On May 3rd I attended the Older American's month 2012 Awards Celebration luncheon hosted by our county's Office of Aging at the Hapuna Hotel.    My one comment -- shouldn't we call this Kapuna Month and celebrate the 2012 Kapuna Award!


Here is Pauline Fukunaga -- a leader in the Office of Aging who helped to organize this event.



Councilwoman Brittany Smart and Pete Hoffmann in attendance:






Here is Kahu Kealoha Sugiyama (on the far left) who received one of the 2011 Outstanding Senior Awards.
He is President of the North Kohala Senior Citizen Center.
He was very kind and gave me his plumaria lei.
(By the way, I am honored to be a honorary member of the North Kohala Senior Citizen Club).



Here is Wayne Higaki from the North Hawaii Community Hospital consulting with Mayor Kenoi.



I sat with with members of the Waikoloa Senior Citizen Club:







A good photos of nominee Clyde Jackson:





Here are the nominees for the 2012 Outstanding Older American Award:






Here I am with one of my campaign advisors ! (actually this is Mayor Kenoi!)



And here is Marjorie Mrasek -- the winner this year of the Outstanding American Award!



HERE IS THE AGENDA FOR THE EVENT:

Attached are some photos of the May 5, 2012 Democratic County Convention held at the Honoka'a Intermediate School Cafeteria. The convention allowed candidates to set up tables to promote their candidacy and as well we had a minute or so to speak. 

I was co-chair of the 2012 Platform Committee (along with Robby Robertson) and worked on revising the 2010 County of Hawaii Democratic Party Platform.  For comparison,  I include a copy of the 2012 Platform and the 2010 Platform. 

When I joined Robby as co-chair, some folks mentioned we might just want to stay with the 2010 version. Frankly  I found  the 2010  "generic" and without much substance and without much "sense of place".  So with the help of many others, we updated the 2010 version. Then at the April 21st gathering we fine tuned the revisions.   At the convention, one amendment  was made to the section on family to provide for equality in marriage for all citizens.   

Take a moment to read the 2012 Platform and see what you think!





Here I am with my area - District 7 delegates.

Along with Representative Denny Coffman and Councilwoman Brittany Smart (now running for State Senate)

Along with Councilwoman Brenda Ford (now running for new District 6 County Council)
Here I am at my "candidate table" conferring with one of my future North Kohala constituents (I hope).





Along with Pete Hoffmann's legislative assistant Dave Hirt (who I would hope will continue on as my legislative assistant).



Giving my candidate speech:



With Patti Cook -- who along with Malama Solomon - made this event happen smoothly and enjoyably

April  30, 2012

Dear Fellow Supports of a Great Community Hospital with a Great Women’s Center:

PLEASE ATTEND: TUESDAY MAY 1^ST 5:30PM MEETING AT PARKER SCHOOL THEATER TO DISCUSS THE FATE OF OUR HOSPITAL’S WOMEN’S CENTER; also please attend the WCA Meeting on May 3^rd at 5:15 at the Waimea Elementary School cafeteria, re: physician shortages

            North Hawaii Community Hospital has made great strides over the past few years with the help of a committed Board of Directors and the entire North Hawaii Community Hospital staff. We as a community are very grateful.

            At this time NHCH is facing a new challenge – it is financially suffering in part because the Women’s Center and its hallmark family birthing unit is so successful. The problem is that services to women – especially relating to healthy pregnancy and uncomplicated births are undervalued.  To put this simply, under the current federal and insurance scheme – our hospital is losing money because so many women prefer to come here to NHCH for their prenatal, delivery, and post-delivery experience. (And not surprisingly so – given the high rate of healthy deliveries versus C-sections, and the overall philosophy of a “family” birth center that will care for women and her family both before and after her birth experience.  Also for many of us who recommend NHCH, we are mindful that the healthier the pregnancy and birthing experience – the lower the societal cost thereafter because of corresponding reduced rates of social problems, such as domestic violence and child abuse.

             An intra-hospital task force is now studying the Women’s Center to consider whether a partial – but substantial – dismantling of the Women’s Center is advisable to address this continuing loss of revenue.  However, many of us in the Waimea and Island-wide community believe that before there is any further dismantling of the Women’s Health Center, that we first determine if there are other ways to address the Hospital’s financial issues. For the past month, many of us have been meeting together to identify issues and possible solutions – other than what in our view would amount to an unsafe and undeserved gutting of the family birthing unit. What we are finding is that there are many other solutions that deserve to be considered.

            We appreciate the willingness of NHCH’s hospital’s staff, and in particular of Ken Woods as its Chief Executive Officer, to open NHCH’s arms to community participation in the current decision making process concerning the fate of the Women’s Center.  We express this appreciation on behalf of ourselves as individuals, and as an island wide community.

                        Gratefully, Margaret Wille, as a concerned member of CHO

 

CONCLUSION: WE VALUE THE WOMEN’S HEALTH CENTER AND ITS FAMILY BIRTHING UNIT AND ASK THAT THE NHCH’S SCOPE OF EVALUATION BE EXPANDED BEFORE ANY FINAL DECISIONS ARE MADE – SO AS TO INCLUDE THE ABOVE ISSUES, AND CEO KEN WOOD AND THE NHCH BOARD AND THE TASK FORCE UTILIZE ITS COMMUNITY AS A RESOURCE TO ACCOMPLISH NHCH’S VISION TO BE  “THE MOST HEALING HOSPITAL IN THE WORLD”

  

SUBMIT YOUR IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS HERE: email to communityhospitalohana@gmail.com

 

Here is Lindsey Farah with friends at Starbucks getting ready to do a practice bike ride from Waimea to  Lapahoehoe and back. I was impressed. Lindsey is training for the Honu marathon (half ironman) to be held on June 2 starting from Hapuna Beach. The other cyclist is Tom MeCue from North Kohala. Friend Rocky Asing joins them -- with his bike in the background.  Best wishes to Lindsey in her endeavor!

One day -- some five or so years ago -- I noticed a new salon in town and wandered in. The salon was a partnership venture of Trisha Kamakawiloole and Tiana Sylva.  It happened  I was their first customer. That fledgling business has now become a business success story -- now located on Kawaihae Road near Opelo Road.

On Friday April 6th they held a very well attended open house for customers and friends. A hair style fashion show was put on by each of their stylists. A great time was had by all.

Tiana included an announcement of support for our local effort to help address domestic violence and child abuse in our community:
She encouraged all who share concern about these problems to attend our next meeting this Friday the 13th at Kanu o ka Aina School at 4pm. (and sign waving in advance of the meeting at Church Row.  For more infomation contact , Lana Incillio 887-7488, Sharon Miranda (at the Salon: 887-1234), or myself - Margaret Wille 887-1419.

Here are some photos of the gathering. In this first photo are Rachelle Ducosin (receptionist), Partner Trisha Kamakawiwoole, Sharon Miranda (stylist), and Partner Tiana Sylva. In the second photo I join Trisha, Tiana, and Rachelle.

As many of you know, a three year old child recently died from "child abuse" injuries.  In the wake of that event a number of concerned members in this Waimea community have begun a local community effort to address this problem -- first with an day long event with presentations and dialogue about solutions  Read my previous blog  on this event HERE.  Lana Incillio is leading this effort along with Lauren Rainer  of Sunday's Child Foundation and myself.

One of the suggestions that came out of that initial meeting was to start some kind of support group.... so that is what we began on March 30th.  Kanu o ka 'aina has now allowed us to use one of its rooms every monday from 4 to 5:30.  On March 7th we held our first meeting there. Tasha the mother of the three year old who died and  some of her friends attended.  We will now be continuing these meetings weekly on these and related issues with a focus on specific problems and specific solutions.

The next meeting will be held on April 13th....  at 4 pm.   Sign waving will begin at 3pm.   ALL WELCOME: Be part of the solution.

Good meeting with Mayor Kenoi and his cabinet in Waimea held on March 30th.   First there was a presentation of his goals and successes as well as  introductions of his Directors and department staff in attendance.  Afterwards -- there was a question
and answer session. All in all he was in top form -- though his answer as to when the funds approved to be distributed
to the Food Basket will be distributed was a bit round about and not specific.

I asked about my "pet project" -- constructing a "pedestrian centric" regional transit hub here in Waimea - preferably next to the Waimea post office. My other question  had to do with the recently released  independent assessment of our county real estate tax administration and policies.  Kenoi said he would be addressing the report -- and his Finance Director explained about the report - which contains some 40 recommended changes in the current administration of our real estate revenue program.











THERE ARE A FEW MORE PHOTOS TO BE ADDED HERE.