• Blocking access is ‘responsible thing to do’ • Blocking access is ‘responsible thing to do’ The recent letters to the editor bemoaning the closing of Kipu Falls (David Cooper on Aug. 27 and Joseph Lavery on Aug. 30) make
• Blocking access is ‘responsible thing to do’
•
Blocking access is ‘responsible thing to do’
The recent letters to the editor bemoaning the closing of Kipu Falls (David Cooper on Aug. 27 and Joseph Lavery on Aug. 30) make absolutely no sense.
Mr. Cooper feels saddened and punished because the fence will make it harder for him to trespass on private land. Wow. That is about as indefensible a position as one could take.
Mr. Lavery asserts that Dr. Downs would somehow be less moved to action if he treated more senseless death and suffering. Having worked with Dr. Downs for nine years in the emergency department at Wilcox Memorial Hospital, I am confident that if Monty worked at Detroit Receiving Hospital, he would return to Kaua‘i even more passionate about trying to alleviate unnecessary pain and death.
Like the ocean, Kipu Falls is both beautiful and a potential source of injury and death. Unlike the ocean, Kipu Falls is owned by the Grove Farm Company. In an attempt to protect their interests and prevent further tragedy, they have chosen to prevent illegal access to the site. To me, that seems like the responsible thing to do.
Eric Wortmann, MD, Kalaheo
Cars are here to stay
The county is going to spend $800,000 for consultants to hold a series of meetings talking about Multi Modal Land Transportation for Kaua‘i. The consulting firm is holding “workshops” around Kaua‘i with an agenda. So structured that discussion could only be favorable to a multi modal transportation system for Kaua‘i.
My biggest question is why are we spending our time, efforts and money on this plan — biking, busing, walking and rapid transit — when 95 percent of or more of our population use their personal vehicles for transportation needs. People rely on their vehicles whether for pleasure, work, shopping, going to the doctor or whatever and they will continue to use them to get from point A to point B.
Biking is almost entirely for recreational use and always will be. Buses serve a small segment of our population, but the cost to our citizens to support the subsidized Kaua‘i program is huge. Whenever service is expanded, the excess of expenses over revenue goes up exponentially. Rapid transit is simply not an option for our island.
Thus, since the vehicle is and will be our major means of transportation, why are we not putting our resources and efforts into alternate roads on Kaua‘i, like our Kapa‘a Bypass road that has done so much good for alleviating traffic?
Let me quote some facts from an editorial in the Honolulu Advertiser in 2004 — as relevant today as they were when the article was written:
“Portland, the poster city for light rail, had an increase of 20,000 transit commuters during the census period 1990-2000, which everyone applauded as a spectacular performance. However, it also had an increase of 175,000 in the number of car-driving commuters. Since Portland had done little or nothing about increasing road space (having spent the money on light rail), the result was one of the worst increases in traffic congestion in the nation. And yet its public officials still gloat over the ridership increase.
“Similarly, Denver built rail transit during the 1990s. It increased daily transit commuters by 17,000 but had an increase of those driving to work of 248,000. San Diego increased transit commuters by 3,000 and the car drivers by 88,000. Pittsburgh, another rail city, had a decrease in transit of 11,000 while still increasing car drivers by 81,000.”
The article goes on and on with facts and stats basically showing that the car is here to stay and people will not use walking, bikes, buses or light rail to take its place.
We basically have one highway around three-quarters of this island and when anything happens to that highway (the Kaloko Dam break as an example) this island is in trouble. Again, let’s open our cane haul roads and make it possible to keep traffic flowing.
Glenn Mickens, Kapa‘a
Furious !
How heartless and cruel to toss out a live animal as if it was garbage. Whoever did this is the garbage. Yes, I am mad!
Two weeks ago I was walking along Light House Road in Kilauea enjoying the sunset and the sounds of numerous song birds, when I heard this one bird that sounded like a distressed kitten. Much to my surprise, I looked down and there was this tiny baby kitten with eyes not even open meowing like crazy. Of course, I brought him home.
I wondered if there was the possibility there might be more kittens and went back to check the next day. Sure enough there were four more babies. I figured someone dumped a pregnant cat in this area that is heavily wooded just outside of Kilauea town.
When I came back with food and a cage, the kittens were gone. I am afraid the mother may have moved them. Their ability to survive is highly unlikely. My heart goes out to the poor mama cat trying her best to keep her babies alive. So sad. So wrong.
Spay and neuter your dogs and cats! Call the Kaua‘i Humane Society at 632-0610. Please realize all life is precious .
Thelma Hill, Kapa‘a
