Stephen K. Yamashiro: Difference between revisions

{{Infobox Mayorofficeholder

| image= Stephen K. Yamashiro.jpg

| birth_place=[[Honolulu, Hawaii|Honolulu]], [[Territory of Hawaii]], U.S.

| death_place=[[Hilo, Hawaii|Hilo]], Hawaii, U.S.

| alma_mater=[[University of HawaiiHawaiʻi]]<br/>[[Willamette University]]

| spouse=Della E. Allison Yamashiro

| party= [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]

'''Stephen Kei Yamashiro''' (July 15, 1941 – May 24, 2011) was an [[United States|American]] [[politician]] and [[lawyer]] who served as the former [[Mayor of Hawaii|Mayor]] of [[Hawaii County, Hawaii|Hawaii County]] from 1992 to 2000.<ref name=hsa>{{cite news|first=Gordon Y.K.|last=Pang|title=Leader reshaped Big Island as council member, mayor

|url=http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/hawaiinews/20110526_Leader_reshaped_Big_Island_as_council_member_mayor.html |work=[[Honolulu Star Advertiser]] |publisher= |date=2011-05-26|accessdateaccess-date=2011-07-08}}</ref><ref name=hawaii24>{{cite news|first=|last=|title=Former Mayor Stephen K. Yamashiro (1941-2011) |url=http://www.hawaii247.com/2011/05/25/former-mayor-steve-yamashiro-1941-2011/ |work=[[Hawaii 24/7]] |publisher= |date=2011-05-25|accessdateaccess-date=2011-07-10}}</ref> Yamashiro served on the Hawaii County council from 1976 to 1990, including eleven years as the council's chairman.<ref name=hsa/> He then served as the [[Mayor of Hawaii]] for two consecutive, four-year terms from 1992 until 2000.<ref name=hsa/>

Yamashiro was born on July 15, 1941, in [[Honolulu]], [[Hawaii]].<ref name=hawaii24/> He attended University Elementary School and graduated from the [[Punahou School]] in 1959.<ref name=hawaii24/> In 1964, Yamashiro also graduated from the U.S. Army Artillery Officer's Candidate School, located at [[Fort Sill]] in [[Oklahoma]].<ref name=hawaii24/>

Yamashiro was elected to the [[Hawaii County Council]] from 1976 to 1990.<ref name=hawaii24/> He served as the chairman of the county council simultaneously for eleven of those years .<ref name=hawaii24/>

Former Mayor of Hawaii [[Bernard Akana]] died in office on April 12, 1990.<ref name=hsa/><ref name=ha>{{cite news|first=|last=|title=Other Hawai'i mayors who died in office |url=http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2008/Jun/23/br/hawaii80623070.html |work=[[Honolulu Advertiser]] |publisher=|date=2008-06-23|accessdateaccess-date=2011-07-09}}</ref> Akana's death necessitated a [[special election]] to fill the remainder of Akana's unexpired term.<ref name=hsa/> Yamashiro left the council and announced his candidacy for [[Mayor of Hawaii County]].<ref name=hsa/> Yamshiro was defeated in the 1990 special election by [[Lorraine Inouye]], who won the election by just 76 votes.<ref name=hsa/>

He was inaugurated into office on December 7, 1992.<ref name=hawaii24/> Yamashiro was re-elected to a second, four-year term in 1996, defeating challenger [[Keiko Bonk]] of the [[Green Party (United States)|Green Party]] by a slimmer than expected margin of 3,148 votes.<ref name=uofh>{{cite news|first=Ira|last=Rohter|title=Fruits of Resistance: Hawaiÿi Islanders Stop Oji Paper Ltd.|url=http://www2.hawaii.edu/~aoude/pdf/RohterSocProc40_2001_pp.121-40.pdf |work=Ira Rohter|publisher=[[University of Hawaii]] |date=2011-05-26|accessdateaccess-date=2011-07-08|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026020827/http://www2.hawaii.edu/~aoude/pdf/RohterSocProc40_2001_pp.121-40.pdf|archive-date=2011-10-26}}</ref>

Yamashiro came into office facing major economic challenges for the [[Big Island of Hawaii]]. The island's once thriving [[Sugar plantations in Hawaii|sugar industry]] had declined, causing the loss of agricultural jobs.<ref name=hsa/> The last major [[sugarsugarcane]] [[Sugar plantations in Hawaii|plantation]] closed on the island closed during the 1990s.<ref name=hsa/> Yamashiro, a strong proponent of development, pushed for the rapid development of [[resorts]] and other tourism [[infrastructure]] in [[South Kohala]] and [[North Kona]] to replace jobs lost in the sugar industry.<ref name=hsa/>

Yamshiro is credited with introducing the 100% [[Kona coffee]] [[emblem]] and [[logo]] now widely used by [[Coffee production in Hawaii|Kona Coffee producers]] on the [[Hawaii (island)|Big Island]].<ref name=hawaii24/> He expanded the tourism industry between [[Japan]] and the [[Hawaii (island)|Big Island]] of Hawaii.<ref name=hawaii24/> Yamashiro spearheaded efforts to recruit the [[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]] to open an office and international service at [[Kona International Airport]].<ref name=hawaii24/> He also successfully lobbied for nonstop, international flights between Kona and [[Narita International Airport]] by [[Japan Airlines]].<ref name=hawaii24/>

In 2000, Yamashiro could not seek re-election due to term limits.<ref name=starb>{{cite news|first=|last=|title=The Races to Watch: Neighbor Islands

|url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/2000/09/25/news/story8.html |work=[[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]] |date=2000-09-25|accessdateaccess-date=2011-07-08}}</ref> He was succeeded by [[Harry Kim (politician)|Harry Kim]] in December 2000.<ref name=starb/> Yamashiro left Hawaii County with a [[budget surplus]].<ref name=hawaii24/>

[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Governor of Hawaii|Governor]] [[Linda Lingle]] appointed Yamashiro to the [[Hawaii Tourism Authority]].<ref name=hsa/> Lingle later reappointed Yamashiro to a second, four-year term on the tourism authority.<ref name=hsa/> He served as the chairman of the Hawaii Tourism Authority's budget committee. Additionally, the Western United Life Assurance Company hired him as project manager to promote its planned residential development in [[Hilo]].<ref name=had>{{cite news|first=Kevin|last=Dayton|title=172-acre project proposed for Hilo

|url=http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/May/17/ln/ln18a.html |work=[[Honolulu Advertiser]] |date=2004-05-17|accessdateaccess-date=2011-07-08}}</ref>

Yamashiro died from [[pneumonia]] at Hilo Medical Center in [[Hilo, Hawaii]], on May 24, 2011, aged 69.<ref>[{{Cite news|url=http://www.therepublicstaradvertiser.com/view2011/story05/6321de677ab44c3ea825672b98b105ce25/HIbreaking-news/former-Formerbig-Mayorisland-Deathmayor-stephen-yamashiro-dead-at-69/ |title=Former HawaiiBig CountyIsland Mayormayor Stephen Yamashiro dead at 69|date=2011-05-25|work=Honolulu of pneumonia]Star-Advertiser|access-date=2018-05-11|language=en-US}}</ref> He was survived by his wife, Della E. Allison.<ref name=hawaii24/>

[[Category:University of HawaiiHawaiʻi at Mānoa alumni]]

[[Category:People from Honolulu, Hawaii]]

[[Category:AmericanHawaii peoplepoliticians of Japanese descent]]

[[Category:AmericanDeaths politiciansfrom ofpneumonia Japanesein descentHawaii]]

[[Category:DeathsHawaii frompeople pneumoniaof Okinawan descent]]

[[Category:American peoplemayors of OkinawanJapanese descent]]

[[Category:American mayorspoliticians of AsianRyukyuan descent]]