Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Question: In some counties on the mainland, they celebrate Halloween on the last Friday in October. Who would be approached with the idea? Is it at all possible for Hawaii to do this? If it were celebrated on a Friday, it is much easier on the kids, and we wouldn't have to worry about it falling on a school night each year. Why not celebrate every
Halloween on a Friday?Answer: In light of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, there appears to be a move in many areas of the country to curtail Halloween activities this year.
But it would seem to be difficult to officially mandate people to celebrate a fixed holiday on another day, especially in the face of tradition. Also, Halloween is not an officially recognized holiday, where workers and schoolchildren are given the day, or a day, off.
You could approach any one of your political representatives on the City Council or in the state Legislature to see if there is any support or chance for such a move. We broached your idea with the city administration. Honolulu Managing Director Ben Lee said there are no plans to postpone Halloween from a Wednesday to Friday, at least not this year.
However, there were two times in Hawaii's past when officials did step in to change the date.
The first was in 1971, when youngsters petitioned then-Gov. John A. Burns to switch Halloween from Sunday to Saturday. He obliged, but not without creating a witch's brew of controversy.
The Star-Bulletin had conducted a poll a few days before Halloween that year and "found sentiment in favor of the change," according to one account. But "no sooner did the results of the poll hit the paper, however, than we were swamped with calls from irate parents wanting to know why we were messing around with Halloween and confusing everybody."
Some kids lucked out that year, going trick-or-treating on both Saturday and Sunday.
Halloween again was celebrated on a different day in 1978, but not as a convenience to schoolchildren.
That October, 23 years ago, the islands were besieged by thunderstorms and flooding, prompting acting Honolulu Mayor Edward Hirata to "cancel" Halloween on Oct. 31. Initial reports were that he "proclaimed" the holiday would be postponed until kids could go trick-or-treating safely. Later, it was softened to an "advisory" to parents to keep their kids home until the bad weather cleared.
Halloween in Honolulu that year was "made up" on Nov. 1, although some parents allowed their children to celebrate it the day before anyway.
On the state level, then-Gov. George Ariyoshi took no action, saying he "couldn't cancel Halloween any more than somebody could cancel Christmas."
Q: Is it legal for people to block the sidewalk? At 17th and Maunaloa avenues in Kaimuki, someone has blocked the grassy sidewalk area so people cannot park their cars to go to school.
A: It is legal there because the four corners at that intersection are privately owned, according to William Deering, chief of the city Housing Code Section.
Interestingly, many streets in that area are privately owned, although the city has taken over maintenance, he said.
Ordinarily, however, there should not be cars or other obstructions on sidewalks, unimproved (without paved walkways) or not, Deering said. The enforcement agency is the Police Department.
Mahalo
To the city pothole patrol for their fast response in patching up the potholes along Wilhelmina Rise. -- No Name
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