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Kokua Line
Question: On Saturday, Feb. 25, my husband was backing out of the handicapped stall at Star Moiliili. One of the police department's volunteer parking officers scolded my husband for talking back to him when my husband said that I just placed the handicap parking placard in a safe place as required. More about
handicapped parkingHe told my husband to keep quiet or get a citation. When he saw me waving the placard to show proof and stop him from scolding, he got huhu and said that the placard has to be on the rearview mirror until we drive out. I appreciate the volunteers, but he may be overzealous. What is the policy of hanging the placard while backing out of a space? Trying to take off the placard and put it into the glove compartment while driving is unsafe.
Answer: The volunteer disabled parking enforcement officer gave a different version of what happened, mainly that he did not see the placard before you began backing out of the stall, said Sgt. Bart Canada, the Honolulu Police Department's disabled parking enforcement coordinator.
Foremost, you are required to hang the placard from the rearview mirror so that it is visible from the front or rear of a vehicle, he said.
"Additionally, the placard holder has to be present and is required to present their disabled parking identification card upon request of a law enforcement or other parking enforcement officer," he said.
Before exiting the stall, you should take the placard down so it does not obstruct the driver's view, and place it securely away.
But, "If approached by a police officer or disabled-parking officer with respect to verification of placards or ID, please be courteous and understand they are just trying to enforce the disabled-parking laws," Canada said.
Sometimes people do forget to hang the placard "and then they are questioned about it. Please don't get upset with our enforcement officers because they are checking," he said.
At the other end, "We try to train enforcement officers to be compassionate and to be sensitive to the disabled community. Our program is hopefully to educate, as well as enforce."
If you have any complaints -- or compliments -- call Canada at 529-3509.
Q: On Feb. 17, Liberty House Ala Moana had a chef/artist from the Kahala Mandarin Oriental-Hawaii hotel entertaining a good-sized crowd with his expertise with two sharp knives, turning fruits and vegetables into apple birds, tomato roses, cucumber crabs, etc. Can you please find out who this masterful chef was?
A: He is Warren Sasaki, the Kahala Mandarin's chef Gardemanger, which means he's in charge of cold foods for all the restaurants there, except Hoku's.
Sasaki, a 1977 Kalani High School graduate, got his training at Kapiolani Community College ("I graduated the same time as Alan Wong") and has been with the hotel since 1983. He honed his skills as a food carver with chefs all around the world, not only visiting chefs but those he met at hotels in Korea, Japan and elsewhere, he said.
In addition to fruit and vegetable carvings, he also does ice carving.
Look for his return to Liberty House sometime in the future. Sasaki says he's been invited back for an encore.
Mahalo
To the man with a camera who came to my son's rescue when he slashed his finger with his skate at the Ice Palace on Feb. 3. My son had to go to the emergency room but he's fine now. -- Nick's Mom
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