Friday, November 16, 2018

Kaʻū News Briefs Friday, November 16, 2018

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to closely monitor volcanoes and earthquakes on the Island of Hawaiʻi.
On this map, which shows earthquakes that occurred beneath the island between August 6, 2018, and November 14,
2018, the size of each circle depicts earthquake magnitude and color indicates earthquake depth, relative
to mean sea level.  See more below. USGS map
AN INVESTIGATION INTO FACEBOOK AND ANALYTICA is a mission of Sen. Mazie Hirono, along with Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) The trio today urged U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to investigate whether Facebook—or any other entity affiliated with or hired by Facebook—hid information and retaliated against critics or public officials seeking to regulate the platform.
     A statement from Hirono says, "Recent reports—including one from the New York Times—allege that Facebook has taken significant steps to undermine critics, including hiring partisan political consultants to retaliate and spread disinformation about people who have criticized Facebook, which, if not properly disclosed, may have campaign finance implications."
     The Senators wrote to the Deputy AG, saying that "Since the 2016 election, both the government and Facebook's own internal investigations have revealed that the company failed to adequately protect the data and trust of its 2.2 billion users. Facebook also failed to implement basic protocols to prevent manipulation by foreign adversaries working to undermine America's political system.
     "Given the staggering amount of data that Facebook has collected on both its users – even people who have not consented to use of the platform – these allegations raise profound concerns about the company's willingness to protect the public and our democracy."
     The Hirono statement contends that Russia attempted to influence the 2016 presidential election by buying and placing political ads on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google. "The content and purchaser(s) of those online advertisements are a mystery to the public because of outdated laws that have failed to keep up with evolving technology. The Honest Ads Act, which was introduced by Senators Klobuchar, Mark Warner (D-Va.), and the late Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.), and cosponsored by 30 Senators, including Senators Hirono, Blumenthal, and Coons, would regulate social media companies like Facebook to prevent foreign actors from influencing our elections by ensuring that political ads sold online are covered by the same rules as ads sold on TV, radio, and print.
     "The Honest Ads Act would enhance the integrity of our democracy by improving disclosure requirements for online political advertisements by:
     "Amending the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002's definition of electioneering communication to include paid Internet and digital advertisements and requiring proper disclaimers on both electioneering communications and issue ads;
     "Requiring digital platforms with at least 50,000,000 monthly viewers to maintain a public file of all electioneering communications purchased by a person or group who spends more than $500.00 total on ads published on their platform. The file would contain a digital copy of the advertisement, a description of the audience the advertisement targets, the number of views generated, the dates and times of publication, the rates charged, and the contact information of the purchaser.
     "Requiring online platforms to make all reasonable efforts to ensure that foreign individuals and entities are not purchasing political advertisements in order to influence the American electorate."

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.

HAS IT BEEN SIX MONTHS SINCE LAVA BEGAN FLOWING, THREE MONTHS SINCE IT ABRUPTLY ENDED? Similar questions can be asked about the onset and end of the dramatic collapse of Kīlauea Volcano's summit crater floor.
     This week's Volcano Watch, written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates, answers these questions and explains how the scientists adapt to the recent changes:
Puʻu ʻŌʻō, after the events of the summer, now has a crater about 1,050 feet
deep. No active lava or signs of increased activity were observed here. The
crater walls expose a clear sequence of lava flows and cinder that
built the cone in the early 1980s. USGS photo
     Interesting and important questions for the USGS HVO staff, colleagues, and the volcano research community relate to what happened within and beneath Kīlauea. Ultimately, we would also like to know what will happen next on the volcano.
     Throughout the dramatic volcanic events of the summer, HVO's work continued, as has the institution of HVO.
     Fortuitously, as the summit began to shake with the regularity of large crater collapse events and as lava flows began their advance in lower Puna, the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo was in summer session. UHH and its Geology Department generously opened offices and labs to HVO staff—evacuated from Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park upon its closure—where they could work in temporarily available space. Had university classes been in full session, this would not have been possible.
     What made such a rapid move even thinkable was the thoughtful design of HVO's data and information technology infrastructure. While HVO's critical I/T infrastructure remains in the National Park, it was possible to reroute HVO monitoring data streams and processing to UHH. This was by no means a small accomplishment.
     At the end of the summer session, it was necessary for HVO to move from UHH's Geology Department. HVO staff and equipment are now in a second set of temporary work and storage spaces spread across five buildings and three locations, including UHH and the Port of Hilo.
Fissure 22 was active in late May near Lanipuna Gardens 
subdivision, which is now mostly buried by lava flows. 
During the later stages of Fissure 22 activity, small 
strombolian-style explosions built a symmetric 
cinder cone over the vent. USGS photo
     In the near future, HVO will move to a third temporary location so that a larger fraction of the staff will be able to work under a single roof. Like other displaced Hawaiʻi residents, HVO staff continue to adapt and remain flexible in transient and challenging times.
     Discussions and planning regarding HVO's future permanent location are ongoing. There are many considerations and factors that will influence the eventual decisions. Experiences gained from Kīlauea's 2018 episode will also inform these decisions, as they provided new insights, especially regarding data distribution, remote monitoring of volcanic activity, and working collaboratively with partners across the whole country.
     In the meantime, HVO continues to vigilantly watch both Kīlauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes.
     Since the relatively abrupt end to Kīlauea's summit collapse sequence and lower East Rift Zone lava flows in early August, HVO has not noted any trends suggesting that the volcano is building toward imminent renewed eruptive activity.
     Typical of intervals without active eruptions, seismic activity is the primary indicator of what's happening inside Hawaiian volcanoes. Seismicity at Kīlauea continues beneath its summit and south flank. But, rather than the thousands of earthquakes that were recorded each week between June and August 2018, recent earthquake rates have persisted at several hundred per week. Many of these earthquakes can be considered aftershocks of the magnitude-6.9 Kīlauea south flank earthquake that occurred on May 4, 2018.
Low sulfur dioxide gas emissions on Kīlauea have resulted in greatly 
diminished vog in Hawaiʻi, giving rise to spectacular views on the island. 
Here, looking across the field of lava erupted from Kīlauea's lower East Rift 
Zone this past summer, the shield-shaped profiles of Mauna Loa (left) and 
Mauna Kea (right) can be clearly seen in the far distance. USGS photo
     Since early August 2018, minor seismic activity has returned to the upper elevations of Mauna Loa. A brief flurry of small earthquakes began beneath the summit and uppermost Southwest Rift Zone in mid-September, followed by a sequence of earthquakes beneath the volcano's upper west flank. Seismicity beneath these regions continued through mid-October but has since decreased. Importantly, HVO notes no significant geodetic changes at Mauna Loa associated with this seismic activity. Lōʻihi, a submarine volcano south of Hawaiʻi Island, and other earthquake source regions have also been seismically active.
     As an institution, HVO is settling into a new "normal." HVO's future office moves should not be as sudden as those required this past summer, nor will they adversely impact HVO's monitoring of the island's active volcanoes. Unlike volcanic eruptions that eventually end, HVO's work continues nonstop.
     Visit HVO's website, volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvofor past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Call 808-967-8862 for weekly Kīlauea updates. 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.

HŪ HONUA BIOENERGY PLANT, which is set to process farm grown eucalyptus trees from Kaʻū and elsewhere to make electricity, is the subject of comments for its state Department of Health permits. The permits are for discharge from its plant into storm drains and  into an injection well on the coast north of Hilo at Pepeʻekeo. The deadline for comments is next Wednesday, Nov. 21, at 5 p.m. Comments can be sent through cleanwaterbranch@doh.hawaii.gov. See health.hawaii.gov/sdwb/public-notices.
     The deadline for comments was extended after a public meeting and hearing this week with members of the public asking for an Environmental Impact Statement and questions on whether the electric plant would pollute the ocean.

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.

SECOND READING FOR VACATION RENTAL BILL 108 will happen at the council meeting in Hilo on Tuesday, Nov. 20. The second reading will be to go over draft six of the bill. The bill "defines where short-term vacation rentals would be allowed, establishes regulations for their use, and provides a way for an owner or operator to obtain a nonconforming use certificate that would allow them to operate in a non-permitted district." The ordinance would take affect on April 1, 2019.
     Testimony from the public can be submitted: in person, via videoconference, at 9 a.m. on Nov. 20, at Nāʻālehu State Office Bldg., 95-5669 Māmalahoa Hwy; in writing, due by noon on Monday, Nov. 19, at counciltestimony@ hawaiicounty.gov or faxed to 808-961-8912; or by video, due by noon on Monday, Nov. 19, submitted to videotestimony@hawaiicounty.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.

Randy Iwase 
PUBLIC UTILITIES CHAIR RANDY IWASE RESIGNS. Gov. David Ige announced today that he has accepted the resignation of Randall Iwase, who will leave the PUC Dec. 28. In a letter to the governor dated Nov. 9, Iwase said that he is retiring to spend more time with his family.
     Ige said, "Randy Iwase has played a key role at the Public Utilities Commission during a time of transition. I thank him for his unwavering commitment to the state's energy efficiency goals and to Hawaiʻi's 100 percent renewable energy future." Ige, who nominated Iwase for the position in 2015, said he will appoint a replacement for Iwase, whose term expires on June 30, 2020. The appointee will be subject to state senate consideration and confirmation.

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.

RALLY FOR RESPECT program, with workshops and talk story sessions for students, plus free dinner and activities, happens through this evening at Kaʻū Gym. Students are welcome through 7 p.m. The rally begins at 4 p.m. and is open to the public.
     Organizers Honolulu Theatre for Youth and The Sex Abuse Treatment Center, sponsored by Hawaiʻi state Department of Health, Maternal and Child Health branch, invite the public to this "first ever event. Embrace your voice. Let's build a culture of respect in Hawaiʻi." Follow @respecthawaii; share #respecthawaii and #respectrally2018.

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.

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 High Winter Sports Schedule 
through end of 2018
Girls Basketball:
Nov. 23 and 24, Fri. and Sat., Kaʻū Tourney
Dec. 3, Mon., @Konawaena, 6pm
Dec. 5, Wed., @Waiakea, 6pm
Dec. 15, Sat., host Laupāhoehoe, 2pm
Dec. 17, Mon., host HPA, 6pm
Dec. 19, Wed., host Kohala, 6pm
Dec. 22, Sat., @Parker, 4:30pm

Boys Basketball:
Nov. 28-Dec. 1, Wed.-Sat., Waiakea and Keaʻau Preseason Tourney, Varsity
Dec. 15, Sat., host Pāhoa
Dec. 18, Tue., @Keaʻau
Dec. 27., Thu., @Kealakehe

Wrestling:
Nov. 17, Sat., @Kealakeha, JV
Nov. 24, Sat., @Konawaena
Dec. 1, Sat., @Hilo
Dec. 8, Sat., @Waiakea
Dec. 15, Sat., @Oʻahu
Dec. 22, Sat., @Oʻahu

Soccer:
Nov. 17, Sat., JV @Waiakea
Nov. 28, Thu., Girls host Kealakehe, Boys host MLA
Dec. 1, Sat., @Honokaʻa
Dec. 3, Mon., host Kamehameha
Dec. 5, Wed., host Pāhoa
Dec. 8, Sat., Boys host Kohala
Dec., 11, Tue., @Kamehameha
Dec., 13, Thu., Girls host Makualani
Dec. 19, Wed., host HPA
Dec. 22, Sat., host Waiakea
Dec. 29, Sat., @Kona

Swimming:
Dec. 8, Sat., @HPA, 10am
Dec. 29, Sat., @Kamehameha, 10am

NEW and UPCOMING
ST. JUDE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN OCEAN VIEW OFFERS A FREE THANKSGIVING MEAL during the same time as their Free Hot Showers, on Saturday, Nov. 17, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., or until the food runs out. "Come by yourself, bring your family, or come with your friends," states the event flyer. The church is located on the Southeast corner of Keaka Pkwy and Paradise Circle in Hawaiian Ocean View Estates - less than one mile from the Ocean View Post Office and Ocean View Market. Call 939-7000 for more. See stjudeshawaii.org.

A FREE THANKSGIVING COMMUNITY DINNER IS OFFERED ON THURSDAY, NOV. 22, at Ocean View Community Center - 92-8924 Leilani Circle - from noon to 3 p.m. The event, sponsored and hosted by Ocean View Community Association, is prepared by volunteers. All are welcome. For more details or to volunteer, call 939-7033. See ovcahi.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.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17
Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund Ho‘onoua Anchialine Pond Volunteer Work Day & Marine Debris Survey at Kamilo, Sat., Nov. 17, contact in advance for meet up time at Wai‘ōhinu Park. Seats full. BYO-4WD welcome. Free; donations appreciated. RSVP to kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com or call 769-7629 for more.

Art Affair, Sat., Nov. 17, 9-noon, Ocean View Community Center. Local artists sell and display their creations. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Fundraising Bazaar, Sat., Nov. 17, 9-2pm, Kauaha‘ao Congregational Church, Wai‘ōhinu. Free entertainment and "flea market" attendance. Church will sell Kalua Pig plate lunch, containers of Kalua Pig, and Smoked Meat bowls, as well as baked goods, produce, and crafts. Potential vendors submit Vendor Application by Fri., Nov. 2. $10 booth fee suggested donation. Individuals, schools, clubs, and sports/athletic groups invited to vend. Debbie Wong Yuen, dwongyuen.kauahaaochurch@gmail.com, 928-8039

Birth of Kahuku, Sat., Nov. 17, 9:30-11:30am, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i 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/hawaiivolcanoes

Inspired Figure Drawing Workshop w/Rose Adare, Sat., Nov. 17, 10-3pm, Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus, Volcano Village. Out of the box way of drawing a model and connecting. Variety of drawing techniques covered, including The Tornado, Pop & Lock Draw. $60/VAC member, $65/non-member, $10 model fee. See volcanoartcenter.org for supply list and to register. 967-8222

Ocean View C.E.R.T. Meeting, Sat., Nov. 17, 10-1pm, Ocean View Community Center. Community Emergency Response Team monthly meeting/training. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Hula Kahiko - Ha‘amauliola Aiona w/Ke Kula ‘O Nāwahīokalani‘ōpu‘u Public Charter School, Sat., Nov. 17, 10:30-11:30am, hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org

Nā Mea Hula w/Loke Kamanu and ‘Ohana, Sat., Nov. 17, 11-1pm, Volcano Art Center Gallery porch. Hands on cultural demonstration. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org

Multi-Cultural Demos and Activities: Learn a simple hula, Sat., Nov. 17, 12:30pm, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Hawaiian cultural demonstration and hands-on activity. Free, supplies provided. nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

Bunco & Potluck, Sat., Nov. 17, 6pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Popular game played with nine dice. Bring dish to share. Margie Hack, 541-954-8297

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18
People & Land of Kahuku, Sun., Nov. 18, 9:30-12:30pm, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Guided, 2.5-mile, moderately difficult hike over rugged terrain focuses on the area's human history. Free. nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20
HOVE Road Maintenance Corp. Meeting, Tue., Nov. 20, 10am, 92-8979 Lehua Lane, Ocean View. hoveroad.com, 929-9910, gm@hoveroad.com

After Dark in the Park, Nontuberculou Mycobacteria: A Kīlauea Volcano Study within a Study, Tue., Nov. 20, 7pm, Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Dr. Jennifer Honda introduces her on-going research to study the environmental, host, and microbial factors driving Nontuberculou Mycobacteria – bacteria found in soil and water-based biofilms that when inhaled, can cause chronic disease in susceptible individuals – lung disease emergence in Hawai‘i, which has the highest numbers in the U.S. Program co-sponsored by Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Free; donations help support park programs. Park entrance fees apply. 985-6011, nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21
Turkey Trot, Wed., Nov. 21, noon-1:30pm, Ka‘ū District Gym multi-purpose room, Pāhala. For grades Pre-K to 6. Register Nov. 5 to 21. Joint program with Pāhala Elementary School. Homeschooled keiki welcome to register and attend. 928-3102, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

Ocean View Community Association Board Meeting, Wed., Nov. 21, 12:30pm, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Thanksgiving Nature Wreath, Arts & Crafts Activity, Wed., Nov. 21, 3-4pm, Kahuku Park, HOVE For ages 6-12. Register Nov. 13 to 22. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

Fall Wreath of Thanks, Arts & Crafts Activity, Wed., Nov. 21, 3:30-5pm, Ka‘ū District Gym multi-purpose room, Pāhala. For grades K-8. Register Nov. 13 to 20. 928-3102, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22
Free Thanksgiving Community Dinner, Thu., Nov. 22, noon-3pm, Ocean View Community Center. Sponsored and hosted by Ocean View Community Association. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Thanksgiving Buffet, Thu., Nov. 22, 2-6pm, Kīlauea Military Camp's Crater Rim Café, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Menu includes: Roast Turkey, Pineapple Honey Glazed Ham and "all the fixins." Meal tickets: $22.95/Adult, $12.95/Child (6-11 years old). Open to KMC patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356, 967-8371, kilaueamilitarycamp.com

Thanksgiving Dinner, Thu., Nov. 22, 3pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. 929-9576, discoveryharbour.net

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23
Registration for Charades, open Nov. 23-30, Kahuku Park, HOVE Program, for ages 6-12, held Dec. 7, 2-3pm. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

Kīlauea Military Camp Holiday Challenge, daily, Nov. 23-Jan. 1, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. All invited to see and vote for their favorite decorated cottage. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8371, kilaueamilitarycamp.com

Volcano Village Artists Hui 32nd Annual Studio Tour & Sale, Fri.-Sun., Nov. 23-25, 10-4pm, see map at volcanovillageartistshui.com. Meet artists and view wide variety of artwork on display and available for purchase.

Kamahalo Craft Fair, Fri., Nov. 23, 9-4pm, Sat., Nov. 24, 9-3pm, Cooper Center on Wright Rd, Volcano Village. More than 30 vendors on hand with homemade, handmade, and homegrown items. Volunteers provide soups and food. Sponsored by Cooper Center Council. Proceeds used to fund community activities and Volcano Friends Feeding Friends hot meal program. See thecoopercenter.org for vendor form. Linda Ugalde, 936-9705, kilaueatutu@gmail.com

ONGOING
Registration for Track & Field Practice open through Wed., Nov. 21, Kahuku Park, on Paradise Circle in H.O.V.E. Program for ages 6-14 to be held Dec. 3-Feb. 8. 929-9113, 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 tuition-free traveling preschool, for keiki birth to five years old and their caregivers, has twice a week meeting in Pāhala, Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., at Pāhala Community Center, and in Nāʻālehu at Kauahaʻao Church in Waiʻōhinu, Mondays and Wednesdays, from 8:45 to 10:45 a.m.
     Tūtū and Me also offers home visits to aid caregivers with parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate, listening ear. Visits last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, total of 12 visits. Snacks are provided.
     To enroll in either free program, fill out enrollment forms found at pidf.org/programs/tutu_and_me/enrollment_forms, or call Linda Bong at 929-8571, or Betty Clark at 464-9634 or eclark@pidfountation.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.