Monday, June 15, 2015

Musings: Contrasts

After the steel and glass of Seoul, Kauai seems impossibly green and lush, the guinea grass growing before my eyes.

Heading up to the North Shore, past the affordable housing going up at Princeville, I can't help but think of how Princeville has so much land, yet all it can kick down is a crappy piece right on that busy stretch of highway, sandwiched between the shopping center and cop shop, next to its poison mixing station and those radio towers.

But instead of expressing environmental justice outrage, folks are grateful, because after all those years of not fulfilling its affordable housing requirement, Princeville finally is.

Talking to Hanalei and North Shore folks, something struck me as very, very odd: nobody knew nuttin' about the supposed melee at the pier, which in a letter to the editor today is characterized as an “increase in under-age drinking and race-based violence at Black Pot,” thus justifying a call for a police substation in town.

And who, I thought, really benefits from promoting the perception that the dangerous locals need controlling in Hanalei, except for the folks who want to keep selling the town and its beaches to tourists and the elite few buying into the exclusive new development planned for Princeville?

Because from what I could see, locals are in damn short supply on the North Shore, especially Hanalei.

But dead cats along the road remain relatively plentiful, which makes me wonder why Basil Scott, president of the no-kill Kauai Community Cat Project, is still trashing Humane Society Director Penny Cistaro for the “especially troubling” act of supposedly “unnecessarily euthanizing” two kittens from Salt Pond, thus saving them from a fate experienced by far too many feral cats: getting smashed beneath car tires and ground into the pavement.

Meanwhile, Kauai police Sgt. Colin Nesbitt, who reportedly was an otherwise outstanding officer, was arrested on May 23 for driving under the influence of alcohol after crashing his truck into a ditch. He was booked and charged, and is currently on leave, with his police powers suspended, pending an internal/administrative investigation. The criminal case is being handled by the state Attorney General's office.

And Kauai County Councilman Gary Hooser was busted for trespassing on Gay & Robinson land over the weekend. He reportedly was with a French — update, they are Swiss — couple, and they claimed to be producing a documentary, no doubt about the seed companies.

Which of course exempts them from honoring any private property rights, because when it comes to anti-GMO activities, the ends always justify the means. And Gary, in his self-serving arrogance, considers himself a lawmaker above the law.

No word yet on whether G&R plans to press charges, though hope springs eternal.

Finally, failed mayoral candidate, and anti-GMO activist Dustin Barca, continues to express his delusions of grandeur:
Look out, Mark Zuckerberg. Dustin's on your trail.

49 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dustin: Go to the top left of FB. Click the triangle under newsfeed. Click on most recent instead of top stories and viola - all the "censoring" is gone and you get everyone's posts in real time.

KPD and OPA: What about the cop that ran over a kid racing to an accident? Did he get charged and why not when citizens get charged for this?

Gary: Try saying you're a journalist. Then call a good lawyer.

Hanalei: Did the incident happen or not? If it happened, punks should go jail - realtors benefitting or not. Teach your damn kids not to hate so much otherwise the realtors win.

Anonymous said...

fear not....plenty of true born and raised locals intimately involved with the goings on within our isle. west/north/east/south sides. biases and opinions may vary yet the staunch marrow deep disgust is shared. Yes, the influx of uber rich is strangling the life out of the essence of Kauai and it seems theres "nothing that can be done" per many who are not apathetic yet know not how to pounce in humble dissent. No matter the jargon from the profiteers..."eco friendly", "good stewards" "job creators", All know the end is profits for "them", zilch for "us"...
gets chewy with all thats happening... spit out the crap, focus on point

Anonymous said...

I was the first responder when cullen crashed his truck.. sad too see that law makers and people who are supposed to I force the law are the very ones who think they are above the law. Who's gonna stand up for us these days when setting a bad example them selves

Anonymous said...

"important Imformation" I'mformation? Barkin with Barca. It's a new form of infomercial, but all about him. Like keeping up with the Kardashians without Caitlin or Kanye.

Chuck Lasker said...

Dustin can name his new venture imformationbook, social media for random capitalizers.

Anonymous said...

Illusions of grandeur. Let the uneducated continue spew ignorance. It is amusing.

Barca barking...

Anonymous said...

The Big Fist busted for trespassing? Was there a citation or public record of this? Pictures? Where? Give me more Joan and I will spread it all over the Internet. I had heard something about off island news crews investigating G&R but for life of me I cannot understand why.

Anonymous said...

Is this true that Gary got busted trespassing? Has this been verified? If so, why hasn't the media picked up on it? Or is this just more propaganda to feed the trolls? If a council member commits a crime, the public has a right to know. Immediately. Propaganda serves no good to anyone. And knowing Gary, if this is true, he'll take a page out of Bynum's book and sue the County for tons of money. Another lose-lose for the people of Kauai.

Anonymous said...

Doesn't understand how a newsfeed works...wants to start his own social media site.

Joan Conrow said...

3:34. It's true or I wouldnt have reported it. And haven't you noticed I often have things before other media?

Anonymous said...

Joan I just asked Gary directly and he said you were full of it. No citation. No notice. No trespassing. Apparently he was standing next to the road or sitting in a parked car next to the road while a camera guy took pictures of the fields. Why feed the trolls Joan? It does no one any good and only further divide.

Anonymous said...

Should have added it was the side of the state highway not a private road.

Anonymous said...

Joan. Gary is a Councilman. He has the right to go anywhere he wants on the island. His commitment to the people and to the land must be taken into account. G and R has way too much land anyway. Gary should be allowed to control all land and housing. The folks who don't like Gary are not real Americans. America is the land for all people, not just big land owners.\
But if in fact there is a public record of Da Hoos being uninvited on private property, hopefully his brothers and sister on the Council can censure him. It is a bad thing for the island to have the Big Fistee shaft Big Land.

Anonymous said...

Blog says: Gary "was busted for trespassing"

"Gary ... said you were full of it. No citation. No notice. No trespassing."

Hmmmm a truth showdown. And the winner is _______________?

Joan Conrow said...

I checked with KPD and found:
At 11 a.m. on Friday, June 12, Pioneer reported trespassers on its property in Waimea. KPD responded to the call and is currently investigating. FYI - the identities of those involved have not yet been confirmed and are part of the ongoing investigation.

However, my sources tell me there were numerous witnesses who both confirmed it was Gary and a Swiss couple, and confronted them, but the perps left before police arrived. So no, he hasn't yet been cited, but yes, he was trespassing. The Swiss couple, sans Gary, also were stopped for trespassing on Syngenta land on Wednesday, and a police report was filed in that case as well.

Anonymous said...

The truth will be revealed. And my bet is on Joan.

Anonymous said...

Gary was trespassing looking for Bynum's Rice Cooker. But he scampered off like a chicken-shit when he got observed.
What a leader. What a Council, if they do not at least ask GARY in open Council if he was trespassing.
Guaranz Ball Bearanz the Council will not do anything to besmirch a fellow Councilman. They will prove, once again, that the County is their own personal playground. Tim can have an illegal unit, Gary can trespass and who knows where all the free gas went.
Embarrassing and immoral. Swear to uphold laws and then feel free to break them.
They are above the law.

Anonymous said...

Joan, I heard this was a team of Swiss investigative journalist doing a special piece on Syngenta following up on da hoos and Ferny girls trip to Switzerland. 60 minutes style but in German and French. They were scoping the fields via air and meeting with former employees who are pissed off from getting laid off and spilling the beans (or should I say seeds). They were only one of two news crews trying to get the lowdown on what's going on in the west side.

Anonymous said...

Over the last two years, Hooser's "credibility" has been on display ad nauseam and has repeatedly come up short. He goes for the big lie- no puling mini lies for Gary. He gravitates to the the bullshit jugular. I just happened to be sitting in the car with some Swiss activists.... who were accidentally trooping through Syngenta and Pioneer's corn. Gary's just doing GMO tours for some of his Swatch wearing Euro eco-dork buddies reflecting great credit on the people and Council of the County of Kauai. Recall is off the table, but perhaps censure would be in order- and maybe some yodeling lessons to give the Truth According To Gary a Sound of Music feel.

Anonymous said...

Joan I just read on yahoo about Rachael Dolezal. Pretty much the same thing Dustin does with pretending to be Hawaiian don't you think?

GARY Hooser should step down from his council position.

Anonymous said...

Joan why do you think the national and international press is so gullible? I heard AlJazeera America is also covering the Swizerland/Syngenta/2491 story. When will it all stop? This cannot be good for tourism.

Joan Conrow said...

What's the old saying? "There's a sucker born every minute." And sadly, some of them are lazy, undiscerning hacks posing as reporters who swallow whatever they're told by paid propaganda purveyors.

Anonymous said...

Just check the most important information on the planet FB page. Really?

Delusional is a really good word for that poor soul.

Anonymous said...

in this world there are 4 classification of people, those that are bright/bright; bright/dull; dull/bright and dull/dull. it seems that the one class will always follow the other because they do not know any better and that would be the .....

Anonymous said...

The French government just banned the sale of Roundup to consumers.
What are the French planning to do with all those extra honey bees?

Anonymous said...

After 50 years of the government and industry telling us trans fats were safe they were just made illegal in USA as FDA calls them toxic.
As one who has actually read some of the GMO studies and the criticisms of those studies, I have concluded that I cannot trust the industry to tell the whole truth.

Anonymous said...

Joan, Too bad you didnʻt report on Jeju Island navy controversy while in South Korea- one of the most under-reported and censored situations in the world today. I guess Dustinʻs FB posts and Garyʻs alleged "bust" are much more relevant and entertaining. What a sad world we live in where topics such as these seem to interest people more than what is really important. A suggestion for Joan- how about a series on the military on Kauaʻi? Sonar, microwave towers, sealife, coral?

Anonymous said...

@ 9:05 AM, A suggestion for you, why don't you right about the military on Kaua'i yourself?

Anonymous said...

The wonderful thing about the Internet is that if 9:05 doesn't find what is "really important" here, 9:05 is free to go to JejuEclectic or find somewhere else better catering to 9:05's taste. The antics of Hooser and Barca are endlessly entertaining to some, else people wouldn't comment here on them. Where else does one get to witness such ludicrous hubris? And I hope 8:56 didn't spend 50 years reading transfat and GMO studies to arrive at the astounding conclusion that one "cannot trust the industry to tell the whole truth". Comes the dawn! You can't trust anyone to tell the whole truth. You have to work towards it yourself. Oh, and aren't all the French honey bees living in Switzerland these days?

Anonymous said...

I second the motion on a military focus. Yes Joan you could do this. Agree that it would be good for all of to start focusing on things that matter. This other stuff is just tabloid fodder and speaks to the most base, biased and ignorant part of our being. We can do better.

Anonymous said...

12:02- "This other stuff is just tabloid fodder and speaks to the most base, biased and ignorant part of our being. We can do better." Well put, yes, reporters can do better, and Joan has it in her to be a top investigative reporter. I third your motion!

Anonymous said...

Hooser is not only a liar but as an individual charged and pledged to uphold the law, why is he ferrying around those Swiss anti-GMO documentarians and assisting them to commit the crime of trespass? Oh, but you say it's only a little crime like stealing gas from the County. Well, if he ignores the law and aids and abets criminals, then how are we ever supposed to trust this bent individual on anything? Oh, ya, we should trust on big things like his anti-GMO rhetoric. That's the ticket!

Anonymous said...

Korea is/wants to sell JeJu/Che Ju Do to China.

Anonymous said...

I was at the Hanalei pier just over an hour before the alleged attack and can swear on my life that their were young locals drinking, cursing and acting very rowdy and threatening. So much so that I took my family and my grandparents out of there because it seemed like a very bad situation. Luckily we did; because it did go south after we left. The trouble was brewing in the air prior to it happening. I promise you the vibe was bad like never before.

I think it is unreasonable to claim it did not happen because you would have to believe that a whole group of visiting students and their teachers are lying.

Also, FYI the owner of the Kauai Retreat Center (Waipake) is also running one on Oahu near Waikiki too. Just google her name and you will see it.

Mahalo

Anonymous said...

The violence problem in Hanalei and Wainiha is real and KPD should have a lot more than a sub-station there.
The NS is the epicenter of violence and the degradation of Kauai society. Certain local pols are fanning the flames.
Last time I went to the beach up Haena, a drunk local guy maybe 17 years old was throwing punches at some military guys at a wedding because they didn't want to give him a ride to the Wainiha store for beer. The obligatory racial terms were used, of course.

Anonymous said...

"series on Military"..."tabloid fodder..."
I for one certainly hope that Joan is not taking "suggestions" regarding what she should ( and should not) cover. She is one of the best investigative journalists I have had the pleasure of reading. I do have a suggestion for the "suggestors": if you feel strongly about these subjects, why not take your own suggestions? Why put the responsibility on Joan? She makes her own choices regarding what to cover, and I would not want it any other way. The field is certainly open for more journalistic talent.

Anonymous said...

jeju island was in a Korean Dramafever i saw. that is where you go when you made the king mad(if you did not get poisoned). but that is so far away. i like to read joan's blog because it is "factual","sensible" fun entertainment for kauai. love to read the comments. different drummers. no need get mad. agree to disagree. not going change overnite. the sun will come up tomorrow. rain or shine. if rain get rainbow.

Anonymous said...

Great Gobs of Gobbly Gook Joan.
I love it when people tell you what to write about.
Me thinks Ms Joan, you are doing just fine.
When KE is a must read for the island and when the last the last thing any politico wants is to be exposed in KE. This is power.
One woman, one pen, many friends....and results.
The BnB/TVR fiasco became exposed via Joan and the NS ladies.
This blog gets people a talkin' and in some cases there is action.
Hopefully some action will occur about Da Hoos trespassing event. The Big Fistee is an ass. A pompous, glory seeking, smug smegma.
The Council is a joke and they will not ask Gary if he trespassed...a simple question in an open Council meeting could be a game changer. Does Da Hoos lie? or just sit in self-gratified silence. He if asked will say "I wasn't cited" or "no comment"....hopefully Mel the Big Cheese of the Council will push this point...but if the history of the Council manifests...they protect their own. Protect their own.

Anonymous said...

I find no commenters here telling Joan what she should cover. They seem to be asking her to consider important issues that she might investigate. It is good for readers to offer suggestions to reporters, because it is the reporter who has resources to do the best investigations, not the readers. Good suggestions are worthy of consideration by good reporters.

Anonymous said...

Sigh I long for the days when there were no weddings, drunk 17 year old kids or society in Haena. I fucking can't believe I'm thinking this but I miss those Taylor camp hippies.

Dawson said...

With all the posters telling Joan what she should write on her own blog, and with David Letterman off the air, it's time for the...

TOP TEN REJECTED KAUAI ECLECTIC TOPIC REQUESTS

10. New "Hooser's Hawaiian Health Tips" Blog Touts All-Macadamia Diet for Better Bladder Control

9. Garden Island Newspaper Purchased by National Assoc. of Realtors, Promises to Print "The Whole Truth and Nothing But the Txfglmgp"

8. Tanning Salons Add Crash Course in Pidgin to popular "Instant Brah Tourist Makeover"

7. Poipu Neighborhoods Overrun with "Bed, Breakfast and Blowjob" TVRs

6. Science Announces Genetically Modified Politicians

5. Esquire Rejects Dustin Barca Nude Cover Pix for "Excessive Retouching"

4. Pardon My Butt? "Fister Twister" Party Game the Rage at Anti-GMO Rallies

3. Tourists -- The Other White Meat

2. KKCR's Switch to All-Spanish Format: Vile Rumor or Blessed Relief?

And the #1 Rejected KauaiEclectic Topic Request...

1. North Shore: The Charo Years


Joan Conrow said...

Those are hilarious and clever, Dawson. Thanks for starting my day with a hearty laugh!!

Anonymous said...

I find it interesting that County Councilman Gary Hooser's alleged trespassing on Makaweli lands (leased by DOW) isn't even mentioned in the Garden Island. He was helping his foreign friends with their ill-gotten anti-GMO documentary. The police were called on them at least twice. He was arrested or was he just evicted from private property upon which he was trespassing? This is a County Councilman acting like thief in the night assisting others to break the law and our island's only newspaper has nothing on it? Maybe the paper should be renamed Garden Island Views.

Anonymous said...

I think that no one has clued the new TGI reporters in on the fact that Joan's blog is the source of all breaking news on Kauai.

Anonymous said...

This is ridiculous. As far as any real proof. there is no evidence that Hooser was arrested or cited or even trespassed at all. The only claum of his trespassing is this blog, backed by anonymous sources. Talk about promoting rumor an innuendo. Joan we expect more from you.

Joan Conrow said...

I saw a picture with my very own eyes, which was proof enough for me. I've requested permission to use it. Until then, you'll just have to take my word for it, and I really don't care if you don't or if you do.

Anonymous said...

@8:33 AM - since when has TGI been the source of breaking news?

Anonymous said...

TGI hasn't even reported about the homelessness on Kauai and also the rise in bus fees but if you look on HaWAII news now, it's been on there for 2 days. No wonder KCC can't keep its journalist classes filled its because TGI is garbage.

Anonymous said...

Wow officer colin Nesbit t that was arrested for DUI I didn't think things like this happened I thought it was a good old boys club ? He's not the first officer to commit a crime . There's an officer up and Koloa that goes around harassing and intimidating tourists on a daily basis he speeds up and down the road where there are children it's a residential areas well . People of the public start recording this idiot on your cell phone go pro whatever you have there is a police commission on this island and they should be made aware . The ignorance is not surprising most of these guys don't even have a college education . And somehow they are egos seem to outweigh common sense whatever happened to serve and protect ?