Synopsis: The plastic bag reduction ordinance on O’ahu is a disgrace. There are certain types of products that are exempt from that law, namely, bags used to protect or transport prepared foods, beverages or bakery goods. And that is just the beginning.

Welina e nā makamaka heluhelu o Kauakūkalahale, ‘o ia ‘ōlelo e kau a’ela i luna, pēlā ihola nō ke kuhi a ko ‘oukou mea kākau ma mua, akā, ua launa aku nei me ke ali’i nui o O’ahu, me Kākuhihewa, ‘o ia ho’i, he kuhi hewa ia mana’o. ‘A’ole ka best ‘o O’ahu. ‘A’ole loa. I ka lā mua iho nei o ka mahina ‘o Iulai, ‘o ia ka lā mua o ke kānāwai ho’ēmi ‘eke ‘ūlina ma O’ahu nei. ‘O ka mea ‘āpiki, he hiki nō i kekahi mau wahi ke ho’ohana aku i ke ‘eke ‘ūlina. I kekahi pule i hala aku nei, i ka wā i kipa mai ai nā hoa aloha ‘o Ke’olohaka lāua ‘o Hanalē, hele aku nei ko ‘oukou mea kākau i ka hale ‘aina, kauoha ihola i ka mea ‘ai no ka ho’iho’i ‘ana aku i ke ke’ena a ma laila e ho’onu’u aku ai a ‘eha iho ‘o Ke’olohaka mā iā Keoni Pulu. Kali ihola ko ‘oukou mea kākau, ‘o ka loa’a mai o ke pā mea ‘ai. A i ka hā’awi ‘ia ‘ana mai o ia pā mea ‘ai, aia nō i loko o kahi ‘eke ‘ūlina. Pū’iwa ihola ka no’ono’o. Akā, lohe ‘ia akula ka nīnau a kekahi kanaka no ke kānāwai hou, a ‘o ka pane a ka limahana, ‘a’ole nō i pili kahi kānāwai i nā hale ‘aina.

‘A’ole i lohe ‘ia kēia pilikia ma nā mokupuni ‘ē a’e o kēia pae ‘āina, kahi i pāpā ‘ē ‘ia ai ke ‘eke ‘ūlina, he ‘ehā makahiki a emi iho paha ma mua o ko O’ahu a Kākuhihewa. No laila, ‘imi ‘ia aku nei ua kānāwai nei a loa’a. ‘O ke kānāwai ma O’ahu nei, ‘ōlelo ‘ia, inā he ‘eke ‘ūlina ia e halihali ai i ka mea ‘ai i ho’omāka-ukau ‘ia, ka mea inu a me nā mea i puhi ‘ia paha, ‘a’ole ia e helu ‘ia me ke ‘ano ‘eke i pāpā ‘ia. ‘A’ole pēlā ke kā-nāwai o nā mokupuni ‘ē a’e.

A ‘o kekahi pilikia ma O’ahu nei, i ka hiki ‘ana mai o ia lā mua o ka ho’ēmi ‘eke ‘ūlina, ho’omaka ihola kekahi mau hale kū’ai i ka hā’awi ‘ana aku i ‘eke ‘ūlina i ‘oi aku kona mānoanoa, ‘o ia ho’i, he .00225 ‘īniha, e like me ka ‘ōlelo ma ke kānāwai. Pēlā ka mānoanoa o ke ‘eke ho’ohana hou ‘ia ma Kaua’i, akā, ‘a’ole i lohe ‘ia ka hana ‘ana e like me ko O’ahu. Ma Hawai’i a me Maui, he .003 ‘īniha ka mānoanoa e pono ai. ‘O ko O’ahu wale nō ke aloha ‘ole i ka ‘āina? Pehea ‘oukou e nā luna kau kānāwai o O’ahu nei?

Ka Ho’okūkū Mele A Mo’olelo.

‘Auhea ‘oukou, e nā kānaka haku mele a kākau mo’olelo paha, mai nō a poina i ka Ho’okūkū Mele A Mo’olelo. He ‘umi kumamākolu wale nō lā i koe, a hiki aku i ka lā kau palena. He pono ke waiho i ke mele a i ka mo’olelo paha i ka Lā Ho’iho’i Ea, ka lā 31 ho’i o Iulai. No laila, e ho’oka’awale paha i manawa e haku ai i mele no kou mea aloha, a e kākau ai paha i mo’olelo, a e lilo paha ‘o Mauna Kea a me nā Kū Kia’i Mauna paha i mea e ho’ohenoheno ai ma ke mele a ma ka mo’olelo paha. E waiho aku ma www.hawaiianliterature.com. Aia i laila ka palapala e ho’opihapiha ai. A he wahi makana nō e lilo ana i ka lanakila o ka māhele haku mele a me ka māhele kākau mo’olelo, he $500.

This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.