This July, the James Campbell High School Saber Marching Band will be traveling to Washington, D.C. to represent the state of Hawaii in the National Independence Day Parade!

While the opportunity to participate in this event is an honor, the expenses associated with travel are significant.

The cost per student is approximately $3500, and 80 band students are traveling for the event.

As a registered nonprofit, the JCHS Band Boosters are actively seeking financial support from the community.

A GoFundMe page has been set up at https://www.gofundme.com/f/JCHSMarchingBand.

​You can click on the SABER picture below to access the GoFundMe page.

This past weekend, local vendors and area performers partnered with the Band Boosters of the JCHS Band in a fundraiser at JCHS and raised over $5,000.  In case you missed, it, here are a few pictures from the event; it was quite memorable!

CONTACT US if you have any questions or would like to donate.

Ewa looks a lot different now. Gone are the 11,000 acres of sugarcane, replaced by residential complexes, mini-malls and the local Zippy’s restaurant. It feels different too.
​
Time and the arrival of new residents has strained the sense of community that once held this former sugar town together, bonded by memories of Ewa’s unique agricultural history.
CLICK HERE to READ MORE...

​Aloha Ewa Beach ‘Ohana…
 
Exciting news!
 
Governor Ige has released the $6.3 million for initial upgrades to the James Campbell High School athletic facilities!
 
As many of you know, these funds are the results of years of community efforts to communicate the needs of JCHS to the Department of Education and members of the (entire) legislature.
 
Special thanx to Mr. Guy Leopard, who put together a splendid presentation several years ago and presented it to area residents at the Ewa Neighborhood Board.  Last session's legislative members were also of great assistance, as they all coordinated similar requests to the Hawaii State legislature after consulting with the administration officials at JCHS.
 
Amidst the challenges of the pandemic and distance learning, please pause for a moment of celebration as we move together, as a community, and continue to improve the state’s largest (and best) high school!
 
This is just the beginning of many improvements… all of which have been “a long time coming.”

Aloha Neighbors – Exciting News!

Finalists for the Essay & Short Story Creative Writing Contest sponsored by TeenBuilding USA will be announced at the next Ewa Neighborhood Board Meeting.

Please plan to attend and help us celebrate the imaginative students who used their creative energy to provide insight into what some teenagers are thinking and feeling as the world presses through a pinitol moment in history.

DATE:            Thursday, July 9th
TIME:            7:00 PM
WHERE:       Ewa Mahiko District Park
ADDRESS:   91-1205 Renton Rd

NOTE: The announcement will occur sometime during the regularly scheduled Ewa Neighborhood Board meeting, which is being held at Ewa Mahiko District Park this month.

For additional information, visit the website for TeenBuilding USA
https://www.teenbuildingusa.org/essay-contest.html
​

Looking for employment... now?

Know someone looking to get onboard with a company that has many locations throughout Hawaii, the mainland, and the rest of the world?

Well, currently Securitas has at least 70 job openings here in Hawaii... 15 in Honolulu, and several in the West Oahu area.

And, according to Hawaii News Now, some of those jobs come with bonuses of up to $1,500!

You can check out the job listings HERE.

e4e

Though the company has been discussing restructuring for a while now, Pier 1 has officially announced that all stores in Hawaii will be closing.

From the Pacific Business News:

Pier 1 Imports will close all seven of its stores in Hawaii, including three stores on Oahu, early next year and has started liquidation sales.

“As part of a strategic business decision, our stores in Hawaii will be closing in early 2020, though exact timing will vary for each location,” company spokesperson Jennifer Engstrand Reeder told Pacific Business News in an emailed statement. “Our stores are currently undergoing a store closing sale that will continue while merchandise is sold.”

Read more HERE.

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 Ladies and gentlemen,
 
As the Chairperson of the Economic Development Committee of the Ewa Neighborhood Board, I have been requesting an update on the planned resort community that Haseko says they will build here in Ewa Beach.
 
Because of the extensive and far-reaching effects this proposed resort will have on the Ewa Plain, as well as the Leeward District in general (including Kapolei and Makakilo), I have made several requests to have a standing report added to the Ewa Neighborhood Board Meeting agenda.
 
At last night’s Ewa Neighborhood Board, the proposed report was added as literally the last item on the agenda, a time very late in the meeting.  In fact, as all Board members and many community members know, at the end of the Board meetings, almost all of the residents have departed the Ewa Beach Public Library where the meeting is held (on the second Thursday of every month @ 7PM).
 
According to the press release distributed by Haseko in May 2017, “Wai Kai at Hoakalei will introduce to Hawai'i a first-ever experiential marketplace designed and curated to create a waterfront retail experience consisting of retail brand showcases, entertainment, and extensive dining choices in a highly engaging and interactive environment. Seven major restaurants, a 10,000-square-foot specialty market, and a 15,000-square-foot health club and spa are planned as anchors for the retail development. Entertainment, recreational offerings, and other attractions are also in the early planning stages.”
 
According to KHON2, “Wai Kai at Hoakalei would include more than 110 retail establishments, including nearly two dozen restaurants and cafes, and a collection of shops and entertainment venues that overlook the resort’s 52-acre recreational lagoon. There are also plans for a 10,000-square-foot specialty market and a 15,000-square-foot health club and spa.”
 
PLEASE NOTE: If Haseko proceeds and completes this Wai Kai at Hoakalei project, aside from the many planned communities that have popped up over the years, the Wai Kai at Hoakalei project will potentially have the greatest effect ever hoisted on the homeowners, residents, businesses, schools, and wildlife of Ewa Beach.
 
Let the previous statement sink in for a moment.
 
In fact, I will re-state the obvious:
 
If Haseko proceeds and completes this Wai Kai at Hoakalei project, it will potentially have the greatest effect ever hoisted on the current homeowners, residents, businesses, schools, and wildlife of Ewa Beach.

Think about the potential effects:
~ Jobs (GOOD)
~ Visitors (GOOD)
~ Traffic (NOT-SO-GOOD)
~ Effect on existing businesses (NOT SURE)
~ Effects on schools and students (NOT SURE)
~ Effects on You, she, he, and me (NOT SURE)
~ Property values and associated taxes (NOT SURE)
 
It is for this reason that I have been consistently requesting an update from the developer. 
 
The developer has a representative that attends the Ewa Neighborhood Board Meetings.  However, whenever the representative is asked to provide an update on the progress of the Wai Kai at Hoakalei project, the answer is consistently, “I don’t have any information.”
 
              This is a totally unacceptable answer.

Moreover, as a member of the Neighborhood Board, I consistently hear area residents express frustration that “developers don’t do enough for the community.” 
 
To be sure, developers have made significant contributions to the community.  And many continue to do so, including Haseko.
 
However, given the controversy of the Wai Kai at Hoakalei project, a rational person would think that the developer would want to periodically update the Ewa and Kapolei community on “an exciting new marketplace with brand showcases, live experiences, and culinary theaters in a majestic place at the water's edge."
 
Sounds exciting, right?
 
Then why is it so difficult to obtain an update of where the project stands?
 
The Ewa Neighborhood Board will be in recess during the month of December.  However, please mark your calendars for the second Thursday in January; we WILL have accountability.

Visit ewa4ewa.com for updates...
 
With aloha,
John H. Clark III