by Delia Montgomery

Those against GM bullies may wish to thank Honorable Tsuji Souki for introducing Hawaii’s GMO Truth-in-Labeling Bill.

The Hawaii Bill, H.B. No. 1534, is now praised as an excellent model for other states by the Organic Consumers Association in California. Dated January 26th, it’s just two pages, easy to understand, and it says it all.

Although this bill is focused on genetically-engineered food labeling, it also affects related campaign efforts. Product ingredients, such as GM-contaminated soy, do not meet standards of organic or “green” for such manufacturers and craftsmen. Ethical candle makers, for example, are frustrated sourcing non-GM soy to appease their markets.

The Hawaii State Legislature post does not include a hearing date or testimony for HB1534, so I’m hoping a commentator will enlighten me and readers.

Those interested may send a message of support to Representatives Chang and Hanohano by following the Millions Against Monsanto campaign links from the OCA site.

RELATED POSTS:
Monsanto Insanity Update
Monsanto-Funded Senator Daniel Ken Inouye
Letters — Imua Hawaii!

Amongst other things, blog contributor Delia Montgomery, d/b/a Chíc Eco, is an agent for environmental designers and artists.

(Media release) — The Hawaii Tribune-Herald illegally attempted to suppress union activity in Hilo, the National Labor Relations Board ruled on Monday, February 14.
 
In issuing its ruling, the four-member board upheld the findings of an administrative law judge, John J. McCarrick, who ruled on March 6, 2008, that the newspaper company had violated Section 8(a)(1) of the National Labor Relations Act. The newspaper appealed that decision
 
The sweeping judgment against the Hawaii Tribune-Herald affirmed the judge’s ruling that the company unlawfully:
 
** Interrogated employees about union activity
** Disparately and discriminatorily enforced a security access policy against the union
** Discriminatorily prohibited employees from wearing buttons and armbands in support of discharged or suspended employees
** Promulgated and maintained a rule prohibiting employees from making secret audio recordings of conversations in response to protected activity
** Issued a written warning to employee Koren Nako
** Suspended employees Hunter Bishop, Peter Sur and David Smith
** Discharged Hunter Bishop and Dave Smith
** Refused to provide in a timely manner to the Union information necessary and relevant to its duties as a collective bargaining representative of employees.
 
“It is about time that the Hawaii Tribune-Herald and its parent Stephens Media end its policy of terrorism against its employees,” said Wayne Cahill, the recently retired administrative officer for the Hawaii Newspaper Guild. “This newspaper company needs to buck up and rescind its illegal policies, rescind the illegal discipline, hire back Hunter Bishop and Dave Smith, and pay them the back pay and benefits they are due.”
 
A detailed account of the company’s illegal activities may be found in the ruling, beginning with Judge McCarrick’s findings. The pattern of egregious abuses reached its peak during efforts by the Hawaii Tribune-Herald to punish the Hawaii Newspaper Guild, Local 39117, during the eight-year-long negotiations for a new contract.
 
The NLRB has ordered the Hawaii Tribune-Herald to cease and desist from the above activities, to offer Smith and Bishop immediate and full reinstatement to their former positions, to make Bishop, Smith and Sur whole for any loss of earnings and other benefits suffered because of their suspensions and discharges. Back pay will be computed quarterly from the day of their suspension to the date of a proper offer of reinstatement, minus any interim earnings, with compound interest. The Hawaii Tribune-Herald must also remove from its files any reference to the unlawful disciplinary actions.
 
The Hawaii Tribune-Herald is owned by Stephens Media. Members of the Hawaii Newspaper Guild and the California Media Workers recently approved a merger to form the Pacific Media Workers Guild.
 
(Submitted by Hunter Bishop.)

By Delia Montgomery

Customize your local wood shipping pallets in a variety of ways.

From shoe racks to musical instruments, to furniture, I hope you will share ideas.

RESOURCE:

WebEcoist: Going Beyond Green

Amongst other things, blog contributor Delia Montgomery, d/b/a Chíc Eco, is an agent for environmental designers and artists. Please contact Delia if you wish to be known as a local recycled pallet crafts person.

Fuel Tax Revenue at a critical moment – Call Now!

HB 1626 which calls for a small change in a state statue to allow a grant in aid program for Hawaii County only is at a critical moment.

It has been moved from Transportation Committee in Honolulu to the Finance Committee and time may be running out. It is time for us to act in support.

Chairman Marcus Oshiro will soon make a decision to move HB 1626 to the House Floor or shelve it for a year.

Call Chairman Marcus Oshiro Now.

Tell him you support HB 1626 and it needs a vote this year. It is important to our island and will not affect any other county.

Call: 808-586-6200
Email: Marcus Oshiro  

Rob Tucker

(Media release) —
County dignitaries and members of the public celebrated the grand opening of the new Pāhoa police station Thursday morning (February 17).

The new station, located just north of Pāhoa town on Highway 130, will replace a converted kit house in Pāhoa town that functions as a police substation.

Mayor Billy Kenoi, Deputy Police Chief Paul Ferreira and Puna Captain Samuel Jelsma addressed the crowd of community residents who came out to show their support and see the new station. Afterward, the audience toured the station and enjoyed light refreshments.

The new station has more workspace that the old one, is more secure, and includes three holding cells, surveillance cameras and plenty of parking.

Citizens may renew their driver’s licenses and register their vehicles in a portion of the new building operated by the County Department of Finance. In the near future, they will be able to apply for gun permits and register firearms by appointment. (The Police Department will notify the public when firearm registration at the Pāhoa station becomes available.)

The Puna District is the third busiest police district on the island – behind South Hilo and Kona. In Fiscal Year 2009-2010, 4,076 of Puna’s cases came from lower Puna, compared with 2,917 from upper Puna.
(Submitted by Hawaii Police Department via Nixle.)

(Media release) — On Saturday, February 26, from 2:30 to 4:30 pm Tutu’s House will host an Open House. Staff and volunteers will be on hand to help guests sample the many free resources of Tutu’s House, such as stress reducing activities and online health assessments. One the most valued resources of Tutu’s House, its volunteers and donors, will be recognized during the event. Light refreshments will be served.
Created by the community, for the community, Tutu’s House is a safe place for people of all ages to explore and share health and healing of body, mind, and spirit. Tutu’s House is located in the Kamuela Business Center at 64-1032 Mamalahoa Highway. For additional information about Tutu’s House and the Open House call (808) 885-6777.
Tutu’s House is a project of Friends of the Future, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization which facilitates community-led change, perpetuates cherished cultural anchors, and improves health-related quality of life for the Hawai`i Island community. For the Friends of the Future Annual Report and information about its programs visit the web at fofhawaii.org or call (808) 885-8336.
(Submitted by Michelle Medeiros.)

Sandy Webb photo

Aloha All,

We are getting some responses from the Ombudsman Office.  If you have a complaint about why the blue cards take so long PLEASE take the time to complain about it to the proper people.  The time is now to flood this office with complaints.

Please send all complaints about the:

1. Length of time it takes to receive permanent blue card.

2. Waste of time and funds on the issuing of temporary letters.

3. Name the person who administers the program. (he signed your temporary letter.) Read the rest of this entry »

Sharon Olson will host the Volcano Poetry Slam on Friday. For a sample of her work, click here.

(Media release) — The Volcano Art Center’s popular Poetry Slam continues in 2011 in its new home, the Hale Hoomana Performance Hall Campus, 19-4074 Old Volcano Rd in Volcano Village. The Art Center is again proud to announce that our Slam Emcee Kimberly Dark will be host at least one of this year’s scheduled Poetry Slams.

Kealoha to host Poetry Slam slated for March 18.

“She is amazing at what she does and we could not ask for anyone better,” said VAC Director of Concerts and Performances David Wallerstein.  Kona’s acclaimed poet and Slam host Sharon Olsen will be hosting the Slam on Friday, Feb. 18, 2011. The man that has been called the “state’s unofficial slam poet laureate, Kealoha, will also host the Poetry Slam this year for the first time on Friday, March 18. Kimberly Dark will return from the mainland and her busy touring schedule to host the Poetry Slam on April 15. “Big Islands Voice,” Zach Street, will host the May 20 Slam. All will take place at the VAC Niualani Campus at 7 p.m. Read the rest of this entry »

Image courtesy of With Eyes World Wide Open

Dear editor:

If we had the passions of Egyptians!

Last week saw the remarkable power of non-violent action of a committed people.  Egyptian dictator, Hosni Mubarak, was forced to resign, after 30 years of repressive rule, because of the persistent, passionate demands of a broad cross section of the Egyptian people.  For eighteen days people stood firm in the streets calling for Mubarak to resign.  What will replace him remains to be seen.  See http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1102/S00466/egypts-protesters-communique-number-1.htm But I am reminded of a line in one of Gandhi’s favorite hymns –Lead Kindly Light — “I do not ask to see the distant scene, one step enough for me.”

The Egyptians have taken a major step forward for all of humanity seeking a world of peace and justice.  If only more of us had the passions of Egyptians in committed non-violent action, the U.S. wars of aggression and ongoing illegal occupations would cease to exist.

Before the 2003 illegal invasion of Iraq by George W. Bush, more than 11 million people worldwide took to the streets protesting the impending U.S. attack.  We protested but then we went home.  We did not stay in the streets, squares, and capitols of power to say with the passion of our lives, as the Egyptians did, that we will not go home until our demands are met.

In  the summer of 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. went to Washington along with hundreds of thousands of others.  There he gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech.  Then King and all the others went home.  Five years later, Dr. King was mobilizing for another summer gathering in Washington in 1968.  This time he said he would be staying in Washington and calling for massive civil disobedience to shut down the nation’s capitol until the demands of the people were met.  In 1968 King was calling for an end to the war in Vietnam, and end to institutionalized racism, and he was especially calling for economic justice –jobs or income for the nations poor — all poor people — black, brown, white, etc. Read the rest of this entry »

By RJ Kaleohano Mendoza

Begin Rant:

I am a man of the world. I have interests in the history, culture and lifestyles of different places, races, religions, and languages. I guess it has something to do with living in two very multicultural places, New York and Hawaii. But it would be poor form of me to forget my own ethnic heritage.

My mother is the daughter of  native Hawaiian (with hints of English) mother, and a full-blooded Castillian Spanish father. Family lore states that he was born in Madrid, but I have an unrequited love with Barcelona, so allow me to romanticize my roots and rewrite my grandfather’s story.

My father, on the other hand was born in Quezon City, in what is now Metro-Manila, in the Philippines. He attended a very rigorous high school before arriving in the United States at the age of nineteen. Although I never thought of my father to be one of the stereotypical asian fathers, it’s probably because he didn’t act like one. He came from the school of “being American means not passing on too much of the culture of origin.” He didn’t want my sister or I to learn Tagalog (although I managed to pick it up anyway) and spoke very little of his life in the Philippines.

The neighborhood I was raised in had a considerable amount of Filipinos living there, since apparently we build our expatriate communities around hospitals, and it was because of them- hardworking, Tagalog-speaking, TFC-watching, GMA Superstars that I learned about my cultural identity as a Filipino.

With that being said, there is no place in the state of Hawaii that serves Filipino food that will satisfy me. Nothing beats the my grandmother’s cooking, or any of the aunties in the old ‘hood. I’m sorry, I’m not being pretentious…well maybe I am, but I am also being honest.

In any case, you can imagine my “what the..?” moment when I went into a restaurant on O’ahu and asked for some dinuguan, rice, palabok 1 lumpia and 1 turon.

The lady behind the counter looked at me like I had three heads. She appeared to be Filipino. And she was, yet she was a “local” Filipino.

So my order translated to “pork blood, rice, palabok, 1 lumpia and 1 banana lumpia.”

Now, I don’t expect anyone to be fond of a stew traditionally made with pork blood and stomach, and some people aren’t too keen on the salty seafood-esque noodle dish. But to call turon “banana lumpia” is almost blasphemous to me. Read the rest of this entry »

Adam Yarbo

(Media release) — Big Island police are searching for a missing 23-year-old Mountain View man.

Adam Yarbo was last contacted by a family member on Sept. 26. He suffers from a medical condition that requires medication.

Yarbo is described as about 5-foot-11, 170-185 pounds with red hair and hazel eyes. He was last known to have shoulder-length hair and a red goatee. He has a full-sleeve tattoo on his left arm.

Police ask that anyone with information on his whereabouts call Detective John Rodrigues Jr. at (808) 961-2382 or the police non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300 in Hilo or (808) 329-8181 in Kona and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.

(Courtesy of the Hawaii Police Department’s website.)

Robert Eaton

(Media release)  — A Hilo man has been charged with seven offenses related to domestic violence.

Just after 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011, South Hilo patrol officers responded to a report of a domestic violence incident that took place earlier that day at a residence in Hilo. Two women, ages 50 and 23, reported being assaulted, threatened and held against their will within the residence they shared with a 38-year-old man.

Police arrested 38-year-old Robert Eaton at the scene without incident.

Monday morning, Feb. 14, he was charged with two counts of abuse of a family or household member, two counts of kidnapping, first-degree terroristic threatening and two counts of harassment. Eaton is being held at the Hilo police cellblock in lieu of $116,000 and was expected to appear in South Hilo District Court Tuesday.

(Submitted by Hawaii Police Department.)

Surveillance images courtesy of Hawaii Police Department

(Media release) — Big Island police are requesting the public’s help in identifying two suspects in a theft investigation.

On Nov. 3, 2011, an unidentified man and woman entered the Irie Hawaii Smoke Shop at 140 Kino’ole Street in Hilo between 11:40 a.m. and 12 p.m. They allegedly removed several items valued at more than $300. They were last seen leaving the store on foot.

The man is described as in his 20s with a medium build, approximately 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10 with a fair complexion and bleached or dyed blond hair. He was last seen wearing sunglasses, blue baggy denim jeans and a white T-shirt with cut-off sleeves revealing tattoos down his right arm. He also may have missing front teeth.

The woman was described as in her 40s, Caucasian, with a few tattoos. She was last seen wearing a tan dress and also was missing several front teeth. Read the rest of this entry »

Pete Sullivan art courtesy of Willis Gray Gallery

Dear editor:

I was driving home from Hilo, going towards Pahoa, it was about 2:30 p.m., I seen this little girl, whom I figured was in the 3rd grade, (later it was confirmed she was in the 3rd grade) anyways, I seen her walking past the Keaau dump going toward Pahoa, I kept driving wishing I had a cell phone with me, I was like I WOULD NEVER LET MY CHILD WALK HOME LIKE THAT. It was like she was in the middle of nowhere, no homes close by anyways.  So I kept driving and decided to turn around, I pulled over on the side of her and asked her if she wanted a ride home, she told me no, I asked her where she lived and she said “I go straight this way and turn this way (pointing right), I told her are you sure you don’t want a ride home, she insisted no and that her uncle might come and pick her up. I tried to tell her that it is safe with me, that I have 2 young babies in the back and she can sit in the back with them if she wanted to, but she still declined, I told her that if she didn’t get into the car, I was going to call the police because she shouldn’t be walking on the side of the road like this, I told her let me take her back to the school.  I asked her also why was she walking, she told me “THE BUS DRIVER KICKED HER OFF THE BUS” (it was later confirmed, that the school bus has a policy that the kids need a bus pass and if they lost their bus pass or whatever they need to report to the office, can you imagine trying to tell a 3rd grader that, i don’t think they comprehend all that much and only to a certain point I mean I wouldn’t expect a 3rd grader to remember to go to the office or what ever the case would be.) Read the rest of this entry »

My ankles feel like they are about to explode. After I finger-peck this commentary, I’ll be rubbing peppermint lotion on my feet and wrapping them in a heating pad. There is a reporter in me somewhere, but she is difficult to find with all this water retention. Know that I am two weeks away from my due date, and could be giving birth at any time.
As much as the reporter in me would have loved to have been at the Hawaii County Building today, the Tiffany who is about to give birth to her second child spent the day in serious nesting mode. That’s where I am at the moment, clearing and cleaning every nook and cranny before I go into hibernation with a newborn.
Despite being so wrapped up in my cocoon, word of the Hawaii County Council meeting did make its way to me. Apparently, the meeting was really action packed.
Council members were slated to discuss plastic bags, Redistricting and Council rules.
I received a text message from a friend informing me what became of that meeting:
“We got a special meeting to deal with redistricting commission; plastic bags amended; Council rules “ended”; and South Kona Councilwoman Brenda Ford’s redistricting bill amended.
Among those said to have spoken out against the proposed Redistricting bill was Mayor Billy Kenoi.
I’d love to read additional details about what went on today. Even nesting and cocooning, I can still muster about enthusiasm for details on island politics.