• Let’s hear the real reason for the Keahua Stream bridge • We need to stand together Let’s hear the real reason for the Keahua Stream bridge The Department of Land and Natural Resources held a meeting Tuesday about the $2.5
• Let’s hear the real reason for the Keahua Stream bridge • We need to stand together
Let’s hear the real reason for the Keahua Stream bridge
The Department of Land and Natural Resources held a meeting Tuesday about the $2.5 million Keahua Stream bridge currently under construction at the Arboretum because they said they wanted to hear from us.
The presentation told us the new bridge will ensure the safe crossing necessary because of many incidents of people having to be rescued from the other side during high water or being washed down stream in their vehicles.
Though most of us have been aware of “some incidents,”we were not aware of so many that a bridge was needed for that reason, nor were we given the number of incidents for any given period of time. That information was not available.
The other reason the DLNR listed for the bridge was vehicles crossing the existing wet crossing will leave a little bit of petrochems in the water from vehicle undersides.
Also mentioned was the current crossing has deteriorated so a bridge was a good option rather than fixing the crossing. Also stated was a bridge gives more people better access to the other side.
Those seemed to be the some total of the reasons for the bridge.
We were told the one-way bridge has a weight limit allowing it to take vehicles many times the weight of standard pickup truck. Why we asked? They didn’t know. Was it to haul timber out of the forest for their other proposal to clear invasive trees for biomass or other uses? No, they said.
We asked how much help would a bridge be for elimination of petrochems from vehicle undersides, if beyond the bridge the vehicles crossover at the next wet crossing? No answer. We asked, couldn’t a bridge allow more people, without four-wheel drive, into an area normally not used by them or by rental cars? Would they get stuck? Would they further rut the dirt road? Would they try to jump off the bridge? Would they need to be rescued? If they were able to drive beyond the bridge how far could they go and since it was agreed that it wouldn’t be far unless they had four-wheel drive, then what was the point? No one knew.
Why the one bridge? Would there be future bridges built later on the next crossings? If the bridge was not for transporting cut lumber from our forest and running machinery and logging trucks across it, what is the reason for the bridge?
We asked to be told the real reason for this bridge. But we got no answer.
Valerie Weiss, Kapaa
We need to stand together
What a couple years we’ve all been going through. Debating about our country and who would be a good leader for me and you. No one has the right answer; I think we can agree. But we all need to get through our differences. Yes, you and me. We really have no idea what’s in store for us now in the next four years with a new leader. We’ll get through this somehow.
Our choices this year, I believe, weren’t the best. But we took what we had. The choice has been made. Let’s try and lay it to rest. We need to stick together to make out nation stronger. We can’t keep fighting the way we are any longer. There’s so much to be thankful for. Can we not agree?
There’s a lot to fix in this land of the free. So take a deep breath try and be positive now. We all need to stand together. We’ll get through this somehow. Some folks are jubilant; some are sad. That’s the way life is. Try not to stay mad. Hold your head high, be proud of where you live. We can be strong as a nation. We have so much to give. Salute our flag, say the pledge with pride.
The next four years might be one hell of a ride!
Barbara Poor, Hanalei
