Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Wednesday, May 25, 2016

THE LAVA LAKE WITHIN HALEMA`UMA`U Overlook crater remains active, with the lake level measured at around 75 feet below Halema`uma`u crater floor yesterday, high enough to view intermittent spattering from the Jaggar Museum overlook. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported that tremor fluctuations associated with lava lake spattering continue. Data from GPS networks and interferometric satellite radar show continued long-term inflation of the summit and upper Southwest Rift Zone magma reservoirs.
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A FISH WITH A LOT OF “FINGERS” will be hands-off starting June 1. The season for moi, or Pacific threadfin, will be closed from June through August in Hawai`i waters.

      Moi is the only fish in Hawai`i belonging to the genus Polydactylus, which is Greek for “many fingers.” The “fingers” are actually six filaments extending from the base of each pectoral fin. It is also one of the relatively few Hawaiian fishes to undergo sex reversal, changing from male to female by the time it reaches about 10 inches in length.
      “Moi is one of Hawai`i’s most significant fish species from a cultural perspective,” said Suzanne Case, chair of the Department of Land and Natural Resources. “In ancient times, it was reserved only for chiefs; commoners were forbidden to eat it. But if moi suddenly appeared in large numbers, chiefs considered it an omen of disaster.
      “Today, we still value it as one of our most sought-after reef fishes. The closed season helps sustain moi populations by protecting them during their critical summer spawning period. We ask for the fishing public’s kokua in complying with the closed season and protecting our ocean resources.”
      Early Hawaiians also placed a kapu or prohibition on certain fish during their spawning season as a conservation measure.
      During the open season – September through May – the minimum size for moi is 11 inches, and the bag limit for possession and/or sale is 15. However, a commercial marine dealer may possess and sell more than 15 moi during the open season with receipts issued for the purchase.
      Copies of Hawai`i’s fishing regulations are available at DLNR’s Aquatic Resources offices, most fishing supply stores, and online at http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dar/fishing/fishing-regulations/.
      To report fishing violations, call 643-DLNR (3567).
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HAWAI`I ISLAND POLICE REMIND motorists that right turns are to be made from the roadway and not from the right shoulder.

      Puna District Captain Samuel Jelsma said some motorists wrongly believe it is safer to travel onto the right shoulder before turning, to allow traffic to pass on the left. That practice, Jelsma said, presents several hazards: reduced visibility of what is around the corner, reduced visibility for other vehicles attempting to enter the highway from an intersection, the potential for a vehicle properly traveling in the traffic lane to execute a right turn and collide with the vehicle traveling on the shoulder, and increased risk of collisions with pedestrians and bicyclists.
      Jelsma noted that Hawai`i Revised Statues 291C-81, which applies to turning, says, “Both the approach for a right turn and a right turn shall be made as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway.” Jelsma clarified that the “edge of the roadway” means the solid white line.
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THE PAUAHI FOUNDATION has extended the deadline from May 15 to June 15 for Hawai`i Island students of Hawaiian ancestry between the ages of 13 and 17 to apply for full scholarships to Science Camps of America. Science Camps are ten-day overnight experiences that start June 29.

      In support of its mission to support the educational needs of people of Hawaiian descent, and through funds provided by the TMT International Observatory, the Pauahi Foundation will sponsor twelve students to attend Science Camp in 2016 – six for Land & Sea camp and six for Air & Space camp.

      “We at the Foundation are so proud to be able to offer this funding in support of STEM programs on Hawai`i Island,” said Mavis Shiraishi-Nagao, Scholarship Services Manager for Pauahi Foundation.

      At Science Camp, students go outside to learn about the volcanoes, mountains, ocean, forests, plants and animals of Hawai`i. “Science Camp is a unique experience for teens to learn and do science while having fun. Each day, we head out on field trips from our base camp in Ka`u to science destinations across Hawai`i Island, where we explore new environments, help collect scientific data for research, meet working scientists, and experience and study Hawai`i’s unique natural environment.” said founder and Executive Director Michael Richards. “We are very excited by this opportunity that Pauahi Foundation is providing to Native Hawaiian students interested in science. We are proud to be part of the greater effort to encourage young people in Hawai`i to embark on science careers that will help them have a long-term positive impact on our local environment.”
      Interested students can learn more at http://ScienceCampsAmerica.com. Additional information and application forms for the scholarships offered by Pauahi Foundation may be found at http://www.pauahi.org/science-camps-of-america/.
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DONATIONS FOR DOLLARAMA can be dropped off at Ocean View Community Center through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. At the event on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., everything is $1 or less, including food and beverages. Funds raised go toward a new roof for the facility.
      Call 939-7033 for more information.

LEGAL AID IS AVAILABLE tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center.
      Call 800-499-4302 for more information.

KEIKI LEARN TO SWIM at Pahala Pool this summers. Sessions begin on June 6 and continue through July 29. Fee is $15 for each two-week session.
      Registration takes place on Thursday and Friday, June 2 and 3. For more information, call Rina Martineau at 928-8177.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.