EDITORIAL
Thank you for all you did for Hawai'i
Thanksgiving 2002. It's been a year of sadness, anger and angst, as Americans came to grips with the shock and horror we felt last Thanksgiving. Sept. 11 was still very much a part of our everyday lives then.
The front pages and evening news often addressed the darker side of the world in the past 12 months. It seems that all the good news we covered (and there was a lot of that) was overshadowed by all the bad.
But today we have much to be thankful for, and we'd like to remind you of some of it.
Building aloha
Associated Press library photo • Aug. 30, 2002
This past summer, a group of high school students, mostly from the East Coast, helped build a house in Makiki for a low-income family.
Let us be thankful for Hokget, the scruffy, castaway dog whose rescue from a derelict ship gave us a deeper understanding of the bond between pets and people. Adrift in the Pacific Ocean for 20 days in April on the crippled refueling tanker Insiko 1907, Hokget became a barking international celebrity. Sure, some folks questioned if it was a good idea for the Hawaiian Humane Society to spend nearly $50,000 to rescue the mixed-breed terrier. But the money was donated by dog lovers worldwide, and who could argue with that face?
The 19 teenagers from Putney Student Travel, which organizes student service projects worldwide, paid $5,000 each for the privilege of volunteering with Honolulu Habitat for Humanity. The students worked full-time, doing heavy labor and learning construction skills for four weeks.
Pamela Fischer, an 18-year-old from New York City, was on her second Putney trip. "It's so much better than going on a trip and ... going shopping," she said. "We're actually here to help. It's the best feeling."
Habitat for Humanity, an international nonprofit organization, builds affordable homes for low-income families. Thank you for also building aloha. And thank you, too, you wonderful kids.
From the heart
Betty Jean Labrenz has been running Operation Blessing for 23 years on a voluntary basis out of a small Kahului warehouse. The group provides food, clothing, blankets, school supplies, toys and emergency cash for rent and other necessities.
During this time, the 77-year-old Labrenz, known as "Grandma" to those she helps, has ignored her own hardships, including a serious illness that sidelined her for five months and her husband's Alzheimer's. The couple was married 55 years, and Betty Jean's husband, Bob, would sit quietly in a chair at Operation Blessing until it was time to go home.
Since we wrote about Betty Jean last December, her husband has died, but she continues to work there. What an amazing person.
Patsy Mink
We are grateful for Patsy Mink coming into our lives and for the legacy she left behind — one of courage and integrity. The late U.S. representative was an ardent and tireless fighter for women's rights, the underprivileged, peace and education. She served and represented Hawai'i for roughly four decades in the Hawai'i Legislature, on the Honolulu City Council and in Congress.
A pioneer and a champion, Mink, who died Sept. 28 at age 74 of viral pneumonia, will perhaps be best remembered for her "Title IX" legislation, which ensures equality for women in athletics and academics. Since her death, it has been renamed "The Patsy Mink Act."
We are thankful that Mink stood out among other politicians. She was stubborn and independent, always remaining true to herself and the people she represented.
U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye said, "She was an American patriot. She was an authentic American hero. Her weapons were her words of wisdom, her words of compassion."
Traffic cameras
Road rage took on new meaning in January but, thankfully, public anger over the state Department of Transportation's traffic camera enforcement program — and its nearly 17,000 citations — was limited to verbal abuse and a few obscene gestures.
Opponents objected to nearly every aspect of the program, saying it was an invasion of privacy and would increase insurance premiums. But what left drivers honked off more than anything else was the practice of citing motorists for driving at less than 10 mph over the speed limit.
Even though state legislators had created the program, they were savvy enough to know when the public had changed its mind, especially in an election year. Roughly four months after it began, and halfway through the Legislature's effort to kill the program, Gov. Ben Cayetano scrapped it entirely.
And they say government doesn't respond to the people. Let us give thanks.
A profile in courage
In our Hawaiian Style column in July, we wrote about 20-year-old Isaac Lau, a 4.0-G.P.A. student, proficient in five languages, but suffering from ataxia, a degenerative nerve disease that robbed him of agile movement.
"I can't walk, but when I'm in the water, I go for it!" said Lau, who uses a wheelchair.
Lau participated by holding a paddle in the AT&T Hawai'i Dragon Boat Festival in August for his 21st birthday, his first time competing in a team sport. With family and friends cheering him on from the beach, he won; his team's boat placed.
An even better friend
Hawai'i Canines for Independence and its founder, Maureen "Mo" Maurer, had just placed three assistance dogs when we wrote about this heartwarming story in February. One was an 18-month-old black Labrador named Knight that helps artist Feanna Ishii of Kihei, a quadriplegic. Abby, a yellow Labrador, lives on-site with a member of the hospital's staff.
The third dog, Quincy, was matched with King Kekaulike High School counselor Michael Tom, 33, who broke his neck in a surfing accident 12 years ago. Tom said he had never given much thought to having a service dog but is glad he decided to give it a try. "He gives me the freedom to be out in public and be more independent, self-sufficient and confident," Tom said.
Maurer graduated her first service dog in the summer of 2001, and so far has placed nine dogs and has six in various stages of training.
It takes 18 months to screen and train service dogs for the disabled. Maurer does not charge her clients, since they already are facing immense medical and care expenses.
Hawai'i Canines for Independence relies on individual donors and businesses to underwrite the $10,000 cost of acquiring, raising and training each dog. From that sum Maurer draws a small salary. Her business sponsors are Dowling Co., Spencer Homes and Maui Veterinary Clinic.
A way of giving back
We are also thankful for people like Hanalei Henry Ramirez. In August, we wrote about the owner of Salon (808) who has for years given wigs at a greatly reduced price — $15 — and free styling to customers who have lost their hair to chemotherapy.
Ramirez doesn't advertise the service, but somehow word gets around, and he sees about five people a week.
"It's phenomenal when they walk out," Ramirez said. "They have tears in their eyes and they have hair again. I get so many letters and cards saying thank you, I've been reborn, things like that. And I save every letter."
Marie Winner, a customer at the salon who was touched by seeing Ramirez help a chemotherapy patient, said, "He told me that we all have to be thankful for what we have in this life and this was his way of giving back."
Big hearts for small animals
Then there's the Sylvester Foundation, an animal sanctuary established by Candy Lake and Chris Boyle on the Windward Side. Lake and Boyle have taken in hundreds of unwanted or abused cats, birds, dogs and other animals at their 20-acre property.
"Sometimes I wonder why I do this," Lake said for our April story. "It has made me broke and is so time-consuming that I really do not even have the time to work on my real estate business to make money.
"But so many little creatures are having a happy life because of our efforts, it becomes very worthwhile and rewarding."
There'll be a lot of wagging tails and purring today, thanks to Candy and Chris.
Take a bow, Kaiser High
In a time when dishonesty and corruption are rife, we are especially thankful for moral triumphs. In May we wrote about a team of students from Kaiser High School who were poised to take first place at Math Bowl XXIV but came forward with evidence against their win.
The students realized they had mistakenly received credit for an incorrect answer, and notified the officials just as they were about to get a trophy. The Kaiser team, composed of then-seniors Vallent Lee, Shinyoung Oh and Claire Tsutsumi, ended up taking third place after a face-off with King Kekaulike. Iolani won first place.
"We're disappointed we lost," Lee said. "But it was the right thing to do."
State Math Bowl chairman David Furuto said, "If we believe that honesty, integrity, character, trust and respect are important virtues that all people should seek, then clearly Kaiser has manifested all those virtues, because they could have walked. No one would have known."
The thrill of victory
In May, the UH men's volleyball team made history, winning the school's first NCAA men's championship. The Warriors defeated No. 1-ranked Pepperdine in University Park, Pa., and were welcomed home by throngs of cheering, lei-laying, poster-waving fans.
Warrior Costas Theocharidis declared the collective sentiment: "We're the best team in America."
Football and presents
There will once again be UH football on Christmas Day at Aloha Stadium. The Warriors' victory over San Jose State this month helped them secure a berth in the inaugural ConAgra Foods Hawai'i Bowl.
We'll be even more thankful if Timmy Chang's knee heals soon.
Overwhelmed
The public has rallied around former UH football player Nate Jackson, who is doing fine after undergoing surgery last week for a damaged heart valve. Jackson, who does not have health insurance, has received hundreds of donations, some with heartfelt cards, from around the state. A fund-raiser for Jackson's medical expenses featured musician Jake Shima-bukuro.
Jackson's mother, Margie Jackson, is touched by the community outpouring. "I really want to express my gratitude to everyone for their prayers, their concerns and their donations," she said. "Our family is just so overwhelmed by the people of this state."
From Hawai'i, with love
Hawai'i's aloha and lei made their way to New York and Pennsylvania for the one-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Thousands of purple orchid lei were passed out in New York City to victims' relatives and rescue workers, as part of the "Gifts of Aloha" project, organized by Hawai'i resident Tim Farley. Some lei were dropped into the pit at Ground Zero.
Former Hawai'i resident Elizabeth Cressman recalled how she was touched by the surprising sight in New York. "I just wanted to say a 'thank you' to whoever did this project," she said. "It was wonderful. I know what a lei means, and this is Hawai'i's way of sending a gift of aloha, of warmth. ... It really unites the country."
Along with hula dancers and fellow volunteers, Farley visited fire stations and family residences, passing out lei, T-shirts, gift baskets and pineapples.
"We've really tried to represent the hearts of all the people of Hawai'i," Farley said.
Some people stand tall
We're also proud of and thankful for people like Ken Lee, 58, of Moanalua Valley, a retired federal social worker whom the American Red Cross flew to New York City right after the terrorist attacks.
Lee received national honors for his work and vivid diary entries of Ground Zero, but remains humble. He doesn't consider his work "that special or that unusual." We do.
In New York, Lee worked 18 to 20 hours a day, handing out food and water, counseling and coordinating volunteers. He had lost 15 pounds after the 10-day trip, and said he will forever be bruised by what he experienced.
Among the honors he received was The National Association of Social Workers' lifetime achievement award in health and mental health practice in April in Washington, D.C.
Debbie Shimizu, executive director for the National Association of Social Workers-Hawai'i chapter, said, "Ken is special because he is so giving and unselfishly volunteers his time for so many causes."
When hope is needed
We are thankful that hope endures at places like Palolo Elementary School and for the people fueling the hope. In March, we wrote about the school, whose students mostly live in nearby housing projects and qualify for free or reduced school meals, some arriving at school barefoot.
Principal Ruth Silberstein is undeterred by the odds and the fact that some students' parents are gang members. She has started a variety of academic programs this year to improve the students' self-esteem and studies.
Students have embraced the programs and are excited to learn. SAT scores for the third-graders seem to indicate the reading programs are working.
Raynette Leopoldo, a parent of six Palolo Elementary students, noted the school staff's positive attitude. "We're all struggling, but the school is always so welcoming," she said.
An indomitable spirit
In April, we wrote about Hoku Aki, then a 17-year-old Kaua'i High School senior who survived a shark attack March 25 off Po'ipu, and received a random gift of aloha.
Jimmy Cullen, a T-shirt printer on the North Shore, read how the boy was strumming an 'ukulele borrowed from his uncle to relax while recuperating at The Queen's Medical Center in Honolulu. He asked his friend, Sonny Dahlin, to donate an 'ukulele from his Waipahu factory.
Hoku's dad was appreciative. "(The gifts) lift his spirits, which of course will help," he said. "(Hoku is) enthused about it, and looking forward to meeting Sonny."
And Hawai'i got to meet Hoku, a kid with an indomitable spirit. The teenager lost his leg but not his sense of what's important in life. "Everything's still the same. I just have to use crutches," he says.
One last thought
OK. That's it. No more room. Those stories were just a sampling of why we are so thankful today.
But one final thought. A few days ago we reported about how generous Hawai'i residents are in opening their wallets for good causes. We at The Honolulu Advertiser are thankful for the many people whose individual stories touched our hearts, but we are also thankful for all of you.
Aloha.
