Road passable, thanks to good work
The Kalihiwai area suffered damage from the recent flooding, including houses damaged on the Princeville side of the Kalihiwai River, the mother of all potholes on Kahiliholo Road on Kalihiwai Ridge, and damage inside the valley itself.
The valley road (on the Kilauea side of the river) was damaged and impassible near the waterfall that passes under the highway just south of the big bridge. In other areas, a foot of mud settled onto the roadway.
Innumerable trees fell over, several into and across the river. A huge bunch of trees and other debris ended up around the base of the bridge. And looters used a boat to steal personal effects from upriver.
And then a bright light appeared, Jerrie Louis Jr. of J&R Equipment. Hired by the state to remove the debris from the bridge, Mr. Louis first set out to fix up the valley road so his equipment could get to the bridge.
The road became passable again, then downright smooth. The debris was removed and shredded, which will allow the river to flow freely under the bridge again. I just wanted to salute his efforts.
Russ Josephson, Kilauea
Cats are not a threat
Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources unnecessarily provoked alarm by claiming that cats “pose a significant health risk to people.” Just three months ago, the Hawaii Department of Health testified to the Legislature that cats “do not pose a public health threat.”
Most cases of toxoplasmosis stem from undercooked food, not cats. It’s exceedingly rare for anyone to catch it from a household cat, let alone a community cat who avoids people.
Feeding bans for cats are not the answer, either, and just encourage cats to search farther for food. The best approach for Hawaii’s community cats is Trap-Neuter-Return — sound public policy that manages the population while reducing euthanasia.
It saves taxpayer dollars and is the most humane and effective option.
Becky Robinson, President and founder of Alley Cat Allies, Bethesda, Md.
o.k. sir, we get it…you love cats. Well, wonder why MDs tell pregnant women NOT to change the litter box?
Obviously Bethesda does not have Federally protected endangered species such as the Hawaiian Monk Seals, which have been killed due to cat transmitted toxoplasmosis and Newell’s Shearwaters which are killed by feral cats in their burrows, not to mention all the other birds and wildlife that we have here.
Feral cats need to be eliminated.
So you have proof or evidence that the toxoplasmosis found responsible for seal death off Oahu last month and Kauai 8 years ago was transmitted by cats? Please get this evidence to the DOH right away! It may help provide some clarity in this issue.
What’s that? It’s just a figment of your runaway, biased imagination? Oh, please don’t return here!
Becky, please don’t use facts on this island. Everyone clings to the past, blames real progress, blames the tourist industry, and the tourists that pay their mortgages, bills, which feeds their family.
The “Cultural Mafia” believes all the cats and dogs continue to swim here from the Mainland. The only four letter word anyone understands here is “FREE”.
Spay or neuter their cats or dogs??????? That would take a little effort, a drive, and a little money. Better to wait for the FREE spay and neuter offered by KHS volunteers or the mobile, free, spay and neuter truck from KHS. Be a responsible pet owner?………..easier to do nothing and complain about it.
“But we never spay and neuter….I don’t know how my cats or dogs got pregnant”.
“But I need 15 dogs, in a cage designed for 2, to continue my “Cultural Hobby” of hunting pigs. I don’t actually need to spend hours hunting, but my Cultural Hobby is entitled to me.”
“I was raised not to spay and neuter my cats and dogs”
“How dare you educate my children in school that 20 hunting dogs is not necessary. I’m .0000001 Hawaiian, we’ve been using hunting dogs since the Europeans introduced them to the this island. Before that, we never used dogs for hunting.”
If the locals are complaining about the feral cat population, the tax dollars wasted to fix the problem, or make fun of the haoles donating money at KHS and volunteering to mitigate the animal problems on this island, then they can start by looking in the mirror.
A -cat- murdered my best friend — a shama who would accompany me throughout the day as I tended my garden.
Which do you want? Cats or birds? It isn’t like I don’t like cats, but I do like (most) birds. Unfortunately, there aren’t “too many birds” on Kauai (unless we are taking about the ring-neck parakeet which are in the same need of control as the rats and the pigs)
It seems very sad that organizations from across the USA can find the time to advocate for cats. Perhaps they are all suffering from toxoplasmosis.
When the cats stop their nightly howling outside my window, and the rats stop invading my pantry, and the (Hawaiian hunting?) dogs stop disturbing my sleep and the Parakeets stop devouring my Lychee, I might find the time to allow someone from Maryland to chastise me about Kauai’s animal control issues.