War memorial near bus stop tempting to graffiti vandals

Question: The war memorial at the corner of King and Punchbowl streets is in deplorable condition with graffiti. I called the governor’s office three months ago and they haven’t done anything. The lawn in front of the memorial is just dirt. It’s so disrespectful the way this memorial is allowed to be defaced and not maintained. On Memorial Day, the gate should be opened and there should be a wreath there. Can you help?

Answer: On Thursday we visited the memorial, which is engraved with the names of more than 400 servicemen from Hawaii killed during World War II, and did not find it in as bad a condition as you described.

Unfortunately, graffiti was on the metal fence enclosing the memorial and there were a few pieces of litter, but for the most part it appeared neat and maintained.

The problem is its location next to a heavily used bus stop on King Street, fronting the Territorial Office Building.

A grounds maintenance crew checks the site daily, said R.J. Yahiku, spokesman for the state Department of Accounting and General Services, which oversees the memorial.

But “the graffiti is really hard to control,” he said. “We take care of it, but it pops up again real quick because of the bus stop there.”

Yahiku noted that the gate to enter the memorial was not locked in the past at the request of a veterans group.

But, because of problems with people “defecating, urinating and littering,” as well as evidence of drug paraphernalia, the decision was made to keep the gate permanently locked, he said.

There are no plans for any kind of ceremony at the memorial this year.

“In the past, some veterans group would place a wreath there, but we haven’t received a request this year,” Yahiku said.

The state does not provide such wreaths.

The World War II memorial was designed by sculptor Roy King and dedicated on Dec. 7, 1944.

It reads: “In honor of all Americans of Hawaii who died in this world war that the beauty and freedom of our land might be preserved for all humanity.”

Question: I read your May 8 column about delays in getting our tax refunds and wanted to update you on the ridiculous situation. I also filed in late February and still have not received my refund. I called the state Department of Taxation and spoke to Mary, who also told me it would take 16 weeks. What really made me upset is that she said there is no order to which they are reviewing the claims. She said they just grab from a pile or electronic file and go through them. Can that be true?

Answer: Fortunately, that’s not correct.

Tax returns typically are processed in the order they are received, said Maria Zielinski, director of taxation.

However, if there is missing documentation, a missing or illegible signature, or incorrect or illegible information/entries, then the return is pulled for further review and loses its place in the queue, she said.

“We regularly train our Taxpayer Services staff to ensure consistency in our message to taxpayers,” Zielinski said. “We apologize if, in fact, there was a miscommunication that may have occurred.”

Mahalo

To strangers who help other strangers in time of need. Late one afternoon, after a hectic day, I stopped at Sandy Beach to watch the surf. After a few minutes, I tried to start the car to go home, but it would not start. A couple, Sharon and Uncle Joe, approached and asked me to open the hood. If it were the battery and I had cables, they would jump-start the car for me. My husband drove from home with cables. However, his hybrid car would not jump-start a regular car. So Uncle Joe moved his van close and Sharon placed the jumper cables and my car started right away. Meanwhile, Reggie, a mechanic at the beach in his spare time, offered to test the alternator. It tested low. Another man, Malo, also offered to help if needed. All this aloha poured out from strangers enjoying the sand, surf and ocean breeze. Only in Hawaii. — Joyce Cassen

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.