Kokua Line
Kokua Line
I was told that for military housing, when a new occupant comes in, everything is stripped from the place - draperies, even toilet bowls. These are replaced by new items and the rest is thrown away. Is that true? If it is, what happens to the discarded items? Military families
take their
belongings alongThe question is obviously based on the assumption that the military supplies everything in a home. But that's not true, according to two spokesmen we contacted.
The previous occupants of Air Force housing take everything they own with them. What's left are basic kitchen appliances, washer/dryer and plumbing/toilet facilities, said Air Force spokesman, Maj. Joe Davis.
"When you move in, you bring in all your own stuff," he said. However, because most of the Air Force housing here has no central air conditioning, personnel have installed their own window air conditioners.
When they leave, they will try to sell the air conditioners to new occupants or anyone else interested, Davis said.
"Everything else is stripped because the new person coming in doesn't want your stuff there," he said. "You can't leave old carpet in there, because it's not part of the house."
Army spokesman Capt. Rob Rooker also said it's true that an Army unit is stripped bare, but not as far as gutting plumbing and toilet fixtures.
If they are unusable, items are discarded. Otherwise, "they are recycled through the system," he said.
The Army has a "self help store," where people can buy items to furnish their homes, everything from light bulbs to pull-down shades, paint and toilet seats, he said. "It's sort of a mini Eagle Hardware."
I'm a Democrat, but this year I want to vote for Linda Lingle. Do I have to register or do anything to vote Republican in the Primary ? No, Hawaii has an Open Primary, which means you just have to be officially registered to vote. When you go to the polls on Primary Election Day, Sept. 19, simply select and vote the ballot of only one party or nonpartisan.
I found a great big centipede about 7 or 8 inches long. Where do I take it to? Actually, centipedes are fairly common and really beneficial creatures, said George Kitaguchi, of the state Department of Health's vector control branch.
He suggests just leaving it alone if you can - or are so inclined - because it controls the insect population. "We don't encourage people killing them," Kitaguchi said.
Because they feed on other insects, they usually will stick to the outdoors, where there are ground cover, rocks, etc. Occasionally, heavy rains or yard spraying will drive centipedes out of their natural niches and into a home. "But normally, they won't come into a home," Kitaguchi said.
If you have a clean yard without too much ground cover or loose boards, you won't have too many insects and "then you won't have centipedes," he said.
Centipedes usually are found in moister areas, while scorpions are found in the dry spots of the island, he said.
Auwe
To all sign wavers in East Honolulu. Please do us a favor and move away from the intersection at the end of the freeway because we do read your signs and it backs up traffic. - Gilda
To the person who stole my mother's cane at the Waimalu Safeway. - No name Auwe
Need help with problems? Call Kokua Line at 525-8686,
fax 525-6711, or write to P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
Email to kokualine@starbulletin.com
