Homeless problem must be addressed

Something needs to be done about the homeless people in Hawai'i.

I saw a silver-haired, emaciated and homeless old man sitting on the sidewalk in Chinatown yesterday. It is tragic enough to be homeless; it is even more tragic to be old and homeless.

And what about children whose whole family sleeps inside a car because their parents cannot afford to pay for the increasingly high rent in Hawai'i?

Whenever it comes to choosing between food and shelter, food becomes the top priority for all people.

There must be some rich people in Hawai'i who are compassionate enough to build some cheap rental housing in Chinatown, where the land is cheaper. Even residing in a small room or studio is better than having to sleep on the sidewalk or inside a car.

Free food, shelter and basic medical care should be provided for the old, sick and mentally ill homeless people.

Besides needing help with temporary food and shelter, the young and capable homeless people may need assistance with job training or job finding, so they may become productive members of this society.

The homeless problem is not going to go away by itself. Either we tackle this problem now or face graver consequences in the future.

DOE should admit it made a mistake

It's about time the Department of Education reinstated a unified school schedule. However, by changing the original calendar, which was just fine, the DOE should not take credit for resolving the chaos it had created for parents and the enormous misuse of public funds.

Instead, the DOE should admit that the change from the old calendar negatively affected the taxpayers' pockets in so many ways. The DOE should simply admit that it made another mistake and will right the wrong.

Thank you for aiding an accident victim

A belated mahalo from an elderly lady who had an accident on King and Kaheka.

To the young couple who called 911 and made sure I was all right. To officer J. Rabago and his fellow officer who made the report and brought me home. And the paramedics, who really checked me out.

They were all so nice and sincere in their caring. I am finally fine now, and may God reward you for your good deeds.

Just sit back and enjoy watching Wie

Remember those three proverbial subjects never to debate — sex, politics and religion? Now there's a fourth: Michelle Wie. No matter which side you're on, it's a lose-lose debate. Who can really gaze into a crystal ball and know whether she's taking the right course of action for her career?

There's no question, she draws a crowd on the LPGA and PGA tours. And yes, TV ratings move up nicely when she is playing. That's all well and good for today's television ratings and sponsors. Two, three years from now, those still interested can say, "I told you so." But for now, only time will tell. And certainly time is on her side.

So for today, let's all sit back and enjoy watching a 15-year-old young lady hit a very long ball and handle herself as a seasoned veteran when she's asked, "How does it feel like when you're teeing it up with the pros?"

B&Bs offer visitors quieter experience

I am writing this letter in support of bed-and-breakfast rentals in our community. I am an independent sales representative selling several made-in-Hawai'i product lines in Hawai'i. I talk to tourists regularly about their experiences in Hawai'i.

Some love the atmosphere of staying in a big hotel/resort with the excitement of crowded beaches, wall-to-wall people on the street and an exciting night life. Others prefer the quieter atmosphere of staying in someone's home within a community. They might not be beach people but are more interested in hiking, biking, bird watching, learning about a culture, etc. They want a more personal experience.

Kama'aina love to share ethnic foods, the multicultural experience as well as their family and friends (invitations to parties, lu'au and local happenings). I know several people who operate quality B&Bs. Because they offer a homey experience, many of their guests return to Hawai'i year after year. Some have become not just visitors but friends, inviting their B&B hosts to visit them.

B&B visitors not only help our tourist industry in many ways, but they also help keep the mom-and-pop stores in our community afloat with so many of our soldiers and their families coming and going. I have also found from my discussions that B&B visitors are more apt to purchase made-in-Hawai'i products over foreign-made products. They learn about local artists, locally produced foods and the importance and value of koa and other native species.

There is a need in our community for the bed-and-breakfast experience. Hopefully, our government representatives will understand that need and act accordingly.

Human life is human life, and that includes embryos

The Honolulu Advertiser describes Ellen Goodman as "a Boston-based writer on modern social issues." It might be more accurate to identify her as a high-profile poster girl for the feel-good Cry Baby Boom generation, never one to let mere facts stand in the way of some preachy good intention or another.

A case in point is her recent assertion that human embryos are not humans ("Stem-cell debate: Embryos are not humans," June 11).

Someone should point out to Ms. Goodman that human life is just that, human life. Human embryos are not going to become frogs or pine cones or bumble bees if carried to term. And that of course is exactly the problem she would like to wish away.

In her abundant contempt for what she describes as "pro-life absolutists" — and by implication her contempt for any human life that might threaten to become inconvenient to members of her pampered, precious, pretentious generation of garrulous gasbags — she is clearly worried that Bush nominees to the high court may one day accord Roe v. Wade the same treatment given to Plessy v. Ferguson ("separate but equal") in the 1954 Brown v. Topeka Board of Education decision that doomed segregation in public schools.

Indeed, the specious Roe decision was itself grounded on outrageous, legalistic hoax: the 1965 Griswold v. Connecticut decision in which a brand-new "right" of privacy was invented out of thin air. The principal author of this activist legislation from the bench, one William O. Douglas, rationalized this Pandora's box of evil consequences by claiming the brand-new right had been lurking — undetected for more than a century and a half — in the "penumbra" of the Constitution.

Ms. Goodman and others of her inconvenience-averse, anti-life, culturally relativist persuasion have good cause to worry that the shaky house of cards — upon which the "right" to end human life depends — may soon topple. She is so worried she has been driven to utter such absurd drivel about human embryos not being human lest her position on the number of angels that can dance on this particularly cherished pinhead be seen for the humbug it is.

One can only hope The Advertiser will continue to publish her angst-ridden commentary as it heralds a growing readiness on the part of normal people to return to traditional values, certainly including a basic respect for human life from conception to natural death.

Grads reached for the stars

Today, it's easier than ever to criticize public schools, and harder than ever to get community support — no small challenge for any school principal.

More than most, Dole Middle School, two blocks from where I live, faces many daunting challenges. Its recent designation as a school not meeting federal guidelines under the No Child Left Behind Act pointedly compounds the difficulty of educating kids from our low-income neighborhoods.

So it is all the more noteworthy to highlight Dole's successes and to encourage more public involvement in our schools. Dole's two-year-old graduation program is an expanding success story worth celebrating.

Recently, 85 self-selected eighth-graders proudly "walked" in style "just like high school students" at the school's innovative graduation ceremony held in the renovated auditorium of Farrington High. Dole's unique student-incentive program recognizes academic achievement, physical fitness, parental involvement and individual persistence, and is the brainchild of the school's tireless principal, Myron Monte.

Monte is a seasoned professional, and when he took over as principal at Dole after years of working as vice principal at Farrington, he knew well the deep need for individual recognition. He quickly (and quietly) envisioned a strategy of systematic rewards for student-based excellence — even in the midst of a tough learning environment.

To be eligible for Dole's graduation program, students and their families had to make a firm, year-long commitment to read more books, run laps, direct parent conferences and set a good example for Dole's younger students. Not all students volunteered to participate, but to those who did, it has made a clear difference in their lives and in the life of the school itself.

Before principal Monte conceived the program two years ago, only 10 percent of Dole's parents were involved with the school in any way; today that figure has surged to 70 percent. This year, the school's library set a record for books in use.

Dole's graduation "plot" paid off handsomely. It was simply heartwarming to be there: to applaud the work of the school's dedicated teachers and staff, and to appreciate the disciplined music, speeches and demeanor of these very talented and eager youngsters. Farrington Principal Catherine Payne was also on hand, to welcome the graduates into Farrington's family (although some will attend other schools, including Iolani).

As each student's name was called, a video screen projected his or her personal dreams and accomplishments. No wonder these students were proclaimed to be the "Pride of Kalihi." Too bad more people couldn't share in the excitement of where the real American Dream is still happening.

Magic wands and empty slogans do not produce educational success, only determined small steps do — one student at a time, day in and day out. Anybody in education knows how frustrating it is to build institutional change, both within the school and out in the community, from student aspirations to teacher expectations, and from among the many stakeholders in public education to getting the laws and rules and funds and commitment we need, to create meaningful support for an effective educational system. Dole Middle School deserves much credit for doing a noble job in the midst of trying circumstances.

Thank you, Mr. Monte, for your caring leadership. When is the public going to recognize that good things do indeed happen in Kalihi, and in our public schools, and that even more could be done with greater community involvement and support?