2015-09-17 Leeward Exh B (SMA 15-060)

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success, youth empowerment and their community, they speak to in terms of values and the depth of meaning that is called from the experiences they have when they connect to something more than their academics and paired with their knowledge of academics. As they walk into the world, they are searching for places that answer this call for motivation, inspiration, faith, strength, ambition, drive, trust, responsibility and relationship with their culture, their land, their kūpuna and their adults. At University of Hawai‘i at Hilo I echo the voice of Chancellor Don Straney saying we are in complete support of this project. And I ask personally that as you do your very necessary due diligence and your responsibility to the County and the people of the county of Hawai‘i, that you balance the responsibility with need to provide this essential opportunity to our young people as soon as possible. Mahalo nui. UNGER: Mahalo. Thea Shapiro, Mo Muadthaisong, Juniper Ozbolt, Makani Gregg. Please raise your right hand. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth before the Planning Commission? TESTIFIERS: I do. UNGER: Kala mai. At this time we have to take a short recess, so when we begin, we’ll start again with you all. RECESSED The Chair Pro Tem called a recess at 12:25 p.m. RECONVENED The meeting reconvened at 12:40 p.m. UNGER: Call the meeting back to order. As a reminder, if we could limit our testimony to three minutes in order to get everybody through the testimony portion of our meeting. If you could raise your right hand. Do you swear and affirm to tell the truth in front of the Planning Commission? TESTIFIERS: Yes. UNGER: Please state your name and where you reside. SHAPIRO: My name is Thea Shapiro and I reside in Puna. MUADTHAISONG: My name is Jirapom Muadthaisong and I also reside in Puna. OZBOLT: My name is Juniper Ozbolt and I reside in Pāhoa, Puna, Hawai‘i. GREGG: Aloha. I’m Makani Gregg and I also reside in Keahialaka, Puna. SHAPIRO: Aloha, and thank you for your time today. I hope that no one here thinks I’m presumptuous in speaking, but I feel very strongly about this issue. I teach at Hawai‘i Academy of Arts and Science, and this is my second year working on site with Mahealani Pai and Keone Kalawe and Malia Kipapa. And I’ve seen so much growth in my students through getting the opportunity to work both on the mauka site, and then when we come, we camp out at Kahalu‘u. And so when Malia gave presentation to us and explained everything about the proposed educational complex, I thought it was so inspiring and so important, because I witness firsthand the growth of my students and the 18 EXHIBIT B