December and the whole year of 2000 are almost ready for a chorus of auld lang syne. That means it’s time for The Garden Island’s monthly wish list — a slightly longer one, at that, since it’s a closeout of
December and the whole year of 2000 are almost ready for a chorus of auld lang syne. That means it’s time for The Garden Island’s monthly wish list — a slightly longer one, at that, since it’s a closeout of one year and an aloha to a new one. And so, we wish:
• For a lasting solution to coconut heart rot, the insidious botanical disease that is wreaking havoc on Hawaii’s coconut trees. What’s Kaua’i and the rest of the state without palm trees, a scenario experts say is highly possible?
• For an amicable end to the contract negotiations between the state and its teachers in grades K through 12 and the University of Hawai’i. Nobody wins if there’s a strike.
• That the nightmares of delayed and canceled flights for Hawaii-bound travelers fade away as much as possible.
• That Kaua’i has another year free of hurricanes. The island’s people are stronger because of the last one that hit eight years ago, but who needs another one?
• For good jobs for every laid-off Amfac Sugar Kaua’i worker — and everyone else who’s unemployed.
• That tourists stop getting in over their heads while enjoying Kaua’i’s surf. We don’t like it when our guests go home as drowning victims.
• For productive, problem-solving years for the County Council, the Legislature and Congress. We feel the same way most people do: Old-style politics needs to go away and be replaced by a focus on making government work for everyone.
• That President-elect Bush surprises his doubters and rises to the challenges of leading his country. He won’t have much of a honeymoon, if any, before he either shows he’s up to the job or short on moxie. But he’s our next president, and we must hope for the best.
• For a well-deserved (some would say none-too-soon) break for President Clinton before, we hope, he begins another phase of his remarkable career in public service.
• For a smooth transition for Wilcox Health Systems — one that maintains solid healthcare for Kaua’i and preserves the jobs of as many of its employees as possible — when the seemingly inevitable merger with other healthcare organizations is complete.
• That the apparent West Side serial killer is arrested and punished before another year goes by.
• For a decentralization of elected authority over the state’s public school system. The single, statewide Board of Education should be replaced by district-level boards for more local involvement.
• For a comprehensive recycling program for the island.
• A happy, safe and healthy New Year to one and all.
