Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Question: About 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 8, I saw an 18-wheeler carrying a huge bulldozer from Fort Weaver Road to the H-1 freeway. There was private security in the front and back of the 18-wheeler. But how come there was no police escort? Big road loads normally
require police escortsAnswer: You may recall that was during the Asian Development Bank conference in Waikiki, when there was heightened police security because of the fear of violent protests.
That never materialized. Nonetheless, there were no police officers available for other special-duty assignments during that period, a police spokeswoman said.
Because of that, the state Department of Transportation allowed the company to use private security to escort the vehicle you saw, explained Scott Naleimaile, an engineer in the Highways Division permit section.
Any vehicle over 12 feet in width or 65 feet in length usually would require a police escort, he said. However, it also depends on the location and the vehicles involved.
"We look at each trip individually and where they are going," Naleimaile said, noting the streets may be more congested or narrower in certain areas.
Q: Why is the city allowing what looks like an illegal dump on the backside of the Ewa Villages Golf Course? It's where the maintenance shed is, on the edge of Barbers Point. There are bags and bags of garbage -- it looks like a dump. Why don't they at least use Dumpsters?
A: The problem is that there is no loader to haul the trash away, said Dave Mills, the city's golf course administrator, who acknowledged the temporary trash heaps.
The loader has been out of commission for about a month. "They are trying to borrow one from West Loch (golf course)," he said. "When they get one (shortly), they'll haul the trash to the Waimanalo dump."
Mahalo
This senior citizen foolishly misplaced her wallet at Wal-Mart in Kunia on May 18. All kinds of terrible scenarios went through my mind, plus the cancellation of my vacation plans. But lo and behold, some angel left my wallet at the customer service counter. I want that person to know how much I appreciated not only getting my things back, but to know there are still a lot of honest people. -- No name
Auwe
Why is the city filling every night with chaos at a time when residents are winding down from hot, stress-filled days? The noise is from that monstrous, flashing street-cleaning machine that prowls and growls in high gear and can be heard three blocks away. It is too big for Honolulu streets and too noisy for our tropical climate, which necessitates open windows. From 9-ish up to midnight it makes numerous passes up, back and crosswise, causing more stress and raising blood pressure for even the healthiest of residents. We all need our sleep! Once every couple of months would be sufficient to keep our streets free of debris, but certainly not every night. -- No Name(We passed your complaint on to the city Department of Customer Service.)
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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