Finding a vision for Hilo to follow

Advertiser Staff

HILO, Hawai'i — The volunteer group Friends of Downtown Hilo steering committee is organizing workshops to develop a "community-based vision and living plan" for the historic downtown Hilo area.

The first event, Turning Community Visioning Into Action, is designed for government officials and employees to brief them on ways community visioning has broken new ground nationwide, and on the importance of government participation in that.

The presentation by Steven Ames, planner and community visioning expert from Portland, Ore., will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Sept. 30 at the County Council Room in the Hilo County Building.

On Oct. 1, a training program for planners and community leaders will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Central Christian Church Meeting Hall in downtown Hilo. The facilitators who are trained will be asked to assist with the next day's workshop or at a future community visioning activity. Pre-registration is required by Sept. 28.

A Downtown Hilo Community Visioning Workshop will be held Oct. 2 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Aupuni Conference Center in Hilo.

That workshop is for people with a stake in downtown Hilo, including landowners, businesses, organizations, and others who care about the future of the area.

The workshop is free, lunch will be provided and pre-registration is requested by Sept. 29.

For more information or to register for the training or workshop, call Susan O'Neill at 933-9313, Shana Ross at the Hawai'i County Resource Center at 961-8085, or e-mail inquiries to hcrc@co.hawaii.hi.us.