Mea Ho‘omana‘o awards presented to 6 KPD officers

WAIMEA — Six police officers were recently recognized for their diligent work that resulted in the closure of several Westside burglary cases and peace of mind for a Westside resort, a county news release states.

Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr., Stephanie Iona, general manager of the Waimea Plantation Cottages, and her husband Police Commissioner Charles Iona presented Mea Ho‘omana‘o (the reminder) awards to Sgt. Bernard Purisima and officers Allen Andres, Joseph Himongala, George Laccone, Damien Mendiola and David Miyao.

“Their actions truly exemplified the concept of ‘Aloha Begins With Me,’ which is the focus of the Mea Ho‘omana‘o program,” the mayor said.

Stephanie Iona noted that the officers brought an end to a nerve-wracking time for the guests and employees of the Waimea Plantation Cottages.

“We were so relieved when the officers recovered the items that were stolen from our property and returned them to us,” said Iona. “Thanks to their diligent investigations, all the recent burglary cases involving our property were solved.”

The Mea Ho‘omana‘o program was created last year by a group of community members who were tasked by the late Mayor Bryan Baptiste with creating a program that would restore aloha to people’s interactions with each other.

The first recipient of a Mea Ho‘omana‘o award was Dennis Fujimoto, staff photographer for The Garden Island newspaper.

“We want to encourage residents to write to us and share their stories of Aloha,” said Carvalho. “If someone you know — or even a stranger — exhibits aloha in action or word, let us know and we will acknowledge them with a Mea Ho‘omana‘o award.”

Anyone who would like to share a story of aloha with the mayor and join him in presenting the certificate to someone who exemplifies “Aloha Begins With Me” should contact the mayor’s office at 241-4900 or by e-mail at mayor@kauai.gov