PROTESTERS KILL SUPERFERRY
Voice Of Citizens Heard - People Power Wins
Honolulu Advertiser - Saturday, September 22, 2007
Citing safety concerns, Hawaii Superferry last night said it would postpone its planned service to Kaua`i indefinitely.
"A temporary delay serves the community best," Superferry officials said in a news release, one day after Gov. Linda Lingle faced a boisterous Kaua`i crowd of more than 1,100 people who were mostly opposed to the ferry.
"Hawaii Superferry has made the decision that in consideration for the safety of the community, our passengers and our dedicated employees, the resumption of service to Kaua`i will be delayed to an unspecified future date."
On Kaua`i, the decision was greeted with jubilation.
"Fantastic! What a relief! Maybe now we can let things settle down and let the courts do their job," said Richard Hoeppner, a spokesman for 1000 Friends of Kaua`i, the environmental group that brought a lawsuit seeking to bar Superferry operations until the state completed an environmental assessment.
Hoeppner said the large crowd that greeted Lingle in the sometimes tense community meeting Thursday night may have convinced Superferry and other officials that they couldn't proceed with a planned sailing to Kaua`i next week without risking a major confrontation.
Hoeppner estimated that more than 100 people were prepared to risk arrest and physically try to stop the ferry from arriving in Kaua`i.
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