JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii – The Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) is extending the public comment period for the Naval Special Operations Training State of Hawaii Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) until Jan. 7, 2019 to allow the public more time to submit comments. NSWC prepared the Draft EA to analyze the potential impacts of proposed naval special operations training in the State of Hawaii. NSWC invites the public to submit comments on the Proposed Action and alternatives, and the accuracy and adequacy of the Draft EA analysis. Proposed Action:
NSWC proposes to conduct small-unit land and maritime training activities for naval special operations personnel. Training would occur in the nearshore waters and land-based areas on Oahu, Island of Hawaii, and Kauai, and in nearshore waters (including harbors and bays) of Maui, Molokai, and Lanai. The purpose of the Proposed Action is to support small unit intermediate and advanced land, maritime, and air-based training activities for naval special operations personnel.
The Draft EA is available for public review online at https://go.usa.gov/xUnDC and at the following locations:
Hawaii State Library, 478 S. King St., Honolulu, HI 96813
Waimea Public Library, 9750 Kaumualii Hwy., Waimea, HI 96796
Kailua-Kona Public Library, 75-138 Hualalai Road, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Kahului Public Library, 90 School St., Kahului, HI 96732
Molokai Public Library, 15 Ala Malama Ave, Kaunakakai, HI 96748
NSWC is accepting comments throughout the extended public comment period, which began Nov. 8, 2018, and now runs until Jan. 7, 2019. Written comments may be submitted by email to NFPAC-Receive@navy.mil or by mail to: Naval Facilities Engineering Command Pacific
Attention:
Project Manager, EV21.JZ
258 Makalapa Drive, Suite 100
Pearl Harbor, HI 96860-3134
Comments must be postmarked or received online by Jan. 7, 2019, for consideration in the final EA.
Hawaii National Park, HI – Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park will be open on Christmas Day (Tues., Dec. 25) and New Year’s Eve (Mon., Dec. 31), but Kīlauea Visitor Center, which opens daily at 9 a.m., will close at 2 p.m. both days.
The Kahuku Unit will be closed both days per its normal operating schedule. Kahuku is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“The park would like to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season, and mahalo nui loa for the public’s support during a very eventful year,” said Acting Superintendent Ben Hayes. “We are all looking forward to welcoming our visitors through the season and opening more areas as we continue recovery efforts in 2019.”
During the week of November 19 through November 25, 2018, Hawaiʻi Island police arrested thirteen, (13), motorists for driving under the influence of an intoxicant. Two of the drivers were involved in a traffic accident.
So far this year, there have been 980 DUI arrests compared with 1,040 during the same period last year, a decrease of 5.8 percent. The numbers of arrests by district were:
DUI Arrests by District
District Weekly Total Year to Date
Hāmākua 0 9 North Hilo 0 4 South Hilo 5 248 Puna 2 204 Ka‘ū 1 22 Kona 4 408 South Kohala 1 75 North Kohala 0 10 Island Total 13 980
There have been 1,040 major accidents so far this year compared with 1,215 during the same period last year, a decrease of 14.1 percent.
To date, there were 26 fatal crashes (two of which had multiple deaths), resulting in 28 fatalities, compared with 28 fatal crashes, (one of which had multiple deaths), resulting in 30 fatalities for the same time last year. This represents a decrease of 7.1 percent for fatal crashes, and 6.7 percent for fatalities.
DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue islandwide.
[bais_before_after before_image=”http://skunkworks.baronsekiya.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/20080103-sentinel-kilauea-before.jpeg” after_image=”http://skunkworks.baronsekiya.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/20180831-sentinel-kilauea-after.jpeg”]
Before, January 3, 2018, and after, August 31, 2018, image of Kilauea Summit. Photos courtesy of Copernicus.
Hawai‘i County Department of Parks and Recreation is informing the public that Kahalu’u Beach Park will be closed from 7:00 a.m. to 12 Noon on May 1 and May 2, 2018, due to anticipated coral spawning events.
According to the Division of Aquatic Resources and Eyes of the Reef Network, cauliflower coral (Pocillopora meandrina) was once abundant on shallow coral reefs along West Hawai’i, including Kahalu’u Bay. However, a global thermal stress event resulting in very high ocean temperatures struck West Hawai’i in the fall of 2015, and caused catastrophic bleaching and mortality for more than 90% of the regional population of cauliflower coral. To recover from this event, natural reproductive and replenishment activities of corals are critically important. For more than a decade, researchers have observed annual broadcast spawning events for cauliflower corals, and can now accurately predict when they will likely occur based on season, solar, tidal, and lunar cycles.
During broadcast spawning events, corals emit reproductive materials (“gametes”) into the water column, and these materials are carried by the tides to mix and generate planktonic coral larvae. During this time, physical disturbance of corals and pollutants in the water (e.g. oxybenzone in many sunscreens) must be minimized to help ensure that corals are successful.
The Department of Parks & Recreation and the Kahalu’u Bay Education Center appreciates the public’s understanding and respect of this important coral recovery and replenishment process at Kahalu’u Bay. We also apologize for any inconvenience the closure may cause.
For more information, please contact the Kahalu’u Bay Education Center at (808) 887-6411.
Join local authors for the monthly Words and Wine Event at 6 p.m. Tuesday (Dec 5) hosted by Kona Stories Book Shop. This event is free to the public and offers a chance for you to meet and greet some of Hawaii’s favorite authors while you enjoy complimentary pupu and wine. December’s featured authors are: Selvy Thiruvengadam, Heather S. Friedman Rivera, Dennis Alstrand and Eliza Cahill.
Selvy Thiruvengadam
Selvy Thiruvengadam has been an artist all her life and a Masters Level Art Therapist and Sandtray Therapist since 1993 working in a variety of settings with different populations spanning all ages. She has worked on in-patient and outpatient acute medical and psychiatric units, substance abuse treatment centers, and residential treatment facilities and in private practice. She specialized in helping people with chronic severe mental illness with addictions. She has meditated since she was 3 and has taught meditation to her clients and others for over 20 years. Throughout the years, her love and focus has been bringing people together in circles to celebrate all of life, teaching how to thrive in life through inner exploration, sacred celebrations, and creative experiences. In 2016, she founded Mystic Bee Sanctuary in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i, dedicated to promoting bee-ing kind to self & others. It is a sacred space for promoting peace, comfort & joy through cross-cultural arts, teaching & supporting silent meditation, and providing creative activities for adults of all abilities who have an interest in exploring peace, comfort & joy. A portion of proceeds generated are used on varied projects to increase awareness of the plight of the bees on our planet.
Selvy Thiruvengadam’s Love Ladies invites readers to join seven wild and not so wild women on an annual restorative retreat that includes rising with the sun, cooking finger licking good meals, skinny dipping in the sea, napping, meditating and massage, shopping, making art, building sandtrays, jammin’ out to good tunes and holding circle under the light of the full moon with mugs of Kona coffee.
This diverse cast of characters makes their annual pilgrimage back to a sacred circle at their beach house on the Jersey Shore, sharing their nutball antics, life fatigue and need for a reboot through their eight-day seaside retreat. Lakshmi, the youngest of this cross-cultural den, cultivates her inner wise woman as these Love Ladies share their life journeys. This book explores the bonds of female friendship and the healing power of humor and love. It celebrates a return to sacred circle, both literally and symbolically, and honors the connection to womanhood, sisterhood and the Divine Feminine. Love Ladies is her first novel.
Heather S. Friedman Rivera
Heather S. Friedman Rivera, RN, JD, PhD was born in Los Angeles, California in 1963. She founded a research institute for advancing past life research, PLR Institute. In addition to speaking and researching about past life and related therapies, she writes fiction for adults and young readers. She also hosts writing workshops on healing through fiction. She is the author of Healing the Present from the Past, Quiet Water, Maiden Flight, Ultreia, Into Exaltia, In Search of Emerald Bay, and Into the Crystal (to be released summer 2017).When not writing, she loves to hike close to her home in Hawaii. Her best friends include a Puggle and a black cat.
In Quiet Water we meet Tess Whitaker whose gripping dreams of a lost love compel to walk away from a stable marriage and her teenage son. As she struggles to piece together a new life in a new town, haunting visions of a past life thrust her into a quest to find her elusive lover. Spinning out of control, Tess wonders, “Have I really gone off the deep end? Will I ever find “the one?”
Into Exaltia is about twelve year old Sara and her younger sister, ten year old Molly, who were dropped off at their grandma’s house to spend spring vacation. They expected certain things to happen. They expected to eat grandma’s delicious cooking, to make up imaginary games to pass the time, and sometimes to be bored. But they never could have imagined what did happen! A magical portal opened, a prism showed them the way to another world, and the girls were thrown into the adventure of a lifetime. The girls are joined by a boy from their world and befriended by Thorn and Sael, two tree elves in Exaltia, to face many dangers in answer to an urgent cry for help. Who else will save the gnomes if not the Prism Walkers? Will they be able to complete their mission and will they find their way home again?
Dennis Alstrand
Dennis Alstrand had his first book, The Beatles and Their Revolutionary Bass Player published in 2013. It became an Amazon best seller and was the number two Beatles book in Europe. His writing style is conversational, and directed to the lay-listener.
Along with being a dedicated writer, Dennis plays many musical instruments, is the head of a large Special Olympics organization in Hilo, is an active mediator, works days with disabled welfare clients, and is married to the love of his life and wife for 25 years, Sandi.
Alstrand’s newest book, Beatles in Your Soul includes stories of the memories, inspirations and love for The Beatles by fans from all ages and cultures. These thoughts were captured over a three year period of interviews and communications, and the n compiled into book form.
The contributors discuss their first experiences, the long range affect the Beatles had on their lives, the songs, the albums, the people behind the scenes and much more. If you’re a fan of the group that changed the world, you’ll hear your voice in much of the commentary. There are a lot of smiles in this book, but there are also tears as we remember the loss of John Lennon back in 1980.
Eliza Cahill
Eliza Cahill is a promising young writer, director and designer, born abroad in Milan Italy. Shortly after birth, her parents moved to a scenic, Sierra-Foothill community winery where she experienced a classic European upbringing and Montessori, art-focused education. She began taking the poetic arts seriously at age eight, after one of her poems was selected for publication in a “Children’s book of Poems.” The following year she was introduced to the experimental poet Eric Nightingale, who took her on as an apprentice, helping hone her craft. Later, she was mentored by the esteemed folk singer/songwriter and storyteller Utah Phillips, shortly before he passed away.
Eliza began performing her poetry at sixteen in various Santa Cruz and San Francisco venues. She received multiple local and national awards for her poetry, most recently in the Big Island National Spoken Word Competition, where she took home the 2014 title of “Big Island Slam-Champion.” Those poems went into her first poetry book, Paper Life Vest, which was followed by its sequel, Words Float, in 2015. The poems reflect a surreal combination of her childhood emersion in nature, the underground hip-hop revolution and an afterglow of the feminist movement.
In Strange Whorl we meet an intelligent but disenchanted woman who experiences the journey of her life without even knowing it. After surviving an unusually tragic childhood, Jillian Heart, now a young woman has spiraled into deep depression and suicidal ideation. The story begins at her breaking point. Homeless and alone on Christmas, Jillian stands on the edge of self-destruction, ready to take her own life, but fate has other plans. A mysterious stager intervenes. His honesty, tenderness and razor-sharp insights trigger Jillian’s childhood demons, propelling her toward a necessary catharsis that leads to healing and an emotional evolution. With help, Jillian uncovers secrets of the universe and her past that reinvigorate and infuse her life with a long forgotten feeling—hope for the future.
This event starts at 6 p.m. with an informal meet and greet merging into a more formal book presentation from each author and concluding around 8 p.m. after a Q&A session. Dress is casual aloha wear. Kona Stories is located in the Keauhou Shopping Center, for more information call Brenda or Joy at 808-324-0350.
PŌHAKULOA TRAINING AREA, Hawai‘i — Soldiers from the 2-6th Cavalry Regiment are scheduled to convoy from Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) to Kawaihae Docks Nov. 27 and 29. The convoys are scheduled to start at 8 a.m. Nov. 27, and to start at 9 a.m. Nov. 29. On both dates, all convoys should be completed by no later than 3:30 p.m.
The convoys will be escorted by marked military vehicles with rotating amber lights and signs. Motorists are asked to be alert and drive with care around convoy vehicles.
For questions, contact the U.S. Army Garrison-Pohakuloa Public Affairs Officer, Eric Hamilton, via email to eric.m.hamilton6.civ@mail.mil or by phone call to either (808) 969-2411 or (808) 824-1474.
During the week of November 13, 2017, through November 19, 2017, Hawaiʻi Island police arrested 25 motorists for driving under the influence of an intoxicant. One of the drivers was involved in a traffic accident. One of the drivers was under the age of 21.
So far this year, there have been 1,026 DUI arrests compared with 964 during the same period last year, an increase of 6.4 percent. The numbers of arrests by district were:
DUI Arrests by District
District Weekly Total Year to Date
Hāmākua 0 9
North Hilo 1 4
South Hilo 5 218
Puna 7 249
Ka‘ū 0 9
Kona 10 470
South Kohala 2 63
North Kohala 0 4
Island Total 25 1,026
There have been 1,182 major accidents so far this year compared with 1,263 during the same period last year, a decrease of 6.4 percent.
To date, there were 28 fatal crashes (one of which had multiple deaths), resulting in 30 fatalities, compared with 24 fatal crashes (four of which had multiple deaths), resulting in 28 fatalities for the same time last year. This represents an increase 16.7 percent for fatal crashes, and 7.1 percent for fatalities.
DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue islandwide
Award-winning hip hop musician and educator Mr. Kneel, aka Neil McIntyre, will present a lively hip hop family event at the Thelma Parker Memorial Public Library in Waimea at 10 a.m. on Thursday, December 7. The event is free and open to the public.
Award-winning hip hop musician and educator Mr. Kneel, aka Neil McIntyre, will present a lively hip hop family event at the Thelma Parker Memorial Public Library in Waimea at 10 a.m. on Thursday, December 7. The event is free and open to the public.
The engaging and creative Mr. Kneel is a beatboxer, freestyle rapper, and self-described “professional goofball” who records with his lifelong musical heroes, including Kurtis Blow and Kool Rock Ski of The Fat Boys. He has performed at more than 500 schools and venues in 43 states and seven provinces abroad sharing his powerful message of self-respect with students and families. His events have been described as “family hip hop at its finest.”
For more information, call 887-6067. The Thelma Parker Memorial Public Library is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and from 12:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Hawai’i Island police have located a 51-year-old man, who was reported missing.
On Sunday, (November 19), at approximately 6 p.m., officers responded to the area of the Old Kona Airport Beach in Kailua-Kona for a report of a missing person.
A family member had reported the man missing while they were visiting the beach sometime around 4 p.m. The man was reportedly heading into the water when last seen. Family members were unable to find him after he was gone for over an hour.
Officers, along with Hawaiʻi Fire Department personnel, were summoned to the area to assist in searching for the missing man, but by sundown, he was not found.
At about 1:39 a.m. this morning, (November 20), Coast Guard personnel located an unresponsive person in the water approximately 1.5 miles offshore of the Kailua Pier. Through investigation, officers determined the unresponsive person to be the missing man. No signs of visible injury were observed, and no foul play is suspected.
At 7:45 a.m., officers contacted a family member, who positively identified the man at the Kona Community Hospital. He has been identified as Richard Reikowski, of South Carolina.
Police are conducting an autopsy to determine the man’s exact cause of death.
Anyone with any information is asked to call Sergeant Mekia Rose at (808) 326-4646 ext.253 or the department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311.
Over the past week, the episode 61g Kamokuna lava delta has been partially resurfaced by viscous, spiny pāhoehoe flows (darker in color). Geologists at the ocean entry today (November 17) did not see an active ocean entry, but lava has intermittently entered the ocean over the past few weeks. A few tiny, and very sluggish, breakouts were visible on the delta near the base of the cliff.
A helicopter overflight provided good view of Kīlauea caldera. This video starts from the east, near Kīlauea Iki, and heads west towards Halema‘uma‘u Crater. Spattering in the summit lava lake can be seen by the small orange spot in Halema‘uma‘u Crater. The gas plume from the lake is carried southwest by trade winds. HVO and Jaggar Museum can be seen on the crater rim near the end of the video. The video is shown at 2x speed. Video taken Wednesday, November 15, 2017 courtesy of USGS/HVO
Time-lapse thermal image movie of Halemaumau Overlook Vent. November 9-16, 2017. Images courtesy of USGS/HVO
Time-lapse movie of Halemaumau Overlook Vent. November 9-16, 2017. Images courtesy of USGS/HVO
Time-lapse movie of Halemaʻumaʻu Overlook Vent from Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. November 9-16, 2017. Images courtesy of USGS/HVO
Time-lapse movie of Kīlauea Caldera from Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. November 9-16, 2017. Images courtesy of USGS/HVO
This past week, Kīlauea Volcano’s summit lava lake level fluctuated with summit inflation and deflation, ranging about 31–48 m (102–157 ft) below the vent rim. On the East Rift Zone, the 61g lava flow remained active downslope of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, with scattered breakouts on the coastal plain. The 61g flows do not pose an immediate threat to nearby communities.
Mauna Loa is not erupting. A few small-magnitude earthquakes occurred beneath the summit caldera and upper Southwest Rift Zone, mostly at depths less than 5 km (3 mi), with a few more on the volcano’s west flank at depths of 5-13 km (3-8 mi). GPS measurements continue to show deformation related to inflation of a magma reservoir beneath the summit and upper Southwest Rift Zone. No significant changes in volcanic gas emissions were measured.
No earthquakes were reported felt on the Island of Hawaiʻi during the past week.
Please visit the HVO website (https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo) for past Volcano Watch articles, volcano updates and photos, recent earthquake info, and more. Call for summary updates at 808-967-8862 (Kīlauea) or 808-967-8866 (Mauna Loa). Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.
Time-lapse movie of Pu’u ‘O’o Crater. November 9-16, 2017. Images courtesy of USGS/HVO
Time-lapse movie from a camera positioned on the southeast flank of Puʻu ʻŌʻō, looking toward the active flow advancing to the southeast. The breakout point is at the left edge of the image, and the mid-field skyline at the right is roughly coincident with the top of the pali. November 9-16, 2017. Images courtesy of USGS/HVO
Time-lapse image movie from a research camera positioned on Holei Pali, looking east towards Lava Flow 61G and Kalapana. November 9-16, 2017. Images courtesy of USGS/HVO
PŌHAKULOA TRAINING AREA, Hawai‘i—Military units are scheduled to conduct various types of training here in December that may be heard or observed by the surrounding communities. This monthly schedule is produced to alert neighbors of upcoming training activities that are louder in nature and may be heard or noticed outside the military installation. This information is provided for general awareness and may not include all training activity; times and dates are subject to change.
There is currently no training scheduled for December 2017 which is louder in nature or which is likely to be heard outside of the installation.
The military appreciates the understanding and continued support of local Hawai‘i Island communities.
To report concerns related to noise or training, contact the PTA Public Affairs Officer, Eric Hamilton, either by calling (808) 969-1966, or emailing eric.m.hamilton6.civ@mail.mil. For monthly PTA training information, email eric.m.hamilton6.civ@mail.mil with the subject line: “Subscribe Training”.
