(Media release) — The Paradise Roller Girls are gearing up for their final bout of the season, “Barbies vs. G.I. Janes,” in an interleague match-up featuring some of the Big Island’s favorite skaters.

The action takes place Saturday, Nov. 26 at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the bout starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door, and are available online athttp://www.paradiserollergirls.com/shop.html or through your favorite Paradise Roller Girl. Other ticket outlets include CD Wizard in Hilo, Oasis Skate Shop, Jungle Love, Mountain View Village Video, the Hilo Town Tavern, the Hilo Burger Joint, and Akmal’s Indian Food. PRG expects to sell out again, so fans are encouraged to purchase tickets early.

Big Island Babes Junior Roller Derby will roll onto the track at half-time for some half-pint derby fun. Read the rest of this entry »

By Hugh Clark
Mighty strange commentary coming from retiring council member Pete Hoffman over the weekend concrning county-level reapportionment. He says Waikoloa should somehow be retained as part of a Kohala district that now has too many residents to keep it clustered together.

He said residents of the tourist center and bedroom community have nothing in common with North Kona, beyond shopping at Costco.

Strange stuff since the chief regional airport is at at Kealakehe, North Kona, and Pete has been known to travel to Oahu and the mainland. Stranger, too, because Waikoloa public school kids have attended Kealakehe High School since it was opened.

Add in shopping (beyond Costco), dining, medical services and the courts and you see a clear Waikoloa-Kona nexus. After all, that us why John Burns paid millions to build Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway. 

I would suggest Waikoloa has a lot more in common with North Kona than any place else on the island, more so surely than Hilo or Puna or rural Ka’u or North Kohala.

In his remarks Hoffman raised the tired “Hilo boy” argument, calling it political motivation. One commissioner called his claim a stretch. I agree given his very weak Costco argument.
(Hugh Clark lives in Hilo and is a retired newspaper reporter.)

Image courtesy of Cheryl King

By Cheryl King

Friday, Oct. 28, Brenda Ford submitted a map to the Redistricting Commission for consideration.  It has many elements in common with the Adjusted Plan 40 submitted by Margaret Wille.

According to the letter submitted to the Commission by Ford and which is generally quoted from below, these are the pros and cons of the plan.

1.  Hilo has 2 districts.  Kaumana stays with Hilo.

2.       Puna has 2 districts.

3. Ford explains that almost all Puna residents that need to be assigned to another district are in the Volcano area, which was assigned to be with Ka’u South Kona, and southern North Kona.  Basically, Volcano, both upper and lower, will stay in the same district where it has been for at least 10 years.  According to Ford, attempting to put Volcano in a Puna district means a third district for Hilo populated by many Puna residents and potentially controlled by Hilo.  She states that Volcano could be with Hilo, Puna, or Ka’u.  She chose Ka’u as the least objectionable of those three alternatives and stated that the commissioners must decide where Volcano would hate to be the mostŠand eliminate that possibility.

4. Kailua Village remains in one district because of the Business Improvement District and other characteristics the residents share in that region.

5.     District 8 is the northern area of North Kona.  Access to Saddle Road is from District 8 as appropriate and continues across the island to the Hilo boundary.

6. District 9 contains Waikaloa Village and most of Waimea, excluding the Lakeland area.  She gives her apologies, but remarks that the population of Kohala is too large and that someone must move east or south, and that the public has been adamant about Waikaloa not being assigned to Kona.

7.      Lakeland goes with Hamakua and Hamakua is one district and stays north of the Wailuku River without encroaching on Hilo.

In closing, Ford reminds the public that the geographical districts of Hilo (2), Puna (2+), Kona (3), and Kohala (1+) are all split.  She concludes by saying that the commissioners must try to accommodate the vast majority of the residents, and no plan will be perfect.

To see the complete communication sent by Ford, go to:

http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/Weblink/DocView.aspx?id=55115&dbid=1

Tribune Herald reporter Jason Armstrong wrote the following account in which he interviews some of the commissioners and presents the options they must choose from.

http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/sections/news/local-news/board-juggles-redistricting.html

(Cheryl King  lives in Kailua-Kona.)

"Plan 40"

By Cheryl King

(The job of the Hawaii County Redistricting Commission is to redo the boundaries of the Hawaii County Council Districts to reflect changes in population as shown by the 2010 U.S. Census.) 

The Redistricting Commission public hearing for Kona was held at 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct.17, at the West Hawaii Civic Center in Kailua-Kona.  Commissioners attending the meeting were Chair Rene Siracusa, Mike Middlesworth, Jeffrey Melrose, Joseph Carvalho, Craig “Bo” Kahui, and Linda Ugalde.

Nineteen members of the public attended the public hearing at the West Hawaii Civic Center.

The Redistricting Commission Public Hearing in Captain Cook was held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20, at Yano Hall in Captain Cook.  Commissioners attending the meeting were Chair Rene Siracusa, Mike Middlesworth, Linda Ugalde, Craig “Bo” Kahui, Dru Mamo Kanuha, Joseph Carvalho, and Valerie Poindexter.

Fourteen members of the public attended the public hearing at Yano Hall.

Before each of the two meetings began, those who attended the meeting were able to look at blow-ups of each of the proposed maps on the walls.   Each large map had an accompanying “map book” on the table that contained close up shots of the boundaries in the various districts for each proposed map.   Maps on display for the public to comment on were those for Plan 10, Plan 17, Plan 23, Plan 28, Plan 30, and Plan 40.     A packet showing maps for an adjusted Plan 40 was also available.

Commission Plan A (also known as Mike Middlesworth's plan)

Chair Rene Siracusa began each hearing by reviewing the work of the commission thus far and the criteria they followed in developing or reviewing proposed maps.  She said that maps will be made based on public testimony, census data, the charter criteria, and legislation passed by the Hawaii County Council.

She explained that based on the 2010 census, the ideal population for each district, once non-permanent resident students and military are deducted is 184,158.  That number divided by the nine council districts would put 20,462 people in the ”ideal” district.  The total allowed deviation from that figure is plus or minus 4.99%.

Thus, the maximum district population allowed would be 21,483 people and the minimum district population allowed would be 19,441 people.

She stated that the commission has reviewed 40 maps submitted by either the public or the elections office or which were developed by the Commissioners during the redistricting meetings. Read the rest of this entry »

Margaret Wille's plan.

By Margaret Wille

The County Council District lines now favor Hilo-side politics – by usurping what should have been a second Puna area Council District. At this time the Redistricting Commission is creating new district boundaries that will be in effect for the next decade. Again this Commission is leaning towards giving Hilo an extra (undeserved) council seat, but this time by eliminating Hamakua’s one independent council District. What do you think?

IF YOU DON’T MIND A LOP-SIDED REDISTRICTING PLAN WITH ANOTHER DECADE OF HILO OL’ BOY DOMINATED POLITICS, THEN YOU CAN SUPPORT “COMMISSION PLAN A”.

(Under Commission Plan A, Hamakua as an independent District would be eliminated. District 1 would be redrawn to extend from Paauhau south and be combined with part of downtown and suburban Hilo; Honoka’a and Kukuihaele would be combined with Waimea, Kawaihae, Puako, and North Kohala).

IF INSTEAD YOU WANT A FAIR DIVISION OF COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICTS, YOU MUST SPEAK UP IN FAVOR OF “COMMUNITY PLAN 40”. “COMMUNITY PLAN 40” WOULD NOT GIVE AN UNFAIR PREFERENCE TO ANY PARTICULAR DISTRICT and would preserve an independent rural Hamakua District –extending from Wailuku River to Eastern most Waimea – about the same as the current boundary.  (I call this “Community Plan 40” because community groups all around the island worked together to create the best overall fair plan. (same as Plan 40 adjusted as of 10/24) Read the rest of this entry »

(Media release) —  “For real!”  It’s an expression that most local Hawai’i kids grew up with or used when they heard about or experienced something astonishing.

The Pumpkin Partied Too Hard image courtesy of The Ellen Degeneres Show

(Media release via Nixle) — Big Island police will conduct DUI checkpoints and roving patrols from Friday through Halloween, which falls on Monday. The effort is part of a national and statewide campaign called “Drive sober or get pulled over.”

Sgt. Robert Pauole, head of the Hawaiʻi Police Department’s Traffic Services Section, pointed out that drugs, alcohol or both have been factors in 72 percent of the 18 traffic fatalities we’ve experienced so far this year. He urges all motorists to be extra cautious in the next few days, when a large number of pedestrians may be out for Halloween festivities.

“Be especially careful in residential areas by slowing down and looking for keiki on roadways and shoulders,” Pauole said. “If you plan to drink, please don’t drive. Make arrangements to ride with a designated, sober and licensed driver before you start drinking. If you can’t find one, don’t take a chance — take a taxi.”

Police offer the following tips for pedestrian safety over the Halloween weekend:

— Make sure children are supervised as they cross the street.
— Have children get out of cars on the curb side, not on the traffic side.
— Drive below the posted speed limit during trick-or-treating hours.
— Watch for children on roadways and on medians.
— Exit driveways and alleyways carefully.

The Police Department wishes everyone a fun and safe Halloween.

“At least once a year, I imagine that I am about to die. Looking back as truthfully as I can at my entire life, I give full attention to the things I wish hadn’t occurred. Recognizing these mistakes honestly but without self-recrimination, I try to rejoice in the innate wisdom that allows me to see so bravely, and I feel compassion for how I so frequently messed up. Then I can go forward. The future is wide open, and what I do with it is up to me.” — Pema Chodron

Enjoy.

Tiffany

Please help!! Drop in downtown on Saturday or stop by  the “Most Irresistable Shop” after your market shopping and purchase some home baked goods in support of our dear friend Mary who was recently attacked by a burglar in her home and stabbed many times with intent to take her life. Mary is a strong woman and will survive but needs financial support from anyone who can. She is employed a few doors down from our shop-we have known her for many years, has 22 grandchildren and is lucky to be with us still. Please show love and kindness, buy some home baked treats on Saturday all day-”The Most resistable Shop” Hilo Bayfront !!!
 
Lawrie and Janno

Facebook/Sun and Sea Hawaii
Sun and Sea Hawaii
244 Kamehameha Avenue, Hilo, HI  96720
808-934-0902 phone
808-443-0299 fax
sunandseahawaii@gmail.com

(Media release) — Hilo detectives charged a Hilo man Tuesday evening (October 25) in connection with a series of threats made against security staff at the Kamehameha Schools’ Keaʻau campus via an internet social networking website Monday night (October 24).

At approximately 7:45 Tuesday morning, South Hilo patrol officers arrested 18-year-old Jeremy J. Costa of Hilo for terroristic threatening in connection with a report of his threatening to go to the school and harm the security staff there. The threats included references to the Virginia Tech attack and urged readers to have their cameras ready. Word of the threats quickly spread throughout the community and police fielded many calls from concerned parents of Kamehameha Schools students. They were informed that the suspected author of the threatening comments was in custody.

At 6:40 Tuesday evening, Costa was charged with a single count of first-degree terroristic threatening. He is being held at the Hilo police cellblock in lieu of $100,000 bail pending his initial appearance Wednesday afternoon (October 26) in South Hilo District Court.

Assistant Chief Henry Tavares wished to convey to the community the Police Department’s commitment to keeping the people of Hawaiʻi Island safe. “We take very seriously any potential threat to the safety of our community and children in particular,” Tavares said. “Please be assured that anyone who gives any indication of a desire to perpetrate any violence within our schools will be pursued swiftly.”
(Submitted by Hawaii Police Department via Nixle.)

(Media release) — Big Island police are seeking witnesses to an assault Monday (October 24) at Wailoa State Park in Hilo.

At approximately 7:30 p.m., an 18-year-old Hilo man, a 19-year-old Hilo man and a 17-year-old Pāhoa boy were in the parking lot near the large pavilion when four vehicles drove into the park and six to eight men wielding baseball bats got out and attacked them.

The 18-year-old victim sustained severe swelling to his left elbow. The 19-year-old victim sustained a large abrasion to his left temple and a large lump to the back of his head. The minor sustained swelling to his right pinky finger and to his back right shoulder.

The two adult victims were taken to Hilo Medical Center, where they were treated for their injuries and released. The minor was treated and released near the scene.

One of the suspects is described as Micronesian, about 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-8, 160 to 170 pounds with a long, braided pony tail to his mid-back.

One of the vehicles is described as a blue Toyota Tacoma two-wheel drive pickup truck with chrome rims.

Police ask that anyone who may have witnessed the assault or who knows the identity of any of the attackers call Officer Lawrence Kobayashi at 961-2213 or the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 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 via Nixle.)