Please email the council members ask them to VOTE NO on Bill 29, Draft 3 on ANY DECREASE to the LAND FUND:

cut and paste:

“Pilago Angel”<apilago@co.hawaii.hi.us>,  Brenda Ford <bford@co.hawaii.hi.us>, fblas@co.hawaii.hi.us,
pete hoffmann <phoffmann@co.hawaii.hi.us>, bsmart@co.hawaii.hi.us, Dominic Yagong <dyagong@co.hawaii.hi.us>

or testify on June 1 at the council meeting in Hilo or by teleconference from Waimea or the West Hawaii Civic Center.

Remind the Council members that:

1. They signed Pledges on October 20, 2010 that say: “ I pledge to honor the voters of Hawaii County who voted for the 2% Land Fund ordinance in 2006 to deposit 2% of our property taxes in an open space fund. I will support resuming the deposits to the 2% Open Space Fund in 2011 and I will make sure that deposits are not suspended again.” Read the rest of this entry »

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Apparently, a tiger shark took a bite on the tail of a woman’s surfboard today at Lyman’s. It is the second time this week a surfer in Kona has had to contend with a shark.

Alaina DeBina reported she and her 3-year-old grandson were paddle boarding and looking for  honu when a shark attacked their board. Now there is the surfer reportedly named Theresa.

Just a sobering reminder it could be any one of us who could suddenly encounter a 16-foot-long beast in the water.  Be careful out there.

James Santiago

(Media release) — A Kailua-Kona man was arrested Tuesday, May 24 in a drug raid at his home.

Area II Vice Section officers executed a narcotics search warrant at the Marlin Road home at 10:50 p.m. Tuesday and recovered 9.5 grams of packaged methamphetamine, cocaine residue, various items of drug paraphernalia and an electric stun gun. Officers also recovered $580 in cash for forfeiture.

Two residents of the home, 62-year-old James Santiago and 33-year-old Laurie Anteau were arrested on suspicion of promoting dangerous drugs. After consulting prosecutors, police released Anteau on Tuesday night without charges.

Santiago was charged Tuesday night with second-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and one count of possession of an electric stun gun. He was released from police custody after posting $71,000 bail.

(Submitted by Hawaii Police Department via Nixle.)

Samantha Moore

Gena Arter

(Media release) — Two Waikoloa women were arrested and charged with drug offenses after one of them was stopped for a defective tail light over the weekend.

At 9:30 p.m. Sunday, police made a traffic stop on a 2008 Jeep sports-utility vehicle on Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway near Makala Street in Kailua-Kona. Officers discovered that the driver, 22-year-old Samantha Moore of Waikoloa, was wanted on an arrest warrant for contempt of court.

After further investigation, police arrested Moore and her passenger, 31-year-old Gena Arter of Waikoloa, on suspicion of of promotion of a dangerous drug.

Vice officers obtained a search warrant for the Jeep and recovered 24.7 grams of methamphetamine, numerous prescription pills, various paraphernalia associated with drug distribution, a loaded .22 magnum caliber rifle, an unloaded .357 caliber revolver and $206 in cash.

After consulting prosecutors, detectives charged Moore on Tuesday afternoon with second-degree meth trafficking, second-degree promotion of dangerous drugs, third degree promotion of dangerous drugs, possession drug paraphernalia and five firearms offenses. Her bail was set at $147,000.

Arter was charged with third-degree promotion of dangerous drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia and five firearms offenses. Her bail was set at $15,500.

The Jeep and cash were seized for forfeiture.

Both women were held at the Kona police cellblock pending their initial court appearance on Wednesday, May 25.

(Submitted by Hawaii Police Department via Nixle.)

“Mayor Yamashiro loved this community, and was a loyal friend and mentor to many. He was always ready with advice and suggestions, sharing generously of his many years of experience as a community leader. He will be missed, and I want to offer my condolences to his wife Della.

Stephen Yamashiro image courtesy of Our Campaign. Yamashiro was Hawaii Island mayor from 1996 to 2000.

Mayor Billy Kenoi

As Hawai‘i County Council chairman and mayor, Mayor Yamashiro led our community through a very difficult transition period. As the last of the plantations closed in the 1990s, the Big Island was searching for new directions, and Mayor Yamashiro helped steer our island community into the future. His support and advocacy of sectors such as diversified agriculture, forestry and geothermal power are still paying dividends for our residents today. He knew where we needed to go, and he led the way. We are grateful for Mayor Yamashiro’s many contributions to our community.”

Steve Hansen, Big Island Event Guy and an active community volunteer, died suddenly last week.

Tomorrow, Thursday April 26, at 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.,  is Celebration of Life pupu potluck at Carlsmith Beach Park pavilion. This is to be an informal gathering to meet family and share Aloha to Steve.  Lei and loose flowers are welcomed; bring a pupu and/or beverage to share with others.

The State of Hawaii, having partnered with NASA, wants to develop a prototype International Lunar Research Park at the University of Hawai'i on Hilo

(Media release) — NASA and the State of Hawai‘i have agreed to collaborate on a wide range of activities to promote America’s human and robotic exploration of space. The partnership also will contribute to the development of education programs and foster economic opportunities including new, high-tech jobs.

Governor Neil Abercrombie and NASA Associate Deputy Administrator Rebecca Keiser signed a two-year agreement, formally called a non-reimbursable Space Act Agreement Annex, during a ceremony today in the Governor’s Office. The ceremony was held on the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s historic announcement committing the country to land an American on the moon and return him safely before the end of the decade.

“Hawai‘i has been part of America’s space activities from the beginning of the space program when Apollo astronauts trained in the islands for their historic missions to the moon,” Governor Abercrombie said. “This partnership with NASA will broaden educational and employment opportunities for our local families and bring dollars into our economy.”

The agreement establishes a partnership between NASA’s Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif., and Hawai‘i to explore and test new technologies, capabilities and strategies supporting America’s space exploration and development goals.

Under the agreement, the state is proposing to explore the development of a prototype International Lunar Research Park at the University of Hawai‘i on Hilo. It would use the state’s unique terrain, which is similar to that of the moon and Mars, to enable development and testing of advanced automated and tele-robotic vehicles. Read the rest of this entry »

Paul Matthew Borowski

(Media release) — Big Island police have charged two Hilo men with various offenses following a reported robbery in Puna on Sunday, May 22.

Tuesday evening (May 24), detectives charged 28-year-old Paul Matthew Borowski and 30-year-old Keaka Daniel Kaneala Martin with first-degree robbery and alteration of identification marks prohibited (a firearms offense). Borowski was also charged with first-degree terroristic threatening and use of a firearm in commission of a separate felony.

Bail for Borowski was set at $22,500. Bail for Martin was set at $51,000. Both were held at the Hilo police cellblock pending their initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon, May 25.

Keaka Daniel Kaneala Martin

The charges stemmed from an incident in which the victim, a 38-year-old Mountain View man, reported that on Sunday at about 7:45 p.m., while he was at a park near the Mountain View gym, he willingly met with both Martin and Borowski. During the interaction, the victim reported that one of the suspects brandished a firearm and forcibly removed his personal property before fleeing the park in a light-colored sports-utility vehicle. The victim did not sustain any injuries during the robbery.

On Monday (May 23) both Martin and Borowski were arrested in Hilo and were held in police custody while detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigations Section conducted further investigation. Detectives executed a search warrant on a residence in Hilo, where they recovered a firearm and other evidence.

Police ask that witnesses who may have been in the area of the Mountain View gym Sunday evening and may have witnessed the incident call Detective Joel Field at (808) 961-2381.

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.

(Submitted by Hawaii Police Department.)

Howard Philip Zimmerman is charged with several felonies for the murder of Susan Brockert

(Media release) — Big Island police have charged a Bellevue, Washington, man with murder and other offenses in connection with a fatal domestic disturbance at a resort on the Kohala Coast late Monday, May 23.

At 4:40 p.m. Wednesday, May 25, detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigations Section charged Howard Philip Zimmerman—also known as Philip Howard Zimmerman—with second-degree murder, kidnapping, first-degree terroristic threatening and second-degree criminal property damage.

His bail was set at $320,000.

He remains in custody at the Kona police cellblock pending his initial court appearance on Thursday, May 26.

The victim, 44-year-old Susan Brockert of Bellevue, Washington, was pronounced dead at North Hawai’i Community Hospital at 12:23 a.m. Tuesday, May 24. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.

Zimmerman and Brockert were registered at the resort together.

(Submitted by Hawaii Police Department via Nixle.)

(Media release) — A Washington man has been arrested for murder in connection with a fatal domestic disturbance at a resort on the Kohala Coast.

At 11:18 p.m. Monday (May 23), South Kohala police responded to an emergency call at a resort on North Kaniku Drive. They learned that resort employees had received calls from guests reporting screams coming from a guest room. Resort security and staff rushed to the room, where one of them witnessed a woman inside being struck on the head with an object. The employees obtained entry into the room, called 911 and held the suspect until police arrived.

Fire Rescue personnel took the woman to North Hawai’i Community Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 12:23 a.m. Tuesday.

The victim has been identified as 44-year-old Susan Brockert of Bellevue, Washington. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.

Responding officers arrested 46-year-old Philip Howard Zimmerman, also of Bellevue Washington. Zimmerman and Brockert were registered at the resort together.

Zimmerman is being held at the Kona police cellblock on suspicion of second-degree murder while detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigations Section continue the investigation.
(Submitted by Hawaii Police Department via Nixle.)

by Delia Montgomery

I introduce you to Jennifer Murphy who produces modern fun baby and toddler clothes from sustainable fabrics. She is a Chicago resident who lives with her husband, daughter, and son. They hold a family passion for farm animals and the future of our environment. Jennifer’s mission is to improve the lives of others through her talents, creativity, intuition and knowledge.

Jennifer’s clothing company, Chapter One Organics, fosters organic farming by using 100% organic cotton. Dyes are low impact and in all, this responsible and ethical company is an admired model to organic cotton farmers and the apparel industry. Read the rest of this entry »

Aloha all
There will be a special meeting of the Hawaiian Paradise Park Owners Association PARKS COMMITTEE on Wed. June 1st at 6:00.
I hope if you live in this subdivision you will try to come and will ask your HPP friends to come too–talk it up!–and for those of my friends receiving this message who don’t live here, I am hoping you can mention it to any of your friends who do. 
Thank you!

Elizabeth

–
Elizabeth Weatherford
Kea’au, Hawaii

Squint your eyes and look at the roof of this Nissan. That is a little boy. If you zoom into the photograph, you can see the silhouette of another boy on the windshield. Photos by Tiffany Edwards Hunt. All rights reserved. Use with permission only.

This afternoon traveling on the Red Road on our way home from the beach, we drove behind a Nissan sedan with the license plate KSH 395.  We could not believe our eyes, two boys — I’m estimating to be between ages 5 and 7 — rode on the trunk of the car.  Then, in the area of Kapoho Vacationland, the boys crawled up to the roof of the vehicle.  Then near Green Lake entrance they crawled onto the windshield of the car, and then back on to the roof.   These boys moved from the trunk, to the roof, to the windshield and back to the roof of the car as we traveled at between 35 and 40 miles per hour down the road!  It was so nerve-racking to be traveling behind the Nissan, observing these boys in such danger.  There was nothing we could do to stop the scene from unfolding, and yet we had to travel behind the car, watching and worrying that the boys would fall off the car.  ”That’s child endangerment,” I said to my husband. “You think?!” I snapped photographs, and then at the intersection of Red Road and Pahoa-Kapoho Road, I laid hard on my horn.  A woman and a man who also had been traveling behind the Nissan and saw what we saw passed our car to pull up alongside the Nissan at the intersection.  The woman screamed, ”What the f—k is your problem?” at the driver of the Nissan. He got the boys to get back in the car and continued north on Red Road.  The woman said the man who was traveling with her was going to call the police.   I sure hope he did.  I gave them both the license plate, having memorized it. The man driving the Nissan needs, not just a good talking to, an arrest and formal charge for child endangerment.   Hell, I feel guilty if I ever forget to buckle my child’s seat belt.  I know for a fact that I would never let my children ride on the trunk, roof, or windshield of my moving vehicle, and I don’t suggest you do either.

Thanks to Damon Tucker for the heads up that, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday, May 23, 2011 the Highway 130 Keaau Pahoa Advisory Group will be meeting with consultants from SSFM International regarding the final Environmental Assessment for the Highway Widening project that will be taking place in the next few years. The meeting will take place at the Keaau Elementary School cafeteria.

Who’s going?

By Cheryl King
After attending the second Redistricting Commission Meeting held in Hilo on May 12th via video conference at the West Hawaii Civic Center and having read the related articles which appeared in both West Hawaii Today and the Hawaii Herald Tribune on May 13th, I would like to expound on something that was either not mentioned or not fully covered in either newspaper and which I consider to be of importance.

The Commissioners are extremely frustrated that they do not yet have access to the Esri Redistricting Software, which is loaded with the census data and graphics they need to redo the council districts. Although they were told that the software is expected to arrive by the end of the month, no clear explanation for the delay was given. It was, however, made clear that the software is being ordered by the State of Hawaii, not the County.

Puzzled by this and knowing something of why materials don’t arrive, I phoned both Esri and the State Elections Office to delve further into the matter.

The Esri salesperson I spoke to said that delivery of the software could probably take place within about 24 to 48 hours after it was ordered since it can be delivered on-line.

Suspecting that a purchase order or advance payment had not yet been issued, I phoned David Rosenbrock, the Reapportionment Project Manager for the State Elections Office, to ask what the problem was. He explained that a contract for the software is currently being negotiated with Esri and that it includes other items besides redrawing council districts, such as “reprecincting” which I took to mean congressional and other voting districts.

When asked the obvious question, “Why wasn’t this done earlier?”, he replied that one factor was the reapportionment funding that was removed two years earlier and the subsequent need to pass emergency funding legislation for this purpose. (Readers, I admit I’m fuzzy on the details of this and when the emergency funding was passed. Please clarify if you can.)

Rosenbrock also indicated that based on past experience, it had not been anticipated that the software would be needed by the commissioners so soon, but that Commissioners felt a new sense of urgency due to recently imposed deadlines.

In fact, our redistricting commissioners recognize there is a learning curve associated with the new software, especially for those who are not frequent computer users. Commissioner Jeff Melrose proposed having an ad-hoc committee meeting to learn how to use related software the new program is based on to ease the transition, but was told that such a meeting could lead to Sunshine Law violations and was not recommended.
Commissioners were told that two licenses were being purchased for Hawaii County, which would allow a total of twenty people to use the software at any given time. It will be interesting to see how and which members of the public will be given access to this program, especially since the public will be allowed to submit alternative plans.

During the meeting, as I looked at the Commissioners, I wondered just how adept they would be at mastering new computer programs and if the application they filled out to be on the Redistricting Commission addressed this question. After hearing Jeff Melrose and meeting Dru Kanuha who attended at my end on the Kona side, I have no doubt about their ability. I sincerely hope that the others have the aptitude and desire to do on-line “homework” on their own time with the Esri Software to master the program and for them develop reasonable district maps from a variety of starting points which can be presented to the Commission members for discussion and modification when they meet. This would certainly save time.

Although various “starting points” were suggested by Commissioners at the meeting and although all had good rationales for their preferences, my thought is that it would be beneficial to have as many starting points for redistricting as possible to come up with the best possible plan. Because the County Council has mandated that citizens be allowed to submit alternative plans, perhaps we will.

The next meeting of the Commission was postponed a week and set for June 2 to allow time for the delivery of the software. Commissioners evidently agreed with Dru Kanuha that it was “pointless” to come back otherwise.

For a more detailed account of this meeting, go to:
http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/articles/2011/05/13/local_news/local01.txt

(Cheryl King lives in Kona.)

By Tiffany Edwards Hunt
Tonight’s news announcement that US Rep. Mazie Hirono will seek the seat senior US Sen. Daniel Akaka will vacate next year has me flashing back to 2002 the year Hirono and Linda Lingle ran against each other for governor.
Will we be seeing a Lingle-Hirono rematch? Lingle has said she’ll announce in August whether she will seek the senate seat. Who knows, the Republican may decide to go for the U.S. Representative seat Hirono will vacate to run for senate.
It’s like a game of chess. Who is going to be the most clever? This is what makes politics so intriguing. There all such a cast of characters — you just have to wonder what is their next move. You look around wondering, “Where’s Mufi? Where’s Charles Djou? Where’s Ed Case?” And then you wonder if we’re going to be surprised.
I believe Hirono is a stateswoman, and she would serve us well in the US Senate. I just wonder if it’s worth it for her to jump the US Representative ship to battle for the seat being vacated by Akaka.
That is how Hirono got the US representative seat she has, by Case jumping ship to run against Akaka for senate. I sure hope it works out for Hirono. Should Lingle be her main Republican contender, I have to wonder if the State of Hawaii will favor the former governor. I’m definitely not a Republican, so it’s difficult for me to think like one. I’m thinking, if Lingle and Hirono have a rematch, voters will go with Hirono this time.