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Kokua Line June Watanabe |
Traps available for
catching noisy wild fowlQuestion: I live at the top of Halemanu Street in Temple Valley, Kaneohe. For the past six months, we have been plagued by roosters crowing, starting at 3 a.m., the whole day. I count at least 20 of them and babies born continually. We have called the police, who say it's not their jurisdiction, and have talked to the owners, to no avail. What can be done?
Answer: The Honolulu Police Department will handle complaints about noisy roosters that are owned by someone.
However, Kaneohe police say the roosters in your neighborhood are "wild chickens" claimed by no one.
Kaneohe police said they had received at least three complaints recently about the noisy fowl. They checked with various state and federal wildlife agencies, but none of those will accept any responsibility for dealing with such wild birds, said HPD spokeswoman Michelle Yu.
At this point you may have to take the birds into your own hands.
You can borrow a "humane" trap from the Hawaiian Humane Society. There is no charge; however, you do have to put down a $50 deposit, which is refunded when the trap is returned.
You should ask your neighbor on whose property the roosters like to congregate if you can set up the trap, said Humane Society spokeswoman Eve Holt.
You'll be shown how to use the traps properly. Trapped birds can be brought into the Humane Society's "Incoming Animals" area 24 hours a day. If you want someone from the Humane Society to pick up the bird(s), you'll be charged $25.
"We will try to find a new home for the chickens if we know of someone who is looking for some," Holt said. "If we cannot find anyone, the chickens will be euthanized."
Call the Humane Society at 946-2187, ext. 280, for information on the traps.
Q: I am a 21-year veteran of the Hawaii Air National Guard. I recently inquired at a satellite city hall about obtaining veteran's license plates for my vehicles. I was told that since I did not have any break in my military service, I was not eligible. Can you please clarify or verify why this is? I left the office under the impression that if I served just four years and got out, I would be eligible. It just seems kind of odd to me that since I am still an active member I did not qualify.
A: Under state law a member of the military must have been "honorably discharged" from military duty to qualify for a veteran's license plate.
Active-duty members of the military, or members of the National Guard or reserves, do not qualify for the veteran's plates.
However, an active-duty member may qualify for other special military plates, with proof of qualification, if he or she is a veteran of a specific war or campaign, said David Mau, assistant administrator for the city Division of Motor Vehicle & Licensing.
So far, those plates are for Combat Wounded, Pearl Harbor Survivor, Former Prisoner of War, Combat Veteran, Vietnam Veteran, Korea Veteran, World War II Veteran and Persian Gulf Veteran.
It costs $5.50 extra for the special plates, which essentially is the replacement fee for changing the number plates normally issued, Mau said.
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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