Speak out and vote
I am a 77-year-old female and a longtime supporter of Planned Parenthood. I believe in a woman’s right to reproductive health care. All options pertaining to that care should be made available so a woman can make informed decisions regarding care.
I am angered by the gag rule imposed by the Trump administration on Planned Parenthood. It restricts the right of freedom of speech and our right to make appropriate decisions regarding our care. His administration and the far right are eroding women’s rights to reproductive health care.
If you believe as I do, I urge all of you to register to vote. Speak out and voice your concerns. Vote for those who represent this view.
Toshiko Taylor
Volcano
Highway concerns
The “Panaewa Stretch”/Shipman Park crossing is a tragic accident waiting to happen.
Keaau-bound drivers, like maniacs, speed way beyond the limits, while hundreds who work at the business park must negotiate close-calls to cross on a daily basis.
Big-time kudos to the state Highways Division, which quickly honored my request to change the 55-mph sign before the crossing to a 45-mph sign. But, nobody is paying any attention to the new limit. I have an acute vested interest in this grave concern, as many of my close family members and friends must negotiate that crossing, sometimes four or five times a day. This was not much of an issue 20 or 30 years ago. It’s a different world today.
Perhaps the mayor could step up and request some police presence there before the crossing. Believe me, if tragedy strikes and it affects me personally, somebody will pay for it. Big time!
On a final note, the signal light system at the Kawailani Street/Highway 11 intersection is a complete joke. Dozens of times a day, it causes backups more than a mile long, both ways. Why? Left turns off of Kawailani. The street, at that point, is not designed for a dual-side, same-time left-turning system. Eliminate any left turns from the street there. The wait time for the light change will be cut in half. Problem solved. Possible fatal rear-end collision will be avoided, as well.
Pre-emptive, anybody?
Kawika Crowley
Hilo
‘Aloha spirit’
From time to time, I get a reminder that the special Hilo aloha spirit still exists. Recently, I had such a reminder when I left my phone on a table at Wailoa State Recreation Area.
“A nice young man,” I’m told, used information on the phone to contact my friend and tell her he was leaving the phone at my doctor’s office. Typical of one who is being considerate, he left no phone number or identification for me to thank him personally.
I am very grateful and hope his good karma will return to him.
William L. Luttrell
Mountain View