• No turning back in regards to erosion • Airline execs are laughing to the bank • Floatopia gathering invokes rude behavior • Mahalo Larry for helping our roads • No turning back in regards to erosion The article regarding
• No turning back in regards to erosion • Airline execs are laughing to the bank • Floatopia gathering invokes rude behavior • Mahalo Larry for helping our roads •
No turning back in regards to erosion
The article regarding the extent to which Kekaha Beach has eroded presents the “variables” of extenuating circumstances that have historically impacted our beaches.
Two observations stand out: 1) That the ocean will continue to rise this century; and 2) that human population on the island will also impact our beaches with what they build on or near the shoreline of our islands.
These statements are coming from people with professional expertise, and as a mere observer living in the same area for all of my 75 years on planet Earth, all I can say is, “They are absolutely right!”
So, let’s not kid ourselves. It’ll be a cold day in hell before Kekaha Beach returns “as usual,” depending on the time of the year or when the season is right.
Kaumuali‘i Highway once buckled and disappeared at various locations in Kekaha, which led to the piling up boulders to rebuild the road and to form a rock-wall barrier to “protect” the highway. And, yes, the beach returned and even extended itself for a while. But, when more work was done at the Kikiaola Boat Harbor recently, the beach erosion returned, big time. There is no turning back.
The ocean is rising, and our human-driven desire to do as we please to get what we want at beachfront sites has taken its toll. Auwe!
Jose Bulatao, Jr.
Kekaha
Airline execs are laughing to the bank
Airline executives in Hawai‘i must be laughing all the way to the bank as the people of Hawai‘i cry for reasonably priced airfares.
Traveling from Kaua‘i to O‘ahu can cost as much as $200 per segment. The average round-trip for this short flight of less than 90 miles is now between and $300-$400. There are special airfares of $169 one way to Las Vegas from Honolulu, which is 1,700 miles away. It’s really sad that one can travel to Las Vegas (often times called the ninth Hawaiian island) cheaper than they can to a neighbor island.
You can fly round-trip from Honolulu to Anchorage, Alaska on Alaska airlines for approximately the same price you pay Hawaiian and Go airlines for a round-trip from Kaua‘i to O‘ahu.
The airlines are abusing Hawai‘i people by overcharging.
Families cannot get away to visit relatives on neighbor islands, others with keiki in competitive sports cannot afford to travel to see their kids play sports on another island, which was once a common thing.
We can’t even have a decent protest and boycott the airlines, since there is no other form of interisland transportation to support.
Back in 2006 when Go! airlines came into the Hawai‘i marketplace, all the airlines had limited seat specials of $5 round-trip, they were basically giving trips away as promotional specials.
Regular discounted fares were $39. I am not asking for a free ticket, just for a decent, competitively-priced ticket like most places in the world.
Many protested the Super Ferry and were worried about drug dealers coming to our island. Ironically, now about the only ones who can afford to come to our island are those drug dealers we so despised.
We need a new airline to come into the marketplace and force some good old competition, or we need some rich entrepreneurs to launch a ferry boat business, which hopefully would not be scared away this time around.
Air travel needs to be more affordable to the neighbor islands before the whole state of Hawai‘i goes insane with chronic cabin fever.
Please airline CEOs, if your reading this, do what’s pono. You can still make money just don’t continue taking us to the cleaners.
James “Kimo” Rosen
Kapa‘a
Floatopia gathering invokes rude behavior
Sunday, July 15, was my first experience of a “floatopia” gathering at Hanalei. There was a flash mob in the bay from 2 until 4 p.m. or so, and there were a bunch of floaties, large and small.
I can imagine some teens making a “to do” list last weekend as they drove over to Hanalei Bay:
No. 1: Get wasted.
No. 2: Show my butt.
No. 3: Swear a lot.
First, being wasted: It’s sad to see a handsome young man staggering drunk down the beach at Hanalei. It’s embarrassing! For a guy in his prime, why get so wasted that you can’t walk or paddle straight?
Second, butts: The butts were in the house — everywhere young women showing their tushies not just on the beach — but in the parking lot, etc. Em-bare-assing.
Third, the “F” word: Used as a noun, a verb and an adjective, it’s kind of lame, but if you’re wasted maybe you think swearing makes you sound cool?
Last question: Think we need a lifeguard over there? Even a strong, local beach watch guy to let the kids know, “Hey kids, what you doing?”
The beach was packed three lines deep with trucks and cars, locals and tourists, all to enjoy the infamous Hanalei Bay Pier.
Add 100 or so kids swimming and partying at floatopia and on the pier with no presence of any authority?
I think we — adults — who were there were reluctant or fearful to speak up that day, but I wanted to mention this event.
It could have turned out very badly for some of the kids.
Mary Gannon
Wailua
Mahalo Larry for helping our roads
After 18 long years of testifying before our councils, pleading with and cajoling them to stop funding our roads resurfacing program until major improvement methods are executed, it is great to see that our new county engineer, Larry Dill, has put industry standards, HAPI (Hawai‘i Asphalt Paving Industry) or AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) in place.
These regulations make sure that the cracked sections of our roads are removed, a new base course is put down before the final lift is laid.
They also make sure that our easements are leveled with the road surface insuring that these roads will last 15 to 20 years instead of falling apart in a year or two.
Prior to Mr. Dill’s leadership on implementing this standard, we have literally cost the tax payers hundreds of millions of dollars on erroneously repaving our 300 miles of county roads.
Congratulations, Larry. The work that you and your crew have to do not only with our roads but with our total infrastructure is massive and we hope that you will stay on your present successful course.
Glenn Mickens
Kapa‘a
