• From the heart • Japanese-American service members • Favorites over talents • Great job by Zonta Club From the heart Aloha to the locals of Kaua‘i! We have been coming to Kaua‘i every year for at least six weeks
• From the heart • Japanese-American
service members • Favorites over talents
• Great job by Zonta Club
From the heart
Aloha to the locals of Kaua‘i! We have been coming to Kaua‘i every year for at least six weeks for the past 15 years so you know that we love everything about this wonderful island. We read both positive and negative letters sent to the newspaper by other tourists and want to support those positive letters. And we do not agree with so many of the people who seem to want to enjoy the island but have no regard for the customs and rules of a place different from where they come from. Slow down, tourists! Smile back when people wait on you in the stores and restaurants! You will find your life will be happier from adopting the personality of Kaua‘i while you are here rather than being grumpy and looking for faults.
Congratulations on the cell phone ban while driving! That will save many lives that are precious here!
That being said, I do share concerns that perhaps many locals will recognize also. One has to do with the plastic ban that is being reconsidered now for restaurants. I hope you do not change the ban. There are many many corn based products that a very suitable for transporting wet food home from restaurants. Those biodegradable products have been used for years in many other places and work well. They are a bit more expensive but most people will pay a few cents more for knowing that styrofoam will not be floating in the ocean forever.
And while I see many signs of a better economy such as more cruise ships, active stores, road improvements, etc., I am concerned about the heavy emphasis on catering to the very wealthy. Perhaps those very wealthy people will support everyone else here but I doubt it. The many visitors who are middle class people in the past seem to be drying up. The moderately priced lodgings are becoming fewer. The car rental prices are amazingly high and on the rise. And because I know grocery prices are very high, I feel empathy for the locals who must buy food for their families year round. Yes, everything arrives by ship but the large increases have made it difficult to think about the future here.
Our lease will be over in 3 years and we know we will not be able to return because of the increased costs. We will remember our years here with joy and sweetness. But we will have to look at the southern part of the US for a winter respite where we can afford to travel.
Mahalo for sharing your wonderful island with us and we wish you well for the future!
Mary and Jerry Kerns, Tigard, Ore.
Japanese-American service members
On Oct. 5, 2010, Senator Daniel Inouye, Representative Mazie Hirono, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, and a few other Members of Congress attended a White House ceremony which approved bestowing the Nation’s highest civilian award, the Congressional Gold Medal to those Japanese-Americans who served in the 442nd, 100th and/or Military Intelligence Service during World War II.
The National Veterans Network (a coalition of Japanese-American veteran and civic organizations) is currently seeking qualified veterans (or the next of kin) from the 100th, 442nd, or the Military Intelligence Section, who are interested in attending the ceremony and a two-day celebration in Washington D.C., at which time the Medal will be given to the combined group.
If you or someone you know qualifies for this award, go to the following website for instructions: http://www.nationalveteransnetwork.com.
Mickie Sasano Diamant, Kalaheo
Favorites over talents
High school sports are where athletic abilities are discovered, honed and expanded. Players work hard to be a part of the starting line up, invest countless amounts of time practicing and constantly look towards their coaches for guidance to make them outstanding players. Coaches are praised and criticized based on their team’s performance in games. This is probably typical in most communities but this type of mind-set of losing being a humiliating ordeal has caused coaches to put only the talented players upon a pedestal whereas mediocre players fall second place and get benched for most of the season.
On Kaua‘i being talented doesn’t guarantee an athlete a spot on the team. The determining factors seem to be who you know, who you family is and one’s social status in the term of popularity.
Since Kaua‘i is small, everyone knows everyone and players can be overlooked for reasons that aren’t in their control. This needs to change because talented athletes are being deprived of being athletic stars and it sets a bad example for other young players who see what’s going on. My hope is that athletes will speak up for themselves and they won’t have to worry about past family grudges for fear of not making the team.
Taylor Parongao, Lawai
Great job by Zonta Club
On behalf of Zero-Waste Kaua‘i, I would like to commend the excellent preparation and execution by the Zonta Club of Kaua‘i for making their Dessert First fundraiser an exemplary Zero-Waste event.
Through thoughtful preparation between Zonta Club Coordinator Katie Beer and Zero-Waste Event coordinator Connie Clausen, all the best compostable dessert ware was used and facilities and dessert providers were well prepared to minimize waste and to dispose of it in the best environmentally manner possible. Approximately 350 gallons of compostable material was collected that will be turned into soil amendments and less than 25 gallons of trash was created during this fun 2 hour event. Those numbers are awesome!
Thank You Zonta Club for your work at making Kaua‘i a great place to live and for setting an example of how a successful fund raiser can be a Zero Waste Event! Keep up the great work — I can hardly wait for next year!
Pat Gegen, Kalaheo
