Parks & Rec. Director - Ms. No

[Rob Tucker]

I just read the comments provided by the Department of Parks and Recreation on the Puna Community Development Plan. It's on record at the Planning Department or by download in PDF format here

http://www.hcrc.info/community-planning/...ic-hearing

Director Pat Englehard is quite succinct and clear in showing her lack of vision regarding recreation in Puna. Her nickname in Puna is Ms. No. She earns it.

Pat has no interest in expanding the senior services. Despite the soon to be vacant Pahoa Fire Station property actually belonging to P&R she can't envision any improvements. Thanks Pat.

Pat says "right now the facility next door to the Fire Station (Pahoa Community Center) is under utilized". Yep, and under staffed with few, if any, programs. Thanks Pat.

Puna enjoys the lowest ratio of Parks & Rec. staff per population of any district on the island. Thanks Pat.

Pat fails to even mention the 56 acres established by exhaustive community effort in Pahoa Village as a Regional Park. Thanks Pat.

Pat has no interest in anything resembling linear parks. They're okay, I guess, as long as they are handled by the community. But I do recall her stopping any community effort for a walking/hiking trail on the Pahoa Regional Park land. Thanks Pat.

Pat lacks any potential vision of Green Mountain except as a nature preserve. Thanks Pat.

When I called Parks and Rec. to ask about community input on locating a new Pahoa gym (since deferred) I was told "We don't need community input." Thanks Pam.

When the Pahoa Skate Park was being built by the local community (not P&R) it took six months for the county to determine that they did not need to issue themselves a building permit. Thanks Pat.

Exactly when are we due for a new Director of Parks and Recreation? Not soon enough in my opinion.

I am going to be very interested in mayoral candidates intentions on staffing this post next year.

P.S. No comments on the PCDP from Public Works?

Rob Tucker
Friends of Puna's Future

[kani-lehua]

thank you to all of them. when it's their time to deal with their own seniors, maybe, just maybe, they will wake up. the lack of senior services is statewide or should i say, nationwide.

how can it be called a community without community input?!

yes, and thank you to all those who were elected who pass laws protecting the criminal and not the victim and for making it practically impossible to protect onself. sorry, wrong thread!

malia paha o lohe aku

perhaps they will hear

[Kapohocat]

Is P&R director a political appointment?

[Rob Tucker]

Yes, the department directors are appointed by the mayor and approved by council.

[dmbwest]

Too bad on answer to K - cat question ...

Now that I think my wife will finally 'let' me be reunited with my little boy down here, I am excited to dive head first into something like this ... Rob, if you have some kind of list going please send it over. Gonna apply for Bicycle guy next week, I know already not gonna get it but fun to try. .. actually have good connections to succesfull SoCal guys on this one. I know they would vouch for me.

[Guest]

quote:

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Originally posted by Rob Tucker

...When the Pahoa Skate Park was being built by the local community (not P&R) it took six months for the county to determine that they did not need to issue themselves a building permit....

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I was at the skate park on/off today. I'm still contemplating risking my life and trying to skate again after 20 or so years.

I asked a few kids at the park what they thought of the facility... they ALL mentioned that this was one of the greatest things to come to Puna in a long time.

Sad it took some 10 - 20 years of complaining to get one done. However, props to the designers said most of the skaters.

Sorry to go off topic here.... but if were talking parks/rec we may as well include the skate park.

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If you have my old email, it will be changing soon. I have updated it through PW. Please email through PW instead of my old account to get new email.

[Carey]

Damon, go ahead & take the plunge, but make sure you wear proper protection .... and those cane like things for stability.... maybe an extra pillow or two...

One of the things I have noticed more here... Groups that have a lot of the diversity from the community, have an organized group that frequently meet & active volunteers that are willing to 'campaign' for a cause that get heard when budget allocations & stuff are mentioned.
Puna has for political generations been an area that has small 'localized' groups that have little organization politically.
Question is, how do you establish this diverse group? And who here is dedicated enough....

We have some of the best of....
Believe it or not the bus service in lower Puna is the best of the county (we have more hours of service than any other area & are riding neck 'n' neck with the resort buses as to the most total buses on a route.... & the resorts funded the initial bus service...). How many use it... finally most of the buses are not running almost empty (for years there were a handful of riders on most of the buses, even when it was a free ride!)
The pool is one of the best, how many use it, how many are asking for more hours? (it is hard to justify more hours if the pool has few patrons during the current open hours...)

We have a dedicated group that has come forward to get some of the services, inc. the bus, the pool, the skate park, but everyone has to get involved, put in the time to make things even better. If you are reading this & haven't gotten involved, why not?
Many of you know that Rob goes to many of these meetings, goes to the council, is very active for Pahoa.... but it takes a lot more people that are dedicated to really get the support.

[JerryCarr]

While I have to agree with Rob that Puna has been shortchanged seriously by the County Parks and Recreation Dept., there is some positive activity going on. (Thanks to Carey for refocusing me on the positive.[])

The HPP Parks Committee is moving forward in negotiations with the County to convert the 20-acre piece of land makai of the Hui complex on Makuu into a real park. This will have a variety of recreational opportunities to include (but not necessarily be limited to) playgrounds, ball fields, and walking trails. By avoiding the land acquisition cost, the County feels like they can bless with us with a decent set of facilities. Hopefully, the new Administration will continue with this next year. The reports we hear at the HPP Membership meetings are positive, but of course it will take years to get done. This is still Hawaii County after all.

Cheers,
Jerry

[gtill]

When we say shortchanged, if you took the tax income from Puna, and figure in the number of residents, compared to Hilo and their population and tax outlay, that proportion per region and nothing else should go to each region! Same for Kona, whoever pays the most should get the most funding!
Now are we looking at the CC, building a playground for the HPP residents, (please correct me if I'm wrong), what's that all about?

[oink]

quote:

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if you took the tax income from Puna, and figure in the number of residents, compared to Hilo and their population and tax outlay, that proportion per region and nothing else should go to each region! Same for Kona, whoever pays the most should get the most funding

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I don't think I can totally agree with that. The commercial tax income from resorts comes largely from Kona, but many workers live in Puna. Commercial taxes are always a better deal for the government. There should at least be a proportion of the taxes from the resorts going to Puna based on the number of workers that have to live in Puna due to the housing costs in Kona. The same would aply to Hilo's commercial tax base.

quote:

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Now are we looking at the CC, building a playground for the HPP residents

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What's wrong with that? If the population justifies a park to serve that number of residents and the park will be centrally located to well serve that size of a block of residents, why shouldn't the county take advantage of an offer of free land in the right spot to serve residents.

Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.