House announces budget reductions

The Hawaii House of Representatives today announced its plan to deal with the economic and state budget crisis which includes salary reductions for permanent and session staff. There are no furloughs or layoffs. Effective between the dates of January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2010, reductions will be as follows:

· A 5% salary reduction for all permanent full-time staff employed by the House.
· A 15% salary reduction in session staff funding levels for all House committee chairs.
· A 20% salary reduction in session staff funding levels for all other House member offices.
· A 15% salary reduction for session staff in all House agency offices.

The House also significantly reduced other administrative expenses, including technical support services, for a combined 9% reduction of the total House of Representatives operating budget. This amounts to a cost savings of $1,026,570. (The House budget will be reduced from $11,403,163 in 2009 to $10,376,593 in 2010.)

Speaker of the House Calvin Say and Majority Leader Blake Oshiro met with House staff members this afternoon to announce salary reductions.

“The House staff works very hard for the membership and for the institution, but given the state’s fiscal crisis, it is necessary to reduce our expenses just as we are asking every other state agency to do,” said Speaker Say. “This was not a rash decision. We deliberated on the best plan for the House and decided that salary reductions rather than furloughs would work best for our responsibilities, especially during the legislative session.”

Should we be worried?

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Rep. Marcus Oshiro, House Finance Chair, forwarded this link on how the Arizona legislature is planning to "fix the state budget". Hawaii faces a potential $1 - 1.5 billion shortfall going into the 2010 session. Rep. Oshiro is leaving no stone unturned.

Speaker Say's Statement on Governor's Furlough Proposal

"I commend the Governor for advancing a proposal to reduce the number of furlough days for teachers. Implementation of the proposal apparently requires amendment of the teachers' collective bargaining agreement and an appropriation by the Legislature. The former, amendment of the agreement, requires approval by the parties to the negotiations, comprised of the HSTA representing teachers, and the Governor, Board of Education, and Superintendent of Education, collectively representing the State. By law, the Legislature is not a party in negotiations. In contrast, an appropriation requires legislative approval and, equally as important, the Governor's commitment to allot the appropriated funds to the Department of Education. Consequently, the proposal in effect requires the approval of the parties to the negotiations as well as the House and Senate.

As stated in my letter, dated November 6, 2009, to the parties, if they come to an agreement that requires legislation, I will do my utmost to have the House consider the proposal expeditiously.

If the parties agree relatively soon on a proposal that is ratified by the teachers and also agreeable to the House and Senate, then I will strongly recommend that the House convene in special session. I emphasize that such agreement will be a pre-condition to convening a special session."

Pilila'au 'Ohana Honored on Veteran's Day

From Representative Maile Shimabukuro,D-45 (Wai'anae, Makaha, Makua), who attended the Wai'anae Veteran's Day Ceremony to recognize the Pilila'au 'Ohana.

On 11/11/09, the relatives of Wai`anae Medal of Honor recipient Herbert Kaili Pilila`au attended the annual Veteran's Day ceremony. Each year the ceremony is hosted by the Wai`anae Coast's Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, and Ladies Auxiliary; Wai`anae and Nanakuli High School JROTC programs; the staff of the Herbert K. Pilila`au Army Recreation Center; and other volunteers.

Commander Rocky Naeole served as the master of ceremonies, and Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, Councilman Todd Apo, Rep. Karen Awana, and Rep. Maile Shimabukuro also spoke. Several speakers acknowledged the Wai`anae Coast's three Medal of Honor recipients: Shinyei Nagamine, Yeiki Kobashigawa, and Herbert K. Pilila`au.

Several speakers acknowledged the Pilila`au `ohana, who sat in the audience. As you can see from the photo, the Pilila`au's are familiar faces on our Wai`anae Coast. We are so grateful for the pride they have brought to our community.

After the ceremony, Ike Mahoe, Herbert K. Pilila`au's grand niece, wrote: "If there is anything else you would like to know about my granduncle or our family, please feel free to contact me at Jmahoe@gmail.com. Mahalo for your time and all your kind words today. Our family appriciates you all."

Mahalo nui loa to ALL VETERANS AND ACTIVE-DUTY SERVICE MEN & WOMEN. We are eternally grateful for your sacrifice!!

Photo: (L-R) Bottom row - Kasey, Ka`ili, and Keola; Middle row - Julie and Maryellen Pilila`au; Top row - Ike, Maria, and Debbie. In relation to Herbert Ka`ili Pilila`au, the children are the great-grand-nephews and niece; Maryellen is sister-in-law; Julie and Debbie are nieces; and Maria and Ike are grand-nieces.

Healthy Start and Quest

Coming up on Monday, November 16th, the House and Senate committees on Human Services and the Senate committee on Health will hold joint informational briefings on the state's Healthy Start and Quest programs.

Healthy Start
11:00 a.m.
State Capitol, Room 329

At one time, Hawaii's Healthy Start program was recognized as a model for the rest of the nation to follow. It aims to reduce child abuse and neglect by providing comprehensive home visitation, child development screening and intervention, psychosocial assessment, and counseling.

This past year, Healthy Start was reduced from 13 program sites statewide to two program sites, one on Oahu and one on the Big Island. These cuts make compliance with federal mandates under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) difficult, and impacts the state's relationship with the Office of Special Education Programs.

Quest
1:00 p.m.
State Capitol, Room 329

The Department of Human Services has been asked to attend and provide a status on the implementation of the Quest Expanded Program. This is a follow up briefing.

Rep. John Mizuno is chair of the House Committee on Human Services
Contact: 586-6050

Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland is chair of the Senate Committee on Human Services
Contact: 586-6130

Sen. David Ige is chair of the Senate Health Committee
Contact: 586-6230

Canned Goods, Vegas and Christmas Music

The public is invited to the "A Capitol Christmas", a free concert featuring a variety of Hawaii's favorite local music artists to be held in the State Capitol Rotunda. Concert organizers suggest that attendees bring in donation items such as canned goods and/or non-perishable foods. Those who bring in a donation will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a trip to Las Vegas! This will be the second year that Patrick Koh and the House of Representatives have come together to hold the concert and food drive to help feed Hawaii's hungry during the holiday season. Free parking will be available in the basement of the Hawaii State Capitol after 5 p.m. For more information, call 808-688-7799.

Performers include Patrick Koh, The Krush, Tradewinds, Angeli Callo, Arshiel Calatrava, Simplisity, Pauoa & Pacific Heights, The Higher Ground Jazz Ensemble, Rachel Jones, The Christian Academy High School Chorus, Paul Cortes, Crooner's Inc., and More!

When:
Friday, December 4, 2009
6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Where:
Hawaii State Capitol Rotunda



Photo (top left): Patrick Koh
Photo (bottom right): Angeli Callo

Reinventing Government committees formed

At its last meeting on November 6, 2009, the Reinventing Government Task Force established program area committees and assigned members as respective chairs. They are:

State Agency/Issue

Department of Education/Education - Chair Don Horner

Department of Transportation/Transportation - Chair Mark Fukunaga

Department of Land & Natural Resources/Land and Natural Resourses - Chair Laura Thielen

Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism/Economic Development - Chair Randy Perreira

Department of Human Resources Development/Human Resources - Co-chairs John Monahan and Walter Ozawa

Department of Human Services/Health and Human Services - Co-chairs Reginald Castanares, Lynn McCrory, Don Horner

Senator Donna Mercado Kim and Rep. Marcus Oshiro are to attend all of the committee meetings if possible. The previous post on Reinventing Government with the list of appointees and the establishing legislation can be found here.

"Peanut Butta Jelly"

Above, Rep. Marcus Oshiro performs a live reading of the poem "Peanut Butta Jelly" by Kenneth Lynn Quilantang, Jr. It was part of the Aloha Shorts program produced by Bamboo Ridge Press, which is broadcast on Hawaii Public Radio, Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. on KIPO, 89.3 FM.

This particular program will air sometime in January 2010, but was performed live on tape earlier this month. For more photos, go to the Bamboo Ridge site here.

Veteran's Day 2009

The following was originally posted on Veteran's Day 2007.

It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protestor to burn the flag.
Father Denis Edward O'Brien/USMC

To all of America's veterans, we say "thank you", even though we know words alone cannot express our appreciation for your service to our country. We join the rest of the nation on this day to remember the fallen and honor the sacrifices of 25 million veterans from the United States. On behalf of the Hawaii House of Representatives, we would also like to salute the veterans currently serving in our State Legislature:

The House of Representatives

Rep. Rida Cabanilla - Army Reserve Officer - Lt. Colonel
Rep. Jerry Chang - SGT E-5, U.S. Army, 7th Special Forces (Airborne)

Rep. Isaac Choy - U.S. Marine Corps
Rep. Ken Ito - U.S. Air Force, 1962 - 1966 (Veteran - Honorable Discharge)
Rep. Marilyn Lee - Navy Nurse, Full Lieutenant (ret.)
Rep. Joe Souki - U.S. Army
Rep. K. Mark Takai - Captain, Hawaii Army National Guard
Rep. Roy Takumi - Hawaii Air National Guard, 1970-1977
Rep. Gene Ward - Vietnam Veteran, Translator-Interpreter

The Senate

Sen. Robert Bunda - U.S. Air Force, Texas Army National Guard, Hawaii National Guard

Thank you Lon (that's Mr. Cupcake to you) Paresa, veteran and House Asst. Sgt-at-Arms, for sharing the above quote.

"We the Powerful" heads to Kauai

The Public Access Room (PAR) will head to the island of Kauai later this week to conduct a series of FREE workshops on the legislative process and how to get involved. The series is called "We the Powerful", and the workshops are designed to demonstrate how people can speak out at the legislature without having to fly to Honolulu.

Topics include:

Delivering effective testimony
Making sense of deadlines
Using the Legislature's website

Schedule:

Thursday, November 12 - 6:00 p.m.
Kapaa Library Conference Room

Saturday, November 14 - 10:00 a.m.
Koloa Library Conference Room

Monday, November 16 - 6:30 p.m.
Waimea Library

Tuesday, November 17 - 6:00 p.m.
Lihue Neighborhood Center, 3353 Eono St., Room B

Wednesday, November 18 - 6:00 p.m.
Princeville Library

BOE Blog

The Hawaii Board of Education launched its own blog back in July to provide news and commentary on public education issues. I perused a few of the blog entries, which highlight what is going on in the BOE, Department of Education, Hawaii Public Library System, and individual public schools, and found it to be a good resource for the public to stay informed and discuss current educational issues.

The BOE's public affairs officer, Alex Da Silva, is also on Twitter. You can follow him at www.twitter.com/hawaiiboe.

"Furloughs, Students and Politics"

Rep. Roy Takumi will be a guest on a live, call-in show, produced by the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. It's called "Furloughs, Students and Politics", hosted by Ibrahim G. Aoudé. Here are the details:

Air Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Time: 8:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Channel: Oceanic Time Warner Cable, Olelo, Channel 55

Guests:

Rep. Roy Takumi (interviewed at the State Capitol)
Sen. Will Espero
Jonathan Okamura, Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies-UHM
Noel Kent, Professor of Ethnic Studies-UHM.

Again, it's a LIVE broadcast, so CALL-IN your questions!

Rep Choy: "How many Girl Scouts are you going to arrest this year?"

That was Rep. Isaac Choy's question to the Hawaii State Tax Department on the department's initiative to zero-in on cash-only businesses.

The story in yesterday's Honolulu Advertiser is here.

The program was established through Act 134 which passed the 2009 legislature and was enacted in June of this year. The department has formed a Special Enforcement Section and is in the process of filling positions. The law now enables them to go after so-called cash economy businesses such as lunch wagons, farmers market vendors, swap meet vendors, mom and pop operations, and cookie sellers.

The intent of the law is to enforce Hawaii's tax collections, and tax officials estimate that they could collect as much as $100 million in additional general excise tax over the next three years. Rep. Choy, however, believes that the legislation is a bit "draconian" and may have to be tweaked this coming session. According to the story by reporter Sean Hao, the law requires that the seller register for a general excise tax license after ten transactions. A Girl Scout spokeswoman said that they will follow the intent and spirit of the law.

Former tax director Ray Kamikawa made the point that the Special Enforcement Section may be an ineffective use of state resources. Mom and pop operations will yield small amounts of revenues. The big money would come from drug dealers.

Surfing toward the Olympics

Bradah Mel's Canoe Surfing and Stand-Up Surfing Championships announced today that they are helping to raise funds for the Dolan Brothers of Kailua, Patrick, 21, and Ryan, 19, members of the U.S. Olympic Kayak team, on a quest to reach the 2012 Olympics in London.

Proceeds collected will go toward the hefty travel expenses for both young men to get to national and international competitions. With Olympic funding cut-off this year, the boys and their mother, Ann, have had to do a lot of fundraising on their own.

"What Mel is doing for these kids is admirable," said Rep. Maile Shimabukuro, who represents the Waianae area. "The event brings the community together to support our local athletes."

The surfing event, which attracts the best paddlers and surfers from Tahiti, Brazil, France and Hawaii and other states, will be held at Makaha Beach on December 5 and 6, 2009 or (alternate dates depending on surf conditions and weather) December 12 and 13, 2009.

Bradah Mel Pu'u, an avid waterman and Wai'anae Coast lifeguard, has been holding the surf contest for the past four years as a fundraiser for his friend Leighton Look, who was paralyzed in a diving accident. Look passed away last September. He was a popular coach and competitor in the sport of outrigger canoe paddling. This year, the annual surfing event will be held in memory of Look, to keep his legacy and kind nature alive in everyone's hearts and minds.

Event planners are still seeking monetary donations or items for a raffle drawing that will be held at the event. "I understand that times are tight and it is hard to give a lot, so we are asking for any type of donation possible," said Pu'u. “For the raffle, water sports items such as a t-shirt, surf shorts, a boogie board, or surf board would be greatly appreciated.”

For more information on how to donate, please call Bradah Mel Pu'u at 487-9086.

Town Hall Meeting at 'Ahuimanu Elementary School

Come to a town hall meeting with Rep. Jessica Wooley at 'Ahuimanu Elementary School tomorrow, November 4, 2009, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Rep. Wooley is holding this meeting to hear community concerns and give residents an opportunity to bring ideas for legislation to the table for the 2010 Legislative Session and opine on important state and community issues facing Hawaii residents. Light refreshments will be served.

Samoa Relief Effort

By Rep. Joey Manahan

The Kalihi community has been working hard to help the tsunami victims in Samoa. We collected a truck load of food, clothing, towels, blankets, and beddings, all of which were delivered to the Women's Center at Kuhio Park Terrace.

Rep. Manahan with Tiva Aga and volunteers at the Kuhio Park Terrace Women's Center. The volunteers are residents of KPT.

From there, the women, headed by Doris Jackson and Tiva Aga will sort and pack the donated items and send them to Samoa based on requests which are coming in to their office straight from the victims.

Left to Right--Junior Yaranon (Community Volunteer), Ace Tufu, (Manager of Honolulu Community Action Program--HCAP), Tiva Aga (KPT Women's Center), Rep. Joey Manahan, Auntie Lani, and Doris Jackson of the KPT Women's Center.

The women's center is working with local schools in Samoa who are facilitating communication from families needing relief items. They are being shipped via container with the help of Matson Shipping as well as Hawaiian Air Cargo (depending on availability of space for Hawaiian). I plan to go to deliver some of the items myself toward the end of the month.

Rep. Joey Manahan

"We the Powerful"

The Hawaii State Legislature's Public Access Room will be on Maui this week, conducting a series of FREE workshops on the legislative process. Called "We the Powerful!", the purpose of the workshops is to discover the public's power in the legislative process. Here is the schedule:

Monday, November 2nd
7:00 p.m.
Kihei Community Center

Tuesday, November 3rd
6:00 p.m.
Kahului Public Library

Wednesday, November 4th
6:30 p.m.
Pukalani/Tavares Community Center

Thursday, November 5th
6:00 p.m.
Wailuku Public Library

Virginia Beck, the Assistant Public Access Coordinator at the Public Access Room will lead the workshops. PAR is a division of the Legislative Reference Bureau. For more information call toll free: 984-2400, ext. 7-0478.

Contact Us

An updated House/Senate telephone and fax directory is here.

Kalihi schools compete in Lego Robotics

By Rep. Joey Manahan

Rep Manahan with Kalakaua Middle Team

Kalihi area schools, Fern Elementary, Puuhale Elementary, Dole Middle School, and Kalakaua Middle School all competed against each other in the Lego Robotics competition held this year at Kalakaua Middle School. The schools receive a grant to purchase equipment, and they build machines which are put through an obstacle course.

Fern Elementary Team

They are judged on various tasks that are accomplished by the robots they design, and they are also judged on the robot's ability to maneuver and complete the obstacle course in the given amount of time.

Dole Middle School Team

The competition is both challenging and fun, and the students learn math and science skills as well as problem solving. The competition between the schools are preliminary rounds, which lead to a statewide competition held in the coming months at the Blaisdell Arena.

Puuhale Elementary Team

Both Senator Donna Mercado Kim and I were in attendance to support the students.

Senator Kim with Fern Elementary Team

Talk Story with Representative Sharon Har

Representative Har will be holding a Talk Story to hear concerns from community members. The meeting will be in the teacher's lounge of Kapolei High School Saturday, November 14, 2009 at 9:00 a.m.

Catch up on what's been going on at the Capitol and in District40 - Royal Kunia, Makakilo, Kapolei, Kalaeloa at Rep. Har's newsletter website.

You'll find it at hawaiihouseblog.googlepages.com/repsharonhar or on the left column of our blog in the links section.

Capitol Ghost Stories 2009 - D.C. (and that doesn't stand for District of Columbia)

The Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. counts former presidents, congressmen, senators, and even a black cat amongst its ghostly population. One listing of capitol ghosts can be found here. The cat is appropriately named DC, but that's short for...Demon Cat!

DC is a black cat, its gender unknown. As was common in the 1800's, the nation's capitol was infested with rats. Cats were brought in to wander the corridors and catch the rats. DC is thought to be descended from those days for it is a fierce looking animal seen roaming the hallways looking for prey.

Many people, especially security guards, have encountered Demon Cat over the years. The feline only appears at night and has only been seen when the viewer is alone.

"One guard who saw it wants to remain anonymous. It happened on a January night in the 1970s. As he was walking through a passage way, he saw the black cat approach. The phantom appeared to get larger as it walked toward him. Its eyes had a reddish glow. The guard was afraid to move. Finally, the phantom reached the size of a tiger and its meowings changed to roars. It crouched and sprang and all the guard could do was to pray and close his eyes. Nothing happened. When the guard opened his eyes, the cat had vanished.

He told only a few trusted friends about the incident because he was afraid that people would think he was insane or that he had been under the influence while working, either of which he feared would cost him his job."

One more thing. Demon Cat has reportedly been seen before the change in administrations. Keep an eye out for DC in 2012!

Aloha Shorts

Anyone who parks at the State Capitol underground lot on a regular basis will have seen, from time to time, Rep. Marcus Oshiro's white SUV, surfboard on the roof, and a pair of aloha print swim shorts drying on the antenna. Who better than Rep. Oshiro to perform a live reading of "Man Kine" as part of the Aloha Shorts radio program on Hawaii Public Radio?

The program tapes before a studio audience on the first Sunday of each month. The event is free, but reservations are recommended. Call 955-8821 to reserve your seat. "Man Kine" will tape on Sunday, November 1, 2009 at 6:45 p.m. You can catch the broadcast on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. on KIPO, 89.3 FM. In case you miss it, you can listen to the podcast via the Hawaii Public Radio website.

UPDATE: According to the show producers, this segment of Aloha Shorts won't be broadcast until sometime in January. We'll keep you posted.

Aloha Shorts is based on the writings from Bamboo Ridge Press. Three pieces with the theme of masculine identity were selected for the "Man Kine" show.

Rep. Oshiro is chair of the House Finance Committee and represents District 39 - Wahiawa, Whitmore Village, Launani Valley. He is an attorney. He has also acted in various community theater plays.

Capitol Ghost Stories 2009 - The Spirit of Rep. Bob Nakasone

Rep. Jon Riki Karamatsu (left) and Rep. Bob Nakasone in 2006

Rep. Jon Riki Karamatsu shared with me some of his personal experiences involving the spirit of the late Rep. Bob Nakasone. Rep. Nakasone, who represented Maui House District 9 – Kahului, Wailuku, Paia, passed away on December 7, 2008. His seat was filled by the appointment of Rep. Gil Keith-Agaran. Rep. Nakasone was regarded as a strong and influential leader of the House. He was considered one of the most knowledgeable legislators on Hawaii’s laws; he always did his homework and he had a respected institutional memory. He didn’t talk much, and he rarely consented to a media interview. He was also someone who understood the need for lawmakers to relieve stress, and the importance of everyone coming together socially even though you may disagree on the issues. His office was a gathering place, often lively, for friends to unwind and restore each other’s spirits.

December 12, 2008
After Rep. Nakasone passed away, many people at the Capitol mourned the loss, and Jon was feeling very sad for the entire week. On the night of December 12th, a Friday, Jon was working late at his capitol office when a friend and her daughter stopped by to visit around 9:15 p.m. They decided to walk over to Honolulu Hale and see the Christmas lights. On the ground level, they were walking down the capitol stairs near the Queen Liliuokalani statue when all of a sudden they heard very loud party noises. It sounded like a gathering of around a dozen people, laughing and talking, coming from the lanai area of Rep. Nakasone’s office. It was so loud that they looked up, the noise stopped, and it became completely silent. All the windows in the offices on the makai side of the building were dark. Jon asked his friend if she heard the noises too. She said she did, and that it sounded like Bob was back having a party. Just then, the sky opened up and they got drenched in a heavy downpour of rain. They ran back inside the capitol and didn’t go out to see the lights until later that night.

February 20, 2009
One of Jon’s friends, who shall remain anonymous, is sensitive to feeling the presence of spirits and sometimes even seeing them. On Thursday, February 19th, she mentioned to Jon that she was walking past Rep. Nakasone’s office (now Rep. Keith-Agaran’s office) and she felt his presence but did not see anything.

On February 20th, shortly after 12 noon, Rep. Karamatsu went up to the podium in the House Chamber and asked the members for a moment of silence in honor of the passing of Rep. Nakasone. Jon’s friend was watching the House proceedings on closed circuit television, and when she saw that Jon was asking for a moment of silence for Rep. Nakasone, she felt the urge to go back to Rep. Nakasone’s office to see if his presence was there.

Sure enough, as she walked toward the office in the narrow hallway, she saw Rep. Nakasone approaching her. They both stopped to talk. He said to her, “Jon listens to you, and that’s good.” Jon’s friend asked Bob, “Is Jon going to Hilo?” He replied, “Don’t worry, he’ll be in Hilo.” With that he continued walking past her, and she saw him fade as he walked away.

We’re not sure what the Hilo reference is about. There was a group of Big Island lawmakers who planned an event in Hilo the following day, Saturday. Rep. Karamatsu did not attend that event. However, he would later launch his neighbor island campaign for Lt. Governor in Hilo on Saturday, July 18, 2009.

Philippine Relief Effort Continues

Rep. Manahan with the students of Filipino Clubs from the University of Hawaii (Katipunan) and Hawaii Pacific University (Kababayan).

Rep. Joey Manahan (District 29 - Sand Island, Mokauea, Kalihi Kai, Kapalama) in the yellow shirt, Deputy Consul Lourdes Tabamo, and Consul General Leoncio R. Cardenas at the Philippine Consulate. Behind them are boxes full of the donated goods, clothing and medicine collected for the flood victims in the Philippines. LBC is the shipper who has agreed to transport the donations to the Philippines at no cost.

Capitol Ghost Stories: Governor Burns' Cigar Smoke

Submitted by Malia:

So, I'm too young (cough! cough!) to have been there for his admin, but I was told that Governor Burns smoked cigars in his office. Theres a 4th floor conference room - the one near the makai elevators - that used to be office space for WAM, then Consumer, then..i dunno....thats right under where his office [was] I worked in there when I was with WAM.

I was told that the ghost of Governor Burns often returned to the Governor's Office and that an otherwise inexplicable smell of cigar smoke let you know he was there. One night, like 2am, I was in my office with my coworker - and you know at 3am, there's no one left but WAM and FIN - when all of a sudden the entire office reeked of cigar smoke. We went outside - no one. We called the Sheriff to check if anyone was upstairs - no one. We were FREAKED! EEEEEEK!

Note by Georgette: This sounds like Room 414. If so, this room has a history of "activity". A reader submitted a ghost story last year on this room, which is currently occupied by the Olelo Mini-studio.