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OGATA: One question. Okay, so if you’re taking over their existing building then <br />there will not be a certified kitchen and all of the other stuff then? <br />STRONG: We do not need the certified kitchen for our use. <br />WATANABE: Okay, thank you. Other questions? You may be seated. Malia DeFay? <br />DEFAY-BROWN: Thank you. I, my name is Malia DeFay-Brown. My mailing address is <br />PO Box 1971 and I own property within 500 feet of the proposed, of the feed store. And I don’t <br />live there, I rent the property out to a family that lives there. But I’m affiliated also with Pahoa <br />Weed and Seed, which is concerned with weeding out the criminal element and seeding healthy <br />community development. And I have also been involved in the Puna Community Development <br />Plan as a facilitator and also as a community member putting in input. And I’m here today <br />because we need what is being proposed there. We are sadly lacking, I mean as this woman said <br />just now they’ve been trying to find a place that they can rent and they’re having a very hard <br />time. There is very little commercially zoned property. And we need all we can get out there. <br />We’re so grateful to have that new marketplace; and we need more medical care. The traffic <br />should not be a major problem. There is plenty of space for parking there and the road is such <br />that you can get out of the way quickly and get back out because the speed limit very slow so <br />that it’s not going to be a speed trap. <br />And the commercial kitchen is very much needed by our community because we’re trying to <br />encourage economic development; and this will enable people to have access to a commercial <br />kitchen, which some of our restaurants have allowed people to come in late at night to do things <br />like baking bread. But, you know, it’s hard for an established restaurant to give up with space <br />even for a little while at night because then they may have to clean up afterwards. So we really, <br />really need this. And there should not be any of the expected problems that they’re talking <br />about. So that’s all I have to say. <br />WATANABE: Do we have any questions for Malia? Doesn’t look like it. You may be <br />seated then. Okay, let me call up the next four people. We have Laura Powers, Jon Olson, <br />Isaiah Justice and Rene’ Siracusa. Okay, let me swear you in. Okay, yeah, do you swear or <br />affirm to tell the truth now before the Planning Commission? <br />TESTIFIERS: I do. <br />WATANABE: Okay, thank you. Why don’t we begin with you, Laura. Name and <br />address, please. <br />POWERS: Laura Powers, PO Box 1646, Pahoa, 96778. And I’m the acupuncturist <br />with Pahoa Natural Health; and we have been looking for somewhere commercial. We <br />definitely need commercial properties so we can do insurance. I get many, many people asking <br />me if I can take insurance, and I have to turn them away and say no. Our lease is up at the end of <br />the month also. And there won’t be a parking problem, just like Sarah said. We see patients <br />maybe an hour, hour and a half, at a time. So at the most there would be three parked cars in the <br />02 <br />EXHIBIT B <br /> <br />