A few words about
elves and waterguns
and peace on Earth

Editor's note: Third-grade teacher Bernice Poole asked her students at Enchanted Lake Elementary School in Kailua to write letters to Santa Claus. Copies of these letters and many others were mailed to Santa at the North Pole.

Dear Santa,

How do you fly your sleigh? How do you get in the house? Can you buy my mom a ring and my brother a watergun? Do you like to be a Santa Claus?

We will set out milk and cookies for you. We will place them on the table.

Someday can I help, please? Is Christmas your favorite holiday?

Eric Phonesazanh

Dear Santa,

Hi, Santa. I'm Devon.

Are you old? Do you really have reindeer that can fly? I wish that I could see the reindeer that fly. Do you really live in Alaska? My teacher said that's where you live.

Are you going to put a sled on my house and clatter on the side of my house? I hope you don't fall off my roof, and I hope it won't be raining.

Devon Turcios

Dear Santa,

Hey! What are you doing up there? Well, we are doing fine today.

We all wish that it would snow here. I have some questions I would like to ask, if you don't mind.

Do you have Rudolph as your leader reindeer? Yes or no?

Also, how do you get down the chimney? Do the elves make the toys? Do the toys talk up there?

Santa, could you write back to me? Also, can you make our whole class good so we listen to our teacher?

Mahalo,

Sanoe Recca

Dear Santa,

Hi, how are you doing? My family wishes it would snow in Oahu.

How tall are the elves? Who is your favorite reindeer? Mine is Rudolph. Can you send a picture of yourself to me, please?

How can you fit in the chimneys? How can you deliver all of the children's presents in one bag? Is it like 36 degrees? How many elves do you have?

I hope you have fun traveling all over the world. I don't think I will.

Christie Momohara

P.S. What I wish for the most is the world to have peace.

Quotables "Where the bidder is the most qualified, you shouldn't be excluding him just because he's a family member." State Rep. Eric Hamakawa Interim chairman of the House Judiciary Committee On a bill to prohibit state employees from acting officially on matters involving relatives, including contract bids "We owe it to the people of Hawaii...to our sense of humanity and to the law to do what is right." David Ezra Federal judge Challenging the state to provide funding to the Department of Health in compliance with a court order on conditions at the Hawaii State Hospital

Court must get tough on drunken drivers

Police Chief Wayne Carvalho is right; many times it is the same old drunken drivers, over and over again who cause accidents (Star-Bulletin, Nov. 27).

I believe a driver with a first DUI conviction should receive a mandatory minimum loss of license, with compulsory substance abuse education. If the judge feels there is good reason to allow the driver to keep a license (so he can keep his job), then supervised half-way house residency (jail with day release for work) should be required, with frequent urinalysis checks.

Other states do this (Wyoming for one), with the inmates paying for their board costs. Simply taking a license away and imposing a whopping fine is lunacy, because they all drive again, some of them still drunk, with or without a license.

I think the idea of forfeiting a vehicle for repeat (second offense) DUI is an excellent one, for several reasons. At the very least, if the car is confiscated, it makes it that much more difficult for these unlicensed drivers to get on the road. I also think the possibility of losing the car would discourage anyone from lending a vehicle without checking that the prospective driver does in fact have a valid driver's license.

Theresa Beerman
Kamuela, Hawaii
Via the Internet

Obituary was a tribute to grandfather's life

I just wanted to thank you for the very personal and beautiful obituary that was written for my grandfather, Harry Yoshioka, (Star-Bulletin, Dec. 15). I am his second granddaughter and my father informed me that there were very nice articles coming out in both the Advertiser and the Star-Bulletin.

Since I am so far away and will not be able to make it home in time for the funeral I read both on the internet. It makes me feel good that he was appreciated so much by the community that he so loved and taught me to love as well. Thank you again.

Stacy Yoshioka
New York, N.Y.
Via the Internet

Strict gun-control laws failed at Xerox building

Calling for more gun controls in Hawaii ("More gun controls," Nov. 23) is way off the mark. It is based on that naive notion that it's the weapon that needs controlling, not the person.

The editorial's opening statement declares, "Hawaii has among the strictest gun-control laws in the country, but they failed to prevent the fatal shooting of seven Xerox employees." Despite your own bold acknowledgement that gun-control laws are a complete failure, without missing a beat you call for more of the same.

Did I miss something here? Is this some new kind of anti-logic at work? Whatever it is, it reminds me of the guy who goes to the coffee shop each day for breakfast and says, "I hate eggs. Bring me two more than I ate yesterday!"

In short, you're betting on the wrong horse. When will you and other gun-control advocates finally wake up and smell the coffee?

C.T. Marshall
Via Internet

Be patient; millennium doesn't start until 2001

I assume your organization is interested in presenting the truth to the public. Then why is almost everyone stating that the 20th century and the millennium end this year?

The truth is that the 20th century and second millennium end on Dec. 31, 2000 and the 21st century and third millennium start on Jan.1, 2001.

Why do all TV anchors, talk show hosts, newspapers, commercials get this wrong?

Look up "century" in any reputable dictionary and you will see that the 20th century years are 1901 through 2000, not 1900 through 1999.

Michael J. Skrypzak
Via the Internet

Legislature Directory
Hawaii Revised Statutes

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