Great job ADVERTISING Great job I would like to thank Civil Defense Director Darryl Oliveira and his staff for their continuous and tireless efforts to aid, inform and comfort the Puna community through these difficult times. Dating back to Tropical
Great job
I would like to thank Civil Defense Director Darryl Oliveira and his staff for their continuous and tireless efforts to aid, inform and comfort the Puna community through these difficult times.
Dating back to Tropical Storm Iselle, to the current lava crisis, Mr. Oliveira has been steadfast and available to assist we locals with sensible, proactive solutions to our needs and concerns.
Our family’s heartfelt thanks and gratitude go out to you.
Ted Orssten
Pahoa
Safe … from what?
(On Thursday night), officials from Civil Defense, the USGS and the mayor spoke about the lava.
The official from USGS was thorough and comprehensive. I wish I could speak so about Billy Kenoi. I commented to a friend, “It sounds like he is talking to elementary school children, not adults.”
Billy continued, “We are looking out for people’s safety.”
Keep us safe? Safe from what? Safe from the flow? How many lives has the flow claimed?
I spoke to the mayor afterwards and said, “You keep telling us that the county is doing everything it can for our safety, and there is a greater danger of getting hurt driving to town than somebody getting hurt from the lava flow. You know that.”
His response was a momentary blank stare.
The hard truth will do that to people — stop them in their tracks. Now, the National Guard is being deployed to keep us even safer.
More people die at the beach each year. Do they close the beaches to protect us? More people die in traffic accidents, do they close the highway where the person died?
If the public continues to allow politicians and city officials talk to us like we are children, and we don’t call them on it, they will just do it more.
The county is paying men with guns (the police) to stand guard, night and day, for our safety. Does the county really need to spend that kind of money? A school crossing-guard can do the same.
Instead of spending all this money to keep us safe, why not try giving the residents whose homes are about to be taken the free-market opportunity to let people walk through their yards to get an up-close view of the flow? Each viewer makes a $20 contribution to a fund that will help those residents relocate. Win/win.
That opportunity exists for a short window. Once their homes are taken, that window closes. It is up to them to implement it, and the county to let them do it.
Citizens policing themselves do a pretty good job, but we have to stand up and not roll over.
M. Marlin
Pahoa
Help the victims
A few small businesses, mainly eateries around the Pahoa area, have seen an increase in sales because of the current lava activity. However, the biggest boom in business are helicopter tours capitalizing over the misfortunes of Pahoa residents being affected by the lava activity.
These lava victims may lose their homes, businesses and their livelihoods, and a majority of them have no insurance to replace the losses.
I hope helicopter tours will take a percentage of their profits and put it toward an emergency fund for the victims of lava destruction. At the current rate of about $200 per person for less than an hour tour, helicopter companies surely can help with emergency funding for Pahoa residents.
Rick LaMotagne
Volcano
Lava diversion works
Years ago, the people of another island saved their town from lava by diverting the flow into the ocean using earth-moving machines to create berms and swales, with fire hoses pouring sea water onto the front of the lava to guide it.
They had been told by experts that it wouldn’t work, but it did.
That was Iceland.
They wouldn’t give up. Surely you could try — or don’t the people of Hawaii have the will and strength of the Icelanders?
Bill Jurkovich
Citrus Heights, Calif.
