In case you missed it on The Conversation, we spoke to UH President David Lassner, state Comptroller Keith Regan, and Hawaiʻi State Archivist Adam Jansen to mark 20 years since devastating flood water went through the University of Hawaiʻi campus. They shared what is being done to protect our state basements.
We also learned about yellow tang fish bred in captivity that will be released on Oʻahu’s Windward side — and we got the chance to talk to the longest-serving Honolulu city worker as he celebrates 60 years on the job.
20-year mark of UH Mānoa campus flood
This week marked 20 years since floods ripped through the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa campus, causing millions of dollars in damage. The hardest hit was Hamilton Library. Its collections and computers in the basement were devastated, along with a key power source that crippled communications in a crisis event. This flood highlighted the vulnerabilities of basement offices in the state.
UH President David Lassner
University of Hawaiʻi President David Lassner was chief technology officer during the flood.
He said that various buildings on campus lost power due to the flood and that the university's priority was to provide a generator for the IT building – to provide mass communication to its students and faculty. HPR talked to Lassner to reflect on the crisis and his past 11 presidential years.
“I'm one of those positive people who doesn't retain bad memories, but I think that was our worst disaster in the university during my time here,” he told HPRʻs Catherine Cruz.
State Comptroller Keith Regan
Twenty years ago, all state workers' paychecks were printed in the basement of the Kalanimoku Building in Honolulu's Capital District — making them vulnerable to possible floods.
HPR visited the Kalanimoku Building to talk to state Comptroller Keith Regan last week to learn about what his office has done to protect those vital government services from floods.
"We're constantly looking for ways to be better prepared so that we can make sure that the services that need to be provided to the people, especially during times of crisis, can be delivered," he said.
Hawaiʻi State Archivist Adam Jansen
Hamilton Library was one of the buildings hit the hardest as its map collection and rare books — including Prince Kūhiō's personal collection — were damaged and destroyed by the water and mud collected on the basement floor.
HPR talked to Hawaiʻi State Archivist Adam Jansen about what’s being done to protect valuable documents and artifacts in the Hawaiʻi Capital Historic District.
"Most people don't realize how important archives are until you need that one record that we have to help protect your rights," he said.
Hawaiʻi Pacific University’s Oceanic Institute to release yellow tang fish
Yellow tang fish graze the reef and keep it healthy — that’s one of the reasons why Hawaiʻi Pacific University’s Oceanic Institute is releasing several hundred juvenile yellow tangs in the waters off Windward Oʻahu.
Shaun Moss, the executive director of HPU's Oceanic Institute, shared the 20-year journey of aquaculturing yellow tang in captivity.
"This first release is probably going to be more symbolic than impactful. Our numbers are small, but again, it's showing people, showing the community, showing the state that, 'Hey, look, we're developing this really novel approach to coral reef health,ʻ" he said.
Longest-serving Honolulu city worker Howard Okamura
Sixty years ago Howard Okamura applied to be a clerk typist at the Honolulu Division of Motor Vehicles soon after graduating from Farrington High School. He started the job back in October of 1964, and he’s still there!
Okamura reflected on six decades and chuckled that he’s stayed this long.
"When 35 years came around, no, I didn't go. Forty years came around, I still was there. Fifty years came around, I still there. And look what happened now — it's 60 years, time flies," he said.
These interviews aired on The Conversation from Oct. 28 to 31. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1. This story was produced by Tori DeJournett.
