Pohoiki

[kalianna]

I hope so. I find his ideas for making sub-divisions self-governing small towns very interesting. But then I see a community town hall devolve into chaos with the resident gadflys ignoring the rules of engagement and hijacking the whole shebang and then I wonder how any group around here ever gets anything done.

[ChunksterK]

" . . . I wonder how any group around here ever gets anything done." - kalianna

Generally speaking, they don't, although there are rare exceptions. Obstructionism is the prevalent modality as it makes its practicioners feel powerful without having to actually create anything useful or do any real work.

[randomq]

We had one of those in Hawaiian Acres. Shut down our farmer's market and forced us through permitting hell to get it back open again. Then turned in the community center over some discrepancy in the original plans. Showed up to every board meeting slinging accusations and threats. One of the board members (dying of cancer at the time) was turned into the planning department because of her unpermitted home.

There are vile people out there with nothing better to do than harass the hard working and well meaning.

[kalakoa]

I remember that one instigator claiming that, while there were shorter ways out from their house, they really needed to drive the extra mile so they would be forced to wait for traffic at the farmers' market.

Later, the County created new rules, such that any subdivision was entitled to host a farmers' market ... at their fully permitted and finaled community center.

[ironyak]

What exactly does OP think should be done? The State did nothing, people complained. The State spent money on studying the options, people complained. The State financed the small kine dredging option, with the understanding that it may fail, regardless of what the local Punaweb experts said, and when it failed, people complained. So now what - spend the $60 mil on the jetties and see if they fail too?

Tam's plan seems to be to investigate why the $9 mil was spent, knowing it might fail. Maybe someone can just direct him to kalianna's post because she's already provided the answer?

Maybe the real solution is people recognizing they live on an active volcano that alters the terrain according to its own prerogatives, regardless of the incessant complaints of the newcomers.

[MyManao]

Maybe the real solution is people recognizing they live on an active volcano that alters the terrain according to its own prerogatives..

Blasphemy!

ETA: btw, Tam, in his Medium article on the subject, repeatedly states a falsehood when his says..

The ocean did exactly what many feared, and promptly filled the channel back in.

Which is wrong. The ocean filled nothing in. In fact it had little to do with it. The sand, already there, being unsupported, slumped into the void created by the dredging. I posted the pics.. we all saw the evolution as the sand migrated across the void. It had nothing to do with the ocean.

[Durian Fiend]

We had one of those in Hawaiian Acres. Shut down our farmer's market and forced us through permitting hell to get it back open again. Then turned in the community center over some discrepancy in the original plans.  Showed up to every board meeting slinging accusations and threats.  One of the board members (dying of cancer at the time) was turned into the planning department because of her unpermitted home.

There are vile people out there with nothing better to do than harass the hard working and well meaning.

Had or have?   This person sounds strangely familiar, so I believe it's the latter. 

[Obie]

This just popped up on Facebook. A response from the fisherman.

PSA: Pohoiki Boat ramp-Update and Moʻokūauhau Project.
I would like to share about the process of where we have been and where we are with our Lifeline to the ocean: Pohoiki Boat Ramp.
The reason is because of all the misconceptions that have been floating around over the last 9-10 months and literally years.
In 2019, DOBOR (Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation) proposed our boat ramp to be at Kaʻakepa in Malama, Puna. We, the ʻohana and lawaiʻa got together and created a list of non-negotiables to the State, which included keeping our ramp where it currently was and Aʻole Kaʻakepa (not going over there). Since that moment on, we, the ʻOhana and Lawaiʻa with the support of Joy SanBuenaventura, Greggor Ilagan, Ashley Kierkiewicz and Matt Kanealii Kleinfelder we were able to help them understand and listen to the ʻohana. Mahalo Uncle Bob Masuda Deputy Director of DOBOR as well! He made a huge difference, being a kamaʻaina to Kapoho in ensuring that our voices were heard.
John Katahira from Limtiaco, Consulting listened and believed in us and started the work over a year ahead of even getting paid to help us figure out what the best strategy was moving forward. He really helped make all of this happen. It took the consultants, constant meetings with the State DOBOR, Joy, Greggor, Ashley, the ʻohana and other community members such as Hawaii Tracker to figure out what were the best next steps and how this was all going to pan out. There were meetings held over the years, literally years and in 2024 we felt like we were finally making headway.
No one really knows the back end of all this, because the Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA were some of the biggest hurdles trying to get the permits and the funding to help us do what had to be called a "Test Dredge". This was because it would have taken us years to even get a permit to touch our boat ramp. Needless to say, we got it and we were only allocated $5.1 million dollars.
The community meetings shared 3-options and the best option was the $40 million dollar option and the least amount was $10 million.
Suffice to say that in 2024, Josh Green was campaigning and met us at the Makuu market and shook hands that the $40 million to dredge all the material at Pohoiki was a guarantee. Months later when he was elected he vetoed the $40 million and never again did I believe the words out of his mouth.
In June 2025, we were finally able to start the work regardless of the countless amounts of "Hotponders" that tried to stop us from having access to our food supply while only thinking of themselves and their daily morning/afternoon swims and even those who were trying to sue the State to stop our project. This was community driven with the support of our government officials listening and working with us.
Iʻd like to share my Mahalo, Mahalo, Mahalo nui loa again to Greggor Ilagan and Joy SanBuenaventura for working with the Legislature to secure another $1.5 million dollars and Finn McCall DOBOR engineer for securing another $3 million from the State. This gave us a total of $9.6 million to work with for the "Test Dredge" under the Army Corps permit that we had. Without the support from all of of our county council and our State Senator and Rep and them listening to community this would not have even been a conversation.
We all knew that it was very likely that this was not going to be what we really needed, yet this is what we were able to do with what we had to FIGHT for to get! If anyone wants to play the blame game, I suggest you contact Governor Green and ask him where our $30 million dollars went that was promised to our Puna ʻOhana and Lawaiʻa to restore our lifeline and access to our ocean at Pohoiki. It was a long shot, yet we listened to the Kupuna and the only option from here on out is to "Holomua Kākou".
For those who are newcomers to our ʻāina in Puna, please remember where you are because this ʻaina was here long before you and will be long after you are gone and the ʻohana who have been the stewards of this place for generations deserve that respect. We are the hosts and you are the guests. I wouldn't go to your homeland and start telling you what to do or what I think should happen or what I want because that is not our way way of life and how we were raised or who we are. So I kindly ask please that you respect us and our wishes of what we know is best for our ʻāina and ʻohana.
This is no offense against any one single person or group yet if you want facts about what is really going on, then go to the source and do your homework. Please donʻt make up your own stories and start rumors!!! Do your RESEARCH.
Update: DOBOR has worked with Greggor Ilagan to secure funding through this last legislative session to do what we all wanted in the beginning which is to get the design for the Jetties for the boat ramp access.
I would like to extend my utmost support for Greggor Ilagan and all that he is has done for Puna and Joy SanBuenaventura!!! I encourage you to vote for them and please look at the work that work that they have done for PUNA!!!! Please share this among your networks.
Mahalo nunui, Oia Wale No!!!

[MyManao]

This just popped up on Facebook. A response from the fisherman..

Thanks Obie for sharing Leila's manao. Such poignant words, so heartfelt, and I suspect far more persuasive, and hope far more reaching, than the shiny misinformed bauble over on Medium.

[Punatang]

"...Suffice to say that in 2024, Josh Green was campaigning and met us at the Makuu market and shook hands that the $40 million to dredge all the material at Pohoiki was a guarantee. Months later when he was elected he vetoed the $40 million and never again did I believe the words out of his mouth..."

"...If anyone wants to play the blame game, I suggest you contact Governor Green and ask him where our $30 million dollars went that was promised to our Puna ʻOhana and Lawaiʻa to restore our lifeline and access to our ocean at Pohoiki...." - Leila

What kind of dirtball fake-shakes hands with Kanaka who are just trying to subsist?