Disney delight
Ain’t life grand? In the morning, you are a poop-picker-upper while walking your dog. Then, in the afternoon, you are a Disney princess, crooning and twirling in the park!
The Hilo Community Players put together a terrific Disney-licious afternoon of song, dance and merriment. It was a free gift to the community, but the value was priceless.
I was thrilled to be one of the performers in Kalakaua Park last Saturday and, quite possibly, the world’s oldest Disney princess!
The sight of fully costumed keiki frolicking with their families, dancing in the sun, made my heart burst with happiness.
After over a year and a half of separation, it was truly significant to feel so connected — and fully vaccinated — onstage with my best friend, leading the audience in a sing a long of “Rainbow Connection” to close out the concert.
My deep gratitude to the Hilo Community Players for organizing the event, to each of my fellow performers, tech support, and volunteers who shared their time and talent.
And a big mahalo to the members of the community who came out to share a day of sweet summer connection under blue skies in the park, with Disney.
Jeri Gertz
Hilo
Kalanianaole logjam
In a June 25 letter to the editor, Pepeekeo resident Chris Tamm critiqued Sue Lee Loy for her outspokenness about the one-mile Kalanianaole Avenue improvement that has been going on for three years and projected to take another two years for completion.
Tamm stated that Lee Loy was “part of the county administration” and suggested that her outspokenness was inappropriate. However, what Tamm obviously doesn’t realize is that Lee Loy is an elected representative on the Hawaii County Council, which is part of the legislative branch of government.
This makes it totally appropriate and even a cause for accolades for Lee Loy to speak out about the executive branch of government. This ensures a separation of powers and, in this case, provides the necessary checks and balances for a healthy democracy.
The fact that Lee Loy is speaking out is an indication that the council majority’s honeymoon phase with the Roth administration is over. Recall earlier this year when the Public Works director was appointed by a slim 5-4 vote, Lee Loy being among the five who voted for Ikaika Rodenhurst. If you go back and watch the footage of those meetings, you will find, in one meeting in particular, Lee Loy pressed Rodenhurst and his then deputy, encouraging them to do something in the logjam that is the Kalanianaole project.
Obviously, in several months since, Rodenhurst and Roth haven’t made much headway. Now, Lee Loy is appropriately sounding the alarm for her constituency that is suffering the consequences of this failing project.
As we the public look on at this mess, as we see the influx of new residents and the invitation for more development by the Roth administration, we don’t feel at all assured that the infrastructure is going to be able to keep up with the growth.
Thank you, Sue Lee Loy, for your candor and for calling out those who need to be called out in order to get this project wrapped up sooner than later. The to-do list on road projects is getting increasingly longer, the more that we think development is going to pay all the bills.
We have to get more savvy about building new and improving old roads.
Tiffany Edwards Hunt
Keaau
