LAVA AND PAHOA - LOOKING BACK AT 2014

Dear Mayor Billy Kenoi and Governor Ige,   December 28, 2014

As myself and several friends were reminiscing about what has happened to Pahoa since Hurricane Iselle and the approach of Pele, a little jingle came to our minds.  After reading the Hawaii Tribune Herald front page on Christmas Day,  I have modified Number 1 and 2, and the song needs to be made public, because this is the reality we live now in lower Puna.  Sorry Billy, but as the head of all emergency operations in Pahoa, you get all the credit:

On the 12th Day of Christmas, Mayor Billy gave to Pahoa,

12 Stinky Dumpsters

11 Enhanced Penalties

10 Days Between Updates

9 Thousand Empty Houses

8 Circling GreenHarvest Copters

7 Weeks of Detours

6 Evacuation Notices

5 YELLOW HUMVEES

4 Schools a Movin'

3 Wrapped Poles

2 more Empty Marketplaces

and 1 Puna Geothermal Venture Well…

Yep, Hawaii now has the reputation of "Lava Nazi" when it comes to anyone seeing active moving lava.  We now live in a constant "State of Emergency" and the government has it's hands tied because of "Liability."  No new businesses can come in to replace the bailed ones - lack of insurance.  You can't see the lava because of insurance liability, the town of Pahoa is effectively, how can I put it mildly - "shut down"  in anticipation of…… perhaps the lava is coming… no…yes… no, it stopped again… darn, now where do we shop???

Please, Mr. Kenoi and Mr. Ige, there must be a way in the new year to change the way our government is handling lava viewing and helping preserve the business-friendly structure of Pahoa, the "Aloha"  reputation of Hawaii and the sanity of Puna residents in general!  Look what has been done to Pahoa so far, and Pele has only taken one house.

How do other countries handle live volcanoes and the impact to surrounding communities?  How did our own Civil Defense handle the lava the last 30-40-50-100 years?  What are we doing here, because how the people are being treated, makes us believe you wish all us humans to leave the area so you can industrialize or something....  There is no doubt we can do much better in 2015!

Sara Steiner

Pahoa, Hawaii

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Ewa: 1825 Malden Trails at Risk

Dear Editor,   December 29, 2014

The Governor of Hawaii, The Hawaii State Legislature, The Mayor of Honolulu and the Honolulu City Council should absolutely and unequivocally follow state law and preserve the ancient historic native Hawaiian trails of the Ewa Plain as originally identified in the British Royal Navy surveyed map of Oahu published in 1825. A City Council resolution passed in 2012 urged the same initiative.

The 1825 Malden Trails would be a really great visitor attraction with likely state and federal funding, as well as serve as a walking and bicycle path across the Ewa Plain from Fort Weaver Road to the campus of UH West Oahu and then on through Kapolei and the Leeward coast. It would be an historic, cultural and environmental preservation win-win for everyone...but right now they are on the verge of being bulldozed unless action isn't taken immediately!

LINK: Malden Trail Info

John Bond

Kanehili Cultural Hui

Ewa, Oahu