Kokua Line June Watanabe

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Vandals wreck transit center restrooms

Question: I reported the unsanitary conditions in the men's restroom at the Waipahu Transit Center a few months ago, but the filthy conditions still exist: no basin to wash hands; no hand soap, paper towel or toilet paper; wet floor; and odor of urine. Can you help to resolve these unsanitary conditions?

Answer: You can blame vandals for the sorry state of the restrooms.

They frequently break the toilets and stuff them with paper, said Wayne Yoshioka, acting director of the city Department of Transportation Services.

They broke the toilet paper holder and restroom doors shortly after the transit center opened, he said, and also have broken the sinks off the walls several times in the past.

Graffiti appears on the walls every day.

The city has hired a private janitorial firm to clean the restrooms once a day, Yoshioka said, but because of the high level of vandalism, it does not provide hand soap or paper towels.

The janitor does supply toilet tissue every day, but every day it is immediately stolen, he said.

Yoshioka said the janitor also cleans the restroom floors with water and disinfectant and paints over the graffiti daily.

A private security firm does patrol the transit center daily from 2 p.m. to 6 a.m., but that obviously has not deterred the vandalism.

To try to ward off the vandals during the late evening/early morning hours, Yoshioka said there is a plan to have a contractor purchase and install metal gates at the entrances to the restrooms so that they can be closed at night.

After the gates are installed, a contractor will be hired to reinstall the sink and to purchase and install new toilet paper dispenser units.

Yoshioka said all this should be completed by August.

Warrior Logo

Kurt Osaki, who helped redesign the University of Hawaii football uniform in 2000 ("Ko-kua Line," Dec. 3), e-mailed us to say, "The goals and objectives set forth years ago when designing the new logo is now coming full circle. Winning is the exclamation point."

The exclamation point to a perfect 12-0 season came after UH's victory over the University of Washington on Saturday.

Osaki, based in Berkeley, Calif., also told us that the "tapa pattern" on the Warriors' uniform is located only on the left side of the uniform, "the same side as our heart," while the three triangles in the logo also stand for teamwork.

"In Hawaiian culture, three is a positive symbol. If one should fall, we have others who can support and move forward," he said.

At the time the logo was unveiled, Osaki said the slogan "Pupukahi I Holomua" -- "To Unite and Move Forward as One" -- also was created.

"It illustrates how good leadership and working together for a common goal can overcome anything," he said. "We have a unique culture and special people. This is ultimately what the 'H' stands for."