Christine Donnelly

Question: Auwe! I was calmly walking my well-behaved dog when this lady came running up and screamed at me that dogs aren’t welcome at Ala Moana park. “No dogs allowed! No dogs allowed!” She yelled this repeatedly. How can this be? I see dogs there all the time. My dog was on a leash. I recently moved to a rental and the park is the nearest large green space for safe, comfortable dog-walking, which should be able to co-exist with other activities there. Auwe to the rude lady!

Question: Regarding the state’s Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program, if someone applied for the first round but was not funded, can they be considered in this round? If yes, do they have to reapply (i.e., resubmit the whole application)? Or does their previous application roll over to the next round of funding?

Question: It is OK for Oahu residents to trade or share gray, blue and green bins? In other words, if someone has an extra green bin they don’t use, can they just give it to someone who calls dibs on Facebook? Or, if an avid recycler doesn’t generate enough trash to fill their gray bin, can they give it to the large family who lives down the street?

Question: Are vehicle owners not being cited for expired safety check stickers anymore? In the past few days I have seen expired safety check stickers with these month/year expiration dates: 03/21, 01/23, 03/23, 08/23, 10/23 and 12/23. And whose job is it to cite these drivers? As a person who has always been careful about keeping her vehicle’s safety check up to date, I would probably be the first one to be ticketed if I let mine lapse!

Question: In 2023 the state said the bridge in Maili would be done by June. That’s next month, and it’s obvious that’s not going to happen.

Question: It’s been almost a year since the rail started running. Is ridership holding up to the hype of the early days?

Question: I received an IRS inquiry form via U.S. mail. They want to know whether I am me. Is this for real? It has to do with the 2023 tax-year filing.

Question: How long will the roadwork take on the viaduct? Will the ramp be closed?

Question: Regarding memorial flowers for the national cemetery, where and when can we drop off flowers, lei or ti leaf for the annual lei draping? If we sew a lei, how long must it be?

Question: Auwe! After exiting Kalanianaole Highway I was turning left onto Kilauea Avenue near Kahala Mall. I had the light, and there was a man standing on the median, seemingly waiting until it was his time to cross. Suddenly and without warning, he jumped out into the street! I nearly hit him but swerved in time. Luckily, there was no car in the lane next to me, or I would have hit that car when I swerved. I was shaken up but the man just kept walking. Later, I was thinking about the bill to legalize jaywalking. Did that go through?