Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Three storms are circulatiing in south and east of Hawai`i Island, with the furthest one expected to soon become a cyclone that could impact Hawai`i. Map from The Weather Channel

CLASSIC CARS RAN ALL OVER KA`U during July 4 week, with the annual islandwide classic car rally visiting Ka`u Coffee Mill plus numerous entries into both Fourth of July parades in Volcano and Na`alehu. Vehicles cruised to Volcano and down to Pahala and up Wood Valley Road to Ka`u Coffee Mill on Thursday, July 2. The annual event draws classic cars from afar.

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Classic car drivers tour and snack at Ka`u Coffee Mill. Photo by Lisa Wright

HAWAI`I’S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION and the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today the release of another $1 million to fight the coffee berry borer, which has been ravaging coffee farms on Hawai`i Island and recently, O`ahu. This Areawide Mitigation and Management for Coffee Berry Borer Control funding, which will be allocated to Hawai`i and Puerto Rico, is in addition to $1.8 million previously allocated to Hawai`i for the 2015 fiscal year. 

       “As a longtime advocate for Hawai`i’s coffee farmers, I understand the unique challenges they face growing their crops in the only state in the country that produces coffee commercially,” said Sen. Mazie Hirono. “Island farmers have shared how the coffee berry borer has already destroyed millions of dollars worth of coffee, concerns we’ve effectively conveyed to top U.S. Department of Agriculture administrators in Washington, D.C. This funding will now allow Hawai`i researchers to continue to develop effective techniques and provide the necessary tools to help our farmers fight off and contain this invasive species.” 

      Sen. Brian Schatz said, “In the past few years, we have seen the devastating impact the coffee berry borer has had on Hawai`i coffee and the farmers that grow it. This federal investment will go a long way in helping local farmers protect their farms and limit the spread of this invasive species.”

A classic Ka`u Volunteer Fire Department truck rolls through Na`alehu on July 4..
Photo by Peter Anderson

      Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said, “Hawai`i’s $40 million coffee industry is vital to our economy. It sustains jobs across the state and contributes significant annual revenues each year for family farms. I continue to be fully engaged with Hawai`i’s coffee farmers as we work to fend off this invasive species, which is why I passed an amendment in the 2014 Farm Bill to establish an area-wide pest management plan and authorize research and funding to combat the Coffee Berry Borer. I am pleased to see the USDA’s continued support in eradicating this noxious species.” In May of this year, the Hawai`i Delegation and Rep. Pedro Pierluisi, of Puerto Rico, wrote to Secretary Vilsack to urge USDA to continue funding the Areawide Mitigation and Management for Coffee Berry Borer Control.      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

A red Dodge Viper precedes pa`u riders at the Fourth of July parade in Na`alehu.
Photo by Crystal McIntosh

A CYCLONE FORMING IN THE PACIFIC could impact Hawai`i by this weekend. At  noon the National Hurricane Center reported that showers and thunderstorms associated with a large area of low pressure about 1,050 miles east-southeast of the Big Island have continued to become better organized. Satellite wind data indicate that surface circulation are better defined. Environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for further development, and a tropical cyclone will likely form later today or tonight while the system moves west-northwest at 14 miles per hour. If it forms in the Eastern Pacific, it will be called Dolores. If the cyclone forms in the Central Pacific, it will be called Ele. According to Central Pacific Hurricane Center, formation chance is 90 percent.
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Classic in its own right, the barrel train carries keiki through Na`alehu.
Photo by Peter Anderson

STATE AND HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS are being considered for geothermal sites, and the Board of Land & Natural Resources takes up permitting for research this Friday. The new study sites are all on Hualalai Volcano. South Point and the Great Crack area have also been identified as geothermal-rich but are not up for discussion. 

      University of Hawai`i researchers will use antennae and electrodes to measure electromagnetic waves on one million square meters of land at depths up to 20,000 feet below the surface.
      According to Chris D’Angelo, of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald, researcher Nicole Lautze, with the Hawai`i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, said in her original application, “The vast majority of developed geothermal systems in the world are located in regions where water can flow naturally through the heated rock formations. Being able to identify the subsurface heat source and fractured zones allows us to begin to address some of the problems of geothermal exploration and development.”
      See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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This classic Jeep puts the Thirty Meter Telescope issue on parade in Na`alehu.
Photo by Crystal McIntosh

ACCESS TO MAUNA KEA SUMMIT is the subject of an emergency rule proposed by Hawai`i's Department of Land & Natural Resources. DLNR said in a statement issued today that the purpose of the rule is to promote safe access to the summit. The proposed rule schedules nighttime hours during which individuals may not remain within a designated restricted area and also prohibits the presence of camping-related supplies within restricted areas at all hours. The Board of Land & Natural Resources will consider the rule at at its regularly scheduled meeting this Friday.

      Attorney General Doug Chin explained, “In recent weeks dozens of people have camped on the grounds or remained parked in cars for prolonged periods, either on or near the access road to Mauna Kea. Boulders and rock walls have been placed on the road. Invasive species have been introduced. Unauthorized toilets have been placed on the grounds. Individuals remaining in the area have reportedly caused visitors and workers to feel harassed. Consumption of water, which must be trucked up the mountain, is at record high usage. All of this has occurred in a partially graveled, steeply graded area without markings or guardrails.”
      DLNR chair Suzanne Case said, “The Department of Land and Natural Resources has been delegated the power and duty to manage and regulate all lands which may be set apart as game management areas, public hunting areas and wildlife sanctuaries. The Department is authorized to promulgate rules to carry out these duties. These rules concern the preservation, protection, regulation, extension and utilization of, and conditions for entry into wildlife sanctuaries, game management areas and public hunting areas.”

The proposed rule can be reviewed online at: http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dofaw/files/2015/07/13-123-21.2-draft.pdf.

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UH-Hilo is decomissioning its Hoku Ke`a telescope on Mauna Kea.
Photo from University of Hawai`i

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI`I AT HILO will begin the process of decommissioning Hoku Ke`a, the UH-Hilo Educational Telescope on Mauna Kea, in early 2016. According to a statement from the university, it will follow the decommissioning process outlined in the Office of Mauna Kea Management’s Comprehensive Management Plan.
      The process is expected to be completed in 2018 after Caltech Submillimeter Observatory’s scheduled decommissioning. Once the area is restored to its natural state, no new observatory will be built on the Hoku Ke`a site, the university stated.
      Caltech Observatory announced in May that it is ending operations and will also begin the decommissioning process in 2016. As with the UH-Hilo telescope, no new observatory will be built on the site.
      “It’s the only telescope that UH-Hilo manages, and it’s not currently operational,” UH-Hilo Chancellor Donald Straney told Tom Callis, of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald. Straney said he considers the move to be one step toward resolving the conflict over construction the Thirty Meter Telescope, which is currently on hold after crews were twice blocked from gaining access to the site.
      “It’s a complex set of issues and will take a complex set of steps from all of us moving forward,” Straney told Callis.
      See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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American flag to the sky on this blue Corvette convertible.
Photo by Crystal McIntosh

AN NEW ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM used on a Big Island ranch for about two years will be available to consumers next month, reported Duane Shimogawa, of Pacific Business News. Henk Rogers, founder of Blue Planet Foundation, and his partners have developed Blue Ion, a self-contained energy storage package that combines Sony Electronic, Inc.’s lithium ion battery technology with Blue Planet Energy’s proprietary architecture and software. The system is designed to be quickly and easily installed and have a low, simple payback, according to Shimogawa.
      Rogers told Shimogawa that about one dozen Hawai`i residents, mostly on Hawai`i Island, currently have the system.
      “These are for people who are not near the grid and need to be off the grid,” Rogers told Shimogawa. “It’s completely flexible. We can tailor each system to a homeowner’s needs. We send people out to measure your electricity usage. People have crazy ways of using electricity. Maybe before you go off the grid, have someone check out the efficiency of your home.”

      See bizjournals.com/pacific.
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HAWAI`I PACIFIC PARKS ASSOCIATION staff share the traditional art of bamboo stamping Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Free; park entrance fees apply.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf
and kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_July2015.pdf.

Ka`u News Briefs Monday, July 6, 2015

Paniolo of all ages competed in the Fourth of July Rodeo over two days, sponsored by Ka`u Roping & Riding Association.
Photo by Julia Neal

FOURTH OF JULY ALL-AROUND RODEO WINNER earned the champion cowboy belt buckle
yesterday at Na`alehu Rodeo Grounds and proclaimed, “I am not a cowboy!” She is cowgirl Jaymie Loando and wound up with the most points overall competing with kane and wahine. Here is a list of winners during the two-day Fourth of July Rodeo, sponsored by Ka`u Roping & Riding Association:

Roping calves is a required skill on Ka`u ranches. Photo by Julia Neal

      Kelly Medeiros and Jaymie Loando won the Kane-Wahine Dally. Boots Kaapana and Jaymie Loando won Kane-Wahine Ribbon. Lexis Andrade and Evan Manoa won Open Dally. Cienna Joseph won Wahine Breakaway. Leenaia Andrade took the Youth Barrels title. Brian DeMattos and Mike Smith won Team 90s, the competition where the age of team members must add up to 90 years or more. Rigan Kaapana and Kepa Awai won Bull Riding. Christine Beck and Denicia Deresin won Wahine Mugging. Kahiau Onaka won Po`o Wai U. Boots Kaapana and Ina Ynigues won Double Mugging. Ethan Awa won Tie Down Roping. Chance Miranda won Calf Riding. Aiden Benavides won Goat Undecorating and Dummy Roping, five to eight years of age. Jaycee Amaral won Dummy Roping, four and under.

Jaymie Loando took the All-Around title for the most points
at the July 4 rodeo in Na`alehu. Among her winning events
was Kane-Wahine Dally with Kelly Medeiros.
Photo by Julia Neal

      Rodeo Queens from Hawai`i, Florida and Nebraska attended the rodeo. Miss Rodeo Hawai`i Cheyanne Keli`iho`omalu, Miss Rodeo Florida Sheila Shirah and Miss Rodeo Nebraska Joni Qualm said they are looking forward to the national Miss Rodeo Competition.

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HAWAI`I FARM & FOOD is Hawai`i Farm Bureau Federation’s new four-color, glossy magazine. The print and online publication is a media partnership between the statewide Farm Bureau and Pacific Basin Communications, publisher of Hawai`i’s largest magazine group. 

      “Hawai`i Farm & Food will delve into issues facing Hawai`i’s agricultural industries, unique specialty crops and commodity groups,” said HFBF president Chris Manfredi, of Ka`u Farm and Ranch. “This new magazine will bring the challenges of Hawai`i’s farmers, ranchers and aquaculturists to the forefront to help people better understand how food is produced and brought to store shelves. Think of it as a farm tour you can hold in your hand. We’re particularly excited that the publication’s app will be available for free on iTunes.” 

      Hawai`i Farm and Food will feature farmers and their stories from across the state, updates on legislative issues, chef highlights of Hawai`i-grown products, recipes and events supporting local agriculture.

First-place winners took home Ka`u Roping & Riding
buckles, all the way down to the winner of Dummy
Roping for those four years old and under.
Jaycee Amaral won it. She is accompanied by
paniolo Ralph Kaapana. Photo by Julia Neal

      The inaugural issue will premiere with a circulation of 5,000 printed copies and unlimited digital access. The magazine will be direct-mailed to all HFBF members, available for free pick-up at Farm Bureau Farmers Markets and various other outlets, and digital download on iTunes.
      See hfbf.org for a current listing. For advertising and sponsorship opportunities, contact Sharon Spear at 808-534-7528 or sharons@pacificbasin.net. To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

GOV. DAVID IGE SIGNED FIVE BILLS into law Thursday during bill signing ceremonies at the State Capitol. 

       HB 1343 (Act 210) appropriates funds to establish a Business Recovery Center within the Department of Defense. The bill appropriates $328,000 in state funding, with a federal match of $1,159,000 for this initiative. The recovery center is an online website where businesses and government agencies collaborate and coordinate information and resources before, during and after a natural disaster.
       HB 589 (Act 211) establishes a state stroke data registry and requires hospitals to report stroke patient data. Through this registry, the state’s acute stroke hospitals will collect a uniform data set based on their stroke patients and will submit the date to the state Department of Health. The data will help identify weaknesses in the state’s stroke care system and work to improve the system’s response to and quality care of stroke patients.
       HB 467 (Act 212) requires birthing facilities to screen newborns for critical congenital heart defects using pulse oximetry prior to discharging infants from the hospital or birthing center. Pulse oximetry or pulse ox is a simple, non-invasive, inexpensive test in which sensors are placed on the infant’s hand or foot to check blood oxygen levels. The test takes a few minutes, costs under $5 and can identify infants with this defect before symptoms develop. Hawai`i is the 42nd state to require this testing.

Rodeo Queens Cheyanne Keli`iho`omalu of Hawai`i, Sheila Shirah
 of Florida and Joni Qualm of Nebraska attended Ka`u Roping
 & Riding Association's rodeo in Na`alehu over the weekend.
They said they are looking forward to the national
 Miss Rodeo Competition. Photo by Julia Neal

       HB 174 (Act 213) requires insurance coverage of orthodontic treatment for orofacial anomalies (cleft palate surgeries). Also known as Anya’s Law, the Medical insurance benefits of up to $5,500 will be required for orthodontic services for individuals under age 26 who are born with orofacial anomalies, most commonly a cleft lip and palate.
       HB 10 (Act 214) authorizes state Department of Education employees to volunteer to be trained to administer and oversee administration of insulin, glucagon or other medication and assist with blood glucose testing if needed. This will improve the ability of diabetic students to manage their diabetes in school and at school-related activities.
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WHAT HAPPENS WHEN EVERYONE has rooftop solar? Life of the Land executive director Henry Curtis asks that question at ililanimedia.blogspot.com.

Laenaia Andrade took the Youth Barrels
buckle. Photo by Julia Neal

      “Ten years ago, virtually no one in Hawai`i had rooftop solar,” Curtis writes. “Today, one is eight electric ratepayers have rooftop solar. Solar prices are dropping. The installation of rooftop solar is escalating.
      “Worldwide, solar installations have grown at more than 40 percent per year for more than a decade.
      “Three interesting questions arise. One deals with grid parity, the point at which unsubsidized solar is as cheap as electricity from a utility grid.” Grid parity occurs when the cost of solar equals the cost of conventional electricity alternatives without subsidies like feed-in-tariffs, net metering and tax credits.

Ayden Benevides won both Goat
Undecorating and Dummy Roping
in the five-to-eight age group.
Photo by Julia Neal

     “This grid parity issue is relevant for Hawai`i,” Curtis writes. “There are many places where grid parity was reached and surpassed. The relative cost of solar depends upon which island one is on, since Neighbor islands have higher utility rates. It depends on whether one is on the windward or leeward side of the island, and how close one is to the mountains. It also depends upon how close the rooftop is to the applicable utility substation.
      “A second issue deals with installation costs. The cost of rooftop solar can be broken down into two components: panels and installation. The price of panels has dropped dramatically. The price of installation has remained high. Therefore, installation costs are becoming a larger and larger portion of the total cost.
      “Deep Chakraborty wrote a recent blog titled, Why are U.S. Residential Solar Soft Costs So High?
      Historically, a person who installs a solar system in Germany filled out a very simply form and received generous rates from the utilities for producing solar electricity.
      By contrast, historically, a person who installs a solar system in the United States has to sign a complex net energy metering contract. In addition, ‘unlike Germany, the U.S. needed a whole new cadre of solar integrators with specialized sales teams that can convey complex financing benefits to consumers.’ Governments required complex permits, and sometimes, unnecessary inspections.

      “The third interesting issue deals with penetration levels.

Chance Miranda took the rodeo's Calf
Riding title. Photo by Julia Neal

      “What happens if everyone has rooftop solar? During the sunny hours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., all of the solar systems produce five times as much energy as is needed. Who would buy this excess? Should the utility be forced to pay for electricity it has no use for? Then from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. no solar is being produced, yet the demand for electricity reaches a daily peak. Where will this electricity come from?

      “During the 1880s, electric trolleys were built throughout the U.S. to absorb excess daytime electricity. But even if we founded new industries that could absorb all of this excessive daytime electricity, where would evening and nighttime electricity come from?
      “Most batteries being installed on the electric grid are designed to eliminate fluctuations in solar and wind output. They are designed to flatten the generation output of variable wind and solar generators over a period of seconds to minutes. They do not shift energy from daytime production to evening loads.
      “There are a few pumped storage systems which do shift energy between time blocks. They use excess energy to pump water from a lower reservoir to a higher reservoir and then drop the water through hydroelectric generators when the power is needed. There are few such systems in the U.S. and none in Hawai`i.”

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HAWAI`I PACIFIC PARKS ASSOCIATION staff share the traditional art of bamboo stamping Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Free; park entrance fees apply.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf
and kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_July2015.pdf.

Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, July 5, 2015

South Side Shaka Restaurant & Bar wins Most Imaginative in Na`alehu's Fourth of July Parade Saturday, with Hawaiian Idol winner
 Victor Sonma, who will soon go to American Idol tryouts in Las Vegas. Photo by Peter Anderson

KA`U FAMILIES ENJOYED A FUN-FILLED Fourth of July in Na`alehu Saturday. The parade, sponsored by O Ka`u Kakou, drew pa`u riders on horseback, community groups walking and riding on decorated vehicles and floats, participants competing for Most Imaginative and Most Patriotic categories. Thy Word Ministries-Ka`u won Most Patriotic, and South Side Shaka was Most Imaginative. Grand Marshall was Kaohi Mokuhali`i. Pa'u Queen was Lorilee Lorenzo in a gown on horseback. Miss Ka'u Cofee Maria Miranda graaced the parade representing th Ka'u Coffee farmers.
A two-day rodeo followed the parade.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

 

Thy Word Ministry took the Most Patriotic Trophy at Na`alehu July 4 parade yesterday. Photo by Peter Anderson

EAST KA`U’S STATE SEN. RUSSELL RUDERMAN, who owns Island Naturals grocery stores, has made a public statement that he  implemented a $10 per hour minimum wage for his employees as of July 2015. While most staff are already above $10 per hour, some entry-level employees received an unexpected raise in their paycheck this month as the company adopted the voluntary higher minimum wage standard, he said. 

Grand Marshall of the Na`alehu Fourth of July parade was Kaohi Mokuhali`i.
Photo by Peter Anderson

       Ruderman, who recently received the state Small Business Administration’s Businessperson of the Year Award, said  he believes strongly in investing in his staff for motivational and retention purposes. “In recent months, we have seen some national companies raise their minimum wage voluntarily, and we want to be in the forefront of this movement locally,” Ruderman said. “But it’s also the right thing to do. Treating employees well, and paying them well, is good business. Island Naturals values our staff and strives to provide a good work environment, higher wages than local standards, and treats staff with respect.

   “While $10/hour is not a true living wage in Hawai`i, this is a step in the right direction, as raising our minimum also results in higher wages for mid-level staff. Doing so approaches a living wage for more and more workers. We are happy to share our success with our staff, and we all work together to make our company successful.”
      Island Naturals operated three naturals food stores on the Big Island, in Hilo, Pahoa and Kailua-Kona, with more than 200 employees.

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Na`alehu July 4th parade's first-ever Pa`u Queen is Lorilee Lorenzo.
Photo by Peter Anderson

MARTI TOWNSEND IS SIERRA CLUB Hawai`i Chapter’s new director. Sierra Club’s volunteer leaders voted unanimously to name her as director. 

      Townsend comes to the Sierra Club with over ten years of experience in community organizing, public interest advocacy and environmental law.
      “She has an impressive record,” said David Kimo Frankel, Chair of the Sierra Club’s Hawai`i Chapter. “She knows how to empower people so that they can effectively engage policymakers to protect Hawai`i’s resources.”
      Townsend received a certificate in Environmental Law from the University of Hawai`i’s William S. Richardson School of Law in 2005. She is a graduate of Boston University.
      “The Sierra Club is a force for good in the world,” Townsend said. “Club volunteers are fighting to uphold our right to clean energy and protect our special places throughout the islands, and I am honored to help support their efforts.”

Miss Ka`u Coffee Maria Miranda represents the thriving Ka`u Coffee industry,
which includes her own family. Photo by Peter Anderson

      Before joining the Sierra Club of Hawai`i, Townsend served as Executive Director of The Outdoor Circle, a century-old, local, environmental organization working to keep Hawai`i clean, green and beautiful. In this role, she helped advocate for the establishment of Hawai’`’s Environmental Court, which is only the second of its kind in the United States. Her advocacy also supported the broad opposition to the appointment of Carleton Ching as Director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Her work at The Outdoor Circle established a program to digitally map all trees in Hawai`i that are protected on the Exceptional Tree list, as well as improve and expand public greenspaces and prevent efforts to weaken Hawai`i’s prohibition against billboards.
      Prior to The Outdoor Circle, Townsend served as Program Director and then interim-Executive Director for KAHEA: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance. KAHEA works to protect Hawai`i’s imperiled natural resources and perpetuate the unique Native Hawaiian cultural traditions that rely on them. While at KAHEA, she advocated to establish and enforce protections for Papahanaumokuakea in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, improve public health
protections in the predominately Native Hawaiian community, expand critical habitat for Hawaiian monk seals and uphold protections for the conservation district on Mauna Kea.

Summer Fun checks out the Poke at July 4 Parade. Photo by Teri Martindale

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CO2 EMISSIONS THREATEN OCEAN CRISES, concludes the BBC’s Environment analyst Roger Harrabin. He points to the journal Science, where “experts say the oceans are heating, losing oxygen and becoming more acidic because of CO2. They warn that the 2C maximum temperature rise for climate change agreed by governments will not prevent dramatic impacts on ocean systems. And they say the range of options is dwindling as the cost of those options is skyrocketing,” writes Harrabin.

      The BBC story reports that “twenty-two world-leading marine scientists have collaborated in the synthesis report in a special section of Science journal. They say the oceans are at perilous risk from the combination of threats related to CO2. They believe politicians trying to solve climate change have paid far too little attention to the impacts of climate change on the oceans.”

Ka`u Auto Repair brings a shocking reminder to drive safely each July 4 weekend.
Photo by Julia Neal

      Professor Manuel Barange, director of science at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, said, “Climate change will continue to affect ocean ecosystems in very significant ways, and society needs to take notice and respond. 

      “Some ecosystems and their services will benefit from climate change, especially in the short term, but overall the impacts are predominately negative.
      “Negative impacts are particularly expected in tropical and developing regions, thus potentially increasing existing challenges in terms of food and livelihood security.
      “We are allowing ourselves to travel a uniquely dangerous path, and we are doing so without an appreciation for the consequences that lie ahead."
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Ka`u Multicultural Society celebrates diversity in Ka`u.
Photo by Crystal McIntosh

“THE VISITOR INFORMATION STATION is closed indefinitely,” reads a notice on Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station’s website. “No services, including phone, restrooms or guides, are available. University of Hawai`i closed the facility and the road to the summit on June 24 after protests caused crews to turn around when they were attempting to start construction for the second time.

      “No services, including phone, restrooms or guides, are available,” the website explains. “Please check this website (ifa.hawaii.edu/info/vis) for updates before planning to visit.

      “Mahalo for your understanding and we apologize for the inconvenience.”

      MKVIS is a popular destination for individuals and groups visiting the summit and participating in stargazing organized by the station and tour companies.

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Po`o Wai U, the most traditional Hawaiian rodeo event, wrapped up
yesterday at Na`alehu. Other events continue today. Photo by Julia Neal

FOURTH OF JULY RODEO continues today at Na`alehu Rodeo Grounds. Entry is $7 a person. Yesterday wrapped up the first round of many events, and a Po`o Wai U Champion was named, Kahiau Onaka, with a time of 21.24 seconds. Po`o Wai U is the most traditional event, and Hawai`i is the only place where competition takes place. It stems from a tradition of chasing stray cattle in the forest and tying each one onto a forked tree branch pounded into the ground until there is time to move the animal back to the herd.

OBJECTS VISIBLE IN KA`U’S DARK SKIES this month include planets, two full moons and nebulae. Lew Cook described them in this month’s edition of Stars Over Ka`u for The Ka`u Calendar. 

      “Saturn continues his battle with the claws of Scorpius while Jupiter and dancing partner Venus have set,” Cook said. “Venus is at its brightest this month, all the while growing larger. By the end of the month, it has become larger but has slimmed down into a thin crescent.

Bikers patriotic to the U.S. and Hawai`i during the
Fourth of July Parade in Na`alehu.
Photo by Crystal McIntosh

      “The full moon graces us with two appearances this month: the first and 31st of July. The full moon on July 31 is a blue moon. The term blue moon refers to a season that has four full moons rather than three. The fourth full moon was termed blue. Since there are only 12 months in a year, if you have 13 full moons, one month has to have two full moons. The moon appears to go around the Earth in 29.53 days, so one month must have two full moons. But you can bet it won’t be February!
      “There are some rare atmospheric conditions that cause the moon to have a bluish tint. Volcanic eruptions that put huge amounts of dust in the air or major forest fires can do this. After Krakatoa erupted, the moon had a bluish tint, although the sky had a lot of dust. Dust particles need to be larger than typical, lest the moon, sun and stars will be reddened.

      “Pluto, once deemed a planet but now demoted to a dwarf planet, is back in the news. The New Horizons spacecraft has been traveling for ten years to get to Pluto and this month will pass close enough to get pictures and data. Don’t expect to see many pictures, because it requires the radio signal to travel four-plus hours and three billion miles to get to the Earth. The data transmission rate will be only one kilobit per second, about as slow as dial-up was in 1972 here on earth. Pluto is in Sagittarius, and its position is marked on the chart, but please don’t waste your time looking for it, because it is very faint (14th magnitude) and in an area packed with stars. 

      “Those of you who have telescopes or large binoculars can enjoy several nebulae in Sagittarius. Perhaps the best of these is M8, but M7 was also catalogued by Charles Messier. The stars in M7 have had time to blow away the gas and dust that they were created from, but the gas and dust are still in the area of M8. That is what makes the Lagoon nebula, M8, so pretty!”

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.  

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf
and kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_July2015.pdf.