Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Friday, March 11, 2016

FIVE YEARS AGO TODAY, a tsunami generated by a magnitude-8.9 earthquake in Japan ran up onto shore at Punalu`u before dawn, filling the black sand beach pond with seawater. Waves left the Punalu`u shoreline covered in debris. Volunteers for `O Ka`u Kakou hauled away floating plants sucked from the fishpond onto the beach. The tsunami changed the look of Punalu`u and other shorelines, leaving roots of palm trees exposed. Sand covered pools and rocky areas. Rocks and reefs were exposed at places where they were covered before the tsunami, and fish were found out of water on the rocks and in the sand.

      The night before, campers at Punalu`u Beach Park were cleared, and Punalu`u condominiums were evacuated by 2 a.m. As the tsunami waves failed to reach the resort, inland from the beach, there was no damage.

      In South Kona, the tsunami washed a boathouse from Honomalino Bay out to sea, leaving one wall to float to Miloli`i. The tsunami severely damaged and lifted houses off their foundations in Kapua and Okoe Bays.

      Water washed into the grounds of Hilo hotels and through the lobby of the King Kamehameha Hotel in Kona. Along Ali`i Drive in Kona, Hulihee Palace, just repaired from major earthquake damage, was hit by water from the tsunami filling its basement. Pavement on Ali`i Drive along the seawall buckled and broke, and restaurant furniture from establishments along Ali`i Drive floated out to sea.
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NA`ALEHU SCHOOL GYM WAS FILLED last night with thought-provoking projects and hands-on activities during the annual Math and Science Night. Teachers and staff volunteered time to work with `ohana members and the public, giving insight into their classrooms and providing a fun activity for students and families.

      To read comments, add your own and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.

DETERMINING RIGHTFUL HEIRS to 40 acres is up to families involved in a Ka`u land dispute, Nancy Cook Lauer reported in West Hawai`i Today. At a hearing yesterday, Third Circuit Court Judge Greg Nakamura decided that it is up to families involved in the case to inform their heirs and have them verify claims.

      According to Cook Lauer, when Thomas Okuna sold the land to the Edmund C. Olson Trust, he tried to obtain clear title from relatives, but a public notice to identify family members brought many people forward who claimed ownership of various portions of the property.

      Cook Lauer said that before the hearing began, Abel Lui, who in the past lived at Kawa and claimed ownership there, stood up and shouted, “I am the victim. I’m going to report a crime right here. All you guys are thieves.” He also called Olson “the biggest thief.”

      “The courts have no jurisdiction over this land,” Lui said. “You guys have no business in here.” State sheriffs escorted him out of the courtroom.

      During the hearing, Attorney David Higgins told Nakamura that Olson Trust wants to identify rightful heirs, but determining validity of claims has cost tens of thousands of dollars.
      Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation Attorney Sharla Manley, who is representing some of the family members being sued for clear title, told Cook Lauer, “In essence, the burden shifts to the family members to take care of their own family members.”
      See westhawaiitoday.com.
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HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK has released its Abbreviated Final General Management Plan/Wilderness Study/Environmental Impact Statement. The plan provides long-term management guidance about preservation and use of the park, UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve.
      Over the past several years, many people participated in the planning process through public meetings and formal comments received via mail, comment forms and website forums. The NPS released the Draft GMP/WS/EIS in May 2015. During the 60-plus days that the document was available for review and comment, the NPS received 32 pieces of correspondence on the draft plan. Through the feedback received, it was determined that Alternative Two would remain the preferred alternative and that the management actions it proposes will best guide long-term stewardship of the park.

      “It’s vital to have a comprehensive plan that guides management decisions as we enter into our next 100 years of protecting this extraordinary park for future generations,” Superintendent Cindy Orlando said. Both Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and the National Park Service commemorate their centennial anniversaries in 2016.
      The Final GMP/WS/EIS is in an abbreviated form because comments received during the public review period required only minor responses and editorial changes to the draft. There are no substantial changes to the alternatives or the impact analyses presented in the draft, and Alternative Two remains the preferred alternative. This abbreviated format of the final plan has allowed the NPS to produce a simple, brief document and to avoid costly reprinting of the entire 500-plus-page document.
      The public release of the Abbreviated Final GMP/WS/EIS will be followed by a 30-day no-action period, after which the NPS will prepare a record of decision to document the selected alternative. During the no-action period, the public can provide comments on the plan at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/havogmp. CDs of the documents, as well as the full, abbreviated final document, are available at Ka`u libraries.
      To read comments, add your own and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KA`U HIGH BOYS VOLLEYBALL TEAMS hosted Kamehameha on Wednesday. Junior varsity kept close to their adversaries, but ultimately lost 23-25 and 17-25. Varsity also lost, 7-25 and 12-25.

      The teams’ next matches are on Tuesday, March 15 at 6 p.m. at Waiakea.
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OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY CENTER hosts its monthly pancake breakfast tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES National Park offers free programs this weekend. Participants learn about the vital role of `ohi`a lehua in native Hawaiian forests, its many forms and flower tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. on an easy, one-mile walk.

      On Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., participants explore the area’s rich geologic history in a program called the Birth of Kahuku.

HAWAI`I FARMERS UNION UNITED’ Ka`u chapter and Earth Matters Farm sponsor a sustainable workshop Saturday, April 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The farm is two miles down South Point Road at the corner of Kama`oa Road.

      Richard Perea is a certified Korean Natural Farming instructor. He has developed a technique called Ka`u Natural Farming that is unique to our local area.
      Workshop participants learn how to cultivate their own local microorganisms for sustainable gardening and farming, about the interface between soil and plants, and how to strengthen plants’ ability to receive available nutrients.
      Cost is $25 and free to all HFUU members. A garden-fresh lunch is included.
      For more information and to sign up, call Greg Smith at 443-3300, or email earthmatterskau@aol.com.

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