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Kokua Line
June Watanabe
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Contact park staff about basketball nets
Question: The nets for the outdoor basketball courts at Manoa Valley District Park have been gone for well more than a month. Why haven't they been replaced? The courts in the gym always have new nets, but unfortunately, we're not able to use them unless we rent the gym. Can they please change the nets and pay more attention to such things? Those of us who use the outdoor courts live in the district, unlike those who use the indoor courts, who generally are not residents of the area.
Answer: Next time, just contact the staff at the Manoa park directly.
New nets will be put up next week, said Dana Takahara-Dias, deputy director of the city Department of Parks and Recreation.
New nets are put up at the start of each season, she said, but during the season, staff usually rely on users to let them know when the nets need to be replaced.
"Individuals should feel free to call the park to request that the nets need changing," she said.
In the meantime, "we will have staff monitor the situation more closely."
As for your comment that you cannot use the gym unless you rent it, that is not true, Takahara-Dias said.
The indoor gym is available for general public use. Basketball free play is from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, 7:15 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, and 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
Auwe
To Honolulu Disposal Services, for constantly blocking the entrance to the Pacific Guardian Tower on Makaloa Street. On Feb. 6, not only was the entrance to the parking deck blocked by your truck, the driver had the trash container on the sidewalk blocking the entrance to the parking deck. With cars in both directions trying to turn in to the parking deck, the whole of Makaloa Street was blocked. Where's the common sense and courtesy? -- Randall Asato
Next time, call the company direct at 845-7581.
When it receives complaints, "we take care of it quickly," said Greg Apa, senior vice president.
"We just had a call where one of our trucks leaked some stuff today, and we had folks out within an hour cleaning it up," he said last week.
The company uses a computerized system to keep track of all customers.
When a complaint is received, it is put into the system, and, through dispatchers, drivers are alerted, Apa said.
At any given time, Honolulu Disposal has "quite a bit of guys on trucks" on the road, up to 87 operating big and little trucks, he said.
Monthly safety meetings are held to discuss complaints like yours.
"Occasionally, we have to go in a driveway and it's blocked, but it shouldn't be for an extended period of time," Apa said.
"We know we're out there, we're doing a task that people don't really want to think about," he said.
"They don't want to observe it. But, our drivers also know they have to be courteous and they have to watch what they're doing."
Got a question or complaint? Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210, Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered. E-mail to
kokualine@starbulletin.com.
See also: Useful phone numbers