Honokaa News Link Archive Newslinks from local newspapers and online resources.
Got a news article? Send it to macpro3000@yahoo.com
Year 2006 Newslinks & Articles
November 23, 2006
What's Up With All the Earthquakes? So here I am visiting Honokaa from Honolulu this week and we are hit with another earthquake.... this one at 5.0. Add this to the big one that hit on October 15 registering at 6.7 on the Richter scale, and we got one hell of an active, seismic year. There have been way too many earthquakes occuring in North Hawaii around the South Kohala-Waimea-Waikoloa area as well as points near the Hamakua Coast and along Mauna Kea. Are these earthquakes a notion of things to come? Let's hope not!
Honokaa Political Watch: Since the last update to this site, several changes have occurred on the political landscape as a result of the recent Primary and General Elections held in Setpember and November 2006. The big news for the Honokaa area is the fact that former County Councilman Dominic Yagong was re-elected to the seat he vacated a few years ago, defeating incumbent Fred Holschuh in the process. On the state level, Representative Dwight Takamine easily won re-election (he was unopposed) but recently lost his powerful House Finance Committee chairmanship in a recent legislative re-organization.
Statewide, Daniel Akaka easily beat latecoming challenger Cynthia Thielen to retain his U.S. Senate Seat. Former Lt. Governor Mazie Hirono beat State Senator Bob Hogue for the 2nd Congressional District House seat. Incumbent Governor Linda Lingle handily beat former State Senator Randy Iwase to secure a second term in the executive mansion despite some areas of the Big Island carrying her challenger to district victory.
JUNE 25, 2006: Travel writer Gary A. Warner of the Orange County Register describes his recent trip to Waipio Valley: "Waipio Valley, on the Big Island, continues to retract from tourism, thus offering a rewarding glimpse at what a real tropical paradise may have looked like." Read the complete article "True Hawaii" at the Twin Cities Pioneer Press website.
Hawaii's own Bob Jones does a special article for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin on camping around the Big Island. Several places are not very friendly for campers. "Laupahoehoe Point Park: The most stunning of all the park settings, this park is currently torn up by septic tank work, and the restroom in the best (south) tenting area is filthy. Neglected pavilions are rotting. Drinking water, electricity and cold shower facilities are available. There's swimming access at the boat ramp when the water's fairly flat. Adults and kids will love breakfast, lunch or dinner at the amazing Back to the '50s Cafe in mauka Laupahoehoe town. Use this camp as a base for visiting antique shops in Honokaa or exploring the many former sugar towns nearby." Complete Article at This Link.
MAY 29, 2006: The Honokaa Education Center operated by the University of Hawaii at Hilo opened last week in the old Honokaa Hospital facility. More details at this link.
MAY 18, 2006: Former Big Island Chief of Police, Ernest J. Fergestrom passed away on Tuesday, May 16. Fergestrom was Big Island Chief of Police from 1970 to 1976. Before that he was district commander for the Hamakua District serving out of the Honokaa Police Station. More details at the following links: StarBulletin.com | Honolulu Advertiser
MAY 15, 2006: Community volunteer and former fireman Melvin Ah Ching Sr. was a nominee for this year's Outstanding Older American Award. Photos and details at the following link: 2006 Outstanding Older Americans Luncheon.
Honokaa High School Class of 1986 will be holding their 20th Class Reunion on the weekend of Friday, June 30, 2006 at the Waimea Community Center. For more details click here to download the PDF file with complete reunion details. For more info email Ethel at jaz@flex.com.
Honokaa High School Class of 1955 held their 50th Reunion last September 30. Photos were emailed to me and their gallery has finally gone up. To view these photos go to the new Honokaa Class of 1955 page.
The message board is working again. Don't get attached to this version. I am looking into installing a new one soon.
Be sure to check out the great archive content available from the original Honokaa Online & Photos website!
Year 2005 Newslinks & Articles
Family Worship Center Church Gets Construction Permit
FCC records indicate that Family Worship Center recently got a construction permit to operate a radio station at 1010 on the AM dial. (Dec. 29, 2005) - More Details | FCC Link
Former Hamakua District Councilman Dominic Yagong will be challenging Mayor Harry Kim for the county's top position. Yagong is a late entrant in the race that also has several other candidates also running. The race between Yagong and Kim will be the marque race on the Big Island. Yagong is undefeated as a politician in the years he has run for office. He served on the County Council from 1996 to 2002 and is a graduate of Honokaa High School.
Kim is the former Civil Defense Director for the Big Island and has been in office since the year 2000. He was elected in a landslide victory after conducting a low budget, grass-roots type campaign.
The Big Island Mayoral race is non-partisan much like the rest of the counties.
The Honokaa High School Jazz Band under the direction of Gary Washburn is on tour on the island of Oahu for a series of concerts. They are performing at the 8th Annual Great Hawaii Jazz Blowout on the Kapiolani Community College Great Lawn today and tomorrow. The band played earlier today at Ala Moana Center's "Centerstage" and is scheduled to play at Sea Life Park tomorrow.
Services Set This Saturday for Wesley Batalona Honolulu Star-Bulletin, April 11, 2004
"Services for Big Island native Wesley Batalona, one of four civilians brutally killed in Iraq, have been set for Saturday morning in Honokaa, Hawaii."
Big Island Council Kills Gas Tax Hike
The Finance Committee of the Hawaii County Council killed a proposal championed by Big Island Mayor Harry Kim to raise the county's share of the gasoline tax. The tax was "postponed indefinitely" by a vote of 6 to 3.
The State of Hawaii already suffers from one of the nation's highest gasoline prices and highest tax per gallon of gas at around 56 cents.
Local Son Among 4 Killed in Iraq Wesley Batalona, a resident of Pa'auilo was among the 4 civilian security personnel killed in Iraq this past week. Batalona was a retired U.S. Army Ranger sergeant who was raised in Kukuihaele and graduated from Honokaa High School in 1974. He was recently back visiting his family in February before deploying to Iraq in his capacity as a civilian security guard for Blackwater Security Consulting of North Carolina. He is survived by his wife June and daughter Krystal, who is attending college in Georgia.
For more details go to the following links (to be updated periodically):
Four Rescued As Heavy Rain Hits Big Island Honolulu Star-Bulletin, March 24, 2004
"Heavy rain saturated the east and northeast sections of the Big Island yesterday. Honokaa received 5 inches of rain over the 24 hours that ended at 5 p.m. yesterday, according to the National Weather Service." SELECT THIS LINK FOR COMPLETE TEXT
Body Found Off Waipio Beach KPUA Hawaii News, March 23, 2004
"A body believed to be that of a 24-year-old man who was reported missing Saturday was found in the ocean Monday near Waipio Valley." READ MORE AT THIS LINK | EARLIER LINK
March 10, 2004
EPA Mandate: Communal Cesspools to be Outlawed Hawaii Tribune Herald, March 8, 2004
Large capacity cesspools serving several households or commercial properties will be outlawed by the Environmental Protection Agency. COMPLETE ARTICLE AT THIS LINK.
March 7, 2004
County Administration Proposes to Hike Fuel Tax
Big Island motorists face a 6-cent per gallon gasoline tax proposal in the face of constantly rising gasoline prices. Mayor Harry Kim is asking that motorists pay up to 14.8 cents per gallon in county fuel taxes, up from the current 8.8 cent per gallon rate. This is in addition to taxes already collected by the State and Federal Governments. Gasoline prices have gone way over the $2.00 per gallon mark on the Big Island for a long time now and is slowly inching its way to the $3.00 mark.
Justification for the tax increase is to fund the building and maintenance of more roads and expansion of the county's mass transit bus system.
A few years ago Kim rattled property owners by proposing a sweeping property tax increase.
A series of public meetings is to take place before the County Council votes on the tax increase measure. Those meetings will be held in Hilo, Kona and Waimea.
A schedule of the public meetings and the County's press release on the tax increase proposal can be found at this link.
EPA Ban on Cesspools Looms West Hawaii Today, March 7, 2004
"Ten Hamakua residents and business owners heard the harsh truth Friday night about an upcoming Environmental Protection Agency ban on large - capacity cesspools which takes effect next year. Another 25 people gathered at the Honokaa gym earlier that day for the county - sponsored public meeting." CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE ARTICLE
March 3, 2004
Former Councilman Dominic Yagong Pulls Nomination Papers West Hawaii Today, March 2, 2004
The former councilman will take on Fred Holschuh if he decides to run. CLICK FOR MORE
Storm Update Hawaii Tribune Herald, March 2, 2004
Storms cause blackouts in Honokaa, parts of Big Island. CLICK FOR MORE
February 29, 2004
Storm Batters Big Island West Hawaii Today, Sunday, February 29, 2004
"Fallen trees also closed Mamalahoa Highway between Waimea and Honokaa on Saturday afternoon, causing extensive backup of traffic and forcing travelers to find alternate routes or wait for the road to reopen....." SELECT THIS LINK TO READ THE COMPLETE STORY
Public Meeting on Large-Capacity Cesspools in Honoka'a March 5
(From the County of Hawaii e-Newsletter)
The County of Hawai`i Office of Management will hold a public meeting regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations which require the abandonment of large-capacity cesspools by April 5, 2005.
WHEN : Friday, March 5, 2004, 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
WHERE : Honoka'a Gymnasium, Multi Purpose Room
The purpose of the public meeting is to discuss the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's regulations, particularly to clarify how the regulations apply to land owners who may be utilizing large-capacity cesspools for wastewater disposal.
Possible alternative wastewater disposal systems available and potential means of financing the costs of upgrading the large-capacity cesspool with County, state and federal funds will also be discussed.
Following the meetings there will be an opportunity for current or potential owners of large-capacity cesspools to consult with the Mayor's staff.
If necessary, the personal consultations may be extended, by appointment, to Saturday and Sunday, March 6-7, 2004.
Similar meetings are scheduled to be held in each council district in the near future. For further information, please call Margarita Hopkins at 961-8369.
