• Speak out to avoid losing youth programs • Don’t treat keiki as lab rats • Let’s do our part • Thanks for preventing an accident, KPD Speak out to avoid losing youth programs I am writing to first, inform
• Speak out to avoid losing youth programs •
Don’t treat keiki as lab rats • Let’s do
our part • Thanks for preventing an accident,
KPD
Speak out to avoid losing youth programs
I am writing to first, inform Kaua‘i residents of funding that is planned to be cut for a great group of programs.
These programs were run by the Paxen Group and consisted of About Face, Community All Stars, Jump Start and Forward March. They helped students in middle school, high school and adults, and as of right now they will cease to exist on March 31.
And secondly to ask for your help in conveying support for these superb programs by communicating to our state senators, representatives, and our governor of their need to keep these valuable programs alive.
I have seen firsthand the positive impact these programs have had on these young people, and the heartening support of their families. I tell a trucker one morning, “I saw you at the graduation last night.” He replies, “Yeah, my grandson. You know, that boy had no respect for anyone, and now, with this program, he has respect. I am grateful.”
Our postal clerk one day tells me, “You know, your wife guys program is truly something special. Our daughter is a very quiet person, and to see her up there behind the podium and giving a speech was quite touching.”
A graduation was held at the Kaua‘i Community College theatre and I was assigned the task of sitting people in the center so they would not be spread out through the auditorium. Well, there was no need to do that, the seating area was completely occupied. It was amazing.
These are just little things that I have experienced personally, and there is substantially much more wonderfully, overwhelming, true life occurrences that these family of programs have provided to the families of Kaua‘i.
If our state and county legislators were aware of these numerous incidents and the deep, family reach of these programs, they may just have a chance to survive.
The About Face program came to Kaua‘i in 2003, and, in 2004 had its first graduating class of five people. Since then its core has been nurtured to where these family of programs have grown throughout the islands and have serviced over 16,000 individuals. It has had a huge positive effect on our islands people and to see a family of programs such as these terminated due to budget cuts will definitely be detrimental to our families and our communities.
Raymond C. Salazar, Koloa
Don’t treat keiki as lab rats
I can’t sit by in silence while Monsanto’s pesticide and herbicide use, in conjunction with genetically engineered seed, is the topic being discussed.
Monsanto spokeswoman Dawn Bicoy claims that a certain herbicide isn’t harmful to the health of her neighbors, and that experiments on lab rats getting cancer were conducted with excessive doses. Isn’t it possible that people living in close proximity to year-round applications of herbicides might be getting excessive doses? What about the leaching of agro-chemicals into the water table, or running from the ditches into the ocean where her neighbors’ children swim? What about levels of chemicals concentrating the higher up the food chain they travel? And how can anyone know that all these synthesized substances, even if possibly deemed “harmless” in themselves, aren’t interacting with each other?
Lastly, here we are, on Kaua‘i, where we have to sign a statement, as we’re coming from the mainland, that we aren’t bringing with us any alien plant life that might harm the island, while Monsanto has license to create life forms that have never even existed in nature, let alone Kaua‘i!
I think Monsanto may have conducted another “experiment” with “high doses.” Namely, pouring excessive doses of money on a state to determine how much is necessary to facilitate another kind of “cancer,” one that is definitely spreading, poisoning the Islands, and infecting them with an addiction for more money in the form of jobs.
Mothers and fathers of Kaua‘i, wake up! Your keiki shouldn’t be treated as lab rats!
Michelle Dick, Kilauea
Let’s do our part
I applaud the county’s decision to ban plastic bags. We need to keep moving forward with making changes to our current systems and policies regarding recycling and diverting trash from our landfills.
Who is in charge of the post offices on Kaua‘i? I am bothered every time I go to my local post office only to see that they do not offer any recycling bins for paper, boxes and shipping materials.
We all need take responsibility and do our part.
Marie Foster, Koloa
Thanks for preventing an accident, KPD
Thank you to Kaua‘i Police Department for stopping the man on the bicycle that was riding in the middle of the road between Lawa‘i and Po‘ipu (“Don’t cause an accident,” Letters, Feb. 6, 2011).
We had to endure “his ride” daily for about a month. And thank God, KPD stopped him before he caused an accident!
Sheila Young, Kalaheo
