Thinking on moving to Hilo or Puna district in 3 years. (crimes, how much)

[jrk0710]

My fiancé and I are planning on moving to the Big Island near Hilo or Puna district within the next 3 years. We have a 4 year old and I know the school system is not great, however with my teaching background I am not worried about her education. I am a certified teacher for grades k-8 and my fiancé has a degree in exercise science - personal training, crossfit certs as well. We will be visiting for about 3 weeks next year to get a better feel for the area we would like to live in, but I have a few questions.

--how easy would it be to get a job on the Big Island with the bachelors degrees we have?

--how bad is the commute between Puna and Hilo?

--other than cost, education, noisy frogs, island fever and weather - is there anything else I should be concerned with before making the move?

--in other words - please give me all the bad news so I know we are making the best choice for us!

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by jrk0710

--other than cost, education, noisy frogs, island fever and weather - is there anything else I should be concerned with before making the move?

--in other words - please give me all the bad news so I know we are making the best choice for us!

Don't forget the homeless, drugs, a bunch of angry Native Hawaiians running around, and my personal favorite on City Data, Kill Haole Day.

[mdand3boys]

As a teacher - you should find a job, but that's a whole different issue.
There is ONE school district for the state and while you can specify which island, you may be offered a position in an area you were not planning on living in! You also are forced to start at the bottom of the pay scale. Try a search in the forum for past issues that other teachers have had. Getting her a job might be really difficult unless she works in one of the resorts but they are not anywhere near this side of the island.

Commutes to Hilo are terrible right now - and even off-peak travel times are ridiculous due to the extended (permanent?) construction along the 2 highways. I have made trips to Hilo a once a month thing for this reason alone. Glad I work from home.

[Due]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

Don't forget the homeless, drugs, a bunch of angry Native Hawaiians running around, and my personal favorite on City Data, Kill Haole Day.

I researched KHD to see the real story.
Found this on WIKI:
Kill Haole Day

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kill Haole Day is an annual event that some believe has occurred in some of Hawaiʻi's schools. On the last day of school before summer vacation, non-white students are said to harass and sometimes attack white students.
In his 2009 book, lawyer and former Hawaiʻi governor Ben Cayetano wrote that "Kill Haole Day" began as a news story headline about an incident between haole and local (not just Hawaiian) students. After that, "whenever there was a fight or an incident between haole and non-haole students, the news media, particularly the newspapers with their haole-dominated editorial boards, repeatedly reprised 'Kill Haole Day' in their news stories – as if it were a Hawaiian tradition.
In 1999, School Superintendent Paul LeMahieu said he is aware of "kill haole day" but is not aware of any recent incidents. Also, in 1999, it became an issue for hate crimes legislation.

Newspaper columnist Lee Cataluna wrote in 2010, "In terms of actual, first-person, eyewitness accounts of Kill Haole Day, no one had any [incidents] that happened in the last three decades. Not one teacher, not one police officer, not one victim or perpetrator.



BUT the comment that bothered me most, I read on this forum. A Poster was talking about eating "black dog"....
Since we own several black dogs, who are like children.... you can imagine.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by Due

BUT the comment that bothered me most, I read on this forum. A Poster was talking about eating "black dog"....
Since we own several black dogs, who are like children.... you can imagine.

Oh, in Hawaii they don't discriminate based on dog color.....

"At first, the two suspects arrested for allegedly stealing it said the dog ran away. Later, one suspect said the animal was slaughtered and eaten"

starbulletin.com | News | /2007/12/19/

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

Oh, in Hawaii they don't discriminate based on dog color.....

"At first, the two suspects arrested for allegedly stealing it said the dog ran away. Later, one suspect said the animal was slaughtered and eaten"

starbulletin.com | News | /2007/12/19/

According to some dog-meat connoisseurs, "black dogs are deemed the tastiest, and are also said to counter the effects of asthma and to stimulate the libido."
Time Magazine -- How Much Is that Doggie on the Menu? (WARNING: This article contains a photo of a dog about to be butchered.)

[McFrostyJ]

I have heard and have no idea if it's true or not, that like Black Angus cattle, black dogs are considered to be the most tender meat.

I have a friend who is a retired pro wrestler that said while working in Japan back in the 70's he and the guys were served large platters of dog meat and weren't told what it was till later. They all agreed that it was some of the best tasting most tender meat they had ever eaten!

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by McFrostyJ

I have heard and have no idea if it's true or not, that like Black Angus cattle, black dogs are considered to be the most tender meat.

I don't know if the rumor about color is true, but dog was definitely the preferred meat animal among the three (dog, pig, and chicken) which the wandering Polynesians from the Marquesa Islands brought with them in their canoes when they colonized the Hawaiian Islands. But Poi Dogs came in a variety of colors, including brown, and were mostly two-toned.

Check the internet for more information on Poi Dogs, and for the cookbook "101 Ways to Wok a Dog," but my personal favorite is still the old school Poi Dog With Crabs.

[Due]

My wife and I ate at an Ethiopian restaurant once: never did know what the meat was......, but after the Honey wine it didn't seem to matter.

~~You guys make me laugh!

[DVSG]

The reality is life is what you make of it. I am moving to Hilo in 3 years. I don't expect life to be the same. The cultural, moral, and lifestyle differences are present everywhere. It's how you react that will decide your fate. I am excited to move and am slowly working towards that goal. Most times it's best to be educated in what to expect, good or bad instead of anticipating the worst. One thing is certain, don't be shocked by the economy on the BI. Good luck to you.