john fink

‘O Wai Kou Inoa? – MidWeek July 24, 2024

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We see a rich and inventive panoply of first names in Hawai`i. Whether due to family traditions, paying homage, or clever mashups, parents sometimes come up with fascinating or more traditional first names for their keiki. 

According to the Social Security Administration, the top boys’ name locally in 2023 was Elijah, barely edging out Liam, which has been the top name nationally for newborn boys for seven straight years. Neeson rules… “Taken” indeed! New parents talk, and the “I like that name…” concept sparks repetition. For girls, Isla was #1 here in 2023, followed by Mia and Olivia. Olivia has topped the name game chart nationally since 2019.

Biblical names score well nowadays; Liam is the only non-Biblical boys name among our top five (Elijah, Noah, Ezekial, and Lucas). Keep in mind that Social Security rankings do not group names, so different spellings/variations of a name each get separate billing- like Caitlyn, Kaitlin, and Caitlin…

Of the top 20 boys’ names registered here in 2023, two might be considered somewhat unique(r) to Hawai`i- Kai (#6) and Koa (#19). Top Hawai`i girls’ names from 2023 with arguably local flair include Mia (#2), Kaia (#8), and Mahina (#11). Maya (#12) is often seen as Maia locally, but Maia didn’t make the 2023 top 100.

50 years ago, the top boys names here were Michael, Jason, Christopher, and David, while Jennifer led the girls’ names, followed by Michelle, Kimberly, and Lisa. I’ll bet we all know of few of these Golden Jubilee celebrants, yeh?

One surprise is that the name Taylor (boy or girl) has been on a downward slide since 1996. So much for a Swift(ie) appropriation on the top of these charts. “Game of Thrones” names remain hot nationally… good luck explaining some of those monikers to new acquaintances in 2074. The total number of different names in use nationally has more than doubled since 1974. 

The saying, “Variety is the spice of life” originated 240 years ago (English poet William Cowper) and when it comes to naming newborns, we see a plethora of new names  alongside historical favorites. 14 boys locally were bequeathed the name Atlas last year… alas, a heavy burden to shoulder. So hello to Isla, Elijah and all of you hip ‘23ers. We look forward to hearing from you as you blossom in the decades ahead. ‘O wai kou inoa (what is your name)?

Think about it…

Politically Tainted Glossary – MidWeek July 17, 2024

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We have a primary election here next month and a general election (about which we’re generally upset) in November, so for fun, let’s look at legislative/political nomenclature that seems to have taken on new meanings in a post-truth world.

Act– a bill/measure passed into law, according to the American Psychological Association glossary of terms. Sadly, not enough legislators are taking much-needed visits to shrinks. “Act” is now an unused, antiquated concept when it comes to elected officials in D.C.

Chairperson– someone who sits on his/her assets, pontificates about the need for committees, discussions, consensus, and moving forward, and then does very little.

Congress– a large body that meets regularly yet legislates rarely. The main, unstated purpose of this monolithic mishmash is to get oneself re-elected; thus, sucking up or being quiet when obvious wrongs exist is a must for self-preservation. Congress also now means “completely ineffectual entity” as this version has passed the least amount of legislation in the past 50-years. It’s current approval rating is 13% (Gallup), which might be lower than gout, stale mochi, traffic cameras, and fire ants.

General Accounting Office– an entity created to support Congress, that provides information which is then twisted to help ensure rule #1- getting re-elected. The GAO takes the science and art of accounting and watches it get translated it into a Willy Wonka fantasy world by its chosen (well… elected) masters. 

Joint Committee– where members of both major parties (though they’re not partying together much) sit around, smoke dope and suggest to the general public that they’re working hard together. They must think we are high!  

Ranking Member– this used to mean the committee member with the most seniority on a legislative committee, but since almost nothing gets enacted after months of sitting around nowadays, it just means the person who stinks the most.

Table a Bill– this is where good/bad legislation goes to die, whereupon each involved legislator can say, “I tried!”, even if that translates to simply pandering to donors and their constituent bases to ensure (rule #1) re-election. Rocking the boat is discouraged- discuss everything, agree on nothing, but promise to do better next term.

Recess– a temporary break in the Congressional tomfoolery, and much like in grade school, a time where the kids can go out and play.

Skeptical? Cynical? Frustrated? Bewildered? Perhaps; but, you gotta laugh; that is, if it  wasn’t so important.

Think about it…

Running On Empty – MidWeek June 19, 2024

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And… they’re off and running! Or, maybe not. The deadline’s passed for interested candidates to fill out paperwork for our upcoming August primary election, and the big winner is “unopposed”.

The number of candidates (279) for all local offices is down 15% from the 2020 total of 330 wannabes. In 2022, 401 candidates ran (more seats were available due, in part, to the once-a-decade legislature redistricting tied to the census). In 2024, it looks like the “ainokea” platform will sweep through. There are some interesting primary races and perhaps a few battles in the general election, but the excitement based on civic-minded citizens running for office here seems to be disappearing.

So what does it mean in a democracy when fewer people want to participate? Surely it results in less competition and accountability, with potentially less focus or engagement from walkover victors. After all, if you have no competition, why take chances, be bold, or make possibly controversial decisions/suggestions? 

Being a politician nowadays is not easy, with rampant factionalism, trolls constantly seeking to cause angst, every word or move being videoed or dissected, and personal lives getting disrupted to the point where some have said- “enough already”. Long hours, lots of handshaking, everybody wants something, and everyone demands your attention. State legislators wade through 3,000+ bills annually. Too much humbug, perhaps?

Incumbents have face, name, and historical recognition working in their favor… unless they screw up. They also have funding coffers open 24/7/365; it’s not easy for a start-up campaign/candidate to quickly gain traction.

True competition keeps incumbents on their toes, attentive to the masses beyond rehashed promises to get things done, serve our keiki, keep younger residents from moving by creating jobs and housing, fix roads, develop new economic goldmines, greenify our state, etc. Lots of platforms to stand on with only so much government funding to spread around. Currently, there are thousands of unfilled, non-elected, City and State jobs; maybe the allure of government work has dissipated.

We need the next generation(s) to step up, with a “if it’s to be, it’s up to me!” attitude. It takes some ego, chutzpah, self-esteem, and a lot of support to run for office and succeed. Let’s hope this diminished candidate pool is just one more post-COVID hangover/aberration, and not a sign of local democracy unwinding. Like ‘em or not, we need leaders… not impervious administrators or complacent managers.

Think about it…

Pantry Power – MidWeek June 12, 2024

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There are plenty of choices locally to choose from when deciding where/when/how to give of your time or money. Some non-profits are large and well-known, while others fly under the radar while also providing invaluable services throughout our community.

One such unheralded entity is The Pantry on Rose Street in Kalihi. This free, food distribution location is a wonder to behold. On a May field trip with Aloha United Way (my employer), I had the pleasure of visiting during peak hours. The Pantry’s operation is phenomenal for numerous reasons. 

#1- The Pantry provides much needed food to thousands of local residents. Sadly (as you’ve been reminded recently) local food demands continue soaring. May was the largest distribution month in The Pantry’s history; it served 46% more families than in May, 2023!

#2- the Pantry has just three full-time employees. Three. On average, The Pantry welcomes 45 volunteers during its limited hours of food distribution; a well-oiled, service machine. Needy people anonymously (first-name only) order on-line (limit of 10 items per person in a household per visit) and then either walk in or drive-thru, as volunteers select boxes that were custom-packed the day prior and place them into fast-moving shopping carts for quick, parking lot delivery. 

Employees and volunteers recognize multiple clients- 19% of weekly clients are regulars; 20% are kupuna; 29% are under age 18 or keiki; 39% reside in Aloha United Way’s ALICE (Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed) households, with household income levels above the federal poverty line, but they’re barely getting by. 

#3- volunteers possess boundless energy, working happily and harmoniously within cramped, but coordinated, Pantry confines. Neighbors helping neighbors. CEOs, active and retired military, and community members volunteering alongside one another, for a cause, for the people.

A major issue (deserving more discussion) is how to provide more fresh and nutritious food while also growing the supply chain and providing quality food, when possible. More access and coordination with local farms; more awareness of The Pantry, religious sites that offer food, and other food distribution locations. Call AUW’s 211 for additional food-availability information. The Pantry has room to warehouse more food to serve more people more often, if provided with necessary funding. This is just one example of the great social work that often goes unnoticed locally. Volunteer, donate, provide expertise, help coordinate more food distribution opportunities. Fill your soul as you help fill people’s bellies. A win-win.

Think about it… 

Field Goals – MidWeek May 22, 2024

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It’s too nice here. Really. That’s why so many of our parks are in regular need of repair. Our weather is simply too good too often, so fields and park areas rarely get a chance to heal from overuse. When it comes to myriad soccer fields statewide, the first place the wear and tear shows is right in front of the goal area. And after it rains, teams immediately trod on the weary sod, causing vulnerable fields to wear down even more.

So, it’s nice to see the state’s largest soccer concern, the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), along with other leagues working in conjunction with the City & County of Honolulu to put a timeout on play at the expansive Waipio Soccer Complex for about two months. This should allow for much-needed aeration, weeding, and seeding to help the fields return to tip top shape in time for upcoming summertime tournaments.

With 23 fields, including an enclosed, 4,500+ seat stadium, Waipio has hosted numerous national and international events throughout its 25-year existence, including the National AYSO Games, with estimates each time it was held here of more than 10,000 youth soccer players and their families/fans in 2002, 2008, and 2019.

What’s also great about the timing of this down time is that Waipio will remain a soccer facility. A month ago, the City was being considering the site as a new, garbage dump as it looks to replace the Waimanalo Gulch Landfill by March, 2028… until that date is pushed back, again.

The early coordination with leagues made this shutdown decision a bit easier for all, though finding alternate fields in the interim is problematic. Leagues have kicked in huge amounts of sand to help the Department of Parks and Recreation kickstart the refurbishment; individual teams are weeding. Great coordination and a strong communal effort- the public sector meets the general public as it takes a village to make for a nicer soccer mecca.

No one likes to see fields close down, but close they must, or we’ll end up with more pockmarked parks and unhappy users. Kapi’olani, Wai’alae Iki, Kapāolono, Kānewae, Maunawili, Lanikai, Ala Wai- pick a park and you’ll often see an overused field in need of rest and restoration. 

It will be a treat to see “the beautiful game” (“o jogo bonito”, as Pelé called it) played on more beautiful fields in the months ahead.

Think about it…

Seal of Approval – MidWeek May 15, 2024

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Dorothy, the youthful protagonist in the 1939 classic movie, “The Wizard of Oz”, assured us repeatedly that “there’s no place like home”. Yet the very next year, vaunted author Thomas Wolfe wrote a novel that plainly stated, “You can’t go home again.” 

Well, leave it up to Kaiwi, the celebrated Hawaiian monk seal, to remind us that yes, indeed, you can (and should) go home again, as two weeks ago she gave birth to her third little one on O`ahu’s Kaimana Beach. As has become the norm, people are urged to provide ample room for mom and pup to do their thing. With monk seals an endangered species, all new births are reasons to celebrate, even from a distance.

The nursing and early training window for monk seal keiki runs up to about seven weeks, so curious onlookers may peek, but also should saunter else to sunbathe and swim for now. And as everyone knows, you never wanna get between an animal mom and her new offspring.

It is reassuring when humans take a back seat and let nature do its thing as we try (sometimes) to live in harmony with the unique creatures we’re blessed with here. Leave the nēnē geese alone, hang back from approaching sea turtles… the requests are simple and valid.

Beginning on May 1, O`ahu overnight camping sites (including Bellows Beach) were shut down for the summer to ensure/secure unobstructed sea turtle nesting sites. While sea turtles elsewhere are rarely seen during the day, things are cool (or warm) enough here so that we do see our fair share of these magnificent creatures during daylight hours, and wafting in the waves. This opportunity provides for learning, mindfulness, respect, and caring for honu adults and keiki. Hmmm… if only we could do that more often with humans…   

Add in spinner dolphins, humpback whales, Hawaiian hoary bats (ōpe‘ape‘a), crested honeycreepers (akohekohe), Hawaiian hawks (io), and even Hawaiian tree snails- and we have a good number of endangered species. Our fragile ecosystem, which most here love and helps to make Hawai`i so special, must be treated with reverence for preservation purposes. 

So, here’s to Kaiwi at Kaimana and the honu hovering along our shorelines. Here’s to flying rarities and gentle swimming giants. Here’s a quack out to the koloa maoli (Hawaiian duck). They’re all components of what makes our environs unique, special, and sacred.

Think about it…

Inter- esting – MidWeek May 8, 2024

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You gotta ask stuff to keep the mind growing and going, especially as you get older. We all know people who think they know it all. I checked… they don’t. I also checked on something that’s simply never made sense to me: why do we have “interstates” in Hawai`i, the most isolated, unconnected, populated spot on Earth? Pretty sure we’re not latched to any other state, though I’m sure I could find yet one more ludicrous “news” website that claims there’s a secret tunnel to California.

It’s a fair question to ask why our so-called interstates are not labeled as “intra-states”. I’ve wondered for years, never actually bothering to find the simple, yet logical explanation. So as the school year winds down this month, here’s a history lesson and semi-scintillating breakdown that should remove any future queries as to why Hawai`i is home to interstates.

Hawai`i was admitted as the union’s 50th state on March 18, 1959. Looking at Hawai`i (and #49 Alaska), the Bureau of Public Roads (BPR) hierarchy identified possible in-state routes, utilizing “…the same criteria applied during a 1957 expansion of the Interstate System: national defense; system integration; service to industry, fishing, agriculture, mining, and forestry… and population” (U.S. Dept. of Transportation Federal Highway Administration). So, on the basis of BPR’s 1960 report to Congress, the interstate network statute subsequently no longer required that qualifying roads be located just in the continental U.S.

Our interstates are labeled H-1, H-2, and H-3 in contrast to interstates throughout the continent that begin with the letter “I” (“Interstate”). Alaskan interstates begin with “A”, and in Puerto Rico, they start with “PR”. H-3, our latest addition, was designated in December, 1997. A 4.1-mile slab of Moanalua Freeway was upgraded in 1990 without using Interstate Construction funds, and was not called H4, but rather is known as H-201. Huh? All of our interstate roads are “built to interstate standards”, according to the Dept. of Transportation.

So, thanks to former President Eisenhower, the BPR, and Congress (back in the halcyon days when it actually tried- and succeeded- in getting stuff done…) for our paid-for road reality here with H-1, H-2, H-3 (hike), and outlier H-201. Hawaii has almost 55-miles of interstate; Alaska has 1,082 miles; Puerto Rico has 250 miles.

Getting federal funds throughout the decades probably helped us remain “the Aloha State” as opposed to the “I’ll Owe Ya State”.

Think about it…

Academy Awards – MidWeek May 1, 2024

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We often hear about our public high schools when things aren’t going well. Too many students being taught by too few teachers, chronic absenteeism, stifling heat (still…) in classrooms, test scores stagnating or going down, annual concerns raised by legislators, Board of Education members and paid staff leaving… you’ve seen the headlines.

But have you heard about the Hawai`i Academies (HA)? It’s a partnership among 27 local, public high schools on five islands that aims to “…improve educational outcomes by implementing smaller learning communities through career academies”? The HA/Dept. of Education program began with just six schools in 2008. Workshops occur regularly as schools share information to make individual programs even better.

According to the Hawai`i Academies’ 2023/24 booklet, these smaller, real-life programs help raise kids’ grades, test scores, attendance, and graduation rates. The HA programs provides focus and consistency, which helps foment personal success for energized participants. Course offerings are diverse and future-focused. For example: 

‘Aiea High offerings include Academies in Health Sciences, Business, Culinary, Education, and Hospitality. Baldwin offers Digital Design, Computer Programming, and Sustainable Hospitality. Campbell has an Academy of Energy, Natural Resources, and Business. Kapa’a provides Health, Natural Resources, and Industrial Engineering Technology. McKinley offers Building & Construction. Hilo and Waiākea have student-run credit unions- for students! In conjunction with the DOE and Hawaii Pacific Health, Waipahu just opened its Academic Health Center, the first school-based health clinic in America!

HA entity represents more than incremental progress; it’s a marketable, thriving, success story that should be regularly acknowledged and loudly celebrated. You wanna talk about “growing our own”? Well, it’s happening via HA. I’ve actually witnessed the excitement in action at Kalaheo High through its Academy of Media & Design, where kids learn, innovate, and compete successfully at annual national competitions.  

Perhaps someday we’ll see this exemplary program expand to all 65 Hawai`i public high schools through more available resources and grants, with innovators, and individual school champions leading the charge. Greater sharing of best practices will further enhance the program as it continues to evolve and flourish. Getting teens excited and engaged in developing their own successes will propel them to become tomorrow’s local innovators, change-masters, ambassadors, and leaders. 

Amid the very real issues our public high schools face, big props to the Hawai`i Academies/DOE partnership. “My Voice, My Choice, My Future” is the HA mantra. And that future’s looking bright, indeed!

Think about it…

Swimming Upstream – MidWeek April 24, 2024

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Perseverance, resiliency, persistency, adaptability. Emotions, traits, or learned skills? These concepts can represent powerful tools in one’s personal arsenal. ‘Twas Charles Darwin who said: “It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change.” In our lives we often come to crossroads, and while change can be quite difficult, change we must… sometimes. 

Change is good… as long as it’s good change. Simply suggesting change doesn’t make it good or correct in and of itself. Leaders or hopeful change masters need buy-in when advocating for change. They need impassioned rationale that can be embraced and/or believed in. Ah, but sometimes you gotta adapt and change on your own.

Like on March 29 in Northeast Oregon… A 40-ton trailer overturned while transporting 102,000 live salmon (who counted?!) to be released in the Imnaha River to invariably migrate to the ocean, thereby circumventing the many northern river dams in place. This man-made process has moved fish downstream for 40 years.

So here comes the amazing part of this semi-disaster. The crashed tanker slid down an embankment of Lookingglass Creek. More than 76,000 smolts (young salmon) slid or flopped down the creek embankment in desperation, making their way into the creek, and most are expected to make it down through the Grande Ronde River to the Pacific Ocean- the original goal. Incredible! Without a GPS. Members of the Nez Perce tribe, hatchery workers, and the local sheriff’s office worked together to guide those who couldn’t make it into the water on their own, and cleaned up those who perished.

A fine example of perseverance, true grit, adaptability, and instinctual survival tactics. A life-saving example that when things go haywire or don’t work out- live to fight another day. Longtime Washington Post advice columnist, Carolyn Hax, recently wrote back to a querying parent about whether or not to coddle troubled teenagers by suggesting that they need to experience adversity along the way. “They need this because every life has some element of frustration, loneliness, rejection, mistreatment, misunderstanding, raw deals, disappointment, disaster and dream-crushing. And after that comes Tuesday.” 

Philosopher Friedrich Nietsche said: “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger”. 77,000 salmon found strength amid disaster. Life’s road is not an easy, smooth ride; it sometimes feels like an overturned truck. Yet overcoming adversity is an integral part of growing up, right through adulthood.

Think about it…

Voting Time – MidWeek July 22, 2020

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Ballots are already being mailed this week to registered voters throughout Hawaii, as most everyone will vote locally by mail from now on. Abraham Lincoln once said, “The ballot is stronger than the bullet.” Author/critic George Jean Nathan said, “Bad officials are elected by good citizens who don’t vote.” Witty rationales and quotes go on and on, but not having the time, a ride, a clue, or a great deal of interest are all excuses which should disappear when 2020 primary ballots show up in mailboxes this week.

Look up the candidates, stream archived debates, check the issues; educate yourself on where candidates are coming from or planning to take us. If you can vote but opt not to vote, please don’t complain. If you’re worried about voter fraud, the facts (yes, real facts) show that it’s not been a factor historically. Oregon, which has used mail-only voting since 2000, found that in November, 2016, just .002% of votes cast were fraudulent- mostly by people who voted in two states. That’s two-thousandths of one percent.

The Oregon secretary of state (a former Republican state representative) said that suspicious cases amounted to one out of every 38,000 ballots! The Heritage Foundation has studied voter fraud for years. Their findings? In Hawaii, two voter fraud cases in 34 years- none via mail-in. Colorado? 14 cases in 13 years with 16-million votes cast- eight via mail-in ballot. Oregon had 15 cases in 19 years (14 via mail-in). Utah? One dubious vote out of 971,185 votes, according to a 2008 study. The facts simply do not warrant a groundswell of paranoia or concern about voter fraud via mail-in voting.

Chicago political pundits used to joke about “vote early and vote often”, but that was there, that was then, this is now. And that wasn’t mail-in, either. That tongue-in-cheek phrase has been around for 160 years, and yes, voting shenanigans have occurred. But don’t blame the mail-in process. There were more than 137-million American total votes cast in 2016, and not one single state reported a widespread voter fraud investigation. Not one.

Hawaii has a weak track record of voting in the 21st century. Apathy, stasis, a one party system- whatever. Make a difference; be heard. Has there been a time of greater stress and more confusion in recent history than July, 2020? Help decide your future as you take action on local leadership.

Think about it…