• Why worry about path etiquette • Let’s get started, KIUC(br) • Garden irony? • Consider the trees carefully Why worry about path etiquette Regarding the article in the Garden Island of 12/8/07 “Kauai Path to apply etiquette rules.” It
• Why worry about path etiquette
• Let’s get started, KIUC(br) • Garden irony?
• Consider the trees carefully
Why worry about path etiquette
Regarding the article in the Garden Island of 12/8/07 “Kauai Path to apply etiquette rules.”
It is truly sad to see so much time, energy, and millions of dollars being used to advance a project that will benefit FEW people IF it ever becomes a reality. And with the availability of federal funds for transportation enhancement activities becoming more and more scarce, the odds of this 16- to 24-mile path being completed are slim to zero.
And even if the Federal funds are there to pay for 80% of this White Elephant, these funds won’t pay for the maintenance, safety and security of this path — our local tax dollars will be used. And make no mistake about it, the price of these measures will be extremely high and yet the backers of this path refuse to address them.
I challenge the leaders of this project to do an in-depth islandwide survey of how many people want and will benefit from the millions of dollars being spent on it. In fact, why wasn’t a study done on its prospective usage BEFORE work was ever started?
Or, I challenge Mr. Brett Ishida, ambassadors program coordinator, to document his statement that this path, or any path like it will ever become an “alternate means of travel” — in other words getting people out of their vehicles.
Let’s live in the real world. From the horse and buggy age we have evolved into the world of “our vehicle” and no bike/pedestrian path will ever stop us from using that mode of transportation. Multi-billion dollar rapid transit systems across the U.S. have gotten maybe 5 percent of the people out of their cars and the numbers for alternatively using bike paths would be even more remote!
For pleasure, for work, for shopping or whatever, we WILL use our vehicles to get us from point A to point B. Yes, as gas prices escalate we will make our vehicles more and more fuel efficient with hybrids and new diesel technology but 95% or more of the population will continue to use their vehicles.
Why are we wasting our valuable time and resources worrying about “path etiquette” when problems like our homeless people, lack of more lifeguards on our beaches, overdevelopment and lack of infrastructure, lack of alternate travel routes to alleviate traffic, low income housing and rentals, and a laundry list of unsolved problems that scream for attention over a segmented, at best, bike/pedestrian path.
Retired state inspector Joe Rosa has testified many times before the Council about past bike paths he helped build on Kaua‘i and he has shown that they were seldom used. He wants to know if past history of these paths is any criterion for future paths then why are we wasting millions of tax dollars repeating a failure—-great question, Joe!
Glenn Mickens
Kapa‘a
Let’s get started, KIUC
It is reported that KIUC is not particularly interested in developing solar power on Kaua‘i due to storage issues. The peak use apparently is evenings and KIUC powers that be seem to feel that daytime generation isn’t enough to warrant the expense of creating a solar farm on the Westside.
Elsewhere, solar thermal farms are being built which have long tubes containing water hanging over the reflectors to super heat water to drive steam turbines to create electricity. The technology is here now and it works.
If KIUC really wants to reduce fossil fuel consumption, float a bond issue and let’s get started with this technology.
Michael Wells
Kapa‘a
Garden irony?
Wow! I have seen what is happening to Koloa and Po‘ipu and it makes me sick at heart. Clearing down to bare dirt at a stream bed which leads directly to the ocean, major rock-breaking, complete rerouting of the road, a “new” road being formed out of ‘Oma‘o road, which will become a major thoroughfare for the major developments, which once was a 25mph road that still has keiki and dogs roaming up and down and across it.
And now the trees. You can’t be from the islands and not know the Monkeypod trees. The most ironic thing is that these trees are older than the people that want to remove them in the name of development.
And Knudsen trust? Eric Toulon-Knudsen, shame on you, you need to give your neighbors voice. Your great-grandfather was a konohiki and understood his kuleana to the ‘aina and the people. Do you and your cronies? It is ALL in the name of money. I recently had a conversation with a man working for the Kukuiula development corp. and he told me that the homes they are building are for people that are worth $20 million or more … not for anyone local, for sure.
The blatant disregard for priceless things being shown in the name of the almighty dollar makes no sense to me. All I can say is, once it’s gone, it’s gone. Leave the trees alone. Bend your plans to fit the place around you, not the place around you to fit your plans.
Paullie Purdy
Waimea
Consider the trees carefully
We have enjoyed visiting Koloa over the years, mostly because of the elegant atmosphere provided by the beautiful old growth monkey pod trees. The shade and tranquility under their outstretched limbs encouraged us to walk the town, discover the old time displays, and enjoy the relaxed local style of the town.
There is something about being under shade trees that encourages one to pause, talk to people and take an interest in the community.
We used to have an older shopping center in Kahului on Maui with a handful of mature monkeypods. It was a gathering place, with benches where local retired seniors chatted with old friends while stopping at Ah Fook’s supermarket. There were short alleys with specialty shops in the older single story buildings, seemingly all owned by small local businesses. There was a meeting room and a large outdoor space where political rallies were held.
Fire demolished much of the area not long ago. While no one was killed, the effect on the area was tragic. The trees are gone. It is being rebuilt, but will not be the same.
It is hard for me to understand how Kaua‘i government can accept planning to destroy Koloa’s valuable natural attraction. Have company planners simply decided to make Koloa look like other tourist towns that more efficiently extract dollars from visitors? The cost to residents and visitors is quality of life, which seldom shows up in corporate balance sheets, perhaps because contented people are not in such a rush to shop.
I hope the county council and planning commission will consider this more carefully.
Daniel Grantham
Haiku, Maui
