Police, DLNR arrest wrong people
On June 24, the police and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources again arrested the wrong people on the summit of Mauna Kea.
It is the University of Hawaii and the scientists who should be arrested for denying the inherent right of the greatest island mountain on this planet Earth, to remain just that: a mountain. Denied.
The Guardian Protectors of Mauna Kea should be praised and honored for standing strong in front of that first bulldozer that will ultimately and unequivocally further reduce our once magnificent mountain into a science experiment.
If allowed to be built, this extremely large, arrogant, highly visual, 18-storied, cyclops-eyed telescope dubbed “TMT,” the monster telescope, will forever hurt our eyes and crush our hearts.
All of our eyes are always drawn to Mauna Kea to admire its majestic, mystical presence and its massive and natural beauty. Soon our eyes will be forced to see TMT and it will see us, before we see the mountain itself.
Everett Franco
Paauilo
Plight of cats at resort dire
The letter from Lynn Elliott on June 21 in the West Hawaii Today was noted with great thanks from several animal welfare organizations that have been working for years to control and reduce the population of stray/feral cats on the island. The Kohala Animal Relocation and Education Service (KARES) with which I am associated has joined other groups and literally begged the managers at the Kings’ Land to allow trappers on the property to capture and sterilize the cats. All efforts have fallen on deaf ears and of course “catch and kill” appears to be the current approach.
Cats are being taken to the Hawaii Island Humane Society (HIHS) shelter. It is the policy of the HIHS to euthanize stray/feral cats that do not have a tipped ear (to indicate they have been sterilized). The sadness is that in fiscal year 2013-14 approximately 9,000 cats were euthanized by the HIHS, most were strays or ferals. In comparison, positive and humane actions for cat population control has been taken by AdvoCats, a nonprofit organization that has spayed or neutered 17,000 cats since 1999.
The Kings’ Land management has repeatedly been asked to allow trapping, and then requested to set up a feeding station for the sterilized cats that would be returned to their property. This program is called trap/neuter/return and maintain (TNRM). The management would not even listen to compelling evidence to support the program and one which other neighboring resorts have embraced.
A maintained colony curtails new cats from encroaching on the territorial colony. Cats that are fed are happy cats and not begging for food from guests and are less likely to hunt birds. Other hotels, resorts and shopping areas are participating in the TNRM program and are having success.
I sincerely believe that letters from concerned Hilton timeshare owners such as Ms. Elliott might eventually put enough pressure on Kings’ Land to adopt a plan for the humane treatment of the cats. We can only hope so.
Elaine Anderson
Waimea