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The barricades at Mauna Kea Access Road are down, and since Monday protestors have not illegally blocked traffic up to the summit. The Visitor Center will reopen Saturday. Some tour buses have resumed operations for their tours up Mauna Kea.
UH spokesman Dan Meisenzahl said the VIS will reopen seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., an improvement on its operating hours before the closure, which were 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
UH’s Office of Maunakea Management spent $1.53 million to improve the VIS, located more than 9,000 feet above sea level, beginning in January. That project, which added a new parking lot and modified traffic circulation around the station, began in January and was completed in July, but it could not be experienced by any visitors after the access road closed.
Meisenzahl said he believes the VIS will reopen with a full contingent of eight employees.
https://www.westhawaiitoday.com/2019/12/...to-reopen/
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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A huge step in the right direction but it remains to be seen whether the powers that be are committed to maintaining the rule of law.
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Are they still blocking the "paved" intersection...and just allowing people to use the gravel alternate by-pass around the tents..... or is the paved intersection open?
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I went to Kona yesterday and most of the tents and canopies are still there. No signal or crossing guards. No HPD to be seen anywhere, but saw DLNR Police on MK Access Rd. Thursday is going to be interesting.
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Went by twice today. Had no idea the access road was open. Looked like a Hooverville ghost town...
Cheers,
Kirt
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Very good news! I will venture up in a few weeks to check it out.
Stacey
Living the life in Cali and Hawai‘i
Stacey
Living the life in Cali and Hawai‘i
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Guess I'll renew my Costco card, haven't been since all the hullabaloo started.
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"Are they still blocking the "paved" intersection"
There is still a tent in the middle of the road.
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Update from yesterday. Harry Kim announced the Dec 26th removal date is "not relevant." Like the legal paperwork completed by the TMT and the Supreme Court decision? Click the link for a photo of tent remaining on Mauna Kea Access Road.
“Right now, Dec. 26 is not a relevant date,” Kim said. “But the goal of clearing it out as soon as possible still remains.”
Kim said he is working with the university and the protesters — notably referring to them as protectors, their preferred appellation — to open the road peacefully.
Currently, drivers attempting to reach the summit must circumvent a large conglomeration of tents on the access road, through a makeshift dirt lane on the west side of the road.
Perez said the protest’s kupuna, or elders, were in communication with Kim on Tuesday and are deliberating about their options. One of those options might be shifting the tents to the side of the road to open both lanes, while still being able to block the road to interfere with TMT construction if needed, but it is not clear whether the state would accommodate such a compromise.
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/201...cess-road/
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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Harry Kim announced the Dec 26th removal date is "not relevant."
That is correct: these are State-issued permits for a project on State land access via State road. County isn't relevant here, not even a little.
This is why it's such brilliant misdirection for Ige to punt to Kim.
