Saturday, April 28, 2018

Ka‘ū News Brief Saturday, April 28, 2018

Kaʻū Coffee Festival kicked off Friday, April 27 at Pāhala Plantation House. First Miss Kaʻū Coffee Helena 
Nihipali-Sesson sang Kaiholena about the mystical mountain above the coffee farms between Pahala and Na`alehu
Photo by Julia Neal
TEN DAYS OF THE TENTH KAʻŪ COFFEE FESTIVAL began last night with a kickoff Paʻina & Open House event at Pāhala Plantation House with Kaʻū Coffee farmers and friends. The Miss Kaʻū Coffee Court made its first public appearance with Queen Reishalyn Kekoa Jara, sharing her Tahitian dance talent. First Miss Ka‘ū Coffee Helena Nihipali-Sesson sang Kaiholena, the composition about the mystical mountain between Pāhala and Nāʻālehu, written at a music composition workshop led by Daniel Ho during a previous Ka‘ū Coffee Fest.
The 2018 Miss Kaʻū Coffee Court 
made their debut at the Paʻina 
& Open House at Pāhala Plantation 
House last night. Photo by Julia Neal
Miss Kaʻū Coffee Reishalyn Kekoa Jara, 
dancing Tahitian. Photo by Julia Neal
     Miss Peaberry Jacelyn Kekoa Jara and Junior Miss Ka‘ū Coffee Cristina Kawewehi both performed hula. Miss Ka‘ū Coffee Flower Telia Espejo-Navarro and her court Kysha Kaupu Manini and Lilianna Marques made an appearance in their gowns.
     The band Shootz, with Harry Evangelista, Terry Louis, Tui Masaniai and Gabriel and Cheryl Cuevas, made its Coffee Fest debut and will play again next Saturday, May 5, at the all-day Hoʻolauleʻa at Pāhala Community Center. Guy Sesson, father of the First Miss Ka‘ū Coffee, performed with Volcano School of the Arts music teacher Hal Tredinnick and his daughter Jade Malia. A piano singing trio - Lora, Ruslan, and Alla - also performed.
     Ka‘ū Coffee farmers and marketers, just back from the Specialty Coffee Association of America event in Seattle, reported good reception of Ka‘ū Coffee at the Hawaiʻi Coffee Association booth. Many other Ka‘ū Coffee farmers were wrapping up the care for their farms at the end of a season that brought in some of the highest prices and most demand ever for Ka‘ū Coffee.
Miss Peaberry Jacelyn Kekoa Jara 
and Junior Miss Kaʻū Coffee Coffee 
Cristina Kawewehi performed hula at the 
Paʻina last night. 
     The Ka‘ū Mountain Water System Hike is sold out on Tuesday, as is Stargazing next Friday. Reservations can be made to attend the Ka‘ū Valley Farms tour Thursday, and the Aikane Plantation Ka‘ū Coffee & Cattle day - with farm and ranch tours, BBQ lunch, and hayride - on Friday. See details, below.

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NEXT EVENT FOR KAʻŪ COFFEE FESTIVAL is tomorrow, Sunday, April 29, 11 a.m., Kaʻū Coffee Recipe Contest at Ka‘ū Coffee Mill. The public is invited to taste coffee and sample foods made exclusively with Kaʻū Coffee. Free. 928-0550, kaucoffeemill.com
     Ka‘ū Valley Farms Tour, Thursday, May 3, from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Ka‘alaiki Rd, Nā‘ālehu. Explore hydroponic nursery, and tea and coffee plantings. Expansive hilltop views, mountain to coast. Includes water systems and tunnels from sugar days, and native Hawaiian forest tour. $35 per person; includes lunch. Reservations required. John Cross, 987-4229; Brenda Iokepa-Moses, 731-5409.
Shootz band, left - who will play May 5 at the Hoʻolauleʻa - and Guy Sesson, Hal Tredinnick, and Jade Malia, focus
on Hawaiian music at the kickoff party for Ka`u Coffee Fest.  Photos by Julia Neal

     Ka‘ū Coffee & Cattle Day, Friday, May 4, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Aikane Plantation Coffee Company. Tour the farm and learn how coffee is integrated into cattle ranching and other agriculture. $25 per person; includes BBQ buffet and hayrides. Reservations required, 927-2252. aikaneplantation.com
     Tenth Annual Ka‘ū Coffee Festival Ho‘olaule‘a, Saturday, May 5, 9 a.m - 5 p.m., Pāhala Community Center. Celebrate Ka‘ū Coffee with free music, hula entertainment, and coffee tastings all day long. Local vendor booths. Food and beverage sales. Free to attend. Ka‘ū Coffee Experience: 9:30-noon, 1-3:30 p.m., discover the methods behind brewing the perfect cup while enjoying free coffee tastings. Farm & Mill Tours 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., $20/person.
Kaʻū Coffee Recipe Contest starts at 11 a.m. Sunday, April 29, 
featuring recipes made exclusively with Kaʻū Coffee. Drop by
to see, smell, and taste entries. Photo by Julia Neal
     Ka‘ū Coffee College, Sun, May 6, 9-noon, Pāhala Community Center. Informative talks given by visiting coffee experts. Free; donations appreciated.

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THE BILL TO HELP FUND A SPINLAUNCH SPACE LAUNCH FACILITY IN HAWAIʻI has apparently died in the state legislature. The plan met opposition in Kaʻū when SpinLaunch listed Pohuʻe Bay lands as a possible location. The company has apparently decided to test its new technology for catapulting small satellites into orbit before possibly coming back to Hawaiʻi for a renewed attempt to find a location and before asking for a Special Purpose Revenue Bond at the state legislature. The testing for the technology and its safety will be outside the U.S., SpinLaunch representatives told residents at the Nāʻālehu meeting.
     Sen. Glenn Wakai of O‘ahu and North Kona Rep. Cindy Evans introduced the $25 Million Special Purpose Bond. They met opposition when none of the elected officials community groups in Kaʻū were notified of the bills being introduced.
     SpinLaunch planned to construct an eight to ten-acre facility with large buffer zones.
     During a community meeting last weekend called by Ka‘ū Aha Moku Advisory Committee to the state Department of Land & Natural Resources, SpinLaunch representatives and Wakai spoke to a group of about 100 community members, explaining the plans for the facility and answering questions.
Standing room only at community meeting last weekend
with SpinLaunch representatives and Sen. Wakai,
moderated by Aha Moku. Photo by Richard Taylor
     Ryan Hampton of SpinLaunch stated, "We would not and are not going to come to Kaʻū without community support. We don't have the resources to do it or the manpower. This is a group of guys and girls that have an amazing product to help propel space forward. But we need a community to get behind us or we can't even start."
     The bill could be revived next legislative session, in 2019. Read the history of the bill in past Ka‘ū News Briefs, and the March, April ,and May Ka‘ū Calendar issues.

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Wil Okabe, Acting Mayor while Mayor
Harry Kim is on sick leave for chest pains.
Photo from hawaiicounty.gov
MAYOR HARRY KIM "FEELING MUCH BETTER" after medical procedures, says acting Mayor Wil Okabe, the Managing Director for Hawaiʻi County. Kim was medevacked to Honolulu's Queens Medical Center, for chest pains he experienced during exercise early Thursday morning, states a release from the Mayor's office.
     "Harry's feeling much better today after the procedures done Thursday," said Okabe. He said Kim continues to have tests and procedures to come up with a diagnosis.
     Okabe said there has been an outpouring of well wishes and expressions of affection for the Mayor from the community. "We really appreciate your continued prayers and best wishes to him and his family," Okabe said. "We will continue to keep the community posted."
     The 78-year-old Mayor drove himself to Hilo Medical Center around 4:30 a.m. on Thursday, states the Mayor's office, and was medevacked to Oʻahu around 6:45 a.m. He has had three heart attacks, and underwent quadruple bypass surgery in 2008.

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KῙLAUEA VOLCANO'S SUMMIT AND EAST RIFT ZONE are having a busy time. This week's Volcano Watch, by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates, speculates on what will happen next:
     The past few weeks have been exciting for volcano watchers on the Island of Hawai‘i, especially for visitors to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park's Jaggar Museum overlook, where views of the active summit lava lake within Halemaʻumaʻu have been spectacular.
     Since April 21, high lava lake levels in the informally named "Overlook crater" within Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano have produced multiple overflows of pāhoehoe lava onto the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu. As of April 26, these new flows have covered just under 90 acres or nearly three-fourths of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor. They are the first significant overflows of the summit lava lake since April-May 2015.
Aerial view of the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater - approximately 220 m or 720 ft
wide - from April 23, following weeks of steady inflation and uplift of
crater floor. View is to the southeast with lava flows of the Episode 61g
flow field in the distance behind Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō. USGS photo by C. Parcheta
     Meanwhile, on Kīlauea's East Rift Zone, Puʻu ʻŌʻō cone has been inflating and expanding steadily since mid-March, with the west pit lava pond level rising, the main crater floor uplifting and cracking, and small lava flows intermittently active inside the crater. The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory released a Volcano Activity Notice on April 17 to highlight this activity and to note that the past two similar changes resulted in new breakouts of lava from new vents on the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone.
     So, what is going on with Kīlauea?
     In a nutshell, the magmatic plumbing system extending from the summit reservoir to Puʻu ʻŌʻō is pressurizing. This means that an excess of magma is being stored the system, causing swelling (inflation and expansion measured by tiltmeters and GPS), an uptick in microearthquakes as the surrounding rocks are stressed, and an increase in the height of lava lakes at both the summit and Puʻu ʻŌʻō.
     What's causing this pressurization? This is where things get less certain.
     Two general possibilities are being discussed by HVO scientists. It could be due to a pulse of increased magma supply to the system from the deeper summit reservoir (and ultimately the mantle source). Perhaps more likely, it could be that one or more obstructions have developed somewhere in the system between the summit, Puʻu ʻŌʻō, and the episode 61g vent, and are now backing things up. A combination of both factors is also possible.
     Arguments against increased supply from depth: Scientists have seen no increases in gas emissions, tephra production, or lava temperature that might be expected with a magma surge, although scientists are still collecting data to verify these observations. Deformation data initially showed very little change in the shallow summit magma reservoir when Pu’u O’o began inflating in mid-March. An influx of new magma would have been expected to affect the summit first.
Perhaps the favored hypothesis at present is that a breakdown of the connection between the Puʻu ʻŌʻō reservoir and the episode 61g vent has caused a backup from Puʻu ʻŌʻō uprift to the summit magma reservoir and lava lake.
Night view of Kīlauea Volcano's summit lava lake from April 24, while 
lava from the lake overflow was spreading westward (to the right in 
the picture) from the Overlook Vent. USGS photo from the Hawaiʻi 
Volcanoes National Park Jaggar Overlook by M. Patrick
     Why this blockage developed is another question. Did the effusion rate from Puʻu ʻŌʻō slow to the point where efficient drainage out the 61g vent could not be sustained, essentially causing magma to back up into the Puʻu ʻŌʻō reservoir and cone? This is a difficult question to answer, but there is ample evidence that the summit reservoir does respond to changes at the Puʻu ʻŌʻō vent. Impeding outflow of magma from the summit to the 61g flow field could be the reason the lava lake within Halemaʻumaʻu is rising.
What is next for Kīlauea?
     As long as the system remains pressurized, scientists expect continued high levels of the summit lava lake and Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō lava pond, overflows onto the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu, and ongoing deformation and microearthquakes.
     This activity could end with a new breakout at Puʻu ʻŌʻō relieving pressure on the entire system and lowering the lava level at both locations. Alternatively, magma could find an another pathway to relieve the pressure, such as an intrusion into the south caldera (as occurred in 2015), Southwest Rift Zone, or uprift of Puʻu ʻŌʻō along the East Rift Zone.
     HVO is carefully watching various data streams to catch early signs of change that might indicate Kīlauea's next move. Like many of the public, scientists, too, are marveling at the sight of lava on the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu.
     Visit HVO's website for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea daily eruption updates, Mauna Loa weekly updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Call for summary updates at 808-967-8862 (Kīlauea) or 808-967-8866 (Mauna Loa). Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

Print edition of The Ka‘ū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes 
throughout Ka‘ū, from Miloli‘i through Volcano, and free on 
stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com.
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SUNDAY, APRIL 29
Pu‘u Lokuana, Sun, Apr 29, 9:30 - 11 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Short, moderately difficult, 0.4-mile hike to the top of the grassy cinder cone, Pu‘u Lokuana. Learn about the formation and various uses of this hill over time and enjoy a breathtaking view of lower Kaʻū. Free. nps.gov/HAVO

 Ka‘ū Coffee Festival: Ka‘ū Coffee Recipe Contest, Sun, Apr 29, 11 a.m., Ka‘ū Coffee Mill. Free coffee and recipe tastings. 928-0550, kcm.nikki@gmail.com. kaucoffeemill.com

TUESDAY, MAY 1
Discovery Harbour Volunteer Fire Dept. Meeting, Tue, May 1, 4-6pm, May 15, 4:30-6:30pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. 929-9576, discoveryharbour.net

Ka‘ū Coffee Growers Meeting, Tue, May 1, 6-8pm, Pāhala Community Center.

Discovery Harbour Volunteer Fire Dept. Meeting, Tue, May 1, 4-6pm, May 15, 4:30-6:30pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. 929-9576, discoveryharbour.net

Ka‘ū Coffee Growers Meeting, Tue, May 1, 6-8pm, Pāhala Community Center.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2
Ka‘ū Coffee Festival: Ka‘ū Mountain Water Systems Hike, Wed, May 2, 9-2 pm, Ka‘ū Coffee Mill. - SOLD OUT

Open Mic Night, Wed, May 2, 6-10pm, Kīlauea Military Camp's Lava Lounge in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Singers, Bands, Comedians, etc. Call 967-8365 after 4pm to sign up. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests 21+. Park entrance fees apply. kilaueamilitarycamp.com

THURSDAY, MAY 3
VA Medical Services, Thu, May 3 & 17, 8:30-noon, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Veteran's Center, Thu, May 3, 8:30-12:30pm, May 17, 8:30-11:30am, Ocean View Community Center. No appointment needed to visit w/VA counselor & benefit specialist. Matthew, 329-0574, ovcahi.org

Ka‘ū Coffee Festival: Ka‘ū Valley Farms Tour, Thu, May 3, 9-2pm, Ka‘ū Valley Farms Nursery, Ka‘alaiki Rd, Nā’ālehu. Explore hydroponic nursery, and tea and coffee plantings. Expansive hilltop views, mountain to coast. Includes water systems and tunnels from sugar days, and native Hawaiian forest tour. $35 per person; includes lunch. Reservations required. John Cross, 987-4229; Brenda Iokepa-Moses, 731-5409. kaucoffeefestival.com

Tūtū & Me Traveling Preschool Vision Screening, Thu, May 3, 9-noon, Project Vision Hawai‘i van at Pāhala Community Center. Free; for all ages. Keiki offered free sunglasses; adults, reading glasses. projectvisionhawaii.org, 808-282-2265

Ka‘ū Coffee Festival: Special Pulping Presentation, Thu, May 3, 5pm, Pāhala Plantation House. Diego Botello of Penagos UDC Technology shows off new pulping equipment that separates ripe from green. See booth at Ka‘ū Coffee Festival Ho‘olaule‘a, Sat, May 5, 9-5pm, PāhalaCommunity Center.

Ocean View Neighborhood Watch Meeting, Thu, May 3, 6-7pm, Ocean  View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

FRIDAY, MAY 4
Ka‘ū Coffee Festival: Ka‘ū Coffee & Cattle Day, Fri, May 4, 10-3pm, Aikane Plantation Coffee Company. Tour the farm and learn how coffee is integrated into cattle ranching and other agriculture. $25 per person; includes BBQ buffet and hayrides. Reservations required, 927-2252. kaucoffeefestival.com, aikaneplantation.com

Hula Hoop Challenge, Fri, May 4, 2-3pm, Kahuku Park, H.O.V.E. Ages 6 to 12. Register May 1-4. Teresa Anderson, 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

Cinco De Mayo Dinner, Fri, May 4, 5:30pm, St. Jude's Episcopal Church. $8/single, $15/couple, $20/family. 939-7000

Ka‘ū Coffee Festival: Ka‘ū Star Gazing, Fri, May 4, 5:30-10pm - SOLD OUT. Meet at Olson Trust Building in Pāhala.

KDENte! Italian Food Fundraiser, Fri, May 4, 6pm, Almafatano's Italian Restaurant, Hilo. Buffet; includes pasta dish, lasagna, salad. Karl Halemano provides music. $20 at door. Reservations: 982-7344

SATURDAY, MAY 5
Ka‘ū Coffee Festival: 10th Annual Ho‘olaule‘a, Sat, May 5, 9-5pm, Pāhala Community Center. Celebrate Ka‘ū Coffee and with free music, hula entertainment and coffee tastings. Local vendor booths. Food and beverage sales. Free to attend. Ka‘ū Coffee Experience: 9:30-noon, 1-3:30pm, discover the methods behind brewing the perfect cup while enjoying free coffee tastings. Farm & Mill Tours (shuttle to Ka‘ū Coffee Mill): 9:30am, 11am, 12:30pm, 2pm, 3:30pm, $20/person. kaucoffeefestival.com

Realms and Divisions of Kahuku, Sat, May 5, 9:30-11:30am, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Moderately difficult, two-mile, guided hike on Kahuku Unit's newest trail, Pu‘u Kahuku, explores the traditional Hawaiian classification system.

Cinco de Mayo Dinner, Sat, May 5, 3-5pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. discoveryharbour.net

Cinco De Mayo, Sat, May 5, 5-8pm, Crater Rim Café, Kīlauea Military Camp, inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Build Your Own Fajita Bar; menu includes Cheese Quesadillas, Black Beans, Spanish Rice, Soup, Salad/Potato Bar, Beverage, and Ice Cream Sundae Bar. $15.50/Adult, $8.25/Child (6-11 yrs). Regular menu available. Open to authorized KMC patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356, kilaueamilitarycamp.com

NEW & UPCOMING
Learn about how feathers have been used by different cultures
and religions and its symbolism through art at a Zentangle class
on Saturday, May 12. Photo from volcanoartcenter.org
ZENTANGLE: FINE FEATHER-LIKE FRIENDS, with Lydia Meneses, is offered Saturday, May 12, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., announces Volcano Art Center. The class is open to all levels - no Zentangle or art experience necessary.
     Instructor Meneses gives a brief background of the many uses of feathers in different cultures and religions, and the symbolism of the feather in many cultures and religions. During the session, participants create tiles with feather-like forms. The class will be guided with Zentangle's traditional ceremony and method: Gratitude, Appreciation, Relaxation, Mindfulness, & Awareness.
     Students' kits include various Zentangle tiles, two general pastel chalk pencils, and blending tortillions. All materials will be either supplied or available for borrowing. Participants are welcome to bring their favorite drawing tools.
     Registration is $30 per VAC Member and $35 per non-Member, plus a $10 supply fee per person. Students are asked to bring snacks to share.
     For more, visit volcanoartcenter.org, or call 967-8222.

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Summer Fun - Registration, May 7-10, Nā‘ālehu Community Center. For grades K-6. $40 per child. $50 portion of registration fee funded by Councilwoman Maile David. Program runs Mon-Fri, Jun 12-Jul 20, 8-2pm. Richard Karasuda, 939-2510. hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

ONGOING
Volcano Art Center Gallery Presents Hoʻokuʻi I Nā Kiko, Connecting the Dots, by Natalie Mahina Jensen and Lucia Tarall. "A curated collection of photographs, paintings, sculptures, and feather work items deliver a sublime message, connecting the viewer artistically with the provenance of the design." Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Sunday, May 6. volcanoartcenter.org or 967-8222

Sign Up for the Nāʻālehu Independence Day Parade, to be held June 30. If interested, call Debra McIntosh at 929-9872.

St. Jude's Episcopal Church Calls For More Volunteers for the Saturday community outreach. Especially needed are cooks for the soup served to those in need, and organizers for the hot showers. "Volunteering for St. Jude's Saturday Shower and Soup ministry is an opportunity to serve God in a powerful way," states St. Jude's April newsletter. Volunteer by contacting Dave Breskin at 319-8333.

One Community and One Parent Representative are sought by Nāʻālehu Elementary School Community Council. The community representative will serve a two-year term for school year 2018-2019 and 2019-2020. The parent representative will serve a one-year term for school year 2018-19. The parent rep cannot be a Nāʻālehu Elementary School employee. Voting is April 30 through May 11. Those interested, contact Leilani Rodrigues at 313-4020 or pcnc@naalehu.org, or name and number at the main office line, by calling 313-4000.

Tūtū and Me Offers Home Visits to those with keiki zero to five years old: home visits to aid with helpful parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate listening ear. Home visits are free, last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, for a total of 12 visits, and snacks are provided. For info and to register, call Linda Bong 646-9634.

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