Letters for Tuesday, June 5, 2007

• Attend school meeting

• Libraries and barking dogs

• Queens Bath parking clogged

• Our inner nation

• Let dogs on the path

Attend school meeting

I urge the public to attend the Kapa‘a Middle School SCC meeting today at 6 p.m. in the KMS Library. We will be electing a new chairperson and will hopefully be able to bring up some urgent issues concerning the management and control of our school. ACT 51 was intended to improve community awareness and involvement. However, if the community is not vigilant, it can serve as a blank check for the District CAS and the principal. I plan to discuss issues concerning principal selection, teacher intimidation and manipulation of school funds and personnel. Several Kaua‘i schools are now facing problems with secrecy and deception in the decision-making process. We need our community members to insist on openness, transparency, and true collaboration from our leaders. Please attend SCC meetings and PTSA meetings if you wish to find out what’s happening with our schools

Keith Amano

Kapa‘a

Libraries and barking dogs

There are two community issues I’d like to bring forward for public discussion.

The first is the local library operating schedule.

I think it is unconscionable that all of the local libraries are closed on most nights and all weekends. It seems to me that a state where economic hardship is the norm for the average family and where students score below the national average statistically, it would prove imperative to make as much educational information available to the public and the children, particularly on the weekend when most are not working or in school. However, this is not the case. Libraries are open late only one night per week and are closed every Saturday and Sunday — prime studying time.

Secondly, I would like to see discussion on barking dog issues.

I can see from the internet that in 2002 the Barking Dog Ordinance was defeated because it was not deemed fair to pig hunters. This is not the type of barking dog I am concerned about.

Two months ago, I moved into a Koloa neighborhood where the neighbor’s pet terrier is left outside every night and barks loudly most nights. This is an issue of neglect of the animal and apathy about the other residents in the neighborhood. The humane society says there is nothing that can be done about this even though the dog is clearly miserable, the owners take little pleasure in it, and the peace of mind and benevolence of the rest of the neighborhood is subordinated to this noise pollution and the subsequent disturbance in sleep and rest.

Interested in viewpoints.

Jason Blake

Koloa

Queens Bath parking clogged

For those of you who frequent Queens Bath, you must know how overfilled available parking is. Even with the insufficient parking provided, there are “no parking” signs and the threat of a boot being attached to your car if you even attempt to create more parking space on your own. If there isn’t a law passed yet stating that there should be sufficient parking for local monuments/recreation areas then there should be one installed. I am pretty sure there is one stating that beach access shall be provided but what good is a beach access without sufficient parking? This may be a naive suggestion, but it’s just my two cents.

Cameron Takamura

Kapa‘a

Our inner nation

Mr. Michael Meek most likely got his history information from previous colonialist writers (from Gavin Dawes to Ken Conklin) because his outlandish argument was nothing new (“On original deeds,” Letters, May 31). So, instead of getting upset at his opinions let’s take the time to get a little introspective. We as Hawaiians need to take a look inside ourselves and find out what we envision our sovereign Hawaiian nation to be.

Mr. Meek does make a valid point when he questions the motives and intentions of those who claim to be the lineal descendants of our former Mo‘i and we Hawaiians need to do the same. We can no longer accept things without first asking questions, because it has been shown that one man’s intentions often supersedes a nation’s intentions if it goes unchecked. Leaders are people who do what they say, whose actions represent their words and not the other way around. With that, instead of claiming that you are a lineal descendant from our past Mo‘i, show yourself to be a leader by modeling yourself in the way that you want to see the Hawaiian nation to be. Like my inspiration Gandhi proclaimed “you must be the change you wish to see in this world.” We need a leader not an Ali‘i nui dictator who wants to control everything. We must be wary of those who wish to make claims on our land whether they are Haole, Kepani, or Hawaiian, because what good is it to be a part of a Hawaiian nation that is no different from the American nation that we currently live under.

Mr. Meek is right to assume that most Hawaiians would not want to go back to the old Hawaiian ways, lacking everything modern. So, what do we want? My vision of a sovereign Hawaiian nation will be achieved if we as Kanaka Maoli can decolonize our minds and start trusting our Na‘au or guts and not our head. We need to move away from the things that have made the American culture so destructive (money, oil, and power). Becoming self-reliant will enable us to become sovereign as a nation. If we have to depend on everyone to provide our basic needs in life, then how can we ever expect to separate ourselves from the hand that feeds us.

So instead of spending so much time and effort with another activist sovereign group, why not spend that time looking into yourself and finding out how you can make yourself a better Hawaiian. Before you can expect anyone to change you must first change yourself.

Kimo Kimokeo

Waimea

Let dogs on the path

I have a concern about a law the county of Kaua‘i has passed. I am a young eighth-grader with two dogs that my family and I enjoy walking, but one of the only good places to walk them, at Lydgate Beach Park, it is not permitted for us to walk our dogs there. I would really enjoy being able to walk my dogs in a safe convenient place.

I realize one of the county’s reasons for not allowing dogs to be walked there is that the animals poop and the owners don’t clean it up. A simple solution to that is the county could buy a few animal waste bags dispensers like they have at the humane society along the path. This would keep it clean and people would not complain about the animal’s waste. There are many reasons that it would be good to have a sidewalk area to walk our dogs. Not only is it easy for us, but also it is good for the dogs. One thing is, it keeps their nails filed down, whereas walking on grass or even on a road will not do. Another thing it lets the animal socialize so there will be less aggressive dogs around. I mean there should be a law that the dogs have to be on a leash, but they should be allowed to at least walk there.

I am not asking for much but we are not allowed to walk our animals at this path but at all county parks and many beaches no dogs are allowed. So where are we supposed to walk our dogs? If we walk them on the side of the road there is a much higher chance of accidents. Opening this path to walking animals would increase human and animal safety.?

Melissa Seymour

Kapa‘a