09-22-2007, 07:16 PM
I was in beautiful Kauai just last week. It is still a wonderfully pristine island despite the island’s growing pains. Yes, I did get caught in the traffic on the east side of the island not far from the port on one of those one lane roads - rear ended even by an inattentive driver - in the middle of the day - so it is easy to imagine what chaos a fleet of cars, all exiting the ferry at the same time, would cause.
And then there is the coqui frog issue. Having lived with the increasing and incessant mating chorus outside my house for almost two years now (hard to believe there was only ONE frog when I first moved here two and half years ago - and like many others, I thought it was cute at the time..) I am happy for Kauai that it is blessed with coqui free nights. If vehicles from the infested islands come, so will those tiny, hitchhiking, loud mouth frogs, and the fire ants and maybe even a mongoose. None of these are there now, but they will be. Do we really wish that on our sister island?
A website previously mentioned in this thread, http://www.boycottsuperferry.org/, details this problem and a host of others very clearly. It’s the most well thought out and presented perspective that I have read on these issues.
Despite all the above, I don’t have the same feelings about the Superferry coming to the Big Island, preferably Hilo. We already have the coqui frog and as many cars will probably leave as arrive, AND we have several lanes through Hilo to absorb the burst of traffic, though the road to and from the port may be impacted. I think it may even be a boon to Hilo businesses as residents of Oahu bring their families to escape for a few days. Also those with physical disabilities, an often overlooked minority, will have a more comfortable and convenient way to travel to and from Oahua and our island.
Edited by - sittall on 09/23/2007 08:52:41
And then there is the coqui frog issue. Having lived with the increasing and incessant mating chorus outside my house for almost two years now (hard to believe there was only ONE frog when I first moved here two and half years ago - and like many others, I thought it was cute at the time..) I am happy for Kauai that it is blessed with coqui free nights. If vehicles from the infested islands come, so will those tiny, hitchhiking, loud mouth frogs, and the fire ants and maybe even a mongoose. None of these are there now, but they will be. Do we really wish that on our sister island?
A website previously mentioned in this thread, http://www.boycottsuperferry.org/, details this problem and a host of others very clearly. It’s the most well thought out and presented perspective that I have read on these issues.
Despite all the above, I don’t have the same feelings about the Superferry coming to the Big Island, preferably Hilo. We already have the coqui frog and as many cars will probably leave as arrive, AND we have several lanes through Hilo to absorb the burst of traffic, though the road to and from the port may be impacted. I think it may even be a boon to Hilo businesses as residents of Oahu bring their families to escape for a few days. Also those with physical disabilities, an often overlooked minority, will have a more comfortable and convenient way to travel to and from Oahua and our island.
Edited by - sittall on 09/23/2007 08:52:41