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| Scorched earth in Ninole Loop were a wildland fire ran across the 'aina mauka of Punalu'u Black Sand Beach this morning. Photo from Hawai'i Fire Department |
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| A fire truck with a copter in the background dropping water on the Ninole Loop fire this morning. Photo from HFD |
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
THIS PANDEMIC IS NOT OVER. "WE NEED TO REMAIN VIGILANT," warned Gov. David Ige today as 622 new COVID cases were reported on Friday, following 134 cases statewide on Thursday. The numbers might seem overblown as they represent a lag in reporting. However, the governor urged the public, "Please get vaccinated. It's one of the bet ways to protect your family, friends, and our community. Wear your masks and continue social distancing. Let's end this pandemic together."
County Civil Defense issued a statement today, saying, "As anticipated, Coronavirus case numbers continue to increase. You can help slow the spread when outside your home by following the preventive policies of face coverings, physical distancing, and limiting gatherings and gathering sizes. If you are not feeling well, or suspect you may have been exposed, or are positive for Covid, you should stay at home, avoid contact with others, and seek medical care."
In national news, health officials are reporting evidence that vaccinated people can spread the virus. Visitors with proof of vaccination can bring it here without being obliged to go through COVID-19 testing before entering Hawai'i. Local officials say this makes it even more important to receive vaccinations or stay away from other people.
Free vaccination and testing are available tomorrow, Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Puainako Shopping Center in Hilo. Appointments for vaccinations are available at Kaʻū Hospital Rural Health Clinic, Bay Clinic in Kaʻū and Longs Drugs in Pāhala.
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Hawai'i National Guard helps with vaccinations. Photo from Hilo Medical Center, Ka`u Hospital's sister facility |
Hawai'i Island's new COVID case count for Friday is 111, with 16 victims hospitalized. On Thursday 54 new cases were reported, with 12 victims hospitalized. Statewide three new deaths were reported Friday. This island has the highest positivity rate for COVID during recent testing throughout the islands at 6.8 percent and a two week average of 50 new cases a day.
The concentrations of cases are in Hilo and Kona, each with 130 new cases in the last two weeks, followed by Kohala with 59, Puna with 42, North Kohala and Hamakua, each with 22, Puna makai with 19 Hawi and South Kohala each with 13 and South Kona and Puna mauka, each with 12.
State Department of Health reports that 60.1% percent of the statewide population is fully vaccinated, while 66.8% is partially vaccinated.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT NEEDS will be the subject of Virtual Public Hearings on Tuesday, Aug. 17 at 1 p .m. and Wednesday, Aug. 25 at 10 a.m., sponsored by County of![]()
Hawai'i. Its Office of Housing & Community Development is beginning its 2022 Consolidated/Action Plan process for the Community Development Block Grant Program, which brings millions of dollars of federal money into the county to help solve the housing shortage.
As required by federal regulations, the County will hold the Virtual Public Hearings to hear views and comments from citizens on housing and community development needs and the past performance of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD's) CDBG Program.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
HALEMA'UMA'U LAKE FIRST APPEARED TWO YEARS AGO and this week's Volcano Watch by USGS postdoctoral researcher Ryan C. Cahalan tells the story and gives some interpretation:
Today, radar has many uses: in the atmosphere to track weather systems and aviation activity, in space to image the Earth and extraterrestrial bodies from satellites, and even in the ground to detect buried objects. Volcanologists currently use several different types of radar to study volcanic activity.
Radar operation uses an antenna that focuses pulses of energy as it scans specific directions and angles. The pulses travel at the speed of light and intersect objects in their path, such as mountains, buildings, airplanes, birds, raindrops, or volcanic ash.
As a pulse hits an object, a fraction of its energy is reflected toward the antenna. The reflected energy is then measured and processed to give values of “reflectivity.” Reflectivity is most sensitive to an object’s size and shape, though since a pulse can interact with many objects simultaneously (for example, droplets in a cloud), the concentration of objects is also important.
Radar antennas can scan 360 degrees around a station at various elevation angles and produce nearly complete atmospheric coverage within 100 or more miles in just a few minutes. This is how meteorologists present nearly continuous coverage of weather systems worldwide.
Weather radar is also an extremely important tool for studying explosive eruptions. Radar pulses reflecting off suspended ash, water droplets, or ice crystals in volcanic plumes provide insight into the plume’s composition and 3D structure.
Doppler radar systems used to measure wind speed can also measure turbulence structures in plumes which allows us to track how they capture air, grow in size, and rise through the atmosphere. Using tens of scans per hour, we can measure plume and eruption evolution in time. This can aid in hazard assessment and eruption interpretation.
The Island of Hawai‘i hosts two WSR-88D radar stations, at South Point (PHWA) and Kohala (PHKM). The December 20, 2020, eruption plume was visible to both stations, so their data help understand this interesting eruption.
The water lake in Halema‘uma‘u was 50 m (164 ft) deep and growing when Kīlauea summit erupted on December 20th. A new fissure opened above the lake on the crater wall at 9:30 p.m. HST. A large volume of lava spilled down into the lake, boiling the water, and producing a volcanic steam plume.
Unlike explosive ash plumes that erupt at high velocities directly from a vent, this plume originated from the boiling water, carried little ash, and began rising immediately but slowly, reaching 13 km (43,000 ft) above sea level at its peak. By 11:00 p.m., HST, the water had vanished, replaced by a growing lava lake.
Radar measurements of the plume were accessible minutes after the plume appeared and clearly show its development, increasing height and intensity with the opening of the new fissure, and detachment and decline after the water lake dried. We use standard 2D radar scans to render a 3D plume visualization shown as reflectivity isosurfaces (3D contours).
The visualization displays how plume height, structure, and rise/fall rates change through time. It shows that the plume pulsed, likely related to changes in lava effusion rates or lava-water contact area.
We can use the radar models to locate areas of interest for sampling deposits from the plume on the ground, and to compare high reflectivity zones with phenomena like lightning to correlate visual observations to internal plume dynamics.
Lastly, we can calculate concentration throughout the plume, the path of the plume, and the total ash volume transported and deposited during the eruption. All this from free data!
Another advantage of weather radar is accessibility. Many stations provide free publicly available near-real-time data, accessible through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) free Weather and Climate Toolkit software. Anyone interested in the wonders of radar and volcanoes can analyze data from their own computer. Radar is a vital and growing asset in volcanology that will be increasingly useful to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory in future eruption scenarios.
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CHURCH SERVICES
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The concentrations of cases are in Hilo and Kona, each with 130 new cases in the last two weeks, followed by Kohala with 59, Puna with 42, North Kohala and Hamakua, each with 22, Puna makai with 19 Hawi and South Kohala each with 13 and South Kona and Puna mauka, each with 12.
State Department of Health reports that 60.1% percent of the statewide population is fully vaccinated, while 66.8% is partially vaccinated.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT NEEDS will be the subject of Virtual Public Hearings on Tuesday, Aug. 17 at 1 p .m. and Wednesday, Aug. 25 at 10 a.m., sponsored by County of
As required by federal regulations, the County will hold the Virtual Public Hearings to hear views and comments from citizens on housing and community development needs and the past performance of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD's) CDBG Program.
A statement from the county says it "encourages its citizens, especially persons of low and moderate-income, minorities, and nonEnglish speaking persons, as well as persons with disabilities, to participate in the Virtual Public Hearings and share their comments and views." For connectivity information on attending the Virtual Public Hearings via Zoom, go to hawaiicounty.gov/office-of-housing.
The County expects to receive approximately $2,600,000 for its CDBG Program. Under the CDBG program, grants or loan assistance may be used by eligible public agencies, private non-profit organizations, and Community Based Development Organizations (CBDO)(non-profit organizations) for the following activities provided that these activities either 1) principally benefit low and moderate-income families, 2) aid in the prevention or elimination of slums and blight, or 3) meet other community development needs having a particular urgency.
All original project proposals must be received by 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 22, 2021, by the OHCD, 1990 Kinoʻole Street, Suite 102, Hilo, HI 96720 or OHCD Kona Office, 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740. The proposal forms and federal guidelines covering eligible activities will be available at the OHCD website at hawaiicounty.gov/office-of-housing.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
HALEMA'UMA'U LAKE FIRST APPEARED TWO YEARS AGO and this week's Volcano Watch by USGS postdoctoral researcher Ryan C. Cahalan tells the story and gives some interpretation:
This week marks the second anniversary of the appearance of water in Kīlauea’s Halema‘uma‘u crater, so it seems timely to discuss the water lake’s demise last December 20, or rather, its transformation into a volcanic plume and how we use weather radar to investigate how that happened.
Kīlauea volcanic plume shown from the Gemini Observatory on Mauna Kea (left) and a 3D radar visualization from the same perspective on Dec. 20, 2020. The radar reflectivity isosurfaces reveal the plume’s internal and external structure.
Photos from Gemini Observatory
The word ‘radar’ recalls images of a meteorologist forecasting weather, or aircraft blips on a green radar display, as frequently portrayed in the movies. RADAR is an acronym for Radio Detection And Ranging, a tool that has been broadly used since its conception in the early 1900s.Today, radar has many uses: in the atmosphere to track weather systems and aviation activity, in space to image the Earth and extraterrestrial bodies from satellites, and even in the ground to detect buried objects. Volcanologists currently use several different types of radar to study volcanic activity.
Radar operation uses an antenna that focuses pulses of energy as it scans specific directions and angles. The pulses travel at the speed of light and intersect objects in their path, such as mountains, buildings, airplanes, birds, raindrops, or volcanic ash.
As a pulse hits an object, a fraction of its energy is reflected toward the antenna. The reflected energy is then measured and processed to give values of “reflectivity.” Reflectivity is most sensitive to an object’s size and shape, though since a pulse can interact with many objects simultaneously (for example, droplets in a cloud), the concentration of objects is also important.
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| Example of 2D and 3D radar visualization of the Dec. 20, 2020, Kīlauea volcanic plume. Displayed in photo (top, USGS photo), 2D radar scan from station PHWA (middle, NOAA Weather and Climate Toolkit), and 3D radar visualization (bottom, Google Earth). |
Weather radar is also an extremely important tool for studying explosive eruptions. Radar pulses reflecting off suspended ash, water droplets, or ice crystals in volcanic plumes provide insight into the plume’s composition and 3D structure.
Doppler radar systems used to measure wind speed can also measure turbulence structures in plumes which allows us to track how they capture air, grow in size, and rise through the atmosphere. Using tens of scans per hour, we can measure plume and eruption evolution in time. This can aid in hazard assessment and eruption interpretation.
The Island of Hawai‘i hosts two WSR-88D radar stations, at South Point (PHWA) and Kohala (PHKM). The December 20, 2020, eruption plume was visible to both stations, so their data help understand this interesting eruption.
The water lake in Halema‘uma‘u was 50 m (164 ft) deep and growing when Kīlauea summit erupted on December 20th. A new fissure opened above the lake on the crater wall at 9:30 p.m. HST. A large volume of lava spilled down into the lake, boiling the water, and producing a volcanic steam plume.
Unlike explosive ash plumes that erupt at high velocities directly from a vent, this plume originated from the boiling water, carried little ash, and began rising immediately but slowly, reaching 13 km (43,000 ft) above sea level at its peak. By 11:00 p.m., HST, the water had vanished, replaced by a growing lava lake.
Radar measurements of the plume were accessible minutes after the plume appeared and clearly show its development, increasing height and intensity with the opening of the new fissure, and detachment and decline after the water lake dried. We use standard 2D radar scans to render a 3D plume visualization shown as reflectivity isosurfaces (3D contours).
The visualization displays how plume height, structure, and rise/fall rates change through time. It shows that the plume pulsed, likely related to changes in lava effusion rates or lava-water contact area.
We can use the radar models to locate areas of interest for sampling deposits from the plume on the ground, and to compare high reflectivity zones with phenomena like lightning to correlate visual observations to internal plume dynamics.
Lastly, we can calculate concentration throughout the plume, the path of the plume, and the total ash volume transported and deposited during the eruption. All this from free data!
Another advantage of weather radar is accessibility. Many stations provide free publicly available near-real-time data, accessible through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) free Weather and Climate Toolkit software. Anyone interested in the wonders of radar and volcanoes can analyze data from their own computer. Radar is a vital and growing asset in volcanology that will be increasingly useful to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory in future eruption scenarios.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
ENROLL CHILDREN, from first through eighth grade, in Kula ʻAmakihi, a program from Volcano School of the Arts & Sciences. It starts Aug. 3. Call 808-985- 9800 or visit www.volcanoschool.net. See more on Page 6 of the The Kaʻū Calendar newspaper's July edition.
SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL IN KA‘Ū. See more on Page 5 of The Kaʻū Calendar newspaper's July edition.
VOLUNTEER AT KA‘Ū SCHOOL GARDEN on Saturday, July 31 at 9 a.m. as part of the Hawai`i Island Community Food Summit. See more on Page 5 of the July Kaʻū Calendar newspaper.
SIGN UP FOR EXPERIENCE VOLCANO FESTIVAL, which happens on Saturday, Aug. 14. See more on Page 15 of The Kaʻū Calendar newspaper's July edition.
REGISTER FOR VOLCANO’S OHIA LEHUA RUNS, which happen on Saturday, Aug. 14. See more on Page 5 of The Kaʻū Calendar newspaper's July edition.
REGISTER FOR THE KA‘Ū COFFEE TRAIL RUN, which returns on Saturday, Sept. 18. See more on the OKK event at https://www.kaucoffeetrailruns.com/
WALK THROUGH A GUIDED NATURE TRAIL & Sculpture Garden, Mondays, 9:30 a.m. at Volcano Art Center Niʻaulani Campus in Volcano Village. No reservations for five or fewer – limited to ten people. Free; donations appreciated. Email programs@volcanoartcenter.org. Garden is open to walk through at one's own pace, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. www.volcanoartcenter.org. Call 967-8222.
KAʻŪ ART GALLERY is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. in Nāʻālehu. It features and sells works by local artists and offers other gift items. Kaʻū Art Gallery's website has 24/7 access online and is frequently updated to show current inventory items. "We are always looking to collaborate with local artists in our community," said assistant Alexandra Kaupu. Artists with an interest in being featured at Kaʻū Art Gallery and Gift Shop, contact gallery owner and director Corrine Kaupu at kauartgallery@hawaiiantel.bi
GOLF & MEMBERSHIPS for Discovery Harbour Golf Course and its Clubhouse: The Club offers Social Memberships, with future use of the clubhouse and current use of the pickleball courts as well as walking and running on specified areas of the golf course before 8 a.m. and after 3 p.m. to enjoy the panoramic
ocean views. Golf memberships range from unlimited play for the avid golfer to casual play options. Membership is required to play and practice golf on the course. All golf memberships include Social Membership amenities. Membership fees are designed to help underwrite programs and improvements to the facilities.Call 808-731-5122 or stop by the Clubhouse during business hours, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at 94-1581 Kaulua Circle. Email clubatdiscoveryharbour@gmail.com. See The Club at Discovery Harbour Facebook page.
Aloha Friday Marketplace every Friday from 9am to 2pm on the beautiful grounds of Kauaha'ao Congregational Church 95-1642 Pinao St., Wai'ohinu,
ALOHA FRIDAY MARKETPLACE, hosted by Kaʻū Main Street, is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., grounds of Kauahaʻao Congregational Church 95-1642 Pinao St. in Waiʻohinu, corner of Kamaoa and Hwy 11. Farmers Market, Arts & Crafts, Health Practitioners, Food, Music, Yoga, Keiki Fun & More. Inquiries: AlohaFridayMarket@gmail.com.
VOLCANO FARMERS MARKET, Cooper Center, Volcano Village on Sundays. 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with much local produce, baked goods, food to go, island beef and Hawai‘i Coffee. Cooper Center's EBT Machine, used at the Farmer's Market, is out of service until further notice. EBT is used for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps. Call 808-967-7800.
OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY MARKET, open Saturdays and Thursdays, 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the corner of Kona Drive and Highway 11, where Thai Grindz is located. Managed by Mark Council. Masks mandatory. 100-person limit, social distancing required. Gate unlocked for vendors at 5:30 a.m., $15 dollars, no reservations needed. Parking in upper lot only. Vendors must provide own sanitizer. Food vendor permits required. Carpooling encouraged.
O KAʻŪ KĀKOU MARKET, in Nāʻālehu, open Wednesday, and Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon. Limit of 50 customers per hour, 20 vendor booths, with 20 feet of space between vendors. Masks and hand sanitizing required, social distancing enforced. Contact Sue Barnett, OKK Market Manager, at 808-345-9374 (voice or text) or kaufarmer@aol.com for more and to apply to vend. See facebook.com/OKauKakouMarket.
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 required.
BUY LOCAL GIFTS ONLINE, IN-PERSON
VOLCANO ART CENTER ONLINE, in person. Shop at Niʻaulani Campus in Volcano Village, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Gallery in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, open Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Virtual Shopping Appointments offered via Skype or FaceTime.
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Book at volcanoartcenter.org/shop for $5. Shop online gallery 24/7. Orders shipped or free local pickup available. See the VAC Virtual Classroom, which features over 90 videos. See volcanoartcenter.org/events, call 967-8222.
KAʻŪ COFFEE MILL & VISITOR CENTER. Buy online at kaucoffeemill.com and in person at 96-2694 Wood Valley Road, daily, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
PUNALUʻU BAKESHOP online at bakeshophawaii.com and in-person 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week in Nāʻālehu.
ALIʻI HAWAIʻI HULA HANDS COFFEE. Order by calling 928-0608 or emailing alihhhcoffee@yahoo.com.
AIKANE PLANTATION COFFEE COMPANY. Order online at aikaneplantation.com. Call 808-927-2252
MIRANDA'S FARMS KAʻŪ COFFEE. Order online at mirandafarms.com or, in person at 73-7136 Mamalahoa Hwy, Nāʻālehu.
KUAHIWI RANCH STORE, in person. Shop weekdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, 11 am to 3 p.m. at 95-5520 Hwy 11. Locally processed grass-fed beef, live meat chickens, and feed for cattle, goats, sheep, chickens, horses, dogs, and pigs. Call 929-7333 of 938-1625, email kaohi@kuahiwiranch.com.
CHURCH SERVICES
OCEAN VIEW EVANGELICAL COMMUNITY CHURCH holds services on Sundays beginning with Sing-Along on the Square at 10:15 a.m., followed by Sunday Morning Service at 11 a.m. In-person services following CDC Guidelines and Hawaii mandates by using hand sanitizer, wearing face masks and practicing social distancing.
Music and Sermons are posted to FaceBook.com/OVECC. Also see FaceBook.com/OVECC for more. The church campus for Ocean View Evangelical Community Church is 92-8977 Leilani Circle. ovecchurch@gmail.com
ST. JUDES'S IS HOLDING SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP at 9:30 a.m. in the sanctuary, with COVID protocol in place, including wearing masks. For those unable to attend in person, a Zoom link is offered at
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85798655114?pwd=QW5YSmQwNFAyWVZud3QvSVBiNXJ0Zz09. Meeting ID is 857 9865 5114. Passcode is Aloha.
St. Jude's offers free food and showers, live church services and community outreach in Ocean View. St. Jude's Episcopal Mission is at Paradise Circle - mauka at Keaka. The Sunday service is also broadcast on Facebook through the St. Jude's web page at http://www.stjudeshawaii.org.
Free hot showers are open to anyone on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Last sign up is at 11:30 a.m. There are two private stalls. The church provides body wash, shampoo and a clean towel.
Attendants take the temperatures of the shower users and ask that all wear masks, regardless of vaccination status. The monitors sanitize the shower stalls after each use. However, St. Jude's assumes no liability in the transmission of any illness and posts the cautionary, "Use at Your Own Risk." On Saturdays, free lunches (take out only) are available between 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
St. Jude's is also working with Kaʻū High & Pahala Elementary for educational outreach and better internet for the entire Ocean View Community.
HOPE DIA-MEND MINISTRIES holds outdoor services Sundays at 9:45 a.m. at 92-898 Ginger Blossom Lane in Ocean View. Masks and distancing required. For help and/or to donate, call or text 808-937-6355, or call the Ministry at 808-920-8137. See Facebook and at hopedia-mendministries.com.
DEPRESSED, ANXIOUS, NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO? Call Department of Health's expanded Hawai‘i C.A.R.E.S. program at 1-800-753-6879 – the same number previously used by Crisis Line of Hawai‘i. Individuals in crisis can also text ALOHA to 741741, available 24/7.
LEARN SELF-CARE THROUGH Big Island Substance Abuse Council's Practice Self-Care Series. For additional series that feature refreshing wellness tips, follow the Behavioral Health & Homelessness Statewide Unified Response Group at facebook.com/bhhsurg
KAʻŪ WOMEN'S COLLECTIVE OFFERS HEALTH PROGRAMS. Piko focuses on reproductive health; increasing access, respect, cultural competence, education, and choice. Pilina aims to grow membership and establish a culture of collaborative decision-making. Follow @kau_womens_health_collective. Contact rootsmedieshawaii@gmail.com. Call 808-450-0498.
YOGA WITH EMILY Catey Weiss, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. at Volcano Art Center Niʻaulani Campus in Volcano Village. Advanced registration required; $5 per class. volcanoartcenter.org/events, 967-8222.
CHOOSE ALOHA FOR HOME is available to families, to provide a healthy way to grow together using neuroscience and positive psychology. Program uses a series of self-guided videos, activities, and "dinner table discussion topics." Sign up at chooselovemovement.org/choose-love-home.
EDUCATION
Free WiFi Access for Students is available in Kaʻū, Nāʻālehu, and Ocean View through Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary. Questions? See khpes.org or call 313-4100.
Resilience Hub at Nāʻālehu Hongwanji, Monday-Wednesday-Friday, noon to 4 p.m. Drop-in wifi and laptop access, free meals for participating keiki. Follows all county, state, and federal COVID-19 guidelines. Contact Michelle Galimba, 808-430-4927.
Register for Boys & Girls Club Mobile Outreach and Tutoring Programs at rb.gy/o1o2hy. For keiki grades 1-6. Contact Boys & Girls Club of the Big Island Administrative Office, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at (808) 961-5536 or email mobiletutoring@bgcbi.org or info@bgcbi.org.
ʻOhana Help Desk offers online How-To Guides for Chromebooks and iPads at rb.gy/8er9wm. ʻOhana Help Desk also available by phone, weekdays, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Invite Park Rangers to Virtually Visit Classes, through connecting with teachers and home-schoolers with distance learning programs and virtual huakaʻi (field trips). Contact havo_education@nps.gov.
Weekly Virtual Town Meetings, hosted by Kaʻū High & Ka'ū Elementary, Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. Discussion topics include attendance, best practices, Grab-n-Go meals, school updates, questions and feedback, and more. Go to KHPES.org for Live WebEx link.
Public Libraries are open for WiFi, pick-up, and other services. Nāʻālehu open Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pahala open Tuesday, noon to 7 p.m., Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., limited entry into library with Wiki Visits. Schedule a Library Take Out time at picktime.com/hspls. Open for library card account help and reference assistance from the front door. WiFi available to anyone with a library card, from each library parking lot. See librarieshawaii.org.
Free Book Exchanges, at laundromats in Ocean View and Nāʻālehu, provided by Friends of the Kaʻū Libraries. Open to all. Keep the books, pass them on to other readers, or return them. Selection of books replenished weekly at both sites.
Read Report on Public Input about Disaster Recovery from damage during the 2018 Kīlauea eruption.
View the Civic Engagement and Comment Analysis Report at rb.gy/awu65k.
Learn About Hawaiʻi's History & Culture through Papakilo Database, papakilodatabase.com.
Virtual Workshops on Hawaiʻi's Legislative Processes through Public Access Room. Sign up by contacting (808) 587-0478 or par@capitol.hawaii.gov. Ask questions and discuss all things legislative in a non-partisan environment. Attend Coffee Hour with PAR: Fridays at 3 p.m. on Zoom, meeting ID 990 4865 9652 or click zoom.us/j/99048659652. PAR staff will be available to answer questions and to discuss the legislative process. Anyone wanting to listen in without taking part in discussions is welcome. Learn more at lrb.hawaii.gov/public-access-room.ECONOMIC RELIEF
Online Directory at shopbigisland.com, co-sponsored by County of Hawai‘i, has a signup sheet for local businesses to fill in the blanks. The only requirement is a physical address on this island.
COMMUNITY
Food Assistance: Apply for The Volcano School of Arts & Sciences COVID-19 Family Relief Funds. Funded by Volcano Community Association, and members of the VSAS Friends and Governing Boards, who have donated, the fund supplies KTA or Dimple Cheek Gift Cards, or gift cards to other locally owned business, to VSAS families in need. Contact Kim Miller at 985-8537, kmiller@volcanoschool.net. Contributions to the fund can be sent in by check to: VSAS, PO Box 845, Volcano, HI 96785 – write Relief Fund in the memo. See volcanoschool.net.
