Give Coach vonAppen
a chance to rebuild

Fred vonAppen was given a football program in terrible shape. He was asked to completely change the offense from the wishbone to a more pass-oriented pro-style offense. He was given athletes recruited by Bob Wagner, who were unsuited to run a pro-style offense. VonAppen was asked to produce a winner in three short years.

It is well known that the UH Athletic Department is thinking about letting him go. Yet in two years, he has barely had the chance to recruit the type of athletes he needs, let alone had the time teach a group of run-oriented athletes how to pass.

If the UH lets vonAppen go after this year, do you think any coach worth a lick is going to want to come here -- knowing he's inheriting a football program in shambles with marginal fan support, knowing that he only has two years to build a juggernaut? Impossible.

After one-and-a-half years, vonAppen has a 5-13 record despite the difficulties of rebuilding an offense, many injuries and a lack of support. So what if he is from the mainland and does not quite understand the ways of Hawaii? At least we should show some class and honor his contract. Miracles are not produced overnight.

Gary Komenaka
(Via the Internet)

Diverse selections are few
in Maui's public libraries

I hope readers never encounter what I did when I asked a Maui librarian if just one library on the island could stock "Emerge" or "Black Collegian" for readers. She huffily responded by telling me what I already know: Hawaii's African-American community represents 3 percent of the total population base.

This librarian's implicit message was that only African Americans would be interested in finding reputable, hard-to-find coverage of substantive topics that affect people of color. Yet many of these same libraries make available "pop" magazines like "Ebony," "Essence" and "Jet."

For students who may seek research and trends available in meatier, more representative writing, I urge librarians to please think hard about how publications are selected and distributed, and about the message one sends any sector of a community that purports to welcome all comers equally.

Vernyce Dannells
(Via the Internet)

Repellent bracelet
takes bite out of mosquitoes

Your Oct. 10 Home section article on "Bug-Ban" was greatly appreciated. We do feel compelled, however, to clarify some aspects of the product.

First, the beautiful picture taken by Craig T. Kojima had a caption that may have been easily misunderstood. Bug-Ban for Adults is the white, wide band; the colored, spiral, thin band is designed specifically for keiki. In a heavily infested area, an adult would not benefit from wearing the child band -- unless perhaps wearing the child's version on an ankle while the adult band is on the wrist.

Second, while manufactured back East, "Bug-Ban" can only be purchased here through "Bug-Ban Hawaii," which is owned by Roger J. Crow, through authorized representatives, or in retail outlets such as Prosperity Corner and Kaneohe Farm Supplies.

Mahalo again for an amusing and informative article.

Kali Gregory
Public Relations
Bug-Ban Hawaii
(Via the Internet)

Promise should have been
extracted from airlines

I agree with Rowena Akana's Oct. 11 View Point column, "Governor is playing favorites," regarding Cayetano's decision to suspend airline landing fees for two years. The people of Hawaii are the losers.

From an economic viewpoint, the governor cannot expect an increase in tourists to the islands without stipulations from the airlines in the way said savings are to be spent. It would have been beneficial to both the airlines and to the people of Hawaii to allow the airlines to waive all or a portion of the landing fees in lieu of airline advertisements promoting Hawaii.

One only need see the television advertisements that Hawaiian Airlines uses in California to promote both their airline and Hawaii to understand the benefits of money well spent!

Jaread Johnson
Waianae
(Via the Internet)

Veterans want Natatorium
restored as a memorial

John T. Goss misses the point in his Oct. 8 letter about restoring the Natatorium. If we allow the memorial to be torn down, it will set a bad precedent for the destruction of other aging memorials around the country.

Memorials are in place for one reason: to remember the sacrifices made by those who went to foreign lands to preserve our freedom. The Natatorium was once unique in its designation as a "living memorial," a place where people could come, swim, reflect and remember.

Goss' suggestion that we instead set up scholarships has merit. But if you ask the living veterans what they want, the vast majority would say restore the Natatorium.

The Oahu Veterans Council, representing 35 veterans organizations in Hawaii, has been on record for many years to restore the Natatorium, including the pool. The large veteran showing in support of the Natatorium at a recent city Zoning Committee hearing bears this out.

Fred Ballard
Secretary
Oahu Veterans Council

Build new pools instead of
resurrecting Natatorium

Mayor Harris' idea to spend $11 million to restore the Natatorium has to be the dumbest idea ever. Why build a pool on the beach? If you have extra money, build a pool in Hawaii Kai, Palolo, Kalihi or in Wahiawa, where lots of kids cannot easily go to the beach.

Honoring the war dead of the first World War seems a noble idea. But it is a nebulous concept and definitely misplaced. How many people still have relevance to World War I?

If for any reason, political or otherwise, our city fathers have to build a Natatorium, how about at Kakaako Waterfront Park? No beach there would be spoiled. Or how about at Campbell Industrial Park?

That brings us to the question of motivation of support. Who is really for this idea? Support for the use of a memorial is obviously thin, if existent at all, while the need for a beach in Waikiki is obviously strong.

Gerhard C. Hamm

---

Bishop Estate Archive

---

Want to write a letter to the editor? Let all Star-Bulletin readers know what you think. Please keep your letter to about 200 words. You can send it by e-mail to letters@starbulletin.com or you can fill in the online form for a faster response. Or print it and mail it to: Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawaii 96802. Or fax it to: 523-8509. Always be sure to include your daytime phone number.