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| Jaggar Museum and the USGS headquarters in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park in 2018 before earthquakes severely damaged the buildings. Give public input into reconstruction of the facilities. See story below. NPS Photo |
KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS HAS JOINED THE BUY ONE, FEED ONE campaign to help fund the Food Bank, support restaurants, and to encourage people going for takeout to purchase a second meal for someone affected by the fallout of COVID-19. Through restaurants that sign up, Kamehameha Schools donates to the Food Bank, the dollar per dollar cost of the second meal.
A statement from KS says, "Mahalo to the many people and organizations who have collectively helped those in need during this crisis - a true testament to the aloha that we all share!
"The COVID-19 pandemic has created a challenging situation for many across the globe. As a whole, we must find opportunities to ensure the health and well-being of our communities, especially for those families and individuals who don’t have the adequate resources to get through these uncertain and stressful times.
"Kamehameha Schools is joining this kākou movement by supporting the Buy One, Feed One (#BOFOHawaii) campaign." The program runs through the month of May or "until the campaign threshold is met - further ensuring that no one will go hungry during this crisis." KS committed to donating up to $50,000.
Here's how to participate: Purchase two takeout meals at a participating restaurant. "Take a photo of yourself with the meals you bought." Share a short description of the recipient of the additional meal, such as a kūpuna, neighbor, friend, teacher, or keiki. Tag the post with #BOFOHawaii. Tag or share with a friend who is eating out. "Together, we will come out of this situation stronger and better. I mua!" says the KS statement.
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See the full list of participating restaurants. Those signed up on Hawaiʻi Island are in Keauhou Shopping Center: Bianelliʻs Gourmet Pizza (808) 322-0377; Kenichi Bento Box (808) 339-7703; L&L Hawaiian BBQ (808) 322-9988; Los Habaneros (808) 324-6488; Peaberry and Galette (808) 322-6020; Royal Thai Café (808) 322-8424, and Subway (808) 322-1818. Kamehameha Schools encourages restaurants in Kaʻū and Volcano to join in.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
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The case involved a wastewater treatment plant on Maui that pumps four million gallons of treated sewage into injection wells, daily. Over time, some of it is carried by groundwater into the ocean. The Trump administration's brief sided with the county and argued that the Clean Water Act does not apply to the treated sewage that moves through groundwater before reaching protected waters.
A second area, previously used by the public as an informal viewing area, would become a formalized overlook, with possible hard surface and perimeter walls, located along Crater Rim Trail south of the public parking area. The existing Crater Rim Trail would be maintained.
The existing radio tower and radio room would remain. The existing water tanks may be replaced or removed, depending on if the Annex remains long-term. In the future and if needed, visitor parking capacity would be added by constructing a new parking lot on the other side of Crater Rim Drive. This would alleviate severe congestion and resource damage that occurs during summit eruptions. The Jaggar Museum to Nāmakanipaio Trail connection would be re-routed if this parking is constructed.
Provide input to the National Park Service by choosing a concept and making comments.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
FOUR CONCEPTS ARE OPEN FOR PUBLIC REVIEW in the planning for the future of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park facilities. According to Concept One, National Park Service would construct a new Kīlauea Visitor Center on the south side of Crater Rim Drive, near the Park entrance, in a forested area. It would include covered lanai, outdoor exhibits, theater, visitor parking, bus parking, NPS administrative parking, pedestrian circulation, and a new wastewater system, and a separate restroom building, built by NPS.
"A new visitor center would be large enough to accommodate the visitor functions currently provided at Kīlauea Visitor Center and previously provided by Jaggar Museum," says the plan. "A new visitor center would allow a single, easy-to-find stop for the interpretation of the Park's defining features in a coordinated and consolidated manner. New covered picnic tables would be constructed in the existing picnic area, adjacent to the 1877 Volcano House."
Visitor use in the KVC building would be relocated to the new visitor center. The existing KVC building would be repurposed as an education center with existing NPS office and auditorium uses maintained. The existing education center in the NPS administrative area would be repurposed for NPS administrative use.
A new USGS HVO & PIERC-KFS Field Station, with parking and wastewater system, would be constructed to the east of the KVC building in a section of previously disturbed forest which is fragmented by utility corridors and an unpaved parking lot.
An administrative bypass lane, additional fee booth, and replacement staff parking would be added to the existing entrance station. Crater Rim Drive would be realigned and a roundabout would be constructed to improve traffic flow, safety, and wayfinding at the Crater Rim Drive intersection.
Existing water and communications lines would be utilized with minor relocation and connection spurs.
See Concept Two in Saturday's Kaʻū News Briefs. See all four concepts and provide input to the National Park Service by choosing a concept and making comments.
To be mailed design concepts, or to receive answers to questions, call (808) 460-6212, or email havo_planning@nps.gov. The comment period will end Monday, June 15. The National Park Service will use community feedback to determine which concept, or modified concept, will be the concept considered. NPS will evaluate the impacts of any proposed alternative.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar 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 May.
MOST EVENTS ARE CANCELLED to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. The state is under a stay-at-home order, with l4 days of quarantine required for anyone coming into the state. Interisland travel is restricted. Those in Hawaiʻi should stay at home unless needing to obtain food or medical care.
The Food Basket Food Pantries Distribution, where families can receive 14 days of food per family:
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A statement from KS says, "Mahalo to the many people and organizations who have collectively helped those in need during this crisis - a true testament to the aloha that we all share!
"The COVID-19 pandemic has created a challenging situation for many across the globe. As a whole, we must find opportunities to ensure the health and well-being of our communities, especially for those families and individuals who don’t have the adequate resources to get through these uncertain and stressful times.
"Kamehameha Schools is joining this kākou movement by supporting the Buy One, Feed One (#BOFOHawaii) campaign." The program runs through the month of May or "until the campaign threshold is met - further ensuring that no one will go hungry during this crisis." KS committed to donating up to $50,000.
Here's how to participate: Purchase two takeout meals at a participating restaurant. "Take a photo of yourself with the meals you bought." Share a short description of the recipient of the additional meal, such as a kūpuna, neighbor, friend, teacher, or keiki. Tag the post with #BOFOHawaii. Tag or share with a friend who is eating out. "Together, we will come out of this situation stronger and better. I mua!" says the KS statement.
See the full list of participating restaurants. Those signed up on Hawaiʻi Island are in Keauhou Shopping Center: Bianelliʻs Gourmet Pizza (808) 322-0377; Kenichi Bento Box (808) 339-7703; L&L Hawaiian BBQ (808) 322-9988; Los Habaneros (808) 324-6488; Peaberry and Galette (808) 322-6020; Royal Thai Café (808) 322-8424, and Subway (808) 322-1818. Kamehameha Schools encourages restaurants in Kaʻū and Volcano to join in.To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
A WEBINAR ON THE U.S. SUPREME COURT RULING ON THE CLEAN WATER ACT will be held next Tuesday, May 19 at 6 p.m. Speakers will include Hannah Bernard, Executive Director of Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund, known for its beach cleanups and other conservation projects in Kaʻū. Also on the webinar will be Earthjustice attorney David Henkin and former EPA Coral Reef Ecologist Wendy Wiltse, PhD. It is co-sponsored by the Surfrider Foundation.
The Supreme Court ruling in April broke with the view of the County of Maui and the Trump Administration and favored Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund. In a six to two ruling, the justices concluded that the Clean Water Act covers pollutants that reach the ocean indirectly, such as treated sewage injected into groundwater. If the effluent with pollutants reaches the ocean, the process violates the Clean Water Act, ruled the Supreme Court.
The case involved a wastewater treatment plant on Maui that pumps four million gallons of treated sewage into injection wells, daily. Over time, some of it is carried by groundwater into the ocean. The Trump administration's brief sided with the county and argued that the Clean Water Act does not apply to the treated sewage that moves through groundwater before reaching protected waters. The Supreme Court sent the case back to the Ninth Circuit Court for application of new standards put forth in the ruling. See a New York Times story on the ruling for some of the questions posed by the justices.
The webinar will be live-streamed via Facebook Live at bit.ly/cwa-0519. Megan Lamson, of Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund, encourages public participation, saying that the case will impact water pollution laws and standards around the state and beyond.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
The webinar will be live-streamed via Facebook Live at bit.ly/cwa-0519. Megan Lamson, of Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund, encourages public participation, saying that the case will impact water pollution laws and standards around the state and beyond.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
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| Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt visited Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park last May to investigate the damage from the earthquakes, and to help launch a plan to rebuild and repair the Park and USGS facilities. See the concepts online at Disaster Recovery Project. Photo by Julia Neal |
HISTORIC JAGGAR MUSEUM WOULD BE DEMOLISHED on the edge of Kīlauea caldera at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, due to damage sustained in the 2018 earthquakes and eruption. The Reginald T. Okamura building would be torn down and most of the existing footprint would be restored to natural conditions. Some remnant elements from the buildings may be salvaged and incorporated into a viewing shelter located on-site.
These are elements of concepts released this week by the National Park Service for public input into its Disaster Recovery Project.
The Geochemistry Annex building would be repaired for interim use by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory and National Park Service administration until the new USGS field station is completed, at which time the Annex may be demolished. The existing restrooms would be repaired for continued visitor use. The existing paved and walled overlook in front of the restrooms, Annex, and Jaggar Museum, would be repaired and improved. Improvements would include enlarging the overlook to incorporate some of the footprint of the Jaggar Museum and adding an open-air viewing shelter.
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| From HVNP Disaster Recovery – Concept Development (May 2020) Common to All | Uēkahuna Bluff. See the larger concept drawings online at Disaster Recovery Project. |
The existing radio tower and radio room would remain. The existing water tanks may be replaced or removed, depending on if the Annex remains long-term. In the future and if needed, visitor parking capacity would be added by constructing a new parking lot on the other side of Crater Rim Drive. This would alleviate severe congestion and resource damage that occurs during summit eruptions. The Jaggar Museum to Nāmakanipaio Trail connection would be re-routed if this parking is constructed.
Provide input to the National Park Service by choosing a concept and making comments.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
"A new visitor center would be large enough to accommodate the visitor functions currently provided at Kīlauea Visitor Center and previously provided by Jaggar Museum," says the plan. "A new visitor center would allow a single, easy-to-find stop for the interpretation of the Park's defining features in a coordinated and consolidated manner. New covered picnic tables would be constructed in the existing picnic area, adjacent to the 1877 Volcano House."
Visitor use in the KVC building would be relocated to the new visitor center. The existing KVC building would be repurposed as an education center with existing NPS office and auditorium uses maintained. The existing education center in the NPS administrative area would be repurposed for NPS administrative use.
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| Concept One for improvements at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. See the larger concept drawings online at Disaster Recovery Project. |
An administrative bypass lane, additional fee booth, and replacement staff parking would be added to the existing entrance station. Crater Rim Drive would be realigned and a roundabout would be constructed to improve traffic flow, safety, and wayfinding at the Crater Rim Drive intersection.
Existing water and communications lines would be utilized with minor relocation and connection spurs.
See Concept Two in Saturday's Kaʻū News Briefs. See all four concepts and provide input to the National Park Service by choosing a concept and making comments.
To be mailed design concepts, or to receive answers to questions, call (808) 460-6212, or email havo_planning@nps.gov. The comment period will end Monday, June 15. The National Park Service will use community feedback to determine which concept, or modified concept, will be the concept considered. NPS will evaluate the impacts of any proposed alternative.
STACY HIGA FILED PAPERS TO RUN FOR MAYOR of Hawaiʻi County, this week. The Nā Leo TV CEO and former County Council member, Higa announced his candidacy on April 19. Former Hawaiʻi State Representative Cindy Evans and former Council Member Dennis "Fresh" Onishi endorsed his campaign.
Said Onishi, "I know Stacy has the experience and leadership needed to guide Hawaiʻi County through these times. It will take a combination of government, business, and nonprofit experience to help lead our island to brighter days, and Stacy checks all of the boxes when comparing each Mayoral candidate."
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| Hawaiʻi County mayoral candidate Stacy Higa. |
Evans said, "I believe there is no better person to address the issues we face than Stacy Higa. I trust his leadership, I trust his awareness, I trust his values, and I trust his commitment to the people of Hawaiʻi Island."
Higa expressed his appreciation: "We believe that the wave of endorsements over the past two weeks speaks to the fact that the people of Hawaiʻi Island are looking for someone with a proven track record of leadership. This has never been about me, but always about us. I look forward to the opportunity to put my skills, talents, and experience to work for the people of the County of Hawaiʻi
Others who have announced their candidacies include incumbent Harry Kim, County Prosecutor Mitch Roth, Public Works Highways Division Chief Neil Azevedo, former County Councilmember Kelly Greenwell, first-term County Council member Kanealiʻi Kleinfelder, former county Director of Parks & Recreation Bob Fitzgerald, Puna community organizer Ikaika Marzo, former community radio and television news producer Wendell Kaʻehuʻaeʻa, former Kona restaurateur Tante Urban, musician and entertainer Grayden Haʻi-Kelly, State Family Law attorney James "Jiro" Yuda, Highway Division Division Chief at county Department of Public Works Neil Azevedo, and medical cannabis advocate Mike Ruggles. Those who have expressed interest or pulled nomination papers but not yet filed include: Yumi Kawano, of Volcano, a forester-conservationist and former teacher; Wendell Kaehuaea, a Hilo security guard and consistent candidate for more than a decade; Abolghassem Abraham Sadegh, a former government official in Iran and frequent testifier at County Council meetings; Daniel Cunningham, former County Council District candidate; Harvey W. Eli, of Kona; Michael Glendon, an active protestor of the Thirty Meter Telescope; and Ted "Toku San" Shaneyfelt, a lecturer in computer science at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo.
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No COVID-19 cases so far in the zip code areas of Volcano, Pāhala, and Ocean View. White indicates zero cases, light yellow indicates one to five cases. The 96772 area in Kaʻū has one case recorded. Map from DOH |
HAWAIʻI ISLAND SPORTS THE ONLY NEW CASE OF COVID-19 reported in the entire state today. The state Department of Health has not disclosed the victim's location, nor zip code. The total count during the pandemic is 638 for the state. The island's total count is 76, with 75 cleared as recovered by the Department of Health. No one died on this island and only one victim was hospitalized for one night. One victim was reported as being from the 96672 zip code, which includes Naʻalehu. No other victims were confirmed in Kaʻū nor Volcano.
The daily message from Civil Defense Director Talmadge Magno says, "To all the health care organizations and supporting agencies, thank you, for your good work of planning and developing an island wide system of testing for the safety of the Hawaiian Island Community. Testing will continue and is needed to help develop a comprehensive database for health officials to stay on top of things so they can respond timely and appropriately.
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Civil Defense Director |
Please, know how important it is to continue following the policies of prevention. The coronavirus is out there, and we need to work together to keep Hawaiʻi Safe. Thank you for doing your part. Thank you for listening and a huge acknowledgment to all the police officers on this National Law Enforcement Week and the deepest of gratitude and remembrance on this Peace Officer's Memorial Day. This is your Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense."
In the United States , more than 1.47 million cases have been confirmed. The death toll is over 89,200.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
FREE BOOK EXCHANGE at the laundromat in Ocean View is provided by Friends of the Kaʻū Libraries. The other free book exchange is located at the laundromat in Nāʻālehu. Everyone is invited to take books they want to read. They may keep the books, pass them on to other readers, or return them to the Book Exchange to make them available to others in the community. The selection of books is replenished weekly at both sites.
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Read online at kaucalendar.com. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar directory for farms, ranches, takeout. Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free, with 7,500 distributed on stands and to all postal addresses throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com and facebook.com/kaucalendar. To advertise your business or your social cause, contact kaucalendarads@gmail.com. |
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar 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 May.
MOST EVENTS ARE CANCELLED to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. The state is under a stay-at-home order, with l4 days of quarantine required for anyone coming into the state. Interisland travel is restricted. Those in Hawaiʻi should stay at home unless needing to obtain food or medical care.
ONGOING
Free COVID-19 Screenings are at Bay Clinic during business hours, with appointment. Call 333-3600.
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Volcano Farmers Market at Cooper Center on Wright Road, off of Old Volcano Highway, is open on Sundays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with much local produce, island beef, and prepared foods. Call 808-967-7800.
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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.
A testing team from Aloha Critical Care in Kona will provide testing at St. Jude's every other Wednesday. The next date is May 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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The next drive-thru screening at Nāʻālehu Community Center will be held Wednesday, May 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Screening will be carried out by Aliʻi Health, with support from County of Hawai‘i COVID-19 Task Force, Premier Medical Group and Pathways Telehealth.
Wearing masks is required for everyone.
To bypass the screening queue at community test sites, patients can call ahead to Pathways Telehealth, option 5 at 808-747-8321. The free clinic will also offer on-site screening to meet testing criteria. Physicians qualify those for testing, under the guidance of Center for Disease Control & Prevention and Hawaiʻi's COVID-19 Response Task Force.
Those visiting screening clinics will be asked to show photo ID, and any health insurance cards – though health insurance is not required to be tested. They are also asked to bring their own pen to fill in forms.
ʻO Kaʻū Kākou Market in Nāʻālehu is open three days per week – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday – from 8 a.m. to noon. The goal is no more than 50 customers on the grounds at a time. Vendor booths per day are limited to 25, with 30 feet of space between vendors. Masks and hand sanitizing are required to attend the market. Social distancing will be enforced.
A wide selection of fresh vegetables and fruits, prepared take away foods, assorted added value foods, breads and baked goods, honey, cheese, grass-fed beef, fish, vegetable plants, masks, handmade soaps, coffee, and more are offered on various days. Contact Sue Barnett, OKK Market Manager, at 808-345-9374, for more and to apply to vend.
Wearing masks is required for everyone.
To bypass the screening queue at community test sites, patients can call ahead to Pathways Telehealth, option 5 at 808-747-8321. The free clinic will also offer on-site screening to meet testing criteria. Physicians qualify those for testing, under the guidance of Center for Disease Control & Prevention and Hawaiʻi's COVID-19 Response Task Force.
Those visiting screening clinics will be asked to show photo ID, and any health insurance cards – though health insurance is not required to be tested. They are also asked to bring their own pen to fill in forms.
For further information, call Civil Defense at 935-0031.
ʻO Kaʻū Kākou Market in Nāʻālehu is open three days per week – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday – from 8 a.m. to noon. The goal is no more than 50 customers on the grounds at a time. Vendor booths per day are limited to 25, with 30 feet of space between vendors. Masks and hand sanitizing are required to attend the market. Social distancing will be enforced.
A wide selection of fresh vegetables and fruits, prepared take away foods, assorted added value foods, breads and baked goods, honey, cheese, grass-fed beef, fish, vegetable plants, masks, handmade soaps, coffee, and more are offered on various days. Contact Sue Barnett, OKK Market Manager, at 808-345-9374, for more and to apply to vend.
Free Breakfast and Lunch for Anyone Eighteen and Under is available at Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary and at Nāʻālehu Elementary weekdays through May. 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. Food is being delivered to Ocean View.
The Food Basket Food Pantries Distribution, where families can receive 14 days of food per family:
The Ocean View location for May was Kahuku Park on Monday, May 11, 10 a.m. to noon. Call The Food Basket, 933-6030, for the next date.
The Nāʻālehu location Sacred Heart Church at 95-558 Mamālahoa Hwy, under their Loaves and Fishes program, on Thursday, May 28 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Call 928-8208.
The Pāhala location is Kaʻū District Gym at 96-1149 Kamani Street , distributed by the ʻO Kaʻū Kākou Pantry, on Tuesday, May 26, 10 a.m. to noon. Call The Food Basket, 933-6030.
The Volcano location is Cooper Center at 19-4030 Wright Road Wednesday, May 27 from 10 a.m. to noon. Call Kehau at 443-4130.
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On-Call Emergency Box Food Pantry is open at Cooper Center Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to noon. Call 967-7800 to confirm.
Free Book Exchanges at the laundromats in Ocean View and Nāʻālehu are provided by Friends of the Kaʻū Libraries. Everyone is invited to take books they want to read. They may keep the books, pass them on to other readers, or return them to the Book Exchange to make them available to others in the community. The selection of books is replenished weekly at both sites.
Free Book Exchanges at the laundromats in Ocean View and Nāʻālehu are provided by Friends of the Kaʻū Libraries. Everyone is invited to take books they want to read. They may keep the books, pass them on to other readers, or return them to the Book Exchange to make them available to others in the community. The selection of books is replenished weekly at both sites.
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.
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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