• Solar ‘trees’ • Grove Camp evictions • Smart meters and other phenomena Solar ‘trees’ Hurray for Sam Shirai’s suggestion (Letters: March 23) that solar “trees” be employed as multi-use units on agricultural lands. The University of California has planted
• Solar ‘trees’ • Grove Camp evictions • Smart meters and other phenomena
Solar ‘trees’
Hurray for Sam Shirai’s suggestion (Letters: March 23) that solar “trees” be employed as multi-use units on agricultural lands.
The University of California has planted solar trees in a parking lot.
These panels not only produce power, but also reduce sun damage and air-conditioning use in cars parked under them.
Could Kukui Grove, Walmart and other local centers with largely unshaded parking lots construct similar systems?
As Mr. Shirai wisely observes, creative and multiple use of our island’s small land area can benefit us all.
H.M. Wyeth, Anahola
Grove Camp evictions
Grove Farm continues to tighten the eviction noose around the necks of the kupuna at Koloa Camp, with a rejection of the County Council’s and State Senate’s combined 32-1 plea for patience and negotiation.
Grove Farm owns 40,000 acres on Kaua‘i, but insists that the flood-prone and access-compromised 12-acre Koloa Camp parcel is so superior to any other site they own, that they must force seniors and elderly from their homes for their shipping container housing project. And this before they have even submitted applications for permits.
Steve Case, Grove Farm’s owner, is the 331st most wealthy person in the U.S. and has a net worth of $1.5 billion.
Yet he is ejecting 60-, 70- and 80-year-olds from their homes to enhance his coffers. Grove Farm’s disgrace is equal only to the size of the Case fortune.
John Patt, Koloa
Smart meters and other phenomena
I am prompted to write, in part, because of the photo on the front page of The Garden Island March 23. I must take issue with what Dennis Fujimoto labeled as a contrail in the picture, because it is obviously something else … something more troubling.
It is, in reality, a chemtrail — the likes of which seem to be appearing in our skies more and more frequently, as has been reported in your fine publication from time to time.
I personally witnessed one over Waimea three weeks ago. It moved rapidly off to the northwest as I watched, dumbfounded.
I thought I could see an object just ahead of it, as the sun appeared to be glinting off something shiny. It might just have been dust in my eye. But I think not.
This event confirmed my suspicions that there surely is a vast and sinister government conspiracy afoot — a conspiracy that threatens to upend the very fabric of our island paradise. Could there be any other explanation?
Something else quite strange occurred. I was hiking in the Alakai swamp last summer and had an encounter with … well, I don’t really know. I reached the little platform at the end of the trail in the late afternoon.
In front of me was a clear, unobstructed view of the Hanalei Valley.
I was so taken by the beauty of the scene that I forgot how late it was getting. When I turned to hike back to the trailhead, it was nearly dark.
But I wasn’t worried, as I was familiar with the trail. Besides, I had a flashlight in my backpack. All went well until I was about halfway back when, suddenly, I heard a rustling in the thick forest off to my left, then a low “woof” and some loud stomping sounds.
I swung my flashlight around and the beam caught movement. I squinted and could just make out a tiny, hairy creature that couldn’t have been more than 3 feet tall.
I froze, then watched, incredulously, as it turned away from me and disappeared into the night.
Had I just seen the elusive menehunus sasquatchitis (literally, “little man with big feet”)? I have trekked all over Nepal without seeing a Yeti.
Yet now, in my own backyard, I’d had a close encounter with one of our island’s rarest creatures. Until now I’d never told anyone of the event. I was afraid they might think I was nuts.
The last, and possibly strangest thing of all, occurred just a few nights ago.
The week prior, one of those “smart” meters was installed at my house.
Tuesday morning about 3 a.m., I was awakened by what I thought were voices coming from the kitchen.
It sounded very much like Siri was having a conversation with someone (or something). It went on for a minute or two, then abruptly stopped.
I thought maybe I was just imagining things and drifted back off to sleep. But I kept hearing noises — beeps, machinery and what-not — the rest of the night. I could have been dreaming. Maybe not.
The next morning I awoke, got out of bed and wandered out into the living room. Low and behold, it had been vacuumed! The place looked spotless! And the dirty dishes I had left in the dishwasher had all been washed and put away.
To top it off, there was a hot cup of coffee waiting for me on the counter, along with some heated biscuits and a nice selection of jams. I could not believe my eyes.
If this is any indication of what a smart meter is capable of, you won’t ever hear me complaining about them again.
Steven McMacken, Lihu‘e
