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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0363.008 1996-1998-w - FRIENDS OF H MI' l1i NEWS Issue 1 July 1997 Mission Statement Friends of Hamakua seeks to foster responsible economic growth on the Hamakua Coast in order to maintain and perpetuate a clean,safe and healthy environment within our communities. prrivrn MAHALO, MEMBERS:-------------enaneet Dinner Show & Dance by Clara Toma Cosnly Council FOIL Fundraising Event As of the writing of this newsletter, Friends of by Michael Sofranko Hamakua has 384 members! Of these, 331 are Big Is- "Danceteria"dinner features the talents of community land residents and businesses. The rest are from other chefs and contributions from local restaurants willing to Hawaiian islands,the mainland,and from as far away donate their specialty cuisines to the cause. There will be a as Germany and Japan.The Board of Directors extends selection of delicious prepared entrees,salads and desserts. a big MSO to all of you for your support in spirit, Honokaa's own international performer Sergio Ramirez energy, time and financial contributions. will play classical guitar to add to your dining pleasure. Continued growth of our membership is crucial to The evening does not stop here.Moments Notice will the effectiveness of FOH.Please tell your friends about play their unique combination of jazz, funk and soul music our organization, our mission and the critical issues which will have you dancing the night away.A no-host bar that face us, and ask them to sign up and join us! will be available. For your pleasure and safety, all guests We are happy to bring you the first edition of may also reserve rooms at the club for a discounted rate. Friends of Hamakua News! Our goal is to keep you Please inquire in advance for details. There is limited seat- updated on FOH activities, the latest news regarding ing for the dinner show so Don't Dance on an Empty Stom- the pulp timber industry and alternatives for the ach, Make your Reservations Now! See the back page of Hamakua Coast. If you have suggestions on how our this newsletter for details. Tickets are available at Byrd's newsletter can serve you better, please write to us. Audio in Waimea and at Cafe Il Mondo in Honoka'a. Interested in leasing State and County land in Hamakua? The State and County of Hawaii are offering 10,386 acres of public land located in Hamakua for lease to Oji Paper company of Japan for pulp timber forestry. According to Mike Wilson, head of DLNR, there are 25,000 more acres of State land on the Big Island that the State is planning to take out of cattle and put into pulp timber over the next two years.Hamakua residents who have expressed their concerns to State and County officials that this is not the best use of these lands have been told "If you don't like it then come up with a better idea." There is a better idea.Lease these public lands to local residents,local companies,and local farmer's organizations, rather than to foreign corporations. Friends of Hamakua supports leasing these lands to local residents. We are contacting local farmers, ranchers, forestry professionals, Hawaiian groups (it's their ceded land), community associations, unions, civic organizations, Hamakua District Development Council (HDDC),Ag Co-op, our elected representatives and appointed officials to share information and help find local people,companies,and organi- zations interested in leasing this public land.We are encouraging State and County officials to listen seriously to the interests of this community and its residents.If you think local residents should control public land rather than foreign corporations, now is the time to get involved, contact your public officials and say so. See page 3 for details. If you are interested in leasing these lands,please call us and we will send you a packet of information that includes tax map keys and a map of where this public land is located in the Hamakua area.We will keep you informed of public meetings, hearings, and other events relating to these public lands. For further information, please contact one of the following people: Seppe Wiesmuller 775-8115 Tim Mann 775-0949 Ada Lamme 775-0598 Mahalo and Aloha for your interest. C 3 C3.oS Friends of Hamakua L DATE by Linda Shackelford & ,a Lamme FOH has been busy since April! Here are some of the things we've done. Mahalo to everyone who participated! • Meeting with Mayor Yaneashiro to discuss the pulp industry and Oji Paper Co. of Japan. Mayor Yamashiro insists the pulp timber industry will benefit the island economy. • Meeting with Dr. Bruce Anderson of the Health Department about the burning and spraying practices of Hamakua Timber. Although state laws allow these practices, Dr. Anderson curtailed the burning permits of Hamakua Timber to specific hours during the day and mandated public notification of spraying and burning activities. Hamakua Tunber's Hot Line 775-9955 for daily 2zpdafed information on sprayi~reg and burning activities. FOH encourages all to call frcqucntly. • Meeting with Councilman Joha Ray. Mc Ray bolieves in the pulp industry. His family owns acres of pulp land in Lhe mainland's Southeast. FOH encouraged him to check out family lands there this summer. • Meeting with Mike Wilson, Chair of the Board of Land and Natural Resom~ces. Mr. Wilson listened to us on all issues of the pulp industry but his final conclusion was that he knows what's best for the Hamakua Coast. He encouraged us to lobby ChrisYuen, a board member of the DLNR. • Talks with State Rep. Dwight Takamine. Mr. Takamine initiated a resolution that demands community input be mandatory for state government decisions. He is supportive of alternative land uses and tries to bridge the enormous gap between state government and local communities. • Talks with Councilman Dominic Yagong. Dominic is doing a great job representing the Hamakua Coast on land use issues. He has taken a firm stand on leasing county lands to diversified ag. • T¢Zks with Fionoka'a High School Students both at school and at Tex Drive In. These were facilitated by Keith Burchett, Linda Shackelford, Ada Lamme and Lynn Nakkim. • FOH bootie at Honokda Western Week. Michael Sofranko, Seppe Wiesmuller and Joan Manor sold lots of t-shirts and created goodwill. • Membership Drive. We are encouraging petition signers to become members. Dacia signed the most new members. Thanks Dacia! • FOH booths in Hilo ¢nd Kona for Earth Day. Doug chaired Hilo and Hari chaired Kona. They brought our message to a broader public, sold t-shirts and signed up new members. • News packet. Over 150 packets went out to public officials, University of Hawaii ag sources, ag groups, community groups, private citizens, and news media. Included in the packet are open letters to Mike Wilson and Governor G'ayetano. • Sierra Club affiliatime. Seppe is our representative. The Sierra Club i.egal Defense Fund is interested in our cause. • Joined Ahupua'a Action Alliance, a coalition of over 65 grassroots organizations statewide. Our representative is Ellen Thompson. • Nonprofit Corporation Status. Our 501(c)(3) forms are completed and mailed. Mahalo to John Mourot and Sue Sky! • Adopt a Highway. FOH will be cleaning up 2 miles of Highway 240, as you enter Honoka'a. • Meeting with the County s Committe on Human Service and Economic Development to hear presentations by Hamakua Timber and Bishop Estates on the timber industry. Several Green Party members attended in support of FOH. -3- GET INYOL~'EL Tree planting it. Ialcalau Forest National R'RITE LETTESS~ MAKE PHONE C~LL3! Wlldhfe Refuge by Seppe Wieameller Tett your public officials what you wool done with your state and county lands: On the 7th and 8th of June, 7 members of FOH volunteered to • Michael D. Wilson, Chair spend the weekend in Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge Board of Land and Natural Resources (HFNWR) planting Mamane and Ohia tress. Located on the wind- PO Box 621 Honolulu, HI 96809 ward slope of Mauna Kea, this 32,000 acre refuge supports adiver- Phane: (SOS) 587-0400 sity of native plants and birds equaled only by one or two other • Conntycouncilmembers: areas inHawaii.8ofthel4nativebirdspecieaoccurringatHakalau 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, HI 96720 Forest NWR are listed as endangered. Also, 29 rare plant species are known from the refuge, some being listed as endangered. DominicYagong 961-8264 John Ray 961.8265 Hakalau Refuge is so isolated, it contains some of the best James Arakaki 961-8272 remaining stands of native rain forest in Hawaii. At higher eleva- AaronChung 961-8396 lions,thenativeforestmergesintaformerpasturelandwherecattle, Joe Reynolds 961-8266 pigs and people destroyed the forest to the extent that only a few Curtis Tyler 961-8273 old and diseased trees are left of what must have been a magnifi- John Santangelo 961-8263 cent Koa and Ohia forest. Bobbie Jean Leithead 961-8261 Through the help of volunteer groups, the US Fish and Wild- Al Smith 961-8267 life Service is working to recreate the native forest which will pro- • Elected officials: mote the recovery oC endangered forest birds and their habitat. Mayor Stephen Yamashiro 961-8211 After fencing the land, strips of trees are planted from low to high 26 Aupuni Street, Hilo, HI 96720 elevation, giving the birds a corridor in which to migrate- Eventu- Mr. Dwight, Y. Takamine (808) 586-6440 ally, the land in between the corridors will reseed itself to create House of Representatives once more a multistory rainforest. Hawaii State Capitol, #420 Our group of 7 GS'eppe, Rick, Anna, Sky, Dacia, Dason, Joseph J Honolulu, HI 96813 and Lynn) met in Hilo at 7 am and were taken on a two and a half Governor Bon Cayetano (808) 586-0034 hour drive up Saddle Road and aver the dirt roads leading into the i State Capitol Refuge. After a quick check-in at the cabin where we were to spend Honolulu, HI 96813 the night, we drove along miles of pig fences to the planting area. I The planting area had been scraped by a bulldozer. The plant- FQ[I Fundraising: Welcome Donations Nt ing holes were dug by auger and by hand. All holes were fertilized, Conxribntors by Michae] Sofrauk° but as an experiment some were inoculated with native soil from Without the support of the locni community and the existing forest. Our group planted 510 Mamane and Ohia trees hose wi ding to contribute in their own way, such that Saturday, breaking the tree planting record for any group. We 7, vents would not be possible. Il'yau're a talented s nttheafternooninthe pe greenhouse transplanting tinyOhia seed- ~ok, a farmer or grocery store owner or manager lings into pots. A rainy Sunday was spent driving around the ref- • id would like to contribute to our cause, please uge, sightseeing and learning about native birds and vegetation. a II Michael at 775-9070 to discuss ways we can hate Sunday afternoon saw us all back in Hilo again after a very rk together to make fundraising events success- • productive, enjoyable and informative weekend. gr for all of us. Thank you very much to all those FOH is planning another trip to the refuge within the next porting Friends of Hamakua. few months. IFyou are interested in joining us, please cal] Seppe at Friends of Hamakua Board Members 775-8115. The following nxem.bers were noted in ak the Th gener¢t membership meeting on April `loth: Friends of Hamakua News 'm Mann and Ada l.amme t'.o-t,haira Layout and desi S • ~ ~ppe Wiesmuller Treasurer ~ Ada Shackelford Secretary Editors: Doug and Sky , A chael Sofranko Director A Thanks to everyone contributing such great articles. B Kamakawiwoole Director This newsletter is printed on reeyoled paper Tim g Andrews Director -2- ER/ENnS OE f-inMflKU~I NEWS FOH UPDATES- what we've been doing......page 3 llinner Dance FOH Fundraiser ....................page I Interested in leasing Hamakua land?...........page 1 Tree planting in Hakalau Forest Reserve.....page 1 Important meetings: save this pagel............insert Write letters, make phone calis! ..................page 2 Friends of Hamakua 1'O Box lOfiO I lonoka'a, HI 96727 "Danceteria" Dinner show A Friends of Hamakua Fundraising Event Saturday, July 12 tionoka'a Club 6:30 pm llinner ~ llinner show featuring Sergio Ramirez on Classical Guitar ~ pm llance to the music of Morner~ts Notice Reservations for Dim~er Dancing $15.00 in advance Dancing only $ 5.00 at the door Tickets available at Cafe II Mondo lionoka'a Byrd's Audio Waimea Friends of Hamakua board members hold meetings that are open to the a7gCl ,l~ public, every Wednesday evening, 6:30 PM L661 Z z ~ the North Hawaii Community Credit Union Meeting Room. ~p~ pa{~1~ toy Please join us and bring your ideas. d n' fdTS_ b2Q w~ A Call to Action -What ~u can do to get involved Attend one or all of the following meetings to voice your opinion on what you would Zike to see done with the County and State Lands which may soon be leased to Oji P¢per Company. • Community meetings sponsored by Dominic Yagong, Hawaii County Council Member. July S 7 pm K..k„ihaele Social Hall July 10 7 pm Tex Drive In, Honolsa'a July 15 7 pm Paauilo Gym Annex July 16 7 pm Laupahoehoe Library • The Committee of Hum¢n Service ¢nd Economic Development in Hilo at which Council members will hear Friends of Hamakua give presentations. Please come to support FOH and to give your testimony. July 22 1:30 - 3 pm County Building, Council Chambers, Hilo • General membership meeting of Friends ofHamakua to get updated on developments in the pulp timber indus- try on the Hamakua Coast. Your ideas and opinions are needed to help shape the direction of our organization. August 13 7 pm Tex Drive In, Honolui'a • Meeting of the Board of Land and Natural Resources to decide on the lease of State lands to Oji Paper Com- pany. Come to testify about what you feel should be done with these lands. August 22 9 am State Building, Hilo - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NF.WSLF.TTN RMAILING Dear readers: Because of the high cost of mailing we are asking members to help us with future mailings. A donation of $5 or above will ensure we mail newsletters to you. If you have already do- nated $5 or more, you will be kept on our mailing list. Please ffll out the form below to keep on the. Friends of I7arnaku¢ News mailing list or to become a member. Friends of Hamakua -Membership 8~ FOFi ]Yews Form • Friends of Hamakua • ~ PO Box 1060 Honoka'a, Hawaii 96727 ~ • s • Mission Statement • • • Friends of Hamakua seeks to Foster responsible eronomic growth on the I~amakna Coast in order • • to maintain anal pe~petnate a clean, safe and Ixealtlay environment within otar communities. • • • ~ ? I would like to support Friends of Hamakua by becoming a member ~ ~ ? I am already a member but am enclosing $5 to continue receiving FOH News ~ • • • Name Date ~ hidividual name or Business name. please print clearly. ~ Signature_ ~ • • ~ Address City State Zip ~ • • • Home Phone Work Fax E-mail • • • • All information is kept confidential. • • • ~ MEMBERSt1IP FEES • ~ Friends oJ'Hancnh~ui, is a 501(c)(3) nonrprofzt mgo~nization. All your rontributions ore tax deductible. ~ • A donation of ~"6 or greater lruludes you in our newsletter mailings. • • • ~ Friend $1-49 Charter Member $50-99 _ Sustaining Member $100 + ~ ~ Amount enclosed $ ~ • • ~ Please copy this form and pass it on to friends and family] ~ • MAIIALO POR YOUR SUPPORT! • • •