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Speed ruling might
be reconsidered

Question: On Fort Weaver Road the speed limit posted is 45 mph, and as you approach the Child Services Center, a 35 mph sign is posted with effective times during school days ONLY. On a Sunday evening at approximately 10 p.m., my son was ticketed for speeding at 60 in a 35 mph zone. My son wrote an explanation to the judge at the Ewa District Court, explaining that he was going between 45 and 50 mph. If the sign indicates 35 mph during school days only (times posted are 7-9 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. SCHOOL DAYS ONLY), shouldn't the speed limit on Sunday nights be 45 mph? The judge imposed a traffic citation for 55/35 after reading my son's explanation, but I don't understand why. Shouldn't it be 55/45? Can you please help me get an explanation?

Answer: Fort Weaver Road is under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Transportation.

According to the Traffic Branch, the posted speed limit in the area of Child and Family Service on Fort Weaver Road is 45 mph.

Signs in the area do establish a school zone in which the speed limit is lowered. The word from the DOT: "During school days only, the reduced school speed limit is 35 mph between the hours of 7 and 9 a.m. and 2 to 3 p.m."

We can't account for how the judge came to make his ruling, but checked with the state Traffic Violations Bureau to find out if there are any options for you to pursue.

On the notices of decision and judgment, judges will usually check off "mitigated" or "contested."

Usually, when it says "mitigated" that means the judgment is final.

If it indicates "contested," then the person cited has 30 days in which to file for a "trial de novo," which basically means to start all over, said Carol Nakagami, manager of the Traffic Violations Bureau.

In this case, whatever the judge checked, your son should probably ask for a reconsideration, noting he has new evidence to bolster his contention that he should have been cited while traveling in a 45 mph zone instead of a 35 mph zone.

Q: I have been calling the Board of Water Supply because of a leaky faucet at Aloha Stadium. The last time I talked to them was about four weeks ago. I was there again on a recent Sunday, and by golly, it was still leaking. It's a steady stream -- not even a drip. People don't turn it off properly. It doesn't turn off until it is at the 5 o'clock position, but people turn it only about halfway. Apparently, the Board of Water Supply can't go in and fix it themselves. The leaky faucet is in the women's restroom next to the snack bar outside the stadium at 13-A. They have many restrooms at the stadium, so who knows how many faucets are leaking. Can you help get them to fix that leak?

A: Next time, call Aloha Stadium directly at 486-9549.

We passed on your concerns to stadium officials and were told last week that a maintenance worker would tend to it.

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