2014-05-01HEARINGTRANSCRIPT-CONNECTIONSCBESSSPP12-138

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would only need 50 acres. So, this, it doesn’t make sense. They haven’t justified why they need 70 acres for their property, for their school. As a principal, I’ve faced similar situations. I understand what they are going through. Financially, as you’ve heard, charter schools have had problems financially being able to sustain and conduct their operations. And, I think what’s missing here is that the priority is really for instruction, and not for schools for facilities. And when you have a phase development, what happens is that you have multiple campuses, and it impacts on your staff training, what we call articulation between grade levels because of separate campuses. So, it really doesn’t make sense. There is—I think it’s foolish, in my mind, it’s foolish expenditure of their funds, their limited funds. That’s pretty much about it. Thank you. GONZALES: Any questions for Mr. Kanemoto? Thank you. Ms. Novak, you’re also speaking on behalf of Norine Okuhara and Donald Ikeda? NOVAK: Yeah. GONZALES: Okay, and she did promise to be mindful of our time constraints. NOVAK: Okay, so who do you want first? Or do I do both? GONZALES: You can just do your thing. NOVAK: Okay. “Good morning Commissioners, my name is Norine Okuhara, and I lived on 1209B Kaūmana Drive for over 40 years. My home is right below where Commissions (sic) want to build their school. We, the community have voiced many concerns, i.e. water, traffic, etc. They, John Thatcher, Ted Hong and “their” people, always said that they have addressed our concerns. They have not followed, explained, or implemented what they said they were going to do. They have only talked about it, but we have yet so see any concrete plans of implementation. I, therefore, do not trust them because unless things do not, do not go their way, “oh, the community is against the students, etc.” I have attended many meetings where by the students themselves told the committee members that the community was against them. We have always told the students in our testimony that we were not against the students per say but against the way they, the adults, have conducted their so-called open forum meetings, inviting the community members. As a retired teacher, this has really upset me. I had also attended the meeting conducted by Judge Sandra Song. I feel that her judgment was accurate and just. According to John Thatcher, quoted in the Hawai‘i Tribune Herald, he claims that Judge Song’s conclusion was inaccurate. It was not inaccurate. She brought out all of the points that were pointed out during her hearings. I am not being biased because she favored the community. She could see that the community members were speaking sincerely and from their hearts. 10 EXHIBIT F