• On the Knudsen Trust and monkeypods • Intolerant of others • In memory of Walter • Patience is a virtue On the Knudsen Trust and monkeypods This is in regard to the recent letter by Stacy Wong (“Trust will
• On the Knudsen Trust and monkeypods
• Intolerant of others
• In memory of Walter
• Patience is a virtue
On the Knudsen Trust and monkeypods
This is in regard to the recent letter by Stacy Wong (“Trust will preserve its lands,” Letters, Nov. 23), the Trustee of the Eric Knudsen Trust.
Wong states: “The Knudsen family has owned much of the Koloa/Poipu area since 1872 and has taken great pride in their stewardship of their lands over those many years.”
With that in mind, did the Knudsen family take great pride in having the two monkeypod trees in front of the Koloa Post Office cut down over eight months ago? Since no work has yet been done in front of the post office, why did the Knudsen Trust order those trees to be destroyed?
• Linda Estes, Koloa
Intolerant of others
In response to the letter “Prop 8 supporters sickening,” Letters, Nov. 17, I thought we had already gone past this years ago when we, as a community, voted to clearly define marriage to be a union between a man and a woman. I find it interesting that this person says that people who don’t support same sex marriage are discriminatory and hateful, yet it is this individual who is showing those qualities.
A large number of the people who are against same sex marriage on this island are the nicest people I know and make the choice to be against it based on their religious beliefs. Is the writer of this letter saying that all people of any religious background are hateful and discriminatory?
If so then he needs to look at himself before he judges others. Just because people don’t think the same way as you does not make them worse than you. Just because you want something doesn’t mean everyone who doesn’t is wrong. If you think that way you are intolerant of others. That leads to hate, and then you are the very thing you say you condemn.
• Bob Smith, Kalaheo
In memory of Walter
I only knew Walter Briant for a year but I couldn’t have had more respect and admiration for this caring and devoted man if I had known him all my life.
Even though he knew that the serious blood cancer he had would shorten his life, he still became a member of the Charter Review Commission and fought for an issue that could benefit every person on his beloved Kaua‘i.
Against all odds he introduced a charter amendment to get a county manager type government put on the ballot for the people to vote on and battled six of his colleagues to make it happen.
Remember that this dedicated man could have been in a room feeling sorry for himself after going through so much exploration and pain to find a cure for his rare disease. But he not only wouldn’t spend what time he had left as a recluse, he was determined to help his fellow man by spearheading this charter amendment and making Kaua‘i a better place for all of us to live. And this brave, caring man decided to enjoy life to its fullest and he chose to do something that even the bravest of us might not do — he went hang gliding and loved it.
Walter knew that I have been a jock strap all my life and really enjoyed telling me stories about his days at University of California as an engineer and mostly, as a track star. His favorite story was that he once beat the great Olympian Bob Mathias in a track event which meant more to him than his successfully starting the well known company Aqua Engineering.
Walter Briant was a very unique individual — a fighter and man of integrity, not often seen in today’s world. We who knew him best will greatly miss him and value the time we had to spend with him. I believe that it would be a wonderful memorial to him for this CRC to put his county manager amendment on the next ballot.
• Glenn Mickens, Princeville
Patience is a virtue
On Saturdays the post offices are manned by only one postmaster and service is usually 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
For postmasters to get your mail out before the post office closes, I think they are doing a great job serving the people. Most of the time they have to attend to customers’ needs and drop what they are doing to organize and distribute the mail to each mailbox.
On Saturday, I witnessed (in one of the post offices while standing third in the line to pick up my oversize mail) a woman demand of the postmaster to get her (the woman) box that she was expecting through the mail that was supposed to have arrived that day. Then, the woman went on to say, “It’s a very important package.”
The postmaster explained to the woman that the mail has just arrived and she didn’t have time to organize the mail yet. She would need some time to find it (after looking and pointing out to the woman the pile of mail bags and boxes).
The postmaster asked if she could come back a little later before the post office closes. Needless to say, the woman stormed off.
People need to remember that the postmaster has a lot of work to do on Saturdays. Also, I believe that one will receive a pick up card in the mailbox when it’s time for it to be delivered. Remember, you already waited awhile.
So what’s a few more hours, or minutes of waiting?
• Howard Tolbe, ‘Ele‘ele
