Tag: hawaii state,oahu,honolulu,senator district 12,sharon moriwaki

Aloha Neighbor,

• REFLECTING ON THE LEADERS WHO HAVE SERVED THE PUBLIC WITH INTEGRITY AND GRACE:  ANN KOBAYASHI
• HAWAII EXPECTED TO GET $200M IN NEWLY PASSED FEDERAL RELIEF FUNDS
• $600 SECOND-ROUND STIMULUS CHECK:  When will it come?
• $400 COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP: Application Deadline Dec 29
• FEDS EXTEND DEADLINE FOR HONOLULU RAIL
• REAL PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENTS ARE HEADED TO YOUR MAILBOX
• GIFT CARD SCAMS DURING THE HOLIDAYS
• IF YOU NEED TO TRAVEL DURING THE HOLIDAYS

REFLECTIONS AND GOOD NEWS FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON….and OTHER INFORMATION OF INTEREST 

• REFLECTING ON THE LEADERS WHO HAVE SERVED THE PUBLIC WITH INTEGRITY AND GRACE:  ANN KOBAYASHI  – As we close 2020 – a most difficult year – we applaud COUNCILMEMBER ANN KOBAYASHI for her untiring commitment to public service and leadership with such grace and integrity as well as her friendship to so many. Sadly she will be retiring from Honolulu City Council when we need her most, but she tells us she will continue to serve the public.  Two of her former colleagues, former Honolulu Budget Director Ivan Lui-Kwan and Senator Donovan Dela Cruz write in Civil Beat’s Community Voice” We applaud her dedicated public service over decades to the people of Hawaii. In a world dominated by political polarization, her leadership has been marked with courage, political wisdom and integrity. She stands out as a shining light for effective leadership,”   If you’d like to take a moment to reflect on Councilwoman Kobayashi’s service to Hawaii and other effective leaders that we can continue to learn from today, read the article here.

• HAWAII EXPECTED TO GET $200M IN NEWLY PASSED FEDERAL RELIEF FUNDS – Hawaii residents are expected to get $200 million in financial relief out of a whopping $900 billion new federal funding package that just passed Congress this past Monday —  a comprehensive measure that reads 5,500 pages long. Rejuvenating our struggling communities here in Hawaii, it will:

• Extend the unemployment benefits deadline through March 14, 2021, adding a weekly $300 Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) on top of state unemployment benefits for 11 weeks.

• Provide a $600 one-time check to qualified Hawaii residents.

• Provide grant money for small businesses and additional funding for business owners who didn’t receive a Paycheck Protection Program loan.

• Extend the eviction moratorium (which was supposed to expire 12/31) to Jan. 31, 2021 for renters. Rent payments are still due.

• If you own your home, the moratorium and foreclosure deadline as well as the deadline to request an initial COVID-19 forbearance have both been extended through Feb. 28, 2021.

• Include about $150 million for COVID-19 testing and contact tracing, and $35 million to fund vaccine distribution efforts.

• A stipulation for medical providers and insurers who must negotiate acceptable payment for out-of-network doctor, hospital and air ambulance bills incurred during emergency care. Patients will owe only their typical in-network costs.

• Provide a $10 billion injection into childcare grants, which can be used to help families with copayments and tuition for childcare while ensuring that childcare providers can remain open despite decreased enrollment.

• To read the full bill, click here.

• For more info, click here and here.

• $600 SECOND-ROUND STIMULUS CHECK:  When will it come? A second round of stimulus checks could soon land in your bank account as early as next week if President Trump signs the $900 billion economic relief package just passed by Congress this past Monday. The bill now heads to the White House for the President’s signature to become law. Here’s what you need to know:

• Single people earning up to $75,000 will receive $600, while married couples earning up to $150,000 will receive $1,200.

• Dependent children will receive the same $600 checks as adults.

• The $600 will be directed toward each dependent child under 17 years old, which means that adults who are nevertheless claimed as dependents — such as college students and older high school students — won’t qualify for the checks.

• The same type of income phase out as in the CARES Act, with the stimulus check payments reduced for earnings above $75,000 per single person or $150,000 per married couple.

• No checks for single people earning over $87,000 or married couples earning more than $174,000.

• Adult dependents, such as seniors who are claimed as dependents on their adult children’s tax returns, won’t qualify for the checks.

• Couples who include an immigrant without a green card would qualify.

• Social Security recipients, SSI recipients, and VA beneficiaries will automatically receive checks

• To check on how much you might receive, click here.

•  For more info, click here.

• $400 COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP: Application Deadline Dec 29 – The University of Hawaii Community Colleges (UHCC) Kūlia Scholarship for Spring 2021 has a limited number of scholarships for tuition and fees for up to $400 will be awarded to Hawaii residents whose employment has been affected due to COVID-19. The scholarship is to support students striving to complete a college degree to pursue new directions.  To apply, click here. Deadline for applications for UHCC and the Kūlia scholarship is December 29.

• FEDS EXTEND DEADLINE FOR HONOLULU RAIL – The federal funding to the rail project grant was set to lapse at the end of this year, but an appropriations bill extends the deadline to the end of next year for the City and HART to submit the financial plan to the Federal Transit Administration. While this extension buys more time, HART and the City must now revise their financial plan and come back with something that can actually work. The project is having difficulty with the city-center portion of the rail going from Kalihi to Ala Moana. HART and the City had different estimates of cost and completion. The City suggested a reasonable timeline for completion of the final leg, with the City projecting completion in 2033 but HART predicting sooner completion five years earlier. For more information, click here.

OTHER INFORMATION OF INTEREST 

• REAL PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENTS ARE HEADED TO YOUR MAILBOX – The City is sending property tax notices on the assessed value of your properties for the 2021-22 tax year.   Your property tax is based on the property’s value based on a rate set annually by the Honolulu City Council. Actual tax bills are then mailed to property owners in July. Assessed values for 2021 are based on how much the city estimated the properties were valued on Oct. 1. Property owners who don’t receive their assessment notices by Dec. 31 are advised to call 768-7000 or visit the Real Property Assessment Division offices at 842 Bethel St. or  Kapolei Hale, Room 206.

If you want to file an appeal:

• Call the Appeal Hotline at 768-7000 between 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily for inquiries. Email to bfsrpmailbox@honolulu.gov.

• The appeal period is between Dec. 15 and Jan. 15. Hand-delivered appeals will be accepted until January 15 @4:30pm; mail appeals must be postmarked by January 15; and filings online at realpropertyhonolulu.com must be received by 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 15.

• Appeals are not accepted via email or fax machine.

• A $50 deposit is required for each appeal. Checks should be made payable to City and County of Honolulu.

• For more info, click here.

• GIFT CARD SCAMS DURING THE HOLIDAYS – Gift card scams are among the top schemes used every holiday season. Here’s what you need to know:

• Whether you’re buying or using the gift cards, always do your homework on the company first.

• Treat the gift card like cash.

• Scammers steal the code on the gift card to collect the money loaded on them. If the gift card has been tampered with, take it back to the store immediately.

• Check the expiration dates when buying gift cards. An expired gift card is useless.

• For more info, click here.

• IF YOU NEED TO TRAVEL DURING THE HOLIDAYS – If you must travel during the holidays, be careful and consider following these safety measures when traveling:

• Check out the areas where you will be traveling. See a website like Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center here and refrain from traveling to areas where the number of COVID-19 cases is on the rise.

• Avoid seeing people who may already face a heightened risk of COVID-19.

• Drive rather than use public transportation.

• For more info, click here.

Aloha Neighbor,

Happenings that might be of interest to you from updates on COVID-19, including the travel quarantine, to construction in our district… and some Christmas events to enjoy the holidays.

• GOVERNOR’S 17th PROCLAMATION: Travel Quarantine Period Reduced to 10 Days
• LATEST COVID-19 CLUSTER REPORT: Helps Us to Be Mindful During the Holidays
• WARD VILLAGE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT
• ALA MOANA PARK REPAIRS
• ALA MOANA BLVD CLOSURE: Striping Work from December 20-25
• SOME WEEKEND-BEFORE-CHRISTMAS FUN

GOVERNOR’S 17th PROCLAMATION: Travel Quarantine Period Reduced to 10 Days
As of December 16, Governor Ige’s 17th Proclamation Related to the COVID-19 Emergency reduced the state’s mandatory self-quarantine period for travelers entering the state and traveling between counties from 14 to 10 days.  The new policy took effect on Thursday, December 17 at 12:01 a.m. and is based on updated recommendations issued by the Center(s) for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the State of Hawaiʻi’s Department of Health (DOH) in December.

LATEST COVID-19 CLUSTER REPORT: Helps Us to Be Mindful During the Holidays
Christmas is just around the corner. For those longing to spend quality time with loved ones, you may be spending that time creating a Covid-19 cluster. See the state department of health’s latest covid cluster report which shows that the outdoors is not necessarily safer against the virus if other safety measures are not applied.

• View the report here.

• For more info, click here.

CONSTRUCTION IN THE DISTRICT 

• WARD VILLAGE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT – As part of the ongoing development of the Ward Village neighborhood, see below for an update on area improvements that will be occurring in the coming months.  Below is a map of the area with locations of work identified:

Additional details regarding the scope and duration of the work is noted below:

A. Kamakee Pedestrian Signal crossing and center median: 10/19/20 to 1/13/21
B. Ilaniwai Underground Utility Relocation of Overhead Lines: 10/13/20 to 3/3/21
C. Victoria Ward Park overhead crane activity: 9/1/2020 to 1/31/2022 (one day per week)

For any questions, contact Mei Parrish at mei.parrish@howardhughes.com

• ALA MOANA PARK REPAIRS – The City began repairs to the damaged drainage canal walls and replacing two pedestrian bridges over the drainage canal , including the following work:

• Roughly 900-feet of the drainage canal wall between the Ewa-side Japanese Pond and tennis courts will be repaired or replaced.

• The pedestrian bridges over the drainage canal near Queen Street and Piikoi streets will be removed and replaced with wider bridges that align with the crosswalks on Ala Moana Boulevard.

• Exceptional Trees in the project area will be protected, however three trees along the makai-end of the canal wall will be relocated and one will be removed to reduce damage to the canal walls.

• Due to the delivery of large precast materials for this project, vehicular traffic along the makai lanes of Ala Moana Boulevard will be intermittently impacted during the project and will require partial closure.

• The project is scheduled to be completed by Winter 2021. To see the City’s Park & Recreation Department pictures of the project sites, click here. For more info, call (808) 768-3046 or click here.

ALA MOANA BLVD CLOSURE: Striping Work from December 20-25
Closure of up to two lanes on Ala Moana Boulevard in either direction between Piikoi Street and Ala Moana Park Drive on Sunday, Dec. 20, through Friday, Dec. 25, from 9 p.m. to 4:30 a.m., for striping work.

SOME WEEKEND-BEFORE-CHRISTMAS FUN 

• (Virtual) Gracias Christmas Concert: Dec. 19 – Watch the unforgettable “Gracias Christmas” concert, a unique and dynamic experience with world-class music as well as a powerful message that will touch your heart. Prepare to be emersed back into the magic of your childhood. Time is from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm. To view the free, livestreamed event online, click here. To watch it on KHNL, scroll to your TV channels on Spectrum Ch.6 / Hawaii Telcom, Ch.8. For more info, call (808)679-2888 or email catherinesuh@iyfusa.org

• Royal Santa Saturday: Dec. 19 – Guests are invited to take FREE socially-distanced photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus at a special holiday window located across from the Cheesecake Factory on Level 1 of Building C, using their own camera, smart phone or other digital device, on Royal Santa Saturday, Dec. 19 from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. No reservations are required.  Click here for more info.

• “Dirty Cello” Band at Waikiki’s Blue Note Hawaii: Dec. 22 – From China to Iceland, and all over the U.S., San Francisco based band, Dirty Cello brings the world a high energy and unique spin on blues and bluegrass. Get them toes tappin’ ! Location is Blue Note Hawaii, 2335 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI. 96815. Time is 6-7:30pm. For reservations, Call (808)777-4890 or email club@bluenotehawaii.com. For more info, click here.

• Waikiki/Honolulu Restaurants Open for Christmas Dinner: Dec. 25 – Oahu restaurants have of course made some changes to keep everyone safe on top of trying to stay open and keep their staff employed. Click here to view those changes.  Now click here and scroll down to find your favorite restaurant to support on Christmas Day.  Book those reservations early!!

• Waikiki Holiday Mele 2020 Nightly Showcase: Dec. 19 – 25 – Seven days of live entertainment on the Waikiki Beach Walk Plaza Stage starts this Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 6:00pm. Check out the schedule for some holiday musical paradise for your ears here.

• Kapiolani Park People’s Open Market: Dec. 19 – 30 – At the People’s Open Market, you will find many kinds of ethnic fruits, vegetables and other food items that are not ordinarily available in grocery stores. Free event. Time is from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Location: Kapiolani Regional Park, 2805 Monsarrat Ave., Honolulu, HI. 96815. Held in the Monsarrat and Paki Avenues parking lot. There is also a nice tree-lined parking lot mauka (towards the mountain) of the Waikiki Shell. Entrance to the parking lot is on Monsarrat Ave. which is “one-way” going mauka from Kalakaua Ave. For more info, call 808-768-9299. Not open on Christmas day. For more info, click here.

• (Virtual) Special Presentation About Hula and Queen Liliuokalani: Dec. 19 – 31 – In place of the cancelled Annual Queen Liliuokalani Keiki Hula Competition, a 4-night televised special broadcast presentation was created to carry on the annual event and be a platform for the art of hula and Hawaiian culture. View the broadcast on your own time here.  For more info, call 808-521-6905 or click here.

• Ka Lei Hula “The Adorned Dance” Free Hula Classes in Waikiki: Every Sunday – Enjoy a morning hula class out on Waikiki Beach Walk’s Plaza. This hour-long class is reserved up to 10 individuals, all ages and skill levels welcome. Masks are mandatory and social distancing guidelines in place. Location is at the Waikiki Beach Walk, 227 Lewers Street, Honolulu, HI 96815. Every Sunday from 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. through 2020. Park at the Embassy Suites Hotel for 3 hours of free valet parking while you are enjoying your class. Register here.

• Waikiki Beach Walk’s Free Ukulele Lessons: Everyday – Learn to play! Lessons will be held every day 10:30 am & 4:30 pm. Ukuleles will be provided. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. First come, first serve. Location is The Ukulele Store, Waikiki Beach Walk-Second floor next to Kaiwa Restaurant, 226 Lewers Street, Suite #218. Phone: 808-888-5469. For more info, click here.