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| Expansive vistas abound on tomorrow's Palm Trail hike at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park's Kahuku Unit. NPS Photo by Mark Wasser |
AFTER MORE THAN EIGHT HOURS of public testimony, Hawai`i Board of Land and Natural Resources voted 5-2 last night to approve a 120-day emergency rule pertaining to access to Mauna Kea.
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| BLNR member Chris Yuen |
“We need the tools to keep order on the mountain,” said at-large board member Chris Yuen, former Hawai`i County Planning Department chief. “It’s sad that it has come to this point.”
Hawai`i Island board member Stanley Roehrig also voted in favor of the rule, saying it was for the safety of everyone, including rangers. O`ahu member Ulalia Woodside and Maui member James A. Gomes voted a`ole.
The action follows blockades on the summit access road by people and rocks placed to restrict access by crews attempting to begin construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope.
According to the rule, no person shall at any time possess or control in the restricted area any of the following items: sleeping bag, tent, camping stove or propane burner.
The rule also limits times access is available to the hours of 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., unless the person is transiting through the restricted area on the Mauna Kea Observatory Access Road or is lawfully within or entering or exiting an existing observatory or a facility operated by the University of Hawai
The restricted area is defined as any lands in the public hunting area that includes the Mauna Kea Observatory Access Road and one mile on either side of the road.
As used in this rule, the term transiting means operating, or being a passenger in, a motor vehicle travelling at a reasonable and prudent speed and having regard to the actual and potential hazards and conditions then existing.
The board declared that there was “imminent peril to the public health or natural resources.”
Roehrig pointed out that persons wanting to access the area can apply for special permits. He also said DLNR Chair Suzanne Case is open to setting up an area to be used for protests.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
GMOS, ZEALOTRY AND LEGISLATIVE OVERREACH is the title of a recent blog post by Hawai`i Farm Bureau Federation President Chris Manfredi, a Ka`u resident, at hfbf.org.
“This is my first HFBF blog post, one that is overdue,” Manfredi wrote. “I hope to be doing more of these.
Hawai`i Island board member Stanley Roehrig also voted in favor of the rule, saying it was for the safety of everyone, including rangers. O`ahu member Ulalia Woodside and Maui member James A. Gomes voted a`ole.
The action follows blockades on the summit access road by people and rocks placed to restrict access by crews attempting to begin construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope.
According to the rule, no person shall at any time possess or control in the restricted area any of the following items: sleeping bag, tent, camping stove or propane burner.
The rule also limits times access is available to the hours of 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., unless the person is transiting through the restricted area on the Mauna Kea Observatory Access Road or is lawfully within or entering or exiting an existing observatory or a facility operated by the University of Hawai
The restricted area is defined as any lands in the public hunting area that includes the Mauna Kea Observatory Access Road and one mile on either side of the road.
As used in this rule, the term transiting means operating, or being a passenger in, a motor vehicle travelling at a reasonable and prudent speed and having regard to the actual and potential hazards and conditions then existing.
The board declared that there was “imminent peril to the public health or natural resources.”
Roehrig pointed out that persons wanting to access the area can apply for special permits. He also said DLNR Chair Suzanne Case is open to setting up an area to be used for protests.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
GMOS, ZEALOTRY AND LEGISLATIVE OVERREACH is the title of a recent blog post by Hawai`i Farm Bureau Federation President Chris Manfredi, a Ka`u resident, at hfbf.org.
“This is my first HFBF blog post, one that is overdue,” Manfredi wrote. “I hope to be doing more of these.
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| HFBF President Chris Manfredi Photo by Julia Neal |
“What better occasion than the turning back of the GMO ban on Maui, the last of three? Like on Kaua`i and Hawai`i Island, a federal judge invalidated the de-facto GMO crop ban on the grounds that growing these crops is already governed at state and federal levels. County attempts to regulate in this area are thereby preempted.
“Never mind that the ballot initiative was flawed from the get-go. Never mind that the counties have no resources nor expertise to enforce these ordinances. Thankfully, our system of government with its three branches and built-in checks and balances protects us from zealots – or is at least designed to. The proponents of these measures never let the facts nor scientific evidence get in the way of their ideology. Lawmakers that supported these measures were wrong to pass flawed bills that overreached their authority – and that’s a shame.
“When elected representatives follow, rather than lead it hurts the citizenry. I hope they realize that by supporting measures so extreme they essentially punted their legislative roles to the judiciary, eroding their own power and influence. Such a waste of time and resources, chasing paper tigers and strawmen. Imagine if this time and energy was applied to actual problems.
“We saw what happens at the state house too, when two Big Island senators were relieved of their committee chairmanships by proposing and supporting measures so extreme that they were shown the door by their colleagues. They diminished their own influence, and thereby did a disservice to the citizens that employ them. Question: When is it OK for an Ag committee chair to oppose farmers? Answer: Never. And so it goes. Smart politicians understand the difference between campaigning and governing. Once elected they ought to remember they need to represent all of their constituents.
“Well, this is a big win for farmers, not just in Hawai`i, but across the globe. We’re sick of the uncertainty placed on our businesses by zealots. We’re tired of being demonized by demagogues armed with propaganda and driven by political and financial agendas that create nothing but hot air, wasted time and wasted opportunities.
"Maybe now we can put distractions aside and focus more on what’s really important: raising and caring for the plants and animals that nourish a society,"Manfredi wrote.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
“Never mind that the ballot initiative was flawed from the get-go. Never mind that the counties have no resources nor expertise to enforce these ordinances. Thankfully, our system of government with its three branches and built-in checks and balances protects us from zealots – or is at least designed to. The proponents of these measures never let the facts nor scientific evidence get in the way of their ideology. Lawmakers that supported these measures were wrong to pass flawed bills that overreached their authority – and that’s a shame.
“When elected representatives follow, rather than lead it hurts the citizenry. I hope they realize that by supporting measures so extreme they essentially punted their legislative roles to the judiciary, eroding their own power and influence. Such a waste of time and resources, chasing paper tigers and strawmen. Imagine if this time and energy was applied to actual problems.
“We saw what happens at the state house too, when two Big Island senators were relieved of their committee chairmanships by proposing and supporting measures so extreme that they were shown the door by their colleagues. They diminished their own influence, and thereby did a disservice to the citizens that employ them. Question: When is it OK for an Ag committee chair to oppose farmers? Answer: Never. And so it goes. Smart politicians understand the difference between campaigning and governing. Once elected they ought to remember they need to represent all of their constituents.
“Well, this is a big win for farmers, not just in Hawai`i, but across the globe. We’re sick of the uncertainty placed on our businesses by zealots. We’re tired of being demonized by demagogues armed with propaganda and driven by political and financial agendas that create nothing but hot air, wasted time and wasted opportunities.
"Maybe now we can put distractions aside and focus more on what’s really important: raising and caring for the plants and animals that nourish a society,"Manfredi wrote.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
HAWAI`I ISLAND POLICE WARN THE PUBLIC about a telephone scam from persons claiming to be from the Department of Water Supply.
The individuals call Water Supply customers and threaten to shut off their water service because of what they claim are past-due water bills.
According to the DWS, the calls are fraudulent and an attempt to gain access to credit card or other financial information.
Residents are advised that if they receive such a call, they should report it to the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311.
Members of the community also may call DWS at 961-8050 to file an additional report.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
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| Frances Kai`Hwa Wang |
THE COLLEGE OF CONTINUING EDUCATION and Community Service at the University of Hawai`i-Hilo will conduct a one-day workshop entitled Jumpstart Your College Application Essay next Saturday, July 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in UCB 113. The cost is $50.
Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, a writer, speaker, activist and multicultural educator at the University of Michigan, and author of Where Lava Meets the Sea – Asian Pacific American Postcards from Hawai`i, will conduct the course described as “a college application essay boot camp.” Students will employ timed writings and discussion to inventory their high school experiences, analyze various college application and scholarship essay questions, write a good first draft and discuss editing techniques. Participants should bring a laptop, notebook, pen and application questions of the colleges/scholarships to which they want to apply.
For more at (808) 974-7664 or email ccecs@hawaii.edu.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
For more at (808) 974-7664 or email ccecs@hawaii.edu.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
AS A MARK OF RESPECT for the late former Lieutenant Governor and state Senator Nelson Doi, Gov. David Ige has ordered that the flags of the United States and State of Hawai`i shall be flown at half-staff at all state offices and agencies, as well as the Hawai`i National Guard, from sunrise to sunset tomorrow.
“Nelson Doi was a pillar of his community on Hawai`i Island and a dedicated public servant who laid the foundation for and helped to improve the entire state. He was a trailblazer and committed leader who left behind a lasting legacy. On behalf of the people of Hawai`i, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the Doi ‘Ohana and their many friends,” Ige said.
Born in Pahoa on News Years Day in 1922, Doi served in the Hawai`i Territorial Senate for 14 years. He then entered the judicial branch in 1969, serving as judge of the Third Circuit Court for five years. In 1974, Doi began a four-year term serving as the Lieutenant Governor. Doi died on May 16.
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| FNVNP members explore Mauna Loa Trail tomorrow. NPS Photo by Gerad Dean |
BOTANIST TIM TUNISON GUIDES tomorrow’s Sunday Walk in the Park from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This four-mile round-trip hike explores Mauna Loa Trail. Free for Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park; others may become members in order to attend. Email admin@fhvnp.org or call 985-7373 for more information.
KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES National Park offers a guided hike of Palm Trail tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The hike is a moderately difficult 2.6-mile loop traversing scenic pastures along an ancient cinder cone, with some of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. Highlights include relics of the ranching era, sections of remnant native forest and volcanic features from the 1868 eruptive fissures.
Call 985-6011 for more information.
KA`U CELEBRATES OBON SEASON with services Monday at Pahala Hongwanji at 3 p.m. (928-8254) and Na`alehu Hongwanji at 6 p.m. (966-9981).
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
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| See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf and kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf. |
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| See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_July2015.pdf. |
