Learner’s permit accepted for resident golf ID card

Question: I was hassled at the Ala Wai Golf Course for bringing my learner’s permit as proof of residency. The starter told me that I was not able to use it as proof. Luckily, I had also brought my school ID, which was accepted. Why is a permit, which has my Oahu address, not accepted as proof of residency while school IDs are acceptable?

Answer: It turns out that your instructional driver’s permit meets all requirements and will be accepted as proof of residency.

Beginning Wednesday, municipal golf courses will recognize instructional and provisional permits, in lieu of a Hawaii driver’s license, to obtain a resident golf ID card, said Tracy Kubota, deputy director of the city Department of Enterprise Services.

She explained that, in the past, instructional permits did not include a photograph, making them unacceptable as proof of residency in obtaining a Hawaii resident golf ID card.

Since then instructional permits (for drivers 15 years and 6 months of age and older) and provisional permits (for those at least 16 years old but under 18) have incorporated a photo, making them compliant with federal screening requirements, Kubota said.

Question: The airport-hotel service "Speedi Shuttle" has an ad for a TV station on its rear. Is that not a violation of our sign laws?

Answer: No, it’s not.

Under the state vehicular sign law, Section 445-112.5 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, it’s only illegal to have a vehicular advertising sign "if the vehicle or trailer is used primarily to display a vehicular advertising device."

That wouldn’t be the case for the shuttle bus.

The Outdoor Circle, which was instrumental in getting the law passed in 2006, has said that there is a "huge loophole that allows a lot of inappropriate advertising in Hawaii."

However, attempts to tighten the law have so far been unsuccessful. (See bit.ly/1J0Idi9 and bit.ly/1IuOWOw.)

The Honolulu Police Department says no citations were issued in 2014 or so far this year for violations of the vehicular sign law.

Meanwhile, Mayor Kirk Caldwell is proposing to allow advertising on the exterior of city buses, saying it would bring in up to $8 million in needed revenue annually. The proposed bill is before the City Council, awaiting action.

Auwe

To the man who raked his lawn rubbish into the storm drain in front of his house in Ewa Beach. Your action impairs water quality and the environment. Don’t know why it’s hard for you to bag your lawn rubbish and dispose of it correctly. — No Name

It is illegal to dump trash, pollutants or any debris into storm drains, which are meant solely to handle rain water runoff.

If you see a neighbor or anyone else throwing yard clippings, trash or anything else into a storm drain, you’re asked to call the city’s Environmental Concern Line at 768-3300 or the state Department of Health’s Clean Water Branch at 586-4309.

If you think it is an emergency, call 911.

According to the Department of Environmental Services, grass, leaves and other yard clippings not only can clog storm drains and cause flooding, but also become a breeding ground for rodents and insects. If they end up in the ocean, they can contribute to new plant growth and lower oxygen levels, threatening marine life.

Mahalo

To the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for awarding a two-year, $156,600 grant to our Mahele Farm program in Hana, Maui, which will help ensure its growth and expansion. Mahele Farm’s focus is to provide agricultural skills training to Hana keiki, ohana and kupuna that promotes sustainable food crop management, strengthens relationships between our aina and community, increases the health of the farm kipuka, and enhances local stewardship of land-based cultural resources. We couldn’t do it without OHA’s generous support.

— Rick Rutiz, executive director, Ma ka Hana ka ‘Ike

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.