Letters for May 12, 2015

Letters for May 12, 2015

TGI made a mother’s Mothers Day

Lorna and I both want to thank The Garden Island newspaper for running this Sunday’s excellent news article concerning the on-going B&B dilemma. Ryan Kazmirsack’s highly professional reporting of a very sensitive and important issue within our community represents an on-going commitment that our tiny island’s newspaper has attempted, and succeeded in, fulfilling over the years. In today’s world, responsible and professional journalism has deteriorated to a level far below a “passing grade” in journalism 101. This morning, May 10, 2015 TGI has proven they are well ahead and on track in the class. As participants living through this “out of the blue,” disorderly, nerve-racking situation, both Lorna and I found Ryan’s research, objectivity, acceptable explanations from both sides, and his favorability toward the truth refreshing and positive. B&B owners want to operate legally and pay taxes generated by our success to help preserve our Kauai. Government is a necessity and must be financed responsibly. Thank you Ryan for your refreshing article and thank you, TGI’s entire staff, for their continuous effort to report the truth. Job well done and keep up the good work.

Lorna and John Hoff

Lawai

Thank you, Kauai, for all you are

Mahalo Kauai.

Thank you for your hospitality during the many months I visited here.

Thank you for your libraries, museums, neighborhood centers, public beaches and mountain trails. Thank you to the dedicated workers and road crews for the strips and reflectors that help me find my lane at night. Thank you for the oceanside path in Kapaa, public restrooms always stocked with TP. Thank you to the surfriders for organizing beach cleanups and every beach goer and county worker who helps keep your beaches clean. Thank you for having camping facilities on your beaches. I didn’t stay there but think it’s nice that people can. Thank you for public buses, volunteers who also monitor monk seals, count whales and silently serve where needed.

Thank you for walk-in medical clinics and the good care they provide.

Thank you for shippers who handle goods import and export. You are blessed with the talented artisans, musicians, dancers, performers and terrific festivals.

Thank you for farmers markets and the farmers who produce food locally. I’m happy to see traditional hula, tapa, musical instruments, storytelling still carried on. Island quilts are beautiful, too.

Waimea theater had a very good film festival.

You are so blessed to live here.

Mary Palmer

Kennebunk, Maine

People must involved in selection of sanctuaries

When marine sanctuaries were proposed along the California coast for the purpose of preventing overfishing, commercial fishermen feared loss of their livelihood, Native Americans feared threats to their traditional rights, and sport fishermen feared loss of access. A very contentious issue of deep concern resulted in loud and angry meetings in many places.

In what may be a unique resolution, Humboldt County fishermen (sport and commercial), tribal representatives, and environmentalists (Baykeepers, Surfrider, etc) sat down together and, after a series of intense work sessions, produced an agreement on how locals wanted a marine sanctuary to be implemented. It wasn’t easy. It involved some compromises. And it then required persistent effort to get the feds to accept it. But they succeeded, and the threats we had feared were either avoided or minimized.

I realize this experience is not identical to our situation of a proposed humpback whale sanctuary, but I do pray that the good people of Kauai, with their varieties of legitimate concerns, can work out an agreement that will keep local people involved in malama kai now and into the future.

Chip Sharpe

Haena and Bayside, California