February 3, 2006

Hawai`i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer

CONTENTS

• Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission
• County R&D Department Announces 2006 Product Enrichment Program Awards

• Mayor, Cabinet Q&A Session at Kona-Kohala Chamber to Air Fri Feb 3
• Deputy Voter Registrar Classes to be Conducted in Hawai`i County
• Puna District Community Development Plan -- Explanatory Meetings for Public
• "Mapping the Future" Workshop for Kona on February 18
• Environmental Management Commission Seeks Applicants
• County Seeks Applicants for Cost of Government Commission
• HI 5¢ Redemption Centers – Locations and Hours of Operation
• Kuakini Highway Update -- Weekly Talk Story Sessions Resume Feb 7
• Job Announcements

• Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival on Feb 4
• Chinese New Year Celebrations in Downtown Hilo February 10, 11
• Seeking Young Filmmakers to Enter 1st Annual Big Island Film Contest
• Free Mulch Available at Kona Transfer Station

• Seeking Employers to Participate in Career Expo at Kealakehe High Feb 15
• Puna Holds First Community Job Fair Feb 11 at Pahoa High
• Storm Runoff Workshop at Kealakehe High on Feb 8
• Visitors Aloha Society of Hawai`i Recruiting Volunteers in West Hawai`i
• Free Tax Preparation Assistance in Kona Sponsored by AARP, IRS
• UH Offers new Online M.Ed. in Educational Technology Program

• Signs and Markings Projects
• Update on Fiber Optic Cable Project in Hilo

UPCOMING EVENTS

HAWAII COUNTY WEBSITE

WE VALUE YOUR FEEDBACK

TO ADD OR REMOVE YOUR NAME

FOR MORE INFORMATION

On June 13, 2005, Ordinance No. 05-85 created a permanent funding source to protect our island's special lands. The Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Fund is a special fund administered by the County's Department of Finance.

The ordinance also created the Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission (commonly referred to as the "Open Space Commission").

The commission's mission is to ensure:

• Public outdoor recreation and education, including access to beaches and mountains;
• Preservation of historic or culturally important lands and sites;
• Protection of natural resources, including buffer zones;
• Preservation of forests, beaches, coastal areas, natural beauty and agricultural lands;
• Protection of watershed lands to preserve water quality and water supply/

This new commission is tasked with creating an island-wide prioritized list of qualifying lands worthy of preservation. The list is then submitted for review to the Mayor.

The commission has been given six months from the date of its members' confirmation by the County Council to complete this first task, pursuant to Ordinance No. 05-166.

The commission's report is due to be submitted to Mayor Harry Kim in early April.

The commission members are soliciting input from the community around the island to learn from local residents which lands they believe are worthy of preservation.

To do this, the commission has held a number of public meetings to be held island-wide, including North and South Kohala, Ka'u, Kona, Hamakua, Puna and Hilo.

The commission includes nine members, one from each Council district. They are: Kenneth Kaneshiro, Laura Schuster, Ruth Walker, Benedict Yung, Paul Campbell, John Repogle, Jocelyn Garovoy, Hannah Springer and E. Kalani Flores.

Several members of the commission briefed the public of the commission's work and sought input via survey forms distributed during the meetings.

The commission has also made the survey forms available on commission's website at www.co.hawaii.hi.us.

A map of Hawaii County is available as an aid, and a tax map book is also available to further identify parcels of land that the public may believe need protection.

The commission needs the public's help. This is an opportunity for our community to tell the County about the lands they would like to see protected.

The public is welcome to attend the monthly commission meetings and give input or write a letter.

For further information, please contact Cathy Minor at 961-8251.

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The Hawai`i County Department of Research and Development is pleased to announce the first selection of organizations to receive County Product Enrichment Program (CPEP) funding for 2006 (see below for the 2006 CPEP-funded programs).

This program is made possible through a generous grant from the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA). The counties of Honolulu, Kauai, and Maui also partner with HTA to provide funding in their respective communities.

The County Product Enrichment Program was introduced in 2002 to create a partnership between HTA and the four counties for tourism product enrichment activities.

The program supports endeavors to diversify Hawaii's tourism activities in the niche areas of agritourism, cultural tourism, ecotourism, edutourism, health & wellness tourism, and technotourism, while also fulfilling the goals and objectives of each county's tourism program.

HTA oversees, supports and directs the program, while the counties manage the day-to-day operations.

"Through the Product Enrichment Program, the County of Hawai`i is able to support 31 community-based programs, projects and events throughout 2006," said Diane Ley, Deputy Director of the Department of Research and Development.

"This program encourages community involvement, provides visitors a taste of our local lifestyle and helps to enrich our island’s unique cultural, social and environmental assets. We are grateful for the tremendous support afforded by HTA to make this program a reality, " Ley said.

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The question-and-answer segment of the Mayor's annual State of the County report at the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce luncheon held January 26, 2006 will be aired on public access cable Channel 54's "Hawai`i Aloha" show.

The program will be aired on Friday, February 3 at 10:00 p.m. Mayor Harry Kim and several Cabinet members respond to questions posed by Chamber members regarding issues they have tackled over the past year.

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The Office of the County Clerk-Elections Division will be conducting Deputy Voter Registrar classes to be held on the following dates and times:

Individuals interested in registering voters can sign up for the classes by calling the Elections Division at 961-8277. A minimum class size of 10 is required.

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The community is cordially invited to attend one of four meetings whose aim is to explain a community development plan for the Puna District, a collaborative effort involving residents, planning professionals and government agencies.

Amid rapid growth in the Puna district, there is an urgent need to develop a long-range plan to better manage growth in Puna.

A Community Development Plan would afford the opportunity for the community to work in partnership with government to achieve a desired future. Quality-of-life issues are very much the focus of creating such a Community Development Plan.

Four introductory meetings have been scheduled to explain what a Community Development Plan is and how the community can get involved in this very important effort.

The public is encouraged to attend one of these four initial meetings:

• February 23 at the Nanawale Community Center
• February 24 at the Hawaiian Paradise Park Homeowners’ Association Center
• February 28 at the Kea`au Community Center
• March 3 at the Volcano Cooper Center

The County of Hawai`i's Planning Department has selected PlanPacific Inc. of Honolulu as the consultant to conduct the Puna District Community Development Plan.

PlanPacific prepared the Kaua`i General Plan that was adopted in 2000, and is currently engaged in the Maui General Plan update and a plan for the Kilauea sub-area on the north shore of Kaua`i.

In compliance with the County's General Plan requirements, a Steering Committee will be formed to provide guidance and input throughout the Puna District Community Development Plan process. The process is expected to take 18 months to complete.

Consultant PlanPacific Inc. will work with this volunteer Steering Committee to ensure that the planning process is inclusive and reflects a broad-based public involvement process.

The goal is that the Community Development Plan is prepared in the best interests of the health and welfare of the community.

The Planning Department is accepting applications for the Steering Committee. According to the General Plan, the Steering Committee members shall be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the County Council.

Applications are available at the County of Hawai`i Planning Department’s Hilo office or by calling 961-8288, Extensions 257 or 254. Forms can also be downloaded from the County of Hawaii Planning Department web site at http://www.hawaii-county.com/directory/dir_plan.htm.

Deadline to postmark or receive applications in the Planning Department’s office is Wednesday, March 22, 2006 by 4:30 p.m.

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The community is cordially invited to a workshop entitled "Mapping the Future" for the Kona region. This workshop is a key step in the ongoing Kona Community Development Plan process.

The community's participation in the workshop will help ensure that diverse points of view be presented and heard as we move forward in preparing the plan.

When: Saturday, February 18, 2006, 8:00 am – 12:30 pm

Where: Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa, Keauhou Convention Center

The Community Development Plan, mandated by the 2005 Hawaii County General Plan, will translate the broad policies and goals of the General Plan into specific implementation actions in areas such as: land use, transportation, public utilities, public facilities, housing, economy, environmental quality, energy, historic sites, recreation, flooding and other natural hazards, and natural resources.

This workshop is designed to review a number of complex issues that the Community Development Plan must address as it deals with location and type of future development. These issues were identified by the hundreds of Kona residents who participated in facilitated meetings held throughout Kona in November, December, and January. This is your opportunity to hear the results of the meetings and to participate in deciding how the plan should address the issues.

The workshop will be a combination of presentations and group activities. It will begin with a review of the results of the public meetings and a presentation of conditions and trends in Kona. This will be followed by two group activities.

Seating is limited. To reserve, please call the Kona CDP Hotline at 808-326-7269 or email tfukuda@wilsonokamoto.com , by Wednesday, February 8, 2006.

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The Environmental Management Commission will soon have two vacancies when terms expire on December 31, 2005. Community-minded residents are encouraged to apply for the vacancies for commissioners to represent. :

• District 2 (Council member Donald Ikeda's district) and
• District 5 (Council member Gary Safarik's district).

Members of the Environmental Management Commission advise the Department of Environmental Management on waste reduction strategies, recycling, litter control, community involvement, and other issues related to the functions of the department.

Under the Hawaii County Charter, appointments to the commission are made by the Mayor with Council approval. Commissioners serve 5-year staggered terms.

The commission is made up of nine members, each representing one of the nine Council districts.

To obtain an application, please contact the Office of Information and Complaints, Mayor's Office, Room 217, 25 Aupuni Street, Hilo. Phone: 961-8223 or at the Kona Mayor's Office, Hanama Place, 75-5706 Kuakini Hwy, Kailua-Kona. Phone: 329-5226.

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Hawai`i County is currently recruiting a citizen volunteer to serve as commissioner to represent District 8 (Council member Angel Pilago's district) on the Cost of Government Commission.

The Commission serves for a period of 11 months only, and is empaneled one year after the Mayor is elected into office.

Their mission is to study and investigate present operations within the County of Hawai`i, and make recommendations to the Mayor and Hawai`i County Council on how improvements in County government may be made.

For further information, please contact Corporation Counsel Lincoln Ashida at 961- 8251. Completed applications can be dropped off or mailed to Lincoln Ashida at the Office of the Corporation Counsel at the Hilo Lagoon Centre, 101 Aupuni Street, Suite 325, Hilo, HI 96720.

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The following is a primer on the State of Hawai`i's beverage container redemption program works, and the location of the County of Hawai’i’s beverage container redemption sites:

Qualifying Beverage Containers:

What’s IN: Eligible (redeemable) beverage containers include: soft drinks, soda, water, juice, tea and coffee drinks, and low alcohol content drinks (beer, malt beverages, wine coolers, mixed spirits) in metal, glass or #1&#2 plastic, 64 oz. or less.

What’s OUT: Ineligible (unredeemable) containers include: milk, wine and liquor containers.

Qualified beverage containers may be redeemed for cash at the following locations:

Please contact Atlas Recycling LLC at 935-9328 (Hilo) or 329-6868 (Kona) for further information about additional scrap value paid on aluminum cans and their mobile redemption sites in rural communities.

Certified redemption centers are now accepting flattened aluminum and plastic HI5¢ beverage containers.

Flattened containers are weighed at redemption sites to determine deposit payment. The public is reminded that reverse vending machines will not accept flattened or crushed containers.

DID YOU KNOW….that the Department of Environmental Management has a new information line? Call 961-5044 for HI5¢ redemption, recycling, and other solid waste information. Or visit:

www.hi5deposit.com / http://co.hawaii.hi.us/directory/dir_envmng.htm

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Construction work to widen Kuakini Highway, from Palani Road to Hualalai Road, commenced on November 8, 2004.

Kuakini Highway will be widened to four lanes for automobiles, including two through-lanes in each direction, and a pocket lane for left turns where appropriate. In addition, there will bicycle lanes on both sides throughout most of the project. The construction will last 18-24 months.

One lane will be open at all times from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. while construction is in progress. Outside of these hours, one lane in each direction will be open.

The contractor, Hawaiian Dredging, will work with the adjacent businesses and residences to assure that a reasonable access to the businesses and residences will be maintained throughout the construction period. However, motorists traveling in the area should drive with caution.

We are most grateful for the public’s patience and apologize for any inconvenience caused.

• Telephone duct installation continues at Hualalai intersection; 12" and 16" water line installation to follow.
• Concrete driveway installation at Ali`i Plaza is on-going.
• Retaining wall backfill work and water meter installation at the south corner of Hanama Place is in progress.
• Installation of rock veneer at various locations is continuing.
• Concrete curb and gutter work fronting Shell service station and Kona Seaside will start soon.
• Wheelchair ramp construction at the north makai corner of Palani Road intersection will commence this week.
• Miscellaneous (HELCO and Oceanic) overhead utility work is on going.

Meanwhile, the following is an update from the Department of Water Supply on the Kuakini Highway 16-inch waterline improvements (Job No. 2003-821): This week the contractor is scheduled to be working just North of the Gomes Family Subdivision to the Kona Mansion Condos. One lane of the highway will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Information on project status will be provided via this newsletter, the County website at www.co.hawaii.hi.us and the Mayor's West Hawaii Office at 329-5226.

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Hawai`i County … a nice place to live. County of Hawai`i … a great place to work.

For job postings, visit our website: http://co.hawaii.hi.us/civil_serv/civ_serv.htm

Click on employment opportunities to download all of the forms.

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The community is cordially invited to the Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival, which heralds the arrival of spring with multi-cultural activities on Saturday, Feb. 4, . 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

This annual event showcases the blooming of Waimea’s historic cherry trees and the Japanese tradition of hanami (cherry blossom viewing).

A variety of activities will extend from Church Row Park to the Parker Ranch Historic Homes on Mamalahoa Hwy. 190.

Look for pink banners identifying site locations. New this year will be a contingent of performers from Kanazawa, Japan; plus renowned kimono artist Kakimoto.

Enjoy Japanese and multi-cultural performing arts, plus demonstrations of bonsai, origami, sumie, caligraphy and tea ceremony. A giant craft fair and mochi pounding, with mochi samples on the house, will be held at Parker Ranch Center.

For further information, please contact: Festival Coordinator, Roxcie Waltjen, Dept. of Parks and Recreation at (808) 961-8706.

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The Palace Theater in Historic Downtown Hilo kicks off Chinese New Year Friday, February 10 with an evening of Chinese folk dancing and lion dancers. The Big Island Shaolin Arts Lion Dancers bless the Palace Theater with firecrackers and continue on into the theater with exhibition dancing. Afterwards, the Evergreen Dance Troupe from Honolulu takes the stage, entrancing the audience with traditional Chinese folk dance, and colorful costumes that represent different regions of China. Presented by Alice Moon & Company and the Friends of Palace Theater. Sponsored by Pacific Asian Affairs Council and Aiwana Artists & Education Coordination. Call 808-933-9772 for information and tickets, or email amoon@bigisland.com. 

WHEN: Friday, February 10, 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Palace Theater, 38 Haili Street, Downtown Hilo

Admission: $10 General; $8 Seniors, Students; Children Under 12 free (with advance ticket & adult supervision)

The community is also cordially invited to the 4th Annual Hilo Chinese New Year Festival, a day of free events and activities in Downtown Hilo on Saturday, February 11.

Come howl in the Year of the Dog in the historic Downtown Hilo, and welcome the Chinese New Year with firecrackers, lion dancers and a day full of festivities, food and fun!

At 9 a.m. the Big Island Shaolin Arts Lion Dancers start the year off with a traditional bang outside the Kress Building on Kamehameha Avenue, blessing several downtown businesses, and dancing their way to nearby Kalakaua Park for more firecrackers and exhibitions. Park festivities run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and include food booths, cooking demonstrations with Audrey Wilson and G Cruz, live music and drums, and much more. All free to the public.

Presented by Alice Moon & Company and the Friends of Palace Theater, and sponsored in part by a grant from the County of Hawaii Research & Development through the Hawaii Tourism Authority. For more information call 808-933-9772 or email amoon@bigisland.com .

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Big Island youth are invited to participate in the first annual Big Island Youth Video Contest, culminating in the grand prize winners traveling to the set of "LOST" on Oahu. Also, the top 10 winning films will be showcased at the first Big Island Film Festival on May 20, 2006 and will air on Na Leo O Hawaii Community Television, Channel 54.

The contest was the brainchild of Hawaii County Council member Angel Pilago, who spearheaded a committee made up of community members, the Big Island Film Office (part of the County's Department of Research and Development), and Na Leo 'O Hawaii Community Television.

The contest's aims are twofold:

• to encourage youth to send an "Alternative to Drugs" message to their peers and
• to teach youth a skill that will enhance their lives.

Na Leo O Hawaii will be offering free video training classes to youth participating in the contest.

The theme of this year’s contest is "Alternative to Drugs". There are two contestant categories: Category I, ages 11-16 and Category II, ages 17-22. The grand prize will be awarded in each category. Each entry will win one of the more than 20 prize donations from the community.

Contestants should produce a 1-7 minute anti-drug video. Prizes will be awarded to the videos that show the greatest amount of originality, creativity, and communicating the anti-drug message.

The videos will be judged by producer/actor & musician Pomai Brown, radio personality Tommy Ching "Kahikina", film producer & director David Cunningham; Big Island Film Commissioner Marilyn Killeri, and Hawaii International Film Festival director of programming Anderson Le.

Submissions are due by April 10, 2006. An entry form must accompany each video entry. Entry forms are available at Na Leo O Hawaii (Kona & Hilo), Big Island schools, Central Pacific Youth Athletic Club (Hilo), Kona Boys (Kealakekua), Rite of Passage (Pahoa) and www.filmbigisland.com/videocontest.

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The County of Hawai’i has FREE MULCH at the public pick-up area of the Kailua-Kona (Kealakehe) Transfer Station available 7 days a week from 6:30 am - 6:30 pm. This mulch is being processed by EKO Composting and is a higher-quality product than previously available.

Bring a pitchfork to load your own vehicle or have EKO Composting operators load with a backhoe from 7 am to 4 pm only. No loading fees.

If you want large loads delivered to your property contact a local trucking firm to arrange for delivery of large loads of mulch. Again, no fees are charged to load any sized truck.

For inquiries, call the County's Recycling Specialist at 961-8554.

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Big Island employers are cordially invited to participate in the Kealakehe High School Career Expo scheduled for Wednesday, February 15, 2006 from 12:30-3:30 p.m.

There is no charge to participate. The Career Expo will be open to high school students as well as the general job-seeking community.

Please sign up now by calling James Young at (808) 327-4300 ext. 206.

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A Puna Community Job Fair will be held on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2006 at the Pahoa High School Cafeteria from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Employers throughout the island will be recruiting for workers and numerous social service agencies will be on hand to offer valuable information to assist individuals and families.

The Puna Community Job Fair is a joint project of the Big Island Workplace Connection, Puna Roundtable and the Pahoa Weed & Seed Initiative.

For more information, call Leonard Chow at 981-2860.

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Planners, engineers, farmers, homeowners and builder/developers are cordially invited to a storm water runoff workshop.

Join U.H. Sea Grant Water Quality Extension Agents and Kona Soil and Water Conservation District Advisory members to share runoff experiences in Hilo and Maui, ideas and resources with Kona residents and agencies.

The goal is to form a collaborative working group to address best management practices for prevention or mitigation of storm water runoff.

WHEN: Wed. Feb 8th. 6-8pm

WHERE: Kealakehe H.S. Library, follow yellow signs to find meeting venue.

Refreshments provided. Admission free.

Sponsored by U.H. Sea Grant College Program and the Kona Soil and Water Conservation District.

For further information please contact: Rodger Diltz at 937-9533, Bob Nelson at 322-2902 or Sea Grant at 329-2861.

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The Visitor Aloha Society of West Hawai’i (VASH West Hawai’i) is recruiting volunteers to provide supportive services to visitors who are victims of crime and medical emergencies while vacationing in West Hawai’i. Volunteers are needed from North Kohala to South Point.

Our volunteers assist by initiating contact with visitors after receiving referrals from the Police Department and hospitals. Volunteers assess the needs of the visitor in distress, providing information, emergency transportation and acting as a liaison with other agencies on behalf of the victim.

Volunteers willing to assist with some administrative tasks are also most welcome.

Bilingual volunteers are in great demand to assist in translation for foreign visitors. Volunteers can designate their preferred areas of involvement and the amount of time they are willing to work.

A volunteer orientation and training session will be held on Tuesday, February 21st from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at the offices of the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce.

An additional training session may be scheduled in the Waikoloa area at the end of February, depending on the level of interest.

For more information or to register for the training, please contact Linda Allen at 808-756-0785 or by email at vashwh@yahoo.com   .

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AARP and the IRS are again sponsoring a group of volunteer IRS trained FREE tax preparation assistors in the Kona and Captain Cook areas.

This assistance is offered in four different locations to include a new site, the Mayor's Kona Office Conference Room at Hanama Place. (This site replaces the Lanihau/IRS location.) Sites are open on four different days.

All sites offer electronic filing.

Also, new this year is a counselor who is trained for preparation of military returns

For more detailed information, please call the AARP office at 334-1212.

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UH-Manoa College of Education is pleased to announce the Online Master of Education in Educational Technology, commencing Fall 2006.

The application deadline is March 1, 2006.

The Online Master of Education welcomes busy professionals from Oahu’s neighbor islands who hold a bachelors degree. The degree program targets professionals interested in better understanding how diverse technologies can create powerful communities of learning.

For more information, attend a program information session, or visit http://etec.hawaii.edu/omed.html . Contact: curtis@hawaii.edu .

Public information sessions are available to prospective students:

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(All project schedules based on weather permitting:)

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The work will start at 8:30 am and continue until 4:00 pm Monday through Friday, weather permitting.

Motorists are advised to use caution while driving through the work area and to allow for extra travel time.

Contractors expect the work to be completed at the end of February 2006.

For further information, please contact Chuck Eckman (Resident Engineer), Mid State Consultants,

at 640-9509. Mahalo for your patience and cooperation.

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We encourage everyone to use web-based calendar links. Please add your own events to the respective calendars so others can get the word and not conflict with your plans.

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County of Hawaii WebSite Address: http://co.hawaii.hi.us/

Information & Complaints: cohinfo@co.hawaii.hi.us
County Departments: http://co.hawaii.hi.us/email.htm
Hawaii County website: co.hawaii.hi.us

To add or remove your name from distribution, e-mail Janet Snyder: jsnyder@co.hawaii.hi.us

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For more information, contact:
Janet Snyder
Phone: (808) 961-8223
Fax: (808) 933-1521
e-mail: jsnyder@co.hawaii.hi.us

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