Kokua Line: Will city close baseball fields?

Question: I heard they are going to close some baseball fields out at CORP. Please find out about this. Pretty much everyone who plays baseball on Oahu plays at CORP eventually.

Answer: Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation plans to close two of 12 diamond-shaped ballfields at the Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park each summer as part of an intensive, rotating maintenance program that would rejuvenate all 12 fields over the next six summers, according to a news release from the department. Which two of the 12 would close this June through August has not been decided, but no more than one field per cluster would close at a given time, it said. There are three clusters of four fields each, for adult baseball, softball and youth baseball.

You’re right about the fields being heavily used, and that’s why DPR says they need a rest. Outdoor sports are played year-round in Hawaii, unlike in cold-weather climates where an off-season interrupts the daily wear and tear. Under DPR’s plan, a field would have intensive maintenance while not in use.

CORP is the only park of its kind on Oahu, its diamonds used by high school and college baseball or softball teams, along with club teams, and the department wants feedback about its plan. It has launched an online survey asking players to rate the current condition of CORP’s softball and baseball fields, whether or not they support the rotating closure plan, and how else to improve CORP facilities. Take the survey at surveymonkey.com/r/CORP808 or get a hard copy at CORP’s main office. Responses will be accepted until 8:30 a.m. Jan. 31, the news release said.

Q: Will the city resume the Valentine’s Dance for senior citizens it used to host before COVID-19?

A: Yes, this public event is scheduled for Feb. 7 (a Tuesday) from 9 a.m. to noon at the Neal S. Blaisdell Exhibition Hall, according to the Department of Parks and Recreation’s events calendar.

The popular dance was most recently held in person in 2020, one of the last Parks and Recreation events before pandemic restrictions took effect, said Nathan Serota, a spokesperson for the department. In 2021 the event went virtual, featuring online slideshows from past dances and music by Bronson Varde, then recreation director for DPR’s Waianae complex, who sang original songs such as “Quarantine My Heart.” Last year the department switched things up with an outdoor, in-person event, a Senior Valentine Walk at Kakaako Waterfront Park.

Q: Where can I get help preparing my taxes for free? Last year I couldn’t get an appointment so I did them myself and I made a small mistake. Because of that it took a long time to get my refund and the IRS had to correct my return. I don’t want that to happen again.

A: The Hawaii Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, commonly known as VITA, has opened appointments for this tax season, according to its website, which lists 11 sites on Oahu. See hawaiitaxhelp.org/free-tax-help/free-tax-sites for details. The website says Hawaii residents generally can qualify for free tax preparation help from VITA if their household income does not exceed $66,000 and their tax return is not “out-of-scope” for the program, a category that includes landlords or anyone who owns or sold investment real estate; partnerships, corporations or multimember LLCs; farming or fishing businesses; active-duty military; and several other groups.

We also checked the Hawaii website for the AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide program, which many Kokua Line readers use. It lists 13 Oahu locations scheduled to open in February. See taxaidehi.org for details.

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.