Kokua Line


Kokua Line

By June Watanabe

Saturday, January 16, 1999


Holiday air hassle also
hung up postal service

I work for a private company based in Atlanta, Ga. My paycheck is sent twice a month via priority mail. The post office states that priority mail is two to three days' service across the U.S., but my last two paychecks were received much later: One sent Dec. 16 arrived Dec. 24; one mailed Dec. 30 arrived Jan. 7. If the post office isn't living up to what it's advertising, shouldn't we get a refund?

Priority mail normally does take two to three days across the United States, said U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman Felice Broglio.

That said, she acknowledged there have been mail delays out of Atlanta because of problems with the postal service's contract carrier, Delta Airlines.

There were "periods of problems" that became worse during the holidays, Broglio said. Recently, the bad winter weather has become a factor as well.

Broglio apologized for the delays, saying, "logistics network officials" are working with Delta, as well as looking at using other contract carriers, to ensure three-day priority mail service.

One possibility is "to expand the hub in Dallas-Fort Worth so it can handle more priority mail through there instead of giving so much to the airlines," she said.

However, the only guaranteed service is express mail. "If we don't make the service time there, we will be happy to refund the postage," Broglio said.

Tapa

I was driving to work on the H-1 viaduct near the airport on Jan. 7 when I was almost blinded whenever the driver of a Ford Explorer stepped on his brakes. The vehicle's left tail light was broken so the light was like a bright floodlight. How can someone like that be notified that he should fix his light because it's dangerous for other drivers?

Notify the Honolulu Police Department's Traffic Division by mail at 801 S. Beretania St. and it'll send a letter to the vehicle's registered owner. In your case, we gave the license number to HPD.

Tapa

We live on Kaneohe Bay Drive. On Dec. 28, from about 4 to 9:30 p.m., we experienced a power outage. We haven't been able to get an answer from Hawaiian Electric and have seen or heard nothing about this. What happened?

A Norfolk pine tree fell onto the "cross arm" of a utility pole about 4 p.m. that day in the Keaalu area of Kaneohe Bay Drive, according to Hawaiian Electric Co. spokesman Fred Kobashikawa.

The tree broke the cross arm, which resulted in three 12,000-volt lines falling to the ground.

A total of 916 customers were affected. Power was restored in three increments, with the first group getting power back around 6 p.m. and the last around 9:40 p.m.

Tapa

Auwe

A total ban on fireworks is unrealistic and we will never reach any kind of acceptable compromise. The only solution is a tax on fireworks because the problem is that they're available so cheaply. With a tax, the state could benefit, with the money going to help pay for the firemen and policemen who have to respond to all the fireworks-related damage. -- No name

Tapa

Auwe

To the manager and owner of a convenience store at Stadium Mall. My brothers and I were at the mall when I started coughing Saturday night, Jan. 2. Something went down my throat the wrong way so I went into the store and asked for a sip of water. The manager on duty refused me. I later talked to the owner, but there were no apologies or anything. -- J.P.





Need help with problems? Call Kokua Line at 525-8686,
fax 525-6711, or write to P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
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