Pandemic of Love is amazing
Aloha. This is a follow up to the story in TGI from Monday, July 20, “This ‘Pandemic’ Contagious, Too.” As one of the 14 volunteers involved with the local chapter of Pandemic of Love, I would like to explain how this simple, amazing program works. If I am a person who is having difficulty, due to Covid-19, paying my bills or a buying medicine or diapers or if I need a ride to the doctor or my lawn needs mowing or any other immediate need, I can fill out a simple form (“Get Help”) on our website at pandemicofovekaui.com. And people who wish to contribute to an individual or family can specify their donation when they fill out the “Give Help” form on the same website. The donor can indicate that they are willing to give $75, for example, to a family to help with gas money or the water bill, money towards rent or has a service to offer. Our job as Match Makers is to look at the list of people in need and match them with someone from our list of donors. It is a one to one process of connecting people in our Kaua`i community. Once we have introduced our matches to one another via email, the magic happens. The donor and recipient connect and complete the transaction of love, whether it be money, an offer of services or even a home visit. We at Pandemic of Love are simply conduits of Aloha. The results are amazing. The sense of loneliness and helplessness can be washed away when you get a message from a person who is offering help. We are here to let each other know that we care, we want to help and none of us is truly alone.
Sue Buckley, Kapa‘a
No high-rises ever
About 18 months ago I was one of the volunteers at the lighthouse. I would answer questions from the visitors, and if asked take their pictures with their camera. I would also ask them questions as to why they select the island of Kaua‘i to visit. The general answer would often be: “We are visiting Kaua‘i because it is what we expected to see. It is rural, the residents are very friendly, and there are no high-rises.”
In a quiet moment at the lighthouse a gentleman in his 50s came up to me and asked me: “Why did I choose Kaua‘i?” My answer was: “Kaua‘i is the most beautiful of the islands and it is rural and there are no high-rises.” This gentleman replied: “I’m sorry, as you are going to have one high-rise soon.” I replied: “I sure hope not.”
The issue of having a high-rise on the island should not exist, as at least 80% of the residents are strongly opposed to having a high-rise so we should be safe, But we aren’t. It appears that such a thing may have been made, and that one thing is the mayor, to my knowledge, may have selected building Planning Commission members who will approve the proposal to allow a high-rise to be approved.
This has been done in advance, and the mayor and members of the County Council must know what is going on but are not speaking out. The mayor can say that he was also opposed to having a high-rise, but he was not going to counteract the building Planning Commission. What an out! Mayor and councilmembers, you should stop it now!
Mayor and councilmembers, whom do you represent?
It just takes a few men and women to destroy what over 80% of what we islanders value. Hopefully this can be stopped.
Joe Frisinger, Princeville
Coco Palms ain’t coming back
Coco Palms hasn’t been mentioned in the news lately, but I drive past it going to and from work, and I wonder when someone will say “enough is enough” and accept the fact that no developer with any amount of money is going to come in and make everything like it was.
Forget it. That time has passed, and it ain’t coming back.
How many times have I heard from previous owners that “we’re ready to go” even though they didn’t have the permits or the actual funds. Besides that they’re ready.
I’d much rather see a grove of actual coco palms than the broken-down, concrete skeleton of a hotel whose time of death was a long time ago.
Someone make the call, please.
Joe Pellegrino, Lihu‘e
Hey Joe, it seems you have inside information about plans to construct a high-rise on Kauai. Or are you relying on a casual conversation you had with with a “gentleman in his fifties”?
I am wondering why you are not naming the location of said high-rise and who is proposing to build it.
Please do not castigate our Mayor or council members unless you are willing to spill the beans. ALL the beans.
So we are all awaiting your follow-up LTE.
Commenting on Mr. Pellegrino’s letter, sad that in 30 years no decision has been made nor true effort to do the right thing with Coco Palms skeleton, know down or rebuild.
Back in the 70’s there was a movement called SHOK (Stop Highrise on Kauai). IIRC, it passed with a vote of the people? Something like no taller than 3 stories high? I don’t know if am remembering right, or what? But I am pretty sure you cannot build higher than 3 stories on Kauai.
Coco Palms is Coco Palms. Remove all man-made stuff and let it just be a sacred place to all from now on. So many people have so many different connections and memories to that place. Make it a A memorial to everything Kauai, all history on Kauai. No need rewrite, no need do nothing, just leave ’em alone, maybe one plaque that says, “Coco Palms”. Period. Let the dead rest there, and stay off the land, except maybe some Hawaiian groundskeepers to keep it nice using taxpayer money.
Let Coco Palms RIP already.
Ballistic missile launch/intercept 12-high rise, USAF funded, and PMRF forcing off-limits from Kekaha thru barking sands, polihale and halfway down Napali! Virtual yellow gates installed, DEW backup, and our mayor picture ops includes the necessary giddiness for explosion exploitations of “base housing”, never affordable resident housing!
The mayor had it all in his plans. While he was a councilman he amended the the rules on Rice st. for higher buildings. He has buildings in that area, what a coincidence.
In the early 70s there was a Master Plan document that was supposed to guide future development–a combination of what would be nice to have and directions to take development–a guide for government. The plan was developed (as subsequent Master Plans have also been developed) by selected community representatives and professionals. That these plans are often ignored or never consulted is unfortunate.
The plan I remember showed a road behind the current Coco Palms which went across the Wailua River on a new bridge up-river. Expensive, but a great idea–route traffic behind the current grove, bring in access and provide parking from either side on the existing road, and close it off to routine through-traffic, develop/enlarge the beach area and make it a large beach-front park for use by all. The coconut grove would add to the park. Take a new look at that 70s plan (was it 1973??). Worth considering again.
And kudos to Gary Hooser, who, years ago as a member of the Council suggested the Coco Palms become a park. That’s still a good idea whose time has come.