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The neighborhood board for one of Oahu's most congested zones wants the city to squeeze the traffic jam through an even narrower path. Neighborhood board
OKs testing bus-only
lanes on KapiolaniMore apply this year for
neighborhood boardsBy Mary Adamski
Star-BulletinThe Ala Moana/Kakaako Neighborhood Board last night unanimously endorsed the concept of closing two lanes of Kapiolani Boulevard for buses only.
The board backed a proposal by City Councilman Andy Mirikitani to close lanes temporarily as a test of the effect of the Bus Rapid Transit project, which won initial approval from the City Council in November.
Mirikitani cast the lone no vote when the City Council approved the $1 billion transit idea, which would run electric buses on city streets, requiring the removal of lanes now open to vehicular traffic.
Neighborhood board member Bobbie Jennings said there has been no Council Transportation Committee discussion of a Mirikitani resolution calling for the trial run of dedicated bus lanes on Kapiolani Boulevard.
Her motion, supported in a 7-0 vote, urges committee chairman Duke Bainum to hold a hearing on the Mirikitani resolution.
In another motion directed at the City Council, board members suggested that public opinion be heard before lawmakers approve putting a cancer survivors' memorial on two acres of Ala Moana Regional Park.
An appropriation of $750,000 in Mayor Jeremy Harris' supplemental capital budget before the Council provides for the memorial park in Honolulu's busiest beach park.
The nonprofit R.A. Bloch Cancer Foundation would give the city $750,000 to build the memorial, which would feature a sculpture and a walkway through plaques intended to educate and inspire people about how the disease is not always deadly and can be overcome.
Similar parks are being built in other cities by the foundation, which was co-founded by Richard Bloch.
Bloch was cured of cancer in the 1980s. He also is co-founder of H&R Block tax-preparation company.
Although the budget item indicates Ala Moana Park, city spokeswoman Carol Costa said earlier this month that the site has not been selected.
There are about 100 more applicants for Oahu neighborhood board seats this year than there were in the last election in 1999. More apply this year
for neighborhood boardsBy Gordon Y.K. Pang
Star-Bulletin staffBut the total is still less than hoped for.
The city has received about 604 applications for candidacy for the 454 available seats on the 32 Oahu boards, said Elwin Spray, elections coordinator for the Neighborhood Commission.
"All the boards have contests of some kind or another," Spray said. "There are races going on in every single neighborhood."
Ben Kama, commission executive director, said he hoped to see 700 candidates. Still, he said, 604 is higher than the roughly 500 forms the board received in 1999.
"Our concern is that the boards all have quorum," Spray said. "And all the boards do have quorum."
Kama said there are about 25 to 30 seats without any candidates but they are spread out evenly among the boards. Some boards, like Palolo and Waimanalo, traditionally have problems fielding enough candidates, but that wasn't the case this year, he said.
Both men were happy with a good number of first-time candidates this year.
"They bring new demographics, perspectives, into the board system," Spray said.
Kama said the high number of first-time candidates implies that the commission's advertising campaign was successful in getting the word out to prospective candidates.
While many of the board candidates are new to the system, some aren't new to politics. Among the candidates are several who lost in the recent 1999 elections including former House member Brian Yamane, House candidate Greg Knudsen, former Senate candidate Hank Makini, former Board of Education candidate Randall M.L. Yee, former City Council candidates Richard Nono and Carlota Ader, ex-Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee A. Frenchy DeSoto, and OHA candidate Kina'u Boyd Kamali'i.
The election will be for terms that run two years, from June 1 through May 31, 2003.
About 300,000 registered voters, including resident aliens and military, will be mailed ballots on March 15. The postmark for their return is April 16. Those who do not receive a ballot in the mail, or have spoiled their ballots, can contact the commission at 527-5579. Those with other questions about the boards are asked to dial the same number.