|
Kokua Line June Watanabe |
Notify city of any
missing traffic signsQuestion: I live on Kinalau Place, which is a dead-end street, just off Ward Avenue. It's a "no parking" zone and there is a "no parking" sign, but motorists have been tipping over the sign and parking. Isn't that illegal?
Answer: Damaging or taking away a posted sign is considered a misdemeanor.
The charge would probably be fourth-degree criminal property damage, if it was damaged (tipped over) and had to be fixed, according to the Honolulu Police Department. If it was stolen, it would probably be classified fourth-degree theft.
But any charge would require a written statement by the agency responsible for either fixing or replacing the sign, said HPD Maj. Michael Tucker.
Meanwhile, police cannot cite any of the people parking illegally if a required sign is not posted.
Hawaii Revised Statutes 291C-31(b) says: "No provision of this chapter for which signs are required shall be enforced against an alleged violator if at the time and place of the alleged violation an official sign is not in proper position and sufficiently legible to be seen by an ordinarily observant person."
However, in many instances no signs are required.
So, that section of the law goes on to say: "Whenever a particular section does not state that signs are required, the section shall be effective even though no signs are erected or in place."
In the future, if you see a parking/traffic sign completely missing, call the city Department of Transportation Services at 523-4125.
If, as in this case, the sign is there but damaged or knocked down, call the city Department of Facility Maintenance's Signs and Marking Section, 484-7644.
Q: I read that retired Gen. Eric Shinseki, former Army chief of staff, recently wrote an autobiography titled "My Name Is Shinseki and I Am a Soldier." I have checked search engines such as Yahoo and Google, plus Amazon.com, and I haven't been able to find information regarding the name of the publisher so that I may purchase the book. Can you help?
A: The Shinseki biography -- written by Richard Halloran -- is available exclusively at the Hawaii Army Museum Society Store, for about $10.
The store is within the U.S. Army Museum, which is on the grounds of the Hale Koa Hotel and the Fort DeRussy Recreation Center on Kalia Road.
Trustees of the Hawaii Army Museum Society commissioned Halloran, a former New York Times reporter and former Star-Bulletin editorial page editor, to write a brief biography about Shinseki to go with an exhibit honoring Shinseki's life.
The General Eric K. Shinseki Exhibit opened in the U.S. Army Museum on March 30.
Shinseki, who was born on Kauai, is the first Asian American and first Hawaii native to have achieved the U.S. Army's highest uniformed ranking, chief of staff. He retired last year.
The biographical booklet also may be purchased online by going to www.hiarmymuseumsoc.org/shop/index.html.
|
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
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