Image courtesy of Pineapple Park Kona Hostel and Inn

(Media release) — County of Hawai’i Mayor Billy Kenoi is proposing to extend the “Kokua Zone” program to provide free, island-wide bus service on the Island of Hawai’i for another year.

“The free county bus fares are helping our residents to weather these challenging economic times, and are also providing a benefit to the business community by helping to connect workers with employers,” Mayor Kenoi said.

“This program helps our youth by providing them with transportation to sports and other healthy activities, and helps our elderly by connecting them with medical care and other services,” Mayor Kenoi said. “This program should be continued.” Read the rest of this entry »

Got a burning question for the mayor, or you want to know a little more about the county’s Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan update? Mayor Billy Kenoi is hosting a Talk Story at 6 p.m. tonight, at the Imin Center in Holualoa.

If you are interested in local politics and you live or are currently hanging out on the Kona side, I urge you to make an evening out of this talk-story event.   Read the rest of this entry »

Image Courtesy of Hawaiian Acres Community Association

(Media release) — After recent “Cannabis eradication” operations here in Hawaii County, a citizens’ advocacy group Peaceful Sky Alliance has filed notices of violation with the Councils of the Counties of Kauai and Maui and the City and County of Honolulu. The Peaceful Sky Alliance believes it is wrong that neighbor island police have been deputized to fly Hawaii County’s skies.

The new Cannabis initiative was passed in the County of Hawaii by a majority of 35,000 voters in last November’s election and is known as the “Lowest Law Enforcement Priority of Cannabis Ordinance.”  According to the advocacy group, the new “cannabis” ordinance saves the county money, and police resources are be better directed to serve other needs in the community. 

The ballot measure that became an ordinance was named the “Peaceful Sky Initiative” and offered the promise that helicopter flights by police looking for Cannabis would no longer be funded or allowed. “The problem is, it appears that the County of Hawaii is attempting to get around the law,” said Wolf Daniel Braun, spokesman for the Peaceful Sky Alliance.

Police from other counties recently participated in helicopter missions in violation of the new “Cannabis Ordinance” that redirects Hawaii island’s police force to focus on other priorities besides arrests and prosecutions for Cannabis for adult personal use. Read the rest of this entry »

Food, Inc., a movie that takes a “close and intimate look at our food chain and the big corporations involved” at the same time that it is a “deep ‘journey’ into the relationship we have with our food,” is circulating around the island.  

Jasper Moore, a recent mayoral candidate leading the 10,000 Gardens Project, sent out an email announcing the movie’s showings, saying it will “change how you look at what is on your plate.” In fact, the poster for the movie states, “You’ll never look at dinner the same way again.” The website promoting the movie offers the proclamation, “Hungry For Change.”

The movie played Saturday night, tonight at 7 p.m., and will at the same time tomorrow night, Aug. 18, 2009 at the Palace Theater. It will be played at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009 and Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009 at the Honoka’a People’s Theater, an have a 5:30 p.m. showing there on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009.  That last night in Honoka’a will be an benefit evening dedicated to local agriculture and community gardens, Jasper said. He asked that anyone who “knows a screening for the Kona side” to let organizers know (Email jasper96720@gmail.com).  (Jasper, what about Puna?  How about a showing at Pahoa’s Akebono Theater?)

Jasper noted he and other representatives of the 10,000 Gardens Project were at the Palace Theater on Saturday night collecting signatures for a petition to support the preservation of Hamakua agricultural lands. “We say no to the sale of the Hamakua (lands)!” More wrote in bold and capital letters.   Read the rest of this entry »

Pahoa High and Intermediate School students observe the gym groundbreaking today, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009.

Thirty seven years after Gov. John Burns made the promise, Pahoa High and Intermediate School will finally get a new gym.  Primatech Construction has the bid for the reported $8.2 million project set to begin in two to four weeks.  Today, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009, dignitaries, members of the public and Pahoa High School students gathered to commemorate the groundbreaking.  The gymnasium will be named after renowned Hawaii politician Helene Hale, who championed for the gym’s construction during her tenure as state representative. (Helene Hale also served as Hawaii County Board of Supervisor, chief executive (today’s equivalent to mayor) and County Council member.)  Jack Ho vowed that he would be seeking to hire locally for the gym construction project.

RJ Hampton, legislative aide to Puna Councilwoman Emily Naeole, Mayor Billy Kenoi, Sen. Russell Kokubun, Helene Hale, State Rep. Faye Hanohano and Pahoa High & Intermediate School Principal Dean Cevallos

If you haven’t already seen it, you should check out Alan McNarie’s latest piece entitled, “Sideshows at the County Council.” Alan provides a refreshingly vivid description of the Hawaii County Council he describes as “the least professional I have ever seen” in the 15 years of covering local government. 

Reading through Alan’s piece, you can visualize council members “chatting on their cell phones or with each other during testimony and discussion.” You can hear Auntie Em launching into a diatribe “about Puna life” or her “idolization” for her cousin Mayor Billy Kenoi and generally tell how little logic plays into her decision-making. 

Alan’s description of Guy Enriques making “under-his-breath comments,” “snorting” and “snickering” to the point where he got a “’No snickering admonishment” from Brenda Ford couldn’t be more telling.

'Let's Go Cow-Cow' By Tom Lackey

Reading through Alan McNarie’s piece, you picture Guy Enriques “popping grapes in his mouth,” Emily Naeole “sucky on juicy pieces of grapefruit,” and Kelly Greenwell “licking juice off his fingers” as they sat through their committee meetings on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009. Imagine, these are the very same council members who greeted the Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko in Kona last month. Could somebody please provide these people with the Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette? They are making a mockery of themselves and us.

As you know, Mayor Billy Kenoi has been choosy about his nominees to the Puna Community Development Plan (CDP) Action Committee. He publicly announced that he is seeking to diversify the group.  I can see his point.  But, now that I’ve read a letter from county Planner Larry Brown stating that the Planning Director has re-opened the application period for the action committee, I need to make a point. 

When you’re talking about a long-term plan for the Puna District, as in the case with the CDP, you want applicants who have a deep love and commitment to the district. But you are also talking about people making a four-year, six-hour-per-week volunteer commitment to a committee.   Read the rest of this entry »

Mayor Billy and Takako Kenoi greet Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko Today (Photo Courtesy of the Mayor's Office)

Konnichiha. Ohayou gozaimasu.  Anata ga daisuki desu. Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko made a brief visit to Kona today.  The mayor and his wife Takako and an entourage were at the airport to greet them and take them to Parker Ranch for a formal reception.  Mahalo to the Mayor’s Office for the photo; I’ve looked at it many times this evening.  I love that Mayor Billy and his wife Takako are wearing matching Sig Zane outfits.  The Kenois and the empress look so vibrant.  The empress — wow, does she love her hats — is shining bright amid the black and grey suits of the gentlemen that accompany her.  Michiko is her name; she’s an admirably regal and refined woman.   Council Chair J Yoshimoto and Donald Ikeda could be seen amid the crowd in KHON2 coverage of the Parker Ranch reception.  I wonder if all nine council members were there to greet the royal couple.  What was it like behind the scenes, the red carpet unrolled for Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko?

Mayor Billy Kenoi

Just in from Big Island Press Club (BIPC) Gleanings Editor Rod Thompson: Mayor Billy Kenoi will be the featured speaker at BIPC’s annual Scholarship Dinner in two weeks. 

I write this as a commentary because 1. I am biased in favor of BIPC being a  member myself 2. I want to complain about the cost of the event set for 5:30 p.m., Friday, July 31, 2009.

Granted, $28 accesses you to a smorgasbord of mahimahi, chicken, kalua, pork, lomi salmon, poi, rice, and cake at the Hilo Seaside Hotel’s Coconut Girl and the pleasantry of Mayor Billy Kenoi.  

Big Island Press Club has been protecting the public's right to know since 1967

“Kenoi hasn’t said what his topic will be, but do we need to ask?” Rod Thompson wrote. “The mayors of all counties, plus the governor, have been deeply involved in trying to figure out how to keep the state and county governments at least partly operational, while cutting back on government employee incomes in one manner or another.  Some questioning from the audience may also be directed toward the mayor’s feelings about the recent County Council reorganization… Read the rest of this entry »

One of my nominees, Antoinette "Toni" Thomson, with Coco Hunt, Halloween 2008

I went to post this a media release, and then I realized I have an opinion on the matter; I have nominations!

 The Hawaii County Committee on the Status of Women is seeking nominations for the sixth annual Women’s Hall of Fame awards to be announced a Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel Banquet on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009. You can see the county press release here.

Nominees must be a woman residing in the County of Hawaii who has made contributions and is committed to community service, is an outstanding role model to women of children, exemplifies high moral character and conduct and embodies excellence or has made significant contribution in her field of endeavor.”

This is what you have to do to submit your nomination: two typed pages describing the nominee and why she should be considered for the County of Hawaii Women’s Hall of Fame.  

As I was reading the press release on the mayor’s website, I was thinking about all the women in my life I could nominate.  First to come to mind is my 86-year-old friend Antoinette “Toni” Thomson who I consider a hanai tutu. Read the rest of this entry »

(Media release) — When Their Majesties the Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan land at the Kona International Airport on Thursday, July 16, 2009, Mayor Billy Kenoi and his wife Takako will be

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko

there to greet them.

So, too, will Kekuhi Keali’ikanaka’olehaililani, granddaughter of Edith Kanaka’ole of Halau O Kekuhi of Hilo, who founded the halau in 1953 and performed for Emperor Hirohito in 1975. She will present the Hawaiian chant “Welcoming the Rising Sun,” composed especially in honor of Their Majesties visit to our Island of Hawai‘i.

Sixty children from five Big Island charter schools and community ohanas, gathered from throughout the island communities of Kona, Ka`u, Puna, Hilo, Hāmākua and Kohala, will perform a hula.  Read the rest of this entry »

(Media release) — Friends of Puna’s Future (FoPF) has delivered a formal letter of demand to the County of Hawaii administration to achieve equality in the delivery of public services to Puna.  

FoPF maintains that “public records show a long term pattern of discrimination in delivery of public services in Puna and other areas of Hawaii County.”  To ”avoid the need for filing of Federal complaints,” FoPF expresses a willingness to work with the County to address the “inequities.”

This is how the FoPF letter addressed to Mayor Billy Kenoi reads:

“Subject:  Demand for Equitable Distribution of Public Services Read the rest of this entry »

(Media release) — The Rotary Club of Kona, the Kailua Village Business Improvement District, the Kailua-Kona Community Parade Association, and the County of Hawaii are sponsoring the Kailua-Kona Fireworks Celebration at 8:30 p.m., Saturday, July 4, 2009 over Kailua Bay.

Preceding the fireworks  the Fourth of July parade, starting 5:30 p.m., Saturday at Kekua’okalani Gym (Old Airport).  The parade route will take Kuakini Highway and Alii Drive via Palani Road, ending at the Coconut Grove Marketplace at 75-5809 Alii Drive.

The theme of the parade is “Celebrate Freedom.” Grand Marshal is Judge Ronald Ibarra. A Hawai‘i County float featuring Mayor Billy Kenoi also will join the parade. 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 »