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Thursday, May 24, 2018

Ka‘ū News Briefs Thursday, May 24, 2018

A proposed location for the new Nāʻālehu Wastewater Treatment Facility is next to Nāʻālehu Elementary School. It would serve the former sugar camp housing
- which currently use gang cesspools, which are banned nationally. The facility would be expandable for growth of the town and for use by existing businesses.
However, most testimony at meetings in April and yesterday's County Council meeting opposed the location. See story below.
Map from County of Hawaiʻi
AN ASH EXPLOSION AT 6 P.M. FROM KĪLAUEA SUMMIT REACHED 10,000 FEET above sea level. Civil Defense warned that ash could be headed toward Pāhala and urged residents to stay indoors with windows closed. Close vehicle windows and "drive with extreme caution, or pull over." Strong winds at ground level during the afternoon were down to 10 mph by 7 p.m. in Volcano and Pāhala. These winds could bring the ash to Pāhala at about 9 p.m., unless carried faster by any stronger winds at higher altitudes.
     About a dozen ash explosions are erupting from Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlaeua Volcano every day, said Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park's Jessica Ferracane to the press today. Not all the explosions achieve a great height, but many have been between 5,000 and 8,000 feet above sea level. The highest since the eruptions began was 30,000 feet.
     Ashley Sears of NOAA told the press the prevailing winds this week were strongest today, with gusts up to 25 miles per hour possible. The winds headed to the southwest, blasting Wood Valley, Kapapala Ranch, and Pāhala with ash. The winds picked up ash that had settled on the Kaʻū Desert and transported it further. Ash from the streets, buildings, and grounds in Pāhala blew around the town.
The ash plume as it happened, at 6:30 p.m., then ten minutes later. USGS photos
     USGS scientist Wendy Stovall said the summit of Kīlaeua Volcano was very cloudy today, but photos taken from atop Mauna Kea recorded plumes rising to between 6,000 and 8,000 feet above sea level in the past day or so. There was also a 3.9 magnitude earthquake at the summit yesterday at around 5 p.m., she said.
     USGS scientist Jim Kauahikaua told Hawai‘i News Now today that the S02 levels at the summit, with its multiple eruptions, has reached similar levels to those in Puna.
     State Senator and physician Josh Green, who represents west Kaʻū and Kona, told the Associated Press recently that ash particles are an immediate risk, particularly to anyone with asthma and other respiratory difficulties such as emphysema. They should limit exposure. “People need to stay inside until the winds shift and the ash has settled,” he told the AP reporter. “Extended exposure to sulfur dioxide can increase risk of bronchitis and upper respiratory infections in the long run, according to findings of a study Green worked on with other experts published in 2010 in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health,” stated the AP story.

A telephoto lens zoomed in on this ash plume at 12:55 p.m. yesterday, May 23.
USGS photo by D. Swanson
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AIR QUALITY INDEX from Air Now at 4 p.m. showed good for Pāhala at 24, and moderate for Ocean View at 77. Kona read as moderate with 52. Numbers were again unavailable when checked at 5 p.m.
       SO2 readings since midnight in Pāhala varied between good and unhealthy for sensitive groups, with the largest spike at 10:15 a.m. showing 0.36 parts per million. There were also several periods of no reporting. Ocean View was slightly better, but similar, with the largest spike at 11:30 a.m.  showing 0.33 ppm. Kona remains in the good range.
     Volcano S02 readings, which are upwind from the ash explosions were reported as good.
     See AirNow. See Hawaiʻi Short Term SO2 Advisory. Also see the University of Hawaiʻi air quality predictions on its VMAP.

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ASH MASKS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED AT OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY CENTER, Nāʻālehu Community Center, Pāhala Community Center, Cooper Center, and Shipman Gym in Keaʻau. Distribution will be "while supplies last" Thursday, and Friday from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, May 26, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Each person may receive up to three masks.

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ALL TESTIMONY OPPOSED A NĀʻĀLEHU WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT NEXT TO THE SCHOOL at Tuesday's Hawaiʻi County Council meeting.
     Robert Martin, chair of Nāʻālehu Elementary School Community Council, testified against the site, on behalf of the school council. “Surely there are other sites,” he said. Martin said he was also speaking for other community members who attended county public meetings on the issue in April: “We urge County Council and Department of Environmental Management to choose a better site for the Nāʻālehu Wastewater Treatment Plant, and also possibly better technology.” He said he and others oppose the county acquiring ranch land for the site which is owned by a local family. “I also want to say that I stand with the Souza family, and we really would not like to see the Souza family lose their land by eminent domain to construct a large wastewater treatment plant immediately upwind from our school.”
The Souza family owns land where the county could site the sewage
treatment plant, but opposes the location next to the school and
says they want to keep the land for their family ranch.
Photo from the Souza family
     Darlene Javar, who identified herself as a “life resident of Kaʻū” and Principal of Nāʻālehu Elementary School, said she was there “to oppose the location of the wastewater treatment plant directly next to the school. Nāʻālehu Elementary School services approximately 400 students, we have approximately 75 employees. There are only two public schools in our district. Nāʻālehu Elementary is the primary feeder to Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary School.
     “Any adverse effect that could be related to this treatment plant right here could have long-term impact on our community… So, we’re not just looking at our Nāʻālehu school, but all of the children of Kaʻū. We service children and families from Ocean View to Nāʻālehu, and all of the different communities in between.
     “I understand the need for this facility. I am urging that budget be appropriate, to find a better location, for the best technology, etc. Please reconsider and carefully look at your planning so a more appropriate location is selected.”
     John Olson of Pāhoa, who is on the Environmental Management Commission Board, stated the discussion for the site has been on the agenda, and will be discussed again May 23 - see more in tomorrow's Kaʻū News Briefs. He stated he and a few others on the board had concerns about the placement of the treatment plant so close to the school. Olson said he had experienced similar positioning at Lanikai Elementary with the Kailua Wastewater Treatment Plant – “which was directly upwind” - on Oʻahu: “I can quite easily see – visualize and smell – how this could go wrong.”
     Tina Tuttle stated she was testifying on behalf of her grandson Daniel McDowell, who goes to Nāʻālehu Elementary. She produced a picture of Daniel pointing to his classroom, on the other side of the school from where the treatment plant is proposed to be located. “I have real concerns about this,” said Tuttle. “I just hope they can find a better place to build the plant.”
Daniel McDowell points to the school at an April meeting on the Nāʻālehu
Wastewater Treatment proposal. Both his great grandmother and
grandmother testified yesterday against putting the facility next to
Nāʻālehu Elementary School. Photo from McDowell family
     Sandra Demoruelle, great-grandmother to Daniel, spoke next, “on the budget that plans to spend $20 million dollars on the Nāʻālehu Wastewater system. She said, “It seems totally pointless to put in such a large facility for 80,000 gallons of wastewater a day.” She noted that the treatment plant would create “four lagoons right beside the Nāʻālehu School.”
     Demoruelle spoke of the cost of ongoing destruction of homes and public infrastructure and county emergency services “forcing property tax hikes,” and that budget concerns should be looking at “projects like this that are oversized and unneeded in the community. We only needed something like a sewage septic system conversion, which was exactly what happened at Pāhala at the senior citizen’s home: for $430,000, according to the budget, the county has converted one set of LCCs. What we do need in Kaʻū is public participation – I think that is the more basic issue here. We’ve been lacking any opportunity for our area to have meaningful input, as we should under the Hawaiʻi and Environmental Protection statutes,” she contended. Demoruelle said input should be ongoing and that “we should not have them come out just once and sell us a project where we have a picture such as this one,” referencing a photo of her grandson Daniel pointing to a plan with the treatment plant next to his school.
     John Masters, “born and raised right here in Nāʻālehu,” owner of Kaʻū Auto Repair and Towing, and “the proud father of six children who attend our schools here,” spoke next. “I feel that the location of the wastewater treatment plant is going to do a lot more effect on the community as a whole, rather than just the school. It’s directly upwind from our entire community here.” He said, “There’s a lot of land and a lot of other locations that would be optimal for the location of this plant. Right along the highway and kicking the Souza’s out ain’t the best deal for us as a community, for the Souza’s – for anyone.
     “It’s a beautiful area here, and to put that right along the highway – you think our tourist industry’s going to like it much? I don’t. You go past the treatment center to the most beautiful lookout in the world,” referring to Palina Pali overlook to Honuʻapo. Masters said he didn’t want to leave Nāʻālehu looking at a “crap plant, excuse my language,” and said there were “thousands of acres” of land to look at for the location of the facility that were not “upwind of our community.”
Community members met with county representatives at three public
meetings last month to present the type of treatment system and
proposed siting, and to take public input. Photo by Julia Neal
     Rick Porter, a Kaʻū resident whose wife teaches preschool at Nāʻālehu Elementary, stated he does not feel the location is appropriate: “It’s on the wrong side of prevailing winds. The school would be absolutely subjected to the smells from the plant.
     “The plant itself will probably be producing hydrogen sulfide from the sludge that is stored there. This is a very dangerous gas – it’s is the same gas they are worried about when a geothermal plant is shooting out in an uncontrolled situation. It’s a colorless gas that would not be appropriate for children to smell.
     “It also would encompass part of the Maka Hiki grounds, which are culturally sensitive grounds to the people of Kaʻū, which I believe are county-owned right now.”
     Porter also said “threatening” of the use of eminent domain to acquire the Souza property would be “the worse thing the county could do,” would hurt the county in future situations, and that eminent domain was typically “a last resort.” He said he agreed with Masters, that there were many other places that would be more appropriate locations for the facility.
     Charles Tuttle spoke as the last testifier. He said he had been a student of Nāʻālehu Elementary, with one grandchild presently attending the school, and another going to attend in future. Tuttle said he “strongly” opposes the plant, “as it will impact the kids, and it will impact the entire town of Nāʻālehu with that location.” He also said there are “lots of other locations.”

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Central Pacific Hurricane Center made its predictions yesterday, three to six storms in 2018. NOAA image
HURRICANE SEASON BEGINS JUNE 1 and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center predicts three to six tropical cyclones. The NOAA Central Pacific Hurricane Center announced yesterday an 80-percent chance of near- or above-normal tropical cyclone activity during the Central Pacific hurricane season this year, which lasts through November 30.
     The 2018 outlook indicates equal chances of an above-normal and near-normal season at 40 percent each, and a 20-percent chance of a below-normal season.
     The three to six tropical cyclones predicted for the Central Pacific hurricane basin include tropical depressions, named storms, and hurricanes. A near-normal season has three to five tropical cyclones, and an above-normal season has six or more tropical cyclones.
     “This outlook reflects the forecast for ENSO neutral conditions, with a possible transition to a weak El Niño during the hurricane season. Also, ocean temperatures in the main hurricane formation region are expected to remain above-average, and vertical wind shear is predicted to be near- or weaker-than-average,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., NOAA’s lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at the Climate Prediction Center. Bell added, “If El Niño develops, the activity could be near the higher end of the predicted range.”
Three hurricanes that affected Hawaiʻi's weather in 2014. This year, NOAA predicts three to six tropical cyclones.
Image from NOAA
     El Niño decreases the vertical wind shear over the tropical central Pacific, which favors more and stronger tropical cyclones. El Niño also favors more westward-tracking storms from the eastern Pacific into the central Pacific.
     This outlook is a general guide to the overall seasonal hurricane activity in the central Pacific basin and does not predict whether or how many of these systems will affect Hawaiʻi.
     “It is very important to remember that it only takes one landfalling tropical cyclone to bring major impacts to the State of Hawaiʻi,” said Chris Brenchley, director of NOAA’s Central Pacific Hurricane
Hurricane Anna brought flooding to Wood Valley in 2014.
Photo by Julia Neal
Center. “As we begin this 2018 hurricane season, we advise all residents to make preparations now, by having and practicing an emergency plan and by having 14 days of emergency supplies on hand that will be needed if a hurricane strikes.”
     The Central Pacific Hurricane Center continuously monitors weather conditions, employing a network of satellites, land- and ocean-based sensors, and aircraft reconnaissance missions operated by NOAA and its partners. This array of data supplies the information for complex computer modeling and human expertise, which are the basis for the center’s storm track and intensity forecasts that extend out five days.
     Check the Central Pacific Hurricane Center’s website throughout the season to stay on top of any watches and warnings, and visit FEMA’s Ready.gov for additional hurricane preparedness tips.
     The seasonal hurricane outlook is produced in collaboration with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.

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TWO ISLANDWIDE CAPITAL EXPENDITURE budgets were discussed at yesterday's County Council meeting. One draft of Bill 111 proposed $190.9 million for 39 public improvement projects to be constructed through the end of fiscal year 2023-24, but funded during the 2018-19 fiscal year. To pay for the projects, $114.6 million would be be funded in whole or part by bonds, $75.2 million by the state revolving loan fund or state capital improvement projects, $1 million by fair share contributions, and $160,000 by federal funds.
     The second draft calls for 46 projects costing $205.1 million. To pay for them, $126.1 million would be funded in whole or part by bonds, $77.3 million by the state revolving loan fund or state capital improvement projects, $1.25 million by fair share contributions, $380,000 by federal funds, and $65,000 by private grants.
     Council member Maile David introduced both budgets by request - which does not indicate her support or opposition - with amendments added by other council members. David moved and Council Member Dru Kanuha seconded the approval of the $205.1 million Capital Improvements budget. The recommendation goes for a final vote to the County Council June 6.

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DONATIONS FOR VICTIMS OF VOLCANIC ACTIVITY are welcomed by both branches of Credit Union Hawaiʻi in Kaʻū - one in Nāʻālehu, one in Pāhala. The donations are particularly for victims in Puna, where some 2,000 residents have been displaced by lava flows and toxic air.
     CU Hawaiʻi “wants to help our Puna Community, in their time of need,” states a release from the community owned financial institution.
     “To kokua our Puna ʻOhana, all CU Hawaiʻi branch locations will be accepting monetary donations to help with this much needed cause. All monies will be donated to Hawaiʻi Community Foundation's Hawaiʻi Island Volcano Recovery fund.”
     The Pāhala Branch is open on Fridays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
     The Nāʻālehu Branch is open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
     Keaʻau is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pāhoa, Hilo main, and Kona branches are open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Hilo Puainako is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 1 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
     See more information on the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation and the Hawaiʻi Island Volcano Recovery Fund.


See public Ka‘ū events, meetings, entertainment. 
Print edition of The Ka‘ū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes 
throughout Ka‘ū, from Miloli‘i through Volcano, and free on 
stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

FRIDAY, MAY 25
Coffee Talk, Fri, May 25, 9:30-11am, Kahuku Park, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Join park rangers in informal conversation on a variety of topics. Ka‘ū coffee, tea, and pastries available for purchase. Free. nps.gov/HAVO

Memorial Day Lei - Arts & Crafts, Fri, May 25, 2-3pm, Kahuku Park, H.O.V.E. For all ages. Register May 21-25. Free. Teresa Anderson, 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

SATURDAY, MAY 26
HIDEM's Hawai‘i State Convention, Sat & Sun, May 26 & 27, Hilton Waikoloa. hawaiidemocrats.org

Nature & Culture: An Unseverable Relationship, Sat, May 26, 9:30-11:30am, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Moderate guided hike along the Palm Trail, approx. 2 miles. Learn 
about native plants that play a vital role in Hawaiian culture, and observe the catastrophic change and restoration of the land as it transitions from the 1868 lava flow to deeper soils with more diversity and older flora. Free. nps.gov/HAVO

Flameworking - An Introductory Class, Sat & Sun, May 26 & 27, 2-5pm, Volcano Art Center. Glasswork using torch or lamp to melt glass. $155/VAC Member, $160/non-Member, plus $40 supply fee/person. Advanced registration required; limited to 4 adults. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

SUNDAY, MAY 27
‘Ōhi‘a Lehua, Sun, 27, 9:30-11am, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Learn about vital role of ‘ōhi‘a lehua in native Hawaiian forests, and many forms of ‘ōhi‘a tree and its flower on this free, easy, one-mile walk. nps.gov/HAVO

MONDAY, MAY 28
MAY BE CANCELLED DUE TO PARK CLOSURE: Memorial Day Ceremony, Mon, May 28, 3pm, Kīlauea Military Camp front lawn, inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Gathering to remember and pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Keynote Speaker: Major Kawika Hosea, Executive Officer of 1-299 Cavalry Regiment, Keaukaha Military Reservation. In case of rain, ceremony will move indoors. Open to authorized KMC patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8371, kilaueamilitarycamp.com

MAY BE CANCELLED DUE TO PARK CLOSURE: Memorial Day Buffet, Mon, May 28, 4-7pm, Crater Rim Café, Kīlauea Military Campy, inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Menu includes BBQ Kalua Pork, Local Styles Fried Chicken with Gravy, Salads and more. $19/Adult, $10/Child (6-11 yrs). Open to authorized KMC patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356, kilaueamilitarycamp.com

TUESDAY, MAY 29
Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tue, May 29, 11:30-1pm, St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Ocean View.

MAY BE CANCELLED DUE TO PARK CLOSURE: Saving Rare Plants from the Brink of Extinction in HVNP, Tue, May 29, 7pm, Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Park Botanist Sierra McDaniel discusses rare plant management in the park. Free; park entrance fees apply. nps.gov/HAVO

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30
Kōkua Kupuna Project, Wed, May 30, 9-11am, St. Jude's Episcopal Church, Ocean View. Seniors 60 years & older encouraged to attend, ask questions, and inquire about services offered through Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i - referral required from Hawai‘i County Office of Aging at 961-8626 for free legal services. Under 60, call 1-800-499-4302. More info: tahisha.despontes@legalaidhawaii.org, 329-3910 ext. 925. legalaidhawaii.org

MAY BE CANCELLED DUE TO PARK CLOSURE: Ku‘i Kalo Demonstration, Wed, May 30, 10-noon, Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Make poi, staple food of traditional Hawaiian diet. Free; park entrance fees apply. nps.gov/HAVO

Summer Learn-To-Swim Registration, Wed & Thu, May 30 & 31, 1-4pm, Pāhala Swimming Pool (Ka‘ū High School Campus). hawaiicounty.gov/pr-aquatics/, 928-8177

THURSDAY, MAY 31
VA Medical Services, Thursdays, May 31, 8:30-noon, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Summer Learn-To-Swim Registration, Thu, May 31, 1-4pm, Pāhala Swimming Pool (Ka‘ū High School Campus). hawaiicounty.gov/pr-aquatics/, 928-8177

NEW & UPCOMING
23rd ANNUAL KONA CLASSIC JACKPOT - Classic Fishing Tournament Series is Friday through Sunday, June 1 through 3, at Honokōhau Club House in Kona. All profits go towards marine conservation and youth educational programs in and around Miloli‘i. $300 entry fee, 4 people per boat - $25 per additional person. Modified Jungle rules.
     Cash prizes range from $100 to $3,000. Qualifying weights: Marlin, 100lbs; Ahi, 50lbs; Mahi, 15lbs; Ono, 15lbs. Grand Prize qualifies winner for Las Vegas Trip.
     Upcoming tournaments are 1st Annual Hawaiian Wicked Tuna Jackpot Series, July 20-22, and Miloli‘i Classic, Aug 31-Sept 2.
     Contact Wilfred Kaupiko, 896-6272, kalanihale@gmail.com. Sponsored by Kalanihale, a non-profit comprised of ten-pus generation descendants. The goals of the organization are to increase community participation in cultural activities, increase fish stocks, and promote community cohesion, “made achievable by hula protocol as a vessel to view… the world from a local perspective inundated with cultural pieces that transmits to all other Hawaiian practices,” states the release. See more at kalanihale.org

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Repose by Randall Shiroma.
Photo from volcanoartcenter.org
SCULPTURES PRESENTATION WITH RANDALL SHIROMA is offered on Thursday, May 31, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., announces Volcano Art Center. The Thursday Night at the Center program features Shiroma’s outdoor public works within the state.
     The once-a-month Thursday night series at the Volcano Art Center, focuses on art, Hawaiian culture and the environment. The series is intended to inspire and enhance appreciation of art and life experience, while fostering community connections.
     The event is free, although a $5 donation to Volcano Art Center is suggested. For more information, call 967-8222 or visit volcanoartcenter.org.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

ONGOING
Park Rangers invite the public to downtown Hilo to learn about the volcanic activity, to get their NPS Passport Book stamped, and to experience the Hawaiian cultural connection to volcanoes. Rangers are providing programs at the Mokupāpapa Discovery Center at 76 Kamehameha Avenue, Tuesday through Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

Hawai‘i Island Quilting Artists are called to register by Saturday, May 26, for Volcano Art Center's 2nd Bi-Annual Quilt Show: Quilts in the Forest - Where the Path May Lead. Entry forms available online at volcanoartcenter.org/gallery/call-to-artists. Exhibition open Friday, July 13, to Friday, August 3, at Volcano Art Center's Niaulani campus, 19-4074 Old Volcano Road, Volcano Village. Contact Fia Mattice at 967-8222 or quiltshow2018@volcanoartcenter.org.

Sign Up for the Nāʻālehu Independence Day Parade, to be held June 30. If interested, call Debra McIntosh at 929-9872.

Tūtū and Me Offers Home Visits to those with keiki zero to five years old: home visits to aid with helpful parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate listening ear. Home visits are free, last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, for a total of 12 visits, and snacks are provided. For info and to register, call Linda Bong 464-9634.

St. Jude's Episcopal Church Calls For More Volunteers for the Saturday community outreach. Especially needed are cooks for the soup served to those in need, and organizers for the hot showers. "Volunteering for St. Jude's Saturday Shower and Soup ministry is an opportunity to serve God in a powerful way," states St. Jude's April newsletter. Volunteer by contacting Dave Breskin at 319-8333.

Volcano Forest Runs Registration Open through Friday, August 17, at 6 p.m. Half marathon $85, 10K $45, 5K $30. Registration increases August 1: half marathon to $95, 10K to $55, and 5K to $35. Race is run from Cooper Center on Wright Road in Volcano Village on Saturday, August 18.

5th annual Ka‘ū Coffee Trail Run registration open. Race day Sat, Sept 22, 7 a.m.; begins and ends at Ka‘ū Coffee Mill. Register online before Mon, July 9: 5K, $25/person; 10K, $35/person; and 1/2 Marathon, $45/person. From July 9 to Aug 11: $30/person, $40/person, and $45/person, respectively. From Aug 13 to Sept 20: $35/person, $45/person, and $55/person. Race day registration ends Sat, Sept 22, at 6:30 a.m. Event organizers, ‘O Ka‘ū Kākou; start location, Ka‘ū Coffee Mill.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.







Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Ka‘ū News Briefs Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Guided hikes, beautiful vistas, Coffee Talk, and more are now available five days a week at Kahuku Unit of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. 
See story and events, below. NPS/Janice Wei photo
"WE ARE IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL," said USGS scientist Steve Brantley, during his talk about the instability of Kīlauea Volcano and its ash, gas, and lava eruptions that are polluting air across Puna and Kaʻū, and destroying homes and other buildings in lower Puna. He gave the long view during a community meeting in Pāhoa yesterday.
     Brantley showed a cutaway diagram of the East Rift Zone of Kīlauea Volcano. The illustration shows the plumbing of the volcano, with an orange pipe -  a conduit from Kīlauea summit directly to lower Puna that is sending down the lava.
The orange pipe illustrates the direct conduit from Kilauea Volcano to lower Puna fissures, with Puʻu ʻŌʻō no longer a 
vent that helped to keep the summit more stable.  USGS illustration
       Before the recent changes at Kīlauea, Puʻu ʻŌʻō Crater served to temper the activity at the summit, letting out steam and letting out lava. On about May 1, Brantley explained, the summit of the volcano began subsiding, as a reflection of magma now moving out of the summit reservoir, into the rift zone, and further down into the lower East Rift Zone. "So, in a sense there is an open conduit from the summit to the lower east rift zone," he said.
Video of helicopter overflight over lower East Rift Zone ocean entry
and fissure complex today, May 23, around 8 a.m.
     For the 35 years or so that Puʻu ʻŌʻō was active, there was a kind of balance between the summit reservoir and the location or elevation where Puʻu ʻŌʻō erupted. There was sort of a symbiotic relationship with the summit and Puʻu ʻŌʻō. Now, that new vent system is located almost at sea level, said Brantley. "So the whole system has to adjust to some sort of new balance. And until that balance is reached or something else changes, we expect magma to continue moving from the summit reservoir into the rift zone and further down into the lower east rift zone.
     "That suggests that we are in it for the long haul. We don't know how long this eruptions is going to last. But for now it looks like it's just going to continue and we take it day by day."

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Fissure 6 has built up a berm across Pohoiki Road. USGS photo
THE FISSURE FROM KĪLAUEA VOLCANO, which is sending S02 into Kaʻū, became more active this week. USGS scientist Steve Brantley told a community meeting in Pāhoa yesterday: "That's pretty obvious to everybody here because of the additional lava that's on the surface... with that much more lava on the surface, it's able to pour across the ground and it had reached the ocean. And depending on which vent is active and producing most of the flow, the lava flows will create a new path, they've spread apart, they've merged and then they've spread apart again.
     On Monday, there were two ocean entries. Later in the day there was only one. All day Tuesday, there was only one." Per the USGS website, today at noon there was still only one ocean entry.
     Brantley said it is hard and confusing to track all the vents, since there are so many. The most productive vent is number 22, generating most of the lava and created the lava flow that winds down to the ocean.
     Tuesday, Fissures 6 and 15, which are close together, started to head toward the south.
     Fissure 17 is the most downrift part of the intrusion of magma just below ground. He said that the area is stable and that there is no evidence that the magma has moved further downrift and forced the rift apart. ther fissures became active again this week in the middle of Leilani Estates.
Map of current flows and fissures. See explanation, below. USGS map
     Brantley talked about the changing chemistry of the lava that's erupting from the East Rift Zone.
"One thing that's clear is that more magma's coming to the surface now than earlier in the eruption sequence." He pointed to a map with all of the fissures represented by dots (see map, above).
Lava channel emerging from Fissure 22 - not visible, but far right of center. 
The lava is flowing downhill, from right to left, in the photo. USGS Photo
     The green dots represent the type of lava that was probably stored in the rift zone for decades before it came out and erupted at the surface. "That lava presumably was forced up to the surface as magma moved down the East Rift Zone, pushed its way into the Lower East Rift Zone, and forced that magma to the surface."
     Brantley pointed to fissure 16, and said that the fissures, indicated by red dots in the above map, started to show lava with a difference: a mixture of the old magma and the newer lava that originated higher in the rift zone, from Puʻu ʻŌʻō and perhaps the summit at Halemaʻumaʻu. "Now we are seeing the fresh stuff coming up to the surface." The new lava is hotter, less viscous, more fluid and voluminous. Where the lava flows depends on the locations of the fissures.
     So far, most of the lava has flowed away from Puna Geothermal plant, away from Highway 132 to the south, and into the ocean, he said.
     See the video here: http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2018/05/23/video-scientist-gives-puna-eruption-presentation/

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KAʻŪ RESIDENTS WITNESSING ASHFALL ARE URGED TO REPORT IT. USGS scientists want to know when ashfall arrives, and if predicted ashfall does not arrive. USGS also asks for residents to collect ash to send to USGS for study. Get the details at http://hawaiiash.science/ashreport.php
     The explosive eruptions sending the ash Kaʻū's way have also widened Halemaʻumaʻu crater. According to USGS reports, the first ash plume rose from the crater May 9 from possible rockfall. Last Thursday, an eruption threw ash some 30,000 feet above sea level, apparently enlarging Halemaʻumaʻu crater from 12 to 34 acres. See an illustration here: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/maps_uploads/image-438.gif.
Another ash explosion from Halemaʻumaʻu today at 3:20 p.m. USGS photo
     On Saturday, an ash explosion reached 10,000 feet. Last night a little after 10 p.m., another explosive eruption sent ash 8,000 to 9,000 feet up. There have been multiple ash eruptions every day since the 15th, and the ash drifts with the wind. Currently, most ashfall from these events is reaching Pāhala and places further southwest of the summit.
     Scientists predict that the eruptions could last for weeks, or longer, before Kīlauea Volcano possibly settles down. Risks are breathing the ash and, near the caldera, rocks that fly out of the crater. Boulders as large as small cars could be thrown a half mile from the crater vent, scientists reason. In 1924, violent explosions lasted two weeks.
  
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SO2 REACHED A READING OF UNHEALTHY for sensitive groups in Pāhala from 12:15 a.m. through 6:15 a.m., and again from 7:30 a.m. through 8:45 a.m. Ocean View experienced short spikes of unhealthy for sensitive groups at 2:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Both monitoring locations showed mostly good levels otherwise. Kona has shown good since midnight.
     Air Quality Index last reported levels at 1 p.m. Pāhala was good at 34. Both Ocean View – at 87 – and Kona – at 97 – were shown as moderate.
     See AirNow. See Hawaiʻi Short Term SO2 Advisory. Also see the University of Hawaiʻi air quality predictions on its VMAP.

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ASH MASKS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED AT OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY CENTER, Nāʻālehu Community Center, Pāhala Community Center, Cooper Center, and Shipman Gym in Keaʻau. Distribution will be "while supplies last" today, Thursday, and Friday from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, May 26, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Each person may receive up to three masks.
     Ron Gall, President of Ocean View Community Association, and Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense remind residents that ash masks do not provide protection from S02 and other gasses. The masks do protect against ash and other particulates, which are moving through Kaʻū from Kīlauea Volcano as winds blow this way.

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A PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN OF COFFEE WORKERS, Keiki O Palehua ʻOhana, organized by the Kaʻū Coffee industry and broader community, will hold a board meeting at the Multipurpose Room of Kaʻū District Gym this Saturday, May 26, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The group will discuss setting up a program for the children of farm workers. The organization attempts to address such issues as child care when coffee workers are on the job, according to spokesperson Laura Diaz. She can be contacted at laura@ldomarket.com.

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CRUISE SHIPS WILL SOON RETURN TO HAWAI`I ISLAND, stated Ross Birch of Hawaiʻi Island Visitor Bureau today. Birch said cruise ships will return to Kona on May 30, and Hilo on June 6. The cancellation of cruise ships since the beginning of ashfall from Kīlauea has cost the island economy more than one million dollars, according to the bureau.

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Yellow ʻōhiʻa lehua in Kahuku. NPS/DavidBoyle photo
KAHUKU UNIT IS NOW OPEN FIVE DAYS A WEEK, Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit, located about an hour’s drive south of the park’s main entrance, added extra days after two-thirds of the park closed on May 11 due to increased volcanic hazards. Visitors will be able to get a new Kahuku stamp in their NPS Passport Books, states the release.
     “Park rangers and volunteers from the Kīlauea section will join Kahuku rangers in welcoming visitors to the southernmost section of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Located on the slopes of Mauna Loa, visitors can explore the wide expanse of the volcano’s 1868 lava flow, beautiful native forest and historic pasturelands on foot.
     “Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association, the park’s non-profit partner, offers fun, educational merchandise and other items that support the park and foster lifelong connections. Visitors can pick up hiking medallions, geology books and guides, park logo pins, vintage-style Hawai‘i Volcanoes hoodies and much more.”
Staff Aloha and Rochel with merchandise in Kahuku. NPS photo
     Free guided hikes and programs are also available. Informal “Coffee Talk” conversations are held the last Friday of most months, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Ka‘ū coffee, tea, and pastries are available for purchase. This Friday, May 25, Keoni Keanu Fox will talk story about Waikapuna, an ancient fishing village and important cultural resource of Ka‘ū. See below for more details about this event.
     Two guided hikes are offered this weekend - see below for more details.
     Keep up with Kahuku events and visit the calendar on the park website, https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/kahuku-hikes.htm.
     Enter the Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park on the mauka (inland) side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5. The Kahuku Unit is located in Ka‘ū, and is about an hour’s drive south of the park’s main entrance. Sturdy footwear, water, raingear, sun protection, and a snack are recommended for all hikes. Entrance and all programs are free.

See public Ka‘ū events, meetings, entertainment. 
Print edition of The Ka‘ū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes 
throughout Ka‘ū, from Miloli‘i through Volcano, and free on 
stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com.
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THURSDAY, MAY 24
VA Medical Services, Thursdays, May 24 & 31, 8:30-noon, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Ka‘ū Community Children's Council, Thu, May 24, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Punalu‘u Bake Shop. Monthly meeting provides local forum for all community members to come together as equal partners to discuss and positively affect multiple systems' issues for the benefit of all students, families, and communities. Chad Domingo, domingoc1975@yahoo.com, ccco.k12.hi.us

FRIDAY, MAY 25
Coffee Talk, Fri, May 25, 9:30-11am, Kahuku Park, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Join park rangers in informal conversation on a variety of topics. Ka‘ū coffee, tea, and pastries available for purchase. Free. nps.gov/HAVO

Memorial Day Lei - Arts & Crafts, Fri, May 25, 2-3pm, Kahuku Park, H.O.V.E. For all ages. Register May 21-25. Free. Teresa Anderson, 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

SATURDAY, MAY 26
HIDEM's Hawai‘i State Convention, Sat & Sun, May 26 & 27, Hilton Waikoloa. hawaiidemocrats.org

Nature & Culture: An Unseverable Relationship, Sat, May 26, 9:30-11:30am, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Moderate guided hike along the Palm Trail, approx. 2 miles. Learn about native plants that play a vital role in Hawaiian culture, and observe the catastrophic change and restoration of the land as it transitions from the 1868 lava flow to deeper soils with more diversity and older flora. Free. nps.gov/HAVO

Flameworking - An Introductory Class, Sat & Sun, May 26 & 27, 2-5pm, Volcano Art Center. Glasswork using torch or lamp to melt glass. $155/VAC Member, $160/non-Member, plus $40 supply fee/person. Advanced registration required; limited to 4 adults. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

SUNDAY, MAY 27
‘Ōhi‘a Lehua, Sun, 27, 9:30-11am, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Learn about vital role of ‘ōhi‘a lehua in native Hawaiian forests, and many forms of ‘ōhi‘a tree and its flower on this free, easy, one-mile walk. nps.gov/HAVO

MONDAY, MAY 28
MAY BE CANCELLED DUE TO PARK CLOSURE: Memorial Day Ceremony, Mon, May 28, 3pm, Kīlauea Military Camp front lawn, inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Gathering to remember and pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Keynote Speaker: Major Kawika Hosea, Executive Officer of 1-299 Cavalry Regiment, Keaukaha Military Reservation. In case of rain, ceremony will move indoors. Open to authorized KMC patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8371, kilaueamilitarycamp.com

MAY BE CANCELLED DUE TO PARK CLOSURE: Memorial Day Buffet, Mon, May 28, 4-7pm, Crater Rim Café, Kīlauea Military Campy, inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Menu includes BBQ Kalua Pork, Local Styles Fried Chicken with Gravy, Salads and more. $19/Adult, $10/Child (6-11 yrs). Open to authorized KMC patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356, kilaueamilitarycamp.com

TUESDAY, MAY 29
Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tue, May 29, 11:30-1pm, St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Ocean View.

MAY BE CANCELLED DUE TO PARK CLOSURE: Saving Rare Plants from the Brink of Extinction in HVNP, Tue, May 29, 7pm, Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Park Botanist Sierra McDaniel discusses rare plant management in the park. Free; park entrance fees apply. nps.gov/HAVO

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30
Kōkua Kupuna Project, Wed, May 30, 9-11am, St. Jude's Episcopal Church, Ocean View. Seniors 60 years & older encouraged to attend, ask questions, and inquire about services offered through Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i - referral required from Hawai‘i County Office of Aging at 961-8626 for free legal services. Under 60, call 1-800-499-4302. More info: tahisha.despontes@legalaidhawaii.org, 329-3910 ext. 925. legalaidhawaii.org

MAY BE CANCELLED DUE TO PARK CLOSURE: Ku‘i Kalo Demonstration, Wed, May 30, 10-noon, Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Make poi, staple food of traditional Hawaiian diet. Free; park entrance fees apply. nps.gov/HAVO

Summer Learn-To-Swim Registration, Wed & Thu, May 30 & 31, 1-4pm, Pāhala Swimming Pool (Ka‘ū High School Campus). hawaiicounty.gov/pr-aquatics/, 928-8177

NEW & UPCOMING
WAIKAPUNA: A WAHI PANA (TREASURED PLACE) OF KAʻŪ Coffee Talk at Kahuku Unit of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Friday, May 25, 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
     The release from the park says: Wahi pana? Waikapuna is certainly that. It was an ancient fishing village and an important historic and cultural resource of Kaʻū. Located makai of Nāʻālehu, it has one of the largest native coastal dune systems, a large sandy bay, tidepools, onshore and below sea level springs, and sea caves which are homes to colonies of nesting seabirds. It houses significant sections of the original Ala Kahakai and numerous archeological sites.
      Presenter Keoni Keanu Fox, a lineal descendant of Waikapuna and a representative of the Ala Kahakai Trail Association, will talk about the cultural, historical and environmental treasures of this special place.
     Coffee Talk at Kahuku “is an opportunity to get to know your Park and your neighbors,” and join in an informal conversation on a wide variety of topics.  It is presented on the last Friday of the month at 9:30 AM. Kaʻū coffee, tea and pastries will be available for purchase. Kahuku Unit is located south of the 70.5 mile marker on the mauka side of Hwy. 11, and is remaining open with extended days during the partial park closure: Wed through Sun, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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ONGOING
Park Rangers invite the public to downtown Hilo to learn about the volcanic activity, to get their NPS Passport Book stamped, and to experience the Hawaiian cultural connection to volcanoes. Rangers are providing programs at the Mokupāpapa Discovery Center at 76 Kamehameha Avenue, Tuesday through Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

Hawai‘i Island Quilting Artists are called to register by Saturday, May 26, for Volcano Art Center's 2nd Bi-Annual Quilt Show: Quilts in the Forest - Where the Path May Lead. Entry forms available online at volcanoartcenter.org/gallery/call-to-artists. Exhibition open Friday, July 13, to Friday, August 3, at Volcano Art Center's Niaulani campus, 19-4074 Old Volcano Road, Volcano Village. Contact Fia Mattice at 967-8222 or quiltshow2018@volcanoartcenter.org.

Sign Up for the Nāʻālehu Independence Day Parade, to be held June 30. If interested, call Debra McIntosh at 929-9872.

Tūtū and Me Offers Home Visits to those with keiki zero to five years old: home visits to aid with helpful parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate listening ear. Home visits are free, last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, for a total of 12 visits, and snacks are provided. For info and to register, call Linda Bong 464-9634.

St. Jude's Episcopal Church Calls For More Volunteers for the Saturday community outreach. Especially needed are cooks for the soup served to those in need, and organizers for the hot showers. "Volunteering for St. Jude's Saturday Shower and Soup ministry is an opportunity to serve God in a powerful way," states St. Jude's April newsletter. Volunteer by contacting Dave Breskin at 319-8333.

Volcano Forest Runs Registration Open through Friday, August 17, at 6 p.m. Half marathon $85, 10K $45, 5K $30. Registration increases August 1: half marathon to $95, 10K to $55, and 5K to $35. Race is run from Cooper Center on Wright Road in Volcano Village on Saturday, August 18.

5th annual Ka‘ū Coffee Trail Run registration open. Race day Sat, Sept 22, 7 a.m.; begins and ends at Ka‘ū Coffee Mill. Register online before Mon, July 9: 5K, $25/person; 10K, $35/person; and 1/2 Marathon, $45/person. From July 9 to Aug 11: $30/person, $40/person, and $45/person, respectively. From Aug 13 to Sept 20: $35/person, $45/person, and $55/person. Race day registration ends Sat, Sept 22, at 6:30 a.m. Event organizers, ‘O Ka‘ū Kākou; start location, Ka‘ū Coffee Mill.

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