West Maui needs traffic solutions

I’ve been reading about the plans for the next phase of the Lahaina Bypass from Hokiokio to Olowalu. The most ridiculous comment has been by Milton Arakawa, who stated that traffic capacity doesn’t warrant four lanes.

Clearly, he has never driven to or from Lahaina at 8 a.m., or around 4 p.m., or peak visitor season, whale season, during roadwork, traffic accidents, fires, flooding rainstorms, or just in a line of 200 cars behind a slow vehicle.

Driving home from Kahului to Lahaina, I routinely get in line for the Launiupoko stoplight in Maalaea! The traffic moves forward for the length of time the light would be green, then stops for the time it would be red – all the way from Maalaea to Launiupoko.

I challenge Mr. Arakawa to get in his car and make that drive himself every day for a week in January, then share his opinion on the traffic capacity of Honoapiilani Highway to Lahaina. He also needs to keep in mind the many new housing units planned for the West Side.

Other comments on the bypass: the entire existing highway must remain open in both directions of travel, period, or the congestion problem remains the same. There must be only restricted access to the bypass, with no stoplights or traffic circles.

If every street is given access with a stoplight, the “bypass” becomes a congested problem like Piilani Highway in Kihei, but with no alternative route.

MARY LYNNE BOLAND, Kahana

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Help residents keep affordable housing in West Maui

Front Street Apartments, an affordable housing complex of 143 units in Lahaina, is losing its “affordable housing” status as of August of 2019. This means that the 200 to 300 residents of this complex will be losing their homes with virtually no place else to go. So, these folks will very possibly/probably become homeless/ houseless and be living on the streets. These residents include families with children, seniors, disabled and more. The common denominator amongst the people who live at Front Street Apartments is that we are all in the “lower economic” category, according to the Maui County standards of income limits (1 person = $32,900 to $39,480; 2 people = $37,600 to $45,120, and so on).

Please find it in your hearts to write your County Council members to request that this “affordable housing” complex can continue to be designated as “affordable housing,” rather than letting the apartments go on the open market of “whatever rents the market will bear.”

We would greatly appreciate your efforts to save these units; as if most of the residents are forced out onto the streets, taxes will increase, crime rates will most likely go up, family solidarity and safety will be compromised, social services institutions will be more overtaxed than they already are and more.

COMMITTEE FOR RESIDENTS AT FRONT STREET APARTMENTS

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Carrie Fisher remembered for her devotion to dogs

Actor and author Carrie Fisher may be best remembered for her iconic role as Princess Leia, but here at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), we fondly remember her for her devotion to her dog, Gary.

A PETA supporter, Fisher was passionate about dogs. Gary was her constant companion and joined her on her “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” press tour, as well as on a recent book-signing tour for her memoir, “The Princess Diarist.”

She proved her devotion to dogs in need in June of this year when she called for a ban on China’s cruel annual Yulin dog-eating festival, in which thousands of dogs are bludgeoned or even skinned alive before being butchered for meat.

“These poor dogs need us to fight for them,” she said. “Every single one of them is as precious as my dear Gary; every one of them is someone’s best friend.”

In animal shelters across the country, there are millions of dogs who are just as lovable as Gary. If you’re looking for an animal companion, please keep Fisher’s legacy of kindness and love for living beings alive by opening your heart and home to a needy dog or cat.

AMY SKYLARK ELIZABETH, The PETA Foundation

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Look forward to 2017

I hope 2017 can be a good year for you. Whatever you can do to assist with the success of your year will be very helpful. A local businessman remarked recently, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” All of us are recipients of some bad luck throughout life. Often some of our bad luck is because of people we are associated with in our lives. What other people do greatly impacts us. A spouse, a parent, a child or work associate all affect us for good or bad. It’s good for us when people we are close to are successful and not so great when they mess up. However, the bottom line is that we must all individually take ownership of our lives.

Having anybody in our lives who cares enough about us to help us with anything is a real plus. We are better benefited from good advice when we seriously listen and make application.

All advice is not necessarily helpful. We all get bad advice throughout life, so it’s important to be discerning about what we are told and who is doing the teaching.

Some of what we hear in life is repeated with almost inerrant credibility. For example, eating badly will have eventual negative results on our health. We are told to watch our intake of sugar, fried food and red meat, and to simply use common sense on our daily portions. It’s good advice, and it’s up to us to take it or leave it. We are told to exercise routinely because it’s good for our health. Nobody can make us exercise. We have to take responsibility for our physical fitness.

The best way to have a great 2017 is to make our own decisions and take responsibility for our personal happiness. If you are waiting for a fortune to drop out of the sky, you are wasting your time. If you are waiting for Mr. or Mrs. Wonderful to show up and take all your despair, away you are going to spend most of your life in despair. God is not going to call you on the telephone with a three-step plan for the year. However, looking up instead of looking down all of the time is always more uplifting.

Just remember that if you are able to move and think, then you are not stuck. I do believe people get stuck. However, if you can think and can apply some activity, you are not stuck. Use the mind and life that you have to act. Thoughts lead to action. Apply yourself. Put yourself into something that is meaningful and worthwhile. Serious action and application always net some results. If you want results, get up and get going and do it most every day. The end result is that in your next year, you will most likely see some very satisfying results.

Most importantly, don’t wait on someone to tell you what to do. Tell yourself what to do and do it, and look forward to 2017.

DR. GLENN MOLLETTE