• Married without children • Half right, but still wrong • Sears suckers Married without children I have no interest one way or another in the gay marriage discussion, but enjoy reading different people’s opinions. A thought occurred to me
• Married without children • Half right, but still wrong • Sears suckers
Married without children
I have no interest one way or another in the gay marriage discussion, but enjoy reading different people’s opinions.
A thought occurred to me while reading David Rich’s letter (“I too will stand will stand by the word of God,” Feb. 18) and other people’s letters about how marriage is a sacred institution, reserved to only those who have the intention to procreate. After all, more people in the world means more people for church membership.
I suppose, then, that my husband and I, married 71⁄2 years ago at the ripe old age of 64, are also considered in the eyes of David Rich and others to be flouting God’s laws, since we had no intention of having children when we got married.
Kim Nofsinger, Princeville
Half right, but still wrong
Over the last hundred years, many extremely poor choices have been made along the mouth of the Wailua River, and the associated beach fronting Wailua-nui-a-ho‘ano (The Great Sacred Wailua) in the name of progress and transport. Some of the early “boo-boos” were so stupendously outrageous, they would never be tolerated today. Here are two:
Early in the 20th century, a great portion of the rocks in the heiau and place of refuge Hikini-a-ka-la (Rising of the Sun) down by what is today right next to a parking lot in Lydgate Beach were picked clean and rolled up the hill to provide a solid abutment for the bridge then being put in.
Expedient yet disgraceful.
Similarly, in the wake of statehood and during a frenzy of national highway building, not enough people were asking tough questions when the Kuhio Highway was upgraded by the Hawai‘i State DOT.
This stretch of road is built directly over low sand dunes next to, and directly on the beach — which is a foolishly exposed place to run a highway. So foolish in fact, the present stone wall was built to keep ocean debris from sweeping onto the roadway by wave action.
Additionally, the digging for the foundation of the roadbed must have unearthed countless bone fragments and even entire skeletons, as these dunes were intensively used a burial place by the pre-contact Hawaiians.
Double dumb.
Today, the building process is for more inclusive, and the public — appropriately — is making itself better heard. Hawaiian cultural practitioners, environmentalists, community leaders, proponents of design excellence and others have all weighed in to block the now-defunct plan to build a boardwalk directly on the sands of Wailua beach.
While these critics may not agree on every detail, to a person they have said the same thing: “Do not build on the beach.”
And the leaders have started to listen. Whereas initially, the path was to be entirely on the beach, last month Mayor Carvalho announced he has halfway shifted the plan — the path is now to be only half on the beach.
Kudos to the Mayor for getting it half-right. Please add your voice to help him finish the second half of pulling the path entirely off the beach.
With enough public support (or pressure), Mayor Carvalho can get the Hawai‘i State DOT to shift the highway six more feet mauka towards Coco Palms. Rather than tearing it down and building a new one, the existing stone wall shall remain in place. All construction will be mauka of it. Nothing will be further constructed over the sands of Wailua. Not one inch.
Please encourage Mayor Carvalho to find a way to get HI DOT to budge. There is plenty of room, but not a lot of time. If we speak with one voice, together we can get our county officials to listen — and act. Together we can get state agencies to bend of the will of the people on Kaua‘i. Together, we can get the path 100 percent off Wailua Beach.
Jonathan Jay, Kalaheo
Sears suckers
Many on Kaua‘i buy things from Sears and then buy the protection agreement because Sears tells you they have on-grounds techs. When I needed a repair for my blower, I dropped it off Dec. 28 and was told it would be looked at on or around Jan. 11.
Well after waiting for two weeks and receiving no phone call updates, I called them, got disconnected, transferred to the wrong department, told they are waiting on parts, blah, blah, blah.
Then I got a manager on Jan. 19 and was told parts will be in the next day and they will call that day! Well, five days later I spent at least 40 minutes on the phone and still got no repair date, received no call backs or time frame when I might be able to pick up my blower!
So sound in Kaua‘i and let Sears know we need our things fixed and returned in a fair timeframe!
J.B. Scopacasa, Kapa‘a
