Episode 27: Chinatown cameras and College Football
On this episode of the One O'ahu Podcast, Mayor Rick Blangiardi joins host Brandi Higa to discuss his support for the Honolulu Liquor Commission’s new Administrator, five new cameras that were recently installed in Chinatown, and with the exodus of college football teams from the PAC-12 Conference, his concerns for the University of Hawai‘i.
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New Honolulu Liquor Commission Administrator
The Honolulu Liquor Commission voted on August 3, 2023 to hire Salvador (Sal) Petilos, a long-time industry leader, as the Commission’s next administrator. Petilos brings with him more than a decade of experience, having most recently served as the Director for the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control in Salt Lake City, Utah.
“As he got a better understanding of the dynamics at play (and he) understood the challenges and responsibility, he said ‘I’ll do that’”, said Mayor Blangiardi on his conversation with Sal Petilos. “I was really grateful for that.”
Petilos received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Rutgers University and a Juris Doctor degree from Fordham Law School. He is a former member of the New York and New Jersey Bars (retired).
New Chinatown cameras
Five new surveillance cameras were recently installed in Downtown Chinatown in an effort to improve security and safety.
“They’re at five intersections,” said Mayor Blangiardi. “These are really high-level cameras. They are multi-directional. I think at an intersection it has five different vantage points. It also is something that if you see something you can actually yell and the camera will pick up the audio. So for another way to say it, you can talk to the camera.”
Altogether, 52 cameras are set to be installed in the Chinatown district.
The changing college football landscape
On August 9, 2023, the Mountain West, the conference the University of Hawai‘i football team competes in, expressed interest in adding anywhere from one to all four of the remaining Pac-12 Conference schools, while a merger with the league remained on the table.
“As the Mayor of the City I’m concerned too because the success of the UH athletic programs have a lot to do with the happiness factor in this city when things are going well,” added Mayor Blangiardi.
Meanwhile, the 2023 season for the University of Hawai‘i football team is set for August 26th versus Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee at 1:30 p.m. Hawai‘i time. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.
