Kokua Line
By June Watanabe
Question: How do you go about getting restroom facilities for a minipark? Either a permanent facility or even a portable toilet used at construction sites would be of great use for the Na Pueo Park in upper Alewa Heights. There are a great number of people who regularly use the park for exercise and fellowship. Although there is an Alzheimer's facility -- Hale Kako'o -- located on the grounds of the park, it does not allow public use of their restrooms. Picnic tables would be great additions to the park as well. Alewa park fails to
qualify for a restroomAnswer: It doesn't appear likely that the park at 1816 Alewa Drive is big enough to qualify for any kind of restroom facility -- portable or otherwise.
It would cost about $450,000 to build a small comfort station, and even a small one wouldn't fit into a small park like Na Pueo that is meant for only passive activities, according to the city Department of Design and Construction.
While you could try to seek capital improvements funding for a comfort station via your neighborhood board and/or community vision team, in the end, the project would still need to comply with city standards.
As it now stands, city standards don't allow for the installation of even portable toilets in miniparks.
But picnic tables may be a possibility, although it may come down to community priorities.
City officials said you can submit a request for the tables, which would require funds from the capital improvements budget, to one of the following:
>> The city Department of Parks & Recreation, 1000 Uluohia St., Suite 309, Kapolei 96707; phone 692-5561.
>> The Liliha/Puunui/Alewa/ Kamehameha Heights Neighborhood Board, which meets at 7 p.m. the second Monday of each month at Maemae School, 417 Wyllie St.
>> The community vision team for Nuuanu/Alewa, which meets 8:30 a.m. the second Saturday, every other month, in the conference room of the city Department of Human Resources, 530 S. King St. (The next meeting is scheduled for April 12.)
Auwe
To a thief who ruined our newly adopted daughter's fifth birthday (her first real birthday celebration with us) on Saturday morning, March 15, at Chuck E. Cheese in Aina Haina Shopping Center. We wanted it to be a very special day for her. In the excitement and hubbub, my camcorder, which I had just bought for the occasion, was set down in a booth near the carousel. When we returned, it was gone. Chuck E. Cheese management and staff were very helpful, but to no avail. Shame on you! What a fine example you are to the kids you were with. If you're not going to return the camera, at least return the tape inside. It's the only video we will have of our daughter's birthday party. -- John Ko
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