Kokua Line
Kokua Line
How many months does it take
to screw in a light bulb?Question: How long does it take to change a light under the Waialae Viaduct? I've been calling the state Department of Transportation since last October -- most recently Feb. 1, Feb. 15, March 27, Sept. 13 and Oct. 7. All I get is the run-around. About 20 percent of the lights are out, but I am most concerned about the lack of lights by the cemetery where the bus stop is. At night it is really dark there. What is the problem?
Answer: The word from the Transportation Department's Highways Division last week was that new fixtures should arrive shortly and that the lights will be repaired within two to three weeks.
The basic problem is that the entire electrical system under the viaduct is outdated and needs to be replaced, said Martin Okabe, Oahu district engineer for the Highways Division.
If one fixture breaks, a replacement has to be specially ordered from the mainland, he said.
It normally takes a couple of months to get these special orders.
The Highways Division was trying to budget a replacement of the system earlier this year. But due to other priorities, Okabe said, the project was left out of the budget.
"Subsequently, we decided to just special-order the fixtures, and that is why it took so long to get the fixtures repaired," he said.
Q: I purchased a box of Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Cereal Bar, raspberry flavor, from Longs Drug Store in Pearl City on Nov. 3. That package displayed "Win Instantly -- Sony Vaio laptop computer, Visor Edge handhelds and Motorola cellular phones." I first saw this product about two months ago and questioned Longs personnel as to how old the product was as the contest expiration date was June 15, 2002. Someone got back to me and said the product run was in August. But when I asked why Longs was selling a product that had an expired contest, that person could not answer me. However, she did say they were going to pull the product from the store. Two months later, the product was back on the shelves, still featuring a contest in which the expiration date has passed. Why?
A: A Longs spokeswoman apologized for the mix-up and thanks you for calling the matter to the store's attention.
She said it was an oversight that the product was being sold in packaging featuring an outdated promotion, but assured customers that the "product was still good."
She said the product was pulled the first time, as you were told, and was "all boxed and ready to go back" to the vendor. She said she didn't know how the product got back onto store shelves, but it may have been misplaced within the store and then stocked by someone who was not aware of the situation.
She said the product's local vendor was notified of the outdated packaging.
If you are concerned about the product or purchased it because of the contest, you can return it to the store for a refund, she said.
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