HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0968.011 1996-1998
MAY OF,
WilliarnG.Davis
Stephen K. Yamashiro I Managing Director
Mayor
Henry Cho
y~ , °°;M~
o Dquly Managing Director
TunftT of "Anfunii
25 Aupuni Street, Room 215 ° Hilo, Hawaii 96720-4252 • (808)961-82P . Pax(808)961-6553
KONA: 75-5706 Kuakini Highway, Suite 103 ° Kailua-Kona, H'Waii 96740
(808)329-5226 • Fax(808)326-5663
October 8, 1998
Ms. Wilda Collins
RR3 Boa 2351
Pahoa, HI 96778
Dear Ms. Collins:
Thank you for your letter expressing your concerns about the
proposed sidewalk skateboard ban in a section of downtown Hilo.
I appreciate your comments and have raised similar concerns
with members of the County Council. I agree that most skaters
are good people who skate for recreation and healthy outdoor
exercise. We should concentrate our efforts on controlling
vandalism and those skaters who harass businesses and downtown
shoppers.
Our Parks and Recreation Department has been working with the
community on several alternatives to provide skateboarding
areas for young people. We have opened a center at the Butler
Building near the Civic Auditorium and are working on sites in
Pahoa and Kailua-Kona. We will make every effort to do more
within our resources.
I am referring your letter to the County Council which is
continuing to deliberate this matter.
Sincerely,
ePhen K. Yamashiro
MAYOR
cc: Council Chairman James Y. Arakaki and Members
der. Nor.
nk: Ne. CC 51 _
Ref. Tot _
Ref. Date_ OCT 1 ;i ~yy~
N'
'99 OC"- 2 Ail S 33
- i~1hSf11SSI0n 1
ntfr) To:
Mayor Steve Yamashlro 969 3291
From:
9658448
Date and Time
Thursday. October I, 1998 at 7:04PM
Number of Pages
I. including this cover page.
If you have any problems or questions regarding this transmission,
please call 9658448
Dear Mayor Yamashiro.
I recently read a newspaper article about the bill to ban skating on sidewalks. Please do
not go along with this infringement of personal rights. As you know, the Butler building was
opened to skaters for a brief month and then taken away in preparation for the 3 day fair
approx. 1.5 months ago. The Pahoa area by the pool is contingent on volunteers, and the Pahoa
Park and Rec. director does not really want them there. With George Yoshida retiring, there is
no friend to skaters at Park and Rec. Most skaters are nor. bad kids. If you are going to pass a
bill, pass it to outlaw the behaviors that are offensive, not just generalizingly picking on skaters.
The bill should outlaw intimidating, harassing or physically threatening pedestrians on the
sidewalks, not just the act of using a skate device to travel of have fun. That way, it would also
apply to panhandlers who might be intimidating pedestrians. or bicyclists or drunks or whomever
is causing the problem. There is little enough for kids to do in Hilo, and we if put the sidewalks
and public streets off limits to them. we are going way over the line. Please Mr. Mayor stand up
for our children and skaters and vote no on this bill.
Wilda Collins
965 8448
RR3 Box 2351
Pahoa, HI 96778