Bringing you today’s stories on issues important to Native communities.  NewsClips is a complimentary service of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement.  Don’t miss the biggest event in Native Hawaiian community development!  Register now for the 4th Annual Native Hawaiian Conference from August 30 – September 2 2005 at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel.  Special scholarships are available.  For conference registration, scholarship forms, and for information and updates on our training workshops and events, please visit our Web site at: www.hawaiiancouncil.org.

 

 

June 8, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on: Monday, June 6, 2005

 

Coming to the defense of Akaka

 

By Dennis Camire
Advertiser Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — A plea for help to soften the personal attacks on the chief sponsor of the Native Hawaiian bill marked a King Kamehameha Day celebration at the Capitol yesterday.

Delegate Eni Faleomavaega, D-American Samoa, told the crowd of about 350 in the Capitol's Statuary Hall that Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai'i, sponsor of the legislation, has been too heavily criticized in his efforts since 2000 to have the legislation approved.

"All kinds of criticisms are heaped on this humble man for trying for so many years to help the Hawaiian people," said Faleomavaega, the celebration's keynote speaker. "This man is unjustly condemned, yet his heart is so pure. I plead with you ... to help."

The legislation, known as the Akaka bill, would have the federal government recognize Native Hawaiians in the same way it recognizes American Indians and Native Alaskans. The legislation, now awaiting a vote no later than Aug. 7 by the full Senate, would create a framework for Native Hawaiian governance.

Faleomavaega said the bill, like any legislation, is not perfect, but that the criticisms of Akaka have become too personal over the years.

"If our Hawaiian people realize and understand and appreciate where he (Akaka) is coming from, then we can then better understand," he said. "We can always agree to disagree, bring points or whatever — that's all part of the process."

The Akaka bill came up several times during the two-hour celebration that featured traditional Hawaiian music, hula and speeches. The highlight was the draping of dozens of lei on the 12-foot bronze and gold statue of the king in Statuary Hall.

The Kamehameha Schools Children's Chorus of about 40 students in the fourth through sixth grades sang "We Make a Rainbow" and other songs. Halau O 'Aulani, under the direction of Paul Neves of Hilo performed as well.

The crowd included representatives of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, the Hawai'i State Society, and the state's congressional delegation.

Akaka, who said he couldn't attend this year's celebration, said in a statement read to the crowd that the Native Hawaiian bill is only one of the steps in a long path to reconciling the 1893 overthrow of the kingdom of Hawai'i.

"We are only at the beginning," he said. "As we celebrate Kamehameha Day, let us be mindful of the king's legacy of unification and his vision for the people of Hawai'i. Let us come together and work together to address the challenges facing our people and our nation."

Haunani Apoliona, board chairwoman of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, said the ceremony renews the resolve to push ahead with efforts for Native Hawaiian self-determination.

"May our collective voices, our message and our commitment to our mission reverberate as the chants and conch shells of old throughout these halls," she said. "In this 21st century, let our voices remind this nation that reconciliation with the indigenous people of Hawai'i as yet is unfinished."

 

 

 

 

Posted on: Tuesday, June 7, 2005

 

Receiving homestead 'like being in Las Vegas'

 

By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau

KULA, Maui — Hundreds of Native Hawaiians turned out over the weekend to learn if they would be awarded one of 337 single-family residential lots in the Waiohuli Homestead, a state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands project planned for 523 acres in Kula.

Jeanette Ka'auamo, 55, has been on the agency's waiting list since the 1980s, and at No. 899, she wasn't sure her number would come up this time around. A little more than an hour after officials began announcing each award Saturday morning, Ka'auamo got her answer.

"I was just so happy. It was like being in Las Vegas," she said.

"I was happy not only for me, but for everyone else who got a lot. We were cheering for every person who was there."

Home Lands officials said the Waiohuli Homestead development will help meet the high demand for homes on Maui and provide home ownership opportunities for Native Hawaiians faced with escalating real estate prices.

The agency has nearly 7,000 applications for Hawaiian homelands on Maui, about 3,200 of which are for residential property.

The Waiohuli Homestead lots would be built on 196 acres. About 100 acres of the remaining land on the 523-acre property would be used for archaeological and cultural preserves, with another 100 acres for ranching and grazing and 125 acres for open space.

The project site is part of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands' Waiohuli Keokea tract, which includes 6,112 acres next to Kula Highway, some of which is now used for cattle grazing. The land is between the Kula Residential Lots, which consists of 321 existing lots and 99 planned lots, and the Keokea Agricultural Lots, which has 69 planned lots.

The Waiohuli Homestead is scheduled for development within the next two to five years. On-site improvements include water storage, transmission and distribution facilities, individual septic tanks, roads, drainage, and electrical and communication systems.

The department for the first time used its Undivided Interest Award Program to distribute homestead lots to beneficiaries. The program awards ownership in the development without immediately specifying which piece of property, and allows those with the required 50 percent Native Hawaiian blood to pass on the property to a successor with at least 25 percent Native Hawaiian blood.

The program also gives awardees time to prepare for home ownership while the department develops the project, said Darrell Ing, a land agent with the agency. As development occurs, owners will be offered financial assistance, education and personalized case management help.

Since Ka'auamo already owns a home in Kokomo and doesn't want to assume a new mortgage at this point in her life, she is planning to turn her lot over to her 29-year-old daughter.

"She would never be able to apply since she's not 50 percent Hawaiian. Now I have that to give her," she said.

Reach Timothy Hurley at thurley@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 244-4880.

 

 

 

 

June 1, 2005

 

“Congressman Ed Case Reports” Featuring Senator Daniel Inouye

 

Honolulu, Hawaii - Congressman Ed Case welcomes Senator Daniel Inouye as his special guest throughout June on Case's weekly cable television program on five public access channels statewide.

 

This month's "Congressman Ed Case Reports", hosted by Case, features a unique half-hour conversation between the two Hawaii lawmakers discussing topics ranging from Inouye's upbringing and early years in public service to Hawaii's current and future needs in Congress.

 

"Senator Inouye's journey to and through Washington, D.C. is not only an amazing life story, but has brought immeasurable benefits to our Hawaii and our nation," said Case. "I've tried with my show to communicate not only what I and my congressional office are up to, but to spotlight people who are working for all of us in our islands and our nation's capital. I was fortunate to have Senator Inouye spend time with our mutual constituents reflecting on his life and work, which will continue to shape our state's path for generations to come."

 

Case begins the show by summarizing Inouye's life, from his father's birth in Yokoyama, Japan, through the Senator's upbringing in Honolulu, his service in World War II, his postwar years, his early years in the Hawaii legislature, his election as Hawaii's first Congressman post-Statehood in 1959, to his now-43 years of service in the U.S. Senate. "It was certainly the example of his life and that of his comrades-people like my former boss, (Senator) Spark Matsunaga-that inspired me and so many of my generation to seek out public service as a career," says Case.

 

During the half hour, Inouye remembers his first days in the U.S. House of Representatives (1959-62), when legendary House Speaker Sam Rayburn took him on a personally-guided tour of the U.S. Capitol and even showed Inouye the House barber shop. "And when it was all over, he looked to me and he says, 'At this moment, the most identifiable person [in our country] is the president, Dwight D. Eisenhower. Next to him is me, the Speaker. Next to me is you.' I said, 'Me?' He said, 'Yes, there aren't too many one-armed Japanese around here,'" Inouye recalls, chuckling at the memory. "We got along well."

 

As Hawaii's junior senator in the '60s, Inouye fondly remembers the collegiality on the Hill when three-piece suits and hats were the standard dress for male lawmakers and 38-year-old senators like him left personal business cards to request meetings with the majority leader. That atmosphere changed, he recalled, with the Watergate hearings which catapulted Inouye into the national spotlight.

 

"Believe it or not, I tried my very best to avoid serving on that committee," Inouye tells Case. "It was exciting but difficult. It was not pleasant because you knew people were watching this, cursing the United States that in our democracy that this was happening. But I suppose it had to be done."

 

The two lawmakers discuss other topics like the impact of World War II on a generation of local leaders, Inouye's long-standing desire to build the economies of the Neighbor Islands, the importance of the Senate's filibuster rule, and Inouye's most memorable Congressional initiative.

 

Case asks Inouye about his view of Hawaii's future, and Inouye explains that tourism will continue to be a force in the local economy as long as the beautiful environment and atmosphere of Hawaii is maintained. But, Inouye says, the demand for land for housing risks agriculture, and there is a continuing need for new economic activities such as high technology and making Hawaii a health center.

 

"There's not a place in the Pacific area where men and women of means can go like the Mayo Clinic or, in the Pacific, like UCLA or places like that. Why not go to Hawaii, stay in a nice hotel and go to a hospital next door like the Mayo Clinic. I think there are many (possibilities)."

 

And of course, there are some interesting tidbits of political history and trivia that come to light during Case's conversation with Inouye. For example: what do the first congressional terms of Inouye and Case have in common? Tune in!

 

Here are scheduled show times of "Congressman Ed Case Reports" with Senator Daniel Inouye:

 

 

 

Show times on Akaku (Channel 54, Maui) and Hoike (Channel 52, Kauai) are pending.  For information on future show times on Akaku and Hoike, visit Akaku's website at file:///T:/E-Resources/NewsClips/PublishedNewsClips/2005/Local%20Settings/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Local%20Settings/Local%20Settings/Temp/www.akaku.org and Hoike's website at file:///T:/E-Resources/NewsClips/PublishedNewsClips/2005/Local%20Settings/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Local%20Settings/Local%20Settings/Temp/www.hoike.org.

 

 

 

 

Saturday, June 4, 2005

 

Helm a Na Hoku Hanohano hit

 

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Life was pretty sweet and lovely for Raiatea Helm at last night's Na Hoku Hanohano Awards ceremonies.

The 20-year old Moloka'i singer carted home more trophies than anyone else at the annual music award gala, winning four awards for her album "Sweet & Lovely."

Helm's sophomore disc earned her awards for female vocalist of the year and favorite entertainer. It also won an engineering award for Dave Tucciarone and a graphics award for Mele McPherson.

The Hoku for female vocalist was Helm's second. She'd won in 2003 for her debut disc, "Far Away Heaven."

The evening's top prize of album of the year went to Eddie Kamae & The Sons of Hawai'i's anthology, "Eddie Kamae & The Sons of Hawai'i." The album also scooped up a Hoku for anthology album of the year.

Last night's only other multiple-award winners were Na Palapalai and Kimo Alama Keaulana.

Keaulana's "Hula Lives!" won awards for Hawaiian language performance and haku mele for "Kinoiki Kekaulike." Vocal trio Na Palapalai's "Ke 'Ala Beauty" took Hoku for Hawaiian album of the year and group of the year.

Na Palapalai previously won both awards in 2003 for its debut CD, "Makani 'Olu'olu."

Tied with Helm for most Hoku nominations this year with seven each, 'Ale'a and the Brothers Cazimero each went home with one award.

The Caz's Grammy-nominated "Some Call It Aloha ... Don't Tell" grabbed song-of-the-year honors for Robert Cazimero's " 'Ala Auhea." 'Ale'a's "Kaulupono" won for contemporary Hawaiian album of the year.

Vocalists Dennis Pavao and Wendell Warrington won posthumous Hoku. Pavao was named male vocalist of the year for "The Golden Voice of Hawai'i, Vol. 1." Warrington's "A Few More Drops" won for religious album.

Beating out the likes of iNoA'oLe, Warrington, Jordan Segundo and Hula Honeys for most promising artist was 16-year-old Brittni Paiva. The Hilo teenage multi-instrumentalist won the award for her "Brittni x 3" disc.

Paiva, however, couldn't best one of her musical influences, Jake Shimabukuro, for instrumental album. Shimabukuro took home a Hoku for his "Walking Down Rainhill" disc.

Multi-nominated musicians going home empty-handed last night included Charles Ka'upu, Na Leo, Pali and Keahiwai.

Lifetime achievement awards went to Melveen Leed, Jesse Kalima, Kealoha Kalama, Bill Ali'iloa Lincoln and Hui Ohana.

The reception area outside the Hilton Hawaiian Village's Coral Ballroom filled slowly but steadily before dinner and awards time. The humid weather didn't stop many men from showing up in dressy black suits. Most women opted for strapless mu'umu'u and cocktail dresses.

At reception area tables, applications for Recording Academy membership disappeared as quickly as the many varieties of fragrant lei. Membership has its privileges. Among them: a voter's ballot for 2006's Best Hawaiian Music Album Grammy.

Auntie Genoa Keawe, in a red flower-print mu'umu'u, arrived early, smiling and taking photos with admirers armed with lei. Everybody wanted a picture.

Also accepting many kudos prior to the Hoku ceremony was Paiva, mugging with veteran musician John Keawe as her mom snapped photos.

Charles Michael Brotman, who produced the CD that won the first Grammy for best Hawaiian music album, chatted about future projects. No "Slack Key Guitar, Vol. 3" is in the works for his Big Island-based Palm Records label just yet. But look for a Brotman-produced Sonny Lim solo-guitar disc soon.

Helm arrived as many began to find their seats in the ballroom. Looking radiant in a long, form-fitting pink dress, she posed for photos and gave a hug to whoever wanted one. Her mom and dad in tow, it was hard to tell who had more lei between them.

"Yee-haw!" she exclaimed, before entering the ballroom.

It was hard to disagree with her sentiment.

 

 

 

 

June 8, 2005

 

LGB & Associates Awarded 2004 “Small Business Partner of the Year” Award by the Department of the Treasury

 

(Washington D.C.) – LGB & Associates an SBA certified 8(a), Native Hawaiian, HUBZone, and Woman Owned business with offices in Virginia and Hawaii, announced today that it has been awarded the 2004 “Small Business Partner of the Year” award by the Department of the Treasury. This esteemed award goes to the small business that has excelled in Treasury.  This award is base on LGB & Associates, Inc.’s performance of its Internal Revenue Services (IRS) contract. 

 

The 2004 “Small Business Partner Award of the Year” symbolizes the recognition by the Treasury Department of the outstanding contributions provided by LGB & Associates, Inc. (LGB) under its current Treasury Commercial Vehicle contract with the Internal Revenue Service, in support of a range of services encompassing software (both commercial-off-the-shelf and customer developed), hardware, maintenance, Help Desk and Equipment Inventory support for IRS offices nationwide.

 

The Treasury Department has recognized LGB “as flexible, responsive, innovative and fair in their interactions with IRS”, adding that “the company is committed to process improvement . . . LGB has established a track record of quality service and continually looks for ways to improve.”

 

“LGB is honored to have been selected for this prestigious award. As a certified 8(a), Native Hawaiian, HUBZone, and Woman Owned business, our passion for service and accountability is part of our core culture. We are very proud and at the same time humbled that the Treasury Department has recognized this passion and dedication for superior customer service,” said Li Garcia-Ballard, CEO and President of LGB & Associates, Inc. “Our 10-year experience in supporting the federal government in its software development needs, professional, administrative, and business operations support needs is deeply rooted in our belief of outstanding customer service to our federal government.” 

 

LGB & Associates, Inc. is a Woman-Owned, Native Hawaiian firm, certified by the Small Business Administration as an 8(a), Small Disadvantaged and HUBZone firm. LGB maintains offices in Hawaii and Virginia. Formed in 1994, LGB provides a wide range pf services and capabilities to meet the growing administrative, technology, and program management requirements of its clients.

 

Ms. Garcia-Ballard is also active in LGB’s Hawaii based operations and is an advocate of small Native Hawaiian businesses.  She is a founder of the Native Hawaiian Economic Alliance, NHEA, serving as the President of this non-profit organization. NHEA’s mission is to build capacity among its Native and Hawaii resident businesses in order to garner more federal government military contracts performed by Native businesses in the state of Hawaii.

 

 

 

 

June 1, 2005

Grant to help smokers to quit

Advertiser Staff

The Native Hawaiian health agency Papa Ola Lokahi has received $24,800 from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to support a statewide stop-smoking program for Hawaiians through its Native Hawaiian Cancer Network project, 'Imi Hale.

The money will be used to develop smoking-cessation kits that will be distributed to clients of the Native Hawaiian Health Care Systems for one year, starting Sept. 1. The kits include various self-help tools and substitutes for cigarettes, such as mints and gum.

'Imi Hale, a program of Papa Ola Lokahi, is financed by the National Cancer Institute to reduce cancer incidence and mortality among Native Hawaiians. Papa Ola Lokahi is authorized by Congress through the Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act to address Native Hawaiian health and wellness issues and concerns.

 

 

 

 

Friday, June 3, 2005

 

Indianz.Com. In Print.
URL: http://indianz.com/News/2005/008557.asp

 

Study finds surgery risk for Native veterans

 

Male Native American veterans are more likely to die within a month of surgery than their white counterparts, according to a study published this month.

 

A team led by the first Navajo woman surgeon examined surgery records for over 2,000 American Indian and Alaska Native male veterans. When the researchers compared the data to those for white veterans, they found a striking difference.

 

"The results of this study add surgical outcomes to the list of health disparities experienced by Native Americans and offer further opportunities for investigation, intervention, and improvement in this understudied population," said lead author Dr. Lori Arviso Alvord, a member of the Navajo Nation who is the assistant professor of surgery and psychiatry at Dartmouth Medical School in New Hampshire.

 

Based on 11 years of data from the Department of Veterans Affairs, 3.1 percent of Native veterans died within 30 days of surgery, the study found. In contrast, only 2.1 percent of white patients died.

 

The study, published in the June 2005 issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, doesn't explain the reason for the disparity. Alvord said further research is necessary to determine, for example, whether Native veterans are receiving the same amount of health care as others.

 

But Native veterans and their advocates say Native veterans face special challenges when seeking medical care. They must often travel hundreds of miles just to obtain basic services promised to them for enlisting in the military. They also say conditions on reservations that influence their health are poor.

 

"My grandfather told me, 'The better we do, the more the government will help,'" Army Sgt. Gerald Dupris, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe who saw combat in Iraq, said earlier this year. "But Native Americans have not gotten such help."

 

Alvord's research confirmed that Native veterans exhibited health conditions that can increase the risk of death after surgery. Native veterans were more likely to suffer from a disability or diabetes, have a wound infection and have low platelet counts, according to the study. Platelets are necessary to deal with blood loss.

 

The study is the first of its kind for Native veterans but the authors noted that prior research has shown that Native American patients are at higher risk of death than non-Natives. One study showed that Native Americans received fewer kidney transplants and were delayed treatment for end-stage renal failure despite high rates of kidney disease.

 

Another study found that Native patient underwent fewer heart related surgeries even though heart disease is the number one killer in Indian Country. In Canada, Natives were more likely to be readmitted to hospitals after gall bladder surgery than non-Natives, according to yet another study.

 

A fourth study among a small group of Native Americans found that those who underwent coronary artery bypass were four times as likely to die in-hospital than whites.

 

"Future studies should examine in greater detail demographic, clinical, cultural, and health care factors that might account for the variation in postsurgical outcomes," the authors wrote.

 

Co-authors of the study include the Native Elder Health Care Resource Center at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, the University of Washington and Harvard Medical School. Data was obtained from the Department of Veterans Affairs' National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

 

Get the Study:
Surgical Morbidity and Mortality among American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans: A Comparative Analysis (Journal of the American College of Surgeons June 2005)


Note: Full study requires subscription or paid access.

 

 

 

 

Thursday, June 2, 2005

 

College prep program seeks Hawaiians

 

Star-Bulletin staff

College Connections Hawaii is seeking applications for a new five-year program that will prepare 500 native Hawaiian students for a successful college career.

The nonprofit group's Native Hawaiian Scholars Program will provide free college-prep counseling for public high school students in the graduating classes of 2006 through 2010.

The program was designed to address data showing that native Hawaiians are among the students least likely to attend and succeed in college, said Wren Wescoatt, executive director of College Connections Hawaii.

Applicants must be at least part-Hawaiian, attend a Hawaii public school and commit to the program for five years.

The program is funded by donations from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Lumina Foundation and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. So far, $500,000 has been raised, enough to fund the first three years, Wescoatt said.

Findings from the program will be shared with the state Department of Education, the University of Hawaii system, Kamehameha Schools and others, Wescoatt said.

Applications will be accepted until all 500 students are found. An application form can be downloaded from www.collegeconnections.org/789.html.

 

 

 

 

Posted on: Sunday, June 5, 2005

 

Students lauded for advocacy

 

By Will Hoover
Advertiser Staff Writer

Two Kamehameha Schools students took top honors yesterday at the third annual Guardians of Liberty and Justice Youth Awards ceremony at the state Supreme Court.

Co-winners were junior Maxine Anderson, 17, and senior Lehua Farrar-Ivey, 18, who shared a $1,000 award for starting the Gay Straight Alliance and working to get the group formally recognized at the school.

In presenting the awards, sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai'i Foundation, Chief Justice Ronald Moon commended the students for their dedication and courage in highlighting important civil-rights issues that have promoted appreciation and acceptance of diversity.

"I have no doubt that their decisions to pursue the actions taken were met with much resistance, not only from their peers, but from adults as well," said Moon.

Farrar-Ivey, who will be attending the University of Puget Sound this fall, said she had never considered herself a leader and wasn't sure she really did anything special in standing up for the individuality of students who might otherwise be excluded because of their sexual orientation.

Maxine Anderson's award was accepted by her mother, Denise Anderson, who said: "I'm very proud of my visionary daughter."

She read a note for Maxine, who was unable to attend the ceremony.

"I'm so glad I got to be part of this great movement to spread tolerance in places were there was none," said the note.

But it was the Big Island's Myles Cockroft, 18, a Pahoa High and Intermediate School graduate bound for Boston University, who spoke most forcefully about what he termed the current attack in America on the Bill of Rights.

Cockroft won a $500 finalist's prize for his initiative in challenging a school policy requiring students to wear photo identification badges.

Historically, said Cockroft, citizen's civil liberties have been usurped by the government during times of extreme crisis and times when the country has been at war, such as when the government maintained martial law in Hawai'i throughout most of World War II.

Now, he told the gathering of about three dozen people, a new and ominous wrinkle has been added.

"In this case, the Patriot Act is being justified by the war on terrorism, which is a whole new kind of war because instead of being a war on a country or a place, it's a war on an improper noun," said Cockroft, who gained a reputation at school as the "go-to guy" regarding student rights.

"And as such, it's a perpetual war — which is perfect for taking away your civil liberties, because it's a war that will never end until they want it to. And by 'they,' I mean the Bush administration. Sorry."

Most perplexing to Cockroft is the lack of outrage from the public about the erosion of basic freedoms.

Part of the blame, he said, goes to the media for neglecting to report on the assault on civil rights; the reason is for-profit corporations, which don't want to rock the boat, own and control the country's news outlets, he said.

But "the strongest threat to civil liberties doesn't come from the Patriot Act, or the war on terror, or the media. It comes from our own minds if we allow ourselves to be taken in."

It falls upon his fellow students just starting out to stand up for their rights, to fight back and to question authority, he said. Otherwise, Cockroft said, the next generation may not have civil liberties to defend.

 

 

 

 

Posted on: Thursday, June 2, 2005

 

State helps charter schools by boosting spending power

 

By Derrick DePledge
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

More state money, and possibly greater oversight and accountability, is coming for charter schools under a bill signed into law yesterday by Gov. Linda Lingle.

Although the increase in spending is far short of what charter school advocates had asked for before the session, the governor, state lawmakers and charter school administrators described it as a positive step toward equity for schools that have often fought to stay afloat.

"I know it hasn't been easy and in fact it has been a monumental struggle for many charter schools," Lingle said before she signed the bill at Voyager, a charter school in Kaka'ako.

The governor's proposal to lift a cap on new, start-up charter schools was quickly dismissed by the state Legislature last session after a state audit found a troubling lack of oversight and accountability of the state's 27 charter schools. A task force will review that issue.

Lawmakers decided to smooth over some lingering technical issues at the schools and wait until the task force comes back with its recommendations before considering whether to significantly expand the number of schools.

Traditional public schools can covert to charter schools — and the new law would allow an unlimited number of conversions — but the slots for start-up charter schools have been taken.

"I don't feel we've reached a point where we're confident that launching more charter schools is the answer," said state Sen. Norman Sakamoto, D-15th (Waimalu, Airport, Salt Lake), chairman of the Senate Education and Military Affairs Committee.

The charter schools, which serve about 5,300 students statewide, have to meet the same academic and performance standards as traditional schools. Test scores have found that charter students overall are doing as well or better than other students.

The new law brings charter school employees into the state's workers' compensation pool and allows teachers to move between charter schools and traditional schools. The law makes clear that the state Board of Education has the authority to set guidelines for the schools, put struggling schools on probation, and to revoke charters. The audit had found there was confusion about the board's powers that contributed to a lack of oversight.

Lawmakers also approved an increase in charter school spending as part of the state budget, giving the schools about $32 million a year, up from $28 million. Charter schools had initially wanted $43 million next school year and $45 million the following year.

"Aside from the funding issues, this is a real A-plus for the charters," said Jim Shon, the executive director of the state's charter schools. "I think the spirit of this bill is how can we assure that the charters succeed, and be held accountable as well."

Voyager students, on their last day of school, serenaded Lingle with an 'ukulele-inspired rendition of "Hawaiian Superman." The school, in a converted warehouse, had to move some walls to get enough space for the students and guests to greet the governor and her entourage.

Sue Deuber, the principal at Voyager, said it showed how charter schools often have to adapt. "They're moving walls and creating alternatives for families," Deuber said.

Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.

 

 

 

 

Posted: June 07, 2005

 

Education funding's double standard

 

by: Jean Johnson / Indian Country Today

 

PORTLAND, Ore. - On the one hand, President Bush recently tapped mathematics professor Judith Vergun, Ph.D., as one of nine people to receive the 2004 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring that includes a $10,000 grant.

On the other, Bush administration cuts in the areas of education, welfare and the environment have toppled funding to projects like the Native Americans in Marine and Space Sciences program (NAMSS) at Oregon State University that Vergun helped develop.

NAMSS, which started in 1990 with funds from a National Science Foundation grant, had a 15-year track record that supported 2,500 students.

Wrote program organizers: ''The problem encountered during NAMSS's first year was that few Native students were enrolled in science, technology, engineering and mathematics [STEM] majors, and most quickly changed majors because they perceived that they could not pass the mathematics requirements.''

Vergun and her colleagues have begun to change that dismal scenario. In 14 years, her team achieved a 95 percent retention rate among students that accepted the STEM-major challenge. The program recorded 147 NAMSS undergraduates earning Bachelor of Science degrees, over half of whom continued on to graduate school.

Vergun said that although being red-carpeted around Washington, D.C. and a photo-op with the president was an honor, the award was bittersweet.

''The current U.S. president and his administration are undermining the future by profoundly mismanaging our resources. The Department of Defense budget is $500 billion this year alone, at a time when we have the biggest national debt ever,'' said Vergun.

''Funds to support ... education, welfare and the environment are plummeting to new lows without much understanding from the administration of the grave, long-term, damaging impact they are having. As a result, the National Science Foundation and others have smaller and smaller shares of the taxpayer dollars to support projects like our NAMSS program.''

Vergun pointed out that all would not be lost if Oregon State University found funds in its budget to support NAMSS. ''Our academic institutions need to internalize these wonderful programs by providing basic support for the staff and daily operation, such as office space, computers, materials and supplies, and communications costs.''

She argued that if OSU did step in, it would provide program permanency by offsetting NAMSS's costs. In turn, the program's grant applications would be more modest and, hence, competitive.

The good news is that Vergun is not on the faculty of OSU - an institution plagued by the state Legislature's notorious attitudes toward funding education - but is instead employed at the University of Hawaii.

''Fortunately, I am replicating the program in Hawaii, and the program model informs many others who wish to establish similar programs, said Vergun. ''So the program lives on, but not for our Oregon students, families and communities.''

While in the nation's capital accepting her award, Vergun and the other awardees gave presentations to a gathering that included National Science Foundation officers. Her comments described the NAMSS program's mentoring, as well as how the model is working in Hawaii.

 

 

 

 

Thursday, June 2, 2005

 

King Islanders fight to preserve historic village

 

by Seth Linden – http://www.ktuu.com/

 

Washington, D.C. - Imagine your hometown is no more. All the buildings from your childhood are literally gone.

 

That's the threat facing the Alaska Native community of King Island, which has been named as one of the most endangered historic places in America.

 

“Our people in some way need to have access to the island, so that they know their identity, they know where they came from, they know what our people did there,” says Marilyn Koezuna-Irelan, president of the King Island Native Corporation.

 

King Island is located 95 miles northwest of Nome in the Bering Sea. When the Bureau of Indian Affairs closed the community's school in 1959, the residents had to relocate.

 

Today, with the island's remaining homes and public buildings deteriorating, there's a plea for restoration.

 

“It would just be incredible, and we would certainly welcome any help that we could get in order to preserve King Island and the village site itself,” said Koezuna-Irelan.

She was in Washington, D.C. Thursday, working to make sure seasonal residents in the future can still use the remaining buildings.

 

The King Island Native Corporation has gained an important friend that can help. The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced this year that King Island is one of America's 11 most-endangered historic places.

 

“We will be working with them to come up with a plan of action, where we can be of assistance to them, to help raise funds or to help bring even more attention to the needs here. Whatever needs to be done, we're eager to try to help,” said Richard Moe, president of the trust.

 

King Island is on a list that is diverse and includes sites like Ernest Hemingway's house in Cuba, and a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house in Los Angeles. The historic trust, which works to preserve properties, says without help, King Island's structures will disappear.

 

“Those structures are necessary because they really represent the community as it existed before these people were forced to leave,” Moe says.

 

Now, the race is on to figure out how the past can be preserved and included in King Island's future. The Alaska Native Arts Foundation says it is collecting donations to go toward the King Island restoration.

 

 

 

 

Posted on: Saturday, June 4, 2005

 

New canoe to travel with Hokule'a

 

By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Staff Writer

The Hawaiian voyaging canoes Hokule'a and Hokualaka'i are scheduled to sail from Hanalei into the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands starting June 17, for visits to Nihoa and Mokumanamana islands.

The mission combines cultural and crew training components for both vessels and voyaging sea trials for the one-year-old Hokualaka'i.

"Our main mission will be to support the cultural access to those islands," said Nainoa Thompson, who will serve as skipper on Hokule'a during the voyage. He said Ka'iulani Murphy, whose first major training passage as a navigator was a successful sailing from Kaua'i to Nihoa last year, will once again navigate.

Hokualaka'i captain and navigator Chad Kalepa Baybayan said the voyage will complete nearly a year of sailing and work aboard the newer canoe.

"It was always our plan for our first year of sea trials that we take the canoe to Mokumanamana," Baybayan said. "We'll be working with a new cohort of sailors that we're training on the Big Island."

The canoe sailed last week from Hilo to Kona on a series of island hops to Hanalei, where it will meet Hokule'a. He said most of the 48 sailors in training will participate in one leg of the series of sails. It is 160 miles from Hanalei to Nihoa, and 180 miles from there to Mokumanamana.

The 62-foot, twin-masted Hokule'a is owned by Bishop Museum and operated by the Polynesian Voyaging Society, which Thompson heads. Half of its crew will be made up of members of the Kupu'ea Pae Moku Hawaiian cultural group.

The 56-foot, single-masted Hokualaka'i is owned and operated by the 'Aha Punana Leo Hawaiian language education program and serves as a floating classroom.

Halealoha Ayau of Kupu'ea Pae Moku said Hawaiian cultural practitioners, some of whom will be on Hokule'a and some on an escort boat, will land on Nihoa and Mokumanamana if weather permits.

He said this year's voyage is a continuation of one in 2003, when members of the group spent the night on Nihoa as Hokule'a lay at anchor.

The canoes are scheduled to return to Kaua'i on June 26 and then travel to O'ahu. In early July, Hokualaka'i is to receive repairs and adjustments to address issues identified during the trials. The canoe will be back in the water in October to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Hokule'a's launching.

Reach Jan TenBruggencate at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 245-3074.

 

 

 

 

Posted on: Monday, June 6, 2005

 

Kaua'i's Menehune Fishpond for sale

 

By Janis L. Magin
Associated Press

LIHU'E, Kaua'i — According to legend, a king on Kaua'i once made a deal with a mythical race of little people to build a fishpond in one night.

The menehune worked hard through the night, meticulously cutting and shaping lava rock to build a 900-foot wall to keep out the river but to allow young fish to swim into the pond, where they would grow too large to swim back out.

Many agree that the Menehune Fishpond, on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973, is one of the rarest and most significant cultural and archaeological sites on Kaua'i.

It's also for sale.

The owners, who live on O'ahu, are asking $12 million for the 102-acre site a few miles inland from Nawiliwili Harbor that includes the fishpond. The listing notes that only one house may be built on the property, which is located in a conservation district.

The property is listed on the Internet, and has been advertised in Mainland real-estate publications. So far there have been no offers, although several potential buyers on the Mainland have expressed interest, according to Dixie Daniel, the real-estate agent representing the seller, the Okada family of O'ahu.

The Menehune Fishpond was built about 580 years ago, according to David Burney, a paleoecologist who conducted core dating on the pond.

"That pond of course is monumental, monumental stone work," said Burney, who now is the director of conservation at the National Tropical Botanical Garden in Lawa'i.

Fishponds go back to the Hawaiian Islands' earliest history, when the Tahitians first arrived. Scientists have estimated that some are 800 years old, Burney said.

But the Kaua'i fishpond is exceptional, he said.

"To me this is the ultimate fishpond," said Burney. "What makes it kind of special here on Kaua'i is the way the stones are fitted."

Ancient Hawaiians often used lava rock to build walls, but they typically placed them to fit together instead of cutting them into blocks.

"Hawaiians didn't typically cut rock to build something," said Michael Graves, an archaeology professor at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa.

Although no one knows who really built the fishpond, whose Hawaiian name is Alekoko, it is known that it teemed with fish and provided the local community with food until recently.

LaFrance Kapaka-Arboleda, who grew up in the area, remembers eating awa and mullet from the pond as a kid during the 1940s and '50s. Someone would oversee use of the pond and limit the amount of fish that could be taken, she said.

"It was a thriving, thriving fishery area," said Kapaka-Arboleda, who is now the Kaua'i community resource coordinator for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Today the wall is overgrown with mangrove, the pond is full of silt and few fish swim there.

"If you kayak up the river where the old makaha (gate) is, when the water is high enough I've seen paddlers paddle in," said Nancy McMahon, the state's archaeologist for Kaua'i County.

Don Heacock, an aquatic biologist with the Department of Land and Natural Resources who lives on a 20-acre farm next door to the fishpond, said he has seen the fishpond become more overgrown over the years.

The Okada family has owned the fishpond since the 1980s.

Daniel said that when she first listed the property, she contacted several Hawaiian and conservation groups about acquiring the fishpond, but there was no interest. She has taken people from the local community to see the fishpond up close, but since it's a private property, most must settle for the view from the overlook or from the river.

Heacock believes the fishpond should be restored and turned into a research and education center. "It could be an incredible teaching and demonstration resource for Hawaiian aquaculture. We just can't lose resources like Alekoko — they're too precious, they're too unique."

 

 

 

 

Posted on: Friday, June 3, 2005

 

Biotech, Native Hawaiian link urged

 

By Sean Hao
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawai'i can be a player in the rapidly growing biotech industry, but needs to be sensitive to the interests of Native Hawaiian culture.

That was one of a series of findings discussed yesterday during a presentation focused on ways to expand Hawai'i's biotech sector, diversify the state's economy and create high-wage jobs. The event, which was held at the Hawaii Prince Hotel, was the product of about a yearlong process involving 300 or so people interested in developing a road map for the future of Hawai'i's life sciences industry.

The report by the Hawaii Life Sciences Council said the most promising areas for the industry going forward are in the treatment of infectious diseases and chronic diseases such as cancer, digital medical technology, renewable energy technology and the leveraging of natural resources such as Hawai'i's diverse geography and demographic population.

The road map also includes strategies for building those sectors, including addressing issues such as workforce development, recruitment of new businesses, managing local intellectual property and communicating with the community.

Keeping dialog open and incorporating Hawaiian cultural values, including respect and preservation of the land, also are critical, said Mike Fitzgerald, president and chief executive of Enterprise Honolulu, an economic development agency.

"We know that science and technology can be a blessing or a curse depending on what values the science and technology are based on and how they're used and what's allowed to go forward," he said. "Continuing to base science and technology development in Hawai'i on host culture values that can materially create a new balance for development and environmental preservation will make Hawai'i a beacon for the world."

That concept may be put to the test quickly as Hawai'i's biotech industry and Hawaiian culture already have clashed.

Last month concerns about genetic engineering of organisms surfaced in vocal opposition to a discontinued University of Hawai'i project involving genetically engineered Hawaiian taro. Public concern, including from some Hawaiians, also caused a state board to turn down a permit needed by a Big Island company to grow drugs in genetically altered algae.

To get a handle on how Native Hawaiians feel about such controversial issues the Royal Order of Kamehameha recently formed a bioethics panel, which is gathering comment from Native Hawaiians on each island, said Bill Souza, officer for the Royal Order of the Kahu Po'o Nui, which is part of the Royal Order of Kamehameha.

"We're concerned about all those things," he said. "Our whole idea is to get Hawaiians to empower themselves and take charge and in this case the bioethics council is what we're working with. The idea is to get a dialog going because everybody keeps shooting from the hip."

Peter Apo, director for the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association, said Native Hawaiians haven't always had a seat at the table in discussions about the future of the state's economy.

"Every major economic activity that occurred in Hawai'i since contact — fur trading, whaling, sugar and pineapple and now tourism, has occurred without the consent of the (Native Hawaiian) community," he said. "The nature of the activity was not so bad in and of itself. But the business model ... too often succeeded at the expense of Hawai'i's sense of place and her people.

"The life sciences presents us with the opportunity for leadership to shift the paradigm to (a) value-driven growth model," Apo said.

Reach Sean Hao at shao@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8093.

 

 

 

 

June 02, 2005

Hawaii Biotech Launches Vaccine Program to Protect Native Hawaiian Birds from West Nile; Likely West Nile Virus Spread Could Devastate Native Bird Population

 

Press Release

 

HONOLULU--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 2, 2005--Hawaii Biotech, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company, announced today it has launched a vaccine program designed to protect Native Hawaiian bird species from the lethal West Nile virus. Over 300 bird species have been affected by West Nile virus since the mosquito-borne disease hit the U.S. in 1999. As some avian species are known to migrate from North America to Hawaii, a West Nile virus outbreak among endangered Hawaiian bird species is likely. Additionally, the virus could potentially be spread by infected mosquitoes or people traveling to the Hawaiian Islands. The spread of West Nile virus to Hawaii could decimate the Native Hawaiian bird population.

Anticipated collaborators include University of Hawaii, the National Wildlife Center, and the National Park Service. The program will first test the Hawaii Biotech vaccine's ability to protect U.S. mainland geese from infection by West Nile virus. If successful in these and other tests, the vaccine could be used to protect native Hawaiian birds, including the endangered state bird, the Hawaiian Nene goose.

"West Nile virus is a real and imminent threat to the native Hawaiian bird population," stated Duane J. Gubler, ScD, former director of the Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Disease (DVBID) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and now Director of the Asia-Pacific Institute of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii. "While we need to increase our efforts to prevent West Nile virus from being introduced to Hawaii and to intensify surveillance for this mosquito-borne disease, a vaccine offers the best hope for protection of our native bird population."

"Our West Nile vaccine has protected all of the nearly 200 animals tested to date," said Carolyn Weeks-Levy, Ph.D., VP, Research, Development and Regulatory Affairs for Hawaii Biotech, Inc. "The goal of this new initiative is to extend this protection to Hawaii's native bird population."

David Watumull, President and CEO of Hawaii Biotech, Inc., will discuss the vaccine program at Hawaii Life Sciences Council's event "A Report to Stakeholders on the Hawaii Life Sciences Innovation Road Map" on June 2.

"This program helps demonstrate how biotechnology can help our community," said Watumull. "It's also reflective of Hawaii Biotech's commitment to improving Hawaii."

Program Overview. Younger birds are most susceptible to West Nile morbidity and mortality and the first study will include six groups of ten young domestic U.S. geese. The sixty animals will be vaccinated at the University of Hawaii, Hilo with a first immunization at three weeks of age followed by a booster at six weeks. Five vaccinated individuals from each group will then be transported from Hawaii to the BSL-3 facility at the National Wildlife Center in Madison, WI for challenge with live West Nile virus at a maximum age of three months.

If the safety and efficacy of the vaccine is demonstrated in these animals, additional studies that could result in vaccination of Nene and other native Hawaiian birds will be pursued.

West Nile Background. Virtually unknown in the U.S. prior to 1999, the West Nile virus is now established throughout the U.S. and Canada. Approximately 20 percent of those infected develop systemic febrile illness, while about 1 out of 150 progress to develop severe neurological symptoms. Approximately 5-14 percent of the latter cases are fatal. Moreover, in a high percentage of the non-fatal cases, permanent neurological disabilities result. These clinical findings are significantly worse in elderly patients. The CDC reported 2,470 cases and 88 deaths in 2004, with 900 (36 percent) of the 2,470 cases reporting neuroinvasive symptoms (meningitis or encephalitis).

Hawaii Biotech's West Nile Vaccine. Unlike most human viral diseases, West Nile causes both disease and death in animals. A well-validated model of human West Nile disease, the golden hamster, has been developed by Robert B. Tesh, M.D., of the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, who is one of the leading researchers in this field. Dr. Tesh has completed a series of three efficacy studies in this model evaluating several formulations of Hawaii Biotech's West Nile vaccine. The studies consisted of groups of fifteen to thirty animals each depending on the study. In all cases the Hawaii Biotech candidate vaccine efficacy was compared to a naive or adjuvant control. Each group received two doses of vaccine at approximately a one month interval and was challenged two-three weeks later with live West Nile virus. In one representative study, following challenge with live West Nile virus, 23 (77 percent) of control animals died and all others showed signs of illness. 100 percent of the animals in Hawaii Biotech's two vaccine groups remained alive and healthy with no evidence of virus replication in the blood. These results were highly statistically significant (p<0.00001). In addition, serological and immune parameters, such as hemagglutination-inhibition (HI), complement-fixation (CF), and in vitro virus neutralization (PRNT) tests clearly supported the efficacy.

 

 

 

 

Posted on: Friday, June 3, 2005

 

Maui giving helping hand to first-time homebuyers

 

By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau

WAILUKU, Maui — Gladys Baisa is very familiar with the affordable-housing crisis on Maui.

As head of Maui Economic Opportunity, one of Maui's largest nonprofits, Baisa is struggling to keep her staff, some of whom are losing any hope of owning their own homes. Just this week, Baisa learned two of her best people are leaving because of the housing situation.

"They are leaving Maui, and they are doing so in sorrow," she said.

With housing prices rocketing into orbit, the Maui County Council has established a new $400,000 fund to bolster its federally funded first-time homebuyers program.

The program was approved by the council late last month as part of the 2006 fiscal year budget, at a time when million-dollar home sales boosted the median house price on Maui to just under $700,000 — a 36 percent increase from a year earlier and a statewide high that real estate brokers say could go even higher.

Other counties also are experiencing a real estate boom. The median price for a single-family home on O'ahu in April was $545,000, up 25 percent; $370,000 on the Big Island, up 34 percent; and $540,000 on Kaua'i, up 14 percent.

The new Maui fund targets working people who make too much money to qualify for housing assistance, but who are losing ground toward a home purchase in the escalating real estate market. Details have not yet been worked out, but council members are hoping to help families that earn 120 percent of the county median income, which is about $64,300 for a family of four, with loans for down payments and closing costs.

While first-time homebuyer programs are not new to the state, the use of local funds for that purpose is a first for Hawai'i, officials said.

Maui County's current first-time homebuyers program is for families earning 80 percent of the county median income.

Lokahi Pacific, the nonprofit that administers the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-funded program for the county, reports that more than 160 families are on the HUD waiting list for first-time assistance.

"There's nothing out there," said Jo Ann T. Ridao, managing director of Lokahi Pacific. "It's very rare when something other than a condo or townhome is available."

Those who do qualify for HUD assistance can buy a home costing up to about $298,000, she said. By raising the qualification to 120 percent of median income, Ridao said more people will have the opportunity to buy a home, especially if more affordably priced units come on the market, as expected.

"The difficulties associated with the high cost of housing are not exclusive to low-income families," said Councilman Michael Molina, who introduced a bill suggesting provisions for the new first-time homebuyers program.

The council's Housing and Human Services Committee discussed Molina's proposal during a meeting yesterday. Some of the proposed guidelines include a residency requirement of three years, as well as waiving that requirement for those who left the county to further their education or join the military.

Molina's proposal would provide a loan term of 15 years, to be repaid at 3 percent interest only if the property is sold, refinanced or is no longer the owner's principal residence.

An accrued equity provision in Molina's proposal would discourage speculation to avoid immediate resale of the property. The county would take 50 percent of any profit if the property is sold within five years, with the cut diminishing to zero after 15 years.

Baisa said MEO isn't the only entity losing workers to the housing crisis, and that the lack of affordable housing was causing a deterioration in the quality of life here.

"This is a program we desperately need in Maui County," she said.

Reach Timothy Hurley at thurley@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 244-4880.

 

 

 

 

June 7, 2005

 

Land Trust rules studied

 

Bill 119 proposes expansion of Land Trust use

 

By Steve Limtiaco
Pacific Daily News
slimtiaco@guampdn.com

 

The Chamorro Land Trust property in Dededo where Robert Wolford and his sons grow tomatoes, stringbeans and eggplants is right along the road, which makes setting up a roadside produce stand a tempting possibility.

But Land Trust regulations prohibit the use of residential lots for that purpose, so making money from their efforts means loading up a truck and heading to various flea markets and night markets, Wolford, 28, said. That means their sales are limited mainly to the weekend, and are possible only because he has access to a truck. "If we're lucky, we get to go to government agencies, bag up the vegetables and sell it at $1 a pound," he said.

That could change if a bill by Sen. Benjamin Cruz, D-Piti, becomes law. Session resumes today at 9 a.m. with more than a dozen bills on the agenda, left over from last month's session.

Bill 119 allows Land Trust recipients to: grow and sell produce; repair personal items; sell baked goods; practice traditional medicine; and sell arts and crafts, among other things, provided the net income from that activity is less than $50,000 a year. It requires the Land Trust to create rules and regulations to allow that activity to happen.

The Land Trust holds property in trust for the benefit of the island's indigenous people, issuing residential and agricultural leases to Chamorros and leasing commercial property to generate revenue to support the trust and its programs.

"It (Bill 119) will help in so many ways. If we want to sell our crops, our vegetables, it will be a lot easier than to take it to the market every weekend, or the night market at Chamorro Village," Wolford said. "Sometimes I just want to put up a canopy alongside the road, put up a little table and set a couple of my vegetables, but I can't do that."

Wolford said he has seen a lot of farming on Land Trust property. "But I've not seen any cottage industries where they're able to sell their vegetables or even wood carvings. I haven't seen anyone do that because they're not allowed to."

 

 

 

 

June 5th, 2005 at 02:39 AM

 

Alaska Aloha: Leis gain popularity beyond Pacific Islander community

 

By ALEXANDRA BERZON
Anchorage Daily News

 

Outside West High School's graduation, you can barely find Anthony Suemari's head through his leis. Already laden with rings of candy bars, peppermints, orchids, carnations and other flowers, family members and church friends continue to wrap the Polynesian garlands around his neck until they're up past his nose and slipping off.

 

"I can't feel my neck, I can't turn my head," says Suemari, grinning and posing for pictures in front of hordes of well-wishers. "I'm proud of it, to get this many leis."

 

Like speeches filled with follow-your-dreams rhetoric and the principal's assessment that this year's class is the best ever, leis have become a staple of graduation week for Anchorage high schools.

 

Traditionally made with tropical flowers, leis might seem incongruous with Alaska's climate. But Pacific Islanders have steadily immigrated to Alaska, bringing with them island traditions and connections. According to the 2000 census, the percentage in Anchorage is nine times higher than the United States as a whole. The Anchorage School District reports that the number of Asian and Pacific Islander students has grown from seven percent of the district in 1995 to 11 percent this school year.

 

Hawaiians, Samoans, and other islanders have long crafted and presented leis as a way to show support and honor. They are popular at weddings, football games and award ceremonies -- anytime family and friends want to express affection and appreciation to loved ones. Graduation is prime lei season, and if there's one rule of thumb, it's that more is always better.

 

Which helps explain a burgeoning lei business here in Anchorage. While many Pacific Islander families create homemade garlands for their graduates, the entrepreneurial have spotted a niche market. They now set up parking lot stands for last-minute well-wishers headed into the Sullivan Arena, staging ground for all large-school graduations.

 

For the First Samoan Body of Christ church, selling leis is a major fund-raiser. The congregation imports fresh orchids, ti leaves, sweet-smelling white plumeria, kukui nuts, shells and other specialities from Hawaii. A group from the church gathers outside the arena before graduations to sew the flower leis using long needles, while another group is hard at work wrapping and stringing candy leis in a nearby van. Nio Silao, who runs the operation, estimates lei sales of over 1,000 during graduation week.

 

"In our culture, the more leis you have is the more support we gave," Silao explains.

 

Silao's group has some tough competition though. Christine Watkins imports pre-made orchid and ti leaf leis from Hawaii for her Leis R Us business. Watkins lived in Hawaii for 15 years but moved her family back to Alaska, where she was raised, about five years ago.

 

"I wanted to be able to bring my kids back to Alaska, where I'm from, and have them still be able to carry on the same traditions as in Hawaii," says Watkins.

 

While tropical flowers are becoming easier to find in Anchorage, the distance from anywhere resembling a tropical climate means they're not cheap. Silao's flower leis run from $10 for the loose orchids up to $50 for the time-consuming Christina lei, which involves hundreds of orchid petals tightly sewn together to create a gorgeous pattern.

 

Randi Popoalii, who is making leis for the church fund-raiser, remembers that as a child in Hawaii, finding flowers was never a problem. "It's frustrating here," says Popoalii. "In Hawaii on May Day, all the kids at school would pick flowers off the trees to make leis."

 

Because of the high cost of flowers in Anchorage, candy leis rule. Silao points to the rings of Tootsie Rolls and lollipops. "These are our kind of candies in Alaska. This is our own style," says Sialo.

 

In preparation for Bartlett High School's graduation Thursday, Lua Savinni made nearly 100 candy leis for her son Christopher and other friends and relatives. She spent several hours wrapping candy bars in colored saran wrap and tying the bundles together with ribbons. "We do this to show appreciation," says Savinni.

 

Lei givers have another creative solution for Alaska's lack of tropical flowers. Mixed in with candy leis and flower leis is the occasional money lei, with dollar bills folded into stars and glued onto lace and ribbons, sometimes interspersed with quarters.

 

At West's graduation, Emy Aurigue shows off the enormous lei she made for her daughter Kristina out of orange and yellow silk flowers. And Bartlett graduate Elisiva Maka proudly displays a unique plastic recreation of the intricate Pua flower lei from her home island of Tonga.

 

While Pacific Islander students tend to get "lei'd" the most, other students and families are starting to catch on to the trend and offer local vendors the bulk of their business.

 

Bartlett graduate Camerin Greene, whose family isn't from the islands, is thrilled with her abundance of graduation leis. "They're heavy and they're breaking my neck," says Greene, laughing.

 

Watkins of Leis R Us said she's seen a growing attraction to the garlands among all different types of people.

 

"We have military families who walk by us and say, 'Leis? In Anchorage?' Then they go into the graduation and see what happens and come back and buy them. It's prestigious to get leis."

 

 

 

 

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