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HomeMy WebLinkAboutlove about Pahoa categorizedPahoa Plan Survey results, "What I love about Pahoa". November 12, 2012 by Vicki Stump, transportation committee Old town feel: • Old town feel, wish the buildings were maintained better. • It's rustic; it's quiet for the most part, when the roads aren't being painted. • It's small, quaint, and unique & hasn't changed a lot like the other islands. • A few old style buildings, lend a historic charm to the area. • It's nice to see police who are at ease enough to wave at citizens. I enjoy the cultural events and of course the annual Christmas parade! • Sense of community feels strong; I like the quaint appearance of much of the area. • The old town is typical of the old Hawaii - people know you and you know them. • Rustic. Old town feel. • Love the small town feel, and that there is no fast food. Keep Pahoa small, but make it nicer. • Love small town, people knowing each other. • I like the charm of the old buildings, although they are falling down and need restoration. I like that Pahoa is a one street town and doesn't have too many shops. • I love that regardless the economic situation Pahoa town is still thriving. As much as I love the small town -feel there is definitely some room for change and development. • The small agricultural family owned & operated business. • Unique Hawaiian village. The small town atmosphere and attitude of the people. Small, funky, colorful and diverse. Old school. • Small town, great street of buildings. • I love the laid back slower pace, no traffic lights, not commercialized and over populated and run like most of America and the so- called civilized world. • I love the character of the old times being preserved, the personal service you get from a small place. • The simplicity of Pahoa. • Most people are friendly, always willing to help others; the Aloha spirit is not overdeveloped. • Keep Pahoa old style plantation; put commercial at Malama only. • Clear vision of green - almost country (plantation) living. Blessed with the beauty of real Hawaii's style of living. • Love and appreciate the history of Pahoa town. Leave the historic town the way it is; we are losing sight of who we are as a Hawaiian people. • Old time appearance I like. • Small town feel, familiar faces; access to lava flow, Hilo and Pohiki close by. • Charm /diversity /architecture. • Remodeling upkeep. • Love old town, old construction. • Small town local flavor. Lots of good smells and laid back attitude. I like that when people are not rowdy. I don't see law officers. Love the pool and community center and library and the fact that there are plenty of sidewalk overhangs. • I love and appreciate Pahoa for an older and authentic feel of a small town. I love the sense of community rather than tourism; keep the town for serving the people who live here. • Love its small size -I love the pool, community center, & park. • Simple and slow pace. • It is not overdeveloped. Keep it that way. NO MORE FAST FOOD!! • I love the small older side of Pahoa because the store fronts have character. I like the local businesses like Puna Style, Island Naturals, Luquins, 2 Thai restaurants, Jungle love, I support all local business. Pahoa Feed & Fertilizer. Skate Park is a star and Pahoa Pool. • Nice town. • Its rustic nature is old town Pahoa. I like the old look of the raised sidewalk. • No more big buildings! • It's safe, mellow & quaint. Aloha spirit diversity. 2 • Feels like a small town but has inadequate resources. • I love that Pahoa town feels like a small town, not a lot of commercial property and big store business. Keep Pahoa small! • * It's a great small town w/a good feel and great openness to alternative ways and a great community. I love the alternative - medicines and vitality clinic, the raw food co -op and the new Kupukupu Center. • Historical, Pahoa's history. Great fire dept. • The people, the lifestyle, the "LOOKS" of old Pahoa Town, the restaurants, the 12 step community. The trees, forest and natural plants that surround our town; the clean air, the vibe of Pahoa, the diversity, the kids, the library! ! ! The medical center and what they are planning the new police and fire stations. • Laid back and tolerant — don't gentrify it too much — or we won't be able to afford it? • Strong community, serene, old style qualities, must act to preserve this and control unnecessary growth. Great businesses & restaurants. Keep it local and do not need fast food. I love Pahoa. • Atmosphere- quaint- safer now- better lights, etc. • I like the wooden sidewalks, minimal neon old fashion qualities. • It is quaint & historic. Not too congested. • A quaint, eclectic community - provides what appears to be an atmosphere of tolerance to varied life styles with little conflict. • Not too congested. • Small town character; no chain stores or restaurants downtown. • Good places to eat, but needs more small -town living. • Small size; multicultural & counter - cultural influences. Friendly and picturesque. Like the funk factor and the artistic sense. Love the clean environment and clean water. Sense of community. • Love the old town charm of downtown area & the wealth of eateries — great to have a park, pool community center, shopping all within walking (easy) distance. • More of old school Hawaii, very non- commercial look to Pahoa — nice close community. • Pahoa town is a unique old style place. Restaurants are great, architecture is cool & attractive. Keep it that way. • The history, atmosphere, food and the garden. Size, small is nice. c3 • It has its own character & personality. It is much safer now after the Weed & Seed designation. People here always made do with whatever is available, not waiting for handouts from Honolulu. • Much talent in this area, 75% of residents are hardworking individuals. • Love the old buildings, the great VARIETY of people — the small town feeling- the green things growing — the new growth towards sustainability& cooperation. • Love the small town aspect —the people make it what it is. • I love the quaint feeling when driving into Pahoa town. It is just a beautiful town with lots of history. • Openness, willingness of the community to allow our diversity. Old Pahoa town's architecture. Small size. • Pahoa town center character is good/ love covered walkways, but sidewalks need to me made coherent. • Historic rural quality. Old style uniquely Hawaiian. • It is small, funky, unique & eclectic — I like that. • Simple local businesses, small & friendly. • Nothing — it is a dump that be condemned like Hilo Bay front. • NO commercial businesses in Central Pahoa, No Chains. • Coming from Puna /Kalapana, it provides a different social atmosphere (ie; food/bars /music, it being more developed. • I love the ambience, the wild -west fagade of old town. I love the slow pace and the sense of community. • It is a small community where everyone watches out for each other. We need to keep that intact! I also love the "rundown" look of it. However, some buildings do need to be improved to accommodate tourists or disabled persons- I see many safety issues. • Old rustic home town atmosphere. • The funky wood sidewalks & locally owned businesses are a plus. • Small town feeling- very unlike the Kea'au, Hilo towns. • The old buildings & boardwalks. The funky colors / artsy feel of the buildings Pahoa Village Museum. • It's a step back in time, to small town America, except the population is more 60's - 70's organica. Lots of funky shops and restaurants in town. 0 • I love the bulletin boards which provide a sense of community. The old Cash N Carry, (though it may be trashy, it's history). I really enjoy the organic market and the many restaurants. • Still retaining old — fashioned feel of architecture, multiculturalism, tolerance for Bohemian non - conformist lifestyles, great restaurants. • Pahoa should strive to save as many old buildings as possible, and design new buildings that blend in with the character of the old part of Pahoa. If you tear them all down, then Pahoa will just be another any -town Hawaii. • Love the small town feel and the fact that there is a great sense of community. • Pahoa has a great small town feel. People are nice. Everything is within walking distance, cultural and ethnic diversity. • Character and personality, until recently lack of national chain stores. • The historic preservation and community involvement. • Its quaint "Western" style, you can actually do things in walking distance and need to park only once. • I love the "old town" feel to Pahoa. It feels like the town I grew up in. • I am just happy to be living in a quiet and peaceful area. Just think about all the people that have to live with all the bright street lights and vehicle noise. We can always complain, but why... when we have things so good right here? People that don't like living here should really consider moving back to that wonderful and great place they came from. If things were so great, why did they move here in the first place? I am totally tired of hearing that is not the way we did it back in some other place and some other place did it this way. This is Pahoa and we deserve to have our way that is not the same as everywhere else. • Just like the mainland. • Quaint, clean, improved, historic. • Quaint, rustic, quiet. • I love the country & small town atmosphere that we have. I love the friendliness of the people and that we are mostly local businesses. • Its charm and feeling of the original Hawaiian spirit. • I love the old timey atmosphere; the feeling of being home. • I appreciate the diversity of cultures in food establishments and the efforts made to keep outr town drug -free and easy to stroll through town. I also appreciate the aloha and friendliness exhibited by the business establishments. • Love the potential of Main Street. Needs some help with upgrading the buildings. I really appreciate the community garden. Love the local, small business — the bookstore, surf shop, museum. • Not crowded, local flair. Full of local color; love the old buildings and feeling of an era gone by. Keep it simple. • I love the little shops, the quaint and historic feeling of downtown. Good health food store. Small family businesses. • I like the retro look of it. We like the small town rural feel of it. • Tired of all the change. • It is a small rural community where people know each other. Aloha is alive and well here. The atmosphere is quirky. Love that it is generally safe for people of all ages. People stop and take the time to converse with each other. • It has history that is still alive today, and a unique look and feel. It has a beautiful sense of community and spirit. • I can eat at any restaurant and look out the window and see the greatest show on earth; Punatics at their lively best, the rich, the poor, the human condition, more entertaining than any sitcom. • Pahoa town is a great place to meet and greet your friends and neighbors. If walking areas were repaired, it would be even better. Bringing in more tourists would be good, if the ambiance of Pahoa town can be retained. • Old buildings. • I basically love and appreciate the new developments such as Longs area with the other businesses, you don't have to go all the way to Hilo to Longs, besides being a drug store it has other products that you can purchase. Same goes for Malama Market Place; you can purchase products when you need it on the spur of the moment instead of driving all the way to Hilo, even though it's a few cents or a dollar more. • I appreciate efforts made to preserve historic structures. It has character and is scenic. • I love the historic value & family feeling, very comfortable and non judgmental atmosphere. 31 • The historic features of the olden days, the aloha that people share. • Old and rustic environment. • The location, close to nature, but not too remote, history & natural beauty. Its age and ambiance. • Old Western look is charming & great for tourists & locals. • It's quaint and still feels like old Hawaii. It's a connection to the past. • Small cohesive, local. It's unique, not like every town you visit throughout the country. • That is has an old fashion feel to it and not too commercial. There are local small mom and pop shops and restaurants. • It's the small town we want to keep. It's not touristy. • It's a small town and everyone knows mostly everyone. • The small town feeling that allows people to feel that they know everyone. You feel able to connect to everyone in the town. • I appreciate the historic buildings. • I love the old boardwalk and buildings, the historic value of the town. • Running into everyone you know, great restaurants, lots of locally owned businesses. Quaintness. • Quaint, rural. It's a good place to cruise with friends and it's so small, it's more chill. • I appreciate the fact that Pahoa is so small and easy to travel by foot. • The old town feel of the stores preserves the plantation roots of Pahoa, but modernization also has its place with better shopping opportunities. • It's not congested; the roads are repaired and developed. • I like the smallness of the town. I like the interesting characters sometimes; I like the look that is an old run downtown that used to have life. • The small town Ohana feel. • It's a small town and many people know each other. • Pahoa is its own place! It is not Hilo and does not want to be! It's genuine. • Historic town. I really like the feel of Pahoa, but for it and its businesses to grow; a facelift and cleanup is badly needed. Not 7 all traffic through there is going to feel comfortable look at the state for the buildings and vagrant looking traffic. • Unique and individualistic minded folks -lots of diversity. • I like the slow pace of the village. • It's a small town, slow growing, friendly and old timey. • I love the organic nature & diversity of Pahoa Village, I expect a village to be quaint & eclectic, and that's what Pahoa Is! It has all the necessary services while keeping one in touch with the aina. Good for folks on bikes, walking as well as driving with the low speed zones. Almost everyone I know moved to Lower Puna for a slower, laid back, undeveloped, live and let live lifestyle. Why fix something that's not broke? There are plenty of creative opportunities for sustainability — growing your own, solar, catchment, selling crafts and /or food at a number of farmers markets or local nature food store. I love that the bus will pick you up where you are, instead of making you run to the nearest bus stop. If people want development, and all the "conveniences" (and unwanted bi- products) of a mainland city, then they can live where they can be well accommodated. We moved here because we don't need or want those so- called "conveniences" and the big products they generate. • I love that it is quaint with good restaurants and close to where I live. • The small town feel & nature. • Unique old town flavor. Wooden sidewalk!! Downtown area is walk -able. Unique and quaint. • I love the boardwalk and the old false front buildings. It is the reason why tourists come to Pahoa to eat at its restaurants. I love the alternative feeling and hippie yet old west feel to it. It is the attraction of Pahoa. How can the charm of Pahoa be preserved & yet made safe for all? I don't think turning it into an expensive tourist destination is the answer. There are enough of those already. Enhance the healthy lifestyle aspect and more might follow. Put in a huge park with trails, Frisbee golf, & other things that would attract the people that visit lava Tree State Park, but would use it for working out and enjoying nature. It is nice that people stop and eat and shop in Pahoa town because they are on their way or are coming from surfing at Pohoiki or touring the Red Road. Pahoa is "civilization" close to a beautiful beach, and E still relatively untouched yet accessible shoreline. This is what should stay the same. This is what visitors come for. • I like some of the ambiance of Old town Pahoa if it was fixed up a bit. The preservation of old Pahoa town. • Small unusual character. It is still a small town with obvious history and culture. Love the boardwalks. • Accessible & has everything you need with excellent aesthetic value. • It's got character! It's laid back, funky, relaxing yet has great restaurants, entertainment opportunities, good stores that are not chain. • Quaintness — sidewalks. • Has its own style, plenty restaurants, not a lot of chain stores. • I love the color of the population, Pahoa has a diverse population and that makes for a very interesting town and experience. I love that there are many restaurants, and would like more shopping experiences. I think of Honokaa as a good example of what I would appreciate in shopping and cleanliness. Pahoa is a bit shabby and would appreciate if it was easier to walk around with safe places to walk with a stroller. Right now you have to go in the street which is really not safe. I love that we have people willing to open up new businesses in Pahoa. I love that we have a community center that is kept up nicely and LOVE our pool. I love that we have a library. • Quaint local color community. • Retaining the character (wooden sidewalks, old store fronts) is vital. We don't want it razed like they did Keaau years ago to put in the MacDonald's. • I like that some of the old plantation buildings are still around. I have been destined with some thought to maintaining a plantation —type look. • Environmental consciousness & artistic creatives. • I appreciate the laid back jungle village feel. Pahoa is not the flashiest place in Hawaii, but you can get the feeling of Ohana watching out over you. Its wooden sidewalks, the Catholic Church steeple when Mauna Kea is showing off. The number of and variety of eating establishments. The strong presence of the jungle surrounding us. • Old buildings and storefronts. 6 • Quaint & historic. I love the old town feel, the friendliness of most of the community. • Fun, funky Pahoa Town. Still maintains quaintness. • It has remained country, while developing better services for its people. • Pahoa town has this incredible personal feel to it that sustains this feeling over the years. The buildings haven't changed much; the wooden sidewalks are too cool. Old hippies with gray pony tails walking down the street. It's like stepping into a time warp. • Ambiance. Potential. Punatics. • QUAINTNESS. • The small town, unique, ambiance; the true Hawaiian, HISTORIC feeling. The progressive, radical, alternate thinking; PUNATIC AND PROUD OF M! • Love the old school Hawaii vibe. Hope we can keep it that way. • It is charming and many people here are wonderful. • The small -town feel, of the town. The history, the people. • Its uniqueness, small town and not overly commercialized. • The old feel, the construction, boardwalks, lends to history and the quaintness. • The old downtown look, but sidewalks are unsafe. • Love the historic wooden building and walkways along strip. • Laid back atmosphere. Small businesses with some variety to them and (in main street at least), no national chains /franchises — those are the death of small town charm and character. The funky old downtown boardwalk sidewalk and buildings. It's unique, it's different, it feels like a walking a piece of history from plantation days. • Small town, but able to get most of what you need. • I like the quaintness & picturesque part of Pahoa in the "old" town area. The storefronts from the former mom and pop stores are still (barely) standing and it adds such character to the town - more enjoyable to walk through. • I love that not much has changed in the actual village since I was little in the 1980's. • The character of the town and some of the town's characters! • I want Pahoa to remain a small village, not liking all the development -and certainly NOT interested in development outside of the main Village area. 10 • I would like to see structural improvements to downtown. • The old town of Pahoa is still standing; a business in operation. • I love the old Hawaiian ambiance. • The ambiance, old look, really love it the way it is! • She's old, but still looks pretty good. Pahoa still has charm, and could hold on for some more decades, its buildings and main roads are human scale, which has a comfortable and inviting feel; this is part of why people like to go there. • Diversity and earthy feel- not overdeveloped "aloha spirit" & "breathe easy" attitude. • Picturesque. I came here to get away from strip malls, fast food and all the things we see happening now, 31 yrs. ago. • I love the old sidewalks & buildings. • I love that it has been preserved much as it was a century ago. There is still that small town feel; the village life. • Old fashion feeling, small, simple and it's all we have. • Old plantation style downtown. • 1 love the charm of Pahoa. It feels like a small community that is open to all. • Old wooden structures. I love this town, even if I'm not from here. • Sense of community. Historical significance. • The community. Historical appearance ALOHA — county, multi ethnicity, eclectic New Age. • It is a unique town, just adorable. Old sugar town feel and look. • The look of the old buildings, the boardwalk, the nostalgic feeling of going back in time. I like that it is small. • Old buildings, quirky atmosphere. • I like Pahoa for its local feel, the quaint buildings downtown. • I appreciate the boardwalk and old time feel of Pahoa Town. • I've been on The Big Island for 30 years, so Pahoa is a nostalgic place for me. • It has a small town feeling with local color and people have Aloha spirit. • ( I love) The people and character. Paint those buildings and repair those roofs!!!!! • I like the old - school look and the feel of Pahoa Town. 11 • Love the feel of the Old Town. I would hate to see that change, Old Town has so many flavors. • I love that it has its character for the most part. It is laid back and friendly and I feel at home there. • Architecture. Pahoa has a small town feel. • I love the small town that it is; there is much creativity evident. The many cultures that interact here are great and usually welcoming. • Love its quirky, funky stores. It is a bit of history that I would like to see preserved- cleaned up a smidge, but preserved. • Board walks which need attention. Old style & friendly. • I LOVE that its two lanes, got to go slow pace, the wooden sidewalks, bright, old style, historic sugar cane village, feel and look, the overall laid back atmosphere. I appreciate the small businesses innovative sign designs and family atmosphere. I like the empty grass filled lots. They make it feel still like a village. • The old west charm. The funky nature of the place. • Emphasis on old plantation style town was always the plan. Keep it!! Less on ugly Kahakai (Blvd.) intersection. • Make commercial architect fit Hawaiian style. Old plantation style and wooden sidewalks. • I love the old buildings and some of the small local businesses. • Friendly place where you can step back in time to a more peaceful lifestyle. • Pahoa is so charming. I love the older plantation -style buildings. I love the color those buildings are painted with. The fact that it DOESN'T have a whole lot of stuff is part of its charm. • I like the small community feel. • The town has an attractive old section. Hopefully, the buildings owners appreciate that the quaint appearance draws visitors. • Old West look of the old part of town and the excellent restaurants. • FIX UP OLD TOWN PAHOA, REPAIR WOODEN SIDEWALKS & STREET LIGHTS. • Old wooden structures. The Akebono; needs landmark status and grants to support the arts. • I like the character of the town in the older section - colorful buildings & "Old West" style. It's a small town feel. • Sense of time and place not generally found in Hawaii. 12 • Homey relaxed atmosphere. • I love the uniqueness. I like the small town feel of it. • I love the old town feel and look. Preserved old buildings. • The nature around town; the size, meaning small town. • I love the rustic feel of it, it's smallness, it has everything you really need; bank, post office, markets, restaurants, police /fire station, farmers market, museum, bookstore. • I appreciate the lack of big businesses in Pahoa town. • Pahoa is a local community with a sincere attitude of aloha for residents as well as visitors. • I love the natural beauty and convenience to Hilo as well as the ocean. I love every inch of the green space. So many towns gave in to inappropriate development at the expense of destroying irreplaceable natural features just for the sake of greed and creative laziness. It's like selling your soul to the devil. You live in the hell you created forever. I love sharing the aloha we feel for this place with my neighbors, be they friends or strangers. I love the physical town; the boardwalks and old buildings exactly as they are. • Quaint. Rural. Underdeveloped. Cultural treasure. Small town feel. • I like the feel of old town Pahoa with its old buildings and store fronts. The historic nature of the town. • We appreciate the old town feel and appreciate the new section, especially Malama Market. We love walking Old Town, but do not always feel safe doing so, in today's times. We appreciate that it is still small and appreciate the community togetherness for Pahoa. We also appreciate all of you taping the time to hear us! • Wonderful old architecture. • I love the small shops downtown. I appreciate the quality of food the businesses are creating there. The small town feel of this area is what brought me to this part of the island. I moved here to live a simpler, self sustaining life style. • I love that Pahoa retains its "small town" atmosphere, even as we grow. I love walking down the street and knowing almost everyone I pass, or waving at most cars along the road. 13 • The old buildings and the sense of community that the locals who have lived here encompass. The country feeling and no tall buildings and greenery. • The old plantation town feel, don't want to lose that. • I love the old character feel of town. • I love the old part with the western style houses — I wish rents were more affordable, so stores would be able to make it. • Old style Hawaiian Town with a sense of family. • Small. Sense of history and community, quite a few things available so as not to have to drive to Hilo; like Ning's, the boardwalks, Island Naturals, the bookstore, available banking. • The town is quirky, laid back and generally friendly. It has a sense of history. It still has some old Hawaiian style town left to it. • Its potential to remain small, inviting, unique and livable, while also improving in ways that reflect contemporary needs- sanitation-ADA accessible -mixed modality transportation. • Rural flavor, variety of restaurants and food, ethnic mix. • I love the quaint old style feel, the false fronts on the buildings, the boardwalk, the market, the bookstore. • Its funky flavor -the restaurants -the people. • Small town, feels friendly, neat old buildings, friendly people, no one cares what you look like, lots of smiles. • I love that we all know each other. • I love Old Town Pahoa -has charm and character. • Pahoa town is truly a treasure. The past has so much to offer and is so visible in the homes and businesses. However, the grit and determination that has allowed Pahoa to grow must be maintained with upkeep of properties, modern, but unobtrusive signage and maintenance of streets and walkways. • Cultural uniqueness and independent small businesses. • I love the quaintness; I would like to see existing buildings upgraded and influx of new buildings and construction in town. • I love the small town atmosphere and laid back feeling of Pahoa Town. It's a quirky nation. Everyone knows everyone. • The small town feel and the wooden sidewalks. • I love the character. I love the small town feeling. 14 • I love that is a chunk of our history and not like every shopping mall in the U.S.A. • I love the funkiness- especially the wood sidewalks. • Not quite like any place else. • The small town atmosphere and old school atmosphere. • Overall character and uniqueness. The nicer restaurants like Kaleo's. A historic town is much more inviting for residents & visitors. • I love the campy look about the Old Town area, but a fresh coat of paint and weed removal from walk areas would be an improvement. • Real Hawaiian town, friendly, mellow people and scene. Great community. • I love the little local shops and the variety of music and people that go in and out of there. • We love the feel of old plantation town. Not Mainland development or high rises. People want steam vents and lost them. Stop the ugly roads, spend money on dangerous, not private privilege, we get the worst DPW, road yet. • Has a great look, the look of the town could be a big attraction. • Its look and vibe. I love Main Street and would love to see it preserved and protected. • I love Pahoa's old town feeling. I do not want to live in a modern town that is cold and hard. I like the relationships with the store owners and employees and can find just about everything I need here. If not, Hilo is less than 20 miles away. Makes me ask myself if I really need it or just want it. • I love Pahoa's outpost look. There is a throwback type of architecture that should be maintained. The character of downtown Pahoa should be maintained through architectural, preservation, perhaps by designating it an historic district, (if it isn't already) and by requiring new buildings to be consistent with that designation. • It's growing and cleaning up. • I love that Pahoa has character, and a lot of colorful characters!) I love the Pahoa Library and would be happy to see it get even better. I love that I see familiar faces everywhere, and that Pahoa has a small town charm. Quaintness. 15 • The sense of community, support for each other at the neighborhood, school and church level. The friendly people. • It is a quaint, beautiful town. • The UNIQUENESS and HISTORICAL LEGACY of the village, its lack of corporate presence in the village, (don't let it any closer, thanks Long's)! I love the quaint charm of the downtown street boardwalk. • I love the old time feel of the town. The store fronts and boardwalk are quaint. • Pahoa town's small town feel and look. It has all the necessary stores and amenities but is still quaint and friendly. • The charming old buildings and being able to get a variety of sit - down and take -out meal choices. • Small town atmosphere with a separate area for new businesses, ie: shopping center, nice selection of restaurants. "Funky ", old "hippie" atmosphere. • I love Pahoa and its old funky building and diverse population. • I love the funky home -town feel and the aloha attitude most folks have. I like the old buildings. Like the small town feel. • LOVE the covered walkways. Environmental consciousness small -town artistic, creative people, eclectic characters. OTHER ATTRIBUTES OF PAHOA • The new transfer station has made life easier in getting all your rubbish/recycling done in one place. • Good restaurants, good natural food store....the best swimming pool on the Big Island... great community center. • Love the hardware store, Long's drugs, newly paved roads. • The addition of Longs and improvements to the shopping center save us lots of time and gas. • Great businesses and great business owners. Skate Park is great! Music scene is good. Food is great! Community is great. • Nothing in particular. • The diversity of its residents. The sense of community. How everyone knows everyone. The Christmas parade.! I grew up in Pahoa, it's my home, and it's all I know — its got character, and it's important to keep that in mind when you bring in generic and 16 damaging entities like Burger King and KFC that litter the roads with disposable garbage and treat local employees poorly, all while providing unhealthy food. • I love the health food store. • The restaurants and stores are great. The people are friendly. • Love the cute little restaurants like Ning's and Paulo's and Kaleo's. Appreciate the Farmers market - easier there than Maku'u. Like the big parking lot at Pahoa Marketplace for grocery shopping, hardware store, banking, pharmacy, medical clinic, and business office services. • I adore the pool and use it often. I'm not sure if the library is included in Pahoa Town, but it is a wonderful asset to Pahoa. • Real Hawaiian town. Friendly, mellow people and scene. Great community. • I appreciate the businesses that have chosen to build in this community. With fuel rising, Hilo may end up being a once a month trip! • It's growing and cleaning up. • Lots of local color and better restaurants than Hilo. • It has excellent restaurants and the entertainment venues have potential. Easy access to the ocean and Volcano. Friendly people. The down home feeling and local private small businesses. • I "appreciate" the pool, the new fire station and police station /registration office. Longs drugs. Service stations and the new shopping area /fast food places. • We really enjoy the community swimming pool, good restaurants; great little boutiques (love the used book store) love the Akebono, live music, historic buildings. • I appreciate many of the boutique shops and restaurants and Akebono theatre. Pahoa rivals Hilo Bayfront as a place to meet people and socialize. • Our recreational complex with its beautiful pool is great. The variety of eateries is amazing. • I love the different restaurants, not the fast food - except Subway. The town could use some more parking lots strategically located, to encourage foot traffic. I really don't even need to go to Hilo; we have plenty of shopping opportunities here. I like the idea of more community gardens! • I like the weather and the people. 17 • The swimming pool for family fun. • Like the new recycle facility, like the new police and fire station, like the community center and swimming pool. • The plentiful and good restaurants. The Sunday market is good and fun. • Attempts made to refurbish old buildings -the farmer's market -new paved roads, real restaurants -post office people, and medical clinic personnel. • The best thing about Pahoa is community. • Small and everything is accessible. • Pahoa is an unusual place where people of all types, even if they don't get along, at least have tolerance. • Good restaurants. The town where everyone falls in love again. • The museum, a wonderful sanctuary where a broken ass poor person can meet progressive minds can come together through music. • Much better since all improvements. • New fire and police facility great. Our local food merchants great. Pool is great. Look at Hawi, a good model. The new pump facility is great. • Diverse people. Concerts at Akebono, community activities, parades. Grocery store is closer. We are unique -flaws and all! • The people and restaurants. • The walking atmosphere feels safe and fun. • Love the open spaces, small businesses and people. • I love that this is where I live and want to raise a family! I also like that I don't have to go to Hilo very often. • Pool. Need solar for hot showers and pool heat. Old style town. • I feel that my fellow Punatics are more like family than friends and neighbors. Most people have a good sense of aloha. We need to teach all these mainlanders how to go easy. • The diversity of people. The Natch' new parking lot! • Diversity, all the young families and their children. People who live and work in Puna and Pahoa area. • I like the local businesses like Puna Style, Islands Naturals, Luquins, 2 Thai restaurants, Jungle love. I support all local business Pahoa Feed & Fertilizer. Skate Park & Pahoa Pool. • Nice town. Public pool. Ohana feeling. The cats at 7 -11. 110 • Can walk to health food store, laundry mat, post office, and health center -nice to have all these essential things close together -makes it easier on the poor. • The Kapukapuka Center & what it adds to Pahoa, I love the library! • The people, the lifestyle, the "LOOKS" OF OLD Pahoa Town. • I love the "hang loose" attitude. Good restaurants. Diversity. • Diverse culture. Conscious people. • The people, open people, beautiful scenery. • What I like; need more recycle bins -more plant flowers, just bar on street. • The convenience of Cash & Carry and hardware store, public bathroom and pool. • A good feeling of tolerance for all types of people. I like that people are out on the streets. Am glad that there are many restaurants and privately owned business. Love the swimming pool. Unique! • I enjoy the closeness & environment the town gives. It's a friendly environment. • The Malama Market, Longs Drugs, Subway. It makes it convenient just about having all what they have at Malama complex. • I appreciate all the goods and services Pahoa Town has to offer, so I do not need to travel to Hilo. • The security guards at Pahoa Community Center and medical clinic are nice and have stopped rampant crime there. Outdoor eating is nice. • Everyone knows everyone, and everyone is so loving and caring, also are very big hearted. • The Skate Park. • Better stores, but cost too high. • Do not like to see or smell un- showered people about with dirty clothes and loitering. • The people are what make Pahoa special. • Friendliness of the people. • I appreciate the restaurants and some basic shopping available now. • It's close and has a couple excellent chefs - especially Lei at the Pho Cafe. Kaleo's is way over rated. Paulo's, a joke. Easy to get in and out, unpretentious, simple very simple. • Small town, sense of community. The many services available. • The history, atmosphere, food, the garden. • Individualism & creativity. 19 • Scenic people some -if not all of residents. • I love it. I work here. I appreciate having a job close to home. This way I don't have to spend lots on gas. • Pahoa town center character is good. I love covered walkways, but sidewalks need to be made coherent. • Love the people. Old style. Uniquely Hawaiian. • It is small funky, unique and eclectic — I like that. • Simple, local businesses, small & friendly. • It is a town of individuals who are trying to make it work. • The people and the culture of courtesy. • We finally have enough services in Pahoa to make it a real community. I don't have to go to Hilo anymore. Pharmacies, grocery, Lex Brodies, Luquins, Kaleo's, all I need. And the pool is great! • I love the quality and variety of food in the restaurants here. Luquins, Ning's, Paulo's, Island Natural, etc. I love that we have a pool for children & other community members to use, especially with summer around the corner. I love the convenience of having so many financial institutions because I bank at more than one. I love & appreciate the quality & variety of services in health care here. Although Long's Drugs is no longer locally owned, I do appreciate having them here. • I love where I work & the people I work with here in Pahoa. Even though a lot of us do not live right here. They all care very much about the children & people of this community & wish it was easier to get the residents & local businesses to be more involved in school and community functions & with each other. We live in a rainbow society /community here & are all a part of the good things that Pahoa has to offer & are responsible for making it even better for the future generations to come. Over the years, I have seen neighborhoods positively change & more clean access to the beautiful sites, (such as Pohoiki ... campgrounds, bathrooms, etc) super job! Would like to see it grow now as a community that can stand together & continue to make positive changes. We are all one, no matter where we have come from. I believe when people come here & really make Hawaii /Pahoa their home, it becomes a part of you like no where else & makes us all a part of something bigger than ourselves. It inspires a lot of us in many ways. Strength is in numbers. Now we need to bring back the heartfelt kindness & love & respect for one another as part of such a potentionally great community and fantastic place to live and raise our families and have pride in where we come from and where we live. 20 • It's a small community where everyone watches out for each other. We need to keep that intact! • I love and appreciate the sense of community of Pahoa town. Everyone tries to be friendly to visitors & is always treating others like extended family. • I love the up and coming shopping center (Longs) not Malama market, they are expensive. • Pahoa, as a town has improved in the last few years. There are fewer vagrants on the street selling drugs & there are better restaurants & stores. • I love the sense of community & the choice of restaurants. • I like the new fire and police station with solar panels are fabulous. The public swimming pool is an asset. The new rubbish dump is amazing with its recycling & reuse store. I appreciate the jobs created, but hate having a "strip mall" and fast junk food restaurants in our little town. • There are plenty of restaurants. • I love the diverse blend of people, although all are not always friendly. The Sunday Farmers market is very nice. • Generally people are super friendly & helpful. Good restaurants for a small town. Farmers market good -would be nice mid -week too. Venues for music & other events nice. • Variety of the locally based restaurants & shops, especially on the business route. • We have food services- great! • Having been born and raised in Pahoa Town, I love that there are still residents here that have been here for generations. My neighbors. • Like restaurants, Malama & Longs, hardware Store, Auto parts store, gas stations. Great people. • I appreciate the diversity of cultures in food establishments and the efforts made to keep our town drug -free and easy to stroll through. • Diversity and multiculturalism. • Like the pool, health food store, restaurants, community center, sense of community, fire & police stations, village road kept same, dump & resale store. • Pahoa is growing rapidly from a very small cozy village where everyone knew each other in addition to all the families in Kapoho, Kalapana, & Opihikao. Everyone was poor, but they felt lucky to be better off, than so many others. All the children worked hard at an early age as expected to help the family in every way possible. All of my 21 former Pahoa High School classmates have gone on to very different lives in other cities. Pahoa is lucky to have shopping centers and many great eating places. It is great that there were outsiders who moved in to revitalize & re- energize Pahoa Town to take over the former businesses of the old shops. They are all making a positive improvement in making Pahoa better. With the huge population increase, it helped a lot in providing the much needed services for the Pahoa population. Pahoa is growing rapidly, but it still has its small town flavor where all the nationalities know each other as good friends. By providing the needed services, people will not have to invest so much time to travel to Hilo. We are happy to see Pahoa grow to a very nice community. In the past, people called Pahoa the "Wild West" as there used to be so much drugs and nothing the police could do. Now it is a good place to raise your children & family. • I basically love and appreciate the new developments such as the Longs area with the other businesses. You don't have to go all the way to Hilo for Longs. Same goes for Malama Market Place. You can purchase products here you need it on the spur of the moment instead of driving all the way to Hilo, even though the cost is a little more. • Has good food, love the swimming pool, has a library. • What I like about Pahoa is that we have a large variety of stores. • It's a good family place. • What I love about Pahoa town is that a lot of people are very close knit. • Pahoa High School is an amazing school. It may not be one of the richer schools, but it's well maintained and under control. • Our P.H.I S. School has a lot of activities and good social groups. • I like that it has a really nice pool, it's nice it has a CVS market. Restaurants seem good. • Good restaurants. • That I can get basic things & it has Ning's. • Love the restaurants, Montessori school, HAAS Charter School, both farmers markets. • The people. The sense of "live and let live ". • The people all working together & NO judgment of others. • Akebono events, music, variety recently HAAS swing dance benefit Farmers Market at Akebono, Aerobics. • There are local small mom & pop shops & restaurants. • Longs. We needed a major player to keep prices down. 22 • I love that I grew up here, but there's so much drug use, so I appreciate the town itself. I just don't appreciate the people who live in it. • The food and restaurant option. The sense of aloha and community. • I appreciate that we can do stuff in Pahoa town like eating, drink beverages, cut hair, & even play in the park because without these things we wouldn't have a world. • What I love about Pahoa town right now is that there is not a lot of people around in the community. • I appreciate the grocery store down here like Malama Market, it's convenient for us especially if we need something right away it may not have it all, but it has what I need. I like how it is now because there's more variety to choose to eat & don't' always have to drive all the way to town. • I appreciate the respectful people that work and live in Pahoa town. • I appreciate Malama Market because we don't have to go to Hilo to go shopping anymore. I also love that we have longs drugs. It's like our convenient grocery & drug store. • Honestly, I can't say I love or appreciate Pahoa town, it's a place I respect, it's a place for food, clothing, education, that's all. It is what it is. • I love how Pahoa is getting more recognized & I'm pretty sure we have a pretty famous band from Pahoa too O • I appreciate that they have built Longs Drugs, Burger King & KFC. Makes the town look like its improving & being taken care of. Some people's views on Pahoa town have changed since. • YUMMM! KFC, L &L & BURGER KING, OH & #1 CHINESE BBQ! • It's alright. There are too much bad people selling drugs & doing drugs in Pahoa town. The roads are too small & hardly any room to drive. • Good restaurants and close to where I live. • I like the improvements that have taken place over the last few years. The new transfer station is awesome and the shopping & restaurants are great. • Love the restaurant choices, the swimming pool, library, community center, market, hardware store, bank new center. • I like being able to do my shopping and go out to eat. • Diversity of people & life - styles, the Christmas parade, tolerance and appreciation of nature, funky & friendly. • Love the people, love the warm aloha feeling from the merchants. Assessable and has everything you need with excellent aesthetic value. 23 • I love the colorful people. Pahoa has a diverse population and that make for a very interesting town and experience. I love that there are many restaurants, would like more shopping opportunities. • I like that most of the newer buildings (except for ugly Longs & the fast food restaurants) have been designed with some thought to maintaining a plantation type look. • I like its wooden sidewalks, the Catholic Church steeple when Mauna Kea is showing off. The number of and variety of eating establishments. • The closeness of the people. • APPRECIATE LIBRARY, BANKS, ISLAND NATURALS, HARDWARE, and GASOLINE & DIESEL. • Good restaurants. Small road through town, • The people, the art boutiques and FANTASTIC RESTAURANTS!! The shopping is good. • The buildings of longs and the Pahoa Marketplace have given the community jobs and conveniences that have made life much better out here. • The many roads are so much better, widen & cleaned up the area. I love the quaintness of most of the structures; I love the bus shelters & bus schedules. • Sense of community, meeting neighbors and friends, restaurants, historical. • Old hippies with gray pony tails walking down the street. It's like stepping into a time warp. • The friendly people who accept all and try to deal with poorly maintained small roads. • I like that I don't have to drive to Hilo to get groceries, etc. but need more businesses in Pahoa. Like the boutique businesses in old Pahoa Village. Like the rural feel of town so future development should avoid using concrete & instead keep cinder /gravel parking areas, etc. • I love Luquins; I love Kaleo's & Sukothai; the pool & skate park is great. Nice assortments of restaurants; I love that they are allowing the town to grow with all the additions around Malama Market; it enhances quality of life for community members and attracts new people. • I love that we draw talent in our little town. I would like to see structural improvements to the down town. • I love the fact that we can go to Pahoa and do our grocery shopping. I don't appreciate whoever painted over our mural of Uncle Luther, Keil and old Pahoa town. What happened? 24 • I grew up in Pahoa town all my life. A good amount of things have changed due to development. Most of all I appreciate how small the place is. It's easy to get familiar with almost the whole town. • What I like about Pahoa is the surf shop, because I can find what I like in the shop. • I love the fact, that in the town, everything is fairly close to each other walking is an option that most people choose to take ... more exercise. I also appreciate the fact that we have a pool. • I appreciate the new fire and police station that we have. • I see friends there. There are GREAT places to eat. Formal and informal. People with businesses there put a lot of commitment into them. • Diversity and earth feel -not over developed "aloha spirit" & "breathe easy" attitude. • Picturesque. I love the home- grown/local shops. I love the library. • It's our home, and many people are stepping up to make it a better place to live and raise our children and grandchildren. • Friendly, honest, civic. • I enjoy shopping at Longs in Pahoa. I enjoy having Burger King & KFC as well as old time favorites in downtown Pahoa. I like that Longs built a store that is fully stocked. • Cash & Carry has the best selection and easy pricing on most things. • Luquins family style. Puna Community Med. Ctr, friendly and accessible, even without insurance or money. The Catholic Church is a real landmark, and a place for many folks to congregate. • Great restaurants, pool and community center. • The feel of local businesses, the new recycle center is great. • It's friendly, and good size to promote small town benefits with plenty of new blood and new ideas and new creations and activities /entertainment /classes, etc. • Pahoa Neighborhood Center serves as a vital gathering place for community group meetings. Stores allow some limited access to goods. Tourism in all of Puna would suffer greatly without the restaurants in Pahoa. • I like the variety of non -chain food establishments, entertainment, etc. • Sunday market, many things within walking distance. • Police protection is so much better than 20 years ago. • I like Island Naturals being in the Old Town. 25 • I like the farmers markets. • Good food available, if you have money. Good people. • No McDonald's. • I have seen and experienced much aloha from the local community. The people who work in business and services get to know you. There is a good conversation in lines, and just in general a warm feeling between. I've never felt unwelcome or like a stranger, even when we first moved here. • The people seem to be very friendly and plenty of access to good food and entertainment. • Cool atmosphere with lots of good food choices. • That is has the potential to get better. That it is close to the HAAS Charter School. • I appreciate the weekend markets. Family owned businesses. • The pool, the restaurants. Unique character diversity. • I like that my child will know most, if not all, of his classmates by first name before he gets to high school. • I love the town that my family has resided in for generations. Somewhat dissatisfied that there is not as much growth for community centers, parks, etc. for the keiki. Development of more charter schools as well as preschools is greatly needed. I would be in hopes that we will be able to make Pahoa a better self - sufficient community. Gas prices and cost of living prevents family from traveling outside of the community. We are in dire need of an ER. • Appreciate the pool, although the heating cover is an issue. Sunday market, Akebono, Luquins. Sense of community. • I like the Aloha here. I really admire the way the refuse dump is clean and well kept. I like shopping at Longs because it's cheaper than Malama market. I appreciate the gas stations and banks; I also enjoy and appreciate the used book store. I am really happy about the Pahoa Police station, doing registration is easy and fast. • That there is a natural food store and some good restaurants. • Well, it looks like a dump, but some people like that. I do like some of the places to eat. You don't have the kind of culinary diversity Pahoa has in many places this small. Other than that, there's not much to recommend. • Not much judgment of poverty as we are all in this together. • I love the skate park, Hawaii Academy of Art & Sciences, the diversity of people. 26 • I appreciate the skate park and the pool. The health food store, Cash & Carry, and the community center are nice too. • Sense of community anchored by places like Luquins, banks, natural food store. • Pahoa has many community events which are well attended and reinforce the pride residents of Puna have for the town. Grassroots efforts by individuals and organization are made to clean up and keep clean the town. There are many concerned and involved local residents whose interest is in the community verses personal gain. 27