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“Keep Kona, Kona” and “Kohala, Kohala,” “preserve that we have” and “never lose sight of it,”
<br />and now you folks have come in with the “sense of place.” It’s very important. And I feel, I
<br />think, as you do, that the land that we have has been provided for us and we are stewards of the
<br />land; therefore, we should watch over it, preserve it, and take care of it. And the projection of
<br />this Plan shows just how it should be done.
<br />With regards to that lighting and the enforcement of the existing zoning, with regards to the
<br />lighting above Mauna Kea, I know many of us feel that it’s a place that should be preserved, and
<br />it offers a large degree of opportunity for us to study the universe, and of course, there are others
<br />who feel that it is a special place, but it should also be preserved because of its rich culture and
<br />its meaning to them. I was wondering, and I don’t know if the Plan addresses the fact that, you
<br />know, with all the talk about expansion of the training in Pohakuloa and with modern-size
<br />vehicles that will be training there, and that their access to Pohakuloa probably will be through
<br />Waikoloa, and that as they train up there, the impact it will have on the land will impact on the, I
<br />guess, the lifestyle or the environment that the people who live downwind of Mauna Kea will be
<br />experiencing – you know, the dust, probably the noise, and even the light pollution. Because if
<br />they’re thinking of bringing a brigade here, surely if they are to station them and place them here
<br />permanently, there will surely be a need for housing for the military and for the dependents.
<br />Now, I don’t know if you folks have ever discussed it, and looked at that and thought of what
<br />kind of impact it will be upon the community.
<br />But you know, as I look at this Plan, I congratulate all of you for the efforts. I can sense the
<br />feeling of concern that you have. The strong values that you have with regards to families being
<br />together as one and enjoying each other, and the sense of being stewards to those who are old,
<br />kupuna, and the cultural values that they can pass onto us, as we grow, as we become mature,
<br />and then as we become older in our lives, those are very important things which enrich our belief
<br />in the spiritual aspect of what we all strive to preserve in our lives, be it whatever discipline we
<br />come from. And it’s so important, and I sense this in your Plan. And I congratulate you. Thank
<br />you very much. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
<br />WATANABE: Thank you. Any further comments? Ms. Bowman.
<br />BOWMAN: Just a quick, in regards to Puako. And I do have to tell you, I
<br />inadvertently wore red: I don’t live in Waikoloa, but it’s okay, I walked in and went, “Ho!”
<br />I’ve looked at some of the written testimony. And as many of you know, Leon Thevenin is a
<br />longtime resident in Puako and, I’m sure, very vocal in this process. But in regards to the keawe
<br />forest, I know, he made a comment that I found interesting about the world’s finest mangos and
<br />grapefruit are grown here. And I do see, you know, you have some buffer, so maybe that could
<br />be taken into the consideration. I know the forest needs to be protected. But I found that
<br />interesting. I also found the comments from the DLNR, as far as your harbor, interesting. So
<br />I’m sure you’ll take those into account. And then also, the comments from Jojo Tanimoto
<br />regarding North and South Kohala, I mean, I grew up in Kohala, and actually we always called
<br />Kohala, Kohala, and Kawaihae, Kawaihae, and Waimea, Waimea, but you know, I don’t think
<br />there is that demarcation that just happens to be that that line has to go somewhere. So again,
<br />thank you all for your hard work. Thanks.
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