The upper Makapuu Lookout and adjacent areas will be closed, starting Wednesday, for upgrades.
The Makapuu Point Lighthouse Trail, located within the Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline, will remain open, but construction activities will be underway in various park areas.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources advises caution to allow project staff, equipment and vehicles to work in these areas. The lower lookout facing Makapuu will be kept open for park visitors.
New drainage lines have been installed, and the construction of rock walls to stabilize the roadway is continuing, the department said.
The upper lookout will be overhauled, and work in the adjacent areas includes new pathways, stairs, guardrails and other improvements, according to the Division of State Parks. Work on the new bench rest areas and lookouts is underway.
There will be full closure of the trail in late July during weekdays, but the trail will be opened on weekends. The work will not affect the Makapuu Lookout along Kalanianaole Highway, and the shoreline will remain open.
Burials violated, protesters say
KAILUA-KONA » Protesters are saying developers of a 1,550-acre project are violating a court order that establishes the treatment of burial sites.
State Department of Land and Natural Resources spokeswoman Deborah Ward said the agency is looking into claims that the Hokulia development violated a 2006 settlement agreement, West Hawaii Today reported Monday.
Descendants of regional residents gathered at the develop- ment gates Monday. They say contrary to the agreement, the developer doesn’t have an on-site archaeological monitor during construction, is using herbicides to maintain burials and hasn’t consulted with descendants on how to treat the sites.
Requests for comment from Hokulia parent company SunChase Holdings Inc. and its president were not returned.
Decomposed body is found
Hawaii island police are investigating the discovery of a badly decomposed body off Saddle Road in East Hawaii.
At 11:10 a.m. Tuesday officers responded to a report of an unattended truck off the 15-mile marker of Saddle Road and found a body in "an advanced stage of decomposition," police said.
An autopsy is set for Friday to determine the sex and cause of death. Dental records will be used to establish identity. The case is classified as a coroner’s inquest.
It is the second decomposed body found on Hawaii island this week. On Monday police reported the discovery of a decayed body near Hilo Airport. It is unknown whether there is a connection between the two cases.
