Aloha Shirts

Mahalo for the Manaola plug

Great article on Aloha shirts (“Chad Blair: Do Aloha Shirts Win Campaigns In Hawaii?” Aug. 31)

Manaola Yap from the Big Island, whose store is in the Ala Moana Center, is such a talented artist. He was the first Native Hawaiian designer to be invited to show at New York Fashion Week, last year.

He is also a kumu and designs for his mom Lani’s halau at Merrie Monarch each year.

I see Gov. David Ige wearing one of Manaola’s shirts on a billboard I drive by every day on my way home from work, and I know he has a number of them. Also, Sigourney Weaver recently wore a gown designed by Manaola to an event in New York City. So, you can see that Manaola’s appeal is far-reaching!

As for myself, I wear a different Manaola “Paniolo” aloha shirt every night at our restaurant, GALA honolulu. I consider them to be my “lucky charms”!

— Kirsti Mittag-Degala, Honolulu

Volcanoes Park

Yes, let’s expand this national treasure

I support the ideas and concepts proposed by Michael Ryan’s Aug. 29 piece, “Envision An Expanded Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.”

Had the area of recent eruptions in Puna already been within the park, hundreds of homes built on zone 1 would not have been built — and destroyed; costs of managing this hazard zone, now heavily falling on the county and state, would be a national responsibility; and visitor access to viewing sites very likely would have occurred with park service-style of visitor management.

The latter may well have saved much of the loss of visitor revenues to the Big Island during this time of southeast rift flows.

I would prefer not to use eminent domain but use the “slower approach,” which would entail the application of some sort of easements, permitting the continued ownership of homes, farms and places of business, but prevent further construction or development.

I would also include provision of direct purchase from a willing seller for outright purchase or, say, a life-time tenancy. Use of federal land and water conservation funds are a legal and traditional use for such purchases.

The Nature Conservancy, National Park Foundation, and/or the Trust For Public Land have often stepped in to give sellers immediate cash for their property (later to be reimbursed by the Land and Water Conservation Fund).

In sum, Michael Ryan’s proposal is hugely advantageous to the people of Hawaii and should be pursued.

— Bryan Harry, Honolulu

UH Explosion

Lab conditions are still dangerous

As a current student in the University of Hawaii system through the community colleges, I have something to add to that article on the gas cylinder explosion, “Can A Woman Who Lost Her Arm In A Lab Explosion Sue UH?” Sept. 4.

In the time since that unfortunate accident, they’ve learned little. Many of the laboratory activities that undergraduates engage in are safe, thanks to vigilant instructors and thoughtful lab managers.

Not all of them.

I met a lab assistant, a bright young lady with dreams of being a pediatrician. Just trying to get some experience and help make ends meet. This particular lab handled human blood and the like, which are serious bio-safety concerns. She was allowed to work dressed like a beach-goer, with shorts and slippers.

There’s more like that, which is born of a lack of oversight. Willfully ignorant management (i.e., administrators) precipitates these tragedies by using bureaucracy as a means of attrition to exhaust complainants. Sure, they’ve got a whistleblower hotline. Doesn’t mean anyone follows through.

— Harlan Kanoa N. Sheppard, Ewa Beach

Heroes And Zeros

McCain versus Trump

On Victor Craft’s article about Trump, McCain and military parades, “Some People Are Heroes, Some Just Want To Hold A Parade,” Sept. 4, good piece — right on target! Aloha.

— Stephen O’Harrow, Saint Louis Heights