hunterbishop.com

Thanks, Hunter. That sounds approximate to events to the latter part of that melodrama, which I watched up close.

Criminal act? Probably not.

The professionalism and wisdom indicative of a leader? Certainly not -- for either Mr. Higa or Mr. Safarik

Shouting at an employee who the Council Chair, Mr. Higa, knew was still very green on the job and learning how to operate in a very complex office environment -- the word for this is, "bully."

Mr. Safarik, a former police officer himself, with his usual in-your-face attitude, it might be interpreted, proceeded to organize the police into a lynch mob.

Was this appropriate behavior for gentlmen?

Much less a gentleman or lady who would dare to lead.

No, IMO, it doesn't make Safarik look bad at all. What it does is that it shows another part of him that some of us seem to be uncomfortable about. But, Safarik is a human being just like the rest of us and sometimes we over-react just like he seemed to have done here. That's all.
As to the report, I thought it was a very well-written report that kept focused on the complaint and what the alledged victim said which is the most important part of any investigation. My compliments to the police investigator who wrote this report.

Worth the read.
I love this Blog!

There are two levels to this story:
Drama and Politics.


The Drama

Ms.Swallow get bawled at... she calls her boss Mr.Safarik. and tells him Mr. Higa raised his voice and said something
mean about him. Mr.Safarik (a retired police officer) then calls 911 reports "a posible harassment or terror threat" in the county building.


The police check it out Ms. Swallow says everything is cool. Mr.Safarick arrives and tries real hard to get Ms. Swallow to change her story and the police write it up as
Mr. Safarik harassing Ms. Swallow.

I believe Mr.Higa really did scare Ms. Swallow.
However, by the time the police arrived and spoke to her Ms. Swallows changes her story .Mr.Safarick frustrated and embarrassed winds up harassing Ms. Swallows.


The Politics
Mr. Higa took the bad press and for 21 months- kept quiet
even though he had solid proof that he was not the bad guy.

Mr.Safarick kept quiet also.

Can anyone tell me whats going on?

It is my understanding that when Yamashiro, Helene Hale and Brian DeLima were on the council, there were lots of unbecoming behavior and verbal exchanges that happened at the meetings and Yamashiro and DeLima were lawyers for crying out loud. Too bad neva have TV that time to see all the opala that went on. The point is that these kinds of eruptions come with the territory so get used to it. Future council aids, this is a warning of what comes with your job.

Hunter, do you know who made all the redactions in that report?

Yup, the police report was completed in March 2006. Any reporter had over a year to ask for that report from Higa and I am sure he would have given it to them. So? Did any reporter ask or let's put it this way, did any reporter even care to ask Higa for the report? AOLE! Its better to continue to spread old news than to be update your news especially when the new news turns out to be good news about someone whom the media dislikes. Imagine how many folks were misled with the old news all of this time. What a disservice to the public.

No, Kelipio, getting shouted at and belittled is not "what comes with your job" at a County Council or any other office that exists for the public purpose.

Mr. Weatherford, maybe you never got shouted at when you were working for the council but I know a few folks how have been shouted at when they were council aides but it never made headline news. Being a council person for some people is very intense work and sometimes some of them have been known to blow up.

Once again, some blogggers need to check historic facts. I remember the Yamashiro-Hale tiffs as have Schutte(a Waimea Hawaiian Homestead farmer) as the third leg of the triangle

In answer to Anon 2's question, I do not know who made the redactions on the report. I posted it as I received it, and I assumed they were Police Department redactions. But I don't know that.

Yeah, Um, I covered this for the West Hawaii Today, pretty much blow by blow, as I was in the County Building just after the incident occurred, and was curious as hell as to why Officer Castillo, then Sgt. Torres, was there... I covered this the day of, and many days afterward... my newspaper accounts were in sync with what I am now reading in this report... Why this is being re-surfaced right now is totally beyond me... No offense, Hunter B., but this is old news, and kinda Jerry Springer, if you ask me.

The report says Higa was in a press meeting... Hello, that press meeting was with ME, after I was running around the County Building like a bat out of hell piecing together what the eff was going on... And also the redactions are a couple of the witnesses to the incident, one being Safarik's legal aide, and the other being another councilperson's aide who witnessed the Higa/Swallow exchange... I know both their names, but what on earth would be the purpose of revealing their identities to re-hash some made-for-TV melodrama I hated to report on to begin with because it was so effing TRIVIAL... There is nothing cryptic, no smoking gun that was left out of the press coverage, people.
It's all silliness in retrospect... Why oh why are we focusing on the past? We have way too many other more important issues to be focusing on... AND, on THAT note:) :

Want to Take Community College Classes in Pāhoa?
Be a Puna Ranger?
Councilwoman to Host Upcoming Community Meetings

HILO --- Puna Councilwoman Emily Naeole has three upcoming community meetings planned in the next couple of months to discuss the establishment of a ranger program along the Puna Coastline and to conduct an educational assessment, among other things.

From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, December 17, Councilwoman Naeole will host a talk story at the Pāhoa Community Center, also known as the Pāhoa Neighborhood Facility, to discuss the possibility of establishing of a ranger program along the Puna Coastline. This ranger program would be structured similar to the one recently organized for Waipio Valley. Anyone interested in helping to establish a ranger program along the Puna Coastline is encouraged to attend the December 17 meeting and/or to contact Councilwoman Naeole.

From 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, January 8, the councilwoman and Hawai‘i Community College Chancellor Rockne Freitas will be co-hosting a talk story at the Pāhoa Community Center to ascertain the community’s educational needs. Councilwoman Naeole has called on Chancellor Freitas to establish a satellite classroom or classrooms in the Pāhoa area. Chancellor Freitas is receptive, but would first like to conduct an educational needs assessment to determine what exactly is needed for the area. The chancellor is expected to hand out a survey at this talk story event January 8. Want a satellite community college classroom or classrooms? Attend this meeting to weigh in on the matter.

From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, January 26, Councilwoman Naeole will be hosting an informational fair at the Pāhoa Community Center similar to the one held on September 22. Naeole is calling on county, state and social service agencies to participate in this fair. Anyone interested in participating is encouraged to contact Council Aide Gwen Kupahu at (808) 961-8533 or (808) 965-2033.


See you there, folks! There were less than a dozen people at last night's Puna Community Development Plan Steering Committee meeting...

It blows my mind how much blogging people do about our issues in Puna and around the island, for that matter... But very few people actually show up to the meetings, where there is actually an opportunity to affect a positive change... Hello, it takes a village... where are the village people?

Are you content to just sit at home listen to the rain pound on your tin roof as you pound at your keyboard, bemoaning your council member, your former council member, etc. etc. ??

Come on, you're burning daylight just sittin' around chewing fat.

P.S. I should note that James Weatherford, his wife, Elizabeth, and Rob Tucker were among the handful of people at last night's Puna Community Development Plan meeting... Please don't think my diatribe urging the couch surfin' computer geeks to get to a community meeting was directed at you Weatherford or Tucker... For the record, these are the people who always attend meetings... While their attendance is appreciated, I'm merely noting the fact that the District of Lower Puna, along with the other eight districts on this island, are comprised of about 16,500 people.

Aloha Keliipio,

This is important, so I should be more clear.
No matter what has or has not happened to any employee in the Council or other setting, its simply does not cut it to shout at people. Moreover, this was about someone who would claim to be a leader. Lead by shouting in people's faces?

As for the observation, "Being a council person for some people is very intense work and sometimes some of them have been known to blow up." ...
...can't stand the heat? Get out of the kitchen.

Our lives are interesting. You agree?!? When we can dissect eachother to get to the core of what we are as characters in this mini play called, "County Council". I hide no allegiance, I respect my friend Gary Safarik. My Mother, Kathy Hirayama has stood by this person for many years, and if anyone here knows her, She only stands by those who support and respect the good of the community.
I also grew up knowing Stacy Higa, in fact, Gary and Stacy were close friends as far as I knew...
They were gonna change the world together, revolutionize politics, improve Hawaii!!!
So what happened???

I guess we sit here and read all about it...

But one thing I have to say is that some politicians are more like Magicians....Can you tell which ones are which when the slight of hand is done...I feel that this article is just another slight of hand that deviates our attention from the real issue, Who will be a Strong Respectful, Honorable, Moral, Effective Leader for our Island of Hawaii...that my friends a Story worth reading...

Aloha for your time,

Blue Augustine
A pro-active citizen of the County
No political Affiliations

When I worked at the legislature I had a boss that would yell every so often. Every person in the legislature is told in the beginning that this is a job not for the feint at heart. Take the criticism and deal with it, don't take anything personal becasue if you do you shouldn't work for any public official!

Tiff I have a few words for you.

If this story you covered was complete (this police report was available to you for $3.00 the day after you were used by Mr.Higa as an excuse to the police) then this issue would have not arose in Mr. Bishops Blog.

Mr. Safarik was holding his breath and Mr. Higa was holding it over his head.

Use this media venue as a tool to inform.

Don't be so affected by county building employees credentials that you miss the value of individual contributions.


Blue Augustine wrote:
"Who will be a Strong Respectful, Honorable, Moral, Effective Leader for our Island of Hawaii...that my friends a Story worth reading..."

I remain respectively your anon until the bullies are held accountable to truth in reporting.

I use the word truth because half a story 21 months ago
was both Mr. Higa's, Mr. Safarik's and your lie.

I write with all respect intended.

Aloha,

Anon

Remarks:
I think that from my "geek" seat Councilwoman Naeole is doing a fine job and should get your full efforts in this regard.

Here was the first of my coverage, First Anon:

Stacy Higa accused of workplace violence
Secretary has filed a harassment complaint
by Tiffany Edwards
West Hawaii Today
tedwards@westhawaiitoday.com
Friday, March 17, 2006 9:17 AM HST
HILO -- Council Chairman Stacy Higa was accused Thursday of harassment and workplace violence of a secretary, and police came to the County Building to investigate the incident.

Linda Swallow, secretary for Puna Councilman Gary Safarik, said she filed a harassment complaint against Higa and planned to file a violence in the workplace incident report with the County Clerk today.

Walking out of the County Building Thursday afternoon, a tearful Swallow would not say anything more about the incident other than: "I don't like this, I don't like politics."

Higa described the incident between him and Swallow as "politics between council members that a staffer got in the middle of" and said "there was no malice or intent to terrorize Ms. Swallow, and I publicly apologize if she felt that way."

Barbara Lively, Councilman Bob Jacobson's secretary, witnessed the incident between Higa and Swallow Thursday afternoon shortly before Safarik -- who was not yet at the County Building -- called in the 2:15 p.m. terror report to Hawaii County dispatchers.

Lively's desk is next to Swallow's at the County Building.

Lively said Safarik had called Swallow from his Puna home earlier Thursday to find out which council members were attending that night's public hearing on the 2006-07 budgets. Safarik wanted to determine whether there would be a quorum at the public hearing so he didn't have to attend, she said and Safarik confirmed.

Swallow found Higa in the council breakroom to ask him, and he later confronted Swallow at her desk to inquire why she asked.

After Swallow told him it was a directive from Safarik, Lively heard Higa say, "He is not the chair. I'm the chair. He is not to poll the council members. I will poll the council members. We've been having problems with (Safarik) and that it is his not his job to poll."

Swallow initially declined to file a police report, but Safarik -- who showed up at the County Building shortly after Officer Darryl Castillo met with Swallow -- demanded that Castillo make a report, according to an eyewitness account.

Outside the Deputy County Clerk's office, Castillo refused and Safarik, a former Honolulu police officer, demanded Castillo call the "police chief" or "a lieutenant."

Police Sgt. William Torres arrived and was observed on his cellular phone outside the office when he ordered Castillo to follow Safarik inside.

"Get in there and make sure he doesn't try to bamboozle her," Torres told Castillo.

Safarik, back outside the office, criticized police's initial refusal to write a report on Swallow's harassment and workplace violence allegations.

"The police didn't think they needed to make a report but the workplace violence policy requires, 'Whenever an act or threat of violence is reported directly to the County Clerk, the County Clerk shall notify the police and the Council Chair.' In this case, the alleged perpetrator is the Council Chair," Safarik said.

"(Swallow) had said it wasn't a big deal but these types of things are a big deal. She felt intimidated, harassed," Safarik said. "Police are trying to figure out how not to make a report. They don't understand the protocol for workplace violence."

Higa was in the council meeting room while police were at the Deputy County Clerk's office. Police were told he was in a meeting when they initially went to question him Thursday afternoon.

He later told West Hawaii Today he speaks in "firm and loud tones" but he didn't mean to "berate or terrorize" Swallow.

"My only saving grace is I'm glad there were many people in the area who were a witness to see I didn't mean to harass or terrorize her in any way. I respect Linda Swallow," Higa said. "In my opinion, this is just petty politics by an unhappy council member."

Lt. Randall Medeiros, a detective from the Criminal Investigative Section, showed up at the County Building to meet with Higa minutes before he was to chair a 5 p.m. budget hearing.

After a two-minute budget hearing, Higa drove to the Hilo police station and met Medeiros outside. He later confirmed that he gave police a statement about the incident.

Why go to a meeting with someone who gets her instructions straight from "God"?
Her God seems to change his/her mind all the time.
That's not how mine operates, but we're all entitled to our own God.
I've had my time abused at hundreds of meetings. Occasionally that time has been productive, but only when reason and cooperation prevailed. I have no hope for that in these cases.
Identifying the most important issues and proposing useful action, rather than self-promotion, doesn't seem to be part of this Councilmember's agnenda or capabilities.

Hold the door!

Tiff I owe you an apology.
I was naive when I assumed the police report was complete.
In addition I did not factor the political ethos of the two elected officials involved.

I compared your story to the police report and the letter Councilman Higa just sent hunterbishop.com and this is what I learned.


You wrote what happened uninfluenced unbiased simply good run around reporting.

The police report on its own appears to represent the whole story. However when the above police report in held in the same light as your story and councilman's Higas letter to hunterbishop.com a startling bias surfaces.

First issue of bias underlying in the police report is the comment by one of the investigating officers.

"Get in there and make sure he doesn't try to bamboozle her," Torres told Castillo.

The second issue I have is with the fact that councilman Higa was incommunicado except when he is seen leaving the county building with a detective to be observed minutes later conferring- in the evening shadows outside of the police headquarters.

My duties call.........

A Hui Hou

The First Anon.

Remarks:
Keep up the good work!