Kokua Line

By June Watanabe

Friday, February 13, 1998

Parking meters to take
credit and debit cards

Why doesn't the city issue six-month parking passes, for $120 or so, like they do in some mainland cities? This would be a way to make "easy money," while making it more convenient for people like me, who don't always have quarters handy.

Issuing passes would negate the reason for having meters in the first place -- to discourage long-term parking.

But there'll come a time when you won't need any coin to pay the parking beast.

"Parking meters require the user to return to the vehicle within the designated time limit and is a reinforcement for regulating the use of parking spaces for short-term time limit parking," said Cheryl Soon, director of the city Department of Transportation Services. The time limit provides surrounding commercial businesses with customer parking on the street and in municipal lots, she said.

The only time prepayment is accepted is when a construction project or a special event requires use of a metered space. In that case, a permit is issued based on a cost of $2 to $6 per day, depending on location.

But here's something that will ease your coin-shortage problems.

"We are now converting our mechanical parking meters to electronic meters with provisions for the use of credit and/or debit card operations in the future," Soon said.

I read one of Bill Kwon's columns in which he stated, "when UH needed state-of-the-art equipment for its new weight room at the sports events arena. " Who is responsible for our big-time state-of-the-art weight room? UH officials have not acknowledged this achievement at all.

The complex is named after Alexander C. Waterhouse because his $300,000 gift paid for the equipment, "considered to be the best strength and conditioning equipment available in the country," according to the University of Hawaii.

Descriptions of the Alexander C. Waterhouse Physiology Research and Training Facility can be found in UH sports media guides.

The 10,000-square-foot facility, on the ground floor of the Stan Sheriff Center, opened in fall 1995. It's now the only weight room on campus, shared by student-athletes and students taking physical education.

Another weight room for P.E. students was eliminated to make way for a larger football locker room.

However, "We are in the process of building a student weight room," an athletic department spokesman said.

Auwe

To the woman who banged our dog 9:45 a.m. Jan. 14 on Salt Lake Blvd. She was driving a blue van, delivering flowers. She stopped to help, but gave a bogus name and number. May all your flowers die in doggy heaven. -- F. Silva

Mahalo

To the front office at Aloha Stadium, especially Lisa, who was very patient, showing me the seating chart for the Rolling Stones concert. -- L.K.

Auwe

To the woman who sat behind me at a UH men's volleyball game and told me to sit down when I stood to cheer a point. KFVE offers excellent, unobstructed coverage of the game in the comfort of home. I'm sure the team appreciates my support.

Auwe

To two men in a brown Toyota pickup truck, whom we saw dumping commercial waste on the side of Ahuimanu Road in Kahaluu about 7 pm. Jan. 15. You sneaked down the road with the lights off, dumping everything next to a "no littering" sign, then sped off when you saw us. But we got your license number and called police. We hope they catch you!