A Star-Bulletin story by Rob Shikina earlier this week highlighted problems with a Pauahi Street bar. Today Shikina followed up with a story on yesterday’s hearing before the Honolulu Liquor Commission.

Tucked away at the bottom of the story is this tidbit:

Local attorney William McCorriston, whose son holds the master lease on the property, said they have been working on a solution for the owner and the community.

Interesting set of players for a bar that has prompted lots of community concerns.

By the way, the Advertiser story on the same hearing failed to catch the McCorriston connection.

I had check on the building’s ownership after Shikina’s earlier story, since years ago I followed a trail of problem bars back to a prominent judge who owned the building where they were located. So I checked Honolulu real estate records and found the fee owner of the property is Whitlow LLC, while the lessee is something listed as “Union Mill Investment LLC”.

I didn’t find much about Whitlow, but a quick search of online business registration records did turn up info on Union Mill.

According to those records, Union Mill Investment LLC appears to be controlled by Michael Colin Kekona McCorriston. The business is registered at the address of Bill McCorriston’s law offices at Restaurant Row. And Shikina’s story confirms the family relationship between the two.

I found more info checking out the younger McCorrison by checking out traffic court records. Enter Michael McCorriston’s name and up pops a list of court cases for violations ranging from DUI to driving without insurance, driving without headlights, expired safety check, etc. Some cases are current, others go back as long as ten years. Outcomes varied.

A broader online search turned up this item at www.localcrimenews.com.

225 Queen St Apt 9D
Honolulu , HI 96813-4657 Verified Address
Reported: 12/28/2008 by Crime Reporter No. 5085
Source: San Diego PD
M PC647(F) Under the Influence of Drugs/Alcohol

Real estate records indicate the Harbor Square apartment is owned by Michael McCorriston.

Frankly, I’m not sure how I would have related this background information to the story. But when prominent and politically influential people are found in the middle of such situations, it’s probably of at least some public interest.

Another thing I need to mention today. Donna Wong, executive director of Hawaii’s Thousand Friends and a voter in City Council District III, says she’s been unable to get clear information on how public oversight of the ballot count in the current special council election is being provided. Although state law provides for official observers chosen by the Democratic and Republican parties, and at least one from the news media, Wong says her attempts to find out who election observers will be and how they have been chosen have hit dead ends.

Wong was recently named Woman Environmentalist of the Year by the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women.

When I called the City Clerk’s office, I was told that official observers were being provided by the State Office of Elections. But when I called the state office and asked about it, I was told that this election is entirely a city function and the state has no role. A spokesperson there did say that they had given the city a list of people who served as observers in the 2008 elections. But whether or how observers were selected from that list, and whether the process meets the requirements of state election law, remains unclear.

In the meantime, with control of the council (and along with it the future of rail transit, among other issues) potentially determined by the outcome of the election, the stakes are high.

To be fair, although details about official observers were absent, the city clerk’s office did tell me that the official counting center will be set up in the city auditorium next door to Honolulu Hale. Space permitting, I would think that observers from the public or from concerned organizations should be accommodated.

Maybe some enterprising reporters can ferret out more information from the city on how these legalities are being handled.

[Note the comment on this entry, below, which adds some more substantive information to the mix. Whew.]