City's Leeward golf links are looking good

During the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to golf at the three Leeward municipal golf courses. Although these courses are not up to par with the private ones, I was encouraged to see recent improvements being made.

The greens of the Ted Makalena Golf Course are in top shape after being converted to the tough salt-tolerant Paspallum grass. The bare spots of many fairways are getting greener with the installation of their new irrigation system.

Many of the greens at the West Loch and Ewa Villages golf courses are also being converted to the Paspallum grass and the putts are running truer. The large number of wiliwili trees killed by the wasps have been removed and the heavy overgrowth of bushes have been tended to.

While there are many more improvements to be made, hats off to the staff of the Leeward municipal golf courses for making these recent ones. Your pride in maintaining these golf courses is obvious. Mahalo.

Paying taxes is part of life in free country

Everyone must pay taxes. Your tax money is spent toward what is needed by priorities. Sometimes, politics gets involved. However, that is a way of life. Those who complain about how the tax money is spent should write to their congressman or someone. This country requires you to pay taxes or go to jail.

The only alternative is to move to another country that does not have taxes.

All of us should be glad that we live in a free country.

Vacation rental ban routinely violated

It's understandable that the Shoops from Alaska aren't privy to the local situation regarding vacation rentals. ("Regulate, don't outlaw vacation rentals," Letters, March 17). We already have the best "regulation" for the nuisances and excesses of vacation rentals in residential zones. They simply are not an allowed use. The ban has been in place for many years, and we are fortunate to have it. Many other bans exist nationally and internationally.

The fallacy of trying to control vacation rentals by other regulation is proven every day here on Oahu. In 1989, the government exercised a compromise, grandfathering existing illegal rentals and promising the rest of the community that there would be no more allowed. The grandfathered rentals are regulated by conditions and standards that are more demanding to enforce than an outright prohibition, and therefore are violated routinely. One property proudly advertises that it has a "license" and room for 17 people. The legal regulated limit is four people. How would you like 17 vacationers next to your house?

Baby-on-board alarms are needed in cars

All good parents no doubt want to keep their children safe from possible bodily damage and install the approved car seat in the back seat. No good parent believes they could ever forget their child in the back seat, or can imagine how any other parent could forget their child in the back seat ("110-degree car kills 3-year-old," Star-Bulletin, March 20).

Please, let's get smarter and realize our possible shortcomings and prevent this needless death of children. What about child seats with alarms that sound when doors are opened or some form of coordinated alarm systems to keep us from doing the unimaginable and forgetting our child in the car seat? What about an attached leash that would pull out of the car seat and tie to the driver's car door?

Where is Honolulu's roller skating rink?

All I want to see before I die is a roller skating rink in our islands. It could be run by state or private enterprise -- I don't care how as long as it gets done. Here we have someone running an ice-skating rink for years with terrific success.

Please, someone, we need help for people to have fun and stay out of trouble.

Kim will be a worthy Circuit Court judge

The Senate confirmation of the nomination of Glenn Kim as an Oahu Circuit Court judge proves that party affiliation does not always work ("Controversial judge gets OK," Star-Bulletin, March 17). I commend those who sided with Kim for their independence and wisdom.

Kim has a very impressive academic background. Being once a law student myself, I know it takes many sleepless nights, commitment and dedication to be at the top of one's class. The state judiciary has just added a super member of the bench. I sincerely wish Kim luck.