The Kaʻū Calendar News Briefs, Hawaiʻi Island

Hand drawn and colored maps of lands in Ka`u and other Hawai`i Islaand regions will be discussed during
a presentation called The Value of Plantation-Era Archives in Today's World, April 18 at Hawai`i Volcanoes
National Park. See story below. Photo from HVNP

THE TINY HOMES BILL FOR AGRICULTURAL LAND goes to a hearing at the Capitol on Wednesday. Launched as a way to provide more farm worker housing; and to allow more farmers to live on the land to protect crops, animals and machinery from theft, the bills HB2, HD2 and SD1 have drawn opposition from the Hawai`i County Planning Department and state Department of Agriculture chief Scott Enright. It has also received numerous support letters from farmers and tiny homes advocates.

The legislation "authorizes tiny homes of less than 500 square feet for farm workers in agricultural districts in a county with a population of more than 180,000 but less than 250,000," which means that the tiny homes would be allowed only in the County of Hawai`i.

Tiny houses, less than 500 square feet would be allowed on farms. Photo by Julia Neal

The Department of Agriculture chief testified that the measure "may result in adverse consequences and said, "The Department is concerned that these 'tiny homes' do not become defacto residential dwellings if the County is unable to adequately monitor and enforce the farm worker/family occupancy requirement for these 'tiny homes.'"
County of Hawai`i Planning Director Michael Yee testified, "We appreciate the intent of this bill to authorize the construction and use of 'tiny homes' as affordable housing for farm workers to encourage the healthy and productive farming. Unfortunately, we see treat potential that this provision, should it be adopted, will lead toward unintended abuse of of the very agricultural lands we are entrusted to protect by the State Land Use Law and our local zoning code.

Tiny House from Habitats Hawai`i.
See www.habitatshawaii.com

"As currently written, this bill will allow 'farm workers or their immediate family members' to occupy agricultural land provided that the 'farmer' has a business license and is engaged in agriculture.
"Anyone can easily obtain a business license and there is no level of specified engagement in agriculture within the bill that would justify a 'tiny home.' A person could just obtain a business license, plan and maintain a single tree, and generate no income whatsoever, and would thereby qualify for a tiny home on agricultural land. Secondly, a maximum number of tiny homes permitted on any given agricultural lot is not specified. This could potentially turn agricultural lands into affordable housing communities with no clear expectation of any increase in agricultural productivity," stated the Planning Director. He asked the legislature to "carefully weigh the potential deleterious effect this bill, if adopted, would have upon our ability to protect our agricultural lands."
The State of Hawai`i, Office of Planning wrote testimony contending that the Office of Planning "fully supports effort to help local farmers and grow the State's agricultural economy, but this is not an issue that can be sol, said the bill "has the potential to place farm labor families at risk of exposure to dust and pesticides and other public health and safety concerns. It also provides another pathway for non-agricultural residential use in the State Agricultural District, which could contribute to further use of these dwellings for transient accommodations, increases in agricultural land values, and exurban sprawl without attendant public facilities and services."

The One Island Sustainable Living movement endorses
the bill for tiny houses on ag land. See www.oneisland.org.

Marc Montgomery, of the Hawai`i Island Food Alliance, testified that tiny houses can be built with locally sourced materials - for example albizia. He said that allowing tiny homes on ag land would help to encourage smaller producers as well as large farms to meet housing/office needs on site. "Our food system is cripled by a lack of housing for farmers. In order to attract more farmers to farm, we need to provide decent housing on the farm."
He testified, "We will never change our dependency on imported foods -never - if we don't let farmers lower their cost of living by allowing them to live on the land they farm."
Stephen Shrader, wrote that "climate and lifestyle of Hawai`i encourages an indoor/outdoor lifestyle. It is also one of the best settings in the world to implement green building and energy efficient practices. Many farmers are wanting to down size the scale of their indoor living spaces, lower their cost for housing, be on farm to monitor their crops, lower farmworker rental housing and transportation/commute costs, spend more time farming and lower the environmental impact of their housing." He noted that he is a member of the One Island movement, convening Tiny House Community Conversations around the Big Island. See www.oneisland.org.

The bill passed the state House of Representatives and is before the Senate on Wednesday for a third reading. For more testimony and to weigh in, see http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=2&year=2017

Flumes that carried water in old sugar plantations are in the
photography preserved in Olson Trust archives.

SUGAR ARCHIVES ILLUMINATE HISTORY: The Value of Plantation-Era Archives in Today’s World is the topic at After Dark in the Park on Tuesday, April 18. From the 1850s to the 1990s, big sugar plantations dominated the agricultural landscape of Hawai‘i Island. The Edmund Olson Trust Archive is home to an extensive array of maps, records and documents from these plantations, and traces an powerful part of island history. John Cross, of Olson Trust, leads a visual journey through these irreplaceable historic resources and the era called “Big Sugar.” The free program begins at 7 p.m. at Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai‘I Volcanoes National Park.

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

KUMULAU`AU – TREES is the featured category in the call to artists for the 2017 Hawai‘i Nei juried art competition celebrating the native flora and fauna of Hawai‘i Island. The annual exhibition is sponsored by Three Mountain Alliance, Natural Area Reserves System and Wailoa Center.

Hawai`i Nei art contest brings artists to Ka`u to
the Kahuku Unit of hawai`i Volcanoes National Park
to observe the Ohi`a Lehua trees and such wildlife as this
`Io, Hawaiian hawk. Photo from HVNP

Amateur and professional artists of all ages are invited to submit works of art celebrating the native plants, animals and habitats of Hawai‘i Nei. A statement from the organizers says: “This year, artists can explore the foundation of the Big Island’s native forests. Trees are a crucial component of a healthy watershed. They often are referred to as kumu and even kupuna of the forest, being the base or trunk for multitudinous life but also teachers and grandparents.”
Rules set by the organizers include: “Artwork in any medium or combination of media is welcome. Native species found only on other islands will not be accepted. All species found from ridge to reef on the Big Island are acceptable. Subjects from beyond the reef, including the deep ocean, will not be accepted. Artwork made from native species is strongly discouraged.” Submissions must be original, created in the past two years, not previously shown in any other exhibition, gallery or website.
Artwork will be displayed from Nov. 3 to Dec. 15 at Wailoa Center. All residents of Hawai‘i Island are eligible to participate. All artwork must be registered online by Oct. 19 at www.hawaiineiartcontest.org. A photo of the artwork and entry fees are required with registration. Artwork drop-off dates, times and locations are 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Oct. 21 at Donkey Mill Art Center in Holualoa and 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Oct. 28 at Wailoa Center. See www.hawaiineiartcontest.org.

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

Open Mic Night, Wed, April 5, from 6 – 10 p.m., Kīlauea Military Camp’s Lava Lounge in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. Sign up at 967-8365 after 4 p.m.

Hawai‘i Wildlife Center Presentation, Thu, April 6, from 9 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. HWC representatives focus on the center’s history, mission and vision. Free; donations accepted.

Ocean View Neighborhood Watch meeting, Thu, April 6, at 7 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-2442 & 928-2015

Shane Trupin's Lava Ocean Adventures has received a special permit from the U.S. Coast Guard to
enter the Safety Zone set by the U.S. Coast Guard extending 984 feet from the lava entry, according
to Big Island Video News. Photo from www.lavaocean.com

COAST GUARD REOPENS WATERS NEAR LAVA ENTRY off Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. That's the news in a statement from Lt. Cmdr. Nicholas Jarboe, chief of waterways management, Coast Guard Sector Honolulu. Tour boats meeting Coast Guard requirements must apply for special permission to sail closer than 984 feet from the place the lava enters the ocean near Kamokuna Lava Delta. The Safety Zone prohibiting vessels from traveling closer than 984 feet was established on March 25 when the Coast Guard noted the instability of the sea cliff at the lava flow, the danger of collapse of the lava delta being formed, as well as fumes and other hazards. Tour boat operators said they could lose their businesses if not allowed to sail closer to the lava flowing into the ocean.

"The Coast Guard Captain of the Port has outlined the requirements to request entrance to the Kilauea lava ocean entry temporary Safety Zone," said the statement issued Tuesday. "The Coast Guard is clarifying the process for requesting entry to the temporary Safety Zone for all waterway users,” said Jarboe. “Sound risk management, contingency planning and response, and regulatory frameworks help us ensure the safety of life at sea and that the maritime sector remains safe, secure, and resilient.”

Those wishing to enter the Safety Zone are required to submit a written request to the Captain of the Port Honolulu. According to the statement, "factors that may be considered include: the vessel’s material condition, safety equipment, redundancies, general safety practices and procedures, specific safety practices and procedures for operating near the lava ocean entry, familiarity with the surrounding waters, and mariner’s experience operating as a Coast Guard-credentialed mariner."
Requests can be mailed to U.S. Coast Guard Sector Honolulu, 400 Sand Island Parkway Honolulu, Hawaii 96819 or email to D14-SMB-SecHonoMarineEventPermits@uscg.mil.

The Coast Guard was able to establish the temporary Safety Zone under Title 33 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 165.T14-0172 . The regulations state that the Safety Zone may not be entered without the prior permission of the Coast Guard Captain of the Port Honolulu.

According to Big Island Video News, "Shane Turpin’s Lava Ocean Adventures tour was one of the first to be granted entry after the Safety Zone was established. Turpin said he was impressed by how the Coast Guard Captain of the Port and his crew handled the situation."

The Coast Guard statement advises, "All waterway users should ensure they have the most up-to-date information from the U.S. Geologic Survey before embarking on a voyage in the vicinity of the lava flow entry: https://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/activity/kilaueastatus.php

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

KA`U`S COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER MAILE DAVID stood up for Equal Pay Day on Tuesday, which was proclaimed by Mayor Harry Kim for the County of Hawai`i. American Association of University Women members brought the proclamation to the council. Women are paid 84 percent of pay provided to men in Hawai`i. On the mainland, women are paid 80 percent of the pay that goes to men.

Mail David (backrow, fourth from right) joinedmembers of the
County Council and American Association of University Women
to celebrate Equal Pay Day on Tuesday.
Photo from Big Island Video News

The Mayor's proclamation points out that "More than 50 years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act, women, especially minority women, continue to suffer the consequences of unequal pay." It notes that "women working full time in Hawai`i year round in 2017 will typically earn 84 percent of what men earn, indicating little change or progress in pay equality." The resolution says the gender pay gap is evident one year after college graduation, even after controlling for occupation, hours worked and college major.
"We must pass the Paycheck Fairness Act" to close loopholes in the the Lilly Lebetter (equal pay) law's effectiveness. "A lifetime of lower pay means women have less income to save for retirement and less income counted in the social security or pension benefit formula," states Kim's proclamation.

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

KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK has announced free guided hikes, Coffee Talks and 'Ike Hana No`eau Hawaiian cultural programs for April through June. Visitors can also explore Kahuku on their own on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Hikers experience sister deities. Hi`iaka and Pele converge in
Kahuku. NPS Photo

'Ike Hana No'eau (Experience the Skillful Work) is a new program of Hawaiian cultural demonstrations at Kahuku on the third Friday of each month from 10 a.m. to noon. On April 21 learn how to make tī leaf lei; on May 19, learn to make a miniature kāhili (feather standard); and come weave a small decorative fish out of niu (coconut fronds) on June 23. Programs are free.
Coffee Talk offers conversations on a wide variety of topics at Kahuku the last Friday of the month. Ka'ū coffee, tea and pastries will be available for purchase. Coffee Talks are offered free on April 28, May 26, and June 30, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Palm Trail is a moderately difficult 2.6-mile loop traversing scenic pastures along an ancient cinder cone, with some of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. Highlights include relics of the ranching era, sections of remnant native forest and amazing volcanic features from the 1868 eruptive fissures. A guided hike of Palm Trail is offered April 23, May 28, and June 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Salmon colored ohia lehua at Kahuku. NPS photo

Pu'u o Lokuana is a short 0.4-mile hike to the top of the grassy cinder cone, Pu'u o Lokuana. Learn about the formation and various uses of this hill over time and enjoy a breathtaking view of lower Ka'ū. This hike is offered May 20 and June 3 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Hi'iaka & Pele. Discover two fascinating Hawaiian goddesses, sisters Pelehonuamea (Pele) and Hi'iaka, and the natural phenomena they represent. Visitors will experience the sisters coming alive through the epic stories depicted in the natural landscape of Kahuku on this easy 1.7-mile walk on the main road in Kahuku. The Hi'iaka and Pele program is offered April 8, May 7 and June 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
People and Land of Kahuku is a moderate two-mile, three-hour guided hike that loops through varied landscapes to explore the human history of Kahuku. Emerging native forests, pastures, lava fields, and other sites hold clues about ways people have lived and worked on the vast Kahuku lands –from the earliest Hawaiians, through generations of ranching families, to the current staff and volunteers of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Learn about the powerful natural forces at work here and how people have adapted to, shaped, and restored this land. The guided hike is offered April 9, May 21 and June 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Ti leaf lei-making. NPS photo

Realms and Divisions of Kahuku. Experience the sense of place that evolves at the intersection of nature and culture on this moderately difficult two-mile, two-hour guided hike on the Kahuku Unit's newest trail, Pu'u Kahuku. Explore the realms and divisions of the traditional Hawaiian classification system at Kahuku. Bring a snack for the "talk story" segment of this hike. Offered April 15 and May 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
'Ōhi'a Lehua. Learn about the vital role of 'ōhi'a lehua in native Hawaiian forests, the many forms of the 'ōhi'a tree, and the new disease of Rapid 'Ōhi'a Death. Visitors will be able to identify the many differences of the most prominent native tree in Kahuku on this program, which is an easy, one-mile (or less) walk. The 'Ōhi'a Lehua program is offered April 16, May 14 and June 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Birth of Kahuku. Explore the rich geologic history of Kahuku. Traverse the vast 1868 lava flow, see different volcano features and formations, and identify many parts of the Southwest Rift Zone of Mauna Loa. Learn about the Hawaiian hotspot and the creation of Kahuku. This guided easy-to-moderate hike is offered April 22, May 27 and June 10 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Nature & Culture: An Unseverable Relationship (He Pilina Wehena 'Ole). Hike the Palm Trail and be inspired by a place where hulihia (catastrophic change) and kulia (restoration) can be observed as

Inside Pu`u o Lokuana. NPS photo

the land transitions from the 1868 lava flow and its pioneer plants, to deeper soil with more diverse and older flora. Learn about native plants and their significance in Hawaiian culture. This moderate hike is about two miles and takes two hours. The Nature & Culture program is offered April 29, May 13 and June 24 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

To reach the Kahuku Unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, enter on the mauka side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5, and meet near the parking area. Sturdy footwear, water, raingear, sun protection and a snack are recommended for all hikes. Entrance and all programs are free.

Keep up with Kahuku events and visit the calendar on the park website, https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/kahuku-hikes.htm, and download the Kahuku Site Bulletin: https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/upload/2013_11_05-Kahuku-Site-Bulletin.pdf.

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

Hawai‘i Wildlife Center Presentation, Thu, April 6, from 9 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. HWC representatives focus on the center’s history, mission and vision. Free; donations accepted.

Ocean View Neighborhood Watch meeting, Thu, April 6, at 7 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-2442 & 928-2015

The Storybook Theatre Dolphin came to Tutu & Me, Pahala Preschool and Boys & Girls Club on
Thursday to entertain and teach children about marine life. Photo by Julia Neal

MEMBERS OF HAWAI`I'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION REACTED TO THE MISSILE FIRING BY PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP on Thursday. Trump said that when he ordered Tomahawk missiles to be launched from U.S. Navy ships in the Mediterranean into Syria to destroy an Air Force base, he was responding to the Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad's recent killing of children and others with chemical weapons.
Sen. Brian Schatz responded with the following statement: "The Assad regime's use of chemical weapons is abhorrent, but a military response is not the answer. The president has failed to articulate a strategy to end the Syrian civil war. A one-off strike may satisfy our desire to hold Assad accountable, but it risks deeper escalation without any sense of direction or objective. And unless this conflict ends, we will never defeat ISIL and prevent its return.

Sen. Brian Schatz said that the U.S. launch of missled
into Syria risks deeper escalation.

"Regardless, Congress must debate and authorize any escalation of U.S. military involvement against the Syria regime, as it is well beyond the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force. The United States must focus on leading a diplomatic effort among our partners and allies in the region to achieve a political solution that results in a post-Assad syrian government that brings stability to the region."
Sen. Mazie Hirono released the following statement: “The repeated use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime against his own people is an atrocity and breach of international law, and the international community must hold him accountable.

“The Civil War in Syria adds layers of complexity in a country and region where there are no easy answers and opportunities for missteps are great.

“In light of this, President Trump must present a coherent strategy for addressing the ongoing situation in Syria, including our own responsibility in confronting the humanitarian catastrophe and refugee crisis.”

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard released the following statement: “It angers and saddens me that President Trump has taken the advice of war hawks and escalated our illegal regime change war to overthrow the Syrian government. This escalation is short-sighted and will lead to more dead civilians, more refugees, the strengthening of al-Qaeda and other terrorists, and a possible nuclear war between the United States and Russia.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard called the missle strike "wreckless."

“This Administration has acted recklessly without care or consideration of the dire consequences of the United States attack on Syria without waiting for the collection of evidence from the scene of the chemical poisoning. If President Assad is indeed guilty of this horrible chemical attack on innocent civilians, I will be the first to call for his prosecution and execution by the International Criminal Court. However, because of our attack on Syria, this investigation may now not even be possible. And without such evidence, a successful prosecution will be much harder.”

Gabbard visited Lebanon and Syria in January and met with Assad. She returned with a renewed
vow to stop regime change wars that lead to innocent people being killed. She plans to be in Kona and Hilo starting next week with Town Hall public meetings on local issues, as well as foreign policy. She will be in Kona on Tuesday, April 11 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Kealakehe Intermediate School and in Hilo on Tuesday, April 18 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Waiakea High School.

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

THE U.S. SENATE CHANGED ITS VOTING RULES on Thursday when it became clear that Pres. Donald Trump's nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch, would fail to receive the minimum 60 votes to be confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Sen. Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement:

“Today, Senate Republicans destroyed a process that has been in place for years to accomplish their goal. of confirming a far-right Supreme Court Justice. Last year, they wouldn’t even give President Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland a hearing. And today, they changed the rules in order to ram through a nominee who cannot garner even 60 votes to sit on the highest court of the land, the Supreme Court. Judge Gorsuch would preserve the 5-4 conservative majority on the Roberts Court that favors corporate interests over individual rights." The new rules enacted by Senate Majority Leade Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) broke tradition and changed Senate rules, bypassing the first-ever successful opposition to a Supreme Court nominee.
The new rules will require a simple majority vote to confirm the Gorsuch confirmation, which is expected by the end of the week.

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

A GUIDE TO SELLING LOCAL PRODUCE TO SCHOOLS has been made available by the Kohala Center on its Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program webpage. It explains that The USDA Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program provides federal funds to low-income elementary schools to serve fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks between meals during the school day. The Kohala Center has created a number of resources for schools and farmers on buying and selling local for the FFVP in order to support local farmers, deepen students' understanding of local agriculture, and provide students with fresh, healthy snacks. For more information, view Kohala Center's FFVP webpage, which includes our FFVP Implementation Report and our FFVP Hawai`i Local Buying Guide with tips for farmers on supplying fresh produce for the FFVP and other child nutrition programs.

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

Kiva and Hawai`i Food Producers Fund Microlans allow individuals to loan and borrow small amounts of money
to help finance food production in Hawai`i. Photo from kiva.org

HAWAI`I FOOD PRODUCERS FUND MICROLOAN PROGRAM will fund 50 percent of loans sought through KIVA. The loans are 0 percent interest to Hawai`i food producers. The Kohala Center, with support from the Hawai`i Department of Agriculture and County of Hawai‘i, created the Fund to increase thapital available to local food producers and stimulate local food production. Hawai‘i food producers are Hawai‘i-based farmers and food processors utilizing at least one Hawai‘i-grown ingredient. Visit Hawai‘i Food Producers Fund page for more information.

Kiva is an international nonprofit, founded in 2005 and based in San Francisco. It connects people through lending to alleviate poverty. Lenders and offer as little as $25 to help with loans.

See www.kiva.org. The Hawai`i Food Producers Fund matches the Kiva funding for producing food on the island.

Internationally, Kiva has severed 2.4 million borrowers in 83 countries with a repayment rate of 97 percent, after lending more than $965 million, the organization reports. According to the Kiva website, its philosophy is that "lending alongside thousands of others is one of the most powerful and sustainable ways to create economic an dsocial good. Lending on Kiva creates a partnership of mutual dignity and makes it easy to touch more lives with the same dollar."See www/kiva.org

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

A dolphin was beached at Pahala Preschool today as Storybook
Theatre came to town. Photo by Julia Neal

STORYBOOK THEATRE OF HAWAI`I came to Pahala on Thursday with performances at Tutu & Me, Pahala Preschool and Boys & Girls Club. Storybook founder Mark Jeffers brought his giant, inflatable dolphin and taught children about marine mammals and the health of the oceans. Children were able to also sit within the belly of the dolphin for storytelling.

Jeffers will also make presentations at Kamehameha and other schools in the region through next week. See www.storybook.org.

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

Storybook Theatre founder Mark Jeffers teaches
children inside the belly of the dolphin.
Photo by Julia Neal

Stewardship at the Summit, April 7, 14, 22, 29; 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Volunteers clear ginger from park trails. Free; park entrance fees apply. nps.gov/havo

Tropical Flower Arranging, Fri, April 7, 1 – 3 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Kaipo Ah Chong helps participants welcome spring. $45 plus $20 supply fee. 967-8222

Pancake Breakfast, Sat, April 8, 8 – 11 a.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033

Atlas Recycling at South Point U-Cart, Sat, April 8, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Pele & Hi‘iaka, Sat, April 8, 9:30 – 11 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Participants discover the Hawaiian goddesses and the natural phenomena they represent on this free, moderate, one-mile walk. nps.gov/havo

Jazz in the Forest, Sat, April 8, 4:30 & 7 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Jeannine Guillory with Jean Pierre Thoma & the Jazztones present high-caliber jazz up-close & personal. Tickets at volcanoartcenter.org, VAC’s office & VAC Gallery.

Hawai`i Senator Brian Schatz with Syrian refugee. Shatz tweeted on Friday that the refugee ban
should be changed. Photo from Brian Schatz

IS THE TRUMP REFUGEE BAN IMMORAL if Pres. Donald Trump is willing to bomb Syria in the name of the Syrian children threatened by chemical warfare, while closing the door on them when their families try to flee to the United States? This is a question on Hawai`i Sen. Brian Schatz 's twitter feed. On Friday, Schatz tweeted a photo of a Syrian child in a refugee camp he visited, saying, "This is a kid I met in a refugee camp in Jordan. He's from Syria, and he needs us. This refugee ban is immoral."
Schatz also retweeted: "Trump must change his refugee policy if he wants to use morality to justify action. Public agrees: 68% oppose indefinite Syrian refugee ban." Another retweet: "Can someone explain how the U.S. can bomb Syria while still maintaining a ban against its refugees?"
It was also noted on Schatz's twitter feed on Friday that Trump defunded the United Nations Population Fund, which offers maternal health care to marginalized women to deliver healthy babies. Among those being served are some 48,000 pregnant Syrian women, many of them in refugee camps.
Trump's administration is contesting Hawai`i federal Judge Derrick Kahala Watson's ruling that stopped Trump's travel ban on people from six majority-Muslim countries. The arguments will be heard in a Virginia federal court.

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

JUDGE NEIL GORSUCH IS THE 113TH U.S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE. The vote in the U.S. Senate on Friday was 54-45, with Hawai`i Senators Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz voting no. Hirono, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, gave extensive testimony in her opposition to

Pres. Donald Trump, introducing Judge Neil Gorsuch as his nomination
for the U.S. Supreme Court. The nomination was confirmed Friday.
Photo from Wikipedia

Gorsuch, contending rgR he would rule on the side of corporations over people.
Schatz contended that the public needed to know whether Gorsuch would favor the powerful, and whether he would uphold privacy rights and the woman's right to choose. Both Hirono and Schatz said Gorsuch did not provide clarity on these and other issues during his confirmation hearings.
The usual requirement for confirmation of a Supreme Court Justice is 60 votes or more by the U.S. Senate but the Senate majority leader changed the rules to allow a simple majority vote to confirm Trump's nominee. It's called "the nuclear option." Gorsuch is expected to be sworn in on Monday morning.
The lifetime appointment means that Gorsuch, 49, could serve for three or more decades. The appointment of a Supreme Court Justice, who would agree to ban abortions and live up to other conservative expectations, replacing the late Justice Antonin Scalia, are named as reasons that Republicans supported the Donald Trump candidacy for President.

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

A poster for the 1944 U.S. Ag Census,
which has been taken since 1840.

KA`U FARMERS ARE INVITED to be included in the federal 2017 Ag Census, which produces statistics that help protect and obtain funding for such efforts as soil conservation, agricultural water and educational programs. The Ag Census takes place every five years and dates back to 1840.
Farmers and ranchers have the opportunity to make a positive impact on their operations and communities by taking part in the national Census of Agriculture. Conducted every five years by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, the census captures a complete count of all U.S. Farms and ranches and those who operate them.

NASS is in the final stage for preparing the 2017 Census of Agriculture mailing list. For those new to farming and those who didn’t receive a 2012 Census of Agriculture questionnaire there is still time to be counted by signing up. Click the ‘Make Sure You Are Counted’ button below and provide the requested information. Questions, please contact Kathy King, USDA NASS State Statistician, at kathy.king@nass.usda.gov or 808-522-8080. Go to Make Sure You Are Counted!

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

FARMWORKS HAWAI'I has announced programs of interest to Ka`u farmers and ranchers. Melanie Bondera , who has assisted Ka`u Coffee growers, is helping farmers form cooperatives and write business plans and grants. Diana Duff will teach a two-day long session April 29 and July 22 on Business Plan for Famers. Classes will be in Honoka`a, free and open to the public. Registration is through the Kohala Center. See www.koha.la/fsaworkshops. A class on beekeeping is scheduled for April 22. See more at www.farmworkshawaii.com.

Pancake Breakfast, Sat, April 8, 8 – 11 a.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033

Atlas Recycling at South Point U-Cart, Sat, April 8, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Pele & Hi‘iaka, Sat, April 8, 9:30 – 11 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Participants discover the Hawaiian goddesses and the natural phenomena they represent on this free, moderate, one-mile walk. nps.gov/havo

Medicine for the Mind, Sun, April 9, 4 – 5:45 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Buddhist healing meditation for beginners through advanced. Free. Patty, 985-7470

Senior IDs, Mon, April 10, 9 – 11 a.m., St. Jude’s Church in Ocean View. For residents 60 and older. 928-3100.

People & Land of Kahuku, Sun, April 9, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit. This free, guided, 2.5-mile, moderately difficult hike over rugged terrain focuses on the area’s human history. nps.gov/havo

Ka`u Trojans doused the Canefire Friday night to advance their winning record to 7-1 in
BIIF Boys Volleyball with a win over Christian Liberty and 14 kills by Trevor Taylor.
See story below. Photo by Pam Taylor

A STRONG STATEMENT AGAINST THE U.S. MISSILE STRIKE ON SYRIA COMES FROM KA`U'S CONGRESSWOMAN TULSI GABBARD, an Iraq war veteran and Major in the Hawai`i Army National Guard. Her interviews this week on national television and through other news services are followed by a statement she issued on Saturday:

"What President Trump did was illegal. Not only did he lack the Congressional authorization to launch a military strike against Syria. By launching missiles before the United Nations could collect evidence from the site of this week's chemical attacks in Syria, the White House has jeopardized the legitimacy of future attacks on chemical assets or the regime airbases used to deliver them.

"If President (Bashaar al-) Assad is indeed guilty of this horrible chemical attack on innocent civilians, I will be the first to call for his prosecution, conviction and sentencing by the International Criminal Court. But the successful prosecution and conviction of war criminals in the International Criminal Court hinges on the UN’s ability to collect evidence. President Trump’s unilateral airstrikes inhibits our ability to gather the facts needed to present a legal case against the culprits responsible for the horrific chemical attacks," said Gabbard.

"The fact is, Trump’s reckless escalation of the regime change war to overthrow the Syrian government will make things worse for the Syrian people, not better," contended the Congresswoman. "Have we learned nothing from our invasions of Iraq and Libya? The overthrow of Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi, brutal dictators who attacked their own people, has resulted in hundreds of thousands more civilians killed, millions more refugees, trillions of dollars wasted, and the strengthening of al-Qaeda, ISIS and other terrorist organizations. We risk the same outcome in Syria if we overthrow the Syrian government. Additionally, this attack on Syria brings the United States and Russia closer to a direct military confrontation.

"There is a reason our Constitution is written to require Congressional approval to declare war on an another country -- so the people of our country have a voice and so our nation isn’t heedlessly thrown into war without a clear goal, strategy and endgame.

"The stakes of war are too high to allow one individual to unilaterally and rashly make such a grave decision for our entire country.

"The chemical attack in Syria is abhorrent and deserves a thorough investigation and prosecution according to international law. Yet we cannot allow this attack to be a rationale to throw aside our Constitution and further escalate the counterproductive regime change war that has already resulted in the deaths of over 400,000 Syrians and created the worst refugee crisis in modern history.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard visited Syria and met with leaders of various
religions, including the Rev. Ibrahim Nseir whose ehurch was bombed.
Photo by Abraham Williams

"What Donald Trump did was reckless and dangerous. As the neocon hawks beat their war drums, we must drown their voices with our calls for peace," concluded the Congresswoman.

On CNN on Friday, Gabbard said she is unsure of the claims that the Syrian leader was behind the chemical weapons attack, referring to a "number of theories."

Gabbard gave the example of false intelligence leading to the Iraq War, invasion and occupation, even though the administration took its case to the United Nations and to Congress where some members questioned the evidence on weapons of mass destruction, and voted against the war. With faulty intelligence, said Gabbard, "We launched a completely destructive, counterproductive war based on that intelligence which has now, years later, proven to be wrong."

Concerning the blame for the more recent multitude of deaths of innocent people in Syria, Gabbard said, "There is responsibility that goes around. Standing here and pointing fingers does not accomplish peace for the Syrian people."

Ka`u's Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard denounced any
escalation of U.S. involvement in the Syrian War, saying it
could lead to many more deaths of children like these whom
she visited in January at an Aleppo refugee camp.
Photo by Abraham Williams

Gabbard also pointed to the cost of war, saying, "We have to take at a premium the cost of these wars not only on the Syrian people and the people in the Middle East but the cost of these wars here in the United States at a time where we don't have money to build the roads that we need here in Hawai`i or in other parts in the country. Why should we just blindly follow this escalation of a counterproductive regime change war, sending American taxpayer dollars on these failed regime change wars that we've seen too often in Iraq and Libya and now continuing in Syria?"

Gabbard met with Assad in January, in Syria, saying she was advancing a peaceful settlement to the conflict. Gabbard will hold Town Hall meetings in Kona on Tuesday, April 11 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Kealakehe Intermediate School and in Hilo on Tuesday, April 18 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Waiakea High School.

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

Ka`u Boys Volleyball is on a winning streak into
the BIIF island finals, with Pete Dacalio's 16
kills on Friday. Photo by Pam Taylor

WINNING IN VOLLEYBALL, KA`U HIGH TROJANS ADVANCED the team's 7-1 record by dousing the Canefire from Keaau on Friday night.

Ka`u Trojans beat the Christian Liberty Canefire in a hard fought battle, 27-25, 17-25, 20-25, 25-19 and 15-13 on the opponents' home court. Taking the win sends the Trojans into playoff games for the Big Island Interscholastic Federation II championship.

Ka`u standouts of the night included Pete Dacalio with 16 kills, Trevor Taylor with 14, Buddy Flores with 12 and Joven Padrigo with seven. The Trojans, however, led in service errors with 15 and the Canefire six.

Ka`u Coach Josh Ortega said he was proud that the Trojans stood up to the Canefire at their gym, which was packed with Canefire supporters. Both teams used a two-setter offense. For Ka`u, they were freshman Kobe Moses and senior Jamal Buyuan.

Ka`u's only loss this season was to Hawai`i Preparatory Academy.

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

People & Land of Kahuku, Sun, April 9, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit. This free, guided, 2.5-mile, moderately difficult hike over rugged terrain focuses on the area’s human history. nps.gov/havo

Senior IDs, Mon, April 10, 9 – 11 a.m., St. Jude’s Church in Ocean View. For residents 60 and older. 928-3100.

www.kaucalendar.com

Pahala Dojo Sensei Alan Moorse recently earned a Sandan 3rd degree back belt.

See story below. Photo from Pahala Dojo

THE STUDY OF RAT LUNG WORM DISEASE will happen on Hawai`i Island soon, if state Senate Bill 272, SE2 and HD1 pass the final round at the legislature. The bill provides funding for University of Hawai`i-Hilo for programs, studies and activities related to prevention and eradication of rat lungworm disease.

A House of Representatives and Senate conference will likely review the bill soon and will be led by Sen. Kai Kahele and Rep. Richard Creagan, a physician from Ka`u.

A slug can carry rat lung disease that enters the brain.
Photo from Sen. Kai Kahele

There were more than 70 cases of rat lung worm disease between 2001 and 2014, with many more in 2015. A Maui woman said she believed she recently contracted the disease on Hawai`i Island. The disease is caused by a parasitic worm lava infecting the brain of a human. Rats, snails and slugs are the carriers. It causes headaches, meningitis, tingling, fever, nausea and vomiting.

Said Kahele, "We know we have to appropriately fund these efforts to put an end to this menace," a disease garnering much publicity in the Hawai`i and national press.

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

Kula Kai recently welcomed Na`alehu students.

KULA KAI CAVERNS invited Raina Whiting's kindergarten class from Nā'ālehu Elementary for a day of science in the cavern on Saturday. The students and their families learned about cave geology and lava flow history on the island. "We might just have some future volcanologists in Ka'ū! Mahalo to Ric and Rose Elhard, owners, and Gary Gura, our tour guide," Whiting said.

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

PAHALA DOJO HAS EARNED MEMBERSHIP IN THE UNITED STATES AIKIDO FEDERATION. Sensei Alan Moores, of Pahala, has earned the promotion to Sandan 3rd degree black belt. The promotion of Moorse is recognized by both the Aikikai International and Hombu Dojo of Japan - the World Headquarters.

Alan Moorse, left, said Aikido is a

martial art that promoted peace.

Photo from Pahala Dojo

Moorse said these acknowledgements provide the Pahala Dojo with increased opportunity for growth and that he would like to thank the O Ka`u Kakou community organization and the people of Ka`u for their continued support.
He noted that Aikido is a martial art that promotes peace. "Many people ask, 'Why?' The best answer is found in a Japanese proverb, 'Better to be a warrior in a garden, then a gardener at war," quoted Moorse.
The Sensei has practiced Aikido for over 38 years and has been an instructor for 19 years. Anyone interest in joining Aikido can call Sensei Moores at 808-285-6463. Classes are held on Monday and Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Pahala. There are no monthly fees.

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

GAS GEOCHEMISTRY and the man who studies it is the subject of Volcano Watch, written weekly by scientists at Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. It focuses on the 38-year career of Jeff Sutton, a recently retired colleague of the scientists who excelled as a gas geochemist in the U.S. Geological Survey: Here is his colleagues' review:
"Throughout his career, Jeff strived to improve methods of sampling volcanic gasses and our understanding of what the gasses can tell us about eruptive processes. He also recognized that volcanic gas, especially chronic exposure from long-lived eruptions, such as Kilauea's ongoing East Rift Zone and summit eruptions, poses a health hazard to the population. His work in monitoring gas emissions and with health officials has been a huge contribution to the people of Hawaiʻi, and to the USGS Volcano Hazards Program.

Jeff Sutton recording and controlling emission instrumentation.
USGS Photo

"The roots of Jeff's illustrious career lie in Reston, Virginia, where he got his first USGS job. While he was still attending George Mason University to earn his degree in chemistry, he was hired as a Physical Science Aid to assist in a study of methane solubility. His work ethic, enthusiasm and creativity so impressed his supervisor and colleagues that they rehired him on a new project after the methane project ended.
"The new project was inspired by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, when the hazardous potential of volcanoes was brought into the limelight.
"The focus of the project was to design, assemble and test sensors and instruments for continuous gas sampling. This became one of the cornerstones of Jeff's career.
"He is a pioneer in the field of continuous gas monitoring at volcanoes. While others climbed volcanoes to collect flasks full of gas that they brought to the laboratory for analysis, Jeff brought the laboratory to the volcano.

Jeff Sutton on the keyboard measuing
gas emissions at Halema`uma`u
Crater. USGS Photo

"This was not an easy task, because volcanic gases are extremely acidic. They wreak havoc with electronics and can corrode metal within hours. Despite the challenges, Jeff continued to develop instruments that could withstand such harsh environments.
"Jeff realized that field-based instrumentation has several advantages over intermittent measurements and laboratory analyses of volcanic gases. First, it alleviates the need for hazardous visits to a volcanic site for the purpose of gas measurements and sampling. Secondly, continuous measurements provide a more detailed view of how gas concentrations and compositions change with changing volcanic activity than occasional samples. Finally, by sending data to the observatory in real-time, we can get the earliest possible indication of any change in gas emissions that could signal a change in eruptive activity.
"The continuous sampling project led to Jeff's appointment to a position at the Cascades Volcano Observatory. In 1993, after another stint in Reston, he was assigned to a 2-3 year tour at HVO. Fortunately for his colleagues at HVO, that 'temporary' tour lasted 24 years!

A colleague of Jeff Sutton using an instrumet that detects
gas compositions on the basis of absorbed infrared
light. USGS photo

"Our luck continues, as Jeff plans to continue working at HVO intermittently as a 'scientist emeritus'—meaning that he will volunteer his time to continue the work he loves and to finish important projects.
"Jeff is the perfect example of an observatory scientist: curious, creative, collaborative, interdisciplinary, applied, passionate about his work, and kind and caring towards his colleagues and the public that we serve.
"We also appreciate his quick wit and sense of humor, which brighten our workplace.
"For fans of our Volcano Watch series, Jeff authored more than three dozen articles during his time at HVO, with titles such as: 'Prodigious plumes present provocative puzzle.'"

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

Senior IDs, Mon, April 10, 9 – 11 a.m., St. Jude’s Church in Ocean View. For residents 60 and older. 928-3100.

Hei Demonstration, Wed, April 12, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. No‘el Tagab-Cruz teaches rotocol and meaning behind traditional Hawaiian string figures that are used with oli (chants) to tell stories and connect with elements around us. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Green Sand Beach is advertised by several helicopter tour companies. Photo by Peter Anderson

TOUR HELICOPTER & LIGHT PLANE FLIGHTS over special places like Green Sand Beach, with flight paths over homes, are expected to come up at congressional Town Hall meetings on Hawai`i Island this and next week. Hawai`i Coalition Malama Pono has issued a statement saying the group made progress recently in a meeting with members of Congress, the National Park Service, Hawai`i County Civil Defence and the FAA. According to the organization, the government officials were told "loud and clear: Hawai`i residents want relief from helicopter tour noise."

While much of the concern is coming from home owners, particularly in Mountain View and Kea`au, people visiting remote Ka`u places are also occasionally under the flight paths of tour helicopters. Helicopter companies are advertising overflights of beaches found in Ka`u - particularly those made of green sand.

Says one description on a helicopter company tour website: "Papakolea, otherwise more commonly known as Green Sand Beach, is made of grains of greenish semi-precious stones known as Olivine, which erodes out of basalt (lava) flows. The crystals are heavier than most sand types on the beach and remain behind when lighter sand grains are washed away by strong wave activity. The Green Sand Beach is located at the bottom of an old cinder cone, Pu'u Mahana, near South Point. The trail to the Green Sand Beach is about two and a half miles long, and towards the end of it you'll get your first look at the remnants of the cinder cone - the source of the green sand. Visible just above the rim is a glimpse of the olivines being washed down the slope." Green Sand Beach is listed as one of the flyover places during flights from the Waikoloa resort area.

Black Sand beaches are also mentioned in helicopter
tour promotions. Photo by Peter Anderson

Another helicopter company promotion states, "Enjoy the Hawai`i few people ever witness on our one-of-a-kind air adventures .....Whether flying Doors-Off over the volcano to feel the heat of the lava, hovering beside a 2,000 foot waterfall, landing for stunning views on an epic ridge top, or photographing the remote beauty of Hawai`i’s rare rain forest valleys, black and GREEN sand beaches..."

A statement from the United Mountain View Coalition, concerning flights over houses, says, "As our economy improves, more visitors are making their way to the Big Island of Hawai`i. Many stay in the leeward area and charter helicopter flights from Kona to view the lava flow in the Puna District. These helicopter flights from Kona travel directly over the Mountain View area at low altitudes and reek havoc on our quiet neighborhoods. At times, they are as frequent as every five minutes. Often they fly low to provide their tour groups with beautiful views of our vista. However, they show very little consideration and many times fly directly over our homes, rattling everyone's nerves."

A public meeting with Sen. Brian Schatz will be held April 18 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Sciences & Technology Building - Room 108, University of Hawaii `at Hilo. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is also hosting Town Hall meetings in Kona on Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Kealakehe Elementary School and in Hilo on Tuesday, April 18 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Waiakea High School.

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

WORRIED THAT THE U.S. IS HEADED DEEPER INTO WAR, with the missile strikes in Syria, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard tweeted on Monday, "Those who've declared Trump a habitual liar now vilify those refusing to blindly follow him into another regime change war. Hypocrisy."

She was referring to some political leaders, both Democrat and Republican, slamming her questioning of U.S. missile strikes on a Syrian airbase that President Donald Trump ordered. Trump said they were in retaliation for a Syrian military attack and killing of children and others with chemical weapons.

Gabbard stated: "I and thousands of my brothers and sisters-in-arms went to war in Iraq that was based on false intelligence and lies from our leaders. I believe it is the duty of every American to make sure this never happens again. We need to learn from Iraq and Libya--wars that were propagated as necessary to relieve human suffering, but actually increased human suffering many times over."

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, of Portugal, issued a statement "calling for restraint to avoid escalation of the situation in Syria, after the United States responded militarily to an alleged chemical weapons attack," according to a statement from the U.N. Said the U.N. Secretary-General, "Mindful of the risk of escalation, I appeal for restraint to avoid any acts that could deepen the suffering of the Syrian people. These events underscore my belief that there is no other way to solve the conflict than through a political solution." He urged all parties "to urgently renew their commitment to making progress in the Geneva talks."

U.N. Secretary General calls for restraint "to avoid any acts that could
deepen the suffering of the Syrian People."UN photo

Gabbard pointed to a Washington Post opinion piece by Margaret Sullivan that reviewed the coverage of the missile firings by many journalists who came up with terms like "beautiful" and such statements as "Trump's Heart Came First," and "I think Trump became President of the United States tonight" after the missile strikes were carried out.

After the 56 Tomahawk missiles sailed into a Syrian airbase from a U.S. ship in the Mediterranean Sea, Sullivan wrote in The Washington Post, "Why do so many in the news media love a show of force?" Sullivan quoted Ken Paulson, of the Newseum Institute's First Amendment Center: "There is no faster way to bring public support than to pursue military action. It's a pattern not only in American history, but in world history. We rally around the commander in chief and that's understandable."

Sullivan quoted Paulson saying that "news media 'seem to get bored with their own narrative' about Trump's failings and welcome a chance to switch it up. But that's not good enough, he said. 'The watchdog has to have clear vision and not just a sporadic bark.'"
Wrote Sullivan, "Groupthink, and a lack of proper skepticism, is something that we’ve seen many times before as the American news media watches an administration step to the brink of war. Missile strikes may seem thrilling, and retaliation righteous. But journalists and commentators ought to remember the duller virtues, too, like skepticism, depth and context. And keep their eyes fixed firmly there, not on the spectacular images in the sky."

Sen. Bernie Sanders, whom Gabbard endorsed for President last year, said after the missile strikes, "It is easy to go to war with other countries. It is not so easy to comprehend the unintended consequences of that war."

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

Hei, traditional Hawaiian string figures used in chanting, will be
made at a demonstration on Wednesday at Kilauea Visitor Center.
NPS Photo

Hei Demonstration, Wed, April 12, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. No‘el Tagab-Cruz teaches protocol and meaning behind traditional Hawaiian string figures that are used with oli (chants) to tell stories and connect with elements around us. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Derelict fishing nets and lines, collected from the Ka`u Coast, were packed into a 40-foot container on

Saturday, to be shipped by Matson at no cost to Honolulu to be burned to make electricity. Nohea Ka`awa

winches the nets into a Hawai`i Wildlife Fund truck. See story below. Hawai`i Wildlife Fund photo

REP. TULSI GABBARD'S REQUEST FOR EVIDENCE is "an entirely reasonable position," writes Salon magazine writer Danielle Ryan — "but apparently, it’s a big problem for some Democrats." Gabbard has called for investigating and presenting evidence on the details of both the chemical weapons attack that killed people in Syria and the response of the U.S. firing missiles into Syria.

In a Salon article on Tuesday, Ryan pointed to an attack on Gabbard by Neera Tanden, head of the Center for American Progress and former Hillary Clinton adviser. Tamden "tweeted a link to Gabbard’s appearance on CNN with Wolf Blitzer last week and essentially called out the congresswoman’s constituents for keeping her in office." Tanden tweeted, "People of Hawai`i's 2nd district - was it not enough for you that your rep met with a murderous dictator? Will this move you?" Tanden was referring to Gabbard's trip in January to meet with Syrian President Basjar Al-Assad, which Gabbard called information gathering and a peace mission. Former Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean tweeted that Gabbard is a disgrace and "should not be in Congress."

Ryan wrote in Salon that "Tulsi Gabbard is an Iraq war veteran. She put her life on the line for her country. Democrats like Howard Dean and Neera Tanden smearing her name for the crime of skepticism is the real disgrace....So what is Gabbard's high crime? Simply wanting solid evidence before getting tangled up in a new war."

The Salon writer referred to Gabbard, warning a year ago that the U.S. working to overthrow Assad was strengthening the position of Islamic extremists. Ryan quoted Gabbard saying that extremists "will walk in and take over all of the country of Syria if Assad's government falls." Gabbard contended that U.S. arms were falling into the hands of these enemies like Al Qaueda and Al Nursa.

The writer pointed out that "since last week's missile attack, the Hawai`i congresswoman has been tweeting using the hashtag #ResistTrumpsWar - a clear dig at Democrats who claimed to be part of the anti_Trump 'Resistance,' but who are now fully supportive of what she calls his 'reckless and short-sighted' airstrikes."

When questioning both the air strikes and chemical weapons strikes and wanting evidence, writes Ryan, the problem is with the framing of the Syrian problem. It "gives people two options: Be patriotic and believe U.S. intelligence officials unquestioningly or side with Assad and the Russians," the Salon writer concluded.

Gabbard tweeted on Tuesday, "We need to learn from Iraq and Libya - wars that were propagated as 'humanitarian' but actually increased human suffering many times over." She tweeted, "No leader -- of either party, for/against U.S. intervention -- should let POTUS escalate another regime change war without congressional approval," and, "Some of my friends never came home from Iraq war; we have the duty not to allow lies/speculation to drag us into regime change war again."

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

Matson donated a container and the shipping for nets and line
from the Ka`u coast to be shipped to O`ahu to a power plant.
J.D.Services, LLC donated a tractor and operator.
Hawai`i Wildlife Fund Photo

FIFTEEN THOUSAND POUNDS OF DERELICT FISHING NETS and bundles of line - most of it hauled off the Ka`u Coast - were loaded into a 40-foot Matson shipping container last Saturday. Hawai'i Wildlife Fund and eight volunteers filled the container. It was the tenth since 2005.

Hawai`i Wildlife Fund saves nets it collects from marine debris cleanup events along the shoreline for inclusion in NOAA's "nets to energy" partnership. Hawai'i was the first in the country to create this program, converting marine debris to electricity rather than tossing it into a landfill. Now, many ports around the mainland U.S. have similar strategies for this "fishing for energy" framework.

Megan Lamson, Hawai`i Wildlife Fund Program Director for Hawai`i Island, said, "This work would not be possible without the hundreds of volunteers who help Hawai`i Wildlife Fund with these ocean debris removal efforts every year. In particular, this net loading was made possible due to the generous donation by JD Services, LLC of a tractor and operator for the day, and the County of Hawai`i for allowing us to store these nets at the Nā‘āhelu transfer station in between container loads."

Matson Navigation provides the 40-foot container and free shipping of the marine debris from Neighbor Islands to O'ahu where Schnitzer Steel, a metal recycling company, cuts the nets into smaller pieces before they are delivered to the Covanta H-power Plant in Kapolei. There, they are burned and converted to electricity for the City and County of Honolulu.

The vast majority of nets shipped last weekend were pulled off the remote and rocky Ka'ū coastline. Also shipped were six large net bundles, weighing 1,200 lbs., pulled out of the ocean by boaters in West Hawai'i and dropped off at Honokōhau Harbor earlier in 2017.

Megan Lamson operates the winch to
putt nets into the truck to ship them
to an electrical plant.
Hawai`i Wildlife Fund Photo

Lamson said that the Hawai`i Wildlife Fund is "committed to removing marine debris from along our shorelines and working with local residents, businesses and government representatives to reduce the amount of plastic that finds its way into the ocean. Plastic pollution is a serious problem that now impacts most life forms that live in the ocean or use the ocean as a food source. But, it's a problem with an obvious solution. We must start reducing our usage of plastics, especially single-use plastics in order to protect the health of the ocean, and the health of the wildlife and people who depend on the ocean - all of us!"

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

Hei Demonstration, Wed, April 12, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. No‘el Tagab-Cruz teaches protocol and meaning behind traditional Hawaiian string figures that are used with oli (chants) to tell stories and connect with elements around us. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Red Cross Volunteermeeting, Thu, April 13, 7 p.m., HOVE Road Maintenance Corp. office. For volunteers and those interested in becoming volunteers. Hannah Uribes, 929-9953

Recycling at Nā‘ālehu School, Sat, April 15, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Nā‘ālehu School Gym. Redeem your HI-5 sorted by type; receive 5 cents per container and additional 20 cents per pound on all aluminum. Atlas Recycling donates 20 cents per pound on all aluminum redeemed to the school. 939-2413, ext. 230.

Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park offers a two-mile, two-
hour guided hike on Saturday. NPS Photo

Realms and Divisions of Kahuku on Sat, April 15 from 9:30a.m. to11:30 a.m., is a moderately-difficult two-mile, two-hour guided hike on Kahuku Unit's newest trail, Pu'u Kahuku. Experience the sense of place that evolves through the inter-relationship of nature and culture. Explore the realms and divisions of the traditional Hawaiian classification system at Kahuku. Enter the Kahuku unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the mauka (uphill) side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5, and meet near the parking area. Sturdy footwear, water, rain gear, sun protection, and a snack are recommended.

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

About 500 met with Tulsi Gabbard in Kona Tuesday night and another 30,000 joined in through Facebook
Live, according to her staff. Photo from Office of Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL POLICY DOMINATED the first Town Hall in Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's schedule of meetings around the state during the Congressional break. About 500 filled Kealakehe Cafeteria in Kona on Tuesday night. According to Gabbard's staff, more than 30,000 viewers tuned in via Facebook Live for the gathering.

The congresswoman spent the majority of the meeting answering questions from the audience on such topics as "ending the counterproductive regime change war in Syria, defeating terrorist groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda, Trump’s recent attack on Syria, federal spending, civil liberties, healthcare, education, military issues, and veteran services," her staff reported in a statement.

Gabbard reported on federal efforts to help stop pests destroying
macadamia orchards and ohia forests.
Photo from Hawai`i Department of Agriculture

Concerning local matters, Gabbard spoke about her work in Congress and bills she introduced and cosponsored, including legislation to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue fever and to combat invasive species like the coffee berry borer, macadamia felted coccid, albizia trees, coconut rhinoceros beetle, little fire ants, and the fungus that causes rapid `ohia death. She also highlighted her bills to support local farmers, small businesses, the agriculture industry, and sustainability efforts.

Gabbard defended her call for evidence regarding who deployed chemical weapons in Syria, saying that she still supports "a U.N. expert-led, independent investigation." She contended that while the U.N. was drafting the language to set up the international fact-gathering team, the U.S. preempted the investigation by sending in the missiles that destroyed part of the air base and evidence. She said the evidence "is necessary to prosecute people as war criminals before the ICC (International Criminal Court in the Hague, Netherlands)."
CNN reported Wednesday night that "a senior U.S. official" told the news agency that "The U.S. military and intelligence community has intercepted communications featuring Syrian military and chemical experts talking about preparations for the sarin attack" last week. However, the U.S. was unaware of the pending attack because the information gathered had not been processed before the sarin attack, CNN reported.

Gabbard plans to meet in Hilo at her Town Hall next Tuesday
at Waiakea High School. Photo from Office of Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Russia's Foreign Minister Serge Lavrov "reiterated the Russian view that the facts about the chemical weapons attack had yet to be
determined, and denounced what he described as the 'media hysteria' surrounding the assault. Further punctuating the Syria dispute, Russia vetoed a Western-backed resolution at the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday condemning the chemical weapons attack. It was the eighth time in the six-year-old Syria conflict that Russia, one of the five permanent Security Council members, had used its veto power to shield the Syrian government. But in a possible sign of Russia’s isolation on the chemical weapons issue, China, the permanent member that usually votes with Russia on Syria resolutions, abstained,"The New York Times reported.
According to The New York Times, "Lavrov gave what amounted to a long lecture on what he described as an extensive list of American efforts to achieve 'regime change' around the world, from Serbia to Iraq to Libya. He described them all as failures — an implicit warning against any efforts to achieve the same end in Syria."
Gabbard, who has introduced anti-regime change legislation into Congress, will have a Town Hall in Hilo, next week Tuesday, April 18 at Waiakea High School from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m

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

Hawai`i Attorney General Doug Chin.
Photo from Office of Attorney General

TRUMP'S TRAVEL BAN was the subject of another filing by Hawai`i Attorney General Doug Chin on Tuesday. Chin and the State of Hawai`i called the issue "a case of exceptional importance," and are asking for an increase to 15 judges of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco hear the case on May 15. Hawai`i was the first state to file suit over President Donald Trump's second version of his travel ban on people from six Muslim-majority countries and also refugees. The Trump Administration is appealing Hawai`i federal Judge Derrick Kahala Watson's ruling that the ban is unconstitutional.

The Trump Administration has also appealed a similar case on the travel ban, to be heard May 8 in 4th Circuit Court in Richmond, Va. If the courts issue conflicting rulings, the case could go to the U.S. Supreme Court where the new Justice Neil Gorsuch has taken his seat.

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

See reports and maps on earthquakes at
https://hvo.wr.usgs.gov

A MAGNITUDE 3.6 EARTHQUAKE registered at 8:29 a.m. on Wednesday.

The temblor struck about 6 miles southwest of Volcano Village, and south of the Kīlauea volcano summit caldera, at a depth of about 1.8 miles. A few people reported a weak shaking to the U.S. Geological Service, which reported that tiltmeters at the summit recorded inflationary tilt Wednesday morning before the quake.

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

KANIKAPILA IN NA`ALEHU has been announced. It will be held at the Methodist Church Hall (across from post office) every other Saturday eve starting April 29, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Acoustic instruments, drums, singers, dancers welcome. For more information, call Desmond at 937-6305.

SPRING THEATER NIGHT has been announced by Volcano School of Arts and Sciences Middle School. It will be held on Thursday, May 11 at 6 p.m. at Kilauea Military Camp's Kilauea Theater. Under the direction of Suzi Bond, each of the three grades will present a one-act play. As a bonus, the Fifth Grade will present a musical number One Day under the direction of Hal Treddinick.

This year, in their final performance for the school, the Eighth Grade will present The Capricious Pearls by Virginia Kidd. When Boss and his gang reconvene after being dismissed from parts better left unsaid, they go over the original map Boss had drawn showing where he had hidden a valuable string of pearls in a vacant house. They find it is now a home for aged ladies. The fun ensues in this slapstick comedy.
Seventh Grade will perform Red vs The Wolf by Judy Wolfman, the story of Red Riding Hood from the wolf's point of view? The show points out there are two sides to every story.
Sixth Grade will do Action News: Now With 10% More Action! By Jonathan Rand. The audience is welcomed to WOMG Action News, with lead anchors Babs Buttlebee and Jim Pickles as they present top stories. Admission is free, but donations are accepted.
\

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

Red Cross Volunteer meeting, Thu, April 13, 7 p.m., HOVE Road Maintenance Corp. office. For volunteers and those interested in becoming volunteers. Hannah Uribes, 929-9953

Recycling at Nā‘ālehu School, Sat, April 15, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Nā‘ālehu School Gym. Redeem your HI-5 sorted by type; receive 5 cents per container and additional 20 cents per pound on all aluminum. Atlas Recycling donates 20 cents per pound on all aluminum redeemed to the school. 939-2413, ext. 230.

Realms and Divisions of Kahuku on Sat, April 15 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., is a moderately-difficult two-mile, two-hour guided hike on Kahuku Unit's newest trail, Pu'u Kahuku. Enter the Kahuku unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the mauka (uphill) side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5, and meet near the parking area. Sturdy footwear, water, rain gear, sun protection, and a snack are recommended.

Keck Observatory attached the five-ton Cosmic Web Imager on one of its telescopes on Maunakea.
Photo from W. M. Keck Observatory

W. M. KECK OBSERVATORY ACHIEVES FIRST LIGHT WITH ITS NEW FIVE-TON INSTRUMENT on Maunakea. Before dawn on Wednesday, Keck captured the very first successful science data from its newest, cutting-edge instrument. The Keck Cosmic Web Imager is extremely sensitive, specifically designed to capture high-resolution spectra of ultrafaint celestial bodies with unprecedented detail. It is able to differentiate even the slightest changes in spectral color with a great degree of accuracy.

Keck Observatory support astronomer Luca Rizzi
with the new Keck Cosmic Web Imager.
Photo from W.M. Keck Observatory

"This powerful capability is key for astronomers because a highly-detailed spectral image allows them to identify a cosmic object’s characteristics, including its temperature, motion, density, mass, distance, chemical composition, and more," said a statement from the observatory.
Keck Cosmic Web Imager "is designed to study the wispy currents of gas that connect galaxies. The ability to study this cosmic web is the driving principle behind the design. However, it will also be used to study many other astronomical phenomena including young stars, evolved stars, supernovae, star clusters, and galaxies," Keck reported.
The new instrument captures three-dimensional data, as opposed to the traditional two-dimensional image or spectrum of conventional instruments. “I’m thrilled to see this new instrument,” said Keck Observatory Director Hilton Lewis. “It takes years to design and build these very sophisticated instruments. KCWI is a superb example of the application of the most advanced technology to enable the hardest science. I believe it has the potential to transform the science that we do, and continue to keep Keck Observatory right at the forefront of astronomical research.”

Keck scientists said the new addition to the
observatory is one of their crowning
achievements. Photo from W.M. Keck Observatory

“I’m incredibly excited. These moments happen only a few times in one’s life as a scientist,” said Principal Investigator Christopher Martin, physics professor at Caltech who developed the concept of KCWI. “To take a powerful new instrument, a tool for looking at the universe in a completely novel way, and install it at the greatest observatory in the world is a dream for an astronomer. This is one of the best days of my life.”
Martin flew in from California to join the Keck Observatory team as they worked to achieve the milestone moment. At 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, Keck Cosmic Wave Imager successfully achieved first light, with a spectral image of an exquisitely dense core of an ancient astronomical relic showcasing the highest spectral resolving power and spatial resolution of the instrument.
“I can easily say that this is a crowning achievement, the most important day of my career,” said Keck Observatory support astronomer Luca Rizzi. “This is an instrument that is breaking records in so many ways, and I’m really happy that we can now share this excitement with everyone who is passionate about astronomy.”
Since January, Keck Observatory’s team has been working to install and test KCWI on Keck II, one of the twin 10-meter Keck Observatory telescopes on Maunakea.
“KCWI will really raise the bar in terms of Keck Observatory’s capabilities,” said Anne Kinney, chief scientist at Keck Observatory. “I think it’ll become the most popular instrument we have because it will be able to do a great breadth of science, increasing our ability to understand and untangle the effects of dark matter in galaxy formation.”
Keck Observatory operates the largest, most scientifically productive telescopes on Earth. The two, 10-meter optical/infrared telescopes on the summit of Maunakea feature a suite of advanced instruments including imagers, multi-object spectrographs, high-resolution spectrographs, an integral-field spectrometer and world-leading laser guide star adaptive optics systems. The Observatory is a private 501(c) 3 non-profit organization and a scientific partnership of the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and NASA.

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

DEFENDING HEALTH CARE, HAWAI`I SEN BRIAN SCHATZ went on MSNBC on Thursday to talk about President Donald Trump's recent threats to insurance companies, hospitals and health care systems. Trump said he would hold back medical subsidies from federal coffers unless parties involved with health care reform negotiate with him.
People showing up in Town Halls across the country are worried they are going to lose their health care, said the commentator Joy Reid who interviewed Schatz. Ka`u Hosipital is designated by the federal government as a Critical Care Hospital and receives some of the extra payment subsidies through insurers that Trump threatened to hold back.
Concerning the bigger health care picture and the recent hold-off in legislation, Schatz said that those wanting to repeal Obamacare "spent so much time using Obama as a foil that they forgot to formulate a policy. So here they are in charge of both chambers, in charge of the executive branch and it all fell apart really quickly, actually without our intervention as Democrats. We didn't have the votes to intervene. They didn't approach us to intervene and yet it all collapsed within because they were lying for the last seven years."
Said Schatz, "The truth is that what Donald Trump and many other Republicans said for many, many election cycles is that you could get rid of the bad stuff and keep all the good stuff. But the truth is to the extent that the bad stuff is revenue, you need that revenue for taking care of people with preexisting conditions, for community rating (which provides federal subsidies to insurance companies to pay for services for low income people and rural hospitals), for keeping people being able to stay on their parents' plans until they are 26 years old."

According to Schatz, "All of the protections in the Affordable Care Act had to be arranged by virtue of revenue and by virtue of regulations. And now that they don't have President Obama as a foil, this thing fell apart and it fell apart quickly so you still have 20 or 30 members of the House who are so ideological that they're willing to inflict pain on their constituents, but the rest of them are running scared trying to fulfill a campaign promise that nobody wants them to fulfill anymore."
About Republicans and Democrats negotiating on health care, Schatz said, "To the extent that

Donald Trump is threatening to withhold money from insurance companies which will harm individuals across the country, which will make hospitals and hospital systems fall apart; if his threat is essentially, 'I am going to inflict pain on people and destroy the American health care system, or I'll do it with you,' we're not going to negotiate under any circumstances like that." Schatz said, however, that "If they officially stop trying to destroy the Affordable Care Act," both parties could work together to improve health care.
Concerning Trump's threat to stop making the federal health payments, Schatz said, "I think he's threatening the American people. I think he is also threatening the legislative branch. One thing he hasn't figured out is that legislators don't like to be bullied. He is not in real estate anymore. He is sort of trying to treat members of the United States Senate who are former governors, and admirals and astronauts and tv stars and people with substantial egos and substantial support in their home states. They can not be bullied. They will not be bullied. And this idea that you can sort of treat members of Congress, a co-equal branch of government, as though we'e sort of subcontractors in a real estate deal he wants to stiff - it's one of the reasons that he's been such a failure as president. It's that he doesn't understand that we have three co-equal branches of government and that the legislative branch is not going to be bullied around. "We are not going to allow him to hold the American people, the American health care system, hostage and negotiate under those terms. Now, if he wants to improve the American Health Care Act, we're all in."

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

EASTER FUN DAY for the public will be held Saturday, April 15 at Pahala Preschool on Hu`apala Street from 10 a.m. until pau. Games, music Easter Egg Hunts for keiki and seniors. lucky number drawings, food, music led by Calvin Ponce, games for everyone, prizes.

Ka`u Coffee Recipe Contest will be Sunday, May 21.
Photo by Julia Neal

KA`U COFFEE RECIPE CONTEST FOR 2017 has been announced for Sunday, May 21 at 11 a.m. at Ka`u Coffee Mill. There will be adult and student divisions and the categories to enter are Pupu, Entree and Dessert.
Recipes must include Ka`u Coffee. Entries will be judged on creativity, taste and presentation.
Each contestant is limited to one entry per category. Entry forms are at www.kaucoffeefestival.com, www.kaucoffeemill.com, Mizuno Market in Pahala and Ka`u Coffee Mill. Deadline to enter is May 12 and entries must be brought Ka`u Coffee Mill by 10 a.m. on May 21. For more information, call Nikki at 928-0550. Cash prizes will be awarded.

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

Recycling at Nā‘ālehu School, Sat, April 15, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Nā‘ālehu School Gym. Redeem your HI-5 sorted by type; receive 5 cents per container and additional 20 cents per pound on all aluminum. Atlas Recycling donates 20 cents per pound on all aluminum redeemed to the school. 939-2413, ext. 230.

Realms and Divisions of Kahuku on Sat, April 15 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., is a moderately-difficult two-mile, two-hour guided hike on Kahuku Unit's newest trail, Pu'u Kahuku. Enter the Kahuku unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the mauka (uphill) side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5, and meet near the parking area. Sturdy footwear, water, rain gear, sun protection, and a snack are recommended.

Hawai`i Police Captain Kenneth Quiocho oversees the Ka`u District with much enthusiasm.
Photo by Ann Bosted

CAPTAIN KENNETH QUIOCHO is the new leader of Ka`u District for the Hawai`i Police Department. Ka’u police officers have state of the art equipment, regular training and are held to high standards, yet there are limitations and difficulties to accomplishing their jobs, said Quiocho, after leading the district for just 30 days when he talked to The Ka’u Calendar newspaper.

Quiocho, showing obvious enthusiasm for Ka`u, its police force and his position, outlined his leadership goals and frankly discussed strengths and weaknesses.

“We have to do more with less,” he explained, referring to lean budgets in the face of the need to respond to crimes and other emergencies in Ka’u.

Ocean View Mini Station for Ka`u police. Photo by Ann Bosted

Quiocho has covered a lot of ground since he joined the Hawai`i Police Department 25 years ago. He has served in many branches, including vice, traffic, patrol, and investigations as a detective. He has been based in Hamakua, South Kohala, Kona, Hilo and now Ka’u. This range of experience, he opines, has made him more “well rounded.”

“Now, from the perspective of my new position, I can develop my leadership style and vision for the department based on Hawai`i Police Department’s mission and vision statements. I am a product of mentorship. I was fortunate that I had supervisors that observed my work ethic and took time to mold me.”

Living in Honoka’a means a long daily commute for Quiocho, which he does not begrudge. His wife, Leslie, a graphics artist, has close family in the area. Their oldest son, a college graduate lives in Texas, their second son is at college in Oregon and the two younger sons attend Kamehameha School in Keaau. Quiocho’s parents are from the Big Island, although he was born and raised in San Diego. He came to think of the Big Island as his home during family vacations, and then, at the first opportunity, returned for good.

Before taking on the leadership of the Ka’u District, Quiocho worked on maintaining Hawai`i’s qualifications with the national and international organization, Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. CALEA maintains standards for accreditation by conducting periodic audits and also requires training of police personnel to ensure that the best policing standards are met.

Ocean View residents gathered at the community center in February
to talkwith Mayor Harry Kim about policing in the neighborhood.
Photo by Ann Bosted

Quiocho’s job meant a lot of writing of policies and procedures, but it gave him an insight into the details of the profession. “Being accredited with CALEA is a very big deal,” he said. “It made me realize that there is a lot of accountability in what we do”.

“We were accredited in 2012, and that led to the tightening up of our police procedures and that meant revisions, and then we were re-accredited in 2015. Independent assessors go through and scrutinize everything we have and how we do “it.” The “it” means updated training for all law enforcement officers, which makes us all better at our job. I think the audits are fair and reasonable – everything CALEA asks for can be accomplished. “

Asked what made him join Hawai`i County's police force, Quiocho replied simply: “To be a cop you have to want to help people.” Asked to elaborate, Quiocho said: “It’s a tough job and cops work hard. You will never get rich being a police officer, but the satisfaction comes from helping people, protecting people and working to establish partnerships to fight crime. Cops risk being assaulted all the time– recently we had three officers that were injured by violent suspects when effecting an arrest. One of my responsibilities is to think about officer safety.”

Modern equipment and techniques can help police in tracking down criminals and solving cases, but, according to Quiocho, there are limitations. “Our equipment is constantly improving. This month our police radio was switched from analog to digital. Before that anyone could buy equipment from Radio Shack and listen in on our conversations on analog.

“We have good digital cameras, we can do some forensic recovery of evidence such as tire tracks, fingerprints, we have DNA swabbing kits, but often that is not enough just to be able to recover the evidence. For example, for DNA evidence to be helpful, we also need a more complete DNA data base for comparison. DNA testing is costly. The Lab in Honolulu is overwhelmed with requests for testing, so we often have to contract with private labs and send evidence to them. On one particular case we spent about $60,000 in testing.

“We can’t solve a crime in an hour like they do on TV. That’s fiction. We are bound by rules of evidence and we have to stretch our resources to cover the job. In real life, you have to think outside the box. We have to develop different ways of getting the job done more efficiently. We have to develop a can do attitude”.

Quiocho wants to spend time getting to know the residents of Ka’u. “Each town, Na’alehu, Pahala, Ocean View and Discovery Harbor, are all quite different from each other. Each town has an interesting network of people, but I can’t experience them when I’m behind my desk. We are more effective when working with the community to establish partnerships, which is why I depend on my two community policing officers to work with our community. Officer Tayamen is the community police officer for Na’alehu and Pahala, while officer Tomota works in Ocean View and Discovery Harbor.

A new police station in Ocean View is not in the
county plans over the next few years.
Photo by Ann Bosted

“Community police officers try to get involved in community events and school events by working with the school principals. In Ocean View we are currently working with the Neighborhood Watch Program. We, the police and the community, need to be more organized. We have established neighborhood crime patrols, a crime newsletter that is sent out electronically, so members of the community can keep abreast of what crime is going on and get involved. I would like to do more with community messaging.”

Asked about how he would handle juvenile offenders, Quiocho replied, “We need to establish youth programs. We need to keep our kids busy and out of mischief. I would like them to look at us as people they can come to for help. We need to get the message out – We want to work with them and are not going to take you to jail.

“I am always interested in getting people to work with me as a team. You need empathy. With empathy people will open up and want to assist the police.

“Working with the public gives us more opportunities to solve crimes. We can’t catch them all, but working together we can get more accomplished."

Asked about the new police sub-station that was petitioned for by the Ocean View community, Quiocho was firm. “There is no money for a new sub station.” He did, however, say that the Police Department is looking into making the existing Ocean View Mini Police Station (a rarely used store in Pohue Plaza Shopping Center that is rented by the county) more “operational.”

“Its crazy to have officers drive back to Na’alehu to do paperwork. We are working with the Police Computer Section on some options to assist us. They will be looking at the signal strength in the area and trying to get us some better coverage in the area if possible." Quiocho was optimistic about the support he is getting from his superiors.

“The Chief is listening to the needs of the Ka’u District, and he has given us more personnel. I now have 25 sworn officers reporting to me. He is concerned about crime here, and balances that out with the needs of eight other districts that also need more manpower. He understands that everyone is entitled to equal protection under the law, and that he has to allocate resources where crime is rising and where the needs are greatest. It is not an easy job, considering all the factors and decisions that have to be made.”

Trojan Volleyball, with Jacob Flores, is winning and
headed into the high schoool championships.
Photo by Pam Taylor

“We have a detective from Kona who has been assigned to help with us with cases from Ka’u, so we are essentially sharing him with Kona. When we develop leads and suspects, he steps in to help us.”

While Quiocho clearly needs more resources, he is also proud of his arsenal, in terms of equipment and trained officers. “If all we had was a hammer,” he grins, “then we would have to treat everything as a nail.” His satisfied grin clearly belies his stoic choice of words.

Quiocho underlined his down-to-earth philosophy of police work when he said: “There are lots of hurdles to overcome. We can accomplish them one at a time. I believe that if we take care of the small stuff, the big stuff will take care of itself.”

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

Pete DaCalio and Travis Taylor reach high to put
the ball back on Christian Liberty.
Photo by Pam Taylor

KA'U HIGH TROJANS BOYS VOLLEYBALL TEAM continued a winning streak Thursday night at the Ka`u Regional Gym, beating Christian Liberty Academy 25-23, 25-17 and 25-14. The Trojans have lost just one game as they head into championship play.

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

EASTER FUN DAY for the public will be held Saturday, April 15 at Pahala Preschool on Hu`apala Street from 10 a.m. until pau. Games, music Easter Egg Hunts for keiki and seniors. lucky number drawings, food, music led by Calvin Ponce, games for everyone, prizes.

CONTENDERS FOR THE MISS KA`U COFFEE TITLES have been named. The pageant will be held on Saturday, May 13 at Ka`u Coffee Mill. Pageant director Trini Marques named the young women in categories of competition. Competing for Miss Ka`u Coffee are: Jami Beck, Alysha Gustafson-Savelia and Shanese Tailon. Competing for Jr. Miss Ka`u Coffee are Cristina Kawewehi, Calaysa Koi and Jacie Umemoto. Competing for Miss Peaberry are Ava Estabilio-Lazar, Melo Keohuloa, Adryana Lorenzo, Gwendolyn McEroy and Jazmyn Navarro. Competing for Miss Ka`u Coffee Flower are Lyla-mae Lazar, Lilianna Marques amd Evalynn Ornellas.
Winners will receive scholarships from sponsors in the community.

Contenders for Miss Ka`u Coffee titles began practice Thursday night
for the pageant to take place on Saturday May 13 at Ka`u Coffee
Mill under the direction of Trini Marques.
Photo by Julia Neal

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

Recycling at Nā‘ālehu School, Sat, April 15, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Nā‘ālehu School Gym. Redeem your HI-5 sorted by type; receive 5 cents per container and additional 20 cents per pound on all aluminum. Atlas Recycling donates 20 cents per pound on all aluminum redeemed to the school. 939-2413, ext. 230.

Realms and Divisions of Kahuku on Sat, April 15 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., is a moderately-difficult two-mile, two-hour guided hike on Kahuku Unit's newest trail, Pu'u Kahuku. Enter the Kahuku unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the mauka (uphill) side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5, and meet near the parking area. Sturdy footwear, water, rain gear, sun protection, and a snack are recommended.

SUNRISE SERVICE will be held Easter Sunday morning at Punalu`u Black Sand Beach. All denominations are invited. Time is 6 a.m. with music and prayer and morning refreshments.

A wide range of clothing and preparedness is seen amongst the estimated 1,500 people a day visiting Kilauea's
active flow field and ocean entry. Photo from HVO

SATURDAY WAS TAX DAY and marches were held in Hawai`i and throughout the country to "demand transparency from President Trump," asking for release of his tax returns to the public, stated Tulsi Gabbard, who represents Ka`u District in Congress.

“Every president has a duty to put the interests of the American people first and foremost, and the American people deserve to know whether allegiance to special interests or undue foreign influence might be interfering with that duty,” Gabbard said. "We need leadership in this country that is committed to setting aside personal interests and serving the interests of the American people. I thank everyone who took the time to march today to demand the transparency required to ensure our government remains of, by, and for the people.”

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard holds a Town Hall meeting in
Hilo on Tuesday.

Last week, Gabbard signed a Discharge Petition that would force House Republicans to bring HR305 to the floor for a vote. This bill would require the president to disclose federal income tax returns for the three most recent taxable years and establishes civil and criminal penalties for failing to file or falsifying these income tax returns.

Gabbard is also a cosponsor of Rep. Jerrold Nadler's resolution that would require Attorney General Jeff Sessions to turn over any records relating to investment by any foreign government in any entity owned in whole or in part by President Trump. Additionally, the resolution would require the Attorney General to produce documents related to Trump's failure to create a blind trust for his business dealings and his proposal to instead maintain an interest in his business holdings while turning over the day-to-day operation of those interests to his sons.
Gabbard holds a Town Hall meeting in Hilo on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Waiakea High School.

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

Rugged trails along the lava coast require supportive shoes or boots, but not those with metal that can
heat up and burn when walking over hot spots. HVO photo

WHAT'S HOT AND NOT? ask the scientists at Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, who write in this week's Volcano Watch about safety and "essential lava field fashion," something they know about when working all over a volcano, It includes wearing clothes and footwear that won't melt:

An estimated 1,500 visitors a day hike across the lava flow fields to view the ocean entry and search for active lava breakouts. Round-trip walking distance is far; a one-way trip to the ocean entry from Kalapana is around 4 miles. Add the chase for active lava, milling about, and the hike will quickly add up to over 10 miles when you return.

With most visitors to Hawai`i not packing much real hiking gear, it's not uncommon to see visitors to the ocean entry that are not dressed for the adventure.

Here are some tips from for essential lava field fashion from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano

Observatory geologists who walk miles on Kīlauea lava flows—both new and old.

Fields of newly erupted lava are not flat—they’re hummocks, cracks and crags that have been uplifted and overturned by the pressure of molten lava moving within the flows. To prevent sprains, shoes with support are a must. Boots with high ankle tops are ideal. But, low or mid-top shoes will work with thicker socks. No-show socks, or no socks at all, are not recommended as they provide fragments of glass a direct path to a walker's skin.

Hiking the volcano requires clothing and shoes that don't melt and staying away from flowing lava.
NPS photo

The glass fragments are produced from the thin surface of solidified pahoehoe. It crunches under foot and peels away to form razor sharp flakes. These flakes lie in wait, ready to scrape an ungloved hand if extended to the ground during a stumble or fall. When walking far distances on the pahoehoe, it’s a good idea to wear light gloves to help catch a fall. Cotton garden gloves work fine. While hiking with these seems silly, one fall without them will make a believer. Light gloves are standard gear among the scientists and student groups that regularly visit the flow field.

Light cotton clothing is recommended as a base layer, or next to the skin. Long-sleeved shirt and long pants made of natural fiber will not only prevent sunburn, they also offer a measure of protection against scrapes and abrasions. Synthetic clothing, while fast-drying and light, must not be exposed too closely to an active lava flow or it will quickly melt. While this is usually not dangerous, it will ruin the material. Particularly today's expensive rain gear (which should be in the hiker's pack too).

Gloves protect hikers hands when falling on
sharp lava or when examining glass matter
from the volcano. HVO photo

Most light shoes, not matter how fashionable, will melt if you stand on hot lava. This is obvious. However, what's not so obvious is what a hot, or freshly-formed, lava flow looks like. Contrary to popular belief, a flow formed minutes ago does not glow an orange-red. Its surface is a dull silver color, and the air above it shimmers with heat.

Melting shoes are often not immediately noticed by the wearer. The attention getter is when the soles separate. Stitched soles, common on heavy hiking boots, are ideal as they do not delaminate under heat. But, the more affordable glued soles are fine as long as the hider watches the ground temperature closely. Don't wear shoes with steel toes or metal shanks. The metal can heat up to foot-cooking temperatures.

Best practice is to keep safe distances from active lava to protect skin and those outdoor-gear investments.

All the usual accessories are still in fashion: hat, sunglasses, backpack, etc. Multiple water bottles are recommended. Another overlooked item, the flashlight, is so in vogue that anyone sporting one will be the life of the party as soon as the sun goes down. Since the best viewing is during dawn or dusk (when you can see the glow), an LED flashlight or headlamp is priceless. So, don't go without one, day or night.

Of course, all this fashion does come with a formality: Remember to stay in designated safe areas despite what you see or read in social media.

Additional Information on hiking to the ocean entry and lava viewing can be found at:

http://www.hawaiicounty.gov/lava-related/

https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=FF37DE1A-B856-D703-50C420EDC9FB5069

https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2000/fs152-00/

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

Volcano Activity Updates; Kīlauea continues to erupt at its summit and East Rift Zone. This past week, the summit lava lake level varied between about 22 and 29 m (71-95 ft) below the vent rim. The 61g flow was still active, with lava entering the ocean and building a small delta near Kamokuna and small surface breakouts downslope of Puʻu ʻŌʻō on the pali and the coastal plain. The 61g flows do not pose an immediate threat to nearby communities.

A flurry of 150 earthquakes relating inflation of a magma
reservoir near the summit of Mauna Loa.

Mauna Loa is not erupting. During the past week, a flurry of more than 150 earthquakes were located beneath the upper west flank of the volcano with a peak of just under 60 quakes on April 08. GPS measurements continue to show deformation related to inflation of a magma reservoir beneath the summit and upper Southwest Rift Zone. No significant change in the gas output was noted this past week; the fumarole temperature continued to decrease.

Two earthquakes were reported felt on the Island of Hawai'i in the past week. On Monday, April 10 at 1:31 a.m. HST a magnitude 3.1 earthquake occurred 14.6 km (9.1 mi) northwest of Na`alehu at a depth of 0.9 km (0.6 mi). On Wednesday, April 12 at 8:29 a.m. HST a magnitude 3.5 earthquake occurred 3.7 km (2.3 mi) southwest of Kīlauea Summit at a depth of 2.6 km (1.6 mi).

Visit the HVO website (http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov) for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea daily eruption updates and other volcano status reports, current volcano photos, recent earthquakes, and more; call (808) 967-8862 for a Kīlauea summary update; email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

SUNRISE SERVICE will be held Easter Sunday morning at Punalu`u Black Sand Beach. All denominations are invited. Time is 6 a.m. with music and prayer and morning refreshments.

www.kaucalendar.com

The late Uncle George Na`ope founded the Merrie Monarch Festival, the world's top hula event, with
the 2017 celebration beginning Easter Sunday in Hilo. Na`ope 's legacy also continues in Ka`u, where his
student, Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder, teaches every Wednesday at Pahala Community Center, with
free classes for keiki, beginning adults and advanced adults. See more below.
Photo from Big Island Video News

THE SOUTH POINT RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PLAN is being finalized by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. The draft was released last year and DHHL is working to include additional public and professional input as it determines the future of the popular visitor, ranching, fishing and camping area at Kalae, which is also home to many native plants and animals and cultural sites.
The area has received an increase in visitors with the growing popularity of traveling to Green Sand Beach.

South Point, Kalae, the property belonging to the Department of
Hawaiian Home Lands is the subject of a Draft South Point Resources
Management Plan. Photo by Peter Anderson

The lands held under the Hawaiian Homes Land Trust are in the ahupua`a of Kama`oa-Pu`u`eo. They extend from South Point toward Green Sand Beach and Mahana Bay. The draft points to an old plan completed for South Point in 1983 and says that "unfortunately, the ongoing issues of this area still have not been addressed three decades later. Many Ka`u community members are frustrated that there has been no progress for the management of South Point resources," the draft plan says. "However, the need to protect and preserve the natural and cultural sites of South Point" was identified as a priority project in the DHHL's Ka`u Regional Plan adopted by the Hawaiian Homes Commission.
The new draft plan explains that South Point "is a special and unique place. Its significant cultural landscape tells of the very early native Hawaiian settlement of the area." It notes that some 710 acres are designated as a National Historic Landmark. Remaining cultural sites include Pu`u Ali`i, Kalalea Heiau, Lua o Palahemo, canoe mooring holes and Lua Makakei. "Lua o Palahemo is also a unique natural resource," with several types of anchialine pool shrimp, including `opae `ula and the endangered Vetericaris Chaceoru. Rare plants include `ohai, states the plan.

DHHL faces management challenges with South Point's
unpaved roads, which are used increasingly by visitors and
local recreation, four-wheel vehicles.
Photo by Isaac Davis

DHHL met with community members and families with long histories at South Point before making the plan which states that South Point is envisioned as "a self-sustaining, healthy and safe community where the `aina - inclusive of the people and resources within it - and native Hawaiian culture and values thrive."
It discusses the challenges of Green Sand Beach, Mahana Bay and the need for a service road and pedestrian path and trail and technical assistance to local people to become legal business entities on DHHL lands. The plan discusses degradation of the land and its resources caused by unmanaged vehicles traveling along the coast. See the plan on the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands website at https://dhhl.hawaii.gov.

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

MERRIE MONARCH HULUA FESTIVAL 2017 FESTIVITIES began in Hilo on Easter Sunday with the Ho`olaulea at the Hilo Ah Fook Chinen Civic Auditorium. The opening day featured hula from halau in Hawai`i, Japan and the U.S. mainland.

Ka`u artists will be featured at the Merrie Monarch Invitational Hawaiian Arts Fair from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 19 through Friday, April 21, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 22 at the Ah Fook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.

On Saturday, April 22 will be the Merrie Monarch Royal Parade, which often features Ka`u participants from local ranches with paniolo on their horses, to Thy Word Ministry church with a float of inspiration and music and the Miss Ka`u Coffee pageant contenders and reigning coffee queen and princesses.

On Wednesday is the free Ho`ike open to everyone with no tickets required, beginning at 6 p.m. at Edith Kanaka`ole Stadium. It is billed as an exhibition night of hula and folk dance from around the Pacific.

Televised from the stadium, for those without tickets purchases far in advance, will be Miss Aloha Hula competition on Thursday, April 20 at 6 p.m.; the Group Hula Kahiki (ancient dance) competition on Friday, April 21 at 6 p.m. and the Group Hula `Auana (modern dance) on Saturday, April 22 at 6 p.m.

See more at www.merriemonarch.com.

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

Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder, of Halau Hula O Leionalani, leads
a visiting halau at sunrise at Punalu`u, the namesake of the
song Punalu`u written by her teacher, the late George Na`ope.
Photo by Julia Neal

HULA CLASSES ARE GROWING under the direction of Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder, who teaches each Wednesday at Pahala Community Center. Ryder, who trained under the late George Na`ope, who founded the Merrie Monarch Festival, offers classes for all ages.

The class for keiki begins at 5:30 p.m., beginning adults at 6:30 p.m. and advanced adults at 7:30 p.m. All classes are free and under the auspices of Halau Hula O Leionalani.

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

U.S. SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ invites Ka`u residents to his Town Hall meeting this Tuesday, April 18 in Hilo from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The event location has been changed to the gymnasium at University of Hawai`i, following a large crowd signing up to attend. Schatz has been issuing numerous statements, testifying in the U.S. Senate and speaking on television about his views on the missile strike in Syria, President Donald Trump's cabinet and Supreme Court selections, and many other issues from health care to the environment, to education.

Schatz , a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced last week that Hawai‘i will receive more than $1 million to address significant public health concerns and promote healthy behaviors. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded $1,092,341 to the Hawai‘i state Department of Health's Healthy Hawai‘i Initiative, which works to prevent chronic disease and promote healthy living in the state.

“Living a healthy lifestyle is the best way to prevent chronic illnesses,” said Senator Schatz. “The Healthy Hawai‘i Initiative helps people understand why this matters and how they can make healthy choices for themselves and their families. That is why I will continue to work in the Senate to make sure our state has the resources we need to promote health and wellness.”
The Healthy Hawai‘i Initiative is the Hawai‘i state Department of Health’s signature effort to promote healthy living through schools, communities, and workplaces. Since 2000, the initiative has used public campaigns and partnerships with the private and public sectors to successfully address health issues including nutrition, exercise, diabetes, and tobacco use.

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

Special Merrie Monarch Festival Event, Tue, April 18, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Practitioners share lau hala, lomilomi, hū kukui and ulana niu. Falsetto singer Kai Ho‘opi‘i performs. Free; park entrance fees apply.

The Value of Plantation-Era Archives in Today’s World, Tue, April 18, 7 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. John Cross leads a visual journey through Edmund C. Olson Trust Archive’s historic resources and the era that was “Big Sugar.” Free; park entrance fees apply.

Special Merrie Monarch Festival Event, Wed, April 19, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Practitioners share lei making, pala‘ie & kāpala mea ulu. The Young Brothers perform local melodies. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Kai Ho‘opi‘i in Concert, Wed, April 19, 6:30 – 8 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The Aloha Festival Hawaiian falsetto contest winner shares traditions and music of his ‘ohana. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Special Merrie Monarch Festival Event, Thu, April 20, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Practitioners share lei making, haku hulu, ‘ohe kāpala and kuku kapa. Multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano award-winning composer, singer and musician Kenneth Makuakāne performs. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Medicare 101, Thursday, April 20, 4:30 p.m., Nā‘ālehu Public Library. AARP representative Ed Hickey provides basic information. 939-2442

www.kaucalendar.com

Ka`u Trojans Boys Volleyball team invites the public to Senior Night at the Ka`u Regional Gym on Tuesday at 6 p.m.,
with JV and varsity competition. Team members: No. 21 Titan Ault, No. 12 Jacob Flores, No. 7 Travis Taylor,
No. 17 Jamal Buyuan, No. 10 Joven Padrigo, No. 6 Chadwick Pajimola, No. 8 Pete Dacalio, and No. 1 Trevor Taylor.
Photo by Pam Taylor

TALMADGE MAGNO, THE NEW HAWAI`I COUNTY CIVIL DEFENSE DIRECTOR, met with the County Council last week as the Finance Committee reviewed the proposed budget for the department.

Talmadge Magno, as
Chief Ranger in Hawai`i
Volcanoes National Park

Law enforcement and emergency services, with experience in special maritime and land operations on U.S. borders and for such disasters as Hurricane Katrina, are on his resume.
Magno explained his preparedness to work at Civil Defense. He served the National Park Service for 30 years, including time at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park in law enforcement supervision dealing with the volcanoes and hurricanes and coordinating with county Civil Defense. "All that exposure and that experience led me to this position."
"I am very fortunate to be able to work in this position and support the island," he said. Magno explained that he was able to work for the county as retirement at age 57 in the federal government is required for positions with firefighting and other physical work.
"It's my background work in the federal government qualified me for this position," he told the County Council members.
Magno grew up in Mountain View. Mayor Harry Kim, who chose Magno last December to become Civil Defense Director, coached him in football when Magno was a teen.

Talmadge Magno, Hawai`i Couny Civil Defense Director.
Photo from Big Island Video News

Kim has indicated that he is working closely with Magno in the Civil Defense Department, which is responsible for the County's "total emergency response program to ensure prompt and effective action when natural or manmade caused disaster threatens the County of Hawai`i," says the Civil Defense website. See https://countyofhawaii.bbcportal.com to sign up for Civil Defense messages. See www.hawaiicounty.gov/civil-defense for more on the department.
See more at www.bigislandvideonews.com

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

CONGRESSWOMAN TULSI GABBARD AND SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ will hold Town Hall meetings in Hilo on Tuesday. The Schatz event location has been changed to the gymnasium at University of Hawai`i from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Gabbard event will be held at Waiakea High School at 7:30 p.m.

HAWAI`I PUBLIC RADIO is broadcast in Ka`u through the KAHU license which supported a community radio
station in Pahala for years, featuring such musical and talk-story mentors as Uncle Bobby Gomes (right) and
budding local musicians, playing live on the station in 2013. See HPR story below. Photo by Julia Neal

HAWAI`I PUBLIC RADIO, with two stations in Ka`u at 89.1 FM and 91.3 FM, will launch its on-air fund drive April 19. The goal for the 10-day fundraiser is $900,000. Nearly 800 donors responded to the pre-drive campaign with early gifts totaling $124,882.
HPR President and General Manager José A. Fajardo pointed out that federal funding is in question under the new President Donald Trump administration. “Many in our community have expressed concern about the current administration’s proposed de-funding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Whether or not that comes to pass, we are advising listeners that their financial contributions are critical to ensuring the station’s resilience and independence in the face of future challenges. Each listener’s generous support is needed now more than ever.” HPR is considered critical for Civil Defense communications in Ka`u.

The original station was licensed for Ka`u as KAHU radio, in part with Civil Defense funding. After years as a community radio station with live broadcasts, HPR purchased the license from KAHU and the feed was changed to programing originating on O`ahu. Ka`u coverage has been improved through use of a tower at Kulani near Volcano and HPR engineer Don Mussel said that HPR plans to further improve the signal in Ka`u.

Hawai`i Public Radio's
President and GM José Fajardo

To make the HPR donation process as simple as possible, a new mobile app takes users straight to the donation form on the station's website hawaiipublicradio.org. The app, when accessed through a smartphone, can also connect the caller directly to pledge phone numbers: (808) 944-8800 or toll-free (888) 970-8800 for HPR-1; (808) 941-3689 or toll-free (877) 941-3689 for HPR-2.
To further encourage tune-ins and participation, the station is offering, on the first day of the drive, a Discover Prince Waikiki sweepstakes from community partner Prince Resorts Hawai`i. Other special premiums are planned throughout the drive, and matching funds from numerous individuals and local businesses will be announced to further incentivize giving. On the classical music stream, HPR-2, a countdown of listeners’ top 100 musical “faves” will take place over the course of the drive.
Fajardo added, “We are counting on our listeners, the majority of whom responded positively to our recent program realignment, to recognize the value of our quality journalism and musical sanctuary. And we’re inviting them to become a part of HPR’s success story.”

HPR engineer Don Mussel at the radio building
in Pahala, switching KAHU to HPR in 2013.
Photo by Julia Neal

Hawaiʻi Public Radio now counts more than 13,000 members, and a growing cohort of members who participate in an ongoing, monthly giving plan. The station’s recent record of lowering pledge goals from one drive to the next, all while expenses steadily increase, is credited directly to the steady and predictable contributions of these Sustaining Members.

For programming, see www.hawaiipublicradio.org.

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

Special Merrie Monarch Festival Event, Tue, April 18, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Practitioners share lau hala, lomilomi, hū kukui and ulana niu. Falsetto singer Kai Ho‘opi‘i performs. Free; park entrance fees apply.

John Cross presents archival maps and more from
plantation era days on Tuesday at After Dark in the Park.
Photo from NPS

Special Merrie Monarch Festival Event, Wed, April 19, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Practitioners share lei making, pala‘ie & kāpala mea ulu. The Young Brothers perform local melodies. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Kai Ho‘opi‘i in Concert, Wed, April 19, 6:30 – 8 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The Aloha Festival Hawaiian falsetto contest winner shares traditions and music of his ‘ohana. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Special Merrie Monarch Festival Event, Thu, April 20, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Practitioners share lei making, haku hulu, ‘ohe kāpala and kuku kapa. Multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano award-winning composer, singer and musician Kenneth Makuakāne performs. Free; park entrance fees apply.

New solar systems , like this one in Ranchos, can once again generate income to homeowners who will be
able to sell extra power to HELCO, but applications will be closed once the system reaches capacity again.
See story below. Photo by Ann Bosted

TWENTY ONE IN JANUARY, ELEVEN IN FEBRUARY, THREE IN MARCH – that is the police record for the number of burglaries reported in Ocean View. The precipitous drop is directly attributable to the mid-February crack-down on crime in Ocean View.

Ka`u's Community Policing Officer Aron Tomota
Photo by Ann Bosted

Ocean View’s recently appointed Community Policing Officer, Aron Tomota, explained to The Ka’u Calendar how the alarming increase in crime in Ocean View was dramatically halted.
“Twenty-one burglaries in Ocean View in January spelled out “C-R-I-S-I-S” in Ka’u,” he said. “We were looking at a third of the burglaries for the whole island happening in one town of about 6,500 people. It was off the scale! We decided a crack-down was needed, and soon.

“On February 10, with a lot of assistance, a task force was formed focusing on the area. Kona Police officers came to Ka’u to help with the crack down, including help from community policing, traffic enforcement, criminal intelligence and some vice officers. Detective Pernell Hanoa was particularly helpful. Major Robert Wagner oversaw the operations and was instrumental in developing the action plan.

“I made a list of 25 ‘people of interest,’ who, we felt, could have been responsible for much of the crime wave, or perhaps associated with known criminals. We talked to people in the community and found out with whom these people were associating, where they liked to go and more about their MO (modus operandi). We found trends and could link suspects to burglaries by how the illegal entry was made, what was taken and background information.”
Tomota explained why the task force was effective. “Our main objective was to show a strong police presence. Of the 25 'people of interest,' I estimate that we contacted about 75 percent. We would stop anybody that was walking suspiciously, hanging out or driving. A contact could include being cited, arrested for cause, questioned or pulled over, according to the circumstances of the contact. We call it ‘pro-active’ patrolling, as opposed to ‘reactive’ where we wait for the crime and then react”, he explained. “We also stopped and talked to residents, who were more than willing to share their information with us.”

Meanwhile, Ocean View residents noticed the increase in police activity, and attendance at the Neighborhood Watch meetings increased.
“Captain Quiocho was appointed head of the Ka’u District police, on March 1, and he made a huge difference at Neighborhood Watch meetings. We usually get about six people. At the last meeting we had 34 show up. Instead of reading off a long list of crimes, which was a bit boring, Captain Quiocho now has all that information posted to a web site on a weekly basis. This is controlled by Neighborhood Watch residents. They guardedly share it among themselves. They have to be careful that a potential criminal is not given the information.

Most officers drive their own vehicles. This is a patrol car

issued to the Ka`u District. Photo by Ann Bosted

“Neighborhood Watch members should get a lot of credit for helping us reduce the town’s burglaries by actively helping police with important information,” said Tomota. “We could not have done the crack-down alone.”
Tomota, who has been a Police Officer for eight years, is determined to not sit back. “We can still do better. We can reduce three burglaries a month to two or one or none. And when we get to none, we have to keep it there,” he added.
Tomota lives in Kona with his wife and two daughters, aged five and two. He was born and raised in California, and moved to Hawai’i after graduating high school in 2005.
Asked why he wanted to be a police officer, Tomota said that he always wanted to, adding: “I love every minute of it. I’m never bored. Every case is different. I like to feel out people so I know who I’m dealing with. I feel that everyone deserves to be treated with respect. I can say that since I have come to Ka’u, I see the patrol officers putting forth their best efforts. I urge the community to continue to work with us in making Ocean View even more crime-free.”
Tomota said that the Hawai`i Police Department plans to extend community outreach efforts in Ka`u with a new social gathering called Coffee with a Cop in Na’alehu, though this is still in the planning stage.

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

SELLING POWER TO HAWAI`I ELECTRIC LIGHT CO. is a possibility once again for new installers of solar power at their homes. More than two megawatts of space are now available on HELCO’s grid for new rooftop solar systems. This means that homeowners who want to be able to install solar and sell their excess power to HELCO can do so until that capacity is taken. The space was recently opened up for Customer Grid Supply systems because homeowners, who had been approved for rooftop solar more than 18 months ago, never followed through.

Selling back to HELCO through the solar grid will once again be
available in Pahala and other neighborhoods.
Photo by Julia Neal

Emily Ebert, General Manager of ProVision
Solar in Hilo, explains the new sell-back
program for solar.

The move comes after the state Public Utilities Commission ruled in December 2016 that the solar industry could bring on more customers for the previously closed Customer Grid System program, which credits customers for the energy their solar systems export into the grid. In March, the PUC clarified the ruling, which opened up more capacity, or space on the grid for new solar customers. At that time, the PUC ruled that signing up for the Customer Grid program would end on Oct. 21, 2017.
Prior to the PUC announcement, the only new solar program offered to homeowners by HELCO was the Customer Self Supply program, without the opportunity for the owner to sell excess power to HELCO’s grid. Typically, the Self Supply program involves an owner adding battery storage to hold excess energy generated by the solar panels.
Emily Ebert, General Manager of ProVision Solar in Hilo, explained that 3.46 megawatts of capacity were transferred from the Net Energy Metering program to the Customer Grid program, but only two megawatts of capacity remains. This program allows Big Island households to reduce their monthly HELCO bill, without needing battery storage, because it credits homeowners for excess power sent to the grid.
Ebert told The Ka’u Calendar the backstory. “In October of 2015 an order from the PUC ended the popular Net Energy Metering program which had been in place since 2001. Nearly 70,000 customers have installed Net Energy Metering systems in the state, more than 11,000 of them on the Big Island. The Net Energy Metering program allowed for full retail credit for energy exported to the grid. It was replaced with two substitute programs; Customer Grid System and Customer Self Supply.

“Customer Grid System was by far the more popular program as it allows homeowners to be compensated for energy sent to the grid,” said Ebert. This means that householders are charged about 30 cents per kWh for power supplied by HELCO, but are credited 15.14c per kWh for excess power from their solar systems.
“Space for this program was limited to 5 MW on the HELCO grid,” elaborated Ebert. “This cap was reached in August of 2016 but HELCO continued to take applications. These applications, along with the ones that are currently being submitted, were allowed to begin to process due to the PUC orders in December of 2016 and March.
“The PUC ordered that the capacity for Net Energy Metering systems that had been reserved but never installed, or were cancelled due to their deadline expiring, was to be transferred to the Customer Grid Supply program.”

Ebert calls the applications that were approved for the desirable Net Energy Metering program and placed in a “queue,” but never installed “dead wood.”

“This NEM dead wood will in the coming months all be cleared out of HELCO’s queue. So it is likely that a little more space will be transferred to CGS,” she added. Asked how Ka’u residents can benefit from this extra capacity, Ebert replied: “You must apply with HELCO to reserve your spot on the grid. Once the space fills up, it will be closed to new customers and CSS will be the only program left - unless the PUC announces another program in the meantime.”
“One way or the other, the PUC has made clear that CGS will come to a close in October,” said Ebert. The two megawatts that have been made available on the Big Island means that the gates are once again open. The additional capacity is likely to fuel another spate of rooftop solar applications from householders and business owners who procrastinated in applying to go solar, and then missed the boat.

Asked about the future of the CSS program, Ebert replied that this option was less desirable as it required a battery to be installed and does not allow for the solar system to export energy to the grid.
“CSS is not a bad program by any means, it’s just different and a transition that will take some getting used to. A good solar contractor will do the due diligence necessary and listen to the customers to find out which available program is best for their situation. Adding a battery with the CGS program may be in the best interest of certain customers to further reduce their future utility bill, and to be able to have backup stored power for when the grid goes down.
“People considering a solar electric system tied to the HELCO grid would be encouraged to talk to a solar professional soon to find out what their options are. New battery options are rolling out that make these systems more affordable. Solar remains one of the best investments that a homeowner or business owner can make,” said Ebert.
Asked why space on the grid is alternately available and not available, Ebert explained: “The utility companies have worked very hard to allow more and more solar to continue to tie into their grids. Over the past many years, certain areas would fill up and not allow more solar, and then the utility would engineer new ways to allow more solar capacity to come online. That being said, there are certainly limitations to a finite electric grid and some areas are just too saturated to accept more exported energy.

“Grid tied solar cannot continue to be connected at the pace it has been or in the way that it has been.
“There will be more changes coming, and we continue to evolve as an industry. Our state is the first in the nation to see solar grid capacity like this and other states and utility companies will be watching Hawaii closely to see how we are able to address these issues,” added Ebert.

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

KA`U REGIONAL GYM in Pahala hosts Ka`u Trojans Boys Volleyball Senior Night tonight, Tuesday at 6 p.m., with JV and varsity competition. First match starts at 6 p.m. Public is invited.

HULA CLASSES with Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder are each Wednesday at Pahala Community Center. Class for keiki begins at 5:30 p.m., beginning adults at 6:30 p.m. and advanced adults at 7:30 p.m. All classes are free and under the auspices of Halau Hula O Leionalani.

Kai Ho‘opi‘i in Concert, Wed, April 19, 6:30 – 8 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The Aloha Festival Hawaiian falsetto contest winner shares traditions and music of his ‘ohana. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Special Merrie Monarch Festival Event, Thu, April 20, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Practitioners share lei making, haku hulu, ‘ohe kāpala and kuku kapa. Multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano award-winning composer, singer and musician Kenneth Makuakāne performs. Free; park entrance fees apply.

ww.kaucalendar.com

Grace Lee on Hawai`i News Now's Sunrise, On the Road program featured Ka`u Coffee and the
upcoming Ka`u Coffee Festival, with organizer Chris Manfredi, who is also President of the
Hawai`i Coffee Association. Photo from Hawai`i News Now

KA`U COFFEE AND THE UPCOMING FESTIVAL GOT A BOOST FROM HAWAI`I NEWS NOW's Grace Lee on Wednesday in its On the Road segment. Chris Manfredi, of Discovery Harbour, and President of the Hawai`i Coffee Association, talked about coffee being a major agricultural product in Hawai`i, bringing in $62 million a year. He said coffee is between the "number two and number three highest value crop in the state."

Kopelani, a Starbucks Ka`u blend,shown off by Chris
Manfredi on Hawai`i News Now on Wednesday.
Image from Hawai`i News Now

Concerning Ka`u Coffee, Manfredi said, "Our demand is up, our pricing is up, and our production is up - our yields are up so we have a perfect storm of success; keeps us poised and in good position to keep growing the industry."

Ka`u Coffee, he recalled, started winning Specialty Coffee Association of America awards in 2007, ten years ago. Manfredi is attending the SCAA convention again this weekend, this time in Seattle. A number of the Ka`u farmers attended SCAA convention years ago and won numerous international awards, which helped to catapult the brand to success.

Ka`u Coffee Mill owner, and Naniloa partner Ed
Olson and friends at a Ka`u Coffee Festival.
Photo from Hawai`i News Now

On Hawai`i News Now, Manfredi, who brokers Ka`u Coffee to Starbucks, showed off the Starbuck's Kopelani blend coffee which is part-Ka`u Coffee. He also noted that Ka`u Coffee is included in Starbuck's reserve program - Starbuck's ultra premium coffee. "Starbuck's is a great partner to work with," he said.

Regarding the Ninth Ka`u Coffee Festival, Manfredi, one of the organizers, talked about the Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant on Saturday, May 18, the Ho`olaulea on May 28 and the Coffee College on May 29. Hawai`i News Now showed still photos of recent festivals.

The On the Road show filmed from the rebranded Hilton Doubletree Grand Naniloa Hotel in Hilo as part of its Merrie Monarch coverage. The hotel, which had been purchased by Ed Olson, owner of Ka`u Coffee Mill, was recently upgraded in a partnership including Olson.

Activities for everyone are planned throughout the Ka`u Coffee Festival
Photo from Hawai`i News Now

Miss Ka`u Coffee contestants and reigning Queen and princesses will be in the Royal Merrie Monarch Parade this Saturday. The pageant, produced and chaired by Ka`u Coffee farmer Trini Marques, will be on Saturday, May 13 at Ka`u Coffee Mill. The annual Pa`ina and Open House to kick off the remaining events will be at Pahala Plantation House on Friday, May 19.
Ka`u Coffee Recipe Contest will be Sunday, May 21 at Ka`u Coffee Mill. Ka`u Star Gazing will be Monday, May 22 at Makanau. Ka`u Mountain Water Systems Hike will be on Wednesday, and Thursday, May 24 and 25 in Wood Valley. The Ho`olaule`a will be Saturday, May 27. See more at www.kaucoffeefest.com.

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

Tulsi Gabbard's most attended Town Hall meeting throughout the state was held in Hilo on Wednesday.
Photo from Big Island Video News

NORTH KOREA WAS CONGRESSWOMAN TULSIS GABBARD'S LEAD SUBJECT at her Town Hall meeting on Wednesday in Hilo. The Town Hall drew the largest attendance to date at her meetings during the current congressional break.
She said she wanted to bring North Korea "upfront." Gabbard serves on the U.S. House of Representative's Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committee and its Asia- Pacific Subcommittee and Middle East Subcommittee. She said she has focused on the threat of North Korea since she was first sworn into Congress in January of 2013. "Even then I had recognized the increasing threat and capabilities coming from North Korea and yes, the threat that poses to the United States overall, but more specifically the threat it poses to us here in Hawai`i, given that we are the most forward point for our country in the Pacific. We are the closest in proximity to North Korea."

She said when she took a trip to Asia with member of Congress, she found it astounding how few members of Congress were aware of the vast size of the Pacific Ocean and Hawai`i's isolation. She said that some senior members of Congress were also unaware that North Korea was nuclear armed and "has developed over the years intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities that put Hawai`i directly within range of those capabilities. And that those threats have directly been made."

The danger of North Korea to Hawai`i and the need for more protection
was the lead subject in Tulsi Gabbard's Town Hall on Wednesday.
Photo from Big Island Video News

Gabbard said she is focused on raising the level of awareness and pushing for defense of Hawai`i. "Given North Korea's most recent actions, most recent escalation, I'm urging my colleagues, our Hawai`i delegation, our leadership here in the state of Hawai`i and urging all of you to help raise voices as we try to get urgent action to make sure the appropriate capabilities are in place for the defense and protection of Hawai`i, in particular. This is something that we can't afford to take lightly."

One attendee asked, "Why did you go see President Trump and what did you speak about?" She said she was invited to meet with the President-elect at Trump Tower before he took office, "to talk about Syria, ending the counterproductive regime change war that Congress and you the American people have not authorized or declared." She asked, "What are the costs to our country, to our military, to our taxpayer dollars, of something called a no-fly zone or safe zone?" She asked the crowd at her Town Hall meeting to think about "the consequences of these actions, both intended and unintended."

Gabbard said that her goal in meeting with Trump "was to try to provide some influence and some insight on my strong views on these issues and why they're so important for us here at home, in the hopes of basically trying to get to him before the neocon war hawks who were beating their war drums were able to exercise their influence over him. Unfortunately, as we've seen over the last ten days or so, I think they were successful. I've been very outspoken in criticizing and calling out his missile strike against Syria as being reckless and careless and an escalation of this regime change war in Syria and one that Congress has not authorized."

Gabbard urged Haai`i people to care about what happens in the
Middle East and how the expense impacts funding for
education and many other services.
Photo from Big Island Video News

She said she has been asked why people in Hawai`i should care about wars, like those in Syria. She said Iraq, Libya and now Syria cost trillions of dollars and have a direct connection locally to lack of funding for education, infrastructure, protecting the environment, improving health care and caring for the homeless. "You can not separate these two issues."
She pointed to regime change wars, "wars that have cost hundreds of thousands of people their lives, wars that have created millions of refugees, and wars that have ultimately resulted in strengthening terrorist groups like Alqaeda and Isis."

"It's critical for each of us to understand the connection, to understand that we cannot afford to be the world's police. That even with the best of intentions.... our actions have resulted in more human suffering, not less. Our actions have resulted in more destruction, not less. And this is why it is important for us to stand up now especially at a time in both political parties, and when people in the media are applauding this President for launching this illegal attack against Syria. This is when our voices are critical to stand up and say, 'No.' This is where the power base lies in your voices, and I ask you to stand with me making sure that we don't turn a blind eye to this illegal escalation."

See more on Gabbard's Town Hall in the Thursday Ka`u News Briefs.

Youth Conservation Corps for Pu`unonua O Honaunau
sing-ups are open. Photo from NPS

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

YOUTH CONSERVATION CORPS sign-ups are open for Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historic Park. YCC provides gainful employment and an educational experience in the conservation of natural and historical heritage. YCC workers will participate in conservation and preservation related projects park-wide and work with all park divisions.
This year’s YCC program will run for seven weeks from June 5 – July 21. Applicants for YCC crew member positions must be between the ages of 15 and 18. During the term of employment from June 5 – July 21, applicants must be at least 15 years of age and not reached the age of 19. Enrollees work 40 hours per week and earn $9.25/hr. Applications must be submitted by May 19and may be obtained at the park. For information call Pu‘uhonua o Honaunau at 328-2326. Felipe Galieto 808-328-2326 Ext 1314

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

www.kaucalaendar.com

Visitors totaled nearly 1.9 million and spent nearly $160 million in communities close to Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park
in 2016. These visitors observe Kilauea summit lava lake from Jagaar Museum Observation Deck.
See story below. NPS photo

The Draft Ka`u CDP and the Planning Director's "non-substantive revisions" are available at the site: www.kaucdep.info.
A draft Ka`u Community Development Plan was completed in October 2015, with final recommendations from the Ka`u CDP Steering Committee following public review and comment. In early 2016, public agencies were invited to make a final review. "The April 2017 Ka`u Community Development Plan reflects those recommendations," says a statement from the County Planning Department.
The public Steering Committee meeting next Tuesday is set to review agency comment and the Planning Director's recommendations. The agenda and all meeting materials can be found at: http://www.hawaiicountycdp.info/kau-cdp/steering-committee/steering-commitee-meetings/april-25-2017-steering-committee-meeting. Steering Committee meetings are open to the public, and public comment on agenda items is welcome.

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

VISITORS TO HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, totaling 1,887,580 in 2016, spent $159,195,500 in communities near the park, according to a report released today by the National Park Service. "That spending supported 1,917 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $199,923,400." NPS reported.

Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando has
seen an active volcano and visitor expenditures increase substantially
in the surrounding communities since she took the post in 2004.
Photo by Julia Neal

“It's exciting to see the steady increase in both visitation to Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, and the consistent economic benefit park visitors provide to our Hawai‘i Island community in the way of jobs, and their spending,” said Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando. “We noticed the increase in visitation from the start of 2016, which marked the 100th anniversary of both the National Park Service and Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
"When lava from Kīlauea reached the ocean last summer, coupled with the ease of steady viewing of the summit lava lake, visitation continued to climb. We’ve seen consecutive increases in both spending and visitation at Hawai‘i Volcanoes since from 2009,” said Orlando.

The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas of the U.S. Geological Survey and Lynne Koontz of the NPS. The nationwide report shows $18.4 billion of direct spending by 331 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 318,000 jobs nationally; 271,544 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $ 34.9 billion.

Visitor counts to Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park have soared,
as have expenditures in nearby communities.
NPS photo by Sami Steinkamp

According to the 2016 report, most park visitor spending was for lodging (31.2 percent) followed by food and beverages (27.2 percent), gas and oil (11.7 percent), admissions and fees (10.2 percent), souvenirs and other expenses (9.7 percent), local transportation (7.4 percent), and camping fees (2.5%).

Report authors this year produced an interactive tool. Users can explore current year visitor spending, jobs, labor income, value added, and output effects by sector for national, state, and local economies. Users can also view year-by-year trend data. The interactive tool and report are available at the NPS Social Science Program webpage: go.nps.gov/vse.

The report includes information for visitor spending at individual parks and by state. To learn more about national parks in Hawai‘i and how the National Park Service works with communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/Hawaii.

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

FEDERAL JUDGE DERRIC KAHALA WATSON received a comment from U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions today, referring to Watson's recent ruling against President Donald Trump's travel ban on refugees and visitors from six Muslim minority countries. Sessions, who earlier voted in the U.S. Senate to confirm Watson to the federal bench, said today on a radio show, “I really am amazed that a judge sitting on an island in the Pacific can issue an order that stops the President of the United States from what appears to be clearly his statutory and Constitutional power."

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions

Hawai`i Sen. Mazie Hirono responded, "The suggestion that being from Hawai`i somehow disqualifies Judge Watson from performing his Constitutional duty is dangerous, ignorant, and prejudiced. I am frankly dumbfounded that our nation's top lawyer would attack our independent judiciary. But we shouldn't be surprised. This is just the latest in the Trump Administration's attacks against the very tenets of our Constitution and democracy." She also pointed out that Hawai`i has been a state for 58 years and tweeted, "We won't succumb to your dog whistle politics."

Hawai`i Sen. Brian Schatz also responded to Sessions. "Mr. Attorney General, I have a message for you: You voted for that judge. That island is called O`ahu, and it's my home. Have some respect."

Shatz predicted, "There is no doubt Trump’s supporters and Republicans from across the country will come after me for taking him and his Attorney General on, but Hawai`i is my home, and defending what’s right is always my number one priority."

Hawai`i Federal Judge
Derrick Kahala Watson

Ain Prior, spokesperson for the Justice Department, said that "Sessions was questioning one judge's ability to block the President's executive order for the travel ban." Referring to O`ahu, Trump's Justice Department spokesperson said, "Hawai`i is, in fact, an island in the Pacific - a beautiful one where the Attorney General's granddaughter was

Hawai`i Attorney General
Doug Chin

born. The point, however, is that there is a problem when a flawed opinion by a single judge can block the President's exercise of authority to keep the entire country safe."
Hawai`i Attorney General Doug Chin, who successfully brought the case against the travel ban to federal court, released a statement saying, “President Trump previously called a federal judge in California a so-called judge. Now U.S. Attorney General Sessions appears to dismiss a federal judge in Hawai`i as just a judge sitting on an island in the Pacific. Our Constitution created a separation of powers in the United States for a reason. Our federal courts, established under article III of the Constitution, are co-equal partners with Congress and the President. It is disappointing AG Sessions does not acknowledge that.”

www.kaucalendar.com

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

Soft Pastel Still Life Workshop, Sat, April 22, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Patti Pease Johnson offers guidance & inspiration with some handy tips. $50/$45 VAC members plus $10 supply fee. 967-8222

Birth of Kahuku, Sat, April 22, 9:30 – 11 a.m, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Participants explore the area’s rich geologic history. Free. nps.gov/havo

National Park Rx Day, Sun, April 23, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. A growing movement prescribes parks and nature for the improvement of health. Presentations & activities include a yoga session with Danielle Makaike, 9 a.m. – 10 a.m.; lomilomi and kalo, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.; Walk with a Doc, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Free; park entrance fees apply.

HOVE Road Maintenance board of directors meeting, Tue, April 25, 10 a.m., St. Jude’s Church. 929-9910

Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tue, April 25, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Ocean View.

SEE MORE ON REP. TULSI GABBARD'S AND SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ'S RECENT TOWN HALL MEETINGS IN UPCOMING KA`U NEWS BRIEFS.

The Miss Ka`u Coffee court for 2016 and contenders for the 2017 titles for Miss Ka`u Coffee, Jr. Miss Ka`u
Coffee, Miss Peaberry and Ka`u Coffee flower will once again represent Ka`u Coffee in the Royal Merrie
Monarch Parade, Saturday in Hilo. The pageant, under the direction of Trini Marques, is May 13 at
Ka`u Coffee Mill. Photo by Julia Neal

THE WINNER IS DARLENE JAVAR, PRINCIPAL OF NA`ALEHU SCHOOL. The Pahala resident earned $15,000 for a school project and $10,000 cash when she was named Thursday night as the recipient of the Masayuki Tokioka Excellence in School Leadership Award. The statewide honor is given each year by the Island Insurance Foundation and always to a public school principal. The selection is based on the principal's qualities as "visionary, community-minded." The principal must also have an "entrepreneurial spirit," says a statement from the foundation.

Darlene Javar, principal of Na`alehu School, is known for her inspiring
teaching methods. On Thursday night she received the Masayuki
Tokioka Excellence in School Leadership Award. The title comes with
$25,000 and part of it will be used for the school's garden program.

Javar said she will use the school project funding to bring back and expand the school garden program, which in the past has won awards.
Alison Yahna, Parent Community Network Coordinator at the school, and herself a beekeeper, said, "Academic scores improve because education becomes exciting, relevant and applied. Students get to solve real-world problems and invent real-world solutions to the challenges our community faces as they interact with local farmers and entrepreneurs."
Tyler Tokioka, President of Island Insurance Foundation, said that "Principal Javar exemplifies the type of leadership that can transform our public schools into model learning institutions." He credited Javar for establishing an institute to help new teachers orient to the local community and provide additional financial support as they settle in here before the school year begins.

Darlene Javar receives the Excellence in School Leadership
Award, chosen from nominees from around the state.
Photo from Island Insurance Foundation

Christina Juan, Vice Principal of Na`alehu School, which has a high number of Marshallese and other immigrant children, said, "The beauty of the surrounding environment often masks the very unique struggle of our families and communities. With the many challenges faced throughout the year, Principal Javar has made it her mission to provide her students with a safe, happy nurturing learning environment that they need in order to thrive."
Island Insurance, founded in 1940 by Masayuki Tokioka, sports its motto, "Always Here to Help," and states that the company "was created to provide the underserved people of Hawai`i with better insurance options."

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

Hawai`i Wildlife Fund is celebrating Earth Day and raising money with
Ocean Air, Love the Sea, Sea Cleaners, Sustainable Coastlines Hawai`i and
The Surfrider Foundation. Photo from HWF

SATURDAY IS EARTH DAY and local organizations are educating and celebrating

Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund, which locally cleans up the Ka`u Coast is partnering with Love the Sea, Sea Cleaners, Sustainable Coastlines Hawai‘i and Surfrider Foundation to discourage plastic pollution and to celebrate the ocean. They are raising money to help Hawai`i Wildlife Fund to continue to implement coastal ecosystem appreciation and marine debris prevention curriculum in local schools.

One fundraiser will be on O`ahu where the Ocean Aid event will employ "the global language of music to inform, inspire and enact change on the issue of ocean trash through the power of a community-based worldwide festival," says a Hawai`i Wildlife Fund statement. Ka`u supporters of Hawai`i Wildlife Fund will fly to Honolulu for the celebration at the Waikiki Shell on Saturday, April 30. See www.hawaiiwildlifefund.org

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

RECYCLE HAWAI`I will prepare its presentation for the Ka`u Unity Celebration, which comes up next Saturday, April 29 at the Ka`u District Gym in Pahala. "Mahalo for taking action to reduce, reuse and recycle! It takes each of us to make smart choices and practice habits that sustain healthy air, land and water for all beings on our planet- today and for generations to come," says a Recycle Hawai`i statement from Marsha Hee, its education director, who is based in Volcano. See more on ways to protect the Earth at www.recyclehawaii.org.

Recycle Hawai`i is also calling for Keeping it Green nominations. The award recognizes organizations, businesses, schools and government agencies for demonstrating ongoing commitment and activities that address natural resource conservation, green practices and preserving the environmental quality of life in Hawai`i.
Winners will be acknowledged for work in Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Zero Waste; Climate Change; Energy, Water & Natural Resources; Green Building and Sustainable Design; Native Cultural Gathering Rights and Practices; Native Species; Open Space, Trails and Greenways and Sustainable Agriculture and Food Literacy. The deadline to make nominations is May 1. See www.recyclehawaii.org.

The Arts & Craft of UPCycling Project is also calling for entries. The contest is open to individuals and groups of all ages to reuse, recreate, repurpose and reclaim unwanted materials and items to upcycle into art, craft, functional or inventive products. Selected entries will appear in the virtual gallery on Recycle Hawai'i's Facebook page. See more at www.recyclehawaii.org

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

EARTH DAY, for those headed to Kona this Saturday, April 22, along with Ka`u's County Council member Maile David. includes a festival and public education at Hawai`i Community College - Palamanui Campus. There will be displays, a trash sculpture contest, a koa tree giveaway for those who help remove invasive fountain grass and opportunities to see the campus.
The Hawai‘i CC – Pālamanui campus is launching a new Associate of Science in Natural Science degree in Fall 2017. Faculty will be at the event to talk about the new program and provide tours of the new science labs.

A new Natutral Science degree will be offered starting
this Fall at the Hawai`i Community College campus
in Kona. Abover are students in Environmental Science.
Photo from HCC

Earth Day speakers will include: County Council members Maile David and Karen Eoff on The Ahupua‘a System: Protecting Our Public Trust Resources; Kyle Datta, of the Ulupono Initiative on Food Sustainability; Bruce Andersen, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources, on Coral Reef Bleaching Recovery Plan; and Anthony Carrasco, Hawai`i Water Service Co., on Waikoloa Resort Wastewater Treatment Plant and Water Well Management for Makalei Golf Club/Huehue Ranch/Kukio Resort. Also giving a presentation will be a Kanaloa Octopus Farm representative.
Dr. Richard Stevens will lead an excursion to plant koa trees at the Maka‘ula O’oma Tract of the Honua‘ula Forest Reserve. Those interested should meet at the head of the Makahi Trail at the end of Makahi Street at 9:30 a.m. with a small digging tool and an extra bottle of water for their tree.

For more information about Earth Day Fair at Pālamanui, contact Christina Hoffman at quinlan@hawaii.edu or see https://www.hawaii.hawaii.edu/node/871

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

Miss Ka`u Coffee contenders have invited the public to the
Ka`u Coffee Festival for years, as they participate in the
Royal Merrie Monarch Parade. Photo by Julia Neal

THE ROYAL MERRIE MONARCH PARADE in Hilo this Saturday will feature the Miss Ka`u Coffee contingent with current princesses and contenders for the 2017 titles for Miss Ka`u Coffee, Jr. Miss Ka`u Coffee, Miss Peaberry and Coffee Flower. The pageant will be held on Saturday, May 13 at Ka`u Coffee Mill, under the direction of Ka`u Coffee farmer Trini Marques.

Soft Pastel Still Life Workshop, Sat, April 22, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Patti Pease Johnson offers guidance & inspiration with some handy tips. $50/$45 VAC members plus $10 supply fee. 967-8222

Birth of Kahuku, Sat, April 22, 9:30 – 11 a.m, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Participants explore the area’s rich geologic history. Free. nps.gov/havo

National Park Rx Day, Sun, April 23, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. A growing movement prescribes parks and nature for the improvement of health. Presentations & activities include a yoga session with Danielle Makaike, 9 a.m. – 10 a.m.; lomilomi and kalo, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.; Walk with a Doc, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tue, April 25, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Ocean View.

THE KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN goes to a public Steering Committee meeting this coming Tuesday, April 25, at Na`alehu Community Center, beginning at 5:30 p.m. The Windward Planning commission will hold a Ka`u CDP public hearing on Wednesday, May 10 at 5:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center and Thursday, June 1 at 9 a.m. at the County of Hawai`i Aupuni Center Conference Room in Hilo. Following the Windward Planning Commission making recommendations, the County Council will hold Ka`u CDP public hearings and take action. With approval, Mayor Harry Kim will sign the Ka`u CDP into law and an Action Committee will be appointed to guide the Ka`u CDP implementation. The Draft Ka`u CDP and the Planning Director's "non-substantive revisions" are available at the site: www.kaucdep.info.

Science marchers noted in Hilo today that Hawai`i has been a supporter of science since kingdom days when
King Kalakaua installed electricity in Iolani Palace in 1886. The White House installed electricity in 1891.
Photo by David Corrigan/Big Island Video News

SUPPORT CAME FROM MARCHERS TODAY FOR SCIENCE THAT AFFECTS EVERYDAY LIFE, from science that provides telemedicine in remote Ka`u, to the science that improves local warnings and documentation of earthquakes, vog, hurricanes and water quality. Marchers on Hawai`i Island and worldwide walked for science, which develops methods to combat the berry borer that reduces Ka`u Coffee crops, the cocid that destroys macadamia trees, both vital to the Ka`u economy, and the blight that kills native ohia trees, vital to the Ka`u watershed.
An estimated 600 marches for science took place around the world on Earth Day to send the clear message that science and scientists are vitally important for the well being of the population, the country, as well as the planet. The first-ever March for Science was described by organizers as a celebration of science and a call to support and safeguard the scientific community.

"There is No Planet B," says a sign carried by the International March for Science contingent in the
Merrie Monarch Parade today in Hilo. Photo by David Corrigan/ Big Island Video News

On this island, support for science came to an Earth Day gathering at Hawai`i Community College in Kona, which is launching new science courses. Speakers gave presentations on food sustainability, water quality, octopus aquaculture and more. Ka`u’s County Council member Maile David talked about the science in the ancient Hawaiian Ahupua`a land management system.

Outside of Hilo, volunteers planted trees at Ho`ola Farms. Inside Hilo, the International March for Science joined the Merrie Monarch Parade, with walkers pointing out that Hawai`i's King David Kalakaua was a science enthusiast and installed electricity in Iolani Palace in 1866, years before Washington installed it in the White House.
Marches also took place on O`ahu, Maui and Kaua`i.

Held on the 47th Earth Day, the main March for Science was in Washington D.C. where nearly 150,000 braved the rain to gather on the national mall. Ka`u’s U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono tweeted: "With an administration that deals in alternative facts, supporting objective science is more important than ever #MarchforScience #EarthDay."
On Twitter, Sen. Brian Schatz presented an example of people worried about respect for science by posting a poll with the question, "Should Trump remove regulations intended to combat climate change?" The results showed a resounding support for climate scientists. One of their most important research stations is here on Mauna Loa.
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard tweeted a Native Americn proverb: "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."

Beyond Hawai`i and D.C., marches proceeded in New York City, Chicago, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Boston, Denver and many cities in California and other states. The idea was to bring together “scientists, educators, and advocates, as well as social service workers, artists, trade workers, business people, our elderly population, and families,” said a statement from organizers.
They portrayed the march as political but not partisan, promoting the understanding of science as well as defending it from various attacks, including proposed U.S. government budget cuts under President Donald Trump, such as a 20 percent slice of the National Institute of Health, which funds medical research.
Trump has slashed budgets for science programs, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy’s Office of Science. His 2018 budget outline, released last month, envisions a dramatically smaller federal investment in science and medicine, while boosting spending on the military and reserving billions of dollars for a wall on the Mexico border.
In an Earth Day statement, Trump said “rigorous science” goes into his administration’s decision making. “We can and must protect our environment without harming America’s working families,” part of the statement reads. “That is why my Administration is reducing unnecessary burdens on American workers and American companies, while being mindful that our actions must also protect the environment.”
Those “unnecessary burdens” have included doing away with regulations to protect waterways from coal mining operations. Trump has also scrapped information on methane emissions, and rolled back standards on car pollution.

The International March for Science in Hilo, one of more than 600 worldwide, joined the Merrie Monarch Parade.
Photo by David Corrigan/Big Island Video News

With marches around the world, many attracting tens of thousands of participants, historians are calling the events unprecedented in terms of scale and breadth of the scientific community involved.
“Hell has no fury like a scientist whose integrity is questioned,” Kathleen Rogers, president of the Earth Day Network, told NPR. “They are giving their lives to their work and have one thing to hang on to — the truth and their integrity. It’s not just lab people, but everyone from computer programmers to people working on cancer,” she added. “All these people, they’re not happy being called liars.”
W. Ethan Eagle, a member of the Union of Concerned Scientists, wrote in his blog that the March for Science is about making sure that science gets the support it needs.
“President Trump’s budget proposal cuts funding to basic science, slashing programs within the NIH, EPA, NASA between 10 and 30 percent, for a net savings of just less than $10 billion, while simultaneously ballooning spending in the military by 52 billion. This kind of policy shift away from science and towards the military is a dangerous shift in US priorities towards ‘might makes right.’ We must stand together against this dangerous idea.

Mauna Loa Observatory is one of the leading research stations on climate change. Science March
participants fear its funding will be cut. Photo by Forrest Mims III

“Science brings us together because the essence of science is consensus. That’s a word I wish I heard more coming out of Washington. We must hold all elected leadership accountable to facts,” wrote Eagle.
Organizers of the March for Science in Vienna, Austria, on the group's Facebook page, said that they earlier encouraged people to turn out to join a movement that began shortly after Trump entered the White House. In Switzerland, marchers took to the streets in Geneva. In Spain, hundreds assembled in Madrid, Barcelona and Seville. In Germany, marchers gathered at the Brandenburg Gate and Dresden, and in Australia they marched in Sydney. Science supporters also gathered in Greenland.
In London, scientists and science enthusiasts marched from the Science Museum to Parliament Square, past the city's most celebrated research institutions. Many protested what they consider to be an "alarming trend" among politicians for discrediting their research.
“I’m encouraged by the marches I’ve seen already taking place around the world,” said Rush Holt, a former congressman and head of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. “For generations scientists have been reluctant to be in the public square. There is a lot of concern.”
Speakers in Washington included Christiana Figueres, the former United Nations climate chief and climate scientist Michael Mann. Hundreds of scientific institutions, environmental groups and union groups partnered with the march.
Pharmaceutical companies, concerned about the impact on research talent of Trump’s attempts to ban or restrict travel from certain Muslim-majority countries, supported the march. In a video, Pfizer said it was “proud to stand behind our scientists.”

Hearther Kimball, a climate scientist with University of Hawai`i helped organize the Hilo March.
Photo by David Corrigan/Big Island Video News

The White House’s recent budget proposal would remove around $7 billion in science funding, with the National Institutes of Health, which funds medical research, bearing much of the pain. Earth sciences, ranging from weather satellites to marine research to coastal preservation, are also lined up for severe cuts. Trump has galvanized scientists with his comments about climate change, which he has called a “hoax,” as well as questions about whether vaccines are safe and threats to cut funding to universities that displease him.
Heather Kimball, a climate scientist with University of Hawai`i-HIlo, said the marchers are celebrating "science as a process and how it can be ingrained in culture in ways that are valuable and interesting.'" She pointed to the importance of indigenous science and science education for children. She noted worry among scientists who, in fear of funding cuts, are changing titles of research proposals from using the words "climate change" to "climate variability." She pointed to the Mauna Loa Observatory, saying it has the longest continuous atmospheric carbon monitoring record in the world, the data used by scientists globally. She stated that he Big Island is a good venue for climate science and studying sea level changes, with a "natural gradient from sea level to the mountain tops for looking at temperatures changes and precipitation changes."

She also stated that cuts to EPA, NOAA and Sea Grant would have enormous effects on the Hawaiian Islands.
Kimball noted that a separate March for Science was held at 6:30 p.m. Friday evening in Hilo, making it 12:30 a.m. today Eastern Standard Time. She reckons the Hilo March was the first in the U.S.
See a film of the Saturday Hilo science marchers in the Merrie Monarch Parade at www.bigislandvideonews.com

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

THE KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN goes to a public Steering Committee meeting this coming Tuesday, April 25, at Na`alehu Community Center, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The Windward Planning commission will hold a Ka`u CDP public hearing on Wednesday, May 10 at 5:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center and Thursday, June 1 at 9 a.m. at the County of Hawai`i Aupuni Center Conference Room in Hilo. Following the Windward Planning Commission making recommendations, the County Council will hold Ka`u CDP public hearings and take action. With approval, Mayor Harry Kim will sign the Ka`u CDP into law and an Action Committee will be appointed to guide the Ka`u CDP implementation. The Draft Ka`u CDP and the Planning Director's "non-substantive revisions" are available at the site: www.kaucdep.info.

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

National Park Rx Day, Sun, April 23, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. A growing movement prescribes parks and nature for the improvement of health. Presentations & activities include a yoga session with Danielle Makaike, 9 a.m. – 10 a.m.; lomilomi and kalo, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.; Walk with a Doc, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tue, April 25, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Ocean View.

Ben Gaddis, a volunteer at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, works on historical documentation of volcanic products from the 1924 explosive eruption of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater within Kīlauea’s summit caldera. He recently
received the U.S. Department of Interior's Citizen’s Award for Exceptional Service for years of volunteer service at HVO. USGS photo. See story below

"THE IDIOT SENATOR MAZIE HIRONO," is how conservative radio host Mark Levin described her on Sunday, after Hirono and Sen. Brian Schatz denounced U.S. Attorney General "Jeff Sessions’ prejudiced attack on Hawai`i and our independent judiciary. As one publication put it -- 'an overtly racist and geographic move toward discrediting the legitimacy of federal judges.'"

The reference was to Hawai`i Judge Derrick Kahala Watson's rejection of the second travel ban attempted by President Donald Trump to turn away refugees and people from six Muslim-majority countries at U.S. borders. Sessions responded to the ruling by saying, "I really am amazed that a judge sitting on an island in the Pacific can issue an order that stops the President of the United Staes from what appears to be clearly his statutory and Constitutional power."

Hirono and Schatz referred to Session's statement as dangerous and today stated, "We must have really gotten under their skin because today, extreme conservative talk radio host Mark Levin, whose interview with Jeff Sessions started this whole fiasco, was back on the airwaves. And this time, we were his target."

Levin parroted Hirono on his Sunday talk show: "Well, his comments are dangerous, says the idiot Senator Mazie Hirono. Mazie Hirono...this is the kind of representation Hawai`i wants for the United States Senate? Apparently so. And these two knuckleheads (Schatz included) vote on every issue that matters to the rest of us."

Concluded Hirono, "We should wear these, frankly, unimaginative insults with pride because they show that our resistance is working." She posted a signup sheet: "We need to keep this activist energy up. Will you join me in denouncing Attorney General Sessions' remarks?"

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

U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD is inviting constituents in Ka`u to People’s Climate Change Marches this Saturday, April 29. One will be in Hilo, starting at noon at Mo`oheau Bandstand and the other in Kona at Hale Halewai Park on Ali`i Drive, beginning at 2 p.m.

Another will be in Washington, D.C. where walkers will march from the Capitol, across the Mall, to surround the White House on the 100th day of the administration of President Donald Trump.
Said Gabbard on Sunday, “For all of us in Hawai'i, climate change is a reality we're already experiencing, as our fragile island ecosystem is impacted by rising temperatures and sea levels. Maybe Jeff Sessions would be OK if Hawai'i disappeared into the ocean, but we are not. Change is coming, and it's up to us whether that change will be transformative or catastrophic. We don't have time to fight amongst each other. We don't have time to engage in partisan rhetoric and bickering. We must be the change we want to see in the world. The future of the human race depends on it.
Stated the Congresswoman, “There are powerful people who refuse to acknowledge the reality of climate change - and one of them is sitting in the White House. Climate change is not a hoax as President Trump has said in the past, and we must not ignore the rising tide.
“In addition to climate change, we are dealing with threats to clean water -- whether on O`ahu, at Red Hill and Kalihi, or in Flint, Michigan, or at Standing Rock, we must always remember that water is life. We must fight to protect the right of all people to clean water.”
Gabbard said that "the scope of the problem and of the opposition can feel overwhelming, but in every crisis, there is also immense opportunity. We must meet ignorance with truth, fear with love and greed with a fullness of heart. We can create transformative change by coming together in solidarity, getting inspired and inspiring others to live in a new way - a way of love, peace, respect and harmony.”
She offered her own signup list for the event at Will you join the People’s Climate March on April 29?

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

Miss Ka`u Coffee Rochelle Koi in Saturday's Merrie Monarch Royal
Parade in Hilo. Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant is Saturday, May 13 at
Ka`u Coffee Mill. Photo by David Corrigan/Big Island Video News

MISS KA`U COFFEE, COFFEE. PRINCESSES and contenders for the 2017 titles rolled through the Merrie Monarch Parade in Hilo on Saturday. Miss Ka`u Coffee Rochelle Koi was joined by Miss Peaberry Cazlyn Pua-Queja and other members of the 2016 and 2017 court.

The pageant, directed by Ka`u Coffee farmer Trini Marques, will be held on Saturday, May 13 at Ka`u Coffee Mill.

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

Miss Ka`u Peaberry Cazlynn Pua-Queja in the Merrie Monarch Parade

Saturday in Hilo. Photo by David Corrigan/Big Island Video News

THE WORK OF BEN GADDIS is featured in Volcano Watch, the weekly column by Hawai`i Volcano Observatory scientists:
“Ben, do we have a photo of ... ?” This seemingly simple question is asked every week of Ben Gaddis, retired judge and Photo Archive volunteer at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Ever since he learned about the volcano Parícutin’s eruption in a cornfield in Michoacán, Mexico, as a youngster, Gaddis has been fascinated by volcanoes. In 1970, his interest drove him to move with his wife, Mary, from Texas to Hawai‘i. A course in volcanology at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo led to associations with HVO and, subsequently, to helping with field work on weekends during the eruptions of both Mauna Ulu and Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō until 1986, when his duties as a judge left him no time for volcano monitoring.
After retiring in 2008, Gaddis decided to devote more time to helping HVO. His volunteer work in the Photo Archive began when Frank Trusdell, HVO’s Mauna Loa scientist, engaged his services to scan 35 mm slides for public presentations and publications.
HVO’s collection of more than 300,000 images dates back to the mid-1800s, when the first photograph of Kīlauea Volcano (that we know of) was taken. Like many other institutions and individuals with collections of pre-digital photographs, negatives, and prints, HVO’s long-term goal is to scan and archive its images to preserve them for posterity.

Ben Gaddis, left, and photographer Andrew Hara hold a photo of
HVO founder Thomas Jaggar in his gas lab in 1919.
Photo from HVO

Since 2009, Gaddis has organized, labeled, scanned, and entered metadata for thousands of color slides and black and white photos. In order to make the digitized images more accessible to researchers and to the public, he created an image catalog searchable by name of photographer, ID, date, event, location, and keywords.
He often goes the extra mile to research and correct erroneous information, thereby increasing the scientific value of the images. Among the treasures he discovered while rummaging through old materials were unpublished administrative records on the early days of HVO and the explosive eruption of Kīlauea in 1924. His work resulted in public presentations by Gaddis and HVO scientists Don Swanson and Jim Kauahikaua on historical eruptions, illuminated by the newly discovered images.

A photo of the 1924 eruption of Kilaeua

Volcano, in the archives that Ben Gaddis has

cared for. Photo from HVO

With the opportunity and vision to go beyond the limits of HVO's collection, Gaddis took snapshots of museum collections (with permission), increasing staff access to those resources and, at the same time, promoting awareness of the museums' holdings through collaborative outreach.
He used the expanded collections to assist scientists—through the evidence of images—in illustrating and refining their ideas and observations about geological processes and eruption dynamics on the Island of Hawai‘i. These insights have facilitated HVO’s work in hazards mitigation, increased awareness during eruptions and seismic crises, and enhanced publications, public lectures, outreach activities, and educational forums.
In addition to HVO, Gaddis has served the National Park Service, Hawai‘i County Civil Defense, publishers, writers, artists, engineers, exhibit coordinators of museums all over the world, and scientists, teachers, and students of all ages. He considers his volunteer work a labor of love, and we are profoundly grateful for his singular, peerless contributions to the USGS-HVO’s work and to the Department of Interior’s mission.

For all of this and more, Gaddis was recently honored by the U.S. Geological Survey for his many years of service as HVO’s volunteer photo archivist. The HVO staff congratulated him for accepting the U.S. Department of Interior's Citizen’s Award for Exceptional Service.
As a historical note, volunteers have been a crucial part of HVO since the early days of scientific study at Kīlauea. In 1911, volunteers helped scientist Frank Perret erect A-frame supports for a cable across Halemaʻumaʻu Crater to measure temperatures in “Old Faithful.” Also, when operational funds were scarce, as they were during the 1924 explosive eruption, volunteers from the community pitched in to help HVO record details of the eruption. Volunteers were also key to HVO operations during the Great Depression.

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

Kīlauea’s Summit Eruption: Nine Years and Counting, Tue, April 25, 7 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist Matt Patrick presents an update and overview, including stunning imagery. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tue, April 25, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Ocean View.

THE KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN goes to a public Steering Committee meeting this coming Tuesday, April 25, at Na`alehu Community Center, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

The Windward Planning commission will hold a Ka`u CDP public hearing on Wednesday, May 10 at 5:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center and Thursday, June 1 at 9 a.m. at the County of Hawai`i Aupuni Center Conference Room in Hilo. Following the Windward Planning Commission making recommendations, the County Council will hold Ka`u CDP public hearings and take action. With approval, Mayor Harry Kim will sign the Ka`u CDP into law and an Action Committee will be appointed to guide the Ka`u CDP implementation. The Draft Ka`u CDP and the Planning Director's "non-substantive revisions" are available at the site: www.kaucdep.info.

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

Ka`u News Briefs, Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, April 6, 2017

Ka`u News Briefs Friday, April 7, 2017

Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, April 8, 2017

Ka`u News Briefs, Sunday, April 9, 2017

Ka`u News Briefs Monday, April 10, 2017

Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, April 13, 2017

Ka`u News Briefs Friday, April 14, 2017

Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, April 15, 2017

Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, April 16, 2017

Ka`u News Briefs Monday, April 17, 2017

Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, April 20, 2017

Ka`u News Briefs Friday, April 21, 2017

Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, April 22, 2017

Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, April 23, 2017