Question: I walk around Magic Island a couple of times a week for exercise. The new walking path is great, but why was the path on the south side not redone? That part of the path is dangerous, and it would be easy to twist an ankle.
Answer: Department of Parks and Recreation staff were not certain what part of the path you’re talking about, but did say that a portion on the Diamond Head side was not repaved because it was too close to the ocean.
Department Director Michele Nekota offered a general statement about the recent paving and upcoming maintenance projects for Magic Island:
“The project to repave and repaint the perimeter pathway at Magic Island was finished last August. That project also included treating interior portions of the pathway with a protective covering to mitigate any further damage. Some portions were not repaved because of geographic concerns. We are planning further repaving operations at Magic Island and strive to make our facilities as safe for the general public as possible.”
We followed up with department spokesman Nathan Serota for details about the geographic concerns, and he said that “parts of the Diamond Head side of the path were not repaved because of its proximity to the water.”
Q: Regarding Hawaii’s lawsuit against the federal government, why was the news conference held at the Royal Hawaiian hotel, rather than at the state Capitol or wherever the attorney general’s office is? How much did it cost taxpayers to hold it there?
A: The Waikiki hotel was not chosen as a special backdrop for Attorney General Douglas Chin’s March 15 news conference to discuss the Hawaii Federal District Court’s recent ruling on the immigration travel ban, and there was no extra cost to Hawaii taxpayers.
The news conference was held there because Chin was at the hotel at the time for a meeting of the Conference of Western Attorneys General; he currently chairs the organization. The group’s 2017 Chair’s Initiative and Western Pacific AG Summit was held at the Royal Hawaiian from March 14 to Thursday.
The news conference “was held there simply as a matter of convenience because the AG was already there. … No cost to taxpayers,” said Joshua Wisch, special assistant to the attorney general.
The summit brought together a bipartisan group of 17 attorneys general and featured panel discussions that also included law enforcement officials; federal, state and local officials; and other experts.
Q: We will ever find out if the juveniles accused of killing birds at Kaena Point were punished?
A: No, at least not through official channels. The cases of two teenage males, reported to be 17 at the time of the December 2015 attacks, are being handled in Family Court, where records are sealed. One adult, who was 18 at the time, has pleaded no contest in the case and agreed to cooperate with investigators.
The perpetrators destroyed 17 Laysan albatross nests (11 eggs were crushed, and six eggs died from the loss of an incubating parent) and killed at least 15 adult birds, some of which were dismembered, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Auwe
Auwe to homeowners who do not turn off their sprinkler systems after drenching rainfalls. The yards are saturated but the sprinklers keep spraying. In Las Vegas the meteorologists remind viewers to turn them off and how many gallons could be saved for future use. It’s a staggering daily amount. — B.J.C.
Mahalo
I want to acknowledge the kindness of a lady who, seeing I had forgotten my bag after eating at Chili’s Kahala on Wednesday, ran after me to return my bag. She saved me a lot of grief. Mahalo. I really appreciate it. — R.T.
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.
