Letters to the Editor
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SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
PRESERVATION PLEA FOR O'AHU'S NORTH SHORE
Two articles in The Advertiser last week inspired me to write this letter.
The first was the Nov. 30 My Communities North Shore listing that announced the Pupukea/Paumalu Ho'olaulea celebrating the preservation of 1,129 acres overlooking O'ahu's North Shore. Kudos and mahalo to the North Shore Community Land Trust, The Trust for Public Lands, the McElheny 'Ohana, Brushfire Records, the Quiksilver Foundation and the many others who made this 18-year effort a reality.
The second article was the alarming story in the Dec. 2 Business section about National Geographic Traveler magazine categorizing O'ahu as being "in serious trouble" as a vacation destination. A panel of 522 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship ranked O'ahu 104 out of 111 selected islands and archipelagos.
I hope Oaktree Capital Management, owner of more than 1,200 acres of land and five miles of oceanfront property, can meet with the community, elected leaders and government officials to consider uses other than five hotels and 1,000 condo units.
Preservation, recreation, agriculture, aquaculture, renewable energy and sustainability are all sane and responsible options to be considered.
Let's all get together and see what we can do to keep the country country.
Mark CunninghamHale'iwa
FORCE INCREASE
EDITORIAL ON ARMY MISINFORMED, UNJUST
I feel obligated to comment on The Advertiser's misinformed Nov. 26 editorial, "Army must connect with civilians on plan," which unjustly criticizes the Army for not working with the local community to plan for the stationing of additional forces in Hawai'i.
The article discusses the release of the Army's "Final Impact Analysis for Army Growth and Force Structure Realignment" dated October 2007. The impact analysis was prepared for the Department of the Army in Washington, D.C., to cover planned growth in the Army over the next several years.
In its editorial, The Advertiser complains that "it's a little distressing that the EIS distribution list — those receiving copies of the document — did not include names of state education officials and others responsible for the infrastructure serving O'ahu's population."
The fact is that this study does not even cover Hawai'i. To quote the study: "no locations outside the continental United States have been included in this analysis. Stationing locations in Hawai'i and Alaska are included for the purposes of full transparency of Army planning activities. Stationing analysis of actions with respect to these locations will be conducted separately."
The editorial goes on to chide the Army by saying: "This affords the Army a great opportunity to work closely with community, state and local leaders to ensure that communication is clear and ongoing."
The fact is that more than two years ago the Army in Hawai'i established an Army School Planning Committee with the Department of Education to address strategic planning for Army troop strength in Hawai'i. The committee meets quarterly.
Thanks for the opportunity to set the record straight.
Ken BaileyKailua
FOOTBALL
ISLANDERS SHOULD STILL SUPPORT HAWAI'I BOWL
Congratulations to all involved in the Warriors' season.
If you are an avid Warriors fan and can't make it to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl, then the next best thing you can do is support the Hawai'i Bowl.
Remember, this bowl was created so that an eligible Hawai'i team would have somewhere to go when it has a winning season. The Hawai'i Bowl is just as responsible for Hawai'i's success as this season was.
Go and support that classy Boise State football program and the WAC as a whole.
Without all of them, Hawai'i football wouldn't be where it is today. Go Warriors!
Todd HadaHonolulu
CONGRATULATIONS TO LEILEHUA FOOTBALL TEAM
Congratulations to the Leilehua football team.
It really amazes me when a school from a small town can put together a football team that can beat other teams that can recruit from all over the state. Very impressive.
Marshall KimHonolulu
EDUCATION
WAI'ANAE SCHOOLS NOT ON LIST FOR COOLING HELP
The article on Nov. 28 regarding an expenditure of $8 million for cooling systems for the hottest classrooms has me puzzled.
I live in Wai'anae and this is considered the hottest and driest side of O'ahu, but there were no schools on the Wai'anae Coast listed to receive cooling help.
Again, we are the poor, forgotten orphans. First the dump called Waimanalo Gulch, and now our schools continue to be neglected. What next?
M. A. ShepherdWai'anae
KAPI'OLANI PARK
ZOO-FENCE ARTISTS GET NO PERKS, PAY TAXES
Kapolei
TRAFFIC
SOME SIMPLE STEPS CAN CUT PEDESTRIAN RISK
King Street's crosswalks and too many other crosswalks are a recipe for disaster. King is heavily trafficked, multi-laned and has parking on both sides in many places. Keeping track of traffic makes it easy to overlook crosswalks without signals.
A few simple steps might reduce pedestrian risk. Painting the crosswalk striping yellow would make them stand out more. A row of round nonreflective raised pavement markers 50 feet before the crosswalk could give drivers an inexpensive heads up. A second row of red or yellow reflective pavement markers on the traffic side of the crosswalk could provide a valuable signal to drivers who might otherwise miss the markings at night.
Anyone who uses a cane, walker or wheelchair would be well advised to fit them with a flashing battery-operated red light, readily available at bicycle stores, to help make them more visible to drivers. Stores carrying handicapped equipment would be providing a valuable service if they offered these cheap, effective lights to customers.
Nick H. HuddlestonHonolulu
AIRBUS
LOW FARES MUSTN'T BE HURTING HAWAIIAN AIR
Personally, the Airbus has never appealed to me as a comfortable plane.
Now that Hawaiian announced it is spending $4.8 billion to buy planes made by Airbus, a European firm, I guess both my flying comfort and the dollar just got further depreciated.
In any event, I guess the lower local fares are not hurting Hawaiian's pocketbook since Hawaiian seems to have enough credit, cash, or savings from overseas call centers to buy planes priced in euros.
I wonder if Hawaiian is banking too much on a go! loss so air fares can really go up and pay for all these new toys?
Paul E. SmithHonolulu
DRIVER'S LICENSE
CITY'S VISION MACHINE NEEDS TO BE CHECKED
My experience in May with the driver's license eye test was the same as that described in letters by Loren Lee and Harold G. Loomis.
I could see nothing but a blank screen, and my doctor said all was fine. They need to have their vision machine checked; it is antiquated.
Barbara Houser'Aiea
TRANSPORTATION
FREE BUS FARES A GREAT IDEA TO EASE ISLE TRAFFIC
City Council Chairwoman Barbara Marshall's proposal for free bus rides is a great idea. It would help solve the traffic problem more than mass transit, and would cost a fraction as much.
Taxi drivers would still have plenty of business from tourists and other people who want door-to-door service without walking between bus stops.
William Starr MoakeHonolulu
EAST HONOLULU BUS CHANGES SLAP IN FACE
To call the changes in bus service to 'Aina Haina and Hawai'i Kai "improvements" is a slap in the face. The diminished services endanger the elderly and handicapped, cause people to be late for work, waste money and inconvenience the majority of the ridership.
The Department of Transportation Services has ignored every crumb of input from the ridership and neighborhood boards. Multiple petitions, letters and phone calls from both communities sent to the mayor's office and DTS are ignored or met with empty excuses and lip service.
Not a single requested improvement from the communities has been implemented. Is anybody listening?
David ChristopherHonolulu
