Posted on: Wednesday, June 18, 2003

Letters to the Editor

And I've got a bridge to sell helmetless rider

At last, a thoughtful and well-researched letter by Ken Chapman ("Mandatory helmet law would kill more people," June 12) exposing the persistent urban myth that helmets help save lives in motorcycles crashes.

I'm sure his source materials are above reproach and would be accepted by everyone from Consumers Reports to NASA.

Now if we could just get the message out to those sissy racers at NASCAR, KART, International Grande Prix Association, the Indianapolis Speedway, the professional motorcycle circuit and to old man Evel Knievel himself. To say nothing of the helmet-wearing wimps playing football and hockey, ski racers, baseball batters, and almost every type of extreme-sport player under the sun.

We might as well include the less-than-manly construction workers, astronauts and the millions of people in the various armies around the world. They all would look so much more daring and dashing with the wind blowing wildly through their unhelmeted hair as they ply about their business of looking "cool," as I'm sure Mr. Chapman does as he rides down Haleakala Highway in his big, bold motorcycle machine.

Stay tuned for the safety myth of roll bars, seat belts, car seats and airbags: EXPOSED!

Convert the Natatorium into a volleyball arena

The ongoing sad saga of the Natatorium debacle begs for a solution.

Full restoration of a saltwater pool on a beach in Hawai'i is nonsensical. The concept of a saltwater pool is obsolete, a liability. It would be expensive to maintain and would not be used.

For the record, no one competes in saltwater pools, and for those who want to swim, Kaimana Beach and Hawai'i's abundant beaches are much better than a saltwater semi-stagnant pool.

Some well-meaning friends have said for years that they could raise money to finish, maintain and commercialize the facility. Well, time and results have proven that to be incorrect. Hence, a multimillion-dollar facelift has been sitting useless.

The Natatorium should be filled and turned into a world-class volleyball arena. Making the Natatorium a volleyball facility would serve recreational needs of many, and occasionally the facility could host major televised tournaments. This would spawn further development of a sport that finds its roots in Hawai'i — that is, beach volleyball. Few realize that Hawai'i is credited with being the birthplace of beach volleyball.

The facility has been in limbo for too many years. What a waste. Let's make good things happen by preserving the Natatorium as a volleyball arena.

LCC administration is doing a great job

Living in Japan, I am fortunate to be able to keep abreast of events in Hawai'i by reading the online Advertiser. Regarding the June 13 article about Leeward Community College ("Leeward college defends transfer"): I would like to emphasize that the LCC administration, under the inspirational leadership of Chancellor Dr. Mark Silliman, has nurtured a dynamic and innovative institution of higher learning that continues to meet the growing and ever-changing needs of our community.

The vision and experience of Interim Dean Douglas Dykstra, Interim Assistant Dean Bernadette Howard and other administrators have helped to improve the social and economic well-being of the entire Leeward community, from Pearl City and Mililani to the Wai'anae Coast.

As we commemorate the life of George T. Shiroma, a longtime Leeward Community College professor who passed away last weekend in Japan while teaching a nutrition course for the college, let us celebrate the many achievements of the entire Leeward Community College 'ohana.

Van vandalism, sign fiasco are deplorable

Regarding the June 15 front-page story "Charities' vans vandalized": What is wrong with our residents here? Where were the cops when the parasites were destroying these vans? If the vandals are suspected "young people," who are their parents, and, when known, will these parents also be held accountable for the actions of their "young people"?

Second front-page headline: "New signs of costly times: Tight city budget no hindrance to vision projects": Booooo! Thumbs-down to Mayor Harris and the City Council and to those people who approved the $576,000 for Nu'uanu Valley's community identification signs and their construction. It wasn't your money. You put a few stonemasons on the payroll, bought yourselves some votes, and made some visionaries "lucky they come live in Nu'uanu Valley."

Next election day, no thumbs-up from me. We need fiscally responsible city fathers to provide protection of vans that transport seniors and the needy, and we need to make do with less-expensive community identification signs. Mayor Harris, consider priorities.

Great vacation could have been ruined

I would like to thank the person who found my purse and took it to the post office at the Ala Moana shopping center on Friday the 13th.

I am visiting my brother and am from Savannah, Ga. My purse contained my plane ticket, credit cards, cash, etc. Nothing was missing. Replacing those items would have been a major hassle and would have ruined a great vacation.

Again, whoever you are, thank you, from my heart to yours.

Dole should be sponsor

It is time for Dole to step up to the plate — a baseball term, yes, but applicable to the Hula Bowl. Dole has always been an integral part of the territory and state of Hawai'i. Dole is the natural sponsor for the Hula Bowl. It should be the Dole Hula Bowl; what promotes fruit better than watching athletes play on a holiday?

HTA's request for secret audit is wrong

The Hawaii Tourism Authority's request that the results of an annual audit be kept confidential smacks of a conflict of interest.

The whole point of an audit is to have an independent assessment of the performance of an organization so that stakeholders can confidently determine whether the organization has met its goals.

As a state entity whose goal it is to strategically manage the growth of Hawai'i's visitor industry, Hawai'i's only industry to speak of, we all have a stake in understanding how and how well they are accomplishing that goal.

Sharon Weiner's comment that a "confidential evaluation would allow members to be more self-critical" sounds to me like someone who feels the need to hide those results from the public. Frankly, it sounds like something someone from Enron or Tyco might say.

If they are dispersing $69 million and giving themselves salaries in the $200,000 to $250,000 range, the public deserves a full and uncensored review of their successes.

Orangutan should be in a proper sanctuary

Corrections are required about Rusti's previous life as reported in your paper, "Zoo's 'very manipulative' orangutan loved by many," June 14.

Rusti was removed from his mother and hand-raised for captivity purposes, with no prior beating and biting reported. Upon arriving at Scotch Plains Zoo, Rusti had a mate who died around 1994 from an untreated respiratory virus.

Scotch Plains did not care for him. When the zoo was fined for keeping Rusti in an unheated, freezing shed, the prior retired zoo owner arranged to pay for Rusti's transfer. Rusti was to go to a sanctuary with tall climbing towers. The Orangutan Foundation International notified the New Jersey Fish and Game Commission and I-SPEAK (which documented the zoo's horrible conditions and put in an abuse complaint) that OFI was building an orangutan sanctuary with trees and spacious room. Due to that, Rusti was given to OFI.

Instead of a sanctuary, Rusti was left in a small, 1950s-style zoo cage for six years that the USDA called "inadequate for this species." OFI now states it will build a spacious sanctuary for him and wants Rusti left in a pen smaller than his present one without any climbing ability until then. OK, where did we hear that before?

Enough already. Put Rusti in a proper sanctuary he can climb trees in. Orangutans spend over 90 percent of their life off the ground in trees, not on cement or in a hammock to vegetate.

Do what's best for Rusti the orangutan

I agree with Tyris Perreira's comment ("Zoo's 'very manipulative' orangutan loved by many," June 14) that "They don't see what he's going to have." What we do see is that his owner, the Orangutan Foundation International (OFI), asked the Honolulu Zoo to house Rusti "temporarily" six years ago while it built a permanent enclosure on the Big Island for him.

We see another "temporary" enclosure for Rusti, this time at Kualoa Ranch, measuring 14 feet by 19 feet, built without any permits. We see that there are no real plans or proof of funding for the permanent enclosure. We see an investigation of OFI by the attorney general's office, and we see Kualoa Ranch's Web site advertising an "exotic zoo" in violation of current land-use permits. We see "volunteers" as his caretakers.

We also see a very reputable orangutan sanctuary, the Great Ape Center, willing to rescue Rusti. We see that Rusti deserves what will be best for him — not us.

They shoot car-nappers

A headline in The Honolulu Advertiser June l4 read: "Car thefts spur jump in O'ahu crime rate." When in the Philippines, I learned that a car-napper (a person who steals cars) was shot on sight. A law like this would reduce car thefts on O'ahu.

Lingle is approaching her position all wrong

How is Gov. Lingle doing? In the seven months since her election, Gov. Lingle has attacked the superintendent of schools, the state librarian, the president of the University of Hawai'i, the Supreme Court and the state Legislature, among others.

Regarding the Supreme Court and the state Legislature, Gov. Lingle apparently doesn't understand or appreciate the separation of powers of the judiciary and the Legislature guaranteed by our democratic form of government.

The media have reported that Gov. Lingle will be going into the districts of Democratic legislators to attack them for not supporting her administration bills. Two Republican senators voted against the governor's mental-health bill. She felt so strongly about this bill that she took what I believe was an unprecedented step for a governor: appearing at four hearings to show her support. Will the governor go into Sen. Slom's and Sen. Hogue's districts to attack them?

Has the Democratic Legislature treated Gov. Lingle fairly? It approved her Cabinet more quickly than it had approved Gov. Cayetano's first Cabinet, in spite of Gov. Lingle's long delay in submitting the names of some of her nominees. It approved Gov. Lingle's administration bills at the same rate that the Legislature had approved Gov. Cayetano's bills.

Rather than going out to the districts to oppose Democrats, Gov. Lingle should use her time more wisely to act on legislation approved by the Democratic Legislature in 2002 that would reduce the price of gasoline and prescription drugs. Gov. Lingle should also act on long-term-care legislation approved by the 2003 Legislature. These are bills that would improve the lives of all of Hawai'i's citizens.

To date, the only real accomplishment of this administration is the smooth public relations team she has assembled. Gov. Lingle's recent TV appearance to release the money to repair Ka'ewai Elementary School made for good TV. However, the money she released had been appropriated by the Democratic Legislature before Gov. Lingle was elected.

The governor really needs to do a better job of explaining her plans and programs to the Legislature and to the citizens of Hawai'i rather than attacking those who question them.