Streamlining will allow software to “read” sites aloud

Video courtesy Hawaii County office of the Mayor

HILO, Hawaii: HawaiiCounty.gov and HawaiiCountyMayor.com have been updated with accessibility in mind, say officials, enabling those who use assistive technology to more easily browse the web to access information and news about County departments and programs.

The under-the-hood streamlining of the websites allows off-the-shelf screen reader software, like JAWS for Windows and the VoiceOver software built into Mac OS, to read the websites aloud for people with sight impairments or difficulty reading.

The upgrades were a collaborative project between the County’s Departments of Information Technology and Human Resources, the Office of Mayor Billy Kenoi, and the Mayor’s Committee on People with Disabilities.

The Mayor’s Committee on People with Disabilities’ role is to advise the Mayor on all matters related to persons with disabilities. The committee recommends action and provides guidelines to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities, with special focus on employment, education, transportation, recreation, and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The twelve member committee is appointed by the Mayor.

Drought triggers USDA determination

By David Corrigan and Stephanie Salazar

HAWAII COUNTY: The ongoing drought on the Big Island has led to Hawaii County being designated as a primary natural disaster area, according to the office of Governor Neil Abercrombie.

The state says the U.S. Department of Agriculture made the determination after the governor applied last month.

The designation clears the way for Hawai’i Island farmers and ranchers to apply for available federal relief.

According to the National Weather Service, leeward slopes of Hawai’i Island continue to receive little rain. As a result, a classification of “extreme drought” persists in the South Kohala District and Pokakula Region of the Hamakua District. Increased rainfall has resulted in recent improvement from extreme drought in other areas, but the Ka’u and North Kona Districts remain within severe drought parameters. Moderate drought remains over parts of the South Kona District. Pastures and general vegetation from Kawaihae to Pohakuloa are described as being in “very poor” condition, and brush fires continue to be a concern.

Hawai’i County was formally designated a natural disaster area on Jan. 18, 2012. Qualified farm operators in the designated area are eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to cover losses. Eligible individuals have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply. FSA considers each loan application on its own merits.

Special presentation given on threat of tsunami debris that may be headed our way at some point in the next few years

Video by David Corrigan, Voice of Stephanie Salazar

HILO, Hawaii: Debris from the tsunami that devastated Japan could reach the United States as early as this winter, according to predictions by NOAA scientists. However, there is still a large amount of uncertainty over exactly what is still floating, where it’s located, where it will go, when it will arrive, and what will happen when it gets here.

This video on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris website explains more.

Recently, NOAA made a special presentation to the Hawaii County Council Committee on Environmental Management, about what is known – and what is NOT known – in regards to the tsunami debris headed our way.

Speaking to the council from Honolulu, Carey Morishige, the Pacific Islands Regional Coordinator, gave the details.

Images shown in the presentation are from the NOAA Marine Debris Program.

For more info: http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/info/japanfaqs.html

Video by Darryl Lee, Sativa Sultan

HILO, Hawaii: It was chaos in Hilo’s county building on Wednesday, when protest erupted during a vote on adopting a new building code for Hawaii Island.

This group – the same group that has been actively involved in the the crafting of the new codes – demanded the council “Kill the Bill”, forcing the council meeting to shut down, the chamber to close, and police to be called to the scene.

The new codes have been debated, vetted, voted, and reconsidered time and again for the past two years.

We will have more on this in the coming days…

11:40 am | Senate Order of the Day

HOLOLULU, Hawaii: Some bills of interest to Hawaii County:

SB2989: Campaign Spending; Hawaii County Council Public Funding Pilot Program

Amends public funding pilot project for Hawaii county council elections to repeal the requirement of a minimum fund amount; extend the period for signature collection; clarify provision for matching funds; and clarify that the formula to determine the amount of funds given to a publicly funded candidate is based on the prior two general elections held for the county council seat in that district.

SB3003: Geothermal Resources; Exploration; Subzones

Differentiates between “geothermal resources exploration” and “geothermal resources development” for purposes of mining leases and exploration permits. Designates “geothermal resources exploration” and “geothermal resources development” as permitted uses in all state land use districts and conservation district zones. Repeals geothermal resource subzone provisions under state land use law. Exempts geothermal resources exploration from environmental assessment and environmental impact statement requirement.

SB3016: Public Lands; Kulani Correctional Facility

Requires the Department of Public Safety to plan for a model wellness center that employs native Hawaiian cultural practices on state land and to submit a report to the legislature prior to the 2013 legislative session.

SB3037: Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems

Transfers the Pacific international space center for exploration systems from the University of Hawaii to DBEDT’s office of aerospace development. Establishes a PISCES board of directors.

9:55 a.m. | Okamoto Confirmed as Dept. of Water Supply Deputy Manager

HILO, Hawaii: The County of Hawai‘i Water Board unanimously confirmed Keith Okamoto as the Deputy Manager of the Department of Water Supply at their monthly meeting yesterday.

In a letter addressed to the Water Board, newly selected Manager – Chief Engineer Quirino Antonio detailed the many reasons for his selection of Okamoto as his Deputy. In his letter, Antonio wrote about Okamoto’s beginning at the Department in 1996 as a licensed civil engineer in the Water Resources and Planning Branch of the Engineering Division. Then, in 2000, Okamoto was promoted to the supervisor of the Water Quality Assurance and Control Branch in the Engineering Division. The main task of this Branch is to insure the Department remains compliant with the numerous rules related to the Safe Drinking Water Act. In this capacity, Okamoto represented the Department as liaison with the State of Hawai‘i regulating authority, the Safe Drinking Water Branch of the Department of Health.

From there, Okamoto was promoted to Assistant Engineering Division Head in 2003. In this role, Okamoto assisted the Engineering Division Head in all duties of the position, including budget and personnel needs. He was also specifically assigned to oversee the status of the Department’s CIP projects as well as professional services procurement.

Throughout the various capacities in which he has served at the Department, Okamoto has developed in-depth understanding and knowledge of the potable drinking water industry, applicable Federal and State laws, County codes and ordinances, Departmental rules and regulations, and various policies.
After yesterday’s confirmation, Manager – Chief Engineer Antonio offered the following congratulatory remark, “I feel very confident that we complement each other well and will make a great team in moving the Department in a positive direction.”

Originally from O‘ahu, Okamoto has lived on Hawai‘i Island for 15 years.

(Source: Hawaii County)

HILO, Hawaii: Residents across the Island of Hawaii reported feeling an earthquake around 4:36 p.m. on Sunday.

The United States Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory measured a magnitude 5.0 about 4 miles south of the active Pu’u O’o crater on the Kilauea volcano’s east rift zone, within the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

The hypocentral depth was reported to be about 5 miles deep.

There was no threat of a tsunami from the quake and no reports of damage, initially.

Residents around the island reported feeling the quake, from as far north as Hawi to as far west as Kona.

A series of smaller quakes were reported after the quake, all in the same vicinity. The largest of those to be measured was a 3.0, less than 10 minutes after the first.

The Hawaii County Civil Defense issued this statement following the quakes:

This is a Civil Defense Message. This is an earthquake informational update for Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012 at 5PM HST. The earthquake which occurred at approximately 4:38PM was not large enough to cause a tsunami for the Island or state of Hawaii. Preliminary data indicates that the earthquake measured 5.0 and was centered in the vicinity of Kaena Point, Puna. As in all earthquakes, be aware of the possibilities of after shocks. If the earthquake was strongly felt in your area, precautionary checks should be made for any damages, especially to utility connections of gas, water, and power. Again, the earthqauke which occurred at approximately 4:38PM measured 5.0 and was not strong enough to cause a tsunami for the Island or State of Hawaii. Thank you.

UPDATE: The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory just issued this media release, measuring the quake at a magnitude 4.7, and reporting two small collapses of the West Ka’ili’ili lava delta.

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) recorded a magnitude 4.7 earthquake located beneath Kilauea volcano’s south flank on Sunday, January 22, 2012, at 4:36 p.m. HST. This earthquake was centered near Holei Pali about 7 km (4 mi) south of the Pu‘u ‘O‘o crater and 15 km (9 mi) west of Kalapana, at a depth of 8 km (5 mi).

The earthquake was widely felt on the Island of Hawai‘i. The USGS “Did you feel it?” Web site (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/dyfi/) received 600 felt reports within two hours of the earthquake.

The magnitude-4.7 earthquake was followed by 20 aftershocks in two hours in the same area, the largest of which was magnitude-3.1.

The Holei Pali area of Kilauea’s south flank has been the site of 16 earthquakes of magnitude-4.5 or greater during the past 50 years, with 8 since 1983. Most are caused by abrupt motion of the volcano’s south flank moving southeast over the ocean crust at an average rate of 6.5 centimeters per year (2.6 inches per year) as a result of magma injected into the rift zone.

The earthquakes caused two small collapses of the West Ka‘ili‘ili lava delta that has been inactive since late December 2011. There were no other effects apparent on Kilauea’s ongoing eruptions or on Mauna Loa. HVO monitoring networks have not detected any significant changes in activity at the summits or rift zones of the volcanoes.

For eruption updates and information on recent earthquakes in Hawai‘i, visit the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov.

By David Corrigan and Stephanie Salazar

[Video provided by Olomana Marketing LLC]

Media release by Hawaii Island Beacon Community:

Hawaii Island Beacon Community Launches North Hawaii Health Information Exchange
North Hawai‘i Community Hospital Receives $680,000 Contract

Hawai‘i Island Beacon Community (HIBC) has awarded a $680,000 contract to North Hawai‘i Community Hospital (NHCH) to implement a Health Information Exchange (HIE) system throughout the North Hawai‘i region, impacting more than 32,000 patients and marking the first step toward an island-wide HIE. Implementation has begun and will continue through 2012. NHCH’s existing vendor partner Wellogic® has already laid the technical foundation for the HIE, connecting information systems from NHCH; affiliated physician groups; two statewide labs; all pharmacies, radiology and imaging centers in the region; a national database of dispensed prescriptions; and a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).

“We are pleased to support the groundbreaking initiatives of NHCH to help providers in the North Hawai‘i region adopt and benefit from the latest technology in health care,” said Susan B. Hunt, M.H.A., project director and CEO of HIBC. “NHCH has pioneered the use of Electronic Health Records (EHR) by North Hawai‘i providers and helped to achieve a nearly 95 percent adoption rate—one of the highest for any community nationwide. The region is more than ready to take the next step, and both patients and providers will benefit from the streamlined operations that a secure HIE system makes possible.”

“It’s an exciting breakthrough for health care in North Hawai‘i,” said William Park, M.D., chief medical officer and general surgeon at NHCH, who has championed the region’s HIE since the project’s inception. “Our partnership with Wellogic® has been very successful, and we have built up to a smooth launch. Through access to comprehensive, up-to-date patient information for providers and, eventually, patients themselves, care will be more efficient, more easily coordinated and more holistic.”

Wellogic® staff will be conducting training for all North Hawai‘i providers. In addition, HIBC staff, in partnership with staff from the Hawai‘i Pacific Regional Extension Center (REC), will continue ongoing support related to the adoption and use of EHR.

In addition to supporting and assisting with EHR and HIE implementation, HIBC is working to effect clinical transformation, particularly in terms of greater coordination of and access to care for patients who are most at-risk for chronic diseases, and conducting outreach by awarding $300,000 to the community in the form of Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) Grants.

See the North Hawai‘i HIE Fact Sheet for more details on Wellogic® and HIE. See the HIBC Fact Sheet for more details on HIBC’s three major initiatives: 1) technology, 2) clinical transformation, and 3) outreach.

###

Hawai‘i Island Beacon Community (HIBC) is a $16.1 million, island-wide, federally funded, collaborative project administered through the College of Pharmacy at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, working to improve health care on Hawai‘i Island. Through technology, clinical transformation, and outreach, HIBC is committed to improving the health of Hawai‘i Island residents and empowering them to be more actively involved in their own health. For more information, visit www.hibeacon.org.

North Hawai‘i Community Hospital (NHCH) is a rural 29-­‐bed acute care hospital located in Kamuela on the Big Island of Hawai‘i. Nonprofit, community owned and locally governed, the hospital opened in May 1996 and cares for Big Island residents and visitors. NHCH offers an extensive set of hospital services that are centered on patient needs, creating a healing experience for the whole person—mind, body and spirit. For more information, visit www.nchc.com.

Wellogic® provides industry-certified interoperability, point-of-care, and patient engagement solutions for connecting the health care community and enabling safety, efficiency and convenience in care delivery. With more than 15 years of experience facilitating meaningful interoperability and enhancing clincalworkflow, the company truly understands the complexity of health care. It has developed a depth of experience in solving some of the most challenging issues confronting the industry today. Wellogic®’s award-winning Web-based connectivity solutions for physicians and caregivers, patients, health systems and Health Information Exchanges are consistently recognized as the most usable, flexible and scalable solutions available, and are used daily to deliver safer, more cost-effective care for millions of patients.

For more information, visit www.wellogic.com.

Joint media release from Big Island Visitors Bureau and Lonely Planet:

HILO, HAWAI’I: Hawai’i, the Big Island has been recognized as one of the Top 10 U.S. Travel Destinations for 2012 by the editors of Lonely Planet, the only Hawaiian Island to make the list compiled by one of the world’s leading travel publishers.

“Hawai’i, the Big Island was chosen for its ‘Best in Show’ qualities with regard to all Hawaiian vacation offerings – beaches, hiking, water sports, vistas, unique landscapes, varied cuisine, and accommodation options,” said Robert Reid, Lonely Planet’s U.S. Travel Editor. “Additionally, with the rise of direct flights to Kona, travel to the Big Island has never been easier.”

“Hawai’i Island is a destination full of inspiring experiences and big adventures and we’re honored to receive this recognition from a trusted travel source like Lonely Planet,” said George Applegate, executive director of BIVB. “Those who have been here know about our incredible diversity, from relaxing at the spa to ziplining over a 200 foot waterfall. For those who are planning their first visit to Hawai’i Island, we look forward to welcoming you.”

Lonely Planet’s Top 10 U.S. Destinations list is published annually in December. Destinations were chosen for their new, interesting, up-and-coming or undiscovered qualities. Rounding out the top 10 list were the U.S. Virgin Islands, Hudson River Valley (New York), Cincinnati (Ohio), Four Corners Region (Southwest USA), Culebra (Puerto Rico), California Gold Country, Boulder (Colorado), Chicago (Illinois), and Yellowstone National Park.

For more information about Hawai’i, the Big Island or to start planning your vacation, visit BigIsland.org or call 1-800-GOHAWAII.

About Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is the world’s leading travel content provider. Started in 1973, Lonely Planet enables curious travelers to experience the world and get to the heart of a place via guidebooks to every destination on the planet, an award-winning website, a suite of mobile and digital travel products and a dedicated traveler community. Visithttp://www.lonelyplanet.com.

Media releases from the United States Department of Agriculture:

EDITOR’S NOTE: Today, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack outlined a new plan called the “Blueprint for Stronger Service”

The measures involve consolidating and streamlining operations, and there will be numerous office closures across the country.

The Big Island will be affected. The USDA says Hawaii County’s Hilo hub will be one of 43 area and sub offices in 17 states to lose a Rural Development Mission Area office.

In all, the USDA plans to close 259 domestic offices, facilities and labs across the country.

From the USDA media release:

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Blueprint for Stronger Service to Increase Efficiency in USDA Operations
Streamlined, Modernized Department Central to 21st Century USDA

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2011-The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) must be built to meet the evolving needs of a 21st century agricultural economy, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Monday in presenting USDA’s Blueprint for Stronger Service, a plan that helps producers continue to drive America’s economy by streamlining operations and cutting costs.

“The USDA, like families and businesses across the country, cannot continue to operate like we did 50 years ago,” said Vilsack. “We must innovate, modernize, and be better stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars. We must build on the record accomplishments of farm communities in 2011 with a stronger, more effective USDA in 2012 and beyond.”

The Blueprint for Stronger Service is based on a Department-wide review of operations conducted as part of the Administration’s Campaign to Cut Waste, launched by President Obama and Vice President Biden to make government work better and more efficiently for the American people. The agency took a hard look at all USDA operations, from headquarters to field offices. The end result is a plan that will create optimal use of USDA’s employees, better results for USDA customers, and greater efficiencies for American taxpayers.

“As part of the Campaign to Cut Waste, the President and I asked all Cabinet Secretaries to make tough choices within their departments to save taxpayer money, eliminate government waste, and allow us to invest in the programs and services the American people need. This announcement by Secretary Vilsack is another example of how this can be done,” said Vice President Biden. “By undertaking a thorough and thoughtful review of his Department, Secretary Vilsack has saved taxpayers millions in travel and printing costs and is consolidating more than 700 different cell phone contracts into about 10. What’s more, the Department is finding significant savings by consolidating more than 200 offices across the country while ensuring that the vital services they provide are not cut.”

“In the past few decades, U.S. agriculture has become the second most productive sector of the American economy, thanks to farmers adopting technology, reducing debt, and effectively managing risk,” said Vilsack. “These are lessons from which we can all learn. As we continue to invest in rural communities across the country, USDA has heard from producers about reducing red tape and the need to modernize its services. Today, we are answering the challenge by announcing a series of efforts to help us continue to streamline operations, make the best use of taxpayer resources, and provide the best possible service to the American people.”

The USDA will close 259 domestic offices, facilities and labs across the country, as well as seven foreign offices. In some cases, offices are no longer staffed or have a very small staff of one or two people; many are within 20 miles of other USDA offices. In other cases, technology improvements, advanced service centers, and broadband service have reduced some need for brick and mortar facilities.

When fully implemented, these actions along with other recommended changes will provide efficiencies valued at about $150 million annually-and eventually more based on future realignment of the workforce-and will ensure that USDA continues to provide optimal service to the American people within available funding levels. These actions and plans to close or consolidate facility, office and lab operations will impact USDA headquarters in Washington and in 46 states and 1 U.S. territory.

• Farm Service Agency (FSA): Consolidate 131 county offices in 32 states; more than 2,100 FSA offices remain throughout the United States
• Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS): Close 2 country offices; more than 95 FAS offices remain throughout the world
• Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS): Close 15 APHIS offices in 11 states and 5 APHIS offices in 5 foreign countries; more than 560 APHIS offices remain throughout the United States and 55 remain throughout the world
• Rural Development (RD): Close 43 area and sub offices in 17 states and U.S. territories; approximately 450 RD offices remain throughout the United States
• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS): Close 24 soil survey offices in 21 states; more than 2,800 NRCS offices remain throughout the United States
• Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS): Close 5 district offices in 5 states; 10 district offices remain throughout the United States
• Agricultural Research Service (ARS): Close 12 programs at 10 locations; more than 240 programs remain throughout the United States.
• Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services (FNCS): Close 31 field offices in 28 states; 32 FNCS offices will remain throughout the United States

In addition, USDA is implementing a series of other changes that will save taxpayers’ money while eliminating redundancies and inefficiencies. The Blueprint for Stronger Service details 133 recommendations that affirm processes already in place, as well as 27 initial improvements, and other, longer-term improvements.

The initial improvements include the following:

• Consolidate more than 700 cell phone plans into about 10;
• Standardize civil rights training and purchases of cyber security products; and
• Ensure more efficient and effective service to our employees by moving toward more centralized civil rights, human resource, procurement, and property management functions, creating millions of dollars in efficiencies without sacrificing the quality of our work.

The Secretary detailed the changes in a speech today at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 93rd Annual Meeting, where he also highlighted the impressive achievements of American agriculture over the past three years. Currently, U.S. agriculture is experiencing its most productive period in history thanks to the resiliency, resourcefulness, and efficiency of American producers. The Blueprint for Stronger Service will allow USDA to continue the investments that help to make this possible.

More from the USDA on the Rural Development closures, which will impact Hawaii Island:

Rural Development

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Blueprint for Stronger Service is key to building a modern and efficient service organization that is closely in tune with the long-term vitality of rural America and the success of American agriculture. The plan takes a realistic view of the needs of American agriculture in a challenging budget climate, and lays out USDA’s plans to modernize and accelerate service delivery while improving the customer experience through use of innovative technologies and business solutions.

Ultimately, these improvements will help producers and businesses continue to drive America’s economy and respond to 21st century agricultural challenges.

USDA is proud of our work and partnership with America’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities. Today, American agriculture is a bright spot in the nation’s economy, with record income and exports. Over three years as USDA has made record investments in rural America, unemployment in rural America has fallen faster than in other parts of the country. During that same time, USDA has also looked closely at the way it does business. A Blueprint for Stronger Service helps to preserve this success and the USDA investments that helped to make them possible in the long term.

Over the past three years, USDA’s Rural Development Mission Area (RD) has worked hard to do more with less. To manage current and future budget challenges, and to ensure critical investments in rural America continue, RD took a variety of steps to cut costs and improve services, including:

• Cut travel and conference budgets;
• Since 2002, RD has reduced its staff years by 963;
• Continued implementation of a common application process and uniform documentation requirements, making it easier for customers to apply for multiple programs at once, with the potential to save 140,000 customer hours; and
• RD implemented a revised fee structure in 2011 for single family home loans that allows local lenders to provide greater access to mortgage credit across rural America to creditworthy rural applicants. The guaranteed loan program provided over 130,000 homeownership opportunities to rural residents.

A Blueprint for Stronger Service details a list of recommendations: 133 recommendations affirm processes already in place, 27 serve as initial improvements, and others are aimed at longer-term improvements. The initial improvement recommendations include the following:

• Consolidate more than 700 cell phone plans into about 10;
• Standardize civil rights training and purchases of cyber security products;
• Ensure more efficient and effective service to our employees by moving toward more centralized civil rights, human resource, procurement, and property management functions, creating millions of dollars in efficiencies without sacrificing the quality of our work.Budget reductions, staff attrition and increased workload also necessitated a review of USDA facilities, offices and lab operations across the country. As part of the Blueprint for Stronger Service, RD plans:
• To close 43 area and sub offices in 17 states. More than 450 RD offices remain throughout the United States. In most cases, offices recommended for closure are either not staffed or staffed with just one or two employees. In other cases, improved technology has reduced the need for these brick and mortar facilities. See table below.

The list below details the states and corresponding counties where RD offices will be closed.
1. Alabama: Houston County
2. Arizona: Mohave County
3. Arkansas: Izard, Faulkner, Hot Spring, White, and Sevier Counties
4. Delaware: Kent and Sussex Counties
5. Hawaii: 1)(Kosrae, Chuuk, and Yap), and 2) Hawaii County
6. Indiana: Monroe, Tippecanoe, LaPorte, and Marshall Counties
7. Louisiana: Livingston County
8. Maryland: Calvert, Garrett, and Worcester Counties
9. Mississippi: DeSoto County
10. Missouri: Jasper, Jefferson, Cape Girardeau, and Cole Counties
11. North Carolina: Burke, Chowan, and Caswell Counties
12. Oklahoma: Pushmataha and Pittsburg Counties
13. Pennsylvania: Juniata County
14. South Carolina: Richland and Sumter Counties
15. Tennessee: Anderson, Bedford, Bledsoe, Cannon, Carter, Cocke, Humphreys, Sevier, and
Trousdale Counties
16. Virginia: Essex County
17. Wyoming: Park County

As we move forward, USDA will continue to find ways to modernize its services, improve the customer experience, and ensure a successful, sustainable future for rural America.

Media release and video by Hawaii County Office of the Mayor:

HILO, Hawaii: Hawai‘i Island is rich in resources to address our energy needs. All that is needed is cooperation and initiative to make the move to 100% renewable energy, agreed all the speakers at the unveiling of the Geothermal Working Group’s final report today at Mayor Billy Kenoi’s office.

“Hawai‘i County should aim and commit to being 100 percent renewable,” Mayor Kenoi said. “Federal, state, county, community, we’re all in this together. We all recognize our commitment to our children and future generations and the quality of life on Hawai‘i Island.”

At the urging of the Hawai‘i State Legislature – Sen. Gil Kahele and Rep. Mark Nakashima were present and gave remarks at the unveiling – Hawai‘i County convened the Geothermal Working Group to map assets, discuss, examine, and make proposals to maximize geothermal energy toward the goal of making Hawai‘i Island and the State of Hawai‘i the leaders in renewable energy.

“On this island we spend over a billion dollars every year to import oil for our energy needs here on the island,” said Wallace Ishibashi, co-chair of the Geothermal Working Group. “That money can stay right here to build a better community.”

The group’s mission was to evaluate geothermal energy as the primary source of baseload power on Hawai‘i Island – that is, power that is reliably generated at a constant level. Though all renewable energy technologies do and will continue to play a role in Hawai‘i’s energy future, many renewable energy technologies such as solar and wind are not viable candidates to supply baseload power because of the fluctuating nature of their production.

Geothermal, however, has proven a very stable supply of power. Puna Geothermal Ventures’ 30 MW plant provides between 25 and 30% of the electricity on Hawai‘i Island. “When the sun doesn’t shine, when the wind doesn’t blow, geothermal is there,” Ishibashi said.

Power demand on Hawai‘i Island ranges between 90 and 185 MW. Geothermal power potential on Hawai‘i Island has been estimated at between 500 and 700 megawatts, according to the report.

The report recommends that government play a more active role in the facilitation of geothermal development with a review of the permitting process, regulatory capabilities, and possible investment incentives. The report also suggests establishing a community advisory board to guide the use of geothermal royalties paid by geothermal energy producers.

Under state law, royalties paid by Hawai‘i Island geothermal energy producers are shared amongst the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (50%), the County of Hawai‘i (30%), and the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs (20%). The highest annual royalties to date were paid in 2009, a total of $3.1 million.

Mayor Kenoi spoke with Lt. Governor Brian Schatz shortly before the unveiling of the Working Group’s report, and he reported that both Governor Neil Abercrombie as well as the Lt. Governor reiterated their commitment to move forward, to remove barriers, to facilitate investment to maximize geothermal’s potential.

For a full copy of the report, go to http://www.hawaiicounty.gov/research-and-development

By David Corrigan and Stephanie Salazar

[Press conference video provided by Crystal Kua of DHHL]

HONOLULU, Hawaii: Some important Hawaiian community meetings are coming up in Hilo and Waimea…

Hawaiian Homes Commission Chairman Alapaki Nahale-a – a Hilo native – announced that the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust will be holding two meetings on Hawaii Island this week to discuss a new homesteading opportunity with applicants on the waitlist.

The department held a press conference Monday on Oahu.

The reason for the meetings are two-fold:

One is to hear from the “top 100″ applicants on the Hawai’i Island waitlist to assess how the department can best address the needs of applicants longest on the waitlist.

To unveil details of the trust’s “Kauhale Pilot Project,” which presents a new style of Hawaiian homesteading opportunity.

The DHHL says Kauhale were traditional Hawaiian homesteads that consisted of multiple structures that served specific purposes, like sleeping, eating and cooking.

The modern adaptation of Kauhale will feature multiple residential units that incorporate common living areas to be shared among an extended family on a single homestead lot.

The Hawaiian Home Lands Trust is looking to develop the pilot project Keaukaha in Hilo and/or Waimea. Multiple lessees will likely be connected to the Kauhale homestead.

The goal is to move a family in to a Kauhale by the end of 2012.

Here is the DHHL media release:

Hawaiian Homes Commission Chairman Alapaki Nahale-a announced that the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust will be holding two meetings on Hawai’i Island this week to discuss a new homesteading opportunity with applicants on the island waitlist.

The meetings are scheduled for:

Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Hawaiian Home Lands Kuhio Hale
64-756 Mamalahoa Hwy.
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Kamuela, Hawai’i Island

Thursday, December 15, 2011
Keaukaha Elementary School Cafeteria
240 Desha Avenue
Hilo, Hawai’i Island
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

The reason for the meetings are two-fold:

• To hear from the “top 100″ applicants on the Hawai’i Island waitlist to gather mana’o from the beneficiaries to assess how the department can best address the needs of applicants longest on the waitlist.
• To unveil details of the trust’s “Kauhale Pilot Project,” which presents a new style of Hawaiian homesteading opportunity.

Kauhale were traditional Hawaiian homesteads that consisted of multiple structures that served specific purposes — sleeping, eating cooking, etc.The modern adaptation of Kauhale will feature multiple residential units that incorporate common living areas to be shared among an extended family on a single homestead lot.

The Hawaiian Home Lands Trust is looking to develop the pilot project on Hawai’i Island in Keaukaha in Hilo and/or Waimea to assist in assessing beneficiary demand for such multi-family residential homestead units. Multiple lessees will likely be connected to the Kauhale homestead.

“This culturally-based project could potentially allow for a more affordable homestead option because family members on the lease could pool their resources together in order to qualify for a mortgage,” Hawaiian Homes Commission Chairman Alapaki Nahale-a said. “Affordability and location of homesteads are the two most common reasons beneficiaries give for not accepting homestead offerings.”

The goal is to move a family in to a Kauhale by the end of 2012.

“We have mailed out more than 300 notices to applicants for this week’s meetings and we expect to make more announcements in coming months on other new projects,” Nahale-a said. “We want to be sure that our beneficiaries are receiving these notices so that they will be able to get the latest offerings from the trust.”

About 13 percent of applicant mailing addresses on record with the department are not current for various reasons and Chairman Nahale-a encouraged beneficiaries who have been on the Hawai’i Island waitlist for 40 years or more to please come to this week’s meeting.

Beneficiaries are also encouraged to update their contact information (addresses, phone number and e-mail) with the department. The form to make changes can be found online at www.hawaiianhomelands.org/applications/. Beneficiaries can also call, e-mail or visit Hale Kalaniana’ole or district offices to get necessary forms.

The following message is from the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency:

This is a weather update for Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 5:30 AM. The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for Hawaii Island effective through 6:00 PM this evening. A flash flood watch means that weather conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding. Due to the flash flood watch, the following are issued:

There is a possibility of heavy rain.

All residents in flood prone areas are asked to be on the alert and prepare for possible flooding conditions.

All motorists are asked to drive with caution and be on the alert for debris, runoff and ponding of water.

Be aware that road closures and slowdowns can occur without any warning.

Again, the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for Hawaii Island effective now through 6:00 PM this evening. Heavy rains are possible for this period.