•The education governor • Wild chicken experiments • We can do better • Not worthy of print The education governor A recent letter claims that Neil Abercrombie has not spoken out about teacher furlough days (“Don’t alienate anyone before a
•The education governor
• Wild chicken experiments
• We can do better
• Not worthy of print
The education governor
A recent letter claims that Neil Abercrombie has not spoken out about teacher furlough days (“Don’t alienate anyone before a primary,” Letters, Oct. 28). Nothing could be further from the truth.
Congressman Abercrombie has been front and center on this issue. He met with President Obama’s education secretary, Arne Duncan, to talk about how the furloughs might affect Hawai‘i’s ability to get federal funds for education. Duncan responded by writing an opinion piece calling this furlough plan a mistake.
Abercrombie was the only gubernatorial candidate to show his support in person at the Oct. 23 rally at the State Capitol. Abercrombie shared his feelings with upset parents and students and stressed that these lost school days need to be restored now.
Other candidates have dodged reporter interviews or shrugged their shoulders with tired and lame excuses. For example, in a commentary last month in The Garden Island, Lt. Gov. Aiona said the administration had its hands tied. He wrote: “The decision to furlough teachers on instructional days was made by the Board of Education, the DOE and the Hawai‘i State Teachers Association.”
Days after that appeared, Gov. Lingle admitted she made a mistake and should have not have agreed to the collective bargaining deal that resulted in all these 17 lost days of classroom time.
Neil Abercrombie is the only educator running for governor and has consistently been endorsed by educators. He understands that it’s the students who come first; today, tomorrow and forever.
Neil Abercrombie will be Hawai‘i’s long-overdue education governor.
Ray Paler, Lihu‘e
Wild chicken experiments
There seems to be a perception that the wild chickens of Kaua‘i are of no good use, being too tough to eat and full of parasites. I have been conducting cooking trials to challenge this notion.
A total of four wild hens were captured for baking. Immediately after slaughter, a five- to 10-second dip in boiling water aided greatly with the plucking process. Next, the head, innards, and feet were removed. All appeared healthy with no sign of parasites and weighing approximately 2.5 pounds.
Each was soaked in a salt water brine for 24 hours, seasoned, and baked in one inch of water at 350 degrees until done.
I can report that these chickens were the tastiest I have ever eaten. Their drumsticks were unusually tough but the rest of the chicken was moist and relatively tender.
After slaughtering a wild rooster, I removed the breast meat, wings, and drumsticks. They were then cut into chunks and boiled with green papaya. The unripe papaya, for those who don’t know, has meat tenderizing enzymes and comes out tasting much like squash.
In the beginning, the meat appeared tough but by the time the papaya had cooked, the meat had tenderized considerably and made for some great soup.
Later, I caught a hen and kept her in a coup intent on fattening her up. After three days, she laid an egg. Two days later, she laid another. Although smaller than average they were delicious and I soon decided to set her free.
Nicolai Barca, Kilauea
We can do better
The site for the new landfill chosen by Mayor Carvalho is a poor choice. It would displace about 200 acres of prime producing Kaua‘i Coffee plantings. I don’t understand how this is the best site.
It is obviously good producing ag land. You don’t need a million dollar study to tell you that. I don’t think Kaua‘i Coffee Company is in support of this site either. Can’t you find a site that has a willing landowner and is not currently being used for a long-term crop? Of course you can.
On the teacher furloughs. My son will be robbed of a full month of school. My wife and I will be robbed of time to work and provide for our family. My son’s education is one of the most important jobs I have as a father and now he won’t be getting the instruction he deserves as a Hawai‘i resident.
I know Hawai‘i is not the only place with these shortages but I expected another solution than stick it to all of us taxpayers, and our kids.
John Robinson, Kalaheo
Not worthy of print
Of all the insanity pertaining to this whole issue the only person to deal with it in a healthy constructive way is Samantha Geimer. (“Read all about it, again: Sex scandals,” Media Voices, Oct. 9)
She has the perspective and common sense to look ahead, putting the welfare of her family as her priority and living a happy and productive life.
Gene Lyons has indeed chosen the low road with poorly disguised innuendo and hearsay and should be held to task for unwarranted assertions on a subject about which he obviously has not responsibly researched.
Surely the pain he has caused by this poorly crafted piece cannot be mitigated by the response to a subject not worthy of print.
Phillip Hellwig, Kapa‘a
