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Question: My son has so many different gaming devices that take batteries. He just throws them in the trash when they run out (the batteries), but that doesn’t seem right to me.
Answer: As long as you are talking about regular alkaline batteries (A, C and D type) for personal use, it’s safe to dispose of them in the regular trash, according to the city’s Department of Environmental Services. Manufacturers no longer use heavy metals to make them, reducing their environmental toxicity. This includes the AAA and AA batteries commonly used in gaming devices and toys. You can read more at the department’s website, opala.org.
Q: How do you read expiration dates on food from Japan?
A: Year-month-day, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. So 17.08.01 would signify Aug. 1, 2017.
Q: My grandpa died a while ago, and my grandmother never did anything with his car. She is willing to give it to me, but I am wondering about the registration. I don’t think she ever canceled it or whatever you do when a car is out of use.
A: Registration is attached to a vehicle, not to an owner, so it did not expire with your grandfather’s death. However, if so much time has elapsed since your grandfather’s death that the annual vehicle registration has expired, you, as the new owner, would be responsible for bringing it up to date. That would involve paying past-due registration fees, applicable late fees and the current registration fee. You won’t be forgiven registration fees from the period the car was out of use, since your grandmother did not suspend the registration. You can find vehicle registration information for Honolulu County at 808ne.ws/regveh.
Q: Is voter turnout higher absentee or at the polls?
A: Slightly more Hawaii voters mailed in or dropped off their ballots (absentee) than voted in person for the 2016 general election. According to the state Office of Elections, only 58.3 percent of registered voters cast a ballot at all; of that turnout, 27.1 percent voted at the polling place, and 31.2 percent voted absentee.
Community policing
The Honolulu Police Department is hosting National Night Out this evening, from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Target store at 4380 Lawehana St. in Salt Lake, as part of its effort to promote community partnerships with law enforcement. The free public event will feature live music, entertainment and safety information, including keiki identification cards.
Auwe
On July 24 I was driving toward Kaneohe midday when I pulled over to the side of the road so a clearly visible North Shore-bound ambulance, with sirens and lights on, could get through traffic in both directions. A delivery truck and three cars took advantage of this to pass me and never did pull over for the ambulance, forcing it to slow down. This is illegal, rude and dangerous. — Laura
E kala mai
My apologies to the passengers sitting next to us on a recent flight home. My anxiety got the best of me, and stretching my legs and walking in the aisle was how I coped, but that meant getting up and down from my seat. My seatmates were patient, which I appreciate. I am happy to be back on the rock! — Infrequent flyer
Mahalo
A big mahalo and tons of kudos to all the people who removed the noxious, invasive vines that were blanketing and smothering our beautiful rainforest. It’s been months since I last rode out to Kailua, and on my recent trip there, I was able to admire all the different fauna because they were no longer obscured. The drive along that corridor was so beautiful, all I could think of was the adage “Lucky we live Hawaii.” — T.Y.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-210, Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
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