 |
| Protectors of Maunakea have blockade the access road since July 15. On July 17, 38 kūpuna Protectors were arrested. Read how the HPD incident commander saw the situation. Photo from facebook.com/puuhuluhulu |
WHY DID LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS REFRAIN FROM USING FORCE to clear the Maunakea Access Road when protesters blocked it? Major Samuel Jelsma, a 29-year veteran of the Hawaiʻi Police Departrment, issued a statement this week, as the blockade continued into its 31st day, with Protectors of Maunakea opposing construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope.
The police officer wrote that the situation at the blockade on July 17, when 38 kupuna were arrested, presented a "significant risk that the increasingly vocal and volatile group of protesters on both shoulders [of Mauakea access road] would respond with violence if law enforcement officers took the necessary action to forcefully separate protesters who were blocking the road."
Jelsma said, "The crowd was tense, yelling and chanting. But at the same time restrained and not becoming personal or demeaning to law enforcement." He said that due to numbers "and their posture, it was quickly apparent that the only way for law enforcement to effectively clear the roadway to allow the TMT convoy to proceed would be to use significant force, which would trigger a violent response and potentially create a riot that would have necessitated chemical agents to dispersed the crowd." Jelsma said "protestors had encircled law enforcement on all sides" and outnumbered police "by at least 10 to 1."
Mayor Harry Kim told PBS Insights yesterday that Jelsma contacted him to ask Gov. David Ige if force should be used during the arrests. Kim said Ige told him force was not to be used. Ige has since withdrawn a state of emergency he issued after the blockade formed, handing the reins of the situation to Kim, who told PBS Insights that he will reveal his plan to solve the situation "shortly." Protectors have blocked the Maunakea Access Road since Monday, July 15, when construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope was to begin. Dozens of Protectors swelled to hundreds, then thousands, over the course of the first few days. A group remains at the base of Maunakea Access Road 24 hours a day.
The governor declared the State ofEmergency on July 17, the same day that law enforcement arrested, cited and released the 38 Protectors, mostly kūpuna. Many of them returned to continue blocking the road. However, the staff of existing Maunakea telescopes are allowed to pass through the blockade and proceed to the summit.
The police officer wrote that the situation at the blockade on July 17, when 38 kupuna were arrested, presented a "significant risk that the increasingly vocal and volatile group of protesters on both shoulders [of Mauakea access road] would respond with violence if law enforcement officers took the necessary action to forcefully separate protesters who were blocking the road."
 |
| HPD Maj. Samuel Jelsma |
Mayor Harry Kim told PBS Insights yesterday that Jelsma contacted him to ask Gov. David Ige if force should be used during the arrests. Kim said Ige told him force was not to be used. Ige has since withdrawn a state of emergency he issued after the blockade formed, handing the reins of the situation to Kim, who told PBS Insights that he will reveal his plan to solve the situation "shortly."
The governor declared the State of
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.
![]()
The public is invited to give input on the Draft General Plan in person on Sunday, Aug. 25, at Nāʻālehu Community Center, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Download the Draft General Plan. See more from the Draft General Plan in upcoming Kaʻū News Briefs.
ALLOWING OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS ON SOME RURAL, AGRICULTURAL, AND PASTORAL LANDS is suggested in the new Draft General Plan for Hawaiʻi County. Issuing special use permits for these lands was "encouraged" for Kaʻū, Puna, Hāmākua, North Kohala , and South Kona , in the 2005 General Plan. The overnight accommodations types are bed and breakfasts, hosted short term vacation rentals, small inns, boutique hotels, and small-scale retreats or lodges.
The new Draft General Plan states special permits "may be allowed" in all districts, in resort, rural, or certain agricultural areas. Pastoral lands can also be permitted for accommodations under certain circumstances, such as eco-tourism. The Plan suggests amending land use criteria for overnight accommodation special permits on agricultural land to allow "appropriate entrepreneurial endeavors that promote agriculture and do not negatively impact the natural resources, infrastructure, or character of the area."
Retreats are defined in the Plan as accommodating 50 units without individual kitchens; requiring open space to compliment the structures; not being allowed on high production agricultural lands; and requiring improved road conditions or a report proving there will be no impact to the neighborhood from traffic.
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.
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.
THE MEANING OF WATER IN HALEMAʻUMAʻU CRATER is the subject of this week's Volcano Watch, written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates:
So far, the surface of the pond is rising slowly and steadily, consistent with a rising water table. The pond level should rise in jumps during downpours if rain is directly responsible for feeding it. Unfortunately, Halemaʻumaʻu has experienced no heavy rain since the pond was first observed on July 25. It would be best to sample the water and date it using isotopic means; rain would have today's age, groundwater an older age.
Given a thick water body, the rate at which magma rises through the water becomes crucial. Slowly rising magma will simply evaporate the water and emerge on the surface as a lava flow or even eventually form a lava lake.
We have no way to anticipate when magma will begin to rise up the Halemaʻumaʻu conduit, much less if the rate of rise will be slow or fast. At present, monitoring data show no signs of impending eruption, and it could be years down the road before the next summit eruption happens. Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at ADVISORY. This alert level does not mean that an eruption is imminent or that progression to an eruption is certain. A similar increase in activity occurred between 2014 and 2018 and no eruption occurred.
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.
2019 Kaʻū High School Athletics Schedule through August
See khpes.org/athletics-home for details and updates; Bowling TBA.
Football, Division II:
Sat., Aug. 24, 1 p.m., Kaʻū hosts Kamehameha
Girls Volleyball, Kaʻū District Gym:
Tue., Aug. 20, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts Hilo
Fri., Aug. 23, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts St. Joseph
Wed., Aug. 28, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts Kohala
PĀHALA HONGWANJI BON DANCE happens tomorrow, Saturday, Aug. 17 from 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. The free event, cosponsored by ʻO Kaʻū Kākou, will feature food, dancing, fun, and Taiko drums. All are welcome. Contact OKK President Wayne Kawachi, 937-4773, with questions.
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.
THE MEANING OF WATER IN HALEMAʻUMAʻU CRATER is the subject of this week's Volcano Watch, written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates:
The slowly deepening pond of water on the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu, the first in recorded history, has captured the interest of media and the public, both locally and nationally. Many questions are being asked. The two most frequent are, where is the water coming from, and what is its importance?
Two potential sources of the water are recent rainfall and groundwater. At this writing, either remains a possibility. Circumstantial evidence, however, favors groundwater.
The local water table, below which rocks are saturated with water, is at an elevation of about 590 m (1936 ft; the elevation changes slightly with time), as measured in a deep hole drilled in 1973 about 800 m (about half a mile) south of Halemaʻumaʻu. The elevation of the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu is about 520 m (1706 ft), 70 m (230 ft) lower than the nearby water table.
Before the 2018 collapse of Kīlauea Volcano's summit, geophysical data suggest that the water table near Halemaʻumaʻu was at about the same elevation as in the drill hole, but it was apparently drawn down during the collapse. The water table is likely recovering now, and as it rises, water inundates low areas such as the crater floor.
 |
These images look east at the pond within Halemaʻumaʻu on Aug. 8 (left) and 14 (right). The pond widened mainly toward the south (right). The north-south width of the pond on Aug. 14 was about 32 m (105 ft), about 10 m (35 ft) wider than on Aug. 8. The pond has widened and deepened slowly and steadily rate since measurements began on Aug. 3. USGS/ D. Swanson photos |
How deep is the water? In the surface pond, no more than a couple of meters (yards). But the visible pond could be just the top of the saturated zone, which could conceivably be several tens of meters (yards) deep.
There is probably a bottom to the standing water, because heat in the plugged magma conduit below the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu would boil away water at some depth. But as the conduit cools, the floor of standing water could move downward, deepening the water body from below as well as at the surface.
This may seem academic, but the total thickness of the water body impacts potential hazards. A mere puddle would scarcely affect the next summit eruption. But, if rising magma had to penetrate several tens of meters (yards) of water, an explosive scenario that has played out in the past could repeat.
 |
View of the pond from Halemaʻumaʻu's rim. USGS/M. Patrick photo |
Magma that rises rapidly does so because it is being powered by expanding gas bubbles within it. A classic example is a lava fountain, which is already fragmenting because of gas expansion before even reaching the ground surface.
If such rapidly rising, fragmenting magma meets water, the fragments transfer heat to the water far more efficiently than a continuous surface of magma (as with slowly rising magma). The result is that the water rapidly boils, creating steam that expands and adds to the explosive energy of what would be a lava fountain under dry conditions.
We are quite sure that this kind of explosion has happened repeatedly in Kīlauea 's past. Detailed study of textures of glass fragments in deposits some 400 years old provide evidence of water quenching. Chemical analyses of this glass show that the amount of dissolved water and sulfur is intermediate between that of magma before eruption and that in lava fountains, the result of water quenching the magma before most of the gas could escape.
If the water body is thin, even rapidly rising magma would not create large explosions because of the small amount of steam generated. If, however, the water is several tens of meters (yards) deep, locally powerful explosions could ensue, probably not large enough to diminish public safety but perhaps big enough to create a nuisance ash fall during unfavorable wind direction.
 |
HVO geologists noted shimmer on the pond yesterday, indicating agitation of the water surface. Steam rising from the pond shifted in the breeze. USGS/M. Patrick photo |
Volcano Activity Updates
Kῑlauea Volcano is not erupting and its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at NORMAL . Monitoring data for deformation have shown no significant changes in Kīlauea activity over the past week. Rates of seismicity across the volcano remain low. Sulfur dioxide emission rates are low at the summit and below detection limits at Puʻu ʻŌʻō and the Lower East Rift Zone (LERZ).
At or near the 2018 LERZ eruptive fissures, elevated ground temperatures and minor releases of gas (steam, tiny amounts of hydrogen sulfide, and carbon dioxide) persist. These are typical post-eruption conditions and are expected to be long-term, as they were after the 1955 LERZ eruption.
This past week, approximately 46 small-magnitude earthquakes – all less than M2.0 – occurred beneath the summit and upper Southwest Rift Zone. Deformation measurements show continued summit inflation, suggestive of recharge of the volcano's shallow magma storage system. No significant changes in volcanic gas release on the Southwest Rift Zone were measured, and fumarole temperatures there and at the summit remain unchanged.
Four earthquakes with three or more felt reports occurred in Hawaiʻi this past week: a magnitude-4.5 quake 8 km (5 mi) northeast of Papaʻikou at 42 km (26 mi) depth on Aug. 12 at 4:41 a.m.; a magnitude-3.2 quake 27 km (17 mi) southeast of Honokaʻa at 19 km (12 mi) depth on Aug. 11 at 10:02 a.m.; a magnitude-3.7 quake 13 km (8 mi) south of Volcano at 8 km (5 mi) depth on Aug. 10 at 1:19 p.m.; and a magnitude-3.2 quake 11 km (7 mi) southeast of Volcano at 7 km (4 mi) depth on Aug. 9 at 9:13 a.m.
Visit volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvofor past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.
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.
 |
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 |
See khpes.org/athletics-home for details and updates; Bowling TBA.
Football, Division II:
Sat., Aug. 24, 1 p.m., Kaʻū hosts Kamehameha
Girls Volleyball, Kaʻū District Gym:
Tue., Aug. 20, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts Hilo
Fri., Aug. 23, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts St. Joseph
Wed., Aug. 28, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts Kohala
Cross Country:
Sat., Aug. 31, 10 a.m., @Christian Liberty
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.
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.
UPCOMING
SATURDAY, AUG. 17
Taking the Pamphlet Stitch on a Romp – bookbinding workshop with Charlene Asato, Saturday, Aug. 17, 9a.m. -noon , Volcano Art Center
Volunteer Fountain Grass Removal, Saturday, Aug. 17, 9a.m.-3p.m. , meet at Ocean View Community Center
Hula Kahiko - Kumu Hula Iwalani Kalima with Hula Hālau O Kou Lima Nani ‘E, Saturday, Aug. 17, 10:30-11:30a.m. , hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery. Hula performance. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org
Nā Mea Hula with Wes Awana, Saturday, Aug. 17, 11a.m.-1p.m. , Volcano Art Center Gallery porch. Hands-on cultural demonstration. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org
Ham Radio Mtg., Saturday, Aug. 17, 2-3p.m. , Ocean View Community Center
![]()
Pāhala Hongwanji Bon Dance, Saturday, Aug. 17, 4-10:30p.m. Sponsored by ʻO Kaʻū Kākou. Food, dancing, fun, Taiko drums. All are welcome. Free. OKK President Wayne Kawachi, 937-4773
50th Anniversary of Hawaiian Civic Club of Kaʻū, Kanani aʻo Kaʻū, Aug. 17, Pāhala Community Center 5- 10p.m. History, food, and music. General admission is $20; kupuna are $10; keiki ages 6 to 17 are $8; keiki 5 and under are free. For more, email hawaiiancivicclubkau@gmail.com or call 808-747-0197.
SUNDAY, AUG. 18
Bring a favorite dish to share. Live music, and food and fellowship for everyone. The celebration is open to the entire community, and is sponsored by the alumni of Pāhala Elementary and Kaʻū High School. The event also celebrates Hawaiʻi's 60th year of statehood.
TUESDAY, AUG. 20
Hawai‘i County Council Mtgs., Tuesday, Aug. 20 (Committees), Wednesday, Aug. 21, (Council), Kona. Ka‘ū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nā‘ālehu State Office Building
Concert with Artist-in-Residence Andy Jarema, After Dark in the Park, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 7p.m. , Kīlauea Visitor Center
Ocean View Community Association Board of Directors Mtg., Wednesday, Aug. 21, 12:30-1:30p.m. , Ocean View Community Center
Registration Open: Kickball Instruction, Wednesday, Aug. 21-28, Kahuku Park
Registration Open: Handprint Trees, Thursday, Aug. 22-Sept. 3, Ka‘ū District Gym multipurpose room. Program for grades K-8 takes place Wednesday, Sept. 4, 3:30-5p.m. Free. 928-3102, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation
Ka‘ū Community Children's Council, Thursday, Aug. 22, 3-4p.m., Classroom 35, Building F, Nā‘ālehu Elementary School. Provides local forum for all community members to come together as equal partners to discuss and positively affect multiple systems' issues for the benefit of all students, families, and communities. Chad Domingo, text 808-381-2584, domingoc1975@yahoo.com, ccco.k12.hi.us
Pickleball at KMC, Saturday, Aug. 24, and Sunday, Aug. 25, Kīlauea Military Camp Tennis
Kapapala Ranch Tour by Volcano Community Foundation, Saturday, Aug. 24, time TBA, Volcano Art Center Peter Lee Road that runs between Pāhala and Volcano, built in 1988. See Volcano Art Center
![]()
Dances of Universal Peace, Saturday, Aug. 24, 6-7:30p.m., Methodist Church hall, across from Nā‘ālehu post office. Fun, easy to learn dances from many traditions evoking peace. Donations welcome. No registration necessary. 939-9461
Realms and Divisions, Sat., Aug. 24, 9:30-11:30am , Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderately difficult, two-mile, hike. Bring snack. nps.gov/havo
Applications for Grants to Steward PONC Protected Lands on Hawaiʻi Island are open through Friday, Aug. 31. In Kaʻū, areas of the Kahuku Coast Kāwā Bay
Applications are available at records.hawaiicounty.gov/weblink/1/edoc/95324/2018-19%20PONC%20Stewardship%20Grant%20Request.pdf. Information and applications are also available at the P&R office, Aupuni Center 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 6 , Hilo 4:30 p.m. on Friday, August 31, 2018 . Questions? Contact Reid Sewake at 961-8311.
Volcano Winery's Annual Fundraising Harvest Festival Tickets are on sale at volcanowinery.com or (808) 967-7772. Proceeds benefit
Exhibit - Nani Ka ‘Ikena by Volcano local photographer Jesse Tunison, daily through Sept. 15, 9a.m.-5p.m., Volcano Art Center Gallery. Nani Ka ʻIkena, that which is seen is beautiful, features vibrant colors and crisp, wide vistas which highlight the character and drama of Hawaiʻi Island’s landscape. The collection of ten photographs were captured over the past decade by Tunison and also document the dynamic changes which have occurred in such a short period of time. "While the landscape has changed the beauty has endured." Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org
6th Annual Ka‘ū Coffee Trail Run Registration, webscorer.com/register?raceid=166020. 5K, 10K, 1/2 Marathon races through mac nut and coffee fields along slopes of Ka‘ū starting at 7a.m., Saturday, Sept. 21, Ka‘ū Coffee Mill. Sponsored by Ka‘ū Coffee Mill and ‘O Ka‘ū Kākou. Prices increase after July 9. okaukakou.org, kaucoffeemill.com
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.
