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| The Great Crack and 1,952 acres between Pāhala and Volcano are the latest acquisition of the National Park Service for Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. USGS photo |
The Great Crack rode high on the acquisition list for the National Park Service, from the days of Sen. Daniel Inouye, before the now-defunct Ka‘ū Sugar Co. sold the lands to Ken Fujiyama. The National Park Service needed a willing seller at an affordable price, which came about through the recent foreclosure settlement.
The lands are the site of many cultural remains, including native Hawaiian house sites and fishing villages, caves where Hawaiian travelers took overnight rests, and the Ala Kahakai Trail, which is already a National Historic Trail. The Great Crack is well known among spelunkers, who explore the underground tubes and the Great Crack itself - as wide and deep as 60 feet.
According to the Tribune Herald article by John Burnett, "The $1.95 million purchase by the park service of the 'Great Crack Property' from Joseph Gillespie III is the last piece of a settlement between First Citizens Bank of Raleigh, North Carolina, and Hilo businessman Ken Fujiyama and his Ken Direction Corp., to settle the bank's foreclosure claim concerning a defaulted mortgage on the then-Naniloa Volcanoes Resort."
Burnett writes that the settlement was finalized with a filing on Aug. 28 in Hilo Circuit Court, indicating that the sale closed last month.
"The county agreed to accept $306,276.46 for past due real property taxes, interest and penalties."
Earlier, Fujiyama put the Great Crack properties on the open real estate market. One 70.03-acre parcel was listed at $3.85 million. The listing stated: "This particular parcel is the favorite fishing area for many ʻulua fishermen."
Another 27.05-acre parcel was listed at $1.755 million. The listing said, "Great fishing in a totally stress free environment that people dream about but rarely ever find." Another 272.28 acres was listed for $2.983 million. Its northern boundary "butts against the National Park wilderness area," the listing said.
Another 1,537 acres at the Great Crack were listed for $8.45 million. The listing said, "Beautiful, barren, and totally isolated, this oceanfront property is so unique that the National Park Service has listed on their ‘to acquire’ property. Owner does not have to sell to the National Park," the listing stated. It also said, "The fishing is fantastic along this coastline. There are three small ancient Hawaiian pads, a few petroglyphs, and a few small historical sites on this property. There is a 300-foot conservation area setback and a 500-foot Special Management Area district setback from the coastline. The remaining area is zoned agriculture-20 acres. The top of the property sits at the 1,000-feet elevation and is three miles to the coastline. The oceanfront boundary is over a mile long."
Fujiyama and his group purchased the Great Crack from Ka‘ū Sugar and its parent company C. Brewer after it became known that the National Park Service was interested in buying it to add onto Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Fujiyama was involved in several negotiations to sell the property to the federal government. Fujiyama was also the former operator of Volcano House hotel and its restaurant and store concessions.
The Great Crack property is on the makai side of Hwy 11, close to Pāhala, encouraging the town to become more of a gateway community to Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
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| The Great Crack. Photo from NASA |
"The county agreed to accept $306,276.46 for past due real property taxes, interest and penalties."
Earlier, Fujiyama put the Great Crack properties on the open real estate market. One 70.03-acre parcel was listed at $3.85 million. The listing stated: "This particular parcel is the favorite fishing area for many ʻulua fishermen."
Another 27.05-acre parcel was listed at $1.755 million. The listing said, "Great fishing in a totally stress free environment that people dream about but rarely ever find." Another 272.28 acres was listed for $2.983 million. Its northern boundary "butts against the National Park wilderness area," the listing said.
Another 1,537 acres at the Great Crack were listed for $8.45 million. The listing said, "Beautiful, barren, and totally isolated, this oceanfront property is so unique that the National Park Service has listed on their ‘to acquire’ property. Owner does not have to sell to the National Park," the listing stated. It also said, "The fishing is fantastic along this coastline. There are three small ancient Hawaiian pads, a few petroglyphs, and a few small historical sites on this property. There is a 300-foot conservation area setback and a 500-foot Special Management Area district setback from the coastline. The remaining area is zoned agriculture-20 acres. The top of the property sits at the 1,000-feet elevation and is three miles to the coastline. The oceanfront boundary is over a mile long."
Fujiyama and his group purchased the Great Crack from Ka‘ū Sugar and its parent company C. Brewer after it became known that the National Park Service was interested in buying it to add onto Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Fujiyama was involved in several negotiations to sell the property to the federal government. Fujiyama was also the former operator of Volcano House hotel and its restaurant and store concessions.
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| More Kaʻū Coast preserved with National Park Service acquisition of the Great Crack lands, after they were listed for sale by Ken Fujiyama and partners, and became part of a foreclosure settlement. Photo from Zillow |
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HAWAIʻI'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION URGES FUNDING FOR FARMERS hurt by recent natural disasters. The letter sent Thursday to the U.S. Department of Agriculture is signed by Senators Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz, and U.S. Representatives Tulsi Gabbard and Colleen Hanabusa.
The Delegation outlined damage to Hawaiʻi's floriculture and nursery product, vegetable crop, coffee , and fruit and tree nut industries, following volcanic, flood, and tropical cyclone events this year.
The Delegation wrote: "The dire situation that our farmers and producers are currently experiencing as a result of recent disasters cannot be overstated. We are already hearing reports of farmers, who employed multiple families and had millions invested in their agricultural business, having to lay off all of their employees and completely walk away from the agricultural industry because they lost all of their assets and cannot qualify for new loans to start over. Agriculture in Hawai ʻi is not easy during the best of times and now during the worst of times, many of our farmers and producers are being forced to give up on agriculture.
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UNDERSTANDING MAGMA TRANSPORT duringKīlauea 's eruption by deploying a seismic array is the subject of Volcano Watch. This week's article is by Jamie Farrell and Fan-Chi Lin, of University of Utah Department of Geology and Geophysics, an affiliate of U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory:
In June, the University of Utah
To accomplish this, scientists will examine earthquakes, tremor, and oceanic ambient noise from the temporary nodal geophone array, as well as from HVO's permanent seismic network. This may help identify areas with high melt content and track how subsurface magma transport changed throughout the recent eruption.
The University of Utah Island of Hawaiʻi
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HAWAIʻI'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION URGES FUNDING FOR FARMERS hurt by recent natural disasters. The letter sent Thursday to the U.S. Department of Agriculture is signed by Senators Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz, and U.S. Representatives Tulsi Gabbard and Colleen Hanabusa.The Delegation outlined damage to Hawaiʻi's floriculture and nursery product, vegetable crop, coffee , and fruit and tree nut industries, following volcanic, flood, and tropical cyclone events this year.
USDA can provide direct assistance to Hawaiʻi farmers through the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 714c), Section 32 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act Amendment of 1935 (P.L. 74-320, 7 U.S.C. 612c), and through allocating a portion of the billions of dollars that USDA uses to offset impacts of tariffs to provide ad-hoc disaster assistance. USDA used these authorities to assist farmers in Puerto Rico following hurricanes in 2017.
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| 13.7 square miles of land were lost to lava flows this year. Much of that lands was used to grow coffee, flowers, fruit, vegetables, and other agricultural products. USGS map |
"Many aspects of Hawaiʻi's agricultural community have been greatly transformed by recent disasters and our producers desperately need the maximum assistance practicable to get back on their feet and continue contributing to our agricultural industry," the Delegation continued. "As such, we request that USDA utilize the existing authority provided in the [Commodity Credit Corporation Charter] Act, Section 32, and/or provide a portion of the funds set aside to offset retaliatory tariffs to our impacted farmers and producers in Hawaiʻi."
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UNDERSTANDING MAGMA TRANSPORT during
Kīlauea Volcano's 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption and summit collapse provided a rare opportunity to study dynamic eruptive processes beneath and at the surface of the volcano.
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was part of a network of 82 seismometers deployed temporarily this summer to help scientists study the magma transport system beneath the volcano's eruption sites. USGS photo by B. Shiro |
In late July, the geophones were removed and shipped back to Salt Lake City for data download and analysis. Data collected from them will help scientists study the magma transport system beneath Kīlauea 's eruption sites.
The deployed network of nodal geophones consisted of 82 stations. The instruments, which look like white coffee-can-sized cylinders, were pushed into the ground with a spike to keep them level and correctly orientated.
Thirty stations were installed along a line perpendicular to Kīlauea 's LERZ, about 4 km (2.5 mi) up-rift from fissure 8. Twenty-four stations formed a partial ring around Kīlauea 's summit caldera. An additional 28 stations were scattered between the two main arrays, close to fissure 8 and on each side of the LERZ down-rift from fissure 8.
The main goals of this project were to image subsurface pathways that supply magma from Kīlauea 's summit to the LERZ, and to better constrain summit seismicity related to deflation and collapse as magma is evacuated from the summit reservoir.
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On Sept. 8, a series of small collapses occurred within Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater throughout the day, with each producing a visible brown plume. The collapses generated small tilt offsets and seismic energy recorded by nearby geophysical instruments, but had no discernible effect on other parts of the rift zone. USGS photo |
Scientists will also look at how seismicity changed over time and how those changes correlate with summit collapse events and changes in the LERZ eruption. Results from the study will help characterize how magma is fed to the LERZ from the summit.
The long-held working hypothesis is that magma ascends from the upper mantle to a magma reservoir beneath Kīlauea 's summit and is then transported through a narrow conduit system down the East Rift Zone. The exact depths and shapes of these pathways, however, have never been accurately imaged.
In addition, the study will provide a clearer picture of the magma reservoir beneath the summit of Kīlauea and the types of structures that were activated during the recent summit collapse events.
Gaining a better understanding of magma pathways, the current status of magma within Kīlauea , and the dynamic process associated with volcanic activity, will help USGS and other scientists improve forecasts. This, in turn, will support public safety during future eruptions.
Data from this seismic array project will be made available through the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology Data Management Center
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A small pond of lava on the floor of the crater within the fissure 8 cone, with some minor, low-level spattering and slow-moving lava just barely entering (but not heading down) the spillway. USGS photo |
Volcano Activity Updates
LERZ incandescence was intermittently visible at fissure 8 during the past week. Since the beginning of September, small lava flows have been observed within the fissure 8 cone, but none have extended outside the walls of the cone. At the summit of the volcano, seismicity and ground deformation remain low. Hazardous conditions still exist at both the LERZ and summit.
Small collapses in the Puʻu ʻŌʻō crater during the past week produced visible dusty brown plumes and generated small tilt offsets and seismic energy recorded by HVO geophysical instruments.
The combined sulfur dioxide emission rates at Kīlauea 's summit, Puʻu ʻŌʻō, and lower East Rift Zone remain at less than 1,000 tonnes per day – lower than at any time since late 2007.
The USGS Volcano Alert level for Mauna Loa remains at normal.
HVO continues to closely monitor both Kīlauea and Mauna Loa and will report any significant changes on either volcano.
One earthquake with three or more felt reports occurred in Hawaiʻi this past week: a magnitude-3.6 earthquake 29 km (18 mi) southeast of Waikoloa at 32 km (20 mi) depth on September 11 at 08:54 a.m. HST. Aftershocks from the May 4, 2018 , magnitude-6.9 earthquake are still being generated on faults located on Kīlauea 's South Flank.
Visit volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvofor past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea daily eruption updates, Mauna Loa monthly updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Summary Kīlauea updates recorded at 808-967-8862. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.
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KAʻŪ TROJANS GILRS VOLLEYBALL VARSITY TEAM WON three of five games when they played Christian Liberty on Wednesday, Sept. 12. Kaʻū scored 25 in each of the first two games, 12 in the third, 21 in the fourth, then 15 over CLA's 12, to finish with the overall win.
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| Hard play by Kaʻū Trojans at Christian Liberty on Wednesday. Photo from Kaʻū Trojans Twitter |
KAʻŪ TROJANS GILRS VOLLEYBALL VARSITY TEAM WON three of five games when they played Christian Liberty on Wednesday, Sept. 12. Kaʻū scored 25 in each of the first two games, 12 in the third, 21 in the fourth, then 15 over CLA's 12, to finish with the overall win.
See the Trojan's Fall schedule, below.
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See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment. Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com |
KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE
Football:
Sat., Sept. 15, 1pm, @ Kohala
Sat., Sept. 22, 3:30pm, host Lana`i @ Keaʻau
Sat., Sept. 29, 11am, host Pāhoa
Wed., Sept. 19, 6pm, host Kohala
Thu., Sept. 20, 6pm, @ Honokaʻa
Tue., Sept. 25, 6pm, @ HPA
Fri., Sept. 28, 6pm, host Kona
Mon., Oct. 1, 6pm, host HAAS
Sat., Sept. 22, 9am, @ HPA
Fri., Sept. 28, 6pm, host Kona
Mon., Oct. 1, 6pm, host HAAS
Sat., Sept. 22, 3:30pm, host Lana`i @ Keaʻau
Sat., Sept. 29, 11am, host Pāhoa
Sat, Oct 6, 12pm , host Kohala
Mon., Sept. 17, 6pm, host Lapahoehoe Sat, Oct 13, BIIF Semi-Finals at Kamehameha
Girls Volleyball:
Wed., Sept. 19, 6pm, host Kohala
Thu., Sept. 20, 6pm, @ Honokaʻa
Tue., Sept. 25, 6pm, @ HPA
Fri., Sept. 28, 6pm, host Kona
Mon., Oct. 1, 6pm, host HAAS
Tues, Oct 2, 6pm , @ Kealakehe
Fri, Oct 5, 6pm , host Keaʻau
Sat., Sept. 15, 10am, Keaʻau Wed, Oct 10, 6pm , @ Parker
Fri, Oct 12, 6pm , host St. Joseph
Mon, Oct 15, BIIF DII Qtr - Higher
Wed, Oct 17, BIIF DII Semi-Finals @ Kona
Cross Country:
Sat., Sept. 22, 9am, @ HPA
Fri., Sept. 28, 6pm, host Kona
Mon., Oct. 1, 6pm, host HAAS
Sat, Oct 6, 2pm , @ Kealakehe
Sat, Oct 13, BYE
THE 30TH ANNUAL TRASH SHOW: HAWAIʻI ARTISTS RECYCLE is open for entries. Submissions are due at the East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center on Saturday, Sept. 29, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Each entry fee is $5, and artists may submit up to three entries. Ira Ono is juror. All entries must be original works of artists living on the Big Island
Gala Opening night is Friday, Oct. 5, from5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Cultural Center 141 Kalakaua St. , Hilo 7:30 p.m. , tickets at the door. See more info at volcanogardenarts.comand cafeono.net.
Gala Opening night is Friday, Oct. 5, from
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SATURDAY, SEPT. 15
Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund "Get the Drift and Bag It" International Coastal Cleanup, Sat., Sept. 15, contact in advance for meet up time at Waiʻōhinu Park. 4WD needed, some space available but limited. RSVP. Free; donations appreciated. kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com, wildhawaii.org
John D. Dawson Studio Sale 10-3pm , Volcano Art Center Volcano Village
Ocean View C.E.R.T. Meeting, Sat., Sept. 15, 10-1pm , Ocean View Community Center
Nā Mea Hula w/ Loke Kamanu and ʻOhana, Sat., Sept. 15, 11-1pm , Volcano Art Center Niʻaulani Campus, Volcano Village
Potluck and Dance, Sat., Sept. 15, 5:30pm , Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Live music by Shootz Band. BYOBeverage. $5/ticket. Register at office by Sept. 12. Discovery Harbour Community Association, 929-9576
Bunco and Potluck, Sat., Sept. 15, 6pm , Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Popular game played with nine dice, also known as Bonko or Bunko. Bring dish to share. Margie Hack, 541-954-8297
Kaʻū ʻOhana Day: Picnic In The Park, Sun., Sept. 16, 12-3pm , Kahuku Unit of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park; entrance near 70.5 mile marker on Hwy 11). Family-friendly event. Shave ice, food vendors, children's activities, hula, and music. nps.gov/HAVO
MONDAY, SEPT. 17
TUESDAY, SEPT. 18
Hawaiʻi County Council Meetings, Tue./Wed., Sept. 18 (Committees)/19 (Council), Kona. Kaʻū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nāʻālehu State Office Building. Agendas at hawaiicounty.gov
Wonderful World of Wine and Watercolor, Tue., Sept. 18, 4-7pm , Volcano Art Center Volcano Village Hilo . $30/VAC member, $35/non-members, plus $17 supply fee. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222
Ocean View Community Association Board Meeting, Wed., Sept. 19, 12:30pm , Ocean View Community Center
Arts and Crafts Activity: Friendship Bracelets, Wed., Sept. 19, 3-4pm, Kahuku Park, Hawaiian Ocean View Estates. For all ages. Register Sept. 10-14. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation
Arts and Crafts Activity: Handprint Tree Art, Wed., Sept. 19, 3:30-5pm, Pāhala Community Center. For keiki in grades K-8. Register Sept. 13-18. Free. hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation, 928-3102
THURSDAY, SEPT. 20
Hawaiʻi Disability Legal Services, Thu., Sept. 20, 9-noon, Ocean View Community Center
Disaster Recovery Center Closes Sept. 29. Open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Pāhoa Neighborhood Center at 15-3022 Kauhale St. Survivors who have left the area, call 800-621-3362.
5th Annual Kaʻū Coffee Trail Run Registration Open, online at webscorer.com/register?raceid=128145. Fees through Sept. 20: 5K, $55/person; 10K, $65/person; and 1/2 Marathon, $75/person. On Race Day, $75 per person, any race. Race Day is Sat., Sept. 22, 7 a.m.; begins and ends at Kaʻū Coffee Mill, kaucoffeemill.com. Event organizers: ʻO Kaʻū Kākou, okaukakou.org.
- Friendship Bracelets: Wed., Sept. 19, 3 to 4 p.m. Registration open through Sept. 14.
- Park Beautification Day: Fri., Sept. 28, 1:30 to 4 p.m. Registration open Sept. 19 through 26.
Activities are free to attend. For more, call Teresa Anderson at 929-9113 or visit the park during business hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 12:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. and Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. See hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation.
- Park Beautification Day: Fri., Sept. 28, 1:30 to 4 p.m. Registration open Sept. 19 through 26.
Activities are free to attend. For more, call Teresa Anderson at 929-9113 or visit the park during business hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 12:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. and Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. See hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation.
Free Arts and Crafts Activities at Pāhala Comunity Center happen on Wednesdays in September, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., through the end of Sept., for keiki in Kindergarten through 8th grade.
- Sept. 19: Handprint Tree Art. Register through Sept. 18.
- Sept. 26: Beaded Wind Chime. Register Sept. 19 through 25.
For more, call 928-3102 or visit the community center during business hours: Monday-Thursday and Saturday, from noon to 8 p.m., or Friday, from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. See hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation.
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Volunteers Needed by St. Jude's Episcopal Church for community outreach, especially soup cooks and shower organizers, towel laundry, alter guild, and for the computer lab. Volunteers do not have to be members of the church. "Volunteering for St. Jude's Saturday Shower and Soup ministry is an opportunity to serve God in a powerful way," states St. Jude's. Contact Dave Breskin, 319-8333.
Tūtū and Me Traveling Preschool’s Temporary Nāʻālehu Location is Kauahaʻao Church in Waiʻōhinu. Meeting days and times remain the same: Mondays and Wednesdays, from 8:45 to 10:45 a.m. Pāhala site program meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., at Pāhala Community Center.
Tūtū and Me also offers home visits to those with keiki zero to five years old, to aid with parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate listening ear. Free. Visits last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, total of 12 visits. Snacks are provided.
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To enroll in either program, fill out enrollment forms found at pidf.org/programs/tutu_and_me/enrollment_forms, or call Linda Bong at 464-9634. Questions: Clark at 929-8571 or eclark@pidfountation.org.
- Sept. 26: Beaded Wind Chime. Register Sept. 19 through 25.
For more, call 928-3102 or visit the community center during business hours: Monday-Thursday and Saturday, from noon to 8 p.m., or Friday, from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. See hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation.
Tūtū and Me Traveling Preschool’s Temporary Nāʻālehu Location is Kauahaʻao Church in Waiʻōhinu. Meeting days and times remain the same: Mondays and Wednesdays, from 8:45 to 10:45 a.m. Pāhala site program meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., at Pāhala Community Center.
Tūtū and Me also offers home visits to those with keiki zero to five years old, to aid with parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate listening ear. Free. Visits last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, total of 12 visits. Snacks are provided.
Harmony Educational Services, Home Based Educational Programs - Open Enrollment through Oct 15; harmonyed.com/hawaii. Partnered with four local public charter schools, Harmony offers benefits of homeschooling with resources available to public schools. Interested families can also contact Rayna Williams at rwilliams@harmonyed.com or 430-9798.