• Fire evacuation • Kilauea Theatre • Smoke ’em • Cheney comment • KIUC rates Fire evacuation Thanks to notification from the Kaua‘i Police Department, who contacted the Kauai All-Island Marching Band’s music director, Mr. Larry McIntosh, our KAIMB participants
• Fire evacuation
• Kilauea Theatre
• Smoke ’em
• Cheney comment
• KIUC rates
Fire evacuation
Thanks to notification from the Kaua‘i Police Department, who contacted the Kauai All-Island Marching Band’s music director, Mr. Larry McIntosh, our KAIMB participants were evacuated safely from Vidinha stadium where they were in the middle of a three hour practice in preparation for their participation in the 2005 Tournament of Roses Parade.
Mr. McIntosh calmly collected the 200 + students from the field, instructed them to call their parents/guardians immediately, and requested help from the county for bus transportation to help with the quick and orderly evacuation of all of the students. At least five Kaua‘i buses were on the scene within minutes, and the stadium was evacuated in under 30 minutes.
Parents were pleased with how the situation was handled, and no one suffered any ill effects from the fire and smoke. All stayed calm, and the performers (and their instruments) were all safe. Thank you to the County of Kaua‘i and the KAIMB staff for their efforts on behalf of our keiki!
Dr. Laura Haack
Kilauea Theatre
I was very sorry to see TGI give Viewpoint space to a writer denigrating the Kilauea Theater and its owner for showing Fahrenheit 9/11. His reasoning reveals a puny mindedness that is contrary to all the tenets of free speech and public debate that were the founding principles of American democracy. Did Mr. Louis think the theater owner was a ìliberal business owner with a hidden political agenda that is not “fair and balanced” when he showed “The Passion of Christ”?
Much of the criticism I read of 9/11, it seems, comes from people who didnít see it. So blinded by their passion for the Bush administration, they simply cry, “lies, lies,” having no idea that the most powerful imagery in the film is footage of the reality to families who have lost loved ones in a pre-emptive war predicated on proven lies. Equally powerful is the footage of Mr. Bush and company doing what they do and revealing themselves as dangerous, elitist and out of touch; Michael Moore just put it all together.
And thank goodness he did. The information in Fahrenheit 9/11 has been suppressed by corporate media, and the American people no longer have an actively free press dedicated to informing them about their government. I applaud Damon Marc for bringing us this timely film. And while I’m at it, I thank him for all the beautiful movies he has brought to our island.
Risking uncertain commercial success he continues to bring us edgy, thought provoking films. No media has the power to move and inspire us the way that movies do. Being able to see them and share in the zeitgeist enhances the quality of our island life. I’m grateful and say, “Mahalo, Damon.”
Evelyn de Buhr
Kilauea
Smoke ’em
In your 6/13 article titled “Smoke ’em if you got ’em” (in The Garden Island) was the following paragraph:
“The state Attorney General’s Office intends to introduce a bill soon that would stiffen the regulation and monitoring of personal Internet tobacco purchases. Combined with pending federal legislation, the new laws could require reservation-based operations and others to report their customers to the state attorney general and the tax office.”
Regarding the “combined with pending federal legislation” comment, could you ask Attorney General Bennett what legislation he’s referring to? Reason? The only relevant pending Federal legislation was HR 2824 introduced last year. But (snicker), no action was taken on it because this year, HR 3749 was introduced n which, in section 7, re-asserts Native
American exemptions from reporting requirements. In short, no state (including Hawaii) can re-write long-established Federal treaties with the “ten tribes” of the Seneca Nation.
P.S. By the way, even if HR 3749 was not introduced, HR 2824 would only have applied to Internet sales – with no effect on cigarette sales via toll-free numbers (which all the Native tobacco sellers have). That would take another law … both of which would be challenged in the Supreme Court.
J. Alec West
Oregon
Cheney comment
Vice President Dick Cheney represents everything that is wrong with politics in this country. Cheney invited the energy industry into his office to write an energy policy which benefited them at our expense. He helped deliver $18 billion worth of no-bid contracts to the scandal-plagued company Halliburton n a company in which he still holds hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stock options.
John Edwards, on the other hand, has consistently prioritized ordinary people over corporations. He’s been an advocate for middle class values and policies which help the millions of families that are scraping to get by.
Bush and Cheney have had their chance and failed.
This November it’s time for the American voters to help them step aside, and to let John Kerry and John Edwards lead us back in a direction we can be proud of.
Dr. Marv Rohrer
Lawa‘i
KIUC rates
Ray Chuan has raised an issue that should be addressed by the Board or Management of KIUC. I refer to the recent extreme acceleration of the Energy Adjustment (EA) on our monthly bills.
The EA has been with us for a long time and has gradually increased as have fuel costs. As recent as the February 2004 round of electric bills, the EA had risen to $.04 per kilowatt hour (kwh) added to the base rate of $.175. During the next four months, the EA zoomed 125% to $.085 per kwh, driving the EA up from 17.2% of our total bill to 30.5%. This increase far exceeds the rate of fuel cost increases we experienced. What is going on?
Additionally, I believe members have been pleased and supportive of the recent KIUC acquisition of the Kauai Power Partners production facility. Our understanding of this strategic move was the opportunity to reduce KIUC operating expenses. The low interest rate environment enabled us to finance the purchase at annual costs significantly lower than the costs of our contract to purchase power from KPP far into the future.
It is logical for the owners/members of KIUC to expect to see such a significant improvement in expenses reflected in the rates we are paying. As such benefits to the enterprise are immediate, why should benefits to the member/owners be delayed?
Fran Brennan
Princeville
