2012-05-03 Windward Transcript Circus

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Estates. We all remember when the SPACE market got closed down, and then we remember when the SPACE market reopened because of the grace of the Planning Director who came in and was moved by the community testimony and was moved by the economic incentives that SPACE provides. We were all happy. We got our market back. But, of course, this came with conditions. And one of the conditions was there was to be no night events that charge money. In Feb –, I was send the link to the 300 page complaint for revocation and I started to read it. And as I read it I could hardly believe that in February the Planning Director and the Department had telephoned Graham, had e-mailed Graham, and had actually sent a certified letter to Graham telling him do not have your two-day event. You say you’re not charging a dime to anyone but there is plenty of people that say they have been charge, there’s all kinds of evidence. We got e-mails, we have tons of evidence. You know, basically, they had them dead to rights (phonetic). There was a time in Puna we could do things on the side, but now that time has come and gone; and so everybody has to be above board and pono now. So what happened was unfortunately for Graham and his staff, and his close staff, who knew that the Planning Department had said this, they never told the community, they never told the vendors, they never told the school. And so, I guess the school wasn't involved. And so what happened was the vendors in the community supported that event, never knowing that that was going to cause problems for the permit, that that was a violation of the special use permit. If the community and the vendors had known the truth they would have never supported the event. They would've thought that their market is more important than a two-day event. So my whole interest in this, I love SPACE market, I wear green today to support SPACE, but I also wear blue for true blue because I respect the truth. And the truth has to come out here. There were warnings, several warnings. The Planning Department basically bent over backwards to serve SPACE and Graham. And I talked to all the vendors at the market, and none of them knew that the two-day event was going to in any way violate their permit to exist. So I hope if you do allow SPACE I would say that there needs to be some kind of watchdog group that involves members of Sea View community as well, so that Bobby Jean doesn't just have to call Graham. They can call the watchdog group who can tell the vendors. Because the vendors also said had they known, if Graham had been honest and told them, they would have blocked the entrance way to SPACE and never, they would have policed themselves. They would have never allowed that event to happen. But it was very quiet. And although a few people knew, I was so this morning, one person who I didn't, I was surprised -. But, anyway, but the rest of the community -. Now even, Graham has said I'm not involved with SPACE that's Jena Way, but even Jena Way did not call her vendors together and explained to them what they would be facing after the two-day event. None of the vendors knew. And these people take it very seriously because a lot of poor people in my area with children, they depend on that market. And so I think it was just outrageous that Graham-completely -. KERN: Thank you. JONES: Thank you very much. Aloha. KERN: Thank you. Any questions for the testifier? Seeing none, thank you. R. J. Hampton, name, 34 EXHIBIT B