Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Saturday, April 2, 2016

Miss Ka`u Coffee Maria Miranda joined Miss Ka`u Coffee, Junior Miss and Peaberry candidates in this morning's Merrie Monarch parade. Photo by Trini Marques

Constant Ka`u Coffee promoters Phil and Merle Becker pitched
their trademark purple tent at Merrie Monarch Festival.
Photo from Aikane Plantation

KA`U PARTICIPATED IN MERRIE MONARCH festivities this week. Miss Ka`u Coffee, Miss Ka`u Junior Miss and Miss Peaberry contestants entering in the May 14 pageant at Ka`u Coffee Mill rode through Hilo in the parade this morning.
Aikane Plantation Coffee Co. owners Phil and Merle Becker hosted a booth at Sangha Hall, one of the locations of Merrie Monarch and cultural displays and activities.

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KA`U FARMERS ARE ASKED to participate in a Request for Information survey for the Hawai`i Farm to School Initiative’s market research. Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui is working collaboratively with the state Department of Agriculture and Department of Education to gather information from the agriculture community for the initiative.

The goal of the initiative is to address supply and demand issues surrounding the purchasing of local food for school cafeterias. The initiative aims to systematically increase state purchasing of local food for school menus as well as connect keiki with their food through the use of products from the local agricultural community. Tsutsui, who is spearheading the initiative, said the RFI is an important first step. “We are hoping to hear from all sectors of our agriculture community – from ranchers to farmers – to provide us invaluable information so that we can assess how viable it is to increase local products in our schools,” he said.
“The department is always looking for ways to improve our partnerships with our local growers,” said School Food Services Branch Director Glenna Shim. “The information gathered through the RFI will assist us in increasing our current capacity to purchase local produce.”

“This is one avenue by which we can continue to support our local famers and local economy through teaching students about their agricultural community by way of their school menu,” said Scott Enright, Chair of the Hawai`i Board of Agriculture.
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HAWAI`I ISLAND JUDGES ARE RECUSING themselves from the trial of Mayor Billy Kenoi, who was indicted on charges related to use of his county-issued purchasing card. John Burnett, of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald, reported that eight of Hawai`i Island’s ten full-time judges have filed certificates of recusal. Another is retiring before the trial is scheduled to begin on July 18. That leaves only Kona Family Judge Aley Auna, Jr., and he is expected to also recuse himself. If he does, “The (state) chief justice (Mark Recktenwald) would appoint a judge from another circuit,” Third Circuit Judge Ronald Ibarra told Burnett.

See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC COMPANIES OUTLINED their plan charting a 30-year course leading to 100 percent renewable energy in Hawai`i. The plan lays out near-term actions to lay the foundation for meeting the most ambitious energy goals in the country, while preserving the flexibility needed to adapt to future advances in technology, changes in policy and reductions in development costs.

Alan Oshima Photo from HECO

The Power Supply Improvement Plan Update has been submitted to the Hawai`i Public Utilities Commission for its review. Based on the update, collectively, Hawaiian Electric, Maui Electric, and Hawai`i Electric Light Company could increase private rooftop solar by more than 250 percent from current levels and 370 percent over 2014 levels, when the companies’ last Power Supply Improvement Plans were prepared; achieve 100 percent renewable energy by 2045, the highest level of any state in the country; and achieve 100 percent renewable energy by 2030 on Moloka`i and Lana`i and by 2040 on Maui and Hawai`i Island.

HECO said that with Hawai`i’s small and islanded power grids, it will remain especially critical to preserve a reliable and resilient power grid to serve customers and support the companies’ clean energy transformation.

Customers will receive the benefits of modernized generation and a smarter power grid better able to integrate increasing renewable energy, a cleaner environment, more programs that offer them opportunities to save, and improved efficiencies throughout the energy system. As a result, inflation-adjusted electric rates can remain stable and relatively flat overall as investments are made on the path to 100 percent renewable energy.
“Our plans show that a 100 percent renewable energy future can be achieved,” said Alan Oshima, president and CEO of Hawaiian Electric Company. “We want to work with parties from all segments of our community – government, business, community and environmental groups – to refine the plans for Hawai`i’s energy future. And while the vision remains the same, a 30-year plan to get there will naturally change, given the rapid development of new technology, changing policy and costs, and other factors.”
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RETIRED HAWAI`I ISLAND Circuit Court Judge Riki May Amano has been selected as the hearings officer to conduct the Mauna Kea contested case hearing relating to the application for the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope, Department of Land and Natural Resources announced. DLNR Chair Suzanne Case issued a minute order to the contested case parties announcing Judge Amano’s selection.

A judge has been selected to conduct a contested case hearing
regarding the Thirty Meter Telescope. Image from TMT

Amano was selected pursuant to Hawai`i Revised Statutes section 103D-304, requiring DLNR to assemble and vet a list of applicants. The list is reviewed by a selection committee, which ranks at least three candidates. The DLNR chair then negotiates a contract with the first ranked person. If the DLNR chair is unable to successfully negotiate a contract with the first ranked person, then he or she attempts to negotiate a contract with the next ranked person. Case was able to successfully negotiate a contract with Amano as the first ranked applicant of the selection committee.
The selection committee consisted of James Duffy, retired Associate Justice of the Hawai`i Supreme Court; Stella Kam, Deputy Attorney General; and Christopher Yuen, member of the Board of Land and Natural Resources.
Amano served as a judge in the district and circuit courts of the Third Judicial Circuit, state of Hawai`i from February 1992 until her retirement in April 2003. She has been recognized annually as a Best Lawyer in America/Hawai`i from 2007 to the present. Amano was born and raised in Hilo and currently resides in Honolulu. She completed her undergraduate education in 1976 with a BA degree in Political Science and obtained her Juris Doctor degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawai`i in 1979. Prior to her appointment to the bench, Amano was a deputy attorney general assigned to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Transportation and Labor and Industrial Relations; and in private practice from 1981 until 1991.

Any comments on and objections to this appointment must be filed no later than 4:30 p.m. on April 15 at DLNR Administrative Proceedings Office, 1151 Punchbowl St., Rm. 130, Honolulu, Hawai`i 96813.
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KILAUEA DRAMA & ENTERTAINMENT Network presents its final productions of The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged) at Kilauea Military Camp Theater in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park today at 7:30 p.m. and tomorrow at 2:30 p.m.

Make reservations at 982-7344 or kden73@aol.com.

Storybook Theater of Hawai`i and its founder Mark Jeffers
will be in Ka`u beginning April 11.

STORYBOOK THEATER OF HAWAI`I and its founder Mark Jeffers present endangered species at Pahala Community Center during Boys & Girls Club on Monday, April 11 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. The public is invited. Other community groups wishing to participate may call Jeffers at 808-335-0712.

For more information about the theater, see storybook.org.

LEARN HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. at Ka`u Youth Center near Na`alehu Community Center. Kupuna Jeannette Howard teaches classes the first and third Sundays of each month. Informal kanikapila stressing songs of Ka`u follow the classes, which are free and open to all.
For more information, call Beverly Byouk at 936-7262.

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