Good evening, Hawaii. Holualoa Elementary's formerly mold-afflicted buildings are on track to reopen in time for the new school year; Honolulu mayor Rick Blangiardi appointed former Williams Sale Partnership USA executive Gene Albano to serve as the new director and chief engineer of the Honolulu Department of Facility Management; and in an effort to alleviate a road test backlog, Honolulu's Driver Licensing Branch will open the Kapahulu Road Test Express Office on July 10. Read about the important stories you need to know.
Your Weather Planner
Moderate to breezy trade winds continue keeping low clouds and some showers over windward and mauka areas during nights and mornings. Leeward areas continue to stay mostly dry except for the Big Island, where afternoon showers and clouds will develop. A wetter forecast is possible by early next week.
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Today's Big Stories
1. Holualoa Elementary renovations on pace for new school year
Holualoa Elementary School officials are hailing a “complete transformation” of the formerly mold-afflicted campus following extensive renovation work this summer.
Earlier this year, the Hawaii State Teachers Association drew attention to environmentally unsafe conditions at the school, including rampant mold, aging wooden structures, soiled carpets and rat droppings. In response, Senate Majority Leader Dru Kanuha and Gov. Josh Green's administration worked swiftly to appropriate funds for a comprehensive renovation of the 126-year-old school.
According to the state Department of Education, the renovations were designed to reduce interior environmental conditions conducive to mold growth in Holualoa’s damp and humid climate zone, situated at an elevation of approximately 1,400 feet above sea level.
Sixteen classrooms were overhauled with new tile flooring, interior paint, dehumidifiers and other improvements.
The renovation is expected to be completed before students return for the new school year in August. Installation of ceiling fans is anticipated during the fall or winter break to improve air circulation.
2. Albano to lead Department of Facility Management
Mayor Rick Blangiardi has appointed former Williams Sale Partnership USA executive Gene Albano to serve as the new director and chief engineer of the Honolulu Department of Facility Management.
“This is an absolutely critical job in the day-to-day of city operations, and Gene’s track record of leadership and providing quality engineering services over the course of his career give us great confidence for the department’s future,” Blangiardi said in a statement released on Wednesday.
DFM is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of city roads, bridges, traffic signs, streetlights, streams and public buildings. The department also maintains the automotive, heavy vehicle and construction equipment fleets of most city departments and agencies. At DFM, Albano will oversee a staff of about 300 people.
Albano’s first day is scheduled for Monday, July 10. He succeeds Dawn Szewczyk, who resigned in April.
His appointment is subject to confirmation by the Honolulu City Council.
3. Honolulu launches new site to reduce wait time to take road test
To address the long wait times faced by driver's license applicants, the city's Driver Licensing Branch has announced the launch of an express road test service, according to a news release. Starting on July 10, the new service will be available at the Kapahulu Road Test Express Office at 1112 Kapahulu Ave, home to the city's Motor Vehicle Control Branch.
Applicants who wish to take a driver’s test on Oahu often wait four to eight weeks for an appointment. However, individuals who book an appointment at the Kapahulu Road Test Express Office will take their road test just one week after scheduling.
Applicants who successfully pass the road test at the express location will still need to complete paperwork for their official Hawaii driver's license at the Sheridan Road Test Office, at 833 Piikoi St., about two miles away. At present, the Sheridan Road Test Office will continue to function as a full-service location.
To use the road test express service at Kapahulu, applicants must book an appointment online at honoluluroadtest.org.
4. 83,000 Hawaii homes dispose of sewage in cesspools. Rising sea levels will make them more of a mess
The town of Hauula packs hundreds of homes into a narrow strip of land sandwiched between verdant, towering cliffs of the Koolau mountain range and the Pacific. But the stunning views obscure an environmental problem beneath the ground.
This rural part of the island of Oahu is not connected to city sewers — and waste from toilets, sinks and showers is mostly collected in hundreds of pits called cesspools.
With climate change, rising seas are eroding Hawaii’s coast near homes with cesspools. Sea rise also is pushing the island’s groundwater closer to the surface, allowing the cesspool effluent to mix with the water table and flow into the ocean. And scientists say cesspool pollution may even percolate into streets and parks in low-lying former wetlands in the future.
“We want proper sanitation as much as anybody wants it. We don’t want our children swimming in an ocean of bacteria,” said Dotty Kelly-Paddock, president of the Hauula Community Association. “It’s got to change.”
Hawaii has 83,000 cesspools — more than any other state — and about 20% are less than 0.6 of a mile from shore. Six years ago, Hawaii mandated removal of all cesspools by 2050.
Click the link above to read the full story.
5. Skyline welcomes nearly 72,000 riders during fare-free days
The City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services announced in a news release the ridership numbers for the five fare-free days celebrating the opening of Honolulu's highly anticipated Skyline metro rail system. Since its public debut on Friday, June 30 at 2 p.m., Skyline has attracted almost 72,000 riders. The fare-free period, which allowed residents and visitors to experience the new transit option at no cost, concluded on July 4.
The breakdown of ridership during the fare-free period is as follows:
- Friday, June 30 (4 hours): 8,942 riders
- Saturday, July 1: 14,216 riders
- Sunday, July 2: 17,510 riders
- Monday, July 3: 12,946 riders
- Tuesday, July 4: 18,108 riders
- Total: 71,722 riders
As riders flocked to the new Skyline, the Department of Transportation Services received feedback, which will play a role in improving service and communications.
Looking ahead, DTS anticipates that Skyline's average weekday ridership will range between 8,000 and 10,000 passengers per day after a full year of service.
Your Notes for Tomorrow
Friday, July 7
- Employment Report
- The first 1,000 feet of the buoys of the mobile floating border wall will be deployed in Eagle Pass, Texas
- Running of the Bulls begins in Pamplona, Spain
- NBA Summer League
- G7 Justice Ministers Meeting, attended by ministers of the G7 member nations - the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and UK
- 50th anniversary of Barry Manilow's debut album
- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg gives a press conference to preview the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania
- Marianne Williamson on campaign trail in Michigan
- Nikki Haley on campaign trail in New Hampshire
- NBA Con 2023
- Underwater Music Festival, during which visitors snorkel or scuba in the ocean off Looe Key Reef, FL, while listening to a special live underwater music concert
- Florida Democratic Party Leadership Blue Weekend – Miami
- What: ‘Fear of the Unknown’ Exhibit Opening + First Friday
- Where: Hawaii State Art Museum | 250 S. Hotel St., Honolulu | 808-586-0900
- Details: Explore a new exhibit, “Fear of the Unknown” featuring 34 artworks by 28 artists, 10 a.m. July 7. Artist reception is at 6-9 p.m. during the museum’s First Friday event with a live performance by Castle Park, 6-9 p.m. in the Sculpture Garden. Free, open to all ages.
- What: Landon McNamara
- Where: da Playground Maui | 300 Maalaea Rd., Wailuku | 808-727-2571
- Details: Growing up on Oahu’s North Shore, Landon McNamara’s music has been influenced by the pro surf environment he grew up in, as well as his neighbor Jack Johnson. He performs, 8 p.m. July 7. Tickets.
- What: ‘Bring It! Dare to Be Yourself!’
- Where: Kahilu Theatre | 67-1186 Lindsey Rd., Waimea | 808-885-6868
- Details: Designed to support and encourage adult writers/creators of performance art within the local community, “Bring It!” is an uncensored open stage for original performance pieces for those 21 and older. Head to the Mike Luce Studio for an evening of original works, 7 p.m. July 7. $10 at the door.
- What: Bon Dance
- Where: Lihue Hongwanji Buddhist Temple | 3-3556 Kuhio Hwy., Lihue | 808-245-6262
- Details: Celebrate the lives of all who have gone before with dance, food and music, 5-10 p.m. July 7-8. Dinner plate opens 5 p.m., food booths and country store at 6 p.m., blessing at 7:15 p.m., bon dance at 7:30 p.m.
For more on these and other events, see this week's HI Out & About.
In Case You Missed It
Bring a blanket, towel or chair to enjoy live music under the stars this summer. Taken at Honolulu Zoo's Wildest Show Concert Series. (Spectrum News/Sarah Yamanaka)
Choose your setting for a diverse range of live music under Oahu skies
Hawaii is blessed with generally good weather year-round, but summer is the time when the options for live music in open-air venues abound. Here are just a handful to get you out of the house.
Click on the link above to read the full list.