Envision a swift ride on a magnetic rail

"Honolulu (Rapid) Rail Transit" -- quick to build and higher average speed to town. I envision the "maglev" (magnetically levitated) rail as the system to elevate Honolulu into the 21st century. With a top speed of 60 mph, the 34-mile trip will take 45 minutes. Essentially no operational noise and three years' construction time are two more important reasons for this option.

To keep costs down, integration with the city's bus hub-and-spoke system is a must. Keep the route along the old rail tracks to town to minimize land acquisition costs. Put in 5,000 free parking spaces for "park and kiss and ride" in the following locations: Kalaeloa, University of Hawaii-West Oahu, the intersection of Renton and Fort Weaver Roads, Leeward Community College, Pearl Ridge, Aloha Stadium, the Honolulu Airport, Iwilei, across Ala Moana Center in the park, and then up Ala Moana Boulevard, left up along the Ala Wai Canal, up University Avenue to UH. Finally, remember Aloha Stadium -- ensure a corrosion-proof design.

Paper should have downplayed Navy story

I am astonished about the about of time and space you used to notify us of "crimes" perpetrated by Navy personnel (Star-Bulletin, Nov. 17). It was a headline. I saw three different articles about this. With the problems in the world -- children missing from Katrina, torture allowed by the United States, Darfur, starvation in Malawi, secret prisons, people still in shelters months after the hurricanes -- there are so many other things we should be notified about and you made the lead about fraternization. Shame.

New report cards show DOE ineptitude

I rarely find myself agreeing with the Hawaii State Teachers Association about anything, but its members certainly have valid reasons for criticizing the new student report cards foisted on us by the Department of Education. A glaring example of what's wrong with these puppies: These reports have FIVE layers of what used to be called carbon copies. When my son's fifth-grade teacher apologetically peeled off the bottom copy after we had our parent-teacher conference, the impression was so faint it was unreadable. Basically, all I got was a blank yellow form. So I was startled to read in the Star-Bulletin's Nov. 21 editorial that the DOE spent five years developing these forms, with two years of testing in elementary schools.

How incompetent do you have to be to see that five layers of copies won't work? How much bureaucratic ineptitude does it take not to get signoff from the users of a form before printing tens of thousands of copies? And why does it take five years (and many high-paid DOE administrators) to develop a simple form that any reasonably intelligent group of parents could whip up in a few days?

These forms are a prime example of why our dysfunctional statewide school system should be broken up into smaller, more responsive districts with fewer administrators and more teachers.

All filled up with holiday pleasures

Three invitations there are

for my family and me this year

This I believe to be

the most invitations for Thanksgiving for me

Wanting not to eat too much or too little

but just right

Just want to try turkeys differently

along with different spices and specialties

I am filled already

What's the real deal with Waimea Valley?

How mysterious! The City Council is buying portions of Waimea Valley to supposedly preserve it (Star-Bulletin, Nov. 22). But the original settlement offered by the land owners called for the city to keep only 300 out of 1,875 acres. It would also allow the back of the valley to be subdivided into eight parcels for development of private homes.

Does the new deal allow this? How did this sacred valley ever become zoned for this use? Why are Council members not saying what the actual deal is and passing the buck to the corporation council, which is not responding as to the mysterious deal? Is there something that needs to be hushed up in order to push it through before the public and concerned organizations can voice their opinions and concerns?

How mysterious! How typical!