Letters to the Editor
Mahalo for sharing the life of Jack Wyatt
We would like to thank the people of Hawai'i and the staff of The Honolulu Advertiser and Honolulu Star-Bulletin for sharing the life of Jack Wyatt.
We each have different memories of our Dad and we have all shared in different parts of his life. We could not physically share in his daily jaunts and stops; however, through the outpouring of aloha and shared memories from others, we could be a part of his everyday walks around Waikiki and Manoa, his enthusiasm as he greeted everyone at the end of a race and his pleasure as he talked of school athletics. And see the simple scenes of a beautiful Hawai'i and its people through the eyes of a photographer.
Our Dad loved Hawai'i and its people. He loved his family, his lifestyle and God. He was blessed with contentment later in life, and we know he was happy.
Thank you for sharing his life with us. Services will be held on July 13, time and location pending.
Christine Wyatt, Cheryl Ferreira, Jackie Greene, Jonnel Wyatt, Chris Wyatt
Letter on Nu'uanu Valley Park in error
This letter is in response to the misinformation about the Nu'uanu Valley Park provided by Peter Armstrong (Letters, June 18), who I believe is a member of Neighborhood Board No. 12.
Armstrong indicates that, "As best as I can tell, the number of people supporting a center at that site is minuscule." Armstrong probably has not contacted any of the approximately 300 Nu'uanu Valley residents who signed a petition favoring a multi-purpose center in the valley.
He further states, "Yet, inexplicably and regardless of this resistance, the vision team continues to support this location as one of the prime sites for the proposed center." Armstrong should know that the vision team has been working with the community on this multi-purpose center for a couple of years; a consultant will soon present a final report on the pros and cons of the three sites in the valley.
The vision team plans to hold further discussions on the results of this report with the community. We hope that such organizations as Neighborhood Board No. 12, which should be representing the Nu'uanu Valley residents, will be open-minded in a site selection for this needed center.
R. Leong
Nu'uanu Valley Group
Backlash against Muslims is justified
In regard to the June 19 commentary by Bina Ahmad on racial profiling and the backlash against Muslims: I sympathize with you regarding your troubles at the airport. I, too, have sometimes been treated poorly here in Hawai'i because I am a "haole," a person of white skin in a Polynesian environment.
It's unfortunate that people are put into categories just because of their names or appearance. It's a fact of life, and I think that this is the way things are going to be for a long time, especially post-Sept. 11.
Before Muslim fundamentalist fanatics declared war on America and our way of life, Muslims were, by and large, treated decently. Now that innocent Americans are being killed just because we are Americans, things have changed.
We used to have a country that was relatively safe and offered the opportunity for a prosperous lifestyle: have a nice home, raise some kids and have the rights guaranteed by our Constitution: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Things were never perfect, and you have to deal with prejudice wherever you go. Now we have to deal with terrorism, airline death and constant threats.
If you can't understand why we Americans distrust people with head-coverings, then you will make a lousy lawyer. We are fighting for our lives and are under attack, after 226 years of freedom, because of our beliefs.
These beliefs have brought about the most prosperous, fair and successful country this good Earth has ever seen. Something very dear to us has been taken away, and to not understand our fear of your people means that you know nothing about the United States of America.
Those who do not have good intentions will be dealt with accordingly. Welcome to the 21st century and good luck.
Michael Reilly
Kane'ohe
H-Power technology is a proven winner
I continually read news articles on the future of H-Power (waste-to-energy plant). It seems that half-truths abound within the City Council.
Much of the energy being used to create these negative responses to Mayor Harris' proposal to expand the H-Power plant should be used to learn the waste-to-energy technology.
Council members Ann Koba-yashi and Gary Okino: Instead of studying an unproven new technology that is light years away, do your homework and study the present and proven one that has been in place for the last 12 years. Two facts that should be known up front that might stimulate your thinking:
- H-Power processes over 13,000 tons of garbage on O'ahu each week and turns it into usable electric power that Hawaiian Electric purchases
- H-Power runs off its own produced energy.
Anthony Brack
Wai'anae
Pay decent salaries, and police will stay
The recent meeting of all the police chiefs in Honolulu was a good way to make the public aware of the critical situation we are in, trying to retain our trained personnel.
Qualified and college-educated people are applying, but how do you keep them on the job? The bottom line is decent and comparable pay, in line with those jurisdictions to which we are losing our people: Washington state, Oregon, Nevada, etc.
The mentality of our state government (governor), which has the controlling votes in our police contractual negotiations, and the various county government negotiating teams is to not give our police officers any more money, percentage-wise, than the other public-sector unions. The governor and the counties do not want to alienate, for political reasons, the HGEA, UPW, HSTA and the firefighters union. As much as possible, they want everybody to get an equal "piece of the pie."
The powers-that-be should get away from this negative type of negotiations and pay our police officers what they rightfully deserve. Then this cliche will hold true: "If you pay them, they will stay."
Steven T.K. Burke
Retired HPD sergeant
Former SHOPO police union president
Get the facts, Doc, on wearing helmets
I believe in the right of every "adult" to choose how he decides to protect himself while in or on a vehicle. The government should not mandate what is best for our own safety. With all due respect, neither should Dr. Jack Scaff Jr.
The reason motorcycle riders receive more injuries in proportion to vehicle passengers is obvious. Unlike a person in a car, we're in the open, protected by nothing more than our skill, protective clothing and the luck of not being blindsided by an inattentive car operator. We are the true "defensive" drivers.
The facts: A large majority of the injuries motorcyclists receive is trauma to the body and not the head. On the other hand, injuries received by car passengers are mostly trauma to the head. Check the statistics. Any emergency room attendee (such as Dr. Scaff) should be able to attest to this.
As an aside, many injuries to the head cannot be alleviated by a helmet. As a whole, helmets are rendered useless in a direct impact that exceeds 15 mph. Read the disclaimer that accompanies any helmet.
Most new motorcyclists here have been through the state-sponsored Motorcycle Safety Foundation course. It is comforting to know that driver education is now mandatory in Hawai'i.
Fact: Most accidents involving motorcycles are due to three things: impairment due to alcohol or drugs; inexperienced or nonlicensed riders, and a vehicle driver's inattention to a motorcyclist.
Having said all that, I hope I chose to wear a helmet the day I go down, but until then ...
D.J. Freitas
Kane'ohe
Driving schools aren't 'ripping the people off'
I would like to comment about the June 19 letter from Derek Stephens, headlined "Stupid law."
First, he shouldn't refer to all driving schools as a whole, but to each individual school. Not all schools are, as he says, "ripping the people off."
Next, this law is not enough. The state should implement the graduated driver's licensing program other states have adopted. This law calls for the new driver to complete a series of steps ranging from a permit to a full-privilege driver's license. The driver needs to be citation- and accident-free for six months. If a citation or accident occurs within these six months, the six months start all over again.
I currently offer the whole driver education course, which covers 30 hours of driver's ed classroom and six hours of behind-the-wheel experience. The cost for the books and everything else needed to complete the course is $276.04. I feel that my fee is low and reasonable.
Yes, Derek, the Department of Education does offer the program for $10, but the state pays the instructors, who are actually teachers. It also supplies them with the use of a vehicle, a classroom and everything else they may need. The privately run driving schools need to pay for the vehicle, insurance (which must be the highest premium in the state), rent for a classroom, $1 million in liability insurance, books, office supplies, and the list goes on. So even $400 would be reasonable.
The state is currently downsizing public workers and trying to privatize every department. So why would it hire more instructors?
Mark Akiona
'Ewa Beach Driving School
Illegal parking just a sign of the times
In his complaint about cars being parked where they should not, Steve Shelby, in his June 20 letter, asks if the laws of where you can park have changed. I can only assume that either Mr. Shelby has a reserved spot or he does not have to look daily for a parking spot.
If he did, he would know that there have indeed been changes, as areas where you can park have been systematically decreased over the years. Add to that the high parking lot fees and it's easy to understand how people are tempted to park illegally. There is just no other place to park.
Time and money are not freely available for everyone trying to make a living; the risk of a ticket seems to outweigh any alternative.
Perhaps a solution would be to create a rapid-transit system that actually serves people who drive, not just those who already take the bus, like the BRT.
Jeffrey Esmond
Kane'ohe
Several volunteers make library thrive
Thank you for the wonderful article by Will Hoover on June 18 about our little Makiki library.
Although the item almost made it sound as if the library is run single-handedly by Nancy Nott and myself, nothing could be further from the truth.
The picture you printed was taken in the children's section, which is shepherded with loving care by four retired state librarians who volunteer their many hours and lend us their expertise to make it one of the best on the island (the kids love our thick pink carpet) — and where we have the latest Newberry Prize winners.
The magazines are sorted and displayed by another volunteer who devotes many hours making sure the current issues are available in our reading room.
We have volunteers who translate the titles of our Chinese, Japanese and Korean books and magazines so they can be shelved correctly, and another volunteer who lovingly cares for the science fiction donations.
We have a student from Kalani High School who volunteers his time sweeping and vacuuming — in between his participation in math competitions.
While many of our volunteers live in the community, some come from other sections of the Island — we even have a regular devotee who comes from Pearl City.
And last, but by no means least, we have a wonderful, enthusiastic, hands-on board of directors, of which I am not the "volunteer president," as Will described me, but the volunteer who was elected president at the last annual board meeting in November. (Semantics, perhaps, but not many people would volunteer as president.)
So, as you can see, we are carrying on where the last great volunteers who started it all left off. As Nancy Nott pointed out, we are a reading library, and cannot be compared with the library struggling to be born in Kapolei.
Norma Jean Nicholl
President, board of directors, Friends of Makiki Library
