ASD icon blue inverse lighter

ASD Staff

Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Gail Fujimoto on Oʻahu. "Sunset as the waves come crashing on the rocks for a magnificent shot!"

To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us 

Gail Fujimoto 2

<title>Hawaiʻi Skies: Crashing waves</title>

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Gail Fujimoto on Oʻahu.

Hawaiʻi Skies: Crashing waves

Today&#039;s Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Gail Fujimoto on Oʻahu. &quot;Sunset as the waves come crashing on the rocks for a magnificent shot!&quot; To submit your Hawai&#039;i Skies photo, visit us online or email: general@alohastatedaily.com 

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Government & Politics

Real Estate

 took the helm of the Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority some 15 years ago, he spent three months living at Mayor Wright Homes, a large and aging public housing community in the Kalihi Pālama neighborhood "just to see and feel what our tenants experience every day."

 has 364 public housing units in 35 two- and three-story walk-ups. Problems there have 

But on Oct. 22, ground broke on the first phase of a redevelopment project that leaders say will breathe new life into the community.

Ultimately, the existing 364 units will be replaced with nearly 2,450 new affordable and workforce homes, but work on phase 1A, which is underway now, will replace 64 units in eight buildings with 308 units in one tower.

"We have made a commitment then and to see today coming to fruition, it's just a dream, actually," 

, HPHA's executive director, told ASD ahead of the ground breaking and blessing ceremony Thursday. "We made few attempts in the past and they were not successful for a lot of reasons."

says the families affected by the phase 1A redevelopment have already been relocated, either within HPHA's public housing inventory or in the private market with the authority providing a Section 8 voucher and guaranteeing a right of return, as long as they remain in compliance.

The complete Mayor Wright redevelopment is anticipated to take about 10 years, but will depend on the availability of tax credits and funding, he says.

"We're ready," Ouansafi says. "We basically know what needs to be done. We have done all the necessary studies. Phase 1B, that's 258 units, it's already permitted, ready to go as well, so we're going to go as fast as the funding allows us to."

[{"type":"text","text":"What's changed in the 15 years since he's lived in Mayor Wright?"}]

The urgency, Ouansafi says, and, crucially, the governor's view on housing, "making it a health emergency and really opening a lot of doors that were closed to us. Then you have the Legislature that [has] made it a priority by providing some funding. We found the best developer. It seems like all the stars lined up."

"Mayor Wright has been in rough shape for decades and now we have a chance to breathe some new life into it," 

Honolulu City Council Member Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, who represents District 6, told ASD before the groundbreaking ceremony. "My focus is making sure the residents here, as well as the surrounding neighbors, are kept updated on the progress, so we're going to keep having community meetings and keep engaging with them.

"It's certainly exciting," he continued. "We've had a couple of community meetings ... over the past few years and I think it's time for a change, but again, we want to make sure that this project is going to be continuing to serve our low-income community, continuing to prioritize them, and I think it will."

When asked what he's hearing about the project from residents and neighbors, Dos Santos-Tam says there's "cautious optimism."

"Dramatic change is hard and having high rises here is going to be a dramatic change, but especially the longtime residents remember when Mayor Wright was really, really rough," he says. "Fifteen years ago, the residents here were 

 because they had no hot water. Now we have a chance to renovate it and bring in additional apartments that are definitely needed in the community, so I think the surrounding neighbors are looking at it cautiously, but with the realization that it is going to be an improvement over these low rises, which are 70-plus years old."

Gloria Castro has lived at Mayor Wright Homes for more than 40 years. She told ASD after the ground breaking that she was initially upset about the development, "but it's OK. We need more affordable housing for people because we need to get the people off the street."

Ouansafi, however, says residents of the community are excited and that the redevelopment is long overdue.

"Prior to my tenure, they were promised redevelopment; that didn't happen," he told ASD. "They're so excited. It's 70-year-old buildings, you can only maintain it so much. The infrastructure needs to be changed. We've been doing, for the last decade, the best we can [to] make it safe, decent and sanitary, but this takes it to the next level. This brings another 40 years worth of life, new atmosphere and, equal as important, is [we are] able to deconcentrate the poverty."

According to a presentation made earlier this year, the mixed-income community will include the one-for-one replacement of public housing units, affordable rentals, workforce housing and an affordable for-sale component, along with 50,000 square feet of community retail and services and more than 1.8 acres of parks, gathering areas and public open spaces. You can see that presentation 

"It's a start of a new community, a vibrant community, mixed-income community, and equally as important, [it is] providing not just roofs and walls, we're providing a space for children to do their homework. We're providing space for the communities to build new families, to have their own children, to raise good families. It's just very special."

 was joined by Gov. Josh Green, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi and 

Highridge Costa Development Co. President Moe Mohanna and others for the groundbreaking ceremony Thursday.

The redevelopment is part of the Ka Lei Momi Project, a statewide initiative to replace and create more than 10,000 affordable hosing units at nine public housing properties across the Islands.

Highridge Costa was tapped to be the master developer for Ka Lei Momi 

. HPHA and Highridge Costa received approval from the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting to move forward with the Mayor Wright redevelopment in 

"The state of Hawai‘i should be very proud. City and County of Honolulu should be very proud," Mohanna told the crowd gathered Thursday. "This is an amazing team. This is an amazing achievement. Nowhere else in the nation has a state or a county or a government or a Legislature stepped up to take care of its people, to address affordable housing, to make it the No. 1 priority in every campaign. That is Hawai‘i. I am humbled to stand here, but I'm very proud to be part of this team."

(ICYMI: HPHA and Highridge Costa earlier this month celebrated the opening of another affordable housing development in Honolulu for seniors 55 and older, Ho‘ohiki Senior Living. Read more about that 

Mayor wright homes 1a groundbreaking 102226

<title>First phase of Mayor Wright Homes redevelopment breaks ground</title>

The transformation of the 70-year-old public housing community into a mixed-income neighborhood with more than 2,400 homes is underway. Phase 1A will deliver 308 new affordable rental homes.

First phase of Mayor Wright Homes redevelopment breaks ground

Pua headshot

Puanani Fernandez-Akamine

Viewpoints

Aloha Spirit

Thomas “Kamaki” Awa Kanahele III was many things: a cultural practitioner, a traditional healer and priest, a kumu hula, a teacher, a businessowner, an administrator, community leader, and a politician. He is remembered by the community, and especially by those who knew and loved him, as a beloved kupuna and visionary who dedicated his life to advocating for and serving our lāhui.

Kanahele was born to a large ʻohana and mostly raised in Nānākuli, Oʻahu, on a Hawaiian homestead. His mother was Agnes Kalanihoʻokaha Cope (Aunty Aggie Cope) who would, in time, become a revered kūpuna and community leader on the Waiʻanae Coast. His father, Thomas Kahaku Awa Kanahele, passed away unexpectedly when Kanahele was just 5 years old.

After his father passed, Kanahele was sent to live for a time with his grandparents on Niʻihau. He was trained by his mother and grandmother in both hula and the healing arts including lāʻau lapaʻau, hoʻoponopono, lomilomi and more. He recalled, as a child, practicing his healing lessons on the family dogs saying “they were very good patients because we loved them.”

Kanehele graduated from Waiʻanae High School and went on to BYU Hawaiʻi (then known as Church College) and earned a bachelor’s degree in art and education. From there he went to BYU Provo where he completed a master’s degree in education. After graduating, he taught art history for five years at Olympus High School in Utah. As a teacher, he successfully helped to reduce racial conflicts between Ute and Hispanic teenagers, drawing upon his training as a traditional healer.

While living in Utah, Kanahele also started an import-export business, owned a couple of Hawaiian dance studios, and performed at a Hawaiian restaurant.

Around 1974, he accepted a job in Washington, D.C., as the administrator of education for the National Endowment for the Arts, coordinating and administering federal funding in support of arts education programs. It was an interesting time to be in Washington — although Richard Nixon was still president, it was at the height of the Watergate scandal and soon after Kanahele moved to Washington, Nixon resigned.

Many Washington administrators only last through one presidential term, but Kanahele held his position for 10 years serving under four administrations: Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan. In a 1986 "Focus Hawaiʻi" television interview, Kanahele recalled at the time that, “in the entire federal agency, I was not only the highest-ranking Native Hawaiian, but the highest-ranking Native American.”

It was an exciting job that afforded Kanahele the opportunity to meet famous artists and performers like Helen Hayes and Clint Eastwood. He also met world leaders, including the Shah of Iran, the Dalai Lama, and Mother Teresa.

However, the defunding of the Civil Rights Commission, federal reconsideration of affirmative action, and the appointment of four conservative justices to the Supreme Court during the Reagan administration gave him pause. He noted in the interview that the impact of these developments on him as a Polynesian — and the potential impact on the Hawaiian people — left him “a bit shaken as to what our role is in all of this.”

Kanahele left Washington and returned home to Hawaiʻi in 1985 after being selected as the new administrator for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) in a special meeting of the OHA Board of Trustees to replace outgoing administrator T.C. Yim.

At a news conference following his appointment in November 1985, Kanahele said that his most important kuleana would be to ensure that Hawaiians were free to chart their own destiny exclaiming, “Give us an opportunity to decide our fate, not other people.”

Kanahele began his duties at OHA in January 1986 and served in this capacity for three years through February 1989. During his tenure as OHA administrator, Kanahele helped to set the direction for the 6-year-old organization and advance OHA’s work in education, health, economic opportunity, cultural preservation, and the pursuit of resources and revenues owed to Native Hawaiians.

“Kamaki Kanahele belonged to a generation of courageous Hawaiian leaders who helped establish OHA and define its responsibility to our beneficiaries,” said OHA Board Chair Kaialiʻi Kahele. “He understood that OHA could not merely speak about the needs of our people; it had to listen to our communities, protect their interests, and act with courage on their behalf.”

Around the same time, Kanahele became actively involved in the Hawaiian homestead movement. “When homestead leaders from across Hawaiʻi came together in 1987 to form what became the Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations (SCHHA), Kamaki became the first leader elected by homesteaders to serve as its chairman,” Maile Luʻuwai, current vice chair of SCHHA, was quoted as saying in an Aug. 26 Star-Advertiser article.

Kanahele stepped down as OHA administrator in 1989 and the following year he ran for a seat on OHA’s Board of Trustees. He was elected as an at-large trustee and served in this capacity for four years, from 1990-1994.

As an OHA trustee, Kanahele chaired the Committee on Education and Culture, bringing community concerns regarding traditional fishing practices and coastal development and access before the board. He also helped establish OHA’s Hawaiian Language Award that is presented at the Merrie Monarch Festival each year.

After leaving public office, Kanahele continued to provide leadership to the Hawaiian Homestead Association and dedicated himself to his Waiʻanae Coast community serving as a traditional healer and kahu. He eventually became chair of the Kūpuna Council of practitioners of Hawaiian healing traditions in West Oʻahu.

In 2009, Kanahele and his mother, Aunty Aggie Cope, established the Dr. Agnes Kalanihoʻokaha Cope Center for Traditional Native Hawaiian Healing where skilled practitioners not only treat patients, but pass their ʻike on to others. The Healing Center is overseen by the Kūpuna Council to ensure that cultural knowledge is practiced – and passed down – correctly.

Located on the grounds of the Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center (WCCHC), the placement of the Healing Center is significant; Cope herself helped to found WCCHC in the early 1970s after realizing that many Hawaiians on the Waiʻanae Coast could not afford to visit a hospital when they became sick.

Upon the opening of the new Healing Center in 2009, Kanahele said: “This is the only place in all Hawaiʻi that will be a formal training center for the traditional healing arts. We’re trying to make this the premier reservoir of traditional healing practices by preserving, and healing, and actually implementing these practices.”

Reflecting on Kanahele’s profound contributions to our lāhui throughout his lifetime, Rep. Darius Kila who represents Kanahele’s beloved Nānākuli wrote in a Facebook post, “Uncle Kamaki dedicated his life to preserving Native Hawaiian culture, healing traditions, and advocating for our people. His legacy will continue to live on through the countless lives he touched and the generations he inspired.”

In an interview with "Native Voices," Kanahele said that “death and dying is part of the structure in which all know of – and we prepare ourselves from childhood all the way up to the passing to understand that it is an important part of life.”

In remembrance

“Many people have no use for these young Hawaiian radicals but I count my blessings for them. They’re telling everyone that they are Hawaiians, they love who they are, [they] are intelligent, talented, and will speak up, be heard, and finally be counted.” – Kamaki Kanahele on July 8, 1983

This article is reprinted with permission from 

OHA's Ka Wai Ola newspaper: "A Visionary Hawaiian Leader," by Puanani Fernandez-Akamine in its October 2026 issue, Vol. 43 No. 10. Read more at 

Kamaki Kanahele 16x9

<title>Community Voices: Remembering Kamaki Kanahele, a visionary Hawaiian leader</title>

Thomas “Kamaki” Awa Kanahele III was many things: a cultural practitioner, a traditional healer and priest, a kumu hula, a teacher, a businessowner, an administrator, community leader, and a politician. He is remembered by the community as a beloved kupuna who advocated for and served his people.

Community Voices: Remembering Kamaki Kanahele, a visionary Hawaiian leader

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawai‘i History

Columnists

As you’re driving towards Wai‘anae, there are spots on the H-1 freeway that allow glimpses of the wide expanse of the ‘Ewa Plain, famous for its dry, flat landscape filled with homes and businesses. Within the ‘Ewa moku (district) is the largest ahupua‘a (land division) on O‘ahu that extends from the Wai‘anae mountains to the sea, called Honouliuli. Although it may seem like the area was once uninhabitable, the reality is quite the opposite.

For generations, Hawaiians used every available resource not only to survive, but to thrive on the rugged plain. The coastal plain contained limestone and coral formations, including natural depressions where soil accumulated. Freshwater moved through the area both above ground, in streams, and underground through the porous limestone and its network of cavities and passages.

The rich soil and fresh springs provided the elements needed for agriculture, including the special kāī koi kalo renowned for making exceptional poi. It was so highly regarded that accounts describe people traveling to ʻEwa just to taste it, and being so impressed that they wanted to stay.

Along the coast, people fished and gathered other marine resources. The waters off ʻEwa were once famous for their abundance of limu. Oneʻula, along the Honouliuli coast, was known as Hale o Limu, or the House of Limu, where extensive beds of seaweed grew along the reefs. Among the limu gathered there was limu manauea, prized as food and remembered by kūpuna as especially abundant in ʻEwa. My wife fondly remembers her grandparents, who lived in ʻEwa, fishing and gathering limu from the shore for dinner.

The name Oneʻula is often interpreted as “red sand,” although other sources may consider it as “blood sand” or “royal sand.” Archaeological records have identified settlement areas with features suggesting people lived and worked there for generations. Among the items found were house platforms, trails, garden plots, and burial sites.

By the late 19th century, the landscape began changing on a massive scale. The discovery of artesian water beneath the ʻEwa Plain in 1879 made it possible to irrigate land that had previously been difficult to farm on an industrial scale. Sugar cane fields spread across the plain, eventually covering thousands of acres. What had once been a landscape of Hawaiian villages, agricultural fields, trails, wetlands, and coastal resources became a vast plantation landscape of cane fields, irrigation ditches, roads, rail lines, and plantation communities.

For much of the 20th century, if you traveled through this part of ʻEwa, sugar cane was the landscape. The fields stretched across the plain, and the rhythms of life were tied to the plantation and its crops. But the sugar era eventually came to an end.

In 1988, the land that would become Ocean Pointe was purchased for development, beginning another major transformation of the area. Over the following years, former agricultural land was gradually converted into residential neighborhoods, streets, schools, parks, and the community we know today as Ocean Pointe.

It is easy to look around Ocean Pointe now and see only a modern suburban community. The community is still young, but beneath the buildings, houses, and pavement is a much older story. In particular, the ‘Ewa Plain is considered to be within the broad expanse of Kaupe‘a, the gathering place for wandering spirits who did not make it to their final ancestral realm. There are also mo‘olelo about the menehune and the huaka‘i pō, or night marchers.

People approach us all the time about strange things happening in their Ocean Pointe homes. One family described small footprints that appeared on their walls and ceiling. Another mentioned strange noises, like things moving around in their daughter’s closet. One man said that during the two years he and his girlfriend lived in their Ocean Pointe home, they’ve had their feet pulled while they were sleeping, seen shadows where no one was standing, had a strange mark that looked like blood appear on their wall, and found a small handprint, like that of a child, but they don’t have any children. Another woman talked about how she panicked one night after feeling like someone tugged on her leg, even though her husband was sleeping and there was no one else in the room.

Around 2014, we received an email from a family living in Ocean Pointe. They were having spiritual trouble in their home and mentioned it to their neighbor, who suggested the family contact us.

One morning, while the wife and son were in their rooms, they heard a ruckus downstairs that sounded like the dog tearing up the Christmas tree. But when they got to the loft area overlooking the living room, they saw their Christmas tree spinning around. The wife clarified that they didn’t have a rotating stand; it was just a simple tree stand with the long screws that held the tree still. Yet, there it was, spinning around.

The husband said that in their upstairs bedroom, they would find the dresser drawers open, with all the clothes strewn about. In the two sons’ bedroom, they claimed they had weird feelings to the point where it felt like someone was sitting on them, pinning them both to their beds. The daughter said her bedroom had a strong presence and that she never felt alone there, as if someone wasn’t just watching her but literally judging her every move. One son even had deep scratch marks on the back of his calf, but he had no memory of how he got them. His calf just started burning, and when he looked, he saw the scratches.

Our team then went to the home and conducted our investigation while the family waited at a nearby fast food place. As I walked into the living room behind our team, an orb of light floated past me. One of my team members also saw it, right there, plain as day. The family had security cameras set up in their house and were watching from their phone when they, too, saw the same orb of light.

After some discussion and a blessing, the family said they still felt that their house was haunted, but it was much less stressful than before. Knowing the history of the area in which they lived allowed them to be better prepared, both psychologically and spiritually.

[{"type":"hardBreak","text":""},{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":" "}]

Ocean Pointe Community Ctr

<title>Wandering Spirits in an ‘Ewa Neighborhood</title>

Before the suburbs and before sugar, the ‘Ewa plain had a thriving Native Hawaiian community and was renowned for its poi. It was also within the region known as Kaupe‘a, the gathering place for wandering spirits ... who perhaps wander there still.

Wandering Spirits in an ‘Ewa Neighborhood

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Whether you prefer spooky specialty drinks or pumpkin-flavored desserts, limited-time offerings abound. Here’s where you can find a variety of Halloween treats around O’ahu:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Aloha Mamacita"}]

: Aloha Mamacita’s seasonal Spooky Bar is officially open. The bar’s décor is inspired by a haunted house. Enjoy specialty drinks

($16 each) like the Crypt Keeper, black widow margarita, Beetle Juice, the monster and more. The biz will also serve popular dishes from its menu — including birria tacos and birria crunch wrap — during the spooky bar.

The biz is teaming up with The Row Kakaʻako for its Halloween party; attendees can look forward to a costume contest, prizes, a DJ and more. 

: Open 10 a.m. to midnight Sundays to Thursdays (10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays). 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Artizen by MW"}]

: Artizen by MW’s seasonal cocktails ($15) include:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Brug Bakery"}]

: Brug Bakery’s October specials include:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Chee Hoo Patisserie"}]

: Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikīkī Beach Resort, 2005 Kalia Road, Honolulu 

: Located in the main lobby of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikīkī Beach Resort, Chee Hoo Patisserie has transformed into “Chee Boo Patisserie” for spooky season. “Boo-licious” treats include purple monster ube muffins ($9), spooky chocolate muffins ($9), Jack-O-donut ($9), pumpkin crookies ($12) and a variety of croissants ($10.50). Croissant flavors include pumpkin, spider web, bloody red fruit, and devil red fruit pain chocolate and more.

Seasonal drinks include pumpkin spiced ice tea float ($9-$11), pumpkin cream cold brew ($7-$8) and witches pumpkin whip ($9-$10).

The bakery is open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

: Halloween-themed desserts are available for all of October. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Choco Le‘a"}]

: This Mānoa chocolate shop’s seasonal specials include:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Great Harvest Hawaiʻi"}]

: The bakery is bringing back its seasonal, freshly baked witches fingers ($6.75 each). The green “fingers” are made from the business’s cinnamon chip bread. They’re available every Thursday in October and every day from Oct. 24 to 31 

https://www.greatharvest.com/locations/honoluluhi

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Hōkūlani Bake Shop"}]

: The business is offering a variety of treats, including:

The biz is also featuring a collab cupcake with Death by Scrapbooking. This death by chocolate cupcake ($6.75 each) features a chocolate cake filled with chocolate frosting, and is topped with chocolate frosting and sprinkles. The topper is a sticker; different varieties are available. Limited quantities will be available in-store daily, 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Kulu Kulu Cake"}]

: Eaton Square, 438 Hobron Lane Ste. 102, Honolulu

: The bakery’s Halloween-themed desserts include:

: These desserts are available for all of October. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"La Palme D’Or"}]

: Ala Moana Center, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 

: Choose from a variety of Halloween-themed desserts, including icing cookies ($8), cake pops ($5.50), ube mont blanc ($8), pumpkin basque cheesecake ($8.50), salted caramel custard mousse ($7.50), pumpkin tarts ($9), and Halloween-decorated strawberry shortcake ($55-$86). 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"We Heart Cake Co."}]

: The dessert shop is offering Halloween spooky cookies ($26; $24 online) and Halloween jewelry box ($27). The cookies feature a four-pack of handmade meringue cookies (monster, jack-o-lantern, mummy and ghost designs). The jewelry box features a collection of mini cupcakes with monster decorations; flavors include guava, vanilla and chocolate. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Zippy’s"}]

: Zippy’s Halloween treats include a Halloween sugar cookie ($2.25 in Honolulu), Halloween donut ($3.45 in Honolulu) and Halloween cake ($26.95 in Honolulu). The latter features three layers of chocolate chiffon cake with whipped cream and a Jack-o-lantern fondant decoration. 

: Oct. 30 and 31, while supplies last; the cookie is available from Oct. 26 to 30

Halloween treats La Palme Dor 101526

<title>Where to get Halloween treats on Oʻahu</title>

These seasonal treats are perfect for spooky season. Limited-time offerings range from decorated croissants and cakes to themed cocktails.

Where to get Halloween treats on Oʻahu

WEB square crop Hayley Lehman Headshot RGZ1636

Haley Lehman

The County of Hawaiʻi announced Tuesday afternoon that it reached a “tentative agreement” to purchase the Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Park for $1.46 million, weeks after 

 with the landowner ended without an agreement and the County lost access to the park.

Mayor Kimo Alameda stated in a news release that he met with landowner to find a resolution.

“As a result of these direct conversations, we reached a compromise that preserves Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Park for future generations while honoring the landowner’s own interests and concerns,” Alameda stated. “Protecting Punaluʻu requires both parties – the County and landowner – to work together, and I look forward to continuing to build this partnership for the benefit of our community.”

The purchase would occur through Hawaiʻi County’s Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission (PONC) program. The County offered to purchase the property for $1.46 million earlier this year, but Black Sand Beach LLC declined to sell the property at the time.

According to the news release, the County agreed to maintain an approximately quarter-mile section of Nīnole Loop Road, a portion owned by Black Sand Beach LLC, that connects the park with the County-owned section of the road, in an effort to reduce traffic on the private road and in exchange for Black Sand Beach allowing the public to access that segment.

Alameda said in a video on social media that visitors would enter the park from the Hilo side of Nīnole Loop Road using the County road and Black Sand Beach LLC would build gates around its portion of the road. Parking in the County-owned parking lot at the beach would remain free, and Black Sand Beach LLC would offer paid parking for visitors and tour buses on its property.

Hawaiʻi County leased the land from successive landowners since 1954. The park remains closed to the public until the purchase is completed or a temporary lease agreement is reached. The county maintained a parking area, restrooms, a pavilion, a campground and grills at Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Park until the lease ended on Aug. 29.

According to “Place Names of Hawaiʻi” by Mary Kawena Pukui, Samuel H. Elbert and Esther T. Mookini, Punaluʻu is an ancient surfing area that was home to a village and heiau. The area is 

 for its unique sand, iconic Hawaiian species like spinner dolphins, green sea turtles, hawksbill sea turtles, recreational activities including fishing and snorkeling as well as freshwater springs and heiau.

Black Sand Beach LLC, owned by Eva Liu and managed by Kaʻū Valley LLC, purchased the property in May 2020, according to public records. According to LinkedIn, Liu is based in Menlo Park, California and refers to herself as founder of the Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Stewardship Initiative.

Liu also owns Punaluʻu Water and Sanitation, which has been criticized as customers remain without water service following Hurricane Lala. The Hawaiʻi Public Utilities Commission is hosting a 

 Monday to address concerns over service disruptions.

Colin Sakumoto, an attorney for Black Sand Beach LLC, declined Aloha State Daily’s request for comment on Wednesday.

Sakumoto told Aloha State Daily by email on Aug. 28 that the company would extend a 10-year conservation easement over Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Park at no cost to the County, but Hawaiʻi County officials said that they had not received a written proposal for an easement from Black Sand Beach LLC at the time. 

This isn’t the first time the County has explored purchasing Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Park after proposals for development.

For example, the County proposed purchasing 150 acres from SM Properties in 2007 after Sea Mountain Five proposed to develop the 

 did not have money available to purchase or maintain the land and the developer would not sell.

Then Councilmember Bob Jacobson, of Kaʻū, said that the purchase would prevent the shoreline from being sold to commercial developers and protect the shoreline as a nesting area for hawksbill turtles and a habitat for green sea turtles.

PONC recommended the acquisition of Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Park and adjacent lands, including the Nīnole Springs and Pond, in its

 in 2006 to protect natural, cultural and historic resources, maintain existing access for recreational activities and subsistence fishing, and to expand and enhance County beach park facilities.

Liu’s Black Sand Beach LLC had proposed building 225 residential and vacation rentals at Punaluʻu Villages. The project 

 after Black Sand Beach LLC defaulted on a $3.4 million mortgage.

Hawaiʻi Skies: Crashing waves

ASD Staff

Reporter

More in Hawai'i Skies

Hawaiʻi Skies: Sunset wisps

Hawaiʻi Skies: Zoomed in

Hawaiʻi Skies: Canʻt wait for time in the water

Hawaiʻi Skies: Rain showers

Most read

Hawaiʻi Skies: Crashing waves

Authors

ASD Staff

Reporter

More in Hawai'i Skies

Hawaiʻi Skies: Sunset wisps

Hawaiʻi Skies: Zoomed in

Hawaiʻi Skies: Canʻt wait for time in the water

Hawaiʻi Skies: Rain showers

Most read