Friday, August 23, 2019

Kaʻū News Briefs, Saturday, August 24, 2019

What are the goals of the Hawaiʻi County Draft General Plan? How will they affect Kaʻū? See below. Hawaiʻi County map
HAWAIʻI COUNTY'S GENERAL PLAN GOALS for Kaʻū and beyond are explained in the draft document that goes before the Kaʻū public tomorrow, Sunday, Aug. 25 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Nāʻālehu Community Center. The countywide goals include:
     Police Services: Provide 1.6 police personnel per 1,000 residents.
     Fire and Emergency Services: Obtain a 100 percent on-time response for both fire and emergency services.
     Health and Social Services: Making sure each community has access to healthcare facilities, programs, or community-based care. Reduce substance abuse, domestic violence, and other social problems through social programs, education, and intervention services.
     Pubic Access and Trails: Developing and maintaining a public access program that "integrates recreation, subsistence, and cultural access priorities."
     Native Hawaiian Values and Practices: Assuring Native Hawaiian language, values, and practices are integrated into all County processes.
A goal of the Hawaiʻi County Draft General Plan is to make sure there's a 
1.6 to 1,000 ratio of police personnel to residents. Photo of the latest 
Hawaiʻi Police Dept. Recruit class graduation. Photo from HPD
     Multi-Cultural Heritage: Confirming that at least one yearly cultural event is supported by the County in each district.
     Historic Preservation: Achieve 100 percent preservation of sites identified for preservation by State Historic Preservation Division.
     While the Volcano Winery area, golf course, Kīlauea Military Camp, and much of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park are in the District of Kaʻū, the county's General Plan includes them with Puna and considers the Kaʻū planning area as spanning from Kapāpala Ranch through Wood Valley, Pāhala, Punaluʻu, Ninole Honuʻapo, Nāʻālehu, Waiʻōhinu, Ka Lae, Ocean View Estates, Hawaiian Ranchos, Kahuku, and Papa to Miloliʻi.
     The planning areas are determined by population centers and locations of educational facilities, considered anchors for communities. Schools provide state and local organizations a venue to connect with communities. The General Plan also aims to establish a sustainable Safe Routes to School program.
     Other goals considered in the Plan for Kaʻū can be found in the draft document at hiplanningdept.com/general-plan/general-plan-comprehensive-review.
Another goal of the Plan is to achieve 100 percent on-time responses 
from fire and emergency services. Photo of the 46th graduation 
class of Hawaiʻi Fire Dept. Photo from HFD
     The General Plan draws from the Community Development plans of each district. To learn more about the Kaʻū Community Development Plan, see hawaiicountycdp.info/kau-cdp.
     For more, and to give input, attend the meeting or contact the county's Long Range Planning Team at GeneralPlan@hawaiicounty.gov(808) 961-8288, or Planning Department, County of Hawaiʻi, 101 Pauahi St. Suite 3, Hilo, HI, 96720

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WILL REP. TULSI GABBARD MAKE IT INTO THE THIRD PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE? Her campaign is sending out messages to constituents and supporters, encouraging them to contact the Democratic National Convention to encourage the sponsors of the debate to consider more polls that show Gabbard with support of the required two percent, and above.
      Michael Tracey of Real Clear Politics wrote that "Tulsi Gabbard is on the verge of being excluded from the next Democratic presidential debate on the basis of criteria that appear increasingly absurd." Gabbard met the required 130,000 unique donors to qualify for round three. A letter from her campaign stated that she ranks "at or above" the 2 percent threshold in 26 polls, including those taken by The Boston Globe and The Economist. The letter charges that only two of these 26 polls are certified by the DNC's "seemingly arbitrary criteria, which they have not made public."
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, on the presidential campaign trail. Photo from Facebook
     Real Clear Politics and FiveThirtyEight rate many of these polls as more accurate than some DNC "certified" polls.
     The letter also states that "hardly any certified polls," recognized by the DNC, have been released since the second debate in Detroit. One certified poll came out the week after the debate, three since, out of a possible 16.
     The campaign statement puts forward that "Tulsi had an amazing performance in the second debate, and interest in her spiked across the country as we saw her become the most Googled candidate for the second time running. Grassroots donations poured in and volunteers offered their time and energy to our movement. We were counting on the polls to capture that interest and momentum. But they never came."
     Said the campaign letter, "If the DNC is serious about including candidates based on their grassroots momentum, they need to step up and ensure that the polls they certify have a chance to capture that momentum. The American people are speaking – and they want to know more about Tulsi. But by restricting the number and frequency of certified polls based on arbitrary criteria, the DNC is turning a deaf ear and taking our power away. Don't let the DNC take our power away. Add your name to stand up for a Democratic Party and government that is truly of, by, and for the people."

Map from HELCo
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TRAVEL FROM KAʻŪ TO TO KONA ON BELT ROAD on Saturday, Aug. 31 may be delayed due to replacement of a utility pole by Hawai‘i Electric Light. One lane of highway 11 will be closed in Kainaliu – between Basques Way and Lehuʻula Kai Street – at mile marker 113, from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. HELCo advises motorists drive with caution in the construction area and use alternate routes, if possible. "We regret any inconvenience this may cause and thank the community for their patience and understanding," states the announcement from the utility. For questions or concerns, call 969-6666.

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A SUB-ANTARCTIC LAVA LAKE, spied from space, is the subject of this week's Volcano Watch, written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates:
     Last month, the entire world celebrated the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11's triumphant flight to the moon and the first human footsteps on the surface of another planetary body on July 20, 1969.
     Volcanoes on the Island of Hawai‘i have long played an important role in exploration of the moon, providing a training ground for astronauts who would bring back the first lunar samples. Today, as Mars beckons, astronauts still travel to Hawaiʻi to practice for missions to our neighboring planet.
     But it isn't just other moons and planets that await exploration and provide geologists with the opportunity for new discoveries. Planet Earth still has many secrets to uncover and space-based technology is playing a critical role in understanding our planetary home.
Training for space on Mauna Loa at the HI-SEAS habitat. Images from space helped discover a subterranean 
lava lake in the South Sandwich Islands. Photo from HI-SEAS
     In 2008–2018, while Kīlauea hosted one of the most accessible and largest lava lakes for study, scientists sought to confirm another lava lake on the far side of the world.
     The target was Mount Michael, an active and exceedingly remote glacier-clad stratovolcano on Saunders Island in the South Sandwich Islands, a volcanic arc in the South Atlantic Ocean. The volcano is about 2550 km (1580 mi) roughly east of Ushuaia, Argentina, near the southern tip of South America.
     This island volcano is well-off the beaten path of mariners and aircraft and is often obscured by heavy clouds. A vapor plume emanating from the crater at its summit is commonly visible in satellite images and rare fly-overs by the British Antarctic Survey. This plume and a generally hot area coincident with its summit crater have long suggested high heat flow at the summit, but little is known about the full extent of the volcano's activity.
     Looking back in history at ship logs and other sources, ash clouds were reported in 1819, and a lava eruption may have occurred near the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. Overall, due to the island's location, records of activity until the age of satellites are scant. 
     In the 1990s, a coarse-resolution satellite thermal anomaly further indicated a source of high heat that could have been a temporary lava lake. But it was not conclusive, and the question remained: how active is this sub-Antarctic volcano?
(Left) False-Color Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager scene of Saunders Island and Mount Michael on January 31, 2018
This image is composed from red and shortwave infrared light detected by the satellite sensors. Blue represents the high 
temperature ground surface that includes the lava lake. Snow and ice appear red and meteorological clouds and the 
volcanic vapor and gas plume are gray. (Right) The same scene in natural color without benefit of the spectral 
discrimination of high temperatures. Note that the lava lake is not easy to see. Images courtesy of NASA
     As satellites have become more sophisticated and the pixel size smaller, resulting in higher image resolution, finding small areas of high heat flux – like a lava lake – has gotten easier. And so, using the power of satellites and the increasing number of observations, the question of a lava lake at Mount Michael appears to be resolved.
     British researchers looked at decades worth of imagery of this volcano from three different satellites: Landsat, Sentinel, and ASTER. They were able to confirm persistent temperatures greater than about 1000 degrees Celsius (1800 degrees Fahrenheit), consistent with a pool of lava at the surface within the summit crater. They further argue that the longevity of satellite thermal anomalies and plumes over the three decades of observation suggests a long-lived lava lake.
     With this confirmation, it adds to the inventory of known persistent lava lakes on Earth: Ambrym in Vanuatu in the South Pacific, Erebus in Antarctica, Erta Ale in Ethiopia, Masaya in Nicaragua, and Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Central Africa.  
     The Mount Michael summit lava lake is about 110 meters (360 ft) wide covering an area of about 10,000 square meters (about 2.5 acres). Students of Kīlauea will recall that the lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u prior to its draining in May 2018 was about 300 m (nearly 1000 ft) across covering about 42,000 square meters (just over 10 acres). So, by Hawaiʻi standards, the Mount Michael lava lake is just a small cousin.  
     The discovery of a new lava lake a year after the loss of Kīlauea Volcano's summit lava lake reminds us of our dynamic planet and demonstrates the power of space-based observations of Earth, as well as the heavens.
Halemaʻumaʻu from space in 2013. Photo from earthobservatory.nasa.gov
     For more information on Mount Michael, see the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program webpage: volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=390090.
     Volcano Activity Updates
     Kῑlauea Volcano is not erupting and its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at NORMAL.
     Monitoring data for deformation have shown no significant changes in Kīlauea activity over the past week. The water level at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u continues to slowly rise. HVO is monitoring the pond closely, and under the current conditions, its presence in the crater has not increased the risk to public safety.
     Hazards remain at the lower ERZ and summit of Kīlauea. Residents and visitors near the 2018 fissures, lava flows, and summit collapse area should heed Hawai‘i County Civil Defense and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park closures and warnings. The 2018 lava flows are primarily on private property, and people are asked to be respectful and to not enter or park on private property.
     Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at ADVISORY. In the last week, approximately 40 small-magnitude earthquakes (all less than M2.0) occurred beneath the summit and upper Southwest Rift Zone. Deformation measurements show continued summit inflation, suggestive of recharge of the volcano's shallow magma storage system. No significant changes in volcanic gas release on the Southwest Rift Zone were measured, and fumarole temperatures there and at the summit remain unchanged.
     One earthquake with three or more felt reports occurred in Hawaiʻi this past week: a magnitude 4.2 offshore quake 57 km (35 mi) southeast of Pāhala at 46 km (29 mi) depth on Thursday, Aug. 22 at 4:33 a.m.
     Visit volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

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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
2019 Kaʻū High School Athletics Schedule through September
See khpes.org/athletics-home for details and updates

Football, Division II:
Sat., Sept. 7, 2 p.m., HPA hosts Kaʻū
Sat., Sept. 14, 11 a.m., Kaʻū hosts Kohala
Thu., Sept. 19, 7 p.m., Pāhoa hosts Kaʻū

Girls Volleyball, Kaʻū District Gym:
Wed., Aug. 28, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts Kohala
Wed., Sept. 4, 6 p.m., Christian Liberty hosts Kaʻū
Fri., Sept. 6, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts Kamehameha
Tue., Sept. 10, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts Kealakeha
Fri., Sept. 13, 6 p.m., Honokaʻa hosts Kaʻū
Tue., Sept. 17, 6 p.m., Waiakea hosts Kaʻū
Thu., Sept. 19, 6 p.m., Keaʻau hosts Kaʻū
Tue., Sept. 24, 6 p.m., Makualani hosts Kaʻū
Fri., Sept. 27, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts HPA

Cross Country:
Sat., Aug. 31, 10 a.m., @Christian Liberty
Sat., Sept. 7, 10 a.m., @Kamehameha
Fri., Sept. 13, 3:30 p.m., @HPA
Sat., Sept. 21, 10 a.m., @Kealakehe
Sat., Sept. 28, 10 a.m., @Keaʻau

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.

UPCOMING
SUNDAY, AUG. 25
Free Entry to all National Parks - NP Service 103rd Anniversary, Sunday, Aug. 25. 985-6101, nps.gov/havo

Give Input on the Draft General Plan for Hawaiʻi County on Sunday, Aug. 25, at Nāʻālehu Community Center from 9 a.m. to 2p.m. Drop in anytime to talk with planners. Download the Draft General Plan.

Palm Trail, Sunday, Aug. 25, 9:30-12:30pm, Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderately difficult hike - 2.6-mile loop. nps.gov/havo

A Taste of Tea & Pottery 2019, Sunday, Aug. 25, noon-4p.m., Volcano Art Center. Annual fundraiser for VAC's Fire Arts Programs. $30/VAC members, $35/non-member, includes choice of one handmade tea cup or bowl, tasting of several freshly brewed Hawai‘i grown teas, and option to participate in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Door prizes, silent auction, and cookies, packaged tea, and tea cups available for purchase. Vote for favorite Hawai‘i grown tea through Taster's Choice Award. Hands-on experiences with clay and demonstrations. Eva Lee speaks. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

MONDAY, AUG. 26
Ka‘ū Homeschool Co–op Group, Monday, Aug. 26, 1p.m., contact for location. Parent-led homeschool activity and social group, building community in Ka‘ū. Laura Roberts, 406-249-3351

TUESDAY, AUG. 27
Registration Open: Door Knob Hangers, Tuesday, Aug. 27-Sept. 6, Kahuku ParkHawaiian Ocean View Estates. Program for ages 6-12 takes place Tuesday, Sept. 10, 12:45-3:30p.m. Free. 939-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation 

H.O.V.E. Road Maintenance Corp. Board Mtg., Tuesday, Aug. 27, 10a.m., H.O.V.E. RMC office, 92-8979 Lehua Lane, Ocean View. 929-9910, hoveroad.com

Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 11:30a.m.-1p.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Ocean View. Volunteers welcome. Dave Breskin, 319-8333

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 28
Kōkua Kūpuna Project, Wednesday, Aug. 28 – last Wednesday, monthly – 9-11a.m., 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, 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

Palai‘e Demonstration, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 10a.m.-noon, Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai. Make a traditional Hawaiian ball-and-loop game using natural materials. Free; park entrance fees apply. 985-6101, nps.gov/havo

Private Guided Hike: Kīlauea Iki Crater, Thursday, Aug. 28, 10a.m.-2p.m.Kīlauea Iki Overlook, HVNP. Organized by Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Moderate to challenging, 2.4 mile (one way) hike. $80/person. Park entrance fees may apply. 985-7373, fhvnp.org

THURSDAY, AUG. 29
Volcano Friends Feeding Friends, Thursday, Aug. 29, 4-6p.m.Cooper CenterVolcano Village. Free community dinner for all. Additional packaged goods to take home for those in need. Donations and volunteers encouraged. 967-7800, thecoopercenter.org

FRIDAY, AUG. 30
Coffee Talk at Kahuku: ‘O Ka‘ū Kākou - We Are All Ka‘ū, Friday, Aug. 30, 9:30-11a.m., Kahuku Unit Visitor Contact Station. Learn about OKK and all their community projects. Free. nps.gov/havo

SATURDAY, AUG. 31
Kaʻū Skate Club Garage Sale Fundraiser, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, at 92-1780 Aloha Blvd. in Ocean View. All proceeds go directly to Kaʻū Skate Club, which recently became a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization in Ocean View, toward their goal of building a roller skating rink in OV. Contact Lzena Barrett, president of Kaʻū Skate Club, at (808)747-1147 or kauskateclub@gmail.com with questions or to help the skate club grow. kauskateclub.com

Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund Ka‘ū Community Clean-up, Saturday, Aug. 31. Free; donations appreciated. Full – waitlist only; B.Y.O.-4WD okay. R.S.V.P. required. 769-7629, kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com

Food from Wood: Growing Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms on Logs, Stumps, and Wood Chips with Zach Mermel, Saturday, Aug. 31, 9a.m.-2:30p.m., Volcano Art Center and Shaka Forest Farms. $50/VAC member, $55/non-member, includes take home shiitake and King Stropharia mushroom kits. Pre-registration required. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Paths and Trails, Sat., Aug. 31, 9:30-12:30pm, Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderately difficult, 2-mile, hike. nps.gov/havo

Healing Through Words creative writing workshop with Dr. Heather Rivera, Saturday, Aug. 31, 10-11:30a.m., Volcano Art Center. $30/VAC member, $35/non-member. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Bon Dance Festival and Twilight Lantern Parade, Saturday, Aug. 31, 6-10p.m., Nā‘ālehu Hongwanji Buddhist Temple. Lantern Parade at 7:30 p.m. Taiko drums, Hachimaki headbands, saimin, teriyaki bowls, vegetable bowls, and fun for the whole family. First time the temple has held this event in over 10 years, a Celebration of Remembrance. All are welcome. Free. Temple President Robert Kobzi, robertkobzi@aol.com

ONGOING
Talk Action, Take Action Surveys Deadline is Saturday, Aug. 31. The surveys ask for information regarding 2018's Kīlauea eruption recovery. Hawaiʻi County residents are encouraged to take the surveys at recovery.hawaiicounty.gov/connect/impact-status-survey-suite. Hard copies of the surveys can also be picked up at Council member offices, the Department of Research & Development, and the Planning Department. Unless one chooses to be contacted individually, the information from the surveys will be anonymous.

Applications for Grants to Steward PONC Protected Lands on Hawaiʻi Island are open through Friday, Aug. 31. In Kaʻū, areas of the Kahuku Coast, Kahua Olohu, and Kāwā Bay are eligible. Only 501(c)3 non-profits or organizations that operate under the umbrella of a 501(c)3 non-profit should apply.
     Applications are available at records.hawaiicounty.gov/weblink/1/edoc/95324/2018-19%20PONC%20Stewardship%20Grant%20Request.pdf. Information and applications are also available at the P&R office, Aupuni Center101 Pauahi Street, Suite 6Hilo. Completed applications must be submitted or postmarked by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, August 31, 2018. Questions? Contact Reid Sewake at 961-8311.

Volcano Winery's Annual Fundraising Harvest Festival Tickets are on sale at volcanowinery.com or (808) 967-7772. Proceeds benefit Volcano School of Arts & Sciences; last year's event sold out. This sixth festive evening of live music, food, wines and craft beers under the stars happens Sunday, Sept. 84-7p.m. The $50 per person tickets include live music entertainment by Young Brothers; delicious food and drink from local restaurants; award-winning wines and teas from the Volcano Winery; tours of the vineyards and a huge raffle.

Applications are Open for Tūtū & Me Traveling Preschool in Nā‘ālehu and Wai‘ōhinu, at Kauaha‘ao Congregational Church on Mondays and Wednesdays, 8:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Limited space available. Pāhala Home Visits also available. Call 939-8573 for Nā‘ālehu,  929-8571 for Pāhala. pidfoundation.org

Exhibit - Nani Ka ‘Ikena by Volcano local photographer Jesse Tunison, daily through Sunday, Sept. 15, 9a.m.-5p.m., Volcano Art Center Gallery. Nani Ka ʻIkena, that which is seen is beautiful, features vibrant colors and crisp, wide vistas which highlight the character and drama of Hawaiʻi Island’s landscape. The collection of ten photographs were captured over the past decade by Tunison and also document the dynamic changes which have occurred in such a short period of time. "While the landscape has changed the beauty has endured." Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org


6th Annual Ka‘ū Coffee Trail Run Registration, webscorer.com/register?raceid=166020. 5K, 10K, 1/2 Marathon races through mac nut and coffee fields along slopes of Ka‘ū starting at 7a.m., Saturday, Sept. 21, Ka‘ū Coffee Mill. Sponsored by Ka‘ū Coffee Mill and ‘O Ka‘ū Kākou. Prices increase after July 9. okaukakou.orgkaucoffeemill.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.