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Mayor Blangiardi on homeless solutions and his 2025 Town Hall Tour · The One Oʻahu Podcast with Mayor Rick Blangiardi

• 0:15
  Welcome to the One Oahu podcast.
• 0:17
  I'm your host, Brandi Higa, and today is Thursday, February 20th, 2025.
• 0:22
  We're back this week with Mayor Rick Blangiardi and Mayor.
• 0:25
  Let's let's start off with something uplifting.
• 0:27
  We've had a rough year.
• 0:28
  What's the best thing that's happened so far this month?
• 0:32
  Wow, that's a great question.
• 0:34
  You know, there's been a lot of good things happening.
• 0:35
  I'm starting to see,
• 0:37
  things really come to fruition on a homeless front.
• 0:40
  Some really major breakthroughs in our TOD
• 0:42
  planning and housing that I'm excited about.
• 0:45
  You know, as I said in the inaugural address,
• 0:47
  we're shifting from execution to, I mean, from planning to execution now.
• 0:51
  And so a lot of the things that we've been working on,
• 0:54
  are starting to really begin to manifest.
• 0:56
  So I'm just feeling really encouraged.
• 0:58
  We've had a lot of good news lately
• 1:00
  on plans we've put in place and things that you can see coming together.
• 1:04
  And so let me just though, I always think in terms of people, since you asked me,
• 1:09
  because you just started two days ago, wrote me a horror story. Yes.
• 1:12
  Yeah, me a hero.
• 1:13
  I always want to save me a horror.
• 1:15
  It's me a hero. It's a.
• 1:17
  And am I a hero? Me a hero.
• 1:21
  But I'm really excited
• 1:22
  about really becoming our new director of Homeless Solutions.
• 1:25
  And I changed the title to Homeless Quarter to Homeless Solutions
• 1:28
  because our efforts right now are ongoing, ongoing care,
• 1:33
  challenging us ourselves to be innovative.
• 1:35
  And I want somebody who I just like that in the title and not because there's
• 1:40
  no there's no formula for fixing
• 1:43
  or working with this really complex and challenging issue.
• 1:46
  And I always want us to be on the forefront of thinking differently
• 1:49
  and being adaptive and trying to come up with different things.
• 1:52
  So I really like the idea of homeless solutions because,
• 1:56
  nobody's mastered this.
• 1:57
  There are so many different challenges out there.
• 2:00
  But I expect this to make some great headway.
• 2:02
  And that's probably the last thing I'll say.
• 2:03
  We are really and I just alluded to it a moment ago,
• 2:07
  but we took a meeting last week that I was inspired by.
• 2:09
  We had, a lot of people in the room with real knowhow.
• 2:14
  We had at one point we had six doctors in the room as well.
• 2:17
  And so we're talking much more about what we're going to do versus
• 2:21
  when we had a roomful of lawyers and all the things we couldn't do
• 2:25
  as much as it, you know what I mean?
• 2:26
  And so this is about providing care, treatment, getting people off the streets.
• 2:31
  It's exactly what we want to be able to do.
• 2:33
  Why is Roy the man for the job?
• 2:35
  What did you like about him? And what do you expect out of.
• 2:37
  Yeah, well, I learned a lot, you know, on what we really need,
• 2:41
  given the limited amount of people we have dedicated to this
• 2:44
  from the standpoint of needing somebody who is really highly skilled in logistics,
• 2:49
  getting things done.
• 2:50
  Roy comes to us. You moved back home to Hawaii.
• 2:52
  Senior executive decided you want to retire.
• 2:55
  Saw the work we're doing. Had a feeling for it.
• 2:57
  But he's really good logistics guy.
• 2:59
  He was doing that for for Nestle and
• 3:02
  senior operational executive.
• 3:05
  Very articulate, smooth
• 3:08
  you know, from the standpoint of keeps his composure.
• 3:11
  Yeah. At the same time is willing to get down to the weeds.
• 3:14
  That's where I really like that kind of maturity
• 3:17
  and that kind of understanding about I have a big responsibility.
• 3:20
  He will have a big responsibility.
• 3:22
  And his role is to get the job done.
• 3:24
  From the standpoint of making certain things happen.
• 3:27
  You can fall into a big black hole with all the logistics.
• 3:30
  You know, you try to get stuff done.
• 3:31
  And so he goes, yeah, we're waiting on this.
• 3:33
  We're waiting on that. I don't want to wait.
• 3:35
  You know, one of the things that I will tell you is eight days ago,
• 3:38
  made five years ago that I applied for mayor February 12th and,
• 3:44
  and the last five years have gone by.
• 3:46
  They've been the fastest five years of my life.
• 3:48
  And literally the first year, because three weeks later, we were Covid.
• 3:51
  I was in a campaign mode to get elected.
• 3:53
  But then even since that time,
• 3:56
  in the four years we had here, I now know how fast I can go
• 4:00
  because I've lived it and the clock is ticking fast on this one.
• 4:04
  And so I come here now with a very different sense of urgency.
• 4:09
  So my patience is going to be a lot less.
• 4:12
  I've served fair warning with everybody.
• 4:13
  Let me this in a positive way. But, you know, we're not going to.
• 4:16
  Well and we've
• 4:17
  we've talked openly about that and our cabinet meetings and whatever.
• 4:20
  It's not what the public expects from us is what we expect from each other.
• 4:23
  And then the leadership role that I'm in, I'm going
• 4:25
  to keep the bar really high, but I'm going to keep the expectations,
• 4:29
  just as high
• 4:30
  and so with that, from a performance standpoint, we've got to pick up the pace.
• 4:35
  I've said that all along, but I mean, they know it now.
• 4:37
  And I find that exciting.
• 4:39
  It's adding a little bit to the work.
• 4:41
  We say, okay, we're not going to wait two, three weeks.
• 4:42
  Why are we waiting three weeks on this.
• 4:44
  Yeah. Why.
• 4:45
  Okay.
• 4:46
  And there's no.
• 4:47
  And so we need to make that happen faster.
• 4:50
  And even if we cut that time in half I'm going to feel good about that.
• 4:53
  We're doing that across the board and we're going to keep doing that.
• 4:56
  Your passion and gentle nudging on this issue.
• 4:59
  It is getting some, notice, though.
• 5:02
  Congratulations on being named the Family Promise Luminary Award recipient.
• 5:06
  Yeah. What does that mean to you?
• 5:09
  It's a very nice honor.
• 5:10
  And, you know, and I like it because it's in the homeless sector,
• 5:13
  and we work with Family Promise as a, nonprofit especially.
• 5:18
  I know why who I which is the family,
• 5:20
  place that we have out there.
• 5:22
  I think there's 20 so much families, and they do a really good job.
• 5:25
  You know, honestly, Brandy, I everybody likes to win awards or be recognized.
• 5:31
  But, you know, I was, I don't know, maybe I'm getting older.
• 5:34
  My modesty prevails.
• 5:36
  But for me, and I mean this very sincerely,
• 5:39
  because I wake up every day with this sense.
• 5:41
  I think maybe I've talked to you once before on this podcast.
• 5:44
  I feel like this is a challenge or responsibility
• 5:47
  and privilege of a lifetime all rolled into one.
• 5:50
  For me, every day is like, it's like
• 5:54
  like you know, with the recognition that comes with this job.
• 5:57
  Like every day is like an honor, you know?
• 5:59
  And so it's nice to be recognized.
• 6:01
  But I be candid with you.
• 6:04
  I didn't say this the other night,
• 6:07
  because I don't feel like the job is done.
• 6:10
  I it's nice to be, but I. Okay. Yeah.
• 6:12
  Like like we're like a work in progress,
• 6:14
  you know, come see me in a couple of years from now,
• 6:16
  and they get ready to throw me out of here.
• 6:18
  We've accomplished all these things, hopefully.
• 6:20
  And and we've done all this stuff and they go, okay.
• 6:22
  Yeah, you did a good job.
• 6:24
  So it's sort of like getting the trophy at halftime of the Super Bowl or something,
• 6:29
  or it's not a Super Bowl thing, but you know what I mean.
• 6:31
  It's a little it feels a little premature.
• 6:33
  I appreciate you guys, but I our expectations
• 6:37
  on what we want to deliver and what needs to happen.
• 6:40
  It's just so great that, yeah, but I thank them for it.
• 6:43
  It's very humbling.
• 6:44
  And I had a boss that said, you know, a good team is when everyone
• 6:48
  puts in the work and they don't care about who gets the credit.
• 6:49
  Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I believe in that.
• 6:52
  I believe so when you when you said that.
• 6:54
  Yeah. When you said that to us.
• 6:57
  Yeah.
• 6:57
  You know,
• 6:58
  you said that
• 6:58
  this is why you chose the people on your team that you have currently.
• 7:01
  Right?
• 7:01
  Your cabinet members and those cabinet members have had to face some questioning.
• 7:06
  Yes. Over in the council chambers recently for the confirmation hearings.
• 7:09
  And what healthy debate is always welcomed.
• 7:12
  What do you want to say about the men and women
• 7:14
  who stood up in those council chambers to defend their roles?
• 7:17
  Yeah, their missions and all that they have for them.
• 7:20
  That's a great question. I'm glad you asked it. I'm very proud of them.
• 7:23
  First of all, because, you know, we've made some adjustments.
• 7:25
  You know, we put together a cabinet for a very difficult time for our first term.
• 7:29
  I mean, November, December of 2020, going back, they just said five years ago,
• 7:34
  especially in that particular time frame,
• 7:38
  it wasn't even so much that I was new to office.
• 7:40
  It was.
• 7:41
  We were all somewhat in shock, uncertain.
• 7:44
  The fear and uncertainty was palpable.
• 7:46
  Was everywhere. Right.
• 7:47
  And no talk of vaccines.
• 7:49
  We did a really good job with our team, really.
• 7:52
  But we we had to make some adjustments as as you earn for different reasons.
• 7:57
  The adjustments we've made, the players we have right now,
• 8:00
  my confidence in them, my knowledge of them.
• 8:04
  Okay, add to that what people
• 8:07
  have committed, committed themselves to, not just,
• 8:12
  I'm excited because this team is capable as well.
• 8:15
  And I said, you know, that is the essence of team play, right?
• 8:17
  Great things happen when nobody cares who gets it.
• 8:19
  Credit Mike Formby, Managing Director Night.
• 8:21
  When we came into office here,
• 8:22
  I talked philosophically on what our approach would be.
• 8:25
  We said a couple of things, Dino.
• 8:26
  It's held true to this day and I think it's actually created
• 8:29
  for a really good working environment.
• 8:31
  We said, number one, no drama.
• 8:32
  We're not going to put up with that. No demons, no drama.
• 8:35
  And secondly, high level of expectation on collaboration.
• 8:38
  Historically, you know, you hear about government
• 8:41
  people working in silos and not working together.
• 8:43
  We started talking about not just a collaboration
• 8:45
  within our cabinet, but about cross-sector collaboration and so on.
• 8:49
  And that includes with the council, with the people across the streets
• 8:52
  and in my relationship with the governor
• 8:54
  and for that matter, anybody over there at the state legislators legislature and
• 8:58
  and that, you know, includes
• 8:59
  and goes out to the chief of police, the prosecutor's office
• 9:03
  just wanted to create a spirit of we're all working together to solve problems.
• 9:09
  No egos involved.
• 9:11
  And I'll be the first guy to,
• 9:12
  you know, to to give credit to Governor Green on something.
• 9:15
  You know, if I did all of it, I'd say Josh did it all.
• 9:18
  Yeah, I don't care. You let me know.
• 9:20
  Because I don't care.
• 9:22
  Because I take the money wisely.
• 9:23
  I know I should.
• 9:24
  Well, you know, he's been he's been he's been a position.
• 9:28
  He's been jabbing me a lot.
• 9:30
  All the good fun.
• 9:31
  He's just has been in that particular role.
• 9:34
  So this is like a little bit of reversing the tables a bit,
• 9:36
  because I've been on the front end of some of his comments
• 9:39
  and stuff all again, all in jest, all in good fun.
• 9:42
  But yeah, it's like it's like that.
• 9:45
  And I find that, honest to God,
• 9:48
  when you're working like that, it's free, you know,
• 9:51
  it's it's freeing if you, you, you know, because you're not out there to go.
• 9:55
  Me, me, you just trying to make good things happen.
• 9:58
  And I find that very gratifying.
• 10:01
  We're less than a month away from this year's state of the city address.
• 10:04
  Look, look, a chance right now.
• 10:06
  What can folks expect?
• 10:07
  Yeah, yeah, well, I can tell you, we've already begun
• 10:10
  in the preliminary framework.
• 10:11
  And one of the things that I said, and I think it's going to be especially
• 10:14
  important, is I want it to be 80% on a going forward, only a little bit, 20%.
• 10:19
  Maybe we're going to look back at some of the highlights that are worth noting,
• 10:23
  because they were commendable.
• 10:25
  And it also speaks to what we said a year ago.
• 10:28
  We're going to do that. We got done.
• 10:30
  Okay. I think that's really important.
• 10:31
  But this particular one, which is kicking off would be my number 51.
• 10:36
  But the beginning of the second term is going to be about a going forward basis.
• 10:40
  And are the things that we,
• 10:42
  the people that we are committed to doing that people can expect from us.
• 10:46
  And again, in the spirit of trying to,
• 10:50
  while holding ourselves accountable, but create some hope out there
• 10:53
  in the community that they're going to say, you know,
• 10:55
  so we're going to talk boldly about our efforts in housing and homelessness,
• 10:59
  certainly in DPP and where we are and the great progress we've made there.
• 11:04
  I want to,
• 11:05
  make sure people understand the timelines, because, you know, we'll be opening up
• 11:08
  in just a number of months now into Middle Street with the rail.
• 11:13
  We're
• 11:13
  making some other efforts that we're doing.
• 11:16
  That's a one of the.
• 11:17
  I would just want people to know, that they can count on this from us.
• 11:21
  And I think it's going to be a lot of good news.
• 11:24
  Then, in what's become a tradition for your cabinet
• 11:27
  following the state of the city address, can we expect you to be back
• 11:30
  out across the island for another set of town hall meetings?
• 11:33
  Yes, we're going to do four less this year.
• 11:36
  We did a really good analysis.
• 11:38
  We're going to do seven, which is not a small amount.
• 11:40
  Right.
• 11:41
  We're going to regionalize a little bit, but not make it too far
• 11:44
  for people to come.
• 11:45
  I think will operate a little bit bigger. Very.
• 11:47
  These are things we've learned over the last two years.
• 11:49
  And so, you know, I think what we all love is
• 11:52
  when we get in there, the room is packed, you know.
• 11:54
  And so we had different attendance in different places.
• 11:58
  A year ago.
• 11:58
  I think this would be better even for the audience, more engaging.
• 12:02
  But we're going to bring the cabinet again. We want to get out there.
• 12:04
  No holds barred.
• 12:05
  People can come ask us anything they want.
• 12:07
  We're going to try to problem solve with them.
• 12:09
  We're going to try to, you know,
• 12:11
  share with them our stuff that we're doing,
• 12:13
  make sure they understand.
• 12:15
  And I think at the end of the day, it's good, good healthy engagement, I love it.
• 12:18
  The fact that the cabinet comes, they get a chance to get up to themselves
• 12:22
  and provide their expertise.
• 12:23
  And oftentimes also what they do is a follow up.
• 12:26
  They give you a direct contact and they follow it up with people.
• 12:29
  You know, I think it's been a real,
• 12:32
  you know, it's been really good for our cabinet to sit there.
• 12:36
  You know, some of them never get asked a question
• 12:38
  to be in a scenario like that and see what people are concerned about,
• 12:41
  just in the holistic form of what we're trying to do together as a team.
• 12:45
  So it takes people
• 12:46
  a little bit beyond the area of specialty and broadens out their thinking.
• 12:50
  A bit of what we're trying to get is the whole of city government,
• 12:53
  and I think that's that's good too.
• 12:55
  And then when they get asked specifically, it's nice to see them come up
• 12:58
  and be able to handle themselves.
• 13:00
  And that's why I think it's it's great development all the way around.
• 13:03
  For me.
• 13:03
  I find it challenging, I find it engaging, and I and I think
• 13:06
  that what we're doing for the community is we're giving them a voice.
• 13:10
  So often people say, you know, I don't ever feel like I'm heard from government
• 13:14
  and, you know, and they and they come here and we do that with them.
• 13:17
  So I'm looking forward to it.
• 13:19
  You recently signed Bill 52 into law,
• 13:21
  which establishes important safety regulations for e-bikes.
• 13:26
  So it prohibits exhibition driving those nonstandard riding positions.
• 13:29
  Yeah.
• 13:30
  Oh, and then helmets for those under 18.
• 13:33
  Why does this matter so much.
• 13:34
  To, you know, I wish we didn't even have to pass that bill.
• 13:37
  Yeah, but the fact is, we're trying to. Because, you know,
• 13:41
  you don't want to try to be controlling people's lives.
• 13:44
  Really honest to God.
• 13:45
  We're just trying to help people help themselves here right now
• 13:48
  in some of these things.
• 13:49
  With the e-bikes, because kids have them, as you say, under 18,
• 13:53
  these things can go really fast.
• 13:55
  Number one, if more than fast enough to get you killed easily.
• 13:59
  But the other part of it is that they have sort of,
• 14:02
  you know, turned into this thing where kids are doing wheelies and compete.
• 14:06
  I mean, I've seen a lot.
• 14:06
  I have seen people speeding, kids speeding, I've seen a lot of wheelies
• 14:11
  and reckless thing like you almost ask them to get hurt.
• 14:14
  And and we want to be able to
• 14:17
  have a wall.
• 14:18
  So if if police officers see somebody doing that, they can stop
• 14:21
  and give them a ticket and hopefully they won't hurt themselves.
• 14:24
  You know, so much of this is somewhat maddening in a way,
• 14:28
  because I don't want to legislate everything you know, but you know, it.
• 14:33
  People with self-inflicted wounds, it is needless.
• 14:36
  And so we're just simply doing it.
• 14:38
  So the kids especially well understand there's some rules
• 14:43
  that come with the responsibility and the opportunity on one of these bikes.
• 14:46
  When you're on the road, it's not some place for you to go, you know?
• 14:50
  And, doing things
• 14:52
  that could endanger yourself and other people, other people as well.
• 14:56
  So there wasn't really any rules around that.
• 14:58
  We've got lots of rules for driving a car.
• 15:01
  The e-bikes came into vogue pretty quickly,
• 15:04
  and they turned out to be more dangerous than we thought.
• 15:07
  And so that's what this is about.
• 15:09
  You recently delivered a proclamation
• 15:11
  proclaiming February as Black History Month in the city county of Honolulu.
• 15:15
  The keynote speaker for that event
• 15:16
  was Camille Nelson, dean of the Williams Richardson School of Law.
• 15:20
  She was great.
• 15:21
  Well, what were some takeaways from that speech?
• 15:22
  Wow. You know,
• 15:24
  well, there's such great history in the tie ins with Hawaii
• 15:27
  and African Americans here in Hawaii and what they've done, even Camille
• 15:31
  Camille is the dean of the law school.
• 15:32
  Like I said, that's a very big deal in our state.
• 15:34
  That's a big leadership job.
• 15:36
  And she's great.
• 15:37
  In fact, I was I was so impressed because sometimes
• 15:41
  you go to panels and like, maybe one person's good, maybe two of you are lucky.
• 15:45
  This was only a three person panel.
• 15:49
  And, you know, and
• 15:50
  doctor Carol Boyd was the reverend who came.
• 15:54
  He was really powerful in the his messaging and how he connected,
• 15:58
  you know, African-Americans with Hawaii, its history
• 16:00
  and where they are today, past, present and future.
• 16:03
  You know, I mean, all three, all three were great speakers.
• 16:08
  And I remember seeing that last week when we finished it, I said,
• 16:11
  this should have been on television because they were all not only articulate,
• 16:15
  each of them had a great story to tell,
• 16:17
  and none of them were redundant to the other.
• 16:19
  Yeah. And, so it was it was very compelling.
• 16:22
  But what it really made a case for, because we know
• 16:24
  African-Americans are a very small minority here compared to when I lived in
• 16:28
  major urban cities on the mainland.
• 16:30
  But despite the size of that community,
• 16:34
  they're engaged, they're doing lots of things,
• 16:36
  but they've had a great history here in Hawaii.
• 16:39
  And so in that spirit of this being Black History Month
• 16:41
  in Hawaii, if you will, there was a great tie into that.
• 16:45
  It was very educational.
• 16:47
  Mayor, how was the senior Valentine dance
• 16:51
  did you improve from last year?
• 16:52
  I had the world's best day.
• 16:54
  I must tell you, I've known Liz Lum, Liz, Elizabeth Lum, Mrs.
• 16:59
  Lum as I refer to her for a long time.
• 17:02
  Who is the mother of arms? Mom?
• 17:05
  And just.
• 17:06
  And I knew her through all those years.
• 17:07
  But much earlier than that.
• 17:10
  I first met her when she was a second grade teacher at Kahala Elementary,
• 17:14
  where my son Ryan attended.
• 17:15
  She was his teacher so long before I ever knew Stephanie.
• 17:18
  I knew her mom.
• 17:19
  And, and she played a really interesting and pivotal role
• 17:23
  for young Ryan at that time.
• 17:25
  He is now a 44 year old guy.
• 17:27
  So that tells you how long ago that was.
• 17:30
  But I used to see her over the years.
• 17:32
  You're always asking me about Ryan, and then all of a sudden,
• 17:34
  you know, going back to 2009, 16 years ago and began working with Stephanie,
• 17:39
  she popped back into my life.
• 17:41
  And so I was so pleased to have her with me.
• 17:43
  It was just great to see her. And she's a lot of fun.
• 17:46
  She better, much better dancer than me, I can tell you that.
• 17:49
  I, I have, in fact, you know, I realized that when I get up on the dance floor,
• 17:53
  I don't dance anymore.
• 17:54
  I'm like, out of whatever, you know?
• 17:57
  All these people were.
• 17:58
  All these ladies were much better dance.
• 18:01
  It was fun.
• 18:02
  It was good. So we.
• 18:02
  Do you like somebody?
• 18:04
  Like somebody said to me, just let it go.
• 18:06
  Even though the cameras are on, you just have some fun.
• 18:09
  That's what we try.
• 18:10
  And that's a good way to look at it.
• 18:11
  Yeah. Where the Griddle Huron was on Monday.
• 18:14
  That event is always filled with so much energy.
• 18:17
  Inspiration.
• 18:18
  I know at this point in your life, what's the longest you think you could run?
• 18:23
  Oh, that's a good question.
• 18:24
  You know, because I don't really run too much anymore.
• 18:27
  I walk pretty fast on a treadmill, do a couple of treadmills.
• 18:30
  Which I do seven, 7.15 no. I don't think I could do it anymore.
• 18:33
  I've run it a couple of times before when I could do that easily and not stop.
• 18:37
  If I could run them, because the difference?
• 18:39
  A treadmill, walking fast and running.
• 18:41
  And I know that, okay, especially street running and running on a treadmill
• 18:44
  is very different.
• 18:45
  I if I could run a mile, I feel pretty good.
• 18:47
  I mean, I have the stamina.
• 18:49
  I could do that, walk very easily.
• 18:51
  And I feel good about that, you know?
• 18:53
  I mean, I know I could walk seven miles,
• 18:57
  and, but I'm only going to do this.
• 18:59
  We did a study on guns.
• 19:00
  I didn't do the race, so I kind of would out on that, but I,
• 19:04
  but I, you know, I think I could run a mile and maybe more.
• 19:08
  I do some pretty intense workouts still, so my cardio is pretty good.
• 19:12
  I do, I tell you what I do to surprise a lot of people.
• 19:15
  I do 5000m of rowing each time, and that takes stamina.
• 19:21
  And I do that in 30 minutes.
• 19:23
  You're going to say squatting that. No, no, no.
• 19:24
  I like as you age, people start to.
• 19:26
  Like I said, I'm, I'm still squatting pretty good. I,
• 19:31
  I do reps of 15 175,
• 19:33
  which I could go higher, but that's pretty good because a reps of 15.
• 19:37
  But I have this a there's a machine in there that I do
• 19:40
  that is really good for hips and stuff.
• 19:42
  I'm doing 550 on that still at 78.
• 19:46
  Okay, coach. Okay. You like that.
• 19:47
  I like that.
• 19:48
  All right.
• 19:48
  You push yourself.
• 19:49
  So you ask me I'm just telling you okay.
• 19:52
  And then no, this is the 100 podcast mare.
• 19:54
  So for one final thought.
• 19:56
  One final thought, we just challenged me physically about running a mile.
• 20:00
  And by lifting weights or whatever.
• 20:01
  So, look, this is,
• 20:05
  this was a
• 20:06
  tough start in January year where this past month,
• 20:11
  a lot of things are starting to come together.
• 20:12
  I feel us building momentum with the city.
• 20:14
  I feel a good energy around the city.
• 20:16
  God knows there's a lot of stuff happening all the way around.
• 20:19
  All of which we're trying to keep as positive as possible.
• 20:23
  So I just want everybody, to, you know,
• 20:29
  be appreciative of where we live.
• 20:30
  We live in a very special place.
• 20:32
  And, and that we have so much to be grateful for.
• 20:35
  And we're in the spirit of all working together
• 20:38
  and just want to remind people when we ask things in the community,
• 20:42
  of people to help us, help them to hopefully approach it in the right way.
• 20:47
  And, I just I'm feeling very optimistic.
• 20:49
  This is going to be a good year, 2025.
• 20:52
  May I thank you for your time. You're welcome.
• 20:54
  And next week, we'll wrap up Black History Month in the city and County of Honolulu
• 20:57
  with Alphonso Braggs, assistant secretary of the National Board of Directors
• 21:01
  for the NAACP, and Reverend Doctor Gregory C, Carol Boyd, director of worship
• 21:05
  and religious education at the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu.
• 21:09
  That's next week right here on the One Oahu Podcast.
• 21:11
  Mahalo for listening. And until next time, Aloha.