Sugar cane refuse has alternative uses

My wife and I visit the Hawaiian islands often from Australia, and would like to agree with Bobby Baker (“Find a crop that doesn’t poison us,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, July 20).

We both have asthma and find that the vog triggers attacks. It’s a shame but unavoidable. Cane smoke is avoidable, though.

We live near sugar cane growing areas at home and used to dread the burning season. Now the cane is not burned as trash, but utilized as an asset.

Sometimes it is harvested in areas that use the trash to burn in power stations feeding into the local grid. Another alternative is to use the trash as mulch in gardens. It is harvested, packed into bales and sold in garden garden supply shops. It’s excellent for enriching soil.

So there are alternatives.

Dave Robilliard
Currumbin Valley, Queensland

Express Yourself

» Write us: We welcome letters up to 150 words, and guest columns of 500-600 words. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Include your name, address and daytime telephone number.

» Mail: Letters to the Editor
Honolulu Star-Advertiser
7 Waterfront Plaza, 500 Ala Moana, Suite 210
Honolulu, HI 96813

» E-mail: letters@staradvertiser.com

» Fax: 529-4750

» Phone: 529-4831

Pearl City feeling pain of rail project

It’s a shame that rail construction is driving businesses in Pearl City to close down (“Rail work is forcing Flamingo to close,” Star-Advertiser, July 10).

What are the politicians who represents the Pearl City area doing to help prevent more business closures? The Pearl City voters should question their representatives on this serious issue.

Norman Wong
Mililani

Protect pre-contact Hawaiian structures

Thanks to Jan Becket for reminding readers of the North Shore’s rich cultural landscape (“‘Laniakea Solution’ not culturally sensitive,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, July 19).

Many agree that protecting public beach access and moving Laniakea Beach access to the makai side must be done to protect the pre-contact Hawaiian structures along the coast.

A recently released Cultural Surveys Hawaii map informed by Becket’s research clearly illustrates the feasibility of achieving this.

While Judge Gary Chang’s order focused on public beach access, access to cultural resources and traditional practices such as fishing and surfing along the shoreline also are legally protected.

In effect, Chang’s ruling will enhance the state Department of Transportation’s efforts to both protect public beach access rights and to address public safety, transportation and cultural-protection issues.

The community deserves better than slapdash barriers, continued traffic jams, haphazard and unsafe parking and inadequate infrastructure along this treasured coastline. With the insights of Becket and others, DOT will be able to do this right.

Blake McElheny
Pupukea

Homeless issue lacks sense of urgency

Harry Truman, the 33rd president of the U.S, had a desk plaque that read: “The Buck Stops Here.” Conversely, the mayor’s and governor’s desk plaques would probably say: “Pass the Buck.”

The July 19 editorial illustrates the procrastination involved in resolving the Kakaako homeless situation (“Urgent state action needed at Kakaako encampment,” Star-Advertiser, Our View). We repeatedly hear of meetings, conferences and consultations, but nothing happens except plans for more plans. There is no sense of urgency.

A sad commentary to this scenario is the local citizenry tolerating a crisis in the human condition. I would have expected the public to demand positive action by contacting their legislative representatives.

If this were near a tourist area, you can bet the power brokers would be anxious to clear it up.

Is the aloha spirit a myth?

Tony Locascio
Waikiki

Feral fowl should be relocated, not killed

The article titled “Initiative targets feral fowl overrunning city facilities” (Star-Advertiser, July 11) is very bothersome as it targets chickens across the island.

The city recently granted $80,000 to Sandwich Isle Pest Solutions to dispose of these chickens, but why not relocate them?

I have been proud to be part of a state that takes great care in preserving the lives of animals and taking their standpoints into account, no matter the size nor species. But it disgusts me that we have stooped this low.

As an alternative, I suggest that we put that $80,000 wasted on pest control to better use and, say, trap the chickens and merely relocate them. This would actually prove to be a lot more appreciative and caring as opposed to condemning hens, roosters and baby chicks to their deaths.

To merely dispose of them is inhumane.

Catherine Middleton
Waialae Iki Ridge

Shooting loose cow seemed unnecessary

While I understand the importance of public safety, where is the compassion for a poor animal that was only trying to get to a safe place (“Police kill errant cow,” Star-Advertiser, July 17).

It broke my heart to see the police shoot the cow. Was this really the only way to resolve the problem?

Maybe it was the easiest way for the police, but certainly not the most humane way for the lost animal.

Joan McCarthy
Kailua

Stryker brigade plan was costly mistake

U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye certainly supported bringing the Stryker brigade to Hawaii, but it was a decision made by the brass in the U.S. Army, approved by the brass in the Pentagon.

The U.S. Marine Corps has had the Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) since 1984, and did not bring them to Hawaii as it knew there was nowhere to train with them, and moving them anywhere would require an extensive sealift capability.

The Army in Hawaii spent millions of dollars on their “transformation” program to accommodate the Stryker on Oahu, which has proven to be a bust.

The only place that the vehicles would be able to operate is at the Pohakaloa Training Area on Hawaii island, and there should only have been a limited number there, not the number actually brought.

Lt. Col. Ken Zitz
USMC Ret.
Waialua