Wailuku Main Street Association, Inc.

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To Set The Record Straight

Facts to Substantiate the Truth

Aloha! In an effort to present information regarding the Wailuku Main Street Association, Inc./Tri-Isle Main Street Resource Center (WMSA/TIMSRC) organization that may be of interest to members of the general public, the Board of Directors is utilizing this section of our website to clarify those issues, which merit a more detailed explanation.

For 25 years, our program has withstood any and every attempt to systematically, methodically, undermine the outstanding work evident in the success of our small towns. Fortunately, these achievements are well documented and the facts stand on their own merit. Occasionally, organizations are challenged because others do not have direct exposure to the program or may be misinformed, misrepresented and/or victimized by those with hidden self-serving agendas. It is for this reason, we are sharing additional information with you the public in an effort to set the record straight.

Main St National Assoc

Letter to National Main Street, dated 1/25/11

Letter From Don Hibbard, Past DLNR Historic Preservation Administrator, dated 3/1/10

At a council meeting Chair Thomas Cannon told members of the council, the scrutiny on the WMSA/TIMSRC program only reinforced his confidence in the organization and its mission. "The attacks that have been coming towards us are something we should be proud of" he said, "it shows that we've been successful. When you're successful, the people with hidden personal agendas come out of the woodwork to try to stop you."

Current Board Chair, Sam Clark recently noted, our mission, our dream is to provide programs with an independent voice for everyday citizens-not just special interests-and to build on a home grown network of remarkable talent to sustain and protect our irreplaceable small towns. Our board of directors remains steadfast for the welfare of our community and against any attempts to misrepresent the facts. Be assured, we remain focused on doing the work to sustain and protect our small towns.

T. Cannon, AIA E-mail Reproduction
Re: B. Long's Undermining Efforts with Supporting Documentation 4/21/11

From: T. Cannon
Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2011 4:52 PM
Subject: Barbara Long's Attempt to Undermine Main Street

This email is in response to the testimony of Barbara Long regarding WMSA/TIMSRC earlier today. As you can see from carefully reading the attached correspondence from and to National Main Street, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Congresswoman Patsy T. Mink, Hawaii State Historic Preservation Officer Don Hibbard, Maui Historical Society President Linda Decker, and me, Ms. Long has been trying to undermine the efforts of the Wailuku Main Street Association/Tri-Isle Main Street Resource Center (WMSA/TIMSRC) and our Executive Director for many years.

This attached correspondence followed a phone call made in 1997 by Barbara Long to Mr. Nichols, a senior program manager for the National Main Street Center. As you can see from Mr. Nichols' response to Long's call dated April 15, 1997, Barbara Long had identified herself to Nichols as a representative of the Maui Historical Society saying that the Society was interested in forming a new Main Street program on Maui. This is the same letter she waved in front of you earlier today as some form of recrimination of WMSA/TIMSRC.

The attached letter from Linda Decker in response to the attached letter from Don Hibbard, clearly shows that not only was Barbara Long not even a member of the Maui Historical Society's Board of Directors at the time of her call to Nichols, but also that the Society had no intention of starting a Main Street Program. In other words, it shows that Ms. Long had flat-out lied to Mr. Nichols. Mr. Nichols' response to Long merely shows that he would love to have a reason to fly out to Maui from Washington, D.C., and charge another fee.

Don Hibbard's letter (dated July 17, 1997) and mine (dated July 14, 1997) show how the Main Street program in Hawaii had no intention to be re-"certified" by National Main Street, and that WMSA/TIMSRC had already graduated and didn't need anything more from National to continue implementing the Main Street program in Maui County, as we have been doing now for the past 25 years.

Representative Mink's letter to Mr. Moe of the National Trust is self explanatory, and Mr. Moe's response clearly shows that the new "certification" was not (and is not) required by National Main Street, that WMSA/TIMSRC "remains a member of the Main Street Network", that Barbara Long had phoned Nichols (not written), and that National Main Street had erred in discussing personal and misrepresenting information about our Executive Director (for which he apologized). Moe also confirms in this letter that one of the benefits of the Main Street program had been the strong involvement of state and local governments.

A careful reading of this correspondence will go a long way toward proving (hopefully once and for all) that what we have been telling to you is the truth, and what Ms. Long and her co-conspirators have been telling you is false and intentionally misleading. Thank you for your objective review of this evidence. Please let me know if you have any questions or need any further clarification on these matters.

Sincerely,

Tom Cannon, A.I.A., Chair WMSA/TIMSRC

D Hibbard, DLNR Letter to Maui Historic Society, dated 7/17/97

MHS to DLNR's Hibbard, dated 7/26/97

WMSA/TIMSRC Letter to National Trust for Historic Preservation, R. Moe, dated 7/14/97

National Trust R. Moe Letter from Congress woman, Patsy Mink, dated 8/17/95

National Trust M. Nichols letter from DLNR D. Hibbard, dated 7/17/97

McDuffey Nichols, National Main Street Center from Congress Woman, Patsy Mink, dated 8/1/97

This year, the WMSA/TIMSRC has received “selective” treatment from a group of "self interest" co-conspirators and apparent vigilantes who hired a local attorney to assist them in putting forth false suspicions, making false public statements to influence public sentiment to undermine our local program by lobbying our government leaders to halt our funding and silence an important independent voice of the people. Their tactics on intimidation, humiliation and then retaliation is not democracy, not the Hawaiian way. It is devisive, mean spirited and not pono.

Knowing that our program is a successful one and has integrity along with a solid 25 year track record of outstanding performance and accomplishment we continue to stay focused on doing the work of the people we advocate for and the small towns we love. Fortunately, Mayor Arakawa has supported us morally, which is reflected in his budget line item. The County Council approved an appropriation for our full grant request. We appreciate the government leaders in our County government who are able to see the truth and make decisions based on the facts.

The documented facts stand on their own merit. WMSA/TIMSRC has had consistently “clean” audits even A-133 (toughest standards) federal audits. All with the same results……Impeccable accounting records, full compliance with County, State and Private sector contracts, comprehensive and complete reporting, meeting and exceeding benchmarks, acceptable quality work products completed on or prior to deadlines.

The letter below is to Council Budget Chair Pontinella is in response to unfounded allegations from the attorney acting on behalf of his “unknown at the time” clients.