It was with horror and disgust that I read about developing Thomas Square into a commercial site with a “concession building” and other “features” paving over what is some of the last green space downtown (“Thomas Square will close for 6 months of city upkeep,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 10).
Sales pitch: a commemoration of a brief restoration of the Hawaiian kingdom. Real intent: more commercial activity and keep out the undesirables.
The park is a beautiful, quiet place as is. Yes, it could use more staff to keep it up.
Why not do the gardening, upgrade the bathrooms and leave it as it has been for the half century I have been using it?
We know why, and it ain’t pretty. This is but one more attempt to prove sage Kurt Vonnegut right: “We … inherited an aromatic, juicy blue-green planet, and we ate it up!”
Preserve: yes. Preen and promote for profit: no.
George Cattermole
Waikiki
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Thomas Square should stay open
It is beyond the pale for the city to ban the public and events like pet shows and arts festivals from Thomas Square for six months and longer, since it’s unheard of for the city to finish any project in the time initially announced (“Thomas Square will close for 6 months of city upkeep,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 10).
If the park is not be adequately maintained by the parks and recreation crew that also is responsible for a host of other parks, then the city needs to provide the funds and manpower to properly maintain the park — not create a new cash cow for the Department of Enterprise Services.
Thomas Davies Jr.
Waikiki
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Don’t let phones invade air peace
In response to the article about using cell phones while on airplanes, there are many studies that document the reactions of people who are subject to one side of a conversation; these reactions are not pretty (“Government proposes phone calls on flights,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 9).
So please don’t take away the last refuge from the insane cell-phone craze that has dominated the world. I could very well be the cause of the plane turning around in mid-flight, with federal authorities waiting, if I have to listen to the insane rantings of a one-sided conversation while stuck in a sardine can at 37,000 feet.
Bill Schroeder
Kailua
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Dec. 7 tribute called for rank
The 75th anniversary ceremony commemorating the Dec. 7 attack on Pearl Harbor was a memorable event, except for one omission.
The highest tribute calls for a high senior officer, i.e., an admiral, to preside at such a high solemn occasion. The “date in infamy” deserves to be remembered with the highest symbolism, such as the highest of rank.
The observance was comparable to the president of the United States presiding over the annual Veterans Day ceremony in Washington, D.C.
This is no reflection on the performance of the young junior officer, who read his script well but was not even mentioned by name or by his photo in your eight-page coverage of the event.
Kudos to staff writer William Cole, photographer Craig Kojima and the other staff members who contributed to the professional coverage of the event.
Rock Rothrock
Kahala Nui
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Tour firms must heed flood watch
Tour operators on all Hawaiian islands should never, ever engage in touring activities when a flash flood watch has been issued (“Tour operator should be liable for death,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Dec. 10). They do not have to wait for a subsequent flash flood warning to be issued.
It’s not rocket science: A flash flood watch can turn into a flash flood warning in a flash.
We all understand that tour operators want to make money from their operations. However, the folks signing up for these adventure tours rely on the competence of the tour opera- tors when it comes to something like this.
Janet Dagan
Punchbowl
