Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.
Kokua Line
Question: What's that big gaping hole in the exterior underside of Blaisdell arena, visible from Kapiolani Boulevard? It's been there for years and is not very confidence-inspiring for ticket holders in the upper tiers. ‘Gaping hole’ in arena
roof is cosmeticAnswer: There are no structural problems to worry about, Alvin Au, director of the city Department of Enterprise Services, assures you.
He says the "gaping hole" in the concourse roof was caused by the intentional removal of the plaster ceiling cover.
"The plaster had several large cracks caused by age and rainwater," Au said.
"The plaster was strictly a superficial covering for aesthetic purposes," he said.
Au said $175,000 has been requested for drainage repairs, but it's not known when that money will be released.
Q: If the downtown state library is not going to use the coffee and snack concession on their front entrance lanai anymore, why don't they have the concessionaire remove the equipment? It looks really tacky, particularly after renovating the beautiful building.
A: The equipment hasn't been removed because the coffee cart is scheduled to reopen soon with a new operator.
The vendor is hired through the independent, nonprofit Hawaii Library Foundation, which raises funds and supports the state libraries. The coffee concession is one way it raises funds.
Q: Checking in at the airport, we were told by one of the guards that all luggage going to points past Japan have to pass through the x-ray for agricultural inspection, but that those going to Japan don't need to. Is this right? I thought everybody's luggage had to pass X-rays for security reasons.
A: The guard was wrong.
"We don't have international agricultural inspections," said Joe Guyton, airlines security coordinator at Honolulu Airport.
So, no luggage headed directly to Japan or any other foreign country is required to be inspected for agricultural products, he said. Only luggage on domestic flights has to pass that inspection.
Meanwhile, "all international baggage is screened for security purposes," Guyton said.
Mahalo
To those who performed Hawaiian country music recently at Hale Nani nursing home. We very much appreciated it. -- A resident
Auwe
To whoever was running a poll over the phone about telebanking. I wasted more than 20 minutes after being assured it was a very brief poll. The caller wanted to know very specific information on credit cards, my age, etc. -- J.C.(Never give personal information over the phone. For advice, call the Office of Consumer Protection, 586-2630, or Better Business Bureau of Hawaii, 536-6956.)
Mahalo
To Marie and police Officer Tong. We had a flat tire on the Pali Highway, just before the hairpin turn. My daughter and three grandchildren thank them so much for changing the tire. Aloha to our police department. -- Jan Powers, Kailua
Auwe
To the man in a SUV who passed me on the shoulder of the H-3. I was in the right lane. The shoulder is not meant for driving! What if there was a parked car around the corner? -- M.N.
Need help with problems? Call Kokua Line at 525-8686,
fax 525-6711, or write to P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
Email to kokualine@starbulletin.com