I have just returned home from walking my dog in Manoa Valley Park. As Hoku and I walked alongside Manoa Stream, surely one of the great walks in America, yet another Fire Department helicopter hiker rescue was in progress. I see three or four a year in the park.

The operation was carried out meticulously with professional care, and required at least three flights. It is reassuring that Honolulu is able to provide such well-trained firefighters and ambulance personnel. Anyone can have an accident when hiking in our rainy forests.

Hank Chapin

Manoa

Don’t cut rail short, or it will be useless

It absolutely does not make sense to cut the rail route short, ending at Middle Street.

Rail is supposed to get you to your destination more quickly, not take longer. Who would want to take the rail to Middle Street and take the bus to downtown or Ala Moana? You might as well stop the rail construction altogether. It would be more convenient to drive your car or take the bus.

Aldemar Aglanao

Waipahu

Adding highway lanes better than adding rail

Is anyone surprised by the latest revelations of our slow-motion train wreck (“Audit slams Honolulu rail agency over management, costs,” Star-Advertiser, April 15)?

This debacle was predicted years ago by opponents. Does anyone remember University of Hawaii professor Panos Prevedouros’ detailed research and proposals?

Simply adding eight lanes above H-1 would speedily move twice the current traffic, far faster than the train, and at a fraction of the cost of this railroad. No expensive land purchases for costly parking lots and train stations, no rail-car maintenance, no train or station crews, no outdated technology and endless cost overruns, and your car is available at both ends of your commute. What’s not to love?

This stupidity — or corruption — is breathtaking.

John Corboy

Mililani

A&B, BLNR display lack of respect for public

My concern with Alexander & Baldwin attempting to wrestle East Maui’s waters is that this is a continuum of the blatant, open-faced disrespect by wealthy private companies against the public.

Even more unsettling is the support by the state Board of Land and Natural Resources for these monopoly interests. As a reminder, it was the BLNR that ratified the now-found-illegal “emergency rules” to kick opponents of the Thirty Meter Telescope off Mauna Kea.

Our island resources ought not to be held by a select few. If our leaders insist on serving only the monied, then we must forge a new direction with leaders who support us.

Kaiwiola Coakley

Nuuanu

Do we need to fortify coastlines as well?

So Donald Trump wants to build a wall on our Mexican border, with nothing said about the thousands of miles of our open coastline.

Many years ago, while living in California, I read a story in our local paper. A motorist on Highway 1 on the Big Sur coast noticed a bunch of raggedy men clustered around a phone booth. He called the highway patrol. It turned out that they had just landed from a boat and were missing their pickup ride, which was coming from Chinatown in San Francisco.

Witness all the boats carrying migrants across the Mediterranean. I guess we will also have to fortify our coastlines.

Paul Tyksinski

Kailua