Don’t require sprinkler retrofits

To prevent our many pedestrian deaths, we should require all vehicles to be retrofitted with automatic braking systems.

You say that would be absurd? Well, even crazier is the proposal to force thousands of residents living peacefully in older high rises to face the high cost (many thousands of dollars) and undue stress of retrofitting their apartments with unsightly sprinklers that aren’t easily accommodated — all the while knowing that high-rise fires are extremely rare and the number of lives lost is very, very small compared with most other causes (“Panel urges mandating sprinklers for 150 condos,” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 10).

Let’s hope that sanity prevails and the City Council rejects this outrageous proposal to forcibly “protect” residents from an incredibly low-risk “problem” affecting almost nobody.

Geoff Boehm

Waikiki

—

Get fishing boat off reef quickly

Thanks to David White for his letter on the wrecked fishing vessel off Waikiki (“Why is fishing boat still stuck on reef?” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 10).

I, too, feel anger about the incompetence and inaction in removing this dangerous eyesore. The longer this goes on, the more dangerous and insulting it is to local residents.

Kaimana Beach is the preferred Waikiki beach for locals, with deep-ocean access for rough-water swimmers, surfers and paddlers in our local community.

It attracts numerous honu each day and endangered Hawaiian monk seals several times a week.

It is now an amusement park, the place for selfies for many water people day and night. It is extremely dangerous, however, and truly a blight on the oceanscape.

We already have to deal with the derelict and abandoned Waikiki Natatorium.Now the abandoned and derelict fishing boat is adding insult to injury.

The state and Coast Guard need to get this wreck out of here, and soon.

Teru Morton

Waikiki

—

We don’t wear lei when returning

In response to Mike Eberle’s criticism of the Obamas for hardly wearing lei on their many visits here (“Trump showed aloha, unlike Obama,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Nov. 9): Do you wear a lei every time you come home to Hawaii after a time away?

I don’t, and most of the visits our former president and family made were not official visits.

As one formerly involved in protocol and proper official greetings of dignitaries to our islands, I know that lei are usually not presented for non-official visits.

Still, because of his popularity here and as a kama- aina, I’m sure former President Barack Obama has worn more lei and aloha shirts in his lifetime than any other U.S. president ever did.

Jennifer Hausler

Pearl City

—

Obama showed respect for locals

In response to “Trump showed aloha, unlike Obama” (Star-Advertiser, Letters, Nov. 9), we greet guests with lei and yes, visitors and locals dress in aloha shirts.

But when locals come home, they do not require a lei greeting — they are coming home, so it is not a flashy photo opportunity.

We were President Barack Obama’s destination, not a refueling stopover on the way to meetings.

As I remember, Obama left late at night and a few times arrived in the evening, knowing how his impact would affect the locals.

That showed more respect than any photo opportunity.

I know not what the letter writer meant by “a slap in the face of all who live in Hawaii and respect its culture,” but I’ll take my day back, after being stuck in traffic due to the president’s arrival, over wearing a lei any time.

Ryan Blanchard

Waipahu

—

Fix roads, not Blaisdell Center

How can anyone with the city even be thinking about spending nearly $700 million renovating the Neal S. Blaisdell Center complex, when our roads are in such horrible condition?

I think the game plan is to let the roads deteriorate to the point that the public will accept added and increased taxes and fees to repair our roads.

Fred Metcalf

Kalihi