• Crossing picket line heartbreaking • Koke‘e commercialized Crossing picket line heartbreaking I happen to be one of the fortunate people in our community who enjoys good health and am incredibly thankful for it. My spouse, though, isn’t as fortunate.
• Crossing picket line heartbreaking
• Koke‘e commercialized
Crossing picket line heartbreaking
I happen to be one of the fortunate people in our community who enjoys good health and am incredibly thankful for it. My spouse, though, isn’t as fortunate. Over the last 10 years she has needed the services of Wilcox Hospital and its wonderful, caring doctors, nurses, and aides two or three times a year. We’re pretty used to the hospital environment and have learned how to live through chronic illness and all the challenges it provides. It’s pretty scary some times, but we have grown to love and trust the caregivers at Wilcox and KMC over the years and know that they will always do their very best to help my dear wife be comfortable and get on the road to recovery.
We’ve had to watch in dismay and fear as, first, my wife’s Internal Medicine specialist (Dr. Denegris) left not long ago, who was then followed by her Primary Care physician (Dr. Suthurland) not long thereafter. We’ve been told that they can’t find a new gastroenterologist to fill the gap, but have been assured that my wife would be able to see an Oahu gastroenterologist who would come over for one Saturday a month. She’s only got to see him twice in six months. He is a nice guy, but really isn’t able to do a lot. A wonderful new doctor has come to Kaua‘i and taken on the challenge of my wife’s illness. He’s incredible in the amount of time, effort, and care that he puts into her case. We are extremely thankful to have an intelligent and energetic doctor like Dr. Yoon to care for Robin. But, he shouldn’t have to do the things he does for us. He takes his own time to consult with friends who are familiar with Crohn’s Disease and does a great job on managing a complex disease without having been trained to do so. He shouldn’t have to work so hard for us and to fill the gaps in staffing at Wilcox and KMC.
During the last month I have had to cross the nurses picket line numerous times to take my wife, daughter, and mother to receive care. It’s heartbreaking every time. With chronic illness, trips to the doctor can’t be avoided. We don’t know everyone on the picket line, but each time we see at least one or two of the wonderful people who have provided so much love and care to my family. We have always received excellent care from the nurses and staff at the hospital and clinic. I remember way back when I used to sleep on the hospital floor to ensure that I was there to care for my wife if she needed anything. Now, I’ve grown to trust and respect the caregivers at the hospital and can sleep securely at home knowing that Robin will always be well cared for and taken care of. I never sleep well when my wife isn’t by my side, but can always rest assured that she is getting the best care available and everything she needs from our wonderful Kaua‘i nurses and staff.
On behalf of my wife, daughter, mother, and myself, mahalo nui loa to the loving, caring, and skilled care givers at Wilcox Hospital and Kauai Medical Clinic. Our lives would be much more challenging if it weren’t for you and all you do.
To the administrators at Hawaii Pacific Health, please rethink your position. Please get the nurses back out on the floor where they belong. Please fill the vacancies in the clinic. The nurses, doctors, and caregivers of Kaua‘i are miraculous professionals who have always provided my family with the highest level of care and comfort. Give them the support, respect, and care that they have always shown to us — our lives depend on it.
Koke‘e commercialized
Koke‘e is for sale. The state is poised to irreversibly transform our cherished mountain into a tourist park just like so many around the world: large parking lots and hotels are built to attract maximum numbers of tourists who are sold bus tours to the once pristine site. The locals stay away. While the stated purpose and goals of the State Parks Division and the Koke‘e and Waimea Canyon Master Plan include properly managing and protecting Hawai‘i’s natural and cultural heritage, preserving the unique historic character of Koke’e and Waimea Canyon, protecting and preserving the unique natural environments of the parks, ensuring the continued existence of Hawai‘i’s unique flora and fauna for the benefit of Hawai‘i’s future generations, protecting, preserving and managing archaeological resources, historic sites and traditional cultural places to ensure the continuity of the traditional cultural values and practices that are unique to these parks.
Promoting heightened appreciation of the parks’ natural and cultural resources, and preserving, managing and interpreting the “legacy of the recreation residences,” the only goal that seems to be guiding the plan is revenue enhancement to the state. And the money raised won’t even stay on Kaua‘i, it will go into a general fund for all parks in the state.
Take a look at some of what is proposed (despite the fact that virtually all of those testifying at the two public meetings I attended were opposed):
• A new park entry booth will be built in the middle of the road at mile 6.8 at the entrance to Waimea Canyon State Park. According to the EIS, this “is an essential component of the Master Plan” (2.5.3A) as it will permit the state to charge an entry fee for park visitors (currently exempting Hawai‘i residents). (1.4.15) The cost to build this 100 square foot entry station is estimated at about $250,000 and as a part of this plan, the existing ranger station located at the meadow is planned to be moved down the mountain as a “support building” and a minimum of four parking spaces and a bathroom are also to be constructed at this site.
• A 40-60 room hotel and greatly expanded parking are in the plans for the meadow area at Koke‘e (2.5.3N). The parking area is to be enlarged to include not less than two stalls per hotel room (120 stalls) plus one additional stall per 75 square feet of other commercial (retail, restaurant, shops, etc. That’s 100 stalls for 7,500 square feet of commercial space), plus additional parking for the campground and “development of bus parking.” That’s a lot of parking lot.
• Adding a concession area and information center to the Waimea Canyon Lookout with new parking lot and bus staging area.
• Paving over the meadow at 13.5 mile marker (the meadow with the gray gate on the canyon side, where nene and goats come each morning and evening, a very special place) with a 40-car parking lot and viewing platform.
• Widening the road to the Kalalau lookout to “safely accommodate full-size buses.” (2.5.2B)
• Auctioning the recreational cabins to the highest bidder world-wide in early September 2006.
I am not a leaseholder and never have been, but it is my opinion that permitting a no-holds barred auction of the cabins to the highest bidders is probably the most short-sighted approach possible. The wealthiest bidders are not likely to be Kaua‘i residents. Who will have access? There are many options that can be considered, but only a month to stop the irreparable damage that the auction as scheduled will cause.
Please urge our governor and BLNR to take a breath and suspend plans to move forward with the auction and the master plan.
The deadline for public comment is Aug. 7. If you care about Koke‘e send your written comments to: DLNR-Division of State Parks, Attn: Lauren Tanaka, P O Box 621, Honolulu, 96809 (with copies to the Governor of Hawaii c/o OEQC, 235 Beretania No. 702, Honolulu, 96813).
