Lava an excuse
Well, folks, the county already is crying about the volcano expenses and is considering raising taxes. Whatever happened to the reserve fund for disasters?
Not in any of the articles was there a mention of saving money in any department. Did they not learn anything from the audit of the Mass Transit books? Check ways to save money before raising taxes.
Has anybody thought of asking the state to legalize gambling as a way to collect revenues? A lottery would be a great start.
A complete county audit might help, also.
Bob Dukat
Pahoa
Let us surf
I’m writing to express my frustration, sadness and angst that local surfers of lower Puna are being denied the opportunity to enjoy Pohoiki while it’s still there.
Historically, with the lava flows in Puna, authorities have notified residents that the lava is about to take their property, and they were afforded the opportunity to witness their home being overtaken.
With this flow, authorities have let residents enter Leilani Estates, Lanipuna Gardens, Pohoiki Road and other affected areas. However, surfers, who consider Pohoiki their home, their temple, even their life, have been denied any admittance.
In the days of Kalapana, when Harry Kim was Civil Defense administrator, we surfers were able to surf even as the lava was filling in the bay. Authorities seemed far more respectful and aware of the emotional and spiritual loss we were facing by losing our surf breaks, knowing it was a loss similar to the residents losing their homes.
Those of us surfers who knew the surf breaks of Kalapana and who know Pohoiki basically consider these areas not just places, but pieces of ourselves.
A part of us is dying with this impending inundation. We should be afforded the opportunity to surf at our own risk, just the like residents who are entering their subdivisions for one last time, at their own risk.
I want to thank all our first responders and county and state personnel for all they’re doing — working overtime, running checkpoints, trying to keep roads open, etc.
I just really hope that you will see that we surfers are praying our last surf break in Puna is spared, and we want to be there until we cannot surf it, until it really is too dangerous. Let us surf at our own risk, please.
Jeff Hunt
Pahoa
