Kokua Line June Watanabe

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Keep those signs up, work isn’t done yet

Question: A sign noting caution relating to construction of the freeway lane additions near the Pearlridge offramp, long since completed, is still present on Kaahele Street. The sign is on the Ewa side of the street just mauka of the Newtown golf driving range's protective fence. It is a large sign and is no longer applicable. There are also two signs noting caution on Moanalua Road about 30 feet Diamond Head of Kaahele street relating to the same construction. All need to be removed. Can you help?

Answer: The advisory signs, part of the H-1 Waimalu Viaduct Widening Project, will be removed as soon as work at that location is completed, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation said.

Despite appearances, the project is not completed.

Although the major construction is over and the new freeway lane opened last June, work continues in the Kaahele Street area near the freeway overpass.

"Work is currently being performed on a retaining wall within landscaped areas on the freeway above Kaahele Street," the spokesman said.

The signs will remain as reminders that workers and vehicles could be in the area.

Recycle, Reuse

In response to two readers' requests for suggestions on what to do with empty DVD cases and old magazines ("Kokua Line," April 18), several people suggested neighborhood libraries, as well as the Freecycle and craigslist Web sites.

One reader specifically cited Kailua Public Library's "wonderful magazine exchange," while another said libraries in general could use DVD cases because "they always have problems with cracked cases due to high usage."

Another advised removing address labels from the magazines and to ask for a donation receipt, because donations are tax deductible.

Still another recommendation: A longtime member and former board member of Kaiser Permanente said the hospital welcomes donated magazines to place in waiting rooms. The only request is that address labels either be removed or blacked out.

Two online sites are good sources to possibly give and receive.

One caller suggested posting the items on craigslist.org's "free section," listed under the "for sale" category, while several readers suggested Freecycle.org as providing "excellent ways to recycle." "What you want to toss out may be a treasure to someone else," said reader Bill Martin.

More than 4,000 communities, including several in Hawaii, have Freecycle groups, in which people can post items they want to give away or are looking for ("Kokua Line," Oct. 5, 2005).

Auwe

To the state Department of Transportation. Where's the common sense? If someone is reporting a sprinkler going off 24/7 ("Kokua Line," April 11), can't a DOT person just drive and find a sprinkler that's on all the time? Come on. -- Mike