Canoes should outrank buses and tours
For over 20 years I have watched how our state sport, outrigger paddling, has helped children, teens, elders, adaptive and the general public. I have watched elderly keep active and residents come back from cancer, heart conditions, diabetes, accidents and multiple health problems.
The culture of the outrigger celebrates our history, culture and the arts of our heritage
Our volunteer time and energy has supported at-risk teens so intent on keeping their bodies healthy and focusing on being good team members they have excelled in school. Better yet, many have stayed in school because of the self-worth the canoe has taught them.
Coaches and club members give time to make it all happen. Setting up and taking down at the pier is not easy. Keeping us from access is not reasonable. We are all volunteers.
Businesses in Kailua have enjoyed the clean economic support with a future that does not rely on if the ship is in port.
Over the years, DLNR has changed hands and staff. Some have no idea when they hand down a ruling. I personally can not imagine how tourists on buses or vans can take precedence over our way of life for the few days of outrigger season. Our tax dollars pay for the pier.
DLNR needs to sit down with a group of kupuna and club leaders from the paddling communities, not just one person. They also must do it all well before our busy season.
Our elected officials must support the health of our citizens and culture of the canoe.
Sammie Stanbro
Hilo, formerly of Kona
Press club objects to reporter’s ousting
The Big Island Press Club strongly objects to the exclusion of West Hawaii Today reporter Nancy Cook Lauer from a May 16 meeting, opened to the general public, outlining Army plans to manage historic resources at Pohakuloa Training Center and Kawaihae Military Reservation.
Cook Lauer was reportedly told, “This is not a media event” and participating parties might not feel comfortable expressing their opinions in the presence of the media.
As justification for banning Cook Lauer, Julie Taomia, cultural resource manager for U.S. Army Garrison Pohakuloa, cited a federal law which states, in part, “The agency official must, except where appropriate to protect confidentiality concerns of affected parties, provide the public with information about an undertaking and its effect on historic properties and seek public comment and input.”
The law doesn’t address the issue of excluding media from a meeting opened to the public.
PTA Public Affairs Officer Michael Donnelly described the meeting, at the county’s Aupuni Center conference room in Hilo, as “a ‘consultation meeting’ with and for consulting parties and signatories to the training programmatic agreement only” and “not a general public meeting … .”
The meeting was opened to the public, however reluctantly on the Army’s part, and classified information wasn’t discussed. Comfort or discomfort with the presence of news media by participating parties is immaterial. Donnelly, in particular, should’ve known better.
The public has a right to know about decisions affecting cultural and archaeological resources on public land. The news media are the eyes and ears of the public and it is both troubling, and a public disservice, that a reporter was excluded from the meeting.
John Burnett
President, Big Island Press Club
and Hawaii Tribune-Herald reporter
Hilo
