Don’t turn Ka Iwi into tourist trap

A "Kokua Line" question asked why water and restrooms are not planned for the Makapuu Lighthouse trail head parking lot inside the Ka Iwi State Scenic Shoreline Park ("Cost, community opposition nix Makapuu Trail plumbing," Feb. 16).

The answers were cost and community opposition.

Regarding community opposition, the desire of generations of Ka Iwi defenders to see the park protected as a rare expanse of coastal wilderness is a wise and good plan. A parks administrator now indicates, however, that his department is investigating the possibility of adding Porta-Potties here. What’s next? Very likely tour buses, in which case a wilderness park would become another bustling tourist destination.

For decades,our community has vigorously promoted a low-key, minimalist approach tostate management atKa Iwi that protects the wilderness for the enjoyment of intrepid residents and visitors alike — hikers who bring their own water and understand there are bathrooms just down the road at Makapuu and Sandy beach parks.

Robert Retherford
Kailua Wilson Ho Waimanalo

Vacation rentals violate law, too

The Saturday editorial, "City must resolveregulatory mess at Kunia acreage" (Our View, Star-Advertiser), could also be written about anyneighborhood zoned residential that has seen the proliferation ofillegal vacation rentals over the last 26 years.

Allowing the city Department of Planning and Permitting to "dither" on either should beunacceptable to anyone. Enforce the law. It is an effective andinexpensive solution.

Susan Cummings
Kailua

Kunia violators not the problem

For months, the Star-Advertiser has been preoccupied with possible zoning violations by a handful of landowners at Kunia Loa Ridge Farmlands.

It is 854 acres of sloped and steeply sloped land with poor soil, no irrigation and limited water access.

It is, however, a nice place to have a home with upland breezes and awesome views. Below you can see the Ho‘opili parcel, 1,500 level acres of rich, irrigated soil and abundant crops. Beyond is Pearl Harbor, the city, Diamond Head and the blue Pacific.

In coming years, these landowners will be fined and harassed by city officials. They will look down from their dry rocky, scrub lands to see the paving over of fertile Ho‘opili by D.R. Horton from Texas and the arrival of Matson ships with produce from California — witnesses to the truth that the life of our land is perpetuated in righteousness.

Dan Smith
Kailua

Mayor should share rail data

The incredible arrogance of Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s refusal to provide the "internal cost projections" of the rail budget overages to the Legislature is the only thing that is "tarnished" right now.

We, the ignored public, are being asked to pay for this seemingly endless series of deceitful — it surely is not mere ignorance — multimillion-dollar increases, and our representatives are being denied the facts, even in a "closed door" setting.

Who does Caldwell think he is, and worse, how stupid and unimportant does he think that we are?

Sue Nance
Manoa

Rail should end near Aala Park

Rail from West Oahu to the western edge of the city of Honolulu makes sense to augment the two current major highways from the west.

The final four miles to Ala Moana make no sense at all. Rail should end at Iwilei and Aala Park, where riders could walk into town or catch a bus along Nimitz, King, Hotel, Beretania or Vineyard, or a bus that would go onto the H-1 freeway to the University of Hawaii-Manoa and Kahala.

Ala Moana is already highly congested with traffic. The visual blight of rail downtown, land costs for stations and damage to ancient burials make the final four miles a budget breaker.

Our City Council, Legislature, congressional delegation and the president need to immediately appeal to federal transportation officials to move the end point of rail to the western edge of downtown.

Jack Gillmar
Palolo Valley

Don’t close off Haiku Stairs

The visitor and resident treasure that is the Haiku Stairs should be retained and developed into an attractive, safe and viable activity.

How? I think inviting businesses engaged in such activities to submit proposals for a concession to operate the stairs is a viable option. There are all kinds of such attractions all over the world that people pay to access and use. Some are adventure-type attractions, such as the numerous zip-line activities springing up everywhere, including Hawaii. Of course, the attraction needs easy access, parking and possibly refreshment and gift shop facilities. I say give it a try.

Jim Pollock
Kaneohe

Prioritize roads that need fixing

Ever since the partial closure of Kamehameha Highway by Acacia Road, traffic has been a horrible mess.

What used to be an hour commute at 5 p.m. from town to Central Oahu is now taking almost two hours. The H-1 freeway is backed up to Liliha Street and the airport viaduct is backed up to Middle Street. Traffic is crawling at a snail’s pace.

Whoever is planning the roadwork has to take another look at how they are scheduling everything.

Roadwork is being done haphazardly all over the island and falling behind schedule. It’s been months since repaving started on Kamehameha Highway between Waikele and Mililani, and it’s taken longer still to widen the H-1 in the Pearl City area.

I cannot imagine what’s going to happen when the H-1 by Leeward Community College is partially closed for the rail overpass.

Concentrate on and finish the problem areas first.

Jon Shimamoto
Mililani

Support bill in memory of Tyke

I read with interest the article about Tyke the elephant, as it coincided with House Bill 1012 moving through the Legislature ("Documentary depicts Tyke as tragic figure, not outlaw," Star-Advertiser, Feb. 22).

That bill, if passed, will protect Hawaii from the safety and health risks of the outdated practice of using wild and exotic animals in traveling shows.

The Tyke tragedy was the second of its kind in Honolulu. The first was "Daisy," who was brought here for a circus, and in 1933 crushed her trainer to death in Kapiolani Park in front of a bunch of school kids; she then was shot to death by police, dragged four miles out to sea and dumped for the sharks.

Hawaii has an opportunity to humbly learn from what happened in our own front yard with Tyke, then join an ever-growing list of 30 countries from around the world that have passed similar legislation because of what happened in Honolulu with Tyke.

Tyler Ralston
Maunalani Heights