Question: Now that work is done on the Ala Wai Canal, I see more people fishing, etc., I wonder about the water’s quality. Is it safe to eat the fish or to go in the canal?
Answer: No, according to the state Department of Health.
People tend to forget that the Ala Wai is mainly a drainage canal, and as such it "receives all kinds of pollutants from the communities in the watershed," said Watson Okubo, chief of the Clean Water Branch’s monitoring and analysis section.
The department has posted signs warning that people risk getting sick if they swim in, or eat shellfish or fish, from the waterway.
However, many of the signs have been vandalized, Okubo said. An order was placed for new signs, which will be posted shortly.
"We tell the canoe community to exercise personal hygiene when recreating at the Ala Wai Canal and to wash off afterwards," Okubo said.
He said the city installed showers at the Kapahulu end of the canal for canoers to wash off.
"But definitely the public should not eat fish or crabs from the Ala Wai Canal because it is a drainage canal," he said.
Question: I just got a GPS (Global Positioning System) device in my car. What are the laws governing its use? Nobody seems to know.
Answer: State law prohibits motorists from holding a "mobile electronic device" while driving.
"Factory-installed navigation equipment and navigation devices that are voice-controlled are OK, but not hand-held navigation devices that require manual operation," said Michelle Yu, spokeswoman for the Honolulu Police Department.
Under Section 291C-137 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, a mobile electronic device is defined as "any handheld or other portable electronic equipment capable of providing wireless or data communication between two or more persons or of providing amusement, including but not limited to a cellular phone, text messaging device, paging device, personal digital assistant, laptop computer, video game, or digital photographic device, but does not include any audio equipment or any equipment installed in a motor vehicle for the purpose of providing navigation, emergency assistance to the operator of the motor vehicle, or video entertainment to the passengers in the rear seats of the motor vehicle."
Mahalo
To a gentleman, for his very generous and gracious gesture bestowed upon our lunch group at the Moena Cafe in Hawaii Kai. My friend and I decided to take our moms to lunch, and we were having such a good time laughing and telling stories that we did not notice the gentleman sitting alone at the next table. When it came time to pay the bill, I handed the waiter my credit card. A little while later our waiter returned my card and said, "You’re all set." I questioned why there was no bill, and our waiter said that the gentleman at the next table said that our group reminded him so much of his family that he wanted to pay our bill. Needless to say, we were flabbergasted! We hope that one day he also will be the recipient of an unexpected kindness! — Nicole Sargis
An Apology
To the men in line for manapua at Chun Wah Kam Noodle Factory near Oahu Community Correctional Center on March 21. Because I was rushing to get to work, my behavior was not kind or right. I am sorry. — Poor Example
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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.
