Tsunami alert
Tsunami alert
Traffic incompetence
Before the mayor and Major Kanehailua stop congratulating themselves so very publicly over the county’s response to Saturday’s tsunami warnings, they might do well to talk to residents along Alii Drive in Kona about frustrations they experienced trying to evacuate to higher ground.
My understanding is that police incompetence directing traffic at the junctions of Royal Poinciana Drive and Alii Drive and the Kupuna Street, Lako Street, Kuakini Highway intersection meant it took an hour and a half to drive up from Alii Lani condos to cross Kuakini Highway to upper Lako Street.
They need better training and effective real-time communications so they know what congestion they actually caused.
For sirens not to go off until several hours after the confirmed warnings is no small thing for residents along the exposed Hamakua Coast.
With these deficiencies in a major tsunami event, there could well be a body count for them to contemplate.
Lionel Kutner
Honaunau
Skateboarding
It should be a crime
The consequences of a collision between a skateboarder and a pedestrian or vehicle would probably be serious injury or death.
Hilo mitigates this probability by banning skateboards from Hilo streets, sidewalks and parking lots, an ordinance enforceable by confiscation of the skateboard(s). Must enactment of a similar ordinance in Kona await a skateboard-related injury or death?
Michael Ken Sylman
Kailua-Kona
Magic Sands
Parking improvement
My wife and I have been visitors to Kona for almost 20 years, and twice a year for the last 10 years.
Among the many joys of visiting the Big Island we really enjoy the beach at White Sands. However, historically the parking arrangement has been a big problem. Once the available lot was full we had to park on Alii Drive — and that was just plain dangerous.
The new parking lot which the county just opened across the street is a great improvement.
It is nice to see the county identify a need and address it. Mahalo to those at the county who are responsible.
Murphy Miller
Huntington Beach, Calif.