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Ka‘ū News Briefs, Wednesday, June 10, 2020

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New USGS maps of Kīlauea lava flows, above, and Mauna Loa lava flows, below, come with deeper interpretations
 of history of the volcanoes from the 1700s to the 21st Century. USGS HVO map

THE 14-DAY QUARANTINE FOR PEOPLE TRAVELING FROM THE MAINLAND is extended to July 31. Gov. David Ige made the announcement today. He confirmed that the 14-day quarantine for interisland travel will be lifted on June 16.
     At an afternoon news briefing, Ige said travel will be different. Thermal screening at the airport will be required for all passengers. Anyone with a fever of 100.4 or greater will be denied boarding. Prior to arriving at the airport, travelers will fill out a form with health screening questions that asks for information to allow for contact tracing. The governor is asking for patience as the new process is implemented and indicated interisland travelers should anticipate additional time needed at state airports. The form is required for all interisland flights, even those taken on the same day. "Lifting the interisland travel quarantine is possible because of the low case levels on all islands." The governor said that, in the next few days, the state will roll out a travel website with information for interisland travelers, with forms for interisland travel.
     In respect to travelers from out of state, Ige said he recognizes its importance, but "we're not there yet and we are being cautious." He pointed to new flare-ups in key mainland markets like California, with more than 2,000 new cases yesterday. Oregon, Arizona, and Texas all are reporting highest numbers of new daily cases since the coronavirus pandemic began. "We will not reopen out-of-state travel before the end of July."
     He said his ninth Supplementary Emergency Proclamation gives him the flexibility to reopen travel when the state is ready. The governor said that many options to protect the health of Hawaiʻi residents are being considered and will involve a multi-layered approach to reduce the danger of infection spikes. He said the approach will involve screening, testing, travel to low-risk areas, contact tracing, and focusing on how to reopen in travel corridors with low circulation of the virus."Screening forms are expected to be similar to the new interisland travel forms and this process will help us refine our plans for a broader reopening of travel to Hawaiʻi," said Ige.

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HAWAIʻI BOASTS THE BIGGEST RECENT HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS in relation to COVID-19, according to a report released by WalletHub. Lower case counts and death rates indicate how safe it is to reopen economies, states the financial website. WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia, focusing on the "latest developments in each state rather than which states have been hit the hardest throughout the pandemic," seeking to "highlight which states have experienced a positive trend in their residents' health in the past few weeks."
     Hawaiʻi has the lowest death rate, lowest positive COVID-19 testing rate, and lowest estimated average number of people to whom an infected person will transmit COVID-19. Alaska ranks nearly as well as Hawaiʻi, and both states are far ahead of all other states. VermontMontana, and Idaho follow in low numbers. The highest numbers are reported for ArizonaNew HampshireNorth DakotaIowa, and Mississippi.

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.

Hawaiʻi's House of Representatives reconvenes next week. Photo from Hawaiʻi House of Representatives

HAWAIʻI'S 2020 LEGISLATURE WILL TAKE UP POLICE REFORM when it reconvenes next Monday; June 22. HB 285 would require disclosure of identities of officers when they are suspended and make public access to information on suspended officers. Testimony on this and other police reform measures will be accepted when hearing dates are posted. Police reform is expected to be first considered by chairs of the House Judiciary and Labor and Public Employment committees.
     House Speaker Scott K. Saiki said today the House and Senate are reconvening to address outstanding issues, including the budget and COVID-19-related and emergency-type bills. "We are working with our committee chairs to prioritize legislation that must be enacted."
     The State Capitol building will be closed to the public to conform with state and federal recommendations for physical distancing and avoiding large gatherings. The public will have an opportunity to submit written testimony and to observe proceedings through livestream. Legislators and legislative staff will be allowed into the Capitol through a single entrance, where everyone will undergo a temperature check. Masks must be worn in all public spaces, physical distancing rules will be mandatory, and anyone exhibiting signs of illness will be denied entry into the Capitol.
     All House floor sessions and some committee hearings will be televised on ʻOlelo Community Television and live-streamed at capitol.hawaii.gov/broadcasts.aspx. Check olelo.org/ or capitol.hawaii.gov for the broadcast schedule.
     The Legislature recessed on March 21 due to the pandemic, reconvened on May 11, and recessed for a second time on May 22. The session is expected to adjourn sine die on July 10. For more information, go to capitol.hawaii.gov.

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.
Kaʻū Voices invites people to sign wave to end police brutality. Photo from Kaʻū Voices
KAʻŪ VOICES INVITES THE PUBLIC TO JOIN IN SIGN WAVING TO END POLICE BRUTALITY, this Saturday, June 13 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the intersection of Mamalahoa Hwy and South Point Road. Kaʻū Voices, a group of local residents affiliated with the Indivisibles, "is sponsoring sign waving to promote social justice. All are invited to participate in this demonstration to end police brutality," Linda Morgan of Kaʻū Voices told The Kaʻū Calendar.
     Kaʻū Voices organizes sign-waving events, participates in the Women's March each January in Hilo, and more. Members of Kaʻū Voices stood along the highway last Sunday, waving signs protesting the death of George Floyd. Video of his death in MinneapolisMN, on May 25 by a police officer sparked international protestation of racism and police brutality, especially the treatment of Blacks, in America.
     Indivisible is a nationwide movement of thousands of volunteer-led local groups that engage in progressive advocacy and electoral work.

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.

MORE THAN $30 MILLION MORE is awarded to Hawaiʻi by the federal government for homelessness and related impacts of COVID-19. Congressman Ed Case said Congress provided $4 billion nationally for U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development's Emergency Solution Grant program for local governments to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus among individuals and families who are homeless, receiving homeless assistance, or are at risk of becoming homeless. The funding can be used for more emergency shelters, provide hotel/motel vouchers, and provide essential services including childcare, education services, employment assistance, outpatient health services, legal services, mental health services, substance abuse treatment services, and transportation. Funds can also be used to help prevent people from becoming homeless and rapidly re-house those who become homeless.
     Case said Hawaiʻi was first issued funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act in April. "In this newest round of funding from the CARES Act, our communities will receive more than $30 million in federal aid from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to enable the delivery of critical programs and services to the people of Hawai‘i. This round of ESG awards will provide funding to help homeless and low-income persons to regain stability in permanent housing. The grants also provide funding for emergency and or transitional shelters and rapidly/immediately rehousing homeless persons and families."

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.

UPDATES ON MAUNA LOA'S AND KĪLAUEA'S GEOLOGICAL HISTORY is richly illustrated on new U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory maps. The presentation features a deeper explanation of scientists employing information from eruptions and flows.
     Mauna Loa's history is newly detailed with geologic mapping and dating of lava flows above sea level. They show that "about 90 percent of Mauna Loa's surface is covered with flows that erupted within the past 4,000 years. Hundreds of flows occurred during this time, without covering the volcano evenly. By tracing the flows back to their vents and knowing their ages based on radiocarbon dating, geologists recognized a general pattern in the frequency of lava flows spreading from the summit area and the rift zones during the past few thousand years." See the Mauna Loa maps. Learn more.
USGS HVO map
     On the Geology and History page for Kīlauea, HVO geologists explain the volcano is still considered to be "in the shield-building stage of Hawaiian volcanism.  "Long periods of explosive (tephra-dominated) and effusive (lava-flow-dominated) activity have alternated at Kīlauea for the past 2,500 years. Scientists infer that the eruption style is determined by the amount of magma being supplied to the volcano. When magma supply is high, the summit caldera fills and feeds voluminous lava flows from summit and rift zone vents. When the magma supply drops, the caldera collapses. When the caldera floor is deep enough to be at or near the water table (about 500 m (1640 ft) deeper than present), water can seep into the vent to trigger steam explosions. Eventually magma supply increases, and effusive eruptions dominate as many lava flows fill the caldera and erupt from the rift zones."
     Geologists studying Kīlauea have a "difficult time" piecing together its history, as "there is a lack of old, exposed rock… 90 percent of the volcano's surface is covered by lava flows younger than 1,000 years, and about 20 percent of those flows are less than 200 years old. The Hilina Basalt formation, exposed in Hilina fault scarps on Kīlauea's central south flank, includes the oldest lava flows found above sea level, which erupted around 50,000 to 70,000 years ago." Older rock has been taken from submarine slopes and drill cores, "providing some clues to the volcano's origin... Current research indicates the first alkali-basalt lava flows erupted onto the ocean floor between 210,000 and 280,000 years ago, and the volcano transitioned from its pre-shield to shield-building stage about 155,000 years ago."
     
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.

Fourth of July parade in Nāʻālehu is canceled, along with parades in Hilo and Kona. Photo by Leilani Esperanza
FOURTH OF JULY EVENTS IN HILO AND KONA ARE CANCELED. The County of Hawai‘i today announced the cancellation of this year's Hilo Bay Blast. "The safety and wellbeing of our community is a priority, as State and County officials continue to encourage responsible personal decision making and appropriate preventive measures due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic."
     Cancellation includes all originally scheduled activities such as the Salute to Our Veterans Hilo Bay 5K Run/Walk at Liliʻuokalani Gardens, the Hot Rides Expo at the Hilo Bayfront Soccer Fields, live music performances, children's activities, and various food vendors that were to occur throughout the Hilo Bayfront area. The fireworks display and musical accompaniment that close out the annual Independence Day celebration in Hilo are also canceled.
     There will be no street closures or modified traffic patterns implemented this year. All County parks will open at 7 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. over the holiday weekend. Mayor Harry Kim said he hopes that some of the events can be rescheduled to later in the year, provided that the pandemic threat has eased and people can safely gather. West Hawaiʻi fireworks displays at Kailua Bay and Queens Bowl in Waikoloa, which are privately organized, were previously canceled. The Kona Fourth of July Parade was also previously canceled by its organizers.
     ʻO Kaʻū Kākou earlier canceled the Independence Day Parade through Nāʻālehu, which usually draws the mayor and many candidates for office as well as horses, riders, floats, and walking groups.
     "Please take this time to celebrate the birth of American independence in a safe and responsible fashion, with family and friends. We ask that everyone continue to adhere to physical distancing requirements, always wear proper face coverings, and ensure proper sanitization protocols," says the statement from the county.

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.

CAFÉ AND ROASTERIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO DOWNLOAD THE COFFEE INDUSTRY COVID-19 PLAYBOOK. Members of the Hawaiʻi Coffee Association and the Oregon Coffee Board created the Coffee Industry COVID-19 Playbook "because each state and county has adopted
different measures and guidelines, we have created this Playbook specifically for cafes & roasteries reopening this month in Hawaiʻi as others have adopted the same outlines for their regions."
     The document is provided to all members of HCA. Members are encouraged to share it with "your fellow coffee colleagues within the state, including all staff and employees of cafés and roasteries." The Playbook provides Tips for Business Owners, Relief Package Updates, New Sales Channels, Cafe & Roastery Guidelines, Workers' Rights, Unemployment Information, and more.

Onset of COVID-19 cases in the last 28 days, by zip code. White is 
zero cases. Yellow is one to five cases. Light orange (not pictured) 
is six to ten cases. Dark orange (not pictured) is 11 to 20 cases. 
Red (not pictured) is 21 to 50 cases.
Hawaiʻi Department of Health map
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.

NO NEW COVID-19 CASES ON HAWAIʻI ISLAND, but four on Oʻahu bring the state's new case total to 37 over the last six days.
     Hawaiʻi Island has recorded no new cases in about two weeks. All 81 COVID-19 victims on Hawaiʻi Island recovered. No one died here. There was only one overnight hospitalization.
     Since the pandemic began, Oʻahu has reported 451 cases, Kauaʻi 21 and Maui County 120. Twelve victims are residents who were diagnosed while visiting other places. Statewide, 685 people have been confirmed positive for the virus. Seventeen people died.
     In the daily message from Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense, Director Talmadge Magno said, "As the Island and State of Hawaiʻigoes forward, please know the importance of continuing to follow the policies of physical distancing, gatherings, face coverings, cleanliness, and keeping yourself physically and emotionally healthy. Thank you for doing your part in keeping Hawaiʻi safe. Thank you for listening and have a safe day. This is your Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency."
     In the United States, more than 2.04 million cases have been confirmed. The death toll is over 115,000. Worldwide, more than 7.04 million have contracted COVID-19. The death toll is over 404,000.

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.

EVENTS
Advocate for Hawaiʻi Crops to be Included in Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Listing by submitting comments by June 22. The CFAP helps agricultural producers impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. Crops not included are coffee, macadamia nuts, cacao, and more. Comments can be submitted online, or by mail by, June 22. Go to regulations.gov/document?D=FSA-2020-0004-0003 or mail to: Director, SND, FSAU.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0522, WashingtonDC 20250-0522. Reference Docket ID: FSA-2020-0004.
     Questions? Contact William L. Beam, (202) 720-3175 or email Bill.Beam@usda.gov. Persons with disabilities or who require alternative means for communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA Target Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
     "One well-supported comment is often more influential than a thousand form letters," says UH-CTAHR's Andrea Kawabata. See Tips for Submitting Effective Comments.

ONGOING
Free COVID-19 Screenings are at Bay Clinic during business hours, with appointment. Call 333-3600.
     A testing team from Aloha Critical Care in Kona will provide testing at St. Jude's every other Wednesday. The next date is June 17 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
     The next drive-thru screening at Nāʻālehu Community Center will be held Wednesday, June 24 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. 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.
     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.
     For further information, call Civil Defense at 935-0031.

Ocean View Swap Meet is open at Ocean View makai shopping center, near Mālama Market. Hours for patrons are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Vendor set-up time is 5 a.m. Masks are required for all vendors and patrons.

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.

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.

Free Breakfast and Lunch for Anyone Eighteen and Under is available at Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary and at Nāʻālehu Elementary on weekdays (no holidays) through Friday, July 17. 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 from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., lunch from 11:30 a.m. to noon. Food is being delivered on Wednesdays to students in Green Sands, Discovery Harbour, and Ocean View.

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.

The Food Basket's ʻOhana Food Drop is available once a month at four Kaʻū and Volcano locations. People can receive a multi-day supply of shelf-stable and fresh food, depending on supply. Call The Food Basket at 933-6030 for Pāhala and Volcano or at 322-1418 for Nāʻālehu or Ocean View. Food can be picked up from 10 a.m. until pau – supplies run out – at:
     Nāʻālehu's Sacred Heart Church at 95-558 Mamālahoa Hwy was June 1; the July date will be announced later.
     Ocean View's Kahuku Park was June 9; the July date will be announced later.
     Volcano's Cooper Center at 19-4030 Wright Road on  Wednesday, June 24.
     Pāhala's Kaʻū District Gym at 96-1149 Kamani Street on Tuesday, June 30.

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.

Enroll in Kua O Ka Lā's Hīpuʻu Virtual Academy for school year 2020-2021, grades four through eight. The Hawaiian Focused Charter School teaches with an emphasis on Hawaiian language and culture. The blended curriculum is offered through online instruction and community-based projects, with opportunities for face-to-face gatherings (with precautions), in an "Education with Aloha" environment.
     Kua O Ka Lā offers a specialized program that provides students with core curriculum, content area, and electives in-keeping with State of Hawaiʻi requirements. Combined with Native Hawaiian values, culture, and a place-based approach to education, from the early morning wehena – ceremonial school opening – Kua O Ka Lā students are encouraged to walk Ke Ala Pono – the right and balanced path.
     The school's website says Kua O Ka Lā has adopted Ke Ala Pono "to describe our goal of nurturing and developing our youth. We believe that every individual has a unique potential and that it is our responsibility to help our students learn to work together within the local community to create a future that is
pono – right." The school aims to provide students with "the knowledge and skills, through Hawaiian values and place-based educational opportunities, that prepare receptive, responsive, and self-sustaining individuals that live 'ke ala pono.'"
     See kuaokala.org to apply and to learn more about the school. Call 808-981-5866 or 808-825-8811, or email info@kuaokala.org for more.

Pāhala and Nāʻālehu Public Libraries are Open for Pick-Up Services Only. Nāʻālehu is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Pāhala is open Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Library patrons schedule Library Take Out appointment times to pick up their hold item(s) at their favorite libraries by going to HSPLS Library Catalog and placing a hold on any item(s) they want to borrow, or they may call their favorite library branch to place a hold with the library staff. After receiving a notice that item(s) are ready for pick up, patrons schedule a Library Take Out time at picktime.com/hspls. For patrons who placed holds during the closure, their item(s) are ready for pickup after the patron schedules a Library Take Out appointment. For more information, visit librarieshawaii.org.

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.

Make Reservations for Father's Day at Crater Rim Café in Kīlauea Military Camp for Sunday, June 21 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Seating limited due to social distancing. Dinner also available to go. The main course is Prime Rib and Vegetable Alfredo Pasta Bake, with side dishes and dessert, for $27.95 per person. Call 967-8356 for dine-in reservations, to-go orders, and current event information. KMC is open to all authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply.

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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