Just east of Kaimana Beach, nestled against the southern foothills of Diamond Head on Diamond Head Road, lies Makalei Beach Park–a tiny, tree-adorned recreational space with a seawall along its shoreline. The park has picnic tables, showers, a patch of sandy beach on its ‘ewa end and access to some favorite south-shore surf spots, including Rice Bowl, Tongg’s and Graveyard’s.
Earlier this month, In Defense of Animals, a non-profit animal welfare organization, ranked the Honolulu Zoo third-worst in the nation for elephants. “Everything about the zoo’s antiquated elephant exhibit is wrong,” the organization posted on its Web site.
Regular readers know City Watch as an occasional segment in which we take a look at things around town that are broken (a rotting picnic table, a leaky water pipe, an unmarked trailhead), find out why they haven’t been fixed and let readers know who’s responsible. And if our initial coverage isn’t enough to spring officials into action, we’ll revisit problems over time until they’re resolved.
Honolulu Police have a bit of a reputation for traveling in packs. Anyone who’s ever been pulled over for speeding knows this, as do those of us who find ourselves around Fort Street Mall at breakfast time.
Kapiolani Park is one of our best-used resources on Oahu. But some areas of the sprawling green are a little worse for wear, including nearly a dozen picnic tables, which (as anyone who’s gotten bug-bitten from lying in the grass can tell you) are a necessity for those who like to spend entire days in the park.
McCully swimming pool / A reader recently contacted City Watch inquiring about the situation at the McCully swimming pool. “It’s been like five years already since it closed,” she said.
Waikiki Shell / A reader recently contacted Honolulu Weekly about what he said were missing water fountains at the Waikiki Shell. Without them, he wondered, what option did visitors have but to purchase bottled water–at steep prices– from concessionaires?
Welcome to CityWatch, a new occasional feature designed to help hold public officials accountable for fixing things that aren’t working around Oahu–and to give them credit when they do. Here’s how it works: You let us know when you see something that’s not working.
After retiring from public service in 2002, Ben Cayetano seemed to be taking it easy on the political scene–until 2005, that is, when then-Mayor Mufi Hannemann revived the long-lapsed idea of a Honolulu heavy rail project. Needless to say, Cayetano did not concur.
Last Thursday, the House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection had a busy session hearing several controversial bills relating to geothermal energy. Chairman Denny Coffman introduced HB2689, which seeks to exempt slim-hole, or exploratory, geothermal test wells from any sort of environmental review as is currently required under Chapter 343 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes.
On Feb. 1, the Hawaii State House Agriculture Committee heard testimony on HB2703, dubbed the Food Self-Sufficiency Bill.
Mega-developer Castle & Cooke has re-filed an application with the Land Use Commission (LUC) seeking to convert approximately 768 acres of Ag land–currently in cultivation–into a “master-planned community” entitled Koa Ridge. If successful, the project will consist of two parcels–Koa Ridge Makai and Castle & Cooke Waiawa.
Office of Hawaiian Affairs holds a second round of community meetings to discuss the latest updates on the Kakaako land settlement. Stevenson Middle School, 1202 Prospect St., Wed., 2/8, 6:30pm; Waimanalo Community Center, 41-253 Ilauhole St., Thu., 2/9, 6:30pm City Council committees on Zoning and Planningand Transportation will take public testimony on agenda items.
[Feb. 1: “Kinda Kona”] The trade secret argument would fall to the wayside if it would read “10 percent Kona Coffee 90 percent Foreign Coffee,” or something to that effect.
If they are choosing the cheapest coffee from anywhere, then the “trade secret” is that they are adding crap and not a sp
[Feb. 1: “Rail Boss Wanted”] $300,000?
[Jan. 4: “Boss GMO] Dean Okimoto is a sell out and a criminal.
Monsanto is a major component of the NWO drive to reduce the world’s population in a global genocide program that includes the poisoning of the water, air and food. This criminal activity must be stopped.
Lets be real here, Dean Okimoto is not interested in anything other then keeping the status quo of industrial Ag. He is merely a puppet, playing it safe, a small game of following the money and corrupt political trail.
[Jan. 25: “Weaving the Future on Molokai”] Good luck to all those who possess the ability to balance long-term vision with short term opportunity.
[Dec. 21: “Underground Railroad”] This is, indeed, a “lunatic project,” as pointed out by a professor at the University of Hawaii.
This is such a bad idea for the overall architecture of Oahu. I visit here because my family is here and part of the charm is taking the bus or driving.
I cannot imagine how anyone can think this is a smart idea. I’ve lived in places with rail, but this Honolulu Rail Transit is stupid, plain stupid.
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