---

Punchbowl’s
columbarium
not lei-friendly

Question: On Memorial Day, I visited the columbarium at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Punchbowl, where my late husband has a niche. I noticed that no small leis or flags were placed upon each niche vase. Weren't those whose remains are kept there as deserving as the ones in the burial ground?

Answer: Yes, they are.

But there is no way to place a small American flag or lei on an upright marker in the columbarium, said Gene Castagnetti, director of the Punchbowl cemetery.

In the old sections of the columbarium, there are flower vases in which families can place individual flower tributes to their loved ones, he said; but in the new section, all flower vases are placed in a common area.

"The new design does not accommodate the personalized flower tribute next to the deceased's niche," Castagnetti said.

However, he said veterans whose remains are kept in the columbarium are not forgotten.

"A 5-by-9 (foot) burial flag is placed around the columbarium areas for Memorial Day," Castagnetti said. "That's part of our Avenue of Flags program and is really the common flag for all the interments of veterans in the columbarium."

Q: For as many years as I can remember, someone on Ala Napunani Street has been disassembling vehicles on his property. The situation gets worse as the years go by as there are derelict vehicles not only on the property, but also parked in the driveway extending into the street as well as parked on the street. In one case last year, a stripped skeleton of a car was placed on the Ala Napunani curbside to be towed away by the city. The garage looks to be cram-packed with combustible material. Is this a case that no action is taken because no work is being done when an inspector comes around?

A: An inspector with the city Housing Code Section inspected the property recently and spoke to the owner, who provided papers showing that he or his son owned all the vehicles on the property.

The papers are also on file with the city.

"They like to repair cars ... as a hobby," said the inspector, Michael Alesna.

As long as the vehicles are owned by the property owner, the owner is allowed to make repairs to however many can be accommodated on the property.

"If they're fixing (a vehicle), we can't really tell a person it can't be fixed" as long as the vehicle is on the property, Alesna said. If cars are parked illegally outside on the road or blocking a sidewalk, you're advised to call police.

There were no violations found about the condition of the property, as well.

The property was inspected previously because of similar complaints. "Basically, (inspectors) found the same thing ... the same cars," Alesna said.

He noted that the city gets many complaints about people running car repair businesses in a residential area "around the island. Some we do catch because they buy and sell (the vehicles)."

|

---

---