• County press release was misleading, unfair • Citizen seeks answers from mayor • Bees have busy schedule County press release was misleading, unfair A recent article in The Garden Island entitled, “Convicts granted early release,” was based on a press release put
• County press release was misleading, unfair • Citizen seeks answers from mayor • Bees have busy schedule
County press release was misleading, unfair
A recent article in The Garden Island entitled, “Convicts granted early release,” was based on a press release put out by the prosecutor’s office. The press release was misleading, unfair and omitted many facts necessary for an accurate account of what led the court to grant the defendants early discharge from probation.
1. The probation officer who closely supervised both defendants, Pardua and Kauo, supported and recommended the defendants’ early termination from probation based on their exemplary performance on probation.
2. Neither of the victims in the cases objected to the early termination of probation. In fact, the victim in the Pardua case and defendant Pardua plan to travel together for their son’s graduation in the near future. The victim in the Kauo case provided a written statement recanting the statement he earlier gave to police which led to Kauo’s arrest.
3. Both defendants served the full 18 months of their jail sentences as a condition of their probation sentences. They were not just released into the community. They have both been living in the community, as law-abiding citizens, for the last two years and complied with all of the conditions of their probation.
4. Most importantly, it was the prosecutor’s plea agreement that allowed the defendant’s early discharge from probation. Both defendants were originally arrested and charged with attempted murder — a non-probationable offense, with a mandatory sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole. The prosecuting attorney negotiated an agreement that reduced the charge, two levels down, from attempted murder to assault in the first degree — a Class B felony. It was the plea agreement, negotiated by the prosecutor’s office, that gave the judge the legal authority to do what she did!
What is most troubling is that this misleading and unfair story in The Garden Island was completely generated by a misleading and unfair press release from one of our government agencies — The Office of the Prosecuting Attorney. When a governmental agency publishes misleading and unfair press releases in an attempt to sway public opinion on an event, it gives one reason to question the credibility and integrity of that governmental agency.
Michael K. Soong
Attorney at law
Lihue
Citizen seeks answers from mayor
I enjoy reading “The Shadow” in TGI because it has direct questions and answers on a variety of current Kauai projects. People want to know in order to be informed and engaged as responsible citizens.
As one of your past voters, I’d like to know in simple straight forward words, what is behind Ernie Passion’s discovery of possible county fueling inconsistencies involving you?
Secondly, with current media attention on the Hawaii Dairy Farm generally against the potential mess it could create, where are you on this issue?
Perhaps I could have missed past dialogue on these issues in TGI but I humbly seek these answers now from you. Mahalo.
Manuel Teves
Lihue
Bees have busy schedule
A criminal case was filed against a friend that may set a precedence of proportionate nature for backyard beekeepers. It’s understandable that one would be fearful of our honey bees but its importance exceeds their sting.
In order for anyone to truly embrace and come to know and appreciate our honey bees, one must be familiar with the anatomy of these little ladies. Three types of bees: The queen bee, where only one is in each hive. Drone males, whose only purpose is to mate with queen, no stinger. Then the worker bees. This group consists of three different functional duties.
1) Each morning a third leave to gather nectar.
2) A third tend the hundreds of thousands larvae (eggs) that the queen lays each day.
3) Guard scouts protect the hive and also look for new homes.
Bee swarms happen because there are two or more queen bees in a hive. The stronger conquers and the weaker is booted out. Our friend always monitored his hives to make sure there were no queen cells. When needed, he would split a hive with a new queen cell.
FYI, bees may travel as far out as five miles to gather nectar, so feral bees may not necessarily come from adjoining neighbors. These ladies are just looking for a new home. Most likely they will fly unless they find a little space in your house or your tree. Leave them alone and they will do what they do best — gather and pollinate. Look intently (closely), they are in your yard!
Marie Torio
Anahola
