Dept. of Transportation Monthly Newsletter
Connecting the DOTs...
August 2021
August is Pedestrian Safety Awareness Month in Hawaii By: Christy Cowser
Did you know that August is Pedestrian Safety Awareness Month in Hawai’i? This August marks the 12th anniversary of our Pedestrian Safety Month as we continue to focus on bringing pedestrian safety education to the public. Hawaii was the first State in the nation to have an entire month dedicated to pedestrian safety awareness. In 2016, California joined us by also dedicating an entire month to pedestrian safety awareness. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently adopted the program and dedicated the month of October as national Pedestrian Safety month. According to NHTSA, in 2019, 6,205 pedestrians died in traffic crashes. During this same year, 37 pedestrians in our State died. As of the end of last month, there have been 14 pedestrian fatalities so far this year. These are not just statistics, they are our loved ones, friends and neighbors. To reduce the number of fatalities and injuries, the Hawai’i Department of Transportation (HDOT) created the WalkWise and DriveWise programs which have been recognized nationally as one of the leading pedestrian safety outreach programs in the country.
Through the years, the WalkWise Hawaii and DriveWise Hawaii safety outreach programs have partnered with the four county mayors and police departments, the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Transportation Services, businesses and non-profit organizations such McDonalds and Kamaaina Kids. Pedestrian Safety Month is just one of the components of this pedestrian safety campaign. The campaign also includes outreach to thousands of pedestrians and drivers throughout the State in hundreds of events, schools, senior centers, and venues such as the Children’s Fair and the First Hawaiian Auto Shows. One of the biggest highlights of WalkWise Hawaii is our partnership with the Girl Scouts of Hawaii, which created a special pedestrian safety badge that can be earned by conducting a pedestrian safety education event. As the only badge of its kind, Girl Scouts from other States have come to Hawaii to earn this badge! Throughout the month of August, there will be a pedestrian safety event every day for the public. Walk Wise Hawai‘i will offer free pedestrian safety See PEDESTRIAN SAFETY on next page
Contents
PEDESTRIAN SAFETY continued from page 1
clip-on lights or reflective safety bands, in addition to the pedestrian safety and driver awareness of pedestrian educational material, at public events across the state to help pedestrians become more visible while walking along Hawai‘i’s roadways and to raise driver awareness of pedestrians. Please check the Pedestrian Safety Month Calendar on page 23, for an event near you, or, if you wish to join us in bringing pedestrian safety awareness to the public, please email Christy Cowser at: christy.m.cowser@hawaii.gov.
Pedestrian Safety Month............................... 1 Director’s Message ........................................ 3 Administration ............................................... 4 Airports ...........................................................14 Harbors .......................................................... 16
Also, Angry Locals, a local rap group, just published their rap video dedicated to pedestrian safety.
Highways ....................................................... 17
Safety Tips:
Arrivals & Departures................................... 21
Drivers • Please focus on driving safely. • As you are approaching crosswalks, slow down and be prepared to stop. Remember, pedestrians may be blocked from view by other vehicles that have slowed down or stopped. • Slow down so you can give the right of way to pedestrians who may be on the roadways.
Recipe for the Month.................................... 22
Pedestrians – • Don’t walk distracted. Always be aware of your surroundings and remain vigilant even while in a marked cross walk. You never know what a driver might do. Even though you may have the right of way in a crosswalk, don’t be dead right. • Keep looking for drivers who may not see you because other vehicles that have stopped. Just because one vehicle stopped, doesn’t mean they all will. • It is against the law to enter a crosswalk when the red hand/countdown timer has begun. Even though you may have enough time to cross, don’t enter the crosswalk. Wait for the next walk signal. If you are already in the crosswalk when the countdown timer begins, finish crossing.
Editor-in-Chief: Lynn Araki-Regan
Noteworthy News ......................................... 19
CONNECTING THE DOTs Managing Editor: Rae Nguyen Copy Editors: Juli Chun Daniel Garcia Column Writers: Jade Butay Rey Domingo Melanie Martin Darren Cantrill
For more information and pedestrian safety resources, visit our website: https://hidot.hawaii. gov/highways/safe-communites/walkwisehawaii/. PAGE 2
Contributors: Bristy-Ann Agu Derek Chow Cristy Cowser Adrienne Crowell Jai Cunningham Mark Hanohano Alan Hilton Maka Kamake‘eaina Shelly Kunishige Mike Medeiros Lee Nagano Zachariah Wadsack Richard Wollenbecker
Message from our Director Aloha HDOT ‘Ohana: August is a busy month for HDOT with the summer travel season and return of students. Unfortunately, it’s also been especially busy on the COVID-19 front as we continue to see triple digit positive cases and a higher positivity rate. On that note, I’d like to remind everyone of simple precautions that can be taken to reduce the risk of catching or passing on COVID-19. Amid a very fluid situation, let’s take a S.M.A.S.H. approach:
Stay home if you’re sick or symptomatic. Mask – Wear a fitted, multilayer covering over your nose and mouth. Air flow – If you’re in an enclosed area with people outside your bubble, open windows, if possible, to encourage air flow.
Social distance as much as possible. Maintaining 6-feet distance is recommended. Hand cleaning – Clean your hands often, especially before and after activities such as eating where you touch your face.
Of course, the best tool we have against COVID-19 is vaccination. Vaccinations are free and available to those 12 years of age and older. If you haven’t gotten vaccinated, please consider visiting hawaiicovid19.com/vaccine-info to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccines. To end this month’s message, I’d like to thank our First Deputy, Lynn Araki-Regan, for leading HDOT in our pandemic response and for her excellent work in managing and directing the Administration Division. Thanks to her, we’ve made significant momentum in updating our Departmental Staff Manual, recruiting new talent, and providing training for supervisors. I appreciate her hard work and caring for the Department as evidenced by this very newsletter. Sadly, Lynn will be moving on from HDOT and joining the Department of Taxation. Rather than goodbye, A Hui Hou, Lynn
Jade T. Butay Director
PAGE 3
Administration Student Interns Join DOT ‘Ohana After a hiatus during summer 2020, HDOT was able to resume our annual program to recruit local students for real-world work experience to augment their ongoing education. Several students were hired this summer, and with the approach of the new school year many have now moved on, but we want to take the opportunity to highlight a few of the students whose contributions and accomplishments were of great help to some of our HDOT offices this summer:
ldez scour aq Aseret and Ray Va Highways interns Isa . hu Oa ps of state route system ma
The Oahu District Office of Highways Division had two student interns working on site this summer: Isaaq Branson (left) and Ray Valdez (right). Both Isaaq and Ray are students at Waipahu High School, Class of 2022 and will be starting their senior year this fall. Both are interested in attending UH Manoa after graduation. Isaaq plans to major in Civil Engineering, while Ray is interested in Mechanical Engineering.
By: Alan Hilton * Maka Kamake‘eaina
When asked about their work experience this summer, Issaq said “I’ve experienced desk work and the different duties as an engineer” and Ray said he “learned how engineers communicate with each other and contractors.” Issaq and Rey were welcomed members of the HWY-O team, and have their best wishes for great success in their future academic pursuits.
Pallas Beddow joined HDOT as a student intern after graduating from Kamehameha Schools this summer. Pallas has been working for Administration Division’s Business Management Office (BUS) - Office Services section. Pallas been helping with several projects supporting our digital documents archive, the DOT Content Management System (DOTCMS), and also assisting the BUS mail messengers, including a few ride-alongs on their daily routes around HDOT facilities on Oahu. He’ll be attending UCBerkeley campus See INTERNS on page 5 PAGE 4
Administration INTERNS continued from page 4
this fall, where he plans to pursue a science major in physics. Kenji Toyama is a recent graduate of Kaiser High School in Hawaii Kai. This summer, he’s working among several offices in Admin Division, including PER, BUS and PPB. He currently indexing documents in BUS office for upload in the DOTCMS system. Kenji will be attending Pacific University in Oregon this fall, where he plans to study physical therapy and sports medicine.
Cathy Clark Joins Computer Systems and Services
By: Darren Cantrill
Congratulations to Catherine “Cathy” Clark who started with the HDOT CSS Office on June 16th. A Colorado native, Cathy moved to Hawaii over two decades ago to open multiple Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory franchises on Oahu for over 15 years. Cathy started her career in HDOT in August 2017, in the Harbors Division – Oahu District as an Account Clerk III and was promoted into the open Secretary II position in CSS. When not working, Cathy stays actively involved in the life of her two children, volunteers with community organizations she finds worthwhile, and gets outside to walk, hike, and work-out. Please stop by and welcome Cathy Clark to the CSS Office.
PAGE 5
Administration What It’s Like to Visit the Tetsuo Harano Tunnels
By: Jai Cunningham
There is even an exploratory tunnel that was dark and muddy, which was dug out before construction to give potential bidders an idea of what kind of of rock and soil they’d be dealing with during construction.
A handful of members of the HDOT Administration team got a chance to visit the Tetsuo Harano Tunnels on Tuesday afternoon. They are the longest tunnels in Hawaii at roughly one mile in length.
And here’s a little trivia question for you, which side is longer Kaneohe bound or Halawa bound?
The two tunnels allow traffic to flow from Halawa Valley on the Pearl Harbor side of the Island to Haiku Valley on the windward side. In the behind the scenes visit we got to see the tunnel inside the tunnels, a service corridor that runs the entire length of the passageway through the Koolau Mountains.
If you guessed Halawa-bound, you are right by 185 feet, or roughly a little more than half a football field!
PAGE 6
Administration Live With Purpose and Improve Your Well-Being
By: Melanie Martin
Ever wonder why you woke up this morning? In a literal sense, it’s because we have to go to work so that we can provide for ourselves and our families. Figuratively speaking however, we wake up in the morning because all of us have a purpose in life. People with a strong sense of purpose, live longer, healthier lives. According to the Blue Zones Project, a sense of purpose is one of nine lifestyle habits of the world’s healthiest, and longestlived people. People with a deep sense of purpose live up to seven years longer than those living without purpose. Studies have found that living a purposeful life keeps a person healthier and enhances one’s well-being.
Reduced stress – According to Hooker, being aware of what matters in life puts things in perspective, and daily annoyances and irritations such as traffic jams, ill-behaved co-workers or a demanding boss aren’t blown out of proportion.
According to WebMD Magazine (March 2020), a new study from researchers at the University of California, San Diego, suggests that if you feel you have a purpose in life, you’re more likely to feel both physically and mentally well on a daily basis. The researchers found that people who felt they had meaning in their lives would more likely feel physically and mentally healthy, while those who were still searching felt less healthy. This was true especially for older people.
Health promoting behaviors – “People who have a greater sense of meaning may be more likely to take care of themselves because they feel as if their lives matter more,” says Hooker. “They’ve got this ultimate purpose that they’re trying to achieve, and health is the foundation for being able to do that.”
Stephanie Hooker, Ph.D, M.P.H, of the University of Minnesota attempts to clarify how meaning and good health may be connected in a paper published in the Review of General Psychology (July 2017). She states that having meaning in your life may reduce stress, improve coping skills and produce healthier lifestyle choices.
Coping skills – preliminary studies suggest that people who feel as if their lives are meaningful choose more effective coping strategies when faced with a problem or challenge. One study found that patients with arthritis undergoing knee replacement surgery who had a strong sense of purpose before surgery were associated with more active coping and better physical health after surgery.
Need help finding your purpose in order to live longer better? I recommend taking a Blue Zones workshop at the end of the month. Sign up here. PURPOSE WORKSHOP.
PAGE 7
Administration Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
By: Zachariah Wadsack
Believe it or not, in today’s modern times sexual harassment in the workplace still exists. By now we should all know the basics on how to avoid severe types of infractions, but we can all use a reminder of how easily one can cross the line into violating polices. There are many forms of sexual harassment that occur in the workplace, quid pro quo (this for that), unwanted touching, sexual comments or jokes, leering, repeatedly asking someone out, etc.., but not all instances are so obvious. Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind, is that sexual harassment can and does occur even in instances that the harasser believed their actions were harmless. We can easily forget that everyone is different, and that everyone will react in their own individual way to the same event. Actions that would not bother us, may be very troubling to others. It is important to understand and remember that it is not the intent of the action, but how it is perceived that has the biggest impact. For example, we may feel that telling someone how nice they look is a compliment and should make them feel
good about themselves. However, they could feel that it is creepy, and take it in a very bad way, even if it was meant to be harmless. Telling a joke that has sexual content, or may be offensive to a certain sex, or having pictures or objects of a crude or sexual nature occurs often in the workplace as well. Remember, not everyone will have the same sense of humor that you do. Furthermore, people often portray a certain exterior, but have completely different inner thoughts. Going back to the example given earlier, a person may appear as if they are pleased with hearing that they look nice, but secretly feel that the statement made them feel harassed. As such, we can not base if our actions are perceived to be okay solely on how people respond to them. People will not always tell you when they are bothered or feel harassed. So, with so many pitfalls and differences in perception, how do we avoid possibly offending, or causing someone to feel harassed? See HARASSMENT on page 9
PAGE 8
Administration HARASSMENT continued from page 8
Do we have to be robots at work? The answer is to remember that you are being paid to be professional.
sexual or “hitting” on someone. It is important to remember that although your co-workers may be your friends, they are also your professional colleagues.
Read and fully understand your sexual harassment policy. Keep the jokes and behavior at work clean, avoid comments that can be perceived as
It is okay to have fun at work, but always treat co-workers with a professional level of respect.
Mahalo from DEP-S
As some of you know already, my last day with HDOT will be on August 31st. I am leaving with a tinge of sadness as I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Director Jade Butay and you -- our HDOT ‘Ohana -- and have come to enjoy a friendship with many of you since my move from Maui to Oahu in January 2019. You’ve inspired me to keep learning and growing as much as I can. And, as such, I am excited to move on to a new challenge at the State Department of Taxation, effective September 1st. Thank you all for being so great to work with. It’s truly been an honor serving on Governor David Ige’s cabinet and working collaboratively with such a dedicated team whose mission of providing a safe, efficient, accessible, and sustainable inter-modal transportation system is vital to our economy and quality of life. All the Best to You & Yours, Lynn Araki-Regan PAGE 9
Administration Emergency Preparedness Info Link on ServiceNow Employee Portal
By: Darren Cantrill
Please visit the new Emergency Preparedness website located on the ServiceNow Employee Portal. This new website gathers information from Ready.gov, Hawaiian Electric, DOH, Weather forecasts for every Island, National Hurricane Center, the Windy website, HNN Hurricane Spaghetti Model and an Earthquake map from Volcanic Discovery.
3. You can click on “Make A Plan”, “Build A Kit”, and “Be Informed” to take you to sites with more information. 4.
This website is available to everyone in HDOT and can be found here. 1. Once logged into the ServiceNow Employee Portal, look for the Emergency Preparedness Link:
2. ed:
Browse through the information present-
PAGE 10
See complete website below:
Administration Philippines Now Included in Safe Travels Program
By: Jade Butay
On July 15, 2021, travelers from the Philippines can bypass the State of Hawaiʻi’s mandatory 10-day quarantine if they take a COVID-19 test from a trusted testing and travel partner (TTTP). Many have been eagerly waiting for Philippines to be included in Hawai‘i’s Safe Travels Program. Governor David Ige and I met with officials from the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu including Consul General Joselito Jimeno and Consul Grace Anne Bulos and Philippine Airlines (PAL) executives including President Gilbert Santa Maria, North America Regional Head Bryan Lim, and Honolulu Area Manager Soledad Solleza on July 29.
before departure from the Philippines.
Cognizant of the large Filipino community which calls Hawai‘i home, the governor said that the state looks forward to restarting and increasing international travel with the Philippines on a “more robust and regular basis.” Consul General Jimeno expressed the Philippine government’s appreciation for Governor’s decision to include the Philippines in its Safe Travels Program as a trusted testing partner. This allows Philippine Airlines (PAL) passengers traveling from Manila to Honolulu to bypass the state’s mandatory 10-day quarantine as long as they are able to present a negative PCR test taken at a PAL-accredited laboratory 72 hours
PAL President Santa Maria noted that this is a great convenience for passengers from the Philippines as prior to this service travelers would need to quarantine or get a test on the mainland or another country with a TTTP before arriving to Honolulu. Gov. Ige expressed appreciation for the community’s endeavors to increase the vaccination rate through FilCOM CARES, noting that people-to-people links are sometimes more effective in getting the message across and convincing people to be vaccinated. The Consul General said that the Consulate also has been supportive of the community’s efforts through regular reminders via radio and other media partners.
PAGE 11
See PHILIPPINES on page 13
Administration HDOT Location for Lunch & Learn Recordings
By: Darren Cantrill
Last month, the Computer Systems & Services (CSS) Office introduced the Employee Self-Service Portal at https://hidot.service-now.com. A recap:
Excel) and the search bar will return results based on your level of access. Selecting one of the choices will open that training session video:
1. Type in your State email address in the “Enter State Email Address” field (ex: user@hawaii.gov)
2. Selecting one of the choices will open that training session video:
2. The portal utilizes your Office 365 username and password. Type these in:
3.
Welcome to the DOT Employee Portal:
CSS partnered with ETS and Microsoft to provide overviews of Adobe and most Microsoft O365 products which were recorded and saved to the Lunch and Learn Knowledge Base. 1.
3. Another way to access the Lunch and Learn section is to select the Knowledge Bases “Link”:
You can type in the product (in this case, See LUNCH & LEARN on page 13 PAGE 12
Administration LUNCH & LEARN continued from page 12
4. this:
This opens a new webpage that looks like
5. Select the “Lunch and Learn” tile and it will open a new webpage with links to all the past Lunch and Learn recorded sessions.
Note: As more training classes become available, they will be recorded and saved here.
PHILIPPINES continued from page 11
Moving forward on the management of the pandemic, the governor said that the government will focus on increasing the vaccination rate and reminding people of remaining vigilant and taking the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the virus,
including mask wearing, physical distancing, and hand hygiene. As the new school year starts on August 3, these measures will be even more important to ensure a healthy and safe environment for in-person learning. PAGE 13
Airports Byron Tone Joins DOT ‘Ohana
By: Adrienne Crowell
What do you like most about your job? As a Team we must communicate and respect one another. On my first day, my supervisor and colleagues shared that we all have our responsibilities and tasks to do. No doubt, however, we still make room for laughter in our day. What motivates you at work? I love working with people. Always did. The service window allows me to interact with our airport users. The opportunity for growth in the DOT motivates me to keep learning. What do you find challenging about your job? Hands down the plate lunches and ono grinds we share during lunch! Who inspires you? My parents, wife and my two kids. My parents for showing me money isn’t everything, respect my Kupuna and make good choices in life. My wife is the backbone of our family, always putting herself second, and most importantly teaching my children that education matters. My daughter graduated from Boston College, and my son is heading to UNLV in August. As young adults they inspire me. So as you can see, I will be eating sandwiches for a long time!
If you could give your past self some advice, what would it be? EDUCATION! EDUCATION! EDUCATION! I took what life threw at me. Twenty years ago I owned and built Kilauea Paint which continues to thrive today.
PAGE 14
Airports Training Helps ARFF Heroes to Save Lives
By: Jai Cunningham
“Fire and rescue has the second one on their boat. We have one in our helicopter we are en route to Queen’s,” a U.S. Coast Guard rescue pilot said over the radio. Those are the miraculous words spoken by in the early morning hours of July 2nd. A 737 jet had lost power in both engines and crashed in the ocean a few miles off Kalaeloa! It was a multi-agency response, including three of the Hawaii Department of Transportation’s (HDOT) own Airplane Rescue and Fire Fighters (ARFF). Lieutenant Raymond Vegas, Airport Equipment Operator Terrence Kashima, and Airport Firefighter Stuart Lee were ready and able on that fateful Friday morning.
don’t know if he pulled everything on him.”
At first the trio manned one of the large trucks because they thought they may have an emergency as the plane lost an engine and was attempting to make it back to the Daniel K. Inouye Airport. But that airport landing turned into a ditch into the sea once the remaining engine lost power. Lt. Vegas, Kashima, and Lee quickly headed back to the station and raced to the Koa Kai, ARFF’s rescue boat. Lt. Vegas says it took about 40-45 minutes to get to the downed plane. Firefighter Lee, describes what they saw when first arriving on scene, “A lot of it was just debris. We couldn’t tell if it was fuselage, or if it was cargo. It was dark, so it just looked like debris in the water.” Debris that operator Kashima had to navigate through with the help of Lt. Vegas and Lee, “We ended up maneuvering the boat through the debris. It kind of looked like he was on a raft. I
A survivor, and the ARFF guys responded quickly, pulling him on board the boat. One of two pilots who survived the crash, all be it exhausted, “He didn’t say much. He didn’t say anything actually. He was exhausted,” Lt. Vegas said. A one-hour boat ride back to Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighter Station 2, with all three rescuers working to see how the survivor was doing. They said the pilot had lacerations to his head and was covered in jet fuel, but was coherent, even through he wouldn’t let go of the bag he was clutching to stay afloat. At around 4:15 that morning the pilot was loaded into an ambulance and taken to Queen’s Medical Center in serious condition, but alive. The three rescuers said their training took over when they were on scene. Training that served them well and two pilots, who have wonderful heroes to thank!
PAGE 15
Harbors A Commendation Letter from HPU Aloha Chief Hanohano, Hope you and your staff are doing well. I just wanted to take a minute and drop a word of thanks and praise onto your hard working Harbor Police force. This past month, our tenant, The Beach House, has started doing a full slate of events on the weekends, and the property has become much busier for it. The reason for the thanks though is your team has been parked in front of the marketplace at closing which has helped us not only move people out off property. but give my team some added comfort and safety as we close out our tenants evening. Mahalo Again, Christopher Martin Security Manager Hawaii Pacific University
PAGE 16
Highways
Highways
Highways Division’s Mid-Range Transportation Plan
By: Richard Wollenbecker
How will the Mid-Range Transportation Plan help?
Why is the Mid-Range Transportation Plan needed? The Mid-Range Transportation Plan will be the Highways Division’s new tool for prioritizing projects developed to address the diverse needs of the State Highways System. Currently, programs develop lists of recommended projects based on the needs and priorities within their individual program. Each program could recommend dozens, sometimes hundreds of projects requiring millions to billions of dollars to implement. Because of the large number and diverse types of projects, comparing priorities across the programs is a difficult task. It is also not possible, of course, to implement all the recommendations from the programs as they greatly outweigh available resources. Here are some example projects from various programs:
The Mid-Range Transportation Plan will refine how projects are evaluated and provide a more effective method of comparing projects from across programs and evaluating funding scenarios. It will have a 10-year horizon with its first four years feeding the Highways Division’s shortrange budgets: the federally required Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), the Capital Improvement Program, and the Special Maintenance Program. Having a 10-year horizon that is data driven and transparent will also help the Highways Division be better able to plan for, develop, and deliver projects by, for example, identifying project delivery issues earlier (therefore reducing delays), aligning needs within the same corridor, and improving scope definition.
See PLAN on page 18 PAGE 17
Highways PLAN continued from page 17
How does the Mid-Range Transportation prioritize these projects? Criteria for project prioritization were developed based on the Highways Division’s priorities and the goals and objectives found in the long range land transportation plan.
that the scores generated by the MODA process align with current division-wide priorities and adjustments are made, if needed. What will the end product of this effort look like? Ultimately, the MidRange Plan will be a web-based application to allow for an improved and automated process for entry and scoring of projects.
These criteria were developed in coordination with the program managers and branch managers within Highways Division. After being weighted, the criteria were then used to build a decision-making tool called multi-objective decision analysis or MODA.
This will allow for quick iterations of either evaluating prioritization or fiscal constraints to see how best to invest into the transportation system.
MODA is a decision-making framework that is designed to help align different priorities by using a system of weights and normalization.
Dashboards can be created to be able to quickly review the number (or spending) of projects by type or by District.
Mid-Range Plan Criteria
In building the web-based application, the project will also implement an e-STIP.
1. Improve Safety 2. Foster System Preservation 3. Multimodal Integration 4. Encourage Economic Vitality 5. Improve System Efficiency 6. Resiliency 7. Other Considerations
Many other State DOTs are implementing e-STIPs and seeing the benefits of improved efficiency in terms of streamlining the process for approvals, amendments, and modifications and improved transparency and access to project information.
Once projects have been scored through the MODA system, harmonization begins.
When is the Mid-Range Transportation Plan expected to be completed?
This phase considers factors relating to programming or project development and delivery such as project readiness and federal mandates.
Completion of the Mid-Range Transportation Plan is expected by the end of 2021.
The harmonization phase is also a time to verify
PAGE 18
Noteworthy News
Each month, we will have this section in our newsletter to share noteworthy news about our HDOT ‘ohana. Got married? Attended your grandchild’s first baby luau? Returned from a trip? We’d love to hear about it! Please email a short blurb and photo to Juli Chun at juli.l.chun@hawaii.gov and/or Jai Cunningham at richard.j.cunningham@hawaii.gov.
Congratulations to Juli Chun, who welcomed her granddaughter, Sadie Tanigawa to the world on July 17, 2021! She was 6lbs. 9oz. and 20” long at birth and is growing healthier every day. Juli is looking forward to babysitting on the weekends and spending precious moments with this bundle of joy!
With Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach as a backdrop, Caitlyn Yoshina, daughter of Coleen Yoshina (DEP-H Executive Assistant), and Arri Milner-Nguyen were married on July 10, 2021 in an intimate ceremony before immediate family members and close friends. The couple have known each other for 11 years, and were scheduled to be married last year, but those plans were upended by COVID-19. The couple hope to hold a larger reception next year on the North Shore, when family and friends from France, Thailand, Canada, Washington State, California and New York may attend, and a honeymoon in Thailand, Korea and Japan is in the foreseeable future when it is safe to travel. Caitlyn and Arri are both teachers, Caitlyn at Kalani High School where she established the school’s Latin program, and Arri at Waikiki Elementary where he teaches the 2nd grade.
PAGE 19
Noteworthy News
Congratulations to Buddy Martin and Makana Kane Kuahiwinui who got married on July 31st. Their wedding took place on a beautiful family property in Kahaluu with the Koolau mountain range providing a breath-taking backdrop. Melanie (OCR) and Ernie Martin are the proud parents of the groom and are happy to welcome Makana into the Martin Ohana! Riley Regan, a Life Scout with Troop 325 and son of Keith Regan and DEP-S Lynn Araki-Regan, is presently working on his Eagle Scout project which involves coordinating bone marrow donor registry drives on each island throughout our island state. If you’re 18 to 44 years of age and have not yet joined the registry, please consider joining because all it takes is completing a mouth swab and an online registration form at one of Riley’s upcoming drives: Lanai: Saturday, Aug. 14, 11 am to 3 pm, Straub Lanai Family Health Center Kauai: Sunday, Aug. 15, 10 am to 4 pm, Kukui Grove Center Oahu: Friday, Aug. 20, 10 am to 4 pm, Kahala Mall Molokai: Saturday, Aug. 21, 9 am to noon, Lanikeha Community Center Kona: Saturday, Aug. 28, 10 am to 4 pm, Keauhou Shopping Center Hilo: Sunday, Aug. 29, 10 am to 4 pm, KTA Super Store - Puainako Maui: Saturday, Sept. 4, 10 am to 4 pm, Queen Kaahumanu Center For more information, contact Riley at yoshio.regan@gmail.com.
PAGE 20
ARRIVALS and
DEPARTURES Each month, we feature this section in our newsletter called “Arrivals and Departures,” spotlighting new employees (Arrivals) and departing/retiring employees (Departures). It is an honor to welcome the new employees, congratulate the retiring employees and wish both groups the best in their future endeavors.
ARRIVALS NAME
E Komo Mai!
TITLE
DIV/ISLE
DATE
Chad Hideo Kawamoto Plumber I Highways/Oahu 7/1/21 Dustin R.G. Julian Airport Firefighter Recruit I Airports/Kauai 7/1/21 Lisa Colleen Martin Office Assistant III Airports/Maui 7/1/21 Samantha K.A. Brooks Secretary I Administration/Oahu 7/2/21 Megan Marie Palmeri Office Assistant IV Highways/Oahu 7/8/21 Amber Rose Purchasing Technician I Highways/Kauai 7/16/21 Sophie Olson Engineer II Highways/Maui 7/16/21 Vicki May Cooper Airport Operations Contr II Airports/Oahu 7/26/21 Michael T. Suyama Office Assistant III Administration/Oahu 7/26/21
DEPARTURES NAME
Mahalo Nui Loa!
TITLE
DIV/ISLE
DATE
Jun Sadao Haruki Land Surveyor I Highways/Hawaii 7/1/21 Dan Leroy De Mattos Automotive Mechanic Helper Airports/Hawaii 7/1/21 James K. McGuire Airport Fire Captain Airports/Oahu 7/1/21 Nathaniel P. Joaquin Electrician I Highways/Oahu 7/1/21 Mark Andrew Rondon Information Technology Band B Administration/Oahu 7/1/21 Michael P. Dias Bridge Maintenance Worker I Highways/Kauai 7/1/21 Leonora Pacubas Vida Janitor II Airports/Maui 7/1/21 Gilbert T. Pacheco Jr. Building Maintenance Helper Harbors/Maui 7/1/21 Howilynn K. Antone Janitor II Airports/Oahu 7/4/21 Albert Castro Jr. Painter I Harbors/Oahu 7/8/21 Ervin Anthony R. Pigao Engineer VI Highways/Maui 7/16/21 Lynette H. Marushige AIP Coordinator Airports/Oahu 7/24/21 Richie Tangonan Right of Way Agent IV Highways/Oahu 7/31/21 Marc Edward Britos Human Resources Asst V Highways/Oahu 7/31/21 PAGE 21
Kaua‘i Summer Salad • Firm Tofu • Red Onion • Cucumber • Salt (optional)
By: Bristy-Ann Agu
• Abura-age • Edamame • Olives • Carrot • Parsley Flakes • Garlic Powder • Sesame Seed (optional)
Cut/chop all ingredients. Pour over your favorite dressing. I use Tropics Oriental or Ginger Sesame dressing. Mix well. It not only tastes good, but it’s also good for you! And it looks so pretty! Enjoy!
Got News? Submit it in the next newsletter!
Send short stories and/or pics to juli.l.chun@hawaii.gov or daniel.m.garcia@hawaii.gov
PAGE 22
* 12th Anniversary
August 2021 Pedestrian Safety Month The Hawaii State Department of Transportation’s Walk Wise Hawaii program will be distributing FREE pedestrian safety reflective bands or safety lights at the community events listed below
Sunday 1
Monday 2
Video Premiere
8
BE SEEN AT NIGHT
Kamehameha Shopping Center
4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Pedestrian Safety Booth
4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
11
10
Military Monday
5
4
Sign Waving Waikiki HPD District 9
BE SEEN AT NIGHT
Navy Exchange
Sign Waving Kalihi HPD District 5
Kahala Mall
8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
7 a.m. - 9 a.m.
17
16
Maui Sunday Market Pedestrian Safety Booth
8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
22
Maku`u Farmers Market Pedestrian Safety Booth
Military Monday
Kona Farmers Market Pedestrian Safety Booth
8 a.m. - 1 p.m.
6
Downtown Honolulu Sign Waving Tamarind Square HPD District1 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
12
Pedestrian Safety Booth
18 Ka Makana Ali`i Farmers Market
5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
19
Pedestrian Safety Booth
Sign Waving Kaimuki HPD District 7
3 p.m. - 6 p.m.
4 p.m. - 7 p.m.
3 p.m. - 7 p.m.
5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
24
23 Military Monday Hickam Exchange
11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
UH Manoa Outreach
30
BE SEEN AT NIGHT Sign Waving Kahuku HPD District 4 5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
BE SEEN Waianae AT NIGHT Farmers FIRST FRIDAY CHINATOWN
5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
25
Winward Mall Farmers Market Pedestrian Safety Booth
2 p.m. - 6 p.m.
26
Market
Pedestrian Safety Booth
8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
14
13
Kona Commons Artisian Market Pedestrian Safety Booth
10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
21
20
Prince Kuhio Plaza
BE SEEN AT NIGHT
Schofield Barracks PX
Saturday 7
Sign Waving Mililani HPD District 2
Sign Waving Nanakuli HPD District 8
7 a.m. - 1 p.m.
29
BE SEEN AT NIGHT
Friday
BE SEEN AT NIGHT
Pedestrian Safety Booth
15
Thursday
Wednesday
3
State Capitol Sign Waving 9
Kailua Farmers Market
Tuesday
UH HILO Outreach
Pedestrian Safety Booth 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Pearlridge Mall Farmers Market 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
27
28
Girl BE SEEN BE SEEN Scout AT NIGHT AT NIGHT Day Sign Waving Walk About Waikele Kakaako HPD District 3 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Outreach 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
31
Military Monday Fort Shafter West Oahu Exchange UHOutreach 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
To learn more about an event or pedestrian safety please visit: www.hidot.hawaii.gov or www.facebook.com/WalkWiseHawaii or (808) 535-9099
CHECK U OUT O S INSTAG N RAM!
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!
This is all about you. Knowing your purpose is not about cramming more activities into your already overcrowded schedule. Finding your purpose may actually help you do less inlife by focusing on what matters most. Attend our two-hour interactive workshop. It’s fun. It’s enlightening. It’s life changing and life lengthening. And, it’s free. This free, fun, and interactive workshop will guide par-
Tuesday, August 31 on Zoom
11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
ticipants through activities to help them identify their gifts, values and passions. Based on the framework developed by Richard Leider, Inventure Group founder,
Participants are encouraged to RSVP at
the workshop helps people discover and develop their personal sense of purpose.
bluezonesproject.com
https://info.bluezonesproject.com/ hawaii/virtual
Copyright © 2021 Blue Zones, LLC and Sharecare, Inc. All rights reserved.
Transportation Toastmasters Club invites you to its online meeting Experience Toastmasters from the comfort of your home or office!
1st & 3rd Tuesdays Noon to 1 p.m. Zoom ID: 808 280 1299 Password: 003555
For more info, visit https://4409.toastmastersclubs.org or contact us at transportationtoastmasters@gmail.com or (808) 280-1299
