Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Tuesday, July 5, 2016

ED OLSON IS LOOKING for a chief operating officer, reported Janis L. Magin, Managing Editor of Pacific Business News. The 85-year-old owner of Ka`u Coffee Mill, nearly 10,000 acres on Hawai`i Island, the Wainaku Center in Hilo and much more told Magin that he is looking for someone to work alongside him “and be able to just take over when I’m gone. I’d like it to happen during this current year if possible.”

Ed Olson at the 2012 blessing of his Ka`u Coffee Mill. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

      Olson told Magin, “I’d love to find a duplicate of myself. I’m really looking for a fellow with another 15 years in him to take over this operation and run it. Just take over, and let me to stay out of the office. I’ll work with him for a year and just forget the office, so to speak.”

      According to PBN, Olson’s plans call for his agricultural businesses to be sold after his death. He told Magin that he hopes new owners will continue to operate them through long-term leases with his trust, which would be renamed the Olson Family Foundation.

VOLCANO VILLAGE CELEBRATED the Fourth of July yesterday with a parade down Old Volcano Road to Cooper Center on Wright Road. Floats, convertibles, contingents of animal lovers with dogs, politicians, community groups and emergency vehicles braved overcast skies with periods of light, misty rain.

      At Cooper Center, revelers enjoyed craft and bake sales, entertainment, a silent auction and food, food, food. After a short period of rain, the sun came out to dry the dampness.

      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

PROVIDING THE HAWAI`I COUNTY BAND a more permanent status could become a Charter Amendment on the Nov. 8 ballot. The public can weigh in on the proposal at this Thursday’s County Council meeting, which begins at 9 a.m. in Hilo with interactive access from the old Na`alehu courtroom.
      The marching band is a regular at annual Independence Day parades in Na`alehu, held this July 2, and in Volcano, held July 4.

      Although the charter currently exempts band members from civil service laws and pay classifications, the county hasn’t followed those practices for 10 years, Nancy Cook Lauer reported in West Hawai`i Today.

      Hawai`i County Band provides music for special community functions and concerts for public enjoyment throughout East and West Hawai`i. It also performs during monthly concerts at Mo`oheau Park in Hilo and Hale Halawai in Kona.
      Committee meetings originally scheduled for tomorrow take place following the County Council meeting. Public Works and Parks & Recreation Committee meets at 10:30 a.m.; Finance, 10:45 a.m.; and Planning, 11:15 a.m.

      Agendas for and live-streaming of all meetings is available at hawaiicounty.gov.
      See westhawaiitoday.com.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

GOV. DAVID IGE TODAY HOLDS bill signing ceremonies for several laws passed by Hawai`i State Legislature.

      HB 1902 creates the offense of sex trafficking where a person advances prostitution by the use of force, threat, fraud or intimidation or where a minor is prostituted. It classifies sex trafficking as a violent crime and a class A felony.

      HB 1907 requires all law enforcement agencies and departments charged with maintenance, storage and preservation of sexual assault evidence collection kits to conduct an inventory of all stored kits and report to the Attorney General, who is then required to report to the Legislature.
      HB 1897 ensures that all insurers in the state provide insurance coverage for sexually transmitted disease screenings, including HIV and AIDS.
      SB 2319 requires health insurers in the state, including health benefits plans under the Hawai`i Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund and Medicaid managed care programs, to cover reimbursement for contraceptive supplies intended to last for up to a 12-month period for insured.
      SB 2317 requires and appropriates funds for the Department of Health to conduct child death reviews, implement a program to perform maternal death reviews and submit annual reports to the Legislature.
      HB 2772 adopts the preliminary recommendation of the affirmative consent task force, including requiring the University of Hawai`i to train employees and students on sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking policies.

      HB 2489 appropriates funds for a veterans’ services counselor IV position within the office of Veterans’ Services to address problems and needs of all veterans, with a primary focus on female veterans.

      HB 1041 establishes a statewide Game Management Advisory Commission to serve in an advisory capacity to the Board of Land and Natural Resources for policies and criteria regarding public hunting.
      SB 2904 authorizes the Department of Land and Natural Resources to establish and operate aquatic mitigation banks to restore, create, enhance or preserve aquatic habitats or resources as compensatory mitigation.

      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

BLAS IS THE FIRST major hurricane of the Eastern Pacific season. Blas is a category-three hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Additional strengthening is possible tonight.

      The National Hurricane Center reported that Blas is moving toward the west near 16 mph, and this general motion is expected to continue through tonight. A turn toward the west-northwest with some decrease in forward speed is expected tomorrow.

      Blas should remain in a light wind shear environment over warm water for the next 12-24 hours or so, allowing some additional strengthening during this time. While the shear is expected to be light to moderate during the forecast period, the cyclone should move over decreasing sea surface temperatures after 24 hours, which would cause a steady weakening.
      The Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu will take over reporting on the storm when it crosses longitude 140 west, which is forecast to occur Sunday afternoon or evening.

Kameron Moses sets the volleyball. Photo by Brenda Iokepa-Moses

      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

SOUTHSIDE BOYS VOLLEYBALL team celebrated Fourth of July by winning all three of their matches yesterday. The team is participating in the USA Volleyball’s 2016 Boys Junior National Championships in Dallas, Texas. The tournament runs through tomorrow.

      Southside first went up against Southport, of Kenosha, Wisconsin and won in two sets, 25-14 and 25-22. Their next opponent was Maryland’s MVP, which the boys again beat in straight sets, 25-17 and 25-15. AZ Fear tried to instill fear in Southside when the team from Phoenix, Arizona won the second set, but Southside came back in the third set, 25-20, 22-25 and 15-6.

      Today, the team again battled three opponents. Southside had a rematch with Puerto Rico’s Ponce Pumas and won 25-19 and 25-20. Vaqueros, also of Puerto Rico, rode away with a victory in a close match, 28-26 and 27-25. Southside bounced back and hit the Cinci Attack, of Ohio, with scores of 25-21 and 25-19.

      Local team members are Addie and Avery Enriques, of Punalu`u; Kameron Moses, of Pahala, and Nai`a Makuakane, of Na`alehu, all students at Kamehameha in Kea`au, where Guy Enriques coaches them.

      Assistant coaches at the championships are L. Kainoa Downing and Samuel Thomas.
      Southside Boys advance to the gold division quarter-finals as number four seed and play MEVBC, of Maine, tomorrow at 9 a.m. Semi-finals are at 11 a.m., and the championship match begins at 2:30 p.m.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

FOURTH OF JULY VISITORS to Punalu`u were able to enjoy their holiday picnics at new tables. `O Ka`u Kakou donated the tables at one of Ka`u's most popular destinations. Tony Domondon constructed them for the community service organization.

      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

KAPILI MANU AND HAKU HULU are topics tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Park Ranger Noah Gomes teaches about the historic art of catching beautiful and unique birds for featherwork. Participants create small pieces of featherwork for themselves.
      Free; park entrance fees apply.

THE POWER OF SOUL comes to Ka`u Libraries tomorrow. Pam Uyeunten explains how and why the soul can heal and shares practices and techniques at 11 a.m. at Pahala Library and 2 p.m. at Na`alehu Library.

      Call 928-2015 or 939-2442 for more information.

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