Hawaii Slow to Recover From Earthquakes*

Monday October 15, 2007 4:01 AM

By RON STATON

Associated Press Writer

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (AP) - Deep cracks line the outside walls of Hulihee
Palace. Patches of fallen stucco expose the building's lava rock and
coral mortar outer walls.

Two quakes a year ago Monday damaged the 19th-century vacation home of
Hawaii's royal families - now a museum - and many other buildings and
infrastructure, though no one died or was seriously injured.

Like the former royal palace, many buildings on Hawaii's largest island
still sit unrepaired because too few contractors have stepped forward to
bid for reconstruction projects, officials said.

``This was the first earthquake of 6.0 or higher in 15 or 16 years, and
this caused problems with preparation and response,'' said Hawaii County
Mayor Harry Kim.

The two earthquakes, the first at 7:07 a.m. and the second a few minutes
later, registered 6.7 and 6.0 on the Richter scale. Both were centered
off the northwest coast of Hawaii Island, known as the Big Island, which
suffered the heaviest damage.

Damage to Hawaii County buildings, facilities and roads totaled about
$20 million, and the figure is expected to rise because some bids for
repairs are coming in at double the original estimate, Kim said.

The county declared 67 buildings unsafe after the quake; 22 are still
considered so, Kim's office said. A total of 227 other buildings were
initially declared safe for only restricted use, and 72 still carry the
designation.

At the Hulihee Palace, built in 1838, a faded green sign saying
``Restricted Use'' remains on the door. Only the entry hall and one room
remain open to the public, and nearly all artifacts have been removed.
Repairs and restoration costs for the palace alone are expected to reach
$1 million.

The museum has lined up money for the work, which likely won't start
until next year, said palace administrator Fanny Au Hoy.

The Federal Emergency Management Administration is paying 75 percent of
the cost to repair bridges, roads and ditches and other county
facilities; the county will pay the remaining 25 percent, Kim said.

The county's top priorities are to repair two damaged reservoirs and a
gym in South Kohala, Kim said.

One reservoir has been drained because of structural damage, and the
other is full to a level just below the cracks. For now, the partially
refilled reservoir and a third reservoir can meet the area's water
needs, he said.

The Hisaoka Gym in Kapaau, a frequently used community center, may not
reopen for another year, he said.

The Kalahikiola Congregational Church, at the north end of the island,
still lacks some walls. Support beams hold the building up.

Even the upscale Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, which officials originally
believed was not too badly damaged and did not immediately close, won't
reopen for another two years after a closer look uncovered more severe
effects.

Homeowners who have taken a financial hit are also a concern, the mayor
said.