About 10-days ago at 2am, the fire department on the windward side got a call that a woman had sprained her ankle while traversing the closed Stairway To Heaven. Ah yes, you remember the Stairway to Heaven, yet another one of those things that just seem to sit out there in Hawaii nei with no decision rendered. It's been 12-years since the city planned to re-open the stairs, but here we are today, with a rusting and dangerous lure that keeps people coming before security shows up each day. The stairs were put there by the Navy; they were not intended to be part of a nature hike. But the amazing view and recreational use have proved to be an attraction for decades.
So when will something be done- either to close this trail down or fix it up? Well, perhaps as soon as we get an answer on the Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial. Ah yes, another local landmark that rusts and becomes a dangerous eyesore day after day, year after year. Why can't decisions be made on these items, not to mention dilapidated parks or buildings in dire need of repair or removal? Perhaps it's because these are tough decisions, and a group of voters won't be happy either way. Perhaps because it's easier to discuss, study, ponder, theorize, analyze, and walk away than it is to make a firm and final decision.
But one day when someone gets impaled at the Natatorium or dies in the darkness on the Stairway to Heaven, the liability vultures will be out in force, and then we really have to pay the price for our unwillingness to make tough political, community, and social decisions. I thought that's why we elect people; to decide in our best interests. So, please- decide, and then act on those decisions with authority. Think about it…