Kaʻū News Briefs Dec.17, 2024

Perspective of hālau to be built on west end of Kīlauea Visitor Center. Artistic rendering by Otak & Mason Architecture

DETAILS ON THE TEMPORARY  CLOSURE OF KĪLAUEA VISITOR CENTER for renovations have been released by Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Kīlauea Visitor Center will close Sunday, Feb. 17 at 5 p.m. for extensive renovations.
    KVC restrooms, sidewalks, water station and about half of its parking will be unavailable during the construction project. Visitors should plan ahead and be prepared for limited services and parking. Volcano 
House and the Volcano Art Center Gallery will remain open. KVC renovations include:
    Addition of a covered hālau (pavilion) on the west end of the building
    New and improved restrooms relocated to the east end of the buildinFull accessibility
    Converting offices to expand visitor space
    More space for the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association store
    New bilingual exhibits in English and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi

Artistic rendering showing part of the hālau (outdoor pavilion) and renovated Kīlauea Visitor Center in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park from Otak & Mason Architecture.

    Park rangers and the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association store and staff will continue to serve visitors. A few days after KVC closes, they will relocate to a temporary welcome center at Kilauea Military Camp's accessible Koa Room, just 1.2 miles west of the park entrance. Parking is available at the nearby ballfield.
    While some ranger programs will continue, visitors should plan ahead, come prepared and expect limited services, says the park statement. The park film and programs like After Dark in the Park and Nā Leo Manu are suspended until KVC reopens. The project could take up to two years to complete.
    KVC is the only visitor center in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and is too small and outdated to serve the 1.5 million or so people that venture to the park each year. Jaggar Museum was removed earlier this year due to damage it received during the 2018 eruption and summit collapse of Kīlauea.
    The deconstruction of the museum and restoration at Uēkahuna is part of the 2018 Disaster Recovery Project. Jaggar Museum and the former USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory buildings have been removed. Workers are currently restoring Uēkahuna to a more natural state that enables uninterrupted views of Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera). The restored Uēkahuna is expected to reopen by summer 2025.
    The park will continue to share disaster recovery updates through news releases, social media and its website. Construction closures and delays are regularly updated on the park's construction webpage: https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/construction-closures.htm.

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Jen Kajiwada wants more flights for Hilo Airport

EAST HAWAI'I NEEDS MORE AIRLINE SERVICE following the merger of Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines, and County Council Member Jenn Kagiwada has issued a statement noting that there is no talk of adding on later flights from Honolulu to Hilo or a direct flight from Hilo to the West Coast in recent news
    Kagiwada said, “The East side of Hawai‘i Island is significantly disenfranchised with the lack of travel options for residents to and from Honolulu in the evening. The addition of a late-night route would allow residents to enjoy a day in the city for shopping or visiting family and friends and be able to return home to East Hawai‘i after dinner. Right now, the latest return flight leaves Honolulu at 7:35pm, which means travelers would have to wrap up their plans and be heading to the airport before dinnertime. For those who have to commute to O‘ahu regularly for work or health care appointments it is a significant challenge to battle the traffic at that time and if they miss that last flight out, they are out of luck until the following day.
   "For those doing longer distance travel, if the connecting return flight to O‘ahu arrives after 6 p.m. they are left searching for a hotel or frantically calling relatives and unable to fly home until the next day. When the direct United flight from Hilo to California ceased during the pandemic and was never reinstated, many hoped Hawaiian Airlines would step in to fill the gap.