StarAdvertiser-article

December 30, 2014

Traffic woes in Lanikai soar during holiday

With the area beaches already causing daily jams, residents want some better solutions

By Leila Fujimori

When Janny Gibson's young son fell and broke his arm in their yard the Sunday before Christmas, she didn't call an ambulance.

Instead, the family jumped in their car and drove in the sluggish, tourist-laden traffic through their Lanikai neighborhood, served by a one-lane loop in and out.

"My poor son is crying and we're trying to get him to the hospital," she recalled. "Luckily, it was a day where there wasn't so much traffic."

It took only 45 minutes to get from their house to Kalapawai Market, 1.2 miles away, compared with the 90 minutes on Christmas Day, she said.

The Gibsons live next to Lanikai Beach, which consistently ranks high in national ratings, taking Trip­Advisor's top spot in March among U.S. beaches and No. 5 in the world by National Geographic in its "The 10 Best of Everything" book.

Christmas week seemed to hit Lanikai especially hard. On Christmas Day, hundreds of people at one point were stuck in a bumper-to-bumper snarl.

"It was a perfect storm of everybody off, good weather, and the roadway wasn't able to handle the amount of volume," said Kailua police Sgt. Brandon Yamamoto.

But some residents blame police officers for backing up traffic at the intersection of Kailua Road and Kalaheo Avenue near Kalapawai Market. They say police favor pedestrians crossing with kids and rental kayaks.

Special-duty officers hired by Alexander & Baldwin, owner of the strip mall where a kayak rental company and retailer Island Snow are located, were assigned to the spot on Christmas, but regular-duty police officers took over after they left, Yamamoto said.

"It's so congested, it's hard to alleviate everything in one smooth transition," Yamamoto said. "The best we can do, outside City Council action, is to control that one intersection to get people in and out."

He added: "The primary purpose of that was to make sure everybody gets through safely. The way the pedestrian law is written, all vehicles are mandated to stop for the pedestrian."

He said police can try to accommodate traffic better by waiting until a group of pedestrians has assembled, "rather than letting them cross one by one."

Ambulances have a particularly difficult time negotiating the Lanikai logjam.

"We didn't want to call an ambulance because we've seen what happens," Gibson said about the time their son broke his arm.

"We need help," she added. "This is horrible. We can't get out!"

Several problems plague the small Windward neighborhood.

Some residents can't get out because beachgoers park in their driveway.

An officer issuing citations Monday said most are for failure to park 4 feet from a driveway or 10 feet from a fire hydrant, or for parking at the end of a cul-de-sac.

He said calling a tow truck isn't a perfect solution because it requires temporarily blocking the roadway, adding to the morass.

A lack of public restrooms, showers or trash cans in private beach accesses add to residents' woes.

"They use my hose, ask to use my restroom," Gibson said. "We saw so many people using the bathroom in the bushes — and not just No. 1."

Debbie Pearce, 46, said: "It makes it hard to go about our daily activities. … Our biggest gripe is people not recognizing there is a bike lane" and parking in it. "You don't realize it until you're riding your bike and you have to go into the roadway."

Pearce added: "I've thought about it. I really don't see a solution that'll work. We can't stop people from coming into Lanikai. It's my favorite beach. I'm sure it's other people's, too. I don't think we have any more of a right to dictate what happens in Lanikai.

"By the same token, it is our front yard people are driving through," she said.

The city Department of Transportation Services director has met with concerned residents numerous times, but was unavailable for comment Monday.

At the request of Lanikai residents, the department has raised the fine for parking in bike lanes to $200 from $35, and painting "no parking" warnings in the bike path. The department also is getting "No Parking Here to Corner" signs installed on side streets.

MidWeek-article

December 3, 2014

Kainalu's 'Jet Crash Remembered' Tuesday

By MidWeek Staff

Dec. 7, 1941, is a date etched in the minds of most of us here in the Islands and across the nation. But unbeknownst to many area residents, 20 years after the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor, Kailua experienced its own aerial assault.

Kailua Historical Society will present “Kainalu’s Night of Horror: Jet Crash Remembered,” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 9 in the Kainalu Elementary School cafeteria. Admission is free.

In conjunction with the school’s 60th anniversary and the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor bombing, Dr. Paul Brennan, president of the society, has assembled a panel of residents who witnessed the tragic crash that took the lives of the military aircraft’s pilot, 2nd Lt. William Wright, and 8-year-old Kainalu Elementary School student Steven Schmitz, whose parents and siblings were spared, although their home was demolished.

The presentation includes a video screening of the crash prepared by military historian David Trojan. Two Marine Skyhawk jets were involved in a midair collision, with one of them plunging down across Kawainui Marsh into the tranquil Kainalu neighborhood. It crashed at 8:30 p.m. Nov. 20, 1961, in the Kainalu Elementary schoolyard and left three homes burning in its wake, one in which that little boy slept. The disaster, of course, provoked quite a reaction, with news media and then-Gov. William F. Quinn rushing to the scene.

Kainalu Elementary School is located at 165 Kaiholu St. For more information about the program, call Brennan at 262-7316.

PacificBusinessNews-Article

November 19, 2014

Is Target expanding in Hawaii? Warehouse lease may be a sign

By Duane Shimogawa

Target Corp., which has four stores open in Hawaii — with two more opening on Maui and Oahu next year — recently leased out a 32,537-square-foot warehouse on Oahu to serve as a central distribution warehouse for all of its stores in the state.

Ken Simon, founder and president of Menehune Water Co., the owner of the warehouse that sits on a 44,007-square-foot lot in the Halawa industrial area of Aiea, confirmed the lease to PBN.

"We bought [the lease on the] property a few years ago, but did not expand enough to use it internally," he said.

The Queen Emma Land Co., the nonprofit affiliate of The Queen's Medical Center, owns the property, according to public records and a spokeswoman for Queen's.

Target, (NYSE: TGT) through a spokeswoman, confirmed to PBN that it has signed a lease for warehouse space in Hawaii, but said the company had nothing more to share at this time.

When asked if Target is expanding in Hawaii with more locations, the spokeswoman said that it has no additional details to share at this time besides opening two new locations in March 2015, one on Oahu and another on Maui.

The Minnesota-based retailer was recently issued a $600,000 building permit by the City and County of Honolulu for the warehouse facility.

Honolulu-based dck pacific construction is the general contractor for the build-out. Maude Omai, spokeswoman for dck, confirmed to PBN that the facility is a warehouse for Target.

Target's four stores in Hawaii are located in Hilo and Kona on the Big Island and in Salt Lake and Kapolei on Oahu.

The two Target stores scheduled to open in March are located in Kahului on Maui and in Kailua in Windward Oahu.

A Target store has also been rumored to open in the current Nordstrom space at Ala Moana Center after the department store moves to the Ewa Wing of the state's largest shopping mall, near the state's first Bloomingdale's store.

History of Kailua - Video

Kailua, Oahu History By Paul Brennan

PacificBusinessNews-article

August 5, 2014

Honolulu insurance agent buys Kailua vacant property primed for development

By Duane Shimogawa

A Honolulu insurance agent has purchased nearly 30,000 square feet of vacant, foreclosed property in Kailua in Windward Oahu for about $2 million that could be redeveloped as apartments, retail, offices or assisted-living facilities, PBN has confirmed with the new owner.
Scott LaRue, an independent insurance agent with Honolulu-based Atlas Insurance and owner of Kailua-based Highmark Capital LLC, told PBN that he made the purchase as an investment and still has not decided yet what to do with the property.
Scott Carvill, principal broker for Kailua-based Carvill Sotheby’s International Realty, represented the LaRue in the sale, while Kalani Schrader and Dana Peiterson, both of CBRE Inc. Hawaii, represented the seller, Beverly Ing Lee. Lee’s Uluniu-Maluniu LLC is listed as the previous owner, according to public records.
The two fee-simple lots, which are connected and are currently being used for parking, are located a block from Kuulei Road at the corner of Maluniu Avenue and Uluniu Street.
Together, the lots comprise of a little more than half an acre. The 18,360-square-foot Maluniu Avenue parcel is zoned for residential development and has a height limit of 25 feet. The 10,034-square-foot Uluniu Street lot is zoned for commercial, mixed-use opportunities and has a height limit of 40 feet.
The properties were being marketed as two lots that could’ve been purchased together or separately, according to marketing materials from CBRE, which also noted that priced together, the lots had an asking price of $2.1 million.

Other uses could include medical office and single-family homes.

StarAdvertiser-article

August 4, 2014

Kailua restaurant to serve last cheesesteaks Sept. 30

By Erika Engle

The roll in which a cheesesteak sandwich is served is key to the success or failure of the final product, and Pepper's Place in Kai­lua serves its cheesesteaks on genuine, Philadelphia-made Amo­roso rolls.

Not for much longer, though, as owners John and Carol Dee will be closing Sept. 30, having failed to extend their lease with landowner A&B Properties, a subsidiary of Alexander & Baldwin Inc.

A&B leased the space Pepper's has occupied, for about 14 years, to another tenant.

Fellow tenants in Kai­lua Shopping Center are upset and concerned about their futures as well, Carol Dee said, but none the Hono­lulu Star-Advertiser reached were willing to speak on the record.

Alexander & Baldwin bought 70 percent of Kai­­lua's commercial real estate and 90 percent of its retail property from Kane­ohe Ranch and the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation last year.

David Haverly, senior vice president of leasing for A&B Properties, said in a statement A&B Properties has completed lease renewals with 10 local tenants since the beginning of the year and is "actively working with several others."

"Inevitably there will be some changes in tenant mix over time as we seek to provide a great customer experience. We are actively evaluating each of our shopping centers and tenants, and engaging in discussions with tenants as their leases come up for renewal," he said.

The Dees said they reached out to A&B in February but were told "we can't do anything right now" by a longtime official of Kane­ohe Ranch who transitioned to A&B.

"And then it just kept getting put off," Carol Dee said. "We never imagined they'd give the shop away."

At a June meeting the Dees learned a prospective tenant had offered A&B double the rent that Pepper's had been paying. "I guess we have to decide whether we're going to pay double rent or move," Carol Dee said she told A&B at that time.

The Dees went to a meeting with A&B a week ago thinking they would finally be negotiating a new lease to succeed the one that expires Aug. 15.

The agent "apologized, saying the situation ‘with our lease was not handled very well' but our space was already leased," Carol Dee said.

He told them it had happened a while ago.

"He asked us what our plans were," she said. She told the A&B representative they had no plans "as this came as quite a shock to us."

During the July 28 meeting, the agent reminded them of the more than twice-as-big, 900-square-foot space available on Hekili Street they'd previously been offered, Carol Dee said.

Any move would be akin to starting all over again, she said, but the Hekili Street location also includes a risk of getting, at any time, a 180-day notice to vacate for redevelopment of the building, via a clause in the lease.

The "clause was included in the majority of the leases assumed when acquiring the portfolio in late 2013," Haverly said.

Haverly would not identify the new tenant taking the Pepper's location, saying the company "does not disclose specific information regarding negotiations or arrangements with tenants."

At one point A&B had told the Dees that lease considerations weren't just focused on money, but on the tenant mix. The Dees offered to adjust their menu if that was an issue.

Last week they began telling customers that Pepper's last day in business will be Sept. 30.

"People are really upset," she said. "I had one older man, who comes from the other side of the island for his steak sandwich once a month, break down with tears in his eyes. It made me so sad."

Reach Erika Engle at 529-4303, erika@staradvertiser.com or on Twitter as @erikaengle.

StarAdvertiser-article

July 23, 2014

Eatery keeps serving favorites despite uncertainty over lease

By Erika Engle

Many pause at the door to review menu options first; nevertheless, a steady stream of customers walks through the door at Pepper's Place in Kai­lua Shopping Center.

Late Monday morning, co-owner John Dee cheerfully called to one pair of customers just outside, "It's 6,000 miles to Philly. Better eat here!"

The male customers smiled, entered and placed their orders.

Dee, his wife, Carol, and their seven employees are serving fresh-to-order cheesesteaks, custom-crafted foot-long hot dogs, other sandwiches, kids' meals and various styles of potatoes, on what may be their last lease for the space.

Their lease expires Aug. 15, and they have yet to finalize a renewal with Alexander & Baldwin, which in December purchased the shopping center, along with most of Kai­lua, from Kane­ohe Ranch. About 70 percent of Kai­lua's commercial real estate and 90 percent of its retail property was included in the transaction.

"We just want more time," Carol said.

Advertising for Pepper's Place will debut in Japan next month, the Dees are in talks to expand to Japan and the shop has outstanding gift cards that have yet to be redeemed.

"It's a financial obligation to us and to our customers," she said.

Months ago Carol was told another company had offered to pay A&B double the rent that Pepper's pays; meanwhile, its lease renewal talks got repeatedly delayed.

The last meeting A&B official Kimo Steinwascher had with the Dees was in May, Steinwascher told TheBuzz. He had been out of town and did not have an immediate response to queries about the lease.

As of Monday, Carol Dee was in the process of mailing a certified letter to A&B to try to expedite a lease renewal or extension.

The Dees fully expect to pay increased lease rent to their new landlord, but along the way they were told "it wasn't all about money," she said. Rather, A&B was leaning toward putting a different concept in the 400-square-foot space that Pepper's has occupied since 2002. They were offered a 900-square-foot space on Hekili Street a few blocks away.

Moving to a new space would be akin to "starting over" for the Dees, Carol said.

"We can change our menu, we can add healthier items," she said, but for years, Pepper's was prohibited, via its lease, from offering salads so as not to compete against the nearby Subway restaurant, which they used to own. In the intervening years, Aloha Salads was granted space right next door to Subway.

The Dees were Hawaii's first Subway franchisees, having opened the McCully Shopping Center location in 1987 and eventually owning four stores.

On Monday, Carol happily greeted a pair of Japa­nese visitors who were standing outside Pepper's door with the Japa­nese-language version of their menu, which also happens to be posted outside, and she offered to answer any questions.

In addition to a cheesesteak to split, they also ordered Pepper's famous Happy Fries, which are fried potatoes in smiley-face shapes.

Pepper's is famous for them. "They're like breaded mashed potatoes," John explained, "light, not oily."

In addition to the unique Happy Fries, Pepper's offers eight other types of potatoes, including baked options, as well as onion rings and brownies.

Pepper's serves foot-long hot dogs, as do many quick-service establishments, "but not like these," Carol smiled. Pepper's foot-longs "are packed here locally" especially for the Dees.

While in Philadelphia, home of the cheesesteak, the provolone-vs.-Cheez Whiz battle rages, peace prevails at Pepper's.

The bright-orange processed cheese product used in Philadelphia originals is "too salty," Carol said, "so we came up with our own formula" using cheddar cheese, which is coupled with slices of natural provolone on Pepper's creations.

John is in the restaurant cooking twice a week, while Carol handles front-of-the-house duties on weekdays, and employees round out the restaurant's staffing needs.

John has been known to entertain customers with sleight-of-hand magic tricks and is often referred to as the "Magic Man."

Customers "love the cheesesteaks, but they come in for him, too," Carol smiled.

PacificBusinessNews-article

June 22, 2014

Castle Medical Center expands across Windward Oahu

By Matt Tuohy

Castle Medical Center is adding more and more services and medical office space to the Windward side of Oahu.

Travis Clegg, the center’s vice president of operations, said the hospital has been expanding its operations on the Windward side since purchasing the Kailua Professional Centers 1 and 2 on Aulike Street last year. While the office buildings are currently operating as physician offices, but Clegg says they plan on increasing the number of physicians in the building and adding more outpatient services.

“We really want our community to view these buildings and Castle Professional Center in Kaneohe as health care destinations that are an extension of Castle Medical Center,” said Clegg.

The Kailua hospital, which is owned and operated by Adventist Health, is also planning a$28 million renovation to expand its emergency room to 25 beds instead of the current 18. It also recently opened a new urgent-care clinic at the Castle Professional Center in Kaneohe and is planning an overhaul to the same building that includes renovations inside and out. There will also be a new three-level parking garage built for the professional center.

“The overall footprint will be the same the building [but] will have an updated modern look with modernized elevators and infrastructure,” said Clegg.

Castle Medical Center is one of 18 companies that will be honored at PBN's Healthiest Employers awards program on July 31, for its work in engaging with employees about healthy lifestyle decisions in and out of the workplace. Registration is still open if you’d like to attend.

StarAdvertiser-article

July 22, 2014

Sewer pipe repair clogging Kailua might take weeks

The traffic mess might be solved soon, but will not be if more digging is required

By Gordon Y.K. Pang

Kailua motorists might have to live with the traffic mess near the entrance to Kai­lua town for up to two more weeks as city officials continue repairs on a corroded 15-inch concrete sewer pipe, 20 feet underground, that created a sinkhole July 11.

The concrete was found to be so badly corroded that city officials ended up removing an 18-foot section — much larger than the 3 feet they expected, said Mark Yona­mine, the city deputy director of design and construction. The original repair, which is almost done, was complicated in part by the depth of the pipe, he said.

On Tuesday workers will examine more of the pipeline, installed in 1958, to see whether an even larger section needs to be removed, Yona­mine said.

The best-case scenario would allow the workers to simply insert a lining to reinforce the pipe. If that's the case, a fix should be completed by Wednesday or so, he said.

The worst-case scenario would require digging a larger trench to remove a bigger section of pipe, Yona­mine said.

"If we have to expose more pipe, that could take a couple of weeks," he said.

A larger trench would also mean a bigger section of road would have to be closed. Two Kai­lua-bound lanes of Kai­lua Road — the right lane and the middle lane — have been closed from the mauka side of Hama­kua Drive since the pipe broke and will remain closed if the trench needs to be bigger, Yona­mine said.

Motorists traveling into Kai­lua can skip the road closure by entering through Keolu Drive, in Enchanted Lake, via Kalanianaole Highway, or via H-3 or Kapaa Quarry Road, city officials advised.

StarAdvertiser-article

July 16, 2014

Castle Medical Center due for $28M upgrade

The yearlong project targets the hospital's emergency room and other departments

By Kristen Consillio

Castle Medical Center is investing $28 million to renovate the hospital and expand its emergency room to keep up with demand in the growing Windward community.

The primary provider of emergency and trauma care in Windward Oahu is hoping to begin the project in November, said Castle spokes­woman Jasmin Rodriguez.

"We continue to not only grow with new programs and services, but our ER has gotten more visits than we ever had before," Rodriguez said.

"With the growth of the Windward side and, of course, the elderly population getting older, we needed to really expand our ER services to meet the needs of our community."

The number of emergency visits has increased by nearly 20 percent over four years to 33,161 in 2012 from 27,751 in 2008, according to a filing with the State Health Planning and Development Agency, assigned to regulate health care projects.

Certain parts of the ER will be closed in phases during the renovations, but the department will remain fully operational, Rodriguez said.

The 160-bed hospital opened in 1963 and has been expanded since then to address the needs of patients from Wai­ma­nalo to the North Shore. Still, much of the building's original infrastructure is currently in place.

The yearlong project will expand Castle's emergency department within the existing hospital footprint, increasing the number of beds to 25 from 18. Renovations will replace outdated electrical and air-conditioning systems.

The obstetrics and behavioral health departments, as well as the intensive care unit, admissions, laboratory and imaging areas will be entirely remodeled. The project does not include any expansion of the hospital's parking lot.

Castle budgeted $23 million for construction costs and $5 million for new equipment. The hospital is owned and operated by Adventist Health, which will use cash reserves for the renovation project, the filing said.

The private, nonprofit hospital, with about 1,000 employees and 300 physicians, is projecting revenue of $20 million and expenses of $14.5 million in the first year of operations after the renovations and $5.6 million in net income.

In its filing, Castle pointed to a growing demand for primary care services as more people obtain insurance coverage through the federal Affordable Care Act, specifically with the expansion of Medicaid, the government health insurance program for low-income residents.

"Although once a source of care for primarily major injuries and life-threatening medical conditions, over the last several decades, hospital emergency rooms have increasingly become a source of primary care — especially to the medically underserved," Castle said. "The addition of these individuals to Oahu's insured population will add to the stress already placed on hospital emergency rooms to provide primary care to individuals who do not have a primary care physician."

In addition to the hospital expansion, the company announced earlier this year that it will spend $24 million to renovate its medical office building — the Castle Professional Center — in Kane­ohe.

Castle said it will provide upgraded office space for primary care physicians and medical specialists. The medical center will expand ancillary services already offered in the building, including imaging services, laboratory, rehabilitation services, urgent care and pharmacy.

The existing parking structure at the Kane­ohe building will be demolished and replaced with a new structure that will accommodate 80 more vehicles. In addition, Castle's investment in the office building will include infrastructure upgrades such as replacement of the current air-conditioning units, elevators and sprinkler systems, as well as a renovation of both the exterior and interior of the building.

That project is expected to start next year.

StarAdvertiser-article

July 15, 2014

Sinkhole, sewer repair leads to Kailua traffic headaches

By Star-Advertiser staff

Lane closures will delay drivers heading into Kailua for at least a week as crews work to repair a broken sewer pipe, officials said.  

City officials believe the broken pipe caused a sink hole to form on Friday at the intersection of Hamakua Drive and Kailua Road.

Crews will be working around the clock for the next week to fix that pipe, but the work will require the closure of at least two lanes on Kailua Road, according to city officials. 

A pump bypass will keep the sewage flowing while the pipe is being repaired, officials said.

StarAdvertiser-article

July 7, 2014

'Heartsick' Hungry Ear will move out of Kailua

By Erika Engle

Lease prices are driving local retail institution Hungry Ear Records from Kai­lua to Hono­lulu.

"We are heartsick to have to move what has always been our flagship store," said co-owner Ward Yama­shita in a statement. Rising rents and "the changing profile of Kai­lua make it impossible to stay in our current location."

Development of mainland retail behemoths Whole Foods and Target in Kai­lua, as well as the constant presence of high-spending visitors from Japan, mean commercial rents are going up.

Yamashita and business partner Dennie Chong tried to find nearby lease rent cheaper than that being sought by the landlord, to no avail, each told TheBuzz.

"For the rent they wanted here, we were able to find something for less, that was larger and offered validated parking," Chong said.

The new digs will be in University Square at 2615 S. King St., Suite A-100. It is at the corner of King and University Avenue, in the same small retail complex as Uyeda Shoe Store.

That recording on vinyl has seen a resurgence has paid off for the small retailer, and being amid a larger population base and close to trend-focused university students might pay off even better.

"New bands nowadays are releasing albums on vinyl," said Yama­shita, naming an eclectic range of artists from the Arctic Monkeys to Lady Gaga.

Additionally, noted jazz label Blue Note Records is celebrating its 75th anniversary by releasing five reissued classic albums each month. Classic rockers including Led Zeppelin and Kiss also are reissuing vinyl, he said.

To answer the "Yeah, but where do I find a turntable?" question, the store sells a range of them, from $100 up to $300.

Hungry Ear will wind down its Kai­lua inventory with a "Moving to Town" sale beginning Monday and running through its last day in Kai­lua, July 19, 35 years to the month since the store opened, Chong said.

Chong and Yamashita plan a soft opening in the new location Aug. 1, after which store hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. "Once we're up and running," the store may be open daily.

In between the ending and the new beginning, Yama­shita and Chong will be at the Third Annual Hawaii Record Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 27 at McKinley High School Cafeteria. Hungry Ear and other vendors from around the islands will buy, sell and trade vinyl records, CDs, cassettes and music memorabilia.

Early admission at 9 a.m. costs $10, while admission at 10 a.m. costs $5.

The move will be a further evolution of the Hungry Ear legacy.

In the early 1990s it had stores in Hono­lulu and Wahiawa, as well as the flagship Kai­lua store founded by Luke Yama­shiro and friends Dennis Chun and Reyn­old Kong.

The location at 418 Kuu­lei Road first was home for a store called Vinyl Donut and then Bullseye, Yama­shita said, "and when that went out of business, they opened Hungry Ear." Yama­shiro had been an employee of "both previous stores," Yama­shita said.

The store sold music on vinyl and subsequent media platforms through good and bad economic times, through four store locations and six U.S. presidents, the partners noted.

"We all grew up in this store," Chong said. "Luke was a surrogate father or older brother to most of us and was a fount of musical knowledge for all of the community." Yama­shita met his wife, Mary, at the store in 1985.

Upon Yamashiro's death his widow, Michelle, ran the business until 2008 when Chong and Yama­shita, both of whom had worked for Yama­shiro in previous years, assumed ownership.

Separately, Coconut Grove Music, of which Yama­shiro was a co-founder, was willed to other family members. The music store, no longer connected to Hungry Ear, relocated in March to the second floor of the Hawaiian Water Sports building at 167 Hama­kua Drive.

Reach Erika Engle at 529-4303, erika@staradvertiser.com or on Twitter as @erikaengle.

PacificBusinessNews-article

July 4, 2014

Kailua's July Fourth fireworks return, thanks to donations from businesses and residents

By Braelyn Wood

The annual Kailua Fourth of July fireworks show will return on Friday thanks to the sponsorship from businesses includingAlexander & Baldwin, Clear Channel and Macy's, as well local residents, including one who calls himself "Uncle Kokua."

The annual fireworks show and daytime parade have been a tradition in Kailua since 1948. But in 2005, the Kailua Chamber of Commerce decided to pull funding from the fireworks shows and focus exclusively focus on the parade.

The funding passed between the hands of various companies and committees until 2012, when the fireworks display was cancelled due to the lack of funding.

Eight Kailua residents formed a volunteer foundation in 2013 to raise money for the Fourth of July fireworks and air show, but the funding fell short by $25,000 and the event was almost cancelled.

That's when part-time Kailua resident Uncle Kokua stepped in, and donated the remaining funds to save the show.

Uncle Kokua is the pseudonym for Marc Paskin, a San Diego multi-millionaire who earned his fortune from real estate investments. He was featured on the ABC television show “Secret Millionaire” in March 2011 and also has his own show on KFVE called “Uncle Kokua.”

Uncle Kokua decided to donate again in 2014 after saving last year’s display, and offered to match event sponsor donations up to $25,000.

The event sponsorship included four different levels including platinum, gold, silver and bronze. The highest platinum level sponsorship was for donations over $25,000. Uncle Kokua was the only platinum sponsor. The other sponsorships ranged from $2500 to $10,000 donations.

Sponsors for the 2014 Firework display included Clear Channel, Alexander & Baldwin Inc., the John King Family, Macy’s, Kalapawai Market, Bank of Hawaii, Hardware Hawaii and D.R. Horton.

This year's goal for the foundation was to raise $80,000. While the foundation was still counting the money from donation boxes around Kailua as of Thursday, the total amount raised was still at $72,000.

Even though fireworks are paid for this year, the foundation wanted the complete amount to help pay for parking, security and marketing. Any money left over from this year’s event would be used to begin planning the 2015 firework display.

Kailua Fireworks committee member Linda Ross emphasized the importance of community donations in making sure the event continues into the future.

“The show continues to be funded by the residents. Although we are the organizing group, there is no one entity paying for it,” said Ross, “Our show is really just a group of mish-mash residents who have come together and work throughout the year to make sure the event happens. We’re still relying on everyone. We still need help from the community.”

Star Advertiser-article

Jun3 29, 2014

Master plan for Kailua marsh draws criticism from agencies

The proposal is a "land grab" that will alter the character of the area, some say

By Gary T. Kubota

The deadline for comments on the Kawainui-Hamakua master plan is Monday, and environmental and neighborhood groups are joining forces over concern that the proposed development will damage the natural resources and character of Kailua.

The draft describes the construction of 37 buildings, nine maintenance access roads, 11 parking lots, eight pavilions and a boardwalk. Nonprofit organizations would work with the Department of Land and Natural Resources on habitat restoration, stewardship and educational efforts.

"It proposes a land grab that will forever change the character of Windward Oahu," said Linda Paul, president of the Hawaii Audubon Society. "The state has no business even considering awarding land leases to private organizations, nonprofit or not, in Kawainui Marsh."

The department released a draft plan for management of the Kawainui-Hamakua Complex in May, initiating a 30-day comment period to seek public input.

The department also plans to prepare an environmental impact statement.

"The plan is intended to help DLNR meet its objectives to support restoration and habitat enhancement of this resource, provide public access, create educational and stewardship opportunities, support Native Hawaiian cultural practices, and provide outdoor recreational opportunities," DLNR Director William Aila Jr. wrote in a Honolulu Star-Advertiser commentary." Much of the plan is centered on restoration, habitat enhancement, stewardship and education, which is accomplished in partnership with nonprofit organizations to assist DLNR's resource management efforts."

The Audubon Society, Hawaii's Thousand Friends and the Kailua Neighborhood Board issued statements critical of the plan on Thursday.

Charles "Chuck" Prentiss, chairman of the Kailua Neighborhood Board, said the building of causeways -- including a boardwalk at the wetlands -- may alter the flow and hydrology of the marsh.

He said the boardwalks would also bring people through archaeological sites where artifacts are still being found.

Prentiss said in an email that vandalism and theft are an "ongoing issue."

Prentiss said the neighborhood board is worried about the impact of developing trails near residences at Enchanted Lake and Kailua High School, and the increase in law enforcement needed with allowing more access to residential areas.

Comments on the draft master plan can be emailed to kawainui@hhf.com. A copy of the plan can be found at www.hhf.com/kawainui/index.html.

StarAdvertiser-article

June 18, 2014

Kailua clubhouse in the running for $50k, TV star help

By Erika Engle

The Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii has made it to the finals of a nationwide contest, for which the grand prize is a share of $100,000 and the expertise of home improvement expert Ty Pennington.

The club's Windward Clubhouse for Kids is among 50 semifinalist projects in the "Ultimate Neighborhood Give Back Challenge," selected from more than 320 entries submitted from 49 states.

Mortgage lender Guaranteed Rate is staging the competition to fund a project that will make a meaningful impact in its community, according to a statement.

Voting to narrow the entries down to six finalists is open through July 8. Entrants have submitted short videos detailing their projects which are linked on the Guaranteed Rate Facebook page for voting.

The six finalists will be announced July 15, and the first-place winner, to be announced Aug. 1, will receive $50,000, plus the expertise of Pennington for a day. The five remaining finalists each will receive $10,000 toward their projects.

StarAdvertiser-article

June 17, 2014

Our View: Hiking trail woes a signal to DLNR

Maunawili Falls Trail is a "victim of its own popularity," said Suzi Dominy, one of the homeowners who lives near the trail head in Kailua. She's right — the foot traffic at the nature attraction has worn down, littered and generally overburdened the area.

But the other victims here are the neighbors themselves. Some hikers park on the street and leave only a light footprint to mark their visit. But others are thoughtless, disturbing neighbors with noise and intrusions on private property. Residents clearly have to share the public streets, but nobody signs up for the kind of harassment they encounter at Maunawili.

The conflict shines a light on the needs of this one community and, more broadly, on the state's failure to deal responsibly with the upkeep of recreational areas, including its web of hiking trails.

The problem is particularly acute at Maunawili, where there are several reasons for its popularity. It's a short hiking trail accessible to all skill levels, and it ends in a natural pool and falls that tourists and kamaaina alike can enjoy.

It is not unique in this respect — Kailua state Sen. Laura Thielen notes that the Lanikai "pillbox" trail similarly draws visitors to neighborhoods — but many other trails are more insulated from residential zones, starting from points more removed from suburbia.

A permanent solution is essential for such high-impact trails, including a parking lot that separates the foot traffic from the homes. State Rep. Ken Ito has rightly secured $200,000 in planning funds for a lot with restrooms to serve the Maunawili trail head.

But there are complications, not the least of which is siting the lot, Thielen said: Negotiating with property owners who might be able to sell an adequate parcel to the state is a long-term proposition, and it's one that should come with a maintenance plan as well.

In the meantime, residents need some relief, so the state Department of Land and Natural Resources should increase its over- sight of trails such as Maunawili Falls, exploring various strategies to limit the impact on neighbors.

For example, this may be a place where coordination with city officials is needed to restrict parking to limited hours of trail access; exception permits could be issued to residents. Signs outlining the restrictions should be prominently posted and rigorously enforced.

Other steps, including providing and maintaining a limited number of portable restrooms on the trail itself, should be considered.

Beyond the specifics of this location, the Maunawili Falls problem is symptomatic of how the state manages parks: It develops them but puts far too little thought into what happens after opening day.

When Thielen headed DLNR during the administration of Gov. Linda Lingle, the agency proposed a $240 million improvement plan, financed primarily with user fees, but it failed at the Legislature.

Since then there have been capital improvement project allotments for specific projects, but state leaders really need to take a hard look on its overall investment in maintenance. Trails are especially underfunded. According to a 2010 report, the forest-recreation budget has been cut over the years to half what it was 20 years ago. Just over $350,000 is set aside for Oahu's 40 trails and seven dirt roads, according to current DLNR figures.

At a time when the Internet has raised the profile of formerly "secret" spots, it's unrealistic to give their maintenance and supervision such a low priority. And as many Maunawili residents would surely testify, it's unfair to private property owners, as well.

PacificBusinessNews-Article

June 13, 2014

Abercrombie appoints George Okuda to Windward Oahu House seat

By Janis L. Magin

Gov. Neil Abercrombie has appointedGeorge Okuda to serve in the Hawaii state House of Representatives, in the Windward Oahu district seat formerly held by Jessica Wooley.

Wooley, whose Windward district stretches from Kaneohe to Kahaluu, stepped down on May 5, six days after the state Senate confirmed her appointment as director of the state Office of Environmental Quality Control.

Okuda has served as an aide to another Windward state representative, Rep. Ken Ito, D-Kaneohe-Olomana, since 2000, drafting, tracking and analyzing bills, and prior to that served as a legislative aide to former state Sen. Bob Nagata and was a member of the Kahaluu Neighborhood Board for six years, two of those as chairman.

“George has more than a decade of public service experience and has active legislative ties to the windward Oahu community,” Abercrombie said in a statement. “He will bring stability during this transition period.”

Okuda, a licensed civil and structural engineer, previously worked for Hawaiian Electric Co.