Disappeared News

by Larry Geller

It will be in tomorrow’s papers and on tonight’s TV, so it’s not disappeared news,  but just for completeness, two ferry services are gone today.

The Advertiser breaking news reports that the Supreme Court denied the state's motion for reconsideration of their ruling in the Hawaii Superferry case today. I’m sure there will be more details in the news reports, but that’s basically it on that one.

The other ferry story today is that Mufi announced that TheBoat will cease to operate at the end of June. It was costing the city approximately $120 for each $2 ride.

Of course it had to go. I wonder how it ever got started. Don’t they know how to use their abacuses over in the City administration? And we’re going to trust them with a train?

Speaking of The (“fix is in”) Train, Ian Lind has done an excellent job bringing forth objections by architects to the planned elevated line. Ian includes a link to comments by William Paluch, Associate Professor at the University of Hawai'i School of Architecture.

Read about the “roller coaster” 100 feet up in the sky over Nordstroms. Read about the folly of beginning construction before completion of a proper EIS. Read the professor’s observation:

As many of us have adequately noted, we are spending millions of dollars to effectively do what every other waterfront city in the US has worked to avoid; visually cut-off downtown from the waterfront.

Will any of this stop Mufi? I don’t see how. It seems we have a mayor hell-bent on installing this system at all costs to the rest of us.

If that happens, you’ll be able to buy a train ticket and see the ocean from 100 feet up in the air over Ala Moana Center. Should be great for whale watching. See, I said something nice about the Train.

(Don’t drop any candy wrappers, though, in the high wind up there all the litter could blow off the station platform onto the tourists below.)

Permalink posted by Larry @ 5/13/2009 04:39:00 PM