• To save our endangered birds, feral cats should go • Dancing on Kaua‘i is prevalent and popular • MMA needs tougher laws • KUW benefit a success To save our endangered birds, feral cats should go I like cats,
• To save our endangered birds, feral cats should go • Dancing on Kaua‘i is prevalent and popular • MMA needs tougher laws • KUW benefit a success
To save our endangered birds, feral cats should go
I like cats, but the results of an extensive three-year study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department have concluded that cats are the No. 1 killers of wildlife in the U.S. They kill billions of birds and hundreds of billions of small mammals each year. Furthermore, they found that feral cats are responsible for far more bird deaths than those caused by domestic cats.
The study is especially critical of Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) programs where feral cats are sterilized then released again into the wild. The lead author states: “Our findings suggest that free-ranging cats cause substantially greater wildlife mortality than previously thought and are likely the single greatest source of anthropogenic mortality for U.S. birds and mammals.”
As the county with the highest number of endangered birds of any county in the U.S., and perhaps the world, it is utterly irresponsible for TNR to continue here on Kaua‘i. Cats are cool, but feeding wild cats and allowing them to eat shearwaters, baby nene, ‘apapane and other highly-endangered birds must stop.
This study conclusively shows the huge amount of damage feral cats are inflicting on our environment — these aunties who feed the feral cats are actually helping to drive some of the most rare birds in the world to extinction. Sad, but true. The bottom line is that is simply not possible to be someone who claims to support both the feral cats and the endangered birds on Kaua‘i.
I side with the birds.
John Patterson
Wailua
Dancing on Kaua‘i is prevalent and popular
I felt that I should make a comment about the article in The Garden Island printed on Jan. 29, “State wants counties to define dancing.”
On Kaua‘i, dancing is open to any body, any age who wants to learn to exercise to good music and realize that is a great recreation.
Many classes are held sponsored by the County of Kaua‘i at three county facilities: Lihu‘e has a 12-week class on Wednesday, Hanapepe has one and Kilauea on Monday nights from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Kilauea Neighborhood Center. These classes are taught by experienced teachers at minimal charge. The Lihu‘e and Hanapepe classes are 12 weeks and the Kilauea is six weeks, and that class votes each session to chose the next dance step.
Dancing can be ballet, tap, round or square or ballroom that requires a partner. Ballroom dancing is now increased due to the popular television show, “Dancing with the Stars.”
Hanapepe and Lihu‘e have volunteer teachers who have been trained by professional teachers. Students sign up as couples while Kilauea takes singles who are furnished a partner and each participant dancer with all the people in the class.
When I was in high school we had no TV and dances were held at each high school on Friday after school, and the high school had dance classes. Each class had a prom each year and was popular for all students.
I am a volunteer president at the Shore YMCA dance club and the other classes have volunteer as officers, and they consistently delight when their membership increases.
In a nutshell: Dancing is exercise to the music or “move the feet to the beat.”
Donna Schulze
Kilauea
MMA needs tougher laws
Regarding TGI front page news “A tougher law on the toughest” printed Jan. 29: Yes it’s about time they get tougher laws on these MMA programs on Kaua‘i. Also the promoters should be charged for any emergency service provided.
The sport(?) is not a county or state program.
Howard Tolbe
‘Ele‘ele
KUW benefit a success
The Fourth Annual Classics … the United Way — a benefit to supplement the Kaua‘i United Way Annual Campaign — was a fantastic success, our best ever. It was truly thrilling to host world-class performers Ani Kafavian, Yura Lee and Lawrence Lesser right here on our Garden Island. Because of the generosity of members of the Kaua‘i United Way Board of Directors, a number of young Kaua‘i music students were able to attend without cost to them. And talk about a chicken-skin moment: Ani allowed two of these young students not just to touch but to play her 250-year-old, priceless Stradivarius violin.
Best of all, we were able to raise more than $30,000 toward the Kaua‘i United Way 2012 Annual Campaign moving us closer to our ambitious goal. Money raised in this campaign will be allocated in the spring to fund more than 80 unduplicated social services, all right here on our island.
This outstanding accomplishment for our Kaua‘i community could not have happened without the substantial financial backing of our principal sponsors, Loren Kayfetz and Pat Pannell. It is their combined love of music and the people of our island that was our driving force.
Special thanks also go to Elizabeth Freeman for opening her beautiful North Shore home and gardens, with their exquisite view of Kahili Bay, for this event. Thanks also to Doug Sears, Chip Bahouth, Debra Blachowiak, Mark Stein, Ron Wiley, Deanna Schafer, Bret Deblin, Chis & Jackie Carswell, Katy Offley, Gary Smith, Mark Oyama, Ellie Cluver, Mary Lardizibal, Susan Hironaka, Jane Albrecht and JoAnn Yukimura.
Scott N. Giarman
Executive Director, Kaua‘i United Way
