Video by David Corrigan

HILO, Hawaii: A group of parents, students and teachers at Laupahoehoe High and Elementary School took their grievances to Bayfront Highway in Hilo on Wednesday.

A quick look at the signs they were waving reveals which side of the recent charter school conversion debate they are on.

Emotions are running high and moral at the school is reportedly running low, after yet another decision by the Board of Education overruling the Charter School Review Panel.

This time, the BOE declared that Laupahoehoe will open as a charter school in July 2012. The sudden decision was made after the charter school’s Interim Local School Board appealed to the BOE, after the review panel ruled that the school must operate for another year under the Department of Education before converting to a charter. Three C.S.R.P. board members resigned over the decision.

These demonstrators are not happy with the Board of Educations’ actions.

The community is also torn over the charter school’s refusal to hold an election to install a permanent Local School Board. It was presumed by many that the permanent Local School Board elections would be held before the charter school year began. But the interim school board has resisted holding the elections, saying that the stakeholders have not been identified. The Board of Education apparently agrees.

Meanwhile, the Interim Board is pushing forward, encouraging current teachers to submit letters of interest and resumes by February 15, 2012.

The Interim Local School Board issued this release today:

Local parents and their families are excited about the opening of Laupahoehoe Community Public Charter School in July 2012. Parent and Laupahoehoe High & Elementary School graduate Kaihi Francisco recently stated: “My family and I thank those who worked hard and diligently for our charter school, and thank the Board of Education for their approval to open in July. We are happy and excited!”

The Laupahoehoe Charter School Interim Local School Board (ILSB) supports citizens in their exercise of their first amendment rights of free speech, freedom to assemble and to petition their government and respects the right of individuals to express their objection to the Laupahoehoe Charter School opening in July 2012. It is with aloha that the ILSB welcomes dialog about any concerns that exist within the community and the school.

Francisco and his family stated: “We feel saddened that our enthusiasm is not shared by all in the community. We hope that those who continue to hinder the progress of better opportunities for our youth will see the vision and give their support to our Charter.”

Parent Phoebe Mills went further, saying: “I’ve heard that a few teachers at the school are encouraging the kids in their classes to oppose the charter-conversion. I’m sure that most teachers would never do this, but if it’s true, it’s appalling. The students should not be dragged into this on school time. “

The ILSB welcomes anyone with questions about the school opening or process to go to the website (www.laupahoehoecharterschool.com) or call 808-430-8699. Questions and concerns about the charter school may be presented at the public ILSB meetings on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:00pm (the website will list the most up to date information).

Interest in the charter school is widespread. Numerous inquiries have come in from prospective parents and teachers who are enthusiastic about becoming part of an innovative community school. To kick off the Charter’s hands-on learning approach, an exciting outdoors experience for high school students is planned for this summer.

An upcoming presentation by Board of Education Chair Don Horner & Vice Chair Brian DeLima will be held in February in the Laupahoehoe area to help the community to move forward.

The school encourages this year’s teachers to consider teaching at the charter school when it opens in July, 2012 and to submit letters of interest and resumes by February 15 2012. Inquiries regarding student registration or employment for qualified State teachers and staff should be directed to info@laupahoehoecharterschool.com.

HONOKA’A, Hawaii: Sitting in his Honokaa home with his family by his side, Council Chair Dominic Yagong announces that he will be running for Hawaii County Mayor in 2012, challenging incumbent Billy Kenoi for the seat.

We will be publishing a longer report on Monday, including segments of a Question and Answer session with reporters.

A look back on ten memorable moments – for better or for worse – covered by Big Island Video News in 2011

HAMAKUA COAST, Hawaii: For the next two weeks, we will be taking a look at the moments that mattered over the past year, paying special attention to every region of Hawaii Island.

Today, we focus on Hamakua… where in 2011, a national television audience watched resident TV star Roseanne Barr work her macadamia nut farm on the short lived reality TV program “Roseanne’s Nuts” , and where biking champion Lance Armstrong tackled the steep Waipio Valley on a dare issued over Twitter, but for the every day folks the news headlines that mattered most were a little different.

The following is a list of the Top 10 stories, as featured in our broadcast, with links to the actual stories in our archives as well as other supplemental information.

The TOP 10 – HAMAKUA 2011

10. Paauilo Gym

In some of the year’s good news, the Paauilo Community Center Annex was finally reopened on Saturday after extensive repairs, and officials marked the occasion with this blessing.

MORE: Paauilo Community Center re-opens with blessing

9. NHERC rural initiative launched

In Honokaa, a large crowd gathered at the North Hawaii Education and Research Complex, for the kick-off of The Rural Outreach Services Initiative, which drew dignitaries from across the state.

MORE: VIDEO: Honokaa celebrates rural outreach launch

8. Kalopa Bypass opens

A joyous event in Kalopa in August… where a highway that was decades in the making finally became reality.

MORE: Apelahama Highway opens in Kalopa

7. Honokaa Jazz wins a Grammy

In May 2011, a huge honor was bestowed on Honokaa’s small high school.

MORE: VIDEO: Honokaa High School Jazz Band gets Grammy

6. Death on Kawainui Stream

Island residents know that when heavy rains fall, trouble follows, especially on the Hamakua Coast, where dangerous landslides like these can snarl traffic for hours, and streams swell to become raging rapids.

Tragedy struck with little warning in July.

After three days of searching the area, the body of the missing man was recovered.

MORE: Hawaii search continues for Puna man after flash flood

5. Honolii Stabbing

The good and the bad were on display at Honolii Beach Park in 2011…

For the second time, the popular surf spot was host to the finals of the Stand Up World Tour, and enticing breaks year ’round.

But crime was also on the rise. Car break-ins plagued the overlook, and in October, this news story made state wide news headlines… as much for the strange details, as for the violence…

MORE: VIDEO: Arrest in Honolii stabbing, suspect had Hawaiian dagger

4. Hamakua Land Lease

It has been a heated topic in recent years. 3,400 acres of former Hamakua Sugar plantation property that was taken over by the county in lieu of back taxes in 1992. Past administrations have tried to sell the land – even the current mayor gave it a try – but ultimately the philosophy of leasing the land appears to have won out.

Mayor Billy Kenoi silenced critics when he made 1,739 acres of the Kapulena lands available for community-based agriculture, the largest such project in the state… and in 2011, Hamakua’s councilman Dominic Yagong passed a resolution through the council to lease more land in Paauilo.

TAG: Hamakua Lands

3. Hu Honua bioenergy in Pepeekeo

2011 was proof that change was coming to Hamakua’s rural, agricultural traditions…

Pepeekeo was front and center in the push to find energy alternatives to fossil fuels. And as this story shows, there is no easy answer for our future power solutions.

TAG: Hu Honua Bioenergy

2. Laupahoehoe charter school fiasco

In Laupahoehoe, the future of a small school had the community sharply divided. We followed charter school merry-go-round over the course of the year.

TAG: Laupahoehoe School

1. Zip Line death

In the higher elevations about Paukaa, tragedy struck in October 2011… dealing a blow to a burgeoning thrill-seeking industry on Hawaii Island.

In October, KapohoKine Adventures confirmed that it had suspended booking zipline tours pending a full evaluation on the soil composition and structural integrity of the lines.

TAG: Honolii Mountain Outpost

[Video by Charlie Hazelton]

Ookala, Hawaii: As heavy rains batter the east side of Hawaii Island, landslides are becoming a problem on the Hamakua Coast.

This raw video shows a huge mass of dirt, rock and trees covering one of the roadways in Ookala.

According to Charlie Hazelton, who filmed this footage, it rained almost 9″ in the town over the weekend, and the volume of rain along with the high winds caused the hillside to give way along one of the two entrances to the small town.

Hazelton says the landslide took down a power line and covered the roadway.

On Monday, road crews were hard at work, cutting trees and removing debris. The road has been shut down until it is cleared and the hillside can be assessed for stability, Hazelton reports.

Earlier on Monday, the Hawaii County Police Department issued warnings to motorists that landslides had covered the southbound side of the Mamalahoa Highway along the Hamakua Coast, on the both the Maulua and Kaawalii Gulch.

By David Corrigan and Stephanie Salazar

[Video by David Corrigan]

HILO, Hawaii: The Hawaii County Council’s Finance Committee gave a positive recommendation to a bill that would improve upon the sewer line connection program, something that businesses in downtown Honokaa will be happy to hear.

The communication for the bill says the measure “States that the sewer loan connection program is not restricted to residential dwellings, and permits lot owners approved for the County Sewer Connection Loan Program to select their own contractors.”

Hamakua Councilman Dominic Yagong explained at Tuesday’s meeting.

Bill 146 now goes to the full council for a vote.

By David Corrigan and Stephanie Salazar

[Video courtesy Stand Up World Tour]

HONOLII, Hawaii: The Stand Up World Tour has come to an end in Honolii, after a exciting weekend of paddleboard action on the waters.

18 year old Zane Schweitzer put on a dominant performance to secure the win at the Hawaii Island Finals, the last stop on the world tour for these young competitors.

19 year old Kai Lenny won his 2nd Overall World Title here on Hawaii Island Finals, with another impressive and dominant performance. He took second place in the Honolii contest.

Brazil’s Leco Salazar finished in 2nd place overall.

The tour is planning on a full year of events in 2012.

The stop in Honolii is fitting. Traditionally a surfing hotspot on the Big Island, the sport of S.U.P… or Stand Up Paddling, has exploded in popularity in recent years.

[Video by David Corrigan]

HILO, Hawaii: During a meeting hosted by State Senator Gil Kahele at Waiakea High School in Hilo, the Laupahoehoe Charter School controversy became the subject of a short discussion between Board of Education Vice Chair Brian DeLima, the appointed representative for the Big Island, and Bob Beekman, one of the many Laupahoehoe teachers opposing the charter conversion.

The community voted to pursue the charter conversion in 2010, and after being denied on multiple occasions by the Charter School Review Panel, the Board of Education voted to approve the charter on appeal. The sudden decision created an even greater undercurrent of opposition and controversy. The school has been in a tumult ever since, as teachers, students, and parents – many at odds over the best course to follow – wait to see if the school will actually convert to a charter school or somehow remain under the Hawaii Department of Education.

Earlier in the day, Big Island Video News received the following media release from the Interim Local School Board, who favor the charter conversion:

On Monday, November 28, 2011, Laupahoehoe Community Public Charter School filed an appeal to the Board of Education requesting that it allow an amendment to its school plan regarding setting local school board elections.

The charter school’s Interim Local School Board is confident that the Board of Education will make sure that the charter school holds fair and legal elections. Under Board of Education rules, the appeal must be decided within 60 days.

In the meantime, Laupahoehoe Community Public Charter School continues to support the work of the teachers, staff, and unions for fairness in employment, and will soon be accepting registration for incoming kindergarteners.

Laupahoehoe Community Public Charter School encourages all current teachers at Laupahoehoe High and Elementary School to consider teaching at the charter school when it officially becomes a charter, on July 01, 2012. The charter school is required by a government Assurances Framework to prepare in case some teachers may choose to teach elsewhere or retire. The charter school is now accepting letters of interest and resumes from qualified State teachers for school year 2012-13.

Interested teachers should contact Loida Navalta, Administrative Consultant at info@laupahoehoecharterschool.com or 808-430-8699.

For questions about the appeal, please contact Interim Local School Board member Steven Strauss,  808-969-6684

By David Corrigan and Tim Bryan

[File video by David Corrigan]

LAUPAHOEHOE, Hawaii: The Laupahoehoe Charter School controversy continues.

As the Laupahoehoe community and school staff remain divided on the issue of whether or not converting the small Department of Education school into a charter school is a good idea, the Charter School Review Panel is coming down hard on the Interim Local School Board.

The panel is saying that the elections for the permanent local school board must take place by November 21st, or else the start up charter will face corrective actions, which could include revocation proceedings.

The Interim Local School Board says it cannot hold elections until September 2012 because that is when the proper stakeholders will be established for the vote. But the Charter School Review Panel argues that the current group of staff, parents and students make up the legal stakeholders, and further points out that the charter school’s Detailed Implementation Plan set the election date on September 2011.

Sources say the Interim School Board is concerned that the current stakeholders – many of whom oppose the charter school conversion – could hi-jack the mission of the charter school and even hand the charter back to the state.

The effort to convert Laupahoehoe into a charter gained momentum in 2008, especially when the small school was put on a list to be studied for possible closure. The community voted to pursue the charter conversion in 2010, and after being denied on multiple occasions by the Charter School Review Panel, the Board of Education voted to approve the charter.

By David Corrigan and Tim Bryan

[File video by David Corrigan]

HONOLII, Hawaii: Honolii Paka will be the the place to be Saturday, when the 8th Annual Honoli’i Aloha Honua Festival & Surfing Classic will be held.

Basic Image is proud to sponsor of the event. Everyone is invited to participate.

There will be live, local entertainment, games, prizes, food and more!

The Surfing Classic is open to surfers ages 17 and under; there will be four divisions (long board, short board, body board and ‘ohana – parent and keiki). There is no fee to enter but parental consent and participation are required. Space is limited to the first 120 competitors. Check-in time is 6:45AM with the first heat starting at 7:30AM.

The 8th Annual Honoli’i Pāka Aloha Honua Festival will occur as part of a continuing public awareness and educational campaign designed to inform communities of the key role they play in mālama’āina (taking care of the land). No one knows more about this than Bradda Skibs, whose hard work has transformed the park into what it is today.

Skibs talked about the restoration during the premier of his short film “Aloha Aina”, documenting the effort.

From the Honolii Paka Facebook event page:

Performing at this year’s event is Candy Crew, LeiManu, Lito Arkangel, Franz Kahele & Eugene Matsumura

Mahalo to our sponsors: County of Hawaii, Hawaii Tourism Authority, Blue Planet, BIISC, S. Tokunaga, Captain Zodiac, Starbucks, Orchid Land Surfboards, Hilo Surfboards, Jeff Hunt Surfboards, Diabolik Surf & Glass, Miller’s Surf….

A Hamakua Community Development Plan discussion will be continued on Tuesday, November 13, in Laupahoehoe.

According to planner Christian Kay, there was an involved and productive Hamakua CDP Steering Committee meeting last Tuesday (Nov. 1st) in Honoka’a.  In order to finish the proposed strategy discussion on land use and implementation, the committee will be continuing that meeting on Tuesday at 5 p.m. in the Laupāhoehoe Library Humanities Room.

Here is a flyer that was circulated with the announcement:

Because we are continuing the meeting, the attached agenda will remain the same except for the change in date and venue.

By David Corrigan and Stephanie Salazar

[Video courtesy Island Planet One Productions]

HAKALAU, Hawaii: A local filmmaker has launched a Kickstarter Campaign for an animated, independent science-fiction film entitled “Strange Frame”

Producer GB Hajim and Island Planet One Productions, the animation company based out of Hakalau that is producing this feature film, has been teaching and employing the best and brightest of local high school and college students on the Big Island of Hawaii, according to a recent media release.

This video was also provided by the young producers. It includes interviews with John Mason, Film Commissioner of the island, and Marc Miranda, the former Governor’s liaison for East Hawaii when Linda Lingle was in office.

This week the project launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise finishing funds from their rapidly growing base of over 18,000 fans. Kickstarter is a crowd-funding platform that allows producers to connect with their audiences and raise funds through incentives like pre-selling exclusive DVDs and other merchandise. Producers are hoping to get some support on the Hawaii home front to see the effort through to completion.

By David Corrigan and Stephanie Salazar

HILO, Hawaii: During Thursday’s County Redistricting Commission meeting, there were some strong objections from the Hamakua community…

Folks from the region who have been following the process were alarmed when an early version of a new map, known as Plan A, cut the current Hamakua District – or District 1 – in half just south of Honokaa… proposing to group Honokaa into the same district as Waimea and the rest of North Kohala.

The population of the current district 1 seems to dictate that the boundaries will have to encroach into Waimea on the north, or Hilo on the south.

But some residents feel that either grouping will dilute the voice of the current Hamakua district.

Testifying at the meeting were Steven Offenbaker and Lucille Chung.