Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Friday, Oct. 7, 2016

Nearly the entire school sat in a set of bleachers on one side of the new Ka`u District Gym
during opening ceremonies Wednesday. Photo by Ron Johnson

STAFF MEMBERS ARE IN TRAINING at the new Ka`u District Gym. They are learning about care of the wooden floors, maintenance and operation of bleachers, and working of the filtration system designed to keep the air as clean and cool as possible. An adjacent building that is air-conditioned will house residents in case of vog alerts.
      Designed and engineered by architectural firm Mitsunaga & Associates, the facility was built by Summit Construction over a four-year period.
      Scheduled events are expected to be announced later this month. Also anticipated is arrival of weight room equipment that will be available to students and residents.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Ka`u Learning Academy plans to add a classroom.
Photo from KLA

KA`U LEARNING ACADEMY OFFICIALS yesterday asked the Windward Planning Commission for more time to meet county requirements, Nancy Cook Lauer reported in West Hawai`i Today. The charter school plans to increase classroom space in order to increase enrollment.

      “There are some issues remaining, still some questions,” planner Jeff Darrow told Cook Lauer. “We’re getting more information to make sure the occupancy limits are met.”
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

HAWAI`I SUPREME COURT RULED in favor of a telescope planned for Haleakala on Maui. The decision follows one last year in which the court invalidated a permit for the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauka Kea. It found that the state did not follow proper procedures by not holding a contested case hearing before beginning of construction.

Hawai`i Supreme Court ruled in favor of another telescope
planned for Haleakala. Photo from Wikipedia

      Yesterday, the court issued two opinions related to the Maui project. By a 3-2 majority, the court affirmed the state Board of Land & Natural Resources’ decision in 2012 to grant a permit to build the telescope on Haleakala. It also unanimously agreed that the University of Hawai`i’s management plan for the summit provided a sufficient assessment of potential environmental impacts from the telescope.

      “We respect the court’s decisions and will consider them carefully to determine what impact, if any, they have on future matters before the state land board, including the Thirty Meter Telescope,” Hawai`i Attorney General Doug Chin said. “The justices continue to stress the importance of conducting a fair process for all projects on public lands.”
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

WHY EARTHQUAKE MEASUREMENT SOMETIMES CHANGE is explained by Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists in the current issue of Volcano Watch.

      “Characterizing earthquakes is one of the most important activities we do at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory,” the article states. “Seismicity helps us monitor the ‘pulse’ of volcanoes and can be a first indication of an impending eruption. 

      “Earthquakes also pose a hazard in their own right, and the entire state of Hawai`i is at risk from damaging earthquakes. They occur abruptly, so we must be vigilant and prepared.
      “HVO posts preliminary information about earthquake location and size (magnitude) as soon as possible after one occurs. Later, we update the information as more data becomes available. Sometimes the reported magnitude changes during this process.
      “When the earth shakes, vibrating seismic waves radiate outward from the source. These waves are picked up by sensitive instruments called seismometers, which are located across the state. Seismic data is relayed in near real-time to HVO, where computers trained to look for earthquake patterns keep watch around the clock. When four or more stations detect an earthquake, the computer automatically estimates the location and magnitude of the event.
      “If the earthquake magnitude is above 3.0, the computer posts the information to HVO’s website without human intervention. The USGS Earthquake Notification Service then alerts subscribers. This generally happens within five minutes of the earthquake.
      “HVO’s seismologists then spring to action to review the data. They recalculate the earthquake parameters and, if needed, overwrite the previously posted automatic ones. For magnitude-4.0 and higher earthquakes, we complete our manual review within two hours and issue a news release. Events smaller than magnitude-4.0 are reviewed routinely within a few days.

A seismogram illustrates the relation between amplitude and duration

of shaking, which is used by seismologists to compute

earthquake magnitudes. Image from USGS

      “Upon review by a seismologist, the earthquake’s magnitude can go up or down by a few tenths. Different groups, such as the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and the USGS National Earthquake Information Center, might also report slightly different magnitudes. To understand these differences, let’s review what magnitude means. 

      “The concept of earthquake magnitude dates back to 1935, when Charles Richter created a way to compare the relative sizes of earthquakes in southern California. He measured how the amplitude of shaking recorded by seismometers decreased with distance from an earthquake. Using the logarithm of the maximum amplitude, Richter was able to derive a scale that conveyed the wide range of earthquake sizes, which can vary by several orders of magnitude (hence the name). For example, on this scale, the amplitude of a magnitude-4.0 earthquake is ten times higher than that of a magnitude-3.0 earthquake.
      “Today, there are numerous types of earthquake magnitudes that take advantage of advances in seismic instrumentation and cover a wide range of situations. For earthquakes higher than about magnitude-5.5, the most common measure of magnitude is called moment magnitude, which relates fundamentally to the energy released by an earthquake's fault motion. For every 0.2 increase in moment magnitude, the energy doubles. For example, a magnitude-6.2 earthquake releases roughly twice as much energy as a magnitude-6.0 event.
      “For smaller earthquakes, like those that happen daily in Hawai`i, HVO computes two types of magnitude based on either the duration or amplitude of the shaking recorded by seismometers. Duration magnitude tends to work better for smaller earthquakes (less than about magnitude-2.0) that are located shallower than 20 kilometers (12 miles) beneath the surface. Amplitude magnitude, which is a modern-day formulation of Richter’s magnitude, works better for local earthquakes with magnitudes between about 2.0 and 5.5.
      “Any reported magnitude is actually an average of values computed for each seismometer that recorded the earthquake. These values vary depending on distance, direction, instrument and the type of material type along the seismic wave’s path. HVO seismologists evaluate which stations provide the most reliable and objective magnitude estimates, average them together and select either duration or amplitude as the preferred magnitude type for each event.
      “Magnitudes can change following a seismologist’s review and analysis of the computer’s automatic magnitude assignment. This process provides the best information available at any given time and offers a window into how the science of real-time seismology unfolds.
      “What matters more than a number, however, is what you do if you feel shaking during an earthquake. On Oct. 20, we encourage you to take part in the world’s largest earthquake preparedness exercise by practicing ‘Drop, Cover, and Hold On!’ during the Great Hawai`i ShakeOut.”
      See hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

A yard sale at tomorrow's pancake breakfast raises funds
to replace Ocean View Community Center's roof.

OCEAN VIEW’S PANCAKE BREAKFAST tomorrow includes a yard sale. Last Saturday’s sale was so well supported by donors that even highly desirable items went unsold. This will be a second chance for bargain hunters to unearth more treasures in the surplus inventory. If you missed Saturday’s event, be sure to attend the pancake breakfast on Saturday, from 8 – 11 a.m. at the community center on Leilani Circle. Most clothing items are priced at a dollar, and many household items at 50c. Proceeds will go towards a new roof for the community center.

LEARN ABOUT `OHI`A LEHUA SUNDAY at 9:30 a.m. at the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Participants learn about the vital role of the trees in native Hawaiian forests, its many forms and flower on this free, easy, one-mile walk.

See www.olvr.hawaii.gov for information about voting.

VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS MONDAY to participate in the Nov. 8 General Election. Registrants must have a current Hawai`i driver’s license or state ID to complete an application online at www.olvr.hawaii.gov.

      Applications are also available at libraries and post offices.
      Residents can also apply in person at the County Clerk’s office in Hilo. 

      See hiloelec@hawaiicounty.gov, or call 961-8277.

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

See kaucalendar.com.

See kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.html
and kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.pdf.

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Thursday, Oct. 6, 2016

Lava stalactites are visible hanging at right in Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's newly released footage
of volcanic activity at Kilauea's summit lava lake. Screenshot from USGS/HVO

DRAMATIC FOOTAGE OF KILAUEA’S ERUPTION is available from Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. The 11:14-minute video filmed between July 24 and July 31 features activity at the summit lava lake and HVO scientists studying the activity. They filmed in a hazardous area that has been closed to the public since the vent opened in March 2008. During filming, they wore respirators to avoid breathing noxious gases.
      USGS video producer Stephen Wessells told Caleb Jones, of the Associated Press, that when rocks break from the vents wall and fall into the lake, “there’s a big gas release, this big kind of bubble burst, and it will hurl fragments of molten lava … up onto the crater rim.”
      Such an event occurred at a location just a week after the crew filmed there.
“It was a very sobering moment,” HVO geologist Janet Babb told Jones.
      “It was the greatest shooting experience of my life,” Wessells said. “It was just spectacular.”

      To view the footage, click here.
      See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Activities for students and residents will soon be available
at the new Ka`u District Gym. Photo by Ron Johnson

ACTIVITIES ARE GEARING UP at the new Ka`u District Gym on Pahala’s school campus. The gym opened yesterday, and Hawai`i County Department of Parks & Recreation announced plans for various activities for children and adults.

      For students, the department will offer age group basketball, age group and exponent track & field and after-school activities and events.
      A recreation room will feature tables for ping pong table, pool and fooseball. Xbox games will also be available.
      Adults will be able to participate in volleyball and basketball. A weight room will also be open to adults as well as high school students. All users must sign a waiver/release form and sign in at the Recreation Office daily prior to use.
      Times and dates have not been announced.
      For more information, call Nona Makuakane or Elijah Navarro at 928-3102.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

All grade levels improve in 2016. Graph from HIDOE

HAWAI`I’S STUDENTS CONTINUE TO MOVE in the right direction in meeting higher expectations for college and career readiness. In its second year of administering a new, more rigorous testing standard, the state Department of Education this week released Smarter Balanced Assessments test scores in English Language Arts/Literacy and mathematics. First administered in spring of2015, the test is aligned to Hawai`i Common Core standards and replaced the Hawai`i State Assessments in math and reading.

      “The second year of results show incremental improvements, and our second year of data provides a solid foundation for comparisons moving forward,” said Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi. “Our schools are invested in the higher standards of this test, and we hope to build on our momentum each year to ensure that our students are prepared for college, careers and community life after high school.”

Kathryn Matayoshi

      The results show that 51 percent of students tested met or exceeded the achievement standard in ELA, up three percentage points from the previous year. In math, 42 percent of students tested met or exceeded achievement standards, up one percentage point from the previous year.

      The scores reflect the percentage of students who meet or exceed achievement standards. More than 90,000 students took the SBA, and Hawai`i had a 98 percent participation rate, up one percentage point from the previous year.
      SBA tests measure how well students are developing the skills needed for success in college or the workplace. On the basis of their 11th grade scores, 5,756 of this year’s public high school seniors already qualify for college-level classes. At 256 colleges and universities in ten states, including the University of Hawai`i System, students can use their SBA scores to be exempted from placement exams and to enroll directly into entry-level college courses, eliminating the need for remediation. These 256 colleges and universities represent 78 percent of the higher education institutions where members of the graduating class of 2015 enrolled.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

INTERESTED IN KA`U COFFEE PRODUCTION? An upcoming workshop focuses on the latest processing equipment, coffee berry borer control, crop nutrition, subsidy programs and legislative updates.
      The workshop takes place at Pahala Community Center on Saturday, Oct. 22 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch will be provided.
      RSVP to Laura Diaz at laura@ldomarket.com, 928-8188 or 408-306-5596.

Kaipo AhChong Photo from VAC

VOLCANO ART CENTER INVITES EVERYONE ages 15 and up to tropical flower arranging workshops with Hawaiian cultural practitioner Kaipo AhChong tomorrow and on the first Friday of November from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village is the site for the workshops.

      Tropical agriculture farmer and member of Halau Na Kamalei, AhChong shares his skills in this hands-on workshop. Explore color and texture in three dimensions with tropical flowers. Each class will result in an arrangement to take home and enjoy. Or, extend your Aloha to a friend or loved one with an arrangement you assembled yourself.
      Choose from an array of flowers like anthuriums, orchids, ti leaves, ginger and Heliconia, to name a few.
      Cleaned tropical flowers are provided, and the class fee is $45.
      Call 967-8222 to register.

TICKETS FOR TOMORROW’S OKTOBERFEST at St. Jude’s Church in Ocean View are available at the door. Prices of $8 per person, $15 for two or $20 for family include German food and music by the Last Fling Band. Doors for the event that supports community service programs open at 5:30 p.m.
      Call 939-7555 for more information.

Tom Peek

TOM PEEK PRESENTS WRITING ON THE WILD SIDE Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Class fee is $75, or $65 for VAC members.

      Hone your writing skills, explore your creative mind, and discover your unique voice in a new writing workshop with the popular Big Island writing teacher and award-winning novelist. Social media correspondents, bloggers, storytellers, journal writers and poets will find Peek’s stimulating techniques and exercises empowering.
      In his newest workshop, Peek offers a wealth of knowledge that writers can use in everyday social media sharing, including journaling and blogging. Writing on the Wild Side will help writers create prose that people actually want to read.
      Previous students have found Peek’s workshops to be engaging, informative and practical.
      Learn to silence your inner critic and unleash your expressive potential in this fun, fast-paced and provocative writing workshop. Open to all levels and genres. No writing experience is necessary.
      Peek has taught his popular workshops since 1991. A writer for over three decades, his work includes an award-winning novel, newspaper stories and commentaries, university publications, magazine articles, national park exhibits and award-winning video productions.

Noreen Naughton Photo from NPS

      Call 967-8222 to register.

NOREEN NAUGHTON OFFERS A PAINTING WORKSHOP SATURDAY. One of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s current artists-in-residence, Naughton will talk about her process of discovering the subject and how she arrives at abstraction while painting out in the park. She will also discuss creative process and how it works for her.

      The free workshop takes place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the lobby of the `Ohi`a Wing between Kilauea Visitor Center and Volcano House.
      Registration is required. Call Laura Schuster at 985-6130 or email laura_c_schuster@nps.gov.

      Park entrance fees apply.

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

See kaucalendar.com.

See kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.html
and kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.pdf.

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016

Ka`u High & Pahala Elementary School students join residents and dignitaries for this morning's
blessing and opening of Ka`u District Gym & Shelter. Photos by Ron Johnson

“FOR OUR CHILDREN AND THE FUTURE OF KA`U” is how Hawai`i County Mayor Billy Kenoi described the new Ka`u District Gym & Shelter this morning. When Kenoi introduced retired police officer Bobby Gomes to bless the facility, he described Gomes as representing “the best of Ka`u, the best of Hawai`i Island.” Gomes invited Pahala Holy Rosary Church’s Father Martin Mwanshibula to help him with the blessing. Both were present for the groundbreaking four years ago on Oct. 3, 2012.

      Principal Sharon Beck thanked everyone involved in the project. She said she had been working toward a new gym since 2007. The old gym did not meet sports standards, and other schools were not able to play there, she said. The 43,300 square foot gym has three basketball and volleyball courts, auxiliary sports facilities, a certified kitchen, meeting spaces and shelter facilities. It will be managed by Hawai`i County Department of Parks & Recreation for both school and public use.

Mayor Billy Kenoi greets students and residents at the gym.

      “Enjoy this gym forever, Punalu`u resident and volleyball Coach Guy Enriques said. Enriques, who launched the campaign for the new gym when he was Ka`u’s County Council member, said it is one of the best facilities in the state. “This is yours,” he said when addressing the crowd, which included current students at Ka`u High & Pahala Elementary School and many Ka`u residents. He described meeting with the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye at the White House when Inouye told him to build a “shelter that looks like and gym, and I’ll get you the money” for it. He said the result is evidence that “the country really works; the politics really works.”

      Ka`u’s Hawai`i County Council member Maile David related the event to the opening of Konawaena High's gym, where she graduated. She said she knows how it feels for the community to have such a facility.

Bobby Gomes and Father Martin Mwanshibula
bless the facility.

      Joanna Herkes, widow of state Rep. Bob Herkes, who fought for the facility, said her husband never missed a Ka`u High graduation ceremony, “and they were always inspiring. This gym is inspiring.” The Class of 2017 will be the first to graduate in the new building.

      Ka`u’s state Rep. Richard Creagan remembered Kenoi crossing the Ironman Triathlon finish line. Today, “you brought this gym across the finish line,” he said.
      After the speakers, Trojans were able to try out the court, throwing baskets and serving volleyballs. Those who made baskets or hit targets on the volleyball courts got to keep the balls they used.

Delighted keiki head through the gate to the gym's front door.

      Emcee at the opening was comedian Augie T. Other speakers included Will Okabe for Gov. David Ige, Ka`u’s state Sen. Russell Ruderman, state Sen. Kaiali`i Kahele (son of the late Sen. Gil Kahele) and Laurence “Cappy” Capellas, Jr., son of the late principal, for whom several residents are working to have the facility named after. Principal Capellas and Rep. Herkes were honored with portraits gracing the gym’s lobby. 

      Ka`u residents are invited to an open house at the gym today at 5 p.m.

      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE has cancelled a flash flood watch that was set to expire at 6 p.m. A moist air mass and an upper level disturbance threatened to trigger heavy rain capable of producing flash flooding.

      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

KA`U KAPAPALA KOA CANOE FOREST DRAFT MANAGEMENT PLAN is the topic of a meeting Saturday, Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Pahala Community Center.

      The forest is the state Department of Land & Natural Resources’ only officially recognized forest for development of koa canoe resources.
      The draft plan seeks to preserve and use the resource, which consists of more than 1,200 acres adjacent to Ka`u and Kapapala Forest Reserves.
      Hawai`i Forest Institute worked with the Hawai`i Forest Industry Association, Department of Land and Natural Resource Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Imi Pono and the Three Mountain Alliance to develop a draft plan for bringing youth to the forest for cultural and environmental education. The goal is to involve youth through cooperative programs with the state Department of Education, University of Hawai`i and other schools and educational institutions.
      The plan includes a background of the cultural, geological and biological characteristics of the Kapapala Forest Management Area, a vision for future youth educational opportunities through input from stakeholders, a summary of resources and needs and a list of projects directed toward realization of the vision.

Principal Sharon Beck thanked everyone involved in the project,
which she said has been a hope since 2007.

      Christopher Phillips, of Hawai`i Public Radio, described the forest as “a cultural and educational resource and link between land and sea, past and present. … Enthusiasm for the project can be felt in across communities of Ka`u beyond. It is the hope that this forest reserve can teach us all about the cultural importance of native forests, traditional stewardship and the importance of sustainable living.”

      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

KA`U’S U.S. CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATES are celebrating Filipino American History Month.

Ka`u's former County Council member and volleyball
Coach Guy Enriques worked with politicians
for funding of the $18 million project.

      “This month, we celebrate the vibrant culture, hard work and strong values of the Filipino American community,” Sen. Brian Schatz said. “For generations, Filipinos have made Hawai`i and the United States their home. From labor to business to arts and education, Filipinos have helped write the history of our state and our country.

      “Some of the most significant contributions came from the more than 200,000 Filipinos who fought alongside American service members during World War II. Far too many of them have still not received the basic veterans’ rights they earned. As we celebrate Filipino American History Month, we must continue our efforts to honor those brave Filipino veterans and their families by finally giving them the benefits and recognition they deserve.”

Students tried out the courts, making baskets and serving volleyballs.

      Sen. Mazie Hirono introduced a bipartisan resolution that acknowledges the key role Filipino Americans play in shaping our country.

      “This resolution pays tribute to the wide-ranging contributions that Filipino Americans have made to our country,” Hirono said. “Nearly 200,000 Filipino Americans, including Filipino World War II veterans who fought for the United States, enrich communities across Hawai`i every day. To honor them, we must see through the effort to award these veterans the Congressional Gold Medal and ensure that their eligible family members apply for the Obama Administration’s program to reunite with their parents and other relatives in the United States.”

The new Home of the Trojans hosted many speakers this morning,
including Ka`u's County Council member Maile David.

      Hirono has long advocated for the Filipino American community. In July, the Senate unanimously passed legislation authored by Hirono to award Filipino World War II veterans the Congressional Gold Medal. After years of advocacy by, the Obama Administration announced last May 2016 that it would create a parole program to reunite the families of Filipino World War II veterans. Hirono is now working with veterans groups and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to ensure that eligible family members apply for the program. Hirono also successfully prevented the Department of Veterans Affairs from taking funds from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund to pay for other projects.

      “For centuries, Filipino Americans have made exceptional contributions to U.S. businesses, culture and arts, government, technology, sports, health care, military and more,” Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said. “In Hawai`i, Filipino Americans have been integral to our history, from driving our plantation-based economy in the early 20th century to becoming leaders across every industry in our state. As we celebrate Filipino American History Month and the many positive contributions the Filipino community has made, we must also continue to fight for issues like family reunification and honoring our Filipino veterans. Three hundred and five members of Congress have supported my bill to award our Filipino World War II veterans with the Congressional Gold Medal, and I am continuing to work with my colleagues and our Filipino community to get this bill passed before the end of the year. With just 18,000 Filipino WWII veterans alive today, time is truly of the essence to honor these courageous men with the long overdue recognition they deserve.”

Attendees passed by portraits of Rep. Bob Herkes and former
Principal Laurence Capellas.

      The 2010 census showed that Filipinos surpassed Japanese as Hawai`i’s largest ethnic group. The total population of Filipinos was 342,095, of which 197,497 were full Filipinos, and the total population of Japanese was 312,292, of which 185,502 were full Japanese. An American Community Survey showed that Filipinos overtook Japanese between 2007 and 2008. 

      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

LEARN ABOUT THE S.N.A.P. PROGRAM and how to apply tomorrow from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Pahala Community Center. The purpose of USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is to put healthy food within reach.
      For more information, call 929-8571 or 933-6030.

St. Jude's hosts Oktoberfest Friday.

OKTOBERFEST IS FRIDAY at St. Jude’s Church in Ocean View. The event features bratwurst, sauerkraut, boiled potatoes, dessert, beverages and music by the Last Fling Band. Tickets for $8 per person, $15 for two or $20 for family are available at the door, which opens at 5:30 p.m. Proceeds help with community service programs.

      Call 939-7555 for more information.

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

See kaucalendar.com.

See kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.html
and kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.pdf.