What is the scoop with the rifle range?   
 
The range will be closed down for repairs and upgrades.  When and for how long is still to be determined.

There is no hard evidence that the recent incidents projectiles found outside of the crater, or the allegations of “wizzing” rounds flying past hikers, came from Kokohead.  That being said, there were many other previously recorded incidents that rounds have been escaping.  Regardless, the powers that be have a concern, and the media will continue to play the issue in a way that they see fit, which is, to demonize the gun owner and shooting range. 
 
Therefore, I would like to suggest that we take some action now.  This action will show that the shooting community, as a whole, are not “crazy gun nuts”, but are, in fact, normal folks, that enjoy our rights, and at the same time are VERY concerned about the safety and wellbeing of the neighborhood that houses KHSC.
 
All this action will entail is writing a few letters, or making a few calls, to the Mayor, City Council Members, and the Parks Director, thanking them and urging them to get moving on funding, repairs, and refurbishment of the shooting complex, and get it up to the safety standards of an urban firing range as soon as possible.
 
From what we have gathered, a resolution has been passed by the Council to follow the recommendations of the NRA, however, the funding allotted (apprx $1 mil over three years) is not going to be enough to get the range up to the safety standards recommended by a NRA range design team, nor will it be expeditiously executed.    This is why it is imperative,  right now, when we have a supportive Mayor, Park Director, and Council, that we encourage them to allocate the necessary funding to accomplish the task, correctly, so that we do not have to go through all this in the future, and ensure that our kids and grandkids will have an area to exercise their rights for many years to come.
 
 
So that you may compose a well-informed note to our legislators, the following links have been compiled by a few of our members here on 2A.  Much gratitude to those who got the scoop!  Thank you much! 
 
The resolution passed by the City Council, also in the resolution, is the report by the NRA range team.  Reading the report answers many questions...
http://www4.honolulu.gov/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-149697/RES14-112.htm

 
 
Email and contact information can be found here.
 
Mayor:  http://www1.honolulu.gov/mayor/index.htm
City Council:  http://www.honolulu.gov/component/content/article/172-site-ccl-cat/1740-ccl-view-council-members.html?Itemid=597#write
Parks Director:
Department of Parks and Recreation
Michele K. Nekota, Director
Jeanne C. Ishikawa, Deputy Director
1000 Uluohia Street, Suite 309
Kapolei, Hawaii 96707
Phone:(808) 768-3003
Fax: (808) 768-3053
Email: parks@honolulu.gov


Just to emphasize, Kokohead is remaining open, for now.  However, the longer it stays open and in disrepair, the greater the chance of the occurrence of an undesirable event.  If an undesirable event does occur, depending on the severity, the chances of the park being closed forever is great.  It is better for us to act now and get it done right. 

Thank you for all the hard work of the members here, the HRA, NRA, and others that have helped to gather the information. 
It is great to be able to get the facts on the issues before jumping to conclusions on what may or may not happen with KHSC.  Now, hopefully we all can get together on the same page and get this done!

http://honolulucountyhi.iqm2.com/Citizens/SplitView.aspx?Mode=Video&MeetingID=1448&AgendaID=1366&FileFormat=pdf&Format=Agenda&MediaFileFormat=wmv

Video of the Parks Committee meeting and adoption of resolution 14-112.  Start watching at the 12:00 mark.  There are 2 testimonies of interest:  Harvey Gerwig of HRA, and a "concerned Hawaii Kai citizen" Dan Purcell @ 27:18.

Harvey Gerwig of hra

Thank you for sharing the video!

Thank you for sharing the video!

wow
that guy was wide eyed in fear!

.

Interesting report.. Reading between the lines...

"The folks running it are doing pretty well despite the lack of maintenance and improvements"

Totally illogical and unsupportable testimony by Dan Purcell.    He starts off assuming that all the bullets "found" by anti-range people are real and originated at the range and goes on to describe the hikers as having to endure bullets whizzing past there heads on a regular basis.  No specifics and nothing he personally saw.  I am sure he would have brought it up if he had any evidence or first hand knowledge of them.  Just boggling. I am sure that hikers would stop hiking on the trail if bullets were whizzing past their heads on a daily basis. He wants the range closed because he doesn't like it and it is not an activity that he participates in so why not close it down.  The indoor shooting range idea is also a red herring, he knows damn well that the city can't afford an indoor range the size of Koko Head.  Why not say "we should terraform the moon and construct a range there for these fine people, yeah that would be great".  He is really saying that the range should be closed but he doesn't have the balls to say it.  I just hope the council members took his testimony with a grain of salt.

FWIW I used to hike that trail all the time and never feared for my life - even when I had to literally sprint down the mountain through flames in that brush fire a few years back (bruised heel - ouch!).

Like most of the decent trails in Hawaii, falling is a much bigger risk.

Heavies,

Does this mean the rifle range is closed down today? What you said about it "...being closed down....." is a little vague about the current status of the range.

Heavies,

Does this mean the rifle range is closed down today? What you said about it "...being closed down....." is a little vague about the current status of the range.

Sorry for the misunderstanding.   The range remains OPEN for now.


When the repairs begin, it will have to be closed.

WTF is this country coming to when an illegal activity takes precedence over a legal one? We have ONE public range on the entire island and there are several hiking trails on Oahu. Heck there's an urban one called Ala Moana Shopping Center, and I mean it! Ever shopped there recently? It's a monstrous concrete trail. Clearly, with past activity on that non-sanctioned trail that is the least of hikers' concerns.
http://www.kitv.com/news/injured-woman-rescued-from-koko-head-trail/27692626#!bITgLC
http://khon2.com/2014/05/12/rescue-underway-for-stranded-hikers-in-east-oahu/
http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/146218795.html?id=146218795

and after all these decades a person hadn't been shot on that trail but STABBED!
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/12047558/man-who-stabbed-two-hikers-at-koko-crater-trail-acquitted-by-reason-of-insanity and he got away with it!

Hikers should be pushing for mental health laws - banning schizo hikers from the trail, giving out maps to new hikers, perhaps even setting up a first aid station instead of claiming bullshit bullet whizzing by stories.

I'm throwing down the bully card.
Sorry for the rant I'm so lividly mad.

WTF is this country coming to when an illegal activity takes precedence over a legal one? We have ONE public range on the entire island and there are several hiking trails on Oahu. Heck there's an urban one called Ala Moana Shopping Center, and I mean it! Ever shopped there recently? It's a monstrous concrete trail. Clearly, with past activity on that non-sanctioned trail that is the least of hikers' concerns.
http://www.kitv.com/news/injured-woman-rescued-from-koko-head-trail/27692626#!bITgLC
http://khon2.com/2014/05/12/rescue-underway-for-stranded-hikers-in-east-oahu/
http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/146218795.html?id=146218795

and after all these decades a person hadn't been shot on that trail but STABBED!
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/12047558/man-who-stabbed-two-hikers-at-koko-crater-trail-acquitted-by-reason-of-insanity and he got away with it!

Hikers should be pushing for mental health laws - banning schizo hikers from the trail, giving out maps to new hikers, perhaps even setting up a first aid station instead of claiming bullshit bullet whizzing by stories.

I'm throwing down the bully card.
Sorry for the rant I'm so lividly mad.

I agree with you 100% ren!  Problem is that that fight cannot be won, at least no in the same context as the range.  I'd try to keep those two issues as far apart from each other as possible.   Is it right? Is it logical?  Nope, Negative, Nada...

However, those that make the rule are not going to alienate the same folks that keep them in office.


I think that is a fight worth taking on (illegal trails and the costs $$$), but it's probably better to take that issue on (Kokohead trail, as well as Haiku stairs, and other highly dangerous trails) by itself, without any mention of the range.  Their given activity, by numbers and fact, is many orders of magnitude greater in risk than our hobby. 

Speaking of illegal....     Is this trespasser the same guy as our "concerned citizen" testifier?    The resemblance is striking. 

Despite the warnings, the gates and fences and barbed wire, and the blustery, foggy, rainy conditions, there were at least a hundred people on this hike between 5:00 a.m and 8:30 a.m.

Amazing how these people post shit up on the internet admitting to illegal acts, and they get away with it!

(Disclaimer: I do not think this is the same guy, but funny none the less.)

I say we start a petition to improve the Koko Head trail.  As hikers start up the trail, we approach each one and ask them to sign the petition with name, address, and date of birth -- purely for verification purposes. 

With some video evidence coupled with the trespassers' signatures, it shouldn't be too difficult to file a mass complaint against them for illegally hiking on a closed trail.

 

Check out this news video, starting about mark 1:38 ...

Somebody likes testifying.   

http://www.kitv.com/news/honolulu-city-council-passes-5-controversial-homeless-bills/26689366#!bIXUbG

"We need an indoor facility." - Dan Purcell

Right.  Then it will be about lead leeching into the ground. Or about an unseemly, huge concrete and steel structure sticking out like a sore thumb in their beautiful Koko Head neighborhood.

Give these fuckers an inch and they'll take a mile.

I still say the best solution would be to build overhead baffles and to finally close the ILLEGAL trail, so idiots like this self confessed trespassing idiot won't have to worry about bullets flying by their heads.

.

At this point, I hope Dan and the gang win their fight just so I can rub it in everyone's face that I was right. Lol

You're a great asset to the comuunity Q, you are so awesome and wise; omnipotent one... Don't know how that is going to help the shooting community by saying "I told you so"

These are some hiker's mentalities:
"If you would keep people from doing experiencing something amazing just because you own the property, then YOU are the idiot. Not to mention a total asshole. " - Justin Hubbs
So by his logic if I think it is amazing to go swim in your $$ infinity pool I can?! Or if I need to take a crap and since no one is occupying your toilet all the time I should take a crap in your house after the hike?

Well lets vote on it oh wait we can't vote scott nagano and the election commitee are korupt so your vote means nothing even though its your god given right as a US citizen to vote lol