Saturday, March 20, 2004
Hawaii Car Rentals: Kauai, Maui, Oahu, Molokai, Big Island; Rental Cars & Auto Hire
Dollar Rent A Car to Waive Fee
Hawaii -
Dollar Rent A Car will soon be waiving the second driver fee on all rentals in the state of Hawaii for reservations between September 1 and December 15, 2004. Although this information has not yet gone out in Dollar's newletter, this special is already available to those making online reservations at SummitPacific.com.
Dollar Rent A Car to Waive Fee
Hawaii -
Dollar Rent A Car will soon be waiving the second driver fee on all rentals in the state of Hawaii for reservations between September 1 and December 15, 2004. Although this information has not yet gone out in Dollar's newletter, this special is already available to those making online reservations at SummitPacific.com.
The Maui News: Honolulu distributor takes over MORRAD - - Maui News: "Honolulu distributor takes over MORRAD
KAHULUI - Kahului-based MORRAD Foodservice will be acquired April 17 by HFM FoodService of Honolulu. The food-product wholesaling companies will maintain separate business names, personnel, facilities and operations, but the combined operation will be the largest in the state.
Both companies are involved in wholesaling and distribution of a range of grocery products including fresh produce and processed food products, industrial and household chemicals and paper products.
Donald Zwade, president of MORRAD, called the deal 'a win-win for both companies. It provides the capital and overall structure to make MORRAD's vision a reality.'
MORRAD was founded in 1978 and operates on Maui, Molokai, Lanai, the Big Island and Kauai. HFM, found in 1964, operates in Hawaii, Guam and throughout the Pacific.
In a press statement, HFM said the two operations are 'highly compatible.'"
KAHULUI - Kahului-based MORRAD Foodservice will be acquired April 17 by HFM FoodService of Honolulu. The food-product wholesaling companies will maintain separate business names, personnel, facilities and operations, but the combined operation will be the largest in the state.
Both companies are involved in wholesaling and distribution of a range of grocery products including fresh produce and processed food products, industrial and household chemicals and paper products.
Donald Zwade, president of MORRAD, called the deal 'a win-win for both companies. It provides the capital and overall structure to make MORRAD's vision a reality.'
MORRAD was founded in 1978 and operates on Maui, Molokai, Lanai, the Big Island and Kauai. HFM, found in 1964, operates in Hawaii, Guam and throughout the Pacific.
In a press statement, HFM said the two operations are 'highly compatible.'"
The Maui News: State Junior Olympic boxing makes Maui debut on Saturday - - Maui News
State Junior Olympic boxing makes Maui debut on Saturday
By RODNEY S. YAP, Staff Writer
WAILUKU - The Valley Isle's top youth boxers - from Upcountry gyms to South Maui - will showcase their skills this weekend against the best from around the state in the 2004 USA Hawaii Junior Olympic Boxing State Championships.
War Memorial Gym will be the place to see all the action as boxers ranging from 8- to 16-years-old compete in 18 different weight classes. Saturday's preliminary bouts begin at 7 p.m. and Sunday's finals start at noon. General admission is $10, ringside seating is $20.
Maui has produced its share of champions over the years, including Wailuku Boxing Club's Dat Nguyen six years ago. Last year, however, was arguably Maui's finest showing at the Junior Olympic state championships on Oahu as six fighters earned gold medals and four were eligible to advance to the national competition last June in Alexandria, La. When the group returned to Maui, three of the boxers were ranked among the nation's top 10 in their respective weight classes.
Four of last year's champions are back. Kevin Kaahoohanohano of Wailuku Boxing Club and Kaluka Maiava of Central Maui Boxing Club - two of the island's most promising amateur fighters - are 17 now and too old to compete. But Southside Boxing Club's Thomas Buswell-Ordonez, Central Maui Boxing Club's Chazz Moleta, Wailuku Boxing Club's Keola McKee and Southside's Zachary Masuboy Manangan are all expected to defend the titles they won in Waianae in 2003.
Moleta, a 16-year-old sophomore at Baldwin High School, is currently ranked No. 6 in the nation. He is expected to move up in weight from the 106-pound division he competed in last year. Ordonez, 16, is a sophomore at St. Anthony and currently ranked No. 9. He is also expected to move up in weight from the 101-pound division.
In addition to the Olympic fighting, fans will be treated to open fights in various weight classes, featuring men and women from around the state. Oahu's Police Athletic League (PAL) is also scheduled to have bouts Saturday afternoon at War Memorial Gym, starting at 1 p.m. Admission is free.
Bruce Kawano, the chairman of USA Boxing Hawaii, which runs the Junior Olympic program in the 50th state, and Hawaii's lone member on the national board of directors for the U.S. Olympic Committee since 1999, is responsible for bringing the two-day event to Maui.
"The reason I brought it to Maui is because we know it will draw a good crowd and they have good athletes that have shown well in past tournaments,'' Kawano said. "What I'd like to see is the people in charge of the senior (boxing) programs, like the Golden Gloves and the state championships, hopefully follow my lead and bring more events to Maui.''
Kawano said 10 clubs from Oahu are coming, one from Kauai and four from the Big Island. He predicts there will be as many as 60 fighters from Maui alone. Kawano said news of the event coming to Maui did not sit well with the clubs on Oahu.
"My job is to have the best tournament we can have, regardless of where it is held and I'm just doing my job,'' remarked Kawano, who also coaches at Kakaako Boxing Club. "The fighters on Maui have to travel to Oahu all the time, so it's only fair that Oahu fighters have to travel, too."
Kawano said, "Maui boxing has really stepped it up. They have plenty of fighters all around the island, and USA Boxing is the perfect grass roots boxing program for those young fighters just learning."
All 15- and 16-year-old winners automatically advance to Texas for the national championships in June. Winners from Texas are eligible to box internationally and train at the U,S. Olympic Center training site in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Last year Maiava was asked to join the international team to Mexico City but he could not commit because he had to return to Maui to prepare for the start of the Maui interscholastic League football season.
"He was a newcomer, the kind Hawaii typically gets, someone who has enjoyed success having between 5 and 20 fights," Kawano said. "On the Mainland fighters typically fight as many as 100 fights."
In fact, Kawano expects there will be a number of weight classes where fighters may go unopposed. Kawano said unopposed fighters who are 15 or 16 are eligible to advance to Texas.
One such boxer Kawano expects to be unopposed is 15-year-old Keola McKee, who is preparing to fight in the 85-pound weight class. His father and coach, Jeff McKee, doesn't expect Keola to have any competition here. Nevertheless, Kawano said, "In my opinion, and I've followed this kid since he was 5, he'll win the national championship."
Those who have seen Keola McKee box agree his chances of a national championship are good.
The older McKee said he's just happy Maui is getting to host the competition.
"The best place to have it is here," Jeff McKee said. "Maui has more active fighters than anywhere else, so this is the best thing. Kawano is doing the right thing by brining it to Maui."
Kawano said he's brining 97 medals, from first to third, in weight classes beginning from 80 pounds on up to super heavyweight (unlimited).
"This is great for Maui," said the 37-year-old Kawano, who won three Hawaii Golden Gloves titles and state championships at 119 pounds. "It's this kind of competition that really can get a boxer to the next level. Much like the international competition can help a fighter get to the Olympic level."
State Junior Olympic boxing makes Maui debut on Saturday
By RODNEY S. YAP, Staff Writer
WAILUKU - The Valley Isle's top youth boxers - from Upcountry gyms to South Maui - will showcase their skills this weekend against the best from around the state in the 2004 USA Hawaii Junior Olympic Boxing State Championships.
War Memorial Gym will be the place to see all the action as boxers ranging from 8- to 16-years-old compete in 18 different weight classes. Saturday's preliminary bouts begin at 7 p.m. and Sunday's finals start at noon. General admission is $10, ringside seating is $20.
Maui has produced its share of champions over the years, including Wailuku Boxing Club's Dat Nguyen six years ago. Last year, however, was arguably Maui's finest showing at the Junior Olympic state championships on Oahu as six fighters earned gold medals and four were eligible to advance to the national competition last June in Alexandria, La. When the group returned to Maui, three of the boxers were ranked among the nation's top 10 in their respective weight classes.
Four of last year's champions are back. Kevin Kaahoohanohano of Wailuku Boxing Club and Kaluka Maiava of Central Maui Boxing Club - two of the island's most promising amateur fighters - are 17 now and too old to compete. But Southside Boxing Club's Thomas Buswell-Ordonez, Central Maui Boxing Club's Chazz Moleta, Wailuku Boxing Club's Keola McKee and Southside's Zachary Masuboy Manangan are all expected to defend the titles they won in Waianae in 2003.
Moleta, a 16-year-old sophomore at Baldwin High School, is currently ranked No. 6 in the nation. He is expected to move up in weight from the 106-pound division he competed in last year. Ordonez, 16, is a sophomore at St. Anthony and currently ranked No. 9. He is also expected to move up in weight from the 101-pound division.
In addition to the Olympic fighting, fans will be treated to open fights in various weight classes, featuring men and women from around the state. Oahu's Police Athletic League (PAL) is also scheduled to have bouts Saturday afternoon at War Memorial Gym, starting at 1 p.m. Admission is free.
Bruce Kawano, the chairman of USA Boxing Hawaii, which runs the Junior Olympic program in the 50th state, and Hawaii's lone member on the national board of directors for the U.S. Olympic Committee since 1999, is responsible for bringing the two-day event to Maui.
"The reason I brought it to Maui is because we know it will draw a good crowd and they have good athletes that have shown well in past tournaments,'' Kawano said. "What I'd like to see is the people in charge of the senior (boxing) programs, like the Golden Gloves and the state championships, hopefully follow my lead and bring more events to Maui.''
Kawano said 10 clubs from Oahu are coming, one from Kauai and four from the Big Island. He predicts there will be as many as 60 fighters from Maui alone. Kawano said news of the event coming to Maui did not sit well with the clubs on Oahu.
"My job is to have the best tournament we can have, regardless of where it is held and I'm just doing my job,'' remarked Kawano, who also coaches at Kakaako Boxing Club. "The fighters on Maui have to travel to Oahu all the time, so it's only fair that Oahu fighters have to travel, too."
Kawano said, "Maui boxing has really stepped it up. They have plenty of fighters all around the island, and USA Boxing is the perfect grass roots boxing program for those young fighters just learning."
All 15- and 16-year-old winners automatically advance to Texas for the national championships in June. Winners from Texas are eligible to box internationally and train at the U,S. Olympic Center training site in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Last year Maiava was asked to join the international team to Mexico City but he could not commit because he had to return to Maui to prepare for the start of the Maui interscholastic League football season.
"He was a newcomer, the kind Hawaii typically gets, someone who has enjoyed success having between 5 and 20 fights," Kawano said. "On the Mainland fighters typically fight as many as 100 fights."
In fact, Kawano expects there will be a number of weight classes where fighters may go unopposed. Kawano said unopposed fighters who are 15 or 16 are eligible to advance to Texas.
One such boxer Kawano expects to be unopposed is 15-year-old Keola McKee, who is preparing to fight in the 85-pound weight class. His father and coach, Jeff McKee, doesn't expect Keola to have any competition here. Nevertheless, Kawano said, "In my opinion, and I've followed this kid since he was 5, he'll win the national championship."
Those who have seen Keola McKee box agree his chances of a national championship are good.
The older McKee said he's just happy Maui is getting to host the competition.
"The best place to have it is here," Jeff McKee said. "Maui has more active fighters than anywhere else, so this is the best thing. Kawano is doing the right thing by brining it to Maui."
Kawano said he's brining 97 medals, from first to third, in weight classes beginning from 80 pounds on up to super heavyweight (unlimited).
"This is great for Maui," said the 37-year-old Kawano, who won three Hawaii Golden Gloves titles and state championships at 119 pounds. "It's this kind of competition that really can get a boxer to the next level. Much like the international competition can help a fighter get to the Olympic level."
Honolulu Star-Bulletin Business
Verizon Hawaii
co-op floated
Two state lawmakers seek a
special hearing as the parent of
the local phone company looks
for a potential buyer
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Rick Daysog
rdaysog@starbulletin.com
Concerns over the economic and consumer fallout of a proposed sale of Verizon Hawaii have prompted two state lawmakers to call for a special hearing into whether the local phone company can be converted into a customer-owned business cooperative.
In a draft of a Senate resolution, state senators Carol Fukunaga (D, Ala Moana) and David Ige (D, Waimalu) are asking for a joint information session on the proposed Verizon Hawaii deal by the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing Committee and the House Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee.
The senators said they want the committees to study whether Verizon Hawaii can be acquired by the state Public Utilities Commission and be operated as a cooperative venture modeled after Kauai Electric Co., which is partly owned by its customers.
"I think our number one concern is service to consumers and accountability to Hawaii's rate payers," Fukunaga said.
Verizon Hawaii spokeswoman Ann Nishida said the company has no immediate comment on the Senate resolution.
Kauai Electric, which serves about 30,000 customers on the Garden Isle, is the only utility in the state that operates as a business cooperative. Customers who have elected to be cooperative members own a share of the company and receive a portion of its revenues.
The Kauai coop was set up in 2002 when Citizens Communications Corp. sold the local company to Kauai Island Utility Co-op for $215 million.
Verizon Communications Inc. confirmed last month that it has had discussions with several parties about the sale of its local phone units in Hawaii and New York. Verizon stressed that no sale is imminent and that no decision has been made to sell off its Hawaii operations.
Several news reports have identified the Carlyle Group, a Washington D.C.-based private equity firm, as one of several potential suitors for Verizon Hawaii, which could fetch up to $1.5 billion. The resolution referred to offers by Carlyle and a New York-based asset management company, as well as other telecommunications service providers.
Fukunaga said she introduced the resolution after several Verizon Hawaii employees approached her with their concerns about a potential sale to an investment company.
"Utilities should not really be an investment acquisition," said Fukunaga. "They are really here for the public good and we want to make sure we preserve and maintain their quality of service."
The Carlyle Group -- whose executive ranks and advisory boards include former President George Bush, former Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci and ex-British Prime Minister John Major -- is one of the world's largest private equity firms with more than $18 billion under management.
In 2002, the investment firm paid $300 million to acquire CSX Lines, which operates West Coast to Hawaii ocean freight service.
Verizon Hawaii
co-op floated
Two state lawmakers seek a
special hearing as the parent of
the local phone company looks
for a potential buyer
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Rick Daysog
rdaysog@starbulletin.com
Concerns over the economic and consumer fallout of a proposed sale of Verizon Hawaii have prompted two state lawmakers to call for a special hearing into whether the local phone company can be converted into a customer-owned business cooperative.
In a draft of a Senate resolution, state senators Carol Fukunaga (D, Ala Moana) and David Ige (D, Waimalu) are asking for a joint information session on the proposed Verizon Hawaii deal by the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing Committee and the House Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee.
The senators said they want the committees to study whether Verizon Hawaii can be acquired by the state Public Utilities Commission and be operated as a cooperative venture modeled after Kauai Electric Co., which is partly owned by its customers.
"I think our number one concern is service to consumers and accountability to Hawaii's rate payers," Fukunaga said.
Verizon Hawaii spokeswoman Ann Nishida said the company has no immediate comment on the Senate resolution.
Kauai Electric, which serves about 30,000 customers on the Garden Isle, is the only utility in the state that operates as a business cooperative. Customers who have elected to be cooperative members own a share of the company and receive a portion of its revenues.
The Kauai coop was set up in 2002 when Citizens Communications Corp. sold the local company to Kauai Island Utility Co-op for $215 million.
Verizon Communications Inc. confirmed last month that it has had discussions with several parties about the sale of its local phone units in Hawaii and New York. Verizon stressed that no sale is imminent and that no decision has been made to sell off its Hawaii operations.
Several news reports have identified the Carlyle Group, a Washington D.C.-based private equity firm, as one of several potential suitors for Verizon Hawaii, which could fetch up to $1.5 billion. The resolution referred to offers by Carlyle and a New York-based asset management company, as well as other telecommunications service providers.
Fukunaga said she introduced the resolution after several Verizon Hawaii employees approached her with their concerns about a potential sale to an investment company.
"Utilities should not really be an investment acquisition," said Fukunaga. "They are really here for the public good and we want to make sure we preserve and maintain their quality of service."
The Carlyle Group -- whose executive ranks and advisory boards include former President George Bush, former Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci and ex-British Prime Minister John Major -- is one of the world's largest private equity firms with more than $18 billion under management.
In 2002, the investment firm paid $300 million to acquire CSX Lines, which operates West Coast to Hawaii ocean freight service.
Friday, March 19, 2004
GolfDigest.com - According to Courtney ...
According to Courtney...
The star of ABC’s hit comedy According to Jim talks about why she loves to play with girlfriends, her battle with body image and the deal she made with her fiancé. (Hint: It has to do with golf.)
Golf For Women Magazine
When did you start playing golf?
When I was 22. I was on vacation in Hawaii, and I started hitting balls. I loved it. Then I met a guy who was into golf, and I got bitten by the bug.
What's the best part of your game?
My chipping is great. I have a beautiful swing, and I'm good off the tee. My 3-wood is my best club. But I top the ball too often; I had a golfer tell me once that I was way too afraid of hurting the grass. So I need to get over that. But I'm pretty consistent. Even when I was just beginning and I could only hit it a hundred yards, it was a hundred yards straight down the middle.
And the worst part?
My putting isn't so good, because by the time I reach the putting green, I've pretty much lost interest, and I'm ready to move on to the next hole. Besides, there's chatting to be done on the putting green. When I'm by myself on the fairway, I can concentrate. When I'm on the green with my girlfriends, it's all over.
What appeals to you about the game?
I Iove both the challenge of the sport and the social aspect. When I first started, I'd play with my girlfriends every week at Studio City Golf Course, a par-3 course near Los Angeles. But then all my friends started having babies. It really got in the way of my golf game.
Why do you like playing with women?
It's a lot about the chatting.You get to catch up with your friends while you play. With men, it's really all about the golf. The chatting is secondary.
How much do you play?
I don't play as much right now. But I want to get back to it. My dad belongs to Palo Alto Hills [Golf & Country Club]. My stepmother plays twice a week with a group of women at their club. She loves it. Maybe I need to join a club. If I could have a combination book club and golf club, I'd be beside myself. You could golf and talk about books.
What‘s your favorite place to play?
I play a lot on Maui, some on Kauai. It's difficult to find an unattractive course in Hawaii. It's so lush. We don't have that in southern California.
How would you rate your game?
Fun. The more I play, the better I am.
You're engaged to a doctor. Does he play?
Rob [Andrews] doesn't play... yet. He and a group of doctors go cycling at 5 a.m. three days a week. But it's just a matter of getting him out on the golf course. I'm going to kidnap him and take him up to Ojai [Valley Inn & Spa, north of Los Angeles]. I love golf resorts. They usually have a spa, and you spend four hours talking and playing in a beautiful place. What's not to like? Once I get him out there, he'll get it. He does know that he's going to play golf soon. That was our agreement: that I would start to cycle and he would learn to play golf.
What do you like most about your new show?
I love the close-knit family relationship in According to Jim. I love that my character is really happy in her life. She accepts her husband, she accepts what she does in life. There's not a lot of dissatisfaction. I mean, there's momentary frustration with stuff he does, but she's really happy. I admire that.
You were on Melrose Place for five years and Ally McBeal for three. You've talked about the pressure to be thin on those shows....
There was a lot of pressure on Melrose Place to look a certain way, because it was very much a show about "a look." I wanted to fit in with the show; at the same time, I was conflicted about presenting an unattainable image. By the time I got onto Ally, I was working so hard to keep my body a certain way; it took a huge amount of time and energy. I was overexercising and undereating, making myself crazy.
What changed?
My picture appeared with a magazine article about actresses who were too thin and their impact on young women. I went "uh-oh." I started to get support, to talk about it. I wanted to land in a body that was comfortable. I wanted energy. I wanted to go out and play golf and get something at the snack bar. I wanted to be able to have fun. The way I look at it is that I changed my tribe. I changed from the successful dieter's tribe to the woman-struggling-to-have-a-happy-life tribe. It's a better tribe, a happier tribe. We're not as hungry.
According to Courtney...
The star of ABC’s hit comedy According to Jim talks about why she loves to play with girlfriends, her battle with body image and the deal she made with her fiancé. (Hint: It has to do with golf.)
Golf For Women Magazine
When did you start playing golf?
When I was 22. I was on vacation in Hawaii, and I started hitting balls. I loved it. Then I met a guy who was into golf, and I got bitten by the bug.
What's the best part of your game?
My chipping is great. I have a beautiful swing, and I'm good off the tee. My 3-wood is my best club. But I top the ball too often; I had a golfer tell me once that I was way too afraid of hurting the grass. So I need to get over that. But I'm pretty consistent. Even when I was just beginning and I could only hit it a hundred yards, it was a hundred yards straight down the middle.
And the worst part?
My putting isn't so good, because by the time I reach the putting green, I've pretty much lost interest, and I'm ready to move on to the next hole. Besides, there's chatting to be done on the putting green. When I'm by myself on the fairway, I can concentrate. When I'm on the green with my girlfriends, it's all over.
What appeals to you about the game?
I Iove both the challenge of the sport and the social aspect. When I first started, I'd play with my girlfriends every week at Studio City Golf Course, a par-3 course near Los Angeles. But then all my friends started having babies. It really got in the way of my golf game.
Why do you like playing with women?
It's a lot about the chatting.You get to catch up with your friends while you play. With men, it's really all about the golf. The chatting is secondary.
How much do you play?
I don't play as much right now. But I want to get back to it. My dad belongs to Palo Alto Hills [Golf & Country Club]. My stepmother plays twice a week with a group of women at their club. She loves it. Maybe I need to join a club. If I could have a combination book club and golf club, I'd be beside myself. You could golf and talk about books.
What‘s your favorite place to play?
I play a lot on Maui, some on Kauai. It's difficult to find an unattractive course in Hawaii. It's so lush. We don't have that in southern California.
How would you rate your game?
Fun. The more I play, the better I am.
You're engaged to a doctor. Does he play?
Rob [Andrews] doesn't play... yet. He and a group of doctors go cycling at 5 a.m. three days a week. But it's just a matter of getting him out on the golf course. I'm going to kidnap him and take him up to Ojai [Valley Inn & Spa, north of Los Angeles]. I love golf resorts. They usually have a spa, and you spend four hours talking and playing in a beautiful place. What's not to like? Once I get him out there, he'll get it. He does know that he's going to play golf soon. That was our agreement: that I would start to cycle and he would learn to play golf.
What do you like most about your new show?
I love the close-knit family relationship in According to Jim. I love that my character is really happy in her life. She accepts her husband, she accepts what she does in life. There's not a lot of dissatisfaction. I mean, there's momentary frustration with stuff he does, but she's really happy. I admire that.
You were on Melrose Place for five years and Ally McBeal for three. You've talked about the pressure to be thin on those shows....
There was a lot of pressure on Melrose Place to look a certain way, because it was very much a show about "a look." I wanted to fit in with the show; at the same time, I was conflicted about presenting an unattainable image. By the time I got onto Ally, I was working so hard to keep my body a certain way; it took a huge amount of time and energy. I was overexercising and undereating, making myself crazy.
What changed?
My picture appeared with a magazine article about actresses who were too thin and their impact on young women. I went "uh-oh." I started to get support, to talk about it. I wanted to land in a body that was comfortable. I wanted energy. I wanted to go out and play golf and get something at the snack bar. I wanted to be able to have fun. The way I look at it is that I changed my tribe. I changed from the successful dieter's tribe to the woman-struggling-to-have-a-happy-life tribe. It's a better tribe, a happier tribe. We're not as hungry.
Thursday, March 18, 2004
Kauai Garden Island News
New phase at Lydgate Park
By Paul C. Curtis - TGI Associate Editor
It is said that a long journey begins with a single step.
Where the Kamalani Pavilion construction project is concerned, that journey begins with a decision before a single step is taken.
Thomas Noyes, Kamalani Pavilion general coordinator and member of the Friends of Kamalani and Lydgate Park, said on the eve of the next community build at Lydgate Park that the pavilion project has been moving down three different paths:
Actual construction of the pavilion, which requires around 40 volunteers per shift. Shifts are 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday;
Placement of ceramic fish, carvings, and other decorative elements into the structure, which requires 40 people per shift Wednesday through Sunday;
Constructing fences and other items to mitigate the vehicular-traffic issue at Kamalani Kai Bridge, which requires 10 people working until the fixes are in place.
The third of three paths was one that was assigned to the volunteers as the result of community meetings aimed at getting a community-based fix of the safety issue of continued vehicular access to the beach flowing directly under Kamalani Kai Bridge, where children often play.
Community members came together and agreed to open up an alternative beach-access point for vehicles north of the bridge, erecting fences to separate the vehicular beach-access route under the bridge from bridge users, and then re-open the vehicular beach-access route under the bridge.
The formal part of the community build of the Kamalani Pavilion begins today, Thursday, March 18, and is expected to run until Wednesday, April 7. A blessing is planned for 8 a.m. today at the site.
The building site is just north of the Kamalani Kai Bridge at Lydgate Park in Wailua, and a visitor check-in site has been established near the restrooms at the site of a campsite designated as compliant with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, Noyes said.
In advance of today's formal construction start, though, work on the pavilion began in earnest. The site was graded last week, and concrete foundation footings have been poured.
The advanced preparation was to enable architect Bob Leathers, who helped design the pavilion with community input and is something of an expert in community-built projects, and the volunteers, to get right to framing the structure beginning today, Noyes said.
Leathers arrived yesterday.
"A few experienced carpenters are needed on Thursday, March 18 and Friday, March 19, to get the framing well advanced before the weekend of March 20," Noyes continued.
"Any community-minded carpenters willing to volunteer on one or both of those days should call me at 639-1018, or the YWCA at 245-5959," Noyes said.
"All volunteers will be well-fed and greatly appreciated.
"Since building new fences to separate play areas from the beach-access route under the Kamalani Kai Bridge has been added to the scope of work for this community build, it is essential that large numbers of volunteers come to the build," he added.
With 80 people needed for each shift, and an additional 10 folks needed for the access solution, around 170 people per day are needed, said Noyes, admitting that not that many people have signed up so far.
"We're relying on media presence, word of mouth, and getting off to a good start" as ways of encouraging more volunteers to come out, he said.
"It's nice if they call the Y, because that gives us a clue about the number of people and their specific skills, and allows us to capture their telephone numbers" and other personal contact information, he said.
But it's OK for people to just show up at the build site, he added.
All volunteers of any skill level are welcomed starting today, and every day through the 21-day community build. And all kinds of people with skills other than carpentry are also needed, he said.
Coffee and refreshments are offered at 7:30 a.m., and lunch is served daily at noon, for all volunteers.
In addition to the contact numbers above, more information is available at the Web site, www.kamalani.org.
Associate Editor Paul C. Curtis can be reached at pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
New phase at Lydgate Park
By Paul C. Curtis - TGI Associate Editor
It is said that a long journey begins with a single step.
Where the Kamalani Pavilion construction project is concerned, that journey begins with a decision before a single step is taken.
Thomas Noyes, Kamalani Pavilion general coordinator and member of the Friends of Kamalani and Lydgate Park, said on the eve of the next community build at Lydgate Park that the pavilion project has been moving down three different paths:
Actual construction of the pavilion, which requires around 40 volunteers per shift. Shifts are 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday;
Placement of ceramic fish, carvings, and other decorative elements into the structure, which requires 40 people per shift Wednesday through Sunday;
Constructing fences and other items to mitigate the vehicular-traffic issue at Kamalani Kai Bridge, which requires 10 people working until the fixes are in place.
The third of three paths was one that was assigned to the volunteers as the result of community meetings aimed at getting a community-based fix of the safety issue of continued vehicular access to the beach flowing directly under Kamalani Kai Bridge, where children often play.
Community members came together and agreed to open up an alternative beach-access point for vehicles north of the bridge, erecting fences to separate the vehicular beach-access route under the bridge from bridge users, and then re-open the vehicular beach-access route under the bridge.
The formal part of the community build of the Kamalani Pavilion begins today, Thursday, March 18, and is expected to run until Wednesday, April 7. A blessing is planned for 8 a.m. today at the site.
The building site is just north of the Kamalani Kai Bridge at Lydgate Park in Wailua, and a visitor check-in site has been established near the restrooms at the site of a campsite designated as compliant with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, Noyes said.
In advance of today's formal construction start, though, work on the pavilion began in earnest. The site was graded last week, and concrete foundation footings have been poured.
The advanced preparation was to enable architect Bob Leathers, who helped design the pavilion with community input and is something of an expert in community-built projects, and the volunteers, to get right to framing the structure beginning today, Noyes said.
Leathers arrived yesterday.
"A few experienced carpenters are needed on Thursday, March 18 and Friday, March 19, to get the framing well advanced before the weekend of March 20," Noyes continued.
"Any community-minded carpenters willing to volunteer on one or both of those days should call me at 639-1018, or the YWCA at 245-5959," Noyes said.
"All volunteers will be well-fed and greatly appreciated.
"Since building new fences to separate play areas from the beach-access route under the Kamalani Kai Bridge has been added to the scope of work for this community build, it is essential that large numbers of volunteers come to the build," he added.
With 80 people needed for each shift, and an additional 10 folks needed for the access solution, around 170 people per day are needed, said Noyes, admitting that not that many people have signed up so far.
"We're relying on media presence, word of mouth, and getting off to a good start" as ways of encouraging more volunteers to come out, he said.
"It's nice if they call the Y, because that gives us a clue about the number of people and their specific skills, and allows us to capture their telephone numbers" and other personal contact information, he said.
But it's OK for people to just show up at the build site, he added.
All volunteers of any skill level are welcomed starting today, and every day through the 21-day community build. And all kinds of people with skills other than carpentry are also needed, he said.
Coffee and refreshments are offered at 7:30 a.m., and lunch is served daily at noon, for all volunteers.
In addition to the contact numbers above, more information is available at the Web site, www.kamalani.org.
Associate Editor Paul C. Curtis can be reached at pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
Kauai Garden Island News
The Irish and Kaua‘i
Tom Driskill, president and chief executive officer of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, inspects the inner workings of the co-generation power generator at the Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital at West Kauai Medical Center.
By CHRIS COOK - TGI Editor
Posted: Wednesday, Mar 17, 2004 - 04:06:12 am HST
St. Patrick's Day is an auspicious date to recount the unique ways Kaua‘i and Ireland are knitted together.
While no mass immigration of Irish workers ever happened during the 1800s when workers from around the world were recruited to work on the island's plantations, the Irish have played key roles here.
On March 17, 1942, first defenders from the Mainland came ashore at Port Allen to defend Kaua‘i's shores against a Japanese military invasion. Those men where members of the famed Fighting 69th Irish regiment of New York City. The soldiers later left to fight in the South Pacific and other Pacific combat zones of World War II.
Other Irishmen came to Kaua‘i as individuals, and made their way into key positions in government and business. Prominent Irish surnames found recorded in Kaua‘i's history include Moragne and Coney.
The famed Leprechauns, the little people of Irish fame, are sometimes compared to the legendary Menehune of Kaua‘i. The roots of this comparison is likely a turn-of-the-century elaboration on the Menehune legend made by Waimea merchant C. Hofgaard. Hofgaard related the Menehune to the Norwegian brownie, giving a face to the Menehune, according to Christine Fayé, director of Gay & Robinson's sugar mill and plantation tours.
A significant chapter of Kaua‘i history beings with the arrival of an Irish Roman Catholic priest, the Rev. A. Walsh. Walsh came ashore at Koloa on Dec. 22, 1841, and celebrated the first mass on Kaua‘i, according to the text of "Saint Catherine Parish 1887-1987," a book published to mark the centennial year of the Kapa‘a church.
Walsh established a small chapel and school at Koloa, which became the mission of St. Raphael the Archangel, and worked at establishing Roman Catholic missions on the North Shore, founding St. Maxine's at the mouth of the Hanalei River, and St. Stephen's at Moloa‘a.
The Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Hawaii offers a way for those of Irish descent to celebrate their heritage in a Hawai‘i setting. The charitable and fraternal organization was founded in Honolulu on March 17, 1955, and is best known for its annual St. Patrick's Day parade, Hawai‘i-style.
"From the Emerald Isles to the Hawaiian Isles" is a motto of the group, which traces its roots to the first Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, which was formed in Philadelphia in 1771. Membership information is available on the Internet at webtaylor. com/fsons.
Editor Chris Cook may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 227) or ccook@pulitzer.net.
The Irish and Kaua‘i
Tom Driskill, president and chief executive officer of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, inspects the inner workings of the co-generation power generator at the Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital at West Kauai Medical Center.
By CHRIS COOK - TGI Editor
Posted: Wednesday, Mar 17, 2004 - 04:06:12 am HST
St. Patrick's Day is an auspicious date to recount the unique ways Kaua‘i and Ireland are knitted together.
While no mass immigration of Irish workers ever happened during the 1800s when workers from around the world were recruited to work on the island's plantations, the Irish have played key roles here.
On March 17, 1942, first defenders from the Mainland came ashore at Port Allen to defend Kaua‘i's shores against a Japanese military invasion. Those men where members of the famed Fighting 69th Irish regiment of New York City. The soldiers later left to fight in the South Pacific and other Pacific combat zones of World War II.
Other Irishmen came to Kaua‘i as individuals, and made their way into key positions in government and business. Prominent Irish surnames found recorded in Kaua‘i's history include Moragne and Coney.
The famed Leprechauns, the little people of Irish fame, are sometimes compared to the legendary Menehune of Kaua‘i. The roots of this comparison is likely a turn-of-the-century elaboration on the Menehune legend made by Waimea merchant C. Hofgaard. Hofgaard related the Menehune to the Norwegian brownie, giving a face to the Menehune, according to Christine Fayé, director of Gay & Robinson's sugar mill and plantation tours.
A significant chapter of Kaua‘i history beings with the arrival of an Irish Roman Catholic priest, the Rev. A. Walsh. Walsh came ashore at Koloa on Dec. 22, 1841, and celebrated the first mass on Kaua‘i, according to the text of "Saint Catherine Parish 1887-1987," a book published to mark the centennial year of the Kapa‘a church.
Walsh established a small chapel and school at Koloa, which became the mission of St. Raphael the Archangel, and worked at establishing Roman Catholic missions on the North Shore, founding St. Maxine's at the mouth of the Hanalei River, and St. Stephen's at Moloa‘a.
The Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Hawaii offers a way for those of Irish descent to celebrate their heritage in a Hawai‘i setting. The charitable and fraternal organization was founded in Honolulu on March 17, 1955, and is best known for its annual St. Patrick's Day parade, Hawai‘i-style.
"From the Emerald Isles to the Hawaiian Isles" is a motto of the group, which traces its roots to the first Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, which was formed in Philadelphia in 1771. Membership information is available on the Internet at webtaylor. com/fsons.
Editor Chris Cook may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 227) or ccook@pulitzer.net.
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
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Discount Car Rentals Available on All Islands. Hawaii Car Rentals |
KPUA.net - KPUA Hawaii News - Surfer has run-in with shark: "Surfer has run-in with shark
By Associated Press
(Hanalei-AP) -- A surfer reported a close encounter with a shark off Kauai's North Shore today.
Bruce Orth says he was straddling his surf board while waiting for waves in Kalihiwai Bay near Hanalei when a shark came under him and nipped his board.
Surfers in the area estimated the shark to be about eight feet long.
Orth says he quickly swam to shore as lifeguards closed nearby beaches and posted shark warning signs. He was not injured.
Kalihiwai Bay is not far from where teenage surfer Bethany Hamilton lost her left arm in a shark attack October 31st.
On January first, 2002, teenage body boarder Hoku Aki lost part of his leg while body boarding in murky water near Kauai's Brennecke Beach on the South Shore.
(Copyright 2004 by the Associated Press. All right reserved.) "
By Associated Press
(Hanalei-AP) -- A surfer reported a close encounter with a shark off Kauai's North Shore today.
Bruce Orth says he was straddling his surf board while waiting for waves in Kalihiwai Bay near Hanalei when a shark came under him and nipped his board.
Surfers in the area estimated the shark to be about eight feet long.
Orth says he quickly swam to shore as lifeguards closed nearby beaches and posted shark warning signs. He was not injured.
Kalihiwai Bay is not far from where teenage surfer Bethany Hamilton lost her left arm in a shark attack October 31st.
On January first, 2002, teenage body boarder Hoku Aki lost part of his leg while body boarding in murky water near Kauai's Brennecke Beach on the South Shore.
(Copyright 2004 by the Associated Press. All right reserved.) "
Honolulu Star-Bulletin Business: "Agriculture train
planned for Kauai�s
Kilohana Plantation
Associated Press
A new train planned for Kilohana Plantation in Lihue would not only give tourists a glimpse of a vestige of Kauai's sugarcane past but also a view of the crops that represent the evolution of the Garden Isle's agriculture industry.
The Kauai Planning Commission recently approved the permits for Kauai Kilohana Partners' proposed 2 1/2-mile Kauai Plantation Railway.
The name was chosen to reflect sensitivity to Kauai's agricultural past and to island residents, said Fred Atkins, general manager of Kauai Kilohana Partners.
'We are using farmers from different parts of the island and we want the community to embrace this,' he said. 'Old-timers want to volunteer. We want to make it for the community first and the visitors will find it.'
One hundred years ago, sugar trains on Kauai brought tons of cane to island mills for processing. But then sugar plantation owners began using cane-haul trucks because they were cheaper to operate and allowed for flexibility.
The Kauai Plantation Railway train system will transport passengers through 102 acres of the Kilohana Plantation and adjacent agricultural lands in Puhi.
Along the way, passengers will get to see crops that represent the evolution of Kauai's agricultural industry, from sugar cane and taro to bananas, papayas and guava.
Also on display will be rambutan, cocoa and chermoya, newly emerging tropical crops on Kauai.
A former cane field near Kukui Grove Village West has already been cleared for planting some of the crops that passengers will be able to see from the train.
Hundreds of exotic fruit trees, an acre or two hybrid coffee, and possible taro crops are planned.
Groundbreaking for the project could take place in "
planned for Kauai�s
Kilohana Plantation
Associated Press
A new train planned for Kilohana Plantation in Lihue would not only give tourists a glimpse of a vestige of Kauai's sugarcane past but also a view of the crops that represent the evolution of the Garden Isle's agriculture industry.
The Kauai Planning Commission recently approved the permits for Kauai Kilohana Partners' proposed 2 1/2-mile Kauai Plantation Railway.
The name was chosen to reflect sensitivity to Kauai's agricultural past and to island residents, said Fred Atkins, general manager of Kauai Kilohana Partners.
'We are using farmers from different parts of the island and we want the community to embrace this,' he said. 'Old-timers want to volunteer. We want to make it for the community first and the visitors will find it.'
One hundred years ago, sugar trains on Kauai brought tons of cane to island mills for processing. But then sugar plantation owners began using cane-haul trucks because they were cheaper to operate and allowed for flexibility.
The Kauai Plantation Railway train system will transport passengers through 102 acres of the Kilohana Plantation and adjacent agricultural lands in Puhi.
Along the way, passengers will get to see crops that represent the evolution of Kauai's agricultural industry, from sugar cane and taro to bananas, papayas and guava.
Also on display will be rambutan, cocoa and chermoya, newly emerging tropical crops on Kauai.
A former cane field near Kukui Grove Village West has already been cleared for planting some of the crops that passengers will be able to see from the train.
Hundreds of exotic fruit trees, an acre or two hybrid coffee, and possible taro crops are planned.
Groundbreaking for the project could take place in "
Baptiste Proposes Kauai's First 100 Million Dollar Budget: "(Lihue) -- Kauai Mayor Bryan Baptiste has proposed a $103.2 million dollars operating budget for the next fiscal year.
This is a six percent increase over this year's $97.4 million dollar budget. If approved by the County Council, it would be the first time the county's budget has exceeded $100 million dollars.
Baptiste also proposes a $16.6 million dollar capital improvement budget, down from about $19 million dollars last year. The mayor said that more than half of the operating budget increase consists of uncontrollable costs such as salaries and benefits.
In the years after Hurricane Iniki in 1992, the county deferred many expenses such as equipment and vehicle replacement and building maintenance. Baptiste says the county is having to catch up now, but will try to spread out the costs as much as possible. "
This is a six percent increase over this year's $97.4 million dollar budget. If approved by the County Council, it would be the first time the county's budget has exceeded $100 million dollars.
Baptiste also proposes a $16.6 million dollar capital improvement budget, down from about $19 million dollars last year. The mayor said that more than half of the operating budget increase consists of uncontrollable costs such as salaries and benefits.
In the years after Hurricane Iniki in 1992, the county deferred many expenses such as equipment and vehicle replacement and building maintenance. Baptiste says the county is having to catch up now, but will try to spread out the costs as much as possible. "
Tuesday, March 16, 2004
Taro production hits record low - The Honolulu Advertiser - Hawaii's Newspaper: "Taro production hits record low "
By Vicki Viotti
Advertiser Staff Writer
The production of taro is at an all-time low, and the state is struggling to combat threats to the industry from two pests: the apple snail and the disease known as taro pocket rot.
The apple snail, Pomacea canaliculata, arrived in Hawai'i in 1989 to be sold as escargot.
Advertiser library photo • August 1993
The low taro supply — which also resulted from storms and flooding in the past year — has not yet affected the stock of poi on supermarket shelves. That could change with the approach of summer, when graduation parties and other events drive up demand.
"Part of the problem was weather related," said Eric Enomoto, treasurer for poi processor HPC Foods Ltd. "We did have some cold, rainy weather conditions and flooding that did have an additional effect on the crop yield."
But among the persistent problems, experts rank the apple snail — Pomacea canaliculata — as a major culprit in the current crop decline. In the past few years it has become a problem in previously uninfested Hanalei, the heart of taro cultivation in Hawai'i.
Farmer Rodney Haraguchi, whose farm is the state's largest and supplies more than half its taro, was not surprised to hear about a state report that crop yields for 2003 had dropped 18 percent from the previous year.
"I predicted that it was at least 20 percent, so that sounds right," Haraguchi said.
The report, issued by the Hawai'i Agricultural Statistics Service, put last year's taro production at 5 million pounds; the previous low, reached in 1997, was 5.5 million pounds. Urbanization has driven down harvests from a high of 14.1 million pounds in 1948; more recently the decline has resulted from pests and diseases, according to the report. Median production in the past decade has been about 6.1 million pounds.
Levi Maon, a buyer for the Daiei store chain, said availability has kept up with the poi demand, although the supply of other related items — laulau and taro leaves, for example — is not abundant. And Charin Tomomitsu, HPC sales and marketing director, said that so far the taro used in production has been of acceptable size, not the stunted, storm-damaged produce of a year ago.
"With the weather we've been having, it's hard to say whether later growth will be affected," she said.
The infestation of apple snails dates back almost 10 years and various tactics have been used to keep the pest in check — everything from releasing ducks into the fields to dine on the snails to powdering the crop with copper sulfate, a pesticide, for brief periods.
Both methods have had some success, said University of Hawai'i snail expert Robert Cowie, but it's limited: Prolonged use of chemical pesticides is barred in wetland areas such as taro fields because they can leach back into the environment, and the duck brigades can do some damage to the crop themselves.
Most recently, Haraguchi had been working with Harry Ako, a UH molecular bioscience researcher, on a pilot project to harvest the snails for sale as escargot in restaurants. The idea is more to avert taro crop losses than to make a profit from the snails themselves, Ako added.
But a year ago, the renewal of the project's federal grant was declined and Haraguchi has been in a holding pattern to keep the snails under control. The only way to do that is to devote half the time of one laborer to doing nothing but picking the snails, Ako said, who added that the infestations around the island have been curbed before but always recur.
"It looks like we shouldn't celebrate and get happy when we control it, that these are a constant problem and need constant pressure to keep them in check," he said.
Moreover, Cowie said snail harvesting to control the pests runs the risk of tempting non-farmers to start propagating snails, which can reproduce at an astronomical rate: Two snails can result in a population of millions after a year.
"My stand is, I think it's incorrect to promote a pest," he said. "Someone who doesn't have snails in their area will think they can grow them, saying, 'They're never going to escape from our facility,' but they will."
Baby snails are a millimeter in diameter and can travel easily, Cowie said — on birds, through wind, and hidden in the taro leaf sheaths that are then replanted in new fields.
Researchers are also weighing ways of controlling the plant rot that plagues crops throughout the state. UH plant pathologist Janice Uchida said the disease has been traced to a newly identified species from the genus Phytophthora, which can be controlled through pesticides.
But again the problem is that continual pesticide use is barred in fields where runoff into streams and the ocean is such a risk. So organic approaches — such as drying out the taro field and tilling in a cover crop that can compost and kill some of the microscopic pest — are being researched, she said.
Some progress is essential, said Haraguchi, if the taro farmer is to stay in business.
"If we don't keep this in check," he said, "I don't see how we can survive."
Reach Vicki Viotti at vviotti@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8053.
By Vicki Viotti
Advertiser Staff Writer
The production of taro is at an all-time low, and the state is struggling to combat threats to the industry from two pests: the apple snail and the disease known as taro pocket rot.
The apple snail, Pomacea canaliculata, arrived in Hawai'i in 1989 to be sold as escargot.
Advertiser library photo • August 1993
The low taro supply — which also resulted from storms and flooding in the past year — has not yet affected the stock of poi on supermarket shelves. That could change with the approach of summer, when graduation parties and other events drive up demand.
"Part of the problem was weather related," said Eric Enomoto, treasurer for poi processor HPC Foods Ltd. "We did have some cold, rainy weather conditions and flooding that did have an additional effect on the crop yield."
But among the persistent problems, experts rank the apple snail — Pomacea canaliculata — as a major culprit in the current crop decline. In the past few years it has become a problem in previously uninfested Hanalei, the heart of taro cultivation in Hawai'i.
Farmer Rodney Haraguchi, whose farm is the state's largest and supplies more than half its taro, was not surprised to hear about a state report that crop yields for 2003 had dropped 18 percent from the previous year.
"I predicted that it was at least 20 percent, so that sounds right," Haraguchi said.
The report, issued by the Hawai'i Agricultural Statistics Service, put last year's taro production at 5 million pounds; the previous low, reached in 1997, was 5.5 million pounds. Urbanization has driven down harvests from a high of 14.1 million pounds in 1948; more recently the decline has resulted from pests and diseases, according to the report. Median production in the past decade has been about 6.1 million pounds.
Levi Maon, a buyer for the Daiei store chain, said availability has kept up with the poi demand, although the supply of other related items — laulau and taro leaves, for example — is not abundant. And Charin Tomomitsu, HPC sales and marketing director, said that so far the taro used in production has been of acceptable size, not the stunted, storm-damaged produce of a year ago.
"With the weather we've been having, it's hard to say whether later growth will be affected," she said.
The infestation of apple snails dates back almost 10 years and various tactics have been used to keep the pest in check — everything from releasing ducks into the fields to dine on the snails to powdering the crop with copper sulfate, a pesticide, for brief periods.
Both methods have had some success, said University of Hawai'i snail expert Robert Cowie, but it's limited: Prolonged use of chemical pesticides is barred in wetland areas such as taro fields because they can leach back into the environment, and the duck brigades can do some damage to the crop themselves.
Most recently, Haraguchi had been working with Harry Ako, a UH molecular bioscience researcher, on a pilot project to harvest the snails for sale as escargot in restaurants. The idea is more to avert taro crop losses than to make a profit from the snails themselves, Ako added.
But a year ago, the renewal of the project's federal grant was declined and Haraguchi has been in a holding pattern to keep the snails under control. The only way to do that is to devote half the time of one laborer to doing nothing but picking the snails, Ako said, who added that the infestations around the island have been curbed before but always recur.
"It looks like we shouldn't celebrate and get happy when we control it, that these are a constant problem and need constant pressure to keep them in check," he said.
Moreover, Cowie said snail harvesting to control the pests runs the risk of tempting non-farmers to start propagating snails, which can reproduce at an astronomical rate: Two snails can result in a population of millions after a year.
"My stand is, I think it's incorrect to promote a pest," he said. "Someone who doesn't have snails in their area will think they can grow them, saying, 'They're never going to escape from our facility,' but they will."
Baby snails are a millimeter in diameter and can travel easily, Cowie said — on birds, through wind, and hidden in the taro leaf sheaths that are then replanted in new fields.
Researchers are also weighing ways of controlling the plant rot that plagues crops throughout the state. UH plant pathologist Janice Uchida said the disease has been traced to a newly identified species from the genus Phytophthora, which can be controlled through pesticides.
But again the problem is that continual pesticide use is barred in fields where runoff into streams and the ocean is such a risk. So organic approaches — such as drying out the taro field and tilling in a cover crop that can compost and kill some of the microscopic pest — are being researched, she said.
Some progress is essential, said Haraguchi, if the taro farmer is to stay in business.
"If we don't keep this in check," he said, "I don't see how we can survive."
Reach Vicki Viotti at vviotti@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8053.
