Letters for Nov. 1, 2015

Letters for Nov. 1, 2015

Vandals display bad behavior

This letter is in regards to whoever vandalized the bathrooms at Kealia Beach between Sunday night and Monday morning.

The vandals ripped the only sink off the wall and broke it into many pieces, among other things. You vandals of Kauai should feel ashamed of yourselves for such disgraceful behavior. But being vandals, I’m sure you don’t. But you should.

Just remember it’s never too late to change your disgraceful and shameful behaviors. And I really hope you do.

Brigid Canastro

Kapaa

Growth not always a good thing

Thursday’s The Garden Island, “Kauai guests in spending mood,” proclaimed that visitor arrivals rose 4.6 percent in the past nine months. If that growth keeps up, by 2031 the number of tourists on the island will double.

The reported 6.5 million visitors to Hawaii for the first 9 months of the year is an average of over 24,000 visitors per day. Double this is 48,000 visitors.

Recently, having lunch at Duke’s, four tourists sitting nearby were discussing the fact that the residents here were not as friendly as they found elsewhere. I explained to them that it is no wonder that with 24,000 visitors per day the only people they meet are other tourists.

At the rate that the governing bodies here get things done, by 2031 we still won’t be caught up with the infrastructure we need fixed now! Solutions: Stay tuned. I have some positive ideas coming in my next letter to the editor.

Marjorie Gifford

Princeville

Head Start key for keiki

As Head Start Awareness Month comes to an end and Head Start continues to celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, we must also recommit to ensuring all our children have the opportunity to succeed.

As the director of Child and Family Service Head Start and Early Head Start here in Kauai, I see firsthand how Head Start’s complete approach to high-quality early learning has been life changing for at-risk children and families throughout our community. Families come to us facing immense barriers to success, battling poverty and lacking critical resources.

Here at CFS Head Start and Early Head Start we prepare children for kindergarten and offer families the tools they need to become advocates for their children. The long-term impact is clear. Children enrolled in Head Start go on to graduate high school at higher rates and are healthier than their peers.

Head Start programs have helped put millions of our nation’s most vulnerable families back on the path to self-sufficiency.

Together, let’s ensure that Head Start continues to be a window of opportunity for generations to come.

Reina Kurisu

Lihue