Question: What do large white X’s painted on the road indicate? One is painted at Kamehameha Highway and Pohaku Loa Way in Haleiwa, and another near 59-327 Pupukea Road.

Answer: Those X’s do mark the spot.

Typically, they’re used in surveying for aerial photography, said Wayne Yoshioka, director of the city Department of Transportation Services.

"The X provides a point of reference in the aerial photo that can be correlated to actual ground measurements," he said. "That way the aerial photo can be calibrated so that it is more accurate."

A surveying company painted the X’s you’ve seen and is responsible for removal.

If painting the X’s require detouring traffic, a street usage permit has to be obtained from the department.

"As part of that process, we will check for conflicts with existing pavement markings," Yoshioka said.

Question: Where can I buy a harmonica? I called J.C. Penney, Sears, Shirokiya and McKinley Community School to no avail. I am contemplating joining a senior citizen harmonica class.

Answer: Check with any music store, such as Easy Music Center or Harry’s Music Store, suggests Robert Omura of the Hawaii Harmonica Society.

If you’re looking to join a senior class, Omura’s the person to contact: 833-4336. He offers free classes at the city’s Beretania Community Park, 1290 Aala St.

His next beginner’s class starts Wednesday.

"I don’t charge for (the class) because that’s my community service," he said. "The only thing is (participants) have to buy their own instrument."

Omura formed the Hawaii Harmonica Society several years ago to coordinate the activities of up to 100 harmonica players.

The society has two performing groups: Reed 21 Harmonica Band, based in Mililani with about two dozen members, and Omura’s group, the Small World Harmonica Band, with about 40-45 members. The only requirement to join Omura’s band is that you have to be able to read music.

While the Reed 21 band is a mixed-age group, "Every one of the members in my group are seniors — the youngest is around 59 or 60, and the oldest is 90 or 91," he said.

"Young people don’t go in for harmonicas," Omura observed. "The only time you hear harmonica these days among young people is with rock ‘n’ roll-type music" used as an accompaniment.

Omura was an assistant director of the University of Hawaii’s Youth Development and Research Center, took early retirement in 1981, then went into real estate.

He says he "always played harmonica" but didn’t really get into it until the 1990s, when he met a man from Japan who taught him how to read notes. When his mentor returned to Japan, Omura took over his harmonica group, expanding it from only a handful of people.

"It’s kind of interesting," he reflected. "I was working with young people (earlier in life), and now I’m working with old people. We grew with the audience."

Omura’s group performs regularly at senior citizen clubs, nursing homes, senior activity centers and yearly at the Senior Fair.

"We play the full range — I have about 600 songs in my repertoire," including pop and classical music., he said. "Whatever the group has skills to play, we play."

Mahalo

To the young man who pushed my defunct scooter all the way home one night. It makes me feel the world is all right. — No Longer Stranded in Pearl City

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 e-mail kokualine@staradvertiser.com.