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| Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park staff raises the flag at Kīlauea Visitor Center which is expected to close for up to two years for renovations, as early as September. NPS Photo |
KĪLAUEA VISITOR CENTER COULD CLOSE AND AFTER DARK IN THE PARK SUSPENDED AS EARLY AS SEPTEMBER. The purpose is renovations and expansion at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Parking adjacent to the Visitor Center will be limited during construction.
According the the Park, the project contract is expected to go out for bid in July, and if awarded next month, construction could begin in September. Once awarded, the contract is expected to take up to two years to complete.
What this means for visitors is the complete closure of Kīlauea Visitor Center, including the restrooms, water station, and sidewalks around the building. Visitors should expect limited parking at KVC, along Crater Rim Drive West and reduced services. Once KVC closes, programs such as After Dark in the Park and Nā Leo Manu will be suspended until KVC reopens.
Limited visitor services and the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association store will relocate to a temporary visitor contact station adjacent to the historic ball field near Kīlauea Military Camp.
Volcano House and the Volcano Art Center Gallery will remain open during the project.
Park managers will share details of the renovation and expansion at an After Dark in the Park program August 20 at 7 p.m. in the Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium.
According the the Park, the project contract is expected to go out for bid in July, and if awarded next month, construction could begin in September. Once awarded, the contract is expected to take up to two years to complete.
What this means for visitors is the complete closure of Kīlauea Visitor Center, including the restrooms, water station, and sidewalks around the building. Visitors should expect limited parking at KVC, along Crater Rim Drive West and reduced services. Once KVC closes, programs such as After Dark in the Park and Nā Leo Manu will be suspended until KVC reopens.
Limited visitor services and the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association store will relocate to a temporary visitor contact station adjacent to the historic ball field near Kīlauea Military Camp.
Volcano House and the Volcano Art Center Gallery will remain open during the project.
Park managers will share details of the renovation and expansion at an After Dark in the Park program August 20 at 7 p.m. in the Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium.
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| Kīlauea Visitor Center East sign. The facility will close for up to two years for renovations. NPS photo by Jessica Ferracane |
Renovations planned for Kīlauea Visitor Center include:
The addition of a covered hālau (pavilion) on the western end of the building;
Restrooms relocated to the eastern end of the building;
Full accessibility;
Interior will be expanded by converting office space into visitor-use space;
Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association store will shift into a larger interior space, and
New bilingual exhibits in English and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi.
Although September is the soonest the visitor center would close, a delayed start date is possible, according to the Park. Hawai'i Volcanoes staff says the Park will continue to notify the public through news releases, social media and its website. Construction closures and delays are regularly updated on the park’s construction webpage: https://ow.ly/nw5o50SpJ9H.
The addition of a covered hālau (pavilion) on the western end of the building;
Restrooms relocated to the eastern end of the building;
Full accessibility;
Interior will be expanded by converting office space into visitor-use space;
Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association store will shift into a larger interior space, and
New bilingual exhibits in English and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi.
Although September is the soonest the visitor center would close, a delayed start date is possible, according to the Park. Hawai'i Volcanoes staff says the Park will continue to notify the public through news releases, social media and its website. Construction closures and delays are regularly updated on the park’s construction webpage: https://ow.ly/nw5o50SpJ9H.
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| Janeea Bonoan |
O KAʻŪ KĀKOU HAS ANNOUNCED SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS FOR 2024. The non-profit community service group gives scholarships annually and this year selected the following:
Janeea Bonoan graduated from Ka’ū High School in May and gave the commencement speech. She is enrolled in University of Hawai’i Hilo this fall to pursue a medical career as a pediatrician or nurse. The OKK announcement says, "Janeea is passionate about children’s health and dreams of returning to Ka’ū frequently to hold free health check up clinics for kids. She feels that participating in volunteer community services made her realize how important it is to connect and reconnect with people in the
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| Leinaia Andrade |
Lenaia Andrade graduated from Kamehameha Schools and is entering her third year at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, WA. She is pursuing her education to become a dental hygienist. She told OKK that she plans to return to Ka’u “to be able to give people amazing care and experiences just as my dentist and orthodontist did for me”. Andrade has participated in many volunteer activities and reprted to OKK that her “volunteer experiences helped drive my passion for helping and aiding others in the community.” OKK reports that she "wants to be able to give back to her community because they have instilled so
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| Nalani Blanco-Louis |
Nalani Blanco-Louis graduated from Ka’ū High School in May. OKK reports that "She has a passion for animals because she grew up in Ka’ū participating in ranching, hunting and fishing. She will be attending Hawai’i Community College in Hilo this fall and has plans to pursue a degree in Veterinary Medicine. Her career intentions are to open a veterinary clinic to service Ka’ū District ranchers and clients. She has been a volunteer to help restore Honu'apo Beach and states 'It felt good because I was not doing it just for anyone, I did it for the ‘aina,' She feels that her “community has given me so much that I need to give back something.'”
See more on OKK, its President Wayne Kawahi and boardmembers at https://www.facebook.com/okaukakou/ and www.okaukakou.org. In addition to the organization's continuous volunteer work from Food Bank to helping with Ka’ū Coffee Festival, upcoming events include the Independence Day Parade on June 29 in Nāʻālehu and the Ka’ū Coffee Trail Run on Sept. 24.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.
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