• Real bike paths needed • A selfish act • Our children’s future at stake • Educate, educate, educate Real bike paths needed Mr. Mickens’ letter of March 8 contains an inaccuracy. There is no bicycle path along the main
• Real bike paths needed • A selfish act • Our children’s future at stake • Educate, educate, educate
Real bike paths needed
Mr. Mickens’ letter of March 8 contains an inaccuracy. There is no bicycle path along the main highway on Kaua‘i.
There is only a bicycle route, which merely consists of signage along the road. No effort is made to maintain the shoulder of the road where bicyclists travel or to keep it free of broken glass or other debris.
A bicycle path would be a roadway separated from the main highway and might or might not parallel the highway corridor. For example, if the cane road from Wailua to Hanama‘ulu were paved and dedicated to bicycle use, that would be a bicycle path.
A bicycle lane is an actual travel lane on the highway, dedicated for bicycle use only. In that case the road shoulder would be to the right of the bicycle lane. Also, bicycle paths and lanes are kept clear of debris and obstacles such as parking cones and parked cars, unlike a bicycle route. There are no dedicated bicycle lanes or bicycle paths on Kaua‘i.
I agree, however, that money should be spent on improving the transportation infrastructure. Real bicycle paths and bicycle lanes are needed, as well as an expanded Kaua‘i Bus service.
Kurt Rutter, Kapa‘a
A selfish act
In response to James Rosen (“Next time, let me sleep,” Letters, March 6), this demonstrates ignorance and total disregard for people’s safety.
People were evacuated from low-lying areas and advised to go to higher ground. I am amazed with the utter selfishness that Mr. Rosen expresses.
I am extremely disgusted that Mr. Rosen says “People had hopes of viewing a mass destructive tidal wave as cheap entertainment.” I do agree that the mainstream media certainly was.
However, 99.9 percent of the tourists and locals alike were hoping and or praying that this would not occur. People really bonded together and helped one another out.
For you to disrespect the hard work done by the Civil Defense, local police and many others who would have saved countless lives had there been a tsunami, is astounding and in my opinion selfish.
Where is your humanity? You should have welcomed all the good folks that came to higher ground for safety. I thought you were all about aloha brah, I guess I was mistaken.
Dan O’Flaherty, Koloa
Our children’s future at stake
I read the paper today saying that the public schools fund will be cut even more. Does anyone else find the situation of our public schools ridiculous?
Of all the places our state could’ve (and still can) cut back on, they chose the education system. Even though it’s already known how low our scores are compared to other states. We protested for our deserved hours for our children when this was first found out and they lied to us saying they were going to fix their mistake. Why aren’t they taking money from government bonuses or research projects that aren’t really needed?
Now you have greedy labor unions saying it’s not their fault they want more money and the governor saying it’s not her fault either. Fault is not the problem right now, getting our children’s time in school back is what we need to focus on. Now two more are asking the board to cut back even more money. I think we as teachers and parents need to stand up once again and show them we are not backing down until this wrong has been righted!
Show them we are angry for their lack of concern for our children and their education. Not to mention the teachers and parents that have to deal with these irrational “Furlough Fridays.” We care about our children’s future and so should they (the government, teachers, and labor unions) knowing they are our future.
Brandi Beer, Kapa‘a
Educate, educate, educate
I wonder if my old friend Dan Akaka realizes how divisive his proposed legislation is.
When I and thousands of others came from the Mainland to work at Pearl Harbor, in 1942, directly after the bombing, our presence completely changed the ethnicity and culture of Hawai‘i. Today, a 25-year-old person, born in Hawai‘i, has no idea of the Hawai‘i that we knew then.
Sen. Akaka should concentrate his efforts on more native Hawaiians being provided with college educations, if they so desire, with no cost to them. Much of this should take place at prestigious schools such as Harvard and Yale.
We need more schools such as the Kamehameha schools which preserve valuable culture as well as provide an excellent preparatory education.
The damage that was done by early Caucasians in prohibiting the speaking of the Hawaiian language cannot be undone in a short time, but a sincere effort should be made to do so.
Native Hawaiians have as high a degree of intelligence as anyone. Historically, their path of learning has been toward subsistence; the ocean, the land, the weather, and astronomy to name a few areas.
We should be concentrating on our similarities such as the importance of family, the love and nurture of our children, respect and care of our kupuna, preservation of the ‘aina and other values that contribute to a good life.
We don’t need a separate government for native Hawaiians. Some of our best political and community leaders have come from their ranks. The real answer is to educate, educate, educate.
Harry Boranian, Lihu‘e
