The beauty of Hawaii
is your people
Vacations on the Big Island are treasures for a lifetime. I have had many wonderful vacations on the Big Island for the last 30 years. But what happens when a Friday the 13th accident ruins this treasure? In an instant, a broken hip becomes a nightmare that one cannot know how to handle. Luckily, the medical care in Kailua-Kona was a true blessing filled with angels.
Dr. Alexandra DiTulio at Kaloko Urgent Care diagnosed my hip fracture, called a surgeon and a hospital, and sent me off in an ambulance. Dr. Vivian Chang at Kona Community Hospital operated on my hip on Sunday morning. I was up walking in the hospital on Monday morning and released several days later. Michelle Double RN at Kona Community Hospital and Mike Lam Captain EMS of the Fire Department loaned me a free wheelchair and shower chair for my stay at the new condo. Then VASH, Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii Island, assisted with canceling flights and providing contacts for car rentals and housing.
These volunteers are filled with true aloha spirit that aids healing inside and out. I couldn’t believe the coordination of all these groups. Together this was an outstanding medical and support team I would not be able to put together in Los Angeles. The professionalism, kindness, and compassion of everyone made it possible for me to heal and fly home when approved by Dr. Chang. I am forever grateful for their care. The beauty of Hawaii is your people. Now I will have new friends to visit when I return to the island. Mahalo.
Karen Kearns
Los Angeles
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Dolphin swim ban is good
Thank goodness the NOAA put a ban on swimming with dolphins. Just think about the poor dolphins who are minding their own business or trying to rest with lots of people all around them bothering them. We have seen pictures of people harassing dolphins and turtles. The way most vacation visitors act with their screaming and noise in STVRs, just think how they would do that around the poor dolphins. Many tour activities are upset about this ruling. Don’t worry folks, the masses still want to come to Hawaii and you can still take them on a nice boat ride that they will love and keep coming back for more.
Jill Faust
Kailua-Kona
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Something to ponder
David Miller’s letter to the editor published on July 12 was brilliant. There is just one problem, who is going to enforce every short-term vacation rental to just two people? It certainly is not going to be the Planning Department, who by the way, is in charge of permitting STVR. As been seen in the past, they cater to STVR; think about the 5,000-square-foot STVR on agriculture land at the top of Nani Kailua where the Planning Department told the owners how to get around having their huge STVR on agriculture land. By the way, those owners are from Silicon Valley. As long as the Mitch Roth administration is in charge, he put his pal in charge of the Planning Department. Something to ponder.
Michael J. Hunt
Captain Cook
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Letters policy
Letters to the editor should be 300 words or less and will be edited for style and grammar. Longer viewpoint guest columns may not exceed 800 words. Submit online at https://www.westhawaiitoday.com/letter-to-the-editor/ or address letters to:
Editor
West Hawaii Today
PO Box 789
Kailua-Kona, HI 96745
Email: letters@westhawaiitoday.com
