Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.
Changing Hawaii
LAST spring, at the end of the one of numerous community meetings he regularly attended, Gary Okino was sitting around drinking soda with other active Leeward Oahu residents. Leeward’s new man
on the CouncilTalk eventually turned to who from the district should run for Mufi Hannemann's Council seat when he resigned to seek (unsuccessfully, it would turn out) the Honolulu mayor's office.
When someone mentioned Okino's name, he almost spit out his Coca-Cola. "Me? I'm not a politician," sputtered the Aiea resident, who was preparing to retire after 30 years as a city planner.
That's exactly why he should go for it, was the response.
Okino laughed off the suggestion as nutty. But the more he mulled the idea, the more it made sense.
For three decades, Okino had been active in neighborhood organizations like St. Elizabeth's Church, the Aiea Community Association, the SCBM Council for Webling Elementary, Little League and AYSO soccer.
As a volunteer and grass-roots lobbyist, he'd struggled to get elected officials to pay attention to the needs of the area, but was often frustrated.
Perhaps he should run for office, he thought. Maybe then he could get more things accomplished.
That's still the motivating factor behind the Council's newest and most idealistic member, 59-year-old Okino, who won his race with an impressive 60 percent of the vote.
He and veteran state legislator Romy Cachola are the latest additions to the local governing body. They are quickly getting to know their way around Honolulu Hale.
While now comfortably settled in Hannemann's former office, Okino continues to be in the wide-eyed wonderment stage of his position.
He's got tremendous stamina for a gray-haired fellow, working 12-hour days featuring mornings in the community, afternoons at City Hall and evenings at various meetings from Pearlridge to Waipahu.
A sociable soul to begin with, Okino loves to "talk story" with folks while formulating his agenda for the district. For example, when homeowners' approvals were needed to get a traffic light installed at Aiea Heights Drive and Ulune Street, he walked the block himself to get their OK.
How thrilled were they at being called on by Okino? Well, when was the last time your Council rep knocked on the front door to ask your opinion?
IN his first year in office, Okino is intent on stopping the building of a huge shopping center in Royal Kunia, which he says will hurt existing businesses; pursuing $2.5 million from the Legislature to relocate the small and poorly located Aiea Library to the site of the former Aiea Sugar Mill, which would house a new community center; and even halting development of the Ala Wai Golf Course, which he believes is a bad idea, planning wise.
Interestingly this rookie, if re-elected in 2002, would then be considered a Council veteran along with Cachola, since the seven other incumbents aren't permitted to run again. Maybe then Okino can get his dream appointment: head of the Planning Committee.
A professional city planner heading the Council's planning of the city? Stranger things have happened -- like a political novice winning his very first race, and all after a reluctant can of Coke.
Diane Yukihiro Chang's column runs Monday and Friday.
She can be reached by phone at 525-8607, via e-mail at
dchang@starbulletin.com, or by fax at 523-7863.