• Driving on the beach and I am offended • Mahaulepu milk bound for Asia • Developer should respond to concerns • Backyard a better place for nudity • Put dairy proposal in perspective
Driving on the beach and I am offended
Regarding Mr. O’Flaherty’s remarks in The Garden Island, March 14. Each paragraph contains yet another absurdity. First and foremost, it’s not OK to use the categorization of it’s a “haole idea” and foolishly believe you will not offend. I, for one am offended. Your narrow-mindedness is showing.
Secondly, being raised in this pristine place does not bestow upon you (or anyone), lifetime driving-on-the-beach rights. What’s best for the island? Third, driving and using a handheld device is not a “silly restriction,” it’s a Hawaii state law and obeying this law does not label one as a lemming, rather a law-abiding citizen and one who is cognizant of the dangers of using a handheld device while driving. And lastly, you and others who have publicly or privately maintained the position of “if you don’t like it, then leave,” demonstrate limited thinking, a lack of understanding of what may be in the best interest of the people of this island and of this island and don’t know what “Live Aloha” really means. Being part of a democracy means living according to the laws/ordinances of the land. Lemming, Luddite, salmon, good citizen … it’s your choice.
Hawaii Go Braugh!
Michael Diamant, Kalaheo
Mahaulepu milk bound for Asia
The proposed Omidyar dairy on Grove Farm land in Mahaulepu is not about supplying milk for the children of Hawaii. It is about providing dairy products to China, Indonesia and Vietnam. A drought in New Zealand, which historically is a big dairy supplier to Asia, has curbed production in that country and “record setting exports are boosting incomes for American dairy farmers and sending milk prices soaring” (Wall Street Journal). When it comes to transporting dairy products to Asia, just consider how much closer Hawaii is than the Mainland. So, it is not hard to understand why Omidyar wants to go into the dairy business even if fouls Mahaulepu.
As far as Grove Farm is concerned, whatever happened to those pre-fabricated homes manufactured in China which they were going to bring in after evicting long-time residents of Koloa Camp?
Linda Estes, Koloa
Developer should respond to concerns
Mr. Omidyar, please respond. Mahalo to Ms. Hammerquist for her analysis of the planned dairy farm in the Mahaulepu Valley funded by Mr. Omidyar (TGI March 19).
Omidyar now has two planned projects that appear to have potentially problematic impacts for Kauai. The Hanalei Ridge project has produced significant controversy about its potential violation of Hanalei’s beauty.
The proposed dairy farm run by Hawaii Dairy Farms is now generating significant controversy. I hope TGI will invite HDF to respond to the article by Ms. Hammerquist. If they are unable to refute the facts as stated in her article, then we have a potentially dangerous situation for our island.
Mr. Omidyar has turned both projects over to subsidiary groups and it is possible that he is not aware of what he is funding. The solution is simple, Mr. Omidyar owes Kauai a response. He may be able to provide excellent justification for both projects in terms of economic development that is balanced with deep concern for Kauai’s beauty and ecology. His projects also deserve far more careful scrutiny, and we must demand that from our elected officials.
If Mr. Omidyar is unwilling to respond to these concerns on both projects, then one must wonder whether he has become toxic for Kauai and sees the island as just a billionaire’s profit playground.
John Brekke, Haena
Backyard a better place for nudity
TGI front page story (March 19), “Au naturel on Kauai beach.” Although those (Larsen’s and Secret) beaches are hard to get to, they’re still public beaches. If exhibitionists need to tan in the nude, build a high fence or natural barriers around their backyard and tan there in the nude. If they need to get wet, use a water hose.
And if you’re a tourist who needs to tan in the nude, go to a spa that has tanning beds and a pool near by (of course, when at the pool, use your swimsuits).
Just because it’s on the big screens that Hollywood puts out, that doesn’t make it right. No make pilau on our beaches by exhibiting nudity.
Howard Tolbe, Eleele
Put dairy proposal in perspective
It is easy to throw around numbers, 13,000 gallons of urine a day … etc. Let’s take a look at what it really means: 1,880 cows on 440 acres. At that rate of urination, each acre will get approximately 11,000 gallons a year. Death Valley, the driest place in the country, averages 2 inches of rainfall a year, which amounts to about 60,000 gallons per acre, or almost six times as much! Maybe we are exaggerating the potential impact?
Bruce Richardson, Kapaa
