Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Question: Why is the Aloha Tower observation deck still closed? I had relatives from the mainland and Japan visit and whenever we took them to see the tower, the elevator was closed. It's been like this for more than two years. What is the problem? When will the deck be open again? Aloha Tower deck
area still off-limitsAnswer: State officials are trying to figure out some way to reopen the tower to the public, with questions about security and control still to be answered.
The plan now is to have the operator of the private Aloha Tower Marketplace become involved, "with some kind of commercial thing tied to it," said Thomas Fujikawa, administrator of the state Harbors Division.
However, the state is concerned with security and safety - controlling the number and flow of people into the small deck area.
Nothing definite has been decided, he said yesterday. "We need to talk to them (marketplace officials) about how to control this."
The tower initially was closed because of major renovations, with office space eventually leased out to maritime businesses, Fujikawa said. The only state employees remaining in the building are the traffic controllers, who moved one level down to get away from the distractions of visitors.
Now, there is "nobody there" to monitor the public, Fujikawa said. "So we were concerned about security; people fooling around up there or people jumping off there."
Video cameras are a possibility, but the state can't afford to hire a state employee just to monitor access to the tower, he said.
Since Aloha Marketplace officials want the tower reopened because it is a singular attraction, the state is trying to get them to provide the control and information services, Fujikawa said.
Q: I'm in Hawaii as part of the military, but decided I may want to stay here after I get out. What makes a person a resident of Hawaii? As part of the military, we're not residents. What documents do you need?
A: You don't get or need to get a specific document.
However, doing certain things will establish your residency, such as registering to vote and voting; filing a resident income tax return; and getting a permanent job here.
According to a section on taxes in the Hawaii Revised Statutes, you "reside" in the state if you're here for other than a temporary or transitory purpose. Also, "Every individual who is in the state more than 200 days of the taxable year in the aggregate shall be presumed to be a resident of the state," unless he or she can prove otherwise to the state Department of Taxation.
Determining residency also may depend on what benefits you are seeking. To get "kamaaina" discount rates, for example, you generally just have to show a Hawaii driver's license or state ID card.
But if you want to qualify for resident tuition at the University of Hawaii, among a host of other things, you must have lived in Hawaii for 12 consecutive months prior to the first day of class; you must file a resident personal income tax return; and you must vote/register to vote in Hawaii.
Mahalo
To the alert salesperson at the jewelry counter in the downtown Liberty House. I had left my ring at the counter and she saw to it that it was returned to me, even though I was in a completely different department by then. - Johanna Larson, South Bend, Ind.
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