Question: Will the HNL Tool Library ever reopen? It closed when Re-use Hawai‘i closed in August.
Answer: Yes, there is space allocated for the tool rental service at the new Re-use Hawai‘i location in Salt Lake, but the reopening date for the tool library has not been set, while Re-use Hawai‘i itself will reopen next week, said Vanessa Ablola, a spokesperson for Re-use Hawaii, a nonprofit organization that salvages building materials and more for resale.
Re-use Hawai‘i will have a “soft opening” at its new facility at Stadium Marketplace, 4561 Salt Lake Blvd., on Wednesday , welcoming customers to a space three times larger than its former location in Kakaako, which closed in August.
Temporary shopping hours during the soft opening period will be Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; donations of building materials also will be accepted during those hours, according to a news release. The soft opening period is expected to last through the end of the year, with a grand opening planned for early 2025.
Re-use Hawai‘i “is the only licensed deconstruction service provider in Hawaii and provides up to 75% savings on salvaged building materials, home furnishings, fixtures, and decor. After 18 years of operating in Kakaako, relocating to a larger, more accessible space allows Re-use Hawai‘i to expand its Material Redistribution Center, Deconstruction Services, and Workforce Development Program training space,” the news release said.
Ablola said in an email Wednesday that she didn’t have a timeline for when the tool library “will be back up and running” but that it “will be included in our next phase of plans” and there is space allocated for it at the new location.
The HNL Tool Library, an affiliated nonprofit organization, allowed paying members to borrow a wide array of tools for do-it- yourself projects. You can sign up for updates about its operations at hnltoollibrary.org/.
Q: How early can one renew their Hawaii State Driver’s License? My son is in college in Los Angeles and will be home next Christmas (2025). His driver’s license expires in January of 2026.
A: As early as six months before the expiration date, and without losing any time on the duration of the renewal, according to Honolulu’s Department of Customer Services. So yes, your son could renew a license that expires in January 2026 in December 2025. He should make an appointment via AlohaQ.org well before he returns home though, as the winter break period is a busy time for DMV services.
Auwe
Auwe to the sales people who knock on my door. Can’t they read the sign that says No Soliciting?! Don’t they understand what that means? — Annoyed reader
Mahalo
On Thanksgiving morning my power went out while I was in my kitchen preparing my pumpkin pies. I went to the Hawaiian Electric website to see if there were any outages in my area, and filled in information with my name, address and phone number to report my power failure. A HECO employee called me back within 10 minutes to advise there was no outage in the area. He coached me through checking my electrical panels, and taking and sending him photos to determine where the problem was, and resetting the breakers. Being a senior- plus, I was very slow at following the instructions, especially taking and sending photos of the electrical panels. I thanked him very much for taking the time on Thanksgiving morning to help me and was so happy that I now could cook my pumpkin pies. I forgot his name and wanted to send compliments to him on the HECO website but couldn’t find a heading for compliments. So I hope he sees this and knows how much I appreciated his help. — Ke Aloha and Mahalo Nui, Malia
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 2-200, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
