Time for the county to repair bridge
In 2018, Hurricane Lane dumped 50 inches of rain on the Hakalau/Kolekole area.
This scoured all the bases of all the area bridges. Old Mamalahoa Highway, crossing Kolekole Stream, was the access to Kaiwiki Homestead Road, where there are a number of farms, including mine.
The road was also damaged, and the county closed the road. So, farmers went through Wailea, crossing the Kaahakini Stream bridge on old Mamalahoa Highway to Kaiwiki Homestead Road.
In 2020, this bridge was closed due to scouring that occurred in 2018. Kaiwiki Homestead Road was detoured to a 100-plus-year-old wooden plantation bridge on a long pitted gravel road accessed through Kanna Road.
The county repaired the base of this scoured bridge with rocks and cement. Kaiwiki Homestead Road residents were told repairs to cement Kaahakini bridge would be discussed in 2024.
The county has had to repair the gravel road repeatedly as it washes out. Residents cannot get deliveries of gravel, building materials or water delivery, as the wooden bridge has a sharp U-turn and 16-ton limit. Emergency vehicles cannot go there, either. My neighbor’s boat trailer gets stuck in the U-turn to the bridge.
The Kaahakini Stream bridge could be repaired, as was the wooden plantation bridge, and the county could save money not having to maintain a gravel road. Kaiwiki Homestead Road is paved and can handle our needs.
It is 2024. Fix the bridge.
Bettie VanOverbeke
Hakalau
Illegal immigrants hurt the United States
The lack of security at our southern border has (as proven by liberal outlets such as CNN, ABC, NBC, MSNBC) brought the country drug and human trafficking, theft, disease, homelessness of the illegal migrants, a drain on U.S. taxpayers and fear.
The people coming in are not the best and brightest their respective countries have. Few will want to assimilate to U.S. customs and societal ways.
The great American melting pot should not be a pressure cooker, like it is now.
We are all races here. The “blood” of America is our commitment to being good law-abiding and constitutional-abiding citizens. It is not about one race. The “blood” is also our allegiance to our representative democratic system. To imply anything negative is just fearmongering.
Illegal immigrants don’t come here wanting to be law-abiding Americans, full of patriotic fervor. They want “Uncle Sugar” to give them handouts. They are typically unskilled, many are criminals, and are immediately a burden as soon as they cross. We are not the bread basket of the world.
Sanctuary cities are already bussing them away to parts unknown. Can you imagine that? The huge, inclusive hearts telling the world they are welcome to come here, only to find out it was a virtue-signaling lie. Sadness.
In several former sanctuary cities, for a short time they allow illegal immigrants to watch large-screen TVs and use Wi-Fi, get hot meals, per diem money and decent beds, as well as social services for day labor.
Homeless U.S. veterans are getting none of that in those very same sanctuary cities. They die on the street behind dumpsters and in the open.
Enough is enough. May the U.S.A. not be destroyed from within.
Allen Russell
Hilo