Ka`u News Briefs Monday, April 6, 2015

Tomorrow's After Dark in the Park program gives an update on Kilauea's summit eruption. On March 6, wispy gas emissions allowed clear views of the lava lake within Halema`uma`u Crater. The thin crust over the lava lake was seen moving slowly to the southeast with no spattering. Photo from USGS

KAHUA OLOHU MAKAHIKI GROUNDS in Na`alehu are number 11 on the priority list of properties to consider purchasing for preservation. The county Public Access, Open Space & Natural Resources Preservation Commission said in its report to Mayor Billy Kenoi that it is a culturally important site with a potential long-term goal of using it to re-institute Hawaiian cultural games during the traditional Makahiki season. Most of the parcel is within an area known to be the site of traditional gaming fields and Makahiki grounds. The locations of very few Makahiki grounds are known; this site has been positively identified as being a famous bowling (`ulu maika) and dart sliding (pahe`e) field.

Kahua Olohu Makahiki Grounds in Na`alehu are number 11 on county's list
of properties to consider for preservation. Image from PONC

      The State Historic Preservation Division has recognized that the site is significant under multiple criteria.
      According to PONC’s report, the property is for sale, and “owners are anxious to work with the county to assist in its acquisition.” Owners James and Elizabeth Weatherford said they were considering farming and putting up a produce stand on their portion of the site until they learned of its historic significance. They said that they are hoping that it will be acquired by an agency or organization that will steward the property. 

      The property is described in Native Planters of Old Hawai`i: “The famous bowling field named Kahua-olohu (maika [bowling] stones were called olohu in Ka`u) was just below the present town of Na`alehu. It is a large level area to seaward of the road which must have been cleared and graded. In old Hawaiian times this broad kahua or plaza was used not just for bowling, but for other sports such as boxing, javelin throwing and hula dancing during the Makahiki festival.”
      The property is surrounded by the proposed 1,363-acre preserve known as Kaunamano.
      According to realtor Diana Prentiss, “It is worth noting that most, if not all, of the other properties on the priority list will have a higher – in some cases, much higher – price than Kahua Olohu. So, this site, while being culturally highly valuable, is, at the same time, relatively inexpensive compared to other sites being considered.”
      Now that the site has been placed on the priority list, the next step is for a resolution to be approved by Hawai`i County Council. Interested residents can contact Ka`u’s County Council member Maile David at 323-4277 or maile.david@hawaiicounty.gov to urge her to introduce a resolution.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Nedward Ka`apana, left, with brother Ledward, right, cousin
Dennis Pavao, center and mother Regina (Tina) above. 

FAMED HAWAIIAN MUSICIAN NEDWARD KA`APANA died over the weekend. He was born on Aug. 25, 1948 in Pahala and spent much of his youth in Kalapana. Ned and his twin brother Ledward Ka`apana became the recording artists of the ten Ka`apana offspring. They formed the trio Hui `Ohana with their late cousin Dennis Pavao just out of high school during the renaissance of Hawaiian music in the 1970s.
     Their most famous songs include Sweet Lei Mokihana, Lei Nani, `Ulupalakua, Silver Strings, Pua Lillehua (Koula), Nani Waimea, Love Song of Kalua, Aloha le O Wai`anae, Nake Pueo, Poni Aloha, Nanakuli, Maui Chimes, U`i Lani, God Bless My Daddy/Mom and Pua Maeole.

      Community organizer Ana Kailiawa Cariaga, of Pahala, remembers the Ka`apana brothers’ mother Regina Ka`apana, famous in Ka`u and beyond for her beautiful voice “like Genoa Keawe.” Mama Tina, as she was known, sang on her sons’ 1974 album Ke Kolu. Her portrait fills the "O" on the cover's Hui 'Ohana name. The twins' father, George Ka`apana, was known for his slack key guitar playing.
      More than a dozen years ago, Hawai`i Economic Opportunity Council, led by Cariaga and Darlyne Vierra in Pahala, invited Nedward and George Kahumoku, Jr. to come to Pahala and play for a youth program at Pahala Plantation House. It was the first time that many Ka`u people had been invited to Pahala Plantation House, the former home of numerous sugar plantation managers, Cariaga recalled. Since then, it has become a gathering place for many local families, music, hula and educational groups, with Led Ka`apana and George Kahumku, Jr. teaching and performing at the annual Keoki Kahumoku workshop each November. It is also the site of Ka`u Plantation Days, which is organized by Vierra, who heads up the sponsoring organization, Ka`u Multicultural Society.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Students from Keonepoko and Pahoa elementary schools visited Pahoa Transfer
Station to see effects of lava that displaced them from their schools.
Photo from Hawai`i DOE

KEONEPOKO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, part of the Ka`u-Kea`au-Pahoa Complex Area, will reopen for the 2015-2016 school year now that lava is no longer an immediate threat to the area. 

      In late October 2014, Hawai`i Department of Education closed Keonepoko Elementary in response to the rapidly advancing lava flow when it was determined then that the lava would be crossing Hwy 130. DOE built a temporary facility in Kea`au High School’s lower parking lot and adjusted classroom assignments for students and staff within the complex area.
      Recently the lava flow changed in threat status from warning to watch. Hawai`i County Civil Defense has informed the DOE that, based on the most current information available, the lava is no longer headed toward Pahoa.
      “Many families were affected by our contingency plans to safeguard access to education, and we appreciate their cooperation and understanding through all of it,” said Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi. “We now have a ton of details to work out before making any official announcement on dates or assignments, however it is important to let families and staff know where we stand. The decision to reopen Keonepoko Elementary extends beyond just the facility. We want to be very thoughtful about our approach.”
      Decisions affecting employees will be made in consultation with Hawai`i State Teachers Association, Hawai`i Government Employees Association and United Public Workers Union. In upcoming weeks, principals in the complex area and DOE administrators will map out a course of action. The DOE is aiming to have details solidified by May to provide families ample time to plan for upcoming school year.
      Complex Area Superintendent Chad Farias said, “We continue to evaluate what all possible futures might be for the education of children within Puna and are thinking not just about the current situation, but how to provide quality education to all of the families in our area for years to come.”
      The DOE will provide more information to its staff and the public once it is available.
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The draft Ka`u Community Development Plan is now available
for public review. Photo by Ron Whitmore

WAYS TO IMPROVE ENVIRONMENTAL management facilities are covered in the recently released draft Ka`u Community Development Plan. 

      The CDP prioritizes expanded wastewater systems, the new transfer station in Ocean View and green waste drop-off and mulch pick-up sites.
      Regarding wastewater, the draft calls for extending the primary collection lines in Pahala and Na`alehu so that infill development projects can connect to wastewater systems built for new subdivisions to the county systems.
      Along with building a transfer station in Ocean View, the draft prioritizes adding green waste drop-off and mulch pick-up sites, with strict control of invasive species, pests and disease in consultation with residents, farmers and vector control experts.
      Four identical speak-outs on the draft Ka`u CDP are coming up. Two this Saturday, April 11 are from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center.
      On Sunday, April 19, residents can attend from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Pahala Community Center and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Discovery Harbour Community Center.
      Residents can also submit feedback online or in writing by email, fax, or mail.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Volunteer Will Hardy plays the bamboo nose flute. Photo from NPS

MUSICAL BAMBOO NOSE FLUTE demonstrations take place tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Free; park entrance fees apply. 

CHEFS WOK UP AN ARRAY of veggies and proteins at Kilauea Military Camp’s Mongolian BBQ in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. for $.85 per ounce. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356

USGS HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY geologist Matt Patrick presents an update on Kilauea’s summit eruption, including an overview of volcanic processes occurring within the vent, tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Free; park entrance fees apply. $2 donations support future After Dark in the Park programs.

LA`AU LAPA`AU: MEDICINAL PLANTS is the topic Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center’s lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Ka`ohu Monfort shares her knowledge and love of native plants used by Hawaiians to nourish and heal. Participants see and touch a variety of medicinal plants.

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_April2015.pdf.

Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, April 5, 2015

Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park hosts its monthly Sunday Walk in the Park a week from today. The four-mile round-trip hike explores Kilauea Iki Crater. Non-members can join the nonprofit organization in order to attend. Photo by Elizabeth Fien

A MAGNITUDE-4.5 EARTHQUAKE STRUCK near Kailua-Kona this morning at 3:23 a.m. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center determined that no damaging tsunami was generated. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported that the earthquake caused no detectable changes on the active volcanoes on Hawai`i Island.

This morning's 4.5-magnitude earthquake near Kailua-Kona
was the strongest one in the region since November 1969.
Map from USGS/HVO

      According to Wes Thelen, HVO’s Seismic Network Manager, the earthquake was centered about 10 miles northwest of Kailua-Kona at a depth of six miles. A map showing its location is posted on the HVO website at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/seismic/volcweb/earthquakes/.
      The USGS “Did you feel it? website (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/dyfi/) received more than 150 felt reports within two hours of the earthquake. Most of these reports were from the west side of Hawaiʻi Island, which is consistent with the depth of the earthquake. Only light shaking (Intensity IV) has been reported. At these shaking intensities, damage to buildings or structures is not expected.
       As of 7 a.m., no aftershocks of the earthquake had been recorded. A magnitude-3.3 earthquake, which occurred near Hawi approximately three hours before the magnitude-4.5 earthquake, was unrelated.
      HVO reported that, during the past 30 years, there have been 23 earthquakes in this same area offshore of Keahole Point with magnitudes greater than 3.0 and depths of three to nine miles. Today’s event is the largest earthquake recorded in the area since a magnitude-4.6 earthquake in November 1969.
      Earthquakes at this depth off the west coast of Hawai`i Island are typically caused by abrupt motion on the boundary between the old ocean floor and the volcanic material of the island and are not directly tied to volcanic activity.
      For information on recent earthquakes in Hawaii and eruption updates, see http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov.

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

PROTECTING AGRICULTURAL LANDS and open space is the topic of a section of the draft Ka`u Community Development Plan, now available for public review.

      This section calls for protecting agricultural land and open space from non-agricultural development with the CDP Land Use Policy Map, a prohibition on increased residential density and limits on Special Permits, lots sizes and variances. It also prioritizes stronger farm dwelling regulations and tax incentive programs, use of transfer of development rights and land bank programs, State Important Agricultural Land designations and expedited lot consolidation in existing rural subdivisions.

Lands surrounding Wai`ohinu are proposed as Extensive Agriculture
and Important Ag Lands. Map from Ka`u CDP 

      Intents of the policy are to conserve and protect agricultural lands; preserve the agricultural character of Ka`u, including open space preserved by agricultural land; make vacant lands in urban areas available for residential uses before additional agricultural lands are converted into residential uses; limit development of agricultural land to agricultural uses, discouraging speculative residential development and urban encroachment; prevent rezoning of agricultural lands to parcels too small to support economically viable farming units; maintain open space and rural character of the Ocean View, Mark Twain and Green Sands areas, including continued inclusion in the State Land Use Agricultural district (not Rural), except in the areas in Land Use Policy Map urban categories; and discourage intensive development in areas of high volcanic hazard.
      Two weeks from today, on Sunday, April 19, residents can attend speak-outs from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Pahala Community Center and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Discovery Harbour Community Center. Two more take place this Saturday, April 11 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. The informal drop-in listening sessions are organized as open houses where residents can find visual displays about parts of the CDP they are interested in, discuss CDP strategies with people familiar with the plan and provide feedback.
      Residents can also submit feedback online or in writing by email, fax, or mail.
      For more information, and to read the full draft document, see kaucdp.info. Copies are also available at local libraries and community center.

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

HAWAI`I ISLAND POLICE ARE WARNING SHOPPERS not to leave handbags unattended in shopping carts. Since February, police have received several reports of elderly female shoppers who had purses removed from shopping carts at various stores in Hilo while the shoppers’ backs were turned momentarily. The thefts are being actively investigated.
      Lieutenant Gregory Esteban from the Area I Criminal Investigations Section said it only takes seconds for someone to snatch a bag out of a cart while the shopper is turned away to select an item from a shelf.
      “We are advising women to keep their handbags on their person while out in public to avoid being a target of theft,” Esteban said. “Often, the theft of a handbag can lead to additional crimes, such as unauthorized use of a credit card and identity theft.”
      Police encourage anyone who is the victim of a purse snatching to report it immediately by calling the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311.

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

Brian Gascon helped the Trojans slay the Dragons Friday.
Photo by Taylor Sport Photography

KA`U HIGH BOYS VOLLEYBALL TEAMS made Friday’s journey to Honoka`a worthwhile, winning their matches against the Dragons. Varsity won in three straight sets, 25-14, 25-20 and 25-21. JV also won in two sets, 25-13 and 25-15. 

      “Both teams did an awesome job,” said booster Pam Taylor.

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

RANGERS SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE and love of the traditional art of musical bamboo nose flutes Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Free; park entrance fees apply.

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP’S CRATER RIM CAFÉ in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park presents its monthly Mongolian BBQ Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Choose from an array of veggies and proteins for chefs to wok up. $.85 per ounce. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356

USGS HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY geologist Matt Patrick presents an update on Kilauea’s summit eruption, including an overview of volcanic processes occurring within the vent, Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Free; park entrance fees apply. $2 donations support future After Dark in the Park programs.

HO`OMALU KA`U HOLDS A DINNER DANCE, Spice Up Your Spring, a week from today on Sunday, April 12 at Discovery Harbour Community Center from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The organization is raising funds to build a Ka`u Heritage Center on property in Manuka. 

      Menu items include Asian, Mexican and American foods. Full Tilt provides dance music. Lucky numbers are drawn for door prizes. Tickets are $20 each. Buy tickets by calling 929-8526, or see Lehua Lopez at Na`alehu Farmers Market on Wednesday.

FRIENDS OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK presents its next Sunday Walk in the Park a week from today on April 12 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Led by volcanologist Cheryl Gansecki, this month’s four-mile hike explores Kilauea Iki Crater. Participants should bring a bag lunch for a rest stop along the walk.
       Kilauea Iki Trail begins on the crater’s forested rim. The trail descends 400 feet through the rain forest, with native birds flitting through the canopy, onto the crater floor. Hikers cross the still-steaming crater, past the gaping throat of the vent that built Pu`u Pua`i cinder cone, and ascend the far rim. Of interest on the hike are forest plants, birds, insects, the 1959 lava lake, steam vents and cinder and spatter cones.
       The hike is free for Friends members, and non-members are welcome to join the nonprofit organization in order to attend. Annual memberships, $30 for individuals and $45 for families, come with a variety of benefits.
      To register, contact call 985-7373 or email admin@fhvnp.org. For more information, see www.fhvnp.org. 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.pdf and
kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_April2015.pdf.

Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, April 4, 2015

The draft Ka`u Community Development Plan, which is now available for public review, considers options regarding protection of the Ka`u Coast. Photo by Julia Neal

THE DRAFT KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN, which is now available for public review, discusses protecting the Ka`u Coast from development. 

      The Steering Committee is considering options for Policy 29, which reads:
      “Site-specific shoreline setbacks shall be established at the earliest stages of the land use planning and development process either 1) at 1,320 feet (1/4-mile) or 2) as far as practicable from the shoreline using a science-based assessment and in consideration of the physical limitations of the property. The science-based assessment shall consider:

• A regional, landscape perspective; 
• Viewplane and line-of-sight analysis, toward the sea from the state highway nearest the coast and along the shoreline; 
• Shoreline public access; 
• The Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail corridor; 
• Cultural and historic resources; 
• Coastal hydrology, including drainage ways, springs, anchialine pools, and wetlands; 
• Coastal ecosystems, including native, endemic, and threatened species and other sensitive coastal and near shore species; 
• Coastal erosion rates; 
• Geologic appraisals; 
• Projected sea level rise; 
• Flooding and flood zones, including storm surge inundation; 
• Subsidence.” 

      Other options being considered are to eliminate Policy 29 entirely; remove the ¼-mile setback requirement; remove “1,320 feet (1/4-mile)” and replace with “a distance to be determined with community input;” or reconsider comprehensively all sections pertaining to coastal development to determine how best to achieve the related community objectives.
      Two of four identical speak-outs take place a week from today on Saturday, April 11 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. They are organized as open houses where residents can find visual displays about parts of the CDP they are interested in, discuss CDP strategies with people familiar with the plan and provide feedback.
      Next month, on May 9 at 1 p.m., a discussion at Na`alehu Community Center will focus on coastal management.
      The draft CDP is available at kaucdp.info and local libraries and community centers. Comments and feedback are welcome through June 1.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Peter Apo

“THE THIRTY METER TELESCOPE is at a flash point,” Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee Peter Apo wrote on Thursday, the day when 31 people were arrested when protesting construction of the telescope.

      “The monetary value of Mauna Kea viewing time is astronomical,” Apo wrote. The first telescope was built in 1968, and now there are 13. The University of Hawai`i charges fees for use of the telescopes. The average rate, according to Apo, is $1 per minute, and UH pays the state $1 per year to lease the land.
      “The long-standing overtly contentious face-off between Native Hawaiians and the University of Hawai`i’s aggressive advocacy of maximizing Mauna Kea as a premier site for astronomical observatories is heading into its most serious period of conflict,” Apo wrote.
      “Over the years, the state has failed in its trust responsibility to Hawaiians in the management of the growth of the observatories on Mauna Kea.
      “This developing crisis will be an interesting test of leadership for the governor, the university, the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the astronomy community.
      “I get the same feeling about the character, commitment, and high-stakes nature of this protest movement that I had during the early days of the stop the bombing of Kaho`olawe movement. In that case, Native Hawaiians took on the entire military industrial complex of the United States, and the rest is history.”
      Following the arrests, Apo called for a 30-day moratorium on construction and for Gov. David Ige and UH President David Lassner to assemble a group of leaders to reassess the state's oversight of the ceded lands.
      See peterapo.com.
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HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY scientists compare the current lava flow on Kilauea with the one that covered Kalapana in the current issue of Volcano Watch. 

      “To the casual observer, lava that recently flowed into the outskirts of Pahoa might look a lot like the lava that grazed the village of Kalapana in November 1986 and completely overran it in 1990,” the article states. “In fact, these Kilauea flows were significantly different in most aspects that affect how far and how fast lava moves downslope.

      “Theoretically speaking, the surface extent (how far) and advance rate (how fast) of lava is regulated primarily by three factors: eruption rate; lava temperature and, therefore, ‘crystallinity,’ at the time of eruption; and topography (slope of the land). Crystallinity refers to the abundance and types of phenocrysts (crystals that grow in magma before it erupts to the surface) and micro-phenocrysts (minute crystals that grow in a lava flow as it advances and cools) in lava.
      “Olivine, the first mineral to grow in magma as it rises into Kilauea’s summit reservoir system, crystallizes at a temperature below 1,215 degrees Celsius (2,219 degrees Fahrenheit). At lower temperatures, below 1,150 degrees Celsius (2,102 degrees Fahrenheit), the minerals pyroxene and plagioclase also crystallize along with olivine.

Pahoehoe that flowed through Kalapana, left, were hotter, more fluid and faster
moving than the lava that threatened Pahoa in October. Photos from USGS

      “When lava is erupted, micro-phenocrysts of plagioclase and pyroxene form within the molten rock as it flows over the ground and cools. As crystallinity increases, the flow becomes more viscous (pasty) and eventually stalls and solidifies.
      “From 1986 to 1992, lava flows were erupted from Kupaianaha, an active vent less than seven miles from Kalapana. During that time, eruption temperatures ranged from 1,155 to 1,170 degrees Celsius (2,111 – 2,138 degrees Fahrenheit), and the lava contained few olivine crystals, about 0.04 inches in size.
      “Lava tubes from Kupaianaha carried lava down the steep southern flank of Kilauea. These tubes enabled efficient delivery of 300,000 –400,000 cubic meters (390,000–520,000 cu yds) of lava per day to the coastal plain at temperatures of 1,145 – 1,160 degrees Celsius (2,093 – 2,120 degrees Fahrenheit).
      “At those temperatures, the tube-fed flows that reached Kalapana were still relatively fluid and crystal-poor. This resulted in the fast-moving pahoehoe sheet-flows that quickly spread through Kalapana and covered the black sand beach at Kaimu Bay in 1990.
      “In contrast, the June 27th lava flows erupted from the northeast flank of Pu`u `O`o are moving down the crest of Kilauea’s East Rift Zone toward Pahoa, more than 12 miles away. Since 2011, eruption rates have been estimated at about 175,000 cubic meters (230,000 cu yds) per day, the lowest sustained rate in over 30 years of eruption, and the eruption temperatures have been 1140 – 1145 degrees Celsius (2,085–2,095 degrees Fahrenheit).
      “The June 27th lava flows contain a mix of olivine, plagioclase and pyroxene phenocrysts, often as crystal clusters 0.04 – 0.2 inches in size. In contrast, the higher temperature Kalapana flows contained only olivine phenocrysts.
      “Despite its cooler temperatures and lower eruption rates, the June 27th lava flow traveled nearly twice the distance of the 1986 and 1990 Kalapana flows. But, the Kalapana flows were cut short when they flowed into the ocean, so how much farther they could have traveled is not known.
      “As with the abrupt termination of the 1986 Kalapana-bound flows, the leading edge of the June 27th flow stagnated when lava was tapped to supply pahoehoe breakouts at higher elevations near Pu`u `O`o. The relative contribution of lava temperature, crystallinity, eruption rate, and topography to this stagnation is now the subject of ongoing research. Whether additional lava will advance farther than the distance the June 27th flow has already reached remains to be seen.

      “Based on our recent analyses of the June 27th lava flow, current eruption conditions do not favor a Kalapana-like scenario in which broad sheet-flows inundate large swaths of land. However, we must keep in mind that eruption conditions — for instance, eruption rate, lava temperature, and vent location — can change unexpectedly. Because of this, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to closely monitor Kilauea and will notify the public of any significant changes in the eruption.”
      See hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park celebrates Easter with a brunch and Easter Egg Hunt tomorrow. 

      Brunch from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Crater Rim Café features beef pot roast with gravy, honey-glazed ham, omelet station, sweet bread French toast, ice cream sundae bar, beverages and more. Cost is $16.75 for adults and $8.50 for children six to 11 years old.
      Easter Egg Hunt for children 10 and under begins at 9 a.m. in the `Ohi`a Room. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m.
      KMC is open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. 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.pdf and
kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_April2015.pdf.