Letter to the Editor – 9/4/13
No circus act
In his column “Overblown TV Storm Coverage,” Bob Jones provides a curious perspective on local news coverage of Tropical Storm Flossie. While I respect Mr. Jones’ long experience as a Hawaii journalist, I disagree with his assessment of Honolulu news rooms’ Flossie coverage as a “circus act.”
The reporting on Flossie was appropriate given forecasting from the National Weather Service. I would urge everyone in Hawaii – residents, visitors, local news directors – to take tropical storm warnings very seriously. The mountainous nature of the Hawaiian Islands can amplify strong winds associated with tropical cyclones and cause significant damage.
We were very lucky Flossie weakened as it did, but we can’t always rely on luck. At State Civil Defense, we rely on our local print and broadcast partners to get the word out on appropriate precautions and to encourage emergency preparedness. Going out and buying supplies is an appropriate preparedness measure and should be done even if the approaching storm doesn’t meet Mr. Jones’ criteria of a “known hurricane.”
Doug Mayne
Vice Director, Civil Defense
Mahalo, Mufi
I look forward to reading Mufi Hannemann’s MidWeek articles, especially the most recent, where he helped in generating interest in the O-bon services and celebrations. I try to attend these spiritual-based activities and, like him, enjoy our special occasions. We have been honored by his presence at many of these summer festivals. We also find joy in participating, learning and appreciating the many other cultural diversified functions that Hawaii has to offer. Hopefully, these will nurture understanding, tolerance and spread the aloha spirit throughout our precious state.
Many of his articles have honored people or focused on items of interest. They uplift our spirits and keep us, your readers, positive and cheerful. I sincerely want to thank him for writing from the heart and sharing many heartwarming local stories.
Mr. Hannemann, please continue to utilize your “gift” in writing and cover more articles of interest that keep many of us thumbing through the MidWeek looking for your “Island Matters.”
Marilyn Kubota
Mililani
Gross out
Dr. John Kaya’s column about getting French-kissed by a poop-eating dog almost made me gag. It also reminded me of when I was younger and had just started dating a really cute girl. I thought it was love until the day I saw her kissing her dog. It was our last date.
Russell Morita
Honolulu
Send letters by email to dchapman@midweek.com.
