The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutIndividual Comment - CJ Watson - Kona General Plan LetterThis letter is in response to the General Plan meeting held August 25th 2016. 1.Expectations/History We attended the General plan update because we understood that this would be a place for pubic comment on the General Plan. Instead we were surprised to ﬁnd that we were going to just vote on multiple choice questions. Most all of these questions were way too general in context. We were not provided any chance for oral public comment. I would hope that you noticed that many people attended this meeting with yellow pads full of notes to provide well researched input if given the chance. When you polled the audience, you found that most of us were retired and have lived on the island for 10 years or more. What you probably did not know is that many in the audience were retired city planners, Police and Fire department chiefs, members of planning commissions in the mainland for several beach towns very similar to Kailua Kona. Most concerned about the continued ignoring of North Kona area. One of the planning employees talked about tourism in Kohola and said “but not so much in Kona” We have sat by and watched Kailua Kona be ignored and abused by the planning department for decades, even though we provide the majority of the taxes paid, both property and sales tax. This is a Resort area that is progressively getting run down. If the hired planning consultants are there for more than making a GIS map, I am sure they would tell you to put Kailua Kona on the top of your list of planning projects. This is what make every other island successful . Lahaina, Waikiki, Poipu and of course all the coastal mainland cities. Kailua Kona could be jewel of the Big Island. We have the most calm and clearest water, the best snorkel beaches on the island, a unique old town area, cruise ships that visit weekly, the most consistent good weather on the island, world class ﬁshing, Manta tours and more. With all this you would think that the planning commission would treat this area with respect. But this is not the case. If you look at the 2005 CDP , only part of (a) and part of (g) has been accomplished in 10 years. That means a child on this island that was in 3rd grade in 2005 is now out of high school without getting to enjoy any of these improvements or increased job opportunities. Most tourists that would have stayed here because of these improvements are now going to other islands or Mexico (*appendix G) and spending their money there. 12.5.7.2 Courses of Action (a) Encourage the development of community and district recreational facilities, a gymnasium and community center with easy access for residents. (b) Encourage the development of Alii Drive within the Kailua Village area as a pedestrian mall with open space areas for passive recreation. (c) Improve facilities at Laaloa Bay Beach Park and Kahaluu Beach Park. (d) Implement the development of the Kailua Park (Old Kona Airport) as a major regional or district park. (e) Encourage the development of a major multi-purpose regional recreational and sports complex. (f) Acquire, and/or encourage the development of additional public shoreline recreation areas. (g) Establish public access to and the development of shoreline regions along the North Kona Coast in areas such as Keawaiki, Kiholo Bay, Kaupulehu, Kukio and Kapapa Bays, Kua Bay, Kahoiawa, Makalawena, and Honokohau. (h) Encourage the State to continue with the establishment of Kekaha Kai State Park reaching into Mahaiula, Awakee, and Maniniowali Ahupuaa. (i) Protect the marine life at Kahaluu Bay. (j) Protect Opaeula, Kaloko, and Honokohau (Aimakapa) Ponds as natural areas. From: Cj Watson [mailto:cjwatsonkona@gmail.com] Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2016 11:30 AM To: General Plan Subject: Comments on GP Meeting (k) Encourage the development of historic trails. (l) Develop a municipal golf course. (m) Encourage the establishment of a historic park at Kamoa Point. (n) Encourage the acquisition and establishment of the summit area of Hualalai as a wilderness park. (o) Increase mauka park lands. There has been a paradigm of East side against West side for many decades. It is still alive and well today. The 70% of taxes paid on the west produce only 10% capital improvements on the West side. The remaining 90% of the 70% tax income is spent for East side projects. ( * See appendix item A) This philosophy is presently slowly killing the golden goose of Hawaii Island , Kailua Kona and the rest of the West side. Tourism is down, beaches are deteriorating , Kailua Town is rotting away with many buildings that do not meet code and homeless are being allowed to take over old industrial and downtown Kailua. The Planning director is approving unpopular and un needed permits, like a rock quarry near homes and a charter school instead of promoting changes that all of the locals and tourists could use. I hope that the Planning consultants have the expertise to change this paradigm once and for all. There are way too many communities like Kailua Kona that have been made prosperous all over the west coast of the mainland that could be used as models for our own community. It has been proven over and over again that once the source of a communities monetary strengths is supported , the whole population will beneﬁt. If we would improve our west side, it will generate more tourism, resulting in more conﬁdent businesses which will in turn have more job opportunities. Then more support service business will appear to support the Tourism businesses. The support services will be the higher paying jobs like accountants and IT specialists. Giving our kids possibilities of skilled jobs once they graduate from college here in Hawaii. Also areas improved by the county will be accessible by the residents to enjoy ﬁrst class beaches, bike trails etc. Plus, with more disposable county income we can help with higher education opportunities for our kids. All the items that I am writing about are NOT new. I have included an appendix that shows a few articles written in West Hawaii today over the last several years about these issues. I also was given a series of emails outlining these issues by a neighbor that were sent the the County Council planning department and building department just in case they don’t read the newspaper.(* appendix) 2. The Hazard Chart A hazard chart was presented on one of the slides. I took from this that this is a collection of hazards that should inﬂuence the zoning of land and the approval of building permits. This way homes and facilities are not built that will later be taken or reduced in value by these hazards. Also eliminating county expenses to assist people leaving in these areas when hazards strike. Tsunami’s, Volcanic activity, Flooding were listed. Even though Volcanic activity is listed as a warning to reconsider permits. The County is building a $20 million dollar park in Puna that had construction stopped because of an approaching lava ﬂow. It is still being built. (*appendix D) But one important item was left off the list, “Destructive Property owners”. Hawaii county is one of the few Hawaiian islands (and few cities in general in the US) to not have Quality of life ordinances to protect property owners in neighborhoods from the “Destructive property owner”. Kailua Kona has been kept somewhat nice because there are quite a few developments that have Home owners associations (HOA). So the Buildings and grounds are kept in good condition. But the residential neighborhoods without HOA have to depend on the county to look out for them. But unfortunately we do not have this protection. There are residential streets with properties and homes that have a one or more houses that store commercial equipment on their property They run wood shops, Car repair and welding operations. Some empty lots are used for storage of landscaping equipment and Matson containers. We have had personal experience with the situation. We spent weeks writing and calling the planning department and the building department about our issues. The inspectors were polite but admitted their abilities to handle the situation was limited by current policies. We have a home that has a half empty pool with mosquito larvaein it and the house is structural un sound. (*appendix B) The department of health and the building department came out but were not allowed on the property by the owner. So they told us there is nothing more that they could do. It would take years to get court orders to force their way onto the property. Since the mosquito scare with Dengue, NOTHING has been done to monitor properties for excessive trash. Now is the time to do this , not when the next crisis hits. That is only one small story, but there are many more in many more neighborhoods. If the county cannot handle the safety or the quality of life on the West side, we can’t afford to offer any more permits until this changes. Also by not enforcing these quality of life uses of neighborhoods you are raising a generation of children that don’t know any different and may continue these destructive neighbor practices when they are older. Also the housing market is at a standstill in Kona. Many homes being on the market for over a year. Maui home sales are at a all time high and values or 40% greater than in Kona. Maui takes care of it’s tourist areas and has some quality of life ordinances. Just saying…. GENERAL PLAN - CHANGE Include the addition of the “Destructive Property owner” as a legitimate hazard and call for some Quality of life ordinances to protect our neighborhoods. Provide some online ability to post images and descriptions of issues. Stop issuing building permits in the High hazards zones. Slowly make them open space areas. Add additional staff to the code enforcement departments and move key players (Dept Heads) in Parks and Recs, Building and planning to the Kona civic center. Kailua Kona is the anchor area of this island. Most all new development is happening here, most valuable properties are here and 90% of all visitors stay and spend their dollars in Kailua Kona and the Kohala coast. 3. Bad Planning decisions The West side has been plagued with bad decisions from the planning department. Many projects were overwhelming opposed by the public but still approved by planning. The transparency is not very good so some projects have made it through and built before the public realized there was an issue. I know approving projects is not easy, but it is easy to see if a large majority of the population near a project has major issues, you don’t proceed. I can’t include all of them here but will provide a couple examples where many complained but project was still approved. Closing of the Hotel next to Kahaluu to allow the building of a limited access Hawaiian educational area. A homeless shelter area was put in the Old industrial area, despite overwhelming protests by the local business owners and others. This gathers them around the tourist areas and nearby parks. It would have ﬁne to put this shelter above Kaloko or a similar place away from visitor areas. See note by tourist from newspaper (*appendix E) There is a property off of Queen Kahamanu Hwy that the owner wanted to created a rock processing yard in. This yard would produce as many as 20 truckloads of rocks daily that would use the already crowded highway. The noise from operations would carry much farther than was tested by the county. This project was approved by the planning director for the West side. If it wasn’t for an astute resident of Holualoa, this process would be in place today. He found out about the approval and organized over 1000 people to protest the decision. This property was 600 feet from a charter school, and two large residential developments. You have to ask yourself how a planning director could approve this. Would he want this kind of operation near his home? Not sure what the status of this permit is. But I have included the approval in the appendix (*appendix C) We need an advocate in the planning department for Kailua Kona, that will produce and enforce some distinct plans to improve what we already have here in Kona. It is not necessary to continue to push new permits when planning has not accomplished it’s previous goals as listed in the CDP. We need architectural standards in our tourist areas so that they maintain the Hawaiiana look that tourists and locals like. If the planning department gets around to revitalizing downtown Kona, they will have a standard for property owners to meet. GENERAL PLAN - CHANGE Have mandatory trips for planning ofﬁcials visit successful beach and Harbor towns in California and Washington to learn from them. Upgrade the transparency of the permitting system. County should provide a full page in West Hawaii today every month that lists major commercial operation permits with location map and description to allow for more transparency and give the public time to prepare if For or against a plan. There should be an update each month in the paper of the progress of each permit in question to help monitor the departments actions. Add additional staff to the code enforcement departments and move key players (Dept Heads) in Parks and Recs, Building and planning to the Kona civic center. Kailua Kona is the anchor area of this island. Most all new development is happening here, most valuable properties are here and 90% of all visitors stay and spend their dollars in Kailua Kona and the Kohala coast. 4. Priorities We are a tourism based economy. It seems the planning department does not want to recognize this. Tourism areas should be developed and cleaned up as a top priority. We thinks the whole area from the Honokahou harbor to Hokulia on the coast up to at least Kuakini Hwy be call the “Resort District”. Then new rules that reﬂect a policy of Green, Clean and Accessible be put in to place. People that visit the island bring back their experiences from this area. About 30% of the Homes in this area a full time vacations rentals. This would mean ; Beaches should be improved. Beautify them, Provide better access for snorkeling and launching standup paddle boards. (*appendix G - article in paper outlines this well) Old downtown should be revitalized. Buildings are not safe and look terrible. We have cruise ship tourist in the town each week. Read the Yelp comments from them. Most won’t be back. Market Place in downtown should be revitalized. This process may take some eminent domain processes because the owner(s) of these properties have no plans to change them. Take a look at Lahaina for an example. Limited sidewalks force people to walk in the street. Parking downtown should be improved (Over the last 20 years Planning permitted businesses to push right up against the downtown area - not recognizing the need for parking)(*appendix F note - business owners have complained through four administrations about this issue) Construct some mountain bike and hiking trails above town. We had a chance to buy the Hao area park (Jurrasic park) (*Appendix F) but the county process got in the way and the area was sold to a private party. GENERAL PLAN - CHANGE Refocus all priorities to the West side tourist areas for the next ten years. Work directly with businesses and actually make the improvements they suggest. Work with residents that spend their time in the water, Make better access at beaches for surﬁng, standup paddling, shore diving, swimming and snorkeling. Thank you for the opportunity of voice my opinion. I hope you can see by the attachments in the appendix that I am not the only one that has the concerns voiced above. When articles appear in the opinion area of the West Hawaii today, it is because many have written in over an issue. The best worded is usually the one that makes it to print. We also have many non resident owners that you will ﬁnd agree with most of the items above. They have an even stronger attitude toward more monies being returned to the West side because as you know they pay more property taxes than us residents. sincerely, Craig Watson Kailua Kona 808-430-7460 Appendix A. KAILUA-KONA — Call it going out with a bang for Renee Morinaka.For more than two decades, she volunteered for Special Olympics, helping make the West Hawaii Torch Run a reality year after year.On Saturday, some 150 participants streamed down Palani Road and Alii Drive to show their support for more than 400 athletes islandwide with developmental disabilities, who nevertheless take on their challenges with a full heart. The West Hawaii Special Olympics Troy Barboza Torch Run/Walk, a non-competitive event, started at its sponsor First Hawaiian Bank and culminated after about a mile and half at the ball fields behind the Kona Aquatics Center, where Torch Run ceremonies helped usher in the opening of the Big Island Regional Softball Tournament.“I’ve seen some of these athletes grow up from babies in the community and they’ve just become outstanding adults,” said Morinaka, a Hawaii Police Department detective and the department’s liaison to the Special Olympics.Soon, Morinaka will be passing on the torch to another officer.Saturday was a great day to go out, with record turnout, a visit from Gov. David Ige and a sky full of blossoms dropped from a helicopter flown over the ball field by Paradise Helicopters.“I’m so honored to be A Full Service Supermarket The Greenwell Family Serving Your Family Since 1881 Open every day to serve you! 5:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.,FBMBLFLVB3BODI$FOUFSt)JHIXBZ $BQUBJO$PPLttXXX$IPJDF."35OFUA Farmers Market Every Day! Spread Aloha May Day is Lei Dayat d ...Give Someone a Lei! SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2016 WESTHAWAIITODAY.COM $1.50 HI 85 LO 72 WEATHER, PAGE 5A Annie’s Mailbox . . . . . . 6B Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1D Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1C Nation & World . . . . . . . . .3A Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6A Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1BINDEX 7 75855100781 VOL. 48, NO. 122 50 PAGES WILDCATS CAPTURE BIIF BOYS VOLLEYBALL TITLE SPORTS, 1B NEARLY 70% Number of factors why eastern neighbors owe less Law enforcement torch run celebrates Special Olympics BY NANCY COOK LAUERWEST HAWAII TODAYncook-lauer@westhawaiitoday.com Lighting the way BY BRET YAGERWEST HAWAII TODAYbyager@westhawaiitoday.com SEE TAXES PAGE 4A SEE TORCH RUN PAGE 10A That’s how much West Hawaii pays of island’s property taxes District 920% District 67% District 832%District 716% District 15% Kohala North Kona Kona SouthKona/Ka’u Hamakua Hilo Hilo Puna Puna District 25% District 36% District 45% District 5 4% ILLUSTRATION BY JEFF CARTER/WEST HAWAII TODAY Special Olympics athlete Isaiah Wong, center, carries the torch at the end of the Troy Barboza Law Enforcement Torch Run on Saturday. LAURA SHIMABUKU/WEST HAWAII TODAY If West Hawaii property own-ers feel sticker shock when they open their tax bills, they may have good reason.West Hawaii’s three council districts — home to a third of the island’s roughly 196,000 popula-tion — will be shouldering more than two-thirds of the proper- ty tax burden this year. That’s according to a West Hawaii Today analysis applying current tax rates to certified property values released Tuesday by the county Department of Finance.Property tax revenues across the island went up by $19.5 million, a 7.9 percent increase, because of the increase in prop-erty values. There was no tax rate increase contemplated in the pro-posed $462.7 million budget sub-mitted March 1 by Mayor Billy Kenoi.The property value increase is literally hitting home for North Kohala resident Kevin Conway. His home, previously valued at $425,000, is increasing in value by $104,000, a 24.5 percent hike. That’s raising his taxes another $850 annually, he said.“I was appalled when I saw the raise in my assessment,” Conway said Friday. “It was a shock.”Conway said his neighbors are in a similar predicament, with one neighbor reporting a $240,000  increase in valuation.“A lot of people don’t look at their individual assessments,” Conway said of the annual mailing that’s marked “this is not a bill — do not pay.”“When they get their tax bill, they’re going to hit the roof,” he added.The newspaper’s analysis shows North Kona District 8 with the highest prop-erty tax burden, carrying 32 percent of all property taxes paid on the island. That’s followed by Kohala District 9, with 20 percent and Kona District 7 with 16 percent. West Hawaii’s District 7, 8 and 9, the only districts with a double-digit tax bur-den, together account for 69 percent of all property taxes paid on the island. The other end At the other end of the spectrum is Puna District 5, with 4 percent of the property taxes on the island. Hamakua District 1, Hilo District 2 and Puna District 4 each contribute 5 percent. The newspaper did the analysis by aggregat-ing by council district all net property assessments and applying the current tax rates and proposed tax rates for each of the nine property classes within each district.The mayor has until Thursday to submit a revised budget to the County Council, which has until June 20 to establish tax rates. The budget year starts July 1.Kenoi said in a text mes- sage Saturday there would be no tax increase this year. The budget is balanced without it, he said.The analysis found that North Kona’s District 8 will pay about $85.3 million, Kohala’s District 9 will pay $53.9 million and Kona’s District 7 will pay $43.5 million of the approximate- ly $264.6 million tax base under the proposed rates.In contrast, Puna’s District 5 will pay the low-est, $10.9 million, Puna’s District 4 will pay $11.9 million, Hilo’s District 2 will pay $12.9 million, Hamakua’s District 1 will pay $13.5 million, Hilo’s District 3 will pay $15.4 million and South Kona/ Ka‘u’s District 6 will pay $17.3 million.Puna Councilman Danny Paleka said his district may contain the lowest prop- erty values, but it’s full of residents needing services from their county govern-ment. They shouldn’t be shortchanged based on their tax contributions, he said. “That’s certainly some-thing that I’m trying to change,” Paleka said of what he sees as real needs for his district. In particular, he’s been pushing for a better bus system, road improvements for the limited accesses in and out of Puna and improvements to Herbert C. Shipman Park. “The numbers don’t lie,” Paleka said. “Our proper-ty values are low. We live in cheaper type of houses and maybe unpermitted. It depends where you want to live. We live in the most beautiful place.” Billing due, appeals up Tax bills will be mailed July 20.Property assessment notices were sent out in late March and proper- ty owners had only until April 9 to file an appeal. Conway is one those appealing.As would be expected, appeals are up as well. The number of appeals increased 61.6 percent to 362, and the amount pending in the appeals increased 66.9 percent to $180.7 million, said Deputy Finance Director Lisa Miura.Appeals are heard by the Tax Board of Review, a five-member board appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council.In addition to the value of the property itself — West Hawaii properties in general have a higher market value — factors that play into determining tax values include various county exemptions and new construction that raises property value. Of the estimated $244.4 million gross value for new residential construction and $29.1 million gross value for new commercial construction, a full $98.9 million is construction in District 8 and $42.9 mil-lion is in District 9, accord-ing to Finance Department data.When new construction is taken out of the mix, property value increases over last year range from 2.8 percent for District 5, Puna, to 9 percent for District 8, North Kona. Reasons for raises Property values may increase in a neighborhood if there were a number of recent comparable sales to aid in evaluations, Miura said. She said a lull in prop-erty purchases, followed by a surge as the economy came out of the recession, could increase property values more than in recent years.Assessed values for prop-erties in the homeowner class and affordable rent- al class, not including any improvements, are capped at 3 percent annually until the property chang-es hands. So districts with a lot of longtime home- owners rather than those who have second homes in Hawaii would see less of an increase in value.Property exemptions for homeowners also play a role. Homeowners receive an exemption of $40,000. Homeowners aged 60 to 69 receive an $80,000 exemp-tion and those 70 and over receive a $100,000 exemp- tion. Additional exemp- tions apply for the disabled and disabled veterans.As expected, districts with the lowest taxes also had the highest percentage of exemptions. A full 27.5 percent of property value in District 5, Puna, is exempt-ed from taxes, compared to 7.3 percent in District 8, North Kona. Hilo District 3 Councilman Dennis “Fresh” Onishi said his dis-trict has one of the low-est tax burdens because it’s composed primarily of established homeowner neighborhoods, and many of the homeowners are older. “In my district, the neigh- borhood is older. We have homeowners who have been owning their homes for 40 to 50 years, who’ve been living there their life- times,” Onishi said. “Other areas, they have people who are just moving in.”One of those areas is North Kona’s District 8, a district with a high concen- tration of hotels and resorts as well as second homes. Those categories not only pay higher tax rates, but they also don’t qualify for exemptions that lower the property values.The mood in West Hawaii has changed dra-matically over the past five years or so, said North Kona Councilwoman Karen Eoff. It wasn’t that long ago that residents were clamoring for West Hawaii to break off and become its own county, because of public sentiment that the region was providing most of the tax revenues but getting very little in return. It’s different now, Eoff said. Big county projects such as the West Hawaii Civic Center, the Ane Keohokalole Highway and — less glamorous but equally important — the Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant have all contributed to residents feeling they’re not being neglected, she said.“There was an outcry, and there was an answer,” Eoff said.While County Council members look out for their own districts, they also take a countywide approach, she said. Puna, for exam-ple, doesn’t have a huge tax base, but it has a growing number of people in need of basic services.“I believe that we should look at the island as a whole,” Eoff said.Photo: LPR ConstructionStop Falls Stand-Down Plan a toolbox talk or other safety activity Take a break to talk about how to prevent falls Provide training for all workers U.S. Department of Labor Safety Pays. Falls Cost. For more information: www.osha.gov/StopFallsStandDown 2!-$.5-!&%278 U.S. Department of Labor National Safety STAND-DOWN MAY 2–6, 2016 Photo: LPR ConstructionStop Falls Stand-Down Plan a toolbox talk or other safety activity Take a break to talk about how to prevent falls Provide training for all workers U.S. Department of Labor Safety Pays. Falls Cost. For more information: www.osha.gov/StopFallsStandDown 2!-$.5-!&%278 U.S. Department of Labor National Safety STAND-DOWN MAY 2–6, 2016 Are your company’s injury and illness rates lower than most? Call (808) 586-9100 to ask about recognition of your achievement and an exemption from programmed inspections by becoming a SHARP or a VPP site, or email dlir.hiosh@hawaii.gov. Contact the Consultation and Training Branch for a free, conﬁ dential evaluation of your company’s safety and health program. 4A TOTAL TAX DISTRICT 1 $13,542,567 5.12% DISTRICT 2 $12,869,077 4.86% DISTRICT 3 $15,415,438 5.83% DISTRICT 4 $11,905,538 4.50% DISTRICT 5 $10,894,215 4.12% DISTRICT 6 $17,299,049 6.54% DISTRICT 7 $43,484,700 16.44% DISTRICT 8 $85,251,860 32.22% DISTRICT 9 $53,896,549 20.37% TOTAL $264,558,992 How the tax burden was computed: Hawaii County is required, by May 1 each year, to report certified property values for each of nine tax classes for each of nine County Council districts. The newspaper’s analysis pulled out the net taxable values for buildings and land, added them together, and applied the current corresponding tax rate for each tax class. Percentages were then calculated from the totals. TAXES: Property exemptions for homeowners play a role CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2016 | WEST HAWAII TODAY B.  C. By Bret Yager West Hawaii Today byager@westhawaiitoday.com KAILUA-KONA — A plan for a commercial gravel crushing operation off of Hualalai Road is drawing ﬁre from neighbors. The application for a special permit for a baseyard and equipment staging area, commercial crushing and stockpiling of material and a security dwelling on 9 acres has the planning director’s backing — with conditions and a ﬁve-year time limit. But a group of residents from four subdivisions has ﬁled a petition for a contested case hearing as the Leeward Planning Commission prepares to hear the permit request Thursday. “It’s going to affect property values; there’s going to be noise,” said Jeff Citron, who ﬁled the petition on behalf of a group called The Community Associations of Hualalai, representing residents of Heights at Hualalai, Pualani Estates, Hualalai Colony and Kona Orchards. “You got the sound of rock being dumped,” Citron said. “You have dust.” Residents say the operation — designed to create 10 to 20 truckloads of commercial aggregate a day — will diminish property values, posing a nuisance and eyesore to people living in the area, and that the use isn’t consistent with the objectives of the Kona Community Development Plan. Joel Cooperson said residents in the past have already heard trucks backing up and the rattle of crushing equipment at the site. “It’s a slap in the face to the community,” he said. However, the operation would be surrounded by other vacant land, with the closest home 600 feet away, according to a report from Planning Director Duane Kanuha. The requested use of the agriculturally zoned land is reasonable, given its poor soil and the fact that much of the property is in a ﬂood zone where Bolton is proposing to do ﬂood channelization work, Kanuha wrote. The nearest residence is 600 feet away and the two closest subdivisions, Pulanai Estates to the south and Hualalai Colony to the east, are buffered by agricultural land, Kanuha said. The permit is being sought to clear up a complaint ﬁled against activity at the property, which has been used for years as a baseyard and storage area for equipment and construction material, according to the county. On Feb. 19, the Planning Department issued a warning letter to Bolton Inc. based on a complaint that gravel had been crushed at the site in April 2015 and transported in a truck with a Bolton logo to a construction area at Kohanaiki. Investigating ofﬁcials found a rock crusher on the property, a pile of rock nearby and an ofﬁce-type trailer. In addition to construction equipment, investigators found four metal warehouses and a Quonset-type structure for which there was no record of building permits, according to the warning letter. Bolton does have a current community noise permit allowing hammers, crushers and a generator. The company also has an active grading permit and two stockpile permits issued by Public Works for a ﬂood channelization project, which Bolton is undertaking on the land. Bolton believed that commercial excavation activities were covered under those permits, according to Planning Department documents. The company is working to clean up the property, according to the Planning Department. The ﬁve-year time limit condition requires Bolton to come back and report to the Planning Commission on the cleanup and progress on the ﬂood channel project. Additional conditions require dust control at the site and operation only during business hours. A call to Bolton Inc. was responded to by the company’s agent, Christy Logan. “We are glad there is a public process we can all go through,” Logan said. “(The special permit) has been applied for and we’ll see how it goes.” Logan referred further questions to public documents at the planning ofﬁce. Updated: November 10, 2015 - 8:44am West Hawaii Today The state Department of Health Clean Air Branch has issued a notice and ﬁnding of violations and ordersagainst Bolton Inc. Bolton Inc. was cited for late submittal of a 2013 report and for not conducting its 2013 annual source performance test for its 475 TPH portable stone processing plant located in Kailua-Kona, according to the DOH. Violations were noted during a Feb. 7, 2014, inspection and a ﬁne of $5,800 has been issued and a consent order is being negotiated. Bolton may request a hearing to contest the violations and penalty fees. The DOH Clean Air Branch monitors air quality and regulates businesses that release pollutants into the air. The branch reviews and approves air permits, evaluates and enforces state and federal air standards, conducts inspections, and investigates reported incidents related to outdoor air quality.  RBolton-SPP16-188.jwd 05-09-16 COUNTY OF HAWAII PLANNING DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION BOLTON,INC. SPECIAL PERMIT APPLICATION NO. 16-000188(SPP 16-000188) Upon review of the request against the guidelines for granting a Special Permit,the Planning Director recommends that the request to allow a baseyard/staging yard for equipment, storage of materials, stockpiling and crushing of natural materials for commercial use, and a security dwelling on a 9.23-acre portion of 23.738 acres of land in the State Land Use Agricultural District be approved by the Planning Commission with a 5-year time limit for the life of the permit. Since this recommendation is made without the benefit ofpublic testimony,the Director reserves the right to modify and/or alter this position based upon additional information presented at the public hearing. This approval recommendation is based on the following findings: The applicant is requesting a Special Permit to allow for a baseyard/staging yard for equipment, storage ofmaterials, stockpiling and crushing of natural materials for commercial use, and a security dwelling situated on a 9.23-acre portion of a 23.738-acre property situated within the State Land Use Agricultural District. The 9.23-acre permit area will consist of two distinct areas; one area consisting of approximately 7.1 acres mauka) and another consisting of approximately 1.88 acres(makai). Currently, only the 1.8-acre area is available to be used for the baseyard and staging area. As the applicant needs more area and/or begins work on flood channelization project for the upper mauka)portion ofthe property,they will begin using the 7-acre area. The applicant is requesting the following activities: A) Baseyard/staging area: The baseyard/staging area will be used to process, reclaim,organize for reuse,repurpose or disposal ofmiscellaneous equipment,materials and farm related materials. The yard will be used as a holding area for items reserved for future use. Various types of equipment and activity related tools including,but not limited to, forklifts, farm tractors,tandem trucks,hoisting equipment, etc. will need to be D. By TOM CALLIS Hawaii Tribune-Herald Construction of the $22.3 million Pahoa District Park, once paused because of the June 27 lava ﬂow, restarted last week, Hawaii County ofﬁcials said. The county gave the go-ahead to resume grubbing and grading work following a downgrade in the lava ﬂow threat March 25 and consultation with Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and Civil Defense. Parks and Recreation Director Clayton Honma said contractor Nan Inc. resumed the work around April 22. The work initially started in early August but was paused after geologists began warning about the lava ﬂow later that month. “In collaboration with our Hawaii County Council, we are pleased to move forward with this project that will provide access to positive recreation for Hawaii Island’s fastest-growing communities,” Mayor Billy Kenoi said in a written statement. Honma said the delay will increase the cost of the project due to remobilization of equipment and changes in labor costs, and those are currently being negotiated. The project is now expected to be ﬁnished in May 2016. The lava ﬂow, which has been inactive outside Pahoa since mid-March, remains active within 5 miles of the Pu‘u ‘O‘o vent. The ﬂow initially entered Pahoa within a mile of the park location. With the eruption continuing and lava still heading in a northeast direction, should the county be spending so much money on a new facility? Civil Defense Administrator Darryl Oliveira said the risk is within reason. “We understand the investment the county would be making,” he said. “Based on the beneﬁts with the community having a park, it seemed reasonable.” The hardened ﬂows could also provide a bit of a barrier for that part of town, depending on which path lava follows, Oliveira said. The project will add 29 acres of park space to the existing 15-acre park on Kauhale Street. When it’s ﬁnished, there will be two lighted baseball ﬁelds, two multi-purpose ﬁelds, covered play courts, a new playground and restrooms. One of the multi-purpose ﬁelds will also have lights for nighttime use. The current project is considered phase one of the park’s expansion. In the future, a third baseball ﬁeld, a track, soccer/multi-purpose ﬁeld and amphitheater are planned. Both phases are expected to cost $54 million. The plan covers a 71-acre site, including the existing improvements. Honma said the Pahoa Senior Center, turned back into a ﬁre station during the lava threat, should reopen for seniors within a week or two. E. 4AOPINIONTHURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2016 | WEST HAWAII TODAY It is not enough to succeed, Gore Vidal once said; others must fail. As presidential nominee Hillary Clinton enjoys a bump in her polls after the Democratic National Convention, she’s getting a boost from her Republican opponent Donald Trump’s epic fails. First, there was his ugly and self-destructive denigration of Khizr and Ghazala Khan, the parents of a fallen American military hero. Their son, Capt. Humayun Khan, who was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, sacrificed his life to save the lives of his fellow soldiers from a car bomb in Iraq. Yet, as his father Khizr Khan said, standing with his wife before the Democratic National Convention on its final night, “if it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have been in America.” The most bracing moment came when the grieving father offered to lend his own pocket Constitution to Trump, invited him to visit Arlington National Cemetery and declared in a halting but clear voice, “You have sacrificed nothing and no one.”We know by now that Trump, who denies having a thin skin, actually has a very thin skin, too thin to let him express the simple and sympathetic reactions of such previous presidents as George W. Bush and Barack Obama when they were criticized by Gold Star parents. They expressed sympathy and gratitude for those families’ sacrifices and grief. But Trump, the man who openly shuns “political correctness,” saying it “takes too much time,” apparently didn’t have time to think twice before claiming that he was “viciously attacked” by the Khans, which only gave the controversy more legs through the weekend. In an ABC interview Sunday, he also equated his “sacrifices” as a billionaire businessman to those made by the Khans and suggested that Mrs. Khan had not spoken because her Muslim faith forbids it. In fact, as she later explained in interviews and a Washington Post op-ed, she felt unable to speak in front of her son’s photo without crying. All of this, by way, ended a week in which the Grand Old Party’s nominee looked like an arrogant simpleton in three other examples of self-inflicted wounds: He invited Russian hackers to uncover and release Clinton’s private emails. He sounded as confident, yet confused and ignorant, about the turmoil in Ukraine as a student who was trying to bulljive his way through an oral exam for which he had not studied. He also mocked another Democratic convention speaker, who happens to be a retired four- star general, as a failure. But at least those Trumpian attacks, like most of his previous jabs, involved public figures. His decision to pick on the grieving parents of a slain war hero is enough to raise concerns about his mental and emotional health. After all, if Trump goes this nuclear over criticism from grieving Gold Star parents, one wonders how he would deal with, say, Kim Jong Un? I, for one, hope we never have to find out. Most frustrating to other Republicans, the calls for GOP leaders to repudiate Trump for his growing list of offenses distract from their efforts to undermine Clinton. On Sunday, for example, Clinton undermined her own efforts to improve her shaky poll numbers for trustworthiness. During a Fox News interview, she uttered a whopper that was serious enough to earn “four Pinocchios,” the Washington Post’s fact-checking department’s worst rating. She said in part that FBI Director James “Comey said my answers were truthful, and what I’ve said is consistent with what I have told the American people….” Post Fact- Checker columnist Glenn Kessler wrote that she was “cherry-picking statements by Comey to preserve her narrative about the unusual setup of a private email server” and “skate past the more disturbing findings of the FBI investigation.” Yet, after Trump tweeted Clinton’s Pinocchios, Kessler tweeted, “Both amusing & irritating to see @ realDonaldTrump tout a 4-P fact check on HRC when his staff almost never responds to fact check queries.” Indeed, in this contest between two candidates with unusually low public approval ratings, neither can afford to make too many mistakes. But Trump has made enough unforced errors lately to qualify as a non-cash contribution to Clinton’s campaign. What happened to Kailua-Kona? Up and down Alli Drive are pockets of homeless. Every corner homeless. Behind the bushes homeless. Down to the sea; more homeless. I offered them food, but that was refused. They wanted money. Turn off Alli, in the direction of Target at night and homeless abound walking like zombies amidst the glow of all the homeless cats. Why has this been allowed to happen? All the travelers who make it there have spent a lot of time and money to get there and they have brought their families to enjoy their precious vacation time making priceless family memories amongst a pack of drug addicted homeless, which is very unnerving to say the least. But why, has this been allowed to happen, let alone continue? All these people are defecating outside and it is disgusting. They leave their trash all over and are constantly looking into vehicles in the parking lots. In one week, we saw three drug transactions occur in plain slight. Why is nothing being done yet the numbers are increasing? Suzanne Richards de PerezSan Marcos, California Consider the ‘Kenoi machine’ when voting When most people think of Billy Kenoi, they think of the guy that has been indicted for charging $130,000 on his county credit card for lapdancers, surfboards and bikes, leaving about $100,000 still un-repaid. When I think of Billy Kenoi, I don’t think of the person. I think of the machine. The “Kenoi machine.” The job of the Kenoi machine is to make it possible for Kenoi to take as much as he can from public coffers and get off scot-free. The Kenoi machine is comprised of a so-called “Ethics Board,” who are actually five finely honed cogs that have been programmed to delay the hearing of Kenoi’s case until after he leaves office. The Kenoi machine is also comprised of a battery of judges, so embedded in the machine that each and every one of them found it necessary to recuse themselves from hearing the felony trial of our fallen king. The Kenoi machine is also comprised of nine human widgets that sit in the County Council, ready to accommodate any desires of King Billy, such as the unanimous passage of a gigantic $100 million bond, waived obediently from any scrutiny by the Finance Committee. The bond is digging the county deeper into debt, in order to fund such harebrained projects as the $22 million Pahoa park complex sited in the path of a lava flow; the multi-million dollar ball park on Manono Street in Hilo sited adjacent to another ball park that is so dilapidated and ill-maintained that it is barely usable; and another unnecessary multi-million dollar ball park in Kukuihaele that is so unwanted that residents are suing the county. The Kenoi machine has been terrific for the construction industry that financed Kenoi’s election. But it’s terrible for the people. It has disabled the judiciary and legislative branches in the service of the king. Now, the Kenoi machine lives on. The construction industry is pouring big bucks into the election campaign of Wally Lau, Grand Duke of the Kenoi administration. Flip the “off” switch on the Kenoi machine and vote for Harry Kim. Gwen IlabanWaimea Donald Trump’s big favor to Hillary Clinton Legal sale of marijuana not to blame for world’s woes RUTH BERNSTONE | MY TURN I’m writing in response to Mr. McClure’s letter to the editor on July 31 regarding Colorado’s experience with legalized marijuana. It must have been a shock for him to return to Denver after almost 30 years and find that the place had changed. My husband and I moved from Denver to Waikoloa Village 20 years ago but have been visiting almost every year since to see family and friends. Yes, Denver has changed over the years, but it happened long before the legalization of marijuana three years ago. The population of the Denver Metro area increased by 50 percent between 1980 and 2000. At the risk of stereotyping, traffic really started to get bad in the 1980s when the city received an influx of Californians who brought their driving habits of honking as soon as the light turns green and running red lights regularly with them. And more people means more cars and more traffic on the roads. But Denver, and the surrounding metro area, is known for its good quality of life — sunny, dry climate, off the road bike trails all over the metro area, good public and private schools, good jobs, lots of parks, campgrounds, skiing, hiking within a short distance — an outdoor lifestyle, but also good libraries, art museum, performing arts center (all supported with tax dollars for over 20 years), restaurants and shopping. Its new, growing light rail system should be the envy of every metro area in America. It’s a place that attracts businesses to locate there and it is a tech hub. Housing is booming there because the economy is good and growing and the low tax rate that results from marijuana income doesn’t hurt in attracting individuals and businesses, and subsidizing nonprofits. Other cities, such as Charlotte, North Carolina, where I visited this spring, and where marijuana is not legal, are also experiencing a shortage of affordable homes due to spiking prices from a good economy. I did notice on my visit to Colorado in June a sad increase in young homeless men hanging around the downtown park areas. The homeless are more visible in Denver in the warmer weather, but none of them approached me for a handout. Let’s not blame the legal sale of marijuana for all the worrisome things in this world. Hawaii is changing too, not always for the better. We love living on the Big Island, but let’s take a lesson from cities like Denver and work to improve the things that make life worth living — a good education that can lead to a good job, a clean ocean and parks to play in, basic affordable housing, a healthy lifestyle and available health care for when we do get sick, along with a helping hand when we need it. Ruth Bernstone is a resident of Waikoloa Tell us about it Do you have a story idea or news tip?Is there a community problem that has not been addressed?Do you know someone unique, whose story should be shared and enjoyed with the rest of the community? We want to know. Call the West Hawaii Today newsroom at 930-8600 or news@westhawaiitoday.com and share the information with our readers.It’s our community — and we care. Letters policy Letters to the editor should be 300 words or less and will be edited for style and grammar. Longer viewpoint guest columns may not exceed 800 words. Email or address letters to: EDITORWEST HAWAII TODAYPO BOX 789KAILUA-KONA HI 96745EMAIL: LETTERS@WESTHAWAIITODAY.COM LETTERS | YOUR VOICE CLARENCEPAGE CHICAGO TRIBUNE F. By Nancy Cook Lauer West Hawaii Today ncook-lauer@westhawaiitoday.com HILO — The commission charged with prioritizing county land purchases isn’t ready to commit to buying a popular Kaloko trailhead, despite advocates’ concerns the land could slip from the public’s hands. The 21-acre lot off Hao Street that links up to miles of hiking paths in the Makaula-Ooma section of the Honuaula Forest Reserve has been nominated for purchase by Peoples Advocacy For Trails Hawaii, with support from North Kona Councilwoman Karen Eoff. The property has been used for decades by hikers who traverse the private property to get to the public land. It’s a popular route to the forest reserve, although it doesn’t butt right up against it. Instead, hikers must cross a swath of at least one, and possibly two, adjoining properties. “When I moved here in 1980, one of the ﬁrst things people told me to do was hike this trail,” Eoff told the Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission on Monday. “Everybody’s probably been trespassing for the 30 years since I got here and probably before that.” The trailhead land was placed on the market in July and is priced at $579,000. The land is zoned agriculture with a minimum lot size of 10 acres, and a signiﬁcant portion already is dedicated as a forest reserve. “Time is of the essence,” Eoff said, adding that the owner is 90 years old and trying to sell the property in order to set her estate in order. Eoff and PATH Executive Director Tina Clothier told the commission that it’s possible to get easements across the other two properties, even though they aren’t for sale. There is also a trail loop on the Hao Street parcel that hikers use who don’t want the more arduous hikes into the forest reserve, Eoff said. The commission, however, was reluctant to agree to purchase a property without it going through the proper vetting process, although PONC funds have been used in the past under County Council direction without the property being prioritized. “Usually, at the start of the year, we accept all the nominations and at the end of the year, we prioritize them,” said commissioner Rene Siracusa. The money comes from a charter-mandated earmark of property taxes. The balance available stood at $6.2 million as of Jan. 5. Got sold to a private party while commission was delaying. They have bought last minute properties before, but guess what, they were on the east side.  G. NO TENTING NO BAGGING ORDISCARDING FOOD NO DAMAGE TO ROOFS, SOLAR PANELS, SATELLITE DISHES & GUTTERS NO MOVING OUT Orange Oil Drywood Termite Treatment Hawaii’s Orange Oil Pioneers Since 2005 FREE ESTIMATES KONA 937-5051 HILO 430-2008 www.akamaipestsolutions.comPCO 924 Ground Termite Treatments Available! APPOINTMENTS ARE FILLING UP! CALL TODAY!Servicing All Islands 2015 Orange Oil Termite Treatment Hawaii’s Orange Oil Pioneers Since 2005 SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2016WESTHAWAIITODAY.COM $1.50 HI 89 LO 78 WEATHER, PAGE 6A Annie’s Mailbox . . . . . . .5BClassified . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1DHome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1CNation & World . . . . . 3A-5A Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8A Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1BINDEX 7 75855100781 VOL. 48, NO. 220 56 PAGES FIND YOUR OHANA ON THE BIG ISLANDAT HOMEINSIDE Mauna Kea critters and culture Mountain stands tall as battle over telescope wages below UH-Hilo making a splash with aquaculture research projects MAUNA KEA — Cinder crunches under- foot, the only real sound aside from a soft whisper of breeze on this warm August day atop the Mauna Kea summit.The otherworldly quiet at 13,796 feet belies a continuing controversy below, as a multinational group seeks permission to build a $1.4 billion telescope just shy of the summit. Opponents of the Thirty Meter Telescope, as it is called, saw their concerns validated in December when the Hawaii Supreme Court voided the project’s con- servation district use permit, saying the state Board of Land and Natural Resources vio-lated the state constitu- tion when it approved the project in 2011.A new contested case hearing is now underway, and preliminary motions were taken up Friday in a hearing in Hilo. The hearing officer, retired Hilo Circuit Court Judge Riki May Amano, plans a site visit next month.Environmental and cultural concerns top the list of arguments raised by opponents. Some say the fragile ecosystem on the mountain is threat- ened by construction and operation of the massive telescope. Some Native Hawaiians raise cultural concerns, calling the mountain sacred to themselves and their ancestors. Other Native Hawaiians dis-agree that the mountain is any more sacred than other areas on the island.Recent polls seem to indicate the majority of residents favor the new project. Proponents cheer the advent of more scien- tific study and high-tech, high-paying jobs for the island, which was hit hard by the demise of the sugar industry. Others point to the ancient Hawaiian voyagers who relied on the stars as an example of the way forward for the native people. Mauna Kea is a prime area for telescopes — there are currently 13 on the summit — because of unique atmospheric conditions. The summit is above the cloud layer, there is minimal light pol-lution, the air is dry and BY NANCY COOK LAUERWEST HAWAII TODAYncook-lauer@westhawaiitoday.com Down on the fish farm: HILO — On a recent Wednesday, University of Hawaii at Hilo students Anne Sophie Marques and Albane Parthenay headed out to feed the fish. Working at the univer- sity’s Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center site in Keaukaha, the pair donned gloves and picked up small plastic baggies of silvery sardines. They dropped the slim fish into above- ground tanks, each con- taining more than 33,500 gallons of seawater. In one tank, robust yellowtail (kahala) sliced the surface with their fins and gobbled up the food. In another, large grouper gulped their breakfasts. In a much larger tank — half a million gal- lons of water — yellow- tail and grouper swam together, near a burbling downweller of growing baby oysters, called spat, and an in-water cage of non-native snapper. PACRC’s latest projects, which it hopes to scale up in the coming years, focus on what sounds like a misnomer: land-based aquaculture.“That’s kind of a differ- ent approach than most BY IVY ASHE HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD HILO — Canada may have high-profile names like Justin Bieber visiting Hawaii, but tourism from the Great White North is stumbling.June numbers from the Hawaii Tourism Authority and state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism show a statewide year-to-date drop of 11.6 percent in Canadian visitors as compared to 2015. Year-to-date visitor spending was down 17.7 percent.The double-digit declines stand out in a year that has seen all other markets continue to grow. “It’s been on the slide for quite a while,” said Ross Birch, executive director of the Big Island Visitors Bureau. March was the hard-est-hit month for Hawaii Island, he said. “And then it’s just continually (down) from there.”June saw a drop of near- ly 30 percent in Canadian visitor arrivals to Hawaii Island.Big Island arrivals earli-er in the year were not as affected as visitor spend-ing, Birch said, since few people canceled trips. “But even those who had already booked … you could see the drastic change in their spending pattern,” he said. “I would say end of first quarter (of Where are the Canadian tourists, eh? Arrivals down 11.6 percent compared to last year BY IVY ASHE HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD SEE CRITTERS PAGE 10A SEE FARM PAGE 7A SEE TOURISTS PAGE 6A Birch Student worker Anne Sophie Marques feeds grouper Wednesday at the UH-Hilo Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center in Keaukaha. HOLLYN JOHNSON/HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD The site proposed for the Thirty Meter Telescope is in a hollow below the summit. NANCY COOK LAUER/WEST HAWAII TODAY Hawaii Holistic Dentistry Dependable - Continually Serving the Big Island Since 1980Stable – Many staff members have been employed for over 20 years.Accessible – Open Monday through SaturdayReliable – With two full-time dentists and four full-time hygienists, the ofﬁ ce rarely closes and patients are seen in a timely manner.Patient Focused – Dr. Doi and Dr. Hartwell’s extensive training in holistic dentistry allow them to customize treatment to the individual, utilizing complementary medicine when necessary while practicing traditional dentistry.Cutting Edge – Ozone therapy, safe mercury removal, and dental materials allergy testing are a few examples of the advanced therapies offered.Sustainable - Environmentally friendly and biocompatible products and procedures are used for the safety of our patients and our aina. David T. Doi, DDS and Trevor Hartwell, DDS808-885-7144 Open 6 days a wk Mon-Sat! We are accepting new patients. Call today! SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2016 | WEST HAWAII TODAYWEATHER6ACity Hi/Lo/WCity Hi/Lo/W City Hi/Lo/W City Hi/Lo/W City Hi/Lo/W City Hi/Lo/W City Hi/Lo/W City Hi/Lo/W City Hi/Lo/WWeather(W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice. TODAY’S WEATHER KONA TIDES TODAY SUN AND MOON NATIONAL WEATHER TODAYShown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows. NATIONAL CITIES TODAY SATELLITE VIEW First Time HeightSecond Time HeightHanaleiKapaaWaialuaLaieLanai HanaKapaau HonokaaHiloNaalehuCaptain CookKailua-Kona Mountain ViewKiheiWailukuMokapuHonoluluKaunakakaiEwa BeachKalaheoKekaha Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.As of 3 p.m. yesterday.Moon Rise SetSun Rise SetAug 10 Aug 17 Aug 24 Aug 31First Full Last NewAlbany, NY 83/59/sAlbuquerque 89/66/cAmarillo 96/69/pcAnchorage 60/57/rAtlanta 92/74/tAustin 99/74/sBaltimore 88/65/sBillings 91/61/tBirmingham 89/75/tBismarck 86/66/pcBoise 89/58/sBoston 85/68/sBuffalo 81/61/sCharleston, SC 92/78/tCharleston, WV 86/66/pcCharlotte, NC 89/72/tCheyenne 83/58/tChicago 82/63/pc Cincinnati 87/66/sCleveland 83/63/sColumbia, SC 94/75/tDallas 101/81/sDenver 88/61/tDes Moines 79/65/pcDetroit 84/62/sDuluth 77/56/sEl Paso 100/76/pc Fairbanks 73/56/cFargo 83/62/pcGrand Rapids 82/59/sGreen Bay 80/56/sHonolulu 86/76/rHouston 98/78/sIndianapolis 84/67/pcJackson, MS 92/75/tJacksonville 85/73/t Juneau 68/56/rKansas City 75/65/rKey West 90/80/pcLansing 82/59/sLas Vegas 105/81/sLittle Rock 90/75/tLos Angeles 82/63/pcLouisville 87/68/pcMadison 80/58/pc Memphis 90/74/tMiami 90/77/tMilwaukee 79/63/sMinneapolis 82/64/pcNashville 88/70/pcNew Orleans 92/79/tNew York City 87/70/sNorfolk 86/72/sOklahoma City 98/74/pc Omaha 77/65/pcOrlando 85/74/tPhiladelphia 89/70/sPhoenix 108/86/sPittsburgh 84/62/sPortland, ME 83/60/pcPortland, OR 74/58/pcProvidence 87/65/sRaleigh 88/72/t Reno 88/53/sSacramento 90/57/sSt. Louis 85/68/pcSalt Lake City 92/71/pcSan Antonio 99/78/sSan Diego 77/67/pcSan Francisco 68/55/pcSan Juan, PR 91/78/pcSanta Fe 84/60/t Seattle 68/56/shSpokane 81/54/pcSyracuse 80/59/sTampa 82/76/rTucson 102/76/sTulsa 95/78/tWashington, DC 90/71/sWichita 87/72/tWichita Falls 103/76/pcForecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2016High 6:40 a.m. 1.3’Low 12:43 a.m. 0.2’High 6:38 p.m. 1.7’Low 12:17 p.m. 0.4’82/7383/75 87/74 86/77 82/69 84/7586/75 85/73 87/7383/7489/78 83/6988/7385/7384/7886/76 87/7487/7682/7383/74 83/74Today 6:02 a.m. 6:58 p.m.Monday 6:03 a.m. 6:57 p.m.Today 10:17 a.m. 10:26 p.m.Monday 11:05 a.m. 11:04 p.m.NATIONAL SUMMARY: Thunderstorms will once again drench parts of the South today with the greatest risk for flooding in central Florida, while less humid air flows from the Great Lakes into the Northeast. Thunderstorms will bring downpours and strong winds to Kansas and Missouri, as well as Montana. The Pacific Northwest will be cool with spotty showers.Emergency Department enters final inspection phase, expected to open by year’s endKohala Hospital work nearing completionKAILUA-KONA — Kohala Hospital’s Emergency Department relocation and renovation project has entered the inspection stage and is expected to be open by the end of the year. The state of the art, four-bed facility will double the ED’s current capacity of two beds and should benefit both locals and visitors alike, said Judy Donovan, market- ing and strategic plan-ning director at Kona Community Hospital. “At times, there are five or six patients in the emergency room at one time,” Donovan said. “The new department will be able to handle (patient) capacity.”New equipment installed at the Kohala Hospital ED will allow for faster data delivery and in some ways is superior to equipment used in the old emergency room at KCH, Donovan added. Administration hopes to add other capabili- ties, including an equip- ping the department with an MRI, which would eliminate lengthy trips for pain-ridden patients to North Hawaii Community Hospital if a scan is required.With time, the hospi- tal hopes to increase its ED functionality even further.“We would like to start looking at what services we can provide here that could meet the future needs of our North Kohala community,” said Gino Amar, hospital adminis- trator, in a press release. Long-term patients at the Kohala facility should also benefit as the old ED was located across the hall from regular hospi-tal rooms. Donovan said the separation of the units will cut down on conges- tion and noise issues. Further separation will be achieved after design changes to the ED implementing a walkway project. “The initial entry plan was a bit confusing,” Amar said. “The new entry will not be routed through the hospital, but will be a covered walkway with direct access into the emergency department.” The design revisions also include an expanded parking lot, which will increase by five spaces and include handicapped parking.Hospital staff will per-form mock drills prior to the opening of the ED, with particular empha- sis on practicing patient flow, resource allocation and test communications.The Kohala Hospital Charitable Foundation generated more than $400,000 in funding for the project, which got underway in 2013 and was delayed by changes to planned access point to the department. The rest of the money came by way of Hawaii’s Capital Improvement Project fund. BY MAX DIBLEWEST HAWAII TODAYmdible@westhawaiitoday.com this year), beginning of second quarter is when we really started to see the Canadian market dip.”Statewide, Canadian visitor arrivals have been declining for nine months, a trend attributed to the weak exchange rate between Canada and the United States. “The feedback we’re getting from the (travel) agents and the press is, ‘Yes, Hawaii is always top of the list,’” Birch said. “But it’s a hard sell with the dollar exchange.” The exchange rate was fairly even in 2012, but began to slide in favor of the American dollar in mid-2013. As of Friday, the exchange rate was 0.76 Canadian dollars per U.S. dollar. Hawaii also faces com-petition from destina-tions such as Mexico, which is ramping up investments in its resorts and all-inclusive trav-el packaging and has a more favorable exchange rate. Still, Canada is “our number-two interna- tional market, behind Japan,” said Leslie Dance, vice-president of market-ing and product devel- opment for the HTA. Australia is “nipping at its heels.”Dance said that the mar- ket was showing signs of coming back, particularly since Canada’s GDP has increased and air access remains strong. On the Big Island, all direct Canadian air traf-fic arrives via Kona International Airport in Kailua-Kona. There has been a 50 percent increase in direct flights over the past two years, Birch said. “We want to keep those flights in place,” he said. “It’s just, again, keeping that awareness that we are an option.”Both the HTA and BIVB have stepped up efforts to promote Hawaii. HTA used to consider all of North America as a single marketing area, but has since pulled Canada out as its own focal point. “It’s a fully integrat-ed marketing pro- gram, so PR, new trade partnerships,” Dance said. “There’ll be some advertis-ing as well.” The campaign also will include efforts to bring in more visitors from Canada’s East Coast.Vancouver currently sends the most tourists to Hawaii.On Friday, Birch and his staff completed the state’s first-ever “virtual press blitz,” in which the group met with more than 25 travel writers from Canada and the Pacific Northwest (another BIVB focus is the Bellingham, Washington, area) via Skype and virtual conference call. “We were just pushing this market again, making connections and trying to get a lot of these writers to come out,” Birch said. “The lava flowing into the ocean is always a great angle.” The Skype chats took place from a Kohala property, showcasing the sweeping highland in the background of the video. “It’s still keeping a pres- ence, it’s keeping a remind-er,” Birch said. “‘If you are thinking of Hawaii, keep us in mind.’” “The increased focus should benefit the num- bers,” Dance said. TOURISTS: Canadian visitor arrivals have been declining for nine months CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A Dance The Kohala Hospital’s Emergency Department relocation and renovation project has entered the inspection stage and is expected to be open by the end of the year. COURTESY PHOTO Hawaii Holistic Dentistry Dependable - Continually Serving the Big Island Since 1980Stable – Many staff members have been employed for over 20 years.Accessible – Open Monday through SaturdayReliable – With two full-time dentists and four full-time hygienists, the ofﬁ ce rarely closes and patients are seen in a timely manner.Patient Focused – Dr. Doi and Dr. Hartwell’s extensive training in holistic dentistry allow them to customize treatment to the individual, utilizing complementary medicine when necessary while practicing traditional dentistry.Cutting Edge – Ozone therapy, safe mercury removal, and dental materials allergy testing are a few examples of the advanced therapies offered.Sustainable - Environmentally friendly and biocompatible products and procedures are used for the safety of our patients and our aina. David T. Doi, DDS and Trevor Hartwell, DDS808-885-7144 Open 6 days a wk Mon-Sat! We are accepting new patients. Call today! PROPOSED NEW ISSUE City and County of Honolulu Wastewater System Revenue Bonds $421,380,000* Senior Series 2016 A, B and C Junior Series 2016 A UNDERWRITERS BofA Merrill Lynch (808) 525-7300 / (800) 964-0765 (808) 935-1136 / (800) 965-1136 (808) 322-6000 / (888) 223-0654 Piper Jaffray & Co. (800) 552-0614 • Ratings: • Moody’s: Senior Lien: Aa2 | Junior Lien: Aa3 • Fitch: Senior Lien: AA | Junior Lien: AA- • Interest on the Senior Series 2016 A and B Bonds is Federally and Hawaii Tax-Exempt** • Interest on the Senior Series 2016 C and Junior Series 2016 A Bonds is Federally Taxable and Hawaii Tax-Exempt** • Maturities range from 2017 to 2046* • Retail Order Period on August 16th* • Institutional pricing on August 17th* • Bonds will be available in book-entry form in $5,000 denominations SELLING GROUP First Honolulu Securities Inc. (808) 523-9422 Stifel (808) 521-2601 TD Ameritrade (800) 934-4445 UBS Financial Services Inc. (808) 536-4511 **In the opinion of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, Bond Counsel to the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii (the “City and County”) based upon analysis of existing laws, regulations, rulings and court decisions and assuming, among other matters, the accuracy of certain representations and compliance with certain covenants, interest on the Senior Series 2016A Bonds and the Senior Series 2016B Bonds, (collectively, the “Tax-Exempt Bonds”) is excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes under Section 103 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. In the further opinion of Bond Counsel, interest on the Tax-Exempt Bonds is not a speciﬁc preference item for purposes of the federal individual or corporate alternative minimum taxes, although Bond Counsel observes that such interest is included in adjusted current earnings when calculating corporate alternative minimum taxable income. Bond Counsel is of the opinion that the Series 2016 Bonds and the income therefrom are exempt from all taxation by the State of Hawaii or any county or other political subdivision thereof, except inheritance, transfer, estate and certain franchise taxes. Bond Counsel further observes that interest on the Senior Series 2016C Bonds and the Junior Series 2016A Bonds is not excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes. Bond Counsel express no opinion regarding any other tax consequences related to the ownership or disposition of, or the amount, accrual or receipt of interest on, the Series 2016 Bonds. See “TAX MATTERS” in the Preliminary Official Statement. *Preliminary, subject to change Raymond James (877) 295-9116 H. West Hawaii Today Opinion Section 4AOPINIONWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2016 | WEST HAWAII TODAY They don’t call summer the silly season for nothing. This often carefree time of year is prone to odd crazes that somehow don’t seem to pop up in the depths of win- ter. Right now it’s Pokemon Go. A few summers ago, it was Carly Rae Jepsen’s pop hit, “Call Me Maybe,” which inspired lip-synched videos by everyone from the Miami Dolphins cheerleaders to the Harvard baseball team.But there may have been no odd fad more improba- ble than the one two years ago that spurred millions of people to record videos of themselves dumping buck- ets of ice water over their heads. Anyone tagged by a friend had a choice: Either take an arctic shower or donate money to the ALS Association to fight amyo- trophic lateral sclerosis, the deadly disease nicknamed after baseball legend Lou Gehrig. In practice, most of those who were challenged did both, and then challenged their friends, in a daisy chain of goofy self-abasement. Elected officials and athletes did it. Maybe you did as well. All the goofiness paid off. By the time the fad passed, ALS groups around the world had been flooded with $220 million. “In just eight weeks, the U.S. ALS Association (ALSA) received 13 times as much in contri- butions as what it had in the whole of the preceding year,” reports James Surowiecki in The New Yorker. The Les Turner ALS Foundation saw donations skyrocket. What’s more, ALSA has seen contributions stay well above the previous level, and the surge apparently didn’t divert funds from other charitable organizations.The campaign also edu- cated people about a pro- gressive illness that destroys the neurons controlling muscle movements. Victims are robbed of their ability to move, speak and, even-tually, breathe. It’s fatal, and there is no cure. Raising money for such a grave need is good — but seeing that money put to productive use is even bet- ter. ALSA now says the funds paid for research that detected a gene that is partly responsible for the disease, opening up new avenues for devising ways to treat the disease.What happened?“The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge enabled The ALS Association to invest in Project MinE’s work to create large biorepositories of ALS biosamples that are designed to allow exactly this kind of research and to produce exactly this kind of result,” says the group. Eventually, all this research and data may lead to a cure.Using the power of social media to stimulate aware- ness of a deadly scourge, mobilize efforts to tackle it and see those efforts lead to concrete results? It’s enough to give you a warm feeling — not to mention a reason to give again. No ice bucket required. Quality of life important Excellent commentary by Norman Bezona and Charles Watanabe on July 24. Bezona: Include Trees and native plants in landscape design for our parking lots and building. Watanabe: Pass “quality of life” ordinances to protect our neighborhoods from thrash and old cars in front lawns, monitor building permits, reduce graffiti, allow better water access at Kahaluu. In essence, Watanabe said the county should follow the Community Development Plan (CDP) we completed in 2005 — 11 years ago. What I like about these two gents is that they both talk about our quality of life for Kona residents. This is important to me as a full- time resident. Approximately two months ago, I attended a recent presentation with Gov. David Ige and his cabinet — and the first thing out of his mouth was: “The nonstop flight from Haneda Japan to Kona will bring in millions of dollars to Kona for the first year of operation.” So what? Everyone is always talking about the monies we are going to receive. First of all, who is receiving the monies, and are more visitors going to have a positive or a negative impact on the quality of our lives? I was of one of the community planners for the CDP in 2005. But very little has been done. I believe, like Mr. Bezona and Mr. Watanabe, that our public servants (council members, legislators, governor) need to re-direct their efforts to accommodate the people who live here — the locals. Our quality of life is important. We live here, we pay taxes, we vote! Lei Kihoi Captain Cook Signs simply a mess It happens every election season — thousands of campaign signs pop up on public property and in abandoned lots. I will never vote for a candidate who has put up a sign on public property or without permission of the landowner. That only shows that they do not respect the electorate or the aina, and that they have more outside campaign money than they have local support to host their signs. They believe you will vote for the most visible name, regardless of what the candidate actually stands for. Candidates: Educate your supporters about where it is legal to post your signs. Voters: Do not vote for candidates that illegally blemish our island and disrespect your intelligence. County workers and police: Remove illegal campaign signs from our public areas. Candidates should be subject to fines for illegal actions that blight our island. Joel Aycock Hawaiian Acres Racing Association polls on park The Hawaii Racing Associaton is encouraging its 3,000-plus members to get out and vote in the Aug. 13 primary election. The next mayor and his staff will be asked to begin the long-awaited Kona Fairgrounds and Motorsport Park project in west Hawaii. The HRA’s website now features letters and input from mayor candidates Harry Kim, Pete Hoffmann and Wally Lau stating their position on the new park. Members are invited to go to www. hawaiiracigassoc.org and decide which candidate may be the one to move the Kona Fairgrounds and Motorsport Park forward if they are elected. And then vote in the primary on Aug. 13. The nonprofit organization has been pursuing a 250-acre motorsport park for west Hawaii that would now include a 30-acre Kona Fairgrounds for concerts, driver training, CDL licensing, car shows and swap meets. The public is also invited to visit the website to find out more about the 20-plus year effort and give their feedback via the email address listed. Paul Maddox President, H.R.A., Inc. Ice bucket challenge comes through Funny how DNC spokesman won’t talk to me now EDITORIAL | CHICAGO TRIBUNE JAKE JACOBS | JAKE’S TAKE Anyone who occasionally reads a newspaper, turns on a TV or a radio has already been made aware of the hacked emails of the Democratic National Committee. I purposely say “made aware of” rather than “informed. It’s been all over the news but what is it that you know? Unless you’ve been paying above average attention, all you know is that the Russians hacked into the DNC emails, Donald Trump is happy, and Democrats are outraged at both the Russians and at Trump. If you want to accept that, read no further. On the other hand, a slice of reality fol- lows: On the opening day of the Democratic convention, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, DNC Chairwoman, resigned her position in the wake of the release of thousands of DNC internal emails showing how the DNC conspired to sabotage the candidacy of Bernie Sanders and assure Hillary Clinton got the nomination. The emails were made public by Wikileaks who did not, and by design, could not reveal their source. Wikileaks is able to protect people with the courage to reveal those embarrassing secrets that governments and others try to hide because they receive information anonymously, so even if they wanted or were compelled to reveal their sources, they are physically unable to do so. Astute readers may remember that in my April column I praised Tulsi Gabbard for following DNC rules by resigning as co-chair of the DNC before support-ing Bernie Sanders. This was in the context of criticizing Debbie Wasserman Schultz for supporting Clinton with unilateral decisions such as manipulating the debate schedule to favor Clinton. My comments drew the ire of Sean Bartlett, who gave his title as Senior Communications Advisor to the Chair for “accusations … about my boss,” even as he acknowledged that many others had made the same accusations. Apparently, he was upset because I stated it as a fact. West Hawaii Today printed a correction clarifying that it wasn’t factual, rather this writer’s assumption. But then this news broke.I emailed Mr. Bartlett for his reaction to the dis- closure of the DNC emails and received this response: “Your message to bart- letts@dnc.org couldn’t be delivered. Bartletts wasn’t found at dnc.org.”Too bad. Anyway, needless to say, Wasserman Schultz apologized and the DNC was quick to condemn the actions of the few bad apples that generated the 20,000 emails sabotaging Sanders’ campaign — or actually, not. Not even close. And this is what’s really got me irritated, to put it mildly. After Wikileaks released the emails, I’m not aware of anything approaching condemnation or even shock coming out of the DNC or the Clinton campaign. Rather, after resigning, Wasserman Schultz was immediately named “hon- orary chair to the Clinton campaign’s 50-state pro-gram,” whatever that is. Then the DNC went into damage-control mode that would make Karl Rove proud. In a stroke of abso- lutely brilliant chutzpah, the DNC took attention off their own malfeasance by announcing that they had been hacked by the Russians! It’s a cyber attack! Help! Help!! The Russians are coming, the Russians are coming! No evidence was offered, not even the name of the alleged expert(s) who told the DNC it was a Russian hack job. With characteristic journal-istic professionalism and skepticism, the media imme- diately enrolled itself in bamboozling the public. The story now is only about the Russians and the possible Putin/Trump nuptials. The content of the emails them-selves and their proof that the DNC made every effort to deny Sanders the nomi-nation has been completely supplanted by the irrelevant alleged Russian hacking into DNC servers, of which there is no proof whatev-er. Ignored are the emails themselves which prove con- clusively that election tam-pering occurred at the DNC, by the DNC, for HRC in the USA (not Russia), OMG! Jake Jacobs lives in Kailua-Kona and is a pilot. He writes a monthly column for West Hawaii Today LETTERS | YOUR VOICE JAKEJACOBS JAKE’S TAKE 6AOPINIONSUNDAY, JULY 24, 2016 | WEST HAWAII TODAYIt’s impossible to miss the irony in the news this week — the week of the Republican National Convention — that Roger Ailes’ reign at Fox News has come to an end.No political figure besides, maybe, Ronald Reagan has had more to do with the rise of the right in this country, or its image. From the outset of his career, as New York Magazine’s Gabriel Sherman has reported, Ailes has preached that TV networks would someday take on the role of political parties. Certainly he has worked to make that his legacy.“Television isn’t a gimmick,” he told Richard Nixon in the late 1960s, when, as a TV producer turned political operative, he helped restore the politician’s presidential prospects. In the 1970s, he ran a TV network for Joseph Coors, the conservative brewing magnate. In the 1980s, he brought that experience back into politics, according to a recent profile by historian Jill Lepore in The New Yorker, helping elect Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, 13 Republican senators and eight members of Congress, including Dan Quayle and Mitch McConnell.In 1996, he was tapped by the media mogul Rupert Murdoch to launch Fox News, which he vowed would be “fair and balanced.” Fox was a latecomer, with less than a third of CNN’s 60 million subscribers, but by 1999, thanks to the Monica Lewinsky scandal, business was booming — and the line between opinion and news and Ailes’ Rolodex was steadily blurring.When Fox News called the 2000 election for George W. Bush, the Ailes employee manning the desk was Bush’s first cousin. When the U.S. went to war in Iraq, Fox News was an unabashed cheering section.And in the years since, the network has been a generator of conservative red meat like no other: Fast and Furious. Benghazi. Planned Parenthood.All week, those and other Fox News staples have been front and center at the Republican National Convention, wrapped in glitzy, Fox News-style red-white-and-blue trappings. For the Ohio-born Ailes, now 76, this should be the most triumphant of times.But it is not. His resignation was announced Thursday, and there are the explosive, and growing, allegations stemming from a recent sexual harassment suit filed by former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson.And at the convention itself, there was Donald Trump, whose rise is in itself a sign of Ailes’ waning power. Clearly not the network’s preferred Republican candidate at the outset, Trump fought back on his own powerful medium — Twitter — when Ailes protege Megyn Kelly confronted him at an early Fox News primary debate with a blistering question on sexism.Now, though Fox News may tout him, it’s clear that the network needs Trump more than vice versa. And Kelly is reported to have backed up Carlson’s claims of harassment. In TV and politics, as in so much else, the guard appears to be changing. It remains to be seen whether that’s good, bad or fair and balanced news.Moral authority not usedMayoral candidate and former Hawaii County managing direc-tor Wally Lau claims he had “no authority over the mayor’s actions ”regarding Mayor Kenoi’s alleged illegal PCard purchases — for which the mayor has now been indicted.Implicit in Mr. Lau’s statement is the tacit acknowledgment that he indeed knew of the mayor’s alleged impropitious purchases, but was powerless to expose the abuses.Lau’s refusal to do was deplorable and unconscionable. As county man-aging director, Mr. Lau may not have had the technical authority to expose the abuses, but as second in command of the Hawaii County government he needed to place himself above politics and technicalities and do what citizens hoped he would have done — used his moral authority to take the correct steps and surface the alleged abuses.Had he done what was right — perhaps in concert with a few other county officials or in consultation with the county prosecutor — Mr. Lau could have cut short Mayor Kenoi’s embarrassing, divisive, distracting, and costly alleged indiscretions.Instead, the alleged PCard abuses by Mayor Kenoi continued unchecked. Why? Because acting solely on his sense of moral authority, was not seen by Mr. Lau as the right thing to do.Richard DingesHiloPeace, not fear the answerAfter watching Mr. Drumpf — Yes, that is the original Trump family name, his grandfather altered it upon his relocation to the U.S. entering in 1885 during the height of German-to-U.S. migration. He was an immi-grant from Southern Germany, if that doesn’t give you pause — speaking at the Republican convention I was afraid to turn off the lights and go to bed Thursday night due to all the fear mongering, even to one such as myself, who believes that, “unreasoned fear is a master intellectual fraud prac- ticed upon the evolving mortal soul”.Because of the over abundance of adrenalin coursing through my blood stream, sleep did not come easy. I pray that our brothers and sisters on the mainland of the USA can look to our state and see that it is possible for many different races and cultures to live in peace and acceptance of each other with aloha in their hearts and not buy into this negative fear.Wasn’t it Jesus who said “fear not.” I ask who is accusing who of not being a Christian? Our well-balanced and even-tempered President is a prod- uct of this Hawaiian mindset. If only he had had more cooperation in the Congress, millions more people would have been put to work, like in the 50s when the national highway system was built. But no, those old prejudiced white men in power made it their goal to make him “a one-term president.” Well now you have reaped what you sowed. Rev. Marian Hughes Waimea Losing money left and right We already have the highest electric bill in the nation, why is HELCO giving $20,000 to education instead of lower-ing our bills? If we wanted to donate to a cause we could do that on our own.Also, why are we paying for a 12-month registration renewal for our cars and only getting 11 months? My registration was good until July 30 but when the slip came back it was only good through June 2017? In my brain, I’ve lost a month. Am I wrong? Hildene CalliesOcean View Ailes exit, era ends in irony at Fox News More building? Is there any plan for Kona? EDITORIAL | THE SACRAMENTO BEE CHARLES WATANABE | MY TURN Is there any plan for Kona?In 2005 the county completed a CDP — county development plan. Eleven years later they have done two things that I can find. Access to Kua Bay and the gymnasium. Now the council is approving two new developments on Alii and a large senior center. They say the we need more housing because prices are going up on existing homes. Totally false. Our neighbors and others like them selling their homes have dropped there prices steadily over that last year because no one is buying. (Just check out the Mls for this area for proof.) While Maui is at a all time high.Where are these new Kona residents going to enjoy themselves? The council has given $17 million to fix a Hilo golf course that loses $500,000 a year. Building a $2.5 million dollar baseball/park in Pahoa directly in the path of a lava flow. Trying to build a multi-million dollar park in Kukuihaele that none of the residents want.Are developers building near any of these areas? No! It is time the council starts taking action on the 11-year-old items in their own CDP. Which is not a plan but a wish list, unfortunately.There is no wording about fixing zonings, buying land. They use the word encourage.Well, we encourage you to do something right and accomplish these goals you set. Maybe in the next two years. In 2011, my children were going into middle school, they are now off island graduating from college. One whole generation that has missed having Kona be the premier place it could be.The council saw fit to rezone a hotel next to Kahaluu to an educational area for only a small group of children that qualify to go there. Instead of keeping the zoning for another hotel that could employ hundreds of people and pay millions in tax dollars that could help with fixing Kona. There are even free things the council can do to help upgrade the look of Kona. They can start making some quality of life ordinances to protect the neighborhoods that are not in homeowners associations from the one or two neighbors that stack trash and cars on their front lawns or run a business from their home. Parking cranes, dump trucks or unattended boats on their front lawns or in front of their neighbors homes. Even with vermin, ant and mosquito issues, the council still hasn’t taken the time to draft any clean up ordinances. This is happening at homes right next to the coast, which on any other island is premium property.If it wasn’t for the many condo complexes with HOAs that keep them beautiful, Kona neighborhoods would be more junky than ever. The council is responsible for setting the atmosphere of junk around homes by ignoring the issue and in turn responsible for the hard to sell homes near these junk residences. Graffiti is another issue, not recognized by council. Maui has these ordinances and many beach parks, why can’t Kona? We emailed the council several times over two years about these issues with suggestions for neighborhood quality ordinances, building out Magic Sands, better water access at Kahaluu, etc. and only got one council member to respond (thank you, Karen Eoff), but she was not interested in driving Kona town and neighborhoods with us to view the issues.This is voting season, all we hear is about big issues like homelessness, energy, but what about the focus on the voters and taxpaying-resident needs. Are the kids in middle school now going to be in college when the next letter is written asking why our council doesn’t maintain and better our unique Kona town and neighborhoods?If you want to see change please email our council and this year don’t vote for incumbents, let’s get some new faces in that just might make something happen before it is too late. Charles Watanabe is a resident of Kailua-Kona Tell us about it Do you have a story idea or news tip?Is there a community problem that has not been addressed?Do you know someone unique, whose story should be shared and enjoyed with the rest of the community?We want to know.Call the West Hawaii Today newsroom at 930-8600 or news@westhawaiitoday.com and share the information with our readers.It’s our community — and we care. Letters policy Letters to the editor should be 300 words or less and will be edited for style and grammar. Longer viewpoint guest columns may not exceed 800 words. Email or address letters to: EDITORWEST HAWAII TODAYPO BOX 789KAILUA-KONA HI 96745EMAIL: LETTERS@WESTHAWAIITODAY.COM LETTERS | YOUR VOICE Property taxes should pay for west side Published May 29, 2016 - 7:29pm Updated: May 29, 2016 - 7:29pm Charles Watanabe / My Turn Thank you West Hawaii for publicly exposing the property tax income for West Hawaii. We are at a critical time in West Hawaii’s future and need the public to start putting pressure on our council to make some positive plans and changes for the west side. Until West Hawaii is clean, green and accessible, we have to stop improving other areas of the Big Island. West Hawaii is the cash generator for the entire island’s future with property tax and tourism revenue. Positive changes will benefit both tourism and local use of the west side. We now know it is not from the lack of money, just a lack of willingness by our elected officials to upgrade this area. All calls to the Parks and Recreation Department’s PIO found they have no plans to do any upgrades mentioned below. After attending the Planning Commission forum meeting last month, we found they have no concrete plans for upgrading except for 2,500 Hawaiian Home Land homes near Kahalakehe High School and a possible 2,000 more on Kamehameha land near Target. Let’s take some areas that could be improved as examples: 1. Kamakahonu beach and the pier area suffer from a lack of parking for locals to launch their standup boards and swim. The four three-minute parking areas are not enforced and regularly have cars park in them all day. The pier used to be the center of town with a fish market and boats bringing in their catch for all to see. Why can’t we make it that way again? 2. Magic Sands is junk. There are rocks strewn all over the beach and shoreline. Most of these rocks came from a seawall that was knocked down in 1992 from Iniki. One afternoon with a backhoe would remove these rocks. This would allow the sand to recover quickly and make more room for sitting on the beach. South of the Lua’s could be a small grass park, instead of an abandoned concrete pad. The sacred area is fenced with Lowe’s buckets and concrete. We can do better than that. Over 100,000 people a year visit this beach. 3. Four Mile. How about a small pier here so that we can safely launch standup boards? Also some proper safe steps leading from the parking lot would be nice. 4. Kahaluu. This was one of the finest snorkeling beaches in all the islands. Now it has 50 percent less fish and looks like a rock quarry. According to the Reef Teach organization, it is visited by 300,000 people a year. Even though it is a preserve, people regularly net hundreds of fish from the bay each day. Several letters from tourists have been written to WHT about this. There is no reason that the lifeguards can’t enforce the hunting rules in this bay. And how about some green? People come to Hawaii for it’s beauty, it would not be difficult to plant drought resistant flowering plants and trees around the bay. 5. Keauhou. This is a great mixed-use beach, But the walkways to the beach are crumbling and dangerous to walk down with outriggers and standup boards. If it wasn’t for the outrigger clubs care of the land around the bay, it would look terrible. A thousand people fought to save this bay from the state’s mooring plans, how about our council trying to buy this inlet with the land funds. Instead of buying lands in the middle of nowhere that nobody will use? 7. Kailua Town is rotting away. Many of the buildings need to be condemned. They are full of dry rot and illegal plumbing. We sat through the planning commission meeting last month about the 2005 to current development plan. We heard they have no plans to force an upgrade. They recognized since 2005 that the area needs help. They don’t even have architectural standards in case some on actually wants to rebuild there. 3. Quality of Life ordinances protect the neighborhoods that are not covered by homeowners association against uncaring neighbors. Dengue should have taught our council a lesson on junk. All it takes is one or two bad neighbors with old cars abandoned on their yards, piles of belongings outdoors to contribute the breeding of pests. To say nothing about lowering of the property values of their neighbors. Also the running of service businesses should be regulated in neighborhoods. Our street has a home with two backhoes and a dump truck parked on the lawn. I think you get the idea. If you agree with these things call or email the council to get on them. My kids started elementary school and are now off island in college. They saw nothing improve only get worse on the west side. Let’s not take another 19 years to make West Hawaii better. Charles Watanabe is a resident of Kailua-Kona.