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| The topic at tomorrow's After Dark in the Park is Bees in Hawai`i: Trouble in Paradise? Photo from NPS |
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| Marlene Hapai, addressing the public in Pahala during her 2012 state House of Representatives candidacy, is working toward creating a Portuguese cultural and education center. Photo by Ron Johnson |
Hapai told D’Angelo, “I look at this as a worldwide impact, but also a part special to Hawai`i. It can be something that people come see from all over the world.”
See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS, THE NUMBER of Hawaiian Homestead Lessees overall has increased 4.5 percent from 9,236 to 9,654, according to Department of Hawaiian Home Lands’ recently released Beneficiaries Study Lessee Report.
Even with the change in number of lessees, the demographic composition of Lessees has not changed significantly since the last study. While the median age of lessees has increased from 56 years in 2008 to 62 years, the distribution of ages remains approximately the same. Similarly, the average household size has been at four persons for more than a decade.
The median household income among lessee households has increased significantly since 2008, climbing from $48,731 in 2008 to $59,600 in 2014. Despite this increase in median household income, a notably larger proportion of lessees are currently below the Housing & Urban Development 80 percent of median income guide (58.7 percent) than in 2008 (46.1 percent).
Slightly less than half of all lessees (48 percent) reported the need for one or more types of repair to their current housing unit, which is up from 37 percent in 2008. Among those in need of repair, about half of the units require relatively minor repairs while about 38 percent need more extensive repair work to correct problems with foundations, roofs, walls, plumbing and electrical work. Need for repair is directly related to the unit ages. The need for repair is also directly correlated to lower incomes and lack of financial resources.
The lessee survey classified the issues homestead communities are facing into four types: community quality/maintenance, crime, community organization and community structure. Problems rated as serious by lessees were predominantly related to quality and maintenance issues. Four out of ten lessees rated abandoned cars or trash in yards as a serious problem, while the same number cited lack of places for children to play as an equally serious problem.
Homestead community members typically rate their communities favorably and do not consider moving away. Many hope that future generations continue living on homestead land. Lessees expressed a sense of safety and unity within their homesteads despite issues that need to be addressed.
See dhhl.hawaii.gov.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
“What can we expect as this great volcano reawakens and builds toward its next eruption?” HVO scientists ask.
“Mauna Loa’s two most recent eruptions, in 1975 and 1984, occurred as HVO expanded and modernized its seismic and geodetic monitoring networks. Examining these past eruptions can give us insight into how Mauna Loa will behave in future eruptions.
“Prior to the 1975 eruption, the length of an Electronic Distance Measurement line spanning Moku`aweoweo lengthened as magma accumulated within the volcano and caused it to inflate. In addition, more than a year before lava erupted in July 1975, HVO recorded a significant increase in earthquakes, with the seismicity concentrated in two distinct regions within the volcano. Earthquakes initially clustered northwest of Mauna Loa’s summit at depths between three to six miles were followed by shallow earthquakes that were concentrated less than three miles beneath the summit. In the months leading to the 1975 eruption, the number of earthquakes dramatically increased, reaching levels of several hundred events per day.
“The sequence of ground deformation and seismicity followed a similar pattern prior to Mauna Loa’s 1984 eruption. Increased numbers of earthquakes were again seen in the two areas where seismicity was concentrated before the 1975 eruption, and EDM measurements across Moku`aweoweo showed extension (inflation) months before the 1984 eruption.
“How do current observations of Mauna Loa compare to the previous two eruptions?
“The recent swelling of the volcano is small compared to that observed in 1975 and 1984. Earthquake activity, while notable, is also modest. In terms of magnitude, recent earthquakes beneath the volcano’s northwest flank have not yet reached levels recorded before the 1975 or 1984 eruptions. Additionally, the number of earthquakes beneath the summit is not yet significant. Overall, we expect more persistent and heightened rates of both ground deformation and seismicity as the volcano nears its next eruption.
“Recent improvements in HVO’s monitoring capabilities enhance our ability to watch for and track changes on Mauna Loa. With upgrades to and expansion of our seismic network and the installation of additional of GPS stations, tiltmeters, gas sensors and webcams, we can better monitor Mauna Loa and other active Hawaiian volcanoes. This, in turn, helps improve our understanding of how these volcanoes work and our ability to forecast eruptions.
“The take-home message today is two-fold: (1) Mauna Loa is an active volcano, but an eruption is not imminent, and (2) HVO closely monitors Mauna Loa and will immediately inform authorities and the public if significant changes in activity are detected.”
Monthly reports on the status of Mauna Loa are posted at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/activity/maunaloastatus.php.
See hvo.wr.usgs.gov.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
KA`U HIGH SCHOOL TRACK STAR Esteve Salmo was a standout on Saturday, March 21 at the Big Island Interscholastic Federation track and field meet held in Kea`au. He took second in the long jump, leaping 19-01.50 feet, and fourth in the 100-yard dash, finishing in 11.53 seconds, under coach Jacob Findlay.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
LITTLE LEAGUE REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for children from nine to 12 years old. Registration forms and fees of $55 are due by this Friday. All parents or guardians must bring participants’ birth certificates and three documents proving residency or one document supporting school enrollment. Anyone interested can stop by Na`alehu Park in the afternoons or call Jolisa Masters at 640-2135.
BEEKEEPERS JAMES SEVERTSON AND CAROL CONNER discuss Bees In Hawai`i: Trouble in Paradise? tomorrow at After Dark in the Park. They cover a brief history of the introduction of bees to the Hawaiian Islands, honeybee biology, bee parasites and Langstroth vs. top bar beehives. The program takes place at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. $2 donations support After Dark programs. Park entrance fees apply.
`ULANA LAUHALA: PANDANUS WEAVING demonstrations take place Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Park rangers and cultural practitioners share the art and how to prepare leaves for weaving. Free; park entrance fees apply.
HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND’S VEHICLES are full for this Saturday’s Ka`u Coast Cleanup, but residents can still sign up and use their own 4WD vehicles. Volunteers meet at Wai`ohinu Park to carpool/caravan to Kamilo Point. Register at kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com or 769-7629.
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
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| Hawaiian Home Lands in Ka`u are at Kama`oa, Pu`ueo, Wailau and Wai`ohinu. |
The median household income among lessee households has increased significantly since 2008, climbing from $48,731 in 2008 to $59,600 in 2014. Despite this increase in median household income, a notably larger proportion of lessees are currently below the Housing & Urban Development 80 percent of median income guide (58.7 percent) than in 2008 (46.1 percent).
Slightly less than half of all lessees (48 percent) reported the need for one or more types of repair to their current housing unit, which is up from 37 percent in 2008. Among those in need of repair, about half of the units require relatively minor repairs while about 38 percent need more extensive repair work to correct problems with foundations, roofs, walls, plumbing and electrical work. Need for repair is directly related to the unit ages. The need for repair is also directly correlated to lower incomes and lack of financial resources.
The lessee survey classified the issues homestead communities are facing into four types: community quality/maintenance, crime, community organization and community structure. Problems rated as serious by lessees were predominantly related to quality and maintenance issues. Four out of ten lessees rated abandoned cars or trash in yards as a serious problem, while the same number cited lack of places for children to play as an equally serious problem.
Homestead community members typically rate their communities favorably and do not consider moving away. Many hope that future generations continue living on homestead land. Lessees expressed a sense of safety and unity within their homesteads despite issues that need to be addressed.
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| A firefighter sprays flame retardant on hot spots at the Ocean View home destroyed by fire Friday. Photo by Daryl Lee |
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MARTIN MARIO MOLINA IS FACING charges following a fire that destroyed the Ocean View home where he lived and its contents.
Ka`u police responded to a 6:11 p.m. call Friday and arrived to find a two-story house on Pineapple Parkway partly engulfed in flames. Firefighters were working to extinguish the fire, which was determined to be the result of arson.
Police arrested an occupant, 60-year-old Molina, on suspicion of arson.
At 1:30 p.m. Saturday, March 21, detectives charged Molina with first-degree arson and first-degree criminal property damage. His bail was set at $75,000. He remained at the cellblock until his initial court appearance on today. Three other residents had left the scene prior to the blaze beginning, and no one was injured.
Ka`u police responded to a 6:11 p.m. call Friday and arrived to find a two-story house on Pineapple Parkway partly engulfed in flames. Firefighters were working to extinguish the fire, which was determined to be the result of arson.
Police arrested an occupant, 60-year-old Molina, on suspicion of arson.
At 1:30 p.m. Saturday, March 21, detectives charged Molina with first-degree arson and first-degree criminal property damage. His bail was set at $75,000. He remained at the cellblock until his initial court appearance on today. Three other residents had left the scene prior to the blaze beginning, and no one was injured.
Loss was estimated at $270,000.
A gofundme site has been created to help the family, gofundme.com/phl2is.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
THE CURRENT ISSUE OF VOLCANO WATCH discusses Mauna Loa’s signs of stirring from its 31-year-long slumber over the past few months. Its most recent eruption began on March 25, 1984. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has recorded numerous small earthquakes beneath Mauna Loa’s summit and western flank and has detected slight expansion across Moku`aweoweo, the volcano’s summit caldera – signals that Mauna Loa should not be forgotten!
THE CURRENT ISSUE OF VOLCANO WATCH discusses Mauna Loa’s signs of stirring from its 31-year-long slumber over the past few months. Its most recent eruption began on March 25, 1984. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has recorded numerous small earthquakes beneath Mauna Loa’s summit and western flank and has detected slight expansion across Moku`aweoweo, the volcano’s summit caldera – signals that Mauna Loa should not be forgotten!
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| Lava flows erupt from Mauna Loa's Northeast Rift Zone on March 25, 1984, the first day of the volcano's most recent eruption. Photo from USGS/HVO |
“Mauna Loa’s two most recent eruptions, in 1975 and 1984, occurred as HVO expanded and modernized its seismic and geodetic monitoring networks. Examining these past eruptions can give us insight into how Mauna Loa will behave in future eruptions.
“Prior to the 1975 eruption, the length of an Electronic Distance Measurement line spanning Moku`aweoweo lengthened as magma accumulated within the volcano and caused it to inflate. In addition, more than a year before lava erupted in July 1975, HVO recorded a significant increase in earthquakes, with the seismicity concentrated in two distinct regions within the volcano. Earthquakes initially clustered northwest of Mauna Loa’s summit at depths between three to six miles were followed by shallow earthquakes that were concentrated less than three miles beneath the summit. In the months leading to the 1975 eruption, the number of earthquakes dramatically increased, reaching levels of several hundred events per day.
“The sequence of ground deformation and seismicity followed a similar pattern prior to Mauna Loa’s 1984 eruption. Increased numbers of earthquakes were again seen in the two areas where seismicity was concentrated before the 1975 eruption, and EDM measurements across Moku`aweoweo showed extension (inflation) months before the 1984 eruption.
“How do current observations of Mauna Loa compare to the previous two eruptions?
“The recent swelling of the volcano is small compared to that observed in 1975 and 1984. Earthquake activity, while notable, is also modest. In terms of magnitude, recent earthquakes beneath the volcano’s northwest flank have not yet reached levels recorded before the 1975 or 1984 eruptions. Additionally, the number of earthquakes beneath the summit is not yet significant. Overall, we expect more persistent and heightened rates of both ground deformation and seismicity as the volcano nears its next eruption.
“Recent improvements in HVO’s monitoring capabilities enhance our ability to watch for and track changes on Mauna Loa. With upgrades to and expansion of our seismic network and the installation of additional of GPS stations, tiltmeters, gas sensors and webcams, we can better monitor Mauna Loa and other active Hawaiian volcanoes. This, in turn, helps improve our understanding of how these volcanoes work and our ability to forecast eruptions.
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| Esteve Salmo jumps for Ka`u High Trojans. |
Monthly reports on the status of Mauna Loa are posted at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/activity/maunaloastatus.php.
See hvo.wr.usgs.gov.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
KA`U HIGH SCHOOL TRACK STAR Esteve Salmo was a standout on Saturday, March 21 at the Big Island Interscholastic Federation track and field meet held in Kea`au. He took second in the long jump, leaping 19-01.50 feet, and fourth in the 100-yard dash, finishing in 11.53 seconds, under coach Jacob Findlay.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
LITTLE LEAGUE REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for children from nine to 12 years old. Registration forms and fees of $55 are due by this Friday. All parents or guardians must bring participants’ birth certificates and three documents proving residency or one document supporting school enrollment. Anyone interested can stop by Na`alehu Park in the afternoons or call Jolisa Masters at 640-2135.
`ULANA LAUHALA: PANDANUS WEAVING demonstrations take place Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Park rangers and cultural practitioners share the art and how to prepare leaves for weaving. Free; park entrance fees apply.
HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND’S VEHICLES are full for this Saturday’s Ka`u Coast Cleanup, but residents can still sign up and use their own 4WD vehicles. Volunteers meet at Wai`ohinu Park to carpool/caravan to Kamilo Point. Register at kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com or 769-7629.
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
