October 17, 2010 – Honokaa, Hawaii

Video by David Corrigan

The Democratic party heavyweights running for office were feverishly cheered at the North Hawaii community’s “Ag Country Roots” gathering on Saturday.

One of many Big Island campaign stops for gubernatorial candidate Neil Abercrombie and U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye (seeking a ninth term in Washington), the event held at Honokaa High School also provided a boost to other dem candidates in attendance like Congresswoman Mazie Hirono, Lt. Gov. candidate Brian Schatz, and Rep. Mark Nakashima.

Organizers noted that the presence of Inouye brings a superfluous amount of security these days. That’s because Inouye, as president pro tempore of the Senate, is now third in line of succession to the presidency. Inouye assumed the mostly ceremonial position upon the death of Sen. Robert Byrd.

Sure enough, an entourage of earpiece wearing security personnel followed Inouye around the island this weekend. U.S. Sentor Daniel Kahikina Akaka, accompanied by far less security personnel, was also in attedance in Honokaa.

Of course, being held in an area rich with agricultural history, organizers said the event also spotlighted “many of the hard-working food producers of the region” and included “samplings of grilled grass-fed beef and a new sausage of Kahua mutton, Hamakua mushrooms and other foods grown or produced in Hamakua, Waimea and Kohala.”

The 40 years of service provided by Honokaa High grad Milton Yamasaki, recently retired from University of Hawai’i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources’s Mealani Research Station, was acknowledged in Saturday’s program.

The program also included free stew, rice and pupu, and entertainment by the Hamakua seniors and Waimea’s Beamer-Solomon Halau o Po’ohala.

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