World War II Era Mine Discovered At Veilcorp Construction Site

A construction crew got the surprise of their lives over the weekend, when they discovered a World War II era mine while working on a Veilcorp project. According to reports, the workers discovered the mine early Saturday, but didn’t know what it was. It was only after one of the workers posted a picture of the device on social media that it was identified as a mine. Work at the site was immediately halted while the Navy’s explosive ordnance technicians secured the device. Veilcorp says they are glad nobody was hurt in the incident, and are thankful for the Navy’s quick response.

The Maui Conservation and Recovery Act set strict guidelines on the storage of 127, and other hazardous materials on Maui. As a result, Veilcorp has been building a number of underground storage facilities across the island to store the volatile, and controversial element used in the veiling process. The mine was discovered by a crew working on one such storage site.

According to Ronnie Kalipalani, owner of Ronnie Kalipalani Construction, it all started Saturday morning when his company broke ground on the project. Within minutes, his team found what they thought was a discarded fuel tank buried just inches below the ground. The crew spent the next few days trying to clean-up the object, and discussing what they were going to do with it. After one of the crew posted a picture on social media of himself posing with the object, Navy personnel descended on the site, and evacuated the construction workers. “It was one of the scariest things I’ve ever experienced in my life, and I lived through the lurchin craze,” says Kalipalani.

“We find buried stuff all the time. You’d be surprised what can end up in the ground,” says Ronnie. “Mike found the mine while working the excavator. It was pretty beat up, but you could tell that it had been in the water at some point because of all the coral build-up. It looked like an old fuel tank to me, and Mike asked if he could keep it. He builds all kinds of things out of old junk we find in demo jobs. I’ve seen him make grills, planters, chairs, and even drums out of old tanks we’ve found. You’d be surprised at what the tourists will buy, and how much they’re willing to pay if you tell them something was made by a local artist. Thankfully we decided to try and clean it up before cutting it apart. I’m not sure we’d be around to talk about it if we hadn’t. We tried using the angle grinder, but after chipping away at it most of the day, we had to give up and do some actual work. The next day we started building a jig to hold it in place so we could take the jackhammer to it. We secured it, and were just about to start hammering, when all these Navy vehicles showed up and everyone was shouting. At first, I thought one of my guys had snuck into the base again, but then they told me what was up. I’m still shaking thinking about how close we all came to being blown up.”

The mine was identified as a Japanese type 93 model 4 anti-ship mine. While the Japanese used relatively few naval mines during WWII, hundreds of thousands were still deployed throughout the Pacific. Weighing in at over 1,500 pounds, the mine contained 243 pounds of explosive when deployed. Officials say they believe the mine was washed ashore and buried when hurricane Neki hit Maui last summer.

“These people were extremely lucky,” says a Navy spokesperson. “These mines were built to punch through the armored hulls of military vessels. If it could destroy a foot of reinforced steel, I assure you it would have no trouble obliterating a person. It was the corroded firing mechanism and age that saved lives here. This device uses what’s known as a hertz horn mechanism. Each of the four horns contains acid. When something hits a horn hard enough the container breaks, acid spills out energizing a battery, and the mine explodes. Despite their actions, the horns were so corroded that they were no longer functional in this instance, saving lives. While finding an unexploded WWII mine is highly unlikely, we would like to encourage the public to not take power tools to any mysterious objects they happen to find in the ground. If you don’t know what something is, call authorities before you start hammering on it! Please.”

Kalipalani and crew say they are thankful for the Navy’s swift action and would like to thank whoever saw the picture and alerted authorities. However, Ronnie does have one request.

“We are beyond thankful of course that nobody was hurt, but we’d really like the mine back. I mean it’s not everyday you find a piece of history like that, and Mike had some great plans about how to chop it up. I thought there was some sort of rule about abandoned property becoming the finders after 90 days, but everyone I’ve talked to at the base seems to think that isn’t true. They could at least give us a few dummy bombs or training warheads or something if they plan on keeping our mine. We’re not trying to be jerks. We’re willing to work with them here. We just want what’s fair and reasonable.”

Arrest Highlights Problem With People Living In Lahaina’s Drainage System

Authorities arrested 38-year-old Sam Pilikia Tuesday for allegedly attempting to steal building supplies and fleeing from officers. While a simple theft may not be especially newsworthy, Sam’s story has garnered a lot of attention. Pilikia is one of dozens living in the drainage system underneath Lahaina and claims he and his “neighbors” needed the construction materials to prepare for an upcoming apocalypse. Many are now calling for officials to take action and help provide permanent housing and medical services for those living in the tunnels.

Squatter settlements seem to be inevitable in many large cities, and despite the beautiful scenery, Lahaina is no exception. Thousands of residents found themselves displaced after the devastation of hurricane Neki last year and many who lost everything like Pilikia have not recovered. Friends say that Sam’s life began to spiral out of control after a work accident in 2043 where he was exposed to large amounts of 127, the element used in veil travel. He made an amazing recovery but had trouble finding a job due to the lingering effects of his injuries. Family members say he began to talk about a coming catastrophe that would wipe out civilization and became obsessed with doomsday scenarios. Despite their best efforts to get him help Sam disappeared. They had no idea where he had gone until his arrest at the Kalipalani Construction lot.

“I noticed a new guy was in the yard loading up a pallet with paver stones when I got in,” says Ronnie Kalipalani. Although he didn’t recognize Mr. Pilikia the owner of Kalipalani Construction says he just thought Sam was a new hire trying to make a good impression on his first day.

“I couldn’t believe that someone actually showed up before 8 am. I mean I was just in on time because the AC went out at home and I couldn’t sleep. I figured he must be one of Mark’s friends who needed some work. I watched him load stuff up and organize stone for almost an hour while the rest of my crew rolled in. We were all just sitting there trying to work up the energy to head out to our first job for the day when I thought I’d go out and say Aloha. I asked his name but he ignored me. I asked again a little louder and he stopped what he was doing and asked me if I know how to make a speargun out of a ukulele. Before I could answer he starts going on about how we didn’t have much time and needed to build a secure base. He was talking about the world ending, monsters in the jungle, and how important it was to burn up bodies before they attracted predators.

He rambled on like that for a few minutes and I could tell he was getting really worked up about it. After listening for a while I was positive he was one of Mark’s buddies. I’ve heard some crazy things at Mark’s house, I mean the kind of things that most people just keep to themselves. I went back inside the office and told everyone some of what he said. We were all having a good laugh until Mark showed up and asked who the new guy was. I don’t know much more about him other than he ran really fast when the cops came and that I’d love to offer him a job once he works out his personal and legal issues. He was a heck of a worker.”

Officials have charged Pilikia with trespassing and evading arrest, but advocates say Sam and many like him need housing and/or medical treatment, not incarceration. Ironically, one of the biggest rebuilding initiatives in Lahaina has fueled the homeless problem as dozens of the displaced have moved into the newly constructed Manimal drainage system.

“It’s a super sad situation,” says Manimal CEO Spencer Kane. “I guess we made the sewers and storm drains a little too nice.”

“For sure there are plenty of attractions down there. Part of our design goals was to give utility workers spots to unwind during their day. There are storage rooms with quarter pipes so workers can practice tricks, lots of stair rails to grind, and plenty of structures to practice parkour, but it’s not supposed to be a home. As amazing as it is you can’t live an amazing life down there even if you just stick to the greywater areas.

Our intentions were to provide Lahaina with the most radical drainage system in all of Hawaii. I promise that we hadn’t even thought that we might be making a base for a doomsday cult or anything like that. Manimal is an extreme drink but we’ve never been about extreme thinking. I hope we can figure out a solution for Sam and everyone else waiting for the world to end while camping out in the tunnels.”

Booming Urchin Venom Industry Blamed for Troubling New Fad

The demand for sea urchin venom for use in medical research has never been greater, and few places have benefited as much as Lahaina. It seems as if a new extraction business is opening on every corner. The industry’s amazing growth (over 200% in the last 6 months alone) has spurred a modern day venom rush. With promising research on the horizon, it seems nothing can stop the urchin train. However, a troubling new fad threatens to derail the venom business in Lahaina. Called “lurchin,” people are ingesting urchin poison, and filming themselves engaging in physical activities, while the poison numbs their nervous system. Participants say it’s nothing more than some harmless fun. Officials call it dangerous, and an incredibly stupid trend.

Over two years ago, Veilcorp’s huge urchin restoration program was met with much anger and push back. Many felt the project was the company’s retribution for a legal suit brought against Veilcorp over the failed rail project. Mayor Cravalho himself argued that the program would ruin beaches and hurt tourism, but a lot can change in a few years.

When Vereserum announced the fast-track release of Echinodone last spring, the urchin business started booming. The powerful pain medication is incredibly safe, with almost no risk of accidental overdose, non-addictive, and derived from sea urchin venom. Instead of crippling the Lahaina economy, the urchin restoration project became an area gold mine almost overnight. It is that boom in the industry, and the availability of urchin venom, that some say is responsible for the “lurchin” fad.

You don’t have to look hard to find videos or pictures of people lurchin around Lahaina, and unfortunately the trend seems to be spreading. Named after the jerky movements the toxin causes, there are hundreds of videos showing people ingesting urchin venom and riding bikes, climbing, skateboarding, or even surfing as the poison suppresses their nervous system, sometimes to the point of temporary paralysis. Craig Luahi’s lurchin videos on Glimpsea and YouTube have been viewed millions of times, and he says there is a lot of misunderstanding surrounding the practice. “It’s actually very hard and takes a lot of brain power to pull off. Lurchin is not for the weak willed. Imagine your whole body feeling like it’s asleep. You can barely feel your arms, legs, or face. Now imagine trying to jump a skateboard, run across a beam, or climb a tree like that. What we’re doing is pushing the limits of the mind-body connection. We’re not just a bunch of idiots drinking poison for attention. We’re artists!”

Still, dozens have been injured, and officials say it’s only a matter of time before the practice leads to a death. Marine biologist and urchin researcher Dr. Alanai Kalipalani, says the trend is, “beyond stupid.”

“We’ve been deriving medicines from venom for a long time. Cone snail venom has led to painkillers, gila monster venom was used to develop effective diabetes medicines, sea anemone toxins have been used to battle autoimmune diseases, and snake venoms have been vital to the creation of amazing anticoagulant drugs. There just wasn’t a lot of work done with sea urchin venom until the past 3-5 years, and I think the results speak for themselves. I have seen promising research using urchin toxin to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. It would be a shame if the actions of a few incredibly stupid people ruin a whole new avenue of medical research. Ingesting urchin venom can cause fatigue, weakness, muscle aches, shock, paralysis, and even respiratory failure. I hope this fad runs it course soon before it causes irreparable harm or lasting injuries.”

Local business owner and Dr. Kalipalani’s brother Ronnie agrees strongly. Owner of Ronnie Kalipalani Construction, Ron says that the fad has cost his business thousands of dollars, and him countless hours of sleep. Kalipalani says many of his work sites have become targets for people lurchin, and he’s had to hire security to keep them away. “I remember the first time we found people lurchin on a site. It was like a nightmare,” he says.

“Mike was the first to notice them when we pulled up in the truck. There was a woman draped over an I-beam, and some feet sticking out of the cement mixer. Another guy was inside the dozer bucket, still half on a bike. I didn’t see any blood, and couldn’t tell if they were alive or not. It was all I could do to get out of the truck and check them out, while the guys called the police. I only got a few feet when I saw another young lady come shuffling around the back, and making a groaning noise. I’ll be honest, it really freaked me out! I ran back to the truck, but the guys had locked the doors. Luckily she fell over before she got to me, otherwise there’s no telling what might have happened. When the cops explained that they had purposely drank urchin venom so they could film themselves playing around the construction site, I couldn’t believe it. I mean, we’ve all done stupid things, me included, but the venom doesn’t make you feel good or anything. If you’re going to do dumb stuff there better be a pay off. I’ve seen some stupid fads in my day, but lurchin has got to be the worst.”

Company Offers Homes that you can Veil

Construction company owner Ronnie Kalipalani didn’t think that one of his pet projects would make him famous. He certainly never dreamed that it would have many hailing him as a housing innovator, but that’s what has happened to the 38-year-old Lahaina resident. Kalipalani’s “Veil Houses” have renewed enthusiasm in the tiny house movement and municipalities from across the country have expressed interest in his compact designs.

The small housing movement gained notoriety in the 1970’s by people looking for economical and environmentally friendly housing alternatives. Early versions came with wheels and could be less than 100 sq. ft. in size. 30 years later, the movement really took off thanks to a number of TV shows and decreasing space in urban areas. Many championed the movement as a solution to emergency or low-cost housing, and a handful of pilot programs began across the country. The Veil House’s origins were less lofty, however.

“My crew is really tight and we like to take vacations together. One year we basically reserved an entire floor of a hotel but when we tried to check in they told us the reservations were messed up. It was spring break so finding rooms for everyone was a nightmare. We ended up at 5 different hotels spread out over 12 miles. It sucked! We started talking about buying or renting RVs for future trips but driving around a small house seemed like a pain. Then I joked that we should just build little houses that we could have Veilcorp ship to whatever destination we wanted. After thinking about it for a while, I decided to give it a shot.”

What Kalipalani came up with won’t win any awards in aesthetics, but it has many excited. The Veil House’s resemblance to a small shipping container with windows is by design according to Ronnie. “We wanted to make sure that any of the standard equipment at a Veil station would be able to move the houses,” he says. While they may not look like much from the outside, it’s what’s on the inside that makes them special.

Each unit can be customized to a limited degree and ranges from around 150-250 square feet. Solar collecting roofing materials help regulate temperature and charge batteries built into the walls. Water hook-up is simple and the greywater recycling system helps conserve resources. The size and shape of the buildings make them very easy to move and the self-leveling skids make setup a breeze.

In 2005, after hurricane Katrina, an urban designer created what she called Katrina Cottages as an alternative to FEMA trailers. The cottages were supposed to be a more dignified and permanent solution for anyone whose neighborhood was devastated by flooding. Ronnie believes that his Veil House design could fulfill a similar role in cases of emergency. “The main advantage we have is that our houses don’t need to be assembled. You can ship them ready to go.” Other’s see Kapipalani’s creation as a possible solution to homelessness.

“We’ve been in contact with officials in Honolulu who are interested in setting up a program for the homeless. We’re going to provide 30 Veil Houses and help some people who could use a hand. We haven’t worked out all the specifics but I’m excited to build something other than cookie-cutter timeshare condos.”

While Kalipalani isn’t concerned about the details, others are. Some say that using housing designed to be transported quickly for the economically disadvantaged is a bad idea. “It’s a one-way ticket to gentrification,” says Mark Meawae a Hailoha driver and homeless advocate. “I know Ronnie personally and I’m sure his heart’s in the right place, it’s the politicians I don’t trust. If you don’t have any concerns about the government packing up a group deemed undesirable in houses designed for their ease of transport, you haven’t thought about it enough. I don’t think you need a good imagination to see how this could go wrong, just read any history book. Once you have people you don’t like grouped together, all you need to do is pass a zoning ordinance and ship them off. I agree that Ronnie’s design is cool and that we need to help the homeless; I’m just not sure we can trust that a program like this will stay altruistic.”

Kalipalani says that his houses have caught the eye of plenty in the private sector as well. Duracave in particular has offered him a manufacturing and marketing deal. “They have a lot more hands available than I do, and they make some good stuff. Having someone else do the heavy lifting for me is a dream come true. This past year has been crazy. I’m not sure how far this Veil House thing is going to go, but I’m going to sit back and enjoy every second of the ride.”

Ronnie Kalipalani Construction Should be Shutdown

To whom it may concern at the Aloha Businesses Bureau,

I’ve been in the real estate business for a long time and I thought I’d seen it all. I’ve encountered people trying to pass off fake permits and licenses. I once hired a landscaping company that turned out to be a Gaia Guard front. I’ve done business with countless people who thought they could swim with the big fishes because they believed their participation trophies counted for something. What I’ve never experienced before was a business that was such a perfect combination of lazy, incapable, delusional, and incompetent as Ronnie Kalipalani Construction.

Part of me wants to thank them for letting me know that it’s still possible to be surprised, but it’s a really small part. If you look through your records you’ll see this is my only complaint in almost 15 years of doing business on the island. I’m not the kind of guy who complains, certainly not to authorities. I usually like to handle bad situations myself. If this was just your run-of-the-mill bad business, I’d devote the next year to ruining it and the owner. I’d chew it up and spit out anything worth selling, but this time is different. Ron’s business is like bad shellfish. No amount of garlic, wine, or good management is going to make a difference. They need to be shutdown!

I should have known we were going to have problems when Ron told me that they weren’t “super good at pulling permits.” In fact, his team didn’t seem to know where to go to get them, or that they needed to present plans at all. Let me restate that for you. This is a construction company that didn’t know they needed work plans or blueprints. That’s like a restaurant not knowing the chef is going to need to have knives.

I hired them to build a small condo complex and invited the crew to the groundbreaking event. I routinely encourage my contractors to attend such affairs so they can see what my vision is. Never before have I had a group use such an event as an excuse for an impromptu drunken beach party. When I asked Ron to explain to me why I shouldn’t fire him on the spot I was told, “I understand that my guys were out of line, but being able to grab drinks freely on such a nice day isn’t the kind of thing that some people are evolved to handle. If you gave 100 kids a big bowl of candy a good percentage of them are going to eat the whole thing and get sick. It wouldn’t be fair to punish the sick kids would it? After all, you’re the one who gave them the candy.”

I must admit that the answer disarmed me a bit. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t admire the audaciousness of the statement. I decided to let him continue working and started documenting everything. I planned on keeping a close eye on things and give him enough rope to hang himself. It didn’t take long.

When I complained that the crew stopped showing up in full after the first month, I was told their previous attendance had been a fluke of the weather and the relationship status of the foreman. Ron said, “Johnny [the foreman] was going through some trouble with his wife when we started. So we were all doing our best to not hang out at his house since that was a big point of contention in his marriage. We all decided to just keep our heads down and focus on the job until he worked things out. I also let you know that the weather was starting to turn nice and I was going to have a hard time looking the guys in the eye and telling them ‘no surfing until the job is done.’”

At this point I thought it best that I sever all ties with Ronnie Kalipalani Construction before my temper got the better of me. I was told that I was too attached to deadlines but that they understood. Before I threw them off the property the foreman told me, “Trust me, when you’re at the end of your trip on this rock flying through space you’re not going to wish that you had built more medium grade condos to stuff with tourists. You’re going to wish you spent more time with your bruddahs.”

I have no idea how or why you ever endorsed these clowns. One of the only reasons I’m not dealing with Ron myself is he asked me not to file an official complaint. I have no problem at all kicking someone when they’re down, I do it gleefully every day, but I think something might actually be wrong with Mr. Kalipalani. If someone can’t fully appreciate the full magnitude of their destruction as I devour them, it ruins it for me. I would suggest strongly that you do everything in your power to close them down while I’m still feeling uncharacteristically charitable.

Get What You Need with Dispensed-4-Me

Are You Ready to Live a Happier, More Fulfilled Life?

A recent survey shows that at least one in six Hawaiians experience anxiety and depression during their day, and the problem is even worse on the mainland. Studies show that more than 93 million Americans between 18-85 will experience a mental health issue in their lifetime. Until now, overcoming those problems has meant taking potentially dangerous medications, or costly visits to a healthcare professional. However, the days of lying on a couch and talking about your feelings are over. Thanks to Dispensed-4-Me’s groundbreaking mood assessment and emotional comfort technology, the key to your happiness is just a selection away.

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Working in conjunction with biometric data from your ceremplant, the Dispensed-4-Me vending machine cycles through numerous options and images, while measuring your micro-expressions and physical responses. Our advanced algorithms then determine the package and items perfect for you, and your mood. We’ve worked side-by-side with mental health professionals to tailor our items for the specific emotional needs of all of our customers.

Can I Really Order Happiness From a Vending Machine?

Convenient, quick, and cheap, the vending machine has satisfied billions since its invention, but until now there was no easy way to get an emotional boost in a hurry. Well, now you can! Dispensed-4-Me machines can detect a wide variety of emotions, and will dispense a package containing items specially designed to help you work through whatever you’re struggling with, or celebrate your accomplishments.

What Are Others Saying About This Technology?

The media coverage has been overwhelming, and the Dispensed-4-Me system has been hailed as one of the greatest breakthroughs in mental health and wellness in the past 50 years. While we appreciate all the attention and accolades, we measure success in happy customers and positive reviews like this one. “As the owner of Ronnie Kalipalani Construction I find that I don’t always have the amount of downtime I deserve, and I’m usually way more stressed than I’d like. I was skeptical about using a Dispensed-4-Me machine at first, but I couldn’t be happier! I just drink a couple of beers and think about leaving work early, while the machine cycles through pictures. The items in the “Island Mood” package are perfect for a lazy day around the island: beach towels, really nice rubbah slippahs, tickets to the dolphin show at Aloha Shores, music, lists of all the beach bars and their locations, hats, and I even got this awesome little origami turtle once. It’s easy to use, and gives you everything you need to get into the aloha mood! ”

Where Can I Find a Dispensed-4-Me Machine?

Dispensed-4-Me machines can be found in the Lahaina Veilstation and select locations across Maui. See our website for a location near you. Let our amazing technology help you through the good times and bad. A better day is only a button away!

Warning:

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    • “Island Mood” is not an emotion recognized by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Avoid surfing, bodyboarding, kitesurfing, paddleboarding, swimming, snorkeling, and other water activities while using products from the “Island Mood” package. Do not engage in marital congress, indulge in a Newuskin gender change, or consume pork products while using any items inside the package.

 

 

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Kalani Custom Boards Push the Boundaries of Surfing Technology

As undisputed queen of the surf Layla Kalani reigns supreme in the sport of surfing. As the Womanimal spokesperson she has become one of the most recognized faces in the world. Now, despite initial concerns about price and design, she is poised to become the producer of the greatest surf boards ever created. Kalani Custom Boards push the boundaries of surf science, and according to experts, might just be worth the eye-opening price tag.

According to Kalani the idea of a state-of-the-art board company came to her while working on, Veil of Terror: A Bride’s Nightmare, her first movie. “I had no idea how much technology was involved in making a movie. The cameras and the mounts they used to stabilize them were incredible. What the video drones could do was amazing, I didn’t know just how far advanced movie making had become. We had almost as many technicians on set as sound and lighting people. That got me thinking about how little surf science has advanced over the years. Since we were filming in Lahaina, I knew just the person to talk to about pushing the boundaries of design: Ano Lee.”

“I didn’t know much about making surf boards when Layla talked to me about it, but I love a challenge, and knew someone who had been hand-shaping boards his whole life, my cousin Leelee,” Lee says. The culmination of that conversation made its debut last month to cheers and skepticism. Despite initial shock at a price tag that can reach over $20k, and some issues with its paddle assist system, sales have steadily increased, with owners hailing the pricey boards as the best ever made.

Kalani Customs are built on a parabolic carbon fiber frame with an expanded polystyrene (EPS) core, and covered in a proprietary epoxy resin. The result is a board that “stores and releases energy as you transition through turns and provides a highly responsive ride, perfect for ultra-performance surfing.” However, it is its other features, and the creation process itself, that sets the boards apart.

While the boards are built with the same basic components, each is personally shaped by Wiley Lee, (Leelee to everyone we interviewed), Ano’s cousin. Leelee requires a personal meeting with each client before completing a board. He says, “We’re making extensions of clients to meet the sea here. The better I can get to know a person, the better I can make their perfect board. I need to look into someone’s eyes to know what to put beneath their feet.” Along with Leelee’s personal touch, the boards include: a photo realistic covering preloaded with 3 unique designs (more can be purchased through the company), a built in shark mitigation system, and an amazing paddle assist feature.

“I’m most proud of the paddle assist,” says Lee. “I’ve integrated a magnetohydrodynamic drive (MHD) system into each board. Without getting into the specifics, it basically uses an electrical current in the surrounding water to help propel the board. The technology is quite old actually. They built a prototype system in 1965 and a ship called the Yamato-1 used a MHD drive to cruise through Kobe harbor in the 1990’s, but the technology has gotten a lot better in the last 50 years. With a person paddling and the assist working, one of our boards can hit 8 knots (9.2 mph), about 3 times faster than you can paddle or swim. We want our clients to get to the waves first and maybe get a little boost getting out the end of a grinder.”

While the company says they have worked out the initial complaints about the assist system, many clients say they are still waiting for Layla and crew to make good on refund or replacement promises. Local business owner Ronnie Kalipalani is one such disgruntled customer. “The crew thought I was crazy when I bought 4 of them when they first came out, but I’m a big believer in playing hard and teamwork. I’ve found that nothing brings a construction crew together after a morning of pouring concrete and pounding nails, like an afternoon of surfing. They worked great at first. Honestly, they’re super nice boards, but then I wiped out and the board kept going without me. Luckily, it shot itself straight into the beach. I swam in to warn everyone to be extra careful, but it was too late. I watched $40k worth of boards go out to sea after their riders fell off. One got stuck in a cove a few miles away and we got it back, but we figure the other is somewhere around Guam by the direction it was heading. They fixed the issue with the boards we saved, and Layla herself promised me a refund for the fourth, but I haven’t received anything yet.”

Kalani says that they have fixed the glitch, and the assist system will no longer operate without a person being on the board. She explains that the company is still reviewing claims, but is in the process of providing refunds, or replacement boards to everyone who had issues like Kalipalani. As far as other complaints are concerned, Kalani marks them up to traditional thinking and living in the past. “The problem is the purists,” she says. “Look, there’s still people who will tell you that flying, or going down the rail is the only way to travel, and that veiling takes all the adventure out of traveling. Obviously, being a purist doesn’t make you right. It makes you stuck in the past. I wanted to make a board that was as revolutionary as my surfing style, and that’s what we’re doing. Our boards are the future of surfing.”

New app allows public to report violations in the preservation zone

People witnessing a violation of preservations zone rules just got an easy way to report the infractions using their smart device or their ceremplant. The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), in association with the county of Maui, created an app called PZTip. It allows you to report a violation by providing details, photos, and video of illegal or suspected illegal activity in real time.
PZTip lets people connect directly with a special group of rapid response DLNR officers who can catch violators in the act. The app allows reporters to provide information that can lead to the arrest of anyone who hunts or harasses protected wildlife species, pollutes, litters, or violates any other preservation zone rules.

“Protecting our beautiful wild places and cultural resources will be a lot easier, with the help of the thousands of eyes and ears of concerned citizens. Despite our best efforts, we haven’t figured out a way to be everywhere yet. We believe that PZTip will be a game changer for our department and our people in the field. When a citizen calls in a tip, our coordination center dispatches the closest member of our rapid-response team to investigate. In the past, catching violators in the act and tracking down offenders was exceedingly difficult. The PZTip system helps expedite tips of wrongdoing and our responses,” said DLNR senior investigator Greg Iona.

Not everyone shares the DLNR’s enthusiasm however. Ronnie Kalipalani owner of Ronnie Kalipalani Construction has been a vocal critic of the program and says it is ruining the aloha spirit of the island.

“Creating a culture of distrust and an atmosphere of fear is not what we should be about. This campaign has already interfered with my business. While we were working on building an addition to a home near the preservations zone, we found a nice little area on a nearby bluff. It was great for lunch breaks or if my crew just needed some time. I know that when I make a mistake measuring or something, it helps to take an hour or so to get my mind straight. The bluff was perfect for that. We hauled in some nice chairs, a table, and a little solar powered fridge. It was paradise, but someone must have seen us and called in a tip. Next thing you know they’ve impounded the fridge and gave me a ticket for every item in our little break room. All together it’s going to cost me almost $10,000. It’s not like we were going to leave everything up there forever. I don’t know how they expect us to keep our beer cold now. More importantly, our morale has taken a big hit. I understand that people are concerned about protecting the environment but I don’t think setting up a group of secret informants is the right way to do it.”

The PZTip app is completely anonymous, as the technology removes all identifying information before officers see tips. This anonymous feature has led to a number of complaints about false accusations and Iona admits that his office has had to deal with a number of reports that have turned out to be unwarranted. However, it is not the prank reports that has many concerned. It is the marketing campaign around the app that has some raising their eyebrows.

In conjunction with the app’s release, the county has rolled out an advertising campaign that many are calling Orwellian in nature. Signs promoting the program direct the public to report any suspected violation even if the tipster in unsure if a law has been broken. Numerous posters urge residents and tourists alike to use live recording apps such as Manimal’s X-eyez, so they can keep a complete video log of suspected violations with lines like, “Better safe than sorry!” Others seem to encourage residents to follow tourists around to ensure that they don’t break the rules saying, “They don’t live here, you do. Make sure they’re not leaving a mess!” But it is the ads targeting children that has seen the most pushback. A commercial showing a fawn tangled in plastic and urging children to report littering parents before they “kill all the little animals,” has already been pulled but others of a similar tone are still being run.

Compliance Liaison to the Mayor’s Office Elizabeth Stonegate, says that the pushback to the program is nonsense and naive. She says that having a little fear of being reported to the DLNR is healthy, and that only people breaking the law need to be afraid. “If you didn’t do the crime you won’t have to pay the fine. It’s as simple as that,” she says.

“Everyone who has a sibling, cousin, or close family member knows the power of the statement, ‘If you don’t stop doing that, I’m going to tell.’ Fear of being told on when you’re doing something wrong is the cornerstone of every successful family and functional government. Without the possibility of repercussions nobody would follow the rules or pull their weight. Most people don’t do what they’re supposed to because of some sort of intrinsic goodness or sense of duty. They do it because they’re scared of being told on. I’m sorry if the people living in Lollipop Land don’t understand that. The PZTip app is the most powerful tool we have to force people to follow the rules. If parents did a better job of teaching their children by example, we wouldn’t have to instill proper values in them through our school outreach programs. I’m sorry if it upsets the haters, but the app is here to stay.”