Half percent GET increase would pay for transportation projects SEE TAX PAGE 8A END OF AN ERA KAILUA-KONA — The day passed a lot like any other at the Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka Space Center — only there were more people than normal. You wouldn’t have known that when the doors closed on the familiar Kona International Airport fixture at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, they wouldn’t open again. But the last visitors to the center knew it. Alex Dant of Kailua- Kona learned about the wonders of space when he came to the center on a school field trip years ago. Grown now, with a girl and boy of his own, he and his wife, Jen, wanted one last chance to introduce the wonders of the place to their youngest, Jordan, 4. “We’ve been meaning to come down for the past few months because we knew it was going to close,” Dant said. “There’s so many neat things for a little kid to do.” “It’s only been around 25 years,” Dant said. “It should be just beginning.” Lacking the resources to move into or manage ARE YOU READY TO BUILD ON 3 ACRES AT MAKALEI ESTATES? KEAHOLE COASTLINE VIEWS END OF GATED SIDE STREET LICENSED OWNERS/LISTORS MLS# 294468, ONLY $385,000 a much larger and more expensive building offered by the state Department of Transportation, the museum and its governing board opted instead to close the facility in hopes of distributing some of the more important displays to locations throughout the community. The museum announced the closure last December. The site will be the gateway to a massive airport renovation project. The made-over facility will likely bear the name of the astronaut if a measure HILO — The public will get its chance to weigh in on a taxing question next week, when the County Council Finance Committee considers a half-percent general excise tax surcharge for transportation projects. Bill 165 is scheduled to be taken up at 2 p.m. Tuesday at council chambers in Hilo. Testimony will also be taken by videoconference from the West Hawaii Civic Center, Waimea council office, Kamehameha park conference room in Kapaau, Naalehu state office building and Pahoa neighborhood facility. If passed by the council and approved by the mayor, the tax hike, which will apply to all goods and services changing hands within the county, would not be implemented until Jan. 1, 2018. “This gives that opportunity for the next administration and the next council the opportunity of either implementing it or they can repeal it,” bill sponsor Councilman Dennis “Fresh” Onishi of Hilo, who is term-limited, said Thursday. “But if we don’t pass it, then they won’t have that option.” The added tax must be used for transportation projects, under the authority the state Legislature and Gov. David Ige gave the counties last year. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016 WESTHAWAIITODAY.COM 75¢ TAX BUMP CONSIDERED BY NANCY COOK LAUER WEST HAWAII TODAY ncook-lauer@westhawaiitoday.com COUPLE AWARDED $40K FOR NEIGHBORS’ OVERGROWN SHRUBBERY One doggone proposal KAILUA-KONA — Animal advocates are putting major bite to their bark. Hawaii Island’s humane societies are pitching a state-ofthe art multi-million animal shelter in the heart of Kona town that they are touting as a worldwide beacon for top-of-the-line animal facilities. But far more than a no-kill shelter, the eye-popping proposal is more like a pet mecca. “This is what everyone wants,” said Ruthy Nasia, director of Animals Above All, the society spearheading the effort. “Luxury shouldn’t be a commodity reserved only for retired people.” Funding on the $305 million pet resort is 90 percent secured thanks to grants and county support, and project leaders are asking MULTI-MILLION PET RESORT PITCHED FOR KAILUA-KONA BY APRIL FUHL WEST HAWAII TODAY afuhl@westhawaiitoday.com Seen here is an artist renditioning of what the multi-million dollar pet resort would look like. CONTRIBUTED GRAPHIC Man arrested for allegedly killing wife KAILUA-KONA — A man was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder after his wife was found with a gunshot wound to the head Thursday morning. James Mansker, 70, of Kailua-Kona, was arrested at a home in the Kona Highland subdivision. When Hawaii Police Department officers arrived to the report of a woman with a gunshot wound, they found Marsha Mansker, 62, of Kailua-Kona, unresponsive. James Mansker was taken to the Kona cellblock while the investigation continued. He does not have a criminal record in the state of Hawaii, according to court records. WEST HAWAII TODAY Judge rules plants shouldn’t block views KEALAKEKUA — A judge’s decision reported Thursday in West Hawaii Today regarding a neighbor dispute over ocean views in the Alii Heights subdivision was incorrect. The judge ruled in favor of the couple who sought remedy from their neighbors whose shrubbery they claimed obstructed their ocean view. John S. Gailliard and Jodi L. Gailliard prevailed in their civil suit against Elizabeth Rawsthorne and William Bates, Judge Melvin Fujino wrote in an order filed Wednesday. The ruling awarded the Gailliards monetary relief for their loss of property value suffered because of their neighbors’ plants. “Plaintiffs are awarded $40,000 as damages from Defendants’ breach of contract resulting from the diminished CORRECTION BY GRAHAM MILLDRUM WEST HAWAII TODAY gmilldrum@westhawaiitoday.com Alex and Jen Dant look at displays at the Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka Space Center with their son Jordan and daughter Aubrey on Thursday. BRET YAGER/WEST HAWAII TODAY ONIZUKA SPACE MUSEUM CLOSES ITS DOOR AFTER FINAL DAY BY BRET YAGER WEST HAWAII TODAY byager@westhawaiitoday.com Ellison S. Onizuka SEE PLANTS PAGE 7A SEE PETS PAGE 8A SEE ONIZUKA PAGE 6A MERRIE MONARCH FESTIVAL HULA COMPETITION OFFICIALLY BEGINS INSIDE | PAGE 7A Annie’s Mailbox . . . . . . 4B Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6B Comics INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5B Nation & World . . . . . . . . .3A Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4A Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1B HI 85 LO 72 WEATHER, PAGE 6A VOL. 48, NO. 92 32 PAGES
01a
To see the actual publication please follow the link above