Kakaako sweeps should serve all

Kakaako Park and Kewalo Basin may have been swept of the homeless, “cleaning” the area parks for use and speculation of Ward Village buyers. But there seems to be a double standard for both enforcement of park hours by the police and maintenance of construction sites.

The Mother Waldron Park and Keawe Street sidewalks in front of the badly built and maintained Stanford Carr staging site for Keahou Lane are now being overrun by homeless people.

Those of us who already live in Kakaako amid construction sites for “urban core, workforce, mixed-use, development-oriented transit” expect equal service from the mayor, governor, media and police in enforcement of posted park hours, aesthetics of construction sites, and coverage of the homelessness issues for our island.

Mary Hardy

Kakaako

Cataluna should be more positive

Is it just me or have Lee Cataluna’s columns gotten angrier and meaner over the past year?

Her end-of-the-year diatribe includes “us versus them” gems such as “newcomers still try to boss the locals around,” “tourists still get in everyone’s way” and, “fewer are happy with the Hawaii in which they find themselves” (“In a shrinking paradise, we find common ground in ‘less’,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 30).

Says who? And what study can she cite that “newcomers managed to make money and save money while the recession drained everyone else’s savings”?

Of course every one of her columns rants on the “insanely bad” traffic.

I suggest for a New Year’s resolution she refocuses her column to be less divisive, abrasive and accusatory, and instead write about solutions our community is working on to solve our problems, our unique sense of cooperation, and our community’s display of warmth and hospitality to all.

Jeff Merz

Waikiki

Shorter rail route best alternative

Most of the debate over the rail transit system seems divided between, “Let’s get this done, darn the cost,” and, “Let’s stop this disaster now.”

The former commits the public to massive debt, but maybe in six years will get folks off the road. The latter would walk away from a billion-dollar-plus fiasco and create a new Stonehenge, Hawaii-style, that folks will wonder about 10,000 years from now.

But what about building rail only out to the Aloha Stadium/Aiea area, and running shuttles from there to downtown, Ala Moana, Waikiki and the University of Hawaii? This would get some drivers off the aggravating logjam between Kapolei and Aiea and cut costs.

It’s not ideal, but it would save huge bucks, get value from the work already done and reduce traffic.

Jim “Kimo” Kennedy

Ewa Beach

College bowls mostly duds

This has undoubtedly been the worst college bowl season ever. Most of the scores were so lopsided that the winners were obvious in the first quarter.

Hopefully the pro games playoffs will be better.

Michael Ferguson

Kakaako

Some veterans may be unstable

The letter from Deane Gonzalez regarding veterans carrying guns is not too reassuring (“Even qualified veterans denied right to carry,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 2).

Many young people over the years have volunteered to defend this country, but a few volunteer just for the chance to kill people. These people might have a legal permit to carry a weapon in some other state; it does not mean the state of Hawaii should give them the benefit of the doubt.

The safety and security of the people of Hawaii is important. I was a Marine for 30 years and do not need to carry a weapon around Honolulu looking for a fight. I believe that people have the right to own non-military-type weapons for safety in their home. Safety on the streets of Honolulu can be handled by the police.

Robert Roast

Waikiki

Prostate check can be lifesaver

I’d like to encourage older men in Hawaii with limited information on their body organs to please have their prostate glands checked.

In my case, at age 78, a problem presented itself, but by then cancer had run rampant through my body, affecting both bone and body structure.

I am currently trying to contain it and have done whatever science and technology can do.

I would really like other men, for themselves and their families, to please have their prostate glands checked regularly.

Roger Couture

Waikiki