Friday, April 19, 2019

Kaʻū News Briefs, Friday, April 19, 2019


Eucalyptus and cattle grew side by side at Kapapala Ranch. Photo by Julia Neal
EUCALYPTUS TREES COULD BE HARVESTED AND REPLANTED FOR BIOFUEL over the next 30 years on plantations that would also welcome locals to hunt and gather there. In addition to game animals, cattle could graze among the trees. That was the message that Dr. Guy Cellier gave Hawaiʻi Island's Game Management Advisory Commission this week. He mentioned Kaʻū, where eucalyptus harvesting for biofuel is ongoing, with areas on Kamehameha School lands above Kapapala Ranch completed, after allowing cattle to feed among the eucalyptus during times of drought.
     The eucalyptus logs will be scheduled to truck to the nearly completed Hū Honua, a biofuels plant on the coast north of Hilo. Cellier said about 20,000 acres of eucalyptus are needed around the island to sustainably support the power plant over time.
     Eucalyptus trees need about seven years of growth between harvests. He said that eucalyptus can grow out of stumps to avoid replanting and that pigs, goats, and cattle can help keep the area free from weeds without damaging the trees.
     Saplings have a better chance for growth and fire spread is lessened with grazing and wildlife living among the eucalyptus, said Cellier. Control over sharing space with the growing trees for cattle, hunting and gathering belongs to the land owners, he noted.
     Cellier, a forester and nurseryman, helped plant the eucalyptus farms on Kamehameha School lands around Pāhala. He said some of the trees have already been cut. "It is a significant amount of wood that needs to move." He estimated about 20 to 30 loads a day will head up Hwy 11 through Hilo to Hū Honua, once the plant is ready for them.
     Cellier works with CN Renewable Resources, a sister company to Hū Honua.
     Cellier also said that a  small amount of herbicide and a pre-emergent fertilizer is planned for use on the eucalyptus farms. When asked by a Game Management Advisory Commission member about fertilizer runoff, he said that the amount is small, and placed in the hole with each sapling, which is away from fresh water sources. He said that regrowing eucalyptus from stumps would use very little fertilizer and herbicide.
     Cellier contended that the carbon offset from growing eucalyptus for energy will be neutral, but it takes time, since some of the trees planned for harvest on the north side of the island are very large. He said CN Renewable studies show that nutrient levels of the soil will increase, predicting one inch per year addition to topsoil from the trees.

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Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach is one of Hawaiʻi Island's ten listed lifeguard beaches. See hioceansafety.com
and hawaiibeachsafety.comPhoto from lovebigisland.com
THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT URGES RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO SWIM AT LIFEGUARD BEACHES and has launched a new website with their locations in order to help reduce ocean deaths and injuries.
     The state Department of Health's Emergency Medical Services and Injury Prevention System Branch collaborated with Hawaiʻi Drowning and Aquatic Injury Prevention Advisory Committee to produce the website, It notes that ocean drowning continues to be one of the main causes of death in Hawai‘i, the fourth leading cause of injury related death for residents and the leading cause for visitors. Snorkeling is the activity most frequently associated with visitor drowning. Visitors comprise 55 percent of ocean drownings and suffer 81 percent of ocean related spinal cord injuries. The trend of fatal ocean drownings among visitors is on the rise.
     The website https://hioceansafety.com/ aims to decrease risk factors and increase "protective factors" for ocean goers through a link to real-time information on ocean conditions at beaches with lifeguards statewide. Also see http://hawaiibeachsafety.com/.
     The website documents ocean incidents, including a list of beaches (some of them newly popular tourist destinations) with the highest frequency of spinal cord injuries.
     Peer-reviewed studies based on good science will inform website content, says a statement from the collaborators.
     Ralph Goto, co-chair of the Hawai‘i Drowning and Aquatic Injury Prevention Advisory Committee,  said, "Choosing beaches with lifeguards who can respond quickly to those in the ocean is a matter of life and death. The sooner a person in distress in the ocean can get help, the better their chance of survival.
     "We are studying factors that may contribute to the high representation of snorkeling as the most common activity among visitors who drown. Results of these studies will not be available for a few years, but as information is available, we will be certain to inform the public through the website."
     Gerald Kosaki, a committee co-chair, said, "People who visit Hawai‘i may not realize that even small waves at our beaches can be strong enough to cause serious injury and even death. Knowing what beaches to avoid and how to react when a wave is breaking on shore is critical."
     Bridget Velasco, DOH's drowning and spinal cord injury prevention coordinator, said, "Keeping everyone who goes to the ocean safe is a top priority. We realized that there was no online resource on ocean safety in Hawai‘i and that it would be valuable for residents and visitors to have a comprehensive website dedicated to providing everything from the interpretation of beach hazard signage to snorkeling tips and basic data about drowning and spinal cord injuries. As we continue to build up this website we hope that it will be a community resource for all things ocean safety."
     Hawai‘i Drowning and Aquatic Injury Prevention Advisory Committee was established in 2015 to bring together industry experts, including ocean safety professionals, visitor industry authorities, non-profit child swimming organizations, the US Coast Guard and other partners, to collaborate on drowning and water-related injury prevention in Hawai‘i.
     For more information contact Bridget Velasco, drowning prevention coordinator at the EMS and Injury Prevention System Branch of DOH at 733-9209 or email bridget.velasco@doh.hawaii.gov.

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WHAT CAUSED – OR DID NOT CAUSE – THE 2018 KĪLAUEA ERUPTION? Learn what scientists have to say in this week's Volcano Watch, written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates:
     When a major geologic event occurs, scientists who study such events and the people who are directly or indirectly impacted by it seek to understand its cause. Often, a first step toward that understanding is to rule out what did not cause the event.  
     USGS HVO has received several inquiries about the cause of Kīlauea Volcano's 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption. Specifically, we've been asked if the eruption was caused by or related to geothermal drilling and energy production on Kīlauea's East Rift Zone.
     The short answer is "no;" there is no credible model that connects geothermal operations to Kīlauea's 2018 eruption. We'll explain by starting with some facts about the volcano:
     First and foremost, Kīlauea is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The exposed part of the volcano covers itself with new lava every thousand years or so. Thus, it's a matter of "when" – not "if" – an eruption will occur on Kīlauea.
Fig. 1, Hawaii Island Lava Flow Map. USGS map
     The rift zones and summit on Kīlauea and Mauna Loa are identified as Zone 1 on the USGS Lava-Flow Hazard Map for Hawaiʻi Island (fig. 1), which is where the majority of erupting vents have been located in recent centuries. These areas are the most dangerous because, in nearly all Hawaiian eruptions, lava has first emerged from the ground within Zone 1 and quickly flowed into Lava Flow Hazard Zone 2.
     By April 2018, Kīlauea had been erupting essentially nonstop for over 35 years. It was inevitable that, at some point, the Puʻu ʻŌʻō eruption would end and another eruption would begin on the volcano. It was also fairly certain that, based on past activity, the next eruption would likely occur somewhere on Kīlauea's East Rift Zone.
     Seismic and deformation data from the 2018 eruption show that magma was injected into the lower East Rift Zone from the middle part of Kīlauea's East Rift Zone near Puʻu ʻŌʻō between April 30 and May 3. A NOAA animation (fig. 2) depicts the earthquakes that occurred on Kīlauea during that time. These earthquakes propagated eastward at a pace of about 1 km per hour (0.6 mi per hour) over three days as magma forced its way through subsurface rock, until erupting to the surface as fissure 1 on May 3. It clearly shows that the downrift migration of magma began near Puʻu ʻŌʻō rather than in the LERZ.
Fig. 2, NOAA animation of seismic activity around Kīlauea between April 30 and May 3, 2018.
Image from Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
     The initial intrusion of magma stopped beneath Pohoiki Road southwest of the geothermal development. On May 9, seismicity indicated that the intrusion had reactivated and was moving eastward toward Kapoho. After another short pause, the magma continued its subsurface advance until it reached its easternmost point near the south end of Halekamahina Road.
     The subsequent opening of 24 fissures in the vicinity of Leilani Estates on Kīlauea's LERZ was not unprecedented or particularly surprising. Eruptions occurred in this same area in 1960, Kapoho; 1955, steam vents on Highway 130 to Halekamahina; 1840, Kaʻohe Homesteads through Nānāwale Estates; around 1790, Lava Tree State Monument; and earlier. These previous eruptions happened well before geothermal operations began on the LERZ.
     The final locations of fissures 16-22 have led some people to ask if there might be a relationship between the eruption and geothermal operations. These operations are located on the LERZ because past eruptions have produced a small hydrothermal resource deep beneath that area.
     The combination of repeated pre-geothermal LERZ eruptions – 1790, 1840, 1955, and 1960 – the clear movement of magma from Puʻu ʻŌʻō into the LERZ, and the temporary halt in magma propagation west of the geothermal development all indicate that geothermal operations played no discernible role in triggering the eruption.
     The actual causes of the LERZ eruption are likely the pre-eruption build-up of magmatic pressure at Kīlauea's summit combined with long-term weakening of the rift zone. The relationship between magma supply, magmatic pressure, and strength of the volcanic edifice are the typical culprits for most volcanic eruptions around the world.
     Impacts of the LERZ eruption were devastating, but the reason for the lava flow is no simpler than the fact that we live on an active volcanic island. What happened in 2018 is part of Kīlauea's natural process and was not influenced by human actions. The volcano behaved as it has many times in the past.
Earthquakes (red dots) track the progression of the magmatic intrusion from Kīlauea Volcano's middle East Rift Zone 
to the lower East Rift Zone between April 30 and May 3, 2018. Orange triangles show the locations of fissure 1 (right), 
which erupted on May 3, and Puʻu ʻŌʻō (left). The earthquakes shown here are well-located with magnitudes 
less than 3.5 and depths shallower than 7 km (4.3 miles). USGS graphic
Volcano Activity Updates
     Kῑlauea Volcano is not erupting and its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at NORMAL. Rates of seismicity, deformation, and gas release have not changed significantly over the past week. Deformation signals are consistent with refilling of Kīlauea's deep East Rift Zone magma reservoir. Sulfur dioxide emission rates on the ERZ and at Kīlauea's summit remain low and have been steady over the past several months.
     Four earthquakes with three or more felt reports occurred in Hawaiʻi this past week, all on April 13:  a magnitude-2.3 quake 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Waikoloa at 13 km (8 mi) depth at 6:12 p.m. HST; a magnitude-2.6 quake 18 km (11 mi) east of Kalaoa at 15 km (9 mi) depth at 5:31 p.m. HST;  a magnitude-3.0 quake 16 km (10 mi) northeast of Kalaoa at 14 km (9 mi) depth at 5:20 p.m. HST; and a magnitude-5.3 quake 20 km (12 mi) east of Kalaoa at 13 km (8 mi) depth at 5:09 p.m. HST.
     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. HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea for any sign of increased activity.
     The USGS Volcano Alert level for Mauna Loa remains at NORMAL.
     Visit volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo for 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.

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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
Kaʻū Trojans Spring Sports Schedule
Baseball:
Sat., April 20, BIIF Semi-Finals
Fri., April 26, BIIF Finals
Sat., April 27, BIIF Finals
Wed.-Sat., May 8-11, HHSAA
Softball:
Sat., April 20, BIIF Finals
Wed., May 1-4, HHSAA
Boys Volleyball:
Mon. April 22, BIIF First Round
Wed., April 24, BIIF Semi-Finals
Thu., April 25, BIIF Finals
Thu.-Sat., May 2-4, HHSAA
Track:
Sat., April 20, 9 a.m., @Kamehameha
Fri., April 26, 2 p.m., BIIF Semi-Finals
Sat., April 27, 3 p.m., BIIF Finals
Fri.-Sat., May 3-4, HHSAA

REMINDER
KAʻŪ COFFEE FESTIVAL DEADLINES are coming up, with entry for the Kaʻū Coffee Recipe Contest extended to Saturday, April 27. The all-ages, fee-free contest is Sunday, April 28, 11 a.m. at Kaʻū Coffee Mill. Enter a pūpū, entrée, or dessert, divided into adult and youth categories. The public is invited to enjoy free tastings. Contest entry info at KauCoffeeMill.com or KauCoffeeFest.com, or call 928-0550.
    Kaʻū Coffee Festival Hoʻolauleʻa vendor deadline is Friday, April 26. Booth fees are $100 for food vendors; $60 for non-food items and crafts, including coffee and coffee samples; and $35 for pre-approved information displays. No campaign or other political displays. Fifty percent discounts for non-profit organizations and
Ka‘ū Coffee farmer Ann Fontes judging a Ka‘ū Coffee Recipe Contest
 at Ka‘ū Coffee Mill. Deadline to enter is Saturday, April 27, the day 
before the event. Photo by Julia Neal
cooperatives selling food, crafts, and coffee. Vendors must also obtain county vendor permits costing $30 each and a Department of Health permit, if serving food. Call Gail Nagata 933-0918. Space for booths and presentations are limited, reservations required. Vendor applications at KauCoffeeFest.com.
    Kaʻū Coffee Festival Hoʻolauleʻa happens Saturday, May 4, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Pāhala Community Center. Full day of music, dance, coffee tasting, demonstrations, food, snacks, educational booths, and games. Free entry.
     Other activities of the Kaʻū Coffee Festival, Friday, April 26 through Sunday, May 5 are open to the public. They are:
     Pā‘ina and Open House is Friday, April 26 at Pāhala Plantation House, 5:30 p.m. Meet the Miss Kaʻū Coffee Court on the evening before the pageant. Enjoy live entertainment and refreshments. Call Pāhala Plantation Cottages, 928-9811.
     Miss Kaʻū Coffee Pageant is Saturday, April 276 p.m. at Kaʻū District Gym. To volunteer or donate, call Pageant Director Trini Marques at 928-0606.
Miss Ka‘ū Coffee contestants Helena Nihipali Sesson 
and Kaitlyn Alaon (missing Bernadette Ladia). Meet the
contestants the evening before the pageant at the kick-off
Paʻina at Pāhala Plantation House. Photo from Trini Marques
     Kaʻū Mountain Hike and Lunch is Wednesday, May 19 a.m. to 2 p.m., starting at Kaʻū Coffee Mill. Ride through the coffee plantation, up the mountains, and into the rainforest to walk along waterways from sugar days of old. Reservations required; $45 per person. Call 928-0550.
     Kaʻū Valley Farms Tour and Lunch is Thursday, May 2, 9 a.m. to noon. Above Nāʻālehu, visit a plant nursery, food farm, coffee and tea plantings, native forest, and hidden valley. $40 per person, reservations required. Call 987-4229 or 731-5409.
     Kaʻū Coffee and Cattle Day is Friday, May 3, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Aikane Plantation Coffee Farm. Includes farm tours, BBQ buffet, and hayride. Visit this historic Ka‘ū Coffee farm and ranch. $25, reservations required. Call 927-2252.
     Kaʻū Stargazing on Friday, May 35:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., takes guests to the top of sacred Makanau during a new-moon. Learn about the ancient Hawaiian temple and see the Hawaiian night sky and stars. Reservations required; $45 per person, includes refreshments. Call 938-0550.
     Kaʻū Coffee College, held at Pāhala Community Center from 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday, May 5 serves up education and demonstrations for coffee farmers and Kaʻū Coffee enthusiasts.
     See KauCoffeeFestival.com.

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UPCOMING
SATURDAY, APRIL 20
Fee-Free Day at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Saturday, April 20. Park entrance fees waived in celebration of National Park week. nps.gov/HAVO

Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund Earth Day Community Cleanup, Saturday, April 20. Free; donations appreciated. BYO-4WD welcome. RSVP: kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com, 769-7629

Annual Wellness Fair and Easter Egg Hunt, Saturday, April 20, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Kaʻū District Gym. Easter Egg Hunt begins at 10 a.m. Educators encouraged to participate. Volunteers welcome. Free.

Junior Ranger Day at Kahuku, Saturday, April 20, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Kahuku Unit Visitor Contact Station, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Program debut. Keiki who complete the junior ranger handbook (illustrated by Hawai‘i artists) earn a wooden junior ranger badge, junior ranger certificate, and will be sworn in by a National Park Service ranger. Free. 985-6011, nps.gov/havo

Ocean View C.E.R.T. Mtg., Saturday, April 20, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Community Emergency Response Team monthly meeting and training. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Ham Radio Mtg., Saturday, April 20, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. ovcahi.org

SUNDAY, APRIL 21
Easter Brunch, Sunday, April 21, 7 a.m. – noon, Kīlauea Military Camp's Crater Rim Café. Menu includes Honey Glazed Ham, Beef Pot Roast with Gravy, Omelet Station, Waffle Bar with Sauce and Toppings, and more. No reservations required. $17.95/adult, $10.95/ages 6-11. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356, kilaueamilitarycamp.com

Easter Egg Hunt, Sunday, April 21, 9 a.m. in the ‘Ōhi‘a Room, Kīlauea Military Camp. Open to keiki 10 years and under; bring Easter basket. Register: 967-8352 before 8:45 a.m. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. kilaueamilitarycamp.com

Easter Sunday Services, April 21, 9:30 a.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church, Ocean View. 939-7000

MONDAY, APRIL 22
Hypertension Management, Monday, April 22, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Kaʻū District Gym, with Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi.

TUESDAY, APRIL 23
Hawai‘i County Council Mtgs., Tuesday, April 23 (Committees), Wednesday, April 24 (Council), Kona. Ka‘ū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nā‘ālehu State Office Building. Agendas at hawaiicounty.gov.

HOVE Road Maintenance Board Mtg., Tuesday, April 23, 10 a.m., HOVE Road Maintenance office. hoveroad.com, 929-9910, gm@hoveroad.com

Merrie Monarch Festival Events at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Tuesday, April 23 and Wednesday, April 24, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai. Day 1: Weave coconut leaves, make lei. Rupert Tripp Jr. performs. Day 2: Learn/play the Hawaiian board game kōnane, learn about the tools, alter and plants that symbolize hula. Ti "Kawehi" Chun and Pōki‘i Seto perform. Free; park entrance fees apply. nps.gov/havo

Arts and Crafts Activity: Paint a Rainbow, Tuesday, April 23, 2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., Kahuku Park, H.O.V.E. Register keiki ages 6-12 April 15-18. Free. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

Read to Me, Tuesday, April 23, 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m., multi-purpose room, Ka‘ū District Gym. Open to keiki grades K-6. Free. Register April 15-22. 928-3102, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

After Dark in the Park: Kīlauea Volcano's 2018 Lower East Rift Zone Eruption, Tuesday, April 23, 7 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist Carolyn Parcheta recounts the progression and shares her experiences monitoring this dramatic eruption. Free; park entrance fees apply. 985-6011, nps.gov/havo

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24
Kōkua Kupuna Project, Wednesday, April 24, 9 a.m. – 11 a.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

THURSDAY, APRIL 25
Ka‘ū Community Children's Council, Thursday, April 25, 3 p.m. – 4 p.m., Classroom 35, Building F, Nā‘ālehu Elementary School. Provides local forum for community members. Chad Domingo, text 808-381-2584, domingoc1975@yahoo.com, ccco.k12.hi.us

Volcano Friends Feeding Friends, Thursday, April 25, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m., Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Free community dinner for all. Packaged goods to take home for those in need. Donations and volunteers encouraged. 967-7800, thecoopercenter.org

FRIDAY, APRIL 26
Ka‘ū Coffee Festival: Vendor Application Deadline for Ho‘olaule‘a, Friday, April 26. To become a vendor, contact Brenda Iokepa-Moses at biokepamoses@gmail.com or 731-5409

Coffee Talk at Kahuku - The Price of Paradise: The Story of Sandalwood in Hawai‘i, Friday, April 26, 9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m., Kahuku Unit Visitor Contact Station. Talk story with John Stallman, biologist and former Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park ranger. Free. nps.gov/havo

Ka‘ū Coffee Festival: Pā‘ina & Open House, Friday, April 26, 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m., Pāhala Plantation House. Free; donations accepted for Miss Ka‘ū Coffee Scholarship Fund. Julia Neal, 928-9811, mahalo@aloha.net. kaucoffeefestival.com

ONGOING
Kaʻū Coffee Fest invites non-profits, clubs, cooperatives, and businesses to sign up for booths at the 11th annual Kaʻū Coffee Fest Hoʻolauleʻa on Saturday, May 4 at Pāhala Community Center. The all-day event comes with music, hula, coffee tasting, and meeting the famous Kaʻū Coffee farmers. See KauCoffeeFestival.com.
     Booth fees are $100 for food vendors; $60 for non-food items and crafts, including coffee and coffee samples; and $35 for pre-approved information displays. No campaign and other political displays. Fifty percent discounts for non-profit organizations and cooperatives selling food, crafts, and coffee. Vendors must also obtain county vendor permits costing $30 each and a Department of Health permit, if serving food. Call Gail Nagata 933-0918. Apply by Friday, April 26. Application at KauCoffeeFestival.com. Email to biokepamoses@gmail.com; mail to Brenda Iokepa-Moses, P.O. Box 208PāhalaHI 96777; or call 808-731-5409.

Hi-Employment Seeks Student Employees to work in a macadamia nut orchard on weekends and holidays. Duties include hand-harvesting macadamia nuts, filling and transporting nut bag and buckets, loading 25-plus pound bags into truck beds, and possible clearing of brush and branches. Applicants must be at least 15 years old, have a work permit, two forms of ID, and transportation to "Panaʻewa Stretch." Call for more details, 238-3741, hi-employment.com.

Exhibit: On Sacred Ground by Dino Morrow is open daily through Sunday, May 5 at Volcano Art Center Gallery. The public is invited to see documentary and protrait photography of Hula Arts at the Kīlauea Program. Visit volcanoartcenter.org for more information.

Nāʻālehu Independence Day Parade happens Saturday, June 29 at 11 a.m. The parade route begins at the Nāʻālehu Elementary School and ends at the Nāʻālehu Hongwanji Mission. To participate, call Debra McIntosh, 929-9872.

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