Hawaii Governor Will Take ‘Unilateral Action’ To Restore Historic Wetland In Lahaina (Read 1263 times)

aletheuo137

https://www.civilbeat.org/2024/04/hawaii-governor-will-take-unilateral-action-to-restore-historic-wetland-in-lahaina/

Gov. Josh Green is preparing to use his executive powers to bring back one of Hawaii’s most significant historic places after consulting over the past several weeks with some of Lahaina’s top cultural leaders and Maui’s mayor.

A sandbar island known as Moku‘ula and its surrounding fishpond Mokuhinia have been buried for decades under a derelict and now fire-ravaged county park along Front Street. 

The defunct ballfield was once the former seat of the Hawaiian Kingdom, the home and burial place of nobility and where the 1840 Hawaiian Constitution was signed. Attempts to unearth Moku‘ula have faltered over the years, but the Aug. 8 wildfire that destroyed much of Lahaina and killed at least 101 people has rekindled such efforts. 

“We’re going to take unilateral action to restore this sacred space to the community,” Green said in a recent interview.

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hvybarrels

I trust him as much as I trust Biden alone with a bunch of preschoolers
If you’re not a conspiracy theorist by now, you’re basically retarded.

ren

BLUF: gentrification
Deeds Not Words

QUIETShooter

How nice.  One at a time.  Address the Lahaina displaced residents first.

I don't trust the governor.
Sometimes you gotta know when to save your bullets.

drck1000

Quote
While the details are still being worked out, the executive action Green says he intends to take follows the death of two bills this legislative session that set out to accomplish similar goals. Those measures drew significant opposition, with much of the criticism coming from early versions that had government authorities on Oahu controlling the parameters of a cultural corridor and shaping the pond’s restoration.

Keeaumoku Kapu, left, and Archie Kalepa talk about the restoration of Lahaina, March 12, 2024. (Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2024)
Ke‘eaumoku Kapu, left, and Archie Kalepa visited the site of Moku‘ula in March and discussed its restoration.
The governor said he was clear with Lopez and Chang. He wants them to prepare for a land transfer so that the Moku‘ula and Mokuhinia parcel is put in a trust, or some similar status, to be managed by the Lahaina community, likely by Kapu and his nonprofit Na Aikane o Maui or similar cultural organization.

“Decisions about Lahaina should be made by the people of Lahaina,” Green said.

Uh. . .  :wtf:

Besides the details of the proposal, this will be interesting.  It's been almost 20+ years since I did a HDOT project in Lahaina, but the community groups there were VERY vocal and active. . .

Begle1

Does anybody know the story of how and why Moku‘ula got turned into a ballfield in the first place?

Green's instincts seem to be of the authoritarian sort, but it also seems like everybody would prefer a unique "historic" site rather than a baseball diamond.

ren

Green's instincts seem to be of the authoritarian sort, but it also seems like everybody would prefer a unique "historic" site rather than a baseball diamond.

#immarealdoctor (no offense to dentists)

Doctor Josh Green, MD, Governor of Hawaii
Deeds Not Words

randay

Does anybody know the story of how and why Moku‘ula got turned into a ballfield in the first place?

Green's instincts seem to be of the authoritarian sort, but it also seems like everybody would prefer a unique "historic" site rather than a baseball diamond.

A fishpond probably cannot exist there anymore. It would be like building skyscrapers in the amazon and expecting the forest to still be there.

ICLS1989

Can’t believe his dumb covid whiteboard got that tyrant elected. 

QUIETShooter

The d next to your name guarantees a shoo-in in the banana republik of hawaii.
Sometimes you gotta know when to save your bullets.

Flapp_Jackson

Does anybody know the story of how and why Moku‘ula got turned into a ballfield in the first place?

Green's instincts seem to be of the authoritarian sort, but it also seems like everybody would prefer a unique "historic" site rather than a baseball diamond.

I'm not an expert, but from my looking at a few sites, the area was a vibrant area producing food and surrounded by fish ponds.  The fresh water that fed the ponds was diverted to sugar cane fields.  Eventually the ponds and island fell into disrepair.

"A refuge for Kamehameha III, who struggled to adapt during a time of overwhelming change,
Moku‘ula fell into disuse when the court moved to the growing commercial center of Honolulu.
The pond grew stagnant and eventually was filled in, while Lahaina became first a sugar town
and then a tourist destination."

Since the ponds were stagnant which basically breeds mosquitos and becomes home to other pests, the local government filled in the ponds to create the ball field.  Now that, too, has become neglected.

While the fire might be an opportunity to let the state take over the repair and renovation of the area, I think the state needs to get its priorities in order:  help the victims rebuild and return to their homes first.  Spending for something like this takes resources away from that effort.

https://www.mauimagazine.net/maluulu-o-lele-park-history/
"How can you diagnose someone with an obsessive-compulsive disorder
and then act as though I had some choice about barging in?"
-- Melvin Udall

groveler

I've made this comment before,
if you were displaced by the fire, find a new place to live.
Y'all aren't going back.
Between insane Hawaiians preaching their so called
"heritage" and rich Democrats, that place is history as you knew it.
 :wave: :popcorn:

ren

I've made this comment before,
if you were displaced by the fire, find a new place to live.
Y'all aren't going back.
Between insane Hawaiians preaching their so called
"heritage" and rich Democrats, that place is history as you knew it.
 :wave: :popcorn:

I'm sure these people don't share the same fleeing sentiments you do.
Deeds Not Words

Flapp_Jackson

I've made this comment before,
if you were displaced by the fire, find a new place to live.
Y'all aren't going back.
Between insane Hawaiians preaching their so called
"heritage" and rich Democrats, that place is history as you knew it.
 :wave: :popcorn:

Got any lines on real estate in Washington?  Might be some finders fees in it to help pay for your air fare back and forth.
"How can you diagnose someone with an obsessive-compulsive disorder
and then act as though I had some choice about barging in?"
-- Melvin Udall

drck1000

Does anybody know the story of how and why Moku‘ula got turned into a ballfield in the first place?

Green's instincts seem to be of the authoritarian sort, but it also seems like everybody would prefer a unique "historic" site rather than a baseball diamond.
My thoughts too.  It's like:

Green: "Here's a legislation to try to get you to do what I want" (ask)

Community via testimony, feedback, etc: Hellz no

Green: "Ok, I'll go behind your back" (force)

groveler

Got any lines on real estate in Washington?  Might be some finders fees in it to help pay for your air fare back and forth.
Given the recent politics in WA state,  I'd suggest Florida.
Nice to have a large family.  That isn't hung up on one place.
 :thumbsup: