The debate flows on

Thousands support restoration of memorial

"Atta Boys" for those who support the complete restoration of the Natatorium war memorial. If you have no history in Hawaii or if you have no respect for those who gave their lives for your country and your freedom, well, I guess you can't justify a total restoration of a monument for the human sacrifice made for you.

Go get 'em, Mayor Harris. There are thousands of us out here that support a complete restoration of the memorial.

Carolyn Walther
Via the Internet

Where's the proof that pool is unsafe?

It never fails to amaze me that responsible citizens and elected officials can even consider the destruction of a war memorial dedicated to those who gave their lives for our freedom.

What is even worse is that their rationale is based on speculation and imagination with no authenticated facts. On numerous occasions, I have requested that Health Director Bruce Anderson give me the bacterial count on the waters in the Natatorium when it was open to the public. He has never responded, which leaves me to believe that he has none.

On the other hand, engineering experts have unequivocally stated that the water in the Natatorium will be the same as other similarly enclosed ocean waters such as Magic Island or the Hilton Lagoon. What is sauce for the goose is not necessarily sauce for the gander, is it?

Furthermore, the memorial arch without the pool would be like Lincoln's Memorial without Lincoln's statue!

Let's face it, there is no valid reason to delay complete renovation of the Natatorium.

Mary-Jane McMurdo
Former state senator, Waikiki

Open beach honors vets more than pool

The city's forcing the restoration of the Natatorium on the citizens of Honolulu in the face of popular disapproval of the project seems incredible. It demonstrates the contempt in which city government holds us.

The city has cynically stooped to invoking patriotism as an excuse for spending $11 million to cut off the public's shoreline access to make a swimming pool that we won't be able to use, and to ruin the last scrap of Waikiki that isn't overrun with tourist development.

The city's latest gambit of trying to call it something other than a swimming pool is the most preposterous yet. You don't have to be Einstein to know that any man-made, enclosed, water-filled structure where people will swim is a swimming pool!

If we want to demonstrate our appreciation for veterans, let's build them a nice monument and give them a nice stretch of beach to enjoy. Let's not devalue their sacrifices by pretending to honor them, while depriving them and their descendants of access to the land they fought for.

Philip Moravcik
Via the Internet

Quotables "They're getting back much more than the value of the cup. It is a symbol. The Japanese take that very seriously." George Lynch 71-YEAR-OLD BIG ISLAND RESIDENT Who saw a goblet -- bearing the crest of the Japanese Imperial family -- up for auction on the Internet, successfully bid on it and is returning it to Japan in a gesture of good will "Where else do you have an event this large, this magnanimous and you don't have to pay for it?" Dexter Susuki MARKETING DIRECTOR FOR ALA MOANA CENTER Surprised at the negative community reaction to a now canceled carnival at Ala Moana Park on the Fourth of July

Speed demons abound on Pali

Those who drive the Pali Highway seem to have very short memories. It has been less than two weeks since that fatal pedestrian accident on the highway, but most other drivers don't know or don't care about observing the speed limit.

I try to drive at the 35 mile per hour limit, but cars go flying past me. What is it going to take? Another fatality?

I would love to see more HPD officers on the side of the highway with radar guns or some other deterrent. I pray that something positive will be done, before another family must deal with the loss of a loved one.

Bob Miyashiro
Kaneohe
Via the Internet

Bronster was wrong to prosecute Stone

It is clear that developer Jeff Stone was just another victim, along with many others who were forced to overpay for their fee from Bishop Estate. How could former Attorney General Margery Bronster have called Kalele Kai a "sweetheart" deal?

It's a true case of prosecutorial misconduct, which now has opened the state to the exposure of being sued because of Bronster's misuse of power.

Now will the people go after the former AG to get back and return the millions of taxpayer dollars she spent on her politically motivated investigation?

John Pang
Via the Internet

Bishop Estate Archive

Posting commandments isn't the answer

Let's see if I have this right. We have to put the Ten Commandments up in the public schools because if we don't kids won't know that it's not a good idea to kill each other. And, hey, once the Ten Commandments are posted everywhere, we'll never have to actually talk to our kids again.

What a relief. Why didn't someone think of this before ?

The Rev. Mike Young
Minister, First Unitarian Church
Via the Internet

Legislature Directory
Hawaii Revised Statutes

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