Hawaii . .. If

Hawaii's Public Schools (K-12) -- • • • from Dept of Health ... Hawaii's Public Schools Hawai'i Department of Education On the DOE News Stand ... Board of Education Alters Meeting Schedules ... see Board of Education web site's " Meeting Notices " for agenda (1/24/06) Statement by BOE Chairperson Randall Yee Relating to Governor Lingle's Initiatives on Education ... anticipates working closely with the administration and legislature to address these and other pressing needs of Hawaii's public schools.. (1/23/06) -- Board of Education Approves 2006 Committee Assignments ... for regular education (K-12), special programs, support services, budget & fiscal accountability, public libraries, new century charter schools, and collective bargaining. (1/6/06) -- Education Week Survey Shortchanges Hawaii . .. If Hawaii had received its "A" for equity, the state's overall average would have been a solid "B." (1/4/06) BOE Will Ask Legislature to Consider Full Budget Request . .. with 2/3 of request left out of the governor's executive budget proposal. (12/20/05) Statement By Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto Regarding Today’s Ruling On Back Pay For Substitute Teachers (12/16/05) Holomua Elementary Launches 'Safe Driving Campaign . .. "Slow down," "Watch for Our Students," and "Drive Safe" are a few of the themes. (12/8/05) BOE Highlights Dec, 2005 Supt's Update Jan 19, 2006 Supt's Highlights Jan, 2006 Na Lono Kula Nov, 2005 Jan, 2005 -- (Policy) (School news for BOE meetings) (Progress report on initiatives for BOE meetings) (News for schools) Other Publications Search for: www DOE -- What is REACH? • • • • • • New ... • Stds Benchmark maps for Lang Arts, Math, Sci. • Martin Luther King, Jr. • Byrd scholarship app • Accreditation • SCC Training (simple registration req'd) • ViewPoints Live • Calendar 2006-07 • Family Support Services • Strategic Plan • SCC handbook • Readings in Education • Legislative Reports • Office of Hawaii Child Nutrition Programs • Presentation Slides • Webstats • Alumni • Learning Catalog ... ... © Hawaii State Department of Education, P.O. Box 2360, Honolulu, HI 96804; Physical address: 1390 Miller St, Honolulu, HI 96813 All rights reserved. For problems/questions concerning this web site, please email the webmaster . Links to other web sites should not be considered an endorsement. DOE is not responsible for the content of external web sites.

Hawaiian Vacation Hawaiian Vacation

Hawaiian Vacation .com #1 Guide for Hawaii Vacation Rentals, Hotels, Weather and Maps Advertise Links Home Welcome to the #1 Site for your Hawaiian Vacation Hawaiian Vacation .com is a comprehensive resource concentrating on unique information on popular topics such as local information and highlights, detailed climatic data, ocean temperatures, maps, directions and great accommodation choices. Whether you are looking for an exciting Hawaii vacation or one of the many relaxed Hawaii vacation spots our detailed travel guide provides insight into each area from a vacation point of view. Also shown for select cities are lodging options such as hotels, resorts and vacation rentals that cover the entire Hawaii area, including great destinations like Maui Hawaii and The Big Island Hawaii. We are undoubtedly one of the best Hawaii vacation guides on the web. The Big Island The Big Island Akaka Falls Black Sand Beach Captain Cook Hawi Hilo Hokulia Holualoa Honaunau Honokaa Kailua-Kona Kaimu Bay Kalapana-Puna Kalopa Kamuela Kapaau Kapoho Kawaihae Keaau Kealakekua Kealakekua Bay Kealia Keauhou Kehena Kohala Ranch Laupahoehoe Mauna Kea Mauna Lani Mountain View Naalehu Ninole Ocean View Opihihale Pahoa Papaaloa Papaikou Pepeekeo Puako South Point Volcano Waikoloa Beach Resort Waikoloa Village Waimea Waiohinu Waipio Valley Maui/Kauai Maui Haiku Hana Honokowai Huelo Kaanapali Kahana Kahului Kapalua Kihei Kula Lahaina Launiupoko Maalaea Makawao Makena Napili Paia Pukalani Spreckelsville Ulupalakua Waiehu Village Waihee Wailea Wailuku Kauai Anahola Anini Beach Haena Hanalei Hanapepe Kalaheo Kalihiwai Kapaa Kekaha Kilauea Koloa Lawai Lihue Makaweli Moloaa Bay North Shore Poipu Beach Princeville Wailua Waimea Wainiha Waipouli Oahu/Molokai Oahu Ahuimanu Aiea Bellows Beach Diamond Head Ehukai Beach Ewa Beach Haleiwa Hauula Hawaii Kai Honolulu Kaaawa Kahala Kahuku Kailua Kaneohe Kapolei Kawela Bay Ko Olina Laie Lanikai Maili Makaha Makakilo Malaekahana Mokuleia Punaluu Pupukea Sharks Cove Sunset Beach Turtle Bay Waialua Waianae Waikiki Waimanalo Molokai Kainalu Kalaupapa Kaluakoi Kaunakakai Maunaloa Ualapue West Molokai We are the #1 site for your Hawaiian Vacation presenting Hawaii vacation rentals, hotels, weather and map for each city. Hawaiian Vacation and California Vacation are publications and trademarks of Media Insights, Inc. ©1997-2006 All Rights Reserved. Page views this month: 3392 Page views this year: 3392 Page views since 12/18/2003: 92151

Hawaiian City Garden

StopMoskowitz :: The Coalition for Justice in Hawaiian Gardens and Jerusalem Support the Coalition with your Donation Donation Amount $25.00 $50.00 $100.00 $250.00 $500.00 $1000.00 thank you The Coalition for Justice in Hawaiian Gardens and Jerusalem P.O. 67903, Los Angeles CA 90067 310 553-1146 email -- How Moskowitz Profits from his Hawaiian Gardens Non-profits A Detailed Analysis of Irving Moskowitz's Non-profit Operations in Hawaiian Gardens nonprofit (non·prof·it) adj. 1. not conducted or maintained for the purpose of making a profit <a nonprofit organization> - noun 2. a nonprofit organization, institution, corporation or entity. These days, Dr. Irving Moskowitz is seldom seen in Hawaiian Gardens but his presence is everywhere. A banner bears his name in a picture of the Little League team that runs in the local paper. Senior citizens attending a city council meeting sport t-shirts with Moskowitz's name emblazoned across the back. Moskowitz may be hundreds of miles away at his home in Miami Beach but he is ubiquitous in the community as a businessman and benefactor who has pumped millions of dollars into the city. And there is no question Hawaiian Gardens is in need of help. The unemployment rate is high in this largely immigrant slice of LA County where half of all adults lack a high school diploma. And where close to one out of every four Hawaiian Garden residents lives below the poverty line. 1 But Irving Moskowitz's track record of less-than-charitable activity in Hawaiian Gardens belies his image as a philanthropist - a careful examination of his financial records and those of his non-profit foundation show that the majority of his contributions resulted in either financial gain or increased political influence for himself. Dr. Moskowitz, it seems, has engaged in non-profit profiteering in Hawaiian Gardens. Since posting this report on our website, more information has come to light that strongly suggests that Moskowitz's non-profit Tri-City Regional Medical Center is in violation of Internal Revenue Service rules qualifying health care providers for tax-exemption. (Click here to read more) Putting the 'profit' in Non-profit healthcare Tri-City Hospital sign greets motorists entering Hawaiian Gardens saying the "community" facility serves all health needs - as long as you're not poor or pregnant. Take Tri-City Regional Medical Center in Hawaiian Gardens. In 1996, when its balance sheets were beginning to look less-than stellar, 2 Moskowitz decided to spin off this privately owned hospital as a non-profit, while retaining ownership of the building and land. 3 Immediately after converting Tri-City Regional Medical Center into a non-profit, the Irving I. Moskowitz Foundation 4 donated $4.9 million in tax-free proceeds from its Hawaiian Gardens bingo to the hospital. 5 Moskowitz then began collecting the money back by charging the hospital $95,000 a month in rent, payable to his private landlord company. 6 Those payments now exceed $110,000 per month. 7 California state financing records show that in 2000 the foundation made an additional transfer of funds to Tri-City. 8 The hospital's fidelity to the concept of charitable trust 9 is tenuous at best. This could perhaps be forgiven if the hospital was meeting the health care needs of the local community. But despite its non-profit status, Tri-City is less than solicitous when it comes to the health of Hawaiian Gardens. When the hospital applied for non-profit status in 1997, it made a commitment to provide pre-natal care. 10 Recent patient discharge data published by the state of California shows that Tri-City has stopped delivering babies - none were born at the hospital in either 2000 or 2001. 11 It isn't for lack of demand for services. Last year residents of Hawaiian Gardens brought home 98 newborn babies. 12 While small in size (the city's population is a little under 15,000 13 ), Hawaiian Gardens is a young, largely immigrant community - recent census data indicates the average age of its resident is 26. More than half of the households have children under the age of 18. And as of 2000, a little more than 10 percent of the population was under the age of 5. The women of Hawaiian Gardens are having babies - they are just not having them delivered at the hospital in their own neighborhood. Tri-City's failure to fully address the health care needs of the poor may be a factor. Again, nearly one out of every four resident of Hawaiian Gardens lives below the poverty line and many are immigrants who do not qualify for state programs such as MediCal (although MediCal is available to cover prenatal care and deliveries for undocumented immigrants, making the hospital's failure to provide these services all the more shocking). Stomach stapling accounts for a large part of Tri-City Hospital's tiny patient census. When it turned non-profit the hospital made a commitment to provide free or reduced cost care to the indigent 14 - and yet in recent years Tri-City has provided zero dollars in charity care. 15 State health care data shows the other four non-profit hospitals of comparable size in LA County provided a combined total of two million dollars in charity care in 2001 (the most recent year that statistics are publicly available). 16 Tri-City's failure to pull its own weight when it comes to helping out poor patients has little to do with its bottom line - in 2001 the hospital's gross patient revenue exceeded $72 million and its net income was slightly more than two million dollars - despite the fact that its occupancy rate in 2001 was an abysmally low 19.6 percent. 17 The average occupancy rate for other hospitals of comparable size in the state of California that year was 52.16 percent. 18 How does the hospital manage to stay afloat with such low patient volume? The answer may be as close as the sign in front of Tri-City's main entrance announcing it is also the home of "The Center for the Surgical Treatment of Obesity." Tri-City, it seems, has gotten into the lucrative business of stomach stapling. The Center, run by the somewhat famous Dr. Mathias Fobi provides surgical stomach shrinking services to patients clinically termed morbidly obese, that is, those who are 75 to 100 pounds or more overweight. (In what is perhaps an unfortunate display of poor taste, his website's motto is "lighten up." 19 ) According to a CBS News Report profiling his practice, Fobi performs surgery on up to 600 patients a year. 20 While Fobi charges for the surgeries he performs, the hospital also bills patients for the use of its operating and recovery rooms and other medical services it provides. In 2002 patients who underwent the surgical procedure at Tri-City, on average, racked up $50,000 in hospital charges. 21 State health care data shows that at least 439 Tri-City patients underwent the stomach stapling procedure last year, that is, more than one out of every four patients that received some sort of surgical treatment at the hospital had their stomach stapled. 22 Total charges for those patients was $21,936,400 - representing close to a third of the hospital's gross charges for the year. Tri-City's 2001 income tax forms (the most recent that are publicly available) indicate that by far its highest paid independent contractor that year was FOCA Management Company, a private company registered to Dr. Mathias Fobi. 23 Tri-City paid Fobi's firm $2,293,044 - more than its next four highest paid contractors combined. 24 Dr. Fobi has made numerous national television and radio appearances touting his surgical techniques and his patients come from as far away as Alaska, 25 but the obesity center appears to be of little value to the community where it is based: last year not one Hawaiian Gardens resident made the short trek across this mile-wide city to receive the procedure. 26 One former City Council member recalls that when the hospital was first built, Hawaiian Gardens welcomed it as the solution to the community's unmet health care needs. But citing the high cost of treatment at Tri-City and the lack of charity care, he said few use the hospital now. State health care data backs that assertion up - despite its proximity only 13.7 percent of all Hawaiian Gardens residents who were hospitalized in Los Angeles County last year were admitted to Tri-City Regional Medical Center. 27 Hawaiian Garden residents admitted to the hospital represented an even smaller percentage of Tri-City's total patient census - just 5.4 percent. 28 Since posting this report on our website, more information has come to light that strongly suggests that Moskowitz's non-profit Tri-City Regional Medical Center is in violation of Internal Revenue Service rules qualifying health care providers for tax-exemption. (Click here to read more) Banking on Bingo Bucks Moskowitz earns more than $1.3 million dollars annually as landlord of what is ostensibly a non-profit hospital. But his money-making off non-profits doesn't end there. In 1988, the city of Hawaiian Gardens granted the Irving I. Moskowitz Foundation a license to operate a non-profit bingo within its city limits in exchange for a commitment to spend the majority of the funds generated by the bingo on the local community. The foundation, which had existed mainly to own a piece of land in Northern California and seldom got much cash, was suddenly taking in more than $30 million annually from bingo games. But the foundation's bottom line wasn't the only beneficiary. 29 Moskowitz is the managing general partner (for practical purposes, the sole owner) of Cerritos General Hospital Company, the private firm that owns the land where his bingo is situated and the building in which the game is played. 30 It is not possible to tell from the foundation's IRS 990 forms (which non-profits file instead of income tax returns), exactly how much Moskowitz's foundation is paying him for use of the land, but even by conservative estimates, the total comes to several hundred thousand dollars a year. The Moskowitz Foundation's 2000 and 2001 990 forms show that in both years it paid total occupancy costs (defined by the IRS as rent and utilities) of over $900,000 for services and programs. The bingo is the foundation's only activity -- apart from writing checks. If even half its occupancy costs went to paying rent on the bingo hall as opposed to covering the costs of electricity, gas and water, it's safe to say Moskowitz is paying himself roughly $450,000 a year for the privilege of holding his own bingo games. On top of the bingo's rental payments, Moskowitz also drew more than half a million dollars in salary ($322,880 in 1999 and $184,503 in 2000, respectively) from the Moskowitz Foundation. 31 By contrast, the Moskowitz Foundation takes advantage of a state law requiring bingo workers to be volunteers for the non-profit operating the bingo. To run the bingo, Moskowitz uses mostly immigrant workers who have no ties to, or even knowledge of, the aims of his foundation, compensating them with nothing but the opportunity to get tips from bingo winners. 32 Workers say that their nightly shifts sometimes bring in as little as $20, even though the "volunteers" essentially function as full-time employees. 33 The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund is currently suing Moskowitz's bingo on behalf of 24 unpaid bingo workers. 34 continued on page two View all news reports 2003 the Coalition for Justice in Hawaiian Gardens and Jerusalem

Hawaii Honeymoon Kaua'i is

Honeymoon Vacations - Orbitz - Honeymoon Vacation Packages & Destinations Welcome to Orbitz. Sign In. Register now. Honeymoon Vacations Discount Travel Directory > Vacation Packages > Honeymoon Vacations Youve found your perfect match, now find the perfect vacation that matches you. With the most options for low fares, hotels and cars, Orbitz is the only site you need for your honeymoon vacations . Accommodations For Your Honeymoon Vacation Niagara Falls is called the world's honeymoon capital. In addition to the awe-inspiring falls, Orbitz can help you find posh-but-affordable accommodations and fine dining for your Niagra Falls honeymoon vacation. Stay at the Marriott Niagara Falls Fallsview Hotel and Spa, located just 100 yards from the brink of the falls on the Canadian side. It boasts beautifully appointed guest rooms overlooking the world wonder. Niagara-on-the-Lake, a 15-minute drive from the falls, is a charming and historic village. Take a carriage ride in the Old Town, or visit world famous wineries, Historic Fort George and McFarland House. Seeking something more tropical for your honeymoon vacation? Escape to the beauty of Central America with and stay at Occidental El Tucano, where you can reconnect with nature and each other during your honeymoon vacation. The 90-room hotel resort is in Costa Ricas mountainous north-central region, surrounded by tropical rainforest, and is laid out to resemble a Spanish colonial town. Hike through the rainforest, discover many waterfalls or relax in the naturally heated hot springs pool. Then take advantage of the resorts full-service spa with his and hers massages, aromatherapy, outdoor Jacuzzis and more. The two-island republic of Trinidad and Tobago offers plenty of honeymoon vacation choices whether you want a secluded hotel on a remote Tobago beach, or a hotel close to the energy and excitement of Trinidads Port of Spain. Some of Tobagos best diving is just offshore at the Blue Waters Inn. This friendly resort has its own dive shop and theres plenty to do above the waves, too, especially on the secluded beach or in the resorts 46 acres of jungle, where you can hike and bird-watch. The hotel offers 31 spacious rooms, four suites and three private bungalows on a horseshoe-shaped bay. Book A Honeymoon Vacation With Orbitz Now! When you're ready to stake out your spot in the sand, just pack the sunscreen and visit Orbitz to book your beach vacation. With the most options for low fares, hotels and cars. Orbitz is the only site you need. Honeymoon Vacations Spotlight: Cancun: Le Meridien Resort & Spa (5 Stars) Couples massages are offered at Le Meridien's European spa - Spa del Mar. All rooms enjoy either ocean or lagoon view. Los Cabos: Marquis Los Cabos (5 Stars) Take in the ocean view from any room in the all suite Marquis Los Cabos. Visit nearby Cabo San Lucas and San Jose. Flight + 5 Nights from $1028 O'ahu, Hawaii: Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hotel (5 Stars) This Hawaiian hideaway has tropical gardens, a private lagoon, and a world class spa. Enjoy the seclusion of Kahala or explore downtown Waikiki, which is only minutes away. Flight + 5 Nights from $1197 Miami: Trump International Sonesta Beach Resort (5 Stars) Each room in this resort has private balconies, marble bathrooms, wetbars, and Sonesta's signature pillow-top mattresses. Flight + 5 Nights from $699 Las Vegas: Bellagio (5 Stars) The Bellagio defines luxury with world class amenities. Enjoy a meal at one of Bellagio's 20 restaurants and cafes, then check out the renowned Cirque du Soleil show. Flight + 5 Nights from $619 Palm Springs: The Lodge at Rancho Mirage (4 Stars) Each room at the resort has a private terrace or balcony with panoramic mountain and valley views. Couples spa treatments are offered at the resort's Avanyu Spa. Flight + 5 Nights from $468 Aruba: Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino (4 Stars) Enjoy the seclusion of the resort's private island. The Renaissance is minutes away from downtown Oranjestad and private beaches. Flight + 5 Nights from $1097 Bermuda: Elbow Beach (4 Stars) Elbow Beach is a tropical hideaway located along the shore of a private pink sand beach in Bermuda. The hotel offers couples spa suites with private access. Flight + 5 Nights from $1753 Caribbean Honeymoon Snorkel the shimmering keys of the Bahamas . Explore Puerto Rico 's Old San Juan one day, then head for rainforests. St. Thomas 's Main Street is the place for shopping, and go to St. John 's to see Virgin Islands National Park. In Barbados it's cricket and high tea. Florida Honeymoon Play and party in Key West . Mix a stay at the beach with a trip to the city in Miami , Fort Lauderdale , Tampa and St. Petersburg . Stroll along the scenic St. John's River in Jacksonville , site of the 2005 Super Bowl. Hawaii Honeymoon Kaua'i is famed for lush landscape and beautiful beaches. The Big Island is home to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Mau'i is great for golf and water sports. Oahu and Honolulu are home to many historic landmarks and 130 beaches. Mexico Honeymoon You'll find it all in Mexico, from coastal getaways like Cancun , Acapulco , Puerto Vallarta and Cozumel to cosmopolitan Mexico City , historic Guadalajara , mountainous Monterrey and the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza . Honeymoon Vacations: Caribbean Honeymoon Florida Honeymoon Hawaii Honeymoon Mexico Honeymoon My Trips | My Account | Flight Status | Site map | Contact us | Terms and conditions | Privacy | About Orbitz Orbitz for Hotels | Orbitz for Business | Advertise on Orbitz | Become an affiliate | Careers | Media | Investors OrbitzSaver Low Rate Guarantee Flights | Hotels | Car Rental | Vacation Packages | Travel Deals | Travel Guides | Cruises by 360i Orbitz guards your privacy and security. We're certified by TRUSTe and Verisign. 2001-2004, Orbitz, LLC. All rights reserved. CST 2063530-50 From: To: Leave: Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan 2005 Feb 2005 Mar 2005 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Return: Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan 2005 Feb 2005 Mar 2005 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Travelers: 1 2 3 4 Adults (18+) 0 1 2 3 Children (0-17) --

Hawaiian Bed Spread

Re: RECLAIMING HALEAKALA, SPIRITUALLY AND CULTURALLY Re: RECLAIMING HALEAKALA, SPIRITUALLY AND CULTURALLY [ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ Talk Story with Uncle Charlie ] [ FAQ ] Posted by Mia Kaina on January 04, 1998 at 01:19:48: In Reply to: RECLAIMING HALEAKALA, SPIRITUALLY AND CULTURALLY posted by Uncle Charle on December 03, 1997 at 03:17:02: : What a ceremony we had up at Haleakala this morning. The Honolulu Star Bulletin : (http://www.starbulletin.com/) had an article on the Ceremony. There was suppose to be over two : hundred people, but from early last evening it was pouring rain and windy. : When we gathered at the Upcountry Community Center at 1:30am. the wind was howling and it : was raining steady. At 2:00am. everyone gathered for pule and promptly at 2:30am. we left for : Haleakala. It kept raining and after entering the Haleakala National Park and passing through the : checkpoints, we arrived at the top, The visitor's center. For the first time in history, the parking lot : was closed and only Kanaka Maoli were permitted and others whoes children were in Hawaiian : programs. We all waited in the Buses and cars, until the right chants were performed and the : Ho'okupu (offerings) were given. This was at 3:40am. the temperature was 40 degrees and chill : factor was almost freezing. In fact the rain was crystallizing on the clothes. Again after the proper : chants were done, we entered the observatory. It was heated and everyone gathered. It was really : something to see. We had about 150 people dressed in "cold weather gear". For Hawaiians who : are not accustomed to the cold, had on thick socks for mittens, bed spreads, blankets and anything : they could find to keep themselves warm. I had announced on the radio it would be close to : freezing. : We started to perform dances outside right on the rim of Haleakala, chants to honor the Makahiki : Festival, the different gods and goddesses that reside there. It kept raining the wind was blowing but : everyone was engrossed in the ceremony. : We then had a kukakuka (talk story) session that was for me the high light of the ceremony. There : were more youths, from 20 years old to 3 year olds then there were adults. This was wonderful : because they represented the future. Everyone spoke the Kupuna (elders) and the opio (youth) and : the all reaffirmed their committment in taking back Haleakala for spiritual and cultural purposes. : They agreed that we have so many cultural resources but if we dont take care of it, we will loose it. : At 6:15am. the sun was chanted in E Ala E, and a new day appeared and a new committed by : Hawaiians in reaffirmation of the cultural roots on the rim of this very wet, very cold and very nani : (beautiful) mountain called Haleakala. Aloha Uncle Charlie. Uncle Charlie, I was up at Haleakala that morning with you. I find myself chanting E Ala E to the sun here in Lanikai, Kailua, Oahu. I enjoyed myself. I was happy to see Hawaiians taking back their land for practices they had practiced before. I am interested. What was the significance of 4am? Kainoa 'Opio Follow Ups: Post a Followup Name: E-Mail: Subject: Comments: : : What a ceremony we had up at Haleakala this morning. The Honolulu Star Bulletin: : (http://www.starbulletin.com/) had an article on the Ceremony. There was suppose to be over two: : hundred people, but from early last evening it was pouring rain and windy. : : When we gathered at the Upcountry Community Center at 1:30am. the wind was howling and it: : was raining steady. At 2:00am. everyone gathered for pule and promptly at 2:30am. we left for: : Haleakala. It kept raining and after entering the Haleakala National Park and passing through the: : checkpoints, we arrived at the top, The visitor's center. For the first time in history, the parking lot: : was closed and only Kanaka Maoli were permitted and others whoes children were in Hawaiian: : programs. We all waited in the Buses and cars, until the right chants were performed and the: : Ho'okupu (offerings) were given. This was at 3:40am. the temperature was 40 degrees and chill: : factor was almost freezing. In fact the rain was crystallizing on the clothes. Again after the proper: : chants were done, we entered the observatory. It was heated and everyone gathered. It was really: : something to see. We had about 150 people dressed in "cold weather gear". For Hawaiians who: : are not accustomed to the cold, had on thick socks for mittens, bed spreads, blankets and anything: : they could find to keep themselves warm. I had announced on the radio it would be close to: : freezing. : : We started to perform dances outside right on the rim of Haleakala, chants to honor the Makahiki: : Festival, the different gods and goddesses that reside there. It kept raining the wind was blowing but: : everyone was engrossed in the ceremony. : : We then had a kukakuka (talk story) session that was for me the high light of the ceremony. There: : were more youths, from 20 years old to 3 year olds then there were adults. This was wonderful: : because they represented the future. Everyone spoke the Kupuna (elders) and the opio (youth) and: : the all reaffirmed their committment in taking back Haleakala for spiritual and cultural purposes.: : They agreed that we have so many cultural resources but if we dont take care of it, we will loose it.: : At 6:15am. the sun was chanted in E Ala E, and a new day appeared and a new committed by: : Hawaiians in reaffirmation of the cultural roots on the rim of this very wet, very cold and very nani: : (beautiful) mountain called Haleakala. Aloha Uncle Charlie.: Uncle Charlie,: I was up at Haleakala that morning with you. : I find myself chanting E Ala E to the sun here : in Lanikai, Kailua, Oahu. I enjoyed myself. : I was happy to see Hawaiians taking back their : land for practices they had practiced before. I: am interested. What was the significance of 4am?: Kainoa 'Opio Optional Link URL: Link Title: Optional Image URL: [ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ Talk Story with Uncle Charlie ] [ FAQ ]