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Letters
to the Editor

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Saturday, June 10, 2000

Year-round schools are failing students

Mr. Editor, what are you doing? Improving student academics with year-round schools has failed ("Year-round schools are beneficial trend," Editorial, June 7).

There are more than 18 studies conducted between 1992-1998 that claim year-round schools fail to improve academics.

The Star-Bulletin editorial states, "...more than 2 million students in 43 states have year-round programs." It does not mention that Alabama and Florida have voted to dump year-round school schedules and return to the traditional schedule.

Also, the editorial does not mention that California, Texas, Colorado, Arizona and others are considering abandoning the year-round schedule because it did not meet original objectives.

The parents and children in Hawaii are being led into a dark abyss by principals and Department of Education administrators in order to deflect their failure with poor student achievement.

Parents must ask those administrators to present the data on student academic improvement with year-round schools.

Must Hawaii jump into the inferno again, where in five years we look back at another public education failure? We must stop destroying the futures of Hawaii's 185,000 children in the public school system.

Jim Kuroiwa Jr.

Police deserve a hefty pay raise

Honolulu Police Officer Earl T.K. Koanui, who posed undercover as a corrupt cop for two years and eight months, needs to be commended. His performance was way above and beyond the call of duty. Can you imagine the stress that he was under, not to mention the problems that were placed upon his family.

Hawaii needs to keep outstanding police officers. In order to do so, they need good pay, good benefits, and the tools that enable them to "serve and protect" the public.

Our city suddenly has the funds to make our parks beautiful, restore a much needed veterans' monument, revamp and revitalize our golf courses, redo city streets and make Waikiki beautiful. Now let's keep Honolulu that way. Give our officers the much-needed pay increase so that they can continue to do commendable work like Officer Koanui.

Gayle Nakama

Recording arts academy bungled Hoku awards

Three cheers for John Berger for exposing this year's most embarrassing Hoku moment in his May 22 article, "Willie K. best 'female vocalist?' " Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts' (HARA) president and board of governors owe us an explanation.

In 1999, Amy Hanaiali'i and Willie K. won as the group of the year. This year, Amy walked off with the award for Female Vocalist of the Year, for "Nostalgia" -- an album by Amy Hanaiali'i and Willie K.

Either Amy's a vocalist (as were the legitimate nominees in that category) or she's one-half of a duo, properly placed in the category of Group of the Year as best performance by a duo or group.

And since the Male Vocalist of the Year category was subtitled best performance by a male artist, why was the Female Vocalist of the Year category (this year) subtitled best performance by a duo or group? Was HARA leadership afraid that Amy and Willie would fail to win if placed in the Group of the Year category where they belonged?

All voting members of the academy -- not just the rightful nominees in the Female Vocalist category -- should be indignant. Recording artists work hard at their craft and deserve to be judged equally and fairly. HARA's leadership should be held accountable for the rule changes that benefit favored record labels and recording artists.

Mahina Moore

Quotables "There is panic, fear, general uncertainty. Businesses are affected. Things were shut down for a number of days immediately following the coup." Taiyab Khan HONOLULU RESIDENT AND AN ETHNIC INDIAN WHO CONSIDERS HIMSELF A FIJIAN On the May 19 coup in Fiji in which indigenous Fijian George Speight took the first elected ethnic Indian prime minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, and 20 cabinet members hostage "We will be able to rest now that everything is back to normal." Tom Grensell MANAGER, SURF AND SEA HAWAII On the reopening of Kamehameha Highway near Waimea Bay three months after it was closed by a rock slide

Editorial was wrong about judge's action

Although, as the court's special master in the Felix case, I really should not be communicating directly with any member of the media, I do feel the need to respond to the essentially inaccurate factual statements contained in the June 1 editorial regarding the Felix Decree.

I make no comment regarding the opinions expressed in the editorial. Unfortunately, however, the facts upon which that opinion is based are simply false.

In Judge Ezra's order granting the plaintiffs' motion to find the state in contempt, he did NOT give the superintendent of education, the health director, or the special master "powers to override state laws, rules, regulations, and collective bargaining contracts that inhibit compliance." Additionally, he did not order "an override of state laws, administrative rules and union contracts."

In fact, the judge has left for further hearings and resolution what remedies the court may impose if the state does not bring itself into compliance with the requirements of the Felix Decree.

Your editorial has generated undue and unnecessary concerns which, at least over the short term, inhibit the efforts of the court and others to find ways to reach compliance.

It is inconceivable to me how the Star-Bulletin could have gotten this very important matter so wrong. In a nutshell, Judge Ezra, at least as of the present time, has ordered NO remedy. He has simply found the state in contempt.

Jeffrey S. Portnoy
Cades Schutte Fleming & Wright
Attorneys at Law

Radford graduation at stadium was success

Radford High School's graduation at Aloha Stadium on May 26 was uplifting and memorable. Those who experience the planning of such a major event as graduation know that communication, organization and coordination occur months in advance.

As such, I wish publicly to thank Edwin Hayashi, stadium manager, for facilitating the process so that we would have the use of the facility rent free for our graduation and reception. He and his staff made every effort to provide for the safety and security of our graduates, parents, staff and guests.

When our graduation advisers initially approached the Aloha Stadium with the idea of holding our graduation at the facility, the entire stadium staff was encouraging, open and receptive. They took the time to cover the basics clearly and professionally, and personally took our group on a tour of the facility.

At subsequent meetings our advisers were impressed with their willingness to negotiate as our advocates with another licensee to ensure that our needs were addressed. Hayashi and his staff truly exemplify the spirit of aloha. We sincerely appreciate their caring efforts on our behalf.

Robert K. Stevens
Principal
Radford High School

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