Hassled by a security
guard near Hilo mall
Saturday, April 19, was another “Hands-Off!” protest in Hilo. We arrived late to attend and, having experienced difficulty parking in the Ross Dress for Less parking lot during the previous protest, we decided we’d park in the unused portion of the Prince Kuhio Plaza parking lot that was previously used by Sears customers before that store closed years ago.
There were about 30 cars parked there already, but there remained dozens of empty spaces in the lot.
We parked, and as we walked away a private security guard for the plaza stopped us. With a somewhat combative attitude, he asked if we were going to the protest. When we replied yes, he said that if we parked there he would tow our car.
Somewhat disbelieving, we asked him if he was going to tow all the cars in that area, and he said he’d done so before.
We knew it was just harassment, but we got back in our car and parked in another area. Of course, on our way out, we noted that most likely not a single car in the old Sears parking lot had been towed away.
We concluded that the policy and attitude of the security guard is dictated by the Prince Kuhio Plaza management and their political bias. It seems to us that this kind of pettiness and lack of aloha is not appropriate in Hilo.
Ross and their employees deserve appreciation for their cooperation and accommodation in the exercise of our shrinking democratic rights in this threatened democracy.
Timothy and Karen Cooper
Hilo
Former council office
is an eyesore in Pahoa
I want to jump on the bandwagon thanking newly elected Mayor Kimo Alameda and the Department of Public Works.
In the last administration, Keaau village really struggled with roadside maintenance, and frankly Keaau was an eyesore with overgrown weeds. But that’s changed, and Keaau seems to be on the schedule for regular grass cutting and weed-whacking.
I also noticed that Kahakai Boulevard through Hawaiian Beaches and Hawaiian Shores was repaved recently, and a homeless encampment in Pahoa village that was getting really out of hand was dismantled.
It’s nice to see DPW giving Puna some much-needed attention.
I do have one ask, though, and this requires the mayor’s administration and our Puna councilwoman to work together: Please do something about the Puna council office. We worked so hard many years ago to get that established.
Now the building, which is the former Pahoa Police Station, sits empty, even boarded up. It’s a total eyesore for Pahoa village, and it actually serves as a congregation of shopping carts for all those houseless folks that hop on the Hele-On bus from that spot.
At any given time, day or night, there is a houseless person staking a spot in front or on the side of that office. If it’s not going to be used for council business, turn the building into something useful — a satellite mayor’s office, a DPW baseyard or, better yet, lease it out to HOPE Services or another social service agency that can help the houseless that already congregate there.
Tiffany Edwards Hunt
Keaau
