Hauʻula – The dumping of charcoals at the base of a shower tree at a Windward Oʻahu beach park and campground resulted the tree’s destruction this past weekend.

On Saturday, October 14, just after 7:30 p.m., personnel from the Honolulu Fire Department out of Hauʻula responded to a tree fire at Kokololio Beach Park.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, but not before the base of the tree was destroyed.

Following an inspection by the Department of Parks and Recreation Division of Urban Forestry, the tree was determined to be structurally unsound as a result of the fire damage. An additional crew was dispatched and removed the tree on Tuesday.

The Department of Parks and Recreation would like to take this opportunity to remind park users and campers to properly dispose of their charcoal, burnt wood, or other organic fire-fueling material in the designated charcoal disposal bins.

Disposing of these materials in regular trash cans, near trees, on other plant life, or on the beach, poses a safety and environmental hazard. The coals may appear to be extinguished but can be reignited. This is especially true if you bury used coals in the sand. The sand insulates the heat of the embers and can keep them hot for hours. This poses a severe safety hazard to other beachgoers who cannot see the danger just beneath the surface. In the past, this has resulted in significant injury.

Unfortunately, the damage done by the improper dumping of burnt materials and careless use of cooking apparatus can be seen at several parks, including the state’s busiest park, Ala Moana Regional Park. Staff have observed dozens of sites by trees, on benches, and in open areas where improper coal dumping or burns from cooking devices are apparent.

Other alternative means of cooking/barbecuing, such as propane powered grills, are encouraged as the fire produced by such equipment can be more easily controlled.

Via AF3IRM Hawai’i:

Annie Koh, a Ph.D. candidate in Urban & Regional Planning at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, urges us to focus on larger systems and look beyond the short-term convenience of short term rentals in Hawai’i. She discusses the impacts of Airbnb according to real estate investors and housing advocates around the world. A broader perspective makes clear Airbnb’s common argument of “no material impact” on Hawaii’s housing market is fantasy.

Only a small fraction of homes in Hawaii right now are listed on Airbnb, supposedly only 8,000 entire home listings, but cities that have had a longer experience with Airbnb are experience a very serious material impact on their housing supply. Annie urges: we can’t just think about the 8,000 homes, we need to think about changes in how the market is going to operate with this new incentive. Real estate investment trusts are now salivating at Airbnb in Hawaii being another stream of income.

Developers often argue that regulation is the problem but even if we said no regulations and build wherever you can, we still would not build enough to replace what would be lost from the rental market by units being pulled off by Airbnb.

Individual Airbnb hosts are not demons, in that moment it makes sense but the larger picture is that you’re changing housing incentives and converting housing into investment stream where renting to locals does not make economic sense.

The City of San Francisco concluded the Airbnb is a net negative: the cost of replacing a single unit is $250,000/year—to replace a lost unit by investing more in public housing or subsidizing emergency housing. We need to ask, “What are the costs of tilting our housing from the logic of shelter and home to the logic of investment?” Hawaii is unique but also in a global system so we need to look at how other tourism-dependent cities are experiencing Airbnb. In Paris, Amsterdam and Barcelona (high tourism cities) are saying that taxes from Airbnb aren’t worth it—we need to rebalance the housing terrain in favor of local rentals over vacation. Paris now requires any short term rental host must register with the city because of their housing shortage. In terms of legislation, we need real data that shows us the story that Airbnb does not want us to see.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Resource Management Committee will meet tomorrow, October 11, 2017, at 10a.m. to determine whether or not to approve Hawaiian Focus Charter Schools (HFCS) grant monies that were initially awarded to the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA). The committee may also elect to reset and revisit the HFCS grant award process.

Although the $3 million grant in question went through a standard competitive bidding process, it was revealed at the September 27 Beneficiary Advocacy and Empowerment (BAE) Committee meeting that OHA’s Administration awarded the HFCS grant before getting approval by the OHA Board of Trustees. That approval is a necessary part of the process, but was sidestepped in this instance. The OHA “Letter of Interest Solicitation” for the HFCS grant specifically states that “Recommendations for award will be presented to OHA’s Board of Trustees for Approval.” After hours of discussion and testimony, and after being questioned by the Trustees, OHA Chief Executive Officer Kamana‘opono Crabbe and a grants personnel representative admitted that the HFCS grants process was not followed.

Indeed, when it was revealed on September 6 that the money would be going to CNHA, OHA Chair Collette Machado expressed shock, claiming OHA had been “hoodwinked” into approving the monies.

HFCS administrators, staff, parents, students and community submitted powerful oral testimony at the BAE meeting, urging OHA to reconsider the matter of the educational grant and speaking out against awarding monies to CNHA. In past years, that grant has been administered by Kanu O Ka ‘Āina Learning ‘Ohana. Much of the testimony centered on several important cultural and procedural errors, such as the failure by CNHA to consult with all 17 Hawaiian Charter Schools before applying to receive millions of dollars on their behalf.

Hālau Kū Māna Principal, Dr. Brandon Bunag, said, “Regardless of what the application did or did not require, it is best practice—pono—to at least inform schools of an intent or desire to support our school by administering a grant that has been managed by another organization for so many years.”

Once the award of the grant was made public, hundreds of letters from HFCS parents and community members from throughout the state were sent to CEO Crabbe, and the Board of Trustees, asking them to reconsider awarding the $3 million HFCS grant to CNHA. At the heart of community concern is a lack of trust toward CNHA, an organization that has advocated relentlessly and ambitiously for Federal Recognition.

Representative Kaniela Ing plans to introduce a bill during the next legislative session that would cut taxes Hawaiʻi residents pay for beer by more than half, from 93 cents a gallon to 42 cents a gallon.

“While it may appear that beer is taxed at a lower rate per gallon when compared to wine or spirits, if you break down the amount of alcohol per average gallon of beer versus wine or spirits, beer drinkers are taxed at a much higher rate,” said Rep. Ing. “The goal here is to level out the taxes so that each type of alcoholic beverage is taxed equitably.”

Rep. Ing says he is not much of an alcohol drinker himself, and his proposed tax cut is simply a matter of class fairness.

“Working people tend to drink beer more often than other types of alcoholic beverages,” he said. “But today they are taxed more per ounce of alcohol than someone drinking wine. When you look at it that way, the current system is incredibly unjust.”

Compared to other states, Hawaiʻi’s alcohol taxes rank second highest for beer, 11th for wine and 23rd for spirits.

Ing believes this proposal makes sense from an economic and business standpoint as well.

“Hawaiʻi’s beer industry is growing and has resulted in hundreds of new jobs, diversified tourism and a stronger economy,” Ing said. “If you look at other states, this local industry has a lot of room to grow. We should encourage the growth of local business to allow them to compete in the national marketplace.”

The Honolulu City Council will be deciding on whether or not to approve the “Rail Recovery Plan” outlined by Transportation chair Ikaika Anderson and submitted to the FTA on September 15. Tomorrow (Tuesday, October 3, 2017), a joint Committee on Budget and Transportation and Planning meeting will be held at at 9 a.m. The council may or may not take action on the resolution or any amendments proposed thereto at a special council meeting to be held on Friday, October 6, 2017, also at 9 a.m.

Resolution 17-266: Approving the Recovery Plan for the Honolulu Rail Transit Project submitted to the Federal Transit Administration on September 15, 2017.

Submit testimony here.

Above: High school interns work on MA‘O Organic Farms during their winter break || Will Caron, Summit magazine, Issue 3.0, 2017

The Hawai‘i congressional delegation announced today that the Economic Development Administration (EDA) will award $1.6 million in federal funding to MA‘O Organic Farms in Wai‘anae to fund the construction of a new agricultural produce processing and farmer training facility. The new facility is expected to create 200 new jobs in west O‘ahu.

“Sixteen-years ago we started with 5 acres and handful of Wai‘anae college interns. Now we farm 25 acres, produce almost 100 tons of organic food per year, and support hundreds of youth in our college–career pathway. The graduates of this program have become leaders in the community,” said Gary Maunakea-Forth, Co-Founder and Managing Director of MAʻO Organic Farms. “The new processing/training facility allows us to produce more food, train more young people, and create critically needed green industry careers.”

The funding from the EDA will improve economic capacity and assets that will make it possible for entrepreneurs and small business enterprises to be more operationally efficient, resulting in an expected 200 jobs for the region—but it will also help rekindle the connection between the Wai‘anae community and the land. MA’O Organic Farms operation helps to implement the Waiʻanae Community Re-Development Corporation (WCRC)‘s mission to stimulate economic growth through education and respect for Native Hawaiian agricultural and land management practices.

“Food security is one of the greatest challenges facing Hawaiʻi, as our state still imports more than 85 percent of its food. [Our state is] also facing an aging farming population. This funding will bring jobs and investment to the Waiʻanae coast along with critical training for the next generation of local farmers and agriculture producers,” said U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard. “Over the years, MA‘O Organic Farms and WCRC have worked to empower our Waiʻanae community by preserving and protecting our ‘āina and resources, promoting opportunities for our keiki and community, developing affordable housing, fostering local agriculture, and so much more. This funding will help to continue and expand their important mission.”

“Agriculture is part of Hawai‘i’s history, and this funding will help it be part of our future, too,” said U.S. Senator Brian Schatz. “It gives MA‘O Organic Farms the resources to carry out its mission and enhance farming operations in Wai‘anae, and that’s going to create jobs and create a stronger industry overall.”

“Investing in community projects that support locally grown agriculture is critical to advancing towards a more sustainable and food-secure future for Hawai‘i,” agreed U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono. “By funding projects like the new facility at MA‘O Organic Farms in Wai‘anae, we are providing local communities the tools they need to develop innovative solutions, create new jobs, and train our next-generation agricultural workforce.”

“These critical funds will help farmers in Wai‘anae overcome the many obstacles to economically viable farming on O‘ahu,” added U.S. Representative Colleen Hanabusa.  “Hawai‘i needs sustainable agriculture and these funds will make a positive difference. Congratulations to MA‘O Organic Farms.” 

“The new facility is emblematic of the power of partnerships,” said Maunakea-Forth. “We thank our congressional delegation and the folks at EDA, especially the tireless Gail Fujita, and acknowledge our healthy food systems/healthy community collaborators at Kamehameha Schools, the Kōkua Hawai‘i Foundation, the Atherton Foundation, the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, the University of Hawai‘i and Leeward Community College.”

The press release is as follows:

As parents of current Hālau Kū Māna (HKM) students, we will be attending the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board meeting this Thursday, September 21, 2017 to express our support of Hawaiian Focus Charter Schools (HFCS) and our concerns with the Council [for] Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) receiving a $1.5 million dollar Office of Hawaiian Affairs grant on our school’s behalf and on behalf of the 16 other HFCS schools. These monies are vital to the success and survival of HFCS schools, all of which are community-based schools that use culturally responsive curriculum. Many of us have been a part of the HKM community and/or involved with other Hawaiian educational organizations for many years.

While we understand that CNHA won the competitive bid process, this organization did not consult with our po’o kumu or with the Hawaiian charter school leaders, as a collective, before applying to take this kuleana. In years past, this grant has been awarded to Kanu o ka ʻĀina Learning ʻOhana (KALO) whose mission is to serve and perpetuate “sustainable Hawaiian communities through Education with Aloha.” KALO has supported our schools since the very beginning, respecting each school’s autonomy while providing services and organizing events that have brought us together. Programs KALO has spearheaded and provided include the Hālau Wānana teacher certification program, Ke Ea Hawaiʻi interscholastic student council, an MEdT program for rising school leaders, and the Ku’i ka Lono conference for haumāna, kumu, po’o and our communities. In contrast, CNHA leaders did not even seek basic consent from our schools to receive these monies on our behalf. In the words of HKM’s principal, Brandon Bunag, “As an organization, CNHA has been absent from ongoing discussions and advocacy and out of touch on our priorities as a collective.”

We are deeply concerned about the way that CNHA has approached this relationship, and we feel that our school is being forced into a relationship with an organization that is not aligned with our values as a learning community. The HKM ‘Aha Mākua met on Thursday, September 14, 2017 and voted unanimously to oppose CNHA administering OHA funding for Hawaiian charter schools. As of this morning, over 160 letters from parents from 13 Hawaiian Charter Schools [have been] submitted in opposition to CNHA administering the OHA HFCS grant and an additional 60 parent letters were sent to CNHA asking them not to accept the grant.

We are also asking OHA to revise the request for proposals in the future to limit to or prioritize nonprofit organizations that make Hawaiian education central to their mission and operations, or to grant the monies directly to the schools themselves or the schools’ supporting nonprofits.