Question: Do they still have those classes teaching computer basics for senior citizens? You wrote about it a few years ago. I have a smartphone now, but I don’t use it for much.
Answer: The free, in-person, summer program to which you referred has been suspended since the pandemic; there were no in-person classes last summer or the summer before.
However, we are aware of a different free program, offered online through AARP Hawaii, that might offer some of what you want to learn. The online webinars will occur Fridays at 10 a.m. from April 22 to May 27, a news release said. They’ll be taught by Older Adults Technology Services, also known OATS or Senior Planet, a nonprofit group affiliated with AARP.
To register for the first webinar, “All Things Zoom,” go to 808ne.ws/422zoom. Or, go to aarp.org/hi, click on “Hawaii Upcoming Events” and scroll down until you see the technology classes.
The first webinar will teacher users how to use Zoom, a videoconferencing software. Participants will learn how to use Zoom in a variety of ways and how to look best on video and maintain security, which should be a high priority for anyone online.
Subsequent classes scheduled for April 29 and May 6, 13, 20 and 27 will cover internet streaming and smart TVs, online health resources, using Google maps, using social media and protecting personal information online.
Participants must preregister to receive the Zoom link before each webinar. The start time for each class is 10 a.m. in Hawaii, not the later Alaska time noted on some webinar descriptions. You don’t have to be an AARP member to sign up, or a kupuna for that matter, although the material is designed for older folks.
Q: I e-filed my tax returns March 1 and got my federal refund right away, but nothing yet from the state. How long is it supposed to take?
A: Taxpayers who are due a refund on their Hawaii personal income tax return “can expect a refund within seven to eight weeks if they filed electronically and nine to 10 weeks if they mailed their tax return. It will take an additional two weeks for the taxpayer to receive a paper check if they did not opt in for direct deposit,” said Joshua Mapanao, a spokesperson for the state Department of Taxation.
Q: How much will it cost for that roundabout by the Hygienic Store?
A: The project is expected to cost $5.4 million, according to the state Department of Transportation. To be clear, construction work to install a roundabout at the intersection of Kamehameha and Kahekili highways in Kahaluu is not expected to begin until February.
Q: I thought Honolulu banned Styrofoam takeout containers, but I still see them all over the place. Why?
A: The ban on the sale and use of polystyrene foam foodware in Honolulu County that had been scheduled to take effect Jan. 1 was put off until Sept. 5, thanks to an exemption sought by the food service industry and granted by the municipal government. Restaurants have suffered during the pandemic, with operations and supply chains disrupted.
The city’s Department of Environmental Services agreed that requiring compliance now “would cause hardship to the food service industry.”
Summer jobs
Honolulu County’s Department of Parks and Recreation needs to hire about 500 “responsible, qualified and enthusiastic” adults to staff Summer Fun, its recreational day care program for kids ages 6 (by Aug. 1) to 13. The pay ranges from $15 to $17.58 an hour, depending on the position; most positions are full time for the duration of the program. For more information and to apply, go to bit.ly/ dprsummerhire.
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.
