Image courtesy of sonofthesouth.net

Dear Editor:

How timely that we read today, the very day after announcing the Consent of the Governed project, that Councilwoman Naeole wants to pass a law banning smoking in private vehicles if a child under 18 yrs old is present.
Of course, this would be without asking the people to vote on it, as only she and her colleagues are enlightened enough to know what’s best.
Now this ban may or may not be a good idea, but it is alarming to continue to allow a mere 5 people alone (a majority of the council) to determine what is good parenting, and make laws and criminal punishments about such, and how every citizen on the island should live their lives, all without asking our permission. Read the rest of this entry »

Image courtesy of The Daily Green

I laughed out loud when I saw the newspaper headline this morning announcing Councilwoman Emily Naeole-Beason’s proposed law barring smoking in any vehicle occupied by someone under the age of 18.  Keep in mind, announcement of this Bill 216, which is to be heard at the Human Services and Economic Development Committee meeting in Keauhou on March 16, comes within days of the Conservative Forum for Hawaii announcing it is not going to take any more legislation from council members infringing upon civil liberties. Boy, if Bill 216 isn’t an infringement upon civil liberties, I don’t know what is.

Think about how much energy, time, focus, conversation, resources, i.e., money, is going into the bill, which is stupid, particularly given there are so many other really pressing problems with our county and with Auntie’s district in particular.

I attest that Emily has good intentions; Bill 216 is actually evidence of that.  She cares so deeply for people that she thinks she needs to tell them how to be good parents, grandparents, aunties, and uncles — no smoking with your keiki in the vehicle. Read the rest of this entry »

By Delia Montgomery

Chíc Eco

Muumuu Heaven is a shop located on the windward side of Oahu that is sure to inspire. All their fashion and home decor orginals are crafted from vintage Hawaiian mu’umu’us, aloha shirts, and fabric remnants.

The shop sells designs that minimize the impact on our environment while maximizing the fabulous. Some are in-house production while other items, such as their bags, are made by a designer on Kaua’i. (Stay tuned for details). Even the jewelry is made from vintage beads.

The Mu’umu’u Heaven skirts are especially a big hit with celebrity shoppers that sometimes order direct from Hollywood. Read the rest of this entry »

Jeff Hunt Surfboards' spears logo on the rail of a parabolic shortboard.

I want to express my heartfelt thanks to RJ Mendoza for his latest write-up on his Honolulu Advertiser blog, “Talking Big Island,” entitled, “I am a Champion Web-Surfer,” about Jeff Hunt Surfboards. RJ came out to visit with me at the store last week.  We had planned to visit and for me to take him to a yoga class at the Hawaii Academy of Arts and Sciences.  But the day he came out to Pahoa, I was unable to free myself up to go do yoga. RJ was so easy-going about the change of plans and happily talked with me as I ate my 3 p.m. lunch, washed and hung laundry, and prepared for a rubbish dump run.

Nita Pilago of Wahine Toa Designs

Not only did RJ plug my surfboard shaper husband and our store, but also my writing career and this very blog.  He told of some of the products we offer at the surf shop, and noted how we try to carry local products, like our t-shirts that my husband and I silkscreen by hand in our free time, along with Wahine Toa Designs, Puna Sun Butter, and Filthy Farmgirl Soap.

Wahine Toa is a line of clothing designed by Nita Pilago, of Kailua-Kona, and Puna Sun Butter is this yummy moisturizer made by Suzanne Heinzelman, my friend and helper at the store.  She uses coconut oil, shea butter, aromotherapy and flower essences, and she offers a number of different scents like “floral bliss” and “Hawaiian ginger,” and they smell and feel absolutely divine — and I’m not just saying that because she’s my friend.   Read the rest of this entry »

Image courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey

Earlier this evening there was an estimated 4.4 earthquake under Mauna Kea, according to U.S. Geological Survey.  Hawaii Civil Defense announced the quake and that a tsunami was not generated from the shake-up.  Surely, those who felt the rumble must have flashed on the 8.8 Chilean earthquake and the tsunami scare we all went through last weekend.

The truth is, on this volcanic island with one volcano continuously erupting, we have little earthquakes all the time.  Check out this U.S. Geological Survey’s map of the Big Island earthquakes that have occurred in the last couple of days and in the last couple of weeks.  Let’s see, if I’m reading this correctly, in the last couple of days we have had at least five earthquakes.  In the last couple of weeks, we have had 11 on the island, most of them concentrated in Puna on the slopes of Kilauea or Mauna Loa.  There have been another four earthquakes off the Puna Coast in the last couple of weeks.

Not trying to freak anyone out.  Just reminding people where we stay.

Declaration of Independence image courtesy of the Conservative Forum for Hawaii, which has launched its "Consent of the Governed Project," proposing amendments to the County Charter to restore and preserve civil liberties that are believed to be eroded by unnecessary policies and laws.

(Media release) — This week the Conservative Forum for Hawaii  announced their Consent of the Governed Project “to restore sovereignty to every citizen of the Big Island” through two ammendments to the county Charter.

“This is an effort to restore true sovereignty to all citizens, so each citizen can more effectively be in control of his own life, and establish a precedent for firmly placing power over our lives where it belongs, in the hands of the people themselves and not with just a privileged few,” said Conservative Forum for Hawaii President Walter Moe.

Although representative government allows for the people to transfer authority and power to their elected officials, such transfer is not absolute, Moe said. “Efficient self-government requires the concentration of decision-making and authority, but efficiency cannot come at the cost of our liberty and freedom,” he said.

Conservative Forum for Hawaii members maintain that elected government officials have taken more and more freedoms and liberties away, and forced more and more constraints on people “in even the most trivial items of how we live our daily lives. ” Read the rest of this entry »

Aloha Pahoa merchants and friends of Pahoa merchants:

This is to inform you that Mainstreet Pahoa Association, in collaboration with the County of Hawaii Mayor’s Office, will be holding a Green and White Day Parade at 10 a.m., Saturday, March 20, 2010.  Anybody and everybody who can help with this is encouraged to attend tomorrow night’s annual Mainstreet Pahoa Association meeting at 6 p.m. at the Pahoa Neighborhood Facility (also known as the Pahoa Community Center).

If you cannot attend the meeting, please prepare your Pahoa business with as much decoration for Pahoa pride (i.e., green and white) on or before Saturday, March 20.  Put signage in and on your storefront to let your customers know we are having this parade.

If you know anyone who wants to be in the parade with this short notice, please, please, please, have them get a hold of me at (808) 938-8592.

All parade participants should wear green and white… Everyone in town is encouraged to sport the school colors.

Let’s build on this momentum with the Dagger state championship win.

Congratulations, Pahoa Daggers for giving Puna some positive press!

Mahalo nui loa,

Tiffany

Jeff Hunt Surfboards co-owner

Puna cartoonist Tom Lackey went bold with a series about Puna Councilwoman Emily Naeole-Beason and her newlywed husband Ray’s newfound enjoyment playing for passersby in Pahoa.  Ray Beason stations himself in front of Subway and Pahoa Cash & Carry to deliver keyboard renditions of the gospel and other tunes.  There have been mixed reactions from the public.  As an editorial comment, I much prefer that we have more street musicians and less drug dealers in Pahoa.  I liked Ray Beason’s Kenny Rogers look for more than I like the newly dyed brown hair.  Also, I hate to be a pedant, but I sure wish I could edit Lackey’s toons.  It’s supposed to read, “Quiet, Hayseed…” and “Wave Goodbye, Hayseed.  Now that Emil(y) has gone on her whistletop tour, ‘what we load up the electric keyboard and do a little Panhandling in Pahoa from the local folks.’ Goodbye, Auntie…” Gallows humor, I guess. I really think these are funny.  But I remain very skeptical that there are any candidates who will be able to beat Emily Naeole-Beason for the 5th Council District Seat.  The reason? Her charisma.  As much as she can really get under people’s skin, she’s extraordinary.  Her newlywed husband sits with his keyboard playing his showboat tunes in the same places she occasionally sets up fort to sell knick-knacks, pray with people, and share her aloha.  It’s truly entertaining, and that is what the constituency has preferred over the other candidates on the ballot contending against her.

Congratulations, Pahoa Dagger Basketball Team players. They are reportedly State Division 2 Champs!
I met a couple of them the other day at the surf shop when they were soliciting funds for their off-island trip to compete. I am thrilled for them. I was a forward for my high school basketball team, and my niece currently plays the same position for her high school team on the mainland. Puna generally has such a bad reputation, and this is one of those moments where the district can get some positive press, thanks to these young guys. Mahalo nui loa for making us fellow Puna residents proud! Go Daggers! Anyone interested in helping me plan a Green and White night in Pahoa this year? Email newswoman@mac.com.

By Curtis Narimatsu

Pu’u Kamali’i is the 3rd most mauka hill of the 3 Halai Hills, a favorite resort of children, who coasted down its grassy slopes on holuas/coconut leaf sleds. Kamali’i means children. Pu’u Honu is the middle hill whose crest lies under the junction of Komohana St./Pu’u Honu Way [excavated for earth fill at Waiakea houselots 1939]. Halai is the most seaward/makai hill with a crater in its top. The legend of the 3 sisters accompanies the geology of the 3 hills. Punahoa is named after its maiden, which means companion [companion springs]. Ponahawai is named after its maiden, which means water clearing/circle. This is enduring love — “She shall cover you with her feathers, and under her wings you shall find divine refuge.” Psalm 91:4 Love shall find its way, caressed by an angel. Angel joy a garland, a saint, where springs bathe quietly, gently and quaint. Providence smiles at lovely child Angel/Anela, whose soul embodies what heart is all about — embrace another. “Let all things be done in love.” 1 Cor. 16:14 Read the rest of this entry »

Depicted is a second generation Buick Riviera parked outside the Sacred Heart Church on a recent Sunday. There were eight generations of the Riviera in the 36 years Buick made this cars.

Aloha Auntie Emily,

As you may know, the Native Hawaiian Reorganization Act also known as the Akaka Bill has passed in the US House of Representatives. There is a possibility that the Akaka Bill could very well pass the Senate and become law, given Senator Inouye’s strong working relationships across party lines and President Obama’s support of the bill.

What can be concerning is the strong role that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs plays in this. As the leading supporter of the Akaka Bill, a few friends that I have spoke with are concerned about their intentions. These friends, are kanaka maoli like you and I, and have disdain for OHA and the alleged “shibai” that is associated with them. I believe that their mission is in the right place- to work towards the betterment of all Hawaiians, but I also think there may be a possibility that OHA has become entangled with other things.

What I am asking of you is to strongly consider running for one of the at-large Trustee seats that are up for election this year. Your commitment to the well-being of the native Hawaiian community is outstanding. You represent the kanaka maoli who may not have a voice, or are whose voices are drowned out by politics, beuarcracy, and the voices of the Hawaiian elite. As evidenced by your actions, you are not afraid to stand up for what you believe is right, and what the voices of your people ask of you. I strongly believe that your straightforward, no-nonsense attitude would be a breath of fresh air on the OHA Board of Trustees. I believe in my heart of hearts that you can build the bridges between those that support Hawaiian sovereignty and those who support Hawaii as part of the United States. Your unique gifts of communicating honestly and truthfully with people, empathy and concern and strong knowledge of our culture will empower all kanaka maoli to come together and reach a fair and pono middle ground.

Please consider running for OHA’s At-Large seats this year.

RJ Mendoza

Hilo

Image courtesy of phototouring

Dear Editor:

As recently seen in the news,  the American Academy of Pediatrics has a new policy stating that the hot dog is a hazard for kids, associated with more choking deaths among children than any other food.

“If you were to find the best engineers in the world and ask them to design the perfect plug for a child’s airway, you couldn’t do much better than the hot dog,” said Dr. Gary Smith, lead author of the AAP policy statement.

They also cite nuts, popcorn,  grapes, seeds and raw carrots as “high-risk foods.”

Each year, they estimate up to 77 young people die from hot dogs (out of our population of 310 million).

All of this may be prevented, the academy says, with warning labels and the “redesign” of risky products like the hot dog.

As hot dogs are a common element of the government funded school lunch program, it is therefore clear that the Furlough Fridays, by lessening the exposure to this dangerous activity, is actually saving lives. Read the rest of this entry »

Image courtesy of Kernunnos

(Media release) — “The Economic Panic of 2009. What Wen Broke?” is the topic of a Conservative Forum For Hawaii meeting slated for 2 p.m., Sunday, March 7, 2010 at the Naniloa Hotel’s Palm Room.

Robert Duerr, a former registered investment advisor with the SEC with 35 years of investment analysis skills, will share his research about the causes and culprits of the recent financial panic.

His talk will include excerpts from an upcoming finance self-help book proposal, including:

•    History of Money from Caesar’s Gold Aureus to the Dollar

•    The Disaster Timeline Recipe for Collapse

•    Be Prepared 101: a trend analysis from gold to organic compost

•    How local economies prosper in a world of rolling panics Read the rest of this entry »

'The Good Medicine Show2' is cancelled Friday at SPACE in Puna, but will go on as planned at the Palace Theater in Hiloon Saturday. Those who previously purchased tickets for the Friday Puna performance can use them at the Hilo venue Saturday.

(Media release) — “‘Rock for justice’… if you want to see some Justice on this Rock…’ is the message that the event organizers of the “Good Medicine Show 2” have for those wondering if they should venture out next Saturday night.

“The Good Medicine Show” is being presented by several organizations, including Peaceful Sky Alliance, the 10, 000 Gardens Project, which gave away seeds and plants in the last election, as well as a new organization, “Friends for Justice.” Themes of “justice” and “community issues” is the focus of these organizations and the theme of the three-and-a-half-hour show.

In the pursuit of “justice,” it certainly been a busy time since the first “Good Medicine Show” launched Peaceful Sky Alliance as an organization last March. After “Project Peaceful Sky” sponsored the Ballot initiative that successfully passed the Lowest Law Enforcement Priority of Cannabis Ordinance, the “Peaceful Sky Alliance” was formed.

Peaceful Sky Alliance represents numerous organizations and individuals working with Hawaii County  to oversee the implementation of a voter initiative that mandates county personnel to make arrests and prosecution for “adult personal use” of Cannabis their “lowest enforcement priority.”

Greywolf Klare, board member of Peaceful Sky Alliance notes, “We’ve been attending council on a regular basis and meeting with Council members individually. Peaceful Sky Alliance has also generated over 100 letters addressing various County Departments and heads of department over violations to the ordinance or areas where the County isn’t yet in compliance. What we’re learning is that it takes more than an election to change a law. It takes people paying attention to what happens after that.” Read the rest of this entry »