2012-12-06 Windward Transcript Connections

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PUBLIC: Read it. GOMES: He messages to me on Facebook. We’re not friends on Facebook. This is what he writes, “Just wanted to let you know that yesterday one of our high schools students committed suicide. I am in no way blaming any of you, I just wanted to let you know. Emotions are running… high…. Your signs are not helping. Please share our sad news with your friends and family.” This is the kind of sick behavior I’ve got to deal with from the school. They take a picture of my home to make a video. I was told the video was made by a pastor to put it on the Internet. And now my home is a target. They steal signs, trash my yard. I’ve got to put up with this. I need intervention and relief. You need to tell them stop it, knock it off, act like adults, become a responsible school. Tell me now how am I supposed to go to that meeting at the school? I know they’re going to try and hit my home again while I’m gone. It doesn’t make sense. This is their behavior. DARROW: Time. AU: Okay, thank you, Mr. Gomes. Any questions for the testifier? Okay, thank you guys very much. You may be seated. We’ll bring up the next, we have four more testifiers. We have Jeff Gomes representing Matt Medeiros, Carol Zimmerman and Tom Raffipiy. So please be seated. Okay. So can you guys raise your right hand, the two of you I did swear you in already. Do you swear and affirm to tell the truth in front of the windward Planning Commission today? TESTIFIERS: Yes. AU: Okay, thank you. Jeff Gomes, you go ahead. You’ve already stated your name so you go ahead. You’ve got three minutes. GOMES: This is a letter from Matthew J. Medeiros, Ph.D., Department of Integrative Biology, University of California and Department of Entomology, Smithsonian Institute, and Francis G. Howarth, Ph.D., Department of Entomology, B.P. Bishop Museum. Kaumana Cave is one of the longest known caves, at over 1500 meters long. As Stone wrote, “Kaumana Cave has been colonized by at least 15 species of endemic cave invertebrates over a 110-year history. Survival of these species is dependent on the native ‘ōhi‘a/uluhe successional forest overlying it. Sections of the cave which do not have Metrosideros [‘ōhi‘a] roos, due to surface clearing, are virtually devoid of cave species.” Several cave invertebrate species rely on live ‘ōhi‘a roots growing through the surface of the cave to provide food and would quickly perish upon removal of the trees from the surface. These include species native to Hawai‘i caves, such as Oliarus planthoppers, Schrankia moths, and a few others, I can’t pronounce it. Additionally, although some of these species might also be able to subsist off the roots of other tree species, planthoppers are host specific and can only eat ‘ōhi‘a roots. Basically what the letter is saying is the world is watching and your decision on what you allow to happen on top of the caves is going to be noted. So please deny this project. AU: Any questions of the testifier? I’ve got a question. Matthew J. Medeiros, does he live here? 16 EXHIBIT D