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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Thursday, December 6, 2001

Windward merchants united in hard times

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O‘ahu Writer

WAIMANALO — Amid a dramatic economic dropoff across the state, a group of Waimanalo business owners and residents has vowed to form the community's first chamber of commerce to help members survive the downturn and, ultimately, to increase the area's economic base.

Twenty-seven people attended the group's first meeting yesterday, which was spearheaded by former state Sen. Whitney Anderson. At the gathering, they formally agreed to form the Waimanalo Chamber of Commerce.

"A chamber of commerce is needed because right now the economy is down, and we need to keep the money in Waimanalo," said Andrew Jamila Jr., of the Waimanalo Construction Coalition and a member of the Waimanalo Neighborhood Board.

About 60 businesses operate in Waimanalo, including agriculture, retail, restaurants and social services. Difficulty arises when some of these operators try to diversify and are shot down by government regulations, said businessman Joe Correa.

"On the one hand they say we want this community to be economically self-sufficient, but as soon as somebody tries to do something they get hammered by the law," he said.

Business owner Kevin Andrews said the community could sustain itself with a variety of new businesses such as a permanent farmers' market, a tourist information center, a native Hawaiian village and a drug rehabilitation center.

"As a chamber of commerce we should consider what is the most important thing," Andrews said. "People in business may not think a drug rehab is a profit center, but if you don't have any workers, you can't really be in business here. Trust me. It's a major problem."

Some public officials have expressed concern the group could be an attempt to gain support for legalized gambling in Hawai'i. However, Anderson said that is not one of the group's goals.

What the group hopes to do is harness the energy and knowledge of its members for the benefit of all, and to lobby lawmakers on business legislation, members said.

The group's next meeting will be at 7 a.m. Jan. 9 at the Olomana Golf Course meeting room.