Brainstorm! Challenge

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Stop the suffering -- ban fireworks!

Why is there such shocking apathy among many of our legislators regarding the harm done by fireworks? Is the collection of money from licensed distributors the top consideration? We have had deaths and blindness caused by this atrocity.

On New Year's Eve two booms were so loud they set off car alarms. The police can't cope. The hospitals can't cope with the number of people suffering from acute respiratory attacks caused by smoke. This year is the worst in the 17 years we have lived on lower Alewa Heights. Why can't we ban fireworks and the great suffering they cause?

Roberta R. "Shanti" Bailey
Honolulu

How will city spend money from tax hike?

The Honolulu City Council just raised vehicle registration fees by about $30 per vehicle to help defer the cost of police pay raises, which amount to about $5 million per year.

However, we have just learned that there are a million vehicles licensed and on our roads. With Honolulu containing about 80 percent or more of those vehicles, it would appear that the new tax will put about $20 million into city coffers.

We need to know just how all the added tax will be used. Who is to keep score? The Council and mayor owe us all some direct answers, and soon.

Jon von Kessel
Honolulu

Let schools serve neediest Hawaiians

It's sad that the admission policy of Kamehameha Schools has to be litigated in the courts. All of the other private schools have admission policies of some sort, but everyone wants to attack Kamehameha Schools.

To the parents of those children trying to enter Kamehameha Schools but who do not have Hawaiian blood, find another school for your child.

To Kamehameha Schools: It's time to reach out to all Hawaiians, not just those who meet your academic standards. You are overlooking those who most need the schools' help. Do this and then you will be fulfilling the will of your benefactor.

Bill Nelson
Haleiwa

Santos made news for abusing will

To pick Kalena Santos, as one of "10 Who Made A Difference," does not seem to be a good choice (Star-Bulletin, Dec. 23). If I could not get into a private school, should I sue the school? Even if you do not agree with the admission policy of Kamehameha Schools, you should respect the wishes expressed by Princess Pauahi in her will.

Christopher Perreira
Kahului, Maui

Editor's note: The Star-Bulletin chooses the "10 Who Made A Difference" every year based on the effect -- good or bad -- of their work or actions. The selection does not imply endorsement of the individuals or their opinions.

It takes more than 'pride' to be Hawaiian

I was upset to read Kalena Santos' justification for submitting her son's application to attend Kamehameha Schools (Star-Bulletin, Dec. 23). It is clear that the school is dedicated to preserving the will of Princess Pauahi. As such, those who have Hawaiian blood -- which Santos and her son are without -- should have preference for admission.

Like Santos, I too was adopted by a Hawaiian family. I knew that if my children were to apply to attend Kamehameha, I would have to find my biological parents and not assume that because my adopted family was part-Hawaiian, that I was too.

So I contacted the adoption agency, was put in touch with my biological family and when it was time for my son to apply, my biological parents and I did a DNA test to prove my lineage. I knew that the will is set up for certain heirs. Santos' misleading of the school into accepting her son Brayden is a disgrace.

Jodi Keliinoi Sasaki
Honolulu

Good sportsmanship does exist at UH

University of Hawaii fans who attended the finals of the Rainbow Classic were treated to the best second half and overtime periods in recent memory. Congratulations to the UH team for defeating the Fairfield Stags and defending their title. The best part of the game came after its conclusion. As they announced the players on the second-place team (who had just lost a heartbreaker), the crowd at the Stan Sheriff center broke into a standing ovation, cheering especially for the Stag's dominant center, Deng Gai, and his coach.

I couldn't help but think that if it were a UH football game, a brawl would have followed the game, and we would have been pelting the players with debris.

In his 16 seasons, Riley Wallace's players have had fewer incidents than football coach June Jones' players have had in the past two years. Congratulations to Wallace on teaching his players sportsmanship and emotional control, and to the fans for recognizing a worthy opponent in the Fairfield Stags.

Bryan Mick
Kailua

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[ BRAINSTORM! ] What should the city do with the elegant old sewage pump station? It's empty and fading, and now it's taking a beating from all the construction going on around it. The O.G. Traphagen-designed sewage pump station on Ala Moana Boulevard, more than a century old, is a monument to the glory days of municipal architecture, when city fathers took such pride in their community that even a humble sewage station became a landmark structure. Millions of tourists drive by it every year, and it's an embarrassing reminder of how poorly Honolulu treats its historic landmarks. Over the years, dozens of uses and excuses and blue-sky speculations have been suggested for the striking structure. Now we're asking you, Mr. and Mrs. Kimo Q. Publique, what should the city do with the elegant old pump building? Send your ideas and solutions by Jan. 15 to: brainstorm@starbulletin.com Or mail them to: Brainstorm! c/o Nancy Christenson Star-Bulletin 500 Ala Moana 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 Fax: Brainstorm! c/o Nancy Christenson 529-4750