Skateboarders abuse Kailua park privilege

An Aug. 19 article said neighbors of Keolu Skateboard Park in Kailua complain about the noise that skateboarders make.

It is important to respect others' rights. Of course, skateboarders have the right to enjoy themselves. However, they value only their right to skateboard and do not even think about others' right to live peacefully. They have a right to use the park freely, but they have to stop violating the rights of the park's neighbors or face being regulated. Otherwise, the situation will get worse.

The problem is not only that the skateboarders use the park at night and make noise. The park users create an uncomfortable environment, drawing things on walls and throwing rubbish everywhere. The most important thing is that skateboarders should think more about result of their actions. If the users of park do not care, the only solution is to make rules.

Nozomi Ukon
Kapolei

Editorial incorrect on prison-food case

Your editorial "Public gouged to pay cops' attorney fees" (Star-Bulletin, July 12) was factually inaccurate and unfair to the Honolulu Police Commission and retired Maj. Jeffrey Owens.

You stated that Owens "reportedly" told the commission that "rack of lamb" and other foods were intended for inmates' consumption. He never said that to the commission.

The court-filed pleadings of Jan. 9 confirm that the rack of lamb was ordered before Owens was assigned to the Central Receiving Desk. The two cooks who already pleaded guilty to theft were the culprits who were stealing food for their own personal use. On the other hand, Owens never stole food or ordered it for other than what he believed was allowable use. He always admitted to limited orders of food for the staff to boost their morale as part of his efforts to stop prisoner abuse. That abuse problem had led to lawsuits subjecting the city to judgments in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In hindsight, Jeffrey Owens made a questionable judgment call, but certainly did not commit a crime. Reasonable people could differ on that judgment call, but that would not detract from the legal issue before the Honolulu Police Commission: Did Jeffrey Owens act in the course and scope of his duties? Clearly he was not stealing food for his own personal use -- unlike the cooks.

The Honolulu Police Commission listened carefully to the facts and did their duty by focusing on that legal issue. They should be commended for following the law and not being swayed by public criticism based on wrong facts.

Darwin L.D. Ching
Attorney for Jeffrey Owens

Don't let 'fat cats' kill Hawaiian music

For centuries the people of Hawaii and their culture have suffered from visitors they've welcomed to their shores. This process continues, with the latest version being the abrupt silencing of their music by the fat cats in the music industry. I'm referring to the unthinkable death of Internet radio and the impact it would have not only on Hawaiian music, but on music and information from all of Polynesia.

If legislation is not enacted to prevent it, Sept. 1, 2003, will be known as the day the mele died. As I type this I am listening to music on CDs I was first exposed to on Internet Radio Hawaii. Without that exposure there is no way I could come to know of these CDs. Hawaiian music does not get airplay to any extent here in the Seattle area, and your broadcasts die out over the Pacific long before they reach us.

It is only by way of Internet radio that we can hear the new talent and remain linked to Hawaii and the Hawaiian culture we love so much. Each of us must contact our representatives in Washington and implore them to support legislation that will preserve this world treasure. Hawaii has been kicked around far too long.

Dennis Peterson
Bellevue, Wash.

Council members gave mayor free rein

I was relieved to see Duke Bainum and John Henry Felix return to their Honolulu City Council duties after long absences. By that I mean they've finally begun to do their jobs as guardians of the public's tax money by calling attention to the Harris administration's penchant for change orders and cost overruns on the Hanauma Bay Visitor Center, Central Oahu Regional Park and Ewa Villages projects.

What's particularly disappointing is that, with a little courage and backbone, they earlier could have checked Mayor Harris' grandiose plans to deplete the city treasury by covering Oahu with construction projects. Instead, for most of their respective Council tenures, they were easily cowed by the mayor and abdicated their oversight responsibilities to the news media.

Only now, when they have but a few months of their terms remaining and sense that Harris has been weakened by his campaign problems, do they roar like lions.

Sid Potter

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