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| The Pono Pledge video, winner of a Telly Award, received more praise today. See story below. |
"We will also continue to aid and promote efforts of AC members to organize independent, official meetings. The CDP Team is continuing to support the implementation of CDPs and to serve as your resource for news and updates regarding our community planning efforts."
The Planning Director said that "In the absence of County led AC meetings, the CDP Team will engage in a forward-looking approach to help shape the future of this program. This will include a concerted effort to connect with you and the broader community to gather feedback, along with consultation with Corporation Counsel to assess the benefits and limitations relative to Action Committee engagement. This effort will focus on the applicability of Sunshine Law and County mandates that place constraints on AC community-based stewardship of CDPs, and the ongoing challenge to develop a robust approach to Community Planning. In addition, the CDP team will continue to collaborate on other planning initiatives, including but not limited to the continued work of the General Plan Comprehensive Review. We appreciate your ongoing advocacy and diligence in implementing the Community Development Plans of our island. Please reach out to the CDP team at cdp@hawaiicounty.gov if you have any questions or would like additional information or guidance."
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| Capt. Akira Edmundson is named to oversee Ka'u District for HPD. |
NARCOTICS CANINE RORY HAS RETIRED. Hawai'i Police Department made the announcement Monday with a rundown of some of his accomplishments, including the recovery of 35 pounds of methamphetamine; two pounds of heroin; three pounds of cocaine; 20 pounds of marijuana and more than $500,000 in U.S. currency.
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| Rory. the Springer Spaniel Narcotics specialist, retires and will live with his handler, Officer Stephen Kishimoto Jr. Photo from HPD |
“To an uneducated eye, Rory does not look like your typical narcotics police canine,” said Area II Vice Lt. Edwin Buyten. “He was one of our secret weapons. “Let me tell you, this cute and cuddly ball of energy possesses one of the highest work drives of any narcotic canine I have ever had the pleasure to work with.”
Area II K9 Supervisor and Vice Detective Chad Taniyama echoed the sentiment, saying “Rory is the epitome of don’t judge a book by its cover.” Taniyama described a situation during Rory’s most recent annual K9 certification in which someone mistook the police dog for a personal pet. “By the end of the day that same person was singing Rory’s praises and asking where could he get a K9 like Rory,” said Taniyama.
Now ten years old, Rory still has a lot of spunk, says Buyten, but age and health were considerations in his retirement. “We want him to have a good quality of life in his retirement,” said Buyten.
Rory will enjoy his retirement living with the family of Officer Stephen Kishimoto Jr., who was Rory’s most recent handler.
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| Walter Hammond was reported missing on Mauna Loa's summit, then then found by Monday morning. Photo from HPD |
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| Missing man named Henry Henry |
https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.htm.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at wwwkaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.htm
The Island of Hawaiʻi Pono Pledge "advocates for mindful, safe, and pono interactions by travelers while on Hawai‘i Island," says the statement. The Telly Award in the Online General, Public Interest/Awareness category recognizes the video for sharing the Pono Pledge in ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i (Hawaiian language) and English. Also winning in the same Telly category were productions by Comcast, NBC News/MSNBC, CBS News, 60 minutes, and Honolulu Star Advertiser.
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| Lito Arkangel Photo from U.H. Hilo |
Ross Birch, Island of Hawai‘i Visitors Bureau Executive Director, said, “The Pono Pledge is a direct ask to our Hawai‘i Island visitors on the behaviors and actions we expect them to take while they’re enjoying the island’s splendor. The island of Hawai‘i is a special place, and our community comes first, which is why we continue to advocate for our visitors to not only traverse the island with respect and safety, but to take it a step further and give back to protect our natural resources and wildlife.”
Lito Arkangel, who teaches at University of Hawai'i-Hilo, directed and produced The Pono Pledge video, featuring Hawaiʻi Island residents who embody the pledge and apply it in their everyday lives. Another Hilo-born creative, Tracey Niimi, of TN Photography, and a U.H. Hilo alum, assisted with the video’s creative direction and videography. Arkangel and Niimi said it was important to involve the community and have representation from residents of diverse backgrounds, upbringings, and ethnicities.
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| Tracey Niimi Photo from U.H.-Hilo |
The entire Pono Pledge and its website was translated to ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi by Bruce Torres Fischer, a Master’s student of the Hawaiian language and literature program at the Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language at the at U.H.-Hilo. Larry Lindsey Kauanoe Kimura, associate professor of Hawaiian language and Hawaiian studies at the Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, and internationally recognized grandfather of Hawaiian language revitalization, also assisted Torres Fischer in The Pono Pledge video and website’s ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i translation.
Arkangel said, “Mahalo nui to all of you who contributed to an awesome expression of who we are as residents and what it means to be pono on Hawaiʻi Island. “We believe in The Pono Pledge and its teachings full heartedly and we’re honored to be able to work on this project and accept this award on behalf of the Island of Hawai‘i Visitors Bureau and the County of Hawai‘i.”
Arkangel added, “Whether you are a visitor or resident, you must understand that not being pono is detrimental to the welfare and safety of not only yourself and your ʻohana, but to the ʻāina and all of the ʻohana here at home as well. Please help by sharing The Pono Pledge with friends and family near and far. Together, we can make a difference and protect the island of Hawaiʻi and all that makes it special.”
The Island of Hawai‘i Visitors Bureau and the County of Hawai‘i held the ceremony on Monday at Mayor Mitch Roth’s office to recognize Arkangel, Niimi, Fischer and all those involved in the video. The mayor acknowledged them for "their great work in perpetuating The Pono Pledge and educating visitors on the appropriate behaviors to take while visiting the island of Hawai‘i," said the announcement.
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| Bruce Torres Fischer Photo from U.H.-Hilo |
Roth added, “If all of our visitors can get on board and take the pledge, both our residents and visitors alike will benefit greatly.”
For more information, visit PonoPledge.com and follow Pono Pledge on Facebook (@PonoPledgeHawaii) and Instagram (@PonoPledge). Here are words to The Pono Pledge in Hawaiian and English:
E kū i ka pono ke kipa i Hawaiʻi.
I pledge to be pono (righteous) on the island of Hawaiʻi.
E nanea i ka ʻikena, ʻaʻole hoʻi e kiʻihele hewa i kahi kuleana ʻole.
I will mindfully seek wonder, but not wander where I do not belong.
E nihi ka helena i ka uka o Puna, mai pūlale i ka ʻike a ka maka.
I will not defy death for breathtaking photos, trespass or venture beyond safety.
E mālama ʻia ke kai a me ka honua, a e mahalo ʻia ko laila mau ola lōhiu mai kahi mamao aku.
I will mālama (care for) land and sea, and admire wildlife only from afar.
Hoʻohihi ka maka i ke ahi a ka Wahine, he ahi ʻenaʻena e akahele ai.
Molten lava will mesmerize me, but I will not disrupt its flow.
ʻAʻole e kāʻili ʻia kā haʻi, e waiho ʻia ka pōhaku a me ke one i kona wahi ponoʻī.
I will not take what is not mine, leaving lava rocks and sand as originally found.
E nānā pono i ke kai, ʻaʻole e huli kua ʻia.
I will heed ocean conditions, never turning my back to the Pacific.
Ke loku mai ka ua i uka, e ao aʻe i ia wai makamakaʻole.
When rain falls ma uka (inland), I will remain high above ground, out of rivers and streams.
He aliʻi ka ʻāina, he kauā ke kanaka.
I will embrace the concept of being a steward of the land, revered as my loving chief.
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| Silver Tele Awards in hand, producers of The Pono Pledge video win the praise of Mayor Mitch Roth (second from left). They are Tracey Niimi (l), Bruce Torres Fischer and Lito Arkgangel. Photo from Big Island Visitors Bureau |
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