Woohoo!

Bali Hai may call you,
Any night, any day,
In your heart, you’ll hear it call you:
“Come away…Come away.”

Here’s the thing: Bali Hai is an actual mountain peak in my neighborhood. It’s really called Mt. Makana, and it overlooks Tunnels Beach, which is one of our favorite, favorite (did I mention, “favorite?”) spots to swim, snorkel, and just hang out. It’s one of the most photographed views in the world (I think you can see why)… and one of the many reasons our little island just got named the second best island in the world by Travel + Leisure readers, second only to the Galapagos.

But since we have turtles too, I don’t totally understand.  The bottom line:  if Bali Hai is calling you, call me!

Read the full article here, featured on OneTravel.com -  “Best Kauai Vacation Rentals – Bali Hai is Calling”.

Stone (left) with fellow Trike-a-Thoner

Every June, the Hanalei Canoe Club sponsors an 8 Mile Run/Walk culminating with an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast. Of course that’s way too far for my two boys—Stone (5) and Tiger (2)—so we attended the annual “Trike-a-Thon” instead, a fundraiser for Aloha School.

Tiger at the Starting Line!

We staged it on the basketball court and the kids rocked with rounds and rounds of bike riding. It was so competitive I felt like I was at an Olympic event: we were laughing, shouting, crying, even! (And I must say, I was a very proud Mom with Stone being the only one riding a tripod scooter.)

With the Hanalei Firemen

We celebrated afterward with lemonade and muffins—and then a few of the local Firemen came by and sprayed the munchkins down to cool ‘em off… it was too cute!

With Much Aloha!

The J&A iPad Team….

LIHU’E –

“I’ve been tremendously surprised and grateful by the response,” said Steve Benjamin, membership coordinator and Web site administrator for Surfrider Foundation Kaua’i – the nonprofit organization offering the hefty sum.

News of the slayings spread quickly, and individuals from as far as Texas, Maryland and Michigan sent donations to drive up the monetary reward in hopes that someone will provide information pertaining to the deaths.

In fact, non-residents have consisted of 25 to 30 percent of the funds which have been received, according to Benjamin.

“We hope this will provide enough incentive and give people an indication of how serious, not just Hawai’i, but the whole world feels about the preservation of the monk seal,” Benjamin said.

While much attention has been paid to the recent deaths, Benjamin also said he believes it is important to continue educating the public about the importance of monk seal preservation, which is what collected funds will be used for if there are no arrests or convictions.

“I’m hopeful that our efforts will not only capture the person and bring them to justice, but will further the education about the monk seal and its plight and how the numbers are still dwindling. And, for people to understand the importance of biodiversity and the health of these islands,” Benjamin said.

The Hawaiian monk seal – ‘ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua, or “the dog that runs in the rough seas” – is sometimes referred to as a “living fossil” because it has remained essentially the same for 13 million years, longer than human beings have been on the planet and longer than the Main Hawaiian Islands have been above water, according to the Marine Conservation Biology Institute.

The ancient species originally occurred throughout the Hawaiian archipelago and was “likely extirpated from the Main Hawaiian Islands by Polynesian colonizers 1,500 to 1,600 years ago,” a study published in The Journal of Heredity states.

Susceptible targets for hunters, seal populations dropped upon the arrival of the first European sailors during the 19th Century. They “were hunted to near extinction at the six primary Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.”

In addition to cash contributions, individuals have also been pledging donations, which are only contingent upon conviction. Some businesses have even come forth in pledging items, such as a Custom Cruzer Bike from Kekaha Bike Shop, valued at $600.

“I am hopeful that this will all lead to both a better public awareness of the precarious nature of the monk seals in Hawai’i, and also the arrest and conviction of whoever was killing them,” said Dr. Carl Berg, a member of Surfrider Kaua’i.

Benjamin agrees, adding “It really warms my heart, especially because I’m seeing that people really care.”

Individuals are urged to call NMFS Law Enforcement at 1-800-853-1964 with any information concerning the killing of the seals, and will have the opportunity to remain anonymous.

Those who would like to make tax-deductible donations to help raise the reward amount can visit Surfrider Kauai for more information.

By Coco Zickos – The Garden Island

Polihale Bridge Re-Constructed by Volunteers photo courtesy of Volunteer, Carol Hart

Polihale State Park has been closed since severe flooding destroyed an access road to the park and damaged facilities in December.  But the Kauai community has pulled together and donated the resources, man power and the equipment to repair the bridges, roadways and facilities at one of Kauai’s most loved beaches, Polihale.  Read the full article on CNN.

The following photos are provided courtesy of one of the West side volunteers, Carol Hart.  In addition to the roadways and bridges needing repair, the bathroom and shower facilities were damaged by the flooding and landslides in the area.

Click here to watch the K5 news story…

The photos below shows a group of volunteers digging out the shower area from underneath a huge pile of sand and another volunteer doing some clean up around the bathroom facilities where flooding caused severe erosion of the structure’s foundation.

Stay tuned for news of the re-opening of Polihale beach…

Polihale Volunteer photo courtesy of Carol Hart

Polihale Volunteers photo courtesy of Carol Hart