Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2014

A Reverse Trade Mission brings international coffee experts to Ka`u each year for the Ka`u Coffee College as part of the Ka`u Coffee
Festival. Last year, the owner of Soaring Phoenix flew in from Taiwan to talk about the soaring popularity of coffee in Asia.
 Photo by Julia Neal

THE RIGHT TO FARM BILL, characterized by opponents as an anti-home rule and pro GMO and pesticide bill, failed to move forward at the state Legislature yesterday. A report from Hawai`i News Now last night stated that “a House bill that would preempt Hawai`i County’s ban on new genetically modified crops has not seen any movement in the Legislature so far this year, and a similar bill today failed to gain traction in the state Senate. House Bill 2506, which was co-sponsored by 36 lawmakers — including five from the Big Island – has yet to be scheduled for a committee hearing, and a Senate committee today deadlocked on that body’s version of the bill.
     “Like HB2506, Senate Bill 110 states that no law shall be passed by a local government that would restrict farming “not prohibited by federal or state law….” Three members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture voted for the bill, and three voted against it.
     “Those in favor were Sens. Clarence Nishihara, Donovan Dela Cruz and Sam Slom, all of whom are from O`ahu. Those voting against it were Sens. Ron Kouchi of Kaua`i, Kalani English of Maui and Lauren Thielen of O`ahu. The committee’s seventh member, Sen. Glenn Wakai, of Oahu, was absent for the vote.
     “The measure was originally introduced by Senate Majority Leader Brickwood Galuteria in 2013 as a 'short-form' bill, which means it was a shell without content that was titled as 'relating to agriculture.'”

Trash from Ocean View, Waiohinu and the rest of Ka`u would be transferred to Hilo,
under the mayor's proposed waste to energy plan. Photo from Big Island Video News

     The bill was supported by the Hawai`i Farm Bureau Federation and its president, Na`alehu resident Chris Manfredi. The statewide Farm Bureau has advocated at the state and county level against controlling GMOs, labeling of GMOs and laws that would further restrict pesticide use for farmers.
     The bill that failed in committee yesterday was the subject of a statewide email blast by anti-GMO groups, calling it a “sneak attack” as it only gave one day’s notice for its first public hearing and testimony coming in less than 24 hours before the public hearing was not included in the discussion.
     See more at hawaiinewsnow.com.
     To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

A WASTE-TO-ENERGY, TRASH-BURNING PLANT, accepting Ka`u’s garbage, could be in the future of Hilo landfill, which is filling up. Mayor Billy Kenoi presented the plan to the County Council yesterday. According to a story in this morning’s Hawai`i Tribune Herald, Kenoi told the County Council, “We want to cast a wide net and look at all options for waste-reduction technology.”
     The story by Tom Callis reports that “none of the nine council members criticized Kenoi’s approach, and most praised his plan, which includes issuing a request for qualifications March 3 and signing a contract in April 2015.”
    The Tribune-Herald notes that during his term, “Mayor Harry Kim had proposed a $125 million waste-to-energy facility, known as the Wheelabrator. The council killed that proposal over cost concerns.”
    The story quoted the current mayor saying that the Hilo landfill could be full in four years and that the high cost of trucking waste to the landfill in West Hawai`i makes using the garbage for energy the best option and less expensive than $222 million that would be needed to expand Hilo landfill.

Hauling Ka`u's waste up the road to Kona would end as the garbage would
be used to make energy in Hilo. Photo from Big Island Video News

      The story also reported the county’s Environmental Management chief Bobby Jean Leithead Todd saying that some costs could be offset by selling energy, fuel and other byproducts.
    The Tribune-Herald reports Kenoi saying the facility would need to consume up to 300 tons of garbage per day. That’s where shipping all of Ka`u’s and Hamakua's garbage to Hilo and none of it to West Hawai`i comes in, helping Hilo reach that demand.
     If the amount of garbage grows and reaches 500 tons per day, the energy plant could, perhaps, pay for itself, public officials stated. However, according to Kenoi, it would not consume green waste that could be used for composting and other purposes.
     The mayor told the County Council that he would only consider using proven technology for the energy plant, technology that has been in operation for at least three years. “We want to see that your technology is proven,” he said, according to the Tribune-Herald story.
    See more at: http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/news/local-news/kenoi-outlines-plan-reduce-waste#sthash.qpMYKnP9.dpuf.
    To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Stargazing is one of event that draws people
 to ten days of the Ka`u Coffee Festival.
 Photo by Andrew Richard Hara.

KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL COMMITTEE held its first community planning meeting for the 2014 event last night and announced ten days of activities, May 2 – 11. Organizers talked about campaigns to buy local, the Miss Ka`u Coffee and Miss Peaberry Pageants and the growth of the festival to include venues at farms, ranches and Ka`u Coffee Mill.
     Ka`u Coffee Mill founder Ed Olson, who has contributed more than a third to half of  the annual cash budget since the festival began, attended the meeting and offered up the Ka`u Coffee Mill venue again for the Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageants on Sunday evening, May 4. Other events at the mill will include the annual Ka`u Coffee recipe contest on Sunday, May 4, a hike into the rainforest along the old plantation water system trail on Wednesday, May 7 and stargazing on Friday, May 9. Aikane Plantation will host its Coffee & Cattle Day on Friday, May 9, and The Inn at Kalaekilohana will offer a Farm to Table event on Saturday, May 3. Pahala Plantation House will host a kick-off open house for volunteers, coffee farmers and Ka`u Coffee enthusiasts on Friday, May 2.   

     Ka`u Coffee Festival Committee chair Chris Manfredi announced that the festival has received grants from the state Department of Agriculture and the county, with help from the Hawai`i Tourism Authority. He also talked about a reverse trade mission in which coffee experts from afar come to Ka`u to meet people in the local coffee industry. They will gather on Ka`u Coffee College on Sunday, May 11 at Pahala Community Center.                   The Ho`olaule`a on Saturday, May 10, will include the Ka`u Coffee Experience, entertainment from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and many local Ka`u Coffee grower booths for tasting and buying, as well as fundraising for local nonprofits with food and activities, as well as education booths – all at Pahala Community Center.
     Those interested in participating in the Miss Ka`u Coffee and Miss Peaberry pageants can call Pageant chair Gloria Camba at 928-8558 or Pageant director Nalani Parlin at 217-6893. Applications are due this Friday.
     To donate scholarship money for the pageant, call Julia Neal at 928-9811. To reserve a vendor or educational booth for the Ho`olaule`a, call Brenda Iokepa Moses at 928-0550. To become a sponsor, call Manfredi at 929-9550.
     See www.kaucoffeefest.com for more on the festival.
     To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

TUTU & ME AND PATCH, Parents Attentive to Children, will hold a training session this Friday in Na`alehu in the back pavilion of Punalu`u Bake Shop from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. The gathering for parents, grandparents, aunties and other caregivers of young children is open to the community. To register in advance, call 322-3500. Walk-ins will be welcomed.

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND sponsors a Ka`u Coast cleanup at Kamilo this Saturday. Meet at Wa`ohinu Park at 7:45 a.m. Bring sturdy shoes, bag lunch, sun and wind protection, plenty to drink and four-wheel drive vehicles. Those without 4WD can pool with other volunteers. Contact kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com or 769-7629.

LOVE THE ARTS, the annual fundraiser and gala  for Volcano Art Center will be held this Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Ni`aulani Campus. The event features champagne and wine and a gourmet dinner to honor Volcano Art Center's 40th Year in its Hawaiian Home, Hawaiian Style. There will be a live and silent auction. Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door. It includes a $10 credit toward an auction item. Call 967-8222.

                                          

                             
       

Ka`u News Briefs, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2014

KRHCAI Academy interns, Kamrie Koi and Nysa Kaniho, along with Executive Director Jessie Marques and Board President Donna Kekoa, meet with Sen. Brian Schatz in Washington, D.C. Photo from Ka`u Rural Health Community Association

KA`U RURAL HEALTH COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC representatives met with legislators in Washington, D.C. recently. Interns of the organization’s Ka`u Health Academy, Kamrie Koi, a senior at Ka`u High School, and Nysa Kaniho, a senior at Kamehameha School, flew to Washington, D.C. with KRHCAI Executive Director Jesse Marques and Board President Donna Kekoa. The organization’s Grass Roots Update states that the delegation spent “valuable ‘talk story’ time with Senator Brian Schatz and Representative Colleen Hanabusa.” The KRHCAI team traveled to Washington for the 25th Annual Rural Health Policy Institute. The organization is also the recipient of a grant to help residents to sign up for Obamacare.

  

Infrastructure goes in for the new Ka`u Gym & Shelter the walls are secured
for roofing. Photo by Julia Neal

AIR CONDITIONING FOR SCHOOLS could receive some funding this year, even though a bill to require it has been dropped at the legislature. Air conditioning at Ka`u schools could not only cool classrooms on hot days, it could reduce the effects of SO2 during voggy days. A bill in the state House of Representatives would provide $25 million for air conditioning in public schools.        Another possibility for air-conditioning money for schools lies in the state Department of Education budget, but legislators said they also offered a separate bill so it wouldn’t be overlooked.
     Rep. Takashi Ohno, a former school teacher, sponsored the bill in the House, saying, “We need to put students in better environments to learn. After a hearing last night, the House Education Committee approved the measure with a 10-0 vote. Supporting testimony came from teachers, parents and the DOE.
     The new Ka`u Gym & Disaster Shelter, with separate funding, will offer activity rooms with filtered air to harbor several hundred people during vog alerts.
     To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

THE STATE’S COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT was recently released, showing economic recovery and Hawai`i’s net worth at $4.8 billion. This is an increase of $307.1 million over last year and drew a press conference at the state Capitol yesterday, in which Gov. Neil Abercrombie noted the administration’s fiscal restraint helped to allow tax money pile up in state coffers to create an $884 million surplus at fiscal year’s end. Abercrombie also noted that the financial statement came out on time. Some late statements in previous years drew criticism from bond investors and credit rating agencies.
     A press release from the governor says that the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for fiscal year ending June 30, 2013 “shows Hawai`1i’s asset growth has outpaced liability growth for the first time in seven years.”
     According to the governor, “Our improving trajectory is a reflection of positive trends in our local economy and responsible management of fiscal affairs, which now includes recognized improvements in meeting our obligations for timely reporting.”
      The statement also points out that for the first time in more than five years, the state received the award of Achievement of Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association. The state’s annual financial report can be read at http://ags.hawaii.gov/we-content/uploades/2012/09soh-cafr-2013pdf.
     To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

TUTU & ME AND PATCH, Parents Attentive to Children, are partnering to provide free community based trainings. A class called Fostering Resiliency is designed to help early caregivers, educators and parents of young children understand and develop strategies that help children ‘bounce back’ from stress. The first training session is this Friday in Na`alehu in the back pavilion behind Punalu`u Bakery from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. It is open to the community. As there will be no childcare provided, parents and caregivers are asked to leave their keiki at home.

Tutu & Me helps families with early education of keiki.
Photo from Tutu & Me

     Interested parties are being asked to call the PATCH office to register in advance, at 322-3500. However, walk-ins are welcome, too. Those who work with young children or are parents or caregivers of young children are eligible for the free community based trainings. The sessions also aim to connect people in Ka`u who are interested in increasing the quality of childcare in Hawai`i.
     To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

A COTTAGE FOODS BILL was introduced by east Ka`u Sen. Russell Ruderman and West Ka`u Sen. Josh Green. SB2561 would permit the cottage food industry in Hawai`i and establish requirements for cottage food operators, cottage food operations, and cottage food products. It would authorize permits for Class A cottage food operations to engage in direct sales of cottage food products and permit Class B cottage food operations to engage in direct and indirect sales of cottage food products. It would permit the cottage food industry in residential areas without use permits, variances or special exceptions.
     The cottage food operation could have no more than one full-time equivalent cottage food employee with the registered or permitted area of a private home, and the the food could be produced only in the home kitchen of the cottages. Consumers could buy directly from the cottage food operation location or from such activities as holiday bazaars, bake sales, food swaps, farm stands, farmers' markets. Sales of the cottage food operation would be limited to no more than $50,000 in gross income per year.
     A Class B cottage food operation would require a permit and be subject to government inspections of the food operation, as the food could be sold to a retailer for resale. A hearing on the Senate Bill is scheduled for tomorrow.
    A House version of the bill , HB 1992, is scheduled to be heard on Thursday morning. Ka`u residents can submit testimony online at www.capitol.hawaii.gov.
     To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

A HEARING ON THE RIGHT TO FARM ACT LEGISLATION, proposed by the Hawai`i Farm Bureau and opposed by some  as a sneak attack against GMO and pesticide bills that were recently passed by Hawai`i and Kaua`i Counties, went to public hearing this afternoon with decision-making planned by this evening. The language inserted into Senate Bill 110 and also included in SB 3058 and House Bill 2506, proposes to add onto existing Hawai`i state law, the following wording: "The right of farmers and ranchers to engage in modern farming and ranching practices shall be forever guaranteed in this State. No law, ordinance, or resolution of any unit of local government shall be enacted that abridges the right of farmers and ranchers to employ agricultural technology, modern livestock production, and ranching practices not prohibited by federal or state law, rules, or regulations."
     In a press release, East Hawai`i Rep. Richard Onishi, who introduced the House version, stated: "Like many other states, Hawai`i has had to deal with encroaching urbanization and pressure it puts on our farms and agricultural lands. Unlike most states, Hawai`i is an island with very limited space for agricultural endeavors. We’ve seen how hard it’s been to protect our ag lands and to keep them productive in the face of other pressing needs and priorities.
     “But if we are interested in sustainability and moving Hawaii toward greater self-reliance, we will have to strike a better balance between our rural and urban needs. This measure is designed to do just that by protecting our local farmers and ranchers. They have a right to farm in the best way they see fit, as long as they follow legal and accepted agricultural practices, whether we’re talking about ranchers, poultry, hog, vegetable, flower and plant farmers."
     However, opponents of the bill characterize it as a way to overturn Hawai`i County's recent ban on most GMO farming. Hawai`i Farm Bureau President Chris Manfredi, who supports the bill,  told the Hawai`i Tribune Herald that the bill would render Hawai`i and Kaua`i Counties’ anti-GMO laws “null and void” and that farmers should face a “level playing field.”

A Kamilo coastal cleanup calls for volunteers for this Saturday.

Photo from Hawai`i Wildlife Fund

     Honolulu Civil Beat ran a story yesterday explaining the proposed right to farm language, saying that it  "appears to be an attempt to exert state control over counties like Kaua`i and Hawai`i that have moved to dramatically curb the use of pesticides and GMOs. 

     "But the bill faced a joint referral to three committees as well as a fourth referral to a single committee - a high hurdle.

     "Solution? Take the  and place it into another bill related to ag - in this case Senate Bill 110, a short-form bill held over from last year. And give it a hearing at the last minute."

     Civil Beat reports that "the challenge for those who wish to testify against the measure is that the notice of a hearing went out Monday afternoon and the hearing is Tuesday..." 

     Robert Domingos, of Discovery Harbour, submitted testimony stating: "Please think before your vote. No one should receive carte blanche rights to do whatever they like in their chosen profession. Regulations and limitations are legislated to prevent that which can be avoided. We want a GMO-FREE future. GMO is not natural selection. Hawai`i must stand united against GMO. Vote no on one-ten."
     To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND sponsors a Ka`u Coast cleanup at Kamilo this Saturday. Meet at Wa`ohinu Park at 7:45 a.m. Bring sturdy shoes, bag lunch, sun and wind protection, plenty to drink and four-wheel drive vehicles. Those without 4WD can pool with other volunteers. Contact kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com or 769-7629.

A MAJOR ANNUAL FUNDRAISER for Volcano Art Center is this Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Niauluani Campus. Called Love the Arts, it features champagne and wine and a gourmet dinner to honor Volcano Art Center's 40th Year in its Hawaiian Home, Hawaiian Style. There will be a live and silent auction. Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door. It includes a $10 credit toward an auction item Call 967-8222.

Ka`u News Briefs Monday, Feb. 3, 2014

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientist Mike Poland's topic at After Dark in the Park tomorrow is What We Don't Know about Hawaiian Volcanoes. Photo from USGS/HVO

HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC LIGHT CO. IS CONSIDERING ways to handle more solar-generated energy, according to a story in Hawai`i Tribune-Herald. President Jay Ignacio told Colin M. Stewart that the utlility’s grid is reaching the limit of how much power it can accept from remote sources that use net-metering systems. Such systems send excess energy to the utility and result in lower electric bills for customers. 

      According to Ignacio, circuits that generate more electricity than is being used by customers can create increased voltage and damage electronic equipment, including computers and other appliances with sophisticated electronics.

      “If there’s more generation than energy being used, the energy needs to go some place. … This is a difficult technical issue, and we’re not aware of another utility in the world that has addressed it,” he said. “There’s no model for us to follow, no resource for us to tap into. We’re really creating new frontiers on this.”
      One system being considered involves the utility using appliances connected to the circuit to create more of a load when it encounters an over-voltage. “By transferring the excess energy into something such as a water heater, the system can balance itself out,” the story says. Many of those appliances were not designed for such a purpose, and setting them up to be used in such a way could be problematic, Ignacio told Stewart.
      Another concept being explored is a large battery bank that can store excess energy, but that also has drawbacks. “The economics of such a system just may not play out,” Ignacio said.
      See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Ways to create economic opportunity related the Thirty Meter Telescope for Hawai`i Island
residents are being considered. Image from tmt.org

CREATING A PATH FOR HAWAI`I ISLAND RESIDENTS and students seeking careers in technology and other jobs related to the planned Thirty Meter Telescope is the goal of a proposed workforce pipeline program. 

      Hawai`i Tribune-Herald reports some ideas are already in the works, such as an engineering program at University of Hawai`i-Hilo, while other ideas presented to the Big Island’s legislative delegation last month include an enhanced technology program at Hawai`i Community College, internships for Hawai`i students and “incentives to attract new astronomy-related industry.”
      Tribune-Herald reports TMT spokeswoman Sandra Dawson saying the plan hopes to emulate the creation of Tucson, Arizona’s optics industry that resulted from construction an observatory there.
      Comparing Tucson’s situation to Hawai`i Island’s, Dawson said, “Theirs was copper; ours was sugar. When copper started dying, they needed something new. About that time, the National Science Foundation funded a telescope. That telescope is smaller than four of the telescopes we have on Mauna Kea. The people of the town saw an advantage to this. They started bringing experts in optics in, and now they’re the world center for optics. The university and government thought about this as a way to move forward.”

Ka`u will vote for a new County Council member this year,
with Brenda Ford having reached her term limit.

      Jerry Chang, director of university relations at UH-Hilo, said a new engineering program being worked on at the school would develop a labor pool for projects such as TMT. “Instead of hiring people out of state, let’s use our local workforce,” he said.
      Other programs being considered are new and enhanced technology programs at Hawai`i Community College, internships for Hawai`i students and incentives to attract new astronomy-related industry.
      Instrument development and operational support is another possibility being considered. According to the Tribune-Herald, all contracts for those jobs currently go overseas and cost $30 million to $40 million per year.

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

KA`U RESIDENTS INTERESTED IN RUNNING for office in this year’s elections can submit papers beginning today. Offices on ballots in Ka`u this year are U.S. Senator, currently held by Brian Schatz; U.S. Representative District 2, currently held by Tulsi Gabbard; Governor, currently held by Neil Abercrombie; Lieutenant Governor, currently held by Shan Tsutsui; State Senator District 3, currently held by Josh Green; State Representatives Districts 3 and 5, currently held by Richard Onishi and Richard Creagan; Office of Hawaiian Affairs Representative; and County Council Member District 6, currently held by Brenda Ford.
      Candidates can file nomination papers at two locations on Hawai`i Island: in Hilo at Office of County Clerk, Elections Division, 25 Aupuni Street, Suite 1502, phone 961-8277, hours Monday – Friday 7:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; in Kona at West Hawai`i Civic Center, Kona Elections Division, 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy, Building B, 2nd floor, phone 961-8277, hours Monday – Friday, 7:45 a.m. – 3 p.m. by appointment. 

      A candidate’s manual is available online at hawaii.gov/elections/candidates. The manual contains information on how to become a candidate and the applicable filing fees and nomination signature requirements.
      Deadline to file is 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 3. 

      For more information, see hawaii.gov/elections.

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

`Amakihi Photo from USGS

`AMAKIHI, A SPECIES OF HAWAIIAN HONEYCREEPER, developed a tolerance for avian malaria in research by U.S. Geological Survey scientists, according to an Associated Press story in Hawai`i Tribune-Herald. 

      Researchers published a study in the journal EcoHealth saying that birds that live at lower elevations are able to tolerate infections much better than birds from higher elevations. Microbiologist Carter Atkinson and his colleagues captured birds from higher and lower elevations, put some in a control group and exposed others to malaria. After the exposure, birds from lower elevations lost less weight and had a lower mortality rate than birds from higher elevations.
      Hawaiian honeycreepers do not have a resistance to mosquito-borne diseases, and avian malaria has devastated many species.

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

KA`U HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AND INTERESTED residents can participate in a free one-time macroepigenetics online training course offered by the Food Ingredient and Health Research Institute, the only federally recognized nonprofit entity in the U.S. devoted entirely to food ingredient safety, education and research, starting this Thursday, Feb. 6. Professor Renee Dufault, FIHRI founder and a leading researcher in the toxicology field with a concentration in macroepigentics, leads students through a 10-week interactive online course, with bi-monthly discussions held at Hana Hou Restaurant in Na`alehu.

      Coursework investigates “substances in the Standard American Diet that may modulate genes to create conditions for disease” such as type-2 diabetes, autism, ADHD and CVD,” explained Dufault, who lives in Ocean View. “The course has been used successfully in a recent clinical trial to facilitate improvements in diet to significantly reduce risk factors for type-2 diabetes,” she added.

Renee Dufault

      The class is limited to 10 participants on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to health care providers. Participants who complete the training will receive five continuing education units and a certification of completion.
      Dufault is a former Food and Drug Administration public health officer and has her work published in the journal Clinical Epigenetics. She gave the keynote speech at the Clinical Epigenetics Society meeting held in Germany last year and presented her research to the University of Hawai`i at Manoa’s Department of Native Hawaiian Health at the John A. Burns School of Medicine. Dufault also worked with Native American communities in Montana focusing on curbing nutrition-related diseases and diabetes-managment using her online macroepigentics nutrition intervention course.
      Alika Maunakea, assistant professor in the Epigenomics Research Program of the Department of Native Hawaiian Health, wrote, Dufault “has also been translating these efforts to populations in Hawai`i, where diseases of health disparaties are directly linked to environmental health; a concept that is compatible with traditional Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island views of health and wellness.” 

      For more information about the class or to apply, contact Dufault at 808-345-6864 or rdufault@foodingredient.info. Visit the course website at foodingredient.info/newepigeneticscourse.html.

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

WHAT WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES is the topic at After Dark in the Park tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
      USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientist Mike Poland discusses issues faced by volcanologists studying Hawai`i’s volcanoes today, from the source of magma deep within the Earth to predicting eruptions – or determining when an ongoing eruption will end.
      The program is free; $2 donations support park programs. Park entrance fees apply.
     

SEE FEBRUARY’S ISSUE of The Ka`u Calendar newspaper online at kaucalendar.com. 

SEE THE DIRECTORY 2014 ONLINE. For a page-turning version, see kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.swf. For a pdf version, see kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.pdf.

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