Kokua Line
By June Watanabe
Wednesday, February 10, 1999
Kokua Line
My family and I went to the University of Hawaii basketball game on Jan. 23 and sat near the San Diego State University team. Across the aisle was a heckler who continuously heckled and swore at the San Diego team. He was rude and crude. It was very annoying and disturbing and we were embarrassed to be in his presence. What can we do if this happens again? The ushers heard him and did nothing but laugh. Officials can remove
obnoxious hecklersBecause of your complaint, ushers and usher supervisors were to be briefed on how to handle unruly fans, said Teri Wilhelm Chang, UH assistant athletic director for facilities and events management.
The university does not condone the kind of behavior you described, she said. Ushers will be advised to "warn the fan that the disruptive behavior must be stopped immediately," Chang said. "If the fan does not heed the warning, further action will be taken."
The problem is to figure out what kind of action should and can be taken.
"As of yet, we have not decided if we will go as far as removing a paying fan from the Stan Sheriff Center," Chang said. "However, if an obnoxious fan disrupts the playing of the game, the game official does have the authority to authorize the removal of a fan from the venue."
East Manoa Road was being repaved by the city recently. Why was one property on the street also given an asphalt job? The asphalt was spread in the yard. If the city's broke, why does it have money to do some people's personal residences?
There may be a "misperception" of what happened, said Alfred Tanaka, chief construction engineer for the city's Department of Design and Construction.
"There was nothing illegal," he said.
A contractor was hired to resurface the street.
Part of the work involved taking off the old asphalt. The material you see in the yard is not the new asphalt, but rather, the old material that was scraped off the street, Tanaka said.
The contractor was responsible for hauling away and disposing of the old asphalt in any way he wished. It is considered "rubbish," Tanaka said.
One way to tell the old from the new: the "brand-new, hot mix would be smooth and compacted," he said, instead of loose and lumpy.
To Randy, a weekend martial arts instructor who helped me jump-start my battery at Rainbow Drive-In recently. I made it to my appointment on time and appreciate him taking time to help me. -- No name Mahalo
To the police department for the way they handled a traffic accident that backed up traffic on the eastbound University Avenue off-ramp, then on the H-1 Freeway, for miles on Friday, Jan. 22. Had the off-ramp been closed or better controlled on University Avenue, alternate routes could have been used and we wouldn't have been late to a game at the UH. We were stuck in traffic for nearly an hour and were probably among the lucky ones. -- No name Auwe
To the kind woman standing in back of me in line at the Kaheka Street Daiei store. She helped me unload my items after my daughter fell asleep in the cart and I had to carry her. Another big mahalo to the Daiei employee who helped me put my bags in my car after seeing me pushing the cart and carrying my daughter in the parking lot. Talk about the aloha spirt. Unfortunately, I didn't get their names, but I hope they're reading this. -- C.F. Mahalo
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