LARRY PRICE

DISTURBED BY ON-AIR QUESTIONING OF HOOSER

I was deeply disturbed and saddened to read of Mr. Larry Price's on-air grilling of Senate Majority Leader Gary Hooser.

What purpose does Mr. Price's "haole test" have? How does one pass? Is 35 years of residency, civil service and raising a family here not enough?

Why fuel the fires of distrust and division?

I have enjoyed the Perry and Price show in the past — but I'll never listen again.

AQUACULTURE

ALL CIVILIZATIONS TURN TO FARMING FOR FOOD

In response to the letter on aquaculture by Wenonah Hauter (April 26), I find it most ironic that the misleading claims regarding feed ratios are unsupported with citable evidence and the word myth is used as if it were fact.

Here is a fact. Other than captured fish, every single item you eat, whether it is from a fast food restaurant or the health food store, is farmed, unless you forage in the wild.

Look at your plate the next time you sit down to a meal. Every item you eat requires other living organisms to support its growth, as do you and I.

Every civilization from the dawn of time has turned to farming to ensure sustainability of their food supply.

Fish farming is not only responsible, it is necessary to preserve wild ocean stocks as we preserve forest, river, and other wildlife that, if not for farming, would end up woefully scarce, barren or extinct altogether.

YOUNG VOTE

FISHERMEN SAW DLNR FAILURES FIRSTHAND

I would like to thank the senators who rejected Peter Young's confirmation as director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

They stood up for local residents who don't have a voice.

Supporters of Mr. Young are trying to make his rejection political. They are trying to direct blame elsewhere now that our fishing public is voicing dissatisfaction.

Fishers saw the failure of the department under Mr. Young. DLNR has taken away consistent and effective enforcement, access to fishing grounds, and meaningful public input and participation in decision-making.

The people who were dissatisfied with the management of the DLNR were local people and their families who think about the places they used to go to fish but cannot anymore because there's a hotel, multi-million-dollar homes, marine protected areas, homeless encampments, rampant crime, pollution, a nature preserve, a fish replenishment area, a marine managed area, commercial operations, and on and on.

When we ask why, Peter Young and his supporters say the problem is because it is overfished. We often wonder who it is that is doing the overfishing because we simply can't get to the fishing grounds anymore.

Peter Young's rejection has put his successor on notice that there are serious problems with the department that need to be addressed.

Fishermen will be there to remind that person that we want to help.

MAHALO

SNORKELER GRATEFUL FOR LIFEGUARDS' ASSISTANCE

On April 27, I was at Queen's Surf Beach. I had had heart surgery nine weeks before, but felt quite able to snorkel.

I am an experienced snorkeler, and about 60 yards out I knew I was in trouble. I couldn't breathe sufficiently, with or without the snorkel.

My wife was nearby and began guiding me in, but I could not get to shore. However, my wife was able to attract the attention of the lifeguard and of a very kind lady who let me buoy myself on her boogie board.

Within a minute or so, two lifeguards were in the water, taking off my fins, holding me securely and then assisting me onto the beach.

With the greatest of concern and courtesy, they ensured my safety, and refused to leave my side until satisfied I was again breathing normally.

If I remember the names correctly, the lifeguards were Nish and Carlos. What a fine pair of professionals these two were. I am, of course, very grateful.

WAR VOTES

OUR U.S. SENATORS NOT HELPING TO STABLIZE IRAQ

Is Hawai'i paying attention to Sen. Dan Akaka and Sen. Daniel Inouye?

How can we keep sending these two men back to represent us as Hawai'i's vote in matters of national defense when clearly neither one of them is interested in working together with our president to stabilize the situation in Iraq?

Shame on you, Sen. Inouye. I hear accolades given to this man as an honorable war veteran. Where is his honor now as he stalls the effort to give our troops the funding for materials that could end this struggle more decisively?

Falling short in funding the war to stabilize the Iraq nation is killing more of our military personnel and giving encouragement to the enemy.

Wake up, Hawai'i. We do not need this kind of behavior in Congress during these perilous times.

We should expect our senators to vote as Americans interested in American security and principles. I wonder what these two men are thinking as they pledge allegiance to the American republic each day when the Senate opens its session?

'LION KING'

TICKET PURCHASING A FRUSTRATING EXPERIENCE

On April 28, my husband and I went down to the Blaisdell at 4 a.m. in hopes of obtaining 16 "Lion King" tickets for a group made up of grandparents, children and parents. The people in line were fun to be with, and all the freebies and entertainment were great.

As we neared the box office, my husband and I were told that we couldn't go together to request the 16 tickets, that we would be separated. That is a weird policy considering that groups of 20 or more were ordering online for the last three months or so. We had to lie, and when finally we got to the box office, we begged to see which days could accommodate 16 people.

Then the next disappointment. We asked for availability of good seats on the floor for every Sunday (except opening and closing dates), and were told they were either pretty much sold out, or that there were no seats before letter S on the floor.

I would have hoped that with all the hoopla for the opening purchase day for the general public, Disney would have kept a reasonable amount of good seats for those waiting in line for four hours.

Bottom line, Hawai'i people are great party people, but regular folks who didn't qualify for group sales mean nothing to Disney. Auwe.

CARE HOMES

SOCIETY IS JUDGED BY HOW IT TREATS ITS ELDERS

I was happy to read Tim Lyons' letter (April 30) in support of care homes in our neighborhoods.

My family was so grateful for the love and care our mother received at a superb care home in Manoa. The loving environment she was in for a year and a half could not have been better.

To keep her from scratching her rashes, the care home sewed her silk mittens; at Halloween she was given candy to distribute when the neighborhood children came by; May Day was celebrated with hula from wheelchairs; grandchildren were able to jog to the care home during breaks from school. Different family members went to the care home daily and each visit was so serene and peaceful.

An elder-care crisis is looming, and we sit around worrying about a how a delivery truck in our neighborhood is going to ruin it. A society is judged by how it treats its precious elders.

Start thinking about our dear kupuna — they must be loved, treasured and given dignity at the end of their lives.

Support your local care home, and let's hope the Department of Health does not burden them with excessive complex rules and regulations so that they can attend to the real work they are meant to do.

DERRICK LOW

PROOF THAT GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO NICE PEOPLE

I cannot express enough how happy I am for Derrick Low and how he got to experience the NCAA basketball tournament. It is every boy's dream to play in it.

It could not have happened to a nicer person. Derrick Low always used to help me in the Tobin Anderson Basketball Clinic.

I was the youngest in the group and definitely not the best player, but Derrick still took time to help me with my ball handling drills.

He made me "fit in" and welcome at this clinic.

I really look up to Derrick Low as a role model.

I also would like to congratulate his father, whom I know as "Uncle Kenny," and to say that his hard work with his son has definitely paid off.

Once again, I would like to congratulate Derrick Low for his hard work and just say, "Good things happen to nice people."