“The challenge with developing this sort of project is knowing when to stop designing it,” he said.

“When you’re pushing the frontiers of technology, you can reconfigure the whole design of the telescope three or four times to satisfy the newest technology. We’ve now finalized the design so we can fabricate it.”

The telescope will employ an advanced application of adaptive optics, which uses lasers to create an artificial star to map optical aberrations caused by Earth’s atmosphere.

The reflectors will be connected to 3,000 actuators that will alter the shape of the mirror hundreds of times per second, reshaping light waves as they enter the telescope to compensate for optical turbulence.

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This incredible view of a vent in the Halemaumau Crater within the Kilauea volcanic caldera on the Island of Hawaii was captured by a U.S. Geological Survey thermal video camera June 1.

Sped up by four times, the video reveals activity in the 450 foot-wide vent that is usually obscured by accompanying gas fumes. The cracks in the lava pond at the beginning of the video — when the lava is at a high stand in the vent — are just visible in the photo below.

As the clip continues, more cracks form in the cooled crust of lava on top of the pond and pieces begin to break off and move around. As the activity increases, lava can be seen splattering, releasing hot fumes that look like flames in the thermal view.

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Consumer waste from the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” is turning a Hawaiian beach “into plastic”, Tropic of Cancer presenter Simon Reeve has found.

Conservationist Sam Gon escorted him to the remote Kamilo Beach, where plastic bottles, bags, tyres, rusting petrol cans, and other waste from around the world washes up.

They found more plastic particles than sand, as they dug a hole on what has been described as “the world’s dirtiest beach”.

Click to Watch Video

Source

Kona Brewing Co., the daily special features a slice of pizza and a salad. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

The LA Times lists 20 meals from Big Island restaraunts for under 20 bucks.  Here is a condensed list:

1. MANAGO HOTEL – Captain Cook
2. ISLAND LAVA JAVA BISTRO & GRILL – Kona
3. HUGGO’S ON THE ROCKS – Kona
4. QUINN’S ALMOST BY THE SEA – Kona
5. KONA BREWING CO. – Kona
6. ULTIMATE BURGER – Kona
7. PINE TREE CAFÉ – Kona
8. MERRIMAN’S MARKET CAFE – Waikoloa
9. KINGS’ GRILLE – Waikoloa
10. ISLAND FISH & CHIPS – Waikoloa
11. LUANA LOUNGE – Kohala Coast
12. CAFÉ PESTO – Hilo
13. BAMBOO RESTAURANT & BAR – Hawi
14. KOHALA COFFEE MILL & TROPICAL DREAMS – Hawi
15. HAWAIIAN STYLE CAFÉ – Waimea
16. HULI SUE’S BARBECUE & GRILL – Kamuela
17. TEX DRIVE-IN & RESTAURANT – Honokaa
18. NORI’S SAIMIN & SNACKS – Hilo
19. NAUNG MAI THAI KITCHEN – Hilo
20. HILO BAY CAFÉ – Hilo

Source: LA Times

HILO, Hawaii (AP) – Two Big Island men accused of growing marijuana inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park have been arrested by federal agents.

Park Ranger Mardie Lane says 23-year-old Andre Victor and 20-year-old Mano White were arrested Sunday in Hilo after being named in a federal indictment.

The Pahoa men are charged with conspiring to cultivate/distribute marijuana, possession/cultivation of marijuana and intent to distribute marijuana.

Lane says park rangers initially arrested Victor and White in December as they attempted to plant 47 marijuana plants in the forest along Mauna Loa Road.

She says the area is designated a special ecological area and is managed to protect and restore Hawaii’s native plants and animals.

From KPUA and the AP:

PAHOA, Hawaii (AP) — A Pahoa man convicted of killing another man in a dispute over cheap beer has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

A jury convicted Robert Grant of manslaughter in December in the death of 47-year-old Daniel Martina.

Hilo Circuit Judge Glenn Hara sentenced Grant on Monday, citing the 37-year-old’s lengthy history of intoxication and violence.

Grant has said Martina tried to punch him after Grant gave several others a Natural Ice beer, but didn’t make the same offer to Martina in a parking lot in November 2008. Grant testified that he kicked Martina in an attempt to get away from him.

A witness said the impact of Martina’s head striking the asphalt sounded like a coconut hitting a rock.

Martina died six days later of a brain injury caused by a fractured skull.

Which parking lot did this happen in? Cash and Carry?

Kailua-Kona, Big Island of Hawaii, March 30, 2010 — In a year full of exciting changes for both Kona Brewing Company and the California Surf Museum, the two companies have yet another reason to celebrate; Hawaii’s largest brewer has recently been named the Official Beer Sponsor of the California Surf Museum. The new partnership was made official in March and stemmed from a mutual respect for each others’ commitment to sustainability and love of water, as well as a shared dedication to preserving surfing history and the surf lifestyle in California, Hawaii and across the globe.

For the new partnership, Kona Brewing Company has contributed a cash donation to fund ongoing programs, projects and museum exhibits, and will provide the Liquid Aloha™ libations for 10 museum events happening throughout 2010. These upcoming events including the 3rd Annual Gala fundraiser on June 5th 2010, the 3rd Annual California Surf Festival, musical events occurring throughout the summer and more.

Attendees at the March 6 opening of WOW, Women on Waves, were also treated to Kona Brewing Company’s Longboard Island Lager.

The California Surf Museum was founded in 1986 when architect and surfer Stuart Resor put the call out to people interested in founding a historical surf museum. Since then, the museum’s revolving homes included Moonlight Plaza in Encinitas, then PB, then a building on Highway 101 in Oceanside for almost a decade. Last year, the Museum got brand new digs at 312 Pier Way in Oceanside, and the new location provides a serene and green backdrop for events while enjoying some Liquid Aloha™.

“Kona Brewing’s new partnership with the California Surf Museum really suits us,” Said Kona Brewing Company president and CEO Mattson Davis. “The mainland surf community is crucial to Kona Brewing as many surfers have their first taste of Kona beer when they visit the North Shore. This brings it home for them, and I know many museum patrons will enjoy this new arrangement.”

Exciting changes for Kona Brewing Company this past year have included a new VW bus stationed in Southern California, installation of a solar photovoltaic energy generating system at Kailua-Kona brewery and pub on Hawaii’s Big Island, an innovative lightweight bottle that will save almost 4,000 tons of carbon emissions per year and the launch of Hawaii’s first organic beer: Oceanic Organic Saison.

For more information, please visit www.konabrewingco.com. For more on the California Surf Museum, please visit http://www.surfmuseum.org

Richard Spiegel says the mites that feed on honey bees are moving across the island faster than expected.

The mites were first detected on the Big Island in August 2008. Their feeding weakens adult bees and cause emerging bees to be deformed.

Spiegel says he’s in a very difficult position and he doesn’t have an answer to the problem.

His company in Ahualoa produced more than 18,000 pounds of organic, never-heated or pressure-filtered honey last year. It is experimenting with organic, toxin-free ways to get rid of the pests.

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Information from: Hawaii Tribune-Herald, http://www.hilohawaiitribune.com

Winner Nekowee Clearwater takes to the waves at Pohoiki on Feb. 27. - Isaac Frazer

Isaac Frazer over at Big Island Weekly covered the event on Feb. 28th, and just posted his interviews and photos of the event.

The Volcom Surf Event could have been in either Honoli’i or Pohoiki, but Phohoiki won out with bigger, cleaner waves that day.

From the article:

Contest director Tai Van Dyke said, “It ended up being epic today with firing waves.”

Divisions included: Menehune, Jr. Men’s, Open Women’s, and the Pro Open. Many Big Island top surfers made their way to Pohoiki “Bowls,” as did professionals and amateurs. Defending his three-year title in the Pro Open was Tonino Benson. Making it known that local knowledge is key was Kainoa Hauanio, who got the wave of the day award early in the first round.

“The boys were on fire,” Van Dyke said. “It was partially local knowledge but the performance level was high all day, the bar got set in the first heat and it was just on from there. Guys were ripping.”

…

A stacked Pro-Am Final ended with some of the best surfing of the day and a point difference of 0.5 between first place Nekowee Clearwater and Hauanio, in second.

“It is pretty much as good as it gets out there,” said Clearwater after his final heat. “The winds were all time so there were some really good barrels out there and some really good surfing going down. Some of the best surfers in the world actually. It was stacked but the Big Island had a pretty strong showing for it. There were guys from Kauai and Maui and Big Island guys killed it. Casey Brown, Tonino Benson and Torrey Meister.”