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Kokua Line
Question: Last November, my significant other, who is in a wheelchair, and I traveled from Maryland to Hawaii for our dream vacation. We could not afford to go to all the islands. We chose Oahu because of the Arizona Memorial. On Nov. 25, after we got in line to get tickets, we were told that the chair lift was not working and had been broken for more than three months. My significant other could ride out on the boat, but could not go into the memorial. He was offered a videotape to watch instead. It's unbelievable that a national memorial as large and as popular as this would have its handicap accessibility unavailable for months! They should redesign the walkway with a ramp. How would you like to save for your dream vacation only to have this happen? Arizona needs easier
access by wheelchairsAnswer: Unfortunately, it's true that the wheelchair lift was out of commission for months and not fixed until mid-January.
The problem was with a broken part that is no longer manufactured, said Arizona Memorial superintendent Kathy Billings.
The lift was installed as part of the 50th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1991.
Billings said because the lift is so heavily used -- she estimates about 10 wheelchairs a day -- parts periodically give out.
In the past, the down time had only been a day or two. But this time, because the part was unavailable, contractors tried to rebuild it. The first attempt failed and "they had to redo some parts of it," Billings said.
A videotape, made about a year and a half ago as an alternative to going into the memorial, satisfies requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, she said.
As for solutions, there aren't any inexpensive or easy ones, she said.
Because the memorial is a historic structure, it cannot be modified, such as by adding an elevator, Billings said.
Also, when the floating dock was installed in 1991, "they looked at putting in a longer ramp that would have the grade you need to go up to the top of the (memorial) steps," she said. However, that would have put the dock too far out into the harbor, preventing the Navy from docking big ships at nearby piers.
"Also, because of current problems, there would have been too much movement on the dock with that long of a ramp," Billings said. "They looked at all kinds of options at the time and the only option that would work was the wheelchair lift."
Because of the last breakdown, however, memorial staff have been looking to see if there is "new technology" that would provide a stronger and more durable lift.
The lifts "are really expensive -- $30,000 to $40,000," she said. At this point, there are no alternatives.
Mahalo
To Mike Akiona, a Coca-Cola employee. It was rush hour and I was stuck in a rainstorm with a flat tire on Alakea Street on Jan. 26. He saw me struggling and took the time to help. He lay in the gutter in rushing water to fix the flat! -- Annamaria Miru
Auwe
To the kamaaina in a white Nissan. He stopped fast after not paying attention to a turning motorist, then didn't like the idea that two cars behind him (including mine) had to swerve into the middle turning lane to avoid a collision. He thought we were trying to overtake him and followed me to the Costco parking lot and threatened to involve the police. He also intimidated my female companion. -- Purple Honda
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