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| Dr. Nial Peters from the University of Cambridge sets up the prototype radar on the rim of Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea in January 2018. Microwave pulses are transmitted from one dish towards the lava lake surface. Some of the microwave energy is reflected back and is received by the other dish. The range or distance to the lava lake is then calculated from the time taken between transmission and reception of the pulses, providing a sensitive measure of the lava lake height. Measurements can be made continuously. See stiory below,. Photo courtesy of C. Oppenheimer |
MARCH FOR OUR LIVES IN WASHINGTON, D.C. was joined by Sen. Brian Schatz on Saturday. He walked with students from Hawaiʻi who flew to the Capitol to participate, holding signs "4 Aloha." He listed his favorite student signs: "Why is my dress code stricter than your gun law? Be brave be bold live Aloha. I can't believe we have to march about this stuff. Stop being dicks. You will never have the comfort of our silence again. 437 days till I can vote. Surviving second grade shouldn't be harder than buying an automatic weapon. We're so proud of this generation. My life is more important than a hobby. And, Girls clothing is more regulated than guns in America."
Schatz also released this statement: "There's something happening in our country, friends. Young people are standing together to take on the gun lobby and their grip on our politics. They're speaking out, they're walking out, and today, I joined them and hundreds of thousands of others at the March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C. These kids are the single most hopeful thing happening in 2018. These may not be the kind of leaders we're used to, but they're exactly who we need right now.
Schatz also released this statement: "There's something happening in our country, friends. Young people are standing together to take on the gun lobby and their grip on our politics. They're speaking out, they're walking out, and today, I joined them and hundreds of thousands of others at the March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C. These kids are the single most hopeful thing happening in 2018. These may not be the kind of leaders we're used to, but they're exactly who we need right now.
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| Sen. Brian Schatz joined Hawai`i students who flew to Washington, D.C, to participate in Saturday's March for Our Lives. Photo from Sen. Brian Schatz |
"This movement cannot end when the marches are over - it's up to us to make sure we keep up their fight."
Schatz asked Hawaiʻi residents to sign an online petition "Add your name and pledge to continue to demand real legislative solutions to end America’s gun violence crisis."
Schatz asked Hawaiʻi residents to sign an online petition "Add your name and pledge to continue to demand real legislative solutions to end America’s gun violence crisis."
Schatz wrote that, "The Parkland students were witness to something that no child should ever experience. They are leading this movement because their lives are truly on the line. We already know what needs to be done: strengthen background checks and close loopholes that put guns into the wrong hands. But change will not happen unless these young leaders have a movement behind them.
"Make sure these leaders know that they do not stand alone. If you are more committed than ever to finding solutions to prevent gun violence, I ask that you sign on right now."
The Parkland High School shootings by a lone gunman in Florida took place on Feb. 14, and students immediately mobilized at the school and beyond, demanding new gun control laws. Events included a nationwide walkout, in which Kaʻū High and Elementary School students participated. The March for Our Lives included Saturday's events in Washington, D.C. and many communities across the country, including Kona, Hilo, and Waimea on this island.
The Parkland High School shootings by a lone gunman in Florida took place on Feb. 14, and students immediately mobilized at the school and beyond, demanding new gun control laws. Events included a nationwide walkout, in which Kaʻū High and Elementary School students participated. The March for Our Lives included Saturday's events in Washington, D.C. and many communities across the country, including Kona, Hilo, and Waimea on this island.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.WEATHER DELAYED THE VOYAGE of the Hōkūleʻa, which planned to sail from Oʻahu to Hawaiʻi Island with a welcome at Miloliʻi on Sunday. Check Hokulea.com for updates. Follow Hōkūleʻa on the crew's live tracking map.
The 62-foot double-hulled sailing canoe is expected to travel to Miloli`i and meet the public and students when the weather settles down. The crew will then sail to other Hawaiʻi Island ports to welcome guests for workshops, demonstrations, and canoe visits.
Some Ka‘ū students plan to visit Hōkūleʻa, including Ka‘ū High School teacher David Berry's class.
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SOME DISABLED VETERANS WORKING FOR THE VA will be receiving access to paid leave. An announcement from Sen. Mazie Hirnono states the U.S. Senate unanimously passed S. 899, a bill authored by Hirono, Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Jon Tester (D-MT), to ensure veterans with a disability rating of 30 percent or higher who are hired by the VA in critical medical positions can access additional paid sick leave during their first year on the job, for the purposes of receiving medical care related to their service-connected condition.
"This is common-sense legislation that will ensure the VA's disabled veteran employees receive the same additional paid sick leave that is available to other federal agency employees," said Hirono. "The Senate today affirmed how important it is to eliminate barriers our disabled veterans face to continue serving our country at the VA as this critical agency works to fill tens of thousands of vacancies at its medical facilities in Hawai‘i and across the country."
"The Senate took important steps today to help service-disabled veterans better transition into the federal workforce and civilian life," said Moran. "This legislation builds on the Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act to make certain veterans who sustained wounds or injuries while defending our nation can take time off to seek medical treatment without impacting their livelihood or paycheck. Veterans in Kansas and across the country with service-related disabilities have earned greater flexibility in the workplace to receive the care they need, and I urge my colleagues in the House to quickly pass this sensible legislation."
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| Oʻahu Veteran's Center |
In October 2016, President Barack Obama signed into law Hirono's Federal Aviation Administration Veteran Transition Improvement Act (Public Law 114-242) which extended rights to additional paid sick leave to new disabled veteran employees of the FAA and the Transportation Security Administration. Senators Moran and Tester were also cosponsors of the law.
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A VOLCANO RADAR SYSTEM USED IN ANTARCTICA takes a trial run at Kīlauea Volcano. This the subject of this week's Volcano Watch, written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates:
A recent issue of Volcano Watch looked at what the level of the lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u can tell scientists about how Kīlauea works, and the hazards it poses. The level varies continuously and in concert with both deep and shallow changes in the magma plumbing system feeding the lava lake. One way of thinking about it is that the lava lake acts as a pressure gauge on the magma chamber to which it is connected.
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| Lava lake level the morning of March 19; the lake surface was 89 feet below the Overlook crater rim. With the lava lake at that level, spattering on the lake surface could be seen from the Jaggar Museum overlook in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Photo from volcanoes.usgs.gov |
Despite Jaggar’s success, the fact remains that lava lake level is a surprisingly difficult quantity to measure. No one has put a tide gauge in the lava lake or a ruled depth marker in the crater. Today, HVO scientists primarily use a laser-rangefinder to calculate the lava lake height, but this requires a clear view into the crater.
Making continuous and consistent measurements, day and night, in all weather, is even more demanding. This challenge has stimulated an international collaboration between HVO scientists and a small team of volcanologists and engineers from the University of Cambridge
The United Kingdom team, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, has been developing a turnkey radar for measuring lava lake height, with the first system tested on Erebus volcano in Antarctica in 2016 under the auspices of the U.S. Antarctic Program. Erebus reaches over 12,000 feet (3,658 m) above sea level, and temperatures, even in summer, can be as low as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
The measurements revealed a remarkable periodic rise and fall of the lava lake, with a single oscillation taking around ten minutes. Why Erebus volcano behaves like this is still unclear, and laboratory experiments are now underway to simulate the activity and better understand the driving processes.
Trusting that if monitoring equipment can survive such harsh conditions on a remote Antarctic volcano, then it should work in Hawai‘i, the latest version of the radar was brought for a trial run on Kīlauea in January 2018. The Hawaiian volcano and climate threw everything at the instrument - the largest rockfall-induced explosion from the lava lake in over a year, torrential rain, and, of course, copious amounts of acidic gas - and it kept on working.
After an initial setup period of a couple of days, the radar ran unsupervised for over a week, recording the level of the lake once per second. The data collected during this period are still being analyzed, but at a first glance, they look consistent with other measurements made by HVO scientists.
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| This image is from a research camera mounted in the observation tower at HVO. The camera is looking SSE towards the active vent in Halemaʻumaʻu, 1.2 miles from the webcam. For scale, the crater wall of Halemaʻumaʻu behind the eruptive vent is about 280 ft high. Photo from volcanoes.usgs.gov |
Most of all, it is hoped that with some further development, miniaturization and ruggedization, and reduction in power requirements, the radar device could become part of HVO's operational toolkit for monitoring Kīlauea and assessing volcanic hazards. To this end, the recent campaign represented an invaluable opportunity for the UK team to learn first-hand the challenges of operating instruments in the unique environment of Halema‘uma‘u.
Visit HVO's website for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea daily eruption updates, Mauna Loa weekly updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Call for summary updates at 808-967-8862 (Kīlauea ) or 808-967-8866 (Mauna Loa ). Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.
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| Photo from VAC |
Entry forms are available online at volcanoartcenter.org/gallery/call-to-artists. Online registration is due by Saturday, May 26, for the exhibition, which will be open Friday, Jul. 13, to Friday, Aug. 3, at Volcano Art Center's Niaulani campus at 19-4074 Old Volcano Rd., Volcano Village.
For more information contact Fia Mattice, at 967-8222 or via email quiltshow2018@volcanoartcenter.org.
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KAʻŪ TROJAN SPORTS were all cancelled, most parks were closed, and many events were postponed Saturday due to warnings of inclement weather.
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See public Ka‘ū events, meetings, entertainment at kaucalendar.com /janfebmar/februaryevents.html. See Ka‘ū exercise, meditation, daily, weekly events at kaucalendar.com/janfebmar/februarycommunity.html. February print edition of The Ka‘ū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes throughout Ka‘ū, from Miloli‘i through Volcano. Also available free on stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com. |
KA‘Ū TROJANS SPORTS SCHEDULE
Girls Softball: Saturday, Mar 31 @ Honoka‘a
Monday, Apr 2, @ Kohala
Saturday, Apr 7, Hawai‘i Prep @ Ka‘ū
Monday, Apr 9, @ Pāhoa
Wednesday, Apr 11 @ KSH
Saturday, Apr 14, Kea‘au @ Ka‘ū
Boys Volleyball: Tuesday, Apr 3, @ Waiakea
Wednesday, Apr 11, Kea‘au @ Ka‘ū
Friday, Apr 13, Honoka‘a @ Ka‘ū
Monday, Apr 16, @ Hilo
Friday, Apr 20, Parker @ Ka‘ū
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DELAYED UNTIL SEPTEMBER: KDEN'S HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES, at Kīlauea Military Camp's Kīlauea Theater, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Kīlauea Drama & Entertainment Network performance. KMC open to authorized KMC patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. Call KDEN for ticket info, 982-7344.
FINAL DAY OF TĪ AND SEAS ART EXHIBIT, SUNDAY, MARCH 25, at Volcano Art Center Gallery, featuring oil paintings by Pāhoa resident Steve Irvine. Open to the public, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily - volcanoartcenter.org or 967-8222.AVOCADO GRAFTING FOR COMMERCIAL GROWERS WORKSHOP Register by Monday, March 26, for Hilo, and Tuesday, March 27, for Kona. Workshops scheduled for: Wednesday, March 28, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., at Komohana Research and Extension Center, 875 Komohana St, Room D-202, Hilo, HI 96720. Kona will hold two workshops, at
CANCELLED: KEIKI STAINED GLASS, Sunday, March 25, 9 a.m. to noon, Volcano Art Center. Beginners workshop for keiki ages 11 & up volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222
PALM TRAIL, Sun, Mar 25,
TUESDAY, MARCH 27
HAWAI‘I COUNTY COUNCIL Committee meetings will be on Tuesday, March 27 and full Council meetings on Wednesday, March 28. Ka‘ū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nā‘ālehu State Office Building
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KA‘Ū FOOD PANTRY, Tue, March 27, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. , St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Ocean View.
HAWAI‘I COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING, Wednesday, March 28 in Kona. Ka‘ū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nā‘ālehu State Office Building
KŌKUA KUPUNA PROJECT, Wedneday, March 28, 9 - 11 a.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church, Ocean View. Seniors, 60 years & older, encouraged to attend, ask questions, and inquire about services offered through Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i - referral required from Hawai‘i County Office of Aging at 961-8626 for free legal services. Under 60, call 1-800-499-4302. More info: tahisha.despontes@legalaidhawaii.org, 329-3910 ext. 925. legalaidhawaii.org
HŪ DEMONSTRATION for the making of a Hawaiian top, Wednesday, March 28, 10 a.m. to noon , Kīlauea Visitor Center Volcanoes National Park
STEWARDSHIP OF KῙPUKAPUAULU Thursday, March 29. Meet at 9:30 a.m., Kīpukapuaulu parking lot, Mauna Loa Rd , off Hwy 11. Bring clippers or pruners, sturdy gloves, a hat, water, closed-toe shoes; fabrics may be permanently stained by morning glory sap. New volunteers, contact Marilyn Nicholson at nickem@hawaii.rr.com.
POETRY READING WITH 'THE POETS OF 1958' - Laura Mullen, Marthe Reed, and Susan M. Schultz - Thursday Night at the Center, March 29, 7 to 9 p.m. Free; $5 donation suggested. volcanoartcenter.org
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FRIDAY, MARCH 30
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COFFEE TALK, Friday, March 30, 9:30 - 11 a.m. , Kahuku Park
SATURDAY, MARCH 31
LAST 2018 SANCTUARY OCEAN COUNT, Saturday, March 31, 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.; arrive 30 min. prior for orientation. Four locations near/in Ka‘ū: Miloli‘i Lookout, Ka Lae Park, Punalu‘u Black Sand Beach Park, and Ka‘ena Point - hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov for directions; park entrance fees apply. Bring sun protection, water, snacks, and a cushion to sit on. Pre-registration required: sanctuaryoceancount.org
STEWARDSHIP AT THE SUMMIT Saturday, March 31. Meet Paul and Jane Field at Kīlauea Visitor Center 8:45 a.m. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and long pants, and bring a hat, raingear, day pack, snacks, and water. Gloves and tools provided. Parental or guardian accompaniment, or written consent, required for volunteers under 18. Visit park website for additional planning details: nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/
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VOLCANO ART CENTER GALLERY PRESENTS HO’OKU’I I NĀ KIKO, Connecting the Dots, by Natalie Mahina Jensen and Lucia Tarall. "A curated collection of photographs, paintings, sculptures, and feather work items deliver a sublime message, connecting the viewer artistically with the provenance of the design." Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. , from Saturday, March 31, to Sunday, May 6. volcanoartcenter.org or 967-8222
A free lecture titled “The Last Truth,” offered by Lucia Tarallo, takes place at 3pm on the opening day of the exhibition. The lecture will be followed by an opening reception where the public is invited to meet the artists.
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SECOND ANNUAL KA‘Ū WELLNESS FAIR, GET YOUR SPRING, Saturday, March 31, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., multi-purpose room at Ka‘ū District Gym in Pāhala. The event features an Egg Hunt and Healthy Fun-Run-Walk, both of which begin at 9:30 a.m. - registration begins at 9 a.m. Also offered are a Blue Zones Purpose Workshop, from 10 a.m. to 11 a..m., and Book Time - Read A-Loud with Friends of the Ka‘ū Libraries, starting at 10 a.m. P.A.T.H. makes a presentation at 10:30 a.m. Vision Screenings, Keiki I.D.s, and Biometrics from Ka‘ū Public Health will be available. Several organizations will also provide information booths for the event: Bay Clinic, Ka‘ū Rural Health Clinic, Ka‘ū Rural Hospital, Project Aware - Your Mental Health First Aid, HSTA, Tūtū & Me Traveling Preschool and Home Visitor Program, and more.
A free lecture titled “The Last Truth,” offered by Lucia Tarallo, takes place at 3pm on the opening day of the exhibition. The lecture will be followed by an opening reception where the public is invited to meet the artists.
PU‘U LOKUANA, Saturday, March 31, 9:30 - 11 a.m. , Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park
ONGOING
TŪTŪ AND ME OFFERS HOME VISITS to those with keiki zero to five years old: home visits to aid with helpful parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate listening ear. Home visits are free, last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, for a total of 12 visits, and snacks are provided. For info and to register, call Linda Bong 646-9634.
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