Kaʻū News Briefs April 13, 2024

Kāhuli, Hawaiian land snails, have been named official land snails for specific Hawaiian Islands.

Photo from DLNR

NINE OF THE 750 NATIVE HAWAIIAN LAND SNAIL SPECIES have become the official snails of the state with Hini Hini Kua Mauna becoming the official snail of Hawai‘i Island. Called kāhuli, pupukanioe, and polole in Hawaiian language, Hawaiian land snails' "ornate shells once blanketed the trees of Hawai‘i with a presence so abundant some believe the kāhuli’s song was composed by the wind swirling through their shells," according to the ‘ōlelo no‘eau, ke kāhuli leo le‘a o ka nahele. Kāhuli are described in hula, mo‘olelo, oli, and i‘ōlelo no‘eau.
    State Department of Land & Natural Resources reports that kāhuli's "adaptive radiation of approximately 750 species across the Hawaiian islands is an ecological spectacle, elucidating theories of evolution and island biogeography. Unfortunately, scientists estimate up to 90 percent of this diversity has vanished as a result of introduced invasive predators, habitat loss, over collection and climate change. Since 2012, the Hawaii Snail Extinction Prevention Program has attempted "to reverse the extinction of this species and return healthy populations to Hawaii’s forests for future generations to enjoy," states the DLNR message at https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/ecosystems/sepp/.
    Hawai‘i Snail Extinction Prevention Program is a partnership between U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Hawai‘i Department of Land & Natural Resources-Division of Forestry & Wildlife and University of Hawai‘i. The program secures rare and endangered snail species through the integration of novel captive-rearing methods, on-the-ground management of wild populations, and coordination with partner groups to align rare snail conservation objectives and management techniques across islands and entities. 

Gov. Josh Green signed legislation on Friday, naming an official land snail for each island.
Photo from DLNR

    On Friday, Gov. Josh Green signed legislation designating an official state kāhuli, or snail, for each of the main Hawaiian islands, as well as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. In a ceremony at Washington Place, he signed into law House Bill 1899, which recognizes nine native snail species as state snails.    “Land snails are among the most threatened creatures in the world, with more recorded extinctions than birds and mammals combined,” said Green. “Last year, I proclaimed the ‘Year of the Kāhuli’ to help bring attention to the plight of our native snails, which in Hawaiian culture have significant roles in mele, hula, and oli. They are symbols of romance and omens. That we have so many youth who fought hard for this legislation gives me great hope for Hawaiʻi’s future.”

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Brad Watanabe of The Green mentors Kaʻū music award winners.
Photo from Kendall Calumpit

MUSICIANS FROM KAʻŪ HIGH & PĀHALA ELEMENTARY earned a mentoring session on O‘ahu from guitarist, pianist, music producer Brad Watanabe of the band The Green. On Friday, Kendall Calumpit, Kaileo Kane-Broadfoot and Emil Soriano, Jr. traveled to O‘ahu and Ko Olina Four Seasons Hotel as winners in the HI Sessions, SPARX Hawai‘i Music Contest.

    They performed and received recommendations from Watanabe, along with meeting other winners of the music competition from around the state and touring the Four Seasons hotel, including the Presidential Suite with its own theater, said Calumpit.

    SPARX "is a musical talent search throughout four Kaʻū-Keaʻau-Pāhoa schools to platform budding artists and encourage them to create their own path in life." See www.sparxhi.com.

     

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THE PUNALU‘U DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL EXTENDED PUBLIC HEARING has been set for

Monday, May 6 at the County Building Council Chambers in Hilo. Those who were turned away at the end of day during the March hearing will be allowed to testify first. There will also be testimony allowed through zoom.
The hearing is before the Windward Planning Commission, which is tasked with whether or not to issue a Special Management Area permit to allow the proposed Black Sand, LLC development, including 225 accommodations set back a quarter mile from the shore, makai of Hwy 11 at Punalu‘u, commercial enterprise near Black Sand Beach and other renovations and expansions of the old Sea Mountain resort there.
In March, 80 persons spoke in opposition and eight for the SMA approval.
Malama Punalu‘u has announced protest events and is encouraging those opposed to join a caravan to Hilo and to testify against the proposal.
Center for Biological Diversity's Maxx Phillips, along with Guy Enriques, Nohealani Ka‘awa, and Elsa Kalanikauleleiaiwi Dedman, have filed a petition seeking a contested case about the SMS matter before the Planning Commission.

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TROJANS VARSITY BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL this week saw Honoka‘a win in baseball 7-6 over   Kaʻū on Saturday. Honoka‘a also won the softball game 32-1. On Wednesday, Kaʻū beat Pahoa 3-1 in baseball and Pahoa beat Kaʻū 15-6, reports Athletic Director Jaime Guerpo.

CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION Submission Deadline is Monday, April 15 for Kaʻū's high school students. The winning artwork will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol in the Cannon tunnel, on House.gov's Congressional Art Competition page and Rep. Jill Tokuda's website and social media pages. Submit photo of completed art and student release form to Shaun Kim at Shaun.Kim@mail.house.gov. Mail or deliver physical artwork by Friday, April 19, at 5 p.m. to the office of Rep. Jill Tokuda at Topa Financial Center, 700 Bishop St., Suite 1902, Honolulu, HI 96813. For more information (808) 746-6220.

      

    

IN GIRLS SOFTBALL on Saturday, 32-1 Honokaa wins

Baseball 

7-6 Honokaa wins

Kaʻū News Briefs April 12, 2024

THE THIRD HAWAI‘I SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT WILL BE HELD on Thursday, Friday and Saturday May 2 - 4 at the Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa. A statement from Hawai‘i County says the event is about "Community leaders called to convene in a series of events celebrating a collective commitment to building a sustainable Hawai‘i." It is organized in collaboration with Hawaiʻi Green Growth Local 2030 Hub, Aloha+ Challenge, and Friends of the Future and "aims to unite like-minded organizations, individuals, and the youth of Hawaiʻi in a shared mission to achieve our  six priority Hawaiʻi sustainability goals. "These goals are Natural Resource Management, Smart Sustainable Communities, Solid Waste Reduction, Clean Energy Transformation, Local Food and Green Workforce & Education.

     Ideas for Smart, Sustainable Communities ithat came out of last year's summit include:

     Rezone to allow multi-generational housing and residential and commercial zones nearby each other;

    Create an employer working group to analyze housing needs over lifetime;

    Meaningfully engage communities throughout the State and County Request for Proposals, procurement process;
    Revise affordable housing policies;
    Set up neighborhood board systems to make sustainable communities community-driven;
    Survey major organizations to gauge investment/projects in the next 5 years to find synergies in sustainability;
    Develop an affordable living plan (as opposed to looking only at affordable housing) and socialize it with all key stakeholders;
    Allow communities to themselves define sustainable development, align regulatory processes;
    Take advantage of HRS 46-15 to pilot an affordable housing project in a location where people work;
    Fast-track permitting to achieve smart sustainable communities.

    Mayor Mitch Roth said, "We're thrilled to reconvene for the Hawaiʻi Sustainability Summit, where leaders and community members collaborate to shape a sustainable future for our island home. This year's discussions will focus on transforming insights into actionable strategies that preserve our natural and
cultural resources while enhancing our residents' overall quality of life. Together, we're committed to securing a sustainable Hawaiʻi Island where our keiki can raise their keiki for generations to come."
    As part of the initiative, Hawai‘i County will present the following events for keiki to kupuna to engage throughout the summit:
    Working Groups: Building the Foundation for Sustainable Growth. In the lead-up to the Summit,

through April, a series of pre-summit events will provide a dynamic platform for thoughtful engagement and collaboration among participants. These sessions are designed to foster dialogue and develop strategies that align with the sustainability goals that are crucial for the well-being and future of Hawaiʻi Island.
    Youth Congress: Empowering Our Keiki. A centerpiece of this year's Summit is the inaugural Youth Congress, an innovative gathering that will bring students from across Hawaiʻi together "to voice their perspectives and contribute to the collective vision for our island home." It will be held on Thursday, May 2 at Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa , 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

    The Summit: Culminating in Collective Action. "The Summit itself will serve as the culmination of these engagements, synthesizing the insights from both the Youth Congress and various working groups. In a tradition of honoring past Summits, the event will create an environment ripe for discussion, debate, and most importantly, the formation of a collective agreement on the sustainable path forward for Hawaiʻi Island." It will be held on Friday, May 3 at Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa,| 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

    Community Celebration: Showcasing Our Achievements. To cap off the Summit, a celebration presented by Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa will provide an opportunity for participants and the wider community to connect, spotlight achievements, unveil future plans, and celebrate the spirit of collective effort toward sustaining Hawaiʻi.
    The County statement says, "Hawaiʻi Sustainability Summit 2024 is a movement towards a sustainable and prosperous future for Hawaiʻi Island. The program of events is open to all who share in the vision of sustainability, community, and collective action." For more information on how to participate in the Summit or attend the pre-summit events and Celebration, visit the website or contact directly. It will be held May 3 at Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa, 5:30 p.m – 8:30 p.m.

    Events are free to the public. For more information see https://hisustainabilitysummit.com/

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MAYORAL CANDIDATE SEAULA JR. TUPAI AND COUNTY COUNCIL CANDIDATE Ikaika Kailiawa-Smith came to Pāhala Thursday evening on the campaign trail. They made campaign promises like repairing the Pāhala Fire Station, county and state roads, and creating incentives to grow food. Other promises included new lights and other infrastructure for the ballfields and parks in Pāhala, Nāʻālehu and Ocean View. They promised to solve the school bus problem where there is a shortage of drivers and buses.

    They talked about the challenge of affordable housing.  One approach was making it easier for local people to build their own affordable housing for their families on land they already own. Another strategy was preventing speculation by somehow disallowing "foreigners" to buy homes here. Another was to keep property taxes low from generation to generation so that those inheriting homes here would not be driven away by neighbor's houses being sold at high prices leading to their own property taxes soaring.

Seaula Jr. Tupa‘i, right and Ikaika Kailiawa-Smith,
center, on the campaign trail in Pāhala Thursday.
Photo by Julia Neal

    Tupa‘i said that billionaires such as the Benioffs and Zuckerbergs are "buying up land all over Hawai‘i." He said that he would sign any legislation that would advocate for locals being able to afford or buy homes. He said he would also sign legislation limiting vacation rentals that take away local housing.

     Tupai talked about "food independence, noting that if the ships didn't come in with food for Hawai‘i, stores would last two to three days. Regenerative farming is the way, said Tupai, suggesting community gardens and county incentives to grow food.

     Regarding the proposed development at Punalu‘u, Kailiawa-Smith and Tupa‘i said they oppose it and mentioned the broken-down sewage treatment plant and the water system. Candice Ka‘awa, property manager at Punalu‘u, said the water and sewage systems there continually pass Department of Health and other tests and have not experienced sewage spills or water shortages. She said, given the situation of the property owners having little income from the 100 users to fund the system built for 2,000 units, the owners are doing their best to keep it working. She urged the candidates to check the facts before

Hālau o Maunalei will perform at the hula platform
in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park on Saturday at 10 a.m.

overstating the situation. Tupai said he wanted to learn more about the sewer and water systems from Ka‘awa and thanked her for speaking up.
    Both Tupai and Kailiaiwa-Smith talked about having more control over public school administration locally. They talked about cutting bureaucracy, overspending in government and the value of having tradesmen and other hands on people in government leadership positions.
    See more at www.votetupai.com.

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HULA ARTS WILL BE DEMONSTRATED at the kahua hula platform in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park this Saturday, April 13. Sponsored by Volcano Art Center, it features Kumu Lehua Brayand Hālau o Maunalei. It begins at 10:30 a.m. Free but park entrance fees apply.

TROJANS VARSITY BASEBALL plays Kamehameha. Saturday, April 13 from 1 p.m. at Pāhala Baseball Field.

      

                                                                              

 

Kaʻū News Briefs April 11, 2024

Site selection is completed for the new sewage treatment plant in Pāhala to replace the old plantation days gang cesspools.
Final comments are due this coming Monday. Image from County of Hawai'i

THE NEW PĀHALA SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT could be operating by January, 2027. That is the target date set by County of Hawai‘i and the federal Environmental Protection Agency, according to a presentation made at Pāhala Community Center on Wednesday evening. The team from the county Department of Environmental Services, including Project Coordinator and engineer Mark Grant, said final public comment is due this Monday, April 15 with a deadline for the county to submit its Final Environment al Information Document by July 30. After EPA approval of the EID, County will submit an Implementation Plan within 30 days.
    Money has been approved by the federal government to this year bid out the contract for construction of the sewage distribution system, and bid the sewage treatment plant next year. The new system will accommodate homes, the Catholic Church, shopping center, offices and other facilities along the route of the old plantation system that carries sewage to a gang cesspool, which will be closed. No one will have to pay to hook up, though those along the way who have cesspools or septic systems, will have to pay for the pipe that goes to the hookup and for shutting down their old cesspool or septic systems.

    The capacity of the sewage treatment plant will about double that of the old gang cesspools, which

means that once the project is completed, homeowners and commercial property owners may be able to add on rooms and additional small dwellings and businesses on their properties, depending on their lot size and zoning. Currently, those served by the old gang cesspool system are not legally allowed to add more sewage to the system by adding onto or constructing new additions.
   Presentation by the County on Wednesday included the statement that the Waste Water Treatment Plant and new collection system "will meet the goals of the Kaʻū Community Development Plan to improve environmental management facilities of extending wastewater services within the Pāhala Community, which will protect the community health, safety, and the island's environmental resources."

Project manager Mark Grant shows Pāhala resident the
wastewater treatment plan. Photo by Michael Neal

    The new collection system will be primarily in the public roadways with piping some five to eight feet underground.
    The location of the treatment plant is between the macadamia nut husking plant mauka of Hwy 11 and the pine tree lane on Maile Street. It will be set back from the Norfolk pine trees and macadamia orchards on the land acquired will remain in place and receive underground drip irrigation from the treated effluent within the 14.9 acres to be transferred to the County from Kamehameha Schools.
    Learn more by reviewing documents at https://www.dem.hawaiicounty.gov/projects/pahala-naalehu-large-capacity-cesspool-closures. The YouTube channel is at www.youtube.com/@cohenvirronmentalmanagement. The EPA website is at https://www.epa.gov/uic/closure-cessbools-pahala-and-naalehu-administrative-order-consent-county-hawaii.

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SEISMIC SURVEYS ACROSS ACTIVE VOLCANOES continue through the work of Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and partners. HVO and Collaborators Continue Seismic Surveys Across the Active Volcanoes of Hawai‘i is the title of the latest Volcano Watch written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates:
    The Island of Hawai'i is one of the most seismically active regions in the world. In the last five years, an average of 600-1200 earthquakes per week have been detected by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. This regular rumble of activity across the island can be used to our advantage to assess the hazards that Kīlauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes represent.
    The permanent HVO seismic network consists of nearly 100 stations located across the island. HVO scientists use these stations to monitor the location and character of seismic activity, paying particular attention to signals that might herald migrating magma or potential eruptive activity.
    As seismic signals move through the ground, they are affected by the structure of the subsurface that they travel through. The presence of magma or fault zones below the ground surface can change how the seismic signals move through these regions. Scientists can take advantage of these altered signals, which are recorded on seismometers at the surface, to create images of where magma is located below.

    Using data from only the permanent HVO seismometers provides us with fuzzy pictures of underlying magma storage. As the number of seismometers at the surface is increased, more of the seismic waves traveling through regions of magma storage are recorded. This yields a crisper picture of where magma is located; how big that region of magma storage is; and how it might connect to the surface. The higher resolution the image of magma storage is, the better our understanding of the volcanic hazard a particular volcano represents.
    To move beyond the fuzzy images of magma storage at Kīlauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes created in past studies using only permanent seismic stations on the Island of Hawai‘i, HVO has purchased a pool of lightweight, portable seismometers that can be easily deployed to target regions of interest. HVO's seismic nodes were purchased as part of the USGS Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 (H.R. 2157).
    In the summer of 2022, these 80 seismic nodes were deployed across the Pāhala region to understand the cause for swarms of deep seismic activity experienced below. Specifically, HVO and collaborators at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa are testing the hypothesis that magma stored 15–25 miles (24–40 km) below this area migrates laterally through the subsurface (potentially to Kīlauea and Mauna Loa), causing the observed high earthquake rates.
    In the summer of 2023, HVO scientists and collaborators at the University of Miami and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute deployed 1800 seismic nodes (both HVO's nodes and nodes borrowed from the

A seismic station on Mauna Loa. USGS photo

EarthScope Consortium's instrument pool) across Kīlauea summit. The focus of this experiment is to understand where magma is stored beneath Kīlauea's summit and how it migrates to the surface before eruptions.
    Currently, HVO and collaborators at ETH Zürich, a public research university, are finalizing locations for about 300 nodes to be deployed in the summer of 2024 across the East Rift Zone of Kīlauea. This deployment will collect data near the 2018 Kīlauea eruption site, focusing on understanding how much magma is distributed across the East Rift Zone and how it connects to Kīlauea's summit magma reservoir.
    Finally, HVO and collaborators at the University of Miami will put out another 50 seismic nodes across Mauna Loa's summit and rift zones in summer 2024 to gain a greater understanding of how much magma is stored in these regions and how they might be connected to the surface.

    Results from all of these seismic node experiments will be interpreted together to form a cohesive view of magma storage below the most active volcanoes on the Island of Hawai'i. We hope to determine how much magma is possibly stored deep beneath Pāhala and whether it connects to Kīlauea and/or Mauna Loa. At Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, we will determine how much magma is stored beneath the summits and rift zones and the potential pathways to the surface. By better understanding the magma storage regions and their connections, we can better assess the hazards posed by these volcanoes.
    Volcano Activity Updates: Kīlauea is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is ADVISORY.
    Earthquake activity below Kīlauea's summit remains low relative to periods before recent intrusions or eruptions. Less than 200 events were detected over the past week, which is comparable to the week before. Tiltmeters near Sand Hill and Uēkahuna Bluff continued to record modest inflationary trends over the past week. No unusual activity has been noted along the rift zones.
    Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL.
    Webcams show no signs of activity on Mauna Loa. Summit seismicity has remained at low levels over the past month. Ground deformation indicates continuing slow inflation as magma replenishes the reservoir system following the 2022 eruption. SO2 emission rates are at background levels.
    One earthquake was reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M2.4 earthquake 19 km (11 mi) WNW of Kalaoa at 34 km (21 mi) depth on April 5 at 11:30 p.m. HST.

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Desiree Moana Cruz at VAC on Friday.
Photo from Volcano Art Center

ALOHA FRIDAYS AT VAC GALLERY: with Desiree Moana Cruz. Friday April 12 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. on porch of Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Desiree Moana Cruz shares traditional and contemporary dye processes and the use of repetitive symbolism featured in hula garments. She is an advocate for Hawaiian practitioners and a member of Hālau Na Kipuʻupuʻu of Waimea. Free cultural events are part of VAC's Cultural Connections Initiative supported in part by Hawaiʻi State Grant In Aid Wai Wai Program. Park fees apply.

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KAʻŪ TROJAN VARSITY BASEBALL plays Kamehameha Saturday, April 13, from 1 p.m. at Pāhala Baseball Field.

CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION SUBMISSION DEADLINE is Friday, April 19 for Ka'ū's high school students. The winning artwork will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol in the

Cannon tunnel, on House.gov's Congressional Art Competition page and U.S. Rep Jill Tokuda's website and social media pages. Submit photo of completed art and student release form to Shaun Kim at Shaun.Kim@mail.house.gov. Mail or deliver physical artwork by Friday April 19 at 5 p.m. to the office of Rep. Jill Tokuda at Topa Financial Center, 700 Bishop St. Suite 1902, Honolulu, HI 96813. For more information (808) 746-6220.

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MEET ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE RICK SAN NICOLAS on Tuesday, April 16, from 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium  in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Rick San Nicolas is a kumu hulu nui, a master of ancient Hawaiian featherwork. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes' ongoing After Dark in the Park programs and co-sponsored by the National Parks Arts Foundation and Friends of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Free event. Park entrance fees apply.

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