Kaʻū News Briefs Saturday, Oct. 21 , 2023

Friday Night Lights: Kaʻū Trojans play the Dragons, BIIF defending champs at Honoka‘a. Photo by Mark Peters

KAʻŪ FOOTBALL BREAKS SCHOOL SCORING RECORD: It was Friday Night Lights for the Kaʻū Trojans in Honoka‘a with an extremely competitive and exciting game. On Friday, the Trojans were defeated by the defending Big Island Interscholastic Federation D2 Champions and last year's State Runner-Up by a score of 32-30.

Kaʻū Defense lines up against Honoka‘a Dragons. Photo by Mark Peters

    The Trojans played arguably their best football game of the year against a well-coached and talented Honoka‘a Dragons team.        The very large Honoka‘a Homecoming crowd was treated to a shootout of a game that went back and forth all night. Kaʻū opened with a long drive to start the game that consumed most of the first quarter and ended up with a touchdown and a two-point conversion to take the lead.
   After the Dragons scored, Trojans answered with another nice drive leading to a touchdown and a 16-6 lead in the first quarter. Honoka‘a battled back to take a 20-16 lead at halftime. The Dragons extended their lead to 26-16 at the

Sophomore Oli Silva-Kamei

gets his game face on before the

game. He represents a big part of

Kaʻū's football future, playing

Offense and Defense as a lineman,

rarely coming out of the games.

He was recognized last year as a

freshman as BIIF All-Conference

2nd Team. Photo by Mark Peters

start of the 4th quarter. There was no quit in this Trojan team as they battled back to score twice in the 4th quarter to take a 30-26 lead with just over 4 minutes left.
    On the ensuing kickoff, Honoka‘a returned the ball for touchdown to take a 32-30 lead. Kaʻū started its final drive with just under 4 minutes left and 80 yards to go for the game-winning score. They drove the ball down the field to about the 15-yard line with just over 20 seconds left in the game when the Dragon defense tightened up and stopped the Trojans, leaving only 12 seconds left in the game.
    This season, the 2023 Kaʻū Trojans broke the school record in 11-man football for team scoring by earning 222 points. The previous record of 201 points was set by the 1965 team. This year's team also broke a game record for 11-man football for yards in one game by producing 596 yards of total offense in the game (301 yards passing and 295 yards rushing). This broke the previous school record set by the 2023 team a few weeks ago against the Pahoa Dragons.
    At Honoka'a, the Trojan offense was led by Adahdiyah Ellis-Reyes who completed 9 of his 13 passes for a new individual school record of 301 passing yards. His receivers had a big night led by TJ Kauhuia-Faafia with 3 catches for 101 yards and a touchdown; Eddie Wirtz hauled in 4 crucial passes for 110 yards; and Jaestin Karasuda made a spectacular athletic catch on the sidelines for 56 yards.
    The rushing game was front and center all night with Ocean Nihipali-Sesson carrying the ball 34 times for 141 yards. Adahdiyah Ellis-Reys had another solid rushing game with 21 carries for 144 yards.

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A TEST PROJECT TO DEVELOP A REUSABLE FOOD & DRINKWARE SYSTEM and reduce single-use containers in the public waste stream is soon to begin. The Reusable Foodware System project, a joint initiative by Hawaiʻi County, Zero Waste Hawai‘i Island, Perpetual, and the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program, is an endeavor supported by grants, including $1.5 million from U.S. EPA  Solid Waste Infrastructure For Recycling, awarded to Hawai‘i County.

Image from Perpetual

 "We're excited to work with the community to build out a one-of-a-kind reusable food ware system that will help us make Hawaiʻi Island cleaner and greener for generations to come," said Mayor Mitch Roth. "Our partners have worked tirelessly to bring this initiative to our island, and we invite all to come and explore the possibilities of this new technology with us. At the end of the day, this is about protecting our 'āina and, with it, the people of this place."
    Public involvement begins with the test project in Hilo and a series of community design workshops that aim to gather valuable public input from Oct. 24 to Oct. 28 across locations in Hilo.
    The workshops will provide a hands-on experience, allowing participants to borrow, use, and return a reusable cup and container while also soliciting feedback on how a reusable foodware system can be best designed to meet their requirements. "The focus is on creating a system rooted in the Hawaiian values of Kanaka, ʻĀina, and Akua Connections (People, Land, and

Spirit)." says a statement from Hawai‘i County.
    The workshop materials will be available in multiple languages to ensure accessibility for all community members.
    Here is the schedule of the upcoming workshops:
Tuesday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.: Drop-in Design Workshop at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Community Connections Fair on the Library Lanai.
Wednesday, Oct. 25 - 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Drop-in Design Workshop at Moʻoheau Bandstand in downtown Hilo.
Thursday, Oct. 26 -10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.: Hawaiʻi Community College Lunch and Learn intended for students and the campus community.
Friday, Oct. 27 - 1:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.: Kuʻi & Kani Panaʻewa at Panaʻewa Community Center.
Saturday, Oct. 28 - 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.: East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center Drop-in Design Mini Workshop as part of the Downtown Halloween festivities.

    The Reusable Foodware System project has received grant support from Walmart Foundation, 11th Hour Project, Plastic Solutions Fund, and Overbrook Foundation, which enable Perpetual and Zero Waste Hawai'i Island to facilitate the project, provide technical expertise, and support the community-driven design process.
"This project offers a unique opportunity for Hilo to take a significant step toward reducing waste, plastic pollution, and environmental harm while creating new jobs, fostering local economic growth, and delivering a

better experience for residents and visitors," says the statement from the County.
For more information, contact:
Hawaiʻi County - Craig Kawaguchi, Craig.Kawaguchi@hawaiicounty.gov
Zero Waste Hawaiʻi Island - Jennifer Navarra, zwhi@zerowastehi.org
Perpetual - Ellie Moss, hello@perpetualuse.org
To stay informed about the progress of this project, sign up at https://www.perpetualuse.org/newsletter.
For more information about the upcoming workshops, visit https://www.zerowastehi.org/upcoming-events.

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See www.hawaiiwildfire.org/cwpp-resources and state Department of Land & Natural Resources website: dlnr.hawaii.gov/forestry/fire/community-risk-reduction/community-wildfire-protection-plans/.

Kaʻū News Briefs Friday, Oct.20 , 2023

ON THE EVE OF THE COFFEE TEA & WATER ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS EXPO Saturday, its founder Christine Kaehuaea, of Stargazer Industries, said that she is focusing on donations from the community toward the causes connected with the event. She said during the event at Nāʻālehu Park, there will be bins

Stargazer Industries and Christine Kaehuaea offer this QR code to
donate to the causes promoted through her Coffee, Tea & Water
Essential Elements Expo with entertainment in Na'alehu on Saturday
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

and QR codes at each of the two Stargazer Industries tents at the entries of the event.

    The parking is on site at the back of Nāʻālehu Park, across the street at OKK Nāʻālehu Market, and at Nāʻālehu Methodist Church. "Come enjoy and have fun!" said Kaehuaea.
    She said the donations will support a "Kaʻū Wish List Fund to help kids in Kaʻū and Lāhainā, Maui continue to soar."                  Kaehuaea said, “Not only is this event designed to 'Give Back' to the local community on a variety of levels, but with sponsors like KTA Superstores, Paradise Helicopters, Hawai‘i Med-Spa, the WS Restaurant at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel and HPM Building supply, it has helped to pay for the some of the expenses for the event and fuel the media plan, however at this 11th hour, we are still reaching out to businesses hoping to find sponsors to help us cross the finish line.
        "The Kaʻū Wish List Fund will give 75% of donations to Kaʻū schools and educators via Stacey Bello, Superintendent East Hawai‘i DOE and 25% of donations go to the Hawai‘i Teacher’s Association of Lahaina, via Christopher Chang, UniServe Director," wrote Kaehuaea.

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DANCERS FROM AULANI'S HULA HĀLAU, now based in Ocean View, will be guest artists at the Keola Pu‘uhonua in Nā‘ālehu on Saturday, behind Punalu‘u Bakeshop. The Kumu are Aulani Young and Kahi Young. The grounds open at 11 a.m. and Aulani's Hula Halau performs at 11:30 a.m. followed by Hālau

Hālau Hula O Leionālani will perform Saturday at the Keola Pu‘uhonua in Nā‘ālehu.
following Ocean View's Aulani Hula Halau. Photo by Julia Neal

Hula O Leionālani, with Kumu Debbie Ryder. The program is free and wraps up at 1 p.m.
    Ryder shared that the two Kumu who lead the Ocean View halau are family to her husband Kawehi Ryder and recently moved to Ocean View from Waikoloa where the hālau was stationed for 30 years.
    Debbie Ryder said that she will be inviting other halau from around the island and beyond to share the stage with her Hālau Hula O Leonalani at the regular presentations at the Pu‘u Honua in the near future. 

    In addition, Hālau Hula O Leionalani is sponsoring an international event at the same venue, Keola Pu'uhonua in Nā‘ālehu on Saturday, Nov. 4. It features hula and other traditional dance from Japan, Mexico, Hawai‘i and the mainland. It's called Hula No Kaʻū Ho‘okupu Cultural Festival. 

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HAWAI'I STATE FLAGS WILL BE FLOWN HALF-STAFF UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, as ordered by Gov. Josh Green. "Hawai‘i state flag be flown at half-staff at the Hawai‘i State Capitol and at all state offices and agencies, as well as at Hawai‘i National Guard facilities in the State of Hawai‘i, effective immediately, says the message from his office. "This observance is to honor the lives being lost in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East — and with the hope that peace can be achieved."  The Governor said, "We are praying that the conflict in Gaza ends quickly, that all of the hostages are returned safely to their families, and that no more civilians are hurt or killed." Other states have done the same, including New York, from Oct. 11 until determined, Vermont beginning Ot. 10 for four days and Minnesota, beginning Oct. 11 for four days.

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Holes in a palm tree are bored by coconut rhinoceros beetles, which are particularly deadly to coconut trees. The beetles' grubs have
been found on Hawai‘i Island. Photo from state Department of Agriculture

COCONUT RHINOCEROS BEETLE GRUBS, the larva of a dangerous pest for palm trees, have been found in Waikoloa. The state Department of Agriculture is asking the public to be on the lookout for the beetle and the grubs around this island.

Coconut rhinoceros beetle. Photo from state Dept. of Ag 

     Coconut rhinoceros beetle is a large scarab beetle that was first detected on O‘ahu in 2013. The beetle has since been detected in many neighborhoods on O‘ahu, and was detected on Kaua‘i in May 2023 where collaborative eradication efforts continue. Last week, several agencies were involved in the pesticide treatment of palm trees via drones at a Kaua‘i golf course. More than 90 palm trees were treated and 40 adult CRBs were killed. Additional treatment efforts will continue on Kaua‘i. Last month, a dead adult CRB was found in a compost bag at a Maui big-box store. No other CRB have been detected on Maui.

Larva of coconut rhinoceros beetles.
Photo from state Department of Agriculture

    CRB is a serious pest, primarily for coconut palms, as the adult beetles bore into the crowns of the palms to feed on the tree’s sap. New unopened fronds are damaged in this way and when fully opened, may break and fall unexpectedly. If CRB kills or damages the growing point of the palm, the tree may die.  Secondary fungal or bacterial pathogens may also attack the wounds caused by CRB, thereby killing the tree as well. Tree mortality after CRB attack has been reported to be anywhere from 10 percent to 50 percent. Dead trees then become a safety hazard as they may fall unexpectedly after the trunk rots, potentially resulting in bodily injury or property damage.
    CRB is a major pest of palms in India, the Philippines, Palau, Fiji, Wallis, Nukunono, American and Western Samoa and Guam. It is still not known exactly how the beetles arrived in Hawai‘i.

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NATIONAL MOVE OVER DAY is this Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, and the Hawai‘i Police Department is reminding Hawai‘i Island drivers of their duty to slow down and move over for emergency vehicles on the side of the road. 'It’s not just public courtesy, it’s also the law," says the HPD statement. The Move
Over Law 291C-27 was put in effect to help protect first responders when they are performing their duties near or on a roadway."    

    HRS 291C-27 states in basic terms that when approaching an emergency vehicle

with its emergency lights flashing, slow down to a safe and prudent speed. Motorists may even have to stop based on the circumstances of the situation. Move over to an adjacent lane or even further if safe and necessary to do so.
    Emergency vehicle means Police, Fire, EMS, Ocean Safety, Freeway Service Patrol, tow trucks and even some state and county vehicles while personnel are working.
    "Drivers who move over allow the dedicated workers performing these dangerous and very important emergency services more space to complete their duties. The simple actions of slowing down and moving over reduces the possibility of members of the community in Hawai‘i County from being injured or killed," says the HPD message. "If officers from the Hawai‘i Police Department observe drivers failing to “move over” they will stop them and enforce the traffic laws appropriately. Please be mindful when you are driving and see emergency vehicles working in our community, we want everyone to get home safe."

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

See www.hawaiiwildfire.org/cwpp-resources and state Department of Land & Natural Resources website: dlnr.hawaii.gov/forestry/fire/community-risk-reduction/community-wildfire-protection-plans/.

 

Kaʻū News Briefs Thursday, Oct.19 , 2023

Volcanologist Jim Kauahikaua in front of a dome fountain from a skylight at 2,450 feet elevation on Feb. 1, 1996.
Photo by Carl Thornber, U.S. Geological Survey

ALOHA ‘OE TO THE LATE, REMARKABLE, BELOVED VOLCANOLOGIST, DR. JIM PU'UPAI KAUAHIKAUA is the message in the latest Volcano Watch. The weekly column by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates points out that Kauahikaua was a respected geophysicist and the first Kānaka Maoli (indigenous Hawaiian) to serve as Scientist-in-Charge of the

Dr. Jim Kauahikaua was first Kānaka Maoli to be
Scientist in Charge at Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
USGS photo

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. He passed away in the early morning hours of Sunday, Oct. 8 at the age of 72.
     Kauahikawa grew up on Oʻahu; he attended Kamehameha Schools, Pomona College in California, and University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. In 1988, he joined the staff at HVO as a research geophysicist and found his true home living among and studying the volcanoes on the Island of Hawai‘i. He was dedicated to pursuing research that would directly benefit the people of Hawaiʻi Nei.
    His first projects applied electrical resistivity in large surveys across the Island of Hawaiʻi to map groundwater resources in west Hawaiʻi and the Humu‘ula Saddle. He also mapped water-saturated rock around the summit of Kīlauea volcano, which became important in his later work.
    Kauahikawa creatively adapted similar techniques to measure the dimensions of active lava flowing within lava tubes. Along with lava flow velocities, this information was used to calculate changes in eruption rates which was crucial as the community of Kalapana was covered by lava in 1990. The destruction there triggered his strong interest in lava flow hazards and mitigation, topics that continued to be focal points of his research throughout his career.
    The internal structure of volcanoes also intrigued Kauahikawa, as a means to better understand patterns

Kauahikaua using an instrument that detects very low
 frequencies on Pu'u'ō'ō lava flows. USGS photo

of eruptions and earthquakes. During a decade-long project, he measured differences in gravity across the Island of Hawaiʻi, the results of which provided a startling picture of the subsurface. This work was central to developing a model for Hawaiian volcanoes, with their flanks being pushed outwards by dense cores, creating major earthquakes and fracture zones where eruptions are more likely to occur.
    Over the course of his career, Kauahikawa gradually grew from a scientist to a scientific historian with a deep interest in exploring the intersection of western scientific thought and traditional Hawaiian knowledge. Initially, he read accounts in English, largely written by westerners, detailing Hawaiian recollections of past events. Later, he worked with a variety of collaborators translating documents written in Hawaiian so that their perspectives on volcanic events could provide a better understanding of how Hawaiian volcanoes work.
    Kauahikawa worked with colleagues in the National Park Service and other organizations to develop ways to communicate that resonated more deeply with the community. He was also involved in Na Pua Noʻeau and other groups that engage Native Hawaiian students. In 2013, he arranged a workshop bringing scientists and Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners together. He wrote of that event, "we hope that a broader interest in Hawaiian views about locations in Hawaiʻi where physical scientific work is done will...benefit

Kauahikaua conducts an interview at the summit of Kīlauea as
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Scientist-in-Charge. USGS photo

the native peoples of Hawaiʻi."
   Kauahikawa's tenure as HVO Scientist-in-Charge, from 2004–2015, was one of the longest in HVO's history. During those years, he navigated HVO staff through several periods of volcanic unrest and crisis. He also led an effort to modernize HVO's monitoring network, developing a resilient telemetry structure that allowed the network to remain operating even after the HVO building was damaged in 2018. He was recognized for his substantial career contributions in both science and leadership by the US Geological Survey and the Department of the Interior in 2015 with a Citation for Meritorious Service.
    After stepping down as Scientist in Charge, Kauahikawa served as the principle HVO contact to emergency management officials during Kīlauea's devastating 2018 eruption. His combined knowledge of community, historical eruptive activity, and lava flow hazards was crucial to keeping responders informed as the eruption progressed.

Dr. Jim Kauahikaua, accompanied by his wife, Jeri Gertz, traveled
 to Washington, D.C., where he received the DOI Meritorious Service
Award on May 5, 2015, in recognition of his scientific contributions
 in the field of volcano hazards and leadership of the Hawaiian
 Volcano Observatory for the U.S. Geological Survey. USGS photo

    When water appeared within Halemaʻumaʻu in 2019, it confirmed his early career work that Kīlauea's summit was underlain by water-saturated rock at shallow levels. Kauahikawa then poured through Hawaiian literature, finding references to Pelehonuamea facing the threat of water drowning her volcanic fires at Kīlauea summit, which suggests water had previously been present there. Most recently, he had been focusing on using various records to create detailed reconstructions of eruptive histories extending into the early 1800s as a means to better understand the range of activity we could expect during periods of prolonged summit eruptions.
    Volcano Watch concludes with the big picture. "Kauahikawa brought volcano monitoring at HVO into the modern era and established a deeper cultural understanding of how HVO is connected to the ʻāina and the people we serve. We are grateful to Jim for his passion and dedication, which will continue to inspire us moving forward."

REMEMBERING JIM KAUAHIKAUA, Cindy Orlando, Principal Deputy Regional Director of the National Park Service, Pacific West Region, who worked with Kauahikaua as Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park Superintendent, said, "Jim and I worked closely on educating the world to the nexus between science and Traditional Ecological Knowledge, with an emphasis on Pele and her rebirth of the landscape that is HVNP. We had a unique working relationship addressing geologic influences on land management and park operation decisions, and the delicate balance between personal safety and reverence for what was occurring. Jim is a dear friend and colleague I will deeply miss."

Kauahikaua was known for his public outreach
 to help the community understand the science
 at Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. USGS photo

USGS VOLCANO ACTIVITY UPDATES: Kīlauea is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is ADVISORY. 

    The area just south of Kīlauea's summit continues to show signs of episodic unrest. Overall, inflation at the summit of Kīlauea remains high and has surpassed the level seen just before the most recent eruption on September 10th. Seismicity in the region south of Kīlauea caldera summit continues, though at decreased rates from the peak in activity on October 6. The most recent sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rate, of approximately 100 tonnes per day, was measured on Oct. 6.

    Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL. 

   Webcams show no signs of activity on Mauna Loa. Seismicity remains low. Summit ground deformation rates indicate slow inflation as magma replenishes the reservoir system following the recent eruption. SO2 emission rates are at background levels. 

    Two earthquakes were reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M2.8 earthquake 2 km (1 mi) WSW of Pāhala at 31 km (19 mi) depth on Oct. 17 at 1:06 p.m. HST and a M3.2 earthquake 32 km (19 mi) WNW of Puako at 39 km (24 mi) depth on Oct. 12 at 5:28 p.m. HST.

   HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands. TO HELP REDUCE RISK OF PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE, Hawaiʻi Police Department encourages the public to participate in a nationwide prescription drug take-back initiative on Saturday, Oct. 28. HPD is cooperating with the state Attorney General, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Hawaiʻi Department of Public Safety's Narcotics Enforcement Division and other police departments in the Hawaiian Islands.     Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., members of the public may turn in unused, unneeded, or expired prescription medications at the following collection sites for safe, anonymous disposal: Ka Waena Lapaʻau Medical      Complex parking lot at 670 Ponahawai Street, Hilo and Kona Police Station – inside lobby 74-0611 at Hale Makaʻi Place, Kailua-Kona.     Tablets, capsules, and all other solid dosage forms of medication will be accepted. Vape or e-cigarette devices will be collected ONLY after batteries are removed. New or used needles and syringes will not be accepted.     Illicit substances, such as marijuana or methamphetamine, are not a part of this initiative.     Having unused and expired medicine in the home increases the risk of prescription drug abuse and accidental poisoning. Proper disposal also helps reduce the risk of prescription drugs entering a human water supply or potentially harming aquatic life.     Police want to remind the public that as part of the State of Hawaii, Department of Health’s Medication Drop Box Program, prescription medications may also be dropped off year-round at each of the eight district police stations:  Kaʻū Police Station at 95-5355 Mamalohoa Highway, Nāʻālehu Kona Police Station at 74-611 Hale Maka‘i Place, Kailua-Kona Hilo Police Station at 349 Kapiolani Street, Hilo, Puna Station at 15-2615 Keaau-Pahoa Highway, Pāhoa North Hilo Police Station at Pu'ualaea Homestead Road, Laupahoehoe Honoka'a Police Station at 45-3400 Mamane Street, Honoka'a Waimea Police Station at 67-5185 Kamamalu Street, Waimea Kapa'au Police Station at 54-3900 Akoni Pule Highway, Kapa‘au     For more information about the drug take-back program, visit www.takebackday.dea.gov. To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

See www.hawaiiwildfire.org/cwpp-resources and state Department of Land & Natural Resources website: dlnr.hawaii.gov/forestry/fire/community-risk-reduction/community-wildfire-protection-plans/.