Ask A Big Group At The Beach - "Where You From"?

This morning, when I noticed a big group of local people setting up a tent at about 8:00 AM, I asked them

"Where you guys from"?

"Ewa Beach" was the reply.

I've posted several times here how the West side situation impacts the traffic on the North Shore - link. So I asked them a follow up "Did you guys used to go the West Side?". He answered "Yes but now with all the homeless it is to much trouble." Granted, I might have been "leading the witness", but I really don't think so.

So when you see a large group of people with pop up tents, barbecue, keiki - these are not tourists. Ask them in a friendly way - "where you guys from". If they say anywhere, let's say south or west of Mililani, ask them if they used to go the west side and why they don't go there any more.

I think the answers will be the same - too many homeless.

In solving our traffic problems, we can fix bottle necks, protest development, but there is a volume issue on the North Shore that is happening because of events outside of our control.

Of course we need a new road. Also, the North Shore would benefit greatly from a clean up of the West Side. The impact on all beaches on a nice day could be spread out over a larger area.

Give the West Side back to the locals and traffic will go down on the North Shore.

I GUARANTEE IT!!!

Drums Are Killing Fish At Shark's Cove.

The Drums, the maddening drums.

Every Sunday at the Rec Center building at Shark's Cove the drummers take over. Leftovers from the mainland Grateful Dead parking lot, the dread locked brethren get together and beat the skins for hours and hours and hours and hours...You get the picture if you've ever been to Foodland on a Sunday afternoon.

I have no idea how the neighbors tolerate this noise, but I know the fish and turtles don't like it.

If you have ever been in the rec center when the surf is up you know how loud the water is in that building. You strain to hear in there. Well the same transference of acoustic energy is flowing from the building to the water through the underground network of lava tubes.

The fish do not like it.

Imagine you are a fish. Until recently, every Sunday you were expecting to rest with mellow Sunday divers. Now you are assaulted by the pummeling din of shock waves from drums. As a fish, you dart around, disoriented, much like whales under attack by sonar. The Turtles are so upset they have moved over to 3 Tables on a permanent basis. They can't chance a unexpected drum assault and their internal weekly calendars are not as refined as the fish.

Fish have a drum tolerance of about 1 hour and 26 minutes. They can dart around, scared by the continuous assault of false alarms for this time period. After that, the fish get very stressed, their reaction time slows but their brains still send the adrenaline impulse to flee the pounding wall of sound. They become increasingly exhausted and subject to high levels of lethargy and gas (fish flatulence).

For The Fish

Let's Stop The POUNDING!!!!

The fish have told me through protest signs that even 2 1/2 hours is OK by them. But after that, please go drum somewhere else. They suggest Sunset Beach Park , Ehukai Beach Park or the Volcom House.

Turtle Bay Ralph vs. Real Estate Agent Choon in Hawaii Business Magazine

In Hawaii Business Magazine's Spin Zone section, the story is of Turtle Bay Pros vs. Turtle Bay Cons.

Ralph Makaiau has been with Turtle Bay since the beginning and is one of the North Shore's truly great leaders. He is a Vietnam vet and has selflessly given thousands of hours to more projects than I can remember - Kahuku Hospital, Kahuku Schools, flooding and zoning projects, and the Unilateral Agreement with Turtle Bay and the Community.

Choon James, a Real Estate Agent here from Singapore is a great example of a Serial Protester who based on my analysis of her stories in the North Shore News and public comments is not a great admirer of the Capitalistic system.

Link to story here.

Strange Story Out of Hauula - "Parent Arrested at Classroom Door"

I ran across an odd and disturbing story in on the Hawaii Reporter website. The headline and lead paragraphs are as follows:

Parent Arrested at Classroom Door Hauula Elementary Community Rises Up to Protest Alleged Drugs, Prostitution and Unsafe Conditions on Campus; Arrest Comes After Rising Tension Between Parents and School Officials By Laura Brown, 5/11/2007 9:51:09 AM

An ongoing spat between parents and Hauula Elementary School officials has landed one mother in jail yesterday, and launched a typically quiet, low-key community into an uproar.

Davina Sanders, parent of a first and second grader at Hauula Elementary School, had her worst fears realized Thursday, May 10, when police officers confronted her after school at teacher Zenobia Iese’s classroom, and told the surprised mother that she was under arrest. Iese is Sanders' mother and a teacher at Hauula Elementary School....

My first reaction is Nah, that's too strange. Daughter arrested at Mother's classroom after accusing Mom of prostitution? I have not seen anything in the Advertiser or Bulletin so I'm not sure what to think. Anyone have another version of this story or can shed some light?

It's Mother's Day - LET'S PROTEST

I am not sure if Keep The North Shore Country has reached a new "high" or a new "low" with their planned fund raiser/protest at Waimea Falls Grill on Mother's Day.

KTNSC convinced the Waimea Falls Grill to donate a portion of their Mother's Day Brunch receipts to the KTNSC.

This fund raiser is genius by KTNSC. They are going to be able to "get over" on a gigantic unsuspecting paying public.

We all know what happens on Mother's Day - totally crowded restaurants, long lines with stressed out fathers, tired grand and great grandmothers, sugar loaded kids who are nuts from waiting to eat, long car drives, Mom's who obviously 100% love what is going on.

So, this is THE DAY that Keep The North Shore Country thinks that people are going out to willfully spend money to support their anti-capitalistic cause.

Am I the only one who thinks this is a deceptive, insensitive exploitation of a Holiday that should be about Mom, Grand Mom and Great Grand Mom?

KTNSC and Waimea Falls Grill are undermining Mother's Day with a bunch of political crap.

They should put a banner out on Kam Hwy saying "Mother's Day Is A Political Fund Raiser!"

Be honest, let everyone know that Brunch is a money grab for KTNSC.

So, Waimea Falls Grill and Keep The North Shore Country, are you going to tell all the people who make reservations and show up that their money is going to those who are trying to put Turtle Bay out of business?

I love Mother's Day and Waimea has been one of the places that I have let my children, nieces, nephews and grand children take me on Mother's Day. I've also been to Turtle Bay, Haleiwa Cafe, Haleiwa Joe's, Crouching Lion, Jameson's and the many other versions of North Shore restaurants.

The one place I will definitely NOT be going this year is Waimea Falls Grill.

Excuse me, but is this stunt one of the cheesiest and sleaziest things ever?

How many of the people who go to a normally crowded Brunch will realize that a portion of their money would be going to a bunch of people who are suing Turtle Bay, trying to get legislation passed with the intent to destroy Turtle Bay, staging protests against Turtle Bay and basically doing anything they can to wreck Turtle Bay's business plan?

Are Chet and Gil going to let everyone know who is making a reservation that a portion of their check will be going to an organization that opposes the goals of the employers of over 700 North Shore people?

Is a portion of their bill tax deductible? Is Keep The North Shore Country a non profit 501c3?

So nice going Waimea Falls Grill and Keep The North Shore Country. You have politicized Mother's Day for your own selfish purposes. You will be duping people in to filling your coffers on a day they might have no clue about your plans.

I think you should take this idea further and have fund raisers at Waimea Falls Grill during Easter Brunch, Christmas, Father's Day, 4th of July, Memorial Day, Prince Kuhio Day, Martin Luther King's Day, Lincoln's Day, Halloween, Good Friday!!! How about at the Eddie??!!!

Go ahead and fool people in to supporting your dubious cause. After all it is only the truth and integrity at stake here. Go ahead collect money, lie, ruin people's businesses because you think you are right.

I got this tip from someone up at Turtle Bay. I heard that Turtle Bay has supported Waimea Falls Grill with lots of donations including furniture and some pretty large events for Turtle Bay staff. Also, it has been a favorite destination of the North Shore Chamber of Commerce - a PRO business group.

With friends like Waimea Falls Grill it is going to be hard to extract all the large knives from Turtles Bay's back.

The Devolving North Shore Country Market

Another sad state of affairs in Sunset Beach is the devolution of the Saturday North Shore Country Market.

Most Saturdays there are only two vendors max out of approximately 30 each week that are actually selling fruits and vegetables. The rest is collection of jewelry, sarongs, art, surf photographs, Serial Protesters, baked goods that would be more appropriate in a store over in Haleiwa or at a Swap Meet. Often times the Taco Truck will set up shop there along with some kids who make some really bad burritos when they need new surf boards.

At one time, not to long ago there were more food vendors and some actual farmers. North Shore Cattle Company used to be there as well as Paradise Water Ice. Both are gone. Part of the blame goes to the Kapiolani College Farmers Market that is open on Saturday morning. If you want to sell a significant quantity of goods, you go where the buyers are. There are buyers in town.

The rest of the blame goes to those who run the market and of course the Sunset Beach people.

They are letting a failing entity continue despite the fact that it is a fraud and a joke. The Market should take a look at other dates or times that would enable vendors to be able to service this market and make money over in town. Other Islands have markets that rotate dates and times around their counties. It makes sense. Growers go to different places each week, so they can be in front of customers who want to buy from them.

I don't know what it is in the water over in Sunset that makes people incapable collectively of changing their behavior or acting in a rational manner. Ask the people who run the market, those who sell stuff there and the locals who show up each Saturday and you might hear:

Q - "Is this is a Farmers Market?"

A - "Right On Dude!"

In reality it is a collection of tourist oriented trinkets and tee shirts (Rodney being the exception) who's wares would be more suited for Waikiki or some of the other illegal businesses in Sunset. Please change it or fix it. If you can not do that, I say like the Emperor with no clothes that you can't have a Farmers Market without farm goods.

No Farmers = No market = Shut It Down

Should The Bike Ride Move to Waialua Side?

It looked like there were a lot of stressed out riders and drivers Sunday morning out on the North Shore. Drivers were frustrated that they were slow in getting to church, surf spots, golf games, etc.

During the HALEIWA METRIC CENTURY BIKE RIDE bikers were navigating around potholes, broken glass, narrow roads with lots of cars some honking their horns on the move at high speeds.

I don't know about the distances they need, but wouldn't it make more sense to have this race go out toward Kaena Point. They could utilize all those beautiful new paths out west. The roads are far less crowded and perhaps they could work with YMCA Camp Erdman who has tons of parking and lots of space for staging the race.

The scenery out there is great as well.

Just a thought.