State may have August primary

Hawaii might move up its primary election—the nation's latest—to August so that it would comply with a new federal law meant to give deployed troops enough time to vote.

Hawaii lawmakers advanced a measure last week that would push biennial primary elections about a month earlier than their usual date in late September.

This year's primary election is scheduled for Sept. 18, leaving little time for general election ballots to be mailed to and returned from overseas military troops. The federal law requires that general ballots must be sent at least 45 days before an election.

Hawaii's Sept. 18 primary election is exactly 45 days before the Nov. 2 general election, which means elections officials cannot comply with the law as it takes a few days after the primary to print general election ballots and send them.

Hawaii will seek an exemption from the Federal Voting Assistance Program.

Kids' school-cuts display will stand

Organizers said they were happy that a children's display expressing feelings about state cuts to public schools will remain up through Feb. 26 at the state Capitol.

“;It's important to allow free speech, especially since they're children's voices,”; said Marguerite Higa, of Save Our Schools, one of the organizers.

State Comptroller Russ Saito, who is in charge of issuing permits for displays at the state Capitol, said he decided last week to order the removal of the displays because he felt they conveyed a “;political message.”;

Saito said he received a call from Gov. Linda Lingle's chief of staff, Barry Fukunaga, Saturday morning, asking to allow the display to stay through Feb. 26, since it was already on the wall.

Saito said after some discussion, he decided to reverse his decision but will be consulting with the state Attorney General about changing the instructions clarifying conditions that allow displays.

The group Save Our Schools received the permit to display some 300 paintings, drawings, poems and letters by public school students in the basement of the state Capitol, expressing their feelings about Furlough Fridays.

Higa said the display was to give children an opportunity to express themselves, and organizers of the display received art in a variety of ways, including youtube.com.

“;If you said you allow the display of art in public places but you allow it taken down because you don't like the message, most people would call that censorship,”; Higa said.

Science center invites volunteers

The Bishop Museum's Mamiya Science Adventure Center invites residents who enjoy science to join the center as volunteers.

Volunteer training will be held from 9 a.m. to noon every Tuesday from tomorrow through March 30.

Participants will learn more about Hawaii's volcanoes, geology, deep sea exploration, natural history and ecology, ethnobotany and climate change.

They will also learn about the center's hands-on, interactive exhibits and programs to explore science of Hawaii.

The trained volunteers will interact with schoolchildren and the public using interpretive carts on topics ranging from volcanoes to the biology of the islands.

They will present interpretive programs in both the Science Adventure Center and Science on a Sphere, a 6-foot globe that displays images of Earth and other planets.

Those who complete training and log 180 hours will receive a one-year Bishop Museum Family and Friends membership, valued at $85, a subscription to the museum's Ka 'Elele Online Newsletter, museum guest passes and an invitation to the museum's annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon.

To attend the training sessions, call Kawehi Brandow, museum education volunteer coordinator, at 847-8239 or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Sewage spills into Palolo Stream

About 2,700 gallons of untreated sewage spilled into Palolo Stream from a storm drain yesterday when construction debris blocked a sewer line, the city Department of Environmental Services said.

City crews responded to a call at 11:04 a.m. from the site, 2134 Palolo Ave.

Trucks sucked up and redistributed another 4,000 gallons of untreated waste water to a downstream manhole for treatment at the Sand Island plant, the city said.

One wrinkle: The city had to break through the street to get to the manhole because a construction company that resurfaced Palolo Avenue last week paved over all the manholes.

The Health Department ordered water samples to be taken yesterday and advised the public to stay out of the stream until warning signs come down.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

El Nino adds to Big Island's dry condition

El Nino is aggravating drought conditions on the Big Island, drying up water tanks and turning lawns brown.

The weather phenomenon is weakening winter storms that typically bring snow to Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa—and rain elsewhere, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported.

“;We've been getting a series of weak fronts that have been moving down from the north, and they have not been reaching the Big Island,”; Derek Wroe, lead forecaster for the National Weather Service Honolulu Forecast Office. “;A lot of these fronts are stalling over the smaller islands, and not much of it is even making it down to Maui.”;

The rainy weather of late 2009 began easing in December, and there has not been much relief since this year began, he said.

“;It's following your typical El Nino script right now where it's been drier than normal, and so these fronts that come down being much weaker than normal,”; said Wroe. “;Big Island, being the farthest south, is suffering the greatest when you have a weather regime like this.”;