* Received grant from OHA to match earlier funding from Castle Foundation to provide support for completion of this project and to fund the Distinguished Kama`aina publication and a Ko`olaupoko cultural practitioners retreat. Mahalo to OHA!

* Worked with graphic designer on sample signage, and circulated sample to KPHCC board and to steering committee members. Final graphic design will be submitted to state and county transportation departments for their approval before signage will be ordered.

* Worked with state and county transportation officials to determine specifications for signage, and with signage vendors to obtain bids for signage.

- Cultural Education Program

The civic club continues its many efforts to raise awareness of the rich culture, history and heritage of the nine ahupua`a around Kane`ohe Bay. 

During this reporting period, two cultural tours have been given aboard the glassbottom boat at He`eia-kea Pier, with mana`o shared by Mahealani Cypher and Jerry Kaluhiwa.  

In addition, the club has provided tours to Likeke Trail, Lulumahu Valley, and Na Wahi Pana o Kane`ohe. Members also journeyed to Kahuku-uka with Makaha Hawaiian Civic Club president John DeSoto and Army archaeologists to visit ancient Hawaiian villages, burial mounds and wahi kapu in the area.  Mahealani also took a group from Kako`o `Oiwi into Halawa Valley on a quest for `awa plants to grow at He`eia, and accompanied representatives of Hawaiian Memorial Park through a proposed cultural preserve that would be created at `ili Kawa`ewa`e, an effort to recognize the importance of that major heiau.

- Community Engagement

The club also participated in a telephone conference with the federal Advisory Council for Historic Preservation regarding proposed new guidelines for federal agencies in dealing with native Hawaiians and concerns for protection of Hawaiian sacred and historic sites, and in a Heritage Tourism conference at the State Capitol.

Representatives of the club also assisted Hakipu`u Learning Center and Hawaiian Electric with a service project to clean invasive limu from the reef at Kualoa Beach.

- Meeting Notes

Guest presentations at our civic club meetings included HCAP, who offered energy-saving program to replace lightbulbs and refrigerators in the homes of our kupuna; Rep. Jessica Wooley and Sen. Clayton Hee, offering a wrap-up on the recent legislative session and the Akaka Bill; Hawaiian Memorial Park, inviting the club to work with them to malama Kawa`ewa`e heiau complex; Townscape Planners and Mahuahua Ai o Hoi, providing an update on the He`eia wetlands project; and a "movie-night", during which members viewed three interesting films about salt-making on Kaua`i, Celebrate Kane`ohe 2007, and Malama Halawa, the Caretaking of a Valley (H-3 struggle).

- Acting President

A big mahalo to 1st Vice President Leialoha "Rocky" Kaluhiwa, who has served very well for the past three months as acting president of our club while I took a "sabbatical" and focused on moving our grant projects forward.  She is doing an excellent job! 

Me kealoha pumehana,
Mahealani Cypher
Ko`olaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club President

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Posted March 18, 2010:

Aloha mai kakou,


Our club continues its many programs, projects and activities throughout this spring. The following is our quarterly report of our accomplishments from January through March, which will be presented at the April 10th meeting of the O`ahu Council of Hawaiian Civic Clubs (also included are several recent meetings in early April): the "Read-Aloud Program", inviting members to participate in family reading programs in the Kane`ohe area;