Put bounty hunter back on TV
Lest we forget, everyone still strongly wants bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman back on TV as soon as possible. His incredibly long book-signing lines all around the country are a testament to just how real millions of his fans believe in him.
His vital crew provides a valuable service toward making criminals feel the fear and cringe at the thought that Dog and the law might be breathing down their necks. While people are drawn to his entertaining qualities, they mainly admire his drive to offer hope that those he catches can get back on the right path to a more promising future.
His presence on TV encourages communities to keep their eyes open, and to take a stand toward doing the right thing and reporting possible criminal activities. He is the only bounty hunter that Hawaii and the rest of the country look forward to seeing on TV. His commitment to keep our neighborhoods safe results in filtering the truly bad back into jail, so that the good in the rest of us can prevail.
Dog, we need you and your crew back on the air!
John Burns,
Aiea
City fixing many isle roadways
There have been some recent letters to the editor regarding the state of city streets that beg clarification. The Hannemann administration has been proactive in fixing our city roadways. The city not only patches potholes (more than 140,000 since we took office in January 2005), but also provides new road surfaces. The latter can range from a temporary "skin coat" of asphalt to complete rehabilitation of the road, as we've done on Piikoi Street, Waimano Home Road, Hind Drive, Hamakua Drive, Makakilo Drive, Tantalus Drive and streets in Mililani, to name a few.
The Department of Facility Maintenance has $3.4 million in its current fiscal year budget for skin coat resurfacing.
Just last Saturday, we blitzed the Honolulu district, filling more than 2,500 potholes using 57 tons of hot mix asphalt.
And there's more. The Department of Design and Construction has $49.75 million in this year's budget on top of $44 million last year. We've already started or completed work on Harding Avenue, Ala Wai Boulevard, Keeaumoku Street, Sheridan Street, South Street, University Avenue and Beretania Street. We've also started or are near completion of local streets in the Waipio, Crestview, Seaview and Pearl City areas.
Projects soon to start are Kilauea Avenue, Alewa Drive and various streets in Manoa including Lowrey Avenue. Projects recently bid out are Kailua Road, Kuulei Road and Lusitana Street.
Keep in mind, the state has maintenance jurisdiction over many major roadways and highways on our island and also has been working to repair roads -- the H-1, H-2 and H-3, including the on- and offramps and overpasses; Kalanianaole Highway, Kalekili Highway, Pali and Likelike highways, Nimitz Highway and Ala Moana Boulevard, Vineyard Boulevard, Kamehameha Highway, Farrington Highway, Kunia Road, Fort Weaver Road and portions of both Kalihi Street and Kaneohe Bay Drive. The bottom line is that the city is doing a lot to keep the roads smooth, and we plan to continue to do so in the coming year. Feel free to call the city's Pothole Hotline at 768-7777 and report a pothole that needs to be patched. For state roads, call 536-7852. You'll get better results than you would by writing a letter to the editor!
Laverne Higa
Director
City Department of Facility Maintenance
Biotech company gives hope to decaf drinkers
Finally, someone is coming to our rescue (
"Pacific Land buys stake in biotech coffee company," Star-Bulletin, Dec. 20)! Although I would rather have caffeinated coffee, I get the jitters and caffeine headaches on the good stuff. I'm stuck. The taste of decaf is almost unbearable. I wondered why decaf tastes so revolting, so I looked online. I wish I hadn't. The beans are either "washed" in methylene chloride or soaked in hot water to the point that they are almost flavorless.
If they can create a bean that grows decaf on the tree, tastes like a normal cup of coffee and doesn't need a bath, I'll stand in line to get a cup.
Lindsay Concepcion
Honolulu
New Orleans rolls out welcome mat for fans
I am a New Orleanian who is so thankful to share hospitality with the Hawaii fans! Sure, the Warriors are "underdogs," but I for one am rooting for you. Please enjoy your time in the Crescent City -- so many New Orleanians have worked hard to ensure you have an unforgettable experience in our city. We hope to impress you with our signature hospitality, which is as legendary as yours.
Thank you to all the Hawaii fans who traveled so far to root for your team. Eat, drink and be victorious!
Susan Sperry
Metairie, La.
Quarterback's jersey should be retired
How excited all of us Warrior football fans are that No. 15 and teammates believed. They have made Hawaii proud. They now have the country finally watching and soon will make believers of the doubters when they bring the Sugar Bowl trophy home.
No. 15, Colt Brennan -- what hasn't been said about Colt? We all know of the many records, his humbleness, his winning character, his love for Hawaii and its people. When this great season finally comes to a close, many of us would like to see the University of Hawaii properly honor Colt by showing appreciation for his efforts and achievements and contribution to UH and college football. Retire the No. 15 jersey!
Michael and Taide LeHouck
Ewa Beach
Affordable housing needed for residents
I could not believe what I read in the Star-Bulletin the other day. In
your Dec. 27 article about stagnant population growth in the Hawaii, state economist Eugene Tian stated one solution would be to create more affordable housing to encourage more people to relocate to Hawaii. This is one of the most ridiculous statements I have ever heard coming out of the mouth of a state official. We should be more concerned about creating affordable housing for locals already living in Hawaii.
The same article reported that more than 9,000 Hawaii residents have left the islands. Rather than trying to attract outsiders to relocate to Hawaii, the Hawaii government should focus on keeping locals at home and raising their standard of living.
Reid Hayashi
El Prado, N.M.
Even the gifted among us have their flaws
I was surprised to read the controversy about the reporting of the Lisa Matsumoto tragedy. We were shocked and saddened by the news of her death. But why would anyone take offense at the reporting? Of course, our sympathies are with the innocent driver who was seriously injured. Of course, Matsumoto's local fame was a focus of the news stories. But everyone, even the brightest and best among us, has flaws.
Matsumoto was certainly human but she was also incredibly gifted. Because we mourn the loss of that wonderful talent that brought so much humor and enjoyment to the Hawaii stage does not mean we do not recognize her frailty. Perhaps her tragic flaw was that the sensitivity that enabled her to write so creatively was the reason for her untimely death. To those who saw her plays, it doesn't matter how badly she died -- she deserves to be memorialized because of her gift. No one should deny her that final accolade.
Patricia S. Jones
Honolulu