Save biodiversity at Turtle Bay

While wholeheartedly supporting the conservation easement agreement ("Turtle Bay deal keeps land safe from growth," Star-Advertiser, April 18), I remain committed to making sure that any development at Turtle Bay stays within the existing footprint and the survival and habitat of the indigenous, endemic, candidate, threatened and endangered species of plants and animals on the property are enhanced.

Contrary to what some people seem to think, the building of more hotels and luxury condos is not contingent on this conservation easement. I am confident that the pending legal actions against the resort will lead to a full disclosure and protection of the biodiversity found at Turtle Bay.

I sincerely hope the state releases its portion of the funds now for this epic milestone in conserving 660 acres of coastal wetland at Turtle Bay.

Angela Huntemer
Kahuku

Horner can’t avoid conflict of interest

In response to James Roller, when any appointed candidate is up for nomination, it is the public’s duty to vet the candidate and report to our elected officials ("Attacks on Horner were mean-spirited," Star-Advertiser, Letters, April 21). That is the point of public hearings.

By pointing out Don Horner’s role as a licensed pastor and member of a church, congressional candidate Kathryn Xian and others have made public Horner’s obvious conflict of interest in being the chairman of the state Board of Education.

A similar conflict of interest was overlooked in the Texas Board of Education, when an overly devout Christian was appointed to the chair. That board mandated creationism be taught alongside evolution in science classes.

Roller’s attack on Xian’s credibility in holding public office is just as baseless. As he said: "Tolerance should be extended and protected in all circumstances and to all individuals, not just when it meets a specific agenda."

That also applies to people who do not agree with you.

Ethan Porter
Kaneohe

‘Aloha Friday,’ but no ‘Happy Easter’

Each Friday, my local paper wishes me "Aloha Friday." This is uplifting to me and sets the tone for my day. On the front page of Sunday’s paper, there was no mention of "Happy Easter" or other salutation.

What’s funny is that I’m an atheist, but as a keiki o ka aina, I miss the Happy Easter salutation.

Leonard Withington Jr.
Makiki

Has society become post-Christian?

I was disappointed when I opened my newspaper Sunday morning and found no "Happy Easter" banner on the front page. Yes, I, too, was happy for Michelle Wie’s victory at the Lotte Championship, but I would have thought that you would at least have an Easter message in your editorial pages. But no, there was only a cartoon of the Easter Bunny.

I hope that it was just an oversight on your part and not a reflection that our community is becoming a post-Christian society.

David Figueira
Kapolei

Wie’s compassion, strength showed

We are totally proud of Michelle Wie’s LPGA victory on Saturday. It is truly a remarkable story of a local girl with great talent, determination and the ability to succeed.

We had the honor to pass out scorecards on the first tee Thursday morning for one of the qualifying matches. With the tragic news of the loss of hundreds of students on a South Korean ferry, the LPGA staff asked the players to wear a black ribbon in honor of those who lost their lives.

Given the importance of the game and all of the pressure placed on this young woman, we both saw a very sensitive and caring individual, who realized the horrific impact this event had on the people of Korea. While at times she has faced biased press reporting, this glimpse into Michelle’s soul and heart clearly demonstrates her compassion and understanding.

She represents the spirit of Hawaii, and we wish her all of the success in the world.

Kerry Schuman
Rich Smylie
Maunawili

Call more attention to Waikiki homeless

Thank you for Sunday’s front-page report, "Down & Out in Waikiki" (Star-Advertiser, April 20).

We need more of this front-line reporting to inform the public of the corrosive impact of the homeless on the city, and to galvanize unified community action.

According to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development statistics, Honolulu is first on the list for the 10 worst areas in homelessness. As stated in your article, state Sen. Brickwood Galuteria sums up the situation directly: "I consider homeless to be a natural disaster not unlike a tsunami of sorts, and the tone of the response should be equal to that."

The so-called problems of the University of Hawaii football team that have received considerable front-page attention are a joke compared to the local chronic homeless. Continue the good work!

Tony Locascio
Waikiki