Opposition strong
vs. Waimanalo
liquor license

By Mary Adamski
Star-Bulletin

The 7-Eleven Stores application to sell liquor next to Waimanalo Beach Park undermines the community's effort to curb drug and alcohol problems, opponents said at a neighborhood board meeting last night.

"Selling alcohol next to the park is flaunting it at our children," said Nani Akeo of the Waimanalo Canoe Club.

"We really have to hold them accountable," said Solomon Spencer, representing St. George's Catholic Church. "Waimanalo is just coming out of the dark ages of drugs, and alcohol is the cheapest one."

"We'd feel better if they'd take a stand, 'In deference to the community, we will not sell liquor,'" said Marian Holokai, principal of Waimanalo Elementary and Intermediate School.

About 40 people attended a special meeting of the Waimanalo Neighborhood Board last night to brainstorm a last-ditch effort to stop the convenience store from getting a liquor license from the city.

The Honolulu Liquor Commission will vote on the application tomorrow.

The five-member commission has been deadlocked 2-2 in two previous votes with one commissioner abstaining. If the impasse continues, the application will automatically go into effect Friday under a new law.

Four previous applications from the store have been refused by the commission.

Another Waimanalo 7-Eleven Store two miles away sells alcohol, one of four retail liquor licenses in the Windward Oahu community.

Some of the community leaders' anger was directed at liquor commissioners who refused to invoke a 1996 law that requires an applicant to show major change to qualify for a license that was previously denied.

The commissioners voted not to apply the law retroactively.

"The purpose of the Liquor Commission is to protect the community," said state Rep. Kenny Goodenow. "This is a travesty when they are supposed to protect."

Former neighborhood board member Al Lewis of the Waimanalo Youth Center said he recalled a "gentlemen's agreement" made with previous 7-Eleven Stores management in which the board did not oppose a liquor license for the second store in return for the company keeping the store near the park alcohol-free.

"I don't remember if that agreement was meant to be in perpetuity," said John Knox, who was board chairman in the mid-1970s. "What does bother me is that they aren't listening to us.

"We're saying the same thing we said in the 1970s. The park is safe now, and we want to keep it that way," Knox said.

Keith Ward, owner of Keneke's BBQ next to the 7-Eleven Store, said, "I'm going to have to be a policeman to keep my restaurant alcohol-free."