Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Trail in Manoa not
an official state pathQuestion: Has public access to the "Queen's Ponds" (Waiakeakua Stream) trail in upper Manoa been blocked? Why and for how long a period? There is a gate with a "no trespassing" sign at Waakaua Place where the trail head formerly began. This is not the same as the Manoa Falls trail. This one lies between Manoa Falls and Puu Pia trails in the back of Manoa Valley.
Answer: That area is not open to the general public, but we weren't able to determine who might have posted the sign.
The "Queen's Ponds" trail "is not a recognized managed public trail under DLNR," said Curt Cottrell, trails and access manager for the state Department of Land & Natural Resources.
The Board of Water Supply and the Catholic Diocese are the major private property owners in that of area, with farmers and flower growers leasing or subleasing some of the land.
"The only access that we recognize is Manoa Falls Trail and Puu Pia Trail on the right side of the valley," Cottrell said.
The Board of Water Supply did purchase a lot of the land in the back of the valley and maintains it as a preservation area to protect the watershed, a spokeswoman said.
However, it does allow some of the farmers from whom it purchased the property years ago to continue farming.
There are about five of those farmers left. Upon their deaths, however, the lease will not be transferable, the BWS spokeswoman said.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Diocese owns about 152 acres in the back of the valley, about 48 of which is leased to the owners of the former Paradise Park.
Q: I've been getting harassing phone calls. Can you please tell me what I should do?
A: Call Verizon Hawaii's Nuisance Call Bureau at 800-257-2969.
Verizon recommends giving no information and hanging up if you receive obscene, nuisance or threatening phone calls, which are against federal and state laws. If the caller does threaten you, you are advised to immediately call police.
Verizon began offering an "enhancement" to its Caller ID service last fall called Call Intercept, which blocks "unavailable," "out of area," "anonymous" or "private" calls unless the caller identifies himself.
The phone won't ring in those cases. Once a caller identifies himself, Call Intercept customers hear a special ring, hear who's calling and may decide to accept the call, decline it via a recorded message or send the call to voice mail.
There's a monthly charge for the service on top of the monthly charge for Caller ID. Call 643-3456 for information.
Auwe
To the driver of a van with a private school license plate. About 10:25 p.m. Wednesday, March 12, as we were driving out of Manoa on Manoa Road, you impatiently beeped your horn at me even though I was driving the speed limit, then overtook me at a high rate of speed. -- Gail T.
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Useful phone numbers
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