Marsh plan lacking in many key details

The Kawainui Marsh plan’s primary purpose should be the restoration, improvement and preservation of the wetlands and its wildlife inhabitants.

This thrust is not clear in the plan and therefore has been misunderstood by many.

There is little discussion about how the buildings, pavilions, parking lots, viewing platforms, bathrooms, etc., will impact the wetlands and the wildlife that is flourishing. Or, how this project will impact local traffic — no mention of use-restrictions or access control to mitigate concerns about "busloads of tourists."

Also very important: No discussion of long-term, ongoing maintenance plans — funding required, schedule for development, metrics for evaluation, staffing needed, etc.

It would be prudent to update the plan to address these concerns before more money is spent on building designs, etc.

Community buy-in is needed first.

Richard Boudreau and Don Armstrong
Kailua

Regular visitors fear loss of old Waikiki

Our congratulations for proposing the "sit-lie" bill.

What has brought us back to Hawaii, and particularly the Waikiki area since first visiting in 1969, has been the unique attractions:

» Very little loitering of vagrants on the street.

» The evening street performances along Kalakaua Avenue.

» The strong presence of police who stroll by two in the Waikiki area.

Remove these from the area, as appeared to be happening so dramatically on our visit in June, and the flavor that is almost uniquely Hawaiian is lost. As a visitor who has spent much time in the islands over these passed 45 years, I am sure that regular visitors to Hawaii are as concerned as we are, that if these attractions are lost, the Waikiki that we have loved through these years may never recover.

Alan and Diane Robins
Melbourne, Australia

Leave King’s Village as is, not for affluent

Not all Waikiki residents can shop at Prada, dine at Nobu or live in the Trump Tower.

The King’s Village that caters to less-affluent locals and tourists is proposed to be destroyed by the Kobayashi Group and replaced by a 256-unit condo-hotel, with starting prices at $1 million each. Its target market is not the average Waikiki resident.

If allowed to build 110 feet higher than current code, the Kobayashi Group will give Waikiki a paltry $1 million toward a few community projects. Waikiki should be insulted. It should be $10 million simply for permission to demolish a piece of history in order to construct a building that will burden the island’s water supply and not be useful to Waikiki residents.

Developers and government decision-makers don’t endure construction noise, increased traffic or blocked views since very few live in Waikiki. It is easy to propose and approve projects when they are not in your own back yard.

Leave King’s Village alone. Keep the Village Village.

Kim and Denise Jorgensen
Waikiki

U.S. finally opening to global sports

It’s been satisfying to see the American media admit the nation is opening up to global sports culture with the past month’s advent of World Cup football fever.

No one can deny America is changing, and coming out of its cultural shell.

Now, the next passage I await is the awakening of our political punditry to the reality of global politics.

After all, the blindness of our sports media to all the details of the world’s most popular pastime is mirrored in the myopic view of U.S. political analysts.

They are the ones who portray American-style "liberalism" and "conservatism" as representing 100 percent of the political spectrum, instead of just two center-right ideologies, which they are by international standards.

The change I await is when globalization means not the empowerment of multinational corporations, but the spread of that form of democratic populism that in nations that call soccer "football" is called "the left."

Richard Weigel
Salt Lake

Cricket is fun sport worth trying as well

If you ever need a little sporting entertainment or relaxation on a Sunday afternoon, just go out to the Kapiolani Park and watch a Honolulu cricket club match.

These cricketers will go out of their way to make you feel like one of them.

Or better yet, when out there, be invited to join a RIMPAC Australian HMAS Success navy cricket team short of a player. Be deferential to the regular team members and soon you’ll hear your name called and "you are one of our team," as they encourage and compliment your efforts and play.

Born a South African, I never ever dreamt I’d play in an Australian team, but believe me, I walked away feeling the better for it, thinking Australia can be proud of these fine sporting sailors defending their country.

Bruce Parker
Waikiki

Safety is everyone’s responsibility

It is unfortunate about the recent pedestrian fatalities in Kalihi and Kailua.

North King Street between Mokauea Street and Richard Lane is the most dangerous stretch of road for pedestrians. Unless you’ve actually crossed North King Street in this area, you have no idea how dangerous it can be.

The morning glare from the sun doesn’t help, but it is the responsibility of both drivers and pedestrians to maintain safety. To say it is totally the responsibility of the pedestrian is ridiculous.

Merely getting rid of crosswalks where there are no traffic lights would never solve the problem. People would just jaywalk.

Larry Tamashiro Jr.
Downtown