Welcome to the neighborhood | Waipahu
POSTED: Sunday, January 31, 2010
OUR TOP ISSUES
1: Rail transit/transit oriented development. The board voted to support the city administration's plan to develop a steel on steel rail system.
With three projected stations in our town, it is hoped that residents will use the system to reduce their travel time and congestion on the main roads. The board is kept up to date with monthly reports from the transit-oriented development team.
Together with the rail construction, it is imperative that the areas near the stations are efficiently planned and developed. Our area is included in Phase I of the rail route.
2: Crime. The Weed and Seed program has been in Waipahu about eight years. Waipahu was the second area on Oahu to be established as a Weed and Seed site. It is a joint effort by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Persons convicted of crimes in the Weed and Seed site receive harsher penalties than those in other areas.
Statistics show a significant decline in numbers of crimes committed. A recent article concerning crime in the U.S. indicates that people believe there is an increase due to the headlines, even though there is a decline in the statistics. This is especially true in Waipahu.
THE OFFICERS
Chairman |
3: Education. Quality of education has been a standing item of importance for the community and the board, especially with the reduction of 17 classroom days.
A representative of the Board of Education is listed on our agenda and is available to provide the latest updates on developments. Board members and residents are asking hard questions and offering various recommendations.
The Waipahu area complex of schools has initiated a program to get community leaders involved concerning the four core values of the schools (respect, responsibility, honesty and caring). The purpose is to standardize the program in all the area schools.
4: Traffic safety. Board members and residents continue to bring these issues to the state or city transportation and elected officials. Some involve action by the police and others need changes in parking or driving conditions.
A recent concern is the safety hazard on Kunia Road leading up to the H-1 freeway. Without notifying the board, the state restriped Kunia Road to assist motorists from Ewa to reach the freeway faster. They also installed a yield sign for Waipahu residents, which creates safety hazards. Waipahu residents feel that safety is more important than convenience. The board will continue to seek changes to the design.
5: Residents' participation. This board has had continuous problems in filling all 19 seats. One subdistrict seat was vacant for five years.
To correct this problem, the board reduced the number of subdistricts to three from 11. This helped by expanding the areas of the subdistricts and reducing the number of vacancies.
A few years ago, the board voted to have the meetings taped and shown on OLELO. They are shown on Channel 49 on Fridays at 9 p.m. This should encourage more residents to attend the meetings and discuss their concerns in person.
SO SPECIAL
Rich in Cultures: Waipahu has a long history of foreign immigrants who came to Hawaii to make a better life for their families. Most worked at the sugar plantations and pineapple fields. Newer immigrants are quick to adapt to strange surroundings because of the multicultural ethnicities being able to live peacefully as neighbors.
FACTS & FIGURES
» In Hawaiian, “;wai”; means water and “;pahu”; means burst or gush forth. Early native Hawaiians enjoyed the cool, clear water and named this spring Waipahu. Kingdom of Hawaii royalty often came here; Waipahu was once regarded as Oahu's capital.
» In 1897, Oahu Sugar Co. was incorporated and its sugar mill was built here, turning Waipahu into a plantation town.
