Kaʻū News Briefs Dec. 8, 2024

View from the music and food venue of the Makahiki last weekend at Punalu'u. Photo by Ulisses Feres

THE TRADITIONAL MAKAHIKI TIME OF THE HARVEST, a thanksgiving and coming together with food, ceremony and music, came to Punalu'u over the weekend, with double-hull canoe in the bay and feasting and music at the park pavilion.

Keiki learn to sail in a double hull canoe at Punalu'u during Makahiki over the weekend. Photo by Ulisses Feres

The musical group Huliau at the Makahiki at Punalu'u over the weekend. Photo by Ulisses Feres

Guy Sesson and friends with music for the Makahiki on Saturday and Sunday. Photo by Ulisses Feres

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The Thrift Store to support Ke Kula Nā ʻAʻaliʻi Kū Makani o Kaʻū opened on Saturday. Photo by Miki Moses

A STORE TO SUPPORT THE FIRST HAWAIIAN IMMERSION SCHOOL IN KAʻŪ opened on

Ti Chun and Pōkiʻi Seto shared their
music at the immersion school event.
Photo by Miki Moses

 Saturday with music, food and ceremony. Located on the grounds of the old Shirakawa Hotel in Wai'ohinu, the store is next to the planned school on the campus.
    Organizers of the school Ke Kula Nā ʻAʻaliʻi Kū Makani o Kaʻū also took enrollment for the Kū hāweo program where families come together to teach children as the school progresses toward certification.
    Donations of furnishings, arts, household goods and other items are welcomed. The opening follows a successful auction of items and a monetary donation from a family supporting the school. Winners of auction items came by to pick them up. 
    One of the school's founders, Raylene Auli'i Fujikawa Moses, said, "Mahalo nui to all the winners of our online auction who came yesterday to pick up their winnings and to everyone who supported the opening of our thrift store! We were blessed to have and enjoy the musical talents of Pōkiʻi Seto, Ti Chun, Kaukaohu Wahilani and Nakana Evans! Your generosity and kōkua play a vital role in uplifting the first Hawaiian Immersion kula here in Kaʻū. Together, we are nurturing the future of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and perpetuating our culture. Aloha nui loa!"

Kakaohu Wahilani played guitar and sang for the auction celebration and store opening. Photo by Miki Moses

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SOUTHERN-MOST ALASKA PICNIC: This is an annual event and organizers said they want to get the word out early. It is sponsored by folks who go back and forth between Alaska and Hawai'i Island to live, usually wintering here and spending summer in Alaska. This island is popular with Alaskans because of the similarity of places, with big mountains and vast open landscapes, small towns and a largely wilderness coast.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. TROJAN BOYS BASKETBALL was highly competitive in play against big schools in the Kealakehe High School Boys Basketball Tournament over the weekend. Kaʻū beat Waiakea 63-62 on Thursday. Trojans came up short with Kealakehe winning 63-62 on Friday. Kaʻū was competitive against Hilo High Saturday evening for the first three quarters. Trojans lost 65-40 to Hilo.     Trojan Boys Basketball team plays Hilo again on Tuesday at Herkes Kaʻū District Gym, with 5:30 p.m. start for JV, Varsity to follow.

Kaʻū News Briefs Dec. 7, 2024

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Rhonda Loh presents Friends of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park Chair & CEO
Elizabeth Fien a wooden plaque for the non-profit's 15 years of service supporting the Youth Ranger Program.
FHVNP Photo by Sydney Hartley

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park Ranger Wendy Vance, who

manages the visitor center for  Kahuku Unit, spends some time

 with Santa on Saturday at Holidays in Kahuku.

FHVNP Photo by Sydney Hartley

THE FIFTH ANNUAL HOLIDAYS IN KAHUKU saw Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Rhonda Loh present Friends of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park Chair & CEO Elizabeth Fien with a plaque honoring 15 years of the non-profit providing support for the Youth Ranger Program.    

    After the event, Fein said, "We love the community of Kaʻū. A huge mahalo to all that made this festival magical. The Kahuku Unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is a very special place indeed. We look forward to seeing everyone again next year!"                                  Holidays in Kahuku featured Santa, hula, music, food, crafts and hiking at the Kahuku Unit.

    Also on hand was Hawai'i Pacific Parks Association, which also recently received a plaque from Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park for its 15 years of supporting the Hawai'i Island Youth Ranger Internship Program.

See more on Friends of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park at https://www.fhvnp.org/

Kumu Meleana Manuel of Hālau Ke 'Olu Makani O Mauna Loa shares music during the annual Holidays in Kahuku. 

FHVNP Photo by Sydney Hartley

 

Hālau Ke 'Olu Maakani O Mauna Loa performed at Holidays in Kahuku on Saturday. FHVNP Photo by Elizabeth Fien

Santa came to Holidays at Kahuku on Saturday, an event sponsored by Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and Friends of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. FHVNP Photo by Sydney Hartley

Hawai'i Pacific Parks Association joined the Holidays in Kahuku festival on Saturday at the Kahuku Unit of 

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Photo by Julia Neal

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Darlyne and Winslow Vierra flew flags in Pāhala in memory of the fallen in Pearl Harbor. Photo by Julia Neal DARLYNE VIERRA AND HER KAʻŪ MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY FLEW MANY FLAGS on Saturday to honor those who died at Pearl Harbor. The presentation began at Pāhala and moved to Ocean View, then Nāʻālehu.  Kaʻū Multicultural Society's flags honored the fallen at Pearl Harbor on Saturday at the Nāʻālehu Memorial. Photo by Darlyne Vierra To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. TROJAN BOYS BASKETBALL was hard at play against big schools in the Kealakehe High School Boys Basketball Tournament this week. Trojans beat Waiakea 63-62 on Thursday. Trojans came up short with Kealakehe winning 63-62 on Friday. Kaʻū was set to play Hilo High Saturday evening. To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com.

Kaʻū News Briefs Dec. 6, 2024

Mouflon sheep will be the object of an ungulate survey by Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on Dec. 9
between 4,000 and 6,000 feet elevation. Photo from The Dragon, Honoka'a School Newspaper

FLIGHT OPERATIONS IN HAWAI'I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK for December include:
   December 9 between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. for ungulate survey at Kahuku Unit between 4,000- and 6,000-ft. elevation.
    December 16, 18, and 19 for transport of crew and equipment for fence replacement on Maunaloa between 4,000- and 6,000-ft. elevation.
    December 17 from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. for invasive tree control and mapping in the Kaʻū desert along the western park boundary between 1,200- and 1,900-ft. elevation.
    December 18 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. for fountain grass control and mapping along the western park boundary from sea level to 3,500-ft. elevation.
    USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory may conduct additional flight operations over Kīlauea and Maunaloa to assess volcanic activity and maintain instrumentation.
   "The park regrets any noise impact to residents and park visitors. Dates and times are subject to change based on aircraft availability and weather," says an HVNP statement. "Management of the park requires the use of aircraft to monitor and research volcanic activity, conduct search-and-rescue missions and law enforcement operations, support management of natural and cultural resources, and to maintain backcountry facilities."

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HOW HAVE ERUPTIONS SHAPED HAWAI'I? is the title of this week's Volcano Watch, written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. January is Volcano Awareness Month 2025, with a twist.

    USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitors the six currently active volcanoes in Hawai'i, but past eruptions have shaped all of the Hawaiian Islands. Join us in January 2025 for Volcano Awareness Month, an opportunity to learn about volcanic activity in Hawai'i over the past year and beyond, or—new for this upcoming edition—submit art or poetry recognizing Hawaii's volcanic history.
    From Lēʻahi (Diamond Head) on Oʻahu to the changing caldera at the summit of Kīlauea volcano on the Island of Hawaiʻi, our landscape is shaped by volcanic processes and events. 2024 has been another year of dynamic volcanic activity on the Island of Hawai'i, with Kīlauea eruptions occurring outside of Kaluapele (the summit caldera) for the first time since 2018. Multiple intrusions into the upper portions of the Southwest Rift Zone and East Rift Zone culminated in a one-day eruption southwest of the caldera on June 3, and an eruption in and near Nāpau Crater on the middle East Rift Zone from Sept. 15-20.

Volcano Awareness Month is organized each January by USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, along with close partners at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, Hawai'i County Civil Defense Agency, and other organizations. During January 2025, HVO will host talks and guided walks around the Island of Hawaiʻi to share information on a range of volcano-related topics. Come learn about volcanic activity and earthquakes over the past year, discover the island's extensive history of past eruptions and earthquakes, or hear how we monitor, map, and study volcanoes in Hawai'i.
    Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium will be closed this coming January, so instead of weekly After Dark in the Park presentations as in years past, HVO scientists will be doing talks and walks on Tuesdays in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Join HVO staff as they discuss the network of instruments monitoring Hawaii's volcanoes on Jan. 7, describe Kīlauea's ever-evolving summit caldera on Jan. 14, walk into the Whitney Vault (built in 1912 to host volcano monitoring equipment) on Jan. 21, or explain Kīlauea's explosive past during a guided walk on Jan. 28.
    Additional guided hikes will take place on Saturdays in January. Learn about the 1868 eruption while walking the Puʻu o Lokuana trail in the Kahuku Unit of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on Jan. 4. Hike to Maunaiki in the Kaʻū Desert of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park—which erupted in 1919–1920—on Jan. 18. On Jan. 25, trek the slopes of Hualālai to learn about unique trachyte deposits in Puʻuwaʻawaʻa Forest Reserve.
    Talks summarizing eruptive activity and earthquakes over the past year will take place at Cooper Center in Volcano village on Jan. 9, Pāhoa Public Library on Jan. 13, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo on Jan. 15, and Kailua-Kona Public Library on Jan. 22.

     Learn the art and science of geologic mapping in Hawai'i during a talk at the Volcano Art Center in Volcano village on Jan. 16. This program will be repeated at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo campus on Jan. 29.
    Other programs include a talk story opportunity with HVO staff at the Nāʻālehu Public Library on January 8, a talk in Pāhala on January 27 about earthquakes happening deep beneath that region since 2019, and a Geology Department open house at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo on January 24.
    Whether you can join us at an in-person Volcano Awareness Month event in January 2025 or not, we invite you to enter a new art and poetry contest, open January 1–20. Submit a haiku poem or art in any medium (but no larger than 16x24 inches in size) that is related to volcanic landscapes or eruptions in Hawaii. Winners in several categories will be announced in a "Volcano Watch" article at the end of January, and a selection of entries will be on display at a scientific conference on caldera-forming eruptions (such as Kīlauea's in 2018) being hosted in Hilo in February 2025.
    We hope to see you at a Volcano Awareness Month event in January 2025 and look forward to the art and poetry submissions! Learn more about January 2025 Volcano Awareness Month events and the art/poetry contest on HVO's website, or email askHVO@usgs.gov

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. VOLCANO ACTIVITY UPDATES: Kīlauea is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is ADVISORY. Over the past week, elevated earthquake rates beneath Kīlauea summit and upper East Rift Zone continued. About 130 earthquakes were located beneath the summit, and about 270 were located in the upper East Rift Zone. Earthquake rates beneath the middle East Rift Zone were more than double that of the previous week, with about 100 located events. Ground deformation rates in the summit region showed steady inflation over the past week, while ground deformation rates near the September 15-20 middle East Rift Zone eruption site have slowed. Future intrusive episodes and eruptions could occur with continued magma supply.     Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL.     Six earthquakes were reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M3.5 earthquake 23 km (14 mi) WNW of Maunaloa at 7 km (4 mi) depth on Dec. 3 at 1:53 p.m. HST, a M3.0 earthquake 16 km (9 mi) S of Volcano at 1 km (0 mi) depth on Dec. 3 at 1:17 a.m. HST, a M2.5 earthquake 8 km (4 mi) SSW of Honaunau-Napoopoo at 20 km (12 mi) depth on Dec. 2 at 7:04 a.m. HST, a M4.0 earthquake 17 km (10 mi) WNW of Volcano at 20 km (12 mi) depth on Nov. 30 at 8:40 a.m. HST, a M3.3 earthquake 13 km (8 mi) E of Pāhala at 28 km (17 mi) depth on Nov. 29 at 6:38 p.m. HST, and a M2.8 earthquake 19 km (11 mi) SE of Waimea at 22 km (14 mi) depth on Nov. 28 at 8:29 a.m. HST.    HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.    Visit HVO's website for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake information, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov. To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com.