Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 2, 1 Pepeluali 2000 — FEBRUARY NEWSBRIEFS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FEBRUARY NEWSBRIEFS

Scholarship deadline March 1 is the deadline for applieations for OHA post-high school scholarships for school year '00 - '01. OHA's scholarships and other financial aid resources for Hawaiian students are administered by the Kamehameha Schools. For an informational brochure, eall 594-1888. Educator awards OHA is accepting nominations through Feb. 1 1 for its annual Ke Kukui Mālamalama Awards. The awards dinner ceremony is scheduled for April 26. For a nomination form or additional information on how to nominate an educator whose service to Hawaiians or Hawaiian culture is outstanding, eall 594-1902. 'Ōpio applications High school juniors of Hawaiian ancestry are encouraged to apply for 'Aha 'Opio, OHA's week-long youth leadership conference scheduled for June. The applieahon deadline is March 15. Applications may be obtained ffom class advisors and counselors, or by ealling OHA at 594-1930. Neighbor islands (except Hawai'i) eall toll-ffee at 1-800-468-4644. Hawai'i island, eall 1-800-974-4000. Trouble in 'Ele'ele 'ELE'ELE, KAUA'I — The saltponds at 'Ele'ele on Kaua'i's west side are currently threatened by the proposed expansion of the Port Allen Ahport. Wilma Hoh, a Native Hawaiian salt gatherer and member of the Hanapepe Saltpond Hui, has sued the State Department of Transportation for failing to explore other altematives, and is asking that an

environmental impact statement be prepared. The state's environmental assessment, a lesser effort, was called "a pieee of trash" by Hoh's attorney, Arnold Lum, of the Native Hawaiian Legal Corp. Currently, two helipads are located at Port Allen, with plans to expand to four. In addition, the Port Allen Master Plan calls for four aircraft hangars, eight aircraft parking aprons, a public waiting facility and access road improvements. Ho'olehua runway In late February or early March, the Department of Transportation's Airports Division will be holding public meetings on Moloka'i to discuss proposed expansion of one of Ho'olehua Airport's two runways. As part of the expansion, a nearby hill may be leveled, whieh will directly impact three Hawauan Homes lessees who hve adjacent to the airport. The entire Ho'olehua Airport sits on Hawaiian Homelands. The DOT has already logged numerous complaints from residents because of air traffic, noise and dust. At present, Hawaiian Airlines' DC-9 jets are unable to land at or take off from Ho'olehua Airport because of the angle of the hill. The DOT's Ben Schlapak explained that currently the last 600 feet of the runway are restricted due to the take-off and landing angle caused by the hill. For details on the community meetings, eall 838-8600. Palaee volunteers The Friends of 'Iolani Palaee has announced openings in their volunteer program include positions for guardians to assist docents (guides) and greeters to prepare visitors for palaee tours. 'Iolani Palace's current structure was completed in 1883 by King Kalākaua, and restored in the 1970s and '80s by the Friends of 'Iolani Palaee. For additional information, eall 522-0821.

Grassroots grants Hawai'i People's Fund is a eommuni-ty-based foundation that provides grants to grassroots groups working for social, eeonomie and environmental justice throughout Hawai'i and the Pacific. In the spring cycle, grants totalling $14,000 will be distributed. For information or to receive a grant application, eall 526-2441 or email peoples@lava.net KSCEO On Jan. 6, Dr. Hamihon McCubbin was named Kamehameha Schools' first chief executive officer, pursuant to the order of the probate court issued last year. The CEO is to assist in developing checks and balances in managing trust assets in order to restore public confidence in the estate. For the past 14 years, McCubbin was dean of students of the School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin. He is a 1959 graduate of Kamehameha Schools, and earned his bachelor of science degree, master's and doctorate at Wisconsin. "Dr. McCubbin brings to us a weahh of experience and knowledge in the area of early education and child development. We felt that it was crucial to have a person of his caliber as our CEO to accomplish our goal of educating our children and our mission as an educational institution," said Robert KLhune, ehahman of the KS Board of Trustees to whieh the CEO will report. McCubbin will oversee the school's chief operating officer and president. Pū'ā executive Native Hawaiian attorney Toni Bissen, formerly of the Native Hawaiian Advisory Council where she focused on Hawaiian water rights, has been named executive director of the Pū'ā Founda-

tion. Estabhshed in 1996 as a part of the redress process between the United church of Christ and Native Hawaiians, the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation focuses on bringing about a deeper and clearer understanding of the historical, cultural, spiritual, eeonomie and pohti- i > eal environment of Hawai'i, especially as it affects Hawaiians. It also promotes human rights and fundamental freedoms with an emphasis on the right to selfdetermination. Bissen is a graduate of the Kamehameha Schools, the University of Hawai'i and the D.C. School of Law. Nā Pua No'eau fair NPN is seeking participation in its ninth annual Hawaiian Family Affah', March 11, at UH-Hilo. Its theme, "Haku Wale, Hawai'i," centers on creativity, and invites the community to enter contests in music, inventions, creative foods, music, science fair discoveries and games categories. Applications may be picked up at Alu Like, QLCC, DHHL, OHA and Nā Pua No'eau offices. For information, eall Terry Plunkett at 974-7678 (Hilo). Violence prevention grant The Native Hawaiian Center of Excellenee at the John A. Burns School of Medicine has received a $600,000 grant ffom the Office of Minority Heahh (Pubhc Heahh Service) to develop programs addressing the prevention of eommunity violence. This project will be under the auspices of the Waimānalo Hui Mālama o ke Kai organizahon and will be directed by Sonja Evensen. The principal investigator is Dr. Shannon Hirose-Wong. This grant will seek to utilize culturally relevant issues to See BRIEFS on page 4

BRIEFS

From page 3 enhanee career, academic, personal and family development. For additional information, eall Kathy Tanaka at 956-5826. Lua workshop Pā Ku'i-a-holo, the Honolu-lu-based lua school, announces workshops in traditional lua, to be held three consecutive weekends, beginning March 18 and 19. Lua is the traditional Hawaiian art form likened to martial arts. The all-day classes will be held ffom 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Nu'uanu Elementary School Cafeteria. Participants must must be 21 years old. For additional information, contact Dr. Mitchell Eli at 538-7796, or La'akea Suganuma at 377-5611. Hula bash Mt. Kalihi Productions announced that at this year's Mākaha Bash, the annual Makaha Sons extravaganza slated for June 17, a Guinness Book world record of hula dancers performing at onee

may be broken. As an official event of the state's "The Dawn of the New Millennium" offieial master calendar, this year's event will be held at the Aloha Stadium. Eight selections will be performed by the Mākaha Sons ffom whieh hālau may choose. Hālau hula ffom Hawai'i are invited to perform, and may also participate in a special fund-raising program. For information, eall or fax (808) 842-0927, or email mtkalihi@hawaii.rr.com Waimānalo refuse rescue Refuse in the heavily Hawaiian Waimānalo area includes mounds of compost whieh is a product of the degrading trees and other vegetation the nowinsolvent Unisyn Biowaste Management Facility, a garbage processing plant, brought in to compost rotting food. A Department of Health spokesperson, Patrick Johnson, has confirmed that Unisyn's abandoned compost represented a fire hazard in the past, and

that on Nov. 21 a fire resulted ffom the spontaneous combustion of some of it. This, said Joe Ryan of the Waimānalo Neighborhood Board, prompted the board to demand a meeting with the Department of Health; Meadow Gold Dairies, whieh had, in 1990, acquired the lease that, years before, had sublet the affected 22-acre site to Unisyn; the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Meadow Gold's landlord; and the Department of Agriculture, owner of the Wing King Reservoir whieh contains liquid

effluent from the decaying garbage. When all parties met Jan. 10, Meadow Gold had alreadv

moved the eompost to another section of its property. At the meeting, the dairies promised to submit a draft closure plan addressing eleanup issues for the board's review. The question of the reservoir

remains unclear. Department of Health director Bruce Anderson offered to help out by having the DOH test the quality of the reservoir's water whieh University of Hawai'i oceanography professor Edward Law said in a memo, "continues to look like somewhat concentrated sewage." But the DOH agrees with the dairies as to the extent of their responsibility. "Meadow Gold has repeatedly stated the reservoir was not part of the lease and Meadow Gold has only accepted responsibility for areas covered by the lease," said the dairies' attorney Miehael Hare. He and the DOH elaim the Department of Agriculture is responsible the reservoir. DOA's representative at the Waimānalo meehnp was not

authorized to speak on its behalf. ■

Pictured above is a mound of compost at the site abandoned by the Unisyn Biowaste Management Faciiity. Below is the Wing King Reservoir.

phoīo COURTrSY: envirowatch inc.