Lava blockade example
of too much control
I travel the highway between Kona and Waikoloa about twice a day. Use to be, I would see dozens of tourists a day enjoying the wonders of the lava tube a couple miles north of the airport. Next thing I know, an eyesore has been built along that stretch that looks like an amateur attempt to guard against terrorists. Net result, I have not seen a single tourist enjoying the lava tube since the building of the eyesore began. Not one.
We are an island whose economy is importantly tied to tourism. One of the first things of interest that any visitor to our island gets to see is that lava tube. Now they do not get to see it and instead get to see the absolute worst of our construction skills put on ugly display. There is even a kapu sign placed strategically right in the middle of the entrance to the tube so a visitor can not even get a good photo from that angle.
I understand that someone complained that a tourist had endangered himself and others by parking on the other side of the street and crossing it in traffic. I support having maybe three no parking signs on that side of the road. The rest is poorly done overkill.
I urge our city and county powers that be to give further thought to how we can make this area safe and user friendly and not a horrific example of our ability to try to control every aspect of human life without any regard to how that might scar the land or how it will make our visitors feel unwelcome.
Don Hurzeler
Kailua-Kona
Hear me out, drive safe
It seems we can not control ourselves when driving and our phone rings. Nine people a day are killed in the USA from distracted drivers. I suggest that all cellphones have an app that automatically turns off your phone when your automobile is started.
Second, all vehicles should have their headlights on all the time. It is difficult to see a car the same color as the pavement in the shade, at least for me, and automatic headlight dimmers should be required, like the cars in the ’50s and ’60s had but for some reason no longer do. OK, that’s off my chest.
Tom Pyne
Kona
Recycling not all that easy
I rarely purchase a beverage in a HI-5 container, but have recently had house guests who innocently thought such containers would be easy to recycle.
I just researched the process, and according to the ZeroWasteHawaii website, Waimea residents are to redeem at Atlas recycling on Saturdays.
My Saturdays are precious and standing in line at a recycling center is not how I want to spend my time.
In the past I was able to donate my beverages to nonprofits very conveniently. At one point, there was a woman who ran a no-kill shelter who would collect donations of HI-5 containers at the Waimea transfer station. It was quick and easy to drop them off.
Apparently the powers that be found something objectionable about her practice, and she was banished.
Perhaps there were liability issues, but even if there was some legitimate reason to bar her from collecting at the transfer station, why can’t the county provide bins for HI-5 containers at transfer stations and arrange with one or more nonprofits to collect, sort and redeem the containers?
If there are nonprofits accepting these containers, it would be helpful to include their contact information on the ZeroWaste website.
Judy Howard
Waimea
