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| Kaʻū youth traveled to the 4-H Livestock Show & |
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| Tulsi Gabbard visited Hope Services' Transitional Housing Site in Pāhoa on Monday Photo from Gabbard’s office |
Gabbard also visited the Disaster Resource Center Veterans Center
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| Tulsi Gabbard with Hawaiʻi County Highways Division Chief Neil Azevedo Photo from Gabbard’s office |
Last week, Gabbard and the Hawaiʻi Congres-sional Dele
gation
delivered a letter to President Trump, urging him to act swiftly to authorize individual assistance from FEMA for Hawaiʻi Island residents whose homes have been lost or damaged due to the ongoing Kīlauea Volcano eruptions. The President approved the FEMA individual assistance on Friday June 14, authorizing federal funding temporary housing, home repairs and replacements, medical needs, child care, transportation, and more. A fact sheet on FEMA's Individuals and Households Program is available here. Register with FEMA by applying online at DisasterAssistance.govor calling 1-800-621-3362, for TTY 1-800-462-7585, or for 711 or Video Relay Service 1-800-621-3362.
gation
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| Rep. Tulsi Gabbard speaking with one of the workers at Hope Services' Transitional Housing Site in Pāhoa on Monday, June 18. Photo from Gabbard’s office |
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| Volcano Livestock 4-H Club member Ua Alencastre-Galimba won Grand Champion Market Steer. Photo from Becky Settlage, |
YOUNG FARMERS CELEBRATED A CENTURY OF 4-H IN HAWAIʻI last weekend with the 2018 Hawaiʻi County 4-H Livestock Show & Sale in Waimea . The event drew Kaʻū youth to the north side of the island with their calves, pigs, and other livestock they have raised. Anderson Arena in Waimea, also known as Rocking Chair Ranch, hosted the event. Open to the public, the annual event supports young farmers and ranchers. Friday was for showing rabbits, poultry, and goats. Saturday morning was for showing lambs, hogs, steers, and heifers. Saturday afternoon was for the sale of 4-H animals, including beef steer and heifer, hog, lamb, goat, poultry, and rabbit.
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| Volcano Livestock 4-H Club member Gavin Galimbawon both Champion Sr. Beef and Reserve Champion Market Steer. Photo from Becky Settlage, |
The 4-H livestock program provides youths aged 5-18 with hands-on learning opportunities by raising and training livestock. Participants learn humane animal husbandry skills and record-keeping. Students are responsible for the financial planning of their project, plus the daily care, feeding, and training of their project animals.
4-H Livestock Association Chair, Ka‘ū rancher, and state Board of Agriculture member Michelle Galimba said, “The 4-H participants are not only judged on the quality of their animals, but also on their showmanship skills. Each youth demonstrates the ability to effectively present their animal and their project-based knowledge.
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| Volcano Livestock 4-H Club member Owen Flores won Champion Jr. Beef Showman. Photo from Becky Settlage, |
“4-H assists our young people in developing important life skills while working on economically valuable, hands-on projects. We must strongly support agricultural education and experiences for our young people if we are to increase Hawaiʻi’s food sustainability.”
Members of Volcano Livestock 4-H Club won four categories: Ua Alencastre-Galimba, Grand Champion Market Steer; Owen Flores, Champion Jr. Beef Showman; Gavin Galimba both Champion Sr. Beef and Reserve Champion Market Steer.
Members of Country Clovers 4-H Club won two categories: Darsen Nobriga, Grand Champion Market Lamb; Levi Higa, Reserve Champion Heifer.
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| Hamakua Livestock 4-H Club member Leiana Andrade-Stout won Grand Champion Heifer. Photo from Becky Settlage, |
For more information, contact Michelle Galimba at mgalimba@kuahiwiranch.com
or 808-430-4927. For more pictures of the event, see facebook.com/pg/East-Hawaii-4-H-Hawaii-County-4-H-Livestock-316404270943/photos/?tab=album&album_id=101562
29731215944.
or 808-430-4927. For more pictures of the event, see facebook.com/pg/East-Hawaii-4-H-Hawaii-County-4-H-Livestock-316404270943/photos/?tab=album&album_id=101562
29731215944.
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| Country Clovers 4-H Club member Levi Higa won Reserve Champion Heifer. Photo from Becky Settlage, |
HAWAIʻI IS ONE OF THE MOST INDEPENDENT STATES, according to WalletHub ratings that could be interpreted as both good and bad. The overall WalletHub research aimed at measuring dependency on the government and other people for finances, jobs, and personal vices. Hawaiʻi ranks sixth overall.
Wallet Hub rates people in Hawaiʻi as the most independent in the country in terms of jobs supported by exported goods. That means fewer people’s jobs in the state rely on other countries buying things from the islands. Hawaiʻi correspondingly ranks first in having the lowest amount of state GDP generated by exports to other countries. Hawaiʻi also ranks first – tying with several other states – in having the lowest unemployment rate.
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.
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Halemaʻumaʻu’s explosive eruption at 5:05 a.m. today, June 19, sent ash 1,000 feet into the air. The energy release was equivalent to a 5.5-magnitude earthquake. It was the 30th such event. “This continues a trend of lesser and lesser ash emissions that are associated with these types of explosions,” said Thelen. He clarified that magnitude ratings are not the same, compared to typical earthquakes - that the way the energy is being released is different. He said this seismic activity doesn’t “have the same really fast ground motions,” as a typical earthquake. Felt earthquakes drop sharply after each explosive eruption. Thelen said another explosion is expected within a day of seismic activity picking up again. He said the contribution of groundwater to the explosive events is “a pretty hot” topic of debate.
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HIGHWAY 11 WAS CLOSED BETWEEN 1 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. Saturday , at mile marker 102, just north of Hoʻokena. Police had opened one lane by 6:30 a.m. The closure was due to a vehicle accident.
FISSURE 8 FLOWS CLOCKED UP TO 20 MILES PER HOUR on June 18. Fountaining from the fissure reached 200 feet high. Minor overflows from the channel “continue to be a hazard,” said Wes Thelen, seismologist with USGS. Small overflows were observed on the north side of the channel near Pohoiki Road overnight and this morning, but stalled in the afternoon. Another small, sluggish overflow along a section of Luana Street is advancing northwest. Fissures 6, 16, and 18 show minor amounts of activity.
Islandwide, with most of the action near Halemaʻumaʻu, the number of earthquakes in the last 20 days reached 10,104 this evening. A 4.6-magnitude earthquake shook the south flank of Kīlauea on a pali within Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park at 2:24 p.m. Unlike the regular shallow seismic events at Halemaʻumaʻu, the deeper earthquake was felt more broadly into Kaʻū.
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| Fissure 8 lava fountains, incandescent spots along horizontal line mark the edge of the lava channel. A tongue of incandescent lava leads down to the right - a small overflow from the channel margin. USGS photo |
Large blocks within the caldera continue to slump. Summit deflation continues. Thelen said 267 million cubic meters of magma have withdrawn from the summit since the lava lake started to drain. “That is a huge amount of magma that is leaving the system,” he said. There is some consistency in the comparison of lava lake samples and samples at the lower East Rift Zone eruptive fissures, indicating that magma from the lake might be erupting at the fissures. It is also possible it could be being stored. The magma could also “have gotten in line,” waiting to exit the East Rift.
Today is Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park’s 40th day of two thirds of the park being closed. Leslie Gordon of USGS said questions about public viewing of lava outside the park are best directed to Civil Defense.
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.
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PELE’S HAIR AND SO2 MAY BECOME AN ISSUE IN PĀHOA and possibly into the Hawaiian Acres tonight, June 19, according to the National Weather Service. Winds are expected to push volcanic emissions into the interior of the Big Island Hilo , northern parts of the island, and wrapping around to the west, says NWS. Tradewinds are expected by Thursday.
Today’s air quality, according to the EPA multi-agency site at response.epa.gov/site/map
_list.aspx?site_id=12766, reported all areas a good-blue, except a sensor in the middle of Leilani Estates, which read at red (danger level) due to SO2 at more than two parts per million, and Mountain View, showing orange (caution level) due to SO2 at just over 0.2 parts per million.Mountain View and both Volcanoes National Park Mountain View , at 71.
_list.aspx?site_id=12766, reported all areas a good-blue, except a sensor in the middle of Leilani Estates, which read at red (danger level) due to SO2 at more than two parts per million, and Mountain View, showing orange (caution level) due to SO2 at just over 0.2 parts per million.
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| See public Ka‘ū events, meetings, entertainment. Print edition of The Ka‘ū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes throughout Ka‘ū, from Miloli‘i through Volcano, and free on |
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20
Hawai‘i County Council Meetings, Tue, Jun 19 (Council), Kona. Ka‘ū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nā‘ālehu State Office Building. Agendas at hawaiicounty.gov
Ocean View Community Association Board Meeting, Wed, June 20, noon-1pm, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org
Ocean View Community Association Board Meeting, Wed, June 20, noon-1pm, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org
Rapid Response Workshops for Hawaiʻi Island residents whose employment status or business operations have been affected by the lava flow, held Wednesday, June 20, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. , at Pāhoa Community Center 15-3022 Kauhale Street , Pāhoa.
Residents can receive information about programs and services regarding Unemployment Insurance, State of Hawaiʻi job vacancies, mental health services, Veterans’ Affairs, housing rental assistance, employment training, emergency food assistance, WIC and medical services. For more information, contact the American Jobs Center Hawaiʻi at 935-6527.
Hawai‘i Disability Legal Services, Thu, Jun 21, 9-1pm , Ocean View Community Center
Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka‘ū, Thu, Jun 21, 6:30pm , United Methodist Church
FRIDAY, JUNE 22
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Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United Kaʻū Chapter community meeting Fri, June 22, 5pm, Pāhala Plantation House. “Come chat about agriculture in Kaʻū, local food production, ag related legislation, and make connections with folks in the community. All Kaʻū Farmers and Ranchers are encouraged to attend.” Light pupus available; welcome to bring something to share. Any questions call Raina Whiting, Kaʻū Chapter President, at 464-0799 or rainawhiting@gmail.com.
FRIDAY, JUNE 22
SATURDAY, JUNE 23Birth of Kahuku, Sat, Jun 23, 9:30-11:30am , Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park
SUNDAY, JUNE 24
SUNDAY, JUNE 24
‘Ōhi‘a Lehua, Sun, Jun 24, 9:30-11am, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Learn about vital role of ‘ōhi‘a lehua in native Hawaiian forests, and many forms of ‘ōhi‘a tree and its flower on this free, easy, one-mile walk. nps.gov/HAVO
TUESDAY, JUNE 26
Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tue, Jun 26, 11:30-1pm , St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Ocean View.
KUMU LEILEHUA YUEN AND MANU JOSIAH TO BE FEATURED at Volcano Art Center’s Hula Kahiko program on Saturday, June 23. The event takes place, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the Ni‘aulani Campus of the Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village, due to the ongoing closure of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
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| Kumu Leilehua Yuen and Manu Josiah perform Hula Kahiko at Volcano Art Center on June 23. Photo from Volcano Art Center, by Julie Callahan |
Josiah and Yuen are known for their informances, in which they blend storytelling, science, chant, and hula to create a journey through Hawaiian history and culture. Yuen and Josiah “admire each other’s love of and respect for their island home. They live in her family home in Hilo, restoring the medicinal garden that her grandfather tended,” states the event description.
Yuen’s hula lineage is rooted in her grandmother’s teachings and her studies with Hawaiiana expert Auntie Nona Beamer. The powerful natural forces of the Big Island are where Yuen “draws much of her artistic inspiration. Manu also draws strength from the island as he works to preserve his cultural heritage through music and community education.” The Volcano Art Center invites the public to join them in a celebration of traditional chant and hula at Kīlauea during the event.
Yuen’s hula lineage is rooted in her grandmother’s teachings and her studies with Hawaiiana expert Auntie Nona Beamer. The powerful natural forces of the Big Island are where Yuen “draws much of her artistic inspiration. Manu also draws strength from the island as he works to preserve his cultural heritage through music and community education.” The Volcano Art Center invites the public to join them in a celebration of traditional chant and hula at Kīlauea during the event.
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| Kumu Kaho‘okele Crabbe. Photo from Volcano Art Center |
The free event is supported in part by a grant from the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, the County of Hawaiʻi Department of Research and Development and individual funding from members of the Volcano Art Center’s ʻohana. For more, visit volcanoartcenter.org.
NĀ MEA HULA, WITH KUMU KAHO‘OKELE CRABBE WITH HALAUOKALANI, is held in conjunction with the aforementioned Hula Kahiko performance at the same location, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Crabbe and members of Hālauolaokalani present a display of all things hula - Nā Mea Hula. They share a variety of instruments, implements and lei styles that play an integral role in the life of the hula practitioner. This free demonstration is hands-on and family friendly. For more, visit volcanoartcenter.org.
NĀ MEA HULA, WITH KUMU KAHO‘OKELE CRABBE WITH HALAUOKALANI, is held in conjunction with the aforementioned Hula Kahiko performance at the same location, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Crabbe and members of Hālauolaokalani present a display of all things hula - Nā Mea Hula. They share a variety of instruments, implements and lei styles that play an integral role in the life of the hula practitioner. This free demonstration is hands-on and family friendly. For more, visit volcanoartcenter.org.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
Tropic Care 2018 - providing medical, dental, and eye care for any community member, free of charge, whether they have insurance or not - lasts through June 28, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Keaʻau High School gym. First come-first served. Bring any current prescriptions or eye glasses. Long waits are expected; bring water and snacks. Free breakfast and lunch provided to those aged 3 to 18, Monday thru Friday. Food carts may be on site for purchases throughout the event. Questions can be directed to the public health nurse at 808-974-6035, or Adria Maderios, Vice Principal of Keaʻau High School, at 313-3333.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park invites kamaʻaina and tourist alike to visit the Kahuku Unit. There are no entry fees, and all programs are free of charge. In addition to regularly scheduled Guided Hikes and the monthly Coffee Talk, Kahuku Unit has added daily Ranger Talks, and cultural demonstrations and activities on weekends.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park invites kamaʻaina and tourist alike to visit the Kahuku Unit. There are no entry fees, and all programs are free of charge. In addition to regularly scheduled Guided Hikes and the monthly Coffee Talk, Kahuku Unit has added daily Ranger Talks, and cultural demonstrations and activities on weekends.
Visitor Contact Station hosts Ike Hana Noe ʻAu, Cultural Demonstrations and Activities, at 12:30 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday in June, made possible by Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association. Make an ͑Ohe Hana Ihu (Nose Flute), Sat, June 23. Make a Mini Feather Kahili, Sun, June 24.
Visitor Contact Station hosts Ranger Talks on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. ; Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
Artist in Residence Talk, in the Visitor Center 10 a.m.
In the Visitor Contact Station, Coffee Talk, a monthly, casual get together, is held the last Friday of the month. On June 29 at 9:30 a.m. , Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund will present Removing Trash, Restoring Habitat.
Join in the Cultural Festival, Pu ͑uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park, in Hōnaunau , Sat and Sun, June 23 and 24, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
See the Kahuku Unit Rangers,The Kahuku Cowgirls, in the Na ͑alehu 4th of July Parade Sat, June 30, beginning at 10 a.m.
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program will take sign-ups in Kaʻū, through June 29.
In Nā’ālehu, it will take place at the Hawai‘i County Economic Opportunity Council office, back of Senior Center, Wed-Fri, 8-1pm, 929-9263.
In Ocean View, it will take place at Ocean View Community Center, Mon and Tue, 8-4:30pm.
In Pāhala, it will take place at the Edmund Olson Trust Office, Tue and Wed, 8:30-12:30pm. See more for eligibility requirements and application.
Libraries Rock Summer Reading Program: Hawai‘i State Public Library System, through July 14, statewide and online. Register and log reading at librarieshawaii.beanstack.org or at a local library. Free. Reading rewards, activities, and programs for children, teens, and adults. 2018 participants have a chance to win a Roundtrip for four to anywhere Alaska Airlines flies.
Park Rangers invite the public to downtown Hilo to learn about the volcanic activity, to get their NPS Passport Book stamped, and to experience the Hawaiian cultural connection to volcanoes. Rangers are providing programs at the Mokupāpapa Discovery Center at 76 Kamehameha Avenue, Tuesday through Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
Two Park Rangers are stationed at the Grand Naniloa Hotel in downtown Hilo, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., every Sunday and Monday, in the Willie K Crown Room - as long as nothing else is scheduled in the space. The rangers will be doing daily talks at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. about the eruption. They will show the park film that is normally available to visitors to see at the Kilauea Visitor’s Center at the Summit, Born of Fire, Born in the Sea, every half-hour beginning at 9:30 a.m.
Sign Up for the Nāʻālehu Independence Day Parade, to be held June 30. If interested, call Debra McIntosh at 929-9872.
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 464-9634.
St. Jude's Episcopal Church Calls For More Volunteers for the Saturday community outreach. Especially needed are cooks for the soup served to those in need, and organizers for the hot showers. "Volunteering for St. Jude's Saturday Shower and Soup ministry is an opportunity to serve God in a powerful way," states St. Jude's April newsletter. Volunteer by contacting Dave Breskin at 319-8333.
Volcano Forest Runs Registration Open through Friday, August 17, at 6 p.m. Half marathon $85, 10K $45, 5K $30. Registration increases August 1: half marathon to $95, 10K to $55, and 5K to $35. Race is run from Cooper Center on Wright Road in Volcano Village on Saturday, August 18.
5th annual Ka‘ū Coffee Trail Run registration open. Race day Sat, Sept 22, 7 a.m. ; begins and ends at Ka‘ū Coffee Mill. Register online before Mon, July 9: 5K, $25/person; 10K, $35/person; and 1/2 Marathon , $45/person. From July 9 to Aug 11: $30/person, $40/person, and $45/person, respectively. From Aug 13 to Sept 20: $35/person, $45/person, and $55/person. Race day registration ends Sat, Sept 22, at 6:30 a.m. Event organizers, ‘O Ka‘ū Kākou; start location, Ka‘ū Coffee Mill.
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