WALDORF SCHOOL

392 RESIDENTS OPPOSE SCHOOL'S EXPANSION

An article in the Nov. 7 Honolulu Advertiser, "Waldorf School suing neighbors," needs clarification. I am one of those being sued.

A reader may infer that only the 21 neighbors being sued are against a high school being built in this residential area. The fact is that a petition with the signatures of 392 residents who are against the high school was submitted to the Department of Planning and Permitting at the December public hearing.

The school's director is quoted in the article as saying the lawsuit was a last resort following attempts to work with the residents, including "an unsuccessful offer to seek a resolution through mediation." The truth is that no such offer of mediation was ever made.

The neighbors being sued find the lawsuit a form of harassment and intimidation. We followed the rules and submitted a timely appeal with cogent arguments why a high school should not be built in this residential neighborhood. We have no control over what the city does.

Like most of the neighbors being sued, I am a retiree. In Hawai'i one does not sue the kupuna; one listens to them and gives due respect to what they have to say.

BLAME NEIGHBORS FOR SCHOOL CONTROVERSY

I live next door to a school in Kailua and have never dreamed of complaining about the activities that go on there. Children have a right to play and enjoy themselves in their own school.

For years, some of the neighbors of the Honolulu Waldorf School in Niu Valley have made a career out of complaining about the "disturbance" of the students. I've gone to plays in the evening there and was told to be mindful of the neighbors and "not make a sound" as we left. The school went out of its way to accept the neighbors' demands and conditions and still could not get approval for its new building.

How ironic that some of the neighbors consider the lawsuit against themselves as an "intimidation" when they have been intimidating the Waldorf School for years.

This is not the only school that members of the Niu Valley neighborhood have affected negatively. During the 2006-2007 school year, Niu Valley Middle School asked its neighborhood board to approve having TheBus come down Halema'uma'u Street 7-8 a.m. and 2-3 p.m. on weekdays.

The school's reason for this request was to protect the children from the danger of standing and walking on Kalaniana'ole Highway when they use TheBus.

The board decided that TheBus should not be allowed on Halema'uma'u Street. Yet, Halema'uma'u is certainly not a private street. How can a neighborhood board be allowed such power, especially when it affects the lives of children?

So, Honolulu Waldorf School, I heartily endorse your only recourse in dealing with such "neighbors."

DISABILITIES

FAMILIES MUST FIGHT STATE TO GET SERVICES

My response to "Legal help out of reach for many in Hawai'i" (Nov. 8) is that writer Jim Dooley failed to mention the dire need for families who need legal assistance to combat the state in order to receive mandated free and appropriate education and services for their children with disabilities.

Attorneys licensed in Hawai'i with special-education knowledge are a handful.

The Hawai'i Administrative Rules and Hawai'i Revised Statutes related to the education of children with disabilities have not been updated to reflect the current needs of Hawai'i's children with disabilities, nor the changes made in the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act almost three years ago.

With all of the federal laws and grant money available, not even the federally mandated parent training information center (www.ldahawaii.org) for parents of children with disabilities is able to provide any type of legal assistance, nor is Hawai'i Disability Rights Center capable of helping most families.

Many families would benefit from your paper's continued interest, research and reporting of this particular legal need of our residents.

PARK FACILITIES

CITY STEPPED UP TO PLATE ON HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

C. Asuncion's letter to the editor ("Let schools use city sites for 'home' games," Nov. 9) was a wild pitch.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann has been a staunch backer of high school athletics. So much so that he promptly stepped to the plate when the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association decided this past June that gender-equity issues mandated concurrent boys and girls basketball seasons in the fall and baseball and softball in the spring.

That HHSAA decision resulted in a scheduling nightmare and mad scramble for gyms and fields. It was Mayor Hannemann who immediately directed city agencies to do everything they could to accommodate the expected demand for sports facilities. As a matter of fact, thanks to his leadership, ILH basketball teams are returning to the Blaisdell Arena after an 18-year absence.

Moreover, many schools already use our parks facilities quite heavily, and we have expanded access to accommodate the demand. Many of the teams have helped in the maintenance and upkeep of the parks, making for a great partnership.

Contrary to the misinformation that seems to be circulating, the city is not denying access to our parks. Rather, it is the Department of Education and O'ahu Interscholastic Association that have been attempting to resolve some jurisdictional and liability issues involving the use of city fields and gyms. The ball is in their court.

USE ALTERNATIVES

PLASTIC BAGS HARM ENVIRONMENT, MUST GO

Already recognized in San Francisco, plastic bags are becoming a growing problem.

Kudos to those ready to bring forth a ban on plastic bags for Maui and O'ahu and are offering alternatives. It's good to see others recognize the harm that these bags pose to the environment, and inevitably contribute to our overall trash issues.

When was the last time you walked down the street and didn't see a plastic bag blow by or be stuck in a bush?

RECYCLING

PUTTING PAPER IN BLUE BINS WOULD SAVE PICKUP

The first week of recycling has gone by, and this is what I've noticed: Most of our rubbish is cardboard and paper products, such as cereal (and all food) boxes, tissue boxes, milk and juice cartons, paper towel and toilet paper rolls. If we could put these items in the blue bin, there would be no need for a second trash pickup.

Unfortunately, none of the above-mentioned items are allowed in the blue bin. The only cardboard allowed is the corrugated kind, and we didn't have any to throw away.

As far as bottles and cans, we used to put them in the blue bin years ago when there was a pilot recycling program in Mililani. That program ended and was followed by the 5-cent recycling law. Since then, our bottles and cans have gone and will continue to go to our kids' schools. Had curbside recycling been in effect islandwide back then, we wouldn't have needed the 5-cent recycling law.

Change in Hawai'i is a long and arduous process, whether it be recycling, mass transit or an interisland ferry.

GLOBAL DIMMING

AIRLINERS' VAPOR TRAIL HELPS THE ENVIRONMENT

In response to Jan Becket's Nov. 8 letter blaming airliners for global warming: I don't disagree that airliners produce a phenomenal amount of carbon dioxide. Airliners also produce a vapor trail that reflects a percentage of sunlight from ever reaching the Earth's surface. These jet vapor trails and certain industrial pollutants are producing an effect known as global dimming.

Atmospheric scientists said on the PBS show "Nova" earlier this year that global dimming may be tempering the effects of greenhouse gases by as much as 50 percent. I agree that CO2 should be dramatically reduced as soon as possible, but I would venture to say that grounding flights should probably be one of the last steps and not the first.

FARE WAR

INTERISLAND CARRIERS MUST MAKE A PROFIT

I would like to ask Mr. Kaleo Buckley, "go! lawsuit" Nov. 8, what is realistic about $9, $19, $29 or $39 fares?

The three interisland carriers collectively have lost in excess of $100 million by providing travelers with these fares. Do Mr. Buckley and others really expect these fares to "go!" on indefinitely?

Yes, air fares must go up to a reasonable level so as to provide the airlines the ability to pay their bills and offer investors and stockholders a small return on investments.

UH FOOTBALL

DRUNK TROUBLEMAKERS MARRED FOOTBALL GAME

This is my first trip to Hawai'i. I came to see the UH-Fresno State football game. First, congratulations to UH on the win, and I hope Colt Brennan is not seriously injured.

It was a great game except for a few out-of-line fans. We were sitting in the visitor's section, and there were several objects thrown at people and several near fights. The police did a good job of getting the troublemakers out.

A few years ago, June Jones complained about Fresno fans. Maybe he should take a look at how his own fans act before he passes judgment on others.

I am sure these fans were drunk. Maybe UH should consider banning beer sales.

WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR?

On the fourth Thursday of every November, Americans pause from their regular routines to share in the Thanksgiving holiday meal and to give thanks for their many blessings.

As we reflect back on this past year, it would be easy to focus on the many problems facing our state, our nation and the world.

But there is still much we can be grateful for, both large and small.

We invite you to share with our readers the blessings in your lives for which you will give thanks on Thanksgiving 2007.

Send your Thanksgiving letters to: Editorial Assistant Stacy Berry via e-mail at sberry@honoluluadvertiser.com or fax it to: 535-2415. Letters must be received by noon Nov. 19.