|
Kokua Line
June Watanabe
|
Phone books are recycled on some isles but not Oahu
Question: Are there any schools or organizations collecting old phone books?
Answer: Apparently not currently on Oahu, at least for a recycling contest.
Hawaiian Telcom Yellow Pages did have a directory recycling contest on the Big Island, Maui and Kauai this year, but plans for a similar contest on Oahu are still under discussion, spokeswoman Ann Nishida said yesterday.
Hawaiian Telcom has held a statewide contest every year, except last year, when it worked with Island Recycling to accept outdated books on Oahu and sponsored school contests on the neighbor islands, she said.
"We believe that recycling is an important effort and we are currently looking for new and creative ways to keep as many phone books as possible out of our landfills," she said.
"As new approaches to managing this important issue are developed and implemented, we will of course keep the public informed."
In the meantime, the city says you can toss out your old phone book with the trash, where it will then be taken to the HPOWER plant and burned.
On its opala.org Web site, the city said, "Phone books are more beneficial to the island in waste to energy (HPOWER) than recycling into new paper products."
AUWE
To TheBus. I found out recently that TheBus isn't so helpful after all to everyone with medical problems who needs assistance. I just had surgery, and I am not able to lift much for a few weeks. I can bike and have to because it is too far to walk to get to the bus stop and to my doctor's appointments, but the problem is that I cannot lift the bike on and off TheBus' bike rack. I learned the hard way that the bus driver does not have to help you. I had to ask random strangers before I could finally get help. It was awkward for some of them, just as much as it was for me, and even more embarrassing when they refused or did not understand me. Now I know I cannot rely on TheBus for things like this. I'm just hoping there's someone reliable enough to get me to and from where I need to go until I get better. --
Kendra Yanney
Oahu Transit Services understands your frustration, spokesman Michelle Kennedy said.
However, the company wants "to make clear that the main responsibility of the bus operator is in the safety of all passengers," she said. "Bus operators are not allowed to leave their seat to load or unload bicycles for the safety and security of all passengers on the bus, in addition to the bicycle rider who is at the front of the bus loading and unloading."
It is the responsibility of bikers to load and unload their bikes, and that policy "echoes that of many transit organizations across the nation," Kennedy said.
"Although it would seem to be in the best interest of the bike rider to have each bus operator leave their seat to assist with the loading and unloading of the bicycle, it would not be in the best interest of everyone on the bus," she said.
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