‘Laniakea Solution’ not culturally sensitive

Your editorial, “Realign highway to resolve traffic along Laniakea” (Star-Advertiser, Our View, July 16) appears to support the map in Tuesday’s Star-Advertiser, “Laniakea Solution,” paid for by a group called Concerned North Shore Residents.

Both the editorial and the map utterly ignore the relatively intact cultural landscape of numerous pre-contact Hawaiian structures that stretch from Kahokuwelowelo Heiau on the bluff down to the highway.

I first had the privilege of visiting them in preparing the book, “Pana O‘ahu.” The proposed “Laniakea Solution” would destroy most of them, including a structure near Kahokuwelowelo that could well be the hale o papa. Years ago, Rudy Mitchel took me to a structure nearby he believed was the remains of ‘Ili‘ilikea heiau.

A road through that pasture or along the cane road above is not a culturally sensitive option. It makes far more sense to move the existing highway just a few yards mauka so that cars can park on the makai side of the road.

Jan Becket
Manoa

Park upkeep will be harder than it sounds

It’s good news about upkeep-versus-unwanted change at Ala Moana Beach Park, the people’s park (“Short-term fix,” Star-Advertiser, July 16).

But the devil will be in the details. More than the great lawn needs to be kept up. Pokey weeds have taken over the grass and beach at the Magic Island end. The best janitor was banished to Thomas Square, and the bathrooms and showers are dirty and filled with sand, with hardly a janitor in sight. Nobody pays attention to the “no soap and shampoo” signs.

It will be a mistake to paint the walkways on Magic Island blue. It will be a perfect slate for graffiti.

Larry Miike
Kaneohe

Kudos to Caldwell for reasonable park plan

Kudos to Mayor Kirk Caldwell for his reasonable plans for Ala Moana Beach Park (“Short-term fix,” Star-Advertiser, July 16).

I’ve been a resident of Oahu on and off for 55 years and that park is a major piece of a “lei of parks” that gives us all reason to know what we love about living in Hawaii.

The park has long been neglected and I am happy to hear about this plan. Let’s see it implemented as soon as possible.

Dave Moskowitz
Waikiki

Public schools still need air conditioning

As a new school year approaches, students and teachers across the state begin to mentally prepare for the first several very hot months until cooler temperatures waft into their open-air classrooms sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving.

During the height of summer, school personnel must feel that same lump in the throat that I do whenever I read about the latest air conditioning breakdown in white-collar city work environments. The last paragraph in a recent article announcing an early work release due to lack of air conditioning begins, “In an unrelated development, the city’s Kapolei Hale failed to have air conditioning for several hours Monday” (“Air-conditioning problems result in some city employees going home early,” Star- Advertiser, Breaking News, July 13).

How I would like to emend the article to read, “In an unrelated development, the state’s public schools have failed to have air conditioning since time immemorial.”

Andy Jones
Language arts teacher Radford High School

We must fight use of minors in sex trade

Ho‘ola Na Pua would like to commend everyone who participated in the effort to pass Senate Bill 265.

We worked with those who advocated for the bill and to reason with those who opposed it.

Our position has been and remains that Hawaii needs comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation.

The bill that was vetoed was intended to address significant needs in the fight against human trafficking. Children are bought and sold for sex right here in Hawaii. They are lured into sex trafficking at an alarmingly young age — the average age a child enters the sex trade is just 12. The high demand has created a market where children are ensnared through mental abuse, physical abuse, threats, coercion and rape.

Ho‘ola Na Pua is confident we can work together as a community to bring a comprehensive sex-trafficking law to Hawaii, and create a community where trafficking and exploitation are not tolerated.

Jessica Munoz
President, Ho‘ola Na Pua North Shore

Letter about flag was highlight of morning

Hector Samarripa’s eloquent response to “U.S. flag not much to brag about either” (Star-Advertiser, Letters, July 13) brought tears to my eyes (“American flag flies for our freedoms,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, July 16).

He expressed in his response, “The U.S. flag stands for freedom.”

My thanks to Mr. Samarripa. His beautifully expressed sentiments made my morning and put a jiggle in my arthritic knees to jump up and say, “I’m proud to be an American.”

Gardenia Fiatoa
Kaneohe

FROM THE FORUM

Readers of the Star-Advertiser’s online edition can respond to stories posted there. The following are some of those. Instead of names, pseudonyms are generally used online. They have been removed.

“Sex trafficking targeted at isle hotels” Star-Advertiser, July 13:

>> Hawaii is too soft on the “Johns.” It should be a federal offense with a mandatory 20-year term in jail, if you are caught seeking out underage prostitutes.

>> Why 20 years? Sadly, this country is already No. 1 in the world when it comes to prisons. Perhaps it just might be better to legalize it and regulate it like Amsterdam. Throwing people in jail for doing what comes naturally doesn’t make much sense. Improving education should help keep young girls away from prostitution. Relying on Big Brother probably will have the opposite effect.

>> A 13-year-old is not a criminal adult — she is a victim who needs legal protection.

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“Bill that eases neighborhood parking congestion advances” Star-Advertiser, July 13:

>> Seattle has a similar law. It works very well in keeping residential street parking available to the people who live there during work hours and school hours. Those without a permit to park in a particular area between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. are ticketed. There’s no cost to obtain a permit, just proof you live in the area.

>> I’m so glad that Transportation Director Michael Formby is closely reviewing this proposal. He is asking the right questions.

>> Just because you live in an area doesn’t mean you own the street parking. I feel for the residents, but it ain’t their right.

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“Hee’s tax fraud testimony fails to convince jury of innocence” Star-Advertiser, July 14:

>> It’s unbelievable the level of greed and arrogance of this guy (Albert Hee). He should be completely stripped of all assets.

>> For the amount of money the federal government was subsidizing Hee, I hope those on Hawaiian Homelands he was supposed to be serving have free high-speed Internet access and free local and long-distance telephone service. If not, he was robbing not only the government and taxpayers, but the people he was supposed to be serving as well.

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“State studies options in Laniakea ruling” Star-Advertiser, July 14:

>> The state should honor the spirit and intent of the court order by moving quickly to remove the concrete barriers.

>> Let’s be serious. The state has never moved fast on anything other than to raise taxes and waste our money.

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“CEO touts megalith across H-1, acknowledges harm to business” Star-Advertiser, July 15:

>> The way to help businesses is to patronize them in spite of the rail inconvenience, which is temporary. It will be worth the benefits we will get from rail when it is finished.

>> Rail will never be “done.” Taxpayers will forever be saddled with massive subsidies to operate and maintain rail. And like the rest of the Hawaii’s crumbling infrastructure, rail, too, will succumb.

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“150 Guard soldiers train for potential unrest” Star-Advertiser, July 15:

>> Protesters have the right to protest. But if you block the road and choose who gets to pass, that’s when the state has to respond.

>> The use of force would be a travesty. We need to find common ground, not build higher walls. Haven’t we shoved enough down the throats of Hawaiians already?

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“Short-term fix compiled for Ala Moana Beach Park” Star-Advertiser, July 16:

>> Why not do a long-term fix?

>> This is a long-term fix. Maintain what you have.

>> Monkeypod trees along Ala Moana Blvd.? Oh my! All those sticky, bean-like pods that the tree sheds will make the area a mess. More dollars spent to clean the droppings. More homeless will sleep under the trees. What a sharp mayor we have.

>> The mayor spent big bucks for a consulting firm to tell the city how to restore the park. First of all, Ala Moana is not Central Park, and what the mayor wants to do now is just common sense.

>> Caldwell is taking the heat for 81 years of neglect.