Question: A few weeks ago it seems like a change was made to the timing of the traffic lights at the Waialae Avenue/21st Avenue intersection just before Times Supermarket near Kahala Mall. The left-turn light from Waialae onto Hunakai Street has been so short that only five or six cars can make this turn, causing a backup all the way to the H-1 freeway eastbound. This is creating a dangerous situation during afternoon rush hour, as cars are forced to line up in the breakdown lane to access the offramp. Why was this change made? Can they undo it?
Answer: The timing was not adjusted weeks ago, but it has been now, to relieve the traffic backup you reported via Kokua Line, said Andrew Pereira, a city spokesman.
Based on your complaint, the Department of Transportation Services checked and found that the signals had not been adjusted earlier, as you had presumed.
A traffic engineer was sent to observe the traffic flow at the intersections of Waialae and 21st avenues and Waialae Avenue and Hunakai Street.
The engineer found that during the afternoon peak, vehicles trying to turn left from Waialae Avenue onto Hunakai Street (mauka bound) backed up past the left-turn pocket. DTS responded by adjusting the signal to allow more cars to turn left on the arrow.
DTS will continue to monitor the traffic flow in the area and make additional timing changes to traffic signals if needed, Pereira said.
Q: I saw something about an OHA workshop where people learn “Hawai‘i Pono‘i” and some other important songs. Can anyone sign up for that, or do you have to be Hawaiian? I was interested but didn’t enroll because I wasn’t sure.
A: You don’t have to be Hawaiian. Registration for the Kamanowaionamoku Mele Workshop, which consists of four sessions on Monday evenings Oct. 2-23, was open to the general public, as was a previous series of workshops taught at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs by Hinaleimoana Kwai Kong Wong-Kalu, widely known as Kumu Hina.
“The short answer is absolutely, everyone is welcome to attend. In fact, there were at least a dozen in her first cohort who were not Hawaiian. Everyone walks away enriched with a greater understanding and appreciation for our culture; that is our ultimate goal,” said Kuhio Lewis, OHA outreach manager.
The registration form, which you can find at oha.org/kumuhina, remained open Thursday; however, it indicated that preference would be given to applicants who committed to attending all four classes, one of which has already occurred.
The requirements are that registrants be 18 or older (the kumu may allow some high-school students younger than that, with advance permission), participate as fully as able in all aspects (song, chant and dance) and seek to strengthen their perspective from a Hawaiian point of view.
Participants are learning “Hawai‘i Pono‘i,” “Hawai‘i Aloha” and an original composition by Kumu Hina.
Mahalo
I am a senior citizen residing in Kailua. I used the self-checkout line at the Target store there. I guess I was in a rush because I forgot to take the $10 “cash back” I had requested. I would like to thank the stranger who used the machine after me and brought the $10 bill to a cashier. The money was waiting for me when I realized my mistake and returned to the store. This is proof that there are honest people in this world. Thank you again to this kind person. — A reader
Mahalo
Mahalo to all the people who do good deeds, and to those who share the news with the rest of us. Reading about everyday kindness brightens my day. Thank you. — A longtime reader
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.