July 15, 2005

Hawai`i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer

CONTENTS

As virtually anyone who lives on our Island of Hawai`i knows, trash and what to do with it are among our biggest issues.

Here on an island we have a finite amount of space to put our solid waste, and the County’s Department of Environmental Management is working hard to come up with viable, sustainable solutions to the problem.

The clock is ticking on the South Hilo Landfill, which now serves East Hawai`i. It is estimated to reach permitted capacity, at the present fill rate, in March 2006.

The County’s Department of Environmental Management proposes construction and operation of a solid waste processing, recycling and transfer facility near the existing South Hilo Landfill.

This would be called the East Hawai’i Regional Sort Station Complex, and is proposed as an interim solution until a responsible, long-term alternative is available to handle the East Hawai`i waste stream.

The East Hawai`i Regional Sort Station will accept County, commercial and residential waste from all areas of South and East Hawai`i.

The waste will be reduced to the maximum practical amount through recycling and resource recovery methods.

Recycling will be encouraged by providing a location for residents to drop off trash separated according to materials (ex: glass, paper, metal etc.)

Recycling will also occur by directing segregated loads of recyclables to resource recovery areas. (An example of this would be discarded appliances that are usable, reparable or contain scrap metal.)

Commercial waste haulers will benefit from a cost reduction when they don’t have to pay landfill tipping fees. When they deliver recyclable materials to the resource recovery vendors on the Sort Station Complex property, they have not only saved money, they have helped extend the life of our landfills.

On the primary tipping floor, non-segregated waste will be collected from commercial, County and residential sources. Marketable materials will be removed from the waste stream.

In the short term, the residual waste that is not recycled or diverted at the Sort Station Complex will be placed into large transfer trailers and hauled to the West Hawai`i Sanitary Landfill at Pu’uanahulu.

The County completed a Final Environmental Impact Statement, dated February 2004 which evaluates the social, economic and environmental effects of 10-12 garbage trucks (tractor with trailer), hauling up to 20 tons of solid waste per load.

This contradicts news reports that put the number of possible County long-haul trucks at 80 trucks. That figure is exaggerated and inaccurate.

The hauling route was evaluated in the EIS document. The route would be up the Hamakua coast to Waimea, straight through the intersection, down the Waikoloa Road, left on Queen Ka`ahumanu Highway for about 2 miles to the West Hawai`i Sanitary Landfill at Pu`uanahulu.

Note: The waste transfer trucks and trailers will be covered and cleaned regularly.

The Sort Station Complex would serve two primary functions:

• To provide continuous, convenient and cost-effective solid waste management services for the County on an interim basis.
• To provide a central processing facility for the County’s islandwide recycling efforts.

The County intends to increase waste diversion from the current level of 18% to 45%, using available recycling and resource recovery strategies.

Low-tech strategies will include improvements to the rural transfer stations to provide convenient opportunities for residential recycling, increased public education programs to encourage residential and commercial recycling, and organic waste composting and biodiesel production.

The County is currently exploring suitable waste reduction technologies. One or more of these technologies may provide a cost-effective and environmentally appropriate alternative to landfill disposal, at which time waste hauling will be substantially reduced or eliminated.

The technology: The Update to the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan identified that three technologies could work equally well. The identified technologies are 1) incineration, 2) anaerobic digestion, and 3) thermal gassification. The vendors, as well as their particular technology, would be keys to success.

The site: The County, in its Request for Proposals published last year, offered a site for a waste reduction technology facility between the Hilo landfill and the proposed Sort Station Complex. The Department of Environmental Management invited private vendors to propose their own sites as well.

The County may want to allow public or private funding, in order to find the best combination of pricing versus liability.

The Environmental Impact Statement for the Construction and Operation of the East Hawai`i Regional Sort Station and the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plans (original, 1994 and Update, 2002) are all on the County web page. Click on http://co.hawaii.hi.us/directory/dir_envmng.htm#dir_solidwaste and proceed to the item East Hawai`i Regional Sort Station – EIS.

A Transfer Station Enhancement Plan for the island's 21 Solid Waste Transfer Stations is also posted on the website.

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The Traffic Division of the Department of Public Works would like to draw the community’s attention to a traffic safety feature in use here for the past two or three years.

Flashing pedestrian lights, embedded in the pavement at some of our crosswalks on the Island of Hawai`i, are warning devices. Such embedded pedestrian lights are to be found at the crosswalk near Hilo Medical Center, near the Hilo Shopping Center at Kilauea Avenue and Kamana Street and other locations.

While drivers are not required to stop only because the lights are flashing, the lights are designed to alert drivers that a pedestrian is attempting to cross at a crosswalk.

The yellow lights flash when a pedestrian pushes the button on the utility pole that turns the lights on.

The flashing yellow lights embedded in the pavement warn the driver that someone is or soon will be crossing the street. They are an added safety feature to alert drivers who might not otherwise see the pedestrian.

When you see the flashing yellow lights, motorists should be cautious and aware of possible pedestrians when approaching the crosswalk.

Pedestrians should also be cautious when crossing the street, as at any crosswalk.

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

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The Hawai‘i County Code, the laws of the County, contains ordinances enacted through June 30, 2005.

Printed copies of the Code will be available for purchase for $200 on August 1, 2005. A CD is included with the purchased copies of the printed Code, or may be purchased separately for $20 by calling the Clerk’s Office at (808) 961-8255.

Because the Code is constantly amended, the website will be brought up to date as ordinances are adopted. However, the official version will be the printed copy, which will be supplemented every six months.

The County Council recently transferred responsibilities for supplementing and reprinting the Code from the Office of the Corporation Counsel to the Office of the Council-Clerk. The Code and annual supplements were previously prepared by privately-contracted companies.

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The County Department of Environmental Management would like to inform the public of a temporary change of traffic pattern for Kea’au Transfer Station effective July 12 through July 22, from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm.

Beginning on July 12, 2005, Tuesday at 6:30 am, all traffic will be routed via the Kea’au Transfer Station exit road while paving operations are being conducted at the Kea’au Recycling and Reuse Center.

Motorists are advised to use extreme caution and observe all signs and traffic controls provided by the on-site guards and KRRC site coordinators.

Access to the recycling facilities, including the Kea’au Redemption Center may be temporarily disrupted for up to two hours at a time during the grading and paving operations.

We apologize for any inconvenience this temporary measure causes.

For additional information, please call Recycle Hawaii at 969-2012 or the County Department of Environmental Management, Recycling Section, at 961-8942.

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If you are helping someone with grocery shopping, paying bills, providing transportation to doctor’s visits, or cooking meals, you already are a caregiver. Time spent caregiving can range from less than an hour or two a week to round-the-clock care.

With careful planning, good self-care and knowledge of available resources, you can better prepare yourself to help your loved one. It’s important to realize that as a caregiver, you are not alone.

AARP, HMSA, Alu Like, Inc. and the Hawaii County Office of Aging have joined together to support the family caregivers on the Big Island.

A caregiver’s conference is scheduled at the Hawaii Naniloa Resort on Thursday, August 11 from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The cost is $15 for unpaid family caregivers and $20 for all others. This fee includes refreshments, lunch, workshops and resource exhibits.

A Resource Fair will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Local service agencies and organizations will provide information and products available with helpful tips and tools to assist the caregiver at home.

Local pharmacists will offer private consultations from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. to assess and evaluate all over-the-counter and prescription drugs a person is taking to avoid the danger of potential adverse reactions.

The morning keynote will feature Lee White’s Keeping Things Together Without Falling Apart – A Caregiver’s Story, about a family’s heartwarming and personal experiences of caring for a loved one.

Dr. Kalani Brady, who is featured on a weekly KHON (Channel 2) morning news segment, will present "Be an Empowered Caregiver! A Doctor’s View on How Caregivers can be Advocates for Themselves and Their Families" in the afternoon.

Twelve other sessions focusing on a wide variety of caregiver topics are offered during the day.

A special Alzheimer’s course will be available for caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients. Another session addresses questions and concerns of grandparents raising grandchildren.

Other sessions include topics such as mental health, home safety, Medicaid vs. Medicare, financial preparedness and tax information and many others.

Scholarships are available for Native Hawaiians or unpaid family caregivers of Native Hawaiians through Alu Like, Inc. Respite care for older adults may also be available so caregivers can attend this conference.

Registration deadline is July 27 and you must be registered to attend. This conference was at maximum capacity last year, so attendance is on a first come, first served basis.

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With the Pacific hurricane season now upon us, it is very important for all of our Hawai`i residents to be familiar with hurricane preparedness measures.

The County of Hawai`i’s Civil Defense Agency reminds the community that all areas of our Island of Hawai`i can be prone to hurricane hazards.

Residents must be aware that all parts of Hawai`i Island could be exposed to hurricane hazards, despite a common belief that our mountains of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa shield parts of the island from hurricane winds.

We hope our residents will take the time to familiarize themselves with hurricane preparedness measures by reading the County of Hawai`i’s Hurricane Preparedness Guide.

The Hurricane Preparedness Guide is now available on the County’s website . To access the Hurricane Preparedness Guide, click on http://co.hawaii.hi.us/cd/hpg/main.html . There is also a link to the Civil Defense page http://co.hawaii.hi.us/directory/dir_defense.htm .

If you’d like a hard copy of the Hurricane Preparedness Guide, copies will be available from the Civil Defense Agency after July 1.

For further information, contact the Civil Defense Agency at 935-0031.

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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 (Hilo) or 329-6868 (Kona) for further information about additional scrap value paid on aluminum cans and their mobile redemption sites in rural communities.

Governor Linda Lingle recently signed HB 1015 into law allowing the flattening of metal and plastic beverage containers for deposit redemption. Following the Governor's signing, the bill became Act 206.

Certified redemption centers are now accepting flattened or crushed metal and plastic deposit beverage containers.

Flattened containers are weighed at redemption sites to determine deposit payment. The public is reminded that reverse vending machines will not accept flattened or crushed containers.

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 in January 2005 and is expected to be completed by July 31, 2005. Work is taking 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.

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 next Solutions Task Force videoconference between the Kona Mayor's Office and the Hilo Prosecutor's Office will be on Monday, July 18, 2005.

10am on July 18^th: Solutions Traffic Task Force. The focus continues to be on speeding in our neighborhoods. All those interested in participating are encouraged to attend. For additional information contact Lil Beaufrere at 325-0039 or konalil@hawaii.rr.com

11:15am on July 18^th: Solutions Animal Control Task Force will have updates regarding the Animal Control Ordinance Bill 4 Draft 5: Where do we go from here? Also, Hawaii Island Humane Society will give a report on the citations that have been issued around the island during the past year. Everyone is encouraged to attend. For additional information contact Nancy Zorn at 328-9931 or nzzorn2@kona.net

For further information and updates, visit the website www.solutionsislandhawaii.com.

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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 Kalae 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 was such a success that all available mulch is now pau at both the Hilo and Kailua-Kona (Kealakehe) Transfer Stations.

The County’s Solid Waste Division will be transitioning this month to a new operator, EKO Composting Systems, for mulching services at the County green waste sites. Free mulch should be available again to the public sometime after the middle of July. We will let you know when in this newsletter.

Green waste may still be dropped at the County’s permitted facilities and we ask the public’s kokua for any inconvenience during this transition period.

In other Solid Waste Division news…

• Composting facility under development at Pu’uanahulu

Meantime, the County is pursuing the development of a composting facility at the West Hawaii Sanitary landfill at Pu’uanahulu.

• Commercial Green Waste Tip Fee Approved

A commercial green waste tip fee has been approved by the Hawaii County Council and may go into effect within the next year.

When the commercial green waste tip fee goes into effect sometime after October 1, 2005, all permitted County facilities accepting segregated green waste will charge commercial businesses and haulers bringing in green waste.

The fee for commercially generated and/or hauled greenwaste is set at 25% of the landfill tip fee.

The recently passed ordinance allows for commercial customers to be charged based on a weight/volume conversion already established in the County code, thus commercial green waste may still be dropped at permitted facilities that lack a certified scale and fees will be assessed based on truck size.

(Note: Some permitted facilities, such as Kealakehe and Keaau Transfer Stations that currently receive green waste, are not equipped with a certified scale.)

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UH Manoa College of Education is recruiting for three programs to be offered for West Hawaii residents via the UH Center, West Hawaii.

The three programs are the Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Secondary Education program 2006, the Bachelor of Education in Elementary Education program 2006, and the Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Special Education program 2006.

All three programs provide eligibility for initial teaching licensure. A public information session for these three programs is scheduled for Friday, August 12 from 7 p.m.–9 p.m. at the UH Center, WH, Building 4, Room 3.in Kealakekua.

Dr. Darlene Martin, on site Kona Coordinator for UHM COE with representatives from College of Education will provide additional information.

Interested applicants may contact the UHM Office of Student Advising Services at 808 956 7849 for application materials and check the COE web site for additional information http://www.hawaii.edu/coe/departments/outreach/ Prospective students are encouraged to apply immediately.

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The Hawaiian monk seals are the most endangered seal species in the U.S, with only an estimated 1,300 seals remaining. Some of these rare mammals are right in our own back yard here on the Big Island.

The Hawai`ian monk seal is the subject of our latest in a series of free ReefTalks:

WHEN: Tuesday, July 19th, 6:30-8:30pm

WHERE: Thelma Parker Memorial Library, Waimea Elementary School

Justin Viezbicke of the DAR/HIHWNMS will be discussing the basic biology of the monk seal, recent pupping events and sightings on the Big Island, threats that are currently affecting the population and how we as community members can get involved in the conservation of

this endangered seal.

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

The opihi is the subject of our latest in a series of free ReefTalks:

WHEN: Tuesday, August. 23, 6:30-8:30 pm

WHERE: Kealakehe HS Library, mauka of Honokohau Harbor

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

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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.)

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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.