by Delia Montgomery

It was about six years ago green-movement “insiders” were talking about the upcoming bamboo fabric crash. Bamboo clothing was the rage at the time, so every eco-fabric industry leader wanted to ride the wave as long as possible.

Once word got to customers two years later, they fiercely resisted. Typical reactions were “I love my bamboo, you can’t take it away from me!”  —  along with expressions of disbelief. Read the rest of this entry »

(Media release) — Jennifer Marshall of the distinguished national think-tank Heritage Foundation will be speaking in Hilo on “Hope for Hawaii Education: How We Can Win School Choice.”   The talk is open to the public and will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2 at the New Star restaurant, 172 Kilauea Ave., Hilo. Marshall is Director of Domestic Policy Studies for the Heritage Foundation, widely considered one of the world’s most influential public policy research institutes. In 2010, National Journal named her as “one of 12 power players” in Washington, D.C. for her work on school choice and education reform.

She will be speaking about Hawaii education at several engagements around the state, on Oahu at BYU and at the Heritage Foundation special event at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, then in Hilo and Kona.

Big Island residents ranked Education their #1 concern at the recent Hawaii Island Economic Summit sponsored by the County of Hawaii and Kona Transportation.  There are ongoing concerns about the quality of our Hawaii public schools, the increasing popularity of charter schools and the recent HSTA contract issues about teacher performance evaluation. Parents are increasingly seeking empowerment to influence their children’s education for the better. Ms. Marshall has great insight in such issues, especially in light of recent Washington, D.C. school system experiences such as their Opportunity Scholarship Program passed by Congress in 2004, phased out by President Obama in 2009 and resurrected in 2011.

The Conservative Forum for Hawaii and The Hilo Tea Party are jointly sponsoring Marshall’s Hilo presentation.

$15 charge will include buffet dinner.

For further information contact Marie Ruhland (808) 895-3741 marie@hiipm.com

(Submitted by Ed Gutteling, M.D.)

Please submit testimony to the State Senators listed below in favor of SB 3023 to allow for the streamlining and facilitation of the permitting process for the restoration of Hawaiian fishponds (loko i‘a). Allow for the commercial use of the fishponds if the applicant is a lineal or cultural descendant of Native Hawaiians or a Native Hawaiian organization. Amends the definition of “mariculture” for chapters 171 and 190D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to exclude Hawaiian fishponds from certain lease provisions.
 
sengreen@capitol.hawaii.gov, senkahele@capitol.hawaii.gov, senryan@capitol.hawaii.gov, sensolomon@capitol.hawaii.gov, sengaluteria@capitol.hawaii.gov

The bill can be also viewed at http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=3023.  

To track or submit testimony for any legislative bill(s), sign on to http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/home.aspx and you can create a user account for free. 

For information about State Legislation tutorial, click on this link to the Capitol’s Public Access Room: http://hawaii.gov/lrb/par/

Mahalo,
Chuck Flaherty

Image courtesy of Kathy Frost.

(Media release) — The 6th annual Nahelehele Dryland Forest Symposium is just a month away!  Join us for another year of interesting talks and great networking. Once again we’ll be at the Keauhou Beach Resort.  The registration fee includes lunch by the hotel.

There will be a poster session outside the conference room during the day, with dedicated viewing after lunch.  Contact Barrie Moss (bmoss1sm@yahoo.com)if you would like a table – or to share a table – to present information about your group or activity.

The deadline for early registration and to sign up for the field trip is Feb. 13.
Symposium information will be posted on both the Kohala Center and Nahelehele websites within the next few days. http://www.kohalacenter.org/nahele12.html  OR
http://www.drylandforest.org/events

Hope to see you there.

(Submitted by Kathy Frost)

Last week I published a “photo of the week” of Isemoto Contracting workers tearing up a sidewalk outside the newly built Judiciary Complex. Pressed for time and unable to put on my reporter’s cap to call the State Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) to inquire about the comment made my one of the Isemoto workers, specifically “somebody screwed up,” as I snapped their photo, I left it to you, dear readers, to find out exactly what was going on outside the Judiciary last week.  Rest assured, if you didn’t call DAGS yourself, I will eventually get to calling that state agency for all of us.

Also last week, I came across the opportunity to photograph sidewalk construction in Pahoa.  This one, I hoped, was going to be good news for you — Construction workers installing a curb cut at one of the few intersections in Pahoa that we have a sidewalk.  I was all set to cheerlead for Americans with Disabilities Act compliance in Pahoa Village.  Then, on Monday morning, as I was headed into the bank, I caught a glimpse of a County vehicle in the parking lot across the street from the construction area.  I looked over at the curb cut and saw what was obviously a County worker that had driven that County vehicle from Hilo on his hands and knees with a level, looking up and speaking sternly to the construction workers standing around above him.  Uh-oh, what’s going on over there, I thought to myself.

But I didn’t have my camera in hand to snap a photograph and I really didn’t have the time to run back to my vehicle, grab my camera, and play reporter at that moment.  I stored my observation away and moved on with my day.  Then, on Tuesday, as I was headed to a Mainstreet Pahoa Association board meeting, I saw Ludwig Construction workers tearing up the very curb cut that I had observed being constructed last week!  I kid you not.  I wasn’t the only Mainstreet Pahoa Association board member that saw that Tuesday; as you can imagine, it certainly was one of the topics of our conversation during our meeting.  In fact, I welcome County Public Workers Department employees to our next Mainstreet Pahoa Association meeting at 9 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 21 at Luquin’s to offer us an explanation as to why the curb cut was torn out less than a week after it was constructed. (If you squint, you can see all the torn-up concrete piled in the back of the pickup in photo below.) Please know that I’m not lurking about, actively looking for our tax dollars at work tearing up newly constructed sidewalks.  These are observations I’m making as I am going about my business, and I really can’t help but photograph them and post them here.

(Media release) — Big Island police are searching for a 54-year-old Hilo woman who was reported missing.

Darlene Santos was last seen in the Kaumana area of Hilo on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 6:45 a.m. She has a medical condition that requires medication.

She is described as part Hawaiian, 5-feet tall, about 175 pounds with brown eyes, graying brown hair and a tan complexion. She was last seen wearing blue jeans, a brown oversized jacket over an unknown type of top, and wedge slippers.

Police ask that anyone with information on her whereabouts call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.

(Submitted by Hawaii Police Department via Nixle.)

(Media release) — An autopsy was conducted Friday Jan. 20 on a body found Jan. 17 in the vicinity of Isaac Hale Beach Park in Pohoiki. 

The victim was identified as 62-year-old Dennis Eugene White of Papaya Farms Road in Kapoho. The cause of death was a head injury. 

Although police have not ruled out play, the case is currently classified as a coroner’s inquest. Detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigations Section are continuing the investigation. 

Detectives are also looking for White’s car, described as a black or dark green 1998 Jeep Wrangler with a tan soft top and bearing license plate HDY 926. White was last seen driving the Jeep alone in the area of Papaya Farms Road in the early evening hours of Jan. 16. 

Police ask that anyone with information about this case or the location of the Jeep call Detective Norbert Serrao at 961-2383 or email him at nserrao@co.hawaii.hi.us. 

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.
(Submitted by Hawaii Police Department via Nixle.)

Image courtesy of Freshome

This legislation will allow  people who own a dairy goat, cow, or sheep to consume the raw milk produced by that animal.
This is especially important for people who would buy a share in the dairy animal so as to have a regular supply of raw milk even if they do not have a place to keep the animal. The animal is owned through shares by multiple people and stays on a farm where it is milked, in a type of arrangement similar community supported agriculture.

These are the legislators to contact ASAP and simply state support for SB2417 and HB 2076:

rephanohano@Capitol.hawaii.gov
senkahele@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repyamane@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repmorikawa@Capitol.hawaii.gov
sengreen@Capitol.hawaii.gov
sennishihara@Capitol.hawaii.gov

The Sentate Bill is attached, and states: “Milk produced by a hoofed animal shall not be required to be pasteurized if the milk is intended for consumption or personal use by the owner or by the milk producer of the hoofed animal producing the particular milk.”

Thank you for your help.
–
James Weatherford, PhD
Keaau, Hawaii

Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, former Governors, distinguished justices of the courts, mayors, representatives of our Congressional Delegation, members of the Hawai’i State Legislature, other elected officials, honored guests, family and friends.  Aloha.

One year ago, I stood before you to present the sobering fiscal reality facing Hawai’i.  At that time, we faced an enormous deficit and the effects of fractured government services.  The discussion was not about “whether” we needed to find additional revenues, but about “where” we needed to find them.

But by working together and through shared sacrifice, we have started to turn the corner.  This past year has not been easy but we have accomplished our purpose.

I want to thank the Legislature for your collaboration.

Thank you to the public for weathering through those difficult choices.

Thank you, especially to our state employees, who agreed to labor savings and additional payments for health benefits.

There was no way for us to have balanced our budget and achieved today’s fiscally favorable outlook without the commitment of everyone.   Read the rest of this entry »

Did anyone attend the meeting at the Pahoa Community Center on the 17th about money for park improvements? I missed it and would like to hear more about what went on.

I’ve been told that the Kenoi Administration has a proposal for some expensive covered structures (tennis courts?) that have absolutely zero to do with all the community input that’s been generated over the years.

Actually this would not surprise me but I would like to hear from anyone that attended… perhaps I was told incorrectly.

Rob Tucker