Mills Beach tales
My response to the letter “Mills Beach battle” by Noelle Rodriguez (Tribune-Herald, March 4) can only be: Enough already!
The writer clearly has no idea of the practical considerations that would have to be taken into account if the County of Hawaii was to decide to really pursue an eminent domain action against the Waughs, who own the property that has access to the beach.
There is already free access for the public during daylight hours, similar to county parks.
I first heard of this eminent domain idea many years ago from Joel LaPinta, who said it would “take pressure off the Honolii Beach.” There was a hint of animosity there. The idea was evidently being tossed around after Dominic Yagong, who was then representing Hamakua on the County Council, took it up as a cause, hoping it would boost his campaign for mayor.
He is the one who came up with the ridiculous paltry sum that he claimed would be the cost to the county for the acquisition of the trail constructed by the Waughs, which winds down a steep hill prone to erosion, through many acres of waterfront land.
It would be sheer lunacy for the county to proceed further with this action. They simply don’t need it, and after a very costly court battle and conceivably acquiring the property at a very high cost, they would be responsible for the maintenance of the trail and the safety of the public on the beach.
On the beach, the huge hulk of the old sugar mill has been crumbling and dropping onto the beach for a long time now. There is all kinds of dangerous stuff buried in the ground, including metal which has been scavenged by locals.
I am quite certain that tests would reveal all kinds of toxic materials present, which would force a cleanup and closure of the beach to the public, perhaps permanently.
So, Madame Rodriguez, be careful about what you advocate. Please stop spewing the same old misinformation, and stop fanning envy, discontent, anger and the subsequent panoply of bad behaviours exhibited by some members of the public.
Stop drumming up old grudges. Those of us who live here now had nothing to do with what was done centuries ago.
Take an example from Switzerland, and live together in peace.
Adrienne S. Dey
Hilo
‘Smorgasbord of angst’
Any citizen with a persecution complex will find fodder for their neurosis at the county’s Environmental Management Commission meetings.
Don’t worry, I’ve only been physically assaulted once, and that commissioner has retired from the club.
My First Amendment rights were stomped on a couple of times. Well, no big deal.
My concerns about abandoned vehicles have been ignored by the department and the commissioners. Ditto for wastewater. They are focused on extreme environmentalism.
So, if somebody disagrees with the department’s dogma, and they think that the whole game is rigged, that person’s suspicions will be reinforced at any future meeting.
It is a smorgasbord of angst.
On the bright side, there is a free lunch and get-together at the Harbor House after the Kona meetings, but it is only for the director and the commissioners.
Jerry Warren
Naalehu