Kudos to Mayor Harris for community vision

This is not a political letter but rather a short note to thank the mayor of Honolulu and his staff for a job well done during the last 10 years (1994 to 2004).

Having lived on the Leeward side for the last 27 years, I have found the improvements he and his staff have planned and implemented during their years in office have been near phenomenal and unprecedented in spite of the tremendous growth in business establishments and population in Leeward and Central O'ahu.

Mayor Harris had vision and foresight to ensure that these new communities had ample space for development of parks and adequate infrastructure to coincide with the tremendous increase in population. He developed Honolulu as a model of sustainability, which prompted national magazines to name Honolulu as one of the best-managed cities in the United States.

Little guy was hurt by cruise cancellation

In your article on the Pride of Aloha cruise ship, you state that the cancellation of the one-day cruise was a positive thing for Norwegian Cruise Line. But what a negative thing it is for those who were looking forward to that cruise.

The one-day cruise would have been really special for those of us who can't spend seven days at sea or can't afford a longer cruise.

Interesting, too, that the "charity" cruise, which is mostly for VIPs such as Gov. Lingle, was not canceled. Just another case of the "little guy" being given the short end of the stick.

'Flick It and Ticket' can, should be done

I love that idea (June 16 letter "How about targeting cigarette tossing?").

I have nothing against people smoking in public areas, e.g. bus stops, parks, curbs, etc., but it is very impolite to just flick those cigarette butts while the trash can is nearby. Is it so hard to kill the butts and pick 'em up and just throw them in the trash can? This also goes for soda cans, water bottles, snack wraps and the like.

"Flick It and Ticket" — I like it, and it can be done. Singapore has done it for years and years. The city is spanking clean and marvelous.

Reuse of gray trays for footwear unsanitary

The airport security screening system has a procedure that should be reviewed and corrected, ASAP. Specifically, I refer to the continual reuse of the gray plastic trays for footwear. This is unsanitary and unpleasant.

To alleviate this problem, I suggest using plastic bags for footwear or different color trays (yellow).

Undoubtedly, passengers' safety is foremost, but their health should not be overlooked.

And don't forget our 2000 Mrs. America

Hawai'i is rightly proud of our two Miss Americas, Carolyn Sapp and Angela Baraquio, both bright and talented individuals. And yes, we should not forget Miss Universe, the vivacious Brook Lee. But, we have yet another beautiful person in Leslie Lam of Kane'ohe, who won the honor of being Mrs. America in 2000.

Thanks to the Hawai'i Visitors & Convention Bureau, Leslie was able to represent the state of Hawai'i in Washington, D.C., at the 2001 Inauguration Parade. You may recall that she graced the lead float with singer Wayne Newton. They are all great ambassadors of aloha.

GI was whistleblower

Regarding the June 28 article "Iraqis cite U.S. legacy of mistakes": I wonder if the Iraqis, terrorists and other people who still like to sound their trumpets over the abuse of those Iraqi prisoners by their American guards even remember that it was an American soldier who blew the whistle on the abuses in the first place!

State's mixed message

It is so entertaining to observe the governance of Hawai'i.

One week the school board increases requirements for graduation, including added emphasis on fine arts.

The next week the governor cuts part of the funding that helps expose students to fine arts.

The fun never ends.

There's a better way for Lunalilo on-ramp

Instead of having a trial closure of the Lunalilo Street on-ramp for the westbound H-1 freeway, the state should consider a permanent win-win solution of moving the Vineyard exit back just before the Lunalilo on-ramp. This exit would then go over the ramp from H-1's already elevated position, and back into the right lane of the freeway prior to the Ward overpass.

Lunalilo is an underutilized three-lane, one-way street between Ke'eaumoku and Ward, and thus has room to spare. This would eliminate the conflicting on-and-off merger occurring at the same place.

Thank you, kind sir, for saving my life

This letter is written to give recognition, and a huge mahalo, to the Good Samaritan who came to my assistance June 27 while my wife and I were dining at Bravo restaurant in 'Aiea.

A piece of meat became lodged in my throat while we were having dinner, and thanks to the quick response of this fellow patron in performing the Heimlich maneuver, he was able to dislodge the obstruction and save me from further choking.

Because of the anxiety of the situation, we did not get this kind gentleman's name, so I do hope he will read this. I shall be eternally grateful for his quick action.

The irony of it all

Quick ... which of the following was an actual Honolulu Advertiser headline?

• "The Pacific Ocean — now with water."
• "Japanese tourists — now from Japan."
• "Beef — now from cows."
• "Kapolei library — now with books."

Only in Hawai'i is "books in a library" news. How sad.

Recreational sport should be charge-free

What is more beautiful than watching a father or mother teaching a child to fish? In it are the intrinsic cultural values of 'ohana and taking care of the 'aina or Mother Nature and shared moments that we remember for a lifetime. The value in that is priceless and should never have a dollar value to it, especially for the National Marine Fisheries Service's accounting purposes.

There's cultural tradition in a fisherman who throws a net or dives to keep his ancestral values or, if homeless, to provide food for the family. There's dignity of being self-supporting.

Everyone of Hawaiian ancestry and their extended families of Hawai'i should be pounding down the doors of our government and saying no to charging these permit fees.

Why do we constantly keep comparing our government policies with the rest of the nation? Just because other states are charging fees for fishing doesn't make it right for our people of Hawai'i. Our government agencies advertise and talk of bringing back or having aloha, beautifying the parks and recreational areas for tourism, by keeping our the cultural history. Keep Hawai'i for the people of Hawai'i.

Room — to improve

I totally agree with Richard Wong's June 26 letter, "O'ahu needs to be more bicycle friendly." The city needs to improve the bike paths.

No more 'talk stink'; address city's issues

The mayoral campaign is picking up. Signs are marring our beautiful 'aina, and in some areas, fences carry both candidates' signs. It seems that the candidates are trying to outdo each other, all on one fence. Advertisements are hitting the media with accusations being hurled to and fro. But what is the truth?

As a born and raised local, I don't care what they say about "Locals 101," but we in Hawai'i have a unique style that is inclusive in the aloha spirit. We don't "talk stink" about others behind their backs; we deal with things straightforward. If we don't want another fiasco like that on the Manoa campus, we should find out where our mayoral candidates stand on issues rather than hear media propaganda. Then we would know whether they will pass "Locals 101."

To wit, kudos to the Waikiki Neighborhood Board for sponsoring its mayoral forum; that is the way we can find out where our candidates stand. However, I have heard that while the Hannemann camp has agreed to open debates, the Bainum camp has refused further debate formats and will only accept non-rebuttal forums. What good is it to have non-rebuttal? If our future mayor is not able to think on his feet and discuss things intelligently, what kind of image would he project before world leaders? Is that adequate representation of the people of this state?

Enough of the "talk stink" paid advertisements; let's have the people decide the truth by hearing the issues from both sides. If Bainum pushed for Bill 10 affecting farmers, as Hannemann says, let's have a discussion from both sides. If Hannemann is a longtime politician, as Bainum says, let's see how long Bainum has been in politics by bringing this up at a debate. If both candidates' attendance at council meetings was questionable, let's hear from them. Perhaps there's justification for their actions.

I encourage community organizations to push for more mayoral debates with rebuttals to get to the truth. If one camp should refuse, the reason should be brought to the attention of the news media. The presidential candidates do it; why not here?

Foundation cuts political fallout?

The state Foundation on Culture and the Arts apparently is another victim of the standards the current administration chooses to impose on the public.

The firing of the University of Hawai'i's President Evan Dobelle still is a top story, and the same relentless attitude is on to change what the Democratic-controlled Legislature allocated. From $1.2 million, the foundation's funding is reduced by nearly half, a drastic cut that can only serve to deprive Hawai'i of a most valuable asset to its residents, as well as the tourists the state spends millions on to enhance its best income-producing industry. Why?

Is it another Republican Party versus Democratic Party move? When the Republicans were able to increase their membership in the lower house, they were able to block bills of the Democratic Party, regardless of their worth to the public that those in power must serve.

What is at stake this time serves the high purposes the foundation serves. Susan Killeen defends her office by claiming "Seventy percent of its funds provide exhibits and performances, especially for children. They provide a need that isn't met elsewhere. We do not have a strong arts education in the schools right now."

In the 1960s and '70s when Alfred Preis headed the foundation, the Democratic Party under Preis' urging passed a law that required that 1 percent of the cost of all state buildings be spent on works of art. It was a profound law, passed regardless of which party won. What was important was that the arts no longer were just available to the upper crust. All ethnic minorities, regardless of class, were welcomed, and the local-born immigrants particularly could take advantage by learning about their culture and their heritage.

Preis reached out to submerged ethnic groups such as the Hawaiians, Filipinos, Samoans, etc. I worked for the foundation then. Each ethnic group was encouraged to establish its programs, and I remember going to the public schools for our dancers and singers to perform for our diverse students. It was a volunteer program at no cost to the government.

What Alfred Preis was spreading was the desire to benefit those who might never have had any exposure to artistic performances, as well as share what other ethnic groups had to offer. Killeen is right, because over the years that the foundation's funding has been reduced, many of Preis' great ideas have become hard to recover.

Preis had wisdom. Can one say the same thing about an administration whose motives should be questioned?