Leave the farmers market as it is
Again with the market? We hoped that first letter was the sound of one hand clapping.
The market is one of our favorite places in Kona. Perhaps you want sterile, banal and boring, just like back home, but we think most folks, like our cruise ship visitors, want a South Seas adventure right out of Somerset Maugham. Let them have it, let Kona be Kona, let Kona be country.
Charlotte Shelden
Kailua-Kona
Support astronomy and TMT
Kudos to Gov. Neil Abercrombie for showcasing astronomy and the Thirty Meter Telescope in his recent state of the state address.
To quote the governor, “Mauna Kea is Hawaii’s gift to the world — the best place on the planet to observe the universe. It is without peer.”
Astronomy started 50 years ago on Hawaii Island. Today, we are proud to host 13 observatories operated by the United States, Great Britain, Canada, France, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Netherlands, Taiwan and Japan. Thirty Meter Telescope will add India and China to our international mix.
Though they have not yet built an observatory, TMT has already become an exemplary corporate citizen.
They have endured the long and arduous permitting process to build on Mauna Kea all the while quietly supporting islandwide robotics programs, internships and mentorships with the Akamai Workforce Initiative, GEMS, and many other STEM programs.
Once construction is underway, TMT will fund $1 million per year for scholarships and educational programs for Hawaii Island students in addition to paying lease rent.
Gov. Abercrombie said it best, “Our state must support and ensure that this tremendous opportunity comes to fruition.”
Vivian Landrum
President/CEO
Kona-Kohala
Chamber of Commerce