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| Jeff and Claudia McCall will sell their fresh produce Sunday at Volcanoes Farmers Market at Cooper Center. See more on McCalls and other Kaʻū and Volcano food providers in this and upcoming Kaʻū News Briefs. Photo by Julia Neal |
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| Volcano Farmers Market at Cooper Center on Sunday morning will offer food and social distancing. Photo by Julia Neal |
MANY KAʻŪ AND VOLCANO RESIDENTS ARE ON THE FRONT LINE of keeping food on tables and basic services going during the COVID-19 pandemic. Farmers and ranchers, restaurateurs, food and pharmacy retailers, health care providers, bank and credit union employees, educators, and workers who provide water, electrical, phone, internet, transportation, media, and police services are among them. These people are considered essential under county, state, and federal directives during the pandemic, and are allowed to work outside their homes with safe practices. See more on these people and their services in this and upcoming Kaʻū News Briefs.
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| Ulu Kaʻū Farm produce. Photo from Ulu Kaʻū Farm |
Riley Ranch near the police station in Nāʻālehu offers lettuce, kale, chard, arugula, bok choy, salad mix, green onion, and other veggies. Call Amanda and Bryan Riley at 661-619-3601.
Crooked C Ranch off South Point Road sells papaya, spinach, grass and orange fed beef, oranges, honey, eggs, bananas, and green bell peppers. See Facebook and Instagram. Call or text Elizabeth and Josh Crook at 808-345-0511.
Ulu Kaʻū Farm, formerly known as Kaʻū Valley Farm, is open on Tuesdays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., selling pumpkin, eggplant, papaya, lemons, limes, oranges, bananas, avocados, radishes, jicama, tomatoes, broccoli, turmeric, turnips, lettuce, green beans, green onions, squash, and more. Bring shopping bags. Social distance, along with face masks and gloves, will be practiced at the farm stand, 95-1178 Kaʻalaʻiki Road above Nāʻālehu. See ulukauhawaii.com or Facebook. Call 929-7900.
Paradise Meadows Orchard and Bee Farm operates a farm stand from 9 a.m. to 5 :30 p.m., seven days a week, less than a mile from Hwy 11, at 93-2199 South Point Road. Offered are honey, macadamia nuts, Kaʻū Coffee, and seasonally: avocados, lemons, water cress, papaya, banana, and kale. See paradisemeadows.com, Facebook, or call 929-9148.
Another source of food in the Nāʻālehu area is Rollman Family Salmon. Trevor and Adria Rollman spend time between Alaska and Kaʻū and market their catch as a family affair. They offer fillets, smoked, and whole fish. Contact them for fish through Facebook or at 907-632-8664.
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| Rollman Family Salmon offers fresh wild Alaska Salmon from their home in Kaʻū and on the road. See their Facebook. Photo from Rollman Family Salmon |
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| The Bee Boys is offering free shipping throughout the country for its products, available online and at its store in Nāʻālehu Shopping Center, open Monday through Saturday. Photo from Bee Boys |
ACE Hardware in Nāʻālehu remains open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. , Monday - Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays. Employees said that backyard food growing appears to have increased since local schools shut down and kids are staying home. The store has found it difficult to keep seeds in stock but is still well supplied with gardening tools, soil, fertilizer, and gloves. Call 929-9030.
Among food preparers in Nāʻālehu, is Punaluʻu Bake Shop, which has closed its retail and visitor center, with its kitchen for outdoor dining. However, its employees continue to produce its breads, cookies, and other products that are trucked and shipped to retailers and sold online. See bakeshophawaii.com to buy and gift the locally made products. Call 929-7343 for wholesale and fundraising orders.
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| Taco Tita, next to Hana Hou Restaurant. Photo from Taco Tita |
South Side Shaka Restaurant & Bar is offering a full takeout menu from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m daily, with bar service on the lanai only. The restaurant is offering pickup, and delivery in Nāʻālehu, Green Sand, and Discovery Harbour
Hana Hou Restaurant is open for takeout only, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Retrieve menu by phone, on bulletin board, or at hanahourestaurant.com. Mostly burgers, bentos, and pizza, cookies, and dessert bars. Call 929-9717.
Taco Tita next to Hana Hou is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for takeout only. Call 808-498-4957 or see Facebook.
See more food sources for Kaʻū and Volcano in future Kaʻū News Briefs.
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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| Keone Sanderson |
Video surveillance captured the lone suspect at about 2:30 a.m. throwing a rock through the glass door, then entering the restaurant, taking $3 in cash from a tip jar before leaving on foot.
At 7:52 a.m. on March 27, a bystander notified police of broken glass at a restaurant in the 92-8700 block of Māmalahoa Highway in Ocean View, and determined that a rock had been thrown through the front door.
Officers identified the suspect through the surveillance images. At 9:15 a.m. , Sanderson was arrested without incident on Marlin Boulevard in Ocean View for suspicion of burglary. He was taken to the Nāʻālehu Station while officers with the Kaʻū Patrol Division continued the investigation.
Anyone who may have information about this incident is asked to call the Police Department's non-emergency line at 808-935-3311; Officer Dane Shibuya, of our Kaʻū Patrol Division, at 808-939-2520; or via email at Dayne.Shibuya@hawaiicounty.gov.
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| Excursions like this visit to the Hōkūleʻa aren't possible during the global COVID-19 pandemic, but students of The Volcano School of Arts & Sciences will have online tools to help explore Hawaiian culture. VSAS photo |
The school's website encourages families to take advantage of this time of students learning from home so they can continue to progress in their education. "VSAS teachers have received training on how to use online tools and have been working on transitioning their classroom curriculum to a remote format for the past few weeks. We anticipate needing to work through some challenges as we transition our entire educational program and appreciate your patience and partnership."
The website says teachers will craft and communicate the learning plan to include online, print/book, and experiential assignments. Teachers are implementing "a variety of formats to best meet their students' needs as well as their own teaching styles."
Remote Learning supplemental assignment packets were sent home on the last day of on-campus school, Friday, March 13 and included some instructions in technology used to learn remotely. Some teachers sent home assignments for core learning. The state Department of Education Superintendent's office has also prepared continuity of learning activities and resources for families, sites.google.com/k12.hi.us/resources-student-parent/home?authuser=0.
VSAS requests parents to "support your child(ren) at home to ensure the best learning outcomes possible in this unfortunate and unprecedented situation. We realize the challenges for many families of supervising and helping students with their schoolwork while also having to work from home. With the exception of scheduled online activities or meetings with the teacher and deadlines for assignment completion, each family will have flexibility to come up with a schedule that fits your unique situation. We ask that parents honor their children's learning by supporting learning but not doing work for their children.
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| The Volcano School of Arts & Sciences |
"Families who do not have anyone to supervise and work with your child at home, please let your child's teacher or Kim Miller, Social Worker, kmiller@volcanoschool.net, know so that we can help to accommodate your needs."
The Remote Learning enrichment will primarily be online. Every VSAS student has a Volcano School Google account with access to Mail, Drive, Hangout/Meets, and other tools that may be used by the teacher. Subscriptions to online tools required by the teacher will be free for student use. Spectrum is offering free internet and hot spots to support
VSAS campuses are closed to all but essential personnel.
Free student meals may be picked up from any of the following DOE schools from The message concludes: "We realize that this is a difficult time for all of you. We hope that you are coping with the pandemic and changes in family life and routine associated with it. If your family is currently experiencing or anticipating any hardship, such as access to food, medicine, or other basic needs, or emotional or behavioral challenges with children, please let us know.
"We realize that the outbreak of COVID-19 may cause fears and anxieties for your children, families, or yourselves. If you or your child is experiencing emotional challenges related to this situation, please contact Kim Miller for assistance."
VSAS is also creating an informal network to share food and supplies. Families with supplies at home and/or who are willing to help transport supplies can contact Kim Miller, kmiller@volcanoschool.netor 808-985-8537. Those needing supplies can also contact her.
The school sent families an automated call, email, and text messages related to COVID-19 and Remote Learning on Wednesday, March 25. Those not receiving it can contact 808-985-9800, knagamine@volcanoschool.net, or the VSAS student's teacher to provide a current working phone number and email address, or to add contact methods for receiving automated notifications.
See regular updates on the school website volcanoschool.net.
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.
ADVOCATS IS CANCELLED for Saturday, April 25 at 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.
DAILY COVID-19 UPDATE: The state Department of Health reports ten cases of COVID-19 confirmed on Hawaiʻi Island as of Saturday, March 28. Three are new since yesterday.
Throughout the state, there are 151 cases, with 29 reported today. There have been zero deaths from COVID-19 in the state. There are several possible community spread cases of COVID-19 in Hawaiʻi.
Worldwide, more than 665,000 people have become victims of COVID-19. The death toll is more than 30,800, the recovery total is more than 141,000.
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Scanning electron microprobe images show the complexity of tiny Icelandic ash grains (150 micron, or 0.006 inch). Image (a) shows a dense and blocky grain, and (b) shows a foamy grain. Photos by J. Schmith |
Water, ash, and the great unknown of explosive volcanic eruptions.
The presence of water in Halema‘uma‘u has sparked an important discussion about what the pond means for future eruptions at Kīlauea Volcano. There are no written records of water at the summit, so to guide the discussion we need information about magma-water interaction from deposits of the past.
But how can we get that information? I set out to answer this very question some years ago, and like many scientific quests, it started with a frustrating discovery.
Sitting in my lab one defining afternoon, I was studying the explosive nature of Icelandic volcanoes at the University of Iceland
The grains went through an inch-long lens in front of a camera with a high-pitched shutter clicking manically at 30 frames per second. The screen next to the instrument showed a live stream of images with black particles on a light grey backdrop. In the sample bag, these same grains looked like tiny dust specks, but magnified on the screen, they came to life as abrasive, glassy shards of volcanic ash.
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This section of brown Icelandic soil (top) contains 800 years of ash deposits erupted from five different volcanoes. The black layers, 5-10 cm (2-4 in) thick, are from Katla Volcano. A white arrow points to a closeup of the 1755 Katla ash deposit (lower left). The ash looks like specks of dust in the sample bag (lower right), but microprobe imaging reveals how complex the grain shapes are. Photos by J. Schmith |
This distinction was first observed in the 1970's using big, expensive electron microscopes to view a small selection of grains. During my study with the new shape analyzer, however, we had the opportunity to get information on many thousand grains all at once, and I intended to use that to characterize some puzzling big ash deposits in Iceland, and to look for a link with magma-water interaction.
When the aggravating shutter clicking finally stopped, I pressed "export data" on the screen and ran to my desk to get the first peek at my achievement. I held my breath as the computer worked to plot results from all 20,000 grains, and then gasped in disbelief. My plot came out with grain shapes all over the place with no systematic groupings at all. I tried another sample, then one more and yet another, and I felt crushed! Many months of hard work seemed useless.
After days of checking my instrument setup, the quality of my data, and digging through a lot of scientific papers, I finally had an idea. The old experiments had characterized only a few grains, so perhaps something was missing in the classification scheme. So, I went back to my photos of individual ash grains and started to classify their shapes according to how much they were influenced by broken bubbles and consequently by magmatic gas expansion.
The grains weren't just foamy or dense. Instead, I saw a spectrum of shapes, from blocky shards with dense glass and no bubbles, then blocky shards with a few isolated bubbles, to progressively more foamy grains. This was exciting!
Over the following weeks I worked to put this new information into a classification diagram. I collected new samples from different types of explosive eruptions for which I already knew if water was involved or not.
Some lab sessions later, I once again held my breath in front of my computer, but this time it worked! There was a predictable and systematic difference to the test samples. The Icelandic ash turned out to be the result of both magmatic gas expansion and magma-water interaction. We now have a more flexible way to characterize how water influences volcanic eruptions just from looking at the shapes of tiny ash grains.
I am now in Hawaiʻi, collecting samples of ash from Kīlauea to figure out what role water has played in past summit eruptions. Results will be discussed in a future Volcano Watch, so stay tuned!
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| Illustrations from the Encyclopedia Britannica show the six standard types of eruptions. Hawaiian, second on the right, is one commonly used to describe when "fluid lava flows from a volcano's summit and radial fissures to form shield volcanoes, which are quite large and have gentle slopes." |
Kīlauea Volcano is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at NORMAL (https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vhp/about_alerts.html). Kīlauea updates are issued monthly.
This past week, HVO recorded about 42 small-magnitude earthquakes, all less than M2.0, beneath the upper elevations of Mauna Loa . Monitoring data showed that slow summit inflation continued and fumarole temperature and gas concentrations on the Southwest Rift Zone remain stable.
Seven earthquakes with three or more felt reports occurred in Hawaiʻi this past week: a magnitude-3.0 quake 16 km (10 mi) south of Fern Acres at 5 km (3 mi) depth on March 25 at 4:54 p.m.; a magnitude-3.2 quake 8 km (5 mi) northeast of Pāhala at 31 km (19 mi) depth on March 24 at 7:45 a.m.; a magnitude-3.3 quake 14 km (9 mi) southeast of Volcano at 1 km (1 mi) depth on March 21 at 6:55 a.m.; a magnitude-3.8 quake 16 km (10 mi) southeast of Volcano at 1 km (1 mi) depth on March 21 at 5:07 a.m.; a magnitude-3.9 quake 7 km (4 mi) northwest of Pāhala at 0 km (0 mi) depth on March 19 at 6:54 a.m.; a magnitude-2.6 quake 12 km (7 mi) southeast of Volcano at 6 km (4 mi) depth on March 19 at 6:48 a.m.; and a magnitude-2.3 quake 22 km (14 mi) northeast of Hōnaunau-Nāpōʻopoʻo at 3 km (2 mi) depth on March 19 at 6:32 a.m.
HVO continues to closely monitor both Kīlauea and Mauna Loa . Visit HVO's website for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.
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See Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment. See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, bi-weekly, and weekly recurring events. Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 6,250 mailboxes throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on stands throughout the district. Read online 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.
Daily, weekly, and monthly recurring Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, Meditation, and more are listed at kaucalendar.com. However, all non-essential activities are canceled through the end of April.
Daily, weekly, and monthly recurring Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, Meditation, and more are listed at kaucalendar.com. However, all non-essential activities are canceled through the end of April.
All Kaʻū High School and other public school sporting events are canceled through the end of April.
Spring Break for Public Schools is extended through Thursday, April 30 for COVID-19 spread mitigation.
MOST UPCOMING EVENTS are cancelled for the month of April, to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Free Breakfast and Lunch for Anyone Eighteen and Under is available at Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary weekdays through at least the end of April. Each youth must be present to receive a meal. Service is drive-up or walk-up, and social distancing rules (at least six feet away) are observed. Breakfast is served 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., lunch from 11:30 a.m. to noon.
St. Jude's Episcopal Church Soup Kitchen is open, with a modified menu and increased health & safety standards, every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hot showers, the computer lab, and in-person services and bible studies are suspended. Services are posted online on Sundays at stjudeshawaii.org.
Learning Packet and Student Resource Distribution for Nāʻālehu Elementary School Students begins Monday, March 30. The packets are designed for learning at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, and can be picked up every two weeks. One family member may pick up for several students in the same family. Students need not be present for the learning resources to be retrieved. Please note the grade of each child. Distribution times are organized by the first letter of the student's last name at the site closest to their home. Supplies will be given out simultaneously.
Everyone is asked to observe social distancing rules, staying 6 feet away from others during pick-up. See the school website, naalehuel.hidoe.us, for more information and updates.
Distribution in the Nāʻālehu area is at Nāʻālehu Elementary, Waiʻōhinu, and Discovery Harbour Community Center Kahuku Park Ocean View Community Center
At Nāʻālehu Elementary, campus pick-up will be from 9 a.m - 9:20 a.m. for A-H; 9:20 a.m. - 9:40 a.m. for I-P, and 9:40 a.m. - 10 a.m. for Q-Z.
The Waiʻōhinu pick-up: 8 a.m. - 8:20 a.m. for A-H, 8:20 a.m. - 8:40 a.m. for I-P, and 8:40 a.m. - 9 a.m. for Q-Z.
The Discovery Harbour Community Center 9:30 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. for A-H, 9:50 a.m. - 10:10 a.m. for I-P, and 10:10 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. for Q-Z.
Morning distribution at Kahuku Park 8 a.m. - 8:20 a.m. for A-H, 8:20 a.m. - 8:40 a.m. for I-P, and 8:40 a.m. - 9 a.m. for Q-Z.
Evening distribution at Kahuku Park 5 p.m. - 5:20 p.m. for A-H, 5:20 p.m. - 5:40 p.m. for I-P, and 5:40 p.m. - 6 p.m. for Q-Z.
Times for distribution in front of Malama Market are: 9:30 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. for A-H, 9:50 a.m. - 10:10 a.m. for I-P, and 10:10 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. for Q-Z.
Kaʻū Art Gallery is looking for local artists. Call 808-937-1840.
Register for Volcano's ʻŌhiʻa Lehua Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, and Keiki Dash by Wednesday, July 22. The second annual event will be held on Saturday, July 25. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to University of Hawaiʻi for furthering research of Rapid ‘Ōhiʻa Death and The Volcano School of Arts & Sciences. See webscorer.com to register. Half Marathon registration is $70 through May 24, $80 May 25 through July 22, and $90 for late registration. Registration for the 10K is $50 through May 24, $55 May 25 through Jul 22, and $60 for late registration. Registration for the 5K is $35 through May 24, $40 May 25 through July 22, and $45 for late registration. Keiki Dash registration is $10. All registrations are non-transferable and non-refundable.
Late registration is only available at packet pickup or race day morning. Shirts are not guaranteed for late registration. Race Shirts will be included for Half Marathon and 10K participants only. For all other participants, shirts are available to purchase online.
Late registration is only available at packet pickup or race day morning. Shirts are not guaranteed for late registration. Race Shirts will be included for Half Marathon and 10K participants only. For all other participants, shirts are available to purchase online.
Packet pick-up is scheduled for Thursday, July 23 in Hilo ; Friday, July 26 in Volcano; and Saturday, July 27, 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. at the race start.
Half Marathon will start at 7 a.m. Other distances follow shortly after. Keiki Dash will begin at 10 a.m. on VSAS grounds, with the option of one or two laps – about 300 meters or 600 meters. Race cut-off time for the Half Marathon is four hours. The races will begin and end in Volcano Village
See ohialehuahalf.com.
See ohialehuahalf.com.
Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium Closed for Renovation through June 30. The Park is closed until further notice due to COVID-19 spread mitigation. A popular seven-and-a-half minute 2018 eruption video will be shown on a television in the exhibits area, once the Park and center reopen, and is available online for free download.
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