Candidate Marzi Response to Highway 130 Project

The traffic problems on Highway 130 are multifaceted and should be addressed with simple, quickly implemented solutions that are directed towards a greater long-term goal.

The goal of a short-term solution is to reduce the amount of people on Highway 130 at any given hour. We may work with county and state offices, along with the University system to alter our usage patterns by introducing a staggered work hour program. We must also implement comprehensive mass transportation system that includes park & ride lots and para-transit vans.

About a year ago Tim Reese and I had an idea to address a solution for the Keaau-Bypass bottleneck issue through a video presentation. Recently, we have made headway with this project with Lance Garner and the Keaau Youth Business Center. Solutions such as these provide inexpensive short-time solutions, while empowering the youth and showing them that they have a meaningful voice in government.

The long term goal is to provide multiple ingress and egress routes out of Puna and shift economic activity away from Hilo and towards Puna. Multiple routes will not only ease congestion on Highway 130, but they will enhance our emergency evacuation capabilities. This goes beyond just convenience and travel time; it is public safety and desperately needs to be addressed.

Update After the Highway 130 Meeting

We were called in to have dinner at 5:45, which consisted of chicken katsu, rice and salad or a veggie burger.

Cheryl Soon moderated the panel and began by telling us the CSS process was “an attempt to bring the community in early.”

Approximately 20 of us on the actual panel, however, it appeared that there were about 5 – 9 people that were obviously with the project, however, not on the panel…(I think they were from Oahu)

Brief list of advisors (people that were actually sitted at the tables forming a square):

Wesley Olson, Larry Brown, Neil Erickson, Dan Domizio, Jennifer Perry, Faye Hanohano, Bill Davis, Lorraine Goody, Dina Lau, Susan (didn’t catch last name), Oliver (from shipman didn’t catch last name), Paula Kekauhana, Jon Olson, Emily Naeole, Fred Blas, Roy Takemoto and myself.
(Sorry if I missed anybody)

We first were handed some worksheets that had the following questions:

1. Where in the world are we?
2. Where is Keaau-Pahoa in the State of Hawaii?
3. How do you get around?

(I kid you not)

We also were asked to make a bumper sticker that would best represent your views of Puna. Mine was: “I’m a Punatic…. Get Off My ASS!”

We were given disposable digital cameras (so it was said…but now that I look at these cameras…there is nothing “digital” about them and they are just disposable cameras) and assigned to take 15 pictures in the next month in the following break down:
5 pictures that represent the context of Keaau-Pahoa Area
5 picures of good things about Pahoa that typify area
and 5 things that needs improvement.

We were also given Driving “Logs” and we are to calculate our driving habits from 4:00 AM until we go to sleep for 7 consecutive days sometime between now and the next meeting.

I asked how much this project is costing…. first figure they threw out was $900,000, I then asked for clarification…. and the project is supposed to be done in two phases if I heard it right at a cost of approximately $56 Million.

Now my thoughts are if they already have these numbers….and all these state people came over for the meeting….but didn’t participate other then throw out numbers…. Has this design already been completed?

Who knows…

I did enjoy the way the panel worked together.

Sticky point in the meeting came when it was mentioned that we were not to mention anything confidential to the media.

I had to put my foot down and say something to the effect of: “Hey… this is a public meeting….etc…. Yadda Yadda…. and I told them about this blog and How I would be writing on my personal Blog about this…”

Had one person that was strongly opposed but he later relaxed up a bit about the idea.

Next meeting: Monday September 22 at 6:00 Keaau Community Center

(The vote was 11 – 8 as to whether it should be in Pahoa or Keaau)

Will update if I remember anything more.

Did see candidate Marzi in the audience…. wheres your H-130 response?

I guess I’ll be hearing directly from Blas, Naeole and Hanohano on their thoughts so I’ll excuse them for not sending in any comment on the project;)

Heather Forester from SSFM International in Hilo gave us her card as a contact for further meeting information.  (She was the one that called me last week to remind me of the meeting also)

Interesting looking at what other projects SSFM has been involved with.

Highway 130 Meeting Tonight

There is a Highway 130 Meeting tonight for the Advisory Task Force that I’ve been selected to be on.

I think the meeting tonight is just going to be doing some basic logistical stuff like meeting the other members and planning a calendar of action.

Nothing has been said about it in the papers or the letter I received about it being a public meeting.

But with the amount of taxes being spent on this, I would hope that the public would be invited.

It starts at 6:00 pm at the Pahoa Community Center.

Today’s KO

When a man… loves a woman…:

Fights at Pahoa High Being Youtubed

I’m not going to post any of these fights directly on my blog. I understand kids will be kids, but now these kids are posting them on the internet.

I do find it disturbing that these videos are getting posted.

http://www.youtube.com/user/punaboi123

These are 8 separate fights that have happened in the last two weeks that have been posted, I’m sure there was probably even more fights that this kid didn’t actually catch.

I’ve flagged one of the videos because it actually showed something that it shouldn’t. I’m not sure why youtube has left it up still… I’ll let you figure out which one post’s the Chi Chi’s!

Hawaii Kai Man Catches Whale Shark Yesterday! Video Here

You got to see this to believe it. (Warning… Explicit Language)

Michelle Rodriguez to Get Lost Again

I’m a big LOST fanatic…and today’s news does shock me!

….Now, despite multiple run-ins with the law, including a DUI bust in Hawaii back in 2005, while filming “Lost,” Michelle Rodriguez will reprise her character, Ana Lucia, for one episode. Many speculated Michelle Rodriguez Hawaii DUI bust and the early departure of her character were no coincidence.

According to TV insiders at EW.com and several other industry sources, Michelle Rodriguez will most likely appear in the second episode of the upcoming season, which begins early next year. …

Household Income Rises, Poverty Rate Declines, Number of Uninsured Up

The US Census Bureau released it’s 2007 Data today. It concluded that nationwide, Income Rises, Poverty Rate Declines and the Number of Uninsured Up.

You would think with Incomes rising… the Number of Uninsured would be down. Thats not happening.

You would also think that as the Poverty Rates Decline… that more people would be getting insurance. That’s not happening.

Health and medical insurance has risen so much, that many people are choosing to go uninsured then to be safe. That’s whats happening.

Friends Star Courteney Cox in Car Accident on Big Island

Friends actress Courteney Cox has been involved in a car crash during a family holiday in Hawaii.

Courtney Cox and Husband David Arquette

The 44-year-old actress was driving a white BMW, which collided with a red truck on Saturday afternoon.

Hawaii police said both the Dirt star and truck driver Douglas Barton, 48, were uninjured in the smash on Big Island.

It is unknown if Courteney was alone in her car at the time.

Courteney, who soared to fame playing Monica Geller in Friends, was driving her sport utility vehicle in the Waikoloa Beach Resort area of South Kohala when the crash took place.

Barton was reversing his 2007 international flatbed truck by the service entrance of the Hilton Waikoloa Village at the time….

More here