KALOPA'A

LO'I PROGRAM MERITS ONGOING SUPPORT

Kalopa'a re-established the Waiahole lo'i to preserve Hawaiian values and traditions.

The lo'i has proven to be a successful learning experience for many children of the Waiahole community, as well as from around the island. I taught fourth grade at Waiahole Elementary from 1999-2001. Hawaiian Studies were part of the fourth-grade curriculum.

Trips to the lo'i positively supplemented the Hawaiiana program. Students were involved with hands-on activities: kalo cultivation, water analysis, landscape painting, journal writing and playing the 'ohe hano ihu, or nose flute.

All of these integrated lessons and activities met the standards of the Hawaiian studies curriculum. These trips ended for insurance reasons for lack of a proper permit.

As a professional educator, I believe Kalopa'a has created a viable lo'i educational program that maintains and promotes Hawaiian values. I hope that the board of Hawaiian Housing Finance and Development Corporation will grant the revocable permit needed so that Kalopa'a can continue its unselfish work for the children of Hawai'i. E hana like mea ho'okoa — together we can make a difference.

RECYCLING

CONVENIENCE IS KEY TO MAKING IT WORK

Our government is wondering how it can encourage recycling. I (and thousands of others) have had the answer for the past six years.

Follow Jeff Mikulina's advice and make it so we can redeem our containers at the very stores we buy them at. It's common sense, and it's stupid not to.

We all knew it right away, but no one listened. I knew from experience as a child in Michigan that the bottle bill wouldn't work to its fullest unless we could redeem containers conveniently — like at stores.

The redemption rate is 95 percent in Michigan. One reason is that Michiganders have integrated recycling into their normal lives — unlike us poor locals, who are the slaves of those cumbersome and sticky bags of bottles and cans that sit in the back of our car for weeks on end.

NOISE

DISRUPTIVE BIKERS SHOULD BE REGULATED

All too typical of our reactive government is to have bus riders turn off their cell phone ringers so as not to be disruptive while riding the bus. Meanwhile, for the past 10 years, modified mopeds and insecure Harley Davidson owners have been waking up hard-working residents at all hours of the day and night in their very own highly taxed houses throughout O'ahu.

Where is the leadership and innovation to keep Honolulu more civilized? At the very least, copy the protocols and laws of other big cities that don't tolerate the noise pollution that has become unbearable in Honolulu. Can you hear us, City Council and Mufi?

EHREN WATADA

LIEUTENANT KNOWS TRUE MEANING OF COURAGE

Lt. Ehren Watada spoke eloquently of his decision not to deploy to Iraq. A commissioned officer, he is the first to be prosecuted by the military since 1965 for voicing his opinion and taking a stand against a war he believes immoral and unconstitutional. Lt. Watada's decision clearly was difficult and truly based on conscience.

My parents and I listened closely with the audience. My father is a retired Navy officer, serving in WWII, and my mother served as a cadet nurse. Along with the audience, we were overwhelmingly impressed by the serious young lieutenant.

It is courageous to refuse to lead your troops into a war you truly believe is immoral and unconstitutional. It is courageous to face a military Goliath and possible six-year prison term. I shook Lt. Watada's hand and knew I had met a truthful and brave man, a hero who knows as an officer that his duty is to protect the U.S. Constitution, and thereby protect his country.

Lt. Watada has taken a stand against a war many of us believe is a horrifying travesty. Information can be found at Ltwata da.org.

DON'T CONDEMN SOLDIER IN THIS ENLISTEE'S NAME

In recent days, I have been reading pro and con letters. Many are from current and retired officers who condemn Lt. Watada in my name. As an ex-enlisted man, I will speak for myself and tell you why he is a hero.

A coward would never put his life in such jeopardy. Our president took us into an illegal war and this courageous young man has stood up and said, "Mr. President, I cannot support you on that basis."

Lt. Watada is a hero, for he has placed himself in front of this nation and proclaimed the truth. He further proclaims, "If you find me wrong I will take your punishment." A coward would never do this.

Sir, it would be an honor to serve under your command.

STILL A HERO UNDER A DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT?

While it's OK for Maui Democratic Party Interim Chairperson Lance Holter to disagree loudly with the president, it's certainly not OK for an active duty military man like Army 1st Lt. Ehren Watada to fail to comply with legal orders.

Yet Holter loudly supports Watada's behavior in the context of his Democratic Party role.

If a future Democratic president orders American troops into harm's way, will it then be OK for Republican leaders to encourage U.S. troops to mutiny?

Sometimes the donkey shows its true colors.

HOMELESSNESS

NEW LAW NEEDED ON SELF-HELP OWNERSHIP

Yes, many will agree that "Changing homeless rules isn't enough" (Dec. 29 editorial).

A proposed solution was e-mailed to State Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, and Housing Chairwoman Maile Shimabukuro. What I see as a solution for today's and tomorrow's homeless is introducing a bill in the upcoming 2007 legislative session.

We need a law that mandates that 30 percent of any new and/or existing residential development, including luxury homes, be designated for "self-help homeownership" in the plan.

Makaiwa Hills, for example, is a proposed project with 4,100 homes. The hillside project is lbetween Makakilo and the Waimanalo Gulch landfill. Habitat for Humanity-Leeward O'ahu could be a prime resource to work with the developers and families.

Self-help homeownership ought not to be an option to developers, but a law.

Affordable rentals are temporary. Soon the rent goes up and/or the lease of the land expires (Kukui Gardens). Where does this leave these families and elders?

FIREWORKS

OVERSEAS TRADITION HAS NO PLACE IN AMERICA

I'm hoping for strong trades and heavy rain on Jan. 31. I don't understand why the sale of firecrackers is allowed. Vietnam and Singapore banned them, and it really was their tradition. There are no evil spirits to drive away; it is not an American tradition. I bang, therefore I am, is that it?

Organized displays, although polluting, are safe. Individual setting of fireworks and firecrackers is not safe.

Come on Honolulu legislators, time to act. Clean air and safety for 2008!