Letters for Friday, July 13, 2012
• Appreciate the local courtesy • Love the ‘Aloha Path’ • Vote for qualifications • Mahalo for the Kekaha fireworks • In defense of Walmart • Food for thought and thought for food
Change in online commenting policy
Starting July 1, The Garden Island has changed how it monitors the online commenting portion of thegardenisland.com. All comments will go through an approval process. Not all comments will be approved. Priority will be given to those that are topical, remain within our comment policies and contain the author’s full name and hometown.
We encourage continued use of our online comment feature as well as the Letters to the Editor in our print edition. The Garden Island values reader input and encourages thoughtful debate.
Appreciate the local courtesy
Mahalo to the county road worker who recently set us straight on which road to take up to Koke‘e.
He was a burly man, part of a crew working in the heat to reopen a road in Kekaha. We interrupted him with our question about whether the road was closed because of the recent fire, and we wouldn’t have blamed him if he’d been short with us.
He surprised us, though, with his polite manner, volunteering that the canyon road had remained open despite the fire and pointed us back to Waimea.
We try to be good ambassadors for Kaua‘i here in the Midwest, but it’s not necessary. All we meet who have been to Kaua‘i say it’s their favorite.
It’s not just because it’s the Garden Island. Give credit to the friendly locals, too.
Bob Foos
Webb City, MO
Love the ‘Aloha Path’
Invigorated and enthusiastic, I just came home from an early evening bike ride from Kealia Beach to Donkeys on the multi-use path. What a joy! Saw some friends walking and others biking; they all agreed that the path is a great gift, the best thing that has happened to Kapa‘a.
And it’s visually stunning! Besides the splendor of crashing surf, flocks of shearwaters riding wind currents, pink clouds reflecting the sunset, and a double rainbow to boot, people on the path are filled with aloha. They wave, say hi, nod, smile and look happy. It’s a joyful place to exercise and one gets to breathe fresh sea air as a bonus.
How can we be so fortunate to have the path to safely exercise away from the danger of traffic? It’s because of the vision and determination of a handful of county employees who not only saw it as a commuting lane for some, but also as an opportunity for physical and mental/emotional fitness for many.
It’s a given that most Americans need more daily aerobic exercise to be fit and to stay healthy. I think of the path as my fitness club.
The range of people on the path spans babes in strollers to those walking with a cane or crutches or even being pushed in a wheelchair. I’m in awe of the elderly or physically challenged who move with determination — one slow step at a time. I want to cheer for those who are overweight and making a big effort to get in shape.
In addition, there are online skaters, fast runners, joggers, little kids on trikes, cyclists of all varieties, and more than anybody else, walkers, as well a few who are being walked by dogs.
Most of us don’t have a safe place in our neighborhoods to exercise. The multi-use path is a happy menagerie of mostly Kauaians and some visitors who are loving nature, feeling healthy and enjoying the “Aloha Path.”
See you there!
Gabriela Taylor
Keapana Valley
Vote for qualifications
In two weeks voting will begin for U.S. Congress. Kaua‘i’s representative, representing the outer islands, will be one vote out of 535.
The two candidates with the most money behind them are both from Honolulu.
Mufi Hanneman, former Honolulu mayor, has been reported by the press to have some shady deals with the rail project and corporate connections. We don’t need more of this in Washington.
Tulsi Gabbard was on the Honolulu City Council. Her money is coming from connections to the Hare Krishna sect and former Republican supporters.
Bob Marx, from the Big Island, is the only candidate from the outer islands and not paid for by corporate and Honolulu interests. He is well qualified as a businessman, attorney and negotiator for working people.
Hawai‘i’s real power is in the Senate with the same number of votes as every other state. Senators vote on international affairs, treaties and war, confirmation of judges and secretaries, constitutional laws, and bills sent from the House.
Linda Lingle, former mayor and governor, is not equipped for dealing with national law. A better choice would be in the administration.
Mazie Hirono is not ready for leading on international and legal issues facing the nation. Her family background and local interests will bear no weight in Washington.
Ed Case, businessman, attorney, former state representative and congressional representative, is well-experienced for the work of the Senate. He has the leadership skill to rise in the seniority system.
Vote for qualifications, not name recognition, party, ethnicity or gender. Even congressional women have voted against women’s rights.
Fred Wells
Kapa‘a
Mahalo for the Kekaha fireworks
I wanted to thank all of the people who gave of their time to give us a wonderful Fourth of July celebration in Kekaha.
Tanya Nitta
Kekaha
In defense of Walmart
I am writing in response to James Alalem’s and Ray Catania’s recent letter.
As the store manager of Kaua‘i Walmart, and as a Walmart Hawai‘i associate for more than 15 years, I’ve experienced firsthand the competitive wages, benefits and career advancement opportunities Walmart provides its associates in the islands.
I started working with Walmart as an hourly customer service manager at the Kailua-Kona store 1995 because of the great career opportunity Walmart offered. And, just like me, nearly 75 percent of Walmart’s store management teams across the country joined the company as hourly associates.
As a matter of fact, we employ more than 4,200 associates in Hawai‘i, the majority of whom are full time. And, the average wage for our regular, full-time hourly associates in the islands is $14.51 per hour as of the end of April.
Walmart’s benefit program is comprehensive. It’s available to eligible full- and part-time associates and provides a variety of affordable health and well-being benefits including medical insurance with no lifetime maximum.
We also offer matching 401(k) contributions of up to 6 percent of pay, discounts on general merchandise for store associates, an associate stock purchase program and company-paid life insurance. Additionally, eligible associates receive an annual incentive based on company performance.
I am proud to work at Kaua‘i Walmart. The company has given me and the thousands of employees here in Hawai‘i the opportunity to build a career.
Crystal Fernandes
Lihu‘e
Food for thought and thought for food
What we call “conventional” agriculture has only been the convention since the 1950s.
We have replaced human labor and ancient practices of crop rotation and soil management with fossil-fuel derived chemical fertilizers and pesticides, many of which are exceedingly toxic. Our chemical dependence will soon run dry as we deplete our oil and natural gas. Industrial farming also comes with a great financial cost to the natural fertility of the soil and to the people who work on it.
Each year in the United States, over 200,000 commercial farm workers are accidentally poisoned with pesticides. Constant regular exposure to these chemicals makes farming one of our nation’s most dangerous occupations as well to the residents, especially the seniors, pregnant mothers, infants and children who live nearby breathing in the toxic chemical.
Many of our faith traditions say something about how we eat, what we eat, how to grow food and how to give thanks for it. All of them say that we are charged with the love. We cannot ask people to poison themselves to supply our needs, but essentially we ask that indirectly whenever we purchase conventionally grown food.
Economic supply chains are also chains of morality that bind us to us around the world. We need to know that the people who grow our food are able to live the kinds of lives we want for ourselves.
So starting today, I ask that you take action for yourself, for your family to grow what you can, give what you can, purchase locally, support our small organic farmers from various farmer’s market around the island and most of all, know your organic farmers and extend your mahalo to them.
Live, love, inspire!
Rose T. Warken Ceballos
Kalaheo
