The coming few days are big ones. Please show up if you can.

Today, Tuesday the 17th marks the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, a coup d’état against Queen Liliʻuokalani, which took place on January 17, 1893, on the island of Oahu and led by the Committee of Safety, composed of seven foreign residents and six non-aboriginal Hawaiian Kingdom subjects of American descent in Honolulu.

Then there is tomorrow Wednesday the 18th: The day the legislative session opens. If you are on Oahu I encourage you to visit the Capitol and personally visit your Senator and Representative. Regardless of where you live, I encourage you to call or send them an email between now and then. Let them know your top priorities. For me, that’s publicly funded elections and the “Foley Reform Commission” initiatives. Please ask your Senator and Representative to show their support and “sign on” to be a “co-introducer” of the respective House and Senate Bills!

Sign up for Clean Election “action alerts” and tips on how to take action from the good folks at Our Hawaiʻi!

My latest blog post on the topic: Dancing with the devil – a Faustian dilemma and untenable reality facing every elected official.

An excellent on-point piece in Civil Beat More Transparency In The Hawaii Legislature? It Won’t Be Easy

Thursday the 19th: Wahiawā, Whitmore Village, and Waialua are home to some of the heaviest use of pesticides in all Hawaiʻi. HAPA, Hawaiʻi SEED, Hawaiʻi Center For Food Safety, and ʻŌlelo Community Media – are hosting a community gathering – “Pesticides, Public Health, and Your Right to Know” 5:30 PM-7:30 PM at Whitmore Community Park, Multipurpose Room A. For more information and registration go HERE.

My totally awesome wife Claudette however reminded me that January 19th was in fact my birthday. She said fairly clearly and directly (and if you know Claudette you know what I mean) that maybe, just maybe – a family birthday gathering might be more fun. Since I am well aware of course that, “A happy wife is a happy life” I will be at Whitmore in spirit only…and instead be celebrating getting old with my beautiful family here at home 😉 – scroll to the bottom to read more on the birthday thing.

Tuesday the 24th: The Kaua‘i Planning Commission is scheduled to hear arguments and vote on the Petition for Declaratory Order, filed by attorney Teresa Tico on behalf of the Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action (HAPA); Sierra Club Kaua‘i Group; Surfrider Foundation Kaua‘i Chapter; and individual Judith Ann Dalton – relating to the Coco Palms hotel development. Full disclosure – I am the Board President of HAPA. The Petition essentially states that according to law and court precedent, the permits issued to Coco Palms Hui in 2015 have lapsed due to their failure to make “substantial progress”.

It’s pretty obvious to anyone driving by the property today in January of 2023 there has most definitely not been any “substantial progress” over the past 8 years – let alone the past 30 years. And I might add, installing a construction dust screen just days before the developers are supposed to prove “substantial progress” does not fulfill the intent of the law either.

Further, the permits granted in 2015 allowing the developer to ignore important existing county building rules and regulations were amended in 2018 after the “Iniki Ordinance” had already expired. This is special legislation on top of special legislation.

Note: The actual public notice for the Kaua‘i Planning Commission meeting has not yet been issued so “stay tuned”.

In case you missed it earlier, here is a previous post/email about a separate lawsuit that’s also been filed against the State of Hawaiʻi and the Coco Palms developer/owner: Why we are taking legal action against the BLNR and Coco Palms (file under “can’t make this stuff up”)

To further muddy the waters. The new Chair of the Kaua’i Planning Commission is also the Kaua‘i representative for the Hawaiʻi Carpenters Union whose members it would seem may have a direct financial benefit should the Coco Palms Development move forward.

And last but certainly not least, here are 4 Things you can do now to help – Coco Palms – I Ola Wailuanui

Sincerely,
Gary Hooser http://www.garyhooser.com

Note on the birthday thing: Yes, January 19th is my birthday. I will be turning the young age of 69.

My life it seems is one of abundance, and for that I am deeply grateful. I have too many stories to tell, too many fond memories to reflect on, too many goals yet to be achieved and tall mountains still to be scaled. As I’ve written in the past, I’m a lucky man. Surrounded by family and friends, doing meaningful work daily on tasks that I love, and living in the most beautiful place on the planet.

Mine is not a life free of stress or hardship, there are no shortage of those stories as well. But my default is to always push on, to know the sun is always going to come up the next day, and to follow my na’au, my gut and instincts – whenever those tough times present themselves.

92-year-old Clint Eastwood’s secret:, “Never let the old man in” (plus eat right and exercise).

Forever Young by brother Bob Dylan is a song that I share with my children, and encourage you to also share with yours.

May God bless and keep you always

May your wishes all come true

May you always do for others

And let others do for you

May you build a ladder to the stars

And climb on every rung

May you stay forever young

Please read each and every word of this beautiful song here – trust me the lyrics are well worth the read.

Or listen to Bob Dylan sing it live. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtFEzhaNrT4)

If you really and truly want to offer me a birthday gift – please consider a contribution of $6.90, $69, $690 to the three causes I’m presently working 24/7 on.

Hawai`i Alliance for Progressive Action – HAPA
Online at https://www.hapahi.org/donate
or via mail to
PO Box 1534
Kapa`a, Hawai`i 96746

Pono Hawaiʻi Initiative
Online at https://ponohawaiiinitiative.org/https/donate/phi
or via mail to
P.O. Box 871
Honolulu, HI 96808

I OLA WAILUA NUI
Online at https://www.wailuanui.org/donate
To secure community-based ownership and management of the property formerly known as the Coco Palms Hotel. For those who prefer to mail a check please make the check out to HAPA and mail to the above HAPA address with I Ola Wailua Nui noted on the check.

Can you help also with a pledge? Remember, the funds will only be needed and expected AFTER we are able to obtain a contract to purchase and AFTER we are able to raise the full $20,000,000.

For more information and a copy of the pledge form go here.

Mahalo plenty for any and all help!

And from the bottom of my heart, thank you to all who have already given. I am a bit behind in my thank you notes but please know I see every contribution that is made and I am aware and very thankful for your help and assistance.

Sincerely,
Gary Hooser
Birthday Boy and Proud Grandpa!
I’ll start with a photo of me and my beautiful mother who is 90 years old and still full of vim and vigor…then Claudette and I when we were first married and then one of me and the three incredible grandchildren.