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Blocked highway is being used by many

Here we go again. The entire population of the North Shore is being held hostage by the state.

The temporary road was washed out and couldn't be rebuilt until the rains and river subsided. "There's no way across the bay," we all lamented.

But wait! While the temporary road was being rebuilt, I spotted several cars driving through the original "dangerous" road known as Kamehameha Highway. It's some city workers. Minutes later, I observed police cars doing the same. Then two bicyclists rode on through. Ambulances were using the road, too. What's going on here?

Let's quit pretending that the emperor is wearing clothes. We are being bamboozled by the state. If anything, the original road is safer now than it was a month ago.

We, the people of the North Shore, need to get some backbone and say that we ARE going to use Kamehameha Highway until a viable and actively carried-forth plan is put into action.

Since we have been told that we cannot sue the state if we are hurt by falling rocks, what's the problem? All it takes is for someone with authority to say, "Open the road and let my people go."

Richard Parnell
Sunset Beach

Call in federal mountain movers

I have an idea that might work to solve the problem of the potential danger of rock slides onto Kamehameha Highway on the North Shore: Why doesn't the state ask the U.S. government for help by bringing in the Mobile Construction Battalion to solve this problem?

The Seabees moved mountains and, at the same time, were fighting the Japanese in the South Pacific. Just put a Seabee in a bulldozer and, in no time, he will bring that mountain down to size.

Antonio R. Yrizarry
Waipahu

Reopening highway would be bad decision

I nearly agree with Paul Dunn, restaurant manager of Jameson's By The Sea, when he says in your April 1 issue, "We'd like to have Cayetano open the road back up --quit wasting his time and our money on this temporary road."

To save money, perhaps it would be better for Ben to give up on the temporary road until the new road is completed in June. Or maybe Jameson's would like to pay for a rider on its liability insurance to take care of any lawsuits resulting from further acts of God, etc.

Get real here. The governor and state Department of Transportation have done a credible job wrestling with these rather incredible forces of nature. Just reopening the road, while a simple answer, is not the right one.

Scott Foster
Mokuleia

Quotables "It could be doing a lot better for its members and its members' money." Marion Higa LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR On a report from her office citing poor management of the state retirement fund "Seeing it on TV is a very powerful motivator. It's very possible it was the final, unnecessary push." Cheri Hickman A SCHOOL TEACHER AND FRIEND OF BONNIE BLAIR Reflecting on Blair's suicide on Oahu after the showing of the controversial "Final Exit" video on public access TV

Photo of house fire told the story well

Ken Sakamoto's March 31 photograph of the house fire in Moiliili was powerful. It had several great elements -- the destroyed house, the fire fighters in action and the apartments in the background, which made you feel like you knew just where this house was. Therefore, you felt a little more connected to the family.

Even though this particular fire may have been deliberately set, this photo might remind readers to stop and check their smoke alarms, to move matches and lighters away from children and to take other precautions that could possibly save lives.

Lynn Carey
Community Support Manager
American Red Cross

Hopes don't rise until property values do

Some economic indicators are ticking upward and offer a glimmer of hope for our stagnant economy. However, one indicator is still very negative.

Only when local homeowners start to see an upward trend in the value of their properties will the recovery be real in their minds. Yet home values in some areas are below what they were in the early 1980s.

Many households are stuck with negative equity situations. Others have been foreclosed upon. Forget about what the rich are buying -- they operate in a separate world.

No wonder there's been an exodus of residents and companies. And what about the lower birth rate in the islands? (Who wants to gamble on their children's future?) The politicians of this state should see these numbers as a continuing vote of no confidence.

Rick Scudder

Afternoon paper has news advantage

Afternoon newspapers have been closing across the mainland for more than a decade. The Star-Bulletin, however, has a special advantage. When it goes to press mid-morning, the business day in Washington, New York and the rest of the East Coast is over.

Thus, the Star-Bulletin has the day's important national news. And it has, of course, the closing numbers from Wall Street, with most home deliveries made by 4:30 p.m.

For this reason and others, the Star-Bulletin remains a viable proposition financially. It will do better now that Hawaii's economy is improving.

Cedric B. Cowing

More plaudits for starbulletin.com

I was happy to see Susan Jaworowski's March 30 letter to the editor congratulating your newspaper on its online efforts. I agree with her that it is excellent, but she forgot to mention one thing: It SMOKES the competition!

Mark E. Jensen

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Bulletin closing archive

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Students have good idea about fluoridation

The March 29 letter to the editor from Kailua High School sophomores Amy Young, Chad Nishizuka and Heather Huff proves there are students in the public school system who have their thinking caps on.

They wrote that fluoride should not be added to the water supply but put in the milk served with cafeteria lunches: "Maybe schools should mandate that, if they're not lactose-intolerant, all children should drink their milk, which could then be fluoridated instead of the community water system.

"This way, the fluoride would benefit the people who really need it -- the students." Good thinking.

Kathy Lau

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