Emily Naeole

This whole Hawaii County Council reorganization for me is akin to watching my friend date a bad boyfriend. All the red flags are there.  As she gets deeper into the relationship, she is changing for the worse. I know she’s ultimately going to get hurt and have her heart broken, but there is nothing I can do to stop it. Saying anything only makes her resent me. 

I have always loved Emily Naeole, ever since I first met her years ago when she was selling haku leis in front of the Merrie Monarch Craft Fair.  What I have loved about her the most is her warmth, her deep desire to help others, and what a true character she is, sort of like a Hawaiian Minnie Pearl, but too unique to try to compare her with anybody. She has come across as a maverick, an eccentric individualist who is guided by no one but God.

Working for Emily Naeole as her legislative aide, though, I got to see her back stage in politics.  While there is that side to her that professes to not allow herself to be influenced by others, there is a another side that can be easily swayed.  As you recall, I went to work with Emily after she had a falling out with then-legislative aide Barbara Hale and after Barbara Hale had taken her to the county Ethics board. Read the rest of this entry »

Dominic Yagong

Good for Hamakua Councilman Dominic Yagong for bringing forth a resolution calling for the Hawaii County Salary Commission to revert council members’ pay back to the 2008 level.  Like him, I think it “flies in the face of reason and common sense” that the Salary Commission recently gave council members a 22 percent pay increase.

My sentiments have nothing to do with what I think about council members’ performance so far this term, but everything to do with the fact that we are in tough economic times and nobody in government — certainly not our elected officials — should be receiving pay raises.  

It would be quite illogical for council members to reject Dominic Yagong’s resolution coming up on the Tuesday, July 7, 2009 Finance Committee agenda.  But we’ve all witnessed our council members defy logic, so it remains to be seen if they will continue to allow themselves to be paid between $47,926 and $56,544 annually for their part-time jobs.

Dennis "Fresh" Onishi

As an aside, Dennis “Fresh” Onishi, who I have called more than 10 times in nearly two weeks’ time seeking a comment on his role in the Council reorganization, responded to Nancy Cook Lauer, of Stephens Media, for her story about Dominic Yagong’s proposal to cut Council pay. Read the rest of this entry »

I applaud Mayor Billy Kenoi for taking the time to connect with constituents through an online chat facilitated by the Honolulu Advertiser’s “Hot Seat” yesterday.  To me, it was quite a contrast to Hawaii County council members who have by all indications been shamelessly unwilling to reach out and

Mayor Billy Kenoi

engage the community beyond their immediate friends and supporters.  

Personally, I would love to see some of our council members on the “Hot Seat.” But they don’t seem willing to venture outside of their comfort zones and actually be accountable to voters for their actions. Heck, many of them are proving to be too chicken shit to return my telephone messages.  

Needless to say, as it was refreshing as it was to see our mayor so open and available to constituents, I do think the whole online-chat-with-your-elected-official forum needs some alterations.  So, too, does a fellow reader of this blog and a participant in yesterday’s chat with the mayor. Read the rest of this entry »

Did you see West Hawaii Today editor Reed Flickinger’s column today, “Council rift and political chasm, which path will Kenoi follow?” Remember a couple of days ago, when I anticipated the next day’s WHT “news” coverage suggesting at least one Big Island senator, Josh Green, will champion the cause to split the island into East Hawaii and West Hawaii counties?

Having worked under Reed for five and a half years, it was no surprise to see Reed’s column this morning. It could have been published the same day as the news story, but Reed has to have Publisher Rick Asbach sign off on his columns.  

Neeedless to say, I found Reed’s lead paragraph to be quite catchy, as inflammatory as it was: “Splitting this island into two counties is a Phoenix of ideas, rising from the ashes of political machinations, grasping the attention of residents and the ire of politicans, only to be consumed and again be reduced to ashes.”

Sounds so dramatic, coming from an Aries. If the idea of splitting the island into two counties came from anybody, it was Reed and his columns over the years. It is so predictable to see the idea resurfacing, first on the front page of WHT posed as news and then in a column on the opinion page where it belongs. Read the rest of this entry »

(Rob Tucker is a Puna resident who is active with the non profit group Friends of Puna’s Future (FoPF) and is the moderator of www.Punaweb.org.)

Well, one of my questions was asked on the Advertiser Blog (“Hot Seat”) with Mayor Kenoi today.

All the Q&A can be found here:

http://hotseat.honadvblogs.com/2009/06/24/now-on-the-hot-seat-big-island-mayor-billy-kenoi/

Here’s my question and the Mayor’s answer:

The Puna Community Development Plan became (CDP) law last summer and required you to name nine members to the Action Committee. Thirty six people applied and interviewed by the Planning Department last December. You have now had seven months in office and have failed to appoint this important committee as required by law. Why?

Mayor Kenoi: “Thanks, Rob. Although there were some great candidates on the initial list, I am currently seeking applicants who will represent a broader cross-section of the community and I expect to have new nominations within the next couple of weeks. Read the rest of this entry »

At noon tomorrow Mayor Billy Kenoi is expected to be on the “Hot Seat,” an online chat hosted by Honolulu Advertiser Editorial and Opinions Editor Jeanne Mariani-Belding.  You can post your questions to the mayor live, in advance, or both.  Not trying to be be a Questions Hog, but I have already submitted numerous questions.

Mayor Billy Kenoi will be on the Honolulu Advertiser online chat, "Hot Seat," with Jeanne Mariani-Belding at noon tomorrow.

With a 15-month-old baby for a sidekick, it’s hard to say I’ll be available at noon tomorrow.  Needless to say, the questions I posted were submitted in no particular order of priority, just the first to come to mind when I learned about the mayor being on the Hot Seat.

Offering a brief editorial comment in advance, I think it is really good to see the mayor willing to engage the media and the community like this — particular as we have seen a newly reorganized Hawaii County Council majority shut the door and pull the shades on the public.  We all witnessed a Sunshine Law violation amongst council members in the last week couple of weeks, and I personally have encountered a few council members who are completely unwilling to engage me in a one-to-one conversation ever since.  

Meanwhile, I’ve never had a problem being able to talk with Billy Kenoi.  We may not always share the same philosophy, but I’ve never found Billy to be unwilling to converse.  Even if you don’t agree with his way of life or his way of politics, you have to at least give him a thumbs-up for engaging the community in a “live chat.” Read the rest of this entry »

The O’o groundbreaking ceremony for the West Hawaii Emergency Housing Facility Program is slated for 10:30 a.m., June 30, 2009 at the Friendly Place.

 The project is being funded with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds totaling $819,113, State of Hawaii funds totaling $500,000, and County of Hawaii funds totaling $500,000, according to Jeremy McComber, of the Office of Housing and Community Development.

The Friendly Place, a one-stop service center for the homeless, is located at 74-5593 Pawai Place in the Old Industrial Area in Kailua Kona. For more information, call (808) 331-1468 or (808) 327-3604, or email abailey@co.hawaii.hi.us.

Just a reminder that Big island Elvis will be performing at 7 p.m., Saturday, June 27, 2009 at the Akebono Theater in Pahoa to benefit the Puna Community Medical Center (PCMC).  Tickets for the Las Vegas-style show featuring Elvis, The Concords, The Friday Night Band, and The TCB Band are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Tickets are available at the PCMC clinic located in the Pahoa Marketplace, LuQuin’s Mexican Restaurant and Jeff Hunt Surfboards.  For more information, contact Big Island Elvis at (808) 965-2029 or via email at Dannix54@aol.com.

Donate your bottle and can deposits to the Puna Community Medical Center (PCMC). Hi5 Redemption Centers islandwide are accepting deposits for PCMC, including the Hilo Transfer Station, daily from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; the Pahoa Transfer Station from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays; the Kea’au Transfer Station from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily except Tuesday and Thursday; and the Honoka’a, Waiohinu, Keauhou and Hawi Transfer Stations from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.  All transfer station redemption centers are closed for lunch from 1 p.m. to 1:30p.m. 

PCMC is a community-run acute care clinic in Pahoa Marketplace.  Call (808) 930-6001 or email dand@punahealth.org.

Just a quick pitch for my new “donate” button in the right-hand column underneath my list of sponsors. As I’ve mentioned before, I am deeply grateful to my sponsors: Island Naturals; Charles “Harry” Samelson; Brian Jordan; 2 The Point Acupuncture; Yurts of Hawaii; MUM Clinic; Raj Budhabhatti of Greenpower Solutions; and Bill Parecki of Hawaiian Island Homes.  (Also, kudos to my husband Jeff Hunt of Jeff Hunt Surfboards for helping my business stay in the black and Bruce Albrecht of Perceptions Unlimited for his technical support.) Readers, your support of my sponsors indirectly supports me, so please seek them out and tell them you found out about them on Big Island Chronicle.

Anyone interested in advertising here can email me at newswoman@mac.com or call (808) 938-8592.  But now that it’s set up for you to donate to my Paypal account from this blog, it is possible for you to support this blog without making a monthly commitment to advertise here.   Read the rest of this entry »

At the junction of Highway 130 and Pahoa Village Road on Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Thanks to Alan McNarie for his coverage in the Honolulu Weekly of the Tuesday, June 16, 2009 demonstration against the Woodland Center project involving Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Long’s Drugs.  As you recall, I crossed the line and joined protesters to be true to my convictions.  I have been saying as long as I have been blogging (see here , here, and here for examples) that I do not believe this mainland corporate development with two fast-food restaurants should be situated at the entrance to the historic town of Pahoa.  

I think whoever thought this was a good idea does not understand that strip mall developments such as this one have been known to kill small towns and, more significantly, cultures.  I think Alan McNarie hits the nail on the head with his Honolulu Weekly piece, illustrating my point exactly by starting it out like this:

 ”It’s already happened to thousands of small towns across the country: A highway bypass is built around a town, ostensibly to speed up traffic. The property where the bypass diverges from the old highway suddenly becomes prime commercial real estate. Shopping centers are built, creating a traffic bottleneck. Commercial chain stores move into the shopping centers and compete with local merchants. Downtown, cut off from the flow of traffic, slowly dies. It’s a scenario that some Pahoa residents worry is facing their town.” Read the rest of this entry »

(Curtis Narimatsu is a lifelong resident of Hilo who writes about the forgotten past such as the old plantation days & untold heroes.)

Hilo High’s Class of 1958 stole the Honoka’a “Dragon,” so to speak.  Our kids born 
1940 that graduated in 1958 include Kea’au Paul Bunyanesque Jimmy Arakaki,
mega-developer Roland Higashi [Ed Case's point man], gorgeous Lorraine Rodero
Inouye from my native Wainaku village [camp 3 Sankai], Waipahu icon Cal Kawamoto [from Honomu], & solon Bob Makuakane.  Harry Kim belongs w/this peerage but was born in 1939.  Jimmy

Former Eight-Year Council Chair James "Jimmy" Arakaki thinks the recent reorganization successfully pitched by freshman council members Dennis "Fresh" Onishi and Guy Enriques was "kinda stupid, actually."

Arakaki’s beginnings were fraught with failure/rejection — Jimmy was an orphan who was raised so  lovingly by Jimmy’s deceased dad’s immigrant/Issei Okinawan/Uchinanchu parents.  No Jimmy’s biological mom’s family/kazoku did not raise him.  Jimmy learned humility/compassion from his even-handed grandparents.  But as a hormonal teen, not wanting to be pegged as having been raised by old farts,  Hercules-handsome Jimmy was known as the bull/protector of old Ola’a/Kea’au village.  Honomu’s toughest hombre/Uchinanchu Earl Nakasato born 1942 remembers Jimmy Arakaki as the warrior prince of old Ola’a, revered as fearless among Jimmy’s villagers a la Bibilical warrior prince Gideon.   Jimmy moved to O’ahu after high school and returned to Hilo in 1978, where today he is a most prosperous insurance mogul.  But in 1978, Jimmy sold funeral plans out of old Dodo Mortuary’s cavernous building [built in 1923, with the first mortuary elevator on this island] in the center of the block on Ponahawai St. between Punahoa St. & Mamo St.  Ever at heart a defender of the everyday commoner, Jimmy’s virginal foray into politics played out in Ola’a earthy fashion.   Developer Blackfield Ltd. wanted to raze/do urban renewal of today’s farmers market bounded by Ponahawai/Punahoa/Mamo St. corridor. Read the rest of this entry »

Word is, in tomorrow’s West Hawaii Today there is going to be an article in the newspaper quoting State Sen. Josh

State Sen. Josh Green

Green, who offers the following about public sentiment that Hawaii County should be split into an East Hawaii County and a West Hawaii County:

“Unfortunately, it appears that the East Hawaii Council members and Mayor Kenoi have illegally conspired to break the sunshine laws that ensure the honesty and fairness of county government and secretly agreed to silence and strip West Hawaii council members of any influence on the spending of hundreds of millions of dollars in county tax revenues and federal stimulus money.

I am as outraged over these unethical and illegal actions as everyone else in West Hawaii, and if my constituents want me to explore the possibility of forming a new county, I will.”

For someone who sees that we don’t need to be splitting up our island — we need to be decentralizing the power by creating townships and municipalities — I find it disappointing that the whole east-west conflict continues to rear its ugly head. Read the rest of this entry »

By Rod Thompson 

 A group of Paradise Park property owners has formally requested an explanation of the unusual circumstances of the hiring of the new general manager of the Owners Association. One also gave the

Ken Sakamoto Photo, Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Click here for archived story.

Association ten days to provide answers, coinciding with the General Meeting coming Sunday, June 28, 2009.

     Kaniu Kinimaka-Stocksdale was selected May 20 in a closed-door executive session from amongst at least seven candidates while she also headed the selection committee.

     Her selection followed her failure during the preceding three months to carry out any activities as chairman of the Nominating Committee which was supposed to find candidates for the Association board. The effect was to guarantee that two current board members had no opposition.

     At the Wednesday, June 18 Board of Directors meeting, former board member Barbara Kahn-Langer presented a two-page statement of questions and told the board she wanted it included verbatim in the minutes of the meeting.

    In the statement, Kahn-Langer referred to Kinimaka-Stocksdale’s failure to carry out her Nominating Committee duties and to her dual role of general manager applicant and selection committee chair. Kahn-Langer also said she was told there were seven “strong applicants” for the post, and asked if any of them were interviewed. Read the rest of this entry »

Don’t you just love my alliteration? Seriously, if this is to be taken seriously, I just received an email from Mark in Seaview that Suzanne Stjern, caretaker of parrots and various birds in his subdivision in Kalapana, “is concerned about a small ‘love bird’ that she recently adopted.” I don’t think this technically qualifies but, for the lack of a more appropriate category, I am placing this notice under Lost and Found. The love bird “has found a way to leave her sanctuary, yet also seems to find a way to return.”

Instructions to relay to you, dear reader who may be residing in Seaview or in the surrounding subdivisions, “if you discover this cute little flying friend on your lanai,” please contact Suzanne Stzern at (808) 965-6566 “and let her know that it is there.”

I said in a comment in a previous thread that I think the County Clerk should be an elected position, rather than an appointed one, in order to avoid the appearance of impropriety in dealing with Hawaii County council members.

James Weatherford, a Puna resident who has revealed on this blog he is running for Council District 5 next year, in agreeing me, suggested that the idea might get lost in the thread, and I should raise it as a separate discussion.  So, without further ado, let me share with you exactly what I wrote in commenting about the public perception that County Clerk Kenny Goodenow, not just in this latest County Council Sunshine Law violation, but generally, is acting like the tenth council member:

“I agree that Kenny Goodenow is looking like the tenth council member and I think he is going to take a big hit for that in the upcoming Office of Information Practices (OIP) opinion.
Also, along the lines of Kenny Goodenow, I think it is very interesting that after Pete Hoffmann was ousted as chairman of the County Council in the place of J Yoshimoto, J Yoshimoto decided to replace Casey Jarman with Kenny Goodenow as County Clerk. He said then that it was for his good working relationship with Kenny. I thought that was very significant. I really like and appreciate Casey Jarman and I respect her a lot. I thought it was a really bad move on J’s part, because it told me he didn’t like what she had been doing — when I thought she was doing great. Casey Jarman was known to be at arm’s length from council members, careful about not influencing them. Read the rest of this entry »