• Keep stadium clean
• Why end SFAR71
• Wilcox quality of care was tops
Keep stadium clean
Attn: Mayor Baptiste:
Almost every weekday morning I exercise at Vidinha Stadium, using the track, the stadium steps, the bars, and the locker room, then go to work. I’m happy that the County provides such a nice facility for the public, as well as for sports.
There are only two men assigned to maintain the stadium complex. I understand the County is financially strapped for staff and equipment. That is why KIF and Pop Warner football teams are required to clean up after their games.
And that is something they are not doing. The stands are littered with peanut and sunflower seed shells, enough to fill a dump truck. There are chicken bones, gobs of spit, and of course paper and cans.
After the last KIF game – Kapa`a vs. Kaua`i – the locker room was trashed. Paper towels had been pulled out of the dispensers and thrown all over the wash basin counters and the floor, though there is a large garbage can within easy reach.
It seems the boys haven’t learned to lift the toilet seat lids to urinate, because the seats were covered with urine, the bowls were full of urine, feces and toilet paper, and there was urine all over the floors of the stalls.
The floors had muddy footprints all over. A couple of weekends previously, the handheld shower had been left on the entire weekend, and when I came in Monday morning it was still running and there was no hot water. The County cannot afford this.
These are not isolated incidents. This occurs after every football game during the season. It is a disgrace.
These teams are violating their agreements with the County to clean up after themselves. Much worse, they disrespect the labor of the two men who maintain the primary sports facility on Kaua`i. There may be reasons for this, but that is the teams’ responsibility. There are no excuses.
I ask that you personally make it clear to these teams, their coaches, and the high school principals that they have an obligation to the public, to themselves, and to the County employees to fulfill their part of the bargain.
What I would most like to see is the coaches and principals come to the stadium on Saturday morning and clean it up themselves. Maybe then they would get an idea of what these two Parks employees have to deal with, and learn that although the job may seem humble it’s at least as honorable and necessary as that of any coach or principal.
William LeGro
Kapa`a
Why end SFAR71
In regards to local helicopter companies coming out against SFAR71. Since when are cloud and ground clearances unsafe. Sounds like they are forced to break these rules to complete their tour flights. It all comes down to dollars, not safety.
Our three week stay at a Po‘ipu Condo bore this out. We experienced continual over flights of the condo we stayed in. My husband is an avid golfer and has a range finder. So, I started checking the altitude of these helicopters. The quote, September 24, 2003 in the Garden Island paper, “According to Cox, all pilots are aware of environmental and noise issues and fly in a manner to reduce these impacts.” If the helicopters are supposed to fly 1500 feet or higher over houses, condos, etc. why are the pilots flying at barely 500 feet? No helicopter I checked even made it to 1000 feet. So you tell me, how sensitive and considerate these pilots are.
My advice to the people of Kauai is: Get a range finder and a video camera and make these considerate, sensitive pilots obey the rules.
Denise Conyers,
Pleasant View, Utah
Wilcox quality of care was tops
In the past few years, I have read several letters referring to Wilcox Memorial Hospital and the care they provide. The letters were not always positive. I would like to add my personal experience to the discussion.
Two weeks ago, I awoke at 5 a.m. with nausea and severe stomach/diaphragm pain. After thirty minutes had passed with no change, my wife rushed me to the emergency room at Wilcox. The ER personnel admitted me prior to even checking my medical insurance. I was given an EKG, a chest X-ray, blood was drawn, oxygen was administered, and IV fluids were started. The diagnosis was not a heart attack, but an inflamed gall bladder with gallstones. My gall bladder was removed, and I was discharged four days after admission.
I am a retired fireman from a large city in California, and I have had several surgeries due to work injuries, so I am no stranger to hospitals or surgery. The quality of care at Wilcox is far better than any I have experienced elsewhere. I was treated by caring professionals who exemplify the aloha spirit. The ER personnel, Dr. Serota and his surgical team, the 4th floor nurses, food service people, and housekeeping personnel all made my stay as pleasant as possible, and were amazingly cheerful as well as extremely competent.
We have a resource at Wilcox that is of vital importance to the entire community. Everyone who works there could make more money on the mainland, yet they choose to remain in our community to serve the island of Kauai. Keep up the good work! Mahalo.
Jim Kelly,
Wailua Homesteads
