 |
A curtain of ʻōhiʻa tree roots in an Ocean View lava tube is illuminated with back lights. Cameraman Mark
Sharman (left) and producer Alex Ranken confer on the shot that will reveal details of the cave-adapted insects
that call these roots home. See story, below. Photo by Scott Engel
|
OLIVIA CHURNS CLOSER, a strong Tropical Storm threatening high winds and flooding, the first impacts expected to arrive at the north tip of Hawaiʻi Island Tuesday afternoon. At 5 p.m., Olivia reached 439 miles east northeast of South Point, with 70 mph winds and higher gusts. She traveled at 10 mph, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. A Tropical Storm Warning remains for Hawaiʻi County, along with a Flash Flood Watch for this island and High Surf Warning for eastern shores.
All after-school activities on Hawaiʻi Island are cancelled for Tuesday. The state Department of Land & Natural Resources closed public lands on this island to hikers, hunters, gatherers, and all others. State parks close Tuesday morning.
The 5 p.m. forecast predicted that Olivia's eye will track north of Hawaiʻi Island and could make landfall on Maui, Molokaʻi and Lanaʻi. The National Weather Service issued a Tropical Storm Warning for all three and Oʻahu, a Tropical Storm Watch for Kauaʻi, and keeps its Tropical Storm Warning for this island.
In Gov. David Ige's briefing today, he said Olivia "continues to be a powerful storm and can impact any county across the state." He urged residents to "stay connected to their county emergency management and Civil Defense. They will have the most current and accurate information."
All after-school activities on Hawaiʻi Island are cancelled for Tuesday. The state Department of Land & Natural Resources closed public lands on this island to hikers, hunters, gatherers, and all others. State parks close Tuesday morning.
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| Image from prh.noaa.gov/cphc |
In Gov. David Ige's briefing today, he said Olivia "continues to be a powerful storm and can impact any county across the state." He urged residents to "stay connected to their county emergency management and Civil Defense. They will have the most current and accurate information."
The state Administrator of the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency, Tom Travis, urged everyone to prepare with "14 days of food, water, and a tank of gas." He emphasized, "Don't fix on the forecast track. This storm could directly impact every area of the state from South Point all the way to the North Shore of Kauaʻi." He said he appreciates "the community's patience in preparing for the many disasters we've experienced."
A FEMA representative said that food and water, as well as emergency rescue and recovery crews, are staged around the state ahead of the storm. He warned, "Don't become complacent with this. This is a very serious storm. Take it very seriously. Listen to your local officials and have a plan. Know where to go and what to do." See the entire presentation at facebook.com/Governor
DavidIge/videos/2221304594821361.
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.
BAY CLINIC ANNOUNCED A $25,000 GRANT today, coming from the Safeway Foundation, to help underserved women access regularly scheduled breast cancer screenings and mammograms. Bay Clinic offers its Breast Cancer Prevention Program at Kaʻū Family Health & Dental Center and other locations. It provides clinical breast health care, including education on the importance of early detection and treatment, mammogram referrals, and other support services.
"This gift will have a tremendous impact on our program," said Harold Wallace, Bay Clinic CEO. "We thank the Safeway Foundation for their commitment over the years to making our East Hawaiʻi community a better place to live and work."
Wendy Gutshall, of Safeway Foundation, said, "It's an honor to support the work of Bay Clinic. Every day we learn about organizations that go above and beyond to help people in need. Such selfless dedication makes our communities better places to live and work."
A statement from Bay Clinic says, "About one in eight women born today in the U.S. will get breast cancer at some point. The good news is that many women can survive breast cancer if it's found and treated early. A
mammogram — the screening test for breast cancer — can help find breast cancer early when
it's easier to treat. Talk to your doctor about your risk for breast cancer, especially if a close
family member of yours has had breast or ovarian cancer. Your doctor can help you decide when
and how often to get mammograms."
Call 333-3600 to make a women's health screening appointment at any one of Bay Clinic's primary care health centers: Hilo Women's Health Center, Hilo Family Health Center, Keaʻau Family Health & Dental Center, Pāhoa Family Health Center, or Kaʻū Family Health and Dental Center.
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 FEMA representative said that food and water, as well as emergency rescue and recovery crews, are staged around the state ahead of the storm. He warned, "Don't become complacent with this. This is a very serious storm. Take it very seriously. Listen to your local officials and have a plan. Know where to go and what to do." See the entire presentation at facebook.com/Governor
DavidIge/videos/2221304594821361.
 |
| Showing that storms can change direction, one spaghetti model predicted that Olivia would head north and circle back through the islands to Kaʻū. The path was deleted today. See the latest at cyclocane.com/olivia-storm-tracker. |
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.
BAY CLINIC ANNOUNCED A $25,000 GRANT today, coming from the Safeway Foundation, to help underserved women access regularly scheduled breast cancer screenings and mammograms. Bay Clinic offers its Breast Cancer Prevention Program at Kaʻū Family Health & Dental Center and other locations. It provides clinical breast health care, including education on the importance of early detection and treatment, mammogram referrals, and other support services.
"This gift will have a tremendous impact on our program," said Harold Wallace, Bay Clinic CEO. "We thank the Safeway Foundation for their commitment over the years to making our East Hawaiʻi community a better place to live and work."
Wendy Gutshall, of Safeway Foundation, said, "It's an honor to support the work of Bay Clinic. Every day we learn about organizations that go above and beyond to help people in need. Such selfless dedication makes our communities better places to live and work."
A statement from Bay Clinic says, "About one in eight women born today in the U.S. will get breast cancer at some point. The good news is that many women can survive breast cancer if it's found and treated early. A
mammogram — the screening test for breast cancer — can help find breast cancer early when
it's easier to treat. Talk to your doctor about your risk for breast cancer, especially if a close
family member of yours has had breast or ovarian cancer. Your doctor can help you decide when
and how often to get mammograms."Call 333-3600 to make a women's health screening appointment at any one of Bay Clinic's primary care health centers: Hilo Women's Health Center, Hilo Family Health Center, Keaʻau Family Health & Dental Center, Pāhoa Family Health Center, or Kaʻū Family Health and Dental Center.
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.
TINY WILDLIFE IN A KAʻŪ LAVA TUBE is one focus of a new production by a UK film company True to Nature. In early September, the filmmakers fitted a super-macro lens to their video camera to capture cave-adapted underground life here. For some of the species, this was the first time they had ever been filmed.
Scientists experienced in Kaʻū lava tubes assisted the filmmakers. Dr. Megan Porter, Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, has studied cave life for over 25 years. Dr. Annette Summers Engel, a Professor of aqueous geochemistry at the University of Tennessee, has made numerous field trips to the Big Island, and is an expert at finding tiny insects in big lava tubes. Assisting them were Scott Engel, a geologist from Tennessee, and Alan Hudson, an evolutionary biologist from the UK, now living in Honolulu.
Drawing on their extensive studies of cave insects on the Big Island, the biologists selected a lava tube in Ocean View that was easily accessible and has a rich selection of lava tube life. The crew and scientists were hosted by resident cavers Peter and Ann Bosted, of the Ocean View Ranchos community.
Interviewed by The Kaʻū Calendar, Porter and Summers Engel explained how they were able to find the proverbial needle in a haystack and how the film crew was able to record the elusive insects. Most of these insects are smaller than a pea, and some smaller than a single grain of rice.
Summers Engel said, "They were able to get the camera incredibly close without alarming the animals. They filmed the bugs just walking naturally around the rocks or on the tree roots, which was very satisfying for us to see. So often, film makers capture an insect and then try to photograph it in a studio where the photographers can control the environment. This is not natural for the animal, so it will not behave naturally. It will act afraid and behave defensively. But since this shoot was in a cave, the animals moved beautifully.
"The filmmakers got a fantastic close-up of a Thread-legged Bug walking up and down a tree root. It was amazing. I don't think it has been done before; the detail was outstanding. They also obtained wonderful footage of a juvenile Plant Hopper moving around a root, and a Water Strider crossing over a rock and cleaning its antennae. This is a real breakthrough," she added.
Asked about other cave adaptions, Porter reeled off a list of more easily observable characteristics, such as longer legs, a lack of pigment, no eyes or reduced vision. "Since these animals live in complete darkness all their lives, they don't need visual senses, but do require better non-visual senses - so their hairs are more sensitive and their antennae are longer. They can easily create and detect vibrations.
"Plant Hoppers living in lava tubes in different parts of the island have different 'songs', to communicate with each other, and they likely attract mates that way."
Porter and Summers Engel also talked about their subterranean research findings and explained why the True to Nature film crew flew half way around the world to document the cave bugs of Kaʻū.
Said Porter, "This documentary will be about life around volcanoes. Volcanoes create lava tubes and these habitats are a sanctuary for animals that are able to colonize and adapt to living their lives in darkness. Lava tubes have fairly constant temperatures, and are always moist, unlike the outside where insects must endure rain, drought, heat, and cold. Lava tubes are also free of insect predators, such as birds or bats."
"But," explained Summers Engel, "food is still an issue for the cave animals. Without sunlight, plants do not grow in lava tubes. Even though there are microbial mats that grow on the rocks, the cave animals rely on plant roots, and especially ʻōhiʻa roots, that grow down through cracks and into the open passages.
"The problem is," said Summers Engel, "that while these roots are rich in carbon, they are poor in nitrogen. The volcanic rock and soil are also poor in nitrogen. Some Hawaiian plants can pull nitrogen out of the air and make organic nitrogen. But the animals that never leave the cave, with only access to ʻōhiʻa roots, don't have access to other nitrogen-rich food sources.
"Sap-sucking insects, such as Aphids that live outdoors and Plant Hoppers, can't make nitrogen compounds like amino acids on their own. So they rely on specialized symbiotic bacteria living in pouches in their bodies to generate these compounds for them. Unfortunately, what we know about the cave-adapted sap-suckers and how they live is based on what has been studied from bugs on the surface, not from the underground. The cave Plant Hoppers may have even more specialized bacteria living inside them, which is one reason why we are very keen to study them.
"Lava tube biology is like an untapped well. A lot remains to be learned about life. We have only scratched the surface. The deeper we go and the more we learn about cave-adapted insects, the more we find we still have to discover about life," said Summers Engel. "It's fascinating."
The Kaʻū content will be the fourth segment for the TV movie by True to Nature. The program will focus on four aspects of life around volcanoes in different parts of the world. Kīlauea's recent eruption is widely considered to be a disaster in human terms, but an expected occurrence in nature. After all, volcanoes build the ʻāina. But how does that work for the animal world? Which critters survive eruptions, and which ones do not? How do frogs, or goats or insects fare? How can humans benefit? Those questions, and others, will be posed in the upcoming documentary.
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.
Scientists experienced in Kaʻū lava tubes assisted the filmmakers. Dr. Megan Porter, Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, has studied cave life for over 25 years. Dr. Annette Summers Engel, a Professor of aqueous geochemistry at the University of Tennessee, has made numerous field trips to the Big Island, and is an expert at finding tiny insects in big lava tubes. Assisting them were Scott Engel, a geologist from Tennessee, and Alan Hudson, an evolutionary biologist from the UK, now living in Honolulu.
 |
A tiny Thread-legged Bug can be barely discerned in the
tangle of fine ʻōhiʻa roots in front of the movie camera.
Photo by Scott Engel
|
Interviewed by The Kaʻū Calendar, Porter and Summers Engel explained how they were able to find the proverbial needle in a haystack and how the film crew was able to record the elusive insects. Most of these insects are smaller than a pea, and some smaller than a single grain of rice.
Summers Engel said, "They were able to get the camera incredibly close without alarming the animals. They filmed the bugs just walking naturally around the rocks or on the tree roots, which was very satisfying for us to see. So often, film makers capture an insect and then try to photograph it in a studio where the photographers can control the environment. This is not natural for the animal, so it will not behave naturally. It will act afraid and behave defensively. But since this shoot was in a cave, the animals moved beautifully.
"The filmmakers got a fantastic close-up of a Thread-legged Bug walking up and down a tree root. It was amazing. I don't think it has been done before; the detail was outstanding. They also obtained wonderful footage of a juvenile Plant Hopper moving around a root, and a Water Strider crossing over a rock and cleaning its antennae. This is a real breakthrough," she added.
 |
The film crew from True to Nature that flew half way around
the world to document cave-adapted bugs in Ocean View. On
the left is Amy Thompson, the film's researcher. Mark Sharman,
the cameraman, is in the middle. Alex Ranken, the producer,
is on the right. Photo by Ann Bosted
|
"Plant Hoppers living in lava tubes in different parts of the island have different 'songs', to communicate with each other, and they likely attract mates that way."
Porter and Summers Engel also talked about their subterranean research findings and explained why the True to Nature film crew flew half way around the world to document the cave bugs of Kaʻū.
Said Porter, "This documentary will be about life around volcanoes. Volcanoes create lava tubes and these habitats are a sanctuary for animals that are able to colonize and adapt to living their lives in darkness. Lava tubes have fairly constant temperatures, and are always moist, unlike the outside where insects must endure rain, drought, heat, and cold. Lava tubes are also free of insect predators, such as birds or bats."
"But," explained Summers Engel, "food is still an issue for the cave animals. Without sunlight, plants do not grow in lava tubes. Even though there are microbial mats that grow on the rocks, the cave animals rely on plant roots, and especially ʻōhiʻa roots, that grow down through cracks and into the open passages.
 |
A view into a lava tube entrance, surrounded by natural ʻōhiʻa
forest, was a shot the
life in the lava tubes of Kaʻū. Photo by Ann Bosted
|
"Sap-sucking insects, such as Aphids that live outdoors and Plant Hoppers, can't make nitrogen compounds like amino acids on their own. So they rely on specialized symbiotic bacteria living in pouches in their bodies to generate these compounds for them. Unfortunately, what we know about the cave-adapted sap-suckers and how they live is based on what has been studied from bugs on the surface, not from the underground. The cave Plant Hoppers may have even more specialized bacteria living inside them, which is one reason why we are very keen to study them.
"Lava tube biology is like an untapped well. A lot remains to be learned about life. We have only scratched the surface. The deeper we go and the more we learn about cave-adapted insects, the more we find we still have to discover about life," said Summers Engel. "It's fascinating."
The Kaʻū content will be the fourth segment for the TV movie by True to Nature. The program will focus on four aspects of life around volcanoes in different parts of the world. Kīlauea's recent eruption is widely considered to be a disaster in human terms, but an expected occurrence in nature. After all, volcanoes build the ʻāina. But how does that work for the animal world? Which critters survive eruptions, and which ones do not? How do frogs, or goats or insects fare? How can humans benefit? Those questions, and others, will be posed in the upcoming documentary.
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.
HAWAIʻI ELECTRIC LIGHT reports preparations for Tropical
Storm Olivia include securing contractors for various services, such as tree
trimming and pole hole digging, and contacting electrical and construction
workers.
The utility, and
sister utilities on Maui and Oʻahu, says it is monitoring Olivia closely, activating emergency response plans, going through pre-storm checklists, and
readying crews to respond. The utility also says it is taking inventory of
fuel supplies, checking generators, and ensuring equipment inside and outside its facilities are secure.
Ron Cox, senior
vice president of operations, said, "The Hawaiian Electric Companies have
focused on hardening our island grids over the past several years, but they are
not immune to storms like Olivia. There will be outages if the islands are hit
by powerful winds, torrential rain, and flooding. Once the storm has passed and
it is safe for our crews to begin restoration, we will work as quickly and
safely as possible to restore power."
The release from
HELCo says the utility conducts "extensive training to prepare employees
to respond safely and as quickly as possible if a storm threatens our service
territory," and that it and its sister utilities have invested "more
than $1.5 billion over the past seven years to upgrade and reinforce poles,
lines, and equipment, which will help the utilities recover quicker after a
storm."
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| Olivia at 5:30 p.m., Sept. 10, just northeast of the islands. Image from prh.noaa.gov/cphc |
The utility
suggests customers review family and business emergency plans, ensure they have
supplies they need on hand, and keep close watch on the development of the
storm system. The utility suggests unplugging electric appliances that may not
be needed or used until the storm has passed or, should power go out, until power is restored. HELCo recommends portable generators used after the storm be placed
in a well-ventilated area, outside the home.
HELCo also reminds
those with photovoltaic a.k.a. solar panels tied into the grid that those
systems will not operate when power is out; they are designed to shut down in
the event of outages for safety reasons. This is true for all systems except those
that are designed to provide emergency back-up power in the event of an outage.
More electrical safety and preparation tips
are available in the HELCo Handbook for Emergency Preparedness, available
in five languages, at hawaiielectriclight.com/prepare.
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 Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.
Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes
throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on
stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com
|
KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE
Football:
Sat., Sept. 15, 1pm, @ Kohala
Sat., Sept. 22, 3:30pm, host Lanai @ Keaʻau
Sat., Sept. 29, 11am, host Pāhoa
Wed., Sept. 12, 6pm, @ Christian Liberty
Fri., Sept. 14, @ Kamehameha
Mon., Sept. 17, 6pm, host Lapahoehoe
Wed., Sept. 19, 6pm, host Kohala
Thu., Sept. 20, 6pm, @ Honokaʻa
Tue., Sept. 25, 6pm, @ HPA
Fri., Sept. 28, 6pm, host Kona
Mon., Oct. 1, 6pm, host HAAS
Sat., Sept. 15, 10am, Keaʻau
Sat., Sept. 22, 9am, @ HPA
Fri., Sept. 28, 6pm, host Kona
Mon., Oct. 1, 6pm, host HAAS
Sat., Sept. 22, 3:30pm, host Lanai @ Keaʻau
Sat., Sept. 29, 11am, host Pāhoa
Sat, Oct 6, 12pm , host Kohala
Girls Volleyball:
Sat, Oct 13, BIIF Semi-Finals at Kamehameha
Wed., Sept. 12, 6pm, @ Christian Liberty
Fri., Sept. 14, @ Kamehameha
Mon., Sept. 17, 6pm, host Lapahoehoe
Wed., Sept. 19, 6pm, host Kohala
Thu., Sept. 20, 6pm, @ Honokaʻa
Tue., Sept. 25, 6pm, @ HPA
Fri., Sept. 28, 6pm, host Kona
Mon., Oct. 1, 6pm, host HAAS
Tues, Oct 2, 6pm , @ Kealakehe
Fri, Oct 5, 6pm , host Keaʻau
Wed, Oct 10, 6pm , @ Parker
Fri, Oct 12, 6pm , host St. Joseph
Sat., Sept. 15, 10am, Keaʻau
Sat., Sept. 22, 9am, @ HPA
Fri., Sept. 28, 6pm, host Kona
Mon., Oct. 1, 6pm, host HAAS
Sat, Oct 6, 2pm , @ Kealakehe
Sat, Oct 13, BYE
NEW and UPCOMING
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| Hālau Ha‘a Keo O Kinohi perfroms Hula Kahiko at Volcano Art Center on Saturday, Sept. 5. Photo from volcanoartcenter.org |
HULA KAHIKO FEATURING KUMU HULA PAUL NEEVES WITH HĀLAU HA‘A KEA O KINOHI, takes place on Saturday, Sept. 15, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus in Volcano Village.
Neves is a student of the late Kumu hula Wayne Kaho’onei Panoke, who in turn was a student of the late kumu hula Winona Beamer. He opened Hālau Ha’a Kea o Kinohi in 2004 with schools in Hilo, San Francisco, and Kyoto, Japan.
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| Kumu Hula Paul Neeves. Photo from volcanoartcenter.org |
Neves is a cultural practitioner of the traditional ways of the Kanaka Maoli, who emphasizes aloha as a lifestyle, ‘ohana (family), alaka‘i (leadership/ discipline), and lokahi (unity), as the core of communal expression. His "purpose is to lay a foundation of aloha with the goal of making a difference in the world today through the practice of Hawaiian culture and values," states the event description at volcanoartcenter.org.
The performance is part of a year-round series sponsored by the Volcano Art Center. For the series, hula hālau from across Hawai‘i and beyond are usually invited to perform each month at the kahua hula (platform) in the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park; however, due to the recent volcanic activity and subsequent park closures, this event will be held at Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus in Volcano Village.
Hula Kahiko will be presented authentically in an outdoor setting, rain or shine without electronic amplification. Audience members are encouraged to bring sun/rain gear and sitting mats.
For more, call 967-8222 or visit volcanoartcenter.org.
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| Cultural Specialist Loke Kamanu and her ‘Ohana share all things hula at Nā Mea Hula on Sept. 15. Photo from volcanoartcenter.org |
NĀ MEA HULA WITH CULTURAL SPECIALIST LOKE KAMANU AND HER ‘OHANA follows the performance, with demonstrations on the porch of Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus in Volcano Village on Saturday, Sept. 15, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Presenting a display of Nā Mea Hula (all things hula), they share a variety of instruments, implements and lei styles that play an integral role in the life of the hula practitioner. This memorable demonstration is hands-on and family friendly. Nā Mea Hula takes place once a month. For more, call 967-8222 or visit volcanoartcenter.org.
Presenting a display of Nā Mea Hula (all things hula), they share a variety of instruments, implements and lei styles that play an integral role in the life of the hula practitioner. This memorable demonstration is hands-on and family friendly. Nā Mea Hula takes place once a month. For more, 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.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 11
Volcano Bay Mobile Health Unit Visits: Dental, Wed., Sept. 12, 8-5pm ; Medical, Thu., Aug 27, 1-5pm , Cooper Center Volcano Village
C.E.R.T. Discovery Harbour/Nāʻālehu, Tue., Sept. 11, 4-6pm , Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Public invited to see what Community Emergency Response Team is about, and participate in training scenarios. Dina Shisler, dinashisler24@yahoo.com, 410-935-8087
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 12
Arts and Crafts Activity: Dove Foldable For Peace, Wed., Sept. 12, 3:30-5pm, Pāhala Community Center. For keiki in grades K-8. Register Sept. 4-11. Free. hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation, 928-3102
THURSDAY, SEPT. 13
Story Time with Auntie Linda from Tūtū and Me, Thu., Sept. 13, 10:30-noon, Nāʻālehu Public Library. 929-8571
Hawaiian Civic Club of Kaʻū, Thu., Sept. 13, 6:30pm , United Methodist Church
FRIDAY, SEPT. 14
Free Community Dance, Fri., Sept. 14, 7-10pm , Cooper Center Volcano Village
SATURDAY, SEPT. 15
Ocean View C.E.R.T. Meeting, Sat., Sept. 15, 10-1pm , Ocean View Community Center
Nā Mea Hula w/ Loke Kamanu and ʻOhana, Sat., Sept. 15, 11-1pm , Volcano Art Center Niʻaulani Campus, Volcano Village
MONDAY, SEPT. 17Discovery Harbour 5-6:30pm , Discovery Harbour Community Hall. 929-9576, discoveryharbour.net
Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund "Get the Drift and Bag It" International Coastal Cleanup, Sat., Sept. 15, contact in advance for meet up time at Waiʻōhinu Park. 4WD needed, some space available but limited. RSVP. Free; donations appreciated. kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com, wildhawaii.org
Palm Trail, Sat., Sept. 15, 9:30-12:30pm, Kahuku Unit of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Moderately difficult, 2.6-mile loop traverses scenic pastures along an ancient cinder cone, with some of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. nps.gov/HAVO
John D. Dawson Studio Sale 10-3pm , Volcano Art Center Volcano Village
Hula Kahiko - Paul Neves w/ Hula Hālau Kou Lima Nani E, Sat., Sept. 15, 10:30-11:30am, hula platform near Volcano Art Center Niʻaulani Campus, Volcano Village. Hula performance. Free. Desiree, 987-7288, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org
Potluck and Dance, Sat., Sept. 15, 5:30pm , Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Live music by Shootz Band. BYOBeverage. $5/ticket. Register at office by Sept. 12. Discovery Harbour Community Association, 929-9576
Bunco and Potluck, Sat., Sept. 15, 6pm , Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Popular game played with nine dice, also known as Bonko or Bunko. Bring dish to share. Margie Hack, 541-954-8297
SUNDAY, SEPT. 16
Kaʻū ʻOhana Day: Picnic In The Park, Sun., Sept. 16, 12-3pm , Kahuku Unit of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park; entrance near 70.5 mile marker on Hwy 11). Family-friendly event. Shave ice, food vendors, children's activities, hula, and music. nps.gov/HAVO
ONGOING
5th Annual Kaʻū Coffee Trail Run Registration Open, online at webscorer.com/register?raceid=128145. Fees through Sept. 20: 5K, $55/person; 10K, $65/person; and 1/2 Marathon, $75/person. On Race Day, $75 per person, any race. Race Day is Sat., Sept. 22, 7 a.m.; begins and ends at Kaʻū Coffee Mill, kaucoffeemill.com. Event organizers: ʻO Kaʻū Kākou, okaukakou.org.
Activities at Kahuku Park - within Hawaiian Ocean View Estates - over the next two months, include two physical activities, three arts and crafts activities, and a Park Beautification Day.
For all ages:
- Friendship Bracelets: Wed., Sept. 19, 3 to 4 p.m. Registration open through Sept. 14.
- Park Beautification Day: Fri., Sept. 28, 1:30 to 4 p.m. Registration open Sept. 19 through 26.
Activities are free to attend. For more, call Teresa Anderson at 929-9113 or visit the park during business hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 12:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. and Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. See hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation/.
- Park Beautification Day: Fri., Sept. 28, 1:30 to 4 p.m. Registration open Sept. 19 through 26.
Free Arts and Crafts Activities at Pāhala Comunity Center happen on Wednesdays in September, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., through the end of Sept., for keiki in Kindergarten through 8th grade.
- Sept. 12: Dove Foldable For Peace. Register through Sept. 11.
- Sept. 19: Handprint Tree Art. Register Sept. 13 through 18.
- Sept. 26: Beaded Wind Chime. Register Sept. 19 through 25.
For more, call 928-3102 or visit the community center during business hours: Monday-Thursday and Saturday, from noon to 8 p.m., or Friday, from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. See hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation/.
Tūtū and Me Traveling Preschool’s Temporary Nāʻālehu Location is Kauahaʻao Church in Waiʻōhinu. Meeting days and times remain the same: Mondays and Wednesdays, from 8:45 to 10:45 a.m. Pāhala site program meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., at Pāhala Community Center.
Tūtū and Me also offers home visits to those with keiki zero to five years old, to aid with parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate listening ear. Free. Visits last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, total of 12 visits. Snacks are provided.
To enroll in either program, fill out enrollment forms found at pidf.org/programs/tutu_and_me/enrollment_forms, or call Linda Bong at 464-9634. Questions: Clark at 929-8571 or eclark@pidfountation.org.
- Sept. 19: Handprint Tree Art. Register Sept. 13 through 18.
- Sept. 26: Beaded Wind Chime. Register Sept. 19 through 25.
For more, call 928-3102 or visit the community center during business hours: Monday-Thursday and Saturday, from noon to 8 p.m., or Friday, from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. See hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation/.
Tūtū and Me also offers home visits to those with keiki zero to five years old, to aid with parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate listening ear. Free. Visits last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, total of 12 visits. Snacks are provided.
To enroll in either program, fill out enrollment forms found at pidf.org/programs/tutu_and_me/enrollment_forms, or call Linda Bong at 464-9634. Questions: Clark at 929-8571 or eclark@pidfountation.org.
Volunteers Needed by St. Jude's Episcopal Church for community outreach, especially soup cooks and shower organizers, towel laundry, alter guild, and for the computer lab. Volunteers do not have to be members of the church. "Volunteering for St. Jude's Saturday Shower and Soup ministry is an opportunity to serve God in a powerful way," states St. Jude's. Contact Dave Breskin, 319-8333.
Harmony Educational Services, Home Based Educational Programs - Open Enrollment through Oct 15; harmonyed.com/hawaii. Partnered with four local public charter schools, Harmony offers benefits of homeschooling with resources available to public schools. Interested families can also contact Rayna Williams at rwilliams@harmonyed.com or 430-9798.
Disaster Recovery Center will close Sept. 17. Open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Pāhoa Neighborhood Center at 15-3022 Kauhale St. See information applicants need to bring, or register online, at fema.gov/disaster/4366; deadline is Sept. 12. If you are a survivor who has left the area, call 800-621-3362. Salvation Army distribution center at Pāhoa Community Center on Tue, Thu, and Sat, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. To donate, contact 756-0306.