Video Tim O Bryan

Oceanic Time Warner Cable of Hilo performed what was described as a consecration of their brand new facility Thursday afternoon. According to Wayne Iokepa, Technical Operations Manager, “the event offered an opportunity to metaphorically conduct a birthing ceremony symbolizing the severing of a Piko or umbilical cord with the new facility representing the child.” The new facility is named Hanakahi, after an ancient Hawai’ian chief whose name was used poetically to represent the Hilo district. The ceremony was performed by Kekuhi Kealiikanakaoleohaililani Kanahele from the I Ola Haloa program at the Hawaii Community College.

When fully operational the facility will consolidate most of the cable companies east Hawai’i operations.

Hanakahi was also designed to be ecologically friendly and will sport an array of solar panels that will provide thirty-five percent of the building’s power needs. The building was designed to meet the standards of and Oceanic Time Warner is applying for a LEED Silver Certificate. LEED or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, encourages widely accepted industry standards for ecologically friendly building practices.

Among those in attendance was the son former Senator Richard Henderson, who started Comtec Cable in Hilo and Sid Mizukami who started West Hawaii CableVision in Kona – both predecessors to Oceanic Time Warner more than 35 years ago. Also in attendance was David Ikawa who was responsible for bringing Japanese language programming to East Hawaii Island cable viewers. Other dignitaries included a representative of the Mayor’s office as well as several Oceanic Time Warner Corporate officials from Oahu and the mainland, including Oceanic Time Warner President Nate Smith and Time Warner Cable’s West Regional Executive Bill Goetz.

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