Thank you, rescuers Thank you, rescuers ADVERTISING I am an experienced swimmer. Every other day I swim 1 kilometer at Kawamoto pool. I also have swam several rough-water swims, including the one at Richardson Ocean Park. I would never have
Thank you, rescuers
I am an experienced swimmer. Every other day I swim 1 kilometer at Kawamoto pool. I also have swam several rough-water swims, including the one at Richardson Ocean Park.
I would never have expected to find myself lodged between sharp rocks while my head was being pounded by waves and my body slammed into the rocks by backwash. This happened (on a recent Sunday) at Richardson. I was aware that I was out of sight from the lifeguard, and I was unable to swim out of this situation.
On land, there were groups of people, but I was well below their line of sight. A man sitting on a chair was looking out at the ocean. When he saw me, at first he did not realize my situation. Soon after, he got up from his chair and swiftly jumped over the rocks to where I was.
He had to pull me up over the rock where he was standing and then help me out to the shore.
I want him to know how thankful I am for his help. I also want to thank the keiki who carried my fins and mask, in addition to the woman who came to hold my arm while walking over the rocks.
Mahalo nui loa to all of you.
Elfriede Wilkins
Hilo
Accentuate positive
I suppose you feel a title suggesting underachievement will sell more papers than one of a more positive nature. Case in point: “Pharmacy class earns low marks” (Tribune-Herald, May 6).
As a soon-to-be graduated member of the UH-Hilo College of Pharmacy, I was disappointed to find my local paper dredging up the statistics for the previous class and then using them to manufacture suspense — and undermine the efforts of so many people.
Dean John Pezzuto, Associate Dean Ed Fisher, former chancellor Rose Tseng and Sen. Daniel Inouye, among others, have labored to make the college successful. Such success speaks for the quality of the education that can be found right here in Hilo!
We’re about to graduate 90 students — half of them from the state of Hawaii —and here was a chance to mention notable accomplishments: the annual College of Pharmacy Health Fair for the Hilo community; the national representation that pharmacy students provide; the research that pharmacy students have been publishing in academic journals; or, if you want numbers, a 2009 study by UH-Hilo professor (David) Hammes showing that the College of Pharmacy would stimulate over $50 million in economic activity in Hawaii.
Perhaps these details were missed. I almost hope so. The idea that the Tribune-Herald would neglect to mention these in favor of such discouraging remarks found in your article would leave me very disappointed in your journalistic focus.
Daniel Hu
UH-Hilo College
of Pharmacy
Class of 2012
