Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Beach Access at the 4th of July Parade in Kailua

It's one thing to talk about beach access, however I find it much more powerful to see people actually on the streets doing something about it! Here is a video put together by one of our members, Paulo de Azevedo. It really shows you the great signs, the crowds, and the tremendous enthusiasm we have in support of getting rid of the gates that block public access to the public beach. And we love the bagpipes too...



Mahalo, Paulo for doing a terrific job on the video! We'll also be using some of his footage in an Olelo program about beach access, which BAH is producing and will be airing on public access TV in a month or two.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Our Vanishing Beaches

Good editorial in today's Advertiser: "United effort needed to curb Kailua erosion." If we allow houses to be built closer to the shoreline as is happening right now, it could accelerate the erosion problems. Yet NOTHING is being done by the State or City Council!

Why? Same reasons nothing has been done about beach access: lack of leadership. Here's a telling excerpt from the editorial...

Government officials have been aware of the problem for several years, said Chip Fletcher, a University of Hawai'i geologist... He started his work in the Kailua-Lanikai area, so he's familiar with radical changes in this beach zone.

Major players in this drama - officials from city parks and state land departments, as well as from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - have met before, he said, but there's been no corrective plan launched yet.

"The problem is you have something that crosses jurisdictions, and nobody has taken leadership and followed it from A to Z," he said... The absence of leadership is often a key ingredient in how government operates around here, so this observation should come as no surprise.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Get Your Bumper Sticker and Support Beach Access!

Do you support beach access? Well now there is a way you can tell others about it, by picking up one or more of our newly designed bumper stickers. SPECIAL OFFER: Donate before Oct. 1, and we'll send you all three!

We're going to have three versions printed. At the top each says, "Save Beach Access" with the following slogans underneath:
  • No More Gates
  • Open Da' Gates!
  • No Gate 'Em Brah!


If you would like Beach Access Hawaii bumper stickers, please make a small PayPal donation on our web site of $5 or more, then drop me an email (figeli001@hawaii.rr.com) with your mailing address. Tapped out? No problem -- email your address to me and you can make a donation in the future. Or just use the handy Buy Now button below and you can be on your way in about one minute.
What Slogan?


I can hardly wait until we see these all over Hawaii and who knows where else? Be sure and email us a photo once you've received and placed yours.

You can also read Rich's latest newsletter, Beach Access One Year Later.