Students and faculty representing ten Pearl City District Complex Schools participated in the "It's Not All Right To Run The Red Light" Traffic Awareness sign waving event on Monday in a collaborative effort to bring attention to the danger of running red lights and stop signs in our Pearl City community.
The sign waving event was presented by MyPearlCity.com and the Pearl City Shopping Center Merchants Association. Each school sign waved in front of their schools from 7:15am to 8:00am. A steady drizzle came down on the sign wavers, but didn't have an effect on their spirits or desire to spread their traffic safety message.
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell, along with area elected officials, HPD, and corporate sponsors joined in on the sign waving at Pearl City Highlands Elementary School on Waimano Home Road. City Department of Transportation Director Mike Formby joined Pearl City Elementary School students fronting the entrance to their school on Waimano Home Road near Kamehameha Highway.
Representatives from Kiewit made a very positive impact while sign waving at Pearl City Highlands Elementary School. Around thirty very spirited and enthusiastic Kiewit employees lined Waimano Home Road waving their signs while motorist beeped their horns in appreciation for their traffic safety message and efforts.
The students in eight Pearl City District Complex Elementary Schools are also participating in a Poster Drawing Contest that starting on March 24 and will run through April 21. Winners in three categories; K-1, 2-4, and 5-6 will be awarded certificates for the top three finishers in each category from each school.
Two students, one boy and one girl, will also be selected from all the entries to win $100.00 each from the Pearl City Community Association. One student will also receive a $200.00 gift certificate from the Pearl City Shopping Center for the "Best Original Art Work Design".
The overall objective of the "It's Not All Right To Run The Red Light" Traffic Awareness sign waving and poster drawing contest is to deliver the message of traffic safety via our Pearl City District Complex Schools. The goal is to teach our youth the importance of traffic safety while engaging them in traffic safety programs and campaigns throughout the school year.
In return, our hope is that they will grow up to be safe drivers on our roadways and in our neighborhoods, because of their participation and the knowledge gained through the “IT’S NOT ALL RIGHT TO RUN THE RED LIGHT” traffic safety awareness campaign. As a result, their experience and knowledge will be perpetuated and passed on to the next generation.
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell
"I'm really glad to be here in the Pearl City area. It's for a very important cause this morning. We're waving to ask people to please slow down as you drive your kids to school and get to work. We have a lot of congestion here in Honolulu and people are always rushing. Going a little bit slower could save a life. Just up the street from where we are someone was killed a couple of years ago. Think about the impact on that person’s family, and even the person who hit the person, the impact on their life. It’s just going a little slower, may get to work five minutes later, but it means you may have saved a life. So, please, drive slower, be careful and when you come to a light, when it turns red, when it turns yellow that means stop. Not to speed up to get through the light. When its red don't go through it, and drive the speed limit. Near our schools its 25 miles an hour not 40."
Lance Wilhelm, Senior Vice-President, Kiewit
"This is really important to just highlight the need for safety. We have many men and women working out here every day, every night, getting the rail work done out in the streets. It’s just a little reminder to people to be mindful of the people on the street. Drive safely."
State Senator David Ige
"Well you know traffic has been getting worse and worse and people have been getting slightly more reckless, so I think this is really a statement about remembering that we need to be safe. There are lots of children and elderly walking around the community."
State Representative Gregg Takayama
"You know we pass laws to require both drivers and pedestrians to be aware when it comes to traffic safety, but around elementary schools it’s really incumbent on the drivers to be on the alert for school kids because they're not always aware, and they're not always responsible. So it’s up to drivers to take responsibility."
Jits Fujimura, President, Pearl City Community Association
"We want to support the community by sign waving this morning and saying to drivers to be careful about the people, specially the students crossing the street, and to observe the traffic lights and stop signs."
Bob Peterson, Branch Manager, GP Roadway Solutions
"Well our company of course, we do roadway safety so it’s kind of natural for us to be involved with another campaign that promotes safety in the State of Hawaii."
Scott Ishikawa, Information Specialist, Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit (HART)
"You know safety is a top priority for our rail project and part of it is being part of the community and participating in these types of events. I think drivers in general, it doesn't matter whether they're in vacation mode or during school time, they just need to be aware of students crossing and just follow the traffic laws."
I would like to thank the following Pearl City District Complex Principals who came together to make the "It's Not All Right To Run The Red Light" Traffic Awareness sign waving event a huge success. Their schools played the biggest role in getting the word out to drivers in our community to drive safely:
Kanoelani Elementary School, Principal Stacie Kunihisa
Lehua Elementary School, Principal Joseph Halfmann
Manana Elementary School, Principal Bryan Loo
Momilani Elementary School, Principal Doreen Higa
Palisades Elementary School, Principal Gavin Tsue
Pearl City Elementary School, Principal Dr. Susan Hirokane
Pearl City Highlands Elementary School, Principal Michael Nakasato
Waiau Elementary School, Principal Troy Takazono
Highlands Intermediate School, Principal, Amy Martinson
Pearl City High School, Interim Principal Aaron Tominaga
Mahalo to our generous sponsors and supporters:
Community Traffic Awareness Program (Honolulu Police Dept.)
Councilman Breene Harimoto
GP Roadway Solutions (250 Red Light Signs)
Hawaiian Electric Company (250 Red Light T-shirts)
Highlands Intermediate School
Kiewit (10 – 4×6 Red Light Banners)
MyPearlCity.com
Obun Hawaii (4,300 Poster Drawing Contest Entry Forms)
Pearl City Community Association (Poster Drawing Contest Cash Awards)
Pearl City District Complex of Elementary Schools
Pearl City High School
Pearl City Shopping Center Merchants Association (Pearl City Shopping Center Gift Certificates)
State Representative Gregg Takayama (Poster Drawing Contest Awards Certificates)
Upspring Media
Zippy’s
A very special mahalo to Elizabeth Tang, Kiewit Public Involvement Coordinator, for playing an integral role in securing sponsors and for her exceptional skills with regard to the coordination and execution of the "It's Not All Right To Run The Red Light" Traffic Awareness Campaign.
Mahalo to Sheri Rolf from Rolf Advertising for her talents and expertise in coordinating our Public Relations and Advertising campaign. Also, to KITV 4 reporter Ashley Moser for a great job interviewing and presenting the people that truly make a difference in the success of our "It's Not All Right To Run The Red Light" Traffic Awareness Campaign to the stations viewers and worldwide web audience.
Finally, mahalo to all of the talented and awesome students that proudly represented the ten schools in the Pearl City District Complex!
Photo courtesy of Highlands Intermediate School
Highlands Intermediate School Principal Amy Martinson led the way yesterday during
the sign waving in front of her school. HIS students pictured in the background.
Photo courtesy of Highlands Intermediate School
Mr. White says, "It's Not All Right To Run The Red Light"
Photo courtesy of Masaru Uchino
Momilani Elementary School students and faculty pictured in front of their school, in the rain, to support the
"It's Not All Right To Run The Red Light" Traffic Awareness sign waving event on Monday, March 31, 2014.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Pearl City Highlands Elementary School Principal Michael Nakasato (back row, left) is pictured
with his JPO students near the entrance to the school parking lot on Waimano Home Road.
Photo courtesy of Manana Elementary School
Manana Elementary School students sign waving on Monday in front of their school.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
(Pictured from L-R) Honolulu City Councilman Breene Harimoto, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell, Kiewit
Vice-President Lance Wilhelm, State Representative Gregg Takayama, and State Senator David Ige.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Mahalo to the Pearl City Community Association (PCCA) for helping out with the parking on
Monday at Pearl City Highlands Elementary School. (Pictured from L-R) PCCA Board Members
Liz Ishimitsu, Mary Takeshita, and PCCA President Jits Fujimura. Missing from photo Lana Murakami.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Pictured from L-R) Mayor Kirk Caldwell, Senator David Ige, Kiewit Vice-President
Lance Wilhelm, GP Roadway Solutions Branch Manager Bob Peterson, HPD Officer's
Kevin Ancog, Arleen Apuna, Kathleen Santiago, and City Councilman Breene Harimoto.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Pearl City High School Interim Principal Aaron Tominaga (left) and Pearl City Highlands Elementary
School Principal Michael Nakasato were the first to be interviewed "live" at 5:00am by KITV 4 morning
show reporter Ashley Moser. KITV 4 cameraman Kevin is pictured with camera in hand.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Kiewit Project Manager Greg Uyematsu had a great time sign waving on Waimano Home Road
fronting Pearl City Highlands Elementary School. Kiewit Project Manager Brent Scheele is pictured
sign waving behind Uyematsu.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Just having some fun!
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]