The Kaʻū Calendar News Briefs, Hawaiʻi Island

Friday, May 25, 2018

Ka‘ū News Briefs Friday, May 25, 2018

The U.S. Army, Hawaiʻi National Guard and other military units are on hand near the lava and at their airstrip
in Hilo to help evacuate residents by Marine helicopters when needed. Photo by Daryl Lee/Big Island Video News

EIGHTY-TWO STRUCTURES DESTROYED is the total in lower Puna, reported by Hawaiʻi News Now today, as fast moving pāhoehoe takes over more of Leilani Estates with fountaining, lava lakes, and lava flows heading into the ocean 3 miles downslope. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported lava coming from fissures at 60 cubic feet per second. With 2,200 acres covered by lava in 22 days, more than 2,000 people have evacuated their homes in lower Puna.
The U.S. Marine Corps is standing by to help evacuate more with Super Stallion helicopters. They would be needed if the lava keeps coming, blocks off remaining escape routes, and puts people in danger.
Brig. General Richard Hara said today that the addition of the Marines "provides the County of Hawaiʻi and Hawaiʻi’s Joint Task Force-50 tremendous capability. We now have the capacity to evacuate all of the estimated population of lower Puna south of the lava flow within a few hours.”
The helicopters are able to lift 33,000 pounds, carrying 43 passengers at a time. The helicopters would be used should lava cross Hwy 130 and cut off access to residents in Kalapana and other lower Puna communites. Civil Defense reports that portions of Highway 130 have widening cracks, are hot from below, and there is steam in some areas.

Lava fountains built a small spatter cone where lava spilled out onto the surface and flowed

into a small pond left of the cone this morning. USGS photo

In Leilani Estates, where lava is very active, Hawai`i County Fire Department went door to door today to make sure the last residents were evacuated as lava took houses in the neighborhoods of Kaupili, Mohala, and Kahukai Streets. Civil Defense issued the warning at 2:30 p.m., saying Fissures 7 and 21 are “feeding a perched lava pond and pāhoehoe flow heading east.”
At 6 p.m., Civil Defense stated Mohala Street is no longer accessible due to the flow that has crossed Kahukai Street. Civil Defense recomended: “Talk to your families now about the possibility of active eruptions being a long-term event and how you might plan for these impacts.”

During a press conference this morning at 11 a.m., Wendy Stovall of USGS said a “14 meter high lava pond is perched above Pohoiki Road,” but the flow front was not moving rapidly forward. “Things are pretty steady,” said Stovall of the Lower East Rift Zone, stating lava continues to erupt from multiple fissures, with two channels entering the ocean today. Seismicity and deformation remain “steady.”

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

SO2 POOLING DOWNWIND from volcanic emissions is possible this weekend as trade winds are expected to slow down. Civil Defense reports that hazardous air quality and decreased visibility are likely near active volcano fissures and ash explosions, along with decreased visibility and hazardous air quality, with pooling of S02 downwind.
A 4.0 earthquake at Kīlauea summit at 12:44 p.m. signaled more quakes and ash plumes to come.
Numerous other quakes above 3.0 continued to shake the Volcano community.

Ash masks will be distributed at Pāhala Community Center, Nāʻālehu Community Center, Ocean View Community Center, Cooper Center in Volcano, and Shipman Gym in Keaʻau. Distribution will be "while supplies last" today until 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, May 26, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Each person may receive up to three masks.

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

A 4.0 EARTHQUAKE RATTLED VOLCANO at 12:44 p.m., with a 3.7 quake following at 12:51 p.m. Nearly 200 quakes have occurred at and around Kīlauea summit in the last day. More than 30 of the quakes have been 3.0 or larger, all at less than 5 km deep. Civil Defense states there is no tsunami threat from any of them.

During today’s press conference at 11 a.m., Wendy Stovall of USGS said seismic rates at the summit are still “high,” with 1.3 meters of subsidence deformation reported today. Ash explosions from Halemaʻumaʻu are occurring “a little bit more than one per day,” she said, with mostly water vapor mixed with some ash being expelled on an almost continual basis. She said many communities downwind are reporting ashfall.

Halemaʻumaʻu today, May 25, at 4:20 p.m. Ash and water vapor are distinctive. USGS photo

Ashley Sears of NOAA said winds continue to blow southwest, which will direct ash to the communities that are downwind, such as Pāhala, Nāʻālehu, Ocean View, and more.

Jessica Ferracane of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park said she went to the summit today, where she experienced lots of small quakes which were “very unsettling.” She said the air is “quite chewy” from ash, and that SO2 is not showing up much on the monitoring.

Ferracane addressed the ongoing two-thirds park closure, saying the closure will continue “until USGS - and Pele - tell us it is safe to reopen.”

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

FREE SOIL AND WATER TESTING FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY VOLCANIC EMISSIONS are offered by University of Hawaiʻi's Cooperative Extension Service. Agent Andrea Kawabta reports: "If you are from the vog affected areas in Puna, Volcano, Pāhala, Ocean View, and are concerned about lead in catchment water and/or heavy metals in soil, the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources will be conducting water and soil testing free of charge. You can submit samples for testing by the UH Agricultural Diagnostic Service Center through any Cooperative Extension Office. Funds are limited for these emergency services."

Diagnostic tests offered are for: Water for testing of pH (W1) and heavy metals (W4); and soil for testing of pH (S1) and heavy metals (S7). For a list of metals, visit: https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/site/downloads/adsc/price_list.pdf
More information about the affects of VOG on agricultural plants, water systems, and livestock can be found the CTAHR's website at https://cms.ctahr.hawaii.edu/ER.
For plants and VOG, see https://vog.ivhhn.org/effects-plants. For protecting water systems, see https://vog.ivhhn.org/catchment-systems
For information about SO2 levels and wind movement, see https://vog.ivhhn.org/catchment-systems. Also see https://vog.ivhhn.org/current-air-quality, and https://vog.ivhhn.org/vog-fact-sheets
For ash hazards, see https://vog.ivhhn.org/summit-ash-hazards
For personal protection from VOG, see https://vog.ivhhn.org/health-effects-vog and
https://vog.ivhhn.org/vog-protection.

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

DANGEROUS “METHANE” EXPLOSIONS from lava covering vegetation is the subject of this week’s Volcano Watch, a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates:

Molten lava plus vegetation can create hazardous explosions.

Numerous hazards are associated with active lava flows, and USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists have written about many of them in past Volcano Watch articles. However, it’s been a while since one particular hazard - so-called “methane explosions” - has been addressed.

With lava now advancing through lush vegetation along Kīlauea Volcano’s lower East Rift Zone, these explosions have become a concern. Today’s article draws from a prior Volcano Watch to describe the hazard and to remind folks about its danger.

When molten lava encroaches on grassland, forests, or other vegetated land,
subsurface pockets of natural gas from the burning plant material can ignite,
causing a blast known as a “methane explosion.” To avoid this hazard, keep a
safe distance - at least tens of yards - from the margin of
an active lava flow in vegetated areas. USGS photo

Here’s the fact: If you approach a lava flow that’s encroaching on vegetation, you risk being greeted by the blast of an explosion.
Depending on how close you are to the advancing flow, your experience could range from hearing a far-away “boom,” to being thrown several meters (yards) across hard, abrasive lava as the ground beneath you disintegrates. Regardless of where you're standing, the sound of these explosions is a call for your respect!

As a lava flow enters grassland or forest, all the biomass in the flow's path becomes available for one or both of two processes: combustion and/or pyrolysis. Here is an explaination:
Lava erupted at Kīlauea is around 1150 degrees Celsius (2100 degrees Fahrenheit) - about four times hotter than your kitchen oven's maximum temperature. Most natural materials on the ground surface, such as grasses and shrubs, are immediately burned up (combusted) as lava covers the area. But the bases of large trees are often encased in lava, charring the outside trunk, but not completely burning the inside.

When lava advances across the ground, surface vegetation either burns or is buried before it can combust. Intense heat from the lava flow also radiates downward and slowly “cooks” the buried vegetation or subsurface plant matter (for example, roots).

The lava temperature is high enough to accelerate chemical breakdown of biomass as it heats or distills the organic compounds (natural gas) from the buried grass, shrubs, ferns, roots, and other vegetation.

Watch a USGS video of ignited gasses burning from
underneath cracks in Kahukai Street on May 23.

A similar process - pyrolysis - cooks wood in large, very hot ovens to make charcoal and another fuel byproduct called "producer gas.” Commercially, the flammable producer gas is extracted and burned to generate heat or electricity.

On Kīlauea, both producer gas and the gas generated by the lava flow consist of a mixture that includes methane, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide.

Beneath molten lava, the gas mixture from “cooked” biomass invades subsurface passages, such as old lava tubes, and below ground cracks and voids. This natural gas, of which methane is just one component, combines with air in these empty spaces to form combustible gas pockets. Recall from high school science that the right proportions of fuel (such as methane), oxygen (such as air), and heat (such as a match), can make fire.

When the underground air-fuel mixture is between 5 and 15 volume-percent fuel, a spark - or heat from a lava flow - can ignite it. If ignition occurs in a constricted space, such as an underground void or old lava tube, an explosion might occur.

This is similar to what happens in a car's engine. As the air-fuel mixture is ignited in the confined space of the engine's cylinders, the energy released ultimately propels the vehicle down the road. Likewise, standing above a subsurface void when it explodes might also propel a person - upward - by the blast.

Natural gas explosions (often called “methane explosions”) can occur beneath an advancing lava flow, thereby throwing molten rock into the air, or beneath old lava, throwing boulders, up to a yard (several feet) in diameter, skyward. The combustible gas mixture can seep into void spaces tens of meters (yards) from the margin of a lava flow, so it’s important to stay well away from active lava that’s moving through vegetation - especially lush vegetation like that on Kīlauea’s lower East Rift Zone.

Lots of vegetation has now been covered by lava
in the Lower East Rift Zone. USGS photo

Subsurface natural gas can also seep passively to the surface. With heat from molten lava, methane can burn with blue flames - like those recently observed on and near the current lava flows.

Countless "methane explosions” have occurred during the past 35-plus years of Kīlauea’s ongoing eruption - and some have resulted in injuries to unwary spectators standing too close to hot lava on vegetated land. But it’s easy to avoid this hazard. Keep a safe distance - and respect any “booms.” They're trying to say something.

Visit HVO’s website (https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo) for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea daily eruption updates, Mauna Loa weekly updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Call for summary updates at 808-967-8862 (Kīlauea) or 808-967-8866 (Mauna Loa). Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

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

CRUISE SHIPS ARE HEADED FOR KONA BUT NOT HILO, stated Ross Birch of the Hawaiʻi Visitor Bureau today. Birch told press that May 30 is the expected first return of a cruise ship to Kona since the cancellations began, but that Hilo will be avoided for June and July. Cruise lines will continue to assess the situation.

Birch had some “good news” regarding island economics: May’s tourist arrival numbers are 25 percent higher than they were last year in May. The other side of that information is the year-to-date numbers are lower than 2017, as the first quarter was busier last year.

Ashley Sears of NOAA told press small businesses can call to inquire about disaster relief loans at 800-659-2955.

See public Ka‘ū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Ka‘ū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Ka‘ū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Ka‘ū, from Miloli‘i through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com.

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

SATURDAY, MAY 26

HIDEM's Hawai‘i State Convention, Sat & Sun, May 26 & 27, Hilton Waikoloa. hawaiidemocrats.org

Nature & Culture: An Unseverable Relationship, Sat, May 26, 9:30-11:30am, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Moderate guided hike along the Palm Trail, approx. 2 miles. Learn about native plants that play a vital role in Hawaiian culture, and observe the catastrophic change and restoration of the land as it transitions from the 1868 lava flow to deeper soils with more diversity and older flora. Free. nps.gov/HAVO

Flameworking - An Introductory Class, Sat & Sun, May 26 & 27, 2-5pm, Volcano Art Center. Glasswork using torch or lamp to melt glass. $155/VAC Member, $160/non-Member, plus $40 supply fee/person. Advanced registration required; limited to 4 adults. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

SUNDAY, MAY 27

‘Ōhi‘a Lehua, Sun, 27, 9:30-11am, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Learn about vital role of ‘ōhi‘a lehua in native Hawaiian forests, and many forms of ‘ōhi‘a tree and its flower on this free, easy, one-mile walk. nps.gov/HAVO

MONDAY, MAY 28

MAY BE CANCELLED DUE TO PARK CLOSURE: Memorial Day Ceremony, Mon, May 28, 3pm, Kīlauea Military Camp front lawn, inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Gathering to remember and pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Keynote Speaker: Major Kawika Hosea, Executive Officer of 1-299 Cavalry Regiment, Keaukaha Military Reservation. In case of rain, ceremony will move indoors. Open to authorized KMC patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8371, kilaueamilitarycamp.com

MAY BE CANCELLED DUE TO PARK CLOSURE: Memorial Day Buffet, Mon, May 28, 4-7pm, Crater Rim Café, Kīlauea Military Campy, inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Menu includes BBQ Kalua Pork, Local Styles Fried Chicken with Gravy, Salads and more. $19/Adult, $10/Child (6-11 yrs). Open to authorized KMC patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356, kilaueamilitarycamp.com

TUESDAY, MAY 29

Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tue, May 29, 11:30-1pm, St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Ocean View.

MAY BE CANCELLED DUE TO PARK CLOSURE: Saving Rare Plants from the Brink of Extinction in HVNP, Tue, May 29, 7pm, Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Park Botanist Sierra McDaniel discusses rare plant management in the park. Free; park entrance fees apply. nps.gov/HAVO

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30

Kōkua Kupuna Project, Wed, May 30, 9-11am, St. Jude's Episcopal Church, Ocean View. Seniors 60 years & older encouraged to attend, ask questions, and inquire about services offered through Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i - referral required from Hawai‘i County Office of Aging at 961-8626 for free legal services. Under 60, call 1-800-499-4302. More info: tahisha.despontes@legalaidhawaii.org, 329-3910 ext. 925. legalaidhawaii.org

MAY BE CANCELLED DUE TO PARK CLOSURE: Ku‘i Kalo Demonstration, Wed, May 30, 10-noon, Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Make poi, staple food of traditional Hawaiian diet. Free; park entrance fees apply. nps.gov/HAVO

Summer Learn-To-Swim Registration, Wed & Thu, May 30 & 31, 1-4pm, Pāhala Swimming Pool (Ka‘ū High School Campus). hawaiicounty.gov/pr-aquatics/, 928-8177

THURSDAY, MAY 31

VA Medical Services, Thursdays, May 31, 8:30-noon, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Summer Learn-To-Swim Registration, Thu, May 31, 1-4pm, Pāhala Swimming Pool (Ka‘ū High School Campus). hawaiicounty.gov/pr-aquatics/, 928-8177

FRIDAY, JUNE 1
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, Jun 1-29 (closed Jun 11), Ka’ū. Nā’ālehu: Hawai‘i County Economic Opportunity Council office, back of Senior Center, Wed-Fri, 8-1pm, 929-9263. Ocean View: Ocean View Community Center, Mon & Tue, 8-1pm. Pāhala: Edmund Olson Trust Office, Tue & Wed, 8:30-12:30pm. See hceoc.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/2018-LIHEAP-APPLICATION.pdf for eligibility requirements and application.

23rd Annual Kona Classic Jackpot - Classic Fishing Tournament Series, Fri-Sun, Jun 1-3, Honokōhau Club House. All profits go towards marine conservation and youth educational programs in and around Miloli‘i. $300 entry fee, 4 per boat, $25 additional. Cash prizes $100-$3,000. Qualifying weights: Marlin, 100lbs; Ahi, 50lbs; Mahi, 15lbs; Ono, 15lbs. Grand Prize qualifies for Las Vegas Trip. Contact Wilfred Kaupiko, 896-6272, kalanihale@gmail.com. Sponsored by Kalanihale, kalanihale.org

NEW & UPCOMING

FIFTH ANNUAL HARVEST FESTIVAL FUNDRAISER for The Volcano School of Arts & Sciences happens at Volcano Winery Sunday, September 9. Tickets go on sale August 1 at www.volcanowinery.com or (808) 967-7772. “This event always sells out early!” states the announcement. “Enjoy a festive evening of music, food, and wine under the stars at the Volcano Winery Harvest Festival, a Benefit for The Volcano School of Arts & Sciences on Sunday September 9th. Entertainment by The Young Brothers: Kiliona & Kalei Young, Orlando Smith; delicious food and drink from local restaurants; award-winning wine and tea from the Volcano Winery; and tours of the vineyards.”

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

ONGOING
Park Rangers invite the public to downtown Hilo to learn about the volcanic activity, to get their NPS Passport Book stamped, and to experience the Hawaiian cultural connection to volcanoes. Rangers are providing programs at the Mokupāpapa Discovery Center at 76 Kamehameha Avenue, Tuesday through Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

Hawai‘i Island Quilting Artists are called to register by Saturday, May 26, for Volcano Art Center's 2nd Bi-Annual Quilt Show: Quilts in the Forest - Where the Path May Lead. Entry forms available online at volcanoartcenter.org/gallery/call-to-artists. Exhibition open Friday, July 13, to Friday, August 3, at Volcano Art Center's Niaulani campus, 19-4074 Old Volcano Road, Volcano Village. Contact Fia Mattice at 967-8222 or quiltshow2018@volcanoartcenter.org.

Sign Up for the Nāʻālehu Independence Day Parade, to be held June 30. If interested, call Debra McIntosh at 929-9872.

Tūtū and Me Offers Home Visits to those with keiki zero to five years old: home visits to aid with helpful parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate listening ear. Home visits are free, last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, for a total of 12 visits, and snacks are provided. For info and to register, call Linda Bong 464-9634.

St. Jude's Episcopal Church Calls For More Volunteers for the Saturday community outreach. Especially needed are cooks for the soup served to those in need, and organizers for the hot showers. "Volunteering for St. Jude's Saturday Shower and Soup ministry is an opportunity to serve God in a powerful way," states St. Jude's April newsletter. Volunteer by contacting Dave Breskin at 319-8333.

Volcano Forest Runs Registration Open through Friday, August 17, at 6 p.m. Half marathon $85, 10K $45, 5K $30. Registration increases August 1: half marathon to $95, 10K to $55, and 5K to $35. Race is run from Cooper Center on Wright Road in Volcano Village on Saturday, August 18.

5th annual Ka‘ū Coffee Trail Run registration open. Race day Sat, Sept 22, 7 a.m.; begins and ends at Ka‘ū Coffee Mill. Register online before Mon, July 9: 5K, $25/person; 10K, $35/person; and 1/2 Marathon, $45/person. From July 9 to Aug 11: $30/person, $40/person, and $45/person, respectively. From Aug 13 to Sept 20: $35/person, $45/person, and $55/person. Race day registration ends Sat, Sept 22, at 6:30 a.m. Event organizers, ‘O Ka‘ū Kākou; start location, Ka‘ū Coffee Mill.

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

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Ka‘ū News Briefs Thursday, May 24, 2018

A proposed location for the new Nāʻālehu Wastewater Treatment Facility is next to Nāʻālehu Elementary School. It would serve the former sugar camp housing
- which currently use gang cesspools, which are banned nationally. The facility would be expandable for growth of the town and for use by existing businesses.
However, most testimony at meetings in April and yesterday's County Council meeting opposed the location. See story below.
Map from County of Hawaiʻi

AN ASH EXPLOSION AT 6 P.M. FROM KĪLAUEA SUMMIT REACHED 10,000 FEET above sea level. Civil Defense warned that ash could be headed toward Pāhala and urged residents to stay indoors with windows closed. Close vehicle windows and "drive with extreme caution, or pull over." Strong winds at ground level during the afternoon were down to 10 mph by 7 p.m. in Volcano and Pāhala. These winds could bring the ash to Pāhala at about 9 p.m., unless carried faster by any stronger winds at higher altitudes.
About a dozen ash explosions are erupting from Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlaeua Volcano every day, said Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park's Jessica Ferracane to the press today. Not all the explosions achieve a great height, but many have been between 5,000 and 8,000 feet above sea level. The highest since the eruptions began was 30,000 feet.
Ashley Sears of NOAA told the press the prevailing winds this week were strongest today, with gusts up to 25 miles per hour possible. The winds headed to the southwest, blasting Wood Valley, Kapapala Ranch, and Pāhala with ash. The winds picked up ash that had settled on the Kaʻū Desert and transported it further. Ash from the streets, buildings, and grounds in Pāhala blew around the town.

The ash plume as it happened, at 6:30 p.m., then ten minutes later. USGS photos

USGS scientist Wendy Stovall said the summit of Kīlaeua Volcano was very cloudy today, but photos taken from atop Mauna Kea recorded plumes rising to between 6,000 and 8,000 feet above sea level in the past day or so. There was also a 3.9 magnitude earthquake at the summit yesterday at around 5 p.m., she said.
USGS scientist Jim Kauahikaua told Hawai‘i News Now today that the S02 levels at the summit, with its multiple eruptions, has reached similar levels to those in Puna.
State Senator and physician Josh Green, who represents west Kaʻū and Kona, told the Associated Press recently that ash particles are an immediate risk, particularly to anyone with asthma and other respiratory difficulties such as emphysema. They should limit exposure. “People need to stay inside until the winds shift and the ash has settled,” he told the AP reporter. “Extended exposure to sulfur dioxide can increase risk of bronchitis and upper respiratory infections in the long run, according to findings of a study Green worked on with other experts published in 2010 in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health,” stated the AP story.

A telephoto lens zoomed in on this ash plume at 12:55 p.m. yesterday, May 23.
USGS photo by D. Swanson

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

AIR QUALITY INDEX from Air Now at 4 p.m. showed good for Pāhala at 24, and moderate for Ocean View at 77. Kona read as moderate with 52. Numbers were again unavailable when checked at 5 p.m.
SO2 readings since midnight in Pāhala varied between good and unhealthy for sensitive groups, with the largest spike at 10:15 a.m. showing 0.36 parts per million. There were also several periods of no reporting. Ocean View was slightly better, but similar, with the largest spike at 11:30 a.m. showing 0.33 ppm. Kona remains in the good range.
Volcano S02 readings, which are upwind from the ash explosions were reported as good.

See AirNow. See Hawaiʻi Short Term SO2 Advisory. Also see the University of Hawaiʻi air quality predictions on its VMAP.

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

ASH MASKS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED AT OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY CENTER, Nāʻālehu Community Center, Pāhala Community Center, Cooper Center, and Shipman Gym in Keaʻau. Distribution will be "while supplies last" Thursday, and Friday from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, May 26, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Each person may receive up to three masks.

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

ALL TESTIMONY OPPOSED A NĀʻĀLEHU WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT NEXT TO THE SCHOOL at Tuesday's Hawaiʻi County Council meeting.
Robert Martin, chair of Nāʻālehu Elementary School Community Council, testified against the site, on behalf of the school council. “Surely there are other sites,” he said. Martin said he was also speaking for other community members who attended county public meetings on the issue in April: “We urge County Council and Department of Environmental Management to choose a better site for the Nāʻālehu Wastewater Treatment Plant, and also possibly better technology.” He said he and others oppose the county acquiring ranch land for the site which is owned by a local family. “I also want to say that I stand with the Souza family, and we really would not like to see the Souza family lose their land by eminent domain to construct a large wastewater treatment plant immediately upwind from our school.”

The Souza family owns land where the county could site the sewage
treatment plant, but opposes the location next to the school and
says they want to keep the land for their family ranch.
Photo from the Souza family

Darlene Javar, who identified herself as a “life resident of Kaʻū” and Principal of Nāʻālehu Elementary School, said she was there “to oppose the location of the wastewater treatment plant directly next to the school. Nāʻālehu Elementary School services approximately 400 students, we have approximately 75 employees. There are only two public schools in our district. Nāʻālehu Elementary is the primary feeder to Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary School.

“Any adverse effect that could be related to this treatment plant right here could have long-term impact on our community… So, we’re not just looking at our Nāʻālehu school, but all of the children of Kaʻū. We service children and families from Ocean View to Nāʻālehu, and all of the different communities in between.

“I understand the need for this facility. I am urging that budget be appropriate, to find a better location, for the best technology, etc. Please reconsider and carefully look at your planning so a more appropriate location is selected.”

John Olson of Pāhoa, who is on the Environmental Management Commission Board, stated the discussion for the site has been on the agenda, and will be discussed again May 23 - see more in tomorrow's Kaʻū News Briefs. He stated he and a few others on the board had concerns about the placement of the treatment plant so close to the school. Olson said he had experienced similar positioning at Lanikai Elementary with the Kailua Wastewater Treatment Plant – “which was directly upwind” - on Oʻahu: “I can quite easily see – visualize and smell – how this could go wrong.”

Tina Tuttle stated she was testifying on behalf of her grandson Daniel McDowell, who goes to Nāʻālehu Elementary. She produced a picture of Daniel pointing to his classroom, on the other side of the school from where the treatment plant is proposed to be located. “I have real concerns about this,” said Tuttle. “I just hope they can find a better place to build the plant.”

Daniel McDowell points to the school at an April meeting on the Nāʻālehu
Wastewater Treatment proposal. Both his great grandmother and
grandmother testified yesterday against putting the facility next to
Nāʻālehu Elementary School. Photo from McDowell family

Sandra Demoruelle, great-grandmother to Daniel, spoke next, “on the budget that plans to spend $20 million dollars on the Nāʻālehu Wastewater system. She said, “It seems totally pointless to put in such a large facility for 80,000 gallons of wastewater a day.” She noted that the treatment plant would create “four lagoons right beside the Nāʻālehu School.”

Demoruelle spoke of the cost of ongoing destruction of homes and public infrastructure and county emergency services “forcing property tax hikes,” and that budget concerns should be looking at “projects like this that are oversized and unneeded in the community. We only needed something like a sewage septic system conversion, which was exactly what happened at Pāhala at the senior citizen’s home: for $430,000, according to the budget, the county has converted one set of LCCs. What we do need in Kaʻū is public participation – I think that is the more basic issue here. We’ve been lacking any opportunity for our area to have meaningful input, as we should under the Hawaiʻi and Environmental Protection statutes,” she contended. Demoruelle said input should be ongoing and that “we should not have them come out just once and sell us a project where we have a picture such as this one,” referencing a photo of her grandson Daniel pointing to a plan with the treatment plant next to his school.

John Masters, “born and raised right here in Nāʻālehu,” owner of Kaʻū Auto Repair and Towing, and “the proud father of six children who attend our schools here,” spoke next. “I feel that the location of the wastewater treatment plant is going to do a lot more effect on the community as a whole, rather than just the school. It’s directly upwind from our entire community here.” He said, “There’s a lot of land and a lot of other locations that would be optimal for the location of this plant. Right along the highway and kicking the Souza’s out ain’t the best deal for us as a community, for the Souza’s – for anyone.

“It’s a beautiful area here, and to put that right along the highway – you think our tourist industry’s going to like it much? I don’t. You go past the treatment center to the most beautiful lookout in the world,” referring to Palina Pali overlook to Honuʻapo. Masters said he didn’t want to leave Nāʻālehu looking at a “crap plant, excuse my language,” and said there were “thousands of acres” of land to look at for the location of the facility that were not “upwind of our community.”

Community members met with county representatives at three public
meetings last month to present the type of treatment system and
proposed siting, and to take public input. Photo by Julia Neal

Rick Porter, a Kaʻū resident whose wife teaches preschool at Nāʻālehu Elementary, stated he does not feel the location is appropriate: “It’s on the wrong side of prevailing winds. The school would be absolutely subjected to the smells from the plant.

“The plant itself will probably be producing hydrogen sulfide from the sludge that is stored there. This is a very dangerous gas – it’s is the same gas they are worried about when a geothermal plant is shooting out in an uncontrolled situation. It’s a colorless gas that would not be appropriate for children to smell.

“It also would encompass part of the Maka Hiki grounds, which are culturally sensitive grounds to the people of Kaʻū, which I believe are county-owned right now.”

Porter also said “threatening” of the use of eminent domain to acquire the Souza property would be “the worse thing the county could do,” would hurt the county in future situations, and that eminent domain was typically “a last resort.” He said he agreed with Masters, that there were many other places that would be more appropriate locations for the facility.

Charles Tuttle spoke as the last testifier. He said he had been a student of Nāʻālehu Elementary, with one grandchild presently attending the school, and another going to attend in future. Tuttle said he “strongly” opposes the plant, “as it will impact the kids, and it will impact the entire town of Nāʻālehu with that location.” He also said there are “lots of other locations.”

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

Central Pacific Hurricane Center made its predictions yesterday, three to six storms in 2018. NOAA image

HURRICANE SEASON BEGINS JUNE 1 and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center predicts three to six tropical cyclones. The NOAA Central Pacific Hurricane Center announced yesterday an 80-percent chance of near- or above-normal tropical cyclone activity during the Central Pacific hurricane season this year, which lasts through November 30.
The 2018 outlook indicates equal chances of an above-normal and near-normal season at 40 percent each, and a 20-percent chance of a below-normal season.
The three to six tropical cyclones predicted for the Central Pacific hurricane basin include tropical depressions, named storms, and hurricanes. A near-normal season has three to five tropical cyclones, and an above-normal season has six or more tropical cyclones.
“This outlook reflects the forecast for ENSO neutral conditions, with a possible transition to a weak El Niño during the hurricane season. Also, ocean temperatures in the main hurricane formation region are expected to remain above-average, and vertical wind shear is predicted to be near- or weaker-than-average,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., NOAA’s lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at the Climate Prediction Center. Bell added, “If El Niño develops, the activity could be near the higher end of the predicted range.”

Three hurricanes that affected Hawaiʻi's weather in 2014. This year, NOAA predicts three to six tropical cyclones.
Image from NOAA

El Niño decreases the vertical wind shear over the tropical central Pacific, which favors more and stronger tropical cyclones. El Niño also favors more westward-tracking storms from the eastern Pacific into the central Pacific.
This outlook is a general guide to the overall seasonal hurricane activity in the central Pacific basin and does not predict whether or how many of these systems will affect Hawaiʻi.
“It is very important to remember that it only takes one landfalling tropical cyclone to bring major impacts to the State of Hawaiʻi,” said Chris Brenchley, director of NOAA’s Central Pacific Hurricane

Hurricane Anna brought flooding to Wood Valley in 2014.
Photo by Julia Neal

Center. “As we begin this 2018 hurricane season, we advise all residents to make preparations now, by having and practicing an emergency plan and by having 14 days of emergency supplies on hand that will be needed if a hurricane strikes.”
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center continuously monitors weather conditions, employing a network of satellites, land- and ocean-based sensors, and aircraft reconnaissance missions operated by NOAA and its partners. This array of data supplies the information for complex computer modeling and human expertise, which are the basis for the center’s storm track and intensity forecasts that extend out five days.
Check the Central Pacific Hurricane Center’s website throughout the season to stay on top of any watches and warnings, and visit FEMA’s Ready.gov for additional hurricane preparedness tips.
The seasonal hurricane outlook is produced in collaboration with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.

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

TWO ISLANDWIDE CAPITAL EXPENDITURE budgets were discussed at yesterday's County Council meeting. One draft of Bill 111 proposed $190.9 million for 39 public improvement projects to be constructed through the end of fiscal year 2023-24, but funded during the 2018-19 fiscal year. To pay for the projects, $114.6 million would be be funded in whole or part by bonds, $75.2 million by the state revolving loan fund or state capital improvement projects, $1 million by fair share contributions, and $160,000 by federal funds.
The second draft calls for 46 projects costing $205.1 million. To pay for them, $126.1 million would be funded in whole or part by bonds, $77.3 million by the state revolving loan fund or state capital improvement projects, $1.25 million by fair share contributions, $380,000 by federal funds, and $65,000 by private grants.

Council member Maile David introduced both budgets by request - which does not indicate her support or opposition - with amendments added by other council members. David moved and Council Member Dru Kanuha seconded the approval of the $205.1 million Capital Improvements budget. The recommendation goes for a final vote to the County Council June 6.

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

DONATIONS FOR VICTIMS OF VOLCANIC ACTIVITY are welcomed by both branches of Credit Union Hawaiʻi in Kaʻū - one in Nāʻālehu, one in Pāhala. The donations are particularly for victims in Puna, where some 2,000 residents have been displaced by lava flows and toxic air.
CU Hawaiʻi “wants to help our Puna Community, in their time of need,” states a release from the community owned financial institution.

“To kokua our Puna ʻOhana, all CU Hawaiʻi branch locations will be accepting monetary donations to help with this much needed cause. All monies will be donated to Hawaiʻi Community Foundation's Hawaiʻi Island Volcano Recovery fund.”

The Pāhala Branch is open on Fridays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The Nāʻālehu Branch is open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Keaʻau is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pāhoa, Hilo main, and Kona branches are open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Hilo Puainako is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 1 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
See more information on the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation and the Hawaiʻi Island Volcano Recovery Fund.

See public Ka‘ū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Ka‘ū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Ka‘ū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Ka‘ū, from Miloli‘i through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com.

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

FRIDAY, MAY 25

Coffee Talk, Fri, May 25, 9:30-11am, Kahuku Park, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Join park rangers in informal conversation on a variety of topics. Ka‘ū coffee, tea, and pastries available for purchase. Free. nps.gov/HAVO

Memorial Day Lei - Arts & Crafts, Fri, May 25, 2-3pm, Kahuku Park, H.O.V.E. For all ages. Register May 21-25. Free. Teresa Anderson, 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

SATURDAY, MAY 26

HIDEM's Hawai‘i State Convention, Sat & Sun, May 26 & 27, Hilton Waikoloa. hawaiidemocrats.org

Nature & Culture: An Unseverable Relationship, Sat, May 26, 9:30-11:30am, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Moderate guided hike along the Palm Trail, approx. 2 miles. Learn

about native plants that play a vital role in Hawaiian culture, and observe the catastrophic change and restoration of the land as it transitions from the 1868 lava flow to deeper soils with more diversity and older flora. Free. nps.gov/HAVO

SUNDAY, MAY 27

MONDAY, MAY 28

TUESDAY, MAY 29

Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tue, May 29, 11:30-1pm, St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Ocean View.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30

Summer Learn-To-Swim Registration, Wed & Thu, May 30 & 31, 1-4pm, Pāhala Swimming Pool (Ka‘ū High School Campus). hawaiicounty.gov/pr-aquatics/, 928-8177

THURSDAY, MAY 31

VA Medical Services, Thursdays, May 31, 8:30-noon, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Summer Learn-To-Swim Registration, Thu, May 31, 1-4pm, Pāhala Swimming Pool (Ka‘ū High School Campus). hawaiicounty.gov/pr-aquatics/, 928-8177

NEW & UPCOMING

23rd ANNUAL KONA CLASSIC JACKPOT - Classic Fishing Tournament Series is Friday through Sunday, June 1 through 3, at Honokōhau Club House in Kona. All profits go towards marine conservation and youth educational programs in and around Miloli‘i. $300 entry fee, 4 people per boat - $25 per additional person. Modified Jungle rules.

Cash prizes range from $100 to $3,000. Qualifying weights: Marlin, 100lbs; Ahi, 50lbs; Mahi, 15lbs; Ono, 15lbs. Grand Prize qualifies winner for Las Vegas Trip.

Upcoming tournaments are 1st Annual Hawaiian Wicked Tuna Jackpot Series, July 20-22, and Miloli‘i Classic, Aug 31-Sept 2.

Contact Wilfred Kaupiko, 896-6272, kalanihale@gmail.com. Sponsored by Kalanihale, a non-profit comprised of ten-pus generation descendants. The goals of the organization are to increase community participation in cultural activities, increase fish stocks, and promote community cohesion, “made achievable by hula protocol as a vessel to view… the world from a local perspective inundated with cultural pieces that transmits to all other Hawaiian practices,” states the release. See more at kalanihale.org

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

Repose by Randall Shiroma.
Photo from volcanoartcenter.org

SCULPTURES PRESENTATION WITH RANDALL SHIROMA is offered on Thursday, May 31, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., announces Volcano Art Center. The Thursday Night at the Center program features Shiroma’s outdoor public works within the state.
The once-a-month Thursday night series at the Volcano Art Center, focuses on art, Hawaiian culture and the environment. The series is intended to inspire and enhance appreciation of art and life experience, while fostering community connections.
The event is free, although a $5 donation to Volcano Art Center is suggested. For more information, call 967-8222 or visit volcanoartcenter.org.

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

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

About The Kaʻū Calendar

Friday, May 25, 2018

Ka‘ū News Briefs Friday, May 25, 2018

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Ka‘ū News Briefs Thursday, May 24, 2018