Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017

THE INTERNMENT OF JAPANESE AMERICANS 75 years ago during World War II was recalled Sunday across the country on the Day of Remembrance.
    Sen. Mazie Hirono, herself a Japanese immigrant, called the special poor treatment of Japanese Americans, which started with the President's Executive Order 9066 in 1946, “a dark period in our nation’s history. Whenever our country has targeted a particular ethnicity, race, national origin, or religion for discriminatory treatment, we have been very deeply wrong."
     Hirono promised: “I will continue to fight these actions, and will reintroduce a resolution in the Senate recognizing the significance of Executive Order 9066, and affirming that we must stand up for the civil rights of all. #DayofRemembrance #EO9066,” said Hirono.
    The internment of the Japanese during WWII followed an Executive Order by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Feb. 19, 1942 when he authorized the relocation of Japanese Americans from their homes, farms and businesses to camps. One detention center was located at Kilauea Military Camp in Ka`u.
     The rationale at the time was fear, and the thinking that Japanese Americans would support Japan during WWII. While America was also at war with Hitler of Germany and Mussolini of Italy, Americans of German and Italian backgrounds were not rounded up in the manner that affected the Japanese American communities.

Dwight Eisenhower visited Kilauea
Military Camp during WWII.

     The ten mainland camps and Hawai`i camps were used mostly to house Japanese American extracted from their American communities. While WWII raged, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Executive Order by the President to round up Japanese Americans.
    The last camp closed in March 1946 and with many Japanese Americans having fought for the U.S. during WWII in Europe as part of the famed “Go for Broke” 442nd Regiment, the U.S.  government became confused about how to reconcile the tragedy of internment.
    It wasn’t until more than 40 years after the War, in 1988, that the Civil Liberties Act was signed by Pres. Ronald Reagan, stating that the internment was “a grave injustice.” Succeeding presidents, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, sent apology letters to camp survivors and their descendants. In February of 2015, Barack Obama established a national monument at the internment camp on O`ahu.

Japanese American U.S. war heroes from Ka`u,
Iwao Yonemitsu and the late Toku Nagano.
Photo by Julia Neal

     In contrast, said, Hirono, “today, we are seeing the same discriminatory treatment with President Trump’s targeting of refugees, immigrants, and the Muslim community."

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REP. CULSI GABBARD said, "The incarceration of over 120,000 individuals of Japanese ancestry during World War II and the in internment of tens of thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II is a dark and shameful mark on our nation’s past. In remembrance of the men, women, and children held captive on our free soil, we must commit to standing up against intolerance, bigotry, divisiveness, and hatred. We must honor the brave Nisei, who in spite of these atrocities, volunteered to serve, forming the Nisei-only "Go For Broke" 442nd Infantry Regiment. We must embrace the diversity found at the heart of our American spirit, and promise to never return to the darkness of our past."  
      Gabbard is an original cosponsor of H.Res.143 recognizing the ideals of the Day of Remembrance, and to remember the restrictions, exclusion, and incarceration of Americans of Japanese, German, and Italian descent during World War II.

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Weave a Tī Leaf Lei, Wed, Feb 22, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Park rangers and staff from Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association instruct and provide materials. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Ocean View Community Development Corp. meeting, Fri, Feb 24, 5 p.m., Hawaiian Ranchos office.

Sanctuary Ocean Count, Sat, Feb 25, 8 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., various coastal locations, several in Ka`u. Participants count humpback whales and record their behaviors. Registration required. hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov or 725-5923.

Count humpback whales at the Sanctuary Ocean Count on the Ka`u Coast this Saturday.
Photo from NOAA

Ka`u Hospital Community Input Meeting, Sat, Feb 25,  1:30 p.m. at the hospital. Kurt Corbin, Chair of the East Hawai`i Regional Board of the Hawai`i Hospital System Corp, which oversees the hospital and clinic operations, said that "Personal conversations and dialogue with our community stakeholders are absolutely essential in helping guide the decisions that the Regional Board must make."
Board members and administrators will be on hand and a financial overview and future outlook will be presented. For more information, contact Terry Larson, Regional Board Secretary at 932-3103.

Love the Arts: Singin’ in the Rainforest, Sat, Feb 25, 5 – 9 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. The annual fundraiser features one-of-a-kind umbrellas painted by Hawai‘i Island artists. Fine wine, a luxurious gourmet buffet, spirited Hawaiian music and live and silent auctions. 967-8222

Palm Trail Hike, Sun, Feb 26, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit. This free, moderately difficult 2.6-mile loop trail provides one of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. nps.gov

HOVE Road Maintenance board of directors meeting, Tue, Feb 28, 10 a.m., St. Jude’s Church. 929-9910

Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tue, Feb 28, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Ocean View.

www.kaucalendar.com

Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017

The late Sen. Gil Kahele, of Miloli`i, was succeeded by his son Kaiali`i Kahele in the state Senate. Kai Kahale lives in Hilo but
promises help for Miloli`i and Ka`u through his work at the Capitol. On Saturday, he released a list of bills he supports.
Photo by Kaiali`i Kahele

SEN. KAIALI`I KAHELE, whose family hails from Miloli`i and whose late father Gil Kahele served as Ka`u's state Senator, has forwarded a list of bills in the 2017 Hawai`i Legislature. He is asking the community to click on the following, read the bills , and if supportive send in testimony to support the following:
     SB1162 SD1 - RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI`I PROMISE PROGRAM. Establishes the University of Hawai`i Promise Program to provide scholarships for the unmet direct cost needs of qualified students enrolled at any campus of the University of Hawai`i System.

Sen. Kai Kahele

     SB1161 SD1 - RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI`I. Prohibits the University of Hawai`i Board of Regents from increasing tuition fees until 2027.
     SB848 SD1 - RELATING TO HIGHER EDUCATION. Establishes the Hawaiian Language University College as an autonomous entity within the University of Hawai`i System to be located at the University of Hawai`i at Hilo.
     SB1081 SD1 - RELATING TO TAXATION. Provides a state income tax deduction of up to $5,000 per year for student loan interest paid on qualified education loans.
     SB849 SD1 - RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN HOMES COMMISSION ACT. Reduces the minimum Hawaiian blood quantum requirement of certain successors to lessees of Hawaiian Home Lands from one-quarter to one thirty-second.
     SB272 SD1 - RELATING TO RAT LUNGWORM DISEASE. Appropriates funds to the University of Hawai`i at Hilo, the Department of Health, Department of Land and Natural Resources, and Department of Agriculture for programs, studies, and activities related to rat lungworm disease.
     SB1290 SD1 - RELATING TO THE TRANSIENT ACCOMMODATIONS TAX. Adjusts allocation of transient accommodations tax revenues to the tourism special fund for inflation.
     SB1293 SD1 - RELATING TO PUBLIC SAFETY. Appropriates money to the fund for deputy canines and full-time equivalent (FTE) permanent canine handler positions within the Department of Public Safety.

Slugs, like these seen on pavement in Ka`u, can carry
rat lung disease and spread it through vegetable gardens.
  Photo by Julia Neal

   Kahele asks that as each bill is scheduled for hearing, consider sending testimony to the appropriate committee(s). Email testimony to:
Ways and Means - WAMtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov; Judiciary and Labor - JDLtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov; Commerce, Consumer Protection and Health -CPHtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov

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RAT LUNG DISEASE, a devastating affliction that is carried by slugs and can be consumed by people eating unwashed vegetables, has drawn the interest of the state legislature. An informational hearing has been set for this coming Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 9 a.m. in the State Capitol, called by the House Committee on Agriculture, led by Rep. Richard Creagan, of Ka`u, and the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment, led by Sen. Mike Gabbard. The bill is supported by Creagan and Ka`u Sen., Dr. Josh Green. See more and testify at SB272 SD1.
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Astronauts James A. Lovell, Jr., and Fred W. Haise, Jr., members of NASA's third team of moon
explorers, carried cameras, communications equipment, and an Apollo Lunar Hand Tools scoop
during a simulation of a lunar traverse at Kīlauea Volcano in December 1969. Right: Astronauts
from NASA's BASALT field team explore Kīlauea's Mauna Ulu lava flow field within Hawaiʻi
Volcanoes National Park in September 2016. Their custom-made backpacks hold necessary
electronics and communications systems, including portable GPS, handheld
spectrometers, video cameras, and communication equipment, as well as
the tool of every geologist: a rock hammer. Photos courtesy of NASA

NASA PRACTICED FOR MARS EXPLORATION AT KILAUEA VOLCANO last September. Unpublicized to residents and the thousands of visitors going to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, a simulated Mars landing mission unfolded for two weeks as part of NASA's Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains program.
     This week's Volcano Watch, written by Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists, explains:    

BASALT works in the Mars simulation program outdoors on Mauna Loa and
inside the dome where a team is isolated as if they were living in
Mars conditions. Photo from NASA

BASALT consists of an international group of scientists, engineers, mission operators, and astronauts dedicated to furthering the human-robotic exploration of our neighboring planet, Mars. One of the main objectives of the BASALT research program is to examine how humans can effectively explore the surface of Mars for life and to understand the geologic history of the Red Planet.
      Kīlauea Volcano offers landscapes that are not perfect analogs for Mars, but that come quite close. Under special permit from Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, the BASALT team of 65 scientists, engineers, computer scientists, human-machine engineering experts, and astronauts targeted the Mauna Ulu region on Kīlauea Volcano's East Rift Zone as the Mars landing and exploration area.      The BASALT team also set up a Science Mission Control at Kīlauea Military Camp, a facility located in the National Park. Two-way voice, video and data streaming was established between this command center and the field team, which consisted of two crew members who conducted field sampling under simulated Mars mission conditions around Mauna Ulu. These communications were delayed by up to 15 minutes to mimic transmission latencies due to the great distance between Earth and Mars.
     In addition to simulating Mars mission conditions, the project also evaluated the use of various mobile science platforms, hand-held devices to determine temperature and composition of rocks, and cutting-edge video and data display technologies.
     The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory supported the BASALT project by hosting communication relay antennae in our observation tower. Several HVO staff members observed the operation over the course of the project and marveled at the complicated chain of decision-making that guided the astronauts' exploration, sampling, and documentation efforts.

     Hawaiian volcanoes have featured prominently in the training of American astronauts for decades. In the 1960s and 1970s, NASA used various locations on Kīlauea and the high slopes of Mauna Kea to teach Apollo astronauts volcanology and prepare them for what they might encounter on the surface of the Moon.

      From 2008 to 2012, international campaigns carried out on Mauna Kea tested methods of extracting oxygen and water from volcanic cinder. Since 2012, the Hawai'i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation, or HI-SEAS, program has conducted long-duration isolation missions in which crews spend up to a year inside a geodesic dome located at an elevation of 2,500 m (8,200 ft) on the slope of Mauna Loa.
      More than a century ago, HVO founder Thomas A. Jaggar enthusiastically promoted the active volcanoes of Hawai'i as a world-class scientific laboratory. While he may not have imagined Kīlauea as a training ground for future space explorers, he almost certainly would have approved. In fact, we expect he'd argue that the first astronaut to roam the surface of the Red Planet should be a volcanologist trained on the Island of Hawaiʻi!
      Prior to the BASALT program at Kīlauea Volcano, the NASA team conducted another simulated Mars landing in 2015 at the Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho.
     More recently, NASA, along with the University of Hawai'i and state-sponsored PISCES (Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems), has conducted experiments to advance the feasibility of long-term human habitation on Mars.
        The BASALT team hopes to return to Hawai'i in 2017 to repeat the mission in another area of Kīlauea to further refine their planning for eventual exploration of Mars, according to Volcano Watch.
     For more information on NASA's BASALT program, visit: https://spacescience.arc.nasa.gov/basalt/.
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Royden Okinishi and Dexter Lee are two of Ka`u's bow hunters who
travel the island to hunt. Photo by Alan Moores

ARCHERY 
HUNTERS FROM KA`U are expected to head over to the Pu`uanahulu Game Management in March. The hunting season opens Saturday, March 4 and continues on weekends and state holidays through Sunday, June 25.        

     The Department of Land and Natural Resources announced that the daily bag limit will be one pig of either sex, one male sheep (ram), and two goats (any sex) per hunter per day. These are also the season limits for each species. 

     Hunters will need to obtain 2017 ram and goat tags to legally hunt in this area. Tags may be obtained from any Hawai‘i island Division of Forestry and Wildlife office. Sheep and goat tag fees will be $10/ tag for residents and $25/tag for non-residents.
     Hunters must be in possession of an unused 2017 ram or goat tag to continue hunting in the area. The harvest tags will not be transferable and must be placed through the hind leg of the animal immediately after each kill. ATVs will be allowed in the area and must remain on designated roads. 

     ATVs will be allowed in the area and must remain on designated roads. 

     Report game law violations or any suspicious activity to the Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement at (808) 974-6208 in Hilo. After hours and on weekends and holidays, calls may be made toll-free to Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), enforcement at 643-DLNR (643-3567). The area may be closed to hunting and other public access at any time due to wildland fire or fire hazard.
     To accommodate other hunts, annual closure of the archery season in this GMA will be from July through February. Season length, bag limits, and hunting areas are those established in Title 13, Chapter 123, Rules Regulating Game Mammal Hunting.
     Further information may be obtained by contacting the Division of Forestry and Wildlife offices in Hilo at (808) 974-4232 or in Kamuela at (808) 887-6063.

www.kaucalendar.com

People & Land of Kahuku, Sun, Feb 19, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit. This free, guided, 2.5-mile, moderately difficult hike over rugged terrain focuses on the area’s human history. nps.gov/havo

The Art of Vocal Freedom, Sun, Feb 19, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Rebecca Folsom instructs. $50 plus $10 supply fee. 967-8222

Weave a Tī Leaf Lei, Wed, Feb 22, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Park rangers and staff from Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association instruct and provide materials. Free; park entrance fees apply.

 

 

Ka`u News Briefs Friday, Feb. 17, 2017

County of Hawai`i Civil Defense offers warnings and tips for viewing the lava flow into the ocean. This photo was taken Jan. 3.
See story below. NPS Photo/J. Wei

NEW CHIEF OF THE EPA is Scott Pruitt, confirmed Friday by the U.S. Senate with a 52 to 46 vote. One Republican voted against him. Two Democrats voted for him to become administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Ka`u's Sen. Mazie Hirono took to the Senate floor before she, along with Hawai`i Sen. Brian Schatz, voted "no."  Putting into the record her view that Pruitt's own "record of fighting EPA's work disqualifies him from leading the agency charged with protecting the environment," Hirono stated: "Mr. Pruitt’s record paints a clear picture. His priorities directly conflict with the EPA’s mission to protect public health and the environment. He is much more concerned about protecting corporate interests than keeping our communities healthy and safe from pollution."

Scott Pruitt became the EPA administrator Friday,
opposed by both Hawai`i Senators Mazie Hirono
and Brian Schatz. Photo from Wikipedia

     Declared Hirono, “We’ve come too far over the past eight years to let someone like Scott Pruitt destroy the progress we’ve made.”
     "No one wants to live on a dirty planet," said Hirono. "Before we created the Environmental Protection Agency, the EPA, nearly 50 years ago, rivers actually caught fire from pollutants, the power plants spewed arsenic and mercury into the sky with impunity. In the years since, the EPA has been at the vanguard in the effort to protect the air we breath and the water we drink. This work is not easy and the person who leads the EPA has a tough job.
     "It requires toughness and fortitude to fight back against polluters and special interests but in all the years the EPA has been around we would be hard pressed to find someone more hostile to the agency's fundamental mission or less suited to leading it than Scott Pruitt is. As Oklahoma's Attorney General, Mr Pruitt organized, led or participated in virtually every challenge to the EPA's work during his time in office. His lawsuits have, among other things, sought to prevent EPA rules that keep our water safe, protect our air from harmful pollutants, like mercury and arsenic, and limit the carbon pollution that causes climate change. These lawsuits beg the question: Does Scott Pruitt believe that the EPA should even exist?"
     She called his record "troubling" and claimed that Pruitt has been "very cozy with fossil fuel companies and affiliated interest groups. A 2014 investigation by the New York Times revealed that energy lobbyists drafted letters for Mr. Pruitt to send on state stationery to the EPA against the Obama administration's environmental regulations." She also said that the CEO of Continental Energy and Oil and Gas Company based in Oklahoma served as the campaign chairman for his reelection bid."
     Hirono reported that a judge in Oklahoma ordered the AG's office to turn over as many as 3,000 documents related to Pruitt's communication with oil, gas and coal groups during his time in office. She said she believes the documents will show his close ties to the fossil fuel interests.
     She said Pruitt fought relentlessly against EPA efforts to establish basic limits on smog, arsenic, mercury and other dangerous air pollutants. She noted that he sued the EPA twice to overturn mercury and air toxic standards, "which would prevent 40,000 pounds of mercury emissions every year and would help keep our food supply safe from contamination." She said that Pruitt has repeatedly questioned whether climate change is real and "refused to accept, several times, that humans contribute to climate change. He said there is 'a wide range of viewpoints regarding the extent to which man contributes to climate change.' He also said scientists 'continue to disagree on the extent of global warming.'" Hirono said, "the fact is that 97 percent of scientists agree that climate change is real and that human beings contribute to it.

Mazie Hirono recorded her objections to Scott Pruitt before he was voted to
become the new EPA administrator on Friday.
Image from U.S. Senate

      "From his perch as Oklahoma's Attorney General," said Hriono, " Mr. Pruitt sued to prevent President Obama's clean power plan to cut carbon emissions from taking effect. He argued that the federal government doesn't have the authority to regulate carbon emissions. This is wrong. The Supreme Court ruled twice, first in Massachusetts v EPA in 2007, then again in Utility Air Regulatory Group v EPA in 2014: Does the EPA Have the Authority to Regulate Carbon Emissions as Pollution Under the Clean Air Act? "
    Hirono predicted that Pruitt will attempt to "kill the Clean Power Plan and undo much of the positive work Pres. Obama did to address climate change." She pointed to Pruitt's track record of undermining environmental laws and regulations.
      She said as AG in Oklahoma, he eliminated the environmental protection unit within the Oklahoma AG's office, which for years investigated water contamination from refineries, lead paint waste and illegal dumping. In its place, he created the Federalism Unit, which handled all of Pruitt's legal challenges against the EPA, increasing the department's budget by over 700 percent, "and the taxpayers of Oklahoma get to foot that bill."
    Hirono testified that Pruitt, "is much more concerned about protecting corporate interests than keeping our communities healthy and safe from pollution."
    She quoted a constituent named Keiko, who wrote to Hirono that the issue is "as much an American issue as it is a Hawaiian issue, a human issue, and an issue of all inhabitants of Papa, mother earth. I ask that you continue to  be vigilant and onipa`a in the face of climate change deniers. Mahalo for looking out for everyone living today and going to be born tomorrow."

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Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

SPEAKING AT THE KEYSTONE PROGRESSIVE SUMMIT on Friday, Ka`u's U.S. House of Representative member Tulsi Gabbard addressed an annual meeting of liberal leaders from across Pennsylvania. She spoke in Harrisburg, PA on Rural Organizing as the Key to Winning a Progressive Mandate. She responded to the group's concern about interacting with President Donald Trump and his agenda: “We must stay focused and rooted, and grounded as we navigate the path forward,”  she said, as reported in Politics PA.  The publication quoted her as saying “Rather than burning bridges, we need to focus on building bridges. Focus on providing leadership, focus on providing vision and taking action in a positive direction.”   
     Editor Paul Engelkemier wrote: "Her speech echoed the tone of the event, with activists determined to move the Democratic party to the left. Last year’s featured guest was Vermont Senator and presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders."
     Regarding her willingness to interact wiith Trump, she said, “This in no way means giving up principles, this in no way means stepping away from our values. Actually it is the opposite, it is taking a stand strongly now for our principles.”
     Politics PA reported that "Despite a reputation as a progressive hero, Gabbard has taken heat from the left in recent months for signaling a willingness to work with President Trump. She had a high-profile meeting with Trump in November. She pushed back on that criticism Friday." Gabbard said, “There are some who think that the best way to approach the next four years is through constant and consistent obstruction at every step and every turn. I disagree with that. We can best serve our communities, our state and our country by stepping up as leaders.”  See www.politicspa.com.

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Layton Ka-ne Kala demonstrates keeping
a Hacky in the air at the Friday morning
during a Kindness Campaign.
Photo by Nalani Parlin

ALOHA AND FRIENDSHIP WERE SCHOOL THEMES at Nā‘ālehu on Friday morning. The elementary school day started off the with a Kindness Campaign mini-celebration. The entire school and staff took time out to enjoy each other's company, playing with Hacky Sacks. As part of the school's annual year-long campaign to encourage aloha and friendship on campus, each student was awarded their very own Hacky Sacks in January. Second-grader, Layton Ka-ne Kala, demonstrated how to keep the hackey in the air.

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A COMMUNITY INPUT MEETING FOR KA`U HOSPITAL is coming up on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 1:30 p.m. at the hospital. Kurt Corbin, Chair of the East Hawai`i Regional Board of the Hawai`i Hospital System Corp, which oversees the hospital and clinic operations, said that "Personal conversations and dialogue with our community stakeholders are absolutely essential in helping guide the decisions that the Regional Board must make."
     Board members and administrators will be on hand and a financial overview and future outlook will be presented.  For more information, contact Terry Larson, Regional Board Secretary at 932-3103.

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THE CIVIL DEFENSE AGENCY OF HAWAI`I COUNTY issued a reminder Friday covering precautions for viewing lava flowing from Puʻu ʻŌʻō in the East Rift Zone and entering the ocean at Kamokuna inside Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
     Civil Defense spokesperson Kanani Aton noted that additional surface flows are active near Puʻu ʻŌʻō and more recently moving beyond the National Park eastern boundary onto private property near the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision. "Bright incandescence is visible from the active lava flow field, and the lava flow does not pose a threat to any community at this time."
    However, the public is urged to stay on the road and wandering off toward the light of the lava.

Civil Defense is urging volcano watchers to stay on the designated
roads and trails and to avoid dangerous places and private property.
Photo from USGS

     "The road is unpaved and surrounded on all sides by rough lava flows on private property. Public access is restricted to the graded roadway and viewers are asked to respect private property and the rights of local residents," warns Civil Defense with the following reminders:
     *Viewing area hours are from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily, with the last car allowed to park at 9 p.m.
     *It is about 8.5 miles round-trip from end of the pavement on Highway 130 to the ocean entry at Kamokuna and back. The flow can be seen starting from just beyond the parking lot all along the viewing area route.
     *Restroom facilities are limited and lack running water.
     *Dress appropriately with boots or sturdy, covered shoes, long pants and a hat.
     *Be prepared for rain, wind, sun, heat and dust exposure.
     *Bring lots of water (1-2 liters per person), there is no potable water available.
     *Bring a flashlight for walking at night.
     "Our goal is to maintain public safety, protect the interests of Kalapana residents, and extend the use of the emergency road or Highway 130. We ask for your patience and kokua (help)," says the Civil Defense statement.

   Aton reminds the public that to maintain public safety and to extend the use of the emergency road or Highway 130, the County of Hawai‘i opened the emergency road to lava viewing on June 30, 2016. Vehicular traffic on the emergency road is limited to local residents and emergency vehicles, and is being monitored by security guards posted along the viewing area.

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Recycling at Nā‘ālehu School, Sat, Feb 18, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Nā‘ālehu School Gym. Redeem your HI-5 sorted by type; receive 5 cents per container and additional 20 cents per pound on all aluminum. Atlas Recycling donates 20 cents per pound on all aluminum redeemed to the school. 939-2413, ext. 230

Life of the Lands, Sat, Feb 18 – Mar 26, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Acrylic paintings by David K. Hayes and Daniel VanZyle feature Hawaiian flora and fauna. Opening reception Sat, Feb 18, 5 p.m.

Pele & Hi`iaka, Sat, Feb 18, 9:30 – 11 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Participants discover the Hawaiian goddesses and the natural phenomena they represent on this free, moderate, one-mile walk. nps.gov/havo

Kahuku ‘Ohana Day, Sat, Feb 18, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Keiki 17 and younger and their families are invited to explore Upper Palm Trail and learn to weave a lei. Free. Register by Feb 2 at 985-6020.

Zentangle Inspired Art: Five Ferns, on Sat, Feb 18, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Dina Kageler helps tanglers get inspired by nature. 967-8222

Mongolian BBQ, Sat, Feb 18, 5 – 8 p.m., Kīlauea Military Camp’s Crater Rim Café in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. $.85/ounce with complimentary rice and beverage. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356

Rebecca Folsom Concert, Sat, Feb 18, 7 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. $25/$20 VAC members. 967-8222