Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Earlier is better
for watering plantsQuestion: To conserve water, does the Board of Water Supply recommend watering early in the morning or late evening?
Answer: Early morning, ideally just before dawn, when plants tend to use water more efficiently.
Doing so then "minimizes evaporation and allows water to reach the root zone where plants need moisture the most," said board spokeswoman Denise DeCosta. "Irrigation at night can cause root rot problems."
A good watering period is 4 a.m. until 9 or 10 a.m., depending on the sunlight, she said.
"During the summer we ask consumers to be more watchful of lawn irrigation: Check and repair leaking or broken sprinkler heads or malfunctioning timers, and make sure sprinkler sprays are aimed appropriately toward the landscaping," she said.
Avoid watering at midday or when the sun is at its highest.
Another tip: If you don't already have it, consider drip irrigation or "bubblers" to reduce wind-drift and other water loss, DeCosta said.
Q: I bought a new car on July 25, 2001. The city Department of Customer Services sent me a motor vehicle renewal form that says, to avoid penalties, I have to renew on or before June 30, 2002. Why is my deadline June 30 instead of July 31, 2002? A friend bought a new car in June 2001, a month ahead of me. Her deadline for renewal was also June 30, 2002. Why is my deadline the same?
A: The city considers the registration period to be for 12 months, beginning with the first day of the month in which you bought a new car.
So in your case, the registration began July 1, 2001, and ended 12 months later, on June 30, 2002, said Dennis Kamimura, the city's motor vehicle and licensing administrator.
That said, he further explained that it really depends on when a dealer registers a car.
In your friend's case, let's say she received all her paperwork in June, but the actual date of sale may have been in May, Kamimura said. In that case, however, the dealer (or buyer) has to pay 13 months of taxes for the first year, he said. He suggested calling your dealer if you have any questions about your registration period.
"The dealer would be able to tell you exactly when the car was sold and how many months' taxes was charged by the motor vehicle office," he said.
"We go by date sold, as opposed to when the (registration) paperwork was submitted to us," Kamimura said. That's because "by law, a dealer can slap a paper (license) plate on your car, and the paper plate is valid for 30 days. They can sell the car anytime, so we go on the date first sold," he said.
Mahalo
To Kapuaikio'akua Silva, Aloha Airlines' customer service manager in Kahului. On Friday, June 28, my sister and I were at Aloha's ticket desk at Kahului Airport where we encountered a problem with our departure to Honolulu. Both my sister, Connie Swanson of Seattle, and I would like to thank Kapuaikio'akua for her perseverance and professionalism in straightening out the problem. -- Mary Jo Morrow
Got a question or complaint?
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Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
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