Tiffany posted me a recent kind introduction with BIC ohana and therefore I am following up with a profile summary she requested. Hard not to write a book here, but I can share some things not published on my internet profiles. Indeed, I like my cards on the table and hope to shrug any worries over monthly contributions from a stranger in Pahoa.

Foremost, know that I am not a news journalist, but an agent for environmental arts. I actually avoid political and religious topics.

PURPOSE – Volunteer BIC Collaboration

My blog writing purpose is to highlight Hawaii farmers, craftspeople, designers and manufacturers that recycle or create fashionable products in non-toxic manners. That includes farmers who supply raw goods like organic cotton for textiles, or bamboo for building.

Read the rest of this entry »

Avoid Kam Ave/Waianuenue, Keawe/Waianuenue, Keawe/Kalakua, due to fire next to Cronie’s building on Kam Ave. Road closures surrounding this block, closure expected to continue for the next few hours.

Tiffany Edwards Hunt and Michael Hale at Luquin's Mexican Restaurant today, Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010.

Happy Halloween, everyone.  Today is the Big Island Chronicle (BIC) Hot Seat with Senate District 2 Candidate Michael Hale.  There are some questions that have been previously asked that we’ll get started with, but for those of you online and ready to participate, this is where the discussion will take place. Thanks, again, to Hale for agreeing to sit on the Hot Seat.  An invitation has been extended to Senate District 2 incumbent Russell Kokubun, however, to date, Kokubun has not responded.  As you know, the General Election is Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010.  Needless to say, shall we begin?

By Rob Tucker

One thing that has been off radar in our Council District 5 race has been the important issue of redistricting. Every ten years, following the census, an examination will be made on the shape and make up of each of the nine districts. The purpose is to seek a manner and method too provide approximately equal representation within the county. This can be simple or it can be complex.

Currently Puna is represented by three council districts. Only District 5 is wholly in Puna. Districts 3 and 6 combine parts of Puna with either Kau or Hilo. J Yoshimoto currently represents District 3 (Hilo and Keaau) and Guy Enriques represents District 6 (Kau & Puna Mauka).

There is reasonable expectation that the population growth over the past decade should result in Puna achieving two full seats on council. That would be a dramatic change in Puna Power. Some people will not welcome or want that.

Whether or not this occurs and whether or not the commission charged with making the recommendations for redistricting finds Puna deserving of two seats on council is not known. What is known is that it is a top line issue for Puna in 20111 and beyond.

So as you consider the reasons for voting for or against either Fred Blas or Emily Naeole-Beason and Guy Enriques or Brittany Smart- I do ask you to consider the topic of redistricting. It is kind of a sleeper subject. Not as readily apparent as road safety, water or police protection. Not as excitable as cannabis or anti forced vaccinations but this one subject will either empower Puna or marginalize Puna over the next decade.

Redistricting matters.

(Rob Tucker lives in Pahoa.)

Tiffany (L) and Delia

Meet Delia Montgomery. Owner and proprietor of Chic Eco, Montgomery is an environmental design consultant and broker who has, for some time now, been submitting guest columns to Big Island Chronicle (BIC).  Those who follow her columns closely know that she is very keen on encouraging earth-friendly products and promotes artisans geared toward producing goods in a non-toxic way.  BIC is growing into a reputable online publication that services the Big Island and, with that growth, I am accepting that I cannot do the necessary work on my own.  I’ve told you about Bruce Albrecht, who is my trusted helper on the technical aspects of the blog and who serves for a pittance as my ad manager.  (If you would like to advertise with BIC, please email bruce@perceptions-unlimited.com.) Occasionally, Albrecht helps me with content.  But primarily it’s just me putting the blog entries together, whether it’s writing commentaries, news stories, or publishing guest columns, letters, press releases, photos and island art.  I feel like Montgomery is someone trustworthy enough to be made into a contributing editor.  For now, Montgomery will be posting her own columns on the blog, and I’ll leave it up to her when and what she would like to contribute.  But maybe down the road her role as contributing editor will expand beyond her own columns.  For now, it will save me a considerable amount of time and energy for Montgomery to post her own columns and accompanying art. Along those lines, if there are any artisans or manufacturers of earth-friendly products — this includes farmers — who would like to tell their stories, please be sure to contact Montgomery from her site’s contact page or post a comment here letting her know how to get in touch with you. From now on, instead of Montgomery’s columns being under the “guest column” category, she will have her own category entitled, “Chic Eco.” I’d like to invite Montgomery to write a column as the new contributing editor detailing her background, how she came to be an environmental design consultant, and why exactly she is on the mission to promote artisans and manufacturers of earth-friendly products. Please welcome the new addition to our BIC ohana.

Glasphalt is primarily how our bottles are recycled in Hawaii

By Delia Montgomery

Recycled glass bottles were used as a building material for years, ‒ and in many countries across the globe. Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia, describes the presumed first bottle house constructed in 1902 by William F. Peck in Tonopah, Nevada. He used 10,000 bottles from Jhostetter’s Stomach Bitters, (which happened to be 90% alcohol, 10% opium).

Recently Lloyd Alter of TreeHugger published a story with the picture above: Buddhist Temple Built from Beer Bottles. I’m not kidding; ─ a gorgeous temple made from bottles!

The most popular reference to recycling glass for building is from Earthship Biotecture. The site is thoroughly inspiring. In fact, an Earthship home was built in the Hilo region about three years ago. To honor privacy, however, the pictures and references were removed and I have yet to discover who to ask permission for a visit.

Another bottle-building reference is the Roadside Architect site. Find global glass construction passions that started long ago. You may read from all the inspirational links on Roadside’s informative site. Read the rest of this entry »

Aloha…
Just wanted to pass along this information about the CCEDF Candidate Forum.
Saturday, Oct. 30 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Hilo Mo’oheau Band Stand.
Hope to see you there, it should be fun and exciting!

One Louve,
Rev. Nancy

Read the rest of this entry »

Aloha Tiffany,

I am going to be in Hilo for the screening of “Get A Job” at the Palace Theater the evening of Nov. 6 as part of the HIFF (Hawaii International Film Festival). The day before, I am participating in a workshop at UH Hilo for the performance arts students.

We shot this film entirely on Maui in 2010 and it stars Willie K, Eric Gilliom, Augie T, Jake Shimabukuro, Henry Kapono Ka’aihue, Kealoha, Ernie Cruz Jr., Charles Ka’upu, Mick Fleetwood, and the list goes on. An all Hawaii cast and crew, produced entirely in the islands. (See the trailer at found at www.getajobthemovie.com)

At any rate, I hope you can help a bit by spreading the word about this comedy with a heart, and can join us that evening.

Regards,

Brian Kohne

Writer/Director  — Get A Job

(808) 298 8025

(Media release) — The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Performing Arts Center and Performing Arts Department presents four performances of “Folks You Meet In Longs,” written by Lee Cataluna and directed by Professor Jackie Pualani Johnson. The performances will be held at the PAC Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 4 – 6, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 7, at 2 p.m.

In a series of sometimes comic, sometimes somber monologues set inside a Hawai’i Longs Drug store, Lee Cataluna continues her theatrical exploration of the human condition with an emphasis on local color. Customers and employees alike take turns discussing everything from product purchases to boyfriends and girlfriends, abusive spouses and mortal enemies.

Some two dozen characters, including Verna (Puna’s answer to Martha Stewart), Rhondalei Alvarado, “D.J. Stankmaster” Cabingabang, Crazy Auntie Cookie, Officer Wolverton Kahaunaele and Uncle Choochie Nawai, tend inadvertently to reveal their own personalities while discussing the character flaws of others. As character Cheryl Moana Marie Sakata says, “This is my whole life. This is the rest of my life. Zippys, Foodland, Longs.”

Director Jackie Pualani Johnson and the diverse cast of UH Hilo students and community members bring this often poignant, always hilarious script to life. All seating is reserved. Tickets are $10 General, $7 Discount, $5 UH Students/Children, and are available at the UH Hilo Performing Arts Center Box Office Tuesday- Friday 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., or by calling (808) 974-7310. To order online, visit artscenter.uhh.hawaii.edu.

(Submitted by RJ Mendoza.)

From left, Councilwoman Emily Naeole, Shondell Hoapili, Hunter Bishop, Aubrey Summers and Dan Weisgerber. Photo courtesy of County of Hawaii Mayor's Office.

(Media release) — A blessing and groundbreaking took place today at Isaac Kepo’okalani Hale Beach Park, where construction will begin on a new community playground in Puna.

Fifth District Councilwoman Emily Naeole-Beason offered the blessing at the site. Joining in the ceremonial shovel-turning to launch the project were Aubrey Summers, park designer for the Department of Parks and Recreation, Dan Weisgerber, project manager for Goodfellows Bros., Inc., Hunter Bishop, representing Mayor Billy Kenoi, and Naeole-Beason.

The new playground will open a new area of the park, said Summers, and include a deck tower with a roof, four slides, climbing elements and swings. It will have van accessible parking stalls at the existing parking area, an accessible walkway to the play area, barriers between the parking area and the play area, and landscaping that will complement the nearby camping area. Read the rest of this entry »

Aloha,

I used to be good friends with Walter Moe and Ed Gutteling and they were good friends to me and make no mistake.  They were.

And I tried to be a good friend in return.  But I am hard of head and I am not a diplomat and sometimes….in fact, my whole life I suppose, I have, on occasion, gone off at a tangent and said the wrong thing in a big way.  I can do that in a grand manner.  I am a wordsmith.

I am sincere in my beliefs and I state them starkly – and sometimes I am right – exactly half the time according to the laws of probabilities and statistics.  But that leaves the 50% when I am not.  I recognize the mathematics involved and I quote them quite often.  But I don’t always try to correct my missteps.

But I am still wrong half of the time and, when I am, (and I try to rationalize that it’s sort of OK because I am sincere in my beliefs),  I act like a fool and burn bridges which I can never completely rebuild.  That’s not OK and I know it.

It may be a function of what is politely called eccentricity or it might simply be because I am an opinionated asshole.  Whichever, I am honest enough with myself to admit my failings…to myself.

USUALLY, I am honest enough with my friends to call them and admit it to them as well.  But it’s hard to do sometimes.  If you are really good friends with someone and hurt them, it’s hard to make it right….especially if you suspect you can’t make it right.

So I told Walter and Ed some things I desperately wanted to believe.  I still desperately want to believe them.  But I cannot. They aren’t true.  I just called Walter and Ed and told them so – and gave them part of the apology they deserve.  They were and are right.  Maybe I can make it right with them and maybe I can’t but I finally did the right thing and the weight of the world is lifted from my shoulders for having done it.

Gentlemen, I am sincerely sorry.  Not for being wrong – I’m going to be wrong – but for being wrong in an inappropriate manner and then failing to correct it instantly.

This is on my blog and (also) appear(s) on the Big Island Chronicle. I submitted it.  If it is fit fare for the Conservative Forum newsletter, publish it with my blessing.

a hui hou

Tom Burnett

(Media release) — Jamie Story, president of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, gave the October 2010 address to the Conservative Forum for Hawaii on “Cutting the Pork from the Legislature’s Sacred Cows”.  Story reviewed how the mission of the Grassroot Institute to promote a more free and prosperous Hawaii had led them to several investigations of the state government.

With the demise of one major local paper and 2 TV stations, there was a dearth of objective scrutiny of the government, but with their small but dedicated full-time staff they were actively on watch with their second annual Hawaii Pork Report, their “Trim the Fat” contest, their Legislative Report Card, their review of Honolulu “The Boat to No Where”, fiscal analysis for the Honolulu rail project, and many other projects.

She set the tone with a quote from Ronald Reagan: “Government is not the solution to our problems, government IS the problem.”

She proceeded with a litany of facts unveiled from their investigations this year:

* In Honolulu County, “The Boat” ferry ended up 97% subsidized for its rider ship. For every $2 fare, taxpayers paid an additional $60.

* Excess $1.4 Billion was found in state special funds balances.

* 45% of Department of Education employees are NOT teachers.

* Public transportation rider ship has DECREASED in every city in the nation but one after instituting public rail transport programs.

* Hawaii is the ONLY state in the USA that does not require fiscal notes to analyze legislation.

In effect, the legislature goes shopping with taxpayer money without looking at or caring about the price tag of what they are spending money on.

* The Department of education spent $2.4 million on substitute janitors.

(The prior year, they had spent only $800,000 on substitute teachers)

They also spent $1.7 million on substitute clerical workers and $280,000 on substitute security guards.

* In the central administration, there were 1036 non-teaching administrators, 112 secretaries and 46 clerk typists.

Perhaps a small investment in training the administrators to be their own clerks and typists would be more cost effective.

* A former principal was given a contract for $800,000 for consultation on restroom cleaning, with no demonstrated experience or knowledge of the issue

* The Banzai Rock skate park was completed 12 years behind schedule, 30% smaller than planned, with a $100,000 cost overrun.

This is the same city that claims it can build a $5.5 billion train along 20 miles in 10 years, on time and on budget.

She then reviewed the Good, Bad and Ugly from the recent 2010 legislative session. Read the rest of this entry »

Michael Hale

State Senate District 2 Republican candidate Michael Hale will appear on the Big Island Chronicle (BIC) Hot Seat at 1 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010.
For those not in the know, the BIC Hot Seat is an online forum in which individuals — in this case a political candidate — field questions from readers in advance of and at the time of the forum.
The BIC Hot Seat forum with Hale on Sunday will take place at Luquin’s Mexican Restaurant. Readers may watch the forum firsthand, but will need to participate in the forum online. Hale plans to shoot video of the online forum and post the footage on Ustream.
Hale is contending for the District 2 Senate seat against Democratic Incumbent Russell Kokubun. Kokubun has been extended an invitation to participate in the BIC Hot Seat, but has not yet responded.