Budget cuts threaten
peer education
Advocates say the program is critical
By Helen Altonn
to breaking poverty and abuse cycles
Star-BulletinA state program that reaches nearly 100,000 students annually -- helping many improve school performance and make difficult health and social choices -- is in jeopardy. "I'm sure if you have children you would want them to be in a Peer Education Program," Leilani Patacchia told House Health Committee members yesterday.
Patacchia said she participated in the program at Waialua High and Intermediate School "and it immediately had a positive effect on me."
"It has given me a lot of self-esteem. . . . I had a choice to abstain from drugs and alcohol, and I've done this."
She now is a senior peer education program trainer, helping other students make decisions about drugs, pregnancy, suicide and other issues.
The state Health Department started the program in 1988 with the Department of Education.
Participation has grown statewide from seven to 26 schools and from 117 student trainers to 866. They provide peer counseling and classroom and campus presentations, and network with parents and community groups.
Teen pregnancy and suicide rates are significantly lower in Peer Education Program schools, said William Christoffel, Health Department deputy director for health resources.
He told legislators the department resisted efforts to eliminate the program in budget cuts the past three years, but this time it wasn't spared.
"This is something we did not want to do," Christoffel said.
A bill is pending to transfer the program to the DOE, but that won't solve the money problem, officials said. Although teachers direct the program in the schools, the DOE doesn't want it unless $556,000 is provided to administer it.
House Education Chairman David Stegmaier (D, Hawaii Kai) said money may be available through a lump sum being discussed for school-based management. Schools that value the program then could keep it, he said.
Christoffel said, however, that his department feels the program is a health function.
Edralyn McElroy, program coordinator in the agency, said it sets parameters for health issues to be discussed and provides current information.
She said about $60,000 in federal money, available to the peer programs for sexual assault presentations, will be lost if the program is transferred.
The Health Committee approved a recommendation by Chairman Alex Santiago (D, Haleiwa) to send the bill to the House Finance Committee with concerns about maintaining the program with a health-education partnership.
"The program is vital to our kids," said Dan Yahata, Waialua High teacher and peer education program coordinator, stressing that educational achievement is linked to healthy behaviors.
He said the program has changed him and the way he looks at youth.
For every problem a teen-ager has, he said, "There is always a reason why."
Allan Silva, former director of the program, said it should be expanded to more schools and grades.
"If you've ever seen the program in action, you know there's no program like it in the state," said Silva, now director of Positive Connections.
Rose Schilt, executive director of Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies, which works with the peer program on teen pregnancy prevention, urged that it be kept in the Health Department. She said it's critical to maintain a trend toward decreasing teen pregnancy and breaking poverty and abuse cycles.
Committee sees dollar signs
By Craig Gima
in creating reefs from old boats
Star-BulletinAbandoned boats, now being dumped miles offshore, would be cleaned-up and turned into artificial reefs to attract fish and scuba divers, under a bill passed by the House Ocean Recreation and Marine Resources Committee yesterday. The bill would create a special fund from federal grants, and donations and fees from dive-tour operators. An advisory committee would determine how the money would be used to acquire, convert and sink abandoned and derelict vessels to increase wreck dive-sites in Hawaii.
"Thousands of dollars in state funds are scuttled in deep water," said committee Chairman David Tarnas (D, Kailua-Kona).
If abandoned boats were used to create artificial reefs, they could generate new revenue for the state, he said.
The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism estimates one or two additional dive sites in each of the four counties could generate $10 million to $20 million in annual business revenue.
Tony Costa, a part-time commercial fisherman and diver, testified against the measure.
"The very delicate natural balance of the ocean habitat is abnormally altered by artificial reefs," he said.
Costa said the artificial reefs would attract sharks, and questioned whether the state has the authority to "lease" underwater land.
The Department of Budget and Finance also opposed the bill because it would create a new state program.
But William Aila, a part-time commercial fisherman and diver, supported the measure.
"Hurricane Iniki was like a bulldozer through our ecosystem," Aila testified.
He said artificial reefs can help nature bring fish back to the area.
"If you build it, they (fish) will come," he told lawmakers.
The bill also was opposed by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, which felt OHA should have some decision-making authority over submerged lands, and that the office should get 20 percent of the revenues for activities on them.
Tarnes amended the bill to give OHA a seat on the Underwater Attractions Advisory Committee.
The committee also held a bill to give the state Board of Land and Natural Resources the authority to privatize the Ala Wai Marina and other small-boat harbors.
Privatization efforts are opposed by many small-boat owners.
"This will force them (the Board of Land and Natural Resources) to abide by existing law," said Bill Mossman of the Hawaii Boaters Political Action Association.
But David Parsons, who is in charge of privatization efforts for the Boating and Ocean Recreation Division, said the state would still seek out proposals to privatize small boat harbors.
He said privatization could still be approved by the Legislature next year.
LEGISLATURE UPDATE
A calendar of tomorrow's hearings -- to be held at the state Capitol, 415 S. Beretania St., unless noted:
HOUSE
Energy and Environmental Protection: Informational briefing on contamination of the Pier 29/harbor waterfront/Nimitz corridor area with Department of Health, Department of Transportation and Attorney General on liability of clean-up costs. Also, briefing with Health Department on progress of streamlining environmental permitting, 9 a.m., Room 312.
SENATE
None scheduled.
UPCOMING
Senate Economic Development. Hearing on bills relating to milk, pork, quarantine and animal importation. Decision-making to follow if time permits, 1 p.m., Room 212.
