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Sunday, September 11, 2022

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022

Green Sand Beach is the subject of a story in San Francisco Gate this weekend, describing
desecration of the place and surrounding lands and trails going there. Photo by Peter Anderson

OVERTOURISM TO GREEN SAND BEACH AND THE TRAILS THAT GO THERE is the focus of an extensive story by Natasha Bourlin, published by San Francisco Gate this weekend. The story's lead says, "There are only four green sand beaches on Earth, and Hawai'i has one of them. Located at Hawai'i Island’s South Point in the district of Ka‘ū, Papakolea Beach has rare olivine sands, created by a volcanic cinder cone. But the beauty of the area masks the issues around it....Visitors and residents have severely scarred the land by illegally creating their own roads. A significant amount of damage has been caused by the resulting web of dirt paths, with ruts as deep as 8 feet, to get to the beach and other surrounding areas of Ka Lae."
 
  The story quotes Nohea Keawa, describing her as a Native Hawaiian cultural practitioner and lifelong resident of the district. She told SFGate that “People are free to do as they wish and our cultural sites have been desecrated. Roads are created where they are not supposed to be, and when big rains occur, water floods and follows these roads that lead to sites, thus contributing to erosion at a faster pace.
    “Loose dirt flows into the ocean, covering the reef, and then the fish population starts to decline because the coral starts to die. We all know that coral needs sunlight to live,” Kaawa told SFGate. “The traffic in the area has also decimated ohai, a native shrub with orange and red blossoms that now only grows wild in a few places along the coast. … There are families that carry ‘ohai’ in their name, so you know the plant was important to this area. We as Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) are connected to our native environment; plants are 'ohana.”
A planning map for South Point and Green Sands Beach from
 Department of Hawaiian Homelands.See entire management plan at
https://dhhl.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/DHHL-
South-Point-Final-Plan_101916_to-DHHL_low-res.pdf 


    The article also quotes Department of Hawaiian Home Lands' 2016 South Point resourcesmanagement plan: "This sacred and treasured place for the people of Ka‘ū has been desecrated and exploited by off-road enthusiasts, thoughtless actions of visitors, and sports fishermen despite the presence of iwi kupuna [ancestral bones and burials] and sacred sites. The people of Ka‘ū are pleading to ‘let the land heal’ so that what is left of this fragile ecosystem can be shared with future generations.”
   SFGate notes that illegal commercial vehicular enterprises are operating rides to Green Sand Beach. The story quotes Cedric Duarte, spokesperson for Department of Hawaiian Homelands, which owns the property in trust for Native Hawaiians. He told SFGate, “Any off-roading is illegal unless they are using the county dirt road down to Kaulana Boat Ramp.”
    The story points out that the DHHL plan describes the shuttle service and its impacts: “The land has been exploited by individuals providing illegal shuttle services who care only about economic gain even at the expense of the land and resources.”
    SFGate quotes the DHHL spokesman on lack of enforcement to stop the illegal traffic to Green Sands. He said the Resource Management Plan for South Point has yet to be allotted funding, "Many of the visitor-related issues could be resolved if the plan was implemented — it includes adding sanitary amenities, parking fees, providing training and assistance to people seeking to start legal enterprises, as well as hiring an area manager to monitor closely — but it requires funding and resources."
    The DHHL spokesman told SFGate: “It’s very difficult for legislators to give us resources for
Nohea Kaawa. Photo from
 Hawai'i Wildlife Fund
something like this when they know we need resources for homes. In the list of things that need to be done, this one needs to be elevated.”
    Ka'awa is quoted by SFGate on her view of the DHHL Management Plan: “The true issue will not get solved by creating a management plan that will take DHHL 20 years to implement, the real issue is that humans need management. Humans need to learn to exist in a space with proper protocols and respect for our cultural landscapes. Ka‘ū needs onsite enforcement to ensure that there will be consequences if people don’t act right. If there's no enforcement, what good does creating rules serve?”
    See the entire article, including interviews with tour operators and a family who recently moved to Ka‘ū and gives its own management ideas. See many photos at https://www.sfgate.com/hawaii/article/hawaii-green-sand-beach-damage-17430318.php

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-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.
Marian Tusji, former CEO of Lanakila, and the head
 of Behavioral Health at DOH, has a long career of
assisting people with disadvantage and disabilities.
Photo from Department of Health


A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CENTER TO FOCUS ON ASIAN AMERICANS, NATIVE HAWAIIANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS in Hawai'i has received almost $3.5 
million in federal funding. It will be operated through the state Department of Health with partners, including Papa Ola Lokahi and San Jose University. The funds will arrive over the next five years. Called The AANHPI Center of Excellence, it "will promote culturally and linguistically appropriate behavioral health information and practices; establish a steering committee with participants from across the country to identify emerging issues; and provide training, technical assistance, and consultation to practitioners, educators and community organizations," says a statement from Department of Health.
    Deputy Department of Health Director, in charge of of Behavioral Health for DOH is Marian Tsuji. She said, "Truly responsive behavioral health services must address stigma and provide resources that address cultural trauma and culturally-informed treatment. We are honored to lead this national Center of Excellence to bring together cultural practitioners, behavioral health experts, and other stakeholders to ensure that we are meeting systemic behavioral health needs of our diverse communities."
    Krystal Ka'ai, a Kamehameha School graduate and Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, called the program key in "efforts to eliminate health disparities affecting AA and NHPI communities. This new center will 

Krystal Ka'ai is a Kamehameha Schools graduate
and leads The White House initiative on AANHPIs
Photo by Sydney Walsh/AsAmNews
provide access to culturally and linguistically appropriate behavioral health services that are essential as our communities continue to grapple with the effects of the pandemic and anti-Asian violence."
    The DOH statement says that AANHPIs are the fastest-growing ethnic minority group in the country, yet are the least likely group to receive care for mental illness. "More than 76 percent of AANHPI individuals who have been diagnosed with a mental illness and 93 percent of those with substance use disorder do not receive treatment."
    The DOH statement says "the AANHPI Center of Excellence will develop infographics and other materials that address behavioral health, including those that provide data disaggregated by race and ethnicity; provide guidance on best practices for improving engagement and retention of AANHPI behavioral health professionals; and serve as an accessible and trusted clearinghouse for evidence-based behavioral health resources and products.

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-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.

LEGALLY, FARM WORKERS MUST RECEIVE TRAINING, in order to enter a field within 30 days of the last pesticide applications if they apply or handle pesticides. They must be trained annually to comply with the  federal Worker Protection Standard. That's according to a message from Andrea Kawabata and University of Hawai'i Cooperative Extensive Service, which works with many Ka‘ū food, coffee and macadamia farmers. One of the chemicals covered by the requirement is Preaxor Xemium, used to fight off coffee leaf rust in Ka‘ū Coffee farms.
    To cover the requirement, Worker Protection Standard Webinars in English and Spanish are planned.

Required training in the use of pesticides for coffee leaf rust (above) and
 other agricultural pests in Ka'u 
and other regions is offered this Tuesday in
 Spanish and Oct. 6 in English.
Photo from the manufacturer of
Preaxor Ximium, used to manage coffee leaf rust

The Spanish webinar will be this Tuesday, Sept. 13 from 8 am. to 9:15 a.m. Register at https://www.hawaiicoffeeed.com/wpsspanish.html The English Webinar will be Thursday, Oct. 5 from 4 p.m to 5:15 p.m. Register at https://www.hawaiicoffeeed.com/wps.html.
    The message from Kawabata says, "Many, if not all farms regardless of organic or non-organic farming methods, use pesticides if applying a product to kill a beetle, bug, fungus, mite, rat, or weed.
    "Learn how to keep yourself and your workers safe with the proper use, storage, handling, application, and disposal of pesticides.
    "This class is open to all employers, owners, managers, and agricultural employees on farms, forests, nurseries, and greenhouses. The class will cover the current Worker Protection Standard.
    "This training can also be used to satisfy Section 18 WPS requirements for the use of Priaxor Xemium on coffee for the management of coffee leaf rust."

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-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.

HOKULELE BASKETBALL INTERMEDIATE BOYS TEAM from Ka‘ū won third place in the recent statewide PAL Basketball Tournament, sponsored by Hawai'i Police Activities League. The winners for Boys Intermediate was the team called Ikehu, followed by Lights Out Maui.
    The Endless Summers HI-PAL Basketball Tournament was held August 27-28 in Hilo. The tournament consisted of four divisions to include Varsity Girls, Intermediate Girls, Elementary Girls, and Intermediate Boys. The tournament was organized by Hilo Community Police Officer Darren Abalos who coordinated with retired Police Major Randy Apele. Abalos said, “Due to the past COVID restrictions prohibiting children and families from participating in sporting events, I was happy to assist in coordinating this event with Mr. Apele to get the children back into sports.” Apele stated, “The participants were eager to play in the tournament and enjoyed being able to get back into playing basketball against other teams in friendly competition.”

    HI-PAL is a program created by the Hawaiʻi Police Department in which police officers interact with youth in various activities and act as mentors. "This positive connection with the youth helps encourage teamwork, citizenship, responsibility, and builds trust amongst youth," said a statement from HI-PAL.
Other winners were Kona Stingrays taking the Varsity Girls Division, followed by Honolulu Lightning and Hoopstars. The Intermediate Girls Division champ is Maui Sparks, followed by West Side Kaua'i and Kaua'i Ballers. The Elementary Girls Division champ is Swish, followed by West Side Kaua'i and Kona Stingrays.

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-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.





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




Ka‘ū News Briefs, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022

Kaʻū's member of the state House of Representatives Jeanne Kapela urges residents to apply for funding
 to grow their own food. Deadline to apply is Monday, Sept. 19 at noon. See more below.
Photo from Kapela

A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT IN WAIOHINU, ALONG HWY 11 near Kauaha'au Congregational Church, required a medical helicopter lift for one of the occupants of a mini-van early Saturday evening. The accident was reported to have occurred near the 66.5 mile marker on Mamalahoa Hwy. The minivan apparently had a malfunction and slammed into the embankment along the curb of the road and ended up in the middle of Hwy 11. Multiple medical, fire and police units responded. Multiple injuries were reported and traffic delayed. Members and friends of the local family who owned the van transported themselves to Hilo Hospital, following the air lift of the more seriously injured occupant.

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-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.

A REMINDER TO GET HELP TO GROW FOOD came from state House of Representatives member Jeanne Kapela on Saturday. Kapela is the incumbent running for re-election for the district that has expanded to include all of Kaʻū into Kona. She noted that Hawai'i households in food-insecure areas are eligible for up to $5,000 for small-scale gardening, herding and livestock operations grants through the state Department of Agriculture. Eligible projects include purchase of soil, animals, plants, seeds and refrigeration for small-scale farming, as well as constructing and repairing fencing for livestock. To fill out the Farming Gran Application, see:
https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/add/md/mgfsp-application-fy21/. For more info, see https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/blog/main/nr22-12mgfsp/            Kapela's message said, "Together we are growing a more sustainable future for our community and our keiki. I look forward to working with you to ensure that our state's small farmers are given the resources they need to strengthen food security for Hawai'i."

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-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.

CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR DUKE AINOA FOCUSED ON HOUSING THIS WEEK, announcing that it is the most important issue facing the public and promising town hall meetings across the state to discuss it.

Duke Aiona and Junior Tupai run for Governor
and Lt. Governor of Hawai'i. Photo from Aiona
    Aiona, the former Lt. Governor and judge, is the Republican candidate for governor in the General Election coming up in November. Aiona's slogan on his website, which also includes the Republican candidate for Lt. Governor Junior Tupai, is Trust, Respect, Balance. Aiona's plan is called the Hawaii Home Ownership Initiative.
      Aiona said the problem is with the real estate market. One of his suggestions is to change governmental rental programs to help create opportunities for tenants to become owners. With government helping people to buy homes, the buyers would have to agree not to flip the houses to make money. They would be required, if they sell, to sell at the same price of their purchase.
    Aiona said he plans to take this housing initiative and other plans to small town meetings across the state.
    Lt. Gov. Josh Green, the Democratic candidate, also named housing as the most important issue with a plan called the Emergency Housing Plan for Hawai'i.
    For more on these candidates see www.dukiaiona.com and www.joshgreenforhawaii.com.

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-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.

KA'U TROJANS TRAVELED TO KOHALA on Saturday to play the Cowboys. The Trojans posted their  highest scoring game of the season, coming up with 30 points. However, Kohala won its home game with 36. Other games this season saw the Trojans scoring 6, 20 and 8 against its opponents.
    The next football game for the Trojans, which is comprised of talent from Kaʻū High and Volcano School of the Arts & Sciences, is next Saturday, Sept. 17 at Pahoa, followed by hosting Hawai'i Prep on Saturday, Sept. 24, with another home game against Honoka'a on Saturday, Oct. 1. Trojans take to the road to Kamehameha on Thursday, Oct. 6 and return home, hosting Kohala on Saturday, Oct. 15 and Pahoa on Saturday, Oct. 22.

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-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.

ST. JUDE'S IN OCEAN VIEW offers a church service live and by zoom on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. For those who are unable to attend in person, the Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85987340947pwd=VmJOUWkvM3lCT0N2cVN2RUFiM1kzQT09.
Meeting ID is 859 8734 0947. Passcode is Aloha. The Rev. Angus Aagaard is officiating the month of September
    St. Jude's Episcopal Church also offers free food on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon, or until food runs out. During the same time, it offers free showers until noon and a use of computers until 1 p.m.

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-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.


New Accessibility for Puhimau  
Puhimau, an echoing crater along Chain of Craters Road, is open to the 530 foot deep overlook. Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park has announced that workers have completed a project to improve accessibility, the parking area, and much more. Improved accessibility makes it possible for more people to park and approach the overlook to enjoy this steaming crater. Puhimau in 'ōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian) means the steam which issues forth constantly. 
NPS photo


VOLCANOLOGY LAB AT HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY has been purchased, installed and collaborated. The funding came from the Disaster Relief Act of 2019. It is the subject of this week's Volcano Watch, written by USGS scientists and affiliates, who describe the new lab:

     "It is a unique combination of 13 instruments that will provide exciting new insights into the density, size, shape and componentry of volcanic rocks.
    What are these instruments and what do they tell us about the samples they analyze? Well, before any sample from an eruption can be processed, it must be dried of any rainwater. The first instrument is a
scientific oven that’s about the same size as one in your kitchen. This provides ample drying space to fit most of a large sample, or many small samples so that material can be analyzed quickly.
    Next, there are six instruments focused exclusively on density. Density is important to analyze because it’s indicative of the gas-to-rock ratio that causes magma to erupt.
USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has acquired new physical volcanology laboratory instruments for rapid and accurate analysis of eruption samples. Left photo shows four pycnometers that determine volume and density. Right photo shows two particle analyzers that determine grain size and shape.  Photos from USGS

 To measure density, we need to weigh the sample and divide that by the sample volume. Weighing a sample is easy and uses a scale like the one you may have at home. The volume, however, is tricky to measure because volcanic products don’t have regular shapes. Traditionally, measuring volume is done by waterproofing a rock with wax and thensubmerging it in water. Archimedes’ Principle tells us that the volume of water displaced is equal to the volume of the rock. The waterproofing process can be laborious, meticulous, and time consuming when 

done by hand, but a thermo-vacuum machine fits a waterproof plastic sheet around the rock in seconds.
    Another fast way to measure volume is with a pycnometer. HVO’s new lab has four of these instruments, which provide volume measurements for ash and foams (lava rocks with bubbles, called reticulite). Most often the pycnometers will be used for density of fine-grained samples like ash or individual fragments up to golf-ball-sized scoria or reticulite.
    The sixth density-oriented machine is a 3D scanner, which scans a sample and creates a 3D model of it from which the volume is calculated. In the lab, the scanner can measure the volume for golf ball to football sized samples or it can also be detached and used on larger objects in the field.
Kealakomo Overlook is Open
Funded with Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park entrance fee dollars, the old wooden deck at Kealakomo on Chain of Craters is rebuilt and improved. Visitors find sweeping views from the windy escarpment where Kealakomo overlook is is perched at 2,000 ft (600 m) above Hōlei Pali, along the Hilina fault system. The overlook provides views of Kīlauea volcano, old lava flows, and the vast Pacific Ocean. Download the NPS App and take the Chain of Craters Road Driving Tour to learn more: https://go.nps.gov/appdownload NPS Photo

    Once the density is determined, the sample then moves to particle analyzers that measure size and shape of small grains. Grain size and shape are important to analyze because both parameters determine how far the fragments of lava can travel in the air. Size helps geologists determine the level of eruption explosivity, while the shape of shattered lava fragments indicate how the magma erupted explosively.
    Traditionally, size is measured by hand sieving, which can be time consuming. Both particle analyzers measure the size and shape of millions of particles in minutes. They do that by taking photos of particles as they fall in front of high-speed cameras. Photos are automatically analyzed for area and perimeter, which are translated into several different measures of particle size and 2D shape. The particle analyzers document a range from about an inch (2.5 cm) to much less than one thousandth of an inch (0.8 microns).     Any larger particles will still be hand processed with large sieves.
The final four instruments are microscopes. Two stereographic microscopes are used to inspect the components in the eruption: freshly erupted materials such as glass, pele’s hair, pele’s tears, and ash, or older fragments of rock (called lithics) and minerals. This componentry helps geologists understand the dynamics of the eruption.
    Two petrographic microscopes are used for documenting minerals and vesicle (bubble) textures: mineral type, chemical structures, crystal zoning patters and the shape of vesicles, presence of micro fractures, and other features. These mineral characteristics help geologists determine how deep magma originates, how fast it rises, and potential eruption triggers while the vesicle traits and fractures indicate fragmentation mechanisms and fluid dynamic processes.
    HVO’s new physical volcanology laboratory will be able to quickly process eruption samples, providing insights during an eruption crisis. Ultimately, this can lead to better constraints on eruption models and allow scientists to provide better hazard assessments. The new lab will be a resource for not only HVO but other volcano observatories and their collaborators across the globe as well.


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-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.






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