The Hawaii Department of Agriculture has confirmed the detection of a coffee berry borer infestation at one farm in Pahala in the Kau District on Hawaii Island.
Kau is a major coffee-growing area and surveys are currently being conducted in Kau to determine the extent of the infestation. Some even hold the opinion that Kau coffee is a better coffee than the coveted Kona coffee.
CBB (Hypothenemus hampei), was first confirmed on farms in the Kona area in September 2010 and is widely established on the west side of the island.
This is the first detection of a CBB infestation on a Kau farm.
Staff from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, University of Hawaii at Manoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and HDOA have been working with Kona coffee farmers to try to control infestations in Kona with the use of an insect-killing fungus and field sanitation practices.
CBB is a small beetle, native to Central Africa and is also found in many coffee-growing regions of the world, including Central and South America. It begs the question as to how they found their way into Hawaii. This could potentially be a multi-million dollar problem for the state’s premier Kona Coffee industry and the burgeoning coffee growers from other parts of the state.
The beetle bores into the coffee berry to lay its eggs.
The larvae feed on the coffee bean, reducing the yield and quality of the bean. Because the larvae are inside the bean, it makes it difficult to control with pesticides.
Inspectors from the Hilo USDA – Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection & Quarantine are also assisting HDOA in surveying for CBB in Kau. Efforts are aimed at containing the infestation to the Big Island and eliminating the problem all together.
AND, while on the subject of Kau coffee, there is a two-day Kau Coffee Festival being held in Pahala over the weekend. Starting tomorrow, the weekend event will be filled with music and entertainment, booths, farm tours, contests (including the Kau Coffee Cupping Demonstration and a Kau Coffee Recipe Contest & Tasting). For more information and schedule of events, go to www.kaucoffeefest.com.
Here’s a recent press release from the Hawaii Volcanoes Observatory located within the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park:
Volcano Watch | USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
The steady stream of lava cascading down the slopes above Kalapana village died out shortly after March 5 this year, when the spectacular Kamoamoa fissure eruption began. That fissure eruption lasted four days and was followed by a pause in activity on the east rift zone that persisted for 17 days. On March 26, lava returned to Pu`u `O`o crater, which has been the main vent area for much of the 28-year-long eruption.
For the last month, the activity in Pu`u `O`o has remained relatively stable, with a small lava lake on the crater floor. Lava rises at one end of the lake, slowly migrates to the opposing side, and sinks. Occasionally, the lava level rises a small amount, but it has, overall, stayed deep below the crater rim. With lava confined to the crater in relatively unremarkable fashion, it begs the question, What’s next for Pu`u `O`o?
The answer will likely have important ramifications. If lava were to exit Pu`u `O`o on its east side, flows could return to the Kalapana area and again threaten houses (three occupied houses have been destroyed over the past year). If lava exits on the west side, flows will remain in the National Park and may be more accessible for visitors.
Let’s look at some recent examples of these two scenarios. In January 1997, an intrusion and fissure eruption occurred much like that in March of this year. The floor of Pu`u `O`o crater collapsed as magma drained back into the conduit—again, like the recent episode. There was a pause of 23 days, after which Pu`u `O`o slowly refilled with lava. Eventually, lava began pouring out from vents on the west flank of Pu`u `O`o.
These flows traveled south and eventually reached the sea, establishing the first of several lava tubes that carried lava away from Pu`u `O`o for the next 10 years. The flows expanded the west margin of the flow field, consuming more of the Chain of Craters Road. Since the flows were often just a short walk from the end of the road, lava-viewing was exceptional and because they flowed in the Park, there was no hazard to Kalapana residences.
In late June 2007, another intrusion and brief eruption occurred, and the floor of Pu`u `O`o collapsed as magma once again drained back into the conduit. This was followed by a pause of 10 days, after which lava started to refill Pu`u `O`o crater. On July 21, 2007, fissures opened on the east flank of Pu`u `O`o, and flows focused on the Fissure D vent. Flows were directed northeast for the first four months after which a vent wall collapse diverted them to the south.
The Fissure D vent (also called the TEB vent) remained active for three-and-a-half years and sent flows down the east side of the flow field. These flows destroyed several occupied houses and buried a significant amount of private property in Kalapana Gardens and Royal Gardens subdivisions. Because the flows were on state and private property, access to them was severely restricted, making lava viewing more limited.
The two examples above show the very different consequences for flows exiting Pu`u `O`o from the east versus the west sides. But in both cases, flows traveled south towards the ocean. There is a third possibility that flows could exit Pu`u `O`o and travel north of the rift zone. In this case, the flows could slowly migrate northeast toward communities north of Pahoa. This possibility, however, is much less likely, as Pu`u `O`o prefers to send its flows down the much steeper slopes to the south.
Right now, it’s impossible to tell whether lava will leave Pu`u `O`o on the east or the west side. As Pu`u `O`o’s magma reservoir continues to pressurize over the coming weeks, we may begin to see more changes on the surface that could provide an indicator.
While it is too soon to tell what course the eruption will take in the coming weeks, HVO will continue to keep a close eye on Pu`u `O`o and watch for Pele’s next move.
For those of you who are not familiar with the Merrie Monarch Festival, held annually in Hilo, this is the consummate hula competition drawing competitors from around the world. This week long celebration of the “hula” dance form is held in celebration of King Kalakaua, aka the Merrie Monarch, who was responsible for reviving this art form which had been previously banned by the missionaries in Hawaii.
If you’ll follow this link to the Big Island Video News site, you’ll get a taste of what’s in store for attendees at this year’s competition.
The Festival includes a parade, demonstrations, arts and crafts, and lots of food, as you would expect . The final competition is held on Friday and Saturday and has been sold out for months. Whether you have plans to attend or not, if you plan on being on the Big Island this week, even if that happens to be in Kailua-Kona on the other side of the island, it would serve you well to double check your reservations on car rentals, as they will be in very short supply this week.
If you have not already reserved your car for this week, I can pretty much assure you the odds you finding one are very, very slim. This is not the week to be price-shopping for rental rates…you’re just looking for wheels!
Following an almost 17-day pause in eruptive activity, lava is once again visible on Kilauea Volcano’s east rift zone according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
At 10:09 a.m. HST on Saturday, March 26, 2011, lava returned to the Pu‘u ‘O‘o crater. HVO Webcam images (http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/cams/POcam/) showed lava slowly filling the deepest parts of the crater.
An abrupt deflation occurred about the same time that lava appeared in the crater, but the deflation then switched to inflation by 11:00 a.m. The eruption of lava was also heralded by a brief seismic tremor burst, in which tremor levels doubled and then began to slowly decrease.
At 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, Jim Kauahikaua, HVO’s Scientist-in-Charge, said, “Lava is currently confined to the Pu‘u ‘O‘o crater and, so far, poses no threat to structures within Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park or outside Park boundaries.”
On March 5, the Pu‘u ‘O‘o crater floor, on which nearly 75 m (250 ft) of lava had accumulated during the past year, began to collapse around 2:00 p.m. Three hours later, a fissure opened southwest of Pu‘u ‘O‘o and began erupting fountains of lava from active vents that eventually extended to Napau Crater.
Lava continued to erupt from the Kamoamoa fissure until the night of March 9, when all activity on Kilauea’s east rift zone paused. Since then, no lava had erupted from east rift zone vents until today.
Kauahikaua stated that additional information about the return of lava to Pu‘u ‘O‘o will be posted on HVO’s Web site as it becomes available.
For daily eruption updates, status reports, and information on recent earthquakes in Hawai‘i, please visit the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website at: http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov
The major airlines have raised airfares for the 7th time this year, so for those who keep asking whether they should wait to buy a ticket to Hawaii, the answer would seem to be a resounding no. However, it is important to remember what is primarily responsible for this latest round of price increases…the higher cost of oil.
The price of oil has surged ever higher over the last 6-8 weeks, as things became unsettled in north Africa. The question that must be asked is, will things settle down there once the fate of Moammar Gadhafi becomes clearer. The leadership of Egypt succumbed to the public outcries for a change as the call for more political reform becomes more wide spread throughout the oil producing region.
Should things settle down and the climate become more stable, it is possible that oil prices will also settle down and hopefully, fall back some. Of course, that is also dependent upon who actually comes into power and what their political and religious outlook is. We can only hope that whomever ascends to fill the vacuum, they will bring stability and reason with them.
In the meantime, we can look forward to more price increases and probably more or higher fees, such as USAirways recent increase in their excess and overweight baggage fees. In the short term, if your travel plans fall within the next 30-60 days, it might be a good idea not to wait for the next round of price increases to be announced.
Well, I found another video and report that give the best description I have yet to find on the damage that Kailua-Kona suffered from the recent tsunami. The media in general has down-played damages from the tsunami and the catastrophic events in Japan has overshadowed it as well, but for those who may be interested, follow this link: Big Island Video News…3/16/2011
Anyone who had plans to stay in Kailua-Kona would do well to call ahead and verify the status of your reservations. The Kona Village Resort will likely be closed for repairs for months.
The King Kamehameha Hotel and Resort also sustained damage, although their damage was limited to the first floor and so should not affect too many, however, the damage did include the hotel reception area and they have not indicated how long or how much that will affect their operations.
Several businesses along Ali’i Drive were severely damaged and will take some time before re-opening, the most notable of which is the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. restaurant. Several hundred yards of Ali’i Drive itself was badly damaged and while the road has re-opened, it is undetermined when permanent repairs will be completed.
They also have some video coverage of the volcanic activity and resulting forest fires that has temporarily closed the Chain of Craters road.
There are several stories that are recorded about events that unfolded at this Kaimuki house. At least a couple of them were documented by police reports, which give them added credibility over many other paranormal activities. Although the actual house has not been revealed out of respect for the privacy of the current owners, there was a case of mistaken identity which caused one home in the area to remain unsold for many years because people “thought” that it was the affected house.
As the stories go, one couple was attacked by unseen forces and it made enough noise that neighbors called the police to report a domestic disturbance. When the police arrived, the couple could only say that they were attacked and thrown about the house by something that they could not see! Another story credited to this house is that a man had murdered his wife, son, and daughter. The bodies of his wife and son were found buried in the backyard, but the body of his daughter has never been found. And, there was also a case involving a lesbian couple. One of the women had an affair with a man and when the man found out about her lover, he got enraged and killed both of the women, before killing himself in this particular Kaimuki residence.
The best accounting of these and other events that occurred at this location can be found at realhaunts.com.
Night Marchers
Night Marchers are said to roam through very specific locations on the islands, between seashore and mountains and are often recognized by their raised torches and repeated olis, or chants. Although there have been a few scattered reports of daytime marches, these apparitions appear to be most active at night and are said to march on certain nights designated by the moon.
There doesn’t seem to be a real consensus on what phase of the moon, as I have read the 14th, 27th, and 28th night after a new moon, but then read it is on moonless nights, as well. The 14th night after a new moon is very close to a full-moon. Those who are in the know about such things can tell you what night’s the marchers will be on the move, but are not likely to share such information with you.
What to do if you happen upon a night march in progress? The ghostly procession must never be interrupted. Legend has it that resting your eyes upon the Night Marchers could signal a grim fate for the perpetrator, a friend or relative, so witnesses are urged to crouch low to the ground, “play dead” and avert the eyes. Any sound or movement could invite a Night Marcher’s deadly glance.
Many Hawaiians say that in the presence of night marchers, you should lie down on your stomach, keep your face down with your eyes averted so as not to make eye-contact, stay quiet, breathe shallowly, and don’t move. Some say that they may nudge you to provoke a reaction so they can take you. Simply put, it is best if you simply get out of the way and hide until they have completely passed.
Here’s a great website that tells a first-hand accounting of the Night Marchers of Kawaihae on the Big Island.
More stories…
The 16th Avenue bridge in Kaimuki: Six years ago, a little girl was killed in a hit-and-run on this bridge. Residents say her spirit still haunts the area, asking pedestrians for help home, only to disappear at the end of the bridge.
Kipapa Gulch in Mililani: This was the site of a major battle in Hawaiian history. The bridge that spans the ravine has been the site of numerous head-on accidents. The gulch is also supposedly on the path of the night marchers, who proceed with torches from the mountains to the ocean. Residents and those who work in the area have reported seeing lights move down the mountainside and into the gulch and hearing the sounds of people crying under the bridge.
Oahu Community Correctional Center, 2199 Kamehameha Highway in Kalihi: This 950-bed jail is on the site of the former Oahu Prison. The gallows, where 47 men were hanged from 1909 to 1944, was converted into an office. Guards say they have difficulty sleeping in the squad room, which is located next to the execution chamber. And prisoners have reported hearing cell doors rattle.
This site lists a number of places and stories told of strange happenings over the years…www.carpenoctem.tv/haunt/hi/
I just came across this video of last week’s activity at the Kamoamoa fissure of Hawaii Volcanoe’s National Park. Here’s the link that will take you to the NVNP website and this video. You need QuickTime to view it, but you can follow the QuickTime link here or download it at the HVNP site, as well.
The owner of this website, Randy Yanagawa, is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking My Hawaii Food Fun to Amazon properties including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com.
