It’s time to say aloha to Harry Kim and look back on what he’s done for our island.
First, we have to set the stage. It is in the dreamy old town of Hilo where Sampan buses puttered for years through downtown streets, and waterfalls are whooshing in the background all day and night.
And a singing bridge that sweetly rumbles when a car drives over it.
We are in the historic town of wooden buildings with dates on them, 1910, 1919, where Banyan trees hover above quiet drives near green, pristine Liliuokalani Park and Gardens. A town where a river runs through it, of gentle people shuffling on the sidewalks, A place of innocence, a city without shoes.
This is where Harry Kim grew up and lives today, where he was mayor for a total of 12 years. It is the town where he is loved by all. He can walk into a lit-up gathering on any night and it roars with people yelling “hi” to Harry.
He is friend and uncle to the Hilo side and the whole island, but the truth is, Harry is a Hilo Boy, and always was. He grew up in Keaau but close enough to town.
He sometimes travels to our shiny, seaside Kona, and to rich Kohala, to rough, scenic Ka‘u and jungly Puna, but it is always with his Hilo Heart, always the country boy grown up. As mayor, he wore jeans and a casual shirt, never a suit and tie — not his style.
He is the “walk with kings but never lose the common touch” guy, that’s Harry Kim. His natural calmness makes everyone around him feel the same way. That’s his gift and makes his kuleana easy. Caring for people and making them feel safe is his kuleana.
I saw this gift of his a few times. I remember when we were all flipping out down in Puna during the 1990 eruption. You could cut the nervousness with a knife. Something about a massive river of lava rushing down on you that gets you rattled.
But there was Harry Kim, civil defense director, in shorts, T-shirt and tennies standing in a park pavilion. He was calm as a Hilo koi pond talking to 50 nervous residents, telling us everything is fine, and it was, only because he said so. He was the right man for the job.
It was his friendly Civil Defense messages on the radio that seemed to bring the island together. He’d warn us about high surf or hurricanes and every time he’d end with, “Dis is your Hawaii County Civil Defense.” It got to be kind of a motto of his.
When he wanted to be mayor, he didn’t have to run, he just stepped into the job. No use running against Harry, you’d only end up with about three votes. He did a great job, like a quiet captain of our ship, always humble, always listening.
Dealing with the TMT scene, he’d greet the Hawaiians in the old way of sharing breath, they know him like a brother. He will be remembered for handling that situation the only way we handle things here, with aloha.
He was the “go easy mayor,” the papa that made our island one ohana, naturally bringing folks together. And talk about dedication, he kept going through five heart attacks, sometimes working seven days a week to keep this Big Island running.
You gave it all, Harry, time to let it go and live with the memories. Time to spend your days with your family, retired and loved by all. Aloha, Harry, mahalo nui loa.
May your sunset years be as bright as a Hilo dawn.
Dennis Gregory writes a bi-monthly column for West Hawaii Today and welcomes your comments at makewavess@yahoo.com
