Kauai residents react to Superferry draft

Legislators kicked off a series of neighbor island hearings on the draft Superferry legislation yesterday with a six-hour informational briefing in Lihue, Kauai.

According to reports, over 300 community members attended the hearing at the King Kaumualii Elementary School cafeteria. Most of those present had strong concerns about the Superferry or the draft legislation, or both.

Lawmakers will meet with Maui residents this afternoon at 3 p.m. at the Baldwin High School Auditorium in Wailuku. Tomorrow they'll meet with Big Island residents at 3 p.m. at Kealakehe High School in Kailua-Kona.

Here are the stories about yesterday's hearing from The Garden Island, the Star Bulletin and the Advertiser.

First-hand accounts from the blogs ... Kauai resident Charley Foster attended the meeting and wrote about it in his blog, Planet Kauai. Joan Conrow, of Kauai Eclectic, also attended and recorded her impressions of the briefing.

See more photos from the hearing at the HI Senate Majority blog's Flickr site.