Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reaches out to Ka`u tomorrow with a Volcano Awareness Month program at Ocean View Community Center.
Photo from USGS/HVO

KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL AND HO`OMALU KA`U are two of 138 programs chosen to receive funding and other resources from Hawai`i Tourism Authority through its Product Enrichment Programs for 2014.
      The PEP consists of three HTA programs: County Product Enrichment Program, Kukulu Ola: Living Hawaiian Culture Program and Natural Resources Community-Based Program in partnership with Hawai`i Community Foundation. There were 91 CPEP programs, 22 LHCP programs and 25 NRCBP programs that were selected in 2014.

Preliminary work on the site of the Ka`u Heritage Center can begin with funding
from Hawai`i Tourism Authority. Photo by Shalan Crysdale

      Ka`u Coffee Festival is receiving funding through the County Product Enrichment Program, while Ho`omalu Ka`u's funds come from the Natural Resources Community-Based Program. Ho`omalu Ka`u’s Manuka Land Protection Project will complete a biological survey, an archaeological survey and fencing to keep out ungulates on 15 acres on Mamalahoa Hwy in Manuka, where the nonprofit organization is planning the Heritage Center of Ka`u.
      “Our Product Enrichment Programs provide us with the unique opportunity to support community events and programs that our residents are able to enjoy, while also drawing visitors to experience our host and multi-cultures and vast natural resources,” said Mike McCartney, president and CEO of HTA. “Through our collective efforts with the four counties and the Hawai`i Community Foundation, we are able to provide unique experiences that highlight our greatest assets – our people, place and culture.”
      In line with HTA’s Strategic Plan to support Hawai`i’s community programs and events, the goal of PEP is to support community-based programs that enhance visitor experiences, as well as create opportunities for economic development, natural resources management and perpetuation of the Hawaiian culture. HTA, together with the four counties, their visitors’ bureaus, HTA’s marketing partners and Hawai`i Community Foundation, is working with the recipients to align with the branding of their respective island, set forth by HTA.
      Other local programs chosen for CPEP funding are Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s Hawai`i Volcanoes Institute program called Inspirational Experiences in the Great Outdoors and Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s Hula Arts at Kilauea.
      Big Island Invasive Species Committee’s program called Healing the Land; Awakening the People, which BIISC said enhances the visitor experience by controlling and preventing the spread of invasive species through tourism activities on Hawai`i Island, also was chosen for funding through NRCBP.

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KA`U’S COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER BRENDA FORD is bringing her bill that would ban all genetically modified crops back for discussion, according to a story in today’s Hawai`i Tribune-Herald. It had been on the agenda of today’s Public Safety and Mass Transit Committee meeting, but Ford, who chairs the committee, is ill and has postponed the discussion.
      The County Council originally voted down Ford’s bill last September, but a Council rule kept the bill alive after the vote, according to the Tribune-Herald story. Because it involved the county’s Environmental Management Department, the bill was sent to the Environmental Management Commission for review. The commission gave it a negative recommendation on Oct. 30.
      The Council approved a different GMO bill by Kohala Council member Margaret Wille, and Mayor Billy Kenoi signed Bill 113 into law on Dec. 5 of last year.
      While Bill 113 allows exemptions for some GMO crops already being grown, Ford’s Bill 109 would ban all GMO crops and require their removal within 30 months.

Ka`u residents can meet Sen. Josh Green
and other Hawai`i Island legislators
at a forum in Kona next Tuesday.

      Ford told reporter Tom Callis that she doesn’t expect it to pass and defended bringing her bill back while the county is beginning implementation of Bill 113. “I don’t think it’s a waste of time,” she said, adding the Council needs to have a discussion about “where we go from here.”
      According to Callis, Wille said she supports having Ford’s bill discussed again. “I just see it as an opportunity to look ahead,” Wille said.
      Council Chair J Yoshimoto told Callis, “I think we’re done. We spent a lot of time on testimony.”
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THE MILITARY IS HIRING CULTURAL EXPERTS in their management of Mauna Loa And Mauna Kea lands where it conducts exercises and war games.
      The job description states that cultural resources technicians provide day-to-day support in implementing the Island of Hawai`i Cultural Resource Program Scope of Work.
      The technicians perform assigned tasks to implement programs developed by the Cultural Resources Program Manager for U.S. Army Hawai`i and supports all fieldwork, including accompanying cultural accesses, monitoring, pedestrian survey, data collection and input and coordination of assigned tasks/projects. They also become familiar with installation plans, undertakings and cultural studies and inventories.
      For more information, see rcuh.com or contact Ana Tejeda at 969-3340 or atejeda@hawaii.edu.
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A COMMUNITY FORUM WITH Hawai`i Island state legislators is set for next Tuesday, Jan. 14, at Old Kona Airport Park’s Maka`eo Pavilion. West Ka`u Sen. Josh Green and others will discuss what they will be working on during the upcoming legislative session. The forum begins at 6 p.m.
      The new, but yet unnamed, state representative replacing Denny Coffman from District V will be invited and is expected to participate. Members of the County Council have also been invited to report and discuss County activities.
      Following their presentations, the legislators will participate in a panel discussion moderated by Sherry Bracken and will answer written questions from the audience.
      Pupus and beverages will be served. For more information, call John Buckstead at 326-9779 or email jbuckstead@hawaii.rr.com.
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Little League is coming to Ocean View.

LITTLE LEAGUE HAS BEEN LAUNCHED in Ocean View for boys between the ages of nine and 12. The team, the Ocean View Islanders, is coached by Guy Delumeau with assistance from Rod Ducosin, both Ocean View residents. The team practices every Wednesday at 4 p.m. at the Ocean View field at Kahuku County Park. Ducosin said approximately ten players are coming to practice. The team needs more players. All players’ parents or guardians must sign registration papers and pay a $35 fee to join Little League. He said that fundraisers are planned for the youth who cannot afford the equipment and fees and that donations are greatly welcomed. The team is holding raffles, with the current item a 32-inch screen television. More raffles are planned in the future. In Ka`u, both Pahala and Na`alehu have teams. The season begins in March. For more information, call Delumau at 345-0332 or Ducosin at 808-445-6818.
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HAWAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL HOLDS ITS first regular meeting of the New Year tomorrow at 9 a.m. at Council Chambers in Hilo. Ka`u residents are urged to participate via videoconferencing at Ocean View Community Center.

THE ART OF LEI MAKING IS THE TOPIC tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, with Ab Kawainohoikala`i Valencia and Puamae`ole O’Mahoney.

BLAISE DE LIMA, A STAFF MEMBER from U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s office, meets with constituents and assists with casework and other issues tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. Call 541-1986 for more information.

AS PART OF VOLCANO AWARENESS MONTH, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory volcanologist Frank Trusdell discusses Mauna Loa’s eruptive history and current status tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center.

KA`U HOSPITAL URGES RESIDENTS to complete its Community Health Needs Assessment at surveymonkey.com/s/93HQ5MX. The deadline has been extended to Jan. 31.

SEE THE DIRECTORY from the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce at http://snack.to/fzpfg59c.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

Ka`u News Briefs Monday, Jan. 6, 2014

`Aina Koa Pono promised the latest technology and jobs for rural Ka`u, similar to promises by Range Fuels, a failed energy project in
Georgia that was mentioned on 60 Minutes last night in a segment called The Cleantech Crash. Image from ainakoapono.com

SIXTY MINUTES, THE CBS NEWS PROGRAM, last night broadcast a segment called The Cleantech Crash. It featured chemical engineer and biofuels specialist Robert Rapier, who helped Big Island community groups, The Ka`u Calendar and local government analyze `Aina Koa Pono’s proposal to install a biofuel farm between Pahala and Na`alehu and a refinery on the edge of Wood Valley. AKP proposed to sign a contract to sell high-priced fuel to the electric utilities. The proposal was turned down late last year by the state Public Utilities Commission.

Robert Rapier, a chemical engineer and biofuels expert, helped guide community groups
and the county to study AKP. See him on 60 Minutes from last night's segment called
The Cleantech Crash. See cbsnews.com/viedos/the-cleantech-crash. Photo from CBS

           On Aug. 16, 2012, Rapier sent an email to The Ka`u Calendar, writing, “To me, the most important item is to protect ratepayers if (AKP) they fail to deliver. That’s what I consider absolutely unacceptable, but I worry about it. They build a plant, it fails to deliver, and they push through a surcharge to pay for a failed plant. Utilities do things like that all the time.”

           He also asked the question, “Would tying up one power plant fuel contract for 20 years set a precedent for other power plants around the state? I.e., if the Keahole power plant’s fuel oil costs raise electric rates in O`ahu, Maui and Hawai`i Counties for the single power plant, what if Hawaiian Electric Co. wanted to do the same for X number of power plants around the three counties it services? How many oil-burning power plants are there in Hawai`i, outside of Kaua`i?” (Kaua`i is not a HECO island).
           Rapier also asked other questions, such as why a process similar to the one chosen by AKP did not result in a contract in Wyoming and pointed to a local paper there at wyomingnews.com/articles/2007/02/11/news/local_news/02local_02-11-07.txt.
           He also wrote to The Ka`u Calendar saying, “I think there are definitely cheaper ways than this of producing electricity. Just combusting biomass for electricity is a cheaper way to make it. HELCO of course wants a liquid fuel so they can continue to use their infrastructure, but it isn’t going to be cheap, nor is it going to be environmentally sound. I say the latter because the energy balance of this process can’t be good, which has the potential to increase – not decrease – fossil fuel consumption.
           “On the other hand, I think it’s important for companies to get long-term fuel contracts like this in order to convince investors to invest. But my problem with this case is that promises are being made that can’t be kept. This technology is oversold. It does not produce a ‘drop-in’ diesel fuel. It produces a very low-grade oil that can be upgraded – at great expense – to diesel in very low yields.”

Investor Vinod Khosla founded Range Fuels.
Photo from wikipedia

           In regard to AKP’s contract with Mansfield Oil, which the company is still saying it will attempt to fulfill by manufacturing transportation fuel and selling it to the mainland company, Rapier wrote, “Getting a fuel contract is nothing. I can get a fuel contract without ever producing any fuel. The question to ask is ‘Has fuel been delivered? Can I have a sample of it for testing?’ That’s when the story will break down.” 

       Rapier also told The Ka`u Calendar that he would personally research more on AKP if it attempted to use government funding for its projects. AKP, to date, has said it uses no government funding for its biofuels venture.
      On the 60 Minutes segment called The Cleantech Crash, Rapier focused on mainland projects that used taxpayers’ money for such ventures as Range Fuels, a failed biofuel company set up in a needy rural community and touted as an economic savior for jobs, in much the same way as AKP promoted locally. Range Fuels, which aimed to use trees to make biofuel, created a boom and bust economy, leaving the tiny town of Soperton, Georgia in no better and perhaps worse shape than before the biofuels venture. However, a New Zealand company has bought the defunct factory and plans to make fuel and plastics.
      On 60 Minutes, Range Fuels’ founder Vinod Khosla, a Silicon Valley billioinaire and investor in some 50 energy projects, used a slogan similar to an AKP statement for his latest KHiOR biofuels project. In explaining the wood chips-to-energy process, Khosla said, “Nature takes a million years to produce our crude oil; KHiOR can produce it in seconds.” He also explained that the process adds “this magic catalyst and then out comes something that looks like crude oil.” 

      AKP’s website at ainakoapono.com says that AKP “is aimed at cracking dependence on fossil fuel by using a microwave process to compress to 50 minutes the millions of years it takes nature to convert biomass into crude oil.”
      AKP also says its process needs an imported catalyst to produce the biodiesel.

      In the 60 Minutes interview, Dr. Steven Koonin, a former U.S. Under Secretary of Energy who has a physics degree from Caltech and a doctorate from MIT, weighed in on the wave of energy investments. He said there has been a lot of arrogance among biofuels venture capitalists. He said venture capitalists have underestimated the risks in the energy market. He pointed out that venture capitalists usually want to get in and out in three to five years. He also noted that there is an expectation that nine out of every ten startups will fail. 

      On 60 Minutes, Rapier pointed out that many of the venture capitalists getting into energy in recent years had little background in energy. “You know Khosla is very smart, but would you let him operate on your heart? No, because that is not his area of expertise.”
      He said the Khosla and other venture capitalists got caught up in their own hype. Khosla, for example, “over-promised and under-delivered, and so the public and the politicians all developed unreasonable expectations.”
      See the 60 Minutes segment at cbsnews.com/videos/the-cleantech-crash.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

HAWAI`I COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT’S statistics for 2013 automobile accidents show decreases in most categories as compared to 2012.

      Major accidents in 2013 numbered 1,326 compared with 1,466 in 2012, a decrease of 9.5 percent.
      There were 25 fatalities on Hawai`i Island compared with 38 fatalities in 2012, a decrease of 34.2 percent.
      Thirteen fatalities in 2013 were related to drugs only, alcohol only or a combination of both, compared with 28 in 2012.
      There were 308 drivers arrested for driving under the influence of an intoxicant who were involved in traffic accidents in 2013 compared with 352 in 2012, a decrease of 12.5 percent.
      There were 123 drivers arrested for driving under the influence of an intoxicant who were under the age of 21 in 2013 compared with 104 in 2012, an increase of 18.3 percent.

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Ka`u's Council member Brenda Ford wants to get water
to Ocean View's Kahuku Park in 2014.

HAWAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL HOLDS its first meetings of the New Year this week. A special meeting at 8:15 a.m. tomorrow is expected to go into executive session as requested by chair J Yoshimoto. A 2/3 vote is necessary to hold an executive session. The Council will consider hiring of a legislative auditor and conduct interviews of the top three applicants during this meeting. Members will also consult with Council’s attorney on questions and issues pertaining to the Council’s powers, duties, privileges, immunities and liabilities. 

      Governmental Relations & Economic Development Committee meets tomorrow at 11 a.m. On the agenda is Council member Margaret Wille’s proposal to establish “HIPP” (“Hawai`i Island Produce and Products”) as the logo for Hawai`i Island; and in the case of organic produce and products, “HIPP-O” (“Hawai`i Island Produce and Products - Organically Grown”).
      The Planning Committee meets at 1:45 p.m. to discuss Ka`u Council member Brenda Ford’s bill relating to the maximum amount of lots permitted in a subdivision. It adds a new section to the County Code requiring that the square footage of certain improvements and features within a subdivision be subtracted from the total land size of the subdivision prior to determination of the maximum amount of lots permitted within that subdivision.
      Other committees meeting tomorrow are Public Works & Parks & Recreation at 1:30 p.m., Finance at 2:30 p.m. and Public Safety & Mass Transit at 3:30 p.m.
      The regular Council meeting begins at 9 a.m. Wednesday. One agenda item is Council member Brenda Ford’s proposal adding the Parks and Recreation Kahuku Park Main Water Line Improvements project for $150,000 to the Capital Budget. Funds would be used to plan and construct a main water line from Ocean View Well Number One to Kahuku Park.
      Funds for this project would be provided from general obligation bonds, capital projects fund balance and/or other sources.
      All meetings take place at Council Chambers in Hilo. Ka`u residents can participate via videoconferencing at Ocean View Community Center.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Tomorrows's After Dark in the Park program features geologist
Tim Orr. Photo from USGS/HVO

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY GEOLOGIST Tim Orr reviews highlights from the past 31 years of eruption on Kilauea’s east rift zone and talks about recent developments tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. $2 donations support park programs; park entrance fees apply. 

AB KAWAINOHOIKALA`I VALENCIA and Puamae`ole O’Mahoney share the art of lei making Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

BLAISE DE LIMA, A STAFF MEMBER from U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s office, meets with constituents and assists with casework and other issues Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. Call 541-1986 for more information.

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW THE VOLCANO IN YOUR BACKYARD? is the title of a program Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. USGS volcanologist Frank Trusdell discusses Mauna Loa’s eruptive history and current status.

KA`U HOSPITAL URGES RESIDENTS to complete its Community Health Needs Assessment atsurveymonkey.com/s/93HQ5MX. The deadline has been extended to Jan. 31.

SEE THE DIRECTORY from the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce at http://snack.to/fzpfg59c.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014

Ka`u Coffee Farms are not only famous, they help protect water resources and prevent desertification.
Photo by Julia Neal

"THE KA`U DISTRICT IS AN EXAMPLE of change in local climate. Thousands of trees have been planted there during the past 40 years. The region around Pahala has been reforested with macadamia trees and windbreaks. It was transformed from a dry, dusty region known for its incessant winds into a green and productive oasis.” This is the conclusion of Norm Bezona, once an agronomist at Ka`u Sugar. Bezona himself planted a collection of trees in the open space in the middle of Pahala, with a cork tree, bat-pollinated sausage tree and many other tropical trees among them creating a park-like setting on the grounds of what is now Royal Hawaiian Orchards and Pahala Plantation Cottages - the old Sasaki Store and Ka`u Meat Market.

Macadamia trees on Olson Trust lands protect the watershed and create
compost. Photo from olsontrust.com

     In his 2014 outlook on Hawai`i Island and the planet, first printed in West Hawai`i Today, Bezona writes about his New Year’s resolution that fits well with the multicultural, economic and environmental diversity of Ka`u, which can be an example for others. Writing mostly about others, Bezona says:
     “Humans seem to be hardwired to exclude. We tend to think of our team versus their team or our tribe is better than your tribe. We live in exclusive neighborhoods and go to exclusive schools or clubs, and others don’t. We tend to think having lots of material things makes us better than someone with less. The recent movie, The Wolf of Wall Street, is a good example of materialism carried to the extreme. This kind of mindset makes us vulnerable to an ‘us versus them’ way of thinking that affects our spiritual, political and cultural point of view. It can breed cynicism, fear and hate.
      “How do we diffuse the constant bombardment of negativity we experience? It’s not easy, but we can practice in our everyday life by being aware of what isolates us from one another. Prayer and meditation can help us find balance. When it comes to politics, to think inclusively is to respect the other person’s point of view even when it is different than ours. When it comes to humans in general, remember there is only one race: the human race.

      “Comedian Frank DeLima put in bluntly, and I will paraphrase: When every culture is reflected in your family tree, it’s hard to find anyone to hate. We are blessed in Hawai`i, where we have many cultures and religious philosophies coming together. It gives us an opportunity to practice inclusiveness. Our multicultural community is reflected in our landscapes.

MacFarms macadamia orchards help prevent deserts in Ka`u and
South Kona. Photo from macfarms.com

      “Let’s look at how we can learn some lessons from our gardens, parks and forests. We can focus on the value of planting and protecting native trees, but recognize the value of plants that have been brought by Polynesians, folks from Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia and other regions. Our gardens reflect the cultural diversity of our people.
      “We can view plants we see as weeds in a broader sense by seeing they are really pioneer species trying to heal the wounds created by human or animal activity or natural disturbances such as flood, drought, lava flows and fires. If we find ourselves or our environment out of balance, we can approach the issue without fear or anger, but determine the role we can play to achieve connection, balance and aloha.
      “We know our planet is suffering from climate change and deforestation, but what can we do to reverse this trend? Parts of China, Africa and India are examples of vast areas that were deforested over the centuries. However, more damage has been done in the past 50 years than in the past several centuries. Untold numbers of species have been lost and climates altered.

      “How does thinking inclusively affect what we plant? We have a much broader palette of plants to use if we think outside the box. New reforestation projects often require drought-hardy species such as eucalyptus and neem, or fast growing types such as bamboo. Whatever trees we use, we need to start soon. Much of the tropics could become desert if this deforestation and climate change continues. Imagine how our island appeared when the first Polynesians set foot on it. There were forests covering the Kohala Mountains, Mauna Kea, Hualalai and much of Mauna Loa. Dryland forests extended to Kawaihae. It is time to reverse the trend of deforestation. It would be difficult to replant these vast areas with only native trees since we can’t be certain what was here before the first humans. Besides, the climate has probably changed since those ecosystems were destroyed.
      “Some advantages to planting forests are reducing wind velocity and erosion; preserving forest watersheds, native ecosystems and recreation opportunities; and, of course, tying up some of the excess carbon in our atmosphere.

Royal Hawaiian Orchards macadamia orchards are also home for bees
that help increase production of many agricultural crops.
Photo by Julia Neal

      “Forests and their effect on climate are nothing new, but as important as they are, they have not been put to use as much in Hawai`i as they should be. A primary purpose of forests is to reduce wind velocities to a degree that will provide protection. Some secondary effects of reducing wind velocity are temperature modification, increased humidity and reduced evaporation in the protected area. This reduces dust problems and supplies shelter and food for wildlife. They also add beauty.”
      In addition to the orchards of Ka`u, Bezona points out that “lava flows of West Hawai`i are being transformed by urban reforestation to create parks, gardens and golf courses. This means jobs for landscapers, gardeners and plant nurseries. Hamakua, Kohala, Waimea and Waikoloa also could benefit from this kind of long-range planning and planting. Unfortunately, trees take years to grow, and we too often think in terms of short-term profits.
      “Around East Hawai`i, forests of macadamia, banana, rambutan and other tropical fruit are sprouting up where sugarcane lands were abandoned. Giant timber bamboos could be grown as well. Many bamboos are easily maintained and extremely ornamental. Landscaping coastal lava fields to golf courses and homes planted with trees is not popular with some folks, but this too is urban forestry.
      “In many ways, we are on the track to create a better balanced environment, but it is important to continue to make a difference with cool heads and warm hearts. We can do this best by working together with respect and remembering we are all on this planet and need to treat it and each other in a consciously sustainable and inclusive manner.”

TO HELP MAKE THE NEW YEAR GREENER, the Solid Waste Division of the Department of Environmental Management is offering treecycling. Through Jan. 31, Ka`u residents may leave trees in the designated area at Wai`ohinu transfer station. Attendants will direct the public to the proper drop-off point. 

      Trees should be free from all decorations, lights, tinsel and ornaments. Artificial or flocked trees are not accepted.
      In addition, residents may recycle Kadomatsu decorations, which are normally a combination of bamboo, pine and flowers. Kadomatsu is a tradition that began 600 years ago in Japan as a way of offering luck in the New Year.
      For more information on recycling, visit www.hawaiizerowaste.org or call the Solid Waste Division Office at 961-8270.

SAFETY, EFFICIENCY AND PROTECTION OF DARK NIGHT SKIES are being taken into account in design of exterior lighting at the Ka`u Gym and Disaster Shelter, according to Hawai`i County Energy coordinator Will Rolston. “We are planning to install the new LED lights, fully shielded, in the parking lot,” he said. Rolston said these advanced lights will have a filter that restricts 98 percent of blue light, which is the wavelength that scatters in the atmosphere, mostly due to water particles, and mitigates the dark skies that the astronomy sector relies on. He said the lights should prevent most of the glare created by conventional lighting and put the most light on the ground. The lights also would improve safety through a more visible light spectrum. They are more efficient, as well, using half the wattage of the previous lighting requirement.
      David Yamamoto, Building chief from Department of Public Works, is overseeing the construction and working with Traffic Department chief Ron Thiel as well as lighting consultant Robert Billingsley on design of the lighting.

Frank Trusdell presents a Volcano Awareness Month program
Wednesday at Ocean View Community Center.
Photo from USGS/HVO

AS PART OF VOLCANO AWARENESS MONTH, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory offers two programs this week. At After Dark in the Park on Tuesday, geologist Tim Orr reviews highlights from the past 31 years of eruption on Kilauea’s east rift zone and talks about recent developments. The program begins at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. $2 donations support park programs; park entrance fees apply. 

      How well do you know the volcano in your backyard? USGS volcanologist Frank Trusdell discusses Mauna Loa’s eruptive history and current status Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center.

KA`U HIGH GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAMS hosted Honoka`a yesterday. In Junior Varsity, Deisha Gascon scored Ka`u’s 6 points, while 

Honoka`a came up with 44
. 

Varsity 
also lost 32 – 65. Denisha Navarro was high-point scorer, with 9 points.

KA`U HOSPITAL URGES RESIDENTS to complete its Community Health Needs Assessment atsurveymonkey.com/s/93HQ5MX. The deadline has been extended to Jan. 31.

SEE THE DIRECTORY from the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce at http://snack.to/fzpfg59c.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.