Kaʻū News Briefs, Monday, October 14, 2019

     He has a bachelor's degree from Stanford University, a master's degree in environmental science from the State University of New York, and a law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law. Yuen is married and has two children.
  "I'm grateful to Gov. Ige for allowing me to continue on the Board, working with the Dept. of Land and Natural Resources, the key agency for the protection and wise use of our environment and natural resources," said Yuen.
     Vernon Char is appointed to an at-large seat replacing Keith "Keone" Downing who left the board on April 29, 2019. Char's term would end on June 30, 2021.

    Wesley "Kaiwi" Yoon is appointed to an at-large seat filling the at-large seat of Yuen. Yoon's term would end on June 30, 2022. Yoon is the vice president of operations, planning and project

Wesley Kaiwi Yoon is appointed to an at-large seat on the Board of Land & Natural Resources.

management at the Bishop Museum. Yoon's responsibilities include managing the daily operations of the museum's 14-acre campus and working closely with the president & CEO and the senior management team to lead planning initiatives and implement program management processes throughout the institution. Prior to his current position, Yoon worked for the State Department of Land and Natural Resources from 2015-2018 and served two terms on the Legacy Land Conservation Commission from 2007-2014.
     Yoon is a graduate of the Kamehameha Schools and holds a bachelor's degree in Architecture from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa.
     "It has and always will be an honor to serve the people and special places of Hawaiʻi, especially when it involves preserving and protecting our fleeting and fragile resources," said Yoon.
     Char is a practicing attorney with the law firm of Char Sakamoto Ishii Lum & Ching. He initially worked in the Office of Attorney General in charge of the Anti-Trust and Consumer Protection Division. Active in Bar Association matters, he was president of the Hawaii Bar Association and served a three-year term on the Board of Governors of the American Bar Association. He has also served on various state agencies during his career. He was a member of the Board of the Department of Land & Natural Resources in 2014-2015. He has also served on other state boards including the

Vernon Char is nominated to be an at large member of the BLNR.

Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority and the Hawaiʻi State Ethics Commission. He helped found the University of Hawaiʻi Alumni Association and served as its president in 1989. He received the association's Distinguished Alumni Award in 1992. His current interests include participating in Mānoa Forum programs.
     Char earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Hawaiʻi and law degree from Harvard Law School.Char is married to Evelyn Lau, a fellow graduate of the University of Hawaʻi. They have five children – three are attorneys and two are physicians.
     "I recognize the important and diverse responsibilities of the Department of Land and Natural Resources to the community and look forward to again serving on the Board," said Char.
     To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
TULSI GABBARD WILL JOIN THE DEBATE Tuesday between Democratic candidates for U.S. president. Ka`u's Representative in Congress announced early Monday that she will participate in the third Democratic presidential debate, following her statements that she might boycott the televised event to protest what she called "commercialized reality television meant to entertain, rather than to inform or enlighten.”
     Gabbard said that during the last presidential election, the Democratic National Committee rigged the process of selecting the Democratic nominee, diminishing the candidacy of  Bernie Sanders. She claimed that during this primary, "the DNC and corporate media are rigging the election again, but this time against the American people in the early voting states of Iowa, North Carolina and Nevada." Instead of honoring early voting results in these states, she said, the DNC is choosing among polls that support its chosen candidates to determine who will be on the debate stage.  "In short, the DNC and corporate media are trying to hijack the entire election process."

Congresswoman for Ka`u, Tulsi Gabbard takes the debate stage with 11 other Democratic candidates for U.S. President, Tuesday at 2 p.m. Hawai`i Time on CNN television and CNN.com. Photo from CNN

      Gabbard also responded to a New York Times profile, saying it contended that she is supported leaders in the alt-right. She pointed out that the New York Times and CNN are co-hosting the debate on Tuesday.  Gabbard tweeted, "As if to prove my point, NYT just published a 'greatest hits' smear piece. All your favorite hits in one article! These are the folks who will be acting as the 'neutral' questioners/moderators of Tuesday's debate lol."
     Moderators will be CNN's Erin Burnett,  Anderson Cooper and New York Times' Mark Lacey, starting at 2 p.m. Hawaiʻi time on CNN, CNN en Espaniol and CNN International. It will be livestreamed on CNN.com and NewYorkTimes.com.  It will be held at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio.
     Candidates in the Tuesday debate are Gabbard, former Vice-President Joe Biden, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Sen. Kamala Harris of California, Businessman Andrew Yang of New York, Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, former Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, former HUD Secretary and San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro of Texas and businessman Tom Steyer of California.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.