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Friday, November 06, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Friday, Nov. 6, 2015

The Directory 2016 will feature a photograph by Peter Anderson on the cover. Anderson's photo won the popular vote at The Beauty of Ka`u art show held this week. A meet-and-greet takes place tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at CU Hawai`i in Na`alehu.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER ANDERSON will once again grace the cover of The Directory, Ka`u Chamber of Commerce’s annual guide to businesses and the local community. Anderson’s photo of a tree on the rim of Halema`uma`u, silhouetted by Kilauea erupting in the background, won the popular vote at this year’s art contest held this week at CU Hawai`i Credit Union in Na`alehu. 
      A panel of judges chose Best of Show, first- through third-place, and honorable mention in several categories.
Suzanne Dix Kaliko's Aunty Shows Her Quilt won
Best in Show and first place in Painting.
      Suzanne Dix Kaliko won Best of Show and first place in Paintings with Auntie Shows Her Quilt.
      More first-place winners were Ka`u Landing, a Sculpture by Susan Condie Jennings; The Reef, a Quilt by Teri Jensen Phillips; a Graphic entitled Honu with Honu, by Dave Golston; Milo Love Seat, Tom King’s entry in the Woodworking category; and a Weaving by Jeannette Howard.
      See winners in more categories and other results in upcoming Ka`u News Briefs.
      Ka`u residents can join the artists and see the winning art at a meet-and-greet tomorrow morning from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

HAWAI`I ISLAND POLICE HAVE ARRESTED and charged a man in connection with the theft of a Jeep Wrangler stolen on Keaka Parkway in Ocean View on Aug. 24. The following day, a Ka`u police officer observed the Jeep being driven by 37-year-old Lawrence K. Baldonado, who was wanted on two bench warrants for contempt of court. When the officer attempted to stop Baldonado, he fled in a reckless manner, crashed into a metal gate and abandoned the vehicle.
      Baldonado was located at 5:45 p.m. yesterday in Pahala. He was arrested and charged with two counts of contempt of court with bail set at $4,000. He was also arrested on suspicion of other offenses connected to the stolen vehicle and taken to the Kona police cellblock while detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigations Section continued their investigation.
      At 9 a.m. today, Baldonado was charged with second-degree theft, resisting an order to stop, reckless driving and driving without a license. His bail on those offenses was set at $26,000. He remains in the cellblock pending a court appearance on Monday.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

The Reef, by Teri Jensen Phillips, won first in Quilting.
HAWAI`I DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH has confirmed 23 cases of dengue fever on Hawai`i Island as of 1 p.m. today. Of the confirmed cases, 15 are Hawai`i residents, and eight are visitors. Twenty-one cases have been in adults; two have been pediatric. All are recovering. 
Onset of illness has ranged between Sept. 15 and Oct. 30. 
      According to DOH, mosquito control efforts are currently underway, and its investigation is proceeding.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

LAST NIGHT, SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ, a member of the Senate Climate Action Task Force, spoke on the Senate floor to discuss solutions to climate change, including addressing deforestation and the Administration’s Clean Power Plan.
      “The Clean Power Plan has sent a signal to the rest of the world that the United States is serious about preventing catastrophic changes to our climate,” Schatz said. “This is the challenge of our generation. This is our obligation as the indispensable nation. The United States has to lead, and the United States Senate has to have a real debate on climate and energy policy.
      “We have at our disposal a wide range of solutions for reining in our emissions of carbon pollution. Addressing deforestation is one of the most effective, and cost-effective, ways to slow global warming, while enhancing the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people that rely on forests and the services they provide.”
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

Oct. 30 last year, active lava stalled about 170 yards from Pahoa Village Road.
Today, active breakouts are about 9.5 miles upslope. Photo from USGS
“WHAT'S HAPPENING AT PU`U `O`O?” Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists ask and answer in the current issue of Volcano Watch.    
      “A lot has changed over the past year on Kilauea Volcano. One year ago, the June 27th flow was threatening to cross Pahoa Village Road and, potentially, Highway 130. Lava destroyed one house on Nov. 10, 2014 and was moving downslope toward many others.
      “Now, there is no imminent threat to Pahoa, and life in the lower Puna District of Hawai`i Island has largely returned to normal.
      “So, what exactly happened to the Pu`u `O`o eruption over the past year? In a word: disruption. Pu`u `O`o has been erupting nearly continuously for over 32 years, but continuous does not imply steady. Instead, fluctuations in lava supply rate have been common, and these disruptions have changed the vigor and reach of the flow field activity over the past year.
      “Let’s use a car as an analogy. A drop in the lava supply rate is like easing your foot off the gas pedal. The lava flow, like the car, will slow down. If the lava supply rate drops enough, the flow can stall, similar to a car without enough gas. 
      “An increase in the lava supply rate is analogous to pressing down on the car’s gas pedal. The lava flow, like the car, will speed up. But, if the lava supply rate (or a car engine’s RPM – revolutions per minute) gets too high, their respective systems can rupture or fail. Very high lava supply rates can trigger breakouts of lava from the tube system, which rob lava from the flow front, causing it to stall – just as running an engine too high can trigger mechanical failure and cause the car to stop.
      “As with a car, a lava flow needs to operate within a certain ‘envelope’ of efficiency to continue advancing. Lava activity outside this envelope – too little or too much – causes the flow front to stall. Over the past year, major fluctuations in the lava supply rate have pushed the flow out of this envelope several times, disrupting the flow front advance.
Thomas King's Milo Love Seat won first place in Woodworking.
      “A simple way to track lava supply rate is to look at Kilauea’s summit tilt. Deflation of the summit magma reservoir is normally associated with a drop in lava supply rate, while inflation means an increase.
      “The day before Halloween in 2014, a rapid drop in the lava supply rate occurred, causing the tip of the June 27th flow to stall about 155 meters (170 yards) from Pahoa Village Road. About two weeks later, a major increase in lava supply rate triggered upslope breakouts from the tube, completely shutting off the flow front near Pahoa Village Road.
      “The lava supply rate held steady enough for the next two months that a new lobe of lava advanced downslope once again, this time toward the Pahoa Marketplace, in late December. Fortunately, the lava supply rate was low, and the flow front essentially stalled in January 2015.
      “Another increase in lava supply rate triggered breakouts upslope of Pahoa in mid-March. As in November 2014, these upslope breakouts robbed supply from the flow front near Pahoa Marketplace, causing it to shut down.
      “Since March 2015, surface flows have remained active but haven’t strayed too far from Pu`u `O`o, staying within about eight kilometers (five miles) of the vent. In fact, the farthest reach of Kilauea’s active breakouts has retreated slightly the past couple months, and, as of this week, was 6.4 km (four mi) northeast of Pu`u `O`o.
      “This is good news, of course. But why haven’t the flows advanced very far over the past six months? It is most likely due to a relatively low lava supply rate – or, in car terms, the gas pedal simply isn’t being pushed very hard at the moment.
      “With flows now closer to Pu`u `O`o and farther upslope from residential areas, there is no immediate threat to homes or roadways, as there was a year ago. But, as we’ve seen throughout this eruption, lava supply rates fluctuate, and future increases in lava supply could restart slow advancement of the flow front toward communities.
      “Changes in lava flow activity can occur abruptly and with little warning, so the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to closely monitor the June 27th flow with on-site field visits, helicopter overflights, webcam imagery and satellite data.”
      See hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.
      “Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.
Workshop is a week next Saturday instead
of tomorrow as originally announced.

KOREAN NATURAL FARMING Workshop is on Saturday, Nov. 14, rather than tomorrow, Nov. 7 as originally announced. Sponsored by Ka`u Specialty Coffee, the event takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 96-2384 Wood Valley Road above Pahala. 
      Ka`u News Briefs regrets the error.
      For more information, email malian@kauspecialtycoffee.com.

TOTUS Awards & Community Tea-In take place tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. The day features awards for Teas of the United States, the first national tea competition for U.S.-grown teas, as well as enlightening talks and presentations by professionals and an exhibition of TOTUS Award Competition. 

HOLIDAY BAZAAR FUNDRAISER tomorrow and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Discovery Harbour Community Hall features handmade crafts and foods. Pit ham and beef sandwiches are on sale Saturday. 
      For more information, call Dina Shisler at 410-935-8087.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

FOR AFFORDABLE COMPUTER HELP, call John Derry at 936-1872.

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS for Retail Sales Associate: Full-Time, Competitive Wages, Medical & Dental Plans. Apply at Ka`u Coffee Mill. Call 928-0550 for an appointment.

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf
and kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.
See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_November2015.pdf.