Question: I saw they are hiring for Summer Fun. When does this program start and when can we sign up our kids?
Answer: For clarity’s sake we’ll keep key dates for Oahu’s popular recreational program in order: Hiring of adult staff (which is going on now), program registration for children (which starts in mid-May) and participation dates (June 10 to July 26). Here are key facts about the program, which you can read about in more detail on the website of Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation, honolulu.gov/parks.
>> Hiring: The city is now hiring more than 500 enthusiastic, responsible adults, including college students and graduating high school seniors, to work a variety of jobs, which pay from $16 to $19.14 an hour. Summer Fun employees lead groups of children in a variety of activities, including arts and crafts, games and sports, and excursions. Employment requirements and applications are online, at bit.ly/summerfunjob.
>> Enrollment: Registration for keiki ages 6 to 13 will begin in mid-May and be conducted mainly online, via the Parks & Recreation Online System, which you can link to from DPR’s website. Registration will occur by geographic district, starting with District 1 (East Honolulu) on May 13 and continuing on to District 2 (West Honolulu) on May 14; District 3 (Leeward Oahu) on May 15; District 4 (Windward Oahu and North Oahu) on May 16; and District 5 (Central Oahu) on May 17. People who lack internet access can register in person from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the previously mentioned dates.
>> Cost: The cost will be the same as last year: a $25 registration fee, plus an activity fee of up to $100 at sites that offer excursions; the total registration cost for the summer will not exceed $125. Fee waivers will be offered to needy households.
>> Junior Leaders: Older children are welcome to participate as volunteers called Junior Leaders, often teenagers who enjoyed Summer Fun as keiki. A prospective Junior Leader should contact the specific site where they would like to help. Junior Leaders must be 13 years old before August and no older than 17 by July 28, 2024. Junior Leaders don’t get paid, but neither do they pay a registration fee.
>> Program dates: Summer Fun will run weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. from June 10 through July 26, excluding holidays on June 11 and July 4. About 10,000 keiki and teens are expected to participate in what is the city’s largest recreational program for children, offering a variety of indoor and outdoor activities at about 60 sites across Oahu.
Q: Regarding the city’s burglar alarm program, do they know when billing will resume?
A: “At this time HPD is responding to alarm activations, but we are not requiring alarm permits or registration. The department’s contract with PM AM expired in December 2023 and was not renewed. We are presently working with the city to advertise for a new contract that would start this summer,” Michelle Yu, a spokesperson for the Honolulu Police Department, said in an email Monday.
As Kokua Line reported Friday, HPD’s burglar alarm tracking and billing program has undergone several changes in recent years, in hopes of reducing the number of false alarms that occur at Oahu residential and commercial properties with registered alarm systems.
PM AM Corp. had been the city’s contracted vendor since Dec. 1, 2020, when it replaced the previous vendor, Cry Wolf Services.
Mahalo
Mahalo to the couple, who were gracious, and who shared their table with me at Kahala Mall on Saturday afternoon. Kahala Mall had a Mother’s Day celebration in tandem with a sidewalk sale, which made tables unavailable. This nice couple shared their table with me, a senior citizen. I was able to rest, eat a sandwich, and chat with them. We talked about work, their children, and their recent travel to Japan. It ended on a positive note. — Sincerely, Gail F.
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.
