Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Skateboarding is
not allowed on streetsQuestion: My son and his friends skateboard on the street by my house in Waipahu, and one of my neighbors called the police.
When the police arrived, they told him they could not do anything because they were not breaking the law.
The next day, a different officer arrived and said he was going to confiscate their boards and gear if they skateboarded in the street again.
What is the law regarding skateboarding, and who do we contact to get a skateboard park in our area?
Answer: You're not supposed to skateboard on public streets. Under Section 15-4.6 (b) of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu: "No person upon a skateboard or roller skates, or riding in or by means of any toy vehicle or similar device, shall go upon a roadway, except when crossing a street."
Officers who responded the first time may not have been familiar with the law or did not witness your son and his friends skateboarding, said police Capt. Stephen Kim of District 3 (Pearl City).
A skateboard cannot be confiscated without a police report being initiated, he said. If it is confiscated, it would be used as evidence, he said.
Violators face a fine of $25. They also face being arrested if they refuse to "cease the illegal activity after being issued a citation," according to Section 15-4.6(f).
A skateboard park has been proposed for Waipahu District Park, but as yet there are no plans or money attached to that proposal.
The city advises people who want a skateboard park to lobby their community vision team. Waipahu is represented by Vision Group No. 19. Call Gemma at 523-4674 to be put on the mailing list to receive meeting notices.
Q: For two months the lights have been out at the tennis courts next to the Nuuanu YMCA. Who do we call to have it fixed?
A: We called William Balfour, director of the city Department of Parks & Recreation, who says it will be a while longer before the broken transformer at the courts can be repaired.
In the best-case scenario, the transformer should be up and running within 60 days, he said. Because there is "nothing on the shelf" in Hawaii, parts had to be ordered from the mainland.
The old transformer belongs to the parks department. Once it is fixed, Hawaiian Electric Co. will take over responsibility, Balfour said, "because that is the normal procedure."
Mahalo
To Walter Van Horn. As I was traveling east on the H-1 freeway on Aug. 14, I had a flat tire between the busy hours of 3:30 and 4 p.m., so I got into the left shoulder lane to get out of the line of traffic.I called for help, and a police officer came to the scene. Meanwhile, a stranger stopped his car behind me to help as the police officer stood by. This extremely nice gentleman, Mr. Van Horn, replaced my flat tire. I was able to get his name but not his address. He was on his way home after work, yet he took the time to help me. I would like to publicly thank Mr. Van Horn for this fine gesture of kindness and concern. I am truly grateful to him. -- June J. Takano
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