Have safe new year with streetwise tips
Pedestrians, especially seniors like me, need to practice and share safety tips daily when crossing the roadways. Here are a few:
» Never jaywalk or follow other violators who ignore traffic safety laws.
» Before crossing, look in all directions for oncoming traffic, wait until traffic actually stops and have the right to cross.
» While crossing, raise and wave an arm/hand.
» After dusk, avoid crossing at unsignalized crossings, especially after getting off the bus.
» Wear light-colored clothes, especially rain gear, umbrella and nonskid footwear after dusk and during rainy periods.
» When a signal is out of order, call 911.
» Practice and share these tips daily.
Have a happy and safe new year!
Neal Wu
Honolulu
Telecommuting better when mixed with rail
Thank you for
Cliff Miyake's article Monday about telecommuting. For the business person or employee, telecommuting means far less stress, a better quality of life, and both a smaller carbon footprint and less gridlock to contend with. Fewer cars on the road means less pollution, cleaner air and a cleaner environment as well as less-frustrated drivers and less road rage.
However, the reality is that we will still have to attend those business meetings and client briefings and show up in the office at times, no matter how much we can accomplish at home. But there is hope.
The city is moving forward with its light rail fixed guideway system that brings another option to commuting. Just think, we can leave our cars at home and take a ferry or connector bus to the rail line for those downtown meetings. Rail will run on a reliable schedule, without guessing how long we could be delayed in traffic due to stalled cars, accidents or bad weather.
And we can be enjoying a cup of coffee, reading the newspaper, e-mail or the Internet, or taking a nap instead of being stuck in wall-to-wall traffic on the freeway. And we would be doing something positive for our environment.
That's a win-win situation that makes good sense.
Jonn Serikawa
Honolulu
Lanikai on verge of being hotel strip
I know of a person in Lanikai who would love to be re-classified as a hotel/resort. She's just barely able to hold onto her family home taking in people in her two extra bedrooms. If she were classified as a hotel, she could add another eight or so rooms to accommodate more than enough people to cover the taxes.
Additionally, with the resort classification, she believes she could rake in a lot of extra money with a surfboard rental business there, too. Added to that, with the additional people that she could take in as a "hotel," she could get a small tour bus to shuttle people to various activities. No doubt, there are numerous other B&Bs in Lanikai that could benefit from shuttle buses when the "hotels" really kick into full gear.
Hah, Lanikai residents think they have problems now? What'll be like when they're actually surrounded by hotels?
Alan R. Wehmer
Kaneohe
Don't let tourist money dictate B&B laws
Some folks have chosen to defy the city's sensible ban on short-term vacation rentals in residential areas by turning their homes into mini-hotels. But just because they have done so is no reason to make them legal.
Enforcing the ban is not easy for established places that have repeat clients, but Internet stings are a quick, cheap and easy way to stop the proliferation of the newer ones. Those that live by the Internet can die by the Internet.
If you think enforcing the ban on illegal B&Bs is tough, think how hard it will be to enforce a cockamamie scheme to keep from having "too many" of them. Open the floodgate of legitimacy and watch the Law of Unintended Consequences turn Kailua into Waikiki East.
The issue is greed, the lure of "free" money, money you can get without work or risk, the tourist dollar paying the household bills. Please do not succumb to the blandishments of the yea-sayers. The tourist dollar is not almighty.
Victor Meyers
Kailua
Use scary aircraft to fight illegal aerials
Last month's editorial "
Police should arrest fireworks violators" (Dec. 31) was absolutely spot-on. What I don't understand, however, is why aerial fireworks are still going off despite the fact that New Year's Eve is over and Independence Day is seven full months away. Have we started a new tradition of civil disobedience in which fireworks will be exploded year round? My mother, who nearly died of cancer in 2006, currently spends most of the day in intense pain under medications and when she actually does manage to fall asleep, the detonations and flashes of powerful illegal aerial fireworks often wake her, adding to her suffering. Come on Oahu, show some kokua!
At an air show I attended, the Honolulu Police Department featured an extremely intimidating-looking helicopter. Why not put the helicopter up at night and have it orbit around a few neighborhoods, and when the illegal fireworks launch, have the aircraft shine a spotlight where the rocket trail originated? That would have an extremely deterring effect, especially if HPD squad cars were vectored to the scene. We don't need to arrest everyone, just arrest a couple violators in a public manner to serve as a psychological deterrent to the rest of the disobedient public.
We're paying taxes, it's time the HPD went to work!
Daniel P. de Gracia II
Waipahu
China economy poised for really big surge
This is the Year of the Rat, according to the lunar calendar, and the Chinese are ready to compete against the world so the United States, Japan, India and the rest of the economic powers better be ready for one unbelievable surge in the economy of China.
This is the year of the Olympics in China and the Chinese are ready to show the world the tremendous progress they have made, technologically and intellectually. They are sending their most brilliant students abroad to the most advanced and prestigious schools to study and compete against the best in the West and in Asia. I believe that in the very near future, they will be ready to compete in every aspect of the economy and also in the progress of social life. The few rich and intellectuals must also make an effort to reach the majority of the less fortunate of the humongous population of 1.3 billion.
Communism appears now to have turned to capitalism and to nationalism. All countries of the world will benefit from this change.
Toshio Chinen
Pearl City
UH showed no aloha in letting coach go
What a sad sad day for our island people our state and our hearts. UH, you took an opportunity to show great character for a school and told everyone our feelings don't matter (loyal fans, alumni and kamaainas). We already had a bad day with the loss at the Sugar Bowl.
What is wrong with you folks over there? Isn't it a priority to support your team? Your students gave everything they had, they (including the coach) should have been treated better. That loss was clearly a combination of many things.
June Jones is not perfect but he showed us how much potential we have if someone believes in them. He loved Hawaii like we all do, he came back because of that, he was part of the NFL already! There's a lot to say about that. He was sincere in his mission to make our team a winner.
You showed no aloha. Maybe "University of 50th State of America" is a better name for the school, because the name "Hawaii" has meaning and aloha goes with it. Everyone and anyone at UH that had anything to do with Jones leaving should be terminated immediately.
You failed! Our school deserves better.
Greg Kai
Honolulu
Outgoing coach lacks aloha for players, fans
June Jones' sudden and unexpected departure has left the University of Hawaii football program in shambles. He has displayed a breathtaking lack of aloha for his players, the assistant coaches, the fans and the state. Good riddance!
Rick Lloyd
Honolulu
Warriors again take laughingstock status
What a sad day for Hawaii football fans! Black Monday, one radio station called it. We have lost the best football coach we've ever had because of our deplorable athletic facilities at our one and only state "nonsupported" university. Supposedly our legislators say there's no money, but there was enough money for our part-time lawmakers to vote themselves a $20,000 a year raise last year. What could that $2 million-plus have done for those same facilities?
Now we will go back to being the laughingstock of Division 1 football as we were for the previous 30 years before Jones came along. The best and brightest of our young people will once again go off to the mainland to college because in the long run, everyone wants the pride and prestige of attending a winning school. The prestige of a scholarly marine biology department does not draw students or money from alumni, but a winning football team does. I am one alumnus who will not contribute any more money to UH, nor am I likely to attend any more games unless UH is able to get another coach like June Jones.
Amy White
Waianae
Frazier is the guy who made 12-0 possible
I am probably the only person in Hawaii who is coming to the defense of departing University of Hawaii athletic director Herman Frazier, who is being blamed as the sole person in Hawaii responsible for all the problems regarding the athletic program, which includes the poor conditions of the athletic facilities, the departure of June Jones as head coach, low pay for coaches and weak football schedule.
Let start with the schedule. Frazier's weak schedule was partially, if not entirely, responsible for the team's 12-0 season and trip to the Sugar Bowl. Who, Frazier or Jones, was responsible for preparing the football team for the Sugar Bowl matchup with Georgia? The 41-10 loss to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl was under the coaching of June Jones, who should have better prepared the football team for the speed, talent and size of the Georgia team.
As for the poor athletic facilities, departure of Jones and low coach's pay, did the UH president and Hawaii Legislature give Frazier the authority and the estimated $25-30 million to make improvements to the athletic facilities, offer Jones additional money to stay at UH and to increase the salaries of assistant coaches? Was Frazier given the $25-30 million to spend without any input, oversight or approval from the UH president or Legislature? If so, why would he not spend it to improve the athletic facilities, offer Jones additional money to stay and increase the salaries of coaches? Are the athletic facilities in worse condition than the other UH facilities?
Paul J. Watson
Mililani
Hawaii impedes its own success yet again
The Hawaii Superferry, Coach June Jones ... how do we shoot ourselves in the foot next?
How can we expect to attract the right kinds of business to keep our youth and keep the "Brain Drain" from happening, when we send messages out that says our priorities are somewhat dysfunctional? How many potential businesses have decided not to come to Hawaii after seeing the mire that the Superferry went through? It was reported that the Sugar Bowl was worth millions to the University of Hawaii, yet the cavalier attitude toward Jones' issues caused him to leave.
How will we replace this caliber of man and the athletes he can recruit for another Sugar Bowl? Auwe!
Gregory Au
Honolulu