Feedback about one-way
traffic pattern in Kona
I am grateful for Mayor Kimo Alameda’s willingness to talk with people, listen and try to resolve concerns within the community. He is correct in saying, “Every solution comes with a problem” and now, we have one.
The one-way traffic pattern in downtown Kona means long back-ups for hundreds of people along Ali‘i Drive trying to get up to Kuakini Highway. The few alternate routes result in channeling traffic through residential streets (unfair to them).
The clogged back-up traffic waiting for the Kuakini light is impacting access to the library and is further complicated by the paid parking lots trying to empty onto Hualalai Street (soon to be made worse when the new Hampton Inn empties its parking lot onto that same street).
I think citizens are sympathetic to Kona businesses still trying to recover from COVID. An increase in foot traffic from the return of cruise ships and the Kokua Kailua Village Stroll (and soon the Hampton Inn) brings additional customers/tourists to these downtown shops.
And if the intent of these additional 46 parking spaces is to draw the auto traffic of local residents, they can already park for free for the first 90 minutes in the paid lots.
From my viewpoint, these overly expensive paid lots drove people away from downtown Kona. The owners could at least show “kokua” by (1) extending free parking to Hawaii residents from 1 1/2 to 2 hours and (2) lowering the price — which would encourage more paying customers to park.
Problem solved — without hindering locals trying to get to work and Kona residents bearing the brunt of turning a main thoroughfare into a one-way street.
Martha Hodges
Kailua-Kona
Please stop the hatred
directed at Micronesians
Hate towards Micronesians has become such a constant thing that people are normalizing it here in Hawaii. My question is, why? Why is there so much hate toward Micronesians?
There will be people who will talk to you until they find out you are Micronesian.
Others won’t even get the chance to know you and just judge you without knowing a single thing about you. It has gotten to a point where people are now using “Micronesian” as a word or a way to insult others.
This has been an ongoing issue since before I was born. Generations after generations.
I see that there are a few Micronesians who are now even ashamed and scared to say they are from Micronesia. I’m not saying everyone hates Micronesians, but I am saying that this is a huge issue that is going on in Hawaii.
I thought this was the state of “aloha.” Why say this is a state of aloha if it doesn’t feel very welcoming to everyone?
As I stated before, not everyone in Hawaii hates Micronesians. I blame our lack of education. I see that there are rarely any schools that educate us about the Micronesians and how they also had a great impact on the navigating world.
I bet some of you have absolutely no idea what I am talking about, and that is exactly the problem. We should start educating ourselves and others instead of judging straight away.
After all, we are all a part of the same ocean, and we are all islanders. So, stop this hate.
Smaiterly Poch
Keaau
