Question: I want to check on a survey to see if it’s a scam. Why would the Health Department want to know what I eat? Do we have to fill it out? There’s a number, but I don’t want to call until I know.
Answer: From your description, this sounds like a legitimate survey by the state Department of Health Disease Outbreak Control Division, which aims to reduce foodborne illnesses in Hawaii, particularly rat lungworm disease. Surveys were mailed out statewide a month ago to randomly selected households. You mentioned that you had set the envelope aside, thinking it was junk mail, and opened it recently.
You can verify the mailer by calling the Health Department at 586-8362 or Anthology Marketing Group at 844-850-3605; follow the instructions included in the survey packet when making the call. Anthology is administering the survey for the Health Department.
Participation is voluntary. You may submit your responses by mail or online. We confirmed with the Health Department that responses are still being accepted.
The survey includes questions asking what food the household typically consumes, where the food is bought or grown and how it is typically prepared. It also asks about the household’s sources of water for drinking and cooking and whether there could be rats, slugs or snails in the area surrounding the respondent’s home. “Data gathered will be used to educate the public on best practices for food safety, guide public health intervention and prevention efforts, and enhance understanding of the foodborne disease risks among Hawai‘i residents and visitors,” according to the Health Department.
Rat lungworm disease, which affects the brain and spinal cord, is caused by a roundworm parasite called Angiostrongylus cantonensis. People can become infected if they ingest (intentionally or otherwise) a raw or undercooked infected intermediate host of the parasite, such as a snail or slug. Infection can occur when someone eats raw produce that contains an infected snail or slug, which may be minuscule. That’s why it is so important to wash lettuce and other produce before consuming it raw.
Q: Is the satellite city hall at Fort Street Mall closing?
A: Yes, it will close Friday, the city announced. A larger facility will open around the corner on Monday. The new location, called the Downtown Satellite City Hall, will be in the Chinatown Gateway Plaza. The address is 1041 Nuuanu Ave., at the corner of Hotel Street and Nuuanu Avenue.
Customer service is scheduled to be disrupted for only one day (Friday) because neither location is regularly open.
Q: Who can I call to find out who owns a road? I need a phone number, not a website.
A: You can call 768-8725 to reach the Land Division of the city Department of Design and Construction. The division should be able to tell you whether a road is owned by the city, state or a private entity; if it’s a private road, you won’t get the owner’s name, just that it’s a private road. Your question needs to be specific, mentioning the precise stretch of road you are wondering about.
Auwe
Auwe to the big pickup trucks (and other vehicles) that are driving on the sand, tearing up the beach and the naupaka and everything else just past Sandy Beach. Monk seals have been known to rest there! Stay off the sand! You aren’t supposed to be driving there. — Frustrated
Mahalo
Mahalo to Hector in the parking lot of the Waimalu Times Supermarket, for jumping my car. I thought it had overheated, but he patiently explained the problem and helpfully assisted. — Senior citizen
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.
