Logo crafted by Cary Tanoue.

(Media release) — A logo has been selected for Pahoa Nikkei Jin Kai to celebrate the 50^th anniversary since the non-profit community organization’s incorporation.

Crafted by graphic artist Cary Tanoue, the design incorporates English and kanji spelling out the organization’s name along with an anthurium.

“If it’s representing Pahoa, it’s got to be an anthurium,” said long time resident Glenn Watarida, a former president of the organization.

According to the late Pahoa historian Hiroo Sato, an active member of Pahoa Nikkei Jin Kai, “The first anthuriums were imported from England in 1889 by Samuel N, Damon and planted in his Moanalua botanical garden.” That first variety had a pink spathe.

“One of the first persons to grow anthuriums in Hilo was Herbert Shipman. There were several other local pioneers of whom one was Kisataro Keno of Kaumana. Kono produced anthurium
seedlings that were sold to Katsuto Hayashi who probably was the first to grow anthuriums in Pahoa in the 1930s.”

A multi-million dollar floral industry flourished with more than 260 farms on the island of Hawaii in 1959 – the majority of the state’s production. Due to the many growers, packers and shippers located in the area, Pahoa was labeled the Anthurium Capitol of Hawaii. “The industry reached its peak in 1980, supplying local, national, and international markets with up to 232,000 dozen flowers per month. Although yield was at 2.5 million dozen flowers in 1980, supply was insufficient to meet demand,” according to University of Hawaii publications. The bacterial blight of the 1980s set the industry back. Since then, development of disease-resistant strains, new horticultural practices such as drip irrigation, and advances in tissue-culturing of disease-free varieties has led to the continuation of the industry.

“We are so grateful to Cary Tanoue for all his help,” said current president Craig Shimoda. “Cary also has cleaned the Pahoa YBA sign that hung on the front of the first hall starting in 1921 and on the current building since 1980. It will be ready to hang up again for the celebration.”

“We have a full slate of activities for Saturday, June 8,” said anniversary chairman Jason Hashimoto. “Registration has been extended until May 25.”

Advance registration is required for the memorial service, activities and luncheon. For further information, contact Hashimoto at (808) 937-5941 or by e-mail to jasonhashi@gmail.com.

(Submitted by KT Cannon-Eger.)

The Big Island Press Club has awarded its meritorious Torch of Light Award to Helene Hale, who died earlier this year. A former Hawaii County Council member and state representative, Hale was a noted open government stalwart and an advocate for protecting the freedom of the press. The Torch of Light is given annually to an individual or organization that has advanced the public’s right to know.

The shield law was passed in 2008 with a three-year trial period and then extended two years. Gerald Kato, a University of Hawaii at Manoa journalism professor and member of the Hawaii Shield Law Coalition, called Hawaii’s shield law “one of the best in the country.” Hee is chairman of the Judiciary and Labor Committee, which, at his urging, substantially weakened the law to the point that many media advocates called for an extension of the current law instead.

Nine senators voted against Hee’s amendments: Laura Thielen, Michelle Kidani, Rosalyn Baker, Sam Slom, Les Ihara, Will Espero, and Clarence Nishihara and Hawaii Island senators, Josh Green and Russell Ruderman.

Hee justified weakening the law by claiming that the “Dewey defeats Truman” headline error printed in 1948 by the Chicago Tribune proved that reporters weren’t always right. The Press Club newsletter pointed out that the example was more than six decades out of date and had nothing to do with confidential sources.

Acting on a floor amendment by Rep. Scott Saiki, the state House voted unanimously to extend the shield law for two years. But the Senate, following Hee’s lead, refused to hear the extension bill.

Torch of Light winner Hale died Feb. 1 at the age of 94. She served in county and state offices for the past five decades.

Former Honolulu Advertiser reporter and longtime BIPC member Hugh Clark said of Hale, “Helene was consistently sharing with reporters and other voters the ‘whys’ of her behavior and, by extension, that of her colleagues. Hale was invariably an open person who eschewed back-room dealing. She was typically forthcoming.”

Hale was a member of the Big Island Press Club for more than four decades.

The Big Island Press Club has given the Lava Tube and the Torch of Light awards annually since 1997. Gov. Ben Cayetano has the distinction of being the only person to win both the Lava Tube in 1998 and the Torch of Light in 2000. The Hawaii County Council has won a Lava Tube four times.

The Big Island Press Club was founded in 1967 and is the oldest continually active media organization in the state of Hawaii.

Traditionally, the Big Island Press Club gives the Lava Tube and the Torch of Light awards annually on Freedom of Information Day, March 16, the birthday of James Madison. Born in 1751, Madison was an author of the U.S. Constitution and a “Federalist Papers” author and one of the nation’s foremost advocates for government openness.

Because of the importance of the shield law and the potential for it not being extended, this year the club waited for the legislative session to end before choosing its awards.

Previous Lava Tube Dishonorees

2011 Governor Neil Abercrombie

2010 Hawaii County Council

2009 Noelani Whittington, county Department of Public Works

2008 Mayor Harry Kim and Hawaii County Council

2007 State Board of Education

2006 Honolulu, Kauai, and Hawaii County Councils

2005 District Judge Matthew S.K. Pyun

2004 State Land Board Chairman Peter Young

2003 State Sen. Cal Kawamoto

2002 University of Hawaii Board of Regents

2001 University of Hawaii Board of Regents

2000 State Rep. Eric Hamakawa and Hawaii County Councilman James Arakaki

1999 Hawaii County Council

1998 Hawaii Gov. Ben Cayetano

1997 Hawaii County Councilman Elroy Osorio

Previous Torch of Light Honorees

2011 State Judicial Selection Commission

2010 Hawaii County Civil Defense and other departments

2009 Legislature, Gov. Linda Lingle

2008 Les Kondo, Office of Information Practices

2007 West Hawaii Today

2006 Lillian Koller, State Department of Human Services

2005 Retired Circuit Judge Paul de Silva

2004 UH Manoa Journalism Professor Beverly Keever

2003 U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink (posthumously)

2002 Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim

2001 Hawaii County Clerk Al Konishi

2000 Hawaii Gov. Ben Cayetano

1999 Jerry Rothstein and Judith Graham

1998 Environment Hawaii and Common Cause

1997 Society of Professional Journalists, Hawaii Chapter

 (Submitted by Big Island Press Club.)

Mateo Balinbalin Jr.

Today police identified the victim of yesterday’s shooting in Nanawale as 40-year-old Mateo Balinbalin Jr..  Balinbalin and his family frequented Pohoiki Beach Park; he was considered an impressive bodyboarder.

The suspect is Balinbalin’s shooting is Seon Aki, who is being held in the Hilo cellblock while police investigate the case.  Sources say Aki was a neighbor of Balinbalin’s, and recently was released from prison.

Seon Aki’s mug shot taken upon his arrest yesterday.

Seon Aki’s photo on the state’s sex offender registry site

Aki is a sex offender registered with the State of Hawaii.  State records posted on the state’s sex offender registry website  indicate Aki was convicted of third-degree sexual assault in 2003, after first being charged with first-degree sexual assault.  His conviction was 10 years of probation, according to the posted documents.

Aki’s address registered with the state is 14-3441 Maui Road, which is located adjacent to the property on which Balinbalin was killed yesterday.

Hawaii Island police are investigating a shooting that occurred in the Puna District and left one person dead.

Monday afternoon (May 20) at about 2:19 p.m., police responded to a call of a shooting victim found in a home on Maui Street in the Nanawale Estates subdivision.

Police and Hawai?i Fire Department medics responded to the location. Upon their arrival, the body of a male victim was found within the residence.

Police secured the scene and detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigations Section responded to the location to further the investigation.

Detectives learned that another man was seen leaving the residence in a dark colored pickup truck and, as a result, police issued an island wide all-points bulletin for both the truck and its operator, who was identified as a suspect. 
At 4:41 p.m., acting on a tip, police arrested 43-year-old Seon Keoni Aki of Nanawale Estates at a home in Hawaiian Paradise Park on suspicion of second-degree murder. He is being held at the cellblock while detectives continue the investigation.

Police are withholding the release of the victim’s name pending positive identification and notification of the next of kin.

An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday (May 21) to determine the exact cause of death.

Police ask that anyone who may have witnesses the shooting contact Detective Derek Morimoto at 961-2380 or dmorimoto@co.hawaii.hi.us or Detective Robert Almeida at 961-2386 or ralmeida@co.hawaii.hi.us.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.

(Submitted by Hawaii Police Department via Nixle.)

Speaking of found trash bearing mail with people’s names, there was an Opala in Paradise trash cleanup this weekend in Waawaa.  Some of the trash found there included mail for Farah I. Liwai, of Hawaiian Beaches.  Illegal dumping is a major problem on this island, and maybe these people, Farah and Fred, can help shed some light.  Surely they’re not driving their trash into people’s neighborhoods and dumping it, when we have free transfer stations to dump our trash.  Are these people paying trash haulers for residential pickup?  What is the deal?

Instead of taking place at Kilauea Military Camp, it will be held at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus, located at 19-4074 on Old Volcano Road near that road’s connection to Volcano Highway near the northern boundary of the National Park. A Google map link is below. We’ll have signs out. The center’s phone number is (808) 967-8222.

Kilauea Military Camp said that all overnight accommodation reservations are still good.  El Leo & the Jarican Express are still scheduled to perform from 7-9 p.m. Saturday at convention central at VAC’s Niaulani campus.

Please spread the word to others! Thanks for your understanding and cooperation in this matter…we’ll certainly have plenny to talk about! ;D

https://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&channel=s&hl=en-US&q=19-4074+Old+Volcano+Road,+Volcano,+Hawaii&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x7953d0e2b518c9dd:0x29b238b244afbe71,19-4074+Old+Volcano+Rd,+Volcano,+HI+96785&gl=us&ei=u8eVUZjQG6azigLe0oCACw&ved=0CBkQ8gEoATAA