May 9, 2024 – Agrivoltaics (dual production), a major next step with or without meat.
June 7, 2022 – We chose Stripe to manage donations to The Hamakua Group. As with other financial institutions we use, Stripe is an environmental activist. Among other strategies, it’s a major funding source of Frontier, a deep pocketed operation for developing a market for atmospheric carbon removal.
February 11, 2022 – The IRS has formally recognized The Hamakua Group as a 501(c)(3) public charity, Federal EIN: 87-3716275. The State of Hawaii has likewise recognized The Hamakua Group as a Domestic Nonprofit Corporation, Hawaii Tax ID Number: GE-197-571-2256-01. Documentation
The Group’s current website is thehamakuagroup.com, but both thehamakuagroup.com and thehamakuagroup.org will lead to that destination.
August 6, 2021 – A new menu item, “Kailua Water Data,” has been added. The intention is to expand this link to also include fresh water sites.
June 29, 2021 – This website may have experienced a few hiccups over the last few days as it was being migrated to a new hosting server. The expectation is the site will now be faster for the user, with more features under the hood.
April 13, 2021 – See “Microplastics”, a sobering review on material published by National Academy of Sciences in “moving the ball forward >>.”
March 21, 2021 – If you’re new to interacting with the Hawaii State Legislature check out “Environmental Activism” in the menu.
March 18, 2021 – Look for the “Climate Solutions 101” link on the front page of the site. It’s destination is the Drawdown Project’s six-part free online course.
Also, Windward Community College offers a career course in Renewable Energy and Solar Training for hands-on solutions. Contact Keisha Nakamura with the Hana Lima Project at keishan@hawaii.edu or 808-984-3740.
Find this site’s Security Certificate information by clicking the “padlock” icon in your browser’s URL field, or the SECTIGO badge at the very bottom of the site menu.
March 2, 2021 – Check out:
“moving the ball forward >>” / “local… / All the fish…”
“moving the ball forward >>” / “national… / Vehicle vs. Vehicle”
Local Artists now also have a place on this website. Look for “LOCAL FINE ART” in the menu.
August 17, 2019 – Pali Lanes’ current annual lease expires at the end of January 2020.
Alexander & Baldwin recently offered Pali Lanes what news media have variously described as a “continuing lease” or “extension.” You may even have received an email with this misleading information. In reality what A&B offered was only a month-to-month lease to replace the current annual lease when it expires. Quite a downgrade, from a business perspective.
Even so, Pali Lanes remains committed to its stated future Plans for the property. We recognize the win/win character of this Plan allows A&B several methods to improve its own bottomline, not the least of which by increasing its lease incomes due to additional leasable office spaces.
As A&B begins to appreciate how this Plan thus serves its own needs, aligns them with Kailua’s stated desire to maintain the Lanes, and allows them to honor the act and spirit of the State’s Historic Places Designation, the Lanes anticipates A&B will in time grant the required long term lease, allowing them to lock-in these business advantages.
Meanwhile the Lanes continues to fine-tune its building Plans, to write it’s business plan, and to recruit the local expertise needed to move ahead.
https://thehamakuagroup.com/pali-lanes-re-imagined-2/
Pali Lanes also wants to express its deep gratitude to the windward community for its continuing support.
Pali Lanes Owners: Art Machado, Dan Sylva
May 15, 2019 – A Clean-Up Effort has been planned for the Hamakua Wetlands to occur on August 10, 2019. The event is sanctioned by the Hawaii DLNR as these Wetlands are a State Wildlife Sanctuary. Participants will access the Wetlands via canoe or kayak to avoid setting foot on the banks of Kawainui Stream. The Kailua Canoe Club will be a major participant. More information will be available here as planning continues.
April 4, 2019 – The April Pali Lanes monthly Meeting is NOT at the end of the month. It’s on April 14, Sunday, 5:00 pm at Pali Lanes’ meeting room, 120 Hekili St. in Kailua.
Plan for the Pali Lanes Fundraiser on June 30, 2019
Learn more: https://palilanes.weebly.com/important-papers.html
Join The Hamakua Group NO SPAM Email List…
February 11, 2019 – Today HB21, Cynthia Thielen’s Bill which would have required the Department of Land and Natural Resources to acquire Pali Lanes through condemnation proceedings and operate it as a bowling alley, was “Deferred”. (This means, it was explained to me, the Bill is finished for this year of the current two year legislative session. [I welcome a correction.])
The Silver Lining is Art Machado and Alexander & Baldwin have entered into a substantive conversation.
The game’s still far from over. Nonetheless, thanks to #SavePaliLanes and Rep. Thielen.
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The next Save Pali Lanes meeting is set for Sunday, 2/24, 5:00 pm at Pali Lanes’ meeting room, 120 Hekili St. in Kailua.
January 24, 2019 – The next Save Pali Lanes meeting is set for this coming Sunday, 1/27, 5:00 pm at Pali Lanes’ meeting room, 120 Hekili St. in Kailua. Christian Arakawa will bring us up to date on the progress at the Capital of Cynthia Thielen’s Pali Lanes Bill, H.B. 21.
January 21, 2019 – The “Pali Lanes Re-Imagined” page now has its Comments capability enabled. Scroll to the very bottom of its page.
December 30, 2018 – As of today, information regarding the latest Pali Lanes meetings, events, issues, etc., will be posted on this same “Latest News” page.
November 18, 2018 – The Hamakua Group (originally The Hamakua Entrance Advocacy Group) was organized to collect and coordinate support for the needed improvements at the Hamakua Drive / Aoloa Street entrance to Kailua Town. Since then, and in response to resident and merchant comments, our scope of concern has expanded to include the current Pali Lanes and Hamakua Wetlands Preservation issues. All can be accessed via the menu items.
April 12, 2018 –
On April 3rd I met for two hours with Ati Jeffers-Fabro regarding the Hamakua Group’s plan to clean-up the Hamakua Wetland edge bordering the properties along Hamakua Drive. He’s the Wetland Coordinator at the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), and was enthusiastic about our plans. We set a tentative work date of Saturday, June 2nd. Ati will be on-site along with the rest of us on the 2nd.
That date MAY CHANGE based on evolving details, e.g., if and when we secure the use of work boat(s).
If any Hamakua Group member can provide a contact with a source of low, stable rowboats, or floating work platforms of some sort, onto which we could load rubbish from the water and the canal bank, please introduce me.
Please email thehamakuagroup@gmail.com with any helpful contacts.
Preview – The Hamakua Group is now working with the local native Hawaiian nursery, Hui Ku Maoli Ola and the University of Hawaii to assemble baseline water quality information on Kailua’s storm drain effluent. This data will be used to select the appropriate group of plants most effective in their ability to remove or degrade hazardous chemicals prior to their discharge into the Wetlands. This water treatment begins at the curbline rain garden planters we’ve proposed all along Hamakua Drive. The same concept can also be expanded to include storm water flowing in from adjacent areas of Kailua.
February 27, 2018 – The latest list of our Kailua Merchant Supporters*:
December 16, 2017 – We have a new easier website URL to find us in searches. Search for “The Hamakua Group” or merely “Hamakua Group”. You’ll be redirected to our original and only website.
December 10, 2017 – The formal name of our group has always been the Hamakua Entrance Advocacy Group. That name remains descriptive of our initial emphasis on the beautification of the Hamakua Dr. / Aoloa St. intersection as the first Kailua Town experience one has on approaching that corner of Town.
Each of the acronyms (HEAG, HEAGroup, [The] Hamakua Group) which have come into use refer to that same single group.
July 9, 2017 – We’ve begun to add HEAGroup produced videos to this website. See menu item Video Simulated “Tours”.
June 16, 2017 – The most recent HEAGroup Brochure is now online. See above for the very latest list of HEAGroup Supporters.
March 23, 2017 – We’ve been considering several new Materials Science building materials for inclusion in our designs. These clever innovative products are initially formed from reprocessed waste plastics. Then, after a lifespan as part of our roadway infrastructure they can themselves be dumped back into the shredder to be reborn (again) as newer models of themselves, or as entirely different products with a different energy efficient role to play.
Three venerable Kailua businesses, Twogood Kayaks Hawaii, Coconut Grove Music and Creekside Lounge have signed on. They’ve joined the more recent Armed & Dangerous clothing operation as the latest Supporters of our HEAGroup proposals.
March 8, 2017 – We welcome Kaiser Permanente, Kailua Clinic as our latest major Supporter.
Our design now includes storm water filtration swales integrated with the curb planters along Hamakua Drive. Storm water will be captured by these collection points prior to reaching the storm drains. Hence cleaner water will percolate back to Hamakua Marsh.
February 18, 2017 – Windward Computer Medics, the CURB and the Kailua Music School have all joined our group of Supporters.
We’ve also been fine tuning the design along Hamakua Drive to further improve traffic flow, especially for large trucks at the Hahani Roundabout, and to include more greenery.
January 8, 2017 – Kailua General Store and Hawaiian WaterSports have joined as HEAGroup Supporters.
December 17, 2016 – Three additional Kailua businesses have voiced their support for the HEAGroup proposals, and come aboard as supporters; Kailua Mini Storage, Bella Bistro and Subway. All are merchants along Hamakua Marsh and are looking forward to a greener safer Hamakua Drive.
August 15, 2016 – We’re proud to announce a major stakeholder in the Kailua business community, Down to Earth Organic & Natural, has become an Official Supporter of the HEAGroup.
January 17, 2016 – I apologize for the long delay in posting news. Each time we seem to be approaching an end point in the design a new challenge appears and requires accommodation. And more time.
At the end of last year, for example, we decided to address the traffic safety issue at the Hamakua/Aoloa intersection head on. The result was an integration of a comprehensive traffic solution with our original design of completion and beautification along and around the corners of Aoloa St. at Hamakua Drive. The traffic dimension of course involves the City & County of Honolulu.
On January 6th we had another meeting with the Traffic Review Branch in the Department of Planning and Permitting. Also in attendance were representatives of the Department of Transportation Services (DTS). As we described our plan the ranking members at the meeting offered personal approval and encouraged us to proceed with the design.
Once we’ve worked through this new set of details the entire design will be presented to local merchants and leadership groups in the Kailua community. Next will be a more formal re-submission to the City and County.
Stay tuned.
September 18, 2015 – Our planning to incorporate the green functionality of a rain garden into the new structure is taking shape after grade slope measurements and initial drawings. Expect much cleaner rainwater run off. – A nod of protection for the heritage of Hawaiian Stilts and friends, residing in Hamakua Marsh.
August 9, 2015 –
(July 9, 2017 – To avoid confusion be aware this August 9, 2015 entry applied only to the then current Project which encompassed only the improvements on the two makai corners of the Hamakua/Aoloa intersection. See this FAQ for more detail.)
The design phase of the hardscaping part our Project is coming to an end. During that period we made little effort to publicize the proposal. Even so, the following groups have expressed their conceptual support for the Project:
– Kailua Neighborhood Board
– Kailua Urban Design Task Force
– Kaiser Clinic in Kailua
– Lani-Kailua Outdoor Circle
Our design has been approved by the Traffic Review Branch in the Dept. of Planning and Permitting for the City and County of Honolulu. In fact, our plan’s traffic visibility is more expansive than their requirements.
Due the Project’s proximity to the Hamakua/Kawainui Marsh it’s part of a Coastal Zone Management (CZM) / Special Management Area (SMA), administered under City & County / State and US authority. Our conversation with the local permitting office regarding the Project’s compliance indicated no impediment to proceeding with the Project.
Further, we’ve reviewed the underground schematics at the intersection with the civil engineers at City & County public works and confirmed there are no underground structures at the site which would conflict with the placement of the required footings beneath our rock and brick work.
