Question: We have tickets to see my parents on Maui for the first time in over a year. We live in Honolulu and were vaccinated here. I’ve heard about the vaccine exemption, but how do we actually get it? We are flying at the end of May. It will be our first time on a plane since the pandemic, so I am not familiar with any of this. Read more
The state is in that delightful stage of preplanning for a new 35,000-seat sports stadium. It’s delightful because state officials are like kids in front of a big easel, coloring in where everything can go with no real rules or responsibilities. Read more
The disconnect is striking between the Legislature’s chest- thumping over its accomplishments during its 2021 session and public frustration over misplaced priorities. Read more
Question: Please investigate why the Hanauma Bay reservation system, operating now for a few weeks, is not working properly. Read more
Question: The city says to practice the route for your road test, but I don’t see the route posted anywhere, at least not officially, I don’t think. Can you find out? It took my daughter so long to get an appointment to get her permit that now that she has her road test coming up, she has to pass it on the first try so she can drive for work, which is a requirement. Read more
Question: I know the IRS postponed the filing deadline to May 17, but I need more time than that. I didn’t get the first stimulus and want to claim it. Can I still do that on the extension? Read more
Cristina Nishioka is one of a growing number of pastry chefs who’ve gone solo over the last year. Read more
There’s a feeling of relief and the ability to breathe more deeply when stepping out of the asphalt and concrete of urban Honolulu and into the courtyard oasis of Olay’s Thai-Lao Cuisine. Read more
Question: The median on Ala Moana Boulevard, for as long as the last 10 years or so from the Ala Moana mall area to downtown, is very unkempt. The grass (mostly weeds) oftentimes is overgrown and unsightly. Given that it is among the most heavily trafficked roads in the state, why is the median so unkempt? Who is responsible, city or state? Read more
Colleen Hanabusa is apparently something of a danger junkie. Why else would she go back working with Honolulu’s rail project? Read more
Question: If the driver’s licenses are extended, why did I get a ticket for driving with an expired license? Read more
Any hope the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation is changing its degenerate ways was diminished by news that the flat-broke rail agency had awarded a consultancy worth up to $924,000 over three years to Colleen Hanabusa, former U.S. congresswoman, state Senate president and ultimate political insider. Read more
I’ve been talking to Carol Hoshiko, a dean at Kapiolani Community College. The college is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. One topic that came up in our conversation was the Cannon Club, the officers club at Fort Ruger, where KCC is today. Read more
Question: When traveling down Pali Highway and stopping at the lights at the intersection with Vineyard Avenue, the lights take an inordinate amount of time to cycle. Read more
Question: Will the University of Hawaii say by May 1 whether admitted students must get the COVID-19 vaccine to enroll this fall, or to live in a dorm? Other schools have announced and I would prefer my son go to one of them, so he knows his roommates will be vaccinated, but he wants to go to Hawaii. A tuition deposit is due soon. Read more
Question: I don’t fault the Health Department because I know they are busy with the COVID-19 stuff, but I need my birth certificate to get my REAL ID and I can never get anyone on the phone. This is stressful because I don’t want to make the license appointment until I have the birth certificate, and there’s such a long wait for the renewal appointment. Do you think they will delay this again? Read more
Question: On the weekends, trash containers on Waikiki beaches are often overflowing, leaving trash scattered. On top of that, homeless people often rummage through the trash looking for recyclables, increasing the mess. Why aren’t there recycling containers in Waikiki? Read more
This year women leaders are not seeing great advancements. First two prominent women, Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard, after receiving a highly critical performance report from the Honolulu Police Commission, said she was quitting. Read more
Question: I plan to travel at the end of July. How will this affect my getting on the plane with an expired license? Read more
In the past few months I’ve spent some time exploring locations that were considered for iconic Hawaii places, such as the Hawai‘i Convention Center, the state Capitol, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Neal Blaisdell Center, Aloha Stadium and University of Hawaii. Read more
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