Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016

The message Harry Kim's granddaughter promoted at Na`alehu Independence Day Celebration worked.
Kim received a majority of votes and will return as Hawai`i County mayor. Photo by Ron Johnson

HANA HOU HARRY. With primary election votes tallied yesterday, Hawai`i County voters chose former Mayor Harry Kim to replace Billy Kenoi, who has reached his term limit. Kim was mayor for two terms from 2000 to 2008. Before that, he served Hawai`i County as Civil Defense administrator for 24 years and Law Enforcement Assistance Agency director for four years.

Kim received 50.4 percent of the vote islandwide. Combining Election Day and absentee votes, the precinct with its polling place at Cooper Center in Volcano Village gave Kim 63.6 percent of votes. For precincts at Ka`u High School, 50.6 percent; Na`alehu School, 50.3 percent; Ocean View Community Center, 46.5 percent; and Miloli`i Halau, 47.8 percent. Average for these precincts is 51.8 percent.

“When I first considered placing my name on the ballot, it was in part due to people asking me to just give them an additional choice in the election,” Kim said. “A choice on a difference in management style, priorities, and just as important, how things are done.

“However, as time went on, some ‘home rule’ issues became more the focus and concerns of many. An issue was the status of the Community Development Plan program and the lack of support felt by especially those who contributed so much of their time on this issue. …
“It became very clear that the issues were not just how … projects were developed, but more importantly, the taking away of the people’s opportunity for input, the role of the local county government and the determination of the kinds of developments that affected their lifestyle and their home. These issues are at the very heart of what we believed to be the role and relationship of the people and their government.”
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Council member Maile David and Mayor Billy Kenoi, wearing lei,
celebrated new playgrounds in Ka`u. Photo by Ron Johnson

MAILE MEDEIROS DAVID CONTINUES as Ka`u’s Hawai`i County Council member. David, of Captain Cook, received 57 percent of votes in Council District VI. Her opponent Raina Whiting received 31.4 percent.

Whiting faired well in her hometown of Ocean View, where she received 303 votes compared to David’s 233, or 52 percent. That precinct, however had the lowest voter turnout – 27.8 percent – of those covered here.

David dominated in other precincts in the South Hawai`i region. At Cooper Center, she received 55 percent; Ka`u High, 79.4 percent; Na`alehu School, 52.5 percent; and Miloli`i, 46.9 percent. Although a few more people voted for Whiting at Na`alehu School, where she teaches kindergarten, higher absentee voting brought David’s count above Whiting’s.
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Mitch Roth won by nearly 400 votes in Volcano, where he participated
in the Fourth of July Celebration. Photo by Ron Johnson

ANOTHER HAWAI`I COUNTY INCUMBENT, Mitch Roth, keeps his job as prosecutor. He received 59.5 percent of votes cast by county residents, while his opponent Michael Kagami received 27 percent. Roth overcame Kagami in South Hawai`i precincts. For Cooper Center precinct, the count was 565 to 166; Ka`u High, 190 to 92; Na`alehu, 324 to 100; Ocean View, 357 to 132; and Miloli`i, 129 to 42.

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KA`U’S INCUMBENT CANDIDATES in state and federal races also won their primary bids.

Sen. Russell Ruderman’s 51.9 percent felled challenger Greggor Ilagan, a Hawai`i County Council member, who racked up 43.5 percent.
Rep. Richard Onishi won state Representative District III with 60.6 percent, compared to opponent Ainoa Naniole’s 29.4 percent.
In state District V, Rep. Richard Creagan was unchallenged in the Democratic Party.
U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard beat her challenger Shay Chan Hodges 77.6 percent to 14.2 percent.
U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz took 80.5 percent of votes, with four opponents each receiving less than six percent each.
See how South Hawai`i precincts voted for these offices in tomorrow’s Ka`u News Briefs.
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Miss Ka`u Coffee, Rochelle Koi, center, joined in the celebration

of 20 years of Ka`u Coffee at last night's classical music concert.

Musicians included (l-r) Ian Parker, Eric Silberger and

Amy Shoremount-Obra. Photo by William Neal

MISS KA`U COFFEE Rochelle Koi supported the industry last night at a classical music concert dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Ka`u Coffee economy following the shutdown of the sugar plantation.

“I’m very proud to come from such a deeply historical agricultural community,” she said. “We’ve come such a long way. We’ve been a self-sustaining community for so long from the sugar plantations to the transition to coffee. We have such a sense of pride and community, and we come together and help one another. I feel that’s one of the most important qualities and strengths that we have in our community here, and we continue to have it, and we continue to push forward with our coffee industry.”
Koi works at her family’s Shaka’s restaurant in Na`alehu and is a Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park ranger. She attends university in Hilo.
During the concert, sopranos Amy Shoremount-Obra and Mikayla Sager, musical director and pianist Carlin Ma, violinist Eric Silberger, pianist Ian Parker and cellist Daniel Lelchuk paired Ka`u Coffee grown in micro-regions of the district with selected performances.

The concert, held at Pahala Plantation House, raised funds for an annual Hawai`i International Music Festival and for improving the broadcast of Hawai`i Public Radio throughout Ka`u.

South Point Resource Management Plan is the topic of a meeting
Tuesday in Na`alehu. Photo from DHHL

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DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS holds a public meeting Tuesday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Elementary School Cafeteria regarding its management plan for lands and resources in Kama`oa. The DHHL 2012 Ka`u Regional Plan identified the need to protect and preserve the natural and cultural sites in Kama`oa as one of the top five priority projects.
DHHL’s Draft South Point Resources Management Plan is available at https://dhhl.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/South-Point-Public-Review-Draft-Plan-to-DHHL_052616.pdf.

Learn about establishment of Hawai`i National Park Tuesday.
Image from NPS

For more information, contact DHHL Planner Andrew Choy at Andrew.H.Choy@hawaii.gov or 808-620-9279.

ON TUESDAY, TRAVEL BACK in time to 1916 with Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Archaeologist Dr. Jadelyn Moniz-Nakamura as she shares the story of the development of Hawai`i National Park. Learn about the individuals who pushed for a park because of their fascination for this place and because they recognized the need for preservation so that future generations could enjoy the fantastic eruptions and magnificent landscapes.

The After Dark in the Park program begins at 7 p.m. $2 donations support park programs. Park entrance fees apply.

REGULAR REGISTRATION for Ka`u Coffee Trail Run ends Tuesday at midnight. Late registration will continue through race morning, Sept. 17, at 6:30 a.m.
The event includes a 5K, 10K and Half Marathon through coffee and former sugar cane fields, macadamia nut groves, eucalyptus forests and grazing pastures, with the Half Marathon reaching an elevation of 3,100 feet.
All races begin and finish at Ka`u Coffee Mill.

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