E HO'OKO I KAU KULEANA A E HOLOMUA ME KAU 'OLELO...

FULFILL YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AND CONTINUE W/UR VOICES...

...OUR VOICES PUT INTO WORDS...: December 2008

Thursday, December 11, 2008

letter to editor:This Year is the Time of Giving

The end of the year has come and only a few weeks are left until Christmas. I am happy to see more people reaching out to other families during our Economic Recession. This year we have had to endure changes and tightening of our financial belts. We are all in this Economic Crisis together. Let us all ‘kokua’ each other.
This year let us all focus on what is important to us. Not the material things, or the ton of Christmas gifts under the tree but the people who is important in our lives. Say thank you to the mail courier, ‘opala pickers and maintenance workers. Give your loose change to the Salvation Army’s red bucket.
I am not a rich person, but I am a mom and very busy like most, but would it hurt to stop and take a breath. With so many families struggling because of layoffs, and cutbacks, the need for ‘kokua’ is so important. This year I am asking “all of you” to help at least five individuals or families. If each one of use ‘kokua’ maybe we can lessen the families who are struggling this Holiday Season and every day. The benefits that you will receive will be much more rewarding than any other gift.
I have given to Lokahi, Salvation Army and I will be helping at Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resource Center. I have two more places to go. How many do you have? Please reach out and give.
Mahalo.
Ipolani PU

Thursday, December 4, 2008

The thought of our schools closing down

First and foremost, my one concern is our keiki in Hawai‘i. And education is one of the biggest keys for our keiki to follow on with in getting their degrees.

The superintendent of our schools of Hawai‘i; Patricia Hamamoto; will move quickly with this studies. They would like to act now so things will move forward in deciding which schools should be decided upon closing. It’s just sad on how we have to see which schools to close to save more money.

By 2011, Linda Lingle plans to start in closing schools. If schools are closed down, then where would our students go? And it’s hard for our ‘ohana on the five islands that are being studied. They have been talking about closing down small schools and the ones that are not in use. I understand that closing the schools that are not in use is reasonable, but really do we need to close down the one that are in use? With closing these schools on the islands, they would save millions of dollars from the billions that they have in the $2.4 billion that the state had for the year budget.

I understand that there’s an economic downfall in all of Hawaii. My main concern is that our keiki still are able to receive the education that is needed. My mana‘o is that if they want to close schools down to save money, then shouldn’t they also stop building more businesses and private schools? We can barely make it through these rough times as it is. Our keiki need their education. Our kids need to continue the footsteps of our ancestors and spread the knowledge they learn to the next generations. And with that, they need their education and a place to do their studies.

“Ua ao Hawai‘i ke ‘ōlino nei mālamalama.”
Hawai‘i is enlightened, for the brightness of day is here.—Hawai‘i is in an era of education.

School + education= knowledge, success, degree!