Frontier? Not so much
A few years back, I was told that real estate agents were selling the Puna District as “the last frontier.”
For those capable of looking up the definition of frontier, they will note that there must be a wilderness on the other side. If there is no wilderness, then it’s not a frontier. Funny how that works.
Where this imaginary wilderness is supposed to be, there are state forests, a national park, a live-fire military training area and a road that runs through to the other side of the island.
So much for Puna being a frontier at all, let alone the last one.
Quite a few more have immigrated from that continent, maybe believing the frontier theory, and now that they are here, barring yet another lava flow that will undoubtedly scare many of them away.
What’s next?
This may seem a bit disjointed at first, but when the Honolulu light rail — also known as the former Oahu Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s “choo choo train” — was in the news, someone in state government wanted to tax the entire state to pay for Honolulu’s overpriced, floundering railway quagmire.
(Former state Sen.) Russel Ruderman represented his district, voted against the tax, and was told for not supporting it, our Senate district would not receive any new capitol improvements for 10 years that were not already approved.
When Puna Kai Shopping Center moved in, Pahoa Feed & Fertilizer was forced out after 20 years there. What we could acquire in town, now means a trip to Keaau or Hilo. I’d rather have the feed and fertilizer store in town.
C’esspool la vie!
Dave Kisor
Pahoa
No overpass for school
So, let me get this straight: Hawaii Department of Transportation will be spending nearly $18 million to construct a pedestrian overpass across Ala Moana Boulevard in the Ward Village/Kaka‘ako area of Oahu.
The purpose, according to the deputy director of the state DOT, is to ensure the separation of pedestrians from automobile traffic for ultimate safety reasons.
This concern of the DOT unfortunately is not extended to those of us living in Maui. For example, this same DOT will be constructing a roundabout on a four-lane highway fronting the Kihei High School, which is now under construction.
The future students at the new school will have to navigate through this roundabout to cross the four-lane highway.
Auwe, DOT, for your shameful attitude toward the people, and especially our students, of Maui County. Auwe.
Michael Trotto
Kihei, Maui