Question: At the end of September, when the city delivered a green cart, I called and said I did not need it since I compost my green waste. I was told to store the cart until Nov. 1, after I got the blue recycling cart, which I also said I did not need or want. In November I called twice and also e-mailed the city, saying I did not want either cart and would leave them curbside for pickup. As of Dec. 8 I have not received any response, and both carts, empty, still sit on the roadway. Can you help?

Answer: We're told both carts were retrieved last week.

“;There may have been some confusion regarding our original instructions out to the yard,”; said Markus Owens, spokesman for the Department of Environmental Services.

Not many people ask to opt out of curbside recycling; instead, most ask for additional recycling carts, usually green, he noted.

You asked that your green cart be removed immediately after receiving it and before the full recycling program brochure was distributed with the blue cart.

Because of that, Owens said, you were advised to hold on until all recycling carts were delivered and you had a chance to review the program and changes to the collection schedule.

The city “;wanted to make sure that (you) understood that refuse would be reduced to once per week as recycling was introduced,”; he said.

To request an additional cart or to remove one, call 768-3200.

Waikele Center Parking

Regarding parking charges on the “;Black Friday”; shopping day after Thanksgiving (”;Kokua Line,”; Dec. 10), Waikele Center General Manager Pam Wilson said the action was taken only after it became apparent that something had to be done to handle the hordes of shoppers.

It was done principally to protect the interests of the center's merchants and for safety reasons, she said.

Waikele Center and Waikele Premium Outlets are separately owned and operated.

When no agreement could be reached regarding how to jointly handle the traffic situation, Wilson said the decision was made to charge for parking in the center's lot.

But for those who did shop at Old Navy and Kmart - two of the center's merchants that also opened at midnight that day - parking tickets were validated and charges reimbursed.

More than half of those who did pay for parking were reimbursed, Wilson said.

“;That was the only way we could justify the expenses that we incurred,”; including bringing in 20 additional employees, she said.

As to what happens on the next Black Friday, it will depend on whether something can be coordinated with Waikele Premium Outlets, Wilson said.

An Apology

To the kid on a skateboard in the middle of the crosswalk near Pahoa and Pueo streets last Monday afternoon. I saw a car stopped in the adjacent lane before the intersection and didn't realize why until it was too late. There was no excuse for what I did in nearly endangering you, but I hope you can forgive me for my stupidity and inattentiveness. I'll be sure to be more careful in the future. - D. Uehara