TMT gears up - West Hawaii Today
Transcription
TMT gears up - West Hawaii Today
Today’s Feature Fresh Wild Caught Fish BENEFITS OF A CUP OF JOE Every Wednesday • 2pm to dark • Kmart parking lot [email protected] • 895-8665 ISLAND HEALTH, 9A WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015 Locally Grown & Made WESTHAWAIITODAY.COM 75¢ Prepare to pay more WATER RATES WOULD RISE 3% NEXT YEAR House committee advances HEI, NextEra measures BY CHRIS D’ANGELO HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD BY NANCY COOK LAUER WEST HAWAII TODAY A state House committee signed off Tuesday on a series of resolutions related to the pending $4.3 billion sale of Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. to Florida-based NextEra Energy. Rep. Cindy Evans, D-Kona, serves on the House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection and was among those who voted in favor of all three measures. She said the purpose of the resolutions was to send a strong message to the Public Utilities Commission that it needs to exercise due diligence to make sure the acquisition is in the best interest of the public. “It’s kind of like, ‘Please be cautious, please do your homework and remember, Public Utilities Commission, you’re looking out for the people,’” she said. [email protected] Water rates would rise 3 percent next year, followed by 4 percent the following year and then 5 percent annually for the next three years, under a proposal floated Tuesday by the county Water Board. The Water Board has scheduled public hearings on the proposed rates for 5 p.m. May 26 in Kona and 6 p.m. May 27 in Hilo. The board plans to finalize the rates at its June meeting, and the new prices would go into effect July or August. A typical family on a 5/8-inch meter using 9,500 gallons monthly would see their bimonthly bill go up from $101.75 to $104.96 the first year. Hawaii Island’s typical $101.75 bimonthly bill compares to $86.40 on Maui, $93.45 on Oahu and $129.55 on Kauai, consultant Ann Hajnosz of Brown and Caldwell told the board. “You’re pretty much in the middle, maybe at the low end,” Hajnosz said. The actual cost to produce the water is about $4.13 per 1,000 gallons, she said. She said Honolulu can charge less because it has a “big, dense system,” where water users live close together and there are a lot of them. The Water Department uses a rate system that encourages conservation by charging more per thousand gallons for higher water usage. The water bill is made up of SEE WATER PAGE 5A BY TOM CALLIS Five tractor trailers carrying heavy equipment slowly ascended Mauna Kea Tuesday morning as construction of Hawaii’s most advanced observatory prepared to get underway. The machinery will be used to finish clearing the future site of the Thirty Meter Telescope near the 13,796-foot mountain’s summit, said Sandra Dawson, TMT spokeswoman. She said she INDEX BY CATHY BUSSEWITZ ASSOCIATED PRESS A homeowner in Kona Highlands waters his grass. Water rates would increase under a proposal by the county Water Board. LAURA SHIMABUKU/WEST HAWAII TODAY didn’t know when that work will begin. Heavy snowfall delayed arrival of the equipment earlier this month, but the weather on Hawaii’s tallest peak was cooperating enough to move ahead with the $1.4 billion project, she said. The observatory, the largest yet to be built on the mountain, is expected to capture its first images in 2024. A larger 39-meter-telescope is scheduled to be complete SEE TMT PAGE 7A Annie’s Mailbox . . . . . . 4B HI SEE UTILITY PAGE 7A Lawmakers push plans for voting by mail TMT gears up HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD “I think it’s just a really strong message from policymakers that we are hearing from constituents that they have some concerns.” Evans added that she expects the pending sale to be a big issue during the coming year, and now is the time for people to get involved. House Resolution 158 and its companion, House Concurrent Resolution 227, were introduced by Rep. Chris Lee of Oahu and request that the PUC protect the public interest in reviewing the proposed acquisition. It tasks the PUC with determining whether NextEra is likely to act in the long-term best interests of Hawaii ratepayers, as well as if the transaction is in the long-term public interest, including the state’s ability to achieve its renewable energy goals, according to the document. By an 8-0 vote, 83 LO 70 HEAVY EQUIPMENT MOVES INTO PLACE; SMALL GROUP PROTESTS NEAR SITE Opponents of the Thirty Meter Telescope stand on the road to its construction site Tuesday on Mauna Kea. HOLLYN JOHNSON/HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5B WEATHER, PAGE 8A Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6A HONOLULU — The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill on Tuesday that could make voting by mail the norm in Hawaii. The panel passed HB 124, which aims to boost Hawaii’s low voter turnout and increase participation in elections. It would start with smaller counties and gradually build so all voters get ballots in the mail. The current system allows people to sign up to vote by mail or they can vote in person during the two weeks before Election Day. “It’s a very complicated operation,” said Janet Mason of the League of Women Voters. “This would smooth out the operation.” Even if HR 124 becomes law, there would still be polling stations for people to vote in person. But with more people voting by mail, the proposal could save money, since fewer walk-in voting stations would be needed, Mason and other advocates said. Nation & World . . . . . . . . .3A Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4A VOL. 47, NO. 84 18 PAGES After initial investments, the new system could save the state at least $874,000 per election cycle, according to Common Cause Hawaii. The bill was amended by the committee to allow for same-day voting registration, adopting language from a companion bill that died in the Senate. The committee also amended another bill, HB 15 to allow the elections commission to remove its chairman by a two-thirds vote. That bill initially just set statewide standards for the distribution of absentee ballots, but it was amended in the committee to clarify the term limits for elections commissioners and to state that the chairman can be removed by the commissioners at any time. The amendment to HB 15 was opposed by the League of Women Voters because it was a substantial change added by the Senate after the bill already cleared the House, a legislative maneuver the group refers to as “Frankenstein Bills.” Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1B COMMUNITY 2A Day at Hulihee planned for Saturday The annual spring fundraiser, Day at Hulihee, will be held Saturday at Hulihee Palace. An 8:30 a.m. traditional Hawaiian blessing kicks off the 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. event, which is hosted by palace caretakers the Daughters of Hawaii and the Calabash Cousins. Arts and crafts booths, a bake sale and Tutu’s Attic will be featured. The Kuakini Hawaiian Civic Club will offer food and local hula halau will provide entertainment. Cultural demonstrations include pai ai (poi pounding) and upena (fish net making). Prize drawings will be held throughout the day. Palace admission will be complimentary all day. The event remembers Hawaii’s citizen prince who was born in March: Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole. Hulihee Palace is open for tours Monday through Saturday. For details, contact the palace at 329-1877, the palace office at 329-9555 or visit daughtersofhawaii.org. Retirement planning seminar slated Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union will host a free educational seminar on “Social Security & Retirement Planning” from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the John Y. Iwane Credit Union Center Training Room at its Kaloko Facility. The seminar will feature a presentation by Leslie Warren, regional vice president and retirement consultant with Allianz Life Financial Services LLC. The session topics will include: Medicare basics, the ways retirement is changing in America, when to start taking Social Security benefits, and what are the tax implications of receiving Social Security benefits. To register for this free seminar or for more information, contact the HCFCU call center at 930-7700 or marketing@ hicommfcu.com. Seating is limited. Fundraiser helps man with Angelman’s Syndrome The KOD-Angel Foundation is holding a fundraiser from 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Oceans Sports Bar and Grill to raise funds to help Kodin WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015 | WEST HAWAII TODAY Island Life Barry-Brand move with his family to Wisconsin. The event includes beer, pupu, live music raffles and a silent auction. Barry-Brand was born in Hawaii with Angelman’s Syndrome and is moving to Wisconsin where he can receive 24-hour onsite care. For more information, email dolena_hawaii@ yahoo.com or call 936-1160. Huitt honored at state Capitol David Huitt, a history teacher at Kealakehe High School, is among the top teachers of the year, who were recognized on the state House and Senate floors last week as part of Education Week at the Capitol. Huitt is the Hawaii District Teacher of the Year. The awardees were selected by the Hawaii Department of Education, which honors each year the state’s best educators with its Teacher of the Year awards. Huitt has inspired his own students to pursue their dreams while teaching them humility through community service, which is a hallmark of his curriculum. Huitt’s The sun rises over the puu at Mauna Kea. JAMES GRENZ/COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTOR students have raised approximately $50,000 for orphans in India, cooked more than 6,000 meals for the needy and collected hundreds of bags of trash from roads, parks and beaches. His co-workers have praised his relationships with students, his creative lessons, his patience and his true spirit of service. Buddha to be feted during celebration Community Development Plan subcommittee, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Orchidland Chapel) and chaplain/ historian for the American Legion Yukio Okutsu Aloha Post 16. Friends may call at 10 a.m. March 28 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Orchidland Chapel) for a 10 a.m. service. Refreshments follow. A graveside service will be held at 9 a.m. March 30 at the Hawaii Veterans Cemetery No. 2. Family requests casual attire be worn. He is survived by wife, Patricia Reiss of Kurtistown; sisters, Victoria (Gordon) Lyons of Florida, Miriam (John) Cook of Maryland; numerous children, grandchildren and greatgreat-grandchildren. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary. Hatori, 50, of Kurtistown died March 15, 2015, at Hilo Medical Center. Born in Hilo, she was a homemaker. Friends may call at 11 a.m. March 28 at Alae Cemetery for graveside committal services, followed by a celebration of life gathering at the Leleiwi Beach Park in Keaukaha. Family requests casual attire be worn and no flowers. She is survived by husband, John Hatori of Kurtistown; son, Jason (Myra Peters) Arizumi of Hilo; daughter, Shiryl (Royden Requelman) Arizumi of Kurtistown; mother and stepfather, Cheryle and Matsu Uehara of Hilo; brother, Tyler (Marci) Arizumi of Hilo; step-brother, Matsu Uehara Jr. of Oahu; stepsister, Kristi (Brandon) Carvalho of Kona; five grandchildren; a nephew; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and nieces. A Buddha Day Celebration in honor of the Buddha’s birth will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday in the Kona Hongwanji Buddhist Temple’s social hall. Sponsored by the Hawaii Association of International Buddhists, this event is free and open to the public. Featured will be guest speaker Rose Nakamura, Buddhist groups from around the island, and entertainment by the New Dharma Band. For information, call Rev. Nakamura at 3232993 or Rev. Nakade at 322-3524. OBITUARIES Editor’s note: Obituaries are published free of charge as a public service. The content is subject to editing to ensure parity treatment and style continuity. Date of publication cannot be guaranteed. Memorial advertisements may be purchased through the newspaper advertising department. Clayton Leleiwi Clayton “Clay” Kuuleialoha Leleiwi, 54, of Ocean View died Feb. 23, 2015, at Kona Community Hospital. Born Oct. 11, 1960, in Kealalekua, he was a school bus driver and landscaper. Friends may call at 11 a.m. March 28 at OTEC beach in Kailua-Kona for a memorial service. Family requests casual attire be worn and no flowers. He is survived by son, Justin Leleiwi of Georgia; stepsons, Williama Spitalsky of Lanai, Keola Hua-Spitalsky of Ocean View; stepdaughters, Natasha Sarocan and Serena Spitalsky, both of Ocean View; sisters, Charlene Toletino of Hilo, Lovenna Leliwi of Kailua-Kona; brothers, James (Ugi) Leleiwi, Morgan (Barbara) Leleiwi and Clinton Leleiwi, all of Kailua-Kona, Russell (Sandra) Leleiwi of Ocean View; one granddaughter; five stepgrandchildren; numerous aunt, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins. Arrangement by Dodo Mortuary. Theodore Kaaekuahiwi Theodore “Ted” Kaaekuahiwi, 86, of Honokaa died March 12, 2015, at North Hawaii Community Hospital. Born in Waipio Valley, he was a retired custodian at Honokaa High and Elementary schools, a taro farmer and member of the Taro Farmers Association at Waipio Valley. Friends may call at 9 a.m. March 28 at Honokaa Church of Jesus Christ of April 11th at 11a - 3p Latter-day Saints for an 11 a.m. service, followed by cremation. Family requests casual attire be worn and no flowers. He is survived by wife, Nancy Kaaekuahiwi of Honokaa; sons, Lon Kaaekuahiwi of Honokaa, Dale Kaaekuahiwi of Oregon; daughters, Gay (Michael) Regohos of Kona, Kim (Jason) Ayoso of California; 10 grandchildren; six greatgrandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary. Gerald Reiss Gerald L. “Jerry” Reiss, 79, of Kurtistown died March 13, 2015, at Life Care Center of Hilo. Born May 30, 1935, in Indianapolis, he was a retired Navy chief petty officer who earned a Bronze Star and South Vietnamese Training Service Medal and member of the Volcano Community Emergency Response Team, Puna Tammy Hatori Tammy Michiko Hold on, I’m coming.. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary. Amako Kozohara Amako “Amy” Kozohara, 98, of Hilo died March 4, 2015, in Hilo. Born in Mountain View, she was a homemaker and member of Hilo Hooganji Mission and Honpa Hongwanji Hilo Betsuin. Friends may call at 3 p.m. March 28 at Dodo Mortuary chapel for a 4 p.m. service. Family requests casual attire be worn. She is survived by son, Edwin (Irene) Kozohara of Hilo; daughters, Joyce (Willis) Motooka and Gayle (Clyde) Kimura, both of Honoloulu; brother, Don (Helen) Nakamura of Hilo; sisters, Betty Nakamura of Mountain View, Janice Turnburke of Keaau, Emogene (Gerald) Kimura of Honolulu; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary. Boardwalk Games • Popcorn Cotton Candy • Food Trucks Animal Fun Facts Booth Arts & Crafts • Country Store SAVE 20% Pre-Sale Activity Tickets 20% Off at: Hospice Of Kona 324-7700 & Memory Lane 326-9293 WEST HAWAII TODAY | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015 IN BRIEF | NATION & WORLD Obama agrees to slow US pullout from Afghanistan exchange under an amendment to the law crafted by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama agreed Tuesday to slow the U.S. military pullout from Afghanistan at the request of its new govern ment but insisted the delay won’t jeopardize his com mitment to end America’s longest war before leaving office. In a shift from his pre vious plan, Obama said the U.S. would leave its 9,800 troops currently in Afghanistan in place rather than downsizing to 5,500 by year’s end. The size of the U.S. footprint for next year is still to be decided, he said, but he brushed aside any speculation the withdrawal will bleed into 2017 when the next presi dent takes over. “The date for us to have completed our drawdown will not change,” Obama declared. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s inaugural visit to the White House offered a stark contrast to visits by his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, who was viewed by U.S. officials as prickly and unreliable. Ghani went out of his way to thank the U.S. for its sacrifices in his country, offering a window into the efforts by Obama and him to rehabilitate the U.S.-Afghan relationship. Obama: Dim hope for negotiated two-state solution to IsraeliPalestinian conflict Cruz to buy health care insurance for family through law he vows to scrap WASHINGTON — Sen. Ted Cruz said Tuesday he is signing up his family for health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act, a law the Republican presidential candidate has vowed to repeal should he win the White House. Cruz formally launched his presidential campaign on Monday, and his wife, Heidi Cruz, began an unpaid leave of absence from her job as a manag ing director in the Houston office of Goldman Sachs. That meant the family would soon lose access to health insurance through Mrs. Cruz’s job, triggering a need for the Cruz family to find a new policy. The first-term sena tor from Texas said he is looking at options avail able on a health insurance exchange, or a clearing house of policies avail able to Americans who don’t receive coverage through their employers. The Democrats’ health care law, also known as Obamacare, created the exchange system. Members of Congress and their staff not other wise covered, such as via a spouse’s health care insurance, are required to enroll in a plan sold through an WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama said Tuesday the U.S. is weighing whether to back Palestinian efforts to seek U.N. recognition for an independent state and that recent remarks by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dim hope for a negotiated two-state solu tion. Obama’s comments at the White House did little to repair rocky U.S.Israeli relations, which were aggravated by a Wall Street Journal report Tuesday alleging Israel spied on sensitive negoti ations about Iran’s nuclear program. The report said Israel acquired informa tion from confidential U.S. briefings and other means and shared it with mem bers of Congress to build a case against making a deal with Iran, which has threatened to destroy Israel. Netanyahu is feuding with the White House over an emerging deal with Iran and also has come under fire for comments he made in the final days of Israel’s election last week. Netanyahu has voiced opposition to Palestinian statehood and warned his supporters that Arab vot ers were heading to the polls “in droves.” US stocks decline as investors assess economy, earnings NEW YORK — U.S. stocks dropped Tuesday as investors weighed com pany news and the latest report on consumer prices. Signs the dollar could resume its recent surge also made investors ner vous. Homebuilders bucked the trend, gaining after sales of new U.S. homes in February climbed to their fastest pace in seven years. The stock market has drifted lower for two straight days. The declines follow a rally in the mar ket last week when Federal Reserve policy makers surprised investors by suggesting they were in no hurry to raise interest rates. Those low rates have helped power a six-year bull run for stocks. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 12.92 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,091.50 Tuesday. The Dow slipped 104.90 points, or 0.6 per cent, to 18,011.14. The Nasdaq composite fell 16.25 points, or 0.3 per cent, to 4,994.73. By wire sources 3A Plane crash kills 150 people in French Alps; Europe in shock BY GREG KELLER AND ANGELA CHARLTON ASSOCIATED PRESS SEYNE-LES-ALPES, France — A black box recovered from the scene and pulverized pieces of debris strewn across Alpine mountainsides held clues to what caused a German jetliner to take an unexplained eight-minute dive Tuesday midway through a flight from Spain to Germany, apparently killing all 150 people on board. The victims included two babies, two opera singers and 16 German high school students and their teachers returning from an exchange trip to Spain. It was the deadliest crash in France in decades. The Airbus A320 operated by Germanwings, a budget subsidiary of Lufthansa, was less than an hour from landing in Duesseldorf on a flight from Barcelona when it unexpectedly went into a rapid descent. The pilots sent out no distress call and had lost radio contact with their control center, France’s aviation authority said, deepening the mystery. While investigators searched through debris from Flight 9525 on steep and desolate slopes, families across Europe reeled People comfort each other as they arrive at the Barcelona airport in Spain, Tuesday, March 24, 2015. A Germanwings passenger jet carrying 150 people crashed in the French Alps region as it traveled from Barcelona to Duesseldorf in Germany. AP PHOTO/MANU FERNANDEZ with shock and grief. Sobbing relatives at both airports were led away by airport workers and crisis counselors. “The site is a picture of horror. The grief of the families and friends is immeasurable,” German Foreign Minister FrankWalter Steinmeier said after being flown over the crash scene. “We must now stand together. We are united in our great grief.” It took investigators hours to reach the site, led by mountain guides to the craggy ravine in the southern French Alps, not far from the Italian border and the French Riviera. Video shot from a helicopter and aired by BFM TV showed rescuers walking in the crevices of a rocky mountainside scattered with plane parts. Photos of the crash site showed white flecks of debris across a mountain and larger airplane body sections with windows. A helicopter crew that landed briefly in the area saw no signs of life, French officials said. “Everything is pulverized. The largest pieces of debris are the size of a small car. No one can access the site from the ground,” Gilbert Sauvan, president of the general council, Alpes-deHaute-Provence, told The Associated Press. The White House and the airline chief said there was no sign that terrorism was involved, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged reporters not to speculate on the cause. High nursing home bills squeeze insurers BY MATTHEW CRAFT ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK — Thirty years ago, insurance companies had the answer to the soaring cost of caring for the elderly. Plan ahead and buy a policy that will cover your expenses. Now, there’s a new problem: Even insurers think it’s unaffordable. Life insurance firms pitched long-term care policies as the prudent way for Americans to shoulder the cost of staying in nursing homes. But those same companies have found that long-term care policies are squeezing their profits. Earnings for life insurers slid 11 percent in the most recent quarter, according to Moody’s Investors Service, and long-term care was the chief culprit. “Insurers that sell these COOL HOMES START AT THE TOP products lose money on them,” said Vincent Lui, a life-insurance analyst at Morningstar. “So they’re raising prices and also trying to get out of the business right and left.” Four of the five largest providers — including Manulife and MetLife — have either scaled back their business or stopped selling new policies, according to Moody’s. The largest provider, Genworth Financial, continues to offer them, yet has struggled under the weight of rising costs. The trends behind the industry’s troubles sound like good news outside the world of insurance. Older Americans are healthier and living longer. But that makes it difficult for the industry to turn a profit. Stays in nursing homes tend to last longer, so insurers have to pay out more in benefits than they had planned. For older Americans and their families, however, there are few options besides private insurance. Medicare doesn’t cover nursing home stays except in certain circumstances. The Obama Administration had planned to make a longterm insurance program part of the Affordable Care Act but eventually abandoned it. Sean Dargan, an analyst at Macquarie Group, an Australia-based investment bank, expects to see more people turning to Medicaid, the government’s health insurance for the poor, to cover the costs of care. “It could really blow a hole through state budgets,” he says. “I think states and the federal government are going to need to think creatively to find a way out of this.” For insurance companies, long-term care has proven to be a tough business. Genworth, based in Richmond, Va., has turned in losses for two straight quarters. On March 2, the company reported it discovered errors in its accounting for funds set aside to cover long-term care claims, knocking its stock down 5 percent in a single day. Analysts say problems with these policies explain why Genworth has lost more than half its market value over the past year, plunging from $17 to a recent $7.79. “Their single biggest product is long-term care, and look at their share price,” Lui says. “It’s one trouble after another.” Homes with HPM Custom Metal Roofing are naturally cooler due to the Cool Roof pigments in its Durapon 70™ with DuPont™ Teflon® surface protector. This ENERGY STAR rated finish reflects more of the sun’s rays to keep you cool year-round. Visit our website to learn more about Cool Roofs and to see all of the roofing colors available for your home. WE’LL HELP YOU BU I LD B ETTER NEED A PRO BUILDER? Use our online Better Builder Directory to find one today! WWW.HPMHAWAII.COM 4A OPINION WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015 | WEST HAWAII TODAY EDITORIAL THE WASHINGTON POST A boost for defense T wo pieces of good news about U.S. defense spending: Both President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans have recognized that cuts imposed by the 2011 “sequester” scheme are unacceptable, and both have moved to restore tens of billions of dollars in funding for next year’s budget. Two pieces of bad news: The proposed increases still face thorny political challenges — and even the revised spending plan remains far from adequate at a time when the United States has returned to war in the Middle East and faces mounting threats elsewhere. Obama was the first to propose breaching the spending level for fiscal year 2016 mandated by the sequester, adding $34 billion to that baseline in the plan he released in January. His total of $612 billion has now been roughly matched by budget outlines passed by Republican-controlled committees in the House and Senate. If those survive floor votes in the coming days, Republican defense hawks will have succeeded in overcoming tea party conservatives who pushed to retain the sequester limits and force devastating cuts on the Pentagon. The politics, however, remain tricky. Obama proposed matching the defense increase with an equal amount of added domestic spending, but the Republican budget plans exclude that. That may make it difficult to win the floor votes, if Democratic support is needed, and Obama might eventually resist a defense increase if there is no domestic counterpart. The apparent consensus on a spending figure also veils some GOP budget gimmickry. While the administration added its additional defense spending to the base budget, Republicans tried to balance fiscal and military hawkishness by leaving the sequester-mandated base budget unchanged and pouring additional funds into a contingency account meant to cover temporary war expenses. That tactic has been used before, but it is a poor way to do business that may end up constricting spending on long-term defense needs. At a minimum, it means a necessary fight over the base budget will have been kicked down the road. The urgency of adjusting that spending plan was spelled out by a bipartisan commission last summer, as well as in recent testimony from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Thanks to the sequester and earlier cuts by Obama, defense spending has dropped more than 20 percent in real terms since 2010. The Army is headed for its lowest staffing levels since the Eisenhower era, the Navy will soon have the fewest ships in a century and the Air Force has fewer planes than it has had since its creation in 1947. Calling that reduction a “serious strategic misstep,” the National Defense Panel urged restoration of the 10-year Pentagon budget drawn up by Obama’s first defense secretary, Robert Gates. That would require tens of billions of additional spending in 2016 alone beyond the level now proposed by Obama and the budget committees. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey described even that proposed level as “at the bottom edge of manageable risk to our national defense.” At a time when U.S. forces are fighting in Iraq and Syria and attempting to deter Russian aggression in Europe, that is a perilous place for it to be. Tell us about it Do you have a story idea or news tip? Is there a community problem that has not been addressed? Do you know someone unique, whose story should be shared and enjoyed with the rest of the community? We want to know. Call the West Hawaii Today newsroom at 3299311 or email [email protected] and share the information with our readers. It’s our community — and we care. Letters policy Letters to the editor should be 300 words or less and will be edited for style and grammar. Longer viewpoint guest columns may not exceed 800 words. Email or address letters to: EDITOR WEST HAWAII TODAY PO BOX 789 KAILUA-KONA HI 96745 EMAIL: [email protected] BARBARA SCOTT | VIEWPOINT ITE guidelines would negate speed humps on Nani Kailua Drive I live in the Kona Heights subdivision in Kailua-Kona, a neighborhood that has access to and from Queen Kaahumanu Highway via the only ingress/egress point for the subdivision: Nani Kailua Drive. Perhaps Brad Main is unfamiliar with the Institute of Traffic Engineers Guidelines that the County of Hawaii, and all other counties in Hawaii, acknowledge in the County Code as the engineering standard to follow for consideration of speed hump installation. The County Code requires the director of the Department of Public Works to provide speed hump final approval. A lawsuit could be generated if speed humps are approved in an area that violates engineering standards. I understand that Mr. Main originally wanted a speed hump directly in front of his home, but ITE criteria prohibit a speed hump in that location. Nani Kailua Drive is a designated collector road with the only access to Queen Kaahumanu Highway for four subdivisions and private residences. ITE standards require speed hump installation of road grades that are no greater than 8 percent; Nani Kailua Drive has several steep sections that are well over that 8 percent limitation. Further guidelines prohibit speed hump installation where the road provides the only ingress/ egress for emergency vehicles, because of impeding response times for fire and police vehicles and added misery for a person being transported in an ambulance. Mr. Main has stated that he followed procedures to gain support from the majority of residents who live on Nani Kailua Drive. For the sake of argument, if a collector road is allowed to have speed humps, Nani Kailua Drive residents should also include all residents of cul de sacs that have to use Nani Kailua Drive for ingress/egress to their property. On that point of procedure, a collector road should include speed hump approval from the majority of all of the residents of the four subdivisions and private residences served by Nani Kailua Drive, the only ingress/egress road to Queen Kaahumanu Highway. There is no record of where, when and how Mr. Main conducted a traffic study, but it is likely that the volume of traffic using Nani Kailua Drive is well over the 3,000 vehicle daily maximum limit, as stated in ITE criteria. Residences in the Kailua View Estates subdivision were built in the late 1980s and early 1990s; 1990s in the Kona Heights subdivision and residential construction has steadily continued in northerly, southerly and easterly directions throughout the area served by Nani Kailua Drive. There is already a level of traffic congestion at the intersection of Nani LETTERS | YOUR VOICE It’s time to pull plug on power company I just spent more than $20,000 to install a solar system on my home. My thinking was that it would save money and stop me from contributing to global warming as a result of using fossil fuels to generate power. I signed a contract with Hawaii Electric Light Co. to produce power that it could sell at retail in exchange for a power bill of $20.50 for grid use. Within a few months, HELCO decided to raise that monthly charge to $21.79 with no input from me. Further, they sold out to NextEra with no input from me. NextEra now seems to want to do away with net metering rates and sell energy to me at retail rates during the times I am not producing. Broken promises and contracts. Lots of excuses. The days of centrally produced power are coming to an end and people are willing to stay connected to the grid only if NextEra continues to honor its commitment to reduce fossil fuel generation and encourage solar (and other sustainable) generation. Tesla home power packs that can store energy from home generation will soon be available to everyone for around $3,300. New homes will be built with solar and storage. Old homes will install them. Why would someone producing energy at home want to fool around with a company that does not seem to care about its producers? I strongly urge all of you who are considering solar to buy storage and go off grid. No more excuses for jacking up rates. No more Kailua Drive and Queen Kaahumanu Highway. The addition of speed humps, which requires vehicles to slow to 15 to 20 mph to avoid damage, will increase the existing traffic congestion exponentially. Mr. Main has stated that he has great concern for vehicles speeding on Nani Kailua Drive. I submit that the majority of vehicles are not speeding anywhere; the minority who choose to violate the law should not inconvenience that majority. Speeding is a law enforcement issue. I would encourage Mr. Main to put some energy into lobbying for more traffic enforcement on Nani Kailua Drive and the surrounding community. Our County tax dollars are better spent by enforcing traffic laws than by creating traffic problems. Barbara Scott is a resident of Kailua-Kona. Viewpoint articles are the opinion of the writer and not necessarily the opinion of West Hawaii Today. [email protected] broken promises. And no more lies and cheating. Just free electricity. Morgan Stanley thinks Tesla will kill your power company. I agree. It is time to pull the plug on NextEra. Tom Beach Waimea Mahalo for blocking larger enterprise zones Bigger enterprise zones would definitely hurt the pristine nature of the Big Island in the eyes of many. That’s why I give much thanks to Councilwomen Valerie Poindexter and Margaret Wille for postponing such a measure. First of all, bigger enterprise zones would destroy the heavenly nature of the beautiful Big Island in addition to adding to the degradation of Mother Earth’s environment. The Big Island has already experienced bewildering weather recently. Just look at the devastation in Puna within the past year. The majority of California is experiencing severe drought conditions which is leading to a desert-like state. I don’t think you would like it to happen to the Big Island, too. With extreme weather conditions becoming more devastating and unpredictable, it is definitely time to go on conservation mode. More planting of permanent forests is definitely a plus. All in all, the Big Island should focus on agriculture so the Big Island can feed the entire state of Hawaii. Food is the most important factor in human life and it would be sad if Hawaii Island became another concrete jungle. Think about it. Dean Nagasako Honokaa FROM PAGE ONE WEST HAWAII TODAY | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015 5A Feds close review of court system’s language access BY JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER ASSOCIATED PRESS HONOLULU — Hawaii’s court system has improved the way it serves people with limited English skills, the U.S. Department of Justice said. The department announced Tuesday it is closing its review of the Hawaii Judiciary’s Language Access Program. The department intervened in 2012 and provided assistance after receiving complaints about language assistance services provided by Hawaii’s state courts. Hawaii has made improvements including changing the way interpreters are assigned and launching informational Web pages in each of the 14 most commonly used languages that explain the right to an interpreter at no cost, the department said. Hawaii State Judiciary spokeswoman Tammy Mori said that during the 2013 fiscal year, the courts provided interpreter services for more than 8,000 proceedings. “We’re fourth in the country for the amount of folks who speak English as a second language,” she said. “We’re geographically isolated. On the mainland, sometimes courts can call upon other states when there’s a rare language … but that’s not feasible over here.” Finding qualified interpreters continues to be a challenge for the Judiciary, Mori said. The top five languages requested in Hawaii’s courts are Chuukese, Ilokano, Korean, Marshallese and Spanish, she WATER: Board also passes $53M budget CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A a static standby charge, a water usage rate and a power charge that fluctuates with the cost of electricity. Under the proposed rate plan, agriculture users would experience increases from 3.1 percent to 8.9 percent, depending on usage. The Water Department’s conservation oriented rate structure has been working so well that water usage has actually dropped over the years, despite population gains. This is a double-edged sword for the Water Department. “How do we tell people, ‘Great job conserving. You’re using less, but you’re going to pay more for it,’” asked board member Susan Lee Loy. Board member David Greenwell agreed. “Conservation is a wonderful thing,” he said, “but we sell less water, we make less money.” Board member Brenda Iokepa-Moses had no problem with that. “We’re not a money-making business,” she said, adding that a plateau is just fine. Hajnosz cautioned the board against big increases in the standby charge, the charge everyone pays regardless of how much water they use. The system needs to cover its fixed costs, without escalating rates too rapidly and possibly leading to “rate shock,” she said. The Water Board also passed on first reading a $53.17 million annual operating budget, a 2 percent increase over this year, that was proposed by the Department of Water Supply. Increases in salaries, employee benefits, repair and maintenance and safety account for most of the increased expenses. Budget cuts in utilities, interest and reserves help hold the line at a 2 percent increase. said. In addition to the improvements noted by the Justice Department, Hawaii’s state courts have also instituted an “international day,” where interpreters are flown from Honolulu to neighbor islands on a certain day of the month when proceedings are assigned for those who require interpreters, Mori said. Astronaut twins to test effects of space on cognition BY TOM AVRIL PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER (TNS) Water rates will increase under the proposal floated by the county Water Board. LAURA SHIMABUKU/WEST HAWAII TODAY PHILADELPHIA — The astronaut Scott Kelly is about to take off for the International Space Station, and if he is like some space travelers, he may temporarily feel a bit foggy or disoriented once in orbit. Scientists have not had much luck measuring this subtle effect with standard cognitive tests, but now, a group of University of Pennsylvania researchers is trying a new tack. While Kelly is in space, they will compare his mental performance with that of a uniquely qualified individual who stays behind on Earth. An individual whose brain is about as similar to Kelly’s as you can imagine: his identical twin, Mark. The Penn study of the twins, who grew up in West Orange, N.J., is one of 10 that NASA has approved for the one-year mission, which could launch as early as Friday. Scientists from other institutions are tackling such topics as space-induced changes in Kelly’s immune system, intestinal bacteria and genetic expression. All of it will be compared with test results from his brother, a retired astronaut. The goal is to get a better idea of what happens to the human body on a prolonged mission, in preparation for an eventual journey to Mars. NASA has lots of data on astronauts who have spent six months in space, said Mathias Basner, assistant professor at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine. Astronauts may suffer from sleep deprivation, stress, and elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the air they breathe, among other factors. Then there is the impact of weightlessness, which saps bone strength and causes bodily fluids to accumulate in unfamiliar places. We Go the Distance! “I have been going to Dr. Doi for several years and I keep coming back because of his professional work. He and his staff are so great to work with. The quality of service plus the communication are excellent. They are rated 10 in my book” ~Max of Lanai, Hawaii Hawaii HOLISTIC Dentistry David T. Doi, DDS and Trevor Hartwell, DDS ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS - NOW ACCEPTING HMSA Want to know more? PH 808-885-7144 Open 6 days/week Mon.-Sat. “Coming from Alaska for my dental visit may seem strange, but to me it is money well spent. Your office staff is great, the equipment is state of the art, the hygenist superb, and last but not least is your kind, compassionate, professional demeanor. I have been going to dentists for over 50 years now and truly have never found anyone that I trust as much with my teeth. Thank you again and again, and see your next year!” P.S. Thanks for squeezing me in for an additional appointment with your wonderful new associate, Dr. Hartwell.” ~Virginia of Anchorage, Alaska Voted “Best Dentist of North Hawaii” for 6 years in a row! Saturday, April 4th Queens’ MarketPlace 12noon – 2:00pm Pualani Cottontail is hopping on down to the Coronation Pavilion at Queens’ MarketPlace together with Koloa the Duck waddling his way in to this “springtime celebration”. Join us for two hours of fun! FREE face painting, sweet treats and giveaways for the Keiki. Don’t forget to bring your cameras to take a picture with Pualani Cottontail and Koloa the Duck! Enjoy FREE popcorn, cotton candy, face painting and coloring booths for the entire family For more information call: (808) 886 - 8822 Sunday, April 5th 2015 Hilton Waikoloa Village EASTER BRUNCH Palm Terrace 10:00am – 2:00pm $69 Adults, $25 Children ages 5 – 12 Plus tax, 15% service charge will be added Complimentary for Children ages 4 and under *Photo opportunity with the Easter Bunny *Live Entertainment *Complimentary Self Parking Reservations - Call (808) 886 -1234, Ext.54 Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa EASTER BRUNCH Hawaii Calls Restaurant & Lounge 9:00am – 2:00pm $60 Adults, $25 Children ages 6 – 12 Excludes Tax & Gratuity 18% Gratuity Automatically added to all checks, Children ages 5 and under eat free Reservations - Call (808) 886 - 8111 Visit us at Waikoloa Beach Resort.com for more information. COMICS 6A WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015 | WEST HAWAII TODAY PEANUTS GARFIELD DILBERT DOONESBURY BEETLE BAILEY FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE BIZARRO BLONDIE HAGAR THE HORRIBLE THE WIZARD OF ID FRANK AND ERNEST THATABABY B.C. THE BORN LOSER SHOE FAMILY CIRCUS ZITS DENNIS THE MENACE WEST HAWAII TODAY | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015 FROM PAGE ONE 7A TMT: Project has faced strong opposition from Native Hawaiian groups CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A that same year in Chile. After a “lengthy seven-year public agency review,” TMT partners were excited to see the project move forward, Dawson said. The TMT International Observatory, based in California, is supported by researchers from the United States, Canada, India, China and Japan. While expected to keep Hawaii at the forefront of astronomy, the project also has faced strong opposition from Native Hawaiian groups opposed to further development on a mountain they consider sacred. TMT will be the 13th observatory on Mauna Kea. It will be about 40 percent larger than either of Keck Observatory’s twin 10-meter telescopes, and will collect about nine times more light. About 20 protesters were present Tuesday, said Dan Meisenzahl, spokesman for University of Hawaii, which leases the summit. No disruptions were reported. In October, dozens of protesters disrupted the telescope’s ground breaking ceremony. Attempts to reach protesters were unsuccessful Tuesday. The Mauna Kea access road was closed at midnight Monday to allow the oversized trailers to traverse the winding path up the mountain, Meisenzahl said. It was reopened at about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday after the last trailer returned. Six plaintiffs are continuing to appeal decisions to grant the project a conservation district use permit and a sublease for the site. Those appeals are pending in Third Circuit Court and the state Intermediate Court of Appeals, said Kealoha Pisciotta, a spokesperson for the plaintiffs. Dawson said the project has all of the regulatory approvals it needs to move ahead with construction. While she wasn’t on the mountain Tuesday, Pisciotta, a former telescope technician, said she expects protests to continue. “It makes you feel pretty sick,” she said, knowing that construction was moving forward. “It makes you feel that more determined, that justice needs to occur.” Email Tom Callis at tcallis@ hawaiitribune-herald.com.- Michael B. Russo MD UTILITY: Bills would urge PUC to oversee sale CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A the Energy and Environmental Protection Committee recommended HR 159 and HCR 227 be passed with amendments. Two members were excused and did not vote. “I think everybody can agree that we need to be extremely cautious,” Lee said following the hearing, which was held in Honolulu. “There’s been a lot of concerns raised about how NextEra does business and how it infiltrates politics.” The resolutions, he said, are about ensuring community concerns are addressed. HCR 9, which requests the PUC conduct a public hearing on the approval of the sale of HEI, also received support from EEP, which voted 8-0 that the measure be passed unamended. Rep. Calvin Say of Oahu voted with reservations, and two other members were excused. Four of Hawaii Island’s seven representatives, including Rep. Mark Nakashima, D-Hilo, co-introduced HCR 9. Nakashima said one of his concerns is that NextEra coming in could end up looking a lot like Hawaii’s hotel industry — owned by multinational corporations that make decisions about Hawaii from outside the state. “Decisions that are made, I don’t want to be done just on the bottom line,” he said. In written testimony, PUC Chairman Randy Iwase said the commission intends to provide members of the public an “ Decisions that are made, I don’t want to be done just on the bottom line. REP. MARK NAKASHIMA, D-HILO ” opportunity to address the commission during upcoming public listening sessions conducted on each of the island served by HEI. Finally, the Energy and Environmental Protection Committee voted unanimously in favor of HR 105 and HCR 169. Introduced by Rep. Nicole Lowen, D-Kailua-Kona, both express support of further discussion on efforts to facilitate local ownership and control of electric utilities and local generation of electricity. Two committee members were excused. Last month, the Hawaii Island Energy Cooperative, a nonprofit group of Big Island community and business leaders, filed a motion with the state PUC to intervene in the pending sale of HEI to NextEra in order explore the idea of public ownership, similar to Kauai Island Utility Cooperative on Kauai. By press time Tuesday, the resolutions had not yet been scheduled for additional hearings. CORRECTION Kuikahi Kaiaulu event organizer Mehana Kihoi’s name was mispelled in a correction, which ran March 20. It is the policy of West Hawaii Today to correct promptly any incorrect or misleading information when it is brought to the attention of the newspaper. Sleep Disorders 808-638-7667 ABOVE: “A‘ole TMT” is written with spray paint on a sign outside the Thirty Meter Telescope construction site Tuesday. Aole means no in Hawaiian. LEFT: A vehicle displays two Hawaii flags upside down as it drives past a telescope Tuesday on Mauna Kea. PHOTOS BY HOLLYN JOHNSON/HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD WEATHER 8A TODAY’S WEATHER Hanalei Kekaha 77/68 74/69 Kapaa 77/69 Kalaheo 75/66 Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows. SATELLITE VIEW KONA TIDES TODAY First High Low Second High Low Time Height 6:53 a.m. 1.0’ 2:07 a.m. 0.5’ Time Height 8:49 p.m. 1.6’ 1:15 p.m. 0.5’ Waialua 79/66 Laie 80/69 Mokapu 81/70 Ewa Beach Honolulu 81/67 82/69 Kaunakakai 78/67 Lanai 78/64 SUN AND MOON Sun Rise Set Today 6:25 a.m. 6:37 p.m. Thursday 6:24 a.m. 6:37 p.m. Moon Rise Set Today 10:55 a.m. none Thursday 11:47 a.m. 12:16 a.m. First Full Last New Mar 26 Apr 4 Apr 11 Apr 18 Kihei 83/69 Hana 81/69 Honokaa 80/65 Captain Cook 79/66 City Hi/Lo/W City Hi/Lo/W City Mountain View 78/64 Naalehu 80/69 Hi/Lo/W City Hi/Lo/W City Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day. Hilo 82/68 Kailua-Kona 83/70 NATIONAL CITIES TODAY NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY Wailuku 80/69 Kapaau 81/69 As of 3 p.m. yesterday. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015 | WEST HAWAII TODAY Hi/Lo/W City Albany, NY 48/37/pc Bismarck 44/21/pc Cincinnati 72/49/t Fairbanks 41/14/s Juneau 43/37/r Albuquerque 67/36/pc Boise 56/39/pc Cleveland 58/38/t Fargo 40/21/sn Kansas City 60/31/r Amarillo 70/32/s Boston 45/37/pc Columbia, SC 74/61/sh Grand Rapids 49/33/r Key West 83/76/pc Anchorage 43/34/s Buffalo 49/38/sh Dallas 80/50/s Green Bay 46/31/sf Lansing 51/34/r Atlanta 75/57/pc Charleston, SC 74/62/pc Denver 49/29/sh Honolulu 82/69/pc Las Vegas 79/55/pc Austin 77/56/pc Charleston, WV 71/55/sh Des Moines 50/29/c Houston 77/62/pc Little Rock 80/54/pc Baltimore 51/46/c Charlotte, NC 68/55/c Detroit 54/38/r Indianapolis 63/42/pc Los Angeles 82/62/s Billings 52/38/sf Cheyenne 43/28/sn Duluth 41/21/sf Jackson, MS 79/53/pc Louisville 76/55/t Birmingham 77/56/pc Chicago 51/33/pc El Paso 78/50/pc Jacksonville 80/62/pc Madison 45/26/pc Weather(W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice. NATIONAL SUMMARY: A surge of warm air will trigger areas of rain and thunderstorms from the Midwest to the Southeast today. Locally severe storms will erupt from northcentral Texas to Indiana. Colder air will allow snow to fall over northern Minnesota. Showers will occur from the central Rockies to the Northwest. The Southwest will be sunny and warm. Hi/Lo/W City Memphis 76/57/pc Miami 86/74/pc Milwaukee 51/32/pc Minneapolis 43/25/c Nashville 75/60/c New Orleans 78/63/pc New York City 47/43/pc Norfolk 62/55/pc Oklahoma City 80/42/t Hi/Lo/W City Hi/Lo/W City Hi/Lo/W Omaha 48/26/c Reno 67/40/pc Seattle 57/47/r Orlando 87/66/pc Sacramento 79/50/s Spokane 51/39/c Philadelphia 51/46/pc St. Louis 70/42/t Syracuse 46/37/sh Phoenix 88/63/pc Salt Lake City 54/36/pc Tampa 83/67/pc Pittsburgh 63/49/sh San Antonio 80/60/pc Tucson 82/53/s Portland, ME 43/36/pc San Diego 75/60/pc Tulsa 76/43/t Portland, OR 61/45/sh San Francisco 70/53/s Washington, DC 56/50/c Providence 45/37/pc San Juan, PR 86/74/s Wichita 65/33/r Raleigh 64/57/c Santa Fe 63/27/pc Wichita Falls 86/43/t Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2015 More Big Islanders without a job in January BY CHELSEA JENSEN WEST HAWAII TODAY [email protected] A higher percentage of the Big Island labor force was without a job in January than the month prior, Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations data reveals. Hawaii County’s unemployment rate notched up half a percentage point to 5.2 percent in January from 4.7 percent in December, according to the state-compiled data. That’s down from January 2014 when 6 percent of the island’s workforce was without work. The island’s labor force in January comprised 86,450 people of whom 81,950 held jobs, according to preliminary statistics kept by the state. In December, 80,850 of the 84,850 people in the civilian labor force held jobs. The Big Island, which has historically the highest unemployment rate among Hawaii’s four counties, wasn’t the only area in the state to see an increase in the percentage of its labor force out of work. Honolulu and Kauai counties each saw unemployment increase by a half-percentage point to 4 percent and 4.8 percent, respectively. Maui’s unemployment rate increased from 3.8 percent to 4.4 percent between the two months. Statewide, the unemployment rate increased from 5.6 percent to 5.7 percent in January. In January, 27,450 people remained unemployed, up from 27,100 in December. In January, 646,100 people in Hawaii held jobs, according to the department. Statewide, major job gains were reported in the trade, transportation and utilities sector where 1,900 jobs were added. Close behind were the leisure and hospitality, construction and professional and business services sectors, which added 1,200, 1,1000 and 1,000 jobs, respectively, according to the state. Ranks were also increased in other sectors statewide, including the other services sector where 600 jobs were added, and the educational and health services and manufacturing sectors, which each saw 300 jobs added in January. Hawaii County recorded 200 jobs added in both the construction and trade, transportation and utilities sectors in January over December, according to the department’s preliminary data sheets. Job expansion was also noted in the leisure and hospitality sector. The increase in jobs in trade, transportation and utilities sector was primarily seen in retail areas and was attributed to a “smaller than typical drop off of holiday season workers,” the state said. Job expansion in the leisure and hospitality sector was concentrated in food service and drinking establishments while the jump in construction jobs was related to the construction of buildings. January’s job expansion was also met with cuts. In the government sector, the number of people employed, primarily by the state, declined by 400, according to the department’s data. Nationwide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in January, down a tidbit from 5.6 percent the month before, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s down from 6.6 percent in January 2014. In February, the national unemployment rate decreased to 5.5 percent, the feds said. The state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations had not released February data for Hawaii as of Tuesday. A schedule posted on the department’s website said the data should be released today. Christine’s Deli SPECIALTY FOODS FRESHLY MADE-TO-ORDER LUNCH • DINNER • TAKE-OUT or DELIVERED! Homemade Italian Foods Fresh Fish Catch of the Day & so much more… Straight from our kitchen to your table! CALL US at 808-326-2000 Tuesday – Friday 11am to 8pm See Our Full Menu at ChristineDelivers.com JamesAttorney C. Clay Clay James C. • Personal Injury • Business • Real Estate • 1031 Tax Deferred Exchanges • EB-5 VISA [email protected] •• 808-386-1335 [email protected] 808-386-1335 www.facebook.com/jcclaylaw.com Going On Now! AN EXAMPLE STOREWIDE SAVINGS! HERE’S OF THE SAVINGS... WAREHOUSE SPECIAL! FABRIC Huge group of former favorites priced to move! Prints, Solids, Kids, Fancy, Famous Names. Orig. priced to $5.99 yd. 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Because coffee was supposed to be bad for the nerves, bad for the bowels, bones and everything else? Well, the tide started to turn some years back, and a steady percolation of new studies only continues to boost the purported health benefits of the drink to near mythic status. Here’s just a sampling of what a slurry of studies are telling us: Coffee is good for the heart and protects against liver cancer, degenerative brain diseases and Type II diabetes. Diabetes, a growing scourge worldwide, is 50 percent less likely to develop in people who drink at least four cups of coffee a day, according to a 2011 study published in the Journal of Agriculture & Food Chemistry. Another study published in 2012 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found higher caffeine levels in the blood of Shots of expresso are poured at the Kona Coffee and Tea Co. on March 19. Coffee is ground to make a beverage at the Kona Coffee and Tea Co. on March 19. those 65 and older led to a substantial delay in the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Some of the latest news: People who drink four or more cups of coffee a day are about 1.5 times less likely to develop multiple sclerosis than those who drink no coffee. That’s from a study by researchers with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, scheduled to be presented to the American Academy of Neurology in April. In a world where it’s easy to reach for a sugary snack to boost energy and many people struggle with obesity and depression, coffee offers the ability to boost energy and mental outlook while triggering a response in the body to produce adrenaline and burn fat, researchers say. Some of the best news may be that — with more than half of Americans older than age 18 taking coffee into their systems on a daily basis — the bean comprises the single largest source of antioxidants in the diets of most Americans. According to a 2005 study by the University of Scranton, the antioxidants — which neutralize free radicals and have anti-cancer and anti-aging benefits — are highly absorbent when delivered via the bean. Now, the benefits of coffee are extending beyond the roasted bean, and a growing industry is devoted to researching and creating healthy products from the coffee fruit, ripe and green. Five years ago, Shaun Roberts, CEO and founder of KonaRed, was mulling over the fact that millions of pounds of skin and fruit of coffee cherry were being discarded during the processing of Kona’s famous product. A developer of consumer products for two decades, Roberts, of Kauai, had gathered from his research that ancient cultures of Ethiopia and Yemen were using coffee fruit for teas and powders before they ever used the bean. That knowledge helped set Roberts on the trail of an enterprise that would put KonaRed — an antioxidant-laden a drink made from the fruit of the coffee cherry — on the shelves of some 2,100 Walmarts, 1,000 Kroger stores and a total of around 5,000 outlets across the country. “Over the last five years, I’ve been working with Tommy Greenwell to take the cherry out of his waste stream,” Roberts said. “It’s not an energy drink. The caffeine is in the bean; the antioxidants are in the skin.” In conjunction with FutureCeuticals, a licensing partner, Roberts’ nutrient and antioxidant-rich extracts and powders from coffee cherry — as well as food bars and chocolate featuring the cherry — are going strong in vitamin sections nationally as well. Other products related to the mighty cherry are in the research and development phase, Roberts said. At The Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation, coffee extract is the basis of a line of health and beauty products, from anti-aging creams to bubble bath and moisturizing products. In the future, the fruit could be used for yet another product shown to have some health benefits — in moderation. “When you separate the skin, you end up with a lot of fruit, and it’s very sweet, and it could very easily be fermented,” said Holualoa coffee farmer Bruce Corker. “If you can do that, then why not produce a coffee wine?” Outreach program teaches students healthy eating Students at Kanu o ka Aina New Century Public Charter School make their own healthy snack as part of North Hawaii Community Hospital’s new nutrition and education outreach program. SPECIAL TO WEST HAWAII TODAY SPECIAL TO WEST HAWAII TODAY North Hawaii Community Hospital is looking to change the conversation from healing sickness to health prevention with a new nutrition and education outreach program that teaches North Hawaii students through a hands-on, holistic approach. “Encouraging healthy living through a holistic approach is the foundation of our mission,” said Gary Goldberg, chief medical officer. “With the creation of this revolutionary new program, we are living our commitment to our community by providing tools and education that enable one to make healthy choices to live healthier lives.” Over the last year, more than 100 North Hawaii students ages 5 to 13 participated in the hospital’s nutrition and education outreach program. Topics covered include: the various food groups, the effect food has on the body, that “you are what you eat,” how to read a food label, appropriate meal and snack portions, how food can help prevent diseases, in addition to engaging in hands-on food preparations. “After learning about healthy nutrition, students get to go into the kitchen and prepare a snack putting into action what they just learned,” said Laurie Edmondson, the hospital’s community outreach coordinator, who developed and spearheads the program. Working in collaboration with Kanu o ka Aina New Century Public Charter School, the hospital’s nutrition and education outreach pilot program was launched in spring 2014, teaching 15 students from sixth to eighth grade the relationship and impact nutrition has on leading a healthy life. The program has grown into an eight-week afterschool class and six- to eightweek summer school opportunity for keiki from first to sixth grade at the school and will soon expand tailored versions of this program at Waimea Country Day School and North Kohala Village Hub in Kohala. “We hope to continue to grow this program throughout all of North Hawaii,” said Edmondson. For more information about the program, contact Edmondson at 881-4425 or laurie.edmondson@nhch. com. BIG ISLAND & STATE 10A WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015 | WEST HAWAII TODAY IN BRIEF | BIG ISLAND & STATE Kitchen fire closes Volcano House restaurants Both restaurants in Volcano House are closed for at least two days while officials investigate the cause of a kitchen fire that sent a hotel employee to the hospital Tuesday morning. Both The Rim restaurant and Uncle George’s Lounge will be temporarily closed as National Park Service investigators determine the cause of the small blaze, said Hawaii Volcanoes Lodge Co. LLC General Manager David Macilwraith. They plan to reopen both restaurants Thursday. The Volcano House hotel remains open, he said. Park rangers, Hawaii County medics and engine 19 responded quickly to the fire alarm and calls to park dispatch, around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. A 42-year-old hotel employee suffered burns to his upper arms, and was transported by medics to the hospital. Surtees Soderlund Lee block pending his initial court appearance sched uled for Wednesday. Division was stolen late last week from the medi an strip of Highway 11 near Hale Nani Correctional Facility on the southern outskirts of Hilo. Hawaii Police Department Lt. Greg Esteban said workers had Hawaii Island police are left the keys in the ignition searching for a 59-year-old and “somebody jumped woman wanted for abuse. in and drove the vehicle Catherine Surtees is toward Hilo and abandoned described as 5-foot-2, 110 the vehicle.” pounds with blond hair and No arrests have been blue eyes. Her last know made in the case. The truck address was in Kailua-Kona. has since been recovered. Police ask anyone with In a separate case, a information on her where - 17-year-old boy was arrest abouts to call the Police ed Thursday for allegedly Department’s nonemer stealing a Hawaii County gency line at 935-3311. truck the night before. Those who prefer to Police say the truck, remain anonymous may which had keys in its igni call the islandwide Crime tion, was stolen at about Stoppers number at 96111:45 p.m. from outside 8300 and may be eligible the Hilo Civic Auditorium. for a reward of up to $1,000. County workers were cleaning the facility at the time and reported the vehicle missing. The vehicle was located about an hour later. Hawaii Island police are The driver attempted to searching for a 27-year-old evade police and fled after ditching the vehicle while a man wanted for abuse. 22-year-old man who was Damon Soderlund is described as 5-foot-9, 190 a passenger stayed in the pounds with blue eyes and truck. The 22-year-old was brown hair. He frequents arrested but not charged. the Kailua-Kona area. The teen was arrested and Police ask anyone with information on his where- charged with auto theft, driving without a license abouts to call the Police Department’s non-emer - and marijuana possession. Police declined to name the gency line at 935-3311. boy because he’s a minor. Those who prefer to His case was turned over to remain anonymous may call the islandwide Crime Family Court. Stoppers number at 9618300 and may be eligi ble for a reward of up to $1,000. Woman sought for alleged abuse Purse theft nets Hilo man 16 charges Police seek man for alleged abuse A Hilo man has been charged with 16 offenses stemming from the theft of a purse, police report. The purse was stolen from an 87-year-old woman at a drug store on Puainako Street in Hilo just before 1:30 p.m. Sunday, accord ing to the Hawaii Police Department. Shortly there after, the woman’s credit card was used at two busi nesses in the vicinity. At 2:40 p.m., police arrested the suspect, 25-year-old Bronson I.K. Lee, in the parking lot of a home improvement store on Makaala Street. He was taken to the Hilo police cellblock while detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigations Section con tinued the investigation. At 2:25 p.m. Tuesday, Lee was charged with five counts of theft, three counts of forgery, four counts of ID theft and four counts of fraudulent use of a credit card, according to police. His bail was set at $44,250. He remains at the cell - Fight against albizias stalls in Legislature Two gov’t trucks stolen last week Two government trucks were stolen in apparently unrelated incidents last week, police said. A truck belonging to the state Department of Transportation Highways A Senate bill seeking funding to control albizia trees on Hawaii Island has stalled after failing to cross over to the state House of Representatives. Proponents of the bill say they were surprised by the failure of the measure, in light of the devastation wrought by the invasive trees following Tropical Storm Iselle. Senate Bill 591 was sponsored by state Sen. Russell Ruderman, D-Puna, and sought an appropriation of about $2 million to the Hawaii Invasive Species Council to fund a coordinated management effort of albizia trees on the Big Island and across the state. It failed to pass through the three committee hearings required by the March 12 first crossover deadline to be handed off to the House of Representatives for approval. The Puna legislator said Tuesday that the bill died as a result of a tight state budget that allows very little room for new projects. In addition to SB 591, six other bills seeking funding for albizia control failed to gain traction this session. Marshals arrest Hawaii fugitive in Las Vegas LAS VEGAS — U.S. mar shals say a 48-year-old fugitive sought in Honolulu in a home contractor theft case has been arrested in Las Vegas. The marshal service identified Alexander Nebre as a “most wanted” fugitive in Hawaii, and said he was arrested Tuesday on felo ny warrants issued after he failed to appear for a Jan. 15 trial readiness hearing in Honolulu. Officials in Honolulu said Nebre is accused of identi fying himself as a licensed contractor but failing from 2012 to 2014 to complete three home contracting jobs. Deputy Marshal Melinda Kormos said members of a joint local and federal task force found Nebre a few blocks west of the Las Vegas Strip. Records show Nebre is being held at the Clark County jail pending an extradition hearing on Thursday. Ferry between Molokai, Maui sees decline in ridership WAILUKU, Maui — A ferry that runs between Molokai and Maui is reducing service in an attempt to stay afloat. Wailuku newspaper Maui News reported Tuesday Lahaina Cruise Co. President and Senior Captain Dave Jung said ridership has plummeted. He blamed that on airlines that are able to offer cheaper interisland trips. The company plans to reduce twice-daily roundtrips to once per day. Jung said the state Public Utilities Commission regu lates ferry fares, but airline fares aren’t under the same oversight. A one-way ferry trip costs $62 and takes an hour and 45 minutes. Hawaiian Airlines has fares as low as $59 and Mokulele fares are as low as $54. A flight takes about 20 minutes. County Councilwoman Stacy Crivello, who rep resents Molokai, called the ferry a lifeline that must continue. Lava actiºvity persists upslope Numerous breakouts persisted in the upper areas of the June 27 lava flow, Hawaii County Civil Defense reported Tuesday morning. The lava breakouts, described as “small,” were located within the flow pad and along both margins of the flow, extending from about 8 miles upslope of the flow’s stalled leading edges to Kilauea Volcano’s Puu Oo vent, Civil Defense said. A breakout on the northern flank of Puu Oo, which started Feb. 21, remained active on the northeastern base of the cone while the northern arm of another breakout near Kahaualea contin ued to burn trees north of Puu Kahaualea, the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said. Breakouts also persist about 3 to 4 miles north east of Puu Oo. Activity in the downslope areas of the June 27 lava flow remained quiet Tuesday morning, officials said. They said there was “very little activity” in the area. None of the activity posed an immediate threat to area communities, how - ever, Civil Defense said. Sharks feeding on dead baby whale prompts Maui beach closure KAHULUI, Maui — Maui ocean safety officials have closed the beach and waters off Kaa Point because of a decomposing baby whale that’s attracting sharks. Tuesday’s closure is 1 mile in either direction of Kaa Point, which is also known as Kite Beach near Kanaha Beach Park in Kahului. The Maui Fire Department said a 10-foot-long tiger shark was seen feeding on the carcass Tuesday morn ing. In the afternoon, several large sharks were seen in the area. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources towed the whale carcass far offshore to be disposed of. Ocean safety officials will re-evaluate the area by air today. 2 drown in separate incidents off Kauai LIHUE, Kauai — Authorities say two people have drowned in separate incidents off Hawaii’s Kauai Island. The Garden Island news paper reported a 48-yearold Arizona man died Sunday after he showed signs of distress and strug gled with his mask and snorkel off Mahaulepu Beach in Poipu. Responders said CPR was performed on the vic tim, David Deville, but he was pronounced dead at Wilcox Memorial Hospital. Kauai police say the other drowning occurred Saturday afternoon about 30 yards offshore from Plantation Hale in Wailua. Responders said 72-yearold Michael Stone of Boston appeared to be in distress and was unresponsive when he was brought to shore. CPR was performed, but Stone was pronounced dead at Wilcox Memorial Hospital. By West Hawaii Today staff and wire sources at convenient Big Island Locations at at convenient Big Island Convenient Big IslandLocations Locations NOW W in the heart of Kailua-Kona Dr. Ng, Board-Certified Ophthalmologist, and Johns Hopkins and Harvard trained Retina Specialist warmly welcomes all patients to his practice. 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BIIF GLANCE | PAGE 2B B SPORTS ONLINE WESTHAWAIITODAY.COM/SPORTS Westbrook,Thunder Thunder take down Lakers WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015 | WEST HAWAII TODAY COLLEGE BASKETBALL Midnight has come early for Cinderellas BY GREG COTE TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE This is the break at the midpoint of the annual American basketball bacchanalia March Madness, the pause that allows your brackets to breathe — always assuming your brackets have any life left and have not been ripped to confetti in frustration by now. The men’s NCAA Tournament resumes Thursday night with the original 68 teams pared now to the Sweet 16 survivors, and what remains of the bracket has almost everything left on it that you’d want (except perhaps your favorite team). It has kings, champions, legends, blue bloods and pedigrees. It has everything but a Chair-man. I miss that chair, man. So does this tournament. Embodied in that chairon-casters that Georgia State coach Ron Hunter rode courtside was the last true Cinderella. Her glass slipper had wheels. Hunter had torn his Achilles’ celebrating his team’s unlikely Sun Belt Conference championship the week before, leaving him to coach off his feet in the NCAA Tournament on a rolling chair. That was until his son hit a game-winning 3-point shot to stun heavily favored Baylor, which sent the coach spilling from his seat in sheer joy, cheering prone on his side. It was a bizarre, delightful snapshot — the most memorable of the Madness thus far. One more win and he’d have rolled into this Sweet 16 tall as John Wayne on a saddle. (As it was, his chair already had its own Twitter site.) In two weeks this event’s crowning moment might very well be Kentucky coach John Calipari, on a ladder, snipping pieces of the net to mark what would be college hoops’ first unbeaten national champion since Bobby Knight’s Indiana Hoosiers of 1976. I’d propose though that Calipari up on a ladder won’t stick in your mind like Hunter down on the SEE CINDERELLA PAGE 3B MMA Brock Lesnar finally rules out return to MMA told The Associated Press he was in training for a UFC return as recently as last week, even though he had developed conflicted feelings about it over the previous month. He finally decided to stick with professional wrestling only in the past two days, signing his new three-year deal with the WWE on Monday night when the promotion increased its financial offer. “The fighter in me wants to continue, but at BY GREG BEACHAM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LOS ANGELES — Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar ruled out a return to mixed martial arts on Tuesday, ending three years of speculation about the biggest pay-per-view star in the sport’s history. Lesnar announced he had re-signed with the WWE in an interview on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.” Moments after his announcement, Lesnar this stage in my life, it ain’t just about me anymore,” Lesnar told The AP. “You put your pride to the side. You hug your Lesnar wife and your kids. I’m a 37-yearold man, and some days I feel like I’m 80, just with all the things I’ve experienced, all the things I’ve done. I feel fortunate about it. It’s like, what else can I do? Why go backward?” More than a year after Lesnar first began working on an MMA comeback, he decided his long-term health was more important than his hunger to return to competitive sports. The UFC didn’t allow Lesnar to shut the octagon door easily: Lesnar said he turned down an offer worth “10 times” what he was making earlier in his MMA career. UFC Chairman Lorenzo Fertitta even attempted to increase the temptation when Lesnar phoned Fertitta and UFC President Dana White to tell them his decision while driving into the parking garage at ESPN’s downtown Los Angeles studios. “I’m riding the caboose of my sports career,” Lesnar said, waving his hand in the air. “I just barely caught this thing. I’ll see you the next time.” VOLLEYBALL BATTLE AT THE TOP Keala Watson of Pilipaa tips over the Cuzins’ Shalia Wilber-Gabrielle at the Haili Volleyball Tournament at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium. Pilipaa won in straight sets. The tournament continues through Saturday. RICK OGATA /SPECIAL TO WEST HAWAII TODAY BY KEVIN JAKAHI HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD In the long history of the Haili Volleyball Tournament, a Big Island team has won the men’s AA title — the top division — only twice, but with an asterisk both times. The 58th edition of the Haili kicked off Monday, and all the locals know that Oahu’s Kailua club team (usually filled with TOP SPOT IN MEN’S ELITE ELUSIVE FOR BIG ISLE AT HAILI former Rainbow Warriors) will likely be in the championship. Last year, Culture Club, powered by local boys Ikaika Marzo and Andrew Dunn, defeated Oahu’s Leviticus for the men’s AA championship. Kailua skipped the Haili last year and in 2012, and instead played in the USA open national championships. Leviticus took the championship final in two games, forcing a sudden-death match because Culture Club earlier won the double-elimination round-robin. That safety net helped Culture Club, which had a roster of eight players, including seven from the Big Island. Culture Club was basically SEE HAILI PAGE 2B BIIF SOFTBALL Hilo rebounds from first loss with victory over Honokaa BY MATT GERHART HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD For at least one day, Honokaa coach Wesley Fujimoto wishes the dimensions at Honokaa Park weren’t as deep as they are. If so, the Dragons might have had a thrilling comeback Tuesday. As it was, Hilo was able to exhale. Zoe Cabarloc overcame 12 hits allowed in a complete game, and eight Vikings had at least one hit as they held off Honokaa 5-4. Trailing by two runs entering the bottom of the seventh, the Dragons’ Neve Ebreo-Castillo doubled and scored on Taylor Tabucbuc’s single. With runners on first and second and two outs, Maluhia Sanchez put a charge into the ball, but it was caught just short of the fence at Honokaa Park. “If we had 200foot fences, I think it would have been gone,” Honokaa coach Wesley Fujimoto said. “It’s about 215-220 here. The outfielders were playing deep.” That helped the Vikings (3-1) rebound from their first loss since 2013. They lost 16-2 at Konawaena on Saturday. Hilo’s Shalyn Guthier finished 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a run scored, and Gaylynn Ha was 2 for 3 with a triple a run scored and an RBI. Cabarloc struck out three. Keesha Matsuoka didn’t walk a batter in going the distance for the Dragons (1-3), striking out two. Tabucbuc led Honokaa’s 12-hit attack, finishing 3 for 4 with a double, RBI and scoring a run. Sarah Sedillo and Ebreo-Castillo each doubled among their two hits. “We improved a lot since Saturday,” said Fujimoto, whose team was coming off a 18-0 SEE SOFTBALL PAGE 2B SPORTS WEST HAWAII TODAY | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015 2B HAILI: 125 teams in the tournament this year, but no boys division GLANCE BASEBALL DIVISION I W-L Waiakea 5-0 Keaau 4-1 Hilo 3-2 Kealakehe 2-2 DIVISION II W-L Kamehameha 3-1 Kohala 2-2 Hawaii Prep 1-3 Pahoa 1-2 Konawaena 1-4 Honokaa 0-5 Wednesday Hilo at Pahoa, 3 p.m. Keaau at Kamehameha, 3 p.m. HPA at Konawaena, 3 p.m. Kohala at Honokaa, 3 p.m. Saturday HPA at Kamehameha, 1 p.m. Keaau at Kealakehe, 1 p.m. Pahoa at Kohala, 1 p.m. Waiakea at Konawaena, 1 p.m. March 31 Pahoa at Kamehameha, 3 p.m. Keaau at Waiakea, 3 p.m. HPA at Kealakehe, 3 p.m. Konawaena at Honokaa, 3 p.m. BOYS VOLLEYBALL DIVISION I Kamehameha Hilo Waiakea Kealakehe Keaau DIVISION II Hawaii Prep Konawaena Pahoa Ka’u Laupahoehoe Honokaa Kohala Ke Kula O Ehunuikaimalino Christian Liberty March 23-28 Haili Tournament week W-L 3-0 5-1 4-1 4-1 1-5 W-L 2-0 4-2 3-2 3-1 1-3 0-3 1-3 0-4 0-4 GOLF March 30 At Waikoloa Kings’ Course, 10 a.m. JUDO Saturday At Kealakehe High School, 10 a.m. Kealakehe vs. Ka’u Keaau vs. Kamehameha Waiakea vs. Hilo Konawaena vs. Kamehameha Hilo vs. Ka’u Waiakea vs. Kealakehe Konawaena vs. Keaau Ka’u vs. Kamehameha Hilo vs. Kealakehe Waiakea vs. Keaau Kealakehe vs. Konawaena SOFTBALL DIVISION I Keaau Hilo Kealakehe Waiakea DIVISION II Kamehameha Konawaena Honokaa Ka’u Kohala Pahoa Hawaii Prep Tuesday Hilo 5, Honokaa 4 Kamehameha 14, Kealakehe 9 Keaau 12,Konawaena 7 Thursday Hilo at Keaau, 3 p.m. W-L 3-0 3-1 3-1 1-1 W-L 3-0 2-2 1-2 1-2 1-3 0-3 0-2 Waiakea at Kamehameha, 3 p.m. Pahoa at Ka‘u, 3 p.m. Konawaena at Kealakehe, 3 p.m. TENNIS BOYS W-L Konawaena 8-0 HPA 6-0 Kealakehe 5-0 Waiakea 5-2 Hilo 5-2 Kohala 3-1 Makua Lani 2-3 Keaau 2-4 St. Joseph 1-3 Parker 0-4 Kau 0-6 Kamehameha 0-6 Honokaa 0-6 GIRLS W-L Konawaena 7-0 Waiakea 6-1 HPA 5-0 Kealakehe 4-1 Kohala 2-1 Makua Lani 2-3 Hilo 2-4 Parker 1-3 Keaau 1-4 Kamehameha 1-5 Kau 0-0 St. Joseph 0-3 Honokaa 0-6 Wednesday Waiakea at Hilo, 2 p.m. Keaau at St. Joseph, 2 p.m. Kamehameha at Pahoa, 2 p.m. Honokaa at Makua Lani, 2 p.m. Kohala at Parker, 2 p.m. Kealakehe at Konawaena, 2 p.m. Saturday Hilo at Konawaena, 10 a.m. Makua Lani at Kamehameha, 10 a.m. Ka‘u at Parker, 1 p.m. Honokaa at Pahoa, 10 a.m. Kealakehe at St. Joseph, 10 a.m. Waiakea at Kohala, 11 a.m. TRACK AND FIELD March 28 at Kamehameha, field 9 a.m./running 10 a.m. WATER POLO Standings W-L Kamehameha 3-0 Konawaena 3-1 Hawaii Prep 2-0 Waiakea 1-2 Kealakehe 1-3 Hilo 0-4 Saturday At Kona Community Aquatic Center HPA vs. Kealakehe, 9 a.m. Waiakea vs. Konawaena, 10:15 a.m. Hilo vs. Kamehameha, 11:30 a.m. Kealakehe vs. Waiakea, 1:15 p.m. Hilo vs. HPA, 2:30 p.m. Konawaena vs. Kamehameha, 3:35 p.m. Reporting scores Host schools are responsible for reporting scores, but visitors are welcome to report as well. Information should include JV score, and varsity score. Stats are optional but welcome. Scores may be reported by phone to 930-8616 or emailed to sports@ westhawaiitoday.com. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B Hilo’s Hemolele in 2012 with Marzo and Dunn on a roster complemented with players from Oahu’s Quiksets. That year, Hemolele defeated Oahu’s RZN to capture the men’s AA crown. It was a good feeling, but not a complete one. Kailua was elsewhere, and the roster was not completely Big Island grown. The most memorable Haili was in 2009, when Big Island Roots won the men’s AA title, but lost it to Kailua on a phantom point. Our locals led 14-9, and after a flurry of errors, the score was tied 14-14. But the scoreboard showed Kailua ahead 15-14. Cory Enriques tied it 15-15 with a kill, and a Kailua error should have given Big Island Roots the distinction as the first homegrown championship team. But the phantom point was in play. It was too much of a helpful hurdle to overcome. Kailua eventually prevailed 19-17. Then everyone went to Aunty Sally’s Luau House wondering how the scoreboard operator from Oahu got the score wrong. A record 187 teams showed up in 2009, and Hilo Civic was jam packed with people getting a neck strain watching the women’s AA championship. (Both AA finals play at the same time.) Sarah Mason, a 2003 St. Joseph graduate, played for the Rusty Wahine, which also included Hedder Illustre, Jennifer Carey and Elizabeth Kaahue. The Rusty Wahine swept Hilo Volleyball Club, aka the UHH SOFTBALL: Keaau beats Konawaena to remain undefeated CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B loss to Keaau. Hilo 100 220 0– 5 10 3 Honokaa 000 201 1 –4 12 2 KEAAU 12, KONAWAENA 7 Ranchell Berinobis and Rylann Hacoba each hit two-run dou bles as the Cougars scored 11 runs in the first inning in Kealakekua and remained unde feated. Lohi Kamakea-Wong pitched a complete game for the Cougars (3-0) and survived 13 hits – including home runs by Bethany Batangan and Teizha Kaluna. Konawaena starter Jayssa Asuncion-Grace lasted just a third of an inning and was hurt by five walks. She was charged with eight earned runs and two hits with a strikeout. Kamakea-Wong helped her cause with two doubles and two RBIs. She was 3 for 4 at the plate with two runs scored, and she struck out five in the circle with a walk. Only four of the runs she gave up were earned. Berinobis also doubled twice and scored twice. After launching a two-run home run in the first, Kaluna added a run-scoring single in the seventh, going 3 for 4 with three RBIs and three runs scored for the Wildcats (2-2). Shyla Victor also was 3 for 4 and doubled, and she worked the final 6 2/3 innings in the circle. Lihue Wessel collected two doubles and drove in a run and Sierra Amor was 2 for 4. Keaau (11)00 100 0 – 12 10 1 Konawaena 200 101 3 – 7 13 3 KAMEHAMEHA 14, KEALAKEHE 9 The Warriors went on the road to improve to 3-0, handing the Waveriders (3-1) their first loss of the season. have to register with the USA Volleyball Moku O Keawe region early in the year. Then BIIF players would need to get approval from their coaches, and be on a club team. Waiakea coach Ecko Osorio has his Pilipaa club team, so his diehard Warriors will stay sharp. It’s the same thing for Kamehameha coach Guy Enriques with his Southside club team. Those Warriors will be in the Haili, too. It would be a nice treat if the Pilipaa/ Waiakea team meets the Southside/Kamehameha club in a men’s B division final. Vulcans, featuring Josimara Pinheiro and Fabiane Seben, for the title. By far, the best women’s AA championship was in 2010, when UH VBC with Kanani Danielson, Brittany Hewitt, Dani Mafua and Kaaihue came to town. The Wahine were coming off a 32-3 season and loss to Penn State in the NCAA tournament semifinals, and Danielson needed to polish herself before starting her UH junior season. She smoked 23 kills and the young Wahine put the old-timer Rusty Wahine to bed 26-28, 25-15, 15-8 before a full house at Hilo Civic. In 2010, the Haili honored longtime UH coach Dave Shoji. That was the last year the Rainbow Wahine played in the Haili. Ryan Tsuji, who was a team manager for the Rainbow Wahine, was instrumental in arranging for UH players to participate in the Haili. THANKS OLD FRIEND One of the longtime Haili helpers was Ken Griffin, who passed away Feb. 1, 2015. He was 87. He was in real estate and lived on Oahu, and was honored before at the Haili, but Lindsey wanted to note his contributions. Griffin was instrumental in coordinating the Pacific Rim Tournament in Hilo, as well as two USA Volleyball National Tournaments in 1978 and 83. “Both he and his wife Alexa were wonderful people,” Lindsey said. “We’ve very grateful for all they did for the tourney.” BUMMER NO BOYS There are 125 teams in the Haili this year, down from last year’s 132 clubs. There is no boys division and the BIIF boys volleyball season takes a one-week break because of limited officials and gyms. “There are too many things they have to do,” Haili director Lyndell Lindsey said. “That’s the reason there’s no boys division.” For one, players would CORRECTION An article in the Tuesday edition of West Hawaii Today reported that Konawaena’s Casey Flores was the last BIIF athlete to beat 11 seconds. Flores is the record-hold er for the BIIF champi onships, running 10.84 in 1996. Avery Hardie-Jordan won the 100 meters in 10.92 seconds at the 2013 Big Island Interscholastic Federation track and field championships as a Waveriders senior, the last sub-11.00 time in the BIIF until Konawaena’s Luca Vartic ran 10.98 on Saturday. It is the policy of West Hawaii Today to correct promptly any incorrect or misleading information when it is brought to the attention of the newspaper. MASONRY & LANDSCAPING Lisiate Fainga, Owner 808.345.3876 808.333.6967 Rockwall Repair • Concrete Repair • Hollow Tile Concrete Slabs • Sidewalks • Keystone • Driveway Retaining Wall • All Types of Landscaping Needs Free Estimate [email protected] www.kepamasonry.com Insured & Bonded C33805 SOCIAL SECURITY DIRECTORY For those who have applied and have been denied, or have cases on appeal or have just given up. 808-341-9568 Frank A. 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Lakers at Minnesota Oklahoma City at San Antonio ESPN FSNW TWSN ESPN NBCSN Chicago at Philadelphia Men’s national teams, exhibition, Denmark vs. United States ESPN THURSDAY’S TV SCHEDULE AUTO RACING 8 p.m. BOXING 3 p.m. GOLF 1 a.m. 4:30 a.m. 9 a.m. Noon Formula One, practice for Malaysia Grand Prix NBCSN Welterweights, Breidis Prescott vs. Fredrick Lawson ESPN2 European PGA Tour, Trophee Hassan II European PGA Tour, Trophee Hassan II PGA Tour, Texas Open LPGA, Kia Classic, first round TGC HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL 6:30 p.m. 9:30 a.m. FSNPT Trackside Live! MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 10 a.m. 1 p.m. L.A. Dodgers vs. Chicago White Sox L.A. Angels vs. Chicago Cubs MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 1 p.m. 1:15 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 3:55 p.m. NHL 1 p.m. 1 p.m. SOCCER 9:55 a.m. TGC TGC TGC OC16 Campbell vs. Waipahu HORSE RACING NCAA Tournament, Notre Dame vs. Wichita State NCAA Tournament, North Carolina vs. Wisconsin NCAA Tournament, Kentucky vs. West Virginia NCAA Tournament, Xavier vs. Arizona SNLA ESPN CBS TBS CBS TBS Los Angeles at N.Y. Islanders Anaheim at Boston FSNW FSNPT Men’s exhibition, France vs. Brazil ESPN2 *Tape-delayed broadcast MLB BASEBALL SPRING TRAINING AMERICAN W L Pct Kansas City 13 8 .619 Oakland 14 9 .609 New York 13 9 .591 Los Angeles 11 8 .579 Toronto 12 9 .571 Houston 9 8 .529 Boston 10 9 .526 Tampa Bay 9 9 .500 Minnesota 9 10 .474 Seattle 9 10 .474 Cleveland 9 11 .450 Texas 8 10 .444 Baltimore 9 13 .409 Chicago 7 11 .389 Detroit 7 15 .318 NATIONAL W L Pct Los Angeles 11 6 .647 Arizona 12 9 .571 Colorado 12 9 .571 St. Louis 9 7 .563 Miami 11 9 .550 New York 12 10 .545 Pittsburgh 10 9 .526 Philadelphia 11 10 .524 San Diego 11 10 .524 Cincinnati 9 9 .500 Washington 9 9 .500 Chicago 9 12 .429 Milwaukee 8 11 .421 Atlanta 9 13 .409 San Francisco 6 16 .273 San Francisco 6 16 .273 NOTE: Split-squad games count in the standings; games against non-major league teams do not. Tuesday’s Games Minnesota 6, Toronto 5 Baltimore 9, Pittsburgh 2 Philadelphia 5, Atlanta 3 Miami 9, Boston 4 Houston 4, N.Y. Mets 3 Colorado 7, Chicago White Sox 6 Texas 15, L.A. Angels 8 San Diego 6, Seattle 4 Oakland 14, Chicago Cubs 2 N.Y. Yankees 9, Detroit 8 NBA BASKETBALL EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic W L Toronto 42 29 Boston 31 39 Brooklyn 29 40 Philadelphia 17 54 New York 14 57 Southeast W L y-Atlanta 53 17 Washington 40 31 Miami 32 38 Charlotte 30 39 Orlando 22 50 Central W L x-Cleveland 46 26 x-Chicago 43 29 Milwaukee 35 36 Indiana 30 40 Detroit 27 44 WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest W L x-Memphis 50 21 Houston 47 23 San Antonio 44 26 Dallas 45 27 New Orleans 37 33 Pct .592 .443 .420 .239 .197 Pct .757 .563 .457 .435 .306 Pct .639 .597 .493 .429 .380 GB -10½ 12 25 28 GB -13½ 21 22½ 32 GB -3 10½ 15 18½ Pct GB .704 -.671 2½ .629 5½ .625 5½ .529 12½ Northwest W L Pct GB Portland 44 25 .638 -Oklahoma City 41 30 .577 4 Utah 31 39 .443 13½ Denver 27 44 .380 18 Minnesota 16 54 .229 28½ Pacific W L Pct GB x-Golden State 58 13 .817 -L.A. Clippers 46 25 .648 12 Phoenix 38 33 .535 20 Sacramento 25 45 .357 32½ L.A. Lakers 18 51 .261 x-clinched playoff spot y-clinched division Tuesday’s Games Detroit 108, Toronto 104 Oklahoma City 127, L.A. Lakers 117 Dallas 101, San Antonio 94 Milwaukee 89, Miami 88 Sacramento 107, Philadelphia 106 Golden State 122, Portland 108 Wednesday’s Games Indiana at Washington, 1 p.m. Chicago at Toronto, 1 p.m. Atlanta at Orlando, 1 p.m. Brooklyn at Charlotte, 1 p.m. L.A. Clippers at New York, 1 p.m. Miami at Boston, 1:30 p.m. Houston at New Orleans, 2 p.m. Cleveland at Memphis, 2 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Minnesota, 2 p.m. Philadelphia at Denver, 3 p.m. Portland at Utah, 3 p.m. Oklahoma City at San Antonio, 3:30 p.m. Sacramento at Phoenix, 4 p.m. COLLEGE MEN’S CINDERELLA: Even low seeded teams are storied programs RADIO SCHEDULE FSNPT Trackside Live! NCAA TOURNAMENT EAST REGIONAL Round of 32 Sunday’s Games Michigan State 60, Virginia 54 Oklahoma 72, Dayton 66 Louisville 66, Northern Iowa 53 Regional Semifinals Friday’s Games N.C. State (22-13) vs. Louisville (26-8), 1:37 p.m. Michigan State (25-11) vs. Oklahoma (24-10), 4:07 p.m. SOUTH REGIONAL Round of 32 Sunday’s Games Duke 68, San Diego State 49 Gonzaga 87, Iowa 68 Regional Semifinals Friday’s Games UCLA (22-13) vs. Gonzaga (34-2), 1:15 p.m. Duke (31-4) vs. Utah (26-8), 3:45 p.m. MIDWEST REGIONAL Round of 32 Sunday’s Games West Virginia 69, Maryland 59 Wichita State 78, Kansas 65 Regional Semifinals Thursday’s Games Wichita State (30-4) vs. Notre Dame (31-5), 1:15 p.m. Kentucky (36-0) vs. West Virginia (296), 3:45 p.m. WEST REGIONAL Round of 32 Sunday’s Games Wisconsin 72, Oregon 65 Regional Semifinals Thursday’s Games Wisconsin (33-3) vs. North Carolina (26-11), 1:47 p.m. Arizona (33-3) vs. Xavier (23-13), 4:17 p.m. WEDNESDAY 2:45 p.m. College baseball: Hawaii vs Loyola Marymount 790/1420AM NATIONAL INVITATION TOURNAMENT Quarterfinals Miami 63, Richmond 61 Stanford 78, Vanderbilt 75 WOMEN’S NCAA TOURNAMENT ALBANY REGIONAL Second Round Monday’s Games UConn 91, Rutgers 55 Louisville 60, South Florida 52 Regional Semifinals Saturday’s Games UConn (34-1) vs. Texas (24-10), 6 a.m. Dayton (27-6) vs. Louisville (27-6), 8:30 a.m. SPOKANE REGIONAL Second Round Monday’s Games Maryland 85, Princeton 70 Tennessee 77, Pittsburgh 67 Regional Semifinals Saturday’s Games Maryland (32-2) vs. Duke (23-10), 10:30 a.m. Gonzaga (26-7) vs. Tennessee (29-5), 1 p.m. OKLAHOMA CITY REGIONAL Second Round Monday’s Games Stanford 86, Oklahoma 76 Regional Semifinals Friday’s Games Iowa (26-7) vs. Baylor (32-3), 1:30 p.m. Notre Dame (33-2) vs. Stanford (26-9), 4 p.m. GREENSBORO REGIONAL Second Round Monday’s Games North Carolina 86, Ohio State 84 Arizona State 57, UALR 54 Florida State 65, Florida Gulf Coast 47 Regional Semifinals Friday’s Games South Carolina (32-2) vs. North Carolina (26-8), 1 p.m. Arizona State (29-5) vs. Florida State (31-4), 3:30 p.m. HOCKEY NHL Tuesday’s Games Minnesota 2, N.Y. Islanders 1, SO Los Angeles 4, N.Y. Rangers 2 St. Louis 3, Pittsburgh 2, OT 3B Columbus 5, Anaheim 3 Arizona 5, Detroit 4, OT Tampa Bay 4, Florida 3 Nashville 3, Montreal 2, OT Vancouver 5, Winnipeg 2 Wednesday’s Games Chicago at Philadelphia, 8 p.m. Colorado at Edmonton, 8 p.m. Dallas at Calgary, 10 p.m. TRANSACTIONS BASEBALL American League CHICAGO WHITE SOX -- Optioned INF Leury Garcia, LHP Onelki Garcia and INF Andy Wilkins to Charlotte (IL) and RHP Frankie Montas to Birmingham (SL). Reassigned RHP Logan Kensing, RHP Nolan Sanburn and LHP Joe Savery to minor league camp. MINNESOTA TWINS -- Agreed to terms with 2B Brian Dozier on a four-year contract. Optioned RHP A.J. Achter to Rochester (IL). Reassigned C Tyler Grimes, INFs James Beresford and Jose Martinez, and OFs Eric Farris and Danny Ortiz to minor league camp. TEXAS RANGERS -- Optioned INF Hanser Alberto to Round Rock (PCL). Assigned RHPs Alex Gonzalez and Ross Wolf to minor league camp. National League MIAMI MARLINS -- Optioned RHP Carter Capps to New Orleans (PCL). Reassigned RHP Vin Mazzaro, RHP Ryan Chaffee, LHP Pat Misch, LHP Pat Urckfitz and C Vinny Rottino to minor league camp. MILWAUKEE BREWERS -- Assigned INF Pete Orr and OF Bryan Petersen to minor league camp. NEW YORK METS -- Optioned LHP Jack Leathersich to minor league camp. FOOTBALL National Football League CHICAGO BEARS -- Agreed to terms with DT Ray McDonald and DE Jarvis Jenkins on one-year contracts. HOUSTON TEXANS -- Re-signed LB Akeem Dent. MINNESOTA VIKINGS -- Agreed to terms with LB Casey Matthews and S Taylor Mays. NEW YORK JETS -- Signed DEs Stephen Bowen and Kevin Vickerson and OT Corey Hilliard. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B floor. What’s expected seldom is as interesting as what isn’t. There is ample greatness in this Sweet 16, and in Kentucky there is even an ultimate favorite to root against if you are so inclined. What there ISN’T is a warm ‘n fuzzy underdog left like No. 14-seed Georgia State and its rolling coach would have been. Or like 15th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast was in getting to this round in 2013. The fascination in March Madness isn’t found in Kentucky’s perfection or in the officepool payout you’re playing for. The fascination is that, every year, there are double-digit-seeded teams whose nicknames you don’t know, from conferences you’ve barely heard of, and this is their Powerball. This is one big shot. Just like you never win the lottery, the Georgia States never hit the ultimate prize, either. A double-digit seed has never won the NCAA championship let alone reached the title game. Only three (all No. 11s) have reached the Final Four: Louisiana State in 1986, George Mason in 2006 and Virginia Commonwealth in 2011. This year, no Cinderella left. No little team aiming a slingshot high. What’s left is big, storied programs like Kentucky, Duke, Louisville and Michigan State. Ten of the 16 schools left have won a combined 38 national championships. The ultimate proof that Cinderella has left the building? The only double-digit seed left in the Sweet 16 is only the most successful college basketball program ever: UCLA. The other worst-seeded teams still in it are No. 8 North Carolina State, which ousted No. 1-seeded Villanova; No. 7 Michigan State, playing in its 13th Sweet 16 in 20 seasons under Izzo; and No. 7 Wichita State, which reached the Final Four two years ago and arrived here 35-0 last year. Oh, and, by the way, when North Carolina is described as a “sleeper,” your bracket officially has no sleepers. It is wide awake. The UNC Tar Heels sneak up on nobody.