HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0162.002 2008-2010
IN SUPPORT OF DR. RICHARD CREAGAN'S APPOINTMENT TO
THE KA'U CDP STEERING COMMITTEE
I am Marilyn Creagan. I have been married to Richard for 28 years.
For the past 18 years I have worked as an RN in the Labor and Delivery Unit
of Kona Hospital.
We live in Kiolaka'a, Ka'u where we share the land with 3 cows, 3 goats, 3
dogs, 4 cats, and a flock of chickens and ducks. They help us fertilize and
maintain the orchard and garden. We share and sell the produce including
coffee, mac nuts, bamboo, avocadoes, citrus, pineapple, lilikoi, lettuce, and
eggs. For 3 months I did milk one of our girls and made yogurt which was
traded for mangoes and honey from fellow farmers. Two of the goats and
one of the cows are pregnant, so I plan to do this again.
We love the peace and beauty of Ka'u.
We are very mindful that this is a gift.
As a facilitator for this CDP process, I heard a wide variety of people
expressing their love of Ka'u and their desire to maintain the sacredness of
this place while improving our ability to sustain ourselves in terms of food,
health, and energy. How to do this in relationship to all of the communities
and peoples of Ka'u, is the mission of the Steering Committee.
The selection committee felt that Richard was a good choice to be part of
that group. And I wholeheartedly agree.
He has many attributes and abilities that he would bring to this table:
1. He has an amazing ability to gather LOTS of information from a wide
range of sources, read it all, synthesize it and share it.
2. His persevereance and patience are way beyond me; he takes all the time
needed to do things properly and thoroughly; reviewing and redoing over
and again if needed.
3. His standards are high for himself ; he is a bit of a perfectionist. To make
sure a project is the best it can be, he will invest more time, do more
research and more listening, and more thinking and processing.
Comm. No. ~ ~ Z- •
Ref. To:rosea o ~I
Ref. Date APR 0 8 2009
4. He pays close attention to the details to insure nothing is missed.
5. I call him a "Renaissance Man", as he is quite knowledgeable and well
read in a wide variety of areas, including medicine, sciences, agriculture,
legal matters, and home repairs. As we are attempting to subdivide our land
within the 20 acre zoning designation, he has become well versed in
planning and zoning issues. He finds just about everything interesting and
gathers his knowledge from "picking the brains" of others as well as the
information highway. And he happily shares what he has learned with
others.
6. He is well travelled and has experienced many different countries and
cultures thereby giving him a unique perspective. His Peace Corps
experience in the Marshall Islands gave him an appreciation for the rights
and concerns of indigenous people and how those rights have historically
been abused. Since coming to Hawaii he has a strong and growing
knowledge & respect for the rights and concerns of the Hawaiian people.
7. His unselfishness is evidenced by his ready willingness to give his time,
efforts, and knowledge, to anyone who asks; whether it be medical advice &
treatment, or bringing the tools & muscle to assist with a project.
8. He has a sincere feeling for the needs of the community, and a special
sensitivity to those who might be considered the "underdog".
9. And he has a good sense of humor and fun which I do think is needed on
any committee.
As a physician, all these traits have served him well in being an excellent
diagnostician. But as he will tell you, the most critical part of diagnosing the
problem is LISTENING TO THE PATIENT. The patient in this process is
Ka'u. I hope you will let him help with the listening and developing of a
"treatment plan" to keep our home healthy.
Thank you for listening.