PRODUCE HANDLING

HAMAKUA TOMATOES FOOD SAFETY CERTIFIED

I'd like to assure you that tomatoes grown at our farm, Hamakua Springs Country Farms, are food safety certified, as are most tomatoes grown in Hawai'i.

Just ask your store's produce manager if the tomatoes they sell are food safety certified.

Food safety certification procedures focus on areas of highest risk. They focus on approximately 60 line items of concern in field operations, and about that many more in packing house operations.

The highest risk in most farming operations involves use of water, and food safety certifications put heavy emphasis on safe water usage. If a farm fails the strict procedures regarding water usage, it is not food safety certified.

Contaminated water can spread contamination to all produce, so food safety certification requires that water used in spraying, rinsing and washing be free of contamination. To receive certification, one must use water following approved procedures, in conjunction with constant monitoring to ensure that only contaminant-free water touches the tomatoes. We use county drinking water when we spray and rinse our tomatoes.

Food safety certification also mandates policies and procedures regarding food handling, personal hygiene, rodent control, produce storage sanitation and others. This is documented and inspected by an independent third-party certifier approved by the major retailers.

Food safety certification is voluntary. At Hamakua Springs, we chose to become food safety certified more than five years ago, primarily because it assures our employees a better working environment.

Our decision also gives consumers an extra measure of comfort when choosing what they will feed their families.

ROD TAM

COUNCILMAN HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO PUBLIC

The attacks on Rod Tam are unwarranted. Rod Tam has served the state and city with earnest commitment to his constituents for almost 30 years.

If one alleged slur word is going to be examined, then all slur words must be examined and compared in their changing historical, social, linguistic and political contexts.

For example, the word "haole" has been used descriptively, negatively and positively over the decades, depending on who is using it, when, where and why.

By voting to censure himself, Rod Tam has already done more than enough to apologize. The City Council linguistic lictors should use their newly discovered keenness for detail to write good contracts with the fixed rail providers, an exercise much more beneficial to Honolulu.

DEROGATORY TERM PERPETUATES BIGOTRY

Oh boy, Rod Tam, I thought your proposed snack and nap time for state workers was a classic bonehead idea, yet you come back and outdo yourself.

You explained you were not aware the term "wetback" had a derogatory meaning.

Allow me to lessen your ignorance with historical fact. During the Depression, the U.S. government forcibly deported 500,000 people of Mexican ancestry. Half of these deported "wetbacks" were actually U.S. citizens, including some of my family members, because "true Americans" sorely needed the jobs that only "wetbacks" did.

Bigots in power carried out these types of human-rights violations, and your actions and demeanor are not far from theirs.

Go read up on the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Geary Act of 1892. I won't go into the details, but do educate yourself so you understand my ire. You can bet that those politicians used racial slurs about Chinese without hesitation.

So don't feign ignorance, Mr. Tam, when indeed you are a perpetrator of bigotry in government.

HAWAI'I COUNTRY CLUB

GOLF CAT LUCKY WILL BE MISSED BY MANY

It means a lot to me to let my friends who knew Lucky know that he was found lifeless on May 29 by the restaurant at Hawai'i Country Club.

Lucky was a healthy, active 3-year-old cat. He was not an ordinary cat, he was a golf cat. He came to us in July 2005, left in our parking lot and crying for someone to take care of him.

With our manager's approval, we took him in. His favorite place to sleep was in a bamboo bowl on top of the counter in front of the cash register. He did not mind the noise coming from the register or the phone or customers petting him. He just slept through it all.

He would hang out at the putting green and driving range. The kids from The First Tee came to know him and knew he was a friendly cat.

On several occasions, he would jump on the golfer's cart and go for a ride on the first hole.

He knew where to go for his meals, and he also knew he had a curfew and had to be back at the pro shop by a certain time.

Lucky always came home, or was rounded up with the help of our cart attendants to be locked up for the night.

The regular golfers all knew who Lucky was, and would ask, "where's Lucky?" I would tell them that he was out there cruising around.

Now I have to tell them that Lucky is no longer with us. He will surely be missed by those who cared for him.

Goodbye, Lucky.

DECLINING ENROLLMENT

KAINALU ELEMENTARY CARING AND NURTURING

With decreased enrollment, Kainalu Elementary is a school that could face closure.

It should top the list of best schools in the Windward District.

Why not close schools that only use half of their available space? Special needs at Kainalu include the medically fragile. There is no other school that offers what Kainalu gives these children. Whether their needs are minimal or high, Kainalu provides services these children require.

All students at Kainalu are given the best education available. Kainalu encourages students to excel, and takes pride in their achievements. Located close to Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kainalu has many military students. These children are helped through difficult periods of deployment.

As a parent, this is the school I would search for. The administration quickly deals with problems that arise. If I had the opportunity to enroll my child in Kainalu Elementary School, I'd do whatever it takes.

Whoever will be responsible for making the decision of which schools to close should spend a day at Kainalu. That's all it takes to see the caring, nurturing presence that is Kainalu.