REMEMBRANCE

HO BROUGHT COMFORT, JOY TO VIETNAM TROOPS

In 1968, I met my wife in Honolulu for R&R. The people of your city and state treated us better than any place on the Mainland.

One person will always stand out to us — Don Ho.

He made us forget Vietnam, stress, the loneliness and the horror we had been enduring.

His show gave us so much comfort and joy. I remember he made me do the hula with one of the girls in his show.

The Army should place a plaque at Fort DeRussy.

Thank you, Don Ho and Hawai'i.

ENVIRONMENT

IF YOU DON'T REALLY NEED IT, DON'T BUY IT

Mayor Mufi Hannemann appears to be making a good faith effort to make curbside recycling a reality on O'ahu.

Certainly we can all make an effort, and sacrifice to help make it work.

Our landfills are full. We have to burn tons of rubbish every day, and shipping our rubbish somewhere else is being considered.

We need to make less rubbish. Don't want to pay an extra $10 for your second rubbish pickup? You shouldn't need to.

As individuals, we can all lighten our impact on the environment, on the landfill, in our rubbish can.

We can buy and throw away less stuff, reuse products whenever possible, and recycle everything we can.

If you don't really need it, don't buy it.

Support companies that reduce packaging. Don't use regular pick-up for green waste.

We have really big rubbish cans — once a week should be enough.

LACK OF RECYCLING HERE SURPRISING TO VISITOR

I have made many trips to your beautiful Islands, specifically the Big Island, which has almost become my second home.

I was visiting recently after an absence of two years, and was distressed to note there is still no recycling program.

My friend lives in an apartment in Kona, and I was amazed at the amount of garbage disposed of each day.

In Vancouver, Canada, we recycle all plastics, paper, tins, bottles, cans, newspapers, etc. They are sorted and placed in blue boxes, which are in each apartment building.

As a result, we have just one bag of garbage per week. The rest is picked up by recycling trucks.

Given global warming issues and Hawai'i's progressive outlook, I am surprised at the lack of recycling in the Islands.

Your Islands are too beautiful to misuse.

Is anyone planning such a program? I hope so. Yes, it can be expensive to initiate, but the outcome justifies the results.

BOB NASH

CONGRATULATIONS TO NEW BASKETBALL COACH

Congratulations to the very loyal and very classy Bob Nash on his hiring as the new University of Hawai'i head basketball coach.

For once, the good guys won one. To turn around an old saying, nice guys do finish first!

UH BASKETBALL COACH MADE WRONG DECISION

University of Hawai'i basketball coach Bob Nash made a wrong decision by not retaining Alika Smith on his staff.

Alika was the man for the job. Alika is well-liked by the team and the fans. He gave his heart and soul to the program.

This decision by Nash will definitely hurt the program.

Good Luck Alika — you will always be a part of the UH program.

EXEMPTION

URGE LEGISLATORS TO WAIVE GET ON GASOLINE

I wish to thank Advertiser reporter Sean Hao for continuing to remind people about the 11-cent excise tax on gasoline, and keeping us up on the progress to waive the tax.

I don't know why most people in Hawai'i don't care that they are paying 11 cents too much for gasoline.

Thank you, too, to Bob Maynard, CEO of Aloha Petroleum, for his letter (April 11) guaranteeing that if the tax is removed, Aloha will pass the savings on to customers. Also, I thank state Sen. Ron Menor for his letter telling us that he has requested a floor amendment, which was passed by the Senate, to revive the exemption of excise tax on gasoline.

Please, write or call legislators, and tell them you want them to pass the bill that will take the excise tax off gasoline.

RECREATION

PARK-CLOSURE REQUESTS INITIATED IN COMMUNITY

Suzanne Roig's April 10 story regarding Koko Head District Park needs clarification regarding the City Department of Parks and Recreation policies and course of action regarding park closures.

Contrary to what Roig reported and incorrectly attributed to me, requests to restrict hours for a community park are initiated by the community — often, the area's Neighborhood Board. The city's 32 Neighborhood Boards are advisory and do not have decision-making powers.

Park-closure requests are reviewed by the Board of Parks and Recreation, which submits a recommendation to the department.

Based on the two boards' recommendations, the department makes the decision on park closure hours. We review these requests on a park-by-park basis, taking into consideration the park's location, type of park, hours requested to be closed, usage, physical layout, community's reasons for closure and other related matters.

URANIUM

HB 1452 IMPORTANT TO HEALTH OF RESIDENTS

House Bill 1452 requires the Department of Health to take soil samples within 500 meters of Schofield Barracks to assess for depleted uranium at least once every three months

If you want to protect yourself, your family and the community and want to know the truth about what you may be breathing, call Gov. Linda Lingle and ask her to sign HB 1452, to protect the health of the people of O'ahu.

We are all 'ohana, call today. Maybe one day they'll get around to testing possibly numerous other "hot spots" around the state.

CONFIRMATION

YOUNG SHOULD GET ANOTHER TERM AT DLNR

I would like to thank The Honolulu Advertiser for its coverage of the Peter Young confirmation hearing in recent days and the April 12 editorial, "Senate must apply transparency to confirmation."

While I agree that Young, chairman of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, faced some opposition at his Senate confirmation hearing, my experience with Young and his department has been positive.

As executive director for the Hanalei Watershed Hui, I know from personal experience that Young and his staff take the time to listen to kupuna and subsistence fishers, as has been the case in Ha'ena.

On Kaua'i our community is hard at work with DLNR, developing and enforcing our own community-managed fishing area. This program, known as Makai Watch, is a community-based neighborhood watch for the ocean, and it has been working in communities across our state since 2005.

Young has plans to expand the Makai Watch program and has asked for a substantial budget increase for more enforcement staff.

If we want our resources to be healthy for future generations, community-based management and increased enforcement are top priorities.

Peter Young has proven he will work to resolve these issues. We should give him another term as director of DLNR.

ALMA MATER

NEVER MORE PROUD TO BE A VIRGINIA TECH HOKIE

I'm shocked and devastated at what happened last Monday at my alma mater, but at the same time I have never been more proud to be a Hokie.

As a former student so familiar with those beautiful Hokie stone buildings I see on television, it breaks my heart to know the reason why. Virginia Tech is a wonderful place and will remain that way to me.

As a parent now, I grieve for the families. I grieve for those who lost loved ones and for those who have to bury a child.

Virginia Tech is still a place I'd send my daughter, and it always will be. This will not change us, it will make us stronger.