Kokua Line
By June Watanabe
Thursday, October 1, 1998
Kokua Line
My friend recently was stranded on the H-3 Freeway, near the cutoff to Kahekili Highway. I had to go all the way down to Halawa to turn around and come back. Is there a phone number to call or a way to turn around faster than that? H-3 phones are every
quarter-mile on freewayIf you have an emergency on the H-3, go to an emergency phone located every quarter-mile on the freeway.
The Traffic Management Center will then call for whatever service is needed -- police, ambulance, fire truck or tow truck, said state Department of Transportation spokeswoman Marilyn Kali.
But if you just want to call a friend for help, you have to do what you did -- drive all the way to the end and turn around, she said.
There are spaces that can be opened in the median barrier at two locations along the H-3, but those are only to be used by emergency vehicles or to allow traffic to turn around in the event the tunnel is closed, Kali said.
I'm one of the unfortunate state employees whose office has relocated to Kapolei. I've accepted the fact that I have to drive 26-plus miles instead of three miles to work.
But now, in addition to the longer drive, I have to wash and polish my car every day because of water spots. No matter where I park in the state lot, my car gets sprayed. Why can't the watering be done before 7:45 a.m. or after 4:30 p.m.? I thought the Board of Water Supply said you shouldn't water during daylight hours anyway. I'm getting tired of washing and polishing everyday.
We called the state Department of Accounting and General Services, which oversees the state's facilities and passed on your complaint to comptroller Raymond Sato. He was head of the Board of Water Supply before moving on to head DAGS earlier this year, so knew exactly what your complaint involved.
The water contains a lot of minerals, including silica, which is not harmful to the body, but will cause spotting, Sato said.
Eventually, the watering in the lot will be done later, he said, as is the usual state policy.
But now, although some state workers have moved into the unfinished building, the grassy areas are still the responsibility of the developer. "When it's established, it will be turned over to the state," Sato said.
At this point, the maintenance staff must water during the day, otherwise the fledgling grass will burn, he said.
Once the lawn is turned over to (DAGS') Central Services Division, "it's our practice to water in the evenings," he said.
Meanwhile, DAGS' automotive division chief is trying to work out a parking agreement with Consolidated Theatres, to allow state workers to park in the lot of the nearby Kapolei theaters during the day, Sato said.
Right now, workers like you can park for free in the state lot because of the continued work, he said. If you park in the Consolidated lot, there will be a monthly fee, he said.
Mahalo
To all who helped when our daughter took a nasty spill near McGrew Point during the Mayor's Bike Ride from Pearl Harbor to Ford Island on Aug. 30. She hit her head on the pavement and her bike helmet was damaged. She was shaken up but will be fine.A big mahalo to the lady bicyclist for offering her towel; to the gentleman bicyclist for the Band-Aid; and to the Pearl Harbor patrol and volunteer medics on bikes who got help for us right away.
We weren't able to return the towel or express our gratitude enough to all who came to our assistance, so we made a donation to the Hawaii Bicycling League in honor of the spirit of "bicycling aloha." -- Clifford and Myra Lau
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
