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| Kamaoa Road becomes a trail and may be a right of way connection to Highway 11. |
KAMAOA ROAD WEST OF SOUTH POINT ROAD was in existence as early as 1859, according to research by former county planning director Chris Yuen. The 1.5 mile segment was apparently a portion of the road connecting Ka`u to Kona in the mid 1800s. Whether it was sold or given away during the last 150 years is being researched, and this road-in-limbo may be a legal public right of way. Incoming County Council Chair Dominic Yagong opposes selling it off to private interests, saying it could set a precedent around the island. Ka`u’s incoming county council member Brittany Smart agrees. The issue is expected to be handled by the incoming County Council, which takes office on December 6.
HAWAI`I ISLAND’S HOTEL occupancy rate lags behind the other islands in recovering from the recession. The September occupancy rate rose from 40.6 percent to 52.1 percent for the same month in 2009. The other islands saw higher occupancy rates. O`ahu reached 81.7 percent, Maui reached 63.7 percent and Kaua`i reached 58.7 percent. The statewide occupancy rate was 70.8 percent, according to Hospitality Advisors, LLC and Smith Travel Research. The year-to-date rate of 71.2 percent is third highest in the U.S., with New York ranking first and San Francisco second. Hawai`i is also second in room rates, with the average at $172.71 per night.
A NEW BOOK ON VOLCANOES will be unveiled Tuesday night at After Dark in the Park at 7 p.m. in the Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Visitor Center Theatre. The title is Volcanoes – Global Perspectives. It was written by Volcano resident and volcanologist Jack Lockwood and professor and former Volcanoes park Ranger Rick Hazlett.
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| Auntie Reha Akoi |
FRIENDS OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK sponsored a very successful fundraiser last Friday on board Holland American Lines ship Zaandaam, which docked at Hilo Harbor. The cruise line sponsored a three-course meal for everyone who bought fundraising tickets to enjoy hula, music and story telling around the theme of boat days. Falsetto singer Stan Kaina and his halau Na Leo Nahenahe o Pohai Kealoha performed along with Friends President Ab Valencia, who danced hula with his Halau Hula Kalehuaki`eki`eika`iu. Auntie Reha Akoi reminisced about Boat Days in Hilo. Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando said the mantra of the park is “We cannot do it alone.” The park is involved in forest restoration, preservation of cultural landscapes, historic structures and native species. Friends supports the park with educational programs and volunteer support.
THE SCENIC BYWAYS PROGRAM for Ka`u will be discussed tonight at the monthly Ka`u Chamber of Commerce meeting at Pahala Plantation House at 6 p.m. This federal and state program requires a community committee to help determine the educational and informational materials to be included on signage for the highway through Ka`u. The public is invited to attend.
HOW TO PRESERVE land for nature, culture and community will be the topic of a presentation by The Nature Conservancy and Hawai`i Island Land Trust this evening. Their representatives will talk about easements to conserve more than 8,000 acres between Pahala and Na`alehu. The meeting is sponsored by The Ka`u Chamber of Commerce and will be held at 6 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. Among the sites to be preserved through this program is the sacred mountain of Makanau. Conservation easements are being used around the state at Ulupalakua, Kuka`iau, and Hokukanu Ranches.
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| Peter Anderson's Nene |
THE DIRECTORY 2011 is reaching its deadline for information about community groups and listings for local businesses. Sponsored by the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce, The Directory has important Civil Defense and community information and promotes local enterprise. The Directory is Ka`u’s very own phone book. This year’s cover features an image of the state bird, the Nene, by Ka`u photographer Peter Anderson. To be included in The Directory, call 928-6471.
IF YOU ARE TRAVELING TO KONA this week, look out for alternating lane closures between Papa Bay Drive and the Yee Hop Ranch Road for painting new stripes on Hwy 11. Drive safely everybody.