Hawaii

University of Hawaii Budget Request Faces Backlash From Senators

Published

4 months ago

January 11, 2024

University of Hawaii Budget Request Faces Backlash From Senators

Senators and University of Hawaii leaders clashed over funding for student housing during a budget hearing Wednesday, even as both groups recognized an urgent need to address a years-long facilities problem.

Although the UH board of regents requested $120 million to renovate and repair student housing at UH Manoa, the governor’s proposed budget did not include those funds for the upcoming fiscal year. So the university is turning to the Legislature, which is holding hearings before it convenes on Jan. 17.

Currently, housing at the university’s flagship campus consists of over 20 residential buildings, many built in the 1960s and ’70s, housing nearly 3,500 students.

UH President David Lassner, who plans to retire at the end of this year, emphasized that student housing was one of the university’s top priorities. But senators criticized and questioned the timing of UH’s funding request.

Sen. Donna Mercado Kim repeatedly questioned why UH previously didn’t prioritize the repair and maintainance of student housing previously. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)

Senate Higher Education Committee Chair Donna Mercado Kim pointed to what she called the continued neglect of Hale Noelani, a university apartment complex that was built in 1978 and stopped housing students in 2017 due to structural and safety concerns.

“That’s very troubling,” Kim said, adding that she feels UH has not prioritized student needs in recent years.

She and Senate Ways and Means Committee Chair Donovan Dela Cruz — frequent critics of UH leadership — challenged the university’s insistence that it had limited options if the state failed to fund the student housing repairs.

The university has a $25 million “rainy day fund” that could go toward housing maintenance and repairs, but that money is to support all facilities, said Jan Gouveia, UH vice president for administration. She said repairs to the Hale Noelani apartment complex would cost $80 million alone. The building previously housed 530 students, making up 13% of UH’s housing supply.

Kim and Dela Cruz repeatedly argued that the university neglected its housing supply in the past, leading to a backlog of repairs and an accumulation of major maintenance problems.

Of the ten residence halls at UH Manoa, six have not received renovations since they were first constructed, according to a November board of regents meeting. The most recent set of renovations took place in 2012 at Gateway House, a residence hall constructed in 1963.

After the hearing, vice president for budget and finance Kalbert Young blamed the buildup of problems on limited investment and funding for university housing maintenance, compounded with a lack of attention to UH’s housing program. He called the vacant Hale Noelani complex the “poster project.”

“Even though they’re open, they are showing their age,” Young said about the remaining housing complexes.

Vice president for budget and finance Kalbert Young, left, and President David Lassner, right, both said the university should have placed a greater focus on repairing its student housing in the past. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)

Young said UH did not request or receive any funding for student housing last year, adding that he is unsure why UH Manoa did not put in a request to the board of regents.

When pressed why the university didn’t address the closure of Hale Noelani back in 2014, Lassner said he was unaware of the problem until it was recently brought to his attention. While maintaining housing may not have been a priority for the university in the past, Lassner said, it is now.

“We’re moving forward,” Lassner said. “If you want to go back and blame me, that’s fine.”

The senators also insisted that UH could find the funding for repairs on its own. Kim pointed to the university’s decision to fund the expansion of seating at Ching Field amid delays in building a new Aloha Stadium after the closure of the old one, which previously hosted UH football games.

“The field was an expediency?” Kim asked. “What about the students?”

If the university found the money to cover the athletic complex’s expansion, Dela Cruz added, it should also be capable of finding a way to cover the costs of the housing repairs that should have been brought to the Legislature’s attention years ago.

While UH did not receive state funding for the $30 million expansion of the athletic complex, it got $50 million in federal Covid-19 relief funds that offset the costs to the university’s budget.

UH Manoa Football field. — Senators said UH wrongly prioritized the expansion of the Ching Field over repairs to student housing in recent years. (Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021)

Kim also criticized the university’s recent focus on pursuing new housing projects while failing to maintain its current buildings.

The Residences for Innovative Student Entrepreneurs opened at the start of the 2023-24 school year, and a facility housing graduate students is set to open in fall 2025. In total, the two projects will add roughly 900 beds to UH’s housing stock.

UH did not receive state funding for either housing development, said spokesman Dan Meisenzahl. As public private partnerships, the two projects have come at no cost to the public, Meisenzahl added.

Young said the university can’t afford to lose any more housing units to disrepair and the university will continue to seek funds to address the entirety of its repair and maintenance needs.

“Even with all of that, I still don’t think it will meet the full demand,” Young said.

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Hawaii

Bodendorf shines out of bullpen as Hawaii evens baseball series with Long Beach

Published

5 hours ago

May 19, 2024

Press Room

Bodendorf shines out of bullpen as Hawaii evens baseball series with Long Beach

A Big West championship is out of the grasp of the Hawaii baseball team. A winning Big West record? Harrison Bodendorf could help with that.

The sophomore left-hander struck out a career-best 10 batters in four innings of relief as the Rainbow Warriors beat Long Beach State 7-2 to even the three-game road series at Blair Field in Long Beach, California, on Saturday.

UH (33-16) improved to 16-10 in the Big West with four games remaining, guaranteeing a winning conference record for the third straight year of Rich Hill’s three-year tenure. Prior to the arrival of the ex-San Diego coach, UH had never posted a winning record in nine years of Big West play.

The ‘Bows had their 11-game winning streak snapped on Friday. UC Santa Barbara (22-4 BWC) has all but sewn up the league title, and UC Irvine is solidly in second at 19-7. However, UH is still in contention for a top-three finish with Cal Poly a game ahead at 17-9.

Randy Abshier got the start and went five innings, extending his streak of innings without an earned run to 17 1/3, although he was charged with an unearned run in the third. Itsuki Takemoto (3-1) got the win with an inning of middle relief.

But Bodendorf was stellar, striking out 10 of the 17 Dirtbags he faced to pick up his second save of the season. His previous high in strikeouts was eight.

Jake Tsukada went 3-for-4 with a hit-by-pitch and catcher Austin Machado was 3-for-5. Dallas Duarte, who has appeared more frequently at designated hitter in the final handful of games of his college career, went 2-for-5.

UH and LBSU (24-26-1, 9-17) conclude the series at 10 a.m. Hawaii time Sunday.

Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.

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Hawaii

Kamehameha Hawaii takes down Damien, 12-1 for first DII State crown since 2016

Published

12 hours ago

May 19, 2024

Press Room

Kamehameha Hawaii takes down Damien, 12-1 for first DII State crown since 2016

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Koa Head Trophy returns to the Big Island.

Kamehameha Hawaii are the 2024 HHSAA Division II State Champions after a whopping 12-1 rout of Damien Saturday morning at Moanalua High School.

It was a high flying affair from the start as the Warriors put up nine runs in the first inning alone.

The Warriors captures its second State Championship in program history.

We just needed to adjust to the weather to where we’re playing and who we’re playing against,” Warriors pitcher Shiloh Santos said. “The rain wasn’t much of an issue for us because, you know, out in Hilo it’s raining, it’s raining a lot.”

Pitcher Shiloh Santos tossed a full five innings allowing four hits, one run and one strike out on 78 pitches.

We wanted it, we wanted it for Hilo, we want it for our school, we want it for our families, we want it for each other and that’s really important to us.”

Kamehameha Hawaii ends the season with a 16-1 record.

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Hawaii

10th annual Hawaii Comedy Festival celebrates AAPI stories

Published

19 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Press Room

10th annual Hawaii Comedy Festival celebrates AAPI stories

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The 10th annual Hawaii Comedy Festival is celebrating AANHPI month with improv, sketch, musical, and stand-up comedy by an all-star cast of talent from across Hawaii and the continent.

Kimee Balmilero, founder of the Hawaii Comedy Festival, Will Choi, founder of comedy troupe Asian AF, and Anette Aga, founder of comedy troupe Polynesian AF, joined HNN’s Sunrise to talk about their special variety show and workshops happening today.

The Hawaii Comedy Festival Variety Show starts at 7 p.m. tonight at the Honolulu Museum of Art’s Doris Duke Theatre, 900 S. Beretania St. Tickets are $35.

Parking is available behind the Honolulu Museum of Art School, 1111 Victoria Street, for $5 for the first 5 hours. $2 for every additional 30 minutes. Cash only.

The Hawaii Comedy Festival is also hosting workshops today. Tickets are $35 each:

Characters Workshop: Albert Franz Dance Studio, 419 South St., Suite 140, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Write a Comedic Song: Improv Hawaii’s Tiny Stage, 419 South Street. Suite 163, 12-2 p.m.
Intro to Musical Improv Workshop: Albert Franz Dance Studio, 419 South St., Suite 140, 2-4 p.m.
Improv Openings Workshop: The Honolulu Museum of Art’s Doris Duke Theatre, 900 S. Beretania St., 2:30-4:30 p.m.

For tickets and information, visit hicomedyfest.com and follow @hicomedyfest on Instagram.

The cast includes:

Alfred Aquino II (Filipino AF, Netflix is a Joke, Dropout, UCB LA)
Allyn Pintal (Filipino AF, UCB LA, Wong Fu Productions, Earlwolf Presents: Dragons AF)
Anette Aga (Polynesian AF – producer, Improv Hawai’i, Kumu Kahua Theatre)
Daryl Jim Diaz (Filipino AF, Gaysian AF, UCB LA, Quick and Funny Musicals)
Elexis Draine (Polynesian AF, Kumu Kahua Theatre)
Gilbert Galon (Filipino AF, Tiger Belly, UCB LA)
Jiavani (Filipino AF, Gaysian AF, Between Two Ferns: The Movie, Cartoon Network, Reno 911: Defunded)
Jose Ver (Filipino AF, Improv Hawai’i, Magnum P.I., Waikikii PD)
Joy Regullano (Filipino AF, Barry, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Modern Family, Supportive White Parents)
Kaliko Fase (Polynesian AF, Improv Hawai’i, Magnum P.I., Hawai’i Five-0)
Kay Kaanapu (Filipino AF, San Francisco Sketchfest)
Kimee Balmilero (Filipino AF, Hawai’i Comedy Fest – founder, Hawai’i Five-0, Doogie Kamealoha)
La Fa’amausili-Siliato (Polynesian AF, Diamond Head Theatre)
Marni Ramirez (Polynesian AF, Improv Hawai’i, Waikiki PD)
Matt Soriano (Improv Hawai’i, Yes, And Dragons)
Arinex Poasa (Polynesian AF, Improv Hawai’i, Next Goal Wins)
Ryan Okinaka (Polynesian AF, Improv Hawai’i, Hawai’i Five-0, Doogie Kamealoha MD)
Sarah Claspell (Asian AF, UCB LA, Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
Shilpa Das (South Asian AF, UCB LA, Quick and Funny Musicals, Laugh Factory)
Vince Yap (Filipino AF, The Rookie, General Hospital, American Horror Stories)
Will Choi (Asian AF – co-founder, BoJack Horseman, Bob’s Burgers, Central Park )
Sean Joseph Choo (Polynesian AF, Improv Hawai’i, Magnum PI, Kumu Kahua Theatre)
Alex Song-Xia (The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Rick and Morty, High Maintenance, Dimension 20)