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Kokua Line
Question: I am a resident manager in a condo and have collected all the old phone books. I wonder if there is some organization that may want them? Out with old phone
books, in with newAnswer: It's doubtful because GTE Hawaiian Tel is not conducting its phone-book recycling contest in the schools this year.
The contest was canceled because most schools ended their academic year before the new directories could be delivered. Delivery of the 2000 phone books began June 2 on Oahu. It typically takes a month to complete deliveries.
GTE hopes to resume the recycling contest in the future, said public affairs director Brian Blevins. In the meantime, he encouraged residents to take the old books to community recycling bins, located at various schools and shopping centers around Oahu. Call the city's recycling office at 527-5335 or check out www.opala.org for the nearest location.
Participating schools receive money from recycled goods.
To recycle phone books, call Island Recycling (845-1188) to arrange pickup of bulk collections of at least 400 directories, Blevins said. Fewer than 400 books can be dropped off at Island Recycling, 50 Sand Island Access Road (24 hours a day) or 1811 Dillingham Blvd. ( 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.).
Island Recycling does not pay for old phone books.
Q: I notice the mayor has allowed Pepsi-Cola to put vending machines with lights on them in city parks. Isn't this is in direct violation of the state billboard law? The Outdoor Circle worked hard on the law. You should call Cynthia Marnie about this.
A: Actually, it would only be against the city's sign ordinance if the vending-machine logo was large enough to be seen from the street or sidewalk.
In response to a Kokua Line complaint last December about the Pepsi machine at Puunui Park that could be seen from that street, a spokesman said Pepsi would replace the sign "with another one that does not have the Pepsi logo prominently displayed."
The city has a five-year agreement with Pepsi, in which the soft-drink maker can set up vending machines on city property in exchange for 56 percent of revenues from each machine. The agreement was signed in October.
Marnie, who was a member of the Outdoor Circle's sign committee for 40 years, is now with Scenic Hawaii. She said the Pepsi vending machines in city parks may be legal, but are "tacky." If the logo is visible from the street, people should "report them," she said.
Auwe
To the person who steals flowers from my father's grave! My mother tends my father's grave every day at the Hawaiian Memorial Veterans Cemetery. There are days when the entire bouquet is gone the next day! She often spends $25-$30 for dendrobiums to place in the vase because they retain color and last a long time. This upsets her very much because she is on a fixed income. Other people have experienced similar incidents. Apparently the thief likes dendrobiums. How can anyone stoop so low! -- I. Amuro Nakamura("Unfortunately, this is a problem at all cemeteries," said Miles Okamura, director of operations at the Veterans Cemetery. With no security there, the best thing is to "make workers more aware of what's happening," he said.
(You should either go to the front office, call 233-3630 or talk to a worker out in the yard, Okamura said. Workers can then try to determine where and when the thieves strike.)
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