We have a problem with the bus service that takes my granddaughter to Aiea High School. Although the schedule says she's supposed to be picked up at 6:55 a.m. in Pearlridge, she's picked up after 7 and arrives at the school at 7:45 a.m. That does not give her enough time to make it up the hill by the time school starts at 7:50 a.m. There was no problem when Aiea started school in August. The problem began in September, when the bus had to also pick up kids at Royal Summit. Gomes bus company said the bus driver would give my granddaughter a tardy excuse, but not reschedule the buses. But the tardy slips are not excused from her school record. Can you help? Lunch coupon rule may
cause students to be lateThe problem should have been cleared up by now, mostly because the school year is well under way.
Yours was not the first complaint about this situation, said George Okano, head of student transportation services in the state Department of Accounting and General Services.
Buses often get behind schedule when school starts, just because of heavier traffic associated with the beginning of the school year, he said. The problem then tends to ease.
But if the bus gets your daughter to school at 7:45 a.m., "I cannot see where we're late," Okano said. It turns out another issue is involved, one that deals strictly with the school.
Although school starts at 7:50 a.m., students are required to get their daily lunch coupons before classes begin, Okano said. So, effectively, students are required to to be there before the scheduled start time.
Okano said he would talk to school officials about changing the timing of that procedure.
At this time, there are no plans to fiddle with schedules. If your problem persists, call Elaine Morikawa, student transportation officer for Central Oahu, 831-6738.
When warnings went out last year, my friends and I took our children to get the Hepatitis B shot. I paid $52 per shot for the three-shot cycle, for a total of more than $150. Now we find out the governor is offering the shots at no charge. That is so unfair to parents like us who were responsible. We all go to the same public schools. Can we get a refund or does this mean that in the future, we should just wait until it becomes free? "The parent did the right thing by getting her child vaccinated when she did," responded Patrick Johnston, spokesman for the state Department of Health. "It's important to have these things done early rather than wait" and gamble that there will be a free immunization program.
That said, the bottom line is, "We're not in any position to reimburse families that have already immunized their children for Hepatitis B," Johnston said.
The department is receiving the vaccine from the federal government and Queen's Medical Center.
"It's not like there's a pot of money that the department pulls from to pay for the vaccine," he said.
To the lady who complained about the bread man at the Kam swap meet. He was just trying to have that seller follow the rules! The manager tried to explain this but she wouldn't listen and he gave up. Auwe
To Ken Ke'a of Wahiawa for finding and returning my handbag, which I dropped from a rental car when I was visiting recently from Florida. He contacted my relatives from a list of names he found inside. There was also $300 in cash, traveler's checks, credit cards, etc. I moved to the mainland over 20 years ago, but it's always heartwarming to come home, especially knowing there are still good people like Ken around with a lot of aloha spirit! - Herman Yangoren Mahalo
