Until I read the article about Varona Village, I was under the misconception that these were just a cluster of old private owners on the fringe; but no, they are city rental units (“Plans to fix up Varona Village in works,” Star-Advertiser, June 12).

Reporter Gordon Pang cited city chief engineer Ross Sasamura as saying that after a recent home-by-home inspection, only one was found to be in need of an immediate repair, a house with a leaky roof.

Your lead photo on the front page belies this statement.

The front door is partly rotted away and appearing impossible to properly secure.

I drove through Varona Village and observed more than one roof in need of repair or replacement, termite and dry rot, structural damage and piles of rubbish against vacant buildings and in empty lots.

Even the meager $57 per month rent seems absurd given the condition of these homes.

Ronald A. Massey
Retired certified home inspector, Salt Lake

‘Patient advocate’ bill still has life left in it

Many have asked what happened to Senate Bill 666 honoring my wife Patty’s memory.

This is a bill to establish an emergency room “patient advocate” to resolve differences of opinion on the best course of action for family members and loved ones being treated in an ER.

The bill, introduced by Sen. Josh Green, passed both houses, but the different versions got hung up in conference committee.

The House Health Committee sought appointment of a bulky “task force” of community health representatives to formulate a plan of execution.

The Senate version stuck to a normal process, whereby experienced leaders of the state Department of Health would implement the plan by rules established with public input.

I fear that the House approach would result in studying the proposal to death.

Thus, my family and I strongly support the Senate approach.

Fred Rohlfing
Kula, Maui

Monsanto’s record seems a bit dubious

In regards to all the controversy over Monsanto and GMO (genetically modified organism) foods and animals, here are a few of the so-called humanitarian benefits created by our neighbor Monsanto:

» PCBs and dioxins: Banned in 1979.

» DDT: Banned in 1972.

» Agent Orange: Banned in 1971.

» Glyphosate (Roundup):The most widely used herbicide in the United States.

» Bovine growth hormone: Banned in Canada, Australia, Europe and many more countries.

» GMOs: Banned in 1982 in Canada, Europe and more countries.

So with a track record like Monsanto’s, what could possibly go wrong with GMO plants and animals? Perhaps everything.

Mika and Stuart Hollinger
Kilauea, Kauai

Rail AIS can’t be done until route plans done

Lately, there has been a lot of discussion regarding how to do a proper archaeological inventory survey (AIS).Should it be completed before construction begins or allowed to proceed in phases, with the construction proceeding in phases at the same time?

One concept has not been discussed enough.Can you complete a proper AIS before the final construction footprint is known? The rail project is a good example.Its project engineers and architects are not finished with their drawings for half of the project (Aloha Stadium to Ala Moana Center).There are no bid documents that tell a potential contractor exactly where and how to build this portion.

Finally, the contractor working on producing these documents has specific authority to revise earlier preliminary engineering drawings (used to prepare the AIS).

Therefore, the current rail AIS is based on outdated drawings.

Shouldn’t project coordinators wait until the project has a final construction footprint before spending time and money on an AIS?

John Brizdle
Palolo Valley

Make sure Kakaako doesn’t get overbuilt

Why can’t we have a master plan for the Kakaako area that designates certain amounts of land each for condominiums, schooling, retail, entertainment and recreational use?

Not every parcel should be used for new development and more condos and shops all over the place.

Let’s include trolleys and be pedestrian and bicycle friendly. Leave cars outside.

A sad thing is happening to that area. From Ala Moana Park, you almost can’t see the mountains any more, just rows of high rises. Do we really want this area to be our second city? Is this what our tourists want to see when they come to Hawaii? How about a well-planned community that’s not just about development and money?

Ernie Itoga
Aina Haina