Letters for Thursday, February 1, 2007

• Can’t wait

• Heavy things

• Wailua Track reopening

Can’t wait

Excitement is beginning to mount concerning Kaua‘i and all her current projects from the bike trail to the Superferry.

I am looking forward to the day where I can ride my bike past Mel Rapozo and Glenn Mickens flashing them the “shaka” en route to the new bike trail that I will pedal all the way to board the new Superferry bound for Honolulu.

I can see it all now, all those who were opposed to the Superferry like our state Sen. Gary Hooser volunteering to cut the ribbon for the inaugural voyage, while Mel Rapozo and Glenn Mickens share in the ribbon-cutting of the new bike trail.

All the politicians that were opposed will all be taking credit for the bike trail and Superferry after they prove successful; such is the way of small-town politics.

Kapa‘a

Heavy things

Two subjects seem to be weighing heavily on the readers of The Garden Island, and the differing opinions are quite interesting. One letter writer is in favor of the bike path and feels so strongly he needs to strike out at Glenn Mickens for seeing things quite differently. The point of Mr. Samu’s letter was that many other areas have bike paths and therefore Kaua‘i needs one. Huh? Of the paths mentioned in the letter, I’ve lived next to two of them. I can tell you that the path in Seattle is used only for a little recreation by a tiny fraction of the population, during a few short months of cooperating weather, and was a waste of money for the general population. The Monterey Path is used by a very small percentage of the “very affluent” local population. Rather, tourists walk the path in a few strategic locations to “see the views” all the while dodging a few silent bicycles driven at a high rate of speed endangering those using the path for a quiet stroll. Have you ever been walking down a bike path and had a silent, focused rider at a high rate of speed come up from behind and pass you and your children within a few feet? A child darting to the right or left can be killed in an instant by the one immature, unthinking, and careless member of the “biking” community riding a bicycle no one can hear or see, until it’s too late. The many millions of our dollars spent will only benefit some tourists who don’t get hurt, those few who use the path for recreation, and the 10 or so people who use it as a substitute for a car. So let’s stop talking about a bike path being a substitute for traffic. It won’t.

Another subject on the minds of your readers is the Iraq war protest. We drove past the demonstrators and it took me back to the get-out-of-Vietnam-cock-a-doodle-doo-Woodstock crowd. Now I know where all the frustrated, drugged out hippies went. Contrary to your misplaced passion, your Vietnam war demonstrations led to the mass destruction of over 3 million Vietnam and Cambodian innocent lives; and running away from Iraq just might be worse. There is more blood on your hands than any war president in United States History. You didn’t then, and you’re not now, doing the world, or your country, any good.

Kapa‘a

Wailua Track reopening

An article titled “Temporary track illuminates dirt bike plight” which appeared in the Jan. 24 edition of The Garden Island included a statement which may have mislead readers into believing that KMRA has been operating without liability insurance. It stated that in an e-mail from Mayor Baptiste, “The Wailua track would remain closed until KMRA gets the liability insurance that’s needed in order for the county to issue them a permit, which could happen in about a week.”

KMRA board members would like to clarify this situation. President Kip Furugen said, “At no point in time has the club been operating without liability insurance. We have always secured a $1 million policy.” He also states, “Recently the county has required KMRA to obtain a $2 million policy. This has been finalized with the insurance company on Jan. 24 and was presented to the county on Jan. 24.” With this being the final document required by the county in obtaining a permit, KMRA looks forward to having the track reopened.