Question: Who pays for the cost of the lantern festival, including permits, security, workers, equipment, etc.? And where does the donation go to?
Answer: We posed your questions to the city and to Shinnyo-en, the Buddhist denomination that has organized the ceremony on Oahu every Memorial Day since 1999. Since 2002 the event has been held at Ala Moana Regional Park, as it was on May 28, when thousands of people converged to float lanterns at dusk to honor loved ones who have died.
Although we did not receive a direct response from the city, we did hear back from a spokeswoman for Shinnyo-en, who provided this emailed statement:
“All costs associated with Lantern Floating Hawaii are fully funded by Shinnyo-en and the Na Lei Aloha Foundation, which was established by Shinnyo-en as a way to contribute to the Hawaii community. Supporting Lantern Floating Hawaii is a way for Shinnyo-en to give something to the broader community locally and worldwide. It also fulfills Na Lei Aloha Foundation’s mission of supporting activities that bring diverse populations together to strengthen relationships and build community.
“Shinnyo-en does not ask for any donations for Lantern Floating Hawaii. However, there are some donations made to Shinnyo- en prior to Lantern Floating Hawaii which are received as donations to Shinnyo-en. And although the donations would account for only a small portion of the costs to put on Lantern Floating Hawaii, we are grateful for the thoughtfulness of the donors.
“Shinnyo-en also does not ask for any donations on the day of Lantern Floating Hawaii. Any donations given at Ala Moana Regional Park are passed on to the City and County of Honolulu for the upkeep and beautification of the park. This year, $14,136 was received and will be gifted in its entirety to the City and County of Honolulu.”
According to a translation on the event website, Shinso Ito, leader of Shinnyo-en, said at this year’s ceremony that “we are thankful to have been able to continue and hold this shinnyo rite of expressing our gratitude to the past, appreciation to the present, and selfless conviction to act for the future. Together with all who cherish peace, Shinnyo-en is honored to carry on into the future this ceremony of kindling our inner light of harmony on the oceans of Hawaii.” You can read the full message at 808ne.ws/message.
Q: Please clarify: Will paper bags be assessed the 15-cent fee come July 1? I thought it was only plastic bags.
A: Yes, the fee will apply to both paper and plastic bags under the Oahu law that was amended last year and takes effect July 1. Per Revised Ordinances of Honolulu Section 9-9.2(b), “Businesses may provide, at the point of sale, reusable bags, compostable plastic bags, or recyclable paper bags to customers for the purpose of transporting groceries or other merchandise, provided that they charge the customer a minimum of 15 cents per bag.”
Mahalo
On June 1, I took a very long long walk. I was very tired. I was crossing King Street by Longs Drugs when I lost my balance and hit the side of my face while trying to wrap my hands around the traffic pole for support. I couldn’t see any resting place, so I tried to sit down on a grassy area. I couldn’t sit down. Right away Duke and his two girl friends and another guy nearby saw me struggling to sit down. The girls must have seen that I hurt the side of my face. One of them called the ambulance. It came really fast. I got home safely. I asked for all their names but couldn’t find the list in my purse after I got home. I thank everyone. — Mahalo and aloha from an old lady
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.
