MAKE THE SAILBOAT WRECK A MONUMENT

In the Letters section, May 6, Name Withheld By Request complains about the sailboat that has sat on the Lahaina reef for over six years. Mr. NWBR complains no one in government or charitable organizations has done anything to remove it and, grasping at straws, rants that the dummy hung from the rigging for Halloween last year will offend an imaginary tourist who had a family member commit suicide.

Mr. NWBR also states tourists are upset by the shipwreck’s presence. I’ve talked to tourists and residents, too.  Most, after hearing the story of how the boat ended upon the reef and the tales of failure of multiple levels of state government to do anything about it, have a good laugh. They also feel it adds flavor to the waterfront.

Leave the shipwreck in place as a monument to government ineptitude. And, when Halloween rolls around this year, look forward to a new dummy and other decorations.

PETE FANARKISS, Lahaina

TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS SHOULD BE CONGRATULATED

The 2009-10 school year has been a year of unforeseen circumstances that plagued our school system. State of Hawaii Teachers and Administrators, THANK YOU for your perseverance, hard work and dedication. For standing strong and uniting, you have met your challenges and made it through a very difficult year. As a parent, I am ever so grateful!

Give yourselves a hand, because you so deserve it!

LISA CABINGAS & FAMILY, Lahaina

THANKS FOR SUPPORTING DAVID MALO DAY

Our recent, 41st annual David Malo Day Ho‘olaule‘a is now another chapter in Lahainaluna’s rich, unique history. The success of the event is attributed to many who have helped in personal ways. 

Among the many to whom we send our aloha, appreciation and gratitude are the Lahainaluna ‘Ohana, administration, faculty, staff and students; Kumu Keali‘i Reichel and dancer Nalei Popikala of Ke‘alaokamaile Halau; Ilima Greig-Hong, head choreographer; Art Fillazar,  Ku‘ulei Alcomindras and Kapili Akima, guest choreographers; Kahala Greig, Coelho Morrison and Kory Kukahiko, musicians; Clifton Akiyama, Clifton Electric; Elmer Baggao, sound and lighting; Lahainaluna High School Foundation; Greig ‘Ohana; Sue Brimeyer and Malo ‘Ohana; Elizabeth Whitehead, decorations; Florence Makekau, Davilyn Ganer and Leimomi Kaita, hula adornments for dancers; Elle Cochran; Class of 1960;  Walter Chihara and Mark Vieth, Lahaina News; Claudine San Nicholas, The Maui News; and all island radio stations and news media. 

We thank also the communities of Hana, Kihei, Upcountry, Central Maui and Lahaina, and the many businesses and hotels who have given continued support.  We give our aloha, too, to the many supporters, families, alumni and volunteers whom we may have inadvertently omitted.

We are an island community. We exist because of our island ‘ohana that supports us in big and small ways. The values of our host culture are imbedded in our school. They are a way of life for us. We are about a sense of giving, a sense of sharing, a sense of continuity, and a sense of ohana.

We are eternally grateful and most appreciative for the quality of support and kindness bestowed upon us. We look forward to your continued expressions of aloha and support.

Next year, April 16, 2011, we celebrate 175 years of our Boarding Program. Imua, Lahainaluna.

LORI GOMEZ-KARINEN, David Malo Day Pageant Director

PRESCHOOL APPRECIATES HELP FOR BENEFIT

From the bottom of our toes, Holy Innocents Preschool wants to shout out our appreciation to everybody who helped make our $5 Breakfast and 

Silent Auction fund-raiser at Leilani’s on the Beach on April 25 such a wild success, our best ever.

Ringing mahalos to all our preschool parents, friends, board members and boosters, too many to name, who made it all happen by promoting, selling and buying tickets, collecting and buying silent auction items, and of course, eating that delicious breakfast-on-the beach. 

We especially laud our generous and community-minded host, Leilani’s, and our hardworking preschool teaching staff and board members who (tah-dah!) became breakfast servers for one magical Sunday morning. It was truly a joint effort for the noblest of all causes: our children.

And so we voice our unending gratitude to all who worked so hard for our 35-year-old preschool, and also to the crowds of hungry passersby who knew a bargain when they saw one and crowded into Leilani’s for a great $5 breakfast. What a deal!

HOLY INNOCENTS PRESCHOOL, Lahaina

CENTER WILL HELP WILDLIFE IF DISASTER STRIKES

With the recent BP accident in the Gulf of Mexico, our hearts go out to the families, residents and the wildlife that will suffer. This tragedy is reaching all the way to our islands, as professionals from Hawaii have gone (or are preparing to go) to assist the cleanup and environmental response.

Although Hawaii has no offshore oil platforms, we are still at high risk of major oil spills from tankers and other vessel traffic, as more than 90 percent of our energy comes from oil. On land, oil transporting pipelines and storage tanks create additional risk.

Hawaii is also at risk from natural disasters, such as hurricanes and tsunamis, that can affect critical wildlife habitats and populations. There are also disease outbreaks that can effect critical populations of threatened native birds. The recent avian botulism outbreak on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge affecting over 150 critically endangered Laysan Ducks is just one example.

You may be surprised to know that there is currently NO wildlife facility in the Pacific Islands to respond to these types of emergencies, though Hawaii has more endangered species per square mile than anywhere else in the world. The coastal lands, reef ecosystems and waters of the Hawaiian archipelago provide habitat for more than 14 million seabirds, several endangered wetland and remote island birds, Hawaiian monk seals, hawksbill and green sea turtles, more than a dozen species of whales and dolphins and more than 7,000 marine fish and invertebrate species.

Now, with the help of a growing number of supporters from throughout Hawaii and the nation, the construction of the Hawaii Wildlife Center is almost complete on the Big Island. The Hawaii Wildlife Center, located on 2.2 acres in North Kohala, will be the first oiled wildlife response and rehabilitation facility for Native Hawaiian wildlife. Trained staff and volunteers will provide the leadership and manpower necessary to respond effectively to Hawaii’s wildlife response needs.

The HWC will also respond 24/7 to treat sick and injured native birds from throughout the archipelago. It will provide the best achievable medical and husbandry care for sick, injured and orphaned native wildlife, including those affected by natural and man-made disasters, returning those successfully treated back to the wild. The animals in care will provide hands-on information and experience on these rare species, and also benefit the overall wildlife populations by providing a resource for public education about each individual and the needs of the entire population.

Construction of the center began in 2009, and the exterior of the building is now complete. The last 16 percent of the funds necessary to complete the interior must still be raised for HWC to open its doors this year Ñü hopefully before the next disaster occurs. I know with certainty that Hawaii needs this critical wildlife response facility now. For more information, visit www.hawaiiwildlifecenter.org.

LINDA ELLIOTT, President, Hawaii Wildlife Center