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<br />AU: So when you say we, do you have like a Board of Trustees, or what -? <br /> <br />THATCHER: We’re working with our non-profit, a non-profit entity. That’s the CBESS part <br />(Community Based Education Support Services), and this is the non-profit that supports our <br />school in areas that we need support, for instance, paying for any legal counsel to represent <br />CBESS interest. <br /> <br />KERN: Any other questions? <br /> <br />GONZALES: I have a question. <br /> <br />KERN: Commissioner Gonzales. <br /> <br />GONZALES: So you’re leasing the land from whom, from the State? <br /> <br />THATCHER: From the State of Hawai‘i. <br /> <br />GONZALES: Okay, thank you. <br /> <br />KERN: I have a couple of questions. Did you guys look at any alternate locations? <br /> <br />THATCHER: Yes. We looked at, at least seven I believe, was it Celia? I think it was seven at <br />least that we looked at. <br /> <br />KERN: And what was it that ultimately led to this location? <br /> <br />THATCHER: Some were too big, some were too small, the access was difficult in some areas <br />and this -. You know, being, being close to support organizations for an agricultural program is <br />important to us. And so having both CTAHR and the University of Hawai‘i’s agriculture <br />programs very close is an opportunity for our students to be exposed to these programs and to <br />potential careers. <br /> <br />KERN: Okay. And your student population as far as where they’re coming from? <br />Geographically I know it’s a mixture. Can you break that down closely. <br /> <br />THATCHER: It’s approximately 50 percent are coming from Puna, being bused in mostly; and <br />the other 50 percent would be from the Hilo area. But we have had students as far away as <br />Honokaa. We’ve had students, we still have students from Naalehu, Volcano, all the way out to <br />Pahoa. <br /> <br />KERN: Okay. I think that’s it for me. Any other questions? Seeing none, you folks may have a <br />seat. Thank you. We will be, the next portion, segment, what we’re going to go through is the <br />public testimony portion. Before that we’re going to take a 10-minute recess, and then we’ll get <br />into public testimony. We have about 65 people signed up to testify, so should be good. Thank <br />you. <br /> 17 <br /> EXHIBIT A <br /> <br /> <br />