Question: If you've ever been to Ala Moana Beach Park on the weekend, you've noticed beachgoers reserving parking. Lawn chairs, coolers and traffic cones are the preferred choice for reserving stalls. If that doesn't work, then cars are parked along the red zone. While a small minority try to follow the rules and park on Ala Moana Boulevard when there's no parking available, many people park or reserve space illegally knowing there are no repercussions. What should be an enjoyable weekend with the family has become confrontational and frustrating. Why can't the police enforce the abuse?

Answer: Patrol officers who see coolers, beach chairs, traffic cones and other objects blocking parking stalls at Ala Moana will ask people to remove them.

That's the word from the Honolulu Police Department.

If a person refuses, an officer could cite or arrest him or her for “;failing to comply”; with the officer's request, said HPD spokeswoman Michelle Yu.

However, she said HPD is hoping it doesn't come to that point and is asking for the public's cooperation in not blocking the stalls.

“;We know that parking stalls are scarce, especially during the summer, and we're asking the public to show aloha and consideration for others,”; said Maj. Clayton Saito, head of District 1 (Downtown-Chinatown). “;It's very frustrating for drivers to see a stall that's being blocked.”;

Question: In this time of our national economic recession, how much did the recent White House luau picnic cost and who paid the bill? To have a luau for more than 2,000 people and pay for a large group of people from Hawaii to go to Washington, D.C., to cook and to entertain must have cost taxpayers a bundle. If Congress paid for it, they really know how to spend our money for their own annual picnic.

Answer: We can tell you that the White House picked up the tab, as it has done for all previous congressional picnics. But as to the actual cost, no figures are available.

We searched the Internet and thought it surprising that no one seems to have reported costs for any congressional picnic, held annually on the South Lawn of the White House.

“;The White House declined to provide a cost estimate”; for the luau, was the answer given us by a spokesman for the White House press office.

We're told that's the policy for all White House events.

Mahalo

To Fred Brooks. Around 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 10, our family was traveling on the H-3 for a planned tour of the Byodo-In Temple when our van's left rear tire blew out. This was bad enough with heavy traffic, but we were also on a bridge just where there was no space to really pull off. We were about to call a tow truck when out of the intense traffic pack, a red truck with Pacific Panel Cleaners on its door pulled in front of us and a young man got out, put on an orange safety vest, and offered to help us out. He only paused to allow some of the more ominous-looking trucks to pass within four or five feet of our car. Our car was road-ready within minutes. I offered him $50, but he refused any compensation. I think it is remarkable how this good Samaritan not just gave of his time, but at great personal risk. We are now back in Hesperia, Mich., and appreciate special people like Mr. Brooks who helped to make our visit to Oahu a pleasant experience.—David Chye

Write to “;Kokua Line”; at Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana, Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).