Travelers, test upon your return
With COVID cases on the uptick again after fall-break travel it amazes me that our community is not aware of the simple steps that they should be taking to help avoid this.
Whether or not you are vaccinated, when you travel you should automatically plan to quarantine three to five days after you arrive home, and test before you go back to work or school. If you care about your ‘ohana and your community that is not a huge sacrifice to make.
Visitors should test as well, but let’s face it, sometimes they only visit here for a couple of days and then it is simply not realistic for them to do so.
Let’s be smart about this Kaua‘i, especially with the holidays coming, and take care of our island.
Patricia Blakley, Kapa‘a
Hypersonic missiles can evade our defenses
Now that the world is more aware of hypersonic missiles with the recent launch from China, we are shown that they are faster, more maneuverable and able to fly higher or much lower than the older ICBMs.
This is and has been one of the reasons for denying Hirono and Kahele’s push for the HDR-H on Kaua‘i. Hypersonic missiles can evade tracking and can evade our missile-defense system.
We also know that all it takes is to send more than one incoming missile to confuse our defense radar. Or add some decoys. Why are we wasting our billions on this technology for a feel-good-but-false sense of security?
Author and journalist Fred Kaplan has this to say about the United States’ vast missile defense system: The missile-defense system is an expensive white elephant that failed three of its last six tests despite the hundreds of billions of dollars spent on it to date.
Perhaps that is why the Pentagon hasn’t tested the system since March 2019. Even if the system had perfect aim, it could still be rendered useless with small, asymmetrical measures, such as simply firing two missiles at the same time.
Paulo Tambolo, Wailua Homesteads
A couple of traffic questions
I’ve ridden a small engine moped (50cc) before along the side of the highway on the shoulder. Since the state of Hawai‘i now requires any small-engine vehicles and bikes (I don’t know if it includes electric golf carts) to be registered and operators to have a driver’s license and insurance, I’ve complied with the state law and ride a 750cc motorcycle (registered and insured and had my driver license updated to operate a motorcycle).
My concern is when traveling around the island I see a lot of small-engine-vehicle drivers and both gas and electric carts along the highways and county roads without a license plate.
I understand that if they’re on their own private property it’s allowable, especially if they are small engines used for agriculture purposes.
There are many active people who use the highway and road shoulder to exercise and ride bicycles. What would happen if this small-engine vehicle had to swerve onto the highway/road to avoid running into a person and drive into an oncoming vehicle? This kind of practice (mentioned above) needs to stop.
Also, on another thought, does anyone have the right to put a driveway to enter the highway, especially if they already have a driveway allowed to enter their lot/property from the county street/road given?
I’ve seen a near miss on Kaumuali‘i Highway approximately 100 yards east from Route 552, where the old Kekaha Swimming Pool used to be. The driver did not expect to see a vehicle pull onto the highway at that point. There shouldn’t be any reason for that driveway when that property owner already has access through the county street/road.
Howard Tolbe, ‘Ele‘ele
“Why are we wasting our billions on this technology for a feel-good-but-false sense of security?”
Talking about masks, testing and vaccines? Or missles?
I think it is a good idea to put a radar system in the western part of Hawai’i, Pole Hale, Barking Sands, PMRF location. I would not worry about any radioactive decay for the reason that the substance they will be using is minimal and the half life of the substance decays something like 30 years for its half life to decay. And that is after being subject to environmental elements. Which it is not.
The tracking system runs on a radar system used in similar radar system like the dopplar radar system but only different. It can detect missiles firing from a 100 miles away. This would give few minutes to react, then attack. I think this would do good for Hawai’i.
This would make Hawai’i a safer place to be. We being on International waters, of which people don’t know that the international waters is open to any country. Including Afghanistan. Within 5 miles out, those waters are open to any country.
A tracking system would do good because it would make Hawai’i a safer place to be. I also think you guys whoever you are, small potato high school commenters should get your head out of the sand. I am coming from the Pentagon view points. What ever they say goes. This being international crises minded and not local island minded. This is more important of a stand point.
Sorry Z, it’s a known fact that this type of missile tracking has been termed obsolete by the military and as such, new system installations were scrubbed. But in the interest of bringing military money into the state it has been resurrected by Senator Hirono and Rep Kahele.
Be sure to check OPINION in TGI today November 1st and read the letter from the better minds of Casey Riemer, Laurel Brier, Chris Ka‘iakapu, Gary Hooser, and Kip Goodwin.
The new system on Kauai is that “it’s only illegal if you get caught”. Not many of our laws are enforced anymore. How about noisy motorcycles and scooters; barking dogs; boom boxes; ENFORCEMENT??!!
feel free to leave at anytime…ALOHA!!!
50cc mopeds are allowed on all roads, but they only go 35 mph, so the shoulder is appropriate. It has nothing to do with license plates…
You are dead wrong! The law is any motorcycle( 50cc and up) requires the driver to have safety check, license to operate(on road and highways, to include shoulders), license plate, and insurance.