• Mickens’ reply
• Good neighbors
Mickens’ reply
Let me respectfully respond to my friend, Doug Nielsen’s Viewpoint in The Garden Island (1/26).
And yes, I did sign my bike path letter but it was somehow left off though everyone, including you, Doug, knows my M.O. by now! And so that the readers will know, Doug Nielsen is probably the best pure volunteer on this island and does more to help maintain Lydgate Park than any volunteer we have. Good friends can differ and obviously, on this bike path issue, we don’t see eye to eye.
As Lester Chang pointed out in his article (12/26) and proponents of this path keep alluding to, rationalization for pushing this project COULD help solve our island’s traffic problem. Even you, Doug, agree that this is a myth.
There are two specific Federal Guidelines attached to the 80 percent federal funding of this path. One, 23 U.S.C. 116 basically says that upkeep and maintenance of the public investment should be considered at the time of the Transportation Enhancement Grant. At a recent council meeting Mel Rapozo showed a powerpoint of the disarray our parks are now in so how will we ever meet these federal guidelines when we are not taking care of what we have?
And Section 23 U.S.C. 217 page 2(i) says that, “no bicycle project may be carried out under this section unless the secretary has determined that such bicycle project will be PRINCIPALLY for transportation rather than recreational purposes.”
You have to agree, Doug, that this path will be for recreation purposes and NOT for transportation. In fact in Lester’s article he had the following quote, “The consultant noted, however, that improvements to Kuhio Highway will require special consideration, given narrow pavements. For the safety of bicyclists, the right-of-way on Kuhio Highway would have to widen to be fully used by bicyclists.”
So if I am understanding this project correctly, we have consultants asked to design a path ALONG OUR HIGHWAYS n to conform to federal guidelines and yet plans to circle the Island with a path that will fit wherever it can to satisfy recreational bikers/walkers n which wouldn’t comply with 23 U.S.C. 217 page 2 (i). Since it can’t be both ways which will it be?
Doug, we are talking about many thousands of dollars to maintain this project whereas a miniscule amount of this money can be used to maintain our baseball fields.
There is a project that Councilman Rapozo said has cost us $400,000 so far and has never gotten on the drawing boards. It is on the council Agenda the 29th. This is about a true sports complex at Vidinha Stadium n Olympic sized swimming pool; basketball and sports pavilion ; 1st class baseball stadium with lights. dressing rooms, and seating and the track and football complex along with a soccer field. A project of this scope would benefit our entire Island and would have unlimited possibilities n I would support it 100 percent. Forget the millions of dollars for a bike path and find grant money to build this—”THEY WILL COME”!
I will yak with you any time, Doug n just tell me when!
Glenn Mickens
Kapa‘a
Good neighbors
I wish to respond to Michael Wells’ comments regarding the future of our island. I am a haole. I am also your neighbor Mr. Wells, though I live on the South shore. I share every concern regarding the future of Kaua‘i that you have listed. I am also a member of Ohana Kauai, an organization dedicated to improve our island. Where have you been when island issues cry out for help? You are always welcome at Ohana Kauai. Our members include haoles among others, but we invite any voter or citizen of Kauai to join with us.
You are absolutely right when you point out that the solutions are all political. I am committed to bringing better government to Kauai, government that is genuinely interested in the future of our island, our children and our grandchildren. I ask no more for my own grandchild than I would for yours.
Don’t practice exclusionary politics. It is not the answer. Embrace your neighbor with your ideas as well as your affection, whether they be haole or whatever. Together, we can work to make government visionary as well as accountable.
Monroe Richman
Koloa
