About The Kaʻū Calendar

Monday, June 25, 2018

Kaʻū News Briefs Monday, June 25, 2018

Bay Clinic's Mobile Health Unit starts servicing Volcano this Thursday and every last Thursday, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.,
at Cooper Center on Wright Road. Photo from Bay Clinic
BAY CLINIC'S MOBILE HEALTH UNIT will offer medical services starting this Thursday and the last Thursday of every month, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., at Cooper Center on Wright Road in Volcano Village. To receive services on the Mobile Health Unit, one must call ahead of time to make an appointment and to become established as Bay Clinic Inc. patient.
     Medical services offered include: preventative care, treatment of routine illnesses, urgent care, immunizations and vaccinations, management of chronic diseases, annual physicals, and physicals for work and school. QUEST eligibility and enrollment assistance are also included.
     Dental services will be offered on a different day and are yet to be announced. These services will include: screenings, comprehensive exams, recalls, cleanings, emergency dental treatment, and management of pain, infections, and fractures.
Cooper Center will host Bay Clinic's Mobile Medical Unit
beginning this Thursday. Photo from Cooper Center
     The first medical service visit to Volcano, this Thursday, June 28, will be followed by another one, Thursday, July 26. Call 333-3600 to schedule an appointment. A valid picture ID is required for registration. To be eligible
for discounted medical costs, patients must provide proof of income at the time of visits. See Cooper Center June newsletter for details. thecoopercenter.org;
bayclinic.org.
     Bay Clinic recently stopped services in Ocean View at St. Jude's Episcopal Church. Patients can receive medical services at Bay Clinic, Inc.'s Kaʻū Family Health & Dental Center. Call 333-3600 for appointments.

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BAY CLINIC ENCOURAGES PEOPLE IN KAʻŪ SUFFERING RESPIRATORY ISSUES due to ash or vog to come in for services. The contact number for Bay Clinic, Inc.'s Ka'ū Family Health & Dental Center appointments is 333-3600. The organization also has health centers in Hilo, Keaʻau, and Pāhoa.
Bay Clinic in Na`alehu is accepting patients served by the mobile
unit that is no longer going to Ocean View. The mobile unit begins
service in Volcano this Thursday.  Photo from Bay Clinic
     Available are nebulized medical treatments for Asthma, COPD, or other respiratory system difficulties, as well as supplemental oxygen. This includes ongoing management of respiratory conditions that are being exacerbated by Kīlauea eruption events.
     A Bay Clinic statement says that "anyone living or working near the Kīlauea Eruption impact area should have an N95 mask. One N95 mask will be provided free to Bay Clinic patients" at any of its health centers, with one health mask provided per appointment while supplies last. See bayclinic.org.

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LARGE PARCELS OF AG LAND SUBDIVIDED INTO GENTLEMAN FARMS would be a possible outcome of a bill that passed the Hawaiʻi legislature this year, according to Gov. David Ige. He said it will lead him to veto Senate Bill 2524 on Tuesday. In a veto statement issued today, Ige said a “gentleman” farm is a use that is inconsistent with state land use policy and with the administration’s goal of doubling local food production by 2020." SB2524 would have allowed
Gov. David Ige said today his goal is to double local food production by 2020. He plans to veto a bill, he said,
that could lead to subdividing large parcels of ag land into "gentleman" farms. Photo from Earth Matters
 residential use of sheds or other structures on agricultural lands if permitted under county ordinances, said the statement from the governor's office. Proponents of the bill said it could help with farm worker housing.

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RELATING TO THE TRANSIENT ACCOMMODATIONS TAX, Gov. David Ige said he will veto a measure, Senate Bill 2699, that attempts to include resort fees in gross rental proceedings subject to the TAT. He said, "This measure creates an extensive and ambiguous expansion of the TAT. The vague language could subject restaurants, spas, and other businesses located in hotels to add the TAT to their services. Currently, the Department of Taxation imposes the TAT on mandatory resort fees. The additional taxes imposed by this measure would result in significant increases in accommodation costs for our residents and visitors staying in Hawai‘i hotel properties."

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PROTECT VOTING RIGHTS IS THE MESSAGE in Sen. Mazie Hirono's statement today. She marks the fifth anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision to "destroy key provisions of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder, and objects to today’s ruling to further restrict voting rights in Abbot v. Perez.
     Hirono said: “Since Shelby County gutted the Voting Rights Act five years ago, many states have tried to roll back voter protections. Today’s shameful decision in Abbot v. Perez allows Texas to implement racially discriminatory districts and represents another step backwards for voting rights. Congress must act immediately to undo Shelby County and protect the fundamental right of all Americans to have their vote counted.”
     Hirono is a cosponsor of Sen. Patrick Leahy’s Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would restore the protections eroded by the Supreme Court in Shelby County v. Holder, said a statement from her office.

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THE VOLCANO COMMUNITY IS INVITED TO A MEETING THIS THURSDAY to meet with representatives from Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. The community meeting will address the ongoing seismic and collapse/explosion activity at the summit of Kīlauea, and the continued closure of the Kīlauea section of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. It takes place Thursday, June 28, at 6:30 p.m., at Cooper Center in Volcano Village, 19-4030 Wright Road.

This panorama of Kīlauea's summit caldera was made about 10 a.m. today, June 25, from the Keanakākoʻi overlook on the south side of the caldera. Halema‘uma‘u is visible, steaming to the left, and the ongoing ground cracking is visible in the
center of the image. USGS photo
HALEMAʻUMAʻU COLLAPSE EXPLOSIONS, as walls of the crater fall down, have become more ash poor in recent days. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported Sunday evening that a 4:12 p.m. event, after approximately 17 hours of elevated seismicity, produced an "ash-poor steam plume that went undetected by the weather radar." Visual observations suggested the plume rose less than 2,000 ft. above the caldera before drifting downwind to the southwest. The energy released by the event was equivalent to a magnitude 5.3 earthquake. Seismicity dropped abruptly from a high of 25-35 earthquakes per hour (many in the magnitude 2-3 range) prior to the collapse explosion down to less than 10 per hour afterwards. Within 3 hours seismicity began to creep up again, averaging about 30 earthquakes per hour by dawn today. Inward slumping of the rim and walls of Halemaʻumaʻu continues in response to ongoing subsidence at the summit.
     Today, June 25, the collapse/explosion event at Kīlauea summit occurred at approximately 5:03 p.m. The energy released from the event was equivalent to a magnitude 5.3 on the Richter scale. "The event resulted in a small plume made of mostly steam and little ash," reported HVO.
     The S02 levels from Halemaʻumaʻu remain about half of what they were before the recent volcanic activity began.

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THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IS SEEKING A PAID INTERN to work from October 2018 through August 2019 for its Hawai‘i Island Terrestrial Program, which stewards native forest preserves in Ka‘ū and South Kona.
     Benefits offered include: a $1,600 monthly living allowance (before taxes); a $5,920 education award towards higher education; health care and childcare benefits (if eligible); and receiving an entry-level conservation career experience.
     Applicants must be at least 17 years old by the program start date, October 2018, and possess or be working towards a high school diploma or equivalent. Applications must also have their own housing and transportation, a drivers license, and be able to pass a criminal history check.
     The internship is offered through Kupu Hawai‘i. Those interested are asked to fill out an online application at kupuhawaii.org under Conservation Leaders Program by Saturday, June 30; http://www.kupuhawaii.org/conservation/. For more, call The Nature Conservancy at 443-5401 or call Kupu Hawai‘i at 808-735-1221.

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THIS IS THE LAST WEEK FOR LIHEAP: The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program will take sign-ups in Kaʻū, through Friday, June 29. In Pāhala, it will take place at the Edmund Olson Trust Office, Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30-12:30 p.m. Sign up at Ocean View Community Center, Tuesday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. In Nā’ālehu, sign up at Hawai‘i County Economic Opportunity Council office, back of Senior Center, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. See more for eligibility requirements and application. Call 929-9263.  

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THIS IS THE LAST WEEK FOR TROPIC CARE: The U.S. military service of providing medical, dental, and eye care for any community member, free of charge, whether they have insurance or not - wraps up Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, June 28, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Keaʻau High School gym. First come-first served. Bring any current prescriptions or eye glasses. Long waits are expected; bring water and snacks. Free breakfast and lunch provided to those ages 3 to 18. Food carts may be on site for purchases throughout the event. Questions can be directed to the public health nurse at 808-974-6035, or Adria Maderios, Vice Principal of Keaʻau High School, at 313-3333.

See public Ka‘ū events, meetings, entertainment
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 
and facebook.com/kaucalendar.
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TUESDAY, JUNE 26
Exploring Your Senses, Tue, Jun 26, 2-3pmKahuku Park, H.O.V.E. For ages 6-12 years. Register Jun 18-22. Teresa Anderson, 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tue, Jun 26, 11:30-1pm, St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Ocean View.

HOVE Road Maintenance Monthly Meeting, Tue, Jun 26, 10am, RMC Office in Ocean View. hoveroad.com, 929-9910

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27
Kōkua Kupuna Project, Wed, Jun 27, 9-11am, St. Jude's Episcopal Church, Ocean View. Seniors 60 years and older encouraged to attend, ask questions, and inquire about services offered through Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i - referral required from Hawai‘i County Office of Aging at 961-8626 for free legal services. Under 60, call 1-800-499-4302. More info: tahisha.despontes@legalaidhawaii.org, 329-3910 ext. 925. legalaidhawaii.org

THURSDAY, JUNE 28
Kona Vet Center visits to Ocean View Community Center are Suspended until further notice. Veterans may call 329-0574 for VA benefit information. ovcahi.org

Ka‘ū Community Children's Council, Thu, Jun 28, 12:30-1:30pm, Punalu‘u Bake Shop. Monthly meeting provides 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. Chad Domingo, text 808-381-2584, domingoc1975@yahoo.com

Volcano Friends Feeding Friends, Thu, Jun 28, 4-6pm, Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Free community dinner for all. Additional packaged goods to take home for those in need. Donations and volunteers encouraged. 967-7800.

FRIDAY, JUNE 29
Coffee Talk, Fri, Jun 29, 9:30-11amKahuku Park, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Join park rangers in informal conversation on a variety of topics. Ka‘ū coffee, tea, and pastries available for purchase. Free. nps.gov/HAVO

Mystery Bag Game, Fri, Jun 29, 2-3pmKahuku Park, H.O.V.E. For ages 6-12 years. Register Jun 25-29. Teresa Anderson, 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

SATURDAY, JUNE 30
Nā‘ālehu Independence Day Parade, Sat, Jun 30, Hwy 11, Nā‘ālehu. Sign-ups open. Call Debra McIntosh, 929-9872

Birds of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park: The Hawaiʻi Nei Invitational Exhibition, Daily, Jun 30-Aug 12, 9-5pm, Volcano Art Center's Niʻaulani Campus, Hale Hoʻomana at 19-4074 Old Volcano Road. Special opening reception with 8 participating artists held Sat, Jun 30, 5-7pm, Free. volcanoartcenter.org

Soft Pastel Still Life w/Patti Pease Johnson, Sat, Jun 30, 9-noon, Volcano Art Center's Niʻaulani Campus, Hale Hoʻomana at 19-4074 Old Volcano Road. $45/VAC Member, $50/non-Member, plus $10 supply fee. Beginner and intermediate artists welcome. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

Grow Me the Money: Record-Keeping Principles and Best Practices for farmers and food producers, Sat, Jun 30, 3-6pm, Kaʻū District Gym. Free; registration required. Contact Megan Blazak, 887-6411, or koha.la/growmoney

Imua Puna, Sat, June 30, 3-10pm16-111 Opukahala St, Keaʻau. $5 suggested donation; evacuees enter and eat free. Food and drink to ourchase. Live entertainment. “Share your manaʻo at a multi-band music-dance concert to malama and kokua those displaced by Tutu Pele's journey to the ocean.” See facebook.com/kevin.carpenter84
/videos/10212545972867861/

SUNDAY, JULY 1
Pu‘u o Lokuana, Sun, July 1, 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 o 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

Ham Radio Potluck Picnic, Sun, July 1, noon-2pm, Manukā State Park. Anyone interested in learning about ham radio is welcome to attend. Sponsored by South Point Amateur Radio Club and Amateur Radio Emergency Service. View sites.google.com/site/southpointarc or sites.google.com/view/southhawaiiares/home. Rick Ward, 938-3058

‘Ike Hana No‘eau, Experience the Skillful Work, every Sat and Sun in July: 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, and 29; 12:30pm, Kahuku Unit of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. Hawaiian cultural demonstrations and hands-on activities. Free. Check nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/cultural-programs.htm for details.

MONDAY, JULY 2
Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund Ka‘ū Estuary Restoration Workday, Mon, July 2, contact in advance for meet up time. Requires a short hike to access site. Pending volcanic activity/air quality. Space limited. Free; donations appreciated. kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com, wildhawaii.org

Ka‘ū Homeschool Co–op Group, Mon, July 2, 16, and 30, 1pm, Ocean View Community Center. A parent-led homeschool activity/social group building community in Ka‘ū. Laura Roberts, 406-249-3351

Ocean View Volunteer Fire Department Meeting, Mon, July 2, 4-6pm, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

NEW and UPCOMING

SEALED WITH ALOHA: HAWAIIAN MONK SEALS AND HAWAI‘I, a Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park After Dark in the Park program that has been moved to the Volcano Art Center Auditorium in Volcano Village due to the parks current closure is offered Tuesday, June 26, at 7 p.m.
     Now called After Dark Near the Park, the talk features Tara Spiegel and staff of Ke Kai Ola (The Healing Sea) hospital in Kona, which is dedicated to caring for injured, ill, and orphaned monk seals, and returning them to the wild. Attendees will hear the story of how Ke Kai Ola of the Marine Mammal Center has grown to include a science-based rehabilitation program, a highly trained stranding response network, and coordinated community efforts and partnerships, says the event flyer.
     The program is co-sponsored by Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Free; suggested $2 donations help support park programs.

HAWAI‘I WILDLIFE FUND OFFERS VOLUNTEERS MORE OPPORTUNITIES to help restore ecosystems on the Ka‘ū Coast.
     On Monday, July 2, volunteers will help restore an estuary in Ka‘ū with a short hike to access the site. On Saturday, July 7, volunteers will remove trash and debris from Pā‘ula, below Nā‘ālehu, with Ala Kahakai Trails Association and friends; space is limited. For meeting times and locations, email Megan Lamson at kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com in advance. These events are subject to change; registration is required.
     For more about Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund, visit wildhawaii.org.

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

Disaster Recovery Center, jointly operated by Hawaiʻi County, the State of Hawaiʻi, and FEMA, is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Keaʻau High School Gym. Buses run from 7:30 a.m. and 9 p.m. to and from Keaʻau Armory every 20 minutes and Pāhoa Community Center Shelter every hour. See the full bus schedule on the Civil Defense Website at HawaiiCounty.gov/Active-Alerts. For a list of the information applicants need to bring to the DRC, or to register online, go to DisasterAssistance.gov

Libraries Rock Summer Reading Program: Hawai‘i State Public Library System, through Saturday, July 14, statewide and online. Register and log reading at librarieshawaii.beanstack.org or at a local library. Free. Reading rewards, activities, and programs for children, teens, and adults. 2018 participants have a chance to win a Roundtrip for four to anywhere Alaska Airlines flies.

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park invites kamaʻaina and tourist alike to visit the Kahuku Unit. There are no entry fees, and all programs are free of charge. In addition to regularly scheduled Guided Hikes and the monthly Coffee Talk, Kahuku Unit has added daily Ranger Talks, and cultural demonstrations and activities on weekends.
     Visitor Contact Station hosts Ike Hana Noe ʻAu, Cultural Demonstrations and Activities, at 12:30 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday in June and July, made possible by Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association.
     Visitor Contact Station hosts Ranger Talks on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
     Guided Hikes begin at 9:30 a.m. every Saturday and Sunday in June and July. Meet the ranger at the welcome tent.
     In the Visitor Contact Station, Coffee Talk, a monthly, casual get together, is held the last Friday of the month, 9:30-11 a.m. On June 29, Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund will present Removing Trash, Restoring Habitat. On July 27, 
     See the Kahuku Unit Rangers, The Kahuku Cowgirls, in the Nā ͑ālehu 4th of July Parade Saturday, June 30, beginning at 10 a.m.

Park Rangers invite the public to downtown Hilo to learn about the volcanic activity, to get their NPS Passport Book stamped, and to experience the Hawaiian cultural connection to volcanoes. Rangers are providing programs at the Mokupāpapa Discovery Center at 76 Kamehameha Avenue, Tuesday through Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
     Two Park Rangers are stationed at the Grand Naniloa Hotel in downtown Hilo, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., every Sunday and Monday, in the Willie K Crown Room - as long as nothing else is scheduled in the space. The rangers will be doing daily talks at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. about the eruption. They will show the park film that is normally available to visitors to see at the Kilauea Visitor’s Center at the Summit, Born of Fire, Born in the Sea, every half-hour beginning at 9:30 a.m.

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 464-9634.

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.

5th annual Ka‘ū Coffee Trail Run registration open. Race day Sat, Sept 22, 7 a.m.; begins and ends at Ka‘ū Coffee Mill. Register online before Mon, July 9: 5K, $25/person; 10K, $35/person; and 1/2 Marathon, $45/person. From July 9 to Aug 11: $30/person, $40/person, and $45/person, respectively. From Aug 13 to Sept 20: $35/person, $45/person, and $55/person. Race day registration ends Sat, Sept 22, at 6:30 a.m. Event organizers, ‘O Ka‘ū Kākou; start location, Ka‘ū Coffee Mill.

Volcano Forest Runs Registration Open through Friday, August 17, at 6 p.m. Half marathon $85, 10K $45, 5K $30. Registration increases August 1: half marathon to $95, 10K to $55, and 5K to $35. Race is run from Cooper Center on Wright Road in Volcano Village on Saturday, August 18.