Letters for Thursday — March 03, 2005

• Lack of alohaLack aloha

• Park improvement

Lack of alohaLack aloha

My husband and I just returned from our annual two weeks vacation on your beautiful Island of Kaua‘i.

We both missed being greeted with Aloha upon meeting employees of the hotel and stores, and Mahalo when we left .

The only exception was at the ABC stores. I want to commend them for carrying on the beautiful tradition.

It is a shame to see something so simple, so basic – and so beautiful – not being part of your everyday life. It always seems to make the long trip feel like it was worth the time, that we had left the Mainland behind for two wonderful weeks in another world.

Maureen O’ Keefe

Stow, Mass.

Park improvement

I’d like to thank the County Council for recently passing the Resolution to adopt Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) for all county parks and roadsides.

Public testimony dramatized the potential dangers of herbicides to our health and our environment. Now it’s in the Administration’s court to stop herbicide spraying and opt for safer means to maintain the parks and roads.

In Hilo, five county parks became herbicide-free 12 years ago thanks to volunteers who help with the worst weed problems. Here on Kaua‘i, two eastside parks have been herbicide-free for over a year thanks to our Parks Department responding to requests from the community.

With the help of volunteers, I believe this success could be spread to all county parks on Kaua‘i. If you have suggestions on which park or road should be the next pilot program for IVM, or would like to volunteer to help, please call Hawaii’s Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (HCAP) at 651-7988 or contact the Mayor’s office or Public Works Department. Working together, I believe we can see greener, safer parks and roads quickly becoming a reality.

Diane Koerner

Kapa‘a