park trails, and other pets have fallen into earth cracks and steam vents and have not survived.
“We are glad that this rescue had a happy ending, because our pets are like family,” Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando said. “The best way to protect them is not expose them unnecessarily to potentially hazardous areas that are prevalent in a national park.”
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Hawai`i County used PONC funds to preserve Honu`apo.
Photo by Sean P. King

MEMBERS OF HAWAI`I COUNTY’S Public Access, Open Space & Natural Resources Preservation Committee, which considers properties to purchase for preservation, will have more oversight under a bill the County Council will consider tomorrow. Bill 90 assigns duties to the commission related to maintenance of properties acquired by the county through the Two Percent Fund, which sets aside two percent of property taxes for such purchases. In Ka`u, the county used these funds to preserve Honu`apo and Kawa. The County Council is also currently considering purchase of Kahua `Olohu, the traditional gaming field in Na`alehu.

Additional duties and responsibilities of the commission would be:

To review, evaluate and make recommendations to the director of the Department of Parks & Recreation regarding applications for stewardship grants from the maintenance fund, within six months of receipt of each application. Recommendations shall address whether grant applicants have the ability to complete their proposed projects according to the project plan, on time and within cost estimates.
To review stewardship grant applications, business plans, agreements and other documentation accompanying grant applications. The commission may also conduct interviews and perform site visits and other activities necessary to formulate a recommendation.
To review stewardship grant recipient performance reports, conduct interviews and perform site visits and other activities necessary to verify that grant objectives are being met. The commission would forward its findings to the director of Parks and Recreation.

Hawa`i County Council meets tomorrow at 9 a.m. at Council Chambers in Hilo. Ka`u residents can participate via videoconferencing at Na`alehu State Office Building. The meeting is streamed live at hawaiicounty.gov. Click on Council Meetings.

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Rain in the Pacific could move onshore as Hurricane Ono heads northeast.
Map from National Weather Service

OHO IS NOW A HURRICANE. At 11 a.m., it was 395 east-southeast of South Point and is forecast to continue moving toward the northeast with steadily increasing forward speed through Thursday morning.
Maximum sustained winds are near 85 miles per hour with higher gusts. Oho is expected to gradually weaken through Thursday morning.
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 175 miles.

Rain could move into the area as the storm passes offshore, parallel to the Ka`u Coast.

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A SECOND EDITION OF NA WAHI PANA O KA`U is to be issued. Ten years ago, the second-year students of Mrs. Maile Moulds-Carr’s Hawaiian Language Class at Ka`u High School completed an oral history project with funding through the Hawai`i Council for the Humanities. The result of the project was the book Na Wahi Pana o Ka`u: The Celebrated Places of Ka`u.

The second edition will be reprinted in December with a slight change in its title — Na Wahi Pana o Ka`u: The Legendary Places of Ka`u, several corrections, an addendum page and additions of a summary and comments from authors Van James and Nalani Bernardo on the back cover. Bernardo was a former Ka`u High School teacher.

Profits from the sale of the second edition
will go to student scholarships.
Image from Maile Moulds

“I remember getting the notice about the approval of our grant by the Council just before school restarted,” Moulds-Carr said. “Since the writing of the grant, the school had gone from block scheduling to the present schedule with its shorter periods. I was going to refuse the grant.”
“‘Don’t you dare,’ acting principal Josephine De Morales said.
“Since the video camera we were using had a 30-minute disk, it actually worked out quite well. The Council had said that normally they don’t grant oral history monies to high schoolers, but since there was so little in print on Ka`u, they did in this case.”
Places covered in the book are Kapapala Ranch, Punalu`u, Kawa, Honu`apo, Makanau, Ka Lae, Wai`ohinu and Kahuku Ranch. Kupuna interviewed were Abigail “Gramma” Api, Gordon Cran, Pele Hanoa, Christopher Bengay, Thomas Kaniho, Mae Akamu, Takumi Shirakawa, Carl Bredhoff and Dave Ka`awa.
Students recorded their interviews of kupuna on cassette tape and video. Individual chapters were written by Shanda-Jo Kahahane, Sacha Malepe, Kirsten McClure, Clayton Haina, Jr., Camilyn Hashimoto, Kiliona Bounos, Keoni Ako, Noel Smith, and Ku`ulei Ka-ne.
In view of the student work, all profits from the sale of this second edition will be applied to student scholarships.
The edition is being printed by CreateSpace, the self-publishing branch of Amazon.com. It should be available in December from Amazon.com, Basically Books and Lyman House Museum in Hilo.
Those interested may also contact Moulds-Carr at rayandmaile@msn.com for copies or possible other outlets.
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BUY YOUR TICKETS IN ADVANCE for Friday’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range at Hilton Waikoloa Village. Kapapala Ranch, run by the Cran family, is a goat producer, and Galimba’s Kuahiwi Ranch is a beef producer for the event.

Kapapala ranchers Bill and Lani Petrie herd goats. Photo by Jody Ferguson

Purchase your tickets online for $45 until 11:59 p.m. Thursday. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover cards are accepted.
Tickets are $60 at the door. Entry to Cooking 101 with Chef Roy Yamaguchi at 3 p.m. is $10, while the 1:30 p.m. class with Chef Peter Merriman, geared toward college culinary students, is free.
Mealani’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range and Agriculture Festival provides a venue for sustainable agricultural education, encouragement and support of locally produced ag products.
Time for this year’s evening Taste is 6 pm. to 8 p.m., and the annual agricultural showcase will again sprawl both inside and out of the Hilton Waikoloa Village. Culinary adventure seekers can taste and enjoy all the cuts of pasture-raised beef – everything from tongue to tail – prepared expertly by Hawai`i chefs. While tasting, attendees can meet Hawai`i’s food producers at booths and talk story with the ranchers and farmers who make a living growing our food. They can also enjoy exhibits presenting topics related to local agriculture and food sustainability, including the University of Hawai`i’s Mealani Research Station.

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

For Affordable Computer Help, call John Derry at 936-1872.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_October2015.pdf.

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

Hurricane Ono is moving northeast, away from Hawai`i, while another system is forming southeast of Hawai`i and heading northwest. Map from NOAA

HAWAI`I ELECTRIC LIGHT CO., which is part of the $4.3 billion proposed merger of Hawaiian Electric Co. and NextEra Energy Inc., is valued at just over $727 million, state Division of Consumer Advocacy executive director Jeffrey Ono told Pacific Business News.

Removing HELCO from the deal and making it a cooperative, as many are advocating, could effect the entire proposal. According to reporter Duane Shimogawa, HECO and NextEra have said, “The applicants’ proposal is to acquire all three operating utilities, and applicants believe the customers of the three utilities are best served if the three utilities remain part of one enterprise. If Maui Electric Co. and HELCO, or any other part of the businesses and assets NextEra Energy would acquire as part of the proposed transaction, were somehow removed, this could be considered a material adverse effect under the merger agreement, which would endanger the proposed transaction, and benefits it would bring for customers of the Hawaiian Electric Companies could potentially be lost.”

See bizjournals.com/pacific.
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GOV. DAVID IGE IS TRAVELING to Okinawa Prefecture in Japan and Guangdong Province in China until Oct.14. “The state recognizes that Hawai`i’s prosperity and security are intertwined with the Asia-Pacific region, and it must rebalance its resources and investments toward Asia with an emphasis on economic development, energy cooperation, youth and education,” according to a statement from the governor’s office.

Gov. and Mrs. Ige received a warm welcome upon arrival at Naha Airport
on Okinawa. Photo from Gov. Ige's Facebook page

Purposes of this trip are to recognize the 30th anniversary of the sister-state relationship with Okinawa Prefecture and Guangdong Province; promote renewable energy cooperation, business and investment attraction; and promote educational partnerships and international student exchanges between Hawai`i, Okinawa and Guangdong Province.
The governor and First Lady Dawn Amano-Ige will participate in various ceremonies and events marking the 30th anniversary of Hawai`i’s sister-state relationships, which are vital to the Aloha State economically, politically and culturally.
“We want to honor Hawai`i’s 30-year relationship with both Okinawa Prefecture and Guangdong Province,” Ige said. “Okinawa and Guangdong have had strong historical ties with Hawai`i and have established many connections in business, cultural and educational exchanges with the Hawaiian Islands. Our presence, bolstered by a strong Hawai`i delegation, serves to reaffirm our relationships with Okinawa and Guangdong with plans to further strengthen our partnership in new and innovative ways.”

In addition, the governor is scheduled to visit various energy and technology facilities and meet with government officials, businesses and community leaders to discuss future projects based on Hawai`i’s 100 percent renewable energy goal and expand travel to the islands for conventions, meetings and incentive travel.
Gov. and Mrs. Ige are also scheduled to visit various universities, high schools and vocational schools on Okinawa and in Guangzhou, Guandong Province, where they will meet with administrators, educators and students to explore options for expanding international student exchange to Hawai`i. Gov. Ige said student exchanges not only foster global understanding and tolerance, but positive economic impact. International students have contributed an estimated $205.1 million to Hawai`i’s economy this year.
Gov. and Mrs. Ige are traveling as part of a mission led by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Also traveling with the governor is Scott Tome, Executive Services Assistant.
The estimated cost of this trip is $8,870.99.
Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui is Acting Governor while Gov. Ige is abroad.
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HURRICANE OHO HAS LEFT HAWAIIAN WATERS, moving northeast on a path that may take it out of the Central Pacific Basin. “Should Oho actually cross into the Northeastern Pacific Basin as a tropical cyclone, this will be a rare occurrence, at least in the satellite era,” according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.

Meanwhile, showers and thunderstorms continue to show signs of organization in association with a tropical wave located about 1,250 miles southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. Environmental conditions are forecast to be conducive for development, and a tropical depression is likely to form by the weekend while the system moves west-northwest at about 15 miles per hour.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

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U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, reaffirmed her opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.
“Until now, the American people have been shut out from the details of this trade agreement that looks to be like the North American Free Tratde Agreement on steroids,” Gabbard said. “This deal, which will affect 40 percent of our global economy, will be even more unenforceable and more disastrous for American jobs and our economy than NAFTA has already proven to be.   “I will examine the details of this deal carefully once it’s delivered to Congress, but from what I have seen so far, the TPP agreement will benefit Wall Street banks and multinational corporations on the backs of hard-working Americans, and it will increase existing threats to our environment.
“As Congress goes through its 90-day review period, my top priority will be to bring voice to the working men and women who are deeply worried about how this will affect their jobs, and the small business owners and local manufacturers in Hawai`i and across the country who fear being forced out of business. These are the people who are the backbone of our economy, and their voices must be heard over the din of rhetoric coming from multinational corporations and special interests who will benefit most from this. If it contains the same noxious provisions we suspected it would, I will do all I can to defeat the TPP when it comes before Congress for a final up-or-down vote.”
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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.

FROM THE GROUND, UP opens this Saturday, Oct.10, when Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park presents recent artwork by Robert Weiss. The solo exhibit features a new collection of plein air oil paintings of landscapes within Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Inspired by the beauty of the island, Weiss paints “en plein air,” a French expression that means “in the open air” and is used to describe the art of painting outdoors. Since 2006, Weiss has been an ardent practitioner of plein air painting, the art of painting directly from nature. Working alone and with the Plein Air Artists of Hawai`i Island, he has focused on capturing the light, energy and beauty of the varied landscapes of the Big Island. 

Lately, Weiss has been drawn to paint the old houses and industrial infrastructure from the bygone plantation era on the Hamakua Coast. “There is a certain beauty and sadness in these crumbling structures, and I’d like to preserve a bit of it in my paintings before they are gone,” he said. Weiss and his wife are also avid bird watchers, and he recently began a series of works depicting Hawai`i’s remaining indigenous birds.
“Many of the sites Bob has chosen for his plein air paintings are here at Hawai`i Volcanoes Nationals Park,” gallery manager Emily C. Weiss said. “The locations are near and dear to many that visit this special place, and Bob’s unique ability to capture these special places in paint is truly breathtaking.”
Weiss will lead a teaching demonstration at the gallery on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. with a special focus on how to start a painting. If interested, call 967-7565 to register and request a materials list.

From the Ground, Up will be on display daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is free to the public; park entrance fees apply.
The artist holds a reception on opening day from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
For more information, see volcanoartcenter.org, call 967-8222, or email gallery@volcanoartcenter.org.

USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT is having a Rural Energy for America Program Grant information session a week from today on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at the Federal Building in downtown Hilo at 10:30 a.m. The session will highlight application eligibility and application requirements.
Space is limited. Contact John Antonio, Business Programs Specialist, at 933-8318 or john.antonio@hi.usda.gov to sign up.

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

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Hawai`i County Council has taken the first steps toward preserving Kahua `Olohu Makahiki grounds in Na`alehu. Map from Public Access, Open Space & Natural Resources Preservation Committee

KA`U RESIDENTS WHO TESTIFIED about Kahua `Olohu before Hawai`i County Council’s Finance Committee on Tuesday supported purchase of the Na`alehu Makahiki grounds by the county. Ka`u’s Council member Maile David introduced a resolution authorizing the county to begin negotiations on the acquisition, and the committee unanimously approved it.
Beverly Byouk spoke as a representative of the Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka`u. Property owners allowed club members to visit the parcel recently. Byouk said it was “a very, very personal experience. Being there at the site of what Mary Kawena Pukui identified as Makahiki grounds, you could almost hear the crowd, the spectators watching the Hawaiian games. And it’s something that inspired our club to take a real interest in this parcel because it just totally dovetails with our club mission … Ho`omalu, Ho`omau, Ho`opi`i, Malama, which means To Protect, Perpetuate, Promote and Preserve the Hawaiian culture as Hawaiian assets.

Ka`u's Hawai`i County Council member Maile David introduced
a resolution calling for preservation of Kahua `Olohu.
Image from Hawai`i County

“Looking at this parcel of land, ... you can see the wonderful opportunities in the future to have educational programs and cultural programs for our local schoolchildren, for our community residents, to bring back the Makahiki, to have Hawaiian games. …

“We feel that this is something that the whole community could participate in.”
Byouk said the site could bring people to Ka`u as cultural tourism and help Ka`u’s economy.
Keoni Fox, who has long ancestral ties to the area, discussed the importance of Makahiki. He described it as a “time of peace and festivities, … including games of all sorts, particularly boxing. The Makahiki rituals were the most elaborate and complex in the Hawaiian religion. For farmers, this was a time to pray for rain. It guaranteed abundance of food, and for the chiefs, this was a time to levy taxes on the people.
“Makahiki games brought people from all over the island and beyond. Here at the Kahua `Olohu, skilled competitors displayed strength, courage and wisdom, and their successes brought honor to the families and chiefs. In addition to accommodating ceremonies involved with the Makahiki, this specific property served as a track for bowling games.
“Although the property is relatively flat, there is a high, rocky outcrop overlooking the track, which seems to have served as a natural amphitheater or viewing area. On the surrounding properties, there were additional sports and training areas specifically for warriors and students of ... Hawaiian martial arts.
“As native descendants and cultural practitioners, we are hoping to work with other community organizations to revive Makahiki on the property. …
“We believe that this effort will honor our kupuna while also presenting amazing opportunity to educate the community and reconnect through traditional sport.”

As the organization's president, Lehua Lopez Mau spoke for Ho`omalu Ka`u, which is working to build a cultural center north of Ocean View. Lopez Mau quoted a state archaeological survey that said Kahua `Olohu, because of its connection with the Makahiki Festival, is directly related to an important religious event in the Hawaiian calendar. As such, “The property would appear likely to qualify for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places as a traditional, cultural property,” Lopez Mau read. She said Ho`omalu Ka`u would be interested in stewarding the area, reviving Makahiki practices and promoting educational activities there.

Albert "Al" Lolotai Photo from PFHOF

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AL LOLOTAI, FATHER OF RICH LOLOTAI, an owner of a Pahala Plantation Cottage, will be inducted to the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame.

A coach and contributor to Polynesian football history, Albert “Al” Lolotai is listed as the First Polynesian to Play Professional Football. He is of Samoan ancestry. Lolotai and other honorees will be honored during the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend, to be held on January 23 and 24, 2016 on O`ahu.
Lolotai played for the Washington Redskins and Los Angeles Dons. He later became a professional wrestler. His son Rich, who restored one of the Pahala teachers’ cottages moved from the campus to Kamani Street, has his own football history. He played for Yale in college and later in the Canadian Football League.
Inductees were chosen by a selection committee composed of past head football coaches Dick Tomey (Chairman), LaVell Edwards, Ron McBride and Dick Vermeil, ESPN SportsCenter anchor Neil Everett, NFL player personnel expert Gil Brandt, past NFLPA president and Inaugural Inductee Kevin Mawae and Hawai`i sportscaster Robert Kekaula.
For more information, see www.PolynesianFootballHOF.org.

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MADE IN HAWAII WITH ALOHA has new logos, limited license agreements and guidelines for use.

Responding to requests to use a logo to identify products that are “Made in Hawai`i with Aloha” and comply with state law, the state Department of Agriculture has created a Limited License Agreement to use the logo to promote goods that are made in Hawai`i. There is no cost to use the logo. However, the agreement must be completed and submitted along with the Formula Worksheet for approval by the Chairperson prior to logo use.

For more information, email Hideki.Yamane@hawaii.gov.

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TRINETY CRAPSER, OF OCEAN VIEW, was sentenced yesterday to 20 years with the Department of Public Safety, reported Graham Milldrum in West Hawai`i Today. At least two of those will be in prison.
Crapser was arrested in January 2014 after Discovery Harbour resident Trudi Grentz alleged that Crapser, wielding a hatchet, attacked her when Crapser tried to start Grentz’s car parked along South Point Road. Crapser’s accomplice, Kainoa K. Kahele-Bishop, also of Ocean View, was sentenced to up to 20 years in prison last November.
Following her arrest, proceedings for Crapser were suspended pending a mental health examination. She was found to be able to understand her actions.

Crapser was charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, third-degree assault, first-degree attempted unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle and second-degree attempted assault. She originally pleaded not guilty to first-degree robbery but changed her plea to guilty in a deal that drops all other charges.
See westhawaiitoday.com.

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KA`U FOOD PANTRY, INC. has moved food distribution from Ocean View Community Center to St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Ocean View. The next distribution is on Tuesday, Oct. 27 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Ka`u Food Pantry Board President Karen Pucci asks all of participants to respect the grounds where this will be held. She also said olunteers are always needed and welcomed, beginning at 9 a.m. on monthly distribution days. The Pantry holds a fundraising event on Saturday, Oct. 24 at Ocean View Swap Meet from 8 a.m. to 1 pm. “Please come down and support us and pick up some yummy home baked goods,” Pucci said.
Ka`u Food Pantry, Inc. is staffed entirely by volunteers and is a nonprofit agency whose mission is to feed the hungry of Ocean View. “We are currently feeding 150 families,” Pucci said. “Our program is designed to provide one to three days worth of nutritious food to help people who run short of money, benefits and/or food by the month’s end.”

Donations of non-perishable food items and funding are welcomed. Food drop off locations are at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church on Paradise Circle, Grandma’s Closet next to Malama Market in Ocean View and the Na`alehu Methodist Church.

Checks or money orders can mailed to Ka`u Food Pantry, PO Box 6184, Ocean View, HI 96737. Cash donations may be tax deductible.

Ka`u Food Pantry is also a member of the Amazon Smile program, where .5 percent of sales are donated to the organization. As a nonprofit, the Pantry is able to purchase food from Hawai`i Food Basket at 18 cents per pound. One dollar can buy a half-case of food.

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TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO BUY tickets in advance for tomorrow’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range at Hilton Waikoloa Village from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event features producers from around the island, including Ka`u’s Kapapala Ranch and Kuahiwi Ranch. Attendees can meet producers at indoor and outdoor booths.

Purchase tickets at tasteofthehawaiianrange.com for $45 until 11:59 p.m. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover cards are accepted. At the door, tickets are $60.

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

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Islandwide newspapers reported on Ka`u Coffee growers' lack of land security today. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

KA`U COFFEE FARMERS’ LAND SECURITY made the islandwide newspapers this morning as John Ah San, President of Palehua Coffee Cooperative, expressed the fear of rising lease prices and possible evictions from fields in Moa`ula and Pear Tree.
According to a story by Bret Yager published in West Hawai`i Today and Hawai`i Tribune-Herald, the company planning to buy the land wants to subdivide it. “My goal is to get the coffee lands subdivided out so the farmers can own their own coffee farms,” Jim McCully told Yager. McCully, who is in the profession of subdividing land, is described as a partner with the Colorado-based Resource Land Holdings. He operates out of Hilo.

Ka`u Coffee growers, who are currently exploring options that would allow them to purchase the land as a group, have said that if the land is subdivided, and roads, utilities and other infrastructure installed, many would not be able to afford the purchase. Most of the farmers already own their own homes in Ka`u and travel from the villages to their farms.
Ah San told Yager, “I think if they are not willing to bend and meet the farmers, if they are going to try to break the land up and sell it off to gentlemen farmers, I don’t think it’s going to fly.”

Malian Lahey

Another issue is RLH’s proposed increase in license fees from the current $150 per acre per year to $600, with additional increases in the future. “I would say that tripling the rent is beyond the point of abusive,” coffee broker and diversified farmer Malian Lahey told Yager. She also objected to the license stating that RLH would own the coffee trees, telling Yager that taking possession of coffee trees that the farmers planted themselves is against Hawai`i law. Farmers stated at their recent meeting that they cannot purchase tree insurance if they don’t own the coffee trees and pointed to their expired licenses with former sugar company C. Brewer that led them to believe they own the trees.
McCulley said RLH isn’t trying to take possession of the coffee trees. He also said the company would have legal right to ownership of the orchards, “the same as any other plant with perennial roots that have been growing for more than a year,” Yager reported.
Coffee grower Joan Obra and Miguel Meza, who markets Ka`u Coffee, partnered with UH College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources to develop a risk assessment based on increased license fees. The detailed analysis showed break-even scenarios for the farmers given their land cost and coffee berry borer risks. According to their study, the CBB population is increasing, requiring growers to spend more money on control measures. With such expenditures and increased license fees, it becomes more likely that some growers could quit and abandon farms, making the berry borer more likely to spread to other farms, sending the entire industry into a downward spiral.
McCully told Yager, “We’re not trying to take the licenses away; we’re trying to write licenses so they can stay and farm the land. And if they don’t want to, we want others of their brethren to come do it.”
McCully said, “There’s some good business up there. We want to promote it; we want it to expand. We’re not going to be foolish; we’re not going to kill the goose.”
McCully also told Yager that RLH’s license proposals would allow farmers to gain financing in a way they could not under previous arrangements. RLH is proposing licenses that are fixed for 10 years and negotiable for five more.
At a meeting on Sept. 27 about the farmers’ lack of land security, state Rep. Richard Onishi asked representatives of current owner Lehman Brothers, of New York, and RLH whether they would consider selling the land to the farmers. Tom Yeh, a Hilo attorney representing Resource Land Holdings, said he would take the question back to his client.

See westhawaiitoday.com and hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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Curt Cottrell

CURT COTTRELL, A 25-YEAR-LONG EMPLOYEE of Hawai`i Department of Land and Natural Resources, has been chosen as the next Administrator for its Division of State Parks. Cottrell replaces Dan Quinn, another veteran manager, who recently retired.

DLNR Chair Suzanne Case said, “Curt’s selection to lead State Parks capitalizes on a long list of accomplishments and experience, as he has worked in a variety of capacities since joining DLNR in 1991. He has developed a deep understanding of policy, regulation and community engagement through the years. I’m delighted Curt will build on the leadership created by his mentor, former State Parks Administrator Dan Quinn.”
Cottrell’s work mirrors his personal avocations. “My leisure activities keep me centered and connected to Hawai`i’s unique and diverse outdoor environment, and include cycling, kayaking, trail running and outrigger canoe paddling,” Cottrell said.
“I am passionate about fostering, in my kids and future generations, a sense of appreciation for Hawai`i’s natural and cultural resources that are really exemplified in Hawai`i’s state trails and parks. It is a rare privilege to now be in a leading stewardship position to care for parklands that encompass Hawai`i’s most unique and precious natural and cultural resources.”
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Logan Kahele-Bishop

THE MOST RECENT EDITION of the Crime Stoppers television program Hawai`i Island’s Most Wanted highlights a Na`alehu man wanted for questioning in a robbery. The new episode begins airing today on Na Leo O Hawai`i Community Television Channel 54 at 5:30 p.m. The program also airs on Sundays at 5 p.m.

In it, police ask for help in locating 25-year-old Logan Kahele-Bishop, who is wanted on a bench warrant for violating probation and for questioning in connection with a robbery in Ocean View on June 9. He is described as 5-foot-10, 160 pounds with dark brown hair and brown eyes.
Police ask anyone with information to call the department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311 or Crime Stoppers at 961-8300. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential. Crime Stoppers does not record phone calls or subscribe to caller ID.
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KA`U HIGH GIRLS VOLLEYBALL TEAMS’ winning record continues this month. On Friday, Oct. 2, the varsity team traveled to St. Joseph and won 25-11 and 25-14.

On Tuesday, Oct. 6, both teams pounded Parker. Varsity scores were 25-9 and 25-15. Junior varsity kept their rivals’ scores to single digits, 25-5 and 25-9.

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HAWAI`I PUBLIC RADIO, which serves Ka`u at KAHU 97.1 FM, launches its semiannual on-air fundraiser on Tuesday, Oct. 13. The original campaign goal for “Celebration 2015” of $978,000 was 25 percent lower than the goal for the drive just one year ago, due to the increased participation in the station’s monthly subscription-based model known as Sustaining Membership. A record amount in early donations has further reduced this fall’s on-air goal and the current estimate of what remains to be raised in pledge calls and online donations is $825,000.

Michael Titterton

President and General Manager Michael Titterton said, “HPR is financially and operationally healthier than ever, but the lowered goal for this drive came about not because the costs of running a statewide network or purchasing national and international programming have come down. The real engineers of this happy event are our more than 3,300 Sustaining Members and 958 Early Bird donors who have taken to heart the idea of public radio.
“We trust that our enthusiasm for the future will be matched by those who appreciate HPR’s commitment to community building. We don’t set a time limit on these drives; rather, we simply suggest to those who derive a good time from our broadcasts that this is a good time to show their support and ask that they help us make good time toward the goal.”
To donate, call toll-free at 877-941-3689 or see www.hawaiipublicradio.org.
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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. at Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Free. Call 985-6011 for more information.

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

For Affordable Computer Help, call John Derry at 936-1872.

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Volcanic features from 1868 eruptive fissures are some of the highlights of a guided hike tomorrow at Kahuku. See details below.
NPS Photo by David Boyle

MAKAI PASTURE LANDS BEING PURCHASED at Waikapuna by Colorado-based Resource Land Holdings should be subdivided for ranching, according to Jim McCully, who is described as a partner with RLH and is in the profession of subdividing land.

Buyers are considering subdividing portions of Waikapuna
into 50- to 200-acre ranching parcels.

McCully told Bret Yager, of West Hawai`i Today, that the land could support ranches from 50 to 200 acres in size. He also suggested that a feed lot could be built there “to finish and add value to beef,” Yager reported.
According to Joel LaPinta, the local representative of Kennedy Wilson, which is marketing the parcels owned by Lehman Brothers, local ranchers have expressed interest in the property.
Yager also reported that McCully said portions of Waikapuna on the Ka`u Coast contain sensitive archaeological areas “that should be protected under Nature Conservancy easements.”

See westhawaiitoday.com.

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Danger of falling trees has closed Namakanipaio Campground.
Photo from hawaiivolcanohouse.com

NAMAKANIPAIO CAMPGROUND and cabins in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park are closed until further notice due to several large and hazardous eucalyptus trees that recently fell. Recent heavy rain and strong winds contributed to the downing of the trees.

The park and Hawai`i Volcanoes Lodge Company, LLC, which manages the campground and cabins, are completing an assessment and will determine when the campground can safely reopen.
Kulanaokuaiki Campground remains open on a first-come, first-served basis and is currently free of charge. Reservations are not required for Kulanaokuaiki. The backcountry campgrounds along the coast, at Napau Crater Overlook, Pepeiao and on Mauna Loa remain open, and backpackers can obtain backcountry permits at the Visitor Emergency Operations Center up to 24 hours in advance. The backcountry office is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause for park visitors and the community who enjoy Namakanipaio,” Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando said. “Safety is our number one priority in the park, and we do not want anyone to get hurt.”

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Keola Wong

KEOLA AWONG IS THE NEW SITE MANAGER for the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. She will oversee staff and visitor programs in the 116,000-acre unit, which is open to the public on weekends from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Awong has served as the park’s cultural anthropologist since 2005 and will continue to serve as the park’s liaison to the native Hawaiian community. She holds a Master of Arts degree in American Studies and graduate certificates in Museum Studies and Historic Preservation from the University of Hawai`i at Manoa. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology with a minor in Hawaiian studies from UH-Hilo. She began her career in the national park as a fee collector in 1999.

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HEALTH INSURANCE RATES ARE INCREASING for 2016 Affordable Care Act individuals and small groups.
Rate changes approved by Hawai`i Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Insurance Division for 2016 vary by plan type. The rates are expected to affect approximately 34,000 individuals currently purchasing health insurance on their own through the ACA marketplace. Small group rates apply to plans for businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees.
“We were extremely concerned by the requested increases by insurers for 2016 ACA individual plans,” Insurance Commissioner Gordon Ito said. “Nobody likes to see prices go up for the individual consumer. However, upon close review of the carriers’ expenses, benefits paid and other considerations, our rate analysts and actuaries found premium increases were necessary for the carriers to cover their costs, enabling them to continue to pay their customers’ claims.”

Hawai`i DCCA has approved health insurance rate increases.
Chart from DCCA

The Insurance Division found several reasons for the 2016 rate increases. These factors were “pent up demand” for services sought by previously uninsured individuals, transitional plans and previously low penalties for ignoring ACA’s individual mandate keeping healthy populations out of the marketplace, high cost specialty drugs and ACA taxes and fees.
A 2015 report by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services showed average Hawai`i health premiums for individual ACA plans are among the lowest nationwide. At an average cost of $289.64, before marketplace tax credits or subsidies, Hawai`i was the 45th state in terms of average monthly premiums. By contrast, average monthly premiums in the most expensive state to purchase health insurance in were $522.73.
Individuals and small businesses are encouraged to review and understand the offered ACA plans and to check their eligibility for premium tax credits prior to the open enrollment for individuals on Nov. 1, 2015.

A hale at right, erected by Thirty Meter Telescope opponents,
still stands near Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station.
Photo from MKVIS

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HAWAI`I’S THIRD CIRCUIT COURT invalidated the Mauna Kea emergency rule that restricted access from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The state Department of Land & Natural Resources adopted the rule, and Gov. David Ige signed it, in July. The action followed blockades on the summit access road by people and rocks placed to restrict access by crews attempting to begin construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope. Fourteen people have been arrested for violating the rule since its implementation.

“The state acknowledges the court’s decision and will abide by it,” Attorney General Douglas Chin and DLNR Chair Suzanne Case said in a statement. “We remind people traveling to Mauna Kea that even in light of today’s ruling, existing laws and rules remain. It is always illegal to block the road. This includes standing in the road or placing obstructions in the road. These laws will continue to be enforced.”
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Tropical Storm Nora, heading west, is forecast to turn north
before reaching Hawai`i. Map from NOAA

THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER in Miami, Florida is issuing advisories on Tropical Storm Nora, located about 1,310 miles east-southeast of Hilo at 8 a.m. Nora is expected to cross the 140 west longitude into the Central Pacific Hurricane Center’s area of responsibility this evening. Nora is expected to turn north and northeast, well east of the Hawaiian Islands.
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HAWAI`I ISLAND POLICE ALERT the public about apparent lottery scams that have resurfaced.
A Hilo resident received a letter from the “International Lotto Commission,” which purported to originate from Madrid, Spain. It claimed the recipient had won more than $4.5 million in a lottery held by the “The World Lottery.”
The letter and variations of it request that in order for the winner to receive payment, either a processing fee must be sent to a “security company” in Spain or the winner should contact the lottery agent and provide financial account information so the funds can be deposited.
Similar scams proliferate via the Internet, through emails and on social networking sites and have become a more effective attempt by criminals in victimizing unwary individuals because of their far-reaching impact.
“While people are becoming more aware of these scams and are more vigilant in prevention from becoming a victim, there are those unsuspecting individuals who still fall prey to these scams,” said Lieutenant Gregory Esteban, from the Police Department’s Area I Criminal Investigations Section. “If anyone receives an unsolicited letter or email that promises them a financial award in exchange for disclosing personal financial information, do not send any money or respond.” Instead, intended victims should call the Police Department non-emergency line at 935-3311.

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Support Friends of the Ka`u Libraries by purchasing tote
bags, books, T-shirts and baked goods next Saturday.
Photo from FKL

FRIEND OF THE KA`U LIBRARIES are planning their booth at Ka`u Plantation Days to be held a week from today on Saturday, Oct. 17. They will be selling books, baked goods, FKL T-shirts and tote bags. “We welcome donations of baked goods and volunteers to help that day,” President Ann Fontes said. Drop off baked items Saturday morning from 8 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. to ready when the parade ends around 9:15 a.m.

Members are needed to march in the parade, which starts at Pahala Community Center. Members should wear their Friends T-shirt. They can call Doris Davis at 928-0919 to purchase one. Meet at Pahala Community Center at 8:30 a.m.
Volunteers are also needed the day of the sale for set-up from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.; sales shifts, 9 – 10:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., 12 – 2 p.m. and 2 p.m. on; and take down, including sorting and packing unsold books.
Baked goods must be packaged, with nuts and fruits listed for individuals who may have food allergies.
For additional information, call Fontes at 987-7448.

A GUIDED HIKE OF PALM TRAIL takes place tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The trail is a moderately difficult 2.6-mile loop traversing scenic pastures along an ancient cinder cone, with some of the best panoramic views that the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park has to offer. Highlights include relics of the ranching era, sections of remnant native forest and volcanic features from the 1868 eruptive fissures.

Free. Call 985-6011 for more information.

FRIENDS OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES National Park take their monthly Sunday Walk in the Park tomorrow from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Nick Shema guides this walk exploring the park’s summit. Free for Friends members; non-members can join in order to participate. Registration is required at admin@fhvnp.org or 985-7373.

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

For Affordable Computer Help, call John Derry at 936-1872.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_October2015.pdf.

Tropical Storm Nora, southeast of Hawai`i Island, will turn north before becoming a hurricane, forecasters say. Map from NOAA

HAWAI`I HEALTH CARE professionals disagree about recently announced insurance rate increases for 2016 Affordable Care Act individuals and small groups. Some rates are going up by as much as 34 percent.

“It’s a mistake. It’s very shortsighted to raise premiums excessively right now," Jeff Kissel, executive director of the Hawai`i Health Connector, told Honolulu Star-Advertiser reporter Kristen Consillio. “It’s really targeted at the working class. It’s a huge burden on them, and I don’t think it’s fair.”

Information about health insurance plans is available at healthcare.gov.

According to Consillio, individuals not covered by an employer and those whose incomes are too high to qualify for Affordable Care Act subsidies or Medicaid are the most affected. Early retirees who are not yet 65 are also affected because they are not eligible for Medicare.
“The average worker is suffering the rate increase a lot more than the person who is receiving subsidized health care,” Kissel told Consillio. “For the 39 percent who don’t (qualify for subsidies), they’re paying the full amount of the increase, and they don’t get a tax deduction. When you look at normal people who aren’t able to have employer-paid insurance and aren’t eligible for subsidies, it’s going to be more of a challenge for normal middle-class people to afford it.”
A Health and Human Services spokesman who asked not to be further identified told Consillio that Affordable Care Act plans have more benefits and the program has helped many more people have insurance.
“Prior to the Affordable Care Act, we lived in a world where double-digit premium increases were the norm, and that was often for inferior policies and policies that charged a higher premium or denied coverage to consumers entirely due to a pre-existing condition,” the HHS spokesman said. “The Affordable Care Act overhauled the way insurance companies treat consumers by requiring insurers to cover people with pre-existing conditions, ending discrimination based on gender and allowing only limited variation in premiums based on age.

“Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, all Americans can shop around for the best deal on the marketplace regardless of their medical history.”
See staradvertiser.com.
Information about health insurance plans is available at healthcare.gov.

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CAMPING ON MAUNA KEA CONTINUES to be prohibited. As a follow-up to Friday’s court decision invalidating the emergency rule prohibiting overnight presence along the upper Mauna Kea road corridor, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources reminds people that camping in forest reserves and public hunting areas without a permit remains illegal under Hawai`i Administrative Rules.

Additional rules pertaining to activities in all state forest reserves and public hunting areas include using motor vehicles without due caution for the rights or safety of others or in a manner that endangers any person or property; camping or residing or any construction, improvement or occupancy or use of any structure within a forest reserve without a written permit from the State Board of Land and Natural Resources; damage or disturbance of any property of improvement; and disorderly conduct that creates a hazardous or physically offensive condition by any act which is not performed under any authorized license or permit.
In Natural Area Reserves on Mauna Kea and elsewhere, Hawai`i Administrative Rules prohibit the removal, damage or disturbance of any geological or paleontologic features or substances.
DLNR stated that it will continue to enforce these regulations.
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TROPICAL STORM NORA was 930 miles east-southeast of South Point and moving west as of 11 a.m. Although it continues to strengthen and is forecast to become a hurricane late today, forecasters at the Central Pacific Hurricane Center expect Nora to turn north, then northeast, with Hawai`i several hundred miles away from its path.

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ASTRONOMER LEW COOK DESCRIBES stars and constellations visible this month in Stars Over Ka`u, his monthly contribution to The Ka`u Calendar.

“Venus is a morning star and can easily be seen before sunrise, after it rises just after 3 a.m. on Oct. 15,” Cook wrote. “Mars is in Leo, too, but is far from the Earth in the constellation Leo. Jupiter also is in Leo and won’t make its face seen before 3:30 a.m. On the morning of Oct.15, Jupiter and Mars form a cute little triangle with Chi Leo, a fourth-magnitude star, and continues on the mornings of Oct. 18 and 19. But you must get up early to see them, between 4 a.m. and morning twilight.
“All three of these planets get together near each other near the end of the month (but not as close together as Mars and Jupiter on Oct. 18) Then they will be about six degrees apart, while on Oct. 18 Mars and Jupiter are about half a degree apart. Saturn is up in the west as it gets dark but sets around 8 p.m.
“Some of the constellations may be new to some of you; for example, Camelopardalis, a faint tracing of stars in the northeast. This is a giraffe, possibly watching out for Leo, the lion. Leo won’t rise for hours and is probably distracted by the antics of Mars, Venus and Jupiter around its feet. There’s also a ram (Aries), a bull (Taurus), a whale (Cetus), two fish on a stringer (Pisces), one fish swimming freely (Pisces Australis) and an old goat (Capricorn). The flying critters are busy flapping or soaring across the sky. There’s Cygnus the swan that has been gliding, or soaring, across the sky since summer, along with the eagle, Aquila.
“There’s also the crane, Grus, taking off upwards. Meanwhile, the toucan sits blithely by watching from his perch while the phoenix rises from its ashes. Meanwhile, the flying horse, named Pegasus, flies overhead.
“There are people, too. Remember Queen Cassiopeia and King Cepheus? Their daughter Andromeda was to be sacrificed to the sea monster Cetus, but Perseus had other plans. In Greek mythology, there was a monster, Medusa. Just looking at Medusa’s head would turn any mortal being to stone. Averting his gaze, Perseus used his golden sword to slice off Medusa’s head. Keeping his gaze from the severed head, which retained its power, he showed it to Cetus, turning the monster to stone. Then, he rescued Andromeda, who married him.
“There are other people shown in the sky, too. There is the Sculptor who may be looking for his lost triangle; it is north of Aries, the Charioteer Auriga, the departing hero Hercules and old dependable Aquarius, the water carrier. Is the river Eridanus the source of his water, or is what he spills its source?
“Taurus is rising in the east, and the Pleiades are easily visible. Take a look with your telescopes or binoculars. Don’t the Pleiades look spectacular? Do remember to take a look at the Great Nebula in Andromeda, M31.”
See kaucalendar.com.

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KA`U CROSS COUNTRY runner Chloe Gan bested more than half of the 60 female competitors at yesterday’s cross country high school meet at Kea`au. The Trojan earned a time of 24 minutes and 48.86 seconds.

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KA`U HIGH SCHOOL TROJANS’ eight-man football team kept the score close in the first half last night, but Kohala revved up in the second half to close out 27-6. Ikaika Salmo-Grace intercepted the ball and scored Ka`u’s one touchdown in the second quarter.
Kohala takes this years eight-man football title for Hawai`i Island high schools. Last year, Ka`u won the title.
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THE 28TH ANNUAL TRASH ART SHOW, Hawai`i Artists Recycle! is currently on display at the Hawai`i Museum of Contemporary Art at 141 Kalakaua Street in Hilo. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Ira Ono, at right, hosts the Trash Art Show.
Photo from Volcano Garden Arts

The Trash Art Show brings a heightened awareness of responsibility to protect and honor the Earth through recycling.

The museum is free and open to the public (donations are gladly accepted) and is sponsored by the East Hawai`i Cultural Council and Recycle Hawai`i.

“I would like to personally invite you to view the show,” said host Ira Ono, who is considered the father of recycled art in the state and juror to many of the recycled art shows throughout Hawai`i. Ono is proprietor of Volcano Garden Arts in Volcano Village.

SENIOR ID CARDS ARE AVAILABLE tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at St. Jude Church in Ocean View. Call 928-3100 for more information.

KA`U RESIDENT DICK HERSHBERGER brings Hawaiian Volcano Observatory founder Thomas Jaggar to life this and every other Tuesday. A Walk into the Past programs at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. begin at Kilauea Visitor Center and travel to Whitney Vault near Volcano House in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
Free; park entrance fees apply. For more information, call 985-6011.

KA`U PLANTATION DAYS final organizing meeting is Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House, which is the venue for the event this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information, call Darlyne Vierra at 640-8740

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

For Affordable Computer Help, call John Derry at 936-1872.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_October2015.pdf.

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

Fossilized lava trees in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park are part of Hawai`i's fossil history, the topic of tomorrow's After Dark in the Park program. See details below. NPS Photo by Janice Wei

HOW MUCH SHOULD THE STATE PROVIDE to Department of Hawaiian Homelands for their administrative and operational costs? That’s the subject of a story by Sophie Cocke in Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Cocke reports that, according to Hawai`i Attorney General Doug Shin, the amount is $5 million per year. She said Shin based his figure on estimates provided by state Constitutional Convention delegates in 1978, adjusted for inflation.

Doug Chin

DHHL, however, asked for $28 million per year. According to Cocke, the agency said $5 million doesn’t even cover staffing, and DHHL’s needs have increase since the convention.
DHHL Director Jobie Masagatani said, “We, as a state, not just DHHL, we as a state accepted this responsibility to administer this program in the best interest of beneficiaries.”
In Ka`u, DHHL administers lands at Punalu`u mauka, Wai`ohinu and Ka Lae, as well as more than 40 lots in Discovery Harbour. The department is also working on water for South Point residents and ranchers, management of Ka Lae’s archaeological and historic sites as well as recreational areas and environmentally sensitive coastal areas.
There are currently more than 27,000 Native Hawaiians waiting for homestead plots that include residential, agricultural and pastoral parcels, according to DHHL.
See staradvertiser.com.
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KA`U’S STATE REP. RICHARD ONISHI, vice chair of the House Agriculture Committee, is one of two lawmakers who rejected Hawai`i Center for Food Safety’s request for correspondence between them and biotech companies or groups representing their interests, Anita Hofschneider reported in Civil Beat.

Rep. Richard Onishi

According to Hofschneider, Onishi and Ag Committee Chair Clift Tsuji both said they didn’t release the files in part because the “documents are part of legislator’s personal files and/or predecisional in nature.”
The story says three other lawmakers have supplied such requested communications to the nonprofit, but did not name them.
See civilbeat.com.
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HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY scientists review earthquakes and earthquake safety in the current issue of Volcano Watch. Thursday, Oct. 15 marks the ninth anniversary of Hawai`i’s two most recent damaging earthquakes. That day also is the third annual Great Hawaii ShakeOut.

“On Sunday, Oct. 15, 2006 at 7:07 a.m., Hawaiian Standard Time,” the article states, “a magnitude-6.7 earthquake, centered deep beneath Kiholo Bay off the northwest coast of the Island of Hawai`i, shook many residents awake. It was followed minutes later by a magnitude-6.0 earthquake centered nine kilometers (5.6 mi) off the island’s North Kohala coast.
“Damage from these earthquakes was heaviest in the North Kona and Kohala Districts on Hawai`i Island, but impacts were felt across the state, notably with an extended power outage on O`ahu.
“Fortunately, no lives were lost as a result of these earthquakes. Had the earthquakes occurred on a different day of the week, when many people would have been on their way to —or already at — work or school, the outcome might have been much different.
“From a financial viewpoint, estimated damages from post-earthquake assessments amounted to at least $200 million. Though the October 2006 earthquakes were not the largest ever experienced in Hawai`i, they resulted in the greatest earthquake-related financial losses in Hawai`i’s history by far. With continued development and population growth, we can expect future earthquake losses to escalate.
“As we learned in 2006, moderately large earthquakes can be very costly and seriously impact much, if not all, of the state.

An HVO staff member demonstrates earthquake safety. Photo from USGS

“At a societal level, we brace against damaging earthquakes with zoning, building codes and building practices. We use experiences and observations from historical events, combined with the best available technical tools and capabilities, to avoid catastrophic structural failures resulting from earthquakes. Over the years, building codes in the United States have been modernized and upgraded to the point that the likelihood of structural collapse is now considered quite low.
“The collective experiences from 2006 highlighted the particular vulnerability of the post-and-pier type construction that is quite common in Hawai`i’s communities. Inspections that were conducted to determine if homes were safe to reoccupy after the earthquakes led to a series of projects that focused on the seismic performance of post-and-pier construction.

“After an inventory was compiled, a structural engineering team developed retrofit strategies and specifications for strengthening post-and-pier homes. With this engineering information, a software team created a “Retrofit Expert System” (hilo.hawaii.edu/~nathazexpert/expertsystem/flash_path_fix.php) for homeowners to develop appropriate retrofit designs and procure materials and hardware for their home seismic retrofits.

“Home retrofits are an example of what can be done at an individual level, well in advance of an earthquake, to protect our families during strong earthquakes. It is also important to know exactly what to do when the shaking starts.
“Emergency managers, planners and researchers now largely agree that ‘Drop! Cover! Hold On!’ is the appropriate strategy to reduce injury, or prevent death, during large, damaging earthquakes. This was borne out in 2006 by the extent of nonstructural damage, like fallen ceiling panels and fixtures and toppled cabinets and shelves, noted in the post-Kiholo Bay earthquake damage surveys.

“Because we cannot know how strong an earthquake will be at its onset, DROP to the ground any time you feel shaking. COVER your head and neck, and take shelter under a sturdy object, like a desk or table. Then HOLD ON to your shelter until the shaking stops. If there is no nearby sturdy shelter, drop to the floor and protect your head and neck. If possible, crawl to an inside corner of the room and be ready to move, if necessary.
“ShakeOut, first conducted in California in 2008, is now a global earthquake awareness and preparedness exercise. As of this week, almost 40 million participants are registered in worldwide events.
“There’s still time to join the more than 240,000 Hawai`i residents now registered for the Great Hawai`i ShakeOut that takes place at 10:15 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15. In your home and workplace, identify sturdy objects that you can shelter under and then practice Drop! Cover! and Hold on! This will speed up your reaction time when the need to protect yourself during an earthquake is real.”
See hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.
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After turning north, Nora is forecast to again head west and remain
south of Hawai`i Island. Map from NOAA

TROPICAL STORM NORA is zigzagging its way across the Central Pacific. At 11 a.m., it was 735 miles southeast of South Point. While this morning’s forecast shows a turn toward the south of Hawai`i by Friday morning, it also predicts that the storm will continue to lose strength before arriving in the vicinity of Hawai`i.
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BONE UP ON THE FASCINATING fossil history of Hawai`i for National Fossil Day. Although Hawai`i didn’t have dinosaurs, the fossils of Hawai`i are protected in its national parks and include human footprints in volcanic ash, extinct birds and trees entombed by lava flows. Fossil expert Joe Iacuzzo, of the Ka`u Learning Academy, and anthropologist Mark Sledziewski share their expertise on the fossils of Hawai`i and other incredible fossil discoveries from around the world – including dinosaurs. Bring the keiki.
The free program, part of Hawai`i Volcanoes’ ongoing After Dark in the Park series begins at 7 p.m. tomorrow at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium.
Park entrance fees apply. Call 985-6011 for more information.

The final day of sugar in Ka`u is the subject of a film to be screened
at Pahala Plantation Days. Image fro `ulu`ulu

KA`U SUGAR: A TOWN REMEMBERS is one of several films to be screened during Ka`u Plantation Days this Saturday at Pahala Plantation House. The film, which aired on PBS Hawai`i after the mill closed on March 27, 1996, chronicles the last day of work in Pahala. It features interviews with former sugar workers Eddie Andrade, Iwao Yonemitsu and many, many others.

KA`U RESIDENTS CAN TAKE A Walk into the Past tomorrow and every other Tuesday. Ka`u resident Dick Hershberger brings Hawaiian Volcano Observatory founder Thomas Jaggar to life at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. The programs begin at Kilauea Visitor Center and travel to Whitney Vault near Volcano House in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
Free; park entrance fees apply. For more information, call 985-6011.

KA`U PLANTATION DAYS final organizing meeting is tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House.
For more information, call Darlyne Vierra at 640-8740.

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

For Affordable Computer Help, call John Derry at 936-1872.

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf
and kaucalendar.com/Directo4\ry2015.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_October2015.pdf.

Central Pacific Hurricane Center forecasters say Tropical Storm Nora, 515 miles southeast of South Point, will weaken and pass south of Hawai`i. Map from NOAA

SOUTH POINT IS IN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC Hurricane Center’s cone of uncertainty for Tropical Storm Nora. CPHC’s 11 a.m. updated map shows the storm, 515 miles southeast of South Point, heading toward Hawai`i Island. The storm is expected to weaken steadily, turn west and pass south of South Point on Saturday, but its track could change and head further north or south, bringing heavy rain.

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Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park monitors petrels from the air.
Photo courtesy of Jim Denny/hawaiianendangeredseabirds.org

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK has announced flight plans for this month. Management of the park requires the use of aircraft to monitor and research volcanic activity, conduct search-and-rescue missions and law enforcement operations, support management of natural and cultural resources and to maintain backcountry facilities. Dates and times are subject to change based on aircraft availability and weather.

Dates, times and reasons are:

Each Tuesday, depending on weather and project needs, between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. for ungulate surveys and control work in Kahuku between 3,000 and 7,000 ft. elevation;
Mondays, Oct. 19 and 26 between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. for petrel monitoring from the summit of Kilauea to Mauna Loa at about 9,000 ft. elevation;
Monday, Oct. 19 between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. from the Volcano agricultural station into `Ola`a Tract to transport supplies to support ungulate control work;
Tuesday-Thursday, Oct. 27-29 between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. to transport fence materials to the boundary of Kahuku and Kapapala Forest Reserve; and
Thursday and Friday, Oct. 29 and 30 between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. for ungulate surveys in Kahuku between 3,000 and 7,000 ft. elevation.

The park said in a statement that it regrets any noise impact to residents and park visitors.
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U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD, vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, will not be attending the first Democratic presidential candidates’ debate today. Gabbard told Wolf Blitzer, of CNN, that DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz asked her not to attend because she disagrees with the number of debates the DNC has scheduled. Only six debates are currently on the calendar, but Gabbard has called for more.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard was promoted to major.
Photo from Office of Rep. Gabbar

“The issue here is one of democracy, of freedom of speech and defending that which so many have sacrificed and given their lives for,” Gabbard said.

Wasserman Schultz’s office later said Gabbard was not disinvited but asked to focus on the participating candidates.

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U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD WAS PROMOTED in rank by the Hawai`i Army National Guard from Captain to Major in a ceremony at at Punchbowl, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. She was joined by her family, friends and fellow service members and veterans. Former U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka led Gabbard in reciting her Oath of Office.
“Standing here today amongst veterans at the Punchbowl National Memorial Cemetery, I’m again reminded of what aloha truly means,” Gabbard said. “Ultimately, aloha means respect, love and caring. Some people think love and caring means weakness, but I assure you that the exact opposite is true. The truth is, nothing is as strong as love. It was their love for liberty and freedom that gave our country’s founders the courage and strength to fight for independence.
“It is that love for country that motivates our men and women in uniform to be ready and willing to put their lives on the line for the freedom and liberty that is the foundation upon which America stands. Punchbowl Cemetery is sacred. It exudes the aloha of those who have given their lives for America. I am humbled, honored, and inspired to be here with them – and with all of you.”

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U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz

TSUNAMI DETECTION AND WARNING systems legislation unanimously passed the U.S. Senate last week. The bill reauthorizes and enhances tsunami preparedness and increases investment in research to protect coastal communities.
The Tsunami Warning, Education and Research Act of 2015 would strengthen the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s tsunami warning system and advance new research related to improving tsunami detection, forecasting, notification and response.
   The bill “strengthens the national tsunami forecasting program and stabilizes funding available for tsunami warnings and preparedness,” Sen. Brian Schatz said. “It also gives communities the ability to focus on the particular risks they face. In Hawai`i, that means securing our ports, preparing for the specific impacts to areas with a concentration of high rise buildings and looking to Hawai`i’s geological past to identify possible tsunami threats in the future. The earthquake in Chile last month underlines the importance of strengthening tsunami forecasting and preparedness for Hawai`i.”
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Keone Young

WE THE POWERFUL WORKSHOPS are coming to Ka`u on Friday, Oct. 23 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center and from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. Keanu Young, assistant coordinator of Hawai`i State Legislature’s Public Access Room, explains how to influence state laws.

PAR is the Legislature’s non-partisan Legislative Reference Bureau. Providing testimony and keeping up with the bills before the legislature can be done online, with Hawai`i having one of the best interactive systems in the country, particularly for remote communities like those in Ka`u.
Topics include tips and techniques on effective lobbying, testimony and communicating with legislators. Young explains the legislative process, deadlines and power dynamics. He also describes easy to use tools available on the Legislature’s website, capitol.hawaii.gov.
For more information and to register (helpful but not required), call 974-4000, ext. 7-0478, or email par@capitol.hawaii.gov.
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KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN Steering Committee is scheduled to make final recommendations to the county two weeks from today, on Tuesday, Oct. 27. The committee will be acting on its preliminary decisions about CDP revisions based on community feedback. Those preliminary decisions were made during the committee’s August and September meetings. Minutes from each of those meetings are available in the Steering Committee folder at www.kaucdp.info.

Ka`u CDP Steering Committee is nearing the end of its work.

During its Sept. 24 meeting, the committee agreed that it would only consider additional CDP revisions if they are presented with new, verifiable information. In those cases, the committee agreed to address any major issues at a follow-up meeting so that the public is given proper notice.
Once the committee makes its final CDP recommendations to the county, next steps include: Planning Director and agency review ( less than 60 days); Planning Commission public hearings and recommendation (60 days); County Council public hearings and action;
Mayor’s signature; and Action Committee appointed to guide CDP implementation.
The Oct. 27 meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. The meeting is open to the public, and comment on agenda items is welcome.
Ka`u residents can contact Steering Committee members, Community Planning Assistant Nalani Parlin or Project Manager Ron Whitmore with questions. Contact information is available at the kaucdp.info.

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Japanese immigrants sang hole hole bushi as they worked in Hawai`i's
sugar fields. Image from PBS Hawai`i

CANEFIELD SONGS: HOLE HOLE BUSHI is the title of a film to be screened Saturday during Ka`u Plantation Days. In the PBS Hawai`i film, narrator Jake Shimabukuro refers to the songs as Japanese American Blues. He defines hole hole as a Native Hawaiian word for dry cane leaves and bushi as a Japanese term for melody or tune. Issei immigrants brought their music from Japan and changed lyrics to reflect life in Hawai`i.

Shimabukuro compares the music to the `ukulele, which has only four strings, “and because of this, it has a kind of power,” he says. “Traditional hole hole bushi has just four lines of verse, but they tell powerful stories.”
Ka`u Plantation Days is this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House.

Experts share Hawai`i's fossil history at After Dark in the Park.
Image from NPS

KA`U PLANTATION DAYS final organizing meeting is today at 6:30 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House.

For more information, call Darlyne Vierra at 640-8740.

FOSSIL HISTORY OF HAWAI`I is the topic at After Dark in the Park today at 7 p.m. Fossil expert Joe Iacuzzo, of Ka`u Learning Academy, and anthropologist Mark Sledziewski share their expertise on this and other fossil discoveries from around the world.

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

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

For Affordable Computer Help, call John Derry at 936-1872.