MAYOR HANNEMANN APPLAUDS SAFETY EFFORTS

            Mayor Hannemann today expressed relief that the National Weather Service has cancelled the high-wind warning for Oahu, and he applauded the effective cooperation among county, state, federal and nongovernment agencies to ensure public safety during the warning period.

            “We hoped for the best, but were prepared for the worst, and our precautionary steps definitely helped prevent unnecessary exposure to danger,” Mayor Hannemann said. “I congratulate our public safety employees and all others who were on duty throughout the night and remained fully prepared to respond to any emergencies.”

            Approximately 115 people sought refuge last night in emergency shelters staffed by the American Red Cross at City park facilities. The shelters, at Waialua, Kaneohe, Waianae and Waimanalo district parks, will all be closed by noon today. City buses will provide transportation from the shelters.

            City officials are now inspecting parks and facilities for damage. City Parks Director Lester Chang said people with prior permits that require park staffing today should check with individual parks to determine if those permits will be supported. All camping permits will be honored from 8 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday), including at Bellows and Waimanalo Bay beach parks. All city parks will be operating normally within 24 hours, he said.

            TheBus is operating today on a state holiday schedule. Handi Van service is operating as scheduled.

            The City’s Emergency Operating Center remained operational all night and is scheduled to deactivate at 3 p.m. today.

Acting Mayor Kirk Caldwell is overseeing City operations from the Emergency Operating Center with top Police, Fire, and Emergency Medical officials and other key City employees.

Mayor Hannemann is in Washington DC, where he and Neighbor Island mayors spent the day on Capitol Hill lobbying for economic recovery efforts.

Tomorrow (Saturday), Mayor Hannemann will preside over a meeting of the US Conference of Mayors Tourism, Arts, Parks, Entertainment and Sports Committee, which he chairs.

Sunday, the mayor will address the USCM Plenary Session on the Olympic Task Force that he co-chairs with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley to bring the 2016 Olympics to the United States. 

On Monday, Mayor Hannemann will present USCM Leadership in the Arts awards to national figures who have made significant contributions to the arts world.

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