Unity after storm
On the afternoon of March 26, when our island was struck by a severe storm event, some of the worst damage happened in the Hawaiian Homestead community of Pana‘ewa.
We had five homes receiving the brunt of the damage when this dangerous wind storm ripped through the neighborhood, tearing off roofs and twisting fences.
I want to recognize and thank all of our county first responders, our county road crews under the leadership of Neil Azevedo, and the HELCO employees who stepped up and helped our community recover from the storm.
I want to give a very special mahalo to Isemoto Contracting for donating roofing materials, plywood and tarps to assist homeowners in Pana‘ewa.
I would especially like to thank the following Isemoto employees for volunteering their time: Lincoln Kailiawa, Issac Kailiawa, Keone Oskins, Bryson Bangloy, Mark Ishii, Damien Silva, Paul Pankey, Caleb Pankey, Blaine Himalaya, Daniel Fernandez-Kekahu, Shaun Wehrsig, Douglas Eckert, Kalsey Nacis, John Kapuni, Allan Paiva, Tristan Resurreccion, Wesley Cabreros, Kolo Kanaele, Rancy Carreira, Lorin Tamashiro and Thomson Leialoha.
You are amazing members of our community who showed up, put the aloha spirit into action, and served all of us with a reminder that we are one island, one ‘ohana, and that community can always come together in unity.
Sue Lee Loy
Hawaii County Council member
Humps vs. bumps
Hilo International Airport recently installed “speed humps” that are actually speed bumps.
There is a distinct difference, and they are using signage that is wrong and subjects drivers, passengers and their vehicles to shock and potentially severe damage.
A speed hump is one that a motorist can go over safely, without braking, at the proper assigned speed limit for the area. A speed bump connotes that drivers must slow down to a near stop in order to go over without incident.
The airport installed the latter, requiring motorists to almost come to a complete stop to drive over, yet their signage prompts that it is a speed hump.
Because of my understanding of the terminology, I was quite surprised and shaken, and my car suffered lost alignment as it jolted and went airborne over the first one. My back has not been the same since.
I am requesting you investigate this and put pressure on airport officials to either remove or modify these needless hazards or provide proper signage for the area. Also, there is inadequate lighting on the bumps at night, and that puts motorists, their passengers and cars at great risk of harm and damage.
Airplanes are made to fly, not cars. Let’s fix this!
Karen Welsh
Hilo
