Letters for June 10, 2015

Letters for June 10, 2015

Gateball tournament a success

Mahalo also to Nick Celario, sports editor of TGI newspaper, who did a fantastic job reporting on our activities before, during and after the tournament. The publicity that his reporting generated was a big plus for our club and the neighbor island clubs that attended.

Mason Chock, Kauai County Council member, presented a proclamation to the club at the start of our tournament, commending the club on its efforts to educate the public about the many aspects of the game, its history (30th anniversary in August) and the appeal it has to people of all ages.

Kauai Gateball members and volunteers put in a lot of time and effort into assuring that the tournament was a successful one. Without their input, the tournament would not have been possible.

Ron Aceret, president

Kauai Gateball Club

Repairs needed at public facilities

Dear County Parks Division,

It’s summertime, and the bathrooms are broken.

As a frequent swimmer at Anini Beach, I’ve witnessed the reduction of bathroom facilities over the years, from three stalls for each gender down to two. It made no sense, but was still manageable for the most part.

However, three weeks ago, one of the women’s stalls apparently became dysfunctional since it was closed off with yellow tape. That brought the bathrooms next to the boat ramp down to one functioning stall.

Come on County of Kauai – it’s summertime, there are more visitors and users of the facilities, and so far, there has been no repair in over three weeks. Is a broken toilet the memory you want to give our visitors and residents after visiting any of our beach parks?

Please repair this stall and any others in need at the public bathroom facilities on our island.

Patti Valentine

Moloaa

Let’s overcome ‘lack of interest’

That’s it, folks! No journalism classes at KCC, so no campus newspaper! How can this situation be remedied? In place of news in the printed format, will the students be willing to become media journalists via the video-format? Or, would the students, faculty and staff be willing to have campus forums and-or public hearings to discuss campus-related concerns and issues?

The bottom line is this: If things close down because of lack of interest, it will be up to the folks who really want to get something done to get their act together and do become a part of the solution. Will anyone step up to start the ball rolling? Are there students on campus who have the grit and determination to take on this awesome challenge? I hope so!

Let’s hope for the best!

Jose Bulatao, Jr. (Former instructor at KCC and former advisor to the student paper)

Kekaha

Director hasn’t done well well

I have been a volunteer at the Kauai Humane Society for approximately eight years, and was on the board of directors for two years (resigning from the board last September). It is very unsettling to see the sad news coming out of that organization these last few weeks.

For those of us old enough to remember, a favorite saying of President Harry Truman was “The Buck Stops Here.” Unfortunately, Penny Cistaro, KHS executive director, does not abide by that principal. It’s easier to blame staff and a small vocal minority for all her mistakes, problems and her failure to successfully manage KHS.

The slogan “Aloha for Animals” is painted on the side of the Kauai Humane Society bus. Through her actions and statements, Penny Cistaro has shown that she does not grasp the true meaning of aloha. This applies to her dealings with the animals, employees, volunteers, financial donors and the community at large. It is inconceivable to me that the current board of directors continues to support her 100 percent.

Ron Hinkle

Kalaheo