DEL MONTE

LOSS OF PINE MAY SPUR CROP DEVELOPMENT

It was sad to hear that Del Monte will discontinue pineapple production and give up its lease. Everyone feels for the employees displaced, especially in today's low-wage job economy.

The positive side is that this may create a golden opportunity to switch to a new crop that will produce the ethanol that we need to reduce our use of imported oil.

We know that the Del Monte land is among the most productive in the state and now is the time to change to a more important crop that will not only help with our energy problems, but will employ the workers who are losing their jobs.

This would be much more important than a new crop of houses. Let us not lose this opportunity.

TRAINING

MILITARY HAS BROKEN WORD, DESPOILED LAND

I am really getting sick of hearing about the military not having enough training areas here in Hawai'i. It is not that I don't support the men and women who serve our country; it's the promises the military has broken.

The military has taken the finest lands Hawai'i had and what has it done with them? Has the military shown respect for the land?

No. It has polluted, destroyed and despoiled Hawaiian lands. It has left unexploded ordnance like excrement over the landscape. It has dumped the most despicable weapons in our oceans; it has dumping nuclear waste (acceptable levels) in what was the most pristine fishponds on O'ahu, and is polluting our freshwater lens by its occupation of Pearl Harbor.

It has desecrated sacred burial grounds and fishing grounds, destroyed temples of all kinds with all manner of high- and low-tech weapons.

Yet it still doesn't have enough. It has literally polluted an entire island from the mountains to the sea, to the extent that it can't guarantee not stepping on something that goes boom.

It had to raise the ground up 15 feet by "mulching." How many more valleys is it going to pepper with lead and toxic chemicals until it fences it up so no one gets hurt?

How much more can nature stand before it is too late? Are our children's children going to have fresh water to drink, or land to grow food, instead of unexploded ordnance? I hope they can still pick seashells on the beach instead of mustard gas.

HE'LL BE MISSED

ON THE WATERFRONT: CAPT. LYMAN THE BEST

Capt. David Lyman was one of the top harbor pilots; as a maritime person, he was the best. At any function on the waterfront, Capt. Lyman was there, whether heading the function, participating in it or being there in an advisory status.

I had known Capt. Lyman since he started as an apprentice until his presidency of the Pilots Association. What an orator. He could speak professionally or da best pidgin. I remember him taking Emme Tomimbang on the pilot boat for a cruise of the harbor. What an event; even I learned something. Many times we asked for his professional opinion, and we always got a positive answer.

To Capt. David "Kawika" Lyman, now that you've weighed anchor, bon voyage to wherever your ship's destination. You will be missed by many of your associates and dear friends.

LANDFILLS

RECYCLING MEASURES MUST BE INSTITUTED

I have been reading with much interest Mr. Bill Brennan's commentaries about various topics, and he does an excellent job of defending our honorable mayor. I guess I can conclude from this that our tax dollars are being well spent if that is what we really wanted our money to be spent on.

I would like to thank the Sierra Club and Jeff Mikulina for pushing for recycling measures, which is what our city and state so desperately need, since no one wants a landfill in their backyard. I hope everyone has been watching the news as well as reading the newspapers.

As Mikulina and the Sierra Club know, more landfills are being proposed for the Wai'anae Coast, never mind the air, land, crops and water pollution.

At their last meeting, I asked the city planning commissioners to come up with recycling measures so we can do away with landfills.

I now ask you, Mr. Brennan and Mr. Mayor, to use your brains and serve the people. Come up with recycling measures to serve the people, not poison the people.

Remember who put you in office.

IT'S 'LOCAL'

HAWAI'I STATE FISH SHOULD BE THE 'O'OPU

I am writing this to voice my opinion concerning the upcoming vote on a bill making the humuhumunukunukuapua'a the Hawai'i state fish. This fish is not unique to Hawai'i and can be found elsewhere. It is obvious the legislator who proposed this bill did not do his/her homework.

My vote is for the 'o'opu (scientific name: Awaous stamineus; common name: 'o'opu nakea; family: goby) as the state fish. The City and County of Honolulu and the state Department of Health selected it as the "official mascot" for water quality issues, to do environmental education, environmental outreach and storm drain stenciling in 1992. One of the reasons it was chosen is that it is one of the few fish that need both salt and fresh water to survive.

Most important is that the 'o'opu played an important part in Hawaiian culture and history. The 'o'opu was a staple food for ancient Hawaiians.

It also can only be found in Hawai'i. The ancient Hawaiians used the 'o'opu as a stream indicator for fresh water. It is a very sensitive fish and cannot live in polluted water.

That is why today you can only find it in the mountains and higher elevations.