MEDIA RELEASE

WHAT: Hawai`i LifeSmarts State Competition
WHEN: Saturday, February 20, 9:00 a.m.
WHERE: State Capitol Auditorium, Honolulu
WHO: Hawai‘i high school students in grades 9-12.

Kea`au High School will defend its LifeSmarts Champion title against Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama, Kealakehe High School, and ‘Iolani School. The winner of the Hawai‘i competition qualifies to advance to the national competition April 24 – 27, in Miami Beach, Florida.

LifeSmarts is a consumer education competition that tests teens in grades 9-12 about personal finance, health and safety, the environment, technology, and consumer rights and responsibilities.

LifeSmarts is sponsored by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and is run by the National Consumers League. Local partners include the Better Business Bureau Foundation, the State Department of Education and the Hawai‘i Credit Union League.

To learn more, contact LifeSmarts State Coordinator Jackie Choy at 586-2760.

www.lifesmarts.org

MEDIA RELEASE

Retired Army Col. and former State Dept. diplomat, Ann Wright, will speak at the Keaau Community Center on Monday, February, 22, 2010 from 7-9PM on “Gaza –What does Justice demand.”

Col. Wright will also discuss her perspectives on the current wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. She has extensive experience in the middle east. In 2009 she has been to Gaza and Egypt 3 times.

The free event is sponsored by Malu Aina and the public is welcomed.

Col Wright’s book “Dissent: Voices of Conscience” is available at basically Books in downtown Hilo.

MEDIA RELEASE

The public is invited to attend the Puna CDP Action Committee monthly meeting on Thursday, February 18, 2010, 3-6 p.m. at the Kea‘au Community Center.

Agenda topics include an update from Bill Walter of W.H. Shipman, LTD. on the status of the Kea‘au Town Conceptual Master Plan, amendments and other plans that W.H. Shipman may have in place for its lands in Puna.

Subcommittees of the Action Committee will provide status updates on their recent activities and the Action Committee will commence its review and discussion of the proposed amendments to the Puna CDP that have been received to date. Click on the following link to view the meeting agenda: tinyurl.com/yz2d7fd

The Action Committee is looking for volunteers to participate in the various subcommittees that were recently established: Amendments, Budget & Finance, Malama I Ka ‘Āina, Transportation, and Managing Growth. In addition, the Managing Growth Subcommittee has formed the following working groups: Agriculture & Economic, Social Services, Public Safety, Parks & Recreation, and Energy Sustainability.

Additional information on the subcommittees and working groups, go to www.punacdp.info or call Rachelle Ley, 937-3217.

UPDATED MEDIA RELEASE (2/8/10 4:55 p.m.)

Big Island police have located 24-year-old Desiree Estrada of Kea’au, who was reported missing. She was found safe in Hilo on Monday afternoon.

MEDIA RELEASE (2/8/10 9:32 a.m.)

Desiree Estrada

The Hawai’i Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating a 24-year-old Puna woman who was reported missing.

Desiree Estrada of Kea’au, was last seen at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, February 3, at a business on Kekuanaoa Street in Hilo.

She is described as 5-feet tall, 101 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair. She may be operating a 2001 Gold Toyota Highlander, license plate JPS 210.

Police ask that anyone with information on her whereabouts call Officer Fetuutuunai Amuimuia at 961-2211 or the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-3800 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.

MEDIA RELEASE

Amid War, Increasing Debt, and Cuts in Social Services:
How is the Right organizing to build power in the U.S.? What are the ramifications for the peace and social justice movements? How do these trends affect us in Hawai‘i?
Obama, Tea Party Populists, and the Progressive Response

Speaker: Chip Berlet, Political Research Associates
Monday, February 8, 2010 7-9PM Keaau Community Center

The Right-Wing Populists who spawned the Tea Bag and Town Hall protests against Obama are a growing force and working to take over the Republican Party. Meanwhile, centrist Democrats are dominating the Obama Administration and dismissing populist anger at government bailouts that feed the wealthy and starve the poor.

Now, Ultra-Right activists are recruiting from among the angry Tea Bag Populists and targeting immigrants, people of color, Muslims, Arabs, reproductive rights activists, and lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered persons. And they are spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories about economic woes & foreign policy.

Chip Berlet, senior analyst at Political Research Associates, has spent over 25 years studying prejudice, demonization, scapegoating, demagoguery, conspiracism, and authoritarianism. He has investigated far right hate groups, reactionary backlash movements, theocratic fundamentalism, civil liberties violations, police misconduct, government and private surveillance abuse, and other anti-democratic phenomena. He is a lively speaker defending democracy and diversity. Berlet is co–author, with Matthew N. Lyons, of Right-Wing Populism in America: Too Close for Comfort, which received a Gustavus Myers Center Award for outstanding scholarship on the subject of human rights and intolerance in North America. Berlet has appeared live on ABC’s Nightline, NBC’s Today Show, and CBS This Morning.

Sponsors: AFSC– HI, World Can’t Wait HI, MANA UH Manoa chapter, Malu Aina & Truth 2 Youth.

MEDIA RELEASE

NFL Football Players and NFL Cheerleaders will be holding Youth Clinics for Hawai’i Island students on Feb. 9 and Feb. 10 as part of the eighth annual NFL Pro Bowl Youth Clinics. Players and cheerleaders will also be visiting local schools for assemblies before the clinics as part of the program focused on motivating our youth to realize their dreams and to maximize their potential.

Players and cheerleaders will be at at Kealakehe High School from 3 p.m. to 5:30 pm. on Tuesday, February 9th. On Wednesday, February 10th 2010, the Youth Clinic will be held at Keaau High School from 3 p.m. to 5:30 pm.

The two-hour clinic will feature a variety of hands-on skills and techniques for both boys and girls.

In the past years, players and cheerleaders from the Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, San Diego Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans, Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks have come to the Big Island, to present our children with inspirational messages and positive skills training.

“Seeing the smiles, the excitement, and the joy on the faces of the kids – its quite an honor to be part of such a positive and inspirational event”, said Mayor Billy Kenoi, Pro Bowl Ohana Committee Member. “I cannot thank the NFL, Nat Moore, the Pro Bowl Ohana Committee, and our volunteers enough for making this event possible. Each year we involve more students on Hawai’i Island – we now get to involve over 700 of our youth Islandwide – and our kids will remember this for the rest of their lives!”

All youth participants will also receive an NFL Pro Bowl T-shirt that will be autographed by each player and an NFL Pro Bowl sling backpack.

The public and youth not signed up for the program are welcome to attend the event. Youth participants are selected by their respective schools, but each year there are open slots that need to be filled. Youth who are accompanied by a parent may be able to participate if there are any open slots prior to the beginning of the clinic on a first come, first served basis.

For more information, please contact Rita Miller at 937-3815.

Photography by Rick Ogata | Special to Hawaii 24/7
iPhone version of slideshow

The Keaau Cougars and the Waiakea Warriors met in a battle for first place Saturday (Jan 30). It was an intense fight, and while Keaau had a slow start in the first quarter, they picked up steam in the second, tying the game at the half. They did not look back after taking the lead in the third, and defeated Waiakea 66-52.

Waiakea’s high scorers were Matt Libao with 18 points, Isaak Janado with 13, and Clayton Morante with 10. Keaau’s high scorers were Richie Handy with 23 points, Makana Cazimero with 15, and Haku Ishibashi with 10.

In JV action, Keaau defeated Waiakea 43-33.

Keaau     7  19  19  21 - 66
Waiakea  16  10  13  13 - 52

Photography by Rick Ogata | Special to Hawaii 24/7

Photography by Rick Ogata | Special to Hawaii 24/7

The Waiakea Warriors came out strong in the first quarter of tonight’s game against the Keaau Cougars, and took an early lead. They were not able to maintain their lead as Keaau came back in the second quarter to tie the game up at halftime. The third quarter belonged to the Cougars as they held onto a five-point lead going into the fourth quarter. Waiakea pushed hard in the fourth quarter, but were not able to gain any momentum. Keaau pulled out the home floor victory, 54-42.

Waiakea’s three high scorers were Matt Libao with 12 points, Chris Mattos with 11, and Isaak Janado with 8. Keaau’s high scorers were Richard Handy with 19 points, Haku Ishibashi with 14, and Makana Cazimero with 8.

Waiakea - 12   7   9  14 - 42
Keaau   -  9  10  14  21 - 54

In JV action, Waiakea beat Keaau 49 to 33.

MEDIA RELEASE
The month-old Puna Community Development Plan Action Committee adopted operating guidelines, defined its mission and began preparing to identify and prioritize actions ripe for implementation at its second meeting held Friday, Dec. 18, at the Kea’au Community Center.

The eight appointed members present divided themselves into four standing sub-committees on transportation, growth management, mālama i ka ‘āina (land stewardship), and budget & finance. The sub-committees will be the workhorses of the Action Committee, facilitating greater progress between meetings without violating Sunshine Laws. By opening membership to interested community members, the sub-committees are expected to serve as a primary means of continued and expanding community participation in the Puna CDP effort.

While finalizing their operating guidelines, members made it clear they want to be notified of any significant land use applications in their district, despite the fact that Hawai‘i County Code limits the committee’s role to an advisory body that may be requested to review and comment on pending permit applications.

Committee members also asked for and will receive land use educational training from the Planning Department on Dec. 29. The informational workshop will cover land use and coastal zone management.

Adopted operating guidelines establish a regular meeting schedule every third Thursday from 3-6 p.m. at the Kea’au Community Center. Public testimony procedures were revised to allow three-minutes-per-person comments on any agenda item at the start of the meeting or prior to the item being discussed.

Adopted Mission Statement:

“We, the Action Committee for the Puna Community Development Plan, will be faithful stewards of the Vision ”Malama Puna a Mau Loa: live forever in harmony with the land of Puna.” We will assure the integrity of the Puna CDP, pledge to foster its implementation, be faithful to the determinations of the Puna community, regularly, articulate prioritize, and promote PCDP action projects, promote community participation in implementation of projects, strengthen community awareness of the PCDP, honor and preserve the diversity of our community, and we will be loyal to the mandate of the Hawai‘i County Charter and to the intent of the County General Plan. We encourage all members of the Puna community to become engaged in this commitment.”

Persons interested in joining sub-committees are encouraged to use the contact information posted at www.punacdp.info. The next Action Committee meeting is Thursday, January 21.

Photography by Rick Ogata | Special to Hawaii 24/7

—————————————-
Game 1: Ka‘u vs Konawaena

Ka‘u   9 6 11 14 - 40
Kona 12 6 15  6 - 39

High scorers:
Ka‘u: Callen Koi 14 points
Kona: Landon Holman 17 points; Jordan Furrer 12 points
—————————————-
Game 2: Waiakea vs Honokaa

Waiakea 16  8 13 10 - 47
Honokaa  9 11 14  6 - 40

High scorers:
Waiakea: Matt Libao 12 points; Chris Mattos 10 points
Honokaa: Jake Vallente 20 points
—————————————-
Game 3: St Joseph vs Keaau

SJS   14 17  7 14 - 52
Keaau  7  6 18 20 - 51

High scorers:
SJS: Sebastian Ohara-Saft 11 points; Will Scanlan-Leite 10 points
Keaau: Haku Ishibashi 23 points; David Brooks 14 points
—————————————-
Game 4 (Championship): Kamehameha vs Hilo

Kamehameha  9 20  4 13 - 46
Hilo       11 11 23 23 - 66

High Scorers:
Kamehameha: Adam Andrade 8 points
Hilo: Scotty Wong 21 points; Dustin Leong 14 points
—————————————-
Tournament award winners:

Team:
Scotty Wong
Jayce Carvalho
Thomas Fairman
Richie Handy

Hustle Award: Lanaki Apele

Most Outstanding Player: Dakota Allen

Team Sportsmanship Award: Kau