The Kaʻū Calendar News Briefs, Hawaiʻi Island

Keiki joined in a Hip Hop for Families event at Nāʻālehu Library. See story, below. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

U.S. SEN. MAZIE HIRONO TOOK ON JUDGE BRETT KAVANAUGH today, during his nomination hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee for a U.S. Supreme Court judgeship. She also took on the prosecuting attorney brought in by Republicans to question Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, one of several women accusing him of sexual misconduct.

After Ford's presentation, Hirono said to Kavanaugh that she "spoke to us with quiet, raw, emotional power about what happened to her. She said she was 100 percent certain that it was you who attacked her. And she explained how she came forward, how she struggled with her decision, how she wanted the President to know so he could make a better choice."
Hirono told Kavanaugh that the proceedings constitute "a job interview for one of the most important positions of trust in this country." She said, "there is certainly no entitlement" to receive confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court no matter how illustrious his career. She asked him several times whether "credibility, character, and candor" are important. She asked him whether "temperament is also a trait to consider." The judge responded by listing his achievements, accolades, and praise during his time at Yale, his long career, and his temperament as a judge.

Sen. Mazie Hirono asked Judge Bret Kavanaugh whether credibility, character, and candor should be considered along with his illustrious legal career when being considered to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Photos from C-SPAN 3

She questioned his proclamations in a FOX television interview this week where he said he always treated women with dignity and respect, and that in high school he never drank alcohol so much that he couldn't remember his actions. She asked about college drinking. Hirono pointed out that one of his college roommates described him as a heavy drinker who became belligerent. Kavanaugh denied drinking to an extreme. Hirono responded, "So you were not a sloppy drunk? So your roommate was lying."

Kavanaugh said that he worked hard to go through Yale Law School. Hirono, who came from an immigrant family with a single provider, reminded him that she graduated from Georgetown Law School. She said that in light of descriptions by the accusers and other friends, "you were not the basic choir boy."

In the face of accusations that Kavanaugh inappropriately aggressed on women sexually on several reported occasions, when extremely inebriated, several Senators asked him whether he could have been so drunk that he didn't remember. Kavanaugh denied all allegations and talked more about his resume and his appreciation for his wife and daughters standing by him during a very difficult time.

Christine Blasey Ford responds to a prosecutor hired by Republicans to question her about her allegations of
assault in high school by the current nominee for Supreme Court Justice. Photos from C-SPAN 3

Hirono entered into the records of the hearing, letters from all of the Democratic Senators on the committee, addressed to the Chair of the Committee, the FBI, and the President, all asking for an FBI investigation into the complaints from women who said they knew Kavanaugh in high school and college, and were sexually assaulted by him.
Hirono also said that the Republican prosecutor brought in to represent the Republicans during the hearing treated the alleged victim of Kavanaugh as if she was a defendant in a trial. Hirono said, "We all know that the prosecutor, even though this clearly is not a criminal proceeding, is asking Dr. Ford all kinds of questions about what happened before and after, but basically not during, the attack.
"The prosecutor should know that sexual assault survivors often do not remember... information such as what happened before or after the traumatic event. And yet she will persist in asking these questions all to undermine the memory and basically the credibility of Dr. Ford," Hirono added. "We all know Dr. Ford's memory of the assault is very clear."

Republicans on the committee continued to characterize the questions and accusations as part of a political smear campaign and announced they would vote in the committee on Kavanaugh's confirmation on Friday.

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A U.S. PRESIDENTIAL DISASTER DECLARATION to address impacts of Hurricane Lane has been granted. The disaster declaration, requested by Gov. David Ige, covers floods, wildfires, and other disasters related to the hurricane between Aug. 22-29.

The Declaration means the state will receive support from the Public Assistance Grant Program for emergency and repair work for disaster-damaged facilities on Hawai‘i Island, Maui, and Kaua‘i. In addition, the state will receive assistance from the Hazard Mitigation Program for actions taken to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property in the event of a natural disaster.

Said the governor, "The approval of our Presidential Disaster Declaration request will help our state recover more efficiently and quickly from the effects of Hurricane Lane. We are grateful for their support as we continue our work to keep our residents and visitors safe."

The governor's request for individual assistance is under review.

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A $1.7 BILLION COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Block Grant Disaster Recovery Fund for Hawai‘i passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday with a vote of 398 to 23.The funding is included in the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act. The money assists local governments across the country, especially where disasters struck in low- and moderate-income communities.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, who sits on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, reported that the bill will be passed to the senate, where he predicts its approval. He said it is important for Hawai‘i, including his staff, to work with federal, state, and county officials to complete applications and secure sufficient funding for Hawai‘i, which has experienced lava, earthquakes, fires, and flooding this past year.
"These block grants will help, but they are not our sole chance at additional federal funding. So I want to be clear that this is a down payment. And I will continue to fight for federal resources at every opportunity to help Hawai‘i move forward," said Schatz.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said, "This funding is essential to communities like ours that have been challenged in so many ways, with very limited resources to help with relief, recovery, and rebuilding. Despite all of our challenges, the strength and resilience we continue to see from the people in our communities is inspiring, as neighbors help neighbors, share their aloha, and pull together to recover from devastation. This funding will be available to support ongoing efforts to repair damaged farms and homes, revitalize our communities, and assist those affected in getting back on their feet."

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KEIKI OF KA‘Ū JUMPED JOYFULLY DURING MR. KNEEL'S VISIT to Nā‘ālehu Public Library on Wednesday, Sept. 26. Neil McIntyre - stage name Mr. Kneel - is an awarding-winning Hip Hop musician and educator.

During the special 45 minute library event funded by University of Hawai‘i, Mr. Kneel demonstrated the art of beatboxing to keiki of all ages and adults. He engaged the onlookers with animal sounds, guessing games, play on words, and sounds most people would have trouble making with just their mouths, hands, and a microphone. Mr. Kneel performed acoustic beatboxed

Hip Hop comes to Nāʻālehu Library. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

songs as the children danced, playing freeze dance, Simon says, and other interaction techniques. His hip hop performance included songs about math, Dr. Seuss, and even some Dr. Seuss rhymes.

Mr. Kneel was accompanied by three young men who performed several break dancing moves, all - to the audience's amazement - inside the confines of the small library building. At the end of his performance, Mr. Kneel encouraged attendees to ask University of Hawai‘i to bring the show back to Nā‘ālehu again soon, and to spread the word to their schools and other libraries.

According to his website, mrkneel.com, Mr. Kneel's "work at Warren Village in Denver, Colorado, a very special inner-city school, has led to a new kind of family music: 'Golden Era Hip Hop' music that parents will love as much as their kid, if not more. With Beatbox and vocal percussion, Mr. Kneel can make magic and emotion. With words he can create and improvise well enough to be invited recently to perform at the American Jazz Museum!"

He has performed at over 500 schools and venues in 43 of the United States and in seven provinces abroad.

For more library programs, call Nā‘ālehu Public Library Branch Manager Sara Kamibayashi at 939-2442. See librarieshawaii.org.

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Peter Bosted on Oboe.

OBOE PLAYER PETER BOSTED, of Ocean View, will perform at the Aloha Theater in Kainaliu in two performances of an orchestral concert by the Chamber Orchestra of Kona. The concerts will be this Saturday, Sept. 29 at 6 p.m., and Sunday Sept. 30 at 4 p.m. They will highlight the talents of four musicians.

Bosted will play a haunting piece entitled Gabriel’s Oboe, from the soundtrack of The Mission. In the movie, the title character is able to convert an indigenous tribe from enemies to friends by playing the piece for them.

I firmly believe that music is a great communicator - sometimes far better than language," explained Bosted. "The premise of this piece is that a missionary can play a hauntingly beautiful piece like this and immediately elicit trust and love from a tribe of hostile forest people. This piece not only gets under the audience's skin, but also tugs at its heartstrings in an irresistibly primordial way. It really does transcend barriers, and speaks to the best sentiments we all share."

Bosted said he is

"hugely grateful" Chamber Orchestra of Kona "decided to feature this piece, and I only hope I can do it justice. Fortunately, our director, Bernaldo Evangelista, has been very encouraging."

Bosted gave the back stories of the other three soloists. He called them "a very auspicious line-up."

"Ursula Vietze is amazing on the violin - anywhere else one would pay about $100 for a ticket to hear a musician of her caliber play this famous concerto.

"David Turner does an outstanding job on the clarinet, and his ever-popular piece, Concertino fur Klarinette, is terrific and a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

"Charley O'Kelly will play one of the most famous trumpet concertos. It was written in 1803 when the valve trumpet was first invented. This challenging piece was written so that the inventor could show off the capabilities of this 'new' instrument."

Chamber Orchestra of Kona is also known as COOK.

Playing in both COOK performances will be two other talented musicians from Ocean View - Michael Cripps on the cello, and Steve Moon, who plays the trumpet.

COOK used to hold concerts at the Aloha, then moved to the Sheraton Hotel ballroom. Many of the 35 musicians and the Kaʻū audience welcome Saturday's return to the Aloha Theater. which is closer to Kaʻū. Musicians volunteer their time and talents to keep admission reasonable at $10 or $20 per adult. As always, children are free.

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See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

Sat., Sept. 29, 11am, host Pāhoa

Sat, Oct 6, 12pm, host Kohala

Sat, Oct 13, BIIF Semi-Finals at Kamehameha

Sat, Oct 20, BIIF Finals - Higher

Girls Volleyball:
Fri., Sept. 28, 6pm, host Kona
Mon., Oct. 1, 6pm, host HAAS

Tues, Oct 2, 6pm, @ Kealakehe

Fri, Oct 5, 6pm, host Keaʻau

Wed, Oct 10, 6pm, @ Parker

Fri, Oct 12, 6pm, host St. Joseph

Mon, Oct 15, BIIF DII Qtr - Higher

Wed, Oct 17, BIIF DII Semi-Finals @ Kona
Thu, Oct 18, BIIF DII Finals @ Kona

Cross Country:
Fri., Sept. 28, 6pm, host Kona
Mon., Oct. 1, 6pm, host HAAS

Sat, Oct 6, 2pm, @ Kealakehe

Sat, Oct 13, BYE

Sat, Oct 20, 9am, BIIF @ HPA

Sat, Oct 27, 8:30am, HHSAA

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 28
Coffee Talk - The 1868 Eruption in Kaʻū: Disruption and Destruction, Fri., Sept. 28, 9:30-11am, Kahuku Park, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Join the discussion with rangers and other park visitors. Kaʻū coffee, tea, and pastries available for purchase. Free. nps.gov/HAVO

Park Beautification Day, Fri., Sept. 28, 1:30-4pm, Kahuku Park, Hawaiian Ocean View Estates. For all ages. Register Sept. 19-26. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

SATURDAY, SEPT. 29

Volunteer Day, The Nature Conservancy, Sat., Sept. 29, 8-3pm, either Kona Hema or Kaʻū Preserve, contact for confirmation. Tools, gloves, and stories provided. Space is limited. Reserve a space in a 4wd TNC truck in advance. Sponsored in part by Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority. Contact Mel Johansen at or Shalan Crysdale at scrysdale@tnc.org. tnc.org

Paths and Trails, Sat., Sept. 29, 9:30-12:30pm, Kahuku Unit of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Moderately-difficult, 2-mile, hike with some of the most spectacular overlooks in Kahuku. Discover the ways people, animals, and plants got to Kahuku and the paths they follow. Free. nps.gov/HAVO

Story Time with Lindsey Miller from PARENTS, Inc., Mon., Oct. 1, 2:30-3:15pm, Nā‘ālehu Public Library. 333-3460, lindsey@hawaiiparents.org

MONDAY, OCTOBER 1

Ocean View Volunteer Fire Department Meeting, Mon., Oct. 1, 4-6pm, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2
Hawai‘i County Council Meetings, Tue./Wed., Oct. 2 (Committees)/3 (Council), Hilo, Tue./Wed., Oct. 16 (Committees)/17 (Council), Kona. Ka‘ū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nā‘ālehu State Office Building. Agendas at hawaiicounty.gov.

Discovery Harbour Volunteer Fire Dept. Meeting, Tue., Oct. 2, 4-6pm, Oct. 16, 4:30-6:30pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. 929-9576, discoveryharbour.net

Ka‘ū Coffee Growers Meeting, Tue., Oct. 2, 6-8pm, Pāhala Community Center.

Family Yoga Class, Tue., Oct. 2, 9:30-10:30am, PARENTS, Inc., Nā‘ālehu. Wonderful way to embody connection. 3-12 years old and caregivers. All levels welcome. Wear comfortable clothes, bring a mat, if can, as supplies are limited. Free. 333-3460, lindsey@hawaiiparents.org

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3
Open Mic Night, Wed., Oct. 3, 6-10pm, Kīlauea Military Camp inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Call 967-8365 after 4pm to sign-up and for more details. For patrons 21+. Park entrance fees may apply. kilaueamilitarycamp.com

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4
Ocean View Neighborhood Watch Meeting, Thu., Oct. 4, 6-7pm, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5
Annual Oktoberfest Dinner, Fri., Oct. 5, 5pm, St. Jude's Episcopal Church. Tickets: Singles $8, doubles $15, family $20. stjudeshawaii.org, 939-7000

‘O Ka‘ū Kākou Meeting, Fri., Oct. 5, 6:30pm, Aspen Center. okaukakou.org

ONGOING

Disaster Recovery Center Closes Saturday, Sept. 29. Open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Pāhoa Neighborhood Center at 15-3022 Kauhale St. Survivors who have left the area, call 800-621-3362.

One Lucid Dream: A Retrospective of Art Works by Ken Charon. Exhibit open Mon.-Sat., through Oct. 6, 10-3pm, Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus, Volcano Village. Original paintings, drawings, and other objects. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Volunteers Needed by St. Jude's Episcopal Church for community outreach, especially soup cooks and shower organizers, towel laundry, alter guild, and for the computer lab. Volunteers do not have to be members of the church. "Volunteering for St. Jude's Saturday Shower and Soup ministry is an opportunity to serve God in a powerful way," states St. Jude's. Contact Dave Breskin, 319-8333.

Tūtū and Me Traveling Preschool's Temporary Nāʻālehu Location is Kauahaʻao Church in Waiʻōhinu. Meeting days and times remain the same: Mondays and Wednesdays, from 8:45 to 10:45 a.m. Pāhala site program meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., at Pāhala Community Center.

Tūtū and Me also offers home visits to those with keiki zero to five years old, to aid with parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate, listening ear. Free. Visits last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, total of 12 visits. Snacks are provided.
To enroll in either program, fill out enrollment forms found at pidf.org/programs/tutu_and_me/enrollment_forms, or call Linda Bong at 464-9634. Questions: Clark at 929-8571 or eclark@pidfountation.org.

Open Enrollment for Harmony Educational Services through Oct. 15. Partnered with four local public charter schools, offers benefits of homeschooling with resources available to public schools. Interested families can contact Ranya Williams, rwilliams@harmonyed.com or 430-9798. harmonyed.com/hawaii

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Sen. Mazie Hirono joined Sen. Richard Blumenthal in walking out of the vote to send the nomination of Brett
Kavanaugh to the Senate floor for confirmation to become a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
Photo from Sen. Blumenthal

THE VOTE BY THE U.S. SENATE on confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court is delayed for a week. Pres. Donald Trump today ordered an FBI investigation for no more than a week into allegations that Kavanaugh committed sexual assault.
Some Republicans joined Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee in calling for the investigation. Those Republicans voted today to send Kavanaugh's nomination to the full Senate with this condition: If the investigation is not carried out, they would vote against Kavanaugh on the Senate floor. The 11-10 vote today moved the issue to the full Senate and was followed by this statement from the Committee:

Sen. Mazie Hirono, center, Sen. Kamala Harris, right, and protesters against
the election of Kavanaugh to a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court.
Photo from Hirono's Twitter

"The Senate Judiciary Committee will request that the administration instruct the FBI to conduct a supplemental FBI background investigation with respect to the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court.

"The supplemental FBI background investigation would be limited to current credible allegations against the nominee and must be completed no later than one week from today." Trump followed up and ordered the investigation.

In protest of the Committee voting to move the nomination to the full Senate, Hawaiʻi Sen. Mazie Hirono walked out of the Committee meeting. She was joined by Senators Richard Blumenthal, Kamala Harris, and Sheldon Whitehouse. They returned and voted "no." They also joined protesters who oppose Kavanaugh and spoke at a podium with a sign saying "Kava Nope."
Hirono Tweeted: "This morning Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and I walked out of the Senate Judiciary Committee markup on Brett Kavanaugh. This Committee and the Republicans have tossed out all rules and norms to push Brett Kavanaugh onto the Supreme Court. We will not be part of this sham."
Hirono shared a post from Harris on her Twitter: "Right now, many survivors of sexual assault are reliving trauma. If you're a survivor, know that you are not alone. If you need to talk, you can call 800-656-HOPE to reach a national, confidential helpline 24/7. There is also an online hotline" at hotline.rainn.org/online."

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View of Halemaʻumaʻu from the HVO observation tower, today. USGS photo

TILTMETERS MEASURE TINY CHANGES that can have big consequences, states this week's Volcano Watch, written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. This week's article was written by HVO geophysicist Ingrid Johanson.

The USGS HVO uses a diverse set of instruments to monitor active volcanoes in Hawaiʻi. These include seismometers, gas sensors, Global Positioning System stations, and webcams. Each provides a unique type of data critical to understanding volcanic systems.

However, electronic tiltmeters are the instruments that are often the first to alert us to changes in a volcano that could lead to an eruption. This is because they are exceptionally sensitive, capable of measuring very small ground deformations that suggest the movement of magma into shallow parts of volcanoes.

On the right, a tiltmeter is ready for installation in a shallow borehole. On the

left, the tiltmeter is located at the bottom of a 3 to 4 m (10 to 15 ft) borehole

lined with a metal casing. The tiltmeter is surrounded by sand to secure it

within the borehole so that it does not touch the casing. USGS photos

While tiltmeters respond to many subsurface processes, they are particularly effective for tracking inflation and deflation of subsurface magma reservoirs, like the shallow Halemaʻumaʻu source at Kīlauea's summit. As magma moves into a subsurface reservoir, the reservoir expands to accommodate additional magma. This causes the ground above the reservoir to bulge, depending on how shallow it is.

As it bulges upward, the slope of the ground surface changes in certain places and in a specific pattern. This change in slope is what a tiltmeter measures, much like a carpenter's level.

Tiltmeters commanded the spotlight at Kīlauea during the events of May–August 2018. Large changes in tilt just ahead of the collapse of Puʻu ʻŌʻō on April 30, 2018, first heralded the major events about to happen. Tiltmeters and seismometers located along the volcano's East Rift Zone were key for tracking magma intruding into the lower ERZ beneath Leilani Estates. At Kīlauea's summit, sudden changes in the direction of surface tilting were primary indicators that repeated collapse events, and not just earthquakes, had occurred.

The unit used when measuring tilt at a volcano is usually the microradian. This is an angular unit, just like "degrees." A full circle is 360 degrees, equivalent to 6.28 radians. One microradian is about 50 millionths of a degree – a very small change in ground slope. If you put a tiltmeter on a rigid plank that is one mile long, and then put a quarter under one end of the plank, the measured change would be about one microradian of tilt.

Electronic Tilt at Kīlauea East Rift Zone for the past two days. Graph from USGS

The tiltmeters that HVO use can resolve even smaller tilt changes – as small 5 nanoradians. However, this great sensitivity comes at a cost. That's because the tiltmeter records all changes in the ground tilt, whether they are due to changes in the volcano or another reason.

One non-volcanic source of tilt is the heating of the ground that happens on sunny days. Most of HVO's tiltmeters are installed in boreholes about 3 to 4 m (10 to 13 ft) below the ground and are surrounded by rock. This rock expands as it warms up during the day, and any unevenness in its expansion will produce an easily measurable ground tilt. This is diurnal noise, which can be easily identified because it happens regularly during the day.

Rainfall can also cause small amounts of tilt. Rock contains small air pockets, called pore spaces, which can become filled with water during a storm, causing the rock to swell up like a sponge. Small differences in pore spaces on either side of a tiltmeter will cause a measurable change in ground tilt. Remember, these are tilts that are much smaller than can be discerned by simply looking at a patch of ground with your eyes.

The blue line shows the radial tilt at Summer Camp station on the eastern rim of Kīlauea's caldera. The green line is radial tilt at Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, on the north flank of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone. Positive changes often indicate inflation of the magma storage areas beneath the caldera or Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, but may also result from heavy rainfall or, occasionally, instrumental malfunctions. USGS graph

Another important source of noise at a tiltmeter is settling of the instrument in its borehole. This can last months, if not years, in some cases. It is a major contributor to tiltmeter "drift," and, on a tilt record, can look like a long-term tilt change or trend.

Because of tiltmeter drift, we mainly trust tiltmeters for short time-scale changes. For changes over several months or years, we must look to other instruments, such as GPS, for deformation data. It also means that the usefulness of a tilt record is how the tilt changes within a week or a month, and not necessarily the absolute value of tilt produced by the instrument.

Despite these effects, electronic tiltmeters offer one of our best views into subsurface changes at Kīlauea and Mauna Loavolcanoes, and are an important part of our monitoring toolbox. See current tilt data from HVO's network on our website. Go to

volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo, then click on "Deformation."

Volcano Activity Updates

At Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone, the most recent significant incandescence visible within the fissure 8 cone was on September 15. At the summit of the volcano, seismicity and ground deformation remain low. Hazardous conditions still exist at both the LERZ and summit. Residents in the lower Puna District and Kīlauea summit areas on the Island of Hawaiʻi should stay informed and heed Hawai‘i County Civil Defense closures, warnings, and messages hawaiicounty.gov/active-alerts. No collapses at Puʻu ʻŌʻō have been observed during the past two weeks. The combined sulfur dioxide emission rates at Kīlauea’s summit, Puʻu ʻŌʻō, and lower East Rift Zone remain at less than 1,000 tonnes per day – lower than at any time since late 2007.

GPS readings at Puʻu ʻŌʻō over the last year. Graph from USGS

A magnitude-3.7 earthquake with three or more felt reports occurred 18 km (11 mi) southeast of Volcano at 6 km (4 mi) depth on September 21 at 1:56 a.m. Small aftershocks from the May 4, 2018, magnitude-6.9 earthquake are still being generated on faults located on Kīlauea's south flank.

Visit volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvofor past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Kea updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Call 808-967-8862 for a Kīlauea summary update. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

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HAWAIʻI COUNTY ASKS THE PUBLIC TO REPORT BROKEN STREET LAMPS to ensure safe trick-or-treating, and to provide adequate lighting to prevent accidents and to illuminate the roadway, sidewalk, and shoulders for safe pedestrian and motorist use, in a release.

Example of a street lamp number.
Photos from Hawaiʻi County

The Traffic Division of the County of Hawai‘i Department of Public Works, the release says, manages over 10,165 street lights and is asking for the community's assistance in identifying and reporting any broken streetlights in their neighborhood area. Bulbs can burn out, and the light will not activate at dusk. The sensor can malfunction, and the light can remain on all day.

If a street light is lit all day, or is not lit at night, call the Traffic Division, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at 961-8341, with the street light pole number: easily spotted from a car, it is a large silver number located six to seven feet up on the street light pole. Please also provide the street or highway name, if available – a well-known landmark is also helpful.

Another example of
a street lamp number.

The average timeline from reporting a malfunctioning street light to its repair is between three and seven days, says the release. "The Department of Public Works thanks the community for their assistance and partnership in ensuring a safe Holiday Season for our BigIsland‘Ohana."

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A JOB FAIR AND JOB READINESS WORKSHOP, sponsored by the American Job Center Hawaiʻi, happen in Hiloin October, and are free and open to the public, says an announcement from the Mayor's office.

The Job Readiness Workshop happens Tuesday, Oct. 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Aunty Sally's Luau Hale. The Workshop "assists participants to prepare for the job fair by offering guidance on resume writing, interviewing skills, properly completing an application and instruction on dressing for success," says the announcement.

The Job Fair happens Thursday, October 25, 2018, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Edith Kanakaʻole Tennis Stadium. Island-wide businesses looking for employees to fill vacancies will gather at the Fair. Participants should come prepared with resumes and in professional attire, as interviews may be done on site.

For more, call Office of Housing and Community Development at 961-8379.

Kaʻū Trojans Girls Volleyball fought hard against HPA
on Tuesday. Photo from Kaʻū Trojans Twitter

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KAʻŪ TROJANS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL had a rough Tuesday night. At an away game at HPA, both sets the JV team played ended in defeat, with Kaʻū scoring 9 and 19 to HPA's 25 and 25. Varsity fared a little better, scoring 25, 19, 18, and 21, but HPA won the game with 23, 25, 25, and 25.

The next game happens tonight, and Kaʻū News Briefs will report on the scores tomorrow. See the schedule, below.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

Sat., Sept. 29, 11am, host Pāhoa

Sat, Oct 6, 12pm, host Kohala

Sat, Oct 13, BIIF Semi-Finals at Kamehameha

Sat, Oct 20, BIIF Finals - Higher

Girls Volleyball:
Mon., Oct. 1, 6pm, host HAAS

Tues, Oct 2, 6pm, @ Kealakehe

Fri, Oct 5, 6pm, host Keaʻau

Wed, Oct 10, 6pm, @ Parker

Fri, Oct 12, 6pm, host St. Joseph

Mon, Oct 15, BIIF DII Qtr - Higher

Wed, Oct 17, BIIF DII Semi-Finals @ Kona
Thu, Oct 18, BIIF DII Finals @ Kona

Cross Country:

Sat, Sept 29, 10am, @ Waiakea
Mon., Oct. 1, 6pm, host HAAS

Sat, Oct 6, 2pm, @ Kealakehe

Sat, Oct 13, BYE

Sat, Oct 20, 9am, BIIF @ HPA

Sat, Oct 27, 8:30am, HHSAA

NEW and UPCOMING
OPEN MIC NIGHT RETURNS TO KĪLAUEA MILITARY CAMP'S LAVA LOUNGE on Wednesday, Oct. 3, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The event features singers, bands, comedians, etc., and welcomes patrons over the age of 21 years old to attend or perform.

To sign-up or for more details, call 967-8365 after 4 p.m. Kīlauea Military Camp is located inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park; park entrance fees may apply. See kilaueamilitarycamp.com.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 29

Story Time with Lindsey Miller from PARENTS, Inc., Mon., Oct. 1, 2:30-3:15pm, Nā‘ālehu Public Library. 333-3460, lindsey@hawaiiparents.org

MONDAY, OCTOBER 1

Ocean View Volunteer Fire Department Meeting, Mon., Oct. 1, 4-6pm, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2
Hawai‘i County Council Meetings, Tue./Wed., Oct. 2 (Committees)/3 (Council), Hilo, Tue./Wed., Oct. 16 (Committees)/17 (Council), Kona. Ka‘ū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nā‘ālehu State Office Building. Agendas at hawaiicounty.gov.

Discovery Harbour Volunteer Fire Dept. Meeting, Tue., Oct. 2, 4-6pm, Oct. 16, 4:30-6:30pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. 929-9576, discoveryharbour.net

Ka‘ū Coffee Growers Meeting, Tue., Oct. 2, 6-8pm, Pāhala Community Center.

Family Yoga Class, Tue., Oct. 2, 9:30-10:30am, PARENTS, Inc., Nā‘ālehu. Wonderful way to embody connection. 3-12 years old and caregivers. All levels welcome. Wear comfortable clothes, bring a mat, if can, as supplies are limited. Free. 333-3460, lindsey@hawaiiparents.org

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3
Open Mic Night, Wed., Oct. 3, 6-10pm, Kīlauea Military Camp inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Call 967-8365 after 4pm to sign-up and for more details. For patrons 21+. Park entrance fees may apply. kilaueamilitarycamp.com

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4
Ocean View Neighborhood Watch Meeting, Thu., Oct. 4, 6-7pm, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5
Annual Oktoberfest Dinner, Fri., Oct. 5, 5pm, St. Jude's Episcopal Church. Tickets: Singles $8, doubles $15, family $20. stjudeshawaii.org, 939-7000

‘O Ka‘ū Kākou Meeting, Fri., Oct. 5, 6:30pm, Aspen Center. okaukakou.org

ONGOING

CU Hawaiʻi Federal Credit Union's Nāʻālehu Branch is taking applications for a Member Service Representative.

CU Hawaiʻi offers medical, drug, dental, vision and retirement benefits.

Mail, hand-deliver, or fax application to: CU Hawaii Federal Credit Union, Attn: Human Resources,

476 Hinano Street, Hilo, HI96720

, Fax (808) 935-7793. Applications can be downloaded online at cuhawaii.com/about-cu/career-opportunities.html

Disaster Recovery Center Closes Tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 29. Open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Pāhoa Neighborhood Center at 15-3022 Kauhale St. Survivors who have left the area, call 800-621-3362.

Tūtū and Me Traveling Preschool's Temporary Nāʻālehu Location is Kauahaʻao Church in Waiʻōhinu. Meeting days and times remain the same: Mondays and Wednesdays, from 8:45 to 10:45 a.m. Pāhala site program meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., at Pāhala Community Center.
Tūtū and Me also offers home visits to those with keiki zero to five years old, to aid with parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate, listening ear. Free. Visits last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, total of 12 visits. Snacks are provided.
To enroll in either program, fill out enrollment forms found at pidf.org/programs/tutu_and_me/enrollment_forms, or call Linda Bong at 464-9634. Questions: Clark at 929-8571 or eclark@pidfountation.org.

Jaclanne Pagala, left, and Riley Viernes, right, practice their skills using classmate Dalyn Kupukaa as a subject,
during an EMT course which has been added to curriculum at both the Hilo and Kona college campuses.
See story, below. Photo from Hawaiʻi CC

A CALL FOR A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE HU HONUA BIOENERGY PLANT, which plans for eucalyptus harvested from Kaʻū tree farms and elsewhere to produce electricity, has been issued by the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi County. A statement from the party on Saturday describes Hu Honua Bioenergy (also known as Honua Ola), as an "incinerator-style power plant that is one of the most environmentally harmful projects now underway in the State of Hawaiʻi, set to open soon on our island."

Hawaiʻi County Democrats and the statewide Party recently passed two resolutions, urging public officials to withdraw support from Hu Honua Bioenergy. The Democrats also announced that the 30-day comment period for testimonies on Hu Honua's applications for two National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits closes Oct. 6.

Testimonies already submitted include those from Anne Frederick, Executive Director of Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action; Lianna Murillo of The Surfrider Foundation; and Rob Culbertson, an environmentalist.

The statement from the Democratic Party summarizes their testimonies, saying that Hu Honua plans to release storm water drainage off a cliff and also to disposed wastewater into injection wells 80 feet from cliff line over the ocean. "This means that chemically and thermally dominated wastewater will percolate down to coastal waters and aquifer, threatening the nearshore marine environment, our drinking water and also causing more instability in the landslide-prone sea cliffs."

The statement also contends that "Other dire consequences of this project will be the unnecessary release of 300,000 tons per year of greenhouse-gas emissions, as well as the drawing of 21.6 million gallons of water per day from the Hakalau aquifer. This water will be mixed with about two dozen hazardous chemicals, and then used to cool the turbines of the electrical generator. The contaminated water is planned to be disposed of through the injection wells, which are 400 feet deep. Once it hits coastal waters, it will still be too hot for marine life to survive."

The Democratic Party states that "Hu Honua Bioenergy is being called 'renewable energy' by state officials, but this is a false narrative. Officials are ignoring the fact that it takes between 20-100 years for replanted trees to capture an amount of carbon equal to that which would be released."

Read Hu Honua's description of its project at huhonua.com where it states: "Hū Honua Bioenergy is one of the keys to Hawai‘i's energy independence. Once operational, Hū Honua can produce up to 30-megawatts (MW) of firm, renewable power fueled by homegrown biomass. Hū Honua can help the state meet its bold clean energy vision, while creating a new forestry industry, providing jobs to local families, and ensuring a secure, sustainable energy future for Hawai‘i Island."

Testimony can be sent to the CleanWaterBranch@doh.hawaii.gov; norris.uehara@doh.hawaii.gov; darryl.lum@doh.hawaii.gov; shane.sumida@doh.hawaii.gov; kozelka.peter@epa.gov.
The Democrats also posted a petition at actionnetwork.org/petitions/permits-and-public-hearings-for-hu-honua.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

HAWAIʻI WILDLIFE FUND RECENTLY LOADED 20,820 POUNDS OF DERELICT FISHING AND CARGO NETS AND LINE into a 40-foot container. Volunteers loaded up ten tons of the debris, collected during the last six months from Hawai‘i Island's coastlines, last Sunday, Sept. 23. Matson will send the container to Oʻahu, where the debris will be burned for electricity.

Of these massive net and line bundles, five truckloads were collected from Kona and Hilo state Division of Aquatic Resources storage. The truckloads were collected by community volunteers, dive shops, local fishermen, and the Department of Land and Natural Resources staff. The container includes nets from both Pohoʻiki and Wai‘ōpae, in areas that were subsequently covered in lava.

Over ten tons of derelict fishing and cargo nets and line were collected on Hawaiʻi Island in six months. Photo from HWF

This is the second container filled and shipped to O‘ahu by HWF this year, "the 11th since 2005 via the Ka Ipu ‘Āina program, thanks to Matson," says a release from HWF. "This entire effort is a part of the NOAA Nets-to-Energy partnership. Since HWF began contributing nets to this program 13 years ago, 63 tons of nets have been diverted from the Hawai‘i Island landfills." Nets sent for incineration were primarily collected by HWF staff and volunteers, but also include efforts by County of Hawai‘i lifeguards, DLNR staff, and community members around the island.

HWF's Education Coordinator Stacey Breining said, "We love that the community looks to HWF to report and remove large net bundles. Net bundles can potentially entangle or smother our precious marine life and animals have been known to ingest it as well. That's why we relentlessly strive to clean it up. Folks can bring any nets or lines they have collected to our net collection bins outside both the Hilo (Wailoa Fisheries Station) and Kona (HonokōhauHarbor) DLNR DAR offices."

To report any large or potentially dangerous debris items, call HWF's marine debris hotline (808-769-7629) and DLNR (808-587-0405).

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com

THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME AN EMT WILL BE CLOSER AT HAND for those in Kaʻū who wish to drive to school to either Kona or Hilo. An Emergency Medical Technician course will be added to the Hawaiʻi Community College Fire Science Program at both campuses.
Assistant Professor of Fire Science Jack Minassian said that by "earning their national registry EMT certification along with their Associate of Science degree, students will greatly enhance their employment opportunities with fire service agencies. It's one more added benefit when they apply for a job, and it's a big one." Fire service agencies on the island include those at Hawaiʻi County Fire Department, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Parks, and the airports.

Kainalu Burley, left, and Woody Keahi Nelson, right,

practice their skills using classmate Dustin Figueira as

a subject. Photo from Hawaiʻi CC

The EMT courses, taught by instructors David Mendonsa and Daina Leslie Dietz, are in collaboration with Kapiolani Community College on Oʻahu. Established in 2005, the Fire Science program has become one of the most popular academic programs at Hawaiʻi CC in Hilo where 98 students are enrolled in the program.

In 2017, Hawaiʻi CC began offering the Fire Science program at the Hawaiʻi CC – Pālamanui campus in Kona. A new cohort of students is admitted every two years.
Students can begin the application process now to enroll for Fall 2019 at the Pālamanui campus and at the Manono campus in Hilo.
For students interested in a bachelor's degree, Hawaiʻi CC has a transfer agreement with Colorado State University that allows Hawaiʻi CC Fire Science graduates to easily enter CSU's online Bachelor of Science in Fire and Emergency Services Administration program. Students can complete the online Bachelor of Science program while living on Hawaiʻi Island.
For more information about the Fire Science program, contact Minassian at jackm@hawaii.edu or (808) 934-2617. Those interested in learning more about the enrollment process can contact the Welcome Center at (808) 934-2800.

In five semesters, students can earn an Associate of Science degree. Hawaiʻi CC Fire Science graduates have found employment with federal, state, and local fire service agencies.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

KAʻŪ TROJANS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL had disappointing games last night. Challenging Kona in a home game, JV lost both sets, and Varsity lost all three sets.
Come cheer the girls on, on Monday, Oct.1, at 6 p.m., as they host HAAS. See the Fall schedule, below.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

Sat, Oct 6, 12pm, host Kohala
Sat, Oct 13, BIIF Semi-Finals at Kamehameha

Sat, Oct 20, BIIF Finals - Higher

Girls Volleyball:
Fri., Sept. 28, 6pm, host Kona
Mon., Oct. 1, 6pm, host HAAS

Tues, Oct 2, 6pm, @ Kealakehe

Fri, Oct 5, 6pm, host Keaʻau

Wed, Oct 10, 6pm, @ Parker

Fri, Oct 12, 6pm, host St. Joseph

Mon, Oct 15, BIIF DII Qtr - Higher

Wed, Oct 17, BIIF DII Semi-Finals @ Kona
Thu, Oct 18, BIIF DII Finals @ Kona

Cross Country:
Fri., Sept. 28, 6pm, host Kona
Mon., Oct. 1, 6pm, host HAAS

Sat, Oct 6, 2pm, @ Kealakehe

Sat, Oct 13, BYE

Sat, Oct 20, 9am, BIIF @ HPA

Sat, Oct 27, 8:30am, HHSAA

NEW and UPCOMING
VOLCANO VILLAGE HEALTH AND SAFETY FAIR is held at the Cooper Center, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Sunday, Oct. 7.

The fair offers healthy food demonstrations and free food tastings, how to make a "go bucket," info on advance directives, free flu vaccinations (to those over 18 years of age, with a valid picture I.D. and insurance card - Kaiser and V.A. not covered), free testing for HepC and HIV, and more. The free event, open to the public, is sponsored by the Volcano Community Association.

Participants include: Blue Zones Hawai‘i - HMSA, KTA Pharmacy (flu vaccines), Hawai‘i Island HIV/AIDS Foundation, Fight the Bite - Hawai‘i, State Dept. of Health, Community Emergency Response Team, Volcano Emergency Response Team, Lava Paws - pet safety, Bay Clinic Mobile Health Unit, Sweet Cane Cafe, Café Ono, Volcano School of Arts and Sciences, and more. For more, contact Sher Glass at 967-8553 or email vcainfo@yahoo.com.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 1

Ocean View Volunteer Fire Department Meeting, Mon., Oct. 1, 4-6pm, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2
Hawai‘i County Council Meetings, Tue./Wed., Oct. 2 (Committees)/3 (Council), Hilo, Tue./Wed., Oct. 16 (Committees)/17 (Council), Kona. Ka‘ū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nā‘ālehu State Office Building. Agendas at hawaiicounty.gov.

Discovery Harbour Volunteer Fire Dept. Meeting, Tue., Oct. 2, 4-6pm, Oct. 16, 4:30-6:30pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. 929-9576, discoveryharbour.net

Ka‘ū Coffee Growers Meeting, Tue., Oct. 2, 6-8pm, Pāhala Community Center.

Family Yoga Class, Tue., Oct. 2, 9:30-10:30am, PARENTS, Inc., Nā‘ālehu. Wonderful way to embody connection. 3-12 years old and caregivers. All levels welcome. Wear comfortable clothes, bring a mat, if can, as supplies are limited. Free. 333-3460, lindsey@hawaiiparents.org

‘O Ka‘ū Kākou Meeting, Fri., Oct. 5, 6:30pm, Aspen Center. okaukakou.org

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6
Hi‘iaka & Pele, Sat., Oct. 6, 9:30-11:30am, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Discover Hawaiian goddesses and the natural phenomena they represent on this free, moderate, one-mile walk. nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

Kāwā Community Workday, Sat., Oct. 6, Meet 9:30am, Northern Gate, Kāwā. Sign-up w/James Akau, Nā Mamo o Kāwā, namamookawa@gmail.com, jakau@nmok.org, 561-9111. nmok.org

Keiki Science Class, Sat., Oct. 6, 11-noon, Ace Hardware Stores Islandwide, including Nā‘ālehu, 929-9030, and Ocean View, 929-7315. Free. First Sat every month. acehardware.com

ONGOING
CU Hawaiʻi Federal Credit Union's Nāʻālehu Branch is taking applications for a Member Service Representative.
The job description reads: Serve as a liaison between the member and the Credit Union. Provide a variety of financial services to members including savings, share drafts, and loan transactions, as well as sales of merchandise items: money orders, traveler's checks, postage stamps, etc., in accordance with Credit Union procedures and policies.
CU Hawaiʻi offers medical, drug, dental, vision and retirement benefits.
Mail, hand-deliver, or fax application to: CU Hawaii Federal Credit Union, Attn: Human Resources, 476 Hinano Street, Hilo, HI 96720, Fax (808) 935-7793. Applications can be downloaded online at cuhawaii.com/about-cu/career-opportunities.html

Moonset over Mauna Loa and Kīlauea Caldera, the sulfur banks illuminated by moonlight. Tina Neal tells
Kaʻū News Briefs of her excitement at the reopening of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
last weekend. See story, below. NPS/Janice Wei photo

HURRICANE WALAKA, THE FIRST CYCLONE TO DEVELOP IN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC since Hurricane Pali and Tropical Storm Ulika in 2016, is threatening PapahānaumokuākeaMarineNational Monument. Walaka - the Hawaiian spelling of Walter, which means "ruler of the army" - was moving west northwest, located southwest of the Islands, at 5 p.m. today, with winds of 75 mph.

Path of Walaka shows it heading north through
Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument,
possibly as a major hurricane.
Image from Central Pacific Hurricane Center

The CentralPacificHurricaneCenterpredicts that Walaka will become a major hurricane on Monday and remain strong for two to three days, turning to the north by Tuesday and passing over or near Johnston Atoll, where a hurricane warning is in effect.
"Walaka remains within ideal conditions for strengthening, with high sea surface temperatures, low shear, high ocean heat content, and plenty of deep moisture," reports the HurricaneCenter, which also predicts rapid intensification, exceeding 90 percent, and winds possibly reaching 140 mph. At 5 p.m., Wakala was 860 miles southwest of Honoluluand 630 miles southeast of Johnston Atol.

One impact on the Hawaiian Islands could be cutting off the tradewinds. Another is a possible track that would cut through Papahānaumokuākea MarineNational Monument, as a major hurricane, when Wakala turns north. CentralPacificHurricaneCenter warns: "Interests in the Papahānaumokuākea MarineNational Monument should monitor the progress of Walaka."

For more on the national monument, see papahanaumokuakea.gov, or visit the interactive Mokupāpapa Discovery Center for Hawaiʻi’s Remote Coral Reefs in downtown Hilo.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

USGS HVO Scientist-in-Charge Tina Neal speaks to a visitor on reopening
day, Sept. 22. Photo by Ann Bosted

TINA NEAL, SCIENTIST-IN-CHARGE OF THE USGS HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES OBSERVATORY, was on hand last weekend to welcome the public back to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and answer questions.

Neal was thrilled to volunteer alongside HVNP staff, she told Kaʻū News Briefs. She based herself at the view site at the end of the former Crater Rim Drive, which was closed in early 2008 when strong degassing and explosions heralded a lava lake in Halemaʻumaʻu. At that time, gas was venting directly below the Crater Overlook.

On March 19, there was a huge explosive eruption and blocks of rock up to a foot in size were thrown onto the overlook area. Pieces up to an inch in length were found on the Crater Rim Drive. That event, together with sulfur dioxide gas emissions and a high concentration of the dangerous gas on Crater Rim Drive, prompted closing to the public of the drive, the overlook, and the parking lot, a decade ago. A short section of the drive remained open to hikers and cyclists.

A visitor scopes out Halemaʻumaʻu on reopening day.
NPS photo

The May 2018 eruption of fountaining lava from about 24 fissures in Leilani Estates coincided with a long series of tremors, explosive eruptions and collapses of portions of the Kīlauea caldera floor, as well as collapse of the Puʻu ʻŌʻō crater. It was these tremors and near-daily collapse explosions - many of which produced an earthquake of equivalent magnitude 5 or more - that caused the park to be closed from May 10 to September 22. In that time, the depth of Halemaʻumaʻu quadrupled and its diameter has more than doubled.

When hundreds of visitors flocked to the reopening of the park last Saturday, the former

view site of choice, Jaggar Museum, was still closed. Many hiked or biked along the former Crater Rim Drive to Keanakākoʻi Crater to view the transformed Kīlauea Caldera from the south.

Scars of the months of shaking and subsidence were evident on the paved drive. Some fissures in the road were so large that the Park had installed large metal plates for visitors to use as a foot bridge across the chasms.

Part of Crater Rim Drive, collapsed into Halemaʻumaʻu.
NPS photo

From the view site, visitors were able to take in the vast changes caused by the movement of magma from beneath Halemaʻumaʻu to the Lower East Rift Zone. To the west, a collapsed section of the Crater Rim Drive, with its center stripe still plainly visible, could be spotted lying hundreds of feet below the edge of the enlarged crater. A visitor set up a telescope trained on the fragment of road, and encouraged other visitors to take a peek.

Clad in a bright orange USGS shirt, Neal was a magnet for questions and comments. She told The Kaʻū Calendar that she was "thrilled" to be back in the Park, and "excited" to be a small part of the reopening day.

Neal was well-supplied with charts and photos to explain the science behind the breath-

taking transformation of Halemaʻumaʻu and the surrounding caldera floor. In response to a visitor's question about the volume of magma that was drained from the summit and the volume of lava that was erupted in Puna, Neal was able to consult her fist-full of printed materials to show that, based on initial analysis, the volumes were roughly equal.

Visitors peer out over Steaming Bluffs in the reopened Park.
NPS/Janice Wei photo

She described the early May tremors at the HVO facility as "very frightening." Over the

course of three months of shaking, the floor and ceiling of her office at HVO was badly damaged - part of the floor dropped several inches. She and other HVO staff had to rapidly pack up their offices and move out. They also boxed the invaluable items accumulated from decades of scientific research that were stored in their huge basement warehouse. These irreplaceable treasures are now mostly stored temporarily in the Federal Building in Hilo. No decision has yet been made as to whether the HVO building will be repaired or where HVO will be housed for the long term.

Asked about scientific monitoring instrumentation in the field, Neal explained that her team wanted to leave them in place for as long as possible as they were giving valuable data, but in a few cases "we left them out a bit too long" and they were lost in the collapses. One loss proved serendipitous. A GPS that toppled into the crater was able to continue sending radio signals until the line of sight was lost. This helped scientists monitor how fast the floor of the crater was subsiding and how deep the crater was becoming. On average, the floor fell tens of feet during each of the 60 collapse explosions.

Learn more at volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

THE DASHBOARD FOR THE STATE OF HAWAIʻI– which tracks and provides public overview to more than $450 million in spending on more than 600 projects in 16 departments, with timelines, status and financial breakdowns – won an international award, announced today. Hawaiʻi Department Dashboard went live in January.

The prize is the Chaucer Digital Innovation Award is for cutting-edge projects. "The State of Hawaiʻi is our first North American winner for their digital strategic roadmap initiative, which was developed to improve the state's IT governance process and promote organizational change using a strategic plan by means of data visualization," said Chris Laslett, CEO of Chaucer.

Gov. David Ige praised the state Office of Enterprise Technology Service "for earning this tremendous recognition after implementing this initiative in the beginning of the year. I thank the ETS team and the executive departments for working collaboratively on the Hawaiʻi Department Dashboard."

Todd Nacapuy, chief information officer for the state, said, "The Hawaiʻi Department Dashboard also provides transparency in government IT spends and makes the data accessible to the public."

Kaʻū Trojans football team. Photo from Kaʻū High Athletics

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FOOTBALL WIN yesterday, 58-28 over Pāhoa, gives the team the #1 seed in the BIIF 8-man Championship. It will be held Saturday, Oct. 20, at 1 p.m., at PāhalaBallPark.
"Haʻaheo Kākou ʻO Kaʻū," says the Kaʻū High School Athletics Twitter feed.

Hosting Pāhoa at Kaʻū, the Trojans were down 6 during the first quarter, which ended with a score of 14-20. The Trojans came back, preventing the Daggars from gaining any points in the second quarter, which finished with Kaʻū 44 and Pāhoa 20. Third quarter ended with Kaʻū 58, Pāhoa 20. While Pāhoa gained 8 points in the fourth, and Kaʻū was scoreless, Kaʻū finished the game with more than twice the points of Pāhoa, final score 58-28.
The Trojans have one more game, hosting Kohala, before the BIIF semi-finals. See the Fall schedule, below.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

Sat, Oct 6, 12pm, host Kohala
Sat, Oct 13, BIIF Semi-Finals at Kamehameha

Sat, Oct 20, BIIF Finals - Higher

Girls Volleyball:
Mon., Oct. 1, 6pm, host HAAS

Tues, Oct 2, 6pm, @ Kealakehe

Fri, Oct 5, 6pm, host Keaʻau

Wed, Oct 10, 6pm, @ Parker

Fri, Oct 12, 6pm, host St. Joseph

Mon, Oct 15, BIIF DII Qtr - Higher

Wed, Oct 17, BIIF DII Semi-Finals @ Kona
Thu, Oct 18, BIIF DII Finals @ Kona

Cross Country:
Mon., Oct. 1, 6pm, host HAAS

Sat, Oct 6, 2pm, @ Kealakehe

Sat, Oct 13, BYE

Sat, Oct 20, 9am, BIIF @ HPA

Sat, Oct 27, 8:30am, HHSAA

NEW and UPCOMING

HULA KAHIKO FEATURING KUMU HULA LIANA LEI‘ILIMA AVEIRO WITH HĀLAU MALANAI is performed Saturday, Oct. 13, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The event takes place in a one-of-a-kind outdoor setting at the kahua hula (hula platform) near Volcano Arts Center Gallery. The performance is part of a year-round series sponsored by Volcano Art Center that was temporarily moved during the recent park closure.

Hālau Malanai, under the direction of Kumu Hula Liana Leiʻilima Aveiro, is an offshoot of Hālau Hula Ka Noʻeau. Aveiro studied under Kumu Hula Michael Pili Pang for more than 20 years, graduating as a Kumu Hula through traditional uniki ceremony and passage. Their hula genealogy comes from master Kumu Hula Auntie Miki Aiu Lake.

Hālau Malanai perform Hula Kahiko on Saturday, Oct. 13, within
Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Photo from volcanoartcenter.org

The Hālau is located at Konoho Kuahiwi in the uplands of Waimea, with haumana from age 4 to adult women. Hālau Malanai's name was given by Pang and "takes us to one of our core Hula auwana 'Waika.' Located in this area, our Hālau Malanai carries the name of the distinct Breeze that is clean, cool, and refreshing. A breeze that promotes love on many different levels," states the event description on volcanoartcenter.org.
Hula Kahiko is presented authentically in an outdoor setting, rain or shine, without electronic amplification. Audience members are encouraged to bring sun/rain gear and sitting mats. Free; park entrance fees apply. See volcanoartcenter.org.

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 1

Ka‘ū Coffee Growers Meeting, Tue., Oct. 2, 6-8pm, Pāhala Community Center.

Family Yoga Class, Tue., Oct. 2, 9:30-10:30am, PARENTS, Inc., Nā‘ālehu. Wonderful way to embody connection. 3-12 years old and caregivers. All levels welcome. Wear comfortable clothes, bring a mat, if can, as supplies are limited. Free. 333-3460, lindsey@hawaiiparents.org

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3
Open Mic Night, Wed., Oct. 3, 6-10pm, Kīlauea Military Camp inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Call 967-8365 after 4pm to sign-up and for more details. For patrons 21+. Park entrance fees may apply. kilaueamilitarycamp.com

‘O Ka‘ū Kākou Meeting, Fri., Oct. 5, 6:30pm, Aspen Center. okaukakou.org

Kāwā Community Workday, Sat., Oct. 6, Meet 9:30am, Northern Gate, Kāwā. Sign-up w/James Akau, Nā Mamo o Kāwā, namamookawa@gmail.com, jakau@nmok.org, 561-9111. nmok.org

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7
Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund Kamilo Point Clean-Up with Hilo Bay Café, Sun., Oct. 7, contact in advance for meet up time at Wai‘ōhinu Park. BYO-4WD vehicle only. Free; donations appreciated. kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com, mattie.hwf@gmail.com, wildhawaii.org

Pu‘u o Lokuana, Sun., Oct. 7, 9:30-11 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Short, moderately difficult, 0.4-mile hike to the top of the grassy cinder cone. Learn about the formation and various uses of this hill over time. Enjoy breathtaking view of lower Ka‘ū. Free. nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

Volcano Village Health and Safety Fair at the Cooper Center, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 7. Healthy food demonstrations and free food tastings, how to make a "go bucket," info on advance directives, free flu vaccinations (conditions apply), free testing for HepC and HIV, and more. Free event, open to the public. Sponsored by the Volcano Community Association.Contact Sher Glass at 967-8553, vcainfo@yahoo.com.

ONGOING
CU Hawaiʻi Federal Credit Union's Nāʻālehu Branch is taking applications for a Member Service Representative. Job description: Serve as a liaison between the member and the Credit Union. Provide a variety of financial services to members including savings, share drafts, and loan transactions, as well as sales of merchandise items: money orders, traveler's checks, postage stamps, etc., in accordance with Credit Union procedures and policies. CU Hawaiʻi offers medical, drug, dental, vision and retirement benefits.
Mail, hand-deliver, or fax application to: CU Hawaii Federal Credit Union, Attn: Human Resources, 476 Hinano Street, Hilo, HI 96720, Fax (808) 935-7793. Applications can be downloaded online at cuhawaii.com/about-cu/career-opportunities.html

Volunteers Needed by St. Jude's Episcopal Church for community outreach, especially soup cooks and shower organizers, towel laundry, alter guild, and for the computer lab. Volunteers do not have to be members of the church. "Volunteering for St. Jude's Saturday Shower and Soup ministry is an opportunity to serve God in a powerful way," states St. Jude's. Contact Dave Breskin, 319-8333.

Tūtū and Me Traveling Preschool's Temporary Nāʻālehu Location is Kauahaʻao Church in Waiʻōhinu. Meeting days and times remain the same: Mondays and Wednesdays, from 8:45 to 10:45 a.m. Pāhala site program meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., at Pāhala Community Center.
Tūtū and Me also offers home visits to those with keiki zero to five years old, to aid with parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate, listening ear. Free. Visits last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, total of 12 visits. Snacks are provided.

To enroll in either program, fill out enrollment forms found at pidf.org/programs/tutu_and_me/enrollment_forms, or call Linda Bong at 464-9634. Questions: Clark at 929-8571 or eclark@pidfountation.org.

One of the 11 ʻAlalā released last Fall is thriving in the forest where more ʻAlalā were set free last week.
More are scheduled to be turned out into the wild later in October. Photo from San Diego Zoo

FIVE MORE ʻALALĀ ARE IN THE WILD AT PUʻU MAKAʻALA NATURAL RESERVE AREA. Another five of the critically endangered Hawaiian crows are scheduled for freedom later in October. The state Department of Natural Resources reports that two females and three males were released last Monday, Sept. 24, to join 11 ʻAlalā "already thriving in native forests on the windward slopes of Mauna Loa."

DLNR reports that the captive-raised birds took 53 minutes to begin venturing outside their enclosure. Four of the five flew out of their cage, the last "strolled out and quickly joined the others already exploring their new home."

Earlier this year, the ten birds scheduled for release were placed in a large aviary where they could fly but remain in captivity in the forest. It was the same "flight aviary" that housed ʻAlalā before they were released in 2017. "This allows them to acclimate to the sights and sounds of the Hawaiian forest. Each cohort is then transferred to a smaller release aviary two weeks prior to their release. All of the released birds are tracked and fed routinely by a Hawaiʻi Endangered Bird Conservation Program field team. These daily efforts will continue for these and future release birds for as long as needed," promises DLNR.

Three newly freed ʻAlalā, one still hanging out in the open enclosure. DLNR photo

ʻAlalā are highly social birds that live in groups and form complex hierarchies. All of this is taken into account when planning a reintroduction. Alison Greggor, PhD., a post-doctoral research associate from HEBCP, says, "The numbers of birds released will depend on how many show encouraging behaviors during wild food training and antipredator training, as well as pass the health exams performed by wildlife veterinarians."

In 2016, the ‘Alalā Working Group, a partnership coordinating the reintroduction, initiated a new strategy to return the birds to the forest. Biologists set out to incorporate the birds' personalities and group dynamics along with detailed habitat selection and an innovative approach to training the birds how to avoid predators.

Jackie Gaudioso-Levita, the ‘Alalā Project Coordinator, says, "This strategy is a three-pronged approach; groups are mixed-sex and comprised of birds that affiliate well together. The release sites are quantitatively chosen by experts familiar with the species' and habitat. Realistic antipredator training is used to evoke fear of their natural predator, the ʻIo."

Predator aversion training begins by presenting the birds with a mock attack, using a stuffed ʻIo on a pulley system to "fly" the predator through the air, using sound recordings of the Hawaiian hawk's cry. Then, sound recordings of ʻAlalā danger calls are played. While a hand-trained ʻAlalā - Kapono, from the Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo - flaps his wings in a side aviary, a stuffed American crow is put in the stuffed ʻIo's talons, to mimic a successful hunt. This training is especially important, as the first released ʻAlalā were very affected by ʻIo attack. Without this training, captive-raised ʻAlalā have no way to know the ʻIo is such a danger.

One of four ʻAlalā who flew to freedom last week.
The fifth one walked. DLNR photo

On the day of the release, an oli (chant) was offered by members of the ʻAlalā Working Group, honoring the beginning of another chapter of the species' recovery. Last April, each of these birds was given a Hawaiian name by local school students and the community. Ulu (to grow or inspire), Kūʻokoʻa (freedom), Maikaʻiloa (good fortune), Aumoamoa (to care for), and Kaleo (the voice), are the names of the birds in the first group released this year.

Rachel Kingsley, Education and Outreach Associate for The ʻAlalā Project, says, "These names hold meaning for the individual birds. Having the students and community working together provides a way for connections to be formed with each other, as well as to the conservation work we are doing."

Bryce Masuda, Program Manager from the San Diego Zoo Global's HEBCP, says, "Hearing the voices of the ʻAlalā and seeing them forage in their native habitat after being gone for so long is an incredible feeling. It is a testament to the resiliency of the birds and the dedication of so many incredible partners that we have come so far."

The 11 birds released in 2017 have had a challenging year, says the DNLR release: "Their survival skills were tested through multiple storms including Hurricane Lane, the Kīlauea and Lower East Rift Zone eruptions, and as always seasonal weather patterns." As five new birds join them in the forest, their daily routines continue: foraging on native fruits, eating insects from the bark of trees, and agilely flying through the ʻōhiʻa-dominated forest.

Explained Greggor, "The Hawaiian forest, as well as the ʻAlalā, are very resilient. They have survived really well over this past year and it will be exciting to see this continue."

ʻAlalā, the endangered Hawaiian crow, are very
observant, but must be taught how to handle
predators like ʻIo, the Hawaiian hawk.
DLNR photo

Michelle Bogardus, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Geographic Team Leader for Maui Nui and Hawaiʻi Island, says, "Recovering threatened and endangered species is bigger than any one community or agency. It takes everyone working together, and this release is a great example of that. Together we can ensure a healthy future for not only the birds but the forest ecosystem as a whole."

DLNR Chair Suzanne Case commented, "Although bringing the ‘Alalā back to the wild will take decades of work and perseverance, the people of Hawai‘i and many agencies are dedicated to saving this unique species for the perpetuation of Hawaiian ecosystems."

In partnership with DLNR, USFWS, and others, the bird conservation program reared the ‘Alalā at its centers on Hawai‘i Island and on Maui. In addition to these major funders of the project, cooperative partners include KamehamehaSchools, Three Mountain Alliance, U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Park Service.

Many interested people and groups have asked the ʻAlalā project if there is any chance of being able to visit the birds. An open house is set to be scheduled by January, says a video release on dlnr.hawaii.gov/alalaproject. It is projected to happen one time per year, and once a date and other details are settled, an announcement will be posted to the website.

See a video of the release at vimeo.com/291637316. See more and follow updates at facebook.com/alalaproject.

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The pink line, under hurricane watch, represents the northern islands of
the Hawaiian chain that are in the path of Category 5 Hurricane Walaka.
Image from prh.noaa.gov/cphc

HURRICANE WALAKA WILL BE A QUIRKY MILESTONE IN HISTORY, noted Brian Khan in Earther. He pointed out that the Hawaiian name "Walaka is the last name on a set of lists created in 1982 for Central Pacific hurricanes. It took 36 years to get to the end of the 48 names. But we made it, folks. The basin's next named storm will be Akoni, going back to the start of the very first list."

"The names in the Central Pacific operate a bit different than the more familiar Atlantic hurricane names. The Atlantic has six lists of 26 names that run from A to Z that are swapped out year after year. The Central Pacific has four lists of names that are alphabetical, but don't include every letter of the alphabet. And rather than starting a new list for every calendar year like the Atlantic, the Central Pacific has just let the four lists run their course.
Khan concluded that its is taken a long time to "run through all 48 names because the Central Pacific is one of the sleepier tropical cyclone basins: Upper level wind conditions just aren't that conducive to storms spinning up."

At the top of the swirl, a tendril of Walaka is near to the northern Hawaiian
Islands in the path of the hurricane, all part of Papahānaumokuākea
Marine National Monument. Image from prh.noaa.gov/cphc

He also noted that "we've been in an El Niño watch since June, and those conditions could have aided Walaka's rise.

WALAKA INTENSIFIED TO A CATEGORY FIVE hurricane today. Its path at 5 p.m. would take it over the abandoned military - and former nuclear, agent orange, and other toxic wastes storage and demilitarization - facility at Kalama Atoll, also known as Johnston Island, which is operated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Walaka is expected to head north through parts of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument,
where a team of scientists on board the Nautilus research vessel just wrapped up two weeks of exploring the bottom of the ocean with underwater robots and their scientific sensors and cameras. They headed toward Honolulu and out of the path of Walaka. See the Nautilus reports and the videos of rare underwater life at Papahānaumokuākea, plus their recent documentation of the seamount Loʻihi off the coast of Kaʻū.

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SYNERGISTIC HAWAIʻI AGRICULTURE COUNCIL WILL RECEIVE more than $483,000 in federal funding to assist in volcano recovery efforts, announced Sen. Mazie Hirono today. The grant comes from the Minority Business Development Agency.

Orchids are one of many crops affected by the recent eruption
that may now get aid to begin again.
Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Said Hirono, "In July, I met with members of Hawaiʻi Island's floriculture industry whose livelihoods were devastated by the volcanic eruption. They told me that despite the challenges they face, they want to restart their businesses as soon as possible. I am committed to ensuring that Hawaiʻi Island's agriculture community receives the assistance they need as recovery efforts continue."

The MBDA disaster relief grant, says the release, "will fund the creation of a business recovery hub that will provide assessments, financial planning resources, and marketing and skills training to agricultural businesses who need assistance in returning to production." A central quarantine location "to facilitate importation of new seeds and plants material" is also planned. Funds will also go toward a training center "to expand international sales," and to set up a "baseyard to bring down the costs of materials for individual farmers."

Hirono wrote to the MBDA in support of the SHAC's grant application. In June, she secured a provision in the Senate Farm Bill that would allow volcano-impacted farmers to retroactively apply for coverage under the Non-insured Crop Assistance Program.

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PUBLIC ACCESS ROOM COMES TO OCEAN VIEW on Wednesday, Oct. 31. The non-partisan division of Hawaiʻi state legislature's legislative Reference Bureau will offer workshops on Hawaiʻi Island in late October. Free and open to the public, they focus on teaching "how to make your voice heard at the state capitol," according to a statement from PAR. The workshops will "cover tips and techniques on effective lobbying to effect state laws," and "helpful guides and resources" will be provided.

PAR's staff will be at OceanViewOceanViewCommunity Center on Wednesday, Oct. 31, at 92-8924 Leilani Circle. A Beginner's presentation runs from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. This workshop is an intro to legislative process, "basics to get you ready for session." An Advanced presentation from 2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m., called Advocating in the Capitol, covers understanding deadlines, power dynamics, lobbying, and "how things work at the capitol." Additional presentations will be in Kona, Waimea, Pāhoa, and Hilo.

For more, call toll free to 808-974-4000, ext. 7-0478, email Keanu Young at k.young@capitol.hawaii.gov, or go to lrbhawaii.org.

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See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

Sat, Oct 6, 12pm, host Kohala
Sat, Oct 13, BIIF Semi-Finals at Kamehameha

Sat, Oct 20, BIIF Finals - Higher

Girls Volleyball:
Tues, Oct 2, 6pm, @ Kealakehe

Fri, Oct 5, 6pm, host Keaʻau

Wed, Oct 10, 6pm, @ Parker

Fri, Oct 12, 6pm, host St. Joseph

Mon, Oct 15, BIIF DII Qtr - Higher

Wed, Oct 17, BIIF DII Semi-Finals @ Kona
Thu, Oct 18, BIIF DII Finals @ Kona

Cross Country:
Sat, Oct 6, 2pm, @ Kealakehe

Sat, Oct 13, BYE

Sat, Oct 20, 9am, BIIF @ HPA

Sat, Oct 27, 8:30am, HHSAA

NEW and UPCOMING

ZEN PEN - WRITING AS A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE WITH TOM PEEK, award-winning novelist and longtime Big Island writing teacher, is offered Saturday, Oct. 20, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus in Volcano Village.

"Writing is a potent way to understand the human spirit, increase our awareness, examine our lives and foster compassion for others and ourselves," says Peek, on the event description at volcanoartcenter.org.

Peek's techniques and exercises "have helped hundreds of islanders explore their creative minds and unique voices. Students always go home enthused, praising his workshops as enlivening, revelatory, and the best Saturday I've spent in a long time," states the event description.

Award-winning novelist and longtime Big Island
writing teacher, Tom Peek.
Photo from volcanoartcenter.org

The workshop cost is $65 per Volcano Art Center member or $75 per non-member. No writing experience is necessary. Students are asked to bring a personal object from home, car, workshop, office, or boat, a handheld mirror, and a lunch. Register online at volcanoartcenter.org or call 967-8222.
"Peek has taught his popular workshops since 1991 through the Volcano Art Center, U.H. Hilo, and other venues on the islands of Oʻahu, Maui, Lānaʻi and Hawaiʻi, as well as in Canada. He's written for three decades, both professionally and to process and guide the experiences of his life," states the description. His work ranges from university publications to late night radio comedy, and includes fiction, newspaper commentaries, magazine articles, national park exhibits, and award-winning video productions. His Hawaiʻi novel Daughters of Fire won a Benjamin Franklin Award from the national Independent Book Publishers Association.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

‘O Ka‘ū Kākou Meeting, Fri., Oct. 5, 6:30pm, Aspen Center. okaukakou.org

Kāwā Community Workday, Sat., Oct. 6, Meet 9:30am, Northern Gate, Kāwā. Sign-up w/James Akau, Nā Mamo o Kāwā, namamookawa@gmail.com, jakau@nmok.org, 561-9111. nmok.org

The Art Express, Sat., Oct. 6, 10-3pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Classes held once monthly. Learn something new or work on a forgotten project. Instructions on oil, acrylic, watercolor, and other mediums. Class size limited to 25. Meliha Corcoran, 319-8989, himeliha@yahoo.com, discoveryharbour.net/art-express

Keiki Science Class, Sat., Oct. 6, 11-noon, Ace Hardware Stores Islandwide, including Nā‘ālehu, 929-9030, and Ocean View, 929-7315. Free. First Sat every month. acehardware.com

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7
Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund Kamilo Point Clean-Up with Hilo Bay Café, Sun., Oct. 7, contact in advance for meet up time at Wai‘ōhinu Park. BYO-4WD vehicle only. Free; donations appreciated. kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com, mattie.hwf@gmail.com, wildhawaii.org

Pu‘u o Lokuana, Sun., Oct. 7, 9:30-11 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Short, moderately difficult, 0.4-mile hike to the top of the grassy cinder cone. Learn about the formation and various uses of this hill over time. Enjoy breathtaking view of lower Ka‘ū. Free. nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

Volcano Village Health and Safety Fair at the Cooper Center, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 7. Healthy food demonstrations and free food tastings, how to make a "go bucket," info on advance directives, free flu vaccinations (conditions apply), free testing for HepC and HIV, and more. Free event, open to the public. Sponsored by the Volcano Community Association.Contact Sher Glass at 967-8553, vcainfo@yahoo.com.

ONGOING
CU Hawaiʻi Federal Credit Union's Nāʻālehu Branch is taking applications for a Member Service Representative.
The job description reads: Serve as a liaison between the member and the Credit Union. Provide a variety of financial services to members including savings, share drafts, and loan transactions, as well as sales of merchandise items: money orders, traveler's checks, postage stamps, etc., in accordance with Credit Union procedures and policies.
CU Hawaiʻi offers medical, drug, dental, vision and retirement benefits.
Mail, hand-deliver, or fax application to: CU Hawaii Federal Credit Union, Attn: Human Resources, 476 Hinano Street, Hilo, HI 96720, Fax (808) 935-7793. Applications can be downloaded online at cuhawaii.com/about-cu/career-opportunities.html

The robot launched from the ship Nautilus explored the seafloor of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monuments and found the seafloor was composed of pillow basalt with a manganese crust, a texture that tested the use of the grabber for samples. Nautilus returned to port in Honolulutoday ahead of Hurricane Walaka. See story below. Photo from Ocean Exploration Trust

HURRICANE WALAKA COULD SLAM INTO MAIN GREEN SEA TURTLE NESTING grounds in the Hawaiian Islands. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center predicts that Wednesday night, Major Hurricane Walaka will tear between Gardner Pennacles and French Frigate Shoals, where more than 90 percent of green sea turtles, including those living at Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach, travel to lay their eggs.

Hawaiian monk seals and green sea turtles basking at French Frigate
Shoals, which is in the path of Hurricane Walaka.
Photo from US. Fish & Wildlife Service

Also living at French Frigate Shoals is the biggest population of Hawaiian monk seals, along with many seabirds, including Laysan Albatross, Black-footed Albatross, Red-tailed Tropicbirds, Bonin Petrels, Tristram's Storm-Petrels, and White Terns.
The place is also staffed full time by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, with many researchers coming and going for their projects. While the land area is only 64 acres, the coral reef area is 233,000 acres and offers the greatest diversity of coral in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands.
Hurricane Walaka, downgraded to a Category Four today, was located southwest of Hawaiʻi, 45 miles west of Johnston Island a.k.a. Kalama Atoll, at 5 p.m., traveling at 13 mph, with winds of 130 mph. The Coast Guard sent a helicopter yesterday to evacuate four Fish & Wildlife employees from Kalama Atoll ahead of the hurricane.

Image from The Weather Channel

Within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, French Frigate Shoals to Maro Reef is under a hurricane warning. Nihoa to French Frigate Shoals is under a Tropical Storm Warning.
Walaka and Super Typhoon Kong-rey earlier today marked the first time since 2005 that two Category Fives plowed through the Pacific simultaneously.

Both were downgraded to Category Fours, with Typhoon Kong-rey on track to impact South Korea and Japan.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Reflective cilia of an unusually-colored lobate ctenophore, caught in the lights of the Hercules ROV.

Photo from Ocean Exploration Trust

THE NAUTILUS BROUGHT BACK NEW FINDINGS FROM LŌʻIHI SEAMOUNT AND PAPAHĀNAUMOKUĀKEA MARINE NATIONAL MONUMENT this Fall. The research ship and its Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicles weathered Hurricane Lane, just off the Kaʻū Coast when exploring Lōʻihi, and avoided Hurricane Walaka, making it back from the Monument to a Honolulu safe harbor today.

The Papahānaumokuākea expedition onboard Nautilus, starting Sept. 14, was the first-ever deep underwater exploration of ten Monument seamounts. The ship was scheduled to stay in the area through Oct. 1, but the approach of Category Five Hurricane Walaka cut the trip short.

Researchers said on their nautiluslive.org website that they gathered data to learn how this "unusual chain" of underwater mountains formed parallel to the Hawaiian Islands ridge, and whether these seamounts support vibrant coral and sponge communities like others in the region. Lead Scientists Dr. Christopher Kelley, University of Hawaiʻi, and Dr. Thomas Hourigan, NOAA Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program, joined Expedition Leader Allison Fundis, of Ocean Exploration Trust. Research and expedition partners included NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, University of Hawai’i, NOAA DSCRTP, and Oregon State University.

A squat lobster caught in a slurp sampler operated by the ROV Hurcules

off the ship Nautilus while looking for rare crustacea on Seamount 7 at

Papahānaumokuākea. Photo from Ocean Exploration Trust

During two weeks at the Monument, the team surveyed two clusters of seamounts north of Gardner Pinnacles / ‘Ōnūnui,‘Ōnūiki and French Frigate Shoals / Lalo. According to reports on nautiluslive.org, "no human eyes had ever encountered these breathtaking and productive deep sea ecosystems and volcanic formations," before Remote Operated Vehicles Hercules and Argus descended onto them.

The scientists gathered geologic samples from five previously unexplored seamounts. The team documented previously undescribed life from depths of over 2,000 meters. Species that could not be identified as known from other locations in the Monument or around the Pacific were sampled, when allowed by permit conditions, "and will provide experts around the world specimens to study and describe for years ahead," according to nautiluslive.org.

The Nautilus team also began to create new seafloor maps for seamounts never before mapped, their summits ranging from 700 m to 2,500 m below the ocean surface. These measurements, says the website, "are derived solely from satellite altimetry data that can be off by hundreds of meters. Not one of the ten seamounts has ever been dredged or dove on, using deep water vehicles--and only Naifeh Seamount has been named!"

An anglerfish, living at depths below 2,000 meters at Papahānaumokuākea. No light from the sun reaches these

animals living on the seafloor. Photo from Ocean Exploration Trust

The unnamed seamounts run parallel to the Hawaiian Ridge, a chain of undersea mountains that rises up to include the main Hawaiian Islands. Geologists are interested in the unusual position of these seamounts as there is only one known "hot spot" or "plume" that created all of the volcanoes along the Hawaiian Ridge – and these seamounts run parallel to this source. The distance from the ridge of the 10 enigmatic seamounts suggests that these seamounts were not created by the Hawaiian hot spot but rather by a different process called arch volcanism. However, this unusual process has only been known to create lava fields, not volcanoes. The team plans to test their hypothesis by

analyzing the chemistry of collected rock samples at UH, and determining their age through radiometric dating carried out at Oregon State University.

The seamounts have similar summit depths to the Hawaiian Ridge and the Musicians Seamounts, which sandwich the reserve area. Both of these locations sport "spectacular communities of deepwater corals and sponges," recently discovered at depths between 1,000 m and 2,500 m.

A deep water rattail fish, studied by an ROV from the Nautilus.
Photo from Ocean Exploration Trust

An expedition goal was to collect unusual specimens of corals, sponges, and other invertebrates to try to understand whether these seamounts are important for connectivity between the Hawaiian Ridge and the Musicians seamounts.

Tools and technology used on the expedition included Remote Operated Vehicle Hercules– with a manipulator arm to pick up rocks and benthic samples, and Niskin bottles for eDNA and water samples, WHOI MISO still camera – Remote Operated Vehicle Argus, EM302 multibeam sonar, Knudsen sub-bottom profiler, a suction sampler for benthic samples, a low temperature probe, a NASA JPL Gecko Gripper (testing), MIT 360 camera, and UCTD and XBT for mapping.

See more on the expeditions at the Monument and at Lōʻihi, at nautiluslive.org.

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Nāʻālehu Fruit Stand was demolished this week, possibly making way for senior housing. Photo by Julia Neal

NĀʻĀLEHU FRUIT STAND IS DEMOLISHED. The land on the mauka side of Hwy 11, which also held other buildings including former offices and accommodations, was cleared this week under a county demolition permit. The site is the possible location of future senior housing, through a campaign of ʻO Kaʻū Kākou, the community organization which has been raising money to buy the property to start the project. In early January, Wayne Kawachi, OKK's President, walked 100 miles in his slippahs to raise money for the project.

The 1.9-acre property was earlier listed for $625,000. However, owner Asha Mallack has arranged a discount for the senior housing proposal.

Nāʻālehu Fruit Stand was once the recommendation of many BigIslandguide books in English and Japanese. The former fresh food grocery, pizzeria, bakery, and snack store featured plantation days memorabilia, and various pizza, health food, and take out meals.

The stand shut down years ago, and the buildings sat empty and deteriorated on 1.94 acres that is zoned RS-7. Almost 1.5 acres is zoned Residential.

Nāʻālehu Fruit Stand in its heyday, as featured in the Momona Japanese
guide book. Historic photo from Momona

Among other uses of the buildings were a real estate office, school library, and windsurfing shop. There were 11 buildings of record and all were unoccupied for years before the demolition.
The main building was named Nāʻālehu Fruit Stand and operated by John Santangelo, a former County Council member. Several other operators followed.

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HAWAIʻI TAKES FIRST PLACE IN EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATION in the U.S., according to the Center for Digital Government. The 2018 Digital States Survey also ranked Hawaiʻi as second for "its exemplary work in support of collaboration," says a release from Gov. David Ige's office.

In addition to those rankings, Hawaiʻi received an overall grade of B+ in the Digital States Survey, up from B in 2016. Under the Digital States criteria, a grade of B reflects states that are trending up. These states "show results in many survey categories, and their leaders use modernization to change entrenched practices to prepare for more sustainable operations. Incentives for collaboration are in place, and performance measures are used in key areas."

Ige says, "I'm proud of the progress we've made in technology and innovation. Modernizing government has been my one of my top priorities since becoming governor."

Todd Nacapuy, chief information officer, says, "Although there is still much work to be done, I am pleased with this achievement and look forward to improving our overall grade. I congratulate all our team members for their hard work in helping us earn this recognition."

Since its inception 21 years ago, this biennial e-survey has helped benchmark state government use of digital technologies to improve service delivery, increase capacity, and reach policy goals, says the governor's release. The survey was also designed to highlight best and emerging practices that can be shared across borders, using success in one state to help fuel progress in others. The survey recognizes these achievements and provides a common reference for all 50 states in the ongoing work of finding better ways to do the public's business.

A national overview of all 50 states and their grades can be viewed at centerdigitalgov.com. To see the awards article and the 50-state summaries, visit govtech.com/computing/Digital-States-2018.html.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

Sat, Oct 6, 12pm, host Kohala
Sat, Oct 13, BIIF Semi-Finals at Kamehameha

Sat, Oct 20, BIIF Finals - Higher

Girls Volleyball:
Fri, Oct 5, 6pm, host Keaʻau

Wed, Oct 10, 6pm, @ Parker

Fri, Oct 12, 6pm, host St. Joseph

Mon, Oct 15, BIIF DII Qtr - Higher

Wed, Oct 17, BIIF DII Semi-Finals @ Kona
Thu, Oct 18, BIIF DII Finals @ Kona

Cross Country:
Sat, Oct 6, 2pm, @ Kealakehe

Sat, Oct 13, BYE

Sat, Oct 20, 9am, BIIF @ HPA

Sat, Oct 27, 8:30am, HHSAA

NEW and UPCOMING

LEARN HOW TO MAKE PALM SHEATH BASKETS WITH JELENA CLAY in a workshop hosted at Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus in Volcano Village on Saturday, Oct. 20, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The hands-on class provides all supplies to make two baskets, including the following embellishments collected by Clay: philodendron sheaths, seed stems, jacaranda seed pods, and other items. Students learn a folding technique and Clay demonstrates mounting sheaths to blocks for tall elegant works of art.

Learn to make Palm Sheath Baskets
with Jelena Clay.
Photo from volcanoartcenter.org

The class fee is $45 per Volcano Art Center member, or $50 per non-member, plus a $30 supply fee per person. Pre-registration is required. Call 967-8222 or visit volcanoartcenter.org.
Clay is a master fiber artist and nationally recognized gourd artist who has produced "an ever-increasing variety of contemporary and traditional work in every natural fiber she can find," states the event description on volcanoartcenter.org.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3

Open Mic Night, Wed., Oct. 3, 6-10pm, Kīlauea Military Camp inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Call 967-8365 after 4pm to sign-up and for more details. For patrons 21+. Park entrance fees may apply. kilaueamilitarycamp.com

‘O Ka‘ū Kākou Meeting, Fri., Oct. 5, 6:30pm, Aspen Center. okaukakou.org

Kāwā Community Workday, Sat., Oct. 6, Meet 9:30am, Northern Gate, Kāwā. Sign-up w/James Akau, Nā Mamo o Kāwā, namamookawa@gmail.com, jakau@nmok.org, 561-9111. nmok.org

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9
C.E.R.T. Discovery Harbour/Nā‘ālehu, Tue., Oct. 9, 4-6pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Public invited to see what Community Emergency Response Team is about, and participate in training scenarios. Dina Shisler, dinashisler24@yahoo.com, 410-935-8087

CANCELLED: After Dark in the Park, Ōpe‘ape‘a: The Hawaiian Bat, Tue., Oct. 9. 985-6011, nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

VOTE: Voter Registration Deadline for 2018 General Election, Tue., Oct. 9. elections.hawaii.gov

ONGOING
CU Hawaiʻi Federal Credit Union's Nāʻālehu Branch is taking applications for a Member Service Representative.
The job description reads: Serve as a liaison between the member and the Credit Union. Provide a variety of financial services to members including savings, share drafts, and loan transactions, as well as sales of merchandise items: money orders, traveler's checks, postage stamps, etc., in accordance with Credit Union procedures and policies.

CU Hawaiʻi offers medical, drug, dental, vision and retirement benefits.
Mail, hand-deliver, or fax application to: CU Hawaii Federal Credit Union, Attn: Human Resources, 476 Hinano Street, Hilo, HI 96720, Fax (808) 935-7793. Applications can be downloaded online at cuhawaii.com/about-cu/career-opportunities.html

Tūtū and Me Traveling Preschool's Temporary Nāʻālehu Location is Kauahaʻao Church in Waiʻōhinu. Meeting days and times remain the same: Mondays and Wednesdays, from 8:45 to 10:45 a.m. Pāhala site program meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., at Pāhala Community Center.
Tūtū and Me also offers home visits to those with keiki zero to five years old, to aid with parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate, listening ear. Free. Visits last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, total of 12 visits. Snacks are provided.
To enroll in either program, fill out enrollment forms found at pidf.org/programs/tutu_and_me/enrol
lment _forms, or call Linda Bong at 464-9634. Questions: Clark at 929-8571 or eclark@pidfountation.org.

Leaving Punaluʻu Beach on Friday, a hawksbill hatchling seeks its future in the Pacific Ocean.

Photo by Peter Bosted

HAWKSBILL TURTLE HATCHLINGS SCURRIED TO THE OCEAN Tuesday evening at Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach. The endangered baby Honuʻea were cheered on by about 50 Kaʻū residents and visitors. Helping to excavate the nest were volunteers from the Hawksbill Turtle Recovery Project, while the organization's director, Lauren Kurpita, regaled the crowd with factoids, trivia, and information about the endangered Hawksbill.

Volunteers from the Hawksbill Recovery Project carefully excavate a nest as
they search for tiny hatchlings that were unable to dig their way to the surface.
Photo by Annie Bosted

The nesting season runs from late May to early December, when sexually mature females may come ashore at night to find a suitable site near vegetation for her nest. Using her strong flippers, she digs a flask-shaped cavity. After she deposits an average of 178 eggs, which may take hours, she covers the nest with sand. She then returns to the ocean, leaving the eggs to incubate for about two months.

When the time is right, the eggs hatch. Working as a team, the tiny hatchlings scrape the sand off the roof of the cavity and pack it on the floor. In doing so, they raise their nest toward the surface of the beach. When they are about an inch from the surface, they test the sand. If it is cool, an indication of darkness, they emerge from the nest as a group and scramble to the water.

Lauren Kurpita, wearing gloves, releases the tiny hatchlings onto the beach.
They instinctively scurry towards the water, where they will spend the rest
of their lives, save for infrequent visits to the sand for egg-laying females.
Photo by Annie Bosted

However, not all hatchlings are able to reach the surface, especially if the sand has been compacted or vegetation has grown over the nest. That's when the Hawksbill Turtle Recovery Project helps nature along by organizing a nest excavation. Working carefully, volunteers slowly scrape sand out of the nest, discarding hatched eggs and rescuing tiny hatchlings that weight less than an ounce and measure about two inches. Yesterday, about 50 - 60 hatchlings were rescued. They were initially kept in plastic tubs while the nest was excavated. They were then released en masse on the beach, about 10 feet from the water's edge.

Onlookers stood behind barriers on both sides of the smoothed sand and watched as the tiny hatchlings scuttled towards the water and were taken away by waves. Some of them were washed ashore by the waves, and had to fight their way into the water several times. The crowd cheered as the tiny creatures fought their way into the water.

The Hawksbill Turtle Recovery Project is a partnership of National Park Service, Hawaiʻi Natural History Association, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and U.S. Wildlife Service.

Hatchlings are corralled in a tub as they wait for the nest
excavation to be completed. They are released as a group, as
there is safety in numbers. The majority of hatchlings congregate
on the side of the tub closest to the ocean. Photo by Annie Bosted

Called Honu ʻEa or ʻEa by the Hawaiians, the hawksbill, Eretmochelys imbricata, is an endangered sea turtle that lives in the waters of the islands. They are known to nest on nine beaches on the BigIsland, many of them in Kaʻū. It is estimated that only 20-25 hawksbill females nest each year, a number dwarfed by the 500-800 green sea turtles that travel to remote islands to nest. Hawksbills have a slow growth-rate and take an estimated 20-30 years to reach sexual maturity.

Asked why green sea turtles are more numerous than Hawksbills, Kurpita replied that the exact reason is not well known. Green sea turtles are more likely to be seen due to their nearshore foraging habitats, whereas hawksbills primarily feed on sponges that can grow in deeper waters.

The exodus. Dogged determination and strong instincts motivate the
hatchlings to get off the beach and into the water. Photo by Annie Bosted

Historically, hawksbills were harvested for their prized shells that were used to make jewelry and furniture inlays. Loss of nesting habitat, predation, entanglement with marine debris, and other pressures have reduced hawksbill populations worldwide to critically low levels. Climate change has also altered the coral reefs they depend on for sea sponges.

Kurpita also explained that the plethora of micro plastics in the ocean is killing the turtles. She recounted an incident when a dead Hawksbill, measuring just a few inches, was found. A post mortem revealed that its stomach was full of micro plastics, meaning that it could not ingest food, and so starved to death.

She added that only about one in a thousand hatchlings is able to reach maturity.

Lauren Kurpita talks about Hawksbill Turtles and the dangers

that microplastics in the ocean pose for these

endangered marine creatures. Photo by Annie Bosted

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

THE PRESIDENTIAL ALERT sent to cell phones, television, and other communications providers, broadcast an alarm signal and message to people across the country today at 8:18 a.m. and 8:20 a.m. Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense sent out an explanation at 8 a.m., ahead of the Presidential Alert, saying that it came from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission. It was called "a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alert."

"The test will assess the operational readiness of the infrastructure for distribution of a national message and determine whether technological improvements are needed," stated Civil Defense.

The WEA test message read: "This is a test of the National Wireless Emergency Alert system. No action is needed."

Civil Defense reported "the WEA system is used to warn the public about dangerous weather, missing children, and other critical situations through alerts on cell phones. It allows customers whose wireless provider participates in WEA and who own a WEA compatible wireless phone to receive geotargeted alerts of imminent threats to safety in their area through unique tones and vibration. The national WEA test will use the same special tone and vibration.

"Thank you and have a safe day. This is your Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency."

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Image from Google Maps

"DANGEROUS HURRICANE WALAKA is moving into the PapahānaumokuākeaMarineNational Monument," reports CentralPacificHurricaneCenter. As of 5 p.m., Category Three Walaka was booking north northwest at 22 miles per hour, with winds of 125 mph. Walaka is expected to pass between French Frigate Shoals and Gardner Pinnacles tonight, then continue north, then north northeast, at a slower pace, weakening as it travels. Nesting birds and turtles, as well as monk seals are considered in high risk from Walaka's waves washing over the low lying atolls, its winds slamming their habitats.

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A REDUCED PROPERTY TAX RATE FOR VOLCANO AND PĀHOA BUSINESSES due to the eruption received rejection by the Hawaiʻi County Council Finance Committee yesterday. Resolution 690 requests amnesty for commercially zoned properties in Pāhoa and VolcanoVillage by assessing them the minimum property tax rate for January through the end of fiscal year 2019-2020.

The finance committee of the Hawaiʻi County Council. Photo from Big Island Video News

The resolution went unsupported by all County Council members, including Maile David, who represents Volcano, save Puna councilwoman Eileen O'Hara, who introduced the resolution. The failure of the measure in the committee was "mostly on grounds that the legislation would not be fair to other businesses located elsewhere on Hawaiʻi Island that have also experienced downturns associated with the eruption," reports Big Island Video News. However, the resolution will move on to a full council vote.

The resolution states that, since the eruption began in May, "small businesses located on commercially zoned properties in Pāhoa and VolcanoVillage have asserted through business organizations such as the Mainstreet Pāhoa Association to have sustained economic losses of between 40-80 percent of their revenues." Businesses "continue to report losses due to a drop in population and a drop in visitor arrivals," states the resolution. "The cost of paying commercial property taxes during this time of economic stress may cause some small businesses to close."

The council has heard testimony from business owners in Pāhoa, saying they were in danger of closing. A number of shops have since shuttered, reports Big Island Video News.

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A FOURTH SUPPLEMENTARY PROCLAMATION to support Hawai‘i Island's recovery from the recent eruption was signed by Gov. David Ige yesterday. The proclamation extends the disaster emergency relief period until Dec. 1, 2018.

A release from the governor's office states: "This fourth supplementary proclamation once again extends the authority to spend state funds as appropriated to protect the health, safety, and welfare of Hawai‘i county residents. The proclamation also supports the state’s effort to provide quick and efficient relief of suffering, damage, and losses that were caused by the lava flows and volcanic activity."

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KAʻŪ TROJANS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL played Kealakehe Tuesday night, Oct. 2, in Kona, JV had an okay night, scoring 25, 20, and 9 against the Waveriders' 23, 25, and 15. Varsity had a tougher time, scoring 3, 13, and 21 against three games of 25 for their opponents.

The games can be viewed on NFHS Network, nfhsnetwork.com, for free. See upcoming games at home and away, schedule below.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

Sat, Oct 6, 12pm, host Kohala
Sat, Oct 13, BIIF Semi-Finals at Kamehameha

Sat, Oct 20, BIIF Finals - Higher

Girls Volleyball:
Fri, Oct 5, 6pm, host Keaʻau

Wed, Oct 10, 6pm, @ Parker

Fri, Oct 12, 6pm, host St. Joseph

Mon, Oct 15, BIIF DII Qtr - Higher

Wed, Oct 17, BIIF DII Semi-Finals @ Kona
Thu, Oct 18, BIIF DII Finals @ Kona

Cross Country:
Sat, Oct 6, 2pm, @ Kealakehe

Sat, Oct 13, BYE

Sat, Oct 20, 9am, BIIF @ HPA

Sat, Oct 27, 8:30am, HHSAA

NEW and UPCOMING

VISITING ARTIST LAURA PHELPS ROGERS HOSTS AN ASSEMBLY WORKSHOP DAY for her Art in the Everyday Community Quilt Project on Saturday, Oct. 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus in Volcano Village. An after-party for participants will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Rogers hopes to construct a monumental sculptural quilt built out of round wooden five inch pieces. The artist provides the blank piece and asks each participant to create something on the blank out of every day objects or their take on the everyday through their artistic medium. The only restrictions are weight and all natural materials must be sealed.
All participants are invited to attend this assembly day workshop.

The cost to participate is a $10 donation to Volcano Art Center, with blank pieces available at Volcano Art Center Administration Office or at the Wailoa Art Center, or by requesting a piece be mailed. Each packet contains a return envelope that will require approximately $1.50 postage to return. For more, see volcanoartcenter.org or call 967-8222.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5
Annual Oktoberfest Dinner, Fri., Oct. 5, 5pm, St. Jude's Episcopal Church. Tickets: Singles $8, doubles $15, family $20. stjudeshawaii.org, 939-7000

‘O Ka‘ū Kākou Meeting, Fri., Oct. 5, 6:30pm, Aspen Center. okaukakou.org

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6

Hi‘iaka & Pele, Sat., Oct. 6, 9:30-11:30am, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Discover Hawaiian goddesses and the natural phenomena they represent on this free, moderate, one-mile walk. nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

Kāwā Community Workday, Sat., Oct. 6, Meet 9:30am, Northern Gate, Kāwā. Sign-up w/James Akau, Nā Mamo o Kāwā, namamookawa@gmail.com, jakau@nmok.org, 561-9111. nmok.org

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8
Ka‘ū Homeschool Co–op Group, Mon., Oct. 8 and 22, 1pm, Ocean View Community Center. A parent led homeschool activity/social group building community in Ka‘ū. Call to confirm location in case of field trip. Laura Roberts, 406-249-3351

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9
C.E.R.T. Discovery Harbour/Nā‘ālehu, Tue., Oct. 9, 4-6pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Public invited to see what Community Emergency Response Team is about, and participate in training scenarios. Dina Shisler, dinashisler24@yahoo.com, 410-935-8087

CANCELLED: After Dark in the Park, Ōpe‘ape‘a: The Hawaiian Bat, Tue., Oct. 9. 985-6011, nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

VOTE: Voter Registration Deadline for 2018 General Election, Tue., Oct. 9. elections.hawaii.gov

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10
AdvoCATS, Wed., Oct. 10, 7am-5pm, Ocean View Community Center. Free Cat Spay & Neuter Clinic. 895-9283. advocatshawaii.org

Volcano Bay Clinic Mobile Health Unit Visits: Dental, Wed., Oct. 10, 8-5pm; Medical, Thu., Oct. 25, 1-5pm, Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Must be Bay Clinic, Inc. patient. Call 333-3600 to schedule appointment. See Cooper Center August newsletter for details. thecoopercenter.org

Pāhala Sewage System - County Dept. of Environmental Management, Wed., Oct. 10, Open House: 5:30pm, Meeting: 6-7:30pm, Ka‘ū Gym Multi-Purpose Conference Room, Pāhala. Mary Fuji, 962-8038

To enroll in either program, fill out enrollment forms found at pidf.org/programs/tutu_and_me/
enrollment _forms, or call Linda Bong at 464-9634. Questions: Clark at 929-8571 or eclark@pidfountation.org.

It will take some time for wildlife biologists to learn of the damage to monk seal populations and their habitat at Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The seven researchers evacuated from French Frigate Shoals
yesterday ahead of Hurricane Walaka. Photo from NOAA

SEVEN RESEARCHERS EVACUATED FRENCH FRIGATE SHOALS ahead of Hurricane Walaka plowing through Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument last night. They were picked up by a research vessel yesterday.
The scientists studying and monitoring Hawaiian monk seals and Hawaiian green sea turtles were scheduled to depart mid-October, and won't return until next year. Kate Toniolo, acting superintendent of Papahānaumokuākea, said that in coming months, a crew scheduled to collect marine debris will likely be able check for damage to the wildlife habitat, and the quarters where researchers live.
French Frigate Shoals is known for its heavy populations of monk seals, as the nesting site for 95 percent of endangered Hawaiian green sea turtles, and the home of numerous species of nesting seabirds, all vulnerable to the winds and the ocean washing over the atoll during a hurricane.

Large limpets studied by researchers on Gardner Pinnacle where
Hurricane Walaka passed last night. Photo from NOAA

Hurricane Walaka reached a status of Category Five over the course of three days and traveled between French Frigate Shoals and Gardner Pinnacles last night as a Category Two. The hurricane lost strength today and reached 445 miles northwest of the French Frigate Shoals at 5 p.m., traveling at 18 miles per hour, with winds of 75 mph, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.

Forecasters expect Walaka to travel northwest and weaken into a post-tropical low by Saturday. High surf from Walaka will continue at Papahānaumokuākea and the main Hawaiian Islands through tonight.

Papahānaumokuākea is 582,578 square miles, an area larger than all other

U.S.

national parks combined. It is one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world, and is the largest contiguous fully protected conservation area under the

U.S.

flag. It is home to a wide range of rare and endangered species on land and in the ocean. Learn more at papahanaumokuakea.gov.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

A LAWSUIT TO REDUCE NOISE FROM HELICOPTER TRAFFIC on Hawaiʻi Island will be heard by the District of Columbia U.S. Court of Appeals on Nov. 1. The lawsuit, filed by Hawaiʻi Island Coalition Malama Pono against the Federal Aviation Administration, asks for an Air Tour Management Plan to be implemented over Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. The plaintiffs stated that a plan for VolcanoesNational Park will help reduce noise in surrounding neighborhoods.

The suit points to legislation, enacted 18 years ago by Congress, that requires an air flight plan over U.S. National Parks.

Bob Ernst, founding board member of HICoP, said that letters, editorials, and community meetings have so far failed to elicit local action on what HICoP calls "an emergency." In a letter directed to Gov. David Ige, Mayor Harry Kim, Senators Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono, and Representatives Tulsi Gabbard and Colleen Hanabusa, Ernst wrote, "The tour copter noise pollution impacts continue unabated on Hawaiʻi Island. The tour copter cads do not fly neighborly, they do not fly with Aloha, they continue business as usual and your constituents on Hawaiʻi Island totally unnecessarily continue to live in suffering misery."

A community meeting at Nani Mau in August revealed high emotion from residents, many of whom stated the noise is a health issue. Some spoke of thoughts of threatening actions towards the helicopters. This resulted in a response from the Hawaiʻi Helicopter Association, comprised of helicopter tour operators who said they were flying in the safest way possible and attempt to avoid flying over people's homes.

However, HICoP contended -via email - that "Hawaiʻi Helicopter Association, Blue Hawaiian, Paradise, Safari, Sunshine, can all end this copter noise debacle NOW! Fly offshore, all complaints stop, serenity returns to Hawaiʻi Island free from tour copter noise nuisance pollution, the tour copter operators continue their businesses unhindered, and we all on Hawaiʻi Island live happily thereafter, with much Aloha.

"HICoP is ready, willing, and able to meet with anyone at anytime to discuss meaningful actions that actually provide relief."

The requirement for an Air Tour Management Plan became law in 2000. The law states its purpose is to "mitigate or prevent the significant adverse impacts, if any, of commercial air tour operations upon the natural and cultural resources, visitor experiences, and tribal lands."

There is no Air Tour Management Plan, "despite widespread support among residents, the County Council, and many members of the state legislature," Ernst said.

In another email, Ernst said, "No elected office holder or bureaucrat has taken any action that resulted in any meaningful relief."

In another email, Ernst wrote, "Of the 21 elected office holders on Hawaiʻi Island, only four have decided not to represent their constituents, to write an advocacy letter to [the Congressional Delegation] for the offshore route, or provide any other meaning full solution to the copter noise debacle."

HICoP has urged the FAA to do for Hawaiʻi Island what the FAA did for Long Island, NY. Ernst said that Long Island saw about a 300 percent decline in helicopter tours over populated areas after noise complaints.

Ernst said, "HICoP met with Mayor Kim numerous times and pleaded with him for help. Instead, Mayor Kim advocated for the tour copters and provided an exception for them in the recent lava inundation zone no fly zone. See video at hicop.org, 47 seconds long. Mayor Kim refuses to provide an advocacy letter to CODEL requesting the FAAIsland solution, the offshore copter route."

Ernst stated that Hawaiʻi Volcanoes sees the most helicopter overflights out of all national parks in the country, with more than 16,000 reported in 2017. He said that with Volcanoes flights curbed, flights over residential areas will likely decrease dramatically.

The FAA stated there are Air Tour Management Plans in process all over the U.S., with the most recent action being a Sept. 18 meeting of the National Parks Overflight Advisory Group. There are also two National Parks with drafts of commercial air tour voluntary agreements, which is an alternative to an Air Tour Management Plan.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Sen. Mazie Hirono

"WE CAN DO BETTER," SAID HAWAIʻI SEN. MAZIE HIRONO TODAY, as she spoke on the U.S. Senate floor. Hirono expressed disappointment in the FBI's investigation of accusations that Judge Brett Kavanaugh, nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, sexually assaulted Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and other alleged victims.

The U.S. Senate is scheduled to hold a procedural vote at 10:30 a.m. EST tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 5, on whether to advance Kavanaugh's confirmation as Supreme Court Justice. The final vote is scheduled for Saturday by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Said Hirono, "It is simply impossible after seeing the results of the FBI's supplemental work – I hesitate to call it an investigation – that anybody could think it was in any way, shape or form, the 'comprehensive' work the President promised. This so-called investigation is a sham." Hirono stated the FBI "was only allowed to do the bare minimum."

Hirono pointed to leads of "dozens of people with relevant information, some of whom say they have corroborating evidence" of misconduct. She said she expected the FBI to investigate whether Kavanaugh "had a pattern of drinking that resulted in aggression and belligerence toward women."

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp

She contended that Kavanaugh is "under the burden to show us that he has, not only the credentials for the job, but the temperament and the character necessary for this lifetime appointment" to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Hirono said she had concluded "before these reports came forward, that he would not be fair and objective." She called his reaction to Blasey Ford's accusations "angry and combative." She also said she has "deep" concerns about his "expansive views on Executive power," and his stance on "reproductive rights, Native rights, and legal protections for workers, consumers, and the environment."

Senators spent hours today going over the FBI's additional investigative work of the last week. The investigation was launched after the Senate Judiciary Committee interviewed Kavanaugh and Ford regarding her allegations of his assault while they were in high school. Other women, including Deborah Ramirez, have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct by Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh denies all accusations.

This evening, Republican senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Democratic senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), who are considered key to the Kavanaugh confirmation, were waiting to announce how they will vote. Hirono posted to her Twitter a letter from Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), the fifth undecided vote. Heitkamp stated that she will not confirm Kavanaugh as the newest Supreme Court judge due to his lack of impartiality and truthfulness, and his temperament.

The U.S.Supreme Court. In the front row, second from left, Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who is retiring.
Judge Brett Kavanaugh is the current nominee to replace him.

Photo by Franz Jantzen, from the Collection of the Supreme Court of the

United States

Hirono also took to Twitter to voice her displeasure at Pres. Donald Trump's remarks about Ford at a rally this week, which many elected officials and news reports described as mocking a sexual assault survivor. Hirono said, "This is what he does. We can always count on the President to go down to the lowest common denominator, mock people, call people names, attack them."

See Hirono's speech here: twitter.com/maziehirono/
status/1048025852720635905.

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ROAD CLOSURES IN VOLCANO through Oct. 12 are planned along Hwy 11 by the state Department of Transportation. Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense announced that crews will begin repairs in multiple locations. "Please be patient and drive carefully when road crews are working."

During this weekend of Oct. 6-7, road repairs will be ongoing 24 hours, with alternating lanes, both directions, near mile marker 30, in the vicinity of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

From Oct. 8-12, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., road repairs will create alternating lane closures on Hwy 11 in both directions in the vicinity of mile marker 29, south of the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park entrance. During the same times there will alternating closures in both directions, in the vicinity of mile marker 32 near Namakani Paio Campground in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

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A FUNDRAISING BAZAAR AT KAUAHAʻAO Congregational Church in Waiʻōhinu will be held Saturday, Nov. 17, from 9 a.m.to 2 p.m., on the church campus on the corner of Mamalahoa Hwy, Kamaoa Road, and Pinao Street– just above the Wong Yuen Store.

"Come spend the day with us and enjoy the entertainment provided by our talented community groups," says the announcement.

Individuals, schools, clubs, and sports/athletic groups are invited to be a vendor at the "flea market." Interested vendors must submit a Vendor Application by Friday, Nov. 2. The booth fee for a 10' X 10' space is a $10 suggested donation. Vendors can sell anything except hot food and plate lunch. The Church will be selling Kalua Pig plate lunch, container of Kalua Pig, and Smoked Meat bowls, as well as baked goods, produce, and crafts.

For an application or for more information, email the church at dwongyuen.kauahaaochurch@gmail.com, or call Debbie Wong Yuen at 928-8039.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

Sat, Oct 6, 12pm, host Kohala
Sat, Oct 13, BIIF Semi-Finals at Kamehameha

Sat, Oct 20, BIIF Finals - Higher

Girls Volleyball:
Fri, Oct 5, 6pm, host Keaʻau

Wed, Oct 10, 6pm, @ Parker

Fri, Oct 12, 6pm, host St. Joseph

Mon, Oct 15, BIIF DII Qtr - Higher

Wed, Oct 17, BIIF DII Semi-Finals @ Kona
Thu, Oct 18, BIIF DII Finals @ Kona

Cross Country:
Sat, Oct 6, 2pm, @ Kealakehe

Sat, Oct 13, BYE

Sat, Oct 20, 9am, BIIF @ HPA

Sat, Oct 27, 8:30am, HHSAA

NEW and UPCOMING
PAPA ‘OLELO HAWAI‘I, BEGINNING HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE CLASSES, CONTINUE at Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus in Volcano Village on Thursday nights with new courses, Part IV and VII, beginning Oct. 11. Both courses are taught by Kaliko Trapp, focusing on expanding simple vocabulary, conversation, grammar, and sentence structure. Some Hawaiian language experience is preferred for either course (basic for Part IV).

The eight week courses continue through Dec. 13; no class held Oct. 18 and Nov. 22 for either course. Part IV runs from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., with part Part VII following from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus hosts beginning

Hawaiian language courses. Photo from Volcano Art Center

Fees for Part IV and Part VII are the same, $80 for Volcano Art Center members, or $90 for non-members, each. The required workbook for the class, Nā Kai ʻEwalu, is available at the University of Hawai‘i - Hilo bookstore. It is also recommended for students to have a Hawaiian language dictionary. Call 967-8222 or visit volcanoartcenter.org.

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5

Annual Oktoberfest Dinner, Fri., Oct. 5, 5pm, St. Jude's Episcopal Church. Tickets: Singles $8, doubles $15, family $20. stjudeshawaii.org, 939-7000

‘O Ka‘ū Kākou Meeting, Fri., Oct. 5, 6:30pm, Aspen Center. okaukakou.org

Kāwā Community Workday, Sat., Oct. 6, Meet 9:30am, Northern Gate, Kāwā. Sign-up w/James Akau, Nā Mamo o Kāwā, namamookawa@gmail.com, jakau@nmok.org, 561-9111. nmok.org

CANCELLED: After Dark in the Park, Ōpe‘ape‘a: The Hawaiian Bat, Tue., Oct. 9. 985-6011, nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

VOTE: Voter Registration Deadline for 2018 General Election, Tue., Oct. 9. elections.hawaii.gov

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10
AdvoCATS, Wed., Oct. 10, 7am-5pm, Ocean View Community Center. Free Cat Spay & Neuter Clinic. 895-9283. advocatshawaii.org

Volcano Bay Clinic Mobile Health Unit Visits: Dental, Wed., Oct. 10, 8-5pm; Medical, Thu., Oct. 25, 1-5pm, Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Must be Bay Clinic, Inc. patient. Call 333-3600 to schedule appointment. See Cooper Center August newsletter for details. thecoopercenter.org

Pāhala Sewage System - County Dept. of Environmental Management, Wed., Oct. 10, Open House: 5:30pm, Meeting: 6-7:30pm, Ka‘ū Gym Multi-Purpose Conference Room, Pāhala. Mary Fuji, 962-8038

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11
Story Time with Auntie Linda from Tūtū & Me, Thu., Oct. 11, 10:30-noon, Nā‘ālehu Public Library. 929-8571

Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka‘ū, Thu., Oct. 11, 6:30pm, United Methodist Church, Nā‘ālehu. Pres. Berkley Yoshida, 747-0197

ONGOING
CU Hawaiʻi Federal Credit Union's Nāʻālehu Branch is taking applications for a Member Service Representative.
The job description reads: Serve as a liaison between the member and the Credit Union. Provide a variety of financial services to members including savings, share drafts, and loan transactions, as well as sales of merchandise items: money orders, traveler's checks, postage stamps, etc., in accordance with Credit Union procedures and policies. CU Hawaiʻi offers medical, drug, dental, vision and retirement benefits.

Mail, hand-deliver, or fax application to: CU Hawaii Federal Credit Union, Attn: Human Resources, 476 Hinano Street, Hilo, HI 96720, Fax (808) 935-7793. Applications can be downloaded online at cuhawaii.com/about-cu/career-opportunities.html

One Lucid Dream: A Retrospective of Art Works by Ken Charon. Exhibit open through Saturday, Oct. 6, 10-3pm, Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus, Volcano Village. Original paintings, drawings, and other objects. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Miss Kaʻū Coffee, Reishalyn Kekoa Jara, fired the pistol to start this year's Kaʻū Coffee Trail Run. The fifth annual race,
beginning and ending at Kaʻū Coffee Mill, welcomed 211 runners in 5K, 10K, and Half-Marathon events.
See story, below. Photo from ʻO Kaʻū Kākou

U.S. SENATORS VOTED 51 TO 49 this morning to close debate on confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh and take the nomination to a final Senate vote. It is scheduled for tomorrow.
District Two Hawaiʻi Sen. Mazie Hirono, who represents Kaʻū, voted "No." She pointed to Kavanaugh's testimony refuting allegations of sexual assault. "Judge Kavanaugh launched into a partisan, political screed that contradicted everything he has ever professed to believe about the way judges should behave." She said: "It is clear that Brett Kavanaugh has spent his career misstating facts and misapplying the law in order to further his partisan, political agenda."See her speech.

Sen. Mazie Hirono's view on Judge Brett Kavanaugh
See her speech here.

In addition to calling this week's investigation of the Kavanaugh allegations a "sham," Hirono called the investigation "a fig leaf for the Republicans to hide behind. It is a talking point for their continued and predictable criticism of Democrats. 'See?' they will say, 'you wanted an FBI investigation and you got one. But now it isn't good enough for you.'"

In the wake of assault allegations that Dr. Christine Balsey Ford brought in testimony before the Senate, Republican Senators Jeff Flake, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Sheldon Whitehouse supported an investigation, along with Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin, who often votes along Republican lines. After the investigation, however, all but Murkowski voted to move the confirmation to the final vote. It could be the closest Supreme Court Justice confirmation vote in 130 years, the LA Times noted this evening. Many Supreme Court Justices, including Anthony M. Kennedy, a Republican, who said this week he opposed Kavanaugh's confirmation, received 100 percent favorable votes for their Senate confirmations.

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Left: Horseshoe-shaped crater of Mount St. Helensin 1980, formed by a landslide that removed the top of the volcano. The crater is about 2 km (1.2 mi) wide and the floor is about 600 m (1,970 ft) below the crater rim. Right: Halema‘uma‘u, nestled in the summit crater of Kīlauea Volcano, on August 1, the day before the last collapse event. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory building is visible at far right. USGS photos

DEPUTY SCIENTIST-IN-CHARGE STEVEN BRANTLEY at U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is the subject of this week's Volcano Watch. Written by the scientist himself, read below how volcano collapses mark the beginning and end of of his career:

USGS HVO Deputy Scientist-in-Charge Steven Brantley, over an image of
the lava river that flowed from fissure 8. Photo from Big Island Video News

My 37-year stint with the U.S. Geological Survey – 16 years at the Cascades Volcano Observatory and 21 at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory – ends this month.

I feel privileged to have spent a long career observing volcanoes, supporting my colleagues, and striving to help people understand the potential impacts of eruptions. Upon reflection, I'm struck by the extraordinary "collapse" events that bookended my career, beginning at Mount St. Helens in 1981 and ending at Kīlauea Volcano in 2018.

It took only minutes for the top and north flank of Mount St. Helensvolcano to collapse in a massive landslide on May 18, 1980. The fearsome eruption that followed led to the creation of CVO – modeled after HVO – for scientists to focus long-term investigations and keep a watchful eye on Cascade Rangevolcanoes.

Fissure 8 cone and the long line of steaming areas extending uprift (west).

Thermal images (inset) show no signs of lava within the cone - the

small collapse pit in the center of the crater floor is cold. USGS photo

My journey with volcanoes began there as a surveyor in the debris-clogged river valleys downstream of Mount St. Helens. Soon thereafter, I volunteered to serve as media liaison for CVO. Fifteen years later, I moved to Hawaiʻi to coordinate and develop HVO's website.

This month, my USGS career is ending on the heels of the collapse of Halema‘ma‘u and adjacent caldera floor at the summit of Kīlauea. The collapse occurred as an enormous outpouring of lava on the volcano's lower East Rift Zone 40 km (25 mi) away buried more than 700 homes and 35 sq km (13.7 sq mi) of land with flows as thick as 25 m (80 ft).

Halema‘ma‘u was eventually deepened by more than 500 m (1,600 ft) and widened (east-west) by 1.8 km (1.1 mi), equivalent to a volume loss of 0.9 cu km (1.2 billion cubic yards). As magma drained from the summit reservoir, the overlying crater floor collapsed piecemeal more than 60 times, dropping more than 2 m (6.5 ft) with each event. Each of these collapses released energy equivalent to that of a magnitude-5 earthquake.

Satellite images of Leilani Estates subdivision before and after the eruption. USGS photos

Many eruptions in the U.S. and abroad, some with dire consequences, spanned the volcano-collapse bookends of my career. Only four years into my work at CVO, the 1985 eruption of the Colombian volcano Nevado del Ruiz killed more than 25,000 people when lahars (volcanic mudflows) swept down several river valleys.

Thousands of people had, for many decades, unknowingly built their communities on lahar deposits from earlier eruptions of the volcano. This eventually created the dilemma faced by Colombian authorities when the volcano awakened a year before the deadly eruption: How long could evacuation of thousands of people be delayed to minimize economic upheaval and political costs of a too-early evacuation or false alarm?

Closer satellite images of Leilani Estates subdivision's fissure 8, before and after the eruption. USGS photos

This dilemma is universal for current emergency-management authorities and elected officials as increasing numbers of people live and work on the slopes of volcanoes or within areas known for potential volcanic hazards.

The dilemma also creates increasing challenges for scientists to improve their capabilities to monitor and interpret volcanic behavior so they can issue more accurate and timely warnings of eruptions and potential consequences. They must also effectively communicate the results of their work before, during, and after eruptions to raise awareness of volcano hazards to an increasingly interested and demanding media and public.

LanipunaGardens subdivision.

Pohoiki Road

runs left to right through the center of the image. The Puna Geothermal Ventures site is in the upper left portion of the image. USGS photos

There have been many successful responses to sudden periods of volcanic unrest since the Nevado del Ruiz tragedy. Two eruptions stand out for me because bold actions taken by officials and scientists saved thousands of lives: Mount Pinatubo, Philippines, in 1990, and Mount Merapi, Indonesia, in 2010. See volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/hvo_volcano_watch.html?vwid=57. Many USGS colleagues were directly involved in helping scientists in both countries.

USGS work on volcanoes, primarily in the U.S.but also abroad, is possible because of the long-term public investment in our Nation's five volcano observatories. The ever-growing knowledge and experience of observatory personnel with different volcanoes and types of eruptions are invaluable for helping to prevent future volcano emergencies from becoming volcanic disasters.

The area of Kapoho. Kapoho Crater is in the left portion of the image. Lava filled much of the crater, including the small nested crater that contained GreenLake. The Kapoho Beach Lots subdivision is in the right side of the image, north of KapohoBay, and was completely covered by the fissure 8 lava flow. Vacationland Hawai‘i, in the lower right corner of the image, was also completely covered, along with the adjacent tide pools. Kapoho Farm Lots, near the center of the image, is also beneath the flow. USGS photos

I bid a fond farewell to my colleagues at HVO and the other four U.S. volcano observatories, as well as other volcano scientists, emergency professionals, educators, land managers, naturalists, and media with whom I've had the pleasure of working. And to everyone in Hawaiʻi who has supported and challenged HVO and participated in dozens of community meetings during the past few years, mahalo nui loa (many thanks) for your sincerest aloha!

A large black sand beach remains at Pohoiki, sand continuing

to block access to the boat ramp. Thick fissure 8 lava flows can

be seen in the lower left portion of the image. USGS photo

Volcano Activity Updates

HVO is lowering the Volcano Alert Level of Kīlauea for ground based hazards from WATCH to ADVISORY. This means volcanic activity has decreased significantly but continues to be closely monitored for renewed activity. The Aviation Color Code is also being lowered from ORANGE to YELLOW. It has been 30 days since lava has been active at the surface of Kīlauea Volcano. HVO monitoring indicate that resumption of eruption or summit collapse is unlikely in the near-term.
At Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone and summit, seismicity and ground deformation remain low. Active lava has not been seen within the fissure 8 cone since September 5. Minor fuming from the cone was visible during the past week. Webcam images of the fissure 8 cone show that a portion of the crater wall near the northern spillway area has slowly shifted during the past 2 weeks, indicating some instability of the cone in this area. An overflight the morning of Oct. 3 at Puʻu ʻŌʻō and the fissure 8 cone showed no lava was present in the vents. No collapses at Puʻu ʻŌʻō have been observed during the past week. The combined sulfur dioxide emission rates at Kīlauea's summit, Puʻu ʻŌʻō, and lower East Rift Zone is less than 300 tonnes per day – lower than at any time since late 2007.

A thick plume obscured views into Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's, but thermal

images show the bottom of the crater appears to still be

covered in collapse rubble. There are no signs

of any hot material. USGS photo

A magnitude-3.1 quake happened 28 km (17 mi) west of Pepe‘ekeo at 19 km (12 mi) depth on Oct. 1 at 12:05 p.m.

Visit volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvofor past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Call 808-967-8862 for a Kīlauea summary update. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

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HAWAIʻI VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK has released its overflight schedule for October. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory may also conduct flight operations over Kīlauea and Mauna Loato assess volcanic activity and maintain instrumentation. The Park says in the release it regrets any noise impact to residents and park visitors. Dates and times are subject to change based on aircraft availability and weather.

"Management of the park requires the use of aircraft to monitor and research volcanic activity, conduct search-and-rescue missions and law enforcement operations, support management of natural and cultural resources, and to maintain backcountry facilities," says the release.

Oct. 9 and 11, between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., supplies and crews for petrel monitoring will be flown between Mauna Loa at about 9,000 foot-elevation and the helicopter pad at Kīlauea summit. Oct. 15 and October 17, from 7:30 a.m., between ‘Ōla‘a Agricultural Lot to ‘Ōla‘a New Unit in Volcano, fencing material and equipment will be shuttled in, and old material will be hauled out. Oct. 18, between 6:30 a.m.and 9 a.m., overflights for ungulate (wild goats/sheep) surveys and control work in Kahuku Unit, above 5,000 ft. elevation.

On Oct. 24, between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., a crew will be taken from ‘Āinahou to Kamo‘oali‘i, between 600-foot and 2,000-foot elevation, for invasive fountain grass survey and control. Oct. 30, between 6:30 a.m.and 9 a.m., more ungulate surveys and control work in Kahuku Unit, below 4,500-foot elevation. Oct. 30, between 8 a.m. and noon, overflights to survey and control invasive guinea grass along Keauhou Trail, from the coast to 2,700-foot elevation.

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CERTIFIED, OFFICIAL RESULTS FOR THE KAʻŪ COFFEE TRAIL RUN were released and posted this week: webscorer.com/race?raceid=153619. People came from as far away as Japanand Australiato participate in the fifth annual event. Miss Kaʻū Coffee fired the pistol to start the race under beautiful, vog-free skies on Saturday, Sept. 22. Eddie-O served as Master of Ceremonies.

The Run saw 211 runners of all ages compete: 110 in the 5k, 47 in the 10k, and 54 in the Half-Marathon. The trail winds around coffee and macadamia nut orchards and the rainforest near Kaʻū Coffee Mill, where all three races started and ended. Sponsored by ʻO Kaʻū Kākou, Edmund C. Olson Trust II, Kaʻū Coffee Mill, BioAstin, and Webscorer, the annual event raises money to invest in programs run by ʻO Kaʻū Kākou, for the benefit of Kaʻū.

Half-Marathon winner Patrick Stover reaches on the final stretch at the Kaʻū Coffee Mill Run.
Photo from ʻO Kaʻū Kākou

Kaʻū's Denny family ran together in the 5k. Megan Denny, in the 40-to-49-year-old category – she won it in 2016 – placed first, 11th overall, at 55:19.3. Justin Denny (40-49) finished 30th for men, 36th overall, and 6th in his category, at 1:02:13.3. Justin Denny III (19 & under) finished 11th for men, and 6th in his category, at 54:26.4. Molly Denny (19 & under), at 1:08:58.9, finished 25th for the Women's 5k, 7th in her category.

Kaʻū racers Ray and Alida Gandy both won in their 5K age groups for 70 and up. Alida came in at 1:11:24.3, Ray at 1:24:12.1.

In another Kaʻū family affair, the 5K race saw Neil Fried (60-69), at 1:07:04.1 and Caren Lebel-Fried (50-59), at 1:07:653.3, arriving at the finish line next to each other. Neil placed first in his category, and Caren placed 4th.
Patrick Stover (30-39) of Kona took first for men in the Half-Marathon, at 1:10:06.5. Second place was Sérgio Florian (30-39), at 1:15:44.6. Third was Jacob Fansler (40-49), at 1:26:14.5.

Bree Brown, of Kona, took first in the Women's Half-Marathon, at 1:21:23.3. Second place was Noe McMahon of Kaʻū, at 1:52:19.1. Third was Amy Young of Keaʻau – who took third in this year's Volcano Rain Forest Runs women's Half-Marathon – at 1:35:33.2.

People of all ages participate in the Kaʻū Coffee Trail Run. Megan Denny

(#752) from Pāhala won the 5K women's race. Denny's son, Justin Denny III

(#754), finished 6th in his category. Megan's husband and

daughter raced the 5K, too. Photo from ʻO Kaʻū Kākou

Lyman Perry (50-59) of Kaʻū finished the 10K in first place for the men, at 1:04:08.5. Second place went to Brian Shiro (40-49), at 57:23.7. Third went to Brian Leo (30-39), at 59:48.3.
Women of the 5K were led by Megan Denny of Kaʻū, with Maychaila Gibson (19 & under) in second place, at 57:53.3. Jennifer Hayes (40-49) came in third, at 59:33.9.

The 10K women's race first place went to Julia Scharwaechter (50-59), at 1:04:37.7. Breianon Hamer came in second at 1:06:43.1. Third place was Melinda Cianci, at 1:07:23.2.

5K men were led by Scott Snair (30-39), at 47:57.9. Second and third places went to men in the 19 & under category: Daryl Sampaga at 48:35.2, and Kekailoa Rosati-Supnet at 48:49.7

The Volcano to Moloiʻi community was strongly represented at the race, with many high-placing runners. Here are the names and times of participants from the area:

Aside from Lyman, who took first overall in the 10K, this region was represented in the 10K race wholly by women. In the 30-39 category, Kimberly Weisenborn took 4th at 1:30:02.8, Laura Awong 5th at 1:33:17.4, Virginia Remley 6th at 1:34:14.9, and Kara Regehr 7th at 1:34:16.9. Lisa Parr (50-59) came in 4th, at 1:39:36.5.
The woman's Half-Marathon saw the region represented by Noe McMahon (20-29), who came in second overall, first in her category, at 1:52:19.1. Sally Marrack (40-49) came in second in her category, 6th for overall women, at 2:19:38.9.

Master of Ceremonies Eddie-O (left) takes a selfie with a
fan before the start of the Annual Kaʻū Coffee Trail Run
in Pāhala on Sept. 22. Photo from ʻO Kaʻū Kākou

The Half-Marathon men's race featured more Volcano to Miloliʻi residents: Adam McGhee (30-39) in 5th for his category, at 2:07:43.5; Shawn Mishler (50-59), finished first in his category, 13th overall, at 2:16:06.5; and Mark Kaili Jr. (20-29), came in at 2:59:27.9, placing third in his category.
The Men's 5K runners from this region included Takami Munnerlyn, the youngest racer, a five year old competing in his third year. He finished at 1:18:33.8. Jesus Santiago (19 & under), came in 8th in his category, at 54:29.1. Creed Bates, the only Men's 5K entry in the 20-29 category, came in 14th overall, at 55:10.3. In the 30-39 category, Kurt Hall, 17th overall at 56:02.4, placed ahead of his only other 5K category contender, Eric Gonzales, who finished at 1:13:03.9. Representing this community in the 50-59 category, Kim Choate placed third, at 1:01:08.7; Chris Hollis 4th, at 1:02:38.7, and Ani Apostol 7th, at 1:09:19.8. Richard Probst (60-69) came in 7th, at 1:26:21.8.
The Women's 5K runners from Volcano to Miloliʻi included two 19 & under entrants: Marie Pearson, third, at 1:05:01.3, and Isabella Gonsales, 6th, at 1:06:38.5. Kayla Soder was the only Kaʻū runner in the 20-29 category, in first, placing 6th overall, at 1:00:14.7. Carla Lind was 4th in the 30-39 category, at 1:04:44.4, and Lisa Napoli was 7th, at 1:12:49.6. The 40-49 field had Sheryl Cobb in 5th at 1:15:21.2, Shirley Saribay 8th at 1:25:20.8, Nami Kurokawa 10th at 1:30:37.1, and Kayo Munnerlyn 11th at 1:30:40.9. Kathy Baxter placed third in the 50-59 category, at 1:06:14.8, with Lynn Morrison in 6th at 1:09:35.7; Meredith Linden 7th at 1:19:06.1; Cassandra Cupples 8th at 1:20:00.0, and Sheila Bruening hot on her heels in 9th, at 1:22:58.3. Kaʻū had two entrants in the women's 60-69 category: Robin Stratton in second, at 1:09:05.4, and Sharlee Cotter in 4th, at 1:15:31.1.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

HOMECOMING THIS WEEKEND AT KAʻŪ HIGH SCHOOL will see the Trojans football team hosting Kohala at PāhalaBallPark. The game starts Saturday at noon.

The Trojans' post-season game is Saturday, Oct. 20, also at PāhalaBallPark, where the home team will be challenged by Kohala or Pāhoa, depending on the winner of the Oct. 13 game. They will wear light jerseys, while Kaʻū wears dark jerseys. Game time is 1 p.m.

BIIF Division I and Division II Championship games will be announced at a later time. See the remaining Fall schedule, below.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

Sat, Oct 6, 12pm, host Kohala
Sat, Oct 13, 12pm, BIIF Semi-Finals at Kamehameha, Kohala vs. Pāhoa

Sat, Oct 20, 1 pm, BIIF Finals at Pāhala Ball Park - Higher vs. Kaʻū

Girls Volleyball:
Wed, Oct 10, 6pm, @ Parker

Fri, Oct 12, 6pm, host St. Joseph

Mon, Oct 15, BIIF DII Qtr - Higher

Wed, Oct 17, BIIF DII Semi-Finals @ Kona
Thu, Oct 18, BIIF DII Finals @ Kona

Cross Country:
Sat, Oct 6, 2pm, @ Kealakehe

Sat, Oct 13, BYE

Sat, Oct 20, 9am, BIIF @ HPA

Sat, Oct 27, 8:30am, HHSAA

NEW and UPCOMING

COOPER CENTER COUNCIL HOSTS ITS ANNUAL OKTOBERFEST EVENT on Saturday, Oct. 13, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The free event offers entertainment and German foods - brats, sauerkraut, German potato salad, stew, spatzels and schnitzles, as well as local beers, wine, cider for keiki, games, and prizes.

Open to the public, the event is located at Cooper Center, 19-4030 Wright Road, Volcano Village. According to thecoopercenter.org, "a good way to get to meet the community is to volunteer." For more, call 967-7800.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Kāwā Community Workday, Sat., Oct. 6, Meet 9:30am, Northern Gate, Kāwā. Sign-up w/James Akau, Nā Mamo o Kāwā, namamookawa@gmail.com, jakau@nmok.org, 561-9111. nmok.org

Keiki Science Class, Sat., Oct. 6, 11-noon, Ace Hardware Stores Islandwide, including Nā‘ālehu, 929-9030, and Ocean View, 929-7315. Free. First Sat every month. acehardware.com

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7
Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund Kamilo Point Clean-Up with Hilo Bay Café, Sun., Oct. 7, contact in advance for meet up time at Wai‘ōhinu Park. BYO-4WD vehicle only. Free; donations appreciated. kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com, mattie.hwf@gmail.com, wildhawaii.org

Pu‘u o Lokuana, Sun., Oct. 7, 9:30-11 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Short, moderately difficult, 0.4-mile hike to the top of the grassy cinder cone. Learn about the formation and various uses of this hill over time. Enjoy breathtaking view of lower Ka‘ū. Free. nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

Volcano Village Health and Safety Fair at the Cooper Center, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 7. Healthy food demonstrations and free food tastings, how to make a "go bucket," info on advance directives, free flu vaccinations (conditions apply), free testing for HepC and HIV, and more. Free event, open to the public. Sponsored by the Volcano Community Association.Contact Sher Glass at 967-8553, vcainfo@yahoo.com.

Ham Radio Potluck Picnic, Sun., Oct. 7, noon-2pm, Manukā State Park. Anyone interested in learning about ham radio is welcome to attend. Sponsored by South Point Amateur Radio Club and Amateur Radio Emergency Service. View sites.google.com/site/southpointarc or sites.google.com/view/southhawaiiares/home. Rick Ward, 938-3058

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8
Ka‘ū Homeschool Co–op Group, Mon., Oct. 8 and 22, 1pm, Ocean View Community Center. A parent led homeschool activity/social group building community in Ka‘ū. Call to confirm location in case of field trip. Laura Roberts, 406-249-3351

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9
C.E.R.T. Discovery Harbour/Nā‘ālehu, Tue., Oct. 9, 4-6pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Public invited to see what Community Emergency Response Team is about, and participate in training scenarios. Dina Shisler, dinashisler24@yahoo.com, 410-935-8087

Pāhala Sewage System - County Dept. of Environmental Management, Wed., Oct. 10, Open House: 5:30pm, Meeting: 6-7:30pm, Ka‘ū Gym Multi-Purpose Conference Room, Pāhala. Mary Fuji, 962-8038

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11
Story Time with Auntie Linda from Tūtū & Me, Thu., Oct. 11, 10:30-noon, Nā‘ālehu Public Library. 929-8571

Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka‘ū, Thu., Oct. 11, 6:30pm, United Methodist Church, Nā‘ālehu. Pres. Berkley Yoshida, 747-0197

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12
Free Community Dance, Fri., Oct. 12, 7-10pm, Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Minors allowed with supervision only. Alcohol-free event. Variety of music. Coffee, tea, water, and snack provided. Free admission; donations appreciated. 967-7800, thecoopercenter.org

Kaʻū Cheerleaders rev up the fans as the Trojans win their homecoming game against Kohala, 58-14.
See story, below. Photo by Julia Neal

MONEY FOR SCHOOLS TO BE COLLECTED FROM INVESTMENT PROPERTY TAXES is facing a Hawaiʻi Supreme Court challenge ahead of the Nov. 6 General Election. The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court will hear arguments on Thursday, Oct. 18, from all four county governments, which oppose the measure. Putting the state constitutional amendment on the ballot passed the 2018 Hawaiʻi Legislature with a unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and only one no vote in the Senate.
Kaʻū Reps. Richard Onishi and Dr. Richard Creagan, and Kaʻū's Senators Josh Green and Russell Ruderman, supported the amendment.

A change in the Hawaiʻi State Constitution
would allow the state to tax investment property
to fund public education. The counties and
Chambers of Commerce oppose it.

Initiated by the public teachers union, it calls for an increase in property taxes - only from investment real estate - to fund public education. Hawaiʻi is the only state where property taxes are not used to fund education. The idea of investment property taxes, targeting second homes valued at over $1 million, to help pay for education, was considered a strategy that would avoid burdening individual homeowners whose expenses have skyrocketed with housing costs soaring.

The County of Hawaiʻi and the other three counties in the state oppose the measure, saying the language of the amendment is not clear, and that it could dissuade investors from building more housing, which is needed for the increasing demand.

The hearing before Hawaiʻi's Supreme Court will be less than a week before early walk-in voting, which begins on Tuesday, Oct. 23, Monday - Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. - closed from noon to 1 p.m. - at Pāhala Community Center.

The question before the voters, approved by the state legislature, is: "Shall the legislature be authorized to establish, as provided by law, a surcharge on investment real property to be used to support public education?"

The amendment would give authority to state government to tax investment property for education. It's the four county governments that currently tax all properties, setting rates and valuations.

HSTA President Corey Rosenlee supports the state
Constitutional Amendment to fund schools
in an Hawaiʻi Public Radio interview.
Photo from HPR2

The counties' efforts to stop the question from going on the ballot began in First Circuit Court on Oʻahu, with the claim that the language was "highly misleading and deceptive." Judge Jeff Crabtree in the First Circuit Court dismissed the motion. He wrote that he failed to find language proposed for the ballot to be "deceptive," but noted that it is "not as clear as it could be."

The county attorneys appealed to the Supreme Court through a "petition for extraordinary writ." They called the constitutional amendment too vague and expressed concern over state government becoming involved in taxing property.

Hawaiʻi Chamber of Commerce also came out against taxing investment properties to help pay for education.

Corey Rosenlee, President of the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association, the public teachers union, called the Supreme Court action a waste of taxpayer money. "The counties lost before, then they are going to lose again," he said. He issued a statement saying, "It's sad that the only tactic that they have is fear, the fear that we're going to go after renters, apartment owners, senior citizens, farmers, commercial businesses. This is a specific taxation that we're trying to do in order to fund our schools. Our opponents offer no way of increasing funding for our schools. Not once have they offered an answer about how they are going to improve our schools."

Teachers and families around the state held signs today in support
of using investment property taxes for school funding.
Photo from HSTA

Ronsenlee said that with lack of funding, students are put in "environments that are not conducive to learning. The main reason is that we do not fund our schools well. We rank 45th in the nation in per-pupil expenditure, adjusted for cost of living."
Deborah Zysman, executive director of the Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network, said, "If you go and visit schools, we know our infrastructure is way out of date. Some places in our charter schools, we have kids learning under tarps. We think that is unacceptable and unconscionable. Our kids deserve good quality schools."
Deborah Bond-Upson, a founding board member of Parents for Public Schools Hawaiʻi, said, "Every child in Hawaiʻi deserves access to a quality education, We know we are going to need a grassroots movement to fight against this super PAC that has come up with this cynical approach, to drive fear into parents and business leaders, that is unwarranted. We believe if we want to be business friendly, we have to have appropriate taxes. Our state should not be a haven for certain investors and developers that then drives the cost of housing up for everyone else."

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THE U.S. SENATE VOTED 50 TO 48 TO CONFIRM JUDGE BRETT KAVANAUGH TODAY. HE TOOK THE JUDICIAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL OATHS AND SITS ON THE BENCH OF THE U.S. SUPREME COURT. Both of Hawaiʻi's U.S. Senators voted, "No."
Sen. Mazie Hirono sent out this message: "A few moments ago, the full Senate approved Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court after a sham investigation and a delusional process they rigged in his favor since the very beginning. I'm angry about it. That anger will fuel our movement's determination to win the midterms and bring with it a tidal wave of change for women and our allies.

Hawaiʻi Sen. Brian Schatz tweeted this image for votesaveamerica.com.

"The fight goes on over the next month and in the years to follow because the stakes are too high for us to give in. Our fundamental rights and the progress we have made in the last several decades is on the line, and the need to retake Congress has never been more urgent."

Hirono Tweeted: "Today, I'm left with anger and determination, just like millions of people across the country. I will take @rtraister's advice, and commend it to the women of America and the men who understand our stories – I will stay mad and let that anger propel us to change."
Sen. Brian Schatz Tweeted, "Sometimes politics requires next level strategy Sun Tsu thinking, and sometimes all of that becomes an excuse to avoid knocking on doors and making phone calls. Please knock on doors and make phone calls. I promise you it's the main thing right now.
"If you are angry and want to do something about it please go to votesaveamerica.com and please pass it on," wrote Schatz.

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On the Mauna Loa trail that opens Monday. NPS photo

MAUNA LOA ROAD AND TRAIL in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park reopens on Monday, Oct. 8. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes announced yesterday that Mauna Loa Roadwill fully reopen to vehicles. Mauna Loa Trail, which leads to the 13,677 foot summit, and the Pu‘u ‘Ula‘ula (Red Hill) cabin and Mauna Loasummit cabin, will also reopen. The Park's coastal backcountry trails and campsites are scheduled to reopen on Fri., Oct. 19. Earlier this week, park rangers completed overflight inspections of the coastal trails and campsites, and will hike out to the remote sites to prepare them for visitation.

Pu‘u ‘Ula‘ula (Red Hill) on Mauna Loa. NPS photo

Permits are required for all overnight backpacking and for both high-altitude cabins. The park's backcountry permit office will reopen Monday at 8 a.m. The release says backpackers should be adequately equipped, experienced in wilderness and high altitude trekking, and physically fit. Learn more about Mauna Loa and how to obtain a backcountry permit at nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/hike_maunaloa.htm.

Mauna Loa Road, trail, and its remote backcountry have been closed since May 11 due to damaging volcanic and seismic activity. Significant road construction continues on several sections of Highway 11 within park boundaries, including one-way traffic stops at mile marker 30 and to the west. Motorists should drive carefully and be prepared for delays, says the release.

Visitors to Mauna Loa Road can see how native forest was impacted by a wildfire that started Aug. 4 outside the park. The fire burned 3,739 acres and came "perilously close" to the Kīpukakī Special Ecological Area, says the release.

For more information and a map of what is open in Hawai‘i VolcanoesNational Park, visit nps.gov/havo/closed_areas.htm.

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Kaʻū kept Kohala scoreless during the first half of the Trojan homecoming game today. Photo by Julia Neal

KAʻŪ NAILED KOHALA COWBOYS TO TROJAN HOME TURF today during the homecoming game, with a final score of 58 to 14.
During the first quarter, Trojan Isaiah Pilanca-Emsley completed a 45 yard run for a touchdown, with Weston Davis running into the end zone for an extra two points.
Later in the quarter, a bad snap during a Kohala punt left the ball on the one-yard line, with Kaʻū in control with a first and ten. David made the one yard run for the touchdown. No extra points brought the score to Kaʻū 14, Kohala 0.
Again the punt - this time blocked - left the ball in Kaʻū's hands on the Kohala 13 yardline. Pilanca-Emmsley made the 13 yard touchdown run and took the score to 20 with no success at extra points.
Kohala came close to the Kaʻū end zone, but worked through all of its downs, leaving the ball in Kaʻū's hands on the 3 yard line. Several plays later, Pilanca-Emmsley made a 47 yard touchdown run. Davis picked up two extra points.

Kohala and Kaʻū faced off, with Kaʻū winning 58-14.
Photo by Julia Neal

With less than two minutes left in the first quarter, Pilanca-Emmelsy intercepted a Kohala ball and ran 47 years for the touch down. With Davis making the extra two points, that brought the score to 28-0.
Ten minutes into the second quarter, Trojan Shesley Martinez ran for a 41 yard touchdown and Jermiah Nurial-Dacallo made the two extra points.
Pilanca-Emmsely made a 47 yard touch down run, with no extra points. With less than three minutes left in the first half, Martinez ran for a 74 yard touchdown, bringing the halftime score to Kaʻū 50, Kohala 0.
In the third quarter, Kohala's Zhane Ellazar-Ching ran a 92 yard kick return for the Cowboy's first score of the game. In the fourth quarter, Kohala quarterback Ryan Juan-Kealoha scored a ten yard run for a touchdown and completed a pass to Demien Padillo for two extra points.
Final score: Kaʻū 58, Kohala 14.

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See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

Sat, Oct 13, 12pm, BIIF Semi-Finals at Kamehameha, Kohala vs. Pāhoa

Sat, Oct 20, 1 pm, BIIF Finals at Pāhala Ball Park - Higher vs. Kaʻū

Girls Volleyball:
Wed, Oct 10, 6pm, @ Parker

Fri, Oct 12, 6pm, host St. Joseph

Mon, Oct 15, BIIF DII Qtr - Higher

Wed, Oct 17, BIIF DII Semi-Finals @ Kona
Thu, Oct 18, BIIF DII Finals @ Kona

Cross Country:
Sat, Oct 13, BYE

Sat, Oct 20, 9am, BIIF @ HPA

Sat, Oct 27, 8:30am, HHSAA

NEW and UPCOMING

A SECOND HULA KAHIKO PERFORMANCE IS OFFERED THIS OCTOBER on the kahua hula (hula platform) near Volcano Art Center Gallery inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Nā Kumu hula Chrissy Kama Henriques, with Hālau E Hulali Mai I Ka La of Honaunau, South Kona, performs on Saturday, Oct. 20, at 10:30 a.m.
Hālau E Hulali Mai I Ka La, under the direction of Henriques, is a young hālau. They placed first in the 7th Annual Heiva I Hawaiʻi Otea and Aparima division this year. In the most recent event, they competed in the 2018 Kupuna Hula Competition, and took 1st place in the Tutu Kane division. On Oct. 13, they will participate in the E Malama Mau I Ka Hula Festival.

Hālau E Hulali Mai I Ka La will perform Hula Kahiko at the Park on
Oct. 20. Photo from volcanoartcenter.org

The Hula Kahiko performance at the Park is part of a year-round series sponsored by the Volcano Art Center. For the series, hula hālau from across Hawai‘i and beyond are invited to perform each month in a one-of-a-kind outdoor setting.
This event is presented authentically in an outdoor setting, rain or shine, without electronic amplification. Audience members are encouraged to bring sun/rain gear and sitting mats. Free; Park entrance fees apply. See volcanoartcenter.org.

NĀ MEA HULA - ALL THINGS HULA - WITH KUMU HULA KAHO‘OKELE CRABBE AND HĀLAUOLAOKALANI is held in conjunction with the hula kahiko performance on Saturday, Oct. 20. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the porch of Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park will play host to this hālau.

Kumu Hula Kaho‘okele Crabbe.
Photo from volcanoartcenter.org

Attendees are invited to learn a hula, use various hula implements, and try their hand at lei making, as they experience the different aspects that play an integral role in the life of the hula dancer. Nā Mea Hula cultural demonstrations are hands-on, family friendly, and free; Park entrance fees apply. See volcanoartcenter.org.

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7

Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund Kamilo Point Clean-Up with Hilo Bay Café, Sun., Oct. 7, contact in advance for meet up time at Wai‘ōhinu Park. BYO-4WD vehicle only. Free; donations appreciated. kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com, mattie.hwf@gmail.com, wildhawaii.org

Pu‘u o Lokuana, Sun., Oct. 7, 9:30-11 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Short, moderately difficult, 0.4-mile hike to the top of the grassy cinder cone. Learn about the formation and various uses of this hill over time. Enjoy breathtaking view of lower Ka‘ū. Free. nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

Volcano Village Health and Safety Fair at the Cooper Center, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 7. Healthy food demonstrations and free food tastings, how to make a "go bucket," info on advance directives, free flu vaccinations (conditions apply), free testing for HepC and HIV, and more. Free event, open to the public. Sponsored by the Volcano Community Association.Contact Sher Glass at 967-8553, vcainfo@yahoo.com.

Ham Radio Potluck Picnic, Sun., Oct. 7, noon-2pm, Manukā State Park. Anyone interested in learning about ham radio is welcome to attend. Sponsored by South Point Amateur Radio Club and Amateur Radio Emergency Service. View sites.google.com/site/southpointarc or sites.google.com/view/southhawaiiares/home. Rick Ward, 938-3058

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8
Ka‘ū Homeschool Co–op Group, Mon., Oct. 8 and 22, 1pm, Ocean View Community Center. A parent led homeschool activity/social group building community in Ka‘ū. Call to confirm location in case of field trip. Laura Roberts, 406-249-3351

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9

C.E.R.T. Discovery Harbour/Nā‘ālehu, Tue., Oct. 9, 4-6pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Public invited to see what Community Emergency Response Team is about, and participate in training scenarios. Dina Shisler, dinashisler24@yahoo.com, 410-935-8087

CANCELLED: After Dark in the Park, Ōpe‘ape‘a: The Hawaiian Bat, Tue., Oct. 9. 985-6011, nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

VOTE: Voter Registration Deadline for 2018 General Election, Tue., Oct. 9. elections.hawaii.gov

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10
AdvoCATS, Wed., Oct. 10, 7am-5pm, Ocean View Community Center. Free Cat Spay & Neuter Clinic. 895-9283. advocatshawaii.org

Volcano Bay Clinic Mobile Health Unit Visits: Dental, Wed., Oct. 10, 8-5pm; Medical, Thu., Oct. 25, 1-5pm, Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Must be Bay Clinic, Inc. patient. Call 333-3600 to schedule appointment. See Cooper Center August newsletter for details. thecoopercenter.org

Pāhala Sewage System - County Dept. of Environmental Management, Wed., Oct. 10, Open House: 5:30pm, Meeting: 6-7:30pm, Ka‘ū Gym Multi-Purpose Conference Room, Pāhala. Mary Fuji, 962-8038

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11
Story Time with Auntie Linda from Tūtū & Me, Thu., Oct. 11, 10:30-noon, Nā‘ālehu Public Library. 929-8571

Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka‘ū, Thu., Oct. 11, 6:30pm, United Methodist Church, Nā‘ālehu. Pres. Berkley Yoshida, 747-0197

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12
Free Community Dance, Fri., Oct. 12, 7-10pm, Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Minors allowed with supervision only. Alcohol-free event. Variety of music. Coffee, tea, water, and snack provided. Free admission; donations appreciated. 967-7800, thecoopercenter.org

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13
First Annual Super Saturday Five-on-Five Tournament, Sat., Oct. 13, Ka‘ū District Gym. Event hosted by Hokulele Basketball Club – youth from 5 years old to high school, sponsored by families and players. Free admission to watch. For more or to join, text or call President Ravel Kaupu, 319-0687.

Pancake Breakfast & Raffle, Sat., Oct. 13, 8-11am, Ocean View Community Center. To volunteer, call 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Pastel On-Site Landscape Painting Workshop with Patti Pease Johnson, Sat., Oct. 13, 9-12:30pm, Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus, Volcano Village. Held outdoors, weather permitting - otherwise, indoors with reference photo. Students complete one 9"x12" project. $45/VAC member, $50/non-member, plus $10 supply fee. Beginner and intermediate artists welcome. Register online, volcanoartcenter.org, or call 967-8222.

Realms & Divisions of Kahuku, Sat., Oct. 13, 9:30-11:30am, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Moderately difficult, two-mile, guided hike on a new Kahuku Unit trail, Pu‘u Kahuku, explores the traditional Hawaiian classification system. Bring snack. nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

Zentangle: Ghosting Workshop with Lydia Meneses, Sat, Oct. 13, 10-1pm, Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus, Volcano Village. Adds haunting aspects and mystical-whisper feelings to artwork using light touch of mini graphite pencil. All materials supplied or available for borrowing. Open to all levels, no Zentangle or art experience necessary. $30/VAC member, $35/non-member, plus $10 supply fee. Bring light refreshment to share. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

Hula Kahiko - Liana Aveiro with Hālau Malanai, Sat., Oct. 13, 10:30-11:30am, hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Hula performance. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org

Nā Mea Hula w/Kumu Kaho‘okele Crabbe, Halauolaokalani, Sat., Oct. 13, 11-1pm, Volcano Art Center Gallery porch. Hands-on cultural demonstration. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org

Oktoberfest, Sat., Oct. 13, 3-6pm, Cooper Center, Volcano Village. German foods: bratwurst, sauerkraut, German potato salad, stew, spätzle, schnitzel; local beer, wine, cider for the keiki; and games and prizes. Entertainment provided. Volunteers welcome. Sponsored by Cooper Center Council. thecoopercenter.org, 967-7800

Palm Trail, Sat., Oct. 14, 9:30-12:30pm, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Moderately difficult 2.6-mile loop traverses scenic pastures along an ancient cinder cone, with some of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

ONGOING
CU Hawaiʻi Federal Credit Union's Nāʻālehu Branch is taking applications for a Member Service Representative.
The job description reads: Serve as a liaison between the member and the Credit Union. Provide a variety of financial services to members including savings, share drafts, and loan transactions, as well as sales of merchandise items: money orders, traveler's checks, postage stamps, etc., in accordance with Credit Union procedures and policies. CU Hawaiʻi offers medical, drug, dental, vision and retirement benefits.
Mail, hand-deliver, or fax application to: CU Hawaii Federal Credit Union, Attn: Human Resources, 476 Hinano Street, Hilo, HI 96720, Fax (808) 935-7793. Applications can be downloaded online at cuhawaii.com/about-cu/career-opportunities.html

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Three swimmers from Volcano School of Arts & Sciences and one home schooled young lady join the island
wide swim meet at Pāhala pool on Saturday as members of Kaʻū's South Swell Novice Swim Team.
See story below. Photo by Julia Neal

STATE OF THE UNION host Dana Bash asked Sen. Mazie Hirono on CNN this morning whether she would like to see the new Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh impeached. Hirono responded, "I'm much more focused on the here and now, which is that we have an election coming up." She said that she recommends to "women who are justifiably angry but determined" to and I said basically, just focus like a laser beam on the elections." She said, "they have connected the dots. They know that the senators who are making these confirmation decisions are the people who were elected by their voters. And so, as voters, they have a role to play."

The CNN commentator said that some Democratic colleagues say that recent accusations against Kavanaugh, such as those brought forth by attorney Michael Avenatti, hurt the Democrats' case against him, by accusing Kavanaugh of facilitating gang rape. Hirono responded: "There were enough other aspects and allegations and reports that we wanted the FBI to investigate, and they did not. Why? Because the White House pretty much limited the scope of the so called investigation, which was a sham."

Sen. Mazie Hirono on State of the Union this morning, urging women to "focus like a laser beam on the elections."
Photo from CNN

Hirono also said she was disappointed in Maine Sen. Susan Collins' vote to support Kavanaugh, after Collins met with survivors of sexual assault and after hearing what Hirono said was a credible account from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who testified under oath before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her. The accusation led to the FBI investigation, from which Pres. Donald Trump and the Senate Republican leadership concluded there was no wrongdoing by Kavanaugh. He was sworn in Saturday night and begins working on U.S. Supreme Court cases this week.

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MEETINGS BEGIN TOMORROW CONCERNING THE PROPOSED PĀHALA WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM. The gatherings for property owners and the general public will be held at Kaʻū Gym's Multipurpose Conference Room, 96-1219 Kamani Street in Pāhala. Property owners connected to the old C. Brewer, former Kaʻū Sugar Co., sewage systems are invited to attend a workshop on Monday, Oct. 8, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Property owners not on the old Brewer system whose property will become accessible to the new system are invited to a workshop on Tuesday, Oct. 9, from 6 p.m.to 7:30 p.m.
The proposed location for the lagoon style treatment system is at the corner of Hwy 11 and Maile Street, on the Hilo side of the entrance to Pāhala, along the Norfolk pine tree lane.

The public is invited to an open house and meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 10 from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.. From 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., representatives of the county will explain the
Environmental Assessment draft provided by the County of Hawaiʻi Department of Environmental Management and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Property owners were invited by mail to each of the workshops designed for their properties.

The EA draft is posted on the Department of Health's Office of Environmental Quality Control's website for review by the public at oeqc2.doh.hawaii.gov/The_Environ mental _Notice/2018-09-23-TEN.pdf. The EA draft is also available at Pāhala Library at 96-3150 Pikake St., and Nāʻālehu Library at 95-5669 Mamalahoa Hwy. Both are open weekdays.

The public is invited to comment on the Draft EA by Oct. 23, by sending input to the county at dora.beck@hawaiicounty.gov or by mail to 345 Kekūanāo‘a St., Suite 41, Hilo, HI 96720, and also to consultant Wilson Okamoto at PahalaEA@wilsonokamoto.com or by mail to 1907 South Beretania St., Suite 400, Honolulu, HI. Those with questions may call Mary Fujio at Department of Environmental Management at 961-8038.

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INSTALLATION OF SOLAR OR HEAT PUMPS FOR RENTERS AND HOMEOWNERS, without paying for equipment upfront, is available through a state program, according to an announcement from University of Hawaiʻi's College of Tropical Agriculture. The Green Energy Money $aver On-Bill Program is offered by the state's Hawaiʻi Green Infrastructure Authority.
Once the equipment is installed, the renter or homeowner not only uses less electricity from the utility company, the savings from solar, or a heat pump, pays for the cost of the equipment.
The program features zero up-front costs, savings as of the next bill, and no credit barriers.

Homeowners or renters can apply for the program. Once approved, HGIA pays for the equipment and installation of one of four types of water heating system: Solar Photovoltaic System, Solar Thermal Water Heater, Solar Photovoltaic Water Heater, or Heat Pump Water Heater. The cost is paid back over time on each bill, and the program guarantees at least a ten percent savings on water heating on each bill.

The announcement on hawaiicoffeeed.com says: "This State program enables families to save energy with no money down. All one needs is to show one years HELCO bill without a disconnect notice. The cost of the system is paid back through a program called on-bill-repayment, which guarantees savings of at least 10%. The energy savings of the solar hot water from the electric bill is used to pay back the cost of the system.
"Part of the program is directed to agricultural families in Hawaiʻi and this covers the cost of putting solar hot waters on farm houses or on worker housing."

For more information about the program, view the flyer or visit gems.hawaii.gov/participate-now/for-homeowners.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Pāhala South Swell Novice Swim Team members swim all the strokes in the island wide competition at Pāhala Pool.
Photos by Julia Neal

A NOVICE SWIM TEAM MEET drew youth from five to 17 years of age from around the island to Pāhala Pool on Saturday. Representing Kaʻū were members of Pāhala South Swell Novice Swim Team, comprised students form Volcano School of the Arts & Sciences and home schooled youth, including Molly Denny, Cheska Aurelio, Fiona Broward, and Elisha Hall.

A flying take off in boy's backstroke in the island wide Novice Swim Meet at Pāhala Pool on Saturday.

The Novice Swim Team Program is an introduction to competitive swimming skills and promotes health, along with team and community spirit. Participants swim the four competitive stokes: Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Freestyle. They also use dive starts and learn the turns at the ends of the pool.

To get ready to compete, teams from all the county pools around the island attempt to practice for about an hour a session, with South Swell practicing Mondays through Fridays from 3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.

Time's up for teams finishing the breaststroke.

To join a competitive swim team, youth five to eight years of age must be able to swim freestyle with face in the water, breathing to the side, for 25 yards freestyle and 25 yards backstroke. For those nine to 17, they must be able to swim 50 years freestyle, with face in water, breathing to the side, and 50 yards back stroke.

Upcoming Novice Swim Meet competition is at Kawamoto Pool in Hilo, next Saturday, Oct. 13, and the Championships, Saturday, Oct. 20, at Kona Community Aquatic Center.
For swim classes for toddlers through seniors, and to join a swim team or take the lifeguard classes, call Pāhala Swimming Pool and talk to Senior Pool Lifeguard Rina Martineau or Lifeguard Kayla Soder, at 928-8177.

Pāhala Pool Schedule is: Public Recreational swim 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., daily; Adult Lap swim 10 a.m. to noon, daily; Water Exercise 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; Boys & Girls Club swim, Tuesdays 2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. and WHAT OTHER DAY?? 1:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Entrance to the pool is free to everyone.

Reaching for the finish in the backstroke competition at Pāhala Pool on Saturday. Photos by Julia Neal

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

Sat, Oct 13, 12pm, BIIF Semi-Finals at Kamehameha, Kohala vs. Pāhoa
Sat, Oct 20, 1 pm, BIIF Finals at Pāhala Ball Park - Higher vs. Kaʻū

Girls Volleyball:
Wed, Oct 10, 6pm, @ Parker

Fri, Oct 12, 6pm, host St. Joseph

Mon, Oct 15, BIIF DII Qtr - Higher

Wed, Oct 17, BIIF DII Semi-Finals @ Kona
Thu, Oct 18, BIIF DII Finals @ Kona

Cross Country:
Sat, Oct 13, BYE

Sat, Oct 20, 9am, BIIF @ HPA

Sat, Oct 27, 8:30am, HHSAA

NEW and UPCOMING

FALL COSTUME PARTY RETURNS TO NĀ‘ĀLEHU PUBLIC LIBRARY on Friday, Oct. 26, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The event offers snacks, activities, and prizes. Attendees are encouraged to dress in costume. Free to all ages. For more, call 939-2442.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Keiki and adults dress up and come together to snacks, activities, and
prizes at Nā‘ālehu Public Library's annual costume event.
Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

Nā Mea Hula w/Kumu Kaho‘okele Crabbe, Halauolaokalani, Sat., Oct. 13, 11-1pm, Volcano Art Center Gallery porch. Hands-on cultural demonstration. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org

Oktoberfest, Sat., Oct. 13, 3-6pm, Cooper Center, Volcano Village. German foods: bratwurst, sauerkraut, German potato salad, stew, spätzle, schnitzel; local beer, wine, cider for the keiki; and games and prizes. Entertainment provided. Volunteers welcome. Sponsored by Cooper Center Council. thecoopercenter.org, 967-7800

Palm Trail, Sat., Oct. 13, 9:30-12:30pm, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Moderately difficult 2.6-mile loop traverses scenic pastures along an ancient cinder cone, with some of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

ONGOING
CU Hawaiʻi Federal Credit Union's Nāʻālehu Branch is taking applications for a Member Service Representative.
The job description reads: Serve as a liaison between the member and the Credit Union. Provide a variety of financial services to members including savings, share drafts, and loan transactions, as well as sales of merchandise items: money orders, traveler's checks, postage stamps, etc., in accordance with Credit Union procedures and policies. CU Hawaiʻi offers medical, drug, dental, vision and retirement benefits.
Mail, hand-deliver, or fax application to: CU Hawaii Federal Credit Union, Attn: Human Resources, 476 Hinano Street, Hilo, HI 96720, Fax (808) 935-7793. Applications can be downloaded online at cuhawaii.com/about-cu/career-opportunities.html

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Polynesians first landed in Hawaiʻi at Punaluʻu or a nearby coastal location in Kaʻū, say historians, who honor them today, Discoverers' Day.
The late Herb Kane painted this scene of Hawaiian Royalty on Punaluʻu Beach as part of a mural in the old Punaluʻu Museum. The mural
was stolen and never recovered after the restaurant and museum at the SeaMountain Resort at Punaluʻu shut down. This black
and white photo was kept in the records of C. Brewer, which built the resort, at Punaluʻu. Photo from Olson Trust Archives

THIS IS DISCOVERERS' DAY IN HAWAIʻI, named by the Hawaiʻi Legislature in 1988 to recognize the Polynesian discoverers of the Hawaiian Islands. While not an official state holiday, it falls on the same date as the federal Columbus Day, which honors early explorers and has been celebrated by Italian Americans and social societies since 1792, and further encouraged in 1892 by Pres. Benjamin Harrison. With backing from Knights of Columbus, Columbus Day was established by law in 1937 under Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Twenty-three other states and Washington, D.C. celebrate this second Monday in October as an official local holiday. However, Hawaiʻi abandoned this holiday date in order to enact Martin Luther King Day, which falls each year on the third Monday of January.

Herb Kane's painting of Polynesian Voyaging, the discovery of the
Hawaiian Islands, with first landing in Kaꞌū.
Painting by Herb Kane

Formerly called Columbus Day in all states to honor Italian and Spanish explorers who paved the way for waves of migrants to settle in what is now the United States, the Columbus Day name has changed around the country. States and cities have changed it to such names as Indigenous People's Day and Native American Day, honoring those who arrived much earlier than Christopher Columbus.

Without mentioning indigenous people, Pres. Donald Trump issued a proclamation for Columbus Day, 2018, saying: "In 1492, Christopher Columbus and his mighty three-ship fleet, the Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria, first spotted the Americas. His historic achievement ushered in an Age of Discovery that expanded our knowledge of the world. Columbus's daring journey marked the beginning of centuries of transatlantic exploration that transformed the Western Hemisphere. On Columbus Day, we commemorate the achievements of this skilled Italian explorer and recognize his courage, will power, and ambition - all values we cherish as Americans."

Locally, banks and credit unions are closed. While University of Hawaiʻi-Hilo is open, and community colleges in Kona and Hilo are in session, public schools are on Fall Break through Oct. 12.

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HAWAIIAN CULTURE AND "RELIGIOUS ATTACHMENT" associated with areas affected by the proposed Pāhala Wastewater Treatment Plant and distribution system is one of the issues to be addressed at a public open house and meeting on Wednesday. It will be held at Kaʻū Gym's Multipurpose Conference Room, 96-1219 Kamani Street in Pāhala. The open house, talk story, session will be from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. From 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., representatives of the county will explain the Draft Environmental Assessment, provided by the County of Hawaiʻi Department of Environmental Management and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The project is set to replace the old C. Brewer, former Kaʻū Sugar Co., Large Capacity Cesspool sewage systems in Pāhala. The proposed location for the lagoon style treatment system is at the corner of Hwy 11 and Maile Street, on the Hilo side of the entrance to Pāhala, along the Norfolk pine tree lane.

Outlined in red, gravity would help waste in the new proposed sewer system travel to the
new treatment site.

At 6 p.m., county representatives from Department of Environmental Management will cover the Draft EA, which says, "The project would be partially funded by an EPA grant and by the Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan program. The collection system would consist of approximately 12,120 linear feet of 8 to 12-inch diameter underground gravity flow piping in Maile, ʻIlima, Huapala, Hīnano, Hala, Puahala, and Pīkake Streets. The treatment and disposal facility would occupy about 14.9 acres and consist of a headworks and an odor control unit, an operations building, four lined aerated lagoons, a subsurface flow constructed wetland to remove nitrogen with an adjacent disinfection system to remove pathogens, and four slowrate land treatment basins for further treatment and disposal of the treated effluent. A perimeter security fence would enclose the entire facility. The existing LCCs and associated wastewater collection system would be abandoned."

In the second part of the meeting, county personnel will address the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, amended in 2006. This will "involve consultation with Native Hawaiian Organizations, and Native Hawaiian descendants with ancestral lineal or cultural ties to, cultural knowledge of or concerns for, and cultural religious attachment to the proposed project area."

Property owners were invited by mail to those workshops Monday and Tuesday designed for their properties. Property owners connected to the old C. Brewer, former Kaʻū Sugar Co., sewage systems are invited to attend a workshop tonight, Monday, Oct. 8, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Property owners not on the old Brewer system whose property will become accessible to the new system are invited to a workshop tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 9, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The Draft EA is available at Pāhala Library at 96-3150 Pikake St., and Nāʻālehu Library at 95-5669 Mamalahoa Hwy. Both are open weekdays. The Draft EA is also posted on the Department of Health's Office of Environmental Quality Control's website for review by the public at oeqc2.doh.hawaii.gov/The_Environmen tal _Notice/2018-09-23-TEN.pdf.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Republican challenger for Hawaiʻi's
governorship, Andria Tupola.
Photo from Tupola's Twitter

ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION for the General Election ends tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 9. Walk-in voting at PāhalaCommunity Center begins Tuesday, Oct. 23, and runs through Thursday, Nov. 1 – closed weekends. Registered voters can also cast their ballots by mail. See elections.hawaii.gov/voters/early-voting.

The General Election is on Tuesday. Nov. 6. Local polls open in precincts from Volcano through Kaʻū to Miloliʻi from 7 a.m.to 6 p.m. The nearest polling places are: Cooper Center, 19430 Wright Road in Volcano; Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary, 96-3150 Pikake Street; Nāʻālehu Elementary School, 95-5545 Mamalahoa Hwy; Ocean View Community Center, 92-8924 Leilani Circle; and Miloliʻi Halau Pavillion, off Hwy 11 in the Village of Miloliʻi.

Up for decision making in the General Election are candidates for positions from Governor to whether Hawaiʻi should have a new tax to fund education.

In the Governor and Lt. Governor's race, Incumbent Democrat Gov. David Ige, with state Senator Josh Green as his lieutenant, will face Republican candidate Andria Tupola, with Marissa Dipasupil Kerns as her lieutenant. Ige and Tupola will have a debate next Monday, Oct. 15, on KITV. The Non-Partisan governor candidate is Terrence Teruya, with Paul F. Robotti as his lieutenant. The Green Party candidate is Jim Brewer, with Renée Ing as his lieutenant.

Kaʻū's representative in the U.S. Senate, Incumbent Democrat Mazie Hirono, faces Republican Ron Curtis.

Kaʻū's representative in the U.S. House, Incumbent Democrat Tulsi Gabbard, is up against Republican Brian Evans.

Kaʻū's state Senator race, to replace Lt. Gov. candidate John Green, is between Libertarian Michael Last and Democrat Drew Kanuha.

Kaʻū residents can vote for Maui, Oʻahu, and At-Large Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustees: Maui options are Keʻeaumoku Kapu or Carmen Hulu Lindsey. Oʻahu options are Kalei Akaka or Ester Kiaʻaina. At-Large options, for which three persons can be selected, are Lei Ahu Isa, William Aila Jr., Rowena Noelani Akana, Faye Hanohano, Brendon Kaleiʻaina Lee, or John D. Waihee IV.

Incumbent Gov. David Ige.
Photo from Ige's Twitter

The ballot offers voters the chance to weigh in on questions about amendments to the Hawaiʻi County Charter: the first questions asks how the public should be notified of salary increases for elected and appointed officials. The second question asks if the public should be made aware of the fiscal impacts of amendments to the CountyCharter.

Also on the ballot are two questions on measures that require a majority of "yes" votes in order to pass. One asks if a new tax should be passed. The other asks is a Constitutional Convention should be called. See story, on tomorrow's Kaʻū News Briefs, on why your vote counts.

See more at elections.hawaii.gov.

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HIGH SURF ADVISORIES for eastern facing shores are in affect through Wednesday morning at 6 a.m.The waves, expected to range from five to nine feet, are due to an easterly swell generated by Hurricane Sergio. The Category One hurricane was over 1,700 miles from Hilo as of 2 p.m., traveling toward the Baja CaliforniaPeninsula.

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PELE'S ISLAND PLANTS IN OCEAN VIEW will go on the road with Phoenicia and Bob Zeller's hard-to-find orchid varieties, assorted cactus, and succulents - including all sizes of agaves and aloes. For the collector and hobbyist, the Zellers will be in the Plant People Road Show, where Big Island growers will explain what plant varieties thrive best in locations around the island. The show will take place at the Old Kona Airport Pavilion, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10. Talk story with 12 growers from the island's different regions during the sale. Admission is free.

Here are other presenters:

Orchids, like the one above, anthuriums, air plants, bamboo, water lilies,
exotic fruit trees and vines, and cactus and other succulents, will be
for sale, with expert advice on what grows where on this island.
Photo from Plant People Road Show

Chitose and Tsuyoshi Tsumura of C & T Products in Keaʻau, offer many different varieties and colors of anthuriums.

Peter and Kay DeMello of DeMello Air Plants in Kona sell over 50 varieties of air plants.

Jennifer Snyder and Bob Harris of Orchid People in Waimea have created warm-tolerant varieties of Cymbidium orchids that flower mauka to makai. Cymbidiums are prized for their multiple flowers on tall spikes.

Susan Ruskin and Peter Berg of Quindembo Bamboo in Kapaʻau market 25 species of fast-growing, non-invasive, clumping varieties of bamboo. "Create a fast privacy hedge in your choice of standout black, blue, and red varieties," says Peter Berg.

Sean Spellicy and Iris Viacrusis of Royal Palm Enterprises in Kuristown sell water lilies, exotic tropical fruit trees, and vines. They say "fall is the time to plant your orchard."

In its sixth year, the Plant People Road Show offers two sales annually: around Valentine's Day and Halloween. The direct, nursery-customer setting enables growers to meet the public and get feedback while providing expert growing guidance. For info, phone 808-987-3231.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Raku-fired mask by Zeke Israel
Photo from Volcano Village Artists Hui

VOLCANO VILLAGE ARTISTS HUI announced today its annual Art Studio tour, and invites the public to studios and galleries in Volcano, Friday, Nov. 23, through Sunday, Nov. 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Annual Art Studio Tour & Sale can be reached by following the maps available at local businesses and at VolcanoVillageArtistsHui.com.
Volcano Village Artists Hui is comprised of: Lisa Louise Adams, Margaret Barnaby, Pam Barton, Cynee Gillette-Wenner, Mary Goodrich, Emily Herb, Zeke Israel, Dina Kageler, Chiu Leong, Elizabeth Miller, Mike & Misato Mortara, Ira Ono, Debra Serrao, Randy Takaki, and Erik Wold
The artists offer skills in many art media. Their website says, "Reflected in the work are the elements of Hawaiʻi such as lava, birds, animals, tropical plants, and the culture of Hawaiʻi as it blends with each artist's origins. All of 'the Hui' artists have the distinction of having works included in fine art collections and have won major awards in their chosen media. Over the 25 years the Hui has been in existence, each artist's work has evolved with new ideas, materials, and methods." See more at VolcanoVillageArtistsHui.com.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

Sat, Oct 13, 12pm, BIIF Semi-Finals at Kamehameha, Kohala vs. Pāhoa
Sat, Oct 20, 1 pm, BIIF Finals at Pāhala Ball Park - Higher vs. Kaʻū

Girls Volleyball:
Wed, Oct 10, 6pm, @ Parker

Fri, Oct 12, 6pm, host St. Joseph

Mon, Oct 15, BIIF DII Qtr - Higher

Wed, Oct 17, BIIF DII Semi-Finals @ Kona
Thu, Oct 18, BIIF DII Finals @ Kona

Cross Country:
Sat, Oct 13, BYE

Sat, Oct 20, 9am, BIIF @ HPA

Sat, Oct 27, 8:30am, HHSAA

NEW and UPCOMING

PATTI PEASE JOHNSON HOSTS HER PAINT YOUR OWN SILK SCARF WORKSHOP on Saturday, Oct. 27, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus in Volcano Village. Students paint and take home a 8" x 53" silk scarf using three colors of their choice, which will create many more colors once applied.

Students are directed to pick a main color, then choose the other two after learning about color theory. "You'll then be ready to mix your desired colors, achieved by pre-mixing the four process colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black). Students from previous classes have been amazed by what they refer to as 'happy color accidents.'

Learn to paint silk scarves with Patti Pease Johnson
on Oct. 27. Photo from volcanoartcenter.org

"Patti Pease Johnson will tell you, 'It's all about playing with colors,'" states the event description on volcanoartcenter.org.
Cost for the workshop is $45 per Volcano Art Center member, or $50 per non-member, plus a $10 supply fee per person. Beginner and intermediate artists are welcome. Register online at volcanoartcenter.org or call 967-8222.
Johnson's artwork can be found at galleries and shops across the State, and in collections around the world. "Patti has a designer's ability to distill natural subjects into their most essential forms and to rearrange them in her paintings," states the description. She lives in Kea‘au with her family and teaches painting at her home studio.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12
Free Community Dance, Fri., Oct. 12, 7-10pm, Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Minors allowed with supervision only. Alcohol-free event. Variety of music. Coffee, tea, water, and snack provided. Free admission; donations appreciated. 967-7800, thecoopercenter.org

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13
First Annual Super Saturday Five-on-Five Tournament, Sat., Oct. 13, Ka‘ū District Gym. Event hosted by Hokulele Basketball Club – youth from 5 years old to high school, sponsored by families and players. Free admission to watch. For more or to join, text or call President Ravel Kaupu, 319-0687.

Pancake Breakfast & Raffle, Sat., Oct. 13, 8-11am, Ocean View Community Center. To volunteer, call 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Pastel On-Site Landscape Painting Workshop with Patti Pease Johnson, Sat., Oct. 13, 9-12:30pm, Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus, Volcano Village. Held outdoors, weather permitting - otherwise, indoors with reference photo. Students complete one 9"x12" project. $45/VAC member, $50/non-member, plus $10 supply fee. Beginner and intermediate artists welcome. Register online, volcanoartcenter.org, or call 967-8222.

Realms & Divisions of Kahuku, Sat., Oct. 13, 9:30-11:30am, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Moderately difficult, two-mile, guided hike on a new Kahuku Unit trail, Pu‘u Kahuku, explores the traditional Hawaiian classification system. Bring snack. nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

Zentangle: Ghosting Workshop with Lydia Meneses, Sat, Oct. 13, 10-1pm, Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus, Volcano Village. Adds haunting aspects and mystical-whisper feelings to artwork using light touch of mini graphite pencil. All materials supplied or available for borrowing. Open to all levels, no Zentangle or art experience necessary. $30/VAC member, $35/non-member, plus $10 supply fee. Bring light refreshment to share. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

Oktoberfest, Sat., Oct. 13, 3-6pm, Cooper Center, Volcano Village. German foods: bratwurst, sauerkraut, German potato salad, stew, spätzle, schnitzel; local beer, wine, cider for the keiki; and games and prizes. Entertainment provided. Volunteers welcome. Sponsored by Cooper Center Council. thecoopercenter.org, 967-7800

Palm Trail, Sat., Oct. 14, 9:30-12:30pm, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Moderately difficult 2.6-mile loop traverses scenic pastures along an ancient cinder cone, with some of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15
Discovery Harbour Neighborhood Watch Meeting, Mon., Oct. 15, 5-6:30pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. 929-9576, discoveryharbour.net

Tūtū and Me also offers home visits to aid caregivers with parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate, listening ear. Visits last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, total of 12 visits. Snacks are provided.
To enroll in either free program, fill out enrollment forms found at pidf.org/programs/tutu_and_me/enrollment_forms, or call Linda Bong at 929-8571, or Betty Clark at 464-9634 or eclark@pidfountation.org.

Open Enrollment for Harmony Educational Services lasts through Oct. 15. Partnered with four local public charter schools, the program offers benefits of homeschooling with resources available to public schools. Interested families can contact Ranya Williams, rwilliams@harmonyed.com or 430-9798. harmonyed.com/hawaii

Volunteers Needed by St. Jude's Episcopal Church for community outreach, especially soup cooks and shower organizers, towel laundry, alter guild, and for the computer lab. Volunteers do not have to be members of the church. "Volunteering for St. Jude's Saturday Shower and Soup ministry is an opportunity to serve God in a powerful way," states St. Jude's. Contact Dave Breskin, 319-8333.

CU Hawaiʻi Federal Credit Union's Nāʻālehu Branch is taking applications for a Member Service Representative.
The job description reads: Serve as a liaison between the member and the Credit Union. Provide a variety of financial services to members including savings, share drafts, and loan transactions, as well as sales of merchandise items: money orders, traveler's checks, postage stamps, etc., in accordance with Credit Union procedures and policies. CU Hawaiʻi offers medical, drug, dental, vision and retirement benefits.
Mail, hand-deliver, or fax application to: CU Hawaii Federal Credit Union, Attn: Human Resources, 476 Hinano Street, Hilo, HI 96720, Fax (808) 935-7793. Applications can be downloaded online at cuhawaii.com/about-cu/career-opportunities.html

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Sea Mountain Golf Course, the southernmost golf course in the U.S., may be closed permanently.

See story below. Photo by Julia Neal

SEA MOUNTAIN GOLF COURSE remains closed, and there is no indication that

America

's Southernmost Golf Course is planning to reopen.

Image from bigislandguide.com

A sign in the window at the course check-in, posted back in mid-April, reads "Sea Mountain Golf Course will be closed through April 2018 due to unplayable conditions on the course and machine downs." The sign was amended at some point, with a hand-written "Indefinitely!!"

Robert Iwamoto and partners, which owns the transportation company Roberts Hawaiʻi, owns the public course; the undeveloped commercial, resort; residential properties at Punaluʻu; and the boat ramp near the more than 70 privately held condominiums near the famed Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach.
Sea Mountain Golf Course, designed by Jack Synder, was constructed by the old sugar plantation company, C. Brewer, and opened in 1971. It has a slope rating of 129 and course rating of 7.1-USGA. The course has 18 holes and a driving range.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

HOOKING UP TO THE NEW COUNTY SEWAGE SYSTEM will be free to Pāhala residents whose homes are located on the old sugar plantation sewer lines in the town, residents and homeowners who attended the county meeting learned last night .
The county also reported that cameras will be used by the county to inspect the lateral pipes from homes to the street that were installed in recent years to accommodate the new system. Wherever repairs, adjustments, or new pipes would be needed, there would be no cost to the residents, engineers explained. The cost of installing any new pumps from the six homes that would need them to reach the new sewer line will also be assumed by the county. County representatives said they would strive to engineer the system to prevent as few households as possible from having to pump the effluent to the street pipes.
County representatives also stressed that the county could be liable to pay more than $32,000 a day in fines if it doesn't close down the gang cesspools in Pāhala that are serving the old plantation homes.
When asked whether there would be odor with the plan, to make the land half the size than previously planned for a treatment facility, lagoon and wetland areas for absorbing the effluent, engineer Michelle Sorensen said there would be no odor after treatment. The lagoons and wetlands with trees and native plants would absorb the treated effluent, with no odors from sewage, she said.

Conserving the gateway to Pāhala village by preserving the Norfolk Pines along Maile Streetwas confirmed by the county.

The proposed Pāhala wastewater treatment system. Photo by Julia Neal

A meeting was held tonight beginning at 6 p.m. at the Kaʻū Gym activity room to explain the hook up for those whose homes are not on the old plantation system, but are located on the same streets as the future sewer lines. See coverage of the meeting in Wednesday's Ka`u News Briefs.

Another public meeting and open house will be held tomorrow, Wednesday: 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. for the open house, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for the formal meeting. This meeting will be open to the public, and will cover both the Draft Environmental Assessment for the planned site, and the impact of the planned project on Native Hawaiian cultural and religious practices.
The Draft Environmental Assessment of the proposed project area is available at oeqc2.doh.hawaii.gov/The_Environmental_Notice/2018-09-23-TEN.pdf, and public opinion is open through Oct. 23. It is also available at Pāhala Library at 96-3150 Pikake St., and Nāʻālehu Library at 95-5669 Mamalahoa Hwy. Both are open weekdays.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Most of the lava flow in dark black, produced by the April 1868 Mauna Loa eruption, can be seen in this aerial photo
on the west (left) side of the prominent fault scarp, known as the Kahuku pali. Today, windmills are located along
the pali. Kalae (South Point) is not visible. It is to the right of this photo.
Aerial photo by U.S. Geological Survey, 1954

THE RECORD SETTING 1868 EARTHQUAKE was the hot topic at a recent Coffee Talk by Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists at the Kahuku Unit Of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

Fredrick Schwartz Lyman, a Kaʻū
rancher prior to the 1868 earthquakes,
tsunami, and eruption. Janet Babb read
his writings at the recent Coffee Talk
at Kahuku. Photo from Mission
Houses Museum Archives

Jim Kauahikaua, a research geophysicist, and geologist Janet Babb, held the audience spellbound as they showed slides and shared modern scientific findings from the largest recorded earthquake in the history of Hawaiʻi island.
Known as the Great Kaʻū Earthquake, with an estimated magnitude of 7.9 magnitude on the Richter scale, it struck near Pāhala on April 2, and caused 72 deaths. It also precipitated an eruption five days later.
"You are sitting on the flow now," Kauahikaua told the audience, adding, "the lava reached the ocean in a matter of hours. After four or five days, it stopped.
"The earthquake was very powerful. You must remember that a magnitude eight earthquake is 33 times stronger than a magnitude seven," added Kauahikaua.
He explained that the Kaʻū earthquake and eruption were part of a larger volcanic event that unfolded over 16 days. On March 27, an eruption quietly began in Mokuʻaweoweo, the caldera at the summit of Mauna Loa. Seismic activity increased through the day, and by the afternoon of March 28, a magnitude-7.0 earthquake occurred in Kaʻū, which caused extensive damage from violent shaking. This quake destroyed four or five stone churches and destroyed Captain Brown's stone house, which is thought to be located near mile marker 71 on Highway 11.
During the following four days, nearly continuous ground shaking was reported in Kaʻū and South Kona. Earthquakes continued at rates of 50 to 300 per day, including a magnitude-6.0 each day, leading up to April 2, when the great Kaʻū earthquake occurred at 4 p.m.

A bronze plaque at mile marker 71 on Hwy 11 marks the loss of
Captain Brown's house. It was destroyed by the March 28, 1868,
earthquake. The ruin was covered in lava on April 7.
Photo by Annie Bosted

Babb read a number of accounts from diaries that were written at the time. Perhaps the best description of the earthquakes and the eruption were written by Frederick Lyman who had a ranch in Kaʻū. He wrote:

"It was impossible to stand, we had to sit on the ground, bracing with hands and feet to keep from rolling over. In the midst of it we saw burst out... what we supposed to be an immense river of molten lava (which afterwards proved to be red earth), which rushed down its headlong course and across the plain below... swallowing up everything in its way, trees, houses, cattle, horses, goats and men. ...After the hard shaking had ceased, all along the sea-shore the sea was boiling and foaming furiously, all red, for about an eighth of a mile from the shore, and the shore was covered by the sea."
The mudslide of red cinder described by Lyman was located in Wood Valley, north of Pāhala. It is now thought to have covered three miles in three minutes, burying a Hawaiian village and killing 31 people.

The striped pattern on this map of Hawaiʻi Island indicates areas of Mauna Loa and Kīlauea that moved during the Great Kaʻū Earthquake in 1968, according to scientists. Red lines depict rift zones on Mauna loa (left) and Kilauea (right). The approximate epicenter of the quake is shown as a yellow dot. Black arrows show direction of the slip.
Graphics modified from Max Wyss, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 1988

Kauahikaua explained that modern studies show that a very large part of the Island of Hawaiʻi moved during the 1868 event. "It shifted about 25 feet, or eight meters," he said. (see map of island, above)
The destruction from the earthquake and subsequent tsunami on April 2 was nearly total. Stone buildings and stone walls were destroyed - some as far away as Hilo. The partially destroyed church on Kamaoa Road is the only damage from 1868 that can still be seen.
The tsunami, consisting of at least eight waves over several hours, was estimated to be more than 20 feet high in Kaʻū. The waves caused damage from South Point (Kalae) to Cape Kumukahi (Kapoho), destroying more than 100 structures, and taking 47 lives. The coastline was completely changed, according to eye witness accounts. Parts of the coast broke off, leaving cliffs; other parts were inundated with land slides, or subsided. Many of the coastal villages were wiped out and were never resettled.

Jim Kauahikaua, research Geophysicist and geologist Janet Babb, both
both scientist at Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, talked story about the 1868
earthquake at a recent Kahuku talk story. Photo by Annie Bosted

The great Kaʻū earthquake unlocked Mauna Loa's Southwest Rift Zone, and on April 7, 1868, an eruptive fissure opened low on the mountain, just above today's Highway 11 and east of Hawaiian Ocean View Estates. According to accounts, the land was covered about five to fifteen feet deep in lava. Those still living in its path "ran for their lives," some escaping the fiery flow by as little as ten minutes.

Eyewitness accounts from a passenger on a steamer ship describe fountaining about 500 to 1,000 feet high. One described the start of the eruption:
"At six p.m. … a volume of flame shot up from the mountain Loa… It reached the sea… at nine and a half p.m., when an immense body of steam at once arose, through which flashes resembling lightning were constantly darting as long as we were in sight."
The eruption started 10 miles from the coast, with flows advancing at the rate of about 2.7 miles per hour - almost brisk walking speed.
Kauahikaua explained that after the eruption, King Kamehameha V and an entourage of ministers lead a relief effort from April 15 to 23. They landed by boat in Hilo and made stops in Puna and Kaʻū, where they gave food and clothing to about 800 destitute people.
"It must have been cheering and gratifying to those who had endured the great Kaʻū earthquake to get comfort directly from their king," added Kauahikaua.

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EVERY VOTE COUNTS has never been more true than during the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 6. On the ballot are two questions: "Shall there be a convention to propose a revision of or amendments to the Constitution?" and "Shall the legislature be authorized to establish, as provided by law, a surcharge on investment real property to be used to support public education?"

The caveat in this question is that, if the voter leaves the questions blank – or marks both "yes" and "no" on their ballot – their vote is counted as a "no." Only a definitive "yes" vote counts toward a convention or toward the tax for education becoming a law.

A 1997 Hawaiʻi Supreme Court decision is what requires definitive approval from voters for constitutional ballot questions. The reasoning is that ballot questions should only pass if the majority of voters are actively for the measures in question.

The last time a ballot question asked for a Constitutional Convention, in 2008, ballots only presented a 35 percent affirmative vote.

See more at elections.hawaii.gov.

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Maria Aurelio wears a lei as she becomes an LPN
and seeks higher education to become an RN.
Photo from Kaʻū Hospital Foundation

MARIA AURELIO, LPN, of Pāhala has successfully become a Licensed Practical Nurse and said she will seek to become a Registered Nurse. This summer she was also recognized during the graduation ceremony as the most outstanding LPN student. During her training, she assisted the medical staff at Kaʻū Hospital.
The Kaʻū Hospital Foundation issued a statement: "We are so fortunate to have Maria and wish her well in pursuing her next level of training as a Registered Nurse. Congratulations!!"

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

Sat, Oct 13, 12pm, BIIF Semi-Finals at Kamehameha, Kohala vs. Pāhoa

Sat, Oct 20, 1 pm, BIIF Finals at Pāhala Ball Park - Higher vs. Kaʻū

Girls Volleyball:
Wed, Oct 10, 6pm, @ Parker

Fri, Oct 12, 6pm, host St. Joseph

Mon, Oct 15, BIIF DII Qtr - Higher

Wed, Oct 17, BIIF DII Semi-Finals @ Kona
Thu, Oct 18, BIIF DII Finals @ Kona

Cross Country:
Sat, Oct 13, BYE

Sat, Oct 20, 9am, BIIF @ HPA

Sat, Oct 27, 8:30am, HHSAA

NEW and UPCOMING

DISCOVERY HARBOUR COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION HOSTS AN ARTS AND CRAFT BAZAAR on Saturday, Oct. 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Discovery Harbour Community Center. The event features homemade and handmade wares. There are limited tables available inside the community center, with options for outdoor sites, weather permitting. For more info or to reserve a space, call 929-9576.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15
Discovery Harbour Neighborhood Watch Meeting, Mon., Oct. 15, 5-6:30pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. 929-9576, discoveryharbour.net

ONGOING
Tūtū and Me tuition-free traveling preschool, for keiki birth to five years old and their caregivers, is temporarily moving their Pāhala site program for Oct. 23, 25, and 30, and Nov. 1, to the River of Life Assembly of God church. The group still meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. They will be back at Pāhala Community Center on Nov. 6. The Nāʻālehu location remains at Kauahaʻao Church in Waiʻōhinu, Mondays and Wednesdays, from 8:45 to 10:45 a.m.
Tūtū and Me also offers home visits to aid caregivers with parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate, listening ear. Visits last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, total of 12 visits. Snacks are provided.
To enroll in either free program, fill out enrollment forms found at pidf.org/programs/tutu_and_me/enrollment_forms, or call Linda Bong at 929-8571, or Betty Clark at 464-9634 or eclark@pidfountation.org.

Open Enrollment for Harmony Educational Services lasts through Oct. 15. Partnered with four local public charter schools, the program offers benefits of homeschooling with resources available to public schools. Interested families can contact Ranya Williams, rwilliams@harmonyed.com or 430-9798. harmonyed.com/hawaii

Volunteers Needed by St. Jude's Episcopal Church for community outreach, especially soup cooks and shower organizers, towel laundry, alter guild, and for the computer lab. Volunteers do not have to be members of the church. "Volunteering for St. Jude's Saturday Shower and Soup ministry is an opportunity to serve God in a powerful way," states St. Jude's. Contact Dave Breskin, 319-8333.

CU Hawaiʻi Federal Credit Union's Nāʻālehu Branch is taking applications for a Member Service Representative.

The job description reads: Serve as a liaison between the member and the Credit Union. Provide a variety of financial services to members including savings, share drafts, and loan transactions, as well as sales of merchandise items: money orders, traveler's checks, postage stamps, etc., in accordance with Credit Union procedures and policies. CU Hawaiʻi offers medical, drug, dental, vision and retirement benefits.
Mail, hand-deliver, or fax application to: CU Hawaii Federal Credit Union, Attn: Human Resources, 476 Hinano Street, Hilo, HI 96720, Fax (808) 935-7793. Applications can be downloaded online at cuhawaii.com/about-cu/career-opportunities.html

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

The 2018 Hawaiʻi Woodshow featured artists from Hawaiʻi and around the world, showcasing the art of woodworking and the positive role of forests in Hawaiian culture, economy, and ecology. This piece, Crown Flower by Scotts Hare, won the Masters Award of Distinction. See story, below. Photo by Brad Goda

COUNTY LAW REQUIRES HOMES THAT WILL BE NEWLY ACCESSIBLE TO SEWER LINES be hooked up. Last night, representatives of the countyOffice of Environmental Management explained the unusual situation in Pāhala. C. Brewer, the defunct sugar plantation owner, paid the county some funding toward building a new wastewater system in order to close now-illegal gang cesspools. While the county agreement with Brewer alleviates homeowners on the old plantation sewer system from having to pay to hook up to the new one, those with homes along the new sewer line route that are not hooked up to the old sugar plantation sewer lines will have to pay.

Several members of the public objected, saying that old folks and those putting family members through college won't be able to afford it. Jadelyn Kaapana-Moses said it is overwhelming to think that she could have an expense added to her household that would cost $8,000, $10,000, or perhaps much more. Alfred Ibarra said he already put in a septic system and should not have to abandon it and pay for a sewer hookup. Gary Tomondong, whose hookup costs will be covered by the county, said he felt for the others who would have to pay.

Sophia Hanoa said she hopes the county can help find the money to pay for it and pointed to elder people on fixed incomes, saying that many would find it hard to afford the hookup.

William Kucharski and Berna Cabacungan lead a meeting on the proposed sewage treatment plan for Pāhala.

Photo by Julia Neal

CountyDirector of Environmental Management William Kucharski said he is working with the mayor, congressional representatives, and others, to secure a loan or funding program to help out. Dora Beck, countyWastewaterDivision chief, said that people in Honokaʻa formed a hui and entertained bids from contractors to come into the town and hook up numerous locations in order to discount the cost.

Also mentioned was the proposed location of the sewage treatment facility along the pine tree lane coming in to Pāhala. Eddie Andrade and Sophia Hanoa suggested putting it below Hwy 11. While engineer Michelle Sorensen said the facility is designed to withstand hurricanes and other causes of flooding, Andrade, who previously maintained the old Brewer system, said after the meeting that he thought the location could flood during a catastrophe, sending overflow onto Hwy 11, which could block traffic.

The proposed location and its draft Environmental Assessment, which is open for comment through Oct. 23, oeqc2.doh.hawaii.gov/The_Environmental_Notice/2018-09-23-TEN.pdf, will be discussed at a public open house tonight beginning at 5:30 p.m., with a presentation on the EA from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Kaʻū Gyms's Multi-purpose conference room next to Pāhala High and Elementary School. Meetings are led by facilitator Berna Cabacungan.

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HAWAIʻI ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANY will formally include community outreach as part of plans to open seven new major solar-plus-storage projects – two on Hawaiʻi Island. While developers include outreach as part of their plans and engage with the community, Hawaiian Electric Companies "have now specifically made community outreach a formal part of the procurement process and require all of those who seek to build a project to engage early on with residents in the communities where their projects will be sited," says a release from the utilities.

Developers collaborating with the utilities will begin community outreach activities in coming weeks. Community members will have the opportunity to comment on the proposed projects and Hawaiian Electric will file the comments with the Public Utilities Commission as part of the regulatory approval process.

The planned projects aim to make a "record increase" in renewable energy in the state, "representing the largest infusion of renewable energy in state history." The projects are in contract negotiations between developers and the Hawaiian Electric Companies and, according to the utility, are expected to produce long-term contracts for approximately 260 megawatts of solar energy on Oʻahu, Maui, and Hawaiʻi islands. "Each solar project will be connected to a storage system that will capture up to four hours of electricity that can further reduce fossil fuel use in the evening or other times when the sun isn't shining."

Shelee Kimura, Hawaiian Electric senior vice president of business development and strategic planning, said, "These large-scale solar and battery projects will accelerate our renewable energy drive at some of the lowest prices we've seen to date. With support from our communities, these projects will reduce our reliance on fossil fuel and cut greenhouse gas emissions while benefiting all with low-cost renewable energy."

Solar panels on homes augment Hawaiʻi's renewable energy
sources. Image from HELCo

Hawaiʻi Electric Light, Hawaiian Electric, and Maui Electric already have more than 500 MW combined of renewable energy under contract, in addition to nearly 80,000 private rooftop systems in operation. "The cost of renewable energy continues to drop, aided by tax credits available to developers," the press release stated.

"These projects, if approved by the PUC, will help displace another 1.2 million barrels of fossil fuel per year."

The seven projects "result from an ambitious, expedited procurement effort, that began in February, "to expand their renewable energy portfolios." Working with the PUC, the companies increased their original procurement scope for Hawaiʻi Island "from the equivalent 20 MW to 60 MW, expedited project selection, and increased the total number of projects anticipated in this phase of the procurement across all three islands."

The seven projects include two projects on Hawaiʻi Island, totaling approximately 60 megawatts and 240 megawatt-hours of storage. On Oʻahu, there are three projects planned, totaling approximately 120 megawatts and 515 megawatt-hours of storage. On Maui, two projects are planned, totaling approximately 75 megawatts and 300 megawatt-hours of storage.

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Mats Fogelvik's piece, Vortex Series #2, winner

of the Marian Yasuda Award for First Place

Furniture, sold for $4,900. Photo by Brad Goda

PROFESSIONAL WOODWORKER MATS FOGELVIK, of Ocean View, won the Marian Yasuda Award for First Place Furniture in the furniture category at the 2018 Hawaiʻi’s Woodshow, held at Honolulu Museum of Art School. Fogelvik's won for his piece entitled Vortex Series #2, a 32-inch round table made from curly Koa and Holly. The piece retailed at $4,900, and has already sold. Other pieces from the show are available for purchase online at shop.hawaiiforest.org.

The annual show is sponsored by the Hawaiʻi Forest Industry Association "to celebrate the art of woodworking and the positive role of forests in Hawaiian culture, economy, and ecology," says the release announcing the winners. Jurors Sean Browne, Irving Jenkins, and Alan Wilkinson determined the awards based on "Inspiration of Design" and "Excellence of Implementation."

Best of Show was awarded to Paul Schürch, of Santa Barbara, for his Koa Cocktail Dress, a contemporary use of koa veneer he has been creating for over six years. The dress has veneer laminated onto cloth, creating a wood surface that is supple and soft to the touch, yet strong enough not to crack or buckle with body movement. The dress stretches with a wooden hinging system and is comfortable to wear or sit down in and can be easily cleaned with a removable slip.

Scotts Hare's piece Yang, retailing for $1,200,

won an Honorable Mention. Photo by Brad Goda

Woodshow winners this year also include three other Hawaiʻi Island residents:

Scotts Hare, of Kurtistown, won the Masters Award of Distinction for his piece Crown Flower.

Robert Woodward, of Kailua-Kona, won an Honorable Mention for his piece Yang.

Cliff Johns, of Kailua-Kona, won the Masters Award of Merit with his artist's collection. Johns is a co-founder of Hawaiʻi Artist Collaboration!, a non profit "dedicated to the power of cooperation and collaboration amongst artists, arts organizations, and educators with the goal of creatively facing the challenges of the future," says the website. Their Annual COLLAB! Gathering, "a gathering place where kupuna and master artists can recharge and reinvigorate their work through a sharing of knowledge and skills," happens at Holualoa Inn, 76-5932 Mamalahoa Highway, over four days, from Oct. 29 through Nov. 1. An auction on Saturday, Nov. 3, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.,immediately follows the event. Early Bird auction tickets, $35, will be available until midnight HST on Friday, Nov. 2nd. Tickets will be available at the door for $45.

Cliff Johns won the Masters Award of Merit for his

collection of pieces. King's Feast retails

for $7,600. Photo from cliffjohns.com

Hawaiʻi's Woodshow was created to promote an appreciation for the remarkable variety of Hawai‘i-grown woods and attracts talented woodworkers throughout the state and abroad who submit entries showcasing the versatility and beauty of Hawai‘i woods across design mediums including furniture, woodturning, sculpture, and musical instruments. This year's exhibition includes 72 pieces of art submitted by 39 of Hawaiʻi's best artists.

Other sponsors of the show include: C. Barton Potter, Co., J.P. Damon, Department of Land and Natural Resources - Division of Forestry & Wildlife, Ferraro Choi and Associates, Ltd., Forest Solutions, Inc., Shaun Fleming-Wooden Touches LLC, Hawai‘i Forest Institute, Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, Hawai‘i Wood Utilization Team, Steven Hill, Honua Ola Bioenergy, Kamehameha Schools, Ron & Myra Kent, Paniolo Tonewoods, Peter Simmons-In the Woods, Scheurenbrand Guitars, Craig Swedberg of Craig's Creative Style Tantalus Studio, Thomas Loudat, Tusher Architectural Group, Kawena Wise, WhiteSpace Architects, Inc., Jorma Winkler of Winkler Woods, Woodcraft Supply, LLC, and Hawaiʻi Yasuda Designs.

Established in 1989, the Hawai‘i Forest Industry Association is a nonprofit corporation founded by and for people committed to managing healthy and productive forests. As Hawaiʻi's recognized forest industry trade association, HFIA – through education, planning, information exchange and advocacy – encourages the responsible growth of Hawaiʻi's forest industry. HFIA programs promote healthier forests, increased business and more jobs within the forestry sector.

HFIA has a diverse membership of over 250 individuals, and public and private corporations including woodworkers, landowners, sawyers, foresters, growers, environmentalists, government officials, and others interested in the organization's goals and mission. HFIA promotes a balance of forest land uses ranging from protecting and restoring native forests to managing commercial use tree farms.

HFIA formed the Hawai‘i Forest Institute, a 501 (C) 3 nonprofit organization, in 2003. With their roots firmly planted in promoting healthy and productive forests in Hawai‘i, other HFIA and HFI projects include the Honolulu Zoo Children's Discovery Forest; Pana‘ewa Zoo Discovery Forest; Keauhou Bird Conservation Center Discovery Forest; the ‘Āina Mauna Christmas Tree Demonstration Project; and native forest restoration at three dryland forest sites in North Kona.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

Sat, Oct 13, 12pm, BIIF Semi-Finals at Kamehameha, Kohala vs. Pāhoa
Sat, Oct 20, 1 pm, BIIF Finals at Pāhala Ball Park - Higher vs. Kaʻū

Girls Volleyball:
Fri, Oct 12, 6pm, host St. Joseph

Mon, Oct 15, BIIF DII Qtr - Higher

Wed, Oct 17, BIIF DII Semi-Finals @ Kona
Thu, Oct 18, BIIF DII Finals @ Kona

Cross Country:
Sat, Oct 13, BYE

Sat, Oct 20, 9am, BIIF @ HPA

Sat, Oct 27, 8:30am, HHSAA

NEW and UPCOMING

BEE BOYS HONEY SHOP HOSTS A MONTHLY NĀ‘ĀLEHU POETRY NIGHT, using Halloween as an inspiration for their Haunted theme this month, featuring spooky stories. The event takes place on Wednesday, Oct. 31, in the breezeway in front of their shop located at 95-5627 Mamalahoa Hwy, Nā‘ālehu; doors open at 6 p.m. Nā‘ālehu Poetry Night offers an open mic and plant-based potluck. For more, call 333-6895, email info@beeboys.org, or visit @beeboys on Facebook or @bee.boys on Instagram. See beeboys.org.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11

Story Time with Auntie Linda from Tūtū & Me, Thu., Oct. 11, 10:30-noon, Nā‘ālehu Public Library. 929-8571

Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka‘ū, Thu., Oct. 11, 6:30pm, United Methodist Church, Nā‘ālehu. Pres. Berkley Yoshida, 747-0197

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12
Free Community Dance, Fri., Oct. 12, 7-10pm, Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Minors allowed with supervision only. Alcohol-free event. Variety of music. Coffee, tea, water, and snack provided. Free admission; donations appreciated. 967-7800, thecoopercenter.org

Hula Kahiko - Liana Aveiro with Hālau Malanai, Sat., Oct. 13, 10:30-11:30am, hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Hula performance. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org

Nā Mea Hula w/Kumu Kaho‘okele Crabbe, Halauolaokalani, Sat., Oct. 13, 11-1pm, Volcano Art Center Gallery porch. Hands-on cultural demonstration. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org

Oktoberfest, Sat., Oct. 13, 3-6pm, Cooper Center, Volcano Village. German foods: bratwurst, sauerkraut, German potato salad, stew, spätzle, schnitzel; local beer, wine, cider for the keiki; and games and prizes. Entertainment provided. Volunteers welcome. Sponsored by Cooper Center Council. thecoopercenter.org, 967-7800

Palm Trail, Sat., Oct. 14, 9:30-12:30pm, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Moderately difficult 2.6-mile loop traverses scenic pastures along an ancient cinder cone, with some of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15
Discovery Harbour Neighborhood Watch Meeting, Mon., Oct. 15, 5-6:30pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. 929-9576, discoveryharbour.net

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17
‘Ai Pono with Aunty Edna Baldado - ‘Ike Hana No‘eau (Experience the Skillful Work), Wed., Oct. 17, 10-2pm, Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Discuss eating and living healthier with native Hawaiian foods like kalo (taro), ‘uala (sweet potato), and ulu (breadfruit). Free; park entrance fees apply. Co-sponsored by Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association. 985-6011, nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

Ocean View Community Association Board Meeting, Wed., Oct. 17, 12:30pm, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

ONGOING

CU Hawaiʻi Federal Credit Union's Nāʻālehu Branch is taking applications for a Member Service Representative.
The job description reads: Serve as a liaison between the member and the Credit Union. Provide a variety of financial services to members including savings, share drafts, and loan transactions, as well as sales of merchandise items: money orders, traveler's checks, postage stamps, etc., in accordance with Credit Union procedures and policies. CU Hawaiʻi offers medical, drug, dental, vision and retirement benefits.
Mail, hand-deliver, or fax application to: CU Hawaiʻi Federal Credit Union, Attn: Human Resources, 476 Hinano Street, Hilo, HI 96720, Fax (808) 935-7793. Applications can be downloaded online at cuhawaii.com/about-cu/career-opportunities.html

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Eddie Andrade, left, points to a possible burial site near or on the land chosen for wastewater treatment. Hawaiʻi County Environmental Management Director Bill Kucharski, right, looks on. Photo by Julia Neal

CLOSING DOWN GANG CESSPOOLS IN PĀHALA IN TIME TO AVOID HUGE EPA FINES, and finalizing the site for the new Pāhala wastewater treatment system drew many points of view during a public meeting last night. The discussion on the Environmental Assessment for the planned location next to the Norfolk tree lane, along Maile Street coming into Pāhala town, elicited comments from people who said they want sewage treated below Hwy 11.

Eddie Andrade, who took care of the sewage treatment system when it was owned by C. Brewer, said he worried about the site above the highway being subject to flooding and possibly spilling onto Hwy 11, the main road around the island. Putting it below the highway would prevent Hwy 11 from being blocked or flooded, should there be an event that would lead to the treatment facility lagoons breaking their banks, he said. His view was mirrored by Sophia Hanoa, who also contended that construction costs would be the same below the highway.

Earl Matsukawa, right, answers questions about writing the

Environmental Assessment. Photo by Julia Neal

Engineers for the project said the facility would be designed with berms high enough and strong enough to deal with any possible flooding and that the history of where and how much flooding has taken place at the site is being studied to determine the engineering of the facility.

Representatives of the county presented an audiovisual description of the EA and the preliminary site plan. They said that sitting below the highway would cost more, mentioning the requirement to pipe the sewage under the highway, to build an access road and utility lines from Hwy 11 to the treatment site, and the uncertainty of whether the land would be suitable if it were an old dumping ground for the old sugar plantation. Another EA would be required. They said they plan to build the treatment facility, hook up the old sewer line to it and shut down the old large capacity gang cesspools in 2021 to avoid Environmental Protection Agency fines of more than $32,000 a day. After the large cesspools are closed, the new sewer lines would be installed in the streets and those on the old sewer lines and those newly accessible would hook up in 2022, they said.

The final treatment center site, whether above or below Hwy 11, would require containment of all liquids from the treatment system to prevent any leakage of sewage into the environment, they said.

Andrade pointed to a tunnel under Hwy 11 that was built for the purpose of sending mill waste away from the town, makai of Hwy 11. He also cautioned that there could be a burial cave on or near the proposed site. Writers of the EA said they want to learn more and called for any information on historical, cultural and spiritual value of the proposed site to the community.

Engineers said they'd planned the site to shield the lagoons from public view by planting native trees and other plants to absorb water. They said the site could attract wildlife. Photo by Julia Neal

Terri Napeahi, a member of the State of Hawaiʻi Burial Council and Vice President of Pele Defense Fund, came to the meeting from Hilo. She and Hanoa, along with Sandra Demoruelle, of Nāʻālehu, talked about the process and public involvement in choosing the place for sewage treatment. They asked whether there should be an Environmental Impact Statement rather than the EA to evaluate the site. Demoruelle said there should have been a hard copy of the EA at the meeting and Hanoa said there should have been more copies of the EA available in the town to the public. She also said the comment time is short and asked if it could be extended. Representatives from the county said they could ask for it.

Hanoa called the entrance to Pāhala town "historic" and said no one wants the sewer system to welcome people to Pāhala. Engineers showed their plan to leave the Norfolk Pines in place and to plant other native trees and plants to treat and absorb the treated effluent and to screen the lagoons and other areas of the treatment facility from the public. The area will also be fenced and locked, they said.

Kupuna Jessie Ke, who led the pule to open the meeting, suggested a gathering of kupuna to talk about the history of the site and also to discuss the impact of the site on people in the town. Earl Matsuaki, of Wilson Okamoto Corp., who worked on the EA, said letters went out to numerous community groups and agencies asking for any knowledge of possible impacts on wildlife, and knowledge of any archaeological and historic sites. He and other county consultants said they received no comments of concern and pointed out that the site is currently planted in macadamia trees.

Berna Cabacungan of Earthplan facilitated all three public

meetings in Pāhala this week. Photo by Julia Neal

Jessie Marques, of Kaʻū Rural Health Community Association, asked about funding and the cost of waiting any longer to build the treatment system. Who would pay for the cost of the extended time, given the EPA threats of fines?

Several engineers working on the project explained that sewage in the old plantation system is untreated and currently puts groundwater and the ocean at risk for contamination.

William Kucharski, Director of the county Environmental Management Agency, said that new wastewater facilities are paid for countywide, with state, federal and county funding. Sewer fees for Pāhala would not go up with higher costs. Everyone hooked up to a sewer pays the same rate per month throughout the county.

Some people talked about the impact on the pocketbooks of those people unserved by the old sewer lines who would have to pay to hook up to the new ones. Jadelynn Kaʻapana-Moses mentioned the strain of putting children and grandchildren through college and said she didn't have another $20,000 or more to hook up to the sewer system. Hooking up is a requirement wherever a sewer line goes by a house on Hawaiʻi Island. Those currently on the old sewer system will be funded by the county under an agreement with the defunct C. Brewer sugar company. Those with cesspools or septic tanks will have to pay to hook up. Representatives of the county said they would look into loan and funding programs to help out. The noted state law that requires all cesspools, including those for individual houses, be closed by the year 2050.

Meeting facilitator Berna Cabacungan encouraged speakers to provide their questions and their comments on the EA for the proposed site. Comments are due by Oct. 23. The draft Environmental Assessment is available at Pāhala and Nāʻālehu Libraries and at oeqc2.doh.hawaii.gov/The_Environmental_Notice/2018-09-23-TEN.pdf.

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HAWAIʻI HAS MORE RESIDENTS WITH HEALTH INSURANCE than any other state, with the exception of Massachusetts, reports WalletHub today. WalletHub says the national uninsured rate is back on the rise, growing 4.6 percent since December 2016.

Hawaiʻi's overall uninsured ranking is second lowest in the country, at 3.85 percent. Honoluluhas the lowest uninsured rate in the U.S., for cities of 300,000 or more residents; this includes residents of the city proper, only, not surrounding areas.

The state uninsured rate went down by 4.04 percent between 2010 – before ACA was in place – and last year. As of 2017, Hawaiʻi is has the lowest uninsured rate in the union for low income households at 4.05 percent and the second lowest insured rate for high-income households at 1.6 percent.

Blacks and Hispanics in Hawaiʻi have the lowest uninsured rates in the U.S., at 4.5 percent for Hispanics – 17.8 percent is the national average – and 1.4 percent for Blacks – 10 percent is the national average. Whites rank 11th, at 4.1 percent, with 5.9 percent the national average.

Uninsured adults in Hawaiʻi rank second at 4.35 percent – national average, 9.93 percent – and children rank fourth lowest at 2.2 percent – the national average is 5 percent.
For this study, WalletHub measured the post-Obamacare uninsured rates in each of the 50 states. WalletHub also compared the rates for 547 U.S. cities, in addition to a breakdown by age, race/ethnicity, and income level.

WalletHub says, "Having health insurance is vital to the well-being of your family and your wallet. It not only ensures that you have access to the care you need, but it also can significantly reduce your out-of-pocket medical expenses, the leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the U.S.

After the passage of the Affordable Care Act — dubbed 'Obamacare'— the uninsured rate for all adult Americans dipped to a historic low of 10.9% in the last quarter of 2016, according to Gallup. But the uninsured rate is back on the rise and was 12.2% in the fourth quarter of 2017. According to a study by the Commonwealth Fund, it now sits at 15.5%."

See more at wallethub.com/edu/uninsured-rates-by-state/4800and wallethub.com/edu/uninsured-rates-by-city/25030.

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VACANCIES ARE OPEN on various Boards and Commissions for county of Hawaiʻi. Members of most of these Boards and Commissions serve for staggered terms of five years, on a voluntary basis. The following vacancies need to be filled for Kaʻū: Fire Commission, Council District 6, and Ka‘ū Community Development Plan Action Committee, 9 positions.

Other positions available for the entire county include: Board of Appeals, 1 position; Board of Ethics, 1 position; Cultural Resource Commission, 2 positions; Fire Board of Appeals, 5 positions from any Council District; Liquor Adjudication Board, 1 position; and Merit Appeals Board, 2 positions.

For all Boards and Commission, travel expenses to and from meetings are reimbursed.

Applicants must be U.S.citizens, residents of the State of Hawaiʻi, and may not hold any other public office. The Mayor's Office will fill vacancies on Boards and Commissions from a list of applicants. Application forms are available at hawaiicounty.gov/office-of-the-mayor . For further information, contact Rose Bautista, Executive Assistant to the Mayor, at 961-8211 or at rose.bautista@hawaiicounty.gov.

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HAWAIʻI PHOTO SHOOT CONTEST is open to entries through Monday, Oct. 15. This year's contest is the first open to all Hawaiʻi residents. Shown at WailoaCenterJan. 4 through 24, 2019, the show is sponsored by the Hilo Photography Club. The subject matter is open; however, nudity and political themes are not allowed. There are two sections, adults and junior. Those under 18 on Oct. 15 may enter in the junior section.

The entry fee is $10 per entry for adults, $5 per entry for juniors, with no limit on the number of entries per person. Cash awards are given to the best entry in each section. Additional cash awards will be given to the overall best entries in Black & White and Nature Photography. Cash award amounts to be determined based on final number of entries.

Send digital entries in jpeg format not exceeding 2000 pixels on the longer side to vijaykarai1953@gmail.com . Send appropriate amount by check payable to Hilo Photography Club,

PO Box 100, Kurtistown, HI96760-0100

After notification of acceptance of the digital entry on Nov. 15, entrants should send a framed print of the accepted image, ready to hang – no saw tooth hangers – to WailoaCenter,

Piopio St., Hilo, HI96720

. Framed prints will be accepted through Dec. 28. Include return labels and postage. Additional pick up locations will be announced later. Prints can be marked for sale. 20% of the sale price will be deducted by the selling agency. If not for sale, mark NFS. A liability waiver will need to be signed for all prints exhibited. Print size needs to be at least 8x10. Larger prints are preferred. There is no upper limit on size. Print pick up is Jan. 25.

Judging will occur on Jan. 3. The opening reception is Friday, Jan. 4, from 5 to 7 p.m.The exhibit will be judged by Laurent Martres, an award winning author of guide books for photographing the American west. Martres also serves as a juror for several mainland art festivals. His website is martres.com.

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Stewardship volunteers show off their tools they help remove
invasive species in the Park. NPS photo

STEWARDSHIP A THE SUMMIT SEEKS VOLUNTEERS to help restore Hawaiian rainforest at the summit of Kīlauea volcano. October through December, Stewardship at the Summit begins at 9 a.m. and ends at noon. The dates are Saturday, Oct. 20; Friday, Oct. 26; Friday, Nov. 2; Saturday, Nov. 17; Saturday, Nov. 24; Wednesday, Nov. 28; Monday, Dec 7; Tuesday, Dec. 15; and Tuesday, Dec. 22. No advance registration is required. No cost to participate, but park entrance fees apply.

During these events, volunteers help remove invasive, non-native plant species that prevent native plants from growing. Meet project leaders Paul and Jane Field at Kīlauea Visitor Center at 8:45 a.m. on any of the above dates. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and long pants. Bring a hat, raingear, day pack, snacks, and water. Gloves and tools are provided. Visit the park website for additional planning details: nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/summit_stewardship.htm.

Removing invasive species gives endemic
plants a chance to thrive. NPS photo

Countless Himalayan ginger, faya, Australian tree fern, strawberry guava, and other invasive, non-native plants that threaten the native understory near the summit of Kīlauea volcano have been removed. In their place, once-shaded ‘ōhi‘a trees, ‘ama‘u and hāpu‘u tree ferns have re-emerged, and pa‘iniu, kāwa‘u, and other important native plants are returning to the stewardship plots.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park provides numerous ways for visitors to connect with and appreciate Hawaiian culture, active volcanoes, and native plants and animals. The park provides refuge for more than 50 threatened and endangered species which include honu‘ea (hawksbill turtle), nēnē (Hawaiian goose), ‘ua‘u (Hawaiian petrel), ‘io (Hawaiian hawk), and the Ka‘ū silversword. The Park was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1987 and an International Biosphere Reserve in 1980.

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KAʻŪ TROJANS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL SLAMMED PARKER in all five sets played last night at the Waimea school. Junior Varsity scored 25 in both games, with Parker at 22 and 17. Varsity scored 25 in their three games, with Parker at 18, 12, and 13.

Kaʻū Athletics says tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 12, is Senior Night, PINK OUT. The Trojans will host St. Joseph at 6 p.m.

See the remainder of the Fall sports schedule, below.

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See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

Sat, Oct 13, 12pm, BIIF Semi-Finals at Kamehameha, Kohala vs. Pāhoa
Sat, Oct 20, 1 pm, BIIF Finals at Pāhala Ball Park - Higher vs. Kaʻū

Girls Volleyball:
Fri, Oct 12, 6pm, host St. Joseph

Mon, Oct 15, BIIF DII Qtr - Higher

Wed, Oct 17, BIIF DII Semi-Finals @ Kona
Thu, Oct 18, BIIF DII Finals @ Kona

Cross Country:
Sat, Oct 13, BYE

Sat, Oct 20, 9am, BIIF @ HPA

Sat, Oct 27, 8:30am, HHSAA

NEW and UPCOMING

KAʻ Ū PLANTATION DAYS event has open vendor spaces and is looking for entertainers. The event, held at Kaʻū District Gym, happens Saturday, Oct. 20. The final planning meeting happens Friday, Oct. 12, at Pāhala Community Center. Those interested in a vendor booth, contact Liz K. at 339-0289. Others, inquire with Darlyne V, at 640-8740.

TIKI MAMA'S on Road to the Sea Halloween party will feature the Night Stalkers. Doors open a 4:20 p.m. on Saturday, Oct, 27, at 92-9122 Mamalahoa Hwy, Ocean View. Suggested donation is $10 plus a can of food. Tiki Mama's events support Hawaiʻi Food Bank.

FREE HIP HOP DANCE CLASS with Crystal and Spider of Lulu Dance Foundation dance studio, Van Nuys, CA. The free class begins at 3:30 p.m., Monday, Oct. 29, at Kaʻū District Gym's multipurpose room. Call Nona at 928-3102 to register or for more info.

TRUNK-OR-TREAT at Kaʻū Octoberfest is looking for community members to offer treats and/or candy to keiki attending the event. The event will be held Wednesday, Oct. 31, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., organized by Department of Parks and Recreation, Kaʻū District Gym, and Pāhala High & Elementary School. There will also be a vehicle decorating contest. Call 928-3102 for more.

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Zentangle: Ghosting Workshop with Lydia Meneses, Sat, Oct. 13, 10-1pm, Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus, Volcano Village. Adds haunting aspects and mystical-whisper feelings to artwork using light touch of mini graphite pencil. All materials supplied or available for borrowing. Open to all levels, no Zentangle or art experience necessary. $30/VAC member, $35/non-member, plus $10 supply fee. Bring light refreshment to share. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

Hula Kahiko - Liana Aveiro with Hālau Malanai, Sat., Oct. 13, 10:30-11:30am, hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Hula performance. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org

Nā Mea Hula w/Kumu Kaho‘okele Crabbe, Halauolaokalani, Sat., Oct. 13, 11-1pm, Volcano Art Center Gallery porch. Hands-on cultural demonstration. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18
Friends of the Kaʻū Libraries Annual Meeting, Thu., Oct. 18, from 6pm, at the Pāhala Plantation House. Election of officers for the 2019 term beginning January 1; short business meeting followed by entertainment, food, and door prizes. Everyone encouraged to attend and share ideas on how to improve local libraries. Sandra Demoruelle, 929-9244, naalehutheatre@yahoo.com.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19
Volunteer Forest Restoration Project: Faya Tree Removal, Fri., Oct. 19, 8:30-1pm, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, contact for meet-up location. Hosted by Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Volunteers must be at least 12 years of age and able to hike at least one mile over rough, uneven terrain. Release forms required. Co-signatures of adult required for volunteers under 18. Contact Patty Kupchak at forest@fhvnp.org or 352-1402 by Mon., Oct. 15. fhvnp.org

ONGOING

Tūtū and Me tuition-free traveling preschool, for keiki birth to five years old and their caregivers, is temporarily moving their Pāhala site program for Oct. 23, 25, and 30, and Nov. 1, to the River of Life Assembly of God church. The group still meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. They will be back at Pāhala Community Center on Nov. 6. The Nāʻālehu location remains at Kauahaʻao Church in Waiʻōhinu, Mondays and Wednesdays, from 8:45 to 10:45 a.m.
Tūtū and Me also offers home visits to aid caregivers with parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate, listening ear. Visits last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, total of 12 visits. Snacks are provided.
To enroll in either free program, fill out enrollment forms found at pidf.org/programs/tutu_and_me/enrollment_forms, or call Linda Bong at 929-8571, or Betty Clark at 464-9634 or eclark@pidfountation.org.

Local construction contractors and other volunteers with ʻO Kaʻū Kākou continue to help to clear the old Nāʻālehu
Fruit Stand site in hopes of creating senior housing on the property. To donate, call 808-937-4773.
Photo by Nalani Parlin

EFFORTS FOR SENIOR HOUSING in Nāʻālehu continue, as volunteers with the ʻO Kaʻū Kākou group finish cleaning up the two acre parcel that was formerly Nāʻālehu Fruit Stand. ʻO Kaʻū Kākou President Wayne Kawachi said this morning that volunteers in the building industry have donated their services. Bob Taylor shepherded the demolition permit through the county. With their big machines, Matt Cuison and Tyler Johanson helped dig up and remove the old sewer system. Wally Andrade also helped with clearing. ʻO Kaʻū Kākou volunteers on foot put up fencing for safety.

ʻO Kaʻū Kākou raised $75,000, so far, toward purchasing the land where it hopes to assist with construction of housing for senior citizens. One fundraiser was the 100 mile walk in his slippers, accomplished by Kawachi.

Senior housing exists in Pāhala but not Nāʻālehu. To donate, call Kawachi at 808-937-4773.

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The green area is covered by a flash flood watch, issued
through Saturday evening. Image from weather.com

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH is in effect through Saturday evening for the entire state of Hawaiʻi, reports the National Weather Service: "Deep tropical moisture will spread northward over central and eastern islands today, with conditions becoming unstable as an upper level trough approaches from the west. This is expected to lead to the development of showers and thunderstorms from Oʻahu eastward to the BigIslandthis afternoon, with the threat for showers and thunderstorms continuing through Saturday evening.
"Light winds will remain over the area during this time and this will be supportive of slow moving showers and storms, which could lead to heavy rainfall and flash flooding. The most likely time frame for the heavy rainfall and potential flooding appears to be during the afternoon and evening hours both today and Saturday."

The public is urged to be aware of flash flooding conditions, which can be life threatening.

The public is also urged to prepare for heavy rain and thunder storms. Pāhala and Volcano are expected to have heavy rain and thunderstorms through Wednesday. Ocean View and Nāʻālehu are expected to have rain tomorrow. Kaʻū is expected to be mostly covered in rain-producing clouds by 5 p.m.today. See more at weather.com.

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Kaʻū Hospital is helping Puna get their own certified Rural
Health Clinic. Photo from kauhospital.org

KAʻŪ HOSPITAL IS REACHING OUT TO PĀHOA BY OPERATING its Urgent Health Care, called PunaCommunityMedicalCenter. The goal is to help Puna center to become certified as a Rural Health Clinic to receive higher payments for serving Medicare and Medicaid patients. Kaʻū has the certification for its own Kaʻū Rural Health Clinic, located inside Kaʻū Hospital.

The Puna clinic plans to eventually serve patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and to expand its facility from 800 square feet to over 2,200 square feet.

Dan Brinkman, East Hawaiʻi regional CEO for Hawaiʻi Health Systems Corp., which oversees Kaʻū and Hilo Hospitals, as well as the clinics, issued a statement: "We are honored by the trust the community and the founders of Puna Community Medical Center have put in us and are excited about the opportunity to support and expand services in Pāhoa.

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BLOOD DONORS ARE NEEDED ON HAWAIʻI ISLAND, says a release from Blood Bank of Hawaiʻi. Encouraging the public to "give thanks this season" by making an appointment to donate blood, BBH says, "You never know whose life you'll save."

To make an appointment or for more information, call Blood Bank of Hawaiiat (808) 848-4770 or visit BBH.org.

The BBH release says, "Blood donations are critical. One in seven people entering the hospital in Hawaiiwill need blood, but only a small fraction – about 2% – actually give it. 200 blood donations are needed every day in Hawaiʻi to maintain an adequate blood supply and fulfill Hawaiʻi's needs. 1 pint can save 3 lives. Because each pint of whole blood is separated into three components – platelets, plasma, and red blood cells – one donation can help the lives of up to three people."

General requirements to be a blood donor include being in good health. Donors should be 18 years of age or older; 16 and 17 year olds can donate with signed Blood Bank of Hawaiʻi parent/legal guardian consent. Donors should weigh 110 pounds or more; additional height and weight requirements apply for female donors 16 to 18 years old. Donors need to bring a photo ID with date of birth.

Hawaiʻi Island Blood Drives in November are held in Keaʻau, Kona, Hilo, and Waimea. Follow Blood Bank of Hawaiʻi on social media for updates and info on blood drives: Facebook.com/BloodBankHawaii;
Instagram.com/BloodBankHawaii; Twitter.com /BloodBank
Hawaii.

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THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, which stewards Kaʻū preserves, including the Kamehame hawksbill turtle nesting beach, Kaiholena and several valleys of pristine native forest, announced today, the arrival of a new Director of Philanthropy.

Lori Admiral comes to TNC with a demonstrated record of fundraising and leadership at the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation where for well over a decade she served in increasingly higher positions as associate director and director of development, associate vice president for development and, most recently, associate vice president for advancement system-wide.

Lorie Admiral is the Director of Philanthropy for
The Nature Conservancy.

"We are excited for Lori to get her feet on the ground and oriented to our conservation programs, staff, partners and supporters," said Hawaiʻi Executive Director Ulalia Woodside. "We are confident that she will do a great job working with our entire Hawaiʻi team and Board of Trustees in planning and implementing a comprehensive development program that supports our natural resource conservation priorities."

Admiral oversees fundraising for The Nature Conservancy's Hawai‘i and Palmyraprograms. "TNC has a long record of accomplishment in Hawai‘i," she said. "I look forward to working with the trustees, staff and partners in continuing to advance the organization's mission and achieve further success."

The Nature Conservancy of Hawai‘i is a private non-profit conservation organization dedicated to the preservation of the lands and waters upon which all life depends. TNC has helped to protect more than 200,000 acres of natural lands in Hawai‘i and Palmyra Atoll. TNC manages 40,000 acres in 13 nature preserves and works in more than 30 coastal communities to help protect the near-shore reefs, waters and fisheries of the main Hawaiian Islands. TNC forges partnerships with government, private parties and communities to protect forests and coral reefs for their ecological values and the many benefits they provide to people. See nature.org/hawaii.

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The inferred rupture area (white dashed line) of the May 4, 2018, magnitude-
6.9 earthquake, with its foreshocks and first 10 days of aftershocks, spans an
area of about 800 sq km (300 sq mi). Circle size indicates earthquake
magnitude; color indicates earthquake depth. Magnitudes for some of the
larger events are labeled. Inset graph shows the aftershock decay rate
for May 4 through 15. USGS graphic

AFTERSHOCKS OF THE MAY 4th 6.9-MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE are expected to continue, writes Brian Shiro, U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory seismic network manager, in this week's Volcano Watch:

On May 4, 2018, a powerful magnitude-6.9 earthquake on the south flank of Kīlauea Volcano shook the Island of Hawaiʻi. It was the largest quake in Hawaiʻi in 43 years. Today, more than five months later, smaller-magnitude earthquakes in the same area are still occurring.

What causes these earthquakes, and how long will they last?

Most earthquakes are caused by patches of rock slipping along a fault plane within the Earth's crust. The area and the distance of slip relate directly to the energy release (magnitude) of the earthquake.

Slip is not uniform during a major earthquake—some patches move more than others, and some do not move at all. This unevenness in motion within the Earth's crust puts higher stresses on the patches that did not move than on the ones that did.

As the crust readjusts with time, these higher stresses give way to smaller earthquakes—called aftershocks—that occur on adjacent fault patches. The effect can cascade in avalanche-like fashion until the stresses caused by the major earthquake—known as the mainshock—even out.

Generally, larger mainshocks produce larger, more numerous, and longer periods of aftershock activity. Aftershock sequences can last from days to centuries.

Brian Shiro, USGS HVO seismic
network manager. Photo from LinkedIn

Not all earthquakes that happen after a major earthquake are smaller. Statistically, there's about a 5 percent chance that a larger earthquake will occur within a day after a major earthquake. If that happens, the larger earthquake gets labeled as the mainshock, and the previous one is instead labeled a foreshock.

During periods of intense seismic activity, there is no way to predict which earthquakes will be foreshocks, the mainshock, and aftershocks. These labels are applied retrospectively.

Prior to the 2018 Kīlauea eruption that started in Leilani Estates on May 3, migrating magma pushed through the East Rift Zone of the volcano. This compressed the south flank and caused slip along the island’s basal fault, resulting in thousands of earthquakes near the coast and offshore.

The sequence of larger events started with a magnitude-5.1 earthquake at 10:30 a.m. local time on May 3. A day later, at 11:32 a.m. on May 4, a magnitude-5.4 earthquake then claimed the title of mainshock, later a second foreshock. One hour later, at 12:32 p.m., the eventual mainshock of the sequence occurred—the magnitude-6.9 earthquake that rattled the island with enough intensity to knock items off the shelves in Hilostores. It was also felt statewide and produced a modest tsunami along nearby coastlines.

The blue line shows the radial tilt at Summer Camp station, on the eastern rim of Kīlauea's caldera. The green line is radial tilt on the north flank of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone. These are recorded by continuously operating electronic tiltmeters. Positive changes often indicate inflation of the magma storage areas beneath the caldera or Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, but may also result from heavy rainfall or, occasionally, instrumental malfunctions. USGS graphic

The first large aftershock occurred later that day—a magnitude-5.3 earthquake at 3:37 p.m. local time. So far, 15 aftershocks of magnitude-4 and higher, along with thousands of smaller events, have occurred in the sequence.

Plotting these earthquakes on a map reveals an area that extends offshore and spans about 800 square kilometers (300 square miles). We can infer this as the total fault area that ruptured during the sequence.

This map shows locations of earthquakes and GPS, seismometer,

and tiltmeter locations, over the past week. USGS graphic

The statistical relationship between aftershock activity and time was first formulated by the pioneering seismologist Fusakichi Omori in 1894. In what is now known as Omori's Law, the formula gives an inverse relationship between the probability of aftershocks and time. In other words, the longer the time since the mainshock, the less likely it is that an aftershock will occur. Omori's formula helps inform aftershock seismic hazard assessment.

In the case of the 2018 magnitude-6.9 earthquake, Omori's Law forecasts a decreasing frequency of aftershocks continuing in the area over the next year or more, including a small chance of a magnitude-6 earthquake during that time.

Interestingly, Omori had ties to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). In 1912, he supplied Thomas Jaggar, HVO's founder, with the observatory's first two seismographs. These instruments were housed in the Whitney Laboratory of Seismology at HV'’s original site near the present-day Volcano House hotel in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

Given today's focus on earthquakes, we take this opportunity to remind you of the upcoming 2018 Great Hawaiʻi ShakeOut on October 18 at 10:18 a.m. Please join over 70,000 Hawaiʻi residents and more than 50 million people worldwide and practice "Drop, Cover, and Hold On"—the appropriate actions to take whenever you feel strong shaking. You can learn more about earthquake safety at shakeout.org/hawaii.

Volcano Activity Updates

Kīlaueaactivity is greatly reduced, with low rates of seismicity, deformation, and gas emissions recorded this past week, and no active lava at the surface of the volcano since September 5. Small earthquakes—generally less than magnitude-2.4—continue at Kīlauea's summit, as do small aftershocks of the May 4th magnitude-6.9 earthquake on the volcano’s south flank. Seismicity remains low along the lower East Rift Zone.

Looking north at the southern flank of Puʻu ʻŌʻō's cone, everything appears quiet, despite a slight inflationary trend.
A small plant in the center puka gives quiet witness to recovery of life after lava. USGS photo

A slight inflationary trend near and east of Puʻu ʻŌʻō over the past few weeks, in addition to a slight deflationary trend at the summit, suggest that some magma may still be moving from the summit magma system into the East Rift Zone. Sulfur dioxide gas emissions at the summit, Puʻu ʻŌʻō, and lower East Rift Zone remain drastically reduced, with a combined rate of less than 300 tonnes/day.

The USGS Volcano Alert level for Mauna Loa remains at NORMAL.

Four earthquakes with three or more felt reports occurred in Hawaiʻi this past week: a magnitude-3.6 quake 24 km (15 mi) northeast of Hōnaunau-Nāpōʻopoʻo at 6 km (4 mi) depth on Oct. 8 at 10:54 p.m. HST; a magnitude-2.8 quake 27 km (17 mi) west of Pepeʻekeo at 23 km (14 mi) depth on Oct. 8 at 10:09 a.m.; a magnitude-3.3 quake 15 km (9 mi) southeast of Volcano at 6 km (4 mi) depth on Oct. 7 at 08:59 a.m.; and a magnitude-2.5 quake 10 km (6 mi) east of Waimea at 14 km (9 mi) depth on Oct. 5 at 03:15 p.m.

HVO closely monitors both Kīlauea and Mauna Loaand will report any significant changes on either volcano. HVO now issues Kīlaueaupdates weekly (on Tuesday) rather than daily, posted at volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/status.html. Monthly Mauna Loa updates are posted at volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna_loa/status.html. Update frequency will increase if warranted by changing conditions on either volcano.

Mark Yamanaka will perform at the free Veterans Day

Concert at Nāʻālehu Ballpark, on Monday, Nov. 12.

Visit volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvofor past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Call 808-967-8862 for weekly Kīlauea updates. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

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A FREE VETERANS DAY CONCERT, sponsored by ʻO Kaʻū Kākou, will be held on Veterans Day, Monday, Nov. 12, at Nāʻālehu Ballpark, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Entertainment will feature acclaimed Hawaiian falsetto singer Mark Yamanaka, and the bands Shootzand Bottle of Blue. Paul Sakamoto and his Taiko drumming group will perform. Food will include food stew, rice and macaroni salad with Punaluʻu Sweetbread. "We need to do more to honor our veterans," said ʻO Kaʻū Kākou president Wayne Kawachi.

Mrs. Hawai‘i Filipina Marites Domingo Kano
and Miss Hawai‘i Filipina Kyla Raza with
Sakada Prudencio Tayamen at last year's event.
Photo by Al Sebastian

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HONOR THE RICH HISTORY AND CONTRIBUTIONS of Filipino plantation labor in Hawaiʻi at the fourth annual Sakada Day celebration. Officially recognized on December 20 of every year, Sakada Day commemorates the first fifteen sakadas, or Filipino plantation contract laborers, who were the first to arrive in Honolulu in 1906. A total of 126,000 Filipino workers worked in Hawaiʻi’s sugarcane plantations.

A celebration is set for Sunday, Dec. 16, from 10 a.m.to 2 p.m., at Kulaʻimano Community Center, 28-2892 Alia Street, in Pepeʻekeo.

Connecting Our Past to Shape the Future is the theme of 2018's Sakada Day. Cornelia Anguay, one of the planners of the Sakada Day event, says, "As the few remaining Sakadas leave this Earth, we call on the next generation to recover and connect to the sakada history, as we create our path towards the future. We invite young people and descendants of the sakadas to come and connect to this heritage."

Tinikling, a traditional Filipino bamboo dance, requires

careful hopping. Photo by Julia Neal

During the event, sakadas will be honored and recognized with traditional songs, dances, food, certificates, and congratulatory messages, "a fitting tribute for their valued contributions to our island economy and the rich multicultural identity of our State. A delegation from the University of Northern Philippines will also share in the festivities and sample a taste of aloha from our communities," says the announcement.

This event is sponsored by the County of Hawaiʻi, Hilo-Hamakua Community Development Corp, Big Island Filipino Community Council, and the Sakada Day Committee.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

Sat, Oct 13, 12pm, BIIF Semi-Finals at Kamehameha, Kohala vs. Pāhoa
Sat, Oct 20, 1 pm, BIIF Finals at Pāhala Ball Park - Higher vs. Kaʻū

Girls Volleyball:
Mon, Oct 15, BIIF DII Qtr - Higher

Wed, Oct 17, BIIF DII Semi-Finals @ Kona
Thu, Oct 18, BIIF DII Finals @ Kona

Cross Country:
Sat, Oct 13, BYE

Sat, Oct 20, 9am, BIIF @ HPA

Sat, Oct 27, 8:30am, HHSAA

NEW and UPCOMING

KALANIHALE'S 4TH ANNUAL LĀ ‘OHANA EVENT takes place Saturday, Nov. 10, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in Miloli‘i. Kalanihale's Director, Ka‘imi N. Kaupiko, announced, "This year's theme is preserving our sense of place. We will cover a variety of areas, from health, culture, marine conservation, Hawaiian crafts and practices, and education... We will be having Hawaiian cultural demonstrations including ohe kapala, la‘au lapa‘au, Hawaiian medicine from Hui Malama o na ‘oiwi, papa ku‘i ai, poi pounding, lauhale, and coconut weaving."

The free event focuses on Health and Hawaiian Culture, offering free health screenings from University of Hawai‘i-Hilo and School of Pharmacy, open enrollment from healthcare.gov, arts and crafts vendors, informational booths, food, and snacks. Interested in becoming a vendor? Contact Ka‘imi Kaupiko at 937-1310 or kkaupiko@gmail.com.

Kaupiko highlights an ongoing project to preserve local ocean resources "through biological surveys including fish, coral, and intertidal work. We believe that a diverse biological system is key to the health of our ocean. We have created a community bulletin board for our families to learn more about this program and our management goals, and we are consulting our proposal for community based subsistence fishing area plan."
During the event, the Miloli‘i Hipu‘u online virtual academy of Kua o Ka Lā Public Charter School will fundraise. Among some of the items sold for the fundraiser are baked goods and drinks, and raffle prizes. For their school mālama, the students will be planting raised garden beds.
A variety of local entertainers will perform at the event, including Miloli‘i Hipu‘u students, Auntie Diana Aki, Braddah Micah De Aguiar, Sister Maka Gallinger, a Tahitian performance from the Imai ‘Ohana, Ka‘ū, and more.
"We would like to thank the Dorrance Family Foundation, Alu like, Department of Health Kona, UH Hilo School of Pharmacy, Pa‘a Pono Miloli‘i, Conservation International, Queen Liliuokalani Trust, Kua o ka Lā PCS Hipu‘u Online Program, Hau‘oli Kamana‘o Church, and our many supporters. We believe through our collective work we can work for a better future, we hope you enjoy this day with us," states the announcement.
See kalanihale.org.

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13

First Annual Super Saturday Five-on-Five Tournament, Sat., Oct. 13, Ka‘ū District Gym. Event hosted by Hokulele Basketball Club – youth from 5 years old to high school, sponsored by families and players. Free admission to watch. For more or to join, text or call President Ravel Kaupu, 319-0687.

CANCELLED: Pancake Breakfast & Raffle, Sat., Oct. 13. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Pastel On-Site Landscape Painting Workshop with Patti Pease Johnson, Sat., Oct. 13, 9-12:30pm, Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus, Volcano Village. Held outdoors, weather permitting - otherwise, indoors with reference photo. Students complete one 9"x12" project. $45/VAC member, $50/non-member, plus $10 supply fee. Beginner and intermediate artists welcome. Register online, volcanoartcenter.org, or call 967-8222.

Realms & Divisions of Kahuku, Sat., Oct. 13, 9:30-11:30am, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Moderately difficult, two-mile, guided hike on a new Kahuku Unit trail, Pu‘u Kahuku, explores the traditional Hawaiian classification system. Bring snack. nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

ONGOING

Tūtū and Me tuition-free traveling preschool, for keiki birth to five years old and their caregivers, is temporarily moving their Pāhala site program for Oct. 23, 25, and 30, and Nov. 1, to the River of Life Assembly of God church. The group still meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. They will be back at Pāhala Community Center on Nov. 6. The Nāʻālehu location remains at Kauahaʻao Church in Waiʻōhinu, Mondays and Wednesdays, from 8:45 to 10:45 a.m.
Tūtū and Me also offers home visits to aid caregivers with parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate, listening ear. Visits last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, total of 12 visits. Snacks are provided.
To enroll in either free program, fill out enrollment forms found at pidf.org/programs/tutu_
and_me/enrollment_forms, or call Linda Bong at 929-8571, or Betty Clark at 464-9634 or eclark@pidfountation.org.

Open Enrollment for Harmony Educational Services lasts through Oct. 15. Partnered with four local public charter schools, the program offers benefits of homeschooling with resources available to public schools. Interested families can contact Ranya Williams, rwilliams@harmonyed.com or 430-9798. harmonyed.com/hawaii

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Sunrise at South Point this morning, with stormy weather lighting up the skies in red.
Photo by Richard Taylor

CONSTRUCTION OF NEW NINOLE AND HILEA BRIDGES on Hwy 11 begins soon. The

Hilea Bridge during Tropical Storm Iselle.
Photo from DOT

old timber bridges, built in the 1940, will be replaced by longer and wider bridges that carry more weight and meet modern standards. They will each consist of two 11-foot travel lanes, two 9-foot shoulders, and crash-tested railings.

For each bridge, temporary two-lane bypass roads and bridges will be installed on the mauka side of Hway 11 during construction.

According to the final Environmental Assessment, seven federally protected wildlife species "have the potential to occur within the project limits, but restrictions on the timing of construction and minimization of the project footprint would preclude any long-term effects to the species." They are the Hawaian nene goose, Hawaiian `io hawk, Hawaiian petrel, Newell's shearwater, Hawaiian hoary bat, band-rumpted storm petrel and Blackburns sphinx moth.

The Ninole Bridge will soon be replaced, preserving some of the lava rock walls under it.
Image from the state Department of Transportation

Both bridges are owned by the State of Hawai`i. With federal and state funds being used, federal and state wildlife officials are overseeing the environmental aspects of building the new bridges.

The Ninole Bridge is at the 56.7 milepost, about 500 feet southwest of the Alahaki Road and Ninole Loop - the entrance to Punalu`u SeaMountain resort. The bridge crosses the intermittent Ninole Stream, which drains approximately 12,350 acres on the southern slope of Mauna Loa. Lands surrounding Ninole Bridge are urban and include Punalu`u Golf Course and a housing and resort area. A golf cart path travels under it.

Under Ninole Bridge where golf carts travel on drier
days, this one during Tropical Storm Iselle.
Image from DOT

Hilea Bridge is located at the 57.7 mile post, approximately 1.2 miles southwest of Alahaki Road and Ninole Loop Road intersection. The bridge crosses the intermittent Hilea Stream, which drains a watershed of approximately 31,500 acres on the southern slope of Maunaloa. The surrounding land is conservation and agriculture.

The existing Hilea Bridge will be replaced with a 100‐foot‐long, single‐span bridge, while the existing Ninole Bridge will be replaced with a 65‐foot‐long, single‐span bridge.

During the construction period, bypass roads and bridges will be installed, mauka of the two old bridges. The project is expected to take about a year.

Some existing lava rock peir foundatsions are expected to be preserved beneath Ninole Bridge.

For more see, the EA at //flh.fhwa.dot.gov/projects/hi/hilea/files/hilea-ninole-ea.pdf

Hilea Bridge will be replaced with a longer wider bridge that can carry more weight. Image from DOT

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HOʻOKUPU HULA NO KAʻŪ CULTURAL FESTIVAL features hula, Mexican, native American dance and music, Saturday, Nov. 3, on the grounds of PāhalaCommunity Center. This year's annual event features Hoʻaikāne, Wailau Ryder, Keʻaiwa, Victor Chock, and Steven Sioloa as headline musical acts at the free event. Last year brought out over a thousand spectators.

Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder, right, with Hālau Hula O Leionalani at last year's Ho‘okupu Hula No Ka‘ū Cultural Festival.
Photo by Julia Neal

Hula will be performed by halau from Mexico, Japan, West Virginia, Oʻahu, South America, and Hawaiʻi Island. Traditional ethnic dance performances will come from Mexico, as well as the University of Hawaiʻi-Hilo Filipino Dancers. Taiko Drummers will perform.

A hālau from Mexico dances both hula and Mexican
folk numbers. Photo by Julia Neal

The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The day will feature Master Cultural Practitioners, Kukakuka (talk story), and many educational and cultural experiences with hands-on demonstrations.

At sunset, a ceremony will be held to honor ancestors. The festival is preceded by ceremonies at Punaluʻu Beach at dawn. A ceremony will be held to close the festival at Makanau.

There is still room for craft vendors, food vendors, and informational booths. Contact Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder at leionalani47@hotmail.com or (808) 649-9334 for an application.

Sponsors include County Council member Maile David and community contributions through fundraising. See hookupukau.com.

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THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO A COMMUNITY MEETING about making PunaCommunityMedicalCenter a division of Kaʻū Community Hospital. The meeting will be held at the PāhoaCommunity Center on Wednesday, Oct. 17, at 5 p.m.

The PunaCenter needs to become certified as a Rural Health Clinic in order to give care to Medicare and Medicaid patients at a higher payment level. Plans to serve patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and to expand the facility from 800 square feet to over 2,200 square feet, would be able to move forward if the certification is accomplished.

See more on yesterday's Kaʻū News Briefs.

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Warming up before the Ka`u Trojan win over St. Joe last night. Photo by Julia Neal

KAʻŪ TROJANS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL ended their season Kaʻū strong. Last night, the Trojans hosted St. Joseph's Cardinals in a Varsity-only trio of sets. Kaʻū won each round, at 25, with St. Joseph scoring 17, 18, and 5. This marked the final in-season game. For BIIF Division Two, Kaʻū is in fifth out of 12, with six wins and nine loses.

Kalei Namohalo, Athletic Director for Ka`u High School
with the pink shirts that raise money to fight breast cancer.
Photo by Julia Neal

At their final game of the season, the Senior class ladies of the Kaʻū Trojans Girls Volleyball team were celebrated
in a collage on the walls of the gym. Photo from Kaʻū High Athletics

Last night was Senior night. A collage posted on the gym walls, featuring each of the five Seniors, celebrates their final year at Kaʻū High. The young ladies are #3, Reisha Kekoa Jara – this year's Miss Kaʻū Coffee; #6, Karlee Fukunaga-Camba – Second Princess of Miss Kaʻū Coffee; #7, Kianie Mederios-Dancel; #10, Shan Hu; and #14, Chauna Velez.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month was observed last night as well, with bright pink shirts for sale, carrying the Kaʻū Trojans logo, stylized plumeria, and with Rock the Pink and No One Fights Alone emblazoned on the front.

KAʻŪ TROJANS LAST FOOTBALL GAME of 2018 was postponed today due to weather. Kamehameha was to host the 8-man Semi-Finals, to decide whether Kohala or Pāhoa will play Kaʻū at the Finals. That game has been pushed to next Saturday, Oct. 20, at Keaʻau, with a 1 p.m. start time. The 8-man Finals, Kaʻū versus the winner of the Semi-Finals, will be played at Pāhala Ball Park, beginning at 1 p.m., on Saturday, Oct. 27.

Watch these Kaʻū News Briefs to stay up to date. See the edited sports schedule, below.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

Sat, Oct 20, 1pm, BIIF Semi-Finals at Keaʻau, Kohala vs. Pāhoa
Sat, Oct 27, 1pm, BIIF Finals at Pāhala Ball Park - Higher vs. Kaʻū

Cross Country:
Sat, Oct 20, 9am, BIIF @ HPA

Sat, Oct 27, 8:30am, HHSAA

NEW and UPCOMING

HANDS-ON FERMENTED FOODS WORKSHOP: SAUERKRAUT AND KOMBUCHA with Jasmine Silverstein of HeartBeet Foods, happens Saturday, Oct. 27, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus in Volcano Village.
"Our digestive system is home to a complex diversity of living microorganisms, which are impacted by what we eat and drink. These microorganisms, which include probiotics, directly influence our own health; from aiding digestion, to clearing skin, to boosting our energy. We can nurture the health of these internal microorganisms by eating probiotic-rich, fermented foods.

Learn to make homemade sauerkraut and kombucha on
Oct. 27 with Volcano Art Center.
Photo from volcanoartcenter.org

"Fermented foods have been a part of every ancient culture throughout history. Sauerkraut, pickles, and yogurt are a few of the many traditional live-cultured, fermented foods. These foods developed out of the need to preserve food, before refrigeration was possible," states the event description.
Attendees are invited to learn the basics of culturing cabbage and various vegetables into probiotic-rich Sauerkraut, and how to make their own Kombucha. Each participant will take home their own finished products.

Cost for the workshop is $50 per Volcano Art Center member and $55 per non-member. Pre-registration is required. All supplies and organic ingredients provided. No cooking skills are necessary, "just an interest in real, whole food. Fermentation is an Art not a Science… It's flexible and fun, not rigid or difficult," states the description. Call 967-8222 or visit volcanoartcenter.org.

Jasmine Silverstein of HeartBeet Foods.
Photo from volcanoartcenter.org

Silverstein is a holistic chef and retreat caterer on the Big Island. She began experimenting in the world of fermentation in 2011, shortly after being diagnosed with a severe autoimmune condition. "The benefits she has received from discovering and engaging in the world of microbes has proven to be invaluable. She hopes to share her experience and inspire others to cultivate their own health," states the description. Find more information about Silvertstein and her services at heartbeetfoods.com.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15

Discovery Harbour Neighborhood Watch Meeting, Mon., Oct. 15, 5-6:30pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. 929-9576, discoveryharbour.net

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17
‘Ai Pono with Aunty Edna Baldado - ‘Ike Hana No‘eau (Experience the Skillful Work), Wed., Oct. 17, 10-2pm, Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Discuss eating and living healthier with native Hawaiian foods like kalo (taro), ‘uala (sweet potato), and ulu (breadfruit). Free; park entrance fees apply. Co-sponsored by Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association. 985-6011, nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

Ocean View Community Association Board Meeting, Wed., Oct. 17, 12:30pm, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Art in the Everyday Community Quilt Project - Assembly Workshop, Sat., Oct. 20, 10-4pm, Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus, Volcano Village. After party to follow, 4-6pm. Visiting Artist Laura Phelps Rogers leads the ongoing project. A sculptural, social engagement and public work, in which Rogers hopes to construct monumental sculptural quilt built of 5" round, wood pieces - each blank and designed by community participants. Pick up blank piece and packet at Volcano Art Center Administration Office or at Wailoa Art Center. $10 donation. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Ocean View C.E.R.T. Meeting, Sat., Oct. 20, 10-1pm, Ocean View Community Center. Community Emergency Response Team monthly meeting/training. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Hula Kahiko - Chrissy Kama Henriques & Leilani Taka-Keana‘aina with Hula Hālau E Hulali Mai Ka La, Sat., Oct. 20, 10:30-11:30am, hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Hula performance. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org

Bunco & Potluck, Sat., Oct. 20, 6pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Popular game played with nine dice. Bring dish to share. Margie Hack, 541-954-8297

ONGOING
Tūtū and Me tuition-free traveling preschool, for keiki birth to five years old and their caregivers, is temporarily moving their Pāhala site program for Oct. 23, 25, and 30, and Nov. 1, to the River of Life Assembly of God church. The group still meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. They will be back at Pāhala Community Center on Nov. 6. The Nāʻālehu location remains at Kauahaʻao Church in Waiʻōhinu, Mondays and Wednesdays, from 8:45 to 10:45 a.m.
Tūtū and Me also offers home visits to aid caregivers with parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate, listening ear. Visits last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, total of 12 visits. Snacks are provided.
To enroll in either free program, fill out enrollment forms found at pidf.org/programs/tutu_and_me/enrollment_forms, or call Linda Bong at 929-8571, or Betty Clark at 464-9634 or eclark@pidfountation.org.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

The Hawaiʻi Constitution, last updated in 1978, helped ensure access makai and mauka for the public,
including access to the Kāwā surfing beach in Kaʻū. Surfers took the landowner to court and won in 1980,
based, in part, on the state of Hawaiʻi's Constitution. Kāwā is now preserved in public hands. Photo by Julia Neal

OPPOSE CONCON is the message from a new organization called Preserve Our Hawaiʻi. It is comprised of at least one union, along with environmental, law, social welfare, and business groups. Their leaders say they fear that outside interests could put up money to lobby to change the Hawaiʻi Constitution, which was last updated in 1978 with many protections for the environment and Hawaiian culture. One of those protections helped ensure that Kāwā beach in Kaʻū would remain open to the public when local surfers took a landowner to court for attempting to keep them out.

The Sierra Club and Hawaiʻi Chamber of Commerce both oppose approval of a new Constitutional Convention on the Nov. 6 election ballot.

Every ten years, citizens are asked in the General Election to approve or reject a Constitutional Convention. It could cost as much as $56 million, with election of delegates from around the state followed by the Constitutional Convention in Honoluluto study and decide whether to amend and change the Hawaiʻi Constitution.

Hawaiʻi Government Employees Association union also opposes ConCon. Randy Perreira, the union's Executive Director, said in a press release that "we all recognize that Hawaiʻi's Constitution is one of the best in the country and a ConCon could very well weaken the rights and the protections that we have today."

The Hawaiʻi Democratic Party and Hawaiʻi Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union support Preserve Our Hawaiʻi and its campaign to stop ConCon on Election Day.

The 1978 ConCon established both English and Hawaiian as the official languages of Hawaiʻi. It created the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and gave the state the duty to protect all rights customarily and traditionally exercised for subsistence, cultural, and religious purposes, possessed by ahupuaʻa tenants. It provided a legal basis to ensure public access to ocean and mountain resources, helped to usher in Kupuna in the Schools programs, and the added use of Hawaiian punctuation in street and other signage and government documents. It says, "The State shall promote the study of Hawaiian culture, history, and language."

Article XI Section 1 says, "For the benefit of present and future generations, the State and its political subdivisions shall conserve and protect Hawaii's natural beauty and all natural resources, including land, water, air, minerals, and energy sources… All public natural resources are held in trust by the State for the benefit of the people."

Article IX, Section 8 says, "The State shall have the power to promote and maintain a healthful environment, including the prevention of any excessive demands upon the environment and the State's resources."

Article XI, Section 9 says that "Each person has the right to a clean and healthful environment, as defined by laws relating to environmental quality, including control of pollution and conservation, protection, and enhancement of natural resources. Any person may enforce this right against any party, public or private."

Article IX, Section 6 says, "The State and its political subdivisions... shall plan and manage the growth of the population to protect and preserve the public health and welfare."

Article XI, Section 3 says, "The State shall conserve and protect agricultural lands, promote diversified agriculture, increase agricultural self-sufficiency and assure the availability of agriculturally suitable lands."

The question on the Nov. 6 General Election ballot is: "Shall there be a convention to propose a revision of or amendments to the Constitution?"

Those opposing a new ConCon also include League of Women Voters, KAHEA - the Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance, and Hawaiʻi's Thousand Friends. For letters and testimonies see noconcon.org.

Hawaiʻi state Senator Sen. Laura Thielen supports ConCon, saying, "A State Constitutional Convention is the time for citizens to discuss big ideas that create a brighter future for Hawaiʻi. The opportunity for citizens to make sure government is working for all, not just a favored few. The only way citizens can require government to address chronic, difficult issues it ignores, pays lip service to, or seems incapable of resolving on its own."

Thielen points to government defining affordable housing as "for a single person earning up to $114,380 or a family earning up to $163,240." She says that government officials give variances to build luxury condominiums with only a fraction of "affordable" units, which revert to market price in a short time.

"Will developments displacing lower- and median-income residents march down the Rail line? What happens to all the people living in those low-rise, actually affordable, units that get displaced? Are the 'market-priced' new units mostly for outside investors? Why aren't government decision-makers looking at how the overall change affects affordable housing?" asks Thielen.

See more of her support for ConCon at senatorlaurathielen.com/we-need-a-hawaii-constitutional-convention.

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This comparison shows the area of Kapoho before and after the eruption. Kapoho Crater is in the left portion of the image. Lava filled much of the crater, including the small nested crater that contained GreenLake. The Kapoho Beach Lots subdivision is in the right side of the image, north of KapohoBay, and was completely covered by the fissure 8 lava flow. Vacationland Hawaiʻi, in the lower right corner of the image, was also completely covered, along with the adjacent tide pools. Kapoho Farm Lots, near the center of the image, is also beneath the flow. USGS images

THERE WILL BE NO SPECIAL SESSION OF THE HAWAIʻI LEGISLATURE to assess Kīlauea eruption recovery needs. Money needed is estimated to be some $854 million for Hawaiʻi County. The Legislature will take up the funding proposals in January with the opening of the 2019 session, according to an announcement issued yesterday by the sate House of Representatives.
Hawaiʻi County officials asked the legislature to convene a special session to consider an early approval of funding. House Majority Leader Della Belatti said, "House legislators are generally supportive of the County's recovery efforts, but there are still many questions about specific funding requests and legislative proposals. In addition, several natural disasters have affected communities statewide and decisions about funding for recovery can occur during the regular session.

"It is important for the Legislature to assess the statewide impact of natural disasters affecting the State and not to view the volcanic eruption on Hawaiʻi island in isolation of the recovery needs on all islands."

This year's eruption, which mainly impacted Volcano Village and Puna,

destroyed land and severely impacted the economy of the whole

island, with the Volcano Village and Puna economies

impacted the most. USGS image

The volcanic eruption destroyed land, homes, businesses, farms, livelihoods, and natural features, and caused the Hawaiʻi Island economy to plummet – especially in the areas near Volcano, where loses to businesses are estimated at above 50 percent, and Puna. The state was hit by Tropical Storm Lane, flooding from Tropical Storm Olivia, and wildfires on Hawaiʻi and Maui.

Hawaiʻi County's latest estimate includes $335 million, This estimate includes $22 million for emergency response operational support up to 2020. The overall estimate of $854 million also includes emergency response operational support through 2023, infrastructure projects, recovery planning and implementation studies.

Belatti said, "House members have been meeting with Hawaiʻi County officials on their recovery plans and funding requests. The ongoing dialogue has been productive, but many of the legislative proposals and funding requests need further discussion."

House legislators have "encouraged Hawai‘i County to further refine its recovery plans to identify specific needs, to work with the Governor to identify funds that can be used for immediate recovery needs, and to work with Hawai‘i's federal delegation to apply for anticipated federal disaster relief,"

according to the statement from the House.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

Sat, Oct 20, 1 pm, BIIF Finals at Pāhala Ball Park - Higher vs. Kaʻū
Girls Volleyball:
Mon, Oct 15, BIIF DII Qtr - Higher

Wed, Oct 17, BIIF DII Semi-Finals @ Kona
Thu, Oct 18, BIIF DII Finals @ Kona

Cross Country:
Sat, Oct 20, 9am, BIIF @ HPA

Sat, Oct 27, 8:30am, HHSAA

NEW and UPCOMING

A VOLUNTEER FOREST RESTORATION PROJECT: FAYA TREE REMOVAL is hosted by Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park Friday, Oct. 19, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park grounds. Volunteers are required to be 12 years of age or older, with those under the age of 18 needing adult co-signatures on all release forms. Pre-registration is required by Oct. 15.

"This month we will be doing invasive Faya tree removal in an area where we have been helping the park for the past several years. This will provide hands-on learning about invasive weed control and native plant restoration and how these fit in the park's broader vegetation management program. Volunteers play an important role in protecting important and threatened native ecosystems," states the event description on fhvnp.org.

Those interested in volunteering, are asked to contact Patty Kupchak at forest@fhvnp.org or 352-1402 by Monday evening, Oct. 15. Include first & last name, email address, and a phone number, in case of last minute cancellation due to air quality or other factors.
Volunteers should be able to hike at least one mile over rough, uneven ground. Sturdy walking shoes and long pants are required, along with gear for variable weather conditions; be prepared for sun or rain with a hat, raincoat, sunscreen, plus drinking water and lunch.

The description adds that it is imperative to scrub the "soles of one's shoes prior to arrival on site, in order to ensure outside dirt/soil and invasive species aren't tracked in. Clothing, tools, and gloves, should be clean before entering the park to protect against seeds, Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death fungus, and other invasives."
Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park requires all participants to sign a Friends release and a park volunteer form. A Forest Restoration Project event is also planned for Friday, Nov. 16. For more, call 985-7373 or email forest@fhvnp.org.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Hoʻaikāne

HOʻOKUPU HULA NO KAʻŪ CULTURAL FESTIVAL happens Saturday, Nov. 3, on the grounds of Pāhala Community Center, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The day will feature Master Cultural Practitioners, Kukakuka (talk story), and many educational and cultural experiences with hands-on demonstrations. At sunset, a ceremony will be held to honor ancestors. The festival is preceded by ceremonies at Punaluʻu Beach at dawn. A ceremony will be held to close the festival at Makanau.

There is still room for craft vendors, food vendors, and informational booths. Contact Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder at leionalani47@hotmail.com or (808) 649-9334 for an application. Last year brought over 1,000 spectators.
The festival features hula performed by hālau from Mexico, Japan, West Virginia, Oʻahu, South America, and Hawaiʻi Island. Traditional ethnic dance performances will come from Mexico, as well as the University of Hawaiʻi-Hilo Filipino Dancers. Taiko Drummers will perform. This year's headliner musical acts include Hoʻaikāne, Wailau Ryder, Keʻaiwa, Victor Chock, and Steven Sioloa.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15

Ocean View Community Association Board Meeting, Wed., Oct. 17, 12:30pm, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18
Friends of the Kaʻū Libraries Annual Meeting, Thu., Oct. 18, from 6pm, at the Pāhala Plantation House. Election of officers for the 2019 term beginning January 1; short business meeting followed by entertainment, food, and door prizes. Everyone encouraged to attend and share ideas on how to improve local libraries. Sandra Demoruelle, 929-9244, naalehutheatre@yahoo.com.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19
Volunteer Forest Restoration Project: Faya Tree Removal, Fri., Oct. 19, 8:30-1pm, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, contact for meet-up location. Hosted by Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Volunteers must be at least 12 years of age and able to hike at least one mile over rough, uneven terrain. Release forms required. Co-signatures of adult required for volunteers under 18. Contact Patty Kupchak at forest@fhvnp.org or 352-1402 by Mon., Oct. 15. fhvnp.org

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20
Palm Sheath Baskets Workshop with Jelena Clay, Sat. Oct. 20, 9-2:30pm, Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus, Volcano Village. All supplies provided to make two baskets - includes embellishments. $45/VAC member, $50/non-member, plus $30 supply fee. Pre-registration required. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

Birth of Kahuku, Sat., Oct. 20, 9:30-11:30am, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Explore rich geologic history of Kahuku on this easy-to-moderate hike. Learn about the Hawaiian hotspot and the creation of Kahuku. Free. nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

Zen Pen - Writing as Spiritual Practice Workshop with Tom Peek, Sat., Oct. 20, 9:30-4pm. $65/VAC member, $75/non-member. No writing experience necessary. Bring personal object, handheld mirror, and lunch. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

Art in the Everyday Community Quilt Project - Assembly Workshop, Sat., Oct. 20, 10-4pm, Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus, Volcano Village. After party to follow, 4-6pm. Visiting Artist Laura Phelps Rogers leads the ongoing project. A sculptural, social engagement and public work, in which Rogers hopes to construct monumental sculptural quilt built of 5" round, wood pieces - each blank and designed by community participants. Pick up blank piece and packet at Volcano Art Center Administration Office or at Wailoa Art Center. $10 donation. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Ocean View C.E.R.T. Meeting, Sat., Oct. 20, 10-1pm, Ocean View Community Center. Community Emergency Response Team monthly meeting/training. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Hula Kahiko - Chrissy Kama Henriques & Leilani Taka-Keana‘aina with Hula Hālau E Hulali Mai Ka La, Sat., Oct. 20, 10:30-11:30am, hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Hula performance. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org

People & Land of Kahuku, Sun., Oct. 21, 9:30-12:30pm, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Guided, 2.5-mile, moderately difficult hike over rugged terrain focuses on the area's human history. Free. nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

ONGOING
Open Enrollment for Harmony Educational Services ends tomorrow, Oct. 15. Partnered with four local public charter schools, the program offers benefits of homeschooling with resources available to public schools. Interested families can contact Ranya Williams, rwilliams@harmonyed.com or 430-9798. harmonyed.com/hawaii

CU Hawaiʻi Federal Credit Union's Nāʻālehu Branch is taking applications for a Member Service Representative.

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A tiny hula dancer from Ocean View won the solo title at E Mālama Mau I Ka Hula Festival in Hilo this weekend.

"Hunnay" Rhyan Faith Anoʻi Demello is seven years old, the youngest of competitors who came from schools

around the island. Her kumu is Chrissy Kama Henriques. See more on hula dancers from Kaʻū in story below.

See this video of her dance from E Malama Mau I Ka Hula Festival

A REVISED VACATION RENTAL REGULATION BILL goes before the County Council Planning Committee tomorrow, Tuesday. It would apply to vacation rentals where owners or operators are absentee from the land where the vacation rental is located.

It would prohibit all vacation rentals on any land classified agriculture unless the lot was created before June 4, 1976.

The aim is to keep more housing as long term rentals to help with the housing shortage.

Vacation rentals on resort classified property would be automatically approved and require no additional fees nor permits. However, existing vacation rentals – on residential property and older agricultural lots where owners can show a history of General Excise and Transient Accommodations Tax payments – would be allowed to apply for a "non-conforming use permit."

Unhosted vacation rentals would be prohibited in agricultural subdivisions

created since June of 1976 and in residential areas, unless grandfathered in.

Photo from law.com

The permit process would require a one-time $500 fee for each vacation rental unit. It would also require an annual registration payment of $200 per unit. Owners would have to show that construction of the units, including plumbing and electricity, were approved by the county.

Volcano residents have been organizing to modify the bill as many of their homes are on agricultural land. So are many homes in Ocean View, though subdivisions were created as early as the 1950s.

The Planning Committee for the County Council will meet tomorrow at 9:30 a.m.at West Hawaiʻi Civic Center. The public can participate through videoconference at Nāʻālehu state office building.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

TRAINING FOR CREATING, FOLLOWING, AND TESTIFYING ON LEGISLATION for the Hawaiʻi Legislature is coming to Ocean View. Public Access Room staff will be on Hawaiʻi Island from Oct. 29 through Nov. 1 to conduct legislative workshops as part of a neighbor island outreach program.

Two workshops will be offered. The first is geared towards newcomers, provides an introduction to the state legislative process to prepare new participants for the session. The second workshop is for those with an understanding of lawmaking. It will offer advanced advocacy tips on effective lobbying and often overlooked online resources. How-To guides, informational handouts, and other resources will be available.

At Ocean View Community Center, 92-8924 Leilani Circle, Wednesday, Oct. 31, the Beginners Presentation will be from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.; the Advanced Presentation will be from 2:15 p.m. to 3 p.m.

For more, call toll free to 808-974-4000, ext. 7-0478, email Keanu Young at k.young@capitol.hawaii.gov, or go to lrbhawaii.org.

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Na Kupuna O Ka‘ū hālau, performing at the 36th annual Kupuna Hula Festival. They won third place in the Hui Puʻia (mixed) division, second in

Tutu Wahine and Hui Kane, and third in Tutu Kane. Photo from Hawaiʻi Park and Rec./Laura Ruminski

NA KUPUNA O KAʻŪ HĀLAU shone brightly at the 36th annual Kupuna Hula Festival. Of the five judged categories, Kaʻū placed in four divisions. Organized by County of Hawaii Parks & Recreation – Elderly Activities

Na Kupuna O Ka‘ū hālau, with their third place award

in the Hui Pu‘ia (mixed) division.

Photo from Hawaiʻi Park and Rec./Laura Ruminski

Division, Elderly Recreation Services, Special Programs, the festival was started under the direction of Kumu George Naope. The festival, open to hālau and dancers 55 years of age and older, "has been a long tradition of honoring and perpetuation the art of hula through our kupuna," says the county.

Tutu Wahine division had eleven entries, with Sabine Maeva Andreser of Hale Kala‘akeakauikawekiu in first, Leona Puanani Bell Schroeder of Na Kupuna O Ka‘ū in second, and Sumiyo Ono of Hui O Mapuana's Hula Nani's in third.

Tutu Kane division had eight entries, with Robert Keanaaina of Hale E Hulali Mai I Ka La in first, Winston Jamie of O Ka Hale Lokelani in second, and Michael Scott Carius of Na Kupuna O Ka‘ū taking third.

Na Kupuna O Ka‘ū, performing as crabs.
Photo from Hawaiʻi Park and Rec./Laura Ruminski

Hui Wahine division had seventeen entries, with Hale Hula Kauluokala placing first, Na Kupuna O Moana second, and Hale Kala‘akeakauikawekiu third.

Hui Kane division had four entries, with Na Kupuna O Moana in first, second place going to Na Kupuna O Ka‘ū, and Hale O Mailelaulani in third.

Hui Pu‘ia (mixed) division had five entries, with Na Kupuna O Kohala in first, Na Kupuna O Moana second, and Na Kupuna O Ka‘ū.

The Hoʻolauleʻa saw ten groups perform, just for the love of hula. Overall, Na Kupuna O Moana had the highest points.

Na Kupuna O Ka‘ū, performing for their second place rank
in the Hui Kane division.
Photo from Hawaiʻi Park and Rec./Laura Ruminski

Judges for the festival were Iris Nalei Kunewa, Leihua Malani, Michelle Kaulu Amaral; Etua Lopes, and Aulani Young. Sponsors for the event were First Hawaiian Bank, Kukio Resorts, Big Island Candies, and Lions Club of Kona. The event also hosts a crafts fair, with which the public is invited to get involved.

The 37th annual festival is set for Sept. 11 and 12, at Sheraton Keauhou. Contact Elderly Recreation Services, Elderly Activities Division, at Hawai‘i County Parks & Recreation, 961-8710.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

Sat, Oct 20, 1 pm, BIIF Finals at Pāhala Ball Park - Higher vs. Kaʻū
Girls Volleyball:

Wed, Oct 17, BIIF DII Semi-Finals @ Kona

Thu, Oct 18, BIIF DII Finals @ Kona

Cross Country:
Sat, Oct 20, 9am, BIIF @ HPA

Sat, Oct 27, 8:30am, HHSAA

NEW and UPCOMING

KAʻŪ PLANTATION DAYS event has open vendor spaces and is looking for entertainers. The event, held at Kaʻū District Gym, happens Saturday, Oct. 20. Those interested in a vendor booth, contact Liz K. at 339-0289. Others, inquire with Darlyne V. at 640-8740.

TIKI MAMA'S on Road to the Sea Halloween party will feature the Night Stalkers. Doors open at 4:20 p.m. on Saturday, Oct, 27, at 92-9122 Mamalahoa Hwy, Ocean View. Suggested donation is $10 plus a can of food. Tiki Mama's events support Hawaiʻi Food Bank.

FREE HIP HOP DANCE CLASS with Crystal and Spider of Lulu Dance Foundation dance studio, Van Nuys, CA. The free class begins at Monday, Oct. 29, at, 3:30 p.m., at Kaʻū District Gym's multipurpose room. Call Nona at 928-3102 to register or for more info.

TRUNK-OR-TREAT at Kaʻū Octoberfest is looking for community members to offer treats and/or candy to keiki attending the event. The event will be held Wednesday, Oct. 31, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., organized by Department of Parks and Recreation, Kaʻū District Gym, and Pāhala High & Elementary School. There will also be a vehicle decorating contest. Call 928-3102 for more.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17

‘Ai Pono with Aunty Edna Baldado - ‘Ike Hana No‘eau (Experience the Skillful Work), Wed., Oct. 17, 10-2pm, Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Discuss eating and living healthier with native Hawaiian foods like kalo (taro), ‘uala (sweet potato), and ulu (breadfruit). Free; park entrance fees apply. Co-sponsored by Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association. 985-6011, nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19
Volunteer Forest Restoration Project: Faya Tree Removal, Fri., Oct. 19, 8:30-1pm, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, contact for meet-up location. Hosted by Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Volunteers must be at least 12 years of age and able to hike at least one mile over rough, uneven terrain. Release forms required. Co-signatures of adult required for volunteers under 18. Contact Patty Kupchak at forest@fhvnp.org or 352-1402 by Mon., Oct. 15. fhvnp.org

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20
Palm Sheath Baskets Workshop with Jelena Clay, Sat. Oct. 20, 9-2:30pm, Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus, Volcano Village. All supplies provided to make two baskets - includes embellishments. $45/VAC member, $50/non-member, plus $30 supply fee. Pre-registration required. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

Birth of Kahuku, Sat., Oct. 20, 9:30-11:30am, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Explore rich geologic history of Kahuku on this easy-to-moderate hike. Learn about the Hawaiian hotspot and the creation of Kahuku. Free. nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

Zen Pen - Writing as Spiritual Practice Workshop with Tom Peek, Sat., Oct. 20, 9:30-4pm. $65/VAC member, $75/non-member. No writing experience necessary. Bring personal object, handheld mirror, and lunch. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

Art in the Everyday Community Quilt Project - Assembly Workshop, Sat., Oct. 20, 10-4pm, Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus, Volcano Village. After party to follow, 4-6pm. Visiting Artist Laura Phelps Rogers leads the ongoing project. A sculptural, social engagement and public work, in which Rogers hopes to construct monumental sculptural quilt built of 5" round, wood pieces - each blank and designed by community participants. Pick up blank piece and packet at Volcano Art Center Administration Office or at Wailoa Art Center. $10 donation. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

People & Land of Kahuku, Sun., Oct. 21, 9:30-12:30pm, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Guided, 2.5-mile, moderately difficult hike over rugged terrain focuses on the area's human history. Free. nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

ONGOING
Hoʻokupu Hula No Kaʻū Cultural Festival happens Saturday, Nov. 3, at Pāhala Community Center, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Featuring Master Cultural Practitioners, Kukakuka (talk story), and many educational and cultural experiences with hands-on demonstrations. The festival is preceded by ceremonies at Punaluʻu Beach at dawn; at sunset, a ceremony will be held to honor ancestors; the festival will close with a ceremony at Makanau.

Native Hawaiian weaving arts were taught during Uhane's
cultural festival weekend, led by Kawehi and Debbie Ryder.
Photo by Julia Neal

Craft vendors, food vendors, and informational booths can still be applied for. Contact Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder at leionalani47@hotmail.com or (808) 649-9334 for an application. Last year brought over 1,000 spectators.
The festival features hula performed by hālau from Mexico, Japan, West Virginia, Oʻahu, South America, and Hawaiʻi Island. Traditional ethnic dance performances will come from Mexico, as well as the University of Hawaiʻi-Hilo Filipino Dancers. Taiko Drummers will perform. This year's headliner musical acts include Hoʻaikāne, Wailau Ryder, Keʻaiwa, Victor Chock, and Steven Sioloa.
Sponsors include County Council member Maile David and community contributions through fundraising. See hookupukau.com.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

The fifth annual Volcano Winery Harvest Festival, on Sunday, Sept. 9, drew a sold-out crowd to fundraise for The Volcano School of Arts
and Sciences. From left: Joyce Kekahuna and the ‘ohana from Eagle's Lighthouse Café;Revelers; Wine, food, and fun; Volunteers ready
to greet guests with a complimentary wine glass and raffle details; More revelers; Volcano Winery Manager and VSAS parent Lani Delapenia
with Winery Owner Del Bothof; Volunteers pour a selection of Volcano Winery's finest. See more, below. Photos from Aubrey Hawk

PRESERVING PONC FUNDING FOR CONSERVING SPECIAL LANDS is a campaign of Brenda Ford, a former County Council member who represented Kaʻū. She and advocate Debbie Hecht shepherded the creation of the Public Access Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission and its Two Percent Fund years ago. A committee of the County Charter Commission is considering reducing property taxes used by PONC purchase lands from 2 percent to .5 percent. PONC and other funding was used to acquire specials places in Kaʻū and around the island.

In Kaʻū, 786 acres at Kāwā, 2,200 acres at Waikapuna in negotiation, 3,125.95 acres on the KahukuCoast, and 13 acres at Kahua ʻOlohu, also known as the Makahiki Grounds, are being preserved.

Waikapuna, with 2,200 acres, is in negotiation for the county to acquire.

Photo from Department of Land & Natural Resources

Legacy Land Conservation Program

Ford sent out a statement today: "When I was on the County Council (2006-2014), Debbie Hecht and I wrote the PONC and its Maintenance fund legislation from 2006-12 to allow the public to purchase treasured lands through the PONC Commission." She noted that the public has passed ballot legislation three times to retain PONC. "We finally got it into the Charter so Administrations and Councils could not stop it without a vote of the people."

She noted that Mayor Harry Kim told the Charter Commission that he favors reducing the percentage to .5 percent. Ford contended that the mayor "wants to control the land purchases himself." She also claimed that Kim "wants to sell some of the land to the State or Feds or private persons to own and maintain. He claims that HawaiiCounty does not have the money to maintain or improve the parcels."

According to Ford, "These parcels do NOT need to be maintained by the County, have never been maintained by the County, and do not need improvement by the County. The Maintenance fund is designed to attract local 'stewards' to do this process for free but the maintenance fund will pay for materials, if needed; such as, rock, gravel, lumber if a building already exists."

She suggested that the PONC commission take the stewardship function now administered by countyParks and Recreation, and work with the nonprofits, to alleviate the county's responsibility for maintaining the parcels.

She said the mayor would like to use the money saved by reducing PONC to hire new police officers. Asked Ford, "Where were these police officers in the 'good times' or before the PONC existed. NADA!"

Hawaiʻi County Council authorized the purchase of Kahua ʻOlohu.

Map from PONC

Ford said the mayor talks about raising taxes again and asking the State to increase the GET from 0.5% to 1.0% "and assorted other tax increases."

She said that the "initial reason that the PONC legislation was written and passed was that treasured lands were being purchased by developers and the public was excluded from their legal right to go to the shorelines or mountains which is owned by the residents of Hawaii and includes the general public (visitors). The PONC fund has purchased 14 parcels with 166 more to investigate and hopefully purchase. If we do not purchase these lands now, they will be sold to speculators for development and the public will be excluded. If you have ever gone to the Mauna Kea Hotel to visit that gorgeous beach, the hotel only has about 20-22 parking spaces for the public and then the hotel refuses to allow any one else into the area reserving the beautiful beach for their guests (1965).

"Additionally, many parcels are owned today by private owners who may not want to sell the land. The county could do an 'eminent domain' lawsuit but the Councils on which I served recommended not to do this at that time since it requires an expensive lawsuit, and we did not want to encourage such financial stress. Perhaps in the future such parcels of land may be available which is why we need to continue funding the PONC & Maintenance funds, or a large, expensive parcel will need a larger sum of money to buy it.

"Between 39% and 43% of the money for land purchases are funded by private donations (trusts), the State, or Feds. The PONC was designed to attract non-County funds, and it has been very successful. Land which can attract matching funds has always been the priority for purchase. Additionally, the PONC Commissioners are a worthy group of people who guard those funds zealously and ably. They are to be commended for their past, present, and future work in acquiring treasured lands. I continue to hope that they will forever understand the need to purchase our treasured lands."

PONC funding contributed to the purchase of 786 acres at Kāwā. Photo by Julia Neal

Ford acknowledged that other Counties collect a much smaller percentage for their "PONCs"– between 0.5 percent and 1 percent. "Their islands are very much smaller than ours with less treasured lands than HawaiiCounty." She noted that the Oʻahu has five times as many people "so it collects even more money than we do. However, we do not want to look like Honolulu which will happen if we do not protect and buy our lands now or maintain the PONC money without a 'cap' for future purchases."

Ford encouraged those who support retaining PONC's 2 percent attend the next meeting of the Charter Commission on Nov. 9 at 1:30 p.m. at Kona Council Chambers in West Hawaiʻi Civic Center "and testify against this violation of the people's will."

"If this terrible Charter Commission continues to promote the Mayor's agenda and place this issue on the ballot in 2020, please, please, please vote 'No' to save our precious lands," she concluded.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Recreation at Kīlauea Military Camp is in full swing.
Image from kilaueamilitarycamp.com

MORE DESTINATIONS ARE OPENING IN HAWAIʻI VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK , following the Park gate's reopening on Saturday, Sept. 22. Some features in the Park remain closed due to ongoing repairs and unrepairable damage.

Kīlauea Visitor Center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. The Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association operates a park store in the KīlaueaVisitorCenterthat sells books, posters, and other educational materials. Proceeds benefit park programs.

Volcano Art Center Gallery is open seven days a week, every day of the year except Christmas, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Volcano House offers views of Halemaʻumaʻu 24 hours a day, and restrooms are open to the public. The two retail shops are open from 8 a.m.to 8 p.m., seven days a week. All main lodge rooms are open to book, though the cabins are still closed. Uncle George's Lounge offers drinks only at this time. Both the lounge and restaurant The Rim are scheduled to be open at the end of the month. Due to the closure, snacks are for sale in the shops, and lodgers receive a free continental breakfast. Call 756-9625 for more, or visit hawaiivolcanohouse.com.

Uncle George's Lounge at Volcano House.
Image from hawaiivolcanohouse.com

Kīlauea Military Camp is open to military visitors and lodgers, and their guests. The dorm remains closed, but most cottages are open for reservations. The Lava Lounge is open daily, with a hula show on Oct. 19, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., and a Halloween costume contest with DJ on Oct. 26 from 8 p.m.to midnight. The bowling alley is open, with the grill providing breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The cafeteria remains closed due to refrigeration issues, though staff hopes to have it up and running in time to celebrate Veteran's Day. Call 967-8333 for more, or visit kilaueamilitarycamp.com.

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Volcano Winery owners Marie & Del Bothof.

Photo from

Aubrey Hawk

VOLCANO WINERY HARVEST FESTIVAL BROKE ITS FUNDRAISING RECORD for The Volcano School of Arts & Sciences.

A statement from event organizers says, "The fifth annual Festival was once again a magnificent evening... VSAS students, families, and staff are grateful to Deland Marie Bothof, owners of Volcano Winery, for hosting the event, which raised a record $10,000 this year!"

Marie Bothof said, "This has been a challenging year for all of us, so it's just really heartwarming to see how our community still managed to step up and raise even more money than ever in support of our kids. It's inspiring." Proceeds will go towards the purchase of a new van for learning trips.

VSAS School Principal Kalima Kinney said, "As in past years, the Harvest Festival sold out early and we would like to thank all of the community members who attended! The VolcanoSchoolof Arts & Sciences is indeed blessed with the most generous support of our community."

The Harvest Festival raffle was a big hit, featuring golf at the

Mauna Kea, a stay at the Waikiki Surfjack Hotel, and
much more. Photo from Aubrey Hawk

VSAS and Volcano Winery thanked Brian Hatayama and crew from Islandwide Canopy Tents for their donation of tents, tables, chairs, and manpower, and the following participating restaurants and businesses: Ira Ono - Café Ono, Joyce Kekahuna - Eagle's Lighthouse Café, Janet Coney & Highway West Vacations – Kīlauea Lodge, Kathy & Ola Tripp - Lava Rock Café, Scott Thompson - Mehana Brewery, Tom Smith - ‘Ohelo Café, Joan Obra - Rusty's Ka‘ū Coffee, Kittipan Puttakhan - Tuk Tuk Thai Food, Amanda Leeteg - VSAS Keakealani Kitchen, Jan Deluz - WikiFRESH Restaurant, Annie Yamanoha Catering, Chelsey Hanselman – Hawaiʻi Paper Products for paper goods, Jason Morton - HFM Food Service for water and soft drinks, and Kuahiwis - TR Ireland, Grant Ka‘au‘a, Kiliona "Moku" Young - for music entertainment.

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See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

Sat, Oct 20, 1pm, BIIF Semi-Finals at Keaʻau, Kohala vs. Pāhoa
Sat, Oct 27, 1pm, BIIF Finals at Pāhala Ball Park - Higher vs. Kaʻū

NEW and UPCOMING

KICKBALL INSTRUCTION, FOR KEIKI AGES 6 TO 12 YEARS OLD, will be offered at Kahuku Park (on Paradise Circle in Hawaiian Ocean View Estates) every Tuesday, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., starting Oct. 23 and ending Nov. 27. Participants must register by Friday, Oct. 19. Athletic shoes are required. For more, call 929-9113.

HALLOWEEN TRUNK OR TREAT TAKES PLACE ON WEDNESDAY, OCT. 31, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Ka‘ū District Gym's multi-purpose room. Register all ages Oct. 15 through 31. For more, call 928-3102.

KA‘Ū DISTRICT GYM BASKETBALL COURTS ARE OPEN TO TEENS AND ADULTS Mondays through Thursdays, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays, from noon to 6 p.m., through Dec. 22. Participants in Open Gym Basketball are asked to register before playing. For more, call 928-3102.

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17

Bunco & Potluck, Sat., Oct. 20, 6pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Popular game played with nine dice. Bring dish to share. Margie Hack, 541-954-8297

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21
Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund Ka‘ū Coastal Clean-Up with Ke Ala Kai Foundation, Sun., Oct. 21, call for meet up time at Wai‘ōhinu Park. BYO-4WD vehicle. Canoe paddlers from any Hawai‘i Island canoe club welcome. Free; donations appreciated. kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com, mattie.hwf@gmail.com, wildhawaii.org

People & Land of Kahuku, Sun., Oct. 21, 9:30-12:30pm, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Guided, 2.5-mile, moderately difficult hike over rugged terrain focuses on the area's human history. Free. nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23

VOTE: Early Walk-In Voting Open, Tue., Oct. 23, through Sat., Nov. 3. elections.hawaii.gov

HOVE Road Maintenance Corp. Meeting, Tue., Oct. 23, 10am, 92-8979 Lehua Lane, Ocean View. hoveroad.com, 929-9910, gm@hoveroad.com

ONGOING
Hoʻokupu Hula No Kaʻū Cultural Festival happens Saturday, Nov. 3, at Pāhala Community Center, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Featuring Master Cultural Practitioners, Kukakuka (talk story), and many educational and cultural experiences with hands-on demonstrations. The festival is preceded by ceremonies at Punaluʻu Beach at dawn; at sunset, a ceremony will be held to honor ancestors; the festival will close with a ceremony at Makanau.

Big guy from the state Department of Land & Natural Resources talks to a

little guy about enforcement of laws that protect honu and other sea

creatures, during the Hoʻokupu Hula No Kaʻū Cultural Festival

in Pāhala last year. Photo by Julia Neal

Sponsors include County Council member Maile David and community contributions through fundraising. See hookupukau.com.

Public Access Room comes to Ocean View on Wednesday, Oct. 31. The non-partisan division of Hawaiʻi state legislature's legislative Reference Bureau will offer workshops. Free and open to the public, they focus on training for creating, following, and testifying on legislation.
Two workshops will be offered. The first is geared towards newcomers, provides an introduction to the state legislative process to prepare new participants for the session. The second workshop is for those with an understanding of lawmaking. It will offer advanced advocacy tips on effective lobbying and often overlooked online resources. How-To guides, informational handouts, and other resources will be available.

PAR's staff will be at Ocean View Ocean View Community Center on Wednesday, Oct. 31, at 92-8924 Leilani Circle. The Beginners Presentation will be from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.; the Advanced Presentation will be from 2:15 p.m. to 3 p.m. Additional presentations will be in Kona, Waimea, Pāhoa, and Hilo, from Oct. 29 through Nov. 1.

For more, call toll free to 808-974-4000, ext. 7-0478, email Keanu Young at k.young@capitol.hawaii.gov, or go to lrbhawaii.org.

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