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| During the competition Thursday evening, Kaʻōnohikaumakaakeawe Kananiokeakua Holokai Lopes danced Hula Kahiko, ancient hula, for the judges, on her way to becoming Miss Aloha Hula. Photo by Tracey Nimi/Merrie Monarch Festival |
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| Miss Aloha Hula 2024 dances Hula ‘Auana, Photo by Bruce Omori/Merrie Monarch Festival |
Judges for Miss Aloha Hula and the group competitions coming up Friday and Saturday evenings are Maelia Carter, Ed Collier, Ainsley Halemanu, Leimomi Ho and Nālani Kanaka'ole, Nani Lim Yap and Kealiʻi Reichel.
The competitions are live-streamed online and carried on KFive. See more at merriemonarch.com.
In addition to the competitions, which are sold out for live attendance, the Merrie Monarch Hawaiian Crafts fair is open on Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ah Fook Chinen Civic Auditorium and Butler Building in Hilo, with a number of artists and artisans from Kaʻū and beyond presenting their creations for sale. Among them are Malie and Tanya Ibarra and Donna Masaniai.
On Saturday is the 61st Royal Merrie Monarch Parade beginning at 10:30 a.m. in Hilo along Kamehameha Ave, Wai‘anuenue Ave, Keawe St. and Kilauea Ave.
Among those representing Kaʻū in the parade will be Princess Kehau Kalani and her Pāʻū Unit riding for the Island of Hawai'i and Princess Lorilee Lorenzo and her Pāʻū Unit riding for the island of O‘ahu.
At noon, Kaʻū's Hālau Hula O Leionalani will perform at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel with Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. See 7,500 copies the mail and on stands.
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| Chefzone aims to teach the skills for using Hawai'i-grown, raised or caught ingredients to create food businesses. Applications are available to participate. Photo from HACA |
CHEFZONE: FROM COTTAGE INDUSTRY TO COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE is a program to train entrepreneurs for Hawai'i's food industry and is accepting students, including those who will take the class virtually, with some travel to O‘ahu. Hawai‘i Ag & Culinary Alliance is accepting applications for cohort 4, which aims at cultivating the next generation of Hawaiʻi's value-added entrepreneurs using Hawaiʻi-grown, raised, or caught ingredients. Individuals will have the opportunity to work alongside industry experts to build and establish their new food businesses. For more information, visit the website at https://hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com/cottageindustry/ or RSVP for the virtual info session on Wednesday, April 10 at 5:30 p.m. The program runs from June 17 - Sept. 9. Applications are due April 15.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. See 7,500 copies the mail and on stands.
HAWAI‘I COUNTY MAYORAL CANDIDATE SEAULA JR. TUPAI will come to the Herkes Kaʻū District Gym on Thursday, April 11. The start time is 6 p.m. Tupai is pastor of Overcoming Faith Center in Hilo and ran for Lt. Governor in the 2022 election. His background includes working with the National Guard Youth Challenge Academy in Hilo, coaching football at Kamehameha School and Hilo High School.
His campaign website says, "Jr. understands what it means to serve. He understands that as a public servant, the emphasis should be on serving. Therefore, he has decided to run as a Hawai‘i Public Servant, to serve the people once again in another capacity. For far too long, servants in office have not listened to the people and have forgotten what it means to serve. It's about time to put people in office who are close to the pulse of the community."
See votetupai.com.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. See 7,500 copies the mail and on stands.
THE PIT CRATER AT KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI‘I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK is subject of a presentation by Ecologist David Benitz, and a discussion on Saturday, April 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Kahuku Visitor Station.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. See 7,500 copies the mail and on stands.
USING STEM AT USGS HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY is the subject of this week's Volcano Volcano Watch written by HVO field engineer Steven Fuke:
STEM is an acronym that stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. In the educational system, encouraging STEM curriculum prepares students for future careers in STEM fields. In this Volcano Watch article, we'll describe how aspects of STEM are applied at the USGS Hawaiian
STEM is an acronym that stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. In the educational system, encouraging STEM curriculum prepares students for future careers in STEM fields. In this Volcano Watch article, we'll describe how aspects of STEM are applied at the USGS Hawaiian
Staff at HVO study volcanic processes and associated hazards in Hawai‘i, with the emphasis and end goal of protecting life and property. The backbone of the observatory is the monitoring network, consisting of a diverse array of instruments located on the flanks of the volcanoes. These instruments relay data back to the observatory, providing information on the behavior of Hawai‘i's active volcanoes.
The monitoring network is installed and maintained by the HVO field engineering team. Many hours
The monitoring network is installed and maintained by the HVO field engineering team. Many hours
are spent commuting to and from remote field sites. At any one site, field engineers do a variety of tasks, such as changing batteries that power the station, clearing vegetation from near the station, or changing parts that are broken or need to be upgraded. In the shop, field engineers build new stations or station modules, and engineer solutions to solve station-related issues.
One important instrument in the HVO monitoring network is the tiltmeter, which records subtle changes in how the ground tilts over time. These tilt changes give an idea of the pressure in the underlying magma reservoir. The data output of the tiltmeter is represented on a time series plot. Scientists specializing in ground
deformation at HVO interprets tilt data, paying particular attention to whether the data are trending towards inflation or deflation. The tiltmeters at Uēkahuna and Sand Hill on Kīlauea, for example, provide information on the Halemaʻumaʻu and south caldera magma storage areas beneath Kīlauea's summit region.
HVO field engineers install tiltmeters below the ground surface, so that they can be protected from weather and other elements near the surface. The instruments are housed in a pipe casing that is filled with dry sand; the depth of the tiltmeter is site specific.
During a past storm system, accompanied with torrential rains, water had infiltrated a site specific tiltmeter casing. Nineteen feet of the casing depth was filled with wet sand and water, negatively impacting data quality.
The casing had to be cleared of the wet sand and water. The question was, how? Ordinarily, we would use a wet/dry vacuum to extract out the dry sand from this casing, for example if the tiltmeter needed to be replaced. Unfortunately, the negative pressure of one wet/dry shop vac was inadequate for wet sand extraction at this depth because wet sand has a higher density (mass/volume) than dry sand.
An increase in negative pressure would be required to remove the wet sand. This was accomplished by integrating two vacuums into one inlet hose. To ensure an airtight environment that would couple the two vacuums, a plastic enclosure with a rubber seal was designed. This combined all the negative pressure being created by the two vacuums, providing increased suction action to extract the wet sand in one hose. One vacuum source provided suction for half of the volume of the hose, while the other vacuum source provided suction for the other half of the volume of the hose. In essence, the suction power was doubled within one hose, allowing the dense and wet sand to be pulled into the hose. With over 200 instruments across the Island of Hawai‘i, HVO field engineers are adept at adaptively responding to the various situations that can occur at these remote monitoring stations. This suction solution is just one example of how the HVO field engineering team uses aspects of STEM to problem solve.
One important instrument in the HVO monitoring network is the tiltmeter, which records subtle changes in how the ground tilts over time. These tilt changes give an idea of the pressure in the underlying magma reservoir. The data output of the tiltmeter is represented on a time series plot. Scientists specializing in ground
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A tiltmeter casing on the south flank of Kīlauea volcano flooded with water. The tiltmeter casing is less than a foot in diameter. USGS photo |
HVO field engineers install tiltmeters below the ground surface, so that they can be protected from weather and other elements near the surface. The instruments are housed in a pipe casing that is filled with dry sand; the depth of the tiltmeter is site specific.
During a past storm system, accompanied with torrential rains, water had infiltrated a site specific tiltmeter casing. Nineteen feet of the casing depth was filled with wet sand and water, negatively impacting data quality.
The casing had to be cleared of the wet sand and water. The question was, how? Ordinarily, we would use a wet/dry vacuum to extract out the dry sand from this casing, for example if the tiltmeter needed to be replaced. Unfortunately, the negative pressure of one wet/dry shop vac was inadequate for wet sand extraction at this depth because wet sand has a higher density (mass/volume) than dry sand.
An increase in negative pressure would be required to remove the wet sand. This was accomplished by integrating two vacuums into one inlet hose. To ensure an airtight environment that would couple the two vacuums, a plastic enclosure with a rubber seal was designed. This combined all the negative pressure being created by the two vacuums, providing increased suction action to extract the wet sand in one hose. One vacuum source provided suction for half of the volume of the hose, while the other vacuum source provided suction for the other half of the volume of the hose. In essence, the suction power was doubled within one hose, allowing the dense and wet sand to be pulled into the hose. With over 200 instruments across the Island of Hawai‘i, HVO field engineers are adept at adaptively responding to the various situations that can occur at these remote monitoring stations. This suction solution is just one example of how the HVO field engineering team uses aspects of STEM to problem solve.
Volcano Activity Updates: Kīlauea is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is ADVISORY.
Average earthquake counts below Kīlauea's summit over the past week were below 30 detected events on most days. This remains well below the amount detected during the January–February intrusion or prior to recent summit eruptions. Tiltmeters near Sand Hill and Uēkahuna bluff continued to record modest inflationary trends over the past week. No unusual activity has been noted along the rift zones.
Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL.
Webcams show no signs of activity on Mauna Loa. Summit seismicity has remained at low levels over the past month. Ground deformation indicates continuing slow inflation as magma replenishes the reservoir system following the 2022 eruption. SO2 emission rates are at background levels.
Two earthquakes were reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M2.9 earthquake 9 km (5 mi) NE of Pāhala at 33 km (20 mi) depth on March 31 at 7:58 p.m. HST and a M3.2 earthquake 93 km (57 mi) SW of Lanai City at 10 km (6 mi) depth on March 28 at 9:56 a.m. HST.
HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.
Visit HVO's website for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake information, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. See 7,500 copies the mail and on stands.
Average earthquake counts below Kīlauea's summit over the past week were below 30 detected events on most days. This remains well below the amount detected during the January–February intrusion or prior to recent summit eruptions. Tiltmeters near Sand Hill and Uēkahuna bluff continued to record modest inflationary trends over the past week. No unusual activity has been noted along the rift zones.
Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL.
Webcams show no signs of activity on Mauna Loa. Summit seismicity has remained at low levels over the past month. Ground deformation indicates continuing slow inflation as magma replenishes the reservoir system following the 2022 eruption. SO2 emission rates are at background levels.
Two earthquakes were reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M2.9 earthquake 9 km (5 mi) NE of Pāhala at 33 km (20 mi) depth on March 31 at 7:58 p.m. HST and a M3.2 earthquake 93 km (57 mi) SW of Lanai City at 10 km (6 mi) depth on March 28 at 9:56 a.m. HST.
HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.
Visit HVO's website for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake information, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. See 7,500 copies the mail and on stands.
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Entrance to Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park will be in one lane starting April 8, due to construction. Photo from NPS |
A SINGLE LANE ENTRY AT Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park will be available starting next Monday, April 8, due to upcoming construction activities. "Park visitors and tour operators should anticipate delays and potential congestion at the entrance station during this period," says a statement from the Park.
What: Construction will begin on the administrative lane at the entrance station to improve safety and traffic flow. The current phase will concentrate on the right entrance lane along Crater Rim Drive, encompassing tasks such as curb removal, clearing and grubbing the shoulder for the new administrative lane, and grading the shoulder.When: Beginning April 8th, the entrance station at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park will be limited to one lane and booth for approximately two weeks. Further coordination will be conducted if a longer closure of the lane is necessary.
Why: Work continues on Phase One of the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Disaster Recovery Project and traffic safety and infrastructure upgrades. The latest project updates include establishing a new roundabout west of the entrance station to improve safety and traffic flow.
How to stay informed: Construction closures and delays are updated on the park's new construction webpage.
Plan ahead: Purchase a digital site pass from www.Recreation.gov before the visit. Download and print pass in advance due to limited connectivity at the entrance station.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. See 7,500 copies the mail and on stands.
HPD ARRESTED 17 FOR DUI during the week of March 25 through March 31. Hawai‘i Police Department arrested 17 motorists for driving under the influence of an intoxicant. Eight of the drivers 
were involved in a traffic accident. Two of the drivers were under the age of 21.
So far this year, there have been 233 DUI arrests compared with 256 during the same period last year, a decrease of 22.7 percent.
HPD's Traffic Services Section reviewed all updated crashes and found 252 major crashes so far this year, compared with 231 during the same time last year, an increase of 9.1 percent.
To date, there were 12 fatal crashes, resulting in 14 fatalities (two of which had multiple deaths), compared with four fatal crashes, resulting in five fatalities (one of which had multiple deaths) for the same time last year. This represents an increase of 200 percent for fatal crashes and 180 percent for fatalities.
In 2024, the non-traffic fatality count (not on a public roadway) is zero compared to zero non-traffic fatalities for the same time last year.
HPD promises DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue island wide.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. See 7,500 copies the mail and on stands.
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So far this year, there have been 233 DUI arrests compared with 256 during the same period last year, a decrease of 22.7 percent.
HPD's Traffic Services Section reviewed all updated crashes and found 252 major crashes so far this year, compared with 231 during the same time last year, an increase of 9.1 percent.
To date, there were 12 fatal crashes, resulting in 14 fatalities (two of which had multiple deaths), compared with four fatal crashes, resulting in five fatalities (one of which had multiple deaths) for the same time last year. This represents an increase of 200 percent for fatal crashes and 180 percent for fatalities.
In 2024, the non-traffic fatality count (not on a public roadway) is zero compared to zero non-traffic fatalities for the same time last year.
HPD promises DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue island wide.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. See 7,500 copies the mail and on stands.
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| MERRIE MONARCH FESTIVAL'S HAWAIIAN ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR wraps up Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Afook Chin Civic Auditorium and Butler Building in Hilo. Kaʻū crafters and artists are among the presenters. |
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