The Kaʻū Calendar News Briefs, Hawaiʻi Island

Monday, July 17, 2023

Kaʻū News Briefs, Monday, July 17, 2023

NOAA's water vapor image Monday evening, of East and Central Pacific, showing Calvin to the right of the Hawaiian Islands.

THE COUNTY'S PROACTIVE PREPARATIONS FOR TROPICAL STORM CALVIN were announced today by Mayor Mitch Roth. The statement says that Calvin is expected to make landfall on Tuesday, July 18, in the late afternoon. As the storm approaches, the County is taking necessary precautions to ensure the safety and well-being of its residents and visitors.
In response to the potential impacts of Tropical Storm Calvin, the County has made the following decisions:

County Camping Permits Cancellation: In the interest of public safety, all County camping permits islandwide will be cancelled from Tuesday, July 18, through Wednesday, July 19. This measure aims to protect individuals from the potential risks associated with camping during adverse weather conditions.

Emergency Shelters Prepared: Two emergency shelters are being readied in the Kaʻū district to provide refuge for those in need. The Robert Herkes Gymnasium and the Nāʻālehu Community Center will serve as safe locations for residents seeking shelter during the storm. These shelters will be staffed with trained personnel and will be equipped with essential supplies to accommodate residents. The shelters are pet friendly, requiring owners to be responsible for providing a carrier, food, and other supplies for their animals.
Waipiʻo Valley Access Road Restrictions: Starting tomorrow, July 18, the Waipiʻo Valley Access Road will only be accessible to residents and farmers. This restriction is necessary to facilitate swift and safe evacuations if required and to prevent any unnecessary congestion on the roadways.
Advisory Updates: The County's emergency management team is continuously monitoring the situation and will be providing regular updates on Tropical Storm Calvin's progress. Residents are advised to stay tuned to official sources of information for the latest developments and safety guidelines.
The Mayor urged all residents and visitors to take this storm seriously and to make the necessary

preparations for potential impacts. He stated, "While we hope for the best, it's crucial that we plan for the worst. The safety of our community is our top priority, and we are taking all necessary measures to ensure that everyone remains safe and well-prepared throughout the duration of the storm."
Residents are reminded to prepare emergency kits, secure loose outdoor items, and stay informed about weather conditions through official channels. Evacuation orders, if necessary, should be followed promptly and diligently, said the County statement.
To ensure timely and critical alerts, the County encourages residents to sign up for Everbridge messages from Civil Defense. By doing so, residents will receive important notifications directly to their preferred communication channels, allowing them to stay informed and make informed decisions. To sign up, visit: https://member.everbridge.net/371914103062563/login
The public is also encouraged to visit the official website of the Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency at https://hawaii-county-civil-defense-agency-hawaiicountygi.... This website serves as a valuable resource for residents and visitors seeking the latest storm advisories, evacuation orders, emergency shelter locations and hours of operation, and other essential information related to the storm.

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CALVIN IS MARCHING QUICKLY TOWARD HAWAI'I ISLAND, at 21 mph, 33 km/h, according to the Monday 8 p.m. National Weather Service advisory. Calvin was located 17.3N, 146.5W, about 570 mi., ESE of Hilo and 615 mi. ESE of South Point. Maximum sustained winds were 45 mph, 75 km/h.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for all of Hawai'i County, meaning tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours.
Calvin 's rapid motion toward the west is expected to continue over the next several days. On the forecast track, tropical storm conditions are expected to start spreading over Hawai'i County starting Tuesday night.
In addition to maximum sustained winds near 45 mph (75 km/h), there are higher gusts. Calvin is forecast to gradually weaken during the next several days.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles (165 km) from the center.
The estimated minimum central pressure is 1004 mb (29.65 inches).
See hurricanes.gov/text/HFOTCDCP1.shtmlTropical for storm conditions expected within the warning area starting Tuesday night.
RAINFALL: From Tuesday night into Thursday, storm total rainfall amounts of 4-8 inches, with maximum amounts of 10 inches are possible, mainly along the windward areas of the Big Island of

Hawai'i. Storm total rainfall amounts of 1-4 inches are expected elsewhere in the state. This rainfall could lead to localized flash flooding and mudslides.
SURF: Swells generated by Calvin are expected to begin spreading across the main Hawaiian Islands tomorrow. A rapid increase in surf is expected along east facing shorelines exposed to these swells Tuesday and Wednesday. This elevated surf will likely cause life-threatening conditions along exposed shorelines.

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LIBRARIES ARE OPEN FIVE DAYS A WEEK Kaʻū, with their internet service, computer availability, books, publications, live events, air-conditioning and restrooms.
The new schedule began Monday and the first talk is scheduled for Tuesday at 5:15 p.m. with a presentation on autism and ADHD in America by Kaʻū resident, Dr. Renee Du Fault. Her focus is Nutritional Epigenetics, which she researched as a scientist with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. She will talk about the effects of nutrition on autism and ADHD. The session will be held at Pāhala School & Public Library.
Branch Manager Sara Kamibayashi reports that Pāhala will be open Mondays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Thursdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Fridays noon to 4p.m.
Nā'ālehu Public Library will be open Mondays 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesdays 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesdays 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Thursdays 10 am. to noon and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Fridays noon to 4 p.m.

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Dr. Jace Koholokula Saplan comes to
Kauaha'ao Church Aug. 6 with Nā Wai
Chamber Choir for a free concert.

NĀ WAI CHAMBER CHOIR, under the direction of Dr. Jace Kaholokula Saplan, will perform the works of Lorenzo Lyons and Mele of Ka Moku O Keawe. Admission is free at Kauaha'ao Church in Wai'ohinu on Sunday Aug. 6 at noon. The address is 95-1642 Pinao St.
The Nā Wai choral director is also Director of Choral Activities and Associate Professor of Music at Arizona State University. He is former Choral Director and taught at University of Hawai'i at Manoa.
Saplan's research has focused on performance practice of Queen Lili’uokalani’s choral compositions; multicultural perspectives in the choral rehearsal; intersections of choral pedagogy, gender, and sexuality in communities of color; and Native Hawaiian agency in music.
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.
Saplan was an Obama Asia-Pacific leader through the Obama Foundation for the 2022-23 school year. Saplan is a 2008 alumnus of Kamehameha School, received a Bachelor of Arts in Hawaiian Music from University of Hawai'i, Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University-Portland, a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from University of Oregon and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting with cognates in Music Education and Enthnomusicology from University of Miami Frost School of Music.

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Five thousand in the mail, 2,500 on the street.

See the July edition of The Kaʻū Calendar Newspaper

www.kaucalendar.com

Sunday, July 16, 2023

Kaʻū News Briefs, Sunday, July 16, 2023

Miloli'i's Kalanihale community organization which recently held its Lawai'a Camp with a focus on corals, welcomes a new
effort called Ākoʻakoʻa to build and restore the reefs. Photo from Hawai'i Marine Education & Research Center

THE MILOLI'I COMMUNITY'S EFFORT TO PRESERVE AND RESTORE ITS CORAL REEF AND SUSTAINABLE NATIVE FISHERY is set to receive support from a new effort from Arizona State University and partners. It's called Ākoʻakoʻa and ASU describes it as "a new collaborative effort to seed renewed connection between human, coral communities in Hawai'i."
ASU recently released an online story about the effort, quoting Ka'imi Kaupiko, President of Kalanihale in Miloli'i, who recently completed a Lawai'a Camp summer session with students focusing on coral. He said, “We support the work of ASU and the Hawai'i Marine Education & Research Center to malama (care for) the corals of west Hawai'i. The reefs from Ūpolu to Ka Lae are one of the most diverse systems in all of Hawai'i, but with the effects of climate change, we need to be proactive in caring for them.” ASU describes Kalanihale as "a grassroots organization designed to improve the educational, environmental and

Ka'imi Kaupiko and Lawai'a Camp goers in the waters of Miloli'i.
Photo from Hawai'i Marine Education & Research Center

cultural well-being of community members of Miloliʻi and South Kona."
ASU reports that a key part of the collaboration with communities like Miloli'i is a new state-of-the-art coral research and propagation facility located at the joint Ridge to Reef Restoration Center in Kailua-Kona. The center is under construction now in partnership with a land restoration organization called Terraformation. The coral facility will be the largest in the world when completed and will become the hub for testing corals for subsequent reef restoration. “These resources are an exciting development for the multiple partners and communities working closely together to scale up active coral restoration in Hawaii,” said Carrie Selberg Robinson, director of the NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Office of Habitat Conservation.
ʻĀkoʻakoʻa shares a dual meaning: 'to assemble' and 'coral.' “For decades, our original program focused on diagnosing land and reef problems using high-tech satellite, airborne and field technologies,” said Greg Asner, director of ASU’s Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science and a longtime resident of Hawai'i. “The new program further expands this diagnostic work, but it focuses far more effort on interventions that support Hawai'i’s communities, both coral and human, as one force.” Asner said lessons learned in ʻĀkoʻakoʻa will be shared with communities across the state and worldwide. “Our successes and failures will lead to new perspectives and know-how, which will be broadcast to a network of partners and participants through our Allen Coral Atlas program and ASU School of Ocean Futures. As a stage for the integration of cultural practice, management and science, ʻĀkoʻakoʻa will seed a deeper connection between human and coral communities in an era of climate change.”

Local students studying the Miloli'i Reef. Photo from Hawai'i Marine Education & Research Center

Brian Neilson, head of Hawai'i state's Division of Aquatic Resources, said ʻĀkoʻakoʻa is a visionary program that can set a powerful path forward for the future. Restoring and enhancing our coral reefs takes a fusion of stewardship, management and high-tech science. ʻĀkoʻakoʻa will be a major example of this blended process for west Hawai'i. We are pleased to partner with ASU's education and research programs in developing and implementing restoration approaches that will benefit communities along the west Hawai'i coastline.”
In its own publication, ASU stated that the aim of the new collaboration is to "preserve and restore vitality to Hawai'i's coral reefs and the health of its coastlines. The community-based effort looks to fuse state-of-the-art science programs with the leadership and cultural knowledge of Hawai'i’s community partners to enable coastal and reef sustainability for generations to come."
ʻĀkoʻakoʻa will operate with a donation of $15 million from the Dorrance family and Dorrance Family Foundation, plus funds from U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz’s office, state Department of Land & Natural Resources' Division of Aquatic Resources, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration and ASU. “It is our kuleana to protect and care for what we love, our coral reefs and the species they harbor, and all of Hawai'i,” said Jacquie and Bennett Dorrance in a joint statement. “Success in saving our reefs relies on ‘laulima,’ many hands working together. The Dorrance family and the Dorrance Family Foundation hope this investment ignites action and vital funding, and we encourage others to join us in support of this tremendous effort. The time is now.”
The ASU story further quotes Asner, an ASU

Students help to survey the health of the Miloli'i reef.
Photo from Hawai'i Marine Education & Research Center

Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory scientist and director of ASU’s research program in Hawai'i. He said that said corals are critical to reef biodiversity and home to millions of marine species, which dot the seafloor with a dizzying array of shapes and sizes. He added that corals are also the “canary in the coal mine” when it comes to our collective behavior — where corals flourish, land and sea are usually well stewarded.
The ASU story also notes that "over the past 50 years, Hawaiian coral communities have undergone an alarming decline due to pollution, climate change and overfishing. Asner's group has spent the last decade monitoring these impacts, from the land, sea and air; from ocean heat waves to agricultural runoff to the chemistry of the oceans. He said it’s finally time to turn the tide by more deeply connecting human and coral communities for a more resilient future. That notion was seconded by several of Hawaii’s most respected community leaders who are key partners in the initiative."

According to the ASU story, Cindi Punihaole, of Kohala Center, said that her "elders stressed the
importance of the relationship between the uplands and the sea, and that for everything in the ocean, there
is a partner on the land." She said, “The land partner is to protect its ocean partner. We are taught to ‘mālama i ka ʻāina’ (care for and respect the land. When the land is healthy and clean, water flows to the shores, then our corals and fish will flourish. We strive for a world of balance and righteousness.”
ASU announced: "With major contributions from community leaders, cultural practitioners, ecologists, data scientists and global information systems experts, the initial core focus for restorative work will be on the western side of the Hawai'i Island, comprising 120 miles of reef and one of the largest coral communities in the Hawai'i Archipelago.

Dr. Greg Asner with Hawaiian students.
Photo from Arizona State University.

Collectively, the west Hawai'i coastline harbors a huge range of human and coral conditions. The responsibility for this type of ocean care is enormous but in proven collaborative hands, said one nonprofit leader who works closely with the university."
ASU President Michael M. Crow said ʻĀkoʻakoʻa and the university’s engagement in Hawai'i stems from its official charter, which includes commitments to “advance research and discovery of public value” and to “assume fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves. We recognize that the health of our planet is tied to the health of countless interconnected systems,” Crow said. “What happens on land affects the health of our oceans, so threats to our coral reefs stand to impact everyone. This collaboration represents the vast potential to accelerate positive change by joining scientific knowledge and cultural wisdom to address a critically important challenge facing our world.”

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CALVIN MAY ARRIVE SOON ENOUGH, says South Point resident Richard Taylor who caught this photo Sunday looking out to sea. "Two days ahead, all of a sudden the wind picks up a little, the horizon clears from the summer mist and the first breath of once Himmicane Calvin, now storm, is here. The thing spans half the distance to the mainland, the center is more than 750 nm away, and it has been traveling directly at us for more than fifteen hundred like an arrow for the last 5 days."

Before Calvin, a view from South Point out to sea.
Photo by Richard Taylor

The National Weather Service 5 p.m. forcast says says that a Tropical Storm Watch may be required tonight:

"Although water temperatures should increase slightly while the cyclone approaches Hawai'i, drier mid-level air as well as increasingly strong vertical shear should cause gradual weakening over the next couple of days. "Nonetheless, the dynamical guidance, such as the HAFS and GFS models, suggests that Calvin will still be producing winds near tropical-storm-force, at least over its northern semicircle, when it nears the Hawaiian Islands....A mid-level ridge to the north of the tropical cyclone should maintain a generally westward motion for the next few days. On this track, Calvin should enter the central Pacific basin soon, and move near or over the Big Island of Hawai'i early Wednesday. It should then continue westward, becoming post-tropical on Thursday before dissipating. While the exact storm track near Hawai'i is still uncertain, there is potential for portions of the state to experience some heavy rainfall, dangerous surf and rip current conditions, along with minor wind impacts from Calvin."

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REMEMBERING LAST WEEKEND'S RODEO: Here are some of the winners accepting their buckles from Rodeo Queen ShaniaLee Silva and Kaʻū Roping & Riding Association at the two-day event at Nā'ālehu Rodeo Grounds last Saturday and Sunday. The event was organized by Tammy Ka'apana who can be reached for sponsorship and entering future events at 808-854-7017. See more buckle winners in previous Ka'u News Briefs and The Ka'u Calendar facebook.