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Gifts help kids with bus
for field trip

Thanks to the generosity of strangers and the school's ohana, 130 sixth-graders at Central Middle School will be able to make the much-awaited visit to the Challenger Learning Center at Barbers Point Elementary School on May 12 and 13.

In the April 17 "Kokua Line," we noted the plight of the school in securing bus transportation for the students, who had to be at the center by 8:30 a.m. each day to catch the start of the first mission rendezvousing with Comet Halley.

Because school buses are tied up at that time of day, the school needed to hire charter buses to transport the students.

Lee Takagi, a sixth-grade science teacher, noted that initially it would have cost each student more than $10, which would be a hardship for many.

We asked if anyone could help or come up with a solution, and Takagi and fellow science teacher Becky Moylan are grateful for the response.

The first person to contact her said he and his wife wanted to help but didn't have a lot of money. Takagi was floored when the couple sent a card and a check for $100.

"That's a lot to me and my students, and we were very moved by their actions," Takagi said.

After she shared the dilemma with her students, asking if they could each come up with $4, one mother gave her daughter $20 to help with the cost of the buses.

The Ifuku Family Foundation and others also offered financial help.

Takagi said the school was able to cut the costs of the buses down to about $722 -- almost half the initial estimated cost.

To help lower costs, students will walk between the Challenger Learning Center and the Museum of Flying, a distance of about six-tenths of a mile.

"Everything is working out for our kids," a delighted Takagi said. "They are excited and so am I."

Question: How does the city process new car registrations? About a month ago, I bought a new car and was given a temporary license valid until May 18. On April 19, I received the registration and license plates. However, I've seen new cars that still have temporary licenses which, though still valid, will expire before May 18. It looks as though their owners bought their car before I did but are still waiting to receive their plates. Is priority given to certain dealers, or to cars whose temporary registrations expire soon?

Answer: It's basically "first in, first out" when it comes to processing car registrations, said Dennis Kamimura, administrator of the city Division of Motor Vehicle and Licensing.

Normally, car dealers receive the plates, certificate of registration and certificate of title within seven working days of submitting the transaction to DMV, he said.

"All dealers are treated equally," Kamimura said. "If you have not received your license plates and certificate of registration within 30 days after you purchased your new vehicle, you should contact the dealer."

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