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| Eucalyptus around Kapāpala Ranch is expected to be some of the first harvested on Kamehameha School lands. The plan is to ship it to Pepe`ekeo to burn for electricity. Photo by Julia Neal |
According to a story in Hawai`i Tribune Herald, the trucking will begin with one delivery a day in mid-September and grow to 20 trucks a day by 2019. Once the energy plant opens, it will grow to 30 truckloads from Pāhala to Pepe`ekeo per day, the story says.
Guy Cellier, forest manager of Island Bionergy LLC, which owns the trees, told Hawai`i Tribune Herald: "We will try to ensure that there is minimal disturbance to the Pāhala community by not driving through town and limiting the use of air-brakes."
The story also says that after the harvest, Kamehameha Schools plans to "continue agricultural use of the property."
The eucalyptus grown in Ka`ū on 3,700 acres is considered far less valuable than the eucalyptus in Hamakua. A New Years 2016 storm knocked down between 50 and 60 percent of the trees here. The farms were also ravaged by drought, fires and other wind storms over the years. In addition, Pāhala is far from any factory to use the wood to make products, and far from the Hilo port for export, making transportation expensive.
Guy Cellier, forest manager of Island Bionergy LLC, which owns the trees, told Hawai`i Tribune Herald: "We will try to ensure that there is minimal disturbance to the Pāhala community by not driving through town and limiting the use of air-brakes."
The story also says that after the harvest, Kamehameha Schools plans to "continue agricultural use of the property."
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Eucalyptus forest next to the vegetable farm on Kamehameha lands above Pāhala, scheduled to be harvested to be burned for electricity. Photo by Julia Neal |
The quality of the wood and the expenses made it undesirable to sell to anyone but a local consumer which turned out to be a company wanting to burn it for electricity, said the company that had a contract to grow the trees.
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The purchase could close before 2019, following final negotiations with the owners. The owners of the property are Resource Land Holdings, LLC and Ka`ū Mahi, LLC. An archaeological survey would also be completed ahead of the closing. The acquisition would save the property from being subdivided into one large parcel plus numerous 20 acre lots.
The land would be managed by the Ala Kahakai Trail Association, which supports the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail. The trail travels along the entire Ka`ū Coast and north to Hawi and south into Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.![]()
The resolution says the land "has exceptional cultural, historical, environmental, and natural significance," including the coastline and trail. It says the land is "is used by local fishermen, Native Hawaiian descendants, and gatherers of various natural and marine resources for subsistence, recreational, and cultural purposes."
The land's conservation "will have a significant positive continued impact on the immense resources of Waikapuna Bay Waikapuna Bay
The land is also host to native and endangered bird and plant species, which the measure says "thrive" on the Waikapuna property. A "massive" sea cave is home to hundreds of indigenous Noio (black noddies) and Noio Kaha (brown noddies). Sea cliffs provide habitat to colonies of endangered `Ua`u (Hawaiian petrel), indigenous `Ulili (wandering tattlers), indigenous Koa`e Kea (white-tailed tropic birds), and federal-candidate species `Ake`ake (band-rumped storm petrels). Vegetation along the coast, covering sand dunes, and on the cliff of Manienie Pali is primarily native and includes nohu, nehe, ilima papa, maiapilo (with limited remaining specimens at last survey), pili, pohuehue, and kauna`oa. The pasture lands include remnants of a lowland dry forest through occasional native and Polynesian-introduced trees: alahe`e, lama, wiliwili, `ilima, naio, and noni.
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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.
FINAL APPROVAL FOR THE PURCHASE OF WAIKAPUNA, an ancient Hawaiian shoreline village site with 2.3 miles of Ka`ū coastline and 2,013 acres, is expected this week when the full County Council votes on the plan. The purchase includes the ahupua`a of Kahilipali Iki and Kahilipali Nui.
All nine council members, who also serve on the County Council Finance Committee, voted for the acquisition last week and the measure moves to a final vote this Wednesday. To seal the deal, which involves using funding from 2 percent of county property taxes collected each year, Mayor Harry Kim would have to give his approval. The state Department of Land & Natural Resource's Legacy Land Fund is putting up $2 million.
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| Map of land south of Nā`ālehu that is part of the possible Waikapuna purchase. |
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| Mary Kawena Pukui Photo from marykawenapukui.com |
Numerous people and groups have submitted testimony in favor of the purchase. See Aug. 13 Ka`ū News Briefs.
Many reasons to conserve the land are put forth in the County Council Measure 650-18, to approve the purchase.
The resolution says the land "has exceptional cultural, historical, environmental, and natural significance," including the coastline and trail. It says the land is "is used by local fishermen, Native Hawaiian descendants, and gatherers of various natural and marine resources for subsistence, recreational, and cultural purposes." The measure mentions the "resonant history and stories" of Waikapuna, preserved and passed on "through the intimate knowledge and experience of revered Hawaiian scholar Mary Kawena Pukui." Pukui was raised by her grandmother, Nali`ipo`aimoku, from Waikapuna, who was akahunala'aulapa'au (midwife) and hula dancer in the court of Queen Emma. Pukui spent her childhood summers at Waikapuna with her grandmother, and the knowledge passed down "provided a considerable amount of the foundation upon which the 20th century Hawaiian cultural renaissance and beyond has relied. Most notably informed by Kawena's experience and time spent on the Ka`ū coast and Waikapuna, is the critical cultural contribution of The Polynesian Family System in Ka`ū. Some of the sites and areas Kawena describes in her book can still be clearly seen and experienced today on the Waikapuna Property."
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| Waikapuna shoreline |
The "numerous and well-preserved cultural sites" other incentives. The resolution says they include an ancient village (Waikapuna) consisting of heiau, burials, lava tubes, house foundations, ahu (altar), habitation caves, petroglyphs, papamu (stone for the game konane), salt-gathering ponds, agricultural terraces, canoe sheds, a stone-lined spring, kamala (three-sided wind shelters walled with stone), and mauka-makai trails connecting the village with Nā`ālehu and Wai`ōhinu.
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| Maiapilo (Capparis sandwichiana) |
Read the resolution at records.hawaiicounty.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?dbid=0&id=964099&page=3&cr=1.
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| `Ake`ake (band-rumped storm petrel) |
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| Image from prh.noaa.gov/cphc |
Still a major hurricane, Lane is expected to be downgraded again Monday. Lane is expected to start passing south of
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center predicts a 30 percent probability that Lane's tropical storm-force winds will reach Hawai`i Island , with South Point having the highest likelihood of winds above 39 mph, starting during the day on Tuesday.
See prh.noaa.gov/cphcfor more.
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See public Ka`ū events, meetings, entertainment. 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 FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE
Football:
Sat, Aug 25, 10am, Scrimmage @ Waiakea
Thu, Sept 6, 6pm, @ Pāhoa
Sat, Sept 15, 1pm, @ Kohala
Sat, Sept 22, 3:30pm, host Lanai @ Kea`au
Sat, Sept 29, 11am, host Pāhoa
Girls Volleyball:
Fri, Aug 24, 6pm, @ Mauna Lani
Wed, Aug 29, 6pm, @ Hilo
Fri, Aug 31, Kamehameha Tourney
Sat, Sept 1, Kamehameha Tourney
Wed, Sept 5, 6pm, host Pāhoa
Wed, Sept 12, 6pm, @ Christian Liberty
Fri, Sept 14, @ Kamehameha
Mon, Sept 17, 6pm, host Lapahoehoe
Wed, Sept 19, 6pm, host Kohala
Thu, Sept 20, 6pm, @ Honoka`a
Tue, Sept 25, 6pm, @ HPA
Fri, Sept 28, 6pm, host Kona
Cross Country:
Sat, Aug 25, @ CLA (preseason)
Sat, Sept 1, 10am, @ HPA
Sat, Sept 8, 10am, @ Kamehameha
Sat, Sept 15, 10am, Kea`au
Sat, Sept 22, 9am, @ HPA
Sat, Sept 29, 10am, @ Waiakea
Thu, Sept 6, 6pm, @ Pāhoa
Sat, Sept 15, 1pm, @ Kohala
Sat, Sept 22, 3:30pm, host Lanai @ Kea`au
Sat, Sept 29, 11am, host Pāhoa
Girls Volleyball:
Fri, Aug 24, 6pm, @ Mauna Lani
Wed, Aug 29, 6pm, @ Hilo
Fri, Aug 31, Kamehameha Tourney
Sat, Sept 1, Kamehameha Tourney
Wed, Sept 5, 6pm, host Pāhoa
Wed, Sept 12, 6pm, @ Christian Liberty
Fri, Sept 14, @ Kamehameha
Mon, Sept 17, 6pm, host Lapahoehoe
Wed, Sept 19, 6pm, host Kohala
Thu, Sept 20, 6pm, @ Honoka`a
Tue, Sept 25, 6pm, @ HPA
Fri, Sept 28, 6pm, host Kona
Cross Country:
Sat, Aug 25, @ CLA (preseason)
Sat, Sept 1, 10am, @ HPA
Sat, Sept 8, 10am, @ Kamehameha
Sat, Sept 15, 10am, Kea`au
Sat, Sept 22, 9am, @ HPA
Sat, Sept 29, 10am, @ Waiakea
NEW and UPCOMING
AUGUST ARTIST IN RESIDENCE AT KAHUKU IS HASAN ELAHI, an interdisciplinary artist born in Rangpur, Bangladesh, and raised in New York City. Currently, Elahi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Art, University of Maryland, at College Park, Maryland, and has a studio in the D.C. area.
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| Kahuku Unit August Artist-In-Residence Hasan Elahi makes a free presentation at the park on Friday, Aug. 24. Photo from TED.com |
Elahi, a world-renowned installation artist, uses his artwork to explore "issues around technologies of surveillance and sousveillance - the practice of using technology for documenting one's own life," says the event description from nps.gov/HAVO.
The description states: "Elahi's life changed after Sept. 11, 2001, when he was pulled aside at a Detroit airport and interrogated for hours following an erroneous tip. After months of grueling investigation by the FBI, he transformed the experience to forge his powerful and proactive artistic expression, and opened up nearly every aspect of his personal life to the public through his art."
Elahi makes a free presentation at Kahuku on Friday, August 24, at 10 a.m. Learn more by watching his TED Talk: youtube.com/watch?v=wAdwurHhv-I.
The Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park is located on the mauka (inland) side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5, in Ka`ū, about a 50-minute drive south of the park’s main entrance. Sturdy footwear, water, rain-gear, sun protection and a snack are recommended for all hikes. Entrance and all programs are free. Kahuku is open Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. See nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/kahuku-hikes.htm.
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MONDAY, AUGUST 20
The description states: "Elahi's life changed after Sept. 11, 2001, when he was pulled aside at a Detroit airport and interrogated for hours following an erroneous tip. After months of grueling investigation by the FBI, he transformed the experience to forge his powerful and proactive artistic expression, and opened up nearly every aspect of his personal life to the public through his art."
Elahi makes a free presentation at Kahuku on Friday, August 24, at 10 a.m. Learn more by watching his TED Talk: youtube.com/watch?v=wAdwurHhv-I.
The Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park is located on the mauka (inland) side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5, in Ka`ū, about a 50-minute drive south of the park’s main entrance. Sturdy footwear, water, rain-gear, sun protection and a snack are recommended for all hikes. Entrance and all programs are free. Kahuku is open Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. See nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/kahuku-hikes.htm.
MONDAY, AUGUST 20
Discovery Harbour Neighborhood Watch Meeting, Mon, Aug 20, 5-6:30pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. 929-9576, discoveryharbour.net
After Dark Near The Park: Saving Rare Plants from the Brink of Extinction in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, Tue, Aug 21, 7-8pm, Volcano Art Center's Ni`aulani Campus, Volcano Village. Botanist Sierra McDaniel discusses rare plant management at the park. Free; $2 donation suggested. volcanoartcenter.org. Event co-sponsored by Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, 985-6011.
Free Community Dance, Fri, Aug 24, 7-10pm, Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Minors allowed with supervision only. Alcohol free event. Variety of music. Coffee, tea, water, and snacks provided. Free admission; donations appreciated. 967-7800, thecoopercenter.org
Zentangle: Basics and Beyond with Lydia Meneses, Sat, Aug 25, 10-1pm, Volcano Art Center's Ni`aulani Campus, Volcano Village. Zentangle Basics kit provided. $30/Volcano Art Center Member, $35/non-Member, $10 supply fee. Bring light refreshment to share.
Waiho`olu`u Ola Indigo Dyeing Workshop, Sat, Aug 25, 12:30-3:30pm, Volcano Art Center's Ni`aulani Campus, Volcano Village. Learn traditional methods of banding and folding in traditional and modern shibori styles to create patterns, and explore the alchemy of indigo, a plant derived dye. $50/Volcano Art Center Member, $55/non-Member, plus $25 supply fee. No experience necessary. Space limited. Pre-registration required: volcanoartcenter.org or 967-8222.
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Birth of Kahuku, Sat, Aug 26, 9:30-11:30am, Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Explore rich geologic history of Kahuku on this easy-to-moderate hike that traverses the vast 1868 lava flow, with different volcano features and formations. Learn about the Hawaiian hotspot and the creation of Kahuku. Free. nps.gov/HAVO
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ONGOING
Free Arts and Crafts Activities at Pāhala Comunity Center happen on Wednesdays (excluding Aug 29), from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., through the end of Sept, for keiki in Kindergarten through 8th grade.
- Aug 22: Silhoutte Art. Register Aug 16 through 21.
- Sept 5: In observance of Grandparents Day, Craft Stick Puzzle Hanging. Register Aug 30 through Sept 4.
- Sept 12: Dove Foldable For Peace. Register Sept 4 through 11.
- Sept 19: Handprint Tree Art. Register Sept 13 through 18.
- Sept 26: Beaded Wind Chime. Register Sept 19 through 25.
- Aug 22: Silhoutte Art. Register Aug 16 through 21.
- Sept 5: In observance of Grandparents Day, Craft Stick Puzzle Hanging. Register Aug 30 through Sept 4.
- Sept 12: Dove Foldable For Peace. Register Sept 4 through 11.
- Sept 19: Handprint Tree Art. Register Sept 13 through 18.
- Sept 26: Beaded Wind Chime. Register Sept 19 through 25.
For more, call 928-3102 or visit the community center during business hours: Mon-Thu an d Sat, from noon to 8 p.m., or Fri, from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. See hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation/.
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Activities at Kahuku Park -- within Hawaiian Ocean View Estates -- over the next two months, include two physical activities, three arts and crafts activities, and a Park Beautification Day.
For ages 6 to 12:
- Kickball: Tuesdays and Fridays 2 to 3 p.m. , August 21 through September 21. Registration open through August 20.
- Paper Lanterns: Wednesday, August 22, 3 to 4 p.m. Registration open through August 20.
- Jump Rope Challenge: Monday, August 27,3 to 4 p.m. R egistration open August 20 through 25.
- Jump Rope Challenge: Monday, August 27,
- Sand Art: Wednesday, September 5, 3 to 4 p.m. Registration open August 27 through 31.
For all ages:
For all ages:
- Friendship Bracelets: Wednesday, September 19, 3 to 4 p.m. Registration open September 10 through 14.
- Park Beautification Day: Friday, September 28, 1:30 to 4 p.m. Registration open September 19 through 26.
All activities are free to attend. For more, call Teresa Anderson at 929-9113 or visit the park during business hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 12:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. and Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. See hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation/.
5th Annual Volcano Winery Harvest Festival tickets on sale for event on Sun, Sept 9, and selling fast! Benefit for Volcano School of Arts and Sciences. Music, food, wine, and raffle. $40/adult (21+), $20 under 21. 967-7772, volcanowinery.com
5th Annual Ka`ū Coffee Trail Run Registration Open, online at webscorer.com/register?raceid=128145, Fees: 5K, $35/person; 10K, $45/person; and 1/2 Marathon, $55/person. Race Day Sat, Sept 22, 7 a.m.; begins and ends at Ka`ū Coffee Mill, kaucoffeemill.com. Event organizers: `O Ka`ū Kākou, okaukakou.org.
Tūtū and Me Traveling Preschool's Temporary Nā`ālehu Site Location is Kauaha`ao Church in Wai`ōhinu. Meeting days and times remain the same: Mondays and Wednesdays, from 8:45 to 10:45 a.m. Pāhala site program meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., at Pāhala Community Center.
Tūtū and Me also offers home visits to those with keiki zero to five years old, to aid with parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate listening ear. Free. Visits last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, total of 12 visits. Snacks are provided.
To enroll in either program, fill out enrollment forms found at pidf.org/programs/tutu_and_me/enrollment_forms, or call Linda Bong at 464-9634. Questions: Clark at 929-8571 or eclark@pidfountation.org.
Disaster Recovery Center open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Pāhoa Neighborhood Center at 15-3022 Kauhale St. See information applicants need to bring, or register online, at fema.gov/disaster/4366. If you are a survivor who has left the area, call 800-621-3362. Salvation Army distribution center at Pāhoa Community Center on Tue, Thu, and Sat, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. To donate, contact 756-0306.
Volunteers Needed by St. Jude's Episcopal Church for Sat community outreach, especially soup cooks and shower organizers. "Volunteering for St. Jude's Saturday Shower and Soup ministry is an opportunity to serve God in a powerful way," states St. Jude's. Contact Dave Breskin, 319-8333.
Find Your Park, invites Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, to kama`aina and tourist alike. Experience authentic Hawaiian cultural programs, guided hikes, After Dark events, and more from Ka`ū to Volcano to Hilo, while the partial closure of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park continues.
Free of charge, with no entry fees, rangers offer new and familiar programs at Kahuku Unit, Volcano Art Center's Ni`aulani Campus, and Mokupāpapa Discovery Center and Prince Kūhio Plaza in Hilo.
Kahuku Unit
Kahuku events are posted to the park website, nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/kahuku-hikes.htm.
Regularly scheduled Guided Hikes, monthly Coffee Talk, daily Ranger Talks, with cultural demonstrations and activities on weekends.
Coffee Talk, held the last Friday of the month, 9:30-11 a.m. , at the Visitor Contact Station. Dr. Frank Bonaccorsoreveals "A Day in the Life of `Ōpe`ape`a – the Hawaiian Hoary Bat," and shares a 24-hour cycle of the only land mammal native to Hawai`i on Fri., Aug. 31.
Ranger Talks introduce the natural, cultural and historic attributes of Kahuku on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. , and Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. , at the Visitor Contact Station.
`Ike Hana No`eau: Experience the Skillful Work Cultural Demonstrations and Activities, Saturdays and Sundays from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., at the Visitor Contact Station.
Volcano Art Center's Ni`aulani Campus
Find Park Rangers in Volcano Village daily, at the Volcano Art Center's Ni`aulani Campus at 19-4074 Old Volcano Rd. Rangers are there 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to provide talks and answer questions about the current eruption.
After Dark …near the park at the Volcano Art Center's Ni`aulani Campus. Each event will have a different subject matter.
Mokupāpapa Discovery Center
Find Park Rangers in downtown Hilo, Tuesdays through Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rangers provide daily eruption updates. At 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., they give a talk about all five of Hawai`i Island's volcanoes, including Kīlauea. Get NPS Passport Books stamped. Located at 76 Kamehameha Ave., Hilo.
Find Park Rangers alongside the park's non-profit partner, Hawai`i Pacific Parks Association, at their brand new mall store.
Grand Naniloa Hotel
Find Park Rangers stationed at the Grand Naniloa Hotel in downtown Hilo on Sundays and Mondays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Rangers provide eruption updates at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The park film that is normally available to visitors at Kīlauea Visitor Center at the Summit, Born of Fire, Born in the Sea, is shown every half-hour beginning at 9:30 a.m.
Park rangers also greet incoming arrivals at the Hilo International Airport, welcome cruise ship passengers as they disembark at the Port of Hilo, and inform visitors at `Imiloa Astronomy Center most Sundays.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.