Question: I used to shop once a month at the Blaisdell farmers market. … They are no longer there. Are they closed down for good, or has the open market day/time changed?
Answer: Neither. The Honolulu Farmers Market is still held every Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Neal Blaisdell Center. However, when there are events in the concert hall, the farmers market vacates its usual spot on the concert hall lawn at King Street and Ward Avenue (where you looked on two recent dates) in favor of the arena parking lot at Kapiolani Boulevard and Ward Avenue.
With “The Book of Mormon” playing at the concert hall through the first weekend of May, the farmers market won’t be back on the lawn until May 4. On Wednesday evenings in the meantime, look for it in the arena parking lot, according to the city.
Parking is free for farmers market patrons.
You can check what’s going at the Blaisdell on any given date at 808ne.ws/1Soz3Rz. Remember that any concert hall event — not just “The Book of Mormon” — will relocate the farmers market.
For the latest on farmers markets throughout Oahu, check the Hawaii Farm Bureau’s website at hfbf.org/market. Its tip sheets say what’s expected to be available at various locations each week, and list an assortment of fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, meat, seafood, baked goods, pasta, honey and food grown and produced in Hawaii.
Q: What’s that website where you can look up local charities?
A: You might be referring to hawaii.gov/ag/charities, the website for the Hawaii Department of the Attorney General’s Tax and Charities Division. The site includes a link to “Hawaii Charities Online,” which allows you to search Hawaii’s Charity Registry for organizations registered to solicit contributions in Hawaii.
Two other resources are Guidestar (guidestar.org) and Charity Navigator (charitynavigator.org). They list millions of nonprofit organizations active in Hawaii and throughout the world; some searches might require a fee.
Suspicious letters
The state Department of Taxation is warning Hawaii taxpayers about collection notices from private companies designed to look like they are from government agencies. Such letters have been received by taxpayers who have outstanding tax liens and by others who have paid off their liens.
“The misleading letters are created to look like they’re from the Department of Taxation or another government agency — using threatening language and scare tactics to trick taxpayers into calling them and sharing confidential information,” according to a news release from the department. “Taxpayers are warned to never give out any personal information until you have confirmed that you are actually dealing with the State of Hawaii Department of Taxation.”
You can see examples of the misleading mailers at 808ne.ws/1qUOK9O. Most include a 1-800 number to call, which is one clue that they are not from the Tax Department. The department emphasizes that to initiate contact with a Hawaii taxpayer, it will always send a letter via postal mail that includes a direct, local telephone number.
If you want to confirm that a letter you received regarding a Hawaii state tax lien is authentic, contact the Tax Department’s Collections Branch.
Public Information Center
TheBus schedules, information about services available at the civic center, and brochures explaining the workings of various departments and agencies can be picked up at the city Department of Customer Services’ new Public Information Center.
The center, in the Mission Memorial Building at 550 S. King St., is open Mondays through Fridays from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The department restored the building entrance facing South King Street to create the center. The project was completed at no extra cost to taxpayers by rearranging office space and using in-house services, according to the Mayor’s Office.
Auwe
Auwe to the wood-chipping crew on Puu Panini Avenue who left beer cans littering the neighborhood after taking a break from work April 9.
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.