Island Breath: Koloa Marketplace Boycott

SUBJECT: KOLOA MONKEYPOD TREES

SOURCE: LINDA HARMON harmonl001@hawaii.rr.com

POSTED: 1 APRIL 2008 - 6:30pm HST

We still have requests of Jenai Wall

image above: Detail of flyer for Foodland boycott. Click to download a PDF (6megs). Print and dsitribute.

by Linda Harmon on 1 April 2008

WHAT:
Boycott of Foodland and Koloa plaza tenants to support Koloa's monkeypod trees

WHERE:
Foodland at Waipouli Town Center in Kapaa

WHEN:
Friday, April 4th, 2008 between 5:00pm and 6:30pm

To clear the record, we ask of CEO Jenai Sullivan Wall of Foodland:

1. Go public with a statement of regret for the destruction of so many trees in Koloa.

2. Publicly request the Knudsen Trust to spare remaining mature trees on plaza site.

3. Ask that subsequent trimming, or pruning be done by community approved arborist with the purpose of the survival and health of the trees affected.

image above: Detail of flyer for Foodland boycott. Stacy Wong enjoys cutting monkeypod trees.

SUBJECT: KOLOA MONKEYPOD TREES

SOURCE: LINDA HARMON harmonl001@hawaii.rr.com

POSTED: 30 MARCH 2008 - 4:00pm HST

Jenai Wall responds in writing

image above: Photo by Cindy Ellen Russell of the Star Bulletin of Jenai Sullivan Wall published in 2002

by Linda Harmon on 30 March 2008

Aloha Kakou, I did a tree count this AM on the site. There are 19 monkeypods left, with one of those pruned for removal. Trees with tag numbers still attached are #30, 28, 22, 8, 40, and 41.

March 28, 2008

Ms. Linda Harmon
(sent via email to harmonl001@hawaii.rr.com Click here for PDF)

Dear Ms. Harmon,

Thank you for your recent emails and phone call expressing your concerns about the removal of trees in Koloa town. As I shared with you, we do understand and appreciate your concerns about this issue. From the time the concerns were first brought to our attention in December, we have communicated our concerns with the developer on numerous occasions and have been told that various alternatives were being considered. In his most recent correspondence with us, he assured us that no additional trees would be removed from the property. We have again asked that he share his plans with the community and work to resolve community concerns.

As you know, Foodland is not a tenant in the Shops at Koloa, but we have several sister companies (with separate ownership) which plan to open stores there. Despite the fact that neither Foodland nor any of these stores has any control over what is done with the property in Koloa, we felt it was important to share our concerns and the feedback we received with the developer.

As a local company doing business in Hawaii for nearly 60 years, we care about our community and have a vested interest in our environment. While we recognize that development is often necessary and beneficial, we also feel strongly that environmental impacts and community concerns should be taken into account when decisions are made.
Sincerely,

Jenai Sullivan Wall
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Here's a draft of a letter I am considering as a reply to Jenai Wall's correspondence.

Ms. Jenai Sullivan Wall
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Foodland

Dear Jenai,

Mahalo for your personal response to our conversation concerning the fate of the remaining monkeypod trees on the site of the Shops in Koloa Town. I don't know if you realize the importance of your taking a public stand on the matter of the remaining trees.

Prior to obtaining a building permit, Stacy Wong, Executor of the Knudsen Estate (owner of the property in question) stated on more than one occasion, that no more than 10 Monkeypods would be removed from the site. Once the permit was reluctantly granted 19 trees have been destroyed or relocated. Although Mr. Wong as refused to have a dialog with the Koloa community and his word is no longer credible on Kauai.

Although there seems to be a tentative halting of the destruction of trees, at present there is one Monkeypod pruned way back that we suspect prepared for removal. Six others are tagged for what reason we don't know.

That is why it is so important for you to make a statement about the monkeypod trees. If it were publicly stated that a company with strong interest in the success of this project thought it was a priority to preserve each of the remaining historic trees, it could have real impact.

Your desire to stem the tide of global warming by reducing CO2 emissions is commendable. Your outreach to the public to take individual responsibility to face environmental challenges is laudable. It is time to demand the same of your business partners.

With your support the owner/developer might make an extra effort to work around the trees. Some re-planning of parking could even be arranged around the existing trees. With some encouragement the county planners could even provide a variance on the site's parking requirements to help save some of the trees.

Certainly, public support for the historic trees by the Sullivan family of stores would go a long way to satisfying our grievances with your company.

Linda Harmon

SUBJECT: KOLOA MONKEYPOD TREES

SOURCE: JUAN WILSON juanwilson@mac.com

POSTED: 30 MARCH 2008 - 4:00pm HST

Cold had role in Foodland’s birth

image above: Photo by Cindy Ellen Russell of the Star Bulletin of Jenai Sullivan Wall published in 2002

by Gordon Y.K. Pang on 29 September 2002 in The Honolulu Star Bulletin

Buffalo's winter brought "Sully" Sullivan back to help open the first store. If not for a cold winter in Buffalo, N.Y., Maurice J. Sullivan would not have returned to Hawaii to help his future mother-in-law open Foodland, the state's first and largest supermarket chain.

Sullivan was stationed at Hickam Field during World War II, where he was in charge of its commissary and mess hall, said Jenai Sullivan Wall, his daughter and now Foodland's president and chief executive officer.
In his work, Sullivan met See Goo Lau, a woman who owned Lanikai Store in Kailua.

"She befriended him and introduced him to local farmers, and they became friends," Wall said. "After the war, she tried to get him to work at her store in Lanikai."

But "Sully," who moved to America from his native Ireland at 18 and shortly thereafter began his career in the food industry working for the A&P supermarket chain, wanted to return to the mainland.

"He said that it was winter, and within a week he turned around and came back to Hawaii," Wall said.

Foodland CEO Jenai Sullivan Wall is pictured in the Market City Foodland, the chain's first supermarket. The store opened its doors in 1948.The rest is history. Sullivan persuaded Lau, known affectionately as "Momma Lau," to open a supermarket at a time when Hawaii consumers were eager to embrace the concept of a large, one-stop food and merchandise outlet.

The first opened in May 1948 at Kapiolani Boulevard and Harding Avenue -- at the Market City Shopping Center owned by family friend Hiram Fong.

The store was such a success, store managers had to close its doors in midday so they could restock the shelves.

From there the Foodland chain grew quickly as School Street, Aina Haina and Beretania Street locations joined the fold within a few years.

Today, the company owns 29 Foodlands and Sack 'n Saves. The latest Foodland opened this spring on the Big Island at the Parker Ranch Center in Waimea.

Jenai Sullivan Wall, daughter of Foodland co-founder Maurice Sullivan, is the company's chairman of the board.In his personal life, Sully married Joanna Lau, "Momma" Lau's daughter and a key Foodland mover in the early days, and the Sullivans began a dynasty.

Jenai Wall became president in 1995, chief executive officer in 1998 and chairman of the board in 2001. Maurice Sullivan died in 1998.

As successful and popular as it has been, Foodland has also been known for its community service programs.

The company's 14-year-old Shop for Better Education program has netted more than $6 million in computers and other educational supplies for Hawaii's secondary schools.

Wall, who developed Shop for Better Education, said the program was simply an extension of the humanitarian work started by her father.

"He had a soft heart," Wall said, noting that Sullivan served on the board of a number of charities. "He liked to help people."

Shop for Better Education and more recent programs like Give Aloha and Share a Holiday Feast are especially gratifying for the Foodland family because it gives its customers a way to join in giving back to their communities. "It's the customer involvement that makes a difference."

Wall said she also is proud that Foodland has remained successful as a kamaaina-owned establishment in the face of stiff competition from wholesale outlets and big-box retailers.

"Those companies, their primary interests are not in our community," she said. "I think it's real important for people to recognize that. Our goal is, we're going to be around here a long time."

Foodland Super Market Ltd.

Stores:
29 Foodland and Sack 'n Save locations on Oahu, Kauai, Maui and the Big Island

Staff:
2,000 employees

Origin:
Founded in May 1948 at Market City Shopping Center by Maurice J. Sullivan and See Goo Lau

Current CEO:
Jenai Sullivan Wall, Maurice Sullivan's daughter. The 43-year-old Wall, who serves as chairman of the board, has a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Wellesley College and an MBA in finance and marketing from Columbia University. She is married with two children.

Trendsetter:
Foodland boasts 350,000 Maika'i Card members. The card, the first "frequent buyer" card program in the state, gives its members instant discounts on thousands of products and earns free travel and groceries over the long haul.
Community service: The company's Shop for Better Education program was created in 1988 and has contributed $6 million in computers, books and software to Hawaii schools. The Give Aloha program, started in 1999, allows customers each September to make a donation of up to $249 to their favorite participating nonprofit charity that is matched by Foodland. More than $2.7 million has been raised. The Share a Holiday Feast program allows customers to donate up to $15 to help purchase holiday meals for needy local families during November and December.

SUBJECT: KOLOA MONKEYPOD TREES

SOURCE: LINDA HARMON harmonl001@hawaii.rr.com

POSTED: 26 MARCH 2008 - 10:00am HST

The Foodland Boycott Gets a Response

image above: The mid portion of the Chandelier Tree in Redwood National Park in Califorina

by Linda Harmon on 26 March 2008

WHAT:
Boycott of Foodland and Koloa plaza tenants to support Koloa's monkeypod trees

WHERE:
Foodland at Waipouli Town Center in Kapaa

WHEN:
Friday, March 28th, 2008 between 5:00pm and 6:30pm

image above: The lower portion of the Chandelier Tree getting along with mankind

Even small boycotts have teeth
After three demonstrations in front of the Waipouli Town Center to boycott the Foodland supermarket there has been some results. Besides articles in the local paper and on internet sites, some customers actually bottonholed the Foodland manager to tell him thaat they had been long time customers and would not be shopping there anymore unless the corporation made an effort to save the remaining monkeypod trees on property in Koloa that Eric Knudsen Trust is developing for tenants like Foodland.

Foodland has accused us of unfairly targeting their store, but Foodland's parent corporation is a major player at the proposed Koloa plaza, with three affiliated stores (The Coffee Bean, Malama Markets and Beard Papas) and a frequent plaza rental partner (American Savings Bank). The fact is that Foodland corporation customers will be parking on blacktop poured over where once there were magnificent century old trees shading a meadow.

Waving signs, we brought attention to Foodland CEO Janai Wall's statements on her webpage about environmental concerns. She claims each citizen has responsibility to ensure the future well being of our planet. We just assumed that if she was not being hypcritical she was including herself.

CEO Jenai Wall "gets back" to us
Jenai claimed she had seen some of the letters, petitions or emails identifiying concerns of community about the loss of the monkeypod trees in Koloa, but not all. She said is now on the case, and has responded to all those she has seen. She also told us she has made more efforts than any of the other tenants on this issue of preserving the trees, but has done so privately.

In a personal phone call to me she sought an apology from the People for the Preservation of Koloa Trees, for making unreasonable statements about her and her company. My response was to indicate I would not apologize for our actions, but would be the first to applaud Foodland for making a public stand for the trees with the developer and property owner.

Since then her representative has made an appeal by phone as to how they could accomodate those protesting in front of the Foodland store on Kauai.

So, Janai Wall is willing to listen to our demands. I think she realizes it will be better to negotiate than to prolong hard feelings. I have told her we wouldn't make a public apology but would applaud her taking positive steps to stop further destruction of the Koloa trees. Until we see some results we will continue to picket Foodland. The next boycott picket will be held this Fri. from 5 to 6pm. In order to be most effective we need more people to stand with us.

The People for the Preservation of Koloa Trees has been picketing Foodland in particular because:

They have three stores coming to the Shops at Koloa Town and therefore have more at stake.

Janai Wall CEO has gone on record as supporting strong measures to fight the Global Warming threat.

We whole heartedly support her campaign to get as many people as possible behind the effort to reduce their carbon footprint on this planet to ensure that it will remain liveable for subsequent generations. Paving over old growth trees for parking won't be the way to go.

Below are our requests of Foodland:

l. Go public with a statement of regret for the destruction of so many the trees on the site of the new plaza in Koloa.

2. Publicly request of the land owner and developer that all the remaining Monkeypod trees as well as any other mature trees (over 30 years old) be spared in the construction of the plaza.

3. That any subsequent trimming, or pruning be done by a qualified arborist, approved by The People for the Preservation of Koloa Trees with the intent of the survival and health of the trees affected.

SUBJECT: KOLOA MONKEYPOD TREES

SOURCE: LINDA HARMON harmonl001@hawaii.rr.com

POSTED: 20 MARCH 2008 - 7:45pm HST

The Foodland Boycott Continues

image above:Wha we'd see if the Nelson Company designed a Foodland on a Knudsen Trust site
Graphic by Juan Wilson. Click on pic for enlarged version.

by Linda Harmon on 19 March 2008

WHAT:
Boycott of Foodland and Koloa plaza tenants to support Koloa's monkeypod trees

WHERE:
Foodland at Waipouli Town Center in Kapaa

WHEN:
Thursday, March 21th, 2008 between 5:00pm and 7:00pm

Janai Wall is both the CEO of Sullivan Family of Companies and the CEO of Foodland, member stores of the Sullivan Family of Companies. Member stores of the Sullivan Family are Malama Markets coming to Shops at Koloa Mall. As CEO Janai is introducing franchise stores Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and Beard Papa’s to the Hawaii’s public, these stores also coming to the new mall.

In her very personable letter directed to the Foodland customer on her web page, www.Foodland.com she talks to her customers about global warming and tells us the cause of it is co2 emissions. She introduces to us to the term carbon footprint as the effect our life style and activities have on the environment in terms of co2 emissions. She goes on to say,"Carbon footprint conceptualizes our personal contribution to global warming. " She quotes Cyrill Connolly as saying "We create the world in which we live; if that world becomes unfit for human life, it is because we tire of our responsibility. She quotes Abraham Lincoln as saying "You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today." She suggests shoppers buy local organic food, use canvas bags, shut off electricity when not in use, and turn up the air conditioner in order to reduce our carbon footprint.

This is all very commendable if you don’t know the part she plays in the mall coming to us in Koloa. She has so far failed to raise her voice against the destruction of more than half of the Monkeypod trees for a parking lot at the site that will house three of her stores. These trees have been reducing the co2 impact on the local area. I’d say her footprint has the potential of being much larger or smaller than most of ours because she is in a position to make a big difference being her elevated position in her business. The Koloa Community Assoc. did send out a letter signed by our President, Louie Abrams, asking help to prevent the loss of the trees with no response from her. People have written and called asking her to speak out and request a meeting between the developer and the Community Association. We have not heard back from her.

It is true that each and every one of us has a responsibility to the following generations to stop the global warming trend and I’d say that includes saving as many trees possible along with her above suggestions of conservation. After all it is the trees that convert co2 to oxygen we breath. And trees cut down the heat factor significantly.

In my research I have found the following facts about trees that relate directly to global warming:

*Three mature shade trees around a building can cut air conditioning bills by 10 to 50 %.

*A single large tree can release up to 400 gallons of water into the atmosphere each day. Water from roots is drawn up to the leaves where it evaporates. The conversion from water to gas absorbs huge amounts of heat cooling hot air.

*Dallas area neighborhood with mature trees can be up to 11 degrees cooler than neighborhoods without trees. A one-degree rise in temperature equals a 2% increase in peak electricity consumption.

*One acre of trees produces enough oxygen for 18 people every day.

* One acre if trees absorbs the carbon dioxide produced by driving an automobile 26,000 miles.

*A fully-grown Sycamore tree can transform 26 pounds of co2 into life-giving oxygen every year.

*Large trees remove 60 to 70 times more pollutants than small trees.

*For every ton of wood an urban forest grows, it removes 1.47 tons of co2 and replaces it with 1.07 tons of oxygen.

*An EPA study in Chicago showed the 23.2% of canopy cover in the Lincoln Park neighborhood adjacent to downtown annually filters 43.9 tons of carbon dioxide, and 12.4 tons of nitrogen oxide in giving the urban forest an estimated pollution abatement value of $625,000 per year.

So I call on Janai Wall to speak up. Fewer than one half of the trees are left. We need you, Janai to intervene to save the remaining large mature Monkeypod trees. We will be picketing Foodland in Kapa'a this Fri. from 5 to 6:30 to call on you to take an active roll in saving those trees.

by Linda Harmon
box 257
Hanapepe, Hi, 96716
335-2737

Write and call Foodland, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and American Savings who share rental space in the Waipouli plaza.

Foodland Supermarkets
(tenants that are subsidiaries of the Sullivan Company, the parent of Foodland)
Malama Markets
Beard Papas
contact: Jenai Sullivan Wall CEO
email: services@foodland.com

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf
contact: ecoffee@coffeebeanhawaii.com
phone: (800) 832-5323
address: 1945 South La Cienega Blvd. Los Angeses, CA

American Savings Bank
contact: Ronald Dobashi, Facility Manager
email: info@asbhawaii.com
phone: (800) 272-2566
fax: (808) 532-7000

Sign Boycott Pledge

I have developed a sign-up sheet to help people express their dissatisfaction with the operation of the Shops st Koloa Town if that requires chopping down the majority of the Monkeypod trees on the site. Click on the think link to print a form. If you get signatures, please mail me a copy of the form. The text on the form reads:

Boycott To Save the Soul of Koloa

Most of the Monkeypod trees in the grove lining Koloa and Maluhia Roads will be cut down soon for a shopping strip. This will destroy our heritage and change Koloa from a quiet historic town to a mainland lookalike franchise shopping strip.
Whereas:
• The signature feature of the Old Koloa Town is its Monkeypod trees.

• The developer’s plan was approved only because of a mistake in missing the deadline for notice of denial.

• The community has repeatedly reached out to the developer to spare the Monkeypod trees, without a response.

Retail stores who will occupy the coming mall have agreed to become tenants there despite widespread opposition to the mall.

WE THEREFORE URGE RESIDENTS AND VISITORS OF KAUAI TO AVOID BUYING FROM THE FOLLOWING RETAIL STORES UNTIL THE DEVELOPER WORKS OUT A COMPROMISE REGARDING THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TREES.

ALSO CONTACT THE FOLLOWING STORES AND CORDIALLY ASK THEM TO WORK WITH THE DEVELOPER AND THE COMMUNITY TO SPARE THE TREES.

Foodland, President Jenai Wall
808-591-2550
www.services@foodland.com

ABC Markets , President Paul Kosasa
808-591-2039 fax: 808-591-2039

Jim Saylor Jewelers, Pres. Jim Saylor
822-3591 fax: 808-822-9898

American Savings, Facility Manager Ronald Dobashi infor@asbhawaii.com

If you want to email me at harmonl001@hawaii.rr.com your show your support. Include your name, address and contact info with the Subject: "Save the Monkeypods". You can also

If you agree with the statement below, please email me.

Email Boycott Support

"I support refraining from doing business with tenents of the Shops At Koloa Town until the developer works out a compromise regarding the destruction of the monkeypod trees"