• Don’t say ‘organic’ • Borders closing • Po‘ipu Beach • Twilight Zone • Looking at unions Don’t say ‘organic’ I am a server at one of the South Shore restaurants, and last night we had a large group of
• Don’t say ‘organic’ • Borders
closing • Po‘ipu Beach • Twilight
Zone • Looking at unions
Don’t say ‘organic’
I am a server at one of the South Shore restaurants, and last night we had a large group of “seed” company people dine with us. This group specializes in genetically modified seed crops. Their coordinator informed us that we were to change the menus to remove the word “organic” wherever it appeared and the entire restaurant staff was instructed that we were to not say the word “organic” anywhere near their party. Our menu does include beautiful local, organic produce from the nearby Omao and Kalaheo farms, and I pride myself on selling those items because it supports local, sustainable and healthy agriculture.
As an organic gardener myself, I was taken aback at the level of offense these people had toward growing things in their natural, unmodified, chemical free state. What are they trying to prove? They are so blind to how limited their vision is — that GMO farming depletes the soil and destroys cropland and that GMOs have been shown harmful to our health.
Even scarier, the companies that make these GMO seeds own patent rights to them, and when, say, your crop cross pollinates with theirs and you save your seeds for next year and plant them, you have violated their patent. They OWN what you grow. Which means they own your food. If you think that isn’t a considerable threat to our freedom, think again. We all need to take this threat to our food and our future seriously.
Lorraine Skalla, Koloa
Borders closing
My name is Li Oldham. I am 9 years old and a 4th-grader at Elsie Wilcox Elementary School.
I’m very concerned about Borders closing down. I’m worried that I will not have a place to buy the books that I like to read. I read two books per week, and Borders is the only store that has the books I like. I also like Borders because it’s nice and quiet.
I think they are closing because they do not have enough money to pay their bills. Maybe if everyone read more books Borders would not have to close down. Thank you.
Li Ming Oldham, Kapa‘a
Po‘ipu Beach
Building sand castles along the shore and practicing how to swim in the kiddy pool at Po‘ipu Beach is where my childhood memories lay. Po‘ipu Beach is known for being one of the most popular and safest beaches on Kaua‘i. However, over the years, the beach fronting Po‘ipu Beach Park has been significantly degraded. Although there are many other beaches on the island on Kaua‘i, Po‘ipu beach has been a family environment and holds a unique history with cultural significance.
In my opinion, Po‘ipu Beach should be beautified just as Waikiki Beach is. Sadly, over the years, the deteriorating condition of the beach is a result of on-going erosion and loss of beach sand along the entire beachfront area.
The number of Hawaiian Monk seals joining the crowd of Po‘ipu Beach is slowly decreasing due to the major loss of sand. State officials plan to restore Waikiki Beach’s sand by using sand from nearby shoals.
The state will replenish Oahu’s most attractive beach but won’t replenish Kaua‘i’s beloved Po‘ipu Beach? Po‘ipu Beach is just as important as Waikiki and is just as beautiful. It is not only a tourist attraction; it’s a beach where many local people have grown up.
Amanda Limpert, Koloa
Twilight Zone
Yes, Mr. Rosen most of us who read the newspaper I think would agree that you do live in a type of “Twilight zone”, as evidence of some of your letters (Re: ‘Living in the twilight zone amongst strangers,’ Feb. 23). This one really gets me though. Yes most people have sympathy for the loss of a loved one. But here is a man who had been cited already and warned for doing the exact thing that led to the death of a sweet child.
I say sweet child from experience. I actually held this child in my arms 24 hours prior to this accident. I had just met her along with her mother at a gathering. This child was a beautiful 14 month old child taken way to soon and not by any fault of her own. My greatest sympathy goes to her mom who had to receive information that her child was gone. I can’t even think how that feels. Mr. & Mrs. Waeschle’s letter while way better written in my opinion still did not hit the mark. This man had been warned in the past and cited. It had no effect. Do I feel for his loss and what he will have to live with for the rest of his life, Yes. But who stands up for a child taken at no fault of her own. It is a tragic situation all around and people are venting, don’t judge them by saying they have no “empathy”. Thank You.
Ken Herman, Kapa‘a
Looking at unions
With all this union controversy in the news I must say I’m very happy with my union and the benefits they worked hard to achieve for me.
That said I have two questions.
1: Why, when the members received a notice that our pension funds were lacking, did our union spend big bucks supporting every politician that makes my skin crawl?
2: Why do union members, as individuals have no say in the political choices the hierarchy makes as they spend our hard earned cash to perpetuate business as usual when the usual revealed a pension shortage?
Mike Ensman, Lawai
