WEST HAWAII TODAY | SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2015 7A Ka‘u District Gym and Shelter hits another snag It may be another nine months before the long-gestating Ka‘u District Gym and Shelter is complete, according to Hawaii County Public Works Director Warren Lee. The 43,300-squarefoot community gym and emergency shelter in Pahala broke ground in October 2012 and immediately began running into roadblocks, Lee said. “When we started off with the project, the contract completion date was going to be late 2014. But even before the contractor got on the site, there were some things that had to do with a burial site sligtly above the gym area that had to be taken care of,” he said. “After that, they found a lava tube, and when that happens you need to investigate that. Once it’s cleared of any archaeological features you can move on.” The latest hold-up invovles problems with the concrete floors that were poured by contractor Summmit Construction, he said. “Right now, there are issues with the concrete floor that need to be resolved,” Lee said. Holes that were drilled into the moisture barrier below where the wood decking of the gym floor is supposed to be installed appear to have problems, so the contractor is going back over the project. Otherwise, moisture could seep under the floor and create termite problems. “We had hoped it would have been ready for the (May 29) graduation, but it’s important for us to make sure that what is built meets the construction requirements,” he said. “This facility is going to be used by kids and serves as a shelter during times of natural disaster and post natural disaster. That’s our job, to make sure it’s safe.” Lee estimated that the project could be complete some time in early 2016. The $16.9 million state-funded project will be managed by the county Parks and Recreation Department and it will be used jointly by the school and community. Ka‘u High and Pahala Elementary School will use it for physical education classes, school functions, assemblies and athletic team practices and games. It will also be available for youth sport use as well as community functions. The facility sits on 5 acres of state property makai of the existing school gymnasium. Funding for the project was first approved by the Legislature in 2009 but was then held back by former Gov. Linda Lingle. The money was later re-appropriated and released by Gov. Neil Abercrombie in fall 2011. The structure includes an auxiliary building, as well as athletic courts, recreation and multipurpose rooms, restrooms, lobby, concession area, storage rooms, a locker and shower room and an athletic training room. It will feature three NCAA regulation size courts. Approximately 29,000 square feet of the building will also serve as an emergency shelter, serving up to 1,928 people. It is being built to withstand a Category 3 hurricane. Email Colin M. Stewart at cstewart@ hawaiitribune-herald.com. BY COLIN M. STEWART HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD With some donors doubting Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio seizes opening WASHINGTON — Marco Rubio is benefiting from pockets of discontent in Jeb Bush’s sprawling money network, winning over donors who believe the 44-year-old freshman senator from Florida offers a more compelling persona and sharper generational contrast against Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. Rubio is working to seize the moment by making an all-out push to lock down financial backers in the coming month — hopscotching the country in a nonstop series of fundraisers that are limiting his presence on the campaign trail. While he faces stiff competition in the money race from Bush and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker in particular, Rubio’s in-person courting sessions are starting to pay off. Longtime Bush loyalists and other big-money players on the right have emerged from the meetings raving about his abilities, according to people familiar with private gatherings he has had around the country. “After meeting Marco and listening to him — he is almost astounding, he is so articulate and he has got such great vision,” said Anthony Gioia, a top GOP fundraiser in Buffalo. Gioia raised more than $500,000 for George W. Bush and then served as his ambassador to Malta but is supporting Rubio this time. “I hate to overuse the word transformational, but I really feel he is,” he said. It is not just veteran bundlers coming aboard. Rubio has recently gained the backing of heavyweight players such as Oracle founder and billionaire Larry Ellison — who is hosting a campaign fundraiser in Silicon Valley next Tuesday — and Randy Kendrick, an influential Arizona donor and the wife of Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick, who hosted the senator at their Phoenix home last month. “I’m looking for someone who is an inspiration,” said Kendrick, who plans to work her network to bring other donors aboard. It remains to be seen whether the passion for Rubio will translate into huge financial sums. He has the support of billionaire Miami auto dealer Norman Braman, who has committed to putting as much as $10 million into a pro-Rubio super PAC, but allies concede that their efforts are dwarfed by Bush’s massive fundraising apparatus. The former Florida governor has been amassing a record tens of millions in his allied super PAC, in part by tapping into a national network of ambassadors and other senior appointees who served in the previous two Bush administrations. The Rubio strategy: target less prominent donors and bring new ones into the fold. “You’ve got the Bush family rolodex that is what, 50 years old or more,” said J. Warren Tompkins, head of the pro-Rubio super PAC Conservative Solutions. “The rest of these guys are small donors. You have to go and grind it out and do a lot of meet-and-greets.” As a result, Rubio is spending less time than some other declared candidates in the early nominating states, making just one visit each to Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada since launching his campaign in April. Instead, his itinerary this spring includes stops in Oklahoma, Illinois, Texas, Florida, Idaho, New York, California and Pennsylvania, according to a person familiar with his schedule. At every stop, the campaign is signing up new bundlers. And in some cases, Rubio has also made side appearances before clutches of potential super PAC donors. His repeat visits to the nation’s biggest money centers are helping him make inroads in places such as Texas, where Bush, Sen. Ted Cruz and former governor Rick Perry all have claims on state donors. “You look at that and think, ‘Gosh, how can anyone else break in?’ ” said George Seay, a Dallasbased investor who is supporting Rubio. “But Marco has been very successful in Texas and will continue to be. I think the more people get exposed to him, they realize he’s not just a good background story — he’s a very, very deep talent.” Rubio is benefiting in part from a growing uncertainty among some top fundraisers about Bush’s ability to resonate with the party base, particularly in the wake of his stumbling answers last month about the Iraq war and his brother, the 43rd president. A new Washington Post-ABC News poll this week showed that Bush, who led the GOP field for months, has slipped into a two-way tie for third place. At a gathering of the Republican Governors Association’s top donors last month in Dallas, one of the main topics of discussion was that Bush appeared less formidable a candidate than he had a few months ago, according to several participants. BY MATEA GOLD AND SEAN SULLIVAN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ® Rebate Offer good June 1-July 15, 2015 $70 Visa prepaid reward card by mail on a set of 4 STT or AT 3 $50OFF UP TO JOHN GUERPO Waimea Technician 10% DISCOUNT on your BRAKE REPAIR totaling $300 or more for a discount up to $50 off. Must have coupon. Expires 6/30/15 lexbrodiestire.com Waimea & Hilo SUN: 8am-3pm KONA 329-8826 WAIMEA 885-5959 PAHOA 965-9125 HILO 961-6001 ® BRAKE REPAIR Tires must be purchased with our Full Service Package @ $23 per tire. Final price includes a tire disposal fee of $8.
07a
To see the actual publication please follow the link above