Kokua Line: How do I get a picture from Aloha Stadium before it’s demolished?

Question: What’s going to happen to the pictures up in the blue section at Aloha Stadium? I have a picture up there that I’d like to get before it’s demolished.

Answer: As much memorabilia will be salvaged from the stadium as possible, but details about memorabilia collection and site visits have not been finalized, said Samantha Spain, a marketing specialist for the stadium. Sign up for email updates at www.alohastadium.hawaii.gov so you’ll find out when those decisions are made, she said. There also will be public announcements.

To register for updates, you must provide your name and email address; phone number is optional. You can include a short message describing what you’d like to obtain, which Spain said is helpful for staffers tracking specific requests. A direct link to register is at https://808ne.ws/alohas, or go to the homepage and scroll down to the link that says “register online here.”

“Some people want to get a certain seat, or a certain sign, but others are asking about the gigantic photographs when you walk into that concourse,” she said. Those requests are complicated because the images are in an area that is structurally sound and it’s not possible to remove them right now, she said, although officials do hope to salvage them eventually. “The best thing for the reader to do is to sign up for the email updates and be specific about the location and description of the photo and we will do the best we can.”

The stadium plans to hold memorabilia auctions and closing ceremonies, probably in late 2022, she said. As she noted, it’s possible that some memorabilia cannot be saved. Stadium demolition might occur in early 2023, she said.

Aloha Stadium, Hawaii’s largest outdoor arena, opened in 1975. It is to be replaced by a smaller venue as part of an entertainment and housing district.

Q: Regarding the O‘ahu Homeowner Assistance Fund, is it the state’s intention to give the maximum amount of aid to the first 1,000 eligible applicants? That would potentially deplete all $30 million. Why not serve more people at a lesser amount?

A: “The duration and availability of funding for the O‘ahu Homeowner Assistance Fund will be based on the financial need of each applicant. If all program funds are not awarded during the first round of applications, the application process may be reopened at a later date. Please note that the O‘ahu Homeowner Assistance Fund is not solely based on financial assistance for mortgage payments. Eligible applicants are also provided financial and legal counseling, where a representative could reach a non-monetary resolution with their service lender,” said Kainalu Severson, director of emergency financial assistance for the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, the nonprofit organization administering the program for the state of Hawaii.

Q: I made an appointment for bulky pickup to get rid of some old furniture, but now my daughter wants it after all so I don’t need the appointment. When I went back online I didn’t see a way to cancel the bulky pickup after the appointment has been made. How do we do that?

A: After you made your appointment online, you should have received a confirmation email to the personal email account you provided when signing up. “In that confirmation email, a link is provided to cancel their appointment. This must be done at least three days before their scheduled pickup,” said Markus Owens, spokesman for Honolulu County’s Department of Environmental Services.

People who had made their appointment by telephone, rather than online, would call the refuse division to cancel at 808-768-3200 (press zero after the recorded greeting begins).

Other readers have asked how to make an appointment online for bulky pickup, noticing that the department’s website had changed. Go to https://www.honolulu.gov/opala and click on “Make A Bulky Appointment.” People lacking internet service can make an appointment by phone, at the previous number.

Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.