DLNR Outplants Native Species at Kaala Natural Area Reserve

Posted on March 9, 2013 by Damon

Plants that are critically endangered will be reintroduced to their native habitat in a unique bog

Yesterday, volunteers, along with staff of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) conducted an outplanting of native plants at the Mt. Kaala Natural Area Reserve, the highest peak on Oahu.

Kaala

DLNR photo. This critically endangered plant had fewer than 75 individuals left in the wild. Today’s outplanting tripled its population. The flowers are traditionally used as lei.

Protection of Mt. Kaala Natural Area Reserve’s watershed forests by restoring native forest ecosystems is critical for maintaining the water supply of West and Central Oahu. Volunteers reintroduced the critically endangered kamakahala – with fewer than 100 individuals remaining in the wild –to its native habitat in the ridges of Mt. Kaala.

Members From DLNR’s Natural Area Reserves System, Waianae Mountain Watershed Partnership, and volunteers from Oahu Army Natural Resource Program collaborated to outplant 150 Kamakahala plants. DLNR photo.

Members From DLNR’s Natural Area Reserves System, Waianae Mountain Watershed Partnership, and volunteers from Oahu Army Natural Resource Program collaborated to outplant 150 Kamakahala plants. DLNR photo.

A hundred and fifty plants were planted thanks to collaboration the Board of Water Supply, Oahu Army Natural Resource Program, Waianae Mountains Watershed Partnership and DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife and Plant Extinction Prevention (PEP) program.

Members of the Waianae Mountain Watershed Partnership team up with Volunteers from the Oahu Army Natural Resource Program to support efforts to restore the Kamakahala in its natural habitat. DLNR photo.

Members of the Waianae Mountain Watershed Partnership team up with Volunteers from the Oahu Army Natural Resource Program to support efforts to restore the Kamakahala in its natural habitat. DLNR photo.

These new plantings will help strengthen the integrity of the forest watershed by maintaining the biodiversity of the Hawaiian forest.

For more information on Mt. Kaala Natural Area Reserve go to
http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw/nars/reserves/oahu/mountkaala

For information on the DLNR Rare Plant Program check out:
http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw/rareplants/rareplantprogram

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Filed under: Agriculture, Announcements, Environment, Hawaii, Hawaiian, Oahu, State Affairs | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

The Intergalactic Nemesis is Coming to Hawaii! Performances on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Damon

The Intergalactic Nemesis: Book One Target Earth performs at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Performing Arts Center on Friday, January 11 at 7:30 pm.

Intergalatic Nemesis
“This is a one-of-a-kind all-ages show, and is definitely not to be missed!” said UH Hilo Performing Arts Center Manager Lee Dombroski. The premise is simple: a period adventure story featuring Pulitzer-winning reporter Molly Sloan, her intrepid assistant Timmy Mendez, and a mysterious librarian named Ben Wilcott as they face the most serious threat Earth has ever known: an impending invasion of sludge monsters from the planet Zygon.

“The telling is what makes the experience of The Intergalactic Nemesis so incredibly unique,” Dombroski explained. “While three actors, one Foley artist, and one keyboardist perform all the voices, sound effects and music, more than 1,000 hand-drawn, full color, hi-res, blow-your-mind comic book images blast from the screen, all performed live. Inspired by Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, and the pulp serials of the 1930s, The Intergalactic Nemesis is a spectacle unlike any other and it’s for the kid in everyone.”

Tickets are reserved seating and priced at $20 General, $15 Discount and $10 UH Hilo/HawCC students and children, up to age 17, and available by calling the UH Hilo Box Office at 974-7310 or ordering online at artscenter.uhh.hawaii.edu.

Hawaii Show Dates:

  • Wednesday, January 9, 2013 Book One: Target Earth Maui Arts & Cultural Center – Castle Theatre Kahului, Hawaii
  • Friday, January 11, 2013 Book One: Target Earth University of Hawai’i Performing Arts Center Hilo, Hawaii
  • Saturday, January 12, 2013 University of Hawai’i, Kennedy Theatre Honolulu, Hawaii

Filed under: Announcements, Comedy, Entertainment, Hawaii, Something New?, UH, UH Hilo | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

State Civil Defense Siren Maintenance on Oahu Tomorrow

Posted on November 18, 2012 by Damon

State Civil Defense siren maintenance technicians will conduct testing at the following siren locations Monday, November 19, 2012:

• Aiea High School
• Aiea Heights
• Waimalu Elementary School
• Pearl City District Park
• Palisades Elementary School

Residents in these areas may hear the sirens sound for 30-seconds during the identified time periods. The technicians will use data gathered from these tests to verify operational status and maintenance actions.

Oahu residents may call State Civil Defense at 733-4300 if they have any questions or concerns regarding this test of the Statewide Outdoor Siren Warning System.

State Civil Defense encourages the public to make use of redundant methods of warning including, but not limited to, text notification systems and NOAA Weather Radio.

Filed under: Announcements, Environment, Hawaii, Oahu, Security, State Affairs, Technology | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Hawaii’s Woodshow 2012 People’s and Artist’s Choice Winners Selected

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Damon

The 20th Annual Hawai`i Forest Industry Association’s Hawaii’s Woodshow wrapped up recently at the Honolulu Museum of Art Academy Art School Gallery at Linekona.  While Jurors for the show previewed and

Kulalic Desk and Chair
Vedad Kulalic’s impressive and playful “Desk and Chair” earned the People’s Choice Award.

Photo courtesy of Little Looks Photography

selected winners in various categories before the show’s opening date, the People’s Choice and Artist’s Choice winners have just been announced.
Master craftsman Vedad Kulalic won the People’s Choice award with his playful yet skillfully designed and crafted “Desk with Chair.”  Kulalic, who lives on Oahu, utilized a combination of monkey pod and koa to mimic a soft fabric-draped desk that many onlookers mistook as sculpture rather than furniture.
Prior to the show’s opening Peter Ziroli’s “Round Center Table” had received the 1st Place Furniture award designated by

Ziroli Center Table
Peter Ziroli’s “Round Center Table” won two awards at the 2012 Hawaii’s Woodshow.

Photo courtesy of Little Looks Photography

Woodshow Jurors. Participating artists agreed and chose Ziroli’s table for the Artist’s Choice award. The table is based on an 1869 design by William Fisher. The table top is koa with a longon wood star and pheasant wood banding. Medallions on the table apron and base are longon and applied panels are of light koa and kamani. Ziroli lives and works in O’okala on Hawai’i Island.

“I’d like to thank our team of volunteers for making the 20th annual Hawaii’s Woodshow such a huge success,” said Marian Yasuda, show coordinator. “The Woodshow would not be possible without the collective effort of many people. The generosity and sacrifices are greatly appreciated by me and all those who enjoy seeing such a fantastic exhibit each year.”

Only art pieces crafted predominately from Hawai’i-grown woods are displayed at Hawaii’s Woodshow as part of its endeavor to encourage and strengthen appreciation for sustainable forestry through the planting of native species. Endangered woods and certain rare species are prohibited.  Many Woodshow pieces are for sale to the public at http://gallery.hawaiiforest.org/

Hawaii’s Woodshow sponsors included Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods, DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Kamehameha Schools, Ron and Myra Kent, Specialty Forest Products, Inc., State of Hawai’i Department of Agriculture, Alexander & Baldwin and the Alexander & Baldwin Foundation, Halekulani Hotel, C. Barton Potter, Bubbies Ice Cream, Martin & MacArthur, and wood artist and HFIA Board President Tai Lake.

Filed under: aloha, Announcements, Entertainment, Hawaii, Hawaiian, State Affairs | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Wordless Wednesday – Stupid Tourists!

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Damon

This is my definition of stupid tourists:

Would you allow your kids to swim in this death trap? This pool is connected to the open ocean by a short underwater tunnel. Works pretty much like a toilet flushing. As the wave comes in the pool fills up. When receding, the pool empties. You can imagine what happens when you’re sucked out the tunnel!!!! Many people have drowned here!
info@globalvideoprotv.com

Filed under: aloha, Environment, Hawaii, Idiots, Movies and Film, Tourism, Wordless Wednesday | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Formula One Racing Star Jenson Button Cruising in Hawaii… Goes Riding With My Friend

Posted on December 18, 2011 by Damon

I found out that the famous Formula One Racing Champion Jenson Button is on Oahu right now.

According to his twitter account he’s been having a good time… but I also see that he went for a bike ride with my friend @MikeZagorski !

Jenson Button's Recent Tweets

Here is the picture from those tweets:

Mike Zagorski is the other guy that set the Hawaii Tandem Altitude Skydiving records with me last week and he sent me this picture of their 76 kilometer ride around Oahu to me:

(L-R: Mike, Georgie, Chris, Jenson, Seth, Shannon, and Jesse behind the lens)

Here is Jensons tweet from yesterday:

Great 76k ride yesterday here on Oahu with @mikezagorski @Chris_Buncombe @Trigrr @jurikooo @SethGB @shannonaoshea & Jesse..

Jenson is quite famous in the United Kingdom where Formula One Racing is huge.  He has more then 708,000 followers on a verified twitter account.

According to Wikipedia:

Like many Formula One drivers, Button resided in the principality of Monaco but he has since moved to Guernsey. He said that it was the great training possibilities that took him away from the tax haven. He also has properties in the United Kingdom and Bahrain. His hobbies include mountain biking, competing in triathlons and body boarding, and his car collection includes a Nissan GT-R, a 1956 VW Campervan, a Honda S600 and a Mercedes C63 AMG, numerous Ferraris (including an Enzo) & his championship winning Brawn BGP 001. He previously owned a blue on black Bugatti Veyron.[

Button has been dating Japanese model Jessica Michibata for two and a half years.Button has two tattoos: a black coat button on his right forearm; and Japanese kanji-characters on his ankle which say “一番” (Ichi ban, “Number One” in Japanese), this was done before he won the world title, and is the name of Button’s triathlon team. Since mid-2010, the same legend has appeared on Button’s race helmet. Button is also a brand ambassador for Head & Shoulders, and has appeared in advertising campaigns for the company.

Mike wrote a post on his website where he states:

Last week I said “I got my Architect license and did a skydive from 21,000ft… What next?”. Late on Friday evening my question was answered: I would meeting up with British Formula 1 driver Jenson Button (2009 World Champion) and Chris Buncombe (2007 Le Mans 24hr Winner – LMP2 Class) for a 3-hours bike ride on O’ahu!

Congratulations to Mike Zagorski for doing some exciting things this past week… but most respectably… receiving your architect license!

I hope Jenson has a great time in Hawaii and if he makes it to the Big Island… I’d love to meet him!

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Funnel Clouds and Weird Weather Patterns Reported Over Oahu Today

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Damon

Folks over on Oahu are reporting that they saw a “Tornado or Funnel Cloud” in the vicinity of Schofield Baracks.

Funnel Cloud over Oahu

Funnel Cloud over Oahu

Here is just one of the videos uploaded to youtube today:

Filed under: Environment, Hawaii, Oahu, Rumors, Unexplained Phenomenon | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Why Can’t the County of Hawaii Have Roadside Pick Up of Garbage?

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Damon

The Big Island does not have curbside pick up of garbage and we have been having a major problem with illegal dumping going on.

As the Big Island grows, I would think we would start thinking more about having the county provide garbage pick up in at least some parts of the county.  A truck could drive by an area once a week and pick up bags by residences that don’t have the means to take their opala to the transfer stations.

Kauai has it (http://www.kauai.gov/Government/Departments/PublicWorks/SolidWaste/RefuseCollection/AutomatedRefuseCollection/tabid/359/Default.aspx)

Kauai County Website

Maui has it (http://www.co.maui.hi.us/index.aspx?NID=763)

Maui County website

And of course Oahu has it (http://www.opala.org/solid_waste/curbside.htm)

Oahu County website

So my question… why can’t the Big Island have it provided by the County?

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Filed under: aloha, Big Island, Community, Environment, Hawaii, Health, Kauai, Maui, Oahu, Opala in Paradise | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Stratus Media Group Announces Upcoming ProElite MMA Event in Hawaii

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Damon
Media Release:

ProElite, Inc, today announces its next step in mixed martial arts (MMA) with a fight in Oahu, Hawaii on Saturday, August 27th.

The chosen venue is the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Waikiki, the world-famous beach resort destination, marking the third time ProElite will bring its MMA event to the Arena.

The August event is ProElite’s first under the new ownership of Stratus Media Group Inc. Stratus Media Group recently closed the acquisition of 95% of ProElite.

Jay Thompson

“The timing could not be better!” said Jay Thompson, Vice President of ProElite Fight Operations. “MMA continues to see solid growth and has achieved mainstream acceptance across all visual media platforms in the last few years. It still has plenty of time to mature in the sporting arena.”

Fighter signings and match-ups for the August 27th Blaisdell Arena card will be released soon.

Filed under: aloha, Announcements, BJ Penn, Entertainment, KO's, MMA, Oahu, Sports | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Disney Cruise Line to Come to the Islands of Hawaii

Posted on April 10, 2011 by Damon

Disney Cruise Line is coming to Hilo on the Big Island  as well as the other islands!  I noticed this about a week ago and finally it has been confirmed by Lee Hopkinson of HONBLUE.

My son has been begging to go back to Disneyland since we went there a couple summers ago!

I wonder if they would offer just an inter-island cruise ever?

Filed under: aloha, Announcements, Entertainment, Kids, Something New?, Tourism, Transportation | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

$29 Tickets to Molokai Now Available on Go!Mokulele Airlines

Posted on October 18, 2010 by Damon

I just noticed that one of the sponsors of this site, Go! Mokulele Airlines,  is offering an awesome rate to get to Molokai from Oahu and Maui right now!  $29.00 bucks… can you beat that?

Filed under: aloha, Announcements, Economy, Entertainment, Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Transportation | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Series of Puwalus Look Toward Improving Fishing

Posted on October 3, 2010 by Damon

More good news for the fishing industry:

Throughout the Hawaiian islands fishermen, Native Hawaiians and the public are coming together to share their knowledge of the sea. These statewide puwalu (unions), hosted by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, are aimed at developing best practices in the marine and fishing communities based upon traditional resource management systems.

Kicking-off on Moku O Keawe (the Big Island) with stops on Lanai, Maui, Kauai, Oahu and Molokai, the series delves into the subjects of adaptive management and regulation, code of conduct, community consultation, local and visitor education, and criteria necessary to be eligible to make decisions regarding natural resource management.

The findings will be presented to WPRFMC members and be used to implement the council’s Hawaii Archipelago Fishery Ecosystem Plan, which includes enhanced community involvement in the fishery management decision making process.

The series of puwalu are just part of the WPRFMC provision to support and sustain indigenous and other fishing communities in the U.S. Pacific Islands. The council was established under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act in 1976, which was reauthorized in 1996 as the Sustainable Fisheries Act and most recently reauthorized in 2006…

…Joining the council in this endeavor were the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate, the State of Hawaii, the Hawaii Tourism Authority, and a number of other community organizations throughout the state…

More here: Series of Puwalus Look Toward Improving Fishing

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The 2010 Aloha Festival Parade… Where Did All the Floats Go?

Posted on September 27, 2010 by Damon

The Aloha Festival Parade in Waikiki is normally one of the most colorful parades in the nation, but this year… I have to ask… what happened to all the floats?

Last year there were 14 floats according to the Star-Advertiser.  This year there was only 5!

I have to wonder if the economy is taking away from this parade as it does cost a lot of time and money to put together a nice float. 

The Star-Advertiser said there was 5 floats… but as I look back over my pictures… I think they may have mistaken a few pooper scooper’s as floats.

Of course there was lots of equestrian units as well!

While the horse were adorned with much flowers… I had to feel sorry for them a bit as it was a hot day!

While I felt sorry for the horses… the folks I really felt sorry for… were the kids in all the marching bands that walked from Ala Moana Park all the way to Kapiolani Park!

I couldn’t imagine carrying this thing for nearly 3 to 4 miles in the blazing sun!

Feel free to click on the pictures above or below for larger images:

Filed under: aloha, Entertainment, Hawaiian, Kids, Oahu, State Affairs, Tourism | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Video: Tree Crashes on Car on Oahu

Posted on November 4, 2009 by Damon

This has been a bad week at this corner on Oahu:

Clip 1:

Clip 2:

Filed under: Environment, Oahu, Unexplained Phenomenon | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

Ehime Maru – 8 Years Ago

Posted on February 10, 2009 by Damon

Yesterday, marked 8 years since the Ehime Maru incident off Oahu waters that left 9 crew members dead including 4 high school students after the submarine USS Greenville slammed into it as it was rising to the surface of the ocean.

The Ehime Maru before being hit by the US Submarine Greenville.

The Ehime Maru before being hit by the Submarine USS Greenville

The following is from a Japanese newspaper out of the Ehime Prefecture:

MATSUYAMA, Ehime Pref. (Kyodo) About 340 people offered silent prayers Tuesday for the nine people who died eight years ago when a U.S. submarine surfaced under a Japanese fisheries high school training ship off Hawaii.

At a memorial service at Uwajima Fisheries High School in Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture, students, family members and teachers rang a bell recovered from the sunken Ehime Maru nine times at 8:43 a.m. — 1:43 p.m. Hawaii time — the exact moment when the 499-ton ship was struck from below by the USS Greeneville.

“Tremendous anger and grief have not gone away even after eight years. It is our duty to learn the lessons from the accident,” said Shinzo Imaoka, principal of Uwajima Fisheries High School.

In Honolulu, 60 people, including relatives of three of the victims, held their own memorial ceremony Monday.

“I don’t want to bring back the memory of the accident, but I really appreciate so many people attending the ceremony every year,” said Tatsuyoshi Mizuguchi, who lost his 17-year-old son, Takeshi, in the accident.

Mizuguchi’s son is the only victim whose body was not recovered.

Hawaii’s Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro produced the following Ukulele Song for the people of Ehime Maru and entitled it appropriately “Ehime Maru”:

Here is a clip of the salvation mission under sea:

Some shots of Canyon’s XL-16 and Quest ROV during salvage operations of the ‘Ehime Maru’.

Filed under: Military, Oahu, State Affairs, Tourism, Transportation | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Lingle Releases $833,00 for Advanced Traveler Information System for Oahu Travelers

Posted on February 2, 2009 by Damon

Governor Linda Lingle has released $833,000 to implement the first phase of an Advanced Traveler Information System for H-1, H-2 and H-201 (Moanalua) Freeways to help motorists avoid traffic and reduce their commute times…

More Here

Filed under: Economy, Highway 130, Lingle, Oahu, State Affairs, Transportation | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

“Eggs ‘N Things” Moves to New Location: Re-Grand Opening Soon

Posted on January 30, 2009 by Damon

Waikiki’s infamous restaurant Eggs ‘N Things restaurant is moving to a new location.

This is the old location at the bottom of McCully Street in Waikiki:

If you haven’t ever eaten there, I highly recommend the salsa that they provide for the eggs!

I used to live within walking distance and I used to eat there all the time.  The place would literally have a line-up of tourists waiting to get in the place all the time.

I’m assuming this new location will provide more seating and less wait time.

Eggs 'N Things New Location

Eggs 'N Things New Location

The grand re-opening of Eggs ‘N Things is scheduled for February 2009, just in time to celebrate our 35th anniversary! Our new location is 343 Saratoga Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96815. We are looking forward to opening our restaurant doors to provide you with a comfortable and welcoming eatery and the traditionally delicious food you’ve come to love…

More Here

Filed under: Food & Drink, Oahu, Tourism | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Honolulu City Council Passes Bill Banning Text-Messaging While Driving

Posted on January 29, 2009 by Damon

From KITV:

The Honolulu City Council has passed a bill banning Oahu motorists from text-messaging on their cell phones and playing video games while driving.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann hasn’t decided whether he’ll sign the bill. He’s concerned the measure will be difficult for police to enforce.

Council member Charles Djou introduced the bill after a city bus driver was suspended for playing a video game while driving a bus.

Filed under: County Council, Legal, Oahu, Technology, Transportation | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Rotary Club of Honolulu and Palama Settlement Create ‘Giving’ Library

Posted on January 25, 2009 by Damon

Reading is cool! That’s why 48 Honolulu Club Rotarians spent their Saturday (January 24) constructing bookshelves and sorting thousands of books recently donated to the Palama Settlement-7,000 to date.

“These books will soon be off the floors, out of boxes and onto shelves ready for kids to browse and read,” said Rotarian Kirk Hovious, coordinator of the construction project for the Rotary Club of Honolulu.

Everything about this hands-on Rotary Cares project is unique.


It’s the first library–and a dream come true–for Palama Settlement, a century-old community organization serving individuals and families in the Palama, Kalihi and Liliha neighborhoods of Oahu.

It’s “non-traditional”-books will be conveniently located throughout the Palama campus-children’s books on shelves near the preschool area, teen reads at the activity center for youth and literature of all sorts at the adult education center. And, it will be a “giving” library-you can keep the book if you want it.

The message is one of literacy.

“By spreading books out in different locations, we encourage people to take and use them and share them with others,” said Jan Harada, Palama Settlement executive director, who worked with Rotarians on the concept. “It just seemed more practical.”

The project is also a double win for Honolulu Club Rotarians. By doing the work themselves, the club qualifies for a $10,000 grant from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation. This year the funds will go to Catholic Charities Hawaii for its senior citizens transportation program.

Filed under: Announcements, Education, Kids, Oahu | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Surfings Darkside on the North Shore – New York Times NEW Video

Posted on January 23, 2009 by Damon

Many people still remember this beat down by a famous local surfer that is featured in this NY Times piece:

Here is the movie trailer to “Busting Down the Door”

Filed under: Legal, Oahu, Sports | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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