Strong wahine political voices, locally and nationally; Keeping Oahu's Dillingham Airfield open; As states legalize recreational marijuana, Hawaii may follow; St. Anthony's School on Maui offering free tuition; Veteran's Day at Punchbowl cemetery during COVID
Strong wahine politcal voices, locally and nationally
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris made history as the first wahine and first woman of color to be elected to the second highest office in the country. Hawaii has had a history of female leaders, including Queen Lili‘uokalani, Patsy Mink and more. But are the barriers for women in politics falling down? And what is the role of gender and race in politics?
Keeping Oahu's Dillingham Airfield open
For months, there has been pushback over the state of Hawaii's plan to get out of operating Oahu's Dillingham Airfield. The U.S. Army owns the land and the state lease ends in 2024, but the state Department of Transportation put general aviation companies on notice - they have to vacate next summer. State Sen. Gil Riviere, who represents the area, has been trying to get the state to stay in the game and to turn to a private operator to manage the airfield. The state is in talks with the Army about the future of the facility. One issue that we have not heard a lot about is a private water well that, according to documents obtained by HPR, is leaking 2 million gallons a month since at least December 2019. The state DOT, which is supposed to maintain the system under the lease, says the water issue is complicated.
As states legalize recreational marijuana, Hawaii may follow
Legalizing recreational use of marijuana in Hawaii might finally get some political traction at the Hawaii State Legislature now that 15 other states have taken the plunge and there is an urgent need for more tax revenue due to the pandemic. Civil Beat reporter Kevin Dayton tells us how the state attorney general is preparting and how Hawaii might regulate use. Click here to read the story at CivilBeat.org.
St. Anthony's School on Maui offering free tuition
Enrollment at both public and private schools is said to be down by about 3 percent, but one small Catholic school on Maui is bucking that trend. St. Anthony's School is reaching out to families who may be interested in getting back in the classroom if they are not happy with their children's progress with distance learning at their current school. Last week, St. Anthony's announced it is offering discounted tuition. There would be no charge for this second quarter with a commitment that students will enroll for the second semester.
Veteran's Day at Punchbowl cemetery during COVID
As we commemorate Veteran's Day in the midst of a pandemic, many ceremonies have moved online or have been limited under five people at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl. Public Affairs Specialist Gene Maestas says that even though traditional ceremonies won't be held, there are still ways to honor both our fallen service members and the veterans in our communities. He tells us about a private wreath laying ceremony and the changes made this year.
