More 'ice breakers' planned

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer

Four more communities have scheduled "ice breaker' meetings, joining a growing number of towns across O'ahu that are organizing to do something about the drug-related problems near their homes and businesses.

Next month, Palolo residents will discuss whether they would like a town hall meeting as well during a neighborhood board meeting at 7 p.m. July 9 at Palolo Elementary School.

And Waimanalo will hold a sign-waving campaign against drug abuse on July 8, with the hope of holding a town hall meeting later.

Since people in Kahalu'u decided to band together in March against the use and sale of drugs in their neighborhoods, other communities have followed suit. Agencies that deal with drug problems and officials from federal, state and city government are working with the communities.

Kailua decided it needed to be involved, said David Earles, spokesman for Castle Medical Center, a sponsor of that community's meeting. Seeing neighboring communities act was an incentive, Earles said.

"We're affected just like the rest," he said. "It may be in a different way. It may be more property crime here than actual drug abuse."

The Kailua Neighborhood Board and Hina Mauka will join Castle Medical Center in sponsoring the Kailua meeting.

Greg Tjapkes, corporate development officer at Hina Mauka, said community representatives are calling Hina Mauka weekly about holding town hall meetings to address ice issues.

Hina Mauka, a rehabilitation facility in Kane'ohe, was instrumental in initiating the first "ice breaker" town hall meeting in Kahalu'u, which had been working to get rid of drugs for about a year.

"It is exciting that it started here," Tjapkes said, "but it's more exciting that it took off."

Tjapkes said when helping set up meetings he tries to get communities to realize that the problem must be addressed at many levels: prevention, treatment and prosecution. None of these solutions alone will solve the problem, he said.

"It takes battles on many fronts," Tjapkes said.

Rep. Michael Magaoay, D-46 (Kahuku, North Shore, Schofield), said he wants the public educated at the town meeting he's hosting in Hale'iwa.

People will learn more about a new drug nuisance abatement law in which neighbors and landlords, not just authorities, can seek a civil court order demanding to end the "nuisance" of drug houses through a variety of means, Magaoay said.

He said he hopes the community will work together for the common good. One solution he would like to see is a youth center or a boys and girls club.

"It's summertime now and a lot of the kids are not doing anything except going to the beach and slumming," Magaoay said. "They need something to do."

Waimanalo hasn't set a meeting date yet, but Wilson Ho, Waimanalo Neighborhood Board chairman, said the community favors drug treatment as a solution.

"We don't want incarceration," Ho said. "We need to address how to help them rather than locking them up. If we do this, that's our stand."

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.

Correction: Michael Magaoay is a state representative for the 46th district, which covers Kahuku, the North Shore and Schofield. He was incorrectly identified in a previous version of this story.