Logo crafted by Cary Tanoue.

(Media release) — A logo has been selected for Pahoa Nikkei Jin Kai to celebrate the 50^th anniversary since the non-profit community organization’s incorporation.

Crafted by graphic artist Cary Tanoue, the design incorporates English and kanji spelling out the organization’s name along with an anthurium.

“If it’s representing Pahoa, it’s got to be an anthurium,” said long time resident Glenn Watarida, a former president of the organization.

According to the late Pahoa historian Hiroo Sato, an active member of Pahoa Nikkei Jin Kai, “The first anthuriums were imported from England in 1889 by Samuel N, Damon and planted in his Moanalua botanical garden.” That first variety had a pink spathe.

“One of the first persons to grow anthuriums in Hilo was Herbert Shipman. There were several other local pioneers of whom one was Kisataro Keno of Kaumana. Read the rest of this entry »

(Media release) — The Big Island Press Club has given state Sen. Clayton Hee the dubious honor of this year’s Lava Tube Award for his leadership role in overturning Hawaii’s shield law, which protected news reporters’ sources and unpublished notes. Reporters consider a shield law crucial in encouraging news sources to provide public-interest information that newsmakers may want to keep secret. The Lava Tube Award is given annually to an individual or organization that has obscured the public’s right to access information.

The Big Island Press Club has awarded its meritorious Torch of Light Award to Helene Hale, who died earlier this year. A former Hawaii County Council member and state representative, Hale was a noted open government stalwart and an advocate for protecting the freedom of the press. The Torch of Light is given annually to an individual or organization that has advanced the public’s right to know.

The shield law was passed in 2008 with a three-year trial period and then extended two years. Gerald Kato, a University of Hawaii at Manoa journalism professor and member of the Hawaii Shield Law Coalition, called Hawaii’s shield law “one of the best in the country.” Read the rest of this entry »

Mateo Balinbalin Jr.

Today police identified the victim of yesterday’s shooting in Nanawale as 40-year-old Mateo Balinbalin Jr..  Balinbalin and his family frequented Pohoiki Beach Park; he was considered an impressive bodyboarder.

The suspect is Balinbalin’s shooting is Seon Aki, who is being held in the Hilo cellblock while police investigate the case.  Sources say Aki was a neighbor of Balinbalin’s, and recently was released from prison.

Seon Aki’s mug shot taken upon his arrest yesterday.

Seon Aki’s photo on the state’s sex offender registry site

Aki is a sex offender registered with the State of Hawaii.  State records posted on the state’s sex offender registry website  indicate Aki was convicted of third-degree sexual assault in 2003, after first being charged with first-degree sexual assault.  His conviction was 10 years of probation, according to the posted documents.

Aki’s address registered with the state is 14-3441 Maui Road, which is located adjacent to the property on which Balinbalin was killed yesterday.

Media Release

Hawaii Island police are investigating a shooting that occurred in the Puna District and left one person dead.

Monday afternoon (May 20) at about 2:19 p.m., police responded to a call of a shooting victim found in a home on Maui Street in the Nanawale Estates subdivision.

Police and Hawai?i Fire Department medics responded to the location. Upon their arrival, the body of a male victim was found within the residence.

Police secured the scene and detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigations Section responded to the location to further the investigation.

Detectives learned that another man was seen leaving the residence in a dark colored pickup truck and, as a result, police issued an island wide all-points bulletin for both the truck and its operator, who was identified as a suspect.  Read the rest of this entry »

Victor John Fleener came across an illegal dump in Hawaiian Acres today, and shared these photos, including a closeup of some of the mail found in the strewn trash.  Do you know Fred Perreira?  Perhaps you can jot down a note to him letting him know his trash was found on Road 8, near the intersection with F Road, in the Acres.  If it wasn’t Perreira who dumped the trash, maybe he has some idea who did.  Plus, he needs a nudge to buy a shredder.

Speaking of found trash bearing mail with people’s names, there was an Opala in Paradise trash cleanup this weekend in Waawaa.  Some of the trash found there included mail for Farah I. Liwai, of Hawaiian Beaches.  Illegal dumping is a major problem on this island, and maybe these people, Farah and Fred, can help shed some light.  Surely they’re not driving their trash into people’s neighborhoods and dumping it, when we have free transfer stations to dump our trash.  Are these people paying trash haulers for residential pickup?  What is the deal?

Aloha to all….due to circumstances beyond the HCDP control, the venue for Saturday’s Hawaii County Democratic Party Convention has changed.

Instead of taking place at Kilauea Military Camp, it will be held at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus, located at 19-4074 on Old Volcano Road near that road’s connection to Volcano Highway near the northern boundary of the National Park. A Google map link is below. We’ll have signs out. The center’s phone number is (808) 967-8222.

Kilauea Military Camp said that all overnight accommodation reservations are still good.  El Leo & the Jarican Express are still scheduled to perform from 7-9 p.m. Saturday at convention central at VAC’s Niaulani campus.

Please spread the word to others! Thanks for your understanding and cooperation in this matter…we’ll certainly have plenny to talk about! ;D

https://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&channel=s&hl=en-US&q=19-4074+Old+Volcano+Road,+Volcano,+Hawaii&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x7953d0e2b518c9dd:0x29b238b244afbe71,19-4074+Old+Volcano+Rd,+Volcano,+HI+96785&gl=us&ei=u8eVUZjQG6azigLe0oCACw&ved=0CBkQ8gEoATAA

Dear editor:

The West Hawaii community deserves an update on the Queen Kaahumanu
Highway widening project. The Hawaii Department of Transportation and
Federal Highways Administration are keeping the ongoing Section 106
consultation process under wraps, so the community is essentially
blacked out.

I understand the discussions between the Native Hawaiian  Organizations
and the FHWA/HDOT are strictly confidential. However, this restriction
doesn’t stop them from telling our politicians wildly fluctuating
project start dates. For example, the HDOT director told Senator Green
the project would begin June a few months ago. Then a few days ago
Representative Denny Coffman announced the project would begin
September. What gives???

The widening of Queen Kaahumanu Highway was supposed to be completed
about three years ago. However, this project has faced a litany of
challenges ranging from two unsuccessful bid protests and the ongoing
Section 106 consultations.  The latter process, which has dragged on for
18 months, HDOT and FHWA are doing a poor job keeping the public
informed. The  poster child for this is the Queen Kaahumanu Highway
widening website. HDOT hasn’t updated  it since September 25th, 2012.

The current status quo  of hiding behind a cloak of  secrecy is not
acceptable. FHWA and HDOT need to engage the community and provide
genuine updates regarding where things stand with this project.

Aaron Stene
Kailua-Kona

Comment management is a perennial problem here, but even more so lately with hot-button topics like geothermal being taken up here.  I need to kindly ask people to remain civil in their commenting.  Let me remind you of the definition of civil: polite, courteous, well-mannered, gentlemanly, ladylike, pleasant… Imagine yourself sitting at a dining table with a group of people, most of whom you do not know.  When you type out your words.  Imagine speaking them across the table.  If you could not utter these words in that setting, or if you think it would lead to you being dismissed from the table and escorted out of your guest’s home, then don’t write the words.  Stay on topic and direct your comments to issues, not people.  Personal attacks will not be tolerated.  Any comment that I deem defamatory or inflammatory, or perpetuating hate or intolerance will automatically trashed.  If the commenter continues to violate my policy, he or she will be banned from commenting.  I need to be able to stand by anything and everything posted on this website.  And, actually, with the Shield Law expiring in Hawaii, you need to be able to stand by anything and everything you say, because journalists’ sources will no longer be protected after June 30.  Keep in mind, just because you use a pseudonym doesn’t mean you aren’t identifiable. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, call me at (808) 938-8592 or email newswoman@mac.com.  — Tiffany Edwards Hunt

(Media release) — You may want to arrive early for the Hilo Community Chorus’s May 12 Palace Theater concert, Read the rest of this entry »