Kaʻū News Briefs Aug. 15, 2024

Saturday's range fire in Ka Lae shut down South Point Road and vehicles south of the fire
were escorted by first responders out of the area. Photo by Bob Martin

A FIRE ALONG SOUTH POINT ROAD drew first responders to the scene at approximately 2:15 p.m. on Thursday  to initiate efforts to contain the fire and ensure safety of the public.
When the fire started, more than 20 vehicles were south of its path. A statement from the county says,             "Due to the swift and coordinated actions of both police and fire personnel, all vehicles were safely escorted out of the area, and no injuries have been reported. We are pleased to confirm that no structures or lives are currently at risk."
    The fire, however, continued to pose a threat to livestock and pasturelands in the area. Local ranchers assisted fire crews in safeguarding these resources. The fire was initially contained to the east of the highway, and firefighting efforts focused on preventing its spread to the west. An estimate of the acreage affected was around 30 acres at 2:30 p.m. By 5 p.m. the County announced that South Point Road had reopened.
    Sustained winds of 19 mph, with gusts of up to 24 mph presented challenges to firefighting operations, "but crews remain dedicated to containing and extinguishing the fire," says the county message. The county's Department of Public Works remain on site with tanker trucks to assist firefighters and ranchers.
    The Hawaiʻi County Emergency Operations Center was partially activated to support the response and coordinate resources. Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense monitored the situation closely to provide timely updates to the public as more information becomes available.
    Residents are encouraged to visit the County's hazard map at https://tinyurl.com/mt6bw93e and sign up for notifications through the Everbridge platform to receive the latest information directly.
"We extend our gratitude to the first responders, ranchers, and community members for their cooperation and support during this time. The safety and well-being of our residents remain our top priority, and we will continue to take all necessary measures to protect our community," said the county statement.

Mayor Mitch Roth during relocation of houseless people from a temporary camp set up on Ponahawai to Kuawa. 

Photo from County of Hawai'i

A FALSE EMAIL INVITING HOMELESS PEOPLE TO STAY AT MAYOR MITCH ROTH'S PERSONAL HOME through Aug. 18, without needing to knock, has been acknowledged by the mayor's staff which has issued the following statement:

    "Hawaiʻi County officials have been made aware of an email circulating that invites individuals experiencing homelessness to stay at an address in the Hilo district. Upon further investigation, it was

Kaʻū Trojans begin the season of girls
volleyball. Photo by Kamamalu Kaue

determined that the address provided in the email is, in fact, the personal residence of Mayor Mitch Roth. The email falsely claims that individuals are welcome to stay and utilize resources at the residence from the evening of August 14 to August 18, 2024, without needing to knock.
    "Authorities have been notified of this email, and an active investigation into its origin is currently underway. As a precautionary measure, officers have been dispatched to the Mayor’s residence.
    "Hawaiʻi County would like to remind all residents that threats against a public official, their family, or any resident of the County are taken with the utmost seriousness and will be addressed accordingly."

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THE FIRST VOLLEYBALL GAME OF THE SEASON for the Trojan girls team took place at Herkes Kaʻū District Gym on Thursday. The Trojans lost to the big Hilo school Waiakea with a 25-10 and 25-14 loss for JV and Varsity 20-24, 21-25,

Principal Sharon Beck and former Ka'u Athletic
Director Kalae Namohala at season opening.
Photo by Kamamalu Kaue

25-19, and 24-14. Coach Josh Ortega described the Trojan team as capable and said he looks forward to a great season.

Kaʻū  Trojan girls get some air at their first
game of the season. It was at home. 
Photo by Kamamalu Kaue

    Kaʻū travels to Kea'au on Tuesday., Aug. 20 and hosts Christian Liberty on Thursday, Aug. 22. Kaʻū is on the road to Ka Umeke on Wednesday, Aug. 28 and again to the Kamehameha Tournament, which runs from Thursday, Aug. 29 through Saturday, Aug. 31. LCPCS/SIS comes to Kaʻū on Tuesday, Sept. 3. and Pahoa comes to Kaʻū on Wednesday, Sept. 11. Trojans go on the road to Waiakea on Friday, Sept. 13 and again to Kamehameha on Tuesday, Sept. 17. Hilo comes to Kaʻū on Thursday, Sept. 19. Kea'au comes to Kaʻū on Tuesday, Sept. 24. Kaʻū travels to Christian Liberty on Saturday, Sept. 28 and again to LCPCS/SIS on Monday, Sept. 30. Ka Umeke comes to Kaʻū on Saturday, Oct. 5. Kaʻū travels to Hilo on Saturday, Oct. 12 and again to Pahoa on Monday, Oct. 13. Kamehameha comes to Kaʻū on Wednesday, Oct. 16, followed by Big Island Interscholastic Federation playoffs.

Coach Josh Ortega leading Ka'u Trojan girls into the 2024 volleyball season.
Photo by Kamamalu Kaue

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THE PACIFIC INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS FOR EXPLORING SCIENCE is the subject of this week's Volcano Watch, the weekly article by USGS Hawaiian Observatory scientists and affiliates. This week's article, Aʻo pū mākou: We learn together with PIPES, was written by HVO geologist Kendra J. Lynn and University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo geology professor Lis Gallant:
    The Pacific Internship Programs for Exploring Science is celebrating its 30th anniversary of growing the next generation of aloha ʻāina leaders in Hawaii and the Pacific through transformative place-based internships, mentorship, innovative programming, and strategic partnerships. The PIPES Moʻo ʻĀina framework houses four transformative pathway programs: Naʻau (Ancestral Pathway Program), ʻĀina (Ecological Pathway Program), Kaiāulu (Community Pathway Program), and Kaʻao (Research Pathway Program).
    This year, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory hosted a PIPES intern in the Kaʻao pathway. In this pathway, an intern can formulate a research project from scratch, develop appropriate protocols for handling data, or contributing to an existing project. The Kaʻao pathway also champions the transfer of knowledge from the intern to their mentors, encouraging reciprocity to make us better stewards of the Hawaiian community.

HVO PIPES intern Kamalani Poepoe and colleagues prepare samples from Kīlauea's June 2024 eruption for analysis. Top Right: Kamalani gets instruction on how to perform eruption response tasks on the rim of Halemaʻumaʻu. Lower Right: Kamalani presenting her work at the 2024 PIPES symposium in Honolulu. USGS photos

    Over the past two months, HVO had the pleasure of hosting Kamalani Poepoe, a University of Hawai'i at Hilo (UHH) undergraduate who is double majoring in astronomy and geology. She pursued a research-focused project that emphasized Indigenous data science, bio-cultural research, and quantitative/qualitative data collection and analysis. Kamalani was paired with co-mentors from HVO and the UHH Geology Department, with a research plan focused on determining the chemistry of Kīlauea's June 2023 summit eruption.
    On Kamalani's first day at HVO, June 3, 2024, Kīlauea erupted briefly from the Southwest Rift Zone . Kamalani jumped enthusiastically into eruption response work with the rest of HVO staff. In a whirlwind of on-the-job training, she assisted HVO staff and UHH partners in determining the chemistry of the most recent eruption samples using dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF).
    In addition to participating in the most recent eruption response, Kamalani also analyzed the June 2023 eruption samples to help us better understand how and why Kīlauea keeps erupting. Her research is part of a larger project to characterize the post-2018 summit eruptive products.

    Kamalani crushed, sieved, and picked olivine—the common green mineral in Hawaiian basalts—for study in the scanning electron microscope. Her preliminary data show that there are two different types of olivine crystals in the June 2023 eruption, indicating that magmas involved in that eruption came from two different regions of storage under Kīlauea's summit.
    In addition to her work understanding the origin of lava erupted by Kīlauea in June 2023, Kamalani felt that it was important for HVO staff to learn Native Hawaiian practices for connecting and observing the ʻāina. This is aligned with the PIPES approach of incorporating indigenous Hawaiian practices and protocols. Kamalani performed protocol at Kīlauea's summit by presenting Pele with a ho'okupu (an offering) and 'oli when conducting field work—and in the process helped HVO staff better engage with the cultural importance of the place in which they work.
    When asked what her favorite part of the internship was, Kamalani said, "I liked being able to work in the lab and in the field with HVO staff. The eruption on my first day of the program was awesome, getting to see fresh lava samples up close was incredible and I've never experienced that before. Where else in the world can you find days-old or even hours-old rocks?"
    At the conclusion of the 2024 PIPES program, Kamalani joined her PIPES peers at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa and at the Hawai'i Conservation Conference in Honolulu and presented her project.
    The PIPES program, and the partner agencies that participate, provide an important foundation for nurturing future leaders in Hawaii, and the Ka'ao Pathway provides opportunities for students to gain experience in scientific research that will help them in their future careers.
    Mahalo nui loa to Kamalani for her excellent work over the summer and to the PIPES Program staff for providing another wonderful opportunity to collaborate! HVO has been a partner of the PIPES program in years past and we look forward to future opportunities for PIPES mentorship.

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 Volcano Activity Updates
    Kīlauea is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is ADVISORY.
    Seismic activity and ground deformation continues at Kīlauea's summit and upper-to-middle East Rift Zone following the July 22-25 intrusive event. Over the past week, about 170 earthquakes were detected beneath Kīlauea's upper East Rift Zone and about 170 events were detected between Maunaulu and

    Puʻuʻōʻō in the middle portion of the East Rift Zone within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Kīlauea's summit and middle East Rift Zone have continued to show slow inflation over the past week. Unrest may continue to wax and wane with changes to the input of magma in these areas; changes can occur quickly, as can the potential for eruption.
    Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL.
    Four earthquakes were reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M3.4 earthquake 6 km (3 mi) S of Volcano at 2 km (1 mi) depth on August 14 at 6:34 p.m., a M3.7 earthquake 10 km (6 mi) ENE of Pāhala at 31 km (19 mi) depth on August 14 at 8:02 a.m. HST, a M3.1 earthquake 5 km (3 mi) SSW of Volcano at 1 km (0 mi) depth on August 12 at 6:50 p.m. HST, and a M3.5 earthquake 3 km (1 mi) SSW of Pāhala at 32 km (20 mi) depth on August 8 at 5:19 a.m. HST.
    HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.

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The Reunion features the screening of a PBS film Ka'u Sugar,
A Town Remembers on the history of the sugar plantation
 and the closing of the mill in 1996. It will also feature a film 
on history of the local coffee industry.

Kaʻū News Briefs Aug. 14, 2024

 

Site plan for Pahala Town Square and Hawaiian Springs Facility with retail and parking for tour buses and the vehicles of visitors
and workers, along with a giant roundabout, spring water fountain, and bottling plant. The plan will be studied by Kaʻū Community Development Plan Action Committee. See more below.

PUNALU'U PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT was the main topic of discussion at Wednesday's Kaʻū Community Development Plan Action Committee meeting. In a 4-3 vote, the committee approved sending a letter to the Windward Planning Commission. However, the 4-3 vote failed since five votes are required for approval of the nine member Committee. 
      The Committee is discussing whether plans by Black Sand Beach, LLC and its SMA permit request are in alignment with the Kaʻū Community Development Plan. Chair Jason Masters and member Leinaala Enos emphasized that much of the plan is in alignment and that the Committee has not taken a pro or con stance on the overall development plan. However, committee members pointed out that there was overwhelming opposition to the plan at a series of public hearings before the Planning Commission . The Committee studied the CDP and drafted the letter.
      The letter points to possible alignment issues with the Kaʻū CDP that include providing affordable housing, establishment of new shoreline setback and assessments on scenic resources, view planes, water quality, marine life and cultural resources, as well as impacts of tsunamis and sea level rise.
     Black Sand Beach, LLC is asking for approval of a Special Management Area Permit, which is required before any additional development approvals can be considered by the county. The proposal includes resort accommodations and commercial establishments, some of it close to Punalu'u Black Sand Beach.
     Developer planning consultant Daryn Arai gave his own testimony defending the SMA request. The committee suggested that he could send his testimony to the Planning Commission and also voted to have further discussion with the developer toward consensus on issues regarding the plan.

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A COMMITTEE TO STUDY THE PLAN APPROVAL FOR A WATER BOTTLING PLANT in Pāhala was approved unanimously by the Kaʻū Community Development Plan Action Committee on Wednesday.

    The committee planned to reach out to the developer as well as the County Planning Department, state

More than 125,000 sq. feet of warehouse and processing buildings shown
on the Pāhala Town and Hawaiian Springs Facility.

Department of Land & Natural Resources and Water Commission to determine what permitting would be needed to build a water bottling plant and take water from the aquifer. It was also determined to research what permits if any, are already in place. 

    Former Planning Director Duane Kahuna gave the Plan Approval for the project in 2016. The plan was adjusted and received Plan Approval again in 2017 by Planning Director Michael Yee. Other approvals would be needed to draw water from the aquifer and to build the water plant and associate warehousing, retail and offices.

     The property is the old sugar mill site on Maile Street in Pāhala. The project is called Pahala Town Square and Hawaiian Springs Facility. It consists of 10,000 square feet of retail space and the water bottling  plant with parking lots totaling 205 stalls for workers, tour buses and other visiting vehicles. It includes more than 125,000 square feet of warehouse and processing plant buildings with a 50 ft. maximum height. 

     The zoning of the entire property, which is over 60 acres, is mixed with Limited Industrial, General Industrial, Agricultural and Family Residential.

     See more on Action Committee discussion topics including South Point, Kalae and Hawaiian Homelands, as well as wildfire mitigation at Green Sands neighborhood in upcoming Kaʻū News Briefs.

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KAʻŪ TROJANS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL hosts the first game of the season at home Thursday, Aug. 15 at  5 p.m. at the Herkes Kaʻū District Gym.

The Reunion features the screening of a PBS film Ka'u Sugar,
A Town Remembers on the history of the sugar plantation
 and the closing of the mill in 1996. It will also feature a film 
on history of the local coffee industry.

Kaʻū News Briefs Aug. 13, 2024

Mililiani Trask got her wish. Her OHA trustee seat will go to the candidate she endorsed, Kai Kahale.
Photo from Kahele for Hawai'i

KAI KAHELE IS THE NEW HAWAI'I ISLAND TRUSTEE FOR OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS, with the blessing of Mililani Trask who holds the seat and endorsed him to take over. He won the position outright in Saturday's Primary Election. The voting was open to all registered voters in Hawai'i of all ethnicities. 

    Kahele is a former State Senator and former member of the U.S. Congress for Kaʻū and the rest of rural Hawai'i. The son of the late state Sen. Gil Kahele, he is a longtime member of Hawai'i Air National Guard and a Hawaiian Airlines pilot. His family roots go back to the Hawaiian village of Miloli'i.
    He ran on a campaign of economic development for Native Hawaiians, pointing out that 53 percent live on the mainland. He told Civil Beat that Hawaiian living away from here "weakens the efforts to advocate for community rights." He promised to focus on affordable housing "to help families stay in their ancestral land. He said he supports "sustainable job creation, especially in sectors aligning with cultural heritage

like local agriculture and renewable energy. He said it is important to invest in vocational programs for "skills necessary in high-demand local jobs, reducing the need to seek work elsewhere."
    Kahele said he wants to strengthen Native Hawaiian identity and community unity by enhancing initiatives that protect and promote Hawaiian culture and language. An idea from Kahele is "to build networks for Hawaiians outside Hawai'i with virtual programs and language classes to stay connected."
    Kahele said the ethics commission for oversight of OHA should be comprised of Native Hawaiians to "provide the necessary oversight to ensure accountability and transparency within OHA." He said the commission would be better equipped if it "genuinely involves Native Hawaiian voices in decision-making processes."
   Kahele said that homelessness can be reduced with Department of Hawaiian Home Lands through increasing the number of lots awarded to Native Hawaiians, with priority fo those facing housing instability. OHA could partner with developers and nonprofits to build affordable housing on DHHL lands. It could provide more support services, finance counseling, job training and social services to promote housing stability. His other ideas: Build transitional housing on DHHL lands. Provide more community engagement with Native Hawaiians in planning an decision-making for culturally appropriate solutions.
    See more on Kahele's plans and ideas for his role at OHA in upcoming Ka'u News Briefs.

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PROPERTY TAX LAWS THAT COULD FORCE SOME FARMERS AND RANCHERS TO SELL what they grow on their lands rather than to use it solely for their families and community is the subject of a meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 21 at Yano Hall in Captain Cook from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. New laws with the intention of encouraging farming with tax breaks require showing a minimum income from what is produced or proof that it was donated it to a registered nonprofit. Some small farmers and ranchers who feed their own family and friends rather than selling it or giving it to a nonprofit say they will be left out of the tax break making it harder to feed their family and community. 

     The meeting is designed to explain changes to the agricultural dedication tax programs and a new community food sustainability program, with requirements, tax benefits and deadlines.

KAʻŪ COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ACTION COMMITTEE MEETING ON WEDNESDAY IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC for testimony and listening. The agenda at 5 p.m. at Na'alehu Community Center includes:
    Letter to the Windward Planning Commission regarding the Black Sands Beach, LLC SMA application (PL-SMA-2023-000046) – Discussion and decision making on submitting the letter to the Windward Planning Commission.

     Egress and Ingress at Green Sands Subdivision Regarding Kaʻū CDP Policy 118, Section 5.7.2. – Discussion and decision-making on prioritizing Policy 118 regarding hazard mitigation and evacuation routes. 

    Pāhala Water Bottling Facility – Discussion and potential decision making on findings regarding the Pāhala Water Bottling Facility. 

    Ka Lae Coastline Access & Resources – Review and amend draft letter regarding protecting cultural sites and natural resources in the greater Ka Lae area, particularly Mahana Bay. 

    Discussion of Action Committee Meeting Cadence – Discussion and decisionmaking regarding the scheduling, logistics, and format of future meetings.

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KAʻŪ TROJANS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL hosts the first game of the season at home this Thursday, Aug. 15 at the Herkes Kaʻū District Gym. Kaʻū travels to Kea'au next Tuesday.

POLICE ARRESTED 16 FOR DUI during the week of Aug. 5 through 11. Hawai`i Island police arrested the motorists for driving under the influence of an intoxicant. Seven of the drivers were involved in a traffic accident. Two were under the age of 21.

    So far this year, there have been 594 DUI arrests compared with 589 during the same period last year, an increase of 0.85 percent.
    Hawai‘i Police Department’s Traffic Services Section reviewed all updated crashes and found 605 major crashes so far this year, compared with 523 during the same time last year, an increase of 15.7 percent.
    To date, there were 19 fatal crashes, resulting in 21 fatalities compared with 9 fatal crashes, resulting in 10 fatalities for the same time last year. This represents an increase of 111.1 percent for fatal crashes and 110 percent for fatalities.
    In 2024, the non-traffic fatality count (not on a public roadway) is zero compared to zero non-traffic fatalities for the same time last year.
    DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue island wide.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.

The Reunion features the screening of a PBS film Ka'u Sugar,
A Town Remembers on the history of the sugar plantation
 and the closing of the mill in 1996. It will also feature a film 
on history of the local coffee industry.