• Hard times for Island Ace • Tragedies in our ocean • Furloughs ‘hurt’ students Hard times for Island Ace North shore residents over the years have relied on Island Ace Hardware in the Princeville Center. If you have been
• Hard times for Island Ace
• Tragedies in our ocean
• Furloughs ‘hurt’ students
Hard times for Island Ace
North shore residents over the years have relied on Island Ace Hardware in the Princeville Center. If you have been in there lately, you will have noticed how this recession has hurt this business.
It is no longer busy with contractors and homeowners purchasing supplies for their latest project and many of the employees have been let go. I am concerned that if we don’t start actively supporting Island Ace, it won’t be there to support us during our next emergency whether it be a power outage, flood, hurricane or even a broken pipe.
If you too want to keep this necessary store on the North Shore then I suggest we all go in there and purchase our hardware needs along with a Christmas present or two. If we expect them to be there for us in the future we need to be there for them now.
Susan Wortman, Princeville
Tragedies in our ocean
Aloha and greetings to our island ‘ohana! I write today with a heavy heart over the recent tragedies in our ocean waters and the lives that will be forever changed by the devastation of an unexpected death.
This is an issue that we will always face, as do all “sand and surf” destinations, however, I know it is particularly difficult to the hundreds of residents who have worked countless hours over the years — many as volunteers — to make the ocean experience as safe as it can possibly be for all who live and visit here.
There is not enough space to individually thank all who have dedicated their time and energy to our ocean safety effort, but I hope that you will see this letter and know that you are appreciated. Even though we can’t prevent all tragedies — your efforts do matter and all of these efforts have undoubtedly saved hundreds of lives.
One thing is clear: We must always strive to do more. It’s incumbent on each and every one of us to spread the message of ocean safety to those who are unaware of the dangers of our waters. We can all spread the word because we interact every day with visitors in our businesses, grocery stores, beaches, restaurants, places of worship and even in our neighborhoods.
The message is simple: Swim only at beaches with lifeguards, and avoid known dangers such as Kipu Falls and Queen’s Bath.
There are many tools available to help spread this simple message of safety. The Office of Economic Development can provide you with ocean safety brochures — complete with a map of all beaches with lifeguards. Simply call them at 241-4946 to request a supply, and then display them prominently.
Another tool is Kaua‘i’s incredible ocean safety Web site: www.kauaiexplorer.com. This site has valuable information on how to stay safe in our oceans, on our trails, how to interact with wildlife, and so much more. You can even sign up to receive a daily “ocean report” via e-mail — which is especially helpful for hotels, condos and timeshares for providing up-to-date ocean conditions to their guests.
We at the county will continue to work with partners in the public and private sector to enhance our ocean safety efforts. But perhaps the biggest impact will come from that chance interaction you have with a visitor who will welcome your advice as to how to safely enjoy our beaches.
You could help avert a tragedy and safe a life. And isn’t that the most important gift of all?
Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho Jr.
Furloughs ‘hurt’ students
How would you feel coming to school for only four days? We are stuck at home with three days with nothing to do. Everything about Hawai‘i’s Furlough Fridays are bad. Our teachers and some of our parents’ paychecks are shrinking to great extents.
The state of Hawai‘i received $105 million this past year. So, why don’t they have money for schools?
My first reason I hate furloughs is that we have decreased school days. Hawai‘i has the shortest school year in the nation. With all furlough days combined we are missing almost one month of school. We are missing vital lessons in school and our HSA scores will be affected greatly.
The second reason I hate furloughs is that we will get less education. We could even get into trouble on a furlough day with no supervision. We could get hurt! We will be bored with nothing else to do. We will get a much lower quality education overall. We will also not be learning all that we are supposed to be learning, there’s not enough time to do that!
My third reason I hate teacher furloughs is that some children in Hawai‘i will go hungry on Furlough Fridays. Some children get free or reduced meals at school. Those students may not get fed complete meals on the days that we have a furlough. This makes me sad and upset.
There are many reasons why I dislike furloughs but an important one for me is that school’s special activities will be canceled. Our school canceled our Halloween Parade this year, so who knows what our school will cancel next? School may become a bore soon.
So this is why I hate teacher furloughs. I feel bad for everyone affected by this money-saving plan. I hope that Gov. Lingle ends them soon.
Arianna Plascencia, Grade 5, Mrs. Miyazaki’s Reading Class, ‘Ele‘ele School
