Ka`u News Briefs May 7, 2013

      Statewide coordinator Dawn Dunbar said she started the Hawai`i Chapter of All-Stars four years ago and opened up on the Big Island this school year.
      All-Stars provides a reliable schedule each day for students, with an hour set aside right after school to complete homework and for tutoring. Homework is followed by two hours of enrichment or sports.
      “Each community we work with is so unique, and it is really interesting to see the different offerings, everything from sports to cooking to `ukulele with Keoki Kahumoku in Ka`u,” said Dunbar.
      Another aspect is teamwork among people with varying talents and skill levels. Thirteen students from Ka`u from general and special education classes will travel to O`ahu over Memorial Day weekend for Special Olympics. The goal, said Doan, is to unify the students onto the same team where they can see they are perfectly capable of working together and can learn to better appreciate and cooperate with one another.
      Recently, a group of general and special education students from Ka`u traveled to a softball tournament on O`ahu, also sponsored by Special Olympics.

U.S. SENATOR MAZIE HIRONO today filed four amendments to the immigration reform bill under consideration by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The measures would reunite Filipino World War II veterans with their families, make it easier for foreign tourists to visit the islands and help Hawai`i’s longline fishing industry to more easily hire foreign crew.

      Hirono said, “These changes would pump millions into Hawai`i’s economy by boosting foreign tourism, make good on our promises to those who served our nation and fix a longstanding competitive disparity between mainland and Hawai`i fishermen.”



      The measures are summarized on the U.S. Senate website as follows: 

      Reunifying Filipino WWII Vets With Their Children (Hirono1) – Although thousands of Filipino veterans were granted citizenship in recognition of their service to the United States in World War II, their children were not granted citizenship. Senator Hirono’s amendment would help eliminate the immigration backlog for the families of Filipino World War II vets seeking citizenship. The amendment is identical to Hirono’s previously introduced bill, the bipartisan Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act of 2013.


      Allowing Hawai`i Fishing Vessels To Temporarily Rotate Foreign Crews (Hirono2) – Because of Hawai`i’s geographic isolation, Hawai`i’s longline fishing fleet faces a unique competitive disadvantage. Federal law requires U.S. fleets to rotate their nonimmigrant foreign crews at foreign ports. While mainland fleets can comply with this crew rotation requirement by rotating foreign crews at ports in Canada or Mexico, Hawai`i-based vessels must make a round-trip voyage of more than two weeks to reach the nearest foreign port. Senator Hirono’s amendment would allow U.S. vessels to temporarily rotate their nonimmigrant foreign crew in Hawai`i through C1/D crew visas, the same flexibility currently available to U.S. ships rotating crew in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.


      Expanding Chinese Tourism By Making It Easier For Chinese Visitors To Visit The Islands (Hirono3) – While Chinese tourists to the United States represent a large and lucrative market, restrictive visa laws prevent them from traveling to the U.S. and spending money in our economy. Visitors from Mainland China currently can only hold tourist visas to the U.S. for one year. Senator Hirono’s bipartisan amendment, cosponsored by Senator Lee, would allow residents of Mainland China to hold U.S. visitor visas for five years and would permit multiple entries to and from the U.S. during this period. This amendment is identical to a key provision of Hirono’s VISIT USA Act, a bill she previously introduced in the U.S. House to boost Chinese tourism to the United States.


      Making Hong Kong Eligible For The Visa Waiver Program (Hirono4) – Senator Hirono’s bipartisan amendment, cosponsored by Senators Hatch and Lee, would designate Hong Kong as eligible to be considered for participation in the visa waiver program for visitors to the United States. The VWP allows citizens of participating foreign countries or states to travel to the U.S. without a visa for stays of 90 days or less, provided they meet appropriate requirements. Currently, 36 countries and Taiwan – a province of China – are VWP participants. Hong Kong must still meet all statutory requirements that every country must meet for inclusion in the VWP. The amendment is identical to a bill previously introduced by Hirono in April 2013.

UNHEALTHY AIR CONDITIONS at Kilauea Visitor Center, Volcano Art Center and Volcano House Hotel kept some visitors distanced during periodic vog alerts yesterday and today. This morning, air became unhealthy for sensitive groups at 6 a.m., improved to moderate and good for a half hour and declined to unhealthy air at 9 a.m. 

      The SO2 reading at 10:30 a.m. in the visitor center area was a red alert 1.40 parts per million. The state Department of Health Guidance on Short-term Sulfur Dioxide exposure says that during a red alert, “Everyone may begin to experience health effects. Members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects. Avoid outdoor activities and remain indoors. If you experience breathing difficulties, such as chest tightness or wheezing, stop activities, use a rescue inhaler and find a place to sit down and rest. Potential health effects not expected, however actions to reduce exposure to vog may be useful.”
      At Jaggar Museum, the most unhealthy air was during a red alert between 6 a.m. and 7:15 a.m. At 10:30 a.m, the air was unhealthy for sensitive groups. Volcano Art Gallery staff said they had the doors closed this morning to keep the clean air in and the bad air out.
      Yesterday, none of the operations shut down, but alerts were coming and going, sometimes reaching the red, unhealthy level. See vog conditions at http://www.hiso2index.info/. Click on Jaggar or Visitor’s Center to see today’s levels and alerts.

A FREE 58-PAGE GUIDE ENTITLED Adding Value to Locally Grown Crops in Hawai`i: A Guide for Small Farm Enterprise Innovation is now available to Ka`u farmers. The guide helps growers add value to all aspects of their farm enterprise and offers resources for further developing their strategies.