Kaʻū News Briefs Friday, September 28, 2018

Sen. Mazie Hirono joined Sen. Richard Blumenthal in walking out of the vote to send the nomination of Brett
Kavanaugh to the Senate floor for confirmation to become a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
Photo from Sen. Blumenthal

THE VOTE BY THE U.S. SENATE on confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court is delayed for a week. Pres. Donald Trump today ordered an FBI investigation for no more than a week into allegations that Kavanaugh committed sexual assault.
     Some Republicans joined Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee in calling for the investigation. Those Republicans voted today to send Kavanaugh's nomination to the full Senate with this condition: If the investigation is not carried out, they would vote against Kavanaugh on the Senate floor. The 11-10 vote today moved the issue to the full Senate and was followed by this statement from the Committee:

Sen. Mazie Hirono, center, Sen. Kamala Harris, right, and protesters against
the election of Kavanaugh to a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court.
Photo from Hirono's Twitter 

     "The Senate Judiciary Committee will request that the administration instruct the FBI to conduct a supplemental FBI background investigation with respect to the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court.

     "The supplemental FBI background investigation would be limited to current credible allegations against the nominee and must be completed no later than one week from today." Trump followed up and ordered the investigation.

     In protest of the Committee voting to move the nomination to the full Senate, Hawaiʻi Sen. Mazie Hirono walked out of the Committee meeting. She was joined by Senators Richard Blumenthal, Kamala Harris, and Sheldon Whitehouse. They returned and voted "no." They also joined protesters who oppose Kavanaugh and spoke at a podium with a sign saying "Kava Nope."
     Hirono Tweeted: "This morning Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and I walked out of the Senate Judiciary Committee markup on Brett Kavanaugh. This Committee and the Republicans have tossed out all rules and norms to push Brett Kavanaugh onto the Supreme Court. We will not be part of this sham."
     Hirono shared a post from Harris on her Twitter: "Right now, many survivors of sexual assault are reliving trauma. If you're a survivor, know that you are not alone. If you need to talk, you can call 800-656-HOPE to reach a national, confidential helpline 24/7. There is also an online hotline" at hotline.rainn.org/online."

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View of Halemaʻumaʻu from the HVO observation tower, today. USGS photo

TILTMETERS MEASURE TINY CHANGES that can have big consequences, states this week's Volcano Watch, written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. This week's article was written by HVO geophysicist Ingrid Johanson.

     The USGS HVO uses a diverse set of instruments to monitor active volcanoes in Hawaiʻi. These include seismometers, gas sensors, Global Positioning System stations, and webcams. Each provides a unique type of data critical to understanding volcanic systems.

     However, electronic tiltmeters are the instruments that are often the first to alert us to changes in a volcano that could lead to an eruption. This is because they are exceptionally sensitive, capable of measuring very small ground deformations that suggest the movement of magma into shallow parts of volcanoes.

On the right, a tiltmeter is ready for installation in a shallow borehole. On the 

left, the tiltmeter is located at the bottom of a 3 to 4 m (10 to 15 ft) borehole 

lined with a metal casing. The tiltmeter is surrounded by sand to secure it 

within the borehole so that it does not touch the casing. USGS photos

     While tiltmeters respond to many subsurface processes, they are particularly effective for tracking inflation and deflation of subsurface magma reservoirs, like the shallow Halemaʻumaʻu source at Kīlauea's summit. As magma moves into a subsurface reservoir, the reservoir expands to accommodate additional magma. This causes the ground above the reservoir to bulge, depending on how shallow it is.

     As it bulges upward, the slope of the ground surface changes in certain places and in a specific pattern. This change in slope is what a tiltmeter measures, much like a carpenter's level.

     Tiltmeters commanded the spotlight at Kīlauea during the events of May–August 2018. Large changes in tilt just ahead of the collapse of Puʻu ʻŌʻō on April 30, 2018, first heralded the major events about to happen. Tiltmeters and seismometers located along the volcano's East Rift Zone were key for tracking magma intruding into the lower ERZ beneath Leilani Estates. At Kīlauea's summit, sudden changes in the direction of surface tilting were primary indicators that repeated collapse events, and not just earthquakes, had occurred.

     The unit used when measuring tilt at a volcano is usually the microradian. This is an angular unit, just like "degrees." A full circle is 360 degrees, equivalent to 6.28 radians. One microradian is about 50 millionths of a degree – a very small change in ground slope. If you put a tiltmeter on a rigid plank that is one mile long, and then put a quarter under one end of the plank, the measured change would be about one microradian of tilt.

Electronic Tilt at Kīlauea East Rift Zone for the past two days. Graph from USGS

     The tiltmeters that HVO use can resolve even smaller tilt changes – as small 5 nanoradians. However, this great sensitivity comes at a cost. That's because the tiltmeter records all changes in the ground tilt, whether they are due to changes in the volcano or another reason.

     One non-volcanic source of tilt is the heating of the ground that happens on sunny days. Most of HVO's tiltmeters are installed in boreholes about 3 to 4 m (10 to 13 ft) below the ground and are surrounded by rock. This rock expands as it warms up during the day, and any unevenness in its expansion will produce an easily measurable ground tilt. This is diurnal noise, which can be easily identified because it happens regularly during the day.

     Rainfall can also cause small amounts of tilt. Rock contains small air pockets, called pore spaces, which can become filled with water during a storm, causing the rock to swell up like a sponge. Small differences in pore spaces on either side of a tiltmeter will cause a measurable change in ground tilt. Remember, these are tilts that are much smaller than can be discerned by simply looking at a patch of ground with your eyes.

The blue line shows the radial tilt at Summer Camp station on the eastern rim of Kīlauea's caldera. The green line is radial tilt at Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, on the north flank of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone. Positive changes often indicate inflation of the magma storage areas beneath the caldera or Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, but may also result from heavy rainfall or, occasionally, instrumental malfunctions. USGS graph

     Another important source of noise at a tiltmeter is settling of the instrument in its borehole. This can last months, if not years, in some cases. It is a major contributor to tiltmeter "drift," and, on a tilt record, can look like a long-term tilt change or trend.

     Because of tiltmeter drift, we mainly trust tiltmeters for short time-scale changes. For changes over several months or years, we must look to other instruments, such as GPS, for deformation data. It also means that the usefulness of a tilt record is how the tilt changes within a week or a month, and not necessarily the absolute value of tilt produced by the instrument.

     Despite these effects, electronic tiltmeters offer one of our best views into subsurface changes at Kīlauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes, and are an important part of our monitoring toolbox. See current tilt data from HVO's network on our website. Go to

volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo, then click on "Deformation."

Volcano Activity Updates

     At Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone, the most recent significant incandescence visible within the fissure 8 cone was on September 15. At the summit of the volcano, seismicity and ground deformation remain low. Hazardous conditions still exist at both the LERZ and summit. Residents in the lower Puna District and Kīlauea summit areas on the Island of Hawaiʻi should stay informed and heed Hawai‘i County Civil Defense closures, warnings, and messages hawaiicounty.gov/active-alerts. No collapses at Puʻu ʻŌʻō have been observed during the past two weeks. The combined sulfur dioxide emission rates at Kīlauea’s summit, Puʻu ʻŌʻō, and lower East Rift Zone remain at less than 1,000 tonnes per day – lower than at any time since late 2007.

GPS readings at Puʻu ʻŌʻō over the last year. Graph from USGS

     A magnitude-3.7 earthquake with three or more felt reports occurred 18 km (11 mi) southeast of Volcano at 6 km (4 mi) depth on September 21 at 1:56 a.m. Small aftershocks from the May 4, 2018, magnitude-6.9 earthquake are still being generated on faults located on Kīlauea's south flank.

     Visit volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Kea updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Call 808-967-8862 for a Kīlauea summary update. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

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HAWAIʻI COUNTY ASKS THE PUBLIC TO REPORT BROKEN STREET LAMPS to ensure safe trick-or-treating, and to provide adequate lighting to prevent accidents and to illuminate the roadway, sidewalk, and shoulders for safe pedestrian and motorist use, in a release.

Example of a street lamp number.
Photos from Hawaiʻi County

     The Traffic Division of the County of Hawai‘i Department of Public Works, the release says, manages over 10,165 street lights and is asking for the community's assistance in identifying and reporting any broken streetlights in their neighborhood area. Bulbs can burn out, and the light will not activate at dusk. The sensor can malfunction, and the light can remain on all day.

     If a street light is lit all day, or is not lit at night, call the Traffic Division, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at 961-8341, with the street light pole number: easily spotted from a car, it is a large silver number located six to seven feet up on the street light pole. Please also provide the street or highway name, if available – a well-known landmark is also helpful.

Another example of
a street lamp number.

     The average timeline from reporting a malfunctioning street light to its repair is between three and seven days, says the release. "The Department of Public Works thanks the community for their assistance and partnership in ensuring a safe Holiday Season for our Big Island ‘Ohana."

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A JOB FAIR AND JOB READINESS WORKSHOP, sponsored by the American Job Center Hawaiʻi, happen in Hilo in October, and are free and open to the public, says an announcement from the Mayor's office.

     The Job Readiness Workshop happens Tuesday, Oct. 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Aunty Sally's Luau Hale. The Workshop "assists participants to prepare for the job fair by offering guidance on resume writing, interviewing skills, properly completing an application and instruction on dressing for success," says the announcement.

     The Job Fair happens Thursday, October 25, 2018, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Edith Kanakaʻole Tennis Stadium. Island-wide businesses looking for employees to fill vacancies will gather at the Fair. Participants should come prepared with resumes and in professional attire, as interviews may be done on site.

     For more, call Office of Housing and Community Development at 961-8379.

Kaʻū Trojans Girls Volleyball fought hard against HPA
on Tuesday. Photo from Kaʻū Trojans Twitter

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KAʻŪ TROJANS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL had a rough Tuesday night. At an away game at HPA, both sets the JV team played ended in defeat, with Kaʻū scoring 9 and 19 to HPA's 25 and 25. Varsity fared a little better, scoring 25, 19, 18, and 21, but HPA won the game with 23, 25, 25, and 25.

     The next game happens tonight, and Kaʻū News Briefs will report on the scores tomorrow. See the schedule, below.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment. 

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events. 

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes 

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on 

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

   Sat., Sept. 29, 11am, host Pāhoa

   Sat, Oct 6, 12pm, host Kohala

   Sat, Oct 13, BIIF Semi-Finals at Kamehameha

   Sat, Oct 20, BIIF Finals - Higher

Girls Volleyball:
   Mon., Oct. 1, 6pm, host HAAS

   Tues, Oct 2, 6pm, @ Kealakehe

   Fri, Oct 5, 6pm, host Keaʻau

   Wed, Oct 10, 6pm, @ Parker

   Fri, Oct 12, 6pm, host St. Joseph

   Mon, Oct 15, BIIF DII Qtr - Higher

   Wed, Oct 17, BIIF DII Semi-Finals @ Kona
   Thu, Oct 18, BIIF DII Finals @ Kona

Cross Country:

   Sat, Sept 29, 10am, @ Waiakea
   Mon., Oct. 1, 6pm, host HAAS

   Sat, Oct 6, 2pm, @ Kealakehe

   Sat, Oct 13, BYE

   Sat, Oct 20, 9am, BIIF @ HPA

   Sat, Oct 27, 8:30am, HHSAA

NEW and UPCOMING
OPEN MIC NIGHT RETURNS TO KĪLAUEA MILITARY CAMP'S LAVA LOUNGE on Wednesday, Oct. 3, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The event features singers, bands, comedians, etc., and welcomes patrons over the age of 21 years old to attend or perform.

     To sign-up or for more details, call 967-8365 after 4 p.m. Kīlauea Military Camp is located inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park; park entrance fees may apply. See kilaueamilitarycamp.com.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 29

Volunteer Day, The Nature Conservancy, Sat., Sept. 29, 8-3pm, either Kona Hema or Kaʻū Preserve, contact for confirmation. Tools, gloves, and stories provided. Space is limited. Reserve a space in a 4wd TNC truck in advance. Sponsored in part by Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority. Contact Mel Johansen at or Shalan Crysdale at scrysdale@tnc.org. tnc.org

Paths and Trails, Sat., Sept. 29, 9:30-12:30pm, Kahuku Unit of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Moderately-difficult, 2-mile, hike with some of the most spectacular overlooks in Kahuku. Discover the ways people, animals, and plants got to Kahuku and the paths they follow. Free. nps.gov/HAVO

Story Time with Lindsey Miller from PARENTS, Inc., Mon., Oct. 1, 2:30-3:15pm, Nā‘ālehu Public Library. 333-3460, lindsey@hawaiiparents.org

MONDAY, OCTOBER 1

Ocean View Volunteer Fire Department Meeting, Mon., Oct. 1, 4-6pm, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2
Hawai‘i County Council Meetings, Tue./Wed., Oct. 2 (Committees)/3 (Council), Hilo, Tue./Wed., Oct. 16 (Committees)/17 (Council), Kona. Ka‘ū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nā‘ālehu State Office Building. Agendas at hawaiicounty.gov.

Discovery Harbour Volunteer Fire Dept. Meeting, Tue., Oct. 2, 4-6pm, Oct. 16, 4:30-6:30pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. 929-9576, discoveryharbour.net

Ka‘ū Coffee Growers Meeting, Tue., Oct. 2, 6-8pm, Pāhala Community Center.

Family Yoga Class, Tue., Oct. 2, 9:30-10:30am, PARENTS, Inc., Nā‘ālehu. Wonderful way to embody connection. 3-12 years old and caregivers. All levels welcome. Wear comfortable clothes, bring a mat, if can, as supplies are limited. Free. 333-3460, lindsey@hawaiiparents.org

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3
Open Mic Night, Wed., Oct. 3, 6-10pm, Kīlauea Military Camp inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Call 967-8365 after 4pm to sign-up and for more details. For patrons 21+. Park entrance fees may apply. kilaueamilitarycamp.com

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4
Ocean View Neighborhood Watch Meeting, Thu., Oct. 4, 6-7pm, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5
Annual Oktoberfest Dinner, Fri., Oct. 5, 5pm, St. Jude's Episcopal Church. Tickets: Singles $8, doubles $15, family $20. stjudeshawaii.org, 939-7000

‘O Ka‘ū Kākou Meeting, Fri., Oct. 5, 6:30pm, Aspen Center. okaukakou.org

ONGOING

CU Hawaiʻi Federal Credit Union's Nāʻālehu Branch is taking applications for a Member Service Representative.

     The job description reads: Serve as a liaison between the member and the Credit Union. Provide a variety of financial services to members including savings, share drafts, and loan transactions, as well as sales of merchandise items: money orders, traveler's checks, postage stamps, etc., in accordance with Credit Union procedures and policies.

     CU Hawaiʻi offers medical, drug, dental, vision and retirement benefits.

     Mail, hand-deliver, or fax application to: CU Hawaii Federal Credit Union, Attn: Human Resources, 476 Hinano Street, Hilo, HI 96720, Fax (808) 935-7793. Applications can be downloaded online at cuhawaii.com/about-cu/career-opportunities.html

Disaster Recovery Center Closes Tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 29. Open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Pāhoa Neighborhood Center at 15-3022 Kauhale St. Survivors who have left the area, call 800-621-3362.

One Lucid Dream: A Retrospective of Art Works by Ken Charon. Exhibit open Mon.-Sat., through Oct. 6, 10-3pm, Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus, Volcano Village. Original paintings, drawings, and other objects. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Volunteers Needed by St. Jude's Episcopal Church for community outreach, especially soup cooks and shower organizers, towel laundry, alter guild, and for the computer lab. Volunteers do not have to be members of the church. "Volunteering for St. Jude's Saturday Shower and Soup ministry is an opportunity to serve God in a powerful way," states St. Jude's. Contact Dave Breskin, 319-8333.

Tūtū and Me Traveling Preschool's Temporary Nāʻālehu Location is Kauahaʻao Church in Waiʻōhinu. Meeting days and times remain the same: Mondays and Wednesdays, from 8:45 to 10:45 a.m. Pāhala site program meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., at Pāhala Community Center.
     Tūtū and Me also offers home visits to those with keiki zero to five years old, to aid with parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate, listening ear. Free. Visits last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, total of 12 visits. Snacks are provided.
     To enroll in either program, fill out enrollment forms found at pidf.org/programs/tutu_and_me/enrollment_forms, or call Linda Bong at 464-9634. Questions: Clark at 929-8571 or eclark@pidfountation.org.

Open Enrollment for Harmony Educational Services through Oct. 15. Partnered with four local public charter schools, offers benefits of homeschooling with resources available to public schools. Interested families can contact Ranya Williams, rwilliams@harmonyed.com or 430-9798. harmonyed.com/hawaii

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.