To the Forum:What I heard at the Hanalei Community Association meeting on Nov. 9 was a lot of concerns about the proposed new Hanalei Valley Lookout. Very few, if any, of the people attending gave their blessings for the proposal.
To the Forum:What I heard at the Hanalei Community Association meeting on
Nov. 9 was a lot of concerns about the proposed new Hanalei Valley Lookout.
Very few, if any, of the people attending gave their blessings for the
proposal.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) wants to close down the
current lookout. Several people expressed a loss if the current lookout is
closed. For many, many years locals and tourists have returned to this exact
site to view the beauty and the changes in the valley below.
The feeling
from several people was that we can have more lookouts but never close one.
Closing a lookout is like closing a beach access.
More than the current
lookout possesses, a larger parking area and a safer access and egress, would
be constructed, but also a public restroom facility would be constructed.
The restroom facility started a very heated debate; no longer are we to have
just a larger version of the existing facility. The addition of the restroom
facility necessitates money to pay for maintenance and lighting. The DOT
doesn’t have the money for maintenance, and so, wants to give ownership of the
land to the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
The FWS supports the
construction of a visitor center. Income from the visitor center would pay for
maintenance and electricity costs.
The visitor center might sell books,
novelties, and other items not yet decided. The Lions Club currently maintains
the existing lookout. Thank you very much Lions.
Several people in
attendance didn’t see a need for a public restroom. Many objected to any
buildings placed on the lookout site and the installation of lighting raised a
very big red flag.
No one in the North Shore wants to look up from Hanalei
Valley and see lights at the lookout.
While lights may be needed to curb
vandalism, their presence also is dangerous for the shearwaters.
Another
red flag was raised by several business owners who expressed their displeasure
with competition from the FWS intending to sell things from the lookout.
The federal government shouldn’t be in business. Their purpose is to represent
the people, not to be in business competing with them.
Plans also call for
the construction of a maintenance building and an open pavilion. One person
reminded us that when the federal government owns land it can’t be trusted and
may build anything it wants.
It took a tremendous effort to stop the FWS
from building more buildings and larger buildings in the Hanalei Valley Refuge
than what previously existed before Hurricane ‘Iniki.
The new Hanalei
Valley Lookout is projected to cost $4.5 million. We as taxpayers are going to
pay the bill for all of those unnecessary buildings. Without constructing the
public restroom, no additional buildings and street lights would be necessary,
plus a lot of taxpayers’ money could be saved.
There are enough local
citizens opposed to constructing any buildings at the new lookout that, if not
the Lions Club, others will gladly maintain the landscaping.
Mike
Bottasso
Hawaii chokes business again
To the Forum:
I have
been following, like so many of us, the developing play of the Honolulu
Star-Bulletin versus everybody else.
My family has lived on Kaua’i for 25
years and I have been here for 10 years. Now, I am just starting to understand
Hawai’i ways. So, I wish to offer my observation of this situation, which I
believe, might hurt local business in the long haul.
We are at a time in
human history where our technological evolution is moving faster than ever. In
fact, technology is moving faster than government’s ability to keep up.
The printed newspaper is becoming a thing of the past to make room for the
future.
The international business community will view the state’s position
against the Star-Bulletin as anti-business.
The real value (in cash terms)
of the state decision will be felt in the future consequences of lost
investment in Hawai’i. What free entrepreneur or capitalist wants to be told to
run a business against their will?
What free person wants a governing
authority to demand something so private or personal of them? Hawai’i chokes
business again!
The detractors of this publisher should ban together, buy
the Star-Bulletin and build a newspaper that will seriously threaten the
competitive existence of Honolulu Advertiser.
That is the American way!
This State demand flies in the face of The Declaration of Independence and
Constitution of the United States of America. Good luck Hawai’i!
David
Cross
Puhi
Trash coordinator needed
To the
Forum:
Attention County & State Departments responsible for litter
control (roads, beaches, parks) plus the Hawaii Visitors Bureau, the Mayor and
Council:
Recent Garden Island articles report increased tourism this year.
Next year two mayors from Japan will head a delegation to checkout the tourism
situation. Want them to see all the trash on our highways and places of natural
beauty?
Up until a few years ago the state funded a position for a
part-time coordinator to organize Adopt-A-Highway, Get-the-Drift Beach cleanup
in October and other related concerns.
Even with the dedicated people who
held that job, it was obvious that we needed more personnel time to keep Kaua’i
clean all year. Now we have no one whose main task it is to focus on
recruiting, organizing, and inspiring volunteer individuals, businesses and
other groups to clean and beautify this precious island.
Perhaps we need to
allocate funds to pay one or more people to coordinate this huge task. Even
part-time positions should be reimbursed for expenses (gasoline, stamps,
etc.).
If more volunteers are not recruited, we might lose our most
dedicated to burn-out.
Most businesses on Kaua’i benefit from the tourist
industry. How much time and what contributions does your company or group give?
Some businesses give way more than their share.
If we had a paid
coordinator, we could be creative in getting everyone out to help for a few
hours a year.
The state and county could come up with some ways to
cooperate and work to solve one problem – trash. All the coordinators would
need – besides money – would be a desk, file box and some storage. They would
be out in the community most of the time.
The position would be such that
it wouldn’t grow into a bureaucracy. The people chosen should be
people-friendly and know Kaua’i. (Remember how effective Bryan Baptiste was in
the short time he worked on this type of situation?).
We could consider
using some of the money spent for ads and trips – at least for a year or so –
and establish a full-time program.
Everyone writing regarding tourism and
development mentions the “Goose that laid the Golden Egg.” Have you seen her
lately? Maybe she flew to Balau or Fiji!
Betty
Unanian
Ha’ena
Kaua’i has one burning flaw
To the
Forum:
We love everything about Kaua’i except for the lack of totally
smoke-free restaurants and bars.
In California, where we’re from, all
public places are by law smoke-free, with a designated area for those who must
smoke. Football stadiums, basketball parks, public restrooms, offices, shops,
as well as all bars and restaurants are included in the law.
There are
large financial penalties for those who have reportedly violated the law.
No businesses have been forced to close because of this law — no bars or
restaurants. Dodger Stadium hasn’t been picketed by smokers. Only good has come
from the smoke-free environment law.
Workers in restaurants are no longer
forced to breathe the unhealthy second-hand smoke. Studies show that office
workers are more productive when they don’t smoke at their worksites and work
absenteeism has decreased.
Kaua’i would be perfect if public places, most
especially bars and restaurants, were totally smoke-free.
Jo-Anne
Wolfard
California
