Friday, September 02, 2022

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022

A rock wall was built around a historic cemetery mauka of Hwy 11 above Honu'apo in August by volunteers of O Kaʻū Kakou.
HK Rockworks accomplished a lot of the heavy lifting and stabilization of the rock walls. See more below. Photo from OKK

ROLLING OUTAGES WERE PREVENTED BY THOUSANDS OF HOUSEHOLDS and small and large commercial customers, according to Hawaiian Electric who on Friday cancelled its call for Hawai‘i Island customers to conserve electricity. "Customers may resume their normal use of electricity tonight," said the statement from the utility.
    “With Hamakua Energy back online today, we expect to have sufficient power to continue to serve our Hawai‘i Island community,” said Kristen Okinaka, Hawaiian Electric spokesperson. “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and thank everyone for doing their part to conserve electricity and help
keep the lights on. Your efforts made the difference.”
    Hawaiian Electric named large entities that voluntarily agreed to lower energy use: Costco Wholesale, County of Hawai‘i Department of Water Supply, Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel, Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole, Foodland, Hawai‘i Water Service, Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort, Kaupulehu Water Company, Kohanaiki, KTA Super Stores, Malama Market, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai‘i Authority, Target, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, and Westin Hapuna Prince Beach Hotel.
    Most of this week, customers were asked to conserve from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. when electricity use is highest. The request was prompted by the unexpected shutdown of the island’s largest independent power producer, Hamakua Energy, due to the unavailability of ammonia used for pollution control. Hawaiian Electric’s Hill Plant Unit No. 5 and Puna Steam Plant also were unavailable due to planned annual maintenance and repairs.

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Historic cemetery above Honu'apo is cared for by O Kaʻū Kakou. Photo from OKK





HK Rockworks provided equipment to help
build rock walls around Honu'apo Cemetery
Photo from OKK
A TRADITION OF CARING FOR CEMETERIES CONTINUES WITH THE O KAʻŪ KAKOU community organization.  In August OKK cleaned and built a wall at the historic Honu`apo cemetery mauka of Hwy 11, below Nā’ālehu.
    OKK Pres. Wayne Kawaichi noted that other cemeteries cared for by the organization include the Hawaiian cemetery at the Hokuloa Church above Punalu'u Black Sand Beach, the Japanese, Filipino and Chinese Cemetery makai of Pāhala Hongwanji and the Japanese cemetery on Wood Valley Road. 
     Funding for OKK comes from events, such as the Kaʻū Coffee Trail Runs coming up in September. See www.kaucoffeetrailruns.com.
    OKK also sponsors Veterans Day events, the Nā’ālehu Independence Day Parade and the Nā’ālehu Market on Mondays and Wednesdays, as well as a community garden that supports Nā’ālehu Food Hub and individual projects to help the elderly at home, and cleaning up Punalu'u pond.
    To volunteer or donate, contact Kawachi at 808-937-4773.
Preserving a community cemetery at Honu'apo are
HK Rockworks and O Kaʻū Kakou. Photo from OKK

O KAʻŪ KAKOU'S NĀ'ĀLEHU MARKET will be trimmed of its Saturday schedule. The market, starting next week, will be open Mondays and Wednesdays. There will no longer be a Saturday market.

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MORE RECYCLING OPPORTUNITIES AT OCEAN VIEW have been announced by Hawai'i County. The Department of Environmental Management stated that starting Friday, Sept. 2, drop-off recycling bins will be available at the Ocean View Convenience Center, also known as Ocean View Recycling and Transfer Station.
     Drop-Off Recycling of corrugated cardboard, brown paper grocery bags, and non-HI-5 glass at the Ocean View Convenience Center will be available Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
    For more information on the Drop-Off Recycling Program, visit hawaiizerowaste.org. Also contact the Solid Waste Division at (808) 961-8270. "Mahalo for your continued efforts to protect the 'āina and keep Hawai'i Island beautiful," says a statement from tCounty of Hawai'i's Solid Waste Division.

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HAWAI'I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK has set the following helicopter flight operations for September:
    Sept. 6 between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. to support vegetation monitoring between 6,000 and 8000 feet elevation on Mauna Loa.
   Sept. 7 between 7am. and 9 a.m. for ungulate survey at Kahuku units between 4,000 and 6,000 feet elevation.
   Sept. 12 between noon and 2 p.m., for fence crew support in ʻŌlaʻa Tract between 3,500 and 4,500 feet
Aerial imaging of Rapid 'Ōhi'a Death in 'Ōla'a  Forest
will be conducted by air Sept. 23. Photo from HVNP
elevation.
    Sept. 15 and 16 between 7 a.m and 9 a.m. for Hawaiian petrel monitoring on Mauna Loa between 4,000 and 9,000 feet elevation.
    Sept. 16 between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., for crew support sling loads in ʻŌlaʻa Tract between 3,500 and 4,500 feet elevation.
    Sept. 19 between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. for survey and control of invasive guinea grass in the coastal Keauhou area, between sea level and 2,500 feet elevation.
    Sept. 20 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. for crew support sling loads in Kahuku Unit between 3,500 and 4,500 feet elevation.
   Sept. 20 between 7a.m. and 8 a.m. to support vegetation monitoring between 6,000 and 8,000 feet elevation on Mauna Loa.
    Sept. 23 between 7:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. for aerial imaging of Rapid 'Ōhi'a Death in 'Ōla'a and Kīpukapuaulu at 4,000 feet elevation.
    Sept. 25 between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m., for maintenance of the luas at the cabins of Mauna Loa between the 10,500 and 13,200 feet elevation.
    Sept. 26 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., for crew support sling loads in ʻŌlaʻa Tract between 3,500 and 4,500 feet elevation.
Kīpukapuaulu will be the site of an aerial survey
for diseased 'ohia trees in September. HVNP photos
    
   Sept. 28 between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. for maintenance of luas at the cabins of Mauna Loa between the 10,500 and 13,200 feet elevation.
    Sept. 29 between 7 a.m. and 1p.m. for fountain grass control in the Southwest section of the park to the coast at Keauhou, from sea level to 4,000 feet elevation.
    In addition, the U.S. Geological Survey may be finishing up low-level helicopter flights that will cover Kīlauea volcano. Visit the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website for more information. The USGS may conduct additional flight operations over Kīlauea and Mauna Loa to assess volcanic activity and maintain instrumentation.
    The Park's statement says, it "regrets any noise impact to residents and park visitors. Dates and times are subject to change based on aircraft availability and weather. Management of the park requires the use of aircraft to monitor and research volcanic activity, conduct search-and-rescue missions and law enforcement operations, support management of natural and cultural resources, and to maintain backcountry facilities."

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at wwwkaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-eve

See the September Kaʻū Calendar
at www.kaucalendar.com, and in the
mail - Volcano, Kaʻū to South Kona.