It was sad to learn that Grove Farm rejected developer Peter Savio's offer to buy historic Koloa Camp for the purpose of selling it back to the folks who live there. Instead, GF plans to destroy the homes and erect Waihohonu, a bland, generic pre-fab project.
And it was sad to think Grove Farm VP Mike Tresler is so deluded that he believes what he wrote in his letter to Savio — stuff about hoping Koloa families can come back home, the company has received a lot of community support to go forward, it's assisting the tenants with their relocation and the capper:
Some of the tenants do have strong desires to purchase homes in the new development.
Perhaps. But strong desire does not = kala, as in $230,00 for an 800-square-foot house.
Well, at least Tresler recognizes “it's a very emotional situation.” And sadly, it's likely to become even more so, with the residents vowing to stay. I keep thinking of what camp resident Kepa Kruse said on the radio yesterday: “I would hate to see an 80-year-old woman handcuffed and taken away for trespassing because she wants to stay in her home.” Really.
Camp residents still haven't given up hope, though, and they'll be holding sign from 4 to 5:15 p.m. Sunday at the entrance to Koloa town, trying to bring awareness to the issue and urge GF to reconsider their offer.
It was sad to see The Garden Island's picture of Dickie Louis, the man who was shot by police Wednesday night, because it's the face of a man in obvious deep pain.
And it was sad to read some of the heartless comments congratulating KPD on “taking out” another druggie dirtbag. Like they and their friends and family are all perfect human beings, like it's OK for cops to shoot people, like no one was traumatized, like this guy doesn't have anyone who cares about him.
It was sad to learn that ex-Gov. Linda Lingle is building up her war chest for a Senate run, even as the state is left with a a $63 million tab for the Superferry boondoggle that she and her Administration orchestrated.
And it was sad to discover that Sen. Inouye is so clueless that he thinks folks from Molokai really want an interisland ferry so they can work in Waikiki, and that he actually believes jobs in Waikiki could earn them enough money to start a business on their home island.
It was sad to find out that the U.S. Department of Defense is the worst polluter on Earth. Wow. That's really something to wrap your mind around. And it was sad to ponder what that means for Hawaii, where the military has such a massive presence, and for places still relatively untouched:
Meanwhile, as if the US military has not contaminated enough of the world already, a new five-year strategic plan by the US Navy outlines the militarization of the Arctic to defend national security, potential undersea riches, and other maritime interests, anticipating the frozen Arctic Ocean to be open waters by the year 2030. This plan strategizes expanding fleet operations, resource development, research, and tourism, and could possibly reshape global transportation.
But hey, I can't leave you all sad, so here's a video to help you remember, what a wonderful world. Now if we could only stop destroying it.....
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37 comments:
Tresler is a heartless turn coat who SOLD out for money just like many of our political leaders on this island.
Most of Lingle's money is from out of state. Go figure! She shouldn't win.
I admire Inouye, but he's wrong. He should stay in his district. And what's up with congressional representatives NOT living in the districts they represent? I'm not voting for any of those phoney Oahu people.
See, the GF Supporter (Mayor) is even mentioned in Mike's letter.
Go TEAM GOB!
It's never a good thing when someone is shot, for whatever reason. However, I have a very hard time getting teary-eyed over Dickie Louis' behavior that led to his being shot. There are folks who are painting him as somehow the victim in the Koke'e incident that started this present chain of events...but those same folks tend to gloss over Louis' rap sheet of over 30 arrests, most for drugs and weapons. Stop second-guessing and judging. I'm much more concerned about Mayor Carvalho's apparent attempt to usurp Chief Perry so he (the Mayor) can shoe-horn in the son of his longtime and deep pockets supporter.
son of his longtime and deep pockets supporter
Name??
" Stop second-guessing and judging. I'm much more concerned about Mayor Carvalho's apparent attempt to usurp Chief Perry " ...
You do realize that you just instructed people not to second guess and judge and then you did just that in your very next sentence.
"Tresler is a heartless turn coat..."
The comments here are so base, and unhelpful, and mean ....
I don't even know Mr. Tresler, but comments like this just make me think me that his detractors make mean-spirited accusations without facts, will say anything, regardless of basic civility or social norms in a typical unhelpful, uneducated and ugly American style .
"...Louis' rap sheet of over 30 arrests, most for drugs and weapons."
He had it coming. Good riddance.
To the dearly departed Dickie Louis: If you do not want to get shot, then you should listen to a policeman's orders to surrender. You would have had your day in Court to present your side of the story. Instead you chose another unfortunate deadly route. It appears that your life has been one bad choice after another; and they caught up to you.
It IS actually OK for cops to shoot people who pose an immediate threat of harm to them and the public. It is quite legal and sadly necessary, as seems to be the case here.
With all due respect, I love this site. I enjoy reading it everday, but how do you reconcile your love of nature, the protection of Kauai, all that is good with Kauai with your perceived sympathy/empathy over the death of a man who has a quite lenghty rap sheet of arrests/convictions (on Kauai) and was caught illegally cutting down Koa wood trees on Kauai, and otherwise disrespecting Kauai, its lands, its laws and its people.
Why should Dickie Louis receive Aloha from anyone on Kauai? Did he give any in return? It does not appear so. I feel sorry for the officer, who was apparently in fear of his safety, for having to be placed in such a position and now subject to second guessing.
All right...maybe the second guessing/judging bit followed by what seems to be a widely held belief by otherwise reasonable people might seem duplicitous. It's not, really.
If it's untrue that Michael Contrades is the son of a longtime and deep pockets mayoral supporter, please illuminate us. This supposition is rather widespread at the moment, and seems to have legs.
mike and tommy contrades are the names that the comment was directed to, me thinks.
tressler is a good soldier doing his job; it's unfortunate that the koloa camp folks are the latest victims or the war on the working class. tressler's not to blame; it's capitalism and the shareholder's interest that is driving this injustice against former workers of the good ol' plantation.
Dickie Louis will be remembered as a person who had many different sides to him... some of them good, some of them not so good. And depending on where you find yourself in relation to him will land your opinion of him on or between those two extremes. Postig your (our) opinions on a specific part does not automatically say we don't have other thoughts or opinions on the matter... we just comment on the specific things we feel most strongly about. This is what Ms. Conrow fails to take into account. Of course it's okay that we all have our opinions, but we should not cast negative aspersions of someone elses thoughts, opinions or actions without giving them the benefit of the doubt or "walking a mile in their shoes." KPD followed their procedures based on the history and tendencies of the individual. Not having been there on the spot gives me pause to second guess the outcome. Since we only get pieces of the puzzle, we make up the rest in what we believe to be logical. Yet the situation was not very logical to begin with. Armchair quarterbacking is all good when we are doing so from a position of safety. However, I would advise we take a step back and allow those whose job it is to cipher through the many details of the shooting conclude their business before we take sides on the issue.
"I don't even know Mr. Tresler"
well, then stop talking, he is heartless, you should heard him talk about what he WOULD do if he had the reins at that organization.
For now, at least, he is just a foot soldier in greedy landowner's army.
Dear Anon. 12:24 pm,
I'm glad you love this site, and enjoy reading it. Thanks! :)
I was not advocating sympathy for Dickie Louis so much as I was condemning the "rah rah kill him" comments in TGI. As I noted, it's traumatic — for the cops, the neighbors, the family — when someone is killed this way.
So yes, I also feel sorry for the cop who did the shooting. And while I understand that cops sometimes feel justified in the need to use deadly force, IMO, it is never something that the public should cheerlead.
As for empathy/sympathy for Dickie Louis, well, I don't know him personally, but I feel for any person who is so filled with pain and despair that he'd put himself in a position to be shot down by the cops. And I know he has family, and so I feel for them.
Thank you Joan for sharing your compassion. Thank you for the beautiful video.
And all those homeless people out there are because they like the lifestyle.
TO: February 17, 2012 12:24 PM
Obviously you did not know but Louis had his hands in surrender.
Joan don't censor our comments. The murder of Dickie is a portrait of what the Island has become through many years of corruption.
We have a Corrupt Non accredited Police Department, a Corrupt electric company, a Corrupt county council, a Corrupt mayor his Corrupt admin, a Corrupt County Attorneys office, A corrupt prosecutors office, Corrupt planning department, a corrupt no bid contracts going to corrupt friends and family, etc etc etc
What a beautiful picture, we are living in a third world country. It's gotten out of hand and very dangerous for the average citizen of Kauai.
SOS SOS FBI 911 on Kauai!!! SOS SOS FBI 911 on Kauai!!! Send all of your resources. Kauai is under attack by our own home grown Terrorists HELP
Why would the FBI care about Kauai ? I thought you people hated haoles...now you want them to solve the mess that you guys created ? Kauai you made this mess...so now let's see the "locals" make it right.
"and all the homeless out there are because they like their lifestyle"
In my experience, the only homeless out there who like their lifestyle are living in Kalalau Valley.
The others lost faith and hope in themselves.
Dr. Shibai
There's always the ignorant racist comments. Corruption, drug abuse, murder, rape, child molestation, drug dealers, dirty cops, dirty prosecutors, dirty attorneys, etc etc etc Living in a Dystopian society- crime does not discrimination.
The FBI is a real law enforcement organization, KPD is a sick cartoon full of yes men. Just go to the substation and watch the crackheads/informants or former dirty cops go by and do their business. They not paying GET but get to operate their illegal drug sales. CASH ONLY not really they accept EBT
The FBI does not care about Kauai....perhaps the Locals can talk story and solve the problems which they themselves created.Kauai has the law enforcement that it deserves.
Solving these problems ourselves, by voting out the LONG held offices known for their corruption.
Vote.
Impeach your Mayor.
"bland generic pre-fab project"? Those pics look pretty nice. A hell of an improvement over what's there now.
http://s539.photobucket.com/albums/ff353/upspringmedia/Koloa%20Camp/
You know what they say...If voting mattered it would be illegal. Kauai has made it's choices....now they must live with them.Local style with lots of denial.
12:30 pm -- yeah, let's make everything look like pville
The Decks is stacked so voting is almost a mute point. Just look at all of the county and state positions as well as the boards and commission, KIUC it's just terrible.
They have learned from our famous Dubya reign of terror. Kauai is a carbon copy of our boyz and gals in the house and senate. The only way we can solve. Our island of Kauai problems, is if the FBI would grow some NUTS and charge Kauais RICO organization with the crimes they have committed. Circumventing the system is still a crime Mr Copy Asing cat. If youuu really want to HELP the citizens of Kauai then take ES 177 to the FEDS and snitch on all our old pals at KPD.
prefab from China... oh that's sustainable. What a PR nighmare for Grove Farm, are they seriously going to drag the long time residents out of their homes, just to bring in prefab modulars and sell them for a profit? They can put them anywhere, why here where people have deep roots in these homes? why now? It's not like they don't own choke other land that can be developed. Must every vestige of Kauai life and people be removed?
Sea urchins death?
Has anyone checked the EPA Violations for the island of Kauai..
http://www.epa-echo.gov/echo/compliance_report.html
Wonder if it has anything to do with that Dow violation? Don't they lease that G & R land?
Yes DOW, Syngenta, Monsanto are all toxic chemical killing machines.
They have have been banned in many states and countries. Their former sites and sorounding areas ie cities and towns are listed as the most toxic in the world.
The US government has put sanctions on countries that don't accept their products and their toxic producing plants.
It's a damn shamme what they have been getting away with here on kauai.
Could be those old cesspools at that camp. Large dosages of fecal matter would kill off the reef.
Do I have this straight? Grove Farm owns the property. Some people have leases. The leases are up. Instead of renewing the leases, Grove Farm now wants to do something different with its property.
Am I missing something?
Yes, you are missing something.
Would it be that difficult to let the remaining leasees live out their years and once the last plantation worker and/or spouse dies the lease expires. How is an 80 year old going to pay a new mortgage? It would be the ethical thing to do. Show some human decency for the people who made the company what it is today.
Better to improve the property and pay the rent for the last remaining workers/wives, if that's what you think is important.
I want a ferry service so I can commute to my hotel job in Waikiki.
The cost to improve the property not only has societal costs, it also would be at the cost of a unique environment.
How is that measured into GF's feasibility analysis? Answer, a tidy little spreadsheet. Sick.
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