• Dedicated educators • Burning desire • Feeling disordered • Other side of the story Dedicated educators What a wonderful letter written by Patrick Bruno (“Kapa‘a Middle School Pride,” Letters, July 8). As a teacher educator for University of Hawai‘i,
• Dedicated educators
• Burning desire
• Feeling disordered
• Other side of the story
Dedicated educators
What a wonderful letter written by Patrick Bruno (“Kapa‘a Middle School Pride,” Letters, July 8).
As a teacher educator for University of Hawai‘i, Manoa on Kaua‘i, I have the privilege of supervising our future teachers in the classrooms of our 15 Kaua‘i schools. I meet and work with many teachers that feel the same way as Mr. Bruno and some of these dedicated teachers also serve as mentor teachers, assisting in the preparation of our future teachers.
Education is all about the students; meeting their needs, teaching them to think, and being there to guide them to reach their potential to become productive citizens for a just society. Teachers do this every day, but the truly effective teachers are the ones who find joy in making a difference. I used to think that in order to keep that “beginning teacher’s enthusiasm,” teachers should retire after teaching 25 years, but as I start my 41st year in education, I no longer measure effectiveness by the brevity or length of a teacher’s career, but by their commitment. A special commendation to all the passionate and hard-working teachers on Kaua‘i. There is no better calling than to be an outstanding teacher, for our students deserve the best.
Kani Blackwell,
teacher educator. Kapa‘a
Burning desire
I am sick of all these brush fires. I beg that if they are being deliberately set to please stop before someone or something gets hurt. We were awakened at 11:55 p.m. on Sunday night to learn that a brush fire was near our pasture on Hulemalu Road in Puhi.
When we got there it was just in the next field over, very close to where our horses are. My husband was able to get all the horses into our pen, put halters on them and with the help of many friends we were able to lead them to safety. It is now 4:25 a.m. Monday morning and I just got home, upset and just sick to my stomach thinking of what could have happened. Anyone who owns animals will be able to relate to this. They are not just animals, they are a part of my family and I would be absolutely heart-broken if anything happened to them. I want to thank all our ‘ohana and friends that helped us … Fred and Morgan Lopez, Joni, Tori and Gary Craig, Bula and family, Eddie Taniguchi and his entire clan of people that was there, Mom and Dad Puu, Kainoa and Kiani, Rain, Albert Soares, Uncle Duane Shimogawa, thank you for letting us keep our horses at your ranch overnight (sorry for waking you up). If I forgot anyone I apologize but just know that we are so touched to have such great friends like all of you. The biggest mahalo goes to the firefighters and police officers, because of your quick actions we had the time to clear our pasture. I will make one final plea, that if this is arson, whoever is starting the fires, please stop. Material things can always be replaced, but a human being or animal is a done deal. Please stop.
Tammy and Adrian Pu‘u
Lawa‘i
Feeling disordered
Seems everyone on Kaua‘i wants to stop something, either vacation rentals, big boxes, traffic, the Superferry, the bike trail or resort development.
I wish to add weed-blowers to the list of antis. Although I never considered myself an anti, I have become anti-weed blower. In fact I believe I have developed PTWD … “Post traumatic weed-blower disorder.”
The sound is deafening, you cannot conduct a conversation in person or on the phone if there is a weed-blower within 100 feet of you. The exhaust is polluting and the people operating them are usually wearing earplugs of some sort, making everyone else suffer.
Who ever invented the weed blower surely enjoys seeing people’s nerves tried.
What is the purpose of the weed blower?
My neighborhood is in a weed-blower frenzy. One neighbor blows weeds into another neighbors yard and that neighbor blows the weeds and leaves back.
Eventually all the leaves and refuse return.
Weed blowers are the ultimate noise pollution, deafening to the point of no return. When a neighbor is weed-blowing something snaps, like the brain goes in all directions. Your eyes grow big, you start to shake, all you can do is patiently wait to discuss this with your therapist.
Whatever happened to the good old fashioned rake, broom and shovel? At least raking is quiet therapeutic, good exercise and you are disposing of the leaves not just blowing them to a new spot only to have them return again.
I urge the County Council to consider making a law banning weed blowers in residential neighborhoods. The county of Santa Barbara has banned weed-blowers from the many complaints over the years. Maybe Kaua‘i can follow in the footsteps of a well-managed city.
Hopefully I can make it through this post traumatic weed-blower disorder.
James “Kimo” Rosen
Kapa‘a
Other side of the story
This is a short letter to tell one of the stories on the other side of Kaua‘i home rentals. The perspective of people who must rely on renting a home in Kaua‘i.
Last summer I was approached by a church-going, long-time resident Kaua‘i homeowner, who needed someone to remodel his downstairs garage in exchange for living there for a few years, to ready the apartment for later use by his son. I knew of an elderly but hard- working couple who at the time were nearing a change in their living status. I connected the two of them and have kept up with their progress.
As the remodel started, the home-owner convinced the elderly gentleman he didn’t have the resources to buy the supplies, and could he purchase them in exchange for future rent?
I heard the homeowner state on several occasions, “When you get this done you can stay as long as you like rent free.” Mind you, the soon-to-be tenant and his wife are still working their physically demanding full-time jobs and when the remodel is done and inspections passed, they move themselves in.
Long story short, now they have lived, as tenants, for about a month in the owners’ apartment conversion. He comes to them and says they owe him back rent, he wants utilities for when the tenant was remodeling the owners’ home and he wants monthly rent and utilities from now on. The elderly couple/tenants are stuck. They have no savings for deposit to move elsewhere. They cannot move out. They must pay.
It is not always a story about the neighbors and homeowners on Kaua‘i. My hope is this owner I am speaking of above, whom I know reads The Garden Island every day, will read this and shame himself into doing right by his tenants. If not, perhaps an anonymous call to the IRS will motivate him. Or perhaps his integrity as a Christian man will be reawakened.
Remember Kaua‘i, there are two sides to every story.
Jackie Lott
Kalaheo
