Weekly Friday news summary (July 03, 2015) for East Oahu and Hawaii Kai.  News sources are available through various entities on the web.  Links are posted.

For full text of Star-Advertiser articles, access the database at the Hawaii State Library site and enter your library card number and PIN. 

http://khon2.com/2015/06/27/injured-hiker-airlifted-from-above-makapuu-lighthouse-lookout/ 

http://khon2.com/2015/06/24/city-to-take-action-over-neglected-kaimuki-home/

 Minutes from the June 2, 2015 meetinghave been posted. Of note,a discussion with Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Chairperson Suzanne Case regarding management of Maunalua Bay Ocean Recreation Area: An excerpt reads:

 Implementation of Rules by the Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) without Public Input:  DOBAR issues statewide rules and issues commercial activity licenses, who launch out of state facilities. DOBOR is unable to enforce violations on boats launched from private harbor facilities. Public notice was posted. Commercial operators must have a registered and pay $200 monthly fees, liability insurance and ministerial is required. This does not change what the operator can or cannot do regulated or not.

 Zoning Rules: Zoning rules since the 1980’s Regulates commercial activities in the bay. However, the rules do not included surfing schools, kayaking and paddle boards, which did not exist at that time. It was noted that the population has increased and the 1980 rules maybe outdated.

 Amended Rules: There is an increase of bay activity, which gives DOBOR an opportunity to reopen the current process.

 Current Status of the Recreation Advisory Council (RAC) formation within the 10 Ocean Recreation Management Areas under DOBOR: A meeting was held on Monday, April 20, 2015 with some communit input. The current proposal adds one (1) seat to the council. The concept is that people in various use areas must be neutral. The goal is to have people who articulate a neutral stance, lesser use stance and be active community member.

Case's update was followed by a question and answer session by audience members.  Minutes include comments calling for restrictions on commercial activity in Maunalua Bay.  The Board voted 11-0-1 for moratorium on unregulated commercial activities, surf schools and others in Maunalua Bay until the Recreation Advisory Council (RAC) is formed.

Minutes from June's meeting were detailed.  Other items included the ongoing conversations over traffic, Paiko Lagoon access, and Board vacancies.  Updates were given by elected officials and their representatives. 

From the State Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR): ATTENTION MAUNALUA BAY RESIDENTS: The nomination period for Maunalua Bay Recreation Advisory Committee (M-RAC) members begins today and will run from July 1, 2015 – July 8, 2015. Everyone already signed up to participate will be receiving emails allowing them to nominate M-RAC members. If you have not already signed up and would like to, you have until July 5, 2015 to sign up to nominate M-RAC members. To sign up and/or to receive more information on the M-RAC please go to: http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dobor/mrac/. Please note, you can sign up at any time to be placed on an email list for activities pertaining to the M-RAC but only those signed up through July 6, 2015 will be able to nominate M-RAC members. Please spread the word and refer interested parties to the DOBOR website for more information. Thank you for your participation!

Hawaii Public Radio interview with Ann Marie Kirk - Livable Hawaii Kai Hui  [MP3]
Urban growth often seems to have a mind of its own and as long as there’s money to be made from a scenic spot, someone’s going to try to develop it.  O’ahu’s Ka Iwi coastline is at the very spot where city becomes country as you drive around the island, so perhaps it’s inevitable that it should become the focus of an effort to keep it undeveloped in perpetuity.   Ann Marie Kirk is a member of the Board of Directors for Livable Hawaii Kai Hui and the head of its Cultural Committee. She joined us in our studio to talk about saving the Ka Iwi coast.

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[Link] to donation site to purchase Ka Iwi land.  $500K needed by the end of August.  As of 7/3, 18% of the goal has been met.

New prices are as follows:

Breakfast

     Elementary Student :  $1.10
     Reduced-price student:  .30
     Second and subsequent student:  $2.40
     Adult:  $2.40

 Lunch

     Elementary Student:  $2.50
     Reduced-price student:  .40
     Second student entree:  $2.00
     Second and subsequent student:  $5.50
     Adult:  $5.50

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June 2, 2015

Tuesday news supplement for East Oahu and Hawaii Kai.  Full text of these excerpts is available through the web.  Where access is granted to the public, there is a link.  Regular updates are issued Friday.  This supplement was created due to the larger than normal amount of local news items.

For full text of Star-Advertiser articles, access the database at the Hawaii State Library site and enter your library card number and PIN. 

KITV4 | Hawaiian Electric [Honolulu, Hawaii] 01 June 2015.

Hahaione Elementary School students and families finished first in this year’s Home Energy Challenge.  Kamiloiki finished third. Both schools received cash prizes from Hawaiian Electric.

Here are the grand prize winners of the 8th annual Home Energy Challenge

1st Place, $10,000 prize, Hahaione Elementary School
2nd Place, $6,000 prize, Palisades Elementary School
3rd Place, $3,000 prize, Kamiloiki Elementary School

The participating families at these three schools combined saved a total of $43,600 on their electric bills from Oct. 2014 through March 2015.. . . The Home Energy Challenge is an educational partnership between the State Department of Education, participating elementary schools, and Hawaiian Electric.

For schools interested in participating next year, applications for the 2015-16 Home Energy Challenge will be sent to all Oahu public elementary schools this summer. Interested schools can call Ms. Sam Nichols at 543-7511 for more information.

Ben Gutierrez HawaiiNewsNow [Honolulu, Hawaii] 31 May 2015.

It has been more than a decade since the city approved the building of a cemetery in Hawaii Kai. Those plans haven't gone anywhere since then, but work has begun once again, and that has some Hawaii Kai residents concerned.

[Hawaii Kai Memorial Park LLC Attorney William] McCorriston said the owners have applied for a business license from the state and a master grading permit. If those are approved, construction could finally began later this year.

KITV [Honolulu, Hawaii] 29 May 2015.

KITV reports that you can find feral chickens on St. Louis Heights.  You can also find feral chickens at Kahala Zippys.  Kapiolani Community College has become so frustrated by the noise, they're even attempting to trap the chickens.  The takeaway? 

"You don't need a permit to trap wild chickens. The public is being asked to help manage the feral chicken population if they have them on their property."

KITV has posted a 2 1/2 minute video to go along with the story.  Click the link above to view the page.

Question: As a frequent Ala Moana Beach Park user, I've noticed more exercise groups using the park. Some are small but others have over 20 people. According to an article in the Star-Advertiser, people are paying to participate in these exercises. Are they regulated in any way? Does this mean mobile car detailing or portable massage businesses can also use the park?

Answer: If people are paying to take part in the exercise classes, it is not an authorized park use.

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If no money is solicited or given, under current rules, groups of fewer than 50 people can gather in city parks without a permit, said Jon Hennington, spokesman for the Department of Parks and Recreation.  "This is the same limit that applies to picnics," he said. "As long as the group does not solicit the public and does not require exclusive use of an area of the park, no permit is required." For any kind of commercial activity to take place in any of its parks, the Parks Department requires a public hearing. . .He explained that a public hearing is required before a decision is made to authorize commercial activities of a "particular type."

Among the commercial activities "eligible to be permitted" are filming, hiking tours at Hanauma Bay, scuba, snorkeling, swimming, tour companies and windsurfing, Hennington said.  "This does not mean, however, that any or all of these activities are eligible for a commercial use permit at a given park," he said.  Meanwhile, craft fairs and art marts sponsored by nonprofit organizations are eligible for permits. To find out more about commercial activities at city parks, go to bit.ly/1HV9wKa.

[To read full article, click link above and enter your Hawaii State library card # and PIN, or subscribe to the Star-Advertiser]

Web Staff KHON2 [Honolulu, Hawaii] 29 May 2015.

Honolulu firefighters were called to help a sailboat that got into trouble [off "of Sandy Beach] twice Friday night in East Oahu. . .[the second time the boat overturned]. ,  , HFD decided to tow the boat to shore.

Mendoza, Jim Hawaii News Now [Honolulu, Hawaii] 29 May 2015.

WZ Family Entertainment Center opened its doors on Waialae Avenue last year. Thursday night, the Honolulu Liquor Commission granted WZ's request for a liquor license.  . .But the chairman of the Kaimuki Neighborhood Board said a family fun center serving alcohol doesn't fit Kaimuki's culture of mom and pop shops.

20 Kaimuki business owners signed a petition [opposing the liquor license.]

Please be aware that [May 28] after school, a single, stray mylar balloon flew in to one of the electrical poles on the mauka side of campus causing a campus wide power outage and a fuse blow out on the high voltage pole. HFD and HECO needed to be called and worked over two hours on being sure the campus was safe and that power was restored. This is a great learning opportunity regarding potential consequences to electrical and building infrastructure when coupled with mylar balloons. We ask everyone to please consider other types of celebratory items during the graduation season which includes our own Grade 5 celebration on Tuesday. Thank you for attention to our school and community safety efforts.

From noted journalist Ian Lind's blog, a thoughtful, insightful & nostalgic piece, excerpted here.  The full article is available on his website, link provided above.

. . .My first thought–I should attend. I was, after all, there at the beginning. I entered the 2nd grade at Kahala School when it first opened in 1954. . .

I decided that I would just drop in, not for lunch, but to look around the school and see what it’s like after all this time. . .

My introduction went something like this: “I’m don’t have a reservation and don’t plan on having lunch, but I was a student here the first year the school opened, and I hope I can just look around a bit.”

I quickly got the idea that I was perhaps the only student from the school’s first year to be present for the 60th anniversary. I was introduced to the principal, and warmly welcomed to make myself at home. . .

To read the full article, as well as to see pictures from 60 years prior, please visit Ian Lind's blog. 

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May 29, 2015

Friday news update for East Oahu and Hawaii Kai.  Full text of these excerpts is available through the web.  Where access is granted to the public, there is a link.  

For full text of Star-Advertiser articles, access the database at the Hawaii State Library site and enter your library card number and PIN. 

Kaimuki High School inducted three graduates during its first-ever Hall of Honor ceremony Tuesday.

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono (’66), U.S. Attorney Florence Nakakuni (’70) and ukulele performer Jake Shimabukuro (’94) were honored for their achievements and contributions to the community. . .Graduates are eligible to be nominated 10 years or more after their date of high school graduation.

The Maui Jim Molokai Challenge surfski event, from Kaluakoi, Molokai to Hawaii Kai, will take place Saturday [May 30, 2015] starting at 8:30 a.m.  The Kanaka Ikaika Racing Association event, which has a $15,000 purse, will also have an OC-1 solo division and stand-up paddleboard relay division.  .  .The first finishers are expected to complete the race at around 1:45 p.m.

According to Hui 'Ilio's website homepage:

Thank you for joining us at the 10th annual Hawaii Kai Dog Walk on June 1, 2014.  As it turns out, this was to be our last dog walk. . .

As a reminder of the continuous effort needed by the community, the non-profit volunteer group writes from their May 2015 Newsletter:

[Hawaii Kai Dog] Park users have probably noticed the two new drinking fountains near the front entrance, one in the big park and one in the small dog park, which were installed by the Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR). With DPR’s permission, Hui 'Ilio Hawai'i installed anchored bowl holders under the dog faucets to keep the water bowls in place. . .

On Sunday, May 3rd, we closed the park for the entire day to accomplish a number of maintenance projects. Most notably, we had a huge pile of dirt (provided by DPR) to be moved under the fence line and around the benches to fill in depleted areas caused by erosion and digging dogs. Thanks to the assistance of local Boy Scout Troop 101 and some of their family members, the dirt was moved in record time. The troop also planted grass seed in the new soil, and raked and watered. . .

As we continue to strive for park user involvement in maintaining a beautiful community dog park, please remember that the poop bag dispensers are only filled if EVERYONE pitches in and brings recycled bags to fill the dispensers. Oftentimes we have run out of recycled bags and have purchased new bags to fill the dispensers, but that will not be happening in the future. Through the generosity of Petco, we will be adding a new poop bag dispenser on the fence between the small dog park and big dog park. Petco has committed to provide refill bags for this dispenser. Please be aware that this particular dispenser will not get replenished every day. We will continue to need recycled bags in the other dispensers to supplement Petco’s generous donations. . .

About Hui 'Ilio:

Hui 'Ilio Hawai'i is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that was established to promote public dog parks and to promote responsible dog ownership. Its officers and directors receive no compensation. Activities of the organization are carried out with the help of volunteers and sponsors. Our first objective was to make the Hawai'i Kai Dog Park a reality. Now that the park is open, we help to support it through the City’s Adopt-a -Park program. We also reach out to help other dog groups who are trying to establish dog parks in their respective communities.

. . .A transformation has been gradually spreading since [Gensiro] Kawamoto relinquished 30 residential properties 18 months ago on the prestigious Oahu street lined with mansions and historic million-dollar homes.  Among new owners of former Kawamoto properties are a professional poker player, a contractor and a waste management business owner from Hawaii, along with South Korea's wealthiest person, a Russian, a car-racing money manager from Michigan and an Australian billionaire. The new owners are pumping millions of dollars into construction and landscaping. To date, 20 of the 30 parcels that local real estate investment firm Alexander & Baldwin Inc. acquired in bulk from Kawamoto in late 2013 have been resold for more than $100 million, including two deals in escrow. . .

[Note: The full article contains 4 full-color photographs and is approx. 30 paragraphs long. Click the Star-Advertiser link in title and enter your Hawaii State Library Card and PIN # to access.]

Although the Department of Education school year for students begins July 29, 2015, Kaiser Complex schools will take a teacher work day on July 29th and Kaiser will begin the school year on July 30 with student registration.  The first full day of Kaiser classes will be July 31.  On July 30, students who had not prepaid their dues must complete the registration process and pick up their final schedules in the school cafeteria.  Draft schedules are available earlier, from June 15, in the Registrar's Office. 

Please contact school directly at Kaiser_HS [at] notes.k12.hi.us for clarification and updates.

What the future holds, we’ll never know. But after watching this year’s winner, 16-year-old Kaiser High School student Eden Kai, I couldn’t help but draw a comparison between his and Shimabukuro’s virtuoso performance styles.

The kid is good.

Kai performed a song on guitar that he had written for the Brown Bags to Stardom competition, “Beautiful Stars,” and he tore it up. He has a fluidity of playing and a skill level far beyond his 16 years. [read all of Erin Smith's rave article here]

Kudos to other East Oahu winners: Karlie Goya, 1st Place Solo Female Vocalist from Niu Valley Middle School; Paul Shin, 1st Place Male Vocalist from Kaimuki High School.  [ Full Brown Bags to Stardom winners list 2015]

, , city records show the resident had racked up nearly $191,700 in property violations. Neighbors say she's mentally ill and her condition has worsened since her parents died years ago. Meantime, homeless people have been rummaging through these belongings that have spilled out into the front yard even on the sidewalk. "There was even legislation written specifically as a result of this regarding hoarding. Nothing has been done," said Environmental activist Carrol Cox. Cox is referring to Bill 52, which passed last December giving the city the power to clear junk like this from private property. . .[click HawaiiNewsNow link to see full article]

Niu Valley Middle School, Sacred Hearts and Kaimuki Christian were category winners at ‘Ōlelo Community Media’s 2015 Youth Xchange Statewide Student Video Competition.  Niu Valley Middle Schoolwon the Creating Peace category, Middle School division for its short video, "Stop Bullying." Sacred Hearts won with "Stop Forest Fires" in the Forest Health in Hawaii category and “Hula Ki`i: Hula Puppets” in the Mini-Documentary category; Kaimuki Christian won with  “Focus In Class But Not At The Clock”  in the Start Healthy Living category, High School division.

Congratulations to our East Oahu schools for their outstanding work.  A full catalog of entries and recognition is available through this link to Olelo's website.

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The U.S. Department of Education has named six Hawaii semi-finalists for this year's 2015 Presidential Scholar award. They are:

• HI ‐ Hana ‐ Jack V. Wolfgramm, Wolfgramm Home School
• HI ‐ Honolulu ‐ Andrew M. Chun, Roosevelt High School
• HI ‐ Honolulu ‐ Tianzhen Nie, Kaiser High School
• HI ‐ Honolulu ‐ Liz M. Tenrai, Punahou School
• HI ‐ Kamuela ‐ Harmony M. Graziano, Hawaii Preparatory Academy
• HI ‐ Kaneohe ‐ Sierra K. Hirayama, Kamehameha High School‐Kapalama

The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964, by executive order of the President, to recognize and honor some of our nation's most distinguished graduating high school seniors. In 1979, the program was extended to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative and performing arts. Each year, up to 141 students are named as Presidential Scholars, one of the nation's highest honors for high school students.

Congratulations to these high school seniors on their year of achievement.

Hawaii Kai Plant Exchange and Sale takes place every second Tuesday in the parking lot of Kaiser High School.  Bring a plant, take a plant, leave a donation, it's up to you.  Proceeds benefit the school.