President s Report. I would like to wish everyone a very happy new year.

Transcription

1 President s Report I would like to wish everyone a very happy new year. Your Board of Directors met earlier this month and set the plans for the coming year. Our primary objective is to complete the negotiations with the Department of Parks and Recreation to correct the organizational and financial problems that have been identified by the Friend s Board in We have made substantial progress and hope to complete our negotiations in the near future. Board members Sid McWhirter, Micki Stash, Lucas Myers, Dick Baker (Emeritus), Bob Kern and Mimi Baker with Deputy Managing Director Georgette Deemer and DPR Director Michele Nekota. Clean Ups Schedule of Events Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015 Whale Count, Sat. Jan 31 HBEP Sunday Education Program Feb 1 The Turtle Research Program and an Overview of Sea Turtles in Hawai I and Hanauma Bay. Feb 8 Marine Turtle Stranding Impacts Related to Fishing Gear Interactions in the Main Hawaiian Islands. Feb 15 Captive Sea Turtle Managements at Sea Live Park in Hawai i Feb 22 Migrating Leatherback Turtles Enjoy Layovers in Hawaiian Waters. We are happy to report that the major repairs that have been neglected for years are now in progress and are scheduled for completion over the following year. These items are: Replace the beach restroom roofs Replace all of the visitor center air conditioning units Replace the lights in the parking lot Replace the visitor orientation video Repair the faux rock Continue the rock fall mitigation

2 2015 FOHB Board Sid McWhirter, President Bob Kern, Vice President Micki Stash, Secretary Mimi Baker, Treasurer Pam Weiant Lisa Bishop Lucas Myers Geoffrey Johnson Dick Baker, Emeritus e mails Info@friendsofhanaumabay.org Sid president@friendsofhanaumabay.org Bob vicepresident@friendsofhanaumabay. org Micki secretary@friendsofhanaumabay.org Mimi treasurer@friendsofhanaumabay.org President s Report (Continued) Listed below are committees we have formed and board members assigned to them. Anyone wanting to assist, please let us know (info@friendsofhanaumabay.org). We can use all the help we can get. Communications Lisa Bishop Newsletter Bob Kern Clean-up at the Bay Pam Weiant Finance Mimi Baker, Micki Stash and Pam Weiant Liaison with the City & County Lucas Myers, Bob Kern Liaison with Hanauma Bay Lisa Bishop, Pam Weiant Liaison with Hanauma Bay Education Program Pam Weiant, Micki Stash Membership Micki Stash, Geoff Johnson Science Activities Lisa Bishop and Pam Weiant Website Lisa Bishop Safety Lucas Myers and Bob Kern Sid McWhirter President, Friends of Hamauma Bay Sad News We are all saddened by the loss Fran Gabrielli who passed away earlier this month. Fran was a long time member of the Friends board and was part of the team that developed the Visitor Education Center. Fran s thoughtful input was invaluable to our efforts and her ever optimistic personality kept a positive light on what was often frustrating work. We will miss you, Fran. Protecting the natural qualities of Hanauma Bay We would like, as well, to offer our condolences to the families and friends of long time volunteers Lois Ikegami, Nancy Iouye and Nobuo Yosh Yoshioka. Their dedication and service to the Bay is irreplaceable and they will be missed. It s What We Do Caption describing picture or graphic. On January 25, the Friends were happy to sponsor a visit by UHM students of Dr. Cindy Hunter and Dr. Scott Rowland to learn from Dr. Rowland about the geology and formation of the Bay. We look forward to sponsoring their visit again next year as we do to helping more students learn about the Bay.

3 Talk Story Friends Vice President Bob Kern and Secretary Micki Stash Appeared on Olelo s Talk Story Program. This was not a moderated interview but a free flowing chat about their experiences and concerns about for Bay. Mahalo to the program s producer Elizabeth Reilly and Olelo for this opportunity. Legislative Update Working its way through the City Council is Bill 78, requiring interest accrued by the Hanauma Bay Fund be returned to the fund. The Director of BFS has agreed that interest should be returned to the fund but should begin only at the passage of Bill 78. We believe that interest should be returned back to 2002 when the court ordered how the fund is to be used. The Council attached an amendment to the Bill that supports BFS position. After hearing testimony at the January 28 Council meeting, Bill 78 passed 2 nd reading with the amendment. The bill now goes back to committee for discussion. We hope that our meetings with council members will bear fruit and as they thoroughly examine the evidence will agree with our position and remove the amendment for final passage. Please contact your councilmember and let him or her know that you favor returning interest to the fund but oppose doing so beginning only when Bill 78 passes. If you have any questions, or would like a copy of testimony Sid and Bob presented, let Bob know. Bill 78 as first proposed can be found here Bill 78 as amended can be found here pdf

4 GOOD NEWS The Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board has passed a resolution on behalf of Hanauma Bay requiring the City to perform a fiscal audit of the Hanauma Bay fund. We greatly appreciate the support we ve received over the years from the board and are particularly grateful for their passing the resolution. Resolution in Support of a Fiscal Audit of Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve Whereas, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve is unique within the City and County of Honolulu; and, Whereas, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve is funded through the preserve's visitor admissions, parking fees, and concession fee payments, and such funds are assigned to a separate Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve Fund, which is exclusively earmarked for the preserve's operation, maintenance, education programs, and environmental studies; and, Whereas, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve has fallen into disrepair, with some maintenance needs being left unattended for as long as a decade, due in part to mismanagement and misuse of the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve Fund; therefore, Be It Resolved that the Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board supports the Friends of Hanauma Bay's call for a fiscal audit of the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve Fund to be conducted by an outside auditor; and, Be It Further Resolved that the Hanauma Bay fiscal audit include audits of: (1) Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve Fund, 2002 through 2014; (2) general obligation bonds charged to Hanauma Bay, 1995 through 2014; and (3) the distribution of interest paid on the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve Fund, 1995 through 2014; and, Be It Further Resolved that copies of this resolution be sent to the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu; directors of the City Departments of Budget & Fiscal Services, Parks & Recreation, and Enterprise Services; the manager of Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve; and members of the Honolulu City Council. CONTACT US ***** Snail Mail Users Please See Below For General Information, Comments or Suggestions info@friendsofhanaumabay.org Sid Bob Micki Mimi Or visit our web site president@friendsofhanaumabay.org vicepresident@friendsofhanaumabay.org secretary@friendsofhanaumabay.org treasurer@friendsofhanaumabay.org friendsofhanaumabay.org Snail Mail We are no longer allowed to receive mail at Hanauma Bay. The reason for this is unclear and we have requested the decision be reversed. For those of you who use snail mail, we will let you know our new address as soon as we can.

5 Hanauma Bay Blog Spot by Larry Winnik "Hey! Why the tears?" "Those are tears of joy my white spotted friend. Looking at the Mainland weather, I'm just soo happy to be here in Paradise where the air temp was a comfortable 80 degrees today!" "Sigh!" Teardrop Butterflyfish/Whitemouth Moray Protecting the natural qualities of Hanauma Bay