Question: In April a very unprofessional landscape maintenance crew did a real job on the Kahekili Highway plantings, and the way they left it was a lot of be desired. They almost finished off what damage was done last year. This time they decimated the loulu palms by removing most of the healthy fronds that were finally becoming attractive. They cut down the sad-looking naupaka that were ruined last year to about a foot high, a height from which they will never recover to the 3 feet that they need to be healthy. Why can’t professionals be hired to work on valuable plantings and the work supervised by responsible people? Those were our plants that were ruined, not theirs.
Answer: It took a while to get a response, but ultimately the state Department of Transportation defended its Windward highway crews.
The problem is not unprofessionalism, as explained by the DOT, but that those crews have many responsibilities and landscaping isn’t necessarily a high priority.
The DOT blames “pests and lack of adequate hydration” for weakening or killing many of the naupaka plants and loulu (fan) palms along Kahekili Highway.
“Problems with the irrigation system, fast-spreading vines choking the plants’ root systems and a persistent insect infestation all contributed to the condition of the plants,” a spokesman said. The vines also may have contributed to the malfunctioning irrigation system, he said.
“The crews did everything possible to minimize the damage by trimming dead and diseased sections and by clearing as many vines and insects as possible,” he said.
Those actions revived the palms, which “are growing well in the median,” but the naupaka did not survive and were removed.
The total cost of the initial planting of both the palms and naupaka, as well as maintenance, was approximately $78,000.
The DOT is looking to replace the naupaka with more sustainable vegetation but does not have any written plans to do so yet.
Asked to respond to your criticism of the “very unprofessional landscape maintenance crew,” the spokesman said highway crews not only have to maintain landscaping along highways such as Kahekili; they also have to respond to other maintenance issues, such as pothole repairs, illegal dumping, tree trimming, sign maintenance, crosswalk and lane striping, graffiti paint-outs and homeless cleanups, “among many others.”
Priorities can change daily, he said.
In emergency weather situations, crews are called out to clear bridges and drains before and after heavy rain, remove fallen trees and rockfall debris, or clean up flooded areas, “all of which are more common in Windward Oahu than other parts of the island,” he said. “As such, landscaping may not always be the highest priority, and it’s unfair to try to assign blame when crews are busy responding to communities’ most pressing needs.”
Question: Can you remind us why it is legal for a residence to have more political posters and signs than are allowed under commercial advertising laws?
Answer: Because of the First Amendment.
Although there have been many attempts over the years, notably by the Outdoor Circle, to control political signs on private property, all have failed.
Campaign signs are protected under the First Amendment as free speech.
A state law restricting the posting of campaign signs to 45 days before an election and 10 days following was deemed unconstitutional in the 1990s.
There is no restriction as to how long they can be posted on private property or when they have to be taken down.
AUWE
To the driver of a very huge pickup truck, which took up three prime parking places at Foodland’s Kailua parking lot on Tuesday evening, Aug. 5. He stood leaning against the truck eating a plate lunch. The parking lot was very busy with people looking for parking and trying to prepare for the impending storm. No aloha spirit in this guy! — Kailua Grandma
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.
