The best kept secret
I am an animal lover. I was happily reading West Hawaii Today’s “Hometown Heroes” article about Debbie Cravatta’s commemorable organization Kohala Animal Relocation and Education Services (KARES).
However, I was very disappointed (to put it mildly) to read: “KARES has sterilized 125 dogs in just the last two months, preventing more abandoned and uncared-for litters in a time when Ka‘u’s Hawaiian Ocean View Estates already “looks like a Third World country” due to the number of strays and abandoned animals.” Really? It is very concerning to me when people who live in one community disparage another community. Just how much time has Cravatta been involved with or spent getting to know the Ocean View community? How is she qualified to label Ocean View as a “Third World country”?
It has been said that “living on Hawaii Island is like living in a Third World country paying first world prices.” This relates to our lack of services; reliable public transportation; salaries that don’t reflect the cost of living; a cost of living that makes it necessary for people to work several jobs; improvements and projects that take to long to address and complete; an educational system, which doesn’t take care of the educational needs of many, generation after generation; a health care system that underpays doctors to a point that it has caused a doctor shortage; a business climate that doesn’t encourage small business; a political climate that supports the “good old boys,” and more. With these realities, all residents in Hawaii really are in this together. No neighborhood should be singled out and disparaged.
I’ve moved to Oahu in 1979; to Ocean View in 1992. From my experience and witness, I would say Hawaii has a statewide problem with those who don’t appropriately care for or abandon their animals. Meanwhile, Ocean View remains a growing, all inclusive neighborhood that many of us proudly call home. We love our acre of land, quiet environment, beautiful views, and living in the last part of the island that remains undeveloped, inspite of aggressive efforts to destroy it. We are “The Best Kept Secret On The Big Island;” come visit and check it out for yourself.
Kathleen McRae
Ocean View
Another bonehead plan
It looks like another bonehead plan is moving forward in Hawaii County. Only hotels will be allowed to reopen not vacation rentals. Does our mayor realize that when people come to Hawaii some cannot afford to stay at expensive hotels and it means that thousands upon thousands just won’t come? Many visitors cannot afford $10 beers and $20 hamburgers offered at the average Hawaii hotel. When vacation rentals are open everybody wins. People that stay in vacation rentals rent cars, eat in local restaurants and buy stuff.
Mr. mayor, ask any restaurant owner, car rental business, airline, the list goes on and on if they are in favor of reopening to all hotels and vacation rentals. The answer is obvious. And to the woman who wrote the weird letter about banning vacation rentals and turning the island into “The Healing Island,” stay home and heal honey, we need our jobs back.
Tombo Lono
Milolii
Mahalo for highlighting
Molina sisters
I was very happy to see how well the Molina sisters were doing. As a former Konawaena Middle School teacher, I had the pleasure of working with one or more of these young girls and I love to see how they are progressing through life. It always lifts my spirit to see and read the sports section, and see them highlighted in the papers.
Colleen Moose-Wallis
Kailua-Kona
Letters policy
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