Saturday Morning Thoughts - Coco Palms, Superferry (of course) and on blogging in general
HAWAII SUPERFERRY
In case there is anyone out there that is not fully overloaded with Superferry information: Tomorrow, Sunday September 16 at 3:30pm on PBS Island Insights (Channel 11 on Kauai) – There will be a rebroadcast of Myself, Senator Fred Hemmings, Kauai resident Keone Kealoha and Honolulu Enterprise executive Alex McGehee discussing/debating (sometimes arguing) the Hawaii Superferry issue.

Broadcast journalist Leslie Wilcox did an admirable job refereeing/moderating/hosting the discussion in the absence of Dan Boylan who is recovering…I think…breaking his leg. Hope Dan is ok and hope he had a chance to view the show when it ran live on Thursday night. Would be interesting to hear his comments.


KAUAI COCO PALMS HOTEL
Other big news of the day on Kauai is the demise of the re-development of the historic Coco Palms Hotel. While the developers seem to be blaming the County, I think the bottom line is they simply have “missed the market” and now are looking for a way out.

In 2005 (when first entering the State legislature) I was among several in our community who suggested that perhaps the State (or some appropriate entity) should/could purchase the property and convert it to a State owned Cultural Heritage Park. Since the recent “demise of the Coco Palms development” news has surfaced, several people have contacted me to suggest that the idea of a park be re-visited.

So, I have put this on my "things to do list" and will see where it leads me.

One of the primary challenges to moving this idea forward is sure to be the ongoing management and costs that would be associated with a State purchase and conversion to a State park.

To overcome this challenge it would probably mean “partnering" with an entity that has the resources and capacity to plan, implement and manage such a proposal. While I might be able to find support for some portion of the funds to purchase the property, there would likely be significant resistance to the ongoing operational responsibilities and expense. Most of the parks the State already owns are under-funded and under-maintained. Perhaps this is a project for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA)? They have the funds and the property has great historical and Hawaiian cultural significance. Though it has been several years since the idea was first floated, I seem to remember having a conversation with Kauai OHA Trustee and friend Don Cataluna about this. I will call him.

BLOGGING IN GENERAL
While I am committed to continuing with my efforts to make regular entries, the time challenges have been significant. While I welcome comments and am willing to keep the “comment” function open and functional, it is not always possible for me to respond to every single comment and opinion. I just flat out do not have the time.

I encourage people to use the “comment” function both as a way to get their message to me but also as a way to engage a discussion on the issues between “commenter’s” and in most cases, without my participation. Though I will on occasion “jump in” to comment, I do not have the time or the energy to engage in protracted discussions/debates/rebuttals with mostly anonymous commenter’s.

While I have no problem allowing dissenting or contrary opinions, I reserve the right to delete any comment I believe to be offensive or inappropriate.

Please know that I am significantly challenged at the present time, just keeping up with my regular official and personal email and telephone communications that come in on a daily basis. While I enjoy the blog, and am committed to posting on it on an increasingly frequent basis – my official and personal communications with real identifiable people must be my first priority. I am committed also to remaining accessible to all who really need to reach me and who have thoughts that I need to hear and concerns/needs which I might be able to assist them with.

So bottom line: Please do not consider an entry into the comment section of this blog as an official communication to me. Though I make an attempt to read all current comments, some may be missed and/or not be responded to.

All official business communications or requests should be directed to my Senate office at senhooser@capitol.hawaii.gov or 808-586-6030. If for some reason I am not immediately available, please feel free to speak with my office manager Mark Mararagan who is there to also offer whatever assistance is appropriate.

Aloha for now. gh