How the Kapa‘a Library Book Exchange helped us get through COVID
In October 2019, two avid readers and lifetime members of the Friends of the Kapa‘a Public Library, Judy Shabert and Doug Wilmore, designed, built and donated a beautifully-painted, small, yellow building located in front of the Kapa‘a Public Library to be a source of free books available to the public at all times. Children and adults soon took note of the “Take a Book, Leave a Book” Book Exchange, and its shelves became filled with an ever-changing assortment of books for all to enjoy.
Little did they know then that only six months later all six of the public libraries on Kaua‘i would be shut down and our island residents would be left without books to read while we sheltered at home for months. Fortunately, that little yellow building remained open, and books continued to flow in and out at an increasingly higher rate. Lani Kawahara, the Kapa‘a Public Library manager, tells us that the Book Exchange has become a real asset for all ages of readers, especially during these difficult times.
Recently, we noticed that Judy and Doug stopped by to spruce up the paint and add a plexiglass roof to protect the contents. We are ever so grateful to them and to all those who have contributed books this past year. And we are hopeful that the “Take a Book, Leave a Book” Book Exchange will continue to be a source of enjoyment to our community for many years to come.
Isobel Storch is a resident of Kapa‘a and president of Friends of the Kapa‘a Public Library
Kaua‘i deserves better from chief of police
Mahalo to Ken Kashiwahara for responding to Raybuck’s disparagement of Japanese Americans.
Being born and raised on Kaua‘i, I find it hard to know that Kaua‘i’s police chief made comments mocking Japanese Americans. I don’t understand how those under Raybuck’s command can tolerate the working conditions. I don’t understand how those in leadership positions can tolerate working with Raybuck.
I don’t understand how Raybuck was given the red-carpet treatment. How was he even selected above others for the position? Were ethics and morals considered?
Kaua‘i people deserve better. My family and friends on Kaua‘i deserve better. Visitors to the island deserve better.
Isn’t there someone else, possibly a local police officer, who understands the ethnic diversity on Kaua‘i, who will not bully anyone regardless of ethnic group, that can be the police chief?
Mahalo for each of the readers of this letter.
Jan Grayson, ‘Aiea
Jan Grayson, on Kauai we have people referred to as fn haoles, popolos, pakes, manongs. I could go on. But if someone demeans a Japanese American all of a sudden people are offended? What a joke. How many times have we seen a qualified person passed over for a job by a cousin, a classmate, a son or daughter of an entrenched employee. Arent these police the same people who referred to previous police chiefs as Hop Sing and Little Joe?
We can all do better. I am not condoning racist comments however this ridiculous double standard is the real issue here. And yes I have been here all my life and experienced it.
Really Jan? You don’t know how people can be around someone like the chief? You grew up surrounded by people EXACTLY like him. Instead of locals, however, they mock, beat, harass, belittle and discriminate against Haoles. What a bunch of hypocrites.
Bunch of freakin racists calling the kettle black.
You should be shame for overlooking all the haole abuse you witnessed growing up here and no say nothing. Even act like never happen or more worse yet, “Haoles deserve it because… (x)”. And you are lying if you never witnessed it, especially in school days.
For shame, your hypocrisy.
Ms. Grayson,
The man apologized and let that be a learning lesson to him.
As for you , “move on!”
Get a life, Jan. I was also born and raised in Hawaii. Ever since I can remember every ethnicity has been the subject of good natured humor. What? never heard Mr. Sun Cho Lee by the Beamers? Or any of the long line of Hawaii comedians. e.g.Andy Bomatai, Frank DeLima etc.
I often say that if I had a dollar for every time I’ve been called an f__ing haole, I could have retired at age 25.
Sick of whiners and your fake hand wringing. Grow some thick skin and spare us your drivel.
RG DeSoto
Lighten up, Jan. He made a funny face and said “ahh so..”. Jesus! everyone is so sensitive you’d rather lose a Police Chief than lighten up! What happened to a sense of humor? We used to poke fun at all races (Phillipino anyone?!!! Portuguese?!?) c’mon, don’t ruin humor and society at the same time!! LIGHTEN UP!!
I don’t understand it either. Tolerating that mentality with a slap on the wrist of a few days off, doesn’t change the
Those of you who have lived in Hawaii all your life, accept ethnic humor as part of living in Hawaii. You simply don’t understand. At it’s core, it is racism. We teach children in kindergarten, that name calling and making fun of others because of their ethnic background is not OK. So why should it be OK as an adult. It’s unacceptable, no matter what the age, no matter what the emotion.
My opinion since this “set-up” is that just maybe our chief of police will evaluate what happened to him and he will be further apprised of the, is or HAS happened over the last 128-years, and straighten out the crooked line drawn in the sandbox they all play in!
Collusion politicojudiciaromilitary is rampant and Lahui needs to Awaken harder than ever before! Media mafia and the Kealoha “guilty stolen mailbox fraud” is the tip of the iceburg. Perhaps the library is your go-to place, due to all these boondoggles being outlined in truth and integrity via documents, pictures, journals of Archeologist “Pila”, who absolutely knew and outlined the “is what it is” sequence of events for sixty plus years that this entire group of moku has been underground. They practicing maneuvers in our faces! Not even a mask can hide the windows to their evilian luciferian epsteininan Z-mode souls. Busted and Game Over for the pointy-fingured guru in our midst, bad actors!
Who raised these kinds of people! Parents, grands and great-grands backstories are at the forefront. All are Narcissists and projecting Personality disorders taught to them. It all has no colors, everyone of them bleed red, as ive seen up close and sideways working parallel with these grunts in my long kauai medical career and emergency call-center business since 1972, you can do the A’ama slide, but you can no longer “run and hide”
Hawaiian people take care