• Teen drug treatment center needed asap • Roads key to preparedness • West is just a flamethrower • Keep newspaper well-balanced Teen drug treatment center needed asap According to a recent study done by the National Institute on Drug
• Teen drug treatment center needed asap •
Roads key to preparedness • West is just a
flamethrower • Keep newspaper
well-balanced
Teen drug treatment center needed asap
According to a recent study done by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 53 percent of the teen population have tried illegal drugs within their short lifetime, 41 percent have used it in the past year, and 25 percent have used it in the past 30 days. Unfortunately, these statistics don’t exclude the island of Kaua‘i.
On March 4, 2011, an article’s opening sentence stated, “Many agree that the island is in dire need of a drug treatment center for teens … as long as it’s not in their back yard.” It was followed with reference to two previously selected sites that were opposed by almost 400 signatures. While looking for other possible sites, one must ask, “When are we finally going to act upon this problem?”
As a current teenager who has personally witnessed friends and strangers fall victim to this matter, I cannot express how much I appreciate the fact that this issue is being addressed. It’s been around long enough for us to know that it won’t go away over time. Is it safer to band all sites and never get the help, or hire stricter security and try to make it work? A site must be chosen as soon as possible or nothing will improve.
Amber Fujimoto, Waimea High School junior
Roads key to preparedness
We hear over and over how well prepared Kauai is in case of a tsunami, hurricane. or any other natural disaster.
With all due respect to Civil Defense and the people who run it I beg to differ with this assumption.
We basically have one highway that runs around our Island and when there is a disruption in this road — traffic accidents, fires that cause smoke across the road, or a washout like the Kaloko Dam break caused a few year ago — transportation stops.
Even without a disaster, traffic on our roads gets worse and worse and with more population, more vehicles AND more signals the problem can only be exacerbated.
About 10 years ago, thanks to Senator Lehua Fernandes Salling and DOT director Steve Kyono the Kapa‘a bypass road was built. Since it was an existing Cane Haul road no EA or EIS was necessary and it was started and finished in 8 months and it has been a success.
We have these same cane haul roads all over our Island that were thoughtfully put there to allow the sugar cane trucks to operate without slowing them down or slowing other vehicles using our main highway. This idea and action was truly one of pro activity and badly needed on our Island today.
Thus my point is that before we are “prepared” for any type of disaster we desperately need to make use of these cane haul roads. And not only for disaster preparedness but to address the traffic problems that we have been ignoring for way too long.
This ignored problem may not be a Civil Defense issue only but for the safety and welfare of our citizens it should certainly be at the top of their and the administration’s list.
Glenn Mickens, Kapa‘a
West is just a flamethrower
On March 21, Christopher O’Brien, of Lihu‘e, had an outstanding Letter to the Editor regarding one of the paper’s syndicated columnists, Diana West.
The letter concerned one of her recent columns which both praised Sen. McCarthy and strongly supported the forced internment of Japanese American’s during World War II. West was wrong on both counts.
McCarthy’s “witch hunt” (where he even accused America’s greatest World War II hero — General Marshall — of being “a traitor”) was soundly condemned by his own President Eisenhower and by his own Republican party. Anyone who could praise McCarthy, could praise the devil on Sunday. She was equally wrong on supporting the forced internment of Japanese Americans.
Columnists are normally selected on the basis of their ability to present a thoughtful and reasoned position on a topic. Diana West is clearly not a columnist. She is a flamethrower and one would hope that The Garden Island publisher, Randy Kozerski and the managing editor, Nathan Eagle, would know the difference. She does not represent either the reasoned Republican view or the reasoned Democratic view.
Again, in her column March 28, Diana West states, “The fact is, when it comes to American interest, Obama could not care less.” It is my belief that there is no president in the history of the United States that did not care deeply about American interest. There are many excellent columnists representing both parties. Choosing one for the Republicans would be David Brooks from the New York Times.
Joe Frisinger, Princeville
Keep newspaper well-balanced
If Christopher O’Brien and Ann Bjork, as well as others of their leanings, don’t care for the commentaries of Michelle Malkin and Diana West, I wonder what they think about those who have similar feelings reading the commentaries of Donna Brazile and Gene Lyons?
These latter two make up the liberal counterparts of the former.
Personally, I enjoy and look forward to reading each of what the columnists care to disseminate, and contend that The Garden Island provides its readers with a well-balanced newspaper.
I trust that it will remain so.
Bill Null, Kapa‘a
