Poke Nūhou - News briefs

By Ka Wai Ola Loa Staff

‘Onipa‘a no Lili‘uokalani

Portrait of Lili‘uokalani draped in crown flower and maile lei. – Photo: Francine Murray

OHA staff sang and recited pearls of wisdom by and about our beloved Queen, with Aunty Gladys Rodenhurst performing a dramatic reading of Queen Liliu‘okalani’s famous quote, from 1917:

“I could not turn back the time for the political change, but there is still time to save our heritage. You must remember never to cease to act because you fear you may fail. The way to lose any earthly kingdom is to be inflexible, intolerant and prejudicial. Another way is to be too flexible, tolerant of too many wrongs and without judgment at all. It is a razor’s edge. It is the width of a blade of pili grass. To gain the kingdom of heaven is to hear what is not said, to see what can not be seen, and to know the unknowable, that is Aloha.”

Public hearing to focus on conservation district application for Army’s Mäkua and O‘ahu implementation plans

The public is invited to provide comment at a state Department of Land and Natural Resources public hearing on Wednesday, Sept. 15 on a Conservation District Use Application (CDUA) OA-3561 for the U.S. Army’s Mäkua and O‘ahu Implementation Plans.

The goal of the plans is to manage certain endangered plant and animal species to stability in multiple project areas in the Ko‘olau and Wai‘anae mountains.   

The hearing will take place at 6 p.m. in the Board of Land and Natural Resources conference room, in the Kalanimoku State Office building at 1151 Punchbowl St. in Honolulu.

A copy of the application, the Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) for the Mäkua Implementation Plan, and the PEA for the O‘ahu Implementation Plan, are available for public inspection at these locations:

• Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands, Kalanimoku Building Room
• 131, 1151 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu
• Hawai‘i State Library, 478 S. King Street, Honolulu
  

or to view the report online click here.

City opens next cycle for Clean Water and Natural Lands Fund

Applicants are being sought for the city Clean Water and Natural Lands Fund, which helps provide monies for land acquisitions for seven purposes, including preservation of land and sites of historic or cultural importance, and protection of watershed lands to preserve water quality and water supply.

The fund’s other five purposes are: to preserve forests, beaches, coastal areas and agricultural lands; for public outdoor recreation and education, including beach and mountain access; to protect significant habitats or ecosystems, including buffer zones; to conserve land in order to reduce erosion, floods, landslides and runoff; and to acquire public access to public land and open space.

The nine-member Clean Water and Natural Lands Commission evaluates the applications and makes recommendations to the City Council, which makes the selections as part of its annual budget process. Among other things, the commission will consider the following factors: the urgency of the project, existence of matching funds, how the project aligns with the city’s stated priorities, any burdens on the city or other groups for long-term maintenance and stewardship, and geographic diversity among the Council districts.

Forms and required documents must be postmarked or hand delivered by 4:30 p.m. HST on Oct. 1 to: Clean Water and Natural Lands Commission, 530 S. King St., Room 202, Honolulu, HI 96813. Application submissions should comprise two hard copies and one soft copy (CD-ROM, diskette, flash drive).

For information, visit http://www.honolulu.gov/council/cbc/cwnl.htm or email cclbc@honolulu.gov.

Humpback whale sanctuary seeks Council applicants

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary is accepting applications through Dec. 1 for several primary and alternate seats on its Sanctuary Advisory Council. The seats represent Business/Commerce, Citizen-at-Large, Commercial Shipping, Conservation, Ocean Recreation, Tourism, and Whale Watching.

Council members serve two-year terms and also serve as community liaisons, sharing information with the public as well as gathering feedback and general information from the community. The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council was formed in 1996 to advise sanctuary management on the management and protection of the sanctuary.

The application form can be downloaded through the following links: SAC Membership Application Instructions (pdf) and SAC Membership Application Form (pdf). Interested applicants are advised to read the Council Charter and Council Handbook before applying to learn about the Council's roles and responsibilities.

For information, visit http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/ or contact Council Coordinator Joseph Paulin at joseph.paulin@noaa.gov or (808) 397-2651 ext. 257.

Chefs gearing up for The Good Table

Haili’s Hawaiian Foods owner Rachel Haili, third from right, will once again participate in The Good Table, a benefit for Lanakila Meals on Wheels. – Photo: Courtesy of Pang Communications

An annual event benefitting Lanakila Meals on Wheels is coming to dozens of O‘ahu eateries on Oct. 7.

Lanakila Meals on Wheels provides meal delivery and services to homebound küpuna in need at 18 Küpuna Wellness Centers across O‘ahu. About 75 of the 1,300 seniors served each week by Lanakila Meals on Wheels classify themselves as Native Hawaiian.

“We are so thrilled to bring this special evening to the public once again, after last year’s tremendous success,” said Marian Tsuji, President and CEO of Lanakila Pacific. “With a growing senior population and a weakened economy, our küpuna really need our help. The Good Table truly turns one great meal into many for Hawaii’s elderly in need.”

The Good Table is a synchronized one-night event in which select restaurants ranging from casual to fine dining serve a special chef-designated feast for pre-purchased tables in their restaurants. In 2009, proceeds from pre-purchased tables provided more than 6,400 meals to seniors in need.

This year, participating locations include: Alan Wong’s, Pineapple Room, Hank’s Haute Dogs, Orchids at Halekülani, Town, Indigo, Auntie Pasto’s, Haili’s Hawaiian Foods, Chef Eric Leterc at The Pacific Club, Soul de Cuba Café, 12th Avenue Grill, 3660 on the Rise, BluWater Grill, Brasserie Du Vin, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Café Laufer, California Pizza Kitchen-Waikïkï, Doraku Sushi, Duke’s Waikïkï, Formaggio Grill, Ichiriki Japanese Nabe Restaurant, J.J. Dolan’s, Kaka‘ako Kitchen, Lanakila Kitchen & Little Oven at ING Direct Café, Le Bistro, Mai Tai Bar, Maple Garden, On On at McCully, Roy’s Restaurant, Ryan’s Grill, Sam Choy’s, SOUL, Sushi Izakaya Gaku, Tango Contemporary Café, Tiki’s Grill & Bar, V-Lounge, Vino, and all Zippy’s Restaurants on O‘ahu.

To purchase a table by Sept. 23 or to learn more menu details, visit www.thegoodtablehawaii.org or call 531-0555.

Kualoa to host ‘Ohana Country Fair And HWRA All-Girls Rodeo

The public is invited to attend the Inaugural Country Fair and Hawai‘i Women’s Rodeo Association (HWRA) All-Girls Rodeo on Saturday, Oct. 2, at Kualoa, the home of Kualoa Ranch, 49-560 Kamehameha Highway.

The free event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., will feature rodeo events such as barrel racing, steer un-decorating, roping and all-around champion cowgirl. Other offerings include a farmer’s market, craft booths, a classic car show and keiki games.

For the hungry, there will be down-home country food, including chili, Kualoa Ranch beef and baked goods, shave ice and popcorn.

Monies raised through booth sales will benefit 4-H and the Aloha Council of Boy Scouts of America.

For information, call 237-7321.

Rare botanical illustrations on display

Nineteenth-century botanical prints are being shown at Bishop Museum’s Picture Gallery, with plant species from the museum’s botany collection being shown alongside. The collection, much of which is on display, was donated to the museum by the late Donald Hibbard Angus. 

Bishop Museum Botany Collection Manager Napua Harbottle hopes that visitors will note the unique characteristics of botany specimens as well as admire the artwork.
 
“The specimens themselves are important records that help scientists keep track of new species coming into the state and native species already here,” Harbottle said in a news release. “Illustrations are also important records, but don’t necessarily depict the findings of a particular region. Here in the gallery, you see the two come together. It is amazing how the illustration was created from a completely different specimen, yet so closely depicts the specimen on display.”
 
The Picture Gallery, on the third floor of the Hawaiian Hall complex, also features more of the museum’s recently restored 19th-century Hawaiian art, including: an 1847 oil painting of William Charles Lunalilo as a boy, a magnificent portrait of Queen Emma painted in 1890, a beautiful depiction of Hilo residents viewing a lava flow in 1881, and a David Hitchcock piece of Maunaloa’s “Mokuaweoweo Crater During Eruption of 1896.”
 
The 5th annual Benefit Dinner supporting the Picture Gallery and Art Restoration Fund was held Sept. 13 at Morton’s The Steakhouse in Ala Moana Center.  

Museum hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. It is closed Tuesdays and Christmas Day. For information, visit http://www.bishopmuseum.org/ or call (808) 847-3511.