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Kokua Line
Question: I live on Ilima Drive, between Alewa Drive and Puna Street. When will Kamehameha Schools quit the practice of trying to put their school buses down a lane-and-a-half-wide road to the back gate of the school and instead use their main entrance, which is a larger entrance where streets are wide enough? It's been ongoing for a long time and is an irritant. It's not a problem now, but when school starts again, the buses come out Puna and turn on Ilima. Kamehameha buses
must use back gateAnswer: "The traffic issue at the Puna gate is something we have been working on for some time," says Kekoa Paulsen, Kamehameha Schools spokesman.
It's not as simple as sending all the school's buses through the main gate because of "neighborhood and traffic management issues" there also.
"If we ran all the buses through either one of the gates, it would create a tough situation there," Paulsen said. "We have tried to distribute the buses to lessen the traffic on either gate."
The back, or Puna, gate is open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., but the buses only use the Puna gate in the afternoons beginning at 3:30 p.m., and the gate is reserved for buses serving the East Honolulu areas. No construction trucks or other such vehicles are allowed to use the back gate, Paulsen said.
Kamehameha Schools maintains a fleet of 28 buses that it uses to shuttle students to the Kapalama Heights campus. School there will begin Aug. 21.
Q: Is there a state law regulating how much a business can charge if someone bounces a check? Who enforces the law? I think I know of a merchant who may be overcharging.
A: The law sets the limit at $20. The Office of Consumer Protection advises anyone having problems in this area to call it at 587-3222. Someone will advise you how to file a complaint. Besides the bounced-check fee, you also may be charged another service fee by your bank or financial institution.
Auwe
Public school bus drivers shouldn't be allowed to smoke at any time since all smoke -- whether it be secondhand or otherwise -- is bad for the health of children. I know bus drivers aren't allowed to smoke when transporting schoolchildren, but they shouldn't be allowed to smoke at any time.
Mahalo
To two nurses who helped my mother when she died July 3. The nurses at Hospice Hawaii -- Margaret McDunnah and Ross Rasmussen -- came through for my mother and me when she died. I can't say enough good things about the good care at Hospice Hawaii.-- William Cooper.
Auwe
To the man in the blue pickup truck with the vanity plate and the man in the red pickup with a cab on the back -- both were driving north on Kamehameha Highway in Waipio Gentry/Mililani at 3:30 p.m. Aug. 1.Your behavior resembled two testosterone-poisoned teen-agers -- you clogged both lanes of a narrow, twisting road while you cut off each other's vehicles and gesticulated. It was too dangerous to drive behind you and you were too wrapped up in each other to care for those around you. Next time take your debate to the side of the road and let the rest of us drive on safely.
Auwe
To the police who diverted traffic on to Wiliwili Street in McCully during the Aug. 1 water main break. That street was flooded while others were dry.
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