Figure out recycling issue
I’ve been recycling for 40 years and now I can’t recycle newspapers and plastic on the Big Island. Really? Come on Mayor Kim and county council, get your act together.
Find out how the other islands are still able to continue their recycling programs. Do you really want our landfills filling up with more trash?
I love newspapers, but I’ll be cancelling my print subscription soon if I can’t recycle my paper.
Lynn Beittel
Waimea
Coffee Boat crew brewed real aloha
Now that the lava dust has settled after another spectacular Ironman World Championship, we would like to express gratitude to two special groups: the crew of the coffee boat (especially their captain) and our local swimmers.
As coordinators of the Kayak Safety Crew, we appreciated the new location of the coffee boat during the training swims. It made our crew’s job so much easier. The coffee boat crew kept in mind the effect they were having on the training course. And their captain went out of her way to assist us. Mahalo!
Our other challenge each year is to minimize the disruption of morning swims for our local swimmers. We have even created a signal to pass from kayak to kayak so that swimmers aren’t stopped more than once to identify themselves as locals.
This year the level of aloha and cooperation was at an all-time high. Swimmers yelled “local” as we approached or even adopted our signal — one arm up and one arm out, creating an L. Most of them stayed just outside the training course lane, avoiding heavy traffic without “leading” triathletes way off course. It was beautiful to see the way we could all work together on the bay. Mahalo! Now get back out there and swim! You have it all to yourselves again.
Bo and Jamie Pardau
Holualoa
Let me get this straight…
We are spending millions of our county dollars (yours and mine, by the way, the government has no money except what we give them in taxes ) to support — yes, that’s what I’m saying — by allowing this blockade to continue, our government is supporting it.
Yet, we have no money to air-condition our class rooms for all our keiki?
I talked with a “supporter” who flew over from Hawaii to spend three days with the protesters. In our conversation she did not mention, even one time, the protection of a sacred site. She did, however, recount story after story of hate-filled allegations about the State VS Hawaiians.
Nothing that we do is going to wipe away the injustices of the past. This is about getting even. End the blockade.
Vicki Penney-Rohner
Kailua-Kona
Hilo pot trial deserves fair coverage
Mike Ruggles of Hilo is being unjustly prosecuted for helping many people legally through medical marijuana. He deserves praise, not persecution. Please cover this story fairly and help us get justice for a good man.
Kion Jordan
Hilo