By Victoria Budiono Transportation A propeller from a downed Cessna aircraft fell Thursday and left a gash A propeller from a Cessna aircraft fell through the roof of Waiahu Street home in Kunia Thursday A gash of about five feet in length can be seen in roof in this photo Federal authorities today are investigating the crash landing of a small plane near Royal Kunia Country Club that injured two men Thursday The National Transportation Safety Board told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser today that it is working in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate the crash The FAA reported that a Piper PA-28 landed in a field northwest of Daniel K Inouye International Airport around 12 p.m and the flight ended about 10 minutes later “Preliminary information indicates that a propeller detached from the plane and fell into a residential area The pilot subsequently informed air traffic control that the plane was experiencing engine trouble before landing in a field,” an NTSB spokesperson said Local authorities said the 22-year-old pilot sustained a head injury and was taken by ambulance to a hospital in serious condition while the 38-year-old flight instructor suffered a minor arm injury but declined medical treatment A propeller from the plane crashed through the roof of a nearby home on Waiahu Street but no one in the house was injured NTSB officials said that during the on-scene phase of its investigation they do not determine or speculate on the cause of an accident and that a preliminary report will be released within 30 days A preliminary report by the FAA, posted online today “The aircraft sustained substantial damage when it impacted a residential structure and terrain during a forced landing in Waipahu The aircraft registration number is N261FC Investigative stories and local news updates Coverage of the Hawaiʻi State legislature in 2025 Award winning in-depth reports and featured on-going series Get the week’s news delivered straight to your inbox The new strategy is to buy land that can more easily accommodate homes without the extra expense of installing infrastructure from scratch The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands has struggled to provide homesteads for tens of thousands of Native Hawaiians but it’s not because of a lack of land More than 200,000 acres on all the major islands have set aside for Indigenous use but most of those lots can’t be developed because they’re too far from roads electric lines and broadband or are impossible to traverse such as cliffsides and other mountainous areas That may be changing as the department plans to use a historic cash infusion from the Legislature to buy hundreds of acres of new land close to existing infrastructure in a renewed effort to reduce its applicant waitlist, which has surpassed 29,000 people The $600 million appropriated by lawmakers under Act 279 in 2022 “allowed us the flexibility to not only spend the money to develop our lands but the opportunity to develop better lands in better locations that are less costly to develop,” Department of Hawaiian Home Lands Director Kali Watson said The department has a more than 100-year-old mandate from Congress to oversee a trust that was created by the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920 to protect and improve the lives of those who have at least 50% Hawaiian ancestry Native Hawaiians may apply for 99-year leases at $1 per year for residential but much of the original land trust is uninhabitable and thousands of Hawaiians have died while on the waitlist Flush with funds from the 2022 appropriation the department has implemented a strategy of buying new land that can more easily accommodate homes without the extra expense of installing infrastructure from scratch The most recent proposal would direct more than $100 million to buy more than 400 acres in Kunia as well as upward of 300 acres in Lihue and other lands on Maui The initiative to acquire the Kunia lots is part of another round of changes to the overall $600 million spending plan going before the Hawaiian Homes Commission on Monday Watson said the department evaluated more than 50 offers for land after soliciting potential sellers He said the department targeted land that would be easy to develop and were close to infrastructure where its inventory has been most difficult to develop Watson said more changes could come as the department evaluates more land The new acquisitions as well as other changes have more than doubled the number of lots planned for development The department initially anticipated developing about 3,100 lots when it set out its spending plans in late 2022 thanks in large part to the new land that it plans to acquire But the new plans and land acquisitions would create additional development costs.  The department projects it will need more than $561 million in additional funding to complete development on all those lands The department is eyeing about 211 acres owned by Haseko Development just above Anoiki Street in Royal Kunia Haseko acquired the land in 2020 but hasn’t built on it yet the company said it’s still in the design and entitlement process and acknowledged it is in discussions with the homelands department for the potential sale of the property Sale of the Kunia lots would allow Haseko to focus on completing its Hoakalei resort development in Ewa Beach describing that as its “flagship project.” The state Department of Agriculture owns about 150 acres just north of that area. Investment firms Jupiter Holdings and Robinson Kunia Land LLC also own lots near areas the homelands department is considering for development Watson said he’s hopeful the other landowners will be receptive to the department’s plans who represents Kauai and chairs the state House committee overseeing DHHL’s spending says he’s excited to see the department’s change in strategy.  He’s looking forward to the acquisition of more than 300 acres of land owned by Grove Farm near the Walmart in Lihue Most of the department’s lands on Kauai are far from jobs in town Some of those lands owned by Grove Farm are used for farming “Personally I’m hesitant to put out conversion of ag land to housing but this one in particular is very close to the center of Lihue it’s a prime spot for housing,” Evslin said “And if that housing is going to beneficiaries The department already has acquired new land in Wailuku and in Hilo And it has plans to buy a lot next to Kapolei High School as well as land owned by Kamehameha Schools in Hawaii Kai Beneficiary organizations support the concept of adding new property to DHHL’s inventory.  The Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations and the Association of Hawaiians for Homestead Lands nonprofits that advocate for homesteaders and waitlisters came out with a $600 million spending plan in 2022 that proposed directing most of the funds into purchasing new land and preexisting housing units That plan called for the department to buy vacant lots that were ready to be developed and large areas that could be used for farming It also suggested buying homes and land out of foreclosure and facilitating rental units in conjunction with homestead associations While much of the land that DHHL is buying is close to infrastructure many lots are unimproved and would require development agreements and funds to make them ready for construction Many of the lots that it acquired in the early 2000s such as the Kaehu Bay development are now occupied Some lots in the Kakaina development in Waimanalo that were acquired in 2007 are still vacant There has also been little movement on the Varona Village lots in Kapolei DHHL has improvement rights to those parcels under a 2014 agreement with the City and County of Honolulu and Honolulu’s rail project The City Council only recently took action to transfer the land to the department in 2022 with the condition that the city reimburse DHHL for money it’s still owed from the transfer a former Hawaiian Homes commissioner and president of the Association of Hawaiians for Homestead Lands said he isn’t opposed to the department buying new land But he’s skeptical that things will pan out He recalled his time as a state lawmaker in the 1990s and attempts to broker a deal between DHHL and a developer in Makaha his efforts proved fruitless after deals fell through He now worries that if land negotiations fail The DHHL director said he understands that sentiment “When people look at the program in the past We want people to feel positive about this program.” Some funds for projects already have been pushed back because land they were on has proven problematic development of a DHHL housing project in Maili was delayed because of drainage issues on the property The department also had to redo plans for development at the former tsunami warning center in Ewa Beach over concerns that sea level rise could one day inundate the property Site work for that project is now projected at over $40 million To fund the Kunia acquisition and other initiatives the department has proposed yanking about $58 million in funds initially allocated for homesteads in Waiehu Mauka on Maui DHHL’s acting land development administrator said those funds were shifted to projects that could be developed faster He said the Waiehu lots still need to be assessed and may need significant site improvements vice chair of the Senate Hawaiian Affairs Committee thinks the department should focus its spending on developing lots on land it already has especially lots that are close to infrastructure like those in Kapolei About $140 million has been set aside for the department’s East Kapolei developments but the agency anticipates needing another $60 million for future roadway and utility construction.  Fevella said it will be hard to advocate for more infrastructure funds if the department is spending its money on new land you’re back to the drawing board,” Fevella said “You have land with no infrastructure.” Civil Beat’s coverage of Native Hawaiian issues and initiatives is supported by a grant from the Abigail Kawananakoa Foundation Unfortunately, being named a finalist for a Pulitzer prize doesn’t make us immune to financial pressures. The fact is, our revenue hasn’t kept pace with our need to grow, and we need your help Civil Beat is a nonprofit, reader-supported newsroom based in Hawaiʻi. We’re looking to build a more resilient, diverse and deeply impactful media landscape, and we hope you’ll help by supporting our essential journalism Blaze Lovell is a reporter for Civil Beat. Born and raised on Oʻahu, Lovell is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. You can reach him at blovell@civilbeat.org. Civil Beat has been named the best overall news site in Hawaii for the 14th year in a row by the Society of Professional Journalists Hawaii Chapter Business A screenshot of the grand opening announcement of the DonPen Times in Royal Kunia A blessing was held this morning for the grand opening of Hawaii’s first DonPen Times in Royal Kunia beauty items and “kawaii,” or cute It will offer favorite local foods along with a taste of Japan and many of the grocery offerings familiar to shoppers at Times Supermarkets Pan Pacific Retail Management USA opened DonPen Times at Kunia Shopping Center called it a “special moment,” and said the company has for years been working to improve the customer experience with new ideas — and that DonPen is one of them will be at the new store today and Saturday Product samplings will also be available through the grand opening weekend according to the Times Supermarkets website Hawaii House District 39 includes Royal Kunia Courtney Teague is the Director of Audience at Civil Beat and editor of the Morning Beat newsletter. Drop her a line at cteague@civilbeat.org Editors' PicksTransportation Debris from a stricken Cessna aircraft fell through the roof of a home at 94-1003 Waiahu Street in Royal Kunia on Thursday Already a Honolulu Star-Advertiser subscriber? Log in now to continue reading Federal authorities are investigating the crash landing Thursday of a small plane near Royal Kunia Country Club that injured two men The National Transportation Safety Board told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Friday that it is working with the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate the incident Ino­uye International Airport around noon Thursday The aircraft departed the airport at 11:49 a.m. “Preliminary information indicates that a propeller detached from the plane and fell into a residential area The pilot subsequently informed air traffic control that the plane was experiencing engine trouble before landing in a field,” an NTSB spokesperson said Local authorities said the 22-year-old pilot sustained a head injury and was transported in serious condition by ambulance to a hospital The 38-year-old flight instructor suffered a minor arm injury but declined medical treatment The plane’s propeller crashed through the roof of a home on Waiahu Street said he was in his home when the incident occurred and did not hear anything until Honolulu Police Department vehicles arrived in the neighborhood and he saw the aftermath He said he didn’t hear the plane crash or suspect anything had happened until the neighborhood became crowded with officers “Every once in a while you’ll hear a small plane going over here and you’ll hear the helicopters from the military base but it’s not every day or anything like that,” Ingram said He said he had heard that both homeowners were inside at the time and described it as “scary” when he learned that the wife had been in the kitchen cutting up some pineapple when the propeller fell through the roof and into the kitchen NTSB officials stated that during the on-scene phase of the investigation A preliminary report is expected within 30 days A preliminary FAA report posted online Friday stated “The aircraft sustained substantial damage when it impacted a residential structure and terrain during a forced landing in Waipahu The aircraft’s registration number is N261FC “When we invest in the education of our people they will create a more prosperous and sustainable future for Hawaii.” Civil Beat asked candidates to answer some questions about where they stand on various issues and what their priorities will be if elected The following came from Corey Rosenlee, Democratic candidate for state House District 39, which covers Royal Kunia, Village Park, Honouliuli, Hoopili and a portion of Waipahu. His opponent is Republican Elijah Pierick Go to Civil Beat’s Election Guide for general information, and check out other candidates on the General Election Ballot What is the biggest issue facing your district Every dollar we invest in our children generates a significant return for our state in terms of economic power and social progress I believe that we need to make children’s issues a top priority for our state I support enacting a paid family leave program so that people facing family emergencies don’t have to choose between caring for their loved ones or sustaining their financial security I believe that we must fully fund public education to give our keiki a first-rate learning system.  I also support expanding tax credits for child care the average annual cost of child care services in our state exceeds $13,000 per year I believe we should continue working toward universal preschool and make community college free for all Hawaii residents which would make academic excellence a priority from birth until adulthood and give community members the tools they need to maximize their potential.  How do you feel about the massive income tax cut just approved by the Legislature and the governor Do you have any concerns that it will force reductions in state services in the years to come I support tax cuts for lower-income residents and the middle class including this proposal’s effort to boost the standard deduction for local families I am concerned about the cost of the income tax cuts that were given to more affluent residents According to the Hawaii Department of Taxation the overall cost of the tax cut proposal is roughly $5 billion over the next six years the top 20% of income earners in Hawaii would receive approximately 43% of the total tax breaks.  The money we are losing from these tax cuts could be used to fund programs that uplift all of Hawaii including increased funding for public education addressing the climate crisis and more.  Hawaii continues to struggle with pay-to-play politics and corruption in government What meaningful reforms do you think would change state government for the better which would prohibit campaign contributions from individuals who are convicted of high-level ethics No one who is convicted of corruption should be allowed to finance our elections Any campaign donations that are linked to corruption should be returned to the Campaign Spending Commission where they can be used to reinforce the commission’s efforts to prevent illegal activity from undermining our political system we should establish a robust public financing program for political candidates which would help to ensure that our legislative processes are beholden to the community rather than wealthy campaign donors.  Candidates often say they will support reform proposals in the Legislature And yet major reform proposals don’t pass Will you back good-government proposals even if it means going against leadership can you point to an example of a reform that you supported We must make strengthening our governmental processes a top priority for Hawaii regardless of who may be impacted by these changes Lawmakers adopted a plethora of good-government policies put forward in 2023 by the so-called Foley Commission I believe that we should convene a good-government commission once every five years to review the structure of Hawaii’s government just as we do with the Tax Review Commission’s evaluation of our tax system every five years.  Do you support comprehensive public financing of elections for candidates who choose to participate I strongly support comprehensive public financing of elections We have recently seen so-called “clean elections” legislation introduced at the Legislature which would place our elections in the hands of everyday people While there have been discussions about the details of such a program — such as how much constituent support a candidate should obtain before receiving public money — I believe that we have an obligation to pass legislation that significantly strengthens our state’s public financing system so that legislative outcomes are more responsive to the public’s will.   Hawaii is the only Western state without a statewide citizens initiative process as president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association I proposed a constitutional amendment to tax wealthy investment properties to fund education This process was similar to an initiative process in that the people could vote on this change to the Hawaii State Constitution What I saw firsthand was how big money and outside corporations can outspend advocacy organizations and community members to disrupt legislation that advances the public interest A statewide citizens initiative process will only support organizations that are well financed and favor wealthier interests unless we start by passing comprehensive campaign finance reform Thanks to their campaign war chests and name familiarity incumbents are almost always reelected in Hawaii legislative races Should there be term limits for state legislators as there are for the governor’s office and county councils Of the 51 members of Hawaii’s House of Representatives who served in 2009 new ideas must be balanced with experience and institutional memory.  it can take years for an idea to move forward Laws also often need to be modified after being implemented to address unintended consequences that weren’t anticipated at the time of their passage While I support term limits for executive officials creating term limits for local legislators is a reactionary response to the very real problem of political accountability which can be better served by establishing a robust public funding program for local elections What will you do to ensure accountability at the Legislature Do you support ideas such as requiring the Sunshine Law to apply to the Legislature or banning campaign contributions during session Hawaii must pass laws that eliminate the influence of corporate money in our elections and political decision-making This can be achieved by fully funding public elections thereby ending the overwhelming electoral advantage held by candidates who seek corporate campaign contributions we should create an independent ombudsman position within the Hawaii State Ethics Commission to determine if legislators have conflicts of interest when introducing or voting on bills then legislators should recuse themselves from taking action on those proposals How would you make the Legislature more transparent and accessible to the public Opening conference committees to the public Stricter disclosure requirements on lobbying and lobbyists How could the Legislature change its own internal rules to be more open the Legislature began broadcasting all hearings and floor sessions which will support greater transparency and participation in the legislative process individuals who can’t afford to miss work or family responsibilities to testify and people living with disabilities lobbyists who are paid $1,000 or more to represent for-profit businesses or other private clients should be required to provide an oral disclaimer about their compensation before testifying on their clients’ behalf Many people have talked about diversifying the local economy for many years now and yet Hawaii is still heavily reliant on tourism should be done differently about tourism and the economy knew that in order to improve their economy the best investment that it could make was to educate its people and joining the eight other states who have made college tuition-free When we invest in the education of our people they will create a more prosperous and sustainable future for Hawaii An estimated 60% of Hawaii residents are struggling to get by a problem that reaches far beyond low-income and into the middle class What ideas do you have to help the middle class and working families who are finding it hard to continue to live here I fully support increasing the minimum wage to a living wage passing paid family leave and establishing a child care tax credit Legislators should also take action to resolve our affordable housing crisis by incentivizing the counties to increase taxes on vacant homes and investment properties property investors and second-home owners own over 60% of condominiums and apartments while 52% of homes are sold to nonresidents Lawmakers must also fulfill their promise to Native Hawaiians by fully funding Hawaiian Homeland initiatives we should urge our congressional delegation to seek funding for more on-base military housing so that military families do not deplete the housing supply available in local communities Editors' Picks Honolulu police talk to residents of a home on the corner of Kihikihi and Waiahu streets in Kunia after the house was struck by a piece of debris from the plane crash today This roof on the corner of Kihikihi and Waiahu streets in Kunia was struck by a piece of debris from the plane that crash landed today A Honolulu police vehicle is parked near the site of the small plane crash in Kunia today A Honolulu Emergency Medical Services ambulance is parked near the site of the small plane crash in Kunia today A small aircraft crashed near Royal Kunia Country Club in Kunia around noon today Paramedics treated a 22-year-old man for a head injury and transported him to a hospital in serious condition A 38-year-old man sustained a minor arm injury but declined further medical care and dispatched 14 units with approximately 50 personnel to the crash site near 94-1509 Anonui St The first unit arrived eight minutes later Both occupants were able to exit the plane without assistance Firefighters airlifted the two men to a designated landing zone using Air 1 The scene was later turned over to the Honolulu Police Department No injuries were reported among emergency responders and the cause of the crash is under investigation By Andrew Gomes BusinessEditors' Picks The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is looking at purchasing 211 acres of undeveloped land in Kunia from developer Haseko to create housing for beneficiaries The 211-acre site in Kunia being considered for Hawaiian homesteads was bought by Haseko in 2020 for $38 million with initial plans to build 1,850 homes A long-undeveloped second phase of Oahu’s Royal Kunia subdivision could become Hawaiian homesteads under a plan that also includes possibly converting adjacent farmland for the same use The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands wants to buy 211 acres approved for housing in Kunia for about $60 million from developer Haseko (Hawaii) Inc with a preliminary development agreement to produce 1,200 residential lots for beneficiaries including 500 lots in an initial increment where infrastructure already exists Developing another 700 house lots on the parcel would require an investment in infrastructure up to $100,000 per lot DHHL officials see potential to acquire adjacent land zoned for agriculture from other owners with the idea to use the agency’s zoning exemption authority to develop more housing and dramatically reduce a backlog of roughly 11,000 beneficiaries on a waitlist for homesteads on Oahu acting DHHL land development division director presented the plan to the Hawaiian Homes Commission Monday as part of the latest proposed revision to the department’s plan to spend $600 million appropriated by the state Legislature in 2022 through Act 279 DHHL has a statewide waitlist of roughly 28,700 beneficiaries seeking homesteads including many who have been waiting for decades More than 2,000 applicants also have died while on the list according to an analysis by the Honolulu Star-­Advertiser and ProPublica can receive homestead lots under renewable 99-year leases for $1 a year but must pay for their own home Fronda said a permitted interaction group authorized by the commission recommends paying for the Kunia land by reallocating Act 279 funds the agency previously directed to other homestead development projects “Act 279 has provided the department with unprecedented resources to reduce the waitlist,” Fronda told the commission with finite funds and a growing need for immediate housing the permitted interaction group identified an opportunity to accelerate progress through resource allocation and prioritization of readiness … Acquisition of Kunia is a high-impact opportunity that the department should prioritize.” The proposed Kunia land acquisition is the biggest of seven new funding priorities recommended to the commission Monday The cost for the seven priorities totals $92 million and would be pulled from the budgets of five other homestead projects earmarked for Act 279 funding including two that are recommended for deferral the next-­biggest new spending recommendation is $20 million that DHHL said it needs for the next phase of its Villages of Leiali‘i project in Lahaina where 181 homestead lots were previously slated for development using $63 million of the Legislature’s historic appropriation Fronda said challenges with underlying lava rock and equipment needs have added $20 million to the Lahaina project’s cost The five other proposed funding additions range from $1 million to $5 million and include legal expenses and studies for one or more projects the biggest recommended funding subtraction is $58.8 million from a 311-lot homestead subdivision project on Maui called Waiehu Mauka Fronda told the commission that about $35 million would be left in the budget for Waiehu Mauka but isn’t needed in the near term because of issues with development there The next-biggest recommended funding subtraction is $24.2 million that would defer a plan to develop about 100 homesteads on Oahu in a former plantation camp in Waialua Most of the remaining subtractions totalling $9 million would instead use alternate funding “These funds,” Fronda said of the $92 million total “will be reallocated to initiatives that are near-term ready maximizing the impact of available resources Our evaluation focused on identifying projects that could yield the greatest near-term benefits while ensuring the long-term viability of the department’s broader development goals.” The Kunia land acquisition would allow development of 500 homesteads followed by 700 more over a decade or more which also envisions a bigger longer-term pipeline of homestead lot development on adjacent land a representative of DHHL Director and Commission Chair Kali Watson told commissioners that the $60 million Kunia deal could be done six to 11 months from now and that construction could begin on the first of 500 homes 18 months after that A second increment of 700 homes would need infrastructure that Kanna estimated would cost at most $100,000 per lot which he said is less than many typical DHHL subdivisions on land that the agency owns in remote undeveloped areas “This particular parcel assures a pipeline of housing for Hawaiian Home Lands for at least 10 to 12 years,” he said “They’ll be constantly building along the way.” Kanna also said Watson is hopeful that DHHL can acquire adjacent land from other owners which owns several thousand acres of agricultural land Obtaining land-use change approvals for such land would be hard for a private landowner but DHHL is exempt from state and county land-use regulations so the agency could more easily produce housing on Kunia farmland with infrastructure from the 211-acre Royal Kunia site serving as a backbone connection Some commissioners expressed concerns over the Kunia land purchase plan said DHHL should push harder to overcome challenges with developing Waiehu Mauka and use the previously allocated funding for the Maui project feared that trouble could emerge with developing the Kunia site where initial homes planned by Royal Kunia’s original developer were once expected to begin rising 30 years ago “This commission does not have all the details on that purchase to decide whether we should be moving forward,” he said “I see that project in Kunia running into a lot of problems.” “It’s a tough decision … I need to have all the facts,” he said Watson opted to defer a decision until staff could return with more information for commissioners Royal Kunia was initially conceived in the 1980s by the prolific late local developer Herbert Horita as an extension of his Village Park subdivision Horita delivered an initial phase with 1,929 homes and one of two planned golf courses in partnership with Castle &Cooke Hawaii but financial troubles derailed an effort to start the second phase which was envisioned to break ground in 1994 and be finished by 2006 After a failed attempt by another developer to produce Royal Kunia’s second phase of housing Haseko bought the 211-acre site for housing in 2020 for $38 million then a Haseko vice president who later joined DHHL said at the time that it might take two to three years to begin building the first of about 1,850 homes Haseko planned on the site Debris from a downed Cessna aircraft fell Thursday and left a gash Here a gash of about five feet in length can be seen in roof A small aircraft crashed around noon Thursday near Royal Kunia Country Club Honolulu Emergency Medical Services said a 22-year-old man sustained a head injury and was transported in serious condition to a hospital A 38-year- old man suffered a minor arm injury but declined treatment The Honolulu Fire Department received a 911 call at about noon and deployed 14 units with around 50 personnel to the crash site near Anonui Street HFD’s Air 1 helicopter airlifted the two men to a landing zone where EMS took over medical care A propeller from the plane crashed through the roof of a nearby home on Waiahu Street but no one in the home was injured The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating New technologies are available and in use elsewhere that should be considered by the Legislature and state and local government Danny de Gracia is a resident of Waipahu, a political scientist and an ordained minister. Opinions are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Civil Beat’s views. You can reach him by email at dgracia@civilbeat.org or follow him on Twitter at @ddg2cb As residents of Maui continue to look for answers and a way forward after the disastrous Lahaina wildfires here on Oahu we too face our own potential fire risk with so much dry brush around the island a phenomena in which the mountains cause clouds to prematurely shed their precipitation on the ridges surrounding our area flammable biomass covering many parts of Oahu is something we should be worried about but also as we get closer to the new year where the launching of illegal fireworks presents an opportunity for wildfires there are many dry areas near residential areas that are bordered by roads where motorists often carelessly toss burning cigarettes toward the grass we have been lucky that accidents and arson have not caused a disaster like Lahaina here on Oahu but we should start taking steps both as a community and at the policymaking level to keep our island safe from fire risk because of the population density of Oahu and the fact that neglect of dry overgrowth is common we find ourselves in a situation where we are at risk for fires and the traditional regulatory framework is insufficient in the coming 2024 state legislative session to propose legislation which would allow a government agency the power to clear private land in instances where the owners are non-responsive or when so much dry brush accumulates as to represent a clear and present danger to population centers If I were Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi or Hawaii Gov I would also be extremely concerned about the fire safety implications of the large military aviation presence in Hawaii military employs Oahu as a mountainous terrain training location to familiarize fixed and rotary-wing pilots before sending them to places like Africa or Southeast Asia a Navy patrol plane crashed shortly after takeoff in Kaneohe But what would have happened if it had crashed in an area with dry brush How quickly would we be able to reach and extinguish burning aviation fuel fires in a remote part of Central Oahu Imagine if a large helicopter like a Marine CH-53E Super Stallion or even  if an intercontinental commercial airliner were to crash on an area with vast stretches of dry grass and brush This is not just a theoretical possibility: In Guam a Korean Air 747-3B5 crashed on the mountains on Aug but fortunately the area was not dry so fires were contained My aim in bringing these things to the public’s collective attention is not to be Oahu’s disaster porn columnist contingency-setting mindset where we are ready for any possibility that may threaten our safety I have a few recommendations that our legislators should consider in the coming session In addition to giving agencies the power to clear public and private lands of dry brush when the public safety is at risk we also need to make sure that a Maui-like fire never happens anywhere in our state ever again by acquiring new early warning and firefighting resources Thanks to advances in compact computing and widespread commercialization of space it is now possible to put cheap micro-satellites in orbit at prices that even universities have been able to afford Hawaii could partner with a university or a geospatial intelligence company to put a satellite in orbit with highly sensitive infrared cameras that can monitor dry areas for thermal flashes even as small as a candle giving county and state agencies the power to respond the minute a wildfire starts Alternatively, high altitude aerostats or high endurance hydrogen or solar-powered drones can also be mounted with sensor packages that can watch for fires arrays of dozens of small cameras on the aircraft can provide 24/7 wildfire early warning and would even allow operators to “replay” an event and watch in reverse how an incident started.  has a range of 800 miles fully loaded and can drop 4,000 gallons of fire retardant over a wide area If the Legislature were to invest in a statewide fire air force, we could base it at the former Barber’s Point airport and scramble extinguishing missions in 15 minutes or less against any large fire in the state How would have Lahaina have turned out if, the minute the fires started, a satellite sent a flash alert to state authorities, and either the governor or lieutenant governor ordered our fire fighting air force to water bomb the conflagration? (Watch the 1989 Steven Spielberg firefighting movie “Always,” I guarantee you’ll wish we’d had that capability.) We can keep our people safe and be proactive The price in taxpayer dollars and political capital is well worth the value in lives that are saved I hope you’ll all join me in contacting your legislators here on Oahu in the weeks to come and help protect our island’s future from the wildfire threat Honolulu Civil Beat is a nonprofit organization and your donation helps us produce local reporting that serves all of Hawaii Ideas is the place you'll find essays, analysis and opinion on public affairs in Hawaiʻi. We want to showcase smart ideas about the future of Hawaiʻi, from the state's sharpest thinkers, to stretch our collective thinking about a problem or an issue. Email news@civilbeat.org to submit an idea Sign up for our FREE morning newsletter and face each day more informed The state House incumbent defeated challenger Corey Rosenlee by a mere 11 votes Rejecting a lawsuit against Hawaiʻi election officials the state’s highest court on Friday said state Rep Elijah Pierick prevailed in the 2024 race for District 39 edged Democratic challenger Corey Rosenlee 4,712 votes to 4,701 Rosenlee alleged mistakes by Honolulu City Clerk Glenn Takahashi in reviewing signatures on return identification envelopes and in securing and monitoring in-person voting lines Rejecting a voter’s signature as deficient amounted to an equal protection and due process violation The court determined in its ruling that Rosenlee did not prove his case and that Pierick won a majority of the votes and so should be certified the winner by state Chief Election Officer Scott Nago there will be nine Republicans in the House out of 51 members That’s the most GOP representatives in at least 20 years Chad Blair is the politics editor for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at cblair@civilbeat.org or follow him on X at @chadblairCB Haseko plans to develop about 1,850 homes in Royal Kunia starting with 300 mostly lower- to moderate-priced housing units Haseko recently acquired 211 acres of undeveloped land intended for homes at Royal Kunia II A third attempt is underway in as many decades to produce roughly 2,000 homes in Central Oahu at the long-stalled second phase of Royal Kunia the Japanese- based developer of the master-planned residential and resort communities Ocean Pointe and Hoakalei in Ewa Beach recently acquired 211 acres of undeveloped land intended for homes at Royal Kunia II The company plans to develop about 1,850 homes on the site starting with 300 mostly lower- to moderate- priced housing units “Even with the challenging economic times we think there’s always going to be a market for homes,” said Sharene Saito Tam Tam said it could be two to three years before construction begins to rise on the site “We’re still working through all the details and obligations,” she said Haseko’s effort represents the third time a developer has laid out a conceptual plan and development timetable for the second phase of Royal Kunia whose work included starting Ko Olina resort completed the resid­en­- tial portion of Royal Kunia’s initial phase in partnership with Castle &Cooke Hawaii to deliver 1,929 homes along with one of two planned golf courses on land that was once part of Oahu Sugar Co The second phase included even more elements: another roughly 2,000 homes a 123-acre light- industrial park for retail and other commercial enterprises a 150-acre agricultural park for the state a 10-acre public park and an elementary school Construction on the estimated $295 million second phase on 655 acres was expected to break ground in 1994 and finish in 2006 But two financial downfalls ensued for Horita and plans have been largely idle for nearly 30 years filed for bankruptcy in 2003 after it couldn’t pay debts exceeding $40 million after years of financial strain related to Royal Kunia’s first phase Halekua emerged from bankruptcy in 2007 after Horita managed to arrange $98 million in new financing that allowed him to retain ownership of the biggest piece of residential land at Royal Kunia II and proceed with construction that included an estimated $60 million in off-site infrastructure the 2,000 homes were to be consolidated on a 161-acre site he retained and on an adjacent 50 acres fronting Kunia Road conveyed to an affiliate of the Harry &Jeanette Weinberg Foundation an organization that helped finance Royal Kunia and became a creditor in Halekua’s bankruptcy Horita anticipated starting construction in 2008 and finishing initial homes as early as 2010 but that plan was derailed by financial problems encountered by one of Horita’s new lenders California Mortgage’s trouble in the wake of the 2008 financial market meltdown and recession left Horita with insufficient capital to move ahead with Royal Kunia II an affiliate of California-based Canyon Capital Three years ago a company connected with local engineering firm R.M bought the property from Canyon for $10.2 million Ha­seko bought the site for $20 million and paid another $18 million for the adjacent 50 acres Other pieces of the original Royal Kunia II master plan are owned by other entities One major issue is that drainage plans for Royal Kunia II include a planned stormwater storage basin on a site initially intended as a golf course This parcel is owned by the Robinson Estate a major Kunia landowner that has arranged for a South Korean company to develop a solar farm on the site under a lease Another issue is that state land-use approvals for Royal Kunia II required infrastructure improvements that include widening Kunia Road and delivering a waterline to the agricultural park site now owned by the state In filings with the state Land Use Commission Haseko has raised the issue of who is responsible for making good on such conditions given that the former golf course site was part of Royal Kunia II the industrial park site has a separate owner a local developer who tried to acquire Royal Kunia II lands amid Halekua’s bankruptcy and later helped Canyon amend county zoning and state land-use approvals for the project said Haseko has a good opportunity to realize much of what was envisioned by Horita “It’s been dormant for so many years now,” he said “It’s a much-needed community.” A California company has bought part of the undeveloped second phase of Oahu’s Royal Kunia subdivision to deliver a long-planned industrial business park Jupiter Holdings LLC acquired the 123-acre site from an affiliate of the nonprofit Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation The purchase follows a move last year by the local affiliate of Japan-based development firm Haseko to acquire a 211-acre portion of the Royal Kunia Phase II site with plans to build 1,850 homes there Royal Kunia initially was conceived in the 1980s by the prolific late local developer Herbert Horita as an extension of his Village Park subdivision A first phase resulted in 1,929 homes and a golf course But a second phase expected to break ground in 1994 with about as many homes a 10-acre public park and an elementary school was derailed due to financial challenges that led to bankruptcy of Horita’s Halekua Development Corp The Weinberg Foundation had helped Horita finance work on Royal Kunia and was a creditor in Halekua’s bankruptcy that retained ownership of some land in Royal Kunia’s planned second phase including land it sold to Haseko last year for residential development Jupiter has been involved in Hawaii’s industrial real estate market for about 20 years and most recently began building a 44-acre business park in the growing Ho‘opili community on the Ewa Plain earlier this year Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More The Democratic Party of Hawaii’s District 39 Council selected three finalists to fill former state Rep Ty Cullen’s vacated legislative seat during a special meeting on Sunday After hearing prepared statements from all six qualified candidates who filed papers to serve the remainder of Cullen's term who will have until April 9 to make the final selection Cullen, who represented Royal Kunia, Village Park, Waipahu, Makakilo and West Loch, resigned his seat on Feb. 8, the same day federal prosecutors charged him in connection with a bribery scandal that also implicated retired Senate majority leader Kalani English Both Cullen and English pleaded guilty to federal honest services wire fraud charges and are scheduled to be sentenced on July 5 Sunday’s meeting was delayed by a half-hour due to technical difficulties that ultimately led to the cancellation of a planned livestream via the party’s Facebook page the public was allowed to sit in on the Zoom session that was originally planned for just the council and the candidates Both Costales and Oshiro said they do not intend to seek election for the permanent position this year “The voters in our district should decide on who they want for their next representative,” Oshiro said “I felt compelled to enter this race because I am committed to serving our community and as (chair of the District 39 Council)I had no idea if we could find the three candidates to send to the governor,” he explained “Since I was familiar with the issues and needs in the 39th District and familiar with the legislative process I thought I could ease this very difficult transition.” Waipahu resident and Waipahu Neighborhood Board member for 33 years said his main goal would be to restore “faith confidence and trust” in elected officials a community and resource strategy manager for the Oahu Economic Development Board and a former Honolulu Police Commission member broached the topic of Cullen’s misdeeds early in her prepared statements “I did lot a lot of comm work so I was able to work closely with Rep and disappointment in what has happened and at same time I have compassion for his family his friends and his colleagues who are probably suffering a lot more than a lot of us here.” Costales said she would devote her time to addressing traffic homelessness and the need for workforce development among other long-standing concerns in the district director of planning and development for the Hawai‘i Community Development Authority and president of the James Campbell High School and Community Foundation emphasized her long history of working effectively with partners on the county “I’ve been successful in getting federal and state appropriations and city and county memoranda of agreements to address a lot of badly needed infrastructure along the ‘Ewa plain and was integral in the planning and execution of the Kualakai Parkway the UH West Oahu campus and the reclamation of water services at Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment Plant,” Mālama told councilmembers Other candidates for the seat included Inam Rahman a physician and former president of the Hawai‘i Medical Association; Castle High School social studies teacher and former Hawai‘i State Teachers Association president Corey Rosenlee; and Kevin Wilson who has worked in the Legislature for the last eight sessions Each councilmember was allowed to vote for three candidates The three with the most total votes were declared the finalists leaving the decision to the remaining five members of the selection body Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInHONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Republican incumbent Rep Elijah Pierick will keep his seat to represent Royal Kunia A recount by the Hawaii Office of Elections posted Friday showed no change in results. The recount was automatically triggered after the fourth printout, posted Wednesday evening, showed Pierick winning by a mere 20 votes over Democrat challenger Corey Rosenlee The law requires recounts if the margin is less than 0.25% which amounts to 25 votes in House District 39 20-vote margin triggered a painstaking recount of nearly 10,000 ballots With most ballots mailed in or dropped off at various locations ballots are no longer sorted into precinct locations which meant the ballots had to be found among the more than 300,000 votes cast on Oahu according to Chief Elections Officer Scott Nago That’s why we’re doing what we’re doing now rather than later,” Nago said Thursday Election officials said Friday that 75 ballots need signature checks in that district Rosenlee would need 70% of the vote to take the lead A Hawaii News Now analysis shows that with total turnout at just over a half million voters Pierick said he was grateful to those last-hour voters who endured rain and darkness to cast their votes to cast their votes and I am so grateful that they did,” Pierick said Rosenlee told Hawaii News Now Thursday that the last 48 hours were a rollercoaster of emotion The high school teacher and former Hawaii State Teachers Association leader expected he’d be joining other House Democrats at their caucus meeting Thursday Rosenlee said he realized recounts rarely change the outcome by more than a couple of poorly ballots usually ones not cleanly marked by the voter Rosenlee said as a history teacher he regularly explains the importance of voting in democracy “I’ll just be a great learning lesson about why every vote matters and why they need to register and go out there and vote,” he said By Dan Nakaso Editors' PicksElection 2024Election: Hawaii State Representative Elijah Pierick is seen in January 2023 Elijah Pierick eked out a 20-vote reelection victory today over Democratic high school teacher Corey Rosenlee to represent a region of West Oahu that continues to elect Republicans in an otherwise deep blue state dominated by Democrats the Republican Party added three new House members and one more to the Senate they now account for nine Republicans in the 51-member House and three in the 25-member Senate the former head of the powerful Hawaii State Teachers Association initially was ahead with 76 votes when the first election returns finally came out well past midnight Wednesday morning But the final count of the remaining 18,000 votes Wednesday night showed Pierick winning with just 20 votes triggering the only automatic recount of any Hawaii race this year It took parts of two days for already exhausted state elections workers — monitored by volunteer “official observers” from both the Democratic and Republican parties — to conduct the tedious work of sorting through every 481,876 votes cast across the state by mail to determine which ones came from only House District 39 in order to audit Wednesday night’s results Hawaii voters overwhelmingly prefer voting by mail and Rosenlee took 52% of the mail-in ballots compared with 4,147 mail-in votes for Pierick But thousands of voters — most of them Republicans — exercised their right to vote in person on Election Day and flooded voter service centers in all island counties by standing in the rain for hours until well past midnight Wednesday morning Pierick’s win came after he received 73% of the in-person votes cast before or on Election Day He received 559 of the in-person votes compared with only 208 for Rosenlee In the end — after all the all mail-in and in-person votes were counted and then recounted — Pierick received 4,706 votes compared with 4,686 for Rosenlee identical to Wednesday night’s final outcome The crew of 13 already exhausted workers from the state Office of Elections — monitored by 20 observers — resumed the recount today that confirmed Pierick’s victory The team spent 12 hours Thursday — from 9 a.m — and returned to the Capitol this morning to finish the recount after some of them already had been up for 36 hours straight Hawaii Elections Chief Scott Nago told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser The election to represent House District 39 was the second consecutive race in two years between Pierick and Rosenlee after Pierick won the first time in 2022 by 704 votes recounts are automatically triggered when the outcome of a race comes down to fewer than 100 votes or one-fourth of 1% “We have to have an honest election process to get rid of all corrupt politicians Republican candidate for State Senate District 18 Go to Civil Beat’s Election Guide for general information, and check out other candidates on the General Election Ballot Act 136 (mail-in ballots) has to be reformed/repealed Chief Elections Officer Scott Nago has to be fired as well as the current chairman of the Elections Commission Lawsuits pointing out violations of many Hawaii Revised Statues have been filed special interests (not we the people) will govern Hawaii cheap energy production) and overall lifestyles of many working people will suffer Life in Hawaii will continue to be unsustainable education will be substandard intentionally while overall dependency on overgrown government will be promoted and legislated Only you (voters) can change the status quo — impossible without election integrity Factual data and time will tell how real it is and what will be the specific financial improvement of life of all residents and especially struggling working families in Hawaii We have to have an honest election process to get rid of all corrupt politicians According to the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization and based partially on my own experience (running as candidate for various offices since 2008) a major problem is that the level of public support has not increased much in decades Expenditure limits that made sense in the mid-1990s are far too low today leaving candidates who accept public funding without sufficient resources to run serious campaigns Relying entirely on public dollars would not provide enough money to make most candidates even remotely competitive A one-page campaign literature/simple flyer costs about $5,000 in a House district with about 10,000 households I would personally ideally rather have people taking their right to vote seriously and do their homework and informing themselves about the candidates ahead of Election Day incumbents who are spending taxpayers’ money sending their self-promotion several times during the year especially among low-information and uneducated voters in Hawaii Government shall exist only with the consent of the governed So initiative process has to be available in case government is not governing with the consent Hawaii does not have a position of county sheriff “elected directly by the people,” like in most of the U.S in Hawaii there are no sheriffs to protect we the people whose unalienable rights are violated by any government official We don’t have sheriffs who can put handcuffs on any legislator governor or anybody violating their oath of office by violating our rights protected by the Constitution If the election system worked properly and honestly with integrity and a majority of people would participate then these reelected incumbents would be serving people excellently with the consent of the voters with this abysmally low voters’ participation all of these incumbents represent a minority of people of Hawaii Today Hawaii’s government is full of recycled well-connected “pay-to-play” types of politicians therefore term limits would be appropriate across the government — state and county Media have to do their job informing/educating the public apply the Sunshine Law and impose severe punishment (forced resignation) for accepting campaign contributions during session We have to know who are the lobbyists influencing the Legislature against the will of the people for profit courts have to do their job as well and punish the perpetrators We have to reform the Jones Act to make Hawaii exempt This will break the corrupt shipping monopoly people of Hawaii are held hostage by People have to be able to short-term rent out their rooms This will break the tourist industry’s monopoly and at the same time improve the economy of the people of Hawaii We have to break the energy monopoly as well and end this most expensive electricity in the nation legacy — three times national average is too much for too long Independent electricity producers have to be welcome — cheaper fuel liquefied petroleum gas Election integrity enforced and overall cleanup of the elections in Hawaii will open the door for more usefully educated experts to enter government experts who did already produce something useful in their lives did benefit others and have commonsense ideas how to do more with less (not just lawyers and recycled politicians) Such government will easily contribute to a much better thriving future of all working people by lowering or eliminating some taxes immediately useful solutions like an interisland ferry (not boondoggles like the rail) reforming the Jones Act and opening Hawaii to shippers from around the world which will bring huge revenues for all residents impartial media have to work for the people again We need an infowar to weed out all of this rampant mafia-like corruption in Hawaii There is no justification for the economic struggle of any family If the current government is not capable to maintain a high standard of living for all our residents it is the wrong government and has to be ”gutted and replaced.” Election 2024Election: HawaiiPolitics Left to right: Elijah Pierick and Corey Rosenlee The latest count of the last 18,000 votes cast Tuesday on Election Day flipped the results of a contentious West Oahu seat and now has incumbent Republican Rep but that could change back depending on a recount of the nearly 9,000 votes to be conducted by tonight was losing to Campbell High School teacher Corey Rosenlee by 71 votes in their second consecutive showdown according to the latest results released Wednesday morning But after counting the outstanding votes by Wednesday night the results flipped to give Pierick a razor-thin victory over Rosenlee of just 20 votes Pierick has 4,706 votes to Rosenlee’s 4,686 It was the only race that changed based on the final ballots according to state Elections Chief Scott Nago RELATED: See all the updated Hawaii election results here a recount can only be triggered if the difference votes is less than 100 Nago said the slim lead could still change following a recount of the House District 39 votes which will require going through all of the mail-in ballots to find the ones specifically for that district and no other recounts were triggered,” Nago said “With $17 billion as a state budget for a state population of only 1.4 million The following came from Elijah Pierick, Republican candidate for state House District 39, which covers Royal Kunia, Village Park, Honouliuli, Hoopili and a portion of Waipahu. His opponent is Democrat Corey Rosenlee I will keep introducing legislation to reduce regulatory red tape and promote legislation to help businesses thrive here I will continue to support the police to fund and enable them to police our communities I will also continue to vote against soft-on-crime bills and vote in favor of tough-on-crime bills I think the reduction in taxes is excellent condo insurance prices are getting ridiculous People can’t afford many necessities in our communities I am not concerned about our state budget getting smaller because of the 2024 tax cuts With $17 billion as a state budget for a state population of only 1.4 million least crime of any state in the nation with our ratio of tax dollars to citizens and our government isn’t providing the services that should be expected based on what we are taxed Many other states in America have better service from their governments with less taxes I never voted in our state before and only registered to vote in Hawaii before I ran for office in 2022 I raised $24,000 while my opponent raised $30,000 I don’t believe that you have to pay-to-play in order to win an election I believe that the people choose who they desired to have to serve them for two years I introduced a term limits bill the first session I was elected I will continue to support limits throughout my time as a public servant The Hawaii government also has an unbalanced reward system for elected and appointed officials you can retire after only 10 years of service I introduced to bill to repeal that exorbitant retirement benefit from legislators There was also a bill to approve our salary I think legislators should start getting paid once we start solving the problems in our state then legislators should start getting paid The tax burden in our state is ridiculously high I do not support everybody being taxed for election campaigning So that means 70% of the non-voters will be taxed (have money taken out of their income) and given to both Republicans and Democrats to campaign we had over 400 people run for office in our state but only about a quarter of those people get elected That means we would be spending tax dollars on candidates who would never win elections and for candidates that disagree with the fundamentals of the constituents Republicans would have to pay taxes to fund the campaign of a Democrat and vice versa I support the donation system where the Hawaii resident may choose to donate in support of the candidate and policies that he or she chooses I support a citizens initiative process where citizens put policies and issues on the ballot Our state is a part of a constitutional republic but I support a constitutional democracy as well that permits a citizens initiative process Incumbency for too long of a time can sometimes breed complacency and corruption I introduced a term limit bill in 2023 and voted yes on other term limit bills as well I frequently send mailers and newsletters to constituents and am active on social media I attend community meetings to interact with residents and volunteer information I’ve also been involved in a weekly radio show to provide updates I can support a bill that would ban contributions coming in during session whether somebody gives a campaign contribution the day before session or promises to give financially a day after session legislators remember who their donors are during session Campaign contributions can influence legislators’ votes Candidates often receive endorsements (contributions) in exchange for supporting the union According to the state of Hawaii Ethics Commission but an ethical way of getting funded for campaigns I’m not sure my conscience agrees with this All you have to do is check the campaign contributions reports of a legislator find out which unions endorsed and donated to them and then those legislators vote in agreement with the testimony given in committee from those unions irrespective of donations received during session There are a few things that I would do to make the Legislature more transparent and accessible to the public: every bill gets a hearing more response time permitted from the public for committee hearings and decision-making of committee meetings should be made public There are about 3,000 bills that are introduced every year there’s only about a 48-hour notice to hear bills in committees This would give the public more time to respond to invitations to give testimony at the capitol I would require decision-making conversations for committees to be made public the tradition of several committee chairs is to recess after bills have heard testimony the legislators go into a private room to discuss how they are going to vote The public deserves transparency to hear what these representatives are saying on why they are voting the way they’re voting With regards to the economy we should diversify our income streams and maximize potential income from tourists we should continue to focus our attention on allowing for a film industry to grow here there’s so many regulatory burdens keeping our agriculture from growing here I support legislation that decreases red tape on agriculture With regards to tourism we can maximize our income from them by switching our tax system in our state from income tax and general excise tax to a sales tax Florida has a population of over 20 million and their tourism is over $30 million a year Our state population is 1.4 million with tourism averaging over $10 million a year We can boost our economy by our residents paying less taxes (1.4 million residents not needing to pay state income tax) and the over 10 million tourists a year paying sales tax The less taxes that our residents pay will free them to spend it on their they needs: groceries help the middle class and working families who are finding it hard to continue to live here We can help with the cost-of-living in our state by: — Modifying the Jones act to allow for housing construction materials to more cheaply come to our state which would reduce the cost of construction and the overall sale price of a house The less money the government takes out of people’s paycheck the more money people have to spend it on what they needed: groceries — Restricting home purchases to locals only you must be a resident of Hawaii to own property in Hawaii This will free up the housing market for locals to buy homes for themselves “Hawaii can become an economic powerhouse in the Pacific We simply need to limit our government and allow our people the freedom to operate and prosper.” The following came from Elijah Pierick, Republican candidate for state House District 39, which includes Royal Kunia, Waipahu, Honouliuli and Lower Village. His opponent is Democrat Corey Rosenlee Go to Civil Beat’s Election Guide for general information, and check out other candidates on the General Election Ballot Crime and the economy are the most frequently mentioned topics we can recruit and retain more police officers we can lower taxes and have HECO lower their electrical rates District 39 has two zip codes (Ewa and Waipahu) 15,000-plus residents living in 7,800-plus homes in over eight neighborhoods It is too narrow of an answer to say there is one biggest issue facing our district Each neighborhood is unique with their own set of preferences and desires What can I do for you?” Here is a breakdown of the feedback from many of the neighborhoods (Royal Kunia multiple residents mentioned the following: West Loch Fairways clear the back park of overgrowth; West Loch Estates the HECO electric poles should to go underground; Oasis Town Homes we have had less tourists than in 2019 but our revenue from those tourists is already greater This was through smarter and targeted advertisements for our future tourists If we get a higher clientele of tourists from outside of America we have proven that we can get fewer tourists with even greater amounts of profit for the state Multiple states in America have zero state income tax This is through their tax revenue coming from other sources has zero state income tax but high taxes on their tourists Hawaii should adopt a similar model of getting more of our state taxes from our tourists Hawaii should also direct its attention toward diversifying the economy through building a bolstered tech industry and allowing interisland trade to occur through bringing back the super ferry The film industry is already established in the state and is growing The super ferry has been desired for years and it should be reinstated so that our islands can become more connected a problem that reaches far beyond low income and into the middle class Hawaii can remedy this situation by reducing the tax burden (to include “fees”) on individual citizens and businesses and reducing the regulatory burden wherever possible — Immediately remove the excise tax from the following basic necessities: food — Eliminate excessive regulation of small businesses — Reduce excessive licensing and other fees that impede the creation and operation of small businesses — Limit property tax increases to 2% per year unless and until the property is sold This will ensure that property owners do not suffer from property value inflation while politicians enjoy windfalls of taxpayer largesse and being able to claim “they did not raise taxes.” Consider gradually reducing the maximum annual property tax increase to 0% as a homeowner ages from 65 to 85 We should call on our congressional delegation to: — Immediately amend the Jones Act (aka the Merchant Marine Act of 1920) to institute permanent exemptions for Hawaii — Immediately demand full funding by the federal government for costs incurred by the State of Hawaii resulting from the Compacts of Free Association (COFA) Hawaii has the most lopsided Legislature in the country with only one Republican in the Senate and only four in the House How would you ensure there is an open exchange of ideas transparency and accountability for decisions What do you see as the consequences of one-party control I would cultivate open dialogue between both parties I would bring a greater voice to the minority party within the state we would have a more balanced state government A statewide citizens initiative process is basically letting American citizens vote on what becomes law It is giving the voice to the people directly to democratically vote on what should and should not be the law of the land We elect individuals to represent us in the House and Senate it might be prudent to let the people directly vote on these issues incumbents are almost always re-elected in Hawaii legislative races as there are for the governor’s office and county councils Hawaii has recently experienced a number of prominent corruption scandals prompting the state House of Representatives to appoint a commission tasked with improving government transparency through ethics and lobbying reforms Are you open to ideas such as requiring the Sunshine Law and open records laws to apply to the Legislature or banning campaign contributions during session I will share all of my accounting records with every necessary ethics committee on a continuous basis I am currently a member of an ethics committee within the medical community and having integrity are essential qualities of any elected official I am in favor of open record laws applying to the Legislature The House and the Senate have transparency guidelines Voters can learn more on what is going on in the Legislature through tuning into the correct broadcasts there should be disclosure requirements on lobbying and lobbyists Hawaii has seen a growing division when it comes to politics What would you do to bridge those gaps and bring people together in spite of their differences The division comes from proponents of the far left and far right disagreeing Many of the issues facing our island are issues both parties agree need to be improved: economy I will bridge the gaps by focusing on the main issues with other members of state government The coronavirus pandemic has exposed numerous flaws in Hawaii’s structure and systems from outdated technology to economic disparity If you could take this moment to reinvent Hawaii to build on what we’ve learned and create a better state Please share One Big Idea you have for Hawaii they can afford to pay their employees more we have more money to spend on buying a home helping our kids with a better education and having a comfortable retirement Hawaii can become an economic powerhouse in the Pacific We simply need to limit our government and allow our people the freedom to operate and prosper Tents and camping equipment is strewn near Anonui and Halepuna streets four goats were being kept in a fenced-off pen just off the road A private property sign near Anonui and Halepuna John Petriches stands next to concrete blocks placed to deter cars from entering property near Anonui and Halepuna streets Royal Kunia residents are frustrated that the investor who bought 172 acres long slated to become a golf course behind their homes is not being a good neighbor When John Petriches bought a home at Royal Kunia 15 years ago he expected to one day see the tee box of a verdant par-4 dogleg hole at a long-planned golf course just beyond his backyard the area is covered by a patchwork of grey and tan tarps on the ground amid tall brown grass and weedy haole koa Also close by are several makeshift trellises guiding dragon fruit plants a hulking piece of rusting yellow machinery and two hand-painted signs rivaling the size of some big-screen TVs with the messages: “Keep Off” and “Private Property The condition and use of 132 acres at Royal Kunia once advertised as the spot for a planned golf course has been perturbing much of the roughly 2,000-home community over the past three years including about 300 residents whose homes border the old golf course site “It affects all of us,” said Juanita Warren who bought one of Royal Kunia’s last new homes in 2003 “It’s an eyesore when I walk by It’s like a homeless camp in the making.” who like Warren doesn’t live immediately next to offending areas led by local real estate agent Augusto “Gus” Concepcion have made things worse since they bought the land in 2017 with an expressed intent to use it for agriculture “It makes me angry,” Mariano said about some sites that have received violation notices from the city We thought we were going to be living in a residential environment.” The discord stems from a failure by the developers of Royal Kunia to nestle the master­-planned community around two golf courses — a task that was made exceptionally difficult by city officials Royal Kunia was envisioned in the late 1980s by local developer Herbert Horita with 4,000 homes three golf courses and other elements to be built in two phases on land once planted in sugar cane A second phase was derailed by financial difficulties managed to produce and sell homes in the first phase with Castle & Cooke Homes over nearly two decades starting in the 1990s faced extra challenges with “community impact fees” arranged by the city These fees negotiated by the City Council required the developer of each golf course to pay the city $25 million and allow public play at reduced rates comparable to municipal greens fees A Japanese company completed Royal Kunia Country Club in 1994 but the course didn’t open until 2003 when a $13 million unpaid impact fee balance was negotiated down to $2.5 million plus $1 per round for the life of the course Royal Kunia’s developers sold the second golf course site covering 172 acres to a different Japanese company But Koei couldn’t make an initial $3 million impact fee installment and this land is what troubles Royal Kunia residents today An affiliate of California-based 3D Investments bought the property for $3 million in 2005 and explored plans to build homes Such a move would have required rezoning the land from general preservation to urban use led by local developer Jon Gomes (no relation to Honolulu Star-Advertiser writer Andrew Gomes) created 13 land condominiums on the bulk of the 172-acre site and sold these condos in 2017 with Concepcion as the project’s real estate broker Concepcion found about 100 investors to join 13 limited liability companies that bought the 7- to 16-acre land condos for an average of $615,000 Concepcion also acquired two ownership interests in the project that 3D named The Meadows at Royal Kunia It appears that members of the 13 companies divided each land condo into smaller pieces for individual use neighbors began to complain about use of the property Early complaints included use of a wheelchair sidewalk ramp as a driveway stirred-up dust and unpermitted industrial tents Homeowners also expressed concerns about storm water drainage and use of pesticides and herbicides Concepcion addressed a 2017 Waipahu Neighborhood Board meeting in defense of the new owners some of whom had said they intended to farm the preservation-zoned land which is an acceptable use under city zoning regulations Royal Kunia residents and neighborhood board Chairman Rito Saniatan were skeptical Saniatan asked Concepcion whether the new owners intended to misuse the property as was done at a nearby site called Kunia Loa Ridge Farmlands where the city has struggled to enforce land-use regulations after property owners built illegal homes “Is your plan to turn the Meadows into another Wild Wild West like (Kunia Loa) where anything goes?” Saniatan asked Concepcion and he gave assurances as the president of the Meadows condo board that owners would avoid unpermitted work install bulletin boards and limit work to normal business hours some of those pledges have gone unfulfilled complaints have escalated and Concepcion has worked to resell his Meadows property Petriches recently shared photos of a truck carrying a round tank and hoses parked on the sidewalk next to a Meadows parcel and another truck parked on the street with a hose looped over a nearby tree to reach a Meadows parcel where an owner has fenced an area containing four goats a table and chairs under a pop-up tent and a security camera on a high post which still owns sections of major streets in Royal Kunia placed concrete barriers to prevent Meadows owners from driving onto their property over sidewalks in two places But Petriches said these barriers and repeated complaints to city officials haven’t been totally effective “That’s the frustrating part,” he said The city Department of Planning and Permitting on Aug 17 issued a violation notice to owners of one Meadows condo for 120 feet of chain link fence and a gate installed without a permit This same site also drew a violation notice on Aug 20 for a “No trespassing” sign bigger than 12 square feet DPP issued a violation notice for unpermitted structures on the property with the goats Concepcion did not return a call and an email seeking comment for this story According to recent real estate listings for Meadows parcels owned by Concepcion applications have been submitted to DPP for access and utilities One listing for a portion of one condo representing 1.6 acres describes the offer as a “rare chance to be a part of this raw land waiting to be developed once access permit is granted.” This stake is listed for $220,000 Another partial condo interest owned by Concepcion representing 1.2 acres was sold in June for $180,000 This site was described as “nice level land waiting to be developed once access permit will be granted said Meadows owners have made Royal Kunia homes harder to sell and less valuable “It’s getting worse,” she said “It’s to the point where we need legal help.” members of the group claim they own the land as heirs of Native Hawaiians who got land grants during the Great Mahele in 1848 Several of those arrested early this month when police and sheriffs broke up a 10-month land takeover in a central Oahu agricultural subdivision have now taken to social media to tell their version of the confrontation and to justify their presence on the property they were kidnapped by police from their private property which they had rightfully and legally reclaimed as heirs of the original land grant recipient And that’s the hook that gives their pitch traction Their 10 months in possession of the Kunia land represents a vision that land is there by Hawaiians who have the resolve to act and can trace their families to a distant ancestor who received a mid-19th century award of land set aside for native tenants “in perpetuity” at the time of the Great Mahele They were unceremoniously removed from the land their claims of ancestral rights have failed in court their personal belongings left on the property were lost — and they now face the  likelihood of criminal prosecutions confident in the rightness of their cause and praised by supporters for their steadfastness The arrests followed a successful lawsuit by the legal owner of the property Guyland purchased a 203-acre property in Kunia and developed the 38-lot Ekaha Lands agricultural subdivision referred to as “squatters,” of eventually taking over 30 acres “without having any right or permission to remain there.” A writ of possession ordering the group to be ejected from the property was approved in early May The group’s version of these events is laid out in a video featuring Kaiulani Pieper-Mokiao publicly claims to hold a “vested undivided lineal interest of title” as heirs to the holder of 19th century Royal Patent 4490 and Land Commission Award 10474 she is seated at a table alongside Morris Nathaniel Hicks who said he had provided security after the group moved onto the property in September 2021 Questions and comments were pitched to the pair by an unidentified off-camera female interviewer who displayed the knowledge and views of an insider in the heirs’ quixotic quest She said the video series intends to eventually include interviews with all nine who were arrested The initial interview was streamed live just a few days after the arrests and a recording was then uploaded to Facebook where it remains publicly available is an interview with Pieper-Mokiao’s brother who joined in her claim to the land by Mokiao “heirdom.” The subject of the third video is Lance Ikaika Ventura-Wong who describes the somewhat chaotic scene as the group confronted dozens of police and sheriffs All four appearing in these initial videos have adopted new aliases since their land occupation began Kaiulani Pieper-Mokiao and Travis Mokiao now use the names Wahinekekuana Kaiulanikahakuakoi Keanolanikealohapauole Okawekiu and Moanakane ’okauleleaiwi’ikamokuki’eki’e Mokiao who appears on the initial video with Pieper-Mokiao now refers to himself as Moleka Malumaleumu Leaeno Hicks Ventura-Wong now goes by Ikaikanui Akekela these new names are part of their intended “expatriation” from the United States and “repatriation” as subjects of the country of Hawaii a process supposedly being administered by a group calling itself Occupied Forces Hawaii Army The three men “enlisted” as soldiers in OFHA as part of their “repatriation,” while Pieper-Mokiao chose to repatriate as a Hawaiian subject OFHA describes itself as the uniformed military force of the country of Hawaii while Hawaii is engaged in a “state of war” with the United States The organization sent several members to the Kunia site to join the occupiers on the land The name changes were also used to avoid or delay service of official court documents in the lawsuit brought by the landowner Defendants were identified in the lawsuit by their legal names rather than their newly adopted repatriation identities and they refused to accept documents that used those legal names They then used the same claims of improper legal service in repeated attempts to stall or reverse the court’s decision even after the court ruled service had been proper the Mokiaos said news reports had exaggerated the role of Occupied Forces Hawaii Army and that OFHA had simply responded to their calls for help Pieper-Mokiao gave credit to a shadowy organization the “House of Heirs,” for assisting them in organizing the land takeover the House of Heirs did it,” she added later Although referenced several times in the video An online search failed to turn up any substantive information about a group using that name Pieper-Mokiao said that “the House of Heirs has helped to facilitate the reclamation which has been applied on behalf of me.” Court records confirm copies of the “Notice Of Preservation And Vested Hereditary Undivided Lineal Interest Of Title” were mailed to the Honolulu Police Department and other officials in November They do not identify Pieper-Mokiao or any other individual but were issued in the name of the House of Heirs do hereby declare the Reclamation of inheritance by Allodial Title for Royal Patent 4490 Ko Hawai’i Pae Aina,” the notice reads “You are hereby notified of the inherent lawful authority to be present on said property without formal approval from individuals and representatives.” It remains unclear whether the House of Heirs is an actual entity or simply a fictional alter ego of the two heirs identified to date Pieper-Mokiao and Hicks are relaxed and articulate sharing patter and jokes as they recount their arrests and expound on how they have been unfairly victimized by the landowner They express full confidence in their beliefs But the core belief used to justify their actions was debunked long ago as it is contrary to law and court decisions of the Hawaiian Kingdom as well as modern state law and wildly at odds with the facts laid out in court documents over the course of Guyland’s successful ejectment lawsuit Pieper-Mokiao said she and the others were not “squatters,” and insists use of the term is the result of “prejudice She maintained all of her actions have been lawful and clearly within her “inherent right as a lineal descendant” of the royal patent holder she and others have simply applied “the reclamation process,” the “proper” way for lineal descendants to reclaim kuleana lands and “return home.” “Kuleana lands” are those granted to native tenant farmers following the Great Mahele of 1848 and the Kuleana Act of 1850 which transformed Hawaii’s feudal land system into one based on private land ownership Only a relatively small number of eligible Hawaiians applied for and received land grants under the Kuleana Act and few kuleana today remain in the hands of descendants of the original recipients that 170 years of history can be erased or rolled back so that all descendants of the original royal patent recipients can lawfully reclaim an undivided interest in those ancestral lands and “go home.” “The process in which we apply the reclamation process and you know your rights,” descendants can proceed to reclaim their family lands is to send a notice of reclamation to the current holder of what she described as “fraudulent” title Department of Land and Natural Resources and police departments “These are just a few of the names who must be informed of who I am so they can inform their citizens that I am there and that it is my lawful inherent right as a lineal descendant,” Pieper-Mokiao said “That is the lawful thing you have to do,” she said “We do not conduct ourselves in unlawful activities.” Pieper-Mokiao expressed frustration that neither the landowner’s attorney nor the court have recognized her claim to hold “superior title” to the land even after receiving the formal notice of her lineal descent their right to take possession of the land should have been recognized and respected and she expressed surprise they were labeled squatters and now face criminal trespass charges “I cannot be one squatter if I notify you we are coming,” he said Pieper-Mokiao said “because he is American I think he does not know how Hawaii Country laws work.” you must know the Mahele,” she said in the video “All lands in Hawaii are held in allodial title — remember that and under royal patents given to whoever the patents were under,” Pieper-Mokiao maintained in her video interview “Allodial title” refers to land owned free and clear of responsibility to or control by any superior landlord the king held allodial title prior to the Mahele Pieper-Mokiao and other heirs claim those Mahele-era land court awards and accompanying royal patents granted kuleana lands with allodial title and title can only be passed down to lineal descendants any subsequent sales or transfers to non-descendants are invalid Although this idea is the cornerstone of the “heirdom” theory that fueled this and other attempted land reclamations The 1850 law authorizing native tenants to apply for kuleana land awards provided a process by which the king would give up his allodial title first by a land commission award after an application was reviewed and approved giving up the government’s title to the land There were no restrictions on the alienation of kuleana lands Early court decisions set aside some land transfers where fraud was shown but these generally recognized the right of a land patent recipient to do as they pleased with their property In 1877, the Supreme Court of the Hawaiian Kingdom, in the case of Brunz v. Smith held that patents do not confer title on subsequent descendants or other claimants who are not named in the original patent or land commission award That 19th century case became the basis for a 2003 decision by the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, in which the defendant presented precisely the same argument made by Pieper-Mokiao — that royal patents granted allodial “inalienable” title in perpetuity and that holders of the royal patent or their heirs did not have the power to convey the land which can only pass down within the family The appeals court quickly ruled that the argument “is without merit.” cited Section 172-11 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes to justify their position that “all land patents so issued shall inure to the benefit of the heirs and assigns of the holder of the original award.” Citing the Brunz opinion more than 125 years earlier an award of land through royal patent operates as a quitclaim of interest by the government and other claimants must prove their interest in the land through deed or other means.” absent a deed or other evidence of a continuing ownership interest in the land simply being a lineal descendant confers no ownership interest While some descendants and heirs of the original holders of kuleana lands have successfully reclaimed family properties through the courts those legal challenges required both proving  genealogical ties and providing sufficient evidence of their place in the chain of title Claimants have been successful when they could prove an ancestor held a valid interest in a property that was never transferred or otherwise extinguished For example, the state’s Intermediate Court of Appeals in 2020 awarded title to a 3.5-acre parcel of land on Maui to a Hawaiian family descended from the recipient of an 1857 Land Commission Award after a 20-year court battle. The court’s 51-page opinion is a textbook example showing the evidence needed to prove not only genealogy but the family’s place in the chain of title It also illustrates the Kunia defendants’ simple claims to “heirdom” fall far short of the kinds of proof necessary to sustain a kuleana land claim many generations later Whether their professed belief in the ownership rights of lineal descendants represent misunderstandings of the factual and legal landscape similar claims about so-called allodial title have been used by anti-tax and anti-government extremists on the U.S including those affiliated with the so-called “Sovereign Citizen Movement.” “Sovereign citizens are US citizens who reject their citizenship status and claim they are not subject to government authority,” according to a 2012 FBI report “Some may use this self-appointed status to justify threats The FBI report warned that allodial title has been used by sovereign citizens “in an attempt to immunize property from seizure in the event of non-payment of taxes or court judgment” or “used in an attempt to free property from government control.” Police are looking for a man who robbed a Wendy’s fast food restaurant in Royal Kunia on Wednesday morning It’s the second Waipahu-area business robbery in two days and follows other recent business and fast-food restaurant robberies in Central Oahu Another Waipahu business was hit by an armed robber at about 4:15 p.m demanded money and then ran off with the cash There have been a string of armed robberies involving fast food restaurants and businesses over the last two weeks the McDonald’s near the Pearl Kai Shopping Center on Kamehameha Highway was robbed at 4:30 a.m The suspect escaped with an undisclosed amount of money Police are investigating to see if Monday’s robbery is related to the armed robbery of a Jack in the Box in Waipahu on July 14 Another Waipahu business was robbed on July 13 and police are also investigating an armed robbery of a business in Pearl City on July 12 HONOLULU — Former neighbors in the subdivision where Edward Snowden lived until last month say they knew him only well enough to wave as they passed by a contractor who says he's the source behind reports about the U.S lived in a rented home in the Royal Kunia subdivision of the Waipahu community on the island of Oahu said he saw Snowden only a few times before Snowden and his girlfriend moved out in May "I saw him only a couple of times in the morning when he was standing by his door," said Gawiran who has lived in the community for 28 years told the Associated Press that the couple had moving boxes lining their garage from floor to ceiling before leaving the neighborhood Officials from the Honolulu office of Booz Allen the government contractor where Snowden worked a Century 21 real estate agent who is the listing sales agent on the property that Snowden had lived in said that he moved out on May 1 after the owner had given him notice to vacate Neither the owner nor the real estate agent had ever met Snowden She confirmed that Snowden had lived in the house for 13 months and was a renter of the three-bedroom Traffic A man died when a truck and vehicle collided on Kunia Road between Anonui Street and Kunia Loop this morning A 26-year-old Schofield man is dead and a 50-year-old Waipahu man was taken to the hospital in serious condition after a crash on Kunia Road on Oahu this morning was driving an Allied Machinery utility truck The utility truck was headed north at about 10:45 a.m crossed the center line and crashed into the truck The younger man was pronounced dead at the scene police closed Kunia Road between Anonui Street and Kupuna Loop for about three hours Police said speed was an apparent factor in the crash The fatality marked the 15th on Oahu this year compared to 18 at the same time last year We could pay for the rail by hiding a few solo bikers everyday on that hell strip between Walmart and Wheeler Not smart to do any of those things on a one lane each strip of old The speeders I’ve seen have mostly been military I could tell by the fatigues they were wearing It’s only dangerous because there are lots of dumb*ass drivers who don’t pay attention to what they are doing,namely DRIVING May have contributed to the driver’s death if it wasn’t switched out Of course hitting a bigger vehicle is not a guarantee that the airbag will prevent a fatality Neither will crossing the center line help Speeding and irresponsible weaving in and out of traffic have been the precursors to death and destruction on that road Don’t forget those big solid white lines too So many don’t adhere to the driving laws and the safety to why these lines are put on the roadway You must be logged in to post a comment By Gordon Y.K. Pang and Rob Shikina five-car crash on New Year’s Day — a silver 2007 Mitsubishi sedan and a silver 2006 Lexus sedan — were reportedly being driven "erratically and at a high rate of speed" according to witness accounts and scattered mangled auto parts over a 100-yard stretch of road crossed into the southbound lane of Kunia Road and struck a gold 1992 Mercury sedan at an angle and its driver and one of his rear-seat passengers Two people were killed and six others injured Saturday in the 6:55 p.m The ejected youngster was pronounced dead at the scene while the Mitsubishi’s driver was taken to the Queen’s Medical Center in critical condition Three other teenage boys in the car — ages 19 17 and 14 — were taken to Queen’s in serious condition which was near or astride to the right of the Mitsubishi went out of control and spun into the southbound lane where it was broadsided by a silver 2010 Nissan pickup truck The drivers of both the Lexus and the pickup were taken to Queen’s in serious condition nor his three female passengers — ages 29 Thomas Nitta of the Traffic Division said speed appears to have been a factor in the crash which happened in an unlit area of the roadway Police said they are looking into the possibility that the drivers of the Mitsubishi and Lexus were racing It is unknown whether alcohol was a factor Kunia Road remained closed between Lyman Gate and Anonui Street on the Royal Kunia side The deaths were the first Oahu traffic fatalities for the new year Later Saturday a 43-year-old Hauula man died from injuries apparently sustained when he jumped or fell from a moving truck on Kamehameha Highway during an argument with the driver the man was riding in a Ford truck driven by a 46-year-old Hauula woman and the man either jumped or fell from the truck at about 9:25 p.m He was taken to the Queen’s Medical Center with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries and was conscious and combative But his condition deteriorated and he died Police said the driver was not speeding or intoxicated they said the victim had been drinking prior to the incident Sixty-two people died in traffic crashes on Oahu in 2010 By Andrew Gomes Hawaii has lost one of its most visionary and productive real estate developers whose projects included Ko Olina Resort & Marina and thousands of Oahu homes died peacefully Monday surrounded by family at home in Aiea The Honolulu-born developer who once described himself as a "man of progress" built close to 13,500 single-family homes and condominiums as well as a Waikiki hotel commercial and industrial property and the master-planned West Oahu resort over a career spanning a half-century Village Park and Waimalu Shopping Plaza are all Horita developments on Oahu Horita also was involved in developing Maui Lani on the Valley Isle Horita’s work benefited generations of homeowners created thousands of jobs and generated wealth for himself The developer also had a few failures as well as detractors who opposed his plans that urbanized much of Oahu’s rural and agricultural landscape "You either loved him or hated him," said Jon Uchiyama now comptroller for another big Hawaii homebuilder creativity and dedication that produced results "He had this saying: ‘Don’t give me why cannot Just give me one reason why can.’ ‘No can’ was not in his vocabulary," Uchiyama recalled Horita grew up in Honolulu and was introduced to the real estate industry through his father’s company one of Hawaii’s first general contracting firms Horita has said his toys growing up were lumber and machinery As a teenager he spent summers working for his father "When other kids went to work in the cannery always worked in construction," he said in a 1975 Star-Bulletin interview After graduating from Farrington High School in 1948 Horita considered pursuing a different career while studying at the University of Hawaii But in 1957 he sold his first home working for his father Horita branched into development soon after with an opportunity to invest in land through developer Joseph Pao one of seven children of the developer and vice president of Herbert K said his father was most proud of Royal Summit and Newtown Estates on the slopes of Aiea The most momentous project for Horita was Ko Olina a vision he had in the mid-1970s to turn 640 acres of sugar cane fields and rugged shoreline into a $2 billion resort with 10 hotels agricultural industry advocates and others vigorously fought the plan A state planning department blasted the idea because of the site’s proximity to a naval air station and industrial park But Horita persevered in getting permits for the project and tapped the wave of capital that rushed into Hawaii from Japan in the 1980s to finance the ambitious plan "I remember driving down through the cane fields to the rocky shoreline and whipping out a nicely colored plan and saying to people from Japan Air Lines ‘Here’s the lagoon if you can think about it.’ (Horita) had vision." who became the resort’s senior project manager two years after grading work began said it took incredible tenacity for Horita to get Ko Olina started with its massive infrastructure requirements which included four man-made lagoons and a marina "The foresight that he had—and I have to also emphasize courage—is amazing," Williams said Horita got Ko Olina started in partnership with Japanese-based development firms TSA International and Kumagai Gumi but he lost control of the project after financing and development stalled in the early 1990s as the Japanese investment bubble deflated acquired the resort with partners in 1999 and since has gradually brought Horita’s original general vision significantly closer to completion said the difficulties with Ko Olina were rough but he never saw his father stop being an eternal optimist "Those were some lean days," he said "(My dad) was never a cloudy-day kind of guy Horita had other scrapes with failure in the wake of the Japanese investment downturn in the 1990s Horita might have experienced the high and low of the Japanese investment bubble more than any other Hawaii developer said Horita’s impact on Hawaii’s housing market was similar to the mark the late Chris Hemmeter made with hotels hard workers that built things that were pretty amazing," Cassiday said bankruptcy—a personal case for Hemmeter and a company bankruptcy for Horita related to Royal Kunia But in 2007 the developer repurchased the company’s main asset an undeveloped second phase slated for 2,000 homes and has worked to finish the subdivision with Honolulu-based Stanford Carr Development the Building Industry Association of Hawaii inducted Horita into its Hall of Fame Joshua Horita said his father took a less commanding role in the company in recent years but remained president and stayed involved in major decisions "He said this real clearly—he’ll retire when he passes," Joshua Horita recalled the motivation and the wits to go about it." He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Memorial services will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Newtown on Jan