Hawaii County committee withdraws bill to name Pahoa-area ball fields for longtime coach Howard Sonoria; family honored

HILO — The Hawaii County Policy Committee on Health, Safety and Well-Being on Sept. 4 heard family testimony and broad member support for a ceremonial bill to name local baseball fields after longtime youth coach Howard Fernando Sonoria, but the committee did not vote after the sponsor withdrew the draft to correct title and text errors.

Chair Jen Kaguata presided over the meeting in the Hilo Chambers and said the committee had a single agenda item: Bill 195, described by the clerk as an amendment to the parks and recreational facilities schedule (Chapter 15, Article 8, Section 15-68.1) to name the baseball fields at what the clerk read as “William Billy Kenois District Park” the "Howard Sonora Baseball Fields" in honor of Howard Fernando Sonora. Councilmember Kerkowitz, who introduced the item and moved to forward it to full council with a favorable recommendation, withdrew the current version after noting errors in the bill title and language and said she would submit a cleaned-up replacement to keep the recognition on track.

The sponsor, Councilmember Kerkowitz, invited family members to speak and described Sonoria’s contributions to youth sports in Pahoa, saying the family shared “a really beautiful story about Howard Fernando Sonoria … [he] had such an impact on the youth of Pahoa, because of his investment in coaching kids.” Brandon Bartolome, speaking for the family, described Sonoria’s decades of hands-on support: “he used to actually create the uniforms for the schools and the leader league teams because back then, everything was, you know, expensive,” and recalled that Sonoria often transported 15 to 16 children to practices in a station wagon.

Committee members voiced support for the recognition as a fulfillment of a long-standing promise to Puna residents. Councilmember Lee Lloyd said the naming “is kind of a promise that was long in coming” as recreational facilities were developed in the district; Councilmember Connie Lee Kleinfeld praised the value of youth sports and the legacy the naming would preserve.

Despite expressions of support, Kerkowitz told the committee she had been advised by the clerk that the bill’s title and text needed correction and that it was best to withdraw the current draft and introduce a corrected version to council. Kerkowitz said a new, cleaned-up bill would be filed and waived to council to avoid delay.

Clerk remarks during the meeting showed some inconsistent naming of the park in the read text and member remarks; committee members referred to the facility as Pahoa District Park in discussion. The clerk and sponsor confirmed the withdrawal on the record and the committee concluded without taking a formal vote. Chair Kaguata closed the meeting at 9:12 a.m.

What happens next: Councilmember Kerkowitz plans to refile a corrected version of Bill 195 to formally name the fields; the committee recorded support but did not take a formal recorded vote during this session.