PLDC
PLDC
A lesson to be learned from Hawaii County
I did a little studying of the DLNR’s web postings regarding Act 55, which creates the Public Lands Development Corporation. The rationale for creating this act was to avoid NIMBY’s like the environmentalists who stopped the SuperFerry.
I am a 42-year resident of the ahupuaa of Keei and Honaunau. I consider myself a NIMBY, an environmentalist and community activist, and am also a Realtor and land developer.
Yes, it is possible to have a conscience and still prosper.
Our county recently embraced community- based management when it adopted the Kona Community Development Plan. This comprehensive plan allows for input from the many creative, educated, imaginative and aware people from our diverse community.
If it had been adopted by the state, when the SuperFerry debacle was being played out, an environmental impact statement would have been completed and a possible way to mitigate any negative impacts may have been suggested by the community.
The Kona Community Development Plan should be a model for this state. I believe it should be ahupuaa-centric, environmentally safe, culturally and historically sensitive and, most important, it should allow for community input.
Lastly, as much as possible, all labor and materials that are used in these proposed projects should be locally sourced. After all, this is supposed to be an economic stimulus.
Arnold Rabin
Keei
Roadside memorials
Insensitive comments
This is in response to a letter from David Bertuleit printed Aug. 23.
Though I agree with him that political signs are an ugly nuisance to our roadways, I believe his comments on roadside memorials were insensitive and unnecessary.
It is true some of those accidents may have involved alcohol and speeding, but that is not true for all of them. For example, Sarah Rosenberg, a high school girl who was killed when a truck driver looked down to grab a clip board, or Kainoa Abril, who, while heading to the beach on a Saturday afternoon, collided with truck turning in front of him.
I could go on, but regardless of the cause of the accident, these roadside memorials are a part of the grieving process for family and friends, especially in instances where lives were cut tragically short.
These also serve as a reminder of how dangerous our roads are, and if just one of these memorials gets a person to slow down or think before drinking and driving, I believe they are worth it.
So next time you pass by one of these memorials, I suggest instead of being angered by their existence, you be thankful the memorial isn’t for you or one of your loved ones.
Craig Hanna
Kailua-Kona