Question: My friend and I are golfers. I have a Hawaii driver’s license. She has no Hawaii driver’s license but a state ID. She is living and working in Hawaii and has for two years. The city and county municipal golf courses do not recognize the state ID and therefore charged her $65 to play. … Why, in proving Hawaii residence, is there a difference and even nonacceptance in showing a Hawaii state ID versus the Hawaii driver’s license?
Answer: There shouldn’t be. The outdated policy for issuing kamaaina golf ID cards will change starting Monday, according to the administrator of the Department of Enterprise Services’ golf division, which oversees municipal courses on Oahu.
Applicants for state IDs must prove Hawaii residency just as applicants for driver’s licenses, instructional permits and provisional licenses do — and those latter three forms of identification are accepted as the proof of residency needed to obtain local golf ID cards, which are reserved for “bona fide Hawaii residents” and bring valuable discounts at municipal links.
In the past, “people used to obtain state IDs even though they were not residents. That is why we did not accept them as a form of proof of residency. I understand that now the state does require proof of residency similar to our requirements if the address on the state card is a Hawaii address. We will make changes to our policy and start to accept it as proof of residency so a golf ID card can be obtained,” DES golf division administrator Garrick Iwamuro said Thursday, in response to Kokua Line’s query.
The new policy will take effect Monday, he said.
Golf IDs are issued at three locations on Oahu, during limited days and hours (none are open on Monday), according to the DES website. For specific locations and hours, see 808ne.ws/golfid. As of deadline Thursday, the website still said that a state ID was not acceptable proof of Hawaii residency, but we assume that information will be updated by next week, given Iwamuro’s response to your query.
For details about how to obtain a state ID (or driver’s license), see 808ne.ws/ 2jCSkSU.
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Q: Can’t I report a noisy animal anonymously?
A: No, not if you are filing a complaint with the Hawaiian Humane Society and want the nonprofit organization to follow up with the alleged offender. Its citizen complaint form specifies the information that is needed to conduct a thorough investigation. You can download the form at 808ne.ws/2kpYjeQ.
Q: I found an EBT card on the ground. Is there someplace to turn in the card, so that it can be returned to the holder? Or will the person who lost it be able to replace the card with no trouble?
A: We checked with the state Department of Human Services, which administers the Hawaii Electronic Benefit Transfer (HI/EBT) system that distributes payments for public assistance programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and others. Beneficiaries may carry an EBT card like the one you found, which looks like and functions as a debit card.
A department spokeswoman said you may mail the card to the address printed on the back of the card, which is the department’s, or you may destroy it. The cardholder will be able to get a new one, assuming the card you found is valid.
Mahalo
With sincere aloha from our family, we would like to thank the two ladies who were dining at Ayame Curry at Windward City Shopping Center on Jan. 14 at 5:15 p.m. who paid for our dinner. We were so stunned when we asked for our bill and the server said that the ladies had paid for it because they thought our children were so cute. Wow! We never had that happen before. Thank you again for your generosity. — J.S.
Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
