Ka`u News Briefs March 20, 2013

Hawai`i Wildlife Fund volunteers removed this and other potential Japanese tsunami marine debris during last
 Saturday's Ka`u Coast Cleanup. Photo by Dr. Mark Kimura, UH-Hilo

GMO LABELING OF FOODS is the subject of a state Senate public hearing tomorrow in Honolulu. Ka`u citizens can testify on the measure, pro and con, by going online to www.capitol.hawaii.gov/senate.aspx?testimonypanel=on#panel. Both East Ka`u Senator Russell Ruderman and West Ka`u Senator Josh Green support the measure.

Sen. Josh Green

Sen. Russell Ruderman 

      According to a story by Derrick DePledge in this morning’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser, “The bill was at risk of failing this session if it did not get a Senate hearing by an internal procedural deadline this week. In private moves over the past few days, Senate leaders planned to remove the Senate Health Committee as a referral on the bill because of concerns that Sen. Josh Green, the committee’s chairman and a supporter of GMO labeling, would use a hearing to appeal to anti-GMO activists.”
      According to DePledge, “Green strenuously fought the move, however, and after a lengthy private caucus among senators Tuesday, the Senate Health Committee stayed on the referral,” and the hearing will take place before the senate Agriculture Committee, the Senate Health Committee and the Senate Consumer Protection & Commerce Committee. The ag committee chair will conduct the hearing.

A rally against GMO products was held in Hilo Saturday.
Photo by Ko Ueno

      DePledge quoted Green: “The people are concerned with the health impact of GMOs, and I support their call for labeling. I also believe the Senate Committee on Health should have remained the lead on this bill.” Green is a physician and previously worked at the emergency room at Ka`u Hospital.
      According to the Star-Advertiser story, Senate ag committee chair Clarence Nishihara said, “First, I’d like to make it clear that this is a food labeling and not an anti-GMO bill, nor is it a pro-bioengineering bill.” See more at www.staradvertiser.com.
      The opinion of state Attorney General David Louie is that the bill could be found unconstitutional since the federal government authorizes the labeling of foods. He also put forth that First Amendment rights and interstate commerce regulations could be violated. Louie said the bill lacks a specific purpose showing the interest of the state.
      GMO labeling laws are likely to be tested in court, as the issue is coming up in many states. Initiatives in legislatures around the country include a proposal to label genetically engineered salmon in Alaska, an Arizona bill to label genetically engineered food, and a Colorado bill to require any person, selling, distributing or offering for sale food, to make sure genetically engineered food is labeled. Similar legislation has been introduced in the states of Indiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont and Washington.

`AINA KOA PONO’S proposed contract to sell diesel to the electric companies “can provide a type of hedge, a financial hedge by reducing ratepayers’ exposure to price volatility, and a physical hedge because the locally produced biodiesel reduces ratepayers’ exposure to man-made, natural, of other disturbances that can affect the supply chain of Hawai`i’s imported fuels,” states testimony from the state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism.
      The testimony was provided last week to the state Public Utilities Commission which is tasked with approving or disapproving the `Aina Koa Pono contract which would back the construction of a refinery off Wood Valley Road and the use of pasture between Pahala and Na`alehu for clearing trees and brush and growing crops to feed the refinery.
      The testimony states that “Hawai`i has recently been exposed to this because ‘petroleum diesel prices are so dependent on demand (Asia and Pacific sourced oil has significantly increased in price since the Japan tsunami and the loss of Japan’s nuclear reactor capacity, and other factors (e.g., Tesoro’s plan to sell its Hawai`i operations) not related to production costs, petroleum forecasts tend to vary widely.’”
      The Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism testified that “the Contract under review here can be thought of as insurance against bad outcomes; in this case, continued volatile, rising and high oil prices….”
      See more testimony from other agencies and the public at www.puc.hawaii.gov. Click on `Aina Koa Pono, on the link, and documents. The docket number is 2012-0185.

Several items from Saturday's Ka`u Coast Cleanup are
potential Japanese tsunami marine debris.
Photo by Dr. Mark Kimura, UH-Hilo

POSSIBLE TSUNAMI DEBRIS from Japan was found when 58 volunteers covered over a mile of coastline last Saturday from Kai`ole Bay to Ki`i (including Kamilo Point). They removed several truckloads full of debris weighing almost one ton.
      Debris likely from Japan included two glass fishing net balls, mini fridge/cooler with rollers, a rice-cooker-like Thermos with spout and multiple large buoys from Sanshin-Kako Co., Ltd. in Japan. Also picked up were many small plastic toy items (camel, rhinos, army figurines), a #13 drifter block from UH-Hilo study (released from outside Hilo Bay), NOAA weather balloon, and part of a dog-sled runner.

      Volunteers came from Hilo, Puna, Kohala, and Kona and included two large groups from Hawai`i Community College-Hilo and Cornell University’s Hawai`i Field Program based in Waimea. Local artist Don Elwing displayed his debris art at Wai`ohinu Park and gifted one lucky volunteer a free piece. Kealakekua-based Hawai`i Kombucha joined in and donated a five-gallon keg of homemade Orange Kombucha to all the volunteers.

      Hawai`i Wildlife Fund continues its restoration efforts in Ka`u with anchialine pond cleanups next Tuesday and Wednesday and another Ka`u Coast Cleanup Saturday, July 13. Sign up with Megan Lamson at 769-7629 or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.

THIS IS DETECT-A-LEAK-WEEK IN HAWAI`I. The state Commission on Water Resource Management, in partnership with the island county water departments and the Hawai`i Rural Water Association, is encouraging all Hawai`i residents to check for leaks at their homes, properties and workplaces.
      “The Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Rain Follows the Forest initiative aims to enhance water supplies by protecting and restoring our rainforests to capture as much of the rain as possible,” Gov. Neil Abercrombie said. “But we must also be good stewards of our drinking water by using it as efficiently as possible, which involves checking for leaks and taking corrective action. Detect-A-Leak Week is an important statewide awareness program that complements this administration’s efforts to increase the recharge of our aquifers and streams.”

Quirino Antonio

      The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates common household leaks can waste more than 10,000 gallons of water each year in the average home – enough water to fill a backyard swimming pool. This water loss can be significantly reduced in Hawai`i if all residents statewide check their plumbing fixtures for leaks.
       “Every effort made to repair leaks helps protect water, our most precious resource. Thank you for doing your part at home and in your yard during Detect-A-Leak Week,” said Quirino Antonio, County of Hawai`i Department of Water Supply manager and chief engineer.
      There are three types of leaks that should be checked – toilet, property and under ground. During Detect-A-Leak-Week, the department is distributing toilet leak detection dye tablets at all ACE hardware, Home Depot, and HPM Building Supply stores, as well as Department of Water Supply customer service counters.
      For more information on how Detect-A-Leak Week is being observed and for more tips on how to check for leaks at home, visit www.hawaiidws.org.

KA`U AGRICULTURAL WATER COOPERATIVE District meets tomorrow at 4 p.m. at the Royal Hawaiian Orchards Macadamia Field Office. For more information, contact Jeff McCall at 928-6456.

MEMBER TRAINING FOR Ka`u Ag Water Cooperative District takes place a week from today, next Wednesday at Pahala Community Center. Members and potential members of the regional water systems’ cooperatives, including Ha`ao, Mountain House, Moa`ula, Alili, Hilea, Keaiwa, Wood Valley and Kapapala can learn about being an ag water co-op member and how the development process is proceeding. For more information, email mbondera@kohalacenter.org.

`Ohelo is one species that establishes in recent lava flows.
Photo by Tim Tunison

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES INSTITUTE is still accepting registration for Life on Recent Lava Flows with botanist Tim Tunison Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
      Program cost is $50 for Friends members and $65 for non-members. Student fees (K-12 and college with valid ID) are $25 for members and $35 for non-members. Non-members are welcome to join the Friends in order to get the member discount.
      For more information and to register, see fhvnp.org, email institute@fhvnp.org or call 985-7373.

A PERFORMANCE OF TWO OF TENNESSEE WILLIAMS’ one-act plays takes place Sunday at Pahala Plantation House. Dick Hershberger and Arlene Araki present Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen and I Can’t Imagine Tomorrow, directed by University of Hawai`i-Hilo drama department senior Julie Dobbs. The plays begin at 3 p.m. Tea and cookies will be served, and a potluck dinner follows.

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

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

Ka`u News Briefs March 19, 2013

State Consumer Advocate Jeffrey Ono testified that there are few people signing up for Olson land to grow
food in Ka`u. Olson Trust has a list of about 40 who want land for coffee and other crops. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

WHILE FARMERS ARE LINED UP waiting to lease Edmund C. Olson land to grow more coffee and food crops in Ka`u, state Consumer Advocate Jeffrey Ono testified to the Public Utilities Commission in support of Olson land going for the proposed `Aina Koa Pono biofuels project.

Hawai`i State Consumer Advocate
Jeffrey Ono

        “I am informed, therefore I believe, that the Edmund Olson Trust that owns the 12,000 acres on which the AKP project is to be located has made available portions of that land for food crop productions, but very few farmers have actually taken advantage of that offer. Furthermore, if this project is approved, then the Olson Trust will make available a portion of the 12,000 acres for food crop production,” testified the Consumer Advocate. The PUC posted the testimony yesterday on its website at puc.hawaii.gov.

      John Cross, land manager for Olson Trust, confirmed this morning that about 40 people are waiting to lease Olson land. Many of them are coffee farmers whose famous Ka`u Coffee market is outstripping production. Every piece of Olson land that has been offered for lease to farmers and ranchers is taken, said Cross. The Trust is planning to soon open up more land for small farmers, he said, independent of whether or not AKP goes forward.

      During an educational session last week in Pahala for farmers taking value-added products to market, several participants said they are waiting for land to lease. One woman said she has been waiting for over a year and that her coffee starts are ready to go into the ground. Gloria Camba, president of Ka`u Coffee Growers Cooperative, said that she is one of the farmers on the waiting list and that many of the co-op members want to expand production.
      In regard to the Consumer Advocate stating that AKP plans to use 12,000 acres of Olson land, the Olson acreage that AKP previously tied up for its project is approximately 8,000 acres. Apparently, no additional Olson lands are reserved for AKP, should the project go through.

Demand is outstripping supply in the Ka`u Coffee business, and farmers
are seeking more land. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

      The Consumer Advocate also testified that "as soon as possible," AKP “needs to release the results” of a voluntary Environmental Assessment which AKP contracted R.M.Towill to produce for the biofuel farming and refinery project in Ka`u. Ono also wrote that he was “disappointed that after the rejection of the first AKP contract, that AKP did not offer a community benefits package to the Ka`u community. I was advised by various AKP representatives that AKP was working with the community, but at no time was I ever informed that a firm offer had been made by AKP as to the ‘give-backs’ AKP would make to Ka`u,” testified the Consumer Advocate.
      In supporting the AKP proposal for a 20-year, fixed contract for AKP to sell biofuel to Hawaiian Electric Light Co. and Hawai`i Electric Co., Ono suggested that the resulting higher electric bills be levied on O`ahu customers alone to pay for it. He noted that the Big Island already pays more than O`ahu for electricity. He suggested that O`ahu could get credit for supporting renewable energy by paying for the additional cost of making the biofuel in Ka`u, even though the biofuel would be used in a power plant near Kona airport rather than on O`ahu, where the customers would weather the increase in their electric bills.
      Ono also repeated what AKP refers to as misinformation about consumers paying for AKP’s farm and refinery. While AKP needs its 20-year, fixed-rate contract approved by the PUC to go after financing for its project, which would be underwritten with higher electric bills, Ono’s interpretation is different. He testified: “I discount the statements that are factually incorrect. For example, a number of Hawai`i Island residents complained that ratepayers are being asked to fund this unproven technology and the risk of failure falls on consumers. This is not correct. Ratepayers do not pay for anything until AKP actually delivers biodiesel to HELCO,” testified the Consumer Advocate. Only after the diesel is purchased by the utility would electric bills rise.

      This and other testimony is available at puc.hawaii.gov.

Miss Ka`u Coffee contestant Kawailani Houvener

THE KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL has announced the names of the four contenders for Miss Ka`u Coffee 2013 – 2014. The pageant will be held at Ka`u Coffee Mill on Friday, April 26 on Wood Valley Road. Doors open at 6 p.m. to the 5,000-square-foot drying pad of Ka`u Coffee Mill, where a stage and runway will be built and seating set for approximately 300 people. Tickets are $10 each and available from Miss Ka`u Coffee candidates:
      Kawailani Houvener, of Ocean View. She is the daughter of Michelle and Kenneth Houvener. She is 17 years of age and a senior at Ka`u High School. She plans to sign up for the Army and study mechanics. Her talent will be hula.
      Seneca Lee Oleyte, of Pahala. She is the daughter of Ernest and Lenora Lorenzo-Oleyte. She is 22 years of age and attends University of Hawai`i in Hilo and studies communications. She is a graduate of Ka`u High School. Her talent will be singing.
      Rachel Ornelas, of Wai`ohinu. She is the daughter of Mia Ornelas and resides with her grandparents Mario and Memmy Ornelas. She is 19 years of age, graduated from Ka`u High School and attends University of Hawai`i at Hilo, studying to be a registered nurse. Her talent will be singing.
      Tiare-Lee Shibuya, of Wai`ohinu. She is the daughter of Dane and Terry-Lee Shibuya. She is 19 years of age, a graduate of Kamehameha Schools and attends Hawai`i Community College and plans to become a registered nurse. Her talent will be hula.

Miss Ka`u Coffee contestant Seneca Lee Oleyte

      Miss Ka`u Coffee princesses will be judged on talent, gown and an interview.
      To volunteer to help at the event call pageant chair Gloria Camba at 928-8155.To donate to the scholarship fund and to support the event program, call scholarship chair Julia Neal at 928-9811. Pageant director is Nalani Parlin.
      Ka`u Coffee Mill Visitor Center will be open before the pageant, all day, Friday, April 26 with tours.

THE $500 SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE at Volcano Art Center is Monday, April 1. Each applicant must be a graduate of a Big Island high school, a student at University of Hawai`i-Hilo or a student at Hawai`i Community College with resident status. The applicant must be an art major pursuing a baccalaureate degree at UHH or a student pursuing a Digital Media Certificate at HCC at the beginning of the academic year for which the scholarship is sought. Applicants must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.8 and be taking a full course load (12 credits or more) and must demonstrate financial need. Download the application and recommendation forms at volcanoartcenter.org.

Miss Ka`u Coffee contestant Rachel Ornelas

KEN WICKS KA`U CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SCHOLARSHIP deadline has been extended to May 1, 2013. High school seniors and adults seeking to re-enter the educational system are encouraged to apply. Applicants are asked to write an essay about how their educational experience will benefit Ka`u. Preference will be given to those who intend to remain in or return to Ka`u and live here. Scholarship money can be used for all college and vocational training, and each scholarship will range from $250 to $1,000. Visit the Chamber website at http://kauchamber.org/?page_id=4 to download the application form. Call Lee McIntosh at 929-9872 with any questions.

A KA`U RURAL HEALTH ACADEMY which will focus on health, education, research opportunities and economical, sustainable training programs is the headliner for the sixteenth annual Rural Health Conference.
      The public is invited to attend on Friday, April 12 from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. It is sponsored by Ka`u Rural Health Community Association, Inc.

      Registration is $15 and includes lunch, refreshments and door prizes. There will be free blood pressure screening and a free HMSA online care demonstration.

Miss Ka`u Coffee contestant Tiare-Lee Shibuya

      Ka`u Rural Health Community Association will present its annual report and elect board members for the coming year.
      Information will be provided on community resources including where to go for free physicals, dental and vision exams, blood sugar and cholesterol screenings and enrollment in Better Choices Better Health Ke Ola Pono Chronic Disease Self Management Program.
      The Participating Community Resource Network includes HMSA, Ka`u Rural Health Academy Youth Interns, Aging & Disabilities Resource Center/Hawai`i County Office of Aging, Ka`u Hospital, state Department of Health Public Health, the Hawai`i County Prosecuting Attorneys Office, Ka`u High School, University of Hawai`i-Hilo, Hawai`i Community College Office of Continuing Education & Training, Big Island Workplace Connection, Pacific Quest, Ka`u Perinatal Local Area Consortia, United Healthcare, Hui Malama Ola Na Oiwi, Bay Clinic, Tobacco Free East Hawai`i, American Cancer Society and the Hawai`i National Guard’s Youth Challenge Academy.
      For registration and more information, call Hawai`i Rural Health Community Association’s Resource & Distance Learning Center at 928-0101.

CINCO DE MAYO FESTIVAL 2013 has been announced by St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Ocean View. The fundraiser benefits the Episcopal Relief and Development International Garden Project, which sends seeds to third-world countries and teaches residents how to grow food. The celebration will be held on Friday, May 3 at the church on Paradise Parkway in Ocean View. The menu will include enchiladas, rice, beans, salad, dessert, and beverage. There will be live music. Doors will open at 6 p.m., and dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 a person or $20 for two. For tickets or more info, call 939-7555.

THE SCENIC BYWAY MEETING for the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce is 5 p.m. at Na`alehu Methodist Church on Monday, April 1. The organization is planning educational signage and possible rest stops in Ka`u along Hwy 11.

Lito Arkangel

LITO ARKANGEL shares his original compositions and other Hawaiian favorites tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The concert is free, and park entrance fees apply.

KA`U AGRICULTURAL WATER COOPERATIVE District meets this Thursday, March 21 at 4 p.m. at the Royal Hawaiian Orchards Macadamia Field Office. For more information, contact Jeff McCall at 928-6456.

TWO BY TEN WITH TEA is the name of a presentation of two Tennessee Williams’ rarely performed one-act plays. Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen and I Can’t Imagine Tomorrow are two fragile mood, dark dramatic character study pieces reflecting on the resignation to, hopelessness, and inevitability of approaching death. Starring Arlene Araki and Dick Hershberger and directed by University of Hawai`i-Hilo Drama Department senior Julie Dobbs, the plays can be enjoyed while sipping tea at the Pahala Plantation House on Sunday, March 24 at 3 p.m. A potluck dinner will follow the show.

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

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

Ka`u News Briefs March 18, 2013

Volcano House reopens guest rooms Friday, with other, public spaces scheduled to open in early June.
Photos from aquahospitality.com

THE NEW HERITAGE CENTER OF KA`U site with its 15 acres of native forest received a blessing of rain showers, sun and a supportive group of more than 60 people yesterday. Kumu Keala Ching led the blessing and provided an original chant in Hawaiian for the place, which is located makai of Hwy 11 at Road to the Sea.
      The Peralta family shared their music, and the Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka`u danced to Ka Nani Ao Ka`u. Lehua Lopez-Mau and Wendy Vance, both directors of the new 501C3 organization Ho`omalu Ka`u, introduced other board members Chris Reid and Blossom DeSilva.

Keala Ching blessed the site of Heritage Center of Ka`u yesterday.
Photo by Shalan Crysdale

      The organization’s Heritage Center Committee is comprised of Ho`omalu directors and members of the Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka`u’s Heritage Committee. They are Zachary DiBernardi, Alan and Nancy Stafford, Blossom DeSilva and Felicia Welker.
      After the blessing, biologist Rick Warshauer and naturalist Shalan Crysdale hiked the property and noted that the forest is very much intact with very few invasive plants. They also located and mapped a section of what is possibly an old Hawaiian trail on the property.
      For more information or to help with the project, call 929-8526. Email hoomalukau@gmail.com.

VOLCANO HOUSE REOPENS GUEST ROOMS FRIDAY, offering kama`aina and “Pardon Our Dust” rates of $200 per night through May 31. Renovations are still being completed in public spaces and outlets, including the restaurant with panoramic views of Halema`uma`u Crater, which are scheduled to open in early June.
      The National Park Service recently spent $4 million in retrofitting and safety upgrades, and an additional $2.5 – $3 million are being invested by concessioners, Ortega Family Enterprises, to renovate and refurbish the hotel, according to a statement from the company.

Artist's rendering of remodeled Volcano House lobby shows fireplace in
operation as it has been for decades.

      Volcano House is part of Aqua Hospitality’s Monogram Hotel Collection brand. According the aquahospitality.com, the brand “represents an elite group of stand-alone and independent hotels and resorts providing a highly personalized luxury experience. Each hotel has a distinct name and identity and is unique in personality, environment and design. All the properties offer a boutique experience and promise to be the highlight of any getaway.”
      The restored Volcano House will offer 33 historic guest rooms, a dining room, snack bar, lounge, and gift shop, along with cultural events and demonstrations. Volcano House also manages 10 newly refurbished camper cabins in the nearby Namakanipaio Campground. The rate for a cabin is $55 per night.
      Reservations can be made at 866-536-7972 or aquaresorts.com. Volcano House’s front desk and gift shop are open daily from 7:45 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
 A limited selection of grab-and-go snacks and meals is available for purchase at the gift shop.

Lynn Finnegan

VOLCANO SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES will be one of the 32 charter schools around Hawai`i with a new contract with the state that sets new performance standards. According to a story in this morning’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Karen Street, chair of the Public Charter School Commission, said, “This new contract and performance standards implement the requirements of a much more rigorous state charter law that will ultimately raise the bar for charter schools across our state. We believe these measures will preserve the autonomy of Hawai`i’s charter schools, which is needed to fuel innovation in schools, while ensuring accountability for public dollars.”
      The Star-Advertiser also quoted Lynn Finnegan, executive director of Hawai`i Public Charter School Network: “We have worked, and will continue to work, with the commission to make sure schools understand their responsibilities and that the new accountability system will honor local decision-making in Hawai`i’s charter schools.” See more at www.staradvertiser.com.
      Charter schools are funded by the state Department of Education but operate outside the statewide school board. They manage their campuses with community boards, designing their own curriculums while remaining accountable for academic results.
      The mission of Volcano School is “learning through Volcano’s unique natural and cultural resources today to become creative global citizens tomorrow.” The principle is Dr. Ardith Renteria. She was born and raised in Hawai`i and is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools, University of Hawai`i at Manoa and Hilo, and Capella University in Minnesota. She has worked in both the public and charter school systems. See more at www.volcanoschool.com.

Tomorrow's Life on the Edge talks mark five years of continuous eruptive
activity at Halema`uma`u Crater. Photo from NPS

TO MARK THE FIFTH YEAR of continuous eruptive activity at Kilauea Volcano’s summit within Halema`uma`u Crater, tomorrow rangers at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park offer Life on the Edge talks at Jaggar Museum observation deck overlooking the fuming, enlarging summit vent. The 20-minute talks at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. encompass the dramatic geological and mythological history of Halema`uma`u Crater.
      Kilauea’s summit vent opened at 2:58 a.m., HST, on March 19, 2008, when an explosive eruption created a gaping hole about 115 feet wide on the south wall of Halema`uma`u Crater. Nighttime glow from this hole suggested the presence of molten lava, but it wasn’t until six months later that a lava lake deep within the vent was definitively observed by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists.
      Since 2008, rock collapses within the vent have enlarged its opening on the floor of Halema`uma`u Crater. The vent is now about 520 feet by 700 feet (the area of about 21 Olympic-sized pools).
      The summit eruption, Kilauea’s second longest since the early 1900s, can also be experienced through photos, videos, and webcam images posted on HVO’s website at hvo.wr.usgs.gov.

Dick Hershberger portrays Thomas Jaggar tomorrow.
This Sunday, he and Arlene Araki perform in Two by
Tenn with Tea at Pahala Plantation House.

ALSO TAKING PLACE TOMORROW in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park is the living history program A Walk into the Past. Ka`u resident Dick Hershberger brings back to life Dr. Thomas A. Jaggar, founder of Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and a prominent figure in the history of the study of volcanoes. Free performances are at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Meet at Kilauea Visitor Center. Park entrance fees apply.

LITO ARKANGEL OFFERS A FREE CONCERT Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The singer and songwriter shares his original compositions and other Hawaiian favorites. Park entrance fees apply.

KA`U AGRICULTURAL WATER COOPERATIVE District holds its next meeting this Thursday, March 21 at 4 p.m. at the Royal Hawaiian Orchards Macadamia Field Office. For more information, contact Jeff McCall at 928-6456.

SATURDAY is Kahuku Junior Ranger Day, when participants connect the culture, people and `aina of the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park through art, `oli, GPS, and compass and listen to the mo`olelo of Pupu-hulu-ena, Keo-ua-ku-a-hu`ula and Kamehameha I. The free event takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and includes lunch and cultural craft demonstrations. Pre-registration required at 985-6019.

TWO BY TENN WITH TEA, an afternoon performance of two rarely performed one-act plays written by Tennessee Williams, takes place at Pahala Plantation House this coming Sunday, March 24 at 3 p.m. In what director Julie Dobbs describes as a “fragile mood piece” entitled Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen, Arlene Araki and Dick Hershberger, of Ocean View, portray a man and woman rooted hopelessly in an unchanging present. I Can’t Imagine Tomorrow, the second play, also features Araki and Hershberger in what Dobbs calls “a variation on the theme of the passage toward death; of endured, but unendurable, pain.”
      Tea and cookies will be served, and a potluck dinner follows. Suggested donation is $5 per person.

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

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.