Letters | 8-25-15

More occurred at the water commission meeting

I wanted to follow up to the front page article on the Water Commission in the Aug. 18 edition of West Hawaii Today. In that article the reporter quoted Commissioner Jonathan Starr and his accusations of “farce” and yet did not address his accusations against Planning Director Duane Kanuha and Managing Engineer Keith Okamoto of being “deceptive” in their responses to the Water Use and Development Plan and the Kona Community Development Plan.

Mr. Starr’s questioning and accusations became so extreme that Dr. Virginia Pressler, director of the Department of Health and Water Commission member, stated that if Starr continued then he should be removed for the balance of the commission meeting.

It is good to be clear and understanding of the presentations and the accompanying documents. However, to use your position to bully and intimidate our county and state civil servants and make accusatory statements, which are also accusatory to the staff, to the boards and commissions that govern these two departments and the members of the Kona community who participated in the creation of the Kona Community Development Plan and the Water Use and Development Plan, is just plain wrong.

Thank you to Dr. Pressler for seeing the damage that his remarks were causing to everyone in the room and for taking action to muffle his outbreaks. This was not reported in the article and I thought it important to convey to the community.

G. Rick Robinson

Chairman, Board of Water Supply

County of Hawaii

Thank you all for saving our homes

I’d like to thank all of the volunteer firefighters, the Fire Department, Police Department, Parker Ranch cowboys, Pohakuloa Training Area personnel, and anyone else who came to help protect our home in Kawaihae Village.

I have lived in the village all my life and have experienced many close-call brush fires, but nothing like this wild fire. This fire came within 32 feet from our house.

I know that you all worked so hard to keep the fire from burning our homes and we are very grateful. My family and I just want to say thank you for all of your hard work and long hours. May God bless each and every one of you.

Rhonda Bell and family

Kawaihae Village

Litter spoiling drive from Kona to Hilo

Medical appointments have me traveling regularly over the Daniel K. Inouye Highway between Kona and Hilo more often than usual and I’ve noticed a change. Time was when we took visitors on that route I would point out proudly how clean the roadside shoulders were. But now I am saddened to see an increase in litter: empty plastic drink bottles, carry-out food containers, snack wrappers and the like.

I have no idea who would litter like that, but the increase seems to coincide with the anti-Thirty Meter Telescope protests. I’d like to believe their rallying cry of “malama aina” includes caring for all of the land.

Alan Silverman

Kailua-Kona