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‘Stop’ painted on roadway
by mistake

Question: At the intersection of Noelani and Hoolaulea streets in Pearl City, the word "stop" was painted on the road as you are traveling south. However, there is no actual stop sign posted on the corner. I do not drive on this stretch of road often, but I stopped to obey the law. Thankfully, there was no car behind me, because as I was waiting at the stop light at the corner of Moanalua Road and Hoolaulea, I looked in my rear view mirror and saw two cars go through the intersection without stopping. I can imagine what would happen if I had stopped and they were behind me. Will there be a physical stop sign erected at that intersection?

Answer: No, because there is not supposed to be a stop sign there, said Paul Won, chief of traffic engineering for the city Department of Transportation Services.

When his staff checked last week, the painted "sign" had been removed.

A contract had been given for resurfacing work in the area, Won said, but an error was made in the plan, indicating a "stop bar" was to be placed at the intersection.

After we forwarded your question to him, the department contacted the contractor "and told him that it is incorrect and to take (the stop bar) out," Won said.

Most of the time, just having a marking on the road -- especially just a color, like red -- "is inappropriate unless it is backed up by a sign," he added.

Q: Is a domestic violence agency still collecting donated cell phones? If so, how do we get it to them?

A: You can turn your cell phones in to Verizon Wireless's HopeLine program.

Through HopeLine, used wireless phones are refurbished and recycled or sold. The funds raised are then used to purchase wireless phones to help victims of domestic violence.

Phones can be turned in to any Verizon Wireless store. Donations are not tax-deductible. Call (800) 426-2790 or visit www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/aboutUs/communityservice/hopeLineFact.jsp.

Q: I have some old but functional cell phones. Is there an agency that I can donate them to for others to use, or are cell phones so inexpensive that no one collects them except to recycle the batteries?

A: Besides Verizon Wireless's HopeLine program (described above), wireless phones can be donated to the Sprint Project Connect program, which supports people with disabilities. Donated wireless phones are either recycled or resold, with proceeds helping to benefit Easter Seals.

Phones can be taken to local Sprint Stores or the Easter Seals headquarters at 710 Green St. Donations are tax-deductible. For more information, go to a Sprint Store or online at www.sprint.com/community/communities_across/spc.html.

You can also drop off old cell phones (as well as rechargeable batteries) at any Home Depot or Radio Shack store on Oahu as part of a recycling program sponsored by the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corp.

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