Imagine such a park
I am coming straight out and saying it would be conducive for Honokaa to have a Hawaiian theme park built within the area. Such a facility could include a covered stage for musicians and hula halaus to perform. Such a park could also have a grassy area for crowds to observe and enjoy such Hawaiian festivities. It should also have areas for vendors to sell their made in Hawaii and Hawaiian theme products, which would give an outlet for Hawaiian artists to sell their unique goods.
Such a Hawaiian theme park in Honokaa would be conducive toward its economy and most important the preservation and thriving of the Hawaiian culture, which is oh, so important to Hawaii’s tourism industry. Japan alone has over 2,000 hula halaus, which is a staggering figure, describing the immense interest of the Hawaiian culture in Japan, which is an important part of Hawaii’s tourism strategy.
All in all, I’m definitely for a Hawaiian theme park within the Honokaa area. It would be beneficial toward Honokaa’s economy and the thriving of the Hawaiian culture and heritage. After all, this is Hawaii!
Dean Nagasako
Honokaa
Sea turtles worth saving
Sea turtles have always been a local favorite and it’s no secret that these majestic sea creatures are at risk of extinction. Studies have shown that both global warming and the degradation of nesting beaches contribute to the number of “false crawls” — abandoned nest attempts — experienced by nesting mothers and creates an unbalanced ratio of male to females.
Because of anthropogenic activities like coastal armoring, urbanization, and artificial lighting, five out of seven turtle species are endangered and only one in 1,000 hatchlings survive to adulthood. Turtle eggs are coveted for their economic and nutritional value by Third World countries, but they aren’t the only ones who rely strongly on these eggs.
Natural predators harvest these eggs as well, and the demanding competition results in nearly 100 percent of leatherback egg population being harvested; and this is only the beginning of the hatchlings’ struggle. When the eggs finally do hatch, artificial lighting becomes another major threat as turtles confuse the lighting from urbanized neighborhoods and cities with moonlight, causing them to crawl inland and dehydrate. These shocking statistics are slowly encouraging the public to do more to help.
Florida is establishing model lighting ordinances to decrease the interference of natural lighting and have asked residents to tint their windows or report nesting finds so they can be relocated, and in Malaysia, turtle camps have been set up and not only save the hatchling, but raise awareness of the consequences of overharvesting. You can contribute, too, by visiting www.worldwildlife.org/species/sea-turtle where you can donate, adopt a sea turtle, or find out more information about sea turtles and the types of projects the World Wildlife Fund is working on. Together we can take that extra step to make a difference!
Danielle Brown
Hilo High School