Question: Can you find an address that local fans could send get-well cards to Marcus Mariota? Since he’s a Hawaii boy I’m sure there are a lot of folks who would like to send him get-well cards. If you can get the address it would be highly appreciated.
Answer: Yes. Fans may send well wishes to Marcus Mariota, c/o Motiv8 Foundation, P.O. Box 256651, Honolulu, HI 96825.
The Tennessee Titans quarterback and Saint Louis School alumnus is recovering from surgery to repair the fractured right fibula he suffered during a Christmas Eve loss to Jacksonville. Mariota is looking at a four- to five-month recovery process and cannot bear any weight on the affected leg for the first eight weeks, according to a update Tuesday on the NFL team’s website, titansonline.com.
The Motiv8 Foundation is the charitable organization Mariota and his family set up to help underprivileged youth. Associate Ed Nishioka provided the address and confirmed that Mariota would receive get-well cards sent there.
Q: Will Donald Trump have to release his tax returns now that he’s been elected president?
A: No. Most U.S. presidents since the early 1970s have chosen to release their tax returns publicly, but it is not required by law, according to Tax Analysts, a nonpartisan tax policy organization. The group’s Tax History Project has compiled an archive of past presidents’ (and many presidential candidates’) tax returns. You can peruse it at 808ne.ws/preztax.
Q: Has rapid ohia death been detected on Oahu?
A: No, at this point it’s been found only on the island of Hawaii, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. So far, Oahu samples have tested negative for the fungus that causes ROD, which has killed hundreds of thousands of ohia trees in the South Hilo, Puna, Kau and Kona districts, said DLNR spokeswoman Deborah Ward.
The fungal disease that is attacking Hawaii’s most abundant native tree got its name because mature, formerly healthy trees appear to die in a matter of days or weeks after being afflicted.
It’s important for Hawaii residents and visitors alike to help prevent the ROD fungus from spreading from the Big Island, Ward said. She pointed Kokua Line readers to the website rapidohia death.org for more information and highlighted five simple ways people can help prevent the disease’s spread.
>> Don’t move ohia wood or ohia parts, especially if you don’t know the source of the ohia.
>> Don’t transport ohia interisland, as stated under the state Department of Agriculture quarantine rule that prohibits interisland ohia transfers without a permit.
>> Clean tools used for cutting ohia with 70 percent rubbing alcohol.
>> Clean gear, including shoes and clothes, before and after entering forests. Brush all soil off shoes, then spray with 70 percent rubbing alcohol. Wash clothes with hot water and soap.
>> Wash your vehicle with soap if you’ve been off-roading or have picked up mud from driving. Use a pressure washer with soap to clean all soil off tires and the vehicle’s undercarriage.
Mahalo
Mahalo to the generous couple who paid for our dinners at Zippy’s on Dec. 10. A gentleman with his wife and young son sitting across from us paid for meals and had the waitress tell us after they had left, wishing us happy holidays. They made our day and our holiday season! (PS: To all the people who are fortunate to live in beautiful Hawaii: Smile more, relax and respect the other drivers. They may not be able to drive as fast as you, and they may be related to your best friends!) — An elderly AJA couple
Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
