Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016

National Geographic videos are available at Hawai`i Department of Land & Natural Resources'
new webpage, DLNR & YOU. See more below. Image from DLNR

PRIVATIZATION OF MAUI’S medical facilities could be a precursor for Hawai`i Island. Gov. David Ige told George Lee, of Honolulu Star-Advertiser, that “similar arrangements” could result in public-private partnerships at Hawai`i Health Systems Corp.’s East and West Hawai`i regions. Ka`u Hospital is part of its East Hawai`i Region.

Gov. Ige suggested that public-private partnerships could work
at Hawai`i Island medical facilities, including Ka`u Hospital.
Photo by Julia Neal

Maui Region facilities are currently moving from state to private operation by Kaiser Permanente.

Ige told Lee there are no immediate plans for Hawai`i Island’s health care facilities to make such a transition.
“We need to focus on making sure that this transaction with the Maui region is successful,” Ige said. “I’m optimistic that we’ll be able to successfully transfer the operations and management for the Maui regions, and then we’ll look at other regions.”
Ige told Lee that Hawai`i Island regions’ managers “have expressed interest in considering partnerships” but that he has not met with any private companies.
HHSC East Hawai`i Region had previously discussed partnering with Adventist Health. Lee quoted a statement from Hilo Medical Center saying, “In East Hawai`i, we continue to believe that we need choice when it comes to determining the best means for delivering health care to our community.”
See staradvertiser.com.
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The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals includes Hawai`i.

THE NINTH CIRCUIT COURT of Appeals has upheld Hawai`i’s practice of holding open primary elections. The Democratic Party of Hawai`i had sued the state office of elections in 2013 and sought to limit participation in the Democratic primary election to registered Democrats only.

In a published opinion issued yesterday, the Ninth Circuit ruled that the Democratic Party did not show that the open primary system burdens its associational rights. The party offered no evidence that the open primary impacted its candidates or messages. The Ninth Circuit noted that Hawai`i’s voters may vote in only one party’s primary election.
“The Democratic Party’s preference for limiting primary participants to registered party members, coupled with the fact that more people vote in Democratic primaries than are formally registered with the Party, is not sufficient to show that Hawai`i’s open primary system severely burdens the party’s associational rights,” the opinion states.
The case, Democratic Party of Hawai`i v. Nago, was originally filed in the federal district court of Hawai`i. In November 2013, Judge J. Michael Seabright ruled in the state’s favor, upholding the open primary. The Democratic Party appealed. The Ninth Circuit heard oral arguments in May 2016.
“The open primary is part of Hawai`i’s commitment to make voting easier and to include more persons in the democratic process,” Attorney General Doug Chin said. “This ruling keeps Hawai`i’s primary elections open to all registered voters, regardless of their formal party affiliation.”
The ruling has no effect on the 2016 primary or general elections.
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HAWAI`I DEPARTMENT OF LAND and Natural Resources has established a special website for information on the upcoming International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress Hawai`i 2016, being held in Honolulu, Sept. 1-10.

“With the IUCN World Conservation Congress, we have an unprecedented opportunity to show and tell the world about the tremendous variety of efforts underway in Hawai`i to protect our natural, historical and cultural resources,” DLNR Chair Suzanne Case said. “The DLNR & YOU webpage will show the world some of what the state and its many partners are doing in the way of cutting-edge conservation work.”
The page is available to anyone, as the new DLNR & YOU brand seeks to extend the notion that everyone is responsible for helping protect Hawai`i’s precious natural resources. It will include DLNR news releases, feature videos, photo albums and links to partner pages and websites.
“We are producing 19 different DLNR & YOU media packages for release prior to and during the IUCN World Conservation Congress,” Case said. “We hope these efforts will give IUCN delegates and some 200 visiting journalists a peek into the broad range of work underway in our island state, directed at addressing a whole host of challenging conservation issues. Additionally, it’s one way to celebrate what’s happening here in Hawai`i; the work of DLNR staff across its 11 different divisions as well as the partnerships with dozens of different organizations and groups.”

Already featured on the site are several videos produced by National Geographic in its partnership with IUCN.

See dlnr.hawaii.gov/iucn.
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Provide input on Hawai`i County's General Plan at forums
next week.

HAWAI`I COUNTY PLANNING Department encourages Ka`u residents to participate in next week’s General Plan Public Input Forums. The General Plan guides the island’s long-range physical development. As part of the comprehensive review of the General Plan, participants will give feedback on alternatives for future growth. The two forums are identical, so residents can participate in the most convenient one.

While the forums are held in Hilo and Kona, Na`alehu Community Center will be a live remote site.
On Tuesday, Aug. 23, the first forum takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at County Council Chambers in Hilo. Then on Thursday, Aug. 25 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., another takes place in Council Chambers at West Hawai`i Civic Center.
More information about the General Plan comprehensive review is available at http://www.cohplanningdept.com/general-plan/.

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Trojans' girls volleyball season begins today.

KA`U HIGH GIRLS VOLLEYBALL teams start their season today at home, hosting Waiakea at 6 p.m. Varsity follows up with another home match Thursday against Hawai`i Preparatory Academy, also at 6 p.m. Both teams then travel to Ehunui in Kona on Saturday for competition beginning at 10 a.m.

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DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN Home Lands holds a public meeting today from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Elementary School Cafeteria. The topic is its South Point Resource Management Plan.
The plan is available at https://dhhl.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/South-Point-Public-Review-Draft-Plan-to-DHHL_052616.pdf.
For more information, contact DHHL Planner Andrew Choy at Andrew.H.Choy@hawaii.gov or 808-620-9279.

JADELYN MONIZ-NAKAMURA discusses the development of Hawai`i National Park today at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
$2 donations support park programs. Park entrance fees apply.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS ATPAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM ANDKAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.