Friday, June 07, 2019

Kaʻū News Briefs, Friday, June 7, 2019


Mohouli Heights is a senior housing community with a style that could be appropriate for Nāʻālehu,
says OKK President Wayne Kawachi. Photo from Big Island Video News
PROPOSED NĀʻĀLEHU SENIOR HOUSING WILL OFFER MUCH MORE than 20 apartments, each 500 square feet, says Wayne Kawachi, President of ʻO Kaʻū Kākou. The community group is raising funds and organizing financing. Kawachi told The Kaʻū Calendar this week that, in addition to the 20 housing units, there will be a community center for the seniors. The large grounds could provide room for a senior garden and other activities. To fit in with the character of Nāʻālehu, the 20 units are planned in duplexes, rather than one large building. He said there is much space on the property to add more units, if needed in the future.
     Kawachi said that one proposal, presented last Sunday at a community meeting, is for Big Island Housing Foundation to manage the senior housing. Hawaiʻi Island Community Development Corp. would manage the financing and interaction with the federal Housing & Urban Development agency and investors who would receive tax credits for 15 years. After the 15 years, OKK, would remain owner of the facilities and hire management as needed.
Wayne Kawacchi works on moving senior housing forward
in Nāʻālehu. Photo from OKK
     Kawachi said that OKK is spending $3,000 on a marketing study this summer to analyze the need for the senior housing, which is required to move forward with investors and government funding. Rent would be about $1,000 per unit and many of the residents are expected to receive subsidies as lower income residents.
    OKK's webstie explains the spirit and intent of the senior housing proposal as having to do with "Dignity, Safety, & Community." It says, "The good news is, seniors are living longer, especially in Hawaiʻi. But many are already finding that housing is becoming unaffordable as rents rise far above their incomes. Unless their children can take them in, options are limited and involve moving away from the community they've lived in most of their lives.
     "OKK seeks to stem the tide by eventually building a senior housing complex in Nāʻālehu. No such facility exists for kupuna to live on their own in their community with dignity, safety, and prevent institutionalization. Our largest fundraising goal ever is currently underway. In 2019-2021, we're fundraising $250,000 towards a mortgage of a multi-family/commercially zoned building lot in Nāʻālehu. The lot is located in downtown along highway 11 and is known to locals as the 'old fruit stand property.' And thanks to an anonymous benefactor, we closed on this a property through a private loan. We have two years to pay off the mortgage or it defaults to our benefactor in April of 2021. If we reach this goal, we would then work toward building a complex for qualified, low-income seniors.
​    "You may recall news reports in January of 2018 when OKK President Wayne Kawachi raised $75,000 towards this project by walking 100 miles from Paʻauilo to Nāʻālehu. He came to be known statewide as the 'Rubbah Slippah Guy.' Thirty thousand of that was spent on the demolition of multiple structures on the fruit stand property. Closing costs and property taxes were also additional expenses."
Wayne Kawachi walked 100 miles in rubber slippers as the Taikodrums beat for senior housing to be built in Nāʻālehu.
 Photo from OKK
     OKK reports that Kawachi toured Mohouli Heights Senior Housing in Hilo "and envisions something like this for our project."
     See the donation link on the OKK website. The organization is raising $250,000 with a promise of returning money to donors should campaign fall short of its goal.
     The location is on the mauka side of Hwy 11 at the old site of Nāʻālehu Fruit Stand. For more information, or to donate, call Kawachi at 808-937-4773.

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HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY IS GETTING DRONES. This week's Volcano Watch, written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates, is New eyes in the sky for monitoring Hawaiian volcanoes:
     HVO is no rookie when it comes to using flight to assist with monitoring Hawaiian volcanoes. Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft have transported HVO volcanologists for decades, giving them access for visual and thermal observations, equipment maintenance, and other geophysical and geochemical measurements. But the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea Volcano presented an opportunity for HVO to adopt a new airborne technology – Unmanned Aircraft Systems; UAS or 'drones' – to better monitor the eruption than with manned flight alone.
Two USGS UAS pilots perform a routine inspection of a UAS system prior to a flight at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano 
in June 2018. The UAS for this particular flight was outfitted with a multi-gas sensor to identify any new degassing 
sources within the collapsing summit caldera. All UAS flights inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park were conducted 
with explicit permission of the National Park Service. USGS photo by P. Nadeau
     Previously, the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo used UAS to map the 2014 Pāhoa lava flow. Other external collaborators have also previously flown short campaigns at Kīlauea's summit and at Puʻu ʻŌʻō with permission of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. But before the 2018 eruption, the USGS itself had not employed UAS to monitor an eruption in Hawaiʻi.
     In 2018, however, UAS teams from across the USGS, as well as other agencies within the U.S. Department of the Interior, were mobilized for the Kīlauea eruption response. Through most of the activity, UAS crews worked 24/7, sometimes splitting into multiple teams so that measurements could be made at both the summit and lower East Rift Zone of Kīlauea simultaneously.
     The most basic capability of the UAS during the 2018 eruption was simple video imaging and streaming. This allowed for documentation of eruptive features that would not otherwise have been accessible for study due to hazardous conditions.
Images like this one of HVO and Jaggar museum, taken after
last year's eruption, are made possible by UASs. HVO photo
     In a more practical sense, UAS imaging also offered enhanced situational awareness for the eruption response. UAS images helped identify where new lava breakouts were happening or were likely to occur. In one instance, a USGS UAS helped with the evacuation of a Puna resident as a lava flow quickly approached.
     Some of the UAS were outfitted with thermal cameras, which provided images that were used to create detailed maps of the lava flows. Thermal imagery was also used to identify the hottest, most active portions of the flow field, which was particularly useful when visible images were not able to differentiate between slightly older and slightly newer flows.
      More technical applications of UAS-based imaging included the creation of digital elevation models (DEMs) and measurements of lava flow speeds within channels. By using imagery to determine the height of newly emplaced lava, the new DEMs could be compared to pre-eruption DEMs to calculate the volume of lava erupted.
     At Kīlauea's summit, DEMs helped HVO assess the new landscape of the collapsing caldera and determine just how much collapse was occurring. Along the rift zone, videos taken above fast-flowing lava channels helped with calculations of how much and how quickly lava was erupting from the fissures.
     Beyond the UAS imaging opportunities, the 2018 eruption was the first time that the USGS mounted gas sensors on UAS in Hawaiʻi. The fissures were too dangerous to approach on foot to measure the gas chemistry, but a multi-gas sensor mounted on a UAS helped determine the chemistry of the eruptive plumes.
     Likewise, at the summit, with collapse events and potential explosion hazards, ground-based gas measurements within Kīlauea caldera were not possible. UAS-based measurements were the only safe method for measuring the location, chemistry, and amount of volcanic gas released at the summit.
     Having UAS capabilities for the 2018 eruption enabled HVO to obtain crucial data that would otherwise have been difficult or impossible to obtain. However, you may have noticed that while this article refers to UAS teams from across the USGS traveling to Hawaiʻi for the eruption response, it makes no mention of in-house HVO pilots. That's because, in 2018, HVO didn't have any certified UAS pilots with the skills required for flying in hazardous areas. But that will change in the coming months.
A USGS pilot and Hawaiian Volcano Observatory gas geochemist prepare to conduct a test flight of an unmanned aerial system on Kīlauea Volcano in November, 2018. The UAS was outfitted with a prototype miniaturized multi-gas sensor for the detection of volcanic gases emitted by Kīlauea, including sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide. USGS photo/Patricia Nadeau
     Several HVO staff members will become licensed UAS operators later this year, allowing HVO to add UAS capabilities to our monitoring repertoire. We will then be able to use UAS to aid in our mission-critical monitoring work and will be poised to deploy UAS at a moment's notice to collect important datasets the next time a Hawaiian volcano acts up.
Volcano Activity Updates
     Kῑlauea Volcano is not erupting and its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at NORMAL. The USGS Volcano Alert level for Mauna Loa remains at NORMAL.
For definitions of USGS Volcano Alert Levels, see volcanoes.usgs.gov/vhp/about_alerts.html.
     Rates of deformation, gas release, and seismicity on Kīlauea have not changed significantly over the past week.
     Since early March, GPS stations and tiltmeters at Kīlauea's summit have recorded deformation consistent with slow magma accumulation within the shallow portion of the summit magma system. However, gas measurements have not indicated shallowing of large volumes of magma. 
     On Kīlauea's East Rift Zone, GPS stations and tiltmeters continue to show motions consistent with refilling of the deep magmatic reservoir in the broad region between Puʻu ʻŌʻō and Highway 130. This trend has been observed since the end of the 2018 eruption, although there is an indication that this motion has been slowing down over the past couple weeks.
     Sulfur dioxide emission rates on Kīlauea's ERZ and summit remain low, but HVO continues to closely monitor gas emissions in both areas for any changes.
     Two earthquakes with three or more felt reports occurred in Hawaiʻi this past week: a magnitude-2.8 quake 4 km (2.5 mi) southwest of Volcano Village at -0.2 km (-0.1 mi) depth on June 6 at 3:01 a.m., and a magnitude-2.8 quake 18 km (11.2 mi) east of Hōnaunau-Nāpōʻopoʻo at 8 km (5 mi) depth on June 2 at 11:32 p.m.
     HVO continues to closely monitor both Kīlauea and Mauna Loa for any signs of increased activity.
     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.
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

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UPCOMING
SATURDAY, JUNE 8
Pancake Breakfast and Raffle, Saturday, June 8, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., Ocean View Community Center. To volunteer, call 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Stained Glass Basics II: Baubles, Bevels and other Embellishments w/Claudia McCall, Saturday and Sunday, June 8, 9, 15 and 16, 9 a.m. to noon, Volcano Art Center. $90/VAC member, $100/non-member, plus $30 supply fee. Open to those with prior copper foil stained glass experience. Advanced registration required. Limited to 6 adults. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Nā Mamo o Kāwā ʻOhana Work Day, Saturday, June 8, meet 9:30 a.m., Northern Gate, Kāwā. RSVP to James Akau, jakau@nmok.org, 561-9111. Bring a water bottle, lunch, closed toed shoes, long sleeved t-shirt, and pants. Tools, gloves, water, and light refreshments provided. nmok.org, facebook.com/NMOK.Hawaii

Zentangle Ulana, Appreciations of Weaving w/Dina Wood Kageler, Saturday, June 8, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Volcano Art Center. All welcome, no prior experience necessary. Supplies provided. Students invited to bring snack to share. $30/VAC member, $35/non-member, plus $10 supply fee. Register: volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

Jazz in the Forest: Binti Bailey & Larry Seyer with the Jazztones, Saturday, June 8, 5:30 p.m., Volcano Art Center. Refreshments available for purchase. Tickets available online, $20/VAC Member, $25/non-Member. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

Medicine for the Mind: Teachings in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition, Sunday, June 9 – 2nd Sunday, monthly – 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Volcano Art Center. Free; calabash donations welcome. Dress warmly. Patty Johnson, 345-1527

SUNDAY, JUNE 9
Medicine for the Mind: Teachings in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition, Sunday, June 9 – 2nd Sunday, monthly – 3-5p.m., Volcano Art Center. Free; calabash donations welcome. Dress warmly. Patty Johnson, 345-1527

MONDAY, JUNE 10
Summer Algebra Camp: Grades 6-8, Monday, June 10, to Friday, June 21, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Ka‘ū High & Pāhala Elementary. Supplies provided, free. Registration required, 313-4913, dexsilyn.navarro@k12.hi.us

Early College: High School Students, Monday-Thursday, June 12-July 11, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Ka‘ū High & Pāhala Elementary. Registration required, 313-4100

Ka‘ū Homeschool Co–op Group, Monday, June 10, 1p.m., contact for location. Parent-led homeschool activity and social group, building community in Ka‘ū. Laura Roberts, 406-249-3351

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12
Kapa Kuiki w/Cultural Practitioner Cyndy Martinez, Wednesday, June 12, 10a.m.-noon, Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai. Hawaiian traditional quilting methods demonstration and discussion. Free; park entrance fees apply. nps.gov/havo

THURSDAY, JUNE 13
Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka‘ū, Thursday, June 13, 6:30p.m., United Methodist Church, Nā‘ālehu. Pres. Berkley Yoshida, 747-0197

FRIDAY, JUNE 14
Register by June 14 - Basic Hunter Education Certification Program - see separate listing, June 28 and 29, for details. Space is limited. Call 887-6050, code KAU

Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund Coastal Net Patrol, Friday, June 14. Free; donations appreciated. Limited seating available. RSVP in advance. kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com, 769-7629

Hawai‘i Disability Legal Services, Friday, June 14, 9a.m.-noon, Ocean View Community Center. Free disability legal services provided by Hawai‘i Legal Aid. ovcahi.org, 939-7033

Arts and Crafts Activity: Father's Day Card, Friday, June 14, 1:30-2:30p.m., Kahuku Park, H.O.V.E. Register keiki ages 6-12, June 10-13. Free. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

Community Dance, Friday, June 14, 7-10p.m., Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Minors allowed with supervision only. Alcohol-free event. Variety of music. Snacks provided; additional pūpū welcome. Free; donations appreciated. 967-7800, thecoopercenter.org

SATURDAY, JUNE 15
Ocean View C.E.R.T. Mtg., Saturday, June 15, 10a.m.-1p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Community Emergency Response Team monthly meeting and training. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Hula Kahiko - Kumu Hula Lorna Lim w/Hālau Kawehileimamoikawekiu‘okohala, Saturday, June 15, 10:30-11:30a.m., hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery. Hula performance. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org

Nā Mea Hula w/Kumu Moses Kaho‘okele Crabbe, Saturday, June 15, 11a.m.-1p.m., Volcano Art Center Gallery porch. Hands-on cultural demonstration. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org

Drawing Mandalas as Meditation w/Lisa Maria Martin, Saturday, June 15, 11a.m.-2p.m., Volcano Art Center. $30/VAC member, $35/non-member, plus $10 supply fee. All supplies provided. Open to all levels. No art or meditation experience needed. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

Ham Radio Mtg., Saturday, June 15, 2-3p.m., Ocean View Community Center. ovcahi.org

Opera Concert w/D'Andrea Pelletier, Saturday, June 15, 5:30p.m., Volcano Art Center. Tickets are $20/VAC member, $25/non-member. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund Community Clean-Up, Sunday, June 16. Free; donations appreciated. Space available and BYO-4WD ok. RSVP in advance. kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com, 769-7629

Father's Day Buffet, Sunday, June 16, 5-8p.m., Crater Rim Café, Kīlauea Military Camp. Main entrees: Prime Rib, Lemon Butter Fish and Vegetable Stir Fry w/Tofu. $29.95/Adults, $14.95/Child (ages 6-11). No reservations required, 967-8356. Open to all authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. kilaueamilitarycamp.com

ONGOING
Seamless Summer Program, open to all people under age 18, no registration required, offers free breakfast at Nāʻālehu Elementary and Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary School cafeterias. Meals are available weekdays, June 7 through July 11; no meals Tuesday, June 11 and Thursday, July 4. Kaʻū High serves breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., lunch from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Call (808) 939-2413 for Nāʻālehu Elementary mealtimes.

Summer Programs for Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary registrations are open.
     Uplink All-Stars runs Friday, June 7 through Friday, June 28 for students in grades 6, 7, and 8, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
     Algebra camp is also open to students in grades 6, 7, and 8 from Monday, June 10 through Friday, June 21, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
     Early College, for high school students, runs from Wednesday, June 12 through Thursday, July 11, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
     All three programs require registration by calling 313-4100. No classes Tuesday, June 11 and Thursday, July 4.
Purchase Tickets for Miss Hawaiʻi Island Teen USA and Miss Hawaiʻi Island, Sunday, June 15 at The Grand Naniloa Hotel in Hilo, from Teen USA candidate Kailee "Kamalani" Kuhaulua-Stacy. Tickets are $25; contact Kamalani at 808-315-4252 through Saturday, June 14 to purchase. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., the pageant begins at 6:30 p.m. The evening includes both competition for Miss Hawaiʻi Island Teen USA, for contenders 14 to 18 years of age, and Miss Hawaiʻi Island, for contestants 18 to 28.
     Supporters can vote for the candidate called Kamalani, contestant #7, for the People's Choice award, by liking her photos on the pageant Facebook. Deadline to vote by liking the contestant photo is this Sunday, June 9 at 7 p.m.
     See misshawaiiisland.com.

Exhibit – Hulihia, A Complete Change: The Hawai‘i Nei Invitational Exhibition, runs through Sunday, June 16, daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Volcano Art Center Gallery. Multi-media exhibition of seven artists. Free; National Park entrance fees may apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

‘O Ka‘ū Kākou's Annual Nāʻālehu 4th of July Parade and Summer Fun Fest happens Saturday, June 29. The Nā‘ālehu Independence Day Parade begins at 11 a.m. at Nā‘ālehu Elementary School and ends at the Nā‘ālehu Hongwanji Mission. The parade features floats, Paʻu riders, Kaʻū Coffee Court members, and more.
     The Fest, which begins after the parade, features water slides and bounce castles, hot dogs, watermelon, and shave ice, plus Senior Bingo and lunch at the community center for seniors. The free event is open to the public, no registration required.
     To participate in the parade, volunteer, or donate, contact Debra McIntosh at 929-9872 by Thursday, June 20. okaukakou.org

Full-Time Teaching Assistant Sought by Tūtū & Me to implement curriculum for caregivers and keiki in Tūtū & Me Traveling Preschool in Kaʻū. Competitive salary and benefits package, including medical, dental, drug, and vision; flexible spending plan; 403b retirement plan; vacation, sick days, and 14 paid days off; and more.
     Minimum requirement is a high school diploma. Early Childhood Education, related coursework, and/or experience working children preferred. For more, visit pidf.org/about/careers. Apply by emailing resume and cover letter to hr@pidfoundation.org or fax to 808-440-6619.

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.

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