Order returning to Chinatown

Many applaud the city’s recent passage of Bill 48 and Bill 62 to assist business areas with the no sit/lie ordinances, plus the long-await- ed public toilets and hygiene center at 126 Pauahi St. managed by Mental Health Kokua/Safe Haven. These clean and safe bathrooms are open 7 am.to 7 pm. daily with an attendant.

With Chinese New Year celebrations all month long, these public toilets will serve many more visitors.

Currently HB 227, SB 490 and SB 1368 are good attempts by legislators Suzanne Chun Oakland and Karl Rhoads to address noise and alcohol issues plaguing Chinatown for years. They deserve support to make Chinatown more affordable and livable.

Chu Lan Shubert-Kwock
Chinatown

Represent your neighborhood

It’s almost time for our neighborhood board elections — time to feel "empowered," the title of recent public meetings.

Voting — digital and by phone — runs April 23 to May 15. It couldn’t be easier choosing who should represent our neighborhoods.

If you are not a registered voter, fill out a form at www.honolulu.gov/nco.

Register as a candidate or encourage another good candidate at the site above. You just have to be a civilian, military or legal alien resident and 18 years old by Feb. 20.

Each of our 33 neighborhood board areas are unique. Balanced decisions can be made by legislators only when they receive information from those who have a real sense of community.

The neighborhood board bumper sticker says it all: "Be Heard. Do Good."

Judy Mick
Kailua

UH scientists are at your service

Through the Star-Advertiser and much of the media, formany years now, there has beena debate about whether the climate is changing in profound ways and if so, whether humans are responsible.

Many of these debates are conducted by folks who start out by saying, "I’m not a scientist, but …"

Our university’sSchool of Earth Science and Technology has knowledgeable academics across many disciplines whocan say, "I am a scientist and this is what is happening."

Isn’t it time the Star-Advertiser sent a reporter to UHto educateits readers about the facts?

Garry Francell
Waialae Nui Ridge

Keiki memories tied to open land

When I was a keiki, I remember driving to school past the big yellow trucks in the pineapple fields.

Now our keiki are driving past "ag lots" on their way to school.

It would be nice if we could find a way to keep our childhood memories tied to open space. New ag lots should be utilized to produce locally grown food on a large, systematic scale.

I wonder how the pineapple workers have been treated, from when they planted their first pineapple to now? The sale of plantation lands should be tied to labor pensions, because the laborers were the ones who did the back-breaking work.

I miss the pineapple-field days. Now I understand why my ohana has pineapple field paintings in my house.

Alex Haller
Haiku

Rep. McDermott really out of step

Reviewing proposed legislation in the current session, I see that state Rep. Bob McDermott, the uber anti-gay legislator from Ewa Beach, is continuing his attack on marriage equality with a bill to amend the state Constitution to allow only opposite-sex unions.

Will this man never give up and accept that society has moved on?

Particularly bothersome is that he is wasting the time of his colleagues on an issue that the federal courts in this circuit have made moot. Banning gay marriage is, as the Supreme Court likely willrule in June, unconstitutional.

This issue needs to be put to rest.

Andrew Thomas
Manoa