Businesses are not neighbors
From the day it started, this loud and noisy business has disrupted the peace and quiet that my neighbors and I have enjoyed for all the years that we have lived in Nakukui Place. Late-night arrivals and early morning departures multiple times a week almost always involve car doors slamming many times over, yelling back and forth between the cars and the house and horns honking each time they lock and unlock their car doors. And of course, the occasional “let’s go” horn honking. Really!
Once they get settled in, the excessive drinking begins with the attendant yelling back and forth from the backyard into the house about who wants what to drink and whom is the drunkest. Next comes the climbers on to the rockwall between our house and this business. Our dogs were never barkers, but with strangers appearing to be attempting to enter our property illegally, our dogs respond accordingly. Eventually things quiet down for the night only to have the silence interrupted by loud early morning cellphone conversations that these people take outside so as not to disturb their housemates. We can hear their conversations from inside our house, though. Go figure. By the way, these are 1/2-acre lots.
We gave the new owners our phone number upon meeting them and they said, at the time, they would give us their contact info. They never did. They live in Texas and their property manager is out in Waimea, almost 50 miles away. We have never received the property manager’s contact info, either. Not that I would expect the property manager would drive 50 miles to deal with rowdy inconsiderate tenants.
I see in their application, they falsely state that their flophouse sleeps six, when in fact, I have seen in their advertising that they say it sleeps eight. Three bedrooms and a pullout sofa bed in the living room. This attracts bottomfeeders like them who cannot afford to stay in a $75 a night hotel, but can stay in our quiet established neighborhood and ruin our peace and quiet. Please note, I am speaking not just for my family, but for my neighbors as well, from whom I have heard all of these same complaints, but may not, for a variety of reasons, respond to your offer to give comments.
Please do not approve this ruinous business.
Jeff Hood
Kailua-Kona
Third-party mediator needed in telescope dispute
I believe a third-party individual should be brought in to help mediate the ongoing dispute between the State of Hawaii/Thirty Meter Telescope, and protesters/kupuna blocking Maunakea Access Road. The governor made a wise decision by giving Mayor Kim the reigns to negotiate a settlement, but I strongly believe he needs help.
This is why I believe an third party individual, with no ties to the TMT, should be brought in. There is four people that come to mind; Nainoa Thompson, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Barack Obama, or Kalepa Baybayan. There is probably others that would also fit the bill, but this is a list of people I came up with that would help with a potential negotiation process.
I was thinking about ways to jump start these negotiations. The first step is placing a 30-day moratorium on construction, and removal of law enforcement, in exchange for the reopening of Maunakea Access Road.
This would ease the tensions significantly, and allow some semblance of normalcy to return. The proposed negotiations would proceed during the 30-day construction moratorium period.
As I stated before, I know the Thirty Meter Telescope has the legal right to start construction. However, the only way I see it happening will result in violence towards the protesters. This is why global settlement needs to be reached with everyone involved. I’ve deeply analyzed the situation, the latter is path we need to take.
I support the TMT project, but it has to be constructed in the right way. Hawaii is a nonviolent place. If the state, and county, resorted to violence to push this project through, it would leave a indelible stain on such a peaceful, and beautiful state.
We have a real opportunity to show the world how Hawaii deals with impasses, such as the TMT, in a nonviolent manner
Aaron Stene
Kailua-Kona
The Bill of Rights
The very first constitutional protection of the Bill of Rights is a citizen’s protection against the imposition of religious beliefs: “shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” This is the very first protection of the First Amendment.
The so-called “protectors” of Maunakea and their circus of hangers-on, Hawaiian reactionary royalists and Luddites, are attacking this most fundamental right and freedom of every American citizen. Their stated purpose and actions are very clear — only their beliefs will determine which activities may or may not take place on Maunakea.
There is no room for compromise or negotiation at Mauna Kea. The TMT protesters seek nothing less than the imposition of their religious beliefs on all other citizens, residents and visitors to Hawaii.
Masquerading under this cover of blocking access to Mauna Kea, preventing astronomers from conducting their research and opposition to a valuable economic stimulus is a far greater threat: the threat to our First Amendment rights.
It is time for our political leaders to act and uphold their oaths of office – protecting the rights of all from the religious beliefs of a few.
Move the protesters away from Maunakea and restore access for all.
Kenneth Beilstein
Kailua-Kona