Last month, I wrote a post about my dad’s role in converting a beautiful stone house in Kaaawa into a restaurant that, more than 70 years later, is considered an island landmark—Kaaaawa’s Crouching Lion.
A couple of weeks later, I was contacted by Jonathan Masaki at Hawaii News Now, who asked if I would share the tale for their “Stories of Hawaii” segment. Of course, I agreed.
The segment—“How the Crouching Lion Lodge became a North Shore landmark”—aired this week.
During my online browsing yesterday, I looked for suggestions of useful and interesting alternative news sources, something I used to do more regularly.
Here are links to some of the suggestions from a variety of organizations.
Just scanning the list, you’ll see how important libraries and librarians remain in this digital age, as they are all about finding information.
It’s going to take me awhile to explore these suggestions, but it’s always fun to find new sources of information!
The third story in Stewart Yerton’s series on the situation of residential tenants in Union Plaza, a 9-story commercial building in downtown Honolulu, was published this morning (“Honolulu Officials Are Doing Little To Help ‘Hell-Hole’ Tenants“). It documents the abysmal failure of the system to respond to the situation. Although courts have ruled in favor of tenants and ordered changes, these court orders have not been enforced. Police, elected officials, and other agencies have managed to tip-toe around the need for action.
Here are links to Yerton’s earlier stories in Civil Beat:
But while public officials and government agencies are missing in action, others have stepped up.
Honolulu Tenants Union has been a presence in the building, offering education on the laws of tenants rights and helping to spread the story of what’s going on in the building.
Food Not Bombs Oahu, a group that for years has fed the hungry and homeless on Sunday evenings at Thomas Square. “Solidarity Not Charity” is their motto.
And legendary Hawaiian songwriter and musician, Liko Martin, along with longtime Hawaiian Peace activist and musician, Laulani Teale, have quietly emerged as key participants, using music, along with their simple presence, to lessen tensions and seek peaceful solutions.
Here are two of many videos available online, either on YouTube or Instagram. Additional video can be found on the YouTube channel of @Aloharevolution.
The first video was made at a gathering at the building on Thursday evening, November 20. It provides an overview of the situation through stories of tenants and supporters.
This is an excerpt from a longer video made last week at Union Plaza with Liko Martin and Laulani Teale, who said they try to be there at crucial times to diffuse some of the hostility, which reaches dangerous levels.
“It could get somebody killed, it is that tense,” Teale said.
“But it’s really awesome to be restoring some kind of calm and peace, what we’ve been trying to do,” she said.
