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Kokua Line
Question: I know dogs are not supposed to be off-leash in public, but is it illegal to walk a dog, on leash, in a public park if you pick up after it and it's on a leash? I was told by a worker at Manoa Park that dog walking is not allowed in the park. Doggies need more
room to roamAnswer: Even though you may be a conscientious dog owner, Manoa is not one of the 33 parks where the city allows dogs. So, yes, by law, your dog is not allowed in the park, even on leash.
One problem is that there are inconsiderate owners who let their dogs run loose, pooping all over the place and not picking up after them. In March, 1997, in fact, someone complained to Kokua Line about dog droppings being on the baseball field and other areas of Manoa Recreation Center where children play.
But although there are many responsible dog owners, it still is a matter of sanitation.
"How would you like it if you have a dog do his business one day (in a park) and you picnic there the next day or maybe that afternoon?" Craig Mayeda, the city Department of Park and Recreation's head of Park Maintenance and Recreation Services, asked rhetorically. "Actually, when you explain it to dog owners, they kind of understand because no matter how well you clean it up, you're not going to clean it all up."
However, acknowledging there is a need for public areas for dogs to congregate -- witness the popularity of "bark parks" in Kaimuki (maintained by volunteers in the community) and at the Hawaiian Humane Society -- the parks department is looking at establishing dog-friendly parks in different districts of Honolulu, Mayeda said.
"We think it's needed," he said, "because we don't want to have people interfacing with animals in the park."
Asked if there was a timetable, Mayeda said, "We'd like to do it as soon as we can." But before anything happens, neighborhood boards would be consulted and public hearings would have to be held, because the city ordinance would have to be revised.
For now, "from what we've seen, it's almost a 50-50 split -- 'I love dogs,' 'I hate dogs' " in terms of support for such parks, Mayeda said.
Anzac Day booms
The loud booms you might have heard coming from Punchbowl Crater this morning were part of the celebration of the Australian and New Zealand's National Day of Remembrance for the Nation's War Dead at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Punchbowl.The U.S. Marine Corps artillery presented a 21-gun salute during the ceremony, which began at 11 a.m.
Anzac refers to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. Anzac Day marks the anniversary of the landing of the Corps on the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915, during World War I. Anzac Day now honors the dead of both nations in all military theaters.
Auwe
Regarding last Friday's Kokua Line about motorized skateboards, I am concerned about skateboards, bicycles, motorized skateboards and the like on standard sidewalks. I use a cane. Am I now supposed to yield to such vehicles? I understood a sidewalk was a walk by the side of the road for the safety of those afoot, not on small vehicles. -- Patricia D.G.
Mahalo
To the thoughtful person who turned in my bus pass that I left on the express bus. -- Grateful senior citizen
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