With the upcoming, always-chicken-skin Memorial Day ceremony at the Waikiki Natatorium Sunday morning, I gladly endorse letter-writer Christopher Brown’s recommended disposition of this unique treasure (“Overhaul Natatorium for sand volleyball,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, May 22).
His suggestion about the long-argued fate of the Natatorium is nothing short of brilliant, and a win-win-win for everyone. With sand volleyball, we would support championship-level University of Hawaii athletics, honor our veterans, preserve a local icon, and sustain a gem on both the National and State Registers of Historic Places. And did I mention it’d be a great tourist attraction? What’s not to like?
If the city can’t afford to do the right thing alone, we can help to preserve this historical and cultural pearl by contributing to the nonprofit Friends of the Natatorium. I just put my money where my mouth is; join me.
Karin Lynn
Moiliili
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Rail to be useful, not unsightly as feared
A recent letter writer is wrong about rail (“Ugly and night-idling rail is deplorable,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, May 22). According to Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s website, the train will run from 4 a.m. to midnight. It certainly won’t “sit mostly idle from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.,” as the letter claimed. Trains will arrive at stations every five minutes during peak hours and at 11-minute intervals during non-peak times. This is a much-higher frequency than other successful systems, like Seattle and Dallas. Our trains will come so often one won’t even need a schedule. Just go to a station and the train will be there in a few minutes. Bus riders wish they had it so good.
The rail guideway and stations also are a lot less intrusive than eight-lane (or more) freeways with onramps and offramps and cloverleafs, which take up more land than rail infrastructure.
Loke Leong
Kalihi
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Put troubled rail up for ballot vote again
Why are we so surprised with the escalating cost of the rail, when we were forewarned by reputable experts like Professor Panos Prevedouros and businessman Cliff Slater? Are we now to disregard their warning of the rail’s failure to resolve our traffic problem?
I truly believe many voters agreed with this fact but were part of the silent majority when the rail issue was on the ballot. Now as their pocketbooks are being squeezed for more money to support the rail, many may come out to vote in the next election. We may then have a true consensus on the faith in rail. So put it on the ballot again. What have we to lose?
Ray Horita
Palolo Valley
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Placards helpful for invisible disabilities
The writer of the letter about the use of disability placards is not wrong that there is abuse of these placards. However, he is wrong that to use one legally one must have a wheelchair, a cane or a “disability” (“Disabled person must be in car to use stall,” May 22, Star-Advertiser).
Most disabilities are invisible. Would he be able to identify, for example, a person suffering through the horrible weakness brought on by chemotherapy?
Many diseases are invisible. Cancers, auto immune disorders, even multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease in early stages. People are not only disabled through movement. They may be suffering severe, pain, abdominal issues, weakness, fatigue. It is critical we all start to understand invisible disabilities.
Jan Montgomery
Kailua
