ON THEIR
HOME FIELD
Kamuela
Philharmonic
brings in Oahunative
cellist
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MOVING
ON
Yanks
vanquish
A’s, reach
ALDS
SPORTS 1B
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2018 WESTHAWAIITODAY.COM 75¢
$14K raised for beating victim
SECURITY GUARD ATTACKED AT KONA HOTEL REMAINS IN CRITICAL CONDITION
AMENDMENT WEIGHED
PANEL DISCUSSES PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX IN ADVANCE OF NOVEMBER VOTE
BY CAMERON MICULKA
WEST HAWAII TODAY
cmiculka@westhawaiitoday.com
KAILUA-KONA — While
supporters of a proposed constitutional
amendment say
it could raise much-needed
funds for the state’s public
schools, opponents argue
the proposal has too many
ambiguities and too few
guarantees.
The constitutional amendment,
which will be on the
November ballot, proposes
allowing the Legislature to
enact a surcharge on investment
properties with the
revenue to go toward public
education.
It was also the topic of
a community forum held
Wednesday night at the West
Hawaii Civic Center, bringing
in about three dozen community
members to hear public
officials and state leaders
make their case for or against
the proposal and field questions
before Hawaii heads to
the polls on Nov. 6.
On the panel were Sen.
Kaialii Kahele, D-Hilo; Sherry
Menor-McNamara, president
of Chamber of Commerce
Hawaii; Corey Rosenlee,
Community Forum panel members Corey Ronenlee, HSTA president, right; Tom
Yamachika, Tax Foundation of Hawaii; Kaialii Kahele, state senator; Sherry Menor-
McNamara, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; and Lisa Miura, County of Hawaii Real
Property Tax administrator express their views Wednesday at the West Hawaii
Civic Center on the proposed property tax ballot initiative to fund education. LAURA
RUMINSKI/WEST HAWAII TODAY
president of the Hawaii State
Teachers Association; Lisa
Miura, administrator of the
Hawaii County Real Property
Tax Division; and Tom
Yamachika, president of the
Tax Foundation of Hawaii.
Moderator Sherry Bracken
said an invitation had been
extended to the Department
of Education, although
nobody from that agency
participated in Wednesday’s
panel.
The Department of
Education gets about
$2 billion in total funds,
including those that come
from the federal government,
said Kahele, adding
the department still needs
between $250 million and
SEE SCHOOLS PAGE 5A
Widow testifies in Buddemeyer case
BY TIFFANY DEMASTERS
WEST HAWAII TODAY
tdemasters@westhawaiitoday.com
KEALAKEKUA — The widow
of a cyclist testified Wednesday in
3rd Circuit Court during the trial
of a former Hawaii police officer
charged with negligent homicide.
Jody Buddemeyer is accused of
fatally striking 69-year-old Jeffrey
Surnow while operating his subsidized
police vehicle as the Michigan
man was riding his bicycle east on
Waikoloa Road on March 1, 2015.
Surnow’s widow, Elaine, testified
Wednesday that she and her husband
were on the Big Island in 2015
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for their 30th wedding anniversary.
The couple was staying at the
Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and the
plan was for their children to join
them in a few days.
“We loved Hawaii – we came here
28 times,” Elaine Surnow testified to
the court.
Elaine Surnow was emotional as
she described the type of man her
husband was.
“His hobbies were taking care of
his family,” she said. “He always said
we were his prized possession.”
Elaine Surnow added her husband
was an avid cyclist and would
bring a bike to the island to ride
73-4076 Hulikoa Drive
Kailua Kona, HI
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Kanui
SEE BEATING PAGE 5A
during their visits.
“He would ride, I would walk
and we’d meet up afterward to have
breakfast and talk about life. It was
wonderful,” she said.
On the morning of the accident,
Elaine Surnow recalled to the court
the last moment she had with
Jeffrey Surnow.
“He hugged me, told me he loved
me, kissed me goodbye on my right
cheek,” she stated.
Elaine Surnow explained to the
court her husband always rode with
a baggie that contained his license,
INSIDE
BY CHELSEA JENSEN
WEST HAWAII TODAY
cjensen@westhawaiitoday.com
KAILUA-KONA — A
63-year-old man remains hospitalized
two weeks after the
hotel security guard was brutally
attacked by two men and
a woman.
The man, who has been
identified in the courts and by
family as John Kanui, remains
in critical condition, Hawaii
Police Maj. Robert Wagner said
Wednesday. He has been hospitalized
at The Queen’s Medical
Center on Oahu since the Sept.
17 incident at the Kona Seaside
Hotel off Palani Road.
“It does not look like it will
be a quick recovery, the family
is just hoping there will be a
recovery,” Wagner said via email.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe
campaign set up by Kanui’s
niece, Candi Runn, continues
to climb as friends, family and
strangers from near and far chip
in amounts ranging from $10 to
$1,000.
Created on Sunday, the campaign
reached its initial $10,000
goal in just over a day. By midday
Wednesday, 190 people had
contributed $14,210 toward the
now-$20,000 goal. The campaign
can be found online at
https://www.gofundme.com/
security-guard-help.
“Omygoodnesss….. we have
met our first goal!!!” Runn
wrote in a Tuesday update on
the GoFundMe page. “We are so
overwhelmed by the outpouring
of love and support, we are so
blessed. Thank you all so much
for your donations and continues
prayers.”
Runn, reached by phone
Wednesday, said she was unable
to speak with the media on
behalf of the family, but passed
WHT’s contact
information
along to them.
Wednesday’s
and other
attempts since
the incident
to reach Mr.
Kanui’s family
have been
unsuccessful.
2865 Koapaka Street
Honolulu, HI 96819
(808) 840-8855 tel
(808) 840-8858 fax
73-4076 Hulikoa Drive
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
(808) 329-8855 tel
(808) 329-8858 fax
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Anchor drop
could cost yacht
DLNR LOOKING INTO
POSSIBLE CORAL DAMAGE
IN KAILUA BAY
BY CHELSEA JENSEN
WEST HAWAII TODAY
cjensen@westhawaiitoday.com
KAILUA-KONA — Being anchored
in coral, in too shallow water and too
close to the Kailua Pier navigation
channel may land the owner of a
196-foot yacht in Kailua Bay a misdemeanor
offense and a fine.
The Department of Land and
Natural Resources Division of Aquatic
Resources conducted Wednesday
morning three dives on the two
anchorage spots used by the Formosa
while in Kailua Bay after receiving
a tip about potential coral damage
about 2 p.m. Tuesday.
“They are working on a coral damage
assessment that they hope to
have finalized to give to DOCARE
tomorrow,” the department said in a
Wednesday afternoon email to West
Hawaii Today.
Brooke Landt, a captain with Big
Island Watersports, was the one who
reported what she saw as potential
damage to the reef. On Tuesday, she
said she noticed the boat in the bay
and that it later had moved closer to
shore, “nearly right off the pier.”
SEE DAMAGE PAGE 4A
Elaine Surnow testifies Wednesday in Circuit
Court in the negligent homicide trial of Jody
Buddemeyer, about her last day with her
husband, cyclist Jeffrey Surnow. LAURA RUMINSKI/
WEST HAWAII TODAY
SEE TRIAL PAGE 4A
INDEX Annie’s Mailbox . . . . . . .5B Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7B Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6B Nation & World . . . . . . . . .3A Entertainment . . . . . . . . .6A Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1B
HI 86 LO 75 WEATHER, PAGE 5A
VOL. 50, NO. 277 20 PAGES
Mahalo West Hawaii for Voting us Best!
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