World Rainforest Week Day 286  of 2008 79 days left in this year

HAWAIIAN WORD OF THE DAY — Kaunana: Discover
PIDGIN WORD OF THE DAY — Painimautim: Discover
HAWAIIAN PROVERB OF THE DAY — “Too much whittling leaves only a little wood.”
HAOLE SAYING OF THE DAY — “The only justice in the Halls of Justice is in the halls.” – Lenny Bruce

Thursday, October 15 5pm to 9pm: State Water Commission Meetings on Maui – Pa’ia Community Center on Hana, Hwy East Maui Meeting: Re  Citizen Requests To Restore Streamflows In Na Wai ‘Eha And East Maui

Public Testimony Taken. Commission will hear from citizens about need to restore waters to East Maui streams from Makapipi to Waikamoi.

Big $$ interests are trying to pit upcountry farmers, residents and businesses against the people of East Maui who are asking the water commission to follow the law.

We are not living in the 19th century, but our water system is. It’s time for a 21st Century water system!

A few points:

SHARING: State water codes require water to be shared- with our streams and stream life, with traditional agriculture and rural residents dependent on local water sources. Our streams have 98 % of their flow diverted most of the time. That’s not sharing.

WASTE: Millions of gallon of stream water is lost everyday in the ditches due to waste- broken flumes, pipes and ditches, ditches choked with tree roots, etc. In the Na wai Eha contested case, the companies (Wailuku Water & HC&S) admitted that around 12 mgd of water was “lost’ to seepage. If East Maui losses are similar or greater, this would be enough water for the whole upcountry water system each day.

SENSIBLE PLANNING: No one has a crystal ball to know how much rain will come in the future. We need to plan sensibly to use reservoirs, local wells and stream flow for ag use and residents in both East Maui and Upcountry. Just keeping status quo of diverting all the stream flows and many natural springs of East Maui will eventually lead to more water shortages for all, with no solutions.

KULEANA: the current system gives HC&S the “right” to divert an unlimited amount of water from East Maui for $160,000 a year. It does not require that A&B provide stewardship of the stream beds they “control’ with their diversions. Diminished flows mean weed choked stream beds, further limiting water that can be available to downstream E. Maui residents. HC&S/EMI are part of a partnership caring for upper watersheds. EMI has “kuleana” rights to these lower streams, but does not exercise their responsibility to remove dead trees and combat alien plants.

Info: Call 214- 0147.

EVENTS ON THIS DAY — October 13th

• 1670: Virginia bans slavery of African Americans who arrive in the American colonies as Christians (the law is repealed in 1682)
• 1970: Janis Joplin’s ashes are scattered off the coast of California
• 1987: The first military use of trained dolphins (U.S. Navy in Persian Gulf)
• 1999: In Boulder Colorado the JonBenet Ramsey grand jury is dismissed after 13 months of work with prosecutors saying there isn’t enough evidence to charge anyone in the 6-year-old’s strangulation
• 2006: Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio), pleads guilty in an influence-peddling investigation of Congress