Kaʻū News Briefs Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Left, Halemaʻumaʻu in 2008. Right, Halemaʻumaʻu in September of 2018. See the radical changes in person starting
Saturday, Sept. 22. NPS photos

VOLCANO BUSINESSES are buzzing with excitement as partial reopening of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park approaches. This Saturday, Sept. 22, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes welcomes the public through its main gate for the first time since May 10, the last time the summit areas of the Park were open. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes closed on May 11 due to the heightened hazards of the eruption that caused over 10,000 earthquakes, and 62 summit area collapses and ashfall.

     Activity calmed down sharply starting Aug. 2, and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes began to cautiously prepare for visitors. Staff and contractors checked out roads, trails, parking areas, buildings, water and sewage lines, septic systems, and anything else that could have been damaged by the extreme number and strength of earth movements over more than three months.

Volcano House will reopen Sept. 22, with accommodations
available starting Oct. 6, and the restaurants expected to
open in mid-October. Photo from hawaiivolcanohouse.com

     Closed by necessity, with Park gates shut to the public, Volcano House, Kīlauea Military Camp, and Volcano Art Center Gallery have taken a hard hit, being closed for more than four months.

     Volcano House will receive the public on Saturday. "We are excited to announce that Volcano House will be opening in a limited capacity when the Park reopens," with three retail outlets and "an assortment of grab-and-go food and beverage options," says its website. Volcano House common areas – including the historic hotel sitting room, meditation caldera viewing room, public restrooms, and outdoor areas facing the caldera – will all be available to the public.

Military card holders can enjoy 50 percent off all rooms from
Sept. 22 through 30. Photo from kilaueamilitarycamp.com

     Volcano House is taking accommodation reservations again, with checking in starting Oct. 6. The Rim Restaurant and Uncle George's Lounge are expected to reopen in mid October, but there is no set date. "Due to the continued closure of our restaurants, all rooms will include a free continental breakfast (muffins, pastries, fresh whole fruit, yogurt, cold cereals, fruit juices, and coffee) until the restaurants re-open," says the website.

     Kīlauea Military Camp will also reopen on Saturday, at 10 a.m., with hours back to normal Sunday, Sept. 23. Elene Rizzo-Kuhn, Marketing Assistant at KMC, wrote to The Kaʻū Calendar that Saturday "will also be a day [to show] appreciation to our local community and guests as we offer up to 50 percent discounts all around the campus. We invite everyone back to KMC to join in our festivities. After four months of being off and working from home or up at Pohakuloa Training Area, our employees are looking forward to start receiving guests. Luckily there was minimal damage to KMC. All are now carefully planning a bright future toward our reopening and the business of providing legendary Morale, Welfare, and Recreation to all Service Members, their families, and authorized patrons."

Volcano Art Center Gallery returns to its normal hours
starting Sunday, Sept. 23. Photo from volcanoartcenter.org

     KMC is offering a 50 percent discount for all military card holders for lodging in any size unit, good for Sept. 22 through 30. The next big event at KMC will be the Halloween Party, on Friday, Oct. 26, at the Lava Lounge.
     Volcano Art Center Gallery will reopen at 10 a.m. on Saturday, going back to its 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours on Sunday. Though regular art installations will not restart immediately, VAC Gallery sustained little damage, and all buildings and surrounding areas will be open to the public, as normal. VAC staff told The Kaʻū Calendar that pieces are being moved back to the Gallery this week. Staff members said they are excited and relieved to be reopening the Gallery inside the Park.

Kīlauea Lodge staff are looking forward to the reopening
of the summit areas of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
Photo from highwaywestvacations.com

     Businesses like Kīlauea Lodge and Volcano Winery have struggled like all enterprise in and around Volcano Village; though these businesses outside the Park were not forced to close, visitation dropped sharply when Hawaiʻi Volcanoes closed its gates.

     Kīlauea Lodge's General Manager Janet Coney told The Kaʻū Calendar, "We're thrilled that the Park is reopening. We're definitely looking forward to it! Those that live here are excited to see the new looks of Halemaʻumaʻu."

     Coney said the loss of customers to the Lodge has been "at least 50 percent," that it's been "extremely hard," and that the Lodge has been trying to retain their staff, "keep them employed," during the Park's closure. However, the Lodge escaped any damage to the buildings and grounds.

Volcano Winery staff look forward to the reopening of the
Park restoring their custom and community.
Photo from volcanowinery.com

     Del Bothof of Volcano Winery told The Kaʻū Calendar, "We are very, very excited," about the reopening. He said the biggest loss for the winery has been the loss of the community, but there have been financial losses as well. "We lost probably 60 percent of our daily visitation," said Del, with more than a dozen vans of tourists per day most days dwindling down to one or two vans.

     Bothof also said he wants to let people know that the air – in Volcano, in Kaʻū, and over the whole island – "is gorgeous right now. I think the more people understand that, the better off the Big Island will be, because it's just so beautiful now."

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LIMITED PARKING AND LONG LINES are what visitors to the newly reopened Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park can expect on Saturday, Sept. 22. Hawai‘i Volcanoes said in a news release today that it is "pleased to announce" reopening at 10 a.m. on National Public Lands Day, with no fees. Park visitors "should anticipate heavy traffic, long lines and delays, and one third fewer parking spaces when visiting the Park," says the release.

Expect long lines and limited parking at the newly reopened
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. NPS photo

     Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando said, "We are thrilled to welcome our public back and share the incredible changes that have taken place. We ask that you stay alert to these profound changes while enjoying your Park and its resources."

     Before the closure, the Park averaged 5,500 visitors per day and many parking lots were often full by 10 a.m., says the release. Now, the available parking around the summit is reduced by one third. If a parking lot is full, visitors should seek parking at a different destination such as Mauna Ulu or at the coast. Vehicles parked outside of designated stalls are subject to citation and may be towed. There will be limited services and no potable water as the Park returns to normal operations. Visitors should bring snacks, plenty of drinking water, and a full tank of gas is also recommended. Please use caution and drive with aloha, urges the Park staff.

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Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, endorsed by NORML. 

Photo from Gabbard's office

REP. TULSI GABBARD IS ENDORSED BY THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONF FOR THE REFORM OF MARIJUANA LAWS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE, states a release from Gabbard's campaign team. The organization NORMAL PAC states that it supports Gabbard's work on decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level and her advocacy for criminal justice reform.

     Erik Altieri, NORML PAC Executive Director, says, "There was more momentum behind federal marijuana law reform in 2018 than in any previous year, and that is in no small part due to some of our longstanding, outspoken allies in Congress. We are happy to endorse Representative Tulsi Gabbard, the lead sponsor of the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act, which would end the failed national policy of cannabis prohibition. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is never afraid to speak truth to power and has been one of the most sensible voices in the Congress on improving public policy."

NORML seeks to legalize marijuana on a federal level.
Photo from marijuana.com

     Gabbard states, "For decades, bad data and misinformation have fueled the failed 'War on Drugs' that has ruined people's lives, torn families apart, and wasted billions of taxpayer dollars incarcerating Americans for nonviolent marijuana charges. In 2016 alone, nearly 600,000 people were arrested for marijuana possession. Our laws must be informed by facts – not emotion, manufactured stigma, and myths. Earlier this year, Attorney General Jeff Sessions put every state with policies of legalized medical and non-medical marijuana on high alert, placing millions at risk of arrest and federal prosecution even though they are abiding by the laws of their states. This hurts so many – like veterans suffering from invisible wounds such as Post-Traumatic Stress, chronic pain, or addiction to opioids, and children with epilepsy, cancer, and other serious and chronic conditions. We must end the federal marijuana prohibition, provide relief to the millions of people and families who have been dragged into our broken criminal justice system, and prevent lives from needless ruin in the future."

     The release states Gabbard introduced the Marijuana Data Collection Act, which, "lays the groundwork for real reform by producing an objective, evidence-based report on current state marijuana laws."

Marijuana can be used by sufferers of PTSD, chronic pain,
opioid addiction, epilepsy, cancer, and other serious, chronic
conditions. Photo from drugabuse.com

     Gabbard has called for closing the gaps between federal and state law to resolve current contradictions and provide legally abiding marijuana businesses with clear access to financial services, says the release. She also co-sponsored the Marijuana Justice Act "to reform unjust federal marijuana laws and empower minority communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the failed War on Drugs, the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act to allow equal banking access and financial services for marijuana-related businesses, and the RESPECT Resolution to encourage equity in the marijuana industry," says the release.
      Last week, says the release, Congress "rejected bipartisan, Gabbard-backed language known as the Veterans Equal Access Amendment that would have lifted a prohibition on VA physicians recommending medical marijuana prescriptions in states where it is legal."

     NORML PAC is the political arm of NORML, an organization "dedicated to informing voters and elected officials about marijuana laws, to move public opinion sufficiently to legalize the responsible use of marijuana by adults, and to serve as an advocate for consumers to ensure they have access to high quality marijuana that is safe, convenient, and affordable."

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KAʻŪ TROJANS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL hosted Laupahoehoe's Varsity team on Monday, Sept 17, at 6 p.m. Laupahoehoe tried to take down the Trojans, but the girls stayed Kaʻū strong, scoring 25, 26, and 25 to the opposing team's 17, 24, and 14.
     See the next game tomorrow night, as Kaʻū hosts Kohala. See the Fall schedule for Girls Volleyball, Football, and Cross County, below.
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. 

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events. 

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

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

   Sat., Sept. 22, 3:30pm, host Lanai @ Keaʻau
   Sat., Sept. 29, 11am, host Pāhoa

   Sat, Oct 6, 12pm, host Kohala

   Sat, Oct 13, BIIF Semi-Finals at Kamehameha

   Sat, Oct 20, BIIF Finals - Higher

Girls Volleyball:
   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

   Mon, Oct 15, BIIF DII Qtr - Higher

   Wed, Oct 17, BIIF DII Semi-Finals @ Kona
   Thu, Oct 18, BIIF DII Finals @ Kona

Cross Country:
   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

   Sat, Oct 20, 9am, BIIF @ HPA

   Sat, Oct 27, 8:30am, HHSAA

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.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 19

Ocean View Community Association Board Meeting, Wed., Sept. 19, 12:30pm, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Arts and Crafts Activity: Friendship Bracelets, Wed., Sept. 19, 3-4pm, Kahuku Park, Hawaiian Ocean View Estates. For all ages. Register Sept. 10-14. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

Arts and Crafts Activity: Handprint Tree Art, Wed., Sept. 19, 3:30-5pm, Pāhala Community Center. For keiki in grades K-8. Register Sept. 13-18. Free. hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation, 928-3102

THURSDAY, SEPT. 20

Hawaiʻi Disability Legal Services, Thu., Sept. 20, 9-noon, Ocean View Community Center. ovcahi.org, 939-7033, ovcahawaii@gmail.com

SATURDAY, SEPT. 22

5th Annual Kaʻū Coffee Trail Run, Sat., Sept. 22, 7am, Kaʻū Coffee Mill, Wood Valley. Register online at webscorer.com/register?raceid=128145 until midnight, Sept. 20. Fees: 5K, $35/person; 10K, $45/person; and 1/2 Marathon, $55/person. Fees increase Sept. 10: $55/person; 10K, $65/person; and 1/2 Marathon, $75/person. Race day registration ends at 6:30am; all fees increase to $75/person. kaucoffeemill.com. Event organizers: ʻO Kaʻū Kākou, okaukakou.org.

Fountain Grass Removal - Volunteer Day, Sat., Sept. 22, 9-3pm, meet at Ocean View Community Center. Hosted and sponsored by Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. No sign-up necessary. ovcahi.org, 939-7033

Stained Glass Basics II: Exterior Lamp Project w/Claudia McCall, Sat./Sun., Sept. 22, 23, 29, and 30, 9-noon, Volcano Art Center's Niʻaulani Campus, Volcano Village. Students complete the 4-session workshop with a finished exterior lamp and basic skills to continue working with stained glass. $90/VAC member, $100/non-member, plus $30 supply fee for light fixture. Anyone with prior copper foil stained glass experience welcome. Advanced registration required. Class size limited. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

Birth of Kahuku, Sat., Sept. 22, 9:30-11:30am, Kahuku Unit of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Explore rich geologic history of Kahuku on this easy-to-moderate hike that traverses the vast 1868 lava flow, with different volcano features and formations. Learn about the Hawaiian hotspot and the creation of Kahuku. Free. nps.gov/HAVO

Reopening of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, main park, limited sections, 10am, Sat., Sept. 22. See nps.gov/havo/recovery.htm for more.

Exhibit - One Lucid Dream: A Retrospective of Art Works by Ken Charon, Mon.-Sat., Sept. 22-Oct 6, 10-4pm, Volcano Art Centers Niʻaulani Campus, Volcano Village. Original paintings, drawings, and other objects. Public invited to free opening reception Sat., Sept. 22, 5-7pm. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Saudades, The Longing: 2018 Commemoration of the 140th Anniversary of the Arrivals of Hawaiʻi's First Portuguese Immigrant Families is being celebrated by islandwide traveling presentations that are free and open to the public. Kaʻū location: Pāhala Community Center, Sept. 22, Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Flameworking - An Introductory Class w/Nash Adams-Pruitt, Sat., Sept. 22, 2-4:30pm, Volcano Art Center's Niʻaulani Campus, Volcano Village. Students complete workshop with a finished design of their own and basic skills to continue flameworking. $155/VAC member, $160/non-member, plus $40 supply fee. Advanced registration required. Class sized limited. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund Beach Clean-up w/Anderson ʻOhana's CF Campaign, Sat., Sept. 22, contact in advance for meet up time at Waiʻōhinu Park. 4WD required; no space available in HWF vehicles. Free; donations appreciated. kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com, wildhawaii.org

SUNDAY, SEPT. 23

People and Land of Kahuku, Sun., Sept. 23, 9:30-12:30pm, Kahuku Unit of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Guided, 2.5-mile, moderately difficult hike over rugged terrain focuses on the area's human history. Free. nps.gov/HAVO

MONDAY, SEPT. 24

Kaʻū Homeschool Co–op Group, Mon., Sept. 24, 1pm, Ocean View Community Center. A parent-led homeschool activity/social group building community in Kaʻū. Contact prior to attending to confirm location in case of field trip. Laura Roberts, 406-249-3351

TUESDAY, SEPT. 24

HOVE Road Maintenance Corp. Meeting, Tue., Sept. 25, 10am, 92-8979 Lehua Lane, Ocean View. hoveroad.com, 929-9910, gm@hoveroad.com

ONGOING

Disaster Recovery Center Closes Sept. 29. 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. Survivors who have left the area, call 800-621-3362.

5th Annual Kaʻū Coffee Trail Run Registration Open, online at webscorer.com/register?raceid=128145. Fees through Thursday, 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 Saturday, Sept. 22, 7 a.m.. Races begin and end at Kaʻū Coffee Mill, kaucoffeemill.com. Event organizers: ʻO Kaʻū Kākou, okaukakou.org.

Park Beautification Day at Kahuku Park in HOVE for all ages on Friday, Sept. 28, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Registration is open through Sept. 26. 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.

Free Beaded Wind Chime Arts and Crafts Activity at Pāhala Comunity Center on Wednesday, Sept. 26, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., for keiki in Kindergarten through 8th grade. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.