• Scary situation could have been worse • Questionable tactics • Bright energy future • Lousy practices Scary situation could have been worse I would like to give a big thanks to Bill Summers who took the initiative to help
• Scary situation could have been worse • Questionable tactics • Bright energy future • Lousy practices
Scary situation could have been worse
I would like to give a big thanks to Bill Summers who took the initiative to help me out on the Kalalua Trail last week.
I’m a marathon runner and experienced hiker from the mountains of New England. I started out on the trail with lots of food and 200 ounces of water, but soon after I reached my turnaround point felt all my energy vanish.
When Bill found me I was lethargic and nauseous. I had a bad case of heat stroke. After numerous attempts to hydrate me we decided I was in no shape to attempt hiking out that late in the afternoon.
Bill took care of me throughout a very long night as nothing would stay in my stomach. He sent word down the trail in the morning that I would need to be evacuated via helicopter, and also managed to signal one of the helicopters to contact the Hanalei Fire Department who came to extricate me.
I would also like to give a huge thanks to the Hanalei Fire Department for their aid and assistance. I ultimately required almost four liters of fluid in the ER, and would not have been able to hike out of the trail on my own power. Thanks to the kindness of strangers and a great Fire Department/EMT team a scary situation would have been a lot worse.
Ken Avery, Barrington, N.H.
Questionable tactics
The last minute bait and switch tactic of Republican Dave Hamman, a candidate for state House District 14, casts doubt on the official handing of this matter and how current law is interpreted.
The Hawai‘i State Democratic Party will be filing their complaint resulting from the chief election officer’s decision in circuit court leaving the legality of that decision in the judicial system as provided by law.
The opposition party responds in their usual diatribe when challenged. Perhaps it is their strategy to field individuals with unknown profiles as the best way to win. Nonetheless, it should be before the filing deadline occurs with the full intention of the individual actually running for that seat.
Rep. Morita is a ranking member of our state Legislature with her stance on issues clear and support of our platform unwavering. She has demonstrated to be more than a qualified legislator, having served Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i well over the years, and will likely continue to represent her constituency in the future. The Republican Party of Hawai‘i has had over six years to find a viable candidate to challenge her and just accomplished that in a hasty manner.
Rep. Morita’s questioning of an illogical maneuver is a responsible inquiry about a chief election officer’s decision that will result in significant consequences for future elections and the behavior of potential candidates and the parties they represent. We trust the voter views this issue on its merit, and recognizes an intentional tactic of gaming the electoral process unacceptable, nor a desirable quality of the candidate.
Steven Nishimura, Kaua‘i Democratic Party Chair
Bright energy future
I was quite pleased to read Elaine Albertson’s letter (“Wake up and smell the aromatic hydrocarbons,” July 14) calling for action in the development of renewable energy.
I completely agree that we need to reduce our dependence on oil and create an infrastructure for renewable energy production for future generations.
Good news: we’ve made significant strides in accomplishing this goal in the past few years. The Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative, signed in 2008, calls for 70 percent clean energy statewide by 2030. In support of the HCEI is Kaua‘i’s own Energy Sustainability Plan, which sets a goal for 100 percent clean energy by 2030.
As a state, we are blessed with an abundance of renewable energy resources, which we are currently working hard to develop. There are geothermal and concentrated solar plants on the Island of Hawai‘i, a wind power plant on Maui, a solar farm on Lana‘i, proposed wind and PV solar plants on O‘ahu, as well as biomass and hydroelectric power generation on Kaua‘i, to mention a few.
Additionally, Hawai‘i leads the nation in solar water heating and ranks third in the nation in per-capita photovoltaic generation. Hawai‘i is off to a good start and has plans to build upon the initial momentum created in our fight against oil dependence.
I greatly appreciate your concern for Hawai‘i’s energy future and would like to see everyone in the community do their part in supporting renewable energy projects while developing energy efficient habits in their homes and businesses.
Jordan Atwood, Honolulu
Lousy practices
The Kaua‘i Hyatt has hired Mexican workers to do the renovation work at their hotel. Previously I had thought it was a couple of small hotels doing this. It seems prudent that when Planning Commissioners approve construction permits like this, there is a stipulation to hire locally. You commissioners sure are doing a lousy and sloppy job of tending to the island’s affairs.
According to one of the workers, they are flown over here with food, lodging and transportation provided. Then they are flown back to where ever they started from, with the agreement to be flown back to Kauai again to continue on jobs.
I was wondering why so many local guys are out of work. Gee, that‘s not a very gratuitous attitude by Hyatt Corporation to starve the land (sorry I meant hand) that feeds it.
And the wages earned get back on the plane too.
Elaine Dunbar, Lihu‘e
