Question: Auwe! I thought it was illegal to hang campaign banners on the highway. I have seen fluttering banners a few times, and I am ready to complain. Besides distracting drivers, these banners could become untied and land on someone’s windshield. It’s dangerous.
Answer: Yes, it is against Hawaii law to put up campaign signs so that they are visible from state highways. “This includes, but is not limited to, posting of political campaign signs on overpasses, fencing, signposts and poles,” according to the state Department of Transportation.
We’ve heard from a few drivers who said they’ve been distracted by such signs, but none mentioned the candidate being promoted — some said they couldn’t recall. At any rate, the name of the candidate isn’t needed to report the sign to the DOT for removal — what’s crucial to note is the location, stated as succinctly and specifically as possible, and the fact that it is a political campaign sign visible from a highway, installed in apparent violation of state law.
To report such infractions on Oahu, call the Highways Maintenance Hotline at 808-831-6714 and follow the voice prompts, or email complaintshighwayoahu@hawaii.gov.
Illegally placed signs will be removed, the DOT says.
Q: I recently replaced a couple of old smoke detectors in my home. They both have stickers that identify them as ionization smoke detectors with a trace amount of radioactive material. What is the recommended way to dispose of these smoke detectors? The EPA’s website states that you can throw it away in regular household garbage, but I couldn’t find any mention of it on the the city’s opala website.
A: Put them in your household trash, according to Honolulu’s Department of Environmental Services, which does explain on its website how to dispose of smoke detectors, on the page devoted to household hazardous waste. Small quantities of certain types of HHW can go in the trash can, including smoke detectors, it says. By contrast, “residential households with large quantities of any type of HHW must call the city’s Refuse Division for disposal instructions,” it says. Read more at www8.honolulu.gov/env/ref/hhw-2.
Expiration dates
Don’t go by the expiration date on a box of free COVID-19 tests received in the mail, if you’ve ordered any from the U.S. government in the latest distribution. Some test kits being mailed out now might be past the expiration date printed on the box, but that expiration date has been extended. A package insert should explain this fact, but we’ve heard from a few readers who missed the notice. As we’ve previously reported, the shelf life of many brands of COVID-19 test kits proved to be longer than originally authorized, and expiration dates have been extended accordingly. For a link to confirm specific extensions, go to covidtests.gov.
E kala mai
Thank you to the two drivers who were caught in the line behind me Friday at the South Street exit to the Restaurant Row parking structure. I apologize that my mistake in inserting the ticket the wrong way delayed you in exiting. You were very patient while I was stressing about trying to figure out how to make the machine work, and I am grateful to you for that kindness. I hope you were not late getting to your next destinations. I will remember your aloha the next time I am stuck behind someone else who has a similar problem. — Embarrassed driver
Mahalo
We want to say mahalo to the anonymous persons who paid for our breakfast Friday morning at Anna Miller’s. The waitress told us that our bill was already paid, and when we asked who paid, she said they had already left. We appreciate the kind gesture. Blessings to your and your families. Aloha! — Three Grateful Kupuna
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.
