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Home My WebLink About2004-08-19 Veteran Advisory Committee MinutesVETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE Thursday, August 19, 2004 County Council Room and Kona Mayor's Office (Via Videoconferencing) 3:00 p.m. Present Members Roy Hinokawa Louis Kaoiwi Patrick Pavao Hideo Segawa Dale Wilson Kona Mayor's Office (Via Videoconferencin2) Members Richard Highley Peter Callahan Guests (Kona) Less Chess Manuel Delo Santos Minoru Hanato Herb Lum Joe Pretsch Lee Pretsch Alfredo Tobias Ex- Officio (Hilo) Patricia G. Engelhard, Director, P &R Keith Ribbentrop, Office of Veterans Services Also Present (Hilo) Nathalie Santos, Department of Parks and Recreation Delbert Nishimoto Kalani Kay Ed Cruickshank, Colonel (Ret) OVS Director Absent Denny Austen Penny Fox Paul Johnston Wendall Kekumu (Representative, Kalani Kay) Morris Kihara Charles Mayes George Mukai Gilbert Sampaia George Yamamoto Call to Order • No Quorum - Chairman Kaoiwi called the Informal meeting to order at 3:10 p.m, Veterans Advisory Committee Page 2 August 19, 2004 STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC VETERANS CEMETERY III — West Hawaii Landscape Improvement Project Mr. Les Chess of the Golf Course Superintendent's Association explained the Tentative Schedule of Sodding Veterans Cemetery III. He said that approximately two (2) weeks ago roundup was sprayed on approximately t/2 acre on the north side to kill the bermuda in anticipation of putting top soil in and re- installing headstones. Les stated that a meeting was held earlier this morning with volunteers representing the following golf courses: Hualalai, Kukio, Waikoloa Village and Makalei. Description of Tentative Schedule (Attached): August 21St: Goodfellow Brothers will GPS existing headstones and plot map should be prepared by the following week. (Volunteers will work around 4 headstones that families requested not be removed). Roundup will be applied at least one more time — grass is approximately 95% dead, watering will germinate weeds so it can be 100% dead. August 23 -27: The outside perimeter work will be done by Larry Walker of Swing Zone and will entail clearing 10 feet from inside fence area Material will be stock piled in an area found by Minoru and Les. They will add Choker material (3/4" minus blue rock) to keep soil locked into the area and avoid erosion. It will be trapped in with dozer. September 7 -10: After Labor Day headstones will be removed following approval from Richard Highley and Minoru Hanato. Headstones will be put on pallets with carpeting and moved to the east of recent burials during landscaping project. Install additional irrigation valve and drip line on the perimeter of the parking lot to provide more coverage. Currently wind can make it difficult to reach certain areas of the lawn when watering. September 13 -17: Install approximately 450 cubic yards of topsoil and grade. September 20 -24: Re- Install headstones (get approval of veterans) and fine grade. Veterans Advisory Committee Page 3 August 19, 2004 September 25th: Install approximately It /2 acres of sod (seashore paspalum) which is currently being maintained by employees at Kukio. It will be cut on Friday and installed on Saturday by approximately 25 employees from various golf courses. Goal: To have landscaping project completed by September 25th on t/2 acre on north side of Veterans Cemetery III. Request to Use County Backhoe P &R Director Patricia Engelhard will confirm availability of backhoe with Kona Parks staff and get back to Richard Highley or Les Chess. Temporary Shelter Mr. Highley reported that person who talked about doing this project is currently away so matter has to be postponed for awhile. INTRODUCTION OVS Director Retired Colonel Ed Cruickshank was introduced by Delbert Nishimoto. Colonel Cruickshank announced that in honor of members of the 29th Separate Infantry Brigade who are getting ready to depart for Iraq on October 3,d, there is a tentative plan to march the entire brigade preceded by the original 442nd members into the stadium during halftime of the October 2nd Tulsa game. Major Mitsuyoshi has been activated as part of the 29th SIB, Jonathan Ito is handling project. Veterans Cemetery III — West Hawaii Graveliners Colonel Cruickshank announced that OVS received $100,000 for graveliners and are waiting for specs to be sent to Bill Jayne at VA. Construction of graveliners should begin before November. Shelter Believes they will get the $300,000 for Shelter. Completion of Cemetery Working to have 1.2 million get to top of list to finish West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery. Military Order of the Purple Heart — Monument at Veterans Center in Kaneohe Dale Wilson thanked Colonel Cruickshank for his help with installation of the monument in Kaneohe. He also informed members that the service foundation of the MOPH has donated large granite memorials to all purple heart recipients and are being installed around the country. Veterans Advisory Committee Page 4 August 19, 2004 STATE VETERANS ADVISORY BOARD — REPORT Delbert Nishimoto, Big Island representative on the State Veterans Advisory Board reported that H. David Burdge has resigned from his position as Director of Veterans Administration Regional Office Center (VAMROC). There is a selection committee searching for his replacement. Previous Meeting Minutes — July 15, 2004 • The Minutes of the July 15, 2004 meeting were not yet approved because there was no quorum. UNFINISHED BUSINESS VETERANS DAY PARADE Dale Wilson had nothing new to report. NEW BUSINESS Veterans Cemetery Plots — Decorations and Offerings Director Patricia Engelhard shared that she received complaints about too many windmills on the cemetery plots. Pat asked members to inform veterans of their organizations that windmill fans aren't allowed and will be removed in approximately two weeks. Patrick Pavao suggested sending a one page summary of what can and cannot be used at the veterans cemeteries to mortuaries. (Following meeting Director Engelhard confirmed with P &R office staff that the attached summary is mailed to families by our office — see attached copy.) Chairman Kaoiwi said he received a call concerning sinking graves at Veterans Cemetery 1. Director Engelhard said that approximately two weeks ago caretakers leveled sunken graves at Cemetery 11, she will ask staff to check on Vets I. Kalani Kay representing Veterans of Vietnam War reported that he and Wendall Kekumu visited both Veterans Cemeteries I and 11, and the lawn is unevenly cut, the headstones are uneven and there is some graffiti. ANNOUNCEMENTS DAV Transportation — Special Parking Richard Highley requested committee's support to advise Mayor to provide DAV vans with stickers for authorization to park DAV vans in handicap stalls. Chairman Kaoiwi suggested he check with Deputy Managing Director while in the Kona Mayor's Office and said that this committee can only discuss veterans cemeteries unless request is made by the Mayor. Veterans Advisory Committee Page 5 August 19, 2004 Resignation of Director of VAMROC Chairman Kaoiwi read the letter received from H. David Burdge announcing his resignation from his position as Director of Veterans Administration Regional Office Center ( VAMROC). NEXT MEETING The next meeting will be held on September 23, 2004 at 3:00 p.m. in the Hawaii County Councilroom and video - conferencing at the Kona Mayor's Office. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 3:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, N athaU& S avi tos- Secretary