This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Sister City relationship between the County of Hawaii and Yurihama City. This friendship, begun on October 16, 1996, has continued to flourish. Yurihama City is known for its annual Hawaiian Festival each July. This will mark the 17th year of the festival, which draws hula halau from across Japan as well as from Hawaii, to celebrate hula, music and culture.

Yurihama Government Officials and JCCIH members

To mark the anniversary of the Sister Cities, the chamber worked closely with county officials to coordinate the celebration. Yurihama delegates Mayor Masamichi Miyawaki, Council Chair Tetsuhara Mitsui, Chamber President Mamoru Nakashima and International Relations Coordinator Julianna Keleher visited Hawaii Island February 18-21. The official welcome dinner at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel included government and community officials who greeted our guests and celebrated the sister city relationship. A tree planting ceremony at Liliuokalani Park earlier that day memorialized the 20th anniversary and was followed by a Tea Ceremony performed by the Urasenke Hilo Association in honor of our distinguished guests. The next couple of days were filled with tours of Hawaii Island showcasing both East and West Hawaii. This very enjoyable event was made possible through the collaboration of many. Mahalo goes out to Randy Kurohara, Donn Mende, Charmaine Shigemura and Ilihia Gionson from the county for such a great job in planning and supporting the three-day event. A big Mahalo goes out to the JCCIH officers, past presidents and volunteers who welcomed and hosted our Yurihama guests. A very special thanks goes to Amy Aoyagi for her dedication in building, preserving and promoting our Yurihama friendship.

The Goji-Kara event, Speed Networking, on March 2, 2016 at the Hilo Hawaiian was a great opportunity for our new members to meet existing chamber members. It was also a chance for chairpersons to talk about their committees, introduce new members to what we do as a chamber and what we do for the community. The Social & Cultural committee did an awesome job and Chairperson Gina Tanouye excelled as our official timer for networking rounds. Thank you to everyone who attended. We look forward to seeing more of you at the next event.

On March 4, Tommy Goya, Russell Arikawa, Audrey Takamine and Steve Ueda represented the chamber at a meeting with the TMT International Observatory Corporation's Vice-Chair Masanori Iye, Sandra Dawson and Ross Wilson. Dr. Iye conveyed his gratitude for the support provided by the chamber and requested continued support as this project goes through the permit process once again.

From left to right: Steve Ueda, Tommy Goya, Masanori Iye, Darren Nishioka, Sandra Dawson, Audrey Takamine and Russell Arikawa

From left to right: Ed Hara, Hawaii Printing Corporation Jana Ortiz-Misiaszek, Blue Zones Worksite Coordinator Darice Cullio, Central Pacific Bank Carol Ignacio, Blue Zones Community Coordinator Randy Kurohara, County of Hawaii Deputy Managing Director

    

  

  

Carol Gristock, new owner of the Computer Store. She held up strips of cardboard that listed the different services they offer and explained each one as she flipped through the cards. What an effective way to advertise that did not cost anything.

Also, met Lawrence and Dawn Cabral of the Sweet Thunder Products. I told them I loved the way they had someone hold up their signs on the street to advertise their business. I told them I am retired and handed out my Melaleuca business cards as I buy the products but don't sell them and that was the only business card I had. We had a fun conversation about the great Melaleuca products. As I met Josie Kiyan from HELCO I told her about the three-hour power outage I experienced recently and how I fumbled through the dark looking for some light and the only light I could find was my alarm clock. Need to be better prepared for any future outages.

It was fun meeting up with old timers too, like Shinichi Matsumoto of Seniors Helping Seniors; the Ogatas;

Jerry Chang, and others, and ending the event with Russell Arikawa displaying some senior moments as he explained the upcoming events, and asking for our help as he becomes the new chamber president this July. He really had us laughing-must have been the wine.

Ono food, and great ambiance at the Wai`oli Lounge! -Mahalo to Greg Arianoff.

At the Chamber's March 23rd General Membership meeting, Mayor Billy Kenoi outlined an impressive summary of the county's major island-wide initiatives and accomplishments over the years of his administration.

A major focus has been to ensure that the county operated under a balanced budget that also allowed for necessary repair and maintenance projects, and other initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life on Hawaii Island for both residents and visitors.

Several road projects have also already been completed or are underway, including Kamehameha Highway along Bayfront, Manono Street, Komohana, and the Kapiolani Street extension near UH-Hilo.

Mayor Kenoi praised the teamwork and can-do attitudes his department heads and their staff for their important roles in making all of these projects possible. He also noted that the county's unemployment rate has moved from a high of more than 10% in 2009 to 3.8% in early 2016, which is indicative of an improved and expanding economy.

 

If you like delicious food and dazzling culinary displays, I encourage you to attend the 18th Annual Hilo Culinary Classic, Friday, April 15 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Culinary Classic is the capstone for second-year Culinary Arts students, who work incredibly hard to complete displays that run the gamut from savory multi-course meals, inventive desserts, hors d'oeuvres, celebration cakes and edible art pieces.