Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015

Players head for the ball during Ka`u High Trojan's soccer match hosting Kohala yesterday. See more below. Photo by Kyle Pitcher

THE MOST RECENT EPISODE of Insights on PBS Hawai`i held a forum about Hawai`i Island’s ongoing dengue fever outbreak. The panel included Ka`u’s state Sen. Russell Ruderman, Hawai`i County Civil Defense Chief Darryl Oliveira and state Department of Health Director Dr. Virginia Pressler.

Ruderman expressed concern that not enough has been done. He pointed to a delayed, sluggish response from DOH when the outbreak first occurred. “Some things were done much too slowly, and some things have never been done yet that I think are crucial to reach the very rural population” in his district, Ruderman said.

Ruderman said more education efforts are needed regarding symptoms, what to watch for and what to do about dengue. Outreach efforts to the island’s medical community and residents “have been incomplete,” he said. He said DOH’s Fight the Bite brochures, while “excellent,” have not reached most people. “Information available quickly is the way to deal with” the outbreak, he said.

Sen. Russell Ruderman discussed dengue fever
on Insights on PBS Hawai`i last week.

Oliveira said communication is “always our Achilles heal” during emergencies. He noted that brochures are being distributed at schools, churches and other organizations.
Pressler agreed that communication is inadequate as noted by Dr. Kyle Peterson, of U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, in his assessment after recently visiting Hawai`i Island. She said her department used to have five communication specialists on staff but now has only one. Ruderman suggested that other resources could be tapped for help, including the National Guard and declaring a state of emergency.
“There was a full-fledged support for this effort,” Pressler replied. “We had a full-court press from the governor’s office.”
Ruderman pointed out that “it took two months from the first (dengue case) and one month from the time the department announced it to reach all the medical providers on the Big Island.”
Based on dates of onset of illness, DOH on Friday reported that only four individuals are potentially infectious. Those individuals became ill between Dec. 8 and Dec. 13. Of 163 past and present confirmed cases, 159 are no longer infectious. The disease is spread when mosquitoes bite an infected person and subsequently bite others.
While the numbers of new confirmed cases has begun to slow, Pressler said the outbreak would not be considered over until a month goes by without any new cases.
See pbshawaii.org/insights.
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Matson and Maersk are helping UH-Manoa detect tsunamis. Photo from UH

COMMERCIAL SHIPS ARE HELPING to detect tsunamis. Accurate and rapid detection and assessment of tsunamis in the open ocean is critical for predicting how they will impact distant coastlines, enabling appropriate mitigation efforts.

Scientists from the University of Hawai`i-Manoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, with funding from National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, are partnering with Maersk Line and Matson Navigation to equip 10 ships with real-time geodetic GPS systems and satellite communications. The pilot network of GPS-equipped ships enables each vessel to act as an open-ocean tide gauge. Data from these new tsunami sensors are streamed via satellite to a land-based data center where they are processed and analyzed for tsunami signals.
“The 2011 Japan earthquake highlighted weaknesses in our understanding of earthquake and tsunami hazards and emphasized the need for more densely-spaced observing capabilities,” said James Foster, SOEST associate researcher and lead investigator for the project.
Foster said that commercial vessels are the only realistic option for providing observation platforms at the scale necessary. “The World Ocean Council Smart Ocean-Smart Industries program was exactly the mechanism we needed to identify and engage a shipping company that might respond to our needs for instrument hosting and ocean data collection.”

Foster said Matson was an obvious partner for the project due to its long history in Hawai`i and shared interest in community safety and coastal hazards. “The World Ocean Council’s unique connection within the industry allowed us to bring Maersk Line into the collaboration,” Foster said.

Trojan Trevor Taylor goes for the goal. Photo by Dave Berry

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KA`U TROJANS SOCCER TEAM tied Kohala 1-1 yesterday. Kohala was the first to score 73 minutes into the match, then Trevor Taylor tied the game for Ka`u at the 79th minute.

The next Trojan soccer game is after Christmas break when Ka`u travels to Hilo on Jan. 5.
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LIMITED PURPOSE INSTRUCTION PERMITS, limited purpose provisional driver’s licenses and limited purpose driver’s licenses are available beginning on Jan. 4. A Limited Purpose credential does not require documentary proof of legal presence and/or proof of a Social Security number. The term legal presence is defined as a person who is either a U.S. citizen or is legally authorized to be in the U.S.
The credentials are issued as licenses to operate motor vehicles on public highways.

Ka`u and Kohala's soccer teams are co-ed. Photo by Dave Berry

Limited purpose credentials are not Real ID compliant and not exclusively accepted by the Transportation Security Administration to board a commercial aircraft or enter federal facilities. Additional screening and/or documents may be required. In addition, these credentials are not accepted for official federal purposes and do not establish eligibility for employment, voter registration or public benefits.

Limited purpose instruction permits are issued for one year and may be renewed for another year no more than thirty days prior to the expiration date of the limited purpose instruction permit and no later than ninety days after the expiration date.
Limited purpose provisional driver’s licenses are issued to applicants between 16 and 17 years of age and expire on the provisional licensees’ 19th birthdays.
Limited purpose driver’s license are issued for four years for licensees who are 24 years of age or younger, eight years for licensees who are 25 through 71 and two years for licensees who are 72 or older.

When traveling within the U.S., individuals possessing Hawai`i limited purpose driver’s licenses should consult with that state’s driver licensing agency to confirm this type of driver’s license is valid for driving in that state.

For information on Hawai`i County offices issuing these credentials, call 961-2222.

Applicants must provide required documents verifying their legal names, dates of birth, and principal residences within the state. To view frequently asked questions and a list of acceptable documents, see http://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/files/2015/12/mvso-Limited-Purpose-DL-Pamphlet-Frequently-Asked-Questions-12-02-15.pdf .

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HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY scientists present an overview of upcoming Volcano Awareness Month events in the current issue of Volcano Watch. All are free and open to the public.

“This time last year, Kilauea Volcano’s lava flow was threatening Pahoa,” the article states. “Today, the immediate danger to Puna communities no longer exists, but lava continues to erupt from the Pu`u `O`o vent. So, while the flow is largely out of sight, it should not be totally out of mind.

“During the past year, Mauna Loa began stirring, a reminder that Earth’s largest active volcano is just that – an active volcano that will someday erupt again. With seismicity and deformation of the volcano above background levels, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory elevated the Volcano Alert Level for Mauna Loa from NORMAL to ADVISORY in September 2015.

Ongoing volcanic activity near Pu`u `O`o vent gives reason for Hawai`i
Island residents to be volcano-aware. Photo from USGS/HVO

“With this in mind, Island of Hawai`i residents are encouraged to learn more about the volcanoes on which they live, work and play. One way to do this is by attending upcoming talks offered by HVO scientists during our island’s seventh annual Volcano Awareness Month in January 2016. …
“Weekly After Dark in the Park programs in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park begin on Jan. 5 with a look at what’s happened with Kilauea Volcano’s ongoing East Rift Zone and summit eruptions during the past year. Subsequent Tuesday evening programs on Jan. 12, 19 and 26 include an update on the current status of Mauna Loa, a discussion of lethal eruptions on Kilauea and the story of the Mauna Loa lava flow that threatened Hilo in 1880-1881, respectively. Each presentation begins at 7 p.m. in the Kilauea Visitor Center. Park entrance fees may apply. …
“Vog (volcanic air pollution), a pervasive reminder of Kilauea Volcano’s ongoing eruptions, and the results of a recent study on vog perceptions and protection will be addressed at Ocean View Community Center on Wednesday, Jan. 27. Start time is 6:30 p.m. …
“Volcano awareness shouldn’t be limited to a single month on Hawai`i Island, home to two of the world’s most active volcanoes. But January, officially proclaimed Volcano Awareness Month in 2010, is a good time to begin or continue your quest to better understand Hawaiian volcanoes – and to meet the HVO scientists who monitor them. We hope to see you at one or more of our talks in January 2016!”
More events take place in Hilo and Kona. The full schedule is available at hvo.wr.usgs.gov.

For the complete article, see hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.

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HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK rangers share their knowledge and love of the popular traditional Hawaiian cultural practice of coconut weaving Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the lanai of Kilauea Visitor Center. Participants learn how to transform coconut fronds into fun items and take home creations. Free; park entrance fees apply.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.