Saturday, November 28, 2009

Saturday Nov 28



Lots of people shopping yesterday.

A word for word repeat of yesterday's article on Whole Foods hiring for its new Kahului store.  How much advertising money have they given the Maui News?

Lifeguards warn that stormy weather makes the ocean dangerous.  On Friday morning two kayakers had to be rescued off Thousand Peaks.  DT Fleming Beach Park had 5-6 foot surf.  Amanda Cowan took a photo of John Welk and Niko Baclig playing at the beach.

The Attorney General recommends checking out a charity before donating as there are scammers abouding this holiday season. Review charity information services such as the American Institute of Philanthropy (www.charitywatch.org), Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance (www.bbb.us/charity) and Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org).

Nice Amanda Cowan photo of Julie Poaipuni at Ulapalakua Store.

Ho'olehua, Molokai residents need to cut back on water use by 50% due to the outage of two pumps at Kalae.  Hopefully the pumps will be repaired next week some time.

DLNR will be dropping more concrete artificial reef fish houses off Keawekapu Beach next Monday.  The 52 acre Keawakapu artificial reef was created in 1962 from 150 cars, 2,250 tires, 35 concrete slabs and one boat.  Now if we can just keep the ornamental fish sellers from taking 5-10 million reef fish per year...

The Upper Kula water system disinfectant will change from chlorine to chloramines next week.  Chlorine was being used since last August for periodic maintenance.

A hearing on plans to charge fees at Kaumalapau Harbor on Lanai will be held 6 p.m. Friday in the Lanai High and Elementary School Cafeteria. More info at hawaii.gov/dot/library/admin-rules

The Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce will hold its general membership meeting and holiday celebration Dec. 8 at the Maui Economic Opportunity auditorium. Start time is 5:30 p.m.,  Hawaiian dinner at 6 p.m. and guest speaker Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann at 7 p.m. with entertainment after.

Cost is $20 per person. Donations of canned food and toys for needy families is recommended.
RSVP to Melissa Beimes by Friday at (808) 594-1899 or send e-mail to melissab@oha.org.

Editorial: Fred Couples will attend the Champions Skins Game Jan. 16 and 17 at the Royal Kaanapali Golf Course.  Somehow this merited yet another mention of EA Sports.


Today's viewpoint features Kelvin Bloom, chairman of the Hawaii Tourism Authority talking about the potential of Chinese tourism and his trip with Gov Lingle to China.

Jim Loomis says the Nov. 22 Maui News contained an ad paid for by an ultra-right, anti-government institute that attacked  Maui Memorial Medical Center with distortions and outright fabrications.  Jim - this is part of an ongoing attempt by GOP and righwing interests to privatize the hospital.  Private hospital interests have been busy sponsoring candidates and undermining Maui Memorial's reputation for several years now.

Jody Brown says that sacrificing teacher training days to end furloughs will be detrimental to education.  Most teachers I know think these training days are not particularly useful.  They make good money for the consultants who run them, though.

 Mike Cummings blames everyone for the poor educational system and says step one is to reduce the top-heavy administration.  Then add 1% to the excise tax for education.  He says, 
"...develop a core change in student-parent values and a new shared responsibility. Our teachers are educators, not babysitters. Provide immersion schools in Hawaiian studies to students unable to fit into existing educational parameters. For disruptive attendees unwilling to participate at all, perhaps it's time they spend days pulling weeds, digging ditches and moving rocks in the hot sun."
Then, he says, sell off the useless $40 million Superferry barges and use that money to end furloughs.

I'm not sure, Mike, why you think the Hawaiian immersion is for "students unable to fit into existing educational parameters".  Our immersion students are our finest, most hardworking treasures.  They could fit in anywhere but choose to challenge themselves in the Immersion program.

But you have pointed out a problem.  Teachers are unable to rid their classes of disruptive students.  Part of this is the "No Child Left Behind" law and part of it is todays litigious society.  We desperately need to create an alternative school for disruptive students and remove them from our public schools.


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