Brainstorm! Challenge

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Let dust settle before judging Dobelle firing

Enough talking already about fired University of Hawaii President Evan Dobelle. It's time to move on to other pressing matters. As soon as the Dobelle issue is finally done with, then all the Monday Morning Quarterbacks can make their comments. For now let's zipper our lips and don't pass judgment on Dobelle or the UH regents until this mess is cleared up.

Rick LaMontagne
Honolulu

Regents should pay for Dobelle's ouster

The governor who appointed the majority of the University of Hawaii Board or Regents should be held accountable for its grossly irresponsible, politically motivated and unprofessional bad behavior in firing President Evan Dobelle.

By accountable, I mean the regents should pay their own money, not taxpayer dollars, when the legal fees mount up.

Dobelle did not arrive in Hawaii as an unknown commodity; he accomplished many good things at Trinity College. Given a decent amount of time here -- like the full term of his contract -- UH would surely have benefited.

How much longer do taxpayers have to put up with bad education boards, bad legislators, ineffective City Councils, clueless mayors, and inept political appointees to the Board of Regents making bad decisions?

If those in "power" had to use their own money to pay for their mistakes, Hawaii would be the paradise it was before people came to exploit it.

Pat Meyers
Kailua

State performed well in denying film shoot

The Star-Bulletin's June 28 article regarding a major film shoot on an island in the Wainiha Stream on the North Shore of Kauai was unfairly critical of the residents of that island. The Department of Land and Natural Resources' refusal to allow the film company to shoot at Pila'a was correctly based on the ongoing major litigation against the owner of Pila'a for destruction of the land and waters.

The story didn't reveal that the site the Kauai film commissioner selected to replace Pila'a is facing identical litigation over destruction of land and water.

The location at Wainiha Stream chosen by Kauai officials was created through the same kind of illegal grading and grubbing of the land as happened at Pila'a. As is usual on Kauai, without any permit, the owner created lakes on raw land, leaving a small piece untouched to form an island, but demolishing an ancient ditch (auwai) in the process.

After receiving complaints from residents and farmers, the county asked the perpetrator to apply for a permit months after the work had been done; and granted him the permit in January 2002, by which time a lawsuit had been filed by a farmer whose irrigation water had been interrupted. As with the case at Pila'a, the Wainiha lawsuit has not been resolved.

The residents at Wainiha had good cause to object to the film shoot. At Pila'a the state acted responsibly in not permitting the film shoot. Kauai County, not surprisingly, did the opposite.

Raymond L. Chuan
Hanalei, Kauai

'Fahrenheit 9/11' is only one man's opinion

I am all for freedom of expression and speech. However, as people line up to praise Michael Moore and his film, they should realize that it is a depiction of only one side of the story.

Would Moore like to go to Iraq and document the evil of Saddam Hussein, his massacre and gassing of innocent civilians, his thievery of millions of dollars while his country is mired in poverty?

Would Moore interview the thousands of troops who are fighting for what they believe in and what their commander in chief has asked them to do, and which they do willingly, even enthusiastically? Would Moore point the camera at the schools, hospitals, public works facilities that U.S. troops and citizens have put back into operation to benefit the Iraqi citizens?

There is evil in this world, and thanks to President Bush and the United States, there is one less dictator free to use his evil powers to bully other countries.

James Roller
Mililani

Movie might entertain the troops, or not

I saw Michael Moore's film "Fahrenheit 9/11" yesterday with five friends and want to propose the following: How about showing it to the troops in Iraq and letting them decide if they want to leave or stay?

Pat Matsueda
Honolulu

Friends are praying for missing fisherman

Roy Takatsuki has been a very kind and generous man to our family in Haleiwa ("Crews suspend search for fisherman/Roy Takatsuki's friends plan to keep looking for him," Star-Bulletin, June 29).

Roy would come here every year to fish in the North Shore Hanapa'a Jackpot Fishing Tournament at Haleiwa Boat Harbor. We would offer to let him shower and sleep at our house across the harbor. In 2001, we fixed his boat, made a new boat trailer for him and delivered it to Kauai. Roy was so happy, he made dried fish boxes, sent cash and Kauai's homemade kulolu.

I spoke to him late last Thursday night about fishing the tournament alone. I told him to be safe, tie up and always keep in contact with someone. I don't recall why I said that and what made me come down that night to visit him, but something sparked my mind.

He said his outrigger was broken and needed to be fixed. On the Beverly, next to the outriggers, you would notice how narrow it is to get toward the bow. We believe he fell in the water while tending to a fish and that the boat was on auto-pilot. We pray every night that he is still alive and for his safe return.

Rollin Canon
Haleiwa

Age is no deterrent to bowler's prowess

I am Seiko Fujiwara's granddaughter. I was very thrilled to have read Grace Wen's June 25 article on my grandfather. Thank you very much for doing such a huge article on him. I've always admired him and his bowling for years so I was very pleased to see the article.

My grandfather defies age and the notion that you're too old to excel at a sport. Both he and my dad, Edward, are my heroes and role models. I am very proud of both of them.

Everyone now knows what a fantastic grandfather I have -- which I've known all along.

Kim Fujiwara
Mililani

On behalf of the bowlers and the Oahu Bowling Association, thank you for the nice article on Seiko Fujiwara. We at OBA have been trying to get some write up on the sport of bowling in the islands for a long time.

As the president of the OBA, I was really surprised to hear that the Star-Bulletin was coming down to take pictures of the award presentation. I was more surprised to see such a nice -- and big -- write up about Seiko.

Earle Suyeoka
President
Oahu Bowling Association

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[ BRAINSTORM! ] The city owns a large, underground facility at Fort Barrette in Kapolei that is sitting empty. What could it be used for? Some sort of archive? A place to stash gigantic holiday decorations? A temporary storage site for Evan Dobelle’s ego? Send your ideas -- include your name, address and phone number -- by July 16 to: brainstorm@starbulletin.com Or by mail: Brainstorm! c/o Nancy Christenson Star-Bulletin 500 Ala Moana 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 Or by fax: Brainstorm! c/o Nancy Christenson 529-4750