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Thursday, June 27, 2019

Kaʻū News Briefs, Thursday, June 27, 2019

Presidential candidates Tim Ryan and Tulsi Gabbard debated over bringing troops home from war.
Image from MSNBC
TULSI GABBARD, KAʻŪ'S REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS, WAS THE NAME MOST OFTEN SEARCHED ONLINE on Wednesday, among candidates in the first Democratic presidential debate for the 2020 election, according to her staff. A graphic emailed by her presidential campaign crew said she shot up to first place during the debate, followed by Cory Booker, Beto O'Rourke, Elizabeth Warren, and Bill De Blasio. Here is more on Gabbard's positions expressed during the nationally televised debate held in Miami on Wednesday:
     On healthcare, Gabbard said, "What we're talking about is our objective, making sure that every single sick American in this country is able to get the health care that they need.
     "I believe Medicare for all is the way to do that. I also think that employers will recognize how much money will be saved by supporting a Medicare for all program, a program that will reduce the administrative costs, reduce the bureaucratic costs, and make sure that everyone gets that quality health care that they need.
     "I also think that... if you look at other countries in the world who have universal health care, every one of them has some form of a role of private insurance, so I think that's what we've got to look at, taking the best of these ideas, but making sure unequivocally that no sick American goes without getting the care that they need, regardless of how much or little money they have in their pocket."
Graph of popularity for searches of Democrat presidential candidates that debated on Wednesday. Graph from Tulsi2020
     On conflict with Iran, Gabbard said: "Let's deal with the situation where we are, where this president and his chickenhawk cabinet have led us to the brink of war with Iran.
     "I served in the war in Iraq at the height of the war in 2005, a war that took over 4,000 of my brothers and sisters in uniforms' lives. The American people need to understand that this war with Iran would be far more devastating, far more costly than anything that we ever saw in Iraq. It would take many more lives. It would exacerbate the refugee crisis.
     "And it wouldn't be just contained within Iran. This would turn into a regional war. This is why it's so important that every one of us, every single American, stand up and say no war with Iran. We need to get back into the Iran nuclear agreement, and we need to negotiate how we can improve it.
Presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard, an officer in the Hawaiʻi Army National Guard, served in the Middle East.
During Wednesday's presidential debate, she urged bringing troops home. Image from Gabbard
     "It was an imperfect deal. There are issues, like their missile development, that needs to be addressed. We can do both simultaneously to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and preventing us from going to war."
     When asked, "What would your red line be that would -- for military action against Iran?" Gabbard said, "Look, obviously, if there was an attack against the American -- our troops, then there would have to be a response. But my point is -- and it's important for us to recognize this -- is Donald Trump and his cabinet, Mike Pompeo, John Bolton, and others -- are creating a situation that just a spark would light off a war with Iran, which is incredibly dangerous. That's why we need to de-escalate tensions. Trump needs to get back into the Iran nuclear deal and swallow his pride, put the American people first."
     Gabbard debated with Congressman Tim Ryan over Middle East war. She objected to his concern about the $130 million drone shot down recently without mentioning two American soldiers killed by the Taliban in Afghanistan this week. Ryan said, "We have to stay engaged, or the Taliban will grow."
     Gabbard responded, "Is that what you will tell the parents of the those two soldiers who were just killed in Afghanistan -- 'Well, we just have to be engaged?' As a soldier I will tell you that answer is unacceptable. We have to bring our soldiers home from Afghanistan... We are in a place in Afghanistan where we have lost so many lives. .... We are no better off in Afghanistan today than we were when this war began."
     See more in Friday's Kaʻū News Briefs. See all of her comments during the debate. 

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WORRY OVER REDEFINING WHO HAS ACCESS TO POLICE REPORTS for crime victims is Gov. David Ige's rational for stating he will veto SB92. The bill would allow "surviving immediate family members of murder or manslaughter victims" to receive a copy of the closing police report at the conclusion of all related criminal and civil proceedings.
     Ige said restricting this right to immediate family members of only murder or manslaughter victims may lead to a "narrow interpretation of the law, leaving family members of victims of other crimes without access to closing police reports." Under current law, members of the general public can obtain copies of any police report after the conclusion of criminal and civil proceedings, provided certain conditions are met in accordance with the Uniform Information Practices Act.

Hurricane Alvin, still south of Baja
California. Image from NOAA
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HURRICANE ALVIN, a tropical storm just 24 hours ago, is picking up speed and intensity as he creeps toward the Central Pacific. At 5 p.m., Alvin was about 2,600 miles from Kaʻū, traveling at 16 miles per hour, with 75 mph winds.

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WHY AND HOW RIFT ZONES ERUPT is the subject of this week's Volcano Watch, written by Lil DeSmither, a geologist with U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and Research Corporation of the University of Hawaiʻi. Her article is entitled Getting in the (rift) zone: why and how they erupt.
     Kīlauea Volcano, on the Island of Hawai‘i, has two rift zones. The East Rift Zone is longer, with 50 km (about 31 miles) on land plus another 80 km (about 43 miles) below sea level. The Southwest Rift Zone, which is historically less active, is 40 km (about 20 miles) long, with only a small portion underwater. The rift zones extend from Kīlauea Caldera and, like the summit region, are prone to volcanic activity. But why are the rift zones so active?
Lava fountains erupting from fissure 22 (center) with heavy degassing (upper right) during Kīlauea's lower East Rift
Zone eruption in 2018. A narrow channelized lava flow from the fissure drains into a large, pre-existing ground
crack. Weak spattering from the fissure 20 vent is visible just beyond to two sources of fissure 22 fountaining.
Kapoho Cone, formed during an older rift zone eruption, is visible on the horizon, downrift of the active
fissures (upper left). USGS photo taken on May 20, 2018 by L. DeSmither
     The youngest Hawaiian volcanoes typically have two or three rift zones, depending on whether they are built up against a neighboring volcano. In the case of Kīlauea, there are only two rift zones because the volcano is buttressed against the southeastern slope of Mauna Loa. Kīlauea's two rift zones are nearly parallel to Mauna Loa's rift zones, reflecting this buttressing, and the rift zones separate the relatively stable northern flank from the more mobile southern flank of the volcano. When magma intrudes into the rift, the northern flank remains stable against Mauna Loa Volcano to the north, and Kīlauea's southern flank is forced southward to accommodate the additional magma.
     As pressure builds within the summit magma plumbing system, rift zone intrusions, like the 2018 intrusion into the lower East Rift Zone, can occur. Intrusions are typically accompanied by increasing numbers of earthquakes as the magma strains and fractures the ground along its path. The earthquakes are concentrated at depths of 2–4 km (about 1.2–2.5 miles) below the ground surface, and periods of increased seismicity can last several hours to days as the intrusion progresses. In addition to seismicity, ground deformation also occurs during a rift zone intrusion. Inflation above the intrusion is measured by tilt and GPS stations, showing upward and outward motion as the stations move away from the swelling rift zone.
Lower East Rift Zone fissures during the early days
of the 2018 eruption. USGS photo
     As the magma ascends and forces its way through the rock, fracturing is mirrored on the ground surface, with many parallel cracks above the intrusion. These cracks continue to widen as the rift is forced open, and the surface block above the intrusion subsides, forming a graben. If the intrusion reaches the surface, one or more fissures will open and erupt lava. Long curtains of lava fountains or spatter form as the lava erupts through cracks in the ground. As a fissure evolves, it typically transitions from erupting along a line to focusing at a single—or few—principal vent(s). This in turn can cause increased pressurization within the erupting system resulting in higher lava fountains.
Kīlauea's rift zones—are likely to build when eruptive activity persists. The vent itself may also be enlarged by thermal erosion (slow melting of the vent walls by erupting lava) during prolonged activity at a vent.
     When an eruption ends, the intrusion's un-erupted magma drains back into the rift zone where it can remain molten for decades. In fact, lava with a chemical composition similar to the 1955 eruption was produced during the first week of the 2018 LERZ eruption, suggesting that the early fissures were supplied by stored magma. This illustrates that rift zones are not only essential for the transportation of magma within the volcano, but are also storing magma that could feed future eruptions.
     Volcano Activity Updates
     Kīlauea Volcano is not erupting and its USGS Volcano Alert level 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. Monitoring data have shown no significant changes in volcanic activity over the past week. Rates of seismicity across the volcano remain low. Real-time sulfur dioxide emission rates are low at the summit and are below detection limits at Puʻu ʻŌʻō and the lower east rift when last measured on June 19 and June 13 respectively.
     Since early March, GPS stations and tiltmeters at the Kīlauea summit have recorded deformation consistent with slow magma accumulation within the shallow portion of the Kīlauea summit magma system (1-2 km or approximately 1 mile below ground level). However, gas measurements have yet to indicate significant shallowing of magma. HVO continues to carefully monitor all data streams at the Kīlauea summit for important changes.
Lava fountains in Leilani Estates in 2018. USGS photo
     Further east, GPS stations and tiltmeters continue to show motions consistent with slowed refilling of the deep East Rift Zone magmatic reservoir in the broad region between Puʻu ʻŌʻō and Highway 130 over recent weeks. While the significance of this pattern is unclear, monitoring data do not suggest any imminent change in volcanic hazard for this area. HVO continues to carefully monitor all data streams along the Kīlauea east rift zone for important changes.
     The USGS Volcano Alert level for Mauna Loa remains at NORMAL. A slight increase in detected earthquakes was noted over the past month. GPS instruments show slow inflation of the summit magma reservoir. Gas and temperature data showed no significant changes the past month.
     No earthquakes with three or more felt reports occurred in Hawaiʻi this past week.
     Lava fountains are driven by the rapid formation of gas bubbles as magma rises to shallow depths, which then burst to create the pressurized lava at the surface. The bubbles form because pressure at shallow depths is low enough for the gas dissolved within the magma to escape, like bubbles forming when you open a carbonated drink. Besides lava flows, fissure fountains can produce spatter build-up adjacent to the vent in linear (spatter ramparts) or conical (spatter cone) formations. Spatter and tephra cones—a common feature along
     Rift zones are areas of weakness in the volcano which form early in its lifetime, likely due to spreading of the volcano as it settles. This linear area that is being rifted, or pulled apart, remains active through most of the volcano's building stages. Volcanic rift zones provide the easiest pathways for magma to travel underground from the summit storage region, with successive eruptions from the rift zones building up the volcano's flanks.
     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
2019 Kaʻū High School Athletics Schedule through August
See khpes.org/athletics-home for details and updates; Bowling TBA.

Football, Division II:
Mon., July 15, first day Conditioning, 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Mon., July 22, first day Full Pads, 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 24, 1 p.m., Kaʻū hosts Kamehameha

Girls Volleyball, Kaʻū District Gym:
Mon., July 29, 3 to 5 p.m., first day practice
Tue., Aug. 20, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts Hilo
Fri., Aug. 23, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts St. Joseph
Wed., Aug. 28, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts Kohala

Cross Country:
Mon., Aug. 5, 2:30 to 4 p.m., first day practice
Sat., Aug. 31, 10 a.m., @Christian Liberty

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UPCOMING
FRIDAY, JUNE 28
Coffee Talk at Kahuku: Planting Pono, Friday, June 28, 9:30-11a.m., Kahuku Unit Visitor Contact Station. Learn how to identify plants at home that don't need removal and how to integrate natives and non-invasive plants into the landscape. Free. nps.gov/havo

The Sky is Full of Stories with James McCarthy, Friday, June 28, 1:30-2:15p.m., Nā‘ālehu Public Library. McCarthy, a trained actor, storyteller and musician will captivate audience with wide variety of sky stories from myths and science, using tales and songs. Suitable for all ages. Young children must be accompanied by a parent or adult caregiver. Free. 939-2442

SATURDAY, JUNE 29
Mālama Nā Keiki Festival happens Saturday, June 29, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Pāhala Community Center. This third annual free event, presented by Health Resources and Services Administration, offers health screenings, education, and activities. Expectant and first-time mothers, women considering pregnancy, young families, and supporting ʻohana from across the county are especially invited to attend. Prizes, entertainment, free food, and keiki activities are offered. Health screenings include hearing, vision, height, weight, and blood pressure. Health education includes prenatal information and breastfeeding education with lactations specialists. Health activities include Grow Your Own Plant and Makahiki games.
     For more, call 808-969-9220, or see hmono.orgfacebook.com/hmono.org, or hui_malama on Instagram.

Paint Your Own Silk Scarf with Patti Pease Johnson, Saturday, June 29, 9a.m.-12:30p.m., Volcano Art Center. $45/VAC member, $50/non-member, plus $10 supply fee. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

‘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. okaukakou.org

Arts & Tea Culture Workshop Series #2, Saturday, June 29, 1-4p.m., Volcano Art Center. Learn tea propagation techniques with Eva Lee. Pre-event for A Taste of Tea Pottery Fundraiser - August 25. Workshops designed to be attended as a series - #3 set for July 27. No experience necessary. $60/VAC member, $75/non-member for series. Individual workshop $25 each. Requires minimum of 6 participants to be held. Registration limited. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

MONDAY, JULY 1
Ocean View Volunteer Fire Department Mtg., Monday, July 1, 4-6p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

TUESDAY, JULY 2
Flameworking - An Introductory Class w/Nash Adams-Pruitt, Tuesday, July 2, 5-8p.m., Volcano Art Center. $75/VAC member, $80/non-member, plus $40 supply fee. Class size limited. Register early. Advanced registration required. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Ka‘ū Coffee Growers Mtg., Tuesday, July 2, 6-8p.m., Pāhala Community Center.

After Dark in the Park -Kīlauea 2018 Volcanic Pollution: from Source to Exposed Communities, Tuesday, July 2, 7p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium. Volcanologist Dr. Evgenia Ilyinskaya presents new information about what volcanic pollution really contains and its potential implications for environmental impacts. Free; park entrance fees apply. 985-6011, nps.gov/havo

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3
Early Head Start, Wednesday, July 3 – 1st Wednesday, monthly – 10-noon, Ocean View Community Center. Social get together for keiki and parents; open to public. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Hula Voices w/Kumu Hula Stacey Kapuaikapolipele Ka‘au‘a, Wednesday, July 3 – 1st Wednesday, monthly – 5:30-7p.m., Volcano Art Center Gallery. Desiree Moana Cruz moderates the talk story session. Free. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

THURSDAY, JULY 4
July 4th Breakfast Buffet, Thursday, July 4, 6:30-11a.m., Crater Rim Café, Kīlauea Military Camp. Includes: Waffles with Toppings, Omelet Station, Meats, Breakfast Potatoes, Steamed Rice, Fresh Fruit, Assorted Baked Breads, and a beverage. $12.50/Adult, $6.50/Child, ages 6-11. No reservations required. Open to all authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356, kilaueamilitarycamp.com

Volcano Village 4th of July Parade and Craft Fair, Thursday, July 4. Parade starts 9a.m., craft fair at Cooper Center open until 1:30p.m.. Parade starts at Volcano Post Office, down Old Volcano Road, turns up Wright Road, and ends at Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Activities, food, entertainment. Sponsored by Volcano Community Association and Cooper Center Council. Leashed dogs allowed. Parade entry form at volcanocommunity.org. Vendor application at thecoopercenter.org, email to idoaloha@gmail.com. Tara Holmes, 464-3625, 8a.m.-5p.m.

Keiki Jiggle Bums, Thursday, July 4 and 18 – 1st and 3rd Thursday, monthly – 9-10:30a.m., Ocean View Community Center. Discover the joy of early learning through song and musical instruments. For keiki 0-4 years. Nicola, 238-8544

Women's Expression Group, Thursday, July 4 – 1st Thursday monthly – 3-4:30p.m., PARENTS Inc., Nā‘ālehu. Women welcome to drop in. Free. Lindsey Miller, 333-3460, lindsey@hawaiiparents.org

Ocean View Neighborhood Watch Mtg., Thursday, July 4, 6-7p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

‘O Ka‘ū Kākou Mtg., Thursday, July 4, 6:30-8:30p.m., Aspen Center. okaukakou.org

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 through July 11; no meal 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.

Volcano Village 4th of July Parade, Festival, and Craft Fair happens Thursday, July 4 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The parade starts at the Volcano Post Office, travels down Old Volcano Road, and ends at Cooper Center on Wright Road. Free entry to activities, food, and entertainment. Leashed dogs allowed. Provided by Cooper Center Council, Volcano Community Association, and more. To be in the parade, download the entry form at volcanocommunity.org and email to vcainfo@yahoo.com. Vendors, download applications at thecoopercenter.org and email to idoaloha@gmail.com, or call Tara Holmes, 464-3625, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Head Coaches for Coed Judo, Coed Swimming, and Boys Basketball are wanted by Kaʻū High School for the 2019-2020 school year. Applications, due Monday, July 8, can be picked up at the school office weekdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Coaches hired by Hawaiʻi Department of Education are required to pass a criminal background check. Contact Kaʻū High Athletic Director Kalei Namohala 313-4161 with questions.

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 bags 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.

Experience Volcano Festival is still looking for vendors. Booths for the event are $25 per day for Saturday, July 27 and Sunday, July 28. The event is coordinated with the new ʻŌhiʻa Lehua Half Marathon, 5K, and Keiki Dash on the 27th. Apply at experiencevolcano.com/vendor-application.
     Experience Volcano is a group of businesses and residents helping to rebuild the economy of Volcano, following last year's volcanic disaster that shut down Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and drastically reduced the visitor county which is now recovering.

ʻŌhiʻa Lehua Half Marathon, 5K, and Keiki Dash happens Saturday, July 27 in Volcano Village, It replaces the Volcano Rain Forest Runs. Register at ohialehuahalf.com.

Exhibit -The Joy of the Brush: Paintings by Linda J. Varez, daily through Aug 4, 9a.m.-5p.m., Volcano Art Center Gallery. Free; park entrance fees may 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., 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

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