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Letter: Neighbor Island healthcare crisis demands action

My grandmother flew from Maui to Oahu sick and scared, paying the price for a procedure that went wrong. An understaffed and under-resourced system had failed her. One that lacked the specialists and expertise to make it right. She recovered, and our family is grateful. But I keep thinking about all the people who don't have this same outcome. This is the reality for too many neighbor island residents living under a healthcare system stretched too thin. Doctors are leaving the state, and a bill that would have raised insurance reimbursements to retain primary care physicians on ...

Letter: Hero inspirational saving swimmer’s life

Sunday, a young man in his early teens and visiting Maui with his family, was swimming approximately 50 yards off of Keawakapu when he became distressed and began to falter. His hesitation led to panic, and he shouted for help before he began to become submerged in the water. Thankfully, a local swimmer, who had been swimming laps up and down the beach, hurried to his aid, and using water-rescue skills, managed to bring the boy to shore without harm or injury. Both were spent; the boy from the panic and the swimmer from the rescue. The young man’s family, which consisted of a ...

Letter: Ocean is not like swimming pool

When the surf is really big, there are always people who don't know their capabilities and get in trouble. The lifeguards come to their rescue and basically save their lives. Not all lifeguards are the same. Big surf lifeguards have the knowledge and ability to save people’s lives and there are not many people who have these skills. Many of these lifeguards are surfers and have a lot of experience in big surf. No one can estimate the power of the ocean. These lifeguards know you have to respect the ocean. If not, you are putting your life in jeopardy. The ocean is not like a ...

Letter: 10-year-old speed tables all broken up

Way to go Haiku. Stop those speed tables. Come to Kula Glen and look at 10-year-old speed tables; all broken up, no repair. Now they are speed hazards. Good luck on stopping the county. Peter SiscoKula

Letter: Show some compassion for a man who has none

There is so much criticism aimed at President Trump that it is disheartening.  People just don’t seem to understand his cruelty and bigotry.   Don't they know that he can’t help himself in that, through no fault of his own, he is a sociopath, a mental health disorder characterized by disregard for others, with tendencies to lie, break laws, act impulsively? It is also quite possible that the heartbreak of lifelong painful bone spurs affects him daily.   Let’s show some compassion for a man who has none. Jim KillettLahaina

Letter: Bill bans crypto deposits used to defraud kupuna

Cryptocurrency kiosks/ATMs are found in grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations and pharmacies. They look very similar to regular bank ATMs, and you’ve probably passed one without even noticing it. Scammers use this similarity to take advantage of unsuspecting kupuna to convince them to deposit money into cryptocurrency wallets, and once that happens, the funds are gone forever. Sometimes the scams involve a story about having to pay a fine or bail. Other times, it’s a romance scam used to defraud trusting kupuna. In 2025, the FBI reports that Hawaii consumers were ...