Big Island Chronicle

Hawaii News — Office Of Aging Not Seeking Social Security Numbers

Tiffany Edwards Hunt — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:22:12 +0000

(Media release) — The Hawai’i County Office of Aging is asking elderly persons to be aware of a person calling and asking as an agent of the Office of Aging for social security numbers.

The caller has said that the phone number was obtained from AARP and has offered certain benefits in return for the elderly person’s social security number.

Please be aware that the Hawaii County Office of Aging does not call and request social security numbers. Should you receive such a telephone call, do not give out any personal information such as social security numbers, credit card numbers or financial institution account numbers. If you receive any call from a stranger seeking personal information, notify the police at 935-3311.
(Submitted by T. Ilihia Gionson.)

Hugh-isms — TSA Is Intolerable And Mazie Is Bad

Tiffany Edwards Hunt — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 23:55:01 +0000

(Editor’s note: Following is an open letter to Congresswoman Mazie Hirono written by retired 40-year Honolulu Advertiser reporter Hugh Clark.)

April 26, 2012

Congresswoman Mazie Hirono

5-104 Prince Kuhio Building

200 Ala Moana Blvd

Honolulu 96850

Dear Representative:

IT IS TIME:

For Congress to take action against the newest form of American Nazism – the Transportation Safety Administration. It has done far more to terrorize American travelers than any Muslim group.

Not only have I and my family endured inconvenience and insults over the last 10 years of travel through persistent rude and crude behavior of its station agents, we have observed even worse directed toward other arriving passengers, typically the old and handicapped — the weak. Regulations are not uniform or enforced consistently.

Adding in convictions (but no jail terms) of Molokai and Kona TSA agents stealing from foreign visitors), now we learn that at LAX they are enabling drug runners and in Kansas molesting a four-year-old girl following negative news for manhandling aged women traveling with significant post-cancer issues.

Its misbehavior clearly has no stop line, no judgment and no security purpose. It is a major inhibitor to the development of Hawaii’s chief industry, worse than arcane visa requirements.

Since retiring in 2002, travel has been my penchant. We have visited two-dozen foreign countries in the period since and not one matches the surely behavior of the USA. Only Russia came close.

I have two mainland family members who are reluctant to visit us because of the TSA. One declined to attend a family funeral here. Get rid of this monster ASAP. It is correctable, if Congress only gets off its collective duff.

Thank you,

Hugh Clark

P.O. Box 1956

Hilo 96721

P.S.

I would have preferred to have sent this by e-mail but your Hilo staff office was unable to articulate an e-mail address to me and I decided to avoid long distance charges. I never experienced such communication problems with the late Patsy Mink and Spark Matsunaga.

– HJC

Aloha, Hugh POB 1956 Hilo HI 96721-1956 808-935-4322 hm

History — A Page From Puna’s Past

Tiffany Edwards Hunt — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 22:50:34 +0000

Editor's note: The excerpt above about midwifery in Puna in the early 1900s commences Big Island Chronicle's history section and is from the book, Pāhoa Yesterday, by Hiroo Sato. Pāhoa Yesterday is available at Jeff Hunt Surfboards, 15-2883 Pahoa Village Road in Pāhoa (Open Monday through Saturday, 10-5, Sundays, 11-3; Call (808) 965-2322 or visit www.jeffhuntsurfboards.com), or at the Hawai′i Japanese Center, 751 Kanoelehua Ave. in Hilo (Open Monday mornings while under renovation for most of this year; Call (808) 934-9611 or visit www.hawaiijapanesecenter.org)

Hilo News — Plantation-Era Maternal Health Discussion At UH Hilo Today

Tiffany Edwards Hunt — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 22:13:31 +0000

University of Hawaii at Hilo presents a talk on maternal health on Hawaii’s sugar plantations, looking at Japanese and Filipino women who worked on the plantations from 1919 to 1946 at 5 p.m., today, Thursday, in the University Classroom Building room 100.

Politics — Big Island Chronicle To Host Candidate Forum July 28

Tiffany Edwards Hunt — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:26:13 +0000

Big Island Chronicle will host a candidate forum on Saturday, July 28, 2012 at the Akebono Theater.

The event will commence at 9 a.m. and run all day, with a full list of candidates seeking to represent Puna, including those running for mayor, prosecuting attorney, State Senate District 2, State Rep. District 4, and Hawai′i County Council District 4 and District 5. Volunteers are needed to help with question-and-answer moderation, table-manning, and general event organization. Exact times for the various candidate moderations are to be announced as the event approaches. Suggested questions are welcome to be submitted prior to the event. When offering questions, please be mindful of the roles and responsibilities and scope of duties the various state and county offices the candidates are seeking. For more information, call (808) 938-8592, email newswoman(at)mac.com or comment here.

Puna News — HAAS Running Team To Host May 5 Fundraiser

Tiffany Edwards Hunt — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:37:16 +0000

Sentiment — Stand-Alone Mark Twain Quote

Tiffany Edwards Hunt — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 07:49:35 +0000

Image courtesy of Melissa Garcia, or Musings from a Crime Writer

“We are nothing but echoes. We have no thoughts of our own, no opinions of our own, we are but a compost heap made up of the decayed heredities, moral and physical.”
-Mark Twain

Hawai‘i News — Kohala To Headline Big Island ‘Talk Story’ Film Festival

Tiffany Edwards Hunt — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 07:38:38 +0000

(Media release) — GRAMMY® award-winning producer Charles Michael Brotman, with Rupert Tripp Jr. and Charlie Recaido are the celebrated acoustic trio “Kohala,” headlining the Big Island Film Festival “Best of the Fest” Concert at The Fairmont Orchid, Hawai‘i Plantation Estate, Monday, May 28, 2012.

A blend of folk, island and jazz, reflecting the beauty of the Big Island’s Kohala region, the talented guitar trio has performed for enthusiastic audiences around the world and produced eight albums. Brotman’s slack key song “Hapuna Sunset” was included in the acclaimed soundtrack of Oscar nominee “The Descendants.” He has won multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards and Hawaii Music Awards and his recordings have reached #1 on the Billboard World Music Chart. Charles composes, records, and produces from his Lava Tracks Recording Studio in Kamuela, Hawaii, and is the President of Palm Records.

“Kohala was with us for the very first Big Island Film Festival,” said Executive Director Leo Sears, “And we’ve been eager to get them back ever since. Their music is ageless, timeless, and every song tells a story without words. It’s perfect for this event in this beautiful place.”

Tickets can be purchased on line at www.BigIslandFilmFestival.com. Best of the Fest tickets are $40 at the door ($30 kama‘āina) and $35 in advance ($25 kama‘āina), $10 keiki 6-12. Some chairs will be available and food and beverages for purchase (no coolers please).

Best of the Fest includes:

Silent Auction to benefit Fisher House at Tripler Army Medical Center, 5-7 p.m.

KOHALA Concert, 5:30-7 p.m.

Audience-voted Best Feature and Best Short Films of BIFF 2012, 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Best of the Fest is also a fundraiser for Hawai’i Island Food Basket.

The Big Island “Talk Story” Film Festival is a celebration of independent narrative films and filmmaking, taking place May 24-28, 2012. Major sponsors include The Fairmont Orchid, Hawai‘i and The Shops at Mauna Lani and Hawaii Tourism Authority/Hawai’i County CPEP.

For complete schedule information and tickets, visit www.bigislandfilmfestival.com or call (808) 883-0394.

(Submitted by Cathey Tarleton.)

Hawai‘i News — Regarding Pool Closures

Tiffany Edwards Hunt — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 07:28:35 +0000

Image courtesy of All Posters

(Media release) — Hawai‘i County’s swimming pools are receiving necessary safety improvements that will result in the temporary closure of five facilities, the Hawai’i County Department of Parks and Recreation announced Friday.

Hilo’s NAS Pool and Charles “Sparky” Kawamoto Swim Stadium, Pāhala Swimming Pool, Konawaena Pool, and the Kona Community Aquatic Center (KCAC) each will be closed for an estimated 10 days while the upgrades are being made.

The Department of Parks and Recreation is replacing all of the drain covers at each facility with newer, safer versions that meet mandated federal standards to address potential entrapment issues.

The following lists the tentative start date for each pool to be closed:

April 21 – NAS Pool in Hilo (961-8697)

April 22 or 23 – Kawamoto Pool (961-8698)

April 28 – Pāhala Pool (928-8177)

May 4 – Kona Pool at Konawaena High School (323-3252)

May 21 – Kona Community Aquatic Center Pool (KCAC) (327-3500)

Due to the scope and nature of the work involved, it cannot be predicted when each upgrade will be completed. Please contact pool staff at the respective facilities (telephone numbers provided above) for updates on the work progress and the reopening dates.

New drain covers have already been installed at both the Laupāhoehoe and Kohala pools, while similar work at the Pahoa Community Aquatic Center will be scheduled at a later date.

The Department of Parks and Recreation thanks the public for its patience and understanding while these important modifications are being made to ensure swimmers’ safety, Director Bob Fitzgerald said.

For more information, please contact Jason Armstrong, Public Information Officer, at 345-9105, or jarmstrong@co.hawaii.hi.us.

(Submitted by Jason Armstrong.)

Waimea News — Waimea Community Association To Discuss Midwives And Host A ‘So, You Can’t Find A Doctor?’ Panel Discussion

Tiffany Edwards Hunt — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 07:23:45 +0000

(Media release) — Just Confirmed: 5:30 p.m., Tues., May 1, 2012 – Parker School Theatre – Waimea Community Association is facilitating a meeting about North Hawai’i Community Hospital’s Women’s Center involving both members and friends of the Community Hospital ‘Ohana (CHO) and hospital leadership. More details to follow…

And…

Waimea Community Association’s usual First-Thursday Town Meeting – 5:15 p.m., Thurs., May 3, 2012 – Waimea School Cafeteria. Will feature an important panel discussion “So, You Can’t Find A Doctor?” – to help the community better understand why and learn about what we can do about the regional and islandwide doctor shortage and community strategies to recruit/retain physicians.

PS: WCA will continue to exchange old incandescent bulbs for CFLs at Thursday’s meeting … bring as many as you want to swap.

(Submitted by Patti Cook.)