Make the new road a true bypass

The road project in Lahaina, a.k.a. “Lahaina Bypass,” is not and will not be as the name implies a Lahaina Bypass at all, until the north phase going to Kaanapali is complete.

Until that happens, I think that the connection plan at Cut Mountain and all the additional load put on the Keawe Street intersection is a bad idea, and everybody knows why. Just because the south section is done is no reason to force or redirect all the northbound traffic on Honoapiilani Highway at Cut Mountain onto the new road.

Why not make a right turn exit option for northbound traffic at Cut Mountain, with signs indicating “straight ahead for Kaanapali, Kapalua and Lahaina,” and a sign for the exit to the new road indicating “Lahainaluna Road and Keawe Street?”

This will take a percentage of cars off the lower road that is practical for the drivers who will choose to use the new road. And for southbound traffic at Keawe Street, the commuters and tourists headed for Kahului, just leave things the way they are for now and not redirect all Kahului traffic up Keawe Street.

Local traffic will use the new road the way they are now, and the police can use sections to bypass problems or accidents when needed.

RICHARD HARTMAN

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Pursue a meat-free diet

Feb. 14 marks the beginning of Lent, the 40-day period before Easter, when Christians abstain from animal foods in remembrance of Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the wilderness.

The call to abstain from eating animals is as current as the teaching of evangelical leader Franklin Graham yet as traditional as the Bible (Genesis 1:29).

Methodist founder John Wesley, Salvation Army pioneers William and Catherine Booth and Seventh-day Adventist Church founder Ellen G. White all followed this higher call.

A meat-free diet is not just about Christian devotion. Dozens of medical studies have linked consumption of animal products with elevated risk of heart failure, stroke, cancer and other killer diseases.

A United Nations report named meat production as the largest source of greenhouse gases and water pollution. Undercover investigations have documented farm animals routinely caged, crowded, mutilated and beaten.

Today’s supermarkets are well in tune with the call to abstain from eating animals. They offer a rich array of plant-based meats, milks, cheeses and ice creams, as well as the more traditional vegetables, fruits and grains. Entering “vegetarian” or “vegan” in your favorite search engine provides lots of meat replacement products, recipes and transition tips.

LESTER NAITO, Lahaina

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Employees pestering visitors along Front Street

Cosmetic stores – every day I ride my bike up and down Front Street and am amazed at yet ANOTHER cosmetic store invading our little town. Is it really necessary to now have six stores of overpriced cosmetics? I see tourists being aggressively approached by salespeople who stand outside and literally accost them as they go by – only to be nabbed again two stores away! They are ruthless in their approach. I’ve seen several people get so annoyed that they have had confrontations. Why can’t they stay inside the store like all the other respectable workers on Front Street?

What is going on with these stores, and why such an influx within the last three years? I hope more people stand up for this nonsense and ask our officials to put an end to such aggressive behavior.

NAME WITHHELD BY REQUEST