Jeter reminds us about character

New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter reminds us that character really does count.

As Americans, we all admire it consciously or subconsciously. The combination of great talent and humility is just refreshing to see when it seems rare, especially nowadays in athletics.

In my lifetime I can think of only a handful within baseball who, although well-compensated perhaps, seem to have that combination and were able to place the team above self. Yaz (Carl Yastrzemski) and Cal Ripken Jr. come to mind.

There are others, but far too few. Character endures while our lives evolve.

Baseball will miss Jeter on the field, but my guess is he has much more for us to admire as he moves on to his next game.

John Hansen
Waipahu

Stop blame game on homelessness issue

I want to applaud the city and the state for working together and finally trying to resolve the homeless problem in our state. This is great news.

Now we need to stop looking at all those beautiful PowerPoint presentations we can see in the media or at meetings about Housing First. Missing on all of those are dates and flowcharts with who is working on what and deadlines so that we can have a goal, and not working in the unknown and blaming someone else if the job is not done.

We need to make people more responsible for what they are getting paid to do.

Working in the movie industry, once I know the date of shooting, I better have my construction crew working on the set right away and be done on time or the producer will just get rid of me.

So I am scared when I see people looking at a calendar when I asked what time it is.

Guy Belegaud
Kakaako

Waikiki restrooms world-class awful

My daughter and I have been in Honolulu for vacation; we are quite disgusted at the Third-World toilets at Waikiki Beach.

For a beach as famous as Waikiki, with the thousands of visitors using it every week, it is shameful.

My daughter was horrified to find the stalls had no doors, and were wet and grubby. The men’s section was just as dirty with no privacy. The cold water showers outside the toilet-block had been inactivated by having all faucets removed.

Surely the city can afford to maintain a decent toilet/ablution block? This creates a very poor image to tourists. We have found better and cleaner amenities at Bolivian beaches.

Don Raynes
Auckland, New Zealand

Don’t let homeless control Sand Island

The latest news of a homeless center being approved for our Sand Island park is the lesser of all evils, I suppose, and was expected because this rustic, lovely park was convenient.

Does this mean that Sand Island is now de facto "off limits" to the rest of us citizens?

No, of course not. Really?

Do we not all remember when the vagrants and homeless commandeered Thomas Square, Kapiolani Park and others, how some of these people harassed and accosted regular citizens trying to use these facilities, scaring them off?

Let us hope that this is really only a temporary accommodation, as reported.

Art Todd
Kaneohe

Don’t use Kakaako for Obama library

I am pro-President Barack Obama and the library. But I am strongly opposed to locating it on a precious, limited waterfront land: Kakaako Makai. That beautiful one-of-a-kind area should be reserved for buildings for outdoor activities, not for indoor activities. The University of Hawaii Medical School should not have been built there.

The 300,000-visitor estimate is a dream. Our visitors don’t come here to spend their limited time sitting inside buildings looking at things that they can see at home online. They come to see our beautiful islands, beaches and weather.

Bert West
Kakaako

Politicians must stop HECO rip-offs

Who really runs our government — Hawaiian Electric Co. or our elected officials?

Our candidates campaign hard on how changes will be made on solar energy in Honolulu.

Yet they are not doing anything to stop HECO from keeping its grip on the people of Honolulu with high rates for electric charges.

I bought a solar system to cut my cost down and get away from HECO’s high cost.

But that is not happening. My cost for solar is $104.10 a month and I have to pay a $17 back-up user fee to HECO — but got a bill for $78.

What a rip-off. We’ve got to stop this robbery. We need to let our politicians know how we feel.

Arnold Dowling
Ewa Beach

Nature of football rubs off on players

Football players are modern-day gladiators, paid to beat up on the opposition. We cheer when they win and boo when they lose. We expect them to be tough.

Is that state of mind something that can easily be shut down off the field?

Someone should have helped the abuser. He is the one who needs help.

Ruth Shima
Kakaako