Homeless triage operation returns to Old Stadium Park in Moiliili
Honolulu's Homeless Outreach and Navigation for Unsheltered Persons—or HONU—program set up at Old Stadium Park on June 2 and was welcomed by some members of the neighborhood board and area businesses.
'At the board meetings we hear a lot of complaints, ' said Muhammad Anwar Quadri, treasurer of the McCully-Moiliili Neighborhood Board. 'It's very bad, the situation in the neighborhood, and it's still getting worse.'
He called HONU 'one of the solutions.'
Fellow board member Paul F. Robotti said the homeless population at Old Stadium Park seems to grow 'whenever they get shooed out of somewhere else because there's no place to go.
'Until we come up with a solution, we're going to have this problem, ' Robotti said. 'I'd like to see the city do more, but it's not like they're sitting on their hands.'
Old Stadium Park was the original site of HONU when the concept was launched in 2019 with state support to provide homeless services and temporary shelter around Oahu.
During the COVID-19 era, when Oahu homeless shelters had to restrict intake because of distancing requirements, HONU spent the majority of its time at Keehi Lagoon.
It's now been deployed for the 14th time after leaving 'the musubi lot ' near Kapolei Hale, where it took in 575 clients.
Out of all of the Kapolei clients, 257 were placed into shelters, 52 were reunited with family, 18 went into treatment and 21 were placed into permanent housing.
Anton Krucky, director of the city department of community services, which oversees HONU operations, agreed with residents that the Old Stadium Park homeless population fluctuates with homeless efforts in nearby communities like Waikiki, Diamond Head and Chinatown.
Six years of experience and 14 HONU deployments have shown even greater successes, he said.
It operates around the clock with off-duty Honolulu police officers providing security and five to eight case workers offering services for a range of homeless issues, including working with their families to try to reunite them, and getting them into permanent homes, Krucky said.
In its history, HONU has taken in 4, 621 homeless people and 2, 548 of them have moved off the street and into shelters or more permanent housing.
Some 21 % were reunited with their families in Hawaii or on the mainland and 5 % went into treatment—whether for substance abuse or mental health, Krucky said.
Most of the clients went from HONU into a shelter.
Notably, the typical length of stay in a HONU has dropped from 23 days to fewer than 10, suggesting clients may now be requiring less intense level of services before moving on.
Angie Knight, spokesperson for the Institute for Human Services, which operates Hawaii's largest homeless shelters, often recommends that clients living on the street check into HONU if bed space gets tight at IHS.
'At least it creates a spot for people until we have an opening, ' Knight said. 'It gets them into services, which is great.'
HONU typically sets up in city parks in response to community complaints and then moves on to another location after 90 to 120 days.
Although there may be initial community resistance, by the time HONU starts to pack up 'people don't want to see us leave, ' Krucky said.
Ryan Takayesu, one of the managers at McCully Bicycle & Sporting Goods near Old Stadium Park, said the neighborhood has grown accustomed to homeless people moving in and out of the park—and to the site of HONU operations.
'In general, there's always been that population in this area, ' Takayesu said. 'They've been here before the pop-up shelter and they'll be here after.'———BY THE NUMBERS 6 Years of operation for the city's HONU homeless triage operation.
14 Number of times HONU has been deployed around Oahu.
4, 621 Total number of homeless people served.
2, 548 Number of clients who have moved into shelters or more permanent housing.
21 Percent of clients who were reunited with their families in Hawaii or on the mainland.
Source : Anton Krucky, director of the city Department of Community Services
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Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
‘A unicorn': Historic Newcastle estate home set to hit the market this month
The former home of Samuel Wilmot, a critical figure in Clarington history, may stand for another 200 years thanks to a recent restoration. Wilmot's interest in the local salmon population and subsequent experiments helped to save the salmon in the early 1900s. His family home, Belmont House, located at 145 Belmont Dr. in Newcastle, was recently restored as part of larger development surrounding it. 'This is a really important story for this community,' said Matthew Jamieson, president of Manorville Homes, which completed the renovation. 'If not for this house, a lot of that story would have been lost. That's the thing about heritage homes, every home is different, and every home has a story, and with what we've done here, this one will probably last another 200 years.' The Belmont was built by Wilmot's father, Samuel Street Wilmot, in 1815/1816, but burned down in 1896, when it was replaced with the brick structure seen today. A respected major in the War of 1812, the elder Wilmot went on to become the first deputy surveyor of Upper Canada and served as a member in the House of Assembly. Samuel Wilmot Jr., took over the home and farm after the death of his father in 1856 and rose to prominence for his work to reverse the decline of salmon stocks locally and across the province. In 1868, he constructed the first fish hatchery in Upper Canada beside the Belmont property. He later became superintendent of fish culture in Canada and went on to oversee the establishment of 15 more fish hatcheries. The Belmont project is unique for Manorville, which specializes in heritage restorations, given the size of the home and its wealth of historical value. At more than 7,000 square feet plus a three-car garage, the home is significantly larger than the average heritage home and its history required extensive research to ensure renovations and restorations were done correctly. Newcastle's historic Belmont House has been completely renovated and restored and is set to hit the market later this month. 'Just because a house is old doesn't mean it has heritage, but this house has both. This would be a unicorn because, typically, old homes don't have this much provenance,' said J.J. MacLellan, senior project manager for the rebuild, noting the team conducted extensive research into the house and family over the course of the project, which began in 2019, but stalled through COVID. 'We spent four months going backward on this project before we could even start moving forward,' MacLellan said, noting it still required several years of behind the scenes administrative work before shovels could get in the ground. 'Only then did we start developing a game plan for putting it back together. We knew what we wanted at the end, but it was about 'how do we get there?'' When physical work at the site began in 2023, some of the unique elements slated for protection, such as the front bay window and unique front door, were falling apart. Newcastle's historic Belmont House has been completely renovated and restored and is set to hit the market later this month. 'There was a lot of vandalism,' MacLellan said of the state of the house. The decline was especially bad in the back portion of the home, which was a later addition to the original structure. Crews ended up having to disassemble and rebuild that portion of the home. 'It hadn't been built to the same standard as the original house because it was an add-on, so we redid the foundation and painstakingly rebuilt it to the original specs,' MacLellan explained. 'Each brick was taken apart, cleaned and then used to rebuild it.' Throughout the home crews rebuilt using as many original materials as could be salvaged, which included sanding and refinishing the original hardwood floors. Newcastle's historic Belmont House has been completely renovated and restored and is set to hit the market later this month. The home now boasts four bedrooms plus basement bedroom, four full baths and two half baths, a finished loft and basement, wine room and more, on a 1.65 acre lot. 'The front half really didn't change a lot,' MacLellan explained. 'We rebuilt everything to the same footprint.' The project required in-depth research on the home, with very little information on the original wooden structure available aside from a hand-drawn illustration and one family photo from shortly before the home burned. MacLellan was able to learn more about the brick home that replaced the original through letters, photos and even a conversation with Wilmot's great-great-granddaughter, who connected the dots on one of the home's mysteries. Newcastle's historic Belmont House has been completely renovated and restored and is set to hit the market later this month. 'We had to add a second furnace because the house was just too big for one and it would have been absolutely freezing when it was built, very unevenly heated,' said MacLellan. 'I thought that was strange until I was talking to her and she mentioned the family didn't actually live in the home in winter — they had a home in town they moved to during the colder months.' Several unique elements of the structure were mandated for preservation under the home's heritage designation. These included a back-to-back corner fireplace, the distinctive front door, front brick facade and exterior trim facade including porches, millwork and shutters, the main staircase, kitchen pantry with original dumb waiter, brick arches in the basement and a cistern that Wilmot used for his fishery experiments, among others. 'This is where he drove the water for his early fish experiments,' MacLellan said of the concrete cistern, which is in the home's basement, along with unique brick support arches. Newcastle's historic Belmont House has been completely renovated and restored and is set to hit the market later this month. 'These were original to the 1815 construction and we have evidence the bricks used in these arches were made right here in the basement,' said MacLellan. He pointed to pieces of a possible kiln that were recovered during the project, along with a plethora of odds and ends including tools, pieces of pottery and a wealth of glass, much of which is now displayed in the home's wine room. Newcastle's historic Belmont House has been completely renovated and restored and is set to hit the market later this month. The home's distinctive basement arches were one of the elements protected for preservation within the home's heritage designation. 'The wine room originally housed a large furnace, and we thought 'what could we use this room for?'' MacLellan said of the space, which is nestled in one of the brick arches and features ceiling, cabinetry and floorboards made from reclaimed wood salvaged from the home. Now complete, the Belmont House marks a milestone for Jamieson, MacLellan and Manorville, as it gets set to hit the market July 23. 'This is huge, it's very rare that you get a 9,000 square foot heritage structure, so this is definitely a larger scale for us,' said Jamieson. 'It is kind of sad because we've been working on this for so long, I mean J.J has spent practically every day here for more than two years.' A collection of artifacts found during the restoration of Newcastle's historic Belmont House. For MacLellan, the end is bittersweet 'It's not about what we've done, to me it's about the discovery process and finding out everything about the home and its history,' he said. 'Now we move on to the next home and the next exciting story.' It may be the end of the story for Manorville, and current owners Hannu Halminen and Brian Fenton, but the story is just beginning for someone else, with the home scheduled to hit the market July 23 with an asking price of $3.5 million. Co-listing agents Theresa Gibson and Chris Owens say the house is one of a kind, offering a brand-new build inside a heritage frame, on a large lot complete with gated driveway and in a subdivision close to amenities. 'The Belmont House represents a unique opportunity to own a 200-plus year old home with all the modern amenities and conveniences of a brand new build,' said Owens. 'This goes way beyond restoration, it's essentially been rebuilt to a heritage standard. The Belmont House is a house like no other, and the lucky buyer won't just be purchasing a suite of rooms but will become the custodians of a piece of iconic history.' Owens said the home is a great value, with 23 homes currently available in the same price range across Durham. 'We think we're a terrific value in the current market,' Owens said. 'This is a wonderful house, it's one of a kind and a real icon for Newcastle.' For more information visit . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
LACMA's great Buddhist art collection, pulled out of storage, is an irresistible force
'Realms of the Dharma: Buddhist Art Across Asia' is a large and engaging presentation that includes some of the most splendid sculptures and paintings in the permanent collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. It's great to see these works again. Most of the art was packed up around eight years ago in preparation for the demolition of the museum's original campus and construction of a new permanent collection building. The current offering of around 180 objects, installed in the temporary exhibition spaces of the Resnick Pavilion, is a version of what was then sent on tour, presented in 2018 at Mexico City's incomparable National Museum of Anthropology. (LACMA Deputy Director Diana Magaloni was former director there.) Subsequent planned travel to art museums in Texas and the Pacific Northwest were derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, so the work went back into storage. It has been unavailable for hometown public viewing for a very long time. Siddhartha Gautama is accepted by most scholars as the historical figure Shakyamuni Buddha, or sage of the Shakya clan, who was born in Nepal and lived in India around the 5th century BCE. Representations of the religious teacher started out as nearly abstract symbols a few thousand years ago — a starburst shape inside a spiraling whorl, for example, which configures an emanation of light within an eternal flow. A Bodhi tree might signal the sacred place where Buddha's deep insight into enlightenment occurred, or a drawn or carved footprint would be suggestive of following a path. But no biographical texts emerged for several hundred years after his death. Legend and religious doctrine intertwined over centuries, splintering and reconfiguring and taking on new dimensions as they encountered scores of established cultures across South and Southeast Asia and beyond — Daoist philosophy in China, say, or Shinto religion in Japan. Eventually, figurative representations took shape. Needless to say, as they proliferated in what are modern Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Korea and more, Buddha took on a variety of forms. LACMA has scores of fine examples, large and as in an exquisite 8th century brass and silver cast from Kashmir, just 16 inches tall, he is seated with legs crossed and fingers entwined, counting earthly elements like fire and water being absorbed into the mind. In Tang Dynasty China he sits isolated in regal splendor, like an emperor carved in timeless white stone atop an elegantly draped cushion. In the next room, a sturdy Burmese Buddha wearing a transparent garment of reddish lacquered wood raises an oversize right hand in a jumbo gesture of peace, extending an open left hand that seems caught in mid-motion. (There are scores of symbolic Buddhist hand gestures, called mudras.) A life-size columnar figure carved from sober gray schist, familiar from the Gandhara region of Pakistan, likewise raises a peace mudra, but here the cascading folds of his tunic's drapery signal a military history of Greco-Roman interactions dating to the expansionist conquests of Alexander the Great. Any religion that's thousands of years old and practiced in innumerable places will be beyond complicated in doctrine and nuance, and Buddhism is no exception. Deciphering them here is a scholar's task. The names of individual artists are also mostly lost to us. However, what all these different iterations share stylistically, regardless of whatever embellishments surround the Buddha, is a sense of stable, enduring calm at the core. At all times idealized in his physical features, he's the living embodiment of the irresistible force paradox — an immovable power and an unstoppable object all at once. Also on view are ritual tools, like a jewel-encrusted crown, ceremonial knives and a lovely offering cabinet adorned with paintings of fierce, glowering demons that caution anyone who might dare to disturb whatever the cupboard holds. Back off! Sculptures and paintings of poets, lamas, deities and especially bodhisattvas — earthly helpers who have postponed their own entry into nirvana, where suffering disappears, in order to help others find their way — are nearly as numerous and varied as Buddha Shakyamuni himself. Some are wildly extravagant, proliferating heads and arms into delirious phantasms of multiple personality and manifold astounding 15th century painting on cotton cloth is a fiery image of sexual coupling between deities, a crimson female figure with both legs wrapped around an ashy blue man. He stands on one straight leg with the other athletically bent, forming a robust stance designed to stabilize an ecstatic act of energetic intercourse. Like fluttering wings, his 12 elegantly splayed arms wield an array of esoteric symbols around her excited body, while her single arm raises what appears to be a ritual blade high overhead. His flaming-eyed face is frontal, hers is overlaid in perfect profile. The shrewd composition abuts their lips, so that they are just about to touch in a kiss. Chakrasamvara, the blue-man emblem of compassion, is being embraced by his consort, Vajravarahi, bright red symbol of wisdom, in a spectacularly explosive display whose arrested design seems intended as a spur to deep meditation. They are on the brink, and so, it is to be hoped, are we. The installation of 'Realms of the Dharma' is pretty straightforward. The first section introduces Siddhartha Gautama. A few wall texts outline basic Buddhist principles and the religion's two major forms — Theravada (or monastic) and Mahayana (sort of 'Buddhism for all'). From there, most objects are clustered by simple chronology and the region where they were made. That organizational scheme for such varied works of art is standard for permanent museum collections. It's rather unusual at LACMA, though, given the timing. Earlier this month, previews were held of the empty new building for the permanent collection, the David Geffen Galleries, explicitly designed to replace chronology and geography with art clustered by theme. Press materials for 'Dharma' suggest it's a thematic package, with the exhibition as a means to learn about Buddhism. That reduces art to illustration, but happily the installation doesn't come across that way. Art museums are great places to learn about art — about how it's made, by whom and why — but not so great for religious education. 'Realms of the Dharma: Buddhist Art Across Asia' and its handsome scholarly catalog, written by LACMA curator Stephen Little and former associate curator Tushara Bindu Gude, are good at that. But would an American art museum ever do a show on the theme of, say, 'Transubstantiation: Catholic Art Across Europe and the United States,' in order to teach the diverse subtleties and dynastic refinements of a belief in the conversion of bread and wine into flesh and blood? Probably not. Aside from trying to wedge such wildly disparate Catholic artists as Fra Bartolomeo, Paul Cézanne, Tsuguharu Foujita and Andy Warhol into a single coherent exhibition, reducing art to illustration just undermines it. The temptation to frame Buddhist art that way is surely a function of the religion's unfamiliarity, its 'exoticism,' except in shallow pop culture terms. Of the roughly half-billion Buddhists worldwide, less than 1% of Americans identify with it. According to a fascinating March study from the Pew Research Center, Buddhism is today second only to Christianity in experiencing especially large losses in adherents globally, with former followers switching to other faiths or, more often, now expressing no religious affiliation at all. The majority live in California, a primary entry point for Asian immigration to the United States, but barely 100,000 Buddhists are estimated to practice in Los Angeles. Also useful for museum audiences for a permanent collection show would be some acknowledgment of complex issues around the history of this sacred art's ownership. More than one LACMA work has been contested as stolen, including an impressive 15th century painting from Nepal of an important Buddhist spiritual master named Vanaratna. LACMA bought the painting in 1977, when collecting standards were very different than they are now. The wall label, without making a definitive declaration, would be an ideal place to introduce the important subject of case-by-case provenance research, but the subject is ignored. 'Realms of the Dharma' will remain on view for a year, closing in July 2026. That means LACMA's Buddhist masterworks won't be in the Geffen building when it debuts in April next year, or anytime soon after that. (Architect Peter Zumthor is testing paint glazes for some of the Geffen's all-concrete walls, although a final decision on whether to add color has not been made.) The show is sensitively installed in Resnick. Given the art's nearly decade-long hiatus from L.A., it's worth visiting more than once during the next several months, before it disappears again.
Buzz Feed
4 days ago
- Buzz Feed
War Preparation Advice That's Eerily Familiar
On the always loaded-with-inquiries subreddt r/NoStupidQuestions, Reddit user u/smilingspectre37 asked what they are supposed to do if a war actually starts. Here's what people had to say: "As someone who lived through the last 20-year war we were in [in the US], nothing really changes for us. For many of us, it will be far away and distant. We will complain about gas prices going up, or inflation skyrocketing, but until our friends and family come home under a flag, it won't feel real enough to care about." "If you're in America, keep going about your day. If you're in Jordan, get out quick." "I was running a Blockbuster Video on 9/11. I live on the West Coast, so everything had already happened by 10 a.m. Pacific time. I wasn't sure if the world was going to end or not. Called my district manager and asked, 'What are we doing?' He said, 'Open the store. Business as usual. So, that's probably your answer. Business as usual." "Imagine being one of the people in a city that actually has missiles being fired at it. American civilians have no point of reference for what it's like to actually live in a war zone. I say that as an American citizen with no point of reference at all. With that said, I'm still planning to have a lazy Sunday and go to work on Monday and get pissed off at the traffic." "Gas will go up, and it will be blamed on Biden." "You hide under a wooden desk in your classroom." "You do realize that we were at war for 20 years after 9/11. You grew up in a country at war, depending on your age." "Unless you're in the military, there is nothing for you to do but to keep living your normal routine. Unless there's an immediate threat to your area or an order to evacuate, life must go on. Everyone has to do their part to keep society running so that the soldiers have something to come home to." "You fire up Call of Duty and defend Burger Town." "I guess it really depends on where you live. I heard Israel is closing schools and businesses. I imagine tomorrow will be normal for most US citizens. I think COVID taught us that we don't really know how we'll handle a massive disruption and will figure it out along the way." "If you're in a NATO country, do the same thing you did during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars." "The number of people who have no idea that the mainland US is pretty much unreachable by any country except Russia and maybe China is really surprising." "America's surrounded by two oceans, and there will never be boots on the ground here. Just go on about your day, the soldiers will handle everything. You won't even know a war is happening if you don't watch the news." "Iran won't attack Americans directly, but you may suffer more 9/11 type strikes. And you have alienated all of your allies who helped you last time. Good luck." "Completely depends how bad things get." "On September 12, 2001, I went to school and then to work." "I'm from Ukraine. When the war started, my university didn't even stop lectures at first. And my uncle, with his girlfriend, was still working for their American company remotely (they had given them fewer working hours because of air alarms). Later, when attacks became more intensive, everyone's life went on hold for a certain period. However, when the situation in non-destroyed and occupied regions became more stable, everything returned to its working rhythm, albeit under the constant threat of bombs, drones, and repetitive air alarms. And this was the moment when I realized how humans survived many wars — they just never gave up. Now I'm not in my home country, but my friends and some relatives still are, and they got used to this sick rhythm of life." "What do you mean by 'if?' When a sovereign nation is being blown up by another, it's a war, no matter which more palatable words politicians are slinging." "Depends. Let's say it's a major war in the Middle East with Iran. You're American? You get to complain about prices going up. You're European? You experience very high inflation and a strain on the welfare system due to a huge influx of refugees. You're Iranian? You get bombed." "Love that Americans are finally thinking about what it might be like to live in an active warzone. Hate that y'all never considered that while you spent the last century causing it in other countries." "If you have the means to avoid dense areas, then yes, you would do so. If war were to occur in my country, my family would likely relocate to my sister's farm. While we live on the outskirts of our major city, we are close enough to a regional small plane airport, which would likely be used for supply runs. Hopefully, we'll have enough time to build another house on the land before we move, but we have access to a caravan." "First time?" "Whatever you do, please don't go out and buy all the toilet paper. That is so annoying." "Live your life and stay off of social media as much as possible." "People in Kyiv, Ukraine are still going to work. Do with that information what you will." Do you have any advice or general comments on what to do if your country is at war? Comment below.
