Question: A church in my neighborhood (Makiki) hires leaf blowers for several hours every Thursday afternoon. In past years this has included Thanksgiving Day. I wonder if the church is just being inconsiderate, or if they are breaking a city noise ordinance regarding undue noise on a major holiday like Thanksgiving?
Answer: Leaf blowing is allowed on Oahu on Sundays and state and federal holidays, although starting at 9 a.m. rather than 8 a.m., as on other days of the week, according to the state Department of Health’s Noise Reference Manual. Leaf blowing must end by 6 p.m., no matter the day, in residential zones or within 100 feet of a residential zone. “Churches have no special protection that allows them to disturb their neighbors,” according to the manual.
Based on your description, the church is not breaking the law because the work occurs in the afternoon. However, that doesn’t stop you from asking it to avoid such noisy work on holidays, out of common courtesy.
For leaf blowing occurring too early or too late to be lawful, the Health Department suggests speaking to whoever is using the equipment or who authorized its use. That could be enough to solve the problem. If doing so would create more problems, call the Health Department’s Noise Section at 808-586-4700. For noise violations that require an immediate response (not limited to loud yard work), call 911 for the Honolulu Police Department, the manual says.
You can read the manual, which also covers other types of noise complaints, at 808ne.ws/2Q0clpL. We confirmed with the Health Department that it’s the most recent, up-to-date edition; it was last revised in July 2017.
Q: We are flying out to spend Thanksgiving with my son and his college friends in Indiana. I will be doing the cooking and there are some items and ingredients I must bring with me because they might be hard to find there. Where is the list of what I can carry on?
A: Go to tsa.gov and click on “What Can I Bring?” in the top right corner. Once on that page, you can scroll through the A-to-Z index or click on the food icon at the bottom of the page to see only that category. The website lists whether an item is allowed on the plane, and, if so, whether a passenger can carry it on. In general, regarding allowed items, the Transportation Security Administration says, “If you can spill it, spray it, spread it, pump it or pour it, then it’s not a solid and should be packed in a checked bag” if its container holds more than 3.4 ounces. There are some exceptions.
Q: Why can’t we bring our own stadium seats to Saturday’s football game?
A: You can bring your own seat cushion to make the bleachers more comfortable, but seatbacks are restricted. “We are not allowing fans to bring in (seatbacks) since they have to be ‘fastened’ to the seats and proper sizing is needed,” said Brent Suyama, a spokesman for the University of Hawaii.
The correct seatbacks are available for purchase by season ticket holders, he said.
Q: Is it true that U.S. citizens who leave the country have to get tested to return, even if they are fully vaccinated?
A: Yes, generally. A U.S. citizen who is fully vaccinated has three days before the return flight to get tested for COVID-19, while an unvaccinated one must be tested within a day of the flight entering the United States. A flow chart at 808ne.ws/quickguide explains the rules, by nationality and vaccination status.
Mahalo
Last week, I unknowingly dropped my checkbook, apparently next to my car in the Kailua Longs parking lot. I wasn’t aware of my loss until after shopping, when I returned to my car and found the checkbook carefully placed on my car door. Thank you to the kind, honest person who did this. God bless you! — Careless senior
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
