THE CENTER LETTER Volume 9, Issue 3 October 2015 THE MEDIATION CENTER OF THE PACIFIC The Hawaii Senate Commends the Mediation Center of the Pacific. On March 12th, the Board of Directors, staff and volunteers of the Mediation Center were proud to receive recognition from the entire Senate for providing outstanding services to Oahu’s communities for the past 36 years. Following the recognition ceremony, all members of the Senate were asked to sign the Mediation Pledge. In This Issue: Bringing people together to talk, Volunteers Going Above and Beyond P. 2 negotiate and Mahalo PP. 3 & 4 Workshops & Trainings P. 5 resolve conflict creatively. Upcoming Events P. 6 Page 2 THE CENTER LETTER Volunteers Going Above and Beyond In 2014, the Adopt-A-Court Mediation Program was created to expand the pool of mediators for the District Courts throughout Oahu. Through the Program, businesses were recruited to “adopt” the District Court located in their local area and have members of their management team trained to serve as volunteer mediators for Small Claims and Summary Possession matters at that court. To date, two companies have participated in the Program. The Islander Group adopted the Wahiawa Court and Hawaiian Cement adopted the Ewa Court. Their response to the Program was so enthusiastic that the CEO of the Islander Group, Steve Holmberg (also the current Vice President of the Mediation Center’s Board of Directors), took the initiative to repaint and “spruce up” the mediation room at the Wahiawa Court. Being a true mediator who strives to help the parties feel as comfortable as possible to increase their chances of reaching a settlement, Steve stated that “I believe that it (the spruced up room) actually makes our mediations a bit easier as the room has a more comfortable and tranquil feel to it.” Now that’s a dedicated mediator. Way to go Steve! The newly “spruced up” mediation room at Wahiawa District Court. 2015 Pro Bono Celebration Each year the Access to Justice Commission and the Hawaii State Bar Association host a Pro Bono Celebration to recognize dedicated attorneys who have generously donated their time to help individuals in the low income and vulnerable populations. Each of the Civil Legal Service Providers select a volunteer to honor at the celebration. This year, the Mediation Center recognized mediator Constance Hassell for her many years of service. Since 1989, Constance has never hesitated to say "yes" to serving as a mediator whenever her busy schedule allows. To date, she has mediated a total of 138 cases involving 175 mediation sessions and totaling 530 hours. In addition, Constance regularly assists the Mediation Center in its related activities such as mediation trainings, mediator mentoring, and apprentice mediator evaluations. Given her extensive mediation experience and generally unflappable nature, Constance’s willingness to be assigned to the particularly difficult cases is especially appreciated! The dedication and generosity of volunteers like Constance Hassell, has allowed the Mediation Center to further its mission of providing high quality mediation and dispute resolution services that are affordable and accessible . MAHALO FOR YOUR SUPPORT Aloha United Way Hawaii State Bar Foundation Bretzlaff Foundation Jhamandas Watumull Fund Foodland Give Aloha / Western Union Omidyar ‘Ohana Fund Friends of Hawaii Charities Pettus Foundation Hawaii Community Foundation The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation Hawaii Justice Foundation UNDER THE MEDIATION CONTRIBUTIONS RESOLVERS MOON VIP TABLES $250 & Above COLLABORATORS Peter Adler COLLABORATOR TABLES Cynthia Alm $4,000 & Above M. Anne Anderson $10,000 William C. Darrah William Burgess Robert and Cynthia Alm John and Kim Holzman Jo Ann Kocher Clay Chapman Iwamura MEDIATORS Pulice & Nervell Evelyn B. Lance $1,500 & Above Elaine Lemons Charles and Susan Hurd Jerry and Vanny Clay Don and Pamela Lichty Ekimoto & Morris LLLC G. Kem and Junko Lowry CONCILIATOR TABLES Joanne Lundstrom Bruce McEwan Richard Proctor $5,000 Lawrence Rodriguez Ayabe Chong Nishimoto Sia & Nakamura CONCILIATORS FRIENDS BEI Hawaii $1,000 & Above $100 & Above Island Insurance Company, Ltd. Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing Daniel A. Bent Sayoko Blodgett-Ford Bruce McEwan Anonymous Patrick Border Sidney K. Ayabe Daniel B. and Gloria Boylan David and Susan Chandler MEDIATOR TABLES Thomas and Jenny Brady Diana Chang Susan Brandon $3,000 Richard L. Fried (In Memory of Robert Husselrath) Justice Simeon R. Acoba (Ret.) Honolulu Board of REALTORS Herman and Patricia Brandt Blue Hawaii Investments LLC Tracey Wiltgen Michael F. Broderick Central Pacific Bank Ellen Godbey Carson CW Associates CPAs Thomas Cestare PARTNERS Lenore Lee Ching Dispute Prevention & Wesley H.H. Ching Resolution, Inc. $500 & Above Lou and Susan Chang Richard and Lois Ekimoto Ekimoto & Morris LLLC William and Susan Lampe Dolores Anne Foley First Insurance Company of Thomas Matthews Lawrence C. Foster Hawaii Leslie and Poranee Natadecha-Sponsel Robert G. Frame Hawaii Electric Company Ai Wah Ng Jed Gaines Hawaiian Cement Abelina M. Shaw Hilary B. Gangnes Lisa Ginoza Steven Holmberg David F. Simons Robert and Lynne Toyofuku Roger Godfrey Honolulu Board of REALTORS (In Memory of Robert Husselrath) Warren G. Haight & Rhonda Griswold Dorothy D. Letts Gaylien Hall Law Office of Ian L. Mattoch John B. Hall Bonnie C. Harwick Chief Justice Ronald T.Y. Moon (Ret.) Steven Holmberg Dennis W. King Robert and Aleta Klein Berit Larsen Peter Nakagawa and Elizabeth Lee Robert and Anna Lessard MAHALO FOR YOUR SUPPORT FRIENDS CHARLES HURD SUPPORTERS IN KIND Below $100 (Cont.) MEMORIAL FUND $100 & Above (Cont.) CONTRIBUTIONS Elizabeth Kent (Cont.) Thomas Likos Peter Adler (In Memory of Curtis Fujio Zane) Steven Gee John Lockwood Robert and Cynthia Alm Ron Kent Rhonda Griswold Dennis Lombardi Judge Riki May Amano (Ret.) Gerald Kibe Warren and Ottina Haight Charlene Anaya Virginia Low Julie Mikami Nancy A. Heu Ann Asakua Patti Lyons Dick Morris John and Kim Holzman Sidney K. Ayabe Victoria S. Marks Sherrie T. Seki Susan Hurd John Barkai Ron Matayoshi Becky Sugawa Elizabeth Kent Bruce Barnes Jeff Swartz Diana L. King Aleza Matayoshi Daniel A. Bent Ken Takayama Robert and Aleta Klein Madeleine C. Mayher Pat Brandt Carl and Irene Takeshita Delmarie Motta Klobe (In Memory of Robert Husselrath) Kristin Bryant Christina Urban Jo Ann Kocher Georgia K. McMillen Lou Chang Richard Y. Wada Marlene T. Kurihara Frances Mossman Judge Jennifer Ching Todd Withy Spencer Kurihara Jerry and Vanny Clay Philip Nerney Wendell Wong Al La Monica Clay Chapman Iwamura Richard W. Ornellas Christel M. Yount Diane Lee Pulice & Nervell Ron Oster William Yuen Dickson Lee Linda Colburn Calvin G.C. Pang Peter Nakagawa and Chuck Crumpton Elizabeth Lee Barbara Polk EARL CHAPMAN FUND William C. Darrah Jeffrey E. J. Lee Thomas and Cheryl Prince Nancy C. Arseneault Richard Ekimoto Ji Lee Ute Regan Lee Alden Johnson Kale Feldman Steven and Cathy Levinson Seth M. Reiss Sol Weisgal David Franzel David Lum Judge Hilary Benson Terry Revere Stanford Lum Gangnes Craig Robinson MICHAEL NAUYOKAS Timothy Luria Warren and Ottina Haight Robert Schmidt INNOVATION & Victoria S. Marks Dona Hanaike Walt Schroeder Bruce McEwan EXCELLENCE IN Hawaii Self Storage Jill Shinno Sabrina McKenna MEDIATION FUND Hawaii USA Federal Ann Kurihara Mee John D. Stallman Frank and Mary Nauyokas Credit Union Ted Moore Clyde Sumida Hawaiian Cement Michael I. Murashige Owen K. Tamamoto James K. Hoenig CHARLES H. HURD Karen T. Nakasone Michael Tanigawa Steven Holmberg MEMORIAL FUND Walter Narahara Charles Hurd Steven J. Trecker Justice Simeon R. Acoba (Ret.) Franklin K. and Kukui Children’s Foundation Ruth D. Tschumy and Carolyn C. Acoba Gayle T. Ota Giuseppe Leone Bettina Uris Robert and Cynthia Alm Chief Justice Mark E. Dee Dee Letts Adrienne Valdez Paul Alston Recktenwald Amrita Mallik John and Dawn Webster Judge Riki May Amano (Ret.) and Seth M. Reiss Judge Victoria Marks (Ret.) Donald Amano Carol Richelieu Roger and Claudia Whitlock Bruce McEwan Charlene Anaya Peter E. Robb Robert M. Witt Judge Marie Milks (Ret.) Lorna Awana Shelley W. Robinson Elizabeth "Beth" Worrall-Daily Monarch Properties Inc. Daniel A. Bent Lawrence Rodriguez Katie Yoshioka Poranee Natadesha-Sponsel Richard N. Berg Andrew Davidson Smith Valerie Ossipoff Calvin and Leslie Young Pat Brandt D.C. Snakenberg Christa Otake J. William "Ned" Busch Dean Aviam Soifer Pepsico SUPPORTERS Gerald Cannon Owen K. Tamamoto Tom Stirling Below $100 Vernon Char Christina Urban Justin Sturdivant Amir Abdmishani Jerry and Vanny Clay Hazel L. Wong Judge Michael Tanigawa Natalie Afalava Douglas Crosier Genevieve L. Yee Beth Tartar Charlene Anaya Karen Cross The Islander Group John Barkai Charles W. Crumpton Thomas and Louisa Di Grazia Susan DeJonghe Marie Ferdun Tony DeJonghe Alice Fung Justice James E. (Ret.) and Sandy Gottesman Jeanne Duffy Dona Hanaike Jacqueline Earle Murray M. Hixson Michael S. Flores Louise Ing Theo Fujiyoshi James and Melvia Kawashima (In Memory of Robert Husselrath) Page 5 Neighbors & Families in Conflict: Collaborating With HPD & the Honolulu District Court Conflict is a fact of life that can unfortunately escalate to the point that feuding neighbors and families resort to going to District Court to request restraining orders against one another. While a restraining order may be necessary when there is the potential for violence, in many situations, the people involved in the dispute are emotional, unable to talk and don’t know what else to do. They call the police on one another and they go to District Court to file for a restraining order. Over the years, the Mediation Center and the Honolulu District Court have developed mediation programs both at the Mediation Center and on- site at District Court, to help people in dispute talk through and resolve their issues in mediation in lieu of being granted a restraining order. To strengthen this Program, on August 14th, two officers from the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) and Judge Michael Tanigawa and Judge Hillary Gangnes from the Honolulu District Court participated in a panel presentation for twenty-two mediators.