Question: Will there be a community e-waste disposal drive soon in the Honolulu area? Specifically for old TVs and printers? Navigating on the internet pretty much brought me nothing, except for Best Buy, which will take a printer, but charges $29.99 to take a TV.
Answer: Oahu’s Going Green community recycling program has two drive-thru events scheduled for this month, but neither is in urban Honolulu. The first is Saturday in Ewa Beach, followed by a Mililani event Nov. 26. One TV per carload will be accepted, along with computers, printers, scanners and other e-waste from residential users; no commercial or institutional disposal of e-waste will be allowed. Going Green doesn’t charge recycling fees. Here are the details, according to coordinator Rene Mansho:
>> Saturday, 9 to 11 a.m., Campbell High School, 91-980 North Road, Ewa Beach
>> Nov. 26, 9 to 11 a.m., Mililani Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, 95-257 Kaloapau St., Mililani
The following items will be accepted: computers, printers and scanners (one load per participant); TVs (one per car), batteries (auto and lead acid only), HI-5 containers (plastic and aluminum), used eyeglasses and hearing aids, gently used clothing, towels and blankets, plus canned goods for the Hawaii Foodbank.
As you mentioned, Best Buy does recycle some electronics for free, but charges to dispose of other items, including TVs, according to its website. A household can drop off no more than two TVs a day at Best Buy and the fee is $29.99 each, it says.
Q: I keep getting emails and texts that say Spectrum is trying to reach me to correct “a service issue that needs my attention.” They want me to schedule an appointment online. I can’t seem to get a person to talk to who knows anything about this. I don’t want to make the appointment online in case it’s a scam.
A: Don’t respond to the messages or click on links or download files contained in them, Spectrum advises on its website, spectrum.net, where it describes known scams targeting its customers.
The messages you’ve received sound similar to the “Act Now” scam, which entices unsuspecting customers to click on fraudulent links that the scammers use to collect the victim’s personal information or install malware on their computer or mobile device. Search for “scam and fraud alerts” on the Spectrum website for details.
If you can’t reach a Spectrum customer service agent by telephone, you might try checking the status of your account online or via the company’s mobile app. Find instructions about these options on the website.
Q: What’s the latest I can get into Hanauma Bay?
A: Public entry to Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve is allowed Wednesday through Sunday from 6:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with all visitors required to leave by 4 p.m., according to Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation. Call 808-768-6861 for more information, or go to https://pros.hnl.info/hanauma-bay to make a reservation.
“Local residents with a valid Hawaii identification may enter without a reservation from 6:45 a.m. until 9 a.m.,” the website says.
Auwe
There is no good reason that Election Day should be a day off for state and county workers now that we have voting by mail/drop box long before Nov. 8. Public schools don’t need to be closed so they can be used as polling places. Employees don’t need time off to vote. The old reasons no longer fly. Change the law to keep up with the times. Kids need to be in school! — A reader
Mahalo
Mahalo to the good Samaritan who found my purse in a shopping cart at Walmart Keeaumoku and turned it in to someone at the customer service department on Sunday. May your blessings be returned a thousandfold. — Grateful senior
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.
