Reardon got the edge on Rainbow baseball

On Monday, Star-Bulletin sportswriter Dave Reardon wrote about the University of Hawaii Rainbows baseball team “;playing on the razor's edge.”; His articles are nearly consistently read by me (after the comics). Monday's article about the come-from-behind style of the current baseball team is a habit they need to end as these guys are, or can be, a great team!

Reardon's idea of the fans sporting mustaches is actually a fun, unifying idea that Athletic Director Jim Donovan should get behind. Fortunately, I already wear a mustache, but would gladly sacrifice it for a winning cause.

Holmes might not want to keep Kailua quiet

I just don't understand Steve Holmes and the Stop Rail Now group. Stop Rail Now has endorsed Holmes for the vacant City Council seat formerly held by the late Barbara Marshall. As a lawmaker, Marshall was a strong believer and defender of the democratic process. She also wanted to “;keep the country country”; and “;keep Kailua Kailua.”; Last November the people of Oahu voted to build rail and she respected that decision. Now comes Holmes with the backing of the Stop Rail group, who both want to undermine the decision to build rail and overturn the will of the people.

Holmes professes to be a champion of the environment and open space. Rail is good for the environment and would reduce automobile pollution and direct development and growth to west Oahu. But as an alternative to rail, Holmes proposes a third urban center for the island. Since Honolulu and Kapolei are the two urban centers we already have, a third urban area would be in Kailua, Kaneohe, Mililani, Wahiawa or Hawaii Kai, which are communities that don't want any more development.

Tell me, is this the kind of leadership that we want or need on the Council?

Volunteers enrich the lives of kupuna

On the occasion of National Volunteer Week, April 19-25, the state Department of Human Services wants to publicly thank our Senior Companion Program volunteers for improving the lives of frail kupuna throughout our state. These volunteers inspire by example by caring for those in need, while motivating others to serve.

During 2008, SCP volunteers contributed more than 105,000 hours of service statewide. They spent a minimum of 20 hours a week visiting and caring for more than 200 frail seniors, many of whom are either shut-ins or lack a viable social support network. This enriches the lives of kupuna and provides respite to their families.

SCP, a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, is sponsored locally by DHS. Hawaii residents over the age of 60 who want to serve as senior companions can learn more by calling DHS at 586-5192.

Punish the vandals, not the victims

While I'm not a Gerard Jervis fan, his recent court case sets a bad precedent for citizen's right to drink at home to keep any associated inappropriate behavior private (”;Jervis gets probation in Lanikai car chase,”; Star-Bulletin, April 8). But after teenagers were egging on Jervis and his home for the 30th time, it's unclear to me how Jervis, who had reportedly been drinking at home and was intoxicated with impaired judgment, could be held responsible for his response to that attack.

Parents, a private school and police (who thought the egging was funny) failed to train, correct or contain teenagers who had repeatedly attacked his home. Jervis was being responsible and not drinking and driving, but staying home to tie one on and he is punished while the teenagers, their parents, the police department and St. Louis School aren't held accountable.

When I was 9 years old, my dad drove me to St. Louis School late to class, for which I received corporal punishment. What kind of punishment did the teenagers involved in the egging receive?

Let's make Honolulu safer for cyclists

Our son just returned from San Francisco raving about the bike lanes there. Then he showed me an article in National Geographic praising other cities for their efforts to support biking by making their cities bike friendly. Why can't Honolulu be a safer, more bike-friendly city?

Bikes are our primary modes of transportation. Thank God for TheBus bike racks and a big thanks for TheBus drivers who are so helpful to bicyclists on the road.

Riding home from Costco, the sidewalk was under construction by McKinley High School so we crossed over Kapiolani Boulevard to the makai side of the street. Once we passed the pickup truck parked on the sidewalk and the cars in front of the carwash, also blocking the sidewalk, we crossed back to the mauka side and there was a construction truck parked on the sidewalk. Next were two pizza delivery vehicles parked on the sidewalk.

My idea? Scrap the rail plan and spend that money making Oahu/Honolulu a better, safer biking island/city.