Here is what one of my one of main online antagonists, Damon Tucker, had to say on a message board about my experience with Pahoa Athletic Director Ron Tomosada yesterday:
“I had the privilege of covering the Opening of the New Pahoa Gym today…. and it looks like Tiff had problems with the Athletic Director: Read the rest of this entry »

Steve Hirakami (L) and Gary Safarik at the Pahoa gym celebration Wednesday. Photo by Tiffany Edwards Hunt. All rights reserved. Use with permission only.

Former Hawaii County Councilman Gary Safarik told the Big Island Chronicle he intends to seek the Puna Senate District 2 seat expected once the State Reapportionment Plan is complete.  Recall that last week Hawaii Academy of Arts and Sciences Public Charter School Principal Steve Hirakami announced he would also be pursuing that seat.  Both Safarik and Hirakami will be challenging State Rep. Bob Herkes, who has announced his intention to vacate the House in pursuit of the Senate District 2 seat.  This will not be the first time that Hirakami and Safarik will be challenging each other in the same race — Safarik defeated Hirakami in 2000 election for County Council representing Puna District 5.  Safarik served as a Puna council member from 2000 until 2006, when Emily Naeole unseated him.  Safarik said he will make a formal announcement of his intention to run for State Senate in a guest column for Big Island Chronicle, after the Reapportionment Commission finalizes its reapportionment plan.

Aloha Tiffany

I find it fascinating that tho it was front page on today’s printed Trib it is nowhere to be found on their web page ; that the Senate passed the bill adding med-pot to a patients bill of rights [sorry I 'ferget' the bill number --so many numbers -- so little time -wink]

it was a rather favorable article and the reason I was going to fwd it to you was in hopes you would repost the link and also it is important that the bill crosses over to the house and that now it’s the time for pro med-pot advocates to prepare their testimony how pot helps their pain and if and how they fear pharmaceuticals like Oxycontin

They should have it ready to fire off as soon as we get notice which often is less than 72 hours -keep an ‘ear to the ground’

Now it the time to teach, through our legislators that, law is law, but it is not medicine, when it comes to law enforcement treating patients as tho it were the hammer and we are the nails Read the rest of this entry »

(Editor’s note: Following is an open letter to Sandra Goya, the Hawaii Department of Education communications director who notified Big Island Chronicle of today’s Dagger Day Celebration, commemorating the $8.6 million Pahoa High and Intermediate School gym.)

Ron Tomosada, at the gym celebration Wednesday. Photo by Tiffany Edwards Hunt. All rights reserved. Use with permission only.

Hi Sandra,

What number can I call you to discuss my experience covering the Pahoa gym celebration today? Basically, the athletic director of the school (Ron Tomasada) took me for a street person and shamed me for grabbing a water out of the cooler.
When I identified myself as media he continued to maintain I was not an invited guest and not welcome there and could not partake in the food and beverages being offered from the gym’s new concession.
All the dignitaries present who know me and my work in the media and in the community were horrified, as was the school principal. Please note that I dress casually (e.g., baseball cap, yoga pants and slippers) and I work with my breastfed baby. To Tomasada, I probably looked like some hippiechick from Pahoa village, crashing the party for free food, while carrying my baby in an Ergo.
I personally was mortified by the experience and actually cried for a moment over it. Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday I called my former boss, Reed Flickinger, editor of the West Hawaii Today, after not speaking to him for several years.  ”I’ve decided you’re pretty low on the Richter scale of assholes,” I told him.  Publishing on my own and dealing with the perils of being a so-called public figure in doing so, I actually am really starting to appreciate Reed and his difficult position as newspaper editor.  Having encountered some genuinely mean-spirited and miserable people out here in the blogosphere and continually being harassed by at least one of them, I can see now that Reed is clearly not a bad person. It was time to bury the hatchet.   I told him on the phone and I say it publicly here, I am sorry for calling Reed names, including a scandal monger and an asshole, in conversations and in previous posts.  I recognize that he has the public good in mind, and I actually appreciate how tough-skinned he is about this profession.  Five years after I resigned as one of his writers, I can tell you that I have learned from him.  And I truly respect him for being among my teachers.

(Editor’s note: The following guest column published in the local newspaper Monday, and is being republished here with permission from the author.)

Image courtesy of Austin Conservative Blogspot

By Edward Gutteling

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. “

Unfortunately, these noble words are from the Declaration of Independence, not our Constitution. From these principles American’s claim a unique and revolutionary legacy: that every person possess their own sovereignty just by being born, and that these rights don’t come from any government or person.

Individuals have all the rights, and give a few of them up voluntarily to our governments.  This is the basic principle on which our country was founded, but they are not the law. This is in direct contrast with an opposing view: that GOVERNMENT has all the rights and powers, and gives whatever IT decides is appropriate back to individuals.

Note the incredible distinction: who is the master, and who is the servant?

Most folks expect that our government leaders were elected with this concept in mind, to keep us safe, to manage our grouped resources most efficiently for our mutual benefit, but to otherwise respect our sovereignty to live our lives as we each choose. Nearly all of us grew up understanding this intuitively as part of American culture.  Bit by bit, however, it’s been turned on its head. Like frogs not noticing the boiling temperature if the heat is turned up sufficiently slowly, our community lets our freedoms die progressively bit by bit and allow politicians more and more power over our daily lives.

A small recent example is the Hawaii County ban on plastic bags. Apart from the bogus “voodoo environomic” claims about the benefits, all of which are contradicted by scientific fact, it is another small grab of power by our government. Five of 9 councilmen and the Mayor tell 185,000 people another tiny detail of how to live their lives without even the courtesy of a referendum, where at least we’d all get a vote. Read the rest of this entry »

Hi Tiffany,
Mary Furlong here. I ran the video in the County Council for years while you were reporting.  You are doing an amazing job of creating a safe place for community discourse at great cost to you and your family, so I was delighted that you are being recognized by the press club.

And here’s something else.  I live in a small town in  Montana now and have started recording the Commission Meetings here and hope to clone your delivery system by making the meetings available online and running advertising on the side to at least cover expenses.  So you inspired this 60 yr old woman to take a walk on the wild side.

I read your blog often and appreciate your integrity.  Every couple years I’ll express that gratitude.   Especially when that deviant man tries to intimidate and silence you.

Aloha and don’t let the bastards get you down.
Mary Furlong
Superior Montana

(Media release) — The Big Island Press Club on Saturday recognized Member of the Year Tiffany Edwards Hunt, publisher of the World Wide Web Log Big Island Chronicle, for her role in organizing a media symposium at the University of Hawaii at Hilo last year.

We also recognized Rod Thompson, treasurer and retired Star-Bulletin reporter, for organizing the Project of the Year, a Halloween get-together at his house at his own expense.

The honors were presented at the Hilo Yacht Club during the Annual Dinner, which was attended by more than 30 people. Dr. John Pezzuto, founding dean of the University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Pharmacy, gave the keynote address, which touched on the role of the pharmacy college in the community and the results of his research regarding the compound reservatrol.

(Submitted by Peter Sur.)

Steve Hirakami

I am so excited to share with you the news I learned today: Hawaii Academy of Arts and Sciences Public Charter School Principal Steve Hirakami will pursue the new Puna Senate seat. He shared the following statement with me this afternoon:
“Hi Tiffany,
After a discussion with my family, I have decided to run for the newly created Senate District 2 which encompasses all of Puna. I have lived in the district close to forty years and have been actively engaged in education for twenty. I was born in Honolulu and have a good diversity of knowledge that will help in moving Hawaii forward in education (especially early education), transportation ( highway improvements, inter-island options), renewable energy (sensible geothermal production with benefit to the neighboring communities), agriculture (school programs with University system participation), and economic diversity and recovery. Of course there are way more State issues that I would have to deal with, but these are at the heart of my campaign.”
Recall that Hirakami ran in the last election for lieutenant governor, and made education a central focus of his platform. Of course, we can expect education to top his list of priorities for the Senate, along with transportation, being a resident of Lower Puna who has to contend with the challenges of Highway 130 on a regular basis. In my mind, education, transportation and the creation of economic development opportunities in Puna should be the list toppers.
Hirakami will challenge current Rep. Bob Herkes, of Volcano, who has announced he will vacate the House seat to pursue the newly created Senate seat. This should be a very interesting race, the public charter school adminstrator versus the hotelier. It will also be of interest whode ides to throw his/her hat in to the ring for the House seat Herkes will be vacating.

Dear Beekeepers and Friends of Beekeepers,

If you have not been following the progress of SB2332 through the Senate process, you are about to be royally served.  Forces opposed to the idea that small honey producers may sell their product directly to the public have come up with a plan to put us all out of business.  Please read the attached bill that has been passed by the State Senate.  Note that I have cc’d all of our state senators on this email.  They need to hear from us.

Are you ready for?:

    (3)  Labels each container of honey sold with:

        (A)  The name and address of the producer;

        (B)  The net weight and volume of the honey, by standard measure;

        (C)  The date the honey was produced; [and]

        (D)  The statement, “Honey should not be consumed by infants
under one year of age.” in clear and conspicuous print;

      [(D)]  (E)  The statement, “This product is home-produced and
processed.” in clear and conspicuous print[.]; and

        (F)  The statement, “This product was not produced in a
department of health-inspected facility and may place you at
greater risk of contracting a food-borne illness or being exposed
to environmental contaminants.” in clear and conspicuous print;

    (4)  Attends a department-approved food safety workshop and passes
the food safety certification examination; and

    (5)  Maintains records of honey production volume and honey product
distribution for at least two years, and makes these records
available to the department upon request.”

This is totally different from the current Home Based Honey Producers Act
that has served small scale producers up until now.

We don’t need this.  Honey is not jam or jelly.  It is a naturally
antiseptic food like whole fruits and vegetables.  Indeed, under the guise
of regulating producers without access to county water, this act forces
all home-based honey producers to comply with onerous labeling,
bookkeeping, and training requirements.  You will not be able to legally sell your product unless you comply.  And supposedly this bill is supposed to “help” small producers sell their product so you can cope with all those nasty pests that lack state enforcement allowed to enter our state.

We don’t need this.  We cannot afford this.  Please contact your state
Senator now!  This cannot wait.

-Cary Dizon

Rune Lundmark art

What do you think about the bill gaining traction in the House that would ban disrespectful or contemptuous behavior at the Hawaii State Legislature?  You read it correctly, the House Judiciary Committee has advanced the bill that would make it a petty misdemeanor, with a maximum penalty of 10 days in jail, to have such behavior when testifying before legislators. This is in spite of the constitutionality and First Amendment concerns expressed by the state Attorney General and representatives from for the Separation of State and Church, reports the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.  I can certainly understand that public testimony can at times appear disrespectful and even contemptuous.  I am empathic to the ire that public officials sometimes face.  But really?  Are we going to make disrespectful and contemptuous behavior a petty misdemeanor?  I just don’t see how that is going to fly.  It is true that people are generally becoming stranger by the day and by the advancement of our technologies. They can really act quite venomous toward public officials.  But I think we have laws on the books to address bad acts, like disorderly conduct, harassment, even terroristic threatening.   We are a free society and our ability to protest is a fundamental right.  If we pound our fist on the podium when we give a three-minute speech arguing that our taxes shouldn’t be raised, I don’t think we are being criminal.  I think we are being American.  What do you think?

Aloha Tiffany

there have been a couple of recent developments in the case

1. one of the co-defendants has made a plea agreement in which he not only pleads guilty to conspiricy knowing that he faces 5 to life but agrees to give evidence against the other 13 including Christie and his wife

I am attaching the PDF of the plea agreement could you please publish it??

2. Christie’s wife has for the second time switched attorney but the declaration of the withdrawing attorney is a poison pill for the whole case and inlcludes this attornes sworn statement as an officer of the court that Christie said to him that he [Christie] does not intend to go to trial

I am attaching the motion to withdraw could you also please publish it??

the plea agreement was disclosed in the trib yesterday [ http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/sections/news/local-news/christie-co-defendant-pleads.html ]

but this revelation that this attorney’s sworn statement is both news and news worthy and very unusual for the defendant to be so exposed by her attorney on the way out the door [ps Jack Schweighert is NOT her new attorney as alluded to  in the declaration]

this is underscored by this Defense Attorney in a part of this record explicitly explaining they have NO religious defense after reviewing both the Eddy Lepp and Nancy Harris cases

these are public records i have a PACER account

the truth hurts sometimes but the truth sets us free

the court is not going to do what must be done by changing the law first and tho prohibition is in my opinion evil one must change the law before one can profit from it

I am and will be supporting legalization ballots in Washington State and Colorado this November [and California if they get it on the ballot] as that is the ONLY way to end this nonsense

I wish Roger no ill will ; but I also pity those like “Dewey” who are going to loose everything, homes, treasure including  5 -40 years of their lives, because, as this attorney explains, it is not freedom of religion to open a retail pot store and claim that it is a free exercise of religion to escape taxes and lawful regulation of a commercial enterprise

I hope your dust up on Lackeys blog and Damion’s stuff has eased up some

Aloha

Dennis

Aloha faithful Big Island Chronicle readers,
Sorry if I have seemed distant lately — with all the blog drama, I have had very little motivation to put my thoughts into words in the limited time I have to write. Along with having a less-than-warm-and-fuzzy feeling for blogging, I have also been very busy with an extra-long list of things to do. Topping the list was my son’s first birthday, which, in true Hawaiian style, included a luau. I had to make a Costco run to prepare for the party and, since I was going to Kona, I ended up arranging for and conducting a couple of interviews for some freelance stories I have been meaning to write. That meant an overnight stay on the other side, which, inevitably made for more blog fodder. But it also made for quite a full and mentally taxing week.
I thought today was going to be the day that I sat down and cleared my inbox of all the news I have to share with you. Alas, after a day of celebrating my boy’s birthday, my daughter came down with a fever and vomited multiple times throughout the night. My Sunday list just got rearranged and nursing my child is my chief concern at this point. I also have quite a bit more laundry to do as a result of the pukefest. So, what that means for you is that you should 1. dose up on vitamin C and 2. expect to hear from me after I get our house in order. Hopefully, you all will have a great and productive week. Stay healthy, despite the odds.

By Pete Hoffmann
The once-every- ten- year convening of the County’s Redistricting Commission tends to cloud the significance and importance of its work.  No one should underestimate the impact this commission’s decisions have on County politics.  In some cases, the drawing of district boundaries causes little alteration, but as the recent commission’s efforts have demonstrated, profound changes can occur by ‘moving’ district boundaries only a few streets in one direction or the other.  In a very fundamental sense, the determinations reached by the commission form the basis for the political structure the County will endure for a ten year period.  If these determinations are questionable, public participation is likely to suffer, and the perception of a less than transparent County government affects all individuals involved.  

The 2011 version of the Redistricting Commission provides a useful model to examine.  In general, the commission performed outstanding work in fielding any number of potential boundary changes and in facing a variety of community generated complaints and suggestions.  No one can argue that the commission failed to consider public comments.  Overall public perception of the commission’s efforts I believe was positive, even in the face of criticism regarding the ‘last minute’ boundary change affecting the Hilo area.  But it was just this incident that causes concern, particularly if this situation would have directly impacted the political opportunities of the commissioners personally.

Make no mistake; public perception of this process is extremely important.  It is not to be treated lightly.  While it would probably be impossible to eliminate all circumstances that would generate misperceptions regarding the validity and transparency of the redistricting process, anything that can be done to tackle obvious pitfalls should be wholeheartedly embraced.   That forms the basis for my sponsoring Bill 192 which calls for a proposed Charter Amendment to be placed on the ballot in November of this year, prohibiting the members of the Redistricting Commission from running for County Council positions for one term (two years) after the redistricting plan has been adopted.  This change, obviously, does not apply to the members of the recent redistricting effort but would affect future commissions.

This is not an original concept.  Most municipalities (city and county) on the mainland have some restrictions for individuals who participate in redistricting programs.  The State of Hawai’i currently mandates that members of its Reapportionment Commission (which draws the State Senate and State Legislature boundaries) can’t run for those offices for four years after they’ve served.  I feel this might be too much of a restriction to impose on otherwise qualified individuals.  The two year exclusion seems to me to be a better limit.

The restoration and maintenance of credibility in our County government are tasks for all elected officials and community leaders.  Where we can take action without causing undue turmoil, we should.  Bill 192 addresses only a small aspect of this effort, which is not currently addressed in any manner in our Charter.  If approved for placement on the ballot in November, this measure affords the voters a chance to eliminate a perception that would impact adversely on the credibility of our County government.  

​​​​​​​​​PETE HOFFMANN            
Hoffmann is a council member who represents Kohala.

One of two speed humps at Pohoiki — Isaac Kepo'okalani Hale Beach Park. Photo by Tiffany Edwards Hunt. All rights reserved. Use with permission only.

For the last few years I have given plenty of press to the need for speed humps to be installed at Pohoiki (Isaac Kepo’okalani Hale Beach Park) (See coverage here and here and here and here).  But I never updated you on the fact that the Department of Public Works Traffic Services Division installed two speed bumps at the beach park.  I want to officially extend my appreciation to public officials for listening to the community, and helping to prevent speeding on the Red Road fronting Pohoiki.  As a result of the speed hump installation, I personally have noticed less speeding/drag-racing through this area frequented by families with small children.  I can’t thank the Traffic Services Division enough for helping to prevent a tragedy on this section of roadway.  If you know of any area in need of speed bumps, please tell us here, contact the Department of Public Works Traffic Services Division via mail at 101 Pauahi Street, Hilo, HI  96720, or contact your Council representative and ask for him/her to complete the Traffic Services Divisions’ speed hump request form.