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Honolulu now
12th-largest
city in U.S.

Question: Mayoral candidates during the campaign referred to Honolulu as the 11th-largest city in the United States. But a recent story about the business conditions in Honolulu said our measurement by the 2000 Census made us the 56th-largest city. What measurement gives us standing as the 11th largest?

Answer: Honolulu actually is now the 12th-largest city in the United States, based on population.

"We have been saying 12th largest for about a year," said Carol Costa, spokeswoman for the city administration, noting it's sometimes hard to change oft-repeated statistics.

According to the 2000 Census, the population of the City and County of Honolulu, which is the entire island of Oahu, was 876,156. By the same number, the Census Bureau ranks Honolulu the 56th-largest Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The Metropolitan Statistical Area covers not only the core population area, but adjacent communities "having a high degree of social and economic integration with that core."

While other cities gain population when adjacent communities are brought in, Honolulu's metropolitan area remains just the island of Oahu.

Mahalo

To the Honolulu Fire Department for coming out immediately when there was a gas leak at my home on the night of Nov. 26. People should know if there is a gas emergency at night, they should call 911 first because it might take the gas company long to respond. They apparently have only one man on duty at night to take calls, then come out to make repairs. -- W.B.

The Gas Co.'s advice is to first call its emergency hot line, "but that has to be an individual assessment," said spokesman Steve Golden.

While there are fewer workers on at night, that shouldn't be a problem, he said. Employees are supposed to make an assessment as to how quickly they can respond to any emergency.

"Basically, we will also call 911 if we believe we cannot get out there as soon as we should," Golden said.

He said the company has developed a "close working relationship" with the Fire Department to help train firefighters on gas-related emergencies, including working with new recruits.

"It's worked for both our company and the Fire Department -- they are more familiar with what they need to do," he said.

Update on dognapping

The Hawaiian Humane Society says that despite working with CrimeStoppers since August ("Kokua Line," Oct. 10), it has not received any substantive information to prove people are stealing and killing dogs to sell for food.

Such rumors have been around for years, said HHS President Pamela Burns. But, after receiving a call this year and investigating all leads, no evidence was found "that could be corroborated or result in any legal action," she said.

If anything new turns up, it immediately will be investigated, she said.

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