Letters for Sept. 29, 2016

• State must protect citizens from federal ‘authorities’ • Please help school with land gift

State must protect citizens from federal ‘authorities’

“Shall the Hawaii D.O.H. provide federal ‘authorities” with the identities and details of Hawaii’s Medical Marijuana Registry? As federal statutes prohibit marijuana with no exception for medical use, does this not expose Hawaii’s medical marijuana patients to potential federal prosecution, exclusions or penalties?

This Friday, the D.O.H. is holding the hearing for “public comment,” via video-conference. On Kauai, it will be at 10 a.m. in the basement of the state building in Lihue. It is the only, and last opportunity to oppose this violation of “patient confidentiality.”

Let your voices be heard or risk the further erosion of patient rights.

I am vehemently opposed to granting federal law enforcement officials or any other federal “authorities,” access to, inclusion, and personal data details from the state of Hawaii’s legislatively approved exception to the federal schedule one policy regarding medical marijuana.

The state of Hawaii has, and should, continue their verification procedures, and with proper vetting and safeguards, including internal supervised verification for dispensaries. However, under no circumstances, should the state subordinate their jurisdiction to federal law enforcement whose official policies are in opposition to the Hawaii program.

“Sharing” any such details of Hawaii citizen’s identities protected by state legislation with federal authorities could lead to prohibitions, exclusions, and prosecution, especially when the statutes of the state and federal government are conflicting. The state has sovereign domain and must maintain such protections for its citizenry.

Kalanikumai Ka Maka ‘O Na Ali’i Hanohano, Koloa

Please help school with land gift

Aloha Kauai Leaders,

Please help, we have the future. We just need a place to put it.

As you know, many educators and community members have worked hard as a dedicated team to bring a 21st Century school to Kauai, Alaka’i O Kaua’i Public Charter School. It will be a free education for our Kauai keiki; an additional choice for our DOE schools. We are scheduled to open our doors August 2017 to 165 keiki. Our school, inspired by the success of iLEAD School Development, will nurture our future leaders to think, to problem solve, to communicate, to create and to collaborate for solutions that will provide the blueprint for the world of tomorrow.

Alaka’i O Kaua’i Public Charter School needs a home! Unfortunately, we were not selected to be the next occupants of Mount Kahili Park. And that is OK for the need for a school is in or near Kapaa where most of our families live. I am told that Kapaa Elementary has over 900 students!

So please, help us find a location that will help Kapaa and the east side of our island. There has to be County or State land that we could use. I hear names of Bette Midler, Mark Zuckerberg, all these people who “own” Kauai land, but I can not reach them. Yesterday, our neighbor told me to contact Office of Hawaiian Affairs for they have lots of land. How do we reach out and get in contact with the people who can help Kauai families? I see land near Mahelona hospital, could this be used? How do we find out?

We need leaders like you to help bridge that pathway for us. Alaka’i O Kaua’i Public Charter School could use five to 20-plus acres to build our school. If needed, we could set up yurts, portables, whatever, because it is not the walls that will define our school, it will be the learners inside and the facilitators enabling their learning.

I, personally, as an educator of 50 years, am not used to navigating politics, real estate, land development, and whatever may be necessary for Alaka’i O Kaua’i Public Charter School to find a home. So I humbly write this email, asking for your help.

Dr. Kani Blackwell, acting chair, Alakai O Kauai Public Charter School, Kauai