District happenings, Updates, Holiday activities, Public artwork
December 31, 2020
Aloha Neighbor,
It was a year of challenges and many lessons learned – some better than others. But I know we all learned a lot about ourselves and others. May we take the positive lessons into the new year and may it be a good, fulfilling and rewarding year for you and your ohana. Happy 2021!
“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something.”
Improvements to the Hawaiian Pond at the Diamond Head end of Ala Moana Beach Park are nearing completion. Here are some highlights:
Work on Hawaiian Pond is expected to finish this spring.
Project also includes repairs to the central bridge, a new seating area and a new, lighted walkway connecting it to park pathways.
Roughly 900 feet of the drainage canal between the Japanese Pond and tennis courts are to be repaired or replaced.
The two pedestrian bridges over the drainage canal — one near Queen Street and the other near Piikoi Street — will be replaced with wider ones that align with the crosswalks on Ala Moana.
Both will feature abutments with art deco features to match the rest of the park and preserve the park’s architectural integrity
That project is scheduled to be completed by the winter of 2021.
WAIKIKI BEACH IMPROVEMENTS: VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETING ON JAN. 7 – The state office on conservation will be holding a virtual scoping meeting on the environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Waikiki Beach Improvement and Maintenance Program to save the loss of beaches due to sea level rise, provide safe access to and along the shoreline, and increase resilience to coastal hazards and sea level rise. The state wants to improve the Fort DeRussy, Halekulani, Royal Hawaiian, and Kuhio Beach shores. Projects would include building new beach stabilization structures, and recovering offshore sand and putting it back on the shoreline.
YEAR-LONG BAN ON FISHING ALONG SOUTH OAHU SHORELINE STARTS JAN. 1
Rules to prevent over fishing in Waikiki will once again be in place beginning January 1
Come Friday, fisherman will not be allowed to fish in the Shoreline Fisheries Management Area from Waikiki to Diamond Head. The year-long shutdown is an effort by the state to mitigate over-fishing, and gives sea life a chance to thrive. The closure extends from the Ewa wall of the Waikiki Natatorium to the Diamond Head Lighthouse. It’s closed every odd numbered year to allow ocean stock to replenish. To report violations of any fishing regulation, please call the DLNR enforcement hotline at (808) 643-DLNR (643-3567). For more info, click here.
DEADLINES EXTENDED: BWS Water Shut-off, HECO disconnections, Drivers Licenses and ID cards
Board of Water Supply (BWS) Extends Water Shut-off Deadline Thru End of March. The Board of Water Supply will extend the suspension of water shut-off for nonpayment of water bills through Wednesday, March 31, 2021. Those who cannot pay their bill in full are advised to keep their balance as low as possible, and pay what they can afford as often as they can. For payment arrangements, call 748-5070, email collections@hbws.org, or submit a Payment Arrangement Request Form here. For more info, click here.
HECO Extends Moratorium on Disconnections. Hawaiian Electric is extending its moratorium on disconnections until the end of March 2021. For payment plans, click here. For more info, click here.
Hawaii Driver’s License Extension. The City is extending the deadline for expiring driver licenses, state identification cards and instruction permits to Feb. 14, 2021, giving more time to schedule appointments. Renewal services are offered on an appointment-only basis at driver licensing centers across Oahu. To schedule an appointment, click here. For lost, stolen, or damaged cards, duplicates can now be requested online and will be mailed to the address on file. For more info, click here.
UPDATES
UPDATE: HAWAII COVID-19 VACCINE DISTRIBUTION
Hawaii Receives 2nd Moderna Covid-19 Vaccine Shipment. On Dec. 28, the state received 10,900 doses of the Moderna vaccine — the second shipment of the vaccine to the state so far. On Oahu, the state department of health received 5,200 doses. The state is expecting another Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine delivery on Tuesday. Vaccine shots will be administered to the public using a drive-through system when the vaccine is more widely made available. For more info, click here and here.
Find Your Place On the Vaccine Timeline. The state department of health is collaborating with federal and county partners to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine throughout the state as rapidly and efficiently as possible. As of December 27, approximately 14,000 doses of vaccine have been administered to essential hospital workers and first responders throughout the state. While supplies are currently limited nationwide, by summer it is expected that every Hawaii resident age 16 and above will have access to the vaccine. Hawaii is incorporating information from nearly 100 different organizations in the community to identify individuals who are most at risk for COVID-19 so that they can receive the vaccine first. The following timeline provides estimated dates of when the vaccine will be available to the different priority groups. For more info, click here: https://hawaiicovid19.com/vaccine/
UPDATE: UNEMPLOYMENT PROVISIONS SIGNED INTO LAW – President Trump signed the new federal funding relief bill into law this past Sunday and here’s what’s in it:
claimants should certify their PUA or PEUC claims as usual. Payments may be delayed as the DLIR updates its processing systems, but eligible claims will be paid in full retroactively.
Now that PEUC has been extended, claimants who were about to switch to EB20 should stay on PEUC until they exhaust that benefit. The state UI office has stopped auto-processing EB applications, hoping to facilitate people going on to PEUC rather than EB.
UPDATE: GOVERNOR APPROVES CITY REQUESTS TO EXTEND COVID EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION, TEST TRAVELERS WITH EXEMPTIONS – Governor Ige approved the Mayor’s 10th proclamation today, extending the state of emergency to February 14, 2021. The Governor also approved the City’s request to test incoming “CISA essential workers” who received a limited self-quarantine exemption issued by the state. Both documents can be found online here.
FUN HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS AND ART TO ENJOY:
‘FUKUBUKURO” BARGAINS AT ALA MOANA AND ROYAL HAWAIIAN CENTERS: JAN 1 – 3
Ala Moana Center: On New Year’s Day, retailers will be participating in the Japanese tradition of “fukubukuro” (lucky bag) where shoppers can buy a sealed bag of unknown, mystery products priced at half the full retail price. The tradition started more than a century ago in Japan. Since 2002, the event has proved extremely popular at Ala Moana Center with shoppers lining up early at their favorite shops. In previous years, bags have been sold at prices ranging from $10 to $5,000. Stores will open at 9 a.m. on New Year’s Day. Each participating store will have a limited number of grab bags; usually about 10,000 bags total are available. No returns. At Ala Moana Center, 45 retailers will participate. For a complete list of participating merchants, click here.
Royal Hawaiian Center: “Fukubukuro” kicks off at 10:30 am on New Year’s Day with a taiko performance by Kenny Endo’s Taiko Center of the Pacific. Stores will open at 11 a.m. Prices on lucky bags will range from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars. For a complete list, click here
KAKAAKO RECEIVES CITY’S FIRST STREET MURAL REPRESENTING HOPE AND UNITY – Local artist Kai‘ili Kaulukukui began painting the Auahi Street mural in front of SALT at Our Kakaako on Friday, Dec. 25 and completed the street mural yesterday. Covering 3,000 square feet, it features a woman stringing a plumeria lei with her two children and is called ‘A‘ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia (No task is too big when done together by all).
Artist Kaulukukui signed the mural and all participated in the blessing of the mural for coming together of community. See it on Auahi Street. For more info, click here.
NEW ARTWORK DEDICATED AT THOMAS SQUARE
The City dedicated two new temporary pieces of artwork as part of the Art at Thomas Square program. The art installation program at Thomas Square Park on South Beretania Street enhances the park, beautifies the space, and engages the public with thought-provoking artwork. The following art pieces will be on view for one year:
“Ho‘okumu—Moana (The Source—The Deep Ocean)” by Bernice Akamine (2020). Ho‘okumu refers to the source of water starting from a single raindrop drawn from the mist and clouds in the mountains that flows downward and becomes part of the Moana. Using stainless steel wire and one of the oldest styles of net-making, Ho‘okumu—Moana illustrates this first droplet as light and airy. Small crystals are woven on the top sphere representing a navigational tool and recognizing the importance of celestial navigation and connection with the Moana.
“16 Cube Truss (About Building Systems)” by Sean Connelly (2020). The sculpture is a cantilevered construction to observe the technology of lashing used structurally in a common building system or framework. The work is made of wood constructed by Ian Eichelberger with lashings installed by Hawaiian artist Kupihea.
