BARKING SANDS — With both federal and state security at heightened levels, some surfers with beach-access cards might have passed up the trip to the Housing Gate at the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility near Kekaha and gone to
BARKING SANDS — With both federal and state security at heightened levels, some surfers with beach-access cards might have passed up the trip to the Housing Gate at the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility near Kekaha and gone to surf at Polihale State Park instead.
But with a packed parking lot by mid-morning, it appears that most Westside surfers came to Major’s Bay to surf the clean, 10-foot (face-height) waves, even with the threat level at orange, or high.
One of the questions posed at the November 13 meeting about the 6,000-acre “passive encroachment buffer” wanted by PMRF was whether or not base officials would further restrict access to their land when federal Homeland Security leaders issued a heightened alert level.
At least in this instance, base-access privileges had not changed.
“In my opinion, our security folks are always vigilant, and keep an eye out for suspicious persons 365 days a year,” said Chief Petty Officer Tim Paynter of the Navy Region Public Affairs Office on O’ahu. “We are not operating any different than we normally do.”
“There has not been any specific threat” to us, for now, said Chief Warrant Officer Joseph Pelletier at PMRF. “In fact, the largest (number) of beach-access people entering the base” was Sunday, with over a hundred people enjoying Major’s Bay.
If there is a specific threat, obviously access would change, he said.
