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September 1, 2007, Mrs.Pele Hanoa, President of Ka'u Preservation was honored with the proclamation from Governor Linda Lingle and Lt Governor Aiona that proclaimed September 1st -WINTERED PELE HANOA DAY throughout the state of Hawaii, in honor of Pele Hanoa's dedication to the protection of the sacred lands of Hawaii and her lifelong efforts to preserve the Hawaiian Culture. September 4th, 2007, we witnessed Mayor Kim announce his vision for Punalu'u during the Ka'u Chamber of Commerce meeting at the Pahala Community Center, In the speech the Mayor said, "I have a dream that someplace in this world there's a place that people will start to talk about, you want to go to this place to teach to team to touch of nature, to look at the beauty of open space, of die wafer, the turtles and say wow, this is special." The Mayor said his vision was inspired by a trip to Crater Take National Pazk. According to the Crater Lake National Park Website, "Crater Lake National Park has been recommended as a wilderness preserve, a place where we may forget ourselves for a time and enjoy a surge of healthy outdoor exploration. Here, we may rediscover ourselves and Team that material things do not necessarily constitute our richest possessions. This blue gem of the Cascades certainly moves us deeply when we imagine the awesome power which created this wonderful place." The park is also home to Crater Lake Lodge, a small 71 room hotel and dining room, a camp store and laundry facility, 2 campgrounds with 225 sites and a small motor lodge, located 7 miles from the lake. The vision the mayor is talking about comes from my beloved sister Ka'u Preservation Founder, Keolalani Hanoa. Keola's vision includes a cultural center and open air market showcasing local art and products, but does not include ANY hotels in order to protect Punalu'u's fragile ecosystem and sacred sites. Instead, it calls fora "world-class" educational center or "living classroom" where guests and students would camp at Punalu'u and enjoy educational programs in a unique outdoor setting. Ka'u residents have suggested developing lodging in Pahala and Na'alehu for visitors to Punalu'u, Volcanoes National Park, South Point and the many other historical landmazks. The lodging in Na'alehu and Pahala and the educational and Cultural Center at Punalu'u would provide sufficient jobs for Ka'u residents while protecting the pioneering spirit of Ka'u. In closing, Mayor Kim's statement on September 4, 2007, "We are all on the same page" let's vote from our heart center with respect to the balance of our fragile environment and listening to our strong community voices for preservation. Kapu Ka'u Res filly sub/miffed, ~i l~ Elsa ICalanikauleleiaiwi (Bangay)Dedman, MD P.O. Box 472 Na'alehu, Kau, Hawaii 76772 cc: Mayor Harry Kim