Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Question: Every year for the last 16 years or so, I've been mailing 40 to 50 Hawaiian calendars that I've personalized with birthdays and anniversaries to relatives and friends on the mainland for Christmas. This year, I've already purchased 45 of the 2002 calendars. In the past, by this date, I have them personalized and addressed and ready to mail. But this year, with all that's happened since Sept. 11 and the recent anthrax deaths of the postal employees, I haven't done anything. Do you think the mail will be different this Christmas season than it has been? Mail affected by Sept. 11,
so send earlier for holidayAnswer: Mail delivery hasn't been the same since Sept. 11.
So, for Christmas, the general advice is "the earlier the better" when mailing anything, says U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman Felice Broglio.
This year, the postal service has come out with a condensed list of suggested mailing dates for Christmas packages and cards, with no specific dates, and destinations listed by area rather than by country.
"Mailers are encouraged to mail early in the week listed," Broglio said. "And to be sure to use their return address so the addressee will know the sender."
Here are the suggested mailing dates for the 2001 holiday season:
To the mainland U.S.: week of Dec. 10 for first-class letters, cards and priority mail; week of Dec. 17 for express mail.
To Micronesia/American Samoa: week of Dec. 3 for first-class letters, cards and priority mail; week of Dec. 10 for express mail.
To Hawaii: week of Dec. 17 for first-class letters, cards and priority mail; week of Dec. 17 for express mail.
For international destinations (excluding Japan): week of Dec. 3 for everything, including air letters and cards, air packages, global priority mail and international express mail.
To Japan: week of Dec. 10 for everything, including air letters and cards; air packages and global priority mail; and international express mail.
Q: I recently purchased nearly a dozen Hayden mangos from a well-known market in Honolulu. I later discovered that almost all of them were ruined by a disease/virus which struck the Hayden trees approximately five to eight years ago. I called a very reputable citrus and fruit tree grower in Honolulu and was informed that this is called "jellyseed" and that it results in the inner parts of the mango turning brown and mushy.
I further learned that the University of Hawaii does not recommend the Hayden and/or the Pirie mangos because they are both afflicted with this problem. The manager of the market refutes this and maintains the dark spots are caused by the mangos falling from the trees and hitting the ground. I'm concerned about the safety of eating such fruit. Are these mangos safe to eat? Is this "virus" here to stay permanently on Haydens and Piries or can we look forward to this problem eventually being corrected?
A: Jellyseed is not a virus or disease and the UH has not made any recommendations about people not eating mangos because of it, said Desmond Ogata, a plant specialist in diseases with the UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.
He said he wouldn't eat a mango with jellyseed, but the condition is not something that will cause you harm.
Jellyseed is the result of a "physiological condition" with a tree that's not caused by insects or disease, he said.
"The interior part of a fruit tends to break down faster than the outside," Ogata said. The mango may look perfectly fine and give no indication of the breakdown inside.
"From the outside it doesn't look ripe, but it already might be turning mushy," Ogata said. "When you cut into it or bite into it, it's not the firm flesh that you like -- it's soft and like somebody bruised it or injured it."
Researchers have not been able to determine what causes the condition. A tree might be under stress possibly because of weather conditions or something in the environment. The problem could be repeated in different crops, although Ogata said he thinks "it's something that comes and goes. So it's not a continuous" problem.
Because "we don't really understand what triggers it, there is no recommendation coming from us" regarding what actions to take to prevent jellyseed, he said.
Ogata said he hasn't gotten calls about mangos "for awhile." Most of the problems people tend to call him about involve fruit flies.
In fact, he said, unless you're certain the mangos you've gotten have jellyseed, another possibility is fruit fly infestation.
"Some of the soft or mushy spots may be due to fruit fly damage," Ogata said. "You've got to check inside the flesh to look for maggots."
Fruit flies often are a problem when mangos are ripening on trees, he said.
Auwe
To the person who stole grandma's handicap parking permit out of my car at Kapunahala Elementary School in Kaneohe on Monday, Oct. 29. We were attending a program with the grandchildren and came out to find someone had removed the Michigan permit from my car. Now this 83-year-old lady will have to spend the rest of her visit without her permit, not to mention the hassles of getting it replaced when she arrives home. Redeem yourself -- please send it back. -- Jan Reichederfer
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