Protect the Turtles

Turtles are a predictable visitor to many of Kauai's beaches and sometimes they show up in large numbers. As I have mentioned in previous posts, Cindy has become very protective of the turtles and seals on the beaches and gets quite irritated when "tourists" ignore the signs in their excitement to get close to the animals for a picture. I heard a lifeguard once yell at tourists and suggested they should learn to use the telephoto lens on their phone and give the animals some space. I would hate to see major portions of some of these beaches closed. 

 The issue has gotten to the point it has prompted accounts in the local paper. I doubt the message will reach those who need to be more self-aware.

Rain Event

 It rains here often, sometimes heavily. The terrain of the island also has an impact with mountains and valleys. From time to time, the combination results in dangerous situations because of flooding and mudslides that can close roads and swamp vehicles left in the wrong places. Roads can become impassible, and it is possible you can get caught on the wrong side of a bridge and be caught for a few hours or overnight.

It rained most of yesterday and through the night. About five this morning, our phones and iPads began screaming, and we were awakened to receive a flood warning. We stay on a cliff over the ocean, safe from sunamies (a different problem) and floods, but it is nice they have this system. I suppose it would be similar to warning of a tornado in the Midwest.

Chinese New Year

 We have been in Kauai to experience the Chinese New Year celebration several times. There are many Asian people who live on the islands and many visitors who fall within that general category. The celebration differs depending on whether the celebration is in a larger or smaller community. All communities are small, but some smaller than others. We experienced the Lion Dance in Princeville earlier than the celebrations in larger communities. No fire crackers. Just one dance group probably moving on to a larger celebration but stopping for a bit in Princeville. For some reason, the limitations of the event reminded me of the 4th of July in a small midwestern town. For those of us not from this region, the experience typically includes the town's fire truck, a couple of big tractors, boys and girl scouts, the high school and junior band if one existed, and perhaps a couple of local politicians riding in a convertible.

The Lion Dance includes a percussion group and a couple of "lions" moving through the crowd, scaring the kids and collecting money from the adults. In previous experiences, red envelopes were first passed around and you put your donation in these envelopes. Here you simply stuffed money in the mouth of the lion.

Income Diversity

For a small island, Kauai has significant differences in residents' financial holdings. We have always known it was a very expensive place to live, with those in such occupations finding it difficult to meet basic housing requirements, but I decided to to investigate a little more. 

We often walk down to Hotel 1, which I know is very high-end. I did some online research and found that the cost for a room per night is over $1,000. 

We like walking there because it is close, and their coffee shop has a great ocean view. Coffee is $8 per cup, and for some strange reason, a cappuccino is only $7. 

You enter the Hotel 1 from the top as it stretches down the cliff to the beach below. I find it a strange experience hanging out there, wondering about the people sitting around me in the coffee shop. No, I will be paying with my card and not putting my $8 cup of coffee on my room.

At the opposite end of the continuum are all of the homeless people. I understand that being homeless in Kauai and Minneapolis would be a very different experience in February, but I do wonder how they cover the cost of their food. There is no panhandling or people standing at stop signs with signs asking for money. The following image is fairly common. I would guess you can't live on the beach, but you see lots of tents and car "camping" on the other side of roads across from beaches,

According to my AI query:

Kauaʻi’s homeless population increased to 523 individuals in the 2024 Point In Time (PIT) Count, a 7% rise from 2023, according to the Bridging the Gap report. The count, conducted on January 22, 2024, found 464 unsheltered individuals(89% of total) and 59 sheltered individuals (11%). Unsheltered homelessness among single individuals rose to 370, while unsheltered family households decreased slightly to 22.

Key trends include a growing number of individuals with serious mental illness and chronic substance use, with 123 and 105 people identified in these subpopulations, respectively. The increase is linked to the end of pandemic-era protections, rising housing costs, and limited affordable housing. Despite this, shelter capacity has improved, including upgrades to Kauaʻi’s primary emergency shelter in 2022.

Support services are provided by organizations such as the Mana`olana Emergency Shelter (19 beds), Transitional Shelter (8 units), and the Kauaʻi County Housing Agency, which coordinates a Continuum of Care (CoC) with nonprofit partners. Advocates emphasize that actual numbers may be higher than the official count, with estimates ranging from 800 to 2,000 homeless individuals.

Kauai Coffee

We always stop at Kauai Coffee to take a look at the massive plantation and buy some coffee.  Before we came this year we had been reading online that the plantation had been having difficulty renewing its lease and was in danger of being sold. The size of the coffee farm and the infrastructure costs for all those trees and the watering system made it seem unlikely you would invest that much money without owning the land. This was evidently not the case and I was anxious to actually be there and ask about the situation. It turned out to reveal nothing I did not already know, and the workers evidently knew little or were told not to discuss the situation. I did a little AI investigating and their reticence might have been due to concern for their jobs as it seemed a new owner might be taking over.

Kauai Coffee Lease

**Kauai Coffee Company** faces imminent closure as its land lease with **Brue Baukol Capital Partners (BBCP)** is set to expire on **March 28, 2026**. The lease, covering approximately 3,100–4,000 acres of coffee land in Kalaheo, has not been renewed, leading to the issuance of **WARN notices** to all 136 employees, with terminations scheduled to begin March 14 and conclude by March 28.

BBCP, a Colorado-based investment firm that acquired the land from Alexander & Baldwin in 2022, stated it intends to **retain all employees** and continue coffee operations under new management, but has not yet finalized a plan. Despite ongoing negotiations, the company has no path forward without a lease extension, and Kauai Coffee’s leadership remains hopeful but uncertain about a resolution.

The farm, the **largest coffee grower in the U.S.**, has been a cornerstone of Kauai’s agricultural heritage and tourism since the 1980s. Local officials, including Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami and Kaua‘i County Council Chair Mel Rapozo, have expressed concern over the impact on employees and the community, emphasizing the need for stability and continued agricultural use of the land.

I did purchase some coffee. I like a peaberry when available and I knew they sold this type of bean. The cost was $37 for 10 ounces so I am saving it to drink with visitors yet to arrive.