Kaʻū News Briefs, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022

A Punalu'u Coastal Access & Resources Subcommittee has been set up by the Kaʻū Community Development Plan Action Committee, along with other committees to study Green Sands Beach, Pohue Bay and Kupuna Housing.
Punalu'u Photo by Peter Anderson

KAʻŪ COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ACTION COMMITTEE set up Investigative Subcommittees on Wednesday on four topics, three of them concerning the Kaʻū Coast. The subcommittees are Punalu'u Coastal Access & Resources, Green Sand Beach Coastal Access & Resources, Pohue Bay Coastal Access & Resources and Kupuna Housing for Na'alehu. The Action Committee also named its Chair, Leina'ala Enos, Vice Chair Pernell Hanoa and Secretary Catherine Smith.
    The coastal subcommittees relate to the Kaʻū Community Development Plan's Implementation Actions. One of the Actions listed for its Guide, is to "Pursue potential synergistic projects," including, "Develop and implement plans for Punalu'u." It says, "Punalu'u features a unique combination of significant resources: ecological (turtle nesting, wetlands), cultural (historic sites, natural beauty), recreational (shoreline access and trail, beach park, fishing, boat launch, golf course," and economic (boat launch, vacation rentals). However, not all of these resources are sufficiently protected or actively managed."

    The Guide also notes that "Punalu'u is in the State Urban district, and it is zoned for residential and resort development (both by the County and Department of Hawaiian Home Lands). However, the existing water and wastewater system infrastructure appears to be in poor condition and significant maintenance, repairs and upgrades may be necessary. Moreover, portions of Punalu'u for development are vulnerable to hazards, including wildfire, floods, tsunamis, and sea level rise."
    The Punalu'u Subcommittee is comprised of Pernell Hanoa, Jesse Ke, Kaweni Ibara and Kaohinani Mokuhali'i. Green Sand Beach Subcommittee is comprised of Leina'ala Enos, Babette Morrow, Jason Masters and Kaweni Ibarra. Pohue Bay Subcommittee is comprised of Jason Masters, Catherine Williams and Pernell Hanoa. The Kupuna Housing Subcommittee is comprised of Leina'ala Enos, Babette Morrow and Jason Masters.
    The subcommittees are set up to engage with the community, government, stakeholders and others and to bring its ideas back to the Action Committee, which serves as an advisor to the county Planning Department and its Director. Representatives of the Planning Department attended the meeting and vowed to provide its resources.
    In suggesting the Punalu'u subcommittee, Hanoa said he envisions exploring "What kind of development want to see there and not see, and malama the coast. Only got one Punalu'u. If it's gone," there is nowhere else with easy access to the coast. "If you're from Kaʻū, you spend time down at Punalu'u and your 'Ohana spends time there." He said that he and others working on the future of Punalu'u want to get the community more involved." Ke said that Punalu'u is "so important" for her, her children and grandchildren. "What happens if we lose it?"
     Masters suggested the Pohue Bay subcommittee and mentioned the irony of Pohue being a place where no one can easily drive; Punalu'u is a place with easy driving access for the community, and Green Sands Beach is a place with no easy access but people drive there all the time anyway. Regarding Pohue, Hanoa said the National Park Service, which recently purchased more than 16,000 acres around Pohue, wants feedback, input, how to make Pohue accessible, "make it safe, malama the place."

Members of the Kaʻū Community Development Plan Action Committee met at Pāhala on Wednesday
and take their next meeting, Wednesday, Dec. 7 to Nāʻālehu Clubhouse at 5 p.m., public invited.
Photo by Julia Neal

    Enos talked about her concern for Green Sands Beach. She noted the recent San Francisco Gate article bringing the issue of its overcrowding and desecration "to the forefront." Enos said everyone knows people who desecrate and people who want to stop it." She said people depend on the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the county to manage the place, but that the people need to be more involved.
    Enos also suggested the Kupuna Housing subcommittee and suggested working with O Kaʻū Kakou, the community organization which has raised funds and purchased land for the project in Nāʻālehu.
    Other topics that could become the focus of subcommittees in the future included the fate of Na'alehu Theatre, suggested by Williams, and the future of the Kalaiki Road, the old sugar cane haul road between Pāhala and Nāʻālehu that is frequently washed out. Mokuali'i, who suggested the topic, said that the road is experiencing more traffic from visitors and people who have purchased subdivided property along its path. The county is taking care of a small part of the road above Nāʻālehu and ranchers have been helping after flooding to fix the rest. With continued traffic and erosion, she said, it is becoming more dangerous. She noted that without it there would be no access between Pāhala and Nāʻālehu when Hwy 11 is closed.

    The next Kaʻū Community Development Plan Action Committee meeting is set for Wednesday, Dec. 7, 5:30 p.m. at Nāʻālehu Clubhouse, next to the Nāʻālehu Ballpark. The public is invited. Testimony is allowed. The Wednesday meeting was in Pāhala and the Action Committee vowed to take its meetings around the district.
    In depth information on the Kaʻū Community Development Plan and other resources are available in the online Community Development Plan Action Committee folder in the County of Hawai'i Public Documents Repository at https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/weblink/1/fol/88959/Row1.asp.The documents may also be requested from the Planning Department by calling (808) 961- 8288 or emailing cdp@hawaiicounty.gov.

In the mail, on stands and at www.kaucalendar.com

Kaʻū News Briefs, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022

Trojan Girls Volleyball captured third this season in islandwide high school finals at Kealakehe on Tuesday, upending Kohala in four sets, under Coach Josh Ortega. Photo by Josh Ortega

KAʻŪ HIGH GIRLS VOLLEYBALL TEAM BEAT Kohala High at Kealakehe on Tuesday, giving the Trojans the title of third in their division in the 2022 islandwide Big Island Interscholastic Federation championships. The Trojans move on to the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association state tournament.
    The Trojans took down Kohala Tuesday in in four sets, losing the first set and then coming back with 25-10, 25-21, and 25-20. Leahi Kaupu nailed 13 Kills and 1 Ace. Jaydah Pilanca-Emmsley 5 Kills and 2 Aces; Jazmyn Navarro 4 Kill and 3 aces; Kiya Hashimoto 11 Kills and 3 Aces; Kamalyn Jara 3 Kills and 2 aces; Tehani-Mae Espejo-Navarro 1 Kill and 3 Aces.
    On Monday, Trojans beat HPA 13-25, 19-25 and 20-25. Leahi Kaupu came up with 9 Kills; Jaydah Pilanca-Emmsley 4 Kills and 1 Ace; Jazmyn Navarro 1 Kill; Kamalyn Jara 2 Kills and 1 Ace; Tehani-Mae Espejo-Navarro 4 Aces; and Shaylie Martinez 1 Ace.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at wwwkaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.

THE KAʻŪ COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ACTION COMMITTEE MEETS WEDNESDAY to prioritize issues and elect a Chair and Vice Chair. The gathering is open to the public and is  is set for Wednesday, Oct. 19 at noon at Robert Herkes Kaʻū District Gym Multipurpose Room in Pāhala. There is no zoom option for the public meeting.
    CDP Action Committee members for Kaʻū are: Leina'ala Enos, Babette Morrow, Catherine Williams, Kaohinani Mokuali'i, Pernell Hanoa, Jason Masters, Kaweni Ibarra and Jessie Ke. See story at http://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022_08_22_archive.html.
    More, including the Kaʻū Community Development Plan itself, is available in the online Community Development Plan Action Committee folder in the County of Hawai'i Public Documents Repository at https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/weblink/1/fol/88959/Row1.asp.The documents may also be requested from the Planning Department by calling (808) 961- 8288 or emailing cdp@hawaiicounty.gov.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at wwwkaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.

A STATUS UPDATE AND COMMUNITY DISCUSSION ON MAUNA LOA VOLCANO, its ongoing earthquakes at the summit, likelihood of lava flow, and preparedness, will be held this Saturday, Oct. 22 at Ocean View Community Center from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. On hand will be Hawai'i County Civil Defense Administrator Talmadge Magno and USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Scientist in Charge Ken Hon.      With increased activity, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park has suspended hiking and camping permits to the summit of Mauna Loa. USGS issues daily updates on the seismic activity of Mauna Loa.
Tuesday's update says: "During the past 24 hours, HVO detected 29 small-magnitude (below M3.0) earthquakes 2-3 miles (3-5 km) below Mokuāʻweoweo caldera and 4-5 miles (6-8 km) beneath the upper-elevation northwest flank of Mauna Loa. Both of these regions have historically been seismically active during periods of unrest on Mauna Loa.

    "Global Positioning System instruments at the summit and on the flanks of Mauna Loa continue to measure inflation at rates elevated since mid-September. However, tiltmeters at the summit are not showing significant surface deformation over the past week.
    "Concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and carbon dioxide (CO2), as well as fumarole temperatures, remain stable at the summit and at Sulphur Cone on the upper Southwest Rift Zone. Webcam and thermal camera views have shown no changes to the volcanic landscape on Mauna Loa over the past week.
    "Heightened unrest began in mid-September 2022 with increased earthquake rates below Mauna Loa summit (from 10-20 per day to 40-50 per day), an increased rate of inflation recorded by GPS stations, and inflation recorded on the MOK tiltmeter. The unrest is likely caused by renewed input of magma into Mauna Loa’s summit reservoir system. As the reservoir expands it is triggering small earthquakes directly beneath Mokuāʻweoweo caldera and in a region just to the northwest of the caldera. Deeper magma input (greater than 2 miles, 3 kilometers) is detected by the continued increase in upward movement and extension measured between GPS stations located on the ground surface. Shallower magma input (less than 2 miles, 3 kilometers) was likely responsible for inflation recorded on the summit tiltmeter during the last two weeks of September. The current locations of earthquakes and deformation do not necessarily mean that the next eruption will occur there. Mauna Loa remains at an elevated alert level of ADVISORY/YELLOW. The current increase in activity does not suggest that a progression to an eruption is certain, and there are no indications that an eruption is imminent."
    HVO's bulletin states that it will continue to closely monitor Mauna Loa for changes. The last eruption was in 1984 and this is the longest period of time without an eruption in the known history of Mauna Loa, the biggest volcano on the planet.

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CONGRESSMAN KAI KAHELE PLANS TO NOMINATE CANDIDATES from rural Hawai'i to study at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs; U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York; U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York; and the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland.
    The office of the Congressman Kahele is accepting application packages for military academy nominations from residents in Hawaiʻi’s second congressional district, which includes all of Kaʻū.
The deadline for students to apply for an appointment to the Military Service Academy class of 2027 is Oct. 3, 11:59pm HST. Find more information at Kahele's congressional website, https://kahele.house.gov/ser.../military-academy-nominations. For questions, call the District Office at (808) 746-6220.

In the mail, on stands and at www.kaucalendar.com

Kaʻū News Briefs, Monday, Oct. 17, 2022

Transcendence, the Curly Koa Jewelry Cabinet, upper left, by Kaʻū woodworker Duane Miller, took

First Place in the Furniture Category at the Hawai'i Forest Industry Association's annual show. His paddle

won Honorable Mention as did the table and bench submissions of Kaʻū furniture maker Mats Fogelvik.

Images from Hawai'i Forest Industry Association

TWO KAʻŪ FURNITURE MAKERS ARE WINNERS IN THE HAWAI'I FOREST INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION'S annual woodworking show. The works of Duane Miller and Mats Fogelvik were on display at the Hawai'i Opera Plaza in Honolulu in October.
    The three judges awarded Miller First Place for Furniture for his Curly Koa Jewelry cabinet called Transcendence. For Honu, his Curly Koa Paddle with pyrography, he won an Honorable Mention in the Accessory category.
    The judges awarded Fogelvik Honorable Mention for his Koa Dining Table called Super Ellipse Starburst. He also won an Honorable Mention for his Gecko Bench, both in the Furniture category.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at wwwkaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.

Poster for the Oct. 15 Trinity event
where Ocean View native Thor Soder
won in super heavyweight kickboxing.

OCEAN VIEW NATIVE THOR SODER WON A SUPER HEAVYWEIGHT KICKBOXING FIGHT on Sept. 15 in Trinity Kings competition on O'ahu. Soder weighed in at 303 lbs. and beat Aimoku Minor who weighed in at 272 lbs.
    Soder was born and raised in Ocean View and graduated from Nāʻālehu School and Kaʻū High School where he played sports throughout his years there. He credits his older sister Lehua Galletes and Norman Santiago for coaching him. He started boxing with Ocean View Boxing Club when he was 17.
    Soder graduated from the Jobs Corps. program in Waimanalo and has served in the Hawai'i National Guard. He works as an Adult Corrections Officer at Hawai'i Community Correctional Center. He lives with his wife Carly and two children, Odin and Theia, in Mountain View.
    He said he loves having support from Kaʻū "because I love my home."

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KAʻŪ HIGH GIRLS VOLLEYBALL WILL PLAY FOR THIRD in Big Island Interscholastic Sports Federation final standings, against Kealakehe on Tuesday. Hawai'i Preparatory Academy took down the Trojans 25-13, 25-19 and 25-20 on Monday at the match in Waimea. The match at Kealakehe is at 4 p.m.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at wwwkaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.

A CALL FOR DAMAGE REPORTS FROM LAST FRIDAY'S DOUBLE EARTHQUAKE EVENT, centered around Pāhala, has come from County of Hawai'i. Its Civil Defense agency issued a Mauna Loa earthquake damage assessment statement on Monday, saying its team has been surveying damage from the Friday, Oct. 14 Magnitude 4.6 and M5.0 quakes, and is still collecting information that has yet to be reported.

    “To capture the extent of damages, Civil Defense is requesting residents and businesses that have yet to report damage sustained from Friday’s earthquake to call and report your situation to Civil Defense at 808-935-0031,” said the radio message from Civil Defense Director Talmadge Magno.
According to USGS, the shaking of the duel earthquakes was was of longer duration than individual earthquakes would have been if separated by more time. At 24 seconds a part, they were strong enough to do damage. The shaking was "of longer duration and possibly greater intensity than either of the
earthquakes would have created on their own," according to USGS.
    USGS also announced that "The earthquakes and aftershocks from the morning of October 14, 2022 did not cause any changes in Mauna Loa monitoring data streams."

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USGS DAILY MAUNA LOA ACTIVITY UPDATE, covering Sunday into Monday morning, stated that "During the past 24 hours, HVO detected 30 small-magnitude (below M3.0) earthquakes 2-3 miles (3-5

km) below Mokuāʻweoweo caldera and 4-5 miles (6-8 km) beneath the upper-elevation northwest flank of Mauna Loa. Both of these regions have historically been seismically active during periods of unrest on Mauna Loa.
   Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park continues to keep the Mauna Loa summit closed to hikers and campers due to the elevated seismic activity.
    USGS stated, "Mauna Loa continues to be in a state of heightened unrest as indicated by increased earthquake activity and inflation of the summit.”

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at wwwkaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.

THE  KAʻŪ COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ACTION COMMITTEE MEETING is set for Wednesday, Oct. 19 at noon at the Kaʻū District Gym Multipurpose Room in Pāhala. There is no zoom option for the public meeting. The meeting will include election of a Chair and Vice-Chair for the Action Committee.

In the mail, on stands and at www.kaucalendar.com