Support for Kunimoto
I live on Mele Manu Street, seven houses below Randy Kunimoto. My family has taken tennis lessons at Randy’s, and, like other Mele Manu neighbors who enjoy his lessons, we walked up to his house. Alas, their stories were not included in the Sept. 2 Tribune-Herald article.
The day before Randy’s hearing permit application, I was ready to attend. However, Randy informed us that he withdrew his application, and those of us ready to submit our testimony did not follow through. The Tribune-Herald article suggested there was no support from Randy’s neighbors, which is far from the truth.
What hurts is the light in which our local newspaper portrayed Randy. I am writing to right Randy. He is an important member of the Hilo community and has placed Hilo on the tennis map. Randy has helped many high school students earn scholarships and thus gain entrance in competitive universities.
The dollar amount that Randy has added to our community is hard to calculate, but it has benefited several Hilo families. Many of the Hilo high school tennis teams have won BIIF and state tournaments in large part due to Randy and his covered facility; individual players Randy trained have represented Hawaii in USTA Sectionals and Nationals.
The rainy weather in Hilo regularly disrupts tennis for weeks, and his covered facility has been key in maintaining the players’ quality tennis.
Randy organized the tennis community to help children that needed expensive medical care. He regularly held free tennis drills at the EKS tennis courts with the UH-Hilo tennis team to give back to the community. These initiatives have never been praised in the newspapers because Randy does not want to be the center of attention. But that he should be because of the benefits he has provided over the years to Hilo.
Marianne Takamiya
Hilo
Condolences for Boy Scout ‘Manny’ Carvalho
My sincere condolences at the loss of your son. I have two sons and feel your extreme pain of loss.
I am a Boy Scouter, too, and appreciate the Boy Scout program and facility at the camp, but so saddened with tears that Manny had to leave us, and from that beautiful place.
He has been loved and cherished by so may. I know how he is OK and on his new journey, and God bless him for his presence on Earth and all the good memories he gave us.
Bill Paul
Hilo