CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Elizabeth Dole from the airport's Lost and Found department tries to make sure lost-and-found items get returned to their rightful owners. Above, Dylan Shiu was all smiles last week after Dole helped him reclaim his lost luggage.

Lost & Found

Elizabeth Dole loves meeting new
people, and if she can reunite them
with something they lost,
so much the better

ELIZABETH DOLE has the same name as former presidential candidate Bob Dole's wife, so she's always ready with a good comeback when people joke with her about her name. Married in fact to George Dole, of Waianae, the local Elizabeth Dole works in Lost and Found at Honolulu Airport, and she's always ready with comments about that, too.

Who: Elizabeth Dole Title: Baggage Attendant I Job: Works in Lost and Found at Honolulu Airport, managing lost items and helping return them to their owners

Like the time she helped return the remains of a "Baby Cooper" to its parents in San Francisco. A small suitcase was found, in which was a drawstring bag. "So I opened up the drawstring," Dole said, "and there was a little gold box in there" with the words "Baby Cooper" on it. "I got chicken skin," she said. "I said, 'Baby Cooper, we have to get you back to your mom." Initial attempts to find the parents were unsuccessful, but finally, Dole said, the baby's father called from San Francisco. "I said, 'What took you so long? Where are you?' He said they were in San Francisco, so I contacted the airline and the airline was kind enough to send it back."

Dole, 58, has been with the airport's Lost and Found for almost 14 years. Before that she was an dental assistant and receptionist for Dr. Robert S.D. Kim in Waianae. She and George have two adult children -- a son and a daughter.

CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Dole tried to reach someone who could identify the owner of the lost cell phone she was holding.

Question: So how's your husband, Bob? Is he planning to run for president again?

Answer: Well you know, since he started on Viagra, he's a much happier person, so I guess he just might do it.

Q: (Laughter) Oh that's funny.

A: I know. I get that all the time.

Q: Well, about your job, why is your title "baggage attendant?"

A: We're called Baggage Attendants I (One) because we had storage here before. We had a storage room and computerized lockers for rent, but after 9/11 it got shut down. It was a great, great service for the passengers. It was open 24/7, no doors, no nothing. But not anymore.

Q: Has the work load really dropped off?

A: So far no. We're kept really busy, but we don't have as many people as when we had storage. We had 12 people then, but now were down to four. Four indians and one chief. Plus, besides Lost & Found, we help other offices at the airport, like making ID badges and picking up the mail from the five courtesy mail drop boxes and dropping that off at the Post Office. Whatever units need help, we go and help them.

Q: What kind of cataloging system do you have for the lost items? Is everything computerized or what?

A: No. We tried that, but it doesn't work out for us. Also, things recently changed around here. Before we would average maybe about 800 items a month, but as of Jan. 9, TSA (the federal Transportation Security Administration) took over the lost and found property and the surrendered and hazmat items from the checkpoints. So that cut down our receiving of lost and found property. But we still receive our fair share of them.

Q: What about things that are lost in the terminals?

A: That would come to us. Before Jan. 9, we would receive all lost and found items at the airport. If something is lost an an airplane, usually the airlines have their own Lost and Founds. But if something is lost after the checkpoint, or on the breezeways or in the restaurants, that comes to us.

CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Cellphones, surfboards, bicycles, cameras -- you name it and Elizabeth Dole of the Honolulu Airport's Lost and Found department probably has it on the department's rows and rows of shelving.

Q: What kind of items do people seem to lose the most?

A: Cell phones, cameras, jackets.

Q: What happens if the person who lost an item is not from Hawaii?

A: We go beyond the call trying to get it back to you. Like if a cell phone comes in, we'll turn it on and try to find a number to call. Like we'll call mom or dad, that's always the best way. Then we try and make arrangements to get it back.

There's four ways to do that: Someone can pick it up for you; you can FedEx or UPS if you have an account; if you don't have an account, you can use a credit card; or you can use the Post Office. You send us the postage and we'll send it.

Q: Do you have a lot of lost stuff in storage?

A: We hold it for 45 days, then after 45 days, it goes to auction, charity or it gets disposed. It depends on the item. Like if it's a camera and it's good, or a fairly new jacket, it goes to auction.

Q: What would be disposed?

A: Disposable cameras, food, old clothing.

Q: Disposable cameras?

A: Yeah, although we take the film out and throw that away separately so people won't get the film. And then with the clothing, if it's old, it gets disposed, but if it's fairly good, it goes to charity.

Q: Are you planning on staying on with your job for a while?

A: Yeah, I love my job. And I enjoy talking to people. When we had storage, we met people from all over the world. I'm here for maybe another four or five years.