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| Kilauea Military Camp lights up for Christmas with public voting for the best decorations. Kīlauea Military Camp lights up for Christmas holidays. Photo by David Berry |
ADDICTION TO OPIODS IS THE TARGET of a state plan released by Gov. David Ige's office on Friday. The Hawai`i Opioid Initiative action plan notes that drug overdose deaths are higher per year in Hawai`i than deaths from vehicle accidents.The number of active prescriptions of opioids in Hawai`i, about 490,000, would cover about a third of the population.
Nationally with 259 million prescriptions, according to 2012 statistics, enough opioid prescriptions are written to give a bottle to each person in the country.
The state Department of Health plans to standardize notice from doctors to patients about the risk of using opioids and combining them with use of other substances. The plan calls for closer reporting of opioid prescriptions by physicians. It also calls for screening hospital and clinic patients for opioid addiction.
The governors said: “Fortunately, Hawai`i has not yet experienced the magnitude of the opioid crisis seen in other parts of the country. While emerging issues and concerns in the state are on the rise, we have been given a relatively unique opportunity to proactively respond, prepare and prevent the crisis from reaching the same magnitude.”
"The plan is designed to sustain a system wide coordinated and proactive response to not only opioids, but also methamphetamine and other prevalent drugs," says a DOH statement.
The collaborative effort is led by the Department of Health, together with the Department of the Attorney General, Department of Human Services Med-QUEST Division, Department of Public Safety Narcotics Enforcement Division and a wide range of community groups.
The Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy in Hilo was also involved in developing the plan.
Read the plan at http://health.hawaii.gov/substance-abuse/survey/.
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.
DID AERIAL BOMBING STOP THE 1935 MAUNA LOA LAVA FLOW? That's the question posed in this week's Volcano Watch by USGS scientists at Hawaiian Volcano Observatory:
A widely-held belief is that Thomas Jaggar, founder of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, was able to stop a Mauna Loa lava flow in 1935. But is it true?
The eruption in question began on November 21, 1935. Six days later, an unusual breakout at an elevation of 8500 feet on the north flank of Mauna Loa sent ʻaʻā lava to the north. Pāhoehoe lava ponded at the base of Mauna Kea for two weeks before advancing toward Hilo at a rate of about 1.6 km/day (1 mile/day).
On Dec. 23, fearing that the flow would reach the headwaters of the Wailuku River, which supplied water for the town of Hilo, Jaggar called on the Army Air Service, based on Oʻahu, to bomb the lava flow source. His hope was that the lava tubes or channels could be destroyed, thereby robbing the advancing flow while feeding another flow that would re-cover the same area. The flow was bombed on December 27, and lava stopped flowing during the night or early morning of January 2, 1936.
Jaggar publicly praised the Army for its responsiveness and technical accuracy in delivering the bombs to his selected targets. In turn, Jaggar was praised for his successful experiment and saving Hilo.
What is not widely known is that a USGS geologist, Harold Stearns, was on board the last plane to deliver bombs to Jaggar's targeted areas. Stearns had been mapping the geology and water resources of Maui volcanoes. But when he heard about the plan to bomb the lava flow on Mauna Loa, he traveled to Hilo to see if he could fly with the Army.
Stearns got his chance. At 12:40 p.m. on December 27, his plane dropped two 600-pound bombs (each with 300 pounds of TNT), but they hit a few hundred feet from their target. Jaggar himself watched the bombing through a telescope from the base of Mauna Kea.
Assessing Jaggar's bombing goals, Stearns said, "The tube walls look 25 to 50 feet high and deep in the flow so that I think there would be no change of breaking the walls. The lava liquid is low. The damming possibility looks effective but the target is too small."
Following up with a letter to Jaggar in January 1936, Stearns questioned the effectiveness of the bombing.
Jaggar wrote back that later examination of the flow's source showed that "This channel was broken up by the bombing and fresh streams poured over the side of the heap.... I have no question that this robbing of the source tunnel slowed down the movement of the front.... The average actual motion of the extreme front ... for the five days after the bombing was approximately 1000 feet per day. For the seven days preceding the bombing the rate was one mile per day."
Jaggar then asked the rhetorical question, "How long would the flow have lasted without bombing it?" He used the 1919-1920 Kīlauea eruption, which sent lava into the Kaʻū Desert to form Mauna Iki, as an analogue. "If we had bombed Mauna Iki in February 1920, the pahoehoe tunnel system would never have reached the lower Kaʻū desert...."
Stearns remained unconvinced. In his 1983 autobiography, he wrote about bombing the Mauna Loa flow: "I am sure it was a coincidence...."
Jaggar's boss at the time, Hawai`i National Park Superintendent E.G. Wingate, was also skeptical.
The day after the bombing, Wingate wrote to the Army commanders, "Though we are as yet unable to determine what effect the airplane bombardment achieved ... I feel very doubtful that it will succeed in diverting the flow. Therefore, I am ... reconnoitering the flow region and will try to locate a feasible spot on the ground where a land expedition might successfully attack the flow channel by dynamiting or other methods."
In Wingate's December 1935 report, he summarized the effort: "Just what part the bombardment had in stopping the lava flow the superintendent is not qualified to say. Certainly the facts are most interesting and Dr. Jaggar believes the experiment to have played a definite part."
Modern thinking mostly supports Stearns' conclusion. Whether or not the bombing stopped the 1935 Mauna Loa lava flow remains a controversial topic today.
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.
ONE LANE CLOSURES ALONG HWY 11 between Mile Marker 53 and Mile Maker 57 between Pāhala and Volcano are scheduled from Monday, Dec. 4 - Friday, Dec. 8 from 8:30 a.m. t o 3 p.m. The state Department of Transportation will work on pavement reconstruction.
KA‘Ū TROJANS PLAYED KEA`AU IN SOCCER ON SATURDAY. In boys division, Kea`au scored 9, Ka`u 0. In girls, Kea`au scored 6, Ka`u 0.
KA‘Ū TROJANS SPORTS SCHEDULE
Soccer: Tues, Dec. 5, Ka`u @Konawa`ena
Saturday, Dec. 9, Kakualani @ Ka`u
Boys Basketball: Fri and Saturday, Dec. 8 and 9, Maui Tournament
Swimming: Sat, Dec. 9 at Konawaena
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.
TWO EIGHT WEEK SUNDAY CLAY - HIGH FIRE! SESSIONS with Erik Wold at Volcano Art Center start Sunday, Dec. 3, and continue through Feb. 4. The morning session takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and the afternoon session from 2:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. No class will be held Dec. 24 or 31. The cost per Volcano Art Center member is $185, or $200 for each non-member, plus a $15 materials fee. The course includes six pounds of clay, including glazing and firing, with additional clay available for purchase. For more details, visit volcanoartcenter.org or call 967-7565.
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.
Nationally with 259 million prescriptions, according to 2012 statistics, enough opioid prescriptions are written to give a bottle to each person in the country.
The state Department of Health plans to standardize notice from doctors to patients about the risk of using opioids and combining them with use of other substances. The plan calls for closer reporting of opioid prescriptions by physicians. It also calls for screening hospital and clinic patients for opioid addiction.
The governors said: “Fortunately, Hawai`i has not yet experienced the magnitude of the opioid crisis seen in other parts of the country. While emerging issues and concerns in the state are on the rise, we have been given a relatively unique opportunity to proactively respond, prepare and prevent the crisis from reaching the same magnitude.”
"The plan is designed to sustain a system wide coordinated and proactive response to not only opioids, but also methamphetamine and other prevalent drugs," says a DOH statement.The collaborative effort is led by the Department of Health, together with the Department of the Attorney General, Department of Human Services Med-QUEST Division, Department of Public Safety Narcotics Enforcement Division and a wide range of community groups.
The Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy in Hilo was also involved in developing the plan.
Read the plan at http://health.hawaii.gov/substance-abuse/survey/.
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.
DID AERIAL BOMBING STOP THE 1935 MAUNA LOA LAVA FLOW? That's the question posed in this week's Volcano Watch by USGS scientists at Hawaiian Volcano Observatory:
A widely-held belief is that Thomas Jaggar, founder of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, was able to stop a Mauna Loa lava flow in 1935. But is it true?
The eruption in question began on November 21, 1935. Six days later, an unusual breakout at an elevation of 8500 feet on the north flank of Mauna Loa sent ʻaʻā lava to the north. Pāhoehoe lava ponded at the base of Mauna Kea for two weeks before advancing toward Hilo at a rate of about 1.6 km/day (1 mile/day).
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| Thomas Jaggar |
Jaggar publicly praised the Army for its responsiveness and technical accuracy in delivering the bombs to his selected targets. In turn, Jaggar was praised for his successful experiment and saving Hilo.
What is not widely known is that a USGS geologist, Harold Stearns, was on board the last plane to deliver bombs to Jaggar's targeted areas. Stearns had been mapping the geology and water resources of Maui volcanoes. But when he heard about the plan to bomb the lava flow on Mauna Loa, he traveled to Hilo to see if he could fly with the Army.
Stearns got his chance. At 12:40 p.m. on December 27, his plane dropped two 600-pound bombs (each with 300 pounds of TNT), but they hit a few hundred feet from their target. Jaggar himself watched the bombing through a telescope from the base of Mauna Kea.
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| Bombing to stop the lava threatening Hilo in 1935. USGS Photo |
Assessing Jaggar's bombing goals, Stearns said, "The tube walls look 25 to 50 feet high and deep in the flow so that I think there would be no change of breaking the walls. The lava liquid is low. The damming possibility looks effective but the target is too small."
Following up with a letter to Jaggar in January 1936, Stearns questioned the effectiveness of the bombing.
Jaggar wrote back that later examination of the flow's source showed that "This channel was broken up by the bombing and fresh streams poured over the side of the heap.... I have no question that this robbing of the source tunnel slowed down the movement of the front.... The average actual motion of the extreme front ... for the five days after the bombing was approximately 1000 feet per day. For the seven days preceding the bombing the rate was one mile per day."
Jaggar then asked the rhetorical question, "How long would the flow have lasted without bombing it?" He used the 1919-1920 Kīlauea eruption, which sent lava into the Kaʻū Desert to form Mauna Iki, as an analogue. "If we had bombed Mauna Iki in February 1920, the pahoehoe tunnel system would never have reached the lower Kaʻū desert...."
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| Aerial view of 1935 lava flow that threatened Hilo. Photo from Naval Air Service |
Jaggar's boss at the time, Hawai`i National Park Superintendent E.G. Wingate, was also skeptical.
The day after the bombing, Wingate wrote to the Army commanders, "Though we are as yet unable to determine what effect the airplane bombardment achieved ... I feel very doubtful that it will succeed in diverting the flow. Therefore, I am ... reconnoitering the flow region and will try to locate a feasible spot on the ground where a land expedition might successfully attack the flow channel by dynamiting or other methods."
In Wingate's December 1935 report, he summarized the effort: "Just what part the bombardment had in stopping the lava flow the superintendent is not qualified to say. Certainly the facts are most interesting and Dr. Jaggar believes the experiment to have played a definite part."
Modern thinking mostly supports Stearns' conclusion. Whether or not the bombing stopped the 1935 Mauna Loa lava flow remains a controversial topic today.
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.
KA‘Ū TROJANS PLAYED KEA`AU IN SOCCER ON SATURDAY. In boys division, Kea`au scored 9, Ka`u 0. In girls, Kea`au scored 6, Ka`u 0.
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| Find The Ka`u Calendar soon in your mailbox, stands and online at www.kaucalendar.com |
KA‘Ū TROJANS SPORTS SCHEDULE
Soccer: Tues, Dec. 5, Ka`u @Konawa`ena
Saturday, Dec. 9, Kakualani @ Ka`u
Boys Basketball: Fri and Saturday, Dec. 8 and 9, Maui Tournament
Swimming: Sat, Dec. 9 at Konawaena
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.
TWO EIGHT WEEK SUNDAY CLAY - HIGH FIRE! SESSIONS with Erik Wold at Volcano Art Center start Sunday, Dec. 3, and continue through Feb. 4. The morning session takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and the afternoon session from 2:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. No class will be held Dec. 24 or 31. The cost per Volcano Art Center member is $185, or $200 for each non-member, plus a $15 materials fee. The course includes six pounds of clay, including glazing and firing, with additional clay available for purchase. For more details, visit volcanoartcenter.org or call 967-7565.
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.
HAM RADIO OPERATORS POTLUCK PICNIC is Sunday, Dec. 3, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Manukā Park. All American Radio Emergency Service members, anyone interested in learning how to operate a ham radio and families are invited to attend. For more, call Dennis Smith at 989-3028.
JOIN A GUIDED HIKE ALONG THE PALM TRAIL in the Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park on Sunday, Dec. 3, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The hike will also be offered on Dec. 23. Palm Trail is a moderately difficult 2.6-mile loop traversing scenic pastures along an ancient cinder cone, with some of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. Highlights include relics of the ranching era, sections of remnant native forest and amazing volcanic features from the 1868 eruptive fissures. For more, visit nps.gov/HAVO.
HAWAI‘I COUNTY COUNCIL MEETS MONDAY, Dec. 4, for committee meetings and Tuesday, Dec. 5, and Wednesday, Dec. 20, for Council meetings. Ka‘ū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nā‘ālehu State Office Building. Agendas at hawaiicounty.gov.
OCEAN VIEW VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT MEETS Monday, Dec. 4, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Ocean View Community Center. For more, call 939-7033.
KA‘Ū COFFEE GROWERS COOPERATIVE MEETS TUESDAY, Dec. 5, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Pāhala Community Center.
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| A vintage Discovery Harbour Volunteer Fire Department Truck. The organization meets Tuesday. |
DISCOVERY HARBOUR VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT MEETS Tuesday, Dec. 5, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Discovery Harbour Community Hall. For more, call 929-9576 or visit discoveryharbour.net.
CASCADE VOLCANOES BENEATH A SOLAR ECLIPSE is the After Dark in the Park talk that has been announced for Tuesday, Dec. 5, starting at 7 p.m. in the Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. Learn about the volcanoes of the Cascade Range in Washington and Oregon - how often they erupt and why they can be more dangerous that volcanoes in Hawai’i. Park rangers share their stories of their adventures while visiting these majestic mountains during the total solar eclipse. Free, park entrance fees apply. For more see nps.gov/HAVO.
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.
REGISTER KEIKI, GRADES K-8, UNTIL TUESDAY, DEC. 5, for a Mason Jar Lover Wreath Craft class planned for Wednesday, Dec. 6, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Pāhala Community Center. For more call Nona Makuakane or Elijah Navarro at 928-3102 or visit hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation.
OPEN MIC NIGHT is Wednesday, Dec. 6, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Kīlauea Military Camp’s Lava Lounge in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Call 967-8365 after 4 p.m. to sign up. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests 21 years and older. Park entrance fees apply. Visit kilaueamilitarycamp.com for more details.
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| New Neighborhood Watch signs were put up earlier this year in Ocean View. The group meets on Thursday. |
OCEAN VIEW NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH MEETS Thursday, Dec. 7, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Ocean View Community Center. For more, call 939-703.
VOLCANO SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES FALL EDITION OF THEATER NIGHT takes place Thursday, Dec. 7, starting at 6 p.m. at Kīlauea Military Camp Theater in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. Park entrance fees apply.
FIVE STEWARDSHIP AT THE SUMMIT events in which volunteers help remove invasive non-native plant species that prevent native plants from growing in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park take place this December. The first event is Thursday, Dec. 7, with remaining events taking place Dec. 15, 23, and 30. Volunteers should meet leaders Paul and Jane Field at Kīlauea Visitor Center in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park at 8:45 a.m. Free; park entrance fees apply. Fore more, visit nps.gov/HAVO.
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| Paul and Jane Field lead Stewardship at the Summit. Photo from HVNP |
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.
REGISTER KEIKI, GRADES K-5, BY Wednesday, Dec. 13, for the Annual Christmas Coloring Contest that takes place Thursday, Dec. 14, starting at 5 p.m., at Ka‘ū District Gym. For more or to register, call Nona Makuakane/Elijah Navarro at 928-3102 or visit hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation.
Parade participants start lining up by 12:30 p.m. To be involved - there are no entry fees - call the Andrades at 928-0808.
Sponsors of the parade also include the Edmund C. Olson Trust II.
CU HAWAI‘I FEDERAL CREDIT UNION OFFERS EMPLOYMENT as a Member Service Representative in Nā‘ālehu. CU Hawai‘i seeks energetic individuals for full time positions who enjoy working with people and can provide professional, courteous and efficient service to valued members.
The ideal candidate must be service oriented and possess good communication and computer skills. Cash handling and customer service experience is preferred. Must be able to work Saturdays. CU Hawai‘i offers medical, drug, dental, vision and retirement benefits.
Email, mail or fax application to: Attn: Human Resources, 476 Hinano Street Hilo, HI 96720, Fax: (808) 935-7793. Applications can be found online at cuhawaii.com/careers.html.
