MES Hawaii

Photos: Courtesy Kirk Lee Aeder UPDATE: SAVED IN 2011 Coastal Property Added To Lapakahi State Historical Park Endangered Historic Property HONOLULU, March 18, 2011 - The State of Hawai‘i, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of State Parks announced the addition of 17 shoreline acres to Lapakahi State Historical Park in North Kohala on the Island of Hawai‘i, located in an area traditionally known as Nu‘uanu. The parcel will be added to the Lapakahi State Historical Park, which is listed in the National and Hawai‘i Registers of Historic Places as an excellent example of a leeward coastal settlement that spans a 600 year period from circa A.D. 1300 to the early 1900s. The 17-acre parcel has significant cultural sites that are part of this larger Lapakahi complex and the potential for development of the parcel under private ownership resulted in its recent listing as one of Hawai'i's Most Endangered Places by Historic Hawai‘i Foundation. "This parcel was surrounded on three sides by Lapakahi State Historical Park with the fourth side being adjacent to the Lapakahi Marine Life Conservation District. It has been the State’s desire for many years to acquire this property and include it within the park as part of the larger Lapakahi complex. The 17 acres are a vital piece of a cultural and biological landscape of the Kohala coastline, and we are thankful that future generations will have an opportunity to appreciate this cultural complex within its natural setting and to enjoy the open space and access to the shoreline," stated William Aila, Jr., Director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources. The acquisition was assisted by a diverse public-private partnership of Kohala community organizations, the Trust for Public Land (a [...]

  Video Credit to Save Our Hamakua Heritage Ditch: http://youtu.be/EX4thP2acJE Article Written By: Victoria Wiseman, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? The Lower Hamakua Irrigation Ditch is an irrigation system and waterway that was used during the sugar plantation era. It was excavated in 1906, not just for watering sugar crops but also for sending the cane to the mill for processing. Its total length is about 26 miles, including tunnels, flumes to control water flow and open ditches with stone walls. Community members say that, because of the ditch’s role as a community water source and home to micro- ecosystems that include wildlife such as crayfish, ducks and dragonflies, it’s more of a historic waterway than a simple water distribution system. “We don’t have many streams in the state of Hawaii; this is essentially a stream with an ecosystem,” says Margaret Wille, an attorney and Hawaii County council member. “This connects the community from the past to the future,” she says. What threatens it? In 2004, heavy rains collapsed part of the ditch, blocking off the transfer of water, says Glenn Okamoto, an engineer for the state Department of Agriculture. The state applied for a FEMA grant to rebuild the section, which was approved. The department’s proposed fixes enclose and bury a five-mile section of the irrigation ditch, which critics like Wille say would destroy the spirit of this historic property. As the project went through the approval process, a memorandum from the state historic preservation division said that the project would have an inverse effect on historic properties, and required some additional study and documentation. When the community was notified on the eve of its execution, it immediately mobilized and protested to FEMA and [...]

UPDATE: March, 2018, THREATENED The Na‘alehu Theater, owned by the 300 corporation, an O‘ahu division of the Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation, continues to fall into serious disrepair. It has been empty since 2006 when the last tenants moved out. According to a March 19th article in the Hawai‘i Trubune Herald, repeated attempts by both local community members as well as a group of Hawai‘i Island state lawmakers eager to discuss the state of the theater, have gone unheeded by the owner. The State Historic Preservation Division had determined the building’s eligibility for inclusion on the Hawai‘i Register of Historic Places in 2005 but the owners objected to listing the property. Meanwhile, damage to the structure continues to worsen and includes a growing hole in the theater’s roof and siding and termite infestation. The property has been vandalized and attracts users of illicit drugs. Due to its decline, the State Historic Preservation Division has determined it is now too damaged for the registry. As the structure’s decline continues, there is the potential that the building could be declared a public safety hazard forcing the owners to decide between repair or demolition. Listed as Endangered in 2010. Photos: Courtesy Joshua Fletcher Article Written By: Jenny Quill, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? The Nā‘ālehu theater was built after World War I by the Hutchinson Sugar Co. to provide entertainment for the residents of the town. In 1979, the theater was purchased by the 300 Corp., an affiliate of the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, which is one of the largest landowners in the state. After 300 Corp. acquired the theater, it was leased out and, over the next two decades, has housed several different operations, including a [...]