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

  • Help our kupuna, Extended benefits, Housing Assistance

    Help our kupuna, Extended benefits, Housing Assistance

    Aloha Neighbor,

    VOTE! LAST DAY IS TOMORROW!
    I hope you all have voted but if you still haven’t, please do! You’ll have to take your ballot to the elections drop box.  The closest one in our district is at Honolulu Hale Voter Service Center at 530 South King Street. You can still register to vote and vote at the same time tomorrow —  Election day– from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. For last minute voters on election day, the absolute deadline to drop off your voted ballot is 7pm. This is a hard stop!  Any later and your vote will not be counted.  If you already submitted your ballot, click here if you want to check if it was received.

    WANT TO VOLUNTEER?  Be A Voice for Our Kupuna Who Need YOU!
    Make a difference in the lives of Hawaii’s most vulnerable. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCO) needs people who care about our kupuna. The program’s success is due to the commitment and work of caring volunteers who are trained to support residents in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Due to the pandemic, volunteers are needed more than ever to provide a voice for 12,876 residents in 1,729 facilities statewide. We need volunteers on all islands, so if you know of anyone who is at least 21-years of age, enjoys being with kupuna, and has an interest in being an advocate on their behalf, please contact LTCO volunteer coordinator, Lynn Niitani, at (808) 223-0468 or email her at: lynn.niitani@doh.hawaii.gov.

    UPDATE ON UNEMPLOYMENT: MORE ON THE EB20 EXTENDED BENEFITS PROGRAM
    For those who have exhausted the 26 weeks of unemployment (Regular UI) and the 13 weeks of federal pandemic emergency unemployment compensation (PEUC), you may be eligible for extended benefits.  The Extended Benefits 20 (EB20) program provides additional benefits so long as the state’s unemployment rate is above 5%. The weekly benefit amount and procedures to apply and submit reports are the same as under the state’s regular UI.  The first step to take to apply for EB20 is to log into your unemployment insurance account. See how to apply here.

    STATE HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: Update
    The State’s Rent Relief and Housing Assistance Program was going slowly but seems unclogged now and moving more quickly. The two agencies administering the program –Aloha United Way and Catholic Charities Hawaii—are working to get the 20,000 applications out as quickly as they can before the December 26 deadline (when CARES Act federal relief funding terminates). The program provides renters and homeowners with monthly rent or mortgage, as well as HOA dues, financial counseling or loan modifications.  For more information, click here.  While new applications are not being accepted, those in line should hearing soon if you meet the eligibility requirements.  If you applied to Catholic Charities you can check on the status of your application here.

    A BETTER WAY TO FIND PARKING?  Find a Parking Stall Before You Arrive
    From Waikiki to Kakaako, what are those colorful signs popping up in private parking lots and near parking stalls? It’s for a smartphone app called PARKLINQ which allows people to find a parking spot and pay for it before they reach a destination.  The app also enables businesses to earn extra cash off their idle parking stalls. On Oahu, about 450 parking stalls are in the process of uploading right now. Here’s more:

    • Even homeowners can sign up and rent out their private driveways.

    • Parking owners can list the number of stalls they want to rent out and decide how much they want to charge.

    • Parking rates on the app average $1.25 to $1.50 an hour.  Stalls can also be rented out daily or monthly.

    • PARKLINQ is also available online here.

    • For more information, click here.

    COMMUNITY MEETINGS THIS WEEK

    • Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA) will hold its Kakaako meeting online Wednesday, November 4, 2020 at 10:30 a.m.  Victoria Ward Ltd. will present its plans for the Ala Moana Blvd. Pedestrian Bridge and projects located at its Land Blocks F & H.  Preview their presentation slides here.  See the HCDA agenda here.

    • McCully–Moiliili Neighborhood Board meets Thursday, November 5, 2020, 6:30 P.M. at Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church, 2062 South King Street.  Presentations include the City Department of Transportation Services HOLO Card Overview, 820 Isenberg Street (former Bowl-O-Drome) Redevelopment Project Update by Department of Hawaiian Homelands and Stanford Carr, and Ala Wai Watershed Flood Risk Management Project by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. See the agenda here.

    Take care & stay safe!

  • Open for business!  Halloween!

    Open for business!  Halloween!

    Aloha Neighbor,

    Businesses in our district are reopening!  We compiled a video showcasing their friendly faces welcoming you to their restaurants, hotels, stores, and other establishments.  E Komo Mai, watch it now!

    E KOMO MAI: A video produced to celebrate businesses in Senate District 12 and to welcome everyone to visit

    Together, everything is possible! Together, we’ve brought down the COVID-19 numbers low enough for the Governor and Mayor to re-open Oahu. Soon, we can all open our doors again for business! Caring for each other we can overcome coronavirus.

    Senate District 12 is the heart of Hawaii’s economic engine. We are Kakaako, Ala Moana, McCully, Moiliili, Sheridan, and Waikiki. Our businesses — from hotels, restaurants, auto companies, retailers and even bridal shops — deserve our support!

    My office wanted to help bring aloha back to our district’s businesses. Our “E Komo Mai” project was the brainchild of volunteer staff. We invited businesses to be creative in sharing their businesses with the. world. – letting everyone know we are open for business and need help to keep them open… by visiting, masking up and social distancing. Our happiness comes from seeing doors opening and welcoming everyone in.

    E komo mai are Hawaii’s most beautiful words of welcome! While there is much to worry about, sometimes, we all need to take just a moment to do something fun and share smiles with others! To share all the fantastic and wonderous goings on of our district, my office created a YouTube Channel called “Hawaii State Senate District 12”. Our YouTube Channel celebrates all the best we are and strive to be. E komo mai….welcome to our home! Welcome to Hawaii State Senate District 12.

    We invite you to visit these establishment open for business in our district: Outrigger Waikiki Beach, Sun Tea Mix, BMW Hawaii, Kahala, Alohilani Resort, South Shore Market, Hungry Ear, Boca Hawaii, Energy Optimization Services, Honolulu Beer Works, ATH Organics, T&C Surf, Pitch Sports Bar, Casablanca Hawaii, Mini of Hawaii, Margaritas Hawaii, Aston Waikiki Beach, SALT Kakaako, Red Fish Poke, Pioneer Saloon, Hawaii Consignment Center, Morning Brew, Tiffany, Infinity Movement Studio, Giovanni Pastrami, The Boiling Crab, Raintree Bakery Coffeehouse, Tango Cafe, Park Shore Waikiki, Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki Beach, Paul Brown Salons, Dukes Waikiki

    We welcome more businesses as they open to add to our video at. To learn how, email district12video@gmail.com

    SAFE HALLOWEEN TIPS FROM HAWAII HEALTH DEPARTMENT
    Past holidays have caused alarming covid-19 spikes in Hawaii. Be smart this Halloween. Avoid close contact and gatherings. The State’s health department recommends the following:

    • Celebrate with your household members at home.
    • Avoid traditional door-to-door trick or treating.
    • Try drive-thru pumpkin patches.
    • Host a scary movie watch party online.
    • Organizing a neighborhood pumpkin carving contest (carve pumpkins with household members).
    • Hosting a virtual Halloween costume contest.

    Mask Safety
    Because Halloween masks have nose and mouth holes, they will not protect you or others from COVID-19. Do not wear a costume mask over a protective cloth mask or vice versa as it can be dangerous if the costume mask makes it hard to breathe. Instead, consider using a Halloween-themed cloth face mask.
    For more tips to stay safe this holiday season go to HawaiiCOVID19.com/safe-halloween and cdc.gov.

    FAMILY-FRIENDLY HALLOWEEN AT THE HONOLULU MUSEUM OF ART:  OCT. 31
    This Saturday, Oct. 31, catch the spirit of Halloween in costume at a Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA) all-day event. A safe place to enjoy the holiday, HoMA will be open until 9pm on Halloween Day. Kids can “art-or-treat” at HoMA’s cafe, shop, and coffee bar, plus receive complimentary prepackaged goodie bags. Special seasonal bites and beverages will be provided all day long. Safety measures include non-surgical face mask requirements for adults and children over 2 years old, a one-way flow throughout the museum, and capacity limits. Costumes are encouraged but large accessories, weapons, body paint, feathers and glitter will not be allowed to protect the art.

    VIRTUAL KEIKI HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTEST:  START POSTING THAT PHOTO !
    SALT at Our Kakaako is hosting a Virtual Keiki Halloween Costume Contest! Take a photo of your keiki dressed in their Halloween costume in front of a mural at SALT at Our Kakaako (691 Auahi Street), then tag us at @saltourkakaako! Post that photo before Oct. 31 at 11:59pm. Winners will be announced on Monday, November 2nd. The top three photos with the most likes will receive a SALT at Our Kakaako Prize Pack which contains: a SALT cloth face mask, SALT Vinyl Stickers and a $25 gift certificate to a SALT retailer or restaurant of their choice! You DON’T want to miss out on this! Get to posting! As a reminder, please keep your mask on while in the center. For questions, call 808-457-0155.

    Take care & stay safe!