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I waited through the summer hoping that he would change his mind and allow me to meet with his people. I was even willing to ask them to be volunteers and help us with the work of the festival. Needless to say, this wonderful opportunity to do community building was lost. The festival was an incredible experience with over 2000 people each day.Unfortunately,Mr Enriques and some of his members chose not to attend least they look like they were giving support to Ka'u Preservation. Now here we aze at yet another heazing.This one follows a direct intervention by the mayor into the process. I was greatly surprised by this move by Mayor Kim. I was raised in a political world where the executive branch respected the work of the legislative branch to make the laws. I was chagrined that the Mayor would feel he had the right to do so. AND there was the matter of the money....$84,000.00 taken from other budgets and for what..to have a month long listening session to gather opinions from the population at lazge. Councilwoman Naiole said it well at the last hearing : "how many times do we have to listen.We have been around the Island twice. The message was cleaz and is cleaz: They don't want the development and they do want the pazk." In addition to being labeled as thugs and bullies we have also been chazacterized over and over as opposed to development. Let me set the record straight: we ARE NOT OPPOSED TO DEVELOPMENT We aze opposed to this resort being built. However, we are very much in favor of an education scientific and cultural center being built that would create jobs and housing options being constructed neaz the population centers of Na'alehu and Pahala and Ocean View that would support such a development. For us the preservation of the Ahupua'a of Punalu'u is the critical issue. Along with this is the preservation of ALL native cultural practices and religious expression as well as total access to food gathering traditions. I believe, with everything in me, that these rights are sacred and that the denial or limiting of those rights and practices would be a serious infringement of the CIVIL RIGHTS of the native Hawaiian people.You see, the leadership and members of Ka'u Preservation have no personal gain in pursuit of these goals.We don't sell real estate, we don't have a business that will benefit, we can't make money on this development. No; our gain is only in the fact that we were true to our beliefs and defended those beliefs against great odds. Mental health professionals have for yeazs asserted that the overall health of a population is d~rectiy tied to their access to open spaces and places of natural beauty. We have a wonderful opportunity to do the right thing. Please proceed with the authorization to have the county begin the process of establishing the pazk. We will provide the money....we have already been in touch with potential grantors but the county authorization is the critical first step. I believe the community will come together quickly and share the responsibility for the plan and development of this park. We can develop in such a way that all cultural concerns aze met and jobs aze created for the local economy. As a side note: the MALAMA PUNALU'U FESTIVAL gave a tremendous shot in the arm to our local merchants. I have heazd from a number of them who were most appreciative for the business that was generated by this two day event. Just in housing alone we pumped over $ 9000.00 into the local housing/accommodation market. Restaurants, gas stations and stores all reported benefiting from the festival. At the festival itself all 13 of the food vendors sold out each day. These were community groups