“Something, somewhere, knows what’s best for me and promises to keep sending me people and experiences to light my way as long as I live in gratitude and keep paying attention to the signs.” ― Jennifer Elisabeth “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ― Melody Beattie “What lies behind us and what lies before us are small compared to what lies within us.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

1. PRESIDENT
INTERIM UH MĀNOA CHANCELLOR
Dr. David Lassner
INSTITUTE FOR ASTRONOMY (IFA)
Dr. Guenther Hasinger
IfA Director
Dr. Robert A Mclaren
IfA Associate Director
Dr. Michael Maberry
Director for External Relations
University of Hawai`i Hilo
Natural Sciences Division
Department of Physics & Astronomy
Dr. Marianne Takamiya
Department Chair
Dr. R. Pierre Martin
Director
Hōkū Ke`a Observatory
The Japan Times
January 22, 2017
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/01/22/national/science-health/international-telescope-project-hawaii-dogged-local-protests/#.WIdVvYWcFhF
Web accessed: January 23, 2017 [Emphasis Supplied]
Construction of the telescope began in 2014 but was halted the following year amid
intensified opposition from residents concerned by damage to nature and traditional culture.
After falling behind schedule, the TMT board in October 2016 set La Palma in the Canary
Islands as an alternate to Mauna Kea, where 13 telescopes, including Subaru, currently
stand.
Opponents and supporters made their case at court hearings earlier this month. Those
testifying included local astronomers of Native Hawaiian descent who support the TMT.
Marti Townsend, head of the environmental organization Sierra Club’s state
chapter, described the project and existing observatories as “urban sprawl” on
Mauna Kea, claiming the TMT will obstruct views, according to the TMT website.
But the TMT’s location is below the summit of the volcano “to minimize its visual
” the website said.impact,
“Mauna Kea is a sacred place, but not so sacred that it cannot be used for the
betterment of our people,” Paul Coleman, an astrophysicist at the University of
Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy, testified on a separate day, according to the
website.
“Allowing astronomy on Mauna Kea is definitely one of those things which brings
benefits to Hawaiians. It instills pride, fosters educational benefits, and provides a
source of income in a clean, green field,” he said.
“We still believe that science and culture can coexist on Mauna Kea,” Ishikawa
[TMT Spokesperson Scott Ishikawa] said.

2. Telescope Leaving? “Will Decide This Autumn”
JT: …The Thirty Meter Telescope board recently decided that a site in the Canary Islands
off Africa’s northwestern coast will serve as a backup.
The TMT project team, including researchers from Canada, China, India, Japan and the
United States, still considers Hawaii the primary site but plans to advance with a dual-track
approach.
“We will decide on which site (the telescope) will be constructed around autumn,” said
Tomonori Usuda, a professor at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan….
Construction of the telescope began in 2014 but was halted the following year amid
intensified opposition from residents concerned by damage to nature and traditional
culture.
In December 2015, the Supreme Court of Hawaii revoked the TMT’s construction permit,
citing procedural errors by the state government.
State agencies have been working to redo the permit process since 2016, and another court
decision is expected around May.
Even if the TMT receives a new permit, the completion of the observatory is likely to be
delayed more than five years from the initially target of 2022.
“We remain hopeful that a state permit can be issued this year to allow
construction . . . by April 2018,” TMT spokesman Scott Ishikawa said via email….
Source: Hawaii Free Press. January 22, 2017. Web Accessed: January 23, 2017.
http://www.hawaiifreepress.com/ArticlesDailyNews/tabid/65/ID/18981/January-22-2017-News-
Read.aspx?utm_source=Copy+of+January+22%2C+2017+News+from+Hawaii+Free+Press&utm_campaign=January+22%2C+2017+Email+9am&utm_medium=email
_____________________
Governor David Ige
Stewardship of Mauna Kea
May 26, 2015
http://governor.hawaii.gov/newsroom/news-release-governor-david-ige-announces-major-changes-in-the-stewardship-of-mauna-kea/
Web Accessed: January 23, 2017
Governor Ige asked the University of Hawai‘i to take 10 significant actions related to enhanced stewardship in general
and to the Thirty-Meter Telescope (TMT), specifically,
1. Accept its responsibility to do a better job in the future.
2. Formally and legally bind itself to the commitment that this is the last area on the mountain where a telescope
project will be contemplated or sought.
3. Decommission – beginning this year – as many telescopes as possible with at least 25 percent of all telescopes
gone by the time TMT is ready for operation.
4. Restart the EIS process for the university’s lease extension and conduct a full cultural impact assessment as part
of that process.
5. Move expeditiously the access rules that significantly limit and put conditions on noncultural access to the
mountain.

3. 6. Require training in the cultural aspects of the mountain and how to be respectful to the cultural areas for
anyone going on the mountain.
7. Substantially reduce the length of its request for a lease extension from the Board of Land and Natural
Resources.
8. Voluntarily return to full DLNR jurisdiction all lands (over 10,000 acres) not specifically needed for astronomy.
9. Ensure full use of its scheduled telescope time.
10. Make a good faith effort to revisit the issue of payments by the existing telescope now as well as requiring it in
the new lease.
________________________
“Governor David Ige signed new rules for Mauna Kea on Tuesday. The rules were approved by the Board of Land and
Natural Resources after a long public hearing on Friday, July 10th. The rules were supported by the University of
Hawaii, state law enforcement and astronomers. However, a greater number of testifiers opposed the rules. Many are
opponents of the Thirty Meter Telescope who stand in support of efforts to block the construction of the $1.4 billion
observatory on the summit of the mountain.
“Governor David Ige issued this statement:
“Today I signed the Land Board’s emergency rule limiting usage of the road between the hours of 10 pm and
4 am. The rule is in effect for 120 days only and gives the state an additional tool to keep the road safe for all.
My administration believes firmly in the right of free expression. At the same time we cannot let some people
put others at risk of harm or property damage. This temporary rule helps strike that balance. I respectfully ask
everyone using the road to exercise caution and obey the law.” – Gov. David Ige in July 14, 2015
“If the Governor truly wants a peaceful resolution to this situation, Governor Ige can certainly wait to take
any kind of further actions until the Supreme Court renders a decision, something that has been requested by
the 61,110 people who have signed our petition to date (in April we delivered the first round of Petitions of
53,000 signatures). There is nothing that compels him to act at this point and, especially to do something as
unnecessary and drastic as calling out the National Guard, except for maybe trying to accommodate the
personal demands of TMT. The Governor needs to be unbiased and objective in this conflict and not take
sides. The Governor needs to put his “listening” into practice and exercise what he claims he learned when
he met with the protectors at the encampment for several hours just a couple of months ago, the true
meaning of Kapu Aloha.
“All the Governor has at this point is a shovel and a gun. It seems he has thrown out all reason and
abandoned his previous support of our constitutional right to peacefully protest against the further
desecration of our sacred mountain by TMT’s construction crews.
“Why is the Governor not enforcing Hawai`i’s desecration law (as we have repeatedly requested), the
standard for which is the level of grief and outrage expressed. The Heavens know the level of grief and
outrage this controversy is causing and it has been well documented in the media and at the protests.
“We urge you Governor Ige not to succumb to fear, but to act with confidence in Aloha — as we are — and
we strongly encourage you to actually invoke the Aloha Spirit Law for real and for all the People of Hawai`i.”
– Mauna Kea Hui on July 14, 2015”
Source: Big Island Video News. July 15, 2015. http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2015/07/15/gov-signs-new-mauna-kea-
rules-talk-of-national-guard/ Web Accessed: January 23, 2017

4. Hawaiian court throws out Thirty Meter Telescope building permit
Dec 4, 2015
In its ruling on 2 December, the court claimed that Hawaii’s Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR)
should not have approved the permit in 2011 because it failed to follow due process when awarding it.
“Quite simply, the board put the cart before the horse when it issued the permit before the request for a
contested case hearing was resolved and the hearing was held," the ruling notes. “Accordingly, the permit
cannot stand.”
1
The court decision now requires the TMT to go through the process again that will first involve a “contested
case hearing”, which must be heard first before a permit can be issued. The decision by the court will result in
delays beyond the targeted 2023 construction date, although how long is currently unknown.
“I'm not surprised the court looked at the permitting process itself, since the actual case for building the
TMT – that it will be an environmentally and culturally responsible observatory that benefits the educational
and economic future of Hawaii – is and remains exceptionally strong,” says Thayne Currie, an astronomer
with the Subaru Telescope on Mauna Kea. “Considering the tremendous scientific discoveries and
opportunities that the TMT will afford, the wait will be worth it.”
Respecting the decision
In a statement, Henry Yang, chair of the TMT International Observatory Board of Directors, noted that the
TMT collaboration is now considering its next steps. “We thank the Hawaii supreme court for the timely
ruling and we respect their decision. TMT will follow the process set forth by the state, as we always have,”
says Yang. “We appreciate and thank the people of Hawaii and our supporters from these last eight-plus
years.”
Source: Physics World. Michael Banks, News Editor. Web Accessed: January 23, 2017.
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/2015/dec/04/hawaiian-court-throws-out-thirty-meter-telescope-building-
permit
________________________
2016 STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS
Governor David Y. Ige
January 25, 2016
BIG ISLAND VIDEO NEWS
http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2016/01/25/video-governor-ige-affirms-tmt-support-in-state-of-the-state/
Web Accessed: January 23, 2017
Comparing the stalled Thirty Meter Telescope project on Mauna Kea to the Superferry fiasco, Hawaii
Governor David Ige affirmed his support for the $1.4 billion observatory project during Monday’s State of
the State Address. “I am committed to pursuing this project,” the governor declared, “and I hope its
sponsors will stay with us. And this time, we will listen carefully to all, reflect seriously on what we have heard
and, whatever we do in the end, we will do it the right way.” In 2015, the construction of the TMT was
delayed as opposition to the project blocked the Mauna Kea Access Road. Then, the Hawaii Supreme Court
halted the construction and vacated the TMT conservation district use permit to build on the summit area.
The high court found that the state did not follow proper procedure in awarding the permit to the
observatory.” “In a recent ruling,” Ige said, “the Supreme Court did not say don’t do this project. What they
did say was that the state didn’t do the right things in the approval process. It told us we needed to do a
better job of listening to people and giving them a real opportunity to be heard.”
1 Footnote, Supplied. Hawaii Supreme Court. http://www.courts.state.hi.us/docs/opin_ord/sct/2015/December/SCAP-14-0000873.pdf

5. _____
2017 STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS
Governor David Y. Ige
January 22, 2017
HAWAII NEWS NOW
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/34319265/ige-to-focus-on-homelessness-education-in-third-state-of-the-state
Web Accessed: January 23, 2017
In his third State of the State address on Monday, Gov. David Ige pointed to homelessness, education and government
accountability as the core priorities for his administration in the coming year, but he also warned of a slowing economy
that could prompt tough budget decisions.
“While we cannot predict the future, it’s clear to me that we are living in very challenging and exciting times. And we
face these times standing on solid ground,” Ige said, in the first minutes of his speech.
“In many ways, the state of the State of Hawaii is sound and full of possibilities. Having said that, we all know there is
still much work to be done. There are families out there that continue to struggle despite the overall state of our
economy.”
Ige focused on these key themes:
• Transforming schools to better prepare children for the future;
• Reshaping Hawaii’s economy to allow for more innovation across industries;
• Building more affordable homes for and addressing homelessness;
• Making government more efficient and effective.
[P]olitical analyst Dan Boylan said Ige did “an adequate job” in his address by touching on issues that are important to
Hawaii families and laying out his plan for fixing Hawaii's biggest problems. “I don't think it's any worse than any of the
State of the State addresses, but I don't think it’s any better either,” he said.
And Sam Slom, who was formerly the lone Republican in the state Senate, said Ige’s speech was more talk than action.
“The governor mentioned that families are struggling and they are,” he said. “What's our plan B? We don't have it.
Hawaii is lagging behind other state[s] (sic).”
______________________
Has the Governor lost his shovel and a gun and succumbed to negative fear pressure?
““Groups opposed to the TMT’s construction have, however, welcomed the [Hawaii Supreme Court]
decision. Kamahana Kealoha, head facilitator of Sacred Mauna Kea Hui, says the group is “elated” at the
move to annul the permit, which he says has been acquired “through an immorally and unethically
manipulated process that has been negligently overseen by the BLNR”. “Our goal has always been to
systematically secure the Mauna,” Kealoha told physicsworld.com.
“The revoking of the construction permit is essential for us to succeed in protecting the mountain summit
and the endangered-species environment from further development by this 18-storey monstrosity.”

6. “Kealoha adds that they now hope that TMT's backers will “see red flags and pull out”. “Quite frankly, the
resistance is here to stay, and we plan to see to it that the TMT is not built,” he says. “This could be more
costly than the $1.4bn already appropriated and, speaking for myself and my group, we will continue to make
sure the TMT being built on our sacred summit is not a profitable venture for investors, as we already
have.””
Source: Physics World, cited above.
______________________
Mr. Scott Ishikawa is an individual for whom I have the highest respect. As a Spokesperson for an
organization Mr. Ishikawa speaks simply the Truth. There is no hidden agenda, there is no smoke and
mirrors – simply, this is the bottom line, this is the TMT’s comprehensive and collective statement on this
matter.
Personally in recent correspondence I have said `Aole TMT, No TMT. The fractionalization of the
Community, the disharmony and dysfunction among people, the loss of longtime friendships, the breakdown
of the ohana and polarization of our communities told me that it would be best to give up and to back away
from more controversy and fighting than to prolong and protract a situation where the people are unhappy,
frustrated and angry. Let peace, harmony and goodwill prevail, I said to myself. Nothing is more precious
than people being people, smiling and sharing the spirit of Aloha.
Mr. Ishikawa’s statements in and on behalf of the University of Hawai`i, Institute for Astronomy and the
scientific community inspired me to reflect and reassess.
This morning, January 23, 2017 in my time of quiet reflection I remembered a life experience where I had the
distinct honor and privilege of serving as a Guardian for `Iolani Palace, Honolulu, Hawai`i.
The palace was first known as Hale Ali`i (House of the Chief). King Kamehameha V changed its name to
`Iolani Palace in honor of his late brother and predecessor. `Io is the Hawaiian hawk, representative of the
bird that flies higher than all the rest. Lani denotes heavenly, royal, or exalted.
As a Guardian I stood postings in every room in `Iolani Palace. My favorite was the Library. The Library
holds the history and works of King David Kalakaua. Between visitors there were many quiet and private
moments.
To say that King Kalakaua would be offended by the construction of a telescope such as the TMT that would
give us glimpses to uncharted places in our wide universe is in my belief to misunderstand and misrepresent
the vision and spiritual sense held dearly by King Kalakaua to provide a sound knowledge and educational
foundation for our keiki, today, tomorrow and the in future so they may be empowered with open minds to
seek out and explore uncharted paths to better mankind.
King Kalakaua was a visionary and accomplished many firsts during his reign. He was the first king to visit
the United States. He negotiated a reciprocity treaty which allowed Hawaiian sugar into the United States
duty-free. In 1881, King Kalakaua became the first monarch to circumnavigate the globe.
Concerned about the loss of native Hawaiian culture and traditions, King Kalakaua encouraged the
transcription of Hawaiian oral traditions, and supported the revival of and public performances of the hula,
which had been banned earlier in the century.

7. King Kalakaua outfitted `Iolani Palace with the most up-to-date amenities -- indoor plumbing, electric
lighting less than seven years after Edison invented the first practical incandescent bulb) and a modern
communications system that included the telephone. King Kalakaua waged many struggles during his reign.
King Kalakaua died on January 20, 1891 at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.
I firmly and sincerely believe that King Kalakaua would have said, “Remember our past; look forward to the
future; work together; preserve, protect and perpetuate; embrace knowledge and education.”
_____
HONOLULU Magazine was founded by King David Kalakaua
“[K]umu hula Micah Kamahoali`i, whose family has lived in Waimea for “100 generations,” opened
with an oli (chant) and shared the cultural significance of and mo`olelo (stories) about this revered
volcano. It’s the central element of Native Hawaiian creation stories, the first-born mountain son of
Wākea and Papa, and the connection between the land and the heavens. The summit, which rises
13,796 feet above sea level, making it the tallest island volcano and highest peak in all of Oceania, is
the most sacred part of Mauna Kea. It’s considered wao akua, or the realm of the gods.
“We have to learn how to live in the same world with both science and culture,” says Kamahoali`i,
whose family owned a janitorial business that was contracted by some of the observatories. “This is
something the community needs, and it’s finally happening. My biggest thing is that we know our
place, we know our space, and we know how to live in two spaces. I always say, ‘Walk in the
footsteps of our kūpuna but wear shoes this time.’”
Source: HONOLULU Magazine. Walk Inside the Controversial Telescopes Atop Mauna Kea.
Observatories show a symbiotic relationship between culture and science on this sacred mountain.
By Catherine Toth Fox. Published 2016.01.18 03:18 PM. Web Accessed: January 23, 2017.
Photo by Catherine Toth Fox