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Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Kaʻū News Briefs Tuesday, November 13, 2018

A perspective view of the new trail to the forested Pit Crater showing the location of the ROD Decon Station.
The map is not to scale. Overview created by Ryan Deacy, NPS
THE FAMED FORESTED PIT CRATER IN KAHUKU is once again accessible to hikers. Formerly an easy hike in Kahuku Unit of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, it was closed due to fears of spreading Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death disease to native trees.
A view into the Forested Pit Crater. Photo by Annie Bosted
     A new trail has been opened and is described by Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park as "arduous" for strong hikers. The new Forested Pit Crater trail is "4.75 miles long and takes roughly 2.5 – 3 hours round trip with significant elevation change" of about 810 feet, says the Park website.
     The crater, estimated to be many hundreds of feet deep, is a natural feature thought to have been created when its base collapsed. It is located at about 5,000 feet altitude, near the eastern side of the Kahuku Unit of the Park. Kahuku Unit, formerly a part of the vast Kahuku Ranch, became part of the National Park in 2003 after much work by Sen. Dan Akaka, congress, the National Park Service, and The Nature Conservancy.  
A scale map of the trail system in the Kahuku Unit prior to 2016. At that
time, visitors could drive to the Lower Glover Trailhead and reach the
Forested Pit Crater via a mile-long trail. Now vehicles may not drive
beyond the curve in the road makai of the picnic area. NPS image
     Kahuku Unit encompasses about 116,000 acres and includes the 1868 volcanic flow and other features, such as ranch-era relics, cinder cones, and lava tree molds - created when fast-flowing lava moves through a forest.
     The Park made use of the old ranch roads by converting them to access roads for the public and hiking trails. The trail to the Forested Pit Crater proved to be very popular as – although it was a rough five-mile drive on a steep gravel road – the hike from the trailhead to the crater was considered relatively easy.
     The crater's forbidding vertical walls and its astounding depth ensured that no ranch cattle, goats, mouflon, pigs, or other feral animals could access the pit. Indigenous and endemic plants could thrive in the crater, without risk of being eaten by the ungulates.
     Hikers and nature lovers enjoyed looking down on the pristine vegetation. Biologists viewed it as a valued oasis of undisturbed landscape in a sea of former cattle ranching land.
The middle gate is in line with the rusting wire game fence,
which was originally installed to control ungulates, such as
mouflon, moving from upper Kahuku to lower Kahuku
and back. Photo by Annie Bosted
     In 2016, the Forested Pit Crate trail and access road were all deemed off limits, after Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death disease was found in trees in the area. It was determined to no longer allow vehicles, which could spread ROD on tires and other vehicle parts to other ʻōhiʻa forests on the island. In order to accommodate hikers, the National Park Service decided to build a cleaning station with education on ROD.
     The new trail opened Oct. 23, and the National Park Service web page carried the following announcement: "The Kahuku Unit's Forested Pit Crater and sections of the Glover Trail are now open to foot traffic only. Kahuku Road in the upper paddocks remain closed to vehicle traffic at the cross fence gate to help prevent the spread of Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death to upper Kahuku. Hiking to the Forested Pit Crater and open sections of Glover Trail is only allowed via the Pit Crater Trail or Pali O Kaʻeo Trail. Hikers must stay on all designated trails, as well as spray and brush their footwear at the ROD Decontamination Station on the Pit Crater Trail, before proceeding to the Forested Pit Carter. Make sure to close all gates at the ROD Decontamination Station to prevent the spread of invasive ungulates into the upper section of the park. Plan on at least a 2.5 to 3-hour round trip to the Forested Pit Crater and back to the trail heads. Ask onsite rangers for further details and trail descriptions."
A hiker using a chain and carabiner to secure the mauka gate
on the ROD decon station. The triple gates are designed to
allow hikers to pass through, but not ungulates.
Photo by Annie Bosted
     The ROD Decontamination Station consists of two fenced and gated enclosures – one on the mauka side of the game fence, and the other on the makai side. Both enclosures have rubber mats on the ground. Hikers traveling to the Forested Pit Crater enter the makai enclosure by a gate, where they are expected to brush and spray their shoes, before going through a second gate into the mauka enclosure. There again, they must spray and brush shoes, before accessing the trail via a third gate.
     Views from the ROD Decontamination Station are vast and include South Point and several miles of the Kaʻū coast.
     The Park web site describes the hike: "A hike to the forested pit crater is a window into the past and a vision of the future for the Southwest Rift Zone of Mauna Loa. From the crater's rim visitors can look down into a rare native forest refuge protected within the sheer walls of the pit."
The new triple-gated ROD decon station built on the trail to
the Forested Pit Crater. The gates are secured with chains,
and the floor is covered with rubber mats. The middle gate
is in line with the game fence. Photo by Annie Bosted
     Kahuku is open Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is free of charge.

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SEWER FEES COULD GO UP ISLAND WIDE. The county Department of Environmental Management is asking the County Council to approve increases from the $30 per every two months, to $42 in March of 2019, $49 in March of 2020 and $55 in March of 2021, for single family homes. Non-residential sewer line customers would be charged more as well.
     "The Department of Environmental Management requests these increases to eliminate the need for the General Fund subsidy and increase funding for facility repairs," says the statement on the County Finance Committee agenda for next Monday, Nov. 19.

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HAWAIIAN AIRLINES INCREASED ITS CHECKED LUGGAGE FEES today, Tuesday, Nov. 13. Checked bags are $30 for the first bag, $40 for the second - an increase of $5 per bag.
     Inter-island checked baggage fees remain the same: $25 first bag, $35 second bag, with $15 first bag and $20 second bag for HawaiianMiles members. International flight checked bags will remain free.
     The change follows the same kind of increase for most other major airlines.
     The increase in fees follows what CEO Peter Ingram calls "an unusual year," according to Pacific Business News. Despite the drop in tourism due to the Kīlauea eruption this year, the airline showed a net income rise of 10.6 percent, according to PBN. This resulted in $37.7 million issued to shareholders.
     The business journal reports the airline is seeking to retire all five of its 767 planes, replacing them with 11 A321neo planes, by the end of the year.

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AN OCEAN USERS WORKSHOP, free and open to the public, will be held in Kona on Monday, Dec. 3. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, and NOAA Fisheries invite the public to learn and ask questions about safe and lawful wildlife viewing and boating around Hawaiʻi's marine mammals and sea turtles. Whale and dolphin watchers, boat captains, ocean tour operators, and other ocean users are encouraged to attend.
     The Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, and the Lacey Act are not new federal laws. The workshops are an opportunity to hear from federal officials how to legally interact with protected marine mammals and sea turtles.
     The workshop doors open at 6 p.m., and the meeting runs from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Space is limited to the first 50 people, at West Hawaiʻi Civic Center, 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy.
     Questions? Contact Allen Tom, Pacific Islands Regional Director, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, (808) 879-2818 X 225, allen.tom@noaa.gov.

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Sen. Russell Ruderman
PUBLIC HEARINGS ABOUT CHANGES TO STATEWIDE IMMUNIZATION REGULATIONS will be held in Hilo and Kona on Tuesday, Dec. 20. Hilo, at Hilo State Office Bldg., 75 Aupuni St., Conference rooms A, B, and C, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Kona, at West Hawaiʻi Civic Center Mtg. Hale, 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy, Bldg. G, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
     Sen. Russell Ruderman requested public input meetings be held on islands other than Oʻahu. Those unable to attend the hearings can submit testimony to the Hawaiʻi Immunization Program at immunization@doh.hawaii.gov.
     Questions can be directed to Ronald Balajadia, Chief of the Immunization Branch, at 586-8328.

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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
Kaʻū High Winter Sports Schedule 
through end of 2018
Girls Basketball:
Nov. 23 and 24, Fri. and Sat., Kaʻū Tourney
Dec. 3, Mon., @Konawaena, 6pm
Dec. 5, Wed., @Waiakea, 6pm
Dec. 15, Sat., host Laupāhoehoe, 2pm
Dec. 17, Mon., host HPA, 6pm
Dec. 19, Wed., host Kohala, 6pm
Dec. 22, Sat., @Parker, 4:30pm

Boys Basketball:
Nov. 28-Dec. 1, Wed.-Sat., Waiakea and Keaʻau Preseason Tourney, Varsity
Dec. 15, Sat., host Pāhoa
Dec. 18, Tue., @Keaʻau
Dec. 27., Thu., @Kealakehe

Wrestling:
Nov. 17, Sat., @Kealakeha, JV
Nov. 24, Sat., @Konawaena
Dec. 1, Sat., @Hilo
Dec. 8, Sat., @Waiakea
Dec. 15, Sat., @Oʻahu
Dec. 22, Sat., @Oʻahu

Soccer:
Nov. 17, Sat., JV @Waiakea
Nov. 28, Thu., Girls host Kealakehe, Boys host MLA
Dec. 1, Sat., @Honokaʻa
Dec. 3, Mon., host Kamehameha
Dec. 5, Wed., host Pāhoa
Dec. 8, Sat., Boys host Kohala
Dec., 11, Tue., @Kamehameha
Dec., 13, Thu., Girls host Makualani
Dec. 19, Wed., host HPA
Dec. 22, Sat., host Waiakea
Dec. 29, Sat., @Kona

Swimming:
Dec. 8, Sat., @HPA, 10am
Dec. 29, Sat., @Kamehameha, 10am

Ke Kula ‘O Nāwahīokalani‘ōp‘u perform Hula Kahiko Nov. 17 at
Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Photo from volcanoartcenter.org
NEW and UPCOMING
KUMU HA‘AMAULIOLA AIONA WITH KE KULA ‘O NĀWAHĪOKALANI‘ŌPU‘U PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL perform Hula Kahiko on Saturday, Nov. 17, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., on the kahua hula (hula platform) near Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The performance is free; however, park entrance fees apply.
     At Nāwahī PCS, Aiona has established a Holistic Hawaiian Language Fine & Performing Arts Program called Māhuʻilani. The focus of this program is sharing the traditional arts of hula instrument creation, ʻohe kāpala, hula, oli and hana keaka or theatre performance. Aiona shares the students' various artistic creations through community classes, demonstrations, exhibitions, and hula dramas all through the Hawaiian Language.
Kumu Hula Kaho‘okele Crabbe.
Photo from volcanoartcenter.org
     The performance is part of a year-round series sponsored by the Volcano Art Center. For the series, hula hālau from across Hawai‘i and beyond are invited to perform each month in a one-of-a-kind outdoor setting. The presentation will be presented authentically, rain or shine, without electronic amplification. Audience members are encouraged to bring sun/rain gear and sitting mats. For more, call 967-8222, or email volcanohula@gmail.com. See volcanoartcenter.org.

KUMU HULA KAHO‘OKELE CRABBE AND HĀLAUOLAOKALANI DEMONSTRATE NĀ MEA HULA, all things hula, on Saturday, Nov. 17, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Volcano Art Center Gallery's porch, within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
     Held in conjunction with the Hula Kahiko performance, the hands-on, family-friendly cultural demonstration offers participants the opportunity to learn a hula, use various hula implements and try their hand at lei making. Experience the different aspects that play an integral role in the life of the hula dancer.
     The free program is supported in part by the County of Hawai‘i, Community Enrichment Program. Park entrance fees apply. For more, call 967-8222, email volcanohula@gmail.com, or visit volcanoartcenter.org.

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14
Volcano Bay Clinic Mobile Health Unit Visits: Dental, Wed., Nov. 14, 8-5pm; Medical, Thu., Nov. 29, 1-5pm, Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Must be Bay Clinic, Inc. patient. Call 333-3600 to schedule appointment. See Cooper Center June and August newsletters for details. thecoopercenter.org

Lā‘au Lapa‘au - ‘Ike Hana No‘eau: Experience the Skillful Work, Wed., Nov. 14, 10-2pm, Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Local practitioner Momi Subiono uses herbs to help the Hawaiian community and aims to create renewed awareness, understanding, and use of plants for traditional healing. Free; park entrance fees apply. Co-sponsored by Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association. 985-6011, nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

Compassionate Communication Group, Wed., Nov. 14 & 28, 2-3:30pm, PARENTS Inc., Nā‘ālehu. 2nd and last Wednesday of every month thereafter. Free. Pre-registration required. Lindsey Miller, 333-3460

Yarn Scarecrow, Arts & Crafts Activity, Wed., Nov. 14, 2:30-3:30pm, Ka‘ū District Gym multi-purpose room, Pāhala. For ages 5-12. Register through Nov. 7 to 13. 928-3102, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15
Hawai‘i Disability Legal Services, Thu., Nov. 15, 9-noon, Ocean View Community Center. ovcahi.org, 939-7033, ovcahawaii@gmail.com

Story Time with Auntie Linda from Tūtū & Me, Thu., Nov. 15, 10:30-noon, Nā‘ālehu Public Library. 929-8571

Family Reading, Thu., Nov. 15, 6-7pm, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16
PATCH Class #407, Extending Books I, Fri., Nov. 16, 8-11am, PARENTS Inc., Nā‘ālehu. Sponsored by Tūtū & Me. Open to all. Childcare not provided. 238-3472, rhall@patch-hi.org

PATCH Class #207, Social Guidance: Helping Infants and Toddlers Develop Positive Peer Interactions, Fri., Nov. 16, noon-3pm, PARENTS Inc., Nā‘ālehu. Sponsored by Tūtū & Me. Open to all. Childcare not provided. 238-3472, rhall@patch-hi.org

Volunteer Forest Restoration Project: Collecting and Processing Seeds, Fri., Nov. 16, 8:30-1pm, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, contact for meet-up location. Hosted by Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Volunteers must be at least 12 years of age and able to hike at least one mile over rough, uneven terrain. Release forms required. Co-signatures of adult required for volunteers under 18. Contact Patty Kupchak at forest@fhvnp.org or 352-1402 by Mon., Nov. 12. fhvnp.org

Exhibit: Christmas in the Country featuring the Annual Wreath Exhibition, daily, Nov. 16-Dec. 31, 9-5pm, Volcano Art Center Gallery, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

Relay Races, Arts & Crafts Activity, Fri., Nov. 16, 2-3pm, Kahuku Park, HOVE For ages 6-12. Register Nov. 7-14. Athletic shoes required. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17
Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund Ho‘onoua Anchialine Pond Volunteer Work Day & Marine Debris Survey at Kamilo, Sat., Nov. 17, contact in advance for meet up time at Wai‘ōhinu Park. Seats full. BYO-4WD welcome. Free; donations appreciated. RSVP to kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com or call 769-7629 for more.

Art Affair, Sat., Nov. 17, 9-noon, Ocean View Community Center. Local artists sell and display their creations. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Fundraising Bazaar, Sat., Nov. 17, 9-2pm, Kauaha‘ao Congregational Church, Wai‘ōhinu. Free entertainment and "flea market" attendance. Church will sell Kalua Pig plate lunch, containers of Kalua Pig, and Smoked Meat bowls, as well as baked goods, produce, and crafts. Potential vendors submit Vendor Application by Fri., Nov. 2. $10 booth fee suggested donation. Individuals, schools, clubs, and sports/athletic groups invited to vend. Debbie Wong Yuen, dwongyuen.kauahaaochurch@gmail.com, 928-8039

Birth of Kahuku, Sat., Nov. 17, 9:30-11:30am, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Explore rich geologic history of Kahuku on this easy-to-moderate hike that traverses the vast 1868 lava flow, with different volcano features and formations. Learn about the Hawaiian hotspot and the creation of Kahuku. Free. nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

Inspired Figure Drawing Workshop w/Rose Adare, Sat., Nov. 17, 10-3pm, Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus, Volcano Village. Out of the box way of drawing a model and connecting. Variety of drawing techniques covered, including The Tornado, Pop & Lock Draw. $60/VAC member, $65/non-member, $10 model fee. See volcanoartcenter.org for supply list and to register. 967-8222

Ocean View C.E.R.T. Meeting, Sat., Nov. 17, 10-1pm, Ocean View Community Center. Community Emergency Response Team monthly meeting/training. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Hula Kahiko - Ha‘amauliola Aiona w/Ke Kula ‘O Nāwahīokalani‘ōpu‘u Public Charter School, Sat., Nov. 17, 10:30-11:30am, hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org

Nā Mea Hula w/Loke Kamanu and ‘Ohana, Sat., Nov. 17, 11-1pm, Volcano Art Center Gallery porch. Hands on cultural demonstration. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org

Multi-Cultural Demos and Activities: Learn a simple hula, Sat., Nov. 17, 12:30pm, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Hawaiian cultural demonstration and hands-on activity. Free, supplies provided. nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

Bunco & Potluck, Sat., Nov. 17, 6pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Popular game played with nine dice. Bring dish to share. Margie Hack, 541-954-8297

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18
People & Land of Kahuku, Sun., Nov. 18, 9:30-12:30pm, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Guided, 2.5-mile, moderately difficult hike over rugged terrain focuses on the area's human history. Free. nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20
HOVE Road Maintenance Corp. Meeting, Tue., Nov. 20, 10am, 92-8979 Lehua Lane, Ocean View. hoveroad.com, 929-9910, gm@hoveroad.com

After Dark in the Park, Nontuberculou Mycobacteria: A Kīlauea Volcano Study within a Study, Tue., Nov. 20, 7pm, Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Dr. Jennifer Honda introduces her on-going research to study the environmental, host, and microbial factors driving Nontuberculou Mycobacteria – bacteria found in soil and water-based biofilms that when inhaled, can cause chronic disease in susceptible individuals – lung disease emergence in Hawai‘i, which has the highest numbers in the U.S. Program co-sponsored by Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Free; donations help support park programs. Park entrance fees apply. 985-6011, nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

ONGOING
Registration for Track & Field Practice open through Wed., Nov. 21, Kahuku Park, on Paradise Circle in H.O.V.E. Program for ages 6-14 to be held Dec. 3-Feb. 8. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

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 tuition-free traveling preschool, for keiki birth to five years old and their caregivers, has twice a week meeting in Pāhala, Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., at Pāhala Community Center, and in Nāʻālehu at Kauahaʻao Church in Waiʻōhinu, Mondays and Wednesdays, from 8:45 to 10:45 a.m.
     Tūtū and Me also offers home visits to aid caregivers with parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate, listening ear. Visits last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, total of 12 visits. Snacks are provided.
     To enroll in either free program, fill out enrollment forms found at pidf.org/programs/tutu_and_me/enrollment_forms, or call Linda Bong at 929-8571, or Betty Clark at 464-9634 or eclark@pidfountation.org.

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