Question: Do you have any details on the work being done on the Dillingham Fountain, specifically whether the repairs are intended to be long-lasting?
Answer: Yes, the repairs should be long-lasting and might take the rest of the summer to complete, during which time the distinctive circular fountain in Kapiolani Park near the Diamond Head end of Kalakaua Avenue will be turned off. Workers have drained the fountain and will erect a temporary construction fence around it next week, said Nathan Serota, a spokesperson for Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation.
Workers will fix the fountain’s lights, repair some masonry and repaint and reseal the whole fountain, Serota said. Several readers have mentioned many of the fountain’s lights being out, making the fountain’s nighttime illumination less than dazzling. For the past couple of years, the city has saved water by running the fountain for only a few hours each night, from 6 to 10, a practice expected to continue once the fountain is repaired.
Parks and Rec posted a brief note on social media Monday saying that work had begun to clean and repair the fountain, and it hoped the work would be finished by the end of July. That post prompted your question, as you had asked several months ago about the malfunctioning lights.
“While we hope the repairs can be completed, and the fountain turned back on, by the end of July it may take longer. So, a safer estimate for the completion of the repairs is the end of this summer. All work is expected to be permanent, but we will be sticking with the limited evening run-time of the fountain as part of our ongoing effort to conserve fresh water usage,” Serota said in an email.
Dillingham Fountain was overhauled in 2020, with new pumps, light fixtures and plumbing installed, according to the Parks and Rec website.
Q: I called Spectrum on June 18 to stop service on June 27 because I was moving. I returned the modem and cable box as requested by Spectrum. I received my statement for June 23 to July 22 for $160.56, which is the normal amount I paid monthly. I called Spectrum and asked about this cost because I had received only five days of service for this billing and they were charging for the whole month’s service. The customer service representative said that “there are no midmonth cancellations.” I could contest this, and the bill would be sent to collections. No one mentioned about “no midmonth cancellations” and that the charge would be for the billing period when I called to cancel. Can Spectrum do this? My total has been changed because I returned the cable box and modem. My statement is now $151.84, according to the customer service representative.
A: Yes, Spectrum’s terms of service for residential customers say, “Subscriber shall be responsible for the full monthly charge (without pro-ration) for those Services that are offered on a monthly subscription basis to which the Subscriber has subscribed, regardless of Subscriber’s termination of such monthly Service prior to the conclusion of the current monthly subscription service period. … Unless Subscriber cancels Service on or before the last day of the current monthly subscription service period, Subscriber will be charged in full for Services the next monthly subscription service period.”
This is stated more plainly on a customer’s monthly bill, which, on the mailed version, says, “Spectrum does not provide credits for monthly subscription services that are canceled prior to the end of the current billing month.”
There’s an exception for new customers, who can get a refund for the first 30 days of service if they are not fully satisfied and cancel promptly.
Mahalo
Mahalo to all the sponsors of the Mo‘ili‘ili Summer Festival. On a boring Saturday night, I decided to check out the festival. It was crowded. The wait for food was long, but I didn’t mind. As the bon dance (odori) ramped up, I was hesitant to join in. I danced in one many decades ago. Slowly but surely, I got my courage up. I studied the movements closely. Then I jumped in. As the odori kept going, I was enjoying myself. This is fun! I jokingly told the girls in kimonos, “This is kind of like ‘The Electric Slide.’ Once you figure out the movements, the pattern repeats.” They laughed. The neatest thing about bon odori? With all the divisiveness in this country, I saw people of many races, ages and ethnicities smiling, laughing and genuinely having a good time as we all danced together. What a great Saturday night! — Bon odori convert
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.
