Check for pets before driving away
Wow, there I was coming into Waimea at 6:30 a.m. Sunday, Mother’s Day, when I witnessed something no mom would like to see: two of her babies dropping out from under a pickup truck that just came out on the highway heading into town. You know, the first group of older houses on your right, right after Parker Ranch Arena?
First, a cute little Siamese kitty hits the road, fur flying, bouncing clear of the rear bumper, skittering to a stop and figuring it out, high-tailing it off the roadway. I sped up to try to let the truck driver know he had dropped a kitty when out drops a gray-colored kitten with much more violence hitting the road at a much greater speed with more fur flying. I had tried to close the gap to blow horn and get their attention but now I had to jerk the wheel to the right and go on the shoulder to miss the poor thing.
So, as a kindness to future kitties that might think a warm engine is nice to curl up on, drivers please check under the hood or slap the sides before you start car, or you may kill some mom’s baby.
P.S. Looks like the gray kitty survived, I couldn’t find him anywhere.
B. Wetmore
Honokaa
Proposed widening of Alii Drive questioned
Public Works Director Warren Lee should drive on Alii Drive before issuing a “no significant impact” for the proposed shoulder widening. It’s already a nightmare driving there. Spending $250,000 on a 350-foot-long stretch?
Hello, people, where is the brain?
Close down that short section to foot traffic. There is nothing there anyway. Buy a couple of gallons of white paint and put a pedestrian crossing in front of the Kona Islander Inn so people can cross to the makai side. There is a wide walking path on the makai side of Alii Drive there. Put another pedestrian crossing in front of the Kona Alii Condominiums so people can cross back to the mauka side.
Instead of wasting the taxpayers’ money, our elected officials should use their brains to find solutions.
John S. Rabi
Kailua-Kona