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The Star-Bulletin reported yesterday that Molokai Ranch has announced its intention to get out of the business of providing water and sewer service on the island’s west end, where hundreds of homes and condominium units are 100% dependent on its system. Reporter Gary Kubota did a good job on the story. But it came more than a month after I reported the water issue, including details on the ranch announcement to West Molokai residents.

Although the Star-Bulletin and other reports this week treat it as a foregone conclusion that the ranch can simply cut service (see KHON and KGMB), it’s not going to be that simple.

Molokai Ranch is the successor to the original developer of the Kaluakoi Resort and related West End developments, and inherited the contractual relationships and responsibilities that went with those developments. These include the responsibility to provide water and sewer service. Attorneys representing at least some of the area’s condominium owners, for example, have been preparing to take legal action to enforce those legal provisions.

While it is true that the ranch can, under certain conditions, require the private owners of homes and condos to take over the system, it must first be brought up to meet all applicable standards. As I reported, those who use the system have pointed to a number of deficiencies that mean the system does not meet those standards, preventing the ranch from imposing the system on its users.

So expect this dispute to be heading to court.

And how about that continuing news coverage of the Superferry? Despite the failures of past coverage, the saga of uncritical reporting continues. Last week it was the announcement of an agreement allowing visitors to take their rental cars between islands on the Superferry. It got a lot of coverage (Star-Bulletin, Advertiser, KHNL, even CNN). What none of them pointed out, however, is that this is going to be an expensive proposition, as the rental companies are charging about $400 if you drop your car off on a different island than the one where it was picked up.  What if you plan on returning your car to the original island but your return Superferry trip is cancelled due to weather or mechanical problems? Is that a $400 anchor around your neck? Obviously this system needs a little work if they expect it to draw customers. Thanks to the Hawaii Superferry Unofficial Blog for that bit of news. If the mainstream reporters weren’t so ready to rely on company press releases, they might think of asking such questions as well.

A reader saw my collection of photos taken on the day of Duke Kahanamoku’s funeral in Waikiki and called my attention to the passing of another of Duke’s associates, Dan Wallace, at age 94, the same age as my dad. It’s an interesting story worth sharing.

The purpose of my email is to let you know of that one of Duke’s great friends made his passing on May 28, 2008. His name was Dan F. Wallace. He was 94 years old. His funeral/memorial is planned for June 6th in Kailua-Kona.

Duke and Dan go back to the early 1940’s when Dan visited with other dancers and actors. Dan permanently moved to Hawaii from Hollywood where he used to dance in movies backing up Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. He opened the Dan Wallace Dance Studio on the grounds of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel after WWII. Duke and Dan shared similar interests like boating, fishing, sailing, and surfing – the beach boy stuff, too. They worked together during Merry Monarch and May Day festivities over many years.

Dan and I would go sailing [Pacific Catamarans] from Waikiki Yacht Club, and would ask Duke to join us for lunch after we finished sailing. We had done so on a couple of occasions. The day Duke made his passing; we had asked Duke if he wanted to go to lunch at the Hob-Nob restaurant as we headed out for a sail. Duke was sitting on his boat repairing some fish nets, and said, “Okay!” When we returned from sailing, we were saddened to hear that Duke had died of an apparent heart attack. The day of Duke’s funeral, I was on John Ford’s ship, the Araner, as Duke’s ashes were spread in the water at Waikiki. Dan was part of the entourage on the beach paying his respects to a legend of Hawaii.

What is heartrending at the moment is the passing of another legend, and a great part of Hawaiian history, Dan F. Wallace.

Dan touched thousands of lives over the years. From 1945 until the mid 1960s, he taught ballroom dancing to adults in groups and individually. In the mid 1960s, he took his school to the high schools of Oahu including Kamehameha, Punahou, Kailua, Radford, and more. After ballroom dancing became less popular, he developed the Holiday Island Summer School for high school kids living in CONUS and attending Punahou and University of Hawaii through the 1970s and into the 1980s. He built a home in Kailua-Kona with an unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean on 5 acres of land. He started the Hawaii Orchid Club and was an involved community leader promoting a plan for growth.

Dan F. Wallace will be sorely missed by his family, his friends and all those whose hearts he touched in trying to make the world a better place.

Berk Adams also sent along some interesting clippings featuring Wallace.

I failed on the Friday Felines last week, so this week I had to prepare early and make sure there were photos to share.

This, of course, is Mr. Toby, who just left the room after his early breakfast. I recently discovered one of his sleeping spots in the ferns along side our garage. It gives him a good view of the house and the front yard while remaining invisible unless you happen to know that he’s there. I was glad to know that he is here in our yard and not down the street all the time waiting for his friends, the twins, who moved away from Kaaawa a year ago. When he doesn’t come right away, I still walk down to their former house to find Toby, usually in a special corner on the roof of their garage. Anyway, click on this photo for more of Friday’s felines.

And, for the record, it’s the anniversary of Ms. Kua’s adoption back in   1987.