THIS EMAIL WAS SENT IN 2008 TO ADMINISTRATORS OF KO'OLAU MOUNTAINS WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP (KMWP) ABOUT WAHIAWA DAM (AKA LAKE WILSON):
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Guy Ragosta <gragosta@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Sep 26, 2008, 2:49 PM
Subject: Re: counseling form for Guy to be signed and turned into RCUH
To: Miranda Smith <mirandas@hawaii.edu>
Cc: Cliff Morden <cmorden@hawaii.edu>, <lynnkino@hawaii.edu>, <hara@hawaii.edu>, NELSON SAKAMOTO <nsakamoto@rcuh.com>, Mansker, Michelle L Mrs CIV USA IMCOM <michelle.mansker@us.army.mil>, George J Akau <gakau@hawaii.edu>, Mike Bresell <bresell@hawaii.edu>
MIRANDA SMITH, MANAGER KMWP Memo 2008: "Issues outside of KMWP's Scope/Mission: Your recent email identifies issues that are outside our purview (e.g., Lake Wilson). Our office is not responsible for any matters concerning issues of concerns that are outside of the KMWP's scope/mission. You should address these concerns on your own time using your own resources. No further KMWP resources (i.e., time or other resources) should be allocated to issues or concerns outside our scope/mission."
GUY RAGOSTA response, 2008, FIELD CREW SUPERVISOR KO'OLAU MOUNTAINS WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP: "There will soon come a day, when the entire Ko'olau summits and supposed 110,000 acres of land are inaccessible due to flooding and continuous rains. On these days, we have in the past, and should continue working on surface runoff issues to collect water samples in appropriate locations to better understand how each watershed is contributing to pollution. You know Miranda, I was able to get Surfrider Foundation O'ahu to give us a 5,000 dollar machine to test water samples in streams and beaches, and we could be organizing people from our crew and community to monitor water quality from summit to sea if you let me organize these types of projects. We have on numerous occasions, worked in areas near the coast outside of KMWP's management area, mainly because of helicopter issues and rainy-windy weather. This is the reality. We have on numerous occasions worked with KMWP partners on land outside of the 110,000 acres. Miranda has been prohibiting me from working on water quality projects, that I've offered to do unpaid in my free time, and for which I have presented on with national leaders, such as USDA National Water Quality Chair, Mike O'Neill. As I said before, I disproved Dr. Roger Fujioka, head authority for microbial water quality for the Pacific Islands regarding fecal bacteria issues with streams and beaches, and you guys tell me I do not have the right to work on watershed water quality monitoring plans. His theories are what HI DOH uses as excuses to not post signs on beaches and streams across O'ahu. I thought this was more about knowledge, and not about title. When Micah Ryder was my boss at KMWP, and I asked him if I could investigate water quality issues and try to find funding, he let me do it because he wanted to see me excel in my strengths and help benefit the community, even though he knew it would be a difficult sell to KMWP, he let me do it, which is why we now have the USFWS grant, because Micah let me work on it with Nancy Hoffman.
These are my responses to Miranda Smith's memo. I don't feel it is right of me to sign this memo she has handed me. But I want my job back, and want to repeal my suspension based on unfair claims by Miss Smith. If someone from human resources in this email cannot help me, I will have to seek help from an outside organization. All I want is my job unsuspended, and to be able to go to work on Monday. I don't want anyone, including Miranda, suspended. But I also do not want to be told I cannot bring certain issues to the table, and at the very least, bring them up to the KMWP board as options in the absence of Miranda not allowing me to do so. My experience in this field more than doubles Miranda, and I know the Ko'olau Mountains better than Michelle Mansker, or probably better than any of you guys on this email list, and most important of all, I focus on serious issues, that for some reason, are not being addressed through the only Hawaiian Watershed Partnership that has water quality monitoring listed in their purview of management: KMWP."
Sincerely,
Guy Ragosta