The Kaʻū Calendar News Briefs, Hawaiʻi Island

Saturday, June 15, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs June 15, 2024

FOUR CANDIDATES FOR HAWAI'I MAYOR were guests Thursday on the PBS Hawai'i public affairs program Insights Hawai'i, hosted by Junji De Neis. The program can be watched at https://www.pbs
hawaii.org/primary-election-2024-hawai%ca%bbi-cou nty-mayors-race/.
Friday, Aug. 10 is election day. It is a nonpartisan election. If no candidate wins a majority, there will be a runoff between the top two in the November General Election.
The four candidates are: C. Kimo Alameda, Breeani R. P. Kobayashi, Mitch Roth and Seaula Tupa'i, Jr. The three other candidates, not on the PBS show, are Daniel H. Cunningham, Kavin H. Kahikina and
Yumi T.R. Kawano.
Roth is running for his second term. He is a graduate of University of Hawai'i Manoa with a law degree from Whittier Law School in California. He served for eight years as the elected prosecuting attorney for

Hawai'i County.
Tupa'i, Jr. grew up in California and received a Masters Degree at University of Washington and moved to Hilo in 2007 where he is Senior Pastor of Overcoming Faith Center in Hilo. He ran for Lt. Governor in 2020.

Alameda grew up on this island and has a doctorate from University of Nebraska in Lincoln. He was executive director of Bay Clinic, and Hawai'i County Office of Aging and led the Fentanyl Task Force.
Kobayshi grew up on this island and has a Masters of Business Administration from University of

Seaula Tupa'i, Jr.

Phoenix. She is General Manager of SCT Hilo Hotel, Executive Director of nonprofit Hawai'i Rise Foundation and owner of Keaukaha General Store.
She said she wants to be Mayor because change is needed. "The best time for change is immediately, the second best time is now. I'm ready to take on this kuleana. Sometimes you don't get to choose your kuleana...That responsibility and kuleana chooses you. I am ready to take it on."
Alameda said there are 200,000 people on the Big Island so that's 200,000 issues.... they have all kinds of issues. I'm running for the people. We need a little bit more energy, a little bit more outside of the box thinking. He said he has served in state government for 15 years, county government for five years
Tupa'i, Jr. said, "I feel like I'm a change candidate." He said he is

Breeani Kobayashi

involved with "a different demographic" and they are looking for something different.
Roth reviewed his record and described "some amazing successes." He said homelessness dropped 29 percent, the largest decrease in the state and one of the largest in the country. He pointed to the county building permitting system going from the worst in the country to best in the state. The Mayor said tat affordable housing in the pipeline has gone from about 1,243 to over 8,200 units.

The host of Insights Hawai'i asked each candidate to name the most important issue.

Alameda said that he worked for the Billy Kenoi administration, which helped tee up the programs for homeless people. He also said that the housing shortage could be solved more quickly by giving provisional approvals to all permits. "Put the burden on the county not the

Dr. Kimo Alameda

construction industry. Right now we are holding the construction industry and the contractors hostage while they wait for their permits and the longer you wait for your permit, the more costly a home would become.".... He said, let the contractors get started, that's plumbers, contractors, drywallers, "then you get the economy booming again." The county can call the contractors if any problem.

Tupai said the most important issue is the rise in crime and said the police force has to be expanded. We have to protect the people of Hawai'i. Their safety and security and their safety should be the most priority for us."He said there is only one officer for over 4,000 people. The national average is 2.5 officers to oversee 1,000 persons. He said the county needs to establish more incentives to become police officers. He said his campaign team won't go into Ocean View neighborhoods for fear of crime. Those campaigning stay at shopping centers. He noted that criminals are arrested and released immediately. "We need a stronger show of force and we have to be for the rule of law."

Kobayahi said the biggest issue is "the government is not reflecting the needs of the people...We talk about affordable housing. We talk about homelessness.....These have been long standing issues that we've

Mayor Mitch Roth

struggled with... We need creative solutions, we need bold ideas, we need to be listening to our community... She said after listening and understanding the needs of community, "reflect that in everything we do in government... take an upstream approach to understand the root causes of issues is really important, to have more data driven research to understand where the problems lie and to be really strategic and anyalytical in the solutions."

Roth said what keeps him up at night "is our infrastructure, in particular our Hilo waste water facility... We now have a situation with spongey concrete... We're one major earthquake away from possibly putting millions of gallons of raw sewage out into the bay out at Keokaha. That's a very important community... It affects the whole state."

He also said he is concerned about the families leaving Hawai. "As we lose our Hawaiians, we lose our culture. As we lose our culture, we lose our identity and then we become someplace else." He noted that there are more Hawaiians living outside Hawai'i than here. He talked about affordable housing.

See the entire show at https://www.pbshawaii.org/primary-election-2024-hawai%ca%bbi-cou nty-mayors-race/.

To read comments, add y o ur own, and l ike thi s story, see

facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.

To register to vote of track the ballot go to https://www.elections.hawaiicounty.gov/home-elections.

HAWAI'I VOTERS CAN ENROLL FOR BALLOT NOTIFICATIONS ahead of the 2024 Elections. Voters who sign-up will be notified about the status of their mail ballot“We encourage all voters to sign up for ballot notifications,” said Chief Election Officer Scott Nago, “this will let voters know when to expect their mail ballot packet to be delivered as well if their voted ballot has been received and accepted for counting.”
Voters have the option to receive alerts by text, email, or a phone message. Once signed up, voters will be notified when their ballot has been mailed and received. Reminders will also be sent to voters to return their ballot as the deadline nears or if there is an issue with their return envelope.
Voters who choose not to sign up for ballot notifications will still be able to track their ballot by going to elections.hawaii.gov or by contacting their County Elections Division.
Hawai'i voters can expect to receive their Primary Election ballot in the mail by July 23, 2024. For official election information, visit elections.hawaii.gov or call (808) 453-VOTE (8683). To register to vote or to sign up to follow the ballot, go to https://www.elections.hawaiicounty.gov/home-elections.

Saturday evening view from webcam of upper Southwest Rift Zone of Kīlauea, view is to the south. Image from USGS

HAWAI'I VOLCANOES OBSERVATORY REPORTS Summit and Upper Rift Zone Observations: Rates of seismicity beneath the summit, upper East Rift Zone, and upper Southwest Rift Zone were slightly elevated over the past day. About 25 earthquakes occurred over the past 24 hours. Earthquakes were mostly located beneath the south caldera region and upper East Rift Zone, at depths of 1.5-3 km (1–1.8 miles), with magnitudes under M2.5. Inflationary ground deformation of the summit continued over the past day. The Uēkahuna tiltmeter northwest of the summit recorded overall inflation of approximately 3 microradians over the past 24 hours. The Sand Hill tiltmeter southwest of the summit recorded approximately 3 microradians of inflation over the past 24 hours. The most recent summit SO2 emission rate measured was approximately 50 t/d on June 10, 2024; accordingly, total SO2 emissions from the summit and recent eruption site are likely less than 200 t/d.

To read comments, add y o ur own, and l ike thi s story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.

Friday, June 14, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs June 14, 2024

KUPU training in Kaʻū with Kaiholena in the background. Conservation Leadership Development positions are open.
Photo from KUPU

KUPU CONSERVATION LEADERSHIP POSITIONS AT HAWAI'I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK and elsewhere are available with a deadline to apply on June 21. The Conservation Leadership

KUPU offers training on land and sea.
Photo from KUPU

Development Program is a paid, entry-level program for early professionals ages 17 and older for those interested in pursuing a career in conservation. The CLDP matches members with a partner organization, a Host Site that best aligns with their conservation interests. It is affiliated with Americorps. Hawai'i Volcanoes is one of the Host Sites.
Participants serve for at least six months up to one year. With an extensive network of Host Sites across Hawai’i and the Pacific, KUPU's Conservation Leadership Development Program offers opportunities in ornithology, botany, natural resource management, aquatic resource management, marine biology, Hawaiian cultural studies, agricultural science and more. To apply see the application at https://kupuhawaii.tfaforms.net/318
KUPU also accepts applications from prospective Host Sites. It describes the program as aiming "to empower youth to serve their communities through character building, service learning, and environmental stewardship opportunities that encourage integrity (pono) with Ke Akua, self, and others." Prospective hosts can see https://kupuhawaii.tfaforms.net/316 for a full description and contact (808) 735-1221 ext. 2002 or via email at conservation@kupuhawaii.org with any questions.

To read comments, add yo ur own, and l ike thi s story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.

WRITER AND NOVELIST LEAH NEWSOM, the National Parks Arts Foundation Artist in Residence for June at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, will be on hand at the Kahuku Unit of the park this Saturday, June 15 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. She will talk about her experiences at the park and her work in progress, a novel about Health Tourism, Colonialism, Tuberculosis and Ecological Crises. The location is Kahuku Visitor Contact Station, south of the 70.5 mile marker on the makai side of Highway 11. This event is free and open to the public.

To read comments, add y o ur own, and l ike thi s story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.

A MAGNITUDE 4.1 EARTHQUAKE originated in the ocean about ten miles east southeast from Nāʻālehu on Friday afternoon. USGS Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory reported the depth at about 32.7 miles. No damage was reported, no tsunami.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUED A HIGH SURF WARNING on Friday for south facing shores of Hawai'i Island from Keahole Point in North Kona District through Ka`u to Cape Kumukahi in Puna District. County Civil Defense notes: A High Surf Warning means large breaking surf, significant shore break, and dangerous currents exist that could cause significant injury or death.
Due to the High Surf Warning, please:
Exercise caution and heed all advice given by Ocean Safety Officials.
Be advised that beaches may be closed without notice.
Those along the south facing shores should take necessary precautions. You will be informed should conditions change.

Thursday, June 13, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs June 13, 2024

Hilina'i Karratti and her pig traveled last year from Kaʻū to the 4-H Livestock Show & Auction between Honoka'a and Waimea. This year's show is Friday and Saturday. See more below. Photo from 4-H

NEW INCENTIVES FOR LONG-TERM HOUSING, in two bills proposed by Kaʻū's County Councilmember Michelle Galimba and Hilo Councilmember Jenn Kagiwada, went to a public zoom meeting on Thursday for explanation and public discussion. Kagiwada and council staffer Shannon Matson led the meeting. The bills come before the County Council's Finance Committee next Tuesday, June 18 at 1 p.m. and written testimony is due Monday, noon. Email counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov.
Kagiwada said the aim of these pieces of legislation is to give incentives through tax breaks for property owners to rent at long-term rates, and to encourage them to add units and restore units to rent as long-term housing.

This meeting was held Thursday and testimony to the County
Council is due Monday, with live participation allowed at
Tuesday's Council meeting.

Bill 104 would allow stand-alone units that are not on the owners' primary property to be assessed for property taxes at a lower rate provided that they are rented for six months or longer. The bill would move these non-owner occupied units out of the current tax class that also includes vacant property, vacation homes and short term rentals. The sponsors of the bill said they envision the tax rate going down for these long-term rentals starting in January of 2026. When asked whether the tax break would only cover permitted dwellings, they said that the bill concerns taxes only, that the county already charges taxes for unpermitted buildings. Any building or zoning violation would be handled by the building or planning departments.
Bill 174 would incentivize use of and building of long-term rental units on homeowners' primary property by placing the rental unit, whether it be a room in a home or an additional dwelling unit, into the same tax rate and tax cap as allowed for owner occupied homes. The bill would go into effect in 2025.
When asked whether it wouldn't be too expensive to build rentals given the new building code, the proponents said that older buildings, such as those that are post and pier, single wall and otherwise not up to the new codes, would not be disallowed as long-term rentals, as proposed in their tax bill. The proposed bill does not require bringing them up to code. The proponents emphasized Bill 174 deals with taxation, not permitting, for such requirements as sewage disposal, which are handled by other county departments.
Realtor Julie Enriques from Punalu'u praised the bills and said she also encourages more zoning for multifamily units. She cautioned that some people might take advantage of the tax breaks and throw up new structures without proper sewage disposal or permits. The proponents said they are not scaling back any fines that could be handed down by the planning and building departments, which would continue to serve as deterrents to illegal building.
To give testimony via Zoom, email to register: councilremotetestimony@hawaiicounty.gov; or call 961-8255 by noon the day prior to the meeting.Testimony can also be in person at West Hawai'i Civic Center or remotely from Hilo Council Chambers. For live stream viewing of next Tuesday's meeting and to see the agenda go to Live Stream - Hawaii County Committee and Council Meetings.

London Dacalio and her Reserve Champion at last year's 4-H Show & Auction. Photo from 4-H

KAʻŪ 4H MEMBERS WILL TAKE THEIR ANIMALS TO THE 2024 HAWAI'I COUNTY 4-H LIVESTOCK SHOW & AUCTION this Friday and Saturday. The location is between Honoka'a and Waimea at the Anderson's Rocking Chair Arena at 47-5124 Hawai'i Belt Road. The show starts at 4:30 p.m. on Friday and 8 a.m. on Saturday.
Becky Settlage, the event coordinator, said, "This is our annual 4-H livestock show and sale where our keiki, who have been working hard (some for the past six months) raising all species, get to show their animals as well as auction them off at our live sale. They raise steer, hogs, lambs, goats, chickens and rabbits that all go to feed our local community. The keiki also learn and are tested on meat cuts as well as judging a class of animals in hope that we are training the next generation of ranchers/farmers on our island and in our state.
"4-H is a life skills program for youth and livestock is one aspect that teaches them discipline, perseverance and self-confidence. We welcome the community to come see what our program is all about and perhaps consider becoming a buyer one day!"
There is no charge to attend the event. Becky Settlage is Extension Agent for University of Hawai'i College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Services.

SUICIDE IS THE APPARENT CAUSE OF THE DEATH OF THE VOLCANO MAN who ran into Highway 11. Hawai‘i Island police have identified the male pedestrian involved in a fatal motor vehicle/pedestrian collision that occurred on Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Volcano as 44-year-old Collins Kaholo of Volcano.

Responding to the 12:25 p.m. call, officers learned that a 2012 Chevy pickup truck, driven by a 52-year-old man, was traveling north on Highway 11 when it struck the pedestrian at the Ali‘i Koa intersection. Multiple witnesses confirmed the pedestrian was standing by a stop sign prior to running into the road in front of the pickup truck.
Kaholo, who was located unresponsive at the scene, was transported to the Hilo Benioff Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 4:17 p.m.
The operator of the 2012 Chevy pickup truck was not injured as a result of the collision. The Area I (East Hawai‘i) Traffic Enforcement Unit responded to the scene and continued the investigation. An autopsy was conducted and the pathologist ruled the manner of death to be suicide based on the totality of the circumstances surrounding this investigation.
Due to the manner of death, this traffic fatality will not be counted toward the yearly fatality count. As a result, there have been a total of 18 traffic fatalities in 2024, compared to nine traffic fatalities this same time last year.

THE LAVA CRISIS IN 2014 IS THE SUBJECT OF VOLCANO WATCH this week. The weekly article and activity update is written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates:
Over the past few years, eruptions of Kīlauea volcano on the Island of Hawai'i have happened in remote regions and lava flows have not directly threatened communities. However, the approaching anniversary of a lava flow crisis a decade ago reminds us that eruptions on Kīlauea have the potential to cause damage and island-wide disruption.

This aerial view of Kīlauea's June 27th lava flow on November 5, 2014, shows the stalled flow front, about 155 meters (170 yards) from Pāhoa Village Road (lower right corner). Clearly visible smoke plumes above and below Cemetery Road are due to burning vegetation at the sites of lava breakouts along the flow. Smaller smoke plumes (top left) caused by breakouts farther upslope are barely visible through the mist. USGS photo

The 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea is still fresh in many of our minds, but even before then, Kīlauea lava flows entering communities was not uncommon. During the 35-year-long eruption of Puʻuʻōʻō, on the East Rift Zone of Kīlauea, lava flows caused destruction in Royal Gardens, Kalapana, and in Pāhoa. Before Puʻuʻōʻō, there were also eruptions in Kapoho Village in 1960 and on Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone in 1955.
Ten years ago, inflation at Puʻuʻōʻō in May and June lead to a new eruptive episode on the northeast flank of the cone. It was informally named episode 61e, but more commonly referred to as the June 27th flow in reference to the start date of that episode in 2014.
In the first few days, four fissures produced channelized flows before the eruption focused at the lowest elevation vent, where a perched pond began to form. The pond elevation continued to rise until it was about 30 meters (100 ft) higher than the vent. On July 10, pressure from the perched pond triggered the eruptive vent to shift to the next highest fissure and abandon the perched pond.
The change in eruptive vent produced a fast-moving channelized flow that traveled up to several hundred meters (yards) per day. The flow continued to the northeast until it extended across the eastern edge of the Puʻuʻōʻō flow field by the beginning of August.

Lava from June 27th breakout flowing into deep ground crack along Kīlauea East Rift Zone, Pu'u'ō'ō, Hawai'i. USGS photo
On August 18, the lava entered into a deep ground crack that directed the flow further to the northeast. After about a week the lava overflowed from the crack, before repeating this pattern at three additional and parallel ground cracks. The flow traveled roughly 5 km (3 mi) underground in these cracks to within about 1.2 km (0.7 mi) of Kaʻohe Homesteads subdivision where the lava exited the final crack in early September.
The flow front advanced slow and steadily during the first few weeks of September, passing Kaʻohe Homesteads to the northwest. Then from late-September to early-October, the lava flow's rate of advance began to fluctuate as it stalled and advanced. Towards the end of October, a breakout surged through a narrow drainage and crossed Cemetery Road in Pāhoa. The flow continued through the Pāhoa Japanese Cemetery, through private property, and destroyed one structure, stalling only 155 m (510 ft) from Pāhoa Village Road.
A large breakout on November 14 occurred roughly 6.5 km (4 mi) upslope of the flow front, and rapidly advanced along the northwest margin of the previous flow, ultimately headed towards Pāhoa Marketplace and Highway 130. The flow front again stalled on December 30 after advancing to within 530 m (0.3 mi) of the marketplace. That was the furthest the lava flow advanced, but numerous breakouts just upslope continued to threaten Pāhoa until early 2015.
Episode 61e, or the June 27th flow, then retreated upslope and stayed within about 8 km (5 mi) of Puʻuʻōʻō. This episode continued until early June 2016, when inflation at Puʻuʻōʻō culminated in two new eruptive vents on the northeast (episode 61f) and southeast (episode 61g) flanks of the cone on May 24.
The episode 61f flow was short-lived, lasting less than two weeks. However, the 61g flow remained active until the Puʻuʻōʻō crater floor collapsed on April 30, 2018, followed by the intrusion of magma into the lower East Rift Zone and subsequent eruption.
Since then, eruptions from Kīlauea have fortunately been confined within Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera)

Pahoehoe lava in the 2014 flow called Episode 61E. Photo from Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

or other remote areas of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Currently, there are no signs of magma moving into the East Rift Zone but that will inevitably happen again someday. The Pāhoa lava flow crisis and other destructive East Rift Zone eruptions are reminders that communities on or near the rift zone are vulnerable. Residents and visitors should stay informed and remember that it's never too early consider how an eruption could impact you and your family.

Volcano Activity Updates
Kīlauea is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is ADVISORY. Kīlauea erupted briefly on Monday, June 3, southwest of Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera) within the closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes

National Park. Sulfur dioxide emission rates remain elevated; an emission rate of 350 tonnes per day was measured on June 10, for the combined areas of Kīlauea summit and the recent eruption. Seismicity in the summit region, including the upper East Rift Zone, has been slightly elevated with about 550 events over the past week. Inflationary ground deformation has continued in the summit region. Additional pulses of seismicity and deformation could result in new eruptive episodes within the area or elsewhere on the Southwest Rift Zone.
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 M3.4 earthquake 14 km (8 mi) S of Volcano at 1 km (1 mi) depth on June 6 at 12:29 p.m. HST.
HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.