2013-10-17 Veteran Advisory Committee Minutes

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Veterans Advisory Committee Page 4 October 17, 2013 Mr. Tyler said he understood that P&R was very concerned about the possible addition of this garden because of the 93 gallons a day or whatever and he hopes it will be recirculated, and won’t break the bank. He wants to let everybody know you might be hearing things, but don't believe everything you hear and that's not against Bob in any way, shape or form because this was done before he came here. Look at the record, look at the legal documents and it is very very clear. Deputy Director Fitzgerald said when he looked at the original documents in 2000 or 2002 he thought there was a cap of how much water they could produce. As far as the free and everything else that is a 100%, but he thought there was a cap of how much they would provide for free. POW/MIA PRESENTATION Speaker #2 - Awapuhi Huihui-Graffe Veterans Cemetery III – Support of POW/MIA Memorial Garden Awapuhi Huihui-Graffe said she had a vision and a passion to honor those that have made the ultimate sacrifice, these men and women soldiers who still fight today. Some from the past have not returned home. She just needed a place to honor them and that families can honor them. She and her husband had a vision to create a memorial garden at the Veterans Cemetery. John Grogan and a few others met some very good friends of West Hawai`i Veterans Cemetery along with Curtis Tyler who they met just a few weeks ago heard their story and plea to the Water Department. They are not going to overuse the water, they just want a place for the soldiers and their families to come and celebrate a garden for them. Her father-in-law Captain Paul Graffe was shot down in Vietnam in 1959 and he doesn't have a place. His place is in a foreign country because he was never found along with 83,000 that have not come home. She will not forget them and she hopes that others will also not forget them. She requested approval for this garden. Speaker #3 - Councilmember Karen Eoff, District 8 Veterans Cemetery III – Support of POW/MIA Memorial Garden Councilmember Karen Eoff shared when she saw a message going around from Susan Awapuhi regarding fundraising for this memorial she thought what a wonderful opportunity for her to contribute. Because it would take a long time to raise the funds necessary for this memorial and she didn't want it to take too long, she would like to appropriate about $15,000 from her Council Contingency Funds towards this garden to help make it become a reality. Her staff is ready to go and has the necessary paperwork to transfer these funds to a P&R account in order for them to purchase the necessary benches, plants, stone work and memorial plaques to make the garden a reality. She said they first needed to receive the approval from this committee and urged members to please support this project and they will do it in a timely fashion. She shared that she felt it will benefit everybody present and everybody that has sacrificed their lives. She thanked Curt Tyler for reminding us what a long road it has been to make this the most beautiful cemetery in the state. She congratulated everybody for their commitment and thanked P&R Director Clayton Honma and Deputy Director Bob Fitzgerald for their help.