The ILWU will hold meetings to provide information to pensioners and active members about the new Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit that begins enrollment on November 15 of this year. All Medicare beneficiaries are eligible for Medicare Part D.

How do you enroll? What kinds of plans are being offered? What if you already have a drug plan?
These questions and more will be answered at the meetings.

Before signing up for a Medicare Part D plan, ILWU pensioners are advised to come to a meeting and be aware of
marketing scams. Never give your bank account number, Medicare I.D. number, or other personal information to
telemarketers.

If you have any questions about the meetings, please call your Division Office at the numbers listed below.

Hilo: 935-372
Waimea: 885-6136
Kona: 329-2070
Wailuku: 244-9191
Lihue: 245-3374
Honolulu: 949-4161

Poamoho camp one step closer to homeownership

A year ago, 60 families of Poamoho Camp faced eviction by Del Monte, which operated the camp to provide housing for employees and retirees. Del Monte planned to cancel the land lease, bulldoze the houses, plow up the pineapple, and return 2,200 acres of land in its original condition to Galbraith Estate.

 With help from the Legislature, the 300 residents took a stand and fought to keep their homes However, with Galbraith not budging and no funds to purchase the land, efforts were at a stalemate until Peter Savio stepped into the picture. He made an agreement to purchase the land, and the eviction was averted.

Savio is a local developer who made a name for himself by converting rentals into fee-simple properties for sale. One notable project is Queen Emma Gardens. His developments have made homeowners of hundreds of Hawaii residents who had never before considered buying a home.

For the past year, the residents have worked to organize themselves while Savio sought financing to purchase the land from Galbraith Estate. Banks all over town turned him down because the project looked like too much of a risk.

First Hawaiian agrees to loan
Finally this summer, First Hawaiian Bank heard Peter Savio’s dreams and looked at the camp. They liked what they saw and could see the potential. They agreed to loan $2.6 million to HIDC Poamoho Camp, Inc. for the land acquisition.

At a press conference in August to announce the loan, First Hawaiian Bank President Donald Horner presented a symbolic check to all who are working to help the residents achieve home-ownership: Peter Savio; Vaeleti Tyrell, president of the Poamoho Camp Association; Fred Galdones, president of the ILWU, which is helping to organize the residents into a cooperative; Mayor Mufi Hannemann, whose administration will play a big role in allowing the camp to achieve its full potential; and City Council Chair  Donovan Dela Cruz and Rep. Michael Magaoay, in whose districts Poamoho is located. Rep. Marcus Oshiro, who spearheaded support for the camp when the potential of
eviction first surfaced, was not able to attend the press conference due to his involvement in a traffic accident
while driving to Poamoho.

Local President Fred Galdones said, “Saving Poamoho Camp means preserving a way of life and a bit of history. It means providing affordable housing, something scarce in Hawaii’s booming housing market. And, most of all, it means protecting the homes of more than 300 people, many of them ILWU members and retirees who labored long and hard to make the pineapple industry prosper in Hawaii.”

Peter Savio presented ohia trees to the camp to commemorate the loan. The ohia, he said, is a symbol of struggle. Nothing grows on lava rock except the ohia. It is a tree that struggles and survives amid adversity. Just like the residents of Poamoho Camp in their struggle for their homes.

Mayor Hannemann said he supports the residents of Poamoho because “it’s the right thing to do.” While there
are sure to be other hurdles to overcome, the Mayor said “nothing is insurmountable” and pledged to provide
assistance to the residents. With Savio’s purchase of the land, Poamoho residents are one step closer toward
achieving homeownership through a cooperative. With the City’s help, instead of individual lots, the camp will become a condominium to ensure that housing remains affordable and the character of the camp is preserved. ◆

Residents of Poamoho Camp with Peter Savio (kneeling, front).