Mayor’s Office Offers Lecture Series Next Week

Thomas A. Woods, Executive Director of Honolulu ’s Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives, will present a lecture regarding Hawaiian Kingdom property taxes. His presentation, “Portals to the Past,” takes place Wednesday, March 28, 5:30-7 p.m., at West Hawai‘i Civic Center , Kealakehe Parkway and Ane Keohokalole Highway .

Mission House Museum

This is the third in Kona Historical Society’s free monthly Hanohano o Kona/Honoring Kona Lecture Series. This series is being held in cooperation with the Mayor’s Office of the County of Hawai ‘i.

Woods said Hawaiian Kingdom property taxes and the policies that brought them about were “both a reflection of broader social changes occurring in Hawai‘i and a tool to create further change and promote stability at the same time.” His talk will cover such topics as social divisions and land management in old Hawai‘i, hookupu in Hawaii before western contact, controversy over the system of hookupu, the transition to western capitalism and taxation, and the major break with the past represented by the rush to westernize law.

Woods, a graduate of the University of Minnesota where he also earned his Ph.D., has, through his company, Making Sense of Place, Inc., done a great deal of consulting here in Hawaii. Organizations on his client list include: Kona Historical Society, Lyman Museum and Mission House, Hawai‘i Museums Association, Mauna Kea Astronomy Education Center , Manoa Heritage Center , and the Paniolo Preservation Society. He has written several books, along with numerous articles and conference papers.

The next Hanohano o Kona Lecture is scheduled for April 25. Richard “Sonny” Tanabe will speak on the subjects of spearfishing and the evolution of freediving.

Further information is available at konahistorical.org or by calling 323-3222.

 

Mayors of Hawaii Sign Historic Philippines Agreement

Today, the Mayors of Hawaii signed with Governor Abercrombie on the behalf of the State of Hawaii, the agreement of understanding and cooperation between Hawaii and the Republic of the Philippines – For greater cooperation and support for economic opportunities to both parties.

Photo courtesy of Rep. Mizuno's Office

A New Theory for the Unexplained Puna Explosion Last Month – A Sonic Boom From Below?

Last month, many folks in the Puna area felt a swarm of earthquakes and then at about 9:42 in the morning we were all startled to hear a big boom and/or explosion that shook the area.

Hawaii County Civil Defense has still not stated what the explosion or boom was, but I have a new theory based upon the similar boom that happened this week on the mainland in Clintonville, Wisconsin.

A minor earthquake occurred this week near the eastern Wisconsin city where researchers have been investigating a series of unexplained booming sounds, federal geologists said Thursday.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the 1.5 magnitude earthquake struck Tuesday just after midnight in Clintonville, a town of about 4,600 people about 40 miles west of Green Bay.

Geophysicist Paul Caruso told The Associated Press that loud booming noises have been known to accompany earthquakes. It’s possible the mysterious sounds that town officials have been investigating are linked to the quake, he said.

Earthquakes can generate seismic energy that moves through rock at thousands of miles per hour, producing a sonic boom when the waves come to the earth’s surface, Caruso said…

For me the following statement is what really gets me:

…Those reservations didn’t stop Clintonville City Administrator Lisa Kuss from declaring “the mystery is solved” at a news conference Thursday evening.

She said USGS representatives described the event as a swarm of several small earthquakes in a very short time.

I was interviewed by KHON2 News Brianne Randle about the incident and this aired on the news:

If we look at the recent earthquakes that were surrounding the mysterious Puna boom… you can see that it was a swarm or small earthquakes leading up to the boom.

I’m no geologist… but I will theorize that this was simply Pele or the volcano burping in a sense.

Related articles

• USGS claims ‘booming noises’ are attributable to a missed earthquake (theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com)
• Wisconsin Microquake: Mysterious Booms Explained? (VIDEO) (blippitt.com)
• USGS: Micro-quake in ‘booming’ Wisconsin city (foxnews.com)
• Mysterious Booms Spread To Second Town (wrc559.com)
• Unexplained Booms and Violent Shaking Rattle Residents in Clintonville Wisconsin (VIDEO) (blippitt.com)
• USGS: Micro-quake near Wis. city bothered by booms (newsok.com)
• Prison Planet.com ” Mysterious Booms Spread To Second Town (gunnyg.wordpress.com)
• Clintonville, Wis., Residents Endure Three Nights Of Unexplained ‘Booms,’ ‘Bangs’ And Noises (ibtimes.com)
• Puna area on Hawaii Island Shaken by Mysterious Force (the2012scenario.com)
• Puna area on Hawaii Island shaken by mysterious force (theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com)
• Mysterious booms in Wisconsin (boingboing.net)
• Town May Have Explanation For Mysterious Booms (fox2now.com)
• Puna area on Hawaii Island shaken by mysterious force (the5150report.wordpress.com)
• Puna area on Hawaii Island shaken by mysterious force (insanityreport.wordpress.com)

Punahou Basketball Player Buckner Named Gatorade Hawaii Boys Player of the Year

In its 27th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPNHS, today announced Deforest Buckner of Punahou (Honolulu, Hawaii) as its 2011-12 Gatorade Hawaii Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Buckner is the second Gatorade Hawaii Boys Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from Punahou School.

Deforest Buckner

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Buckner as Hawaii’s best high school boys basketball player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award to be announced in March, Buckner joins an elite alumni association of past state boys basketball award winners, including Dwight Howard (2003-04, SW Atlanta Christian Academy, Ga.), Chauncey Billups (1993-94 & 1994-95, George Washington HS, Colo.), Jason Kidd (1991-92, St. Joseph Notre Dame HS, Calif.), Paul Pierce (1994-95, Inglewood HS, Calif.) and Chris Bosh (2001-02, Lincoln HS, Texas).

The 6-foot-8, 250-pound senior led the Buff N’ Blue to a 28-2 record and the Division I state championship this past season. Buckner recorded 10 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in a 59-52, title-clinching victory against Kahuku High, capturing tournament co-Most Valuable Player honors along with teammate Malik Johnson. A two-time returning All-State Fab 15 selection as named by the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Buckner averaged 12.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, 1.6 steals and 1.3 assists per game. He shot 67 percent from the field and 59 percent from the free throw line.

Also a football standout, Buckner has maintained a B average in the classroom. In addition to donating his time as a youth basketball and football instructor, he has volunteered on behalf of the Special Olympics.

“On the court, he’s as imposing a player as I’ve ever seen in Hawaii, and I’ve been a part of the game here since 1992 and loved and followed basketball here long before that,” said Kawika Smith, head coach at Damien High. “His Herculean frame is only outdone by his amazing athleticism. And as natural as both of those attributes are, they would be worthless without the relentless hard work that he puts in day after day.”

Buckner has signed a National Letter of Intent to play football on scholarship at the University of Oregon this fall.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by ESPNHS and the Gatorade high school sports leadership team, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Buckner joins recent Gatorade Hawaii Boys Basketball Players of the Year Micah Christenson (2009-10 & 2010-11, Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama High School), Pi’i Minns (2008-09, Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama High School), Kameron Steinhoff (2007-08, Punahou School), and Spencer McLachlin (2006–07, Punahou School) among the state’s list of former award winners.

To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners, and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visitplayeroftheyear.gatorade.com.

Big Island Police Searching for 17-Year-Old Hilo Girl Missing Since August

Big Island police are searching for a 17-year-old girl reported as missing from Hilo since August 28.

Tori Bowen

Tori Bowen is described as 5-feet tall, about 100 pounds with long blond hair and brown eyes.

Police ask that anyone with information on her whereabouts call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential