Saturday, April 10, 2004
Hanalei Bay reefs are focus of federal study
By LESTER CHANG - TGI Staff Writer
Posted: Wednesday, Apr 07, 2004 - 04:38:43 am HST
Officials with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service are working with state officials and others to plan ways to reduce pollution impacts on coral reefs in Hanalei Bay and reefs off Maui and Moloka‘i.
The project also is intended to improve the water quality around reefs, according to EPA spokesman Dean Higuchi.
"The EPA will work with its partners to use our programs, authorities and grants to protect reefs that are essential to the food supply, economy, culture and shoreline protection of Hawai‘i," said Alexis Strauss, water division director of EPA's Pacific Southwest Region.
The project is "a new tool in the tool box to protect coral reefs and the near-shore environment," Higuchi said.
Hanalei Bay was selected by a steering committee for participation in the project partly due to ongoing efforts by Kaua‘i groups and individuals to protect reefs in the bay, Higuchi said.
"There has been great community interest, a high amount of ongoing community support," Higuchi said.
Ongoing support has come from proponents of the Hanalei Heritage River program, which seeks to improve the quality of water in the Hanalei River watershed.
The watershed runs from the top of Mt. Wai‘ale‘ale to Pu‘u Point and Makahoa Point, an area located on the western edge of the bay.
Supporters of the Hanalei Heritage River program were eligible last May for up to $700,000 in grants from the EPA to protect the river and streams in the Hanalei ahupua‘a.
Members of the Hanalei-based Limu Coalition also have striven to protect the river from over-commercialization by tour boats that used the river as a start-off point for tours to Na Pali Coast.
Should the latest EPA project become successful, the program could be expanded to help other reefs on Kaua‘i and elsewhere in the state, Higuchi said
Other factors were used in determining which reefs could be helped through the federal project. They included land-management and pollution-control activities and data gathered on reef and water-quality conditions.
In addition to the Hanalei ahupua‘a, the government plan focuses on the two other priority ahupua‘a, one at Honolua, Maui and the other from Kawela to Kapualei on Moloka‘i.
Supporters of the Hawaii Local Action Strategy will attempt to reduce pollution to improve the quality of coastal waters and health of coral ecosystems; improve coordination among federal and state agency officials, land managers and marine scientists; improve knowledge of how land management affects the health of coral reefs; and increase awareness statewide of pollution prevention and control measures.
"Building on the ahupua‘a concept, we believe the local action strategy will lead to a greater understanding that all things in the environment are connected," said Lawrence T. Yamamoto, state conservationist of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
"Responsible actions on our islands mean healthier coral reefs."
Higuchi said it was his understanding people or community groups can apply for funds to protect marine resources to participate in the new project.
Other partners involved in the program include the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, the state Department of Health, and the Hawaii Coastal Zone Management Program.
Staff Writer Lester Chang may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) or mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net.
By LESTER CHANG - TGI Staff Writer
Posted: Wednesday, Apr 07, 2004 - 04:38:43 am HST
Officials with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service are working with state officials and others to plan ways to reduce pollution impacts on coral reefs in Hanalei Bay and reefs off Maui and Moloka‘i.
The project also is intended to improve the water quality around reefs, according to EPA spokesman Dean Higuchi.
"The EPA will work with its partners to use our programs, authorities and grants to protect reefs that are essential to the food supply, economy, culture and shoreline protection of Hawai‘i," said Alexis Strauss, water division director of EPA's Pacific Southwest Region.
The project is "a new tool in the tool box to protect coral reefs and the near-shore environment," Higuchi said.
Hanalei Bay was selected by a steering committee for participation in the project partly due to ongoing efforts by Kaua‘i groups and individuals to protect reefs in the bay, Higuchi said.
"There has been great community interest, a high amount of ongoing community support," Higuchi said.
Ongoing support has come from proponents of the Hanalei Heritage River program, which seeks to improve the quality of water in the Hanalei River watershed.
The watershed runs from the top of Mt. Wai‘ale‘ale to Pu‘u Point and Makahoa Point, an area located on the western edge of the bay.
Supporters of the Hanalei Heritage River program were eligible last May for up to $700,000 in grants from the EPA to protect the river and streams in the Hanalei ahupua‘a.
Members of the Hanalei-based Limu Coalition also have striven to protect the river from over-commercialization by tour boats that used the river as a start-off point for tours to Na Pali Coast.
Should the latest EPA project become successful, the program could be expanded to help other reefs on Kaua‘i and elsewhere in the state, Higuchi said
Other factors were used in determining which reefs could be helped through the federal project. They included land-management and pollution-control activities and data gathered on reef and water-quality conditions.
In addition to the Hanalei ahupua‘a, the government plan focuses on the two other priority ahupua‘a, one at Honolua, Maui and the other from Kawela to Kapualei on Moloka‘i.
Supporters of the Hawaii Local Action Strategy will attempt to reduce pollution to improve the quality of coastal waters and health of coral ecosystems; improve coordination among federal and state agency officials, land managers and marine scientists; improve knowledge of how land management affects the health of coral reefs; and increase awareness statewide of pollution prevention and control measures.
"Building on the ahupua‘a concept, we believe the local action strategy will lead to a greater understanding that all things in the environment are connected," said Lawrence T. Yamamoto, state conservationist of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
"Responsible actions on our islands mean healthier coral reefs."
Higuchi said it was his understanding people or community groups can apply for funds to protect marine resources to participate in the new project.
Other partners involved in the program include the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, the state Department of Health, and the Hawaii Coastal Zone Management Program.
Staff Writer Lester Chang may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) or mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net.
KPUA.net - KPUA Hawaii News - Neighbor island condo market remains hot: "Posted: Saturday, April 10th, 2004 6:03 PM HST
Neighbor island condo market remains hot
By Associated Press
(Honolulu-AP) -- Low mortgage rates and eager buyers from the mainland fueled a hot condominium market on the neighbor islands last month.
According to Hawaii Information Service, a total of 328 condos were sold last month on the islands of Kauai, Maui and the Big Island, up about 20 percent from March 2003.
There were 59 condominiums sold on Kauai, almost double the amount sold the same month a year ago. On Maui, 182 condos were sold, up from 166 a year ago.
On the Big Island, 87 condos were sold, up from 79.
Terry Kamen of Maikai Properties on Kauai says the surge in condo sales is due to the baby boomer generation buying their retirement homes. "
Neighbor island condo market remains hot
By Associated Press
(Honolulu-AP) -- Low mortgage rates and eager buyers from the mainland fueled a hot condominium market on the neighbor islands last month.
According to Hawaii Information Service, a total of 328 condos were sold last month on the islands of Kauai, Maui and the Big Island, up about 20 percent from March 2003.
There were 59 condominiums sold on Kauai, almost double the amount sold the same month a year ago. On Maui, 182 condos were sold, up from 166 a year ago.
On the Big Island, 87 condos were sold, up from 79.
Terry Kamen of Maikai Properties on Kauai says the surge in condo sales is due to the baby boomer generation buying their retirement homes. "
IOL : Surfing vet dies in Hawaiian shark attack: "Surfing vet dies in Hawaiian shark attack
April 10 2004 at 12:10AM
A surfer has been killed while riding the waves off the coast of Hawaii in the first confirmed fatal shark attack in the island paradise in 12 years.
Shark control officials in the offshore American state said 57-year-old Willis McInnis died after being bitten on the leg while paddling for waves off Kahana Beach on the island of Maui, a key tourist destination.
'I understand he received some assistance, got to the shore and then passed away at the scene,' Randy Honebrink, a spokesperson for the state's Shark Task Force said.
'Most likely the species would have been a Tiger shark. A lot of them are there. It was a fairly large shark, they are responsible for these types of attacks,' he said.
'Most likely the species would have been a Tiger shark'
While there are three or four shark attacks off Hawaii each year, this week's attack was the first confirmed shark fatality here since 1992, Honebrink said.
Hawaii resident McInnis was paddling his surfboard in the water about 150m off the beach when the predator struck at about 7am, local news reports said. Fellow surfers rallied to save the bleeding victim.
'I heard him yelling, 'Help! Help me!'' his friend and surf buddy Roger Coombs told the Maui News, adding that he saw McInnis lying on top of his board in water that was three to 4,5 metres deep.
Coombs said he could see a 'big chunk had been taken out of the right back thigh - just below the buttocks.' He also could see McInnis was losing massive amounts of blood.
"I was trying to buck him up. Make him feel better and make him feel that somebody was here. 'You're going to be OK. We're going to get you in'," he said of his efforts to get veteran surfer McInnis back to shore.
'Help! Help me!'
The surfer suffered severe lacerations to his upper right thigh and calf, officials said.
Police, paramedics and bystanders battled to save his life, but he died of extensive loss of blood.
"Will was alive. He was talking. He was holding onto his board with his hands," his shocked friend Tina Cooper told reporters of the moments after the attack.
Lifeguards immediately hoisted shark warning signs and closed a 3,2km stretch of beach as boats and aircraft patrolled the ocean for sharks.
There were four shark attacks reported in Hawaii in 2003, including one on October 31 when 13-year-old surfer Bethany Hamilton had her left arm ripped off in the water off the small island of Kauai.
The plucky teenager survived and has returned to surfing.
The last confirmed shark attack death in Hawaii was that of 18-year-old surfer Aaron Romento off the island of Oahu in 1992. - Sapa-AFP
April 10 2004 at 12:10AM
A surfer has been killed while riding the waves off the coast of Hawaii in the first confirmed fatal shark attack in the island paradise in 12 years.
Shark control officials in the offshore American state said 57-year-old Willis McInnis died after being bitten on the leg while paddling for waves off Kahana Beach on the island of Maui, a key tourist destination.
'I understand he received some assistance, got to the shore and then passed away at the scene,' Randy Honebrink, a spokesperson for the state's Shark Task Force said.
'Most likely the species would have been a Tiger shark. A lot of them are there. It was a fairly large shark, they are responsible for these types of attacks,' he said.
'Most likely the species would have been a Tiger shark'
While there are three or four shark attacks off Hawaii each year, this week's attack was the first confirmed shark fatality here since 1992, Honebrink said.
Hawaii resident McInnis was paddling his surfboard in the water about 150m off the beach when the predator struck at about 7am, local news reports said. Fellow surfers rallied to save the bleeding victim.
'I heard him yelling, 'Help! Help me!'' his friend and surf buddy Roger Coombs told the Maui News, adding that he saw McInnis lying on top of his board in water that was three to 4,5 metres deep.
Coombs said he could see a 'big chunk had been taken out of the right back thigh - just below the buttocks.' He also could see McInnis was losing massive amounts of blood.
"I was trying to buck him up. Make him feel better and make him feel that somebody was here. 'You're going to be OK. We're going to get you in'," he said of his efforts to get veteran surfer McInnis back to shore.
'Help! Help me!'
The surfer suffered severe lacerations to his upper right thigh and calf, officials said.
Police, paramedics and bystanders battled to save his life, but he died of extensive loss of blood.
"Will was alive. He was talking. He was holding onto his board with his hands," his shocked friend Tina Cooper told reporters of the moments after the attack.
Lifeguards immediately hoisted shark warning signs and closed a 3,2km stretch of beach as boats and aircraft patrolled the ocean for sharks.
There were four shark attacks reported in Hawaii in 2003, including one on October 31 when 13-year-old surfer Bethany Hamilton had her left arm ripped off in the water off the small island of Kauai.
The plucky teenager survived and has returned to surfing.
The last confirmed shark attack death in Hawaii was that of 18-year-old surfer Aaron Romento off the island of Oahu in 1992. - Sapa-AFP
KPUA.net - KPUA Hawaii News - Hawaii's first "Kid's Cafe" to be offered on Kauai: "Posted: Saturday, April 10th, 2004 7:12 PM HST
Hawaii's first 'Kid's Cafe' to be offered on Kauai
By Associated Press
(Lihue-AP) -- A ``Kid's Cafe'' that offers free healthy snacks to underprivileged children will be launched on Kauai beginning in September.
The after school program, which currently operates in 41 other states, is the first in Hawaii.
Kauai Food Bank has received a 20-thousand dollar grant to set up the Kid's Cafe at the Waimea Boys and Girls Club.
Waimea, on Kauai's west side, was selected because of the high number of low-income families. About 54 percent of the children receive free or reduced-price school lunches. The club also had a certified kitchen.
Kauai Food Bank executive director Judy Lenthall says local farmers will supply some of the fruits and vegetables for the program.
There will be an educational component of the program put on by the Kauai Children's Discovery Museum. "
Hawaii's first 'Kid's Cafe' to be offered on Kauai
By Associated Press
(Lihue-AP) -- A ``Kid's Cafe'' that offers free healthy snacks to underprivileged children will be launched on Kauai beginning in September.
The after school program, which currently operates in 41 other states, is the first in Hawaii.
Kauai Food Bank has received a 20-thousand dollar grant to set up the Kid's Cafe at the Waimea Boys and Girls Club.
Waimea, on Kauai's west side, was selected because of the high number of low-income families. About 54 percent of the children receive free or reduced-price school lunches. The club also had a certified kitchen.
Kauai Food Bank executive director Judy Lenthall says local farmers will supply some of the fruits and vegetables for the program.
There will be an educational component of the program put on by the Kauai Children's Discovery Museum. "
Sunday, April 04, 2004
Pearl Harbor Recognizes Month of the Military Child: "Pearl Harbor Recognizes Month of the Military Child
Story Number: NNS040402-15
Release Date: 4/3/2004 5:36:00 PM
By Journalist Seaman Ryan McGinley, Commander, Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- The Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) held a child abuse prevention and month of the military child proclamation signing ceremony March 31, in anticipation of April--the month of the military child.
"The main purpose...is to increase the public's awareness of problems [such as] child abuse and neglect, and to just let people know that there are ways to prevent it," said Chet J. Adessa, family advocacy program prevention and education specialist.
The ceremony included two representatives from the state legislature and Hawaii Sen. Brian Kanno, who presented Rear Adm. Barry McCullough, commander, Navy Region Hawaii, with a certificate of recognition, commending the Navy on all the things they do to prevent child abuse and help military families.
"Child Abuse Prevention Month helps raise the awareness level of our Navy 'ohana, because it is a simple fact that a child's quality of life starts at home," said McCullough. "Just one abused or neglected child is too many."
Local representatives from Prevent Child Abuse, Hawaii, and Child Protective Services attended the event, along with Mrs. Hawaii 2003, Ms. Kauai, Ms. Island Oahu 2003 and Mrs. Hawaii International 2003, who volunteer their services during the month of April and throughout the year. Children from the Child Development Centers and schools in the area also attended the event.
McCullough signed the proclamation in front of the children, which emphasized the Navy’s commitment to the prevention of child abuse and recognized Month of the Military Child.
“The proclamation that we have just signed today must be more than just a piece of paper,” said McCullough. “It must become a living document that parents and family members can use to remember the responsibility they bear when bringing children into this world. Our children are indeed life’s greatest treasure, and they look to us for their future.”
McCullough supported another event addressing child abuse by attaching a blue ribbon to his car after the ceremony. The blue ribbon, which can be worn on clothing or placed on car antennas, signifies child abuse prevention, said Adessa. Those wishing to support child abuse prevention can obtain a ribbon at FFSC.
“I think it’s important to set aside a whole month for these activities or events, but it shouldn’t stop there,” said Adessa. “It should be year-round.”
Month of the Military Child recognizes children in the military because they deal with aspects of military life, such as deployments or constant traveling, that other children might not have to deal with, said Adessa. “It takes a special kind of parent to be a parent of a military child,” he said.
Adessa said parents who stick together and continue communication with their children fare better. It’s important during times of deployment that children communicate with parents who might be far away, by email, telephone, regular mail and other means of communication.
A military child deals with the pressure of moving every three or four years. Adessa recommends keeping a consistent routine with the child that involves foods, games and stories to which the child has become accustomed.
“They need to have that kind of consistency or connection...to ease the transition,” he said. Child Abuse Prevention Month aims to bring awareness of the problem through a proactive approach, said Adessa.
“A lot of people just don’t realize how child abuse and neglect impacts our future heroes and children that are going to be taking our place one of these days,” he said.
“The goal is to bring to the forefront that child abuse is a national problem,” said Adessa. “Do what you can to help prevent child abuse...[and] don’t be afraid to seek help. The help is confidential.”
For related news, visit the Commander, Navy Region Hawaii Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/cnrh.
Story Number: NNS040402-15
Release Date: 4/3/2004 5:36:00 PM
By Journalist Seaman Ryan McGinley, Commander, Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- The Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) held a child abuse prevention and month of the military child proclamation signing ceremony March 31, in anticipation of April--the month of the military child.
"The main purpose...is to increase the public's awareness of problems [such as] child abuse and neglect, and to just let people know that there are ways to prevent it," said Chet J. Adessa, family advocacy program prevention and education specialist.
The ceremony included two representatives from the state legislature and Hawaii Sen. Brian Kanno, who presented Rear Adm. Barry McCullough, commander, Navy Region Hawaii, with a certificate of recognition, commending the Navy on all the things they do to prevent child abuse and help military families.
"Child Abuse Prevention Month helps raise the awareness level of our Navy 'ohana, because it is a simple fact that a child's quality of life starts at home," said McCullough. "Just one abused or neglected child is too many."
Local representatives from Prevent Child Abuse, Hawaii, and Child Protective Services attended the event, along with Mrs. Hawaii 2003, Ms. Kauai, Ms. Island Oahu 2003 and Mrs. Hawaii International 2003, who volunteer their services during the month of April and throughout the year. Children from the Child Development Centers and schools in the area also attended the event.
McCullough signed the proclamation in front of the children, which emphasized the Navy’s commitment to the prevention of child abuse and recognized Month of the Military Child.
“The proclamation that we have just signed today must be more than just a piece of paper,” said McCullough. “It must become a living document that parents and family members can use to remember the responsibility they bear when bringing children into this world. Our children are indeed life’s greatest treasure, and they look to us for their future.”
McCullough supported another event addressing child abuse by attaching a blue ribbon to his car after the ceremony. The blue ribbon, which can be worn on clothing or placed on car antennas, signifies child abuse prevention, said Adessa. Those wishing to support child abuse prevention can obtain a ribbon at FFSC.
“I think it’s important to set aside a whole month for these activities or events, but it shouldn’t stop there,” said Adessa. “It should be year-round.”
Month of the Military Child recognizes children in the military because they deal with aspects of military life, such as deployments or constant traveling, that other children might not have to deal with, said Adessa. “It takes a special kind of parent to be a parent of a military child,” he said.
Adessa said parents who stick together and continue communication with their children fare better. It’s important during times of deployment that children communicate with parents who might be far away, by email, telephone, regular mail and other means of communication.
A military child deals with the pressure of moving every three or four years. Adessa recommends keeping a consistent routine with the child that involves foods, games and stories to which the child has become accustomed.
“They need to have that kind of consistency or connection...to ease the transition,” he said. Child Abuse Prevention Month aims to bring awareness of the problem through a proactive approach, said Adessa.
“A lot of people just don’t realize how child abuse and neglect impacts our future heroes and children that are going to be taking our place one of these days,” he said.
“The goal is to bring to the forefront that child abuse is a national problem,” said Adessa. “Do what you can to help prevent child abuse...[and] don’t be afraid to seek help. The help is confidential.”
For related news, visit the Commander, Navy Region Hawaii Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/cnrh.
Uncle of Orphaned Boy Says Mahalo: "An eleven-year-old boy from Illinois orphaned by a giant wave will be heading home next week with his uncle. Daniel Hantack's parents died when they were swept into the ocean on Thursday at Kauai's Lumahai Beach.
Daniel's uncle, Gary Hantack, says he is overwhelemed by the kindness and the support that the people of Hawaii have shown him and his nephew. Gary is the twin brother of Daniel's father. Gary and his wife have four children and they plan on taking care of Daniel, with the help of Daniel's grandparents. "
