 |
| Na`alehu Theatre as featured on a website called Abandoned USA. See story below. See http://www.abandoned-usa.info/abandoned-naalehu-theatre-hawaii.php |
THE KAWA DRAFT RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PLAN will be the subject of a public meeting on Wednesday, March 15 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. The public is invited to give opinions on the plan, which can be read on the County of Hawai`i website
at http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/weblink/browse.aspx?dbid=1&startid=13770&cr=1
![]()
The 136-page draft plan includes, maps, a history of Kawa land, cultural sites and endangered species and the statement: "It is crucial that this special place be protected and preserved for its historic and cultural significance as well as for the role it plays in the overall ecosystem of the island."
The Kawa parcels are located on the makai side of Hwy 11 between Honu`apo - Whittington Beach Park and Punalu`u. The acreage, now owned by the county, consists of 785 acres purchased with county Open Space and Natural Resource Preservation Commission funds as well as money from the state Department of Land & Natural Resources Legacy Land Conservation Program and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Recovery Land Acquisition program.
The management plan points to the nearby Honu`apo Park, purchased for preservation in 2006, stating that the County "now has the opportunity - and the responsibility - of planning for and managing approximately 1,000 acres of coastal Ka`u lands."See more in Tuesday's Ka`u News Briefs.
at http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/weblink/browse.aspx?dbid=1&startid=13770&cr=1
The Kawa parcels are located on the makai side of Hwy 11 between Honu`apo - Whittington Beach Park and Punalu`u. The acreage, now owned by the county, consists of 785 acres purchased with county Open Space and Natural Resource Preservation Commission funds as well as money from the state Department of Land & Natural Resources Legacy Land Conservation Program and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Recovery Land Acquisition program.
The management plan points to the nearby Honu`apo Park, purchased for preservation in 2006, stating that the County "now has the opportunity - and the responsibility - of planning for and managing approximately 1,000 acres of coastal Ka`u lands."See more in Tuesday's Ka`u News Briefs.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.
NA`ALEHU THEATRE AND ITS FUTURE is the subject of a Hawai`i Tribune Herald story on Monday morning. Ivy Ashe writes, “The southernmost theater in the country sits abandoned as it has for more than a decade. It is unclear what the future of the Na`alehu Theater, the plantation-era building known to passing drivers for its still-vibrant paint job, will hold, but many residents aren’t optimistic.”
Hawai`i Tribune Herald quotes Joe DeMoruelle, who managed Na`alehu Theatre with Sandra DeMoruelle from 1980 to 2006. They hosted a radio station, films, concerts, hula performances, guitar and `ukulele classes and television and film production courses for area students. George Na`ope who founded the Merrie Monarch Festival; Steppenwolf; and Big Brother and the Holding Company featuring the star of The Rose, a Broadway show about Janis Joplin, were among the acts playing Na`alehu Theatre. There was a food concession for a period of time.
Hawai`i Tribune Herald writes about the bones of Na`alehu Theatre. "The theater building went up in 1925, constructed by the Hutchinson Sugar Company. Its 10,237 square feet contain three separate sections." The article also reports on its ownership: “The theater property is owned by 300 Corporation, a division of the Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation. The parent foundation is a nonprofit that is a major landowner in Hawai i. Its offices are based in Honolulu and Maryland.
On Monday, the Congressional Budget Office released its analysis of the proposed changes to health insurance law, saying that it would lead to the loss of health insurance for 24 million Americans and increase the cost of insurance premiums for at least two years. Medicaid enrollment would decrease by 14 million people, saving the federal government money, reducing the federal deficits by $337 billion over the next decade, the federal Budget Office predicted.
 |
| Na`alehu Theatre Photo by Julia Neal |
Much community organizing and political support, from mayors to County Council members and legislators, during the last two decades supported leasing Na`alehu Theatre and restoring it. The owners turned down repeated proposals.
However, in 2011, developers of a proposed Nani Kahuku `Aina resort on more than a thousand acres makai of Ocean View said they had a lease on Na`alehu Theatre. As they aimed for permits from government to approve their resort, they proposed a board of local residents to oversee Na`alehu Theatre. They said they would pay to restore the theater as part of their community involvement. When the development plans were put on hold, the restoration planning for Na`alehu Theatre paused as well.
However, in 2011, developers of a proposed Nani Kahuku `Aina resort on more than a thousand acres makai of Ocean View said they had a lease on Na`alehu Theatre. As they aimed for permits from government to approve their resort, they proposed a board of local residents to oversee Na`alehu Theatre. They said they would pay to restore the theater as part of their community involvement. When the development plans were put on hold, the restoration planning for Na`alehu Theatre paused as well.
 |
| Na`alehu Theatre sits idle and unrepaired, remaining a colorful backdrop (this photo in 2012) for Fourth of July and other parades. Na`alehu Theatre represents a long history as venue for entertainment and education. Photo by William Neal |
 |
| The projection room and classroom. See Abandoned USA |
“According to the nonprofit database GuideStar, 300 Corp’s mission statement is 'to acquire, hold title to, and collect income from properties, remitting the entire amount of such income, less expenses, to its stockholder, which is an organization exempt from income tax under section 501(A) of the internal revenue code.'”
Reporter Ashe writes, “It is unclear how the theater property is collecting income, as it is no longer leased out. A message left with the Hawai`i offices of the Weinberg Foundation was not returned.”
Ashe interviewed Joe Demoreulle who told her: “I don’t think they’ll rent it to anybody now. I don’t think anything will happen there.”
The reporter states that “an attempt to list the theater as a historic property was made in 2005.
At the time, representatives from the state historic preservation division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources visited the site and determined that it was eligible for listing. However, reports Hawai`i Tribune Herald, “in June 2005, Alvin Awaya, president of 300 Corp, sent State Historic Preservation Officer Peter Young a letter stating that the company ‘respectfully objects’ to the listings and would request a contested case hearing if the listings was not rejected.’ In 2010, Honolulu Magazine listed the theater as one of Hawai`i’s Most Endangered Historic Sites,” reports Hawai`i Tribune Herald.
See much more on this story at www.hawaiitribune-herald.com. Also see photos of the abandoned exterior and interior and a story on the Na`alehu Theatre's history at http://www.abandoned-usa.info/abandoned-naalehu-theatre-hawaii.php
Ashe interviewed Joe Demoreulle who told her: “I don’t think they’ll rent it to anybody now. I don’t think anything will happen there.”
The reporter states that “an attempt to list the theater as a historic property was made in 2005.
 |
| The main theater with roof tiles fallen and the theater seats side by side. See Abandoned USA |
See much more on this story at www.hawaiitribune-herald.com. Also see photos of the abandoned exterior and interior and a story on the Na`alehu Theatre's history at http://www.abandoned-usa.info/abandoned-naalehu-theatre-hawaii.php
THE AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION, which represents Ka`u Hospital, Hilo Medical Center, Kona Community Hospital and nearly 5,000 hospitals across the U.S., has posted concerns about the proposed American Health Care Act. The proposal before Congress would replace the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare.
 |
| Ka`u Hospital is a critical care hospital, dependent on Medicaid and other federal programs. Painting by Davenport |
The American Hospital Association's letter to Congress, sent before the release of the Budget Office report, asked for Congress to review the proposed changes in light of patients and caregivers depending on Congress "to make continued coverage a priority. We believe that any changes to the ACA must be guided by ensuring that we continue to provide health care coverage for the tens of millions of Americans who have benefitted from the law. The AHA asks for careful evaluation
![]()
regarding its impact on both "individuals and the ability of hospitals and health systems which are the backbone of the nation's health care safety net in terms of our ability to care for all of those who walk through our doors." Other organizations that have issued statements of concern include the American Medical Association, American Nurses Association, AARP and the American Health Care Association.
NEGATIVE COMMENTS ABOUT IMMIGRANTS drew responses Monday from Hawai`i Senators Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono, as well as leading Republicans, including the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. They reacted to U.S. Rep. Steve King's tweet on Sunday regarding a right wing Dutch politician. King said the politician "understands that culture and demographics are our destination. We can't restore our civilization with someone else's babies." King went further on a CNN interview, saying he "meant exactly what I said...I'd like to see an America that's so homogenous that we look a lot the same."
The response from House Speaker Paul Ryan said: "The Speaker clearly disagrees and believes America's long history of inclusiveness is on of its great strengths." A response from Republican Jeb Bush said, "America is a nation of immigrants. The sentiment expressed by Steve King doesn't reflect our shared history or values."
![]()
Hawai`i Sen. Brian Schatz tweeted: "Sigh , in Hawai`i no one looks the same, even in our families. And it's pretty great."
Hawai`i Sen. Mazie Hirono sated that "Steve King has always been on the fringe with his views on immigration and what this country looks like." She went further to include President Donald Trump and his cabinet: "We are talking about a President who is targeting immigrants."
She said, "King talked about, for example, an electrified fence, across our borders and that's how we deal with livestock. So I don't think we should give much credence to Steve King except that as it exemplifies some of the more outrageous things that this Administration has already done, and I say, will continue to do."
![]()
![]()
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.
Hula Performance, Wed, Mar 15, 6:30 – to 8 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Under the direction of Kumu Hula Ab Kawainohoikala‘i Valencia, Hālau Hula Kalehuaki‘eki‘eika‘iu ma Kīlauea performs. Free; park entrance fees apply.
Thursday Night at the Center, Mar 16, 7 – 9 p.m., Volcano Art Center. Susan Scott and Wally Johnson present their book, Hawai`i’s Kolea, the Amazing Transpacific Life of the Pacific Golden-Plover. 967-8222
St. Patrick’s Day Dinner Buffet, Fri, Mar 17, 5 – 8 p.m., Kilauea Military Camp’s Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Corned beef & cabbage, lamb stew, shepherd’s pie & more. $19 adults; $10 children 6 – 11 years. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356.
 |
| www.kaucalendar.com |
