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December 28, 2002 - Saturday
The weather turned around yesterday, as predicted, with intermittent rain and gusty winds.
It rained hard for an hour or two early this morning. Of course, there were cats coming in out of the rain, and others heading back out to brave the elements. My role is to stand by with a dry towel, just in case, which I did for a while.
We stopped at City Hall yesterday to cast absentee ballots in the special election for the 2nd Congressional District. The City Council's committee room on the 2nd floor was set up as the polling place. They were well prepared, but there hadn't been much business.
An election worker said they had averaged not much more than 30 voters per day. They were open on Saturday, and had only 19 votes cast. The way this election is shaping up, the seat could be won by the candidate with the most immediate family and friends, or so it seems.
I happened across the tax return for The Cayetano Foundation yesterday (you can track it down at Guidestar.org) for the year ending October 31, 2001. The foundation, established to award scholarships, took in $169,961 during the year. The foundation was established by Ben & Vicky, who serve as president and vice-president.
Unlike people who seek influence by contributing to a campaign fund, the identities of major contributors to the foundation are not disclosed by the IRS. According to the foundation's tax return, three donors gave contributions of $5,000 each. One gave $18,000, and there was a single donation of $30,000. Identifying information has been blanked out. At least one donation came from the Alexander & Baldwin Foundation, according to that group's own annual report. We're left to speculate on the rest.
Another $117,810 was reportedly received from "disqualified persons", whatever that means in tax lingo.
The foundation also reported losing $35,033 on a golf "fundraiser", which apparently isn't all that uncommon. It also lost $1,700 when it sold $38,000 of Oracle stock.
And it is interesting to see UH football coach June Jones listed among the foundation's directors. I suppose that's a form of job security in itself. Well, at least until the arrival of a Republican governor.
December 27, 2002 - Friday
"Numbers Show Hawaii's Tourism Industry Recovering"
That was the tourism story reported by several television stations yesterday, apparently based on an Associated Press story. I'm sure that I heard one station refer to the best month ever for Hawaii tourism, or something on those lines.
So I was naturally surprised by the story in today's Advertiser which, by comparison, presents a very negative picture of the tourism numbers.
I was making a pizza with the news playing in the background, so perhaps I misheard those broadcast stories. But I'm sure the overall tone was a stark contrast to the Advertiser's more thorough report on the industry stats.
One nice Christmas present arrived yesterday in the form of an email from Dawn in Hauula:
I can't tell you how happy you've made my family! You took 2 pictures of my dog Emily one morning. Both pictures are stunning. I've taken countless pictures of my dog but none have come close to what we'd seen on your website....
Thank you, so much for giving our Emily a few minutes of fame and a family some very special photos!
A little bit of appreciation goes a very long way!
By the way, that's Emily diving at dawn in the current set of "morning dogs" photos.
December 26, 2002 - Thursday
| When I'm around the house for a few days, it's hard to avoid a new round of cat photos. So here are some of the best from the last week or so. Just click on Toby's picture, or the cats banner to the right. And enjoy. |
Mr. Toby |
When the Tongan tree trimmers' truck lost its brakes Monday afternoon and crashed through a huge coral wall outside the oceanfront home of Mike Fisch, publisher of Gannett's Honolulu Advertiser, it was the Star-Bulletin that caught a great action photo of Fisch dressed in his holiday best, cell phone in hand. It was dark before the Advertiser got their shot.
And speaking of Gannett, they announced last week that they're trying to put together a 24-hour "America Today" cable channel based on USA Today, then they turn around and announce the $346 million purchase of the publisher of three Scottish newspapers, eleven consumer and business magazines, along with both radio and television properties. But they want to cut pay and benefits for Advertiser staffers?
Cable gadfly Jeff Garland points out that the Star-Bulletin's story on the weekend's 2nd Congressional District debate referred to Olelo, the public access television corporation, as "Oleo". The unfortunate typo appeared on the first reference to the access organization.
December 25, 2002 - Wednesday
| Merry Christmas, folks. No hooves on the rooftops out here in the country, although there's a rooster doing his thing at 5:30 a.m. For what it's worth, Santa was visible here in Kaaawa yesterday. I thought this was an interesting colonial image, with an apparently patriotic American Santa (without reindeer) in our wonderful island setting.
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| Here's a little Christmas story. Several years ago, Meda dragged me reluctantly into the Salvation Army thrift store in Kaneohe, which has since closed down. I was a bit reluctant, so she assigned me the time-wasting task of digging through a box of cheap tableware, "just in case". Among the cheap Korean stainless steel and occasional beat-up silver plate I found an old tarnished tablespoon or serving spoon. |
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| In the bowl was engraved "Christmas 92". I could tell from the feel and design that it was more than just a few years old, so this had to be 1892!
We paid the junk box price of 25 cents and cleaned it up. The spoon turned out to be sterling silver by Duhme & Co., a 19th century Cincinnati company. I enjoy using this spoon and imagining the person who bought it and took it home as a gift 110 years ago somewhere in the Cincinnati area, where it started its long journey that finally ended in Kaaawa a century later.
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December 24, 2002 - Tuesday
A poem...
Twas the morn before Christmas, and all through the house,
many felines were stirring, perhaps chasing a mouse.
Mr. Rooster shouted out his cockadoodle-doo,
while cats of all sizes 'round the house they flew.
Ms. Kili was clawing up the screen door in front,
while her sister, Ms.Wally, on the roof she did hunt.
Lindsey stood guard 'neath plumeria trees,
and Leo observed from a distance, and sneezed.
Silverman's out where grass grows so tall
and Miki's still sleeping in bed down the hall.
Duke, once a kitten,
now's being a good dad,
teaching Toby, the youngest,
the tricks, good and bad.
And Harry brought a stocking
from somewhere to show
we're into the season, despite lack of snow.
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Cats love Christmas, too |
Then up from the yard came a terrible sound,
and I ran to the door in a long reckless bound.
Howling and yowling and mewing and such,
greeted my ears, it was all far too much.
And out from the back a strange man did appear,
red clothes and beard, all reins and no deer.
"I've got me a sleigh," he said with all smiles,
but the nearest reindeers about three thousand miles.
He tried chickens and dogs and neigborhood kids,
but none pulled that sleigh away from our digs.
Nine cats could just about pull a full load,
but try hitch 'em up and they just explode.
The last that we saw him, all dressed in bright red,
he was down on Kam Highway, dragging his sled,
and at home nine fat cats, with no harness in sight,
Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
December 23, 2002 - Monday
Gov. Lingle may be correct that administrative salaries in state government are too low, but one of her statements quoted in Saturday's Star-Bulletin was most revealing.
"Most of the top people that I talk to, on a bad year they're making a quarter of a million dollars" in the private sector, she said yesterday.
That would be a very small slice of the community. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , only 2.5 percent of all Hawaii households make $200,000 or more. Half of all households earn less than $50,000 annually. The median salary for full-time employed men, is $35,535, while the median for women working full time is only $28,546.
The policy implications of this economic divide between those whose "bad year" means $250,000 and the rest of us, are something worth thinking more about. And reporting on. After the holidays, of course.
| And when it comes to holidays, Kaaawa is prepared. This was the scene outside Kaaawa School one early morning last week. And there are lots of bright lights, plastic snowmen and icicles, reindeer and santas displayed throughout the neighborhood. |
Christmas spirit in Kaaawa
(click for larger photo) |
We were told last night that some people in the neighborhood now refer to us as the "dawn walkers." That has a nice ring to it, worthy of a Tony Hillerman novel. It's a keeper.
December 22, 2002 - Sunday
| Yesterday's dawning of the winter solstice provided some nice Kaaawa views, which I quickly compiled into a little photo collection. Click on this photo or the photo gallery banner on the right to visit. |
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My favorite quote of the past fiew days came from the mouth of KITV's weather reporter, Kathy Muneno, who looked up as she started her report a couple of nights ago and said: "Caution is not advised."
She apparently meant to say that an earlier weather advisory had been cancelled, but it was garbled in translation.
From the Daily Telegraph comes news of the death of a Yonge family elder:
21 December 2002 THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
YONGE PHILIP EVELYN OBE DSC Royal Navy retired. On December 16th after a short illness aged 90 Beloved husband of the late Rosaleen Loving father of Richard, James, Jeremy and Nicholas. Much loved grandfather uncle and great uncle. Private funeral. A Memorial Service will be held Holy Cross, Newton Ferrers, Devon at 12 noon on Saturday, 25th January. There will be a collection in aid of RNLI and Holy Cross Church, c/o James Brothers, E1Iiotts Hill, Brixton Plymouth PLS 2BW. H
It was forwarded to me by Ian Yonge, who has become the family's online genealogist. It always gives me a jolt to see mail from Ian Yonge to Ian Yonge Lind.
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