Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Monday, March 28, 2016

Those who sign up to participate in May's Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant are eligible to ride in Merrie Monarch Parade this Saturday. See more below. Photo by Lorie Obra

SHOULD RURAL HAWAI`I POWER urban Hawai`i? Life of the Land Executive Director Henry Curtis considers the question on his blog at ililani.media as Ocean View Ranchos residents face the possibility of having an industrial solar project built in neighborhoods there.

“The myth is that there is no wind or sun in populated areas. There is,” Curtis says.

“The first windmill in Hawai`i was built on Alakea Street in downtown Honolulu in the 1820s.

“The best urban wind site on O`ahu hugs the `Aina Haina coastline, coming onshore at the exclusive gated Black Point community at Diamond Head and at Hanauma Bay.

“Other great spots are mountaintops where high voltage transmission lines and towers are already constructed.

Transmission lines carry electricity generated in rural Hawai`i
to more populated areas. Photo from Henry Curtis

“But developers, utilities and politicians always seem to focus on large-scale centralized generation facilities in rural areas which have less apparent political muscle to fight back: Puna, Ka`u, Kahuku.
“The Kohala-Kona area of West Hawai`i is growing in population and has enormous solar energy potential. Using just five percent of the available resources, Kohala from Waikoloa to Hawi has enough wind resources to power the Big Island.
“Instead, developers are seeking to ram new geothermal in Puna.
“Placing generation is areas where the existing generation far exceeds local demand requires reinforcing existing transmission lines and building new transmission lines.
“The rooftop solar industry threatens that centralized path toward the future. Suddenly, communities can generate their own power,” Curtis concludes
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.

POLICE REMIND THE PUBLIC about scams involving phone calls from people claiming to be Internal Revenue Service employees demanding payment and stating that if payment is not made, fines of over $1,000 will be issued. These scammers usually demand payment in the form of a money order.

According to instructions from the official IRS website at www.irs.gov, if you receive a call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, you should record the employee’s name, badge number, call back number and caller ID if available. Call 1-800-366-4484 to determine if the caller is an IRS employee with a legitimate need to contact you. If the person calling you is an IRS employee, call them back. If not, report the incident to TIGTA and to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov (Subject: ‘IRS Phone Scam’).
For more information visit, see www.irs.gov/uac/Report-Phishing.
Police are advising anyone receiving similar calls to avoid giving any personal information or money without verifying that the call is legitimate.

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

Chief Harry Kubojiri

CHIEF HARRY KUBOJIRI ENCOURAGES Ka`u residents to participate in an anonymous Community Satisfaction Survey for the Hawai`i Police Department before the end of this month.
Kubojiri said previous surveys have helped him identify actions the Police Department could take to increase community satisfaction. “This survey is one of the tools we use to improve our crucial partnership with the community by incorporating community feedback into our daily operations,” Kubojiri said. “By comparing the results of this year’s survey with the results of past surveys, we can gauge where we have improved and where we need further improvement.”
In addition to multiple-choice questions, the survey allows participants to make individual comments. “I read every comment,” Kubojiri said. “The more specific the feedback is, the better this department can respond to the needs of our community.”
The online survey is open until 4 p.m. Thursday at www.hawaiipolice.com. It takes about five minutes to complete and is limited to one survey per computer. Respondents’ IP addresses will not be stored in the survey results, and responses will be collected and compiled by an outside source. After the survey period, results will be posted on the department’s website.

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

Hula sisters in Pahala will join hula sisters from Japan at Prince
Kuhio Plaza on Friday at 1 p.m. for a performance during
Merrie Monarch week. Photo by Demetrius Oliveira

HALAU HULA O LEIONALANI, of Pahala, will participate in Merrie Monarch festivities in Hilo this week, performing with Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder at Prince Kuhio Plaza on Friday at 1 p.m. The performance will include hula sisters from Japan who often visit Ka`u and the halau. Ka`u musicians Demetrius, Gene Boy and Matthew will join them.

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

KE KINOLAU O LAKA: The Embodiment Of Laka, Goddess Of Hula opened Saturday and is on display daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sunday, April 24 at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The multimedia exhibit features botanical sketches, pyrography-carved gourds and dyed kapa pieces of Hawai`i Island artists John Dawson, Jelena Clay, Bernice Akamine and Micah Kamohoali`i. The exhibit is open to the public and free of charge; park entrance fees apply.

Kinolau literally translates to “many bodies.” It is a reference to the belief in the myriad forms of the deities that make up the Hawaiian pantheon and that every plant, animal and force of nature, such as wind, rain and snow, is an embodiment of a god.

Volcano Art Center's new exhibit continues into April.
Image from VAC

“This concept encompasses more than ritual and religious belief; it is a way of being in the natural world,” a VAC statement explains. “In Hawaiian culture, Laka is known for creating hula. With hula, a form of storytelling, Laka gave the Hawaiian people a way to record their history and pass it on to future generations. A hula dancer looks to Laka for inspiration before a performance. The dancer is the body – that which is moved; Laka, the inspiration – that which causes movement. The dancer and Laka become one in the dance. The dancer will adorn themselves in the kinolau of Laka, which include `ohi`a lehua,`ie `ie, hala pepe, maile, palapalai and other native ferns.”

Each artist in the exhibition has explored the plant form of Laka by representing it in the art they have created. Both Dawson and Akamine have depicted the plants as botanical portraits. Clay has burned the image of the forms into gourds, and Kamohoali`i has dyed his kapa fabric using these plants.
The plants will also be highlighted in a kuahu (altar) paying homage to Laka. The native lama wood base, adorned by various kinolau of Laka, will be dedicated each Friday of the exhibit by a different kumu hula. Just as each story told through hula can differ and styles of teaching may vary, each kumu hula has their own way of honoring Laka. VAC invites Ka`u residents and visitors weekly to see each kuahu arrangement.

Due to the threat of the `ohi`a wilt, `ohi`a lehua will be intentionally left out of the kuahu in an effort to protect Hawai`i’s natural resources.

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

KA`U’S HAWAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL member Maile David meets with the public today at 6 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. For more information, call 939-7033.

Ka`u young ladies can still sign up to participate
in May's Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant.
Photo by Trinidad Marques

THURSDAY IS THE DEADLINE for Ka`u young ladies to enter the Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant. Contestants will have six weeks to prepare for the pageant. On Saturday, May 14 at 6:30 p.m., Miss Ka`u Coffee, Miss Peaberry and Junior Miss Ka`u Coffee contestants vie for 2016 titles at Ka`u Coffee Mill.

Those who sign up for the pageant this week are eligible to ride in Merrie Monarch Parade this Saturday.
Contact Trinidad Marques at 936-0015 or aliihhhcoffee@yahoo.com to enter the pageant. Donate to the pageant scholarship fund with Julia Neal at 928-6471 or mahalo@aloha.net.

THURSDAY IS ALSO THE LAST DAY to sign up for Kahuku `Ohana Day and be included in the free lunch count. Kids up to age 17 and their families will explore the historic Lower Palm Trail and learn special traditional Hawaiian string figures called hei.
The day of fun and discovery takes place on Saturday, April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Participants must bring their own vehicles for access to the trail. Instructions and directions are given upon registration. Call 985-6019.

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