Thanks, ‘angel’
I want to thank the kind gentleman who stopped to help me when my blue Chevy Roadster ran out of gas near the Keaau dump on Tuesday, Dec. 4.
After sitting in the traffic jam at the Keaau bypass for over an hour (again!), I ran out of gas in the middle of the road. Trying to push a big truck to the side of the road would have been impossible, with cars passing on both sides of me. This angel in disguise blocked a lane, pushed my truck to the side of the road for me, and vanished!
I never got to thank you. My sincere MAHALO for helping me out that night. You demonstrated the true meaning of aloha.
Mary Ann Saindon
Keaau
Effective bureaucrats
The people of the Big Island recently lost through retirement the talents of two giants in the field of public administration.
Gerald DeMello served the last 21 years of a long government career as the indispensable University Relations director at UH-Hilo, and Bill Takaba spanned 39 years as a cabinet member of every Hawaii County mayor since Shunichi Kimura — including eight years as Harry Kim’s fiscal point man, and the last four as Billy Kenoi’s managing director.
Both worked tirelessly, and largely behind the scenes, in navigating many higher-profile leaders through that maze we call government, and each deservedly received special tributes from an appreciative community — Gerald, in a wonderful Tribune-Herald article written by Colin M. Stewart, and Bill, by a standing ovation at the county inauguration ceremonies.
These two individuals, both of whom were clearly motivated by a unique love for their island home, shared many of the same qualities: Intelligence, an understanding of historical perspectives, respectfulness towards persons and ideas, honesty, humility and even-handedness. But oddly, what impressed me the most about Gerald and Bill, is that I never saw either of them lose or even show their temper.
It may be an overlooked trait when assessing the efficacy of a government official, but many a wise man has said that, “Anger is a bad adviser.” And these two guys were as cool as they come.
I know that I speak for a lot of people when I say to Gerald and Bill: Thank you for a job well done, and congratulations and best wishes on a well-deserved retirement.
Aaron Chung
Hilo
Consider the source
I’m confused by the letter printed in the paper today (Nov. 29, Tribune-Herald) from McWarren J. Mehau. He says, “Being transfixed to one TV channel and news source narrows one’s outlook … ,” but then recommends watching only “the Fox family of hosts.”
He dismisses Anderson Cooper of CNN and Brian Williams of NBC because they won’t say nice things about the commentators on Fox, his one preferred channel of information. How can he present himself as fair and balanced when he will only open up to one point of view, which is what he disapproves of in others?
I read Bill O’Reilly and George Will in order to try to understand where they’re coming from — and I have a hard time with them, I must admit. I suggest Mr. Mehau read a few of the liberal columnists and take note of their seriousness.
Patrick Donovan
Keaau
