Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015

      Ka`u High senior, Jennifer Tabios, walked away with several prizes, including best in the physics and astronomy category for her project, the Relation Between Viscosity, Surface Tension and Temperature. Under guidance of teacher Ted Brattstrom, Tabios also won Sierra Club Moku Loa Group’s Dr. Don Worsencroft Award and $50 cash, TMT Galileo Award and a Galileo telescope, Best in Astronomy/Astrophysics Award and a Mauna Kea experience, a certificate from American Meteorological Society and the U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize Regional award.
      Brattstrom’s students Chloe Gan and Jenny Mauricio-Henriquez, both sophomores, won best in the energy and transportation category, the Eccentric Scientist: Off the Beaten Path-Outside the Box Award and $50 cash and two prizes from Hawai`i Electric Light Co. including the Outstanding Renewable Energy Project of $100 and the Best in Engineering and/or Environmental Science Award and $50 cash.

      Gissele Corpuz and Brandi Louis, juniors also under the tutelage of Brattstrom, won best in the earth and planetary sciences category with their project called Waves: Speed and Depth. The pair also won the Basic Science and Engineering Award of $100 and a certificate.
      Sophomores Janslae Badua and Masen Dacalio, mentored by teacher Chayanee Brooks, won the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Taking the Pulse of the Planet Award and certificate with their chemistry project When Science is Sweet: Growing Rock Candy Crystals. 

      Best in Behavioral & Social Sciences category went to Charisma Felipe and Pete Dacalio, sophomores in Brattstrom’s class, who submitted the project How Music Affects Human Efficiency.
      In the junior research category, three Na`alehu Elementary sixth-grade students received prizes. Deansen Grant-Breithaupt, mentored by teacher Amberly Keohulua, submitted a behavioral and social sciences project, How the Body Reacts to Stress and Relaxation, and won the Veterans of Foreign Wars Award and $50.

      Amber Sugrue and Johnette Llanes-Masters, taught by teacher Nellie Davis, won the TMT Galileo Award and a Galileo Telescope for their physics project, a take on Newton’s Balloon Car.
      Other Na`alehu Elementary sixth-grade submissions chosen to represent their classes included Chesatie Kai’s Acid Egg Bath and Izaiah Pilanca-Emmsley’s and Rio Chopot’s Soda Rust Remover. Duke Moniz-Ducosin submitted an engineering project using alternative energy to power a fan and pencil sharpener, which he called The New Generation. Kaulana Aipia-Dolan and Tiane Kuahiwinui entered the energy and transportation category with their project the Solar Heat Oven, comparing efficiency of two solar oven designs. 

      Five projects from Pahala Elementary, guided by teacher Molly Larnie, won the Pahala School science fair and also advanced to participate in the district fair. In the electrical and mechanical engineering category were the following projects: Delson Dacalio and Preston Pua-Queja – Cooking by the Sun; Shacy Davis, Bernadette Ladia and Elysa Abellera – Wind Turbine Design Inquiry; Rebecca Kailiawa and CeAndra Kamei – Solar Hot Water Heating; and Melakai Keohuloa and George Yeager – Making a Battery. Micah Polido-Kalili, Arniel Libunao and Paul Sanchez entered the energy and transportation category with their project titled Hawai`i Energy Use.

      Other projects representing Ka`u High, guided by either Brattstrom or Tishanna Ben, included entries in the behavioral and social sciences category by Benly Bolaoen and Julia Chavez – Essential Oils: Real or Fake? and Rowland Flores and Evan Manoha – Gumcentration. Janet Parlin and Ka`ala Petrill-Abrojina partnered to enter their Bottled Water Filter project in the environmental management category, and Rayncin Salmo-Grace was chosen to enter his project, The Essential Solution, in the plant sciences category.
      All representatives were treated to a planetarium show, received a free science fair T-shirt and a certificate of participation. Donna Kohara, Science & Engineering Fair Steering Committee member, said, “In my 10-plus years of working on science fairs, this is the first year that both Na`alehu and Pahala Elementary participated.” Ted Brattstrom kicked off Ka`u High’s participation in 2009, and the school has been a part of the fair ever since. Kohara said that science fair participation for Ka`u schools has increased thanks to interest from administrators and teachers.

      Kohara advised students interested in participating in next year’s science and engineering fair to begin thinking of questions and problems to investigate and possible solutions. She said, “Start early, and start thinking of what could be.” She mentioned that some students are already starting on their projects for 2016.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

THE STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE on Tuesday will review a proposal from Hawai`i Department of Agriculture to expand the designated coffee berry borer infested area to encompass the entire island of O`ahu. The board’s designation of O`ahu as a CBB-infested area will authorize the PQB to implement quarantine measures to restrict movement of coffee and other CBB hosts to prevent further spread of CBB to uninfested areas. According to HDOA, the quarantine is necessary to prevent further spread of CBB to other islands.

      If the board approves expansion of the designation, movement of green coffee and other CBB hosts between infested areas will require a permit.

      Treatment, as well as inspection by HDOA Plant Quarantine inspectors, is also required. For unroasted coffee beans, acceptable treatments include fumigation, freezing and heat.
      Rules are available at http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/4-72-HAR-2012.pdf.
      Ka`u residents can submit testimony to HDOA Biological Control Section Chief Darcy Oishi at darcy.e.oish@hawaii.gov or 1428 S. King St., Honolulu, HI 96822.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Amber Sugrue and Johnette Llanes-Masters studied Newton's balloon car.