Lahainaluna’s Division II state football championship victory over Konawaena last November was definitely one for the record books.

And it is time to assure that the longest football game in our state’s history stays there.

The Lunas’ 75-69, seven-overtime triumph was a classic, and high school officials now have the opportunity to help make sure it remains one unsurpassed for length when the Hawaii Interscholastic Athletic Directors Association convenes three days of annual meetings starting Monday at Waikoloa.

The ADs have before them a reasoned proposal from the public school Oahu Interscholastic Association that would give local high schools an overtime system modeled after that of the NCAA.

The NCAA version, in use in its current form since 1997, has been demonstrated to be the best on any level — pro, college etc. — and would go a long way to all but guaranteeing that nobody has to huff and puff through seven overtimes anymore.

As exciting as the game was, the considerable potential for injury in such an exhaustive effort comes with odds that are best left unchallenged again.

If 67 minutes of overtime play is something deemed best avoided by the NFL and colleges, then high schools should do all they can to steer clear.

By requiring teams to attempt 2-point conversions and disdain the option of an extra-point try after a touchdown beginning with a third overtime — as the NCAA format does — the chances of being sent to five, six or seven overtimes drop significantly.

NCAA statistics tell us the extra-point kick has been converted at least 92 percent of the time on its level since 1980. Meanwhile, in the past 10 years, 2-point conversions have been successful just 40.5 percent of the time.

If the intention here is also to play multiple championship games at the same site on the same night to give all the competing teams the opportunity to experience the big-time game atmosphere — as HHSAA director Chris Chun has said he favors — then this is definitely the way to go.

After all, nobody should have their championship game decided at 1:04 a.m., the final act in a 12-hour day of championships.

Most levels of football accepted ties — blissfully or otherwise — until 1971, when the so-called “Kansas Plan” was put in the books by the Kansas High School Athletic Association.

The “Kansas Plan” — or a variation of it — has been employed well beyond the borders of the Sunflower State. It mandates starting overtime play at an opponent’s 10-yard line with four opportunities to score. The format has been a suggested overtime solution in the national federation rule book.

The NCAA, where kicking was more a part of the game, opted to spot the ball at the 25-yard line for its overtime and assure each team at least one shot when it rolled out its overtime answer in 1996. A year later it added the requirement of going for two points beginning with the third overtime period.

The NFL, which began its overtime play in 1974 and modified it in 2010, can favor the team that wins the coin flip since it is a “sudden-death” situation with no guarantee the other team will even get a shot.

You could make the case that the decisive call of Super Bowl LI for New England was taking “heads” in the overtime coin flip that kept the league’s highest scoring team at the time, Atlanta, off the field.

Here’s hoping the 2018 HHSAA championship games are full of drama, just not requiring seven overtimes worth.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.

Beginning this week, four University of Hawaii baseball players might have to respond to the Clash-ian question: Should I stay or should I go?

Several possibilities will unfold during the 2018 Major League Baseball draft, which runs Monday through Wednesday. Draft-eligible players include high school seniors, junior college sophomores and student-athletes who have attended a university for at least three years.

Three UH juniors — starting pitcher Jackson Rees, catcher Kekai Rios and shortstop Maaki Yamazaki — and reliever Dylan Thomas, a third-year sophomore, are expected to be selected in the 40-round draft. With the option of remaining at UH, they have negotiating leverage if they are selected.

“I feel it’s a win-win situation, especially because I’m playing at home,” said Rios, a 2015 Kamehameha graduate. “I’m comfortable with either one. Getting a degree is always good.”

Pro scouts view Rios as a catcher. But this season, he started 13 games at third. He was named to the All-Big West first team as a utility player.

“I’m keeping my options open,” Rios said. “I guess we’ll see what happens Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.”

Rees said he has received pre-draft inquiries from a few teams.

“I didn’t have a preference on round or, really, money,” Rees said. “I told them I wanted to be treated fairly.”

Rees has been told he could be selected anywhere from late Tuesday to what is regarded as a “senior-money” round.

“It depends on what team and where they think I’d fit in,” Rees said.

Rees has improved noticeably in the past year. At the end of the 2017 season, his first at UH following a year at Saddleback College, Rees’ fastball was reaching 90 mph from an over-the-top motion. At the start of the 2018 season, Rees weighed 205 pounds — a 20-pound gain — and had shifted to a three-quarter delivery. Rees’ fastball reached 94 mph.

“With that drop (in motion), I was able to create that whip in my arm that I was missing at Saddleback,” Rees said. “The added weight seemed to help.”

He said he is hopeful that another 20 pounds on his 6-foot-5 frame will add 2 mph to his fastball.

“We’ll have to find that out with the hard work of gaining that weight,” Rees said.

This season, Thomas was effective — 9.9 strikeouts and 0.92 walks per nine innings — with a slider he developed two years ago. The initial plan was for Thomas to improve his fastball and develop a third pitch during the Cape Cod (Mass.) Baseball League this summer. But a dozen teams have taken notice of Thomas during a season in which he amassed a Big West-best 14 saves.

Thomas is scheduled to depart Castaic, Calif., on Thursday, the day after the draft, for Cape Cod. If drafted, Thomas said, he can sign, play in Cape Cod while negotiating, or play summer ball and then return to UH for his junior year. Thomas said he is on track to earn a degree next May.

“Being a redshirt sophomore,” Thomas said, “it kind of puts me in an interesting situation where I have leverage for two years rather than one.”

Yamazaki was viewed as a “plus” fielder entering the season. But he moved to the leadoff spot and finished as the ’Bows’ top hitter with a .325 average. Yamazaki has drawn interest from major league scouts.

Two weeks ago, Yamazaki, who is 22, indicated he would strongly consider signing if he were drafted. “If I was 21,” he had said, “it would be totally different.”

Yamazaki also is set to earn a degree in May 2019.

After claiming the Na ‘Ohana O Na Hui Wa‘a outrigger canoe paddling organization crown last summer, paddlers from Manu O Ke Kai are determined to hold on to the prestigious championship.

The bright-orange-clad squad bucked a trend of starting the regatta season slowly by notching the victory in Hui Wa‘a’s season-opening Haleiwa Regatta held Saturday in the glassy waters fronting Haleiwa Beach Park.

Host Manu O Ke Kai, the defending Hui Wa‘a AAA Division (25-42 events) champion, secured the large division trophy with 107 points, and pulled away from Na Keiki O Ka Mo‘i — winners of six of the last eight Hui Wa‘a championships – by a 34-point margin.

“It’s always talked about here: Once you reach certain levels, you never want to go backward,” said Manu O Ke Kai paddler David Fuga, who paddled to victory as part of the men’s sophomore and senior crews. “Our goal is to teach outrigger canoe paddling, but it’s even better to win. Our club’s men focus more on long-distance races, so transitioning to a regatta race is definitely different — having to get into a groove earlier in a race and managing turns.”

Manu O Ke Kai established an early lead, and maintained a slim 67-62 advantage over Ka Mo‘i through 28 races; during that span, each clubs won eight events. Manu O Ke Kai then solidified its victory by winning six of the next 11 races and finished with a regatta-high 14 event wins.

“We’re spreading guys around, trying to gauge where things are at, and it’s a little surprising because usually we start off slowly and build momentum from there,” said Glenn Williams, the victorious steersman for Manu O Ke Kai’s sophomore and senior crews. “This year, the pressure is on, and we want to keep it going. Everybody feels the pressure, but it’s a good thing.”

The winning run included gold-medal performances in the men’s sophomore (1 mile) and senior (11⁄2-mile) events, which Manu O Ke Kai won in 8 minutes, 15.21 seconds and 12 minutes, 16.79 seconds to best I Mua and the Waikiki Beach Boys by comfortable margins of 50.48 seconds in the sophomore race and 36.22 seconds in the senior.

Tim Vierra pulled double duty in winning the sophomore and senior men’s events with Fuga and Williams. Doug Osborn, Brian Amantiad and Paki Lagunte rounded out the winning sophomore canoe, while Tavita Maea, Christian Whittaker and Jason Bellefeuille contributed in the senior victory.

“Today felt good — we applied what we do in our long-distance work with more of an upbeat pace. The results aren’t bad!” Fuga said. “We’ve been training for four months, and over the last week, we’ve focused on the regatta format. We were able to figure it out today.”

Lahui O Ko‘olau claimed the AA Division (13-24 events) with 25 points. Waikiki Yacht Club and Haleiwa Outrigger shared the A Division (1-12 events) title with 24 points apiece,

Paddlers enjoyed clear skies and light breezes, and flat ocean conditions made for an even race course.

More than 1,000 competitors ranging in age from 12-and-under to 65-and-above represented Hui Wa‘a’s 19 member clubs in 42 races spanning a quarter-mile to 11⁄2 miles.

The Oahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association launches its season today with the Clement D. Paiaina Regatta at Keehi Lagoon.

Hui Wa‘a hits the water again on Saturday for the Kaneohe Regatta slated at Keehi Lagoon.

The speech wasn’t difficult to write. All the 45-year-old Kevin Wong had to think about was what to tell the 17-year-old version of Kevin Wong during tonight’s Enterprise/HHSAA Hall of Honor induction banquet.

“Be grateful,” said Wong, one of the dozen Class of 1990 inductees. “There’s not one of the Hall of Honor members who hasn’t had a great family, great coaches, great genetics. Yes, there’s been tons of work involved, but all of them are very blessed.

“Life to me is a relay race. There are people who have helped me along the way, but I won’t be able to help backwards. Paying it forward, to help the next generation, is what is important to me.”

Wong took his All-State volleyball talent from Punahou to UCLA, where he was a three-time All-American and helped the Bruins to two NCAA championships. He switched from indoor to beach, where he competed at the 2000 Olympics, finishing fifth with partner Rob Heidger. Wong enjoyed a successful 15-year career on the AVP Tour, reaching the No. 1 ranking in 2001 partnered with former Buffanblu and Bruins teammate Stein Metzger.

Wong’s Olympic career has continued as a broadcaster as a beach volleyball analyst at the 2012 and 2016 Games. He “lives on airplanes” with his TV work for the Pac-12 Network and the AVP having him flying to the mainland nearly every other weekend.

There’s also his coaching duties with Spike & Serve, the club he founded, which fields youth indoor and beach teams and sponsors high school, junior and adult beach tournaments. Wong is coaching two indoor teams while also on the beach several times a week with practices, clinics and community service projects.

“Life is very full,” Wong said. “I think I’m a little bit wiser now, and a lot heavier.

“When I look at this year’s class, I see what makes Hawaii such a special place. Look at the Molina family. They fit Hawaii sports to a T. Undersized, small town, confident, but with humility. That’s truly unique.”

This year’s class includes Konawaena’s Cherilyn Molina (volleyball, basketball, track and field). She joins sisters Chanelle (2016) and Celena (2017) in the Hall of Honor.

Wong, a two-sport athlete at Punahou (volleyball and basketball), said tonight’s speech “won’t solve all the problems of the world.

“If there’s any advice it’s take each play at a time,” he said. “If you make a mistake, learn from it and move on to the next play.”

Part 1: Hawaii Hall of Honor by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd

Part 2: Hawaii Hall of Honor by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd

LIHUE >> A Kauai man will spend the next decade in prison for the 2006 strangling death of his wife.

Darren Galas, 46, was sentenced to 10 years Wednesday after pleading no contest in January to a felony assault charge.

Sandra Galas, 27, was found dead in the garage of her Eleele home on Kauai in January 2006. Her estranged husband was the prime suspect, but police didn’t have enough evidence to arrest him at the time, authorities said.

Darren Galas was indicted in October 2012 for second-degree murder but pleaded no contest to the lesser charge in an agreement with prosecutors.

“I truly, truly hope that the families will have some amount of closure and will focus on the positive memories of Sandra Mendonca Galas, as well as the future of the welfare of the minor children,” Judge Kathleen Watanabe said as she issued the sentence.

The couple married in 1999 and separated in 2005. Sandra Galas had asked for a divorce after the separation, according to court documents. Before her death, she was living in fear of her husband, who had a short temper, according to prosecutor Justin Kollar. Kollar read to the court emails the victim had sent to her divorce attorney that described harassment by her husband.

The many delays in prosecuting the case brought additional pain to family as well as the community, Kollar said.

In a statement to the court, Darren Galas thanked his supporters. “I do love Sandy and her boys,” he said. “We were separated but at times we were still intimate. She was a loving mother.”

A 25-year-old Waipahu man died Friday evening after his moped collided with a vehicle in Kaimuki.

According to Honolulu police, the victim was traveling east on Waialae Avenue when his moped hit a westbound vehicle operated by a 23-year-old Honolulu man who was making a left turn onto 11th Avenue.

The moped rider, who was wearing a helmet, was thrown onto the roadway and pronounced dead at the scene. His name has not been released. Police said speed may have been a factor in the incident.

His death was the 23rd traffic fatality on Oahu this year compared to 18 at the same point last year.

PAHOA >>

Kapoho resident Tia Klug-Wessell thought she had at least another month before she’d have to evacuate her home near Green Lake, but then police abruptly arrived in her neighborhood last week in the early morning hours to alert residents it was time to go.

“A few nights ago, the police came by with bullhorns at 1 in the morning and said, ‘Get out, get out— four hours or six hours before the lava comes,’” said Klug-Wessell, 36, who has lived in Kapoho for the past five years. “It was pretty intense. I wasn’t planning to evacuate so quickly.”

Less than a dozen people still remained in their homes in Kapoho and Vacationland as of Saturday afternoon, according to Hawaii County Civil Defense.

One of them is Klug-Wessell’s neighbor, who doesn’t plan to leave his home, causing Klug-Wessell to worry now that steam is reportedly emanating from the Green Lake area as lava enters lake waters.

Before she evacuated, Klug-Wessell, an acupuncturist who worked from home, said she lost electricity, municipal water service and cellular phone service due to eruption activity. “It just became more progressively difficult,” she said.

She is now staying at a friend’s property at the Hawaiian Beaches subdivision and hopes her neighborhood will not be overrun by lava. “Hopefully we can all go back to our homes if they’re still there.”

In the meantime, Klug-Wessell has been helping fellow displaced residents at a makeshift center dubbed Pu‘uhonua o Puna, located at the intersection of Highways 132 and 130. There, volunteers provide hot meals, massages, clothing, bedding, nonperishable foods and other support.

Flows continue

Since lava began flowing from a series of fissures in the lower East Rift Zone of Kilauea May 3, 87 homes have been destroyed.

Talmadge Magno, administrator of Hawaii County Civil Defense, said vigorous eruptions are continuing in Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens. Lava from fissure 8 is feeding a large flow heading downslope along Highway 132, the Pahoa-Kapoho Road, toward the ocean into Kapoho Beach Lots.

As of 6 p.m. Saturday, lava had crossed Government Beach Road and Highway 137 and inundated the intersection of Highways 132 and 137, known as Four Corners, cutting off access to Kapoho and Vacationland.

Government Beach Road between Kahakai Boulevard and Cinder Road is open only for Waa Waa Road and Papaya Farms Road residents with official credentials to retrieve their belongings.

“We remind them the flows above that area, even though they have stopped movement, possibly could get reactivated or other flows could start in that area,” Magno said.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported an explosion occurred at the Kilauea Volcano’s summit Friday afternoon, resulting in a plume that reached a height of 10,000 feet. Scientists also said volcanic gas emissions remain high at the summit and in the fissure system.

USGS geophysicist Jim Kauahikaua noted lava had covered 4,213 acres of land as of Saturday.

A controversial geothermal power plant that supplies about a quarter of the Big Island’s electricity was forced to shut down as lava from Kilauea Volcano threatened the property.

Now opponents want to keep it closed — permanently.

No one knows whether the 38-megawatt, $100 million-plus Puna Geothermal Venture facility will survive Kilauea’s lava flows, which surfaced in an adjacent residential community May 3. But the ongoing eruption triggered the shutdown and led company officials to secure the plant’s wells and remove a large volume of flammable gas.

The lava eventually crossed onto the company’s property and already has overtaken two wells, blocked the main access road and burned a substation and adjacent warehouse where a drilling rig was stored, according to a PGV update issued on Thursday.

But even as the older lava cools and newer flows emerge in surrounding areas, the debate on what happens to the 25-year-old facility is expected to get hotter and more intense in the weeks and months ahead.

A Steady Source of Power by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd

Opponents say the lava encroachment underscores what they warned of years ago — that a geothermal facility that generates steam containing dangerous gases should not be built less than a mile from residential communities and in a rift zone on one of the most active volcanoes on the planet.

Residents who live about a half-mile away say they have been sickened over the years by gas or steam releases from the plant and claim PGV never alerts them when something happens.

“It’s been a horrible neighbor,” said Mike Hale, 48, who lived in Leilani Estates for the past 18 years but lost his home last month to the lava.

Even if Kilauea’s assault doesn’t destroy the PGV plant, the lava infiltration so far shows that no geothermal facility should be operating there and that the existing one should remain idled, opponents say.

“This tragically shows we have been proven correct in our concerns in the worst possible way,” said Sen. Russell Ruderman, who represents the Puna area, and has participated in the anti-geothermal movement since the 1970s and was among those arrested at a protest around 1990 before the PGV plant was fully operational.

Supporters, however, say opponents are spreading misinformation about the facility and that the technology for tapping underground steam and hot water via deep wells is considered safe.

“There are many in the community who use fear-mongering as a tactic against a variety of resources here,” including geothermal, said Bill Walter, president of the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce.

Richard Ha, who has been involved with Big Island agriculture for the past 40 years, said he disagrees with the position that the PGV site should be permanently closed. “Geothermal is a resource that we should use,” he said. “The closer you are to the rift zone, the more steam you get.”

Walter, Ha and others view geothermal as part of the answer to weaning Hawaii from heavy dependence on fossil fuels, describing it as reliable, cheap and safe. The PGV plant taps the underground steam and hot water to power turbines that produce electricity.

Facility’s future unclear

Officials with PGV and Reno-based Ormat Technologies, the majority owner, did not respond to Honolulu Star-Advertiser requests for comment.

But in written statements last week, Ormat said it cannot assess when the Puna complex will be able to resume operations.

The company said the lava was continuing to flow and may reach other wells and areas of the property. Ormat said it has $100 million worth of insurance coverage for volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

One geothermal expert said questions about the fate of the PGV site could take years to be fully answered.

“The operators of the Puna plant have difficult decisions to make,” Wilfred Elders, an emeritus geology professor and former director of a geothermal resource program at the University of California in Riverside, wrote in an email to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “They have a big capital investment and no revenue. Until this phase of Kilauea’s eruptive cycle ends, and the Puna rift zone is quiet, they cannot think of redrilling the wells they lost. It is even conceivable that lava could overwhelm the power plant itself.”

Since 2008 the geothermal facility has supplied an average of 22 percent of the Big Island’s power needs, according to data from Hawaii Electric Light Co., which operates the Big Island’s power grid and produces the bulk of the electricity. HELCO has a contract to purchase power from PGV.

Last year and through April of this year, the Puna plant generated 29 percent of the island’s power, a high for the decade, according to the utility’s data.

HELCO says it has the capacity to make up for the geothermal power loss indefinitely.

Safety violations

The PGV facility has been criticized over the years for releasing hazardous gases, including hydrogen sulfide. The most serious incident came in 1991 when one of its well’s had a major blowout. The uncontrolled venting lasted 31 hours and triggered the evacuation of nearby neighborhoods.

More recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fined PGV $76,500 for safety violations of the Clear Air Act. An August 2013 inspection, which was triggered by hydrogen sulfide releases in March and April of that year, found that the company failed to take necessary steps to prevent accidental releases, according to the EPA.

The agency reached a settlement, including the fine, with the company. At the time the settlement was announced in January 2016, the plant was in compliance with the act, EPA said.

A year after the EPA inspection, residents dealt with another release of hydrogen sulfide — this time as Hurricane Iselle was bearing down on the Big Island. Civil Defense advised residents to evacuate the area if they were not feeling well, but by then downed trees blocked the routes out.

In the hours and days following that release, residents reported symptoms including headaches, grogginess, shallow breathing, scratchy throats, nausea and fever.

The state fined PGV $23,700 for that release, which the company said was necessary because of downed transmission lines.

Too close for comfort?

Though hundreds of geothermal plants internationally are located in volcanic regions, several geothermal experts told the Star-Advertiser they were not aware of an eruption closing one down. They also said they were not aware of plants being built within a mile or so of residences.

Ruderman, the state senator, said no other geothermal plant in the world is located as close to homes as Puna’s.

“When looking at recent images of the (Puna) lava flows, I was quite surprised at how close the geothermal plant was to houses,” Martyn Unsworth, a geophysics professor at the University of Alberta in Canada, wrote in an email to the Star-Advertiser.

At plants he’s visited in Iceland, the Philippines, Mexico and Japan, the nearest homes were several miles away and often much farther, Unsworth said.

Roland Horne, a Stanford University professor of energy resources engineering, said he wouldn’t have reservations about siting a geothermal facility around a highly active volcano.

“Geothermal plants work best where it’s hot, so a volcano is kind of a good place to put them,” Horne said in an Q&A published on Stanford’s website.

But opponents of the PGV plant say the ongoing Kilauea eruption has brought more public attention to the problems of having a geothermal facility there, adding momentum to a movement against restarting the PGV operation.

“They’re dead,” Leilani Estates resident Sofia Wilt said of the plant. “People are angry.”

Wilt bought her home in 2007 but lost it to lava last week.

If the lava doesn’t claim the plant, people will not tolerate attempts to revive it, taking to the streets if necessary, according to Ruderman.

“If you thought we had protests back then, wait til you see what happens if they try to restart,” he said.

Department of Land and Natural Resources enforcement officers cited seven people Friday for violating area restrictions in order to get close-up views of lava flows in Lower Puna.

Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement officers stopped two men in a car along a back road leading into Lava Tree State Park. The officers confiscated an entrance placard from one of the men because it was not being used for its intended purpose.

In the same area, officers cited two Lahaina men, a visitor from Germany and a visitor from New York. A man from Hong Kong was cited in the Kapoho Beach Lots area.

Each of the alleged offenders was cited for loitering in a disaster zone.

Last week, a couple from California was cited for entering a closed area; another man from California was cited for operating a drone in a temporary flight restriction area.

Papaikou Mill Beach reopens

Papaikou Mill Beach is once again open to the public, the Hawaii County Department of Parks and Recreation announced Saturday.

The beach had been closed for nearly a month due to damage sustained by the magnitude-6.9 earthquake that struck Hawaii island May 4.

Insurance claims forum scheduled

Puna residents affected by the ongoing lava flow can learn more about insurance coverage at an insurance claims forum scheduled for 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Hawaiian Shores Community Association Building (“The Stables”) at 15-2793 Honu St.

Representatives from United Policy Holders, the Hawaii County Bar Association and Hawaii Public Adjusters will present information on filing disaster claims, how to communicate with their carrier and other concerns, with a question-and-answer session to follow.

Pahoa post office open Sundays

The U.S. Postal Service is extending its hours temporarily to provide limited Sunday service to customers affected by the Kilauea eruption.

The Pahoa post office will open for will-call between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sundays to distribute mail and packages to evacuees and residents who are experiencing interruptions in their mail delivery service due to the eruption. Sunday hours are available solely to provide service to residents in evacuated areas; no retail services will be available.

Change of address forms are available at the Recovery Information and Assistance Center located at the Pahoa Community Center, with a USPS representative on site daily to answer questions.

The Pahoa post office is open for business “and will remain open as long as the safety of its employees, customers and the mail are not compromised,” according to a news release.

AINALOA >> There’s been overwhelming despair, fear, sadness and sympathy in Lower Puna since erupting lava began driving hundreds of people out of their homes a month ago. But Friday night for a change, a lot of good feelings were flowing.

With a red glow for a backdrop, courtesy of Madame Pele’s fountaining lava 5 miles away in Pahoa, about 1,500 people packed the grounds of what normally serves as a Sunday farmers market for a concert that raised money for disaster victim supplies.

The grass-roots production involved a small army of residents who volunteered their time, goods and services to put on the event that benefited Pu‘uhonua o Puna, which is itself a volunteer hui that has been collecting and providing everything from food and water to camping gear and personal hygiene supplies to those suffering from the Kilauea eruption that began May 3.

Mele Kekahuna, whose family operates the Maku‘u Farmers Market, said she had anticipated the event, which charged a $10 entry fee, might raise $3,000 to $5,000.

But about 1,500 people attended, generating $15,000 in admission. On top of that, vendors sold food that included smoked meat, adobo, beer, wine and apparel with custom designs signifying community strength in Puna — all of which raised even more money for the Pu‘uhonua supply hub in Pahoa.

“It was way more than what we expected,” Kekahuna said. “Words cannot explain how blessed we are to have so many people that also donated to Pu‘uhonua o Puna. We are very happy everyone came out and enjoyed themselves.”

The event dubbed “Love the Place You Live” was scheduled to run from 5 to 10 p.m., but the last band didn’t finish until 1 a.m.

“A lot of people need, and a lot of people want to give,” said Jose Miranda-Kepa, a concert promoter who arranged the entertainment after Shane Vincent of local band Sudden Rush suggested the concert idea.

“To me there’s nothing easier or more better than having fun and donating to an event like this,” Miranda-Kepa said. “You come, you enjoy yourself, listen to some really good local music, and you’re helping by doing that. We’re just trying to do what we can for the people who are really hurting right now.”

The musical lineup was Sudden Rush, Loeka Longakit, Boom Draw, Casey808 and Kyle Strings, Media and Kolea.

Volunteers took on the work of running the beer garden, cooking food, providing security and attending to parking.

Zach Hahn, owner of shirt design and production business TZ Hawaii in nearby Hawaiian Paradise Park, was selling shirts that included one featuring an image of a painting local artist Gary Palm made from a compilation of photos he took in Leilani Estates, where dozens of homes have been destroyed by lava.

More homes in the neighboring Lanipuna Gardens rural subdivision also have been lost. In all, 87 homes are gone, and more are isolated. Lava has also driven people from over 500 homes farther east, closer to the coast around Pohoiki and in Kapoho, Vacationland and Kapoho Beach Lots where lava was moving in Saturday.

Some 351 people have taken up shelter at the Pahoa Community Shelter and 53 at the Keaau Armory near Herbert Shipman Park, Hawaii County officials reported Saturday.

“It’s been tough,” Hahn said. “I’m glad that we’re able to come out here and bring a little joy, a little happiness, to raise this money.”

William Kiefer bought a shirt with Palm’s design that shows lava oozing down a road and setting trees aflame in Leilani Estates.

Kiefer’s house burned down there Thursday night.

“I lost my place last night,” he said, “but I came to terms with it with Aunty (Pele) weeks ago. I love these people. All the proceeds go to the hub, the wonderful people that are helping us. That’s why we’re all here. That’s why I bought one of these from these awesome people. It’s beautiful.”

Stalled rental cars routinely dot the beautiful green vistas of Waipio Valley, a sacred place where Hawaiian royalty once lived in the Hamakua district of Hawaii island.

They get left there by hordes of intrepid tourists seeking an authentic Hawaiian experience who haven’t learned the importance of investing in a 4-wheel-drive vehicle to navigate the steep terrain.

“Part of the Hawaiian culture is to share it with aloha, but we have to do it responsibly,” said Micah Alameda, who runs the Noelani of Waipi‘o bed-and-breakfast operation with fiancee Charlee Reucia, whose family has lived in Waipio Valley for generations.

Alameda said the property and others like it once attracted mostly hikers, but social media has raised its profile and people now come from all over the world. There are speeding cars, tight parking and foul conditions at the portable toilets on the beach, and trespassing is increasing, especially by visitors who want to see Hiilawe Falls. The growing number of nonresident property owners and tourists means residents don’t always know their neighbors.

“We tell our guests our story and we do our best to tell them where they can and can’t go. We want this place to remain special for our daughter Lily and the generations to come, so we all have to do our part,” Alameda said.

Alameda said he supports managing tourism in Waipio Valley, which has become representative of the strain that increasing visitor volume has put on local infrastructure and communities throughout the state.

There haven’t been wide-scale boycotts or marches against the visitor industry as in other destinations around the world, but there have been periodic episodes of resistance, such as the protests that greeted the now-defunct, interisland Hawaii Superferry in 2007. And, in 2013, the Kailua Neighborhood Board made world news when it passed a resolution asking the Hawaii Tourism Authority to quit marketing vacation rentals in the Windward community’s residential areas.

Growing concern that Hawaii could see 10 million visitor arrivals this year moved the state Legislature to cut the HTA’s marketing budget and pass a bill that applies transient accommodations taxes, previously assessed only against room charges, to resort fees and other hotel receipts as well.

State Sen. Cynthia Thielen (D-Kailua) and Sen. Glenn Wakai (D-Kalihi) also objected to the renomination of current HTA chairman Rick Fried, who they said represented the old guard. Thielen said HTA needs a new plan to address the trend in which more visitors are coming to Hawaii but are spending less and causing resident satisfaction to plummet.

Economist Paul Brewbaker, who spoke at a recent Hawaii Economic Association luncheon, said the state took in $2 billion less in inflation-adjusted tourism receipts last year than in 1989 when there were 2.9 million fewer visitors.

At the same time, Carl Bonham, executive director of the Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawaii (UHERO), said the state’s allocation of transient accommodations tax revenue to the county governments for tourism-related activities has been capped since 2010, “so as the number of visitors has grown, TAT revenues to the counties have not.”

As a result, UHERO’s county forecast released Friday said the “impact of the record-breaking growth of visitor numbers on existing infrastructure and residents’ quality of life has become a significant concern, particularly on the neighbor islands.”

Overcrowding

The unprecedented arrivals growth means that about 1 in every 8 people statewide are now visitors. On Oahu more than 1 in 10 people are tourists and on Hawaii island it’s about 1 in 7. On Kauai and Maui, more than 1 in four people are visitors.

James Mak, a research fellow for UHERO and professor emeritus at UH-Manoa, doesn’t think Hawaii suffers from overtourism but rather overcrowding at popular spots and during peak travel periods. Still, the situation has left him asking if it’s “time to shift from marketing to managing tourism.”

Kalani Kaanaana, HTA director of Hawaiian cultural affairs, said that after this year’s legislative session, the agency began looking at shifting dollars, including some previously earmarked for marketing, into programs that manage the destination. He said HTA is considering doubling its environmental sustainability fund to nearly $1.2 million. If that happens, HTA might update its 2007 survey on state park users, he said.

“We are striving to find balance,” Kaanaana said.

Mak points to Hanauma Bay State Park as an example of successful tourism management. The park closes on Tuesdays to allow for upkeep, shuts down parking when the visitor count reaches certain thresholds, charges entry fees and requires guests to watch educational videos before visiting the crescent-shaped beach.

Due to a crush of sunrise spectators and tours, Maui’s Haleakala National Park recently adopted a reservation system limiting the number of cars entering the park before sun-up. The state is moving forward with plans to limit the number of daily visitors to Haena State Park on Kauai’s North Shore to 900, less than half of the 2,000 currently allowed. Before the lava closures, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was considering similar adjustments.

Critics fear such attempts at managing overcrowding could restrict visitor growth. But the rules at Hanauma Bay weren’t an issue for Indiana visitor Pam Terry, who went snorkeling Wednesday.

“We understand that it’s very important to protect the heritage of Hanauma Bay,” Terry said. “We don’t mind similar restrictions elsewhere as long as they are communicated to us and we can plan around them. It’s a good idea to preserve where we live.”

The volcanic eruption in the Big Island’s lower Puna district is a rare natural disaster that occurs in slow motion.

With a hurricane, an earthquake, a flood, a tsunami or a fire, the damage happens in a short period of time, and those affected can immediately begin assessing their options for rebuilding or moving on.

With Hawaii’s nonexplosive volcanoes, the damage can play out over weeks, months or years as new fissures break out and lava flows advance as slowly as a few yards per hour while residents nervously wait to see if their homes will be inundated or become uninhabitable as lava covers surrounding roads and noxious fumes fill the air.

Some would argue this slow-motion disaster began more than a half-century ago, when the state and Hawaii County allowed developers to subdivide the land on Kilauea’s active east rift and homeowners began to build on the cheap-­but-risky lots.

There’s no doubting the risks; maps of the lava flows since 1800 show that most of lower Puna between Kalapana and Kapoho has been covered by one flow or another during that time.

But those who chose to live in the inundation zone were well aware of the risk and embraced the sense of pioneering — and sometimes necessity — in taking it. They pride themselves on being tough, resilient and respectful of nature’s forces.

Over the years, lower Puna became home to a diverse population of retirees, hippies, Vietnam vets, pakalolo outlaws, off-the-gridders and local families who could afford to buy land and build a house nowhere else in Hawaii’s inflated market.

In an island state with land that is limited and expensive, most of us take risks to live here.

We build homes and businesses in flood and tsunami inundation zones and along eroding coastlines where it’s only a matter of time before the ocean claims the buildings and infrastructure.

As housing costs skyrocket, developers beckon us to live in towers of micro-apartments the size of a small garage — often at higher prices than lovely three-bedroom homes in lower Puna with beautiful yards on large lots.

In modern Hawaii, risk is a way of life, a matter of picking your poison: You can risk being overrun by lava or you can risk going crazy from claustrophobia — or worse, homelessness.

In Kakaako, speculators are buying eight-figure condos that will almost certainly face inundation from rising sea levels within a few decades. Likewise, the city is placing key stations for its $10 billion rail systems in locations where they could be swamped 25 years after opening.

Natural disasters that occur in slow motion can at least be understood and the risks reasonably calculated. It’s the slow-motion disasters made by man that are difficult to comprehend.

Reach David Shapiro at volcanicash@gmail.com.

Download Star Channels, updated every Sunday. (Adobe Acrobat required)

Star Channels, June 3-9

FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 9-13

Derived from Hawaii Bureau of Conveyances Tax Data. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

MARRIAGE LICENSES AND BIRTH CERTIFICATES

Each week, the Honolulu Star- Advertiser publishes Oahu statistics for marriage licenses and birth certificates filed with the state Department of Health‘s Vital Statistics System. The dates indicate when the information was filed.

MARRIAGES
Filed for Oahu, May 25-31

>> Jason Satomi Gat Chuen Abe and Sarah Alice Michi Fong

>> Erik David Aguilar and Lucero Zurita Gonzalez

>> Damien Keola Kamuela Alvarez and Jordan Keoamphone

>> Phoebe Rhea Arnett and Kuukamalaniokealoha Aalona

>> Andrew Brian Baker and Lea Lynn Hill

>> Stanten Kealakaikahakai Barnes and Alizelia Maria Nikia Love

>> Courtney Morgan Bergman and Matthew Alexander Boatwright

>> Berlino Calpo Corpuz Jr. and Ruth Calderon Vinoya

>> Amanda Marie Correia and Kelby Dean Schrock

>> Beljica Yeraldin Cortes-Mojarro and Armando Franco

>> Carissa Jean Cotter and William Alonso

>> Jenapher Lynn Dues and Tony Eugene McCullough Jr.

>> Jason Scott Earle and Michaela Schofield

>> Tamara Lavina Edwards and Victor Alejandro Kattan Cuellar

>> Schuyler Blake Ferreira and Melissa Renee Guthrie

>> Shannon June Flanagan and Zachary Kenneth Moore

>> Carmen Agapita Flores and Marco Luis Lopez

>> Sarah Elizabeth Frasier and Cody Dwight Gunn

>> Aaron Kenneth Freeman and Kahalalihi‘ula Maunahina Genevieve Bray

>> Sheila Ann Ganaban and Kimo Kekoa Mersberg

>> Christina Ann Gomersall and Raymond Clarence Toot

>> Bruno Guilhem Ingegneri and Daniela Fioravanti

>> Lisa Maree Henderson and Joshua Andrew Brunt

>> Danny Hilt and Roselyn Ann Amamalin

>> Christopher James Honyumptewa and Melody Hardy

>> Buck Greggory Jones and Trisha Christine Langley

>> Kristen Loreen Jue and Christopher Yasuaki Umemoto

>> Ashley Marie Nanolani Abigania Julio and Grady Matthew Suan

>> Stephanie Lehua Kalili and Jasmine Dominique Harris

>> Trebor Guy Kang and Jana Leiko Uehara

>> Isaiah Keawemauhili Koahou and Jana Lehua-Nani Paoa

>> Teruaki Kohno and Jill Emiko Nishikawa

>> Michael Adam Kurtz and Holly Anne Popkin

>> Christopher Carmy Laroche and Yaritza Nicole Campos

>> Karissa Marie Lay and Leondro Michael Guillen

>> Jia Le Lei and Ngai Wa Lee

>> Misty Maye Lizarraga and Jerry Escano Fuentes

>> Daniel Anthony Loglisci and Yukimi Ute

>> George Matthew McMahon III and Marcia Annette Bishop

>> Logan Michael Mollison and Jasmine Danielle Dorau

>> Sandra Momilani Munetake and Curtis Kauahi Amaral

>> Michael Wayne Nichols Jr. and Patricia Kehaulani Rizzo

>> Jason Salazar and Elizabeth Christina Sholars

>> Alakahikekioka‘aina Keolalaulani Castor Salvador Neula and Nohea Kaikamahine Leilani Sylva

>> Christopher Allen Sanders and Nanni Karenina Vargas

>> Timothy James Scotten and Priscilla Louise Bermudez Equiza

>> Madison Marie Sottasante and Marquise Laque Jones

>> Heiko Stein and Agnetha Sara Albrecht

>> Sean Jerald Strange and Jamie Danielle Oeffler

>> Elizabeth Ann Strawn and Michael Gregory Zink

>> Charles Dean Tantog and Brittney Alise Hodge

>> Debbie Ann Tanudtanud and Michael Jed Roy Mendoza

>> Amir Reza Tarazkar and Katrina Rosalie Jameson

>> John Christopher Troxell and Daria Potapova

>> Tony Dwayne Vaughn and Lakisa Shunda Manora

>> Alex Yoshio Kainoa Veniegas and Courtney Yaeko Fukutomi

>> Kealiihookipa Wichilbug Wichimai and Christina Shigemi Johnston

>> Jenessa Lynn Winans and Kurtis Ryan Brey

>> David Paul Woodie and Lily Joanna Eriksen

>> Darin Sunao Yamashita and Kelli Fumie Ishii

BIRTHS
Filed for Oahu, May 25-31

>> Drew Gabriel Aldrich

>> Aria Marie Anderson

>> Luna Hokulani Arakawa

>> Matasaua Peru Su’evale Manuma Baughn

>> Braver Leon Bayne

>> Elijah Asahel Bulahan-Wandsberg

>> Titus Makanaokeakua Cadelinia

>> Kaleia Brielle Fernandez Comenta

>> Solomon Olamana Daley

>> Maverick Makoa Makanui Danao-Flora

>> Thomas Justine Kamaleiokeaokekula‘ila‘i Kaina Ebner

>> Lilyana Reneé Fielder

>> Dahlia Mae Findley

>> Cici Camilla Rose Hani Galam

>> Eduardo Bayudan Ganac III

>> Luke Rayne Ishikawa

>> Savior Sincere Ali‘i Alaka‘i Kealoha-Kaluna

>> Kane Michael Kirby

>> Barrett Shadow Wong Lau

>> Leighton Nolan Lento

>> Navia Martin-Moore

>> Travin Ramelb Mayola

>> Ao Jayden Morioka

>> Wesley Wolfgang Natusch

>> Jahzieah Kauapakanuiokeola Rivera-Nistal

>> Raegan Lacambra Sabado

>> Rhylee Lacambra Sabado

>> Peyton Jean Schenck

>> Silivenusi Toutaiola’i Nafualu Ta’ufo’ou

>> George Anthony Vecchione

>> Ezra Harrison Wright

>> Gabriella Maria Zubiate

ON THE AIR

Listings are for Spectrum and Hawaiian Telcomˆˆ analog/digital. *—premium station. **—retelecast. ***—delayed. Check your TV guide for latest updates.

TODAY

PADDLING
>> Oahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association Clement D. Paiaina Regatta, 8 a.m. at Keehi Lagoon.

MONDAY

GOLF

>> HSJGA: IMG Junior World Golf Championships Qualifier, all-day, at Waikoloa Beach Resort-Kings Course.

PADDLING

Na ‘Ohana O Na Hui Wa‘a
Manu O Ke Kai Regatta
at Haleiwa Beach Park

Team Results

AAA
1. Na Keiki O Ka Mo`i 73
2. Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 39

AA
1. Lahui O Ko’olau 25
2. Kaneohe 14; 3, I Mua 12

A
T1. Waikiki Yacht Club 24
T1. Hale’iwa Outrigger 24
3. Ka Mamalahoe Canoe Club 18

Mixed

Boys and Girls 12: 1, Na Keiki O Ka Mo`i 2:52.74 (Kainalu Keawe`ehu, Alia Smith, Skylee-Rogue Savini, Peyton Fano, Daniel Russell, Maka Iokia-Smith); 2, Kalihi Kai 2:53.55; 3, Kaneohe 2:55.28. Boys and Girls 18: 1, Manu O Ke Kai 4:27.31 (Hunter Gentry, Chloe Canon, Cody Andres-Paguirigan, Kahanu Amantiad, Amanda Takahashi, Noah Souki); 2, Windward Kai 4:32.00; 3, Kaneohe 4:34.04 Men and Women: 1, Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 4:21.94 (Jared Tangonan, Lei Okuda, Buffy Bodnar, Tyler Sanford, Janalei Kahoalii, Jeremy Berano); 2, Manu O Ke Kai 4:27.23; 3, Kumulokahi-Elks 4:28.10. Men and Wmn 40: 1, Lahui O Ko’olau 4:23.10 (Arthur Donoho, Joe Whitmore, Waipunalani Kahalepuna, Amy Hebenstreit, Kat Keenan, Carl Hebenstreit); 2, Manu O Ke Kai 4:23.64; 3, Waikiki Yacht Club 4:25.56. Men and Wmn 45: 1, Na Keiki O Ka Mo`i 4:31.68; (Darrell Manlapit, Spam Laupola, Hiro Ito, Gail Beckley, Tammy Teixeira, Al Momoa); 2, Manu O Ke Kai 4:37.59; 3, Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 4:53.41. Men and Wmn 55: 1, Na Keiki O Ka Mo`i 4:44.61 (Bobby Coyle, Deedee Kila, Julia Tuinei, Glin Nelson, Al Cambra, Mags D’Entremont); 2, Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 4:50.08; 3, Waikiki Yacht Club 4:56.26. Men and Wmn 60: 1, Alapa Hoe Canoe Club, 5:02.04 (Ole Oleole Jr, Paul Soenksen, Roz Perez, Dano Chargualaf, Joyce Okano, Linda Kozlovsky); 2, Kai Poha, 5:06.53; 3, Na Keiki O Ka Mo`i, 5:24.56. Novice B: 1, Na Keiki O Ka Mo`i 2:21.56 (Daniel Kanana, Natasha Akana, Chris Ibanez, Emma Kanana, April Polite, Kela Makaio-Reyes); 2, Lahui O Ko’olau 2:22.33; 3, I Mua 2:36.37. Specials: 1, Olelo O Ke Ola, 2:04.35 (Dave Seghorn, Kevin Mokuahi, Leila Chantrill, Jesse Mene, Eddie Perreira Jr, Shauna Chantrill); 2, Na Keiki O Ka Mo`i, 2:10.05; 3, Haleiwa Outrigger, 2:27.17

Male

Boys 12: 1, Hale’iwa Outrigger 2:29.83 (Zander Manoha, Leon Kendrick, Malino Draper, Ryan Miller, Joshua Asano, Tyler Stephenson); 2, Manu O Ke Kai 2:41.55; 3, Na Keiki O Ka Mo`i 2:44.02. Boys 13: 1, Na Keiki O Ka Mo`i, 2:31.46 (`Iolani Enoka, Pono Reyes, Moe Tabangcura, Braddah Boy Kalahiki IV, Kionu Castro, Lathan Canionero); 2, Kaneohe 2:34.90; 3, Manu O Ke Kai 2:40.70. Boys 14: 1, Ka Mamalahoe Canoe Club 2:32.77 (Christopher White Jr, Tyler Converse, Chase Kamikawa, Caleb Ledesma, Logan Ledesma, Dorian Golis-Bautista); 2, Hale’iwa Outrigger 2:34.33; 3, Kamaha’o Canoe Club 2:35.33. Boys 15: 1, Manu O Ke Kai 4:51.59 (Jonah Aguon, Desmond Kamakele, Liam Campbell, Kainoa Kalahiki, Kaimalu Jimenez, Nelson Gampong). Boys 16: 1, Ka Mamalahoe Canoe Club 4:11.52 (Rylan Ingano, Tyler Converse, Kalama Meyer, Ryan Domingo, Michael Carvalho, Christopher White Jr); 2, Kaneohe 4:22.30; 3, Manu O Ke Kai 4:31.18. Boys 18: 1, Ka Mamalahoe Canoe Club 8:45.01 (Romio Saena, Ama Kikila-Debibar, Ikaika Campos, Andrew Dunn, Nicholas Whang, Michael Carvalho); 2, Manu O Ke Kai 9:01.63; 3, Pukana O Ke Kai 9:55.50. Men 40: 1, Manu O Ke Kai 8:37.54 (Jason Bellefeuille, Richard Kamikawa, Jay Griffin, Moku Sanborn, Rob Pactol, Kevin Wilson); 2, Waikiki Beach Boys 8:59.80; 3, Waikiki Yacht Club 9:09.01. Men 50: 1, Manu O Ke Kai 4:10.63 (Mika Amantiad, John Hoogsteden, Darryl Ah Mau, Daniel Kauai, Patrick Bunda, Ed Kama); 2, Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 4:19.73; 3, Ka Mamalahoe Canoe Club 4:21.71. Men 55: 1, Waikiki Yacht Club 4:12.75 (Ron Gridley, Kruser Kruse, Paul Hopkins, John Figuerres, Tai Okamura Jr., Rick Griffin); 2, Na Keiki O Ka Mo`i 4:25.09; 3, Ka Mamalahoe Canoe Club 4:29.95. Men 60: 1, Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 4:32.10 (Freddie Tauotaha, Dickie Chow, Dano Chargualaf, Kamu Magno, Paul Soenksen, Ernest Madali); 2, Na Keiki O Ka Mo`i 4:32.94; 3, Lokahi 4:33.4. Men 65: 1, Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 4:16.53, (Kamu Magno, Billy Rees Jr, Dickie Chow, Colin Galang, Dan Gagich); 2, Na Keiki O Ka Mo`i, 4:22.05; 3, Lokahi 4:33.84. Men Novice A: 1, Kai Poha 9:32.28 (Daniel Tanigawa, Colin Nguyen, Liko Katsutani, Aaron Taoy, Kaniela Fernandez, JJ James). Men Freshmen: 1, Waikiki Beach Boys 8:22.82 (Carl Bayaca, Todd Finlayson, Dave Bandy, Charles Meyer, Peter Mainz, Elton Dubois); 2, Lahui O Ko’olau 8:25.35; 3, Manu O Ke Kai 8:30.47. Men Sophomore: 1, Manu O Ke Kai 8:15.21 (Doug Osborn, Glenn Williams, Brian Amantiad, Tim Vierra, Paki Lagunte, David Fuga); 2, I Mua 9:05.69; 3, Lahui O Ko’olau 9:35.24. Men Senior: 1, Manu O Ke Kai 12:16.79 (David Fuga, Glenn Williams, Tim Vierra, Tavita Maea, Christian Whittaker, Jason Bellefeuille); 2, Waikiki Beach Boys 12:53.01; 3, Na Keiki O Ka Mo`i 13:00.10. Men Open Four: 1, I Mua 4:18.79 (Kalae Chung, Ty Dempsey, Joel Olegario, Nathan Fosket); 2, Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 4:20.48; 3, Na Keiki O Ka Mo`i 4:22.84

Female

Girls 12: 1, Na Keiki O Ka Mo`i 2:42.99 (Ana Cueto, Alia Smith, Faith Manlapit, Maka Iokia-Smith, Skylee-Rogue Savini, Neka Atiz); 2, Manu O Ke Kai 2:49.96; 3, Kalihi Kai 2:57.70. Girls 13: 1, Lahui O Ko’olau 2:37.36 (Michaela Enesa, Daisy Hebenstreit, Zahria Bell, Pualani Beebe, Helen Prow, Violet Hebenstreit); 2, Olelo O Ke Ola 2:41.47; 3, Kaneohe, 2:42.77. Girls 14: 1, Manu O Ke Kai 2:30.19 (Keala Rangel, Kalena Kamikawa, Alohi Garcia, Anuhea Kalama-Wright, Chloe Boncato, Gianna Van Blyenburg); 2, Na Keiki O Ka Mo`i 2:34.83; 3, Lahui O Ko’olau, 2:38.10. Girls 15: 1, Manu O Ke Kai 5:13.09 (Pomaika’i Kama, Mehana Garza, Alohi Garcia, Brianna Wood, Zoe Kelii, Chloe Boncato); 2, Lahui O Ko’olau 5:36.85; 3, Pukana O Ke Kai 5:44.65. Girls 16: 1, Kamehameha 4:55.29 (Eliza Otenbriet, Christianne Young, Maddielynn Bee, Madelyn Weaver, Rachael Sparks, Karysa Inafuku); 2, Pukana O Ke Kai 5:17.14; 3, Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 5:21.12. Girls 18: 1, Kamehameha 4:40.94 (Madelyn Weaver, Karysa Inafuku, Kodeelyn Himuro, Sunn Richardson, Angela Pacheco, Eliza Otenbriet); 2, Manu O Ke Kai 4:45.72; 3, Waikiki Yacht Club 4:57.02. Women 40: 1, Manu O Ke Kai 10:13.92 (Carla Vierra, Makana Clarke, Alana Kamikawa, Michele Sales, Barbara Souki, Gordean Kaluahine); 2, Hale’iwa Outrigger 10:50.94; 3, Ka Mamalahoe Canoe Club 11:13.91. Women 50: 1, Na Keiki O Ka Mo`i 4:59.07 (Ipo Kaeo, Al Momoa, Gail Beckley, Lisa Kaaekuahiwi, Tammy Teixeira, Kris Lindquist); 2, Waikiki Yacht Club 5:13.55; 3, Manu O Ke Kai 5:20.27. Women 55: 1, Hale’iwa Outrigger 4:48.57 (Nani Manning, Jenny Smith, Folly Murdock, Jennifer Smith, Gina Letourneur, Deidre M. Erickson); 2, Na Keiki O Ka Mo`i 5:18.68; 3, Waikiki Yacht Club 5:28.63. Women 60: 1, Manu O Ke Kai 5:22.00 (Linda Cox, Faith Craycroft, Jeanne Dilcher, Judy Myers, Dawn Peerson, Cindy Broc); 2, Na Keiki O Ka Mo`i 5:30.87. Women 65: 1, Manu O Ke Kai, 5:07.39 (Lyndy Gasior, Dawn Peerson, Linda Cox, Jeanne Dilcher, Yolanda Racca, Gloria Butterworth); 2, Kai Poha, 5:09.28; 3, Na Keiki O Ka Mo`i 5:57.19. Women Novice A: 1, Manu O Ke Kai 5:13.32 (Dawna Haze, Asialyn Wong, Rebecca Ribe, Andrea Stanton, Yohana Josephson, Lili Taliulu); 2, Alapa Hoe Canoe Club 5:15.93; 3, Hale’iwa Outrigger 5:19.89. Women Novice B: 1, Manu O Ke Kai 2:30.57 (Briki Cajandig, Lisa Odland, Jacquelyn Reed, Kalena Mirafuentes, Helen Kalili, Jenna Kiejko); 2, Waikiki Yacht Club 2:43.10; 3, Na Keiki O Ka Mo`i 2:56.52. Women Freshmen: 1, Lokahi 9:53.72 (Hannah Gaerlan, Esther Widiasih, Anne Everingham, Claudia Pummer, Gina Gonce, Sarah Post); 2, Waikiki Yacht Club 10:26.48; 3, Kamehameha 10:29.04. Women Sophomore: 1, Hale’iwa Outrigger 10:25.97 (Tani Waye, Nancy Felz, Nani Manning, Gina Letourneur, Deidre M. Erickson, Erica Lehmkuhl); 2, Manu O Ke Kai 10:31.12; 3, Kai Poha 11:17.36. Women Senior: 1, Waikiki Beach Boys 14:20.52 (Lindsey Shank, Cindy Ahai, Dana Yaross, Shir Suez, Brie Schwing, Val Giron); 2, Manu O Ke Kai 14:53.91; 3, Na Keiki O Ka Mo`i 15:22.18. Women Open Four: 1, Manu O Ke Kai 4:58.49 (Megan Abubo, Angelica Gutierrez, Lili Taliulu, Varina Amantiad); 2, Na Keiki O Ka Mo`i 5:18.08; 3, Kamaha’o Canoe Club 5:19.53.

Several years of preparation paid off with a dream-come-true evening for Penelope Ng Pack as she was crowned Miss Hawaii 2018 Saturday night at the Hawaii Theatre. Competing as Miss Chinatown Hawaii, Ng Pack beat 15 other contestants to become the 74rd woman to hold the title of Miss Hawaii.

“I’ve dreamt about this for so long, and I couldn’t have done it without all of the family and friends support, and all of the wishes they sent my way,” Ng Pack said backstage, moments after receiving her crown from Miss Hawaii 2017 Kathryn Sachiko Teruya. “I still can’t believe it. It still hasn’t sunk in yet.”

In addition to winning the title and the opportunity to represent Hawaii at the 98th Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City in September, Ng Pack also received the Spirit Award for top combined ticket and sponsorship sales, and the Miss America/First Hawaiian Bank Community Service Award.

Miss Paradise Latina Tiffany Johnson was first runner-up; she also won the swimsuit and talent categories. The second runner-up spot went to Miss Windward Oahu Carissa Kano. Miss Central Oahu Kanoe Shizura was third runner-up. The fourth runner-up, Miss Kaka‘ako Keahi Delovio, also received the Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Miracle Maker Award.

Miss Diamond Head Ka u‘i Perreira received the Congeniality Award, and Miss Aloha Hawaii Tehina Slade received the Miss America Academic Award.

A panel of seven judges scored the contestants on their appearance in bikinis and evening gowns, their talent, and their ability to stay on point while answering a basic current affairs question on stage. The contestants’ scores also included the judges’ assessment of their conversational skills during private interviews earlier in the week.

—

Miss Hawaii 2018:

Miss Chinatown Hawaii Penelope Ng Pack

First Runner-Up:

Miss Paradise Latina Tiffany Johnson

Second Runner-Up:

Miss Windward Oahu Carissa Kano

Third Runner-Up:

Miss Central Oahu Kanoe Shizura

Fourth Runner-Up:

Miss Kaka‘ako Keahi Delovio

NASHVILLE, Tenn. >> For 73 years, the remains of Nashville World War II Navy pilot Harold DeMoss have been difficult to reach — but not hard to find.

In the waning months of the war, DeMoss’s plane crashed into a remote outcrop on Oahu during a night-flight training mission on July 23, 1945.

A search party reached the crash site three days later, burying what they could find. Weeks later, another group returned, and a Navy lieutenant recited the “Lord’s Prayer” over the shallow grave of the 21-year-old Nashville farmer’s son.

But the men couldn’t take DeMoss’s remains back with them. It was just weeks from the Japanese surrender. Their efforts were direly needed elsewhere.

DeMoss’ parents were told they would have to wait to get their son home.

For the next seven decades — through the administrations of 13 U.S. presidents, the Korean, Vietnam and Gulf Wars and the 9-11 attacks — the DeMoss family has waited.

In 1968, when DeMoss’ mother, Zora, asked the military for an escort to the crash site, she was politely rejected in a letter that instead offered a commemorative lithograph of Harold’s name on a wall of remembrance in Hawaii.

Consumed by loss and longing, she took that rejection hard, pouring grief into poems. “It would be sad but I’d like to see/ The grave where dear Harold lies/ And cover it with flowers/ Beneath the Hawaiian skies.”

DeMoss’ mother and his father have long since passed away.

The only surviving family member who remembers Harold is his younger brother, Jim, who — at 85 years old — lost hope years ago that his brother would ever be laid to rest in the family’s cemetery in west Nashville. Still, there is stretch of grass and clover under the shade of two red cedar trees set aside for Harold. The joint headstone of his mother and father sits beside it.

Then, on May 11, came the unexpected news.

Pentagon officials said they identified Harold’s remains on the island.

They found his gold, engraved wedding band.

He will be coming home, they promised. In two to three months.

“I’d given up,” Jim DeMoss said. “I didn’t believe we’d ever get him back. They had him in their hands two days after the crash and they didn’t see fit to get him back to us. I figured nobody cared much for an old hillbilly who got killed in the war.”

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. By its end, there were approximately 79,000 unaccounted for.

Today, more than 72,000 Americans who served in WWII still remain unaccounted for — including 1,221 from Tennessee.

The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, the arm of the Pentagon responsible for finding and returning the nation’s war dead, faced intense criticism for clearing so few cases.

Three years ago it underwent a top-to-bottom reorganization after an internal investigation revealed staff members enjoyed “military tourism” trips to Europe, spending extravagantly on luxury hotels and lavish meals even as the agency was misidentifying many of the remains of recovered soldiers. The agency was dissolved; its leader demoted; and it was merged into the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

With an annual budget of $130 million, the agency has identified the remains of about only 100 veterans each year. In 2017, that figure rose to 201.

The agency faces steep challenges in recovering many of those lost in the nation’s wars, men and women who were buried as unknowns, buried at sea or interred on foreign soil where access is sometimes limited. Others are classified as missing in action or lost at sea.

Harold DeMoss, however, fits none of those categories.

His remains lie fewer than 40 miles from the agency’s headquarters in Honolulu.

The two search parties in the 1940s that found him after the crash transmitted the location to superiors in the Navy.

In the ensuing years, the charts and maps documenting the location were lost.

A decade ago, Judy DeMoss Ivey, Jim’s daughter, inherited the family’s stack of telegrams and letters to government officials pleading for action.

By 2011, Ivey was thoroughly disgusted at the slow response from her repeated calls, emails and letters to Department of Defense officials and congressional representatives.

“One office offered to get us a flag,” she said. “I remember thinking we don’t want the friggin’ flag. That’s not what we’re after.”

She turned to the Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society, a volunteer historical group.

They looked over the accident reports Ivey had found, pinpointed a likely search area and promised Ivey they would find DeMoss’s remains.

The crash site is remote, separated from the nearest road by at least 7 miles of thick vegetation and mud covering the rugged and steep terrain, which is home to wild pigs. In their ninth attempt, the volunteers stumbled upon a plane tire and scraps of metal. They believed it belonged to DeMoss’ plane.

The volunteers sent the coordinates of their discovery to military officials immediately.

Department of Defense officials have had those exact coordinates for seven years.

In 2013, the Department of Defense contacted Ivey.

Officials informed the family that before the military could retrieve DeMoss’ remains an environmental impact study would have to be done.

The study would conclude in December 2014, the department told the family.

The family heard nothing further for two years. The family turned to Sen. Bob Corker and state Rep. Courtney Rogers, who made queries on their behalf.

The two lawmakers received letters within days of each other in January 2015.

The environmental impact study would be complete two months later in March, according to a letter to Rogers from Michael Fowler, director of external affairs for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

A second letter to Corker from Michael Franklin, another director for the same agency, said the study would take another 16 months to complete.

In August 2015, an investigation by The Tennessean explored the series of delays, missteps and conflicting information given to the family by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Within weeks, military press and other media outlets wrote their own stories.

U.S. Congressman Jim Cooper took the report to military officials, questioning the delays.

Faced with such public scrutiny, the agency set a date for retrieving the remains from the crash site.

In August 2016, military personnel were lowered to the site by helicopters, where they excavated and retrieved what they could find. The materials were sent to a laboratory in Honolulu for identification.

After so many years, a positive identification remained elusive. Forensic analysts found small fragments believed to be bone, according to a medical examiner’s report dated May 9. The fragments suggested there was only one individual represented.

No DNA analysis was possible.

“It is my opinion, based on the histology and circumstances of recovery, that the sample examined was taken from a fragment of bone, that the probability that the sample is non-human bone is extremely low, and considering it to be non-human would be unreasonable,” the medical examiner’s report said.

“Accordingly, the osseous material recovered in the Ko’olau Mountains, Island of Oaha, Hawaii…represent human remains originating from Ensign DeMoss.”

Two items were found: a U.S. Navy Pilot Wings insignia consistent with those issued during WWII. And a gold metal wedding ring, size 9, with a “delicate pattern along both edges.”

It was DeMoss’. He had a brief marriage during the war. Ivey said the family never kept in touch with his wife but learned that she died long ago.

Ivey was in east Tennessee when her cellphone rang with the news.

She immediately called her father.

“She said, you better sit down,” Jim DeMoss said. “She said I got some good news. I just said, ‘Well. I didn’t think it would ever happen.’”

Jim DeMoss is slow to share memories of his brother. Harold has been long gone, he said. He doesn’t think anyone would be interested in stories about his big brother.

The pair grew up rambling across acres of land in west Nashville, where generations of the DeMoss family have passed down family farms.

“We were pretty close,” he said. “Just eight years apart. Eight years in the country is different than city life.”

Jim and Harold would ride wild horses and wander across “great big fields and we were just talking, just him and me.”

“He had a spotted pony, a big pony, and one day he told me to get the gate open. I was barefoot and he shot me in the foot with a BB gun. He thought it was funny. He was just a regular big brother. He was my big brother.”

Asked what he would like people to know about Harold, Jim said only “the fact that he flew a plane in World War II. That’s the most important thing. His horse’s name was Dick Tracy. That horse was about half wild, but I don’t think that people care much which horse he rode. He did good in school. I don’t know of anything he liked to do more than fly a plane. Tell them that.”

The Department of Defense, which did not respond to repeated requests to comment about the recovery of DeMoss, promised the family Harold will be flown to Nashville in two to three months. They offered a burial at Arlington National Cemetery, Ivey said. She declined, asking that he be buried with full honors in the family’s private cemetery.

The family cemetery in Nashville sits on land originally granted to a DeMoss forebearer who served in the Revolutionary War. The cemetery is scattered with tombstones that commemorate the service of men in the family who have served in every major U.S. war since then.

Jim DeMoss never served. When he tried to enlist several years after his brother’s death, he was rejected as the sole surviving son.

“I’d be glad to have him and drive by. I can come by and maybe put flowers on his grave,” Jim DeMoss said.

“We never had anywhere to go. That’s the hardest part. It was hard for my mom. She didn’t have anyplace to go.”

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Information from: The Tennessean, http://www.tennessean.com

LAS VEGAS >> A union for casino-hotel workers says it has reached a tentative agreement with MGM Resorts International, covering nearly half of the 50,000 employees threatening to strike in Las Vegas.

The deal between MGM and the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 was announced by the union in a tweet late Saturday. A tentative accord between the labor union and the other big casino employer threatened by the job action, Caesars Entertainment, was reached Friday afternoon.

Some smaller operators have yet to reach agreements with the union and could still face the first citywide strike in more than 30 years.

The tentative deals with the two big operators came after thousands of bartenders, housekeepers, cocktail and food servers, porters, bellmen, cooks and other kitchen workers saw their contracts expire.