Question: I am concerned about the athletic situation at Kalaheo High School. The tennis courts finally were built after years of waiting, then we had to wait while an elevator was built. Now I am told the courts can’t be used because a telephone has to be installed in the elevator. The tennis program is crumbling. The soft tennis season was canceled. The JV/varsity tennis coach has quit. The swim team has no pool to practice in even though the season starts this month. The team is told to run for dry training instead. When will the tennis courts be ready and what can the swim team do for a pool so it can practice?

Answer: It took a while to sort through the situation with the tennis courts/elevator and swim team/practice pool, but here are the facts as best as we could get from the Department of Education:

» The elevator is "unrelated" to the situation with the tennis courts, despite its proximity.

We were told early last week that the courts were not yet open. However, department spokesman Alex Da Silva said Thursday that "the courts are available for whatever activity the school has," including physical education classes and soft tennis (which uses soft rubber balls and lighter rackets), even though the season was canceled.

The courts are restricted to "school-use only" for athletic programs and activities, he said. They are not available for use by the general public.

The elevator is a separate ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) project. The department is waiting for an elevator inspection, required by law, before it can be operated.

Asked why an elevator was installed instead of a ramp, Da Silva said the vertical distance of about 20 feet made it unfeasible. That distance would have required a ramp more than 240 feet long, based on the maximum slope ADA rules allow.

"In addition, there was not enough space for the ramp to run since the football field is immediately adjacent," he said.

Rebuilding the tennis courts was part of a larger project involving drainage improvements to the adjacent hillside. The total cost of the project was $1.35 million.

The cost of the separate ADA-compliance project, which includes the elevator, is estimated at $888,000.

» In addition to the soft tennis season being canceled, the JV girls tennis team was dropped. But this was because there was no interest, Da Silva said.

The tennis coach sent emails, the school placed fliers around campus, and announcements were made on a daily broadcast and daily bulletin, he said.

"However, no one attended the first official meeting and practice with the coach."

The athletic director followed up daily with potential athletes, but had to make the decision to drop the JV girls team because of "lack of interest," he said. "Since then, the coach’s responsibility at work has increased and the person is unable to continue coaching at Kalaheo."

» The swim team has not been able to practice at Kailua District Park pool because it hasn’t been able to meet new rules requiring a permit.

"To get a permit (to use the pool), the school needs to have the paperwork of two lifeguards before they will even consider a permit," Da Silva said.

The school has asked Kailua District Park for help, but they do not have any available lifeguards and volunteers have stepped up for Thursdays only.

"The school is waiting for paperwork from other lifeguards," Da Silva said. "The school has also inquired about using Kokokahi Y and Kailua YWCA."

You have since informed us that the swim team will miss the first meet of the season Saturday.

Asked if the team was in danger of having its season canceled, Da Silva said, "No. The school is fortunate to have a coach on campus who is in contact with many students interested in swimming, but they must turn in their paperwork. The school has had conditioning practices for the past two weeks."

Auwe

To the male driver of a light blue Mercedes who was speeding down Sheridan Street, makai bound, at about 8:30 one morning. You honked angrily at me because you had to brake to let me finish crossing at the Sheridan and Makaloa intersection. I looked both ways before stepping into the crosswalk and it was all clear for me to cross. You should learn to drive with more aloha and slow down! — No Name

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.