TVRs lessen availability, hike housing costs
I grew up on Oahu from age 10 to age 30. I began coming to Kauai in 1966, lived in Wailua Homesteads for several summers while working on a banana farm there, and now have the good fortune to own a home near Haena. I read with interest the forum article by Mr. Randy Weir about the impact of TVRs (transient vacation rentals) on housing and rental prices (TGI March 2, 2019).
Until 1868, all in the United States were immigrants
I believe that we became Americans in July 1868 when the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution took effect.
A Twofer – DOE bans herbicides & GMO acreage plummets
For those of us concerned about the increasing presence of pesticides in our food, water, land and air - there have been two recent and newsworthy developments here in Hawaii.
Partnerships make everything possible
On my drive home a few weeks ago, I heard a radio story about the 2018 Recovery Champion Awards for breeding the endangered native bird, the ‘akikiki, or Kauai creeper. Conservation work can be challenging, and ever since rapid ohia death was found on our island, a thread of fear has spread through the conservation community. But hearing about those ‘akikiki birds and the awards recognizing friends and colleagues with the Kauai Forest Bird Recovery Project, the San Diego Zoo Global and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gave me hope.
Waimea a good example of ‘Silent Spring’
Waimea may be one of the best examples of “Silent Spring,” written by Rachel Carson and published in 1962. “Silent Spring” describes corporate damage to the environment by spraying pesticides and corporate cover ups. In Waimea, chemical companies spray 17 times more restricted-use insecticides per acre than on ordinary cornfields in the U.S. mainland, reports the Center for Food Safety.
Daily trips to Tijuana: What I learned — and didn’t
Why did I spend two weeks crossing the border, daily, from San Ysidro, California, into Tijuana, Mexico? That is the question I have been asked many times.
Emails from DOH confirm PhyloChip study results ‘softened’
On June 6, 2019, The Garden Island reported, “Study clears water for swimmers,” in response to a press release from Department of Health. DOH Director Bruce Anderson said they could “assure the public that recreational waters in Waiopili Stream and nearby beaches do not pose an imminent health threat to swimmers.”
Marriage Equality – Pride Parades and Legacy Votes
The Stonewall riots (also referred to as the Stonewall uprising or the Stonewall rebellion) were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations by members of the LGBTQ community against a police raid that began in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City.
Fire chief hiring process handled poorly
Kauai County has begun the second year of a search for a new fire chief—to replace Chief Robert Westerman, whose retirement became effective in January. At its April 1, meeting, the Fire Commission confirmed that it “… is at step one of its hiring process.”
Sizzling and soliloquizing at summer solstice
It is the doves’ peaceful “coo-roo” with slanting June sunlight that wakes me now, although it’s the scarlet cardinal and his mate I see pecking around on the lawn under the allamanda vine as I peer through the louvers of our bedroom window.
More studies needed before water can be deemed ‘safe’
This is an opinion letter in response to a recently published Hawaii Department of Health report on May 22 (“Mahaulepu and Waikomo Watersheds PhyloChip Source Tracking Study, Hawaii”) and associated The Garden Island article (“Study clears water for swimmers”) published on June 6 of this year.
Elements of a campaign: Votes – Money -Team
The 2020 primary election is on Aug. 8, 2020. Next week Thursday the first presidential debates will be held. In June of 2020 the first “absentee ballots” will be mailed out.
From Russia with love
The Kauai delegation to Russia was enriching and successful.
This community cares about oceans
What a wonderful, ocean-minded community we have on Kauai! The entire island was bustling with World Oceans Day events. I wanted to make a quick shout-out to Kauai Sailing Association, which hosted a frenzy of activity this World Oceans Day.
Understanding pesticides can be complex
The 2016 Earthjustice court victory “forced” the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, working with the Environmental Protection Agency, to enact “annual reporting of restricted-use pesticides; permits for the application of the pesticide, chlorpyrifos; and 100-foot buffer zones (The Garden Island, June 5, 2019).” Thank you, Earthjustice.
Know your policy maker — eyeball to eyeball
We agreed last week that the most important thing to every politician is to get elected and stay elected. We also agreed that this is not necessarily a bad thing, and in fact is human nature.
Peace can flow like a river
What a good thing that I didn’t sink into this past Friday eve’s peaceful, r&r mode to “chill.” Instead, abandoning the chance to settle into my favorite chair with a book and glass of cool sangria in hand, I “hele’d on down” to the Kapaa Public Library meeting room. I was drawn to hear retired Col. Ann Wright speak on global politics and peace-building missions.
Tell me again, why I should care about politics?
The short answer is driven by pure unadulterated self interest, which not-so-coincidentally is also what drives most political decisions: “If you don’t do politics, politics will do you.”
Rental cars not necessary to enjoy island
I’m one of the “Dreamers” that Glen Mickens refers to when he writes letters about no one will abandon their vehicles for alternative means of transportation.
Airports need online parking reservation system
In the summer of 2018, I flew from the Ontario/LA International Airport to Chicago Midway for leisure. The layout of Ontario Airport is very similar to Lihue Airport, from the road design check-in area, and, more importantly, the limited ground-level parking.