Issued: Mar 10, 2010 7:00 AM HST Synopsis
Unusually strong and gusty trade winds will diminish slowly to more typical speeds through tonight. Trade-wind showers also will be more widespread and locally heavier than usual while the strong trades last. By Saturday afternoon, a passing trough will bring weak southeasterly winds, but increased showers again. A front may bring even heavier rain by early next week.

Watches/Warnings/Advisories
Wind advisory until 6 pm HST this evening for all main Hawaiian islands.

Winter weather advisory Big Island summits until noon HST today.

High surf advisory until 6 pm HST this evening for Kauai windward, Oahu Koolau, olomana, Molokai windward, Maui windward west, windward Haleakala, south Big Island, Big Island north and east.

Small craft advisory until 6 pm HST Thursday for Kauai northwest waters, Kauai windward waters, Kauai leeward waters, Kauai channel, Oahu windward waters, Oahu leeward waters, Kaiwi Channel, Maui county windward waters, Maui county leeward waters, Maalaea Bay, Big Island windward waters, Big Island leeward waters, Big Island southeast waters.

Gale warning until 6 pm HST this evening for Pailolo channel, Alenuihaha channel.

Kailua-Kona, Big Island of Hawaii, March 9, 2010 . . . In a move to minimize environmental impact, Kona Brewing Company has announced its award-winning beer will be produced in glass bottles that are 11% lighter than before. The company, Hawaii’s largest brewer, has reduced its bottle weight from 8 ounces to 7.3 ounces for all Kona brands. The new lightweight Longboard Island Lager bottles will begin hitting shelves of grocers and specialty beer stores in early March, and the new bottle will be virtually identical to current bottles in look and feel. The new weight Fire Rock Pale Ale and Wailua Wheat Ale bottles will be on shelves by late March.

The flavors of Kona brands will be completely unaffected, and no changes will be made to the brewing process, quality or recipes of the beers. Like many sustainability programs the brewer has implemented, such as its new solar energy generating system at the brewery on Hawaii’s Big Island, the savings on the new lightweight bottle will be great for both the company and the environment. The reduction in bottle weight will save 3,375 tons of CO2 emitted per year, which is the same as the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by a car traveling 8 million miles and equates to taking 511 cars off the road for a year. Seen another way, the savings also equates to easing the workload of 154,688 trees, which would have been taxed with offsetting the CO2 emitted by production of bottles, shipping and fuel.

Read Full Press Release (PDF)

Douglas is a member of the THC Ministry in Hilo, and is using his religion as a defense against the charges.

He is representing himself at his hearing today.

Source: Boston Herald

UFC president Dana White has repeatedly stated that before a champion in any weight class should jump up or down in weight to compete, he should clear out his division of worthy challengers. Apparently White thinks that lightweight champion BJ Penn is close to clearing out the lightweight division and, with a win over Frankie Edgar at UFC 112, may be setting himself up to make another run at the welterweight title.

Source: Fight Line

A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF LONG OCEAN WAVES. EACH INDIVIDUAL WAVE CREST CAN LAST 5 TO 15 MINUTES OR MORE AND EXTENSIVELY FLOOD COASTAL AREAS. THE DANGER CAN CONTINUE FOR MANY HOURS AFTER THE INITIAL WAVE AS SUBSEQUENT WAVES ARRIVE. TSUNAMI WAVE HEIGHTS CANNOT BE PREDICTED AND THE FIRST WAVE MAY NOT BE THE LARGEST. TSUNAMI WAVES EFFICIENTLY WRAP AROUND ISLANDS. ALL SHORES ARE AT RISK NO MATTER WHICH DIRECTION THEY FACE. THE TROUGH OF A TSUNAMI WAVE MAY TEMPORARILY EXPOSE THE SEAFLOOR BUT THE AREA WILL QUICKLY FLOOD AGAIN. EXTREMELY STRONG AND UNUSUAL NEARSHORE CURRENTS CAN ACCOMPANY A TSUNAMI. DEBRIS PICKED UP AND CARRIED BY A TSUNAMI AMPLIFIES ITS DESTRUCTIVE POWER. SIMULTANEOUS HIGH TIDES OR HIGH SURF CAN SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THE TSUNAMI HAZARD.

THE ESTIMATED ARRIVAL TIME IN HAWAII OF THE FIRST TSUNAMI WAVE IS

1119 AM HST SAT 27 FEB 2010

MESSAGES WILL BE ISSUED HOURLY OR SOONER AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.

Good news for the Hawaii Forest Institute:

Hawai’i Island 02.16.10 ~ The Hawai’i Forest Institute (HFI) has been awarded an $8,000 grant from the Arthur Lawrence Mullaly Fund of the Hawai’i Community Foundation for the Ka’upulehu Dryland Forest Restoration and Education project. This volunteer outreach project provides dryland forest restoration and forest stewardship opportunities at Ka`upulehu Dryland Forest Preserve in North Kona.

HFI, in conjunction with community partners, is working to sustain fragile endangered dry forest ecosystems and share their unique historical, cultural, restoration, and scientific aspects to Keiki Learning about Drylandbenefit Hawai’i residents and visitors. Volunteers will receive a hands-on, land-based, learning experience to effect positive change in the areas of responsibility, stewardship, and interdependency of all living things.

In 2010, 150 volunteers will participate in stewardship learning events at Ka`upulehu Dryland Preserve. Site stewardship activities will include planting seedlings, collecting and distributing seeds, building trails, and pulling weeds. The project also includes invasive weed control and creating web pages and news articles documenting stories and photographs of the stewardship events.

A portion of this grant will help sponsor the Mauka-Makai Ka`upulehu “Connection Not Forgotten” talk story evening, which is planned for February 25, 2010 at the Kalaemao Cultural Center in North Kona. Speakers Ku’ulei Keakealani, Yvonne Yarber Carter, Keoki Apokolani Carter, and Wilds Planting on DrylandPihanui Brawner will address ahupua’a perspectives connecting land and people, mauka-makai, through a cultural ecology partnership. Restoration, science, cultural history, and contemporary relationships to the land are vital components to the perpetuation of a dynamic Ka’upulehu dryland forest and coastal ecosystem. A grant from Hawai’i County’s Department of Research and Development is also assisting with sponsorship. Call HFI at 808-933-9411 to RVSP for this free informal talk story by February 19.

Other project supporters include: Kamehameha Schools, Bishop Museum, Kukio Resort, and Hawai’i Forest Industry Association.

Source: HFI Press Release

This Sunday, Feb. 7th – Noon until 6:00 PM

List of performers:

• Tuff Lion
• Sahra Indio
• Ai Pohaku
• Bruddah Skippy Guys
• Nectarina
• Ben Kaili
• Denise Peralta

A Zero Waste Event!

The eastern half of the state “continues to bear to brunt” of the drought, according to the NWS.

Extreme conditions persist in South Kohala and leeward North Kohala on the Big Islands, the south and west portions of Maui, and the western third of Molokai.

Severe drought conditions continue to affect central Maui and portions of North Kona, South Kona and the Kau District on the Big Islands.

Moderate drought conditions applied to lower Kona slopes from Honaunau to Kalaoa and over all of Lanai, while windward sections of the Big Islands and the northeastern section of Kauai are experience moderate drought.

Oahu is the only major islands without any areas classified for drought.

The National Weather Service said the dry conditions are due to El Nino conditions, and are likely to continue…

Meanwhile, recent fires in the South Kona district “have highlighted the enhanced risk,” said the weather service.

According to the NOAA Climate Prediction Center, El Niño conditions are to blame for the drought and are expected to last well into the spring.

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