HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0845.003 2012-2014 P/GuNaL
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Murashige, Laura
From: Keawe Vredenburg [keaweehu @hawaii.rr.com]
Sent: Monday, April 28, 2014 8:17 PM
To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Resolution 404-14, establishing CERT headquarters in Waimea (Kamuela)
Aloha kakou.
Because our town is equidistant among the north, east and west coasts, we are ideally
situated to provide help from ocean disasters - tsunami, over-high tides, wave flooding,
and from rainstorms all along the Hamakua and Kohala coasts. We are also not in a
potential volcanic eruption zone, unlike all of this island from the southern edges of
Mauna Kea to South Point. To be fair, we, like the entire north, east and west coasts are
dependent on ocean shipping coming to Kawaihae harbor. That harbor has always been risky,
suffering from frequent Kona storms, swells and tsunami and local Hawaiians have warned
the Army Corps and Honolulu engineers about the conformation of Kawaihae harbor since the
first wharf was built there in the mid-19th century. True to form, they have never
listened. Waimea also has the island's third functioning airport with scheduled service,
the only one not immediately proximate to the ocean.
Included in the town are good educational facilities and, more to the point, sources of
high-technology expertise represented by the headquarters for two top astronomical
observatories and their excellent support staffs of engineers and technicians. Finally,
surrounding the town are the largest and finest ranches and truck farms in the state, with
their cooling and processing facilities. There can be little doubt that our town could
survive on its own after disasters wrecked the two harbors and two of the three airports
on this island.
Given the credible potential for disasters on this island, our town is ideally situated
for surviving and assisting those less fortunate with information, food, water, and
medical services.
Please pass Resolution 404-14, placing a CERT facility in our town.
Mahalo,
Dexter Keawe'ehu Vredenburg
PO Box 6661, Kamuela 96743
808-885-1904
keaweehu @hawaii.rr.com
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1 Ref. Date MAY 01 2014