Alert
Pig crossing hazard
From the beginning of the new year, I have noticed a possible driving hazard to motorists and especially motorcycle and scooter enthusiasts.
On three separate occasions, I have come across pigs crossing Mamalahoa Highway between the intersection leading down to Keauhou and the final turnoff at the end of Hawaii Belt Road, leading up to Holualoa.
Every encounter with pigs has been during the evening hours, after sunset. On two occasions, I was lucky enough to be in a car and avoided hitting the pigs. The third and most recent encounter was on March 23 — and I was not driving a car.
On a motorcycle anything larger than a baseball on the ground can send you off your seat. I was riding home, around 7:30 at night, and had just passed the junction to turn on Hawaii Belt Road, when I hit a pig on my motorcycle going about 50 mph. I hit the pig with my front tire and the left side of my bike, including my leg and foot.
I am fortunate in that I didn’t crash my motorcycle. A flat tire, broken shifter, and broken foot peg were the primary damage to my bike. I walked away with a numb and severely bruised foot.
What I would like is for others drivers to be prepared for the possibility of pigs crossing the highway and even have signs raised to alert drivers to the presence of pigs during the hours from dusk till dawn.
Steven Orton
Kailua-Kona
A waxing appreciation
A lesson to see
On a morning walk in Kealakekua, I happened to be on Konawaena School Road, proud home of Konawaena High School.
As I looked to my right, I noticed a bus driver waxing the school bus. Now, any of us who waxes our his cars, can attest, this is no easy job — but, an entire 50- passenger bus — big job. I approached the gentleman, and we talked story and exchanged names. His name was Bob Hester, from Kealakehe High School. Mr. Hester said because of work being done at Kealakehe High School’s athletic fields, students were being transported to Konawaena for their practices. When I asked him about the waxing, he said, with pride, this is our school bus and we are very proud of it.
I was very proud to know that our state has such fine people who work for us taxpayers. Though waxing the school bus, most likely, is not in his job description, taking pride in his job is obviously in his heart. He doesn’t just drive a school bus, he teaches the young people by example— and, isn’t that the best way?
My hat is off to him. It is by his example that I will no longer look at state workers in the same way.
Thank you for contributing to my morning walk in such a significant way.
Charles Limberg
Kealakekua