Jodie Chiemi Ching
Commentary
It’s only been a few months since The Hawai‘i Herald’s 6th annual Kaua‘i special edition — our last issue of 2019. So, why do another so soon? Well, why not? — Our schedule is always fluid depending on what is going on throughout the year. And, right now, we could really use stories from the Garden Island — stories of resilience, healing, growth and community.
“Kaua‘i has been through storms before — they know how to survive, and they are very resilient. And, that is where my family is from, so I have seen it first hand”said Hawaii Foodbank president and CEO Ron Mizutani in a 2018 interview.
Just two years ago, Kaua‘i was hit by a huge storm on April 14. In 2018, Kaua‘i-grown Mizutani told the Herald that it was like Hurricane ‘Iniki all over again. The 2018 flood devastated the Kaua‘i’s North Shore and triggered at least five landslides that shut down Kühio Highway, the island’s main thoroughfare. Call it divine timing, Mizutani started his role as president days after the disaster and went right to work to fill the needs of the people of his island home.