Ka‘ū News Briefs Saturday, February 10, 2018

Help remove invasive plants from native Hawaiian forest in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. See story below.
Photo from National Park Service

LOWERING HIGHER EDUCATION COST is a goal of state Sen. Kai Kahele, who represents Hilo but has family roots in Miloli‘i, where he works on education and cultural programs. Kahele is pushing for reduced financial burdens for students attending schools in the University of Hawai‘i system, where enrollment has dropped over 12 percent since 2012. University of Hawai‘i-Hilo experienced a decline of 5.8 percent between last spring and this spring.

     According to Kahele, even textbooks are a serious financial impediment for attending college. He said he spoke to hundreds of students who shared that textbooks, cost an average of $1,200, annually. His bill in the legislature calls it "a barrier to their higher education aspirations."

 

Kai Kahele encourages more affordable college  education in the University of Hawaiʻi system, for
students from  his  remote family community of Miloliʻi to urban areas of the islands. Above, he
was joined by Rep. Richard Creagan and County Council member Maile David when the
Malolo koa canoe was rededicated at Miloliʻi in 2016. Photo from Maile David

    In a statement this week, regarding SenateBill 2328, Kahele stated, "I promised students I would research the issue and as a result I am proposing the University of Hawaiʻi Open Resources Educational Task Force and a one year pilot project grant program to incentivize the faculty to convert general education 100 level course textbooks throughout the UH system to an open educational resource." In the bill's language, "Open educational resources offers learning, teaching, and research resources that are either in the public domain or have been released with an intellectual property license that permits free reuse and repurposing." The legislature has debated SB 2328, where it is in process.

     SB 2329, also making its way though the legislature, seeks to cap increases in tuition based on Hawaiʻi's median household income.  A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 13, and testimony is welcome online, through the mail, and in person.

     "Together," said Kahele, "these two senate bills are a culmination of the idea in which reasonable access to higher education is not only needed, but feasible. By easing the financial burden of receiving a higher education, one can focus on what is more important: an affordable, accessible, and quality education here in Hawai‘i."

     He invites residents to provide testimonies via the capitol site, and to contact him or his staff with any questions at 586-6760 or senkkahele@capitol.hawaii.gov.

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GRID MODERNIZATIONS FOR HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC COMPANIES that serve the counties of Hawai‘i, Maui, and O‘ahu, won approval from the Public Utilities Commission on Feb. 7. The PUC described the plan as "a holistic view of how Hawaiʻi's electric grid can evolve." According to HECO, it will improve reliability and develop island grids that are ready for more renewable energy sources, including rooftop solar adoption. 

Photo from hawaiianelectric.com

     Senior vice president for planning and technology at Hawaiian Electric, Colton Ching, called the plan "customer-focused" and said they participated, along with technical experts and other stakeholders from Hawai‘i and the mainland. The PUC called for more customer participation and HECO complied.

Photo from hawaiianelectric.com

     The cost of carrying out the first segment of the plan is $205 million over the course of the next six years.
     HECO first plans to acquire: more voltage management tools, to handle circuits with heavy solar penetration; advanced inverter technology, so more private rooftops can be integrated; enhanced outage management and notification technology; and strategic distribution of advanced meters for more accurate usage data. This will serve customers who want to participate in demand-response and variable rate plans, and those who seek usage data.

     Learn more and read the plan at hawaiianelectric.com/gridmod.

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"SOUNDS WE CAN'T HEAR TEACH US ABOUT LAVA LAKES," declare USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists in this week's Volcano Watch:

     Visitors to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park's Jaggar Museum Overlook when the wind is calm might be able to hear the sounds of gas bubbles bursting and lava splashing in the Halemaʻumaʻu lava lake at the summit of Kīlauea. What is heard is only part of a rich chorus of sounds emitted from many processes near the surface of an active lava lake.

     While some lava lake sounds are audible, most of them are at frequencies below what humans can hear, called infrasound. As with the electromagnetic spectrum, in which long-wavelength infrared is just below the visible light range, infrasound is at frequencies below 20 Hz (Hertz, a measure of audio frequency), which human ears cannot hear.

Mene Array-generated Kīlauea infrasound. Figure from isla.hawaii.edu

     It's known that many other natural processes make sounds that travel through both the ground and the air. For example, atmospheric sounds, such as thunder, can transfer into the ground and produce seismic waves. Conversely, small, shallow earthquakes can produce low-frequency booming sounds when seismic waves reach the surface and vibrate the air. In fact, P-waves, the fastest type of seismic waves, are just sound waves traveling through the solid Earth.

     Active volcanoes produce abundant sounds at or near Earth's surface. So, it can be beneficial to record those sounds using both seismometers for the seismic waves and microbarometers for the infrasound. Microbarometers are similar to sensors that measure pressure changes from passing weather fronts, but detect much smaller-scale changes in pressure.

     So, what's the connection to lava lakes? At Halemʻaumʻau, the loudest sounds are about 1 Hz and can only be captured with dedicated infrasound recording equipment. A frequency of 1 Hz is about the same as that of strong seismic tremor produced at the volcano's lava lake and within the magma plumbing system. Seismic and infrasound sensors record different versions of this tremor and can be used together to better understand it.

     One important difference between seismic and infrasound recordings is the pathway between the source and the recorder. Imagine all the layers of old lava flows off which a seismic wave echoes as it travels through the ground. Each of those echoes arrives at the seismometer at a different time and may result in a complex signal even if the source is simple.

     On the other hand, the sound wave in the air has a much simpler path, as long as it doesn't have too far to go. For a source that sends waves through both the ground and the air, this means that infrasound signals are often much easier to interpret.

A bursting bubble on the surface of a lava lake produces an impulsive signal on an infrasound recording. This photo shows a group of bubbles, about 16 ft across, bursting on the Halemaʻumaʻu lava lake at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano. The blue line is an infrasound recording of 50 seconds of similar activity. Each peak in the graph represents the sound made by such a bubble burst. USGS photo by M. Patrick; infrasound data courtesy of G. Waite

     At Kīlauea's summit lava lake, there are times when each big bubble burst can be distinguished individually on an infrasound recording, but the overlapping seismic recordings of the same processes are much too complex to interpret alone. In this way, joint recordings of waves through the air and the ground can be used in the identification of small events in the seismograms.

     Another way infrasound and seismic data can be used together is in monitoring the rise and fall of the lava lake. Since sound waves travel more slowly through the air than through the earth, the change in source location as the lake goes up or down means that the time it takes an infrasound signal to arrive at the recorders will change more than the change in time for the seismic wave. Using a little algebra, the change in the depth of the lava lake can be easily calculated. This is especially useful at volcanoes where the lava surface is not visible and cannot be measured more directly.

     Infrasound has many applications on volcanoes beyond studies of lava lakes, as described in a previous Volcano Watch (https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/hvo_volcano_watch.html?vwid=128 ). In particular, infrasound can aid monitoring by continually tracking the directions from which sounds originate, potentially alerting scientists to the onset of new eruptive activity.

     It takes a wide array of sensors to monitor an active lava lake. The ability to capture sounds we can't hear provides a wealth of information we wouldn't know we were missing.

     Go to volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories for recent earthquake measurements. For more, see volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo, or email HOV at askHVO@usgs.gov.

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Ka Lae Quilters, with a Ka‘ū Officer.

KA LAE QUILTERS MAKE TIME TO COVER KEIKI. Meeting each Thursday at Discovery Harbour Community Hall, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the volunteers sew quilts for keiki who have suffered trauma or who have been taken from their homes. Last week, they met with the Ka‘ū Police Department to present 74 quilts, plus 60 stuffed animals - and more quilts are on their way.

     "This last year, all the quilts that were donated were given out. So sad that there were so many needed, but so glad the Ka Lae Quilters make them," said Donna Masaniai, one of the quilters.

74 quilts and 60 stuffed animals,
donated by the Ka Lae Quilters.

            Open to the public, beginner and experienced quilters are welcome. Bring supplies. For more, contact Barbara Beatty at 929-9072, Diane Farrar at 939-8720, go to discoveryharbour.net/ka-lae-quilters/, or email pahalaquilting@gmail.com.

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STEWARDSHIP OF KĪPUKAPUAULU, a Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park volunteer program, is twice more in February. Meet Thursdays, Feb. 15 and 22, at 9:30 a.m., at Kīpukapuaulu parking lot, Mauna Loa Road, off Highway 11. Help remove invasives from an area famous for its diversity of native forest and understory plants. Bring clippers or pruners, sturdy gloves, a hat, and water. Wear closed-toe shoes. Note that clothing could be permanently stained by morning glory sap. Be prepared for cool and wet or hot and sunny weather. New volunteers should contact Marilyn Nicholson at nickem@hawaii.rr.com. Visit nps.gov/HAVO for more.

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 SLOGAN CONTEST FOR PĀHALA PUBLIC AND SCHOOL LIBRARY has been announced by Friends of the Ka‘ū Libraries. The deadline to turn in a slogan is Monday, April 2. Friends of the Ka‘ū Libraries is sponsoring the contest: to find a slogan or motto to encourage reading. Grand prize of $55 will be awarded at Pāhala Library's 55th anniversary celebration on Friday, April 13th. Everyone is encouraged to submit their ideas at either the Nā‘ālehu or Pāhala Library. For more information, contact FOKL President Sandra Demoruelle at naalehutheatre@yahoo.com or 929-9244.

See public Ka‘ū events, meetings, entertainment at kaucalendar.com
/janfebmar/februaryevents.html. See Ka‘ū exercise, meditation, daily, 
weekly events at kaucalendar.com/janfebmar/februarycommunity.html.

February 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.

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.

MILOLI‘I-KA‘Ū VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT CONTINUES SUNDAY, Feb. 11, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Ka‘ū District Gym. The public is invited to join Miloli‘i Volleyball Team, in this second annual tournament. Teams playing are Miloli'i, Keaukaha Cuzins, KS Southside, Mauloa, Nawahi Na‘auao, Yosh, Big Island Boys, Nawahi Hanohano, and Hi-Intensity. Organizers and coaches are Yolanda Kuahuia and Kaimi Kaupiko. Food concessions support the effort.

THE MANY FORMS OF ‘ŌHI‘A LEHUA, the tree and its flower, and the vital role it plays in native Hawaiian forests, are presented on a free, easy, one-mile, guided walk on Sunday, Feb. 11, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., at Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. For more, visit nps.gov/HAVO.

FRIENDS OF HAWAI‘I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK Sunday Walk-in-the-Park event, Feb. 11, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., features volcanologst Cheryl Gansecki. This moderate three-mile hike explores the Mauna Ulu area. Due to the fragile nature of this significant cultural area, space is limited to 15 people, and reservations are required. The hike is free for, but restricted to, members of Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. If you are not a member, you can join at fhvnp.org/become-a-member/join-or-renew/. Call 985-7373 or visit their website to reserve a spot.

THE LAST DAY OF DISPLAY FOR HEATHER METTLER'S GLASSWORK - handblown, chiseled, and etched - is showcased at Volcano Art Center Gallery during normal gallery hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Exhibit: Passage and Place, Mettler's unique collection of glass, explores the themes of migration, navigation, and immigration - how plants, animals, and people find their way to Hawai‘i. Free; park entrance fees apply.

ACRYLIC PAINTING CLASS, PAINTING WITH PEGGY, with Margaret "Peggy" Stanton, is offered on Monday, Feb. 12, from noon to 3 p.m., at Volcano Art Center. The class is part of an ongoing series of workshops for artists of all levels and is offered again on Feb. 26. Class fess are $15 per VAC member and $20 per non-member per session. Email questions to peggystanton007@yahoo.com. Register online at volcanoartcenter.org.

DISCOVERY HARBOUR - NĀ‘ĀLEHU COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM meets Tuesday, Feb. 13, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., in Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Public is invited to come see what C.E.R.T. is about, as well as participate in training scenarios. For more, contact Dina Shisler at dinashisler24@yahoo.com or 410-935-8087.

CELEBRATE THE YEAR OF THE DOG on a Chinese-language guided Chinese New Year hike, in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. On this easy, two-mile round trip hike, Volunteer Janice Wei guides Chinese-speaking visitors through Ha‘akulamanu (Sulphur Banks) to the edge of Kīlauea Caldera at Akanikōlea (Steaming Bluff). The free hike is offered Tuesday, Feb. 13, Friday, Feb. 16, and Sunday, Feb. 18 at 11 a.m., starting at Kīlauea Visitor Center.
     Those with respiratory or heart issues, infants, young children, and pregnant women should avoid Sulphur Banks due to high levels of naturally occurring volcanic gas. For more, visit nps.gov/HAVO.

AFTER DARK IN THE PARK ON TUESDAY, FEB. 13, at 7 p.m., will cover a brand new means of sampling in the field for dissolved gasses in groundwater that can sometimes precede volcanic unrest and earthquake activity. The presentation, Development of a New Geochemical Tool to Predict Volcanic Unrest and Earthquake Activity, begins at 7 p.m., in the Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Dr. Gary McMurtry of SOEST, University of Hawai‘i, describes its use in detecting any rapid changes, in time for effective hazard response and planning. Free; park entrance fees apply. Suggested donation of $2 to support park programs. For more, visit nps.gov/HAVO.

‘AI PONO EXPLAINED BY AUNTY EDNA BALDAD; how to eat and live healthier with native Hawaiian foods like kalo (taro), ‘uala (sweet potato) and ulu (breadfruit). The free program is offered Wednesday, Feb. 14, from 10 a.m. to noon, on the Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai. Park entrance fees apply. For more, visit nps.gov/HAVO.

VALENTINE'S DAY CARD Arts & Crafts class held on Wednesday, Feb. 14, from 2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m., at Kahuku Park, Hawaiian Ocean View Estates. Register Keiki, aged 6-12, by Feb. 13. Free. For more, call Teresa Anderson at 929-9113 or visit hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation/.

VALENTINE'S DAY FLOWER & BEAR CRAFT class held on Wednesday, Feb. 14, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., at Pāhala Community Center. Register Keiki, grades K-8, by Feb. 13. Free. Call Nona Makuakane/Elijah Navarro at 928-3102 or visit hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation/.

Join Auntie Linda from Tūtū & Me for Story Time. 

CRATER RIM CAFÉ VALENTINE’S DAY BUFFET, Wednesday, Feb. 14, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Hosted by Kīlauea Military Camp, the main entrees will be Prime Rib au Jus, Lemon Butter Fish with Tropical Salsa, and Vegetable Stir Fry with Tofu. $28.00/adult and $14.50/child (6-11 years old). Open to all authorized patrons and sponsored guests. For more, visit kilaueamilitarycamp.com or call 967-8356.

FAMILY READING is hosted at Ocean View Community Center on Thursday, Feb. 15, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. For more, call 939-7033 or visit ovcahi.org.

HAWAIIAN CIVIC CLUB OF KA‘Ū meets Thursday, Feb. 15, at 6:30 p.m., at United Methodist Church in Nā‘ālehu. For more, call Pres. Berkley Yoshida at 747-0197.

YOO-HOO, LADY BUG! is the featured story this month at Story Time with Auntie Linda of Tūtū & Me, Thursday, Feb. 15, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, at Nā‘ālehu Public Library. For more, call 929-8571.

LITTLE FIRE ANT, NEWLY DISCOVERED IN VOLCANO, will be featured at Volcano Art Center on Thursday, Feb. 15, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Little Fire Ant Presentation with Big Island Invasive Species Committee will provide advice on controlling the pests. Free; suggested donation of $5. For more, visit volcanoartcenter.org or call 967-8222.

Learn more about controlling Little Fire Ants, which have recently been found in Volcano.
Event details above. Photo from biisc.org

A FREE LOMILOMI DEMONSTRATION AT KAHUKU is offered on Friday, Feb. 16, from 10 a.m. to noon. A master practitioner demonstrates Hawaiian massage, and discusses the important spiritual and physical components of lomilomi. Entrance to the Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is near mile marker 70.5 on Highway 11. Visit nps.gov/HAVO for more.

HULA & OLI WITH KAHO‘OKELE CRABBE is hosted on the porch of Volcano Art Center Gallery, located within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, on Friday, Feb. 16, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Kumu hula of Hālau Ke Ola o Ka Lani, Moses Kaho‘okele Crabbe shares his extensive knowledge to teach the basics of hula, language, and chant  For more, visit volcanoartcenter.org.

ST. JUDE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH HOSTS MARDI GRAS Friday, Feb. 16, with dinner taking place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Doors open 5:30 p.m. Dinner includes Jambalaya, Red Beans and Rice, Cornbread, Drink and Dessert. Tickets are available at the door: $8/person, $15/two, $20/family. Pre-purchase during Aloha potluck after Sunday services or from Thom White, Beverly Nelson or Cordelia Burt. For more, call 939-7555.

Looking Down, Steve Irvine

TĪ AND SEAS, A NEW ART EXHIBIT at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park featuring oil paintings by Pāhoa resident Steve Irvine, opens to the public on Saturday, Feb. 17. It will be available daily, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., until Sunday, Mar. 25.
     Irvine shares his inspirations and techniques at an opening reception on Saturday, Feb. 17, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. For more, visit volcanoartcenter.org or call 967-8222.

ALL INTERESTED ARE WELCOME TO KA‘Ū COMMUNITY CHILDREN’S COUNCIL meeting at Punalu‘u Bake Shop on Thursday, Feb. 22, from noon to 1 p.m. The goal of the meeting is to provide a local forum for all community members to come together as equal partners to discuss and positively affect multiple systems' issues for the benefit of all students, families, and communities. The council meets on the fourth Thursday of each month. The following meeting will take place on Mar. 22. For more, visit ccco.k12.hi.us.

BIG ISLAND SENIORS PLANNING ON SEEKING a two or four-year degree at a College, University, or Vocational-Technical school in the 2018-19 academic year are encouraged to apply for HFS Federal Credit Union Scholarship Program. Qualifications include: HFS member (in good standing), minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA, full-time school schedule, and financial need. Applications due Wed., Feb. 28, available at hfsfcu.org/news/2018Scholarship or at any branch location: Kea‘au, Hilo, and Kona.

Boys & Girls Club members, with staff, at a
beach clean-up. Photo from Boys & Girls Club

KAʻŪ'S BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS NEED SUPPORT. Those who want to help can purchase tickets and sponsor persons to attend the annual Youth of the Year celebration, Friday, Mar. 2, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, in the Moku Ola Ballroom. The evening includes a banquet-style meal, youth led entertainment, silent and live auctions, guest speakers, and honors will be presented. Learn more about helping to create great futures at bgca.org.
     To purchase tickets, contact Ka‘ū Boardmember Julia Neal at 928-9811 or mahalo@aloha.net. To purchase an ad in the Gala program, become a Gala sponsor, make a financial donation, or to donate an auction item, contact Gail Hamasu at 961-5536 or gail@bgcbi.org.

FOUR DAYS OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP COMING TO KA‘Ū, with Big Island Faith Crusade, starting March 8 at Ka‘ū District Gym, next to Ka‘ū High School, at 96-1219 Kamani St. in Pāhala.
     The four admission-free services for the public will be held: Thursday, March 8, at 7 p.m.; Friday, March 9, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 10, at 6 p.m.; and Sunday, March 11, at 9:30 a.m. Doors open one hour beforehand. International speaker Jerry Savelle is on the agenda. Contact Thy Word Ministries Pastor Bob Tominaga at 936-9114 or Herb Schneider at 327-9739 for more information.

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