Letters for Feb. 17, 2016

Letters for Feb. 17, 2016

Cell towers not welcome

Forty years ago, I came to this beautiful island of Kauai and bought a condo at Sealodge. Recently, I have found the need to defend it and Princeville against the greed on the part of our board and the all-powerful and aggressive telecom industry.

A cell tower as high as 150 feet placed on our land is the issue. It is an ill-conceived idea whose presence will disrupt people’s view in many areas of Princeville. It will affect property values in a negative way, creates an “attractive nuisance,” be a danger to the many birds along the coast, and independent scientific studies show will be a health concern.

Many reputable scientists and several doctors on the North Shore have said “You do not want to live by a cell tower.” David Carpenter, professor of Environmental Health Science at the University of Albany, says, “Based on the existing science, many public health experts believe it is possible we will face an epidemic of cancers in the future resulting from uncontrolled use of cell phones and increased population exposure to WiFi and cell towers.”

Samuel Milham, medical epidemiologist, says, “Very recently new research is suggesting that nearly all the human plagues which emerged in the 20th century, like common lymphoblastic leukemia in children, female breast cancer, malignant melanoma and asthma, can be tied to some facet of our use of electricity.”

I have witnessed a number of these towers on this unique island, and it troubles me that the industry has never done definitive scientific studies or long-term studies to prove their product is safe. I am calling on the County Council to orchestrate a moratorium on any future towers until they are proven safe, or not, by independent scientists.

Gary Benoit

Princeville

Wording change came too late

After reading your article about how the Hawaii Legislature is now considering to make “green houses” OK for dispensary production centers, instead of concrete housing as was required by Department of Health in their application, it is a bit too late.

All the applications are already in. Whomever had the money, resources, and connections to purchase or lease concrete buildings as secured production facilities have already submitted their application.

So many more applications would have been submitted from non-politically tied businesses, if secured green houses were allowed in the original application. Now that all the politically and financially connected businesses have already submitted applications, what’s the point of reviewing the “wording” now. It’s a waste of time, and unless its retroactive, even then, what’s the point of wasting Legislature time on this issue.

If Legislature wants to do something with their time on this issue, don’t go back to something that cannot be fixed. Work on creating a bill that will legalize marijuana for recreational use, as many other states and countries around that world have. Not wait until next year. Is better use of time.

Steve Monas

Kapaa

Time for changes to driving manual

Wake up DMV.

It is now 2016 and the driving manual that is being used is so out of date. What about teaching the rules on a roundabout? We do not have cane roads anymore, or trains. There is so much that does not mean anything to the driver now. I also wish there were more instructors through the school. There is a long waiting list. Families pay so much for their children to get driver’s education through private instruction, not through the school system.

Hire more people so the kids do not have to wait so long. It is time to redo the drivers owners manual!

Is it time to hire driver instructors through the school! Please do not tell me they do not have the funds to make a change.

Donna Perlman

Kapaa

Seeking stories of what washes ashore

“Look what I found!” I am writing an article about what washes onto the shores of Kauai. Finding flotsam and jetsam is fun. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has found anything of interest, from ancient to current. Letter in a bottle? Glass floats? Friendship buoy? Tsunami debris? NOAA tracer? Please send a note to naupaka303@gmail.com.

Sue Pickard

Kapaa