Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Question: I usually recycle aluminum cans, but some canned goods say "recycled steel." Can we recycle steel cans, or do we have to dispose of them in the trash? Yes, you can recycle
those steel cans, tooAnswer: Colin Jones hopes you just throw all your cans in the trash, "because we need the money."
That way, not only do the cans -- aluminum and steel -- end up being recycled, but the city ends up getting money by selling them to recycling companies.
Jones is the city's energy recovery administrator, overseeing its HPOWER (Honolulu Program of Waste Energy Recovery) plant.
"We are recovering, I think I can safely say, 100 percent of the steel cans that people throw in the trash, and we are selling the material," Jones said. "We're doing the same thing with aluminum."
The money from recycling amounts to "many hundreds of thousands of dollars a year," helping to reduce the cost of running the plant, he said.
This is the process: A magnet initially makes one pass through the trash taken to the HPOWER plant to pull out ferrous material. Then the trash is incinerated. After that, two passes are made through the ashes, which gets most of the ferrous material out. The non-ferrous -- aluminum -- materials are separated at the end.
Q: Auwe to the state ID card office. I went to get a state ID card at 9:20 a.m. Tuesday, July 13, and found only one clerk processing a long line. There was a separate line for renewals. But when there was no one in that line, that clerk did not take people from the other line. Are clerks able to do only one task? It took me two hours and 15 minutes to get a card. Isn't there any way to speed up this process?
A: Unfortunately, two staffers were out that day and there were equipment problems as well, said Liane Moriyama, who administers the state ID card system.
Regarding the renewal window: It is staffed by student helpers and meant solely to speed processing of people with no changes in name and citizenship, Moriyama said. Regular clerks with more training and knowledge are placed at other windows, where processing may not be as simple.
When there is no one in the renewal line, student helpers are used to enter data into computers to help expedite processing at other windows.
Because ID cards without expiration dates all expire at the end of the year, Moriyama said her staff decided to voluntarily open 9 a.m.-2 p.m., one Saturday per month, as follows: Aug. 14, Sept. 18, Oct. 16, Nov. 20 and Dec. 4. A state ID card is not required, but is handy. Also, applicants now can choose ID numbers other than social security numbers. Call 587-3111 for information.
Mahalo
I've read the horror stories about parents who accidentally locked their children in their cars, but never thought it would happen to me! I decided to take my daughter to the park for some Fourth of July fun. It started to rain, so I changed my mind. But not before I locked the doors! A bunch of people with Potter's House Christian Fellowship Church were picnicking and were my saviors. One girl lent me her phone; one gentleman tried to open the door with a hanger; a police officer used a Slim Jim, and two women gave me emotional support. After the door was unlocked, I hugged my daughter with all my might! I left in such a hurry I didn't give them the thanks they deserve. If anyone ever needs my help, I would not hesitate, ever. -- Anonymous
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