Question: It’s been two years since the University of Hawaii has had a mascot. Are they doing anything to get one, or are they ever going to get one?
Answer: There are no current plans to replace UH’s former mascot, Vili the Warrior, according to athletic director Ben Jay.
The athletic department staff has had internal discussions about finding a new mascot, deciding that whatever that mascot is, it has to be representative of both the men’s — Rainbow Warriors — and women’s — Rainbow Wahine — teams, as well as the state of Hawaii.
"We want to be culturally sensitive as well,"Jay said.
One requirement: Whatever and whoever the mascot is, it has to be a UH student representing one of the school’s"spirit teams"– cheerleaders and Rainbow Dancers — and likely involve several students rotating in the role, he said.
Jay said UH will be happy to take suggestions from fans.
Got any ideas?
If so, send suggestions to Ben Jay, Director of Athletics, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1337 Lower Campus Road No. 105, Honolulu, HI 96822. Email may be sent to athdir@hawaii.edu.
Question: What’s happening at the end of the public-access lane to the beach at the end of Hunakai Avenue in Kahala? When we walked down there recently, we saw that the high tide and surf had destroyed the former rock and cement steps, with the ocean crashing up on the end of the lane and well into the yards of the two adjacent lots. One lot is vacant, and the other has an abandoned house, I believe from the Kawamoto era. There were fresh tread marks from heavy equipment coming from one lot and going into the other lot, with a huge pile of sand in that lot. Two men were standing in the water trying to build wooden steps. Who owns that land and sand if the high water mark is clearly into the yards of these lots? Was there a permit to remove the sand? What is being done to ensure access, and by whom?
Answer: We first contacted the city Department of Planning and Permitting, which said that removal of beach sand is under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and is against the law without its permission.
We passed on your concerns to DLNR, which told us the matter is now "under active investigation" by its Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands. Because of that, no other information could be provided at this time, said DLNR spokeswoman Deborah Ward.
Question: Can you obtain the email addresses for the four gubernatorial candidates, as well as for Mr. Djou and Mr. Takai?
Answer: You can email the candidates either through their campaign websites and/or via email addresses.
For governor: Duke Aiona, www.dukeaiona.com; Jeff Davis, www.jeffdavisgovernor.com; Mufi Hannemann, votemufi.com; and David Ige, www.davidige.org.
For Congress: Charles Djou, djou.com or charles@djou.com; and Mark Takai, marktakai.com or mark@marktakai.com.
Mahalo
To George Yara, an employee of Chevron and also coach of the Aiea Little League baseball team, who took me in his truck to the Neal Blaisdell parking lot. I am a Type 1 diabetic and was walking from the HECO plant to the Blaisdell when I had a bout of low blood sugar. I knew I wouldn’t be able to make it. If not for him, I would have had to call 911 for help. — Grateful
Mahalo
To the young man with the skateboard who rushed to help when someone was hit by a bus in September at the Kona Street bus stop at Ala Moana Center. He ran to the person on the ground and also rushed to get help from the firemen who were parked beneath the Keeaumoku Street ramp. We were shocked! It is noisy down there and did not realize the person had been hit until we saw this young man in action. We hope his parents know what an extremely fine man he is.– Carole T.
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.
