• A chain of miracles
• Message for Kaua‘i’s newcomers:
• Wrong viewpoint published
• Applauds Larry Feinstein
A chain of miracles
The article in Friday’s Garden Island regarding Suzi “Date Bar” Williams did nothing to reveal what a wonderful and caring person Suzi is. Besides being an active, athletic and spunky woman, she is a deeply caring, generous and community-giving individual who reached out to so many people and befriended everyone. If you ever ordered something from Suzi, you not only got the best cake on the island, you got a friend for life. If you were ever in a bind, she’d drop what she was doing to help. It was very common for Suzi to talk story to everyone while she was baking. We discovered that a lot of people she communicated with on a daily basis only communicated with her! She made people feel like they belonged and they were special.
The article also failed to mention the miraculous chain of events that happened that day to save her life. As she lay in the water unconscious, one of the other athletes in the group risked his own life by jumping through the opening. He suffered a severe head injury in the process. There was a group of kayakers right by the cave. One of them came over and placed a life vest on Suzi. There were two boats in the distance headed our way. They were there within five minutes. The boat that picked up Suzi was captained by someone who’s known to be a “paniolo” and not a water man. His boat was small enough that it was able to be negotiated onto Ke‘e beach. At Ke‘e, there was a trauma surgeon about to embark on a kayak trip who stopped to help. The ambulance and emergency team were there within seconds.
Getting seriously injured on the Na Pali coast is almost certain death. It can take hours sometimes to get picked up or rescued. Suzi was receiving medical attention within 45 minutes of her fall. What happened to her that day was beyond tragic, but it wasn’t her time to go.
We’ve all tried to put logic, emotions, thoughts into why something like this could happen to someone so wonderful. There’s no good reasoning. Perhaps the good — if you can think of anything good — to come out of this is that her accident has brought an entire community of people together. Here on Kauai and across the country. We’ve all been brought together by our love for Suzi. She has a long road ahead of her and we’ll be there every step of the way. As she would be there for us.
Your kokua is greatly appreciated. If you would like to help, please send a monetary gift to: The Suzi Fund, P.O. Box 1156, Kilauea, HI 96754.
Message for Kaua‘i’s newcomers:
Welcome to Kaua‘i. Many of you have expressed an interest to better understand the island, its culture, its people and living a life of aloha. One way in which you could better become a more integral, positive part of the island is to get involved in one of our many nonprofit organizations. Not only will you be able to help those in need and have fun while doing it, but you will also meet wonderful people and gain a better understanding of the real Kaua‘i.
I am personally involved in several nonprofit groups, and as I write today, one of my groups, The Kauai Children’s Discovery Museum, is looking for individuals who are interested in helping. We need people who could become members of the board, work on our various committees (Fundraising, Administration/Finance, Governance, New Museum Development) or be volunteers. We are in the process of designing a new, permanent museum, expanding our programs for young people and designing and building new exhibits. Whatever your skills and interests, we have an opportunity for you!
This letter is also an ongoing invitation to local Kaua‘i adults and teens; we need and value your on-going support.
If you would like to learn more, please contact me, Jean Camp, president of the board, at 821-1093. I will invite you to our next monthly board meeting so that you can better understand who is involved in the museum and where we are going. Additionally, please come see us at our current home, under the Whale Tower in the Safeway Shopping Plaza, Kapa‘a. Mahalo.
Wrong viewpoint published
Kudos to Lenore Klass (TGI, July 6) and Gini Stoddard (TGI, July 7) for taking The Garden Island to task for devoting the Guest Viewpoint section of its Fourth of July edition to the anti-American fulminations of a self-professed pot smoker reliving his glory days as a Vietnam War protester. Would it not have been better to have printed an article that would lead the readers to reflect on the acts and motives of the founders of this great nation?
We have among us on Kaua‘i some true heroes, young men and women who have served on the front lines in the War on Terrorism — a war that we must win if our institutions and freedoms are to endure. It is too bad that, on our most important national holiday, the Forum did not print a Guest Viewpoint by one of these fine young citizens.
Applauds Larry Feinstein
Unlike some knee-jerk conservatives, I applaud Mr. Feinstein and The Garden Island for giving us his message on the day we celebrate the birth of our country.
We all should be concerned as to the nature of our foreign policy, especially when our sons and daughters are dying for it. Our experimental form of government is not for everyone and we should not be forcing it on others. The patriots of 1776 took a stand against tyranny; let other nations fight their own battles.
Mr. Feinstein is a patriot who doesn’t hide behind the flag, but has the nerve to speak out. We are not perfect but must strive for perfection or we will surely fail as many other forms of governing have.
We spent much blood in Vietnam and now in the Middle East; let’s not continue to allow our sons and daughters to die in the name of idealistic principles expounded by the zealots currently in office. Bring our troops home while we can still say at least we ousted a tyrant to others and gave a people a chance to start their own democracy, or whatever system they choose.
It’s obvious Mr. Feinstein is passionate in his loyalty to America. I’m sorry for those who missed his point. America can and must do much better for our own citizens and thereby be an example to the world, not a tyrant appearing to force ideals and religious dogma on others.
- Mike Ferguson
l01st Airborne Division Vietnam, 1968
