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Kokua Line
June Watanabe
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Officers at strike scenes are on duty for safety
Question: I was on Liliha Street recently and stopped at Vineyard Boulevard. I saw two police officers standing on Liliha as Times Super Market strikers walked back and forth across the driveway. Are the officers on duty or are they off-duty when they are at a strike scene? If they are off-duty, who are they working for? What are they there for? Are they there to prevent any confrontations or are they supposed to direct traffic?
Answer: The officers at a strike scene are on duty and "are there to maintain everyone's safety," both strikers and motorists, said Michelle Yu, spokeswoman for the Honolulu Police Department.
She also assures you that the officers on duty "receive instructions on staffing strike posts."
Q: Because of my elderly age, I've decided to give up my car and driving. I'd like to know what is the procedure for doing so. Do I get any kind of money back?
A: There's no requirement for you to surrender your driver's license if you simply want to stop driving.
An adult who wants to voluntarily cancel his or her driver's license is not required to do anything, said Dennis Kamimura, administrator of the city's Motor Vehicle & Licensing Division.
However, if a parent or guardian of a minor wants to cancel the minor's license or permit, in order "to be relieved from financial responsibility," the parent/guardian must surrender the license/permit and fill out a written request of cancellation, he said.
Regarding getting any kind of money back, no refunds are given on licenses or for motor vehicle registrations.
"The registration period of a vehicle goes with the vehicle, whether the vehicle is transferred or junked," Kamimura said.
Q: I just replaced my LCD (liquid crystal display) projector lamp. A note with the replacement says that it contains mercury. Is there somewhere people can dispose of lamps safely?
A: Although electronic waste (e-waste) generated by commercial or government sources are banned from disposal into the city's refuse system, households are exempt, in accordance with federal Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.
That being the case, "Households may dispose of e-waste with normal trash and bulky-item collection," said Suzanne Jones, spokeswoman for the city Department of Environmental Services.
Check the city's computer recycling page at opala.org for more information.
Mahalo
Now that Round Top Drive has reopened, I wanted to thank the residents of Round Top and Tantalus for their generosity and courtesy in sharing Tantalus Drive with all the cyclists who pedal on probably the best urban ride in Honolulu. Mahalo also to road crews that filled all the potholes and smoothed out sections of the road over the year and eight months that Round Top Drive was closed.
-- Appreciative Cyclist
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