My first question is: Are bicycles allowed on the sidewalks and on the boardwalk around the lagoon at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, and on the rest of the walkway along the Hilton and the Hale Koa Hotel?

Also, I am all in favor of using the Biki bikes; however, I would like riders to learn some common manners when sharing the sidewalk with pedestrians.

The riders come up behind a pedestrian and don’t bother to say that they are passing on the left side. Many times if I had taken one step to my left I would have been knocked down by a bicycle passing at a good speed.

If the riders are going to be allowed to use the sidewalks, they must be more aware of people walking and use a bell and/or announce that they are going to pass. A little common sense and a few manners will help immensely.

Janet Farquhar

Waikiki

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House homeless in police station

No sooner than the Pokai Bay Beach Park sweep was completed, the squatters set up their tents again in the park. With no enforcement nor legal long-term camping allowed in Hawaii, why not?

Across from Pokai Bay Beach Park is the new large $16 million Waianae Police Station. It has empty rooms. Let’s get creative! Remodel the station to house the Pokai Bay Beach campers. If they are unable to abide by the department rules, they can spend the night in a cell — a time-out for rule breakers.

Behind the station is a large manicured yard with a fence around it facing Pokai Bay Beach Park. Think what runs through the taxpayers’ minds to see this land fenced and locked to prevent the squatters from destroying the landscape. Yet it is perfectly OK for squatters to desecrate the beach park and its restroom across the street.

If homelessness is a crisis in Waianae, renovate the police station and open its yard for housing.

Susan Yamane-Carpenter

Waianae

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Sprinkerless condos a choice for buyers

We bought our condo knowing it didn’t have sprinklers. Other owners made the same choice. People can choose buildings with sprinklers if that is important. Don’t force owners to pay for something they don’t think is a priority or can’t afford.

The cost of retro-installing sprinklers is high. The estimate for our building is $20,000 to $30,000 per unit. That would be hard for us and could be too much for many on limited incomes. Several elderly owners tell me that they would have to sell. With few affordable rentals available, they might face homelessness.

Instead, the City Council should require buildings without sprinklers to post signs warning owners, tenants and visitors.

This is what you see at swimming pools without lifeguards. Everyone can decide the risk themselves. This would avoid putting huge costs on hundreds, possibly thousands of residents.

The City Council should let people decide for themselves and vote no on mandatory sprinklers.

Tom Sheeran

Moiliili