Question: If I am taking visiting family members to Diamond Head and I will stay with them the whole time, do they still have to make a reservation ahead of time?
Answer: Yes, assuming they are not Hawaii residents with valid state- issued identification.
The state answers a similar question on its Diamond Head State Monument website, stating: “Yes, your guests require reservations and must purchase parking and/or entry tickets. Please do not bring them to the park without confirmed reservations, as they will be denied entry.”
For nonresidents, the entry fee is $5 per person and the parking fee is $10 per car. Your group won’t have to pay for parking if everyone rides with you, assuming that parking is available in the section reserved for local residents.
Kamaaina with valid identification issued by the state don’t need to make a reservation and don’t pay entry or parking fees. The website cautions that parking is not guaranteed, adding that residents who walk in “will always be accommodated.”
Out-of-state visitors can make a reservation up to 14 days in advance, the website says. The new system took effect May 12.
For more information, including a link to the online reservation system, see 808ne.ws/dlnrdh.
Q: Are they still letting locals walk into Hanauma Bay?
A: Yes, from 6:45 to 9 a.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, if they have valid Hawaii identification. The East Oahu nature preserve is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Call 808-768-6861 for more information.
Q: What counts as a valid ID?
A: A current Hawaii driver’s license or state ID or a current Hawaii school student ID. Work IDs are not accepted, according to the Hanauma website. Read more at pros3.hnl.info/hanauma-bay.
Q: We ordered the free COVID-19 test kits and received them in the mail. Unfortunately, it says that they expire on July 19. After that date, do we just throw them away? Seems like such a waste.
A: No, don’t throw them away; the expiration date likely has been extended. You can check on the website of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, at 808ne.ws/shelflife. You also can find the information by going to the FDA’s homepage, fda.gov, and searching for “List of Authorized At-Home OTC COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests.”
Once you see the list, find the entry for the manufacturer and test kit you received, as stated on the box label. The column titled “expiration date” should note any extensions.
The FDA explains on its website that manufacturers can ask the agency to authorize a longer shelf-life once the manufacturer has more stability testing results, such as 12 or 18 months worth of data. Expiration dates of most COVID-19 test kits have been extended, it says.
Job-search skills
The state is hosting free workshops online to help people learn basic internet skills that should boost their job prospects and help them search for work effectively. The series will cover the basics of using the internet, email, Google Drive, Google Docs and Zoom, according to the Workforce Development Division of the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
Sessions are scheduled for 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. For a calendar of upcoming workshops and to register for individual sessions, go to 808ne.ws/hub, or go to labor.hawaii.gov/wdd/ and click on “Job Fairs and Training.”
Mahalo
Many thanks to patient drivers who let me carefully cross over three lanes of traffic so that I could make the left turn at Ward Avenue and enter the H-1 eastbound. No one even honked! So lucky we live Hawaii. — Motorist
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.
Correction: The entry fee for nonresidents is $5 per person. An earlier version of this story had the wrong amount.
