Question: We stopped at Sandy Beach and were embarrassed when a lifeguard (through a megaphone!) said something like, “Let us direct you to a safer beach.” We’re not bad swimmers and had barely reached the water. Does that happen a lot?
Answer: Yes. Oahu’s Sandy Beach has a notoriously pounding shore break, and lifeguards there are known for informing beachgoers that they could be in over their heads. Don’t be embarrassed; the amplified warning likely wasn’t directed solely at you and may have saved you from injury or worse.
Statewide, ocean drownings are the leading cause of fatal injury for Hawaii visitors, according to the state Department of Health. Ocean activities are the second most common cause of spinal cord injuries, 80 percent of which occur among tourists.
Not all occur at Sandy Beach, of course, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Q: How long does a homeless person have to reclaim seized property?
A: Forty-five days from the date of the impound notice, according to the city. The person may reclaim the property all at once or in multiple trips, as long as all of it is picked up within 45 days of being impounded. After that it will be sold, donated or otherwise disposed of.
Q: Do they get billed for the storage?
A: No, as long as they attest to being unable to pay. Although city law states that a property owner is responsible for all costs of removal, storage and disposition of impounded property, there’s an exception for homeless people who formally attest that they lack financial resources to do so.
Q: I am concerned about potential flooding from a stream fairly near our residence. There were homeless people living there, and their tents and belongings can get swept in and block the stream. Some of them have gone already, but they left stuff behind. This is in the back of Manoa.
A: If you can be more precise about the location, call the city’s Department of Facility Maintenance’s Clean Stream hotline at 768-7890. A recorded greeting will ask for your contact information and the location of the stream blockage; pinpoint the location was well as you can.
Crews are checking streams and channels for blockages ahead of Hurricane Hector’s approach, including checking the boulder basins that help catch large debris and sediment during heavy rain. However, the city said its crews cannot clear debris from waterways that originate high in Oahu’s valleys. It urged residents to report illegal dumping to the hotline at the number provided.
Auwe
Well, it didn’t take long. I passed Thomas Square on Tuesday, and the homeless have begun settling in. I foresee that all the resources — time, manpower, money — will soon be down the drain. How long before Thomas Square mirrors the current dump site Stadium Park has become or has an orange fence surrounding it, as has Pawaa In-Ha Park? I love the open green spaces of parks in my community and the opportunities they offer to residents. I do not like trash sites or money and resources spent wastefully on them. I do not feel that I am being well served as a responsible, caring member of my community. — Judith S.
Mahalo
A couple weeks ago, two of my retired friends and I met for our monthly luncheon. This time we decided to eat at the Pagoda Hotel’s lunch buffet. After parking our car, we tried several times to feed the parking machine before leaving the parking structure but kept failing to get it right. We stood there for more than five minutes, trying again and again. While standing there completely stumped, a very nice man paid the machine for us. We were so grateful, and we tried to give him back the money but he smiled and walked away. He left so quickly, we never got his name — but mahalo to this kind gentleman for rescuing three damsels in distress! — C.P.
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.
