Hawaii

Restaurant at Ala Wai Harbor fears its permit won't be renewed

Published

3 months ago

October 11, 2024

Restaurant at Ala Wai Harbor fears its permit won't be renewed

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Pau Hana Place is a restaurant that opened more than a year ago as a gathering spot for visitors and locals alike at the entrance to Waikiki.

Management is very concerned, however, that they may lose their lease.

Pau Hana Place general manager Bonnie Flemon says her company saw this area next to the Ala Moana Boulevard bridge as as business opportunity.

“We’ll go in, invest and be able to do what we need to do make it a nice Hawaiian place. And that’s what we planned,” she said.

Flemon said her group spent $700,000 sprucing the place up, building a wooden deck and a stage area with tents. She said that it’s been gaining momentum in the past year, with local entertainers providing music while patrons enjoy dinner.

“I think it’s a great effort,” said longtime local entertainer Kimo Kahoano, who’s been a regular. “I mean, people don’t understand that we always need to be sharing what is aloha. Sharing Hawaii. Sharing the music.”

“That’s really what they like, is that they get to intermingle with local people,” said Loretta Kilby, a singer who also is a frequent customer. “We bring them in.”

Flemon said business has fallen more than 50% since the state took away their parking spaces in June.

“Unfortunately it got rented and it’s not something we could do,” she said.

“The parking lot originally was packed,” said Kahoano. “Originally it was packed with a lot of people who came to watch the shows and partake of the wonderful meals that they serve here.”

Flemon said the state granted the establishment a revocable permit, “which we were told that’s not a problem because there’s many people that’s been on revocable permits for 20 years.”

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But the department’s Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation is set to make a presentation on the property’s future at the Friday Land Board meeting.

Flemon fears the board may not renew permit. Supporters are hoping for a compromise to help Pau Hana Placeregain its momentum.

“You know how Waikiki can be. There’s always other things to do,” said Kilbey. “But this is exceptionally wonderful.”

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Hawaii

Visitors warned after toddler nearly runs off 400-foot cliff near Hawaii volcano

Published

11 hours ago

December 27, 2024

Press Room

Visitors warned after toddler nearly runs off 400-foot cliff near Hawaii volcano

The National Park Service is warning parents to keep their children close after a toddler ran toward the edge of a 400-foot-tall cliff at Hawaii National Park on Christmas.

The young boy was at the park with his family to view the eruption of the Kilauea volcano. They were in a closed area at Kilauea Overlook when he wandered away from his family before the “near miss.” His mother, screaming, managed to grab him just about a foot away from a fatal fall.

“Park rangers remind visitors to stay on trail, stay out of closed areas and to keep their children close, especially when watching Kīlauea from viewpoints along Crater Rim Trail. Those who ignore the warnings, walk past closure signs, lose track of loved ones, and sneak into closed areas to get a closer look do so at great risk,” the agency warned.

People watch as an eruption takes place on the summit of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii on Monday. The volcanic eruption, which started on Monday, is now in its second pause. But, park officials are issuing a warning to visitors after an almost disastrous incident occurred near the volcano ((Janice Wei/NPS via AP))

Rangers noted that dangers escalate during volcanic eruptions, as people flock to view the spectacle of lava flowing out of the Earth’s crust. The Park Service urged drivers to slow, and watch out for pedestrians, Hawaiian geese, and switch to low beams when other cars and pedestrians are present.

The eruption, which started on December 23, is now in its second pause, according to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. But, it could still restart at any time.

Furthermore, emissions of toxic gas remain high, including particulate matter called tephra. Billions of minuscule pieces of tephra, which include all fragments of rock ejected into the air by an erupting volcano, can be carried on winds for thousands of miles and can cause respiratory issues. Volcanoes also produce dangerous gases, like carbon dioxide and hydrogen chloride.

Tephra has blanketed the closed portion of Crater Rim Drive downwind of the lava.

Lava fountains erupt in Kīlauea crater as seen from Kūpinaʻi Pali in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Monday. Hazards increase for parkgoers during volcanic eruptions (NPS)

“The hazards that coincide with an eruption are dangerous, and we have safety measures in place including closed areas, barriers, closure signs, and traffic management,” Park Superintendent Rhonda Loh said in a statement.

“Your safety is our utmost concern, but we rely on everyone to recreate responsibility. National parks showcase nature’s splendor but they are not playgrounds,” she said.

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Hawaii

Hawaii Supreme Court rejects county council candidate’s election lawsuit

Published

20 hours ago

December 27, 2024

Press Room

Hawaii Supreme Court rejects county council candidate’s election lawsuit

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The state Supreme Court has rejected a lawsuit by Maui County Council candidate Kelly King to overturn the general election results.

King lost her race last month to incumbent Tom Cook by 97 votes.

She argued the county rejected too many ballots because of missing or invalid signatures, and that voters weren’t offered enough help to fix the problems.

In Maui County, there were nearly 1,100 deficient ballots compared to the national average. King says Maui County’s rejection rate was nearly double the state average in 2022.

But the high court ruled Tuesday that the County Clerk’s Office followed state law and all administrative rules to cure the deficient ballots.

View the full decision here.

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Hawaii

Unticketed passenger removed from Delta flight bound for Hawaii

Published

1 day ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

Unticketed passenger removed from Delta flight bound for Hawaii

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Authorities are investigating how a passenger without a ticket got onto a Delta Airlines flight bound for Honolulu Christmas Eve.

According to Delta Airlines, the traveler boarded flight 487 from Seattle to Honolulu, on an Airbus A321neo aircraft.

The traveler has not been identified, but the airlines confirmed the person was discovered during the taxi out at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Tuesday.

The flight returned to the gate, where the person was removed and arrested. The Transportation Security Administration conducted additional security checks, including customer rescreening.

The flight was delayed 2 hours and 15 minutes and continued on to Honolulu, the airline said.

Delta Airlines said in a statement: “As there are no matters more important than safety and security, Delta people followed procedures to have an unticketed passenger removed from the flight and then apprehended. We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travels and thank them for their patience and cooperation.”

Delta said early indications are the unticketed passenger boarded the flight at the gate without presenting a boarding pass.

TSA says the passenger made it through the standard screening, and did not possess any prohibited items.

The investigation is ongoing.

This happened on the same day that a body was discovered in the wheel well of a United Airlines flight that arrived in Kahului from Chicago.

That incident also remains under investigation.

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