Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 19, Number 5, 1 May 2002 — Board actions support education, businesses [ARTICLE]

Board actions support education, businesses

By Ryan Mielke and Naomi Sodetani

Hawai'i education and businesses received major funding as OHA trustees approved measures to support charter schools, the University of Hawai'i Kamakakuokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, and businesses adversely impacted by the national tragedy of Sept. 11. At the April 4 board meeting, the trustees approved OHA's five-year strategic plan by approving the first-year course of action. OHA Chairwoman Haunani Apoliona lauded fellow trustees and administrative staff "for making history and doing some very positive things for our beneficiaries. OHA now has a strategic plan that addresses 12 years of eoncems by audit reviews," she said. "This plan will focus OHA's resources and allow us to be accountable as we continue our work for the betterment of our beneficiaries." After months of community meetings, deliberations and planning, the first-year action plan launches the implementation of OHA's five-year strategic plan that focuses on 10 key goals: advocacy-native rights, culture, eeonomie development, education, environ-ment-natural resources, nationhood, policy, social services, land & housing, and heahh. (See www.OHA.org for an abridged copy of the action plan.) Beginning July 1, theUH Kamakakūokalani

Center for Hawaiian Studies will receive $1.525 million over five years ($305,000 annually) to assist staff expansion and student scholarships to work on various projects, including a ceded lands inventory. "Today was a great day," said the center's director, Lilikala Kame'eleihiwa. "I feel very humble and grateful and proud to be part of a historic moment now because OHA is supporting the training of young people." The Waimea charter school Kanu o ka Aina received $110,250 in OHA funding for an evaluation project to measure the impact of native-designed and controlled education that is culturally driven, family oriented and eom-munity-based on native student performance. OHA trustees also passed a resolution urging future funding of the charter schools be provided by the Department of Education and the Hawai'i Legislature. Tmstees approved $1.5 million for a Hawaiian Entrepreneurial Loan Program, also known as HELP. This program provides businesses a loan facility to help weather the adverse impact of the Sept. 11 tragedy on Hawai'i's economy. The loans, provided at a fixed rate of 2 percent, will be for a maximum $100,000 eaeh and focused directly on Hawaiian-owned businesses. The HELP program will be available for 1 year. Interested

Hawaiian-owned businesses ean eall OHA at 594-1888. April 16 board decisions: • Selection of Native Hawaiian Healīh Task Force members: Dr. Thomas Au, Kim Bimie, Elizabeth Geisting, Dr. Claire Hughes, Richard Jackson of Queen's Hospital, Hardy Spoehr and Na'u Kamali'i from Papa Ola Lokahi, Kirk Lange, Pi'ilani Pang, Mary Rydell, and Paul Tom; • Authorizing the Legislative and Govemment Affairs Committee to seek an amendment to the provisions of Sec. 10-11 Hawai'i Revised Statutes, to uneap the Administrator's salary and seek the advice of the Attomey General on the matter; • Supporting legislative resolutions on the development of public school fishpond-relat-ed curriculum; a cmise ship industry task force; Dept. of Land and Natural Resources prioritization of oeean and coastal areas; designation of August 2002 as Duke Kahanamoku Ho'olaule'a Month; development of more transitional housing and social welfare facilities on O'ahu; requesting a fullimpact study of Mauna Kea and halt on further development until the study is completed; calling on DLNR to seek reasonable eompensation for the use of Mauna Kea lands for astronomical purposes. ■