May 27, 2005

Hawai`i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer

The County of Hawai`i’s Department of Public Works announces that Highway Maintenance Division workers have finished paving the right-turn lane on Kaiminani Drive at the Queen Kaahumanu Highway intersection in Kona as of Monday, May 23, 2005.

Public Works would also like to inform the public that Highway Maintenance workers are now working on the sidewalk in Waikoloa near Waikoloa School that the community has requested.

The estimated date of completion of the sidewalk work is June 15, 2005.

The Department of Public Works really appreciates the patience and cooperation of our residents during all of the projects underway. For further information, please call Department of Public Works at 961-8321.

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County of Hawaii Mass Transit Administrator Tom Brown and Transit Assistant Tiffany Kai accepted a prestigious Hui Laulima Award on behalf of the Mass Transit Agency in the group adult division at an awards ceremony on Friday, May 20, 2005 at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort.

Hui Laulima recognized the Mass Transit Agency staff for their ongoing efforts to improve public transportation, citing the recent introduction of free (no-fare) bus rides within designated "Kokua zones" on the Big Island.

For the next two years, the County of Hawaii will be offering free bus service to all Hele-On Bus patrons within the Kokua zones, which range between Ocean View and South Kohala.

To offer the fare-free bus rides, the Mass Transit Agency waived an estimated $16,000 in bus fares in the two-year program that began January 1, 2005 as an incentive to customers to ride the Hele On Bus to work, school or play.

All passengers on the Hele On bus system run by the Mass Transit Agency ride in air-conditioned comfort, and the Hele On buses are wheelchair accessible.

"Unsung heroes like Tom Brown, Tiffany Kai, Betty Alcover of Mass Transit -- and all of the employees of the County of Hawaii Mass Transit Agency -- receive little or no recognition for their dedication, leadership and unselfish contributions to the West Hawaii community. said Wally Lau, president of the Neighborhood Place, the parent organization to which the nonprofit Hui Laulima belongs. "We celebrate them today."

Tom Brown has been with the County of Hawaii for more than a decade. He served under previous administrations as an assistant to the Director of Mass Transit and was promoted to Transit Administrator in 2000 by Mayor Harry Kim.

Hui Laulima, established in 1999, is a consortium of more than 57 community groups, individuals, private and public agencies who work to suggest solutions to problems that affect the health and human services of the West Hawaii community.

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Have you, a family member, or close friend ever been involved in a dispute where you needed legal help, but didn’t know where to turn? Have you ever tried to handle a legal matter yourself, because you knew you couldn’t afford lawyer bills?

With today’s higher cost of living, legal bills are something many people simply cannot afford. Unfortunately, in today’s world, legal services are something many people cannot afford to do without.

Under the leadership of Hawai`i Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald Moon, lawyers in the State of Hawai`i have been challenged to give their time, expertise, and above all their heart in providing pro bono legal service for the indigent in our communities.

Pro bono legal services are those dispensed by attorneys free of any charge. Although not presently mandatory, Chief Justice Moon stresses the importance of voluntary pro bono work in restoring respectability to the honorable profession of the practice of law.

Our ethics rules for lawyers in Hawai`i suggest that each attorney provide at least 25 hours of legal service yearly to persons of limited means, or organizations which address the needs of persons with limited means.

In addition, attorneys should provide an additional 25 hours of service to charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental and educational organizations.

In February of this year, the Office of the Corporation Counsel partnered with Volunteer Legal Services Hawai`i (VLSH) to assist in resurrecting and staffing "Neighborhood Legal Clinics" on the Big Island. These clinics provide qualifying members of the public an opportunity to meet with an attorney, discuss their legal problems, and work towards a resolution.

The County’s Corporation Counsel attorneys also began participating in "Family Law Clinics" and the "Na Keiki" program, designed to help pregnant teens and young mothers with legal guidance as to their rights and the rights of their young children.

This legal work by Corporation Counsel attorneys is free of charge, done in addition to their legal work for our County.

The Neighborhood Legal Clinics are held at least quarterly in Hilo. Members of the public have come with cases ranging from landlord-tenant disputes to child support issues.

Our Corporation Counsel attorneys who have worked these clinics have found the time spent very rewarding.

We are also looking to expand the clinics islandwide, and hold them more frequently throughout the year.

Many of our attorneys also donate their time to serve on boards of organizations including the Children’s Justice Center, YWCA, Girl Scout Council, Hospice of Hilo, American Cancer Society, and public school foundations.

Our attorneys also actively participate as speakers at the Judiciary’s Children in Transition program, as pro bono court-appointed arbitrators, and as youth leaders at various religious and civic organizations, to name just a few.

If you know of someone who needs legal help, and doesn’t know where to turn, encourage them to first call Volunteer Legal Services Hawai`i on Oahu toll-free at 1-(800) 839-5200.

After a short telephone interview, information on the legal dispute will be gathered in order for an assigned attorney to conduct any legal research.

An appointment to meet with the attorney will then be scheduled. With the resurrection of the Neighborhood Legal Clinics, the person in need will be able to meet with an attorney here on the Big Island (normally at the YMCA), to discuss their case.

By donating their time, expertise and compassion, our Corporation Counsel attorneys have helped build stronger communities.

Their "fees" are measured by the satisfaction of knowing they have helped a person (or an organization) who could not otherwise afford to hire a good lawyer.

Kahiau ("to give generously with the heart and not with expectation of return") is at the very center of this practice of law.

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The County of Hawai`i’s household hazardous waste collection days will take place again in Hilo and Kailua-Kona.

Don’t miss this opportunity to clean your garage of unwanted and dangerous items. Sponsored by the County of Hawai`i’s Department of Environmental Management, the collection is a twice-yearly amnesty program to dispose of household hazardous waste products.

The collections will take place:

• Saturday, June 4, 2005, at the Hilo Transfer Station, 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
• Saturday, June 11, 2005, at the Kealakehe (Kailua-Kona) Transfer Station, 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

These Household Hazardous Waste collections are scheduled annually for the first Saturdays of June and December in Hilo and the second Saturdays of June and December in Kona.

Dumping household hazardous waste in your trash, which will go to the landfill, can cause groundwater contamination. Household hazardous waste that is collected on these dates is shipped to the mainland for lawful and safe disposal.

Among the hazardous waste materials being accepted include automotive fluids, all types of batteries, corrosives, mercury thermometers, oil-based paints and stains, solvents and thinners, garden supplies, poisons, and miscellaneous hazardous household chemicals. In addition, clean and/or contaminated used motor oil will be accepted.

Materials that WILL NOT be accepted include waste from a business, explosives, pyrophoric, water-reactive, biological, infectious, radioactive, and shock sensitive materials, as well as, latex paint and base, compressed gas cylinders, flares, fire extinguishers, detergents, non-hazardous items, and non-household generated waste.

Questions regarding this program call the County’s Recycling Coordinator at 961-8942.

Recycle Hawai`i is a non-profit educational membership organization serving the Big Island of Hawai`i. Recycle Hawai`i currently offers free recycling education services on behalf of the County of Hawai`i, the State Department of Health and Recycle Hawai`i supporting members. For more information, call Recycle Hawai`i at 329-2886 or 961-2676, or visit www.recyclehawaii.org.

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What’s IN: Eligible (redeemable) beverage containers include:

Soft drinks, soda, water, juice, tea and coffee drinks, and certain alcoholic drinks (beer, malt beverages, wine coolers, mixed spirits) in metal, glass, or plastic, 64 oz. or less.

What’s OUT: Ineligible (unredeemable) containers include:

Milk, wine, and hard liquor containers.

Qualified beverage containers may be redeemed for cash at the following locations:

** Transfer Station centers closed daily from 1-2pm for lunch.**

Please contact Atlas at 935-9328 or 329-6868 for further information.

Please call the Recycling Specialists with the Department of Environmental Management, County of Hawai’i, at 961-8527 or 961-8549 for information about the HI 5¢ program or visit:

www.hi5deposit.com | http://co.hawaii.hi.us/directory/dir_envmng.htm

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The County of Hawai’i Department of Environmental Management, Wastewater Division will be renovating the Kailua Harbor Sewage Pump Station (formerly known as the King Kamehameha Sewage Pump Station) located at the corner of Ali’i Drive and the Kailua-Kona Harbor Access Road fronting the King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel.

This work commenced during the 3^rd week in January of 2005 and will last approximately five (5) months. Work will take place between the hours of 8 am and 5:30 pm during week days and possibly Saturdays.

This renovation project will add capacity to the pump station resulting in better ability to accommodate the increasing number of future developments in Kailua-Kona. As an added benefit, renovation of the King Kamehameha Sewage Pump Station helps with preparing for future abandonment of the Queen Emma Sewage Pump Station located at Emma Square. This should enhance the area for nearby businesses as maintenance activities by Wastewater Division personnel will no longer be required in Emma Square.

During the construction period of the renovation project, businesses along Ali’i Drive can anticipate uninterrupted sewer service and conduct their business in a normal fashion.

Pedestrian traffic will be safely re-routed around the construction area at the King Kamehameha. There will be very little impact to vehicular traffic.

Some construction work will take place at the Emma Square location while giving consideration to pedestrian traffic. This work may include minor improvements to the rock wall and concrete walkways with the intent of making the area safer for pedestrians.

The public is welcome to direct any questions or concerns during construction to the Construction Manager, SSFM International, Inc. at 933-2727. General questions may be directed to the Wastewater Division at 961-8338.

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The Department of Water Supply is experiencing drought conditions around the island and is requesting our customers to conserve drinking water. Due to continuing dry weather conditions, water consumption in the affected areas has increased to a point where water sources and water distribution systems are strained. Drought conditions may last for some time, and the Department is requesting all our customers around the island to use water wisely.

This Water Conservation Notice is a request to reduce your daily water usage by 10%.

The following areas are under WATER CONSERVATION:

1. SOUTH KOHALA - Waimea Town.
2. HAMAKUA - Ahualoa, along Kahaua Drive, Kalopa State Park, Kapahu, Paauilo Mauka, and Pohakea.

Listed are some ways to conserve water to reach the 10% goal:

• Wash full loads of laundry only.
• Wash full loads of dishes only.
• Serve drinking water only when requested.
• Do not let the faucet run unnecessarily.
• When bathing, use water only to wet and rinse off.
• Do not fill up the bathtub.
• Use a glass to rinse when brushing your teeth.
• Do not flush toilets unnecessarily.
• Stop lawn sprinkling.
• Stop car and boat washing.
• Stop dust control watering.
• Use drinking water wisely.

Agricultural users shall irrigate only at night from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. This measure will reduce water loss due to evaporation and minimize water system drain during peak demand.

For more information, please contact Daryl Ikeda at the Department of Water Supply at 961-8790.

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Due to ongoing dry weather conditions, exceptionally large water consumption, and repairs being done at the Hualalai and Kalaoa Wells, the Department of Water Supply would like to remind customer in North Kona that they are under Water Conservation.

The Water Conservation Notice is a request to reduce your daily water usage by 10%. (See above article which lists some ways to conserve water to reach the 10% goal.)

Agricultural users should irrigate only at night from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. This measure will reduce water loss due to evaporation and minimize water system drain during peak demand.

If this trend of large consumption continues, the next water conservation action will be mandatory reduction. Please conserve water.

For more information, please contact Daryl Ikeda of the Department of Water Supply at 961-8790.

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Construction work to widen Kuakini Highway, from Palani Road to Hualalai Road, commenced on November 8, 2004.

Kuakini Highway will be widened to four lanes for automobiles, including two through-lanes in each direction, and a pocket lane for left turns where appropriate. In addition, there will bicycle lanes on both sides throughout most of the project. The construction will last 18-24 months.

One lane will be open at all times from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. while construction is in progress. Outside of these hours, one lane in each direction will be open.

The contractor, Hawaiian Dredging, will work with the adjacent businesses and residences to assure that a reasonable access to the businesses and residences will be maintained throughout the construction period. However, motorists traveling in the area should drive with caution.

We are most grateful for the public’s patience and apologize for any inconvenience caused.

The public is invited to a weekly update on the Kuakini Highway, Palani Road to Hualalai project every Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. at the Kona Mayor’s West Hawai`i Office conference room at Hanama Place. Light refreshments will be served.

Representatives from the contractor, Hawaiian Dredging, and the County, Public Works Department are available at the meetings. Everyone is welcome at these informal "talk story" sessions.

A large project map and a complete set of plans are available for reference at the Kona Mayor's office.

The Tuesday morning updates will continue, and information will also be available via the County website at www.co.hawaii.hi.us.

For more detailed information on the construction, please contact Hawaiian Dredging Contracting Co., Inc. at (808) 483-4270. You can also call Pete Hendricks, Deputy Managing Director at 329-5226.

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Or call our 24/7 Job Hotline: 961-8618

Click on employment opportunities to download all of the forms.

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The Big Island community is cordially invited to celebrate We Are `Ohana Day on Sunday, June 5 from noon to 5 p.m.at Wailoa State Park in Hilo.

Live performances by Bruddah Kuz, Brittni Paiva, Rupert Tripp, Jr., Hula Halau O Kou Lima Nani E, and Lava Roots Dance and Drum will be featured. There will also be presentations by students from Kua O Ka La Public Charter School, Na `Opio O Waimea, and Ka`u Middle School.

The purpose of the event is to bring people together to share a message of hope with those individuals and families in Hawai`i who are struggling with substance abuse and addiction. The community, as `ohana and as family, must come together to address the issue.

The day will be filled with music, dance and stories of those who have overcome their addiction and are now in recovery.

The event is free and open to the public. Performing and Fine Artists for World Peace and the North Hawai`i Drug-Free Coalition are sponsors of the event with major funding support from the Hawai`i County Resource Center. Contributing sponsors are KHBC Radio, Creative Arts Hawai`i, Peck Tunes and Kumanu Music.

Performing and Fine Artists For World Peace is documenting the event the video Your Heart Will Lead You Home that supports the popular CD We Are `Ohana-Songs of Hope.

Footage will also be included in the video We Are `Ohana-Stories of Hope and Recovery to be used to support Performing and Fine Artists For World Peace’s outreach project at schools, treatment centers and correctional facilities this autumn.

Everyone is invited to come and be a part of the video. Whether you have stories to share or just come to listen, your participation is welcome.

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The Foundations of Jack Gifford and Betty Kanuha, in cooperation with the County of Hawaii Parks & Recreation Department, will sponsor the Kalai Iki Youth Baseball Clinic July 24-26 at the Kailua-Kona Regulation Baseball Diamond and adjoining playing fields.

This three-day clinic is free of charge and is open to boys & girls ages 7-17.

Several outstanding collegiate coaches have been lined up for the camp:

Present NCAA Division I head coaches Mark Marques (Stanford), Sam Piraro (San Jose State), Ed Sprague (Pacific), Mark O’Brien (Santa Clara), Ritchie Price (Kansas), Lindsey Meggs (Chico State), and Joey Estrella (UH Hilo), along with assistants Tom Kunis (Stanford), Chad Konishi (UH Manoa), Tom Myers (UC Santa Barbara), and former UCLA head coach, Gary Adams, and assistants, Glenn Mickins, Jason Green, and former major league pitcher Tim Leary.

The clinic will feature two sessions daily:

• 8:30 a.m.- 11:30 a.m. for the 7-11 year-olds
• 1 p.m.–4 p.m. for the 12-17 year-olds

Each participant should bring his/her own glove, batting helmet, bat, shoes, and appropriate baseball protective supports (as required by all youth leagues for participation) and water bottles.

Registration will be handled at the Parks & Recreation offices at the Kailua-Kona Permits Office (located by the Aquatics Center), Waimea Community Center at Parker Gym, Waikoloa Elementary, School F Bldg, and Parks & Recreation Division Office located at Aunty Sally’s Luau Hale in Hilo and at Sports Line in Hilo.

Each session will be limited to the first 200 applicants in their respective age group.

A Coaches Clinic for all youth and high school coaches will be held on Saturday, July 23 at 10 a.m. at the Hapuna Prince Hotel (Hau Lehua Room).

The clinic staff welcomes volunteer help for all drill stations. For more information, call coach Joey Estrella at 974-7700.

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The Free Mulch Giveaway at the Hilo Transfer Station has been such a success that they have run out of mulch at this site. Mulch will again be available at the Hilo Transfer Station Green Waste Area sometime in July. Many thanks to all residents for their participation in this project.

Free mulch is still available at the Kealakehe /Kona Transfer Station’s Green Waste Area.

Large loads (30 cubic yards or more) are being delivered FREE to certain areas: from Kawaihae to Ho’okena and from Palani Road to the Saddle Road Junction. To schedule a delivery, call 808-306-1876.

For small loads, residents can visit the pick-up area at the Kealakehe/Kona Transfer Station’s Green Waste area.

Loading assistance is free from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m., Monday-Saturday.

People may also bring a pitchfork to self-load a vehicle from 6:30 a.m.- 6:30 p.m., 7 days a week.

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The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), a program of UH Hilo’s College of Continuing Education and Community Service, offers noncredit classes to diverse communities of lifelong learners throughout the Big Island, focusing on those 45 and over. There are no tests, grades, or papers – just learning for enjoyment, personal growth and intellectual stimulation.

OLLI, funded in 2004 by a grant from the Bernard Osher Foundation of San Francisco, California, is one of more than 60 such programs based at universities across the United States, from Maine to Hawaii, from Harvard to UH Manoa. Lectures, short courses, educational activities and events are planned by community members in collaboration with OLLI coordinators.

Classes and programs are taught by a wide range of talented community members in the arts, sciences, humanities, recreation and health, with a goal of using regional resources and topics of interest. OLLI also seeks to partner and collaborate with art centers, theatres, libraries, schools, clubs, businesses, and community organizations.

The first series of North Hawaii OLLI classes are taking place from May through August. They are:

• Sustainable Landscaping and Gardening: May 21 and June 25, 9-11:30 am, Waimea Outdoor Circle, Ulu La’au Park, Waimea, $25/class
• Play the Ukulele with Grammy-Winner Keoki Kahumoku: May 23, 1-4 pm, Hotel Honoka’a Club, Honoka’a, $25
• Mixed Level Watercolor Painting: June 17 and August 19, 9-11:30 am, Hale Kukui Orchard Retreat, Kukuihaele, $40/class
• Introduction to Organic Agribusiness: June 17, 1–3:30 pm, Volcano Island Honey Co., Ahualoa, $25.

For more information on these and OLLI classes taking place in other regions of the Big Island, to register for classes, or to connect with your area coordinator to discuss future program opportunities, call UH Hilo’s College of Continuing Education and Community Service at 974-7664.

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The Hawai`i Island Leadership Series (otherwise known as Ulu Mau – Lifelong Learning) is seeking applicants for its next class, starting in September 2005.

The series, whose first class began in 2003, is a yearlong program that aims to expand the ranks of community leadership. Once a month classes provide a broad range of leaders from all over the Big Island with knowledge and incentive to meet the needs of our community.

The new class year begins in September 2005 with an orientation, followed by a two-day retreat. From October to June 2006, the classes meet once a month with full-day sessions around Hawai`i Island to provide working knowledge of pertinent issues facing our community.

Subjects explored include: Hawaiian values and history, government, health and human services, the judicial system, diversity of agriculture, sciences and tourism, and future plans for Hawai`i Island.

The class also is assigned a volunteer project to complete within the Ulu Mau class year.

A $10 non-refundable application fee is to be submitted with each application, payable to the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce. Once notified of acceptance, the $1,000 cost for the series is payable. The fee includes the cost of class meetings, speaker and facilitator fees, accommodation and meals for pre- and post-retreats.

Applications are due no later than May 31. Notification of acceptance will be done on or before June 30.

For more details on the Hawai`i Island Leadership Series or to receive an application form, visit the Kona-Kohala Chamber’s website at www.kona-kohala.com .

Or pick up an application form at the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce office at 75-5737 Kuakini Hwy, Suite 208, Kailua-Kona 96740. Phone: 329-1758.

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Where did all the opihi go?

The prevailing public belief is that every year there are fewer and fewer opihi, and there is some truth to this. However, commercial harvest of opihi has been relatively stable since 1960. No significant decline of the opihi population has occurred on since the 1.25" size restrictions were implemented in 1978, but there has been no recovery of population, either.

Join presenter Chris Bird to learn about the complex interactions between humans, opihi, haukeuke (shingle urchins), limu (seaweed), and other organisms that have impacts on opihi growth rates, reproduction and, ultimately, opihi population size.

REEFTALKS are co-sponsored by the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College

Program, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology and the Malama Kai Foundation. Talks are free public service presentations, held monthly, alternating between the Waimea/Kamuela and Kona areas.

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A conference on E ‘Imi Pono (best practices) in substance abuse treatment will be held at Hawai`i Community College July 17-21, 2005.

This conference is sponsored by Hawai'i Community College Substance Abuse Counseling and Administration of Justice Programs and the Office of Continuing Education and Training.

Among the internationally renowned presenters will be Terence Gorski, Stephanie Covington, Dennis Daley and Pualani Kanaka’ole Kanahele.

Topics of the conference will include:

• Adolescent and Adult Relapse Prevention
• Girls and Women in the Criminal Justice System
• Adolescents and Adults with Co-occurring Disorders
• Native Hawaiian Approaches to Substance Abuse

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(All project schedules based on weather permitting.)

Call us at 961-8341 to report streetlights that are not working properly. Anyone who answers the phone can help you. Please remember to give us the exact location of the light, including the number of the pole it is on. We need this information because our crew conducts repairs during the daytime hours, when all lights are out.

We have three basic types of malfunctions:

• Lights being completely out
• Lights always on
• Lights cycling (on and off during the night).

Repairs are normally done within fifteen working days. For further information, call the Traffic Division of Department of Public Works at 961-8341.

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The County of Hawai’i Department of Public Works advises the public that on December 21, 2004 four temporary loading zones went into effect along Ali’i Drive as follows:

• 30-minute freight loading zone on mauka side of Ali’i Drive north of the Ocean View Restaurant
• 30-minute freight loading zone on the mauka side of Ali’i Drive south of the Ocean View Restaurant
• Three-minute passenger loading zone on mauka side of Ali’i Drive south of the Ocean View Restaurant
• 30-minute freight loading zone on the makai side of Ali’i Drive across from Uncle Billy’s Kona Bay Hotel

This change was to remain in effect for a 90-day trial period until 12 noon on March 18, 2005.

Field adjustments were made and it was determined that further evaluation was necessary. The Department of Public Works has extended this trial for an additional 90 days, to end at 12:00 Noon on June 15, 2005.

No parking will be allowed in these zones, and the no-parking rule will be enforced.

The Department of Public Works asks for your patience and cooperation during this trial period.

For further information, please contact the Department of Public Works, Traffic Division at 961-8341.

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We encourage everyone to use web-based calendar links. Please add your own events to the respective calendars so others can get the word and not conflict with your plans.

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Hawai‘i County ... a nice place to live.