• Common courtesy • 100th Battalion close then and now • An unprecedented hit • An off-the-wall thought Common courtesy Just a friendly reminder to the younger generation who works with customers, such as cashiers, waiters/waitresses, counter attendants, bank tellers,
• Common courtesy • 100th Battalion
close then and now • An unprecedented hit
• An off-the-wall thought
Common courtesy
Just a friendly reminder to the younger generation who works with customers, such as cashiers, waiters/waitresses, counter attendants, bank tellers, etc.
Remember to smile and say thank you. After checking out a customer, you don’t have to be so rude to them.
Remember these customers shop and spend a lot of money at your place of employment who keep you employed. A smile and a thank you shows customers you appreciate their business. A little common courtesy won’t hurt you.
Common courtesy goes a long way for your employment and you.
Howard Tolbe, ‘Ele‘ele
100th Battalion close then and now
Thank you for the wonderful article regarding the 100th Battalion, of which my dad Tameji “Tommy” Matsushige was a part.
When we (and the grandkids) were little, he used to tell us many stories — wish I had recorded them!
I do recall his story about the guys from Texas, which is ironic since I then married a guy from Texas and now live here!
A picture of my dad and his brother Masaichi in uniform hangs in our den, in its originally set metal frame — took it as a souvenir when my mom passed, and decided to retain the frame which is pretty rusty now. Don’t know if the photo was taken in Europe or at Schofield Barracks in Hawai‘i.
These guys went through a lot together and continued to be pretty tight throughout the years; they used to meet ‘formally’ twice a year: once for the 100th Battalion and once for the 442nd Regiment.
An example of how close they were, when my mom passed in 2009, Jack Hada (in the newspaper photo), barely able to walk and drives only a 5-mile radius from his house), attended the interment at the Veterans Cemetery on Kaua‘i!
Barb Owen, Fort Worth, Texas
An unprecedented hit
Not long ago I treated myself to PBS’s production of “South Pacific” and thought it was well done except… I have a bad habit of critiquing plays and shows of all types.
A few days ago I was invited to be a guest for a local production, with dinner show and to my delight I found they were doing an Island rendition of South Pacific! I was slightly amazed at the turn out as the lines were long by 5 p.m. and the air of expectancy floating through the crowd was like children awaiting Father Christmas.
Dinner was unusually delicious for a banquet style and there was a nice variety so no one needed to feel left out or hungry. Not only that there was ample time and food for a person to go back multiple times if they found they had missed lunch. Wine, beer, and cocktails were also available for purchase. Enough time was given to eat, meet your table mates and relax but not enough to make you restless before the show. Soft music puts you in a light hearted mood and prepares you for the coming performance.
I will not ruin the performance for you but I will say Delia Valentin as Bloody Mary was so believable you wanted to laugh at her antics and buy her wares. She stays totally in character through out the performance and gives you tears, laughter, frustration and so much more you will be happy about just being there.
Cindy Jackson, Ensign Nellie Forbush, and Greg Shepherd, Emil de Becque, have a certain believable quality to their interaction that goes from fire to ice in flat seconds and draws the audience in. Hannah David, as Bloody Mary’s daughter Lait, is a warm, caring person who brings that quality to her character, while becoming that person, draws the audience to tears and laughter during her performance. Her “love interest” Lieutenant Joe Cable, played by Samuel Alfiler supports his role as best as I have seen in a live performance.
I will say the men and women playing Navy personnel round out the show giving it depth, warmth, comedy and drama. One “sailor,” Isaac Worth, steals the scene in the “Thanksgiving Follies” and will have you laughing until you cry. You will not believe it until you see it!
I promise you this is an off Broadway play that should be right there, center stage, along with “Cats,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Oklahoma,” just to name a few. This is a must-see here on Kaua‘i. Director Brenda Turwill has an unprecedented hit on her hands. Keep up the great work!
Ali‘ilani Kanui, Kapa‘a
An off-the-wall thought
Here’s an un-American thought; Hawai‘i is an island(s) state and Japan is an island(s) nation. Maybe, Hawai‘i should be looking at Japan for energy self-sufficiency knowldge/technology.
Can Hawai‘i get Far East investors to help revive the hydro-electric capabilities of Kaua‘i? With more advanced solar panel technology, can Kaua‘i produce enough on the west/south sides? Tie in some wind-powered stations and all three types of electricity generation may really get Kaua‘i off the oil bandwagon.
Break up Kaua‘i into power districts instead of depending on very long transmission lines crossing the island. Wainiha power plant (and windmills) serves Ha‘ena to Anahola/Kapa‘a; windmills/H-power trash burners and Lihu‘e Plantation small hydroplants serve Waipouli to Puhi; South Shore solar panels and windmills serve Koloa to Numila; solar panels that allow cattle-grazing underneath and biofuel power plant that’s smaller than current one serves Hanapepe to Waimea; and the Kekaha Sugar hydroplant serves the Kekaha/Mana areas.
Each district has resident crews to maintain their systems. No island-wide blackouts? Just an off-the-wall thought.
Masaru Shirai, Lihu‘e
