Good work
I’ve noticed people are quick to point out negative things about county government, but there are a lot of hardworking employees who do positive things for our island community who are not acknowledged.
One of those people is Joe Kamelamela and his staff at the Office of Corporation Counsel for Hawaii County.
Mr. Kamelamela, along with other corporation counsel staff, assured the completion of the Mamalahoa Highway bypass in South Kona. They were able to do this by reaching a financial settlement with Oceanside 1250 Partners and American Motorist Insurance Co. after years of litigation. In addition, they were also able to finalize the condemnation of the necessary right of way through the Coupes’ property to complete this highway.
Their hard work in this instance wasn’t something isolated. Mr. Kamelamela and his staff were able to obtain the necessary right of way for the Puainako Street Extension recently after years of litigation and mediation. The acquisition of the right of way allows the County of Hawaii to transfer ownership of this highway to the state Department of Transportation in the near future.
This opens up the possibility of including the Puainako Street Extension as a part of the Daniel K. Inouye Highway (Saddle Road).
There are a lot of issues facing Hawaii County at this point. However, there seems to be a fixation on focusing on solely the negative issues.
As I pointed out above, there are a lot hardworking county employees doing a lot of positive things for our island.
Aaron Stene
Kailua-Kona
Alabama’s misogynistic act
I am appalled at the passage of the Alabama law prohibiting abortion.
My heart goes out to those who fought against it, and who, if the law becomes enforceable in six months, will have to live in a state — Bitter Home Alabama — which shows blatant disregard of personal choice.
Twenty-five white Republican men voted in favor of HB 314, which outlaws abortion, even in the case of rape or incest.
None of those men, or any man, is capable of childbearing. There are no laws in any state regulating what a man can do with his body.
Banning abortion is a misogynistic act against all women, and the ones who will suffer and possibly die are the poor who cannot afford safe, legal abortions across state lines.
No one can presume to know the circumstances of each woman’s pregnancy, intended or unintended. If lawmakers really cared about women and children, they would preserve a woman’s right to choose. Concern about a woman’s life and rights AFTER birth are the core issue.
My deep outrage is reserved for the ones who decided to have the law investigate the circumstances of a woman’s miscarriage.
I know from personal experience that grief after a miscarriage or stillbirth is bottomless. It is unimaginable to compound a mother’s grief with a criminal investigation.
I am horrified that Alabama turned the clock back 50 years on basic human rights.
Jeri Gertz
Hilo