Where to move tanks is a crucial question

I am in complete agreement with Jim Slavish (“Makes sense to move fuel tanks, but where?” Letters, Star-Advertiser, Dec. 29), and frankly have been wondering when the Star-Advertiser (and other media) would get around to asking the same question. Public figures have been stumbling all over each other to grab headlines and show their dismay, but not one — to my knowledge — has come up with even a rudimentary plan for moving toward a viable alternative.

The idea of an above-ground storage facility is fraught with questions, chief among them how much space would it take, should there ever be consensus on such construction. How long would that take, and what does the Hawaii military do in the meantime? Moving a third of the current fuel stored at Red Hill to Barbers Point is only a minuscule part of any long-term solution.

Two things are clear to me: 1) We must work to protect our public water sources, and 2) We must do it in a way that does not jeopardize military readiness and security operations in the Pacific region. The Navy seems to have gotten the message on the former. Our island leadership hasn’t even begun to publicly address or even acknowledge the latter.

Mark Zeug

Kahala

Biden could decide Red Hill question

There is one person who has the power to order the U.S. Navy to remove the Red Hill tanks; that person is the commander-in- chief of the Armed Forces. Should President Joe Biden issue such an order, the Navy would have no choice but to remove the tanks. Without such an order, the Navy will continue to focus only on its strategic objectives and disregard the safety and well-being of the residents of Oahu, as well as the military dependents that have been sickened by the tainted water.

Hawaii’s delegation in Washington, D.C. — Sens. Mazie Hiro­no and Brian Schatz, and Reps. Ed Case and Kai Kahele — should request that President Biden issue such an order and remind him what happened in Flint, Mich., several years ago.

Moses Akana

Aiea

Toxic coach costs UH more than money

University of Hawaii, wake up!

What don’t you get about at least 14 players going for the transfer portal? Please get your priorities in order and protect the local and mainland players who chose to play for UH.

Please ask yourself if it’s more important to admit that you made a bad decision in hiring the wrong coach or lose the potential of having more local players stay at home and play for UH. If money is the main factor in your decision, then a greater loss will be suffered at the gate by keeping this toxic coach in place.

There are plenty of good local coaches who could do a much better job than a coach who was fired from a mainland team.

Please get your priorities in order if you want local people to support the UH program.

Al Serafin

Makiki

TMT could advance cause of education

In a recent letter, Edward Lasky says that the Thirty Meter Telescope “will probably insult Hawaiian tradition” and must not be approved (“UH doesn’t respect rights of Hawaiians,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 26). Pacific Islanders voyaged to Hawaii around 1600 and were joined by many other ethnic groups. In 1887 Bernice Bishop founded Kamehameha Schools (KS), committed to “improving the capability and well being of Native Hawaiians through education.”

KS learned over the next 300 years that cooperation with other groups was beneficial. As reported recently, its net worth is $11.2 billion and “through collaborations with partners, stewardship of our aina, and the promotion of new technologies, KS continues to fulfill our commitment to advance stronger educational outcomes for Native Hawaiian learners by investing in community leaders and organizations that provide effective learning environments for our haumana.”

This is a perfect blueprint for how to plan for, support and complete a project the magnitude of TMT, from probably the most important Hawaiian institution there is. It seems some are mired in a view of Hawaii growth not represented by the very best institutions in our society.

Imua with the best ideas to build TMT, instead of stagnation.

Ron Nagy

Kahala

Community suffers loss of bird overlook

Perched at the edge of the Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, the Betty Nagamine Bliss bird-viewing overlook was a wonderful amenity for those who trekked off the West Loch bike/pedestrian path to get a glimpse of Oahu’s dwindling waterfowl.

Its namesake was a McKinley High School teacher who, alongside her husband-to-be, championed the refuge’s construction to replace waterfowl habitat lost to the construction of the reef runway.

Tragically, the overlook was victimized by suspected arsonists a couple of weeks ago and is now a charred remnant of its former glory. It’s hard to fathom the depth of suffering that would prompt one to derive pleasure from the destruction of a wonderful civic amenity. One can only hope that the culprit(s) experience an epiphany to awaken their humanity before their criminal behaviors result in more horrendous property damage and/or harm to innocent victims.

Ron Kodama

Mililani

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