Pie in the Sky

We attended one of the scoping meetings on the EIS Preparation Notice for the 30 meter telescope that a mainland group wants to build on Mauna Kea, and the science of the project is truly impressive. However, that doesn’t mean it should be done here. The project, if approved, will cover the size of a football field and include a parking lot and various out-buildings. Proponents stress economic and educational benefits. But there are already telescopes on the mountain and the educational benefits have been minimal.

Mauna Kea is one of the ceded lands, which by law are to be managed by the State for the benefit of the native Hawaiians – yet all these years the facilities up there are only paying $1 a year rent for that prime real estate – not even fair market value! So much for the much-touted economic benefits. This project does not pass the “sniff test”. UH, which manages the “science reserve” on the mountain, has still not completed the court-ordered Comprehensive Management Plan or come up with a Mitigation Plan after all these years (and, mind you, you only need mitigation if you can identify potential damages – and these have already been documented). UH is responsible for violating its agreement with the community way back when to only put ONE telescope up there and for gross mismanagement and degradation of what is a sacred site to many and a mountain of surpassing awesome beauty to others. Many years ago an activist named Jesus cleansed his temple of commercial degradation and exploitation. I see a strong parallel here.

Keep the ‘Io Flying

In 1993 a mainland group, National Wildlife Institute, heavily funded by Exxon and other large corporations, and with an agenda to dismantle the Endangered Species Act one species at a time, filed a petition with the U.S. Department of the Interior to have the ‘Io removed from the Endangered Species List. That group is now defunct, but the government is forced by the rules to continue the process. Archaeological evidence shows that the ‘Io were once found on all the major Hawaiian Islands, but now they are only here on the Big Island and nowhere else on earth! Wildfires, land clearing and lava flows have greatly reduced the number of huge ‘ohia trees that they require for nesting, perching and fledging. I have noticed fewer birds than ever, and others I know have agreed. Yet Interior, using spurious random sightings and mostly computer modeling, are claiming that the population has recovered and expanded. If you disagree with them, please contact Listing Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Whipple Federal Building, 1 Federal Drive, Ft. Snelling, MN 55111. If the ‘Io is your aumakua, please mention that and tell them what loss of protection means to you and your ohana. For more information, call us at 965-2000 or email us at malamaopuna@yahoo.com . Mahalo.

“A Walk in Beauty” benefit for Puna Community Medical Center (PCMC)

This romantic Valentine’s Day event will take place on Saturday, Feb. 14th, at a beautifully landscaped 3 acres in Leilani Estates. It will feature garden tours, heavy gourmet pupus, huge plant sale, silent auction, no host bar (but first drink free), and lots of live music. There will also be cross country croquet and other fun stuff. For ticket and other info contact Janice at aniceauw@yahoo.com. To donate plants, call René at 965-2000.

Jr. Life Saving time again

This free program for children ages 8 to 18 is scheduled for two consecutive weekends, Saturday and Sunday March 21, 22, 28 and 29. Participants must already be good swimmers and a parent must be present to fill out registration materials at 8:30 am on March 21 at the Pahoa Community Aquatic Center. Children should bring a towel, sunscreen, a dry change of clothes and a brown bag lunch. The class ends at noon. Please make sure that your child has a good breakfast that morning, to avoid hypothermia. The first weekend’s classes will be at the pool and include first aid, CPR, life saving techniques and use of life saving equipment. The next weekend will be at Hilo Bayfront, with Sailing on Sunday, followed by a potluck lunch. For info call Mark at 345-9114 or René at 965-2000.

Health Fair in Pahoa

The Puna Community Medical Center will be sponsoring a free Health Fair at the Pahoa Marketplace on Saturday, April 4th. There will be lots of information on health-related topics, free blood pressure and other testing, lomilomi massage and other activities and treats. To take part as either a participant or a volunteer call René at 965-2000.

Weed Control Project in the Rainforest

See our native plants in their natural surroundings and help contribute to their survival by joining us as a volunteer for this project. If you belong to a group or club, we can help you make it a special project. If you are a teacher, this is a perfect work/study for your students and a civic give-back-to-the-aina opportunity. Call René at 965-2000 and let’s talk story.

Let your voice be heard for home rule!

Lots of very important legislation recently at both the state and county levels, that will affect your quality of life and that of your children. HB1226 would remove a lot of home rule power from the counties so that they could never again attempt to regulate GMO research and testing on the neighbor islands, such as we did to protect Kona coffee and taro – at the request of farmers, native Hawaiians and environmentalists. HB1226, if passed, will not allow counties to offer the same protection for other crops. Considering all the times, both here and on the mainland, that open air GMO fields have contaminated other farm crops, such as papaya (despite claims of safety to the contrary), we must consider the poor track record and regard open field testing as equivalent to actually inviting invasive species onto our island. The state government has failed miserably to protect us from invasives in the first place (through port-of-entry inspections) and to adequately fund eradication programs in the second place, and so there is no way we can trust them to do so if GMO crops invade and impact our organic farms and native ecosystems. As usual, our county will have to bear the brunt of the effort and cost to counter the state’s bad decisions. How can we protect our food supply in a worst case scenario situation if GMO crops infiltrate it? We can’t. Please don’t be silent – do your research and speak out.

Mauna Kea Comprehensive Mis-Management Plan (CMP):

Sometime in March of this year the Hawai'i Tribune-Herald column, “This day in history”, informed us that in 1984 the State announced that a CMP would be done for the summit and be ready within a year or so. In the meantime, under the “guidance” of UH-Manoa who pays $1 a year rent to control what happens up there, the summit has been intensely developed and despoiled – without a CMP. The State Auditor chided the University year after year about its plan-less activities – with no tangible results. Now there is a plan out and we are being told that, while it’s not perfect, we should allow it to be passed because a flawed plan is better than no plan at all. This plan has supposedly been on the drawing board for 25 years and it is still flawed? And now they want to turn over complete control of our sacred mountain to the entity (alma mater hail to thee…) that took 25 years to create a seriously flawed plan and allowed desecration of the mountain in the meantime, while ignoring the criticisms and suggestions of the State’s own legislative auditor, Marion Higa. And while all this is going on, we learn that the Keck Observatory is going to lease telescope time to Yale University for several million dollars; yet only the $1.00 annual rent of this ceded land is going toward programs for native Hawaiians. If Gov. Lingle gets her wish, and the state gains the legal ability to sell ceded lands, what’s to stop her from selling the mountain? Is it only a coincidence that all this is happening at the same time? Do they think that no one will connect the dots? If you don’t want to see a precedent set that could one day result in a set of golden arches when you look up to admire the glistening snow, start screaming and scream yourself hoarse. Learn who is supporting these moves and contact them. And for sure, don’t vote them into office again. Mahalo.

Puna Sustainability Expo:

Saturday, May 9th, the day before Mother’s Day, will feature a double-whammy in Pahoa: two big events to keep you informed and entertained all day long. While the Pahoa Springtime Jamm will provide music, crafts and entertainment at the P?hoa Aquatic Center (aka Da Pool), the Puna Sustainability Expo will host an assortment of exhibits, presentations and demonstrations to give Big Islanders the tools and resources they can use to lessen their dependence on out-of-state inputs in an affordable do-it-yourself way. The Expo will start at 9:00 a.m. at the old maile packing shed across Pahoa Village Rd. from Pahoa Feed and Fertilizer, and will run until 5:00 p.m. Exhibits will focus on the various kinds of sustainability topics, such as Food/Agriculture, Water, Shelter, Energy, Transportation, Recycling and Solid Waste, Health and Healing, Green Jobs/Right Livelihood and Traditional Knowledge. There will also be plants and locally grown and prepared food for sale. The event is co-sponsored by the Kanaka Council and Malama O Puna, with a grant from the Healing Our Island Community Fund. For more information email kanakacouncil@gmail.com. or phone 965-2000.

No Appointments Needed for Medical Care in Pahoa:

It is surprising how many Puna residents still don’t know about the new Acute Care Clinic that has opened in the Pahoa Village Marketplace, between Clinical Labs and the County Elections Office. The Puna Community Medical Center (PCMC) opened its doors on February 1st, and is seeing patients on a walk-in basis from Wednesday through Monday (closed Tuesday), including holidays. Accidents and illness don’t wait to happen during normal business hours, and it’s good to know that timely treatment is now available right in P?hoa. All insurance is accepted and even those without coverage will not be turned away. This non-profit clinic has been created by the Puna grassroots as suggested by the Puna Community Development Plan. The County has helped with the initial funding, as have several foundations, and the Puna community has also supported it with donations and special benefit events. We all own it – it is our clinic, and it’s there for you when you and your family need it. Don’t be shy.

Panda Express Fundraiser May 25 for PCMC:

Got your coupon yet? Panda Express, near Home Depot in Hilo, is helping the Puna Community Medical Center to raise money to pay operational expenses. Here’s how it works: You can pick up a yellow coupon at the clinic or at any number of participating merchants around town. The coupon is good only for Monday, May 25th from 1:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Panda Express. Present the coupon when you buy your lunch or dinner, and your register total will be marked on the coupon. At the end of the day all the coupons will be tallied and PCMC will receive 20% of the total. So if you plan to be in Hilo that day, have lunch or dinner at Panda Express and help your clinic at the same time. If you didn’t have Hilo plans that day you can always give your coupon to a friend, or make a trip into town and do all your other chores on that same day.

Toward a More Sustainable Future for Puna:

The Puna Sustainability Expo on May 9th was a big success, with about 40 exhibitors and well over 1,000 attendees, all of whom we wish to thank for their participation. Mahalo also to Hawai'i County’s Healing Our Island Community Fund and Puna Geothermal Venture for providing the funding for the event, which will be repeated and expanded on November 14th (at a new location, t.b.a).

The increasing involvement in our Expo indicates that as more people become aware of the need to become active stewards of our planet, the demand for green products grows. Manufacturers, inspired by the income potential of this trend, are producing more products, so it is now much easier for local retailers to fill consumer demand. In Pahoa we can find a wide array of green, renewable, sustainable products and services that make it easier for us to walk our talk and live lightly on the land, without sacrificing the lifestyle and amenities we enjoy. This was very evident at the Expo.

Island Naturals Pahoa generates its electrical needs with solar panels, they no longer pack your purchases in disposable plastic bags, but sell reusable ones and give you a discount for using them, and they support local and organic agriculture and locally-made products. Pahoa Feed and Fertilizer now carries a line of organic garden products and has installed solar panels on the roof of their recently-acquired building that will house a community certified kitchen. Pahoa Cash & Carry has also installed solar panels. Malama Market sells local produce and gives a discount at the register if you bring your own bag. Luquin’s raises their own grass-fed beef cattle and Sukothai grows their own herbs, spices and veggies in their garden behind the restaurant.

These businesses also donate regularly to the local events and causes that improve the quality of life in our community. Reward them. Patronize them. And let their managers know that you notice and appreciate these efforts.

I invite other Puna businesses to get in touch with me (965-2000 or malamaopuna@yahoo.com ) so that I can let you know what green/sustainable goods and services they are offering. And I encourage all local businesses to jump on the bandwagon and consider how they might provide for this rapidly growing consumer demand. Consumers have always used the boycott as a tool to affect business policies, and the reverse, positive economic reinforcement, can be even more effective. Please share the information with us so that we can share it with the wider community.

Puna has always led the way – let’s not stop now.

Wonderful Weeders Wanted:

Our Puna rainforest needs you to help remove noxious weeds that are strangling our native plants. Next volunteer workday is Saturday, July 25. We meet at the Pahoa Neighborhood Facility at 10 am and carpool from there. For info call René at 965-2000.

C



New Year Resolution to Volunteer?
If you have resolved to devote some of your time in 2010 to actively helping your community to be a better place (instead of just grumbling about current local problems), Malama O Puna will be able to help you fulfill that resolution. Not only do we have hands-on projects (such as propagating native plants, eradicating alien invasive species or cleaning our roadsides of litter) , but we need volunteers to organize fundraising benefits, staff information tables at community events, and help in a membership drive. If any of these activities interest you or someone you know, please get in touch with us at 965-2000 x 2. And mahalo nui loa.

Heads Up on 2010 Events and Activities
Here are some things coming up in early 2010 that you may want to mark on your calendar so that you can get a jumpstart on them:

Sat., April 4th: Puna Community Medical Center’s 2nd Annual Puna Health Fair. To get involved contact friends@punahealth.org.

Thurs, April 22nd Earth Day. If you have an idea for an event or activity and wish to help organize it, contact Malama O Puna at 965-2000.

Sat., May 1. 4th Puna Sustainability Expo. This will be on the Kamehameha Schools Kea’au Campus in coordination with their annual Ho’olauea, which normally has about 4,000 attendees. To reserve a booth or to do a demonstration or presentation, or to learn more, email us at malamaopuna@yahoo.com with “Expo” in the subject line..

Your friends and neighbors at Malama O Puna wish you and yours a very happy, healthy and righteous new year. Aloha no and malama pono.