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Ka‘ū News Brief Monday, April 16, 2018

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Wastewater engineer Michelle Sorensen (left) shows preliminary plans for the Nāʻālehu wastewater treatment plant to community members. 
Photo by Julia Neal
OPPOSITION TO LOCATING A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT NEXT TO NĀ‘ĀLEHU SCHOOL was the message delivered last week during three community meetings sponsored by the County of Hawai‘i. Many local residents said they opposed the county purchasing land for the project, next to the school campus, and also objected to the county buying the property from Souza family members who said they do not want to sell it.
     The proposed location is makai of Highway 11 on the Hilo side of the school and involves Papa Souza Ranch, owned by the Souza family who keeps their horses and cattle there. It also involves adjacent acreage owned by the state.
     Those who spoke against the location, including some Nā‘ālehu school teachers and parents of school children, said they worried about the possible fumes and odors from the facility and said it could sicken children, especially those with asthma and other ailments, who are already compromised by vog.
      People talked about the wind that often comes from Volcano and blows through the town, possibly bringing any odors produced by the treatment plant with it. Odor control was discussed by the county representatives who said it will be a component of the design.
Souza family members have grown up practicing for rodeo on Papa Souza Ranch, which is 
tagged as a possible place for the Nāʻālehu waste treatment plant. Photo from Souza family
     Suggestions for other sites included lands makai of the town, which are all large parcels.
     After the meeting, at lease one person suggested abandoning the community sewage treatment plant idea and providing individual septic systems for each lot in the old sugar camp housing. At question is whether individual septic installation would be legal and whether the small lots, with houses and other outbuildings such as carports and dog kennels, could accommodate space needed for septic systems with leach fields. Also at question is whether everyone in the camp housing would agree to septic tank installation and want responsibility for maintaining individual septic systems. In 2004, residents of the old plantation system, voted to switch to a county-owned and maintained sewage treatment system.
     The sewage treatment plant is planned to take the camp housing off sewer lines going to Large Capacity Cesspools, which are illegal nationally. The county, which has taken over the plantation system, could face heavy fines by the Environmental Protection Agency if the old cesspools are kept online.
Aqua color house lots are served by Large Capacity Cesspools, which are now illegal. A sewage treatment plant - one of the proposed sites 
in red - would be constructed to meet EPA requirements and accommodated future growth of the town.
     Wastewater Engineer Michelle Sorensen, a member of the design team from consulting firm Brown & Caldwell, said that 28 sites have been considered for the facility since 2004. She said there is no perfect site. Locations above town would require expensive pumping of wastewater uphill. One site formerly under consideration on the Hilo side of Nā‘ālehu was found to be rich in archaeological and cultural sites.
     The preliminary design calls for treating sewage through four lagoons with wetlands, using natural processes with aeration, microorganisms, plants, trees, and soil to absorb water and waste. Sorensen described the process as less mechanical and less labor and energy dependent than other wastewater treatment plant designs. She also predicted increased control over any odors.
     Several attendees suggested making the sewage treatment plant into a park, a place with gardens and useful to the public. Sorensen said the treatment plant would ideally be on land large enough to accommodate some future growth in the town, as recommended in the Ka‘ū Community Development Plan.
     Souza family members said they had initially thought of possibly selling the parcel to the county but the appraisal was lower than they expected and they changed their minds, hoping to keep the property for the children and grandchildren to use for paniolo activities after school and on weekends.
     People attending last Thursday's meeting came up with slogans, such as Stand by the Souza's, and said it would be a loss for a local family to lose their land to a sewage treatment plant. Many people talked about moving the location farther from town, with more focus on the direction of prevailing winds between the site and the town.
Many sites have been studied for the Nāʻālehu wastewater treatment center.
     In addition to the three meetings, the county sponsored interviews of family members, cultural leaders, school employees and business owners in Nā‘ālehu to ask for their suggestions. Berna Cabacungan Senelly, of E-Plan, which is working on the community outreach, said the county will come back to the community with responses to issues raised after processing all the information received.
    See tomorrow's Kaʻū News Briefs for comments and suggestions from community members.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

BRENDA FORD OPPOSED LOCATING THE SPINLAUNCH FACILITY IN KAʻŪ during the public meeting with company representatives last Saturday in Nāʻālehu. Ford is a candidate for state Senate and would represent the area that includes Pohuʻe Bay, which as been on the SpinLaunch list of possible locations to establish a facility to hurl small satellites into space.
Brenda Ford, who is running for Senate, said the SpinLaunch facility would
bring safety issues to Kaʻū
Photo from Big Island Video News
     Ford noted that she has served as County Council member for Kaʻū and is used to doing her homework. She noted that SpinLaunch would use not only electricity to launch the satellites but also rocket fuel. She said SpinLaunch would likely transport "highly explosive rocket fuel, from Kawaihae Harbor, down these crappy state roads - substandard; one accident - not only will people die, but you're going to incinerate our forests. You cannot do this."
     SpinLaunch representative Ryan Hampton said that the amount of rocket fuel used would be "less rocket fuel than what you would have in four of your houses, heating your hot water tanks," which generated some grumbling.
     Ford  also contended that placing a rocket launch facility on Kaʻū land with high risk of earthquakes would be dangerous. She referred to space launch proposals by other groups. "We have killed rocket launch facilities here at least three times, and you guys keep coming back. These people don't want this here; it's not safe."
     She contended the facility could add air pollution to the vog. "We have vog - you're just going to add to the vog. And we're going to have an accident - maybe at the launch pad - you're going to be shooting shrapnel 3,500 miles an hour all over Ka‘ū. This is not safe - you need to go elsewhere."
     SpinLaunch representative Hampton said that there would be barriers to contain any accidents and emphasized that launches to test the technology will be done outside of the U.S. before going to any more permanent space launch facility, in Hawaiʻi or elsewhere.
SpinLaunch representatives Ryan Hampton and Raphael Feldman, as well as Sen. Glenn Wakai, answered questions about the proposed space launch facility. Photo from Big Island Video News
     Ford also spoke to Sen. Glenn Wakai, who proposed a $25 million Special Purpose Revenue Bond at the Hawaiʻi Legisalture to help fund SpinLaunch. She noted that the bill contained language indicating that its purpose "'is for the public health, safety, and general welfare.' Nothing could be further from the truth, sir, and you need to amend that bill - take out language that is not true - before you try to put this on some other island. We don't want it here. We do not want it here. And I will not support it," she concluded, to thunderous applause.
     A man in a red shirt, echoing Ford's sentiment, asked "Who came up with this idea?" to a tittering from attendees, referring to the fact that Pohu‘e Bay is in a Zone 2 lava danger area. "It's crazy - why would you want to invest millions of dollars in (this type of) area?"
     Richard Abbett, who is running for County Council, said that Wakai, who chairs the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Tourism & Technology should learn about the needs of Kaʻū residents. "We need economic development. We are farmers. We could grow hemp, we already grow weed," he said.
      He pointed to the unique population of people who live here. "The Hawaiians that lived here have lived here forever; the rest of us came here for a reason, and it's not to be like the rest of you. This is the last place in the United Statesthat we have this freedom."
Richard Abbett, running for Council for Kaʻū, also spoke
up at the meeting, saying the economy would be fine if
left to farm in peace. Photo from Big Island Video News
     Abbett said tax dollars in Kaʻū should go to "medical, for schools - for even bus stops. We are the poorest district in the poorest county in the poorest state." He told the Senator, "you could do a lot - and do a lot in your position as Chair, (of Economic Development in the Senate) after you have visited here and you take this experience and you educate your committee members."
     He suggested that Wakai name whomever wins the Senate race to represent Kaʻū onto his Economic Development Committee. "You listen to them - or you make them Chair."
     Wakai said that SpinLaunch is not only about Kaʻū, as there are other places being considered. He said that he was willing to change the language in the bill for the Special Purpose Revenue Bond that already passed the Senate and has moved to the House of Representatives. "How about I say 'Someplace in Hawai‘i, except Ka‘ū'?" which caused the attendees to voice some shouts for excluding Kaʻū and others for excluding the entire state.
     A woman then stood to say, "What you seem to lack is the ability to know the needs for each... community that was struck with the closing of the plantations. We need better schools, we need a satellite office here - of state and county." She said needs of the community are about "health and welfare - not aerospace. Hawai‘i is not your experimental ground."
A woman of the community spoke against the proposed space launch 
facility, saying the state should be focused on serving the people
 of the land, not industry. Photo from Big Island Video News
     "We are unique. We are pristine," she said, contending that the space launch "economy does not fit the model of Hawai‘i Island's aloha spirit, peace network, farmers... You think you can bring all the military here, all of the space industry here, astronomy here, and you think nothing about its people. You think nothing about its history... Trees that grow nowhere else in the world, insect(s) that grows nowhere else in the world, and every introduced, alien species kills what thrived here for millions of years."
     She said people involved in the proposal, such as Wakai, were "not thinking ground level - people level....This is not people; this is industry that does not belong in Hawai‘i... We fish, we hunt, and we grow. The state is supposed to look after its people, not after industries," she said, as many in attendance applauded.
     See more on the SpinLaunch presentation, community questions, answers, and community and political leaders' statements of opposition and other proclamations in yesterday - Sunday's and future Kaʻū News Briefs. Watch and listen to more than an hour of the meeting presented by Big Island Video News.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Kick off National Park Week with a fee-free day on Saturday, April 21.
Photo by Janice Wei, National Park Service
PARKS STARS, THEME OF THIS YEAR'S NATIONAL PARK WEEK, brings a variety of events to Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The week kicks off with a fee free day - entrance fees are waived for all entering fee-charging national parks in the U.S. - on Saturday, April 21.
     Four free programs are featured on the fee free day Saturday, April 21:
     A Guided Hike to the Ka‘ū Desert Footprints is offered at 11 a.m., with participants meeting Park Ranger Jay Robinson at the Ka‘ū Desert Trailhead on Hwy. 11, about nine miles south of the park entrance. During the hike, see footprints left by Hawaiian families who were caught in volcanic ash fallout during the 1700s. Learn how the latest research has changed historians understanding about the footprints, and hear about the epic battles that raged between Hawaiian kingdoms on the flanks of Mauna Loa. Check out the new interpretive exhibit at the Footprints Shelter. This easy, three-mile (4.8 km) round-trip hike takes about two-and-a-half hours. Bring two quarts (two liters) of water, sun protection, snacks and ranger.
     Be a Superstar on Volunteer Day (April 21 is also National Volunteer Day) is offered from 8:45 a.m. to noon, with volunteers meeting project leaders Paul and Jane Field at the Kīlauea Visitor Center. Join a superstar corps of National Park Service volunteers and help native plants survive by removing invasive, non-native plant species in the park. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and long pants. Bring a hat, raingear, day pack, snacks and water. Gloves and tools are provided. Learn more about volunteering for public lands by visiting volunteer.gov.
Join Park Ranger Jay Robinson for a Guided Hike to the Ka‘ū Desert Footprints on
Saturday, April 21. Event details above.
Photo by J. Ferracane, National Park Service
     Guided Hike in Kahuku: Realms & Divisions is offered, 9:30 a.m., at the Kahuku Unit - a 50 minute drive south of the park’s main entrance, located on the mauka (inland) side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5. Participants meet near the parking area. Experience the intersection of nature and culture on this moderately difficult two-mile, two-hour guided hike on Pu‘u Kahuku Trail. Explore the realms and divisions of the traditional Hawaiian classification system at Kahuku. Sturdy footwear, water, raingear, sun protection and a snack are recommended.
     Dark Night Skies at Kīlauea is offered at 7:30 p.m., at Kīlauea Overlook. April 21 is also the last day of International Dark Night Sky Week. Join Dark Skies Ranger Pascal Nelson for an evening of stargazing. Learn about the Hawaiian cultural connection to an endangered resource protected by the park: dark night skies. Journey through time and explore nearby planets and deep space celestial wonders above the glowing lava within Halema‘uma‘u Crater. Pascal will answer questions and guide visitors through the night sky with and without a telescope. Subject to weather conditions.
     For more details, visit nps.gov/HAVO.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Print edition of The Ka‘ū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes 
throughout Ka‘ū, from Miloli‘i through Volcano, and free on 
stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com.
KA‘Ū TROJANS SPORTS SCHEDULE
Boys Volleyball: Monday, Apr 16, @ Hilo
   Friday, Apr 20, Parker @ Ka‘ū

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

TUESDAY, APRIL 17
Hawai‘i County Council Finance Committee Special Meetings, Tue, Wed, & Thu, Apr 17, 18, & 19, Hilo, beginning at 9 a.m. Departmental Budget & Program Reviews. Ka’ū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nā‘ālehu State Office Building. Agendas at hawaiicounty.gov

Pāhala Community Center Offers Clothespin Plane and Car, an Arts & Crafts activity for keiki, grades K through 8, on Wed, April 18, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Register until Tue, April 17. For more, contact Nona Makuakane at 928-3102. See hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation for more county park programs.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18
Ocean View Community Association Board Meeting, Wed, Apr 18, noon - 1 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

300 Meter Races for Keiki Ages 6 to 12 take place at Kahuku Park, Hawaiian Ocean View Estates, on Fri, April 20, from 2 to 3 p.m., hosted by Hawai‘i County Parks and Recreation. Registration open through Wed, April 18. Athletic shoes required. For more, contact Teresa Anderson at 929-9113. See hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation for more county park programs.

Keiki, Ages 6 to 12, Welcomed to Paint a RainbowRegister by Wed, April 18. Free Hawai‘i County Parks and Recreation Arts & Crafts program, Tue, April 24, Kahuku Park in Hawaiian Ocean View Estates, 2:45 to 3:30 p.m. Contact Teresa Anderson at 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation for more county park programs.

THURSDAY, APRIL 19
Veteran's Center & VA Medical Services, Thu, Apr 19, 8:30 a.m. - noon, Ocean View Community Center. No appointment needed to visit w/ VA counselor & benefit specialist. Matthew, 329-0574, ovcahi.org

Hawai‘i Disability Legal Services, Thu, Apr 19, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. ovcahi.org, 939-7033, ovcahawaii@gmail.com

Story Time with Auntie Linda from Tūtū & Me, Thu, Apr 19, 10:30 a.m. - noon, Nā‘ālehu Public Library. 929-8571

Family Reading, Thu, Apr 19, 6 - 7 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka‘ū, Thu, Apr 19, 6:30 p.m., United Methodist Church in Nā‘ālehu. Pres. Berkley Yoshida, 747-0197

FRIDAY, APRIL 20
‘Ohe Kapala, Hawaiian Bamboo Stamping, Fri, Apr 20, 10 a.m. - noon, Kahuku Unit, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes'‘Ike Hana No‘eau "Experience the Skillful Work" workshops. Free. nps.gov/HAVO

SATURDAY, APRIL 21
Fee-Free Day at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Sat, Apr 21. Park entrance fees waived in celebration of National Park week. nps.gov/HAVO

National Park Week, Sat - Sun, Apr 21 - Apr 29, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park & Kahuku Unit. "Park Stars" themed events (nighttime star party, guided hikes, ranger-led adventures, volunteer opportunities) to be announced. nps.gov/HAVO

Realms and Divisions of Kahuku, Sat, Apr 21, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Moderately difficult, two-mile, guided hike on Kahuku Unit’s newest trail, Pu‘u Kahuku, explores the traditional Hawaiian classification system. Bring a snack.

Gold Leaf and Illumination w/Rose Adare, Sat, Apr 21, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Volcano Art Center. Students learn how to use gold, copper or silver leaf. Includes metallic pigments and paints. Class fee $60/VAC member, $65/non-member, plus $15 supply fee. Register: volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

The Art Express, Sat, Apr 21, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Instructions on oil, acrylic, watercolor, and other mediums; old or new projects. Monthly class size limited to 25. Meliha Corcoran 319-8989, himeliha@yahoo.com, discoveryharbour.net/art-express

Bunco & Potluck, Sat, Apr 21, 6 p.m., Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Popular game played with nine dice, also known as Bonko or Bunko. Bring dish to share. Margie Hack, 541-954-8297

Ka‘ū Coffee Festival: Miss Ka‘ū Coffee Pageant, Sat, Apr 21, 6 p.m., Ka‘ū District Gym. Tickets, $10 donation. Ka‘ū Coffee Pageant Director Trinidad Marques, 928-0606, TrinidadMarques@yahoo.com, or Facebook Trinidad Marques. kaucoffeefestival.com

Ka‘ū High School Students Compete on It's Academic - Hawai‘i, re-air, Sat, Apr 21, 6:30 p.m., Channel 5 (KFVE). Watch live stream on KFVE.com. More info.

SUNDAY, APRIL 22
‘Ōhi‘a Lehua, Sun, Apr 22, 9:30 - 11 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Learn about the vital role of ‘ōhi‘a lehua in native Hawaiian forests, and the many forms of the ‘ōhi‘a tree and its flower on this free, easy, one-mile walk. nps.gov/HAVO

MONDAY, APRIL 23
Fishery Council Monthly Meeting, Monday, April 23; new membership encouraged - especially recreational, commercial and regional fishers - to provide feedback for the council on a regular basis, passed on to the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Visit westhawaiifisherycou.ipower.com

ONGOING
National Park Week, Sat - Sun, Apr 21 - Apr 29, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park & Kahuku Unit. "Park Stars" themed events (nighttime star party, guided hikes, ranger-led adventures, volunteer opportunities) to be announced. nps.gov/HAVO

One Community and One Parent Representative are sought by Nāʻālehu Elementary School Community Council. Nominations will be accepted from April 2 through April 16 at 3 p.m. The community representative will serve a two-year term for school year 2018-2019 and 2019-2020. The parent representative will serve a one-year term for school year 2018-19. The parent rep cannot be a Nāʻālehu Elementary School employee.
     The campaign for the positions starts April 16. Voting is April 30 through May 11. Those interested, contact Leilani Rodrigues at 313-4020 or pcnc@naalehu.org, or name and number at the main office line, by calling 313-4000.

Volcano Art Center Gallery Presents Ho’oku’i I Nā Kiko, Connecting the Dots, by Natalie Mahina Jensen and Lucia Tarall. "A curated collection of photographs, paintings, sculptures, and feather work items deliver a sublime message, connecting the viewer artistically with the provenance of the design." Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Sunday, May 6. volcanoartcenter.org or 967-8222

Tūtū and Me Offers Home Visits to those with keiki zero to five years old: home visits to aid with helpful parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate listening ear. Home visits are free, last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, for a total of 12 visits, and snacks are provided. For info and to register, call Linda Bong 646-9634.

Kaʻū Coffee Recipe Contest registration open through Friday, April 20, limit one entry per category, per contestant. Recipes will be judged Sunday, April 29, 11 a.m., at Ka‘ū Coffee Mill. Youth and adult submissions judged separately. Categories are pūpū, entrée, and dessert; all recipes must be made with (any) Ka‘ū Coffee. Entry info at kaucoffeemill.com or kaucoffeefestival.com, or call 808-928-0550. Entry forms can also be found at Ka‘ū Coffee Mill or Mizuno Market; forms below. Email for info/with questions sales@kaucoffeemill.com

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.




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