(Media release) —  Today, eight community groups representing a variety of statewide enviornmental and cultural interests issued a letter calling for Governor Abercrombie to withdraw recent proclamations suspending many of Hawai‘i environmental and cultural protections.

Following is a statement of Robert D. Harris, Director of the Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter:

Robert Harris

Recently, Governor Abercromibe used his emergency executive powers to suspend many of Hawaii’s enviornmental and cultural laws. Conservation Council for Hawai‘i, Friends of Lana‘i, Hawai‘i’s Thousand Friends, KAHEA: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance, Life of the Land, Malama Kauai, Na Kupuna Moku O Keawe, and the Sierra Club, Hawai‘i Chapter have jointly issued a letter expressing concern that Abercrombie’s administration is misusing its emergency power. While Governor Abercrombie’s administration may have been well-intentioned, it was ill-advised to suspend statutes that directly protect the public from harm. Waiver of Hawaii’s legal protections — whether they be procurement, cultural, environmental, or other — undermines public goals of transparency, accountability, and community invovlement. It also puts the public at risk of harm. Laws governing clean water, clean air, and hazardous materials all exist for a reason.

The rationale used by the Abercrombie adminstration to evade State regulations — the threat of speculative harm to the public — could wrongly justify numerous projects. At its core, virtually every governmental action is designed to protect the public. The scope of the Governor’s emergency powers is not so broad, however. The Governor cannot pick and choose what actions will comply with the law.

The eight community groups asked Governor Abercrombie to reassess the appropriateness of issuing these proclamations and withdraw them immediately.

(Submittedby the Hawaii chapter of the Sierra Club.)

Walter "Wala" Stevens was a career cowboy at Parker Ranch and considered by many old-timers to be the finest horseman the ranch ever produced in its 164-year history. Image courtesy of Patti Cook.

(Media release) — Tasting and celebrating the deliciously diverse flavors of Hawaiian ranching and farming are at the heart of Hawai’i Island’s “Taste of the Hawaiian Range,” which will celebrate its 16^th year from 6-8 p.m., Fri., Sept. 30, 2011 at Hilton Waikoloa’s Grand Ballroom.

For the Paniolo Preservation Society, which is dedicated to perpetuating Hawai’i’s proud and living ranching tradition, it’s also an opportunity to honor men and women who define the expertise and values required to steward land and animals and build a nationally respected livestock industry with a unique, culturally rich lifestyle.

Thus, at this year’s “Taste of the Hawaiian Range,” PPS will pay tribute to the late Walter Stevens of Waimea, who continues to this day to be revered as “The Great Horseman of Parker Ranch.”

Walter “Wala” Stevens was a career cowboy at Parker Ranch and considered by many old-timers to be the finest horseman the ranch ever produced in its 164-year history.  Read the rest of this entry »

(Media release) — In ancient times, Moku Ola in Hilo Bay was considered a place for healing and a place to find refuge. How appropriate that that spot commonly referred to today as Coconut Island will be the venue for a world peace festival.  The second annual World Peace Festival is slated for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011.

“Moku Ola is a special place and is still held in the hearts of many as a refuge and place to find peace.  It is the perfect place for the Festival, a multi-cultural event dedicated to peace and harmony,” said Desiree Moana Cruz, the  festival coordinator and mayor’s press secretary.

Hawaii County hosts the festival in partnership with the Hilo Downtown Improvement Association — with sponsorship support from the International Committee of Artists for Peace assisted by Soka Gakkai International.  Read the rest of this entry »

The Puna Sustainability Expo is slated for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011, at the Leilani Estates community center on Moku Street.  The educational event is free to the public.

Learn how sustainability applies to our current and future needs. Presentations, demonstrations and exhibits will address sustainability topics such as food, water, waste, shelter, energy, traditional knowledge, right livelihood, herbal medicine and transportation.  The Puna Sustainability Expo will give participants the skills and resources to enable us all to learn what practical, applicable and sustainable practices are already working in Puna today that we can use in improving our own lives and home sites.

Some of the expo’s highlights:  an all-electric car, growing your own cosmetics, protecting the Puna fishery, friendly poultry, recycling opportunities, and lots of  useful plants for your garden.    Prospective vendors and  exhibitors should contact René at (808)965-2000 or  email malamaopuna(at)yahoo.com for information and a participant packet. Read the rest of this entry »

Image courtesy of The Neighborhood Entrepeneur

THIS Wednesday, September 21st in Kona, email TODAY or testify  at 9:00 am at Kona, Hilo or Waimea council offices!

Hawaii County: 2% Land Fund before the County Council AGAIN — your help is needed!

Council member Brenda Ford has proposed CHANGES TO THE OPEN SPACE CHARTER AMENDMENT.  Bill 87 passed through committee on September 7th with 8 votes in favor (Onishi-NO, Ikeda absent). The first reading will be September 21 in Kona, the 2nd reading in Hilo, October 5th and the 3rd reading in Kona on October 19. Please plan to attend to testify or send an email. You can go to www.dhecht.com to get an update and to read the 2% charter amendment language.

Charter amendments need 6 council members to vote YES! WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP to secure 6 VOTES:

** Call and email the council members:  Read the rest of this entry »

Photos courtesy of Kevin Dayton.

A parade honoring the 2011 Senior Little League World Series Champions was held at 11 a.m. today, Sunday, Sept.18, 2011. The parade began at the Liliu’okalani Gardens (near Restaurant Nihon) and proceeded into the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium grounds where the 61st Hawai’i County Fair was ongoing.

The Hilo team led by Manager Kaha Wong defeated Rose Capital East Little League of Tyler, Texas 11-1 in five innings for a decisive Senior League World Series victory Aug. 20.

The 14 Senior Little League World Series Champions range in age from 15-16 years old. These student / athletes attend Hilo, Waiakea, Konawaena and Kamehameha-Hawai’i. The Hilo All Stars head coach / manager Kaha Wong and assistant coaches Walter Silva and Roxanne Costa were on hand and an autograph session followed in the Civic, on the main stage.

The players include; Koa Matson (Hilo High), Kodi Medeiros (Waiakea High), Kaimana Moike (Kamehameha Hawai’i), Kean Wong (Waiakea High), Korin Medeiros (Waiakea High), Quintin Torres-Costa (Waiakea High), Jarrett Kitaoka (Konawaena High), Chad Teshima (Kamehameha-Hawai’i), Kolten Yamaguchi (Konawaena High), Chayce Kaaua (Hilo High), Chay Toson (Kamehameha-Hawai’i), Davey Camacho (Waiakea High), Andy Filoteo (Waiakea High) and Keenan Nishioka (Hilo High)

“Hilo and the entire State of Hawai`i wants our champion athletes to know they have made us very, very proud,” Mayor Kenoi has said. “Their demonstration of determination, skill and sportsmanship was unforgettable.”

Aloha DOH officials:

I write from the rainforest of the rural Puna district of the Big island, which is a long way from the urban life style of Honolulu.
The Puna District is larger than the island of Oahu with an approximate population of 40,000, not counting dogs, cats, chickens and wild pigs.  Thousands here live on 3, 5, 20 acre and more agricultural lots off the electric grid and on water catchment.  Some areas, including where I live get over 200 inches of rain annually.
Even with gravity fed solar hot water heaters, many days there is no hot water for bathing due to the high rainfall.  A commonly used back up system involves burning 6-8 pages of yesterdays newspaper to take a very short few minute hot shower.

I take offense that you in urban sunny Honolulu, whose high consumption electricity is produced from burning polluting oil, want to impose $2,000 fines on rural people who live simply off the electric grid in the rainforest when they occasionally burn six pages of newspaper to take a hot shower.  Something is very offensive and arrogant about that.  I ask that you reconsider and NOT ban open burning to heat water in agricultural districts.

Remember, that those of us from wet rural areas who put food on your plates in sunny urban areas should be able to take a hot shower too.
Mahalo for your consideration. —
Jim Albertini, 30 plus year farmer

I just read the LA Times article about us hauling the Nightingale donkeys to relocation camps. What the f-k!
I touched on that subject (see here and here), but never really got fully into that story by going to any Waikoloa community association meetings or interviewing the Council representative, which happens to be Pete Hoffmann.
What are we doing? We have paved paradise and put up condominiums and resorts in the lava fields where donkeys roam, and then we have convinced ourselves to relocate  donkeys?
There is a very compelling photo that accompanies the LA Times article. It is the close-up of an eye of one of those donkeys with deportation papers.
If you look deeply into the eye of that donkey and don’t cry than you either truly didn’t tap into your greater human-ness or you might be a sociopath.
I cannot believe we think that’s acceptable — could there be some kind of donkey refuge here on the island?
It almost seems like those who raised the most ire about the wild donkeys could help pay for the deportation and relocation camps.  People convinced themselves to do this because they believe the donkeys are a nuisance.
Imagine what wild donkeys must think of those big complexes built in their ahupuaa.
The donkeys were castrated before the trip over. What a tragic story this is, so pathetic!
I know if we could capture all the coqui frogs, we’d be shipping them away too. We just think we can take complete control of nature. Such superheroes we are.
The donkeys, to me, appear far less invasive, having survived their lives on the lava-filled slopes of a volcano. Those fences and golf courses and condominiums were erected on their terrain. To admire those lava-filled slopes and wild terrain with roaming donkeys.
I read this LA Times article this morning and I just think, what donkeys we look like. I can’t imagine news of this sits well with tourists who appreciate the wild Hawaii.
We really need to see ourselves as a part of the ecosystem here, not in control of it.
If we don’t look at tge donkeys’ side, we can convince ourselves to expand the donkey relocation camps beyond the nightingales. Can you imagine every donkey getting his or her deportation papers? Come on, this is just too cruel, shipping away our wildlife.

(Post script: Check out Alan McNarie’s piece “Home Off the Range” in the latest edition of Hana Hou.

(Media release) — The Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows, is proud to host the inaugural K-Swiss Pau Hana Sunset 10km Fun Run & Walk at 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 30, 2011 – a benefit for the West Hawaii Chapter of the American Cancer Society.

The event, which is taking place on Mauna Lani’s world-famous Francis H. I’i Brown North golf course, is open to the entire community and is drawing the support of many pro triathletes who will already be in Hawaii preparing for the Ford Ironman World Championship the following weekend.

2010 Ironman Women’s World Champion, Mirinda Carfrae will be there, along with other pros who have signed up to race in the elite category, including Luke Bell, Belinda Granger, Tim DeBoom, Hillary Biscay, Joe Gambles and local favorite, Bree Wee. Read the rest of this entry »