Ka`u News Briefs Monday, Aug. 3, 2015

Boylan Slat raised millions to help clean up the ocean, and his mission is leading some 30 boats and crews to document plastic garbage between Hawai`i and California over the next three weeks. Photos from theoceancleanup.com

THE GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH, first discovered by Capt. Charles Moore, who presented his message and Plastic Ocean book in Ka`u, is the target of more exploration and description. Thirty boats set sail from Hawai`i yesterday, headed to California with the aim of identifying, sizing and counting plastics in the ocean, circulated by the North Pacific Gyre, a current that keeps plastics dumped in the ocean swirling around in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch until they sink to the bottom, further threatening marine life that ingests them.

Transpac racers are studying the Great Pacific Garbage Patch on their way
back to the West Coast.

     Most of the boats involved in the research are returning to the West Coast after competing in the Transpacific sailing race from California to Hawai`i, the event that led to Capt. Moore discovering the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in 1997 as he was sailing home from Transpac.
    The current effort aims to document the plastics and raise money to build equipment to clean plastics from the ocean. Called The Mega Expedition, it is sponsored by The Ocean Cleanup, founded several years ago by then 18-year-old Dutch citizen Boylan Slat, who crowdfunded $2.2 million online through social media, coming up with the idea as a high school science project. Slat traveled to Hawai`i for the Mega Expedition send-off.
     The organization’s website says that “the Mega Expedition will collect more plastic measurements in three weeks than have been collected in the past 40 years combined.” See theoceancleanup.com. For more on Capt. Moore and his Plastic Ocean book, see algalita.org. For ocean cleanup activities in Ka`u, see wildhawaii.org or contact Megan Lamson at kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com or 769-7629.
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Current models show Guillermo skirting by Ka`u. Map from NOAA

KA`U IS OUTSIDE OF TROPICAL STORM Guillermo’s current possible paths, according to latest data from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Models show the storm heading north of the islands on its track northwest As Guillermo moves closer to Hawai`i, watches may be issued later today or tonight for portions of the state. However, CPHC reported that it is still too soon to determine with certainty which islands are most likely to experience the greatest impacts from Guillermo. It is also important to note that significant impacts can extend well away from the storm’s center. 

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KATHRYN MATAYOSHI, SUPERINTENDENT of Hawai`i Public Schools, sent a letter to parent and guardians upon the opening of the 2015-16 school year.
      “Our state and school-level staff has been working hard this summer to ready school campuses and advance our knowledge and skills to best serve your children and prepare them for college, career and community,” Matayoshi wrote. “Our focus this year is ‘Proud to Serve Keiki.’ We’ve spent the last five years reforming the public school system to raise the quality of educational opportunity for your child — new standards, new assessments, new organizational structures to improve collaboration and use of data. These initiatives are starting to pay off — more students are graduating, more students are taking advanced coursework, more students are going to college and are prepared for college-level classes, more students are attending school, and more ninth-graders are transitioning successfully into high school.

Kathryn Matayoshi

      “While there is still work to do, progress is being made. Our military, business and nonprofit partners have taken note of it and are more involved. Reforms are taking root, and we have a solid foundation.
      “This fall, families of children who took the Smarter Balanced Assessment last spring — currently fourth- through ninth-graders and high school seniors — will receive a Family Report of their scores. We’ve been saying it for a while now, and it bears repeating — the SBA scores will set a new baseline and cannot be compared with our old assessment. SBA is more rigorous and aligned with Hawai`i Common Core Standards that provide better insight on students’ educational track and preparation for life after high school. You can learn more at your next parent-teacher conference, or at Parent Night at your school. …
      “We are proud to serve Hawai`i’s children, and we hope you’re proud of your public schools. Lots of our keiki feel the same way.”

      See hawaiipublicschools.org to watch I Am a Hawai`i Public School Student and for more information. 

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THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING and Urban Development has awarded $14,252,365 to Hawai`i in various grants to support development of affordable workforce housing for low and moderate-income persons, address homelessness and provide housing assistance and supportive services for low-income individuals living with HIV/AIDS and their families.

      The HUD funding, awarded under a formula, includes grants from the Community Development Block Grant Program, the Emergency Solutions Grant Program, the HOME Investment Partnerships Program and the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS awards. The state of Hawai`i will receive $7,286,071 through the CDBG program, which provides annual grants to states and local units of government to develop viable urban communities and housing principally for low- and moderate-income persons; $1,119,808 from the ESG program, which specifically targets homeless individuals and families to address homelessness; $5,205,409 from the HOME program, which helps to provide affordable housing to low- and very low-income families; and; and $641,077 through the HOPWA program, which provides housing assistance and services to low-income individuals living with HIV/AIDS and their families.

      “Homelessness is one of the most serious and urgent challenges we face in our state, and we need to act now to address it,” said U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. “With the governor’s new working group of state, county and federal leaders, we’re beginning to see a real and collective seriousness of purpose in solving homelessness from all levels of government. While resolving this crisis won’t come immediately or cheaply, this renewed focus puts us in a good position to work on real, long-term solutions. As part of this new task force and as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I’m going to be working closely with HUD and do my part to make sure federal funds, including grants like these, continue to give the state … the critical resources to finally address the housing shortage in Hawai`i and put people back in homes.”


      Sen. Mazie Hirono said, “Too many individuals and families in Hawai`i struggle to obtain a safe and stable home. The issues of affordable housing and homelessness are complex, but we need to continue to work toward solutions. The governor’s Leadership Team on Homelessness is an example of both the leadership and coordination that needs to take place at the federal, state and county levels of government to grapple with these issues statewide. Government by itself cannot solve these issues. It will take a collaboration between the public and private sectors, which is occurring. I will continue work with all stakeholders to secure necessary funding such as these grants, which allows Hawai`i to assist and address the needs of our most vulnerable individuals and families.”


      U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said, “Hawai`i’s homelessness rate is already among the highest in the country. The extreme shortage of truly accessible and affordable housing on every island makes it increasingly difficult for families and individuals with limited resources to find a safe, stable place to live. While they don't solve the problem, these grants will help support local programs that serve those most in need.”
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Dick Hershberger presents A Walk into the Past tomorrow and every other Tuesday.
Photo by Ron Johnson

A WALK INTO THE PAST features Ka`u resident Dick Hershberger as Hawaiian Volcano Observatory founder Thomas Jaggar tomorrow and every other Tuesday. Programs begin at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Participants then take a short walk to the Whitney Vault, where Jaggar conducted seismic and other research. 

HAWAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL HOLDS MEETINGS this week. Committee meetings tomorrow include Governmental Relations & Economic Development at 9 a.m., Planning at 9:30 a.m., Finance at 1 p.m. and Environmental Management at 2:30 p.m.
      The full Council meets Wednesday at 9 a.m.
      All meetings take place at Council Chambers in Hilo. They are streamed live at hawaiicounty.gov. Click on Council Meetings. Agendas are also available on the website.
      Ka`u residents can participate via videoconferencing at Na`alehu State Office Building.

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_August2015.pdf.

Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, Aug. 2, 2015

When it arrives in Hawai`i, Guillermo will still be a tropical storm, packing high winds and heavy rains. Map from Weather Underground

ROUNDUP AND OTHER HERBICIDES come before Hawai`i County Council once again. The Environmental Management Committee considers Kohala Council member Margaret Wille’s Bill 71 Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. at Council Chambers in Hilo. The bill would limit spraying at county parks and along county-maintained and county-owned roads, bikeways, sidewalks, trails and waterways to herbicides labeled “caution.” All herbicides labeled “dangerous,” “warning,” “toxic to fish” or “toxic to fish and wildlife” or that indicate a risk of groundwater contamination would be prohibited. Products listed to be banned include glyphosate, atrazine, dioxin, picloram, bipyridinium, diphenyl ether and tyrosine.

Warren Lee

      “You’ve got kids and animals playing in it and not being aware that it’s been sprayed,” Wille told Nancy Cook Lauer, of West Hawai`i Today. “There is great concern about the cumulative impact of toxins on our kids and what we can do to decrease that and take some responsibility.”
      According to Cook Lauer, Wille said she’s sponsoring the bill on behalf of “the birds and the bees that can’t come testify.”
      Public Works Director Warren Lee told Cook Lauer his budget doesn’t have enough money for staff to clear weeds by hand on 1,000 miles of roadway. Currently, the county uses herbicides to control weeks on 25 to 30 percent of roadsides. Mowers maintain about 60 to 65 percent of roads, and another 10 percent is done manually.
      Ka`u residents can participate in the committee meeting via videoconferencing at Na`alehu State Office Building. The meeting is streamed live at hawaiicounty.gov. Click on Council Meetings.
      See westhawaiitoday.com.

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THE CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE CENTER in Honolulu is issuing advisories on Hurricane Guillermo following the storm leaving the East Pacific at 140 degrees latitude on its track toward Hawai`i. Guillermo is about 845 miles east-southeast of Hilo and moving west-northwest near 14 miles an hour.
      Guillermo is expected to continue to move toward the northwest, placing it near the Hawaiian Islands by Wednesday as a tropical storm with high winds and heavy rain.
      According to CPHC, it is important for those in the main Hawaiian Islands not to focus too closely on the exact forecast track of Guillermo. With an average 72-hour forecast track error of about 150 statute miles, it is still too soon to determine with certainty which islands are most likely to experience the greatest impacts from Guillermo. It is also important to note that significant impacts from tropical cyclones can extend well away from the center.
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OHA Trustee Peter Apo

OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS Trustee Peter Apo explores the possibility of a Thirty Meter Telescope Temple on his website at peterapo.com. TMT is facing opposition to its construction at the summit of Mauna Kea by people who consider the mountain sacred and their supporters. State officials imposed emergency rules limiting access to the summit and have made arrests and issued citations to those who broke the rules.
      “Given the debate over the TMT, it is ironic that the telescope may end up being the most culturally sensitive one of them all,” Apo says. “The people behind it persevered through a seven-year planning and permitting process and met all the requirements of federal and state law. They continue their outreach to embrace legitimate cultural issues, but not a request to leave the mountain.
      “Much knowledge of the stars came from centuries of sitting on mountaintops observing and memorizing star paths. For Polynesians, the centuries spent studying the stars and building sky maps that provided the navigational knowledge to explore and discover many specks of land over one-third of the earth’s surface is a singular distinguishing characteristic that may be unmatched by any other society on earth. All of this was accomplished long before Magellan ventured into the Pacific.
      “This is all part of why there is little reason to think our ancestors would have brushed aside the TMT. Their quest for knowledge about the stars was too important to them. The truth is that no one knows for sure what they would or wouldn’t feel about the TMT if they were here now. For all we know, they might have been in favor of building a temple — as they often did for important purposes — so they could place the TMT on it.”
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Hard copies of this star map and instructions are in the August issue
of The Ka`u Calendar. Map from Jerry Hudson and Lew Cook

THE AUGUST ISSUE OF STARS OVER KA`U by astronomer Lew Cook includes information about Venus, Pluto and several nebulae. 

      “Venus is still bright this month, all the while growing larger,” Cook wrote. “By the end of the month, it has become larger but has slimmed down into a thinner crescent than last month. It sets before the time the chart is drawn for, but as soon as it is getting dark, it stands out brilliantly in the west.
      “Pluto made a spectacular splash in the news last month. The New Horizons spacecraft passed Pluto after traveling for ten years to get there. The results were magnificent! Pluto is in Sagittarius, and its position is marked on the chart with its symbol, a run together “PL,” but again, please, don’t waste your time looking for it because it is so very faint (14th magnitude) and in an area packed with stars. Without a large telescope and good star charts there is no way to distinguish it from the background stars. The symbol and the name, Pluto, honor Percival Lowell, who founded the observatory at Flagstaff, AZ. Lowell began and funded the search for Pluto. Clyde Tombaugh actually discovered the planet on photographic plates in 1930. 

      “Those of you who have telescopes or large binoculars can enjoy several nebulae in Sagittarius. Remember also, the center of the Milky Way (our home galaxy) is in Sagittarius. There, the massive black hole dominates its neighbors. The black hole’s effects on its neighboring stars can’t be seen in optical views, but due to its effects on the nearby stars, it’s location can be determined quite closely. It is near the spout of the teapot. 

      “To the north of the teapot there are several beautiful nebulae. We discussed the Lagoon nebula last month. This month we’ll mention several more. About a degree north of the Lagoon Nebula, those of you with telescopes can look for and enjoy the Trifid Nebula. Then, continue further northwest, about eight degrees. There you will find (after concentrating on the task at hand and not letting yourself get distracted by the beauty of the night sky) the Omega nebula and two degrees to the north to the Eagle nebula. The Eagle contains what NASA termed “The Pillars of Creation” in what may be the Hubble Space Telescope’s most beautiful photo. All these nebulae are marked on the chart.” 

      See your copy of The Ka`u Calendar or kaucalendar.com.
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TUTU AND ME TRAVELING PRESCHOOL is currently enrolling students for the 2015-16 school year. The no-cost mobile preschool nurtures the bond between tutu, caregivers and their keiki. The program is open to children ages birth to five and their caregivers. 

      Sessions are from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Na`alehu Community Center on Monday and Wednesday and Pahala Community Center on Tuesday and Thursday.
      Call 929-8571 for more information and to register.

THREE WEEKS FROM TODAY is Ka`u High School Alumni and Friends’ 14th annual Community Potluck. Everyone is invited to bring a favorite dish to Pahala Community Center on Sunday, Aug. 23 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a day of fun, good food and live music.
      The theme is Back to the Future. All attendees will be going back in time to their high school days to celebrate their sixteenth birthday. The Class of 1958, celebrating their 75th birthday, is donating a cake with 16 candles.
      Chase Cabudol’s group will start the entertainment, blending old melodies and more recent ones. Makanau, led by Barbara Baruz and her daughters Sophia and Denise, will follow and take the crowd back to the good old days and stir up memories. Ernest Kalani will join in and add to the nostalgia. Pahala Kupuna Halau will be performing a few hula numbers. Others are welcome to join in and share their talents.
      For more information, call Margaret Ann Cabudol at 928-8164 or James Yamaki at 969-6828.

KA`U RESIDENT DICK HERSHBERGER brings Hawaiian Volcano Observatory founder Thomas Jaggar to life Tuesday during A Walk into the Past. Programs begin at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Participants then take a short walk to the Whitney Vault, where Jaggar conducted seismic and other research.

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_August2015.pdf.

Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, Aug. 1, 2015

A guided hike of Kahuku's Palm Trail tomorrow offers expansive vistas. NPS Photo by Mark Wasser

HURRICANE GUILLEMO IS EXPECTED to weaken to a tropical storm as it travels toward Hawai`i, according to the National Hurricane Center. Although models show it tracking north of the islands, Hawai`i Island is still in the storm’s cone of uncertainty. NHC explains that, due to uncertainties in longer-range track predictions, it is important for users not to focus on the exact track forecasts. Given the large spread of the models beyond 72 hours in this case, the forecast uncertainty is particularly high at those time periods.

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WITH THE APPROACH OF HURRICANE GUILLERMO, Hawai`i Electric Light Company reminds customers that electricity can be dangerous and electrical safety should never be taken for granted, especially during an emergency situation. 

      HELCO urges customers to consider the following safety measures before, during and after a disaster or power outage:

• Before a storm hits or if there is a power outage, unplug all unnecessary electric equipment and appliances until the storm has passed or until power is restored.
• Stay away from downed power lines. Assume they are energized and dangerous. If you see someone injured after touching a downed power line, call 9-1-1 for help. 
• Should you need to evacuate, take emergency supplies and remember to shut off electricity at the main breaker or switch. 
• Make plans in advance to go to a safe location where electricity will be available if someone in your home depends on an electrically powered life support system and you don’t have a backup generator. Some shelters are designed for people with health needs – just remember to take your own medical equipment and medications. 
• When using a portable generator, carefully read and follow instructions in the manufacturer's manual. Do not plug the generator into your household electrical outlets. 
• If you have a rooftop photovoltaic system, consult with your licensed solar contractor regarding normal and emergency operation procedures for your solar system. As a safety precaution, most photovoltaic systems are designed to safely shut down during outages. PV systems typically have monitoring systems that allow owners to check on the status of their system. 
• If you become trapped in an elevator during a power outage, relax and stay calm until help arrives. Use elevator emergency communication systems to report where you are and who is with you. Do not try to force open elevator doors. Never try to exit a stalled elevator car. Always wait for trained and qualified emergency personnel. 

      Hawaiian Electric Companies’ free Information Handbook for Emergency Preparedness includes these tips and more. It can be downloaded at http://hawaiianelectric.com/prepare. The handbook includes key numbers to have on hand, checklists for emergency supplies (such as a home survival kit and first aid kit), electrical safety information, power outage preparedness and recovery information, and household and food safety tips. It also provides references and links to related resources, such as the American Red Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency and civil defense agencies.
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Robert Lindsey

ROBERT LINDSEY, CHAIR OF THE OFFICE of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees, issued a statement about actions against Thirty Meter Telescope opponents early Friday morning. Officials made seven arrests and issued citations to six others who were in violation of an emergency rule limiting access to the summit of Mauna Kea. 

      “The Office of Hawaiian Affairs urges the state to cease further enforcement action and arrests until legal questions relating to the Mauna Kea emergency rules are properly resolved,” Lindsey said. “Native Hawaiians have constitutionally protected rights to reasonably engage in traditional and customary practices, and regulations cannot eliminate the exercise of these rights. We hope for a resolution that ensures our beneficiaries’ rights are protected instead of violated.”
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HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY scientists describe their research of historic photos in the current issue of Volcano Watch. They compare archival material with current observations to gain a better understanding of past events and future possibilities for Hawaiian volcanoes. 

      In the beginning, outdoor photography was difficult and demanding, the article states. Essential equipment included a large camera, tripod and heavy boxes of glass plates. To create a negative, volatile chemicals were applied to the glass plate when the photo was taken. Eruption photographs were particularly challenging because volcanic fumes could spoil the chemical process that produced the negative.
      Who were these intrepid pioneer photographers? A few scientists began taking photographs in the 19th century, but most early images of Hawaiian volcanoes were captured by professional photographers for commercial purposes. Photographers, such as Henry L. Chase, Menzies Dickson and James J. Williams, captured views of volcanic activity and sold their prints from photographic parlors. 

      Unfortunately, early photographers often failed to label or date their work. As a result, photo collections in Hawai`i museums are filled with old prints that provide a picture but nothing more. Without key information, such as image date and location, such prints are of little scientific value. However, with some detective work, a photo can be transformed from a meaningless image to a valuable window into the past. 

      We begin sleuthing important information from old photos by carefully recording any and all writing on the front or back of the print. These words and numbers often provide important clues to its source. For instance, words such as “Volcano, Hawai`i” convey little information, but the label’s appearance and its penmanship can help identify the photographer.

      Even when labels are missing from old prints, we can often identify the photographers, because most had their own photographic style. Also, many early photographers took photos in Hawai`i for only a few years. So, knowledge of photographers’ careers and camera work can provide a range of dates for unlabeled photos.

Raymond and Whitcomb party "making lava speciments" at Kilauea in 1893.
Photograph by J.J. Williams from HVO Photo Archives

      Once we determine the photographer and time frame for a photo, we can often find more information about it from old newspapers, magazines, or other sources, such as the Volcano House guest register.
      Now, let’s go detecting! The photo of people on the edge of a Kilauea summit lava lake (included with this article) is from HVO’s archives. Combing through other Hawai`i archives, we discovered another copy of this print labeled, Raymond and Whitcomb Party, 1893. Using that clue, Martha Hoverson, a volunteer at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, discovered a letter to the Hawaiian Gazette written by Henry C. Lyon, who described the Raymond and Whitcomb excursion in great detail.
      The group, which included photographer J.J. Williams, who probably took the photo, visited Halema`uma`u on April 1, 1893. Mr. Lyons noted that the crater had filled at the rate of 10 feet a month, or over 125 feet during the past year, and that the molten lake covered nearly 15 acres.
      Riding horseback from Volcano House, the party reached Halema`uma`u, where a viewing shelter provided a dry place to view the eruption. Mr. Lyons wrote, “A telephone is the latest addition to this house, and you can now talk to your friends in any part of Hawai`i and report every new ‛flop’ which Madame Pele gives to the seething caldron just below you.” Confirming the letter’s accuracy, the Volcano House guest register includes entries on April 1, 1893, by Mr. Lyons and Mr. Williams.
      Through detective work, we established the photo’s date, where it was taken and the photographer’s identity, as well as an interesting description of a lava lake that existed over a century ago. These details breathe new life into the image.
      Hopefully, some of our tips might help you identify old prints in your family collection. If you have photos of Hawaiian volcanoes from 1950 or earlier, please drop us a note at askHVO@usgs.gov. The photo in your attic could provide helpful insights into Hawai`i’s volcanic past.

      See hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.
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A GUIDED HIKE OF PALM TRAIL takes place at the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., offering some of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer.
      Call 985-6011 for more information.

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_August2015.pdf.