Ka`u News Briefs, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013

Del Bothof, of Volcano Winery, invites the public to explore the acres of vineyards and fields of tea at the fist annual Harvest Festival on Sunday, September 15, with food, wine, music and tours of the winery. Photo by Julia Neal

THE ANTENNA FOR KAHU RADIO came down yesterday from the pole behind the radio station building on Maile Street in Pahala.  Removal took place under the direction of Christine Kaehuaea, who was manager of the radio station until it shut down earlier this year and she sold off equipment, sold its license to Hawai`i Public Radio for $20,000 and promised to pay vendors and leave the antenna, transmitter and feed line for HPR to restart radio service to the community.

KAHU radio antenna came down yesterday, delaying the broadcast of HPR2 in Ka`u. Photo by Julia Neal

Hawai`i Public Radio CEO Michael Titterton said this morning that he had no idea the antenna was to be taken down. He said that a radio engineer came to the KAHU site over the weekend to make plans to start broadcasting HPR2 to the Pahala area.  He said that HPR planned to broadcast to the town until a space on one or more communications towers could be acquired to provide radio service across the southern part of Hawai`i Island. The owners of the radio building and site offered free rent, until the antenna could be moved.
Taking the equipment means that HPR broadcasting will be delayed until HPR can buy new equipment. “Don’t worry,” said Titterton. “We’ll get her done.”
According to O Ka`u Kakou President Wayne Kawachi, whose volunteers helped take down the antenna, he was told by Kaehuaea that Hawai`i Public Radio no longer needed the antenna. Kawachi said that she asked him for help to take it down.

ELECTIONS ARE COMING UP for School Community Council leaders for Na`alehu School. The first meeting for Na`alehu School started today at 3 p.m. in room 35 on campus. Ka`u High & Pahala Elementary School’s first meeting will be held on Monday, Sept. 16, 2013 at the SCC room, near the School office.

GMO HEARINGS in Hilo yestserday drew Civil Beat reporter Sophie Cocke. She writes at www.civilbeat.com about two bills before the County Council, one by Ka`u’s County Council member Brenda Ford that would ban the growing of Genetically Modified Organisms in this county, giving farmers 30 months to switch over to non-GMO crops. Her bill would also require registration of GMO crops, and violators would face penalties of $1,000 a day and possibly misdemeanor jail time. It would also ban growing of GMO animal feeds.
Council member Margaret Wille’s latest Bill “113 would ban all open air testing and cultivation of GMO crops. The measure exempts current and future genetically altered papayas, as well as the few other GMO crops already under cultivation. The bill requires farmers to register with the county if they are growing GMO crops and to pay an annual $100 fee. Registering the crops is aimed at facilitating the county's efforts to assess whether GMOs cause any harm. Violators of the law would be fined $1,000 a day and they would be liable for court and legal costs associated with any damage to non-GMO crops, neighboring properties or water sources.” says Civil Beat’s summary of her bill.
“Both bills prohibit biotech companies from operating on the Big Island and ban all new GMO crops,” the Civil Beat story says.
“There were few voices representing large biotech companies like Syngenta, Monsanto, Pioneer, Dow and BASF, despite their growing presence in the Hawaiian islands over the past decade. On O`ahu, Kaua`i and Moloka`i, the companies have been experimenting with GMO cops and growing genetically altered seed for export elsewhere. But the multinational biotech companies don’t operate on the Big Island. The proposed bills aim to keep it that way,” notes Civil Beat. See more at www.civilbeat.com.

Ag tourism could include walks to such places as the irrigation systems serving Ka`u farms, like this one above Ka`u Coffee Mill. Photo by Andrew Richard Hara

AN AGRITOURISM BILL was heard today before the Hawai`i County Council. Bill 25, put forth by Puna council member Zendo Kern, would allow “major” and “minor” ag tourism on agriculturally zoned land, with limits on the numbers of visitors. A major ag tourism operation would need a plan approval from the county and would be allowed to entertain up to 30,000 visitors annually. A minor ag tourism operation would be exempt from the plan approval, be required to register with the county, and be limited to 5,000 visitors a year, with a maximum of 100 visitors a week. Compliance would be overseen by county Planning Department review of financial records.
Hours of operation would be allowed only from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. during winter months and 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. during summer months.
Various forms of the measure have been discussed for several years with Ka`u’s County Council member Brenda Ford saying she wants to make sure that neighbors are not bothered by the volume of tourism in agricultural communities. Other concerns have included the idea that ag operations could turn into gift, food and trinket shops, with the ag side of the business neglected.

Cultural exchange between Lana`i and Ka`u took place during Ka`u Coffee Festival at Punalu`u and continues on Lana`i during the week of Oct. 5. Photo by Julia Neal

ON THEIR WAY TO LANA`I, Halau Lei Hula O Leinoalani dancers are raising money by teaching, feeding people. The group earned $600 from a bake sale, $500 from teaching at Science Camps of America this summer in Pahala and are raising more money from donors who are plan to match funding for the travel. The dancers going to Lana`i will fly to Maui and take a ferry from Lahaina. They will take part in a cultural exchange with Lana`i. Lana`i kumu hula Debbie Ryder  brought her dancers from Lana`i, O`ahu and Japan to Pahala for three years for the Ka`u Coffee Festival. “It is time for the dancers in Pahala to be welcomed by Lana`i,” she said. Anyone wanting to donate, can call Jamie Kailiawa at 895-6099. She said the halau also plans a rehearsal performance and dinner as a fundraiser before leaving for Lana`i on Oct. 2.

OPEN HOUSE AT VOLCANO HOUSE takes place tomorrow at the newly reopened hotel, restaurant, lounge and gift shops in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. From 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. coffee and cookies will be served in the lobby. Music will be played by Rupert Tripp, Jr. at the Pa Hula, 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Hula `Auana will be presented by Kupuna at the Pa Hula, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. One-hour History of Volcano House will be shared through interpretive walks, 11 a.m., 12 p.m. and 1 p.m.; and Guest Room Tours will be conducted 12 p.m. – 3 p.m. Parking is available on site and at Kilauea Visitor Center. Park entrance fees apply. For more information about Volcano House visit hawaiivolcanohouse.com or call 1-866-536-7972.

Japanese visitor Ko Ueno tries the new  tea-infused wine at Volcano Winery where a  Harvest Festival is on tap. Photo by Julia Neal

VOLCANO WINERY’s new Harvest Festival will provide the rare opportunity to tour the acres of vineyards, tea garden new fig plantings and greenhouse and vat room of Volcano Winery. The event is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 15 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Pre-sale tickets are $25. The Harvest Festival includes Hawaiian and popular music with Lito Arkangel and other entertainers, heavy pupus and wine. Volcano Rotary Club will sell hulihuli chicken.
The Volcano Winery vineyard grows a variety of grapes, including Pinot Noir, Cayuga White, Symphony, Marechal Foch, Chambourcin. Tea has become an important part of Volcano Winery's business in recent years particularly with the introduction of tea-infused wine, said owners Del and Marie Bothof. The event is limited to 100 persons. Call 967-7772 or see volcanowinery.com.

EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL KICKS OFF tomorrow at Ka`u High School with Seabury Hall from Maui coming to town to play the Trojans. The first-ever eight-man football on this island gives the opportunity for the smaller school teams to score more, run faster and catch more footballs.
Head Coach is Duwayne Ke. Assistants are: Tammy Ke, Kaleo Phillips, Marcus Douglas, Eric Ervin, Donovan Emmsley and Darrel Shibuya. and are raising money for the trip. On Sept. 20, Kealakehe Waveriders come to Ka`u with a 6 p.m. kickoff. On Saturday, Sept. 28 Kamehameha Warriors host Ka`u.  On Oct. 5, the Trojans Play Moloka`i on the Friendly Island. On Friday, Oct. 25, Trojans travel to Kealakehe and on Friday, Nov. 8, Moloka`i Farmers come to Ka`u for  the Trojans' Homecoming and Senior Game night. To donate to the travel expenses for the Warriors, come to the game tomorrow night at Ka`u High School.

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