Submitted by KauaiPath.Org on Wed, 08/19/2009 - 10:53am.

Building part of the next portion of Ke Ala Hele Makalae (connecting Lydgate Park to Lihi Park) within Wailua Beach Park has been a topic of recent discussions. Following is one of the questions posed by reporter Michael Levine of The Garden Island Newspaper to Kauai Path.

GI: What were the other alternatives for the path route through Wailua?

Under the contract awarded to Kimura International, Inc. to prepare the required Environmental Assessment, the project team considered three route alternatives: (1) a coastal option, (2) a roadway option (along the Kuhio Highway shoulder or shared use of low-volume roadways), and (3) a mauka option (adjacent to the inland canal system). Because of severe space limitations within the Kuhio Highway right-of-way, the project team focused on two alternatives within the Wailua Beach section: the coastal and mauka options.

Below is a photo-simulation of the boardwalk planned for the Wailua Beach Park.

With the summer season close at hand, the un-official word that the north section of the path has already been opened couldn’t have come at a better time. Riders, walkers and joggers have been not-so-patiently waiting for the gates to come down so they could again traverse the winding path along the shoreline from Kealia Beach to Kuna Bay (AKA Donkey Beach). This area, once an old cane haul road has been paved and now provides easy access to all while offering some of the best photo opportunities I have seen along Kauai’s east side.

The 1.8 mile addition to what is already a spectacular path was well worth the wait. Although the county took months to open the gates, the pavement is smooth and protective fences have been placed strategically along sections that have notoriously been problem areas for both walkers and riders. The goal of the fencing and new drainage areas is to curb the rock slides and water run-off issues common during hard rain. Although to my knowledge no official announcement has been published, the gates preventing access and signs warning of violations have been removed, so the public can breeze on by and take in the sites.

The county has placed two nice covered pavilions with picnic benches along the path route, both with exceptional views. The new signage at Kealia is also outstanding and provides riders/walkers with information about places of interest along the path as well. We are really proud and excited that our east side path is growing and that the plans to continue the work are coming along so nicely! Congratulations Mayor Carvalho

Mayor Provides Opportunity for Community Involvement:

On-line registration for participants and volunteers has just begun for the Mayor-A-Thon—a FREE celebration marking the opening all four miles of the Kapaa to Ahihi Point & Kuna Bay (Donkey Beach) section of Ke Ala Hele Makalae!

click here to register on-line!

Walk, run, bike and talk story with Mayor Bernard Carvalho at this 1st Annual Mayor-A-Thon Event celebrating fitness. The event starts & finishes at Kapaa Beach Park.

Prizes for the best decorated bike, stroller & participant! Co-sponsored by Get Fit Kauai (NPAC), County of Kauai-Department of Parks & Recreation, and Kauai Path.

7:00 am Saturday morning, June 27 at the Kapaa Beach Park

This event is a FUN 2, 4, 6, or 8 mile walk, stroll, jog, run, or bike event on the new path—NOT A RACE.

Coconut Coasters is offering a flat rate, $10 bike rental from 6:30 am (pick up time) until 11:00 am (return time) for all participants with advance reservations only. Please call 808-822-7368 to reserve your bike today!

All are welcome, but the first 300 people registered for the event on-line will be eligible to receive a free breakfast and tank top!  Who can beat that?

You must be present at the Mayor-A-Thon by 7:30 am on June 27th to collect the free items—if you register on-line but are not signed in by 7:30 am on the day of the Mayor-A-Thon…your breakfast ticket and tank top will be given away to someone else. 

Please share this registration info with friends, co-workers, bosses, families, and anyone else you think would be interested.  

Registration forms are also available at Coconut Coasters in Kapa`a. Mail the completed form to: Ms. Bev Brody, PO Box 392, Kilauea, HI. 96754…but the best way to register is online at www.getfitkauai.com

We are excited to announce that Coconut Coasters has officially made it on the air to KVIC TV in Kauai. Our commercial was recently finished and is now available for viewing on the web and on air!

Many thanks to our customers and friends for helping us create and produce the video! We couldn’t have done it without you. The all star cast includes:

• Alissa Barry of Hawaii
• Mary and Barry Bowen of British Columbia
• Joshua Easterling of Colorado
• Denise, Jayson and Tyler Hawthorn of Hawaii
• Lucas and Kenny Ishii of Hawaii
• Dale and Sandra Purcell of British Columbia
• Susan and Steven Skommesa of California

   
  And of course Spark, our beloved Manager!

   

Coconut Coaster’s will celebrate our one year anniversary March 19^th! We are planning a nice event that day with discounts for our local and repeat customers. We would like to express our love and gratitude to all who have helped us get up and running this past year and for those who have become loyal customers and friends!

Be green – Rent a bike in Kauai!

Mia

With a busy holiday season having come and gone, business and life has returned to normal on the island. Kids are back in school and so the bulk of our business has again returned to vacationing couples who have slipped away to enjoy the island in off-peak season. Lucky and very smart folks! This time of year is one of my favorites here on Kauai as the whales have made their migration to the Hawaiian Islands and can easily be spotted right off shore breaching and what I call frolicking in the waters with their infants in tow. Cyclists are enjoying the built in pavilions along the coastal trail that offer picnic tables and bike racks, so they can park their bikes, eat lunch and enjoy the show the whales put on nearly every hour on the hour. Kapa’a point, just north of us maybe a mile is a prime place to watch as the location is slightly elevated above the coastline providing the perfect vantage point. If one misses the whales, they are sure to catch the dolphins which show up on large pods and are easy to spot with their fin sticking out of the water.

And, the whales aren’t the only ones parading their infants around Kauai. Although I am not typically a gushing fan of our local bird (the chicken), who couldn’t help but love these cute chicks that showed up on the Coconut Coasters door step last week? There are 7 of them, along with a very devoted mother. The chicks have been spoiled rotten by the patrons of the Coconut Cup Juice Bar next door and of course I have been feeding them too. Now they come to the shop twice a day and hop up the front porch stairs “peeping” loudly that they would like their bread crumbs NOW! Today they walked right in the shop when I didn’t respond to their pleas for lunch. Too funny, but I think it is only going to be funny for another couple weeks and then I am going to be in trouble.

Regarding the path….well, here is hoping that the County or State will open and release the north end of the path from Kealia to Donkey beach this coming month. Locals are restless as the access has been closed off for months, and unfortunately even with the Mayors comments that it would be open before 4^th quarter, (2008) it is still under lock and key. I understand a new fence went up today. No official word on when it might be open to the public.

Just a quick update to let you know the pup we wrote about recently is doing great. The baby is three weeks old now and that means we all have much to be thankful for since it has made it through this critical early time. The pup is swimming now and is very playful. This picture (provided by the HMS conservation Hui) was taken as it was playfully biting its mothers front flipper while she rested. Taking care of a baby is exhausting and this mother is a good one! She is very attentive and is teaching her pup well.

The Coconut Coaster’s Family would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to our customers and community for the support and friendship we have been blessed with this past year. We are thankful for your business and loyal patronage and enjoy serving you!

We wish you and yours a bountiful Thanksgiving feast, loads of laughter with friends and loved ones and of course all the pumpkin pie you can eat!

Mahalo,

The Costales Family

Q. What did the Turkey say to the blind farmer?

A. Moooooooo

11/9/08 There is exciting news to report: a new monk seal pup was born on Kauai’s south shore this weekend! The pup and mom who are both doing well are getting to know each other and resting on the shore. The pup (who is already a strong nurser), will grow very quickly and be on his/her own in 6 weeks with the healthy diet of rich milk produced by its mother. Monk seals usually wean quickly, and the pup will become more and more independent as it grows. In the next few days, it will begin to explore the very shallow water nearby and learn to hold its breath as it explores the new world on the sand and sea.

Once the mother feels it is time, she will take the baby into the water to learn to hunt for food and swim. The next few weeks are a critical time for this endangered species and disturbances from humans or dogs could cause the mother to abandon the pup.

The Kauai Monk Seal conservancy program urges all to stay 100 ft or more from resting monk seals and observe them only from a distance. Please do not make loud noises or attempt to awaken sleeping seals as the time they spend resting on the shore is critical to their health and survival. Thank you for learning about and helping protect these amazing creatures! To learn more about the critically endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal click here or visit http://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/psd/mmrp/monkseals.php

Mahalo!

(Photo provided by HMS conservation Hui –taken with zoom lens)

Adult Seal on Kauai’s North Shore: 8/08

(Photo provided by M Costales – taken with zoom lens)

11/4/08 Kauai’s Ke Ala Hele Makalae, ‘the path that goes by the coast’ was recognized and awarded the State of Hawaii’s Disability Access Award. The path which offers miles of paved scenic pathway along Kauai’s east side was recognized for its accessibility, enhanced design and over all user experience. Local and visiting families of all ages enjoy the path and appreciate the wide paved access and smooth surfaces to walk or ride. Read more about the award here

Coconut Festival:

Coconut Coasters was proud to be a sponsor of the 12^thannual Coconut Festival and we had a blast getting out there with the community! The festival is held each year in October and hosts entertainment, children’s programming, great food and wonderful shopping. We set up a large booth in the Sponsor’s tent and had a great time chatting with visitors and enjoying the awesome entertainment.  Kenny Ishii who owns Ono Family Restaurant in Kapaa was in charge of the entertainment at the festival and did a great job scheduling local artists to perform for the thousands who attended both Saturday and Sunday.

In addition to the great bands and hula on stage, watching Kap Tafiti weave coconut baskets and shimmy up tall coconut trees was really a highlight for us. Kap is an amazing individual who put himself through school and now makes his living sharing all he knows about coconuts with the public. In addition to his skills using coconut palm fronds to make hats and baskets, he is able to climb coconut trees in seconds. We had seen pictures of him and read about his feats, but meeting him in person was the biggest joy.  Kap loves his family, community and art. He is a skilled painter with a gift for people and a contagious smile . He is full of Aloha, and shares that with the people that some to watch him perform.  We are grateful we got a chance to meet him and look forward to seeing him again soon. Visit youtube.com to see short videos of his performances.  Here is an example of one from another show http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBIxQlZ1Cus

What’s new with the path?  That is the question we hear most often in reference to the newest section of path north of Kealia Beach. Honestly,  we are all waiting for the big announcement that the path is now open and ready for public use. The last press release we read said that the new section would most likely open in August or September, but here it is November already and apparently there is no official word on the exact date. Some have spectulated that the county may be waiting for Kauai’s new Mayor and County Council to be in place, so they can take the opportunity to meet and greet the public with a blessing and Grand Opening event of some sort.  We assume there will be a new announcement soon.

The fence that has been up just north of Kealia still stands, with the gate only being opened for a few hours each week. County workers who have been finishing up on the path allow riders and walkers in from time to time, but for the most part it is still closed to the public. Locals seem to have run out of patience and have been going around the fence to travel the extra 1.8 miles of coastline this new section offers. I have to admit, it is the most remote and beautiful area yet and I can’t wait until we can share this with our visitors and family members who plan to visit this holiday season. One day when the gate was open, Spark and I saw dozens of large Honu feeding along the water near the cliffs, and recently some bikers spotted water spouts from passing whales just south of donkey beach. This time of year is always so exciting, especially when whale season arrives! 

As someone we know and love often says…..”Just can’t wait!”

PS. We miss you Brandon!!

At Coconut Coasters, we recognize our visiting customers are here to enjoy some much needed fun and exercise while on vacation, and they have many choices on how to spend their time.  Kayaking, surfing, snorkeling and of course biking are among the long list of activities people can choose from when looking for Kauai adventures, and none of those options will disappoint!  So how do we stand out from the crowd?

We have “SPARK”!!

In case you don’t know him…Spark is our Manager and co-owner of Coconut Coasters. If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to meet him, you should stop on in and say hello!  You will be glad you did.

Working at the shop every day provides Spark, aka the ‘spokesman’ opportunities to get to know the community and help our customers enjoy the day in the Kapa’a area.  He has his daily routine and system down pat now, from greeting each customer the second they walk in the door to helping them choose the right bike.  The result, our customer feedback lets us know that they really appreciate being treated like their business is important to us and that they are #1 in our eyes.

Spark does a great job of welcoming our customers not only to our shop, but to the island.  Although he truly believes that the path along the coast has something to offer everyone, his goal really is to help each customer understand what the ride offers so they can make an educated decision about how to spend their time.  Whether they choose to rent or not, there are no pressure sales tactics in our store and our customer appreciates that.

In addition to the personalized service he offers with the bikes, he never seems to run out of time with customers, even offering them tips on places to visit or sharing his experiences on favorite hiking trails and restaurants. Spark has also really put himself out there to our local customers too, and his regular business is growing weekly.  Even those who don’t ride come by as they are walking the path to talk story with him, share a joke and catch up on what’s going on in the area.  He appreciates the community support and loves the attention. 

So, the family wants to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU SPARK for your dedication and commitment to ensuring each of our visitors and customers leave our store feeling appreciated and respected.  We are all proud and grateful to you that you are the face of Coconut Coasters Beach Bike Rentals!  Aloha!