Gov. David Ige’s decision to veto House Bill 613, the $2,200 teacher retention bonus, only serves to further convince teachers that custodial care, not retaining quality educators, is the focus of our state apparatus (“Gov. David Ige to veto budget, teacher bonuses,” Star-Advertiser, June 22).

We get it. The governor want us to watch your children, maybe teach them something along the way, but he really doesn’t care if the teacher is committed to a career of education or not.

Teachers seem to be easily replaceable in Ige’s world, despite the evidence to the contrary in reality. I know of few public-service jobs in which the public expects us to work for free, grading and planning at home, but that is the reality. As a high school teacher, I balance my after-school hours among grading, prepping and earning extra money. Can you guess where my focus has to shift?

Ige’s decision just makes our side gigs all the more important and, unfortunately, necessary for survival. Thank God for summer work opportunities; very few of us are “off.”

George Macklin

Teacher, Kealakehe High School

Kailua-Kona

Thomas Square hidden by barriers and graffiti

What is happening with Thomas Square? I drive by it on Ward Avenue just about every week and all you see over half the park are dust barriers with graffiti covering them.

In 2018, Mayor Kirk Caldwell finished a renovation of the park with the dedication of the statue of King Kamehameha III. Several months later the barriers were put in place and we were told they are still working on the fountain and other park features.

This has been going on for more than three years now and it does not look like anyone is working or trying to finish the project. We keep trying to fix Chinatown and other areas of the island, but here we have a beautiful park in place and we cover it with dust barriers and graffiti. Shame on the city.

John Doty

Hawaii Loa Ridge

Mahalo to KIKU-TV staff for years of programs

In a few days KIKU-TV will cease its Japanese and Filipino programs after many decades of presenting the foreign-language programs.

The Hawaii community wishes to express its warmest aloha to the owners and management — including its founding general manager Joanne Ninomiya and the current general manager Phyllis Kihara and staff — for their dedication, hard work and efforts in presenting the programs with English translations, which were educational, informative and entertaining.

For many seasons the station broadcast sumo tournaments, and we were able to observe the Hawaii sumo rikishi (wrestlers) as they climbed to the top rungs of the ancient sport.

The lifeline of a TV station is its commercials. We are grateful to the many sponsors, for without them, the operation and business of KIKU-TV may have ended sooner. All of us in the Hawaii ohana say mahalo and arigatou to everyone connected past and present to KIKU-TV.

Roy Kodani

Downtown Honolulu

Kekaula spoke French to talk Tour de France

Like many sportswriters and TV journalists, I witnessed Robert Kekaula as “an idea guy” described by Norm Chow, former University of Hawaii football coach (“Hawaii sportscaster Robert Kekaula, 56, remembered for outsized generosity,” Star-Advertiser, June 20).

During a broadcast years ago, when I heard Robert add a few Japanese words and phrases to his report on Hawaii sumotori Akebono, I wondered if he’d like to speak French while describing American Lance Armstrong, who was dominating the Tour de France bicycle race.

I cold-called Robert.

“I’m all in,” he said.

For two weeks, I faxed him a script (one or two simple French sentences) and recorded it on his voicemail for practice.

It was thrilling to hear Robert, in his rich baritone, roll out his Parisian accent.

Some time later, I spotted him at a concert. We high-fived; he gave me a bear hug.

Bravo, Robert! A job well done.

Joyce Torrey

Kahala

Support police officers, and let justice prevail

First off, I want to give high praise, thanks and appreciation to our police officers, who risk their lives every day to make sure our lives are safe.

I am 100% behind letter writers Ernie Itoga and Terry Hamada when they said the Honolulu prosecutor is making a damning mistake in trying the officers for the death of that 16-year-old boy (“Don’t prosecute police for doing their jobs,” Star-Advertiser, June 19; “Shocked that officers are being prosecuted,” Star-Advertiser, June 22).

The prosecutor said the kid was unarmed. C’mon! Just because he didn’t use a gun or knife doesn’t mean he was unarmed. He drove a 3-ton vehicle, which can be used as a weapon.

Let’s just pray that justice will prevail and our men-in-blue heroes can continue their fight against crime.

Debbie Verhulsdonk

Niu Valley

Limit number of seats on flights to Hawaii

As we wrestle with overtourism, one key tool seems to have been overlooked: limiting the number of airline seats.

The arrival of Southwest Airlines already had increased seat availability to 12 million per year. And according to a recent article (“Southwest Airlines launches serv­ice between Hawaii and Las Vegas,” Star-Advertiser, June 7), Southwest plans to fulfill its network expectations this year by increasing its mainland round trips from 16 per day to 36 per day.

Somebody needs to rethink that.

Regina Gregory

Makiki

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