2A COMMUNITY FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2016 | WEST HAWAII TODAY Big Island Press Club honors Inouye About Tow n 75-5580 Kuakini Highway, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 The Big Island Press Club awards its annual meritorious Torch of Light Award to state Sen. Lorraine Inouye and the Lava Tube dishonor award to Department of Land and Natural Resources Chairwoman Suzanne Case. The Torch of Light award is given to an individual who brightens the public’s right to know, while the Lava Tube dishonor is given for a lack of communication and keeping the public in the dark. Lava Tube Dishonor The Lava Tube is awarded to DLNR Chairwoman Suzanne Case, who hails from Hilo, for setting up roadblocks to the media who have tried to gather information and gain access on matters large and small. In particular, Case is cited for trying to issue special restrictions to the media — but not the public — on access to Mauna Kea during protests over the Thirty Meter Telescope, and for creating special rules for the media — but not the public— to follow when contacting division chiefs. A Hawaii Tribune- Herald news article describing these restrictions included this quote, “I respect the DLNR’s desire to keep everyone safe on Mauna Kea, but I would strongly urge the state to give our reporters and photographers the same access as any other members of the public, including the protesters,” said David Bock, Hawaii Tribune- Herald editor and publisher. “The newspaper opposes any effort to confine its news gathering to a media staging area.” The rules imposed by DLNR for the media include blocking access to division heads and other personnel who would know the answer to what are sometimes simple procedural questions on their areas of expertise. DLNR has also blocked journalists from asking questions at community meetings, while allowing non-journalists to ask similar questions. “DLNR staff and management aDvERTiSiNG HoW To REaCH uS CuSToMER SERviCE Dennis Francis President dfrancis@westhawaiitoday.com 808-529-4700 Kelly Bolyard Advertising Director kbolyard@westhawaiitoday.com 930-8659 Tom Hasslinger Editor thasslinger@westhawaiitoday.com 930-8600 J.R. De Groote Sports Editor jdegroote@westhawaiitoday.com 930-8616 Nancy Cook-Lauer County / Government Reporter ncook-lauer@westhawaiitoday.com 464-9709 Graham Milldrum Police / Courts Reporter gmilldrum@westhawaiitoday.com 930-8620 Rick Winters Sports Reporter rwinters@westhawaiitoday.com 930-7366 Bret Yager Community News Reporter byager@westhawaiitoday.com 930-8617 Laura Shimabuku Photographer lshimabuku@westhawaiitoday.com 930-8614 Chelsea Jensen Digital Content Editor cjensen@westhawaiitoday.com 930-8618 w Newsroom submissions: news@westhawaiitoday.com w Calendar events: calendar@westhawaiitoday.com w Letters to the Editor: letters@westhawaiitoday.com w RETaiL aDvERTiSiNG displayads@westhawaiitoday.com 329-2644 w CLaSSiFiED aDvERTiSiNG classifieds@westhawaiitoday.com 329-5585 w LEGaL aDvERTiSiNG legals@westhawaiitoday.com 930-8650 w oNLiNE aDvERTiSiNG onlineads@westhawaiitoday.com 808-930-8659 327-1652 Call for delivery questions or to start a new subscription Monday-Friday: 5:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday: 6:30 a.m.-10 a.m. ISSN 0744591 Postmaster send address changes to: WEST HAWAII TODAY 75-5580 Kuakini Highway, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 OTHER cOnTacT numbERs: w Main line: 329-9311 w News fax: 329-4860 w advertising Fax: 329-3659 West Hawaii Today is published daily by Oahu Publications, Inc. Copyright Oahu Publications, Inc. Mailing address West Hawaii Today P.O. Box 789, Kailua-Kona, HI 96745 westhawaiitoday.com More news, more savings, more often. GET MORE ONLY IN westhawaiitoday.com | 329-2644 are instructed not to respond to direct news media calls,” states a DLNR media protocol emailed to the media. “Contacting staff directly will likely delay a response to your request.” DLNR’s media protocol, hinder, rather than assist, journalists across Hawaii who are trying to meet their deadlines and provide the public with information in a timely manner. Torch of Light BIPC has selected Sen. Lorraine Inouye, a North Hawaii Island Democrat, for its Torch of Light award. Inouye is honored for assisting the Big Island Press Club and sponsoring a bill to allow a media exemption to Act 111, a recently enacted law that gives broad emergency powers to the government. When the June 27 Kilauea lava flow threatened the town of Pahoa in 2015, Hawaii County officials blocked all media access to the flow and its impact zones. Big Island Press Club members met with county officials to try to work out a mutually agreeable solution regarding access and were willing to meet the demands made of them, including paying for increased insurance liability waivers, undergoing specialized safety training and other safety measures. Instead, journalists in Hawaii and across the nation were unable to independently verify events and were provided government-sanctioned photos and updates. It is the role of the media to bear witness and be the eyes and ears of the public. Independent reporting is critical to providing the public necessary information so that they may make informed decisions, rather than react based on misinformation or ignorance. Recognizing that a free press is the cornerstone of democracy, Inouye has carried the torch for government openness. She workshopped with Big Island Press Club on the bill, pushed forward in the face of opposition and persistently explained the bill while winning skeptics to her side. Inouye will be honored with a special Torch of Light trophy later this year at BIPC’s annual Christmas party. SPECIAL TO WEST HAWAII TODAY Island Life CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: A cattle egret was spotted in Kailua-Kona. JON LINDBORG/COMMUNITY COBTRIBUTOR; A saffron finch is shown. MARCY LATTEMAN/COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTOR; A Hawaiian stilt was spotted at Kaloko Honokohau National Historical Park. JERRY SLUSSER/COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTOR Movement exercises demonstrated at Tutus’ House A class of movement exercises called G.I. Gurdjieff ’s Fourth Way Movements will be from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Tutu’s House in Waimea. Attendees should dress comfortably for meditation and dance. There will be both demonstration and participation. Info: Tutu’s House 885-6667, Mike Kimball 896-6059. Keamuku open for turkey hunting Army officials are opening the Keamuku Maneuver Area for bearded turkey hunting only from 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Hunters can use bow or shotgun; however shotgun slugs are not permitted. Keamuku is accessible by foot only from designated parking areas. Entry into recently burned areas is not permitted. If hunters see any suspicious activity, they should call police or the fire department immediately. All hunters must check in and check out at one of the Army check-in stations at the following locations: Old Saddle Road Gate, across from the Mauna Kea State Park entrance, at the mile marker 49.5 gate on Daniel K. Inouye Highway, approximately one and a half miles from Mamalahoa Highway on the left, gate 10 near mile marker 53 on Old Saddle Road, one mile from Mamalahoa Highway Spring turkey hunting at PTA follows state of Hawaii regulations, http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/ dofaw/announcements. Info: PTA Hunter’s Hotline, 969-3474, garrison. hawaii.army.mil/pta, and click on the Hunting tab; or refer to instructions on the hunting pass. Hunters with disabilities can call the PTA game warden at 969-2429. Case Bock Inouye
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