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GRAHAM: Thank you very much for your concise and clear testimony. Terry <br /> Crowley next, please. <br /> CROWLEY: Yes, sir. <br /> GRAHAM: Name and address, please. <br /> CROWLEY: My name is Terry Crowley and my address is 227 East Palai Street. <br /> Chairman Graham and Commissioners, good morning. My name is Terry Crowley and I'm the <br /> store manager for the Hilo Wal-Mart. Thank you for the opportunity to testify against <br /> Resolution 21-07 which is Item 5 on the agenda. I helped open the Hilo store as a manager in <br /> the mid-1990s, but first came to the islands in 1971 when I began a 24-year in the US Navy as a <br /> Naval Officer in the submarine force. My wife is a native Hawaiian. She was born and raised in <br /> Keaukaha. We currently live on Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. We have a farm lot <br /> down on East Palai. Actually my mother-in-law and my father-in-law, the late John and Mani-, <br /> I'm sorry, John and Lani Manuia were one of the original farmers there in Panaewa. <br /> All of us want to see the island thrive with smazt growth and planning. Unfortunately that's <br /> something that this legislation does not do. Strong community involvement also is important to <br /> us. We were pleased to honor Pahoa High and Intermediate School Cynthia McAnish as our <br /> store's teacher of the year last year. And we're proud to say that she went on to be named Wal- <br /> Mart's 2006 Teacher of the Yeaz for the State of Hawaii. In all Pahoa High School received <br /> $11,000 in educational grants from that program. More recently we've tried to help our <br /> neighbors, specifically around the Panaewa Park, where they recently had a fire. We've tried to <br /> direct work parties to go and help, with our associates; and we've started fund raising activities <br /> also to help raise funds to repair the park facilities. We also work with many local suppliers and <br /> vendors. The Keaukaha-Panaewa Farmers Association also holds farmers markets there daily; <br /> and we've had that ever since the store first opened. This bill would keep us from expanding our <br /> local supplier-base with additional farmers and local businesses. So when it comes down to it, <br /> we aze against this resolution and urge you to vote against it. Thank you for your time. <br /> GRAHAM: Thank you, sir. I'll have John Yates, please. <br /> YATES: Okay. Morning Chairman Graham and Commissioners. My name is John <br /> Yates. I am a local resident of Kailua-Kona, 73-4400 Holoholo Street. My family has been here <br /> in Hawaii for several generations. Some of you might even be familiar with my late great <br /> grandfather, Julian R. Yates who was a senator at one time for the island. <br /> I just want to make mention that I am a Konawaena graduate. I won't tell you the year, but I am <br /> a Konawaenan and am proud to be a Konawaena High School grad. I'm here today to testify <br /> against Resolution 21-07. For the past three years I've served as the store manager for the <br /> Kailua-Kona Wal-Mart. I want you to know that I enjoy running a store for a company that truly <br /> cares about the community that it operates in. Each year we're able to provide thousands of <br /> <br /> dollars in grants in in-kind donations to various nonprofits across the island. Last year our grants <br /> in donations totaled more than $100,000 for our Big Island Community, and that's between the <br /> Hilo and Kailua-Kona stores. Among those efforts, you might recall the immediate disaster <br /> <br /> relief with the Hawaii chapter of the American Red Cross following last October's earthquake <br /> 10 <br /> <br />