Pacific Whale Foundationtour boat spots whalenorth of MolokiniBy MELISSA TANJIStaff Writer

Almost like clockwork, the PacificWhale Foundation spotted its first whale ofthe season on Monday, which is approxi-mately the same time as last year’s firstsighting.

With assistance from another boat, theMaui Diamond, the foundation’s OceanExplorer Capt. Aaron Bement spotted thewhale at 8:08 a.m., about 2.4 miles northof Molokini, heading toward Maalaea Har-bor. The 2017 sighting was on Oct. 9, at4:44 p.m., near Honolua Bay.

Typically, whale season in Hawaiianwaters runs from November to May, withthe peak season from January to March, ac-cording to the National Oceanic & Atmos-pheric Administration’s Hawaiian IslandsHumpback Whale National Marine Sanc-tuary.

The timing of the sightings this year andlast was consistent with historical trends,said Marc Lammers, the sanctuary’s re-search coordinator.

“The sanctuary has been keeping trackof early and out-of-season whale sightingssince 1988 and, on average over that time

period, we would expect the first sightingto occur during either the first or secondweek of October,” Lammers said in anemail.

He was unaware of any boaters or oper-ators reporting a whale sighting yet thisfall, other than the sighting on Monday.

Ed Lyman, the sanctuary’s natural re-

sources management specialist, added thatbecause of the whale’s location outside theKihei Boat Ramp and near Molokini, plen-ty of tour boats “got a great early-seasonsighting” on Monday.

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WEDNESDAY, October 10, 2018Maui’s Newspaper Since 1900

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By ZEKE MILLER, DEB RIECHMANN andJONATHAN LEMIREThe Associated Press

WASHINGTON — In the latest shake-up for President Donald Trump’s turbulentadministration, U.N. Ambassador NikkiHaley abruptly announced Tuesday she isresigning at the end of the year, raisingfresh questions about the Trump team andabout the outspoken diplomat’s own politi-cal ambitions.

The news blindsided some key U.S. al-lies and many congressional Republicansinvolved in foreign policy matters. And itcame less than a month before congres-sional elections, thwarting White House ef-forts to project an image of stability, withthe loss of one of the highest-profilewomen in the administration at a timewhen women’s votes are being vigorouslypursued.

But Haley, the former South Carolinagovernor, has often been an unpredictableand independent force in the Trump ad-ministration. At times she has offered strik-

ingly different perspectives on worldevents from her more isolationist-mindedboss.

A smiling Haley announced her decisionat an Oval Office meeting alongside thepresident, bringing up her own politicalprospects even as she underscored her con-tinued support for Trump. Withoutprompting from reporters, she said she hadno plans to run for president “in 2020” andwould campaign for Trump.

Haley, who is 46 and not personallywealthy, hinted in her resignation letter toTrump that she is headed to the private sec-tor.

“I have given everything I’ve got theselast eight years,” she said, referring to hersix years as governor as well as her time atthe U.N. “And I do think it’s good to rotatein other people who can put that same ener-gy and power into it.”

Trump was asked why the announce-ment was made now since Haley is stayinguntil the end of the year.

Instead of answering directly, he re-

counted how she has had to work on toughissues, such as Iran and North Korea.

White House officials had sought to puta hold on Trump’s record-setting turnoverin the run-up to the Nov. 6 elections, withaides being asked months ago to step downor commit to stay through Election Day toavoid adding to a sense of turmoil.

Still, the prospect of post-midtermchanges continues to hang over the WestWing, and Haley’s exit was one that hasbeen discussed, according to a senior ad-ministration official not authorized to pub-licly discuss private conversations.

A number of officials speculated that thetiming was meant to preserve the ambas-sador’s own political future. A post in theTrump administration has proven to be arickety stepping-stone to either lucrativeprivate sector work or hopes for higher of-fice, and the risk to those ambitions mightonly increase after the elections if Democ-rats make significant gains in Congress.

U.N.’s Nikki Haley to leave in latest Trump shake-up

By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHERThe Associated Press

HONOLULU — If you got incessant phone calls lastweek from a hospital that cares for Hawaiian monkseals, you were butt-dialed.

Or, more specifically, foot-dialed. By a gecko.Marine mammal veterinarian Claire Simeone was at

lunch when she got a call from Ke Kai Ola, the Big Is-land hospital where she’s director. There was silence onthe other end. Nine more silent calls followed. Fearing aseal emergency, she rushed back.

She wasn’t the only one getting calls, and peoplestarted asking why the hospital was calling non-stop.

Trying to figure out why a “bazillion” calls weremade from one line, she called the phone company anda rep tried to talk her through finding a possible line onthe fritz. She walked into a lab and found the culprit. Thegecko was perched on a phone, making calls to every-one in the recent call history with “HIS TINY GECKOFEET,” she wrote in a Twitter thread the next day, de-tailing the saga.

Social media delighted in the tale, and some peopleoffered jokes about a certain company’s gecko calling tosave you money on your car insurance.

After discovering the mystery caller, Simeone caughtthe gecko and put it outside on a plant, she said Tuesday.

“If there’s a little gecko that helps us share the story ofconservation, then that’s a win,” she said of the work shedoes caring for the endangered seals. “I think peopleneeded a little pick me up with the news cycle.”

Gecko butt-dials a‘bazillion’ times fromHawaii seal hospital

Pacific Whale Foundation photos

Passengers take photos of what could be the first reported whale sighting of the season on Monday aboard the PacificWhale Foundation’s Ocean Explorer.

Pacific Whale Foundation spotted its first whale of the season on Monday fromits Ocean Explorer vessel about 2.4 miles north of Molokini heading towardMaalaea Harbor.

First humpback whale of theseason makes its appearance

See HALEY on the next page

See WHALE on Page A4

Homes, condos soaring with double-digit hikesBy BRIAN PERRYCity Editor

Median sales prices for single-family homes and con-dominiums jumped in double-digit increases in Septem-ber — up 16 percent to $754,248 for homes and up18.2 percent to $501,000 for condos — both comparedwith the same month last year, according to statistics re-leased last week by the Realtors Association of Maui.

September marked the fourth straight month of dou-ble-digit increases for condos: up 19.8 percent to$515,000 in June, up 15.6 percent to $508,825 in Julyand up 26.2 percent to $504,998 in August. Over 12months ending in September, median sales prices haveincreased 10.6 percent to $485,000, the association re-ported.

There’s been more variability in single-family homemedian prices, ranging from a decrease of 10.1 percentto $680,000 in March to the 16 percent increase in Sep-tember. Overall, home prices have grown 0.9 percentfor the year through September.

The association’s report contained a cautionary note.It said: “Although residential real estate should continuealong a mostly positive line for the rest of the year, risingprices and interest rates coupled with salary stagnationand a generational trend toward home purchase delay oreven disinterest could create an environment for declin-ing sales.”

Maui Realtors Association President Gina Duncansaid that even with Maui’s tight inventory market,“there is still a demand for housing locally and from theMainland United States. We see some international in-terest and expect more during high season, however notas strong as on Oahu.

“Even though one would think this would make astrong sellers market, buyers are savvy and are still cau-tious,” Duncan said. “Homes that are overpriced tendnot to get shown even if seller is flexible, so I wouldcaution against overpricing by a seller to ‘test the mar-ket,’ and as much as possible to have the home ‘show

Median housingprices for Maui are on the rise

See HOUSING on Page A4

HousingContinued from Page A1ready’ with detailed cleaning,repairs and staging done priorto listing.”

Duncan said Maui’s highsingle-family home prices tendto impact condo sales becausepeople turn to condo living asless-expensive option.

An overview of key metricsfor Maui’s condominium mar-ket shows the high-demand,low-supply drivers fueling thehigher prices that owners candemand and receive from buy-ers. In September, sellers weregetting 98.1 percent of their listprice, up 1.7 percentage points;for the year through September,that metric was up 0.7 percent-age point to 97.3 percent.

The housing affordability in-dex for condominiumsdropped 21.2 percent to 67 in

September, and it fell 16.3 per-cent to 67 for the first ninemonths. (The index shows theamount a Maui County house-hold earning median incomewould have toward whatwould be needed to qualify fora median-priced unit underprevailing interest rates. Ahigher number means greateraffordability.)

The inventory of condos forsale decreased 22.4 percent to523 in September. Themonth’s supply of condos wasdown 27.8 percent to 3.9. Newcondo listings decreased 25.2percent to 113 for the monthand down 6.5 percent to 1,405for the year’s first nine months.

The volume of condos salesin September was down nearly4 percent to 121. Most of thesales were in Kihei (46, or 38percent of total condo sales inSeptember), Napili-Kahana-

Honokowai (18, or 14.9 per-cent), Wailuku (15, or 12.4percent), Kaanapali (14, or11.6 percent) and Wailea-Makena (13, or 10.7 percent).

The volume of condo salesfor the year’s first nine monthswas up 21.6 percent to 1,277;and January-through-September median prices forcondos were up 11.4 percentto $499,000.

Kihei led the way with 472condo sales through Septem-ber, a 16.8 percent increase insales volume. Median condoprices in Kihei were up 7.4percent to $407,000 for theyear’s first three quarters.

The runner-up region forcondo sales volume wasNapili-Kahana-Honokowaiwith 193 sales, up 17 percent;median prices for the WestMaui region increased 4.9 per-cent to $430,000.

The luxury resort area ofWailea-Makena had the coun-ty’s third most condo sales —179, a 70.5 percent increase insales volume. However, themedian price remained un-changed at $1.15 million.

Kaanapali reported 133condo sales over nine months,a 49.4 percent jump in salesvolume. The area’s medianprice for condos rose 4.5 per-cent to $815,000.

Wailuku recorded 118 con-do sales, up 25.5 percent, andits median price increased 8.3percent to $410,000.

The key metrics for Septem-ber single-family home real es-tate activity also showed thehigh demand and short supplyof housing, but the percentagesfor changes were not as high asthose for condos.

The inventory of homes forsale fell 16.7 percent to 473

for the month, and the month’ssupply of inventory was down13.3 percent to 5.2.

The affordability index forsingle-family homes dropped20 percent to 44 for the monthand was off 5.9 percent to 48 forthe first nine months of the year.

Home sellers were getting96.6 percent of their list price,up 0.2 percentage point for themonth; and 96.8 percent, up 0.2percentage point for the year.

The volume of home sales inSeptember was down 1.2 per-cent to 80 in September, withmost properties exchanginghands in Wailuku (24, 30 per-cent), Haiku (nine, 11.3 per-cent), Kihei (nine, 11.3 per-cent), Makawao-Olinda-Haliimaile (seven, 8.8 per-cent), Kahului (six, 7.5 per-cent) and Kula-Ulupalakua-Kanaio (five, 6.3 percent).

The volume of home sales

for the year’s first three quar-ters was 879 sales countywide,up 6.4 percent. The mediansales price remained un-changed at $700,000.

Wailuku recorded the mosthomes exchanging hands, 198,a 29.4 percent increase in salesvolume for the year to Septem-ber. The median price for ahome in Wailuku rose 5.7 per-cent to $650,000. Kihei had134 sales, a 2.9 percent de-cline compared with a yearago. Kihei’s median homeprice slid down 2.8 percent to$687,013.

Kahului reported 111 sales,down 0.9 percent. Its medianprice grew 13.9 percent to$680,000. Haiku had 68home sales through September,a 6.3 percent increase. Its mid-way price increased 10.5 per-cent to $822,500.

The county’s most expen-sive homes were in Kapalua,where eight residences ex-changed hands for a medianprice of $2.84 million, an in-crease of 14.2 percent. Oneproperty sold in Maalaea for$2 million. Kaanapali had themost sales among luxury areaswith 29, a 61.1 percent in-crease in sales volume for theyear’s first nine months.Kaanapali’s median homeprice rose 4.4 percent to $1.77million.

Wailea-Makena reported 27homes sold for a median priceof $1.8 million, a drop of 36.2percent from the $2.82 millionfigure set in region last year.

Kula-Ulupalakua-Kanaio,Makawao-Olinda-Haliimaileand Pukalani recorded year-to-date home sales of 53, 43 and31, respectively. Their salesvolumes were down 17.2 per-cent, up 7.5 percent and down16.2 percent, respectively,compared with last year.

The median sales price of ahome was $975,000 (up 14.8percent) in Kula-Ulupalakua-Kanaio, $610,000 (down 3.9percent) in Makawao-Olinda-Haliimaile and $725,000 (up7.4 percent) in Pukalani.

The county’s least expensivehomes were found on Lanaiand Molokai, where the medi-an prices were $475,000 (up25 percent) and $350,000(down 0.6 percent), respective-ly. On Lanai, 15 homes weresold, down 16.7 percent; andon Molokai, 25 homes ex-changed hands, up 31.6 per-cent.

For the full report, go towww.ramaui.com/wp-con-tent/uploads/2018/10/RAM-Stats-September-2018.pdf.

■ Brian Perry can be reachedat bperry@mauinews.com.

■ ■ ■A4 — Wednesday, October 10, 2018 — THE MAUI NEWS

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Featuring Bariatric Surgeon, Dr. Steven Fowler

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Before

After

WhaleContinued from Page A1

In 2016, the foundationspotted its first whale on Oct.20 and in 2015, its first hump-back was seen on Oct. 24.

Most of the foundation’sfirst sightings from 1998 tothe present have been in earlyto mid-October.

But there have been someexceptions.

In 2005, the foundation’sfirst whale sighting was onNov. 11, and, in 2000, it spot-ted its first whale on Sept. 16.

Of this year’s whale sight-

ing, Bement said: “This iswhy we do this. You neverknow what you’ll see on anygiven day. One day, it’s theendangered false killer whalesthat our research team isstudying, the next spinner dol-phins, and (Monday) our firsthumpback whale sighting.”

At least 12,000 humpbackwhales are believed to mi-grate to Hawaii each winter,with the species’ numbers in-creasing at 7 percent per year,the foundation said. Thewhales travel from theirnorthern summer feeding areathat extends from Northern

California to the Bering Sea,arriving in Hawaii to mate,give birth and care for theiryoung calves.

According to the NationalMarine Sanctuary, Hawaii isthe only state in the UnitedStates where humpbackwhales mate, calve and nursetheir young. Humpbacks mayfind Hawaii suitable becauseof its warm waters, underwa-ter visibility, the variety ofocean depths and the lack ofnatural predators.

Humpback whales are pro-tected by federal and stateregulations, which prohibit

vessels and other water-usersfrom approaching a hump-back whale within 100 yards.

The current estimate on thepopulation of humpbacks inthe North Pacific is 22,000individuals.

In the foundation’s annualwhale count in February,sightings were down by dou-ble-digit percentages whencompared to 2017. But itwasn’t clear if the number ofmarine mammals was peak-ing at the same time eachyear, foundation researcherssaid.

The lower numbers could

mean that the peak of the sea-son was earlier or later.

More than 100 volunteersworked with foundation re-searchers to count whalesfrom various points on Maui’sshoreline for several hours onone day to take a “snapshot intime.”

In total, volunteers record-ed 529 humpback whalesightings this year, including335 pods (or groups ofwhales) and 62 calves.

The February sightingswere down 455, or 46.2 per-cent, from 2017’s total of984 whales. There were 209

fewer pod sightings, down38.4 percent from 2017’s544, according to foundationtotals.

The 2018 total for calvesspotted was 62, which is 29.5percent less than last year’s88 calves.

The foundation reportedthat the number of whalesightings has dropped since2015, but the overall trendover a longer period of timeshowed increasing numbersof whales, pods and calves.

■ Melissa Tanji can be reached atmtanji@mauinews.com.

Habitual DUI driverin trouble again

WAILUKU — A Waiheeman with a prior convictionfor habitually driving underthe influence of alcohol isagain facing the felony chargeafter being arrested for drunk-en driving this month.

Stephen Clubb, 58, haspleaded not guilty to habitualDUI, reckless driving andhaving an open container in avehicle in connection with hisarrest Oct. 1.

At a court hearing Tuesday,Clubb asked that his bail bereduced from $12,000.

Deputy Prosecutor RyanTeshima opposed the request.

“His record indicates thathe’s an extreme danger to thecommunity,” Teshima said.

Second Circuit Judge PeterCahill noted that Clubb wassentenced to prison for his pri-or habitual DUI conviction in2009. Clubb also has convic-tions for DUI in 2002, 2001and twice in 1999, Cahillsaid.

“He does present a dangerto the community,” Cahillsaid. “I can’t think of any cir-

cumstance where we can pre-vent you from driving.”

Clubb asked whether thejudge could “pull my license.”

“The license doesn’t drive acar,” Cahill said. “A driver’slicense is a piece of paper thatauthorizes you to exercise aprivilege, but it doesn’t pre-vent you from getting behindthe wheel unless you cancome up with a plan to dothat.”

Cahill kept Clubb’s bail at$12,000.

A Dec. 10 trial is scheduledfor Clubb.

Missed trash route tobe picked up today

A refuse route in Kula wasmissed Tuesday due to me-chanical problems and will bepicked up today, the countyDepartment of EnvironmentalManagement said.

Areas affected included theKulamanu and Kula Kai sub-divisions; Upper and LowerKimo Drive; Kulalani Circle;Omaopio, Holopuni, Ainaku-la and Lower Kula roads andall surrounding streets androads.

COUNTY/IN BRIEF

SolarContinued from Page A3view by the end of the year.

The seven projects are ex-pected to produce about 260MW of solar energy on Oahu,Maui and Hawaii islands anddisplace 1.2 million barrels ofoil, HECO said. Each solarproject will be connected to astorage system that will captureup to four hours of electricitythat can further reduce fossilfuel use in the evening or othertimes when the sun isn’t shin-ing.

“These large-scale solar andbattery projects will accelerateour renewable energy drive atsome of the lowest prices

we’ve seen to date,” saidShelee Kimura, HawaiianElectric senior vice presidentof business development andstrategic planning. “With sup-port from our communities,these projects will reduce ourreliance on fossil fuel and cutgreenhouse gas emissionswhile benefiting all with low-cost renewable energy.”

Hawaiian Electric, MauiElectric and Hawai‘i ElectricLight already have more than500 MW of renewable energyunder contract in addition tonearly 80,000 private rooftopsystems in operation.

The announcement comeson the heels of Maui’s secondutility-scale solar project,

Ku‘ia Solar in West Maui nearLahainaluna High, going on-line Thursday. Ku‘ia Solar’ssister project, South Maui Re-newable Resources near theMaui Research & TechnologyPark, was the first utility-scalesolar project to feed MECO’sgrid in May.

The projects, owned and op-erated by Kenyon Energy, cansupply up to 2.87 MW of solarpower each to the grid.

The addition of Ku‘ia Solarpower increased MECO’s re-newable energy portfolio to 34percent, which is ahead of thestate’s target of 30 percent re-newable energy by 2020, theutility said.

On Molokai, a power pur-

chase agreement for a 2.64MW project, which includes a3 MW battery energy storagesystem, was approved by thePUC in late July. The project isowned and operated by Molo-ka‘i New Energy Partners, aChicago-based Half MoonVentures company that willsell power to MECO.

The project is expected to bein service by the end of 2019.

The seven projects were theresult of an expedited procure-ment effort that began in Feb-ruary, HECO said. The cost ofrenewable energy continues todrop, aided by tax credits avail-able to developers.

The Maui NewsNo injuries were reported in

an early-morning fire that de-stroyed a Waiehu Heights resi-dence Tuesday, fire officialsreported.

People who had been in thehome at 857 W. Kaena Placemade it out safely after the firewas discovered and reported toemergency 911 dispatchers at12:42 a.m., officials said.

Firefighters from Wailuku,

Kahului and Kula responded tothe blaze, along with a battalionchief. Engine 1 from Wailukuarrived first at 12:53 a.m., andfirefighters saw a half of a sin-gle-story, single-family homeablaze with fire extending outfrom its roof, officials said.

Firefighters worked to pre-vent the blaze from spreading toneighboring homes, but two ad-jacent structures sustained mi-nor exterior damage, officials

reported. The fire was declaredunder control at 1:22 a.m.

A Maui Fire Department in-vestigator, assisted by a MauiPolice Department detective,investigated the origin andcause of the fire, which re-mained undetermined.

An electric meter had beenremoved from the residence,which had no electricity. Offi-cials said the yard was in “anunkept condition,” and “sever-

al derelict cars were in thedriveway and on the roadfrontage of the house.”

The exact number of peoplewho had been in the home atthe time of the fire was not con-firmed, officials said.

Damage to the residencewas estimated at $260,000.

Red Cross officials helpedtwo of the home occupantswho remained at the scene, of-ficials said.

Fire destroys residence in Waiehu Heights