Imagine it is 25 years from now and you are in PÄ

Home

I hear the bustling of preple of diverse backgrounds going to and fro, up and down Pahoa town enjoying the little shops and food places. I see tables and chairs on the sidewalks, local music playing in the background. I see people helping people to enjoy this lovely, funky, rich town. more action for young folks a senior program with transport for food Quaint, easy to walk around, safe feeling, lots of restaurants, parks to hang out in, etc. Same as now. Keep it small and simple. Support the small business owners, No big chain stores or eateries. Keep country country. Beautiful historic town with small family businesses, local produce, crafts, culture, classes and events for youth, kids, elderly, people of all ages to have creative things to do, beautiful plants and flowers along the streets, good parking, clean and safe, more options for businesses to rent commercial space as well as more employment opportunities Pahoa will be on the map one day & people will want to come visit this awesome place with stores, restaurants, fun activities, & be fun & safe & clean! A variety of stores, work opportunities, Cleaner & friendlier to even outsiders. Downtown Pahoa would be preserve & embrace the History there. Kept clean & feel safe. More Conveniences & opportunities to work & buy almost anything there. it is all solar and wind powered,there is food growing organically everywhere ...downtown pahoa is car free ... there are places for people to play tennis... places for people to learn all kinds of crafts and skills... places where people can meet and have potlucks and trade their goods ...people are connecting with their neighbourgs through all those activities instead of watching TV or computers... Bigger than Hilo! less depression, more joy, sense of safety and opportunities to thrive economically I will be long gone, looking at the change from the 80s to now, have to say tings were better then all around. Too darn many folks now. I fear that Pahoa will feel like Ala Moana! Having an onslaught of the visuals of consumerism and corporate capitalism. People rushing around like rats in a maze; rarely stopping to talk story at the store or on the sidewalk. I hope for a Pahoa town that is conducive to people sharing time with each other. No McDonald's, no Burger King, no Taco Bell. A little local coffee shop (not Starbuck's) where people can meet. Small, slow, quiet. It should be a nice place to start a business that could thrive on the support of local residents. Very slow rate of development yielding a rural, agriculturally oriented town center. The historic downtown has been preserved, but traffic and pedestrians have better and safer access. Entering Pahoa from the east, I see the rolling soft hills of the earth. There are no electric poles and masses of ugly wires hanging overhead. There are huge 25 -year old trees because they stopped cutting down trees and began planting them in 2012. The streets are full of pedestrians, Trees and people fill the main street. Benches line the street for weary shoppers. I hear music and laughter. All is good in Pahoa town. Imagine it is 25 years from now in Pahoa —how do you see it? Page 10