Workshops to be Held in Conjuntion With Hawaii’s Woodshow

The Hawai’i Forest Industry Association (HFIA) has organized a Marquetry and Design Workshop to be hosted by renowned woodworker Paul Schurch in conjunction with Hawaii’s ‘Woodshow™, Na Lā’au o Hawai’i.

Paul Schurch Vector Table using dyed wood and natural stone.

The hands-on workshop is a unique opportunity for anyone interested in enhancing their skills with an internationally recognized premier woodworker.

Marquetry is the art and craft of applying pieces of veneer to a structure to form decorative patterns, designs or pictures. The O’ahu workshop is scheduled for September 1 and 2 from 9am until 5pm at Winkler Woods.

“We are thrilled to have Paul conduct these workshops as well as serve as a juror for this year’s Hawaii’s Woodshow,” said Heather Simmons, HFIA Executive Director. “Paul is a talented artist who has been teaching furniture making, veneer work and marquetry for many years and we are fortunate that he is passing on the valuable knowledge he has received from many fine teachers and masters of the trades.”

Marcus Castaing 2012 Best of Show. Photo by Hal Lum.

Schurch will also be leading free “Timeless Design for Modern Times” lectures on O’ahu and Hawai’i Island. Visit woodshow.hawaiiforest.org for times and locations.

There is limited space remaining for the O’ahu September 1 and 2 workshop. Anyone interested in registering may do so online in the resources section of the website or call Andy Cole at 808-778-7036. Workshop registration is $250 and includes Paul Schurch’s marquetry DVD and book. Attendees will depart with a quality piece they create during the workshop.

“The furniture I create is inspired by my connection to, and observation of nature. I see my furniture as an amalgam of classically influenced styles and contemporary shapes, playful imagery and exotic materials,” said Schurch.  “I am excited by the prospect of reinterpreting timeless concepts in a fresh and unique manner.”

Hawaii’s Woodshow is scheduled September 1 through 15 at the Honolulu Museum of Art School at Linekona. The exhibition is open to the public 11am until 6pm Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is free.

Young Koa bowl by Don Albrecht

Joining Schurch as jurors at the 21st Annual Hawaii’s Woodshow will be award-winning studio furniture designer and former Hawaii’s Woodshow coordinator Marian Yasuda and Norman G. Y. Hong, an award-winning member of the American Institute of Architects and CEO at Group 70 International.

The three jurors will have the difficult task of selecting winners in various categories including professional and student divisions from among dozens of entries showcasing the versatility and beauty of Hawai’i woods. The exhibition typically features 80 or more breathtaking heirloom-quality works of furniture, woodturning, sculpture and musical instruments made from Acacia koa, Mango, Kamani, Milo, Norfolk pine, macadamia nut, Kiawe and other Hawai’i-grown woods.

Sponsors helping to make Hawaii’s Woodshow possible include Kamehameha Schools, Hawai’i State Foundation of Culture & the Arts, DLNR Division of Forestry & Wildlife, Hawai’i Forest Institute, Woodcraft, Halekulani On the Beach at Waikiki, Maui Custom Woodworkers, Inc., Ocean Eagle, Ron and Myra Kent, Hilo Frame Shop, Tusher Architectural Group and Bubbies Ice Cream.

This year there will be a unique display of young-growth koa pieces by Hawai’i Island woodworkers. This is part of the Young-Growth Koa Wood Quality Assessment and Demonstration Project, which gathered data and information on the potential value of koa wood before it reaches maturity. A collaboration between HFIA, USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station and Northern Research Station, and University of Hawai’i, this project addresses questions about the viability of young-growth koa in existing markets.

Hawaii’s Woodshow™ was created to promote an appreciation for the remarkable variety of Hawai’i-grown woods as well as for the talented woodworkers throughout our Islands.  Artists are limited to Hawai’i-grown wood and are encouraged to use conservative techniques such as veneering to make the most effective use of woods in limited supply. Certain rare or endangered species are prohibited. For more information visit http://woodshow.hawaiiforest.org.

Free Value-Added Guide for Hawai’i Producers Released

A free 58-page guide entitled, Adding Value to Locally Grown Crops in Hawai‘i: A Guide for Small Farm Enterprise Innovation is now available. Because of the high cost of labor, land, and materials in Hawai‘i, family farms are only economically sustainable if they can produce high-quality products that are valued above cheap imports.

Front cover: Adding Value to Locally Grown Crops in Hawai‘i: A Guide for Small Farm Enterprise Innovation

This guide helps growers add value to all aspects of their farm enterprise and offers resources for further developing their strategies. “If you cherish the farming lifestyle and want to keep farming, you have to make your farm profitable. This guide goes a long way towards showing how to escape from the fatal trap of commoditization by adding value for the consumer,” observes Dr. Kent Fleming, an extension economist who has developed numerous cost-of-production spreadsheets for the University of Hawai’i and other organizations worldwide.

The guide was authored by Craig Elevitch and Ken Love with input from agricultural professionals statewide. Elevitch is an agroforestry educator whose most recent book Specialty Crops for Pacific Islands (2011) provides insights into sustainable cultivation and processing techniques for local and export markets with an emphasis on production methods, postharvest processing, and marketing. Love, widely known as a passionate advocate for the innovative small farm, is co-owner of Love Family Farms in Kona, Hawai’i, which produces a range of value-added products including jams, jellies, dried fruits, and coffee.

“Adding value is an essential component of small farm sustainability,” says Love, who has extensive experience working with farm enterprises. “There are many different ways to add value in growing, processing, and marketing products. This guide is about finding ways of adding value to your operation that are best suited for you and that are ultimately profitable.”

The publication was produced with funds from the State of Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture, the Agribusiness Incubator Program of the University of Hawai‘i, and the County of Hawai‘i Department of Research and Development. The guide is available as a free download and a limited number of free hard copies will be available throughout Hawai’i. Distribution locations and a link to download the free guide are listed at www.valueadded.info.

 

State ID Program Moving to County Driver Licensing Offices

The Governor’s neighbor island Liaison Offices will stop issuing State ID cards on Friday, December 14, 2012.  There will be a brief period when the public will not be able to obtain a State ID.

Act 310 (SLH 2012) transfers the responsibility of State IDs from the Attorney General’s office to the State Department of Transportation beginning January 1, 2013.  The County driver’s license offices will resume that responsibility on behalf of State DOT. Members of the public in Hawai‘i County will be able to apply for a State ID at the Hawai‘i County driver license offices in Hilo and Kona.

This transition moves Hawai‘i one step closer to meeting federal requirements under the REAL ID Act of 2005.  Currently, Hawai‘i is the only state where driver’s license and state identification cards are issued by different government offices.

Other changes affecting State Identification beginning on January 1st include:

• No appointments are required – (available at Hilo and Kona Driver License Offices only)
• Renewals by mail will be offered to those citizens 80 years of age or older (must be submitted with proper documentation)
• Minimum age for state ID is 10 years old
• Fee changes

Documents required to obtain State IDs are the same as the documents required to obtain a driver license. These requirements can be viewed at: http://www.hawaiicounty.gov/finance-dl-hi-legal-presence

For questions regarding State IDs through December 31st please continue to contact the Governor’s Liaison Offices in Hilo at 974-6265 and Kona at 327-4953.

After January 1st please contact the driver license offices in Hilo or Kona by email at vehiclerl@co.hawaii.hi.us or by phone at 961-2222.

 

Hawaii Releases New Data on Fatal and Non-Fatal Injuries Occurring in Hawai‘i

The Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH) and the state’s Injury Prevention Advisory Committee are releasing the most comprehensive data available on fatal and non-fatal injuries in Hawai‘i since 2006.

Click to see plan

The report, “Injuries in Hawai‘i 2007-2011,” includes detailed statistics by county and is being released in conjunction with the state’s five-year plan to reduce and prevent the most prevalent and serious injuries occurring in Hawai‘i. These highest areas of concern for Hawai‘i include: drowning, falls, poisoning, suicide, traffic accidents, and violence and abuse.

The report provides an extensive analysis of the major causes, mechanisms and outcomes of injuries in the state including detailed descriptions of their impact in each of the counties. “Compiling and evaluating this data is a huge undertaking for our injury prevention staff and well worth the effort,” said Health Director Loretta Fuddy. “The report is invaluable for charting the course to prevent injuries that are a major cause of death and hospitalization in Hawai‘i.”

Injuries take the lives of more Hawai‘i residents ages 1-39 years than all other causes of death combined, including heart disease, stroke and cancer, according to the newly released data. Among residents of all ages, injuries are the third leading cause of death, with the greatest contribution coming from suicides, falls, drug poisonings, motor vehicle crashes, and ocean drownings. During an average week in Hawai‘i, 12 residents die from an injury, 115 more are hospitalized, and another 1,530 are treated in emergency departments.

“The report included two new DOH data sources from the Hawai‘i Emergency Medical Services Information System and the State Trauma Registry,” said Dr. Linda Rosen, chief of the Emergency Medical Services and Injury Prevention System Branch. “The addition of this new data makes this year’s report the most comprehensive we have ever released and takes us another step closer to understanding and preventing sometimes fatal and often serious injuries.”

The report contains both good and bad news for the islands. “Hawai‘i residents have lower per capita rates of fatal and nonfatal injuries compared to residents of other states,” said

Daniel Galanis, DOH injury prevention epidemiologist and author of the report. “We’re also glad to see that there was a significantly decreasing trend in the number of residents killed in car crashes; however, we are concerned about the increasing trends in the number of residents who died by suicide or drug poisonings.”

To address injury as a critical public health concern, the DOH worked closely with the Injury Prevention Advisory Committee (IPAC) and other state, county and community partners on the “Hawai‘i Injury Prevention Plan 2012-2017.” IPAC is a statewide network of representatives from various fields and organizations working together since 1990 to prevent injuries. Developed with the consensus of these partners, the new prevention plan makes clear recommendations for each of the leading causes of injury in Hawai‘i. Building on the accomplishment of the previous five-year plan, recommendations are based on Hawai‘i-specific data and the most effective safety practices in the injury field.

“The next steps included for each of the injury areas in the plan provide a stimulus for organizations, agencies and community groups to collaborate on actions to take in preventing injuries,” said Bruce McEwan, chair of the Injury Prevention Advisory Committee,

For a copy of the “Injuries in Hawai‘i 2007-2011” and the “Hawai‘i Injury Prevention Plan 2012-2017”, visit the DOH web site at www.hawaii.gov/health.

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2013 Hawai’i Conservation Conference – Call for Proposals and Abstracts

2013 marks the 21st anniversary of the annual Hawai‘i Conservation Conference (HCC) allowing us the opportunity to bolster island conservation in Hawai‘i and wider Pacific Islands. Highlights include: thought provoking keynote speakers; innovative panels and forums; a community event, novel lunch & reception, training opportunities, and more.

Hawaii Conservation Alliance Executive Director Lihla Noori and Anuhea with the youngest attendee of the 2012 Hawaii Conservation Conference

CALL FOR PROPOSALS & ABSTRACTS

Living Today, Sustaining Tomorrow: Connecting People, Places and Planet, July 16th – 18th, 2013       Hawai`i Convention Center, Honolulu, HI

Session and Abstract Proposal Deadline: January 21, 2013      Revisions Deadline: March 15, 2013

Join us in celebrating the 21st annual Hawai‘i Conservation Conference! If you are interested in sustaining our natural resources for current and future generations and would like to share your topic of expertise with the conservation community in Hawai‘i and the wider Pacific Region, the Hawai‘i Conservation Alliance would like to  request your proposals and abstracts for the 2013 Hawai‘i Conservation Conference!

See the official call below, or download it from our website: HERE.

If you have any questions, please contact 808-687-6152 or coordinator@hawaiiconservation.org

TRACKS & SESSION TOPICS

The HCC organizing committee is soliciting proposals for sessions, forums, workshops, trainings and individual oral or poster presentations in the following six tracks. Integrated approaches to research and management that involve community and cultural knowledge and approaches as a best practice will be given priority ranking.

1. Practicing Laulima (many hands): Building of Bridges between Ecosystems and Society

Human well-being is inextricably linked to the natural world through a myriad of exchanges – most of which go unnoticed or are under-appreciated in modern times.  Radical changes in land use and natural resource governance over the past century has resulted in rapid degradation of our native ecosystems, alienating changes in human relationships to the land and sea, and a common disassociation with our natural world. Management and research organizations need to better understand the context of this history in order to better measure, and share the value of ecosystem services and, in turn, build a broader base of support for and engagement in effective conservation and management.This Track will focuson sharing lessons and experiences (good and bad) from efforts to build bridges among the diverse communities by providing credible and robust information on the links between ecosystem management and the attainment of economic and social goals. Sessions will demonstrate that conservation and management efforts that take a laulima (cooperative) approach are more likely to succeed, and will provide detailed experiences on how the whole can indeed be greater than the sum of the parts.

2. Safeguarding Sacred Places: Restoration and Protection of Managed Areas

Hawaiʻi is blessed with many special places set aside for their importance, bio-cultural resources, and unique characteristics.  These protected areas are found on the highest peaks, deep ocean, and everywhere in between.  Protected areas are microcosms of larger ecosystems and landscapes. At the same time, Hawaii’s extensive systems of protected federal, state and privately or community-owned and -managed lands and waters provide critical ecosystem system services that sustain us.  They also serve as important sources of native species used in restoration elsewhere. To be effective and successful, their managers must deal with both the issues that pervade conservation issues in Hawaiʻi: invasive species, loss of ecosystem function, climatic change, population effects, and the socio-cultural needs of community. This track will focus on place-based conservation occurring in our protected areas.  Sessions will demonstrate the importance of place-based conservation, the differences between place-based and issue-based conservation, ecosystem services provided by protected areas, the importance of refugia, and need for community stewardship.

3.  Invertebrates:  Gems of Pacific Island Ecosystems

With their incredible abundance, diversity, and distribution, invertebrates – both on land and in the sea – are the ties that bind our island ecosystems together.  Our amazing endemic species are not only vital food sources, pollinators, and decomposers, but serve as indicators of ecosystem health, harbingers of global climate change, and icons of cultural significance. The incredible physiological and behavioral adaptations that have made our native invertebrate species so unique also put them and the ecosystems that they support, at great risk. Track and sessions will focus on illustrating the role of invertebrates in sustaining our natural, agricultural, and urban ecosystems and their cultural importance into the future, and include demonstrations of achievements in research, conservation, and management.

4. Oceans and Shorelines: Where Conservation Meets Everyday People

Hawaii’s human history is based on the ocean.  From the earliest Native Hawaiians who settled here to people today, our shorelines and nearshore waters are the places where conservation most directly meets people – as the provider for food, transportation, recreation, livelihood, and settlement. Unfortunately, with declining fishery resources, rising sea levels, warming ocean temperatures, ocean acidification and pollution, the health of our oceans are changing rapidly, requiring us to focus more attention on how these changes will affect us and what we have to do to increase the resiliency of both ecosystems and human communities. Increased attention and focus on marine conservation will aid Hawaii’s conservation community in increasing our relevance to people and communities.  This track is aimed at: mainstreaming marine conservation issues and successes within the broader conservation community; highlighting successful mauka-makai conservation approaches; sharing new initiatives and innovations aimed at enhancing food security and restoring fisheries in Hawai’i and larger Pacific region; and focusing attention on the cultural importance of the ocean to Hawaii’s people.

5. Connecting People to Place: Bio-Cultural Foundations and Innovations in Resource Management

In Hawaiian conservation, there are cultural connections to the places we work. As such there is also a wealth of cultural knowledge tied to the history and people of these places upon which to draw from in order to increase our conservation success.  This track will focus on both the foundations of culturally integrated conservation, as well as examples of cultural innovations to conservation in Hawaiʻi. Sessions are aimed at bio-cultural innovations and approaches to conservation, including integration of biology, culture, land-use history, community-based stewardship, and all that is rooted in aloha ʻāina.

6. Collaboration Across Sectors: Island Leadership in Defining the New “Green (and Blue) Economy”

What sectors need to be involved in green initiatives, and how can island communities encourage cross-sector dialogue to promote effective developments in clean energy, food security, and the environment?

This track will focus on islands as microcosms for the world’s sustainability challenges.  It will highlight how Hawai`i is defining green growth to include sound management of our natural resources from the mountains to the sea and advancing innovative green growth initiatives through multi-sector and international collaborations. Sessions will demonstrate unique partnerships, programs and projects that will lead to a greener economy with more opportunities for green jobs.

WORKSHOPS/TRAININGS

Organizations and practitioners are welcome to conduct trainings (see “Conservation Campus” below) and workshops before or following the conference. While Hawaii Conservation Alliance (HCA) can contribute minimal logistical support, the facilitating organization(s) is responsible for organizing and supporting most aspects of their training or workshop. Please contact us for details about this new capacity building opportunity.

SUBMISSION PROCESS

Session Proposal & Abstract Deadline: January 21, 2013

Session proposals and abstracts must be submitted online. The submission form will be available on the HCA website in early December, 2012: www.hawaiiconservation.org

FORMAT DESCRIPTIONS

Symposium: a formal moderated session with 4-5 presentations organized around a topic or theme; individual presentation time is limited to 20 minutes; moderator introduces presenters and conducts Q&A session at end of session. Time limit: 2 hours per session. Abstracts for each presenter are required and due Jan 21, 2013, along with a complete session agenda.

Forum: A less formal, interactive panel or roundtable session organized around a topic or theme; moderator guides presenters’ discussion and conducts Q&A session with audience during or after presentations. Time limit: 2 hours per session, with a minimum of :30 for audience participation. Abstracts for each presenter are not required unless requested by the forum organizer/chair.

Workshop: An interactive, highly facilitated, “hands on” session that minimizes formal presentations and emphasizes the application of information and/or technology. Active audience participation is encouraged. Subject categories may include: Education & Outreach, Community Engagement, Career & Skills Development, Management Tool Applications, etc. To register, one cohesive workshop abstract is required that describes engagement technique used by the person(s) facilitating the workshop. Hawaii-based workshop facilitators must be registered participants.

Conservation Campus: This an opportunity for organizations to host capacity building trainings and activities that focus on a specific skills transfer to conservation practitioners, teachers, etc or a time to engage a specific audience in a particular topic related to our larger theme (i.e. GIS analysis, integration of conservation in the classroom for teachers). A description is required to explain the goals and target audience of the training. Hawaii-based training facilitators must be registered conference participants. Trainings may occur on the weekend before or after the conference.

Oral and Poster Presentation Abstracts

Formal, individual presentations on various conservation topics will be scheduled in one of the following sessions depending on the abstract content. On the abstract submission form, you will be asked to choose a preferred presentation format (oral or poster) and identify the status of your project: information or news item; project/idea under development; completed project with data and results. In some cases, the review committee may suggest that you change your preferred format depending on the content of your abstract, available time in the program, and available space in the exhibit hall. All oral and poster presenters must be registered participants.

Oral presentations:

a.) 20-minute individual presentations (16-minute talk, 3 minutes Q&A, 1 minute for transition time)

b.) 10-minute individual presentations (7-minute talk, 2 minutes Q&A, and 1 minute for transition time).

Oral presentations will be scheduled into 2-hour sessions concluding with a 20-minute Q&A session. The 10-minute presentation format is appropriate for a topic of broad appeal, a new project or innovative idea, a recent success, a news story or update.

Poster presentation: This is a visual presentation to showcase your work to conference attendees throughout the entire conference. Posters are particularly useful as a way to present quantitative research. More than one participant may author a poster, but at least one of the primary authors must be in attendance to discuss the poster at the Opening Reception July 16th.

For more information Contact HCA Program Coordinator, Shelley Steele  808-687-6152  coordinator@hawaiiconservation.org

Hawaii Civil Union and Marriage Online Application Process Activates on January 1st

The Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH) today announced the new website addresses to apply online for a civil union or marriage in Hawai‘i. The new online process will be activated at 12:00 a.m. (midnight) on January 1, 2012.

Click for more information about Civil Unions in Hawaii

To apply online for a civil union go to: https://civilunion.ehawaii.gov

To apply online for marriage go to: https://marriage.ehawaii.gov

Dr. Alvin Onaka, DOH state registrar, said, “Even though our Kinau Hale office will be closed for the New Year holiday, the public will be able to use our new on-line system developed in partnership with ehawaii.gov. Couples who use the online system will benefit from a more convenient, accurate and efficient process that will provide access to an electronic certificate within days.”

With the assistance of community groups, the Civil Union Task Force, marriage agents and performers, legislators, the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, and the Attorney General’s Office, the DOH has worked to create a statewide system to better serve the needs of our island state where as many as 30,000 marriages have taken place in a given year.

The new online system will accommodate anywhere from one to 1,000 applicants at any time.

For more information on applying for a civil union or marriage license go to: www.hawaii.gov/doh

The online application system was developed and is maintained via the eHawaii.gov program, a largely self-funded public-private partnership between the State of Hawai‘i and Hawai‘i Civil Union and Marriage Information Consortium LLC, a Hawai‘i corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of eGovernment firm NIC Inc. (NASDAQ: EGOV).

The eHawaii.gov partnership has allowed Hawai‘i to deploy award-winning applications such as: Hawai‘i Electronic Death Registration System, Hawai‘i Electronic Bench Warrants, Statewide Camping Permits, Hawaii Business Express and Online Motor Vehicle Renewals. Hawai‘i Information Consortium works with Hawai‘i state and county government agencies to enable them to conduct state business online and improve public access to government information.

The DOH monitors health status to identify community health problems and trends. An important part of this work is done by collecting, compiling, and analyzing records of vital events that include all births, deaths, marriages and now civil unions that take place within our state.

Related articles

• Hawaii State Civil Union On-Line Applications to be Activated (damontucker.com)
• Hawai’i Community Foundation Invites Students to Apply for $4.5 Million in College Scholarships (damontucker.com)
• Hawai’i Supreme Court Today Rejects HSTA’s Contention that Hawai’i Labor Relations Board (HLRB) is Not Appropriately Handling the Case (damontucker.com)
• Information for Organizations and Individuals Wishing to do Business with the County of Hawai’i (damontucker.com)

Big Island Police Find Man Wanted With at Least a Dozen Car Break-Ins

Big Island police have arrested a Hilo man in connection with a dozen car break-ins in Hilo.

Most of the break-ins were in either downtown Hilo along Kilauea Avenue or the Keaukaha area. The investigation began when an employee of a Kilauea Avenue business reported that she saw a man open her car door, grab her purse and run away on October 26. The woman chased the suspect on foot but lost him after he turned up Kukuau Street.

Joseph Ada

Police investigation led to the arrest of 45-year-old Joseph Ada on Thursday (November 10). Further investigation linked him to 11 additional cases.

On Friday (November 11), detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigations Section charged Ada with 12 counts of unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle, four counts of second-degree theft, two counts of third-degree theft, 12 counts of fourth-degree theft, eight counts of third-degree identity theft and eight counts of fraudulent use of a credit card.

His bail was set at $262,000. He was held at the Hilo police cellblock until his initial court appearance on Monday (November 14).

Police remind the public not to leave valuables unattended and visible in their cars.

Police also discourage the public from pursuing suspects themselves. It is safer to call police for assistance.

Related articles

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