A&B must show plans for Pali Lanes building

The Kailua community deserves to know what Alexander & Baldwin is planning to do with the Pali Lanes property (“Kailua landmark Pali Lanes closes after 60 years in business,” Star-Advertiser, June 30).

For 60 years Pali Lanes served the community. Now that it is closed, there are more questions then answers as to what the future holds for the property. There have been many rumors but nothing confirmed. Kailua residents deserve to know.

Will the property benefit locals or tourists? In an August 2019 press release, A&B stated that it intended to keep bowling in Kailua. Well, will it? Will A&B stay true to its word or go back on its word and hurt more locals?

The community already has lost an iconic business. A&B should tell the community what it intends to do to the property.

Christian Arakawa

President, Team Save Pali Lanes

Kailua

Reducing visitor arrivals doesn’t make sense

Having been in the tourism industry for more than 15 years, primarily dealing with arrivals, I find that the Maui mayor is very confused and misinformed (“Maui Mayor Mike Victorino wants tourism pause,” Star-Advertiser, June 30). Quite possibly other island mayors are, as well.

Yes, more than 8,000 visitors arrived on Maui on a recent day. However, all visitors do go home. I believe that Hawaiian, Alaska and other airlines do not fly out of Maui or any island with an empty plane. So what are the real numbers?

Hawaii is dependent upon tourism. Go back one year to this day and see how the economy was doing. Yes, we do need to protect the environment, but let’s sit and talk and not have demonstrations that tie up our airports. All it does is garner resentment from probably more than half the population or more.

Mike Eberle

Waikiki

Visitors need helpful guide to riding TheBus

The surge of visitors to Hawaii, coupled with a shortage of rental cars, has created a marketing opportunity for the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, TheBus and local businesses.

Visitors may want to visit places distant from Waikiki but find it difficult to figure out how to navigate TheBus schedules to get there. This could be addressed with a “Visitor’s Guide to TheBus” — a map with popular destinations around Oahu, combined with a step-by-step guide to getting there by bus.

The cost for the guide could be offset by charging restaurants and attractions to be included. It could be a paper document or online or both, with information about its existence provided on incoming flights, the airport and hotels.

Olivia Yule

Waikiki

Waikiki, park should have free parking, too

Why is it that on holidays like Fourth of July, the city has free parking throughout the city, but excludes Waikiki and Kapiolani Park in particular? This odious parking ordinance is a slap in the face to Oahu residents who rarely have time off to enjoy Waikiki and its world-class beaches.

One of the reasons the American Revolution and independence from Britain took place was over unfair taxation. Parking meters are a tax on the most vulnerable of Hawaii’s population — especially at our beaches.

We are hoping the public will contact the Honolulu City Council and right this horrible condition.

John and Rita Shockley

Free Access Coalition

HPD fails to crack down on illegal fireworks

On the evening of July 4, we had about three hours of aerials, booms and whatnot in my neighborhood, not far from Mililani High School.

I thought the Honolulu Police Department was working on fireworks control.

The Legislature sure has not passed anything effective that I can see.

No sirens or signs of police were seen here.

Marilyn B. Lee

Mililani

‘Infinitesimal’ emissions add up to big problem

Jim King claimed that air travel to and from Hawaii supporting our burgeoning tourist industry represents an “infinitesimal” portion of global warming emissions (“Air travel to Hawaii has small effect on climate,” Star- Advertiser, Letters, July 1).

This represents the root of the global greenhouse gas emission problem.

No one industrial plant, household, vehicle, airline, trucking firm or power plant emits more than an infinitesimal amount of the worldwide greenhouse gases.

One could even say that the entire state of Hawaii emissions are a minute part of the global problem.

However, when all those tiny parts are added together, year after year, the very large sum is a major problem to Earth’s biosphere.

If we all adopt the attitude that our small contribution makes no difference, we all will suffer the consequences for many millennia into the future.

Dale Jensen

Kailua

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