Eh, no worries Paul. Ewa Beach is my home too. I may not have known all you guys back then, but remember a lot of you from stories or seeing you pass by. Paul I remember seeing you riding motorcycles. As soon as I saw your picture here I knew who you were/are.
We are all connected to a very special place during an even more special time. I was just a little kid in the early 60’s so I didn’t really get to see how much better it was back then. The 70’s brought many changes to EB, but nothing like what has happened since Ft. Weaver became 4 lanes. I almost cried the day I went to see my folks and saw the big tree at the intersection of Geiger and Ft Weaver was cut down. Same when I went home and saw Tanaka Store gone, that was a hard one to swallow.
Then little by little the sugar cane when disappear and all those houses replaced all the green fields.
Any of you guys out there ever see someone drive off the road and into the ditches down between Geiger and Renton? I saw it one day when an ambulance came down heading in to EB. A car pulled over and I guess the driver thought the tall grass was a shoulder. No, the car went down into the ditch and I think it got bussup. Only the people who live in EB knew the road no more shoulder over there, just tall grass and then the drop off. I think it was about 10 feet from the road to the ground.
When I was still in Elem school, it rained so hard that the water filled up all the cane fields over there and flooded the road. My dad and I were coming home from Waipahu and almost got stuck. That was a heck of a lot of water, could hardly see the lines on the road. Leeward Estates has that huge pit they made to keep the houses from getting flooded. In 2006 when we had the 40 days of rain, that pit over flowed and the houses almost got flooded. Jimmy Oxley’s house was right across the street, and his mom told me the water almost got into their house. The water was over the gutters and when cars or the bus went by there would be waves washing up to their house. I bet Ewa Beach Rd side was flooded.
Aloha to all you guys, and keep watching the facebook page. Probably add interviews as time goes by. Also, anyone that joins the group should be able to post stuff, so you can add photos and whatever there too.
Howzit Harry. We no different in soul or da place we came from. It shows in da way we feel. Some of us older, some of us even more older, some of us younger. All same. We da people of da Aina, Ewa Beach. You know wen dat flood go across da road between Ewa and Giger road. I used to back behind Ewa Sugar Mill and cut acros da canefeid road dat come out behind Giega road. Only ting get cable each side. But if da cable open Ewa side, most time open Ewa Beach side. Wen chance um one night wen all da traffic backed up cause da road flood to da max… Storm out. California grass 4 or 5 foot tall all da way down da cane road… Da road only room fo 1 car, about 1 mile long. But I know da road stay der… Little bit buzzed I chance um… If misstake gotta back up 1 mile back to Ewa. Go bra, chance um. I wen bra 1 mile plow 4 foot california grass, mud and 5 foot drop off left side and 6 foot fence right side., just trust I rememba da road well enough. Wen I came out da Ewa Beach side no mo cable and free again, jus go home from der. Looking back, eda I was jus too buzzed, I gey supa luck, I really cool, I had um, or da Lord like see me get home. Was my 55 chevy pickup wit balahead tires. Good Times, home as we knew it. Ewa Beach been good to me. Neva Goin Leave Ewa Beach. Trust da heart, neva fail yet. Good to leave Ewa Beach in good hands. We always be togeda here. Carry On My Braddas…Paul…
By da way. Da old canefeiid roads linked us to really good old times. Now da new roads no leed us to nowhere exept mo traffic. Daz not what I exspected from pogress… Pilau dis new stuff. No can go back, but at least can rememba… Save what we can, even if only memories…Keike O Ka Aina E Ka Pono…Paul Shepard…
Bradda Cleigh. Unreal but I rememba Jack Kahane every day. He stood out in my mind all dez yeas. My heart and my mind come to him every day, jus like was yestaday. Da bind so intense. Canna remember strate but I tinking his Mom was Alice. Kehau was his sista, and Naome. Was Kelly his brouther? Jack was 1 tough Bradda. Look like mamas boy, baby face, fight like tiger, sting like bee. No judge by da looks, da heart come out in da battle. What happened to Kehau? I forget why she wen pass away. She was so young. I liked her so much. She brought peace and tranquility to my heart. I used to think of her and me as more than cousins, but you know da rules. Least da time we spent together was from da heart and will remain in da heart forever. Wen you young, time no mean nothing, wen time passes, time means everything. So much time we take for granted, so much time wen slip away, least my heart holds on to the memories that sometimes my mind forgets…We get um Bra…Paul…
Harry- If U ever come up or down my way, stop by. if i not home bradda Mike should be. Anyway, your rashguard is atop the cabinet outside in the patio. come & if nobody home , grab it. No worry the Dogs stay with me. Aloha T.P.
Ike da music seems to take us from a simple surfa day into a expierimental days and then through the tradgeties and then trough a returning and then back to peace. Like a full circle of our youth. Each of us went the circle in different ways. Each of us gained and each of us lost. In different ways and different places The same people starting out from the same place, going seperate ways only to come back to the beginning again. Peace through trama then peace again. Stories of our beginning, stories of our journey, and stories of our return. The stories of our lives are remembered by the music it seems. The stories of our lives are deep and different, but we are still here to tell and remember them. Thats what counts. So much we had, so much we lost, and now so much we have again, our lives have been blessed and we are here today. Looking back its hard to beleive, good memories, bad memories, crazy memories, but still here to remember. Once innocent, once guilty, now wise. Begining to end, da journey. We like salt in a glass of water. Pour us in an we like one pile in the bottumm of da glass. Stir us up and we spread out and disolve into da water, and you no see us for a while. Over time da water evaperates and der we are again, one big pile salt in da bottom of da glass. This was on 9 15 2012. Good music my Bradda. From one grain salt to another. Aloha…Paul…
After the gathering on Monday, I surfed numba trees and dropped the board on the side walk, went up to Wahiawa to Otis Schaper’s glass shop to repair it, the bridge was out. The shop in in an old Dole big quonset off Whitmore, A nice looking Hawaiian woman driving a Dole truck stops to talk to me, says she unlocked the gate and bypassed the bottle neck driving through the “gulch”, she took all the old cane field roads around the problem, yeah !
My dad made us a really nice fast go-cart, used to go for miles on the cane roads above Pearl City, Ho’olana St. used to end a block above where we lived, what a play ground the cane fields used to be, play in the flumes in the heat of summer, I even drank that water, never got sick, get hungry, wild papaya or guava, even abandoned pineapple field, I couldn’t find my old house last week, everything so different
Paul, I couldn't agree more. I hadn't realized that so many of the people that got together 2 weeks ago had not seen each other for so long. I thought I was one of the few that wandered away for so long. Ha! It's rare that people actually get to see most of their friends from the old days in this stage of our lives; busy with our kids, grandkids, and at least some of us making a living in fields and areas unrelated to the days of our youth. It meant a lot to see everyone. Ewa Beach has some strong bonds! And man! has it changed. Remembering the cane fields starting from the edge of Ewa Beach, which was then Leeward Estates and the bowling alley, and stretching what seemed like forever up to the timber line on the Waianae range and to the north as far as you could see, and around the bend to the Leeward side. I took for granted that that would never change. That shocked me the most; going down old Farrington Hwy 2 weeks ago and looking at the mountain; Makakilo all the way to Kunia and beyond, nothing but red dirt waiting for the developer's shovels. The cane will never come back. It made me shrink inside. But staying on Ewa Beach Road and walking down the beach, it looked much that same as it always did. And pointing out to my daughter the 1st house our family lived on on Ewa Beach Road, which is behind Jimmi Ha's, looking as old as it is (see photo below), but still standing! and so is the most of the old shack and wall that we hung out on. Also pointing out who lived where, The place that was the Empty Lot, and the 1st place I ever paddled out there, and places we fished and dove, brought it all back like it was yesterday. Hearing my daughter say "Wow dad, you really had it made when you were a kid!" made me realize how right she was. We'll be back to Ewa Beach Road again and again, as long as we're able to. See you then! Beer's on me :-)! Aloha, Mike
Mike mahalo for the pics. really good memories. Looking forward to a smaller gathering next year. If we take the 1970’s portrait of us (thanks Mel) in Mike Kendalls yard that will mark the first EB reunion. Buddy Kualapai and Ricky Phillips not there cus dey went go get beer. Farrell Sojot reminded me how we wanted it in B&W so it would look like old Hawaii. Mel came back from Nam with his new high tech camera so he could use the timer and be in the photo. I told Farrell that now 40 + years later it is older Hawaii. Who would have tunk it huh!Brah! mahalo for sharing your ohana (daughter with all of us). I know my ohana like yours realize how blessed and beautiful our lifes were living there. Remember always getting ripped by my cousin Dave Brown (Johns older brother) about living in the sticks. I would only smile cause I knew the truth. I would never give up living there for town.
Paul! Kehau passed away several years before Jack. Her brother Doug before her. Only get Lehua left on Kahahane side. Kelly and Naomi and John from different fathers. Naomi in mainland. Kelly we haven;t heard from in years too. He got invovled in drugs, stole my moms ukes and jewlery for money. Sad but true. Auntie Alice got into a terrible car accident in Lahaina that nearly killed her. Its why her face was partially disfigured. Mom bought all of her family to live with us during the 60’s until she recovered and could find a place of their own. Auntie Alice and my wife Stacey had a special relationship. She later moved to Molokai cause the had a senior home there for her. She died just before Jack.
Hozit Harry. Wen you said “I almost cried the day I went to see my folks and saw the big tree at the intersection of Geiger and Ft
Weaver was cut down”, I know axactly wat you felt. I kept looking at dat tree every day I past it. Keave tree, the last one left on
Fort Weaver Road. Was an icon of da past like da marker buoy. Wanted to get a picture of it but neva got around to it. Hindsight.
Even wen da slaughter house went down in Honouliuli, da heart wen brake some more. And Tong Ranch and da Paniolos who lived der. I
all drunck one night, rain out bad. I pull in der and go inside one house no body home but doors always open. I knew da Paniolos so
I wen crash out inside da house. Next morning I get break fast,coffee and much Aloha. Good times, good people, too bad had to end.
I knew all these tings were going to pass, but neva realize how fast. Pilau da ones who wen ruin our Aina for da Dollar. Das why
Harry, one of da tings I admire you for is capturing wat still get before no more. Memories Bra. Your Bradda…Paul…
Sup Bell. Aloha my Bradda. I rememba da cane feiid wen stop at da beginning of what is now Leeward Estates. Da res of da way into Ewa Beach was all Keawe. Afta dey wen make Leeward Estates da canefeild was still da borda line out side it. Was Bobo living by you behind Jimmy Ha’s at da time, had da bunker on da beach side of his house. He may have came a little later. If I rememba, was Keawe all da way from beginnig of Leeward Estates to Kpart Housing. I no recall wen dey wen make Tsunami Warning center. And why dey wen put um where vulnerable to tidal wave. Maybe dey felt blessed as we did. Da reef protect us. Widout da reef, surf would be bigger and better, but tidal wave time we loose da house. Maybe even anytime get good swell. Aaaaahhhh anyway, we in good hands and if we gotta swim, da Braddas goin be swimming right beside us. You neva alone in Ewa Beach. Aloha Mike…Paul…
One time I rememba, Steve Kendall wen rent one ranch house from Rego, Tong Ranch. We was partying and me and I tink was Travis wen go to da store corner of Honouliuli, Chiokos I tink, to get beer on my motorcycle. We was kina drunk and little stone already. On da way back to Tong Ranch, Travis was riding behind me with his glasses on, carrying da beer. We wen miss da first turn, but no problem, I wen cut da turn and slide um and get da road betta. Dat was ok but I wen look back at him to see he ok but get one mo turn ahead. Wen I see um neva had chance, we was going full on and no time to recover. We wen dodge da tellephone pole and jump da ditch and go out into da cane feild about 200 feet. We was moving fast. Wen we stopped, his glasses was fall off but still on his shirt. He still had da beer ok, so we wen get back on da road an go back to da party. Had good time dat night. Next morning I saw da place we wen go off da road. In between one telephone pole and da cable holding um up. No more den 3 feet. We wen go inbetween um and den jump da ditch. In da dark bra. I neva saw da cable and neva saw da ditch. Ho bra, luck. Couple inch eda side we loose our heads. Travis neva like ride bike wit me anymoa. But dats how it was dat time. Jus looking back…Paul…
Just was reading about U folks comments regarding the Military being connected somewhat to Ewa Beach people. Eventhough my mom had retired from capehart store working many yrs with just an 8th grade education from Kalakaua school and being the boss lady, i still think about what the white goverment did to them @ Watertown, Fort Kamehameha. Mom was born in one tent there, this is coming from my Tutu Wahine who told me that they moved there in the yr 1896 2 yrs B-4 she was born. So both Tutu & mom was born there. Tutu said they traded fish & other seafood with i’m guessing people from Mauka areas meat or beef pork, & other goodies to eat. My mom had 12 other siblings. she also said they would eat young dog puppies the ones about 2-6 months old. i sometimes would tell her Tutu you 1 savage. She the meat was good. But by all this the Military kicked all those Homesteaders out and made today what they call Hickam/ Pearl Harbor. in those days they called it displacement. There was a radio program on KCCN yrs ago on Sunday Evening hosted by Larry Lindsey Kimura called Kaleo Hawaii and Larry wanted to interview Tutu talking about Watertown , She was shame or just neverlike. My Tutu was very Humble. Anyway Kahu I’d like to talk to your mama 1 day and ask her about that place. Aloha T.P.
Tom! Jus call Cal or his ohana and set up a time. Mom really likes sharing those things. She realizes that she has a lot to share and no more kupuna her age already. I see Kupuna (some not all) no more the grace, integerity, like our kupuna of old. Only like take no give too much back. Auwe das so…uncool and anti-kanaka. Well, when you think of it dey only little bit older den us. Kinda like late 60’s earl;y 70’s in age. Most time I can olelo more better then dem. Dat neva happen growing up. I remember your tutu she wen talk to me one time i only talk english to her back. I know I couldn’t handle her Olelo. It was different from what UH guys speak today. Also, kanaka use to raise dogs to eat. As rite, we tease the Filipinos but why you think dey call um “poi dog”. As cause dey feed um poi so fat and tender. Still remember seeing all da dogs hanging up at Pantisticos yard closer to the wharf or at least as what we called it cause dey always hang their nets ova dere. Get invited to party, guess what you eating. Kinda stringy, reddish, but still ono. E! I neva die!
My next door neighbor Kazu had a daschund named Hermie, Hermie stayed with Grandma and papa at the Ewa plantation retirement house cuz he barked good when anyone came around. Kazu can’t find Hermie, he satrts running around the house looking for him, goes out side an some guys are luring Hermie into their car,
Kazu tell me, Jimmie da’ manongs wuz going steal Hermie, they goin eat him, feed him boil rice and cook him in da oven
As da shack we use to sleep ova .Plenty parties surf SC etc. You know I going designate you one member of us older guys so you can come and are invited to hang with us when we get together. Love those pics. looks like one is Lahaina, Maui, Pioneer Mill. Some pics of me surfing Maui back in 74" Borrowed my friends board, tie one rope around da ankle, no one out jus me. Oh yeah! Talked with David Cueva last week.Good catching up. bradda said he working his way home. might take awhile but he said no way he can stay in Oregon. EB for EWA!!
