NŪ HOU - NEWSBRIEFS

Nū Hou

By Ka Wai Ola Staff

May Day is Lei Day The 81st annual Lei Day Celebration May 1 at Kapi'olani Park wouldn't be complete without a lei contest – or its court. 2008 Lei Day Queen Paulette Nohealani Kahalepuna, seated, is shown at the court's March crowning, with, from left, Princesses Dolores Pumelani Angel Camacho, Debra Ku'ulei Peters, Beverly Ann Moanilehuaa'elamauka Javier Tachibana, and First Princess Haunani Judd Kauahi. Organizers of this year's festivities also aimed to create the world's longest lei – setting an as-yet unestablished record in the Guinness World Records. “We should receive the official word from Guinness within a few weeks of sending the required materials in,” said Mona Wood of IKAIKA Communications,” and Mayor Hannemann will make the announcement once the record is official.” - Photo: Courtesy of City and County Department of Parks and Recreation

NHHPC vacancy - applications being accepted

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs - Native Hawaiian Historic Preservation Council (NHHPC) is presently accepting applications for the at-large seat to fulfill the uncompleted term ending December 31, 2008.  Individuals interested in serving on the advisory body to the OHA Board of Trustees on issues pertaining to historic preservation and cultural conservation are chosen to assure a broad and balanced geographical representation of professional and cultural disciplines involved with historic preservation.
 
The mission of the NHHPC is "to improve the quality of life and ensure the cultural identity of Native Hawaiians by preserving and perpetuating Native Hawaiian cultural and historic resources, and empowering all Hawaiians to participate in the stewardship of these properties, traditions, practices and values."
 
Members serve without compensation; however, travel expenses are covered by OHA.  Monthly meetings are usually held at OHA's Honolulu office on the 4th Monday of each month.
 
Download the NHHPC application form here.  For further information, call the Office of Hawaiian Affairs on your island:  Hilo, 920-6418; Kona, 327-9525; Maui, 873-3364; Moloka'i 560-3968; Kaua'i 241-3508; Lana'i 565-7930.  You may also call Apolei Bargamento at 594-1961 on O'ahu.
 
Completed application must be e-mailed or postmarked by 4:00 p.m. Friday, June 20, 2008 to:  apoleib@oha.org - Mail to: Apolei Bargamento, NHHPC, 711 Kapi'olani Blvd., Suite 500, Honolulu, HI 96813.
 

Waimea Valley

Gail Ann Chew has been appointed interim executive director of Hi'ipaka LLC, which manages Waimea Valley, following the April departure of Gary Gill.

A search for a permanent director is underway.

“We very much appreciate Gary's service at Waimea,” said Hi'ipaka LLC manager Clyde Nāmu'o. “He has led in a very critical time and we wish him all the best.”

Gill, a former Honolulu City Council chairman, was appointed to the post in 2007 as OHA announced the creation of Hi'ipaka to run Waimea. “I continue to believe in Hi'ipaka's vision for Waimea and am pleased and proud of the progress we have made during my tenure,” he said. “I wish the best for Hi'ipaka and the hard working staff in the Valley as they move forward to fulfill that vision.”

Chew's appointment will provide leadership and “ensure that the operation continues to move forward” during the transition period, Nāmu'o said.

Chew, a business consultant, provides management, communication and coordination services to organizations locally and nationally. She spent 14 years with the Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau, where she developed its strategic partnership division, managed corporate communications and created award-winning promotions and successful relationships with global brands. Chew has worked with Gill on Waimea Valley operations since December.

The Nation magazine

The illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom and contemporary Native Hawaiian struggles to build a nation are topics covered in the April 28 issue of The Nation—a U.S. continent-based weekly periodical known for left-leaning political stances. Noted author-journalist Elinor Langor penned the lead article, entitled “Famous Are the Flowers: Hawaiian History Then and Now,” explaining that while on a family visit to Maui, she happened to purchase the autobiography of Queen Lili'uokalani. She was astonished by its recounting of a painful Hawaiian past at odds with the commercial depiction of an island sun and sea paradise. Her interest piqued, she pursued research on Hawaiian culture and governance, which she has parlayed into other companion pieces about annexation and the 1993 Apology Resolution. The issue also contains an open letter from representatives of the Hawaiian sovereignty movement asking support from the American left in opposing the Akaka Bill and U.S. military base build-up in Hawai'i. This edition of The Nation perhaps marks an unprecedented look by an internationally distributed publication at the Kanaka Maoli drive for independence. It is rounded out by a list of “further reading and resources,” reflecting diverse opinions on Hawaiian sovereignty. According to University of Hawai'i Press, The Nation is sold at Borders and can also be found online at www.thenation.com.

OHA audit

A Senate resolution calling for a state financial and management audit of OHA has died in the state Legislature. SCR 138 died after not receiving a hearing by the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

OHA is already scheduled for an audit next year, but Senate backers of the measure had said they wanted to provide the public more immediate information on how OHA is spending its money.

State Attorney General Mark Bennett and OHA Trustees have described the fast-tracked audit as punitive and linked to comments they directed at three key Senate committees that rejected a $200 million state settlement with OHA over ceded lands revenues.

Ho'okupu processional at the March 26 dedication of Hale Kalaniana'ole, the new East Kapolei headquarters of the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. - Photo: Courtesy of Department of Hawaiian Home Lands

DHHL headquarters

The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands plans to move into its new home in East Kapolei this month, becoming the first state department to move its entire operation to the Second City.

The move comes about a month after DHHL dedicated Hale Kalaniana'ole on Kūhiō Day, which honors Prince Kūhiō, a former Congressional delegate who championed the passage of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act in 1921, which led to DHHL's creation.

“With more than 60 percent of homesteaders from O'ahu living on the Leeward Coast, it makes sense to bring the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands into the community it serves,” Gov. Linda Lingle said. “In addition to the new headquarters, DHHL is lifting the entire community by providing infrastructure for the University of Hawai'i-West O'ahu campus, building highways to alleviate traffic congestion, increasing economic opportunities in the area and creating more affordable housing opportunities.”

The day began with a ho'okupu processional from Kapolei High to Hale Kalaniana'ole, a $21 million, two-story, 45,000-square-foot office building at the end of Kapolei Parkway. Festivities included speeches and a ho'olaule'a with food, crafts and entertainment.

DHHL, with about 125 employees, was previously located at Ali'i Place on Alakea Street. DHHL's new home sits among several of its developments: the 226-unit Malu'ohai subdivision, the almost-completed 326-unit Kaupe'a subdivision and the 403-unit East Kapolei I, which plans to start home construction this year.

Veterans meetings

The state House Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs has announced a series of “Talk Story” sessions with the state's veterans to discuss issues including homelessness, job retraining and employment, post-traumatic stress syndrome, domestic abuse and disabled-veteran access to health care. The meetings are scheduled for:

• Maui – Monday, May 5, 9-11 a.m. at J.W. Cameron Center, 95 Mahalani St. in Wailuku; and 4-6 p.m. at Ī'ao Middle School, Classroom J-204, in Wailuku (Maui lists tentative locations, call 586-8510)
• Hilo – Tuesday, May 6, 9-11 a.m. at the University of Hawai'i-Hilo, Room UCB-127
• Moloka'i – Wednesday, May 7, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at The Moloka'i Veterans Compound.
• Kaua'i – Thursday, May 8, 5-7 p.m. at Kaua'i Veterans Center, 3-3367 Kūhiō Highway, Suite #101
• Kona – Tuesday, May 13, 9-11 a.m. at Kona Veterans Cemetery
• Leeward O'ahu – Saturday, May 17, 9-11 a.m. at Kapolei High School, 91-5007 Kapolei Parkway
• Windward O'ahu – Saturday, May 17, 1:30-3:30 p.m. at Ko'olau Golf Club in Kāne'ohe.

The series of meetings follow recent published reports of problems veterans are facing nationwide, including KWO's April cover story, “Invisible Wounds: Native Hawaiians and post-traumatic stress disorder.”

“As Chair of the Public Safety and Military Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives I am concerned about the services provided by our different state agencies to our veterans,” said state Rep. Cindy Evans (D-North Kona, South Kohala). “In particular when an American servicemember is discharged and returns to the Hawai'i 'ohana, they are now our neighbors and if they need any assistance I want to be sure these services are being provided.”

“Additionally,” she said, “I think asking the question of whether the Office of Veteran Affairs might be better as a stand alone or under the umbrella of a different state agency is needed.”

For more information, call the office of Rep. Cindy Evans at 586-8510.

GMO kalo bill

A bill that would have imposed a moratorium on the genetic modification of kalo has died in the state Legislature, after the House voted April 8 to recommit the bill to committee, effectively killing it for the session.

Farmers who supported the bill in its original form – which would have mandated a 10-year moratorium on all varieties of kalo – said they will be back next session with increased numbers and are will further work to get their voices heard by targeting legislative seats in the upcoming election.

“The concerns are cultural, the concerns are economic, and the concerns are nutritional,” said Waipi'o Valley taro farmer and poi seller Jim Cain. He said lawmakers that are considered friendly to the cause include Reps. Lyla Berg, Mele Carroll, Maile Shimabukuro and several others.

Senate Bill 958 attracted more than seven hours of testimony at a March 19 hearing before the House Agriculture Committee. On April 3 the committee amended the bill, decreasing the moratorium to five years and restricting the moratorium to Hawaiian varieties, which farmers dislike because they say it would pose risks of cross-pollination between modified and non-modified taro.

Taro , or kalo, is held sacred to Hawaiians. Those who support genetic modification say it would help fight disease.

Focus groups

Hawaiian Community Assets is seeking input and suggestions from the community to identify components of culturally relevant curriculae. Ideas and suggestions offered will be considered in the development of HCA's home-ownership training and youth financial education programs.

The public is invited to participate in upcoming Financial Education Focus Groups, which are made possible with the help of a grant from OHA's Housing Program. Focus Groups are scheduled for 6 to 8:30 p.m. on:

• Maui – May 5 at Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center in Wailuku
• Kaua'i – May 8 at the Anahola Association Office

The nonprofit HCA aims to help low- and moderate-income communities achieve and sustain economic self-sufficiency, with a particular focus on Native Hawaiians. HCA's philosophy supports financial education and asset building as the vehicle to achieve its mission.

RSVP to Makana Shook at 596-8155, toll-free at 1-800-709-2642, or via e-mail at makana@hawaiiancouncil.org. Additional dates are planned, call Shook for information.

'Iolani Palace

'Iolani Palace has launched the world's first Hawaiian–language audio tour, keeping “with the tradition of Queen Kapi'olani, who always spoke in her native tongue,” a press release said. The tour, which is offered when docents aren't scheduled, features narration by Puakea Nogelmeier, who worked on the translations with Carol Silva.

Nogelmeier and his students at the Hawaiian-language immersion charter school Ke Kula 'o Samuel M. Kamakau Laboratory were among the first groups to take the tour on April 11.

Audio tours in English were first added in 2006, followed by Japanese in 2007. All the audio tours feature music, sound effects and excerpts from Queen Lili'uokalani's writings on her imprisonment in the palace. Prince Quentin Kawānanakoa provides character voices and interviews.

Self-guided audio tours are available Tuesday through Saturday from 11:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults and $5 for children 5 to 12. The tour is not available for children younger than 5. For information, call the palace at 522-0822 or visit www.iolanipalace.org.

Benefit concert

Ke Kula Kaiapuni o Pū'ōhala, a Hawaiian-language immersion school in Kāne'ohe, will hold its 15th annual 'Imi Pono Concert and Craft Fair on Saturday, May 3, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the grounds of Pū'ōhala Elementary School, 45-233 Kulauli St., near Castle High.

Students will showcase their talents in chant, dance and curriculum exhibition, and local musicians will entertain. Rounding out the fun are crafts, ono Hawaiian food, Extreme Fun Rides, a petting zoo, pony rides, keiki games, a silent auction and lucky number drawing. Community groups such as Ke Ola Mamo, Alu Like, Paepae 'o He'eia, Kōkua 'Ohana and Big Brothers, Big Sisters will also participate.

For information or to participate as a crafter or community informational booth, call 386-1217 or email papamakua@yahoo.com.

All proceeds will benefit Ke Kula Kaiapuni O Pū'ōhala.

Top volunteer

Kamehameha Schools Kapālama senior Jacqueline Ho was named Hawaiÿi's top high school youth volunteer for 2008, winning her $1,000, an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., for a May 3-6 trip gala awards ceremony at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

Ho has volunteered for the Special Olympics for the past seven years. Her parents also have ties to the organization. Her mother is vice president of the local chapter and her father is a weightlifting coach. The 17-year-old Ho credits them for inspiring her to get involved. “I've always been passionate about helping people with special needs and disabilities and helping them to accomplish things that others believe they are not capable of,” Ho said in a news release. “Working with Special Olympics made me the type of person who stands up for others that are unable to stand up for themselves.”

Ten of the 102 honorees representing each state and the District of Columbia will win top honors in the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Honorees are from middle schools and high schools.

The 13th annual awards program recognizes young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism.

Megan Nakahara of Hawaiÿi Preparatory Academy garnered the state's middle-school honor. She played a key role in a monitoring project that collected data on endangered Hawaiian green sea turtles and raised awareness about its plight.

Stryker

The Army has announced it will permanently station a Stryker Brigade unit at Schofield Barracks. The decision is being hailed by U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka, who said Hawai'i offers a strategic location that will serve national security needs and aid in the training for troops bound for Iraq. The decision also clears the way for completion of more than $250 million in construction projects to facilitate operations of the 19-ton Stryker combat vehicles on O'ahu.

Environmental and Hawaiian groups have opposed the Pentagon plan to make Hawai'i the home of a fifth Stryker brigade. Attorney for the opponents David Henkin has argued that the Army needed to consider the potential for negative environmental impacts of Stryker vehicles in Hawai'i. Opponents won a federal court order two years ago requiring the Army to complete a supplemental environmental impact study examining alternative locations before deciding where to station the Stryker Brigade. The Army completed the statement two months ago. Henkin said last week he is reviewing the Army's decision and a final court review of Stryker-related construction projects planned for Hawai'i.