HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0241.017 2022-2024 Rei.ful-23
COMM.ail
Sent: Monday, May 01, 2023 7:53 AM
To: Maki Morinoue
Cc: Council Testimony
Subject: RE: Please support Res. 141-23
Attachments: Kona Imin (Immigrant) Center.pdf
a_
ri
r1-7
From: Maki Morinoue
Sent: Monday, May 1, 2023 6:58 AM
Subject: Please support Res. 141-23
Aloha members of Hawai'i County Council,
My name is Maki Morinoue, I am a fourth-generation Japanese American kama'aina from Holualoa. I am also
a member of the Holualoa Machi Kumiai and POlama. This is my family's and community's historical narrative
and my personal multi-generational observation of the changes occurring in culture, weather, developments,
and increased cars and their size and speed on Mamalahoa Hwy.
My uncle Norman Sakata ensured Kona IMIN Center's purpose and gift from the five kumiai organizations to
Hawai'i County would not be forgotten by creating a permanent engraved plaque that is located at this
community center, which I include as an attachment which is valid as we advocate for a safe walking path.
Please support Res. 141-23 and consider the easement acquisition re TMK: 7-6-004:003 w/PONC
funds. This proposal Historic 88 Temples Walk and to envision this easement, and its possibilities for our
future andservice multi-generational impact on our community at large.
This Conservation Easement is an important opportunity to preserve our cultural heritage and to ensure this
walking path right-of-way is secured. Without an easement, establishing a community pathway and
connecting the school to the community center is impossible. FOREVER. There are no alternate
routes.
This Res. 141-23 is vital to envision the possibilities for our future ability to make a multi-generational impact in
our community at large.
This easement would serve and preserve; Comm. N I
'•�
Ref. To: r I LI'� •
1
Ref. Date MAY - 2 2023
1. A 'historic walk' on the location where the 1925 'Shikoku 88 temples miniature pilgrimage' was located
between the monument at the highway and the northwest corner of the subject parcel.
2. Preserve our Japanese American history. The path could potentially honor the five local Japanese-
American Kumiai (associations)who in 1973 gifted to the County the land where their Holualoa
Japanese Language School was located (ca 1898) for the conditional purpose of serving as a
community space and is now known as the Kona IMIN* Community Center. *Imin means 'immigrants'
in Japanese.
3. Opening up one of two remaining unprotected segments of a walking pathway connecting the
elementary school to the IMIN Center. ("The one acre school yard at Holualoa is used for organized
sports. Holualoa School and the Kona Imin Center in Holualoa also serve as community centers for
meetings, social gatherings, and recreational purposes" (Hawaii County General Plan - Recreation
12.5.7.1). Support multigenerational programming and enhance Holualoa Elementary School through
after school programming.
•
4. Creating Safe Routes to School and improving emergency preparedness infrastructure. (Imin Center is
a designated tsunami evacuation shelter, and the School is a designated hurricane evacuation
shelter) Connecting these two facilities via an alternate pedestrian path would leave Mamalahoa Hwy
open for cars and emergency vehicles.
It is disappointing that Pulama's 2020 PONC Application, with nine CountyCouncil, votes togreen light this
PP 9 PP � 9
with a willing owner, was unsuccessful in acquiring the subject TMK as a whole parcel purchase. We are
relieved that as of 4/28/23, the owner is STILL a willing owner& ownership has not changed!
This third and reduced scope version of their application is a great indication of how important the value of this
path is to our multigenerational kama'aina community and businesses. Our community has seen much pain
after World War II with the order for our US Military to destroy all Japanese American Monuments along
Mamalahoa Hwy. For some reason, this Shikoku 88 Temples Pilgrimage Monument in Holualoa village was
spared or missed. We are honored as a community from North Kona to South Kona participated in supporting
this monument's restoration, which was recently completed on 3/6/23 this year in collaboration with POlama
and Kona Koyasan Daishiji Mission.
This application is an important opportunity to preserve our cultural heritage and to ensure this walking path
right-of-way is secured. Without this segment, there are no possibilities for becoming a community pathway.
There are no alternate routes.
With gratitude for this opportunity,
Maki Morinoue
Holualoa Kumiai member
POlama is Kona, VP
Maki Morinoue
Share your ALOHA
"Aloha Spirit" is the coordination of mind and heart within each person. It brings each person to the self.
Each person must think and emote good feelings to others. In the contemplation and presence of the
life force, "Aloha,"
2
Kona Imin (Immigrant) Center
""i ?„*,qj vr, 1yj1.ij FSA o�,� ,'11:'iil.,'C`'y�j'#'�:nd,0 7i�.`Z'�4yt{l lg , -Y4ttf i.IC�',kti ofiklAttat ` i
y$, C,.s �''':.; '-"PISC 4. -S; ti .y"+' n`. +{._4 .�)';' ow
' ld,, ,.-ale_q�`r�it,,�“:}• , '1' 7.
*���-JJJJ a } }. /11l( , •`A ,-=f /' )
,1t S.• 'Lzggi,to ,�� j,,:14 .. K l i C
.. i•. �41,., f` �' -mow$ .41 z. �j •.ti�► {� VR}.!!, 4� _�4 r�4 ��'9wL �.
M't) i,Zt4114� T } > 1( nK I tSi� y`iY'A• 1 d �' tr b2
� 7
1 t 111']1 '~! 11 , Z ,'1`Itill' , , or q t > T11� all@9Fj s "". u Y 1,
,..0;k6-$t 4.1160 iYl iVt 1 i 7 8*,, • 1 610 Oe 1d 11 I 11: 1 :'tlt3{ 111G y ► : I
,;,J� i v ^' �,,y ' TTTA. ,tel
ftt 11 1t1 ' ._,1,it 1 'l��i l i 41t ,'/; 1 1 1 ', 1 i '�` . 1,11.1 Faa'�R�
t_i;i�'; r a t is ii, 4 i :4, y 1 'tCr,'COmtnklltfi�f ''> ,mai? + , 1 ;f " ," T„ ;
iY/1�• IeY l�l�.1 f:1� 4`}5#'� 1 Inti, It111ii? L 11J�1 li ,` 4, t' I�I1a �ON r
0
*�`'i., t {r,iy, 'gyp ''.
?� t714 IY.�11 1! �Z� . I Y6�+=t14!� v, + +i � � 1 1 `• 1 1 a
'IA 1�� ;a .7 11 ;Il 11 t' a, ♦ } , 11:� 1 1 11 /
1 �
ti(?`';71j' t) tttltn6ll�' Tle31,i'7'�1`l 7 r /1 ,`i ,�lat: II 1 11 tr � 0 > Q8 U1�}0;
t �t� y �µ(��Vy T ► 7 ( 011,*
1:t,.I F� ''t '{s tiL,;', t,.. !. �', C•, •t• y�`.,11��
!`,• t;1:11V is-:iii4�f!-.4.itlt♦11t11t 1�1k,,!-11,*; � i t l 1 § .111 '+':t., , 1 i; 111 1 1 ;I ''~il Y!J
,iniThlyN; 111 It '{ Oti.t }51'_yi♦�,tiii 4 r 11 iii: 1 i'1 1 'I i s, 411 1i 11, I1,"/§
Y 1� .. '. 1. . �q � �f+.
';).4,ft0,0 !t0, ;k1 t l lii.31;/ 1pc ttr r .1 r 1 • 1,'i1 li[1' )lt. ',!"-;1; T �\C wAt,
1�17i 111i�.1 ` 4�:„ Ii lil tkliiiN I i ,,,ll 1 Y ` 1 , F 1.,l'I1 1—iiii i:0-1 ,
....:'.031)1?lS It t04 c.i fl ,0(Ph :i...`71 i , t; ), }171! :•ke', ` ,14,s"
i.` 1 tl +ti ) t, 117,1'1111} ,iil%�t 4 i 1a i ."f,,
1 j '� ' '+
Alik
a; $�.�t, l.'tt f�i�'�•Ak�7m b '�'�'1,1"‘r 11{;{1A`� � t, if'�'.•
i171!�h i,i''oM1'mnii,,ilitial' 1 ki tt ' ,_' 11. 1 ' 5, ' '1'rt'1 ;,'..);*- 11:.-
IZ1: ' +q -'
,Ail*- � ty l `,l�i r -TI i;3"'; �:�1 1+1 .,' 1 t i,,,i. :1 11 P 1 1 r. 1 1 ` �) ± '/ t`�i` :'
i ' .`r },y���-♦ Yi j�'i ;�t' ♦ t i t'�'�,' 5 aY7 �A. 'MI' � r�Q��u ,d '��i
' 1.-,.1 IS 1��/•,14o�S r 11-6--1;''.;i , 2 11111 �}��,�I'tq`��, ri 1411 t. , tl�.�ll tl ' I /�1 {.. ,+'Y yj�.�I•J..., i"RY
�. ..,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.„,„4„,,,,,,,, ,.„,,,,.,,t„,..,,,,,,�`.lF1�'f i1 {1 ,; 1` .11Zn: lli�
•
,'1 .' L .'ti +. -,..4FI,.,.. :`' �4 . . Mar ;�Y .Ai' YM';Pi. '.w.t,...i ,:, k.
"The land which this Center now stands was originally the site of the Holualoa Japanese Language
School, which was built in 1898. For many Japanese, it was important to retain cultural ties to their
homeland they had left, and that meant making sure that their children could speak Japanese. These
immigrants pooled their resources and bought the land to build the Holualoa Japanese Language
School. Many of the area children received Japanese instructions six days a week after coming home
from a full day of English school.
When World War II started, the Holualoa Language School was closed by Executive Order 9066 issued
by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The United States viewed anyone of Japanese ancestry as an
enemy and it became a crime to speak Japanese in public. After the war the Holualoa Language
School reopened but soon after closed again as the children and grandchildren of the original
immigrants assimilated into the unique Hawai'i culture. In 1973, a momentous decision was made by
the Holualoa Japanese Community Association which consisted of five Kumiai that owned the land -
The Holualoa Machi, Holualoa Nogyo, Kahaluu, Kamalumalu and Waiaha kumiais, to donate the land,
consisting of 2.87 acres, to the County of Hawai'i with the only condition that the land be used for a
community center that would benefit all people.
The Holualoa Community Center was completed in July 1978. In 1985 the Holualoa Community
Center was renamed the Kona Imin Center in tribute to the 100th anniversary of Japanese immigration
to Hawai'i. The Kona Imin Center is a testament to the hard work and determination of the immigrants
from all lands who came to Hawaii in search of a better way of life."