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Kokua Line
Question: Is the public ever allowed to go into the Diamond Head Lighthouse? Lighthouse now home to
Coast Guard commanderAnswer: The Diamond Head Lighthouse, built in 1899, is the home for the Coast Guard District commander.
So, no, it is not open to the public, said Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Greg Fondran.
But if you want to "experience the beauty and mystique of the lighthouse," he said, a great place to view it is from Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park, on the Kahala side of the lighthouse, or from above, on the cliffs of Diamond Head State Monument.
Fondran also provided some history of the lighthouse, reconstructed in 1917 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980:
The superintendent of the 19th Lighthouse District lived at the lighthouse dwelling before the Lighthouse Service merged with the Coast Guard in 1939. From 1939 to 1944, the dwelling served as the 14th Coast Guard District Radio Station.
Since 1944, after renovations, the lighthouse has been home to the Coast Guard's district commander.
The present tower, made of reinforced concrete, is 55 feet above ground and 147 feet above sea level. After 102 years, some original equipment and materials remain, including ironwork in the watch room and a 3rd order Fresnel lens imported from France, Fondran said.
However, a special multiple-wick kerosene oil lamp has since been replaced by an electric, flashing light, which is backed by a battery-powered light. An electronic sensing device monitors the main light, activating the backup light during any failure, Fondran said.
The lighthouse's beacon has the intensity of 60,000 candlepower and can be seen for 18 miles.
"The light shows a red sector on the Ewa side to warn vessels away from the reefs off Waikiki Beach," Fondran said.
More free tax help
The IRS and state Department of Taxation's Taxpayer Advocate Offices, in cooperation with the Hawaii State Public Library System, is offering free tax help. No appointment is required, although you are advised to call ahead for information on what is needed (539-2870 for the federal taxpayer advocate; 587-1791, state taxpayer advocate).Taxpayers should bring identification and pertinent tax records and information.
Sessions were already held in Ewa Beach and Hawaii Kai. Future sessions will be as follows: 10 a.m.-3 p.m., March 5, Aina Haina Public Library; 9 a.m.-3 p.m., March 6, Waimanalo Public and School Library; 10 a.m.-3 p.m., March 12, Kalihi-Palama Public Library; 9 a.m.-3 p.m. March 14, Wahiawa Public Library; 9 a.m.-3 p.m. March 15, Liliha Public Library; 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. March 21, Waipahu Civic Center (94-275 Mokuola St., Rm. 102).
Auwe
On Saturday, Feb. 10, a male driver thought racing a friend on the H-1 westbound, past Hawaiian Waters Park, was the best recreation he could find for the day. Well, as fast as he was going, he never thought he would meet up with a canoe. He smashed into Leeward Kai Canoe Club's only racing canoe, which was going back home from a day at the Na Opio and OIA canoe regatta for children. Not only did he hit the canoe and send it flying across the freeway, but he also wrecked the canoe trailer. Thank God, the coach was not hurt. What more can we do to protect innocent people on our freeways? -- Concerned Hawaii Canoe Racing Association Supporter
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