A different, scarier Halloween 60 years ago

In 1962, Halloween came early — specifically, Oct. 27 — the scariest day of the two weeks building up to the Cuban missile crisis. I was a University of Hawaii fraternity president, and we scheduled an impromptu all-night party with a UH sorority. When served lemons, we made lemonade.

That Oct. 27 was the most surreal 24 hours of my life. Three police officers visited because of the noise, but they were under stress themselves. We all felt like Hollywood actors, switching between natural and forced fun, unsure if dawn on Oct. 28 would arrive.

Fast forward to the 2018 false alert about a missile attack. I took my coffee out on the balcony overlooking Honolulu Harbor, calmly enjoying the Saturday morning, having previously been through this fire drill.

Arturo Montoya

Chinatown

Tell beachgoers to stop using soap at showers

I have spoken to many people who use shampoo at the public showers at Kailua Beach Park. They don’t seem to understand that the soap pollution runoff goes to the ocean and along the way, waterfowl and other birds and animals drink it.

Why are there no signs at beaches stating, “Do not use soaps and detergents in these showers, this is pollution”?

This needs to be addressed. My suggestion is a simple sign at all outdoor showers at all the beaches. I know homeless people might not have an alternative, but anyone with a home shower should not be doing it.

Karen Fothergill

Kailua

Consider signatures inside ballot envelopes

I completed my ballot, put it in the privacy sleeve, and then in the outer envelope, which I signed and sealed.

Having done that, and reflecting on scammers, hackers, phishers, etc., I suggest that the signature be affixed to a document on the inside of the envelope if possible in the future.

This would preclude the multitude of thieves these days from photographing it with their smartphones and using it for their evil purposes.

Gregory Correa

Makiki

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