.    The County Department of Public Works may have a reputation for moving at a snail's pace, but if every government meeting was conducted with the lightning speed of Friday's Highway 137 Project Update, people might actually get interested in civics again.  Not only was this meeting held on Zoom so you could participate and drink beer at the same time, but it clocked in at eleven minutes.  And that was with everything said twice.  Jeez, go shopping at Malama Market on food stamp day and you'll spend more time than that standing in the checkout line.

     The good news is that the DPW expects the highway between 4-Corners and Pohoiki to be finished on schedule.  Of course, the contractor was given a year and a half to rebuild 3.6 miles of road, so that shouldn't be too hard.  Except for the fact that at the time of this Public Service Announcement the project was at a dead standstill.

     Why?  Apparently the surveyors and the contractors came up with significantly different measurements of the elevation of the lava flow.  Which is to say, the guy doing the bulldozing thinks there's a hell of a lot more rock there than the bid specifications state there is.  And until the actual size of the mountain Mohamad has to move is determined, all work ceases.

     Was this whole stop-work action caused by a surveyor who couldn't read the GPS unit output?  Or is the contractor trying to squeeze some more juice out of FEMA?  Or do geothermal plant operatives feel so threatened by the advancement of development into their perimeter that they are now using clandestine magma-reconfiguring methods to alter the depth of the wasteland they created with their controlled LERZ lava breach?

     Regardless, everyone seems confident the deadline for completion will still be met, so there must have been quite a bit of padding stuffed into that workorder.  But looking backwards, I'm not so optimistic.  Here's what we've been told so far:
          February 2023 Schedule              Finished 2/14/2025
          April 2023 Schedule                    Finished 5/30/2025
          October 2023 Schedule               Finished 9/2/2025
          November 2024 Schedule            Finished 3/31/2026

     So, will this road and waterline be in use before Easter of 2026?  Heck, I once heard of a horse accidently kicking a piglet so hard it flew, so anything is possible.

More than you thought was possible about pigs:

With the backing of the Pele Defense Fund, a nonprofit that defends native rights, Palama ended up successfully getting the charges dismissed in December 2015. At trial, a historian from the University of Hawai‘i, Jon Kamakawiwo‘ole Osorio, testified that “hunting pig is traditional and customary to Hawaiian culture, religion, ohana,” according to a court transcript.

Despite a ruling in Palama’s favor, there is some debate about how widespread pig hunting was prior to European contact. Osorio’s documentary evidence was limited. (Osorio declined to comment, and the Palamas could not be reached.) Palama’s style of hunting, known as dog-and-knife, is generally thought to have been introduced by the Portuguese. Moreover, prior to Cook’s arrival, native Hawaiians had largely kept their pigs corralled. After all, their irrigated taro fields and sweet potato crops were incompatible with free-range swine.

https://hakaimagazine.com/features/islan...-121612361

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Pathogenic avian influenza was confirmed in a backyard flock of various birds in Central Oahu.

A report submitted to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture showed at least 10 birds were dead on a property “within the area served by the Wahiawa Wastewater Treatment Plant.”

The dead birds included ducks, a good and a zebra dove. After conducting necropsies and collecting samples, the Department of Health confirmed the animals were positive for avian flu.



[color=var(--link-color)]Avian Flu variant confirmed at Wahiawa Wastewater Treatment Facility[/color]

The detection of the variant is the first case confirmed in Hawaii and has infected dairy cows and domestic poultry on the mainland.

Officials said the area has been quarantined and all birds on the property will have to be put down.

While human illness with H5N1 is uncommon, those who were reported sick were workers who had close contact with infected animals.

”The current risk of transmission to Hawaiʻi residents is low, but be smart if you do encounter sick or dead birds, livestock, or wild animals and avoid direct contact,” explained Dr. Sarah Kemble, State Epidemiologist.



It is currently unclear how the virus made its way to the islands. Quarantine rules were set to prevent diseases from entering the state by air and sea.

Quote:[color=rgb(91 99 106/var(--tw-text-opacity))]In addition to DOH, HDOA has been collaborating closely with animal disease authorities from the U.S. Department of Agriculture who are familiar with avian influenza and its impact on wild and captive bird populations. We want to note that the owner of the property has been very cooperative and realizes the seriousness of the situation involving their beloved pets.
Dr. Isaac Maeda, HDOA’s state veterinarian[/color]

Since nothing remarkable is happening in Puna and we are all on the edge of our lauhala mats wondering how it's going across the pond with Tom and his normal sausage quest, it seems like a good time to check in. Tom, how's your holiday mate?

I have some family visiting next month who want to go into Waipio Valley.  Is Waipio still open to visitors?  I thought I heard that it was kinda shut down.... unless you know someone.   Maybe there's a valley resident or two who will bring folks in for a fee.

Any info appreciated.

Mahalo.

I need a second small shed.  Does it require a permit?  The first shed is small and didn’t require a permit.

Just another example of sensationalized journalism.  If you read the article...that 2 days of paid leave is only for "salaried" employees (Supervisors, professional and technical).  90% of Hawaii's state government employees are "hourly"  workers.  And they get nothing.

I've always voted at the HPP hui but today-- nothin'. I did get a mail in ballot (or something) months ago but never opened because I was going in person. Despite a county website still having the hui as the location, I'm assuming there's nowhere to vote in person. If true,  why does the county (state?) still take a collective holiday today? If I'm wrong, please lmk I have a few hours still.

I just watched the local news which showed video footage of roads and an intersection flooding in Orchidland.  This usually happens on 40th, in the vicinity of Pohaku.  Can anyone  identify if this is where it is happening?  The heaviest rain is yet to come according to the weather report, so everyone please be aware and be safe. 

The news report also said the County evacuation center in Kea'au has been opened.  

It also showed a flooded road in Eden Rock with a vehicle submerged to its roof, but reported that no one was injured.

Do you fear the THUNDER?