A new information center in Lā‘ie opened to the public on July 30.  The center, planned and coordinated by Envision Lā‘ie, showcases the area’s rich history, the beauty and diversity of the community, public input regarding the potential of the area, and conceptual renderings of future possibilities.

The exhibit is located in the Lā‘ie Shopping Center between the Arts & Sciences Academy and Amber Nails.

Sixty-two land use planning maps, produced by approximately 600 area residents last year, are available for viewing along with BYU-Hawaii student-produced videos highlighting topics of community concern.  An artistic rendering of the proposed Malaekahana bike path, tentatively set for groundbreaking in September, is also on display.

Guests viewing renderings

The Envision Lā‘ie exhibit is staffed with a volunteer Monday through Friday, noon to 1 p.m. and 5 – 6 p.m.  Visits outside of operating hours are available; to make an appointment call (808) 293-6427 or stop by the Hawaii Reserves, Inc. office – visits can usually be accommodated within 15 minutes.

The Laie Community Association (LCA) has been working with Hawaii Reserves, Inc., BYU-Hawaii, and the Polynesian Cultural Center to address drainage issues through the Envision Lā‘ie process.

The community’s storm system was built in 1961. There are more than 50 inlets throughout Lā‘ie with two system outfalls emptying into the ocean near the Polynesian Cultural Center and at the drainage canal by Foodland. The bridge outfall at the Foodland canal is 25 feet wide and under capacity.

“The outfall at the Foodland Bridge is a major bottleneck in our system,” said Kevin Schlag, chair of the LCA Drainage Committee. “Widening the bridge is critical to improving drainage in Laie.” Schlag also thanked all of those involved in facilitating the agreement with The Hawaii Department of Transportation.

LCA’s President, Pane Meatoga, also noted that there is more work to be done, “We look forward to working with the state, residents and landowners through the Envision Laie process to continue to find drainage solutions for our community.”

The land is owned by Hawaii Reserves, Inc. (HRI). Pending permit approvals, the groundbreaking will be by summer’s end.
As part of Envision Lā‘ie, a community planning process for Lā‘ie, workshop participants expressed support for a network of bike paths and sidewalks connecting destinations within the community and keeping cars off the road. Lā‘ie is already pedestrian and bike-oriented.

“Our quality of life is getting a great boost with the Malaekahana bike path,” said Pane Meatoga, Lā‘ie Community Association president. “This Envision Lā‘ie project is an investment in our community’s safety and wellness, and it can help ease transportation concerns.”

The meandering path, nearly a mile and a half long, will be about 15 feet from the highway. It will run between the Kahawainui and Malaekahana bridges. The 8-foot-wide path is a collaboration between HRI, the Lā‘ie Community Association (LCA) and community residents. HRI will provide the land and materials; LCA, residents and local businesses will provide labor.

To see more on the project, check out the story in Kaleo or KHON.

Download the entire press release here.

With shrinking availability of housing and the increasing number of second homes and vacation rentals in Koolauloa, many families have been forced to move out of state, while other who wish to stay in their hometowns and remain closer to family and loved ones struggle to find housing in the Koolauloa area.

Nothing emphasizes the challenges of affordable housing more than these facts quoted in the editorial:

Estimated median household income in 2008 was $63,702.
Estimated median house or condo value in 2008 was $570,964.

This data was sourced by City-Data.com and its summary of summary of Lā’ie includes a number of interesting tidbits, from the racial mix in the community to cost-of-living index.

Daniel Scott, a biochemistry and chemistry professor at BYUH, said the research project took recycling to a different level and taught students the value of resources such as waste oil.

Scott said the goal was to produce a soap that smelled good, moisturized the hands and provided antibacterial protection. They settled on a foaming liquid hand soap.

He said he’s seen a comparable soap on the Internet for $45 a liter. “We can make a liter of soap for about $2,” Scott said. “I can’t imagine it costing them more them $4 a liter.”

The soap is used by BYUH food services, including in the dining hall.

Several students worked as paid researchers on the project, including Misheel Batsaikhan, a senior in biochemistry. Her first task was to make the soap with nice fragrances and color, Batsaikhan said. A series of trials had poor results including unpleasant colors and a watery product, she said.

Probably the worst experience she had with the project was when she tried to short-cut a procedure to siphon soap from a large container into a smaller one. She ended up swallowing a mouthful of soap.

“It was really gross,” Batsaikhan said. “It smells nice and it’s good soap, but swallowing is not recommended.”

She said this is the best job she has had.

“I never thought any research would be so much fun,” Batsaikhan said. “I just feel like I’m an artist.”

About two years ago, Richard Tolleson and Dan Clark conducted a test to convert waste fry oil to biodiesel. As a result, HRI made a small investment in a processor and now powers all 18 of the company’s trucks, tractors and diesel engine equipment on biodiesel—a clean, safe, and ready-to-use alternative fuel. The source for the new fuel is found in the kitchens of the BYU–Hawaii cafeteria, Polynesian Cultural Center and other local restaurants. Vegetable oil that was used to fry chicken, pork, and french fries (called “waste vegetable oil”), is collected at a rate of several hundred gallons a month and converted to biodeisel. The small refining processor, according to Tolleson, “functions just like a washing machine.” Over the course of two-day process, the vegetable oil is mixed with a cayalyst to separate the glycerin through a chemical reaction that produces 100 gallons of biodiesel at a time.

According to the news story, BYU–Hawaii Food Services also has worked with the University’s Department of Biochemistry and Physical Sciences to find a way to use an additional 20 gallons of byproduct waste material. The distillation process that produced glycerol was modified with a few more steps—adding a scent and an antibacterial agent. The outcome is a high grade hand soap. This hand soap has been approved by the Hawaii Health Department and is currently used in Food Services. The main advantage here is that the hand soap costs less than 1/5 the current retail price. With the resulting quantity, this is now a marketable product. Thus, the waste material that was normally sent to a landfill has now become useful fuel and a marketable product, and the resulting quantity available for hand soap provides the largest potential financial return of this whole process.

BYU–Hawaii, the PCC, HRI and the community continue to develop, both independently and together through the Envision Lā‘ie process, new ideas to help create a more sustainable community.

I grew up in Lā‘ie, a great place for children, a haven for families. My wonderful childhood, spent largely on the water and in the mountains…

[At] BYU-Hawaii and the Polynesian Cultural Center…I received a wonderful education and valuable work experience, which helped me eventually to make a living and a home for my family in Koolau Loa.

Sadly, the opportunities for that “better life” are disappearing. Families are being driven out…

Even BYU-Hawaii and the PCC, economic anchors, face an unsustainable situation.

That’s why Envision Lā‘ie was formed — a collaboration of local residents and Lā‘ie’s major institutions…promoting a balance of economic, social and environmental priorities.

People who live here want to decide their future and, with Envision Lā‘ie, everyone can express their views…

Participants’ support for affordable housing at Malaekahana, jobs and future growth options for the university and cultural center has been overwhelming…In every public forum, the vast majority of residents supported Envision Lā‘ie.

“The Hukilau was an expansive luau organized by members of the Laie Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a way of raising money to rebuild their chapel, which burned to the ground in 1940. The word “Hukilau” literally describes the process of pulling (huki) the ropes from fishing nets, woven with leaves (lau) along the outside, in from the sea. Laie is a good hour’s drive from Honolulu today, and was even more remote in the 1940s, so it didn’t see that many visitors then. But some of those who did come — many of them servicemen — would stop and watch men fish at a beach just off the highway, offering to pay if they could help pull the large nets from the ocean.”

Over time, the Hukilau evolved into the Polynesian Cultural Center and the No. 1 paid tourist attraction in Hawaii. Many of the residents interviewed in the article also provided their voices to the The Story of Lā‘ie video produced by BYU-Hawaii students for Envision Lā‘ie. In fact, images of the Hukilau and early days of the PCC are featured in the video.

Other articles in the series detail the efforts of Labor Missionaries, The Polynesian Cultural Center, and the proposed new hotel to replace the Lā‘ie Inn.