Ka‘ū News Briefs Saturday, December 30, 2017

Glow from an active ocean entry on Kīlauea Volcano’s Kamokuna lava delta was visible on the evening of 
Sept. 27, when the 2017 delta was near its maximum size of eight to ten acres. Since then, the edges
 of the delta began to crumble into the sea. With no lava entering the ocean since November, ocean waves 
slowly erode the lava delta, further reducing its size. See story below. USGS image.

REPUBLICANS ARE RAISING PILES OF CASH, according to Sen. Brian Schatz. He said this comes after last week’s tax “reform” vote, the donations coming from "the wealthiest Americans - the same people who benefit from the tax bill that transfers trillions of dollars from working families to the richest individuals and corporations, repeals the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate, and guts Medicaid and Medicare."

    In a statement released on Saturday, Dec. 30, Schatz wrote, "I voted against that devastating legislation, and so did every other Democrat in Congress. As you can guess, most billionaires aren’t interested in supporting our re-election campaigns - especially after we voted against their tax breaks - and so instead, I’m reaching out to you. We need to support Democrats running for federal office - the ones serving now who are up for re-election and the candidates looking to join our fight for progressive values in Washington."

     According to Schatz, "G.O.P. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has even admitted that

Democrats have a strong chance of winning back a majority in both the House and Senate in 2018. But that will only be possible if we’re all willing to put in the work and invest in this movement. As long as we’re all willing to come together now to create change, I know we can win back the majorities in the House and Senate and save our country," Schatz predicted.

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.

CLIMATE CHANGE IS ALSO AN END OF THE YEAR TWEET for Sen. Brian Schatz: "Maybe the most reckless thing about the modern Republican Party is its position on climate change. I’m hoping there’s a new generation of conservatives who realize that there are free market solutions to this problem, and moral and religious reasons to solve it," he tweeted on Saturday, Dec. 30.

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.

HAPPY 35th BIRTHDAY EAST RIFT ZONE and Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō is the message of U.S.G.S. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's Volcano Watch this week:

        Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō on Kīlauea Volcano’s East Rift Zone reaches its 35th birthday. Since it began in 1983, the eruption has produced a range of volcanic processes and hazards, from captivating high lava fountains to majestic ocean entries. And after 35 years, it’s still going strong.
     For Puʻu ʻŌʻō and its lava flows during 2017, the year started with a bang, or rather, a collapse of the eastern Kamokuna lava delta formed by an ocean entry during the last five months of 2016. By New Year’s Day 2017, most of the delta was gone, along with part of the adjacent sea cliff. Approximately 25 acres collapsed into the ocean, piecemeal over a period of 4 hours, leaving only 2.5 acres of the original delta in place.

Lava comes from deep within the volcano
as shown by this image from U.S.G.S.

    Kīlauea’s Episode 61g lava tube was abruptly exposed in the sea cliff as a result of the collapse. With nothing to hinder it, lava poured from the tube and plummeted into the ocean several meters (yards) from the sea cliff. This formed a spectacular lava fall referred to as a “firehose flow” that continued from early January through the end of March.
    During that time, the ocean entry slowly rebuilt the underwater support needed for new lava delta formation. By April, the Kamokuna lava delta had begun to reform, growing outward from the sea cliff.
     In early May, this delta became unstable and collapsed. But little of the subsurface support was removed, so the Kamokuna lava delta soon began to form again.
     Over the next two months, a ramp of crusted lava built up on the delta, reaching the lava tube’s exit point on the sea cliff, and ultimately forming a hard shell around the lava fall. Multiple cracks formed across the delta as it slowly slumped into the sea.
     By August, the Kamokuna lava delta was about 8 to 10 acres in size. It remained that size through November, as lava continued to create new land, although bits of the delta edges occasionally crumbled into the sea. However, between August and November, enough material was added to the lava delta to double its height above sea level!
     In October, an apparent blockage within the lava tube system caused many overflows on the sea cliff. This created dozens of new, small lava flows cascading over the sea cliff just west of the Kamokuna ocean entry. But this activity lasted only two months before the lava became too viscous (or sticky) to continue exiting the tube.
    Where is all the lava going now?

Small channelized ‘a‘ā flow moving through a kīpuka in 

late December. USGS Photo

     Although eruption rates remained low (as best the U.S.G.S. can tell), breakouts from the blocked tube occurred frequently in 2017. With the western, primary lava tube becoming increasingly blocked, lava emerged from the tube in many locations along its entire length.
     Some breakouts remained in the upper flow field while others flowed from the top of Pulama pali and ponded at its base. On the lower flow field, numerous and sustained breakouts were scattered across the coastal plain. Few of them formed coherent flows and, as a result, lava resurfaced the same areas numerous times.
     Nearly all of the breakouts were active for several weeks to months, allowing intrepid visitors who braved the rugged cross-country trek to witness active lava. As described in last week’s Volcano Watch, the flow field is currently creating a new tube on the east side of the flow field.
     Back at Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, the lava pond at this vent was active all year. It rose and fell in concert with large deflation-inflation events at the summit of Kīlauea. The Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō lava pond circulation is slower than that in the Halemaʻumaʻu lava lake, causing a thicker crust to form on the pond’s surface. This crust was disrupted during several small rockfall events throughout the year.
     As the Puʻu ʻŌʻō eruption turns 35, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory staff prepare for another year of dynamic activity on Kīlauea. The public is invited to a number of Volcano Awareness Month presentations in January. Details are posted on the HVO website (volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/). You can also email askHVO@usgs.gov or call 808-967-8844 for more information.
     Visit the HVO website (volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo) for past Volcano Watch articles, volcano updates and photos, 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.

See public Ka‘ū events, meetings entertainment at 
 kaucalendar.com/octnovdec/decemberevents.html. 
See Ka‘ū exercise, meditation, daily, weekly events at 
kaucalendar.com/octnovdec/decembercommunity.html.
December print edition of The Ka‘ū Calendar is
free to 5,500 mailboxes throughout Ka‘ū, from Miloli‘i 
through Volcano. Also available free on stands throughout
the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com.

KA‘Ū TROJANS SPORTS SCHEDULE

Boys Basketball: Tuesday, Jan. 2, @ Kea‘au.
     Saturday, Jan. 6, Laupahoehoe @ Ka‘ū.
     Monday, Jan. 8, @ Honoka‘a.
     Wednesday, Jan. 10, @ St. Joseph.
     Monday, Jan. 15, Pāhoa @ Ka‘ū.

Girls Basketball: Friday, Jan. 5, Konawaena @ Ka‘ū.
     Wednesday, Jan. 10, Honoka‘a @ Ka‘ū.
     Friday, Jan. 12, @ Laupahoehoe.
     Monday, Jan. 15, @ HPA.

Swimming: Saturday, Jan. 6, @ Kamehameha.
     Saturday, Jan. 13, @ HPA.

Boys Soccer: Saturday, Jan. 6, Konawaena @ Ka‘ū.
     Tuesday, Jan. 9, Pāhoa @ Ka‘ū.

Wrestling: Saturday, Jan. 6, @ Kea‘au.
     Saturday, Jan. 13, @ 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.

CHRISTMAS IN THE COUNTRY, FEATURING THE ANNUAL INVITATIONAL WREATH EXHIBITION, wraps up on Sunday, Dec. 31, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
     It includes the Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit with one-of-a-kind wreaths in a variety of imaginative media, techniques and styles, from the whimsical to the traditional. “Those looking for truly original wreaths as well as one-of-a-kind, handmade gift items will not be disappointed by the selection created by our local artistic community, ” states gallery manager Emily C. Weiss.  Free, park entrance fees apply. For more, 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.

FIREWORKS AND A FIREWORKS PERMITS are available until midnight on Sunday, Dec. 31.
     Setting off of Fireworks for the New Year celebrations are allowed between the hours of 9 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, and 1 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 1, 2018. Permits should be visibly displayed at the site of use, during the time of the firing.
     Each permit costs $25.00 and will entitle the holder to purchase 5,000 individual firecrackers - multiple permit purchases are authorized. Permits will only be issued to persons 18 years of age or older and are non-transferable, and non-refundable.

     For more information on the purchasing of Fireworks permits, or the use of Fireworks, please call the Fire Prevention Bureau at 932-2911 (Hilo) or 323-4760 (Kona). For a list of places to purchase fireworks permits visit Dec. 23 Ka‘ū News Briefs.

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.

Fireworks and power lines don't mix. Call HELCO at 969-6666 if any object gets 
tangled in a power line. Photo by Julia Neal

HAWAI‘I ELECTRIC LIGHT CO. URGES SAFETY during this year's New Year's Eve festivities: When setting up fireworks, be sure the area is clear of overhead power lines, and keep ladders/
tools at least 10 feet away from any power lines. Keep setups away from utility poles. If an object does get entangled in a power line, do not try to get it loose; call the electric company trouble line.     Call HELCO at 969-6666.

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

REGISTER BY SUNDAY, DEC. 31, FOR THE 2018 MASTER GARDENER VOLUNTEER TRAINING PROGRAM which begins Saturday, Jan. 23 and continues for 13 weeks. The program is open to Ka‘ū applicants through the UH Cooperative Extension Office.
     Each person enrolling in the Master Gardener Program commits to completing 39 hours of instruction plus nine field trip hours, an open-book Midterm and Final Exam, plus 40 hours of  volunteer service within 12 months of completing the Master Gardener instruction. To continue being Certified as a Master Gardener, on-going service of 30 hours of volunteer time is required every year.
     Classes are held at The Kona Cooperative Extension Service office in Kainaliu, with field trips and workshops in the area. The next program will be held for three hours every Tuesday morning through April 17. Classes will be involved with current Master Gardener projects and will include hands-on orientation to the Helpline and Outreach programs.
     Apply online by googling West Hawai‘i Master Gardeners. For more information, call the UH Cooperative Ext. Office at 322-4884.

A NEW YEAR'S EVEN TOAST is hosted by Kīlauea Military Camp’s Lava Lounge in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park Sunday, Dec. 31, from 9:30 p.m. to midnight. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. For more details call 967-8356 or 967-8371.

KMC wraps up the Christmas and New Year's holiday season with
a New Year's Day brunch from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. on the last
day to vote on the outdoor decorations put together by the staff.
Photo from KMC

KĪLAUEA MILITARY CAMP'S CRATER RIM CAFÉ hosts a New Year's Day Brunch to take place from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 1. Celebrate the new year over Roast Pork, Chicken Picata, Omelet Station, Pancakes, Breakfast Potatoes, Rice, Patties, Bacon, Fresh Fruit, Ice Cream Sundae Bar, Brownies and Beverage. Attendees pay an entry fee of $16.95 per adult and $9.50 per child (6-11 yrs). KMC is open to all authorized KMC patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. Call 967-8356 for more details.

LIGHTS AND DECORATIONS BEDECK THE STONE AND WOODEN COTTAGES at Kīlauea Military Camp. They are open for outdoor strolling within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park through Monday, Jan. 1.Vote on the best decorated cottage. Park entrance fees apply. For more, call 967-8371 or visit kilaueamilitarycamp.com.

OCEAN VIEW VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT MEETS Monday, Jan. 1, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. For more details, call 939-7033, or ovcahi.org.

KA‘Ū COFFEE GROWERS MEET Tuesday, Jan. 2, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Pāhala Community Center.

DISCOVERY HARBOUR VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT MEETS Tuesday, Jan. 2, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Discovery Harbour Community Hall. For more call 929-9576, or visit discoveryharbour.net.

‘O KA‘Ū KĀKOU WALK FOR SENIOR HOUSING IN NĀ‘ĀLEHU begins Tuesday, Jan. 2, in Lapahoehoe and continues through Friday, Jan. 5, to Nā‘ālehu. ‘O Ka‘ū Kākou President Wayne Kawachi will walk 100 miles to raise $250,000 in an effort to purchase 1.9 acres in Nā‘ālehu for future senior housing. Make a donation to support his quest at okaukakou.org. For more call Karachi at 937-4773.

OPEN MIC NIGHT AT KĪLAUEA MILITARY CAMP'S LAVA LOUNGE is Wednesday, Jan. 3, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. welcoming singers, bands, comedians and other performers to take the stand. Call 967-8365 after 4 p.m. to sign up. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests 21 years and older. The lounge is inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. For more, visit kilaueamilitarycamp.com.

HAWAI‘I COUNTY COUNCIL committees meet Wednesday, Jan. 3, with a full council meeting on Thursday, Jan. 4. Both meeting days take place in Hilo. The committees will meet again on Wednesday, Jan. 23, and a full Council meets Thursday, Jan. 24, both in Kona. Ka‘ū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nā‘ālehu State Office Building. Agendas at hawaiicounty.gov.

OCEAN VIEW NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH meets Thursday, Jan. 4, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m, at Ocean View Community Center. For more, call 939-7033 or visit ovcahi.org.

STEWARDSHIP OF KĪPUKAPUAULU begins at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 4, with volunteers meeting in the Kīpukapuaulu parking lot on Mauna Loa Road off Hwy. 11 in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Volunteers will help remove invasive plants like morning glory from an area said to be home to an "astonishing diversity of native forest and understory plants." The event will take place again on Jan. 11, 18, and 25. Free; park entrance fees apply. For more, contact Marilyn Nicholson at nickem@hawaii.rr.com or visit nps.gov/HAVO.

TROPICAL FLOWER ARRANGING WITH HAWAIIAN CULTURAL PRACTITIONER Kaipo Ah Chong takes place Friday, Jan. 5, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., at Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus in Volcano Village. Ah Chong offers a popular tropical flower arranging workshop and provides flowers for all those in attendance, however individuals must bring their own clippers. Pre-registration is required. The class fee is $45 plus a $20 supply fee per person. For more, 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.