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ʻO ke koho na ka meia no ka Moku o Keawe e pani koke i ke alahele i ke awāwa o Waipiʻo, ʻo ia ke hoʻopilikia i nā māhele like ʻole o ka lehulehu. 

Ua hoʻouna ʻia kahi hihia kānāwai ma ka hopena o Malaki. Ke hoʻouna ʻia nei kahi hihia ʻē aʻe. A, he palapala hoʻopiʻi ko laila e koi aku iā Meia Mitch Roth e kāpae a hoʻololi i kona pani alahele ʻana ma ka lā 25 o Pepeluali, a he 800 mau pūlima a ʻoi o ua palapala hoʻopiʻi nei. 

Ua pani alahele ʻo Roth ma muli o kahi “mea hoʻoweliweli” i ka palekana lehulehu, ʻo ia hoʻi ka hiolo pōhaku a me nā ihona hāneʻeneʻe. Wahi a nā mea loiloi, he ōlelo pilikia i hoʻopālau ʻia, akā paʻa nō ka manaʻo o ke kalana. 

“He kamaʻāina lākou, a he pono ko lākou e ʻōlelo e like me ka makemake,” wahi a Sherise Kanae-Kane, he laekahi ʻikepili a me ka hoʻonaʻauao ma ka Department of Public Works. “Akā, ʻaʻole lākou he wilikī.” 

ʻO ka pani alahele, ʻo ia kai hoʻopūʻiwa i nā kānaka he nui, a ua hoʻokaʻawale ʻia nā kānaka huakaʻi awāwa i mau hui kūʻēʻē, e laʻa nā mea moʻomeheu Hawaiʻi, nā mea heʻenalu, nā lawaiʻa, a me nā kānaka hoʻomākaʻikaʻi malihini. 

ʻO ke awāwa o Waipiʻo, aia nō ia ma kapakai ʻākau hikina. ʻO ia nō kekahi mea nui o nā mea hōʻumeʻume malihini no ka Moku o Keawe, a hōʻihi ʻia ʻo laila ma ke ʻano he wahi kapu a he wahi pana. Kapa ʻia kēia wahi ʻo Ke Awāwa o Nā Aliʻi, a he home kahiko nō ia no nā aliʻi. Ma ke awāwa e noho ai nā ana ilina a me nā heiau. 

Ua haiki a kīkeʻekeʻe ke alahele; nui nā uakeʻe kui lauoho a me nā pali kūnihinihi, a ʻaʻole nui nā wahi e kū pono ai ke kaʻa. Ua ʻike loa ʻia, he paʻakikī nō ka hele ʻana ma ke ala inā he malihini ke kanaka i ka ʻāina. 

I mea e hoʻokō ʻia ai ka pani ulia pōpilikia, ua hoʻonohonoho ke kalana i mau kiaʻi ma ka wahi kilo ma Waipiʻo, a ma laila nō ke kinohi o ke alahele. Kuapo ke kōkoʻolua kiaʻi i ka manawa hana, a ma laila nō e ʻāpono ʻia ai ka hele ʻana o nā kamaʻāina, nā mahiʻai, nā ʻona ʻāina a me nā mea hoʻolimalima ʻāina e mahi ana i ka holoholona a me ka ʻāina, a me nā limahana aupuni. Ua pāpā ʻia ka hele ʻana o haʻi ma o ka hele wāwae, ke kalaiwa, ka holo lio, ka holo paikikala a me nā ʻano hele ʻē aʻe i ke awāwa. 

“ʻAʻohe kumu kikoʻī o ke koho ʻana i ke kanaka kūpono i hiki i ke hele iho,” wahi a Joe Gaglione, he heʻenalu ʻo ia no Waimea. “He kaulike ʻole ko ʻoneʻi.”

ʻO Gaglione, piha ka makahiki 40 iā ia, a mau nō kona kipa ʻana i ke awāwa mai kona wā kamaliʻi mai; he 12 ona makahiki ma kona aʻo ʻana mai i ka heʻenalu ʻana. ʻO ka pani alahele, ʻo ia ke ālai i kona hele ʻana i Waipiʻo, a he mea hōʻeha nō ia, keu hoʻi kona lohe ʻana i ka ʻāpono ʻia ʻana o nā malihini e komo i ke awāwa a noho ma nā hale hoʻomākaʻikaʻi ma ke kula awāwa. Komo hewa kekahi mau kānaka ʻē aʻe ma ka wā e hana ʻole ai nā kiaʻi, wahi a Gaglione. ʻĀpono ʻia kekahi mau kānaka ma o ko ʻōlelo ʻana aku, he limahana lākou no nā hale ma ke awāwa. 

“Ua ʻike maka akula wau i nā ʻaʻe kānāwai a me ka pailani ʻana o nā kānaka mai luna mai. No laila, he hui hoʻokiʻekiʻe kēia e koho i ke kanaka i hiki ke hele iho,” wahi a Valerie Goo ma kahi hoʻolaha ma Facebook me ka loiloi ʻana i ka pani alahele ʻana. 

ʻO Gaglione kahi o nā mea kipa kahakai ma kahi kahua pūnaewele hou e hōʻeuʻeu iā Roth e wehe i ke alahele i loko nō o ka hoʻoponopono a me ka ʻimi haʻina. ʻO ke kahua pūnaewele ke alo lehuhelu o Mālama I Ke Kai O Waipiʻo, ʻo lākou he hui kaiāulu i hoʻokumu ʻia ma muli o ka pani alahele ʻana. ʻO kona mākia, ʻo ia ka hoʻopaʻa ʻana i ka hiki ʻana o nā kamaʻāina ke kipa kahakai no ka “hoʻomau ʻana i nā loina heʻenalu, ka lawaiʻa, ka ʻohiʻohi, a me nā hana kapakai e ola ai ke awāwa lupalupa o Waipiʻo.”

“He pono ka hoʻomaha ʻana o ke awāwa. Akā, no mākou kipa kahakai, makemake ʻia kahi noho ma ke pākaukau.” – Sally Lundburg, Mālama I Ke Kai o Waipiʻo

ʻO nā kānaka e paipai ana i ka wehe hou ʻana i ke alahele, ʻōlelo lākou, he ʻike ko lākou i ka pilikia noho loa ma Waipiʻo e hoʻomāhuahua ʻia ana e ka nui malihini a me ko lākou mau kaʻa i hoʻolimalima ʻia. Ua hoʻopilikia nā kaʻa i ka pono palekana, no ka mea, ua pono i nā kaʻa e hele iho ana ke hōʻae i nā kaʻa e piʻi aʻe ana i luna ma o ke kū ʻana ma nā wahi kikoʻī a me ke kali ʻana i nā kaʻa pākahi. Ua kamaʻāina nā kamaʻāina i ke kalaiwa ʻana ma laila, a ua malihini nō nā malihini. 

No kekahi o nā kōlea, ua ʻakahiakahi lākou i ke kalaiwa ʻana i kahi kaʻa holo ala lualua. Ke kū ke kaʻa no ke kali ʻana i kahi kaʻa ʻē aʻe, hū koke aʻe ka hopohopo o lākou i ka hōʻae ʻana a me ka hoʻoholo hope ʻana i ke kaʻa, wahi a Gary Matsuo no Waipiʻo Valley Shuttle. Ua pani ʻia kāna ʻoihana ma muli o ka pani ulia pōpilikia ʻana. 

“Ua komo wau i ko lākou mau kaʻa e kōkua aku ai iā lākou,” wahi a Matsuo. “Akā, inā kalaiwa wau i ke kaʻa ʻōhua hoʻomākaʻikaʻi, ʻaʻole nō hiki iaʻu ke haʻalele a waiho i koʻu kaʻa ʻōhua.”

ʻO Matsuo, makemake akula ʻo ia i ka wehe hou ʻia ʻana o ke alahele, a ʻōlelo ʻo ia, ʻike pinepine ʻo ia i nā ʻōpio e hele wāwae iho ana i ke alahele me ka ʻole o ka maliu pono o nā mākua. 

“He mea hoʻoweliweli nō ia,” wahi āna. 

Kapa ʻia ke awāwa o Waipiʻo he wahi kaulana loa ma ko Hawaiʻi hoʻolālā mālama wahi hoʻomākaʻikaʻi, ʻo ia kahi e makeʻe ʻia ai ka hoʻonā ʻana i nā pilikia mai ka ʻoihana hoʻomākaʻikaʻi mai. 

ʻŌlelo kekahi o nā mea kūʻēʻē i ka pani alahele, makemake lākou e ʻimi i nā haʻina e makepono ai nā kamaʻāina ma ka Moku o Keawe. 

“ʻIke wau, hoʻopilikia nui ʻia ke awāwa,” wahi a Sally Lundburg, ʻo ia ke kākauʻōlelo papa no Mālama I Ke Kai O Waipiʻo. “He pono ka hoʻomaha ʻana o ke awāwa. Akā, no mākou kipa kahakai, makemake ʻia kahi noho ma ke pākaukau.”

He kumu ʻo Lundburg ma Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy. He heʻenalu ʻo ia, he hana kiʻiʻoniʻoni ʻo ia, a he mahiʻai ʻo ia i ka huaʻai a me ke kalo ma ka ʻāina pulapula o kona ʻohana ma Paʻauilo Mauka ma ke kapakai o Hāmākua. ʻO kekahi o kā Lundburg mau kiʻiʻoniʻoni, ua kau ʻia ma ko ka hui kahua pūnaewele, a hōʻike ua kiʻiʻoniʻoni nei iā Uʻilani Macabio, ʻo ia he makuahine, he kumu hoʻonaʻauao haumāna kīnānā, he ʻōlapa, a he heʻenalu. 

Swimming in the Deep (U`ilani) from Sally Lundburg on Vimeo.

Hōʻike akula ke kiʻiʻoniʻoni iā Macabio e heʻenalu ana ma Waipiʻo. Ma o ka haʻi ʻōlelo ʻana ma ke kiʻiʻoniʻoni, wehewehe ʻo ia i ka heʻenalu ʻana e hoʻonā ʻia ai ka pilikia a e hoʻomana ʻia ai ka pilina i ke kai. 

“Pā ka naʻau i nā mea maikaʻi. He mea hoʻokūʻokoʻa ia. Me he mea lā, ua ʻumia loa ka hanu a hiki ke hoʻokuʻu koke ʻia. Pēlā ke ʻano o ka heʻenalu ʻana iaʻu. Ma koʻu wā ʻōpio, ua hiki iaʻu ke heʻenalu he nui,” wahi a Macabio. 

ʻŌlelo akula ʻo Lundburg, ke ʻāʻumeʻume nei nā kānaka a me nā ʻōpiopio he nui i ka ʻaloʻahia a me ka pilikia olakino noʻonoʻo ma muli o ka pāpā ʻia ʻana o ko lākou kipa ʻana i kahi kapu a koʻikoʻi iā lākou. 

“He pono kēia no kā mākou mau keiki,” wahi a Lundburg. 

Koe aku ka maliu ʻana o ke kalana i kēia mau namunamu. Ua haʻi akula ʻo Roth iā Civil Beat, ua mālama ʻo ia i mau hālāwai me nā lālā kaiāulu no ka hoʻolohe ʻana i ko lākou mau manaʻo. 

“Ke hoʻāʻo nei mākou e hoʻolohe i ko lākou mau manaʻo,” wahi āna. 

Ke kuhi ʻia nei ma kēia manawa, ʻekolu mau makahiki ka lōʻihi o ka pani alahele ʻana no ka hoʻopaʻa pono ʻana i nā pōhaku a me ka lepo ma o ke alahele, ʻoiai, ua hōʻike kahi noiʻi lepo i noi ʻia e ke kalana, ʻo ka hiolo pōhaku a me ka haneʻe mauna nā pilikia e hiki mai ana. ʻAʻole naʻe i koi ua noiʻi nei i ka pani ʻia ʻana o ke alahele. 

“Ke nānā nei mākou i ka hiki ʻana o ka hana ke hoʻokaʻawale ʻia i nā wā like ʻole, i hiki iā mākou ke wehe hou i ke alahele,” wahi a Roth. 

Ke hoʻomākaukau nei ʻo Steve Strauss, he loio ʻo ia no Hilo, i kahi hihia kānāwai no nā mea kipa kahakai i hele a ukiuki i ko ka meia mālama kūpono ʻole ʻana i ka pani alahele. ʻO kekahi o nā hoʻopiʻi, e pili ana kēia i ke koho pono ʻole ʻana, ke kaʻina hana kū ʻole i ke kānāwai, ka ʻaʻe ʻana i ke kiaʻi kaulike a me ka hilinaʻi lehulehu, a me kekahi mau ʻaʻe ʻē aʻe i ke kānāwai. 

Kaukaʻi ʻo Strauss i ka manaʻo o kahi luna nānā i alakaʻi i ka hoʻoponopono alahele ma ka Moku o Keawe no nā makahiki he 35, e laʻa ke alahele ma ke awāwa o Waipiʻo. E ʻōlelo ana ka luna nānā, ʻaʻole ʻo ia i ʻike a lohe i kahi kanaka i hōʻeha ʻia a hoʻomake ʻia e nā pōhaku a me ka haneʻe mauna ma ke alahele ma Waipiʻo no kona wā holoʻoʻokoʻa e hana aku ai, a ʻekolu kekeke ka ʻoi ka lōʻihi. 

Ua hoʻouna ʻia kahi hihia kānāwai ʻē aʻe ma ka hopena o Malaki e ka loio ʻo Ron Kim no nā hui ʻoihana hoʻomākaʻikaʻi malihini i hoʻolilo ʻia ai kā lākou mau ʻoihana i ka pani alahele ʻana. Pili ka ʻoihana i ka holo lio a me ka holo kaʻa ʻōhua e halihali ana i nā kānaka i ke awāwa. ʻŌlelo akula ʻo Kim ma ka Pōʻakahi, ua kāpae ʻo ia i ka hihia ma hope o ka makaʻu o nā kānaka nona e hana aku ai. Ua hōʻole ʻo ia i ka wehewehe ʻana aku.  

Wahi a Richard Mastronardo, ʻo ia ka ʻona o Waipiʻo Valley Artworks, ua koho kekahi o nā kānaka e hana pū me kekahi loio ʻē aʻe. 

ʻŌlelo akula ʻo Roth, ʻaʻole ʻo ia i ʻike i kahi hihia kānāwai, a ʻaʻole hiki iā ia kē kūkākūkā i nā hihia e hoʻoholo ʻia nei.