Nakasone will make great bandmaster
The mayor has made a good choice by appointing Michael Nakasone as band leader of the Royal Hawaiian Band (Star-Bulletin, Feb. 2). Before his tenure at Pearl City High School, he was the band teacher at Wahiawa Intermediate School.I was one of his many students during the '72-'73 school years. I was his first-chair bass clarinet student. Nakasone is truly one of a kind. Both my older sister and brother were his students also.
Congratulations to him.
Former Wahiawa resident
Chester, Va.
Without Aaron Mahi, band won't be same
Mayor Hannemann should realize that although the Royal Hawaiian Band comes under the City and County of Honolulu, it really is Hawaii's band.There are many of us in Europe who feel it is their band as well. I and my wife and son come from Germany every year especially to hear the band and enjoy the wonderful people and everything else about Hawaii.
Believe it or not, I drive around Berlin with a Royal Hawaiian Band sign on my car, and I have a Royal Hawaiian Band flag that flies above my house.
Without Aaron Mahi as bandmaster, the Royal Hawaiian Band no longer will be Hawaiian, or royal either for that matter. You might as well just call it City Band.
Without him, we will miss the band with it's great tradition, and there will be no reminder of former bandmaster Heinrich Berger's legacy.
Berlin, Germany
Iraqi election success negates defeatists
The consistently defeatist mentality of Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy again polluted the airwaves of our CNN TV Channel 13. Before the Iraqi election he was advising President Bush to swallow his pride and quickly bring our troops back from a quagmire situation.I have confidence that Iraq will become a democratic nation. The election was the turning point to a self-ruled Iraq. Detractors such as the Massachusetts senator, plus Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida, will be things of the past.
Mililani
Canceled E bus route is a real time-saver
I was devastated to learn that the new E bus will no longer be running from Aala Park to Waikiki. The E bus is the best thing that has happened since I started riding TheBus more than two years ago. It saves me a great deal of time; on one Sunday I shaved my usual 90-minute commute to 30 minutes.The route is well designed to reach the important stops; one can still easily get from each stop to other destinations. In addition, the bus is quieter and takes a more scenic route. I'm sure a lot of money was spent on its planning, brochures and time schedules. It seems a waste to stop now.
Kakaako
Oshiro's attack on Lingle is unwarranted
Rep. Marcus Oshiro's attack on the governor's process for replacing Rep. Sol Kaho'ohalahala was curious, (Star-Bulletin, Jan. 27). He calls her careful and methodical process shibai. I guess he would prefer that she appoint the first name dropped on her desk. That wouldn't serve the voters of District 13 very well. They deserve better.And he whines that the governor has chosen people on her own staff to assist in the process. And that the appointed panel includes Republicans as well as Democrats. These are people Lingle has worked with and whose judgment she trusts. Perhaps Oshiro would prefer that the governor assign people she doesn't know to select the replacement. The people of District 13 deserve better.
Finally, Oshiro's anger is misdirected. The fact that District 13 was unrepresented when the Legislature opened is not the governor's fault. The real fault lies squarely on the shoulders of Kaho'ohalahala, who broke his promise to the voters of District 13 to represent them. Certainly the voters of District 13 deserved better. So, too, do the voters of District 39, Oshiro's constituents.
Waikiki
Having the right tools can reduce fire hazard
Regarding the recent fatal fire in a Waikiki high-rise (Star-Bulletin, Jan. 30):Depending on the potential fire hazard, the capital cost for fire prevention can vary substantially. Fully-operating smoke detectors cost about $8 each and can help save lives. A residence or apartment equipped with an ABC-rated fire extinguisher can help contain the fire and save lives.
If the apartment is equipped with a standard shower hose-bibb and garden hose, a fire's damage could be minimized. And for a couple thousand dollars, an apartment could be equipped with an automatic fire sprinkler. We know what the costs and consequences are, but the decision is still ours.
Honolulu
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