Question: For over a year, a regular Saturday-Sunday "yard" sale is conducted on the ground level at a small apartment building in Waikiki every weekend. Is there a city ordinance that limits yard sales at the same location to a specific number during any given period?

Answer: Yes, and from your description those sales may be in violation of the city’s Land Use Ordinance.

Section 5.40-2 of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu (Land Use Ordinance) specifies the uses that are permitted in residential zoning districts, said Art Challacombe, chief of the Department of Planning and Permitting’s Customer Service Office.

Retail sales are not permitted, except under the following limitations, he said:

» Home occupation provisions in the Land Use Ordinance limit the items that can be sold on the premises to items produced by the home occupation, such as craft items.

» Garage and yard sales are permitted as an occasional accessory customarily associated with normal residential living. Garage sales cannot be used for resale of new or used items that have been purchased elsewhere.

If you suspect a violation, call the Residential Code Enforcement Branch at 768-8159 or the mayor’s complaint office, 768-4381, or e-mail complaints@honolulu.gov.

Question: I received an absentee ballot in the mail, but now want to vote absentee in person. Can I do that?

Answer: As long as you don’t mail in the absentee ballot you received, you can go early to a polling place and vote absentee, said Glen Takahashi, Honolulu’s elections administrator.

How would elections officials prevent someone from voting absentee twice?

Takahashi said if someone who already sent in a ballot tried to vote in person, he or she would be flagged out at the polling place. The same would be true in reverse.

People can vote early beginning today until Sept. 16 (excluding Sundays and Labor Day), from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Honolulu Hale, 530 S. King St.; Kapolei Hale, 1000 Uluohia St.; and Windward Mall, second floor, near Sears.

Question: Where do you obtain absentee ballots?

Answer: You can obtain application forms for the absentee ballots at all satellite city halls, post offices and public libraries.

Applications have to be received by the city Clerk’s Office by Sept. 11, said Glen Takahashi, Honolulu elections administrator.

If you apply now, you can also ask for an absentee ballot for the general election.

Absentee ballots have to received by the Clerk’s Office by 6 p.m. Sept. 18, Primary Election day.

HEEIA HACKER

We read your column about someone complaining about the man who was cutting down trees in the Heeia area (www.staradvertiser.com/columnists/kokualine/20100825_Officials_pass_off_task_of_stopping_tree-cutting_man.html) and thought it was unfair because it didn’t tell the other side of the story. The part about him cutting down trees might be an issue, but people should know about all the other things that he does. He doesn’t have two nickels to rub together and he may be handicapped in the mind, yet he’s surviving on his own and is not bothering anybody and he actually cleans up Kamehameha Highway. Anytime you see a pile of rubbish that’s on the side of the road, it’s from him — he’s gone into the bushes and pulled out batteries, old bicycles, you name it. So, there’s a plus side to the story. — Charles Wooten