Christine Donnelly

Question: Can the city do extra green bin pickups? I have too much already for the bin that gets picked up every two weeks. I only have one small car so I can’t haul this myself. Too big and messy after this storm.

Question: The federal government passed a law called H.R. 1 which created new work/volunteer requirements for adults in order to keep Med-QUEST coverage. These requirements go into effect Jan. 1. Please explain how the bureaucratic part of this will work here in Hawaii. When will proof need to be shown, before the first of January or after? How will this work?

Question: How do I ensure that the drinking water that I store for emergencies is safe to drink? Instructions say to use chlorine. Where do I buy it and what brand is it? How long will the stored water be safe to drink? The drinking water that I stored prior to a storm has been used after the storm to water my garden.

Question: I hesitate to ask because I know it’s worse on the Big Island but is there anyone who can help a kupuna with relatively minor storm damage on Oahu? Years ago I could have handled this but it might take a chainsaw.

Question: Our friend, visiting from Japan, made online reservations for Diamond Head State Monument entry on Aug. 19. Unfortunately, the park was closed on this date due to Hurricane Lala. The DH State Monument website says that refunds are granted for official emergency park closures declared for hazardous conditions. Would you be able to provide information on how to obtain a refund for the park’s closure during Hurricane Lala?

Question: I just received an email supposedly from U.S. Customs and Border Protection notifying me that my passport on my Global Entry account has expired and I need to update my account. I recently renewed my passport. Is this legit? Or is it a scam? Please advise.

Question: My daughter has been getting texts supposedly from the IRS but I told her to ignore/delete because they must be scams since the IRS only sends letters. Isn’t that right?

Question: My great-grandson has no father listed on his birth certificate. The father needs and wants to be listed. Can my granddaughter get this fixed? Do we have to hire a lawyer?

Question: Even if I pay in person at a satellite city hall or the DMV, they charge a fee to use a credit card or even a debit card — it’s not just online or at the DMV Now kiosk. I asked why a fee is added to the debit card since it withdraws money from your checking account; nobody had a clear answer. Maybe because it’s backed up by a credit card company? That’s dumb: The check can bounce, the debit card will decline on the spot.

Question: Where will the parking be for vital records’ new location? Parking is tight downtown, and not cheap. I know the current site is not great for DOH employees (old building) but it is convenient for customers, being right off the H-1 with a parking lot out front.