Friends or Foes?

Happy Halloween from the House of Representatives! 

Friends...

or... 



Foes??

Governor Burns - Capitol Ghost Stories 2012

On the eve of Halloween, here's a capitol ghost story from Kendra Oishi, House Majority Staff Office, about Governor John A. Burns.  Of all the spirits, the presence of Governor Burns in and around the State Capitol, especially the aroma of his cigar smoke, is perhaps the most well-known.  The fact that Governor Burns oversaw the building of the state capitol and became the first governor to have his office in the building, makes these stories even more special.  Governor Burns was governor from 1962 to 1973.  He became ill before completing his last term; then Lt. Governor George Ariyoshi became acting governor until 1974 and won election to the governor's office that year.  Governor Burns passed away in 1975.


The smell of cigar smoke
By Kendra Oishi

My story dates back to before I began working here (pre-2001), when Glen Grant was still alive and doing his Downtown ghost tours.

One of the stops on the tour was the Capitol steps facing the Queen Liliuokalani statue, where we all sat as Glen Grant spoke.  Mr. Grant was telling various stories related to the area, including how Governor Burns used to walk around the Capitol, often smoking a cigar.  He explained that even after Governor Burns was long gone, people would sometimes smell a cigar, even though no one was smoking in the area, and that it is believed that the cigar smell was a sign of Governor Burns' presence.

As Mr. Grant was transitioning to another story, I thought I sensed the aroma of a cigar in the air, but I kept that thought to myself and just brushed it aside as a figment of my imagination, influenced by the story I just heard.  Then, a young women sitting on the steps behind me leaned toward her friend and said, "Do you smell that?"  Her friend replied, "What?"  The young woman says, "I thought I smelled a cigar."  Then I realized it wasn't just me, and that perhaps Governor Burns was indeed in our presence.

Happy Halloween - Capitol Ghost Stories 2012

Mischievous Spirits

By Tammy Tengan

House Print Shop

House Print Shop - Hawaii State Capitol

I've had my share of little strange happenings in and around the spaces I've occupied in the Capitol.  I've been asked if it scares me, it doesn't.  I feel like they are protecting the area and if I'm in there, they are protecting me too.

My CD player

           

I had a CD player on my desk when I worked in the front office of the Chief Clerk's Office.  If I stayed at work later than usual, my CD player would stop playing.  I couldn't figure it out.

At first I thought it was the CD.  I changed the CD, but all the CDs wouldn’t play.  Funny thing, the next day they would all play fine – until about an hour after my shift ended. 

I had a cheapy CD player – so I figured it was the player – I got a new CD player – but the same thing would happen.   Then someone told me maybe it's the outlet; I unplugged it and plugged into another outlet – it would play fine during the day, but at the end of the day my player would stop playing.  Not turned off or anything – just stop playing.  It was like "enough already -- you're making too much noise – go home."   So when my CD player would stop playing, I would say, "okay, I'm going home."  

Some speculated that it was just the electrical connection in my cubicle, but it also happened when I moved into the Journal office.  I gave up on playing music on my CD player, I tried my computer.  My Computer can play CDs.   I don't do that anymore – that night my computer froze – just stopped, so I went home.  It hasn't happened to me in the Printshop – but then again I don't listen to music in here – the machines are too loud.

Printshop Incidents

Josette and I were in the Printshop during an interim sometime ago – I was using all four big machines printing up documents.  Josette was in the corner.  All off a sudden – and it wasn't a power surge or anything – but all four machines jammed at the same time.  I was like "whoa, somebody's upset.  What's going on?"   I went to tend to the machines got them up and running.  I later found that about the same time as my machines were all jamming – there was a stabbing incident up on the Rotunda level.  I guess it was their way of having Josette and me stay in the Printshop.

Mischievous Sprits

In the Printshop, during a special session, I was printing up the bills and the regular staff was going to come in and collate.  I printed up a bunch of bills, placed them on the table to get ready for collating.  The first time I came back to the table, there were 3 or 4 bills on the floor.  I picked them up thinking I must have brushed the table and some fell off.  After that, I was being extra careful not to make the bills go flying, but again when I came back to the table with another batch of bills -- a few would be on the floor.   After the third time—I said out loud, "stop it, I'm busy and we have to get this finished" The next time I came back to the table – no bills were on the floor. 

Wahiawa pre-legislative session forum with Rep. Marcus Oshiro

Wahiawa Pre-session Forum 11/20/12

Domestic Violence Awareness on "Kukui Connection"

Because October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, on the next “Kukui Connection” Rep. Marilyn Lee will talk with two advocates of domestic violence awareness about the month’s planned events, and call-to-action plans and initiatives for domestic awareness. 

Rep. Lee is joined by Veronika Geronimo, executive director of the Hawaii State coalition Against Domestic Violence (HSCADV), and Ana Maring, a private consultant working with the HSCADV. Geronimo has previously worked in Los Angeles with immigrant communities, and Maring has spent 16 year in the domestic violence field. 

Some of the other topics to be discussed on the show include:

• Act 206, a state law that prohibits discrimination by employers against domestic violence survivors
• Domestic violence education and outreach in schools
• Community engagement initiative that will give the people the capacity to respond to domestic violence situations
• Overcapacity of domestic violence shelters

The show will air on Olelo Channel 54 on:

• Friday, October 19, 8:30 p.m.
• Sunday, October 21, 4:00 p.m.
• Sunday, October 28, 4:00 p.m.

Please visit dvamhawaii.wordpress.com or hscadv.org for more information about Domestic Awareness Month. 

 

Hale Makana O Nanakuli

Rep. Awana to hold Nanakuli Community Meeting on Low-Incoming Rental Housing Project

WHAT:            State Representative Karen Awana will hold a community meeting to address concerns regarding Hale Makana O Nanakuli, a low-income rental housing project located in the Nanakuli Homestead. 

WHEN:            Wednesday, October 10, 2012

                         6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

WHERE:          Nanakuli High and Intermediate School Multi-purpose Building

WHY:              Hale Makana O Nanakuli was originally designed to provide transitional and long-term rental housing for families who earn 40% or below of the adjusted median income.  The project has become a controversial issue revolving around plans to allow non-Hawaiians to live and rent on Hawaiian homestead lands. The developers and representatives from the Department of Hawaiian Homelands will be present.

"The Nanakuli community has questions and concerns about Hale Makana O Nanakuli, and it is my sincere hope that members attend this important meeting in order to express those concerns directly to the project managers," said Rep. Awana.   "I am extremely thankful that the Department of Hawaiian Homelands and developers will be in attendance.”

Seeking Spooky Stories

I'm hoping to receive a new batch of Capitol Ghost Stories for Halloween.  If you have experienced an encounter and would like to share it, please send me a note. My email is deemer@capitol.hawaii.gov.  Mahalo!

Here's a link to a story published in 2008. "The little boy who missed Rep. Ken Ito"