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Kokua Line

By June Watanabe

Pali tunnel ‘strobe’ lights
have been repaired at last

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Question: Have you driven through the Pali tunnels recently? After all the expense and fanfare about the modernizing of the tunnels a few years back, why are the lights strobing? The intermittent on-off, bright-dim flashing is not only irritating, but would seem to be somewhat dangerous to folks who might be prone to seizures, etc.

Q: Please find out why the lights inside both tunnels of the Pali have not been repaired. Currently they are flashing (blinking on and off) and cause anxiety for me to the point where I sometimes close my eyes.

Answer: The malfunctioning lights, caused by "damaged electrical parts," were repaired shortly after we passed on your complaints to the state Department of Transportation.

The lights went out about the second week in April, but parts had to be ordered from the mainland and could not be replaced until last Friday, according to a Highways Division official.

In the future, call 831-6714 if there is something wrong with the tunnel lights.

In the meantime, the official said the radio reception system in the Pali tunnels also needs to be replaced. However, that problem won't be addressed for awhile. The DOT has scheduled a construction project to remedy that situation for the next biennium budget, the official said.

Q: Are people living in a residential neighborhood allowed to keep nine cars on their front lawn? When does it become a parking lot as opposed to a front yard? Having something like this takes away from the ambience of our Hamakua Drive neighborhood.

A: As long as the cars belong to the people who live there, there is nothing that limits the number of vehicles they can keep on their property. That's the word from William Deering, chief of the city's Housing Code Section.

They are not supposed to be running a car repair company but are allowed to do repair work if the cars all belong to them.

"If they're running a business, it's a different matter," Deering said. "But if they are just storing (the vehicles), there is nothing that says they have limited storage."

As for looking bad, there is nothing in the housing code that addresses that issue, he said. But if it is a health or safety issue, action can be taken.

If you have specific questions or concerns, call Deering at 527-6308.

Auwe

To police or those responsible for cleaning up after a traffic accident. In that recent fatal accident on Kahekili Highway near the Valley of the Temples Memorial Park, flares, residue of the flares and even the boxes the flares came in were just left on the side of the road. -- David

(While reopening the road, officers accidentally left an empty flare box at the scene and went back to retrieve it the next day, according to Sgt. Masen Kuaiwa of the Honolulu Police Department's Kaneohe District 4. He said the unburned portions of flares and flare residue were swept up, but there was some discoloring and ash that could not be removed.)

Mahalo

To Mary Ann DeSilva of Aloha Airlines. On April 10, I was all stressed out because my husband forgot his wallet. But she calmed me down and was so helpful. I just want her and Aloha to know how much I really appreciated her kindness. -- Jean Murakawa

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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.
E-mail to kokualine@starbulletin.com