Students turned in a 'Beauty' of a show

Congratulations to Nanakuli High and Intermediate School Arts and Communication Learning Center for their recent outstanding performance of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast." Under the direction of teacher Robin Kitsu, students from Nanakuli, Waianae and Kapolei high schools were the first group in Hawaii to perform this classic musical. The costumes were exceptional, the set very creative, and the acting and musical numbers were performed with heart. The standing ovation at the end was truly deserving. We even saw people crying.

Thank you, Mr. Kitsu and students, for an evening of entertainment that mirrors what is seen on Broadway.

If cops are tax exempt, teachers should be, too

"What we do as police officers is above and beyond what we're getting paid for." -- Tenari Maafala, president, State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, quoted in the March 25 Star-Bulletin about a proposal to exempt police officers from having to pay income tax.

In regard to the statement made by the president of SHOPO, I'm extremely proud of the work put out by the Hawaii police, fire and emergency personnel. But if the police are considering this statement to be "tax exempt," then by all means, lets have the teachers put that statement next to their titles, because for any parent to go do their job, they must first have confidence in the public school system to assure their kids are safe and receiving the education they need.

I've been with the Department of Education before moving away, and I've seen teachers stay way beyond working hours, working late nights and weekends, using their own personal funds so their students will have a good learning environment. These teachers need to be tax exempt before any public service personnel and that is a fact!

Waikiki should be pleasant for walkers

I would like to concur with Jay Abel's column ("Gathering Place," March 23) about plans to "revisit" all of Mayor Harris' Waikiki improvements. The improvements made to Waikiki are truly wonderful. As far as I am concerned, additional pedestrian enhancements should be made to the area. Widen the sidewalks further and plant more trees, not fewer. For those who have not noticed, Waikiki is a walking neighborhood. I rarely drive my car. Walking is the main mode of transportation and that is where the transportation improvements should be made (as well as to transit).

Kuhio Avenue is not a thru-street to Kahala. Traffic calming and improvements to bikeways, pedestrian walks, pocket parks and the streetscape are needed. Don't make it easier for SUVs to race through Waikiki. Make it easier and pleasant for bicyclists, pedestrians and transit users. How often we forget that the primary principle of transportation planning is to move people, not cars.

Mr. Mayor, please don't turn Waikiki into another Kapolei or Mililani.

Lava flow provides rare, deadly beauty

Your March 26 story on the "visual treat" provided by Kilauea's flow into the ocean should have included at least a mention of the hazards associated with close-up viewing. In particular, the activity depicted in the photo, placing yourself immediately adjacent to lava flowing into the ocean, is extremely hazardous. A quick search of the Internet and your archives reveals several deaths from such risky behavior over the years. Some died when the lava bench collapsed, others when superheated steam enveloped them.

My son and I hiked out to the flow last week, after checking the numerous safety advisories the U.S. Geological Survey and Park Service provide. We encountered perhaps 70 people that day; only three were properly equipped with water and clothing such as good hiking boots. Most wore running shoes, and one woman reported she had slipped and fallen as a result.

I can't fault the park -- they do their best to warn people. Given your photo and our observation last week, it's only a matter of time before another tragic event occurs.