Always Christmas at Kumu’s Cupboard
On Kauai, we have a very special “Secret Santa” operating 12 months a year, offering for free whatever you may need. If you have a special request, they try to fulfill the need during your next visit. Volunteers staff the location four days a week during hours working people can shop. What is, where is, and who benefits from this “Secret Santa”?
What: Kumu’s Cupboard
Where: Kukui Grove Center (shops near the old Kmart)
Who: Teachers get free classroom supplies
Schools provide many items for teacher classrooms. However, there is always more we could do to serve our island students. By November, those start-of-the-year supplies are running out, worn out, or among the missing classroom items.
Benefactors who organized Kumu’s Cupboard understand that the children can always use extra pencils and erasers, that teachers can use more construction paper, binders, and books to serve their students. At Kumu’s Cupboard, you see teachers with shopping carts full of supplies for their classrooms, and smiles on their faces.
Teachers, don’t forget Tuesdays and Fridays from 3:30 to 7 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. you can come visit this Secret Santa all year long. Benefactors and store volunteers, thank you very much for your efforts to make the holiday season last all year long for our Kauai school-aged children.
Anne Kane, Retired Kauai High School principal
Do something about South Shore road conditions
Aloha all. Since I cannot seem to find an answer I am putting these questions out to you.
When will you address the deplorable road conditions starting with Koloa Road (Hawaiian Trading Post) heading toward Poipu and continuing with Poipu Road from Koloa to Poipu Beach turn off?
Sections of Koloa Road (across Kaneshiro farm) have been paved and large sections are still in the old state of disrepair with ever-increasing potholes and shoulder erosion.
Poipu Road from the gas station to the traffic circle is an accident waiting to happen, with numerous, deep potholes that drivers have to avoid as to not damage their cars. On a rainy day these holes are filled with water so you don’t even know they are there.
From the traffic circle to Poipu Beach turn off the road is heavily traveled by semi-trucks servicing the ever-increasing developments and our visitor industry.
These are major arteries leading to the only lifeguarded beach on the Southside.
Road striping is nonexistent after Koloa Landing, etc.
Oahu has a “pothole” line that should be implemented here.
Since we are all paying the extra 1/2% tax, I would like to know if this is all being used for road repair. It is certainly not enough to take care of our Third World country roads.
Since our main “industry” is tourism in ever-increasing numbers don’t you think we owe it to them and foremost to Kauai residents that they are able to travel in a safe manner?
Last but not least, please hire an independent auditor with all the degrees required to do the job!
So people, hop in your cars or on your bicycle (if you dare), take a look around, get together and talk among each other and come up with a solution.
Don’t wait for an economic downturn to use as an excuse.
Heike Fujita, Kalaheo
Koloa road is in fact DANGEROUS at this point and time. I avoid it at all costs. Better to drive to Eleele than have someone kill you dodging a hole at the S-turn. It will likely take a death for the county to pave it. Meanwhile every visitor on the south shore will enjoy our riddled road up and down the hill.
What good is road striping around here? Drivers don’t pay attention to them. It seems to only encourage them to drive in the shoulder (which contributes to the damage there, as that is the weakest part of the roadway) or cross over the center line.
Just a guess, but the schedules used for maintenance of our roads are old and probably haven’t been updated for the considerable increase in local and visitor population. That is, assuming there even is a road maintenance schedule! Oahu has begun deploying a new asphalt with much higher durability and longer lifespan—what’s it gonna take to bring that to Kauai? Ala Kinoiki (Poipu bypass) northbound (ie. all that Hyatt/Poipu Kai traffic). looks like a road in downtown Kabul—an IED sized bomb-pocked war zone. You have to drive on the shoulder or risk alignment issues, unless you brought your Humvee.