In the country town of Paia, she is a rural legend. Christina "Uma" Hemming fought against the county and a developer and won. The beneficiaries of the victory will be the people who use the coastline from Paia to Baldwin Beach.
"She's an amazing person," said Hannah Bernard, president of the nonprofit Hawaii Wildlife Fund. "I really appreciate individuals like her who take on tasks and put their money where their mouth is. ... It's an amazing thing for a person to do."
Friends said Hemming was tenacious and pursued stopping the development, despite personal criticisms and monetary losses...
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Yesterday, coincidentally I received my Obama "One Voice" t-shirt that says if one person speaking out can change a room, it can change a town, state or country. Today, while walking on Kailua Beach, my wife and I glimpsed Obama himself with one of his daughters in front of the beachfront home they're staying in for Christmas.
Can we change shoreline access laws and policies for the better?
You bet we can! But it has to start with you. One person CAN make a difference. In 2009, don't leave it for someone else to be that person. Take a stand. And if you can, please make a small contribution to Beach Access Hawaii, using the Donate link on the right hand side of this page. Mahalo!
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