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Friday, August 04, 2023

Kaʻū News Briefs, Friday, August 4, 2023

Nā Wai Chamber Choir will perform in Wai‘ōhinu this Sunday, Aug. 6 at noon under the direction of Dr. Jace Kaholokula
 Saplan. See more below. Photo from Nā Wai Chamber Choir

THE LATE BOB NORTHROP, VICTIM OF THE DEADLY DOG ATTACK IN OCEAN VIEW on Tuesday, is the subject of a statement from family members saying, "We will do everything in our power to stop this sort of tragedy from happening to anyone else on our island home." The family said it seems unreal since Northrop loved dogs and other animals.
Bob Northrop's family is calling for enforcement of animal
control laws. Northrop, himself a dog rescuer, was mauled
and died after an attack Tuesday near his home in Ocean View.
Photo from Northrop family
   Released by his daughter Shannon Matson, the letter says, "There is a huge over-population of unwanted and stray dogs and we want to see all animals treated with compassion and also all residents to feel safe walking and biking in their 
neighborhoods. While our County has recently enacted stricter laws on animal control issues we are hoping that they will truly be enforced by our officers and upheld in court to prevent future loss of life or injury."
    A GoFundMe page has been set up by a family friend to take care of Northrop's expenses and to help fund the cause of responsible ownership of dogs to prevent future tragedies. See https://www.gofundme.com/f/robert-northrop
    Matson visited her father's property in Ocean View on Friday to look after his rescued dog and said it was very disheartening that his house was being ransacked, including the theft of his generator. She said she was also there to gather some memorabilia to remember her father. 
    The family statement describes the 71-year-old victim as a long-time Ocean View resident who had worked for the county Department of Public Works for many years and was skilled in glasswork and other construction. "Once he arrived on Hawai‘i Island in the late 60's he knew he never wanted to live anywhere else and lived in many locations and ended up living in Ocean View." 
    Matson shared that "Our long-standing family joke is that Robert 'Bob' Northrop has more lives than a cat because he has survived catastrophic surfing accidents, construction accidents, car crashes, motorcycle crashes, and most recently last year an electric bike crash into the lava fields in HOVE that hospitalized him at Queen’s Medical for three weeks. It is so tragic for him to finally meet his end in this way, especially as he is a lifelong animal lover and would frequently rescue strays."
     Northrop was born in Connecticut "where he and my mom met and went off to explore the world together. One quick story that shows both the nature of his spontaneity and his passion for doing good for others is that he was prompted on a whim to move to the islands and help rebuild homes on Kaua‘i after hearing a news story about the destruction from hurricane ‘Iwa."

    
James Yamaki, Chief organizer of annual Kaʻū High Potluck Reunion, invites all friends of the school to the luncheon on Sunday, Aug. 20 at 11 a.m., Pāhala Community Center. Photo by Julia Neal

ALL FRIENDS OF KA‘Ū HIGH SCHOOL ARE INVITED to the Kaʻū High School Alumni & Friends annual Potluck Reunion on Sunday, Aug. 20 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Pāhala Community Center. Live music will be provided by Calvin Ponce. Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder and her Hālau Hula ‘O Leionalani will perform from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Bring a favorite dish to share.
    James Yamaki, the chief organizer, noted “This will be the 20th potluck reunion that was started by our class of 1958 at Punalu‘u Pavilion in 2002.” He also noted that this year Principal Sharon Beck will be honored for receiving a special State of Hawai‘i leadership award for principals this past school year. “She is the longest serving principal at Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary School with 18 years of service and still continuing. She is putting our school on the map."
    Yamaki said he is looking for someone to spearhead the reunion after he steps down. He called the Ka‘ū Potluck Reunion luncheon "a labor of love."

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

ONE CASE OF DENGUE FEVER ON HAWAI‘I ISLAND has been identified, according to a statement on Friday by the state Department of Health. DOH has received two reports of travel-related dengue cases in Hawai‘i, one in Kaua‘i County and one in Hawai‘i County. Both were in individuals with recent travel to countries where dengue is commonly found. The last confirmed case of locally acquired dengue in the state was in 2016.
    In 2015, the state closed parks at Miloli‘i and Honomolino Bay after an outbreak of dengue with mosquitos and people testing positive. There was also an outbreak in 1993 and 1994 at Miloli‘i when
dengue was called the Miloli‘i Flu.
    Dengue virus is spread from person to person by mosquitos. In areas of suspected or confirmed dengue, Hawai‘i DOH personnel are conducting inspections and mosquito-reducing activities. Reducing mosquito populations reduces the chances of dengue being transmitted to other people.
DOH recommends that "In areas without reported dengue cases, eliminating mosquito breeding sites in and around your home is a good practice. Mosquitos only need small amounts of standing water to breed. Common breeding sites at home include buckets, water-catching plants (such as bromeliads), small containers, planters, rain barrels, or even cups left outside. Simply pouring out containers of standing water eliminates the potential for mosquito breeding."
    While Hawai‘i is home to the type of mosquitos that can carry dengue, the disease is not established (endemic) here in the state, and cases are currently only seen in travelers. Dengue outbreaks do occur in many parts of the world including Central and South America, Asia (including the Republic of the Philippines), the Middle East, Africa, some Pacific Islands (including the U.S. territories of American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau) and in many popular tourist destinations in the Caribbean (including Puerto Rico).
    DOH warns, "Anyone who travels to an area with dengue is at risk for infection. Some countries are reporting increased numbers of cases, so it is important 4-6 weeks before you travel to review country-specific travel information for the most up-to-date guidance on dengue risk and prevention measures for that country."
The threat of dengue fever can be reduced by getting
rid of standing water in containers and pools where 
mosquitoes thrive. Photo from Department of Health
    
    Centers for Disease Control & Prevention advises travelers to practice usual precautions when traveling to areas of dengue risk to reduce chances of mosquito bites. This includes using an EPA-registered insect repellent, wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors, especially at dusk and dawn, and sleeping in an air-conditioned room or room with window screens or under an insecticide-treated bed net.
    "Travelers returning from an area with risk of dengue should take steps to prevent mosquito bites for 3 weeks, and if symptoms of dengue develop within 2 weeks upon return, should seek medical evaluation," advises DOH.
    Symptoms of dengue may be mild or severe and include fever, nausea, vomiting, rash, and body aches. Symptoms typically last two to seven days and although severe and even life-threatening illness can occur, most people recover after about a week.
    For more information, go to the state Disease Outbreak Control Division website https://mail.aloha.net/?_task=mail... and the state Vector Control Branch website https://health.hawaii.gov/vcb/.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.
 
Color graphics of earthquakes
 Public Domain.Map of American Samoa volcano-monitoring network (top). Data from Wake Island hydrograph (located about 4,500 km, or 2,900 miles, northwest of Taʻū Island) shows the general trend in the number of events during the 2022 earthquake swarm (bottom left). Locations for larger earthquakes (M2.5 and greater) are available starting August 20, 2022 (bottom right). Data are from the USGS National Earthquake Information Center. 
Maps, images from USGS
VOLCANOES IN AMERICAN SAMOA are the topic of this week's Volcano Watch. The column is written by USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist Natalia Deligne who is visiting volcanoes this month in American Samoa:
    It's been one year since Taʻū volcano in American Samoa started shaking residents of the Manuʻa Islands (Ofu-Olosega and Ta'ū Islands). Fortunately, there have been no additional earthquakes since the volcanic unrest ended last October. This month, USGS staff will be returning to American Samoa to do outreach, strengthen relationships with partners, and maintain the monitoring network.
    The first felt earthquake was reported just over a year ago, on July 26, 2022. Over the next six weeks, until early September 2022, hundreds of earthquakes were felt throughout the Manuʻa Islands; one earthquake was felt as far away as Tutuila. The events were highly unusual for American Samoa, so much so that the islands did not have any volcano monitoring equipment when the unrest began.
Dr. Drew Downs and geologist Natalia Deligne last year in 
American Samoa. Photo from talanei.com
    In response to the unrest, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) rapidly deployed staff and monitoring equipment in August and September 2022. HVO established a monitoring network across American Samoa, and kept the local community, and federal and local partners informed on the dynamic situation. In December 2022, a few months after the unrest ended, a small team returned to service the newly established monitoring network.
    In August 2023, two HVO scientists will return to American Samoa for two weeks. We are looking forward to being back during less shaky (literally) conditions.
    HVO staff will conduct outreach with our partners at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service Pago Pago Office. Outreach events are planned for the Manuʻa Islands on August 7 and 8, with further community meetings, media interviews, and other events on Tutuila over the following week.
    We will also maintain and service the volcano and earthquake monitoring network, with assistance from the NWS Pago Pago Office. The network also provides important data for earthquake and tsunami monitoring across the southwest Pacific region. On Taʻū Island, we will replace the TAU broadband seismometer, located northwest of Taʻū Island, as it was damaged during a lightning storm on May 5, 2023, and is currently offline. We will also improve the telemetry—how data is transmitted so that it can be analyzed from afar—for the broadband seismometer on eastern Tutuila.
    Considering that there was no monitoring network in place at the start of the 2022 unrest, we do not know how many earthquakes occurred during the entire 2022 earthquake swarm. A hydrophone (similar to an underwater microphone) on Wake Island, about 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles) northwest of Taʻū, detected activity that provides a useful overview of how the earthquake swarm evolved—it began in late July, peaked in mid-August, was mostly over by early to mid-September, and definitively ended in early October (see the attached figure).
USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is helping
American Samoa with the monitoring
 of earthquakes in the volcanic islands. 
Photo from Manu‘atele Community Facebook
    By August 20, 2022, the rapidly deployed monitoring network had enough stations for the USGS to locate earthquakes of magnitude (M) 2.5 or greater. Between August 20 and September 11, 2022, 301 earthquakes, that were M2.5 or greater, occurred north of Taʻū Island.     As the seismic unrest eased back into background activity, between September 11 and October 6, 2022, an additional 8 earthquakes occurred. Most of these final earthquakes were not felt by local residents.
    The 2022 earthquake swarm in American Samoa is a reminder that these islands are formed by volcanoes that have the potential to erupt someday. The network of instruments in American Samoa now allows the USGS to monitor the volcanoes, which have remained quiet since the 2022 unrest ended.
    To receive information about the status of volcanoes in American Samoa, all of which are currently at NORMAL/GREEN, please subscribe at https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vns2/. More information on volcanoes in American Samoa is also available on the HVO website at https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/volcanoes-american-samoa.

VOLCANO ACTIVITY UPDATES FOR HAWAI‘I: Kīlauea is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is ADVISORY. Active lava has not been visible within Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea since June 19. Earthquake activity in the summit region remained slightly increased over the past week. Summit tiltmeters generally showed slight inflation with several deflation-inflation (DI) events over the past week. A sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rate of approximately 86 tonnes per day was measured on August 3.
    Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL.
    Webcams show no signs of activity on Mauna Loa. Seismicity remains low. Summit ground deformation rates indicate slow inflation as magma replenishes the reservoir system following the recent eruption. SO2 emission rates are at background levels.
Dr. Jace Kaholukula Saplan
    There were two earthquakes with three or more felt reports in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M3.8 earthquake 40 km (25 mi) W of Hawaiian Ocean View at 41 km (25 mi) depth on August 2 at 5:21 a.m. HST and a M3.1 earthquake 5 km (3 mi) ESE of Pāpa'ikou at 44 km (27 mi) depth on July 29 at 11:03 a.m. HST.


MELE OF KA MOKU O KEAWE will be performed this Sunday, Aug. 6 at noon in Kauaha‘ao Church in Wai‘ōhinu. Nā Wai Chamber Choir comes from Honolulu and is under the direction of Dr. Jace Kaholokula Saplan. They will also perform the works of Lorenzo Lyons. Admission is free. Address is 95-1642 Pinao St.
    Nā Wai Chamber Choir is a professional vocal ensemble dedicated to the preservation and propagation of Hawaiian choral music. Under Saplan’s direction, Nā Wai has commissioned and mentored emerging Native Hawaiian composers and conductors, toured throughout rural Hawaiian communities, and led workshops on the performance of Hawaiian choral music at schools and universities throughout the country. See more at http://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2023_07_17_archive.html


HURRICANE DORA DREW A STATEMENT FROM HAWAI‘I COUNTY on Friday afternoon:
Hawaiʻi County is closely monitoring the development of Hurricane Dora and other related weather patterns as the hurricane makes its way into the Central Pacific. The storm is expected to pass well South of Hawaiʻi Island, and no significant impacts resulting from the hurricane are expected. However, related weather patterns are expected to cause strong tradewinds and dry conditions beginning on Monday, August 7, and strengthening through Tuesday, August 8.
    As of today, August 4, Hurricane Dora has been classified as Category 2 and is projected to enter waters South of Hawaiʻi County on Monday, August 7. While the County is closely monitoring the situation and will inform the community of any significant changes, it is essential for all residents to stay informed and be
NOAA satellite image Friday afternoon of Hurricane Dora with Hawaiian Islands to the left.
prepared for any weather-related developments.
    At this time, there are no plans to cancel any outdoor events scheduled through the weekend. However, the County urges all event organizers, participants, and attendees to remain vigilant and stay updated on the latest weather advisories from official sources. Residents should be prepared for potential changes should the weather situation evolve.
    The Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Administration has been working diligently to ensure that all necessary precautions are in place and kindly requests all residents to take the following precautions:
    Stay Informed: Keep track of the latest weather updates and advisories from reliable sources, such as the National Weather Service and the Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency.
Emergency Preparedness: Create a family emergency plan and have an emergency kit ready with essential supplies, including non-perishable food, water, flashlights, batteries, and a first aid kit. For preparation resources, visit: https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/.../emergency-preparedness
    Secure Outdoor Items: If you have outdoor furniture, decorations, or other loose items, secure or bring them indoors to prevent potential damage during strong winds.
    The safety and welfare of our community are of paramount importance, and we are committed to taking all necessary measures to protect our residents.
    To receive timely and essential alerts, the County encourages residents to sign up for Everbridge messages from Civil Defense. This service allows individuals to receive critical notifications directly through their preferred communication channels, enabling them to make well-informed decisions in real time. To register for this service, please visit https://member.everbridge.net/371914103062563/login.
    For updates and additional information, please refer to the Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency's website at: https://hawaii-county-civil-defense-agency-hawaiicountygi...


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