Fire spurs community to improve Puna town

HILO — Pahoa residents are finding various ways to uplift their community after a late-night fire tore through the historic Akebono Theatre and a popular restaurant.

Activities include a beautification program and efforts to curb use of alcohol and drugs outside businesses.

Sarah Williams, Pahoa Village Museum manager, said she is trying to get people together to create community gardens and paint murals on buildings. She said she is looking for people to help sponsor projects.

“We have a reputation of being an open-air asylum,” Williams said.

“I want to turn it to an open-air gallery.”

The fire started in a vacant building Jan. 15 and also destroyed Luquin’s Mexican Restaurant and the nearly 100-year-old theater, creating what many feel is a hole in the heart of town.

While the cause remains under investigation, the fire has brought renewed attention to the town’s transient community and tolerance for drug use, which some see as being linked to the blaze.

That’s prompted some to confront people drinking or using drugs on Pahoa Village Road.

Williams said she was concerned about some homeless being unfairly targeted.

“There’s so much frustration and aggression,” she said. “I don’t want people to be scared of this place.”

Sean King, who recently started posting pictures on Facebook of people using drugs or alcohol outside businesses, said he is offering compassion to those who simply need a place to stay, while asking those doing illegal activities to move along.

“A lot of the community has turned a blind eye to it for awhile,” he said.

One of the issues is that children walk by people using drugs or alcohol between school and the new park, King said.

“It has gotten worse and it continues to get worse,” he said.

King said a group of bikers and moms also have gotten involved in escorting kids through town or asking people to stop using drugs and alcohol in public.

Steve Hirakami, principle at Hawaii Academy of Arts &Science, said that approach has already made a difference.

“For now, they are taking turns organizing walks in the mornings and afternoon,” he said, adding most of the violators aren’t homeless.

“Now we got to think about sustainability.”

Salvador Luquin, who owned the restaurant and theater, said he called police on people squatting in the vacant building next door, where the blaze started, months ago, but he didn’t know if anyone was living there at the time.

He said his brother witnessed the fire shortly after it started but he didn’t see anyone at the vacant building.

State Rep. Joy San Buenaventura, D-Puna, said she has heard complaints about people squatting around town. She said she is considering legislation to increase penalties if someone is a repeat offender.

San Buenaventura said she also supports legislation to provide state funding for “weed and seed” programs that have been introduced in the state Legislature.

The strategy, funded by the federal Department of Justice, focuses on “weeding” out sources of crime in an area and “seeding” it with programs and services that help revitalize the areas.

Pahoa received funding through the program from 2003 to about 2009, said Prosecuting Attorney Mitch Roth, who helped spearhead that effort as a deputy prosecutor.

While aided by federal funds, Roth said the program worked in Pahoa because residents got involved.

“There was law enforcement operations but the real success wasn’t a law enforcement success,” he said. “It was a community success.”

Some of the funding supported security cameras and overtime for police for certain projects.

The Mainstreet Pahoa Association is trying to get funds to bring back the cameras, said President Matt Purvis.

In the meantime, the group will be installing new lights and signs around town warning against obstructing sidewalks.

“We’re trying to light up the dark areas where the drug activity is going on,” said Alan Lakritz, association treasurer.

Mayor Harry Kim said he has asked the Police Department to do more patrols in town when possible, but he noted there is no money at the moment to create more officer positions.

Puna District Capt. Samuel Jelsma said there is typically eight officers on duty in the district at a time.

“We’re trying to make due with the officers we have,” he said, noting they usually spend their time bouncing from call to call.

“The district is growing and calls are increasing.”

The fire left about 50 people without jobs.

Puna Councilwoman Eileen O’Hara said there are fundraising efforts to help those displaced workers.

She said the town feels “very at risk” at the moment.

“We might need to invest in security in downtown Pahoa,” O’Hara said.

Puna Councilwoman Jennifer Ruggles said she doesn’t want to see people being punished for being homeless.

“Housing people rather than jailing them is more successful and cost effective,” she said.

Both council members said they were looking at how to use their discretionary funds to address some of the issues.