Praise for teachers Good for the teachers in rejecting this contract. They now get paid less than they did two years ago, they are going to pay half of their health insurance premiums and they were expected to submit themselves
Praise for teachers
Good for the teachers in rejecting this contract. They now get paid less than they did two years ago, they are going to pay half of their health insurance premiums and they were expected to submit themselves to an evaluation about which they know nothing because it has not yet been created.
Shame on the HSTA board and the governor for rushing into this deal just because they wanted the big federal bucks.
William Perri, Kilauea
Helping the Kaua‘i Humane Society
With a happy heart and teary eyes, I am retiring from the Kaua‘i Humane Society board of directors after 19 years of service. I will continue to volunteer and work closely with KHS as a CPA and financial advisor.
After my 50th birthday in 2010, I decided to retire from the KHS board in January 2012, and I informed the board of my decision. There are always challenges in every organization, especially nonprofits, and I am thankful to the board and the staff for facilitating my on-time retirement. The organization could not be in better hands under the superb leadership of Executive Director Shannon Blizzard and the board of directors.
Words cannot convey the love and appreciation I feel for the Kaua‘i Humane Society. I have never been so proud to serve with such amazing people. The board, the staff and the volunteers are dedicated, selfless heroes, and they have supported me and inspired me every step of the way. I love them and thank them eternally.
None of my service would have been possible without the undying love and support of my devoted husband, Ron. I truly am the luckiest girl in the world.
Everything I have done I have done for one reason and one reason only: to help Kaua‘i’s animals and the families that love them. The world of animal welfare is both rewarding and challenging. The No. 1 obstacle facing Kaua‘i‘s animals is pet overpopulation. There simply are not enough loving homes. Here’s how you can help:
• Spay or neuter your pet(s).
• Adopt a pet from the Kaua‘i Humane Society and save a love — your own!
• Volunteer. I promise it will do your heart good.
• Make plans to attend the KHS annual gala, South Paw-cific, on Saturday, May 12
And, of course, I would be delighted should anyone choose to donate money to KHS in my name. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Laura Wiley, Lihu‘e
The smart path
Thank you, Howard Tolbe, for your wise and insightful statements in “Alternatives to multi-use path” (Letters: Jan. 18). You asked, “Why not use taxpayer money to fix bypass roads and build more alternate roads around the island one stretch at a time?” I have testified and written letters for over 10 years asking these same questions, so it is great to hear another voice echo these words.
In fact, I see that others like John Robinson are questioning the false numbers put out by those pushing this path in “Do the path math” (Letters: Jan. 19). His numbers coincide with the ones that I and John Hoff have pointed out in previous articles — $53.25 million for the 23.8 miles of path — their number instead of the $105.7 million, which should be the actual number — $4.44 million per mile for the completed 6.8 miles times 23.8 miles, which equals $105.7 million.
As the old saying goes, “You can fool some of the people some of time, but not all the people all the time.” As the true amount of money being spent on this low-priority project surfaces, more and more people will question what is going on.
This path is and always will be for recreational use and will never be for commuting to work or shop, as proponents have falsely told the public. No amount of bikes, paths or buses will ever make the mass of people abandon their vehicles. If you question that statement, then ask 10 people you know if they will get rid of their car, and see what they say. Multi-modal, rapid transit and smart streets are a dream, so stay with the facts and know that cars are here to stay. The “smart” plan is to open the cane haul roads as alternate means of travel and to alleviate traffic.
Glenn Mickens, Kapa‘a
Airport aloha
I loved the Business Forum Jan 15. Vanessa Van Voorhis hit a home run with her insightful writing about our Airport aloha and lack thereof at the curbside drop-off and pick-up.
Over the past 30 years my wife and I have passed through our airport at least 100 times. The past seven or eight years, the experience at curbside has been mostly as she described. I hope the airport management gets the message that we want a friendly, aloha approach to having us “move along.”
The first and last impressions for both our visitors and ourselves are important to us. Bring on “Airport Aloha.”
Glenn Head, Kapa‘a
Alas, Coco Palms
Having had the good fortune a half-century ago to stay at the Coco Palms when it was in its splendor, it has brought me sadness during visits to your beautiful island the past two decades to see the property’s ever increasing decay.
Truly it must be time to put it out of its misery, either by demolition or for training purposes by the Kapa‘a and other island fire departments.
David Guggenhime, Ross, Calif.
