Ka‘ū News Briefs, Saturday, February 22, 2020

A celebration of Christianity in Hawaiʻi, the life of Henry ʻOpukahaʻia, and the 200th anniversary of Kauahaʻao
Congregational Church, was held last Sunday at Hokuloa Church above Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach.
See more photos and learn more, below. Photo from Kahu Debbie Wong Yuen

ANOTHER CALL TO SUBMIT TESTIMONY CAME FROM KAʻŪ HOSPITAL this weekend to support a bill that would appropriate $700,000 to the Hawaiʻi Health Systems Corp. to expand Kaʻū Rural Health Clinic in Pāhala. It would improve access to urgent care and outpatient behavioral health services. The state Senate Ways & Means Committee will hold a hearing on the matter this Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 12:40. p.m. in Honolulu. Send testimony online at Senate Bill 2617 (SSCR2745) and check the bill's status and other testimony submitted. Testimony is due on Monday at 12:40 p.m.

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SUBMIT TESTIMONY ON THE FOOD HUB PILOT PROGRAM to the 2020 Hawaiʻi Legislature by Monday, Feb. 24 at 12:40 p.m. House Bill 1892, introduced by Kaʻū Representatives Richard Creagan and Richard Onishi, passed all the hearings in the House. Its companion, Senate Bill 2722 SD1, introduced by east Kaʻū Sen. Russell Ruderman, will go to its last public hearing in the Ways and Means committee on Tuesday.

     The legislation would require the state Department of Agriculture to establish a five-year food hub pilot program to increase access to local food. It would provide for the award of grant funding by qualified applicants wishing to establish or expand food hubs. Food Hubs serve to process locally produced foods to make them ready for consumers, with cleaning, sorting, grading and packaging for market. They can also manufacture value added foods, like jellies and jams from local fruits or poi from kalo. Numerous farmers organizations submitted testimony in support, including the Hawai`i Ulu Cooperative, which helps growers process and sell breadfruit.

        For  SB 2722 SD1 in the Ways and Means Committe, all testimonies for the Food Hub pilot program have been positive from diverse stakeholders including the Hawai`i Farm Bureau, Hawai`i Farmers Union United, state Department of Agriculture, the Ulupono Initiative, and many family farmers and their food hubs.

Kahu Debbie Wong Yuen opening the service.
Photo from Debbie Wong Yuen

     Register or login in at capitol.hawaii.gov to submit testimony online. Testimony mailed to support the bill will not arrive in time to be considered. 

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HENRY ʻOPUKAHAʻIA AND 200 YEARS OF CHRISTIANITY IN HAWAIʻI were celebrated last Sunday at Henry ‘Opukahaʻia Memorial Chapel, Hokuloa Church, perched above Punaluʻu Bay. The celebratory service concluded with a fellowship potluck at Punaluʻu Black Sands Beach Park.

     Kahu, pastor at Kauahaʻao Congregational Church, Debbie Wong Yuen opened the service.

     Deborah Lee, a descendent of ʻOpukahaʻia responsible for bringing his bones back to Hawaiʻi, blessed Marques Maran of Oʻahu, who read from the Scripture in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi and English.

     Meli Akimseu-Oshiro from Hilo performed a special Christian hula/sign language dance to Who Am I. Pastor Kaeʻo DeCoite, of Maui, related the story of ‘Opukahaʻia, the first Christian from Hawaiʻi.

Meli Akimseu-Oshiro, left, performed a Christian hula/

sign language dance. Photo from Debbie Wong Yuen

     Born in 1792 near Ninole, ‘Opukahaʻia died on Feb. 17, 1818 in Cornwall, Connecticut, before he had the chance to return to his homeland to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was ‘Opukahaʻia who inspired the American Protestant mission to come to Hawaiʻi to share the Gospel. On April 4, 1820, the first Mission arrived on the sailing ship Thaddeus and anchored in Kona.
        The ninth American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions group arrived on May 21, 1841, sailing on the Gloucester. On board was Rev. John Davis Paris, who founded Kauahaʻao Congregational Church in Waiʻōhinu in November of 1841.

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HAWAIʻI FOCUSES ON ENCOURAGING ELECTRIC VEHICLES to prevent pollution of some of the cleanest air in the nation. However, in California, where vehicles are required to go through an emissions check to make sure they are less polluting, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced today that the state will sue Pres. Donald Trump for revoking California's "authority to regulate auto emissions. If the president thinks he can stop the states from taking action on climate change, he is dead wrong."

Pastor Kaeʻo DeCoite shared an inspiring message of 

the life of Henry ʻOpukahaʻia. 

Photo from Debbie Wong Yuen

     Newsom said, "I'm proud to say California has made serious progress fighting climate change during my term as governor. Unfortunately, at every turn, the Trump administration has attempted to block that progress. They have gutted environmental protections and denied climate science – all to line the pockets of Big Oil. In one of his latest attacks on the planet, Trump rolled back federal greenhouse gas standards."

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ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN for Ola Ka ʻĀina Momona: Managing for Abundance, the Hawaiʻi Conservation Alliance and Society for Conservation Biology-Oceania joint conference. The conference will be held Monday, Aug. 31 through Thursday, Sept. 3 at Hawaiʻi Convention Center in Honolulu.

     Abstracts are due Friday, Feb. 28. Submit at hawaiiconservation.org/conference/2020-call-for-proposals/.

     Online abstract reviewers are also being sought; apply by Thursday, March 5th.

     Students are "strongly encourage" to submit an abstract. "This is a great opportunity to participate in a professional conference in Honolulu." Students will be eligible for awards with cash prizes. Scholarships are also available for students to greatly reduce registration fees and provide travel stipends for neighbor island residents.

Deborah Lee blessing guest Scripture Reader,

Marques Maran. Photo from Debbie Wong Yuen

     Abstract submissions from working professionals are also welcome.

     Abstracts for symposia, forums, workshops, trainings, and individual oral or poster presentations are wanted in six tracks: Cultural Values and Practice in Conservation, Capacity in Conservation; Global Change & Challenges; Putting Research into Practice; New Technologies and Research in Conservation; and Place-based Conservation.

     "Integrated, multi-disciplinary, and transdisciplinary approaches to research and management are increasingly relying on community involvement, founded on multiple knowledge systems, and emphasizing biocultural knowledge. Proposals that demonstrate these innovative approaches are highly encouraged," states the announcement. See the Call for Proposals for full descriptions and to submit.

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USING CHEMICAL ANALYSES TO DISCOVER THE ORIGIN OF VOLCANIC ASH on Hawaiʻi Island is the focus of this week's Volcano Watch, written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates:

     Chemical analyses shed light on possible origins of island ash deposits.

     The origin(s) of volcanic ash deposits on the Island of Hawai‘i have been an enigma, especially those found on and between Kīlauea and Mauna Loa. We know that ash is from explosive eruptions, but the question has been "from which volcano?"
     Previous workers concluded that the most probable source of the ash was Mokuʻāweoweo, the summit caldera of Mauna Loa. Others suggested that the ash came from the vicinity of Pu‘u Iki north of Hilea, mauka (upslope) of Punalu‘u Bay in Ka‘ū. More recent work has shown that some of these deposits are from Kīlauea.
     The age and origin of ash deposits on Mauna Loa's southeast flank still need to be determined. Based on recent geologic mapping of Mauna Loa (https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sim2932A, Sheet 2), explosive eruptions that pvroduced the ash date back to at least 49,000 years.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists examine an outcrop of reddish-brown Hilo ash during a recent study 

to investigate the origins of volcanic ash deposits on the Island of Hawai‘i. Age dates of lava flows above and below the 

Hilo ash deposit indicate that the ash was erupted between 3,000 and 14,000 years ago. USGS photo by Z. Tamashiro

     Zion Tamashiro, a University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Pacific Internship Programs for Exploring Science intern, recently worked with a USGS HVO geologist to investigate outcrops (visible deposits) from some of these ash-producing eruptions. Their study concentrated on three broad regions: Hilo, Pāhala, and Kalae (South Point).

     The ash deposits range in age from 3,000 to 49,000 years. The Hilo ash is bounded by lava flows that are around 3,000 and 14,000 years old. Ashes near Pāhala are beneath a flow dated at 9,000 years. Kalae ash deposits are 13-, 26-, 28- and more than 49-thousand years old.

     The ash deposits also vary in thickness from 0.10 m to 5.5 m (0.1 ft to 18 ft). Their consistencies range from friable (crumbly) to indurated (solid). Hilo ash is soft and mud-like, while Pāhala outcrops consist of dry layers of ash with varying degrees of consolidation. In the Kalae region, ash layers are so thin, it was difficult to avoid cross-contamination between them when collecting samples.
     Ash samples were collected in the field for geochemical analyses to determine the volcanic source of the deposits. Pressed pellets of ash were carefully prepared and then analyzed using an energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) instrument at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. For quality control, a USGS basalt standard BHVO-2 was analyzed. 

Ash from explosions during the 2018 Kīlauea eruption traveled
far away from Halemaʻumaʻu. Photo by Vijaysai Patnaik

     The ED-XRF analyses yielded chemical abundances of oxides, metals, and rare earth elements. Hilo and Kalae ash samples vary in composition, while the chemical composition of Pāhala samples is consistent. Hilo ash samples have the least sodium, potassium, calcium, nickel, and strontium. Kalae ash samples are enriched in sodium, magnesium, nickel, and chromium.

     Weathering of ash outcrops also varies. The degree of alteration was determined by sodium content in the ash samples because that element is easily weathered from the deposits. In areas with higher rainfall amounts, ash is subject to more intense weathering. So, Hilo samples had less sodium compared to ash from the drier Pāhala and Kalae areas. However, some Kalae samples have excess sodium, most likely from seawater spray.

     Where Hawaiian volcanoes are located relative to the hotspot beneath the Island of Hawaiʻi result in distinct geochemical trends. Hualālai, Mauna Loa, and Lōʻihi are on what is referred to as the "LOA trend," whereas Kohala, Mauna Kea, and Kīlauea are on the "KEA trend." Volcanoes on the same trend have similar magma chemistry that differs from the chemistry of the other trend.

     Using the ED-XRF geochemical data, Tamashiro and his HVO mentor determined the chemical trend from which the ash deposits were erupted. Although their study is far from comprehensive, they discovered that the chemistry of ash samples from Pāhala is comparable to Kīlauea or Mauna Kea (KEA trend). Kalae ash has a more complex history, with some samples suggesting an origin from Kīlauea or Mauna Kea, but others suggesting they were probably erupted from Mauna Loa or Hualālai (both KEA and LOA chemical affinities). Hilo ash deposits are too altered to reliably indicate magmatic origin.
     HVO is just beginning to scratch the surface on the origin of Hawaiʻi Island's ash deposits, with much work still to be done. Analyzing chemical compositions of the ash was useful to the ongoing research, and we greatly appreciate Tamashiro's contributions to the study while interning at HVO. With continued investigations, we hope to shed additional light on the origin of ash deposits on the flanks of Mauna Loa.

A closeup of ash from the 2018 Kīlauea eruption. HVO images 

      Volcano Activity Updates

     Kīlauea Volcano is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at NORMAL (https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vhp/about_alerts.html). Updates for Kīlauea are now issued monthly.

     Kīlauea monitoring data over the past month showed no significant changes. Rates of seismicity were variable but within long-term values. Sulfur dioxide emission rates were low at the summit and below detection limits at Puʻu ʻŌʻō and the lower East Rift Zone. The water lake at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u continued to slowly expand and deepen.

     Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at ADVISORY. This alert level does not mean that an eruption is imminent or that progression to an eruption is certain.

     This past week, 44 small-magnitude earthquakes were recorded beneath the upper elevations of Mauna Loa; the strongest was a M2.2 on Feb. 16. Deformation indicates continued slow summit inflation. Fumarole temperature and gas concentrations on the Southwest Rift Zone remain stable.

     Mauna Loa updates are issued weekly. For more, go to https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna_loa/status.html

     No earthquakes were reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands this past week.

     HVO continues to closely monitor both Kīlauea and Mauna Loa for any signs of increased activity.

     Visit https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

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Youth Training is strong trong with Hokulele Basketball at Kaʻū District Gym, open to the public on
Sunday with 18 teams from around the island competing. Photo by Julia Neal

KAʻŪ DISTRICT GYM IS FILLED with 18 youth basketball teams from around the island for the Hokulele Tournament Saturday and Sunday. See the results in an upcoming Kaʻū News Briefs. Admission for Sunday's games is free, to see the action on three full size basketball courts hosting the competition. Hokulele trains youth from five years of age through high school.
     The club and its tournaments are solely sponsored by families of the players. To join the club, register for a tournament, volunteer, and sponsor, contact Hokulele Basketball Club President Ravel Kaupu by text or phone at 808-319-0687.

See daily, weekly, and monthly recurring Kaʻū and Volcano 

See Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment. See Kaʻū exercise,
meditation, daily, bi-weekly, and weekly recurring events. 

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 6,250 mailboxes 

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on 

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, Meditation, and more 
at kaucalendar.com.

Kaʻū Spring Sports Schedule

Girls Softball

Saturday, March 7, 11 a.m., @Waiakea

Wednesday, March 11, 3 p.m., @Konawaena

Boys Baseball

Wednesday, March 4, 3 p.m., host HPA

Saturday, March 7, 1 p.m.. @Waiakea

Boys Volleyball

Wednesday, Feb. 26, 6 p.m., host Christian Liberty

Wednesday, March, 6 p.m., @Hilo

Judo

Saturday, Feb. 29, 10:30 a.m., @Kealakehe

Saturday, March 7, 10:30 a.m.. @Kealakehe

Track

Saturday, March 14, 9 a.m., @Waiakea

Saturday, March 21, 2 p.m., @Konawaena

UPCOMING

SUNDAY, FEB. 23

Kaʻū Portuguese Exhibit, Sunday, Feb. 23, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Carvalho Park in Hilo. Exhibit by Kaʻū Multicultural Society.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 26

Hū (Kukui Nut Top) Demonstration, Wednesday, Feb. 26 from 10 a.m. to noon at Kīlauea Visitor Center lanai. Early Hawaiians devoted much of their time to games, amusements and relaxing. Top spinning was an absorbing activity for children and making hū (kukui-nut top) was equally engaging. Join rangers and staff from Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association as they share their knowledge and love of one of the most popular traditional arts of Hawai‘i. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes' ‘Ike Hana No‘eau, Experience the Skillful Work, workshops.

Visit nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/summit_stewardship.htm for additional planning details. Free; Park entrance fees apply. 985-6011, nps.gov/havo

Ash Wednesday Service at St. Jude's Episcopal Church, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 4:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, FEB. 28

Kaʻū Rural Health Community Association Annual Health Conference, Friday, Feb. 28, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Pāhala Community Center. Register in advance: 808-928-0101.

SATURDAY, FEB. 29

Hawaiian Humpback Whale Marine Sanctuary Ocean Count, Saturday, Feb. 29 and March 28, 7:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., orientation included. Register at oceancount.org. Locations in Kaʻū are: Kaʻena Point in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Miloli‘i Lookout, Ka Lae Park, and Punalu‘u Black Sand Beach Park. Participants tally humpback whale sightings and document the animals' surface behavior during the survey, which provides a snapshot of humpback whale activity from the shoreline.

Mixed Media Photo Encaustic with Mary Milelzcik, Saturday, Feb. 29, 10 a.m. The class is slated for beginner to intermediate students. volcanoartcenter.org

ONGOING

PETFIX Spay and Neuter Free Clinic for Cats and Dogs, Thursday and Friday, March 5 and 6, Ocean View Ranchos. Registration: contact Bridget at (808)990-3548 or petfixbigisland@gmail.com.

Hawaiʻi International Music Festival, Sunday March 8, 6:30 p.m., Pāhala Plantation House. The concert will feature music that will celebrate native plants of the Kaʻū Dryland Forest and will raise funds for Hoʻomalu Kaʻū.

     Performers are Maya Hoover, Hawaiʻi based Mezzo-Soprano at Professor at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa; Jonathan Korth, Hawaiʻi based Pianist and Professor at UH-Mānoa; and Joshua Nakazawa, Cellist from Hawaiʻi Symphony. They will be joined by the three HIMF co-founders: Amy Shoremount-Obra, Internationally Acclaimed Metropolitan Opera Soprano; Eric Silberger, Internationally Acclaimed Prize-Winning Virutuoso Violinist; and Carlin Ma, Multi-Media Artist and Pianist.

     Tickets are $30, available at kauconcert.bpt.me. See himusicfestival.com for more.

Sign Up Keiki for the Second Annual Kaʻū Children's Business Fair, to be held Saturday, March 21, 10 a.m. to noon at Pāhala Community Center. Open to young entrepreneurs ages seven and 18 to share their talents by selling handmade items and services. One application may be submitted for each business. Children can sign up for booth space at no charge. Children working as a group submit one application that includes each child's information; no more than three children per business.

     Kaʻū Children's Business Fair guidelines are designed to give children the experience of selling a product or service. Parents of younger children (under eight years old) may sit in the booth, but the children should be responsible for set up, customer interaction, and sales. Parents may aid a child, but the child runs the business.

    Learn more about participating at childrensbusinessfair.org/pahala. Visit Kaʻū Children's Business Fair's Facebook event page facebook.com/KAUCBF/. RSVP to the event at facebook.com/events/925342784527676/. Text KAUKIDSFAIR to 31996 for updates and information (message and data fees may apply).

Register for Ocean View Classic Car & Bike Show, Saturday, March 28, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Owners of classic cars and bikes are encouraged to register early, as space is limited. This second annual event, a fundraiser for Ocean View Community Association, will also feature food and live music, and prizes for the most impressive cars and bikes. Contact organizers Dennis Custard at 831-234-7143 or Ron Gall at 808-217-7982 to register or for more info.

Sign Up to Vend at the New ʻO Kaʻū Kākou Nāʻālehu Farmers Market, Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the site of the old Fruit Stand, mauka of Hwy 11 in Nāʻālehu. Vending focuses on Kaʻū products, including mushrooms from the new farm in Nāʻālehu, fresh breads, vegetables, fruits, and other products. The market may offer music in the future, and there are plans to acquire picnic tables for market goers. Call Manager Sue Barnett at 345-9374 to sign up.

Register for Volcano's ʻŌhiʻa Lehua Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, and Keiki Dash by Wednesday, July 22. The second annual event will be held on Saturday, July 25. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to University of Hawaiʻi for furthering research of Rapid ‘Ōhiʻa Death and The Volcano School of Arts & Sciences. See webscorer.com to register.

     Half Marathon registration is $70 through May 24, $80 May 25 through July 22, and $90 for late registration. Registration for the 10K is $50 through May 24, $55 May 25 through Jul 22, and $60 for late registration. Registration for the 5K is $35 through May 24, $40 May 25 through July 22, and $45 for late registration. Keiki Dash registration is $10. All registrations are non-transferable and non-refundable.
     Late registration is only available at packet pickup or race day morning. Shirts are not guaranteed for late registration.  Race Shirts will be included for Half Marathon and 10K participants only. For all other participants, shirts are available to purchase online.

     Packet pick-up is scheduled for Thursday, July 23 in Hilo; Friday, July 26 in Volcano; and Saturday, July 27, 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. at the race start.

     Half Marathon will start at 7 a.m. Other distances follow shortly after. Keiki Dash will begin at 10 a.m. on VSAS grounds. Race cut-off time for the Half Marathon is four hours. The races will begin and end in Volcano Village at VSAS.

Cultural Understanding Through Art & the Environment, features classes on block printing, lauhala weaving, ti leaf lei making, and more. A free guided Cultural Forest Tour, and a Mele and Hula ‘Auana performance are also slated. Visit the website events calendar for the full lineup. volcanoartcenter.org

T-Ball and Coach Pitch Baseball League: Ocean View Team - Mondays and Wednesdays, Kahuku Park. Nā‘ālehu Team - Tuesdays and Thursdays, Nā‘ālehu Park. Pāhala Team (seeking coaches) - attend Nā‘ālehu practice. T-Ball, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 pm, ages 5-6. Coach Pitch, 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., ages 7-8. Programs take place through April 16. Wear cleats or tennis shoes, bring a glove if possible. Extras gloves available for use. All skills and genders welcome. $35 per teammate. See Ka‘ū Youth Baseball on Facebook. Josh or Elizabeth Crook, 345-0511

Tūtū & Me Home Visiting Program is a free service to Pāhala families with keiki, birth to five years old. This caregiver support program offers those taking care of young keiki "a compassionate listening ear, helpful parenting tips and strategies, fun and exciting activities, and wonderful educational resources" from Tūtū & Me Traveling Preschool. Home visits are one hour in length, two to four times per month, for 12 to 15 visits. Snacks are provided. See pidfoundation.org or call 808-938-1088.

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