Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Question: On Young Street, next to Meadow Gold, there are lots of abandoned city ambulances, with flat tires, etc. Also, people are partying in the parking lot until all hours. What's going on? Ambulances on city lot
aren’t dead, they’re
awaiting repairsAnswer: The ambulances are not abandoned.
When the old Honolulu Police Department garage site, just further Ewa on Young Street, was demolished to make way for the new Pawaa Park, the ambulance unit using part of the site was moved to the city-owned property you are referring to.
"Because there is a lot of room (at the new location), we not only have our Metropolitan Unit One there, we have all our spare units in the back," said Donnie Gates, assistant chief of operations for the Emergency Medical Services Division.
It may look like an ambulance graveyard because a couple of the vehicles were involved in accidents, but they are just being stored there while awaiting repairs, Gates said.
The ambulances parked there are part of the city's "reliever pool," Gates said, and are also used for driver training, as well as public-relations activities. As for the "partying," Gates said that should not be happening on government property, whether by employees or outsiders.
If you can provide details, such as time and date, call him at 831-4356.
That lot opens at 7 a.m. and is secured at 11 p.m., but that doesn't mean people can't get in, Gates said.
Q: The Hawaii Public Employees Health Fund is part of state government, so why do members have to talk to a machine and give home phone numbers and Social Security numbers, which should be private? Also, phone calls are not returned within three or four hours.
A: The health fund has about 90,000 members -- state and county employees, retirees and their dependents -- and not enough staff to answer all calls in person, said Bert Nishihara, the acting administrator.
Three health fund staff rotate the job of retrieving messages; researching a member's request or complaint; and returning the call or passing the message on to someone who can help, he said.
The reason callers are asked to leave specific information, including Social Security numbers, on the answering machine is to expedite service, he said. However, he said it is optional to do so and calls will be returned whether a member does or not.
He acknowledged that may not have been clear. Because of that, "We will be modifying our message to avoid any future misunderstanding with our members."
Mucho mochi usus
Our readers have come through again. Someone asked Kokua Line for help in tracking down mochi stone usus to carry on the Japanese New Year's tradition of pounding mochi the "old-fashion" way. Several people called suggesting a couple of commercial establishments. Three people offered to give their family heirlooms for free. As one man put it, "My father used it. Memories are good enough for me."We've passed their names on to the person who asked.
We confirmed that Marukai Wholesale Mart on Dillingham Boulevard has one stone usu for sale, while Big Rock Manufacturing on Republican Street in Kalihi does make "pedestal-style mochi bowls cast from an antique mochi bowl carved from lava rock." However, because they have not been tested for mochi-pounding, even though the bowls are made of fiber-reinforced concrete, they're recommended for decorative purposes only, a spokeswoman said.
We also had calls from several individuals who wanted to sell their usus. If you're interested, call Kokua Line at 529-4773 and leave a message. We'll pass your name on.
Got a question or complaint?
Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
Email to kokualine@starbulletin.com