Question: New poles are being placed next to old electric utility poles in Palolo, many of them only a few inches apart. Are there plans to remove the old poles once this project is completed? I fear that the old utility poles will be left in place, leaving Palolo to look like a utility pole jungle.
Answer: The old poles will be removed.
But exactly when that will happen, no one can say for sure. It’s whenever all the utility users can remove their equipment and lines, and this could take weeks or months.
The old poles in Palolo were targeted for replacement "as part of our annual initiative to strengthen the electric grid and improve service," said Peter Rosegg, spokesman for Hawaiian Electric Co.
HECO targets 1,300 poles for replacement a year, with the goal "to replace aging equipment before it fails, not after," he said.
Many of the poles are jointly owned with other utility companies. HECO tries to coordinate with the other owners so all equipment can be transferred to the new pole when it is installed, Rosegg explained.
If that happens, the old pole is removed at once.
When coordination isn’t possible, Rosegg said the old pole is cut to a lower height, then secured to the new pole to make it easier for the transfer of remaining equipment.
It then becomes the responsibility of the last owner transferring equipment to remove the old pole.
"We hope this happens promptly to minimize the double pole situation, but that is not always possible," Rosegg said.
AUWE
To the mob of hikers and runners, apparently known as "hashers," who came tromping through a number of private properties in Kaneohe on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 22, to within less than a stone’s throw of people’s homes. Residents were very upset and anxious about this sudden and unexpected invasion. We’ve learned that there is a network of folks who connect via the Internet to announce group "hash" events seemingly without checking whether the paths being announced are sanctioned as official trails.
There are many fantastic hiking trails on Oahu they could use instead. Most participants we spoke to (or tried to) completely ignored us, were extremely rude or emphatically claimed not to be hiking despite the fact that we clearly saw them doing so.
If this happens again residents will not be reluctant to have them cited for trespassing. — Concerned Homeowner
"We haven’t had reports of problems with this group," said Honolulu Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Yu. Residents are advised to call 911 if this happens again, "and an officer will be sent," she said.
We tried contacting two people associated with the Aloha Hash House Harriers group, which advertised an "Aloha H3 Run" in Kaneohe on Feb. 22, but got no response.
The group’s website — alohah3.org/Home.html — says if "you are an adult who enjoys drinking beer, running and/or walking with a group, and participating in fun and ribaldry, then you are in the right place!"
According to Wikipedia, "The Hash House Harriers (abbreviated to HHH, H3, or referred to simply as hashing) is an international group of noncompetitive running social clubs. An event organized by a club is known as a hash or hash run, with participants calling themselves hashers or hares and hounds." See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hash_House_Harriers.
MAHALO
Belatedly, to a family of three who paid for my groceries after my debit card was declined at the checkout at Times Super Market in Kaimuki. I told the cashier that I would call my credit union to see what the problem was. It turned out I only had $1.98 left in my account! As I made my way back to the cashier, a man tapped me on the shoulder. He and his small daughter handed me my groceries. They had paid for them. I was in disbelief. Tears came to my eyes and I thanked them, but they disappeared so quickly. Most people are truly good in this world. I believe this miracle came from God.
— Karen
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.
