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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0986.000 2014-2016 IV OF h �o.•' �, Randall M.Kurohara R ,"i%2• Managing Director William P.Kenoi •c � .'s '�:• Mayor Robert H.Command Deputy Managing Director L.tiuxtfv of,l. .a ai`Y Off ci of fir z ar 25 Aupuni Street,Suite 2603 • Hilo,Hawai`i 96720 • (808)961-8211 • Fax(808)961-6553 KONA: 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy.,Bldg.C • Kailua-Kona,Hawai`i 96740 (808)323-4444 • Fax(808)323-4440 r.a July 31 , 2016 The Honorable Dru Kanuha .. - and Members of the County Council N —� County of Hawai'i Hilo, HI 96720 Dear Chair Kanuha and Council Members: Pursuant to Hawai'i County Code, Section 2-166, the following report is submitted on the status of Hawai'i County's active sister city programs. Article 31 of the Hawai'i County Code provides that the County protocol officer shall submit an annual report by July 31 of each year covering the previous year's sister city activities. OHSHIMA ISLAND, JAPAN Resolution No. 146-62. No activity. NAGO CITY, OKINAWA, JAPAN Resolution No. 154, dated April 9, 1986. The supporting organization is Hui Okinawa. July 2015 – A group of 11 students and two chaperones visited Hilo for a week. Hosted by Hui Okinawa (students homestayed with local families), they participated in cultural as well as educational activities. The group visited the Mayor's Office on July 31, 2015. Comm. No. q f(0 Ref. To: 12Jl:OC. County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. Ref. Date_AUG 0 3 2015 Chair Kanuha and Council Members Page 2 July 31, 2016 June 2016 — Correspondence was sent to Mayor Susumu Inamine from Mayor Kenoi extending an invitation for a delegation from Nago City to participate in the Haari Boat Festival in August 2016. This year is also the 30th anniversary of the sister city relationship between our cities. LA SERENA, CHILE Resolution No. 324-94, dated November 30, 1994. August 2015 — Dr. Malcolm Smith and Anamaria Maraboli-Smith, La Serena liaisons presented gifts to Mayor Kenoi from Mayor Roberto Jacob during a visit to Hilo. Mayor Kenoi presented them with a proclamation in honor of La Serena's 471st Anniversary and the 21st Anniversary of our sister city relationship. June 2016 — Dr. Malcolm Smith and Anamaria Maraboi Smith, La Serena liaisons paid a courtesy call to Mayor Kenoi and presented greetings from Mayor Roberto Jacob. The Smiths were in Hilo to work on their project collecting photos from the 1960 Hilo tsunami for an exhibit to bring back to La Serena. They also brought with them 98-year old Mr. Takayoshi Kanda, "Keeper of the Clock" from Hilo. Mayor Kenoi presented Mr. Kanda with a certificate in recognition and appreciation of his service to the community for tending to the maintenance of the Waiakea tsunami clock. YURIHAMA CITY, JAPAN— Formerly Hawaii-Cho Resolution No. 400-96, dated October 16, 1996. The supporting organization is the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Hawai'i, (JCCIH). July 2015 — Members of the Halau Unukupukupu under the direction of Kumu Hula Dr. Taapouri Tangaro from Hawai'i Community College were invited by Yurihama to perform at the Yurihama Hawaiian Festival. Ms. Amy Aoyagi presented Mayor Miyawaki a gift and letter from Mayor Kenoi thanking him and the people of Yurihama for their donation of $17,586.55, for the benefit of the residents of Lower Puna who were affected by the June 27, 2014, lava flow. County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. Chair Kanuha and Council Members Page 3 July 31, 2016 February 2016 — Mayor Masamichi Miyawaki, Council Chair Tetsuhara Mitsui, Chamber President Mamoru Nakashima and International Relations Coordinator Julianna Keleher visited Hilo on February 18 — 21 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of our sister city relationship. Members of the Mayor's Office and the JCCIH hosted and accompanied the group during their visit that included a tree planting ceremony at Liliuokalani Park, a visit to the Puna area affected by the lava flow, Volcanoes National Park and a visit to West Hawai'i that included stops at NELHA and lunch. A formal commemorative dinner was hosted by the county that included an exchange of gifts and messages. The county also hosted a farewell dinner on the group's final evening. June 2016 — Members of the Halau Unukupukupu under the direction of Kumu Hula Dr. Taapouri Tangaro from Hawai'i Community College were invited by Yurihama to once again perform at the Yurihama Hawaiian Festival. Mrs. Amy Aoyagi presented Mayor Masamichi Miyawaki greetings and omiyage from Mayor Kenoi, and also presented them with a collection of used Aloha attire that was collected from members of the JCCIH and county departments. This annual donation is distributed to people in Yurihama to be worn on their Aloha Fridays. SHIBUKAWA CITY, JAPAN (Formerly Ikaho-Machi Resolution No. 16-97, dated January 27, 1997. The supporting organization is the Japanese Community Association of Hawai'i (JCA). April 2016 — Delegation from Shibukawa visited Hilo to participate in the Merrie Monarch parade and to present the winning halau with an invitation to attend their annual Ikaho Hawaiian Festival. Delegation members were: • Mr. Takahiro Omori, Chairman of Shibukawa-Ikaho Hot Springs Tourism Association and Chair of the Ikaho Hawaiian Festival • Mr. Nobuaki Ito, Executive Director of the Shibukawa-Ikaho Hot Springs Tourism Association • Mr. Hiroyuki Nakazawa, Chairman of Shibukawa City Council County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. Chair Kanuha and Council Members Page 4 July 31, 2016 SUMOTO CITY, JAPAN Resolution No. 282-00, dated August 9, 2000. The supporting organization is the Kiwanis Club of East Hawai'i. August 2015 — Mayor Michihiro Takeuchi, staff and members of the Sumoto International Association (total of nine), and 12 students from Sumoto High School visited Hilo during the week of August 19 — 24. The students participated in a student exchange with Hilo High School Key Club members and homestayed with local families. The adults were hosted by members of the East Hawai'i Kiwanis Club. Hawai'i County sponsored a special tree planting ceremony at Liliuokalani Park and hosted a dinner commemorating Hawai'i County and Sumoto City's 15-year sister city anniversary. • KUMEJIMA, OKINAWA, JAPAN Resolution No. 42-11, dated May 17, 2011. The supporting organization is the Friends of NELHA. August 2015 - Mayor Haruo Oota and a delegation of 28 people from Kumejima and Okinawa visited Kona during the week of August 18 - 22. They were here for the 6th annual Hawai'i/Kumejima Okinawa OTEC Conference hosted by Hawai'i County. On the agenda were various speakers from both Hawai'i and Kumejima as well as other businesses related to deep ocean water and energy. Other activities that the County hosted that week were deep water business site visitations. LA REUNION Resolution 197-12, dated January 4, 2012. The supporting entity is goodwill ambassadors and liaisons, Alain and Marie Gerente. July 2015 —Vice President of La Reunion Jean-Francois Sita visited Hawai'i Island to meet with staff from Volcanoes National Park with whom they share a sister park relationship, and paid a courtesy visit to the Mayor's Office. He met with Deputy Managing Director Randy Kurohara and Executive Assistant, Charmaine Shigemura. County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. Chair Kanuha and Council Members Page 5 July 31, 2016 ORMOC, PHILIPPINES Resolution No. 77-11, dated June 15, 2011. The supporting organization is the Congress of Visayan Organizations — Kona Visayan Club and Hilo Visayan Club (COVO). No activity. GOK SEONG COUNTY, SOUTH KOREA Resolution No. 138-11, dated September 21, 2011. The supporting organizations are Natural Farming, LLC, Kohala Intergenerational Center, Hawai'i FFA Foundation, University of Nations, Cho Global Natural Farming-Hawai'i, Big Island Korean Club and Hilo Korean Church. November 2015 — Deputy Director of Research and Development Donn Mende, Mayor's Executive Assistant Clarysse Nunokawa and Councilman Dennis Fresh Onishi, along with a group of 10 other community members visited Gok Seong to foster our sister city relationship, develop a youth exchange program, and expand our knowledge about Natural Farming Technology. The group stayed for nine days and visited various farms that use natural farm methods. January 17 — February 4, 2016 — 28 high school students from Gok Seong travelled to Hawai'i Island and participated in a cultural exchange. Included in the program was a five-day immersion program hosted by Kahua Pa'a Mua where students made lei, learned how to dance the hula and play ukulele, went fishing and helped to prepare a luau for their finale festivities. Our final report will be submitted on November 30, 2016, before the end of this administration that will cover sister city activities from July through November, 2016. R: .p ;/y submitted, 41 / ! Charmaine Shigemura Executive Assistant Sister City Protocol Officer County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.