Mahalo for supporting Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Enjoy this free story!
Question: I have to change my name. How do I do that? How much does it cost?
Answer: Name changes are handled through the lieutenant governor’s office. The initial fees are $55 to the lieutenant governor’s office. Other fees apply later in the process, when you’ll have to publish your name change and file it with the state Bureau of Conveyances.
Go to namechange.ehawaii.gov to get started. First, read or watch instructions there to ensure that you understand the process and have the documents you need. You’ll submit initial forms online, then mail in notarized forms, according to the website. You shouldn’t have to visit the lieutenant governor’s office in person.
This process is available only to Hawaii residents. Active-duty military personnel should contact the lieutenant governor’s office for more information before applying.
Also, this process is not necessary for Hawaii residents who married here and declared on their marriage certificate that they would be taking their spouse’s name, or for divorced persons whose divorce decree stipulates resumption of a maiden name or previous name.
Q: The library on Liliha Street has been under renovation for a long time now. Passing by, I see that it is nowhere near completion. So many months have passed. What still needs to be done, and when is it scheduled to reopen?
A: You are one of numerous readers asking when the Liliha Public Library will reopen. This popular neighborhood branch at 1515 Liliha St. has been closed since late November 2018, according to news reports at the time.
A spokeswoman for the Hawaii State Public Library System said Tuesday that she expects an update on the construction schedule within the next few weeks. In the meantime we turned to an earlier post on the library’s website, which said renovation work would continue until spring.
News reports said the library closed in late November 2018 due to plumbing problems. A major project to repair those and other problems began less than two months later, with the work then scheduled to include replacement of sewer lines, structural corrections in at least one wall, roofing and painting.
The library’s website says extensive repairs and improvements are being done on the interior and exterior of the aging building. The notice apologizes for the inconvenience and directs patrons to visit public libraries in Kalihi, McCully and Manoa.
Q: How many people actually climb the Haiku Stairs? I live pretty near there, and I don’t think it’s as bad as they say.
A: “It is estimated that almost 4,000 people illegally access Haiku Stairs annually,” according to the final environmental impact statement issued last week.
The Honolulu Board of Water Supply spends about $250,000 a year on security to try to deter trespassers, according to EIS, with limited success.
The BWS wants to dismantle the stairs, which consist of 3,922 steps that extend from Haiku Valley to the ridgeline of the Koolau Range, a steep climb to the 2,820-feet elevation that offers spectacular views.
Most of the land the stairs cross is under BWS jurisdiction. The stairs were once open to the public, but access was restricted in the late 1980s due to vandalism and liability concerns. The agency has said for years that continued illegal access by hikers creates potential liability issues and disrupts neighboring property. In 2002 the city government refurbished the stairs, intending to take over jurisdiction and reopen them to the public, but the deal was never finalized. The BWS estimates it would cost about $1 million to remove the stairs.
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.
79