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NEWS FLASH - BREAKING NEWS FROM MAUI COUNTY NEW FOR 2010: Maui TV News Breaking News stories are now being archived. Each month (or more frequently if needed) we will save an archive of all the Breaking News stories covered to date on this page. Now available: |
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| 'Healthy Living' Grants to Fund Battle of the Bulge WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) today announced the awarding of $3,435,221 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant funding to support healthy living while combating obesity on the islands of Kauai and Maui. The
federal funding will be distributed through the
Department of Health and Human Service’s comprehensive
prevention and wellness initiative, Communities
Putting Prevention to Work, funded by the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery
Act). Kauai and Maui join just 42 other communities across the country to receive the more than $372 million in Department of Health and Human Services grants. These funds will be used to support the national effort to reduce obesity, increase physical activity, improve nutrition, and decrease smoking -- four critical actions for combating chronic diseases and promoting health. Congresswoman Hirono voted in favor of the Recovery Act on February 13, 2009. President Barack Obama signed it into law four days later. (Report Provided by the Office of Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono) NEWS FLASH - March 19, 2010 8:20 a.m. HST Maui 'Leads the Way' As Gas Prices Continue Upward Tick Hawai'i's average price for a gallon of regular gasoline rose by two cents yesterday from the previous Thursday to $3.47, according to AAA Hawaii's Weekend Gas Watch. The average price in Honolulu is $3.37, three cents more than last week, six cents more than last month and $1 more than last year. In Hilo, the average was $3.47, a penny less than last week, six cents less than last month and 96 cents more than last year. In Wailuku, the average was $3.84, two cents more than last week, a nickel more than last month and $1.23 more than last year. Nationwide, motorists are paying the highest prices for gasoline since October 2008, the Associated Press reports. The national average hit $2.7999 a gallon, according to AAA, Wright Express and Oil Price Information Service. Prices have now jumped 18.9 cents in the past month and are 87.9 cents higher than year-ago levels. On Oct. 23, 2008, prices averaged $2.8215 a gallon. (Report Provided by AAA Hawai'i) NEWS FLASH - March 19, 2010 7:10 a.m. HST North Shore Waves Still Reaching 20 Feet 1. EVENT: The National Weather Service in Honolulu has CONTINUED the HIGH SURF ADVISORY for NORTH FACING SHORES of MOLOKAI and MAUI in effect until 6:00 p.m. this evening. A High Surf Advisory means that high surf will affect beaches in the advisory area, producing rip currents and localized beach erosion. 2. EFFECTS: Surf along north facing shores of Molokai and Maui will be 15 to 20 feet today. Surf will begin to subside this evening. Forecast surf heights are estimates of the height of the face or front of waves. A high tide of approximately 2.1 feet is expected between 5:05 p.m. and 6:23 p.m. this afternoon. 3. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES: BEACH GOERS ARE URGED TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER AND WELL AWAY FROM THE SHORE BREAK DUE TO THE HAZARDOUS WAVE ACTION AND STRONG RIP CURRENTS. 4. INFORMATION: Maui County Civil Defense will continue to monitor the situation. Please listen to your local radio and TV stations or NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts for any updates. NOAA Weather Broadcasts can be reached by calling 1-866-944-5025. NOAA Weather Internet services can be found at www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl. Pre-recorded advisories and notifications are available 24-hours a day on the Maui County Automated Information System (AIS) by calling 986-1200. The same information is available on the Maui County website at www.mauicounty.gov. (Report Provided by Maui County Civil Defense) NEWS FLASH - March 19, 2010 6:40 a.m. HST O'ahu Death Renews Call for Pickup Bed Passenger Ban Over the past 14 years in Hawai'i, 34 people have been killed while riding in the beds of pickup trucks. Most of the deaths were on O'ahu, and the victims ranged in age from 12 to 61 years old, according to Dan Galanis, an epidemiologist with the state Health Department's Injury Prevention Program. One 12-year-olds died before the Jan. 1, 1998, passage of a Hawai'i law that prohibits children 12 or younger from riding in a truck bed. The death Wednesday of 13-year-old Kaaikalau Kamakea-Naluai of Waimanalo, who was thrown from the bed of a pickup truck in Kailua, has some state lawmakers talking again about outlawing passengers in pickup beds. Sen. Will Espero, D-20th ('Ewa Beach, Waipahu), sent an e-mail to fellow lawmakers yesterday with a link to the news of the latest tragedy and a message:?"Colleagues — It's time to pass a bill banning ALL from riding in the back of a truck. O'ahu or neighbor island, it impacts us all." Espero has sent a similar message during each legislative session every time there's been an accident in which someone riding in the back of a pickup truck was killed. "What's the difference between the skull of an 11 year old and a 15 year old and an adult?" Espero asked. "When they hit the asphalt the result is the same." With deadlines for new legislation passed, it's unlikely such a measure would be heard this year, but Espero said he will introduce a bill again in 2011. Another lawmaker who has tried to pass bills banning pickup truck passengers almost every session is Rep. Barbara Marumoto, R-19th (Kaimuki, Wai'alae, Kahala). "This is really tragic and totally preventable," Marumoto said. "That's what's really sad." Sen. Calvin Hee, D-23d (Kane'ohe, Kahuku), doesn't want to ban all pickup bed passengers. "I wouldn't support a ban of people riding in the back of pickup trucks, simply because for many communities that's the only means of transportation," Hee said. Rural O'ahu and Neighbor Island residents would object, he added. Sen. Josh Green, D-3rd (Kohala, Kona, Ka'u), thinks young people should be protected by the law. "I believe, as an emergency room physician and as a senator, that no young people should ever ride in the back of pickups and I will always support laws that achieve this," Green said. "Adults can make up their own minds but they risk making their kids orphans." In 2005, Green and former Rep. Dennis Arakaki tried to raise the age for people who can legally ride in pickups beds to 17. Their bill failed to get a hearing. Asked about possible objections from Neighbor Island residents, Espero said one tactic he's considered is a law that would only apply to O'ahu. Galanis' statistics show that 25 of the 34 deaths between 1996 and 2009 were on O'ahu. Four were in Maui County; three on the Big Island; and two on Kaua'i. Police reports also show that about 90 major traffic crashes each year involve truck bed passengers, with half involving nonfatal injuries, Galanis said. State court records between 2000 and 2007 show an average of 45 citations issued each year for violation of the law (HRS 291-14) that prohibits children 12 or under from riding in a truck bed. Nationally, 30 states have some kind of a law restricting passengers in truck beds, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. But there are a wide variety of exceptions for circumstances such as hayrides, parades at speeds of less than 8 mph and farmers moving workers from field to field. Marumoto said she considers Hawai'i's law protecting children 12 and under a partial victory. "Police don't always ticket people, but at least it educated a lot of people that this is not the right thing to do for your kids,"?she said. But Kaaikalau's death, she added, "kind of points out the need no matter the age." Reach Diana Leone at dleone@honoluluadvertiser.com. (Report Provided by The Honolulu Advertiser) NEWS FLASH - March 18, 2010 5:35 p.m. HST ACLU Files Case on Behalf of Baldwin Softball Players HONOLULU – Three Baldwin High School (“BHS”) softball players, their parents, and their coach are charging the Hawaii State Department of Education (“DOE”) and the County of Maui (“County”) with unfair discrimination against girls’ athletics. The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii Foundation (“ACLU”) and Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing (“AHFI”) filed a lawsuit today in federal district court charging the DOE and County with violating the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act (also known as “Title IX”) and the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Plaintiffs seek an immediate court order that will give the BHS girls’ softball team equal access to playing fields before their season ends in May 2010. While BHS boys’ baseball players practice and compete in the Iron Maehara Stadium – a 1,500 seat stadium with batting cages, an air-conditioned press box, a professional scoreboard, and a beautifully manicured field – the girls are relegated to a rock-strewn dirt field a mile away. There have been reports of assaults on women along the path from the school to the field, and once the girls get to their practice facility, it is not even the right size for girls’ softball. “The field that the girls have to play on is unsafe; they are risking injury, losing valuable practice time and playing on a field that doesn’t even have the right distance fence. I will not stand by and watch while the DOE and County crush these girls’ hopes and dreams for their futures,” stated Coach Joe Duran, who was named Maui Interscholastic League Coach of the Year in 2008 and was threatened with being fired by BHS Principal Natalie Gonsalves and BHS Athletic Director Kahai Shishido when he tried to stand up for the girls’ rights. Laurie Temple, ACLU attorney said, “The BHS girls’ softball team won the State Championship in 2007 and has won the Maui Interscholastic League for three years in a row, but they’re still treated like second-class citizens. We are disappointed that Maui, the birthplace of Patsy Mink and many great athletes, is not supporting girls’ athletics and ensuring that they are treated fairly.” The mission of the ACLU of Hawaii is to protect the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the U.S. and State Constitutions. The ACLU of Hawaii fulfills this through legislative, litigation, and public education programs statewide. The ACLU of Hawaii is a non-partisan and private nonprofit organization that provides its services at no cost to the public and does not accept government funds. The ACLU of Hawaii has been serving Hawaii since 1965. (Report Provided by The American Civil Liberties Union)
NEWS FLASH - March 18, 2010 10:10 a.m. HST HTA Awards Grants to Maui, Other Counties for 'Product Enrichment' HONOLULU—The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA), the state’s agency for tourism, along with the counties of Honolulu, Hawai‘i, Kaua‘i, and Maui, have selected over 120 events and projects statewide to receive County Product Enrichment Program (CPEP) funding for 2010 (see attached list of programs). Twenty-four of those events will take place in Maui County. “HTA remains committed to supporting programs that enhance and diversify Hawai‘i’s tourism product through our Product Enrichment Program,” said Mike McCartney, president and chief executive officer of HTA. “The community-based events, experiences and projects that were selected truly represent and preserve the unique culture and diversity of our islands.” The CPEP was created in 2002 as a partnership between HTA and the counties to strengthen and enrich Hawai‘i’s tourism product. Through the program, the four counties receive HTA funding, business assistance and other resources for tourism product enrichment activities on their respective islands. The CPEP focuses on the desired niche areas of agritourism, cultural tourism, ecotourism, edutourism, health & wellness tourism, and technotourism, consistent with Chapter 201B of the Hawai‘i Revised Statutes. These community-based programs provide unique and authentic visitor experiences, and help to deliver on Hawai‘i’s brand promise. The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority was created in 1998 to ensure a successful visitor industry well into the future. Its mission is to strategically manage Hawai‘i tourism in a sustainable manner consistent with our economic goals, cultural values, preservation of natural resources, community desires, and visitor industry needs. For more information, please visit www.hawaiitourismauthority.org. Read the entire island-by-island breakout here. (Report Provided by The Hawai'i Tourism Authority) NEWS FLASH - March 18, 2010 9:20 a.m. HST Hawai'i Joins Wind Energy Coalition Hawai'i is one of 29 states that have joined with the Governors' Wind Energy Coalition to call for policies increasing the amount of renewable energy use and for more support for improvements to electric transmission systems. The report issued by the coalition calls for requiring utilities to get 20 percent of their electricity from sustainable sources, while asking the federal government to provide more incentives for so-called smart grids. The group also called for the Department of Energy to work with states and the wind industry to accelerate innovation as well as calling for a longer extension of the production tax credit for wind energy. (Report Provided by The Associated Press) NEWS FLASH - March 18, 2010 8:40 a.m. HST 'Quiet Buzz' Dominates Car Show People attending Hawai'i's biggest new-car show will be greeted by a Hawaiian Electric Co. display in what may mark the dawn of the era of the electric car. Besides the usual spotlighting of the latest car models and improvements, the show figures to offer a glimpse into types of electric cars that are expected to increasingly dot Hawai'i's roadways over the next few years and decades. HECO has signed on as a sponsor of the First Hawaiian International Auto Show and will be among exhibitors touting the coming age of electrics. There will be an expensive electric roadster, an electrified version of a Mini Cooper, as well as companies that install charging stations. "It's no longer theory, or some science fiction thing," said David Rolf, executive director of the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association, which helps sponsor the annual new car event. "The dream becomes reality." The show may prove to be a demarcation point of sorts as the state applies the brakes to petroleum use and looks to become a renewable energy showplace. It's well known that Hawai'i gets about 90 percent of its energy from petroleum, making it the most vulnerable state in the nation for crude oil price spikes. Gov. Linda Lingle has set in motion a plan to wean Hawai'i from oil, setting a goal of getting 70 percent of its energy from clean sources by 2030 — 40 percent in renewable electricity generation and another 30 percent in energy efficiency. What's not as well known is that electric vehicles play a big role in the plans. There are estimates that as much as two-thirds of petroleum use here goes to transportation, including jet fuel, gasoline and diesel. One projection done for the state estimated there will be as many as 10,000 electric cars on the roads here in the next five years and 43,000 in a decade. That's out of a census of more than a million vehicles. The estimates are subject to much debate since electric car prices, the cost of gasoline and electricity as well as available charge stations and the economy all figure into the formula. Battery life, weight and charging capability also enter into the computations. But the state thinks the trend line for the cars is headed in one direction — up, especially so given longer-term forecasts for higher oil prices. "It's not a question of will it happen; it's a matter of how quickly it will happen," said Maria Tome, manager of the state's Renewable and Transportation Energy Program within the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. COST COMPARISONS Just the fuel cost portion of the equation is a compelling argument for electric vehicles, or EVs. Tome notes that the average Hawai'i car getting 20 miles per gallon and driven 10,000 miles a year has gasoline costs of $1,750. An electric vehicle driven the same distance using 6 cents of electricity per mile would cost $625 a year with recharging at 25 cents per kilowatt hour. The electric car owner would save $1,125 a year over the fueling costs for a conventional car with an internal combustion engine. From a policy perspective, there are a trunk full of other reasons to adopt EVs that move the state toward its energy independence goals. Many experts think charging of EVs will take place mainly overnight at home — something that helps provide an outlet for energy produced by the wind farms, ocean buoys and ocean thermal energy conversion projects envisioned for the state. Otherwise the electricity these generate during the low-energy-usage early morning hours might be wasted. "For us, it's not just the effect of having a more diverse energy mix to keep our transportation sector moving," Tome said. "It also has potential to use renewable energy that otherwise might not be used." Those are among the selling points for EVs. But putting this into practice will have its challenges. For starters, there is no major auto manufacturer selling EVs in the state and there won't be for months. Even then, some people might back away from EV purchases, given the sticker shock that they will experience. There are exotic electrics in Hawai'i, with four people owning the pricey Tesla roadsters. There also are the stripped down, neighborhood electrics that look like big city cousins of golf carts. SMALL-CAR MARKET For now, many of the designs that are edging toward production are smaller cars. Nissan, which may make a marketing announcement during the First Hawaiian show, has a car called the Leaf that's based on its Versa subcompact model. Chevrolet's heralded Volt is a four-seater that is along the lines of a Chevy Malibu in terms of size, according to John O'Dell, editor of GreenCarAdvisor.com, which tracks developments in alternative fuel vehicles as part of Edmunds.com. The Volt is a so-called extended-range vehicle that combines a 40-mile battery, or less than what many people drive on a daily basis, with a fail-safe should the battery run out. At that time a gasoline-powered generator kicks in to feed electricity to the motor. That solves some of the cost and weight problems with the lithium-ion batteries that are being used in most cars. But there may be another problem for buyers: No prices have been released but the car is thought to be in the $40,000 price range. There is a $7,500 federal tax credit that can be applied, and the state is contemplating enacting a grant and rebate program to soothe some of the EV pricing sting. "It's not an inexpensive car," said O'Dell, noting that maintenance costs for the EVs are typically much less than for conventional vehicles. The Leaf is talked about in the high-$20,000 to- low-$30,000 price range, though Nissan hasn't said what the cost will be. Drivers will not only have to change their fueling habits (typically recharging every night), but also how they view car pricing by including fuel costs. A study released by management consulting firm Accenture earlier this month found that more than half of people polled in the U.S. and Canada said they would not pay more for an EV or hybrid vehicle. Half said they wanted charging to take only 20 minutes, or much less time than the several hours that most plug-in systems take. Only 5 percent said they were likely to buy an electric car in the next two years, though the percentage went up to seven in 10 when it came to a hybrid. SUPPORT IS KEY Still, a recent report done by Deutsche Bank Securities for Wall Street investors came out bullish on EVs. "We continue to believe that the market underestimates the potential for growth in this segment ... particularly in markets that are supported by EV-friendly government policies and independent infrastructure companies focused on growing the penetration of such vehicles," said the report. It noted battery costs are coming down faster than expected as performance of the batteries increased. The report was good news for an increasing number of companies vying to install charging stations or infrastructure, a necessary component to the adoption of EVs. It's believed tens of thousands of such sites will be needed, ranging from charging hardware installed at homes to those available in parking lots at office buildings and shopping malls. HECO's booth will showcase Coulomb Technologies, GoSmart, AeroVironment and Control Technologies . It also will feature Better Place, a high-profile Silicon Valley company that promises to set up a system whereby subscribers won't have to worry about the battery cost of their cars. Better Place will pay for those units if customers agree to a subscription plan akin to buying mobile phone minutes — so much for so many minutes. For drivers who come close to draining the 100-mile range of the batteries, there will be some battery-swap stations where freshly charged batteries can be loaded into cars. Better Place spokeswoman Julie Mullins declined to say what these costs might be for its plans or the status of talks with U.S. carmakers for models using its battery system. The company has been making progress with its model in Denmark and Israel and has been targeting Hawai'i as one of the first markets it serves. Mullins said the company intends to start putting in charge sites by the end of this year and have a "mass deployment" of the sites in 2012. O'Dell said the Better Place model might work for a market like Hawai'i, but may not make sense in some Mainland areas where people drive farther. He said it may be that some people buy EVs as a second car to be used by the household member who has a limited commute. He also expects a number of alternatives to be tried as the EV era progresses. There will be people that will drive conventional hybrids that don't plug in and other hybrids that have plug-in capability. There also will be the extended-range cars like the Volt and pure battery EVs. Down the road there also may be hydrogen fuel cells to run cars with electric motors. "We're going to have 20 to 30 years where every one of these things is on the road," O'Dell said, noting after that the market will probably settle on two or three types of vehicles. But all of it has to start with drivers getting more comfortable with the concept of EVs. "One of the beginning challenges to getting electric vehicles on the street is getting customers to understand and want them," said HECO spokesman Peter Rosegg. "It's not going to happen if we don't start." Reach
Greg Wiles at gwiles@honoluluadvertiser.com. (Report Provided by The Honolulu Advertiser) NEWS FLASH - March 18, 2010 6:50 a.m. HST Police Respond to Second Pedestrian Death in Less Than 24 Hours In a span of less than 24 hours, another Maui man has died crossing the road against traffic on the Valley Isle. Maui Police say a 28 year-old man was walking along the Honoapi'ilani Highway near Lahaina Cannery Mall, southbound, when he was struck by a Mazda minivan. Neither the driver of the van, nor his passenger - both wearing seatbels - was injured. Police later identified the victim as Nathaniel Alters of Star, Idaho. The accident occurred around 12:40 a.m. today and the highway was closed between Kapunakea and Keawe Streets during the investigation. The road was reopened at 4:17 a.m.Speed, alcohol and drugs are being investigated as possible contributing factors to the incident. This is Maui County's fourth traffic-related death this year. There were four at this time last year as well. (Information Provided by the Maui County Police Department) NEWS FLASH - March 17, 2010 7:45 p.m. HST Flood Advisory Issued for Moloka'i 1. EVENT: The National Weather Service in Honolulu has issued a FLOOD ADVISORY for the ISLAND OF MOLOKAI in effect until 9:15 p.m. This Advisory may be extended beyond 9:15 p.m. if heavy rain persists. 2. EFFECTS: At 6:06 p.m., radar showed heavy rain near Maunaloa, or about 45 miles east of Honolulu. The area of heavy rain was moving east at 15 mph. All locations on the Island of Molokai are included in this Advisory. 3. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES: STAY AWAY FROM STREAMS, DRAINAGE DITCHES AND LOW LYING AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING. RAINFALL AND RUNOFF WILL ALSO CAUSE HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS DUE TO PONDING, REDUCED VISIBILITY AND POOR BRAKING ACTION. DO NOT CROSS FAST FLOWING OR RISING WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE OR ON FOOT. TURN AROUND...DON’T DROWN. 4. INFORMATION: Maui County Civil Defense will continue to monitor the situation. Please listen to your local radio and TV stations or NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts for any updates. NOAA Weather Broadcasts can be reached by calling 1-866-944-5025. NOAA Weather Internet services can be found at www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl. Pre-recorded advisories and notifications are available 24-hours a day on the Maui County Automated Information System (AIS) by calling 986-1200. The same information is available on the Maui County website at www.mauicounty.gov. (Report Provided by Maui County Civil Defense) NEWS FLASH - March 17, 2010 1:45 p.m. HST Artificial Reef Damage at Keawakapu Topic of Upcoming DLNR Meeting HONOLULU -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) will hold a public information meeting on Maui on Tuesday, March 30 to present to the Maui community the findings and recommendations of an independent federal investigation on damage caused to the Keawakapu reef last December. DLNR will be seeking public input on the recommendations and options for restoration of live coral in the future. The meeting will be held in Kihei, Maui at Kamali‘i Elementary School Cafeteria 180 Ke Alii Alanui Street, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Two federal agencies, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have produced an independent assessment on damage caused to live coral when a set of concrete modules were submerged by DLNR employees to expand the state’s Keawakapu artificial reef off the coast of Maui on December 2, 2009. The federal report is being finalized this week. The Department has reviewed a draft copy and should receive the final report and post it next week, in time for the public to review prior to the public meeting on March 30. The report will be posted on the DLNR website at hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar/pdf/keawakapu.pdf The public may also send comments on the report’s findings and preferences regarding further remedial action to keawakapu.comments@yahoo.com. “We are extremely sorry and deeply embarrassed that live coral damage occurred during the deployment of an artificial reef project overseen and managed by the Division of Aquatic Resources, whose primary mission includes the protection and enhancement of live coral on our ocean floors. The Division of Aquatic Resources apologizes to the citizens of the State of Hawai‘i for this unfortunate incident,” said Dan Polhemus, DAR administrator. “As stewards of Hawai‘i’s natural resources, we take full responsibility and will hold ourselves to the highest standards to take all necessary steps to assure this type of incident does not occur in the future,” said Laura H. Thielen, DLNR chairperson. The investigation by the federal agencies was conducted in January and involved a site inspection, a preliminary assessment of damage to corals, preliminary recommendations as to immediate actions that may be undertaken to mitigate the damage, and best practices to avoid damage in the future. The current federal assessment is the first phase of an agreement between DLNR and these agencies, and is focused on immediate mitigation of current damage and prevention of further potential damage. The second phase, which has not yet begun, will address the longer term mitigation work that might be required of the division and the Department. Since 2008, DLNR has acted to set in place stronger enforcement measures to better protect Hawai‘i’s coral reefs. New legislation has increased penalties for reef damage, and strict operating conditions have been placed on private operator permits, including the stewardship conditions recently placed on commercial tour operators at Molokini. The division has also brought a series of enforcement actions against private operators for damage to coral. Funds from a recent settlement will be utilized to install day use moorings around the state and to support the development of observation and compliance protocols for volunteers and DLNR-Enforcement-assisted trainings for current Makai Watch groups. The State of Hawai‘i established the artificial reef program in 1961 to create additional marine life habitat in sandy or barren nearshore areas, increase the diversity of reef fish in these areas and raise fish biomass and recreational opportunities. Since that time, five artificial reefs have been established -- four off O‘ahu and one off Maui. The reefs are comprised mainly of concrete "z-modules”, other concrete material, barges, large truck tires, and several small vessels. Together they comprise a total of 2,027 acres of underwater habitat for fish, invertebrate, corals and other sea life. (Report Provided by the State of Hawai'i, Dpartment of Land and Natural Resourcesd) (Bak to Top)NEWS FLASH - March 17, 2010 9:30 a.m. HST Pedestrian Killed in Early Morning Accident in Kahului A pedestrian was killed this morning in pre-dawn traffic on Pu'unene Avenue near the Kahului Post Office. Maui Police say that, at 5:35 a.m. today, a 66 year-old man was struck by two separate vehicles travelling north while he was crossing the street, about 340 feet south of the intersection with Kamehameha Avenue. The man died at the scene. His identity is being withheld until next of kin can be located and notified. The first vehicle to strike the man was was a 2006 Toyota sedan, driven by a 21 year-old woman from Lahaina. A 58 year-old man, drivinging a 1992 Mazda pickup, was the second to strike the victim. Each was the lone occupant of their vehicle. Both were wearing seatbelts and neither was injured. The northbound lanes of Pu'unene Avenue were closed during the investigation, but reopened to traffic around 8:30 a.m. The traffic death is the third so far this year on Maui County roads, compared with four at this time last year. (Information Provided by the Maui County Police Department) NEWS
FLASH - March 17, 2010 6:40 a.m. HST
High Surf Declining, But Advisory Still Up 1. EVENT: The National Weather Service in Honolulu has EXTENDED the HIGH SURF ADVISORY for NORTH and WEST FACING SHORES of MOLOKAI and NORTH FACING SHORES of MAUI, now in effect until 10:00 A.M. this morning. A High Surf Advisory means that high surf will affect beaches in the advisory area, producing rip currents and localized beach erosion. 2. EFFECTS: Surf along north facing shores of Molokai and Maui will be 10 to 15 feet through late this morning then decrease later today. Surf along west facing shores of Molokai will be 8 to 12 feet through late this morning then decrease later today. Forecast surf heights are estimates of the height of the face or front of waves. A high tide of approximately 2.2 feet is expected between 3:43 p.m. and 5:01 p.m. this afternoon. 3. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES: BEACH GOERS ARE URGED TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER AND WELL AWAY FROM THE SHORE BREAK DUE TO THE HAZARDOUS WAVE ACTION AND STRONG RIP CURRENTS. 4. INFORMATION: Maui County Civil Defense will continue to monitor the situation. Please listen to your local radio and TV stations or NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts for any updates. NOAA Weather Broadcasts can be reached by calling 1-866-944-5025. NOAA Weather Internet services can be found at www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl. Pre-recorded advisories and notifications are available 24-hours a day on the Maui County Automated Information System (AIS) by calling 986-1200. The same information is available on the Maui County website at www.mauicounty.gov. (Report Provided by Maui County Civil Defense) NEWS
FLASH - March 17, 2010 6:10 a.m. HST
Accident Closes Portion of Puunene Avenue (Editor's Note: Police reopened the road to traffic at 8:30 a.m.) Puunene Ave has been closed dued to a traffic accident area of Kahului Post office. North bound lane being diverted onto Hololea St and South bound diverted at Puunene/Kamehameha Ave. Unknown how long road will be closed. (Report Provided by Maui CountyPolice Department) NEWS
FLASH - March 16, 2010 6:55 p.m. HST
Reef Preservation Groups Benefit from Fine Revenues HONOLULU – Two Hawai‘i community environmental groups are planning projects to protect Hawai‘i’s coral reefs, using substantial donations as a result of a recent settlement for coral damage that was approved by the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR). The state’s Makai Watch Program and Malama Kai Foundation will share a $130,000 donation that was part of Makena Boat Partners’ settlement through an agreement with the Land Board on December 23, 2009, after its boat, the Kai Kanani, was found anchored on a damaged section of coral and live rock reef in 2007. “As stewards of our finite and fragile marine resources, DLNR is pleased to support their protection through partnerships with community efforts such as the Makai Watch Program and Malama Kai Foundation,” said Laura H. Thielen, DLNR chairperson. The Makai Watch Program partners will receive $70,000 in settlement funds to support the development of observation and compliance protocols for volunteers and DLNR-assisted trainings for current Makai Watch groups. Makai Watch is officially sanctioned by the State of Hawai‘i and works to restore and sustain Hawai‘i’s coastal resources through community involvement. More information about the program can be found on the Division of Aquatic Resources website: http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar/coral/coral_las_makaiwatch.html. The Land Board also selected the Malama Kai Foundation (MKF) to receive $60,000 in settlement funds to be used to install 52 day-use moorings around the state. The foundation was selected for two main reasons. First, Malama Kai’s successful procurement of National Fish and Wildlife Foundation federal grant funding to install 40 mooring buoys. Second, the board felt that additional funding would support the successful completion of the foundation grant and the installation of an additional 12 moorings added from the original project scope. Malama Kai Foundation and its partners on each island utilize trained installers for all new moorings and will consult with state biologists prior to installation. Malama Kai will give first priority to the island of Maui and will work with its partner, the Maui Reef Fund, for installation of new day-use moorings identified for that island. Day-use mooring buoys are accepted around the world as an effective tool to reduce damage to coral reefs caused by anchors. The moorings eliminate the need to drop anchors on coral reefs by providing boaters with a safe, convenient means of securing their boats. Although coral is fully protected by state law, boaters using anchors can inadvertently damage coral if the anchor drags, or if anchor chain or line scrapes the sea floor. Reference locations for day use moorings in Hawai‘i and Hawai‘i Administrative Rules for day use moorings,Chapter 13-257 can be found at the Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation website at http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dbor/bordayusemoorings.htm. More information on day-use moorings can be found on the Malama Kai Foundation website: http://www.malama-kai.org. (Report Provided by the State of Hawai'i, Department of Land and Natiral Resources) NEWS FLASH - March 16, 2010 3:55 p.m. HST Cyclone Thomas Pounds Fiji SUVA, Fiji — Australian and New Zealand air force planes began airlifting emergency supplies Wednesday to cyclone-battered Fiji, where a state of emergency has been declared and troops ordered to launch relief operations in northern regions hit by a powerful cyclone that forced thousands of people to flee into shelters. Cyclone Tomas' onslaught was weakening Wednesday, but the scope of destruction was not clear because communications were cut to outer island groups and to northern areas of Vanua Levu, the group's second-biggest island, that were hardest hit, officials said. One death has been reported, and a nationwide curfew was due to be lifted Wednesday. Fiji's National Disaster Council declared a 30-day state of emergency for the country's northern and eastern divisions Tuesday, ordering troops to be deployed as soon as possible to provide relief, including food, water and basic supplies. Packing winds of up to 130 mph at its center, and gusts of up to 175 mph, Cyclone Tomas continued to blast through the northern Lau and Lomaiviti island groups and the northern coast of Vanua Levu on Tuesday, the nation's weather office said. Matt Boterhoven, Fiji's Tropical Cyclone Center's senior forecaster, said sea surges of up to 23 feet were reported in the Lau island group, which was hit head-on by the cyclone, causing major flooding. The surges would take at least 36 hours to subside, he said. Hercules cargo planes from Australia and New Zealand left early Wednesday for Fiji with relief supplies, including tarpaulins, food and water treatment tablets. The planes would then carry out reconnaissance work and damage assessment. "It appears that after the initial reconnaissance work's undertaken ... it'll be necessary to fly some supplies from Nadi or Suva to the affected areas," New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully told National Radio. Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith pledged $1 million dollars in initial aid, adding that, "Australia will consider further assistance for reconstruction once damage has been more fully assessed." Meanwhile, tourists on Australia's Heron and Lady Elliot islands off the Queensland state coast were told to evacuate Wednesday as another cyclone, named Ului, made its way toward the continent. The storm was packing sustained winds of up to 115 miles per hour with gusts up to 162 miles per hour, the Bureau of Meteorology said. Ului was expected to impact the Australian coast over the weekend, the bureau said. In Fiji, National Disaster Management Office spokesman Anthony Blake said power, water, sewage and other services were disrupted in many northern areas, with all airstrips and airports closed and storm surges smashing into coastal villages and schools. More than 17,000 people were in 240 government shelters, he said. Initial damage assessments will be made Wednesday, when airplanes are expected to survey the northern islands and Vanua Levu, Blake said. The country's military leader, Commodore Frank Bainimarara, has appealed for international assistance, and the governments of New Zealand, France and Australia were trying to determine how best to help. The capital, Suva, has been lashed by high winds and rains, and the government extended a nationwide curfew to Wednesday morning to keep people in their homes. Flights resumed on Tuesday into the main international airport at Nadi, on the main island of Viti Levu. There were no immediate reports of tourists being caught in the cyclone. Late Friday, a 31-year-old woman was swept away by strong ocean currents in Vanua Levu's Cakaudrove province after she saved her two children from a storm surge, police spokeswoman Atunaisa Sokomuri said. (Report Provided by The Associated Press) NEWS FLASH - March 16, 2010 3:35 p.m. HST State Agencies Demonstrate Energy Efficiency By Example HONOLULU – During fiscal year 2009, total state agency electric consumption dropped 5.8 percent from 2008 and 2.5 percent from the baseline year of 2005 according to the Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism’s (DBEDT) annual Lead By Example report to the State Legislature. The decline in the state’s energy consumption represents the largest single-year decrease since the Lead By Example initiative began in 2006, and the first time that overall consumption has been lower than the 2005 baseline levels. The report outlines the progress made by state executive agencies in fiscal year 2008-2009 in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy, transportation, green buildings and environmentally preferable purchasing. “Improved energy efficiency and conservation at state facilities moves us closer to achieving Hawai‘i’s goal of 70 percent clean energy by 2030,” said Governor Linda Lingle. “All of our state departments and their employees, especially building design and maintenance staff, deserve credit for their efforts to reduce energy consumption and implement clean energy technologies.” Despite the decrease in consumption, overall cost has steadily risen each year due to the escalating price of oil. Between 2008 and 2009, while electricity consumption decreased 5.8 percent, costs increased 1.2 percent. The report also noted that renewable energy development progressed in 2009. The University of Hawai‘i – Hilo is in the process of installing over 230 kW of photovoltaic (PV) solar capacity, including a 23 kW PV system over the Campus Center that will soon be built; a 30 kW PV system being planned for Portable Building 11; and an 88 kW PV system over the North Hawai‘i Education and Research Center currently in the bidding process. The Department of Transportation–Airports installed photovoltaic systems with a combined capacity of 875 kW at the Lihu‘e, Kona, Hilo and Kahului Airports as part of the department’s Photovoltaic Energy Systems Project. In addition, DOT installed a 16 kW small-wind system at Honolulu International Airport and photovoltaic systems at the Highways Division Baseyard in Lihu‘e and the DOT Nawiliwili Harbor. The state DOT announced on March 9, 2010, that it is accepting bids for renewable energy generation systems at DOT, DBEDT and University of Hawai‘i facilities statewide. The proposals for renewable energy systems can include photovoltaic systems, concentrated solar power and wind power. The new renewable energy generation systems will reduce operating costs by obtaining a stable rate for electrical power that is independent of price fluctuations caused by changes in oil prices. This significant and long-term investment establishes Hawai‘i as a leader in the development of renewable energy sources and reduces carbon dioxide emissions. Last October, the State entered into a contract with Noresco, LLC, an energy services company to implement energy efficiency improvements to 10 State office buildings within the State Capitol District, including the State Capitol, that comprise over 1.3 million square feet of building space. The project is expected to save over 6.3 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year, reducing utility bills by 30 percent, which equals approximately $3.2 million per year in operational savings. Other Lead By Example projects are detailed in the full report that can be accessed online at: http://hawaii.gov/dbedt/info/energy/efficiency/state/lbe/stateemployees. The Lead By Example initiative began in 2006 in response to legislative and executive mandates to improve the way state executive branch agencies use energy in operations and facilities. (Report Provided by the Office of Governor Linda Lingle) NEWS FLASH - March 16, 2010 1:25 p.m. HST GET '1 Percent Jump' Is Actually 25 Percent Two state Senate committees today advanced a general-excise tax increase to help with the state's budget deficit, arguing that a hike in the broad-based tax was more equitable than targeted tax increases on businesses that would likely be passed on to consumers. However, increasing the tax rate from four to five percent actually raises total tax burden by 25 percent. The Senate Economic Development and Technology Committee and the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee backed a 1 percentage point increase in the GET through December 2012. The tax increase would raise the GET from 4 percent to 5 percent, or 5.5 percent on Oahu because of the surcharge for the Honolulu mass transit project. The committees also agreed to a state earned income tax credit to help offset the GET increase on the poor, since the GET is considered a regressive tax. The committees swapped the GET hike in a House bill that would have generated $100 million a year by eliminating GET exemptions on several business activities and imposing a 1 percent GET on those activities. The committees also discarded House-approved bills to increase taxes on insurance premiums, impose an insurance premium tax on the Hawaii Medical Service Association and Kaiser Permanente, and reduce or defer high-technology investment tax credits. State Sen. Carol Fukunaga, D-11th (Makiki, Pawa'a), the chairwoman of the Senate Economic Development and Technology Committee, said the House options would have have severe long-term economic impacts on businesses. State Sen. Rosalyn Baker, D-5th (W. Maui, S. Maui), the chairwoman of the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee, said the taxes on businesses would end up "being passed on to working families and other consumers." Fukunaka and Baker said economists have estimated that 38 percent of the GET is paid by visitors to the Islands, which could soften the impact of a tax increase on residents. The Senate passed a GET increase last session that is still alive in the House. House leaders chose not to advance their own GET bill this session, however. State Sen. Donna Mercado Kim, D-14th (Halawa, Moanalua, Kamehameha Heights),the chairwoman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, questioned the wisdom of advancing the GET increase when it is doubtful that there are the votes in the House and Senate to override an almost certain veto by Gov. Linda Lingle. Kim's committee will review the GET proposal. State Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, D-21st (Nanakuli, Makaha), said she would wait to see how the Senate Ways and Means Committee handles the issue. She also doubted there were the votes in the Senate to override a veto. (Report Provided by The Honolulu Advertiser) NEWS FLASH - March 16, 2010 7:55 a.m. HST Early Morning Quake Rumbles Through Southern California LOS ANGELES — An earthquake east of downtown Los Angeles rippled across Southern California before dawn today, jolting millions of people awake and putting first-responders on alert. There are no reports of damage, injuries or power outages linked to the temblor. "All is calm in the city of Los Angeles," Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Steve Ruda said. Nearly an hour after the quake, the California Highway Patrol got reports of a buckled 10-foot stretch of concrete in a center lane of southbound Interstate 5 south of downtown in the Downey area. CHP Officer Daniel Asleson said later the quake probably didn't cause the buckling. Damage was reported a day earlier in the lane, which is heavily used by big-rigs. California Department of Transportation crews temporarily patched the area again early today and the lane reopened an hour later. Work on a permanent fix begins tonight. "The earthquake probably did contribute to it, a little bit, but ... it's normal wear and tear," Asleson said. The magnitude-4.4 quake, centered about 10 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, struck shortly after 4 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. "It was a shake, but not bad. Our inmates slept through it and we had a few calls, but not as many as you would think," Pico Rivera sheriff's station Sgt. Jacqueline Sanchez said. Deputies were immediately dispatched to make "critical facility checks — bridges and dams, stuff like that," the sergeant said. Though the quake was considered small in size, it was felt over a large swath of Southern California. People from San Bernardino County to the east and Santa Monica to the west reported feeling the quake. "The building started shaking. That's it. I'm used to it," downtown security guard Ruben Solis, 25, said from his booth in the high-rise district. Solis said he checked his monitors and no alarms were triggered. "I got up and went on patrol." But fellow security guard Nonie Bailey, 55, was on the fourth floor and headed quickly for the ground level. "It shook real hard. I thought the building was coming down. I was on the fourth floor and I got down to the ground," Bailey said. Los Angeles County Fire Department supervising dispatcher Andre Gougis said there are no reports of damage or injury and the department is at normal operations. "All our battalions reported a Level 1, meaning they felt it but there was no damage," Gougis said. He said the quake was felt at his east Los Angeles headquarters. "There was an initial jolt, then mild shaking after that," he said. The quake hit not far from the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake, a magnitude 5.9 quake that killed eight people and caused more than $350 million in damage. The latest jolt is too small to inflict the same damage. "I'm sure people would have felt it, but this is not an earthquake that will be damaging," said USGS geophysicist Amy Vaughan. Today's early morning jolt was probably not related to the Whittier Narrows quake because too much time has elapsed, said California Institute of Technology seismologist Kate Hutton. Scientists have not yet determined which fault was responsible for the latest quake. Hutton said there's a small chance that today's temblor is a precursor to a larger event, but the likelihood diminishes over time. On the Net: Caltech shake movie: http://shakemovie.caltech.edu (Report Provided by The Associated Press) NEWS FLASH - March 16, 2010 7:45 a.m. HST Moloka'i Going 'Green' With 90,000 CFL Giveaway As many as 90,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs will be given away for free on Moloka'i in coming weeks in an effort to illuminate every home on the island with the energy-saving lights. Starting March 27, students, their mothers and teachers will begin handing out the lights at Moloka'i schools to people who bring in their old incandescent bulbs. "We're attempting to make the island 100 percent CFL," said Kimberly Svetin, one of the volunteers working on the project. "The beauty of this is if they distribute 90,000 on O'ahu, the bulbs disappear in an instant. On Moloka'i, they have a huge impact." The project is being sponsored by several community groups that are partnering with the Blue Planet Foundation, a Honolulu-based nonprofit working to establish Hawai'i as a leader in energy independence. Blue Planet negotiated a purchase of the lights from Feit Electric Co., with the first shipment of more than 40,000 scheduled to arrive on Moloka'i in coming weeks. Francois Rogers, Blue Planet special projects director, said the project may mark the first time anyone has attempted to get an entire island to use CFLs. "We're kind of excited," Rogers said, noting it could lead to other projects on Moloka'i, such as a swapping of shower heads for ones that use less water. "Everyone is working hard to get the word out." Rogers said it was the Moloka'i community that came up with the concept and approached Blue Planet based on the foundation's earlier work with schools on the island. He said the groups are paying for shipping the bulbs to Moloka'i and are handling the distribution. "It's about us helping them achieve their goals," he said. "They really wanted this." In recent weeks volunteers have been touting benefits of the program through schools, visits to a farmers market, fliers and businesses on Moloka'i and last week turned on their Web site, www.greenmolokai.org. The information being handed out calls attention to the energy savings that can result from using CFLs, bulbs that cost more than traditional incandescent lights but produce electricity savings over their longer life span. Moloka'i has some of the highest electricity bills in the nation, with rates for March at 33.2 cents per kilowatt hour, according to Hawaiian Electric Co. During the spike in oil prices in 2008 the rates shot to more than 40 cents a kilowatt hour, reflecting the island's use of nine diesel-powered generators to generate electricity at its Palaau power plant. Svetin said the volunteers estimate there are about 3,000 homes on Moloka'i with each having 30 bulbs per household. The bulbs should cut electricity use by 10 percent or more, resulting in a similar drop in bills, she said. "The numbers are pretty staggering if every bulb was exchanged," said Svetin, who is president of Molokai Drugs in Kaunakakai. "If we're able to drop our electrical usage on the island by 10 to 12 percent that's incredible." A home with a $200 a month electric bill that switches to the bulbs might expect to get savings of $20 a month, or $240 a year. The Moloka'i community groups and the Blue Planet Foundation estimate if all bulbs are changed, the island could eliminate 42,300 tons of carbon dioxide emissions and save 84,600 barrels of oil from being used. In doing so, they've come up with a project name, "Go Green and Carbon Clean." Other details about the project, including how to dispose of the incandescent trade-ins, are being mapped out by the Moloka'i volunteers, Svetin said. The group also is looking into solutions for proper disposal of CFLs, which contain a small amount of mercury. It also is conducting surveys to gauge the number of light bulbs in homes on the island. Some of this information will be used to measure the program's success later. The program even has caught the eye of HECO, owner of the island's utility. HECO in the past has promoted use of CFLs, issuing coupons for discounts on the lights. In doing so it estimates it helped get about 1 million CFLs distributed in the state. "They're doing a great job," said Peter Rosegg, a spokesman for HECO, which has signed on to the state's efforts to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy. "I think they're going to save people a lot of money." Besides the Blue Planet Foundation, other groups working on the project include SustAINAble Molokai, the 21st Century Community Learning Center, the Molokai Dispatch and the Maui Economic Development Board. Reach Greg Wiles at gwiles@honoluluadvertiser.com. (Report Provided by The Honolulu Advertiser) NEWS FLASH - March 16, 2010 6:55 a.m. HST Third Time the Charm for Goodfellow Bid on BI Project Maui-based Goodfellow Bros. has submitted the winning $76 million design-build bid for the second phase of the Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway project on the Big Island, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported. The state Department of Transportation initially awarded the project to Goodfellow Bros. in July 2008. Another bidder, Kiewit Pacific, protested and the department agreed to request revised bids. Goodfellow Bros. again won the contract in October 2008, but Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. protested. A hearings officer agreed last year with Hawaiian Dredging that Goodfellow's bid was flawed, but did n'o order the department to award the bid to Hawaiian Dredging. Instead, DOT officials said all three bids had problems, so a new request for proposals was issued. (Report Provided by the Hawai'i Herald-Tribune) NEWS FLASH - March 16, 2010 6:45 a.m. HST Rare Turtle Proposed for Addition to 'Endangered' List The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service jointly announced last week that they want to designate loggerhead sea turtles as an endangered species in the North Pacific and six other world regions. The proposed "up-listing" of the loggerhead turtle from its "threatened" designation under the Endangered Species Act will be published today in the Federal Register, and public comments will be accepted until June 14, the agencies said. The Turtle Island Restoration Network issued a news release calling for "the immediate halt to increased capture and killing of Pacific loggerheads in the Hawai'i-based longline fishery." "The imminent listing as endangered should trigger an immediate halt to excessive loggerhead capture in the Hawai'i swordfish fleet and all U.S. fisheries," Todd Steiner, Turtle Island's executive director, said in the release. There will be no changes in rules regarding human interactions with the turtles before the yearlong public process of reclassifying the loggerhead turtles from threatened to endangered is completed, fisheries spokeswoman Connie Barclay said. The California-based Turtle Island, the Center for Biological Diversity, and KAHEA (the Hawaiian Environmental Alliance) sued the Fisheries Service last year over its proposal to increase the number of interactions it allowed between Hawai'i-based longline fishermen and loggerhead turtles. Fisheries Service rules that went into effect Jan. 11 allow longline fishers as a group to "take" or interact with up to 46 loggerhead turtles per year. The former annual limit was interaction with 17 loggerheads. "Take" in Fisheries Service terms is a count of any animals hooked, snared or otherwise affected by fishing practices. It includes animals that are disentangled and survive and those that die. The conservation groups argue that estimates of the survival of turtles that were hooked and set free alive by fishermen are overly optimistic. The Fisheries Service said in its Dec. 10 Federal Register posting of the new rules that the survival estimate errs on the side of caution and of 46 turtle interactions, about three deaths are expected. The agency wrote that such a death rate would not affect the survival of the species any more than natural causes. (Report Provided by The Honolulu Advertiser) NEWS FLASH - March 15, 2010 4:20 p.m. HST High Surf Advisory Extended for North, West Shores 1. EVENT: The National Weather Service in Honolulu has EXTENDED the HIGH SURF ADVISORY for NORTH and WEST FACING SHORES of MOLOKAI and NORTH FACING SHORES of MAUI now in effect until 6:00 P.M. TUESDAY. A High Surf Advisory means that high surf will affect beaches in the advisory area, producing rip currents and localized beach erosion. 2. EFFECTS: Surf along north facing shores of Molokai will be 18 to 22 feet this afternoon then drop to 14 to 18 feet Tuesday. Surf along west facing shores of Molokai will be 10 to 15 feet this afternoon then drop to 8 to 12 feet Tuesday. Surf along north facing shores of Maui will be 10 to 15 feet through Tuesday afternoon. Forecast surf heights are estimates of the height of the face or front of waves. A high tide of approximately 2.2 feet is expected between 2:35 a.m. and 3:53 a.m. tomorrow morning. The next high tide of approximately 2.2 feet is expected between 3:08 p.m. and 4:26 p.m. tomorrow afternoon. 3. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES: BEACH GOERS ARE URGED TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER AND WELL AWAY FROM THE SHORE BREAK DUE TO THE HAZARDOUS WAVE ACTION AND STRONG RIP CURRENTS. 4. INFORMATION: Maui County Civil Defense will continue to monitor the situation. Please listen to your local radio and TV stations or NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts for any updates. NOAA Weather Broadcasts can be reached by calling 1-866-944-5025. NOAA Weather Internet services can be found at www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl. Pre-recorded advisories and notifications are available 24-hours a day on the Maui County Automated Information System (AIS) by calling 986-1200. The same information is available on the Maui County website at www.mauicounty.gov. (Report Provided by Maui County Civil Defense) NEWS FLASH - March 15, 2010 4 p.m. HST Mayor Proposes $530 Million County Budget WAILUKU, Maui, Hawaii-Mayor Charmaine Tavares presented her Administration’s Fiscal Year 2011 budget proposal to members of the County Council at 10 a.m. today in the Mayor’s Conference room on the 9th Floor of the County Building. According to Mayor Tavares, the total County revenue available for Fiscal Year 2011 is $530 million, which is six-percent or $33.4 million dollars less than the allotted budget this fiscal year. The County’s projected revenue will provide funding for an operating budget of $461 million and a capital program budget of $83 million. “This [budget] is the product of several months of intensive work,” said Mayor Tavares. “This year’s proposal was especially difficult because of the economic reality of preparing a budget with a $53 million dollar gap to support programs and services.” Mayor Tavares thanked the finance team that worked with her to create the Fiscal Year 2011 budget proposal: Managing Director Sheri Morrison, Budget Director Fred Pablo, Finance Director Kalbert Young, Assistant Budget Director Helene Kau and Budget Office staff. The 2011 fiscal year is the third year that the Tavares Administration has cut costs through carefully restricting expenses and reducing services. “No stone was left unturned as we reviewed everything on a case-by-case basis,” said Mayor Tavares. “It would be simple to complete a mathematical budget, one where we merely cut across the board regardless of department, program or service. In order to obtain balance, we chose to propose a budget that gives consideration to our complete and entire community.” Mayor Tavares announced that as a means to cut expenditures, a furlough equal to one day a month for most County employees, including unionized HGEA and UPW employees, division heads and other managers, and appointed employees, including directors and deputy directors, has been included in the proposal. Details of the furlough structure cannot be determined until the proposal is finalized by the County Council and discussed with the unions. While non-profit organizations were asked to reduce their funding requests in the proposed budget, it does include nearly $30 million in funding for the support of non-profits. The combined total support for non-profits by the state’s three other counties is approximately $9 million. “Maui County’s financial support of non-profit agencies is the largest in the state,” said Mayor Tavares. “I thank our non-profit community for working with us on their budget proposals and for increasing their own efforts to seek outside resources for their programs. Most of the non-profits have stepped up to the plate to do what they can in these lean economic times.” Mayor Tavares has proposed to increase revenue by adjusting real property tax rates, which are historically the lowest in the state. “We are proposing to adjust tax rates so that $223 million in real property taxes can be generated,” said Mayor Tavares. “This will be $10 million less than our current year, but will enable the County to preserve necessary revenue and still provide Maui County homeowners with the lowest rates in the State of Hawaii. “On average, this means that even with the rate adjustment, most homeowners will pay about the same as this year.” The budget proposal includes a change in bus fares to help pay for the $7 million it costs for bus operations and for the construction of bus shelters. Scheduled routes will continue to cost a dollar and commuter routes will increase from one dollar to two dollars. “It costs the County $4 per passenger to be able to provide bus transportation,” noted Mayor Tavares. “I recognize the value of our bus service to the community and believe that we can continue to support keeping bus fares at a portion of what it costs tax payers to operate. In this budget proposal, scheduled routes will continue to cost a dollar, free routes will now also cost a dollar and commuter routes will increase from one dollar to two dollars.” Mayor Tavares announced during her presentation that she will be flying to Oahu this afternoon to testify before the Senate in her continued efforts to keep Maui County’s portion of the hotel room tax or Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT), which the state is attempting to take from the counties to lessen its own deficit. “If we are unsuccessful in convincing the State Legislature to not take away TAT money from the four counties, Maui County’s shortfall will increase from $53 million to over $70 million,” said Mayor Tavares. “Balancing the needs and wants of our community with shrinking revenues is a considerable challenge and unlike anything the County has ever had to deal with,” said Mayor Tavares. “Time and again, we have seen our community pull together to help one another. Now we need your help. If everyone shares in the effort, it will help us get through this difficult fiscal year.” To view the proposed Fiscal Year 2011 budget online, go to www.mauicounty.gov/budget. A copy of Mayor Tavares’ remarks made at today’s presentation is available on the County’s website at www.mauicounty.gov/mayor. As part of its review process, the County Council’s Budget and Finance Committee will hold public meetings. Information on the Council’s public meeting schedule is available at www.mauicounty.gov/council; under “Council Committees,” select “Budget and Finance Committee.” (Report Provided by the Maui County Office of Information) NEWS FLASH - March 15, 2010 1:20 p.m. HST Budget Cuts Force Reduced Hours at Akaku KAHULUI - Akaku: Maui Community Television will have new hours beginning Monday, March 1st, 2010. Today Maui's only public accress television station announced the new hours and attributed them to budgetary shortfalls. The new hours are as follows:
“We thank the community for its continued support and are hopeful that our extended hours can be reinstated in the future as Maui County continues to recover from the economic recession,” states Akaku CEO, Jay April. For more information, call 808-871-5554, or visit Akaku: Maui Community Television at 333 Dairy Road, Suite 104, Kahului. (Report Provided by Akaku: Maui Community Television) NEWS FLASH - March 15, 2010 12 p.m. HST Governor Proclaims 'Healthy Kids and Teens Week' Today Governor Linda Lingle and Lt. Governor James R. "Duke" Aiona, Jr., issued the following proclamation in an effort to help Hawai'i families alter their nutrition habits. The goal is to reduce obesity - one of the leading precursors to a range of deadly diseases. PROCLAMATION "Hawai‘i has made great strides to improve the health of its people, and as a result, it is considered to be one of the healthiest states in the nation, according to the 2008 America’s Health Rankings. However, there is still more work to be done as more than half of all adults in Hawai‘i are overweight or obese, as indicated by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey conducted in 2008. Obesity is a precursor to many chronic diseases such as type II diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Without concerned focus, these rates are expected to continue to rise over time. An unhealthy lifestyle is a detriment to the well-being of our keiki, as they are more likely than adults to develop one or more obesity-related diseases in their lifetime. The 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows that most of Hawai‘i’s youth are not meeting national recommendations for physical activity and nutrition, and nearly 66 percent of youth in our state do not get 60 minutes of physical activity a day. In addition, most of Hawai‘i’s keiki are not meeting the Center for Disease Control’s recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables. In fact, 17.2 percent of adolescents are eating less than five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, which is lower than the national average of 21.4 percent. As a result of these unhealthy trends, 29.9 percent of adolescents surveyed in our state are overweight or obese. The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey also shows that those in a lower income have higher rates of obesity than people in higher income brackets. The Center for Disease Control states that obesity and other chronic diseases can be reduced by improving eating habits and increasing physical activity. THEREFORE, I, LINDA LINGLE, Governor, and I, James R. “Duke” Aiona, Jr., Lieutenant Governor of the State of Hawai‘i, do hereby proclaim March 14 through 20, 2010, as HEALTHY KIDS & TEENS WEEK in Hawai‘i, and encourage schools, community centers and other institutions that serve youth to promote fun physical activities and healthy eating habits. We also encourage these institutions to advocate for increased healthy food and facilities for physical activity in schools and communities where resources are scarce, and to use this week to conduct assessments to ensure healthy options for our students.
James
R. “Duke” Aiona, Jr. (Report Provided by the Office of Governor Linda Lingle) NEWS FLASH - March 15, 2010 10:10 a.m. HST DLNR Plans Public Hearing on Maui Windfarm Expansion KAHULUI -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) will hold a public hearing to receive public testimony on the Draft Habitat Conservation Plan for Kaheawa Wind Power II Wind Generation Facility (KWPII). The public hearing is March 17, 2010, at 7 p.m. at the Pacific Whale Foundation 300 Ma‘alaea Road, Suite 211, The Harbor Shops at Ma‘alaea, on Maui. KWPII is proposing to develop a 21 megawatt (MW) wind farm on approximately 143 acres of state conservation district lands, southeast of the existing 30 MW Kaheawa wind power project (KWPI), which is operated by a sister entity under First Wind LLC. KWPII
is seeking an incidental take license (ITL) and accompanying habitat
conservation plan (HCP), as part of Chapter 195D Hawai‘i Revised Statutes;
Conservation of Aquatic Life, Wildlife and Plants. The HCP outlines measures to minimize, avoid, and mitigate for take of each species covered in the ITL and HCP, and measures to provide a net recovery benefit to each species. Copies of the Draft HCP and ITL are available for review at the Hawai‘i State Library, the Wailuku Public Library, and online at http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/dofaw in the Announcements section. Anyone who wants to provide testimony, or who is unable to attend the public hearing, may send written testimony to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife, 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 325, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96813, Attention Habitat Conservation Planning Associate, no later than March 23, 2010. (Report Provided by the State of Hawai'i, Department of Land and Natural Resources) NEWS FLASH - March 15, 2010 8:20 a.m. HST Guam Governor Wantes to Rename Nation HAGATNA, Guam — A measure calling for the name of the U.S. territory of Guam to be changed to Guahan has drawn a variety of responses at a public hearing. Some said Bill 331 would go far in preserving the island's indigenous culture. Others called it a waste of time, saying it would unnecessarily cost the government of Guam and local businesses too much effort and money. Still others called for the issue to be decided by voters in a referendum. The proposal comes from Gov. Felix Camacho. Last month, he issued an executive order telling agencies to refer to the island as Guahan in order to reclaim its indigenous name and to reaffirm the identity of residents. Camacho also asked Guam's congressional delegate, Madeleine Bordallo, to initiate the change at the federal level. (Report Provided by The Associated Press) NEWS FLASH - March 15, 2010 7:40 a.m. HST North Shore Waves Topping 20 Feet 1. EVENT: The National Weather Service in Honolulu has CONTINUED the HIGH SURF ADVISORY for NORTH and WEST FACING SHORES of MOLOKAI and NORTH FACING SHORES of MAUI in effect until 6:00 A.M. TUESDAY. A High Surf Advisory means that high surf will affect beaches in the advisory area, producing rip currents and localized beach erosion. 2. EFFECTS: Surf along north facing shores of Molokai will be 18 to 22 feet. Surf along west facing shores of Molokai will be 12 to 15 feet. Surf along north facing shores of Maui will be 12 to 15 feet. Forecast surf heights are estimates of the height of the face or front of waves. A high tide of approximately 2.1 feet is expected between 2:36 p.m. and 3:54 p.m. this afternoon. The next high tide of approximately 2.2 feet is expected between 2:35 a.m. and 3:53 a.m. tomorrow morning. 3. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES: BEACH GOERS ARE URGED TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER AND WELL AWAY FROM THE SHORE BREAK DUE TO THE HAZARDOUS WAVE ACTION AND STRONG RIP CURRENTS. 4. INFORMATION: Maui County Civil Defense will continue to monitor the situation. Please listen to your local radio and TV stations or NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts for any updates. NOAA Weather Broadcasts can be reached by calling 1-866-944-5025. NOAA Weather Internet services can be found at www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl. Pre-recorded advisories and notifications are available 24-hours a day on the Maui County Automated Information System (AIS) by calling 986-1200. The same information is available on the Maui County website at www.mauicounty.gov. (Report Provided by Maui County Civil Defense) NEWS FLASH - March 15, 2010 6:50 a.m. HST Native Hawaiian Birds Most At Risk in Climate Change Hawai'i's native birds are among the most likely of any U.S. region to be harmed by ongoing climate change, a new report on the "State of the Birds" shows. A stunning 93 percent of native Hawaiian birds have medium or high vulnerability to climate change, according to the sweeping 2010 report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in cooperation with government and private conservation groups. It's the second time in as many years that the coalition of bird conservation agencies has highlighted the unique plight of Hawai'i's native birds among America's bird populations. Effects of climate change considered by the report include projected rise in sea level and air temperatures, loss of nesting and feeding grounds for birds and increase in mosquito-borne illnesses. The report is based on data gathered over 40 years and projected forward using conservative estimates of the effects of global warming, its authors say. "Climate change is one of the greatest — if not the greatest — environmental challenges of our time," the Fish and Wildlife Service's Paul Schmidt said during a national media teleconference last week releasing the study. The study's authors call for those concerned with bird survival to work cooperatively with government agencies, landowners and private interests to improve whole ecosystems. The result is better for birds, other plants and animals and for humans, they say. Among the potential effects of climate change, Schmidt said, are longer and hotter fire seasons, deeper and longer droughts, more intense floods, rising sea levels and changing precipitation patterns. "Birds are excellent indicators of the health of our environment, and right now they are telling us an important story about climate change," said Kenneth Rosenberg of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. $2 MILLION IN FUNDING President Obama's proposed fiscal 2011 budget has increased investment in science and conservation work that will help bird species directly, in addition to those that focus on reducing America's carbon footprint, Schmidt said. The emphasis on Hawai'i birds in last year's "State of the Birds" report helped the state garner $2 million of a total of $3 million in new funding nationwide for endangered birds. That money will be used to help improve habitats for the Hawaiian crow, or 'alala, on the Big Island — with a mind to eventually reintroducing captive-bred birds into the wild. The 'alala only exists in captivity. Habitat enhancements in an area immediately south of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park also will benefit the 'akiapola'au, a bright yellow Hawai'i honeycreeper, and the Hawai'i 'akepa, birds that live in the same area. The work that will be done in that area follows a familiar theme for enhancing Hawai'i ecosystems, said Hawai'i Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman Ken Foote: fencing out non-native pigs and goats, removal of invasive plants and replenishing of native plants and removal of predators such as rats and mongooses. But for some ocean birds like the Laysan albatross, which has huge nesting colonies in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, a rising ocean that takes away their nesting habitat will literally mean they have nowhere to go. About 40 percent of Midway Island's albatross nesting area would vanish if sea levels projected to rise 7 inches by 2090 (the low end of projections) instead rise 6 feet (the high projection), noted Hawai'i Fish and Wildlife Service spokeswoman Barbara Maxfield. The "State of the Birds" report is a collaboration among federal and state wildlife agencies and scientific and conservation groups including the American Bird Conservancy, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Klamath Bird Observatory, the National Audubon Society, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey. The full report can be seen at www.stateofthe birds.org. Reach Diana Leone at dleone@honoluluadvertiser.com. (Report Provided by The Honolulu Advertiser) NEWS FLASH - March 14, 2010 11:20 a.m. HST North, West Shore Waves to Rise Rapidly This Evening 1. EVENT: The National Weather Service in Honolulu has issued a HIGH SURF ADVISORY for NORTH and WEST FACING SHORES of MOLOKAI and NORTH FACING SHORES of MAUI in effect from 6:00 P.M.THIS EVENING to 6:00 A.M. TUESDAY. A High Surf Advisory means that high surf will affect beaches in the advisory area, producing rip currents and localized beach erosion. 2. EFFECTS: Northwest swell will affect the main Hawaiian Islands this evening through early Tuesday morning. This swell will cause surf heights to rise above the 15 feet advisory threshold along north and west facing shores of Molokai and north facing shores of Maui. Surf will rise rapidly this evening. North facing shores of Molokai may reach 18 to 22 feet by Monday morning. Surf along west facing shores of Molokai will reach 12 to 15 feet by Monday morning. Surf along north facing shores of Maui will reach 12 to 15 feet through Monday morning. Forecast surf heights are estimates of the height of the face or front of waves. A high tide of approximately 1.9 feet is expected between 2:03 p.m. and 3:21 p.m. this afternoon. The next high tide of approximately 2.3 feet is expected between 2:17 a.m. and 3:35 a.m. tomorrow morning. 3. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES: BEACH GOERS ARE URGED TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER AND WELL AWAY FROM THE SHORE BREAK DUE TO THE HAZARDOUS WAVE ACTION AND STRONG RIP CURRENTS. 4. INFORMATION: Maui County Civil Defense will continue to monitor the situation. Please listen to your local radio and TV stations or NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts for any updates. NOAA Weather Broadcasts can be reached by calling 1-866-944-5025. NOAA Weather Internet services can be found at www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl. Pre-recorded advisories and notifications are available 24-hours a day on the Maui County Automated Information System (AIS) by calling 986-1200. The same information is available on the Maui County website at www.mauicounty.gov. (Report Provided by Maui County Civil Defense) NEWS FLASH - March 14, 2010 7:50 a.m. HST Venture Capital Getting Harder to Find for Entrepreneurs (Editor's Note: Maui TV News is a wholly-owned operation of Island News Technologies, LLC, a Qualified High Tech Business [QHTB] in Hawai'i, as defined under Act 221/215 of HRS. Our existence would not have been possible without the investments of Angel investors and Venture Capitalists. While not directly impacting Maui as a "locally urgent news item," this article is posted on our Breaking News page to give readers a sense of the challenges facing companies like Maui TV News, and their - as well as our - ability to grow business.) Hawai'i's venture capital community is bracing for another tough year, weighed down by continued weakness in the economy and the disappearance of lucrative state tax credits for technology investment. VC investors from Hawai'i and the Mainland who gathered in Honolulu for a conference last week cautioned that the environment for capital raising probably will remain challenging for some time. Hawai'i's venture capitalists closed four deals in 2009 valued at $10.3 million, the lowest amount in five years, according to Dow Jones VentureSources. That compared with $89.7 million in 12 deals the year before. Nationally, there were 2,489 venture capital deals in 2009 totaling $21.4 billion, down from $31 billion the year before. "I think it continues to be tough time for venture capital not just in Hawai'i, but around the country," said Rob Robinson, founder and managing partner of Kolohala Ventures, Hawai'i's largest venture capital fund. Robinson, who moderated a panel discussion at the annual Hawai'i Venture Capital Summit on Thursday at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, said the Legislature's decision last year to cut back a technology tax credit known as Act 221 dealt another blow to Hawai'i's reputation as an unfriendly place to do businesses. "I think the legislature has created the impression that Hawai'i cannot be trusted as place for private investment," he said. "In combination with the Superferry (closure), that's created an image that this is a terrible place to invest. I think we have to work really hard to overcome that impression." TWO-MINUTE PITCH The daylong VC summit, sponsored by the state-funded Hawaii Technology Development Corp. brought together, venture capitalists and angel investors from Hawai'i and the Mainland, entrepreneurs and representatives from local high-technology firms and other deal makers in the sector. In a scene reminiscent of ABC-TV's "Shark Tank," entrepreneurs were given anywhere from two to 10 minutes to make their pitches in front of investors attending the conference. Each pitch was critiqued by a panel of experts. In the final round, three selected companies were able to meet one-on-one with an investor behind closed doors. In a two-minute pitch session, Justin MacNaughton, 38, laid out his company's plans to launch a car-share service that will allow visitors to rent cars by the hour via a kiosk in hotel lobbies. GreenCar Hawaii borrows its concept from Zipcar, the nation's leading membership-based car-sharing service, and adapts it to the visitor market. MacNaughton and business partner Warren Doi, 40, are moving ahead with a pilot program for GreenCar Hawaii at the Grand Hyatt Kauai later this spring that will feature a fleet of four to six Ford Escape hybrid SUVs. GreenCar will charge an all inclusive rate of $15 an hour. "GreenCar Hawaii is evolving a proven and successful business model by providing car-sharing to the tourism and travel industry, one of the nation's largest markets," MacNaughton said during his pitch. "We make money by providing cars for use by the hour with an all-inclusive service fee that eliminates the typical cost of paying for vehicle when you don't need it, gas, insurance and paying for parking," he said. "We're currently funded for the pilot program, but we're looking to have meetings with any of you out there to discuss a growth platform to take GreenCar Hawaii from an individual island market, through the state and beyond." Panelist Christopher R. Hemmeter, managing director of Quest Hospitality Ventures, critiqued MacNaughton's presentation. MacNaughton should have spent more time talking about some of the inconveniences in renting a car from a traditional vendor, Hemmeter said. "What I didn't hear up front is what is broken down. It's always really interesting to me when I meet someone who can identify something about the way things are being done that's broken," Hemmeter said "That's got to get me first, and to say we can solve it in this way is the next important step." Other presenters included David Watumull, chief executive officer of 'Aiea-based Cardax Pharmaceuticals; and Jeanette Hereniko, founder and president of AsiaPacific Films.com, an online film library that streams films. STATE HAS AN EDGE Many of the morning panel discussions focused on the challenges Hawai'i faces in developing a robust venture capital community in an area so far from the established technology and financing centers. But there also was widespread agreement about where the state has a competitive advantage: renewable energy. Kolohala Ventures' Robinson said Hawai'i's progress in developing technologies to harness solar, wind, ocean and geothermal energy will help attract venture capital at a time when investors are becoming more choosy about where to put their money. "I think renewable and sustainable technologies is a definite bright spot for Hawai'i," Robinson said. "I think that if we're going to establish a local center of excellence in any industry, that is one is that has the highest chance of success." Darren Kimura, founder of the Honolulu-based solar power company Sopogy Inc., said the firm that he launched in 2002 has expanded its operations to seven western states, including a manufacturing facility in Los Angeles and a sales and marketing office in San Jose. Its research and development operation, however, remains in Hawai'i. "Because of the type of company we are, we have an unfair advantage here in Hawai'i that you don't find anywhere else in the world," Kimura said. "In Hawai'i you have access to some of the best solar radiation year round with virtually no seasonality. If you can solve the challenges (of remoteness) the technology will work anywhere around the world. Because of that our R&D is in Hawai'i." Sopogy uses mirrors to intensify sunlight and generate power as opposed to photovoltaic systems that use panels made from silicon cells that convert the sun's rays into electricity. THINKING GLOBAL William Reichert, managing director of Garage Ventures, an early-stage VC firm based in Palo Alto, said Sopogy is an example of a Hawai'i-based company that would be successful in any setting. "There are sort of two types of entrepreneurs from Hawai'i," Reichert said. "One is the entrepreneur from Hawai'i who's clearly from Hawai'i. And the business model, the orientation, the focus is, 'We've got this thing we're doing in Hawai'i and its really cool and we think we can build a good business doing this.' And from our point of view it's quite possible you could build a good business doing that but your orientation is too narrow. "The other type of entrepreneur from Hawai'i is a global entrepreneur day one. And it's a person whose frame of reference is not Hawai'i, they just happen to be from Hawai'i and they happen to have a team from Hawai'i but the frame of reference is global." Reach Alan Yonan Jr. at ayonan@honoluluadvertiser.com. (Report Provided by The Honolulu Advertiser) NEWS FLASH - March 13, 2010 4 p.m. HST 'Quaint' Kula Loge Ready to Upgrade Kula Lodge, which has operated on a scenic hillside since before Maui County required building permits, wants approval to launch a $15 million reconstruction. The proposal would not add to the 15 guest rooms, although it would replace them with new, bigger ones. It also would add a spa, pool and Jacuzzi. The Maui Planning Department supports the proposal by owner Fred Romanchak. Since the lodge has its own zoning, called Kula Project District 1, a hearing in the district is required. The Maui Planning Commission will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Kula Community Center to review the request. Romanchak said he wants to demolish the main building, which houses the restaurant and the Curtis Wilson Cost Gallery, as well as the five two-story guest chalets. The newer Kula Market Place building would get a second story and a more level connection to the parking lot. Today, the steep lot requires a long walk down a concrete path to reach the entrance. The gravel lot built to accommodate the market place also would be paved, and the entrances to Haleakala Highway would be revised to make for easier access. The 3.7-acre lot has acquired residential neighbors since it was opened, and the last time the business had extensive changes, in the mid-'90s, it was required to take steps to control noise. The new design would result in three principal structures: a main lodge and restaurant; a single building to house 850-square-foot guest rooms; and the commercial and retail building. There would be 110 parking stalls (some underground) and an on-site wastewater treatment plant. The new main building, with two stories, would retain the restaurant's outdoor dining lanai, and have the spa and pool below. The guest building would be three stories. The Kula Market Place would acquire a mezzanine and second story. The caretaker's cottage would be replaced. The planning commission approved an earlier version of the redevelopment in May 2000, but the plan has since been considerably revised. Although various incarnations of the lodge have existed since the 1940s, which predates the planning department and zoning code, the Project District 1 was enacted in 1989 to provide for development of the lot as a "retreat resort." (Report Provided by The Maui News) NEWS FLASH - March 13, 2010 3:20 p.m. HST Lana'i, Molokai Fishers Must Register Lay Nets Fishers on Lanai and Molokai will be able to register their laynets with Department of Land and Natural Resources staff who will be on those islands this month for public hearings on amendments to bottomfishing rules. Representatives from the Division of Aquatic Resources also will be on hand to answer questions or concerns about marine resource management issues, issue commercial fishing licenses, and provide information on the new on-line commercial fish catch reporting system. The hearing are set for: • March 19, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., DLNR DOFAW/DOCARE office, Lanai Hunter Check Station, 917 Frasier Ave. • March 24, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Mitchell Pauole Center Conference Room 90, Molokai. For information on the laynet registration requirements, call (808) 243-5294 or (808) 268-2162, or visit http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar/regulated_gear.html. (Report Provided by the State of Hawai'i, Department of Land and Natural Resources) NEWS FLASH - March 13, 2010 10:15 a.m. HST Lahaina Woman Suing MPD for Sex Abuse WAILUKU, Maui - A Lahaina woman is suing the Maui Police Department and two former officers, alleging one officer illegally arrested her and stole her property and the other officer extorted her for sexual favors. Wailuku attorney David Sereno filed the lawsuit this week in 2nd Circuit Court on behalf of Tracy Motelewski. In addition to the Maui Police Department and Maui County, the lawsuit names former MPD officers Steven Gunderson and Kris Galon. According to the lawsuit, Motelewski and a male passenger were stopped at Puamana Park on Aug. 17, 2008, when the passenger went to use the restroom and first Galon, then Gunderson approached Motelewski. At the time, both men were working as Lahaina patrol officers. After questioning Motelewski, Gunderson searched her vehicle and a bag in the trunk belonging to the male passenger, seizing a container allegedly containing a white powdery substance. Then he confiscated Motelewski's purse, which contained $500 and a ring, according to the lawsuit. Gunderson released the male passenger, who took Motelewski's car without her permission, while she was arrested and held overnight in a cell at the Lahaina Police Station. According to the lawsuit, Gunderson knew the white powdery substance wasn't an illegal narcotic. When Motelewski was released at about 5 a.m. the next day, her purse wasn't returned and she was forced to walk home, the complaint alleges. It also alleges that Galon, who was still on duty, pulled over on Honoapiilani Highway, offering Motelewski a ride and picking her up in his patrol car before pulling into a parking lot near Puukolii Road. Galon made comments to Motelewski "crudely stating that he would destroy (a) pipe seized" if she would perform a sexual act, the lawsuit says. He allegedly forced her to perform the sex act before driving her to her neighborhood and releasing her. Later, Galon called Motelewski "and told her that he needed to give the evidence custodian something in exchange for the removal of the pipe," the lawsuit says. After Motelewski reported the incident to another police officer, she received anonymous threatening telephone calls, Sereno said. The lawsuit alleges negligent supervision and training of the officers by MPD. Without naming the officers, police reported that three officers were fired in March 2009 after an investigation into allegations that money was stolen from a woman who was arrested and then extorted for sexual favors in Lahaina. One of the fired officers was a recent recruit class graduate who was riding along with a more experienced officer. On Tuesday, during his arraignment in 2nd Circuit Court, Gunderson pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree theft and tampering with evidence in connection with the incident. Maui County Deputy Corporation Counsel Moana Lutey said Friday that the county wasn't liable for the former officers' actions and would file a cross-claim against each former officer. "It is unfortunate that Ms. Motelewski has chosen to sue the Maui Police Department," she said. "The Maui Police Department took appropriate action in response to her complaint. Both former officers were immediately removed from active duty and, after a thorough investigation, terminated. "The Maui Police Department conducts extensive background checks on all applicants, which includes psychological testing. There was no indication to the Maui Police Department that these officers would engage in the alleged misconduct. Clearly, the actions alleged by the plaintiff were outside the scope of their duties as police officers. "Officer integrity is one of the Maui Police Department's highest priorities, as exhibited by the vast majority of Maui Police Department officers," Lutey said. "As a result, incidents like this are extremely rare. The county was not negligent in this matter, and we are confident that we will prevail." Sereno said firing the officers doesn't excuse what they did while employed and on duty. "This isn't the first time that a woman has been sexually assaulted by a Maui police officer in Lahaina," he said. In 2005, former Lahaina patrol officer Aaron Won was sentenced to a five-year prison term after being found guilty of attempted second-degree extortion and second-degree unlawful imprisonment. He was convicted of soliciting sex from a woman he arrested and took to a police substation in Napili in December 2004. Sereno said Motelewski "was simply walking home when she's picked up by a Maui police officer after having been stolen from by a Maui police officer." "We believe that the county is liable for these officers' actions," Sereno said. "Their failure to properly train and supervise them will be issues in the case. "To suggest firing them compensates my client for the horror she's had to go through and the trauma she's had to go through is absurd. We believe that the county is liable for these officers' actions. We wouldn't file against the county unless we thought we were going to prevail." Wailuku attorney William Sloper, who is representing Gunderson in his criminal case, couldn't be reached for comment. Galon also couldn't be reached for comment. (Report Provided by The Maui News) NEWS FLASH - March 13, 2010 6:45 a.m. HST Maui Pine to Auction Equipment in 10 Days Maui Pineapple Co., which shut down in November, said it will auction off its excess inventory on March 23 at the Maui Beach Hotel. Items to be auctioned include compressors, backhoes, crawler loaders, Kenworth trucks, passenger buses, golf carts, forklifts, flatbed trailers and welding equipment. The auction is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. A list of equipment is available at www.greatamerican.com or by calling auctioneer Joe Tiepel at 538-1961. (Report Provided by The Honolulu Advertiser) NEWS FLASH - March 12, 2010 6:45 p.m. HST Tavares, Other Mayors Join to Praise New UPW Contract Deal Honolulu,
Hawaii - Mayor Charmaine Tavares joined Hawaii's three other mayors
in Honolulu today for the announcement of United Public Workers Unit
1’s ratification vote for a new collective bargaining pact. “I'm pleased that the ratification occurred with an overwhelming approval vote of 88%. The amount of time we spent to get to today’s announcement was well worth it. We had open, honest and frank discussions that gave everyone the benefit of receiving straightforward answers. We worked collaboratively to reach this point and it demonstrates that when discussions are held face-to-face, agreements can be reached with good results.” (Report Provided by The Maui County Office of Information) NEWS FLASH - March 12, 2010 4:25 p.m. HST UPW Ratifies New Bargaining Agreement The United Public Workers Unit 1 today voted in favor of ratifying a new collective bargaining pact that will allow for as many as 37 furlough days through June 2011. The new pact was accepted by 88 percent of voting UPW members. In a joint statement released this afternoon, Kaua'i Mayor Bernard Carvalho, Jr., Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, Hawai'i County Mayor Billy Kenoi and Maui County Mayor Charmaine Tavares thanked the union for making sacrifices in consideration of the state and counties' ongoing economic woes. "We're grateful that the UPW recognized the need for shared sacrifices during a very difficult economic period and came to the table ready to collaborate on paring spending," the mayors said. "The public is very dependent on the services provided by UPW members and we believe this agreement will ensure we can continue to fulfill our obligations." The new agreement covers an estimated 9,000 state and county workers. It allows for 13 furlough days during the remainder of the current fiscal year and up to 24 furlough days for the fiscal starting July 1, 2010. (Report Provided by The Associated Press) NEWS FLASH - March 12, 2010 3:45 p.m. HST Maui Prep Team Wins State Science Olympiad Maui Preparatory Academy Middle School students continued their winning streak by placing first in their division at the State Science Olympiad on Oahu on March 6. The 10-member team and their coach, science teacher Carrie DeMott, will be heading to the University of Illinois in May to represent Hawaii at the national competition. The Science Olympiad is an event that requires students to problem solve, collaborate, and use their inquiry skills on site, with no adult assistance. One-hundred and twenty (120) teams will compete at the national event, selected from the 6,000 teams that initially participated in the regional and state competitions around the country. Coach DeMott worked with her Maui Prep students almost every day after school to prepare them for the regional and then the state competition. “For such a young team (mostly 7th graders) and from such a small school, I wasn’t sure it was possible for us to win first in state,” said DeMott. “But with their hard work, dedication, and teamwork, the kids came out on top. It proves that no matter how small you are, if you work hard, you can succeed. Maui Prep is a school that gives all kids a chance to shine.” In its fifth year of operation, Maui Prep is a Pre-K through 12 Grade school located on Maui’s west side. According to Headmaster George Baker, “We are all very excited and proud of our students. This will be a wonderful opportunity for them to interact with the best and the brightest science students in the country. We are honored to represent our island and our state.” Mr. Baker went on to thank Mokulele Airlines and the Sheraton Waikiki for their support of the Maui Prep Science Olympiad Team. Maui Preparatory Academy is an independent, college preparatory day school located in Napili. The school, which opened in the fall of 2005, will graduate its first class in May 2010. Almost 40% of the school’s students receive tuition assistance. Applications are now being accepted for the 2010-2011 school year. (Report Provided by Maui Prepatory Academy) NEWS FLASH - March 12, 2010 2 p.m. HST Whale Foundation Boats Spot Abandoned Calves - Twice MA’ALAEA, MAUI, HI — It’s one of the sadder sights of nature: an abandoned humpback whale calf, emaciated and weak, approaching a boat in the hope that the vessel might provide the nourishment and mothering that it’s seeking. Twice last week, Pacific Whale Foundation vessels had such an encounter, each time observing an apparently abandoned humpback calf. The first encounter was on Thursday, March 4, when the Pacific Whale Foundation vessel Ocean Spirit came upon two adult whales and two calves around 8:30 am near Ma’alaea during a whalewatch cruise. One calf was healthy and was remaining close to its mother. The second calf was undersized and was being pushed away by the other adult whale. Eventually, the smaller calf gave up its attempts to join the three whales, and swam over to the Pacific Whale Foundation vessel. It remained with the vessel for approximately 30 minutes before the vessel lost sight of the calf. The second sighting of an abandoned calf took place on Friday, March 5 at 11:43 a.m. about a half mile south of Lahaina, by the vessel Ocean Explorer. “The calf milled around our boat for approximately 15 minutes, diving shallowly,” reported Megan Cook, research assistant at Pacific Whale Foundation. "There were very obvious scrape marks along the calf's caudal region and sides, as well as the tubercles being rubbed raw. The dorsal fin was bleeding and there was a patch of what appeared to be whale lice on the top of the dorsal fin.” Cook reported that no mother was seen nearby or below the calf, even though the vertical visibility through the water was very good. “The closest animals were members of a large very active competition group but they were some distance off and not interacting,” she noted. It’s possible that the two sightings over the two days were of the same calf. Because the injuries that were observed on the body of each calf were similar, Pacific Whale Foundation believes that it is likely it was the same animal. However, because the calf did not do a fluke up dive, the staff were unable to obtain a positive identification during either encounter, and cannot be certain that it was the same calf. “The hardest thing about these situations is that nothing can be done for the calf,” says Greg Kaufman, founder and Executive Director of Pacific Whale Foundation. “Calves require about 100 gallons per day of their mom’s fat-rich milk for survival; there is no known substitute food for them. We can’t hand-raise them. There is no tank here that can hold a calf as it grows into adulthood. As sad as it is, we just have to allow nature to take its course.” Kaufman explains that calves are abandoned for a number of reasons; it could be that the mother was accidentally separated from her calf or that she abandoned the calf after deciding that the youngster had a health problem or deformity which would not allow it to reach maturity or perhaps the mother died shortly after birth. “It’s the mom’s way of cutting her losses and putting herself in a position to calve again sooner,” explained Kaufman. Abandoned calves become weak and feeble over time. Because they become debilitated and lethargic they spend extra time at the ocean’s surface, increasing the potential to become victims of ship strikes. Some just die and slip below the ocean’s surface. Others may be preyed upon by sharks, or by orca whales in northern cooler waters. Kaufman cites a recent research study of humpback calf mortality rates in the North Pacific, which compared the frequency of mother/calf pods in Hawaii with the frequency of mother/calf pods in Alaska. “There seems to be a loss of 20 to 30% of the calves between here and Alaska,” he notes. “Some of those calves might be abandoned or fall prey to orca or pelagic sharks.” “As the population of humpback whales increases in Hawaii, we will likely see the number of abandoned calves increasing,” says Kaufman. “The abandoned calves represent a percentage of that increasing number.” Even if your intentions are good, getting too close to an abandoned calf is dangerous — and can be illegal. “As tempting as it is to help, never get into the water with an abandoned calf,” says Kaufman. “Even a weakened animal could inadvertently injure you.” Sharks are another reason to stay away. “From some of our encounters with abandoned calves, there have been a half dozen or more tiger sharks below the calf, preparing to attack it,” says Kaufman. “You don’t want to get mixed up with them.” Humpback calves, like adult whales, are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the U.S. Endangered Species Act. It is illegal to approach any humpback whale within 100 yards by any means, including swimming, paddle boarding or kayaking. “In our situation, the calf approached our vessel, after we had stopped 100 yards away,” said Kaufman. “But you should not approach the calf within 100 yards.” Pacific Whale Foundation’s staff reported the abandoned calf to Ed Lyman, the Marine Mammal Response Manager for the Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. “That’s exactly the right procedure to follow with any abandoned calf or any whale that is entangled, injured or stranded,” said Kaufman. “The Sanctuary’s team has the training, equipment and legal permits to rescue whales that are in trouble.” To report a stranded or injured whale, call NOAA Fisheries at 888 256-9840. To report violations of the 100-yard approach rule, call NOAA Enforcement 800-853-1964. (Report Provided by The Pacific Whale Foundation) NEWS FLASH - March 12, 2010 12:45 p.m. HST Property Tax Notices Headed Out WAILUKU, Maui, Hawaii-The County of Maui Real Property Tax Division announced today that 2010 County of Maui real property assessment notices will be mailed to property owners on or before March 15, 2010. The real property assessment notice will show the taxable value of the land and (if applicable) improvements, the amount of allowed exemptions, the classification assigned to the property, and the net taxable value of the property. Property owners are encouraged to carefully review the document and contact the Division by phone at (808) 270-7297 if they have any questions. If a property owner disagrees with the assessment, general land class, or exemption included in their real property assessment notice, they may file an appeal with the Board of Review or the Tax Appeal Court. The deadline for filing an appeal is Friday, April 9, 2010. The assessment notice is not a bill, the first half installment for the 2010-2011 fiscal year will be mailed on or before July 20, 2010. If you do not receive your assessment notice, or have any questions contact the County of Maui Real Property Tax Division by phone at (808) 270-7297, or view assessment information online at www.mauipropertytax.com. (Report Provided by The Maui County Office of Information) NEWS FLASH - March 12, 2010 11:10 a.m. HST 'Got Choice? Think Local' Campaign Extended WAILUKU, Maui, Hawaii-Mayor Charmaine Tavares announced today that, due to popularity and public support, the County of Maui’s “Got Choice… Think Local” campaign will be extended through August 31, 2010. The campaign, which aims to stimulate the economy by encouraging residents to shop locally through incentives from over 200 participating businesses, kicked off in February of 2010 when Mayor Tavares proclaimed it “Got Choice…Think Local” month. “It’s exciting to see the success of this campaign,” said Mayor Tavares. “'Got Choice...Think Local' supports our local economy by spending our money here at home. I’m grateful to the business owners and consumers in our community for participating and rallying behind local businesses. Remember to shop locally and be mindful of who's getting your dollar. It's simple and easy, adds up and can have a profound effect on our economy when we all make that choice.” Promotions, giveaways and radio programs have been added throughout the course of the campaign and are regularly updated. Residents are encouraged to visit www.MauiCountyThinkLocal.com to view the latest happenings. “Got Choice… Think Local” is co-sponsored by the County of Maui, Maui No Ka Oi Magazine, the Lahaina News, KAOI Radio Group, KONI 104.7, Maui Cattle Company, Maui County Farm Bureau, Maui Printing Company, the Maui News, Maui TV News, Maui Weekly, and the Pacific Radio Group. For more information visit www.MauiCountyThinkLocal.com or contact the County of Maui Office of Economic Development at (808) 270-7710. (Report Provided by The Maui County Office of Information) NEWS FLASH - March 12, 2010 8:15 a.m. HST Tesoro May Stop Crude Oil Refining in Hawai'i The owner of the state's largest oil refinery is studying whether it should stop refining crude oil here and use the site as a terminal from which to distribute fuel. "It lost money last year and it's continuing to lose money this year," said Lynn Westfall, senior vice president and chief economist for refinery owner Tesoro Corp. "It's something we're concerned about and are looking at." Tesoro, like other refiners, has been squeezed by high crude oil prices at a time when demand has been dropping. Tesoro's 93,500-barrel-a-day refinery last year operated well below capacity, averaging only 68,200 barrels. Tesoro's review follows one done by Chevron Corp., which last year contemplated shutting what is the smaller of Hawai'i's two refineries. Chevron had looked at converting the local 54,000-barrel-per-day facility into a terminal and this week said that option has been taken off the table. Chevron left open the possibility that some of the 2,000 job cuts it is ordering for its refinery operations worldwide may occur here. "Refining right now is a brutal industry," said Pavel Molchanov, an analyst with Raymond James & Associates who follows oil and gas companies. "It's true everywhere." Molchanov said Hawai'i also has the added problem of being a small, isolated market where all crude oil needs to be imported. "Hawai'i is kind of a quirky niche market with its own dynamics," Molchanov said. "But it's also a tough market." He noted Chevron earlier this week announced it will sell a refinery in Europe. That follows Valero Energy Corp. announcing a shutdown of a Delaware refinery in November, while Royal Dutch Shell Plc said in January it was converting a Montreal refinery to a storage facility. Westfall said the company is studying alternatives at its seven refineries and has two options under review here. One is to keep the refinery running, or pieces of it. The other contemplates a shutdown of the refinery operations and maintaining the facility as a terminal where products refined elsewhere can be stored. Tesoro's refinery produces about half of the state's gasoline and feedstock for utility generators. It also is the primary supplier of jet fuel and diesel used in cars and trucks. Westfall said the local operation suffers from being a small market with low growth prospects. He said the company also has uncompetitive contracts to supply fuel to utilities here and has an ongoing need for capital. "The short-term dynamics are certainly challenging right now." Financial analysts have periodically inquired on conference calls about Tesoro's plans for Hawai'i because of the operation's low profitability. They've also asked whether Tesoro had looked at selling the refinery. Tesoro also operates about 30 service stations here and employs about 600 in the state. Westfall said Tesoro's examination of assets here will go beyond whether the operation is profitable. The Hawai'i refinery is one of five the San Antonio-based company has around the Pacific, with others in California, Washington and Alaska working together to fill capacity needs in each other's markets, he said. Hawai'i also has a strategic value for the company should it pursue expansion into Asia, Westfall said. The longer-term outlook for the local operation is brighter and Tesoro has continued to pursue renewable energy projects here, he said. The state is aggressively pursuing a plan to get 70 percent of its energy needs from clean sources by 2030. That would drastically cut into the current business of the two refineries here. Tesoro has a half-dozen renewable energy ventures it is pursuing that tie into its ability to produce fuels. These include pilot projects with Envergent Technologies for a bio-crude oil produced from plant materials, an algae-to-fuel project with Phycal Hawaii and a 5-megawatt solar farm with Axio Power Inc. Tesoro also has agreements with Kuehnle Agrosystems on algae-based biofuel, another with Hawai'i BioEnergy LLC to turn locally grown crops into fuel, and one with UOP LLC, which has a $25 million federal grant to convert biomass into transportation fuels. "We see a long-term future for this market," Westfall said. But the real issue is how "are we getting through the next couple of years." Reach Greg Wiles at gwiles@honoluluadvertiser.com. (Report Provided by The Honolulu Advertiser) |
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