Over the past 40-plus years since Aloha Stadium opened, I have attended University of Hawaii football games for probably 30 of those years. I remember attending games at the stadium when the average attendance there was 45,000 to 50,000 fans.
Through the years when Dick Tomey, Bob Wagner, June Jones and even Greg McMackin was the head coach, the fans attended and supported the football team. With our current head Coach Nich Rolovich, the fans will be coming back.
To go back to a stadium with only 35,000 to 40,000 seats would be going backward to the old Honolulu Stadium. Let’s think out of the box, and keep the original “box.”
Consider rebuilding Aloha Stadium in sections, say knock down the mauka stands and rebuild there first. Then continue with the makai stands, and eventually, the north section and then the south section. This would spread out the costs of rebuilding; would keep the stadium in the same place, which would save millions of dollars; and reduce the costs of maintaining the original structures in phases. And the football team would be able to continue playing there during this time.
Bruce Kimura
Palolo
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ADU safeguards built into city ordinance
In an April 6 “Off the News” item, “Ensure ADUs for local renters, not tourists,” you write that the city should not ease regulations on owners of illegal vacation rental units. We can assure readers that ADUs are well-regulated to permit only long-term rental.
The ordinance allowing ADUs has built-in safeguards to prohibit ADU use as a vacation rental. The owner or designated representative must occupy the primary dwelling or ADU. ADUs must be leased for at least six months, and owners have to record this requirement in a covenant with the state Bureau of Conveyances or the Land Court.
We believe this will deter owners from short-term rental of ADUs. But if we receive a complaint about illegal ADU use, we will investigate and issue a Notice of Violation, if warranted. The city will know the exact address of each ADU that is built, making enforcement easier.
Harrison Rue
Transit-oriented development, community building administrator
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Land-trespass bills will be wasted effort
When it comes to the attempt to criminalize trespassing on state land, what a joke. We do not enforce rules or laws already. So, you want to give them a citation and fine, what a great idea — and they just move elsewhere.
Until the state/city can provide an area for the homeless to go or camp, these bills are fruitless. Homeless people are living under the H-1 freeway, and their cars are parked right next to them.
Just be honest: This is an attack on the homeless in large part, but the problem is getting out of control. We as taxpayers are paying a fortune so the state/city can help the homeless, but what is the state/city doing for us?
Clifton T. Johnson
Waikiki
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Let’s start fining slow drivers in left lane
I am in Washington, D.C., briefly and I read in the paper here that Virginia House Bill 2201 proposes to fine anyone driving slowly in the left lane $250.
As a Leeward resident, traffic is a daily struggle. It would be splendid if we could introduce something like that here.
Kent Sharrar
Ewa Beach
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Rail costs will drive more to leave state
There is a planned high-speed, 250-mile rail project, part of President Donald Trump’s planned infrastructure program, between Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth for $12 billion. Notice the 250 miles compared, to our 20-mile fiasco.
This project is anticipated to create 40,000 jobs, not employing the same group of workers over and over again like the Hawaii project has done. Obviously something is wrong here as our project is already up to $10 billion and climbing. We haven’t even gotten to the most difficult part of the plan yet, which is closest to town and to water levels — a problem I have not heard addressed yet.
No wonder more people are leaving here, compared to the number coming in — the expenses and high cost of living.
Teresa Mary Tugadi
Mililani
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Insensitive ‘rants’ are displacing caring
I am struggling to understand why the Star-Advertiser publishes nonsensical rants like the one by (my friend and former colleague) Amarjit Singh (“Uncontrolled immigration brings chaos, danger”; Island Voices, Star-Advertiser, April 5). Not only does the piece not make sense in any coherent way, but it is full of “alternative facts,” disproved in research, that are similar to the certifiably insane Donald Trump tweets.
In fact, as Amarjit is an immigrant himself, his article seems also to be full of self-hatred and identification with the aggressor (majority white population), a very sad phenomenon in and of itself.
Sadly, this piece is also part of an increasing trend involving lack of empathy for others, leading to insensitivity, marginalization and actual cruelty toward others, i.e., those unlike oneself. This trend can be seen in the brutal and cruel letters that frequent the Letters to the Editor page almost daily, especially when it come to minorities like the homeless and immigrants and the incarcerated population. Oh, how it hurts to read these cruel and hurtful letters. When did the caring disappear?
Joel Fischer
Waialae
