Live and let live
I felt compelled to jump into this discussion on feral chickens.
I began welcoming feral chickens to shelter on my property around the same time I was battling the invasion of coqui frogs onto everyone’s properties here in Kona Highlands. Not only did the University of Hawaii note that chickens had an impact on the frog populations by examining chickens’ stomach contents, but I noted the chickens eating large centipedes and anything else that moved. I easily overlooked the chickens’ cackling and boastful squawks at reluctant hens.
I also noted a dramatic decline of cockroaches and other creepy crawlers inside the house due to their attrition outside.
Also, the chickens were extremely sensitive to predators, whether two-legged meter readers, to cats, dogs, the Hawaiian hawk, et. al.
It’s been about a decade these critters have entertained me and the neighbors without any negative comments from anyone. I feed them nothing but occasional food scraps or spoiled foods. For me to feed them would defeat the reason I welcomed them to shelter and a free meal to start with. Today, the population fluctuates between 10 to 15. I don’t collect their eggs inside the huge bougainvillea hedge on the mauka side of my property. Live and let live … we get along nicely.
Dennis Lawson
Kalaoa
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Just amazing
Only the great Willie Mays reached the 100th career home run milestone quicker than the super awesome Juan Soto. Pitcher’s pitched to Willie Mays while pitchers don’t give the great Soto anything to hit. Soto’s 100 career home run came off a low-outside, 101 mph pitch he hammered 451 feet. It had an exit velocity of 112 mph. Just amazing.
Soto has the record for the youngest player to hit five post season home runs and three home runs in a World Series. He did that as a teenager and brought the Washington Nationals rings in 2019.
A batting title in 2020 (.351 batting average) and two silver slugger awards and the great Soto is 23 years young. I pray he becomes a Yankee with more protection around him so pitchers don’t pitch around him. 60 to 70 home run years with pitcher’s pitching to him is a great possibility. In my book, the great Soto is the greatest Major League Baseball player ever hands down. I can’t figure out and comprehend how the Chosen Juan puts up staggering stats when pitcher’s aren’t even pitching to him. Soto is that great and I salute him.
Dean Nagasako
Waimea
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Shut down, clean up, and return PTA to the Hawaiian people
The 133,000-acre Military Toxic Area (PTA) is located in the center of Hawaii Island at an elevation of 6,500 feet. It’s an area that has been bombed and abused by all branches of the U.S. military for more than 70 years. Millions of live-rounds are fired annually at PTA. A wide range of toxins, including depleted uranium (DU) radiation, have been spread throughout the land. All of us on the Big Island, residents and visitors alike, people, plants and animals, are downhill and downwind from PTA.
Of the 133,000-acres at PTA, the military wants to renew a state lease of 23,000 acres. The bulk of the land at PTA, more than 84,000-acres were simply seized by a presidential executive order. I say no to the lease renewal. I say yes to require a comprehensive independent assessment of the toxic military mess at PTA, guaranteed federal funds to do a thorough clean up, and return of the entire 133,000-acres to the Hawaiian people. Enough is enough! Bombing the aina is the ultimate desecration.
I urge others to express their thoughts publicly, and to the military Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process.
Jim Albertini
Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education &Action, Kurtistown
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